Twice a year, in Christchurch is the Body Mind Spirit Festival, a two day mega-expo, filled with stalls where you can find everything from crystals, healers, readers to Christian healing prayer to an audit from the Dianetics people to SAFE with petitions for free range animals.
We've been doing this festival for (I think) 7 years now, and we've seen a lot of changes come and go in that time, our expectations have changed and at the moment it's fun again.
The thing I like the most is talking with people, the new seekers just starting out and not sure which is the right book for them, or those who want a new Tarot deck and want to discuss the differences between what we have on offer. Or those who think I'm going to agree with the shite they've just rabbited off about how ancient Wicca is, or tell me how brave I am being out there when we're still so terribly persecuted.
This weekend just gone was different. I met one awesome couple who seem to be just like me!! (so of course they're awesome right? :p) the similarities in our beliefs was surprising for me who usually manages to find something to upset everyone. What they called "peace, love and f**king mung beans" I refer to as "happy, sparkly moonbeams" but we were talking about the same people.
I met a lovely chap who has just started to learn about magic and witchcraft, but isn't sure which direction (high or low) he's headed in, he was intelligent, and it was refreshing to have someone who isn't going to take everything in a book as gospel and use his own common sense when reading things!
Then late on Sunday, I met a lady who reads this blog. In all honesty, I was kinda gobsmacked. While I know this blog is public, and I can see the analytics telling me how many people have seen each page, I still pretty much assumed that it was mostly my friends who read it, or people who know me to some extent - some of them to have something to bitch about behind my back - yes I do know that still goes on, and if I'm the most interesting thing you can find to talk about, how sad your life must be aye? Move on and grow up! - and some in support of me because they're the most awesome friends a girl can have, and some because they like the way I think, or find my rants familiar and amusing. I'm apparently following in the footsteps of someone we know and love (or love to hate).
It made me think about how I use this blog. For the most part, this is me thinking aloud. I don't think I have very good communication with myself, and writing brings out the internal stuff that my conscious mind is often not even aware of. This is how I process some events, or thoughts, and certainly not all of it gets published. Sometimes I have a point to make, sometimes I'm just being a bitch (but hopefully a useful one). I've been told that I'm too honest - not so much from a tactless point of view (although that has been raised from time to time too) but that when someone asks me what's going on, I'll tell them. There are some things that I shouldn't share because someone will use them against me.
I've recently realised that in order to make people think about some of the idiocy they spout, you first have to piss them off. If you politely and tactfully raise a point it will often be ignored. Take Hone Harawira's recent stunt for example. If he'd used nicer words, no one would have paid him any attention, but by saying something as offensive as he did, he drew attention to a point he was trying to make. Love him or hate him (and there doesn't seem to be a middle ground) he's doing his job.
So for all the good people out there who aren't my friends who read this, if I do say something that offends, ask yourself why. If I push a button, what do you need to learn about that button? And thank you to the people who do read it and support it I'll try not to let it go to my head. :)
But I would also like to especially thank Mist. Not only does he read it, he usually comments. Now he could tell me his thoughts privately but he chooses to do so publicly. He thinks sideways from the way I do, and so I learn a lot from his observations and comments.
Blessings
Debbie
It was great having a chat with you Debbie 'late on Sunday'. Forgive me if I seemed a little wishywashy, I was somewhat distracted with my daughter.
ReplyDeleteAlthough you are more forthright ;-) in how you write and speak than what I would be, there is nothing wrong in that, and what I have read shows knowledge gained through your experiences and reflection upon them and a keen eye for uncovering the hidden human nature that others will live a lifetime without understanding. Just as there are those who don't understand that what they say about you or others is a reflection of themselves. Conversations take on a whole new dimension when you can see the underlying dynamics and drama playing out. Those on a power trip or with a super-ego will fail to see it.
I particularly like your top 10 hates :D made me laugh LOL.
"harm none" confuses me (tactfully put). It's fair to say though that it is not that I find troublesome, but specifically those that say they never harm anyone - how do they know? Can they be sure? I find usually that they've not really thought it through, which seems very ignorant to me. If you deflect or banish without containment where the **** do you think it's gone? To bother someone else hmm? More than that though, our actions always have reactions; cause and effect. People have suffered because of us, instead of us, some have died, some have simply lost out or have dispared because of what we have done and we may never know. With all the best intention in the world, you cannot cover all eventualities and probabilities - we CAN be responsible and truthful enough to say we can live with what we started and the backlash, should there be any. If you can't do that, you shouldn't do anything.
I don't understand either those that insist you are wrong, or you're not doing it right either.. according to who exactly? What do they need to prove - why do they need to feel right?Traditional crafts are organic and they each have their own peculiarities. We live in an ever-changing world and our craft will change to reflect that without compromising any underlying core principles. A lot of modern crafts are superficial and at best a poor recreation showing little understanding of the deeper symbolism and concepts. They go through the motions without ever explaining why.
What about those that insist on honouring seasonal rites at the same times as those in the North? These rites mark the changes in earth's energy - how can you work with an energy that's not present? It seems that some modern crafts have to work the same way, no matter where they are, instead of merging with the land they are on.. very strange.
Anyway, I'm rambling(yawwwwn) and it's not my blog and the cat's are attracting my attention..
Thank you for your comment. :)
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely talking to you, and I get the distracting children thing - my youngest is of a similar age I think - missing roughly the same number of teeth anyway.
I thought afterwards that perhaps I should have got your name.
easily done ;-) haha i could send you and email if you like
ReplyDelete