This is the first of what I hope to be a long running blog on Witchmoot.com. Several months ago after years of what was essentially solitary practice, my wife and I decided that it was time to rejoin the greater pagan community if not just for ourselves, for our children, who needed to experience new things, places and people. We did like any of you would do in the same situation; we joined email lists, chatted up old contacts, and started looking for open events we could attend. We have found some great people,and had a lot of fun and growth as both individuals and as a family since then.

But what I didn't expect to find was a passion. I have to think it was sent by the Gods because it keeps me awake at night, occupies large amounts of my time, and has driven me crazy with trying to figure out how to express it. What do I do with these newly stoked fires within me?

I was given the opportunity to write this blog, Living Reciprocity, and I hope to share some of my passions with you here. I hope that the fire spreads to the entire pagan community. In short, like many of you, I hope I can make a difference.

Everyday Spiritual Warriors

This is a blog of two parts, appropriate don't you think to someone who's craft name is TwoSnakes?

In the first I want to highlight pagans making a difference. The everyday spiritual warriors we never get to hear about. Yes many of us have personal blogs and journals, but the larger the community the greater chance this everyday heroism is lost. What heroism am I speaking of? No it's not running into a burning building, but it could be that as well. Everyday spiritual warriors are all around us in the community. Do you know Sue who volunteers at the animal shelter? Do you know Bob who runs a Spiral Scouts group? Have you heard about Steve who splits wood for all a covens bonfires? Did you know that Kim is home-schooling her five children? Or how about that group of people who worked all day to put a new roof on an elder members house?

There are likely more examples than I can think of. You know them. You live them. Now is the chance to share them. Send me names, send me contact information, nominate someone to be highlighted by this blog. I will contact them, interview them, and put stories up as I gather them. And who knows, perhaps someone will nominate you, and my readers and subscribers will see your smiling face? Be proud of the everyday spiritual warriors around you.

Speaking From The Heart

Now let me get on my soapbox for a minute. I'm not sure if you have noticed, but the State of Michigan, even the nation are entering some tough economic times. I have read many things from pagans who are looking for the next phase of community evolution, and are a bit lost as to where it will come from. I hate to break it to you all, but if we are ever going to get to that next level we need to get past our issues with business and finance. Being poor is not a recommendation for, nor a requirement of paganism. I hope that some day that those in leadership positions will help by not only offering workshops and rituals, but maybe calling in a financial adviser to help with individual and group goals. I'm not looking for mandatory tithes or anything so radical to the individualistic pagan community. But at some point, if we want to get to the next level, we need to get past this shadow issue.

There now I feel better.

Pagans In Business

I look at other "mainstream" religions, and I see how they support each other I am always amazed that the sense of fellowship in business does not pervade the pagan community more. The directory of pagan businesses at MotorCityPagans for the Michigan area is...well rather thin. To fill this perceived need I will be devoting the second part of my blog to Pagans In Business. Now I know there are directories of pagan shops out there. For that matter my own wife has an ebay store, and my mentor and friend has a website to promote her classes on shamanism. While this is all well and good, and I hope that I get submissions from all of you for these types of businesses for me to highlight, if we limit ourselves to this, we will have missed some grand opportunities.

I know there are pagan business owners out there who have a different type of business. I don't care if you own a brake shop, or sell produce and brown eggs it is a business. Send me your information so we can get it posted. But we can even take it further. Perhaps you do not own the business. Maybe you are a salesperson for a car dealership, or a work at a daycare. Then you should be listed. Can it go further still? Yes it can! My day job is in the prepress of a small commercial printer in the Ann Arbor area. Not only do I work there, but there are two other pagan or new age sympathetic people who work there, and fourth coworker whose wife is pagan. If you need printing and you come to my company, you are helping to give four pagan or pagan sympathetic people a job with income. Now isn't that worth it?

Now I'm not saying you will get more business by listing, and to those pagans who come to your door I do not mean to imply they will get a discount or special treatment or anything else. But as the economy grows ever more unstable we need to support one another. So tell me about your business, or tell me about your job. Tell me about the company and what you do for it. Lets keep pagans working! If you are an openly pagan I will make note of it. If you are being more discreet, I will note that as well. If pagan clients should ask for you as the owner or employee specifically I will tell them what they need to know.

I Can't Do It Without You!

I have a few other projects I want to encourage and pursue long term. Pagan credit unions, trained mediators for conflict resolution to avoid those pesky "witch wars" and ceremonies for the phases of mens lives among them. But this is where I am choosing to begin.

And it won't work without your help! Send me people to talk about. Send me businesses information to promote. Help the universe, help your fellow pagans and you help yourself. That is Living Reciprocity.

Please contact me using the link above, visit my MySpace page, or you can email me at twosnakes@witchmoot.com