So have I sworn, so will I fulfill
Last night we held Disabl'ot at Chuck and Marti's and I officiated. It went well even with little Ashton running around the altar trying to get into things. Marti said next time they would make sure to get a sitter like before. After bl'ot at symbel I was moved to swear over the horn that I would lose forty pounds by year's end or else sacrifice five pounds of amber to the Aesir and Vanir. Chuck seemed to be trying to get me to make it a pledge rather than an oath, but I believe that's just because he has had bad experiences with what happens when people don't fulfill oaths sworn in symbel---the negative effects hit not only the person swearing but everyone else who was participating in symbel at the time(because participating in symbel connects the Wyrd of everyone present for that time). I understood Chuck's concern(both as Thule overseeing the symbel and as my friend), but I felt (and still do) that it should have the force of an actual oath. Besides, I have lost weight before and although I wouldn't call it easy, exactly, it's not as impossible as he apparently believed it would be. From now until the deadline is ten months--that's only four pounds per month. Not impossible, with my job at the warehouse being on my feet all day, plus I have a gym membership which, if I use regularly instead of sporadically, should be enough. There's a certain feeling you get when you fulfill an oath that goes beyond just the regular feeling of accomplishment/pride/closure that you get from finishing ordinary tasks. It's because the Gods and the Folk are involved that adds a particular kind of energy to the situation, that feels like Wyrd has been, for lack of a better word, "properly" woven.
I'm going to be giving updates on my progress both to Chuck and here in this journal--that'll get me back in the habit of posting anyway. As of now I weigh 256 pounds.