Nurturing the Inner Parent

Often we hear people talk to us about nurturing our Inner Child, or how someone is treating themselves to something because they “deserve” it or have “earned” it.  But I listen to my Inner Child, and he keeps wanting things like electronic toys (which are expensive), sugary treats (which are unhealthy), fattening food (again, unhealthy), or he just wants to sit around and play without doing anything productive.

 

If listening to your Inner Child has become catering to his/her every whim, then you have an Inner Brat.  It’s time for your Inner Parent to take control again.  No video games til the chores are done, no treats between meals, and no frivolous spending or irresponsible behavior.

 

I’ve realized that my Inner Child is a spoiled rotten little brat in need of a good spanking.  I’m sure many of you can relate.  We’re told to cater to our Inner Child because we were deprived of something in childhood, or we were abused, or otherwise unhappy as children and that to be happy adults we need to nurture our Inner Child.  I recognize that my Inner Child represents my emotional self, and that it’s healthy to listen to him, however I think in general we go too far.

 

Your Inner Parent must be in control of your life.  The Brat shouldn’t be in charge, because that’s a sure path towards your own self destruction.  So let’s stop “rewarding” ourselves with things that aren’t good for us.  Be your own parent, and get your Inner Brat under control.  Do the chores, clean the house, exercise both your body and your mind, and revel in the tasty healthy food choices that keep your body functioning at peak efficiency.   It’s a lot easier to have a rewarding spiritual path when the body you live in is healthy, or at least as healthy as you can make it. 

 

I’m not saying we should neglect our Inner Child, continue to listen, but for goodness’ sake take away the car keys and put your Inner Parent back in control of your life!

 

Pagans Who Pray

Some people, both pagan and non-pagan, are surprised when they criticize "religious" people and I speak up and say "Hey wait a minute, I'm very religious".  I don't run around praising gods and goddesses all over the place, because my relationship with Them is quite personal and private.

But, like my grandmother, I have a list of people I pray for every night before I go to bed.  The difference is that mine is written down on a piece of paper bordered with sigils for healing, blessing, protection, and comfort because I am a witch, and that's how I roll.  On the odd occasion that I have to remove someone from the list for whatever reason, I rewrite the list.   I also consecrate it once a month when the moon is full to keep the blessing "fresh" on it.

I know that because of a lot of peoples past relationship with various Christian churches the thought of what I do horrifies them, and some even think I'm just substituting pagan god names for the Christian god and doing something I grew up with.  The catch is, I've never been Christian.  I was never baptized, never attended church, etc.  This is my pagan practice, my nightly ritual and spell work that I generally keep private.

Please note that I'm leaving a lot of details out, in the interest of *keeping* it private.  But I can't help feel like it's almost my "dirty little secret" because if a lot of my pagan friends found out, they'd probably think less of me for it.

Well to heck with it.  I'm coming out.  I'm Pagan.  I'm a Witch.  I pray, and I'm proud of it.