Rantings & Ravings

My Beloved Fellow Pagans & Witches

Hi guys, its Juniper.

 

Look guys, I have some serious shit going on in my life right now.

 

Bren left me in the soul crushing, self esteem destroying way. He tried to be a nice guy about it, because he’s a good man. But it doesn’t change the whole broken heart thing.

 

I had a grandparent die recently.

 

The place Bren and I were living in before he left is too much $$$ for me to manage on my own. Not if I want any money for savings etc. I have been working harder and longer and trying to pick up odd jobs to cover everything.

 

I had no bed to sleep on. I’ve had to accept charity from friends, which is hard. I finally was able to pick up a bed second hand.

 

I have had to find a room mate, find a new place and now I am packing and moving. I have two whole weeks to pack and move.

 

I have had some of the dearest friends I have ever had move away.

 

I busted someone for plagiarism who is now trying to threaten me into silence to save… Continue reading

It’s All Rather a lot of Bother

(okay, I’ve been working on this one for a while now. But it wasn’t ready yet. Now it is)

 

When folks come over and inquire about the macaroni in the offering dishes upon my house shrine I act like it’s no big deal. I just made too much and so I gave it to my spirits. It gets a little more complicated to explain that I am expected by my spirits to make too much and give them their fair share. That I keep their offering bowls small because they expect them to be filled.

 

It’s all rather a lot of bother.

 

Spirit work and devotional practice that is. A bother. That’s why it’s called work and practice I suppose.

 

Years ago, I was researching medicine bags and crane bags and the like. I came across something talking about Native American shamans and their relationship with their medicine bags, and with the spirits within their medicine bags. For some, they had to sing a specific song for each item/spirit in the bag before opening it. Over the years the bag would acquire more and more items. When they died, they might pass their bag onto someone… Continue reading

Little Random Things

I haven’t been up for writing a long and proper post lately, I’ve got stuff going on and all. But I have been writing little bits and pieces of this and that in a word document. Sort of like a series of mini posts or fragments from a stream of consciousness. Well, here they are:

 

Sometimes it’s annoying when your divination set and spirits keep telling you the same damned thing. Especially when it’s freaking obvious. Yes, I know that, thank you … got anything else to say? No? Uh, well fine, thanks anyways.

 

You know someone is really into arts and crafts when they stop in mid ritual to chat about an afghan.

 

I had the girls come over after Bren finished hauling his stuff out to give me a hand. It was kind of like that scene in Practical Magic when they use the phone tree system to call for help. Only I didn’t have a sexy but dead guy possessing my sister. I just needed some help getting off my self pitying ass to move some furniture and clear a little negative energy. I felt bad and tried backing out of it last minute,… Continue reading

Heart on Sleeve

 

I wear my heart on my sleeve. It just so happens that my heart belongs to my Craft, my gods and my spirits.

 

Oh dear.

 

Shall I back up a bit?

 

I was chatting with a fellow Witch about a common problem that faces those of who delve into the … more intense … parts of Witchcraft and Paganism.

 

You meet someone, or (better yet) have a friend, who is interested in your Craft. They want to be introduced to Witchcraft, or your style of it. They probably aren’t total newbies; they might be practising Pagans or follow a more straight and narrow form of Witch-y goodness. But they have an interest in the crooked path, Hedgewitchery, spirit work or some such. I don’t necessarily mean something like an apprentice; this also applies to simply sharing with a friend.

 

So you open up a bit and let them in.

 

If you’re used to being kinda alone, like most of us (hmmm wonder what’s behind all the blogging?) then you might make the mistake of going too fast. You get all excited that you have someone to share with and open up the flood… Continue reading

Afraid and Ashamed, but not Surprised

I am sure this will make many people angry, but there are people whom I hold dear south of the border. I feel the need to say something:

I invite my American counter parts to come visit other Western countries, to see that there are ways to practice and encourage religious tolerance and multi-culturalism than other than your own. The American style of conflict resolution  is often filled with hate, fear and anger; reactionary and aggressive.

When I lived and travelled in the USA I was constantly amazing by the level of violence that is taken for granted within your culture. It permeates everything, even ordinary everyday language. An electric drill was called a screw gun. One does not refill a drink, they reload it.

Seeing my fellow Witches, Pagans and Heathens calling for an eye for an eye makes me sick. It fills me with shame.

Many of the words I read and hear being used by Americans within my religious body these past few days would be considered hate speech in Canada. It sounds no different to my ears than “God hates fags” or “Paganism must be eradicated” or “All Muslims are terrorists”.

As I watch the news… Continue reading

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