Friday, January 26, 2007

Traditional Heathen Witch

A seasoned, experienced and active practitioner of the magical mystical arts for over two decades, born with magical awareness and memory of my preincarnate journey into physical existence, classically called and initiated mystically as a small child, I am an evolving Traditional Heathen Witch walking a crooked pagan path. With a focus on the pagan traditions of my Ancestors, I practice Ásatrú and Seidr (Northern Tradition Witchcraft) touched with Appalachian folk magic. My concept of the Divine is pantheistic, animistic, naturalistic, and as a woman, focuses on the Divine Feminine. My studies and practice focus on traditional herbalism, artisan craftwork, magical meditation upon sacred texts and folklore, and using mystical alphabets to channel creative consciousness.

Ancestor work is a large part of my personal spiritual practice as a Witch. My primary genetic ancestral roots are Northern & Northwestern European Teutonic (with my primary deep genetic ancestral root localizing to Sweden). By both DNA analysis and oral family tradition, my Teutonic ancestors hail primarily from England, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Sweden and Wales; with additional ancestral autosomal and mitochondrial genetic links to Australia (Caucasian Tasmania), Austria, Azores Archipelago, Belgic Dutch Netherlands, Caucasian New Zealand, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, North Africa and Slovakia, noting ancient ancestral migrations through the Russian Steppe from ancient Anatolia.

Both my ancestral genetic motherline and fatherline are part of the ancient populations archeologist Marija Gimbutas called "Old Europe."

My ancestral genetic motherline U5 haplogroup subclade is U5b1b1 (U5b1b1-T16192C!), the foundational lineage of the Saami (the indigenous reindeer-herding population living in northern Scandinavia). Additionally, my U5 ancestral genetic motherline is the oldest European genetic motherline in the world - scientific research has shown that my ancestral motherline, namely U5, has been in Europe for around 50,000 years, arising in the Near East, entering the European continent and migrating deep into Europe not long following the successful migration and expansion of homo sapiens sapiens out of Africa.

My paternal ancestral I-M223 (formerly known as I2b1, I2a2a and I1c) genetic fatherline is also indigenous to Europe, the first European fatherline, and later in history, an Anglo-Germanic-Scandinavian Viking fatherline.

Both my maternal and paternal families have American roots deep in Kentucky - my paternal family hails specifically from the Cumberland Gap in the Appalachian mountains where Old World conjure still flourishes among the mountain folk.

By genetic analysis, I am 1.9% Neanderthal and 2.3% Denisovan (archaic human species coexisting with homo sapiens sapiens in ancient Europe and Asia for at least 10,000 years).

As a Witch, this ancestral knowledge provides me with a powerful conscious link to my Mighty Ancestors and the Sacred Powers of Ancestral Tradition.

4 comments:

Mysti Easterwood said...

Dear One,

"Self-initiated" works for me! Pleased to make your acquaintance!
My name is Mysti Easterwood, and I came to your blog while doing the weekly google-scan on my identity (mystes being my long-time netonym).

I'll be dropping by from time to time to see how you are faring.

All love,

M

Lori said...

Welcome to my blog! :)

Kate said...

"Self-Initiated" works well for me too! I usually introduce myself as solitary, self-initiate and eclectic as well; I'm Pagan/Jewish. I've been looking online for people with similar ideas, and I found your blog, so hi!

K

Lori said...

Greetings Kate and nice to meet you! Welcome to my blog. LL

Dare to be true to yourself.