On Saturday we took our adorable 2 1/2 year old daughter to an Ocktoberfest fair on the Army post. It was the first time that I was able to put her on rides. She is a little dare devil so I knew she would enjoy it, she was fearless. I asked her what she wanted to go on first and she pointed to the highest fastest thing she could see. Luckily she was equally happy on the high slide, merry go round, swings and airplanes. She dragged me into the tents where local artisans were selling handmade bags. She spent twenty minutes purse shopping, settling on the Strawberry Shortcake one that matched her new light up shoes. Went and saw the lovely clown who made her a balloon bunny.  Then as the day wound down she got daddy to take her on the dragon rollercoaster she had been eyeing all day. My little pixie is Fearless.

 

When my hubby joined the army I was concerned about our little circle.  Part of me thought we would be ok, since most the time we are each solitary practicioners, we just come together on certain spells, try to get together for Sabbats, and call each other for input or advice when we are stuck on something. But part of me wondered how I was going to manage to stay involved when I was thousands of miles away. Shortly after moving here I got my answer, I got a call from one of my sisters, she was at a hotel for some convention and her room had a spirit in it. (I swear she draws them to her.) Using our blue tooths and cell phones we used our pendulums to communicate with him. She finally convinced him to stop hanging around there, that the only thing keeping him there was himself.

10pm on Monday night I was again called this time to help with a divination. (More like double check something for them, there was a situation they felt they were too close to, and that their personal feelings about what their friend should do was influencing the response.) This time using our house phone set on speaker. (thankfully we have a Vonage phone with a number local to the area they are in) 

So as it happens my fears seem to be unfounded. I am still stuck in the Army life for a few more years, but at least I know if my sisters need me magic can find a way.

"I am the sun, I am the air..I am human and I need to be loved..just like everybody else does.." How soon is Now. The song that always signaled the begining of Charmed (or the first half hour of The Craft was being rerun).

I know that it is was Hollywood fabrication. Made to draw in the viewer, and entertain the imagination for an hour. It did its job well.

I should note that I have studied psychology, creative writing, sociology and english, and at the time Charmed began I was studying the basics of paganism. (1999)

From a witchy stand point alot of details interspursed into the series was based on a myth, a philosophy, or a practice in modern paganism. Granted those were never the focus of the series, the focus was on making a marketable story about sisters. From a writers view they made alot of demons outward reflections of internal issues the charecters were facing.

Now onto the point of this post, though it is hollywood doesn't mean that we can't find inspiration in it. Their spells were written for almost anything under the sun, though I am decent at writing I get stuck sometimes when I write spells for myself and find somethimes when I am stuck and words appear they are a line or two from a the show, the rhyme stuck in my mind through all this time. Also some of the ideals that appear in the series effected me. In a Samhain episode they go back to coloinial times to save their ancestor. They are aided by a group of wise women, who teach them how to tap into magic, as their hollywood powers don't work. The leader of the wise women gives them advice that magic is done with Knowledge and Reverence. That concept has stuck with me. Whenever I go to cast, to celebrate a Sabbat or Esbat, I always remind myself to do so with knowledge of what I am doing and reverence for the universal energy.

I would never advocate anyone new to the pagan ways to try to sort out the truths from the hollywood fiction, its hard enough dealing with the discrepances from one book to another in the begining. But seasoned witches or pagans who can look past the silly hollywood glitter and marketing enjoy the campy, silly nature of the fantasy show just may be able to find inspiration in this show, or a host of others.

Shows and movies are like any other art form, they require some suspension of disbelief, a willingness to let your imagination take over, to see beyond what is obvious. Even really stupid things have valuble lessons within them, and all art has the potential to inspire, effect and touch you.  You just have to give it a chance.

Well the Army in its infinite insanity is, of course, moving us again. Unfortunately we will be on the road over Samhain. So I am trying to figure out some sort of celebration that can be done at either a rest stop or in a hotel room (with two cats, a toddler and a techno addict Druid of a husband). I am thinking I can pack  a tea light, some of my oils, and my mini cauldron and a dish of gourds, and my pentacle. So I can set up a makeshift altar, somewhere along the way.

Kind of bites since I can't take the two year old trick or treating. No costumes this year, just a cute little quirky out fit, ( a tee shirt with a witchlet on a broom, and a little orange skirt with a shiny black kitty cat)  At least she will look festive and she is too little to know she is missing free candy. Besides the stop over at my parents should distract her, since she misses them quite a bit.

Ok enough venting. Any suggestions for our nomadic Samhain are welcome. Blessings to all!

Cool air greeted my face this morning as I stepped out the door. Birds were chirping at the mischeivious antics of the local squirells. Brillant sunlight emanated from the flawless expanse of blue sky.  A rough quartz stone found its way to my daughers hands. We walked along enjoying the brisk breeze of autumn and smiled at the magic all around us.