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What I think that I want to say tonight is that living the life of a witch is, as the titular head of the resident junta often says, hard. It's hard to live with, as the Temperance Card in the Tarot shows, one foot in this world and one foot in the next. It's hard work, hard work, to function here and to function there. It's the deep secret that the High Priestess knows, the secret that she's brought back from the underworld.
Last night, my brilliant circle of women, my wonderful gift of a college of priestesses, were discussing, after our Lammas ritual, what is WRONG with so many Pagans. Why do so many Pagans seem to miss what it is about magic that is supposed to make life in the "mundane" (Goddess, do I hate that word as a complete misrepresentation of reality) world so effective? Margot Adler, whom I adore, has apparently been on about this, recently.
Even the amazing women with whom I practice, didn't have a real answer. And, I am gifted to practice with such an amazing group of initiates. Last night, K. priestessed a ritual that spanned from the ancestors to the future. N., wounded and yet, still magically effective, called to our ancestors. E called all the women of the world to open their throat chakra, as she and K. opened ours. The heady scents of rosemary (for remembrance) and the mint on E's hands (for immediate life) made us all a bit high and the chocolate of B.'s cake made us all a bit serious and full of courage. Today, BP. came home with photos of places in the homeland where women were sacrificed, where she, in memory of them, sat looking magnificent. I am so proud of her. She is working so hard right now to manifest the Goddess as mother, wife, mathematician, Hestia, teacher, gardener, witch.
It's hard work, hard work to smash other lawyers all day and then to come home and tend your gardens all night. And yet, it's the work of a witch, the work that I took up more than 20 years ago.
Mother, I dress as your daughter when the Moon becomes round. She will always carry on. Something is lost, something is found. They will keep on speaking her name; some things change, some stay the same. Let me inside you, inside your room.
4 comments:
Blessed Harvest to you and yours, dear lady.
Wonderful posts this summer. I always look forward to reading these.
I understand that M.A. gave a talk at PantheaCon 2007 (San Jose, CA) and possibly elsewhere (?) on just this issue, but I can't find a transcript.
I'll keep looking.
Sia
I've been looking into tarot reading for myself in my spiritual exploration. I'm still in an early stage, only recently broken free of conservative Christianity. The Temperance card really stood out to me, even more so when I read interpretations of it. It told me that I didn't have to choose between male or female. I can be both and neither at the same time. It confirmed what I've felt inside for years. I never found such comfort in the church. Your blog has been a source of inspiration for me in my journey. I just wanted to thank you.
Kat
Sia,
If you do find it, I'd love to get a copy.
thatpanda,
The Temperance Card, the Star, and the High Priestess all talk about being this and that, about living in two worlds. Deep cards.
very beautiful--a foot in this world and a foot in the other. yes, it's hard, sometimes i feel like i have double vision. i work as a nurse, it's a great job. my challenge is to deal with what is, and to stay grounded. little changes for the better can lead to great improvement in quality of life. it's the earth spirituality approach, be kind to the body.
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