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TANSI! MERRY MEET!
Figured I'd write a bit about myself here, so you have
an idea about who I am....eeeeeeee scary huh?! lol jk.
I am 34 years old and have been raised pagan all my life,
be that as it may, does not mean I have been a witch all
my life.
My cultural background is somewhat blended. My mom is
Cree, Anishnabe (Ojibway), French, Scottish, Irish and
possibly Nordic. She and I hail from the Muscowpetung
reserve ( or 'reservation' as they are called in the USA)
located in southern Saskatchewan, Canada. My mother's
family are a Matriarchal family.
My father's family are German/Austrian. My Opa (Grandpa
in German) imigrated to Canada in 1901 when he was just
four years old. My Great-grandparents & their children
arrived in New York City in the September 1901 and made
their way to Grenfell, Saskatchewan, Canada. They then
built their three storey house on their farmland. I'll
take a picture of it and post it on here for you to see.
My father's family is a Patriarchal family.
My Opa and Oma were friends with many Indigenious people
in the area. My Opa, John Steininger was best friends
with one of my Mushum's (Cree for Grandfather) Peter George.
They were best of friends and were always together.
My Opa suffered from a heart attack and died in my Mushum's
arms. My father's best friend as a child was from
Sakimay reserve and years later this would play an
important part on how I came to be.
My father, tall, blonde, green eyed, was a very handsome
young man. Infact, even now, he's 76 and looks 15 years
younger than what he is! My father began dating a very
beautiful woman, Yvonne. She was my mother's older sister.
My mother was just a little girl at the time. So the story
goes that Auntie Yvonne and my father had started dating
each other and then my father's best friend, Mr. Acoose
from Sakimay reserve stole her away from my dad! This turn
of events lead to a birth, an accidental death and eventually
lead to my birth.
Mr. Acoose sweeped my Auntie Yvonne off her feet, it was a
whirlwind romance. She was young, 20 years old and extremely
gorgeous. My Mushum and Kohkom (Grandfather and Grandmother
in Cree) did not approve of Mr. Acoose, they felt their daughter
could certainly do better. Auntie Yvonne was as stubborn as
she was beautiful. She didn't care what anyone thought, she
followed her heart. She became pregnant with my cousin, Kim.
Mr. Acoose then decided to leave Saskatchewan and moved to
British Columbia, thinking that there would be more employment
opportunities in B.C. He wanted my Auntie Yvonne to follow
him. Auntie Yvonne left cousin Kim (who was about 1 year old
at the time) with Kohkom and promised to come back for her
baby once they found a place in B.C.).
Tragically, that was one promise Auntie Yvonne was not able to
keep. While in Vancouver, B.C., Mr. Acoose began drinking and
started to fight with Auntie Yvonne. He pushed her down a
long flight of stairs, which resulted in Auntie Yvonne
sustaining a serious head injury which resulted in her immediate
death. Mr. Acoose, not thinking clearly, thought she was
merely unconscious and picked her up and carried her to bed and
then he passed out not long after. When he awoke the next
day, he realised that Auntie Yvonne was dead. She was 21 years
old and was often considered to be the most beautiful of my
mom's sisters. My mom's family was devastated and absolutely
crushed. Two weeks later, my Kohkom and Mushum lost one of
their sons, my uncle Donald.
Fast forward a few years. My mom has grown up into a young,
independant woman working as a secretary in a lawyer's office
in the early 1960's. Mom was 22 years old when a girlfriend of
hers asked my mom to drop by after work. My mom's girlfriend
was dating my father and when my mom and father locked eyes,
there was an undeniable connection between them, despite their
difference in age. My mom at the time, was a beautiful girl
who won beauty contents and even modeled; and she was used to
dating young college boys. My father was 12 years older than
her but none of that made a difference.
For eight years my parents had an unbelievably wild, crazy
and passionate romance. They were young, daring and would try
anything! They were both the youngest of seven children, and
considering how one was raised in a matriarchal family and the
the other in a patriarchal family; you can only imagine how
passionate their disagreements were! haha. They could fight
like cats and dogs, and turn around and joke like crazy with
each other.
My Kohkom always felt sorry for my mom. My mom was considered
to be somewhat old and still hadn't had any children. Mom said
she hadn't planned on having any children and figured since it
hadn't happened in 8 years, she figured it wouldn't ever happen.
Midway through her 29th year, she became pregnant with me.
My Kohkom, Mushum and cousin Kim were visiting my parents here
in Regina, SK about 3 weeks before I was due to be born. They
all stayed up all night playing cards. About an hour after my
mom decided to go to sleep, is when she went into labor. I
guess I was anxious to get out and play poker too! :P
My grandparents, cousin Kim and my dad were all there when I was
born. I was the youngest of all the first generation cousins,
and the only birth my Kohkom and Mushum attended. Once I was
born, my parents decided to name me after my Auntie Yvonne
and her daughter Kim. My dad also had a neice that passed away,
who was named Yvonne.
My mom always said there was some sort of Divine plan that was
in the works between the Pelletier/Cappo Family and the
Steininger Family. There was always a connection between the
two families, and that a union was to take place between them.
And so here I am! hahaha :P Yes I am cheeky, but I had to
lighten up the mood a bit.
I am pretty close to my cousin Kim. Oh, for those of you who
wondered whatever happened to her, her father etc. Well, my
Kohkom and Mushum raised Kim. She knew they were her grand-
parents but she always called them Mom and Dad. Her father,
was never charged with the death my auntie Yvonne. Mind you,
that does not mean he got away with it. He's still alive and
has lived a life of complete suffering, drug and alcohol abuse,
extreme poverty etc. He seems to have put himself in his own
jail so to speak. I met him for the first time about 3 years
ago. He was a withered old man, who is a junkie and alcoholic.
On his right arm, he has the name Yvonne tatooed. He shook my
hand but he couldn't speak and put his head down. I used to
be angry at this man whom I had never known, the man who killed
my aunt. But when I met him, witnessed his inhumane living
conditions, and saw for myself the shame and guilt that he
beats himself up with...There was no need to add further pain
to what he was already experiencing. He was pitiful, and even
now as I write this, my heart goes out to him. He caused our
family so much pain, yet we've been able to grieve and then
carry on...but he is stuck in that cycle of self-loathing and
shame. It's sad. Kim now has a relationship with her father,
she's forgiven him and she loves him.
And that's how I came to be.
I have been raised pagan all my life, but have not necessarily
been a witch all my life. I've been raised with teachings
that were handed down through my mom's side of the family.
These teachings weren't strictly just Cree/Anishnabe teachings
but included pagan european teachings as well. They were
blended and to us, we viewed the teachings not as two ways
that were combined into one but just as our family's way. We
never thought to disect our family's teachings into Native
teachings or White teachings etc. It was just what we did, and
who we are. My Kohkom even read tea leaves and even done
astral traveling long before the term astral travel even
became popular. I grew up knowing I belong to the Bear
Clan. So I grew up with various ceremonies, customs,
rituals and so forth.
In time, about 15-16 yrs ago, I discovered "wicca" and it felt
as though I've 'come home.' I didn't grow up feeling like I
lacked in culture or spiritual teachings but I always thought
that there was more out there to learn. If my family teachings
were a hand, witchcraft was the glove that kept it warm. It fit,
it was complimentary. It worked for me.
My grandparents have been referred to as Medicine People,Elders,
Medicine Man, Medicine Woman, Healers, and even as witches.
They at the time, didn't like the word witch, as having been
forced into Indian Residential schools, they were severely
abused by Catholic Nuns and Priests who abused them mercilessly
for being pagans. So to them, if someone called them pagan,
or witch, it wasn't a compliment as it brought back memories
of horrific abuse at the hands of white nuns and priests who
would rather beat you or rape you or judge you than anything
else.
Eventually, I discovered that I am also of the Wolf clan and
that process alone took about 15 years or so to work through.
It started in 1989 and wrapped up in 2004. It was not a
pleasant process, nor one that I regret. Infact, at times, it
was rather frightening and confusing. Not many people belong
to two clans, usually it is only one. The clan of either your
mother or your father, dependent on your societal structure, if
you came from a matriarchal or patriarchal background.
As it had been explained to me, my life has always been
somewhat of a paradox. Two opposites that unite into one,
neither side is chosen over the other, a foot in both worlds
and the balance of both ways.
Am I claiming to be some magnificient spiritual being, of course
not! haha This is just my path, it's been hard at times,
sometimes painful, sometimes scary. But the rewards far
outweigh any of the trials I've gone through. I am proud to be
all that I am, and I will never deny one aspect of my being
over another.
As for myself, like I said I am 34 years old. I am the proud
Mom to 3 fantastic teenagers, my sons! Kolton is 18, Dalton
is 16 and Lanston will soon be 14 (August 2007). My children
were raised with our family's beliefs and have always been
free to choose their own spiritual path, regardless what it
might be. If they want to be Budhist, Wiccan, Druid, Lutheran,
Catholic, whatever is fine with me...as long as they aren't
hurting anyone I am cool with it.
I was met my exhusband when I was 15 years old, and we were
together for 11 years, legally married for half of that. I
have since raised my children alone and in that time managed
to earn my Bachelor degree in Social Work from the University
of Regina here in Saskatchewan. I currently work for a
small inner-city organization of about 40 employees, I work as
case manager of a program that works with adults who have
cognitive disabilities such as F.A.S.D, Autism, Acquired Brain
Injuries etc.
I also make videos on Youtube under the name Craftywytch ;)
So that my friends is a bit about who I am. Feel free to
email me at: [email protected]
May the Ancient Ones protect you,
May the Ancestors guide you,
May your heart lead you.
Yvonne Steininger
July 1, 2007
�Book of Shadows� � Herbs� Pagan Books� � Powwow Listings� � Please sign my Guestbook �Check out these cool links� �Pagan Webrings�
TANSI! MERRY MEET!
Figured I'd write a bit about myself here, so you have
an idea about who I am....eeeeeeee scary huh?! lol jk.
I am 34 years old and have been raised pagan all my life,
be that as it may, does not mean I have been a witch all
my life.
My cultural background is somewhat blended. My mom is
Cree, Anishnabe (Ojibway), French, Scottish, Irish and
possibly Nordic. She and I hail from the Muscowpetung
reserve ( or 'reservation' as they are called in the USA)
located in southern Saskatchewan, Canada. My mother's
family are a Matriarchal family.
My father's family are German/Austrian. My Opa (Grandpa
in German) imigrated to Canada in 1901 when he was just
four years old. My Great-grandparents & their children
arrived in New York City in the September 1901 and made
their way to Grenfell, Saskatchewan, Canada. They then
built their three storey house on their farmland. I'll
take a picture of it and post it on here for you to see.
My father's family is a Patriarchal family.
My Opa and Oma were friends with many Indigenious people
in the area. My Opa, John Steininger was best friends
with one of my Mushum's (Cree for Grandfather) Peter George.
They were best of friends and were always together.
My Opa suffered from a heart attack and died in my Mushum's
arms. My father's best friend as a child was from
Sakimay reserve and years later this would play an
important part on how I came to be.
My father, tall, blonde, green eyed, was a very handsome
young man. Infact, even now, he's 76 and looks 15 years
younger than what he is! My father began dating a very
beautiful woman, Yvonne. She was my mother's older sister.
My mother was just a little girl at the time. So the story
goes that Auntie Yvonne and my father had started dating
each other and then my father's best friend, Mr. Acoose
from Sakimay reserve stole her away from my dad! This turn
of events lead to a birth, an accidental death and eventually
lead to my birth.
Mr. Acoose sweeped my Auntie Yvonne off her feet, it was a
whirlwind romance. She was young, 20 years old and extremely
gorgeous. My Mushum and Kohkom (Grandfather and Grandmother
in Cree) did not approve of Mr. Acoose, they felt their daughter
could certainly do better. Auntie Yvonne was as stubborn as
she was beautiful. She didn't care what anyone thought, she
followed her heart. She became pregnant with my cousin, Kim.
Mr. Acoose then decided to leave Saskatchewan and moved to
British Columbia, thinking that there would be more employment
opportunities in B.C. He wanted my Auntie Yvonne to follow
him. Auntie Yvonne left cousin Kim (who was about 1 year old
at the time) with Kohkom and promised to come back for her
baby once they found a place in B.C.).
Tragically, that was one promise Auntie Yvonne was not able to
keep. While in Vancouver, B.C., Mr. Acoose began drinking and
started to fight with Auntie Yvonne. He pushed her down a
long flight of stairs, which resulted in Auntie Yvonne
sustaining a serious head injury which resulted in her immediate
death. Mr. Acoose, not thinking clearly, thought she was
merely unconscious and picked her up and carried her to bed and
then he passed out not long after. When he awoke the next
day, he realised that Auntie Yvonne was dead. She was 21 years
old and was often considered to be the most beautiful of my
mom's sisters. My mom's family was devastated and absolutely
crushed. Two weeks later, my Kohkom and Mushum lost one of
their sons, my uncle Donald.
Fast forward a few years. My mom has grown up into a young,
independant woman working as a secretary in a lawyer's office
in the early 1960's. Mom was 22 years old when a girlfriend of
hers asked my mom to drop by after work. My mom's girlfriend
was dating my father and when my mom and father locked eyes,
there was an undeniable connection between them, despite their
difference in age. My mom at the time, was a beautiful girl
who won beauty contents and even modeled; and she was used to
dating young college boys. My father was 12 years older than
her but none of that made a difference.
For eight years my parents had an unbelievably wild, crazy
and passionate romance. They were young, daring and would try
anything! They were both the youngest of seven children, and
considering how one was raised in a matriarchal family and the
the other in a patriarchal family; you can only imagine how
passionate their disagreements were! haha. They could fight
like cats and dogs, and turn around and joke like crazy with
each other.
My Kohkom always felt sorry for my mom. My mom was considered
to be somewhat old and still hadn't had any children. Mom said
she hadn't planned on having any children and figured since it
hadn't happened in 8 years, she figured it wouldn't ever happen.
Midway through her 29th year, she became pregnant with me.
My Kohkom, Mushum and cousin Kim were visiting my parents here
in Regina, SK about 3 weeks before I was due to be born. They
all stayed up all night playing cards. About an hour after my
mom decided to go to sleep, is when she went into labor. I
guess I was anxious to get out and play poker too! :P
My grandparents, cousin Kim and my dad were all there when I was
born. I was the youngest of all the first generation cousins,
and the only birth my Kohkom and Mushum attended. Once I was
born, my parents decided to name me after my Auntie Yvonne
and her daughter Kim. My dad also had a neice that passed away,
who was named Yvonne.
My mom always said there was some sort of Divine plan that was
in the works between the Pelletier/Cappo Family and the
Steininger Family. There was always a connection between the
two families, and that a union was to take place between them.
And so here I am! hahaha :P Yes I am cheeky, but I had to
lighten up the mood a bit.
I am pretty close to my cousin Kim. Oh, for those of you who
wondered whatever happened to her, her father etc. Well, my
Kohkom and Mushum raised Kim. She knew they were her grand-
parents but she always called them Mom and Dad. Her father,
was never charged with the death my auntie Yvonne. Mind you,
that does not mean he got away with it. He's still alive and
has lived a life of complete suffering, drug and alcohol abuse,
extreme poverty etc. He seems to have put himself in his own
jail so to speak. I met him for the first time about 3 years
ago. He was a withered old man, who is a junkie and alcoholic.
On his right arm, he has the name Yvonne tatooed. He shook my
hand but he couldn't speak and put his head down. I used to
be angry at this man whom I had never known, the man who killed
my aunt. But when I met him, witnessed his inhumane living
conditions, and saw for myself the shame and guilt that he
beats himself up with...There was no need to add further pain
to what he was already experiencing. He was pitiful, and even
now as I write this, my heart goes out to him. He caused our
family so much pain, yet we've been able to grieve and then
carry on...but he is stuck in that cycle of self-loathing and
shame. It's sad. Kim now has a relationship with her father,
she's forgiven him and she loves him.
And that's how I came to be.
I have been raised pagan all my life, but have not necessarily
been a witch all my life. I've been raised with teachings
that were handed down through my mom's side of the family.
These teachings weren't strictly just Cree/Anishnabe teachings
but included pagan european teachings as well. They were
blended and to us, we viewed the teachings not as two ways
that were combined into one but just as our family's way. We
never thought to disect our family's teachings into Native
teachings or White teachings etc. It was just what we did, and
who we are. My Kohkom even read tea leaves and even done
astral traveling long before the term astral travel even
became popular. I grew up knowing I belong to the Bear
Clan. So I grew up with various ceremonies, customs,
rituals and so forth.
In time, about 15-16 yrs ago, I discovered "wicca" and it felt
as though I've 'come home.' I didn't grow up feeling like I
lacked in culture or spiritual teachings but I always thought
that there was more out there to learn. If my family teachings
were a hand, witchcraft was the glove that kept it warm. It fit,
it was complimentary. It worked for me.
My grandparents have been referred to as Medicine People,Elders,
Medicine Man, Medicine Woman, Healers, and even as witches.
They at the time, didn't like the word witch, as having been
forced into Indian Residential schools, they were severely
abused by Catholic Nuns and Priests who abused them mercilessly
for being pagans. So to them, if someone called them pagan,
or witch, it wasn't a compliment as it brought back memories
of horrific abuse at the hands of white nuns and priests who
would rather beat you or rape you or judge you than anything
else.
Eventually, I discovered that I am also of the Wolf clan and
that process alone took about 15 years or so to work through.
It started in 1989 and wrapped up in 2004. It was not a
pleasant process, nor one that I regret. Infact, at times, it
was rather frightening and confusing. Not many people belong
to two clans, usually it is only one. The clan of either your
mother or your father, dependent on your societal structure, if
you came from a matriarchal or patriarchal background.
As it had been explained to me, my life has always been
somewhat of a paradox. Two opposites that unite into one,
neither side is chosen over the other, a foot in both worlds
and the balance of both ways.
Am I claiming to be some magnificient spiritual being, of course
not! haha This is just my path, it's been hard at times,
sometimes painful, sometimes scary. But the rewards far
outweigh any of the trials I've gone through. I am proud to be
all that I am, and I will never deny one aspect of my being
over another.
As for myself, like I said I am 34 years old. I am the proud
Mom to 3 fantastic teenagers, my sons! Kolton is 18, Dalton
is 16 and Lanston will soon be 14 (August 2007). My children
were raised with our family's beliefs and have always been
free to choose their own spiritual path, regardless what it
might be. If they want to be Budhist, Wiccan, Druid, Lutheran,
Catholic, whatever is fine with me...as long as they aren't
hurting anyone I am cool with it.
I was met my exhusband when I was 15 years old, and we were
together for 11 years, legally married for half of that. I
have since raised my children alone and in that time managed
to earn my Bachelor degree in Social Work from the University
of Regina here in Saskatchewan. I currently work for a
small inner-city organization of about 40 employees, I work as
case manager of a program that works with adults who have
cognitive disabilities such as F.A.S.D, Autism, Acquired Brain
Injuries etc.
I also make videos on Youtube under the name Craftywytch ;)
So that my friends is a bit about who I am. Feel free to
email me at: [email protected]
May the Ancient Ones protect you,
May the Ancestors guide you,
May your heart lead you.
Yvonne Steininger
July 1, 2007