Life of Maggie (and the Formation of Mumbles & Things)
I want to share something personal with you today. This is my witchcraft journey. There are two reasons for why I am sharing this with you...
I want you to understand me and what I teach in the Mumbleship: the things I am influenced by, the topics I share. Knowing these things will help you to know if you will connect with the content inside the Mumbleship program.
I suggest that new witches—or those who are wanting to reconnect with their practice—start by writing their witchcraft story. Below you will find mine, which you can use as an example when you start thinking about your own.
My story begins like this...
I didn’t always know I was a witch. Some people will say that they always knew. I didn’t. It took me 23 years before I knew.
My Christian Upbringing
I was raised Christian. I don't identify as Christian anymore, but this part of my life influenced my magical journey.
Some people, especially witchy people, get a nasty taste in their mouth when they hear that word. But the bad reputation Christianity has is because the worst Christians are often the loudest. The Christianity I have always known, is the one that is based in love.
I was definitely lucky to have a family who valued pursuing knowledge and questioning everything that is presented to you. The church community I grew up in was much more based in spirituality than it was in operating by the texts. It was and still is, open to all races, gender-identities, sexual orientation, and religions.
It was really a nice way to grow up and I attribute a lot of who I am today to being part of such a welcoming community.
I actually was part of the church youth leadership when I was in high school where I helped my friends discover their own spirituality. But I had a hard time believing in the God they presented to me: an all powerful man in the sky.
I see the miracle of the world. I am a wonderer and an explorer, trying to figure out the "whys" of the universe. I have always been totally into the idea that there is something bigger than just me; that there is some force that connects us all together.
But, I just couldn’t relate to the Christian God. And some of my peers were so much more confident in their faith in the Christian God that I often felt like I was doing something wrong.
So I stopped being a Christian.
And that was okay.
The Religion of Nature
My new religion was nature. I developed an obsession with recycling and reducing waste and protecting Mother Earth. I got in fights with kids at my school for not caring about the earth enough.
I continued developing this nature religion that I was inventing for myself, which led me to studying ecology in university.
I learned more about the workings of the universe. And how humans have altered it in some catastrophic ways. I learned about the importance of all living things. I learned about the rhythm of life, and seasons, and how soil forms, and water cycles ... and I learned how all of these systems are connected.
It was all very scientific and I loved it. I felt a very strong connection to this way of looking at the world, through the lens of science with a focus on the natural world.
The First Spark of Witchcraft
I started becoming more interested in medicinal plants and ethnobotany (the relationship between humans and plants).
I took a course on this in college and that’s where the first spark of witchiness started to take it’s hold. I felt a strong connection to the way our ancestors had to live in accordance with the laws of nature. For them it was about survival.
They needed to track the sun because it was the calendar for agriculture.
They needed to track the stars because it was their map home.
They needed to know which plants were edible and which could be used to heal or they would become sick or even die.
And while we don't depend on this information, knowing it helped me understand our ancestors better
How I started Teaching
Eventually, I realized I really wanted to educate others about what I knew.
I started working in outreach for the local government. I led several nature hikes about medicinal plants, I ran the booth at festivals and I hiked the trails so I could talk with the people who used them. It was often about the rules that kept the places wild and available for humans to use. It was also about why we loved those places so much.
I loved that job.
Then, when I moved to Portland, I found another education position. I was a field trip guide working with children at a nature center. Many of these kids didn’t get opportunities to explore outside and it was so magical to see the world through their eyes.
A lot of our exploration was on a small scale, looking at the tiniest critters that live in our world and the big impact they have, recognizing the cycles of Nature and how everything is connected.
Kids see things that you overlook as an adult.
I loved that job, too.
The Biggest Shift
When I broke my back everything changed for me.
It was a really traumatic time.
So much of my life at this time was focused on the fear and anxiety I was experiencing.
I remember the pain clearly and the lengthy recovery.
I remember taking a Lyft to the hospital because I didn’t want to pay for an ambulance.
I remember waiting and waiting and waiting for a medical professional to even see me... let alone reassure me I wasn’t going to be paralyzed and yes I would be fine.
I remember the eye-popping amount of dollars they requested in countless bills.
I remember using my entire savings and taking out my retirement money to pay for the bills.
I remember becoming unemployed when I had to leave my job to recover.
But, do you know what?
It could have been so. much. worse.
I am grateful to have a safety net of supportive family and friends and my loving then boyfriend (now fiancé 💍) who all took care of me emotionally, physically and financially.
I am grateful I had health insurance and was able to pay my medical bills for an emergency room visit and several expensive doctors appointments.
I am grateful this fall at a bouldering gym didn’t leave me paralyzed.
And, looking back now, I am grateful because this event was a catalyst for the next phase of my life.
During my time recovering I had a ton of time on my hands...
Without that time, I maybe wouldn’t have taken the opportunity to slow down and experience the small changes in the natural world. Every day as I recovered, I took a foam mat and blankets outside and lay out on the grass. I was able to walk, but not far. I'd watch as the bare branches developed tiny buds of leaves, and slowly the leaves grew over the sky.
Without that time, I maybe wouldn’t have read The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra, or When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone, or The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, or Ask and it is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks.
Without that time, I maybe wouldn’t have gotten into learning about the Law of Attraction and all the other magical laws that dictate our universe. I wouldn’t have started to view myself as a co-creator of my life.
And, without that time, I maybe wouldn’t have planned a business. I wasn’t working, I had a ton of debt, and I needed to find an income. I joined business summits and watched as many YouTube videos as I could consume.
Mumbles & Things
My interest in spirituality and witchcraft and nature, built the foundation for what my business is today: empowering witches to claim their magic and bringing magic into the mundane.
And this little hobby-business just kept growing, sometimes in surprising ways. Especially, the last few years.
When I started a business, I had no idea it would be a lesson in personal development. I had no idea how much I didn’t know and there is still so much I don’t know.
But Mumbles & Things has changed me. I have learned so much about my innate magic. It has guided me and protected me. It has taught me about gratitude and putting myself in the right mindset for success in all areas of my life.
Magic in the Mundane
And I started viewing everything in my life through this magical lens because there are so many little things we do sometimes daily that are actually 100% magic.
Taking care of yourself is magical.
Taking care of plants and children and pets is magical.
Preparing food for the people you love is magical.
Cleaning and protecting your home from intruders is magical.
Being an activist for a cause you care about is magical.
There is magic in the mundane.
The Mumbleship
That is how we got the Mumbleship. My journey from point A to point B has given me to confidence, expertise, and passion to help you on your witchcraft journey, too.
In the Mumbleship I share everything I do in my practice that keeps me aligned with Earth-based magic and spirituality. I help you to make time for your practice and guide your through the year.
You exceed my expectations in every way. You are a light for so many including myself. Thank you! I’ve been a Witch for some time but not practicing. Finding Mumbles has brought me back to the practice of witchcraft so the videos, newsletters, resource library and group have been really important to me. They brought me out of a sleeping slumber. My Witch powers have been awakened. And I feel each day, I’m learning more in my craft. Thank you, Maggie. I really don’t remember how I found Mumbles but I’m so happy the universe guided me to you!
— Crystal
I love your generosity of spirit, encouragement to thrive in practice. These resources provide supportive focus.
— Brianna
The amount of resources available and the topics covered are extensive. The resources have helped me to begin my witchcraft journey at my own pace, without judgement or having to reach anyone’s expectations, while also having a support network there if I need it.
— Clare
There's so much information, and you explain everything so well! It helps me see / feel / perform magick on a daily basis!
— Megan Martin