what is something you never believed until you experienced it?

Energy. Or more specifically, I knew there was energy, but never believed it in a
metaphysical way.

I sometimes get the "feel" of a room. a sense of the mood.. but it's got to be pretty obvious before I pick up on it. Same with people. I'm horrible at picking up on body language or innuendo.

I can also pickup energy when out in nature much simpler. It's just a feeling of something living, and it's strength.. Not positive or negative, though night tends to feel more elusive than day.

Location makes a difference as well. The Northeast feels alive, bustling with energy; Muted in the Midwest (as if the energy is nearly worn out.) I don't really know what this is.

On the land where VWC is held, I think the Fae at work/play. I've never seen them, it's a sense of presence, ecstatic energy.

I don't know if these senses are objective or subjective. Is it "real" or am I projecting my feelings.

I've always had these senses, but never tried to develop them, or thought they were more than hunches. Then I went to Witch Camp!!

The first year was difficult. I'd never been a people person, so I was very uncomfortable with all the hugs from strangers. The warm welcoming of everyone, even though we'd never met. Very nice compared to the cold shoulder you get here in the Midwest. Much different than the social norms we've been taught. Totally different mindset. It's like is she/he hitting on me?? Uncomfortable until you realize that the outside World's norms don't apply. You have to take everything at face value instead of placing muggle overlays onto it. Then it gets easier to be open to the experiences.

I loved the rituals but was drained afterward. This was the first time I'd experienced energy. It was wonderful yet overwhelming. Thereafter, I began taking the craft seriously and not as a "flight of fancy".

Now, whenever I do any kind of magical work, working in nature, or have a conversation, I learn something new. I have a new lens to view life through. I see how everything is interconnected.

Every year I go back to camp and feel more comfortable, like I have an inkling of what it's all about. Last year was the best year yet; But that story is for another day!!