Before and After

My S.O. and a fellow Blue Star Priestess went on a mission while at PantheaCon Friday night (I was not there, but this was how it was told to me)-

My S.O.  (briskly, to strangers in the hallway on the 10th floor): Point us to the Thelemites!

Strangers (instantly and with hand gestures): Second door on the right.

My S.O. (to the Thelemites): We seek ritual tools! *Names three items needed*

Thelemites: Yes! (And the items were graciously and kindly given.)

And then, after all of the time and work and thought, I went through my Initiation, the culmination of a fifteen year journey.

I’m sure there will be a lot more to say later, but for now, I’m going to enjoy the moment. I’m going to just sit back and enjoy what I’ve accomplished, cause honestly, it feels pretty amazing. And the conference? What conference? I’ve done the thing that I came to San Jose to do.

(I can neither confirm nor deny that this is what happens!)

A Voodoo Experience in New Orleans

As you’ve probably picked up by now, I live in New Orleans.

I’ve always been fascinated by this city. Its history, culture and color have continually drawn me to it over the years. When I had just graduated from college, I tried for the first time to come here but circumstances did not allow it. I tried many times over the intervening years to get here and it just seemed like it was never meant to be, until that fateful festival where I met my significant other. At that festival, he managed to convince my best friend and her boyfriend to allow him to go and stay with them while he performed at the Ohio Renaissance Fair. While he stayed with them, he gave them an open invitation to visit him in New Orleans as a way of saying thank you. They took him up on it and brought me with them. And in many ways, even though I went back and forth from New Orleans to Ohio for a while before actually moving here, as of that visit I never really left.

There are many things I love about the city, one of which is how openly Pagan this city is. We have a huge Voodoo community here (as you might expect) and a vibrant Pagan community. No one looks askance at the pentacle necklace that I wear. I had a girl come to the door the other day who was doing surveys. She asked me right away if I was Wiccan and exclaimed “How cool!”.  People openly have shrines and altars for various deities all over the place (and this goes for the Christians as well…). When I go to the cemeteries, I see spells drawn into the ground and offerings left behind. I do my best not to disturb these workings. You pass many businesses and residences that just have little bits and pieces here and there that speak to me of magic and ritual. I don’t care whether you believe in magic or not, there is magic in New Orleans.

This past year, The New Orleans Healing Center opened up on St. Claude. This is a beautiful building that holds so many things: local artists are prominently displayed, there is a community theater, a book store, a little middle eastern restaurant, a yoga studio, a food co-op, a Botanica, , an interfaith meeting room, a police station and many other wonderful things. They hold community gatherings and fund raisers. It is a place for the community, by the community.

The New Orleans Healing Center

Last week I received an email through our local Pagan meetup about a public voodoo ritual that was going to be held out in front of the Healing Center. I was excited; I had never actually seen a real Voodoo ritual before and this one was going to be about helping to protect the community, which in that neighborhood especially, is definitely needed. Every little bit can help. The ritual was going to call on Ogou Achade to help fight crime in our beautiful city.

Sallie Ann Glassman

Sallie Ann Glassman, a well known Mambo here in New Orleans, and her house La Source Ancienne Ounfo, were running the ritual. Sallie Ann runs the Island of Salvation Botanica in the healing center and is a major contributor to the center as well. I’ve only ever heard good things about her and every time I went into the Botanica, I always found good vibes. I don’t know how else to describe it. While most Voodou practitioners set my teeth on edge (they carry a wildly different magical energy than any tradition that I’m familiar with), the Botanica always struck me as a welcoming sort of place.

One of the requirements of being a dedicant in Blue Star is that you go and see at least three other tradition’s rituals. This is to make sure that students of Blue Star are aware that there are other paths out there, to make sure that Blue Star wasn’t the first thing they found and that they think they are stuck with it. I’ve gotten off pretty easily on this; I’ve been Pagan long enough that I’ve had the opportunity to see many different rituals in many different settings. But some of our other dedicants haven’t. So this was going to be their first non-Wiccan ritual.

I had no idea what to expect. The invitation told us to wear all white and have a red head covering. It also told us to bring an offering and listed some things that would be acceptable. Not surprising most of them had to do with fire, metal and warriors.

We showed up early to find the ritual area being prepared. Sallie Ann was the first person we saw and she was immediately welcoming. Sallie Ann is an extremely frail seeming woman, but by the end of it all, I was seriously impressed with both her presence and with the work that she did. The ritual was done in French, so I really can’t tell you much of what was actually said. And again, I’m not familiar with Voodoo ritual, so this is what it seemed like to me:

They began by doing something similar to what we do in Wicca. It seems like they called the quarters and swept the circle. A male member (the priest/houngan?) drew the quarters from the altar (which was simply items placed in the middle of the space on the ground) with a machete and then several other female members danced behind him, presenting fire and water (it seemed like water, it was a liquid in a bottle, I assume that it had been blessed or was a mixture of other things). But they did this by song and dance as well. Sallie Ann did not sing the ritual, another member of the house did. This woman had a lovely voice, though it had more power to it than eloquence. The members of the house called back to her at specific moments. Next they presented offerings, again, dancing them through the quarters, presenting them to all the directions. After the house finished with their offerings, they let everyone else participating present theirs. Some were able to present their offerings in the way the Voodoo house had done it and others, like me, (knowing that there was no way I could do anything that complicated without much practice), simply walked up, presented their offerings respectfully and bowed. After presenting their offerings, each participant took a pinch of gunpowder and threw it on a lit charcoal. After everyone had finished, apparently something wanted a little more oomph, because seemingly for no reason that we could see, the whole little bottle of gunpowder exploded.

After this, everyone seemed to settle down into the actual ritual. Sallie Ann and her priest had a mock fight. He carried the machete, she carried a shaking gourd. At the end of this fight, he submitted to her and they presented to each other. After this, Sallie Ann began to draw four veves around the central altar. This was an amazing thing to watch. I’ve seen veves before, sacred drawings in Voodoo worship, but I’ve never seen someone draw them in ritual with the traditional cornmeal. She did this quickly and precisely, though it still took her a significant amount of time. I assume that each veve had a different meaning for each direction. They were fairly large and intricate. Sallie Ann didn’t falter once. After she drew them, she and girl who had been singing the ritual, went to each veve and seemed to do another blessing with both fire (candles) and the water that was used before. When this was completed, I assume that the space had been adequately prepared to call to Ogou Achade. (From the brief explanation that she gave before the ceremony, they had to create the poles from above and below to call to the Lwa. I’m sure I’m mangling these terms, but it seemed like they needed to create a pole to draw the spirit in). She drew another large veve in the East that seems to have been the call to Ogou Achade himself.

First Sallie Ann and her priest went around the group and did energy work with each of us. They each had a shaker gourd (and after asking permission of each person), did a small working with each person. They worked their way up a person’s back, shook the gourd over their head several times and then worked back down again. This experience alone was enough to nearly knock me over. I have never felt energy work hit me that much before. And watching my fellow dedicants and our neophyte, who had come with me, they had a similar experience. Then Sallie Ann and her priest went around the circle and blessed everyone with the cornmeal of the last and central veve.

After this, Sallie Ann actually called Ogou Achade into her. I’ve never before seen someone who is ridden, but it was more than a little scary. There is no question in my mind that that seemingly frail little woman carried the warrior Lwa within her. Ogou Achade also worked his way around the circle and blessed everyone by spitting rum over us. This was an extremely intense experience. I’ve been a part of invocations before. Confronting a God is not new to me, but this was much scarier than the gods that I am familiar with. Ogou Achade carried the machete with him and the look in his eyes was not necessarily friendly. He was obviously a warrior that is willing to fight for the community, as we were asking him to. At the end, Sallie Ann had to lie on the ground and recover.

Through all of this the singing and dancing continued. The energy that was gradually built up was absolutely palpable. There were drummers who played through the whole thing as well. I’m sure that I’ve forgotten a lot of the details and mixed the order of everything around. This was one of the most powerful rituals that I have ever been a part of.

This also ended up being one of the most public rituals that I have ever been a part of. St. Claude is a very busy street. Traffic flew past us the whole time and many people who were walking by did more than simply stop and go around us. We ended up with a lot of people who were simply walking past, who stopped and stayed on the outside of the ring for the whole two hour long ritual.

And one of the most significant things that I took from this ceremony was the joy that everyone who was there brought to it. Even the strangers who were passing by on the street stopped and either watched or jumped in to participate. No one stopped and accused us of worshiping the devil or of doing something bad. They were openly happy to see us doing this sort of work. Would that happen anywhere else in this country?

As one of my friends said, “It’s funny, but I always think of Vodou as New Orleans’ indigenous religion–I don’t practice it but I do like to visit & pay homage periodically”. I agree with this statement entirely. While Voodoo is not a practice that I will pursue for myself, I was amazed and grateful for being able to be a part of this ritual. I also think that it’s another amazing part of this vibrant and wonderful city and all I can do is reflect, once again, how lucky I am to get to live here and be a part of this. I would definitely encourage anyone to experience something similar!

(For another perspective, go and read my friend’s blog post “Ashe” from her blog, LA to LA).

Tradition

Having been an eclectic for a very long time, I finally chose Wicca as my path. But going from being eclectic to being Wiccan has made me contemplate a lot of what a tradition is and what it means to be a part of one. Why is being a part of a tradition worthwhile? Here are some of my thoughts on the pros and cons of being a part of a tradition.

Pros for being a part of a tradition:

1.) A tradition offers a structured support group. Delving into spirituality brings up issues for a lot of people and it’s good to have support. You have other people around who have walked the same path and have had similar experiences. While people won’t have had exactly the same experience, similar experiences can help guide you through what you’re experiencing on your own path to deity. It essentially makes your life easier and a little clearer.

2.) A tradition has a set syllabus. You’re learning things in a tried and true order which gives you the best experience of learning what can be powerful, difficult and confusing material. In an established tradition people have worked on the syllabus over time and have refined it. They can help direct you toward your goals and give you the tools you need to search on your own.

3.) A tradition provides a lineage, which I know some of you will pooh pooh, but there really is a good reason for having a lineage. Having a lineage gives you credibility. If people know that you learned from credible sources, who in their turn learned from credible sources, they know that you know what you’re doing. You become a much more trustworthy member of the community. You’re also standing with numerous other initiates who have come before you…think of the potential behind that! A lineage gives you unity. When you belong to a tradition, you can travel halfway across the world and still go to a familiar ritual. Religion in a large part is about comfort. How often do you feel uncomfortable when attending a ritual in a different religion or tradition?  When you belong to a tradition, the tradition’s lineage gives you access to other members all over the place. I know I can go to Europe and find other Blue Star people to worship with! How awesome is that?

4.) One of the things that strikes me about groups just starting up (and who often have some idea about what they’re doing), is that they really have to struggle with figuring out how to go about things. Established traditions have tried things and figured out what works and what doesn’t; essentially you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. In traditions, there have probably been a few generations who have already figured these things out, so you don’t have to. This give you the freedom ti learn a good fundamental basis to work on, and then if you like, use this knowledge and experience to work things your way, without reinvention of material that has been there all along.

5.) If you find a tradition that you trust, generally speaking you can trust its initiates, which is important because you don’t have to vet them. You’re not walking into a situation with someone that you don’t know at all.  It essentially gives you a qualified clergy. In Paganism, we don’t have a central authority. For example, in the Catholic world, the Pope is the head of the church and oversees all church issues. If something is going wrong (technically speaking), the pope has dominion over dealing with it. In Paganism, you don’t really have that, so how can you figure out if a priest or priestess is a good one? This is not to say that bad apples don’t pop up, but…it’s at least a little less likely.

6.) An established tradition has a body of clergy, so if you don’t like one priest or priestess, but like the tradition, there are others out there. There are several priestess in Blue Star that I don’t want to work with for personal reasons, but that’s OK, I’m not stuck with them because there are many more out there.

Cons of being in a Tradition:

1.) By nature, traditions are staid. They look down on people who rebel against their teachings. People who look to forge new paths are not tolerated very well. Traditions have worked out what works for them, they don’t like change, even if it’s productive. You can break tradition, but you will most likely get flack for it. Still, after initiation, you are a free agent, and can do as you like.

2.) One bad apple can really spoil the whole bunch. If the tradition misses the fact that they have a bad priest or priestess, (either morally or as just a bad teacher), that person can initiate a whole lineage of people improperly trained or with dubious morals antithetical to the rest of the tradition. Which of course causes much upset and confusion down the line when other people in the tradition meet up with them and realize what’s going on. This in turn causes a lot of drama. (And aren’t Wiccans known for their drama?)

3. Traditional often equals fundamental, and fundamentalists are never lovely to be around. I don’t feel this one needs much elaboration.

4. It seems that a lot of people who become a part of a tradition, do so not for their spiritual selves, but for the “power” that such a structured hierarchy brings. The high priestess of a coven usually has the final say in all things and this can bring about much abuse of power. This can also engender a certain “snobby elitism” towards the rest of the Pagan community that most people I know, can’t stand, neither can I for that matter.

Wicca seems like it has become the dinosaur of the Pagan world. I avoided Wicca for a long time partly do to the fact that I saw it as being the fundamental side of Paganism and having left Christianity, I wanted to avoid that at all costs. It took finding a Wiccan who not only knew what he was doing, but who was responsible and drama free, that I was able to see past some of Wicca’s bad and even obnoxious reputation.

When I’m in circle with my Blue Star coven, we do ritual nearly weekly and we do it the same way each time. Each action causes a reaction and another action. We change details for what we are doing (esbats vs. sabbats, ect.), but the main part of the ritual stays the same. The idea behind this is that if you do something the same way so many times, you don’t have to consciously think about it and your subconscious can come out. I personally find Blue Star ritual to be both beautiful, moving and practical. It’s not the most elaborate ritual I’ve ever seen, nor is it the longest, but it creates a circle with power and great respect for deity behind it. As an eclectic, I always had trouble with ritual (and have gone through a number of just terribly done rituals), so after having been in ritual several times with Blue Star people, I was more easily seduced away from my eclectic practices. If this was what a tradition was about, than I wanted to be a part of it!

When I decided to ask for dedication, it was also because I agreed with the ideas behind the tradition. I never would have started this process towards initiation if I hadn’t agreed with Blue Star practices and principles. The idea of becoming a part of a tradition was a big deal to me. While I never felt that being a part of a tradition was vital to me as an eclectic, the older I get, the more I appreciate the resources and support that a tradition can offer.

So why do you join a tradition where the ideas and practices behind it are clearly laid out, if you don’t agree with it? One of the things that still bothers me about Wicca, are the people in it.

I was discussing this with another coven member and as she pointed out to me, “why worry about everyone else in the tradition? Why not enjoy the people we have and the way we do things?”. And to a certain extent, she’s right. There’s no point in worrying about the stupidity of other people. But then, what’s the point of being in a tradition anyway if you can’t depend on everyone else in it? As I pointed out above, that’s part of the point of a tradition! Why go to all this bother and work if everyone else in the tradition isn’t there to support you in it?

Even as a dedicant who is nowhere near my own initiation, I’ve already had a few run ins with other people in the tradition that have left a sour taste in my mouth. It’s also been pointed out to me that I don’t always bring up “positive issues”, even if they are valid ones. Which I take as diplomatic speak for the fact that people see me as a Negative Nancy. But there’s so many reasons that I avoided Wicca for as long as I did and even though I’m glad that I’ve come to it and have found joy in my own small, fledgling coven, there are still so many issues out there that I can’t ignore.

While I know that a lot of people see Wiccan’s as being elitist snobs, as an insider these days, I sort of get it. Wicca in general has worked for years to put together a religion that gets things done that a lot of eclectics can’t manage without years of study and training. But if Wicca and it’s traditions can’t get their acts together, how can they possibly survive and do they deserve to? That would be a blog for another day…

Gerald Gardner

Alex Sanders

 

Give Freely What Was Freely Given

I was reading an article that’s being thrown all over Facebook as proof of how mainstream and accepted that Wicca/Witchcraft is these days. The article is “Spelling Lessons: Wiccan Studies Is on the Rise” from the Village Voice. It talks about the Wiccan Family Temple Academy of Pagan Studies in New York and how it’s openly teaching the community about Paganism.

One of the main themes of the article is money; how the students of the Academy have been hit hard by the financial times, and about how the Academy has had to raise their tuition.

I have a lot of issues with this. This is supposed to be a Wiccan school. In every Wiccan tradition that I know of, one takes an oath at initiation not to charge students for being taught the craft.

No one that I’ve known personally who teaches Wicca charges for the learning process towards initiation. In all the learning circles I’ve been a part of, students have helped pay for supplies and chipped in money if needed to rent a space. But they have never paid the priest or priestess who is teaching them.

When I posed this question of paying to learn the Craft on another forum, I was blown away by all the responses I got that all agreed that one should have to pay to learn the craft. You pay for your education in an academic setting, don’t you? Why would learning Wicca be any different? You buy books, don’t you? Obviously people don’t appreciate something unless they have to pay for it.

Huh?

One woman said “We do realize that this is a profound taboo that we are violating, but it’s worked for us and we’re glad we did it, although we do understand and accept that most people in the Craft cannot and will not violate this taboo, and we don’t expect or want their choices and decisions to be the same as ours.” She also went on to explain why they had made the decision and explained that she asked for fifteen dollars a lesson. Fifteen dollars is not unreasonable and she was very upfront about why she was doing it. She also said that as soon as a student got past the dedicant stage (or the Wicca 101 stage), the fee was dropped. This I can respect.

Someone else said, “My current course I am doing via correspondence, and it is on the high end $50 per lesson, but it comes with over 25 pages of written text, and a long distance phone call. I really don’t think she is making much on me at all, and the little she might be im glad to give.[Sic]” While she may be glad to give this money, whoever this teacher is, is definitely making a lot of money off of her and whoever else is enrolled in these classes. This is an ethical issue to me. I have a great job and make a decent living, I don’t know that I could afford to pay fifty extra dollars a week to pay for learning about my spiritual path. And no one should have to.

I think Jason Mankey summed it up pretty well (and if you’re not familiar with Jason Mankey, check out his blog Panmankey) in his response: “When teaching a specific tradition, it’s much easier, ‘this is a part of our tradition, I’m not charging for it’. Honestly, the idea of anyone charging for information specific to a tradition is rather revolting, and in my mind it instantly screams ‘unlegit trad’. However, getting paid to teach ‘Newbie 101’ doesn’t bother me so much, and even with the great amount of books out there it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a teacher around to ask questions. The moment you bring that student into the circle though . . . then the questions start.”

Jason Mankey

This Academy is clearly making people pay for the privilege of being initiated. And it certainly doesn’t sound like they’re teaching responsibly either. The article states, “Wicca is an open religion that prides itself on acceptance, drawing inspiration from Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Native Americans—any and all spiritual practices may be included in Wiccan worship. Thus, religious tenets are widely interpreted, with each high priest and priestess changing spells to fit their needs”, which is patently untrue. Wicca is extremely codified, while different Wiccans may worship different Gods and Goddess, and traditions do handle those things differently, within the Wiccan traditions (Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Georgian, Feri, Blue Star), ritual is very specific. The article continues to say, “Although Ravenhawk doesn’t say it outright, her students might also be leaving to get their educations elsewhere”.

And maybe that is also a part of this issue. I don’t see how you can really teach the Craft to more than a few people at a time. So much of it requires intense focus and hands-on learning. Most of the teachers I know refuse to take just anyone who wanders in off the street. Most students have to prove their willingness to learn, that they want to be there…and maybe paying for lessons is one way to do that. But I have a whole body twinge when I hear of someone charging students this way. Wicca 101 is one thing, you can get that from any Llewellyn book you care to pick up, from the internet or from other less than scholarly sources. Initiation though? That’s a whole ‘nother can of worms right there.

In Blue Star, drawing down is literally invoking a god or goddess into your body. Do you really want someone who doesn’t actually know what they’re doing trying that? When you’re initiated into a tradition, you’re usually working with powerful magic and with the Gods themselves. This is not Wicca 101. Everyone I know that’s tried this stuff before they were ready had terrible things happen to them…in one case a house burned down. The teachers I know work very closely and very personally with their students. It’s the only good way to teach this stuff. Most of the teachers I know also refuse to teach over the phone, realizing that there are some things that just have to be shown. Some schools are very responsible in what they teach…others, not so much. But when you have a school that has questionable teachings and they are charging large sums of money for the privilege of being initiated, and that is what the media is focusing on to bring a positive view of the Wiccan community, we have a problem. Is this really how we want our community represented? Even if it is with a positive attitude?

In addendum: To clarify the quote above, “My current course…i’m glad to give.” the author added: .”Let me clarify. It is $50 per lesson, not per week. 25+ pages per lesson for 12 lessons, 3 cds, and a OVERSEAS long distance phone call and postage from the UK………Just thought you might want to amend your blog so it is accurate. Sorry for not being more clear.”

Mythology 101

It amazes me how hard its been for some of my fellow dedicants to learn about the Mabinogion. So I’m going to break it down for you…with pictures.

As the Welsh Gods Turn… – Pt. 1

It’s all about herding cats…

Ok, so have you ever noticed that herding Wiccans is like herding cats? I’m slowly learning this (ok, really not so slowly, but I try to give them the benefit of the doubt here…). Why, you may ask, do I have occasion to learn about herding Wiccans? Easy. I’m a pirate eclectic that seems to have landed herself solidly in the midst of a very staid Wiccan coven.

I’m sure a lot of you wouldn’t put the words “staid” and “Wiccan” together. Witchcraft and conservatism…? Nooooo…not possible. But seriously, Wicca is Pagan Old School. It seems to be a the modern trend to be “Neo-Pagan” and eclectic. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, as long as you’re not trying to claim something you’re not or don’t have the rights to (like saying, “well, I’m this degree is this tradition” without understanding what that really means) or perhaps as long as you are willing to understand that you have a lot to learn. But there was time (long ago, perhaps, but really not that long ago) when nearly all Pagans were Wiccan, or some other coven-based, initiation-based tradition. Just because it stopped being “cool” to be Wiccan doesn’t mean all the Wiccans went away. Oh, they’re still here alright! Up close and personal! Right in this owl’s feathery little face!

I’ve always been a very solitary pagan. I have my group of pirates and that’s all I’ve needed. Until now. Now I’ve been dragged kicking and screaming into a very traditional, and in many ways conservative, coven of Blue Star Wiccans. For this I blame my Significant Other. Oh no, I couldn’t just show up to ritual and simply enjoy being in circle…Learn the Craft he tells me…I remind him that I’m happy with my own…but there goes my kicking and screaming again…

And really, he has a point; a lot of people don’t really study what they like to talk about. I guess I was spoiled. My pirates are all extremely well read and open about the fact that they steal from any and all traditions that catch their eye. Eh hmmm, Pirate. None profess to be a third degree high elder priestess in the such and such tradition. There really isn’t any pretentious BS (BS, Blue Star…is there a correlation…? I’ve heard stories…) going on. That’s not the point. Living a pagan life is. There’s a reason they and I avoid hierarchy and deal in a lot of discordian energies. (The S.O. and I were arguing over Eros last night, he was all like, “Goddess of the morning, blah blah blah…” and I was all like, “Ummmm…out of Chaos and primordial beginnings dude…WHATEVER…”)

But out there in the Pagan world, I’ve run into my share of “three-chapter-Pagans;” they read three chapters of a book and know everything. Really people, you can’t just read a book and think you know everything. Which is what I keep coming up against in my search for the larger pagan community. Where did all these fluffy bunnies come from? How can they possibly look at that Old Time Religion and get bunnies?

And so I find myself in a unique position.

I was formally dedicated to Blue Star just after Imbolc 2012, the first step in studying the tradition with an eye toward Priestesshood. Taking dedication was a decision I struggled with in my little owl brain for quite a while. It took nearly a year and a half to give in to the inevitable. And I don’t imagine I’m your typical dedicant either. I have been pagan for many years. This isn’t my first rodeo.

And oh, did I mention my authority issues?

I still cling stubbornly to a lot of my own practices. There is a reason I became pagan. I realized I needed the divine in my life and I fought a very long and hard battle to get to where I needed to be in order to feel both sane and healthy. (And while I thought I lived openly as a Pagan to all, including family, apparently I only just came out of the broom closet to my parents over Yule this year. I’ve never tried to hide being pagan, I am dating a very well known pagan author and musician… but somehow they’re just now figuring it out… They are very concerned that I am worshipping Satan. *goes and bangs my head against the wall for a while…* ARGH!)

In most aspects of my life, I look pretty normal. I graduated with a Baccalaureate from a snobbish public school and I now work a nine-to-five job. But in all reality, I exist in the In-Be-Tween. The people I work with are generally horrified by my bohemiam lifestyle and the pagans in my circle are baffled about my nine to five job and what they see as my “normal/conservative” lifestyle. I just can’t seem to please anybody.

What can I say? I’m an Owl. (Mind you, in the Wiccan coven, most have a nine-to-five job. Irony?)

So here we stand. This blog is going to be dedicated to the trials and tribulations of being a little eclectic Owl that’s greatly overshadowed by “The Great Wiccan Tradition”. (Or Blue Star, anyway).

And seriously guys…it really is like herding cats most of the time.

Bansidhe