Who am I?

Well, this is me, back again. Still not sure where the blog will go. This close to Halloween though, I found some small unscented black votive candles. Tomorrow, I’ll go back and buy the whole box. 🙂

My Lord Loki, you are and always will be my patron. However, there are other deities I intend to work with as well. Sort of an open relationship, if you will. I’m getting into Buddhism as well. I’ll take what I can from it and then move on. So far, it’s helping. I’ve purchased an almanac and a datebook for witches. I have a study plan, and I intend to make myself a well versed witch. I was abruptly awakened to the fact that I am not even half the witch I thought I was. So who am I? Ideally, I’d like to be a blend of Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Tiffany Aching, Judika Illes, and Arin Murphy- Hiscock. And the witches from Practical Magic. Ideally, anyway. So, I’ll aim for that. After all, “Any fool could be a witch with a runic knife, but it takes skill to be one with an apple corer.” Perhaps I am unorthodox, but I strive for practicality. I see no harm in reusing candles most of the time, although I cleanse them in between, and I have no set ritual tools. I try to keep my practice as practical as I can. I have no set spells either. I make up what I need as I need it. Most of them aren’t even spells, they just make sense and work for me. I’m also trying to veer away from candle magic, as it is impractical. Candles get pricy, especially the beeswax, soy, and tallow ones. So, when I DO use a candle spell, it will be practical, efficient, and I won’t fuss about reusing a candle. Birthday cake sized candles are perfect for spells that need a candle to burn all the way down. And colors? Bull. Tie colored cord around a plain candle. All that is just non sense where it isn’t needed.

I try my best to be simplistic, and very grounded in nature, and I hope my rituals reflect this. Let’s start by explaining why I consider myself a witch, but not a Wiccan:

Wicca is a very structured, very specific, organized religion. there are certain ways certain things are done in Wicca, that’s just how it is. It is a relatively new faith, with roots in ancient paganism. However, I don’t do so well with structured and organized religion like that. I feel like I should open to the world and to the Divine. Everything around me and everything about me changes, its part of who I am, so I feel that my interpretation of the Divine and my worship thereof should be allowed to change also. I do not like being limited. While Wicca is a wonderful earth based faith, it is not MY faith, although I was there for some time, and my beliefs reflect that. Please bear with me.

To me, a real witch follows the path of a naturalist, a herbalist, a wise-woman, a healer… and so on. Witchcraft for me is a highly individualized and personalized practice, solitary and free-form. Now I’m not saying that covens are not worthwhile, they do indeed have benefits, I simply do not know any like-minded people with which to form a coven. I try to form a personal connection with the Earth. I try to feel her joys, her sorrows, and her pains. I feel that if I can tune myself in better to Gaea, then I will in turn be a better witch. As a witch I feel it is my job to know the earth and help people with the knowledge I carry.

All of my spells, rituals, and meditations are loosely structured, making them easy to be changed around to fit my purpose. Above all, I try to be a practical witch. I don’t want to amass power, simply tune into the subtle energies of nature, and of my own home. Most people know about the energies of nature, so I will focus a little more on energies of the hearth. Your home is essentially your second face (it should be treated that way, too). It is the center of power for an individual and family. It is a place of refuge, renewal, creativity, where we begin and end each day. It is a place where we are nourished, rested, and otherwise strengthened. Your home reflects the individuals who live within it on several levels, including a physical level (choice of decor and arrangement) and spiritual level (the energy or “feel” of a home). The home is the primary root of your family’s energy and spirituality. If you work to honor and strengthen that center of power and renewal, making it as peaceful and spiritually nourishing as possible for you and your family, then you are working to create and maintain a place of peace and a source of energy. -AMH: The Way of the Hedge Witch

Basically, the concept of your home as a spiritual center is found in many cultures and throughout many eras. The hearth in particular, is used for its connection between gods and humankind.  There are so many ways you can use your home to serve as a part of your spiritual philosophy, most of which use two joint keystones: the cauldron, and the flame. The cauldron represents abundance and hospitality, while being a symbol of rebirth, mystery, creation. and transformation, making it the perfect symbol for to focus on in home-based spirituality. the flame is a symbol of life, activity, the Divine, purification, and creativity, making it an excellent partner for the cauldron. Nature and hearth based witches (in my personal opinion) serve as a facilitator for spiritual well being of herself, her family, and her welcomed guests.  Her home is her temple, which she tends in order to keep the energy flowing smoothly and freely, as well as to honor the principles she upholds. She seeks to support, nurture, and nourish her family in both a physical and spiritual fashion.

Of course, I still like to dabble with high magic, who doesn’t? But to me, low magic is more Real. More hands on. So the long and short of it all is, I’m a Capricorn, and I have the same birthday as Edgar Allen Poe, how awesome is that? I’m a nu metal fan, and I’m obsessive compulsive, depressed, and a little bit crazy. I’m completely addicted to coffee, and although I quit smoking, I cheat and have one now and again, because I REALLY miss them. To me there is beauty in everything. I believe I am a pagan, but as the blog progresses, you shall see how I flit around with just about everything. I’ll add to this page or change it as I see fit. So there.