That Witchy Place
So many times I’ve had conversations with people who have commented how what I was saying made a lot of sense to them and that they wish they could learn more about my spiritual path so the purpose of this website is to centralize all my notes and experiences in a format which is accessible to those who wish to find and use it. It’s part educational blog and part journal, with just a dash of free resources and a small web store.
Greenoak Gardens
One of the main tenets of my spiritual path, which I call “the Winding Path”, is that as a Pagan who tries to be balanced between the three centric realms (nature, deity, and self), I have a duty to ecological stewardship. It isn’t something I can deny because I’m part of the system of which I’m a steward; even if I was only concerned with myself it would be in my best interests to support a healthy and diverse environment. Greenoak Gardens is the focal point of this “Green Paganism” tenet for my wife and I. Ultimately it will be a fully self-sufficient, permaculture-based subsistence homestead which needs very little if any outside resources to provide for all our living needs. We plan to open it to the public as a learning experience, a Pagan gathering space, and source of inspiration for those who feel that this lifestyle is for them. It’s not there yet, but we’re getting closer all the time. We now grow some of our own produce and have reduced our power consumption by over 50% through conscious lifestyle choices.
The Winding Path
This is the name I’ve chosen for my spiritual path because I’ve walked the straight and narrow and it was sterile, boring, and ultimately not fulfilling. What you’ll find on the Winding Path is some stuff that you’ve experienced before and some you haven’t. This is not all my doing, I’ve taken inspiration and information from a variety of sources, spiritual paths and teachers, and put it together in a fashion that helps me best understand the world around me. I’ve chosen to combine the traditions of my ancestors into something I call heathen witchcraft, which I sourced from both Anglo-Saxon/Germanic traditions and traditional witchcraft from the British Isles (learn more). One of the main reasons I chose to do this is because like so many people, I lost my connections to my ancestors and my Gods after cluttering my life with so much “stuff” and after I realized it, which took some time, I discovered who some of my ancestors were, where they came from, and how they lived a simple, but meaningful and purpose-driving life. Some people will not like that this isn’t some ancient path passed down through generations of my family until my grandmother left me her precious book of shadows or some other equally silly story, and others will dislike the amalgamic nature of it or the words/names/terms I use, but I’m not doing it for them.
I’ve wrestled internally with what words, names and terms to use, originally fretting over how I’d be judged by the people who think they ‘own’ the names or have exclusive access to those deities, rituals, names, etc or believe that they are somehow the authority on how those things can be used. I’ve since decided that I get to choose what I identify with most strongly and refuse to let the judgments of others interfere with my practice. It’s not entirely “UPG”, but then I don’t see a problem with systems that are as long as it doesn’t interfere with others. In case there is any misunderstanding, let me be plain: my spiritual practice is just that, mine. I’ve developed it for me and people who find it fits their needs. It is not an attempt at reconstructing anything (not Anglo-Saxon, not Norse, not Celtic), and I don’t claim association with any group, past, present, or future, in any cultural tradition mentioned or not mentioned. I have nothing but respect for the effort and beliefs of both reconstruction and modern groups and their members steeped in those cultures until they take it upon themselves to pass judgement on me or what I am doing.
If you ever have questions or comments, just use the Contact page.
