We all have our unsung heros. People who keep us strong when we feel down and they seldom feel the need to shout out that they are special so its down to us to remind them why they are our heros. Quite often, these special people have problems of their own to deal with but thats never forefront in their minds, instead they go about their days helping others and rarely do they stop for breath. Someone we all know on VR has organised the Holiday Card Exchange, VR's First Annual Secret Vampire, and of course still has the time to chat with her friends and tell a joke or two...
When I really needed a friend just the other day, LadyDarkRayne stepped in and I have to admit that the incredible sense of love I felt after sharing my burdens with her enveloped me like a warm blankie on a cold night. She had helped me then more than she would ever know. I simply had to interview her to find out if she really was an angel, if she had any witchy secrets, and if she could tell me a joke that would make me blush...
I knocked on her door and was ushered into her kitchen where she was making lavender pillows for all her sleepless friends.
Who is LadyDarkRayne?
Well my friend, before everything else I am a Mother. I have a very strong mothering instinct about me. I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a girlfriend and more simply I am a Witch. I put band aids on my children's cuts, whether the big kids or the little ones. It's not uncommon to find my house filled with people of all ages and something cooking on the stove or baking in the oven. You will find a cat or two or three, curled up some where in the house, so I warn you look before you sit".
That made me smile. I knew she was being modest so I reminded her how much she had helped me. I wanted to know when she had begun on the Pagan path. What does being Pagan mean to you?
"Well, it all started on a weekend trip to Putnum NY to attend a SADD ( Students Against Drunk Driving) Convention that my high school was attending, where we would all be locked in for 72 Hours. On the long bus ride a girl who I didn't know all that well was reading a book,by Raymond Buckland, Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft. It intrigued me, and I asked her if I could look through it when she was done. We chatted and I asked a million questions that weekend, and Missy was more then happy to answer them. From that weekend on, I read every thing I could get my hands on, from Aromatherapy to Wicca. And she taught me the basics and from that weekend on, I have continued to learn and grow spiritually.
What does being Pagan mean to me you ask. Well being Pagan is knowing my surroundings, being able to work with what Mother Nature has given us. Having the ability to see the energy in all living things and knowing how to harness that energy. It's getting my hands into the ground and planting the seeds that will grow into herbs and fruits and vegetables that feed my family and help me in my spell work. It is not shoving my beliefs down upon everyone, as each person has their own right to their own paths. But if someone asks, I will happily share the knowledge that I have absorbed so far. I will never stop learning, so there for I will never know everything and any one that says that know everything, is mistaken. It is keeping an open mind but still having my feet firmly planted in my own beliefs".
Now that was interesting, I thought. I wondered how she managed to cope with bringing up her son when she suffered from Chronic Pain in the form of Fibromyalga and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Surely there were days when the pain took over?
It has never been easy, but at some point you have to realize that this disease can easily take me down if I let it. And I was not going to let it beat me. What helps me the most are the friends that I have in my support team that remind me, that I am a strong person and that no matter what is thrown in my path I will not let it beat me. If I can't get over the obstacle , then I find a way around it. On the days that it has beaten me down and I feel that it has won, I remind my self that i have a son that needs me. And that I am proud of everything he has accomplished and that he is fantastic soccer player, and that even though it hurts to move I would still go and attend his games and cheer him on. I have never let him know just how much I hurt sometimes. But he is my son and he can feel the pain.And he would come over and just hug me tight and tell me he loves me. That my friends is the best form of pain relief.
As for how I handle the pain, I have several methods. I have several friends that are Reiki Masters, and they send to me often. I self medicate when the pain is unbearable. And I try to occupy myself with doing things I enjoy like making graphics and such, to distract my mind from the pain my body feels.And then there are the times when the only thing I can do is turn on the heating pad on my bed and curl up and sleep until I feel better. But as my Gram always told me, "There is no better way to get through my own pain then by helping someone else." So I lend my shoulder and my ear to my friends and try to assist in resolving what ever issues they might be having".
Truly, LadyDarkRayne was a wonderfully strong person and I hoped that her friends remembered to be there for her on the bad days just as much as she was there for them. I knew that she also had difficulty sleeping so I wanted to know if she had any tips for the insomniacs amongst us?
Yes insomnia has its hold on me 75% of the time. What I recommend to my friends is a warm bath of lavender and vanilla oil. Keep a sachet of dried Lavender under your pillow and a set of ear plugs. Yes ear plugs, many find that funny but it works. Many that suffer from insomnia, can link their insomnia back to their mind not shutting off. So you need to relax your body so it will then relax your mind. The reason I say ear plus is because once you have your body relaxed, and you put in the ear plugs all you will hear is your own breathing and heartbeat and that rhythm is very soothing. I mean they make those teddy bears with the heart beats for baby's who have a hard time falling a sleep. So listening to your own heart beat has the same effect".
That was a great answer and I vowed to try it out the next time the sandman bothered me. Now, I had to ask about the Holiday Card Exchange and the Secret Vampire. By all accounts, it was a great success and was just another way she brought folk together with her wonderful caring nature. What gave you the idea to start that up?
Well I can't take the credit for the Card Exchange, as LadyKrystalynDarkstar started it 2009 and I just offered to get it started this year (2010). By making the list an sending it out to all that wanted to partake in it. Now the Secret Vampire was a suggestion someone had made while I was getting every one's names and address for the Card Exchange. There was only 4 weeks before Christmas, so I quickly found out who wanted to be apart of it and put every ones name in a box and picked names for people. I admit I really enjoyed that. And I will be doing that again this year".
That was real cool but then, I already knew that our Rachy was a woman of many talents and one that always made me snort coffee all over my keyboard was her telling of jokes. I wanted to know what her favourite joke was and forget about keeping it clean too I said, ladies will be forgiven if they were as sweet as she was. This is what had me in kinks...
Hmm, my favorite joke, well here have a cup of fresh Chocolate Mint tea while I give this some thought. By far I think this one is one of my favorite jokes.
A beautiful young New York woman was so depressed that she decided to end her life by throwing herself into the ocean.
But just before she could throw herself from the docks, a handsome young man stopped her "You have so much to live for," said the man.
"Look, I'm a sailor, and we're off to Europe tomorrow, and I can stow you away on my ship. I'll take care of you, bring you food every day, and keep you happy."
With nothing to lose, combined with the fact that she had always wanted to go to Europe , the woman accepted.
That night the sailor brought her aboard and hid her in a lifeboat. From then on, every night he would bring her three sandwiches and make love to her until dawn.
Three weeks later she was discovered by the captain during a routine inspection.
"What are you doing here?" asked the captain.
"I have an arrangement with one of the sailors," she replied. "He brings food and I get a free trip to Europe ."
"I see," the captain says.
"Plus," she adds, "He's screwing me."
"He certainly is," replied the captain. "This is the Staten Island Ferry."
Dang, I did snort in a most unbecoming manner just then but I loved it all the same. Still chuckling, I asked her if she could do anything in the whole wide world, what would it be?
*grins* Well, I have been asked this question several times over the years, and my answer has always been the same. I would buy and old farm house out in the country some where. It would be a huge house, 10-12 bedrooms, a enormous kitchen with a huge window looking out to see the stable. a great room with a huge fireplace and lots of cozy places to sit. There would be a huge wrap around porch with flower baskets hanging all the way around it. There would be a several gardens on the property. One for veggies, one for fruits and a huge herb garden. There would be paths outlined with Daisies and Tulips and Daffodil's. There would be fruit trees of apples and pears and cherries.
There would be a huge barn filled with horses that had been rescued or donated, chickens for fresh eggs,some pigs and cattle for meat. There would be a indoor arena for giving lessons and outdoor arena for training Down beyond the barns and pastures would be a dozen cabins. This would be a working farm open to victims of Domestic Violence and their children and teenagers who were not wanted by anyone else. It would give them a chance to start over. And learn how to be dependant on their own while learning how to care for animals and grown their own food. More or less it would be a half way house. There are two things that I am passionate about and that is stopping the abuse and rescuing and helping either people or animals. So to be able to give back to a community would be passing on what has been done for me. Because in the end it is all about paying it forward, because one good deed leads to another".
...and that made me wish my hardest that I could do that one thing for her because if anyone deserved a break it was Rachy, my hero. The interview had come to an end but I wanted to say one last thing before I left, and I could tell she was embarrassed to be put on the spot like that so I simply said: Thank you for being my rock when I needed one most, you really are special Rachy.
Dammit...my emotions got the better of me then so we hugged and I felt that incredible love all over again. What can I say except, I hope you all stop by to tell her how much she means to you too.
Love ya Rachy!
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Page last updated: Jul 05 2011
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COMMENTS
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LadyKrystalynDarkstar
15:45 Jul 05 2011
Wonderful interview! LDR is a great lady!
PAGAN
15:49 Jul 05 2011
She sure is!
LadyDarkRayne
19:20 Jul 05 2011
aww - I think your both beautiful ladies as well.
Oceanne
23:52 Jul 08 2011
The LadyDarkRayne rocks in my book and always has.Another nice interview !
PAGAN
11:54 Jul 12 2011
She really is a wonderful person to know, one of the best :)
PandorasBx
03:51 Aug 29 2011
She has been there for me many a time, great lady and friend.
Theodora
04:47 Apr 28 2013
I adore her. She is always there for me. I am so fortunate to have her in my life. Hugs