Chop Wood, Carry Water
It’s amazing how the mind (and the rest of ourselves) falls into routines and patterns and learns to prefer certain methods over others. I am truly a creature of habit.
The majority of my adult life has been spent living on acreages of one sort or another, having access to large tracks of land, privacy and all that comes with it. As such my most effective methods for inducing trance states, (and any or all altered states of consciousness) which would be the step towards Crossing or full on ecstatic work, are built around a rural life. Or at the very least, having a yard or garden.
I am a repetitive motion Witch. Raking leaves, shovelling manure or snow, washing the floor, chopping firewood, pulling weeds, and other similar tasks have been my main methods of entering into trance states for much of my time as a Witch. I can quite easily gradually slip deeper and deeper into an altered state as I dig rocks out of the earth with my hoe until the task is completed and then leaving my tool in the shed, wander off to a pre-prepared ritual spot waiting for my arrival.
This style of trancing… Continue reading
Mastery
There is no such thing as an expert Witch.
There is no mastery of the Craft.
The more you learn, the more you see that one mortal Witch can know nothing compared to all there is in this many layered and multi levelled universe.
There is no need to achieve perfection. In fact if there be any sin in Witchcraft it would be just that. For it is impossible.
One should always be learning, experimenting, adjusting and making the appropriate corrections.
We should always be striving to do better, reach higher and go further. However: You never stop.
There will never be a time where you say; “I can learn no more, I can do no better. I have achieved all there is to achieve. I have reached the highest height.”
There is no such thing as an expert Witch.
There is no mastery of the Craft.
One should never claim to be such, never assume that another is such. Nor should one ever accuse another of being such in any manner, but certainly not as an act of spite or nastiness.
In fact such words as expert, guru, master and so forth should not be in our vocabulary at… Continue reading
Project Check In
I figure its time to check in on my progress with various projects that I have been working on.
My shawl is nearing completion. I have crocheted enough rounds to form the shawl itself and now just need enough for the deep hood I want on it. Then I have to put them all together. It is a riotous mix of spring and autumn colours, which I plan to bring together with shades of brown. My friend Lis suggests this might make it look like a meadow. I’ve already posted about the shawl once before and will again as it gets closer to being finished.
The great big afghan I have been crocheting for the last year is up to some 115 rounds (give or take), I need about 150 before I can start piecing it together.
My learning to play the tambourine continues. Read about my choice of instrument here and see pictures of her here.I know how to hold it in a couple of different positions and the different ways to strike it. Now it’s all about practicing to gain skill and develop rhythm. Tap tap tap tap tap … ONE two three four One two three… Continue reading
Building a Better Meme
(I’ll post answers my answers in a little while)
Please describe briefly your Path:
Please describe briefly how you practice it:
When did you first commit to your Path?
How is your practice different now than it was then?
Is your practice different today than how you thought it would be back then?
Does your Path and core belief system differ now than how it was when you first started?
What is your heritage and how does this inform your Path?
What are your main influences for your Path?
Which do you do more: practice or research?
Do you feel that one is more important than the other?
What values and ethics are important on your Path and in your practice?
What sort of cycles do you feel your practice goes through?
What is one of the greatest obstacles or struggles you have had to over come?
How do you see yourself practicing in ten years?
How do you incorporate your practice into your life?
Has walking your Path changed you as a person?
Do you consider yourself to be a priest/ess? How so?
A witch? How so?
A shaman? How so?
Which matters more: getting the vocabulary right or… Continue reading
Are You Scared Yet?
I was wandering around the bloggo-sphere the other day when I came across a blog by someone discussing their frustration with ritual (I honestly forget which blog it was which is too bad or I’d be replying to them!).
They just haven’t gotten “it” … they aren’t feeling “it”. “It” is out of their grasp. They aren’t sure anything is happening. You know what I mean, I don’t have to articulate it anymore than that.
The blogger in question spoke of feeling like they should fake it until they made it, just keep plugging away and going through the motions on the hope that they will have a break through.
On account of my suffering from a mild fever all I have in response mostly comes in the form of questions and ranting. (Read: I am slightly out of my mind right now)
First of all I am no longer a big fan of the fake until you make it system. I worry that by doing so we are training our selves to play pretend. Brains especially like routine, not just in actions but in thought and feeling, so I wonder at the possibility of training the brain to fake… Continue reading
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