Massage Therapy Student/Witch - Jackilyn Burkeen Voices on the Path

Voices on the Path-

A Collection of Interviews

Massage Therapy Student/Witch

Jackilyn Burkeen

FaceBook address:http://www.facebook.com/jackilyn.burkeen
Email: treasuresofpeace@gmail.com

First can you briefly tell us about yourself? What is your profession? Any special hobbies?

Hello and hello! I would love to tell you a few things about myself. The best way to put it is my name is Jackilyn D. Burkeen, but I go by the name Jackie. I'm a young single mother of a beautiful baby girl, I'm a very creative individual and...the best thing I can say and quote from a friend is "I put the term odd into a understatement." I am currently finishing my Associates of Applied Sciences for Massage Therapy at the end of August so I'll soon be making a transition of college student to licensed massage therapist, although no matter what I will always consider myself as a student of life. Hobbies you say?   I tend to have more hobbies than I can really count but I personally I practice yoga, read a lot, make jewelry, do my thing I like to call "Philosophical Walking", dance, and so many others I can't put into words. I have a friend who has introduced me to Flow Arts (I'm learning poi right now) so I have been experimenting with that too, I'm just taking my time and see what goes from there.

When did you begin your path? What inspired you to walk this journey?

This is honestly a very good question. I will be honest, I grew up with a Christian background, mixing Methodist and Southern Baptist but I never really got all that much into it. Yes, I went to Youth, went to retreats, hell even went to Battle Cry (A very large youth rally) but no matter what I always felt a pull back towards Mother Earth herself. I got down and dirty and full out serious about my path in the summer of 2008, so it's been at least five years since I got serious about my journey. I was not really as much as inspired, but more called to the path I walk upon. To me, I felt more at home and with the amount of people I've been meeting I feel like I belong.

Can you tell us a little about your path? How would you describe yourself?
My path is ever growing and constantly changing, I'm not one to set aside time for my spiritual practice rather than more to just incorporate it into my everyday life in small ways. I personally consider myself a Spiritual Eclectic Pagan Witch (That's a mouth full... SEPW then?) I tend to just borrow from other traditions or make up my own and just use that as part of my spiritual path.

Does the path you've chosen affect your profession? If so, how?
In some ways, yes. The path I chose to follow in this life in my professional career is to make the ultimate holistic healing center and spiritual retreat. This still has a lot of kinks I need to work out so I do not have much to speak at this time.

Is community important to you, or do you prefer to express you beliefs as a solitary?

The majority of what I say about myself is more or less expressed from the view of a solitary. I do, however, go out from time to time to Pagan-related events when I get the chance and since my circumstances are changing I will be finding ways to become more active with the community.

Are you associated with any organizations, volunteer work, or groups that support your spiritual beliefs?

At this time, I am not.

Would you say your path has been an easy or difficult journey? Any advice for someone new to this path?

I am going to admit, my path has defiantly not been a cake walk on rainbow lane with my happy unicorn and narwal friends. The past five years has put a lot towards my way between going through and coming out of a very unstable and...crappy relationship, going through a huge spiritual growth spurt during my pregnancy, dealing with a lot of emotional turmoil,  and fighting my war with depression which I will say I finally won six months ago with no medication or therapy. The best advice I can give anyone who is new to this path is learn to let things flow. You're going to have a lot of stuff thrown at you and it's up to you on how you handle those challenges. Listen to not only your heart, but your mind, body, and spirit as well. More than anything, find support, it doesn't just have to be from other Pagans, open minded people exist in all the paths of life we walk on. Remember the term Coexist.

I invite you here to share any information you find important that we may have missed in our questions.
I will admit, I don't have a lot that I have achieved right now to show for since I've only been on my path for a short time, but I like to think of myself as someone who is in the part of the "in progress" mode. I have a lot to learn and I hope when I gain the experience I need I will be able to share more with the community with the next five to ten years. We all have to start somewhere, am I right? Merry we meet, merry we part, merry we meet again. Blessed be and Namaste.

Finally, what three books would you say most influenced your path.

Bucklands Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland
Protection and Reversal Magick, A Witch's Defense Manual by Jason Miller (Inominadum)
Wicca, Guide to the Solitary Practioner, Scott Cunningham