Sorry for being MIA for so long. I actually completely forgot about the whole blogging thing in amongst everything that I’ve had going on.
In August and September, I was helping to prepare, organise and enjoy the Australian Wiccan Conference – we had an absolute ball. It was an amazing energy with incredible people that I’ll never forget. Considering it was my first large gathering, included my first large ritual (ie more than 5-6 people) and my first national gathering, it was a real eye-opener for me, and a really emotional, spiritual experience. Loved every minute of it. The energy was just awesome.
So most weekends in August and the start of September was taken up with preparing decorations and small items for the Conference. I loved every minute of helping to organise the event and would do it again in a heartbeat.
My parents left for Europe on Saturday just been and it’s been really quite strange without them around already (it’s only been 4 days out of a 3-week trip!). I’m trying to keep an eye on my brother after last time without being too overbearing. I know that was over two years ago but I’m still not sure if he’s grown up much since then.
Unfortunately, at 2:00am Monday morning, Michael received a phone call that his Grandma had passed away. 2011 has not been a good year for us in terms of loss – I’ve lost more people close to me in the last 6 months than most people do in 5+ years. We’re not sure when the funeral will be, most likely next Monday or Tuesday, but that will mean a trip to Adelaide for Michael – we can’t both afford to go so just him and his sister will be attending.
So really, it’s been a hectic couple of months, hence my only posting now. Hopefully life will get back on track a little more and we can live some normalcy for a while. I’m trying to get in touch with myself again, spiritually. Finding it difficult to focus with everything going on but will try my best.
As much as it sounds ridiculous (it even does to me), the 1996 film “The Craft” changed my life.
How? The film introduced me to what was, for me, a foreign concept – Witchcraft – and while I was only about 10 or 11 at the time I saw this film, I was urged to find out more. Of course it started out with me wanting to be like the girls in the film, changing my eye colour or hair style just through spells, but the more research I did, the more I found out about Witchcraft and, in turn, I found there was a whole religion called Wicca. This was where my journey into Paganism began, and as I got older and discovered more and more, I felt like I was home. There was a huge wave of calm wash over me, I’d found my calling, I’d found my place, and (as much as I hate to use the term) I’d found my label. When people asked me what religion I was, I could answer them without hesitation.
I am Pagan, and my journey started just through watching a simple (somewhat cheesy) film.
There’ve been other films that have have profound effects on my life – The Shawshank Redemption, Shutter Island, Mississippi Burning. But I think The Craft is the one that has changed me.
Physically: My weight. I’ve always struggled with my weight. I got on the scales today and realised I’ve put on over 3kg this Winter, which is not good. I’ve been lazy and unmotivated, tired and busy with work.
I have decided, though, that I will try – at least try – to get a 30+ minute walk in every day. I think I owe it to Sadie (our puppy) who needs the daily exercise but since we both work full-time 5 days a week, we’re just not feeling like going out every day after working all day.
For the first time, though, I’ve noticed the changes that have happened to me as I’ve gained this weight back on. I’m more lethargic, I’m feeling nauseous a lot, and I’m out of breath a lot too. My heart has been palpitating, which is NOT good, and my hips hurt from carrying the extra weight. I’ve never before noticed the physical changes, even when I was a lot bigger than what I am now. It’s motivating enough to want to change it back to the way things were.
Mentally: My attitude. I turn into a righteous bitch at the best of times, and I really need to get that out of my system. I’m not a teenager or a child any more, I’m a grown woman with responsibilities and I need to quit it with my childish attitude. It doesn’t help that occasionally Michael or family will treat me like a child (you treat me like a child, I’ll act like one), but I’m not blaming them at all – ultimately it’s my behaviour and I’m the one who has to change that.
So yeah, that’ll do 
End poverty. Full stop. End of story.
If people shared their money equally around the world – particularly those who have more than enough money to cover the essentials – no-one would go hungry. Yet we have people dying simply for the fact that they cannot afford food, cannot afford to produce food and cannot afford health care.
I don’t really think I can say much more than that. It makes sense to me that if the world’s wealth was shared around, no-one would be in the crisis that some people in African and Asian countries are right now.
