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This Blog Is Flying the Canadian Flag Today!

Sixty years ago on February 15, 1965, Canada officially adopted its current flag as our national emblem. It was a big deal and I remember it very well. I was in Grade 2 at the time and we spent weeks using up all our red crayons to colour endless mimeographed copies of our new flag.

The new flag was one more step in Canada's evolution away from Britain. Since Confederation in 1867, our flag had been the Red Ensign, with its emphasis on the Union Jack, English, Scottish and Irish settlers, French settlers, and some maple leaf symbolism:

Apart from the Canadian Flag's 60th anniversary, Canadians are being asked today to display our flag in front of our homes, on our balconies, in our windows, on our vehicles, and everywhere else, for another reason as well.

Canadian leaders have called for a national mass display of the flag this weekend to demonstrate our unity in the face of the Trump administration's threats, bullying and intimidation tactics against our economy and especially against our sovereignty as an independent country.

I don't have an actual flag to put on my balcony, so I'm flying a virtual one here on my blog instead.

And what the hell, since I'm being patriotic anyway, here's a video of the incomparable Ginette Reno singing O Canada in French and English at a Montreal Canadiens hockey game a few years ago too.

Happy Valentines / Galentines / Palentines Day!

February Full Moon Altar: Sedna

This month's altar honours the Inuit form of the Divine Feminine, Sedna, Goddess of the Sea and of Marine Mammals. There are many versions of Sedna's creation myth, but they all involve her vengeful father chopping off Sedna's fingers as she clings to his kayak in the Arctic sea where he has thrown her. Sedna sinks down deep into the frigid water, where she grows a whale's tail as she morphs into a mighty sea goddess. Her severed fingers become the marine mammals (seals, walruses, whales) on which the Inuit people rely for food. If Sedna becomes angry and withholds her food source animals from hunters, Inuit shamans perform a hair-combing ritual to please and placate her since, lacking fingers, she cannot comb her own hair.

This lovely soapstone carving is by Lisa Douziech, an Edmonton carver, which I bought about a year ago. I don't know if the artist intended the carving to represent Sedna, but that's who it is to me. The fibre-optic tea lights with their ever-changing colours are meant to represent the Northern Lights of the Arctic.

The altar cloth is a quilted panel created by the quilters' group at an Edmonton seniors' recreation centre where I take art and poetry classes. I placed Sedna and the candles off to the side so as not to obscure its beautiful Arctic scene.

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2025]

Farewell, Jackiesue

Very sad news in the blogosphere today -- long-time blogger Jackiesue Denney of YellowDog Granny has passed away at the age of 81. I was privileged to call her my friend and I will miss her tremendously.

On her blog, Jackiesue described herself as a "liberal pagan living in West, Texas. Yes. That West, Texas." She was a fearless hell-raiser and always spoke her mind, no matter the pushback or opposition. Her blog had the very best and very latest political memes skewering right-wing intolerance, discrimination, hate, politics and wrongdoings. She was a fierce and uncompromising supporter of all minorities, including the Black, Latino, Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities. Yet Jackiesue also had a fantastic sense of humour which was displayed regularly on her blog and in person.

Jackiesue was a tremendous volunteer in her community, driving for Meals on Wheels, organizing holiday parties and cooking special meals at the seniors' home, always ready to lend a helping hand. Jackiesue adored her family and doted on her great-grandchildren in particular, attending all their sporting events and being so proud of all their achievements.

Passionate about feminism, paganism and the Goddess, Jackiesue's favourite deity was the Norse Goddess Freya. I have no doubt that she is now sitting at Freya's right hand, feasting and carousing with the Valkyries and other warrior women in Freya's Hall.

No tribute to Jackiesue would be complete without noting her favourite word, used lavishly and in all possible situations --

I feel that the following meme, taken from her YellowDog Granny blog, serves as a fitting farewell on her behalf to all of the enemies, trolls, demons, haters and fascists she spent so much of her time fighting . . . 

. . . just as I'm sure this other meme from her blog represents Jackiesue's parting invitation to us all to carry on her fire, spirit and audacity --

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