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When we walk the path for a while, we start to feel like we're skinning over. The freshness of new ideas, new concepts, and new lessons goes dull and we find ourselves feeling cloudy-foggy in how we proceed and keep ourselves passionate about the craft.
Some elders tell us that no one keeps their passion hot all the time, and that ebb and flow are natural. Some will tell us that daily energy exercises help to keep the fires stoked: meditation, Resh Vel Helios, Qabalistic Cross..etc.
But even when you follow advice, there are still days when it feels like still you're standing in a train station for much longer than you expected to... days when "meditation by the lakeside" is the last thing you want to do because it's boring, and days when no matter what the tarot cards say, or the astrological wheel says you feel like you're dead in the water.
This is a time to rest. Though it may be tempting to throw one more spread, find one more guided meditation, or listen to one more song about the powers of nature and the Gods... let it go. Let it go because the boredom is a sign that you are over taxed. If you have done your regular energy exercises, exercised your body regularly, journalled, and done divination regularly and you're feeling bored and frustrated then let it go.
There is a regular stride to spiritual work. We get into a mode where we feel that our success is measured by our progress and vice versa. This is not healthy.
It is not healthy because the work that is done regularly must be given rest periods to sink in... to gestate, to work it's magick. Just as a seed rests in side the earth before it germinates, or like bread is left to rest as it rises.. magickal work must rest inside your body to be as potent as it can be.
So ... when the day seems grey, your magickal items seem hollow and lack lustre, and when throwing one more tarot spread seems like a waste of time --> take a break.
Our world changes from moment to moment, yet often we do not notice until something dramatic changes - leaving us breathless and imbalanced. When you disconnect from the churn and pull of have-tos in day-to-day life, the rest of the world almost pounces on you in anticipation.
Gently this beautiful creature danced into my life, full of wisdom and curiosity. Lovingly she caressed my spirit with her soft, deep voice and her soulful eyes.
We whiled away the hours together laughing and listening to each other's stories. Sharing the moments that others often miss because of shallow distractions, we connected honestly but briefly.
How do you quantify the value of a heart? How do you gather up all of the magnificence of a human being into words? The simple answer is: you don't. You cry, and laugh, and keep silent about the most sacred things that they brought to you.
Sisters in spirit means that when you sit with someone for a few moments, you can hear their spirit speaking and you know in your bones that you've met someone who can hear yours. This precious gift brings great comfort in a world full of people who are spiritually deaf to your song, or worse: don't care to stop long enough to listen.
My sister crossed over to Summerland yesterday. She was done with this lifetime and moved on to her next one.
But for one brief, shining moment she graced me with her love, and for that I feel blessed beyond measure.
I'm having one of those weeks\months when it all comes at me so damn fast that I can't breath. I realize that the events are not happening any faster than they normally do, and that it's the relationship between my own energy patterns and the energies of the universe that change my perspective and make things SEEM like they're moving faster.
However, being a magickal being doesn't prevent me from being affected by this type of experience. It's just coming too fast.
Energetically I look to Mercury, Mars, and Neptune when this type of transition happens. There are many metaphors or metaphysical structures for working through this type of thing, astrology and the tarot work for me so I use them.
Mercury rules thought and organization - order. So I look to Mercury's current position in relation to my natal Mercury and learn what affect that brings. I do the same thing for the other planets.
Now some may ask: Why Neptune? Because Neptune rules the dream life, rules the instinctual or emotional connection that we have with our world. When we don't take our time-outs, Neptune comes in and makes us space-out and take them anyway. So when the world is coming at me too fast, it's an indication that i haven't taken my time-outs so I'm missing details.
With Mercury in Capricorn in my 8th house, and Mars entering my 9th house I am feeling as though I need to ID ever old\outdated perception and thought paradigm that is no longer serving my goals -- yet Mars is sitting squarely in the "next step" of the plan and tapping his foot saying "C'mon honey, we've got lessons to learn, information to assimilate, new things to bring into the world that is YOU and put to good use!" Oy.
Can I take a breath please? These two male-centric energies push.. cajole.. cheer, lure... charm.. challenge.. and I'm left feeling like I've been having a great conversation or great sex for days straight and I dont' care HOW good it feels - i need a freaking break!!
Enter Neptune in Aquarius. He slowly flows toward my MidHeaven... and he teases me with that warm, inviting feeling of being able to change the world. Aquarian values... there is opportunity for everyone, there is an equal playing field.. let's revolutionize our minds and explore new ideas in making the world better.. shall we? Come on my magic carpet ride and I'll take you into a future where Wiccan Priests are men who exude confidence and love in all walks of life. I'll take you into a future where all religions are welcomed, and whether or not you're a member of a minority religion or not, no one really cares.. they just want you to uphold good - strong ideals. Let me show you a future where we ostracize the small minded- destructive people who want to cut and poke at people who are different - and we glorify and idolize people who nurture the creative and innovative within us all.
Sheeeesh... I'm excited and tired at the same time.
I think I'll go meditate on that.
Today is the day when Wiccans honor the Goddess Brighid, today is the traditional day for Imbolc. It's funny to use the word traditional with a religion that was born in the 1960's. Like the last 40 yrs of Wicca have accelerated our work such that anything can be referred to as a tradition? I'm not sure.
Something that has challenged me since the beginning of my studies has been the cross quarter Sabbats. We read in many books how they are honored on X day, yet when you research what makes them cross-quarters, it's the fact that they happen 45 days from a solstice or an equinox. Uhm... but the traditional days are not always 45 days from a solstice or an equinox.
So I started counting. And I noticed that more often the cross quarters happen near a lunar event that is +-4 days from the 45 day mark. Thus, my coven and I started honoring the cross quarters on those days. Why? Because it felt more real to me than to just honor a day because someone chose it? It's hard to provide a reason for doing something in Wicca that is any more solid than any other reason. Wicca is such a new religion that compared to other religions of the world, it feels a little silly to make bold statements like "this is the traditional way of doing things." Traditional? So in the past 40 yrs there haven't been a dozen or so authors and community leaders who haven't found faults with any number of our "traditions" and modified them to suit their needs?
45 days, February 2nd, the next lunar event... there is no more justification for any of one those times to honor Brighid than any other. I like to think that the Goddess weaves her visions from a loving and creative source, and as such isn't all that upset if it's one day or the next, just as long as it happens sometime when the community feels it should.
Common sense plays a role here as well: if you want to hold a large celebration, and most of your coven members work, then they either have to take the day off... or you have to schedule it on or near a weekend so that everyone can relax and enjoy the time spent in celebration of Brighid's fire.
The overall goal of this Sabbat is to honor Brighid, the rising of the God's fires (the sun's warmth), and to gather together in a celebration of light to soothe the pyschological damages of a long, dark winter. When those things are accomplished with a deep emotional commitment, the day upon which the ritual occurs becomes less of an issue.
