Mishap, Magic, Minneapolis And Mabon

Yesterday I got to my bus stop on time only for no bus to arrive. And then the next bus didn’t arrive. I waited in the sun for over an hour in high heels with no bench before a bus arrived, driven by a man more interested in reading his newspaper than keeping an eye on what was happening around him. As soon as I found a familiar neighborhood I bolted off the bus and dove into a sandwich shop to collect myself and fight back tears.

No matter what you do, you will have a setback that makes it seem as if you have made a wrong decision. I sat shaking in that shop berating myself for moving across the country and thinking I could change my life. My entire planned day was shot, and I just wanted to curl up in a ball and die.

Sometimes, though, magic is other people. The lovely Diana Rajchel of the Pagan Newswire Collective retrieved me and we visited a neighborhood botanica, complete with statues of Santa Muerte, and the most amazing little bookstore called Present Moments. My afternoon was marvelous, and didn’t turn into a panic attack at a Jimmy John’s. Diana is as stylish, smart and funny as I’d expected, and i had a blast hanging out with her.

Minneapolis is a nice city, but so far it has been the people that have made it amazing. I have met incredible people here, and had conversations that have expanded my understanding and broadened my horizons. There are some amazing Pagans here in the Twin Cities area.

I’m a Pagan heretic, and I’ve spent a lot of time hanging out with other Pagan heretics here. The result is that I don’t feel as alone. While I’m still battling to understand the bus lines and the neighborhoods, and find work, when it comes to my faith community I do feel like I am home. I don’t plan on joining any covens or intimate religious groups. I’m finding a wider community. That’s actually more important. Building a wider faith network without the bonds that formal groups require can be very reassuring, supportive and provide a greater sense of community. How many people do you know who lost all their Pagan friends when they lost their coven or grove? Exactly.

So Mabon is coming. I don’t how it became the “Witches Thanksgiving” but it does seem a good time of year to celebrate and give thanks. So have 13 songs about gratitude.