Guess who’s coming to dinner

 

 

Picture this — your family has gathered for Thanksgiving dinner.  You’ve just started passing the pea salad, when a smiling woman bursts through the front door, sets a ham on the table, and pulls up a chair.   None of you recognize her, and confusion erupts.

 

She claims to be your Cousin Pearl, just moved back from Bora Bora.  However, she doesn’t know any of your names.   She doesn’t know that you haven’t eaten ham for generations.   And she doesn’t know it’s bad luck to use the front door.   But not to worry, her ties with you stretch back to the mid-1600s.

 

What the … ?

 

If she really does  turn out to be your long-lost cousin, you’ll be thrilled.   But what if she’s just after the family silver?   So you ask a few questions, trying to place her.   Then a few more.   Finally, you realize there’s nothing to go on.   No relationships with other family members.   No common family practices.   If Pearl’s going to be considered part of the family, new ties will have to be established.   You’ll have to start over.

 

It’s every bit that startling when a stranger pops up in the NeoPagan community claiming to be Gardnerian.   Because here’s the thing — there really are Gardnerians.   Real live Gardnerians, quietly going about their business, and flying completely under the NeoPagan radar.   Actually, not just a few Gardnerians, but quite a lot.

 

So when Lady Moon Beam announces she’s Gardnerian, invites you all to her traditional Full Moon Ritual, and a duel ensues over whether or not such a thing is possible, please know we’re battling to protect our family’s good name.  

 

And if it turns out you really are family, we’re fighting like hell for you, too.

 

 

How do we know?

As witches, we all feel it.  We can recognize another witch.  And we stumble across each other in the most unlikely of places.  Somehow, we’re drawn to one another.

 

Yesterday, it happened to me again.  I was bending over to give someone a goodbye kiss on the forehead.  I raised myself, my energy, up into the kiss, as I often do.  And there it was — an answering lift of energy rising up to touch mine.  A piercingly sweet surprise.

 

And I’ll bet you’re all nodding your heads, because it’s happened to you, too. So … how do you experienced that feeling of recognition?