The Things We Own

Tools of the trade.

I've been guilty of this in the past; having too much stuff, especially when it comes to hobbies, pastimes or even my spirituality.

These are things I'm "into":
Books 📚
Journaling 📔
Fountain Pens ✒
Knitting
Crystals 💎
Tarot 🃏
Tea (drinking and reading leaves)
Coffee ☕
Functional EDC bags (every day carry)
Pokémon (where my trainers at? 🙋)

Much of it coexists... well, probably not the Pokémon fandom.

Now, within these things I own, there are people who specialize. They own only fountain pens, only rooms full of books and only collections of Witchcraft paraphernalia that take up more than just one designated altar.

Then, there is the lingo that goes with being a "guru" in such things.  For example in knitting a yarn can be "splitty" or "slippery".  People simply were not describing yarns like this ten years ago, trust me.  In fountain pen communities you hear the terms, "scratchy", "rail roading" and "feathering.

For Wicca, items purchased are "witchy", like skulls, or a bell sleeved shirt.  Ten years ago these were simply called "gothic".

This jargon makes it seem like the person really knows what the fuck they're talking about.

But the real question is, are you really going to use over 100 different fountain pens, when the whole point of one is for it to be reusable?

I hear so many Knitters who say things like "I'm buying these for my stash".  I've seen craft rooms filled with yarn. When are they going to knit through all of it, if they keep buying more?

Come and gather around my children, Mama Spiral is going to tell you a story:

Along time ago, in the year 2015, I had too much shit.  My closets were full with things I didn't even purchase.  See, Mama Spiral had a baby in April that year, and that's when the stuff got out of hand.  When you have a baby, people think they are doing you a favor by giving you things for your house, or for the kids, or for you, that you really don't need.  When you have a baby, you need very few things to take care of one; milk (I'm was a lactating mammal), clean clothes, and diapers.  That's it.  But people seem to think that in order to make your life with a baby easier, that you need lots of things to make it easier.

THIS IS FALSE.

Mama Spiral is here to tell you, that when you have a baby, the less stuff you own, the easier your life will be.  Trust me.  I have been on both ends of the spectrum, having too much shit and having nothing.

Mama Spiral and Papa Shadow lost most of our possessions in a boiler explosion at the place where our things were kept.  And this was after we culled everything down to only what we needed.  Except the crystals, since those were the most expensive items and if need be could be sold on eBay.

So, when we were at the shelter, we learned to live with much less.  Like, the bare minimum.  One journal, one fountain pen, one set of knitting needles, one book a week from the library, one small suitcase filled with clothes, one everyday bag, one doll for Ana and two small crystals for protection.

Not having all that clutter was amazing.

It was freeing.

It was how I imagine obtaining enlightenment to be.

Most of all, it was satisfying.

End of story.

Now my dear readers, let's get back to Wicca, specifically, because I know that's why most of you are here.

Yes, it is nice to have a fully stocked altar like ours was in the background of this blog.  It had drawers for candles and herbs.  The bottom had two shelves stocked with all our spiritual books (including the Bible and Book of Mormon, because why the hell not?) and several decks of tarot cards with their corresponding manuals.

We had it all.  We were living large, big ballin' Wiccan style.

When people saw all our stuff it made them say things like "wow, wish I had this" and "where'd you get this statue?". That made us feel good.

We of course saw things in catalogues and more things at Namaste and wanted even more things.  To fully outfit our apartment with religious items.  We were measuring the walls for tapestries (the one thing we didn't own), we wanted to put a shelf up to hold more crystals.  We wanted a  massive morganite.

Of course, we didn't buy any more stuff.  We couldn't.

Now in the past few months I have bought a few things here and there.  Like crystals that Ana picked out especially pieces I know we don't have. I purchased a new journal, but not a new planner for this year, opting to make my Moleskine into a planner/journal/Book of Shadows.  It's whatever I need it to be basically.  I only buy yarn for the project I want to knit instead of having boxes full.

But, the reality is, I don't need any of it in order to be Wiccan.  I have myself.  That's all I need.

I have been telling everyone almost every post I write that you don't need anything to be Wiccan.  Stop listening to the people who say you need this or that, especially if they're the one's selling it.  You don't.

Your index finger is the most powerful tool you have, it is your athame and wand, it is connected to you.  Your body is the only thing you need to feel the presence of deity.  Your body, is the only thing that truly needs to sit under the light of the moon.

The human body is an amazing vehicle.  We can feel the energy in water, we can feel it cleanse us.  We can fuel our bodies with food grown of the Earth and thank the Goddess of grain for that corn on the cob.

The love of the Gods is the love we give to ourselves.  Taking care of our bodies, eating well, brushing our teeth, applying oils to our skin.

That is day to day Wicca my friends.  Not who owns the most tarot decks, or the most Wicca books, or the most expensive altar tools.  It is not a contest.  The Gods don't care who has more pieces of selenite.

So, think about what you own.  What can you part with and donate or sell?  Is there perhaps an item you've never had at all and really would like, but don't have the money for?

When spring cleaning time comes (Ostara) take some time to think about these things.  How can you stream line your practice?  How can you declutter your life?  You may find that when the dust is swept and the shelves are clean that you can finally feel at ease.

Blessed Be!
🌛🌝🌜