(Warning, contains some discussion of the news of the last week, specifically Minneapolis.)
It’s been a hard week. I spent more than a decade living in the Twin Cities, Minnesota (the last three in Minneapolis itself), and the news from there has been horrific.
Police brutality and abuse of power were an issue when I was living there, and it hasn’t gotten better. I support those people doing the work to change things, and rising up when those who could make changes refuse to do so. (Black Lives Matter.)
Things can be replaced. Even much beloved bookstores and restaurants and all sorts of spaces where people gathered to learn and think about what could be, not just what is. (The area around Minnehaha and Lake was my library branch, a couple of my regular restaurants, my bank. These are places I knew well, and was in often.)
But I’ve also been worried for friends who live close enough to the most damaged portions of Lake Street to be up all night wondering ‘will fire and destruction rain down on our roof?’ or concerned the tear gas in the streets will cause a dangerous asthma attack. (Thankfully, so far as I know, they’re all doing okay on both those fronts right now.)
I don’t have any amazing magical answers here. I go to my altar, I make my offerings, I ask the gods to watch out for the people who need their help, to keep people safe, and for equity and caring to prevail. There are days that feels better than others.
We keep going. And we look for ways to make things better, not just for us, but for everyone around us.
(If you’re inclined to donate somewhere specific to Minneapolis, my local friends have been recommending the Lake Street Council. Lake Street had (and will have again, I hope) a long history of small businesses often owned by immigrants and/or people of color. It would be great for it to be a vibrant and amazing community space again.)
Coming soon
One of the things I’ve been thinking a lot about is what it means to have a coven in the time of covid. I have an initial article up in what will be a series. You can find the full series on my Adapting page as I write them (my goal is to finish this set of things and have some plans in place by the end of June.)
Last week
Despite the news, there was some more personal magical stuff.
Saturday we had our class about ritual language. After that, I had a discussion with a Seeker (I’m looking to start those classes late in June, and see what happens.
Sunday: I made some serious progress on Saturday and Sunday sketching a cover page for my Book of Shadows, and I am not displeased with the art work. (Art is not one of my better-trained skills.) It’s not done yet, because it needs color, but I will probably share some sort of view of it next week, when I’ve done that.
This week
Thursday: The cat has her post-surgery checkup. (She seems to be entirely recovered, including being the world’s most affectionate cat, so I don’t expect this to be a big problem.)
(Pause while writing this to go wander in the living room and determine that she is in fact still curled up on the couch amiably ignoring me.)
Friday: Full moon ritual stuff (some of which is tied into what we’re doing as a coven: we’re trying a thing where we do some similar ritual work for the full moon, but not at the same time/on web chat, and see how that works. Discussing it later, of course.)
Saturday: Initiate discussion, and another Seeker conversation thereafter.
More book of shadows stuff following.
