Tomorrow is the Autumn Equinox. I should be doing something, celebrating the changing seasons. But I'm not. I'll be at work from 9:00am till 8:30 at night. By the time I'm done I will be too tired to drive myself home. But, I have to do that so I'll manage somehow. Times like that I'm so glad it's the car that does all the work!

Anyway, real life does interfere with how Wiccan or Pagan we would like to be. That's ok, it's reality. If I was to skip work and the big meeting after work, that would be living in some unreal imaginary world of my own creation. I have to work to make money to pay for my car, my rent and the clothes I wear while I do all those other things. Now and then I even treat myself to a new book, a fancy coffee or a day of window shopping.

It's ok to live in the real world. It's ok to miss a Pagan celebration. It would be nicer to not miss it. But, really as long as I'm alive and still on this planet I'm not missing a thing. As I drive I'll be looking at the darkened forest I drive through on the way home. I'll be watching for deer and foxes who sometimes show up along the roadside in the evenings. I'll be listening to the sounds of the night as I drive with the windows down to let in all that cool night air and the scent of crisp Autumn leaves.

You may not light candles, perform rituals or chant pretty rhymes but that doesn't mean you're not celebrating along with the rest of the world. It's what you have in your heart, mind and soul that matters, even if you only express it to yourself. You don't have to prove how Pagan you are to anyone but you.

Magic versus magick. Where do you stand on the word?

Magick isn't in the dictionary, so far. But I think it's a good addition to the language. It shows a difference in magic as done by a magician versus magick as done by a Witch, Wiccan or Pagan type person. We aren't doing card tricks to amuse kids at a birthday party. Our magick is not entertainment. As much as I appreciate and enjoy magic, I don't want to see magick called magic.

Confused? Then let's add to your confusion. What is a Witch compared to a Wiccan or a Traditional Witch?

In my opinion (notice the qualifier) a Wiccan is someone who follows the ideals set out by Gardener and friends in the last century. Traditional Witches are those who come from a family of Witches, thus they inherited the traditions. Meanwhile Witches are those who base their witchery on herbalists, wise women and men from ages ago and whatever else they can discover from the long ago past.

Does that help or do you want even more confusion to add to your confusion? Let's just add the words eclectic and solitary to the mix. Can you be a solitary eclectic? Of course. Solitary just means you choose to be alone, not a member of a coven or some such group. Can you be solitary and a coven member? No, that kind of defeats the whole solitary thing. Anyone can be eclectic. There are so many ideals, traditions and so much history that it's really hard to find someone who agrees with another person about everything. So, most of us could call ourselves eclectic. Does that mean you should? No, it's too confusing. Find something to describe your style of Wicca or Witchery and stick with it. You don't have to be a carbon copy of everyone else but you can make everything simpler to understand. Besides, in the end we are all part of the group of Pagans.

Confused?

Go find some answers. Don't be shy

Being Pagan isn't about putting on a show. It's really a very personal thing, a choice you might keep to yourself forever or reveal to your family or friends. They call it coming out of the broom closet cause that's kind of cute. But, you were never in a closet. Being Pagan is about being free, living with the Earth and respecting our history/ traditions. How can those be bad? Why would you have to keep that under wraps?

I think people think they have to prove a point or show off when they yabble on about how Pagan they are. In the case of craft names especially, those were meant to be secret, from everyone! But here and there you can find Pagans using their craft names more than the name on their birth certificate. Some rationalize it and say that's their public craft name and they keep a secret one, privately. So, why the show?

Can you be yourself and be Pagan too? I think that's what it really comes down to.

If you have to dress a certain way, display certain objects around you and change your name to fit in, where do you really fit in? Being Pagan should be comfortable, part of who you already were. It should add to you, not reprogram you.

Think about your own Pagan or Wiccan lifestyle. Are you putting on a show or are you just being Pagan cause that's part of who you are? If you have all the toys and gadgets chances are you're really missing something. If you've copied tons of spells from the web but never written any of your own, chances are you're missing the point. Reorganize, rethink and stop to breathe, find out what part of yourself is Pagan and relearn. Get back to the essentials, rediscover being Wiccan and have fun again. You can't be having fun if you're always trying to catch up to some ideal of what being Pagan should be. You are Pagan, you made that choice, so just go ahead and be Pagan. No song and dance required.

Witches don't believe in hell, or devils or satan, none of that Christian stuff of nightmares. (Note: I'm sure there is someone who is thinking even now... "that's not true, I believe in devils, imps and the like". In my opinion, that's your choice but most Witches wouldn't agree).

Anyway, if Witches don't believe in Christian baddies, is there anything evil that we do belive in? Or is everything all light and good and pure with the world?

No, we do believe there are consequences to your actions and choices. There is the three fold law, there is karma and there is the Wiccan Rede. But, that doesn't really answer the question, does it?

I do believe there are bad things out there. I don't trust that everything around us is goodness and light. But, I tend to seldom think about anything negative in that way. It's not a focus in my day to day doings. If you don't dwell on evil (whatever word you would call it) it won't notice you either.

To me even talking about evil sounds a bit looney toon. In the end, people make choices and that is what brings consequences to themselves and the rest of the planet/ people. The evil comes from ourselves, not so much from an outside source. Yes, I think there is an outside source but it's only as strong as we ourselves make it.

Each day is a new day and you have to choose who you will be, what you will believe in and what you will do.

First of all, I'm going to change the name of this newsletter. My personal Pagan-ness is that of Witch and Wiccan. So, as they say, write what you know. That doesn't mean this will become a guide to spells for turning people into frogs, etc. Of course not, I don't even dignify that with an answer. I hope to find ideas and links that will interest people with a range broader than Witchery. I think we should have enough range to keep up with any new ideas, agreeing with them doesn't matter. You don't have to agree with everything you read you just have to keep reading and forming opinions as you go.

Anyway, that's the news for the newsletter. I've been an irregular publisher lately. A lot of things are happening at once for me. But, if you miss me you can always let me know on the Pagan messageboards at BackWash. If you have a site to promote submit the link to BackWash or just email it to me. (My email should be back up soon, I was hoping this week but no sign of life yet).

That's about it for now. Kind of short, no revolutionary ideas or anything of huge interest this time. Take care,

Laura