Weekly blog prompt: In the busy world we live, how do you find time for your spiritual self? How do you maintain your spiritual growth and nurture your inner connection to deity in between meetings, phone calls, traffic jams, family, friends and everything else you do?
This is, by far, the biggest challenge I've been facing. I've been finding that work, personal life, and being in the middle of moving are all contributing to my spiritual life getting put on the back burner. The weekly practice has been helping me get out of this rut that I always find myself in when I'm busy, thought.
I find that some very simple things help maintain my spiritual growth when I'm busy. For example, going to sit and eat in a natural area during my lunch break, walking home and enjoying the fresh air instead of taking the bus (weather permitted), meditating before bed. I may not have time for a long practice everyday, but it's the little things that count, right?
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
BLOG PROMPT/UPDATE
Blog prompt: Have you ever had a spiritual experience that was so amazing it changed you? What happened? How did you feel? How did you change or grow from it?
As far as spiritual experiences go, I've never had a great epiphany or experience that changed my life. The closest thing I've experienced like that is a dream I had when I was 17. It started with me walking into a forest and sitting on a rock. An unclear divine-like figure came up to me and started speaking to me in an unintelligible language. I somehow knew it was saying "stop worrying so much" and things along those lines. When I woke up I felt extremely peaceful. I wouldn't say I changed a lot from it, but whenever I think about it I find it very comforting.
On another note, I really enjoyed going to the event that ESSNS held for Beltane. I didn't get to stay for the ritual because I had to leave early, but I met some nice people while I was there. Since I missed the ritual, I'm going to be doing a simple, solitary full moon one tomorrow (technically today, since it's 1:30 AM) to fulfill my monthly ritual commitment.
On yet another note, I just signed a lease starting in June, which is way earlier than I originally thought I'd be moving out... that means I'll get to set up a permanent altar earlier than I thought! I think I'm way more excited about this than I should be.
As far as spiritual experiences go, I've never had a great epiphany or experience that changed my life. The closest thing I've experienced like that is a dream I had when I was 17. It started with me walking into a forest and sitting on a rock. An unclear divine-like figure came up to me and started speaking to me in an unintelligible language. I somehow knew it was saying "stop worrying so much" and things along those lines. When I woke up I felt extremely peaceful. I wouldn't say I changed a lot from it, but whenever I think about it I find it very comforting.
On another note, I really enjoyed going to the event that ESSNS held for Beltane. I didn't get to stay for the ritual because I had to leave early, but I met some nice people while I was there. Since I missed the ritual, I'm going to be doing a simple, solitary full moon one tomorrow (technically today, since it's 1:30 AM) to fulfill my monthly ritual commitment.
On yet another note, I just signed a lease starting in June, which is way earlier than I originally thought I'd be moving out... that means I'll get to set up a permanent altar earlier than I thought! I think I'm way more excited about this than I should be.
Thursday, 8 May 2014
THE SPIRAL DANCE: THOUGHTS
Starhawk offers some excellent insight into the theory and practice of Witchcraft in this book. A lot of it (maybe over half) was actually ritual outlines, correspondences, and exercises, which wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but very useful nonetheless. I enjoyed getting perspective from a follower of the Feri Tradition.
One thing that I found particularly interesting was her differentiation between Abrahamic religions and Eastern traditions versus Witchcraft and Goddess traditions in the sense that Judo-Christian and Eastern religions often emphasize overcoming basic humanness, for example sexuality, while Goddess traditions encourage the celebration of these natural things that are a part of being human. She also points out that Witchcraft and Goddess traditions do not have a "wise person", there is no grand witch to reveal the truth to others like in many religions. I like how much she emphasizes self-reliance when it comes to spirituality.
"It is important, however, to separate the concept of polarity from our culturally conditioned images of male and female. The Male and Female forces represent difference, yet they are not different, in essence: They are the same force flowing in opposite, but not opposed, directions. The Chinese concept of Yin and Yang is somewhat similar, but in Witchcraft the description of the forces is very different. Neither is “active” or “passive,” dark or light, dry or moist—instead, each partakes of all those qualities. The Female is seen as the life-giving force, the power of manifestation, of energy flowing into the world to become form. The Male is seen as the death force, in a positive, not a negative sense: the force of limitation that is the necessary balance to unbridled creation, the force of dissolution, of return to formlessness. Each principle contains the other: Life breeds death, feeds on death; death sustains life, makes possible evolution and new creation. They are part of a cycle, each dependent on the other."
I really identify with her view on the polarity of the divine here. I don't have much to say about this as, coincidentally, it's nearly identical to my views.
One of the only issues I had with this book is that she presents a history of Goddess worship, but she uses her imagination to "reconstruct" this history while presenting it as fact. I have no problem with her writing her interpretation of the past, but she should have explicitly stated that it is only an interpretation.
Overall though, this book was very well written, poetic, and insightful. I've used a few of her exercises that she's included and I find them helpful. I look forward to trying more of them. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it.
One thing that I found particularly interesting was her differentiation between Abrahamic religions and Eastern traditions versus Witchcraft and Goddess traditions in the sense that Judo-Christian and Eastern religions often emphasize overcoming basic humanness, for example sexuality, while Goddess traditions encourage the celebration of these natural things that are a part of being human. She also points out that Witchcraft and Goddess traditions do not have a "wise person", there is no grand witch to reveal the truth to others like in many religions. I like how much she emphasizes self-reliance when it comes to spirituality.
"It is important, however, to separate the concept of polarity from our culturally conditioned images of male and female. The Male and Female forces represent difference, yet they are not different, in essence: They are the same force flowing in opposite, but not opposed, directions. The Chinese concept of Yin and Yang is somewhat similar, but in Witchcraft the description of the forces is very different. Neither is “active” or “passive,” dark or light, dry or moist—instead, each partakes of all those qualities. The Female is seen as the life-giving force, the power of manifestation, of energy flowing into the world to become form. The Male is seen as the death force, in a positive, not a negative sense: the force of limitation that is the necessary balance to unbridled creation, the force of dissolution, of return to formlessness. Each principle contains the other: Life breeds death, feeds on death; death sustains life, makes possible evolution and new creation. They are part of a cycle, each dependent on the other."
I really identify with her view on the polarity of the divine here. I don't have much to say about this as, coincidentally, it's nearly identical to my views.
One of the only issues I had with this book is that she presents a history of Goddess worship, but she uses her imagination to "reconstruct" this history while presenting it as fact. I have no problem with her writing her interpretation of the past, but she should have explicitly stated that it is only an interpretation.
Overall though, this book was very well written, poetic, and insightful. I've used a few of her exercises that she's included and I find them helpful. I look forward to trying more of them. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it.
Thursday, 1 May 2014
HAPPY BELTANE
Happy Beltane everyone, and a Happy Samhain to our friends in the southern hemisphere!
I did some mediation and baked some oatcakes today to celebrate:
I did some mediation and baked some oatcakes today to celebrate:
mmmmmm...
I wanted to leave a few as an outdoor offering, but it was so rainy and foggy today that I'll just save them and do it tomorrow.
ESSNS (Earth Spirit Society of Nova Scotia) will be holding a public Beltane ritual on May 10th, and it'll be my very first ritual done with other people *squeals with excitement*
Monday, 28 April 2014
ALTAR AND FIRST BOOK CHOICE
I haven't been able to have a permanent altar set up for a few weeks now, and I likely won't be able to again until September. My roommate is in Calgary for the summer and I can't afford rent on my own, so I'm alternating between staying with my parents and my boyfriend. Not only do I need something portable, I also don't have much privacy either.
So my solution has been this:
I have a designated space in both my parent's house and my boyfriend's apartment. When I have to travel between the two, I just pack up my items and go. It's not ideal, obviously, but it's the best I can do until I have a more private, permanent residence again.
My first IDGAF book choice is The Spiral Dance by Starhawk. I've had people look at me like I have two heads when I say that I've never read it. I honestly don't know much about Starhawk, but from the reviews I've seen I don't think I'll be disappointed. Hopefully I'll have it read in 2 weeks or so.
So my solution has been this:
I have a designated space in both my parent's house and my boyfriend's apartment. When I have to travel between the two, I just pack up my items and go. It's not ideal, obviously, but it's the best I can do until I have a more private, permanent residence again.
My first IDGAF book choice is The Spiral Dance by Starhawk. I've had people look at me like I have two heads when I say that I've never read it. I honestly don't know much about Starhawk, but from the reviews I've seen I don't think I'll be disappointed. Hopefully I'll have it read in 2 weeks or so.
BLOG PROMPT: BEGINNINGS, SEASONS, AND SPIRITUALITY
Thus begins my first official blog post to document my process as an IDGAF dedicant!
In case anyone who does not know what IDGAF is happens to stumble across this blog, here is a link to the website: http://www.idgaf.ca/
Onto the weekly blog prompt given by Renée: "how do the seasons affect your spirituality?"
Ever since elementary school, the change of the seasons has been a pretty significant part of my life. Going apple picking in September, making hand turkeys for Thanksgiving, carving pumpkins for Halloween, all the typical baking and decorating for Christmas, making Valentines, painting Easter eggs, spending summers in Cape Breton eating BBQ and making lupin bouquets. I ate that shit up when I was a kid. And I still do to this day.
These seasonal rituals are so overlooked when you're a child. It wasn't until I got a bit older and my teachers and parents stopped planning crafts and seasonal activities that I realized the sense of peace and connection to the earth they gave me. After noticing this I started observing cyclical patterns in not just my spirituality, but my personality, thoughts, and values.
Come December, I always have an intense urge to be close to my family. It's a time of stillness, quietness, reflection, and celebrating family. This period peaks around Yule, and continues until around the time of Imbolc. And then, like clockwork, my spirituality comes to a standstill.
I've observed that from Imbolc to Ostara, I experience the most chaos in my life. My spiritual beliefs get put on the back burner, I experience increased anxiety, a decreased ability to concentrate, and a feeling of being held down by a heavy weight.
Then Ostara comes, and I can finally start to see the light at the end of the winter tunnel. Around this time, my creativity is at its highest. I have the urge to bake, sew, cook, and paint, and my spirituality returns!
When the early months of summer arrive, my focus shifts to growth. I begin to garden and work on growing as a person, spiritually and non. It's also a time when I feel the least close to my family.
When the weather starts to cool, I start to shift my focus to being appreciative of everything I have. Maybe Thanksgiving has conditioned me to be that way. Who knows? I love harvesting plants and giving thanks though.
And then, of course, the cold months start to come, and the cycle begins again. At this point in time, I haven't decided whether or not I should try to do something about my "dark" period between Imbolc and Ostara. As dreadful as it is, it feels like it's a part of my natural cycle.
Something to ponder I suppose.
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