the yak occidental

  Above: Thank you, Saint Dolly. May Excursion: Getting my First Vaccine omgomgomg Last Saturday I set out to get my first vaccination against COVID19!! I was elated and extremely grateful. It was the right choice for me, my family, and my community. The whole process was very organized: I arrived with 2 minutes to spare, the vaccination site was running behind, so I waited for 15 minutes with my group, happily reading. There were tons of staff on site to answer questions; I had a very clear sense of what was happening now, what would happen next, etc. The mood, I felt, was a lot more somber than I would have expected (we are so close!!). All the staff were cheerful, clear, and positive, and they were playing music to try and lighten the mood. As my spouse gently pointed out, while I am focused on the renewal and the promise of freedom this vax will give me, many are more likely mourning this global pandemic which has been unprecedented and unbelievably tragic for many. I'm especia...

Here are two more habits to break or change, especially if you are part of Production in Vancouver's Animation industry. In the last video we talked about: Bringing more awareness to when we’re actually “busy” Resisting having the last word or always having to be right Saying folks/team/etc instead of 'guys' Today, I’ve got a couple more habits for those of us in Production to break or change. RELATED VIDEO: 3 Bad Habits to Break (at Work) Part 1 Habit 4: Improve your response time on messages Think about it - when you finally ask for help, do you feel valued or important when you wait 45 minutes for a response? Of course not.  Now, when someone asks you a question or for help you do not HAVE to answer right away—it’s true that it’s not always possible.  However, you can ask them to nudge you in 10 minutes if you don’t respond, you can add a reminder to a calendar to respond to said artist, or use reminder functions within apps like Slack to ensure you get back to the pers...

Here is a selection of songs roughly themed around the element of Earth! Elements - EARTH track list The Lilac Bush by Slow Dakota Height of Land by Q-Pup Landslide by Beirut Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth by Neko Case Summer Is The Champion by Laura Veirs North by Emmy the Great Garden Rose by Lavender Diamond '81 by Joanna Newsom All The Tress Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands by Sufjan Stevens Rocky Mountain Cowboy Blues by Being Dead The Gardener by Offa Rex Land's End by Bat For Lashes Bury My Dead Horses by Fog Lake Bones of Man by Chad VanGaalen Stone by Agnes Obel The Garden by Mirah Luscious Life by Patrick Watson Sue by Buck Meek Bones by Alexandra Savior Dusty Trails by Lucius The Garden by Basia Bulat Bodyache by Purity Ring The Drying of the Lawns by The Tallest Man on Earth Bonese of Abandoned Fruits by Johanna Warren My Body's Made of Crushed Little Stars Bone of My Bones Pt 2 (feat The Beijing Philharmonic) by Ebony Bones! Know Your Body by Half Waif ...

Here is a blessing/prayer I wrote for the element of Earth* Above: The Ebony Shield from Spirit Keeper's Tarot: Vitruvian by Benebell Wen May I be as capable of change as the turning of the seasons.  May I always know the bounty of an abundant harvest. May I remain rooted in my ancestral knowledge as ancient forests. May I be humbled to remember that as I may be a precious stone now, once I was coal. May I attain the heights of great mountains, rising deeply from the earth *You are welcome to share and use this in your coven/ritual, and please be sure to give me credit. Witches who aren't white are rarely recognized in such traditions, which you can read more about  here . 

In the next two videos, I want to focus on some bad habits that I find those on Production teams to be particularly guilty of, including, of course, myself!  As with all jobs, even if you are good at what you do, you can always get better. Most of the time we liken our shows to being marathons, not sprints. If you’re in it for a longer stretch, you may as well learn a few new tricks along the way, right? I suggest the items across the next couple videos in particular as things that are relatively easy to achieve with maximum impact. Sometimes it’s not about making a new habit, merely tweaking or bringing a greater awareness to one you already have. Habit 1: Are you really that busy?  Say what you mean. If you are focused on something you have a tight deadline for, say so. If you need a minute to concentrate, ask for it. Being “busy” has become a bit of a dirty word in the business world - at it’s best, it’s a catch-all for being under the gun. At it’s worst its superficial di...

Here is a playlist loosely themed around the element of Water! Elements - WATER track list River by Joni Mitchell Rain at Night by Oh So Quiet Deep Blue Sea by Grizzly Bear Swimming Pool by Emmy the Great Sea Calls Me Home by Julia Holter River in Drought by Y La Bamba Annan Water by The Decemberists Come into the Water by Mitski Seasick by Moonrise Nation Stronger Swimmer by Emily Reo Tarot River by Q-Pup A Knife In The Ocean by Foals Cold Cold Water by Mirah Drawn to the Blood by Sufjan Stevens Sinks by Little May I'll Drown by Soley Watering by Big Thief Sea Ship Wrecks by Mandy Sloan Port of Call by Beirut Pray For Rain by Pure Bathing Culture Waves by Metric I Follow Rivers by Lykke Li Fog by The Ophelias Freeze Melt Boil Quantum Tangle This River Is Wild by The Killers The Lake by Typhoon Rolling Tides by Ancient Warfare Tides by Sufjan Stevens and a bunch of other men Ocean Scope by Half Waif The Ocean by Odetta Hartman Black Lake by Hermitess Eggs and Soldiers by Cosmo Shel...

 Here is a prayer/blessing I wrote about the element of Water* Above: Queen of Cups from Tarot of the Divine by Yoshi Yoshitani To the mighty waters of the West I ask: May I be capable of depths of the greatest lakes. May my love flow like a wild river. May my peace of mind know stillness of calm ponds. May I always be nourished by the rains that fall. May the salt of the oceans keep me whole, human, and healthy. *You are welcome to share and use this in your coven/ritual, and please be sure to give me credit. Witches who aren't white are rarely recognized in such traditions, which you can read more about  here . 

Here is a playlist on the theme of the element of FIRE! Elements - FIRE Track List Kerosene! by Yves Tumor Fire by Waxahatchee Fireworks by Mitski A Candle's Fire by Beirut Dance Around the Fire by Why These Coyotes Fireworks by First Aid Kit Firewood by Regina Spektor Make a Spark by Jamie Drake Gold Fire by Santigold Fever by Neko Case Burn by Hinds Sparks by The Dø Keep Yourself Warm by Frightened Rabbit Burning by Maggie Rogers July Flame by Laura Veirs In The Fog, In The Flame by Bec Sandridge Moth To The Flame by Chairlift Before the Fever by Grimes Smoulder by EMA Burning Desire by Lana Del Rey Sparks by Beach House Lich Prince by Foxing Waiting on the Warmth by MorMor Smoke Detector by Rilo Kiley Burning Pile by Mother Mother Creature Comfort by Arcade Fire Rocket Flare by Amen Dunes Ace of Wands by Jett Kwong* bad idea! by girl in red White Fire by Angel Olsen Gunsmoke by Ancient Warefare Funeral Pyre by Phantogram Willow Tree by Chad VanGaalen Flare Gun by Owen Pallett Fi...

Here is a blessing/prayer I wrote for the element of Fire* Above: Queen of Wands from Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Min Law To the brilliant fire of the South I ask: May I always be as inspired as that initial spark. May I always enjoy the comfort of a hearthfire. May I always respect the sacred flame of altar candles. May I always be warmed by the fire within. *You are welcome to share and use this in your coven/ritual, and please be sure to give me credit. Witches who aren't white are rarely recognized in such traditions, which you can read more about  here . 

I offer a playlist on the theme of the element of air! Elements - AIR Track List Wind by Emily Reo The Fly by Cosmo Sheldrake Anywhere the Wind Blows by Big Eagle This Breeze by Flora Cash Blow Wind Blow by Florida BC The Wind by Cat Stevens The Wind by Doe Paoro, feat. Adam Rhodes Float by Pacific Air Blow By Blow by Laura Marling Bad Dream Baby by Springtime Carnivore The Dream by Shannon Lay Kite Flying Society by Mark Mothersbaugh Think About Me by Fleetwood Mac Blow Away by Astral Swans Don't Think by The Big Moon Motion and Thought by TYPHOON Eso Que Tu Haces by Lido Pimienta Ordinary Talk by Half Waif Out of the Whirlwind by Slow Dakota The Storm by Patrick Watson No Talk by Lowell Red Ford Radio by U.S. Firls Breathe by Ebony Bones! Bird Gehrl by Anhoni and the Johnsons Bird by The Ophelias Service Bell by Grizzly Bear and Feist I Can't Speak by La Luz America by Simon & Garfunkel Helplessly Hoping by Crosby, Stills & Nash Big Sky by Orville Peck Cranes in the S...

 Here is a little blessing/prayer I wrote for the element of Air* Above: Queen of Swords from Modern Spellcasters Tarot by Melanie Marquis To the lofty air of the East I ask: May my mind always know the clarity of the wind on a mountain range. May my lungs always know the calm of a breath deeply taken. May my spirit always be strong as a windstorm. May my words be as soothing as an evening breeze. *You are welcome to share and use this in your coven/ritual, and please be sure to give me credit. Witches who aren't white are rarely recognized in such traditions, which you can read more about here .