Off to go host a conference.  But before then, I wanted to write this, because I don’t think I’ve ever done some list of things I’m absurdly grateful for, and right now?  I’m absurdly grateful.

ONE: All the people who believe in me enough to have already pledge to my Patreon account.  As of writing this, I’m at $300/month, which means I’m going from full-time to part-time and immediately starting work on my next collected-works book.

I don’t really know how to express how fucking grateful I am for this.  I mentioned elsewhere that, while a lot of people I know are trying to unpack their middle class white privilege (a really good thing to do), I’ve still been trying to convince myself that I’m not destined to return to a draughty shack in Appalachia with an open sewer.  The experience of growing up in abject poverty haunts you a long time afterwards.

TWO: Which is the second thing I’m really damn grateful.  A dear person has taken me on as one of her lifecoaching clients.  Yeah.  You read that right.  Lifecoaching.  I’ll have more to say about this later, but trust me–she’s fucking awesome.

THREE: I’m also damn grateful for the small handful of people who’ve emailed at some point to say, “hey! Thanks for doing all this unpaid volunteer work to put together a conference for gods and people who talk to them.”  I swear, their emails have come exactly at the point when the whole thing felt rather thankless.  But it hasn’t been, because a couple of people have noticed we’ve been doing this all for free

FOUR: Another thing I don’t think I’ve ever publicly mentioned, except in the acknowledgments of Your Face Is a Forest.  Do you know what Jason Pitzl did for me?  He gave me my first paid writing position ever.  Not because I was a Brand Named Pagan, or had some long list of credentials (I’ve none, actually).  But because he liked my writing.  And now (under Heather Green, who’s amazing, too), I continue to write at The Wild Hunt, which is fucking amazing.

FIVE: Also, if there’s anyone in polytheism to be thankful for more than others (there is, trust me), it’s Sannion.  No, really.

Do you have any idea what that guys’ done for Dionysos?  Or for polytheism? And for unpopular people?  And really for Paganism altogether?  He’s gonna be pissed at me saying all this, but really–no one’s opened more of a path for people to find and worship gods outside of formal traditions or paid teaching than him.  Except maybe Galina.  Also, he’s the only one I’ve seen who, when he gets too (in)famous, actually shuts down his blog instead of trying to cash in on that shit.

SIX: And also, speaking of people not cashing-in on shit, the writers at Gods&Radicals are all really fucking amazing, currently writing for free, and entirely unafraid to challenge the sacred fatted calf of Paganism, which is Capitalism.  And I’m damn fucking honored to work with them, and I’m in awe of their writing, and I really like that it’s not ‘my’ site any longer, just the one that I’m steering for awhile until we crash into a crowd of international financiers, because everyone knows I’ve never driven a car in my life.

SEVEN: A particularly very beautiful soul across an ocean.  I’m pretty damn grateful for him.  He knows who he is. and why.

EIGHT: A certain shield-maker, who made the thing that changed lots of other things.  And the people who transported it.

NINE: All of you who’ve been reading me and commenting or emailing me or just reading silently.  Thank you.

There’s a lot of other stuff.  But I needed to get those all out tonight.  Much fucking love to all of ye’. and maybe see you this weekend?

–Rhyd