Dear reader,

I’ve been feeling a little down the last few weeks. I am prone to bouts of depression now and then, though lately I’ve had a few reasons to be. My car has been at the mechanic for over a week now, after my transmission went. It is costing us over 3K to have it repaired. It is fixed now, but we still have to pay it off. Three thousand dollars just seems astronomical to me, and a bit unethical. I feel like I’m getting screwed. No car repair should ever be that much. Thankfully my husband has been able to work from home and I’ve been driving his car to work until I get my own car back. I do have a co-worker who happens to live nearby and has been giving me rides when needed.

I also recently came to the realization that a lot of things I had been putting out into the universe were not really working. I liked to think that I was making a difference with those projects, but the reality is that was not the case. I decided that I am no longer going to offer classes unless I am asked to do so. (It seems like I’ve been down this road before). I will offer services to the community only a few times a year, mainly during the Autumn months. My witchcraft practice has broadened a bit and I’ve become slightly more eclectic.

I am focusing on myself and what makes me happy. I will continue to write, but not the same things I was writing before. Perhaps a book of magical poetry, perhaps a magazine article or two. I’ve made so many changes during the recent days and weeks that even I am feeling a bit dizzy with it all. It just feels like changes need to be made. My friends and people who know me can still call me ‘Rick’, but if I publish any new books or magazine articles, it will be with the pen name ‘Mordred’. I briefly entertained the name ‘Oakwise’ and then it suddenly lost it’s appeal.

I still plan to be a recluse for the foreseeable future. I can only handle social interaction in small doses. My husband wants to get out more so we can make more friends, and I’m okay with that, but I still need time to myself to recover. I don’t have social anxiety, I just prefer solitude.

I have developed a fondness for darkened corners and hidden places. If you happen to see me in public, I will likely be the one dressed all in black and lurking in the shadows.

Rick