O = Open Dialogue

I can't put enough value on the importance of open dialogue.  Not just with others but with yourself, not just within your pagan group but within your everyday life.  But I have to wonder how many people actually practice this art.

As a concept this has been floating around in my head for awhile for a couple of reasons.  1) because I am amazed that I have the kind of relationship with my husband that means we can have open dialogue without the other blowing a gasket over something.  2) because I am studying a History of Religion class and the lack of open dialogue happening within is driving me nuts.  3) because I have had some pretty serious questions running around inside my head regarding my spiritual beliefs and practices.

Now 1 I'm going to leave alone - private matters not for public consumption but 2 and 3 are fair game.

2.  The lack of talk in my class.  To set the scene.  I'm doing my Masters in History online.  One of my electives is History of Religion - sounds like an awesome class with lots of potential right?  Sadly, my beliefs that this would eventuate have been shattered.  Logistically I understand that with only 6 students dialogue is possibly going to be somewhat less, but the amazing lack of dialogue is just depressing.  Throughout the course we are reading up on the various religions of the world (and thankfully they give equal tread to most of them) as well as looking at the Anatomy of the Sacred (an amazing book I highly recommend).  We have three discussion papers to do that explore ideas of: what we believe and whether it is possible to be critical about religion, sacred rituals and their purpose, and the murky grounds of ethics, evil and right and wrong.  All great areas of exploration that I could see resulting in some really interesting dialogue - yeah well, not so much.

The demographics of the group (4 Christians of various denominations, an Atheist and myself - a pagan).  Sadly, the Christians are all sticking together and failing to interact with myself and the Atheist, what is worse is that they are failing to look at any of their beliefs and practices in a critical or even analytical way (I'm not biased on this, the professor has actually called them out on it).  So while I'm getting some great dialogue from the Athiest I'm struggling to engage with anyone else.  I don't care if they want to sit there and tell me that they don't understand, think I'm nuts or challenge everything I believe - I just want them to actually think about it.  I have tried asking more probing questions about their own experiences and gained no response.  Overall, it is frustrating and disappointing and it has me wondering how many people really don't interact with their faith beyond following, by route almost, its doctrines and practices.

On the upside, it has answered that first question we were asked - can you be critical about religion?  Seems for a lot of people the answer is no, they can't be critical about their own religion.  And I guess maybe some of that comes from fear.  If you start thinking critically are you challenging your own beliefs and therefore proving that you don't believe?  Fear that you might find something you don't like and have to re-evaluate?  Or just fear, because your belief system says you shouldn't challenge.  Don't get me wrong, I am not saying what I believe it perfect, there is definitely a need to think critically, but it is the little things I really like about it - for example the fact that many practices emphasize the practice of  looking back and reflecting on our selves, our path and how we can improve it.

3. My own questioning.  If there is one thing I have taken from my History of Religion class it is the final recognition that I will never be Wiccan (its just too structured), in fact I described myself to the class as eclectic Pagan. I borrow from a bunch of pagan faiths, practices and pantheons.  Lets face it, most modern pagan practices do.  So now that I've sorted out where I put myself I started assessing my actual participation.  How much am I doing?  You talk to people who are out there on the full and new moons working their stuff, who go all out for the celebrations of the wheel, who do regular tarot and divination and reiki and mediation and on and on and you start to wonder if you're really dedicated to your own path.

Of course this is all just self doubt - and one should never judge by the standards of others, you just don't know what the whole situation is.  But I do have to acknowledge that sadly if something has to give in my life to the pressures of the moment it is my spiritual practice.  Why is that?  I think it comes down to the sad reality that while it helps fulfill me and make me happy it doesn't help pay the bills and it doesn't cost me money that is wasted if I don't do it and so it is the easiest thing to push aside.  And while I acknowledge that really is not the best way to live life, I acknowledge that it is also the realities of living in society.  Does it mean I value my path less?  Does it mean I am not dedicated to it?  These are the questions I'm dialoguing with myself at the moment.

O = Oracle Cards

Okay, so anyone familiar with this blog knows that I use oracle cards (yes I know, I've been slack on those posts lately too) :)

I know some people don't like to use Oracle cards - they find them a little too restrictive in meaning, that they don't draw on common symbols and imagery to convey the message but rather use words.  Or they simply prefer to use other methods.  For myself, however, I find that they are a great tool.  The fact that I can simply draw a card each day for guidance is something I enjoy.  Yes, I acknowledge that you could also do this with Tarot - but for me I find that and understanding of the tarot becomes easier when you can do a spread to get more detailed guidance.  Even my runes I often end up drawing several of to get the complete message.

Picking the Decks:
I pick my oracle decks much like I do my tarot - they need to call to me.  There needs to be something in the imagery that draws me.  I don't look at the words on the cards, I look at the visuals and whether for me they tell a story, or that they tug on that inner core where intuition and gut feeling lies.  I have tried it other ways.  I've purchased decks before because I thought they sounded cool, they were cheap or I've liked some of the artists work and each time I've quickly ended up passing the deck on or selling it again.

Getting to know your decks:
Obviously with messages written on the cards it is easy to take the words as the only way to understand the message coming through but there is more to it than that.  If you're lucky you'll find your deck accompanied by a great book that offers further depth without being prescriptive.  ( I know some people just cringed at the idea of using 'the book' but lets face it, if you're a novice, getting to know the deck or a little unsure its a great way to start.  And sometimes I've been amazed at how accurate it all is).  Of course as with all card readings take the time to analyse the pictures first and see what you get from them.  In fact do this before you consult the book.  Just try and find the story and symbols in the work, how does it make you feel, can you see some of yourself in it?  Then link it to the words on the card.  And Finally, read the book if you wish.

Record your readings:
I think this is invaluable.  You will begin to find patterns.  Are you pulling a certain card on a regular basis?  If so, perhaps there is something you're failing to address.  Is there a pattern or connection between the cards you are pulling?  I know there have been weeks when I've felt like my cards are a 2x4 to the head from the universe to let me know that I'm simply not paying enough attention or that I really need to listen to their advice.

And of course, my decks

(Source: http://www.worldoffroud.com/books/faeriesoracle.php)

(Source: https://www.mysticearth.net/store/home/php?cat=406)

(Source: http://www.blueangelonline.com/shadows.htm)

   

N = Nurturing our Creative Selves.

I have a few friends who claim to have no artistic ability, I have a few friends who have an amazing talent and can produce sketches that would rival any photograph and other amazingly crafty/artistic items.  Myself, I sit possibly somewhere in the middle.  Many years ago I began working on my sketching skills, but I let it slide - I let the creative side of me fall by the wayside to the demands of University and then work.  I'd try tapping into it every so often but I'd quickly loose interest.  It didn't help that, as stated above, I had some friends with amazing talent that made anything I did look like a 2 year olds finger painting.  I was incredibly insecure about what I produced, and being a perfectionist, I didn't want to produce something that was less than perfect.

It was only in 2007/8 that I really came to understand the nature of art and the importance of nurturing our creative side.  More importantly, I learned that by creating I was tapping into that spiritual core of myself, the inner child, the subconscious and that the work I produced didn't need to be worthy of the Louvre, it just had to come from the core.

Art is a great way to tap into our own inner selves, it is a way to express those parts of ourselves we don't consciously recognize (there is a reason its used in therapy).  Through art we can channel the divine and the divine within ourselves.  So what if your work is abstract, or it doesn't live up to another's standards?  If you can look at it and see yourself, see how you felt, see the divine, see the magic within it then you have achieved something truly great.

There are numerous mediums you can choose - art is a broad field.  I personally like to play with photography, sketching, painting, polymer clay and collage.  I have just started to delve into the world of watercolor.  I'm not a master at any of these, but every piece I produce holds a special place in my heart.  It talks of my journey, my feelings and emotions.  It helps me to look back and connect with myself. 

So let yourself go, embrace your inner creative selves, and work in an artistic medium - you'll probably be surprised by the results.

N is for Nautilus Shell and Spiral journeys

The Nautilus shell is probably the most well known spiral symbol we can think of.  Over 500 million years old they are amazing examples of sacred geometry. As the body of the Nautilus grows it moves from one chamber to the next within its shell sealing the old behind it.  A shell can have as many as 30 chambers within it.  Each spiral of the Nautilus shell grows larger by Phi (the Golden Ratio that is the building block of the universe).  Each revolution is the completion of a cycle.

Sacred Geometry is a reflection of the universe and the dynamic inter-connectedness between ourselves and the natural world. The spiral is a common element in sacred Geometry.  It can be found in the symbolism of numerous cultures throughout the world.  Much like archetypal figures it is a universal symbol that finds its way into cultures everywhere.  They appeal to us on a core/base level.  There is something appealing about the elegance and beauty of the spiral that we all feel connected to.

The Spiral represents a journey, the movement through stages (much as the nautilus moves from chamber to chamber) in your life in order to grow and continue  your cycle.  The spiral is life's journey - it is found in nature, in the universe, in our DNA.  It is also a highly useful tool for meditation.  For myself, when I want to take a dedicated journey in a meditative state - I visualize myself spiraling down a set of stairs into my deep conscious in order to access that part of myself.  Another meditative technique is to visualize a spiral (or actually print one out) where you can begin at the center and work your way up through the spiral, pausing, reflecting, taking the time to appreciate the changes that take place with each turn, taking time to look back and view the spiral you have just walked.  Its a great way to view your journey so far, as well as what may lay ahead.

M is for Meaning

For such a simple little word there is so much significance to understanding and applying it. It took me a very long time to try and come up with something to write for my second M post - so long in fact that I believe I am now ridiculously behind on the alphabet. But last night, just as I was drifting off to sleep it came to me. I should write about the importance of meaning. Now, as with all good ideas that spring to life in those brief moments before you finally fall asleep they didn't get much further beyond that initial thought (or it if did I don't remember) and so I apologize that this post will probably be quite disjointed as I'm not entirely working with a plan here.

What does it mean?

How often do we ask ourselves this question? I especially see this trend a lot among those who follow a spiritual path of any description (but mostly non-mainstream). The desire to understand why a series of events has taken place and the importance of said events to our lives. Now there is a long discourse I could go into here about how this is all a part of the human condition. How we are creatures with the desire to know, to attempt to understand the world and our place within it. This is after all why we have religions and spiritual practices, it is all a part of our need to figure it all out. But I'm going to leave that discussion there for now because its long winded, involves a lot of referencing and honestly I don't have the time or resources right at this moment to get into it. If people are really interested I'll recommend some books. They'll make your brain turn to mush but they're great.

So on to my point. We strive to find meaning in our lives, its natural, its instinctive and it makes us feel less small. But is it always necessary? Does everything have to have a significance? Does it have to be something that was intended, or caused, or part of a bigger picture? Does shit just happen? At what point do we draw the line between acknowledging the pattern of things and the possibility that the energy in the universe can be affected by our manipulations and surrendering to the idea that sometimes stuff just happens?

Assigning Meaning?

This is another idea I've been pondering. Who gives something meaning? Why do we give it meaning. This is particularly potent I believe in our practices. We assign so much meaning to certain colors, symbols, events, words etc but how often do we stop to think of why we do this? Are we just doing it this way because the book says so, because your friends all do it that way, or is it because to you there is a significance, a special meaning that clicks inside your mind and that radiates with that inner power?

From that point, does something gain meaning and significance because enough people have dictated that it is to be so? If it appears to be generally accepted that a particular color has a certain meaning yet this doesn't resonate with you should you be forcing yourself to accept the meaning of others or your own? To my mind, working with things that hold meaning in your own mind is of far greater power than attempting to fit into the beliefs of others. However, there is argument too for the idea that if enough people focus on a particular meaning than that has power too. See, no easy answers.

Just the pondering of my somewhat caffeine deprived brain this morning.

M is for Meditation, Movement and Music

Today's M post encompasses three things.  While I am aware that I could have divided them each up into their own posting for me each of them is linked to the other in ways that make sense to put them all together in this one post.

(Source: http:.//www.transformingourselves.com/Meditation.html)

Meditation: There are probably more forms of meditation out there than I can even hope to be able to rattle off here and so I am not going to try and summarize them all - if you're really curious Google it, I promise you you'll find lists at least a page long.  What I want to talk about is some of the less traditional ideas that tend to pop into peoples heads when they are presented with the term meditation.

When someone says the word meditation the majority of people are probably envisioning a period of time spent sitting or laying down in a quiet area while some generic (and often quite shockingly bad) music involving the sounds of nature plays in the background. (On a side note, why is there so much water involved in these tracks?  I mean I get that water is soothing, believe me I'm a water baby, but really doesn't it mostly just mean that inevitably your meditation is probably cut short by an overwhelming desire to pee). While I do meditate in this manor from time to time I find that it isn't necessarily the best method for my intended outcome.

I have a set pattern of imagery that I follow to make it to a desired location in my mind from which point things take their own separate paths...for me this is more a matter of training my mind that this sequence of images will trigger a relaxation into a deeper state of consciousness.  There is a journey I take down a spiral staircase, through a certain hall to a particular door and from their out into a field - once I reach that field my mind goes where it wants/needs to.  This is generally how I meditate.

When I'm working the type of meditation about I actually dislike having any music playing, I find it is more distracting than helpful, that is just me.  But that is not to say that music isn't an important part of the meditative process for me.  I have many forms of meditation I partake in that are based solely on music.

(Source: http://davidreiley.com/interests.html)

Music: I love to work with music, not just in my spiritual practices but in my study and writing as well.  Music is an amazing trigger for the mind.  When I study I play particular songs (they have to be without lyrics), these songs become a trigger for what I am reading and when I hear them again later they make the recall of the knowledge easier.  When I write I am inspired by the music, what I'm writing reflects how the music makes me feel.  When I'm meditating I become one with the music - it takes me on the journey and brings me back.

What kind of music do I listen to during meditation - that really depends.  I can range from Tool to New Age depending on what I'm doing as part of the meditation and the focus.  Tool is generally great for dance meditation.  I might listen to chakra balancing music while going for a walk Generally something soothing and mellow goes on while I'm meditating with Mandalas.  Meditative art can be accompanied by just about anything depending on the mood I'm in.  No matter what though, unless I'm actually doing a meditation such as described above music has to play a part.

(Source: http://sparkleampow.wordpress.com/tag/movement)

Movement: Obviously I'm generally not big on the 'meditation while standing still'  idea.  I'm just not a sit still kind of person, and I'm also someone who needs to emote through her body, hell I even talk with my hands, I simply need to move to express.  So I don't do a lot of sitting meditation.  In fact my most regular form of meditation is probably either swimming or walking  (and hey, if you can combine your spiritual practice with staying healthy why not).  Swimming and walking is like breathing for me, I don't think about the actions involved and so they are perfect activities in which to loose myself to the depths of my mind.

Dance and hooping are two others forms of meditation I love.  I can loose myself to the music and the movement and allow my body to express what my mind is exploring.  Basically, you can trance and let go allowing you to reach that inner child.  So for me the three M's of Meditation, Movement and Music go hand in hand with each other.  They are all part of the process of tapping in to that inner self.  I think it is important that we don't feel stifled by the general pre-conceived notions of what meditation is and allow ourselves to think 'outside the box' (I hate that term but can't think of an alternative right now) and embrace different ways of working with the idea of meditation.

L is for Listening

How often do you truly listen?  I mean really listen, as in shutting your mind and not just your mouth and opening your whole being to take in the world around you?  I know I don't as often as I should and it is something that I'm working on now.

For me meditation usually has a goal in mind, not necessarily a guided goal but I generally am trying to achieve something, a connection, a message, something.  Listening for me is something different.  I have no agenda, I am not trying to 'hear' anything, rather I am trying to 'listen', that is I'm trying to shut my mind off and become completely aware of the world around me, of the way it sounds.  Its a pretty amazing experience.

When we open up ourselves to really listen to the world we perceive our place within it in a different light.  I've come to realize more deeply how connected everything is.  I have also come to see the depth and the darkness and the light and the energy and the potential for awe and terror.  And as you develop further and open more you begin to 'hear' things, things that may not make sense but fill you with a feeling of something beyond words.

I try to make time to listen most nights before bed, when the world is somewhat quieter and I can let my mind relax because I know I will be sleeping after.  It takes some practice, but it is well worth the effort.

L is for Lughnasadh

Since I'm so far behind that my L catch up coincides with Lughnasadh that is today's topic.

Lughnasadh (or Lammas) is the first of the three harvest festivals.  It marks the mid point of summer and celebrates the first harvest and the hope for continued fertility throughout the harvest season.  Where I am (California) it is a little difficult to get into the celebration of the mid point of summer.  When it seems that temperatures are only just starting to get ridiculously hot it is difficult to picture an end to the summer months.  But the nights are cool and the crops appear to be in abundance while my plants bring forth new growth once more and it all makes me smile to see the wheel turning. 

Some background: The festival is named after the Celtic god Lugh and the games that took place were dedicated to his foster mother Talitiu - who is said to be a linked to the idea of an earth mother goddess.  This is the time that signals the beginning of the shift to those shorter days (I see this each morning as I now begin to arise before the sun at my regular time) the sun is still strong but we can really begin to notice the length of days becoming shorter.  The general focus of activities at this time of year are on fertility in the coming harvests to ensure a plentiful season and the honoring of the god Lugh.  Corn is one of the main crops for this time of year and as such corn dollies can play a role in your celebrations.

As we move into this 'harvest' season we move towards an time of the year for inward reflection.  It is the perfect time to consider looking back on what we can 'harvest' from the lessons we've learned this year.  It is also a time to reflect on our place in this modern world and the connection that we share with it.  It is so easy in these modern times to loose track of the cycles of the season, and especially the idea of the harvest.  Unless one is fortunate enough to have their own gardens to tend (which sadly I do not) the importance of working with the land, of the teamwork that comes between us and nature to reap the fruits of the earth, is lost to a modern world of grocery stores.  Lughnasadh is a perfect opportunity to take time out and honor the work that goes into producing your food and to try and tune in to the season at hand.

That being said, what are my plans for this Lughnasadh...well my house is currently home to three adult house guests so I've lost all my ritual spaces and I'm also playing hostess, so I think my celebration will be put off  until the weekend when I can finally claim my home back and get it feeling like my sacred space again.

K is for Kismet

Kismet

Kismet – meaning roughly fate or destiny.

There are a great many theories out there regarding the idea of fate and destiny.  It isn’t a simple matter of those who believe in it and those who don’t, there are varying degrees of belief too.  It is something I have had numerous discussion with myself over, uncertain where I truly stand on the matter.  Perhaps it is best to start with some definitions.

From dictionary.com
Fate:

1. Something that unavoidably befalls a person
2. The universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably described
3. That which is inevitably predetermined.

Destiny:

1.  Something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing.
2.  The predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events.
3.  The power or agency that determines the course of events

So, were we to take this from a more literal perspective of definitions 3 and 2 than one would have to say that the idea of Kismet does exist.  There are things in life which are inevitable, death and growing older, for example.  These are things we cannot avoid, they are the natural flow of events and are therefore predetermined to happen.  This literal meaning is usually not what people are referring to when they discuss the idea of Kismet or Fate.

Usually the notion of Kismet is linked to events that people look back on in hindsight and see a pattern that appears to dictate that an event was ‘fated’ to happen.  Is this idea simply viewing the world through a lens that wishes to give greater meaning to events in our lives than actually exists?  Are we trying to make ourselves feel better by not acknowledging that a set of coincidences took place that just happened to work out in our favor in the long run?

If we believe that things are destined to happen then who do we place the burden of those decisions on?  Is there a force beyond our comprehension that has dictated a series of plans for our life  and we are just there for the journey?  If that is that case, then does anything we do impact this path, is it set in concrete that no matter what avenue we appear to be taking we actually have no choice.  Is it a case of a predestined outcome that we will reach no matter the journey?  Are there several key events that ‘have’ to happen in our lives but we get to ‘choose our own adventure’ to get to that point?

Or, as some believe, are we the ones that chose our path for this lifetime?  Did we pick what lessons we wanted to learn this time around and our journey is preordained by ourselves?  This is a hard one for a lot of people to deal with I think because it implies that one chose the crappy things that happen in ones life.  I think many find it far easier to place the blame for all the stuff they don’t like on a greater force so that they don’t have to comprehend the possibility that one might actually choose to suffer and sacrifice for the greater learning to be gained from it.

I personally find it hard to believe that there is some path that has been chosen for us that we are to walk in this lifetime.  While it is all well and good to say ‘but this is obviously what I was meant to learn this time around’ I think our ‘soul/essence’ whatever we wish to call it has a little more say in the process than that.  I cannot see a greater force sitting on high dictating that this lifetime I will learn the importance of patience, perseverance and friendship.  So I tend to lean more towards the idea that we have picked the path before us to an extent (I do not believe we mapped it all out and are simply following that map – there is a disconnect that occurs when our soul is overridden by our physical existence that seems to negate the point of creating a roadmap).  We have chosen certain lessons and experiences that we want to partake in and are birthed with the potential for this course of action to take place.  But, we don’t always get there. 

I think we have to take a certain level of responsibility for the destiny/fate that we have chosen.  As we progress through life our soul is overridden by physical and social experiences that create a being we believe to be ‘us’.  This being is capable of allowing us to lead our lives with little or no relation to the experiences that our soul chose.  It is only if we strive to beomce conscious of the inner voice, the one that tells us where to tread if we but listen, that we can tap into a conscious understanding of what our destiny for this lifetime is meant to be.

K is for Keeping to a budget.

Most of us are not going to have an endless supply of finances that enables us to buy every shiny new object that catches our fancy.  If we desperately want a ritual item we have to save up for it, budget it in and really challenge ourselves with regards to wheter it is something we 'want' or 'need'.  But there are other ways to get the objects we want for our path.

One person's junk is another one's treasure...this saying definitely holds true I believe when it comes to kitting oneself out with the various paraphernalia that tends to be associated with the pagan path.  Most people find themselves searching for certain objects that the wish to use as part of their practice.  Many of us I am sure began our studies thinking that we had to have the greatest thing purchased from the local new age store generally at a quite exorbitant cost.  It isn't until later that we begin to realize that the best tools are things that we either make ourselves or find some other way.

Now not all of us are skilled enough or have enough time to devote to making our own tools so we are left having to purchase them in some way.  This does not have to require a great deal of money though.  In fact if there is one comment thread I've noticed among my pagan friends its that we're all thrifty little buggers who with a bit of creative thinking and ingenuity have managed to come up with wonderful ritual/spiritual items without it costing an arm and a leg.

Please don't think that I am not advocating the support of ones local new age/pagan/alternative store - I'm not.  I do realize how important it is to support local business of any kind but that being said it isn't always practical or fiscally possible, especially in today's economy.  This is where thrift stores and yard sales become a witches best friend.  You can usually pick up some amazing deals on items that you wouldn't have found anywhere and I find that when you do the object ends up having more meaning to you for the process gone through to achieve it than anything you order online.

Of course purchasing items this way does sometimes take some thinking outside the box.  When it comes to candle holders, bowls or chalices and the like things can be pretty straight forward.  Most of us realize that if something is plain, a little worn, or not the right color there is generally something we can do to fix that.  Of course it isn't every day that you're going to go thrift shopping and pick up a goddess statue, or and old cauldron and so we have to think a little differently here.  Goddesses  - it is easy enough generally to find some nice ceramic statues of women in various forms that could become your representation of the maiden, mother, crone etc.  Maybe you found a stag or a hare statue that could represent your deity, or something else that is relatively mainstream but symbolizes something to you.  Cauldrons don't have to be cast iron (depending on what you're doing with them) you will probably find some great candle holders that look like cauldrons or other containers that have a similar shape.

This kind of shopping comes in handy too if you are trying to be subtle about your beliefs.  One can easily have on display a group of statues of women in different guises as the maiden, mother, crone aspect.  Or cauldron's as candle holders.  A stag as your masculine energy, or a statue of a young couple for Beltane, the possibilities are endless.

Now as for making things, well that can get as simple or as complex as you would like.  Polymer clay is a wonderful medium - you don't have to be a sculptor you just have to be willing to get your hands dirty.  You can make some amazing items either for spell work (amulets etc) or even your own statues and BOS covers.  Painting or drawing is also an option - why not get some canvases and create your own mural or focal point for meditation.  If you can't draw/paint there is always collage - how many of us have created or seen peoples wonderful 'Full Moon' boards that are used for inspiration.  Now some of this can get expensive if you hit up Michaels or somewhere similar, but you can find supplies at dollar stores, thrift stores or other discount places.  Runes can be made with glass pebbles and a paint pen (if you don't have access to something to cut and carve wood). You can make offering dishes out of terracotta plant dishes that you paint.  You could use some glass paint to create your own candle holders using cheap plain glass ones and a stencil or free hand drawing.  There is, once again, an endless list of ideas.

J is for Journey to the Dark Goddess

Ok, I'm behind on my posts and playing catch up for PBP so here, finally, is my second J post.

Today's post is about a book, not just any book, an awesome book.  I am in love with this book.  I had read a couple of articles by the author previously and it made me want to own this book to the point I had it on order ready to ship the day it was released and I have to say I have not been disappointed thus far.

Journey to the Dark Goddess: How to Return to Your Soul by Jane Meredith is definitely going on my 'to recommend to others list'.  The writing style is easy to read and truthful, there is no BS but there is also such power in her words.  I was reading the intro of the chapter "Preparing for Descent" and I could feel the dark mother talking through the words.

This book isn't just about Shadow Working it is about embracing and working with the Dark Mother, of learning to let her into your life in a partnership and the benefits of such workings.  The activities that are given include some of my favorite spiritual practices - but most importantly she encourages you to explore it all through crafty/artistic activities - something I believe taps into our subconscious far better than 'talk'.  

Better yet, the journey is explored through various mythologies, the story of Inanna, Psyche, Persephone are all explored throughout the various journey stages.  The connection is made that myth is a teacher, a link to the human subconscious and universal conscious that is so important to understand.

I am working through the book still - exploring deeper.  I may choose to journal some of that journey here, I don't know yet.  There is definitely a certain power to owning your experiences by voicing them, but the experience will dictate whether it is suitable for public consumption.  I will update more on the book as I journey through it though.

J is for Journaling

Many of us I am certain have used a journal at some stage in their lives, it is an important part of our learning process and it is always interesting to look back over the years at how we’ve changed. 

I have been a sporadic journal keeper throughout my life.  I go through phases where I keep one and phases when I don’t and it has been interesting to look back at them.  Journaling isn’t just for teenage dreams and angst; it is an important spiritual technique also.

Throughout your spiritual practice you may find journaling to be beneficial in a number of ways.  Firstly, in simply tracking your journey in life – part of our spiritual growth is to better understand ourselves and so simply keeping a standard journal that you can look back on plays an important role in that.  You can also keep a dream journal – I am terrible at this, I recall my dreams no problems but I don’t have time to write it all out first thing in the morning as I’m usually jumping straight in the shower.  I tend to ponder my dreams in there but the benefits of dream journals are many.  It can train your mind to recall dreams, you can use it to create your own dream dictionary and it is a great way to tap into your own meanings. 

You can also keep and Oracle/Tarot/Rune or general divination journal – a way to record your drawings and to perhaps cast for a week and return and record events at the end of the week.  It gives a great deal of insight into your journey. 

Keeping a journal of your spell work and rituals (which I’ve seen called your Book of Shadows and Book of Mirrors) is another good way to track what works for you and what doesn’t.  This type of journal can be quite complex with recordings of hours, moon phases, moods, etc or it can be as simple as you make it.  This is especially a good idea when we consider that oft times it takes time for magic to work.  We can work a spell and forget about it before it actually comes to fruition and this is a great tool for looking back and tracking the spell.

The journal that I currently keep I found the idea from in a book on Wiccan Wellness.  I liked the idea so much I ran with it.  Essentially one divides the journal up into three sections. Body, Mind, Spirit.  When you journal each time you write an entry in each section.  The categories are pretty obvious.  Body deals with how your body is feeling that day, Mind deals with your thoughts etc and Spirit deals with your spiritual aspects and connections.  It is a great tool to look a little deeper than the usual gloss over for me, it forces me to go deeper.

Intellectualism , or stepping beyond the 101.

I apologize, this is going to be a rant - so if you do not wish to read it, move on now.

I have grown absolutely frustrated and infuriated by those who do not approach this path without a willingness to apply a little intellectual discernment to their practices.  I understand that in the beginning everything is new and shiny and generally you are so wrapped up in attempting to find out about it all that you pick up books and things from the web and devour them with a ferocious appetite but at some point you have to let go of the mere intake of "knowledge" and challenge what you are reading, critically analyse the data and apply your own common sense and ingrained spiritual knowledge and come up with your own understanding and path.

There aren't a lot of advanced wicca or witchcraft books out there - because you can't find that in a book.  You can buy all the 101 books you want, it usually shouldn't take long before you reach the conclusion that it is all just a regurgitation of the same ideas perhaps with a different gloss.  So move beyond it people, challenge what you're reading, form your own ideas.  Explore other paths, pick up books on topics that help make this spiritual journey, these aren't books that are going to have a pretty witchy title and spoon feed you information, they are books on psychology, on energy work, on mysticism, on mythology that will challenge you to better understand yourself and the world around you.  They will motivate you to explore your path, to attempt to connect to the universe, to feel secure in your own knowledge and practice because you've taken the time to understand yourself and the world.  They will open your eyes to connections you have not seen.  Then take this and work with it, meditate, journey work, hell just somehow open yourself up to the answers that are waiting for you in the universe.  You want an answer to something, observe nature, watch people, really SEE the world and you will find it.

We follow a mystery tradition - that involves practice, it involves exploring the dark depths of ourselves, it involves coming to terms with our position in the world and the universe and how we view magic and deity and energy and this cannot come from merely reading books and not thinking.  Maybe I've just reached a point in my journey where I crave something deeper but I get so frustrated at those who profess to walk this path but who refuse to think for themselves.  We do not hold a book as gospel, a sacred text that one should follow - there are some great books out there I acknowledge that - but take the information and think about it critically, process it through your own belief system and your gut instinct of what feels right or wrong, or makes sense.  Anyone can write a book, it doesn't mean that they are right.  Engage your brain!  How I could go on about all the crap that cycles around about the 'burning times' by witches who haven't got a clue what the history of the period is because all they've done is read some revisionist new age crap about how it is the witches holocaust etc etc without looking into the history of the period.  Or those who profess the roots of Wicca go back to medieval, ancient or neolithic times, utter crap!  Wicca is a modern tradition (and there is nothing wrong with that, just don't make it out to be something it isn't).

I have nothing against those who seek answers, who ask questions as long as they are willing to take that information and use it as a springboard for exploring their OWN thoughts and ideas.  It frustrates me to see constantly people asking for a spell for this, how to do that, what this means without putting effort into finding the answers for themselves.  How is someone else's view of deity or magic going to get you anywhere?

Inanna

Inanna was the paramount Sumerian goddess, queen of Heaven and Earth, goddess of love, fertility and war and played a significant role within the lives of those who lived in Sumer.  What she is perhaps most known for in modern spiritual practices in her link with the notion of descending into oneself.

Inanna’s Descent:

Source: http://inanna.virtualave.net/inanna.html

Throughout the literature of Sumer there are works that describe the descent of Inanna into the underworld.  It is said that Inanna quested into the underworld – the realm of her sister Ereshkigal – in order to challenge herself – although the myth talks of her coming to offer funerary rites for Ereshkigal’s husband.  That she had already descended from Heaven to Earth in a desire for knowledge and that to complete this journey she felt she must take the further step by descending into the darkness of death and the underworld is hinted at in her mythology.

At the gates of the underworld Inanna is challenged by Neti and is told that in order to enter she must give up all her earthly trappings.  She must pass through seven stations in order to reach her sister –the number of the natural world – 7 plays an important role within many different spiritual traditions.  By the end of her journey Inanna is stripped bare, she is exposed as her true self, vulnerable but she must accept this vulnerability.  Through her journey she discovers the need for sacrifice and the cycles of life that must be fulfilled.

Source: http://www.lunaea.com/goddess/wisdom/inanna.html

Other aspects of this myth also hold interest.  Her reliance on her faithful servant Ninshubur to seek assistance should she not return within three days can be seen as Inanna leaving a part of herself behind on the earthly plain as she descends within the Underworld.  This is similar to people having someone act as a tether during deep journey work.

Ereshkigal is also an interesting aspect that reflects the importance of the Inanna descent myth.  She is Inanna’s sister and as such is linked with her, she is a part of her, the primal power that exists deep within, that sleeps at the root of our core.  Her reaction to the threat of Inanna’s presence is very primal, it shows the defensive rage that our inner primal being can greet any intrusion upon our power core.  In the end Ereshkigal is grateful for Inanna’s journey to her realm but it takes a process of working through, to get to that point. 

What does Inanna teach us?

 Myth is an amazing teacher – that is its purpose.  Inanna and her descent are great lessons on the importance of letting go of one’s ‘self’ in order to find true enlightenment.  It teaches us of the cycles of life much like the myth of Demeter, Persephone and Hades.  It demonstrates the different levels of our consciousness that can be attained through methods of descent.

Sources:

Inanna: Journey to the Dark Center - http://inanna.virtualave.net/inannanew.html

Library of Alexandria (Interpretation of Inanna’s Descent Myth) - http://www.halexandria.org/dward387.htm

Inanna’s descent to the nether world: translation - http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/section1/tr141.htm

Holy Days and Holidays

Source: http://moonsmuses.com/beltane.html

With Beltane fast approaching I was thinking once again about how nice it would be if I could take off my Holy Days without having to forfeit my vacation time.  You see I have this crazy theory that I wish we could institute within businesses regarding the holidays that we are given each year – what if we could choose them!

(Okay, first a clarification here – I’m talking American holidays here.  I make this classification because back home is Australia a holiday is the time you take off to go away, or between school terms etc whereas in the USA that is called vacation time.  By holidays I am referring to what we would call Bank Holidays or those government approved days off that occur randomly throughout the year.)

Now I know it varies from workplace to workplace around here in the USA but I’m going to speak in general terms and from my own experience in this situation.  So where I work I have 8 holidays a year.  These holidays are dictated by my employer from a pool of government approved holidays (New Years Day, MLK Jr Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day) and as a pagan and a non-American they each pretty much mean absolutely nothing to me other than a day I don’t have to go into work.  In fact I challenge anyone to find me a handful of people who actually find significance in each and every one of these holidays.  How much nicer would it be if we actually took Holy Days instead.  Days that held some meaning for us, that were given over to a celebration of whatever we held dear instead of just having time off.  Now I’m sure an economist could probably come up with some grand argument about why my theory wouldn’t work but I’m not an economist so *shrugs*

Source: http://www.fortnet.org/sojourn/

We have so many varied and different faiths in this world, we each hold sacred different beliefs and events.  Why can we not have equal ability to honor these things.  I am by no means suggesting that we each be allowed to take whatever days we hold Holy and call them a holiday – after all a pagan could find something for just about every day of the year (just take a look at how much of the ancient Roman calendar was given over to celebrations of one kind or another) but that if a company declares you can have 8 holidays are year you should be able to pick what those days would be.  So instead of the list above I could choose to take off my 8 sabbats throughout the year.

I would be able to take time out to honor and celebrate my personal beliefs and traditions without having to give up a large percentage of my vacation time.  I often wish I could devote an entire day to honoring each sabbat and preparing feasts etc.

H is for Hearths - The Heart of the Home

(Source: http://www.celticjackalope.com/product_info.php?products_id=564&osCsid=dfccf799bd862b7e9ed9e5fbd14ca07d)

We've all most likely heard of hearth magick - and it is often bunched in together with kitchen witchery and the like. The idea stems from the historical notion of the hearth being the center of the home (quite literally if one goes back far enough in history).  The hearth was where the majority of daily life took place, you cooked your food here, socialized, stayed warm and participated in spiritual practices.  Perhaps the most famous of the hearth deities would be Hestia(Greek)/Vesta(Roman).  An offering would be made to Hestia/Vesta at each meal.  The fortunes and successes of Rome were intricately linked with the workings of the cult of Vesta.  In fact throughout most Western societies you see a great deal of importance placed on the hearth fire in general (I speak of Western societies because I don't know may of the Eastern traditions that well).

 (Source: http://tumblrcoven.tumblr.com/post/3507712129/hestia-vesta-hestia-or-vesta-was-the)

Of course today things are a little different.  Lets face it, few of us still cook around the home hearth (unless you count your stove as your hearth), and a lot of us don't even have a fire place of any description and so we forget about the importance of the hearth.  What is key to recognize here is that the hearth is more than just the fireplace, it is the center of the home, the place where the family gathers, it is the heart.  You don't need to have a fireplace to have a hearth, all you need to do is set up a space where you can create your home's heart.
(Source: http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/23100/23154/vesta_23154.htm)

Some people will put up a mantle on the wall and decorate it like a fire place but you don't have to go that far if you don't want to.  You could use a shelf of some description, a table top, etc.  Get creative.  What do you put on it?  There are so many options here - although I find simplicity for a hearth is the best way to go.  Something that represents fire is a logical start.  You could place something symbolic to a hearth deity (or an image of one).  Crystals that would promote health, abundance and love for your household.  An offering bowl or something similar.  A family photo.  The options are endless.

(Source: http://www.123rf.com/photo_752534_black-hearth-in-the-middle-of-a-flame.html)

The important part is to take the time to set aside a place that is central to your home, a place you can see that symbolizes what is important in your home.  Somewhere you could meditate or make offerings at.  A focal point.  If you have household deities you may also choose to set up a place here for them to reside.

G is for Grounding

Grounding - one of the most important parts of everyday life not just a spiritual one.  I wish more people knew about grounding and took the time to participate in it, I think the world would be a lot more mellow.

Why do we ground?  Well really we are essentially energy beings, sometimes that energy gets out of whack and we need to ground it out in order to return to balance.  We need to ground before we undertake any highly spiritual activity to ensure that we are in balance and tethered to this realm.  Empaths ground a lot, especially when they feel others emotions strongly, it helps them deal with the energies that don't belong to them.

When do we ground? Whenever we feel the need to.  Sometimes we ground to re-balance ourselves, to get rid of negative emotions, before ritual or other spiritual practices, when we're feeling drained etc.

How do we ground?  In oh so many different ways.  We can physically touch the earth (bare feet, hands, lay down on it or just touch it in some way - ever notice that if you're really annoyed you will want to walk it out - you're releasing energy through contact with the ground).  You can also hold a crystal and channel your energies into that (make sure you cleanse regularly if you're going to do that).  A common one is to visualize roots, either from your feet or tail bone, extending into the earth - this is a good one because you cant be anywhere to do this and nobody is any the wiser. You can ground with a partner, stomp or shake it out, the list could go on and on.  I bet there are even some times you don't realize you're doing it.

I honestly don't know how I ever did without this technique in my life, it has saved me numerous times.  I appear to be quite empathic and so I keep crystals around me at all times so that I have something to ground out into if I need it or if I can I try to get outside (sometimes it takes me a little while to realize what is going on but I get there eventually).  Its a great way to start your day off too.  Taking a moment to just ground and center oneself.

G is for Getting over it - Using ritual to close the past.

One of the hardest things for me to do in my life is to get over things.  Not the little things – but those big things, and those things that sit in the back of your mind and haunt you.  Part of this is the little voice in my head that likes to constantly call out how wrong I am about things.  In order to grow thought we need to be able to put these things behind us, to be able to cast off the shadows of doubt and the shackles of history and move forward to embrace ourselves and our role within this life.

Now I know that a lot of people believe everything happens for a reason, and I am by no means discounting that belief.  I personally believe that we would not be the people we are today without what has happened in our past, but that doesn’t mean we have to carry the baggage around with us.  If you believe that we choose our life lessons for each lifetime that doesn’t mean that we have to dwell on them, in fact dwelling to me indicates that you haven’t learnt from them but rather that you are still trying to piece the correct lesson together out of it.

Throughout my life I have had some pretty nasty stuff happen to me.  I am a survivor of child sexual abuse and I have not always made the best decisions in my life.  But since I found my pagan path I have definitely been able to come to terms more with the things that have occurred and have been able to take my learning from them and let them go.  I am certain that other religions have various ways of dealing with it but for me the symbolism of ritual is an amazing way to “get over it.”

Here is where I should probably clarify.  I am not saying that one should simply create an awesome ritual and you will be done with the event.  What I am saying is that once you have taken the time to churn it over, analyze, rant, rave, cry and otherwise move through your experience ritual is a great way to close the book on the process.

Over the years I’ve developed a few different ways of dealing with this scenario. 

Firstly, some ideas to get it all out: 

•  Unconscious writing: - sit and just write it out – it can be single words, or entire essays the idea is to not think but to feel and let the feelings flow through you.
• Confront the person: - Now I don’t mean literally here (sometimes that isn’t even an option) but rather talk as if they were there or write it out just get what you wish you could say out of your head.
• Visit that you of the past: - Do a meditative journey and visit with your past self, talk to them about it and help them deal with the events.
• Energize: - use dance or some form of movement to physically work the feelings out of your system.

(This is by no means an exhaustive list, just a few I’ve used.  The key I would say to all though is the set up – make sure you’re ready for what will come out, create yourself a sacred/safe space to do this in, and if needs be have someone with you for it).

Secondly, some ways to ritualize the release:

• Written words: If on paper you can burn them, bury them, shred them, flush them (warning here, if you’re flushing I’d burn first and flush the ashes or write on toilet paper), etc  If you’ve written on an object you can dispose of it in an appropriate way. 
• Meditation: complete an activity within the journey such as a ritual jumping through the flames etc. Smudge and ground and center afterwards.
• Energize: scream it out, work up to a crescendo and let it all go somehow then do a gentle bring down, something to re-gather yourself and re-center.

F is for Facing your Fears

I have been blessed this past little while to have been able to journey down my shadow path with two very dear friends.  The support that I have been given by them in facing my fears has been incredible and it is only just the beginning of this journey.  I did not realize how much better the shadow working experience could be when done with others rather than faced alone, suddenly things seem less insurmountable and there are people who understand and who can offer an outside perspective.

My journey into the shadow is an important part of the spiritual path I'm taking right now, I feel that in order to truly tap into my own spiritual being I need to address the issues of my shadow.  Until I have faced some of my fears I cannot truly embrace the mysteries that my chosen path has waiting for me.  One of my biggest fears is letting go and that is an important element if I am to truly journey down the rabbit hole of mystery traditions.  Due to experiences in my past I have a serious need to be in control all the time - the idea of giving up my self completely to an experience or deity scares the crap out of me to be blunt.  The idea of allowing myself to let go enough to do certain journey work is also a big fear of mine and these are key ingredients that need to be addressed.

In the short time that I've been working with my shadow I have seen vast improvements - I can't recommend it enough, although only when you feel you are ready.  I have a long hard journey ahead of me but so far the rewards are proving worth it.  Fear exists to be conquered and through shadow work I'm conquering mine.

F is for Finding Time

Given how late this blog posting is I find the title rather appropriate.  I have obviously been struggling with finding time in my life for all things, but especially for this project and other spiritual activities.  Why is it that as soon as life gets busy my spiritual practices are the first things to get put on hold?  This is a failing of mine that I need to work on but obviously there are outside pressures that make it easier to put this on the back burner rather than work or school.  Lets face it nothing is going to come down and smite you for not practicing your meditations or chakra work etc - however, should you not show up at work or fail to hand in an assignment things have immediate consequences.  Of course that isn't to say that not partaking of activities to nourish the soul don't have consequences - lets face it, we become disconnected if we don't, but they are less 'in your face' so we tend to pass them off as not existing.

So this is my dilemma, making myself make time for myself and my spiritual path.  I work full time, I am going to school part time to do my Masters degree, I have a house to maintain, I play soccer and I have my coven group and that pretty much fills my week (I'm so glad I don't have children to add into that equation) - I'm usually so exhausted that any down time I have I spend not wanting to engage my brain or napping, its a nasty little cycle.

So I'm trying to learn to make time within my busy schedule.  I found an awesome chakra CD that has music that I can feel stimulating each chakra so I listen to that at work while I'm working (trying to multi-task).  I may end up putting this project off to a once every two weeks thing - I have every other Friday off so I can get two posts done then and just deal with it that way, its not how it is supposed to go but I also don't want to give up on this.  Need to get back into the habit of doing my daily oracle draw and hopefully the Monday night shadow work I've been doing will pick up again.

But if anyone has other suggestions on how to sneak it all into a busy schedule I'm open for ideas.  I've thought about dropping something but I just can't.  I need to work (bills, mortgage etc), I am so close to finishing school I'm not giving that up (four classes away), Soccer is sometimes the only exercise I get in a week (although giving that up may be out of my control if we can't pull a team together) and I will not have a stranger come in and clean my house (I just don't trust them no matter how vetted they are) and of course my coven is very important to me also.

So there are the ramblings of a distracted woman...but they are off the chest now :)