Godspousery Notes Are Moving.

 Dear Reader,

In my effort to make this blog make sense, I'm realizing that my domestic tidbits about life with Loki, Freyr, and my family just doesn't fit here. If I were talking about the technical aspects of spiritual relationships, that'd be one thing (which I am going to start doing) but random stories about how life is going will be going into my other blog.

I was struggling all day with how to make this post and Freyr just gave me a look. You know the look that you get when someone thinks you're worrying too much about the details and making things too complicated? That was the look that I got. I've been worrying a great deal over the past several days for reasons I can't define. Freyr is beginning to get exasperated with my obsessing over making sure that details are perfect. Hence the pointed look and him mentioning that I have about twenty minutes before dinner's ready, plenty of time to write.

So, I sat down and I did some writing. I apologize if this post isn't that great or is more rambling than usual. My brain isn't firing on all of its cylinders right now. I'll figure it out, somehow.

No Video Post This Week.

 Dear Reader,

Because I am having technical issues with the microphone on the laptop and on my headset, it is going to be a little while before I can do another video post. Beloved's got an idea where he can find me a decent headset. It may be a week or two before I can get a video up because of things like shipping and the postal service being a mess right now. (Anyone else have their bills go missing last month? I had to call everybody to make sure they got paid and to resend my current bill. I'll be so happy when the postal service is fixed.)

I am beginning to look into the possibility of replacing my laptop. If you have any suggestions for a good model to work with, drop them in the comments.

Herbalism: Black tea as a base for edible potions.

 Dear Reader,

Tea has a long standing history of being a drink with curative properties. It is a staple in almost every pantry and is equally popular as coffee for bringing a bit of energy to perk one up in the morning. Black tea is the most popular form of tea on the market. There are a lot of different varieties you can purchase. If you are engaging in blending your own teas, I recommend purchasing a tea strainer and using loose leaf tea. 

Black tea has excellent magical properties. It works to help ground us when we are agitated. It works to give us energy when we are feeling depleted. It also has the capacity to act as a good carrier substance for other herbs used in magic. A pinch of mugwort plus a few pinches of black tea, for example, can give you a nice, gentle potion that will help you develop your psychic gifts. 

Taste wise, black tea can be brewed quite strong. The tannins in the tea can cover up the less than savory elements of your potion. It is also something that brings out the floral flavor components when you add herbs such as lavender or chamomile when it is brewed to a mild degree. Strong black tea is very grounding. Weaker black tea is not as intense in its flavor profile, thus it lends itself to herbal blends that can work to lift you up out of your mundane state of consciousness.

A good general purpose tea blend that works to balance one's energy levels is one part black tea, one part mint, and one part chamomile. This can be sweetened if you desire or have milk added to it. The three herbs in this tea blend work together to ground your energy, clear your mind, and settle your body into a more relaxed state. (Chamomile has a long history of being good for digestive upset and settling the mind.)

As always, when using teas as potions or herbal medicine, consult with your doctor or pharmacist. You do not want to have any interactions between your concoction and medications you are on. You also want to measure your ingredients precisely to make sure that your 'dosage' is healthy for your build and conditions. Some herbal teas/medications can have adverse effects on the body despite their flavorful qualities. Raspberry tea, for example, can gently induce labor for a person in late stages of pregnancy even as it eases the severity of menstrual cramps for non-pregnant people. 

Practical Witchery: Elementals

 Dear Reader,

The system of correspondences that includes the classical elements has been around for so long and in so many variations that its origin is lost to the mists of time. I am going to introduce you to the system of working with the classical elements of existence that I have been using for over two decades now. Unlike what some of the newer authors in the Wiccan community have claimed, this system has been around for millennia. Wicca did not invent the elemental classification system. If this claim is put forth, consider the entire work with a grain of salt because the author didn't do their homework and is ignorant about the history of Wicca.

In the European historical context, the classical elements are: Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Spirit. In the Asiatic historical context it is a bit muddied because of the influence of European invaders destroying documents with their efforts to force the conversion of the native peoples to some variant of Christianity. The clearest evidence of the classical elements in that part of the world comes from China (which has a very, very long history as a nation and an astounding historical record). In traditional Chinese thought, the classical elements are wood, fire, metal, earth, and water. 

Wikipedia has an interesting article on classical elements with relatively reliable sources. I am not going to go over the different cultures that have used different classification systems. That is beyond the scope of this post and I am not well versed enough in pan-cultural elemental classification systems from the pre-Christian era of history to do the topic justice. (This is something that would be worthy of a doctorate level paper. I'm simply not able to accomplish that, yet.)

Wicca comes from the European line of historical metaphysics. There is some disagreement within the Wiccan community as to what the correct order and classifications are for the classical elements. This lack of singularly codified system of classification is not an indication of disorganization as much as a signifier of the diversity of the Wiccan community. If we look back at the work of Gerald Gardner, considered the father of Wicca and modern witchcraft, we find that he organizes them thusly:

• Element of Air; Direction is East; Magical Weapon is the Sword/Athame*
• Element of Fire; Direction is South; Magical Weapon is the Wand
• Element of Water; Direction is West; Magical Weapon is the Chalice
• Element of Earth; Direction is North; Magical Weapon is the Paten/Pentacle

In my personal magical workings, the directional orientations remain the same. The magical weapons for Air and Fire are reversed. My logic for this is blades are fashioned in fire and wands are the branches of trees, which are high in the air. Now, each element has an Intelligence associated with it. They can be described variously as Angels, Janyati, or other spiritual beings. In traditional Wicca, these Intelligences are the Guardians of the Elements and known as Elementals. They can be worked with to grow in one's studies of the occult, to develop greater spiritual balance in one's life, or to manifest that which one desires. Elementals are generally kindly inclined towards humanity. They are a manifestation of the Divine within the realm of the world we live.

While the elemental classification system helps to organize the world we live in, the Elemental beings can influence the world through the things we recognize as under their purview. Next week, I will be introducing you to the Element of Air. 

*Note*

The term athame here is not to be confused with the Filianic term athame. The athame of Wicca (and other witchcraft traditions that use the term) refers to a ritual knife or dagger that is used for magical practices.

Housekeeping: Some changes on the way here.

 Dear Reader,

You may have noticed that my blog as a ton of tags and is kinda disorganized. I'm going to be using the 'Pages' feature here on Blogger to try to fix that. I started doing so in 2017 and then a major depressive episode hit me like a freight train and I got way off course. (Yes, I resisted the urge to pun right there.) I am going to be doing so slowly over the next several months.

I am also in the planning stages of another series of lessons. This is going to include video content. I am going to try to walk through some of the basic witchcraft lessons that I had as a girl. I am currently attempting to locate the first volume of my book of shadows so that I can clean up those notes. It's in a box, somewhere safe. I think that box is in the project room, which may as well be a black hole for all of the stuff crammed in there.

I have a desire to delve into my perspective on Heathenry but I am still assessing the best way to do that. I have posted (and will continue to post) a lot of Filianic and witchcraft oriented content. But that is not the whole of my practice. It is my belief that Heathenry that is non-racist and not macho viking LARP is under represented. I have nothing against LARPing. I did that for over a decade as a hobby until life got in the way of it. If I could, I'd continue that form of gaming because it was a lot of fun. Macho viking LARPers, however, gives the world a bad image of what all of us are like because they're so loud. I also want to make clear that people like the idiot "Q Shaman" are outliers not the norm.

I am going to be doing a number of interesting and kind of weird things with this blog over the course of this year. This is your heads up. There is going to be some content that is exclusive to this blog and some content that is going to be on both this blog and the mirror blog. I will figure out a way to sort that out. It's a work in progress. I still have a backlog of material to port over to the mirror blog (again, started in 2017 and was stalled by bad brain chemistry).

There is yet another witchcraft oriented blog that I own. It's older, more random, and dates back to when I was actively hanging out with the Discordian community. I'm going to be posting material on there as a public extension of my book of shadows. I currently have a page up there listing about half of what I have in my library. I have grown since I was most active on there. The old material is an archive of where I was at in that point of time. 

One thing that will be on there and not on this blog or the mirror blog is my notes regarding anything prophetic/channeled. I am a seer on top of all of this other stuff I do. As such, I will have times where I get insight or foreknowledge of things happening in the world. I will be keeping that strictly to the other blog. The focus of this blog and the mirror blog is informational. Prophecy, while it can be informational, falls outside of the scope of these two blogs. It does happen, however. If the insight or foreknowledge is relevant to anything here, I will be linking to it and providing disambiguation of what it all means.

Divination: Being Psychic is a Skill and a Talent.

 Dear Reader,

I've touched on this topic before. I am going to do so again because of how often I see people insisting that you have to be 'special' to be a psychic. Psychic stuff does require a measure of talent. At the same time, it is a skill that can be learned and honed. If you have raw talent and do nothing with it, you will never realize your full potential. It will just sit there in that rough shape and give vague information. 

I have seen psychics who learned their trade through a great deal of hard work. Some of the best tarot readers that I have encountered built their ability through hours of study and practice. Some of the worst ones I've met just go off the fly to rely entirely on their intuition, taking a shotgun for flies approach to answering your query. There are times where skill and talent intersect. You can get some really awesome tarot readers who have raw psychic talent that they developed and keenly honed through hours of study and practice. 

The difference between the three is simple. Your psychic who has invested study and practice despite lacking raw talent will have a dogged determination in their approach to reading. They will be relentless in their effort to draw out as much information as they can from the cards. Your psychic who is relying solely upon their innate talent will have information that is difficult to decipher and seemingly random pertaining to your query. Your psychic who has invested in building their skills and honing their talent will have the relentlessness of the psychic who learned it all the hard way with the bonus of having a deeper connection with the spiritual side of the world. The third psychic will be able to present to you the connections between the seemingly random elements that pop up in your reading.

Now, for some people, it is intimidating to try to learn the psychic arts. The over-culture of the West views the psychic arts in a mixed fashion. There is a degree of skepticism and mockery while at the same time, people are quite devoted to their daily horoscope. The mixed reviews of the psychic arts in modern society should not stop you from learning the psychic art in question that fascinates you. All knowledge is worth having.

Godspousery Notes: Going back to Keen.

 Dear Reader,

I am not sure if I noted this earlier or not, I am going back to doing readings on Keen. It's the only platform that allows me the flexibility I need in my schedule and methods of reading. I was very frustrated when I came to this realization. Going months with out doing tarot readings or interacting with people outside my family wasn't helping me in any fashion. Frey and Loki staged an intervention.

They demanded to know why I was letting my pride get in the way of doing things that I loved. That stung. But, that was the point of that statement. After some discussion, they convinced me to give Keen another try. They gave me ideas for how to market it so that I actually build up a customer base even as I am working on other things. Most of all, they sat and held my hand as I faced my fear that I'm just not good enough to do this sort of thing.

I'm going to start posting links to Keen blog articles. The content is going to be different. I can't cross post material from Keen or to Keen. It's against their rules for blogging on their platform. I'm going to try to post daily across multiple blogs. There's going to be a bit of a learning curve here. Frey assures me that I'll master it again. I'm not so sure about it. 

I feel real hesitant about taking this step. I worry that Keen isn't acting in good faith with their advisors. Loki basically laughed and asked me what intermediary is doing that these days? I guess he has a good point. I just have to out think them and push myself to expand my social efforts, despite how much I dread doing so. If I have learned anything from 2020, it is that I must force myself to be social or I start having even worse problems with depression and flashbacks to trauma from when I was a kid.

As much as I hate to admit it, Keen is going to be a crucial part of that process of rebuilding social connections and getting more practice interacting with people. It's going to be as brutal as when I had to do physical therapy after I fell and hurt my back a few years ago, if not more so. But, if they have faith in me, it is the height of hubris to say that I can't possibly have any reason to have faith in myself. I've seen the price of hubris and my rib aches when the weather gets cold just to remind me.

Recommendation: The Eastminster Critical Edition of the Clear Recital & Oxonian Rite

 Dear Reader,

This week's recommendation is for the Orthodox Filianic community and those who have Madrian leanings in their practice of their faith. The Eastminster Critical Edition of the Clear Recital and of the Oxonian Rite is a treasure trove that is full of wonderful information and beautifully assembled. It has the most complete collection of the Teachings of the Daughter that I have encountered. It clearly outlines the history of the Filianic religion as well as distinguishes the differences between Filianism and Déanism.

Unlike other texts, the ECE has excerpts from the writings of Madria Olga, a charismatically ordained priestess of Déa who lead the Rosa Madriana community up until her death from cancer in 2008. Madria Olga's writings heavily informed the modern Filianic community's faith practices and continue to act as a guide for believers. The works of other priestesses and thinkers from earlier Filianic communities are referenced as well. 

A very through history of Filianism is presented, detailing in chronological order the unfurling of this faith through time. There is a discussion of modern Filianism (as of the time of this edition's printing) and the rise of Independent Filianists. This discussion is handled with great care and attention to detail, which is impressive considering the wide variety of Independent Filianists.

Additionally, the ECE includes a breviary and hymnal that have been used historically by the Orthodox Filianic community. It also gives detailed accounting of the Rosary and the different contemplative paths. Along side these two important sections, there is a calendar of sorts listing the dates of holy days and something about their historical observances.

Status of Video Posts.

 Dear Reader,

I have gone most of a year with out making video posts. Some of it was due to the fact that we were doing a lot of distance learning and the household was in a fair amount of turmoil. Some of it was due to the fact that I had (and to some extent am still) struggled with essentially a year long bout of depression due to the isolation that Covid-19 has forced on me. (I am considered medically at high risk between my asthma and diabetes.) Then there was the third part of the problem which was I kinda ran out of ideas.

I am in the process of compiling a list of video post ideas. It is my hope that next week, I will have something ready for your viewing pleasure. It's been a wild year and it looks like this year is going to repeat many of the elements that made last year challenging. I, however, am not going to allow them to stop me from writing and making videos. I just need a week to finish this topic list that I've been working on.

In some ways, this is a reboot of the entire blog. It may be that I was past due for that. Either way, look for a video post next week on Thursday. I will endeavor to have a transcript of the blog post available for you to read as well. (This also gives me some time to find another headset that works properly because the microphone on mine died. It was ancient and venerable so that wasn't a big surprise. Just another nuisance on a list of them to deal with right now.)

Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your readership. I look forward to posting a video next week for you. In the meantime, take a look at some of the older videos. Search Veiled Witch Videos on Youtube to find them. (I probably should set up a page on here with all the links. That'd make sense and probably make everyone's life easier rather than scrolling through old posts. Something to work on later, I suppose.) 

Teas vs. Tisanes vs. Potions

 Dear Reader,

If you crack open an herbal you'll find a lot of recipes for everything ranging from herbal teas to potions. Today's post is an attempt to clarify the differences between these different uses of herbs and note some safety protocol necessary in their uses. Before I move on to the details, I want to note something very important. If you are incorporating herbal medicine into your daily care regimen, keep your doctor and pharmacist apprised of the situation. Medicinal herbs and plants can have interactions with medications, some of them potentially lethal.

Now, preface made, let's get down to talking shop, shall we? Herbal teas are made with a base of black, white, or green tea. They contain a percentage of caffeine and other elements that can be good for your health. This is part of the reason why they're so popular. Herbal teas have set ratios of herbs to tea. Different brands of herbal teas will have different ratios and different herbs (even if they claim to be identical to other brands). Generally, commercial brands keep these ratios as trade secrets. After all, Bigelow doesn't want Celestial Seasonings to steal the recipes or vice versa. 

When selecting a commercially prepared herbal tea, make a point of reading the ingredient list. There are herbs and spices that can evoke an allergic reaction despite the fact that you're not out in the wild sticking your face into the plant to smell the pretty scents. Chamomile, for example, is well known as a digestive aid but if you have hayfever, it is possible that you are going to have some stuffy sinuses after drinking a cup of chamomile tea because it is related to the plants commonly known for provoking hayfever allergies. In the case of teas for relaxation and rest, one must be careful because they can contain herbs such as valerian which can interact with cold medications and make you extra drowsy.

Tisanes are different from herbal teas. They are like teas and frequently marketed as herbal teas. The difference is a tisane does not have any tea leaf added to it. These have higher concentration of herbs and spices in them than herbal teas. This means that they can have a stronger effect on the body. The brewing process for a tisane is also different from the brewing process for most herbal teas. 

Most herbal teas are brewed in the same manner of regular tea. Water is heated to near boiling (or boiling, depending on the tea used) and poured over the herbal tea before being allowed to steep for several minutes. Tisanes have a different process. Water is heated to near boiling and then poured over the herbs. At this point, the cup is covered to allow the steam to condense on the cover and drip back into the cup, thereby preserving the concentration of the active components of the tisane. The time to cover the cup varies between different tisanes and what is being used. They are, in general, steeped at least 10 minutes to get the maximum amount of the active components out of the herbs.

Potions are entirely different from herbal teas and tisanes. Most of the time, potions are not intended for consumption. They will use inorganic elements, such as crystals, and can prove highly toxic. (Point of reference: If you see a potion that calls for a combination of urine and bleach, don't use it. That produces dangerous amounts of chlorine gas and can kill you.) There are some potions that are made with edible ingredients and should still be treated with the same caution as herbal medicine because the herbs used in the potion will have an influence upon your body's ability to metabolize medications, vitamins, and even food.

In the end, the biggest thing I would like for you to take away from this post is that natural products are not always safe. Cyanide is natural and completely lethal. Be cautious in your approach to herbal medicine and consult with doctors and pharmacologists who have the training to tell you how your medicinal herbs will interact with your body. This is true for recreational herbal usage. If you're using herbs for fun and profit, make sure you do it safely and with consultation with the people who went to school to make sure you can survive the experience.

Iron: It's uses in defensive magic and how to properly season cast iron.

 Dear Reader,

Iron has long been associated with protection magic. Defensive charms made of iron and steel have been found since humanity figured out how to make iron and steel. Now, it may sound silly, but cast iron is a really good defensive magical tool. It is heavy, which makes it a good energy sink and a good personal defense item in a pinch. It acts to neutralize most magical energy that it comes into contact with. Iron retains a very strong connection with the Earth's core (which is made up of, among other things, molten iron) which makes it a very good tool for grounding energy at large.

Traditionally, cast iron has been used for everything from fences (obvious defensive measures) to cookware. That cast iron fence outside probably could benefit from a coat of paint or anti-rust products, but this does not neutralize its effect. The reason why is because the thin layer of product on the iron helps to preserve the iron and keep it intact. It is not enough of a layer to act as a buffer unless intentionally ensorcelled to do so. A wrought iron fence takes energy and directs it immediately into the ground beneath it creating a magical barrier that extends about where it is place.

If you wish to create such a barrier and can't afford wrought iron, there's the dirt cheap and kinda nasty way of doing it. That is burying steel nails around your property line. If you put them point up, potential trespassers are likely going to need a tetanus shot after stepping on them, depending on how deeply your bury your nails. To create a barrier at thresholds and similar liminal places of entry, a small steel finishing nail can be driven into the lintel about the doorway that will act as a barrier for unwelcome spiritual beings from entering.

Then we come to cast iron cookware. The cauldrons of old that were used for everyday cooking were also used for magical practice. They were, for the most part, iron. The iron worked like a magic circle to contain the energy of the spell craft being cast until the caster decided it was time to let it magic loose to do its work. Today, we don't use cast iron as much for cooking. If you are using cast iron for cooking it requires special care.

First, take your cast iron pot and scrub it well. I like using the steel wool pads because they don't impart too much soap in the process and they do a good job of getting burnt on material off. You don't want to use a lot of water or soap here because you want to retain the patina over the pot/pan you're working with. It is the patina that gives good cast iron cookware something of a non-stick quality. After you have scrubbed your pot and rinsed all the soap out, take a moment to dry it with a paper towel.

Your next step is to get out your cooking oil and another paper towel. Put a dab of cooking oil on the paper towel and massage this into your pan. You want to work the oil in across all of the cooking surface and the outside of the pan. Use a third (possibly fourth, depending on how much excess oil there is) paper towel to wipe the excess oil off of your pan. Then you want to place your pan into your oven on low heat until things begin to smell toasty. It is a good idea to put a baking sheet under your pan incase there are any oil drippings that come down from spots you possibly missed. Allow the pan to cool off at the same time as your oven. 

If you haven't used too much oil, your pan will have a smooth surface on the cooking surface. It will feel smooth to the touch (when it is cooled off) and it will work beautifully for cooking up pancakes because it will be nonstick. If you used too much oil, you will have to go back to step one in the process and re-season the pan. If too much oil is used, the pan will be sticky to the touch when it has cooled and things will tend to burn to the bottom of your pan. 

Important thing to remember, if you are heating your cast iron in the oven, make sure that it has a handle that can tolerate heat. Usually, cast iron pots have a cast iron handle. Some, however, have a wooden handle on them. For those pots, heat them on the stove top until they smell toasty and then allow them to cool off slowly. Do not thrust your hot cast iron pan into cold water in an effort to cool it. This will damage your pan and make it more brittle. Do not let your cast iron pan sit in water for an extended period of time because it will rust. And don't let it sit for an extended period of time on stainless steel because it will leave a rust mark on your steel that you'll have to scrub off with a good amount of effort.

Tarot Outlook for Quarter 1 of 2021

 Dear Reader,

This is a general, worldwide tarot outlook for the first quarter of 2021.

January: Isolation and contemplation. Pandemic restrictions are going to remain in place. We are encouraged to bear them with patience. The cards are exhorting us to use this time to look within and do an assessment of where we want to be and how we want to live our lives in the post-pandemic era.

February: For some, the pandemic restrictions are going to lift. They are going to find themselves in the position of working very had to bring ideals into reality. For the rest of us, there will be a great deal of restlessness and internal strife as we chafe against the restrictions. The cards are encouraging us to look at the big picture and not to loose our heads in the moment. We're encouraged to channel our frustration into artistic and creative activities. The key words here are "progress not perfection."

March: The percentage of the population that are going to be under severe restriction due to the pandemic is going to reduce as vaccinations ramp up during this month. There will be a measure of relaxation of general pandemic restrictions for many regions because of the advent of the vaccination efforts. This will trickle down into improved morale for the community at large. We will also see an increase in communication (reliable communication) through various channels regarding how the fight against the pandemic is faring. The key words here are "Keep calm and carry on." While things are improving, continue to use all safety protocols as you have been.

Posting on Hold.

 Dear Reader,

I have some mundane things to get sorted out before I can jump back into posting on a semi-daily basis again. I anticipate this will take about a week. The good news is that my son is Covid-19 free and ready to go back to school tomorrow. The bad news is that my home looks like a tornado went through it and the kitchen is a nightmare. So, first on my list of mundane things is going to be cleaning house in a big way.

I am also in the process of reevaluating the blog performance here. That means looking through the posts in the past and finding out what topics were of most interest to you. It's going to take me a day or two to accomplish that. If you have topics that you would like me to comment on, please let me know.

Happy New Year (belated) and now to get to work on ... Well, everything that needs to be picked up after Yule and a kid being sick at home for a week and a half. Wish me luck. I'm about to be eyeballs deep in dishes. LOL

Untitled

 Dear Reader,

It has been a trying day in my neck of the woods. I have had my elder son home from school for the last week because he was sick. The school, in an abundance of caution, are not allowing students who have been ill back for in session classes until they have tested negative for Covid-19. The act of going essentially across the county to the hospital that is administering the tests wasn't that bad. The testing process wasn't too awful. My son was quite happy that it was faster than the last time he had to get the test done. 

He helped me run a few errands. And we got home in plenty of time to meet his brother when he got home from school. The boys had a fairly good afternoon. The difficulties today come out of the fact that I slept terribly last night. And the combo of black ice and snow at one intersection. (Thank the gods it was empty when I slid past the stop sign at 15 mph in a 30 mph zone, the roads were ugly this morning.) I just emotionally have been having a rough week.

I'm still furious with the Trump insurrection attempt. I am disgusted with the Asatru people who participated in it. I am livid with the people who have applauded from the sidelines. I am equally furious with the people who are attempting to be apologists for it. At the same time that I am consumed with this rage, I am depressed and disheartened. We were supposed to be better than that. We were supposed to be the bastion of democracy.

I am fearful for my country. I am fearful for my family. To some extent we can pass as a 'normal' family, we are what the Trump supporters hate. I am a disabled woman who happens to be on the mouthy side and with a bit of education behind my words. My husband and sons are autistic. We are not a 'normal' family. We're not Christian of any flavor. We're aggressively supportive of human rights for everybody (that includes all races, belief systems, and your status as a citizen). We are "liberal" in our political orientation.

We are at a point where things are complicated. It is a point where systems are breaking down egregiously. I am severely limited in what I can do to influence the situation. We live in a region where we are in the minority on politics. Trump has emboldened the racists and hateful people through out the country, including in my little backwater town. It has reached a point where I don't feel safe going out wearing my pretty scarves because of how people react. It's been this way for about two years now.

I don't get more harassment because I am white. If I weren't, I would be afraid for my physical safety. I grieve the country I grew up in. The country that didn't give Nazis the time of day. It's been revealed to me that was an illusion. I, the descendant of Joseph Knight, a Revolutionary War hero, must say that this country is not living up to its potential. It is not living up to the promises that had been made. 

When Donald Trump was elected, I said to my husband that we were witnessing the end of Pax Americana. Last week only shows that I am correct in this estimation. All, however, is not lost. When the god of mischief and chaos himself tells you, "Chin up. It's not over. You still have a chance. Keep fighting." it is a good thing to listen. He's not the driving force behind this mess. I am sure there are people who will try to pin this on the Lokeans and others who deal with chaos entities. I am sure there are people who will try to pin this on the Satanists. But the driving force behind this mess is neither the chaos entities or Satan.

The driving force behind this is simply hate. We can over come hate. We can defeat people who weave it. Pax Americana may have passed, but this need not be the decline of the Republic. Let us resist the hatred being spewed at us. Let us resist the divisive attempts to make us fight each other as the "moral majority" play the game of let's you and him fight. Put sand in the gears of war. Bind up the wounds of your neighborhood. And drive out the ones who seek to destroy what truly makes this country worthwhile.

Friday Recommendations: Contact your Congress Critter!

 Dear Reader,

I try not to get political on here because politics and religion mix about as well as gasoline and a lit match. That said, I am going to be direct here. What happened on the sixth was insurrection and what the sitting President of the United States did was incite it. That, my dear Reader, is treason. I recommend that you contact your local representatives at Congress and remind them of this fact and demand his removal from office post haste. He has proven himself a threat to democracy and the People of the United States. We need him removed from office as quickly as possible. We can not wait two weeks, because gods only knows what kind of stunt he will pull.

Additionally, if you have any knowledge, footage, or information about the assault on Capitol hill, please contact the FBI. This is not about differing political opinions anymore. This is about an active attempt to overthrow the government.

If you're of the inclination and have the ability/resources, drop a curse on the participants in that assault. If you have the means to interrupt their communication between their cells, go for it. I've seen what a bunch of determined and angry people on the internet have done to petty souls who were abusive towards people on their forum. This is just a larger scale. To be honest, there's a lot more of us than there are of them. So, do what you can to resist, interrupt, and disable their actions. Don't let this be democracy's last gasp.

Epiphany & Revelations.

 Dear Reader,

Yesterday, the Filianic and Déanic holy day of Epiphany happened. (It coincides with the Christian holy day of Epiphany because the calendars happen to line up that way, much like Nativity falls on the same Julian calendar date as Christmas. I do not think this was entirely intentional or an effort by the founders of this young religion to appropriate these holy days. I think that it was an attempt at de-Christianizing the mid-winter holy season and open up access socially for celebration in other faiths as well. This, however, is a topic for another day.)

Back to Epiphany. That is the date that the Holy Mother comes out of the seclusion of the Cave of the World and reveals to creation the Holy Child, the Daughter of Déa who is Déa. The Light that comes from Pure Light. The Perfection that comes from Perfection. The Holy Child mediates the brilliance of the Holy Mother's Light so that creation might see them together at this time.

Epiphany is a word that means revelation. We witnessed here in the United States a horrific revelation regarding the broken power structure of our nation, the broken social systems of our nation, and a small portion of the systemic problems that we have ignored for a very long time. I do not think it mere coincidence that this revelation by way of a failed coup happened on the date of Epiphany.  I think it is a cosmic wake up call for this nation and a warning to our society that we have failed to be vigilant against forces that would destroy us.

I believe that there is a road forward that navigates the perils that lay about us. It is my belief that the first steps forward is to reaffirm our commitment to our democracy, the denouncement of facism and white supremacy, and the rebuilding of the social network that took care of the People of this nation. I think this is something that can be accomplished at all levels of the country: individual, local, regional, state, and national. We did not defeat the Nazis in World War II. Because they resided among us and acted as 'Good' Americans to fly under the radar. Look up the German-American Bund. Look at the origins of various hate groups. You will find at the root are Nazis and their ilk.

I formally denounce these people. I hereby decry their abysmal behavior as shameful and horrific. The members of the attempted raiding party on Capitol Hill yesterday who wore the emblems of my faith are not supported, encouraged, embraced, or approved by myself. Further more, I curse them to suffer the harshest of punishments that can be meted out by the High Ones and by our judicial system. And when they pass from this world, let them wander alone and rejected by the halls that would comfort them until they have paid full penance for the evils they have wrought in the days leading up to and on yesterday. And may this curse carry forward and harry them through whatever evils they attempt in the future, frustrating their efforts, blunting their weapons, and rendering them speechless.