Magical Me
As with many
Neo-Pagans my age, my first practical experience of magic was in college.
I read Tarot cards with uncanny accuracy and insight, and never looked back!
I devoured fantasy literature which gave me vocabulary for the sights I was
seeing and the experiences I was having. I developed my witch powers, and
began to crystallize my personal theology. Thank God and Goddess for
Catholic colleges, eh? LOL
I do not belong to
any tradition or clan, although if pressed, I call myself an "Elementalist", meaning I see the world through a four-part
lens, not three. I am a hedge witch,
defined further on this site (see "Theology
& FAQ's"). Much of what I have learned, as a solitary,
I have learned through reading. My basic understanding of the mechanics of
magic has developed over time through experience, thought, and discussion with
others. I believe in Bohm's holographic universe, and Higginbotham's
Theorem of Paganism. I am a semi-transcendentalist
because I believe that God is the spiritual aspect of the universe and Goddess
is the physical aspect of the universe.
Magical
Thoughts, Words & Deeds
I do spells mainly to nudge events to my favor, or to empower objects to
do the same. I am especially good at prophecy and divination, despite not
having memorized the meanings of the cards or runes! I generally apply my
intuition while looking up the meanings.
I absolutely LOVE rituals, though. I celebrate the seasons, and
try to make every spell an event. It helps build power, significance, and
it's just plain fun to trot out the trappings of magical work! I love
do-dads in the kitchen and in the classroom, so why not in my magical practice
as well?
I am teaching myself Latin. I have discovered that it helps me get into
the "mood" of doing magic, and therefore makes it easier to break the
bonds to my current perceived reality. I use Latin phrases in every ritual
and spell if I can.
I also value rhyming and song. They make things easier for me to
memorize, and music makes ritual fun. The most common complaint I hear
from Pagans, especially those who have recently come from a Christian tradition,
is that they "miss the music." I am hoping to change that!
See my Neopagan Music
page!
[back to top]
Brief
Timeline of Magical Events
| 1970's |
As a very young child, I experienced God as
a playful, loving leader and partner of creation. Sometimes he had
a flowing beard made of clouds, sometimes, sparkling eyes made of
sunlight. He always smiled at me.
|
| Early 80's |
At 11, I began to see terrifying images of
death, and they always came true. This has happened four times
since then, and I no longer read the newspaper or watch the local news.
My
most recent vision was of looking through a scrapbook, especially at two
young soldiers. I kept hearing someone say "51" as I
went through the album. Three days later (October 11, 2007) the
news broke that there had been a major mortar attack the night before on
an American base in
Baghdad
, with 2 Americans killed and at least 40 American, Iraqi and
third-party nationals wounded. I didn't search online for the
pictures from the scrapbook in my vision, that would be too hard to see.
|
| Early 80's |
At 12, I began to debate theology
with my Jehovah's Witness neighbors. My mother and I talked at
length about the Trinity and the Eucharist and their roots.
|
| Late 80's |
In high school, I wondered if I would ever
be a good enough Christian.
|
| 1991 |
At 19, I had a dream, where I met Jesus
camped out in the sanctuary of the church of my youth. Others were
on a scavenger hunt for him, searching in the pulpit, the altar, the
cross, the choir loft, the organ, the Bible, the fellowship hall, the
Sunday school rooms, the office, the kitchen, but only I could see him
with his tent and campfire waiting for them. He told me that I'd
be all right, as long as I lived a good life. He makes a darn good
hot cocoa. And, of course, I summarized the experience in a song
-- "Picturebook".
|
| Early 90's |
In college, I began to take away pain
and read Tarot for my friends. I also began to see and
interpret "colors," which I guess are like auras, but the
colors are inside the outlines of a person's body and exhibit
personality. I took many courses in religion and began to
develop my personal theology. |
| 1994 |
I took a Lay Eucharistic Minister
training course through the Episcopal Church of the
USA
, Western NY Diocese. We learned about the origins of modern
Christian ritual, and I began to see that the contemporary traditions
have strayed far from what Jesus and his disciples would have practiced.
This troubled me. I began to yearn for a spiritual practice
resembling that original philosophy.
|
| Sept. 1997 |
While listening to Christian scripture
which seemed to support my theories about the origin of Jesus' powers, I
made my break with the Christian church after years of internal
struggle. I dedicated myself to Goddess and God, acknowledged my
powers as a witch, and began to identify myself as a pagan witch.
|
| Feb. 2004 |
A |
| Feb. 2007 |
I joined Loxley
Abbey Church, led by my new friend, Rev. Domina Samantha Heart. |
| Oct. 15, 2007 |
After three years of study at Blue
Moonlight Coven Seminary and Our Lady of Enchantment Seminary, I was legally
ordained by Lady Sabrina of Our Lady of Enchantment Seminary.
|
[back to top]
Influential
Magical Authors
(alpha by last)
Sylvia
Browne (The
Two Marys)
Jim
Butcher (Dresden Files)
Mercedes
Lackey (Bard's Tale, Bardic Voices, Bardic Choices, Brainship, Fairy Tale,
Five Hundred Kingdoms, Halfblood Chronicles, Valdemar Universe)
Anne
McCaffery (all
things Pern)
Dennis
McKiernan (Fairy
Tale Seasons)
L.E.
Modesitt, Jr. (Spellsong
Cycle)
Silver
Ravenwolf (Solitary
Witch)
Margaret
Starbird (re: Mary Magdalene)
[back to top]
All
hits since May 10, 2008: