{"id":1418,"date":"2018-05-07T11:47:55","date_gmt":"2018-05-07T19:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/tempest\/?p=1418"},"modified":"2018-05-07T17:17:10","modified_gmt":"2018-05-08T01:17:10","slug":"a-new-witch-again-starting-over-from-square-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/tempest\/2018\/05\/a-new-witch-again-starting-over-from-square-one.html","title":{"rendered":"A New Witch – Again. Starting Over From Square One."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"
Photo by Caleb Lucas on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

On April 26th, I picked up a thread I had first pulled at 22 years ago. I was initiated into another tradition of Witchcraft.<\/p>\n

When I was a college-bound Witchlet heading to Providence, RI, I had sent a SASE* to a group listed in either Margot Adler\u2019s Drawing Down the Moon <\/em>or The Witches\u2019 Almanac, LTD<\/em> (probably it was both). I was thrilled to get a prompt response complete with more information, but I didn\u2019t follow through with attending.\u00a0 Not because I was a busy college student + working, but because I was in a relationship<\/a> that I intuitively knew wouldn\u2019t allow me the space to do this on my own.\u00a0 To make a long story short, I ended up founding a college Pagan society that would become a much larger group and spawn a tradition.\u00a0 Basically, that diversion on my path got me to where I am today.<\/p>\n

Which I\u2019m pretty damn happy about in retrospect, but that didn\u2019t stop me from wondering \u201cwhat if?\u201d<\/em> As it so happened, I was doing some research for Weave The Liminal<\/em> and while discussing some things back with certain folks in New England, I expressed that sentiment of curiosity.\u00a0 The reply was \u201cOpportunities are never missed. They still exist.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I stared at my computer screen for quite some time. I wasn\u2019t looking to join another tradition, and I\u2019ve numerous invitations over the years.\u00a0 My path was working well, as-is. Simply, I had been remarking on the pattern of things.\u00a0 Not to mention that I live over 3000 miles away.<\/p>\n

Yet upon reading those words, I felt like I had stumbled backwards through a door I didn\u2019t even know was there. A seed was planted and the signs started to poke through my consciousness like determined leaves.\u00a0 And so over the next few months, plans were made, airplane tickets secured.\u00a0 That part was relatively easy.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The hard part? Getting my brain to reset back to beginner mode.\u00a0 Despite the tradition being very much in tune with my practice and views, joining meant being a newbie all over again.\u00a0 They have different ways of doing things, there\u2019s a definite system that must be followed to adhere to that tradition.\u00a0 And I have worked very hard to be a leader and independent in what I do. I\u2019ve been designing and leading rituals for decades, considered an expert and teacher in many areas.\u00a0I\u2019ve always been an avid learner, and a bit of an overachiever. Information is my jam (hello Gemini!).<\/p>\n

But no matter how the brain wants to spin the logic of it, starting over requires being vulnerable, humble, and the ability to receive.\u00a0 You can\u2019t just think, \u201cOk, restart, begin from scratch.\u201d\u00a0 At least I can\u2019t. It\u2019s not just a brain thing.\u00a0 You have<\/em> to reset the heart and spirit as well and that doesn\u2019t happen with just thinking it.\u00a0 Something much more visceral has to occur.\u00a0 On day 4, such a thing happened that seemed relatively minor from the view on the outside, but triggered a hard internal reboot that took nearly another day to process.<\/p>\n

The message from the other side was very clear: you must<\/strong> begin anew to follow this path.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to set aside what you\u2019ve done and accomplished.\u00a0 But this is a new garden, and that means making room for the new seed to grow.\u00a0 The soil must be raked and turned over, prepared to receive without anticipation or ego.<\/em><\/p>\n

It worked. I\u2019m excited about picking up on that thread that\u2019s been waiting for me for over two decades.\u00a0 If anything, that itself is a lessen in knowing there\u2019s no need to rush.\u00a0 Everything unfolds as it should, as long as you take the time to listen, watch, and learn.\u00a0
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

*(for the kids, a SASE is a Self Address Stamped Envelope that you sent via snail mail to receive info back \u2013 email was just starting and most organizations didn\u2019t have websites yet either. Yes, it was dark times.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I felt like I had stumbled backwards through a door I didn’t even know was there. A seed was planted and the signs started to poke through my consciousness like determined leaves.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2676,"featured_media":1421,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,14],"tags":[527,521,494,518,8,107,524,7,4],"class_list":["post-1418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-modernpractice","category-tradition","tag-neophyte","tag-new-england","tag-newbie","tag-tradcraft","tag-tradition","tag-traditional-witchcraft","tag-traditionalist-witch","tag-witch","tag-witchcraft"],"yoast_head":"\nA New Witch - Again. Starting Over From Square One.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I felt like I had stumbled backwards through a door I didn't even know was there. 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