Author: Matthias
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The Unwilling Seer
I used to regularly perform ritual work that is considered to be a good introductory practice. While writing this post, I discovered that there is now a wikiHow article on how to perform this ritual, which is possibly one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. I used YouTube like a proper heathen! One day…
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The Animist’s Journal
I talk to everything. The birds at the feeder, the impressive neighborhood fir trees, the rock that catches my eye on a walk, the crow that watches me from a wire. Most of these are passing interactions, like greeting a stranger. Although I talk to everything, not everything responds in the same way. Some respond…
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First Star I See Tonight
Content warning for discussion of animal death. A few days after I was born, a white kitten with bright blue eyes showed up at my grandmother’s doorstep. The kitten couldn’t have been more than a few days old. My grandmother suspected that she was a kitten of a stray tortoiseshell cat that she had taken…
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The Cultural Baggage of Good People
We start alone on Valentine’s Day. What thoughts come to your mind? Do you expect a story of depression, loneliness, pining? That’s what I expected, too, as I took a mindful lone walk around my neighborhood, surrounded by decorations and encountering couples. The bright red heart, beating fast, flushing red, an historic symbol, carrying notions…
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Why I Became an Artist
A loaded question. Last fall, I suffered an injury in my neck, back and shoulders that was some of the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. Everyday activities became painful, I could not keep my head upright, and I spent most of my days lying down. Thankfully, my condition has improved, but I still deal with…