Well, the move has been managed. Not completed though. There’s another U-Haul truck of stuff in a storage location that needs to be brought in, and the trailer remains in Texas for the time being (RV storage is hard to find around here). Its become extremely apparent that there is a lot of stuff that just needs to be gotten rid of, as the unpacking begins. Parting with older materials won’t be that difficult for me…

Anyways, much of the move was full of interesting moments. I was saddled with transporting the furr-balls, which is not a pleasant chore under any circumstances. For the first hour and a half, Gabby howled her displeasure from her carrier, while Raven slept (or tried to). When I made the first stop, I took some extra time with Gabby, petting her, talking to her, offering her the water bowl first, and providing treats to her first. Apparently, it worked, as I heard not much from either one of them for the next six hours of the trip. It was either all of that which worked, or the fact that I had CNN on my Sirius XM radio. It might have been the radio that bored them to sleep….

So, the trip has reminded me of something I try to handle in my Spiritual life every three to five years – down-sizing. Throughout my years of working through Paganism and my own Druidry, I have found that I have a tendency to gather practices and perspectives that no longer serve a purpose or direction for me. When I get enough of these that make me feel overwhelmed, I have to take time to inspect and pare back parts of what I do…so as to let the newer points and perspectives have the room to grow.

This practice is not really popular among that many Pagans, I have found. Most do not relish the idea of digging into areas covered in cobwebs and dust from disuse or flat-out neglect. I can grok this particular perspective since I tend to do the same thing for several years at a time before I start undergoing the pruning process myself. But I feel that I need to do this pruning measure to provide room within my Spiritual perspective for things to grow, allowing these new ideas the room to expand and widen as I explore it deeper. Quite a few years back, I did the same thing with Shamanic thoughts and practices…allowed these to grow and expand as my understand of these got better (not necessarily deeper). A few years further down that line, I got out my pruning shears, and cut back the jungle-like growth on Shamanic practices that I had added into my life much further back, and only recently had set aside in my personal daily practices because it just didn’t “mesh” with where I was intended to go. Peoples’ perspectives change as they learn and grow…and they sometimes have to walk away from something that they had previously thought was important in their life. That was the case with Shamanic practices at tht time, as it has been at other points with other subjects within my life.

The core of where I am in my Spirituality is Druidry, Paganism, and Polytheism. These three areas will never go away. However, as I study and experience more, my understanding and practice within those three areas will change and grow throughout my life (as it has). Topics come and topics go within those three spheres o influence, but the essence of what I learn from those topics remains with me. In some instances, the topics will always stay with me. No matter how much I feel that I have come to terms with the concepts of Pagan Leadership, Pagan Priesthood, being an Elder within the wider Pagan community….I will always struggle with those concepts. On good days, I can embrace what each concept provides to my daily Path….on bad days, there mere mention of any of these concepts will find me turning to flee in absolute dread/fear. Most of the time, I’m somewhere in between. I can never eject any of these terms or concepts because each is in integral part of who and what I am – no matter how fast I run from them, they will always be nipping at my Spiritual heels. But there are other areas that I can remove after a prolonged period of working with them.

Tarot has never been my thing. I have three very nice Tarot decks. But I suck at doing readings – even on my best days. Its better to walk away with my basic understanding and leave the more in-depth stuff to the people that to it better. After all, you wouldn’t hire an Information Technology person to require your dryer. You would want someone far more experienced and far more knowledgeable in what they are doing. Incidentally, this is why I am hiring an electrician to rewire my dryer because IT person me is the wrong person for that job. In that same vein, I’m not a magick worker either. Spell-work, bending Will to Intent – none of that has ever been my forte, much less held my interest for long stretches of time. After several years of dabbling in those worlds, its time to tuck away what I’ve learned, and lean towards other esoteric and metaphysical disciplines where I’ve not dipped my toe in. As the sayin goes, know your limits.

A few other thoughts on removing unneeded and unnecessary aspects to my Spirituality. I’ve never been one to mix my Spirituality with my politics. I’m not about to start now, if that’s what you’re thinking. No, I’m setting the politics even further into the background. In fact, its not even on the stove now. I pay attention, but I refuse to go to my Gods (or any God for that matter) seeking prayers and involvement from Them for the politics of the United States or anywhere else in the world. I want to find the time to approach the Gods for teachings and information….all of which happens on Their time, not mine.

A move is always a chance for a fresh start. There’s no doubt that my neighbors and the other citizens in this little suburb of Little Rock will be comprised of Trump-era Republicans. As they will be comprised of other political affiliations as well. I will eventually locate other Pagans here in this area and from around the state. Some of them will be Druids…many will not. No worries there either. People are people. They all see the world differently. They all have their own opinions on what is right and what is wrong. We all need to find the grace to look behind political affiliations and gender issues….and find a way to embrace one another as part of a collective community that can actually learn to disagree with one another. I’m not sure how that starts…but I’ll start by being kind. Because being kind can be the catalyst for so much. Of that, I firmly believe.

I’m getting a new start here in Arkansas. Its scary. Its new. And yet its not scary and it not really new. It is; however, a moment in time. What matters most – is what happens next….

–T /|\