Vernal Awakening: News, Revisions and Spring
Awakening:
It's up to the cherry blossoms and dandelions now... it's up to the sun and the new day.
Whoa this has been a lot. I mean a lot. Have you ever stood in the shallows only to look over your shoulder at a massive wave as it inevitably rolls towards you? I have. I remember that moment on a beach in California. Vague memories of visiting the wildlife center, and then down to a crowded beach with waves so sudden and high, they scared me to death. That what Spring has been since last I wrote here- a tremendous wave coming right at me. Thrilling, fun, daunting, humbling, sad.
Out there, beyond the walls of pre-vaccinated restrictions, there is a world itching to open up. We plan to hit the road for summer, see the Oregon high desert, Yosemite, the Bay and back up the Coast again, scouting new living locations along the way. We're westerners to our bones and prefer to stay over here, but the world is changing and it's time to go see it. Spring is about movements, and we are all so jittery.
If you're feeling very jittery, one way to pass the time is by going outside- to the garden, wide-open parks, to the greenbelts, national parks to places where the land is greening and changing (and you can be safely distanced from others). Watch those changes each time you go to a place, the turning of buds overnight into bushels of flowers, the awakening of spiders in every corner. Remind yourself that life is a cycle, and it is always changing to a rhythm. Not much left to do after that but dance the jitters out.
Spring:
Did you know that I have a YouTube channel? Featuring folk charms in real life; everything from clay withering hearts, to tarot unboxing, to black witch-bottles The channel hasn't been updated in a little while due to winter/covid, but now that the daylight has returned, so will the videos. I'm working on covering every aspect of folk-magic that I find interesting, including rat-letters and egg fortunes. Mostly. I'm aiming to get better equipment and take more time to show off the beauty of the Northwest.
Updates:
Last I wrote here, I was waxing poetic on the sweetness of Valentines Day, but since then there's been a lot of spring changes; small improvements to my long declining lung health, a scheduled vaccine, a new bunny buddy, a book debuted to kind and compassionate responses, I've finished a bunch of deadlines and now have more time for art, parks volunteer opportunities are restarting for the spring, I'm transferring to complete my major, looking to leave the area and start new adventures elsewhere... but then again, who isn't trying to move right now? Seems like the pandemic has given us all the itch to get closer to family and further from the expense of the metro areas... I guess we're all free-falling a bit, standing before the wave...
I've been getting a lot of wonderful questions and feedback about my statues, the writing and some of my social media content and it's been incredibly humbling and kind. Being able to speak with the fine folk over at That Witch Life Podcast was a highlight of my year honestly, they were so welcoming and forward and funny and open-- it's that kind of energy that makes me grateful for the community we've built- a sentiment I expressed recently with Cory over at New World Witchery Podcast. It's always a pleasure to speak to Cory, to bond over our mutual appreciation for so much magical shit in the world. And if you somehow didn't know, Cory has a new book out that you simply MUST have in your collection!
Those of us flying free on that wild magic seem to be coalescing into a mutually respectful and supportive niche community of witchy weirdos and being able to nerd out like this the last month or two has brought me some incredible peace at a time of incredible fear and stress in the world. A huge de-stressor was hanging with Lori over at My American Melting Pot Podcast and vibing on the mystique and media of witchery. Hanging out with so many writer and speakers and thinkers in the world of multiculturalism and magic has been incredibly humbling, and I'm thankful for it.
Authors Note: A Vital Revision to Folkloric Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experience: A Crucible at a Crossroads
In the process of writing and publishing we meet all sorts of challenges and difficulties. Most authors I talk to walk away feeling just a little more anxiety, as there are always parts of their books that needed a seconds more attention in the editing process. While there are a few noticeable inconsistencies in the punctuation and typeface, a glaring error that must be addressed is the misidentification of the tribal affiliation of story-teller Vi Hilbert, who belongs to the Upper Skagit people of the Pacific Northwest and is a revered figure in the cultural restoration movement of Lushootseed-speaking tribes of the Puget Sound. It is imperative that I correctly identify this elder and I apologize for this mis-affiliation and ask that readers please make a note of this change going forward in current editions, and be aware that that e-books will be updated and print editions revised going forward. With love, support and acknowledgement to the first people of the Pacific Northwest and their traditional territories.
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