Summer crown

Back and rested from crown.
It was a very good event. I will admit that I had my doubts on having the tournaments on the Sunday, but it turned out amazing. Saturday was very relaxed and laid back. It gave me the opportunity to hang out with people and get to know them a little better.

I weaved a bit. Weaving in period surroundings really brings a little something. I was surprised by the amount of people that came to me and said that they were amazed by what I did, how it looked like magic and that it was so complex. I love explaining the mechanics behind the "magic". It's really really simple. And I thrive when I see them understanding. Everything makes sense when you take one detail at the time. It's a lot like fighting, it's all in the small details and understanding mechanics.

There was something in the air Saturday evening, when evocation of the list took place. The sky turned grey and the wind picked up. The atmosphere was strange. The wind was strong but it felt like the air stood still, similar to when a storm is rising on the ocean. For a brief moment on Saturday evening, it felt like I was back on the shoreline, I was energized the same way I used to get when I made offerings to Njörðr before my husband and/or my brother were getting ready to sail. This gave me the courage to offer myself as a banner bearer to my Knight and his inspiration. The wind calmed down after the invocation procession.

 I made new friends and managed to chip off a bit of my shyness barrier with other friends. The SCA is such a great place for shy and insecure people to grow in a safe environment. It's surprising how I manage to break out of my shell and overcome my insecurity when I'm at an event. I do feel stronger emotionally when I'm around SCA people. I also have more and more people that I feel safe when I'm around them, I feel like I don't have to constantly be on guard or watch my back. It's a relief to feel some of that stress go away. I feel lighter.

Sunday was epic. I did not fight in crown out of respect for my inspiration and a promise I made to him but I volunteered to marshal and I fought pick ups between rounds. I've noticed that I'm way more attentive to details and my surroundings after fighting, marshalling with fighter-brain was a pretty cool experience, I noticed details that usually slips away.
After crown, I fought in the squires tourney. It was interesting, I had no "meh" fights. They were either very very bad or very very good, I've learn from both. I've had good feedback and very useful tips from a lot of people. My fighting is improving. Maybe not at the speed that I want, but from what I've learn in the past year it's better for me to learn at the pace my brain and body let's me and really let that become second nature and grow into a good fighter than to rush it and be an ok fighter. Every fights starts in my head. If my head is not at the right place, it's a wasted fight. I proved to myself this weekend that if my mind is cleared and my head is at the right place, I can hold my ground and fight. I've had fights where I was in the perfect head space and some that I wasn't. Now I need to remember how to switch that on. Sunday it kinda came and went but I didn't notice a pattern.

Most importantly, this weekend I learned that I'm not where I want to be; I'm where I need to be and I embrace this. This journey is getting more interesting each time I pick up my sword.