My Pagan Profile

Aine, over at The Deepest Well created a Pagan Profile form to fill out and share so we could all get to know our eclectic circle of pagans and witches a bit better. I've been a bit slow about actually sitting down to fill mine out and you can snag your own copy of the form here.

Yours truly, lounging about with some daffodils.

Name: Danni (Danielle, if you're my mom or aunts.)

Location: South Carolina, United States

Profession: Witch, Artist, Dreamer

Hobbies/Interests: Walking in the woods, gardening, journaling, arting (bet you didn't know that was a verb), photography, reading, blogging and a vast array of other passing fancies.

Blog/Website name: The Whimsical Cottage

URL: http://thewhimsicalcottage.blogspot.com

If your identity was hidden somehow, (i.e. if you were behind a dark curtain or a sound-proof booth) and someone else was asked to describe you to the person behind the curtain, how would you like to be described OR what would you like this blog circle to know about you? A woman with a heart of tarnished gold who would just as quickly help you as smack you, depending on what you most needed at the moment. Loyal and trustworthy, but a bit of an eccentric who enjoys chatting with trees and smiles knowingly at bees and birds who fly through her path. A hippie who loves to laugh, is a master of sarcasm and will happily share a good pint of ale with anyone with a story to tell.

Your spiritual path: Green Witch, who feels pulled towards traditional and hedge witchery.

How did you find your current path? I've been a pagan for as long as I can remember, although I didn't put a name to it until I was in my late teens. I've always felt in tune with nature, enjoyed working with sticks and stones and have enjoyed the company of tress and animals; green witchery seemed the most suiting title for that which resides in my heart.

Previous spiritual path(s) (if any) None.

What drew you to and continues to keep you on this path? It's something deeply rooted in my soul that I'm uncovering as I learn and grow.

What, if anything, disappoints you about your path - what would you change if you could? Nothing disappoints me about my specific path, the only disappointment I have is the seeming lack of information on topics that I wish to learn more about.

If you’ve been pagan for several years, what changes have you seen in the Pagan community as a whole, and/or your own practice? I've moved past the point of following tenures that don't resonate with me, I'm no longer afraid to hex if I need to. I've seen a lot of this feeling surfacing more within the community over the years.

Do you have any spiritual practices that you created yourself - that are not the kind normally found in books or practiced in groups? My rituals typically are of my own design and come from my heart. I have a very informal way of approaching ritual and tend to just let go.

What subjects are you interested in reading about - in books, in blogs, etc.? Traditional witchcraft, the usage of bones in ritual and spellwork, how to help the dying or dead animals that have been seeking me out as of late cross into the Otherworld, spirit animals and guides.

What in your life do you consider “sacred?” All that is around me is sacred in it's own right. From the breath I am able to take, the eyes that allow me to see the beauty and ugliness of the world. The tiniest acorn, the biggest of bees. My love, my family. The Earth that sustains me; each has a sacred place in my heart.

What about you or your life are you working towards changing - short term/long term? I'm working towards deepening my connection with Nature, to rid myself of niggling negativity and depression, to open my mind and my heart even wider. To continue to learn and grow and walk this crooked path with my back straight.

What energies do you want to rid yourself of - what energies do you want to bring in? I'd love to toss self doubt onto the street and never see it again.

What are your current goals/aspirations? How are you working to bring these to fruition? (practically and/or magically) I'm working towards a healthier lifestyle, in regards to eating and activity. I've become a bit sedentary due to previous jobs and a lack of safe walking spaces or activity space during our time living in apartments. I'm cutting a lot of fat and junk food out of my diet, eating more raw vegetables and fruits, have been spending a good amount of time outside weeding, planting, walking and have bought a bike to ride when I need to run errands close to home... just as soon as I get accustomed to riding with cars. Living in the woods for 23 years, with nearly no cars has given me an incredibly nervous complex about riding with traffic.

What about the world would you like to see change - short term/long term? An end to reckless endangerment and damage to our planet and it's ecosystems. An end to corporate greed and the pushing of religious agendas to further political careers while harming the populace. More of a movement towards self sufficiency, a lack of reliance on oil and mass produced products and food. Accountability and a nipping of this genetically modified food bullshit in the bud.

What has made and/or continues to make you truly happy? being out in nature, my family, friends and the ability to create.

What is your favorite word? If I'm being totally honest and not g-rated? 'Fuck'. :)

What/who inspires you? A great number of things and people; Renaissance artists, an incredibly loyal dog, a particularly vibrant sunset, music, my love, urban homesteaders, baby oak leaves as they break from the bud... an ever changing array of wonder and strength from the world around me.


If at the end of your life, you were given a new name, which in one word described your contribution to the the web of life (the connections you made, people you touched, etc., ) what would your name be? Wicked. <|;-)