Oh that crazy thing called street cred.

Street cred is something you shouldn't have to whip out. It should follow you hauntingly like something from a Terry Prachett story with little pitter patter feet. It's not a card, mighty book of shadows, or scholarly input or advice from sages passed to you. It is simply experience attained from putting the books down, getting out of the magician's arm chair, and applying that elbow grease ( and living to tell the tale if you be so bold.) Simply put, street cred is nothing more than an egregore.

Egregore (also egregor) is an occult concept representing a "thoughtform" or "collective group mind", an autonomous psychic entity made up of, and influencing, the thoughts of a group of people. The symbiotic relationship between an egregore and its group has been compared to the more recent, non-occult concepts of the corporation (as a legal entity) and thememe.

(yes, I did just use wikipedia for cut and paste purposes)

Now, who is feeding this egregore???? Basically, everyone who has heard your name and has heard of your reputation. You are also feeding your egregore for good or for ill. Have you fed your egregore with egoic pride or is it filled with the sort of pride that is built with knowledge, genuine accomplishment, spit, elbow grease ( and sometimes surviving your own silly arse?) As you can imagine, there are loads of things you can fill an egregore with including the: I am too good to deal with you, you beginner, snot- nosed, nincompoop asking silly questions of my holy crazy crap. Usually, you can spot these right away. The eye roll is a dead give away and it is usually followed up with a statement similar to: I'm a not gonna touch this one. . . I'll be in my corner. Eh well. . . I guess every group as at least one of those. 

I have had the opportunity over the last few days to watch an egregore at work. That's right: the Wicked Witch of the West reared up her head and asked what's wrong with witchcraft you silly ignorant person???? She poured out of every corner in this country where witches were ( and if you didn't know already, that's everywhere.) She was stirred sometime the storm actually broke and began leaking into people's heads like a memo had been passed around by some clandestine manner none understand. She popped up on cakes, she barged into time lines and marched straight into manifest in whatever form she could. She reminded me of Water and a quote from Bruce Lee about water. 

Okay Bruce, I'll be water.

So, while the water is churning and the iron is hot I decided that I was committed to this magic that had begun without my knowledge, but not in the role of activist. It seems I have been asked to do something else with that energy and I am trying my damnedest to keep true to both public current and arte. I am usually really fired up angry about these things, but I have found a calm spot to take refuge in and with as choppy as things have been for me this winter, I really need to take the breaks offered. I have been happily working with this egregore, in spite of the drama she has stirred stirred up around me ( and rightly so.) In a strange manner I find that my own calmness is feeding this egregore with, what I hope, is clear thought and sense of purpose. . . for me that means poppet work I guess. ( yes. .  I have done Kala. . . why?)

Encounters with other crafters, has lead me to examine my own street cred ( or mostly lack there of) and what I am looking to accomplish. I can't ( and no one else can either) control what other people feed that egregore of mine, but I can certainly control what I put into it.

 I am also empowered to take things out.

I guess I'm not the sort of witch who is going to roll her eyeballs because she's not gonna touch this one. . . I guess I'm the witch in the corner who is up to something, because she's got my fingers ALL over this one. 

o.O !!!

Idina Menzel as Elphaba
Wicked

Thank you, Elphaba. Love you muchly.