Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-Changes

So today I went through a beautiful, simple, but powerful initiation process. Over the last few weeks as this ritual was coming closer and closer I started to really look at my name. The name that I was born to, and really the nickname that it had become, no longer felt like 'me'. I was ready to take a magickal name for the first time in over fifteen years, but the hard part was figuring out what name to take.

I won't bore you with my process, but needless to say when I came across the name, when I finally decided, when I accepted it and said YES, it felt like it was so obviously "mine", like it had been my name all along and I just now figured that out. Looking back on all the things that I have been through in the last year, looking at the specific challenges I have faced and the spirit helpers that have been working with me I am surprised it took me so long to see it.

At the end of the ritual I announced my new name. Leaving the name of my parents behind and moving forward into a more magickal time in my life. When I got home I started to go through the process if changing my name on message boards, Facebook and Twitter. When I went to update my email I clicked the wrong button and ended up changing my email address. My old email no longer exists. My new magical name is now my email address, which has caused me to change ALL kinds of things I didn't expect to have to change, but these things happen for a reason.

That is how these things go and it just solidifies the fact that it's time to let go of the old. It is time for me to move forward with my new name. It is time for me to step into my big girl pants and be who I am truly meant to be. How exciting.

So with all of that said....watch out world, here I come.

Love,

Phoenix LeFae

Teaching the Pagan Way

So I had my first teaching experience this past weekend. I student taught a class called Elements of Magic. It is based off of the Reclaiming Tradition of Witchcraft and is their prerequisite for other classes that are offered in the tradition.

Ten years ago I had multiple opportunities to take this class, but I felt that it was 'below me'. I didn't want to take a class that taught the fundamentals of a practice I was already familiar with, so I scoffed and moved on. Not taking the intro class meant that I was not able to take other more challenging classes, but my pride would not scoot over enough for me to actually start at *gasp* entry level.

Fast forward nine years and you will see me finally taking the Elements of Magic class almost exactly one year ago this past weekend. Tired of playing the solitary practitioner game I finally decided to reach out to the Pagan community in my area, by way of Reclaiming. The teachers had changed, as had many of the community members. People that I had met ten years ago had moved on to other places and that ended up being a really good thing for me.

Was Elements life changing for me? Well in a word, yes. I did not learn anything earth shattering about myself during that intensive weekend, but I did learn many things that I was able to fold into my personal practice. I did start getting more and more involved with my local community and I did end up forming and amazing Circle with two women who were also in the class with me.

A year has passed since that fateful weekend and now I have become the teacher (well student teacher for now anyway). I helped to lead a class that ten years ago I felt was beneath me. It was an honor and privilege to work with the two beautiful women who have taught me so much over this last year. And it was way more exhausting than I thought it would be....

After taking so many workshops and classes I have always thought that the teachers have it easy. I figured their hard work was in the prep....putting the class together, figuring out what activities will take place, all of the set up. I was surprised to find that teaching, even co- or student teaching, is exhausting. So much more so than attending. I have a new respect for those that I have taken classes from.

So now a new beginning. I have one class under my belt and I look forward to many more in the future. Riding a new wave with promising possibilities.