Not everyone follows the same path, but it always feels like there is a set of assumptions we all make about fellow pagans, and ourselves if we choose to use that label. Which is stupid. We are all individuals with our own strengths and weaknesses. It have been in a low spot lately… (stress will do that) and I was feeling a little low about the state of my path. It happens. I fell into the thinking traps that I think we all do. There was lots of negativity towards somethings just not clicking for me. The same thing applies to my writing. I have never been a writer and I don’t pretend to be now. But, even though I know that and I KNOW it is ok to just get it out there and blog, I haven’t writing, I’ve been deleting things before I hit post.
I snapped out of it. And I am here to say be your own fucking witch or pagan or whatever the hell you want to call yourself. What do witches do? We used to steal milk apparently. Wouldn’t it be silly if we all started judging each other on how much milk we stole? Or being harsh on ourselves if we hadn’t stolen milk yet this month? Thank you to New World Witchery for pointing this out to me. “What Witches Do” changes with the times. I personally haven’t cursed a cow, and that is another thing witches are supposed to do. Listening to that episode of New World Witchery pointed out how silly it is to have a literal checklist that never changes of things you have to do to be considered a witch. Some goes with being considered pagan.
I still wasn’t out of my self doubt, and it took another thunk on the head to finally clear the cobwebs of doubt out. This came in the form of Chris Orapello’s interview with Sarah Lawless on his podcast Down at the Cross Roads. These two man, so freaking smart, and clever, and just sharp! Chris is an excellent interviewer and really pokes at the core of our community, and Sarah is just about as badass and amaze-balls as witches come. Chris and Sarah talked about a lot of things, but one of them was on being a witch, what it means and what it doesn’t mean.
Both the episode of New World Witchery and Down At the Crossroads had this message of do your own thing. Witches, healers, and seers used to be specialized. Both made that point, and that now there is this perception that we have to do it all. Fuck it. Do your own thing. Find what you are good at. I think this is a message we can all use loud and clear in our practices.
Try anything you want to, and find what you love and what you are good at. If it’s not your thing that is ok.
This is permission to be your own seeker. Future self I am talking to you too. Try that new thing and just can’t see what everyone is raving about? Maybe it just isn’t for you and that is A-OK.
I am going to go outside and be that witch that talks to chickens, and you should listen to those episodes…. or not. do whatever.
Wonderful! I’m so happy you got what you did from the episode. The pairing with the episode of NWW (great episode) is an interesting synchronicity as my interview with Sarah happened in early May so the similar aspects between the two shows might be a sign of the shifting mindset within some of the community. Interesting. 🙂
I hope it is! I think that being your own witch and its ok to specialize is a very important message! I wish that message was in some of the books I read growing up.
Wow, I burst out laughing reading this post, because I had the exact same reaction from listening to these two episodes. Lawless hit the nail on the head when she said all these online comparisons were the metaphysical equivalent of keeping up with the Joneses.
There is also a tendency for people to feel they have to have a niche that no one else occupies. In some ways it’s the polar opposite of keeping up with the Joneses, but the harsh master of being completely original can be just as bad.
So, you can go talk to your chickens, and I’ll go talk to my apple trees!
Talk to those apple trees! Actually I have seen studies that plants grow better when you talk to them. I talk to mine all the time! 🙂