Over the last few months, life has been a rollercoaster. I tried to build a local Pagan community, only to realize that, at least in the area I live, people aren’t willing to invest in joining or helping to build the community they say they want. My own mental health caught up to me after two people connected to my past abuser showed up to one of my events only to ghost. It triggered a plethora of emotions and trauma. I ended up isolating and giving up on building community for now, at least where I currently live. Since then, I have met and started ethically non-monogamous relationships with a couple of people in the Twin Cities, started doing classes at Magus Books & Herbs in Minneapolis, taken an Oathbound class through Northern Pagan Church in St. Louis Park, MN, that may lead to other spiritual leadership courses and opportunities in the Pagan Community, and I started my application for graduate school at the University of Minnesota for a PhD in Anthropology with a research interest in how cultural and social interactions shaped the evolution of spirituality, religion, and the occult in history and even now.
Establishing Community and Coming ‘Home’
Even though I’d rather not have dealt with the trauma triggers and failed community building, I feel like it was necessary to get me to take action in reclaiming my life. It’s easy to complain about how nobody wants to be social anymore or to isolate because it’s easier or more comfortable. However, we all need to take action and accept opportunities given to us in order to make the changes we need in life. Now, I am working towards relocating to the Twin Cities so that I can be more involved in the communities I have found there, hopefully go to school again, be close to my partners, and have a fresh start. The Twin Cities and Minneapolis always felt more like home than any of the places I have lived throughout my life, because it was the one constant besides the small town my dad lived in. In Kindergarten through 2nd grade, I lived in the Twin Cities. Even after that, my mother’s doctors were always through the U of M Fairview Hospital system, and we traveled frequently due to her health. I always felt more at home amongst the cultural diversity and city culture than rural culture or the narrow-minded xenophobia of small towns. Therefore, by working towards relocation, I am establishing community with like-minded people and coming back to place that feels like home.
Magus Books & Herbs
My Partners live in the cities, so they took me to Magus Books & Herbs for the first time. I found out they offer classes in order to help you further develop your connection to your spirituality and host gatherings during important celestial events or Sabbats. So far, my practices have been largely intuitive or through using internet resources and classes. They offer Reiki Classes, Herbal Classes, Astrology Classes, Palmistry, Tarot and more. I am personally working to expand my divination skills and learn about new tools and methods for practicing Witchcraft in general. I have attended Tea & Tarot, Palmistry 101, and Astrology so far. They also have a great collection of herbs, books, tarot decks, oracle decks, incense and other supplies for witches & pagans.
Magus Books and Herbs
2520 Central Ave NE Minneapolis MN 55418 USA 612-379-7669
Open Noon until 6:00pm central time, 360 days a year.
Closed: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day
Northern Pagan Church
I have been attending Zoom meetings facilitated by Northern Pagan Church, a nondenominational pagan church, for a while now. I also try to attend all of their gatherings if possible. I joined a course they are hosting called Oathbound. This course teaches and allows for discussions on the Northern Pagan Church’s sacred tree framework, allows for spiritual reflection and growth through these discussions, and presents an opportunity to make an oath either to yourself, the universe, or your gods.
Northern Pagan Church
A non-denominational pagan church serving the Twin Cities of
Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota, and the online community.
Honoring the Gods, Ancestors, Spirits, and the living Community.
You can RSVP for Sunday Circle or Events here:
Applying For Graduate School
Applying for graduate school has been something on my mind for a while now. I was considering sociology, then social anthropology, but finally I settled on a different subfield of anthropology: archaeology. Anthropology is the study of humanity, examining biology, behavior, cultures, societies, and linguistics both in the past and present. At the University of Minnesota, their PhD programs have three subfields: archaeology, biological anthropology, and sociocultural anthropology. Archaeology is the study of human activity, history and prehistory through the recovery and analysis of material culture like artifacts, structures, and sites. Biological anthropology is a scientific subfield stying human biological evolution, contemporary physical variation, and behavioral adaptations from an evolutionary perspective. Sociocultural anthropology is the study of human societies, cultural diversity, and how people interact, create social rules, and handle inequalities. Long term, I want to combine these three disciplines, with my primary focus being archaeology, and conduct multidisciplinary research. I already have a Biology degree with an emphasis in ecology and evolutionary biology to integrate into these studies.
Department of Anthropology
395 Humphrey Center
301 19th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55455
https://cla.umn.edu/anthropology/graduate/degrees/phd-anthropology
Hopefully, soon taking these actions to reclaim my life will help me get closer to having a fulfilling career, community, and spiritual journey.
