PaganSquare.com - WitchesAndPagans.com Let's talk. Come sit with me under a tree or by a lake while we chat about being alone in our practice and our beliefs. Solitary practitioners choose this path for many reasons and have a unique perspective. As a solitary witch, I want to share how I keep true to my beliefs and practices whether I'm working on my own, in a small group or attending a large group gathering. Author of Moon Affirmations, meditations based on the phase of the moon.
I struggle with chronic pain. Between arthritis and some old injuries, there are days when breathing hurts. If you go to the doctor and tell them you’re in pain they always ask – on a scale of one to ten what level are you at. My good days are fives.
When I have a bad day, when I’ve elevated to an eight or nine, it is difficult to cope but I try to find ways to cope because I still have to go to work and deal with daily life.
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February is probably my favorite month. It has little to do with the season and a lot to do with it being the month I was born. For such a short month, I always feel like there is so much going on in it.
Imbolc, Candlemas, Brigid
Preconceived ideas, we all have them and rely on them. Certain words or names evoke a response in everyone. Generally these are negative emotions.
Witch is a word that does this for Pagans. Since I consider myself an eclectic witch who is seeking, it was a title I hesitated taking on as I traveled my path through paganism.
...The insanity of the holidays can drive anyone crazy. Getting gifts, arranging to visit with family, work parties, and more. It is a time of the year when you can lose track of the importance of the phase of the year we are in.
You can find any posting on what to do on Yule, how to decorate your house with all the associations, what food to cook and so on. I don’t do any of it. I find the holidays stressful and unbearable in most years.
...Family is one of the most difficult aspects of my life. My husband and I are both the youngest in our families. He’s the youngest of seven and I’m the youngest of six. There are a lot of personalities and opinions in large families.
Recently, my family had an emergency with my mother (who’s 83). She spent the holiday weekend in the hospital. She suffered a very mild stroke. She was lucky in that she has little residual after affects from the stroke.
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In Wisconsin, we’ve turned cold, had a snow storm (or several) and had our first real slow down for the winter. I’ve heard nothing but complaints about how we haven’t had cold weather like this since the 1800s. I work with several people who are from the south and they are questioning why they moved to Wisconsin.
It is easy to get wrapped up in the complaining and the whining about how bad it is. With arthritis in every joint in my body, the cold is hard to deal with as it makes me ache. The slippery sidewalks and roads can be treacherous. It isn’t fun to drive down the road following someone who can’t drive in the snow or worse to skid around the road rather than driving down it.
...The full moon is celebrated and cursed. Those who work in the police, hospital, and so on will tell you that behavior is odder during this time of the month.
The full moon is about completion. It is like a pregnant woman about to give birth. The energy is high and in some cases giddy.
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Thank you, Archer! Ha, appropriate name! 
