WHO IS MOMA?

This page is a work in progress. In all likelihood it will see many incarnations. 

For today, this is my truth with a lower case "t."

• Who is Moma Fauna?

"Feral paparazzi-ethnographer, animist free-agent. I walk among the traditions. I can do this, as long as I have Lady Moon to guide me & mycelia at my feet."

Moma Fauna.

Moma Fauna is a Dreamworker, polytheist, magick and magic lover, a votary of the primordial mother Nyx, the Oneiroi and Cheerleader for the Moon. If you happen to be acquainted with her in the fleshworld, you may know her simply as Justine. Migrating seemingly at random between the Last Frontier & the lower 48, she seeks the exaltation of being in relationship with Place and the Spirit Objects which populate this world.  

I sometimes affectionately call my very personal permutation of animism “Sciento-Paganism.” My worldview eagerly embraces science alongside an animistic/polytheistic "paganism" which is steeped in myth, magick & folklore. I tend to couple all of it with some healthy skepticism. I am not afraid to spend most of my time contemplating what is outside the box & I believe the practice of spirituality is a process which is ongoing, evolving & eternally uncertain. Wandering, listening, reaching rapport, seeking to understand relationships & ask questions is what I do.

I am blessed with two young children, one aged cat & one (thank all-that-is Good!) kind & gentle husband. It is my good fortune to migrate -- seemingly at random -- between the boreal forests of Alaska & the high deserts of Utah. I am eternally thankful to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for my initiation into the pagan community as well as my degrees in Physical Anthropology & Wildlife and Fisheries Biology. All three have served me well, in unconventional ways.

I have roots in several (neo)pagan religions, but after many years, what I adhere to is mine alone.

Being faintly feral, I have a proclivity for the Moon, chthonic gods & anyone with with hooves, while most of my muses shed spores. I use the name Moma Fauna, not because I'm into magickal pseudonyms, but because it is a reminder of the mother & creature I aspire to be.

I like to use art in a wide variety of forms (from improvisational shrines to collage to digital art) as spiritual practice and tinker in a variety of artistic mediums, being most fond of working with found objects, natural materials, paper scraps & my camera friend & companion. This blog has taught me that photography is my second language and while I retain fond memories of the darkroom’s smell, I have reluctantly retired the SLR & film strips for a self-taught dynamic with Adobe Photoshop & my digital camera. Either way, a macro lens is my favourite accessory. 

While most of my muses shed spores, I also have an obsession with rescuing & revitalizing abandoned trinket boxes which, much like Michelangelo’s marble blocks, speak to me of their true selves. In this context, I make it my task to facilitate the self expression of object-beings.


When I'm not obliging the whispers of things, I try to make my life about practicing kindness (or, what I call Facilitating-Bliss), tending to my family, garden & community, foraging for wild foods & dancing with my sisters in our fledgeling devotional dance troupe, Resh K’eljesh. I occasionally find the time to write about these things & other subjects in this blog.

Much of my practice is shared here, the lion's share is left unsaid. Time, humility & privacy are all contributing factors to this. Innuendo provides a key to some of my secrets. Other things will probably always remain unwritten.

Ultimately, this blog is for my children. 

It is also for myself & anyone who cares to wander with me.

I can be contacted by email here: momafauna (at) gmail (dot) com