Sharing makes lean times better

 With Lammas around the corner, many people are thinking about the harvest, and with all that is going on in the world right now, many of us are facing a lean year.  While we may be able to make our bills and keep food on the table, we may also be cutting back extras or being especially mindful about what we are spending our money on.  And, of course, not everyone is that lucky.

But when times are lean, that is when we need to reach out and turn to our community (whether that is our pagan community, the local community or even the global online community).  Trying to handle lean times in isolation only makes them that much harder.

Sharing can mean different things to different people.  There are many ways we can share, and which we choose may depend on our individual circumstances (and the community that we belong to).  Sharing can be done physically, mentally or emotionally.

Let's talk physical.  This is the type of sharing we are taught in kindergarten, where if we have a candy bar and someone else doesn't, we can share what we have with them.  But we can also share community style, where everyone brings something to the table so that everyone can eat.  This reminds me of the story of stone soup, where it started with nothing but a pot and a stone, but everyone added a little something and soon there was enough to feed everyone.

 

Many people know it's best to buy foods in bulk, but if you have a small family that's not always practical.  However, if several households band together, they can buy things in bulk and then split the cost and products.  This enables you to take advantage of the savings without ending up with food that you can't eat before it spoils (or being in the position of not being able to afford buying enough of something to get the bulk price)

We can also share extras we have, either offering our excess to friends/family or to strangers (by donating to an organization).  I've always been one who prefers to pass items along to other people rather than throwing them out, especially for things I just don't care for (or maybe clothes that don't fit but are still perfectly usable).

Now, maybe you aren't in a position to share physically, but you can share mentally.  When I think of mental sharing, I think of helping other people find solutions to their problems.  I saw a big outreach of mental sharing with the baby formula shortage, where people were sharing their family recipes for baby formula.  I've also seen it with regards to combating food spoilage or making better use of limited ingredients.  Sometimes people have resources they don't recognize because they don't know how to use what they have.  Information is a powerful thing, but serves best when shared!

Emotional sharing is a way of helping to carry the burden of lean times.  It's emotionally draining to be in a lean space, and sometimes we just need to be able to share what we are going on....having someone to listen to us is often undervalued.  Emotional sharing is also a tricky place, and you always want to make sure you are giving as well as taking (if able!) so if you only ever talk about your troubles, you might find that the people who once helped you by listening aren't as willing to share their time with you if you never give them time to talk as well.

I also find that venting (because that's often what we need to do when we share emotionally) can become a downward spiral if you only focus on the bad stuff.  And I also know it can be extremely hard to be hopeful and upbeat when you are worried about making bills or putting food on the table.  I find that doing prosperity work when in a low place is doubly beneficial...not only do you really need the influx of prosperity in your life, but you need that shift in focus and that doing the work helps give you a sense of taking action (not just accepting what trials life throws your way).

Talking things out, especially in a group where everyone has time to share, can also lead to unexpected solutions.  We are absolutely stronger together, and what may be insurmountable for one person might be something that another person can easily help with.  That person may have an issue they can't handle, but someone else can.  By doing what we can, to help each other, we are all lifted up.

A lot of people feel like they should keep quiet when things get tough...that maybe they don't want to be a burden, or they are embarrassed about needing help, or they want to preserve their perfect image.  But we aren't meant to handle everything on our own, and there is nothing wrong with needing help sometimes.  Especially if you also look for ways to help others, in whatever form you are able to assist in.

Purchasing spiritual services

 Exchanging money for spiritual services is definitely nothing new, and unfortunately neither is trying to scam people by offering sham services.  The rise in acceptability of things like tarot or energy work has led to a rash of people who are taking advantage of others who either don't know enough to see who is legit and who isn't or preying on the fears of the unknown.

There are a lot of red flags out there when it comes to spiritual services, but there is also a lot of grey areas.  Sometimes, it's pretty simple to see when someone is taking advantage, but other times it can be harder to pick up on.  At the end of the day, you really have to trust your instincts, and if you get a bad feeling about someone, pass them by!

One of my absolute no-go's is anyone pretending to be someone they are not.  I'm not talking about using a mystical name, as that is not only a well established practice, but often a measure of protection for the person taking on the name (especially if you live in an area where you might not want everyone who knows you (like your family, or your employer) to know that you have this spiritual practice.  

No, what I'm talking about is people who copy other people's profiles, steal someone else's social media photos or claim to be a member of a specific group or tradition (when they clearly are not).  Typically, with a little bit of looking, it's easy to see when someone is straight up copying someone else's profile...they add in an extra letter or punctuation.  And often, these profile scammers will be very aggressive in trying to get you to purchase their services.

When I say they are aggressive, what I'm talking about is when they send out personal messages telling people they 'had a message from spirit that you really need to hear!'  Now, marketing your skills is one thing, but the difference here is that they take it to a personal place (a private message that no one else can see), and it's unsolicited (you may follow their profile or have liked/commented on a post...but you never asked about what kind of services they offer).

Another personal red flag I have is when someone starts pushing for you to buy things when you have already said you can't afford it...if anyone suggests you spend money you don't have, that's a huge warning sign!  Similar to this is if they imply that you should lie to your loved ones about either the service you are getting or the money you spent on it.

I also find it a bit concerning if you purchase a service and they try to sell you other things through fear.  I don't have a problem with them saying something like, "I hope you enjoyed this reading, if you have more questions, I'd be happy to help you with those.  I also offer these other services if you are interested."  However, if they lead with something like this, "I see dark energy around you, there are forces working against you....I can do something about that for a price...." that sends of warning bells to me.

Something that is a bit related, but also very personal, is just the amount being charged.  Everyone has a different budget, so what is out of my price range might not be a big deal to someone else.  I also think it's fine for someone to explain why their service is worth what they are charging (as many things have hidden costs, and also you are often paying for years of experience and expertise).  But this goes back to the point about someone trying to convince you to spend money you don't have...if they try to convince you that you 'need' a particular service that you feel is too expensive, that tends to send me away even quicker.

And sometimes, I feel like people are trying to sell things that not everyone needs.  Things like moon water or blessed crystals.  And sure, there are people who may find these services very convenient (it's like buying pre-chopped produce at the store...it saves you doing the prep work at home), other people may have no need for them, and trying to convince them that your product is something they need is a bit skeevy.

Finally, I do feel that some services just aren't things that you can sell.  I've seen people offer to sell their relationship with a deity or spirit.  That's just weird to me.  That's like trying to sell your friendship...not even trying to sell your friend, but the relationship you have built with your friend.  I'm honestly pretty sure that can't be done.  Doing it with a deity or spirit sounds like a great way to make that deity or spirit mad (I know that if one of my friends came up to me one day and said "Hey, I sold our friendship to this other guy, treat him like you did me from now on," I'd be pretty mad at the both of them)

It can definitely be tricky to figure out who is legit and who is just in it for the money.  And I also know it can be a very fine line to walk as someone who sells spiritual services, because you have to get the word out, you have to keep selling yourself and trying to get people to buy from you.  Hopefully, some of these points will help you see who is honestly trying to help you (through the services they offer you) and who is just trying to use you (and get as much money from you as they can).

Livening up your daily routine

Routine is one of those two edged swords:  routines give us structure, but they can also become boring.  Familiarity brings comfort and it brings mindlessness.  What started as a sacred practice becomes something we just do without thinking about, and sometimes we may even dread it (because it has lost that spark of meaning that made it special).

But many of us, myself included, need routine in some flavor, to be able to function.  If I don't work on building good routines, all my intentions fly out the window and I just flutter around every day and the things that do matter to me never get done (because I completely space out and forget them).  Routine helps me build structure that I use to accomplish the things that are important to me.

I feel like there are two hurdles when it comes to resistance and routines.  When we first start, we may find ourselves reluctant to do something, because we haven't yet built up the habit of doing it.  You are still having to think about the doing of it (not the practice of it, but remembering what you are doing and that you need to do it).  This first hurdle is bypassed by time...you just have to stick with it and keep trying and eventually that routine will become a habit and you won't have to think about doing it anymore, it will just be a thing you do.

The second hurdle comes when things start to stagnate.  Life is change and change leads to growth.  If you don't change and keep doing the same thing every day, you may find that a task you once valued and looked forward to becomes something you drag your feet to do.  It no longer brings you the fulfillment that you once found in it, and you may keep poking at it trying to recapture that feeling you used to get...but typically once you hit this stage, you need to shake things up to make them feel meaningful again.

This is where livening up your routine comes in.  Whatever your daily routine is, when you start to feel bored by it, take some time to sit down and work out what each part of your routine gives you...and how you can shift it around a little.  These shifts need to preserve the heart of the practice, it's the details that can be changed.

Let's say you have the routine of doing a daily draw.  And you like that moment of checking in with yourself, or your guides or the divine (however you work with divination).  But you've been picking a card a day for years, and you are feeling a bit...repetitive.  So you decide to liven things up and alter your practice a bit.

You know you still want to work with divination in some way, but instead of just drawing a card, you may decide you want to work through a challenge (there are a million challenges you can find that include a prompt for every day, so things stay fresh), or maybe you just need to adjust how you think about the card you draw.  If you have been drawing a card as an outlook for the day, maybe you want to use your card to tell you what emotions you need to focus on that day, or you can draw a card and use it as a prompt for gratitude practice.  You could have fun and draw a card and practice looking for symbols from that card throughout your day.  Or maybe you want to use your card as an art inspiration and do something creative that is inspired by the card you drew.

Another simple way to liven up your routine is to change the timing of it.  If you have things you do every morning, you could try doing them at lunch time or before bed.  If you typically do things in a particular order, you can try different orders.  Sometimes you will try something and absolutely hate it...no worries, just change it up again!  You might just land on an even better order than when you started...and if you don't, when you come back to your original order, it will feel fresh again and even more comforting because you tried it in ways that didn't work for you.

One very simple way to liven things up is to find an alternate version of the same practice.  I do this with my daily affirmations when they start feeling stale.  I first start by checking in with the affirmations and making sure they are all still things that I feel are relevant to my life.  Then I think about the wording, and often I'll come up with a new way to say what I am wanting to affirm.  I also do visualization while I say my affirmations, so I'll change up the way that I'm visualizing the affirmation taking hold (I might visualize drinking a potion representing each affirmation, or putting on an article of ritual clothing, or even the affirmations being on my body as sacred art)

The one main thing you need to remember is that by making a choice and changing up your routine, you are NOT giving up on it or failing at your routine and practice.  And not everyone needs to change things up, though I honestly think it's good to do even if you are enjoying your practice....whether the change ends up good or bad, you always learn something!  Some people may need to make small changes very regularly, while others can stick with the same thing for a much longer time before it feels stagnant.  Trust your instincts and when something feels bland or tedious, think about whether a refresh would help bring your focus back to the practice.

Remember, it's all about creating a meaningful practice for you....about doing things that bring you joy and fulfillment and create the life and practice you want and/or need.  And if that means swapping things around, then go for it!  Keep adjusting until you find what works for you, and sometimes fiddle with it just to see what will happen.  You can always go back to your familiar routines (and there is something really satisfying about returning to an old routine that you loved...especially after being away from it for a while).

Broaden your Horizons

 As Independence day rolls around in my country, I am reminded of how small most of our worlds are.  Many people don't have the opportunity (or the means) to travel around the world and experience other places first hand.  But with the internet, we do have the ability to learn about other places.

Besides just being interesting, learning about other places, how people there live, how things are done, what their circumstances are...all these things help give us a broader perspective on our own lives.  It's natural to go through life assuming that 'most people are like you,' but chances are there are a whole ton of people who live very different lives than you do.

With recent global events as well as national issues, many people have strong opinions on how things should be done...and about what is possible.  However, most of those opinions are just that:  opinions.  They aren't based on facts or even a good hypothesis.  They are simply how people feel things should be.  And often they are built upon the experiences we have...living the lives we have lived.

It can be very hard sometimes to visualize a different way of life, but the more we read about (or watch about) how people who are different to us live, the more our horizons grow.  We start to see that there are many ways of living, and many ways of doing things.  We discover how other places handle issues, how they treat people, how they approach work or family or religion or government.

In almost all cases, as you start learning about other places, you realize that some people have it better than you, and others have it worse.  Understanding both sides of an issue helps you better recognize the full scope of it, and to see where you fall in the greater scheme of things.  Often, we think our situation is either good or bad, and we may find that our situation isn't really what we thought it was.

When you live your whole life in a single country, it's very easy to get caught up in that country's identity.  To believe the things you were taught in school, by your community, or by what you see with your own eyes in the world around you.  But you have to remember, all of those things are coming from a singular perspective:  that of the nation in which you live.  

 

Think of it like a lens that tints everything you see in a particular color.  If you put on glasses that have red lenses, not only will it shift how other colors appear, making you think they are something they aren't, but some things will be invisible to you.  When we really make an effort to learn about how other countries do things, we try on their glasses for a bit, and we start to see things very differently.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with loving the country you live in.  There isn't even anything wrong with having very conflicted feelings about the country you were raised in.  Many people identify very strongly with parts of their national identity, even if there are serious downsides.  You can even love your country and intensely dislike your government.

What learning about other countries does is help you see places where things could be different (whether that means better or worse).  It helps you recognize when you are being fed lies and what you might be taking for granted.

It also simply makes you more educated.  When speaking with people from all over the world, you don't sound like someone who has no clue about how other places work.  Making assumptions, whether you are assuming your country is the best, the worst or simply that everywhere else operates the same way, can make you seem quite ignorant when you make statements based on these false assumptions.

Whether you choose to take a stand in the direction your country is taking or not, educating yourself on how other countries handle things shows you the broader scope of how the world works.  It lets you make much more informed assessments of how things in your personal life are, compared to other people.  You may be surprised at how many things we take for granted just aren't available to others.  Or how many things we have been told are impossible are being done every day in other countries.