I'm a bit of a Grinch

As we head into the holiday season, I need to get something out in the open...

I'm a bit of a Grinch.

There are really about three things about the holiday season.
1) I enjoy getting presents. (Really, who doesn't?)
2) I like the once a year treats and foods.
3) I love spending time with family I don't get to see very often. 

But here's the thing...

I don't watch holiday specials. I don't enjoy listening Christmas music. I don't like the commercials that play over and over and sometimes don't change for years. I'm not a big fan of Christmas decorations. The Elf on the Shelf freaks me out.


And I get frustrated when people don't understand that I don't enjoy these things. It started long before I discovered I walk a pagan path.

I really wish people would let it be.

This time of the year should be more about spending time with family and friends then what present you are going to get them. We should be concerned about helping people all year round, not just in November and December. I believe children should behave because they are taught to do the right thing, not because Santa is watching. 

So I'm a bit of a Grinch. I'm not out to ruin your holiday, I may just have a different opinion than you. In any case, I hope everyone enjoy's their holiday season. I will just do it in my way.

"The threat of Christmas hung in the air, visible already in the fretful look of passersby as they readied themselves for the meaningless but necessary rites of false jovialities and ill-considered gifts." 

-Peter Dickinson

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday. In the midst of all the turkey and football, make sure you take time to reflect on all the wonderful blessings in you life. Take time to think about all the people that give your life meaning. Thank your deities for their influence in your life. Remember those who might not be as fortunate than yourself. Really take time to be thankful for all the things you have.

Anyway, I am off to have dinner with the family. Have a great Thanksgiving!

______
Image source: http://www.artuji.com/funny-thanksgiving-jokes/2834

Why I Became Pagan

The time has come for the almost required "Why I Became Pagan" post. Though it is something it seems almost all pagan bloggers do, it really is an important thing to write about. Many times when I read a story like this, most people describe a difficult time with the religion or church they were raised in.

My story is a little different. During my childhood, there was not an emphasis on religion that I can remember. My immediate family does not attend church. As a child, the only time I was in church was for weddings and baptisms of extended family members. My parents raised us to be good people. To respect others and think about our actions. And really, isn't that the most important thing?

When I became a pre-teen, I had a friend that started inviting me to events at her church. I went because she was my friend. But I didn't feel anything special. As my teen years went by I did try to be "Christian." I tried to read to the Bible to find some meaning. I tried to pray to a deity that I didn't feel anything for. It was because it was "normal." I live in the South and that is what's expected.

But it didn't work. It didn't feel right.

The theology didn't work. And it still doesn't. I can't wrap my mind around one God. And he is male. Why isn't there a female deity? It doesn't make sense that there is one Son who came down to save mankind from what to me seems like human nature. There is a lot more, but for the sake of the story I will leave it for another day.

It wasn't until the end of high school that answers started appearing. A different friend started talking about Paganism... Wicca to be more specific. She even let me borrow a book on the subject. And it made sense. There was another way of thinking and it made sense to me.

Over the next several years, to about my senior year of college, I did more research on and off about Paganism. Some things worked and made sense and some didn't. But most of the ideas fit me and how I view the world and spiritual life. During college I met people that had different ways of thinking. The important thing I learned was it was okay to think differently and it is all right for me to be different. It sounds silly. But it's true.

Paganism felt right.

In the fall of my senior year, I made a commitment to myself, and to the Lords and Ladies, that paganism was the path for me. I remember sitting on the floor of my room and I asking, "How do I do this?" And something inside me said, "Just try."

And, few years later, here I am. Doing my best to, "Just try." I am still learning and trying to find my way. But I do know that this is the right choice for me.

Post-Election Thoughts

I am so glad that this election is finally over!  It felt like it would never end. But where does this election leave us?

Unfortunately, at this point, it seems as a country we are more divided than ever. Everybody seems to have their own opinion, but nobody wants to work together to solve the nation's problems. Instead of compromise, we tear apart other's ideas. Instead of finding the middle ground that benefits the most people, we are stuck in a cycle of endless arguments. The parties stick to ideals that are no longer relevant and are not willing to listen when people want change. 

Instead of presenting both sides off the issue fairly, which is what I want when I turn on the news, most mainstream media outlets pick a side and won't let the other speak. It seems that often media present analysis and news without any research or facts to back it up.

Instead of campaigns that present us with viable plans for the future, the voter gets months of vague promises with no details on how they will be accomplished. The goal of campaigning seems to be "how can I make to other person look bad" instead of "how can I accurately promote my plans and credentials." Parties spend so much time trying to get their candidate elected that we end up with a two or more year election cycle. By the time election day rolls around, the population is overwhelmed and ready for the whole thing to be over.

We are left with a divided population. A government that is so caught up in party divisions that nothing gets done. Big media outlets you can't rely on.

My hope is that as a nation we can come together and mend the deep divisions that lies between us. That our leaders can put aside their differences and come up with some viable, fact based legislation that will benefit the most Americans, not just those that give them the most campaign dollars. 

I guess we will just have to wait and see...

What Should this Blog Be?

I have started doing some thinking about what I want this space to be. It has been sitting here, untouched for awhile (sorry, been a little unmotivated lately). 

I would like to start using this space to start exploring my personal faith a little more. It is still a work in progress, and there are still more questions than answers. I don't expect everyone to agree with everything I say. In fact, as I explore and do more reflecting, I imagine my views will change. 

I would like to do reviews. On books and movies and stuff like that. I would like them to be helpful. And I plan to be honest about what I think.

I would like to put my two-cents about what I see going on in the pagan community.

I would like to post a couple times a week.

Let me also get this out of the way, so everyone (especially me) knows where I stand in my journey on a "pagan path". Even though in my head I have thought of myself as pagan for many years, I am still in the very beginnings of this journey. I feel that I have a lot basic knowledge, I just need to put it into practice. I don't personally know any other pagans. Hopefully that will change.

I would love some input from those who stumble on this blog. However, if you do have something to say, please make it constructive. Correct me if you think I'm wrong, but don't be mean about it. This is a learning experience and I don't know everything. Be nice to the newbie.

So, with that being said, let's get started...

"There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth...

 not going all the way, and not starting."

-Buddha 

Happy Samhain!

I hope that everybody had a safe and fun Halloween/Samhain. Not to many trick-or- treaters this year. But it is really a pretty evening.

This is important day to think about the people who have passed on. I believe that it is important to remember them everyday, but today make a special effort to spend time thinking about why they are important to you.

It is also a good time to take into account the changing seasons. Here is Georgia, it just really started feeling like fall over the weekend. I really love the fall. Not so much the cold weather, but the other things that come with the season. Pretty colors on the trees, hot drinks, and fall decorations. Those kind of things.

Have a wonderful "new year!"

Been awhile...

Hello all!

So it has been awhile since I last posted. Honestly, I did not feel much like writing anything. For the past few weeks I have just been feeling blah and uninspired. Things have not been going quite like I planned, though it has kinda been that way for the past two years. Guess that's life for you.

But yesterday I started feeling myself for the first time in awhile. I felt lighter, both physically and spiritually. Like it was finally time to move on and try again. I have lots of ideas running around in my head. Not sure what to do about them all yet, but at least it is a start. Hopefully things will start going my way soon.