Tolerating Men and Transgender individuals in Goddess spirituality.

 * Note from Devin- This post has nothing to do with one specific priestess! This is an exercise in my own spiritual growth. I felt the need to post this now as it has been a project that has haunted me for sometime. In no way am I pointing fingers, merely stating my own observation and noting my own struggles as a priest in the Goddess Tradition. I love my fellow star children regardless of gender. Luckily there have been some amazing women who have stepped forward to help find an end to this issue. *

    I have sat down several times to write this post. Actually most of the reason why I haven’t posted anything for some time has more to do with the fact that this post was not easy for me to sit down and write. After forgotten drafts, angry fist shaking at my monitor, and Goddess awesomeness I think I finally have found at least the angle to take this.

    Truth be told to sit down and type out the complexities of divine relationships would not only be redundant but a little silly, however I also know that  very little is out there about people like me- men who found the Goddess and how our relationships developed. I run the risk of placing men against women yet again and please know that has nothing to do with the point I am going to attempt to make here. Alright enough pre-amble lets do this-

    I look around me, especially as a Dianic Priest, and I see all of these truly amazing priestesses. All of these women are the physical/spiritual embodiment of Goddess and have been such points of inspiration. I am not inspired by their ability to look fabulous in ritual jewelry nor their ability to command the attention of a room full of hundreds, but inspired by their sheer drive to be who they are- proud women who fought hard in their own lives to be extraordinary examples of spiritual development. I am disheartened however at the sheer amount of dislike and snobbery these priestesses have when it comes to guys like me.

    In many ways this reminds me of a school assembly I had when I was a child. We were all rounded up in the gymnasium and the principal introduced an all African American rap group. As the music came on over the speakers and the teachers took their seats the lights dimmed and we were treated to an hour of anti-racism musical education that was all wrapped up like a Halmark advert.

     I remember the word ‘Tolerance’ being thrown about several times throughout the presentation and feeling like something was not quite right.

    When the assembly was at an end we were invited to ask questions once back in class and I asked what the word Tolerance meant. I was instructed to look in the dictionary ( as any good teacher would have you do ) and I was completely taken aback! My fifth grade jaw hit the floor.

Tolerance: To endure, put up-with due to need.  ( Thankfully the word now has a more elaborated definition!)

    Tolerance to me was ridiculous, no one should be tolerated, we should just be able to be. We tolerate the barking dog, the tax hikes, the other million things that cause us little stresses and annoyances but to tolerate African Americans seamed wrong to me. Perhaps it was because of my mother and her strict - “ Think Human not color” approach to parenting, but I never saw the point in putting up with a group of people who just happen to have darker skin than me. So this brings me full circle-

     I don’t like being tolerated by priestesses. Its demeaning. It is absolutely arrogant to look down on me and assume that your path is in any way more valid or deeper than mine or other men who work with Goddess. I am not an abusive man, I would never lay a finger on a woman, yet I feel like because I have a penis I am automatically stamped with “Tolerate Me” on my forehead. I don’t want to be tolerated anymore than you do sister.

    Truthfully, the entire gender dynamic snafu of the neo-pagan movement irks me. I look at my brothers and I see family, I look at my sisters and I see family. I couldn’t care less about someone’s gender (outside of what I want to be cuddling up to at the end of the day) and much more about how they are living their life. Are they empowered? Are the living embodiments of self possession? Are they connected to the here and now?  Ironically ( and yes you Fem Fatals can agree with this one!) more women who demand respect as priestesses have bigger issues with self-possession, empowerment, and connectedness than there are those who simply embody those things. I have seen more bigotry and close mindedness from women in my pagan career than from any man.

      Recently I have embarked on a bit of a spiritual journey of my own, one that I have no doubt is going to force me to deal with this issue. (Again it has taken me some time to find the words for this.) As an ecstatic priest in an ecstatic tradition I find that when I am at my best I am letting go and surrendering to Goddess. Now, you must also realize in our tradition we go about Goddess in two ways.

     The first is that Goddess is here on earth, she is earth, she is the spirit of empowerment in all of us. For us she is the Queen of the Witches, Diana mother of Aradia, lover of the Light Bearer ( Splendour) , she is mystery, experience, something to strive to become as you light and feed the sacred fire within. She is most importantly to us -Mother.

     The Second is an expansion of the first, Diana then becomes the Cosmic mother who is for all intensive purposes the divine pre-gender force that all things came from. In scientific terms God Herself  or for clarification the ACLG  ( Androgynous Cosmic Life Giver) is the point of singularity that was everything before the big-bang. We see God Herself as the divine nature of the cosmos manifest in all matter and in all things as all things are of her. We don’t separate ourselves from this ACLG nor do we divide it up into halves.

     In our practices we believe ourselves to have been created whole with no missing or extra pieces. This means that if you have a penis or a vagina or  receive those bits later on in life, they are simply parts of you! Sometimes those parts need to be created and fought for and through that work we are brought closer to the divine. Essentially, there is nothing wrong with any of us, merely the baggage that weighs us down from a life time of being told there was. We are Goddess, we are God, we are God Herself.

      I mention all of the above because it is important for you the reader to know where I am coming from. To me and others within our line gender is not an issue, let alone THE issue. We open our arms to all those who feel called to the work of empowerment, sacred self possession, and connectedness. We totally understand that for others this is not the case and respect that soul’s need for work centered around their sexuality. We do offer circles and practices specifically for the healing and empowerment around gender and as such have women only and men only space always available for those in need, again we just try not to allow it to be the end-all be-all to our work.

     In many ways this is too how I feel about my own sexuality. I grew up in a backwards little town in the middle of no-where Ohio and I fought everyday of my youth to not allow my sexuality to be cause for alarm or bigotry. I didn’t think my sexuality was anyone’s business nor was it any reason to separate me out in a crowd. I just didn’t think it should matter. As you could imagine in my spiritual life I never wanted my sexuality to matter either, but it did, and it still does to others.

      I found Goddess the first time when I was a wee little guy. I remember glimpses of her as a child soothing me when I was scared and confused. I found her in my pillow after being hit and beaten by my step-father. I found her again when I turned thirteen in a field under the full moon. I found her a few times as I would hold my head high and walk through the halls of High School as I got spit on and beaten up.  I found her a third time in the tears I shed after I was rapped and everything fell a part. I found her when my sister gave birth to a beautiful and healthy little boy.

      I find her every time I make love, when I dance all night to the drums as I lift my hands up towards the sky in divine reverence, I find her when I look at my own mother who works so hard to make it in life, I find her in myself as I write this blog.

       I have said it a million times, I simply wouldn’t be here if the Goddess had not been with me. For being a young man I have already lived quite the life. Some things I am proud of, others I work to heal the shame that I harbor for. I am just as connected to her ( albeit not via a gender lens) and in some cases connected to her for the same reasons as those women who tolerate me “stealing their Goddess.” I haven’t stolen her ladies, she stole me!

     The hardest part of this for me is to come face to face with the notion that women who I support whole-heartedly in their own interpretation of the work still don’t respect my position and path.  There is still an air of arrogance between the lines that spill forth. I can’t change that though no matter how hard I try. There will always be the Z. Budapests of the world who despite their cries for equality and justice refuse to give it as freely to others as they would expect it given to them.

      These women are warriors, they are fighters, they are lovers, and they are mothers but at some time they need to learn to be human- if only for the sake of living with other humans and acknowledging engaging in all her mysteries and all that she creates. It’s still bigotry just with a different flavor.

      So to all those priestesses out there who have found their home in the arms of the Goddess keep it up please the world needs you! However next time you put your shoes on know that I put mine on the same way, next time you feel that a man couldn’t possibly understand have enough respect not to presume we don’t have at least one shared story, and whatever you do next time you jump to the conclusion that the Goddess is somehow not as connected to men or transgender individuals as Goddess is to women- know that you are being a judgmental and hurtful person who missed out on one of the greatest chapters in her book.

      To you men and trans folks out there who have found your home in the arms of the Goddess keep it up too, we definitely need more of you! Goddess is alive and you are the proof.

Namaste- I honor the divinity within you.

Devin

Reflections on a Sabbat- Samhain has come and gone…. Or has it?

I think the past two months have been a complete submersion into the depths of my own personal gnosis. I celebrated Mabon in Ohio with my tribe, then made the quick transition back to California and before I knew it it was time for Samhain! The magic that was sparked within grew to a brilliant flame as the turning of the wheel fanned the fires of change and transformation.

While in Ohio I got to spend time reconnecting to old friends, the old coven stead- there were a few spirits back home who seamed to be new, and the whole experience was akin to being dipped in the womb of the mother. I had ten days of sheer amazing love, healing, but mostly release. Those new spirits of place brought with them the reality that I no-longer belonged there, even though I come from that land, I have not lived there for several years and life just seamed to move on without me. This brought a sadness to me: The magic of the area I grew up in- the same magic that nurtured me as a boy, that fed me as a young man, and that guided me to adulthood has changed.

Realistically looking back on the experience now I see that I simply no-longer need that same magic because I have changed- in more ways than I had thought possible. The seed of my being may have been planted there, but now my roots draw strength from different soil. The nurturing of the spirits that were my friends and allies once upon a time has now redirected itself - or is it that I have redirected myself?

When I flew back to California I knew three things, three very big things were about to happen. First, I was going to quit smoking. I had been smoking since I was nine years old. No, I didn’t have horrible parents, lord knows they tried to stop me countless times, but I am a rather persistent person- imagine what I was like as a teen! Second, Blue Rose Samhain was about to happen. My partners teach within a line of the Feri tradition and we were due for a full house for a trad retreat. Third- I knew that I had to take a serious look at where my energy had been going- a busy man quickly loses himself in the art of “getting shit done.” Sadly, I felt I had been lost for a few months prior to this. Not lost in the sense that I could not find my way again, just that I had taken a detour on the path and somehow, someway, my internal compass was experiencing interference.

As Samhain approached there was much to do and little time to see it happen. As I stressed over the garden, trying oh-so-hard to replace the stone path, plant lavender bushes, trim roses, etc. My partners focused on getting the house in shape, see we had recently had a room-mate leave us which freed up a large portion of our house- the excitement over the décor possibilities alone kept us chatting for weeks! I had to plan airport pick-ups, sleeping arrangements, menu options, make trips to the grocery store, oh and you know, do my other ‘normal’ day to day stuff too! It seemed as though there was no end in sight to the busy.

People began to arrive from all over the country; students, initiates, and seekers alike. My idea originally had been that I would be staying in the kitchen the entire extended weekend. I was going to cook, then clean, then cook some more. I had been deemed Captain during one of our conversations- me, captain of the USS BR SAMHAIN and I was taking this job seriously.

Sure, for the first two or three hours I kept the stern face and the tough-guy act up, but then I was hit with something no-one could have ever prepared me for: I was called out on my little act. “ So, what are you doing over here all by yourself?” asked the initiate, “ Oh just working.” I replied. “ I see….” he responded, “ And are you going to be ’working’  all weekend?”

Shocked, I traced my mental sketch of the weekend as if to thumb the pages of a manual. “ Yes of course, I have to make sure food is cooked, the house is clean, people have what they need. I have to do it so you guys can have a worry-free weekend.” I was so smug with my response. I thought for sure anyone would understand my need to be the mighty kitchen over-seer. I had spent weeks planning meals and making sure that in general everything I was responsible for would be done to perfection.

“ Alright, well” he said as he quickly looked around the room, finally fixing his gaze on my eyes, “ Is it really your job? Do you really have to be in the kitchen all weekend?” he rebutted in his own know-it-all kind of way. “ Just sayin is all….“ he explained after a moment of silence finally driving the nail further into my psyche as he finished his point.

So there I was, completely full of shit and he knew it. I didn’t really have to be in the kitchen, everything was either pre-cooked and frozen for easier kitchen use through out the event or it was something that I could really just whip up on the spot. See, all that planning actually gave me the ability to not ‘just be in the kitchen’ the whole time. Not only was I dished up a nice healthy portion of what I am now lovingly referring to as “ REALLY?” but I knew I deserved a healthy dose of it.

The thing is, you have to know when you have been called out and you must at all times be willing to accept that as a human-being there will be times when you are just simply full of shit. Now, being full of shit is not a horrible thing, it really means, at least in my case, that you have so many streams of thought that you create your own walls that keep you from being in the moment and then as if a cup running over ( not a two-girls one cup reference ) it spills forth into the things that matter the most. I was relieved of all my own self-imposed tasks and came to the abrupt conclusion that I had been exposed as the fraud I was. Captain? Bleck- I wanted to be a passenger.

I attended a conversation that afternoon held by Storm and those other students and initiates. I was part of it, and I liked it. I didn’t have to be the leader who had all the answers, or the priest dispensing advice, I just got to be chill and present. One of my craft teachers refers to mana as being fluid like water, and if we do not stimulate it well, what happens to a pool of standing water? Sitting there with twenty plus others was like finally putting an air pump in the stagnant waters of my being.

I made my way back to the kitchen where I muddled over how I was feeling, what this could mean to me, etc. As I was taking chicken breasts out of the oven I looked out into the backyard via the sliding doors and saw my half done stone path, the various plant containers that I never put in the outside storage unit and as the feeling of embarrassment began to creep up my spine I stopped myself. These people could care less about the way my garden looks, they see how busy I am and I know how busy each of them are, no one is going to hold my half done walk-way over my head. There I was in the midst of allowing myself to have a good-time and my ego just could not let the distractions go.

Then, it dawned on me-

Conversation between me and me, in my head:

“Devin, do you love yourself?”
“Well, yes of course!”
“Devin, do you love Samhain?”
“ Almost as much as I love myself.”
“ God you can be a smug ass”
“Yep”
“ How is that working for you?”
“Eh, not so much.”
“Ahh… Well, perhaps you should try something else then.”
“Perhaps, but all the good jobs are taken- ninja, ruler of Mordor….”
“What is your potential in this moment? After-all that is your perpetual spiritual quest, to find and live up to your spiritual potential.”
“ It is- good point. Well, I suppose the potential this weekend is to be one of those coveners that are here to experience.”
“ Perhaps you should do that.”
“Yes, perhaps.”

I spent the rest of the weekend in sweet surrender. When I finally allowed myself to just let go I realized how much energy I used on a daily basis to keep it all together. Who asked me to become a stress-ball? No-one, I became one because I was coming from a place of fear. What happens if I don’t do X, Y, and Z? What will happen if I fail to take care of all my projects? More-so, in my career, what happens when I just go poof? I desperately needed sweet surrender, and I realized that although my “ shit’s gotta get done” approach to the daily grind is important, it is also the very last thing I needed to invite whilst trying to give myself permission to be in the now.

In need of no more convincing I gave-in. You see, compassion is such an important and often over-looked part of our own spiritual journey. We can muster-up compassion for others easily if we search for it, but when it comes time to have compassion for ourselves we might as well just spin blind-folded with our foreheads touching a stick then coerce ourselves into hitting the pinata that may or may not be directly in-front of us. Even when the need for compassion is there, finding enough at the end of the day for yourself is often as dizzying and confusing as swinging at an unseen paper mache horse that is full of sweet tarts and sour-heads.

I put the bat down and became a part of the experience. I chose to live despite the consequences of what may happen when I let go. The rest of the weekend I did not serve one meal on-time, I only went out into my garden at night, and I had the most fun I have had in a long time.

I met and got to know some truly inspiring people. We drummed into the wee hours of the morning, chanted ancient names in the shadows, and danced with the dead. Samhain was here, and it had come the time for parts of me to be left in the under-world, not because I wanted to run away from them, but because I realized they did not serve me nearly as well as just being present. You see, when in session and the ten of wands pops up, I often recite the story of Atlas and then mutter something the effect of:  “ Do you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders?” “Well stop because Atlas’s punishment was to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, if you accept that feeling, than you are accepting that you are being punished as well.” Eating your own medicine can be bitter sometimes.

Luckily being in that space, with those amazing people gave me just enough sugar to help that medicine go down. One of the holiest of times during our year had brought the death of self punishment and the rebirth of pieces of myself I had lost. I got to heal wounds that egotism had caused within and as I looked around I saw that in all the others a similar process was taking place. We all came to drink from the well and with each others help we drank deeply.

Ancestors came in spades making sure I and everyone else knew they were there. Being open and responsive allowed me to actually receive their messages, not just act as a channel. I would go into all the fun details, but I think that is better off in another post or in a book sometime. Just know this: I readjusted my focus and began to see life and my role within it through a different set of spectacles- nothing like the dead to tell you a thing or two about living.

For those of you who were present for the retreat know that I am forever indebted to you for allowing the experience to unfold as it did. My soul was cleansed, nurtured, and empowered by the space you helped to create. As you all left I felt as though companions on the journey were setting sail for their own voyages and know that you took a little piece of me with you, and that I cherish the little piece of you that I have as well. It is my belief that those tiny pieces of each other that we carry will guide us to circle once again. Namaste, I honor the god-self in all of you.

Samhain, a festival of the beloved and mighty dead showed me how to live again.

As soon as November rolled into town it brought with it other holidays and festivities to plan and focus on, but instead of getting caught up in the nightmare of holiday madness I am going to take a page from Samhain; sometimes the greatest gift you can give yourself is surrender, and that surrender is found at the end of compassion.

We the People

Alright so here's the thing. I love this country. I was raised in the middle of nowhere Ohio and every spring I marched in the Memorial Day parade. At the end of that parade I would listen to veterans tell stories of freedom, war, and peace as the microphone sent waves across an almost forgotten cemetery full of fallen local men and women. They would play taps which echoed through the town and no matter where you were you could hear the chilling reminder of the sacrifices these men and women made for freedom.

My grandfather was in the Navy during WWII and barely survived a torpedo attack on his carrier which left him floating in the south pacific for almost two weeks. I have cousins in the military, friends who I grew up with who I have not seen in almost six years as they are serving with the armed forces.

The truth is, I never thought of myself as much of a fighter. I am a lover. I love to love mankind, and the mere idea of causing another human bodily injury or death makes me shiver at the base of my spine. For a long time I thought I just was not cut out to be a military boy. Too much discipline, too many rules, too many fears. I had even plotted an escape to Canada in 2001 after 9/11 when talks of another draft were all over the news.

Some American I had turned out to be. I found my own wars here at home as I grew into my priesthood. Men and women in horrible situations in life, fighting to survive, fighting for their dignity. As a priest, it is my job to open my arms to them, help them find clarity so they may rise up against that which keeps them so small. I learned that we only live once- sure you may be reincarnated, but there will only ever be one of you, one being who walks the path you walk, so life is precious, it is finite, it is all we have. I discovered that often those who I helped merely needed someone to tell them it was OK to want more for themselves, it was OK to fight for a better life.

The American dream felt dead to me when I became an adult and shortly after the first waves of economic turmoil began to quake the country. Everywhere we looked we found out even more disturbing news regarding the rape of our planet, the disrespect from those who could change things. I grew to realize that if it was not profitable it had no importance.

I became active in the green movement, AIDS awareness, and advocacy. I drew inspiration from other spiritual faiths, their leaders, and their own causes. I looked deep into the myths and the stories of my own spirituality and I found a gem that I must have read over a million times. This has all happened before. The rules have only changed slightly, but the past is the best prophet.

In the The Book of Aradia: The Gospel of the Witches by Charles Leland Diana gives specific instructions to her daughter Aradia; She was to go to the poor folk, the escaped slaves who fought for their freedom, the outcasts and undesirables. She told of peace in the after-life, of struggles that would come, but of the need to fight for their freedom as human beings regardless of wealth or influence. This was the battle cry of my matron- to overturn the oppressors and let them see that we are all created equal.

My life's work up to this point has been about empowering those who seek me out. To help them find a means to an end of the perpetual cycles of life that only bring disenchantment, fear, anxiety, and exhaustion. I have tried in every way I can to live by the principles given to me as religious cannon: Empower the masses, give them freedom from the demons that persecute them, help them to find peace, because only in peace can we find true freedom.

Last week the news of the Occupy Wall Street movement finally broke. The media it turns out had been covering it up as much as possible. News leaked onto the web of a supposed cover-up attempt by the wealthy, those who own the media corporations. We became aware as a people that we had been taken advantage of, abused, and enslaved by the lies of the rich. We became enlightened as to how bad things really were, that this was an issue on both sides of the debate, democrat, republican, it did not matter- all lies. We had been tamed, made slaves of by the system. We had lost our freedom.

This nation, this great nation that held so many promises, that called out from it's shores not 300 years ago for an end to this. We won our independence through blood. We fought for our freedom until we overcame the persecution of a king. We erected a statue to sit outside one of our largest ports that cried out for the unwanted, the lost, the weak, the poor -declaring to them that America was the land of opportunity. This land was free, this land was fertile, this land was sovereign.

Now the poor, the unwanted, and the lost are pouring out into the streets of every major city in America crying out for justice once more. Our ancestors- no matter who you are as an American – fought to come to this country because it promised so much. Unless you are of the native people, your genetic sequence was brought here by someone else. The greed that our ancestors fought to find a better life has finally knocked on our doors and its deafening roar and putrid stench has made its way into every home.

We are the oppressed, we are the tired, the uninsured. We have become a people who have been told the preservation of our own livelihood depends on the generosity of big business. We have been told that even though we have worked our entire lives to better this land that all the taxes, all the money has simply been not enough. We have been told that our planet is not worth saving because the ruling class places its faith in an unknowable God who may or may not come back to save them from their sin. We have no true freedom, only shackles. Shackles forged in the flames of greed and gluttony as the rich look over their balconies and open bottles of champagne as the masses gather below them and cry for freedom.

Make no mistake- you have been lied to. You have been taken advantage of. Your ancestors have been taken advantage of.

As a people, where do we turn to in these times? We can not put our faith in those who would see us die of infection before signing a bill for universal health care. We can not place our hope for freedom in a president who is too scared to stand-up to the bullies of corporate America. We can only place our faith within ourselves. To quote one of our most beloved teachings, the Charge of the Goddess by Doreen Valiente - “ And ye shall be free from slavery....For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit,
and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth, and mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen,which is the Holy Grail of immortality..... And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thee findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.”

I believe in love, the power of the unconditional heart, the mighty human spirit which rises to claim the birthright inherit to every man, woman, and child on our world. I believe in freedom, I believe in empowerment, I believe in the potential to do many great things within our universe. I do believe we are a chosen people, created to learn through struggle, to move through our fears of what would happen if we challenged our own limits. But the changes needed to make this planet a better place, to create an infrastructure that supports the growth of a peaceful and advanced people must start within the individual. One day you too will be someone's ancestor, your legacy will be told by your children and their children, your students and their students. Ask yourself, what is your legacy.

It is you who has to create a change in the way things are done. It is you who must look inside yourself and push away the distractions of the mundane world that have been built to keep you from focusing on how truly great you are. Ghandi said, “ Be the change you want to see in the world.” It all starts with you.

As I pondered over all of this, as each day more and more people flock to our capitals and major cities, each day we discover more tyranny, more lies, more oppression I feel I have been called, like so many others, to fight for what I believe in.

The answer is not to place blame, but to create result. We the people must create these results by coming together in mind, body, and spirit and by looking at one another and being able to say, “ I love you.” But before any of that can happen you must look upon your own life and say, “ I love you too.” True love is unconditional, it is powerful and unyielding, it is the power of the Goddess. "Love thyself" is not the answer but rather, "love thy neighbor as you would love thyself." It is not the 1% that threatens us but our own unwillingness to stand side by side with our fellow Americans and declare our love for our own communities, our own country. 

We are a people who have the opportunity to claim our voice, claim our power but make no mistake power can never be given. Power must be taken. As creatures of love it is our responsibility to take that power with love and for love for that is the only way that we will be able to do what is right.

I love this country. I love what it stands for. I love what it is capable of being. I do not understand why greed has taken power, but I do know love is the answer- it always has been.

The Goddess Columbia, found Goddess of America, the emblem of our ancestors struggles for independence and freedom sits atop the capital building looking out upon this nation as its protector. She was born from the blood, sweat, and tears of our grandfathers and grandmothers, and I believe that we too must rise to her call. As witches, priestesses, priests, shamans, healers, and medicine people it is our responsibility to fight for a better way. It is our responsibility to stand up for what we and our ancestors fought for- our independence.

We may not have the ability to fly to the capital, but we do have the ability to send our magick. We have the ability to unite as one people under Goddess to send love to our nation so that we can open communications, we can unite to send healing and warmth to those who stand in protest in the cold nights, we can unite to bind the oppressors for a better tomorrow. I have heard this call.

I created the Covenant of Columbia- a network of free practitioners who wish to join the cause by sending their energy. As information comes to us, we will target specific demonstrations through-out the country to send magick, healing, love, and peace. It costs nothing, only your energy. You can find a link here.

Join me Brothers, Sisters, Mothers, Fathers, Friends, Loved Ones, fellow Humans. Join me as we return to the words of the Goddess and look within. Find the power that has been denied to you and let your light shine. This movement is going to require aide on all sides, from many directions, from the collective will-power of the oppressed. Without our cry for freedom and our united love of the promise within our spirit, we can not live the words of the Goddess.

I love you. I love you because I know you too struggle to make it through the long winters, the threats of failure, the feeling of being powerless as all that you know is taken from you. But I know you are not powerless, the Goddess knows you are not powerless. You were meant to live a bigger life, but what will you do to ensure that you have that bigger life, that your children and grandchildren have that better life. Let us end this now and not do what our fathers have done to us, let us end this war, the rape of our planet, the proselytizing of the Goddess and her many gifts. Let us create a peaceful end to this struggle for equality. 

The Feast of Diana

Three Days for Diana

The Feast of our Mother

The feast is described by the Augustan poet Grattius Faliscus, Cynegetica ("The Chase"), 479-496. The feast is mentioned in relation to cures for plagues, in which fire (and Vulcanus) played an important role:

"A thousand plagues hold their victims, and their power transcends our care. Come, dismiss such cares (our confidence is not so great in our own resources), dismiss them, my mind: the deity must be summoned from high Olympus and the protection of the gods invoked by suppliant ritual. For that reason we construct cross-road shrines in groves of soaring trees and set our sharp-pointed torches hard by the woodland precinct of Diana, and the whelps are decked with the wonted wreath, and at the centre of the cross-roads in the grove the hunters fling down among the flowers the very weapons which now keep holiday in the festal peace of the sacred rites. Then the wine-cask and cakes steaming on a green-wood tray lead the procession, with a young goat thrusting horns forth from tender brow, and fruit even now clinging to the branches, after the fashion of a lustral ritual at which all the youth both purify themselves in honour of the Goddess and render sacrifice for the bounty of the year. Therefore, when her grace is won, the Goddess answers generously in those directions where you sue for help; whether your greater anxiety is to master the forest or to elude the plagues and threats of destiny, the Maiden is your mighty affiance and protection." (translation Loeb, Minor Latin Poets)

The feast of Diana can be traced back to antiquity and was once venerated as a festival to the Goddess of the wild, the hunt, the moon, and magick. During the three days of her feast people would celebrate the tribe, the family, and the hearth all while venerating their wild-side! This is a time for us to pay homage to Diana, make offerings, draw upon the mighty Goddess for strength, wisdom, removal of obstacles, blessings, wishes, etc.

Day One- August 12

The moon is almost at her peek and today we mark the first day of the Feast of Diana. Today we are to pay homage to the Goddess by dedicating time for reflection upon our paths. The focus is placed on acknowledgment of the divine gifts we have been given be they wisdom, divine intervention, family, wealth, whatever those may be! Today essentially we are stopping to smell the roses.

Today if possible make offerings of thanks to Diana. She is particularly fond of fava beans, fresh herbs, wild flowers, a nice red wine, bread, etc. Light candles for her today and testify of her love, wisdom, beauty, and power and how she has made herself known in your life!

In our tradition we acknowledge three 'faces' of Diana, each when said places a different emphasis on the name of Diana. On this first day, we honor her as Dee-anna, the Maiden aspect or youthful face of Diana. In this aspect we see the pure power of potential! Dee-anna is the aspect of the Goddess that is wild in the woods, barefoot and untamed. She is all of the powers of nature untamed. In many ways we see her as and aspect of Diana similar to Persephone, Macha, or even Nimue.

The Holy Prayer of Dee-anna

The Lady's Prayer

Our Mother who art all things,
Our Lady who art the moon, sun, and heavens,
Hallowed be thy name
By thy sovereignty of the sacred land,
Thy divine will be done
On Earth as it is in all realms.

Give us the gifts of the untamed soul,
Bless and guide us, Great Goddess
And protect us from all harm and evil
For thine is the power, beauty, and spirit
Of the free.

August 13th- Day two of the feast

On this day we continue to observe the magnitude of Diana's influences on our lives by holding vigil all day. In the morning the first words spoken are prayers to the Goddess. We ritually bathe in the mornings and align our intentions and thoughts with God Herself. Today shall be filled with gifts of love to the community, prayers of peace, blessings to those who find their way to you this day, and shall culminate with a great feast.

Before feasting, offer the first plate of food to Diana as an offering after blessing the feast.

The Blessing of the Feast

We join together to feast in honor of Diana!

May this food nourish us, give us strength, and heal wounds inflicted by our oppressors!

With each taste may we know our own power, with each swallow may we know our own will, and as it moves through-us may it bring us closer together.

Hail Diana the sovereign! Hail Diana the Beautiful! Hail Diana the Queen of Heaven!

Ritual should consist of drawing down the moon, re-aligning ourselves with the will of Diana, and sending thanks to her, the spirits who guide us, and the ancestors. This is also the perfect time to reassert your own definition of who you are, your goals, your affirmations, standards, etc. Before drawing down the moon say the following invocation to Diana.

Invocation of Diana on her feast day

Hail to Diana of the sovereign crown!

Hail to Diana of the wild forrests!

Hail to Diana of the moon!

Upon your feast night we draw down your silver rays,

We call upon your ancient might!

Diana, we your children call to you!

Mother, life giver, we your children invite you here.

Diana, triple Goddess we your children call you here!

Come Diana, great Queen of Heaven!

Come to us oh sovereign Goddess.

Fill our cups with your waters, fill our souls with your light!

Hail Diana! Be Here Now!

Day three- August 14^th

On the third and final night of the feast of Diana it is customary to spend time in the morning doing empowerment meditations. These meditations can be as elaborate or as simple as you would like. I generally prefer to spend some time simply going over my goals and reaffirming not only my commitment to each goal but also my commitment to the dedication it will take to achieve them. Finish your meditations with a simple prayer to Diana.

Holy Mother, on this last night of your feast

I pray to you for love, guidance, and strength.

I ask not for a miracle, but for the tools to achieve these goals.

Blessed Be.

Music for a magickal Summer!

Click The Image Above to Listen!

Summer Magick Music

Nineteen tracks including music by Abbi Spinner McBride, B-52s, and Bat For Lashes.

Just a few of my favorite songs from my witchy play-lists. These are just some of the songs I play while hanging out under the moon on a hot Summer night.

 Hope you enjoy!

Lammas

Lammas in The Living Temple of Diana

During our Lammas celebrations we strive to connect and honor Gaia. We spend the day in contemplation of the greater good, and those within our priesthood spend the day education, volunteering, and/or reaching out to the world around us in healing and love. These are pretty simple concepts but often these are forgotten in the hustle and bustle of daily life.

To think about our wonderful planet, about the element of earth and how it provides structure, support, and strength in our magickal and mundane lives is to look into the very heart of our practices and witness creation taking form. In our creation myth Gea the guardian of Earth springs forth as the great Goddess realizes she has form. Like all things- nothing exists until it is perceived. Those who are in the temple look at our own structure and honor what we do have, then reinforce it with the energies of the earth so it may continue to grow and support us as we grow.

Most in the temple will spend Lammas volunteering at soup kitchens or hospices, they will be out collecting garbage from parks to reclaim nature space, or they will be offering their services to others in need. We believe that giving back to the community is to support the community, and that when you support the community the community will support you.

So as Lammas night approaches we invite you to take a look deep into your own structure be it the three souls, your inner-temple, or the structure of your reality and honor it. Give thanks to those who support you, send blessings to those who got your back, send healing deep into the Earth, and take pride in your beautiful life. In essence we would like you to think about the road you travel and for once stop to smell the roses, maybe even plant one or two.

Gaia, the spirit of our planet is a vast and wondrous thing. She is fertile and ever changing and we who walk upon her are charged with the responsibility to take care of her because she takes care of us. As such, for those who are interested I invite you also to light a candle on Lammas and meditate on Gaia, perhaps even reciting this prayer while in your sacred space of connection.

" Gaia, spirit of this world, I pray unto your highest mountain and unto your deepest cavern that you may know that I know. I pray for your wounds to heal, for your waters to be cleansed, and your air to be purified. I pray for the days when we drank from your teaming waters of life, the days when your forests gave shelter, for the days when man-kind connected to you and searched your mysteries as I do. Mother Gaia, mother of man, I pray for your health, I pray for your wisdom, and I pray for your strength. Do not cry great mother, but be strong and mighty for I have not forgotten you."

Being Poly and why it works for me.

Earlier this week I posted a link to an article written by Jason Pitzl-Waters on The Wild Hunt Blog in which I was quoted about polyamory. I also promised to write more on the topic later this week, and the time has come.

First off, I swore to myself I would never enter a polyamorous relationship. All the poly people I had known had been messed up mentally, were looking for another person to fill a void in their relationship, or were just looking for excuses to get their groove on with multiple partners. It all just seamed a little too out there for me. I grew up in the mid-west and had fully expected to find a partner by the time I was 30, settle down, have 2.5 children, and go on about life like an average American... only gayer. :P

Almost two years ago I completely fell head-over-heals for my two partners. It was unexpected but ultimately I am the typical Sag... romance, love, whispers of sweet nothings.... all the bane of my existence! I am a sucker for taking risks for love. I threw caution to the wind, boarded a plane, and within 6 hours I landed in California. Me, the small town boy gave it all up for the fast paced life in CA and I did it all for the promise of love.

Unlike before I had entered the relationship I was able to solely focus on the concepts of love, how it evolved within me over time, and also the sheer and simple fact that love is different every-time we experience it and not only that but love is simply not a finite resource within us. Truly unlocking it is to challenge our concepts of it and push the envelope as to how it can manifest in our lives.

Unconditional love? Hmm, well how can love be unconditional if we chain it to someone else's values? When I entered this relationship I was still banged and bruised from love gone wrong in the past, I was not vulnerable, but jaded. Contrary to the popular belief at the time of me entering this relationship, there was no brain-washing, there was no convincing, the guys if anything took everything I would have to do to make the switch into consideration and asked me every day if this was what I wanted. At times it felt like they were trying to talk me out of it for fear that I would loose too much. But I am bull-headed and stubborn, and c'mon have you seen my guys? HOT!

The truth of the matter is that we are dealing with love here. Love that is free to express its self in what ever way it chooses too. Of all the relationships I have been in this relationship has been the healthiest, the most challenging, and the most inspiring.

What makes the Dynamics of poly different than other relationships? That is easy! Very little. We value the power of the individual and are also aware that we equal more than the sum of our individual parts. Being poly allows for each individual to be independent. We each have our own relationships with the other, and then we have our over-all relationship. As long as we honor each-others needs and desires and do so from a place of understanding and compassion than we can do anything!

I wish I had some other great droplet of wisdom but to tell you the truth, what it takes to make any relationship successful is communication. Adding another person to the mix places a challenge on that but if you know that communication is the corner-stone of any relationship than you must not allow it to become what lacks. I don't just have boyfriends or partners, I have companions. Together we collectively make for a team of empowered and respectful individuals who are willing to test the boundaries of love.

People almost instantly jump to the conclusion that people become poly because of the sex- which I am sure does play a part in it for some, but ultimately that is not the point..... but a perk. I will choose to avoid getting into my sex life, because it is MY sex life and is no ones business. I think if we move away from everything being about sex all the time we can see what lies within the belly of the unknown.

Having multiple partners also means that you have more support. I know no matter what I have a loving, caring, and genuinely interested person within reach at all times. If I need a pick me up or a little inspiration all I need to do is pick up the phone or look over my shoulder. If something were to happen to one of us (Gods forbid) there are two people to help take care of the other. If one of us looses our job, there are two other sources of income. See the tripod brings stability and security.

I don't really see a big difference in my relationship compared to yours. I come home from work, am greeted with not one but two loving smiles, I sleep in the same bed as my partners, and I wake-up feeling that everything is OK. If one day I wake up and have the awareness that I am no longer in a relationship that served me, I at the very least have learned what I deserve from love, which is the most valuable lesson I have learned yet. 

Being Poly works for me because you can not hide from your emotions, you can not act like it is all OK, because in a poly relationship you are guaranteed to have someone seeing what is really going on. It works because we are a family, not just three guys who sleep together. It works for me because there is real and genuine love. It works for me because it is empowering. 

Quoted on The Wild Hunt this morning!

For those of you who do not know I am in a very happy Polyamorous relationship with two amazing men. I credit these men with being the loves of my life but most importantly as being two healthy individuals who showed me how a relationship should work.

Had I ever planned on being poly? NO! In-fact I spent a lot of time writing it off as something that wasn't for me, until I found myself in a swirl of romance and before I knew it- there I was in-love with two guys, lucky for me they were already married! In September we will be together for two years and I simply couldn't imagine my life without them.

When I was asked to comment for an article by Jason Pitzl-Waters of The Wild Hunt Blog I couldn't help but voice my opinion on this incredibly important matter. Marriage between two people of any gender is a wonderful thing, provided the parties can keep up their end of the bargain, but marriage between multiple partners?  In this article by Mr.Pitzl-Waters we see a rising interest in plural marriage rights in Canada but also in the U.S. I have no issue with marriage in any-form, but I do question why the rights of a minority are in the hands of the majority? As a gay man I have struggled with this, but then I add two men to it and BOOM! It gets a whole lot more difficult. I am not saying I see marriage in my future with my men, but I am questioning why I do not have the option if all parties are in consent?

Marriage rights are the bane of my political consciousness. I have seen first hand children who are raised within a poly relationship and I have seen these children flourish! I will continue to write about polyamorous relationships later this week, but untill then check out this inciteful article by Jason Pitzl-Waters from The Wild Hunt!

The Wild Hunt Blog

Another Freebee

This one just because...    Having too much fun with this! LOL

FREEBEES

Heya folks, so as a little appreciation for all the support I have added a "Freebee" section to the blog where you will be able to find several free wallpapers (scanned and safe) that I have made, as well as any other freebee's I may get my hands on- it happens.

Please feel free to take them and use them as you will.

Today's free wallpaper was inspired by Rowan Pendragon.- Hope she enjoys it!

Again Check out the freebee section, there are a few more up already and there will be more to come!

Imagine if.... A twelve O'clock brain drain.

Imagine if this was your job, and that was your totem!

No, seriously poor dear! This does happen though due to urban sprawl. :(

But think about it, if this was your totem this would be the biggest RED TRUCK! The guy sitting at the bar sure does look like he has had a revelation- or, just maybe it scared the hell out of him like it would me. Either way he wont be forgetting the randomness of Mother Nature anytime soon.

The Top 8 Witches of the 90's

The top 8 countdown of witches from 'Back in the Day'!

To me, growing up in the 90's was a sort of dream. I had access to cultures from around the world in ways that my parents and even my older siblings did not have growing up. MTV was always giving me the 411 on pop-culture, I could lose myself in Goosebumps books, Ellen came out on an episode of her prime-time show, and we had Bill Clinton as president. These were all things I took for granted! I got lucky, my childhood saw not only extreme periods of economic growth but also the only war that was going on was cold.

Whether you were listening to the tortured sounds of Tori Amos, Sarah Mclachlan, and Alanis Morriset, or the hard knock rap of the Wu Tang Clan, The Fugees, or Dr.Dre chances are you like me were soaking all of the new-found liberalism of mainstream media. Part of this new found media liberalism gave way for Witches to come back into our lives in a big way. The silver and small screens were filled with witchcraft and my young impressionable mind simply gave-in to the temptations of what life might be like if I could turn a boy into a cat, or if I had two crazy aunts who took me to teach me witchcraft. As I look back I remember stowing away in my bedroom and doing the exact same spells I saw each week on Charmed, I remember forming covens with class mates that would only last a week, and I remember going off into the woods and invoking the spirit.

As an adult I can not help but to pay homage to those witches who came into my life and hypnotized me. This post is a top 8 countdown dedicated to the witches from 'Back in the day' who shaped our young minds into the bad-ass witches we are today!

Number 8- Rita Repulsa

Now, some of you may be wondering who the hell Rita Repulsa is, but for those of us who grew up with the beloved Japanese turned American 90's pop phenom The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers you were probably fighting her evil spawn on the play ground after school. Rita Repulsa was an evil alien witch who had been trapped in a galactic dumpster by the forces of good for over ten thousand years.

Later in the series she marries the evil Lord Zedd after he plots to take control over her quest for universal domination. Rita had four minions who were trapped with her for those ten thousand years Goldar, Finster, Squat, and Baboo.

Her most famous line- “I've got such a headache!”

Truth be told Rita may be an alien witch from a ten thousand year old dumpster but she always provided the proper amount of snark and quick response. She rarely fought in hand to hand combat but instead would send her minions to do all of her dirty work most notably the Puddies! This is the kind of witch who didn't take crap (unless it was from her husband, or brother, or father, or of course the power rangers who weekly kicked her ass.)

Rita comes in at number 8 on the list of top witches from the 90's due to her lack of self empowerment, I mean after-all what kind of message are we sending to children with that hair?

Number 7- The Blair Witch

The Blair Witch project came out in '99 and is a documentary style- not so documentary which follows a group of college students who enter the woods of the Black Hills in Maryland as they investigate the Blair Witch. Supposedly in 1994 this group of amateur film students heads off into the woods and are never heard from again, however the majority of their film and sound equipment was discovered and that material was mastered into what would become the movie.

The film was originally released at the 99 Sundance Film Festival and after months of on-line publicity and leaks was released the same year by Artisan Entertainment. They big claim to fame was that reportedly the events in the movie were actual events that had taken place just five years earlier.

At the beginning of the film we are introduced to the Blair Witch by locals (some planted actors, and others who are reportedly actual members of the local community) as a witch who was hung in the 18^th century that visited Rustin Parr a hermit who kidnapped seven children and ritually murdered them in the early 1900's. Later he turns himself into the police claiming insanity. As the story develops the ghost of the Blair Witch slowly pics off members of the crew and the movie provides one of the most satirically covered scenes of all time.

Although we never see the Blair Witch we are plagued throughout the film with her supposed symbol which is a bundle of sticks that form together to make a sigil.

Everyone thought this film was real and the film gave way to other amateur style not-so documentary flicks like 2010's Paranormal Activity.

The Blair Witch makes number 7 on our countdown because even though her character was loosely based on urban legend and was unseen in the film she still gave my ass nightmares! :D

Number 6- Sabrina Spellman

Originally released by Archie comics as the story of Sabrina Spellman, Sabrina the teenage witch debuted on ABC's TGIF in 1996 and was the first prime time series depicting a witch since Bewitched! The show follows a half witch/ half mortal sixteen year old girl who moves in with her aunts for “Witch training.” Throughout the series Sabrina undergoes a series of social and magical lessons as she gets swept away with the drama of life as an American teenager.

Sabrina has two wacky aunts, Hilda and Zelda who have given up life in the 'other realm' for a simple life amongst the mortals of suburbia. The three witches are also the caregivers of a black cat named salem who was once a witch who was punished for misuse of his powers and transformed into a talking cat.

Amongst some of the zany antics of the series Sabrina falls victim to backfiring spells, a sick index finger, and a closet that acts as a portal to the 'other realm.'

Sabrina was a great escape for me as a kid, but more important was my crush on her love interest Harvey who was nothing more than a popular dumb jock. Eventually the series moved to the WB for its final three seasons which follow Sabrina through her college years.

Famous Quote: Sabrina: “What's the matter? I have to be a witch, I have to be a mortal, I have to be a teenager and I have to be a girl all at the same time. That's what's the matter.”

Salem: “At least you still have your thumbs... and a door on your bathroom!”

Sabrina makes number 6 on our countdown to the top witch of the 90's because she spent more time trying to mix her witchcraft and her mundane life and not enough time snogging with the jock. Well, I mean we all have to have our priorities after-all.

Number 5- Eva Ernst

In the 1990 film release of Roald Dahl's book by the same name, Goddess of the small and silver screen Angelica Houston plays Eva Ernst the Grand High Witch of England in The Witches. The plot is centered around a young boy named Luke who is turned into a mouse after stumbling into a witches' convention which happens to be at the same hotel that he and his grandmother are staying at. I wont give any spoilers for the one person out there who hasn't seen the movie yet, but unknowingly all the witches at the convention end up drinking the same potion that turned our young Luke into a mouse!

The best part of the movie is when all of the witches rip off their human exteriors and show their real faces. Angelica Houston turns into a horrible looking hunchback with a crooked pointy nose. Of course this is the classic image of a witch, but as always she plays evil so well.

Famous Line: Eva: “Any questions? “
Millie: “Madam, what would happen if one of the chocolates we give away was accidentally eaten by a grown-up?”
Eva: “Then that's just too bad for ze grown-up.”

Number 4- The Sanderson Sisters

In the 1993 Disney film Hocus Pocus we are taken to Salem, MA where three evil witches are brought back from the dead for one night only, as Max the main character lights the “black flame candle” in a stunt to impress a girl. The three sisters are brought back from hell and spend all of halloween brewing a potion to suck the lives out of the children of Salem so their youth can be restored.

What made this movie so completely bad-ass is all the singing! In classic Disney fashion we are treated to several musical numbers, and with a cast that includes Bette Midler how could you go wrong? My favorite scene from the movie is when the three sisters sing 'I put a spell on you' and the parents of Salem are enchanted to dance until they die. The song is a classic, but this number took it over the top with a Vegas style extravagance!

We had all the great stuff in this movie, and boy did the sisters play it well! The eldest sister, Winnifred, played by Bette Midler was a power hungry high tempered red-head who is constantly struggling to keep control over her two sisters who lack commonsense as they tear through Salem searching for the children who brought them back from the dead.

The middle sister, a brunette stout witch named Mary, played by Kathy Najimy brought laughs as she flew off into the night on a vacuum cleaner. The youngest sister Sarah, played by Sarah Jessica Parker reminded me more of my boy-crazy sister, only... a little sluttier. I think SJP had more cleavage going on than I was used to in a children's movie, but hey if you got it....

Favorite Quote: Winnifred: “ I always wanted children....... ON TOAST!”

The Sanderson sisters although quick witted and hysterical were not so self actualized and this is why they make number four on our countdown.

Number 3- The girls from the craft

The craft became a pop-phenom after its 1996 release by director Andrew Fleming. The movie follows four catholic school girls turned punk-goth witches as they navigate their way through their junior year of high-school. The movie takes a turn for the dark when the characters gang up on the newest member of their coven as spells go crazy, dead sharks end up on the beech after a crazy night of invoking the spirit, and no less than three people die due to magick gone awry.

We have Nancy the white-trash dis-empowered goth girl who turns into a psycho because she missuses her magick, Bonnie who hates her body and then half way the film becomes a sex-bomb, Rochelle who fights the evils of blond bigotry, and Sarah the girl with baggage who becomes super-witch. Everything you need for a teeny-bopper flick about the wiles of friendship gone wrong.

Favorite Quote: Bus driver: “Watch out for the weirdos, girls.”
Nancy: “We are the weirdos, mister.”

Not only did we all know who these four girls were in our own high-schools, but we wanted to be just like them, and that makes the witches of The Craft our number three!

Number 2- The Charmed Ones

In 1998 the WB (R.I.P) brought the story of the three Halliwell sisters into our homes each-week. The first two-seasons delved into a myriad of issues surrounding their childhoods, careers, and love-lives as the sisters are reunited after their grandmother's death and discover that they are witches! Now, these three aren't just any witches, but The Charmed ones!

This show will always have a spot in my heart and because the first few seasons were completely kick-ass I will forgive them for making me bang my head against the wall all throughout the final three seasons. What I loved most about these witches is that they were fighting the forces of evil, or rather the source of all evil, and most often did it in high-heels. The series did 'Jump the Shark” when the eldest sister Prue died suddenly and mysteriously, ending the power of three, only to be replaced by a 'hidden' fourth sister- Page.

One of the coolest things about these witches is that they each possessed a specific ability, Prue- the power to move objects with her mind, and later astral project, Piper- the power to freeze people and places, and later to make them explode, Pheobe- The power of premonition and later the power to levitate, and of course Page who inherits the abilities of her estranged dead sister Prue but also has the power of teleportation.

Favorite Quote: Piper:

“Darryl, I'm sorry, but what do you want me to say? My sister was just possessed with a supernaturally born killer and my husband is in 1994, and I do not mean in the fashion sense. He time traveled back with my other sister so the only one left to help me is you.”

These witches were awesome and sexy giving them the number two spot on our countdown. Fighting the forces of evil in stilettos has to be a super-power all its own.

Number 1- The Owens Family

The1998 film Practical Magic featuring a knock-out cast which included Stockard Channing, Nicole Kidman, Diane Weisst, and Sandra Bullock explores the lives of a family of witches through the good times and the bad. In the movie we discover that the Owens women only have little girls and those little girls are natural born witches! The film primarily focuses on Sally and Gillian Owens as they try to take back their lives after the death of a husband and the accidental murder by belladonna of Gillian's fugitive ex-lover who is raised back from the dead only to become their worst nightmare.

The movie is in my book as the top witchcraft movie of my generation as it showcases strong women who live through tough times but always have each-other to turn to. The Owens women are powerful witches who live on the outskirts of society and never seem to age, their magick is beautiful and based off of actual magic that you and I might practice, but most impressively these witches embody everything I want to be when I grow-up, oh and I want that house!

Favorite quote: Francis : “My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage!”

A powerful cast playing powerful witches who not only know their way around an herb cabinet but actually make money off of their craft makes these self actualized divas our number one!

Now for those of you who are asking "What about Willow?"  Willow did not become a witch on the TV series Buffy the vampire slayer until 2001! She will be on another top list soon. :P