Raising the Awareness (A Very Serious Post)

Where I live the idea of Wiccan Awareness is simply a dream. I've personally dealt with discrimination over the years due to my religious beliefs, but I've always stayed the course and stood up for what I've believed in. I've seen others hide their religion out of fear and while I understand this, I don't see myself ever hiding in the "broom closest". I just can't do it. If someone doesn't take a stand, then no one will and nothing will change.

Yesterday, I took that stand. I talked to a professor at our local university who works in the Social Work section as I had heard she was looking for a Wiccan speaker to talk to her class. I volunteered for the position and got to present a speech to her class on what Wicca really is. Afterwards, I did a questions and answers session which was very interesting. I really enjoyed the interaction. I couldn't have been happier with the results, but I did record the entire class period so that I could work on my speech and how I answer questions in the future. The better I learn to communicate the better I can help out in Wicca Awareness.

In all honesty, I'm very proud of myself for doing this. I finally feel like I've started taking the steps needed to be the Wiccan leader and clergy that I want to be. I also for once feel like Wicca Awareness in my town is possible even though we are deep in the Bible belt. Sure, I know I will still deal with discrimination but at least now I know I'm working on creating change.

Newspaper Article Idea

So I'm thinking of submitting a topic idea to the newspaper for a Halloween article. Yeah, I'm thinking of telling them to do an interview with a real witch and volunteering for the part. Why? Most likely because I'm tired of this little town not thinking much of us Wiccans. We are everywhere, but they don't know it. Heck, most of the other Wiccans don't know it either. It would just be nice to see Wiccans portrayed for who they really are instead of evil devil worshipers. The thing is someone has to be the first in our town to say, "Hey, I'm a Wiccan and I'm just like you! I'm not evil and definitely not a devil worshiper."

Standardized Witch Test

While there is no such thing as a real standardized witch test, I really think we need one. I say this because of all the solitaries running around in circles trying to see where they stand in the world of knowledge on witchcraft. I'm one of them, or I was....

I started out a solitary not out of choice, but the lack of covens in my town. It drove me nuts trying to find a teacher. I never found one. I spend years trying to figure out if I had learned everything I needed to learn to be considered a first degree witch, but while I thought I had there was still a little voice in my head telling me I had failed. I pushed back the voice for years....probably a good explanation to my insanity. Anyway, I finally decided I was at the Wiccan first degree level and began my studies to the second degree. This was very tricky without a coven too. I got online and looked at covens who had posted outlines to their second degree study requirements and tried my best to complete them my own way. Yet, I never really felt I made it to the second degree level. All my friends who were Wiccan or Pagan had said I had, but it was never enough. I didn't believe it until two nights ago....

I took what felt like the biggest standardized test ever and all on Wicca and Witchcraft. By the end I swore my head was going to pop off. It didn't, thank Goddess. The test had come from a book. In fact, the whole book is the test! It is called "What's Your Wicca IQ?" by Laura Wildman. It covers many sections like the history of Wicca, tools of the craft, performing ritual, and etc. At the back of the book it has a score ranting for the whole book and by chapter. It lets you know if you are the equivalent of a dedicant, first degree, second degree, or third degree. I figured this book was the best way to prove to myself if I really had done well in my self studies. I took the test and by the scoring ratings I'm an official second degree! *Does a happy dance*

While this test might not be great for covens, as it doesn't have much on coven practice, it is great for solitaries who are trying to assess their knowledge on Wicca and Witchcraft. I highly recommend taking the test. Some sections seemed a little useless, like do I really need to know the history of the Golden Dawn to practice Wicca? No. But the overall book was fantastic. I wish I had taken the test long ago, but at least for now I know though what I need to work on in my studies to become a third degree as I will be the first in my coven to get to that degree. But that is what happens when you gather a bunch of solitaries to form a coven...someone always has to be the first.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

While I wish I could be talking about food....or anything else, but sadly I'm not. I am talking about the heat wave outside. It has become too hot for me to even sit outside lately. The dressing over my iv picc line actually starts to melt if I stay out too long! Seems like it is time for some witchy interference. Where is that rain spell of mine?!?! That should cool things off for a bit!

Pendulum

Well, my new pendulum came in the snail mail today. I get my new ones from ebay. Why? Because I'm cheap. Have you ever met a rich squirrel? Anyway, I can get a pendulum on ebay for under $3 that would have cost me at least $10. I see no reason to pay lots of cash for ritual or divination items. Sure the expensive stuff can look better on some things, but that doesn't mean it will work better. My experience is if you like it, it will work. I've held that belief since I was a child.

Anyway, I purchased this one because it reminded me of the ocean. I'm big on the ocean and water magick, so I figured it was perfect for me. I've been studying sea witchery as of late by reading Sea Magic by Sandra Kynes. An online Wiccan school that I participate on has a Sea Witchery class using the book. I enrolled in the class and I love it. I'm not looking forward to the assignment over ten different sea gods or goddesses though. lol. But at one point you have to make a altar dedicated to the sea, and I couldn't imagine this pendulum not being on it. So yeah, that is how I ended up with this ebay purchase....which led to another and another and.....which lead to this post. Funny how my mind works.

Don't know much about pendulums? Check out this site. They have a great instruction sheet and some wonderful charts to use with your pendulum. I always use this site to teach my students.

Fairies are to blame!

I've decided to make a small rant about fairies, whom are slowly stealing my sanity. How? Read the post and find out.

Fairies, while many say are fantasy, are real. I've seen one. I was 16 years old when I saw it. A shimmering purple ball of light floating about ten feet in the air heading into the woods behind my neighbor's house. My mouth dropped as I stood in shock. After a second, I found myself trying to follow it. It flew over some heavy brush in the woods, and I lost sight of it. Since then I saw one in my old apartment fly under my kitchen sink cabinet. I thought I'd lost my marbles at that one since I literally saw a white light fly a few inches above my floor and disappear into the cabinet. I'm not sure how it opened the cabinet door or how it did all that in a mere second or two, but I sure remember what I saw. Unfortunately for me, these sightings had to happen without a witness. Therefore, there are few who believe me. My mother thinks I'm crazy.... especially when I tell her they follow me from home to home. Or maybe I just keep moving to places with fairies? What are the odds of that one? Either way, these little devils have only one thing in mind if you ask me. To make you loose your mind and all sanity. Just ask my friend Kayla. Fairies stole her silverware at one point. My friend Shannon finds all her missing items in her closet. And for me they keep stealing my jewelry and hiding it. They also love to turn the closet light on and off randomly. I used to wonder how my clothes keep coming off the hanger, but I know the fairies did it. The fairies always did it!

Crazy little things with wings.....I wonder what they taste like in teriyaki sauce?

Book of Squirrelly Wisdom

While most witches have a Book of Shadows (BOS), I've decided that mine is more like a BOSW....Book of Squirrelly Wisdom! I say this because my book is so randomly done that it is so confusing that it is like watching a squirrel chase its own tail around and around the base of a tree....you know, where you can't figure out if it is really one or two squirrels and if it will win. And if it wins, how? It would be stuck around the tree biting onto its own tail until it let go. Or if it was really two squirrels, then the one who's tail got bitten into would only get more mad at the other and the chase would continue....

My point is that my Book of Shadows is a mess and no one other than me can make sense of it. lol Think my goal this week, while I'm healing up from my surgery, will to create a 3-ring binder version of my BOS so that it isnt so crazy and unorganized.