Harry Potter and How I Found Wicca

Or maybe Wicca found me...

With the recent release of the final Harry Potter movie, that seems to be all anyone is talking about. I, too, am a huge fan of this series. I wasn't allowed to read the books or watch the movies when they first came out. When I was about 15, I decided I was old enough and started taking the books out of the library. When my mom found out she was furious.
Mostly because I had gone behind her back, but also because she felt that the books didn't mesh with our beliefs. Magic and witchcraft and all that. They used Latin words in the books, and that's what real witches used to cast spells. I was properly worried back then. Maybe a year later it was still bothering me. So I began reading about "real witches" to see if she was right.

I don't know about you, but I don't know any witches who actually wave their wands and say "Wingardium Leviosa".

Since then I secretly thought that Wicca was kind of cool-- in that "my parents totally don't approve of this at all" sort of way. I didn't actually hit the rebellious teen phase until I was about 19 or 20 though. Through the years, my Christian faith began to feel less and less personal. I was about 21 when I went back to reading about Wicca. I could picture myself as a Solitary. My faith would be mine, it would be personal, there would be no church deciding how I should worship. I read just about everything I could get my hands on, and decided that this was the right path for me.

I've only been on my path for a short time, but it's more real to me than my family's faith had been for a long time.

New Moon

Odd energies are all over the place. I haven't noticed much, but I did spontaneously decide to smudge my room yesterday (not something I do very often as my dad and two brothers can't stand the smell of burning sage). Last night my cat went around the house picking fights with the other two- not normal behavior for her at all!

Living in a not-wiccan-friendly house, I'm trying to find a good way to cleanse that doesn't look witchy, but will get the job done.

Also, I plan on doing my esbat tonight, as I will be working tomorrow night. I guess most people hold Full Moon esbats, but I've always been just as drawn to the New, and it has a certain significance in my life. The significance right now is that it is a good time for rejuvenation. I could use a bit of that right now. My mom had surgery on her abdomen to fix a couple problems, but the sling she was in to hold her at the right angle messed up her shoulders. She hasn't been able to get back in the swing of things, and needs someone to help her a lot. LittleBro isn't the best person for the job, and OlderBro and Dad have to be at work every day. I have very flexible and varying hours at my job, so I'm home a lot. So I help. I get her ice or heating packs ever hour if she needs them. I help her with her meds, her bloodsugar testing, putting the footrest up and down (she's sleeping in the recliner chair in the living room), help her get dressed and undressed, and go to work when I'm scheduled. Very often I sleep on the couch so that I'm nearby if she needs something.

I'm not trying to complain; I love my mom, and I want her to be able to get better, not worse. I just need a little me-time to refresh.