Good Inbolc and Happy Groundhog Day

Today is the beginning of Inbolc - the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It's also Groundhog Day, so let's hope that furry critter forecasts an early Spring. In a specific Tarot spread of the Celtic Calendar, Inbolc is IX - The Veiled Lamp. The reading of the man passing through non-physical worlds silently, his lamp showing him the way. He seeks wisdom and walks through with detached perception. 

I'm not fond of the Rider Waite Smith
deck, but have many other Tarot decks
I prefer. Here, The Vailed Lamp is from
 an Egyptian-styled deck and the lamp 
is an ancient-styled oil lamp. 

In the Standard Calendar Tarot spread, February is VIII - Justice - The Balance and the Sword. It denotes the search for truth and justice without prejudice and works towards  balanced interpersonal relationships with harmony as the ultimate goal. So either way you look at it, it should be a pretty good month. 

In a different Egyptian-influenced Tarot 
deck, this is VIII Justice - Ma-at, who 
was associated with justice at the final 
weighing of the heart. I don't own 
this deck, but the pictures are stunning. 

One of the (many) problems that go along with setting up a new piece of computer equipment is getting things set up the way I want and remembering which programs I have linked to each other. That failed me yesterday and will probably cause ripples for a while, when I accidentally ended up changing my Google log-in while searching for a program I forgot I had linked to Google. I had to set up a new password, and I'm probably going to be stumbling over log-in blockades for a while until I've caught all of them. Ick! 

Windows 10 and I are coming to a grudging understanding. I 
do love the variety and photography of the wallpapers I 
can have flashing on my screen. Yesterday's choice was 
Colors of Autumn - stunning and enjoyable. I'll pick a 
different screen saver grouping for today. 

Yesterday was also the first day of "trial by fire" of the new laptop, and I have concluded that I do love it. The screen is quite a bit smaller than my old laptop, but I'm getting used to that because the resolution of the monitor is stunning. I didn't get a chance to pair my wireless earbuds with it yet, but the actual soundbar of the computer is awesome! I've been hitting my Spotify playlists in the early morning - great fun, good music. 

One of the really awesome things about my new 
computer is the cover - it's real leather in a deep black 
tone, textured the way leather should be. It makes it 
tactile and warm instead of aloof and cold the way 
a metal casing would. I was trying out names yesterday 
and "VooDoo" seems to be one it likes. I'll try it 
for a while and see if it sticks. Otherwise, "Anubis" 
is another possibility. 

The new laptop backpack is great. It is smaller than my old carryall, but that's good in a lot of respects. It means I can't stuff it full of paperwork - I actually have to deal with the paperwork I generate and put it away properly. Shock! I'm liking the entire package though, and it came just in the nick of time since I don't think Franken-Smaug will start up any more. I'm not destroying Franken-Smaug quite yet, I may still need something on there that didn't get transferred properly, but after a couple of months, I'll pull the hard drive and smash it to bits. Then I can get rid of the casing. 

On that note, I'm out of here. I hope all of you have a fabulous first day of Inbolc and that you are treated kindly by any and all you interact with today. I'm hoping my friends on the East Coast didn't get too pounded by this latest snowstorm. It sounds like it was a doozy! Have a good day, be kind, stay safe and please wear your mask. I'll be back tomorrow.