Cogs and Cantrips II

I originally started this blog as means to delve into the world of Steampunk, and then mesh it with  a spiritual backdrop in order to create an eclectic path of my own. It was also started as healing tool for me since I had just started going through a devastating divorce.  However life has a funny way of distracting you if you let it, and I did. Now, however, I intend to renew my efforts and change course, albeit slightly, from the original plan.

So, what can you expect from this blog? A fresh personal perspective on the spiritual approach to Paganism, Witchcraft, and yes Steampunk. I make this initial admission: I am no guru and I hold no special degree's in any theology or Pagan tradition. This is simply me relating to you, the reader, how I do things and by doing so hopefully inspire you to sculpt your craft; from one person to another.

One of the fundamental themes of this blog is to emphasize that Life is a creative experience rather than a set of static, predetermined, events as guided by the hand of Fate, Karma, or Divinity or even a series of random occurrences that happen by chance. It's also the intent of this blog to make suggestions on how to make everyday life deeper and more meaningful.

The major difference between this blog and those that are centered around Paganism and Witchcraft will be the lack of spells and more practical approach to ritual. This will be for two reasons and they are:

1. There are already a plethora of sites and other printed dedicated to spell work.
2. Spells aren't, in my opinion, necessary to performing rituals.

Rituals are simply celebrations for particular aspects of life and nature (to include times of the year). So the absence of spells will not in any way diminish the intent by behind these rituals. However, nothing precludes you from designing your own spells and including them in the rituals that you perform.

Moving on.

So why Steampunk?  The answer to this question is simple and it's theater. One of the key principles to making anything meaningful is thinking, seeing, and doing or as I like to state: Think, Feel, Be. The Victorian Age is probably one of the most romanticized periods of history out side of the Medieval Age. It's fashion and culture are unmistakable and continues to make an indelible mark on culture and fashion today. The Victorian Age was also the beginning of Science Fiction with authors like Jules Verne, Orson Wells, and Mary Shelly penning "War of the Worlds", "20,000 Leagues under the Sea", and "Frankenstein". It was also an age where steam technology was highly present as a form of energy production from hydro electricity to heat.

Steampunk then is a fanciful if dystopic look at that age and asks simply "what if?" As a result a beautiful and very diverse subculture has spring up around that idea. So then Steampunk is Victorian Science Fiction where many things today are re-imagined into items that could have been plausibly been around or developed.

I like science fiction and I have an adoration for the Victorian Age for it's fashion as well as it's atmosphere of elegance and propriety. I also like things that resonate with me, as much as I like to play, and Steampunk did both. So, it seemed natural to just to blend the two into my everyday life and as result an homage to the subculture of Steampunk is the natural answer albeit with a slightly Pagan Twist (of which I'm sure has been done before too.) Which of course led to the creation  of this Blog: "Cogs and Cantrips (and everything else in between)"

So, there you have it. :) If you decide to stick around an walk with me through this journey the I welcome the company. My real hope is to just inspire and give a different perspective while also feeding my need to write. If I can do any of these things then I will have accomplished what I have set out to do...

Thank you.