What I've Been Up To

Hello everyone.

It's 7 AM and I haven't gone to sleep yet, so you can imagine how my face looks when I tell you that my eyes will only open about half way. I'm sure a few of you are staring at your computer screens and wondering aloud for what reason am I doing this to myself. The simple answer is that I want to do it now and I like giving myself permission to do what I want over what I need at times. It's a bit like letting my inner child eat candy all day and run around the house screaming at the top of my lungs until I wear out and either fall asleep or fall into a sugar coma.

My depression has been pretty bad lately and I've been trying to focus on my spirituality as my "thing" to focus on instead of my feelings. It's a distraction if you will, but I am sure you know that spirituality is something that should be far more than that. It is for me, too, but when you just want to stay in bed for a month and not shower, you need something to get you motivated to do anything. For me, this was it.

To begin, I signed up for Lora O'Brien's Irish Heritage and Spirituality Correspondence Course. I'm only on module 3 and it's been really interesting and thought provoking just far. This current module is even pushing me on getting out of the house a little bit as I start exploring the sacred sites in my area. Being in a small town makes this a bit difficult, of course, but I'll do what I can with what I have. If you want to learn more about the course, click here.

---

Another thing I've been doing is working on my altar. It's far from complete and looks more like a shrine than an altar, but it's what I've been using for daily devotionals and it is fitting my needs. You'll probably recognize a couple of pieces (see the pretty bowls and altar pentacle tile?) from a previous post. Don't you just think they blend in beautifully? I do.



I found the cardinal votive holder at an online witchy retailer and knew that it needed to be on my altar at first sight. I frequently heard that seeing a cardinal was a good luck when I was a child, and I've long associated them with good luck. I won't go so far as to say that they're a spirit animal, but I do consider them one of my favorite birds.

---

A few recent book purchases have come in and I've started to read them in the order that they've arrived. I'm currently working on Irish Paganism by Morgan Daimler. It's actually a book on Celtic Reconstructionism and I'm finding it interesting even though I'm not sure I'm quite ready to go down the CR path. I also purchased Irish Witchcraft from an Irish Witch by Lora O'Brien. It's been a while since I read it and I can't wait to dive back into it. If you haven't read her stuff, I seriously suggest that you check it out -- especially if you're looking to walk an Irish/Celtic path.

I was so excited when I found out that she's working on a new book about Irish Magic. It isn't due out until 2017. I don't want to have to wait that long but I know she's crafting a spectacular product and that it will be worth the time I'm waiting.

I also ordered Doreen Valiente -- Witch. It's a biography of one of the most important figures in the birth of Wicca. I enjoy a lot of her poetry and think it will be a fascinating read.

---

Last, but certainly not least, is my new Crystal Oracle deck. I already own the Crystal Guidance Oracle Deck and it has certainly served me well. I didn't really need the new deck but I've been wanting it for quite a few years and finally bit the bullet and forked over the cash. The only thing I dislike about the deck is that it doesn't come with an ametrine card, but that's only because ametrine is my favorite crystal to work with.

I placed both decks of cards out on my altar and put some of the corresponding crystals on the cards to help the crystal energy start to merge with the card. Truth be told, I have no idea if it actually does anything or helps to give the cards more accuracy, but it sure looks neat. It also gives my collection a chance to get out of their organizers and enjoy some fresh air.

I snapped a photo so that I could share.

What have you been up to lately? I'd love it if you'd leave a comment and let me know. Slán.

Evaluating This Path - An Introspective Post

Sometimes I still feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. I know how to cast a circle and call the quarters, can recite the uses of lavender and citrine, and can whip up a crystal grid or a sachet in no time flat. But there's always that lingering doubt at the back of my mind jumping up and down and flashing like a neon sign just screaming "notice me right now -something's not right!"

There are days where I go back, forth, and sideways on what to call myself. Am I Wiccan? Am I a Witch? Can I call myself an Irish Wiccan without the ancestry or living in Ireland? All of these questions typically result in one thing: confusion.

I've been learning about Wicca and Paganism since the age of 13 so I can pretty clearly distinguish the two from one another. I've read over and over again in those 101 books how to tell people that a "Wiccan is a Witch but a Witch is not always Wiccan." That's all fine and dandy, but what of those practitioners that choose not to do any spellcraft at all?

Spirituality is a path of never-ending questions, some of them new and some of them repeating, designed to remind us why we're on this path and whether it might be time to take the fork coming up ahead.

In the past I have identified as Wiccan, Pagan, and Celtic Wiccan. I'm not into reconstructing what the ancients did to every finite detail, but I do have an interest in the historical aspects and like to read as much information as I can get my hands on. That being said, I sometimes wonder if I should classify myself as Wiccan. That threefold "law" seems like a bunch of hogwash to my sensibilities, and spelling "magic" with an additional "k" makes my spelling instinct run amok (as well as spellcheck). I always seem to come back around to "yes, I'm Wiccan," and this time is no different. I am most certainly a Wiccan, and by definition a Pagan. Yet calling myself a Celtic Pagan seems a decrease of all that this path has become for me.

The only thing to do when confronted with these questions is to do your best to answer them. Journal about them. Write a list of favorable and opposing points to clarify your current position. Most importantly of all, know that it is okay to change your mind.

I am a Celtic Wiccan, and a Celtic Pagan. What are you?