#lifebloodofthecity

[sapphireorison]

Makin' my way through this City Magick book for both my lifeblood of the city project and just...trying to develop more as an urban witch. As a book, it's entertaining, but the first half just isn't useful to me. Mostly because I'm not an animist and dislike spiritwork, lol. About half my notes are, 'this is very interesting, and there are some good concepts here, but I will not be doing this.' The book checkpoints you a little with 'go meet an urban spirit to help guide you through the rest of this book's exercises when you get to them.'

Hrm. Perhaps. Perhaps not. We'll see.

I'm only partway through, but thus far the book's utility for me has been somewhat hampered by the sheer dissonance in the tradition the author comes from and my eclectic practice. Even if there are strong strains of pop occulture running through it—which I find fascinating—it's all so very focused on spirits. And shamanic practices, which I also have no particular interest in.

Regardless, I've gotten some really interesting stuff out of the book so far. I'm intrigued to see this author hit on ~almost the same method of physical imprinting with respect to local spirits of various types as in another book I found with a section on genius loci. This might possibly have something to do with their separate experiences with trance states? Further investigation required.

[lifebloodofthecity]

I’m trying to find links between where I was then and where I am now.

A memory: college, about six or eight bananas, an entire day in the kitchen, and approximately a gross of tiny banana muffins produced two trays at a time. 

A lesson: Do not multiply a recipe based on how many bananas you have.

This song is that extended moment in time as I listen to it on repeat so that it will sink into my bones and I will remember.  

And I do. I remember. I remember what it’s like to breathe and move and do something ludicrously big for no other reason than because I can. 

That this song is rooted in both my future and my past is a thread in the web I’m weaving to repair the continuity of myself. 

[sapphireorison]

Mmk, so, I’ve kicked up a sideblog called lifebloodofthecity to sort of...track my explorations re: improving my relationship with Los Angeles via witchcraft. It’s probably gonna be scattered and personal, but I’m at a point where I feel like it’s necessary. I need a better relationship with LA. I’ve been here five and a half years, and I’m barely comfortable. 

I don’t expect LA to become the home of my heart. I belong to the land in the shadow of the Rockies where I grew up. However, that doesn’t mean that I can’t form a positive working relationship with LA. And I mean that in both the metaphorical sense (I got some shit to work through) as well as the literal (I’ma say ‘hi’ to a genius loci, hell yes). 

You’re welcome to join me. :) 

[sapphireorison]

Even if I went back, I’d have to rebuild my sense of home.

Last month, full of family and travel, reminded me of this. I have been in this new place a year, but already the staples of my year-ago life not more than five miles from here have changed entirely. The landscape has already shifted.

Where I came from? Where my roots had been sunk for over ten years?

My favorite coffee shop was replaced.

I had to rebuild the relationship I had with my Priestess after I left. I’m now realizing that I would have to rebuild my relationship with the home of my heart. This isn’t something I can put on pause and catch up with later, because time is part of the fabric of a place. I run on a slower clock than the universe, it often seems, and staying synchronized is my biggest struggle.

It hurts to realize I’ve been moved beyond. Always does.

But I think...I think I can mourn, now. If I’m going to have to rebuild regardless of which direction I go, forward or back, then I can stop holding on tight enough to bruise.

[sapphireorison]

So this whole genius loci thing is going...surprisingly well so far. I’ve thus far learned that LA has a wicked dry sense of humor, is kind of scary powerful and is very matter-of-factly up front about that, and is more than willing to set boundaries before I even realize there’s a boundary that needed to be set. 

So that’s. Kind of neat, actually.

Also, just. As a humor example, that is absolutely consistent with every encounter so far: I said farewell for the moment and LA responded with, “I’m absolutely emotionally devastated that you’re done speaking with me tonight.” But in like. The most dryly sarcastic way possible that was also a friendly goodbye. 

[sapphireorison]

kale-idoscopic replied to your post “Query: I’m about to start a bit of research into various types...”

Spend lots of time outside and around the plants you intend to interact with. Collect snippings from the plants, research them, talk to them.

Oh! Thank you for the suggestions. :) 

Also, hrm. One of my favorite things to do is to snap a pic of every new flower I find blooming on my usual walking routes. This is a good reminder that that...might already be part of what I want to end up ultimately doing as a codified thing.