11/20/2023
Hello Dear Friends and Magickal Family - what a week it has been, and it’s only Monday… 😹
Thinking ahead, and just going with it, about this ⬆️ little graphic:
Authenticity means more to me than fitting in, it always has, it is one of the ways that I choose to uphold my integrity as well as to gently (when possible) continue to express myself and bring healing, humor, honesty, and clarity into my personal interactions - be that with strangers, Family, or Friends. I attune to the room, pay close attention, listen attentively, and when it feel right, I take the opportunity to slip in the illuminating bit of information, to engage in meaningful dialogues, to purposefully insert overlooked (and often unspoken) ideas and alternative perspectives.
I endeavor to be generous, articulate, sensitive, and tactful - and I use that last word specifically, acknowledging every shade of meaning it holds.
When you are the person who has consistently chosen the path that is foreign, and sometimes “forbidden”, needing to be both well-boundaried, and well spoken, is not only advantageous, it can be a means of safety and survival. This can make all manner of formal and/or (familial) functions so much less stressful.
I know that for many of us, the Muggle/secular holiday season can be challenging in many ways - and not everyone has the option NOT to engage, for any number of reasons. Some of us feel that we are living a life that we cannot fully share with some (or all) of our blood relations, co-workers, social contacts, etc. There can be many reasons for this, yet sometimes, the path of greatest harmony is the path of “Knowing when to be Silent”, a Magickal precept some of you may be familiar with.
For some of us, the “holiday season” has been a source of struggle, a painful and difficult time. We may have lots of thoughts, feelings, and past experiences that have been hurtful, less than optimal, etc. For others, the opposite may be true. And for some, we may have spent years figuring out, negotiating, and coming to terms with how to navigate all of this, and have come up with a strategy that is suitable for ourselves.
What I am suggesting in this message is that each of us has the opportunity to feel into ourselves and the circumstances we are willingly, or resigning ourselves to being in - and, making choices about Who and How we can best be comfortable and feel safe, given our individual situations.
Also - choosing not to ignore the horrors and lies about the deep-seeded, toxic colonialism embedded in how many have cast this national holiday, is important to me. Instead, I make certain that at some point in the proceedings, I make time to pay my respects, to honor, name, and offer gratitude and blessings for the land which I am living on, or visiting, and to the Indigenous Peoples who were living there before me. I know it is imperfect, I am open to learning more about how to do that appropriately, with reverence.
I believe that ALL of these topics are part of an important discussion, so, I open this space for that. I am interested in how you choose to show up at the various social/family events that you are invited to (or expected to) attend from now until the end of the year. Let’s discuss!
As always, wishing you a bountifully beautiful holiday this week (for those who celebrate in some way), I have re-imagined and dubbed it, “Gratitude & Giving”, and am enjoying reclaiming it. This has taken a while and gone through a few iterations, I expect that it will continue to evolve… As of today, I am pleased with being creative, and inquiring about what it can be, how to make it enjoyable and of value for myself and my loved ones.
With Love, Hope, Magick, & Courage…
Warmly & Heart-fully,
💖🙏🌟
