When Trouble Comes to a Witch's Life by Teri Ott There is a storm here. The Sea roils and churns and becomes what many may call a fearful place. The gulls wheel and spin and head for places only they know. The salty sea air becomes crisp and the wind whips the sands and Sea up into the air and rains confusion and mystery upon the shore. Where is the peaceful solace of the Goddess of my heart? My Ocean Mother. Has she gone from my life? Am I alone? Is my power drained away with the wrenching turmoil that is taking place in my life, just like the storm here at Sea? The ocean of life has its many tempests and storms. Our lives are often tossed and our peace disrupted. Change can come rushing in like the thundering waves, washing away footprints and sandcastles and often dreams. The ebb and flow of our lives can appear to be devastating. We feel tossed about with no will of our own like driftwood on the shore. Our hopes and dreams disregarded like jettisoned cargo. Yet here we stand on the shore of our shaken lives, shocked and battered, but on our feet. No, the Goddess and Her Lord have never left us. They never will. We are never alone. For there she is in the same sea that roils and crashes yet deposits gently a fragile shell at our feet. She reminds us that to live is to change and to welcome the changes that turmoil may bring. For water that sits and never moves becomes stagnant. The very water of life, like the blessed Sea, is in constant movement. It falls in the gentle rains upon the mountains and valleys of the earth. It finds its way through the strange lands; ever heading for the streams and rivers that will carry it back to the Sea where the life process begins anew. This process of constant change and renewal is a testimony to the love the Goddess has for us all. I stand here, my life like the storm blown sea. The turmoil around me appears to be foretelling a change to come. I feel the fear welling up within my heart as I see another tidal wave of change approaching. Should I work my magick to lessen the blow of change, or perhaps prevent it altogether? If I so choose, will this be a temporary fix, and therefore only postpone the inevitable? Will my magick be strong enough to help me at this time of stress? As I look back on my life and see its patterns, is this a change that is necessary to my journey? Do I have the wisdom and the strength to face the onslaught of this changing tide of life? To each of us working Solitary, these are the questions we ask ourselves in times of trouble. These are the questions we must answer for ourselves, with the help and love of the Goddess within. For in going within ourselves and seeking, we gain the insight of the Goddess who dwells within each and every one of us. She is there for us, every moment of every day, where ever we may be. Those who may know us and our practices and beliefs, may chide us by saying things like, "I thought witches never had problems because they have the power to stop them or change them?" or "See! Where are all your so called powers now that you need them?" My answer has always been, "To Will, To Dare, To Know, To Be Silent." In applying the Witches Pyramid, we answer all these questions. The secret is in having the wisdom to know when to act and when to allow change to come into our lives. Having the courage to face change when we know that a cleansing change in our lives is what is needed. Having the faith to go within and feel the love the Goddess has for us and hear her loving voice. Stand at the shore. Face the storm. See the tide of change coming. Hear the thunder of the wave of cleansing. Feel the wave engulf you and send you reeling in life's waters. Cleansing your Spirit and body. Feel the gentle loving caress of the Goddess as she gently places you back on the shore. For in faith we stand the storms of life, hand in hand with one another and the Goddess of our Hearts. We are never alone.