reverendhpsgallagher

[reverendhpsgallagher]

New Home, New Coven, New Life

I don't know that anyone will honestly ever read this. But here goes. Within the last year I have: gotten married, officially started my Gardnerian Coven as a 3rd Degree High Priestess, and we just bought a house. This have been absolutely insane, but in the best of ways.

Life hasn't always been easy for me. In fact, I'm not sure its ever been easy for me. I have a history of being abused, sexually assaulted, and generally not wanted. I had a really rough start into adulthood and getting out on my own. I am most likely (aka un-diagnosed) autism-spectrum and/or ADD. I am a bi woman, who honestly has trouble keeping up with all the new words for things. I am completely supportive of all my LGBT+ brothers and sisters, its just that "in my day" we were all just lost and confused and didn't have words for things.

And on that note, I have also just turned 30. I married later than most, and neither of us has children. We would love a child, but have not been able. This is an ongoing medical struggle for me, in addition to several other issues. I have Fibromyalgia, an unsolved thyroid issue which is causing me to be severely overweight, and I am asthmatic.

This all having been said. There has been one constant throughout my entire life. Some have praised me for it, and some have told me how unhealthy they think it is. And that has been Paganism and Traditional Wicca. My mother is an Ecclectic Pagan, and raised me on the basics. Very early on, I felt a very strong call. As soon as I was legally able (18 in the USA), I went out and found a Gardnerian High Priestess to start my training. I was fully initiated into her Coven at the ripe age of 19. it is important to understand how unusual this is. Most Covens won't even speak to anyone under the age of 24. I'm still not sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing for me. I had always been astute in all my learning, both lay and religious.

For better or worse, I know one thing balls to bones. Wicca saved my life. Time and again, my devotion to the Gods and various mysterious signs, omens and dreams have saved me. I am a survivor of some very serious suicidal ideations as a teenager. One thing always pulled me back from the edge. My Gods. My beliefs, and my hopes that some day things could get better.

This is not going to be a perfect fairy tale. This is not going to be the ideal image of the "perfect" Witch. This is not going to be a telling of some wonderful woman who floats mysteriously through town, freaking out all the mundanes. This is just me.

If you've read this far, feel free to join me.