Let us consider the time between Luciad and Moura.

Dear Reader,

At the time of Luciad, Our Lady Anna steps onto the iron wheel of incarnation. To move through the different layers of Creation, she must take on different forms. Indeed, she must move through the whole of Creation to reach the Netherworld and where the Abyss of Khear awaits her. 

On one hand, many will rightly argue that Our Lady is present within our hearts and therefore in the world. This is a powerful mystery in its own right but to focus only on this one is to ignore her sacrificial descent. Because of her descent through the whole of Creation, there comes a time where she will incarnate in this layer of Creation. There are infinite ways she might incarnate. Perhaps as a bird, perhaps as a sleeping seed, or as a human child that breathes three breaths and then dies. We can not to know how or in what form Our Lady will incarnate in this layer of Creation. But it will happen and her shining light will bless our layer of Creation in her infinite mercy.

At Moura, she has reached the outer reaches of the Netherworld. Moura-eve we celebrate her successful journey to those dark gates even as we prepare for the solemnity of her journey through the Netherworld.

Looking for Book Suggestions: Topic - Ethical Heathenry

 Dear Reader,

If you would be so kind, I am on the hunt for books that talk about ethics from the Heathen perspective. I'd prefer if it wasn't something like a pamphlet on the Nine Noble Virtues. That looks reasonable on the surface but you dig a little deeper and you find some ugliness there. It still creeps me out that the way my parents raised me lines up almost completely with them.

I'm positive there are more to Heathen ethics and I have a couple of young men who are attempting to get ready to make their way through the world in the next few years. I have copies of the writings of Marcus Aurelianus. I actually have a significant amount about Hellenic ethics. I am hoping that there's modern texts that dive into the same waters that I can hand them to read (because they only want me to tell the old stories to them).

So, if you fine people can help out that would be amazing. My Google-Fu is not as awesome as I wish it was. Also, why on earth do the nazi-tru apologists always pop up as experts on search engines? I almost got fooled by Galina Krasskrova. Then I saw through her smoke screen.

Practical Witchcraft: Dirt Poor Witchcraft - Stealth Altars and Shrines.

 Dear Reader,

Sometimes we find ourselves in places hostile to our religion. And yet we wish to have an icon and a small place set aside for worship. Being a bit crafty you can create everything from a portable altar to a portable shrine (as I have pictured here devoted to Freyr-Ingvi).

I'm not a big fan of stealth altars and shrines but I recognize the necessity of them and I have used them in the past when it was necessary. Candy tins and diminutive boxes are excellent tools for this sort of project. With a little craft paper, you can line the inside of the box with designs you associate with the deity or spirit in question. ModPodge is a popular adhesive used for these projects but I find it dries to fast for me to position things just right. Arleen's Craft Glue is less expensive and has just about the same versatility as ModPodge. If you're looking for a serious business method of securing things in the box, don't go with super glue because it may destroy your project. Use judicious amounts of hot glue.

Some people want to have an icon in their shrine/altar box. String dolls are an excellent way and sometimes you accidentally capture the essence of traditional figures of the deity or spirit in question. That penis shaped portion of the string doll of Freyr was entirely unintentional. I still don't know how it appeared. The choice of yarn color for the string doll was based on what I had at hand. You can be guided by traditional correspondences or your personal associations for color if you have the luxury of a range of colors available.

The most important part of a stealth shrine or altar is making sure that it can close discreetly, fit where ever you need it, and that you have all your supplies for it inside, neatly tucked away so it will close.

Hijabis for Peace?

Dear Reader,

Back when the war in Ukraine started, this meme went around - Babushkas for Ukraine. It's rather waned as that war has dragged on. I try to remember to do it but it's kinda hard when you have a lot of distractions.

I propose we bring that back. Maybe we pick a day that we do this tribute/protest action. And once a week, we wear that babushka in defiance of the apathy that has risen up in the face of a war that has not ended quickly.

In the light of the military action in Gaza, I additionally propose that people who cover their head wear the hijab for peace. This idea hit me today as I was trying to figure out what to wear to cover my head for my pictures on Instagram. (You can find me over there as cydira13)

The day I propose the Filianic and Déanic community who cover their heads to do this is the day of Sai Thamë. She is a Janya of peace and harmony. I would consider wearing the hijab that day as a silent prayer that Sai Thamë intervenes in the world's conflicts and bring peace among all people. If you wish, as you cover, pray for a special focus on specific regions of conflict (i.e. Gaza or Ukraine).
 

Prompt No. 1: The Hardest Part of Faith

 Hello Friends,

Since I have been really struggling to write anything, I've gone to my trusty prompt box and I'm going to work through some prompts until the well fills up with ideas again. Update, for all y'all, I still am sick with walking pneumonia and having a terrible time sleeping. I have a feeling I will be getting poked and prodded at my next doctor's appointment. It is a double whammy of a pneumonia follow up and a diabetes follow up. I'm not terribly optimistic. Ironically, this leads into the prompt for today: What is the hardest part of faith?

The hardest part of faith for me is when the fallow periods hit. It seems like I have been utterly abandoned by my spiritual companions and forgotten by the gods. It hits me when I am in deep depression, which just makes it worse. I tell myself patience and continuing to pray will get me through it, but some of those prayers sound like me asking them if I should unalive myself because of how pathetic of a creature I am. That's really hard. 

Conflating depression induced headblindness (the inability to perceive the Divine in anything) with depression induced suicidal ideation is awful. I don't get mopey, I just sit there numb and question why I was born and if there was a reason for all the hideous abuse I suffered when I was younger. I sit there with those sad, lonely, awful thoughts for a long while and then my need to survive and keep moving kicks in and I am doing things slowly and in fits and spurts, but I start to claw my way up out of the depression. 

About when I clear the depressive episodes, I realize that they were all there and watching me the whole time. I wasn't alone spiritually, I just felt that way because my sickness was interfering with everything in my life.

The Catholic Saint John of the Cross called this type of experience the Dark Night of the Soul. It comes to everyone of faith at some point in their lives. Some of us get to ride that awful merry-go-round a few times a year. It is a terrible ride. I do not recommend it. -2567/10

Practical Witchcraft: Dirt Poor Witchcraft - Offerings

 Dear Reader,

Offerings are a big deal. They are part of the glue that keeps the relationship between you and the spiritual beings in your life chugging along. There's a lot of competition between folks who post pics of their altars as to who is giving the best offerings and such. There is also a great deal of unverified personal gnosis that is flying around the community as to who likes what offerings and dislikes what other offerings. Don't let all of this talk discourage you.

While offerings are a big deal, they don't have to be expensive, brand name, or luxurious. They can be simple, humble, and as mundane as a shiny stone you saw that reminded you of Them. One of the most common offerings when one is on a tight budget is water. Some may scoff at water being an appropriate offering. For millennia, potable water just couldn't be had. This is why so many ancient cultures brewed up things like beer, mead, and wine. Yes, there was alcohol but the alcohol in it was what made the water safe to drink.

Your Mesopotamian spirit friend may be quite bored with beer, as it was their everyday beverage. Giving a glass of clean water would be a delightful change of pace for them. Offering common modern beverages is also an option. Popular rumor has it that Loki enjoys an occasional bit of Mountain Dew. It doesn't have to be a special wine glass or something you inherited from your great grandmother's china to serve it in. It can be in a mini-plastic cup (they're basically shot glasses but don't call 'em that).

Breads of many forms are staples of offerings. This doesn't have to be the case. You can put out some cookies, bake some biscuits, or make an extra serving of oatmeal in the morning. Indeed, you can put a small portion of your meal aside for Them. Don't go too far and sacrifice your health in order to express you affection and devotion. Your spiritual companions want to see you doing well and as healthy as you can be. This leads to a third option in giving food or drink. Dedicate your first bite/sip to your spiritual companions. For people who come from a Christian background, this may be a bit awkward at first. 

If you have been raised in a custom where you ask the Divine to bless your meal, you can compose a blessing dedicating the meal to your spiritual companions to be said (whispered or thought) over the meal before you eat.

Video Post: An Update and some rambling: Did the Dark Queen Cause All Suffering?

 

Dear Reader,

I apologize for the blurriness of the video, a lot of light behind me and some stuff on the lens doesn't make for a great picture. I open this video with an explanation and an apology why I've been away for so long. It's been a rough year between my bipolar type 2 acting up and my seasonal affective disorder kicking me in the teeth roughly around a week after the solstice last year. I'm doing a bit better now, but it's utter chaos trying to pick up all the threads laying around and get the kids ready for school. Also, I have forgotten how to do algebra which is making tutoring my eldest son a nightmare. Between the two of us, I can't multiply with out a calculator and he can't divide with out one. It's been rough going.

I've been visiting with the local Jehovah's Witnesses for a little while. The gave me a tract and shared with me a video that presented the claim that the fall of the angels was due to Satan's questioning Jehovah about the possibility of a perfectly good world. And, as per their tract and video, the Jehovah's Witnesses argue that all suffering in this world is due to Satan, who has command of it.

This got me to thinking about the Dark Queen and her relationship to the world and suffering. I am of a position that suffering is a natural consequence of being in this world. It's not a punishment or the result of a sadistic anti-demiurge wanting to torture all of existence. The Dark Queen and her servants can cause mischief, mayhem, and misery but they are not the reason why I have bipolar type 2 or that my nieces have it as well. That's just flawed genetics which arises from being in an imperfect world.

The Dark Queen's power is diminished by the Daughter's Sacrifice and the Mother's Rescuing of her Daughter. The servants are as mist on the wind. They can give us a spiritual chill and make illusions dance before us in that mist, but they are powerless over us. Temptation to despair and give up hope are ultimately empty words from the Dark Queen's servants, no matter how beguiling they sound. Because in the end, they are forced to pass away from us and we see the light of Déa shining through the mist, banishing it to the place it arose from.

Incapacitating Migraines can be Odd.

 Dear Reader,

I now understand the theory that Hildegarde von Bingen had ocular migraines and this was the root of her visions. I have ocular migraines. The aura symptoms for me include pain, food cravings, and my vision going blurry/foggy in my right eye. I usually have to take my medicine and go lay down in a dark room for a few hours. This time the migraine lasted three days. With my eyes closed, I saw colors and wavy lines. It was odd.

When sleep finally came, my dreams were vivid in color and realistic in action. Alas, they were nightmares of past trauma. As I woke up, on day two of this fun-fest, I heard a quiet voice telling me that I am strong enough to thole this as I have other pains. Thole is an interesting word from Anglo-Saxon. It means the ability to endure suffering and continue to act. (I am slowly learning Anglo-Saxon. I don't think I'll ever have a comprehensive grasp on it. I started too late and teachers are few.)

I don't know if Hildegarde's visions came during her migraines. I know that mine do not. But sometimes, the symptoms leading up to the migraine include elements that I had seen before in dreams. It's usually right before a pretty bad migraine. Precognitive dreams are funky. You see something happen and you see yourself acting, but it is all as if it is a movie, you have no control over anything despite the hyper realism of the dream. The hyper realism thing usually happens in lucid dreams, which you can control stuff and do things like fly.

My visions hit me like my flashbacks to trauma do. I get a cold sensation in the pit of my gut and suddenly I'm not here anymore. Flashbacks, I can't act or say anything. I can only relive the trauma in full color and all the sensory awfulness that happened. Visions, I can act and I can speak. They last a minute at most, though they were longer when I was younger and not on psychoactive medication to control my flashbacks. But, given Einstein's law of General Relativity, time is relative to the frame of action. Thus that one minute can feel like an hour. And a lot can happen in an hour. 

What is the Rule of Our Lady? Pt.2

 In my last essay, I addressed the central rule of Our Lady. Let us expand our view a bit more. In the adapted Madrian rules for a harmonious life a great deal of emphasis is placed on obedience and maintaining the social order of the household. In the Aristasian rendition of these rules, the same emphasis is there but it is expanded to include a larger social hierarchy. With all of this focus on obedience, it is tempting to say it is a slavish, cult like mindset. I suppose one could say that, but what of the free will that Déa endowed all beings with.

Socrates is reputed have said on his death bed - The unexamined life is worthless. Our Lady appears to agree with this sentiment given how often we are called to self examination in the Book of Her Teachings. Between self examination and free will, obedience  becomes a decision based in critical thinking. One may decide to hold up the existing social structures by obeying the implicit rules of the unspoken social contract between the members who create that social structure. One may decide not to obey the social contract and undermine a given social structure. 

Either decision bears considerable weight and should be made from a place of love for oneself and others. If the social structure you find yourself in is doing harm, it is wise to reject it for the sake of your wellness and the wellness of those who depend on you. At the same time, your actions, may by necessity, imitate others who support this system of behavior and deed. Action that is coerced can not be held against you. Remember that before any other being, we are called to obey Our Lady. Her rule is love unto all, including ourselves and those that would scorn us.

Such loving is difficult, especially in the case of those who scorn us. It is wise to love such persons from a discreet distance to maintain your safety. We need not embrace that which is dangerous to ourselves or those who depend on us to prove our transpersonal love. Treating them with respect and courtesy is enough.

Postscript: I currently am operating with a massive migraine. I've had this post on deck for a little while now and then lost it among my children's school papers. When I found it this afternoon, I knew I had to post it before it got eaten by my desk. Please forgive any typos and grammatical errors you find in this. Migraines are horrid things.

Practical Witchery: Depression Witchcraft (pt. 3)

 Dear Reader,

It's been rough for a while now over in my neck of the woods. I'm starting to come out of that depressive episode and, boy, is there a mess around here to clean up. Depression can make you neglect things that are important, like self-care. For witches, self-care looks a little different for every witch you meet. One thing that they'll agree on is that regular practice of grounding and centering yourself is important to be on the path to recovery from depression. Now, if you ask 13 witches how to do this, you're going to get 463 answers.

Here's my contribution to that 463 answers.

• Eat or drink something - the act of consuming food and beverages forces one to focus on their body.*
• Sit on the floor or the ground. Then project your energy down through your spine and pelvis into the surface you are sitting on. Allow it to be absorbed and dissipate.
• Take a shower or a bath - this is like the first suggestion and works to get you back to a 'mundane' headspace.*
• Hold a rock or put your hands into dirt. Then project your energy through your arms, out your hands and into the stone or dirt. If you're using a stone, after projecting your energy into the stone, set it on the ground and wait for the energy to dissipate.
• Wash your hands or place your hands in running water
• Hold an ice-cube, for a more intense sensation to focus on place the ice cube in your mouth
• Note five elements of your environment that you see. Repeat the process with your other senses
• Practice the Square Breathing technique: Inhale to a slow count of four, hold your breath to a slow count of four, exhale to a slow count of four. Repeat as necessary.

You may notice that some of my suggestions are classic techniques used to help people with PTSD and other dissociative disorders to refocus on their present situation. These techniques work for people with depression and are struggling to focus. They are also highly effective for helping you let go unwanted energy.

*For people who are bodily dysphoric, these exercises are difficult and I recommend choosing one of the other exercises. Remember, this is supposed to be a gentle exercise to ground unwanted energy and focus you on the present moment.

Addendum: Bodily dysphoria happens for many reasons and to many people. If you are struggling with it, you are not alone. Be gentle with yourself and your body, it is your home on this plane and as special as you are. (And yes you are special and deserve to be happy, healthy, and well.)

Self care is magic.

 Dear Reader,

If you're suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, like I am right now, you may be beating yourself up for not engaging in your magical practice as much as you feel like you should be right now. Take a moment to take a step back. There's one very big form of magic that you can be doing, should be doing right now. It's called self care. Self care, in all it's various forms, transmutes negative and unhealthy thought forms into neutral if not healthy ones. That is high magic, to be honest. 

Don't kick yourself for not having the energy to do anything more than light a candle and pray. Don't kick yourself for not having the energy to do anything more than ground yourself when your anxiety starts to spike. Don't beat yourself up for having a hard time, especially right around the holidays. Yeah, they put on a good show about how everyone is supposed to be cheerful and shit but it's all a lie, a badly packaged lie.

Don't kick yourself for the fact that you don't fit that lie. You're a real person, not a character in a Hallmark movie. You've got real life issues to deal with and some of that stuff is real hard. Take some time, however much you can spare, and do something that is gentle and loving for yourself. Maybe it's a cup of tea or the stereotypical bubble bath. Maybe its brushing your hair for the first time in three days and taking a warm shower. It doesn't matter what it is, it's still magic. It still counts as self care. Take care of yourself, because you're important and you are loved. You may not feel like you are loved, but I assure you that the High Ones do love you and want to see you well.

Practical Witchery: Spice cupboard = Spell supply cabinet.

 Dear Reader,

I apologize for this post being a day late. Family business had me running about town and getting errands done most of the day. Kitchen witchery is more than a cozy aesthetic. It can be an inexpensive and highly functional way to get spell work done. Many of the spices in your cupboard have magical associations that have been forgotten about.

I can't give you a full list of spices and associations because I don't have a complete collection of herbals. What I can do, however, is point you in the direction of some good resources. Before I do that, I want to explain why spices and herbs are a great tool to use in your magical work. First off, they're easily accessed from your local supermarket or grocery store. You don't have to go foraging and worry if what you're collecting is an endangered plant or not. Secondly, unless someone has a specific food allergy, they're safe for use in all forms of spell craft, including things that are going to be consumed or put upon the skin.

A well stocked spice cupboard is going to include things like Tarragon, which is a plant known to help with psychic abilities and ease with sleep. An older name for Tarragon is Mugwort. You may have seen things that call for Mugwort. There is multiple plants that go by this name, Tarragon is the safest to use and is very gentle in its effects. Other items in your spice cupboard can be used to create incense, which can save you big money down the road. (I have an incense blend for Loki that is a combination of clove, cinnamon, and dried ginger. I put a pinch of the ground spices onto a bit of smoldering charcoal and it smells wonderful.)

It is important to recognize if you are using herbs and spices as alternative medicine that you should consult with your doctor. Almost every herb and spice has some form of medicinal use at correct proportions. Fenugreek, for example, is known to help with gas and is said to help nursing mothers increase their milk production. It can, however, interact with medications that you are on. Don't worry about bringing up the use of herbs and spices in your efforts to be proactive in your health. Today, there is a legion of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who are trained to know what herbs will interact with what medications. (This includes food too, as I'm on one that I had to give up grapefruit because it causes liver problems with the medication I'm on. It was my pharmacist who explained that one to me.)

Looking up the uses of herbs and spices in a magical and medicinal purpose is challenging. There's a lot of conflicting information out on the internet. I would recommend one begins with actual books that have been published on the topic. While Culpepper's Herbal is interesting, it should be regarded with some caution because it was written long before we understood how medicine worked. M. Grieve's A Modern Herbal (it's two volumes) is a bit dated because it comes from approximately the WWI / WWII era. It does, however, contain a great deal of information on how to use a wide range of plants, including herbs and spices in your work. The best book I can recommend is The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants from Andrew Chevallier. This book covers the science and the history of the use of a wide range of plants (a large number of them being herbs, spices, and edible ones).

By Independent Filianists for Independent Filianists.

 Dear Reader,

It seems that the Orthodox Filianic community are displeased with the Children of Déa Version of the Clear Recital. They've expressed some skepticism about things included and displeasure with the changes to the language. I find this questionable. A purist would have taken objection with the Authorized Aristasian Version (Also known as The Gospel of Our Mother God) because there were vast amounts of the wisdom texts left out or heavily edited. And there was an appropriation of Sanskrit holy texts on two accounts. Still, I see this upheld as a valid and commendable edition of the Clear Recital. Thus, I question the way that the Orthodox Filianic community have chosen to view the Children of Déa Version.

Some have said that this work has no basis in community revelations. This is because they are not in contact with the Independent Filianic community. In many ways, the division between the Orthodox Filianic community and Independent Filianic community is deep and irreconcilable. The reaction to this edition of the Clear Recital high lights this ideological chasm. The focus of their criticism is upon the language used. This criticism shows that they do not recognize the Clear Recital as a living document, which many in the Independent Filianic community view the Clear Recital as. As a living document, the Clear Recital is subject to multiple interpretations and iterations that are responsive to the times that it moves through.

When holy texts become static, this is where dogmatic adherence to a strict single interpretation from an assumed authority becomes the rule. There is no Pope or similar authority figure in Filianism. If the Orthodox Filianic community wishes to devise a council to encourage and enforce the orthodox perspective, so be it. But, I question whom would take the diversity within the Orthodox Filianic community and condense it down to a single perspective? From what authority comes the guidance and directive to do so? I fear that the Orthodox Filianic community, if they move upon the path of enforcing a specific interpretation of the Clear Recital, will become a cult of personality and become more focused upon adhering to the views of the person who eventually establishes themselves as their would be leader instead of listening to the guidance of Déa as found within themselves and in the Clear Recital.

The Children of Déa Version of the Clear Recital was produced by Independent Filianists for Independent Filianists. It shares a great deal with the previous versions of the Clear Recital, but it has been revised to meet the needs of the Independent Filianic community. It is not 'male centric' as some critics have said. Language has been turned to gender neutral in many places, except where it logically does not make sense. It has had the grammar and syntax adjusted so that the reading level required to get through it is lower, therefore more accessible. The essential messages of the wisdom texts are unchanged. And the changes to the Creation and the Holy Mythos of the Daughter are based upon revelations that were given to members of the Independent Filianic community over the last five years. This is not a book for the Orthodox Filianic community. It does not address your needs. It is for the Independent Filianic community that has a different set of needs which Déa has seen fit to address through what she has revealed to different members of the Independent Filianic community.

Yes, this book has been put under copyright protection. This does not make the book the property of the copyright holder. This protects the intellectual content of the book. It is a break with the traditions associated with the Clear Recital. It is my opinion that it is a wise choice to do so because every single holy book you can go out and buy has copyright protection for every single possible version of it out there (with the exception of a very small number of books). Copyright protection is something that preserves the integrity of the text. Relying upon the honorable conduct of others in this day and age is a fickle thing because there is a large population that do not believe in honor as a code of conduct. The honor system that was adhered to in the past to preserve the Clear Recital is not dependable today.

Indeed, if one views the Children of Déa Version of the Clear Recital as an abomination, it simply proves the necessity for the other versions to have been presented under the protection of copyright.

I did not work alone on this version of the Clear Recital, though my name is on it. The others who contributed to it are intentionally anonymous to prevent harassment and abuse. I have seen what happens when internet communities turn ugly. I have placed my shield between them and those who would give them grief sufficient to drive them away from our shared faith. I have done so because that is what Déa and the High Ones demand of me. If you wish to seek out the sources of the inspired content, I'm sure you can find it floating around on the internet somewhere. But the internet is a large place and quite convoluted. Let it be enough that it was revealed and has been shared. Such was the way of things with the Clear Recital in the beginning of things.

Joyful news!

 Dear Reader,

Your purchase of The Clear Recital: The Children of Déa Version has funded the charity project that I have been itching to be working on. It was suspended temporarily due to Covid-19, but they're starting to look for preemie hats again. The white hat pictures is the size that would fit the head of a 3 - 5 lb premature baby. Preemies can have head sizes that range from that of a lemon to the size of a small grapefruit. Micro-preemies can have heads as small as a large chicken's egg. I use acrylic yarn because it is hypoallergenic and can be washed normally with out fears of anything bad happening to the hat. I crochet the hats because it makes for a thicker hat which helps keep the baby's head warmer (this helps them with regulating their bodily temperature). 

As I get more hats done I will try to post pictures of the progress I am making. The year before Covid-19 arrived on the scene and the program was suspended, I had produced a little over 50 hats. This year my goal is to double it. I may post my pattern (which can be enlarged to make simple hats for older children and adults by adding more rounds to the crown of the hat) later too. (And yes, my yarn bag says 'Happy Hooker' it makes the people at the spinning guild crack up every time I whip it out.)

What is the place of chronic illness in Filianism/Déanism

 Dear Reader,

This is something I have been struggling with for months. I've been swinging between depressive episodes and mixed episodes for the last three months. Working with my care professionals, there's some changes going on in my treatment and they seem to be leading to greater stability and health. I really should have said something sooner. (If you are struggling with illness or malaise of any sort, seek out help. It really isn't necessary to struggle when there is help available for most any manner of illness. I was a fool to wait this long.)

Among the questions troubling me was what was the place of chronic illness, more specifically mental illness, within the faith system of Filianism and Déanism.  This question nagged at me even as the medication change lifted the other persistent questions of self-worth from my awareness. If we consider the matter from one perspective, chronic illness is a manifestation of the fragility of all things due to khear. There are many who consider khear synonymous with sin and argue that we who suffer with chronic illness are somehow more flawed than those who do not have such an affliction. I would be so bold as to contend that this argument is grievously flawed and uncompassionate.

A much more reasonable argument is that chronic illness is part of the conditions of living within this world. Life includes suffering for many reasons, most of them hard to define. As beings that are incarnate, we suffer the afflictions that come attendant upon existing in this world. Each form of misfortune that befalls us, be it the failure of our health or our fortunes, is a part of this world being flawed. It is fixed wyrd that causes chronic illness by way of events we can not influence.

I would not dare to say that these events are karmic payment for past life errors. This would be as bad as saying that those who suffer chronic illness are more filled with khear than others and this is an outward manifestation of it. Cruelty does not begin to describe this position. It must be rejected for the same reasons as the other. Thus we cycle back to the question of what is the role of fixed wyrd.

Fixed wyrd, as best I can tell, are life circumstances that are in place to shape a person into what they are supposed to be according to the larger scheme of life. They are crucial events that we are unable to avoid no matter what other choices we make in our lifetime prior to or after these events. Some elements of fixed wyrd may be pleasant. Others are less so. Generally, however, they are morally neutral and simply an event of consequence. The key to this statement is the phrase 'morally neutral'. They are neither morally good nor morally evil. They are events that simply happen, however tragic they may be.

As best I can figure it, the place of chronic illness in Filianism and Déanism is the afflicted are people who require compassion and care as certainly as anyone else. The afflicted are people who have as much capacity to embody good as anyone else. And, the afflicted are people who are at times in closer tune with the suffering of Our Lady. They can not escape their conditions and struggle mightily to live within the constraints placed upon them. As such, perhaps they who struggle with chronic illness might have a hope of beginning to understand the sorrows of Our Lady. 

For, when Our Lady entered into this world, we do not know if she came into it hale and filled with vigor or if she was carrying the burden of some manner of chronic condition that made her frail despite the power within her. The holy teachings tell us that she is with us at all times even as she reigns in Avala. It is possible that among they who suffer from chronic illness, there is a masked presence of Our Lady moving through the world to see how all fares.

I, however, am a madwoman who lives a life that is somewhat isolated and stranger than others. Perhaps another with deeper knowledge may illuminate this with their wisdom. This is simply my attempt to understand my place in things and the place of others like myself. I stubbornly refuse to accept the argument that we are fundamentally the embodiment of how far we have fallen from perfection. I stubbornly refuse to accept the argument that we are to be shunned for such reasons. Far too many people live in suffering from chronic illness and things that they can not change for me to accept the implied argument that we have embrace khear and this is an outward manifestation of it.

Practical Witchery: Lunar Timing.

 Dear Reader,

There's a plethora of books about how to time every thing from planting your garden to cutting your hair with the phase of the moon. There's so much stuff about it, it even makes it in to the Old Farmer's Almanac (which is quite literally the last place I'd look for anything witchcraft related). Generally, the time frame from the new to full moon is good for things to increase. The time frame from the full to the new moon is good for things to decrease. This is a form of sympathetic magic that relies upon the apparent increase and decrease in the visible moon to affect the increase or decrease effects of your spell.

I don't use astrology except to idly note where the moon is located at a given time in the sky during the month. There are practitioners who time things by when the moon is located in specific signs oriented with different astrological houses. Again, as I am by no way an expert or experienced in astrology (too much math for me), I can't point you to good resources to help you with this form of timing. 

I use lunar timing based off of moon phase because it is where I have gotten the most effective results. During the dark of the moon, that approximately three day period around the new moon, I find is most effective for shadow work and revealing things that are hidden. During the approximate three day period around the full moon, I find is most effective for general magical practice of any sort.

My Heathenry

 I posted briefly on Tumblr something about my approach to heathenry. In some ways, I grew up with heathen values. Not the "Nine Noble Virtues" but things like be honorable in word and deed, always be hospitable to guests, treat strangers with courtesy, strength with out wisdom is wasted, and family is everything. Things did not turn out as I had thought they would as a child and my parents did not prove to have the values that I grew up on. I am so dynamically different from my parents and siblings that I have regularly been asked if I was adopted. (We're estranged now for various reasons, but to say the least, I did not mesh well into their family dynamic on the basis of my personality and sense of honor.)

I have some customs that sort of come from my parents and come from what I could extrapolate from the different pagan lore that I studied over the years. I always make enough food for a possible surprise visitor. My family make a point of being hospitable to any guest that arrives at our door, regardless of how we might feel about them personally. At the same time, we are very protective of our boundaries and do not allow folks that could be harmful past the threshold. We are polite but firm about this. Instead of words, we express gratitude with actions. It's like the old concept 'a gift demands a gift in return.'  I also take the approach, that it is always better to give too much than be thought stingy when giving gifts. I have the habit of giving peace-gifts to maintain the bonds of good will between us and people who are important in our lives.

I am careful not to swear an oath that I can not keep. I am doubly so when it comes to teaching my children not to swear in such a manner. There are those who would take them at their word and treat them ill if they were unable to keep the oath. I make a point of giving offerings to my family's ancestors. We have a small ancestor shrine in the living room near the altar. Every morning, I give an offering to the gods and ancestors, asking their good will and blessings over all of our household. I do my best to maintain my plethora of houseplants in good care as an offering to Freyr, the spirits of the plants, and the landwights. I dedicate my efforts to maintain the household to the housewight. (Fortunately, they are understanding of my difficulties and tend to be bemused with the kids efforts to help that make more messes than they clean up.)

I do not engage racists, except to mock them or get into a verbal fight with them. I am firmly of the mind that the gods call who they call regardless of skin color or background. The gatekeepers be damned. I am annoyed with the conflation of the Marvel version of prominent figures from the lore (i.e. Thor and Loki) with the actual lore. I try to present evidence that the Norse pantheon is not the same as Marvel's version. At the same time, I recognize that popculture paganism is a thing. So, I try to be understanding. Loki likes to throw me curveballs from time to time in referencing Marvel's version of him just to make sure that I'm paying attention. Marvel!Mythology is different from the lore but in the eyes of popculture pagans, it is the same weight. I try to be sensitive to that.

I have a particularly strong loathing for trans-exclusionary radical feminists. Having been a target of their harassment by virtue of the fact that my vocal range is lower than most other women and my thyroid is a bit on the large side, I have no qualms about getting in their faces. I have in the past, literally had to fight people to make them stop harassing me over these things. I would do so again in a heartbeat if it were necessary. I defend the rights, safety, and honor of transgender people with all the same passion that I do the rights, safety, and honor of all non-heterosexual people. Part of this position is because I have people I love who are in these communities and I feel honor bound to protect them. Part of this position is because I am a Loki's woman and I believe I would be a hypocrite if I did not defend or stand up for the people who fall outside of the cis-het dynamic. It doesn't hurt that I happen to be bisexual and part of the LGBTQ+ community. If anything, that makes me a bit more aggressive about it.

I am something of an animist. I believe that just about everything has a spirit. I try to maintain a good accord with the spirits about me. The jury is still out if the computer has a singular spirit or if it is a community of spirits forced to work together. Electronics in general is a fuzzy area that I am still trying to parse out how they fit into this world view. But all living things have a spirit. Elemental forces are spirits. Deities exist in the realm of spirits as well as elsewhere. I do my best to keep the spirits on my side. That means caring for a garden and leaving out offerings when I can. 

I am not a 'normal' heathen. And I'm ok with that. 

Practical Witchery: Check your ingredients list.

Dear Reader,

Witchcraft has become a popular topic. There are countless blogs, books, and other sources of media covering it. Sifting through it all to find what you need is a bit of a challenge. Especially if you're not familiar with the way things work and you're just looking for a good 'recipe' to solve your problem. The trick is, there are a lot of pretty and attractively assembled 'recipes' out there that won't work or are actually dangerous. Regardless of how pretty and attractive the presented site may be, be cautious about using what you find there. (I include myself here on the list of be cautious because even I make mistakes in my published 'recipes.')

If you go out looking for a spell to solve your problem, you will find so many different options it boggles the mind. Choice overload is a thing. As tempted as you may be to take the first option that pops up or the one that has the best aesthetically pleasing photography, don't jump in with both feet first. Make a point to check these spells out. Are they safe? Do they use components you can easily and safely access? Are they legal to perform? For example, a necromancy ritual that requires you to enter a graveyard after dark and take some dirt from a random grave is not legal in most places because most graveyards close at sunset. And the removing of dirt from a grave is legally considered disturbing the dead and can net you some criminal charges on top of trespassing. I do not recommend you go forward with that ritual. I also highly recommend against taking grave dirt from a random grave. This can anger the deceased and that's how you get haunted, folks.

Additionally, any spell that requires action against an unwilling participant (i.e. putting something in their drink) can get you into trouble legally. It won't matter to the court that you believe the person whose beverage you put a drop of your blood into is your soul-mate. It's still a criminal charge to tamper with food that is being served to people and can be considered attempted poisoning. Oh, and that spell that requires you to bury something under the target's door step is encouraging trespassing. If you're that committed to the act, recognize that you're facing a lot of possible consequences that are unpleasant. Trespassing charges, harassment charges, and more can result from this stuff. There's a reason why the spells that encourage these things tell you to do it under cover of darkness, to make it harder for you to get caught. But it's harder to do that these days because more and more places are well lit and fewer places have loose doorsteps you can bury things under.

Don't think that going for potions is the best route to avoid danger. A common mistake made is that potions are all edible. They're not. The vast majority of them include questionable contents that can potentially be poisonous. There is no quality control over spell supplies. This is not like pharmacology where there is strident quality control and procedures to ensure uniform product results. No one is running a double blind study to make sure that Mable's Love Potion is safe to drink, sprinkle on anything, or even be in the same room. (I'd like to remind y'all of the dangers of mixing random household cleaners. It kills people on a regular basis, hence the warning labels. Urine has ammonia in it, so don't mix it with bleach. The list goes on. Check your chemicals as to if they're safely compatible.)

Check your materials vigorously. If you're using herbs, consult with a pharmacologist or a nurse practitioner (who get trained in herbal medicine to some extent because of how common it is). Make sure that what you're using and its dosage is safe. If you are making something that is not to be consumed, make sure that there isn't any dangerous chemical reactions that are going to result from the different components being combined. Some chemical reactions will cause noxious fumes that can kill you. Some chemical reactions will cause burns. Others will literally start fires if not handled properly. Just because its sold in the store doesn't mean that you can use it for anything you want. (For example, always make sure your paint thinner rags are completely dried out and separated from anything flammable when you dispose of them. They will spontaneously combust.)

The internet is a gold mine of material and information. You have to sift the bad information out from the good and then you have to carefully go over the good information to make sure it suits your needs and is safe to use. Critical thinking skills and research skills are vital to the safe practice of witchcraft. Like when you're looking up a new recipe to cook for dinner, check your ingredients list and consider your guest list. You wouldn't want to serve something that would kill your guests or yourself, would you? Don't play games with magic, it can hurt you or someone else very badly.

Divination: Is it Bad Luck to Buy Your Own Tools?

 Dear Reader,

If you've even mentioned a passing interest in divination, especially the ever popular Tarot, you may have heard many rumors and a few urban legends. The most popular one that has been around for about as long as Tarot has been used for divination is that it is bad luck to buy your own Tarot deck. Any cartomancer worth their salt will laugh at this implication and resume building up their hoard of decks. Seriously, most of the cartomancers I know have at least five decks. Then there's the serious collectors who have upwards of fifty. There's so much variety in decks that the sky (and your budget) really is the limit on this one.

The argument that it is bad luck to purchase your own divination tools or *gasp* make your own is strictly based in the premise that we must be gatekeepers of this practice. The persons who push this gatekeeping policy the hardest tend be the ones who feel that their livelihood is somehow threatened by transgressors: shop owners, professional cartomancers, other psychics, etc. If you look at the history of divination, you find that professional diviners had their trade secrets and they guarded them closely. One of the ways of doing so, was to tell people who were curious that divination was dangerous some how. The argument that attempting divination with out meeting certain arbitrary criteria (which differed from source to source) was ill luck is perhaps the most common one.

Today, we live in the era of open sourced divination. Diviners are networking and trading ideas at a rate never seen before. The market for Tarot decks is enormous and the uses ranges as widely as the different styles of decks that are out there. This old gatekeeping practice really needs to be abandoned so that new innovation can be encouraged in the age old practice of divination. Buy all the types of divination tools and books that your heart desires (and your pocket book can afford). You have no need to fear ill luck befalling you for doing so, just choice paralysis because there are too many varieties to pick from.

Are you in the book of Faces?

 Dear Reader,

I now have an author's page up on Facebook. I'm still working on it, but I will be adding links to works I have out, blog posts, and random stuff that I come up with for that page. Here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/ladybrythwensinclair

If you're on Facebook and want to chat, I try to be on there in the afternoon most days. If anything, there's a 24 hour turn around time on posts and questions. Starting Monday, I will be posting links to blog posts up there. I am going to be setting up a Pinterest page 'mood board' for Filianism. A link to that will be popping up as soon as I get it reasonably settled.

I am in the process of figuring out how to get my own domain name and such. So, progress is happening. I still, kinda, have no idea what I'm doing, but the gods are kind and I know I'll be shown the way forward.