NaBloPoMo 3: If you're not 'practicing' you're still a witch.

 Dear Reader,

The last year has been awfully hard on me. There was the seasonal depression that I was just barely clawing my way out of when the business of Covid-19 hit. There was the extreme stress of distance learning and trying to keep my two boys entertained/educated/engaged for months. And I've been struggling with my bipolar, c-ptsd, and anxiety disorder with all of the rhetoric flying around due to this being an election year. On top of that, I have just slowly become more exhausted as time has gone on because I simply haven't had the opportunity to rest and recover from all of this.

It's left me feeling like a fraud. I haven't done a full ritual in over a year. Sure, I officiated a wedding but it was a super short secular wedding due to Covid-19 and life circumstances for the couple in question. But ritual observances of the full moon haven't happened since some time in 2008. Ritual observances of the high holidays of either of the two religions that I'm involved in haven't happened in at least a year. No matter what I do, something comes up or otherwise goes wrong. It's very discouraging and leaves me feeling like I am a fraud or something.

I was reminded recently, even if you're not holding rituals or casting ceremonial spells, you're still a witch. If your potion work is brewing the best damn pot of tea in town, that's still going to count as magic. If your spell casing is mixed with crafting and you make the best blankies for kids of every age, that still counts as magic. If your theurgy is simply reciting the prayers you have memorized for serenity, that still counts as magic.

Magic is not the sole domain of high ritual. It can be as simple as cleansing and purifying yourself ritually while you're taking a shower. I know at some point, life will calm down enough that I can start doing rituals again. And I'm talking about rituals that go beyond pouring out offerings every morning and lighting candles. In the mean time, I do my best to remember that I am magic and that every action I take is prayer.