Thursday, March 3, 2011

Witch Mom is busy!

These days, I am keeping myself pretty busy. So busy, that sometimes I get a little overwhelmed. I am in school of course, and going 3/4 time with two classes. My classes this semester are fascinating: "The Jewish Liturgical Year in Diaspora" and "The Sacred and the Substance".

For my final papers/presentation in the Jewish class, I am presenting a "Jewitch" ritual, including a seder. While I am not of Jewish ancestry (that I know of), I know many many folks who identify as both Jews and Witches and will be presenting my theological ideas to them before presenting the final product to class. In the Sacred and the Substance, I will be writing a paper on the use of substances in modern witchcraft- from entheogens and flying ointments to herbs for oracular divination. You know, ordinary master's degree topics?!

My son is getting huge and he keeps me busy (I had to pause just then for a toddler dance and cuddle break). He is walking (or should I say running), starting to communicate with us in earnest, and understands simple commands like "bring the keys to mommy". I am astounded at his progress. He is tall for his age and walked early, so many people assume he is older than he is. This is fine until he tries to poke their kids eye out or slap them on the top of the head (we are working on the concept of "gentle"- especially when he is excited). He goes to Pagan Playdate a couple times a month (I host one a month, and his daddy takes him to another). He also sees his best pal, Esme, several times a month (travel and such has kept it from being  weekly lately). We got him a membership to the zoo for his birthday, and we have taken him there several times since. He still loves all animals.

I started several new projects: I am the Bureau Coordinator for Pagan Newswire Collective in the Bay Area. This means I recruit volunteers, edit the content submitted, assign stories, facilitate meetings, keep the project going, as well as write stories myself. I have written two stories so far (we started the project in January). Both are on pagan parenting- this time at PantheaCon.

I have also started a "completely for me" project: I am studying to be a wildlife rehabilitator and get certified! I plan on working with corvids mainly when I am finished. The place I am apprenticing to gets mostly birds (lucky me!) but also some mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. They have a museum attached to the hospital and have several animals that are educational because they cannot be released for one reason or another. Their collection includes many owls (ooh!), a raven (yay!), and even a bald eagle and coyote. I go every Saturday for a while to learn, then I will volunteer regularly in the hospital.

Wheel of Fortune, by Watts
I have been volunteering at the local UU in the kids department. I start out each Sunday in the nursery (where Rowan plays), then go up to be with Club UU (4th-6th graders), then I go to worship myself. It's been great working with kids again, and it has made me consider doing it professionally again.

I continue with my Witchcraft studies and am working with my teacher toward initiation. She often gives me work to do independently, and I also have pet projects in this regard: this year I intend on honing my divination and oracular skills.

I am going to create my own runes (finally!) and re-do a project I did oh-so-log-ago: color my own deck of BOTA tarot cards. Both projects help because you spend a week or so with each card/rune- learning its meanings, meditating on it, and finally coloring or etching it. I will also be working with my mask and other tools to help me be a good, skilled oracle.

7 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness you have a lot on your plate. I wonder how you find time for it all, but I'm sure you get that a lot. :) I think a lot of the stuff you are working on is very interesting, especially the school you are attending. May I ask, what do you plan to do with your education you get from Star King? I only ask because I am very, very interested in religion and would love to find a way to make it my career. Also, I love divination, so I'm very interested in Runes as well. :)

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  2. I love what I am doing at Starr King, but am still sorting out the "how to make this into a living" part. As I progress, I am entertaining the idea of youth ministry/school.

    I know that I want to homeschool/groupschool Rowan, and if I can get the education to do it right (secular as well as multi-religious education) then I would be in a great position to run such a school. This would educate Rowan and help me make a living doing what I love. So that is one idea.

    Other ways to make an M.Div help you make a living: Chaplaincy. get a chaplain's certificate, then work in hospitals, hospices, prisons, etc. You could also get a minister's credential. (I decided that the UU path, while one I am happy to pursue on Sundays, is not enough of my calling to be a minister for that tradition. But many of my student peers are indeed doing a ministerial track.) Another idea is academia. There are many options.

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  3. I grew up not far from the Lindsay Museum, and remember it fondly (in fact, when I was doing time at DVC, I passed it daily on the bus). How's the old place doing?

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  4. I am excited for you...and ROWAN's wow!

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  5. @Katie: The Lindsay Museum is doing really well. They help 4500 wild animals each year, have two vets on staff, the museum seems packed on the weekends when I attend classes. It's a really cool place.

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  6. Wow, talk about a busy mama! I'm also in school, as well as working at home full time with the 6 month-old attached to the hip (when she's not on the breast, lol!), and that seems pretty overwhelming to me.

    I couldn't imagine also trying to head groups and organize play dates as well as magical studies, though it sounds like a lot of fun.

    How do you manage it all and keep your head in the right space?

    Delena

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  7. @The Modern Aboriginal Mama: Some days, I don't (manage and keep my head in the right space)! LOL

    Some days, you have to pick and choose. On the days when I am doing magick and oracle work, I do not write papers, for example.

    Baby always comes first, which means other things may or may not happen.

    But I have always been one of those people who is happier when busy. I need a good calendar- that is one thing that is a must-have! LOL

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