Tracing My Roots; Honoring My Ancestors

Until this year, ancestor work hasn’t been a part of my practice. Being raised as a generic, Southern Protestant, without any sort of strong extended family ties or traditions is not a background that supports a connection to honoring the ancestors. However, inevitably, the things I cringe at or run away from will be the …

Friday Check-In (Chicken) and Helloooo, Halloween-Time!

Hello, Friday! Wow, this week has been a wild ride that Mr. Toad would be proud of. A lot of hard, a lot of good – and we’re teetering on the edge of the Time of the year when we start thinking about/celebrating Death and the Dead. Opal and I have both been in dialogue with …

Friday Check-In (Chicken): Turning and Re-Turning

Hello, Friday! It’s good to see you again. I missed the Check-In (Chicken) last week, so I’m going to practice breathing and re-turning to this practice. Breathing and turning – and re-turning. Breathing, and turning again to this practice of checking in (chickening) on my week. Breathing, and turning again to see brilliant colors emerging …

Storytime: Persephone Speaks

Joy here. I promised you a story – so here it is. These are Persephone’s musings on her yearly descent into Hades. It hurts, this waiting, oh, it hurts. I know that the Change comes. I know it approaches. I am ready to pick the flower, look into the mirrored pool, and descend. Go down, …

Friday Check-In (Chicken) and Thinking About Stories

Hello, Friday! You took forever to get here this week, and I’m not sure why. But you are here now, so we are going to Check-In (Chicken). But first! We’re going to talk a little bit about stories. Because I? Adore stories. Ever since my Grandmother gave me my first book of Greek mythology and read …

Friday Check-In (Chicken) and Making Introductions

The idea of a Friday Check-In (Chicken) is something I picked up from Havi, of the Fluent Self. She describes it as: Where I cover the good and the hard in my week, visiting the non-preachy side of ritual and self-reflection. By the way, everyone, meet Havi. She doesn’t know me, but she’s one of …

What’s in a Name: Joy

Joy is not the name on my birth certificate. However, in many ways, it feels more real, more accurate than the name that is on my birth certificate. The practice of taking a spiritual or magickal name is not unique to modern pagan/neopagan traditions. My friends in the ISKCON (Krishna consciousness) community are given a …

Taking Care of My Needs: When readers need readings.

One of my mentors likes to remind me frequently that “Clergy need clergy.” To generalize this, folks who provide services often need the very services they provide from someone else. Doctors often need to see other doctors; massage therapists need massages; day-care workers need childcare…etc. And Tarot readers sometimes need readings from other people. Some …