SCROLL FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome to the June 2023 edition of The Midnight Sun!
June is the best month! Why? BECAUSE IT”S PRIDE MONTH AND GATHER IS HAPPENING! (And it’s my birthday month so I’m even more biased, wooo!)
In just less than two weeks, Gather will be returning to in-person! Do you have your tickets? Are you planning to go? Check out the Gather 2023 Page if you’re still in the last-minute deciding stage for all the information you need to come to join us! I really look forward to seeing everyone there! And if you’ve not yet seen, we have a one-day Virtual content ticket available as well!!! This is the first time in Gather history that we have been able to present a hybrid event that has both in-person and online scheduling! Some of it is shared; so even if you can’t travel you can watch many of our classes and panels that are going on as they happen on-site, AND there will be exclusive content for the virtual experience, including a connection ritual with our founder, M. Belanger! Check out the virtual schedule here, and if you want to purchase this exclusive first-time, hybrid ticket and be one of the cool kids, you can get your ticket here!
We have a Gather packed edition of the Newsletter for you this month, as well as a few of our staple columns, all in preparation for a wonderful second half to June, lead up to Gather and all the excitement and love we can pour into our beloved month of PRIDE!
Regardless of how you’re attending, or if you’re unable to this year but maybe next year, I hope that June 2023 is a wonderful month for you, filled with things that feed your mind, body, and soul. Happy Pride, and we’ll catch you next month!
~Miranda (Frick)
Curator and Editor of TMS
House Kheperu’s Gather 2023 is back and better than ever! We have a new home at the Four Points by Sheraton Cleveland Airport hotel and a range of tickets with exclusive perks and access than ever before.
AND A ONE DAY DIGITAL TICKET HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED!
House Kheperu Gather 2023 is going hybrid! What does that mean? You can now purchase a virtual ticket for Gather this year and catch live-streamed classes from the event in Cleveland, OH along with exclusive, virtual-only classes including a ritual by our founder, M. Belanger! We believe in broadening accessibility and this virtual ticket moves us towards bringing our community, no matter where they live, together.
Check out the Gather Schedule here!
DO YOU HAVE YOUR TICKETS YET?
For all tickets, including weekend, Sat/Sun only, and digital tickets, Click Here to learn more!
We look forward to seeing you there, be it in person or online at this very special celebration of reconnection and community!
HK JAMS - Electric Rainbow
Happy PRIDE MONTH! It’s a reason to celebrate and how better with a mishmash of the digital and vampiric rainbow of party songs ready for your ear holes. Crank up these tunes and let HK keep you guessing with this list. Grab a goblet of your finest AB positive blood (or merlot) and enjoy!
The Energy of Pain
An Understanding of Pain’s Lessons
Hullo, folks~ I’ve missed ya! This time of year always seems to become exceptionally busy. So many comings and goings, wheeling and dealing. The warmth of summer has already set in, bringing much-needed energy to the goings-on of life. The days are long and warm and breezy, so now is the time for such things. In our busy schedules, it is always good to make a little time to settle in and rest. Don’t forget that you grow stronger not when you’re exercising, but when you are resting.
Now, don’t be intimidated by the title of the article! I am not bringing you a message intended to drag you down; this is one of realization.
There is a lot of suffering in the world, one does not have to look far to find it. We have all felt pain, of all kinds, and some more so than others. The kind that brings you to the floor and makes you crawl like a dog (looking at you, kidney stones!). Pain that settles in like a dull ache that can’t be ignored. There is a simplicity to being in pain, when all one craves is relief from the suffering. One researches their ailment and harnesses their recourses to this pursuit. Relief is pursued at all costs, it becomes the forefront of all things on your mind, and every plan is made with this pain in mind. That is because pain is a focus.
We can carry pain for many years, even lifetimes. It hardens us, scars us, can twist, and deform in a struggling fury of twisted limbs and nightsweats. But, at its core, pain is simply a call to focus on that which is causing dis-ease. Sometimes it is ignorable, sometimes it is all-consuming. What is your pain demanding you to focus on? For those of you living in chronic pain, whether mental, physical, or spiritual (bless you <3), what could possibly be the meaning of this constant signal?
I have found a deeper meaning to my own pain, and it has to do with connection and understanding. One does not truly understand another person until they have felt their pain for themselves. If you can feel another’s pain, you can glean insight into everything about them. Why they talk like they talk, act like they act. Why they are so defensive. Why they are so sensitive to certain topics. Why their moods shift the way they do. Why they seem so selfish. It is pain. It is their focus. That is its nature.
You are in so much pain because you are so very capable of this understanding. You can understand the world, for its pain is yours, and your pain is in the world as well, for you are a part of it. You are not blind to its suffering, even if it feels like the world is blind to yours at times. I see you. I understand. My hope for you is that you can see yourself as the lovely and powerful soul that you have become through pain’s crucible, and that you are so much more than your pain, and that you are not alone.
Be kind to yourself, reader. You have endured to this moment, and what I want for you is to treat yourself! Plan a good meal, watch your favorite shows. Try and change your focus when you can to the sweet and savory things that life offers. It is not all pain, unless you enjoy hot wings like I do. Some pain is delicious and fun, but one’s tastes may not be as peculiar as my own! Hahaha!
See you again next month, reader~
-Izzy
The Spectrum of Energy
by Miranda Harrell
(Happy Pride 2023!!)
House Kheperu Member Spotlight
Miranda (Frick)
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.”
― Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
What interests you most about Energy work?
Correspondence. Connection. How everything is tied together; temporarily, or more permanently - Some that will last hours, days, even for a lifetime - and more deeply the ties that surpass death into reincarnation if you are so inclined to believe. Through these sympathetic ties to one another, places, animals, and even things, what is possible? A more abstract example is Healing Through Music; the emotions we feel forge a connection with that song and our ideas and thoughts and feelings around it. Shared experience, friendship, love - all ties that can grow, strengthen, fade, be damaged, broken, and reforge over time. How the world in its entirety is interconnected from the abstract to the tangible, from the living to the inanimate and the dead, as well as what we can achieve through those connections is one of the most fascinating aspects of our energetic world to me. The study of those truths and possibilities is my favorite part.
What is one of your favorite movies?
Dammit, I made these questions and I can’t pick just one. If you want the Real Tea, I wrote about “The Four Ls” as my mom named them - the movies I would always ask to rent from the video store. It will unlock an achievement if you go find those in the May 2023 Newsletter (feel free to leave a comment! LOL)! But I will list one of my other top 5 favorite movies of all time that I could watch on repeat and never get tired of; Hogfather. It’s a favorite book and a favorite movie for all of the reasons. Much like American Gods it looks at belief in a different light, and through the sardonic and comical lens of Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. It’s like a comfort blanket, and at my house, we also Celebrate Hogswatch in the Yule season!
Curious to know more?
Check it out!
The Mystery of Queerness
It's Pride Month, and I want to speak on the topic of Queer Mysteries.
What do I mean by "queer mysteries"? No, I'm not talking about Nancy Drew. Mysteries are events or concepts that are difficult, if not impossible, to explain to somebody who has not also experienced them. In the ancient world, there were entire spiritual groups dedicated to understanding secret religious rites of mysterious origin, such as the Eleusinian Mysteries (initiations into the cult of Persephone and Demeter centered around Persephone's abduction by Hades). No one knew what took place during the initiations except the initiates themselves and the priestesses who performed them. There are some mysteries we all experience, such as adolescence, aging, and death, but one could not adequately explain the experience to somebody who has not lived it.
Others are unique to certain peoples; I will never experience the mystery of pregnancy or childbirth, but many people will, and I could not hope to understand it without actually experiencing it. I have experienced the mystery of falling in love, but some do not. And by the same token, the experience of coming out, from the first moment you understand there is something different about you, to when you decide what to do about that, is something heteronormative people will never experience. Those moments, and everything in between and beyond, are what I am referring to when I say "queer mysteries".
One of the cornerstones of many modern queer pagan movements is that there existed in many ancient societies people who were 1. spiritual experts or leaders, and 2. in some way queer in regard to gender or sexual orientation (although we need to unpack some things here, which we'll get to). There is a reason for this. There is something unique about living as a queer person touched by the spirit realm, an "otherness" on multiple levels, that particularly lends itself to an understanding of liminality and "other". We find this phenomenon in the Galli of Cybele, who made their way to Rome from Phrygia, many First Peoples' cultures as Two-Spirit People (although this is a very modern term for a very old designation), and even some functionaries in Hindu religion. The level and description of queerness can range broadly in these examples, from ritual transvestism to transgender and transsexual identities, or merely the acceptance that gender is not binary and many possibilities exist along that spectrum.
This is not without complication, however. Even within these roles, there was frequently some degree of social marginality or scorn in adopting these identities which is often left out of our modern reimagination and integration into queer spiritual or pagan movements. This is part of what made these people inherently queer. Queerness ceases to exist when a society fully accepts and embraces such an identity, so in cases where nonbinary gender or fluid sexuality exist in a society without judgment, "queerness" could be a highly problematic term. Furthermore, one of the details frequently left out of the descriptions of these practitioners is what their actual sexual identities were. It is easy for us, two thousand years later, to examine notable people of their age and deem them "gay" or "bisexual", but we must also remember that sexuality was not discussed as broadly in these cultures as it is today; sexuality was mostly a function of one's gender identity or presentation, and the way one interacted with either men or women. People who did not fit into heteronormative roles were simply "other".
This is important because, in some cultures, the gender identity and sexual orientation of these individuals are what determined the level of marginalization they faced, not simply the fact that they did not adhere to heteronormativity. In Greece and Rome, for example, there were extremely well-defined guidelines on the acceptable ages and relationships of same-sex people engaging in sexual activity; the societal norms were not at all as wide open as we imagine them to be in queer spirituality. Female homoeroticism and sexuality were never as acceptable as male varieties either, due largely to a heavy subtext of misogyny in those societies. Yes, it is possible (and even common) for a culture that worships many different goddesses to also be misogynistic.
The ease with which gender variance, non-heteronormative sexuality, and polytheism have been conflated and subsumed under one narrative does a grave disservice to the people who existed within these cultures. The experience of queer people is highly individual and specific to them, and their gender and sexual identities, and they exist within a broad spectrum of possibilities. Their multitude of identities, and the Mystery of their experience as our ancestors in Queer Spirit, should be honored and celebrated within the accurate context of their cultures and who they were. Their lives and stories matter, and so do yours.
Happy Pride Month, everyone, and enjoy your tea.
~Hex
Vampire Tea - Good For The Soul!
(The vampire’s soul, usually….)
The Daily Ritual
By Kelly
An enchantment for your drinking water:
Will your energy to move toward the palms of your hands, and let it accumulate for a few seconds. You may feel some heat or tingling as the power gathers.
Then place your palms against your glass or water bottle. Speak these words, either aloud or in your mind, as you send the energy into your water.
Precious substance of the rains, of the streams, and sacred springs
Grateful, I receive you. Gracious, you replenish me.
Nourish now every cell of my being.
Move within and through me,
That I may move within and through the world with radiant vitality.
Sip the water with particular attention to how it feels. Notice the texture and temperature. Notice the different sensations as it moves from your mouth, through your throat, and down into your belly. Know that every step of the way it is blessing your body its inherent magic united with yours.
~ Forest Nui Cobalt
Nuicobaltdesigns.com
TikTok: @nui_cobalt
Do you find yourself struggling to fit ritual work into your everyday life? We are busy creatures by habit, and even our most important practices can fall to the wayside when we are crunched for time. There are many ways you can use everyday tasks and turn them into ritual work. The following are a few ways you can do this.
Your shower or bath can be used to wash away collected gunk and energy you accumulate through the day or night. If you bathe in the mornings it is an excellent way to wash the leftovers from dream space off before the start of your day. For some, the water can be a grounding and centering tool. Bathing at night can help wash away the accumulated energetic buildup of the day. You can wash it all down the drain and far away. If you choose to add these items to your bath, sugar, salt, and herbs can add their magical properties to your daily bathing ritual. Making your daily coffee or tea can become a meditative moment and with that, you can lay your intention for the day into the beverage.
You can even enchant the water that you are using to make the caffeine delivery system of your choice. If you use numbers in your daily practice, maybe stir your drink a specific number of times. If you use tinctures or edible additives, they could be placed into your beverage to benefit from their properties. Cooking meals for yourself, your friends and your family is another way to make the mundane magical. Everyone needs to eat! The use of spices and herbs in the preparation of the meal can add magical properties to the food. Layering in intent can be as simple as making a PB&J sandwich of happiness or as complicated and multilayered as a multi-course meal where every dish is its own magical moment. My personal favorite way to bring magic into my daily life is by using my appearance to set the tone and intent for the day. Jewelry, hairstyle and color, wardrobe, and makeup choices are some of the easiest ways to keep your magic with you on the daily.
I use most of these regularly to help with my confidence, how I want to appear to others, and in some cases, a way to hold my shields in place. This is a brief overview of some of the ways to bring magic and ritual into your mundane daily tasks. We all have to eat, bathe and dress! As always, if any of your daily ritual work might impact someone other than yourself, remember to always have consent from the ones it will impact. Forest Nui Cobalt of Nuicobaltdesigns.com was gracious enough to share an enchantment for your drinking water with me to include here. An enchantment for your drinking water: Will your energy to move toward the palms of your hands, and let it accumulate for a few seconds. You may feel some heat or tingling as the power gathers. Then place your palms against your glass or water bottle.
Speak these words, either aloud or in your mind, as you send the energy into your water. The precious substance of the rains, of the streams, and sacred springs Grateful, I receive you. Gracious, you replenish me. Nourish now every cell of my being. Move within and through me, That I may move within and through the world with radiant vitality. Sip the water with particular attention to how it feels. Notice the texture and temperature. Notice the different sensations as it moves from your mouth, through your throat, and down into your belly. Know that every step of the way it is blessing your body its inherent magic united with yours.
May this information find you well and exactly when you need it.
NEW TO GATHER THIS YEAR
Divination Sessions with House Kheperu
House Kheperu will be offering Divination Sessions with some of our house members over the course of Gather 2023.
These sessions with be conducted by members of House Kheperu experienced in different forms of divination, and below you will find information on who is available and what talents they are offering this year. These exclusive sessions are limited, and selections for who is available are on a first come first served basis with the purchase of your Gather ticket. You may choose to purchase one of these Divination Sessions with your ticket here.
An Introduction
Hello friends. Friendly neighborhood Frick here, bringing you a new addition to our ever-growing library of recurring columns like Stef’s Shadow-Work Slow-Dance, Tea With Hex, and our other lovely Columnists’ pieces. Before we start pulling out soap boxes, I wanted to give you an introduction to the idea. If you’re familiar with our Newsletter, you’ve seen me and my articles before. If you’re familiar with our Tiktok [@HouseKheperu] then you probably know your girl here has opinions. Generally, I am a polite, professional, and deeply passionate Southern Fried Vampire Lady who likes to facilitate connection, communication, and education to any who wish to seek it.
But also…
There are times when a topic, or conversation will trigger my trap card! Be it an interest, a pain point, or an ‘Um, Actually…’ complete with glasses being pushed up on the nose, if it meets my conditional activated ability (Magic the Gathering reference), I will activate and pull out my soap box.
And that, dear friends, is what this column aims to be.
There are a few I’ve spoken to on our Discord, a few that have made it to Tiktok, and I plan to cover some of those in a more long-form format here in this column. I’ll aggregate and refine them in the process, and then present the topic, to share my hot-takes. All of my opinions always come from a place of willingness to hear, learn and grow - not a single one comes ironclad or with closed doors. And I very much operate through the filter of respect, though in some cases it will be more of a “Respectfully, no.” Not a closed door or mind in the cases of the “no’s” either - no one can Seek Your Truth but you. We can agree to disagree and acknowledge in those cases that perhaps my truth is not yours, and that yours is not mine - and that’s fine.
It’s literally just an opinion, and you know what they say about opinions… Everybody’s got them.
So what you can look forward to here is some good ole fashion gentle ranting, shade, side-eye, sass, other phrases that start with “s”, as much education as I can cram into a column, and hope - Hope that together we can learn not to yuck each other’s yum through civil discourse and learn something along the way. You don’t have to agree - no skin off my nose. My only request is that if you find something that you disagree with, is that you remember the human experience is different for everyone and we all have our own Truths. And that those Truths CAN, and SHOULD coexist, because it’s something that makes this life, this experience, this world in which we exist so fascinating.
Keep it Honest.
~Frick
