Most of the regulars here for the past year or so will be familiar with my postings as "Jujugiggles", which I registered with as it's one of my internet nicks. However I do work professionally in both rootwork and energetic healing, and also am frequently published in various BBI Media magazines (newWitch / Witches&Pagans, PanGaia, Sage Woman) under my name Devi Spring. After speaking with Miss Cat, I felt it made sense to just leave the internet nick behind and begin posting under my working name. So you'll now see me here on the forum as Devi Spring!
I guess I might as well post a wee about me here for those newer to the forum since this is the introductions section after all.
I come from a family of gifted women - everyone has slightly different gifts and develops them (or not, as the case may be) in different ways ; but most of us end up in some form of spiritual work, though as far as I'm aware I'm the first to do this in a professional capacity. We have a loooong family line rooted in New Orleans (since the mid-1800's at least, with many still living there today), and so I did learn bits of pieces of lore as a child living in central Florida - though sadly my Granny was one of the women that mostly rejected her gifts, so there was less to be passed along than I would have liked. I was raised in an evangelical Christian church, though I never felt completely comfortable in that particular denomination. However, seeing first-hand manifestations of the Holy Spirit several times a week definitely made a very potent and positive impact on me, and certainly instilled a deep faith and belief in the power of God.
I've spend the bulk of my adult life studying magic, religion, and spirituality both formally and through independent research and practice. I've been active in the NeoPagan community since 1997, and while having a very eclectic knowledge base and did train with an Alexandrian Wiccan High Priestess for awhile, I was eventually drawn most heavily into an Eastern-oriented practice, and my degree focus for my Religious Studies BA was in Hinduism. I've done a great deal of work with the IndoPagan communities (those that blend Eastern paths such as Hinduism and Buddhism with various NeoPagan faiths and structures), and am often commissioned to write about topics relating to that NeoPagan niche by BBI Media, as well as being a list owner for several online IndoPagan communities. I am a devotee of Ganesha, Durga, and Lakshmi and feel most closely connected with their energies, and have strong experiences and links with Shiva, Kali, Saraswati, and Radhe-Krishna as well. I have also taken several of the lay vows within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and practice Buddhist meditation regularly. I particularly enjoy aiding people who wish to incorporate work with the Hindu deities into their own path, by helping them find a way to integrate traditional Hindu elements into their practice in order to garner very positive and expedient results, while keeping everything accessible and understandable to a Western mind (as well as respectful of the cultural origins of the deities and spirits). I've found that working with the Hindu deities in a blended practice that includes conjure has been a very potent brew!
Over the years, and directly related to my rootwork (Thank you so much Miss Cat and Lucky Mojo for opening that door for me), my spirituality has become a pretty evenly balanced path reflecting East and West. My temple-based training within a Qabalist ceremonial magical lodge, my own roots in the Christian religion, and my ever deepening conjure practice all brought Judeo-Christian spiritual currents strongly back into my life - and I'm very grateful for that. Having an ancestral heritage that is both rooted in New Orleans and in Mexico, I have found myself organically incorporating many folk Catholic practices into my work. I have an extremely close relationship with St. Michael and have found that his aid is in no way limited to the realms of protection, and he has helped me deepen my spirit work tremendously. I also have worked closely with St. Dymphna for aiding those with and those caring for individuals with concerns about various aspects of mental wellness. My work as a healer led me to Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez, and he also has come through for me, my family, and clients in a big way multiple times. And there are certainly other saints that I have successfully petitioned as well, including the ever popular St. Expedite.
I do consider myself a universalist when it comes to religion and spirituality, and I don't really label my own path anymore because of that.
I welcome all paths and orientations at my multi-cultural altars!
I feel conjure has really helped me to re-connect with the true spirit of my Southern roots, and created a very interesting gumbo of a path for me.
Sorry for being so long-winded! LOL - I have a large amount of Air in my birthchart, so hopefully that gives me a bit of a good excuse.
~Devi~
