Costco Magic

I have recently adopted a new member to my household family.  A dear friend from my college days found herself uprooted from her life and so I welcomed her into mine.  It has been a delight to have her, I find that we are helping each other immensely.  However, my friend and I have differing opinions concerning the best use of food and money. 

My dear friend has it in her head that shopping in bulk save money.  She couldn't bare to to consume some organic eggs which she believed that I had purchased for six dollars (I actually used a coupon); so she proceeded to go to Costco to purchase an additional two dozen eggs for six dollars.  The result being that we now have three dozen eggs taking up an entire shelf of my small refrigerator.  I really don't have the space for all of those eggs.  Having been raising my young son on a blue collar salary in modest living quarters, I have discovered that shopping in bulk for one or a family of two is impractical.

Now eggs are a food item that can last more than some other food items but the reality is still clear.  If you pay six dollars for three dozen eggs and then you find that you are only able to consume the one before they all go bad; wouldn't it have just been better to consume the one dozen?

As messy as I keep my bedroom I still maintain that I do not care for clutter.  If something has no use, I get rid of it.  I also maintain if you have no place to store something, why do you have it?

It isn't just my friend who believe in bulk, many money gurus too recommend buying things in bulk, particularly non-perishable items like toilet paper.  For myself, looking around my modest quarters where would I put all of that toilet paper?  Also, I have the unfortunate reality of living on a flood plane and these past two springs I've dealt with considerable water damage.   So if you buy all of that toilet paper and then you end up throwing it all away, honestly what is the point?  Have you saved money?  Or did you throw that money away?

Now I came home to find three dozen eggs blocking my refrigerator after spending an intense magical week with the my Terra Mysterium Clan and that of my greater Clan, Earth Traditions at the spiritual retreat of Oasis.  There were many magical workshops to attend and as interesting as Gede Parma's Servitor Workshop and Chris LaFond's Moon Mansion Talisman workshops were, I made the decision to skip them both.  It was because I know that I don't do well with magic on the fly.  Now once I did do an impromptu spell to get an airplane going but to do any deep personal magic I have discovered for myself thakes a considerable amount of planning.

I have to combat my high propensity towards self sabotage.  I must take time to discover any hidden desires for self deprivation.  For example, my first official class on talismans was given to me by my mentor Matthew Ellenwood.  In the class I decided that a debt reduction talisman would be helpful to me.  It didn't work.  Not because of any lack of magical skill, it was because I discovered that I felt I needed that debt.  It was my penitence and punishment for crimes financial and otherwise I had convinced myself I had committed.  In order for any spell of mine to work I need to uncover any hidden desires that will thwart me.  I can't do that in a two hour workshop.  I require planning.

Not everyone requires that much self excavation for magic but planning, I think is crucial to success.  You have to realistically ask yourself if you have room for all that toilet paper and if you are really going to eat all of those eggs.  What are you going to do in the case of water damage?  And what if your refrigerator breaks down?  What you stand to gain by shopping in bulk may out way what you risk to lose.  These are important things to consider.

Brigit: Sun of Womanhood

At the Life Force Arts Center on Saturday, May 11, 2013 I will celebrate the launch a new anthology of poetry and essays edited by Patricia Monaghan and Michael McDermott honoring the Goddess Brigit, the Celtic Goddess of inspiration, poetry and the arts.  Brigit also crosses religious bridges as the Catholic saint, Saint Brigit. 

Along with some of the anthology's contributors, I will be one of the ritual artists performing works about this inspirational divinity.  Brigit has honored me by helping me to compose my song for Imbolc "On the Eve of Spring," from a new collection of original songs for the Wheel of the Year.   I also found that I invoked Her quite by accident on Imbolc of 2012.  I had been asked to sing an Invocation to Brigit for Her fire festival of Imbolc by Earth Traditions, I had been given a particular song to sing.  I'm always pressed for time, but I was even more compressed as I was struggling to complete my original musical The Alembic that was to be performed that September, and script deadlines were fast approaching.  The main character still needed his song and for the life of me I just couldn't write it!  But Imbolc took precedence on this day so I set my Alembic woes aside.  On my way to the Imbolc festival, I sang the requested song over and over again in my car.  Then just as I was about to sing through it again, the missing song suddenly popped into my head, absolutely complete.  I am forever grateful Brigit heard my unspoken prayer.

In addition to "On the Eve of Spring," written for Brigit, I honor Her with Her gifts to me "In Just One Moment" and "Faith," from The Alembic which debuted at the Chicago Fringe Festival 2012 with the amazing talent of my beloved performance troupe Terra Mysterium. 

Click here to join me on Saturday May 11, 2013!  Did I mention that it's a free event?