Today, it is often difficult to adapt to the demands of modern society. We need to convey ourselves as perfect as possible, for every sign of different behavior is frowned upon as weaknesses and too much individuality.
Have you noticed how many people, in general, tend to run after the latest trend in style and outer appearance? Have you stopped up and just listened to what people are saying? Have you thought about why a rising number of people turn from the conventions and try to develop their own?
Maybe it is due to the unwritten rules of society where everybody must fit in at any cost to not be ridiculed or mocked by someone who always knows better no matter what. It is especially tough to be different on social media, where the tolerance level is zero.
Besides the annoying follow-me trends, it is getting more and more boring to live as everybody else seems to be doing these years. Why does everything have to be done so perfectly, and who has set these rules anyway?
Oh yes, those who want to make big money, they know the game. They set the rules by pumping unnecessary and expensive gadgets into a stuffed market where the general population is running around as blind chickens in a game they have lost before they even begin.
During this time of year, it is especially discouraging to look at other people´s behavior. There is nothing wrong with the Christian celebrations of Christmas. But what is the message of Christmas? Is it about spending way too much money on presents? I think not.
In my country, we have easy access to fast money from many new loan companies and banks. But the bills have to be paid next month, and then we have the show with money worries and divorces afterward. At the same time, it is a grim misuse of resources for the no other reason than surpass last year´s spending. We celebrate Christmas here for the sake of the neighbor´s children only.
But we don´t have a budget to spend like crazy, and we don´t bend to unwritten rules of behavior. We have chosen to live our own life. We have chosen a pagan lifestyle. We have chosen to be ourselves. And it is our best decision ever.
We create our own traditions in our chosen rainbow family and don´t follow the latest trends. Even though we had the money, we would still not follow any unwritten rules about spending like everybody else.
We have everything we need and much more than we think we have. It is a conscious choice to live a pagan lifestyle. It makes things so much easier, it makes us happy, and it makes life a much greater joy than it was before this.
A choice for the rest of my life
The choice to become a witch was easy. I have seen what I wanted, I have heard my melody. The modern world is too hectic, too much, too crazy. I lost my beautiful classic car to a joyride for someone to enjoy three years ago.
I lost my ability to provide for myself at the age of 41. I had to do something other than to sit on my couch all day. And besides writing, witchcraft has been a life-changing choice. I have not forgotten anything, but I have learned the lesson about forgiveness.
To forgive is perhaps not the easiest choice to make. But it sure helps and heals. Witchcraft helps me learn to forgive for it makes me happy, it gives me inner peace, it affects my mental health positively, and it makes me want to be kind.
Letting go of what no longer serves me is a great way of getting rid of negativity in general. To forgive is to let go of the past and focus on the present moment. The only moment we humans can truly embrace, for the past is a constant, and the future is unknown territory.
It is an active choice where you do exactly what you say you will. There is no hidden agenda here. Things are out in the open, no matter how difficult an issue can be. And you learn soon that we take great care of each other in our little rainbow family.
It is also a choice for the rest of my life. 50 years old means business, it is so much easier to decide what you want and what you say no to. The art of saying no for the right reasons is tricky to learn, especially in a modern society where you are expected to say yes no matter what.
So, I say no to modern consumerism, quirky ideas of impossible imperfection, and weighing everything in money terms. Money is a necessary means to survive today. But money shouldn´t be the only issue worth fighting for, should it?
And I say yes to witchcraft as my pagan lifestyle. That doesn´t mean disrespect to other beliefs, but this is mine. It has meant a notable difference in my life. My mental health has never been better, and it relaxes my mind, body, and soul.
I was tired of many things three years ago on Samhain Eve, October 31, 2016. My world broke down, it took me a couple of years to recover. Today, I feel differently. Now, it is possible to live well with the scars from life´s many experiences.
Witchcraft and living a pagan lifestyle has changed my outlook on many things. But it has most of all taught me how to find happiness on a strict budget and with a big mixture of memories and feelings. It has given me inner peace, which to me is essential in being happy. Happiness is to live peacefully.
Everyday magick
It is in everyday life that I find most of my magick. The miracle of following a plant from seed to flower is as much magick as is the smile from my husband whenever our eyes meet. It is pure magick to walk with the little wise, old dog and to hear the three philosophical cats purr after their dinner.
It is in the little things that we share on a daily basis. Witchcraft enhances natural magick by using the senses to interpret life as it is. The beauty is in its simplicity. With only a few tools and small, daily mini-rituals, there is always witchcraft in our lives here.
Of course, there are also bigger festivals when all the good stuff is put on the altars. Newt week we celebrate Yule a little earlier than we use to. My 81-year-old father comes for the Christmas holidays, and we have only seven days together.
More would be too much for both of us, and therefore, we use time wisely. When we are together, we chat about the old times, about our loved ones gone before us to the Rainbow Bridge, about life. I will also write the blog posts the week before so there is as much time as possible.
I have several daily mini-rituals that I use depending on my mood and the resources available. Today, it is only two lit tea candles in the window sill in my creative den. The weather makes a contrasting setting, as it drizzles and the wind is rather harsh.
Musical magick in my ears, coffee ready to be taken in, a walk with the little wise, old dog and a new dog friend to get to know. Everything is magick at this moment, as I sit here behind the keyboard and try to write about my pagan lifestyle.
It all depends on how you perceive the concept of magick. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, it is said. But I think it is beautiful in every sense of the word that we are so lucky to have a life to live, no matter how tough the terms may be.
The key to my happiness lies in small things in life, things that are often taken for granted in this hectic, modern world of ours. The way my husband sighs in his afternoon sleep. The way my little wise, old dog wags and smiles his love to me. And the way I feel when I have a philosophical cat at my side.
Right now, my youngest cat, Milo, lies next to my laptop with a single paw following my fingers dance across the keyboard. He is always playful and sweet, and today he chose to help me write this blog post.
As the weather worsens, so do we withdraw to our living room. We have a big house, so we practically live there most of the winter season to save money on the central heating bill. We need to go shopping for a few daily necessities, but the weather has also magick to it.
It is all about choosing the right clothes for the journey and then to take a deep breath and go for it. And when it is all over, we will be happy that we did it. It is always refreshing to experience the elements roaring around us.
This weekend I´m hosting a seven-year-old and and three-year-old, both girls in the age where everything is yet exciting and new. So I´ll be busy and probably very tired afterward, too. There is also a Yule ritual to prepare and care for.
But it is the kind of magick that I´m writing about. Down-to-earth and simple and easy to adapt to a stressful modern world is my kind of witchcraft. That way I know I get to use my tools and ritual gear on a daily basis rather than occasionally at the bigger festivals.
Living a pagan lifestyle is easy. It is a choice, and I know what I´m choosing not to have in my life anymore. Negativity has no common ground here. I also say goodbye to modern stress and to keep on buying for the sake of buying.
When I occasionally go out to more than my local shop, I´m always extremely tired and used up for that day. I plan my shopping with great care. I only buy what I can afford, and I don´t like to lend money.
Living a pagan lifestyle on a budget is a privilege, and I´m grateful for every day of my life. I have everything I need, and I don´t need the latest gadget or to adapt to the newest trend whatsoever. Life is just easier without all that plastic and frankly spoken loads of crap that are sold way too expensive.
It is freedom not to feel a need to run after the same things as everybody else. It is freedom to choose one´s own lifestyle with care for Nature. And it is freedom not to have to depend on the terms of others. For that. I´m very, very grateful.
In my next blog post about witchcraft, I´ll try to show you how we celebrate the festival of Yule and the Winter Solstice. From December 21, 2019, the Sun will grow more and more powerful, and the darkness will retreat to its cave.
It is a joyful time of year. We are already celebrating some of the Christian Christmas traditions with the children next door. To me, the Christmas holidays are for family reunions and cozy times talking and having fun together.
Christmas is about spending valuable time together, not about how much money we spend on presents and accessories. The message from Christmas was originally about hope for humanity. I don´t see how today´s craziness in the shops reflects that. But then again. I´m pagan.
May you have a great weekend, dear readers. Now it is time to relax and enjoy life as it is.
The Northern Witch' s Blog 