tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64077202174143461432024-03-05T02:49:44.207-05:00Witch MomParenting By The Light Of The Moon...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger422125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-87724869661035630312018-02-15T10:32:00.001-05:002018-02-15T10:32:52.968-05:00Religious Tourism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My child has been going with me on field trips to other religions' houses of worship lately, because I teach "Neighboring Faiths" at the local UU to middle schoolers. Last week, we went to a Catholic mass.<br />
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I personally was admiring how everyone was on the same page with the hymns, call and response, and how beautiful the sanctuary art was. Mass ritual can be so soothing, you know?<br />
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Meanwhile, Rowan was confused and upset. We had some talk while we were there that had to be tabled for a larger discussion at home because I did not want to be a bad guest to our hosts.<br />
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<b>Things my little witchlet did not understand or like:</b><br />
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<b><i>1. "Why do they have dead Jesus everywhere? Doesn't that hurt their feelings? Doesn't that celebrate his death instead of his life?"</i></b><br />
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I had to explain that Jesus was the Christian version of the divine kings who were king for a year, and sacrificed in the summer to create good crops for the people. It was his role to die. God made Jesus so that he could be sacrificed for the people. Except in the Christian version, it's not about fertility and abundance, it's about this idea of "sin" and "forgiveness". (For the record, he doesn't like the pagan version of the divine king story either.)<br />
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2. Which led to more conversations about <b><i>sin and forgiveness</i></b>. I told Rowan that Christians believe that you have to say that Jesus is your savior to be forgiven for bad things that you do. That everyone does bad things, but you have to make that statement before you die to go to heaven. Otherwise, you will go to hell. I explained the Christian ideas of <b><i>heaven and hell</i></b> to him and he thought their God was mighty unfair. "Their God can forgive people at any time, but he makes them do that or he punishes them?"<br />
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I told him yes, their god had <b><i>a lot of rules</i></b> including not working with any other Gods besides him. So if he were a Christian, he would have to say everyone else's Gods were fake and wrong and only work with God and Jesus. He thought that was prejudiced. He also was confused how Christians become good people if all they do is follow rules and not think for themselves.<br />
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I explained that value was not placed on that idea- we, as Witches place value on that idea. But many Christians was Christians to be sheep and follow their leader. That we are more like goats than sheep.<br />
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I also explained that god sent lots of punishments to non-believers and tests to his followers, not just when they die- it's a lifelong thing. I explained plagues and the story of Isaac. He was very upset and thinks that the Christian God is a jerk now. He is mad that kids at school who are Christian spout some of the things that they do (going to hell comments), especially now that he understand the context better. <b><i>He thinks those kids are now "God's bullies".</i></b><br />
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3. I explained that Mary (the church was named after Mary) was Jesus' mom. He did not know that, and had questions. "So Mary was married to their God?". My response: "No, Mary was married to a man named Joseph." Rowan: "But Mary had a baby with God instead of Joseph?" I laughed and told him he knows many people that have had babies without being married or while being partnered with more than one person. (We know many poly people or people unmarried with kids.) Me: "Well, she did not plan it, God put baby Jesus inside her." Rowan: "She didn't know? <b><i>HOW IS THAT NOT RAPE?"</i></b> (At this point, we had to table the conversation to after church, as to not be offensive and disruptive guests.<br />
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I mean, the kid has a point of course. I have thought all of these things and rejected Christianity because of them as well. But the kid has to live in a majority Christian world and be OK with others having these ideas.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-54069326251810264112017-03-08T11:16:00.000-05:002017-03-08T11:16:01.648-05:00Todays' reading: Worker Owned Coop<span style="text-align: center;">One of the goals that I have for this year is to turn my apothecary into a worker owned coop. We have our first meeting this evening (Monday the 6th), with eight interested people meeting with me about how to proceed. Today, I did a reading to see our prospects:</span><div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The overall reading.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kC5WQvvIhBzOpd1eWs_GqUcgkfLJyWlZXtmHJSex3MIzicUzu3jOdJMDVKmuaF_gIcWC8meUZH8wdtdCvZ6UOdo7BXlqQdEq4Cn4rj4TiUCwOemmXlyN-E7d0EE47w6ziMgVP-UZO2v8/s320/IMG_8884.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The center, the now, the heart of the matter. We see the Hare in the Moon, Santisima Muerte, A Franc with the words "Fraternité, Liberté, Egalité showing, a buckeye, A success Norse sigil, and a crystal. I interpret this as change, transformation to a more egalitarian structure successfully.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwvdsKF13pt39bX7edZZI6nIxH4YaJJLM5DBEZ3EFznAwHx8YXQNvUXyPCfjzY052WoDT4xENYDxxOR2gbFlUswpiY5bDTdLMrvfvH6alhH-81pc6usKgPE38qoWF_cxDZBlLfZueF1a0/s1600/IMG_8885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwvdsKF13pt39bX7edZZI6nIxH4YaJJLM5DBEZ3EFznAwHx8YXQNvUXyPCfjzY052WoDT4xENYDxxOR2gbFlUswpiY5bDTdLMrvfvH6alhH-81pc6usKgPE38qoWF_cxDZBlLfZueF1a0/s320/IMG_8885.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some cluster in the recent past: the alligator paw is holding mandrake, the wishbone cradles a nutmeg and a coin, which is resting on dog tooth calcite, the baby doll leg and key crowns all. This I interpret as movement without knowing how it will turn out, towards a grounded fortune.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0mDCqKEvEm8skELYXNxa9ItOkaqu5WJ-VWiG5CxmiV2iHYpnCxhQa3OzcCV5FFM0FRUXSmUzF7saViEdg4WeuYDVE7y3OkAZvkuDAK59dXvsPXowshUmhsMTQsR-AjyjsvSZGaxUDqrZ/s1600/fullsizeoutput_8b7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0mDCqKEvEm8skELYXNxa9ItOkaqu5WJ-VWiG5CxmiV2iHYpnCxhQa3OzcCV5FFM0FRUXSmUzF7saViEdg4WeuYDVE7y3OkAZvkuDAK59dXvsPXowshUmhsMTQsR-AjyjsvSZGaxUDqrZ/s320/fullsizeoutput_8b7.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The near future has two items: my Buddha nut and High John the Conqueror. I interpret this as work towards enlightenment with success.<br /><br />I always advise folks to practice, of course- but take readings for themselves with a grain of salt. (Ego often gets in the way when you divine for yourself.) I always align my souls and do a little sitting before a divination for myself.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-90617336499499745522017-03-05T17:01:00.001-05:002017-03-05T17:01:31.435-05:00Nature Walks with my Son<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9bi0_UepQtJRCz66xj9tqjy07Y7SssvHvrfR6tUgpmZrpSOopGGEVeNJUYRKjOagCWtTJKYOl0KgNSUq63hE19l8dBS3STDhxFdBad5U8ULjpid-lylYFWChQdFIYKf8oLOyhRG5vlkw/s1600/IMG_8859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9bi0_UepQtJRCz66xj9tqjy07Y7SssvHvrfR6tUgpmZrpSOopGGEVeNJUYRKjOagCWtTJKYOl0KgNSUq63hE19l8dBS3STDhxFdBad5U8ULjpid-lylYFWChQdFIYKf8oLOyhRG5vlkw/s320/IMG_8859.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Augury is one thing I am teaching him.</td></tr>
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I am proud to say Rowan loves being outdoors among plants and animals (I think he'll do wonderfully when we finally have our farm). Today, it was unseasonably warm for early March- so we went for a nature walk.<br /><br />He and I like to collect things from our walks and look for signs and portents in nature to divine future events.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlkloWHGC_1KCQ_ytV8T9FZ7-9-l2zV4QyetFXz9D5JXgJ_2Angux40Lh7OstT8o4nDT1FpKFra8mf75VIQi1KJcxKZ5H2DqfVq4d_d32Lmnp20eNBygA5GXZOjJ2VFeY5C2u_YPtYFTt/s1600/IMG_8860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlkloWHGC_1KCQ_ytV8T9FZ7-9-l2zV4QyetFXz9D5JXgJ_2Angux40Lh7OstT8o4nDT1FpKFra8mf75VIQi1KJcxKZ5H2DqfVq4d_d32Lmnp20eNBygA5GXZOjJ2VFeY5C2u_YPtYFTt/s320/IMG_8860.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQkPGVqphTAehrgUU0TCPDJ9FO4baTHIMwhhAilPZ5OwfNHjuzabHos5BP-KPooKJ9N1Taq6nFmLXI_069yX6fcfrq4614-EA4MrdEfx69Sw2Da8AhZDZOnyaYdcWRbpRA340wCLn-x68/s1600/IMG_8861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQkPGVqphTAehrgUU0TCPDJ9FO4baTHIMwhhAilPZ5OwfNHjuzabHos5BP-KPooKJ9N1Taq6nFmLXI_069yX6fcfrq4614-EA4MrdEfx69Sw2Da8AhZDZOnyaYdcWRbpRA340wCLn-x68/s320/IMG_8861.JPG" width="240" /></a><br /><br />Rowan is now 7 and has lots of interesting ideas about the world and how it works. My job is to teach him many ways of thinking- magic, science, and that oddity of all oddities, human behavior.<br /><br /><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey Locust Thorns.</td></tr>
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When we are on walks, we collect things. Nuts, pinecones, rocks. If we collect something living, as we did these thorns, we always ask first and make an offering to "pay the coin" after. We offered spit for a thorn today- Rowan is going to use his to write on candles. I am adding mine to my bone set.<br />
<br />I explained to Rowan how thorns, all thorn trees, are sacred to the fey. And how they can be used to work or travel to their realm, as well as to blast and curse.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To the river!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbN9Z1yTWFmZG7HRcLs_Jrc7NsjKhRoFZR3rbOLDKG147_9D9vYX1fmGa1szzWGNkvVp3Z4X7zaXUUetz4QpkSmmm3ogo-jBzgEuRSPfuErCOlJBrxWRHpr5Gk3aRWQD8f0cZzHW5Drs0U/s1600/IMG_8865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbN9Z1yTWFmZG7HRcLs_Jrc7NsjKhRoFZR3rbOLDKG147_9D9vYX1fmGa1szzWGNkvVp3Z4X7zaXUUetz4QpkSmmm3ogo-jBzgEuRSPfuErCOlJBrxWRHpr5Gk3aRWQD8f0cZzHW5Drs0U/s320/IMG_8865.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look! A whirlpool!</td></tr>
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<br />I explain that the river has currents that can be dangerous. But it also gives life by keeping the water from being stagnant for the creatures that live there. I talk about possibilities of what a "whirlpool" (or a circle of current) could be in the river that he spots. I tell him science first, then what it could mean in terms of sympathetic magic.<div>
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We pass many interesting places and things on our walks. Homes for land spirits. Buds that are out too soon (damn climate change!). </div>
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Rowan finds "forts" and cool things everywhere. While he is still learning to be quiet and still so we can birdwatch, he does have an appeal as a hike partner. Being with him is seeing with beginner eyes all over again. Being with my son is an adventure.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fort!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool burr!</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-10617693787820198332017-02-26T14:08:00.001-05:002017-02-26T14:08:15.933-05:00Dedicating my Bone Set<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjltoKk5n0pkArZksg3UT3CL9n5xXGNitCv50MlH3ADaXlk06EOVWNuYBGQ7RzCbeYYtymE-n_iAcbh-4ug9zumQ3Y4mWZAy_PpAWYVwwRN1SsQqJcOQdqVzQI0VNuLrxgMNmX-Da4CerH/s1600/IMG_8822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjltoKk5n0pkArZksg3UT3CL9n5xXGNitCv50MlH3ADaXlk06EOVWNuYBGQ7RzCbeYYtymE-n_iAcbh-4ug9zumQ3Y4mWZAy_PpAWYVwwRN1SsQqJcOQdqVzQI0VNuLrxgMNmX-Da4CerH/s320/IMG_8822.JPG" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It starts with smoke.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">As promised, I am resurrecting this blog. Hopefully, after such a long hiatus, we still have some readership! Today's post is the first in a series all about one way I divine. </span></div>
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Divination can be done by reading the clouds, listening to animals (I tend to watch crows) or other nature spirits, Tarot cards, Runes, pendulums, or other miscellaneous items (often called "bone casting" or "reading the bones", as many of these systems contain animal parts). I do all these things, as oracular work, divination, and spirit communication are my jam. So I have tried them all and do many on a frequent basis. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMMUScK7j_VanfWzG15epw5YyT9_CjBdtVFOp_cEcEX486rrhVSWT6FNFD4swb71sk06-rR_cZK6li1-tO7iQHwg-jDYB7oa5pKSlTTCdl4zdxDGdWhP0Js1jHrVEXSt7hhfBHJfLwD1y/s1600/IMG_8823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMMUScK7j_VanfWzG15epw5YyT9_CjBdtVFOp_cEcEX486rrhVSWT6FNFD4swb71sk06-rR_cZK6li1-tO7iQHwg-jDYB7oa5pKSlTTCdl4zdxDGdWhP0Js1jHrVEXSt7hhfBHJfLwD1y/s320/IMG_8823.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoking my casting basket.</td></tr>
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<br />What is divination? Many people have a mistaken idea what it is and isn't/ When you do it correctly, spirits speak through you. You are a conduit of information and the tool that you use is not the message- it is the tool to garner the message. For example, when I first learned to use a pendulum, my teacher told us to talk to our particular tool and say "show me your yes, no, and maybe". Many students took that to mean that the pendulum was somehow speaking to them and a different pendulum may have a different way of stating yes, no, or maybe. NOPE.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soaking in salt water.</td></tr>
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Bone reading is done worldwide by many cultures including in Africa (and by African descendants in the Americas), in Siberia, in Eurasia, and Pacific Islands. It seems to be one of the earliest forms of getting messages from spirits/gods besides actual trance/possession/channeling (whatever you may call it). The awesome thing about this system is it is ever-evolving and highly personal.<br />
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Today's post is about my bone reading set: assembling, cleansing, & dedicating it so that it works well with me, the Witch. Since this system requires myriad items collected from animals, the earth, the sea, and the like- getting them to work together for you is a project. As an animist, I know that all these items have a spirit and a message. It's not always the same message each time (for example, a coin always means money). I have to learn to listen as much as they need to learn how to speak to me. They also have attached memories sometimes- and that memory of how I acquired them often goes into how I read that item.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirH-jGx8T9NtEsiFpjibN3NVZZa_rApvmw9z3Lu55pQUILEsyNB8QGfDaXEAVGxPnQc7h3cX2Lm5DvDe-8p-EOZpmjgkRADxSlC8O7ltdzSrIMYVutehC4GsM0OukHg3rXC9cxqCwKIMWZ/s1600/IMG_8831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirH-jGx8T9NtEsiFpjibN3NVZZa_rApvmw9z3Lu55pQUILEsyNB8QGfDaXEAVGxPnQc7h3cX2Lm5DvDe-8p-EOZpmjgkRADxSlC8O7ltdzSrIMYVutehC4GsM0OukHg3rXC9cxqCwKIMWZ/s320/IMG_8831.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of my set.</td></tr>
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I also know that perhaps how this item came to me was not awesome for that item. Crystals being ripped out of the earth are often cursed by earth spirits (and why should they not be?). Animals who were killed for sport and not respected in their death often have issues to reconcile. I need to pay the coin, make amends, and gain the ear of these items so that they work with me. I, the Witch, offer them a purpose after their trauma and they see me through my traumas. We become allies.<br /><br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaTfgWqdchKj2p34ZFhSuamPW91PGXF9O40RTAQPqbZs3D9H0HQDqojA-ZP36ktKj9TrZdCP72PgjRWPNlkXp0ghgJY6LDf4scT2JpqHGtnj0-KiFD30KtmhMgJbj3V_71NMotKDKp5Q5/s1600/IMG_8834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaTfgWqdchKj2p34ZFhSuamPW91PGXF9O40RTAQPqbZs3D9H0HQDqojA-ZP36ktKj9TrZdCP72PgjRWPNlkXp0ghgJY6LDf4scT2JpqHGtnj0-KiFD30KtmhMgJbj3V_71NMotKDKp5Q5/s320/IMG_8834.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoking to cleanse.</td></tr>
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I am working on my own reading cloth, for example- which reflects my worldview as a traditional witch. It will be different than a Sangoma surface (which is often a circle and cross pattern drawn in the dirt or painted on an animal hide), different than commercially available cloths. Some of the items in my set are like items in others' Sangoma sets, as that symbolism resonates with me- but other items have been removed) yet my set is unique as a whole and no one on earth has a set that contains all my items.<br />
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Some examples: I have a wishbone from a turkey consumed by me and my Witch Kin at a Yule feast. Wishbones traditionally imply luck, chance, etc. But this one also has the celebration, kinship, and tribal feelings attached to it. My skull means the ancestors as well, but the skull in my set has dozens of friends scattered all over the world. I bought a whole set and gave them to initiates and apprentices in my tradition over the last year. The humble pockmarked quartz stone in my set is from the front yard of my oath mother. It means family, oaths, and loyalty.<br /><br />Stay tuned for more posts about divination and this ever-evolving set!<br />
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For those that are interested, the smoke I used for this purpose was not made by me! While I often create incense blends for ritual purposes, there are others that make awesome blends too. The large round jar is a Lilith blend made by the <a href="http://www.theswordandrose.net/">Sword and the Rose</a> in San Francisco. They create amazing self lighting blends. The formulary is well researched and finished while in trance with the spirit that they are creating for. I have several of their blends. I also used "Summoning Spirits" and "Divination" by <a href="http://rosariumblends.com/">Rosarium Blends</a> of Washington State.<br /><br /><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-5839017990921641962014-10-28T17:16:00.001-04:002014-10-28T17:16:06.889-04:00Hello there.As you can probably tell, this blog is very inactive. It may be resurrected as a regular project again one day- but most of my time and energy is going into <a href="http://bolineapothecary.com/">Boline Apothecary</a> and <a href="http://bolineapothecary.blogspot.com/">its blog</a>, shop, webstore, and needs. <br /><br />Feel free to browse the archives here- there are lots of articles that I am mighty proud of on parenting, Witchery, philosophy, and more.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-44300550547321229802014-03-15T03:00:00.000-04:002014-03-15T03:00:01.912-04:00H.P. Lovecraft Day!On this day in 1937, H.P. Lovecraft, oracle and writer supreme died. To many, he will never die, as his work are immortal.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-90928132849436539502013-12-09T03:00:00.000-05:002013-12-09T03:00:07.365-05:00Seasonal AltarTo connect our son to the cycle of the Wheel of the Year, we have a space for him in the dining room for "his altar". He puts things on it that he finds on walks or are given to him that are important. It's not a large space, but treasures come in small packages when you are a child on a walk. He takes after his mama- being a collector. He always finds a stick, leaf, rock or something to bring home.<br /><br />Shown on the altar now: A rectangular wood box and an acorn shaped box given to him by us. A dried green leaf from our mulberry tree. A black walnut. A rock from the Indiana Dunes. His "owl nut". Acorns. An evil eye necklace from Grandma. A cicada carapace. and "tree pom poms".<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Since winter has just started in earnest, the picture that I took today is more fall in theme. He knows that if he picks up some treasure and puts it in his pocket he can place it here, and he loves that. From time to time, we also talk about the seasons and bring out his altar items and what they mean and how they connect to the holidays of the year.</div>
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<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-32999813034737858622013-12-02T03:00:00.000-05:002013-12-02T10:22:53.622-05:00Getting ready for Yule.<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br />My son is going on four and he is already asking why we don't celebrate Christmas "like everybody else". I have had myriad answers for him:</span></div>
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"We are not Christians. Christians celebrate Christmas. We celebrate Yule."<br />
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"We are Witches, and we aren't like everybody else."<br />
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"We celebrate our holiday many of the same ways the Christians celebrate theirs. Everything you love about Christmas are also Yule celebrations! We will trim a tree, have a feast, invite people over, bake sweets, exchange gifts, hang lights."<br />
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It doesn't help that his grandparents (and when he's there, TV commercials) are pushing Christmas- HARD. He came home from a weekend with them talking about it incessantly. I am sure he saw lots of Christmas hype on their TV. And then he said, "I wanna celebrate Christmas." <br />
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So I said, "You are going to celebrate Christmas when we are with your grandparents. And we as a family also celebrate Yule." <br />
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Then he replied. I wanna celebrate Christmas for the right reason." (Uh oh.) <br />
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"What do you mean?", I asked.<br />
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"I don't want to tell you." (Hmmm. That isn't good and smells of deceptive indoctrination...)<br />
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"Sweetie, you can tell me anything. You know that. Please tell me why it is important to you.", I pressed.<br />
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"JESUS." (OK, confirmation of my fears.)<br />
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"Well, Christians believe that Jesus was the son of a god. And they celebrate Christmas as his birthday party <i>(never mind it actually isn't his birthday, according biblical scholars)</i>. But <b><i>WE</i></b> do not believe that Jesus was anything more than a cool guy who said some important things in his day. When you are older, you will be free to seek out any or no religion at all, once you can actually understand them and what they offer. But while you are little, we do things as a family, a team. We are the Kunnings Three, remember?"<br />
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That brings a smile to his face. He loves being one of the Kunnings Three.<br />
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So now, I am getting him ready to celebrate Yule. With the media onslaught that happens this time of year, I cannot blame him for wanting to be a part of it. And I refuse to take part in the onslaught that celebrates it too early. So after Thanksgiving, we erect a tree and such.<br />
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He gets such propaganda from commercials and all his favorite shows (all kids shows feature Santa this time of year) that we need to show him that our traditions are fun and good, too. Cuz frankly, who throws a religious party better than Witches? (No one, that's who.) <br />
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He spent another weekend with the grandparents after Thanksgiving. He is coming home this evening. Then he will help us put up a tree, drink hot cocoa, and we'll start teaching him seasonal songs.<br />
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On the 1st, we will start the advent calendar (in the shape of a tree, that counts to 21). Inside each drawer is a treat or a slip of paper saying what fun thing we get to do that day. We will teach him songs, let him help cook and bake, light the yule log, and on our actual celebration, we will let him stay up and revel with us (we stay up all night to see the sunrise). I am sure he will fall asleep long before dawn, but being a part of something big and festive is important.<br />
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Only after we do our family traditions will he get Christmas, with his grandparents.<br />
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How do you celebrate the seasons, especially with little ones? How do you deal with the crass commercialism, the overwhelming Christianity, and extended family that are probably not the same religion as you (and perhaps trying to sway your kid to their point of view)?<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-1227198727685284392013-11-04T03:00:00.000-05:002013-11-04T03:00:03.261-05:00Happy Hallows!Some Witch kin came to visit for Samhain, and did fun (and ritual) ensue! <span style="text-align: center;">While I cannot disclose what we did on Hallowmas, I can share some photos with you!</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C. makes a stand-in for the sacred king out of plants foraged in the neighborhood.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZxCJEO2Ch_93ExwdCU3S_7Af1f8LizLozuGB98foZs7jC2RhvRX3ocZGOITCujkbung7j_sSrC_xtqHML3gPmTX8z_gJOAuE1J6pggiBu4YIEFUftkwo6G8vPNDc0NVfuyLmBxbBXA21/s1600/IMG_2582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZxCJEO2Ch_93ExwdCU3S_7Af1f8LizLozuGB98foZs7jC2RhvRX3ocZGOITCujkbung7j_sSrC_xtqHML3gPmTX8z_gJOAuE1J6pggiBu4YIEFUftkwo6G8vPNDc0NVfuyLmBxbBXA21/s320/IMG_2582.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An altar to some of our dead.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7W9FM3oYv1B5ul1vjCTOEfs4cI90JysqU1sWRGRSogdcZpSdtNfxiwFBmIOI-bGGgKHYK1zQ_fmjKOgHPwzvNn5awZTKQKrExf2BPU8uHxVMN4V1fXj1jF-FoEq2InvT-jMoc9JUPf2W/s1600/IMG_2596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7W9FM3oYv1B5ul1vjCTOEfs4cI90JysqU1sWRGRSogdcZpSdtNfxiwFBmIOI-bGGgKHYK1zQ_fmjKOgHPwzvNn5awZTKQKrExf2BPU8uHxVMN4V1fXj1jF-FoEq2InvT-jMoc9JUPf2W/s320/IMG_2596.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cauldron awaits the King and his sacrifice.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLT8t2YuWxfrgNoW8wXUzuQw1g6Bpvjhf8VD_WJBqMu1vWGsh4aPdFBiNf_fL61h8O7GpOWczsnAhUH467zpG50fRCA86p2EUQW6WoZw-l9RloyRWNGy72rtRGEvL8qS3A8Nns38XpigBd/s1600/IMG_2612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLT8t2YuWxfrgNoW8wXUzuQw1g6Bpvjhf8VD_WJBqMu1vWGsh4aPdFBiNf_fL61h8O7GpOWczsnAhUH467zpG50fRCA86p2EUQW6WoZw-l9RloyRWNGy72rtRGEvL8qS3A8Nns38XpigBd/s320/IMG_2612.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The red rose burned and turned a bright blue.</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-12475883212209167952013-10-28T03:00:00.000-04:002013-11-03T18:26:01.835-05:00Plant Spirit Work<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mandragora Spirit by Johnathan Blackthorn</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>This post by me originally appeared on the Samhain's Siren's group blog on October 10th, 2013.</i><br /><br />Before pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies, before doctors and people in lab coats, people sought extra help with their healing from herbalists. They may not have called them “herbalists” back then- some were called “granny”, “bruja”, “curandera”, “strega”, or “cunning man”- but these healers were wise and knowledgeable about plants and their actions in the human body. Often they practiced what we now call magic(k) in addition to herbalism.<br /><br />Many of these healers lived somewhat apart from the hustle and bustle of the village- allowing them time and energy to commune with plants and learn their secrets- though cultivation, wildcrafting, listening to plants, and experimenting with them to make medicines. And these generations of healers from across the globe, now called herbalists, have left us a legacy of amazing information. Indeed, to really master herbalism, one must study for years to get a basic grasp and then continue your education for a lifetime. There are tens of thousands of plants, just as there are myriad maladies to help cure.<br /><br />I started out as most do- a dabbler called to heal myself and my friends. I made simples and teas, created poultices, and cured yeast infections. The more I learned, especially as I got into plant spirit work, the more I was fascinated and wanted to know. I personally believe that plants taught us what they could do- and those that knew how to listen became the first healers.<br /><br />To listen to plants is not easy to relearn (I say relearn, because children do not seem to have a problem doing it- I distinctly remember my son, Rowan, even before he could speak to me in words, telling me to water a neglected plant by tugging on my shirt and pointing at the houseplant and making the sign for water (he was taught ASL as a baby).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I was in herb school in California, we went out into the mountains to listen to plants. As I lie under a manzanita bush, I distinctly got the message “I was first” and saw strange strobe-like flashes of pictures of manzanita and madrone traveling across hard desert and clay before any other plant life. As they traveled, other plants befitted from them taking root in the hard terrain and breaking up the soil- so they followed and sprung up in manzanita's wake. After my “vision”, I did research and sure enough- this is what botanists believe happened. I was tickled and astonished the clarity of communication.<br /><br />Recently on a hike with my apprentice, the wind rustled through the trees and I got a feeling of euphoria and joy- coming to me from a very specific tree. “This is how we move” said the tree. “You move from within, we move from without. ” The tree was delighted to be moved in this way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We can remember how to talk to plants, though a series of conscious decisions. Taking a cue from the generations of herbalists before me, I try and live part of my life apart from the hub bub. Apart from other people, machines, and electronic communication. This is not easy to do when you live in a city, run a business, have a part time job, are a parent, and go to grad school! Not easy at all. It requires deliberate effort and choices.<br /><br />I have told my apprentice as we begin this work: to listen to animals, one must lower their energy several notches. To listen to plants, you must go even lower (and by lower, I am not referring to hierarchy, I am speaking to vibrational frequency. Plants vibrate at a lower frequency than non-human animals and even lower than human animals. So to “hear” them, you need to “shift down”, too. I am still crafting language around this skill and truth, so this may not be the clearest explanation to you reader. Sorry for any confusion the language may cause.)<br /><br />Cultivating this skill requires no distractions, stillness (in mind and environment) and the skill of knowing how (which comes from years of practice). I can do it at will when I have time, space, and no distractions, but it took years to be able to do this on command. Now I can make small spaces for this skill frequently, rather than needing hours at a time as I needed when I first started (although hours at a time is a luxury I would take!).</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #666666;">Rowan, helping mama wildcraft.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How do I work it into my busy life? I sought a part-time job that was within walking distance of my home. (Driving requires a brain wave state that is the antithesis of what you are cultivating. And it takes hours to “come down” out of that state.) I walk to work every day, taking back alleys alone. I drop my son off at the babysitter's and give myself 20-30 extra minutes to get to and from work. The alleys of Clintonville (my neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio) are lovely- overgrown and lush with “weeds”, crows and goldfinches, squirrels and murals. I have flipped over a flailing cicada, done augury, and wildcrafted red clover, melissa, dandelion, and plantain to and from work.<br /><br />I do media fasts. In order to keep people up to date with my blog and business on social media, I queue up blog posts to self-publish, so I do not have to manually post frequently. <a href="http://myscienceacademy.org/2013/08/25/i-forgot-my-phone/">Being on the internet is not being present with what IS- right in front of your nose. </a><br /><br />I send my three year old son, Rowan on playdates when I make <a href="http://bolineapothecary.com/">Boline</a> recipes or process ingredients each week. This a time for me to be hands-on and commune with my ingredients, so I can make the best possible product. I can infuse my remedies with intent and add my intent to the will of the plant to make the medicine stronger.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p>I have a sitting practice that reminds me of stillness and being present. And I grow and wildcraft many of my ingredients. My family does a red meal rite weekly and feeds a tree/the ancestors. We thank the animals and plants that doe for us to survive. And so much more that connects me in a real, daily, tangible way to the gods, the earth, its cycles, and all of creation.<br /><br /><a href="http://bolineapothecary.com/">Boline Apothecary</a> is my small artisinal project that helps heal people through seasonally available remedies and body care. I hope you and yours enjoy what I make, with the knowledge that it is a labor of love.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-45181527133073348522013-10-21T03:00:00.000-04:002013-10-21T12:10:02.571-04:00Flow, Fate, and Will (for me, personally)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.59375px; text-align: left;">Fate</i><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.59375px; text-align: left;">, by </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphonse_Mucha" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.59375px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;" title="Alphonse Mucha">Alphonse Mucha</a></td></tr>
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So now that I have tackled the fictions of Will, and defined it as Fate or Flow- what is this Witch doing to follow it? After all, that is what a Witch does- we make manifesting things look easy because we are following Flow and letting it do most of the work. That is not to say that this work is easy. Surrender of ego is never easy. Which is why Witches often have a sitting practice and perform alchemy on themselves all the time.<br />
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And its easy to mistake Will/Fate for ego/desire. People do it all the time. A Witch listens very closely, internally and externally, to discern which is which. It takes practice (and messing up a lot) to be able to tell the difference.<br />
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Columbus, Ohio was never on my radar. I am still surprised and appalled that I am here on some days. It was never a first choice. Don't get me wrong, Columbus-ians! It is a lovely city with lots of great things to offer. I am delighted when I discover a new one. But my body thrums with delight when on the coasts. I miss the ocean, the mountains, and the forests. I know that I shall return to the coast eventually. Flow will lead me there, I know it. I have seen it. I keep asking to see if this is my desire/ego or if this is something that we should actually do. I will keep asking as I plan toward that goal.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7l-kqDE5aEBvL6jByaFAOkoY188bOV_e-uiwrAs40aEmry50pxdaalCurA020uWlHqqeeqytpFImEekI9s_6eUFgJvzZXbJNIkdBMovIKswzdJYmOQbnu9scU4_V8XI_K1G5-i6E7hBG/s1600/card2028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7l-kqDE5aEBvL6jByaFAOkoY188bOV_e-uiwrAs40aEmry50pxdaalCurA020uWlHqqeeqytpFImEekI9s_6eUFgJvzZXbJNIkdBMovIKswzdJYmOQbnu9scU4_V8XI_K1G5-i6E7hBG/s320/card2028.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">by Jessica Hagy.</td></tr>
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I know now, especially in retrospect, that I was meant to be here for a while, even though ego is still pouting about being in Columbus (or the Midwest at all). Fate drew me here for several reasons. And because I have followed Fate, certain opportunities continue to open for me and life is much easier than it was in California. I have been rewarded with opportunities and more ease in my efforts.<br />
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Why am I here?<br />
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1. Space and ease while accomplishing my Will. <br />
Columbus is simply easier to make things happen- finances, networking, opportunities- I can afford a spacious place for half what we paid in California in a better neighborhood. Childcare is cheaper. I have made friends that help me when I need it. I have a support network for my family. All this makes it possible to go to grad school, have my partner finish school, and still spend time with Rowan and be a tight-knit family.<br />
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2. Opportunities. <br />
We found our (below market rent) home through connections. <br />
Our child care situation was just as easy to establish. <br />
Boline is growing and thriving here. (I went from simply making things for me and my family and friends, to having on online store, being in retail locations, doing two different farmer's markets each month, and leading workshops- all in one year.) <br />
I found the PERFECT school for me to attend. It just so happens to be the most reputable TCM school in the entire midwest- and it's 10 minutes from my house.<br />
My partner is finally going back to school, because we could afford to get him out of student loan default here. He starts in January.<br />
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3. Connections.<br />
I randomly meet someone here, only to have them become an important connection. A random attendee at one of our movie nights now runs a community garden, for example. She contacted me to ask if they could grow medicinal herbs for Boline. I in turn asked if they had a hoop house so I could overwinter my container plants. Super win-win for both entities.<br />
I found an apprentice (even though I was in no way looking for one). He moved here because Flow brought him here, too. Pretty neat.<br />
The woman I met online before we came to Columbus (who ran a neat art group), became the neighbor who got us a great housing deal. When we lost power last summer, we spent our days on the porch, grilling what was next thawing in our freezers. We watched the kids play outside and our burdens were made so much easier having each other. She is also an awesome child care giver and Rowan goes over there several times a week. I have never had a better neighbor situation.<br />
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All of this ease and energetic spaciousness tells me I am following the River. I can let go and let it carry me for a while.<br />
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So what is my Will/Fate, as best as I can see for now?<br />
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To heal people. To raise an amazing child (who asked to be here) to be an amazing Witch. Allow the called to find me so that I can teach them to be Witches in service of Fate, too. These are the things that I have been called to do. So how do I make these things happen?<br />
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My goals for Columbus:<br />
1. Do excellently in school and learn as much as possible to become an excellent healer. Pass my national boards and get licensed for OH and OR before I move.<br />
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2. Teach Rowan to read, count to 1000, add, subtract, and multiply before we leave. Continue his Witchy education every week as well. Spend lots of loving, quality time with him.<br />
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3. Build and streamline Boline Apothecary so that when I move it, it is easy to start up in OR. Continue my herbal education and connections, making things better for people in C'bus. Keep learning and help people while I am here.<br />
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4. Teach my apprentice to the best of my ability and get him to a point where we can assess whether he should continue training (and move to OR with us) or move on.<br />
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Everything else is gravy! So in manifesting my Will, I need to keep these 4 things in mind. I need to ensure I have enough life space to make these things happen, make sure that I am feeding these goals with words and deeds in my daily life. Making every day choices that reinforce what my goals are.<br />
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I often do this kind of assessment several times a year, doing divination to ensure it's not just ego talking. How do you follow your Fate?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-32068487667739183402013-10-10T03:00:00.000-04:002013-10-10T03:00:03.428-04:00The Fiction of "Will", Part TwoLast blog post, I started talking about how one of Victor Anderson's quotes has been misused. "Submit your life force to no one and no thing." I stated that "life force" was being falsely conflated with the concept of Will. As a Witch, I know that will (with a little w) is ego and individual desire and Will (with a big W) is just a synonym for Fate.<br />
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So let's break it down further, shall we?<br />
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<b style="text-align: center;">What is Will?</b><br />
Will to me, which the ceremonialists call "True Will", is not about individuals at all. Finding "your True Will" has so very little to do with what you like and don't like as a person. It has precious little to do with following desire. Desire is will (with a little W) dressed up in ego's trappings. You can choose to follow desire if you wish- but that is not actually Will. That is Ego. And it makes you a Sleeper*, not someone Awakened.<br />
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So what is Will, in my tradition? This may squick some of you, but Will is Fate. Fate is God Herself. She is living through all of us and has a consciousness. She occupies Time, Space, and Matter simultaneously. Will has precious little to do with you as an individual as you know yourself. That is merely ego. You? You are a nose hair of Old Fate. Perhaps a toenail cell. You are small and a piece of something larger. You are important in your lifetime to the whole- but make no mistake, you are tiny and will die and the whole will live beyond you just fine, thank-you-very-much. Cells die and are reborn in our bodies daily. Do you hold wakes and funerals for your dying cells? No, of course not.<br />
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We are all connected, because we are ALL Her- Fate. When you occupy time, space, and matter simultaneously, you don't have any illusions that time is linear. Fate can make anything happen, in myriad ways across many timelines and places. And when she does that, it is like a body carrying out autonomic or conscious functions- certain nerve cells will transmit messages, muscles will move, actions will be taken. All for the greater whole. And you- you are a muscle cell in a larger muscle, flexing to do work you cannot even see, most of the time.<br />
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Will is not an individual discernment ("I am following my True Will!" "I am learning my True Will!"- statements like this make me groan). Forcing stuff to happen that you "want" is akin to Mickey Mouse in Fantasia (and often yields the same results). Often your Will has nothing to do with YOU at all (or what you know as "you". "You" are merely an instrument of Fate and because you have been chosen to be that instrument- it involved "you". People who say the above statements are mistaking small w will for big W Will. "Small w" will is all about you and your ego. Big W Will is about something larger than you and you are moving and doing things- being swept up in the Flow of things. It may appear we are "doing" to manifest Will. Will is more about recognition than about decision.<br />
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This is why I am wary (and weary!) of messages from spiritual teachers talking about Will and Desire. Desire comes from an individual- it is a product of Ego. Rugged individualism is not really a Crafty outlook. It is one that is very comfortable for human beings, and I can understand why a teacher crafts a message for a larger audience that involves desire. Humans love to believe that they are special and have free will. But that idea, while comforting, is not true. Yes, most Witches are quirky, odd, and appear as "individuals" that cannot make it in Sheeple* society. But one should not mistake square pegs not fitting into round holes as "individualism". It isn't.<br />
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Ego can be involved (although you should always check yourself before you wreck yourself...) in day-to-day decisions (because they matter so very little in the larger scheme of things), but the big decisions? They were never really up to you in the first place. Sounds scary, huh? It is. It's terrifying having that knowledge on a daily basis. It's perpetually uncomfortable skating between my desire and Fate. It has been crazy at times and led to some serious loss. I watch people comfort themselves with cute notions of "free will" and "choice" and smile, but smile sadly.<br />
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So then, what does the Victor Anderson quote actually mean? <b>What IS "life force" </b>if not Will/Fate? Life force is the stuff that connects you with all of creation. It makes you no more and no less important than others. When you submit your life force, you make someone else more important than you. Going back to the analogy of a cell in the body- if you submit your life force, you do not function as the cell you need to be- you give up that purpose for the sake of another cell. We all have done this, in myriad ways- here's a small mundane example of one of mine:<br />
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When I was married, my wife was what I liked to call "a militant sharer". Everything had to be fair, even food types and portions. If we were splitting something, we adopted her "one person cuts, the other person chooses method". When we ate at restaurants, she would fret unless we both got something we would both like and then we shared meals, halfsies. This worked out OK most of the time, but there are things that I liked that she did not, such as cruciferous vegetables. I went for 10 years without eating broccoli because my wife was a militant sharer. If I tried to assert my preference and order something that we would not share, I would get pouts and sulks. Now, this is not a huge issue. I ignored it and went along with it for a decade. Then we broke up. And I could order anything I damn well wanted. I came to realize that in this small way, I was submitting my life force to my wife- and I chose to do so. We all chose it when we do it (never play the "I had no choice game, in this realm. It is hardly ever true.).<br />
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So- to rap up: You are important, but no more important than any other living thing. That's right- you are as important as a dandelion or a crow or the President of the United States or any of the gods you traffic with. You do not have free will. You have some leeway in your day-to-day decisions, but mostly Fate decides what is happening. If you fight it, chances are you will hurt yourself and not get your way anyway. (Think of the muscle cell working with all its might against the flexing of the others. It will likely not work, strain the muscle and harm that cell most of all.) When Victor was talking about not submitting your life force- he was trying to get most folks to realize that we are peers with the gods, that we are gods ourselves, because we are a part of the divine. Most people give themselves away in a series of small actions each day. This is an important habit for a Witch to give up as quickly as possible. It interferes with understanding of Fate and how She works. It reinforces the idea of free will, even as you surrender yours.<br />
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*"Sleeper" or "Sheeple" refers to someone who goes through their life in the mundane world without knowing about or understanding the other worlds. It is someone who denies that we are all connected. It is someone who thinks of themselves and not the impact of their words and deeds on others. It is mindset devoid of the divine. An awakened person is the opposite. They understand that we are all connected- that everyone makes an impact with what they do and say. They understand that there is a larger picture that they, as an individual, are a small (but important) piece of. Interpretations vary on this theme- an awakened person can call themselves a Witch, a Buddhist, a Christian, a Sufi, or anything else. It is HOW they interpret the external trappings of their religion that matters.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-59545102589122814822013-10-07T03:00:00.000-04:002013-10-07T03:00:14.242-04:00The Fiction Of "Will", Part One<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>"Submit your life force to no one and no thing." -Victor Anderson</i></b></blockquote>
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When I was first passed this bit of wisdom, it was couched in a neo-Thelemite, Will-is-paramount, rugged individualist, kind of wrapping. "Don't take shit- even from the Gods." was how it was passed to me by that teacher. I have come to understand a different way of looking at this phrase, one that is not swayed by ceremonial magick and is more Crafty in its outlook.<br />
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As I advanced in my studies, gnosis, and understandings, I have had many teachers in many traditions. I have listened to the spirits. I was initiated and the floodgates opened to Mysteries I am still unraveling (and will be for a lifetime). I have done more work on myself- and as I did all of these things, I came to understand this phrase a bit differently than it was taught to me.<br />
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My Witchcraft comes from (for lack of better, less appropriative, less commonly-understood words) a more indigenous, shamanic practice than some. It is often at odds with neo-Wiccans and ceremonialists (or at least novices who seem to think ego puffery is a hallmark of their tradition- not the "higher ups" who have a bit more wisdom and experience) who think the individual, and its "will" is ALL. You know the type: standing in their "protective circle" and bullying entities. "I command you forth!" or "We invoke you!"<br />
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I have been there, doing those things and saying those words before- but it always felt weird. Not because I felt that I was less important than these other entities (many in certain religions feel that we are puny and must grovel- this is not what I mean)- but because I felt I was a peer to these non-corporeals.<br />
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Frankly, I have always hated bullies. And to me, some of this magical posturing smacks of bullying. Who wants to come to a party when you know that when you arrive, some jerk in a robe holding a knife or wand is gonna tell you what you can and cannot do- like they are the boss? How does this build peers, friends, and allies from other realms?<br />
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When I was a baby Witch (1989!) I lived with a boyfriend who was in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. He was a good guy, a talented artist, and a gifted magician. He taught me many things and helped me memorize all the lists of correspondences (holy crap, those folks like to compare everything!). We always fought when we did ritual together. I did not have the words back then to make my argument clear, but I do now. It started when he wanted the altar in our rituals to be in the East, and I wanted it in the North. (Back then, I had a neo-Wicca orientation that North was earth, and his orientation was East was air.) He would say, "East is air- it's the human mind, the seat of intellect." This was less than compelling for me. My argument was, "We humans are not the center of the universe. Intellect only goes so far. We must start outside of ourselves. Magic/k is not *just* in our heads."<br />
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That was the beginning of me becoming disenchanted with many traditions I once sought and communed with- ones that favored human beings over the rest of creation. Ones that feel we are more special or chosen over the rest of the worlds. Ones that believed that all we needed was will (which assumes individual will and possible force. Many ceremonialists try and bully spirits into doing their bidding. I don't like this behavior in the human realm and I'll be damned if I promote it elsewhere.).<br />
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It comes back to Victor Anderson's quote in the first paragraph, above. My teachers simply used that phrase to mean "Don't take any shit." One even said it to me when a particular god was asking me to do things for him. "You can say no." she said. To her, the requests coming to me from this god were possibly irritating and/or overwhelming. She was completely ignoring the thrill that I had that this magnificent creature was communicating with ME, consistently and clearly, and I desperately *wanted* to take on his requests. To me, after years of seeking, it was a miracle that I was getting such information from a non-corporeal being and that it was verifiable as coming from him, and not my imagination or wishful thinking. I was a little disenchanted with her "sage advice". I went home and started the work requested anyway.<br />
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I believe Victor's quote has been abused in Witchcraft circles. I think people, including many teachers who should know better, have used the phrase in a rugged individualist way and it DOES NOT MEAN THAT. They are conflating "life force" with Will (what the ceremonialists call True Will). And life force is not the same thing as Will (with a capital W).<br />
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I am much more in line with Robert Cochrane's "Law" of the Witches, rather than ceremonial magick's take on Will:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Do not do what you desire -- do what is necessary.</li>
<li>Take all you are given -- give all of yourself.</li>
<li>What I have -- I hold!" (this has multiple meanings, but one is akin to "Submit your life-force to no one or no thing.")</li>
<li>When all is lost, and not until then, prepare with die with dignity.</li>
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Stay tuned for Part Two, later this week!</div>
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*"Sleeper" or "Sheeple" refers to someone who goes through their life in the mundane world without knowing about or understanding the other worlds. It is someone who denies that we are all connected. It is someone who thinks of themselves and not the impact of their words and deeds on others. It is mindset devoid of the divine. An awakened person is the opposite. They understand that we are all connected- that everyone makes an impact with what they do and say. They understand that there is a larger picture that they, as an individual, are a small (but important) piece of. Interpretations vary on this theme- an awakened person can call themselves a Witch, a Buddhist, a Christian, a Sufi, or anything else. It is HOW they interpret the external trappings of their religion that matters.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-49500309401815067832013-09-30T09:46:00.000-04:002013-09-30T09:46:03.898-04:00Where is Witch Mom?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hello, y'all! Sorry it has been a month since my last post. Witch Mom has been taking a back seat to Boline Apothecary and my call to heal in this last month and the attention is creating some really wonderful things!</div>
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Boline Apothecary now in three retail locations, with two more in the works. I have three workshops to teach in October in November. I did two farmer's markets this summer and will be doing two more this winter (indoors, of course!). I have increased the number of products I offer (last year, I started with 5, I now have 60). I have been written up in a small local publication and have started to make even more local contacts that will be important next year (growers, beekeepers, store keepers, journalists, market managers and more)!</div>
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Most importantly, I am furthering my healing abilities with Boline and answering the call of my patron to heal. Boline has reached more people in need that I ever did as just me, Lily. I have done one-on-one consultations with several here in C'bus for their ongoing conditions and feel like I am helping. And even bigger news- I am adding to my healing abilities by entering a master's program for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCN, which includes acupuncture, Chinese herbalism, cupping, moxibustion, and more) this week!<br />
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I am all at once excited, anticipatory, fearful, and intimidated. I got my textbooks for the quarter last week and have been doing the first week's assignments (I got my syllabus in one class already- surface anatomy.) and... wow. I will be memorizing a LOT of stuff. Unfamiliar stuff. Time to brew up some brain tonic! Good thing I have some ginko, gotu kola, peppermint, and rosemary (my fave blend for such a thing!)- and Boline will probably sell the stuff as "student helper"!<br />
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My TCM program is three years long. I will likely post here about what I am learning both in class and outside. I will also post about the other aspects of my life: I continue training with my apprentice and teaching my son the Craft. We are organizing a rite for Samhain. And I encounter interesting information that gets added to my theological knapsack weekly.*<br />
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* Last week on The Forum (A wonderful BBC radio program), they were discussing breath. A scientist there was studying "breath prints", explaining that each person has a unique exhale, based not only on the air that they inhaled, but their unique biochemistry and what they have consumed through their digestive tract. They are as unique as fingerprints. I have been, since a wee tot, using deliberate exhales as an offering to our sap-kin and green-kin. Sometimes it was an unsolicited offering. Sometimes I offer this in exchange for taking a part of the plant for medicine. Now I understand it is not only food for the plant, but also a personalized gift, that could only come from me.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-13369363981974865772013-08-20T03:00:00.000-04:002013-08-20T03:00:08.315-04:00Teaching Children the Craft: Every Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Every Friday, before "Friday Family Fun Night", we do a Red Meal with Rowan. <br />This is a rite where we make offerings to the gods of our Craft and the ancestors/Fae. We can ask for blessings, protection, or gifts for ourselves or others at this time or simply make the offering. <br />We do this at a tree in our backyard.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready for the rite.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hootie the owl is joining us.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So is his "owl nut".</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside, ready to begin.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simple.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enlivening the area.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Until the horn cup gets a stand, we use the tree itself!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afterwards, Rowan wrapped his owl nut in a leaf "like Totoro" and placed it on his altar.</td></tr>
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<br />After this rite, we go inside and start Friday Family Fun Night. My partner wrote a poem we recite (below), we light a candle, and spend time as a family. Sometimes we go out, but mostly we stay in and play games, watch movies, have dance parties, or do puzzles. It is needed decompression time. We touch base as a family unit and stop all work. In this way, it's like shabbat in the Jewish tradition.<br /><br /><hr />
<br /><i>All week long we toil toil</i><div>
<i>Weaving, spinning, singing, growing<br />So we set the cauldron to boil</i></div>
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<i>And pour it out, Love ever-flowing<br /><br />When Frigg's Eve comes, <br />one out of seven<br />Our work we set aside<br />And together, Kunnings Three, at home we do reside.<br /><br />Hand-in-hand and heart-to-heart<br />we set the lights to mark its start:<br />Friday Family Fun Night!!!! (chanted over and over, usually holding hands and stomping a lot)</i><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-31567891263091036542013-08-06T03:00:00.000-04:002013-08-06T03:00:03.917-04:00A West Virginia LammasFor Lammas, my partner (who is also a Witch in my trad) and my apprentice headed to West Virginia to be with kin and friends for ritual, camaraderie, work with my apprentice, and more. (Rowan got to spend the weekend with his Nanny and Pap Pap and was spoiled rotten there- so we got some precious adult time ALL WEEKEND!)<br /><br />We arrived on Friday, and enjoyed cocktails al fresco in a Witch's garden. My friend (with whom we stayed) is not only a Witch but an herbalist (we have so much in common!), too. I brought her some seeds and some jewelweed that I wildcrafted. She gave us a tour of her medicinal and decorative plantings. Her tiny town is a progressive artsy bastion in West Virgina, and this weekend was their "Literary Festival". We toured historic downtown and saw gorgeous art and then headed to the old cemetery in the downtown for a candlelight reading of Lovecraft!<br /><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Listening to tales of the Elder Gods...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwZRSrkS2Rx5C4DAUOA4B0VT3GNeBT8rqo80_Y_xoEdRoTaDDTWaeNdYJrrU-XJMV3R_QcGFclSLeFxPbDvA9avjQ1Vr9Nbn3K1ZGndrysuCu0VYYMQUcX3atPkeBnde7g-z9JB_OvTTj/s1600/IMG_2104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwZRSrkS2Rx5C4DAUOA4B0VT3GNeBT8rqo80_Y_xoEdRoTaDDTWaeNdYJrrU-XJMV3R_QcGFclSLeFxPbDvA9avjQ1Vr9Nbn3K1ZGndrysuCu0VYYMQUcX3atPkeBnde7g-z9JB_OvTTj/s320/IMG_2104.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our friend HAD to show us this grave marker. As a child in that town, all the kids said that if you looked at it at midnight, you'd die. What's a Witch to do? You can't NOT take up a challenge like that!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRFAaA6XOQNpoVf-rgi0MI3xxE5oJDiKpVXPQY7nNHu36C_8QW4mGr_FFnP3l6FuVnSGOjF24S-7rpG7R2uy7BqFdvrhaUALpT-qohbBuHd9cn_uZv75OYeDjHUCnADzdOAu2n45JTbhv/s1600/IMG_2110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRFAaA6XOQNpoVf-rgi0MI3xxE5oJDiKpVXPQY7nNHu36C_8QW4mGr_FFnP3l6FuVnSGOjF24S-7rpG7R2uy7BqFdvrhaUALpT-qohbBuHd9cn_uZv75OYeDjHUCnADzdOAu2n45JTbhv/s320/IMG_2110.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She is spooky, no? <br />One of our number joked, "Don't blink!" (A Doctor Who reference for those who don't get it.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graveyard shenanigans!</td></tr>
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Saturday, we woke early and I helped my friend at her farmer's market. She sells at her town's market like I do (and when she visited me, she helped at my booth, too!) She has some recipes that she has shared with me and vice versa. I was so happy to see she used my facial scrub and bug spray (and it sells in West Virginia as well as Ohio!). The market was really great- they had a live music jam session, organic food, and crafters ( jewelry, knitting, and amazing beeswax candles!). I was gifted a pair of gorgeous wrist warmers and bought a beeswax pillar candle for Lilith's altar at home.<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibvh7KeJc1F9FLy-Nu2DrS-UO-YmXsPf_S9lOH-LihBw2g_jSjtlohwQXgnZ2uSMajToLdatC5u9fPXfnLoTMj4hVmv3b7oaQDu0T-FwKabwfAjXy5Fwkk4gKh90PL6w40ioMYqb3YHdm/s1600/IMG_2113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibvh7KeJc1F9FLy-Nu2DrS-UO-YmXsPf_S9lOH-LihBw2g_jSjtlohwQXgnZ2uSMajToLdatC5u9fPXfnLoTMj4hVmv3b7oaQDu0T-FwKabwfAjXy5Fwkk4gKh90PL6w40ioMYqb3YHdm/s320/IMG_2113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at all that good stuff!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilith's gorgeous smelling candle.</td></tr>
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After the market, we went and got food for our potluck feast after the ritual that evening. We made chicken tikka masala, and everyone else made wonderful Indian and Thai food, too. We went 45 minutes up a mountain from town to visit other Witches who live on former commune land in a gorgeous, hand-built artful home (where we had our Lammas ritual). Then we feasted.<br />
<br />Afterwards, my apprentice sat alone in silence in the woods for a couple hours. We were preparing him to meet his Fetch, and so we prepared a space for him to do so. Being out in the mountain woods where the animals noises are deafening in the dark was an amazing experience for him.<br />
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Sunday, we slept in. That was amazing. My apprentice and I went on a wildcrafting walk with my friends and we harvested red clover, yarrow, heal all, and mandrake. <div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJl5QdP9uDvlozn8jEk2_zqbq8_Pv-o6Y3DEUnZFc1YJEKFozbG9g4NtO814lQOs4vedUYnlGaPY5vFB_aTX_ifbzmiGr-XHlygzgDa9IfTLmHIc2u_GVwNuQK-JyXXrAxkLhmFq2U1EMt/s1600/47724_10201807263401620_1609935556_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJl5QdP9uDvlozn8jEk2_zqbq8_Pv-o6Y3DEUnZFc1YJEKFozbG9g4NtO814lQOs4vedUYnlGaPY5vFB_aTX_ifbzmiGr-XHlygzgDa9IfTLmHIc2u_GVwNuQK-JyXXrAxkLhmFq2U1EMt/s320/47724_10201807263401620_1609935556_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildcrafting in a nearby meadow.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwu3feeSLHUWnzM4zO6Y4AI_rTQYdWp2x8sBHwoHp_uLugzzulZPY9-WuyRF7h9KxCofvovJYQTn2ZXpEfqR92IQRPXu6nAClI-FB3aYCgaMnq6jycEAVbFmMAUqZFiw2_IpmNaEE4-tYX/s1600/554911_10201807256121438_354483651_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwu3feeSLHUWnzM4zO6Y4AI_rTQYdWp2x8sBHwoHp_uLugzzulZPY9-WuyRF7h9KxCofvovJYQTn2ZXpEfqR92IQRPXu6nAClI-FB3aYCgaMnq6jycEAVbFmMAUqZFiw2_IpmNaEE4-tYX/s320/554911_10201807256121438_354483651_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Witches doing Witchy work.</td></tr>
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We had a big communal breakfast after our hike. Scrumptious local sausage, organic fruit, potatoes and eggs.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrMdMZtPCJmR9q69YjRyVvLnSs3wgoVa8S-tjwvLtrB1PHjJmrIVK_dbPq0F4pg52-4cVU1_aKFcCgwRYfW82xkN-ao759Y025XzAaY4PL6Btlvm4SDAzfMYPcGKqHKPirRkzi_W6GNl1/s1600/556734_10201807252801355_700714797_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrMdMZtPCJmR9q69YjRyVvLnSs3wgoVa8S-tjwvLtrB1PHjJmrIVK_dbPq0F4pg52-4cVU1_aKFcCgwRYfW82xkN-ao759Y025XzAaY4PL6Btlvm4SDAzfMYPcGKqHKPirRkzi_W6GNl1/s320/556734_10201807252801355_700714797_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast was yum!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGg-MRF4ewGjfe34gB7SLN88eRFGOR4pkY0QXqSS0kTGj2v8sOKOA6ALvWtDWc6ihux_KWaly1HhTd_hxN4_imwOT0ANn7LdnLH4AnbtNxQeJWzH3u6KaDdYhgqfb4FffW2htbG3dB_PW/s1600/1004836_10201807247921233_296645315_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGg-MRF4ewGjfe34gB7SLN88eRFGOR4pkY0QXqSS0kTGj2v8sOKOA6ALvWtDWc6ihux_KWaly1HhTd_hxN4_imwOT0ANn7LdnLH4AnbtNxQeJWzH3u6KaDdYhgqfb4FffW2htbG3dB_PW/s320/1004836_10201807247921233_296645315_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The requisite silly picture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBbnIJkiZQDoxyqEqqPPX7WhxDiN0IYcyf6LIuozTALGuAu7LbKRpiWgct8429dG3zlCIYKJLY_KbHiNhITC-LxD5I0EH4ycAKMJitItDmw2EKJSgl9s2JZ5xAk5WNDgQ1lhhYUvsKOBP/s1600/1006020_10201807259841531_627469500_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBbnIJkiZQDoxyqEqqPPX7WhxDiN0IYcyf6LIuozTALGuAu7LbKRpiWgct8429dG3zlCIYKJLY_KbHiNhITC-LxD5I0EH4ycAKMJitItDmw2EKJSgl9s2JZ5xAk5WNDgQ1lhhYUvsKOBP/s320/1006020_10201807259841531_627469500_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The farewell pic.</td></tr>
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<br />(They also gifted me some nettles that they grew- so I left with more than I brought!) West Virginia is a treasure trove of plants!<br />
<br />We stopped in Wheeling on the way home to pick up a gift for Rowan: two turtles!<br />
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Today, we are getting to know our newest family members and letting them sun and graze outside. How did you spend your Lammas?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-71193254783463982682013-07-29T03:00:00.000-04:002013-07-29T03:00:15.818-04:00Teaching Children the Craft: The Red Meal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTiH-J0GKn1CLc5EdJSnX1VHNlZ-bQi0M877wQZVt3RL1DSuxHu5UxCjeH_dflzV6wTtxLQHmz6_v7k1Eaweh0cNDK7i6jxifpVxHGZ_coN2kkgJMejhV-OzKpm_Cr2FDQmK0AlUV4BjC/s1600/1016611_469577309800009_1031094838_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTiH-J0GKn1CLc5EdJSnX1VHNlZ-bQi0M877wQZVt3RL1DSuxHu5UxCjeH_dflzV6wTtxLQHmz6_v7k1Eaweh0cNDK7i6jxifpVxHGZ_coN2kkgJMejhV-OzKpm_Cr2FDQmK0AlUV4BjC/s320/1016611_469577309800009_1031094838_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So many paganish-Witchy types do "cakes and wine". In our tradition, we drink red wine and eat a dark bread as a reminder and tribute to a male and female dyad, and offer it to the Pale People (the dead) when we are through.<br /><br />As you know, my son is being brought up in the Craft, so last night (Saturday, which is auspicious for such a rite) we had him participate in his first one. He is three, and was excited when we asked him to be a part of it. He got to sprinkle/clear the area around the tree in our backyard, walk hand in hand with mama as she carried the lamp widdershins, recite some Very Important Words, take sips of wine (!!!), a bite of bread, and pour out the wine onto our tree at the end.<br /><br />Something felt very right about sharing this simple rite that we do from week to week with my young child. He got to belong to our family in a new way, participate in something bigger than himself, and learn about our Ways. It was a step beyond putting shared PB & J on the plate for the dead in our dining room.<br /><br />What rituals and rites do you do with your children? How do they respond?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-70479948989231146902013-07-23T03:00:00.000-04:002013-07-23T03:00:09.633-04:00Graveyard WorkAs part of our work with ancestors, we (my apprentice and I) have started visiting graveyards.<br />
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One in rural Ohio was particularly special. It is a pioneer graveyard, never plowed, and has become a state wildflower preserve. The graves start in 1816 and end in the 1890's. Many were infants and women who died in childbirth. There was an entire family, who was wiped out by illness, too. Hard times on the prarie back then.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had to pull back the wildflowers to get shots of the grave markers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of the markers are under these prairie flowers. Only tall ones and ones near cleared paths are visible.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfirTd4ZKpP_sHzf6GaJr9KPGVFmg23Z5MQhKAE3n2poxjWW09Zd2JgUvEztUMZ7Wj3xrPLdEiVnVI6v0z1tlwcM1Om1N1rpeXkFl9cRoHHsVN13U2WTSupbGxOFQQkcwNIdsX2qxCoeA/s1600/IMG_1950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfirTd4ZKpP_sHzf6GaJr9KPGVFmg23Z5MQhKAE3n2poxjWW09Zd2JgUvEztUMZ7Wj3xrPLdEiVnVI6v0z1tlwcM1Om1N1rpeXkFl9cRoHHsVN13U2WTSupbGxOFQQkcwNIdsX2qxCoeA/s320/IMG_1950.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See how high?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Cone Flowers and Royal Fly Catcher</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a particularly gorgeous stone.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Mason! I always like getting dirt from these folks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello Milkweed, my friend.</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-24925181580968976632013-07-15T03:00:00.000-04:002013-07-15T03:00:13.628-04:00The Trouble with Gurus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>From Wikipedia (first paragraph of the entry): "Guru (Devanagari गुरु) is a Sanskrit term for "teacher" or "master", especially in Indian religions. The Hindu guru-shishya tradition is the oral tradition or religious doctrine or experiential wisdom transmitted from teacher to student. In the United States, the meaning of "guru" has been used to cover anyone who acquires followers, especially by exploiting their naiveté, due to the inflationary use of the term in new religious movements."</i></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hint: This is not how you learn The Craft.</td></tr>
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When I speak of gurus, I am not speaking of the traditions that they actually come from (such as forms of Hinduism or Sikhism). Since I have not experienced those teaching systems or those cultures in any prolonged period, I cannot speak to that. What I am speaking of here of New Age and Pagan-esque teachers who fashion themselves to be a guru of sorts.<br />
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You probably can name a few of these BNPs (Big Name Pagans) and New Age gurus. They sell books, go on the lecture circuit, run workshops, and take money and publicity for it all. I have several problems with this phenomenon, besides the capitalist incursion into spirituality (which I will also address).<br />
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My three big issues with the gurus are: 1. Lack of accountability, 2. Capitalism disguised as spirituality/religion, 3. Ego and individuality.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry, it had to be done.</td></tr>
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1. Lack of accountability: Unlike religions that have employed a guru system for years, there is no system of accountability (other than the free market, which as we all know, provides no accountability at all) with the "new gurus". They stitch together this and that, using irresponsible spiritual eclecticism to create something not only stolen from other systems, but repurposed and refashioned *just enough* to sound fairly modern or fresh- and completely unchallenging to the "practitioner". And unlike the systems' spiritual origins, most of these "new" systems do not require the sacrifice that older systems require for "enlightenment". To paraphrase a friend of mine who is in Lukumi, "would these "seekers" voluntarily give up human touch for an entire year and only wear white to symbolize their separateness? Very doubtful." And that is exactly why these gurus get so many followers. They offer feel-good platitudes that don't really trouble the spiritual waters. They make seekers feel as if they are doing something profound, yet don't really change much (other than the seeker's bottom line, that is).<br />
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Because there are no cultural systems in place that hold these leaders accountable, you often see:<br />
<ul>
<li>Rituals that host gods from myriad cultures smooshed together with no real understanding of context and history (I have seen Hellenic Greek goddesses paired with Orisha ones- because "they have the same vibe". I have seen people calling upon a being to "aid in our work" when that being does not have a established relationship with anyone in the room.</li>
<li>You get workshops on "self work" that pull from 3 or more spiritual traditions, when the teacher is a master in none of them. And no- time spent dabbling does not make one a "master". Masters spend YEARS learning from those who have come before.</li>
<li>You see teachers broadcasting themselves as leaders and experts as much as possible (mostly all over the web) and changing their focus to the flavor du jour (to attract new followers): "I am a warlock!" "I am all about conjure!- meet me at the crossroads!"*</li>
<li>You see students and seekers harming themselves or their relationships with no ramifications for the teacher. </li>
<li>You see teachers taking as many students as possible (there is money to be made, after all) and justifying the numbers by saying things like "I let the gods sort it out. Students will drop out if this path isn't for them." (All the while taking their money and not giving any one student enough time and attention to actually develop spiritually.)</li>
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2. Capitalism disguised as religion and/or spirituality: Want to really know if your teacher cares about your spiritual growth? Tell him/her that there will be no more money forthcoming. See what happens. Real spiritual teachers mentor individuals or small groups- actual apprentices who learn skills and get one-to-one attention from a mentor/teacher.<br />
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Several decades ago, I did a pastry apprenticeship. I was determined to become a pastry chef and jumped through lots of hoops to get a coveted spot at one of the luxury hotels in San Francisco. (That's another thing- not everyone is cut out for this work, and not everyone should be accepted as an apprentice. In my winnowing process, I was with hundreds of candidates who went through a written test, then a group interview (you do not know intimidation until you sit in a single chair across from a table of six chefs looking down their nose at you!), then ranked. The top 10 people were dispatched to individual interviews at hotels that had spots. I had two interviews and actually managed to get the spot at one of them. This process was nerve wracking.<br />
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Contrast this with my education in Witchcraft. I bounced from workshop to workshop, book to book, coven to group, to circle. I started this path in 1989. All groups admitted me with no prejudice. I learned a little, but did not grow spiritually- because frankly all involved were novices- even those calling themselves "High Priestess" or similar titles. Fast forward to 2006. When I discovered (and was hit on the head by) the tradition that I ultimately was initiated into, I sought the first teacher that I knew of. Seekers just starting out will only know of the BNPs and those attending Cons, of course. S/he was a BNP and did lots of workshops and had a book. I was required to wait til a class formed later that year and fill out a questionnaire. Then I was accepted and paid quite a bit of money to learn. I was in a class of over 30 people that met quarterly. We did not talk to or meet with our teacher very often in between. Indeed, many were intimidated to approach hir outside of "class".<br />
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To be fair, I grew spiritually from that experience with that teacher. I was required to form spiritual discipline- and so the work I was asked to do on my own- a daily sitting practice and other tools of alchemy opened me up to what would follow. And this class opened me to meeting others who would ultimately lead me to a teacher who taught The Craft in the way that it is meant to be taught.<br />
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Back to the Pastry Chef analogy: Once I was accepted into an apprentice position, I went to work *as a full time job* and learned from three others in the pastry kitchen. Was I paying for my learning, as they expect you to do at culinary school? Hell no. Being a culinary or pastry apprentice (or a Witch's apprentice) does not mean you pay them. I made $6 per hour (a pittance in the SF Bay Area, even back then), got one meal per shift, full medical and dental benefits, and again, was taught how to be a pastry chef in one of SF's top hotels. I worked very hard- getting up before dawn and dragging my tired butt home in the afternoon. In exchange, my masters were required to teach me everything listed in the apprenticeship guidelines. My teachers were brutal at times (you do not know hell until you have served under a French pastry chef who was himself hazed as an apprentice.)- but they did teach me the skills. Was I also asked to PAY for these lessons? Hell No.<br />
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Is it any wonder that in the capitalist system we live under that most people have shifted from an apprentice model to a classroom model? People in the US go to "culinary school" instead of learning in the kitchen as they do in Europe and elsewhere. People go to workshops and study in "classes" to learn their spiritual "lessons". It is a tragedy. In terms of The Craft, not only does it mean poor quality of teaching, less time spent with each individual seeker, and paying out the nose for some students, it means poor candidates being initiated and brought into the fold for the tradition. It is a lose-lose.<br />
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That is not to say that I didn't "pay" my teacher/initiator. Even as a poor peron, when I was an Craft apprentice, I would bring my teacher gifts or offer gifts of service from time-to time. Nothing extravagant, just things I thought that she would appreciate. It was an offering from my heart. Nothing like the money that I was expected to pay monthly in my relationships with previous teachers- that was an obligation and duty.<br />
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In my tradition, a master (yes, I used that word instead of teacher, despite the fact that Americans in particular have baggage around it.) takes an apprentice to teach them a specific job- that of a Witch. Witchcraft is a job description, not an identity. There will be work that a student/apprentice needs to do in order to advance in their skills and be an effective Witch.<br />
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True spiritual teachers want to see you frequently, know about your life and personal progress, and will ask you to work actively towards that goal. Contrast that with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifestyle_guru">Lifestyle guru</a>s and these new-fangled, self-styled spiritual gurus in neo-paganism, Neo-Wicca, and even within legitimate traditions**.<br />
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I recently discovered <a href="http://gurus-handbook.com/">this website</a>, (and <a href="http://consciousmastery.org/2012/10/on-being-a-guru-teacher-healer-guide-or-expert/">this one, retch</a>) aimed at the gurus themselves. It ticks me off. It feeds the guru cycle by congratulating teachers in this genre and patting them on the back. It is an echo chamber reinforcing their exploitation.<br />
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*My tradition, before it split into two was a flavor du jour for a while there. It brought a lot of dilution to the actual practice and some n'er do wells to our door. Ultimately, the trad broke into two- and the ones who are the most visible are in the fork that does a lot of the things I outline here as reckless. But it is not the only trad that is affected by unscrupulous guru-ism, to be sure. Wicca (which is also an initiatory tradition from the lines of Gardner and Sanders, mostly) has been diluted to a shadow of its self by neo-Wicca and too many fluffy books by authors and leaders with names like "Golden Crowdog" or "Misty Willow Moon" and such.<br />
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** Although if you ask around enough (and know who to ask), you will find that these "gurus" do NOT have the respect or blessings for what they are doing of the majority of people within their own tradition.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-62403248632836734662013-07-09T03:00:00.000-04:002013-07-09T03:00:12.906-04:00Having an Apprentice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">As some of you may know, I have an apprentice. </span><a href="http://parentingbythelightofthemoon.blogspot.com/2012/12/teaching-craft.html" style="text-align: center;">I outlined many of the things that I thought it would be important to teach someone learning The Craft earlier last year</a><span style="text-align: center;">. And now, this year, I am actually doing it. It feels weird, after 24 years of only being a student, to finally be teaching someone else. And as I navigate that responsibility and honor, I thought showing some of our activities together this year might be interesting.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">In my tradition, we place an emphasis on establishing a clean relationship with our Fetch in order to work magic, communicate with other beings, and move between the worlds. So we have been doing lots of work on </span><a href="http://parentingbythelightofthemoon.blogspot.com/2013/05/silence-simplicity-and-solitude-way-to.html" style="text-align: center;">Solitude, Simplicity, and Silence</a><span style="text-align: center;"> in order to remove the distractions of everyday life to establish a connection and communication. My apprentice has a daily sitting practice and we sometimes go to the Shambhala Center to meditate in a group, too. He has been giving up "screen time" spending time in silence and alone, and avoiding commercial distractions.</span></div>
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We have been getting out into nature and learning about plants (for both healing and conjure) that grow here (Ohio is not the ancestral home of either of us- and some of the flora is unfamiliar, so as I teach him what I know, we also learn together!). We have been listening deeply- to plants, to animals, to the wind. He has been learning how to listen to plant allies and how to use that in cunning- both magical and medicinal.</div>
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<br />I am asking him to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night and we have been doing dream work. He has been participating in rituals throughout the wheel of the year with us. Much of these rituals have been ancestor driven and he has been building altars and making offerings to the beloved and mighty dead and establishing a communication with them. This Lammas, we are visiting another initiate in West Virginia for a weekend. We will be hiking in the mountains, circling in the woods, wildcrafting, and doing a ritual to ready him to meet his Fetch.<br /><br />We talked last night, my apprentice and I, about having him grow specific plants and commune with and tend to them (with the end in mind of creating specific formulas come harvest time). After he left and I went to bed, plants visited me in my dreams- plants that I do not work with yet but will be in the near future. I wrote down what I could remember and have begun research into these plants and how we can use their gifts.<br /><br />I have found that teaching has helped me refine what my vision of The Craft is and what it is not. It has helped me define theology, hone my skills, and articulate a vision that positively hums with Old Fate Herself.<br /><br />My apprentice has a lot to offer. He is a healer in his own right and gifted at energy work and manipulation. He is generous and laughs a lot. Working with him has been a blessing and a gift and I am happy to pass the Craft to him in this intimate way.<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-16417840426891034432013-07-01T13:30:00.000-04:002013-07-02T10:13:11.173-04:00HarvestingAnd so begins the long season of harvest here at Boline. I have posted previously about wildcrafting (which will continue all summer and autumn long) and today I am posting about harvesting cultivated things.<br />
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Today, I went to a friends house who grows a lot of medicinal and culinary herbs as well as edibles and she let me pick some of her suplus that I can use. She treated me to a tasting of at least 5 different kinds of strawberries, some shiso leaf, some heirloom radishes, and lots of oregano.<br />
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For Boline, I got stinging nettles, red clover, and lime balm. Nettles are wonderfully nutritious and they are the basis of my Allergy Tea, my Preggers Tea, and my Menopause Tea. Rec Clover will be going into a Cold and Flu Tea that is in the works. Lime balm will supplement my lemon balm in formulas like Tummy Tamer Tea (but I think it is even more tasty than lemon balm!)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some lovely radishes. I ate a few tonight in my salad!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apologies for the dark pic- this is red clover on a drying rack.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9vFI43sRQWvJTHOaAmHyDbV73RKxC-puyGE04-3tezCuCn3n4MVWF4SrgZRSMOiv5LaHRDGF03eI8JoCRhvxHYF5Hrv8ah3xu3UHtzkODIwGbz5EBWVlN7OTbIkvmxq4rxs99gwC6Uzs/s1600/IMG_1716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9vFI43sRQWvJTHOaAmHyDbV73RKxC-puyGE04-3tezCuCn3n4MVWF4SrgZRSMOiv5LaHRDGF03eI8JoCRhvxHYF5Hrv8ah3xu3UHtzkODIwGbz5EBWVlN7OTbIkvmxq4rxs99gwC6Uzs/s320/IMG_1716.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When I got home from picking, I discovered the back mulberry tree had a few choice morsels on it. <br />
Rowan will love these on his breakfast cereal!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZFlsSeH8tj9hIVajnJPBTkQc_VWNLcOusJf5WDre1E6lldwyKLRxbdUeOXJ1wPXkupLiJzS5LLjbMLM0A0l4y8Kt0oKrtXdUoIp6btOXAobR6x0IDQUtutzU8E2QpJrq4h7iWtSN7Prw/s1600/IMG_1717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZFlsSeH8tj9hIVajnJPBTkQc_VWNLcOusJf5WDre1E6lldwyKLRxbdUeOXJ1wPXkupLiJzS5LLjbMLM0A0l4y8Kt0oKrtXdUoIp6btOXAobR6x0IDQUtutzU8E2QpJrq4h7iWtSN7Prw/s320/IMG_1717.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washed sorrel, for the potluck salad this week.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5xzndjAb4GTNnEpytTlSdfWyboEWOuCzVVM-GwEErqM8aftSTdfYJpNj50JC8hCPLw7lkhTLw0j5rIvuM4_sbtnhigFf0B50lvumBRlD_KE4L9AR0FxMM8VQa0Ep0WTuhKVOesoTthjR/s1600/IMG_1718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5xzndjAb4GTNnEpytTlSdfWyboEWOuCzVVM-GwEErqM8aftSTdfYJpNj50JC8hCPLw7lkhTLw0j5rIvuM4_sbtnhigFf0B50lvumBRlD_KE4L9AR0FxMM8VQa0Ep0WTuhKVOesoTthjR/s320/IMG_1718.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Shiso. Yum.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBh3fURdt_Olk2VZxoUDYNZM9GfFRTdvpOjQBIZ04wZyQVizEbxVIRZ1qlRlZYHEDGKQv93jMc8arkM2BlK7mAK848KcTnIFK1s0CeoiIrM7hsxdqunJFF48IMnBjjhBB3J31QmLwZoEI/s1600/IMG_1721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBh3fURdt_Olk2VZxoUDYNZM9GfFRTdvpOjQBIZ04wZyQVizEbxVIRZ1qlRlZYHEDGKQv93jMc8arkM2BlK7mAK848KcTnIFK1s0CeoiIrM7hsxdqunJFF48IMnBjjhBB3J31QmLwZoEI/s320/IMG_1721.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the herb basket for my personal stash in the kitchen. <br />
It always has thyme and rosemary, and now it also has savory, oregano, and sage.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72WO4tk3xHUBUpPU_Ki76P8Gj_b-1DIL4uujahBdjvbo-wLfwMWMQBFJnVvEWptQOZ7RjAq8BsQmc5tSPSQ0UCQmBmuSmkU4n8QwO_2JUdfUtOi7zToRLW2ozC2rCzjdeoz5Mq9IIfMqo/s1600/IMG_1722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72WO4tk3xHUBUpPU_Ki76P8Gj_b-1DIL4uujahBdjvbo-wLfwMWMQBFJnVvEWptQOZ7RjAq8BsQmc5tSPSQ0UCQmBmuSmkU4n8QwO_2JUdfUtOi7zToRLW2ozC2rCzjdeoz5Mq9IIfMqo/s320/IMG_1722.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rue. I am making some Witchy oil with this!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5w06a_JDJYIFJtGNZnNeLaFKdFqTxTe6ey1XJjNYJoNEUpFa4hPS_e_KfrQFnTJSZGGU2QbH90YYK650KfEFRuxpILKIBwgZYDYo4Q0JmCYEHiGX0XvVbntSH6eXKvzWIIw-e4Nx5sQ_/s1600/IMG_1723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5w06a_JDJYIFJtGNZnNeLaFKdFqTxTe6ey1XJjNYJoNEUpFa4hPS_e_KfrQFnTJSZGGU2QbH90YYK650KfEFRuxpILKIBwgZYDYo4Q0JmCYEHiGX0XvVbntSH6eXKvzWIIw-e4Nx5sQ_/s320/IMG_1723.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nettles, placed on a rack for drying.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfO5lCWYhb4jbDpBtjtfUVQh7qpaMWB-ncDroyIVZBeGYBnj04GFHu9ZEjJictcVa3Ov_e0WV7vGaMoteTiFa8Er5aynP9Dih60lh_ETZht78FmRNyQFasUGGM6dFGRmkxmAIeoQWOgjBH/s1600/IMG_1725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfO5lCWYhb4jbDpBtjtfUVQh7qpaMWB-ncDroyIVZBeGYBnj04GFHu9ZEjJictcVa3Ov_e0WV7vGaMoteTiFa8Er5aynP9Dih60lh_ETZht78FmRNyQFasUGGM6dFGRmkxmAIeoQWOgjBH/s320/IMG_1725.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even though I personally don't get stung, I wear gloves anyway. I recommend that you do the same.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBAlcLoXUViRj7D-QPIJuadXZAbLGAM1uIYEaXUJNJC6RNUzzTHLeO6rcv5BymKIls_9anu3V2PMqoiE2EM6IPuxDhaVvam0XYr4LuE2e7YJnsu9TAMAwL3x8BGWLEUxZi2XW3GFHQVml/s1600/IMG_1724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBAlcLoXUViRj7D-QPIJuadXZAbLGAM1uIYEaXUJNJC6RNUzzTHLeO6rcv5BymKIls_9anu3V2PMqoiE2EM6IPuxDhaVvam0XYr4LuE2e7YJnsu9TAMAwL3x8BGWLEUxZi2XW3GFHQVml/s320/IMG_1724.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got quite the haul!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-s_0nA4mKZKlx_WTrRZRJSJKkmP4qP14JDFckJG9fbYHIB5jzp9bynb0Xnqc6PKDa4Jbc14qIGvIMV0ImKH7kfm8v8lYb6MrOtQIztKzKrcX-LJAXGfZGVjYIDvE2xW0haCXBvmJPboYT/s1600/IMG_1726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-s_0nA4mKZKlx_WTrRZRJSJKkmP4qP14JDFckJG9fbYHIB5jzp9bynb0Xnqc6PKDa4Jbc14qIGvIMV0ImKH7kfm8v8lYb6MrOtQIztKzKrcX-LJAXGfZGVjYIDvE2xW0haCXBvmJPboYT/s320/IMG_1726.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to remove the orange and tangerine peels from the rack to make room for the nettles.<br />
Orange peel is for my chocolate orange body scrub.<br />
Tangerine peel will make a tincture. <br />
It will be paired with St. John's Wort and a few other things for a Mood Tonic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My dryer has been quite busy lately! I have lots of dandelion and plantain as a result.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-49184829035138123572013-06-18T03:00:00.000-04:002013-06-18T03:00:01.734-04:00DIY: The Bike Coop<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9foF6a511byv9XXkkhr4M5nXnVqehgvyckqwBkempLvZpto-vZLQXolkJAcx4ScjMhV3BbPScxagzaejQY3oTP93ZOoA3sCJi_74KMXo8qHbIeArNn4mBpMfY9TK53H27hyphenhyphenR1Ci7N4NLD/s1600/IMG_1640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9foF6a511byv9XXkkhr4M5nXnVqehgvyckqwBkempLvZpto-vZLQXolkJAcx4ScjMhV3BbPScxagzaejQY3oTP93ZOoA3sCJi_74KMXo8qHbIeArNn4mBpMfY9TK53H27hyphenhyphenR1Ci7N4NLD/s320/IMG_1640.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's my girl- the blue mountain bike in the front.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So I am excited to fix up my beloved bike (which has been sorely neglected since I became pregnant with Rowan). I moved it with me from Oakland, CA to Columbus, OH- but it needs work and is sitting in my basement.<br />
<br />
I rode my bike everywhere at one time. I didn't my license to drive until 2004- learning to drive as an adult. And can I say? While I appreciate the freedom that a car provides, I hate to drive. I also hate how our culture is built around cars. It is... less human. Walking and riding and public transit lead to fuller, happier lives, I believe. It's also healthier, of course.<br />
<br />
But back to my bike. While I have a general idea how a bike works, I have no idea how to fix one. Luckily, <a href="http://thirdhand.org/joom/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1">there is a bike coop in Columbus</a>. What's a bike coop? It is a place to get a used bike that has been fixed up. It is a place to learn how to fix up bikes (for free!). It is a place to volunteer to promote bikes to the community (they teach others how to fix bikes, give free and low cost bikes to folks, and more).<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6f6Mi9YauuRryhF9uYBPboBULLmhLX8SBdEvZlqiXMW5Qn7-9_cvWQgPUVozc35r-B02oEDJGN8GmMRbIOvMZJ3x2JVtajH7z8XBnXfR0DR1H9PvQ3HwkcYPxb8k6bopHJoT-8MI9dYWp/s1600/removing_tire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6f6Mi9YauuRryhF9uYBPboBULLmhLX8SBdEvZlqiXMW5Qn7-9_cvWQgPUVozc35r-B02oEDJGN8GmMRbIOvMZJ3x2JVtajH7z8XBnXfR0DR1H9PvQ3HwkcYPxb8k6bopHJoT-8MI9dYWp/s320/removing_tire.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using a tool to remove the tire.</td></tr>
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Last night, I went to the bike coop's "open shop" for the first time (the Columbus coop has "open shop" twice a week- Wednesdays and Saturdays). I created a volunteer profile and clocked in. (When you volunteer, you "earn" $8 per hour that is applied to bike parts and stand rental to fix up your bike or towards the purchase of a bike.)<br />
<br />
Then I introduced myself. I started by watching one of the volunteer mechanics, who was teaching someone how to fix their brakes. Then another volunteer asked if I wanted to try fixing one of their donations that just came in. Gulp. "Sure, I'll try. Will you show me how?"<br />
<br />
So a mountain bike was selected that had a flat tube inside its tire. I was shown the tire removal tool and removed the flat tube. I was going to replace the tube with another one, but they didn't have that size. So instead, the volunteer asked me to remove the wheel and "true it". It was wobbly and scraping against the brake pads, impeding how it rode. So getting the wheel true was important.<br />
<br />
I am a little embarrassed to say that I didn't realize what spokes were for (except as a place for spokey dokeys- those are on my old bike!). To true a wheel, you must see where it scrapes and wobbles and tighten or loosen the spokes (they alternate one direction and another, so the tension is evenly disbursed) til it doesn't scrape or wobble anymore. AND I DID IT!<br />
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It is a time intensive process, trueing a wheel. It took me, a newbie, about an hour of tinkering back and forth with my wobbly charge. I was pretty proud when I was able to put it back on the bike (and get the wheel back on in the right place for the brakes, chain, and the like) and put it back in the pile of bikes to work upon.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuc8grN0KaIBvVyqPGO0bbmJReQEzK9Gg8Dwsw0gRbkIY1T5tKTx8rjQ8PhR50AaCLSfEUj53JF6T4FGYaG06hN8qLbQLu6MpcJDSZ2XfYH9-MsbzS8CXSHwgU7cycm5Aj7AjxH1LaMkGW/s1600/how-to-true-a-bicycle-wheel.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuc8grN0KaIBvVyqPGO0bbmJReQEzK9Gg8Dwsw0gRbkIY1T5tKTx8rjQ8PhR50AaCLSfEUj53JF6T4FGYaG06hN8qLbQLu6MpcJDSZ2XfYH9-MsbzS8CXSHwgU7cycm5Aj7AjxH1LaMkGW/s320/how-to-true-a-bicycle-wheel.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trueing a wheel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have ambitions of volunteering there and getting the ability and volunteer money accrues to fix up my bike "for free". Then I want to deck out the bike with a kid seat for Rowan and ride all summer long! Deck it out with baskets for hauling things, make it cute with seat covers and the like. I need a new lock, too.<br />
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As I said, I love this bike. It used to take me everywhere. It makes me sad that she has been neglected for so long. And I have been at the Y getting into better shape so I can enjoy bike riding again. Stay tuned to see me on the bike, touring around Columbus!<br />
<br />
And in the process, I am learning a new skill (which I love) and helping folks in my community. A win-win, which is my favorite flavor! I am going to be a skilled bike mechanic! Hooray!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-60659421220591653232013-06-11T03:00:00.000-04:002013-06-11T03:00:05.735-04:00Everyday Witchcraft: Making OfferingsOften in the past, the basic forms of Witchery escaped me as I pursued a busy (mundane) life. Not so now that I am raising a Witchlet. He reminds me to slow down, maintain rituals, and teach him about the worlds in the process.<br />
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One such practice is making offerings. We have three altars downstairs onto which we make offerings: my patron, Lilith; Ganesh; and our beloved dead. We keep Lilith and Ganesh in the living room on the mantle, side-by-side (as weird as that juxtaposition sounds!) because in many ways, they balance one another out (and I am ever in need of balance!) in their extremes. We keep the beloved dead altar(s)* in the dining room, so they can feast with us.<br />
<br />
Each gets offerings that they enjoy: Lilith gets suffering, spit, and booze (we also light incense for her). Ganesh gets flowers, sweets, and entheogens. And our dead get some of our food and milk and honey. Here is a typical Tuesday afternoon, with Rowan helping out mama to make the offerings.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89K5Zi2Dz4ry6eK3HoxBxM1FMds5lg3Ifdhr9ajQihBPcrUwn3zwd6yMBcBYr5MHM1f6TkTz1rFCXqL94ugJUylsI5rHM8TKQ6wyDZ0Z4hU4-K8YqYEglECX8FqogF4sFjq9WRimQjtLd/s1600/IMG_1665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89K5Zi2Dz4ry6eK3HoxBxM1FMds5lg3Ifdhr9ajQihBPcrUwn3zwd6yMBcBYr5MHM1f6TkTz1rFCXqL94ugJUylsI5rHM8TKQ6wyDZ0Z4hU4-K8YqYEglECX8FqogF4sFjq9WRimQjtLd/s320/IMG_1665.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers from outside for Ganesh.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSGJjOyv59_kD9z0VBxVlh3_x0VpZLgGvU2avSO0AqzDPWBqrsmjXMfqSLXccj5Txxzf7MXHPBLmIFVwbmwz56Kkr6TIrstqbph0Y6rs5rIHdQ25yy01R6NGzD-R-51N60BlPcSKW8zBr/s1600/IMG_1666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSGJjOyv59_kD9z0VBxVlh3_x0VpZLgGvU2avSO0AqzDPWBqrsmjXMfqSLXccj5Txxzf7MXHPBLmIFVwbmwz56Kkr6TIrstqbph0Y6rs5rIHdQ25yy01R6NGzD-R-51N60BlPcSKW8zBr/s320/IMG_1666.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spitting for Lilith</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GwFivuQd4Z00jVjWGsVugKU0dpHCO8mg_AFz4Lmlk0cOGlnLl_mPtv96krTXmsT46HixcIdPzsFJrtkAtA3itikMJpLV3VWVtbYc7XfFa_O6_Eim-_s59MRsEOzb0MnuxAKPWRSsFnMc/s1600/IMG_1669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GwFivuQd4Z00jVjWGsVugKU0dpHCO8mg_AFz4Lmlk0cOGlnLl_mPtv96krTXmsT46HixcIdPzsFJrtkAtA3itikMJpLV3VWVtbYc7XfFa_O6_Eim-_s59MRsEOzb0MnuxAKPWRSsFnMc/s320/IMG_1669.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ganesh got a lolly that Rowan was coveting. It was touching that he gave it to Ganesh instead.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErZAs6vyZzWDvnjBS1tljmU82rtyLKy_jejXBLMD7lOpzHkBwBQ2iD3QZQKhs_BZmANBFl3JtyDxMTdpgs8e0krofLvabpjMeXVXLPDVgwAiWLRiV_42JbuESlbjnVNy9xcUHqhaBpE0r/s1600/IMG_1670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErZAs6vyZzWDvnjBS1tljmU82rtyLKy_jejXBLMD7lOpzHkBwBQ2iD3QZQKhs_BZmANBFl3JtyDxMTdpgs8e0krofLvabpjMeXVXLPDVgwAiWLRiV_42JbuESlbjnVNy9xcUHqhaBpE0r/s320/IMG_1670.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilith got some port, spit, and incense.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHyfwjcAiZdT_LAxlEWAuHN5GTGHYsV-TG6jLvgdzJWd7DoL5ipEWJCrwlufElZj5KyfOkMP319uwUvnYp3ZCM-8gwK5QNrNA3K0Lf-E5RLJ1Yo6wnFRCBJ-TePPF7zuD_A_1qjxnjRL8/s1600/IMG_1671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHyfwjcAiZdT_LAxlEWAuHN5GTGHYsV-TG6jLvgdzJWd7DoL5ipEWJCrwlufElZj5KyfOkMP319uwUvnYp3ZCM-8gwK5QNrNA3K0Lf-E5RLJ1Yo6wnFRCBJ-TePPF7zuD_A_1qjxnjRL8/s320/IMG_1671.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rowan gave the dead some of his peanut butter and jelly graham cracker, along with the milk and honey.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-59159431852408309802013-06-04T03:00:00.001-04:002013-06-04T03:00:12.656-04:00Wildcrafting<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3jXnJLRRuPTZ0OvJ_0QXpYpMCIe1ad2bFe3GYqvlYpqjnfUjww1a8o6E2_xcQuLTS47BncmglnnBMFvjsHIFB3jFaLTShLR66U9_cmGtzYAeXf_Zhs-kBIrvbfxGAEtIRlinDcnI0o9V/s1600/IMG_1642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3jXnJLRRuPTZ0OvJ_0QXpYpMCIe1ad2bFe3GYqvlYpqjnfUjww1a8o6E2_xcQuLTS47BncmglnnBMFvjsHIFB3jFaLTShLR66U9_cmGtzYAeXf_Zhs-kBIrvbfxGAEtIRlinDcnI0o9V/s200/IMG_1642.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rowan helps mama wildcraft.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: center;">Spring is not only welcome respite from an overly-long Ohio winter (not really used to that anymore- brrrr!), but it also means lots of great things to harvest in my neighborhood! </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">I live in a city that is green, lush, and full of all kinds of great wild medicinal plants. I am excited to go to a place I know where there is some jewelweed soon. (Jewelweed is great for poison ivy treatment. I will make a plaster/salve for the condition.) </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">We have cleavers and mallow (both of which I will use for skin care as well, making astringents,toners, and lotions) coming up, too. Wildcrafting reminds me of the abundance we walk past every day- growing in empty lots and in the cracks in the sidewalk- if only we know what to look for! </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">Wildcrafting is an exercise in not only herbalism, but Fate. As with any Witchy activity, a little knowledge beforehand allows us to open to infinite possibilities. Because I have studied how to identify plants and what they do that may be of value to me, I can wildcraft. It is the same with astral projection, working with the dead, or conjure work. This is why training with a master is so important in the Craft. The skills are passed and introductions are made on your behalf- to spirits of the green as well as the mighty dead and such. These introductions are so profound and help you later in life. I am teaching Rowan about plants as we go- he will learn a lot of the Craft from me.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmehe1d27qn1GjIRL_XSeRmiTM5eG1vpoGH0XtfvBrN7rIl7oT5dDECcz8ej1_m1fgm-KzX21fOOImx53n6d_PEF92ZCq781CMr9FEe5_TDGGi-kxCJj5-87pE7VWU7BebiIEOppbrANYz/s1600/IMG_1643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmehe1d27qn1GjIRL_XSeRmiTM5eG1vpoGH0XtfvBrN7rIl7oT5dDECcz8ej1_m1fgm-KzX21fOOImx53n6d_PEF92ZCq781CMr9FEe5_TDGGi-kxCJj5-87pE7VWU7BebiIEOppbrANYz/s200/IMG_1643.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This afternoon's bounty.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: center;">I remember in herb school going out to a mountain and doing some plant spirit work. We found a grove and laid down and simply listened to see if any messages came. I had my head under a manzanita plant in bloom. I was sent a picture of a desert- barren of much vegetation- until manzanita and madrone came in, settling into hard places and eventually settling the area and breaking down the hard soil and rock enough for other plants to come. I got the message, "I am first.", plain as day. After doing some research, I found out that this is exactly how California became so lush. </span><br />
<br />
While we wait just a bit more for those other goodies I spied on our neighborhood walk, Rowan and I toured our neighborhood and picked wild violets out of people's grass. Rowan really loves helping mommy make medicine. So he went along to help me pick the violets. On our street, violets (and dandelions- also valuable!) are weeds that grow on so many lawns and they all go to waste- people just mow them down. Luckily, the folks in our neighborhood are not chemical enthusiasts. Most are aging hippies and crunchy folk who shop at the food coop like me and don't care about perfectly manicured grass. I have yet to see anyone use pesticides or chemical fertilizers- and the yards are a mix of crabgrass, ramps (delicious!), dandelions, violets, plantain (also going to be harvested! Muhuwahahaa!) and cleavers most of the time. I find it charming and far healthier to the well manicured suburban lawns of my childhood (the ones where the "chemlawn man" would come every few weeks).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SzhKpr-21oIad-zFg329ETIsyFTAm7hLTcqKjff4jqOFXbH6kBqE-OdrQXBl7aRH3XxxNk84wFEPyt0XW2pju4YlHlaxi6xlAvmVw1d4qezWGidF6pe81B1iuPsdiLuNqL19o5hrg3Ss/s1600/IMG_1644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SzhKpr-21oIad-zFg329ETIsyFTAm7hLTcqKjff4jqOFXbH6kBqE-OdrQXBl7aRH3XxxNk84wFEPyt0XW2pju4YlHlaxi6xlAvmVw1d4qezWGidF6pe81B1iuPsdiLuNqL19o5hrg3Ss/s200/IMG_1644.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After stemming the flowers, <br />
I added them to rice vinegar.<br />
This will be used in facial products.</td></tr>
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At one home as we picked, the homeowner came out and asked what we were up to. Uh oh. I explained we were only picking the violets- and Rowan chimed in "for medicine!" Our neighbor was smiling and she said, "Oh- how neat. Take as many as you want!" I have half a mind to bring her some of the vinegar as a present for indulging us. It makes a delicious vinaigrette, too.<br />
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I got them home and washed the flowers thoroughly, then took the flowers from the stems and added them to the vinegar I had ready in a repurposed bottle.<br />
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Why did I pick the violets? Besides being beautiful (they impart such a lovely color to medicines and toiletries), they are quite good for skin eruptions and sores (pimples, boils, acne and other things). So I will be making a violet vinegar that will be a good ingredient for making a facial toner and a pimple treatment. Stay tuned for those in the store!<br />
<br />
I have an herbalist friend who wildcrafts violets for lotions and lip balms as well. You can also use them internally- or candy them with egg white and superfine sugar as cake decorations. When I was in fifth grade, we went to a settler re-enactment where a "farmwife" was doing just that and it was so magical to me (my mom was more of a fish sticks kind of mom) that I still talk about it to this day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRQT7U3cVnQe-V82S3lv3g_xesgcpsptvGZm7yjy0fMMytjo1xRUZ9GJl7y_qKyDaas0jAAzHptMpx4x_muR4iEhyC18XiFhs8ayNspMQfKYpfg3uxDFJTz44dC0FV7zQDzdorOq3tRGd/s1600/IMG_1650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRQT7U3cVnQe-V82S3lv3g_xesgcpsptvGZm7yjy0fMMytjo1xRUZ9GJl7y_qKyDaas0jAAzHptMpx4x_muR4iEhyC18XiFhs8ayNspMQfKYpfg3uxDFJTz44dC0FV7zQDzdorOq3tRGd/s200/IMG_1650.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the color <br />
after only one day!</td></tr>
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While I stemmed the violets, I worked on a decoction of witch hazel, which I later used for a mouth and gum health rinse and will use the rest for astringent. Today I work on more bug spray and labels for the new products. I will have several new things at the next <a href="https://www.facebook.com/400FarmersMarket?fref=ts">400 Market</a>!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://boline.storenvy.com/">Boline</a> is growing all the time, with new products (both remedies and toiletries) being added monthly. In addition to wildcrafted items, I have experienced gardeners growing things for me. Around harvest time this year, I will be quite the busy bee, trying to dry and process all my ingredients. Check out to see what is new!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407720217414346143.post-31340157245080551982013-05-28T03:00:00.002-04:002013-05-28T03:00:13.673-04:00Religion versus Spirituality: What a Crock!<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1sXUGPa9euKQNPKcXjNtWqWAZhA7EoOsxC2-XXUEeOzFDaJm6o0_ePkCzZC2PMKLvI1xZFRCzjL_uVERWeLZ7lU06mH4arlnvvpaXDvRcejkFR3QNZIaYMXK7rGHpvnMVAqlnghyphenhyphenZzup/s1600/941703_252922888181283_763938734_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1sXUGPa9euKQNPKcXjNtWqWAZhA7EoOsxC2-XXUEeOzFDaJm6o0_ePkCzZC2PMKLvI1xZFRCzjL_uVERWeLZ7lU06mH4arlnvvpaXDvRcejkFR3QNZIaYMXK7rGHpvnMVAqlnghyphenhyphenZzup/s320/941703_252922888181283_763938734_n.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
The annoyance came to me while on Facebook. This picture (to the left), posted by a couple people on the same day, right on the heels of a debate that I had (in a small group of pagan-esque seekers) about cultural appropriation in spiritual practices.<br />
<br />
In the debate, one particularly offensive member of the group misquoted Crowley (stating, "do what thou wilt" as a way of saying- "appropriate away, if it works for you".) I cringed, then took on that issue. And took it on, and took it on, and took it on.<br />
<br />
Because the idea that we are ENTITLED to whatever we are attracted to is pervasive in this culture- and people fight to keep that "entitlement". No one wants to believe that they are being racist or some similar ism.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://parentingbythelightofthemoon.blogspot.com/2010/10/religion-and-spirituality.html">It has been couched as the "religion versus spirituality" debate. But that is a false trope.</a><br />
<br />
The media tells us we "deserve" what we desire through news, commercials, and entertainment. Most people in the United States (and elsewhere) actually believe it. (If you can afford it, that is. This is why I think cultural and spiritual appropriation are so commonplace in the US- it's essentially low cost or free (monetarily speaking)- so anyone can do it.) But theology is not for sale. Anyone telling you otherwise is a religious profiteer. These folks are usually selling you a book, a workshop, or something from their pagan shop most of the time, ever notice that? How convenient eclecticism is for these folks who have something to sell- there's always a new product line!<br />
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It is my experience that people who appropriate other people's spiritual practices, cherry picking this and that without deep understanding of historical or theological context (and studying those traditions in depth for quite some time) are hella defensive about their "practices"- defending them by calling names ("bullies" or "elitists") on those who would call them out on their offenses.<br />
<br />
So people fight me on this point A LOT:<br />"It works for me."<br />
"Who are you to criticize someone else's spiritual practices?"<br />
"Each path is individual! You do what works for you, I'll do what works for me."<br />
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Do you notice any commonalities in those statements? The common thread is ME ME ME.<br />
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From my original Facebook rant:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The word religion actually means "to retie" and the function of religion is to retie a person to everything else. It's about connection (for my religion, it re-ties me to other creatures (including humans), other living beings (plants, non-corporeals), and the land. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Spirituality is about individualism "I do this, this works for ME". It is about the individual (which is why it works so well in capitalist systems- everyone is looking for the shiny new thing right out of the package. This works well for Deepak and all the other capitalist gurus out there, be they New age, pagan, or otherwise.) </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
People who insist on only doing things THEIR WAY never advance spiritually. They pick things that are comfortable. Religion isn't about comfort- it's about connection. And damn if that isn't uncomfortable some days (anyone who takes public transit knows what I mean.)</blockquote>
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I call bullshit on individualism wrapped up in a "spiritual" package. <br /><br />Irresponsible eclecticism is cultural appropriation. It is white supremacist thinking (regardless of who individually is appropriating). It is capitalism** applied to theology. Which I also call "New Age"- because New Age is about providing a product or service, for a cost, to address your "spiritual need". It's the "take a pill" mentality.<br />
<br />
And make no mistake, Deepak Chopra is all about New Age thinking. He profits wildly from "spiritual" capitalism pumping out feel-good platitudes that challenge no one. Because again, spirituality is not about challenge. It's supposed to make you feel good about what you are already doing or not doing. It may inspire a new hobby or interest- but only so far. "Spirituality" is for dabblers.***<br />
<br />
This picture's sentiment irritates the crap outta me, particularly in pagan circles. We should be better than this. Our ideas, theologies, holidays, and more were appropriated by folks that wanted to convert or exterminate us. And we do it to others? No, I say. And I will speak out when I see it happening.<br />
<br />
Deepak is so fucking wrong- the quote is just plain wrong. Religion is a set of traditions but it does not exclude personal experience at all. There is room for gnosis in religion. And religion does not *have to* include belief. My religion does not need belief, as I have experience and deep gnosis that tells me what is true. Deepak is being reactionary and throwing the baby out with the bathwater (for a tidy sum, I'll add snarkily).<br />
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"Spirituality", on the other hand, is a watered down term that is basically meaningless because there is no specificity. It could be anything. Just like that term "<a href="http://parentingbythelightofthemoon.blogspot.com/2013/05/why-i-am-not-pagan.html">pagan</a>".<br />
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<br />*It should go without saying (but because this is the internet, I will say it anyway to avoid assumptions on the part of a reader) not ALL authors, shop keeps, or teachers are cultural appropriators (or even eclectics). Many are deeply rooted in a specific tradition and do the work of their calling. But beware of eclectics and dabblers who ride the latest wave of shiny (This week, traditional craft! Last week: conjure!). They have no substance.<br />
<br />
** I can criticize capitalism for multiple blog posts in and of itself, but for the sake of this post, when I say "capitalism" think, "making money off of anything and everything possible- including ideas and other living creatures".<br />
<br />
***There is nothing wrong with dabbling. I have dabbled in plenty of things. But call your "practice" what it is. Dabbling does not a complete theology make. Dabbling does not lead to mastery. And that is what a true religion does- religion is designed to make us masters of ourselves. And that means tackling the hard stuff.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
Sidebar: I understand that many criticisms of religion (ie. "organized religion" or abrahamic religion, or even more narrowly, Christianity) come from people eschewing all organization and structure. They do this because they have been stung by hierarchy. Shit, we ALL have. But that approach is foolish.<br />Structure and hierarchy are not the same thing. (Shit, even the word hierarchy has been co-opted. It doesn't have to mean "unilateral power over people and things". It simply means "structure" too. ) And ALL living things need to have a structure to survive and thrive. Folks who have valid criticisms of systems of power and their abuse owe it to themselves and the struggle to know what it is that you are criticizing and to be specific about it.</blockquote>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0