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Magic Amongst the Mundane

Magic Amongst the Mundane

Last updated on: August 26, 2014 at 12:40 pm by Niki Whiting

Magic Amongst the Mundane 2014-08-26T12:40:51-08:00 Niki Whiting

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I’d like to say I’m up to no good, but mostly I’m up to my elbows in house work. My family has been incredibly busy this month. Here’s a bit of what a week in a polytheist parent’s life looks like.

Mary finally gets set up at Dolau Melys.

Last Friday I posted my review of Gus DiZerega’s latest book. I thought the book was flawed, but full of ideas that I hope can find a wider audience. Gus did not take too kindly to my review. As it was also my husband’s birthday weekend, we went south to Portland to visit friends and eat (Portland is the best, most affordable and creative food city I’ve ever been to), and I was not aware of the response to last week’s post until a couple of days had passed. We returned from our delightful, tasty trip and I dealt with that. There were more birthday doings with extended family.

I managed to sneak in a trip to a neighborhood fair on Sunday, where I met the people behind the exquisite concoctions of Rosarium Blends. They live just a few minutes outside of Olympia and I was keen to meet other occult practitioners in the area. The “Pagan” world (I don’t think they identify as Pagans) is very small and we knew or had interacted with a few of the same people.

Yesterday, Monday, was the Dark Moon. I have reinstated my Dark and Full Moon observances. I treat them as mini-holidays, where I do the bare minimum of parenting and chores possible. If there is extra energy, I will work some magic or other workings. Yesterday there was no energy. I woke to find the house ants invading our food cupboard and my middle daughter had a two hour doctor’s appointment first thing in the morning. After tackling both of those things, I melted down a little and spent the rest of the day in bed, napping, ignoring the big kids, and watching dancing on the internet. I didn’t even have the energy to do the two things that I do every Dark Moon: donate to the local food bank and clean my altars, so I will attend to those things today. I did, however, observe my Monday fast in honor of Shiva.

Today is Tuesday and I’m much more rested. Tuesday is a day set aside for Kali. Puja was short this morning, as the kids woke at the same time I did. I always find it amusing to perform Kali puja with a babe in arms, or with one of the other kids sitting next to me. It’s much harder to meditate, but puja is meant to be a more social form of prayer and worship. I have always gotten the distinct impression that Kali very much likes having the kids there. More and more I am letting go of any perfectionism around my practices. With children, it’s often a choice between doing them in a rather messy way or not doing them at all; I choose the former option. I have had to break off working with one particular goddess, because She desires less mess and I am not in a place that can promise that – yet.

Looking ahead to the rest of the week, I have my regular, everyday chores and parenting to do: take my son to aikido practice, buy groceries, cook, do all the laundry, clean the house, start getting prepared for the First Day of School next week (son starts first grade on Wednesday!). “Mundane” life offers many opportunities for spiritual work and connection; “mundane” and “magical” distinctions are nothing more than a false dichotomy. Trips to the park and snuggles are deeply meaningful, and I enjoy watching my son’s aikido lessons, as I learn something about magic every time.

There are, however, two or three things coming up this week that will feed my personal practices.

First, I just figured out where I’m going to put our family/house altar. We’re still moving in to our new house and I have been growing increasingly impatient at not having our house altar up. I don’t know why, but it clicked for me this morning. My middle daughter brought me my glow-in-the-dark Virgin Mary figurine and I knew that one of the window ledges near the table needs to be the altar. I’ll be putting that together today. (See pictures. I waited to post this until I had set up the altar.)

Tonight, Alley Valkyrie and Rhyd Wildermuth will be visiting for dinner. I cannot wait to spend some time with them in the flesh. I was able to stop by Alley’s stand at Portland’s Saturday market over the weekend, but I am looking forward to sharing a home cooked meal with some of the people with whom I only interact online. I am incredibly grateful for the community that I’m developing online, but nothing replaces in person discussion.

Finally, Friday is Ganesh Chaturthi – Ganesha’s birthday! Ambaa over at The White Hindu has written

Two of our four Ganeshas, on the left side of the family altar.

about ways you can observe this holiday. In our house we have a little birthday party for Ganesh. After dinner, we’ll gather all of our Ganesh murtis, light incense, offer praises and thanks, sing happy birthday, ask for his continued blessings, then eat a special dessert, sharing some of it with Ganesh, of course. This year, I’m going to try making bourbon vanilla pudding.

I hope your week is filled with blessings. May you find magic among the mundane!

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