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Updates for September/October
Merry meet, my darling Witchlings!
If you’ve been watching the YouTube channel, you might already know some of what I’m going to say, but I wanted to be sure to get these updates anyone who may have missed the news.
For the last two years, I’ve tried to maintain a weekly posting schedule. Of course, that hasn’t always been a successful endeavor, but I did my best. There have been quite a few changes in life over these two years, so it’s only natural that this blog and all my other projects change a bit, too.
In addition to life changes, my energy has had a shift over the last few weeks. That’s bound to happen at times. Whether it’s due to the loss of a loved one or physical illness, our personal energy often fluctuates. And, even though meditation can make the fluctuations a bit smoother, no one is immune to these shifts.
Instead of resisting, I find it’s best to simply go with the flow. So, I’ve made some changes to our posting schedule, as well as a few other Maiden’s Circle offerings.
So, what’s new?
Posting Schedule
As I mentioned above, we’ll be changing our schedule when it comes to these blog posts. For the past two years, I’ve tried to post weekly, but that’s no longer feasible. So, now I’ll be posting once a month, publicly. We’ll also have a private post for a select few. I’ll give you details about that in just a moment.
In these public posts, we’ll have our standard fare: series and updates. But, in the private blogs, we’ll be getting deeper into magick and spellwork. I’m looking forward to talking more about those topics. Of course, that doesn’t start until there’s demand for it.
Tarot Schedule
In addition to reducing my posting schedule, I’ll also be reducing the amount of tarot videos I post. For quite some time now, we’ve had “daily” tarot readings posted on the weekdays. While this schedule forced me to really train my intuition and allowed me to get some meditation in every day, it eventually got to be a bit overwhelming.
The daily schedule also began to eat into my writing time and the time I spent on other creative projects. That aspect of my life is just as important as the spiritual aspect, so it’s important to me that I have balance.
It’s that need for balance that has led me to reduce the amount of tarot videos I make myself record each month. So, official as of last week, I’ll be doing pick-a-card readings once a week and Life Path Number readings once a month. This change will give me a little more time and wiggle room when it comes to these readings.
Patreon
Of course, even though I am reducing my overall posting schedule, I wanted to provide a few special offerings for Maiden’s Circle’s most loyal supporters. So, Maiden’s Circle now has an official Patreon!
It’s been a long time coming, but we finally have a way to maintain operations and keep a healthy, balanced life. I have been putting so much of myself—so much time and personal energy—into Maiden’s Circle, but it wasn’t providing me the stability necessary to continue at the rate I’ve been going. I have workaholic tendencies, and this Patreon is an effort to justify that work.
On Patreon, you’ll receive an extra private blog each month, as I mentioned earlier. I’ll also be offering a private monthly reading along with a spiritual channeling, a monthly live chat, some Maiden’s Circle branded gear, a free spell download, and more. What you receive depends on the tier level you choose.
So, if you want to directly support Maiden’s Circle, either click here or copy and paste the following link into your browser:
Https://www.patreon.com/mcca13
Thank you so much for your continued love and loyalty to Maiden’s Circle. It hasn’t gone unnoticed. Please know that you are appreciated. Since this update is coming so near the end of the month, this will be your only blog post this month. Look out for the next one in the first two weeks of October.
Thank you again and blessed be.
Yours in service,
Lady Morgana Brighid HP MCCA
Check out our Maiden’s Circle Tarot readings here, and subscribe to catch them every week. Check out our forums and say hi! Have any questions or topics you’d like to see on the blog? Interested in writing a guest blog? Let me know in the comments or reach out through the contact page! PLUS Did you know we have an MCCA newsletter? Sign up to get updates whenever there’s a new blog post and any other MCCA news.
Air and the East
Hello! This is the second entry in our series on the natural elements. In this series, we’re going to have short entries on the main cardinal elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. We’ll explore their connections with other aspects of the craft, such as color and direction correspondences.
We’ll start with those basic correspondences, then move on to tools of the craft which are used to represent these elements. Then, we’ll follow that with various activities one can do in relation to the elements and finish off with elemental connections to the Zodiac.
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this series, so be sure to leave comments and say ‘Hi!’ on the Facebook page!
Air and the East
While I’ve never seen a ritual opened in the East, I’m sure there are some traditions which do just that. In any case, since most traditional rituals begin in the North and move clockwise, Air usually follows, placed in the Eastern corner.
I couldn’t say for sure why Air always follows after Earth, but my own theory is that this is due to the actual rotation of the planet. Earth is the dominant element because, well, it’s our home. And because of the Coriolis Effect (a phenomenon that pushes air and water currents either clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the hemisphere) we in the Northern Hemisphere—where Wicca and similar crafts originate—naturally follow the clockwise direction.
So, that explains why we move from North to East, but why is Air associated with the Eastern corner? I think this may bear a slight stretch of the imagination. If you’ll allow me, I’ll take you through what’s running around in my head.
Picture yourself in space. It’s large and infinite, but no air moves there. There’s no atmosphere. Now, see yourself floating downward, safe and unafraid, towards Earth. You see Earth and know it’s there, so it influences your senses even before impact. Then, you enter the atmosphere. Air is the next element to influence your senses as it breezes across your skin.
So, in this macro, zooming-in sort of scenario, Air follows Earth because it’s the second we come into contact with. And, since East follows North, Air resides squarely in the Eastern corner.
Of course, that’s just my theory, and there are a ton more from a million other sources. I’d suggest looking into your own path or paths that catch your interest to see why they associate certain elements with a corresponding direction.
Since I’ve pretty much explained why I believe Air corresponds with the East in this section alone, I’ll tell you some of the reasons I think Air is a wonderful element of the craft.

Air is Uplifting
Have you ever been out on a nice day, where the sun wasn’t too hot and the breeze was just right? Those are the kinds of days in which nothing can dampen my mood. Because I spend so much time inside sitting at my computer, I prefer the days I do go out to be nice.
Of course, living in my city means “a nice day” differs depending on the season. Still, my favorites are those bright-but-not-too-hot Fall or Spring days when the wind is blowing just hard enough to make my skirts dance. Just as the breeze raises my skirt, it also lifts my spirits. Those days are often good-mood days, barring something terrible happening.
The buoyancy Air offers to birds, balloons, and plastic bags can be tapped into energetically. We can use that symbolism to raise our spirits and heighten our vibrations to improve both our lives and our magick.

Air is Calming and Cool
Sticking with our weather example, there are days in New York when the heat can be truly oppressing. It sticks to our skin like paste, and all we want is a cool breeze to bring sweet relief.
Or, say we’re in a crowded station and the proximity of hundreds of people begins to overwhelm us. Our chest tightens and our anxiety is suddenly through the roof. All we want is to be able to take in a nice, clean, full breath of air.
Air has a way of soothing our discomforts. It can cool our heads when we’re angry if we take a walk. It can calm our overactive minds through meditative breathing. We can use air to create balance before our rituals through breath exercises, through dance or moving through the air, or through meditation with incense smoke. We can use air to bring a sense of peace and focus to our rituals, as well as a bit of levity to counteract the somewhat “heavier” elements.

Air is My Element
The main reason I love the element of Air is that it’s the element associated with my Zodiac sign. We’ll get into the Zodiac in a future article, but I will say that I resonate pretty deeply with the generally accepted Air sign personality traits.
For one thing, Air signs are known to be big on communication. As a writer, singer, occasional actress, and Pagan teacher—pretty much everything I do relies upon my skills as a communicator.
It took me years, though, to get to the point where I could speak up for myself, let alone for or in front of others in any capacity. I was in my mid-twenties before I finally grew into this aspect of my sign. Now that I’ve found a voice for myself, I want to use it to free myself of old mindsets and help others do the same.
Of course, that long and ever-growing resume is yet another trait of my sign. Constantly moving from one project to another, taking on more work than I probably should—not because of some societal declaration that I must do so, but because I have an endless stream of ideas running through my head and they’re all super exciting. Those are the traits given us by Air.
Before I learned about my signs and numbers—the various charts that can help us understand ourselves—I lived in a state of resistance. I followed a path I thought I was “supposed” to follow and it led me into depression and confusion. I struggled so much with my identity. Then, I began to really understand my charts and explore sides of myself I’d suppressed. After all—art doesn’t pay. Writing isn’t a job. So, why bother?
Now, I can happily say I am definitely an Air sign. Letting myself pursue the things I love, instead of doing the things everyone else wants me to do, has provided me with balance and freedom like I’ve never known before. Yes, I have taken on more work than might seem normal, but I’m doing what my soul directs me to do. And just knowing that leaves me feeling light and airy.
How do you use Air in your ritual work? Do you use it for more mundane things, like calming panic attacks or just cooling yourself down? Do you associate any other directions with Air? Let me know in the comments!
With infinite blessings,
Lady Morgana Brighid HP MCCA
Check out our Maiden’s Circle Tarot readings here, and subscribe to catch them every week! Check out our forums and say hi! Have any questions or topics you’d like to see on the blog? Interested in writing a guest blog? Let me know in the comments or reach out through the contact page! PLUS Did you know we have an MCCA newsletter? Sign up to get updates whenever there’s a new blog post and any other MCCA news.
Earth and the North
Hello! This is the first entry in our series on the natural elements. In this series, we’re going to have short entries on the main cardinal elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. We’ll explore their connections with other aspects of the craft, such as color and direction correspondences.
This series starts with those basic correspondences, then moves on to tools of the craft which are used to represent these elements. We follow that with various activities one can do in relation to the elements and finish off with elemental connections to the Zodiac.
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this series, so be sure to leave comments and say ‘Hi!’ on the Facebook page!
Earth and the North
If you’ve ever attended a Wiccan ceremony, you may have noticed that most rituals begin with participants facing the North. This is more common than the Maiden’s Circle tradition of starting in the West. North is the default direction for most navigating tools, so it makes sense that people consider it the “dominant” direction. (The University of California, Santa Barbara has this interesting and short article on why that is.)
Of course, Pagans have a number of different reasons for why we start our rituals in certain, specific ways. For some, it’s simply because that’s what they were taught. For others, we make a connection with the corresponding element. In this case, that element is Earth.
I can’t speak to why other Pagans may associate Earth with the North, but I can tell you why I do.

Earth is Grounding
In ritual, we call elementals or guardians to join us from their associated directions. Guardians of Earth share traits with their element, as you might imagine. And, as one of its names suggests, Earth has a grounding nature.
Grounding, in witchy terms, is the process of connecting metaphysically with the earth’s core. It allows us to stabilize our energy and connect with our fellow practitioners. This is because we associate the earth with a solid foundation. It symbolizes stability, strength, and wholeness.
When we need to ground, we imagine the energy of the planet filling us with the essence of those traits, and it allows us to feel strong and ready to do the tasks ahead of us. Perhaps that is why so many Pagans start rituals in the North, as that grounding energy is necessary for effective spellcraft.

Earth is Cold and Dark
Imagine what it would feel like to be buried deep underground. The heavy soil piled on top of you and blocking out the light. It’s a scary thought, a reminder of life’s harshness, and of the dichotomy between vitality and death.
What does that have to do with the North? That harsh cold can be found at our northernmost peaks. Admittedly, the southernmost peaks have even colder temperatures. But where I’m from, the North is known for its cooler climate and harsher weather.
If you’re wondering why “cold and dark” would be considered a good aspect of Earth, know that it’s simply a matter of perspective. For some, “cold and dark” describes their ideal aesthetics. Personally, it reminds me to be grateful for the warm and bright aspects of life.
It also shows me what I’m capable of withstanding. So, by enduring the harshest of winters, I am made stronger. And I am that much more thankful when the spring comes around.

I Was Just Taught That Way
When I was just a few years into my Pagan study, I had the honor of working with a variety of groups in both high school and college. By that time, most American Pagans knew pretty much the same associations thanks to the torchbearers of our community such as Scott Cunningham and D.J. Conway.
These witches paved the way for writers and Pagans like me with their books, and they established certain connections that many of us still adhere to today. That is, Earth corresponds with the North, Air with the East, and so on.
Whether it’s arbitrary or not, I couldn’t say. All I know is that these associations make sense to me. They just feel right. Sure, that probably sounds a little woo-ey, but look around—this whole blog is woo-ey!
That’s all I have for you today. I’m hoping this series has a bit of a lighter tone than that last one. I spent half the year writing about a pretty serious topic (which I encourage you to read for a more in-depth look at the core beliefs that make up the Maiden’s Circle tradition). Now, I’d like to be just a little less strict for a while.
I hope you enjoyed this start to our new series, and I’ll see you next week for Air and the East.
What other reasons would we associate Earth with the North? Do you associate any other directions with this element in your own practice? Let me know in the comments!
Love,
Lady Morgana Brighid HP MCCA
Check out our Maiden’s Circle Tarot readings here, and subscribe to catch them every week! Check out our forums and say hi! Have any questions or topics you’d like to see on the blog? Interested in writing a guest blog? Let me know in the comments or reach out through the contact page! PLUS Did you know we have an MCCA newsletter? Sign up to get updates whenever there’s a new blog post and any other MCCA news.
The Ordains: Part 19 – Safe Within The Magick Circle
This is the nineteenth entry in a series on a set of Pagan guidelines known as the Ordains. The Ordains, as we know them today, can be found in the works of Gerald Gardener. Maiden’s Circle uses a simplified version that has been edited and altered to reflect our core beliefs.
“A Witch uses the magickal circle as a physical and non-physical representation of a temple on the earth plane.”
This isn’t really something one might have a lot of opinions on. It’s pretty straightforward in meaning and, I believe, most witches would be hard-pressed to disagree. Our Circle is sacred, and we all acknowledge that simple fact, no matter how a Circle is constructed.
I’d be overstepping it if I said that every witch in the world casts the magickal circle, but all of the witches I’ve met have done so at some point in their lives. It’s safe to say this is a common practice. If you’re reading this, then you probably already know what the magickal circle is. For those of you who don’t, I’ll gladly explain.
First, to keep things clear, I use “magickal circle” and “Circle” interchangeably, with “Circle” capitalized to denote its spiritual importance to me. We witches use the Circle to create a sacred space where we can safely practice magick and worship the Divine.
To create a magickal circle, one needs little more than intent.
That said, most of us do prefer to use certain tools that allow us to physically mark the space as sacred alongside our spiritual efforts. This serves in not only giving our minds a type of anchor, so that we’re grounded and focused on the task at hand, but it brings together our earthly world and the spiritual one.
Witches use a variety of methods to create their Circle; some even use different methods for different occasions! Here at Maiden’s Circle, we have a basic Circle-building structure that we feel is useful in all occasions. The full method is taught in our upcoming Covenpath course, but I’ll go over the basics here.
Generally, all of our Circles start with an activity to help participants ground themselves and focus on the upcoming ritual. This could be anything from a few deep breaths to a full on meditation to singing and dancing—anything that gets us grounded in the space and within our bodies.
Once we’re grounded and our intentions are focused on our purpose—whatever reason we’ve chosen to create the Circle—then we’re ready to erect our Circle. This usually means calling to the four cardinal corners of the earth (North, East, South, and West) and asking their spiritual guardians to protect us while we work. In our practice, these guardians are represented by four major elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.
We would then hold an object that represents each element in its corresponding direction and call upon those guardians to join our Circle and protect it. Many witches also call upon a deity or two, often a feminine and masculine pair.
Lastly, we would visualize an orb of light growing around us, covering our space and solidifying it as sacred.

This is our temple. This is our church. It exists where we choose to create it.
Of course, once we’ve completed our Circle, it’s important to respect the space we’ve built. A good rule of thumb is: if you wouldn’t do it in a public church, you shouldn’t do it in your own Circle. Naturally, there are many exceptions, since public churches tend to have a very different idea of what’s appropriate.
But, what I mean is if it would be disrespectful to a spiritual space, you might want to avoid it. For example, you wouldn’t want someone coming into your Circle and starting fights. You wouldn’t want someone to enter your Circle with cheesy or greasy fingers and then proceed to touch all of your ritual tools. So, don’t do it to yourself or to anyone else’s Circle. In general, when you’re in another person’s sacred space, you’ll follow their lead for how the space should be treated.
Over time, we all figure out what works best for us in Circle. Even people in covens have their individual methods in addition to the coven’s style. Like most things in witchcraft and Wicca, we have the benefit of being able to cast a magickal circle in whichever way suits us.
However we create our Circle, I believe it’s a useful practice for every witch. The Circle allows us to have a sacred space anywhere we choose, it protects us from any ephemeral beings that are up to no good, connects our mundane lives with the Divine, and enhances the magickal energy of all of our workings. We are truly safe within the sacred Circle.
Do you cast a magickal circle? Do you cast it for every work or only during certain rituals? Is it an important part of your practice? Share your responses in the comments!
With many blessings,
Lady Morgana Brighid HP MCCA
Check out our Monday to Friday Tarot readings here, and subscribe to catch them every week! Have any questions or topics you’d like to see on the blog? Interested in writing a guest blog? Let me know in the comments or reach out through the contact page! PLUS Did you know we have an MCCA newsletter? Sign up to get updates whenever there’s a new blog post and any other MCCA news. Sign up now!
The Ordains: Part 14 – Achieve Spirituality Through Acts of Love
This is the fourteenth entry in a series on a set of Pagan guidelines known as the Ordains. The Ordains, as we know them today, can be found in the works of Gerald Gardener. Maiden’s Circle uses a simplified version that has been edited and altered to reflect our core beliefs.
“Witches understand that the ultimate act of spirituality is the act of positive creation through love.”
As a child, before dedicating myself to this faith, I believed I was a Christian. At that time, my church taught us that God was a very specific type of being. God was a man—or at least, a “He.” God loved the people who claimed to love him—regardless of whether they hurt others. They only needed to repent and be forgiven, no matter how many times they repeated their actions. And God loved to punish anyone who questioned him or believed in something different.
To be clear, I’m only speaking of what I gathered from the few Christian communities I was a part of. This is in no way a reflection of every single Christian. It’s just what I was taught. Which was that questioning God or the pastor, questioning one’s “elders”, or questioning the Bible or related stories meant one risked eternal damnation in the fiery pits of Hell.
Naturally, as evidenced by this blog and my life-to-date, the teachings of my church and others I’d attended didn’t sit well with me. The idea that our worship should be based in fear of a jealous and vengeful deity always seemed ridiculous to me. Even if I do believe that jealousy and anger are characteristics of the Divine (and I do), the idea that those are Her main personality traits never felt right.
At some point, I found the idea that God could be about more than Hellfire and commandments. That I didn’t have to live my life in fear of breaking some arbitrary rules about who I could love or what questions I was allowed to ask was truly a game changer. This was around the time I began looking into Wicca, and I came to the personal conclusion that the God I was taught about as a child wasn’t the true essence of the Divine.
I will always believe that the true essence of God, of divinity, is love.
When I figured that out, it blew my mind. The belief that God is Love became the early foundation for my spiritual practice. I chose to approach my faith with that belief as my guide, and it’s led me to where I am today.
Today, I’m secure in my spiritual beliefs. Even as I regularly evaluate and alter them, my beliefs remain always grounded in the thought that Love is the Divine’s most important gift to us and is Her most prominent aspect. It is her love that leads me through life—in both good and bad times.
This ordain supports that belief for me. I feel closer to the Divine and more in-tune with my spiritual guides when I engage in loving acts. When doing spellwork, meditation, manifestation, and anything else related to my craft, I do it in the name of Love. In fact, in my experience, those things work best when I actively remember to put myself in the headspace that emphasizes the love in my heart.
Sometimes, I do this by simply remembering what makes me happy. Other times, I’ll play with my cat, Brooklyn, or dance to joyful music. I’ll look at pictures of some of my happiest times and sing at the top of my lungs. All these things serve to raise my vibrational energy to that of love, and I’ve found that my craft work is far more effective than when I just jump right into it with no joy-building warm-up.
Often, in online forums and in-person Pagan groups, I hear people complaining about how their spells don’t work or about how they feel negativity around them all the time. Unfortunately, many of those people seem to carry worry or fear or sadness in their hearts. They have trouble finding joy, and therefore trouble feeling the elation that one has when experiencing a surge of Divine love. That, in turn, makes craft work difficult.
Eventually, as you traverse your Pagan path, you’ll no doubt hear about the concept that what you send out will return to you.
Many people seem to think of this in terms of Karma or the Law of Three. Personally, I don’t think Karma affects us in our current lifetime, rather it determines our next life cycle, and I’m not crazy about the Law of Three, either. Instead, the concept that “what you send out will return to you” refers to something that occurs at many levels—not least of which, the energetic level.
When you carry fear, worry, and other negative energy, these are the things you’ll attract. Unlike magnets, when it comes to energy, like attracts like. So, when we make a concerted effort to fuel our everyday thoughts and actions with the energy of love, we invite more love into our lives, along with all of the positive energy that accompanies it.
When we flip the narratives in our own heads and actively inject love into our spiritual work, we may find the experience much more fulfilling and healing much more attainable. Anything we create in the name of Love will be divinely inspired, and so will be more connected to Spirit and our Higher Selves.
How do you imbue your spiritual practice with love? What do you do to raise your energetic vibration before working the craft? If you don’t do that, do you find it affects your magick?
With love always,
Lady Morgana Brighid HP MCCA
Check out our Monday to Friday Tarot readings here, and subscribe to catch them every week! Have any questions or topics you’d like to see on the blog? Interested in writing a guest blog? Let me know in the comments or reach out through the contact page! PLUS Did you know we have an MCCA newsletter? Sign up to get updates whenever there’s a new blog post and any other MCCA news. Sign up now!
The Ordains: Part 13 – The Stories We Tell Ourselves May Harm Us
This is the thirteenth entry in a series on a set of Pagan guidelines known as the Ordains. The Ordains, as we know them today, can be found in the works of Gerald Gardener. Maiden’s Circle uses a simplified version that has been edited and altered to reflect our core beliefs.
“Never lie to yourself for this is the ultimate act of deceit.”
I believe this is a tough one because most of us tell ourselves too many stories to count. Personally, as someone who is pursuing a career in writing fiction, I find that it can be quite easy to build a story in my head and even easier to believe it. The older I get, the more vigilant I have to be about what those stories are.
In the last two or so years, I’ve gone through some pretty big shifts emotionally, physically, and spiritually. And while the core of my belief hasn’t changed, a lot about the way that I practice and the way I think of myself is very different from five years ago.
Five years ago, I moved to New York with my mind set on following a particular path. At that time, I told myself I was being guided by Goddess and, if I didn’t take that exact route, I was a failure. Failure, in my warped mind, was equivalent to badness. So, when I moved here set on a certain course and I couldn’t hack it, that meant that I was bad.
The lie I had told myself was that people chose their path and stuck to it. Anything else was wrong.
It’s taken a few years to overcome those stories, as well as the fear of not living up to them. But I’ve realized that those stories don’t have to be true. When I accepted that, I finally began to feel like myself.
From childhood, I told myself so many stories. I listened to what people said about me,—that I was too quiet, that I was smart, that I was weird—and stepping out of those labels always left me questioning my identity.
But so many of those stories were false beliefs. Because they weren’t true, the part of me that knew that suffered. These lies I told myself led to near-constant confusion, depression, and feelings of worthlessness. They led to self-destructive choices and unhealthy compulsions. Things I’m still facing.
Nowadays, I’ve reached the point where I’m more aware of the things I tell myself. Of course, it takes work to actively try to change the kinds of thoughts that come into one’s mind. Many people knock the idea of positive thought, but it’s part of what’s kept me alive.
With words of affirmation, rephrasing negative thoughts, and reminding myself over and over that I don’t have to believe every thought that crosses my mind, I’ve found that my mindset is a lot more stable than it was a decade ago.
When we lie to ourselves, we’re robbing ourselves of the opportunity to feel peace. We’re stealing happiness from ourselves with dreadful stories.
How many people do you know are struggling to find a job? How often do you hear them say things like, “No one will hire me,” or “I just can’t seem to find a job.”? We lie to ourselves when we engage in bad behavior due to mental illness, but refuse to acknowledge any personal responsibility in the matter. These lies serve to absolve us and to temporarily free us from the hard work it takes to live fulfilled.
The more we believe these lies, the harder it becomes to understand ourselves and to truly feel joy. As we age, it becomes that much harder to find true freedom. That is, the freedom to be our most authentic, joyful, and spiritually-connected selves.
Many people think therapy or medication is the way to finding balance. I believe that those methods have extreme value in one’s healing process, especially therapy. That should be a resource that every person has access to. However, it sometimes feels like people use therapy as a tune-up, while doing little to no maintenance in-between sessions.
They go to a session, suss out their feelings, tell themselves they’re fine for a week, and then start the whole routine over. For whatever reason, many people seem frightened of the deeper, harder work. There’s no questioning of their beliefs and morals, no examination of their daily thoughts, no consideration for what they truly desire.
Instead, they continue on their routine. Work, home, dinner, entertainment, bed. In and out. Then, it’s back to therapy to discuss how they feel like they’re in a rut.
If we don’t work to reach the core of our problems and take the steps to solve them from within, then we can’t come to a place of true healing.
The only way to solve our problems is to face them and be honest about why they’re there. I counsel everyone to do so. The world will be much better for it. No matter how scary that is or how much it hurts, look at yourself with clear eyes. Ask yourself the hard questions, then ask again a month later or whenever you’re feeling unsure of who you are.
This is something I’m still learning. There are still things that I believe or that I tell myself that I know aren’t true. There are moments when I question my motives and my work, but that’s just one story. It doesn’t have to be true, and if I can see the lie for what it is, I can get through it to see the truth.
Have there been times when you knew you were lying to yourself, but kept going with it? Why do you think some of us do such a thing?
With eternal love,
Lady Morgana Brighid HP MCCA
Check out our Monday to Friday Tarot readings on Youtube! Have any questions or topics you’d like to see on the blog? Interested in writing a guest blog? Let me know in the comments or reach out through the contact page! PLUS Did you know we have a Maiden’s Circle newsletter? Sign up to get updates whenever there’s a new blog post and any other MCCA news. Sign up now!
The Ordains: Part 5 – Honesty is the Witch’s Way
This is the fifth entry in a series on a set of Pagan guidelines known as the Ordains. The Ordains, as we know them today, can be found in the works of Gerald Gardener. Maiden’s Circle uses a simplified version that has been edited and altered to reflect our core beliefs.
“Be truthful always, save when speaking would lead to a great harm.”
What does it mean to be truthful? One of my favorite quotes comes from my favorite musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic masterpiece, Jesus Christ Superstar. (The 1973 movie version.)
The quote comes when Ted Neeley’s Jesus is taken to the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate to decide Jesus’ fate—that is, whether to crucify him. Pilate sings during the trial, and in his song, he offers the lines:
“But what is truth? Is truth unchanging law?
We both have truths – are mine the same as yours?”
The first time I heard these lines, they struck me to my core. I was 17, zoned out on mood stabilizers and anti-depressants, and only a few months out of a brief stint in a psychiatric hospital.
Yes, in my never-ending search for truth, I’ve asked similar questions. But it was seeing that not-at-all-subtle movie that really sparked something new within me.
It changed the way I try to understand truth. That is, it helped me realize that the only truth I’m in control of is my own. The way other people understand truth depends entirely on them–their core belief system, their experiences, their desires.
I think we can all agree that some things are revealed as fact–things confirmed through repeated experimentation, mass experience–things like birth and death or like the basic need for clean water and sunlight to sustain life. Those are truths we all know and accept.
Even so, there are still people who deeply believe the world is only a few thousand years old (or flat, or that dinosaurs never existed), despite evidence to the contrary.
I don’t say that to make fun. Heck, it’s my truth that Fae live in the rivers and woods, that we exist in more than one dimension, that cards can reveal mysteries from the Universe–with little evidence to support those things.
However, I recognize a difference between holding a belief based on faith (even with a lack of concrete evidence), and believing something where all evidence points to that belief being false. So, while we all hold varying views of truth, some things are self-evident.
This tenet asks us to cultivate an awareness not only of our own idea of truth, but of the truths others hold dear. It asks us to speak and live in those truths.
But what if speaking our truth puts us or others at risk? This law covers that dilemma, too.
In today’s society, you may be surprised to learn that witches are still persecuted in various countries. In fact, just a few months ago, a woman and her children were killed by family members for practicing witchcraft. Whether or not she truly was didn’t matter. She was accused. And as we’ve seen in the past, that’s enough for some people.
That’s why coming out of the broom closet can be frightening. I know that I am open about not only my practice, but also about the fact that I’m a queer woman. For me, the need to share my beliefs in order to make a better world is stronger than the fear of other people’s ignorance.
In a previous entry, I touched a bit on the difficulties of being openly witchy. So, if you choose not to reveal that side of yourself (or anything that might inspire hatred), doing so would not be in contrast with this law. As much as it may hurt to deny any part of yourself, it isn’t being dishonest if you’re doing it for your own safety or that of someone else.
Remember, you deserve to feel safe.
For most of my life, before ever hearing of the Ordains, I’ve tried to be honest and transparent in all that I do. The older I get, the more important it is to continue the search for truth.
So, what is your truth? Let me know in the comments or find Maiden’s Circle on Facebook.
Always,
Lady Morgana Brighid HP MCCA
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