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February 03, 2012

Sviata Vechera dinner revisited

Well, this was my first year celebrating in this way and let me tell you, it takes ALOT more planning that I thought. I started out with the best of intentions. I planned and listed and listed and planned but damned if it didn’t go as smoothly as I wanted. Gathering the recipes proved to be a pretty big challenge. I finally managed to dig up my grandmothers handwritten notes and away I went.

I have to say it was a big learning experience both mentally and spiritually. This coming year I will approach it differently. I am still processing alot of went on emotionally within me but I do believe I came out of it a more connected person. All that being said…I am glad the holidays have passed for a bit and I have a chance to slow down

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January 13, 2012
48 notes
US-Relevant Animal Parts Laws

thegreenwolf:

Hey, taxidermy and dead-critter fans in the US (or who ship to the US)—I put together this collection of links to relevant laws to international, federal, and state laws that affect the possession and/or sales of animal parts in the US. It’s NOT intended as legal advice as I am not a legal professional, but I do offer it as a starting point (when in doubt about the legality of something, check with your state fish and wildlife department). Here it is: http://www.thegreenwolf.com/partslaws.html

Anyway, you can peruse the links at your leisure, but there are a few things that I keep seeing come up that I think you may want to know about (you can find out more about these laws at the link I posted):

—It is illegal to sell or even possess almost all wild bird feathers and other parts, and even nests and eggs—and yes, this does include naturally molted feathers, as you can’t tell the difference between one that was molted, and one that was just ripped off an illegally shot bird. The species protected include all corvids (including crow, raven, jays, etc.), raptors (eagles, hawks, owls), songbirds (robins, cardinals, etc.) and so forth. This is due to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 (the “eagle feather law”). So that art you made with crow and blue jay feathers, and that hawk feather you have hanging from your rear view mirror? All illegal under federal law and subject to big fines.

—It is illegal to sell across state lines any CITES Appendix I animal parts, to include “pre-ban” (killed before 1973) ones. You can give them as gifts, and you can sell within state if your state allows it. But that vintage leopard coat or ocelot scrap that you’re trying to sell on Etsy? Illegal according to federal law. (See http://www.thegreenwolf.com/prebancites.html for details.)

—It is illegal to send wildlife parts outside of the US without an import/export license, and paying inspection fees—just slapping a customs form on it at the post office isn’t enough. You can find more information on everything needed to legally mail wildlife parts out of the US at http://www.thegreenwolf.com/international.html - while the initial query was about deer parts, it applies to all wildlife. Both US Fish and Wildlife and US Customs have their own regulations, so you may want to inquire with both of them if you’re trying to send animal parts to other countries.

—Many states have restrictions on what animal parts may be possessed or sold. For example, wolf parts cannot be sold in California or New York, and since a seller cannot guarantee that a buyer in those states won’t resell them even though they said they were keeping them, most dealers in dead things won’t ship wolf parts there so as to avoid being held liable and potentially violating the Lacey Act of 1900.

Also, you won’t be exempted if you have the animal parts for religious purposes or if you happen to have Native American blood. Even enrolled tribe members have to wait in a waiting list for years to be approved for a single legal eagle feather, and people of numerous races have been arrested and fined for killing eagles for black market trade. I am unsure of the exceptions that are made to laws for enrolled Native Americans, and would appreciate any links and laws that would help me improve this collection in that regard.

Additionally, a little later this year, once states have had time to update their websites, I’ll be updating this resource; in the meantime, if you see something missing, please feel free to let me know :)

Also, feel free to reblog this if you think some of your readers would find it useful!

(via graveyarddirt)

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December 04, 2011
45 notes
Graveyard Dirt: Holy Supper Challenge

graveyarddirt:

“Now that I’ve broken down the Holy Supper concept into bite-sized pieces, AND managed to briefly lose your attention while sternly lecturing you about right-proper necro-conduct it’s time to cinch this shit together in five simple steps to assure everyone who’s thinking about joining me that this isn’t an epic undertaking…”

I just wanna say how excited I am that some of you guys have decided to take up my Holy Supper challenge (aka “Midwinter Magic”). To make things even more interesting I promise to turn the festive event into a giveaway if I get at least five people sincerely participating. Want some complimentary Ms. Dirty magic? Join me and your beloved dead for the loudest fucking dumb supper you’ll ever experience and you just might get lucky!

PS. Lots of love’n’gratitude for those who reblog this shit to get it out there! <3!

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December 04, 2011
2 notes

Sviata Vechera…the Swiss way

The wonderful Miss Graveyard Dirt has thrown out a Sviata Vechera challenge recently and I could not be more on board with it. Sviata Vechara is essentially a holy supper, a time to celebrate Midwinter, and a time to invite both living and long gone relatives to your dinner table. 

It seems a no brainer to take this as an opportunity to delve a bit further into my Swiss heritage. Grandma and Grandpa Luchs were incredibly proud of their Swiss upbringing and the holidays always included traditions which I have only recently realized came from the old world.

My grandparents came from a long line of farmers, people who lived by the stars and were at the mercy of natures moods. Harvest time was always a time of thanks and the fruits of labor were never taken for granted. As a result celebrations were always very food based. There was so much magic, superstition and power associated with food. Farm animals joined in celebrations and were regularly blessed, food was left out for visitors (both living and dead) and natures gifts never went to waste.

It will take me a bit of research to figure out what a traditional full holiday dinner will consist of. What I am mostly familiar with are the baked goods. These people LOOOOVE butter. And flour. And booze. I must have at least 20 recipes for butter filled, brandy/kirsch soaked, cookies/cakes/pies. Another ingredient that was used more than you would think- pigs blood. I recall a dessert my grandfather loved made with cherries and pigs blood cooked to a thick syrup and poured over fresh bread. Might skip that one

Then there are the traditions..

A very interesting thing happened when the Roman Catholic Church began it’s attempt at influencing the pagan communities. Many of the small villages were remote and inaccessible. It took them much longer to assimilate their customs. The result is an incredible mix of pagan and catholic ritual.

One of my favorite traditions is Krampus, the incubus demon(!!!) who accompanies St. Nicholas. This guy is soooo super metal and bad ass. He deserves his own post and will get one very soon.

 

A tradition very specific to Midwinter is the procession of the Perchten. The Perchten are the mask wearing entourage of Pehta Baba, an ancient goddess who is often connected to the Nordic goddess Freyja. Perchten are associated with midwinter and the embodiment of fate and the souls of the dead. It is said Pehta Baba gets angered and will slit your belly and stuff you with straw if the traditional meal of fish and gruel is not eaten on her festival night. That seems like something her and I are going to have to work out ahead of time

So it would appear I have some reading and writing to do. This will be my first year attempting a full official fancy type meal and it is only for 2 living in the flesh people (not sure how much an average spirit eats) so the challenge will be keeping it down to a manageable size.

So far the plan is:

Smoked Salmon - Very traditional and it should also please Pehta Baba and keep me from getting my belly slit

Brie, Roquefort and Wild Mushroom Fondue -this will end up being the main course

Fresh rye and sourdough bread- both for dipping in fondue and for eating the salmon

Bratwurst- Also for dipping

Kirsch clear cherry brandy-for toasting, cooking, simmering and partying

Springerli cookies, Bräzeli cookies and coffee

Flourless chocolate Yulelog- Something to share with the neighbors after our private feast

Liverwurst with mayo on white bread-this is specifically for my grandfather who I hope will honor me with his presence at my table. It was our special snack we always shared throughout my childhood. It seems only right

 

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August 26, 2008
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August 26, 2008
"If you go home with somebody and they don’t have books, don’t fuck ‘em!"

— John Waters

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August 26, 2008
 HOT Lycanthropic action&#8230;.

 HOT Lycanthropic action….

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March 26, 2008

7.5 of my 15

MY write up in The Stranger

Speaking of disgusting:

Today brings a beguiling and brown Metro mystery from Hot Tipper Shelby: “Tonight, I was riding a very packed #49 bus from downtown to Broadway. Upon boarding, I was overcome by the smell of poo. I sat down, checked my shoes, and found nothing. I noticed a guy next to me checking his shoes, also. I looked up just in time to see the guy across from me reach down the back of his pants, pull his hand out, and smell it. He then jumps up and runs off the bus. Just as the doors close and the bus starts moving, we all notice he left behind the most vile smear of whatever he found in his pants. Word reaches the driver and he pulls over, doors closed, to wait for a supervisor to show up. So there we are, all huddled together on a crowded bus for 10 minutes. The supervisor finally shows up, sprays some Lysol on the mess, and leaves. This leaves one big question in my head: Are Metro drivers not allowed to carry their own Lysol?”