and I turned out to be first and foremost, agnostic. Then, as I grew older, a Seeker. Finally, a Pagan... a Witch. Not for the "shock effect" but because the earth-centered belief structure fit my belief structure better. I truly always felt we made the gods in our image, rather than the other way around, anyway. My grandmother, whom I loved more than anyone and who basically raised me, was a traveling preacher and very devout throughout her life. She was a wonderful organist and often invited to play Sunday music at various churches in the area when we lived. My Mom often accompanied her to play piano with her. I played trumpet or sang with them. It gave me a good look at various churches and dogma. The closest I could come to feeling "at one" with a church was the AME church. But even it left me feeling lacking. My grandmother and I could talk religion and beliefs for hours on end... excellent talks... as long as we left off labels. We were talking about the same things. She'd have had a fit if I'd ever labeled things as I was seeing them (LOL). But to me it just showed me one of the truisms I'd found in my seeking days... all roads lead to the same path, some are just more meandering than others. Some take time to smell the roses. Some take time out to help others onto the path. But those who insist on there being one and only one path... the "one true way" lost me immediately. The arrogance in that belief always seemed to lead to hostility and violence, and that I couldn't abide. I'd rather take a detour than fall prey to the violence.
I'm 70 now. Lot's more years behind me than in front of me. My witchy ways give me comfort in these dark days, but they're also a source of frustration at times, too. My body doesn't want to cooperate in what I want to do. I'd love to walk in the woods and hex the beast from the earth, itself. But the legs don't work so well, anymore. And damn! Crutches and I seem to be at total odds with each other. Want to see funny? Watch me try to use a pair! (LOL) I DO still try to keep my sense of humor intact. One thing I will give myself over to funny is trump as anti-christ. That doesn't have to be as the Christians see it. Nostradamus saw many anti-christs. Hitler was one. Stalin was another. I think Putin is one. And I believe trump is another one. It's a class of person who exhibits sadistic, psychotic, anti-social behavior. One who has not one whit empathy within himself. Others may come close to this class of people, but very few actually fulfill the complete Dark Triad like Trump fulfills it. Give him his due... hell, give him a trophy for it! Maybe then he'd go away to actually polish it and leave us alone! (LOL)
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