My memoir class continues and we discussed Secrets and Taboos this week. So this week’s writing entries pertain to that. On Friday there was a bonus writing workshop about Writing from Your Archetype.
Monday 10.16.23 Class Free Write
We were looking through the photo albums at Aunt Willie’s. She was rocking in her recliner with a chaw of cannon ball as I flipped through the pages. There was a picture of my Grandpa with a lady who wasn’t Granny. I knew Grandpa and Granny weren’t together but I didn’t know he remarried.
Grandma Elaine and Grandpa
“Who is that?” I inquired.
“That’s your mother’s mother, Elaine.” replied Aunt Willie as she spat tobacco spit in a jar.
“Why is she with Grandpa?” I pondered.
“Because they were married before you were born.” Aunt Willie offered.
“But where is she now?” I asked.
“She killed herself.” she stated flatly.
I wanted to continue interviewing her about this revelation. My 10 year old brain was lighting up with questions. When and where did she meet Grandpa? How long were they together? How did she die? I wondered.
The back screen door opened and shut lightly. Uncle Ed clomped into the room, mumbling something about supper. These were all questions that would have to be answered another day.
Thursday 10.19.23
Tuesday night around 3AM, I began hearing a barred owl hooting. It sounded like it was right outside the window in Grandpa’s pecan tree.
“Who cooks for you?”, it kept hooting over and over again.
I nudged Hubby. “Hey, do you hear that owl?”
“Mmmhmmm”, he mumbled in his sleep.
Barred Owl | Scott Martin Photography
I lay there for an hour listening to that owl. Feeling amazed and blessed. You see, I believe in omens as spiritual meanings of things in the natural world. We go through our lives thinking every thing is the same, every day is the same unless we purposely do something different. However, I believe there is an entire unseen spiritual world that runs parallel to our seen world. During October and as we lead up to Samhain, the veil between these two worlds is very thin. If we pay close attention, our senses will pick up on signs or omens. Since I try to remain a positive person, I like to see the positive in these things. In my heart there’s no dark magic, it’s all light and inspiring magic.
I always google whatever animal or plant I encounter. This is what I got for the owl:
Owl at night is seen as a spiritual or mystical experience
Owls are messengers from the spirit world symbolizing wisdom, knowledge, and intelligence
Owls symbolize the subconscious and hidden aspects of life and are associated with intuition and clarity
Seeing an owl at night suggests the ability to navigate life’s challenges and make decisions based on a deeper understanding
Owls signify personal transformation, embracing change, and receiving spiritual insights or messages
Owls are connected to protection and serve as guardians or messengers from the divine realm
Friday 10.20.23
Maybe it was the great horned owl I could hear hooting deep in the branch, but last night I had an epiphany during a writing workshop. The workshop was about finding your archetype and using it in your writing. When my archetype was revealed, I didn’t want to believe that was me. “The every person” sounded pretty boring to me. However, one of the other writers in the workshop who was brave enough to read her work, and who was also an every person, made me realize that’s exactly who I am…but I am NOT BORING. I’m relatable, authentic, I don’t like to pick sides in an argument, I like doing mundane tasks…it’s me, it’s me, it’s me. I had some secondary archetypes as well: magician, innocent, and sage. I can see those in my writing too.
As a person, I definitely identify with the every person archetype but as a writer, my imposter syndrome makes me feel that my writing is boring. It’s plain, not flowery and showy…just basic and straight forward. I like reading descriptive writing and I wish I could write that way as well and I try but it is very challenging for me. It doesn’t flow from me easily like it seems to do for others in the class. The more I think about it though, my readers may not be looking for super descriptive writing, that may be why they read my work. It’s simple, not hard to understand, and usually gets straight to the point. We all have a particular writing style and that may be mine, & there may be nothing wrong with that.
The epiphany came when she asked, “When did you feel most yourself in the past few months or years?” I realized I felt most myself when I was studying Wicca. I dropped it because when you live in the Bible Belt, it is not really an approved belief. However, during class the instructor used a tarot deck and I realized, I have never used mine. I have this beautiful tarot deck I ordered a few years ago that just sits on a shelf, but I was scared of it. Kinda like being spooked by a ouija board.
MJ Cullinane Guardian of the Night Tarot Cards
I got down the deck. I pulled three cards…the high priestess, the magician, the fool. The high priestess represents my intuition, subconscious, and attachment to a higher power. When pulled it can mean I’m in a season of unlimited potential. I feel this. The magician represents that you have all the skills & abilities you need to be successful, and that it is a good time for manifestation. (I found this fascinating because earlier in the day, I wrote a manifestation in my journal.) The fool represents new beginnings, opportunities, innocence, spontaneity, openness to metaphysical belief. It can mean it is a good time to take a leap of faith. I definitely feel this!
So here I am, taking a leap of faith in writing. I am going to open myself up more to the things I feel that cannot always be seen. I’m not sure if I feel so strongly about this right now because we are approaching Samhain where the veil between this world and the next is very thin or if this is who I’ve always been and I just suppress it to fit in the modern world.
I want more of the magician to come through in my writing, therefore, I’m going to use this new found knowledge to let it through. I think many times I have a feeling I want to write about, but I don’t know always know how to get it out on paper. I’m going to work on ways to do that.
Bonus Book Review
In addition to the class, I’m also reading memoirs and I just finished listening to Tara Westover’s, Educated. I’m not going to lie, it was pretty tough to get through. Especially since some of the subject matter pertains to my way of life though not to the extremes her family takes it according to her book. However, I can understand where they are coming from and I believe there is another side to this story. Tara wrote “her truth” and I honor and respect her for that. The thing about memoir is that not all the characters of your story are going to remember it the same as you do. The overarching theme of a girl coming to age in a close minded family and through higher education finds herself and her purpose is definitely inspiring. Her mother, LaRee Westover, also wrote a memoir in response to her daughter’s called Educating. I’ll read it eventually, but after Tara’s book, I need a break from this family.
Thank you for reading. Hope you’ll come back
next week. I try to post at least weekly.
Many blessings to you and yours!
Becki XXXOOO
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