An Introduction

Hello,
I'm rather new at this, but I've been contemplating a blog for some time now and I think now's the time to stop wondering about it and actually get things moving on this idea for a change. Let's get started, shall we?

Firstly, I don't consider myself a witch, or a shaman or sorcerer, or any of the many other descriptions I've heard for what I do.  I was brought up in an Asatru family, but found that I was called to Pagan paths over Heathen ones, though I keep the Nine Noble Virtues close to heart regardless of my path. I practice wort-cunning, create apparently very potent mojo bags, work with tarot cards and runes, and have dabbled in a number of other things.

At most, I am a seiðkona, but even then I do not feel particularly close to that description. I practice what comes naturally to me, nothing more. I will listen to those who take the time to speak to me and teach me what they know, regardless of where they are coming from or what path they are on.

More over, I learn about whatever interests me, regardless of whether or not I actually have a use for that information. What can I say? I'm a Sagittarius.

Tricksters, for example, have always fascinated me. They are the characters in stories that I have always liked best, even when they are the "bad guys" of the story. They are the complex and complicated figures who can cause problems and solve them in the same breath, or wreak absolute havoc simply because that's what they feel like doing... but they are also capable of kindness, terrible cleverness, and ingenuity. They are at once creators and destroyers, friend and foe, chaotic and lawful, and this duality has always resonated with me.

It's just as well, really - I've been walking in the company of Tricksters for quite some time now.

Ever since I can remember, I have had the influence of at least one Trickster God in my life. Hermes has been with me the longest (since early childhood) and Loki has appeared in my life on and off since my later childhood as well. Coyote and Crow, two of my totems, frequently pop up, as well - particularly Crow. Now and then, Raven says hi, too.

Except, here's the kicker: I didn't figure any of that out until I was about 18. I was writing a novel, based on Greek mythology, and in my research I discovered the concept of having a Patron. My first impression was that it was a strange concept, and probably not at all for me, but Hermes apparently had other ideas. Shortly after I encountered this idea, he popped up everywhere in my life until he was just impossible to ignore and well beyond simple coincidence.

And, trust me, I tried to ignore him. I managed it for, I think, four months before I finally caved in. The guy gets points for persistence, if nothing else.

That was the day Hermes became my Patron God. As Tricksters go, he's one of the milder ones. His duties as a messenger and a guide to the dead give him a sense of order and responsibility in many of his functions and aspects, but his sense of humor is delightfully open. He is also an understanding God, at least from what I've seen, and very helpful overall.

Loki has recently reappeared in my life, having been an old favourite of mine from the myths I grew up hearing. I was, however, somewhat biased against him due to my father's influence as a steadfast supporter of the Aesir and the order they represented, and perhaps a little intimidated by his reputation of being particularly malicious sometimes. I quickly learned to form my own opinions about such things - particularly Gods- based upon my own experiences and not those of others, however, and I am not closed to Loki's influence.

I just sort of quietly hope nothing spontaneously combusts - literally or metaphorically- whenever he's around.

Crow has been around for ages, and is one of my primary Totems. I used to live in a house that had a pair-bonded Crow couple nearby, and every day I woke up to them cawing at each other. They make me smile, and while some see them as pests, I am genuinely fond of these clever birds. There's something delightfully devious about them sometimes, and you cannot deny the intelligence in their eyes. Crow visits me often when I dream-walk.

Coyote is less of an active part of my life at the moment, but he crops up often enough. I believe that he's waiting for the correct time to exert his influence, but stops by to say hi and play when I dream-walk as well. In more than one dream, we have even sung together - an absolutely fascinating experience.

I have other Gods who speak to me, and other Totems as well, but I think for the purposes of this post, that is quite enough. Otherwise, I'm liable to start waxing poetic. :)