Letters

Hey everyone.

    I went on Facebook today, and one of my friends from high school had posted a link to a Good Morning America article about someone, assumed to be Pagan, in Michigan that posted letters on their neighbors mailboxes about how their Christmas light displays and various other Christmas traditions were Pagan in origin. Here's a link to the full article: http://gma.yahoo.com/mich-residents-receive-letter-calling-christmas-lights-pagan-194443043.html

    After reading it, I found myself very disappointed with whoever was behind it. I don't like that this person felt it was necessary to 'educate' Christians on their own traditions, and, I really disliked their method. To be perfectly blunt, I think it was passive-aggressive, tactless, and beyond rude. I MIGHT have been able to understand if it were a Pagan trying to reach common ground with local Christians about tradition ancestry, but that's obviously not what's going on here. I feel the letter (from what of it I could read in the image attached to the article) displayed a "You believe (or don't believe) a certain way, and are, therefore, an uneducated idiot" mentality, and that pisses me off.

   Furthermore, the writer's tone seems to be condescending and patronizing, which, as I understand, is a common complaint many Pagans have about Christians. Of course, it doesn't help that the reporter and the letter receipiant she interviewed turned around with an equally condescending tone toward Pagans. Gee, that really helps our image... Honestly, I can't say I blame the GMA reporter for taking the spin she did (though, it is disappointing).

    The only thing else that I can say about it is this: EVERYONE is entitled to believe in what is right for them. Just because you believe differently doesn't give you the right to piss all over someone else's traditions. Whatever happened to being the change you wished to see in the world?

    Despite this, I still hope everyone has a Happy Holiday, no matter the holiday. Blessed be all.

Always,
VII

It lives!!!

Hey everyone!

    Yes, I have returned, though, no episode in hand. It is on the way. Promise. Really. Don't believe me? Well, can't say I blame you, but, sincerely, I am working on episode 5, that will come out around Yule.

    Yesterday, Fire Lyte from Inciting A Riot wrote an article about shaking off Mercury Retrograde but dancing today, Friday. I'm all about that, seeing as I love music and dancing (and I have a music episode coming up in 2012). I made my playlist, which is epic. (lol) It has the most random collection of danceable songs I've ever compiled. I'll even list a few of them at the end of this post for you all to go look up and listen to so you can shake off Mercury Retro with a little bit of VII-flavor. ^_^

   Also, I've started listening to A Witch's Primer, a podcast by Ariel that is essentially a beginner's class on witchcraft. I've gotten to episode 3, and while there are things that don't necessarily mesh with my beliefs, Ariel's exercises are very helpful. I especially like the guided grounding and centering exercise. I recommend going to iTunes and checking it out.

    With all of that said, this morning did not start off well for me. I woke up late feeling groggy and I was late to work. I listened to a couple of podcasts once I got to work, I listened to a couple of pagan podcasts. I should probably state that I work in an office. A few calls came in, and before long, I was feeling anxious, like all my nerves were set on vibrate. I swapped the soda I was drinking for water, but it wasn't helping much. So, I decided to try grounding.

   It was awesome. Not only was I no longer feeling anxious, but I felt energized, for lack of a better word. I was happy, excited, and eager to do stuff. I made my playlist, put in on shuffle, and proceeded to dance around the office.

   In other magickal VII news, I have found my magickal name and wrote pages of notes on what I believe and questions I have about my path. Quite a productive day, and it's just afternoon!

    Have a happy Friday, everyone!

Always,
VII


Sample of my playlist:
"Awake and Alive" by Skillet
"Black Irish" by The Devil Makes Three
"Bleed It Out" by Linkin Park
"Born For This" by Paramore
"Chop Suey!" by System Of A Down
"Circus" by Britney Spears
"Devil's Dance Floor" by Flogging Molly
"Explosive" by Bond
"Girl Anachronism" by The Dresden Dolls
"Higher Ground" by Red Hot Chili Peppers (mostly b/c it reminds me of Center Stage)
"Jenny Says (Live)" by Cowboy Mouth
"Little Black Backpack" by Stroke 9
"Look Them Act" by Balkan Beat Box
"Mercy" by Duffy
"Ojos Asi" by Shakira
"Popular" by The Veronicas
"Riot" by Three Days Grace (I think of Fire Lyte and Inciting A Riot everytime I hear it!)
"Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes
"Stickshifts and Safetybelts" by Cake
"This Could Be Anywhere In The World" by Alexisonfire
"Up, Up, Up" by Givers
"Waking The Demon" by Bullet For My Valentine

Okay, so it's about half my list, but it's all good music (to me). Check 'em out for yourself!

Wait... You're NOT supposed to work on Labor Day???

Hey everyone!

Wow, I have some new followers on here, too! ^_^ You'll all be happy to know that I am foregoing my work-free, school-free Labor Day, and will be putting the finishing touches on episode 5! It took for-EV-vur, I know, but it will be worth it.  It will be posted on podbean Monday night, so look out for it.

So, now that my main announcement is out of the way, I'm still holding out for more feedback about music. Do you use it in your craftwork? Do you play in your freetime? Is it your job? Anything you have to say about music and its magickal and mundane applications, I want to hear it! You know where to find me! You can leave your comments below, email me at magickandmundane@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @Eternal_7. Hope you all have a fawesome three-day weekend!

Always,
VII

Something for the moment

MM Everyone!

As you all may or may not know, I'm going through something of a personal meltdown. It's complicated, sudden, and generally shit-ball cluster-fuck shenanigans. Thank you so much to all of you who are following me and have supported me through my trials, and I'm sorry to all of you who are just coming on to find me on hiatus.

I hope to be making a mini-sode soon, just to catch ya'll up on what's going on with VII, and to do some listener feedback. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I'll get episode 5 off the ground before we know it!

Always,
VII

I'm Not Dead Yet!

MM everyone!

If you haven't already seen one of my most recent tweets (@Eternal_7), you probably haven't heard that I will not be attending the 2nd annual Pagan Podkin Super Moot in Salem in September. Personal issues have arisen and prevent me from raising the necessary funds to go.

These issues, sadly, are going to cause my episodes to take longer to come out. I am by no means quitting or pod-fading, just going to be slow. No promises, but I expect episode 5 to come out in July, if things have settled by then. June is about to be tumultuous, at best, for me.

So, don't think that lets all of you who haven't written me about music yet off the hook! I've gotten a few responses so far, but I need more! If you need to know what I'm looking for, please reference the previous blog entry.

Thanks again, to all of you who just started listening, and all those who've been with me from the start. You make doing this even more worthwhile!

Blessed be all!

Always,
VII

P.S. I hereby nominate New Orleans for the location of PPSM3. That is all.

You Got The Music In You?

MM all!

I am preparing for the funtabulous monster that will be episode 5, the first in my M series. Out of all the episodes thus far, this is a topic I can really sink my teeth into: Music. I will elaborate more on my passion of music on the actual episode, but what I need today is YOU!

Well, your opinions anyway. I've asked for it before, but now it is essential. To make this episode the best episode it can be, I need input on the following:

1) What is YOUR definition of music? I do own a few dictionaries, so no recitations, please. I want your unadulterated opinion on what is music.

2) What kind of music do you listen to, and when and why do you listen to it? Take as much space as needed, b/c I have the curiosity of small child, and I will read it.

3) Do you use music in your magickal practice? What and why?

If you email me your responses, please specify whether or not you want your name mentioned.

I N-E-E-D, need this feedback, so please hold nothing back. I wait with bated breath!

Always,
VII

At long last, EPISODE 4!

That's right folks. I finally finished and posted episode 4. Sorry for the delay, and I will earnestly try not to do it again.

Go download and enjoy (and let me know what you think)!

Always,
VII

Excuses are like....

Hello everyone,

I know, I know. It's been forever since I posted anything. Episode 4 is still in the works, and I'm laid out at the moment with either an old back injury flaring up or a new one that I have no idea how I attained (mostly likely the latter, unfortunately). All of this while trying to get back into school, maintain my part time job, and worry over my grandfather who's in the hospital with cancer.

I'm not trying to make excuses about why I haven't finished and released episode 4. My mama always said "Excuses are like assholes. Everybody has them, and they all stink." I won't lie either, there's a thick layer of laziness and procrastination in the reasons why. I do promise, though, that I am working on it, and it will get put out this month. Just later than I originally intended.

I do want to thank all of my new followers, both on Blogger and Twitter, and a huge thanks to everyone who emailed and voted on Podcast Alley. Magick and Mundane ended March in either the 19th or 20th spot in the Religion & Spirituality section. Yay!

Thanks again for everyone sticking with me, and you'll hear from me again very soon.

Always,
VII

Yay, Spring time!

MM, everyone.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Ostara. I had a rather uneventful one with my subtle ritual. I woke up and stayed up long enough to watch the first spring sunrise before passing out again. So far, I've found that my rituals tend to be small when I'm working solitary. 

Big things are happening in my neck of the swamps. I've made the decision to go back to school and get my degree (most likely in English and/or History). One of the schools I want to attend is two hours away, which has many of my loved ones here up in arms. The actual decision process is on-going and full of discussion, so when it comes down to actually making my decision, it's the right one for me.

Other than that, I've just been working my job and a little on the podcast (less than I should be). Just a reminder: Episode 4 (coming out in April) will be about faith, and episode 5 will be my first 'M' show. Keep listening/reading and sending me your feedback and ideas!

Always,
VII

Holy Bandwidth Limits, Batman!

MM everyone!

I just got an email from Podbean telling me that I'd used up 80% of my monthly bandwidth. Curiosity made me go to my site and I saw that I had almost 160 episode hits!

My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe it. I only have one thing to say...

Thank you. Thank you so much to all of you who have listened. Thank you to everyone who has given me feedback. Thank you to those who've listened to my baby podkin episodes, subscribed, and are awaiting for future episodes. Stick by me folks, I plan on having a pretty long run, and I hope it's as informative and entertaining as I intend.

Speaking of future episodes, I'm still working on my faith episode, and I would love to hear what you think about it. Hit me up, yo! (lol ^_^)

Always,
VII

Mmmm

Today, I went to school with a friend of mine, Bostyn, and attended the Medieval history class she was enrolled in. As part of my brain was making notes of the lecture, the other part was buzzing through future podcast topics. All of a sudden, like a well-executed sucker punch, it hit me.

I'm going to have an "M" series.

Basically, it will be a series of episodes that have topics that start with the letter "M." So far, Bostyn and I have come up with about 40 different ideas for show topics. I'd rather not make it every episode, because some topics it just won't work for (example: fathers). I think it will be fun.

For now, I'm formulating episode 4, which will be about personal faith, and how figuring out your own is important to your magickal and mundane lives (or life, depending on how you look at it).

So, what do you believe? Is it specific or vague? Do you worship specific deities or none at all? I want to hear what YOU have to say on the topic of faith and belief. Either leave a comment here, on the podcast site (magickandmundane.podbean.com), email me (magickandmundane@gmail.com), or tweet me (@Eternal_7). In the meantime, I'm going to do my research and go about my everyday life (aka checking Twitter every 10 minutes).

Always,
VII

Mythology Book Hunting

So, today, within all the things I should have known about my life finally clicking into place, I finally realized I needed more than my Google Fu (as Fire Lyte would say) to do my Oh Gods! segment any justice. So, I went looking for a good mythology book.

Having possessed the infamous Edith Montgomery Mythology since high school, I knew I needed more than a book on Greek myths. I drove my car to my beloved B&N and had to have help finding the mythology section, and I use the term "section" as loosely as possible. It was probably only three shelves big, and chockful of Greco-Roman mythology books. The spoiled child in my head was pitching a fit, "I already know all this stuff!!!" There were at least one book for Norse and Japanese mythology each, but they were nearly $20 each (by the way, when the hell did it become usual for a book that's the size of an $8 romance novel to cost $17?). I'm a cashier at a fabric store, and as much of a book enthusiast that I am, I don't have $20 to drop on every non-fiction that catches my fancy.

After about 10 minutes of combing through each book, I finally spotted the book I needed: The Oxford Companion to World Mythology by David Leeming. I've only read a few articles out of it, and I love it. I'll still employ my Google Fu, but now I have a hard copy multi-pantheon deity directory!

On other notes, I'm going to try VERY hard not to let too much of my personal identity crisis that I'm going through get into the podcast. Of course, at times its going to be relevant, but I'm not going to make every episode about "my journey to self-discovery." So, essentially what I'm saying is that I'm not going to bore y'all with the whole journey, just the magickal pit stops along the way.

Now, that you have been thoroughly reassured, I need to let you in on a few new developments in the blog and podcast. If you haven't already noticed, I am incapable of posting when I say I'm going to, so from this point on, I post when I post. No more deadlines or scheduling (although, I'm still gonna have episode 3 out by Mardi Gras).

Well, folks, that's all for now from my neck of the woods (or bayou, sort of).

Always,

VII

Okay, so it's not Tuesday, but...

... but I couldn't resist posting. I've been trying to catch up on my pagan podcasts today. I just listened to Fire Lyte's "Inciting a Filtered Riot" episode. He was my current age when he posted that episode (back in 2009). Not to be a pitiful Polly, but realizing how much he's done and how well-spoken and educated he is makes me feel unaccomplished. Of course, he is obviously a more driven individual than I. Twould be why I am doing a "Get My Ass In Gear" spell for Episode 3!

I'm going to start (still a procrastinator at heart) recording today.  I chose a goddess for "Oh Gods!" but still can't settle on a god. Suggestions are VERY welcome. I want to hear from you! ^_^

Always,
VII

Welcome!

Welcome to the shiny, new Magick and Mundane weekly blog. I'm going to be writing in it in combination with putting out my sporadically posted podcast. Thanks for joining me on my journey to bring my magick and mundane lives together (get it? ^_^).

Basically, the blog takes the podcast a little bit further, without all the "ums" and thinking pauses. Hopefully, I won't shoot myself in the foot by just winding up just repeating the info from the blog in the podcast.

Anyway, I'll be posting to the blog every Tuesday, and the podcast should be out at least once a month. I'm always looking for suggestions for my segments (VII's Spellbook and Oh Gods! especially), so if there's something you'd like to hear me talk about, shoot me a line here, at my podbean site, or e-mail me at magickandmundane@gmail.com.

That's it for now, folks! I'll see y'all next Tuesday, and episode 3 will be out by Mardi Gras.

Always,
VII