About me, Kaede Fyrecreek

I'll have more to say here eventually. For now, I just want to make a few notes.

This first is to repeat what I said on the main page. I am currently an eclectic Wiccan, practicing in a solitary tradition. I have been immersed in this faith for fourteen years. I have studied and practiced with covens and Wicca schools, both online and off. I have been visible and active in the online Pagan community as Fyrecreek since 2004, when my studies moved from local groups to the World Wide Web. There is much to be learnt in the world, and I intend to learn and share as much as I possibly can. I regret that I must note it would be near impossible to cite all my sources of information; books, internet, or oral teachers. This is because my knowledge has been acquired over the span of many years, and sadly, authors were not noted along the way. What I share with you here is what I know in my head, verified as they relate to my beliefs at the time of their learning. If I have a citation for you, I will most certainly use it, but most of the content of this site will be untraceable to its origins. For this, I apologize immensely. The good side of this is that it would also be near impossible for me to pull verbatim from other sources, as my information is in my mind, and my personal Book of Shadows. I am happy to be able to report that everything you find here is my own writing, even if the source has been buried in the sands of time.

I am an anthropologist. My primary focus was language and religion. I was raised Roman Catholic, and I thank my mother very much for the beliefs and values she successfully instilled in me, even if now I call my deities by different names than what she is used to hearing. I studied numerous religions of the world extensively; including much of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto, and the ancient practices of the Greeks, Romans, Celts, Egyptians, and Incas. I barely scratched the surface of world religions, both current and ancient, but I have learnt enough to know that Wicca is where I belong.

On the language side of things, I have studied Gaelic, Greek, Latin, Spanish, and Japanese. Don't be too impressed, I am fluent in none of them. Though, being more proficient in any one is on my list of things to do, as well as learn Esperanto. My language background is what accounts for the numerous notes of etymology (the history of linguistic form) you will find throughout this site. Exploring words, their origins and evolution, is one of my passions, and much can be learned about the meaning of a thing by exploring the word used to describe it.

I am also a collector of names. While names are less important to the purpose of this site, I will touch upon them here, and in an article about magickal names a little later. So, a few words about my name. I write as Fyrecreek in most of the online circles I move in. I have used this name for decades. It was originally Firecreek, but that spelling was taken when I tried to sign up for something, all those years ago. So, I made the simplest modification I could, change the i to a y and it just stuck with me. No one would know me as Firecreek now, anyway! If you were to meet me on the street and call me Fyrecreek, I will answer; a testament to how long I have used the name. Kaede is a Japanese word that means Maple Leaf. I have a strong affinity for the maple tree. About a year ago, the big beautiful tree in my front yard was cut down. It was a sad day for me, it was like losing a close friend. But that is when the name Kaede was given to me (and I'll talk about what that means when I write the aforementioned future article). Kaede Fyrecreek is my ritual name, and my main online pseudonym (yes, there are more than one).

THE MOST IMPORTANT NOTE:

Any person/site/group/whathaveyou that claims to speak on behalf of all Wiccans does not speak for me.  This is so important it must be repeated: Anyone or thing that boasts representing all Wiccans does not represent me. The other side of that coin is that I only speak for myself and do not now, nor ever will, claim to speak for everyone who practices some form of Wicca. All content you will find on this site has been researched, compiled, and written by me (this may change in the future, but right now, this is the case), and is thus a reflection of my personal practice and faith journey. I encourage students of Wicca to find their own way. Take what you need from my knowledge, but make your faith your own.

I think that's enough about me for now!

Erin Bridges writes as Kaede Fyrecreek in many forums and communities. For the mundane side of her life, please visit www.burninglakearts.com.