U is for Ubiquitous – Pagan Blog Project 2013

So, apparently Witches are the New Vampires on prime-time tv.
Who knew?
 
What to make of this development?
 
Look. I can yack about how magic is the pervue and bastion of the downtrodden and opressed. Because it is. And, these days, a lot of (middle-class, educated, white-collar) folks who might normally scoff up their sleeves at things like spell-craft have maybe been feeling the pinch of economic uncertainty for a good little while. That can make witchcraft look a lot more like “how to survive a recession” than “hee hee, pointy hats” or whatever.
 
But I’m not entirely sure that’s what this is about. It could just as easily be The Networks going “It’s been 15-20 years since Charmed was on the air. Time to hit the next cohort of would-be rebelious teens!” or whatever it is that people say when they’re planning what airs when.
 
I admit, it’s been a while since I paide much attention to TV.
 
None the less, it’s Hallowe’en – I’ve I’ve had a shoulder roast slow-cooking with squash, cranberries, and a little onion since yesterday, with a pumpkin pie and mashed sweet potatoes with cream cheese yet to make, I don’t mind telling you – and the figure of The Witch, with her broom and her pointy hat and, frequently, her hooked nose and missing teeth[1], is everywhere.
 
But that’s not the “ubiquitous” I’m thinking of. Not right now, with the rain bucketing down and Dance in the Graveyards[2] playing on repeat in the background. Instead, I’m thinking of how I’m not Dressing Up this year. It’s not that I couldn’t – gods know I’d like an excuse to wear that Barbarella costume again – it’s just that… I live my life in such a way[3] that I don’t need the cultural release-valve that is Hallowe’en[4]. Magic, ritual, wonder, mystery, and all of my ancestors… they’re always here. Ubiquitous. Just part of my life. 🙂
 
So, tonight, rather than getting all Gothed up and hitting a club, I’m lighting a room full of candles and serving good food to everyone I love.
 
In tonight’s meals:
Rosemary, thyme, and bay (in with the veggies and pulled pork); Cinnamon and nutmeg (in the pie): Clairvoyance, blessings, death, invocation, consecration, psychic awareness, and love.
 
 
Happy Hallowe’en and Merry Samhain.
Meliad the Birch Maiden.
 
 
[1] Which comes predominantly from anti-semitism, but also (I think) from a loathing for women who are old and poor.
 
[2] This is such a beautiful, joyful, hopeful piece about how our beloved dead are always with us. It’s been making me cry all day, but in a good way. 🙂 The link goes to a youtube video that includes the lyrics, and I do recommend having a look.
 
[3] And don’t think I don’t know that I’m damn lucky to be able to do so. ❤
 
[4] All that "sexy everything" stuff is… weirdly legit in the sense that we live in a culture that tends to fear, and therefore punish, autonomous feminine sexuality in specific but also sex-for-fun. So maybe it's not all that shocking that our cultural "backwards day" is also one where we pull out the overt displays of sexuality.
…Or it's just skeezy marketing. But it crosses my mind about this every year.