Of tradition and adventure, of old and new

"if what you seek you do not find within, you will not find it without."

Nearly every religion has some form of the above phrase in its teachings. Lately I have been challenged to find sunny energy and hope within, because I cannot find it without. I used to rely on traditions as a form of measurement, and adventure was my way of finding new traditions. I would explore new cultures, rituals, and the like to find experiences that made me happy -- and then turn them into traditions.

However, this rainy summer has brought me the realization that traditions for tradition's sake holds no hope. Empty rituals are just that: empty.

How then, does someone who has spent more than a decade learning about rituals and their power create new rituals that have life and hope in them? This is a common challenge that other HPs have faced in their lives.

Life isn't a movie, and those of us who are walking the path of service to the Gods do not always come forth in long, flowing black robes -- eternally mystical and powerful. Sometimes we just don't want to come forth! We too struggle with the challenges of old traditions no longer filling our hearts, and new ones refusing to surface to replace them.

What do we do then, when our fires run low and the thought of writing one more ritual makes us want to curl up and sleep for a month?

It's fairly simple, to be honest, we stop pushing ourselves to create and allow the creation to find us.

Tradition is a good foundation to build upon, but new creations demand to be brought forth. Adventure is a thrilling proposition, but it holds no value without some tie to traditions that are comforting and familiar. The old ways give us guidance and wisdom on how to proceed toward the new.

Thus I seek within the fires of hope and optimism that the sun brings as I work to write a ritual for Litha, and I hope that the spark of the divine finds me to ensure that I am nurtured once again.