City Witch

Above: Me and you! I am not very photogenic, so it is rare I take pictures with you, and because no one has a camera around, it's typically me taking the pictures. None the less, This is the most recent photo of us. You have grown so much and I am so proud! (P.S. In the window the words read: MORTALS BEWARE... for those passing by!)

Tis the season to reconnect with the Gods! A time for spooky apparitions, being grateful, and merry happenings. We begin with Halloween, or Samhain. It is the holiday that, for modern day people, signals the time when our nights grow longer, and for parents it is a time for passing down the traditions our families gave to us. I love Halloween. As a child I was proud that my family spent so much effort into making it special. Even as my parents began their separation I remember them coming together to ensure that Halloween was still a hit. Over the years Halloween has lost its allure for many. I can't put too much blame out there, because I recognize some of the fears that people share. In an era when people don't know their neighbors, when children are snatched up or killed, it can be a little alarming. Even when I was young there were dangers. After Halloween we would go home and my brother and I would dump our collections on the table, awaiting inspection. Any candy that looked suspicious was thrown out. If the wrappers looked loose, or the candy appeared untrustworthy for any reason, it went into the trash. Because of the fears we have for our children, Halloween has dwindled down to a night of parties for adults, and most children end up going to designated "safe" environments to Trick or Treat.. environments such as schools or malls where the candy is given out by store owners or teachers. I can only hope that one day Halloween will make a come back, that people will come together and decorate their houses with a vengeance. I think in a time when we have so many safeguards kids should soon be out again. Cell phones are in the hands of younger and younger children, who can call if they feel unsafe, and I would not want you to go without a few friends on your side. And there is the added plus that the people in my generation long for the return of Halloween. Well, we can only hope. In the meantime, we live in an apartment, so to begin with we won't be spending Halloween here. Still, I have put up decorations! I am trying to get into the spirit.

It was just the other day it dawned on me that we were in October and no longer in September. I scolded myself for not paying attention! This time last year I knew I was pregnant with you. Still, I watched scary movies aggressively, lounging on the couch and enjoying the spirit of the spooky season. Here we are, the first week of October having passed, and I have yet to watch a single horror movie.
We have had a little bit of a setback because you are teething is my only excuse.I am proud to say your second tooth has finally made its appearance. Thank goodness, because you're having a rough time of this. Every day you have been crying, sometimes waking up wailing. Finally, today I saw it. So I guess another three days and the tooth will finish cutting through.

With all this in mind, I have dedicated this blog to the City Witch in me, to assist in getting me in the mood for Halloween. Hopefully, if all goes well, I will dedicate the blogs throughout this month to various Halloween traditions or ghoulish tales!

What is a city witch, you ask? Well.. it's a person who recognizes that even though we live in a city there is still magic all around us. A city witch does not consider herself powerless simply because she does not reside in nature. Instead, she embraces that the Divine force still exists all around us. Nature is ever present, bursting through the cracks. One has only to look at old sidewalks to find the earth has shifted their seemingly indestructible cement, that grass pokes up between the lines. It is never ending, its spirit lurking in the darkest corners, even existing in the recesses of humanity. She understands that the earth does not belong to her, and that she must not take it for her own. However, she also must understand how to coexist with the civilization around her. In this regard, I think living in a city poses an even greater challenge for the mind of a city witch than it does for a natural witch. For a natural witch the need for this particular balance of peace within oneself is not as strong. It is easy to say, "I will use no one, I will be self sufficient, and I will exist with nature only." It is a great burden to say, "I will exist between two forces both natural and man made. I will have the luxury of technologies, but I must not be too greedy about it. I will have to work within the system for the good of my family but I must always be appreciative of what I have and respectful of where it came from." So remember, my son, there is a great force all around us. It is both dark and light, and when I pass on I will become part of it, and so will you.

Going Greeny

When you were young I took long walks. I laugh now at my use of the word, "young." Rather, when you were a month I started taking walks with you in the evening to help get my body back in shape. Sadly, it's the summertime, and the heat just progressively became worse. The pediatrician was a little skeptical that my walks were forty five minutes, even though they were at eight at night after the sun went down. You had a heat rash for a little while, and now that August has come the temperature has skyrocketed into the triple digits. Before you go thinking I was being selfish, note that I did wipe you down with wet cloths and once your rash had subsided with care it did not return. As my father points out, babies have survived the heat before there was such a thing as cool places, and in reading about breastfeeding facts say that it has enough water to hydrate a baby no matter how hot it is. (On a side note I've been reading a ton of facts about breastfeeding lately, but I'll save those for another day). I did stop the walks though altogether, happily substituting them for at home workouts. However, we now are stuck in the home like birds in a cage... flightless birds I might add since the cars are getting worked on. Even if the cage were open we wouldn't be able to get out. Still, you are three months old now, and I decided that the little park around the corner isn't so far. I think I'd like to take you there.

Below: You were too young to enjoy the park anyhow. I took you there and tried to show you things, but you would fall asleep on the short ride over and did not really wake up. Still, it was fresh air. (June 2011)

Today while Vincent was at work I took you around the apartment complex for starters. It felt so wonderful to have fresh air and I believe you craved it too. I showed you the trees around, and encouraged you to feel the bark. However, I think the brown trunks of trees and their rough feel were of little interest to you. What really impressed you were all the bushes. There are a variety here, and I am no herb expert, or even mildly schooled and can't tell you their names. I did let you feel all of their leaves. You would independently thrust your hands into them and just hold on. Some you would let go of and then feel again. Their varying textures and vibrant greens were wondrous to you. In fact, the hippy in me would say that the feeling of life in your hands was pleasing. I talked to you about nature, and how we have to be careful with it, and that the Divine is all around us and in you. We didn't spend too long because after twenty minutes or so you started to sweat a bit and I needed to change you anyway. Still, it was a good day. I'd like to do it again soon, but we were lucky since today it was cloudy. We shall see what tomorrow brings... eventually winter will come, it must!