I’ve been learning as much as I can about Paganism and I’ve realized there’s so much I don’t know. I was already aware of my ignorance in a general sense. Although I’ve been Pagan for years, I still think of myself as new to this. Now, though, I have a much better idea of where, specifically, my knowledge is lacking…and critically, I understand how to change that. Every time I say something like this, a handful of well-meaning (always male) friends tell me I shouldn’t be hard on myself, that I’m actually pretty smart, etc. So let me be clear. The things I’m saying here have absolutely nothing to do with “low self-esteem.” This is not me “being hard on myself.” And I know I’m smart. Becoming aware of the limits of my knowledge is evidence that I am learning. I find this exciting! It means I’m facing a challenge and I can see which direction I need to go to overcome it. As of right now, there are 24 primary source texts on my to-read list. There are 57 modern Paganism and witchcraft boo
I thought it would be good to talk about what’s on my altar, which necessarily means talking a bit about my devotional practice. Both the altar and the devotional practice are works in progress. Writing about them will undoubtedly help me think of ways they can be improved. I’ll start with the altar itself: it is a small, roughly cube-shaped cabinet I bought at Goodwill for like $10 when I was a teenager. It’s particle board with a glass door. There’s a glass shelf inside, giving it two layers of storage space. I have trouble picturing a standard household application for such a short cabinet but it’s just the right height for use when I’m sitting on the floor, and since I like to sit on the floor when I’m doing ritual or magical work, it’s perfect. I’d be open to upgrading it to something higher-quality and more attractive but any replacement would have to be equally functional. Inside the altar are extra altar cloths, extra candles, extra matches, a couple crystals, the box for the “