Oh hey, fellow Peculiar!
My name is Amanda Brethauer, aka The Peculiar Brunette, and I’m an atheist Pagan. I’ve been interested in spirituality, paganism, witchcraft, and occultism since I was a teenager (I’m just now realizing that it’s been about 20 years, yikes, haha).
Early in my teenage spiritual practice, I performed love spells in my bedroom with pink or red candles, had a tarot deck from Barnes and Noble, and carried around my favorite crystals for good luck, but that was about as deep as I dug into Witchcraft.
Later I was gifted the Llewellyn’s Witches Calendar, and my mind was blown. There was so much more to Witchcraft and Paganism than I understood!
I realized fairly quickly Christianity wasn’t for me (nothing more hateful than Christian love, right?), and the deconstruction process was eye-opening for me. As I began my spiritual path toward Paganism and Witchcraft, it was important for me to know WHY.
Why do people use certain colors or symbols in their rituals? Why do monthly Full Moons have certain names, and where did they come from? Why do Wiccans follow the Wheel of the Year, and did ancient people really worship it?
I LOVE LEARNING! I deeply believe continuing to educate ourselves throughout our lives is incredibly important (Which is why I think libraries are the most magical places on earth. Read banned books!)
Since I also love writing and researching, I started this blog. It broke my heart to see beginners or baby witches in Facebook groups getting shamed or heckled for simply asking questions and trying to understand a path that best fits them.
I’m passionate about combining Paganism and Witchcraft with Science and History. I include my sources throughout each article and sometimes at the bottom. (*some old posts don’t, but I’m working on it, I promise)
This is an inclusive LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC-friendly website, and all spiritual paths are welcome here as long as you are kind and open-minded!
If you find ANYTHING incorrect, please let me know via the contact page on this website, along with your cited source.
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