.........The last few months have been a bit surreal. Pandemics, protests, riots, murder hornets (almost), you name it....it's happening. It's been tough to keep it together and stay focused. Going on social media is a roller coaster of emotions, and quite overwhelming at points, but it's a necessary evil for the shop. My job is closed indefinitely, Diana is making her home base out of state, and I have days where i don't want to get out of bed. Which PALES in comparison to what's happening in the country right now. People are DYING, from both the pandemic and the hands of other AMERICANS. There is destruction in our streets and many people don't know who to trust. So who really cares about the rantings of a fledgling shop owner....... I'm hoping my words of searching for hope amidst the depression can help others. Despite the bad days, I DO have hope. I believe in the resilience of the human spirit, and truly believe in the basic decency of people. I believe now is the time to create better standards for ourselves and our country. RACISM HAS NO PLACE HERE. Not in my community, not in our shop. I have not been as outspoken about the current situation in our country as many of my friends and family, but I do hold firm to those beliefs. If you cannot treat others with respect and non judgement, you are not welcome here.
Growing up in San Francisco, I was raised with certain ideals. One of those was being open to new ideas, cultures, and lifestyles. We believe LOVE IS LOVE, and what a person looks like on the outside doesn't matter. It's who they are on the inside that counts. Foolishly, I thought everywhere was like that. As I got older, I started to see it was far from the truth. I saw racism, homophobia, and sexism. Yet in my idealism, I still believed that those incidents were not the norm. I thought that we had grown past these issues for the most part. I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG. I still live in the beautiful bubble of the Bay Area, but if I've learned one thing about the current political regime, it is that all of these issues are still a poison that is killing our country. But I still believe that we can change. It is going to take a lot of work and communication, but i think a better world IS possible.
Why, you may ask, is this particular rant on a blog on a witch shop website? Because it affects my thought process and how I've put my focus into this website. It's all part of my journey to Golden Apple, and therefore relevant to me. Reading it is your choice.
That being said, there HAVE been GOOD things. The Shelter in Place has afforded me priceless time to be with my family; It's given me the opportunity to create the site and work on projects for Golden Apple that I may not have made time for before. I've also been pushed by the Universe to expand on my magickal practices, and slowly step into the front of the class, when I've always been so comfortable out of the limelight. I now think "comfortable" is stricken from my boundary vocabulary, especially when it comes to the magicks. Through all this, I am working with Deities, Entities, and Spirits that would not have been my choice previously. I've always thought Life isn't what happens to you, it's how you respond to it. I can only hope I am responding well..... xoxo, Nikki
