RavenHarte

RavenHarte

First, why the pseudonym… My legal name is unique, so for business, and reasons concerning my children, I always use my public Craft name or “nightside" name. It protects my employer from any harassment they might receive in having a Pagan employee, and it protects my children from being ostracized or shunned by teachers, or parents of their peers and friends.

Why RavenHarte? I chose this name because the raven was the totem animal of my initiatory coven, and the coven's Patroness, now one of mine, The Morrighan. When my HPhood returned to our mother coven in NY, I wanted something for myself that would always link me to them, thus I became RavenHarte as my screenname, then my published name, and later my public Pagan/nightside name.

Some background… Though I was baptized and confirmed Episcopalian for my mom (a past Worthy Matron of Eastern Star), I spent time in Catholic church with my godparents, and later studied Judaism, Buddhism, and Bahai as well as spent learning from a group of Jehovah's Witnesses and Born Again Christians. However, my father was an Agnostic Master Mason who taught us the Divine was more energy than any one religion could ever depict, and he forced us to always see the bigger picture in life. His mother was a Puerto Rican "Bruheria", who belonged to a Hispanic esoteric school in NYC, where I spent many weekends as a child watching her "read" for people, council and "do work" for people, etc. The Craft and ceremonialism has always been a part of my life.

Now I grew up in the Hudson Valley in NY, home to a multitude of paranormal activities, so being interested in the occult just wasn’t as unnerving there as it may have been in most places. I was able to get my hands on ALOT of information and became diverse very quickly as a teen. Also because both sides of my family are Masonically affiliated, I was initiated into the International Order of Rainbow for Girls at 12 and was the Worthy Advisor by 14. I spent several years following in various Grand Officer positions, but no I am not Eastern Star because here in the South, well….. lets just say the view isn’t the same down here.

I came to Paganism as my preferred spirituality by way of Patricia Kennealy Morrison. Her words and guidance were instrumental in keeping me on a particular path until my 1994 initiation into the Western Mystery tradition I now teach within. My coven being the 6th hived from our 30 yr old Irish mother coven in NY. It is Celtic Arthurian and was established Litha 1998. I am a 4th degree HPS and Elder of our line, and an initiate in our progenitor's group, The Boreadean Order of Druid and Feryltt, as well as a former student of the Servants of the Light esoteric school.

As a Priest of my line, part of my vow is to serve my spiritual community. I began doing this with SpiritualaTea/SpiritualaTEAM interfaith explorative groups (now on hiatus) and Go Goddess, a "girls night in" style Moon Lodge for women, both in 2001. Then as long time student of Jewish Mystical Kabbalah, I began teaching others my "Climbing the Tree" workshop series in Spring 2003 helping others evolve their own soul's using the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. I was then asked to be an interim minister, and some time Religious Education lecturer for my local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, so in July 2008, I finally became an ordained Reverand through the Light and Energy Workers Association (LEWA) , able to legally perform marriages in all 50 states (and several countries) as well as attend the sick/dying as clergy in medical facilities. I have continued to work with LEWA founder Margo Ross by being a presenter for her Journey of the Spirit lecture series.

As a practioner of the Western Mysteries, it is imperative that as I teach, so must I also continue to learn and grow. Thus in late 2003, while doing exploration of the Shadow self and alternative workings with energy, I also became involved in other “Nightside” groups and lifestyles, through two vampiric Houses in the South. Since then I have been a moderator for several vampiric yahoo groups as well as owner of UtopiaNocturna Nightside board on Ning. Through these connections, I also began serving at NC and GA Pagan Pride Days, lecturing at events such as "Twilight II" & "Spiritual Awakenings", and in 2008 became a member of the Voices of the Vampire Community (VVC) where I am continuing to work as a bridge between the Pagan and other Nightside communities.

I am also a witch who "walks her talk", having done workshops with my mentor's best friend Phyllis Currott, as well as Kerr Cuhulain, and Isaac Bonewitz, all of whom have very strong opinions on what we as Pagans should be doing in our communities. Thus I was President (Aug 2000 – Dec 2001) & Organizer (Aug 2006 – Dec 2008) of my local Pagan Networking Org, Path of the Moon Collective , where I helped organize charitable events, as well as monthly rituals, workshops and bi-annual Sabbat festivals. I am also a member of Circle Sanctuary's Pagan veteran's association Order of the Pentacle helping our Pagan military & vets obtain equal legal rights, am the Pagan columnist for the spiritualaity ezine PanGaea Revisited, and have been one of my area's resident "media witches", interviewed on occasion for our local news regarding occult topics.

"Walking your talk " isn't just about being an outspoken Pagan though. In my "outer" community, in 2009 I created "Cabaret for the Cure" a Triad area team for the "Passionately Pink for the Cure" campaign of the Susan G Komen foundation for breast cancer research; having created in 2008 "Craft for the Cure" a Pagan focussed Passionately Pink & “Race for the Cure” team. I was also the 2007 and 2008 Organizer of my city's V-Day Organization, raising awareness about violence against females, having been co-organizer in previous years, as well as a cast member and the 2007 Producer of our org’s production of Eve Ensler's “The Vagina Monologues". This group raised funds for our local Family Services - who I was a Sexual Assault Victim's Advocate for. I even marched on Washington during the March for Women's Lives as a Pagan Peacekeeper in April 2004, and was a lecturer for the League of Women Voters, rallying the Pagan vote during the last election.

Mundanely, I have been married since 1988 to my high school sweetheart (the boy practically next door), and we have 3 sons. I have worked for the same company in the medical insurance industry since 1992, and prior to that I was in the USN-USNR for 6 years. My covenors are my chosen family, but I can also boast that almost all the friends my hubby and I grew up with are still amongst our best today as well. Loyalty is extremely important to me.

WOW thats a mouthful!!!! If you have any questions, wish to know more about us, please email me.