It’s been a busy week in my house. Last week my husband sprained is ankle quite badly and has been off it for the last 7 days. I’ve been picking up the slack. Now that his ankle is much better, I am preparing to take myself and the kids to Juneau, Alaska, for a week. We leave at an ungodly hour on Saturday morning (up at 3am, on the road by 3.30, at Seatac by 4.30, flight leaves at 6.10am.... Read more
When I started this blog one year ago I was living in Wales, debating whether or not to quit or continue with my PhD in feminist Mariology. I had a just three-year old son and a four-month old baby girl. My family was doing well financially. I felt stuck spiritually and intellectually. I started this blog as an outlet, as a way to hold myself accountable to my practice, and as a way to explore what my practice was or... Read more
Tomorrow marks one year of My Own Ashram. 126 posts, 4 quarters, 2 countries. I will be ‘concluding’ Place and writing a piece reflecting on my project and where I want to go from here. That’s tomorrow. Today I will be out all day with my kids on a field trip with my son’s preschool. We’re going to NW Trek, a wildlife park containing all regional animals. I admit I’m super excited to see some animals. It doesn’t hurt that... Read more
My relationship with fairy tales is complicated. I loved them growing up. I enjoyed the Disney animated versions – mostly the old school Disney ones; I was 14 when The Little Mermaid was released (the beginning of the ‘newer’ era of Disney animation). That one in particular I adored: the singing, the underwater motif, the bright colors, the music. But discovering feminism in my early 20s killed that love dead. And for good reason. I look back the tropes of... Read more
I would like to draw your attention to two things that I am loosely involved with and enjoy supporting. The first is an ebook, Birth on the Labyrinth Path, by my friend Sarah Whedon. She is the founder and maintainer of Pagan Families, a website with resources and articles that specifically focuses on the Pagan experience of parenting. So far the site has been written primarily from the mother’s point of view, so if you’re a father and want to... Read more
Today’s Delphic Maxim is: if you are a stranger, act like one. This is timely! This summer is riddled with house guests and travels. I’ll be meeting a lot of my husband’s extended family for the first time. I’m not a stranger, but for all practical purposes I am. This maxim is a reminder to mind one’s manners. I’m big on manners. I think please, thank you, excuse me are all valuable phrases. I think being timely and helpful also... Read more
One of the blogs that inspired me to start my own is Rogue Priest, written by Drew Jacob. He is a modern-day Priest, Hero and Adventurer. What does that mean? Well, you’ll have to read his blog to figure it out. I don’t always agree with his take, but I love that he’s actively thinking about the big Life Questions and attempting to live the life he believes in. One of the things that I love about P/paganism is that... Read more
Today’s Delphic Maxim is think like a mortal. Wait, what the heck? Don’t we already do that because we’re all mortals? And isn’t thinking like a mortal something we want to do less of? My first instinct is to write this one off with a resounding, DUH. One second reflection (ok, third, fourth, and fifth reflections) I think this is actually asking us to delve more deeply into our humanity, our flesh and blood selves. In fact, I think it... Read more
It’s an astrological bonanza right now. I don’t know much about astrology, and I tend to be rather agnostic about it. As in most things, if I find some truth, or my experience lines up, I’ll take it; if not, I won’t. For example, I find that full moons make me buzz and jittery, and my head often gets scattered. Whereas the dark moon draws me inward, helps me feel focused, but even more like a homebody than usual. This... Read more
The next Delphic Maxim is Know Your Opportunity. It seems a pretty obvious one, and yet, it’s a lot more difficult to actually suss out when, where, and what kind of opportunities are waiting for us. Opportunity is, in my head, an action word. Opportunity is to be grabbed hold of! Opportunity is not to be missed! Go out and forge some opportunity! But for me, these last two months, I have had the opportunity to rest. To not do.... Read more
A Witch's Ashram
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