Hey, Readers,
Have you ever noticed people whose energies and personalities seem totally out of line with what they say they do?
I have. In the past, and again today, a similar thing.
In college, for instance, one of my friends and I got into a course that was usually for Nursing students only, because it fulfilled a core requirement we needed and overlapped with our studies in theatre. It was a course on bioethics and how narratives (theatre, fictional stories, non-fictional accounts, etc.) can help have difficult conversations about ethics in medicine. So it was myself, and one of my theatre friends, in a class full of people who were studying to be Nurses.
Long story short, not only did half of the Nurses-to-be in the class have poor attitudes and not seem to care at all about other people's needs, but a few of them actually actively fought back against having to learn about other people's views and needs, arguing that the Western medical system always knows best and everyone needs to just deal with it.
Needless to say, I hope no one I know ever ends up with such uncompassionate nursing care. But it's out there. There are a ton of people in fields like that because the medical field makes money, and has a certain amount of prestige. Thankfully there are also those out there who are amazingly caring and compassionate, and passionate about their work helping people--PEOPLE, not just names on clipboards, not just means to a paycheck. One such nurse is a friend of mine who also happens to be a High Priestess. Another is my partner's mother, who recently retired from many, many years caring for people. A third, though not a Nurse but a Nurse's Aid, is my mother. My mother cares deeply about people, who they really are, what they really want and need.
But, this isn't about Nurses. That was just an example, one of the more startling experiences I had, in that classroom with these people who were meant to care about people and flat out refused to do so. This is about people whose personalities make them seem out of place with what they're doing. Nurses who don't care about people seems a little odd, if the way you think of nurses is as people who care for others. Care-givers. Nurturers. Nurturers who don't nurture? Seems like maybe something else would be more suited to their personality and views, right?
19 December, 2017
03 December, 2017
Dissociation & Sub-Typing
Hey again, Readers,
I was writing a blog post about generalization and seeing other groups as one big group that believes all the same (outgroup homogeneity) while simultaneously seeing our own groups as diverse and made up of unique individuals. I wrote too much for one cohesive blog post, but I wanted to talk more about another aspect of this kind of thing, which is dissociation.
I was writing a blog post about generalization and seeing other groups as one big group that believes all the same (outgroup homogeneity) while simultaneously seeing our own groups as diverse and made up of unique individuals. I wrote too much for one cohesive blog post, but I wanted to talk more about another aspect of this kind of thing, which is dissociation.
Generalization: "ALL Witches" etc.
Hey, Readers,
After posting a miniature version of this post (really just introducing the ideas/thought process) on my Facebook Page, I'm happy and unsurprised to see that those who responded basically already get what I'm going to say here. Happy, because that's great! Unsurprised, because they're people who watch my videos and hear me talk about this stuff a lot, so it's really a "preaching to the choir" situation. Nevertheless, I hope some of this provides food for thought and gives a little more background.
For a quick recap, I mentioned that I get comments on my YouTube videos saying things like "Wiccans all think ____" or "Witches are all ____" or even "All Pagans ____". These are coming from someone outside whatever group they're commenting about. But then what gets me is that in the same comment, they'll talk about their own groups in a much less generalized way, talking about the diversity and variety that can exist in their group. This is something that happens a lot. We have a tendency to see our own groups as diverse and able to be different from one another while still part of the same group, and to see groups we aren't in as being made up of people who are all the same as each other (and very different from us).
There's a term for this in prejudice psychology: outgroup homogeneity. Our outgroups (groups that we do not identify with/that we are not a part of) seem like one big, homogenous group of people with no variety. We generalize them into people who all act, think, believe, or look the same. But since we know the groups that we are part of, we know how different they can be... because they're made up of real people... whose personalities and quirks we know well. And accept.
29 September, 2017
Long Live Uncle Ray
Dear Readers,
As you may know by now, especially if you follow me on other social media, Raymond Buckland, known by many as Uncle Bucky or Uncle Ray, and more formally/historically as "The Father of American Witchcraft," has passed on. He has left his mortal body in favor of his Spirit body. In other words, he has died. We say all kinds of things instead of "died" often, don't we? In this case, since Ray is a Spiritualist, we know that he believes Consciousness survives Death. So while it is true that he died, I feel totally comfortable with the flowery language of "Raymond Buckland left his mortal body on this Earthly plane."
~
I had the pleasure of meeting Uncle Ray (my preferred name for him in casual speech and writing, though to his face and in our emails, I ALWAYS called him Mr. Buckland) five months ago today, at the grand opening of the Buckland Gallery of Witchcraft and Magick in Cleveland, OH. Before that, we had exchanged a few emails a couple of years ago, about Wicca, different definitions, and things that my online viewing audience had asked me about repeatedly over the years. Who better to ask than someone who was THERE? Who was actually first-hand part of the history of Witchcraft in the United States, as such? I believe whenever possible, we should go to the source. For me and my purposes, that source was Raymond Buckland.
There are many articles about Ray's life, work, and influence online today because of his death this week. I can't claim to do a better job than any of them, but I can talk about my own experiences and share in my own way. The Ray Buckland I corresponded with, the man I met five months ago, is a wonderful, warm, and encouraging energy. In some posts I wrote in my private Facebook groups with people who are working with me currently (and maybe on my public page, I really can't remember, I wrote so many posts while processing the event yesterday), I said that in meeting Uncle Ray it was clear to me that he embodied the Goddess' wishes for us, and by that I mean those named in The Charge of the Star Goddess. Ray exuded both, and all,
In many ways, I am grateful to have met Ray in his twilight years. He retired years ago, has been over the "hustle and bustle" of public appearances and huge online courses for quite some time, and he has been living for years right here in my own state of Ohio. He is a grandfather, a well respected Pagan elder to many, and that calming, charming, goofball energy that is the prerogative of folks who've done more than their share and they're ready to just kick back and relax, is wonderful to have known, even for a short time.
 |
| Me with Ray at the Buckland Gallery opening, April 2017 |
As you may know by now, especially if you follow me on other social media, Raymond Buckland, known by many as Uncle Bucky or Uncle Ray, and more formally/historically as "The Father of American Witchcraft," has passed on. He has left his mortal body in favor of his Spirit body. In other words, he has died. We say all kinds of things instead of "died" often, don't we? In this case, since Ray is a Spiritualist, we know that he believes Consciousness survives Death. So while it is true that he died, I feel totally comfortable with the flowery language of "Raymond Buckland left his mortal body on this Earthly plane."
~
I had the pleasure of meeting Uncle Ray (my preferred name for him in casual speech and writing, though to his face and in our emails, I ALWAYS called him Mr. Buckland) five months ago today, at the grand opening of the Buckland Gallery of Witchcraft and Magick in Cleveland, OH. Before that, we had exchanged a few emails a couple of years ago, about Wicca, different definitions, and things that my online viewing audience had asked me about repeatedly over the years. Who better to ask than someone who was THERE? Who was actually first-hand part of the history of Witchcraft in the United States, as such? I believe whenever possible, we should go to the source. For me and my purposes, that source was Raymond Buckland.
There are many articles about Ray's life, work, and influence online today because of his death this week. I can't claim to do a better job than any of them, but I can talk about my own experiences and share in my own way. The Ray Buckland I corresponded with, the man I met five months ago, is a wonderful, warm, and encouraging energy. In some posts I wrote in my private Facebook groups with people who are working with me currently (and maybe on my public page, I really can't remember, I wrote so many posts while processing the event yesterday), I said that in meeting Uncle Ray it was clear to me that he embodied the Goddess' wishes for us, and by that I mean those named in The Charge of the Star Goddess. Ray exuded both, and all,
Beauty and Strength
Power and Compassion
Honor and Humility
Mirth and Reverence
 |
| Chatting with Ray at the Buckland Gallery opening. Thank you, Steven, for taking the photos! |
In many ways, I am grateful to have met Ray in his twilight years. He retired years ago, has been over the "hustle and bustle" of public appearances and huge online courses for quite some time, and he has been living for years right here in my own state of Ohio. He is a grandfather, a well respected Pagan elder to many, and that calming, charming, goofball energy that is the prerogative of folks who've done more than their share and they're ready to just kick back and relax, is wonderful to have known, even for a short time.
28 August, 2017
Reclaiming - Principles of Unity
Hey, Readers,
This past weekend at Cleveland Pagan Pride, I presented two back-to-back workshops. The first was co-taught by myself and my friend Ariawn, a High Priestess of a traditional English coven. We talked about the Art of Ritual, comparing and contrasting public/private ritual, and traditional/eclectic/solitary ritual. My second workshop was my Pagans & Prejudice workshop that I've done before, but in a rebooted format, with more activities to help with understanding concepts.
During the event, I mentioned to people that I'm on the slow but steady track to becoming a teacher in the Reclaiming Tradition of Witchcraft. A few people know what that is, but most people I talk to around here do not. Then I ask, "Have you heard of Starhawk, and the book The Spiral Dance?" Even when the answer is yes, people haven't necessarily heard of the Reclaiming Tradition, because in that book, Starhawk didn't really talk about it as a tradition. It wasn't, really, at the time. It started as a collective, and over the years has grown into a tradition that has groups and practitioners in pockets all over the United States and in other countries, as well.
I'd like to encourage anyone who doesn't already know about this tradition to add it to your mental list of types of Witchcraft you know about by reading about it at the Reclaiming website. And below, I wanted to share the Reclaiming Principles of Unity. The bold formatting is my addition, but the words are directly from the website.
Blessings~
-C-
~
This past weekend at Cleveland Pagan Pride, I presented two back-to-back workshops. The first was co-taught by myself and my friend Ariawn, a High Priestess of a traditional English coven. We talked about the Art of Ritual, comparing and contrasting public/private ritual, and traditional/eclectic/solitary ritual. My second workshop was my Pagans & Prejudice workshop that I've done before, but in a rebooted format, with more activities to help with understanding concepts.
During the event, I mentioned to people that I'm on the slow but steady track to becoming a teacher in the Reclaiming Tradition of Witchcraft. A few people know what that is, but most people I talk to around here do not. Then I ask, "Have you heard of Starhawk, and the book The Spiral Dance?" Even when the answer is yes, people haven't necessarily heard of the Reclaiming Tradition, because in that book, Starhawk didn't really talk about it as a tradition. It wasn't, really, at the time. It started as a collective, and over the years has grown into a tradition that has groups and practitioners in pockets all over the United States and in other countries, as well.
I'd like to encourage anyone who doesn't already know about this tradition to add it to your mental list of types of Witchcraft you know about by reading about it at the Reclaiming website. And below, I wanted to share the Reclaiming Principles of Unity. The bold formatting is my addition, but the words are directly from the website.
Blessings~
-C-
~
Principles of Unity
"My law is love unto all beings..."
- from The Charge of the Goddess by Doreen Valiente
- from The Charge of the Goddess by Doreen Valiente
The values of the Reclaiming tradition stem from our understanding that the earth is alive and all of life is sacred and interconnected. We see the Goddess as immanent in the earth's cycles of birth, growth, death, decay and regeneration. Our practice arises from a deep, spiritual commitment to the earth, to healing and to the linking of magic with political action.
Each of us embodies the divine. Our ultimate spiritual authority is within, and we need no other person to interpret the sacred to us. We foster the questioning attitude, and honor intellectual, spiritual and creative freedom.
We are an evolving, dynamic tradition and proudly call ourselves Witches. Our diverse practices and experiences of the divine weave a tapestry of many different threads. We include those who honor Mysterious Ones, Goddesses, and Gods of myriad expressions, genders, and states of being, remembering that mystery goes beyond form. Our community rituals are participatory and ecstatic, celebrating the cycles of the seasons and our lives, and raising energy for personal, collective and earth healing.
We know that everyone can do the life-changing, world-renewing work of magic, the art of changing consciousness at will. We strive to teach and practice in ways that foster personal and collective empowerment, to model shared power and to open leadership roles to all. We make decisions by consensus, and balance individual autonomy with social responsibility.
Our tradition honors the wild, and calls for service to the earth and the community. We value peace and practice non-violence, in keeping with the Rede, "Harm none, and do what you will." We work for all forms of justice: environmental, social, political, racial, gender and economic. Our feminism includes a radical analysis of power, seeing all systems of oppression as interrelated, rooted in structures of domination and control.
We welcome all genders, all gender histories, all races, all ages and sexual orientations and all those differences of life situation, background, and ability that increase our diversity. We strive to make our public rituals and events accessible and safe. We try to balance the need to be justly compensated for our labor with our commitment to make our work available to people of all economic levels.
All living beings are worthy of respect. All are supported by the sacred elements of air, fire, water and earth. We work to create and sustain communities and cultures that embody our values, that can help to heal the wounds of the earth and her peoples, and that can sustain us and nurture future generations.
Reclaiming Principles of Unity - consensed by the Reclaiming Collective in 1997. Updated at the BIRCH council meeting of Dandelion Gathering 5 in 2012.
07 August, 2017
Saturn Returns Course 2.0 (Sept.-Dec. 2017)
Greetings, all!
It's time for the second iteration of my Saturn Returns course! Here is some information about this course, links to relevant videos, and at the end, a link to your way to start the journey if you are ready to go!
28 June, 2017
Priestess and Witch
Hey, Readers,
I recorded a video a while ago, which is being posted today, about Priestesshood and Witchery, in a sense. The questions I had for myself and viewers/readers were along the lines of what we think a Priestess is, what we think of when we think of a "Witch", who they are, and what they do. Is a Priestess the same as a Witch? How do they differ, and where do they overlap? Are all Priestesses Witches? Are all Witches Priestesses? And, for those who are Priestesses*, are we a Priestess OF anything in particular?
*Some who identify as men, using masculine pronouns, also choose to identify as Priestess, for their own reasons. You'd have to ask them to know exactly why. Feminist traditions particularly choose to combat preconceived gender roles by using certain words. Others may use Priest the same way I use Priestess in this context, in NeoPagan terms.
I said I'd be doing a blog post to further discuss my own thoughts on this subject, as far as my own path is concerned. So here we are!
Are Priestesses and Witches the same?
I recorded a video a while ago, which is being posted today, about Priestesshood and Witchery, in a sense. The questions I had for myself and viewers/readers were along the lines of what we think a Priestess is, what we think of when we think of a "Witch", who they are, and what they do. Is a Priestess the same as a Witch? How do they differ, and where do they overlap? Are all Priestesses Witches? Are all Witches Priestesses? And, for those who are Priestesses*, are we a Priestess OF anything in particular?
*Some who identify as men, using masculine pronouns, also choose to identify as Priestess, for their own reasons. You'd have to ask them to know exactly why. Feminist traditions particularly choose to combat preconceived gender roles by using certain words. Others may use Priest the same way I use Priestess in this context, in NeoPagan terms.
I said I'd be doing a blog post to further discuss my own thoughts on this subject, as far as my own path is concerned. So here we are!
Are Priestesses and Witches the same?
27 June, 2017
Slice of Life: Today
Hey, Readers,
The heat is broken at my grandmother's house.
But let me back up.
Today, for the second time in a few months' span, my partner and I had to get up early to get our cars out of the parking lot so a crew could come fill in cracks in the pavement. Last time, it turned out they couldn't do it because it had rained, so we had gotten up and rushed out and stayed out for hours (my partner going to their job an hour early, me going to Grams' place to do some work) for nothing.
It's raining. So it's happened again.
This time the rain date is tomorrow, which means I'll have to get up early again and go... somewhere... again tomorrow. This is already quite inconvenient, but to have to do it three times is carelessness.
The heat is broken at my grandmother's house.
But let me back up.
Today, for the second time in a few months' span, my partner and I had to get up early to get our cars out of the parking lot so a crew could come fill in cracks in the pavement. Last time, it turned out they couldn't do it because it had rained, so we had gotten up and rushed out and stayed out for hours (my partner going to their job an hour early, me going to Grams' place to do some work) for nothing.
It's raining. So it's happened again.
This time the rain date is tomorrow, which means I'll have to get up early again and go... somewhere... again tomorrow. This is already quite inconvenient, but to have to do it three times is carelessness.
13 April, 2017
Saturn Returns Workshop #1
Dear Readers,
A little while ago on my channel, I announced that I have felt called to create a Saturn Returns course for those of us who are going through our Saturn Return (or who maybe just went through it, or have been through one in our lives and are now onto the second or the third) to work together on some tools to aid in this time.
I've also mentioned that the process of creating these courses and recurring subscriptions is new to me, and I am happy to say that I have finally figured out a way to get us started! So here we go...
A little while ago on my channel, I announced that I have felt called to create a Saturn Returns course for those of us who are going through our Saturn Return (or who maybe just went through it, or have been through one in our lives and are now onto the second or the third) to work together on some tools to aid in this time.
I've also mentioned that the process of creating these courses and recurring subscriptions is new to me, and I am happy to say that I have finally figured out a way to get us started! So here we go...
14 March, 2017
Let's Look at Your Year Cards!
Hey, there!
As you probably know if you watch my videos or follow me on other social media, or especially if you sponsor my videos on Patreon, I learned about the concept of Tarot Year Cards using numerology only a couple years ago, and since then have really enjoyed getting into it! I have done two Patrons-only videos on the subject for those who sponsor my videos, which are private videos, for my Patrons exclusively.
But something I've loved doing ever since I learned about this system is figuring out my friends' cards and walking them through what that means for them. Many of my friends IRL are interested when I bring such things up, but are not the type who want to go out and learn tarot and numerology for themselves--and why? I mean, that's what they have me for! Haha. So, the other day I was doing this casually for a friend, as it just happened to come up in conversation, and I decided,
Why not make this into an offering to my friends/viewers/followers online, just as I do for my personal friends?
So that's what I've done! It's not really a specific laid out SPREAD so much as a grouping of your Year Cards/other major influential cards (along the lines of the system Mary K. Greer discusses in her book Tarot for Your Self). This "spread", or group, consists of anywhere from 3-7 cards, depending on YOUR personal numbers, but consists of 7 separate "positions" that we'll look into.
As you probably know if you watch my videos or follow me on other social media, or especially if you sponsor my videos on Patreon, I learned about the concept of Tarot Year Cards using numerology only a couple years ago, and since then have really enjoyed getting into it! I have done two Patrons-only videos on the subject for those who sponsor my videos, which are private videos, for my Patrons exclusively.
But something I've loved doing ever since I learned about this system is figuring out my friends' cards and walking them through what that means for them. Many of my friends IRL are interested when I bring such things up, but are not the type who want to go out and learn tarot and numerology for themselves--and why? I mean, that's what they have me for! Haha. So, the other day I was doing this casually for a friend, as it just happened to come up in conversation, and I decided,
Why not make this into an offering to my friends/viewers/followers online, just as I do for my personal friends?
So that's what I've done! It's not really a specific laid out SPREAD so much as a grouping of your Year Cards/other major influential cards (along the lines of the system Mary K. Greer discusses in her book Tarot for Your Self). This "spread", or group, consists of anywhere from 3-7 cards, depending on YOUR personal numbers, but consists of 7 separate "positions" that we'll look into.
09 February, 2017
Other Ways to Support
Hey, Readers!
This post is supplemental material for a video I'm posting about multiple ways that someone can support my work, if they want to. Watch the video here.
The following is a list of ways that someone can support my channel, including those with no monetary support involved.
This post is supplemental material for a video I'm posting about multiple ways that someone can support my work, if they want to. Watch the video here.
The following is a list of ways that someone can support my channel, including those with no monetary support involved.
15 January, 2017
Blog Got a Refresher!
Hello, Readers!
I'm looking into some new platforms for my online business, so I may very well end up moving some things to a new site if I figure out something awesome that I really like. But for now, this blog got a tune-up!
Today I refreshed and updated the FAQ page, the About Me and Personal Path pages (basically just bringing them up to date with how old I am now, updating the number of subscribers I have, etc.), AND...
I totally reorganized my Readings page!
I got rid of some of the readings options, because I recognize that there were just TOO MANY to choose from. There are still quite a few, but the ones that are left are organized differently now, so people can choose based on the kind of question they need to answer or the type of reading they want. It narrows it down much more quickly and easily, I think. Do you need a year-long card reading? Something simple and quick? Maybe something more like a traditional tarot spread? Perfect! Look for the type of reading you need, and see which one, two, or three fall under that category!
I also added screen shots of the steps to get your reading using PayPal, to help make that process a little bit easier, as well. =)
Phew! I'm ready for a break!
Blessings~
-C-
I'm looking into some new platforms for my online business, so I may very well end up moving some things to a new site if I figure out something awesome that I really like. But for now, this blog got a tune-up!
Today I refreshed and updated the FAQ page, the About Me and Personal Path pages (basically just bringing them up to date with how old I am now, updating the number of subscribers I have, etc.), AND...
I totally reorganized my Readings page!
I got rid of some of the readings options, because I recognize that there were just TOO MANY to choose from. There are still quite a few, but the ones that are left are organized differently now, so people can choose based on the kind of question they need to answer or the type of reading they want. It narrows it down much more quickly and easily, I think. Do you need a year-long card reading? Something simple and quick? Maybe something more like a traditional tarot spread? Perfect! Look for the type of reading you need, and see which one, two, or three fall under that category!
I also added screen shots of the steps to get your reading using PayPal, to help make that process a little bit easier, as well. =)
Phew! I'm ready for a break!
Blessings~
-C-
04 January, 2017
New Year, More Me
Greetings, dear Readers,
It's 2017. A new calendar year. For some reason, even though I know it's an "arbitrary" measurement of time, the New Year does seem to feel like something new to me. At least, it has for the past two years, since I started celebrating the New Year in the way I've always wanted to--at home, with my loves, with no midnight phone calls connecting me to people all over the place, no noise... only what I want to do. It's amazing how, when you create that space you want to be in, create that moment and that experience, how you can feel subtle shifts that never seemed to be there before.
Still, on another level, I don't think of the New Year as anything magic(k)al, in itself. It's still one day leading into another. I do not subscribe to the "New Year, New Me!" school of thought. If you choose to make a change, you can do so at ANY time. And even when you do so, it doesn't mean that you are new, or someone entirely different, or somehow not who you just were. You are different, perhaps, in ways. Some people change DRASTICALLY, for better or worse. They are still themselves.
It's 2017. A new calendar year. For some reason, even though I know it's an "arbitrary" measurement of time, the New Year does seem to feel like something new to me. At least, it has for the past two years, since I started celebrating the New Year in the way I've always wanted to--at home, with my loves, with no midnight phone calls connecting me to people all over the place, no noise... only what I want to do. It's amazing how, when you create that space you want to be in, create that moment and that experience, how you can feel subtle shifts that never seemed to be there before.
Still, on another level, I don't think of the New Year as anything magic(k)al, in itself. It's still one day leading into another. I do not subscribe to the "New Year, New Me!" school of thought. If you choose to make a change, you can do so at ANY time. And even when you do so, it doesn't mean that you are new, or someone entirely different, or somehow not who you just were. You are different, perhaps, in ways. Some people change DRASTICALLY, for better or worse. They are still themselves.
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