About Me: Mema

Of all the personal influences that led me toward the mystical side of life, the most monumental by far was my Grandmother. Pauline was the most animated character of all her siblings, and the most beautiful. At eighty years old she's still striking and as sharpminded as ever. But beauty is a double edged sword and in her vanity she would never dare allow herself to be called Grandma, so I was told to address her as Mema. She also couldn't quite be bothered with the task of raising her own children, so for the most part, she didn't. She did, however, lower herself to the chore of finding rich men to marry...repeatedly, and touring the more enchanting parts of the world such as the "holy" land, Egypt, Greece and the like. And she indulged herself in every avenue of mysticism available. She was particularly attracted to the art of contacting the dead through seance and Ouija, as well as "soul travel". Not to mention she was a prolific card reader herself, whether a reading was welcome or not.

It's a bit ironic that Mema would have been such a key influence on my occult interest because it's only by indirect association that she exposed me to her mystical practices. She never directly taught me a single technique or exercise. She just never hid them from me. My grandmother enjoyed being immersed in an air of awe and mystery, so everything she did was wide out in the open. If she was ever in town, she would surely come by our house and sit down in the dining room with all her sisters around her and summon up some long dead relative or spirit guide. When I would wander into the room, I was never scolded when the spirits would go silent. I was simply told to say hello to our discarnate guests so they would continue on with their conversation. Every time I walked in, the spirits stopped speaking until I would say hello, then they'd immediately carry on. It was a little spooky to me as a child, but to my grandmother and her sister's it was so casual and common place that I couldn't help but think it to be a normal activity.

Then late at night after everyone had gone, Mema would come to the den where I usually sat entertaining myself. She'd assume a cross legged position on the couch and calmly tell me not to worry if she got really quiet and didn't move for awhile, she was just going to check up on a friend down in Florida. Never mind we were in N. Carolina. Or she might consult with a teacher. Again her attitude was so casual I was left to assume this must be business as usual.

Though she was really never much of a mother, I've got to respect the fearlessness with which she faced the unknown and the unseen in life and her uncompromising determination to live her own life as she saw fit. Never the less, she truly was a great influence on my life and allowed me to accept as reality some things that most people can't even bring themselves to consider as possibilities.

It's only fair to mention that in her later years, Mema had settled down enough to have time to discuss some of her practices with me and where she acquired them. She's always been more of a doer than a theorist, so she still doesn't spend too much effort on explanations. And she did offer me some initial instruction on chi gong, though I haven't yet established for myself a solid daily practice. I intend to incorporate chi cultivation as a part of this course of occult training as I believe it to be a vital element in magical practice. But more on that later.