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I cut my hair in May 2008!

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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!

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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.  

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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)

 

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