30 day Pagan Challenge

since I don’t like leaving things in a negative light, tomorrow I’ll be doing a part two to today’s 30-day challenge post! I like the balance of the light/dark! 😉

Blessed Be! 

 

30 Day Pagan Journaling challenge: Day 30

You can find the challenge here on Instagram,  30 day Pagan journaling challenge

30.  What simple but profound thing have I learned as I’ve worked this path?

I’m going to be 100% honest here, NOT everyone is an Asshole! 

After that, I think ya’ll need some background to go with that, and yes, it is very negative, hostile and deadly! The truth usually isn’t nice or easy to hear!

I’ve been a Wiccan for YEARS, approximately 40 years! So yeah, I have experiences that others may not have and those of my years in the US Army as well!

Believe it or not the Chaplain in the Army was my best source of military religious material, my cheerleader, and an all-around Awesome Dude! He helped me get my dog tags to say Wicca on them and helped me get time off for the high holidays if I wanted them.

It was back in the civilian world that I found out how many assholes there are in the world! Remember I am an Army Brat and grew up on Army bases. My experience with civilians was those at the schools I went to off base. One of the first jobs I got when I moved back to Indiana after a bad experience(relationship) in Oregon went south, was the worst experience as a Witch ever!! This was an accounting/auditing place that would travel from state to state and audit places. Well, we drove to upper New York, close to Niagra Falls,  I remember because I was looking forward to seeing Niagra Falls. 😉 When and I don’t know how this asshole found out, that I am a Witch. He then quoted, “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live!” Asshole squirted me with lighter fluid. And lit a match that, yep, he tossed at me! I did the drop and roll and then get this, the one bitch that was there in charge of the one crew wrote me up! Instead of calling for an ambulance, she was yelling at me and writing me up! The crew supervisor I belonged to saw what happened and called the police. When they arrived, I had on clothes that you could tell had been on fire, not to mention the burns on my hands! So yay! Go Law Enforcement! They called an ambulance for me and he was taken to jail for attempted murder and I said it was premeditated as he squirted me with lighter fluid, who carries that on them on a daily basis? The person on the other end of their radio agreed with me! So asshole went to jail for attempted murder! NO BAIL! I had to show up and do a deposition with the DA and then he told me that was enough that I didn’t have to come back as I didn’t reside there! He did take my phone number and contact info just in case! Anywho, since there were two crews and since I had the one dude arrested, they decided I had to come back to Indiana and file a report for the company! NO, they couldn’t wait till the job was completed! So I drove and took back the others that didn’t want to stay anymore. Thankfully these were people on my side. We finally made it back to Indiana and pulled into the company parking lot. I was met by two security officers, who escorted me inside. I was then FIRED for, get this, “You dared to have the manager’s son arrested for attempted murder, who da fuck do you think you are?!?”  Yeah, they were mad at me? And it was the manager’s son that did this to me! I’m the injured party, I’m the one he tried to kill and I’m the one that was FIRED?

That is the worst experience I’ve had.  The other one is the fact that a person doesn’t like me because of my religious preference, “I don’t believe/agree with that!” and when someone made a very poor joke, “I had to call in sick because Michelle stuck pins in her voodoo doll in the shoulder and I had to go have my shoulder looked at.” Yes, this happened! I talked to the person I was supposed to and I was told, “That’s funny, get over it!” The person in human resources at that time told me the same thing. 😦

So, yes, the most profound experience I’ve had is that Not everyone is an asshole! In August, I had to ask online for money to get us food and gas money. I was off of work-medical for my heart surgery and waiting on FMLA to kick in. We had NO food, and neither did JiJi!  Imagine my surprise that my online friends helped me out. A lot of them actually, even those I know that have their own financial issues. People I know locally, NOPE, NADA, NOTHING! But that old euphemism, “I’ll pray for you!”  Okay, thank you. But seriously, I was still hungry and what did your prayers do? You live here locally, you couldn’t be bothered to bring me a gift card to Meijer’s, a grocery store or I don’t know some food??? NO!

Remember this? The Golden Rule, yep, I use it the same as I do the Wiccan Rede!

Both are very important to me!

tomorrow I’ll do a part two to this entry. I don’t want to leave my 30 days in a negative light!! 

 

 

30 Day Pagan Journaling challenge: Day 29

You can find the challenge here on Instagram,  30 day Pagan journaling challenge

29.  What advice do I wish I had been given when I first became a witch?

1. To avoid the Posers!
2.  To avoid the creepy old dudes, “I swear I am a High Priest and can anoint you in the correct fashion!” yes, I heard this! ugh!
3. You don’t have to pay a lot of money for your tools, ordinary objects found at a dollar store or a department store is fine if they feel okay with you!! You don’t need the obsidian handled black blade! *facepalm* You don’t need the $400.  pentacle from that Witch’s site, I don’t care if she has one for$165. you don’t need it.  “oh, well she’s going to bless it. Yeah, I’ll bless it for you for FREE!”
4. Don’t tell everyone that you’re a Witch! Wait, let them see the real you! And then ease them into it. Don’t be so sensitive over ppl using witch for bitch! You ain’t going to get them to stop! But do feel free to call them Xian’s! They can’t stand that or Fundies! Whichever fits the bill! Yes, it is Passive Aggressive but it’s also Quid pro (fucking) quo!
5.  People are going to hate you simply because your Beliefs are NOT their Beliefs! FUCK THEM! To each their own!
6. BE AWARE that ppl will discriminate against you and have the phone # or website to the National ACLU!  Learn your companies policies first before calling,  *you should follow your company’s procedures on discrimination first. When that fails as it has with me in the past, call the ACLU for a nearby lawyer that will be able to help you out!!

Learn OUR Constitution – if you live in the United States!!!

Free Pocket Guide

Ps, always take the time to play with your animal companions!

 

Oh right, this blog isn’t late, my schedule has readjusted to get me ready to go back to work this upcoming Sunday! Still not completely healed but if I don’t go, I get fired! 😦

30 Day Pagan Journaling challenge: Day 28

You can find the challenge here on Instagram,  30 day Pagan journaling challenge

28.  If I could ask my hero from my tradition three questions, what would they be and how do I think they would respond?

As a traditional Witch, I don’t know of any role models, and hero is such an overused word! I just used my Google-fu and what Witches I found that report that they are a Traditional witch are not women I would use or recommend to a newbie as a role model. More than likely,  I would use them as an example of what NOT to do as a Witch!

 

30 Day Pagan Journaling challenge: Day 27

You can find the challenge here on Instagram,  30 day Pagan journaling challenge

27.  My favorite item on my altar is? I got it?

The statue of the Goddess Ailuros is my favorite. I never thought I’d find a statue of her. Most statues are of Bast in cat form. So when I found the photo of this statue online I squee’d out loud. Yay for Patrick’s  understanding. That weekend we went down to Indy to one of our favorite metaphysical stores, New Age People. They didn’t have her, but they had the other statues in the same series. So I asked and they were able to order her online for me! The very next week we received a call and She was there!

30 Day Pagan Journaling challenge: Day 26

You can find the challenge here on Instagram,  30 day Pagan journaling challenge

26.  My most memorable experience during a working is?

When I lived in Oregon, I lived in Salem. Very beautiful area, but I wasn’t that far from the coast and the beach (okay, maybe two hours). Now, the Pacific Northwest beaches are not like California beaches and at night they are cold! However, I like the colder weather and I was determined to do a solitary ritual myself on the beach. I can’t remember what it was for but it was important at the time. I made it to a nice area with no people around so I could have privacy. I moved to an area that would work for me and then I noticed the wind started to pick up. I like storms but this was an unfamiliar area to me, to stay or to go. I stayed and looked up and the moon was clouded over. Again, this had to be really important to me, because I stayed.  I cast my circle, lit my single candle and then sat down and did what I needed to do. The most memorable thing that has stayed with me is what happened after I completed what I needed to do. I just sat there for a while, listening to the ocean and the wind. It was then I realized that I wasn’t cold in my circle, I wasn’t feeling the wind. Okay. When I looked up and thanked the Goddess for the warmth and protection of my circle, the clouds parted and the full moon shone down upon me! I felt blessed at that moment, touched by the Goddess.

The spell worked in a roundabout way-  the spell gave me what I needed not what I asked for! When you call upon a Goddess to help you, be aware the help is from her point of view of what you need, not what you think you need! Again, experience talking here. 😉

30 Day Pagan Journaling challenge: Day 25

You can find the challenge here on Instagram,  30 day Pagan journaling challenge

25.  What is the greatest wish/dream for my life? How can I begin to work on that? 

Ah, the difference 25 years make, yep! When I was 25 I wanted to own my own metaphysical book and craft shop! Had the building all picked out, etc. But then life happened.  And thank goodness it has! 😀 Now, I want to stay happy with my husband of 18 years and our fur son, JiJi! I want a job that is less stressful and that allows me more time with my family! Easier when you get wiser and learn where your priorities truly need to be! As for how am I working on that. Well, I’ve just started actually. And I’m going to stay mum for now. 😉

Another short but sweet entry! There are some things however that I don’t want to be posted online yet. I have my reasons!

30 Day Pagan Journaling challenge: Day 24

You can find the challenge here on Instagram,  30 day Pagan journaling challenge

24. Do I regularly do shadow work? If so, do I record It? Why or why not?

The question is. do I do shadow work regularly? No, not always. Do I need to? Yes. As I said yesterday there is a lot to process when doing some shadow work- it’s not sunshine and rainbows. It can be very exhausting mentally! It is to me. However, some things have come to light that when I am able to, I need to do some in-depth shadow work! Do I record my work, not in ways that others would be able to use against me. Has anyone ever read, Sark? Her books for me, helped me get into my own personal shadow work. Plus her books are so creative; doodles, photos, exercises. Her creativity is what drew me to her books! So when I record my shadow work, it’s done creatively and no one recognizes what it is! A few have felt the emotions that I poured into the work. A good compliment on my creative work! 😉

As a therapist, I highly encourage people with traumatic experiences to please SEEK OUT PROFESSIONAL help to process!! 

I thought long and hard during the night when I couldn’t sleep if I would share a personal experience or not? And then while writing this up, I decided no. Some things are too personal to share with others! So that is my advice to you, be careful of what you share with others, not everyone that listens cares, and may use that knowledge against you! I’ve been burnt more than once, so I give this advice as a learned experience to save you the same pain. Take it or leave it!

30 Day Pagan Journaling challenge: Day 23

You can find the challenge here on Instagram,  30 day Pagan journaling challenge

23. How do I see Shadow work? Do I see it as a useful practice?

As a therapist I can appreciate Shadow work, however, as a therapist I want ppl to be in a with a counselor or therapist when they are processing traumatic experiences!

I see Shadow work as a therapeutic process and it can be very useful. I reserve judgment on people doing so by themselves with NO outside help!  Shadow work, in my opinion, is a transformational process! The goal is a positive one! How do you get along with your shadow self? I’ll go further in-depth with my experiences tomorrow on Day 24, as that is the topic to discuss!

right now, I’m having a horrible sinus migraine and OWIES!

till tomorrow, Blessed Be!

30 Day Pagan Journaling challenge: Day 22

You can find the challenge here on Instagram,  30 day Pagan journaling challenge

22. If money were no object, how would I set up my home to support my practice?  

Well first, Patrick has a say in the designing of our house. What design style do I like that was a huge influence on me as a child, Morrocan! My paternal grandmother, a huge role model for me, had her house in various styles but the spaces she was in the most, had Morrocan pieces. That influence has definitely got me under its spell! So if money were no object and yay, Patrick agrees! Morrocan it is!  ❤

The rich colors, the jewel tones, the beauty of the space!

 

The Persian Rug here below reminds me of Grandmother’s living room!
And more of those Jewel Tones! Bright and happy not somber!

Oh yes, those mirrored pillows I loved when visiting Grandmother’s house!

 

 

This Beautiful Wiccan Pentagram table would fit right in with the decor, so let’s get four of them! One for each season! 😉

Now, this is Patrick’s one asked for item! An Amethyst Geode large enough for him to sit in! I think this might be a little too large and OMG, I can’t even imagine the price! This would be the most expensive item in our house!!! And trust me, it won’t be this large either!! NO!

 

Oh wait, Patrick wants one more thing! An outdoor hot tub and fire pit! Okay!

 So, if money were no object and I could have a house that supports my practice!  This would be it! Now, location is a different story!