Welcoming back the sun

 

 In the middle of winter, Yule is the time for us to welcome back the sun.  Today, we think of this as a symbolic gesture, we know that it is the moment when the days start getting longer again, and the sun will be out more, but our ancestors didn't know take this expectation for granted, and until they saw the signs of the longer days there remained that fear that maybe this year the sun would just keep getting less and less.  Welcoming back the sun was a heart-felt appreciation for the life and warmth it brings to our lives.

One common practice I see a lot of people embracing for Yule is to stay up all night (and literally welcome the sun back in the morning).  And while this can be a really powerful way to celebrate, it isn't necessarily accessible for everyone.  Obviously, some people work, and others may not be able to stay up all night for a variety of reasons (children, health issues, age).  A simpler practice would be to watch the sun rise, but even that may be difficult or impossible for many people.  

But while experiencing things in person may be an idealized practice, the truth is we live in a day and age where we aren't limited to that!  We can watch videos of the sunrise, or look at breathtaking pictures that capture that magical moment.  We can read poems that put emotions into words, or read other descriptions of the wonder of sunrise.  It can be really eye opening to read about other people's experiences, to be able to put yourself in their shoes for a moment and see what the shared experience of sunrise means to people who live very different lives from ours.

We might also take this opportunity to do a bit of journeying, and to wonder about how our ancestors might have approached this time of year.  It's one thing to think about the hardships they might have faced, and another to try to put ourselves in their place.  Doing a visualization and stepping into the role of one of our ancestors can not only open our eyes but can teach us so much about how similar (and different) we are.  

I have always thought that one of the hardest things for us to really grasp is how uncertain things felt.  People made up stories to try to explain all the mystery of the world around them.  They noticed that the sun rose and set at different times throughout the year, and they didn't understand why, but as the months grew colder and the sun was out less, it was only natural to worry that maybe this year it wouldn't come back (especially if you also consider that they felt that gods were present in the world around us and that we could displease them in a way that would make them lash out to punish us).

Trying to put yourself back in that situation, to really feel how it must have felt (or at least as close as we can come to understanding it) not only brings us closer to our ancestors, but it gives us a unique perspective on some of our modern fears (I may not worry about the sun not rising in the morning, but I have definitely thought about the effects of our sun one day dying, or other catastrophic events that science has told us are possible).  It makes me feel comforted to know that one day, perhaps one of my decedents will wonder how I could possibly worry about things like that (because they may have figured it out and know how things work).  It reminds me of the idea that any science significantly advanced enough will appear to be magic (and also that maybe one day what we see and practice as magic might be fully defined and understood as science!)

I also feel like the sun has a very different role in our lives today than it did in times past.  If you go far enough back, the sun was the only reliable source of light, and so it's cycles truly dictated our ancestors lives.  Even back before the advent of electricity, light at night was not always accessible (or abundant), and people lived much of their lives at the mercy of daylight.  Today, we are not as limited, and yet we still find ourselves drawn to the light, and especially when something like daylight savings time comes by and we notice the big shift (and it is now dark in the afternoon...) and we feel off kilter.

Even when it comes to electric lights, we are constantly striving to make our lights more natural and realistic (or we run in the other direction with things like color changing LED lights).  We know that indoor lights are not created equal, and many people struggle with different qualities of light.  We also know that actual sunlight is important for many health reasons (from our sleep cycle to emotional regulation and mental well being).

So even though we don't worry about the sun not rising in the morning when we go to bed at night, we need to acknowledge the important role that the sun plays in our lives.  It warms us and lights our way and grows our food and it is nice to have this time dedicated to acknowledging that and taking the time to not only show our gratitude but to also express our appreciation to the light for all it does in our lives. 

Winter storms

 

 Mother Nature isn't always gentle and kind, as we see in storms of all kinds.  But winter storms have the added effect of lingering, and can last days...or more!  Even today, winter storms can cause a lot of devastation, interrupt our lives and even prove deadly.  And that is even with all our advances in modern science, for our ancestors this time of year would have been even more dangerous.

But while storms can create unexpected tragedy, they are also undeniably powerful, and we can tap into that power for many purposes.  As with most storm work, storms can be unpredictable, so stay mindful of that as you prepare for your work.

When we think about work our ancestors might have done with storms, we often think of protection and destruction as the two main focuses.  Protection was mainly focused around protecting you and your loved ones (and property) from the storm itself, where with destruction work you were using the storm as a representation of the destruction you were wanting to cause.

Today, while protection work is still quite valid, it may just look a little different from what our ancestors would consider.  In most cases, it would take a historic storm to do more than inconvenience most of us.  Even when we loose power, we have resources at our disposal now to help make sure we are taken care of.  With cell phones, we often don't even loose communication, which can be quite problematic when talking about being snowed in.

But even though we may not have the same deep seated fears about the effects of storms, we still want to avoid the worst they have to offer, and would welcome help in not being too effected by them.  So along side tapping into the storms energies to protect you and your household, consider also the myriad of ways your life will be effected by the storm.  While I can absolutely manage in my house without internet, I'd rather not have that limitation, so protecting my connection to the outside world is something I work towards.  On a similar thought, while we could probably survive for months on the food in our house, I like having the option of outside food, so I also work to keep the roads clear and safe (because we live in a place that doesn't get a lot of winter storms, so people aren't great at driving in winter weather).

I also really enjoy opening myself up to the energy of storms, as I find that it often lets me express feelings that I bottle up inside.  Especially in the winter, with all the holidays and events and obligations (and gifts!) weighing us down, we can become quite frustrated with having to stay in good cheer all the time (because you aren't allowed to be grumpy during the holidays, right?)  Try opening yourself up to the energy of the storm, and have some good tools of self-expression handy for whatever comes up.  You might feel inspired to do art to express what your are feeling, or you may want to write/type about the experience instead.  If you have a witchy (or just open-minded) friend you trust you might do this together and you can talk about how it felt afterwards (as well as doing any other activities, together or later when you are alone).

If you do end up being snowed in, I think that is a very special kind of energy as well.  I know the Pandemic has altered many people's thoughts about being 'stuck home', and I know that as adults we often have trained ourselves to look at what we 'should be doing', but I have always seen being snowed in as I did when I was a child...it's a free day!  Yes, you can't do the things you had planned to do, and often you are quite severely limited in what you can do....but that just means that you now have no plans for the day!  It's the perfect day to just play (whatever that means to you...it might mean playing a game, reading, watching something, doing a hobby, crafting.....and bonus points if it is something you 'always meant to try' or 'never have time to do').

Divination is always a fun activity to do, whether you want to tap into the energy just before the storm starts, at it's height, or in it's aftermath, each provides you an opportunity to explore a part of your life that isn't ordinary.  Just prior to a storm, there is often that stillness and a sense of something about to happen.  We can get a similar experience sometimes in life around a powerful event.  So this would be a good time to look for clarity on big changes in your life, especially in what you can do to prepare for them.  In the middle of the storm, you are caught up in all the drama of everything that is going on, and sometimes it can feel hard to slow down enough to think.  Here you might ask about what the best course of action is, and how to move yourself into a safe space where you can have the time you need.  And after the storm, we are often just so overwhelmed with the sense of loss that we can't figure out what we need to do to recover or how to start moving past it.

 

So, when winter hits, and you feel that stillness in the air, get ready for any storms that might be approaching.  Think about how you want to work with each storm that comes your way, for each one is an opportunity to connect with the storm and use it's energy to enhance your life.  Whether you simply want to stay safe and protected or whether you want to ride the storm and see where it takes you, remember to not only take appropriate magical precautions, but also all the physical ones as well.

Magical play

 

 Paganism definitely has a history of needing to defend itself as a serious practice.  Many people look at witchcraft as some form of make-believe, as if we all think that everything works like it does in movies and stories, where we can cast a spell and make something appear out of thin air or control people.  And I understand the desire to want to show that this is something deeply personal, highly meaningful and important to us.

But I don't feel that play detracts from the impact our faith has in our life.  And play is a great way to not only learn better, but to find joy in things that already have deep impact on our lives.  It can be a way to access that sense of childhood wonder that we often loose in adulthood.  Plus play is simply fun!  And there is no rule that says that important, meaningful things can't also be fun.

A lot of the practices and tools we use can also be used for play.  Something I've been doing as long as I can remember, far longer than I have been Pagan is daydreaming.  Now I might call it visualization, but sometimes it is literally just sitting and letting my brain play with fun ideas.  It's like playing a game of what if with yourself:  what if I was a cat, what if I could fly, what if I was three inches tall.  But daydreaming is also a great way to practice visualization in a simple and stress-free way.  Because if you can't quite picture it clearly, that is okay, there are no consequences (whereas if you are working to visualize something as part of a ritual, your goal might be harder to reach if you can't visualize what you want clearly enough).

I also think of reading (fiction) and watching shows as a form of play, and often this gives me ideas of things that I later incorporate into my practice.  Especially because I love watching/reading magical content, so if it has witches or magic in it, I am probably going to want to experience it.  Even stuff that doesn't specifically focus on magic can create connections between things that I can use in my practice, like when people have an in joke and it becomes a symbol for them...but now I can also use that symbol to represent something that I might not have connected it to before.  It's a bit like learning from old teaching stories....you might just love hearing the stories, but you still learn stuff.

Arts and crafts are another big play practice for me.  There is a reason why art therapy is such a big thing.  Simply making something, out of your own creativity, even if no one else understands the meaning you put into it...there is something magical about it.  The process of creation is one that many people don't have enough of in their lives, and taking time to embrace the creative process can be hugely empowering!  For me, art play is all about letting my inner child out, so I really lean into that idea, and I love breaking out crayons or simple kids paints and just picking whatever colors I feel and not worrying about whether or not it looks like what it is supposed to.  Coloring books can be a great place to start, especially for anyone worried about their artistic ability (but remember, it's play, so it's not about making the perfect thing, it's about having fun making something).

I personally find writing a super fun thing to do, and it is one of my favorite creative outlets.  With writing, I can create anything I want, and it can be a powerful way to explore things that I am unsure of.  It can also be a great way to vent about things that are upsetting me!  When I think of writing, in terms of play, it's definitely about putting words on the page, and not about finding the perfect words.  Often, when I write for fun, I'll give myself a limit (either time or word count), and that helps me let go of the idea of perfect.  And if you struggle to get ideas, there are tons of fun writing prompts out there, that will give you a little nudge and help you get started.  

And then there are tarot games!  These range from more traditional card games (either takes on solitaire or a trump taking kind of game) to more creative games (which might mimic RPG style games).  There are also lots of ways to gamify reading tarot cards, from pulling cards about your stuffed animals to trying to predict what will come next in a show you are watching.  You can draw cards as art/writing prompts, or simply have a conversation with a deck (drawing cards for it's response).

I think the biggest thing to keep in mind about magical play is that the play comes first.  Though I firmly believe that all of these activities can benefit our lives and our practice, the whole point is to have fun...the other benefits are icing on the play cake.  So when you engage in magical play, really let yourself play.  It's fine if you want to reflect after, but in the moment, try to just enjoy what you are doing.

I absolutely believe that play is necessary for happiness.  And we all have different definitions of what play is and how we find our fun.  So you might have to try a bunch of things, to find what really clicks for you, but it is SO worth it.  I encourage everyone to find ways to work play into their practice, and I think you will find that not only is it a lot of fun (which can help our mental health!), but I think you will be surprised to find that it deepens your practice without much effort...because it's play after all!

Books of shadows

 

 Welcome to my library...or at least part of it.  I am a book lover and a writer, and of course I have a million books that make up my 'book of shadows' (honestly, this isn't even all of them).  When we talk about a Book of Shadows, it is often described as being a huge tome, handmade with an ornate cover, with illustrated and beautiful pages, holding all the information one has collected as they walk their path.

But as you can see, for some of us, one book just won't do!  Not only is it simply not big enough, but it may not have the organization you want (or need!).  And a fancy book of shadows probably isn't something that the average person would have had (even the big coven BOS' were probably quite plain on the outside).  Of course, we live in a time now where we are free to have beautiful and fancy books to write whatever we want in, so if you like that kinda thing, have at it!  I have a few really lovely and unique books in my selection...though as you can see, quite a lot are very simple or basic.

My first BOS was a three ring binder.  This binder....which was really just my favorite binder from school.  It has pockets (which is really handy for all those odd shaped papers that I like to keep in them).  But most importantly, it has tabs and three rings!  It let me move stuff around as often as I wanted, and in the beginning, that was priceless.  It also let me easily remove and add pages...at any point!

In my early days, I remember reading all about the Book of Shadows, and how it had a counterpoint, the Book of Light.  If the BOS was dedicated to the nitty gritty "stuff you do" then the BOL was all about inspiration:  poetry and stories that delighted you.  I think of it as something to turn to when you need a bit of spiritual uplifting.  I have a few books where I keep particularly moving poetry (one for poems I write myself, and one for others I find).  I even have a wishes book, which is basically a paper version of a pinterest dream board!  I have a bunch of pictures I cut out of magazines or printed out, and it's just all pretty witchy stuff that makes me happy to look at.

From there, my books just started expanding.  I made a little one (so it was portable!) for a Correspondence book, and I also made a travel BOS (which is a cute little leather bound book that I kept my most basic and most well used stuff in..for when I was away from home, but still wanted something!).

I have a dream book, though I struggle to use that.  I used to dream every night, but only remembered my dreams for a short time upon waking.  The problem was, that I really hated the process of writing it down.  As soon as I started, it was like the process of writing made the fragments of dream flee even further.  I think this is part of the process of figuring out which kinds of books you might want for your practice...sometimes they just don't work out!

Another type of book I kept early on (but don't use as much now) is a working record book.  I would record the spells and rituals I did, how they went and how things turned out (okay I almost always forgot that last bit...).  I have several of them now, though today I am more likely to use my witchy log than directly recording my work.

Speaking of the witchy log, that is a very recent book I started a few years ago.  I really struggle with keeping up with tasks (in all realms of my life), and a planner has helped my everyday life so much, I thought having a book specifically dedicated to my witchy life would help.  It gives me a place to check in everyday, do moon work, journal about the sabbats, record random witchy facts or ideas....and it's really working for me.

 

This kind of replaced my old Sabbat book, which was dedicated to my own reflections after Sabbat rituals.  This one sort of fell in a funny place for me.  It felt like a cross between reflective journaling and record keeping, but when I started keeping the Witchy Log, I just stopped using this one.

I also started some topic specific books (because my brain likes organization).  I have books dedicated to runes, to tarot, to astrology, to moon work...pretty much any subject you are interested enough in to want a separate book for!

Art books are another whole category for me.  I have the one that started it all, which is a smashbook I did for an intentional art retreat.  It holds art that was done with specific purposes, so some of the pictures are about exploring archetypes or grounding or transforming.  I ended up with another book (that holds hole punched pages) for loose leaf art, and what I call my healing art book (which is blank pages that I draw pictures/symbols in for healing).  Sometimes my magic isn't about words, sometimes it's about images or color or emotions and these help me tap into that.

I also keep a small book for future ideas.  I heard someone toss this out as concept, and it's so perfect for my brain!  The idea is that you write down stuff you might want to work on...but that you don't have time/energy/motivation to do right now.  It's a future log for magic!  Mine is broken into problems and dreams..so problems are often more outward focused (like when a situation in the world is just bugging you), while dreams tend to be more personal (though of course you could just keep all your future ideas together!)

 

Now, you can probably see that most of my books are pretty spartan.  I don't really decorate them (minus the art books, but those aren't technically decorated either...just full of art lol), because for me that honestly just feels like work.  It's also a bit like that feeling of having a blank (expensive) book and not wanting to use it (because you are afraid of 'messing it up'...though I find just deliberately making a mistake early helps in this...I'm not perfect, my books don't need to be either).  But many people really get into making their books into amazing art works, doing collage and making every word beautiful.  So if that's your thing, go for it!

And if physical books aren't your thing....there are always digital options!  I keep a ton of files on my computer, from books to stuff I've written to things I've clipped from websites.  I've been playing around with OneNote as a way to organize digital stuff, though I've heard great things about Notion as well (and seen some amazing digital books there!)  There are advantages to digital, it's easy to keep a ton of information organized and handy (and with smart phones, portable!)  Personally, I'm more analog than digital, I sometimes struggle to read online text (books are easier for me), so I doubt I will ever be fully digital...but it's so nice for stuff that I am not sure I want/need for the long term.

When it comes to your Book(s) of Shadows, the sky is the limit.  There is no right or wrong way to keep one, just ways that work better for you.  And there is nothing wrong with trying out a few!  Find the books you like to use (bound, spiral, 3ring, digital), figure out how you prefer to keep things (do you like one big book, lots of little ones, write as you go, dedicated sections) and then see which ones stick with you (because sometimes the one you are most excited about just doesn't click).

Making your home magical

 

 Often when we talk about a 'magical home' we have this picture in our head, of a big gothic mansion, with herbs and potion bottles scattered about, a cat or two roaming the halls and candles enough to be a fire hazard.  But there are many ways to make your home more magical, and ideally your home should reflect not only the aesthetic of everyone who lives there, but also be functional as well.

I adore a lot of witchy aesthetics, but many of them simply don't work for my life.  Candles are a perfect example.  I adore them, have loved them since I was a child.  But I am all over the house, and there is never really a good time or place to just have candles burning (especially because we have kitties who have zero sense of fire safety lol).  When I do burn candles, I feel like I have to carry them everywhere with me (including the bathroom...which can be tricky), and even when I use big pillar candles (with the fire sunk deep down) or jar candles (which are similarly protected) I am very mindful of remembering to put them out (which means part of my brain is constantly aware of the candles...not relaxing nor is it good for working on projects).

I still use candles, and candles are not only a part of my witchy practice, but also sometimes tools I use (especially scented candles) for writing (ritualize everything!) but they really can't be part of my home aesthetic (at least not lit ones...I have candles sprinkled throughout the house)  Also, with my eyesight, I need decent (white) light sources or it increases my eye strain, so while I can watch tv or just chill in a candlelit room, I can't read or do anything that requires reading well.

Of course aesthetics isn't the only way to add magic to your home.  A very common way is to add altar spaces, which may be in one room or multiple rooms, they may be working altars or devotional, and they might be obvious or camouflaged.  Camouflaged altars might just look like a collection or even just a decorative space.  The top of my desk is an altar, but I bet to most people it just looks like I collect a bunch of stuff.

This is something that I adore about personalized witchcraft...my sacred objects might not look like what you expect.  I have sacred dice, sacred coins, sacred cards (like trading cards), sacred toys...alongside the more traditional statuary, crystals and tools.  But having that flexibility to have dice dedicated to my deities allows me to fold magic into other aspects of my life, places that might not traditionally be associated.

 

We can also add blessings, wards and other workings around our house!  One of my favorite ways to do this is to tuck them behind, under or inside other things.  Draw or write out a blessing for every picture you hang in your house (especially for people, but you can bless things that other pictures remind you of as well).  Inscribe wards on the edges of doors (you can tuck them on the top of doors where no one can see, or even by the hinges, so that the two parts of the symbol meet when the door is closed).  I have tucked working papers in between the mattress and box springs of my bed, in the back of the laundry cupboard and in books (bonus points for matching the working to the book).

And some things are a mix of form and function.  I love picking out furniture, and making choices based on the correspondences of the item.  Browns remind me of nature and the earth, blues are restful to the mind, yellow is buzzed up on energy.  I pick things for the energy I want for everything I can, from clothes to my toothbrush to the jewelry I wear.

Speaking of making things work, take some time to think about the tools of your craft...what items do you need to have at hand to practice your path.  When I was first starting, I was at home and not 'out', so I kept all my magical stuff in one place (a wooden box meant to hold a chess set, and then after that a toolbox).  Not only did this keep my stuff safe from prying eyes, but it also made it easy to grab my 'magic kit' anytime I wanted to do anything...and pretty much I'd have what I needed.

Now, I have the luxury of being able to keep a lot of things out in the open, which is really helpful for my brain.  Especially when it comes to things (like tarot/oracle decks) where I have quite a few and would typically only use one at a time.  But I know that tucking them away in a drawer would mean I would forget (I'm very much out of sight, out of mind), so I found ways to have them out, so I can see them all when I am searching for a deck.  It's massively helpful for me!

And if you can't keep things fully out, there are ways to handle that too!  I used to keep all my obviously witchy books in one small bookshelf, that has glass doors on the front.  Simple solution:  I taped some pictures on the inside of the glass, so the doors looked decorative (and of course they were fantasy/witchy/magical pictures!) but they also hid the books inside.  Another great thing to use for this is tension rods and curtains.  (and bonus, tension rods are great for displaying jewelry so it's visible!)

Finally, you can consider your regular activities (you know, the stuff you do in your home), and how you might twine your path with them.  Cleaning is the obvious one for me, and I try to cleanse whenever I clean (in fact, I keep bells tied to my broom to help me remember).  Laundry could be a time to release any old emotions/energy (before the wash) and bless your clothes for the future (folding/putting it away).  Showering is a good time to do an energetic scan of your body.  And of course, we have cooking, which is pretty much magic already.

There are a million ways to make your home more magical, and I hope I gave you some ideas for a few.  But don't limit yourself to what I have mentioned, look for stuff that makes YOU think of magic, your path, your deities, your guides or any other part of your personal practice, and then think of how you could infuse those concepts in your home.  Don't be afraid to try things out and see if you like them...and "I just like it" is always a perfect response to anyone asking "Why do you have/do that?"

Helping troubled souls rest

 

Memorial day is a day to remember and honor those lost to wars, but as Pagans I feel there is an opportunity to care for these spirits after they are gone.  Not just to remember them, but to help them find their peace.  

 

War is a horrible thing, and of course fighting in them is traumatic.  Firstly, not everyone who fought...or died...in wars were volunteers, so there is room for a lot of conflicting emotions on the part of the soldiers.  And even if someone believed in the cause the war was fought on behalf of, the atrocities they saw and the actions they took might leave someone split and conflicted about their role in the war.

Now, there are a lot of perspectives on what happens to us after death.  Many people believe there are places we go, based on what we believe and our actions in life.  But many people also believe that the dead can be trapped, or lost, and never reach what should have been their final destination.  These are the people I am talking about in this post...souls who may be stuck, shackled by their actions or the traumatic nature of their death, unable to take their final rest in the manner that they should.

The good thing is that, if you believe that such souls exist, you also have a way to reach out to them and help them move on.  As every one of us is an individual, this will mean that the way in which you approach this task will be highly individual (not only for you, as the practitioner, but also for the person you are trying to help...different methods may be required in order to help different people).

 

I feel like the first step should always be some kind of divination...finding out who the person is that you are reaching out to.  You may have family members who have died in wars, and this might be a good place to start.  I don't feel like every person who dies in a war gets stuck like this, so the first step would be to determine if this particular person is...and divination is a great way to approach this.  You could also do some research on people who died in the war and work with others, who may not be directly related to you.

 

Of course you could also take a different approach and start with divination to find a soul who needs help.  In this case, the divination is less focused on whether or not they need help and instead focused on finding out who they were and what happened to them.  This information will form the basis of the work that you can do to help them move on.

 

 Now, not every lost soul will have the same level of coherence.  Some spirits will be able to communicate very clearly, will have a good grasp on who they were in life, what has happened to them, and even might be aware of the state of the world today.  Others might have lost a lot of themselves, and this process may be more about trying to help them remember who they were, and accept the fact that they are dead.

 

Once you have a decent idea of who you are working with and what their state is, you can start to figure out how to help them. Again, every spirit will be different, so one might only need to be reassured that their part in the war is over and that their job is done and they can move on.  Others may need to be updated on their family, or they may want to know how their actions (and the war they were in) influenced the world.

One thing to remember here is that our role isn't to judge, condemn or pardon these spirits.  We aren't evaluating how righteous or corrupt they are and sending them to where we think they belong.  We are simply trying to figure out what is holding them here, and helping them to let go of any lingering concerns and issues so they can go where they need to go.

While doing this work, it is also important to make sure you are keeping your protections up.  Especially when working with spirits who maybe don't align with our own moral compass, we don't want to risk that soul becoming fixated on us and hanging around when we don't want them to.  Keeping strong protections is always a good idea, when working with any spirit, and especially spirits that may wish to create hardship or chaos in our lives.

It won't always be possible to help every spirit, but we can reach out and do what we are able to.  We can be a light to the lost souls who are stuck and confused and afraid.  We can help diffuse the anger and hatred that lingers with some of them and encourage them to release their hold on whatever is keeping them tethered.  And helping these lost souls can also help us (and other people alive today) to release our own anger and resentment towards the actions of our ancestors and those who came before. 

How to create your own holiday

 

 I feel like Pagans (and witches) love holidays...more than jars or stones or even tarot decks (okay maybe not tarot decks...lol).  But so many witchy folk I know embrace holidays, and not only our own, but everyone's.  Holidays are a great way to celebrate whatever we might find important, and we love a good excuse to either gather together and have a party, or take some time out of our 'regular' life for something sacred.

Now, many Pagans have already had to accept the idea that the witchy holidays aren't steeped in history the way they may have been explained when we were first learning.  I, for one, very distinctly remember reading that the Sabbats were ancient rituals of observance, sometimes even being linked back to cave people times.  Now, a lot of us acknowledge that many of the holidays that formed the structure around which we built our practice are much more modern inventions (and very tied to the area in which they were created), and not the ancient, universal practices that we might have originally believed.

And there is nothing wrong with this!  The power of a holiday is in what it means to you, not necessarily where it's roots are.  I have no problem continuing to work with the Sabbat model, knowing full well that it is a modern thing.  In some ways, I feel more free to adapt it as I feel necessary than I might if I were trying to practice in a historically accurate way.

But sometimes we may feel like there is a thing we want to honor that doesn't have a good holiday.  Maybe you work with a deity that doesn't have a day or festival devoted to them.  Perhaps you have an important practice that you want to honor with it's own special day.  Or maybe you have a beloved ancestor (of blood or heart or path) that you feel deserves more recognition.  These are all great ideas for potential holidays!

So what makes up a holiday?  Well first, you want to sort out what you are celebrating...what is they core concept of your holiday?  Ideally this should be a single person, place or thing (and concepts are a thing, so you can totally make a holiday devoted to friendship!).  But that can often feel a bit too unfocused for a holiday, so think about making an intent statement for your holiday.  A single sentence that describes the 'true meaning' of the holiday to you.  For example, if you wanted to make a holiday to recognize your tarot practice, it might be something like, "a day to touch base with all my decks, tidying the space I keep them in and checking in to see if I need to reorganize or de-clutter."

Once you know basically what your holiday is going to be about, it's time for the nitty gritty (but also fun) stuff.  You need to figure out the details of your holiday!  Think about this like collecting correspondences that fit your theme.  

 

A good one to start with is the date:  when is your holiday celebrated?  This might be an exact date, or it could be a lunar date (like the first new moon of the year, or the full moon after my birthday).  For a holiday centered around a person, it might be their birthday (or death day if they are deceased), or an important day in their life.

Then, think about what you will do on this holiday.  This might be a main event kind of thing (maybe a shared meal or some kind of activity), but it can also include support activities (maybe you need to create things to use in the main event, or these may be smaller things you do as part of the bigger event).  

When thinking about things to do, think about not only what was important to the focus of your holiday (so if you are celebrating a person, it might be things they were passionate about), but it can also be things that remind you of your focus (more personal things, maybe memories you have related to it).

A great way to approach these activities is to think of your senses:  what sounds would fit (maybe there are songs or chants that are appropriate), what colors or decorations are connected to it (sight), what foods or drinks should be served (taste), is there an incense you want to burn or flowers to decorate with (scent), what physical things are associated with it (touch).  It's kind of like picking correspondences for a spell, you can think of building a holiday like building a ritual...that you do every year (or however often you want to celebrate it).

And finally, consider if this is going to be a personal (solitary) holiday or a shared one.  If you are doing something just for you, then once you figure out all the details, you are good to go.  But if you are planning a shared holiday, then it can be helpful to talk with others, especially the folks you think you will want to celebrate it with, to see how your ideas sound to them.  Sometimes, people will point out things that don't fit for them, and may be able to suggest an substitution that you like even better.

At the end of the day, it is YOUR created holiday, so you have the final decision about what fits and what doesn't.  But it is always nice to try to make things as inclusive as possible.  If, however, you find that someone just can't agree with one of your core concepts, then maybe suggest they create their own holiday that better fits them, and you go ahead and do yours the way you want.

Holidays are great fun, and creating one to fit a need you have can be an amazing experience.  You can end up with wonderful memories and an ongoing tradition that helps you pay homage to something that is important to you....and share those feelings with others!  It is a great way to personalize your practice, to build the type of celebrations into your year that you need.  Have fun with it, and you may be surprised at where it takes you!

Creating for your soul

One of the things I associate with Ostara is crafting or creating.  And I think this is something that we, as humans, have an innate need to do.  It is also something that we are often told is frivolous or not important.  Or worse, that you should only create things that are 'good' (and by good most people mean 'will bring you profit and fame').  

First, I think we need to talk a bit about what creating means.  Originally, I had the focus on crafting, but it's so much more than that, just like creating is so much more than just art.  Creating can be those things, because of course crafting and doing art is a form of creation, but so is sanding wood or drawing up a design (which you might not make...the act of design is your creation!) or cooking dinner.  

 

Creating is simply turning an idea into something tangible, making it something that can be shared in some way.  It speaks to the part of us that needs to leave some kind of mark in the world, to feel like we were here and we made a difference.  Sometimes it doesn't matter if any one knows about what you have created, or that you created it, it's the making of the thing that is important.

Along the same lines, creation isn't necessarily about making something useful or even 'good'.  It can be fun to just play with creation, tossing paint on a page or stacking rocks until they tumble and fall.  It can be building a sandcastle and watching the ocean wash it away or drawing little doodles on a card you are giving to a friend.  

I think modern life has pulled us away from a lot of the crafting we used to do.  Many people don't cook regularly or have creative hobbies (maybe they were discouraged from pursuing them as an adult or maybe they simply don't feel like they have time), and for the most part we don't make our own clothes or household products...a lot of things that our ancestors would have crafted themselves (or they might have crafted one thing very well and then traded that for other things crafted by other people).

Creating like this lets us play with imagination.  There is something truly magical about having an idea in your head and turning it into something.  It's especially fun when you can share what you have created with other people and hearing that positive feedback.  Honestly, it's one reason why I always try to react or comment when someone shares something they have made online....especially if it's maybe not perfect or if they are feeling subconscious about sharing it.  

For me, creating something is always emotional.  In that I tap into my feelings and part of my intention is for people to feel something when they see/experience my creation.  This is true for my writing, but also for things I make as gifts (where at the very least I want people who receive them to feel loved).  I always think of the way little children present their art to people.  "Here is this thing, I made it and therefore it's special, but I want you to have it because I think you are special too!"

Making something always makes me feel more energized.  It's sort of addicting...when I make something, I often want to make more stuff.  And when I haven't made anything in a while, I definitely feel more unenthusiastic...about everything.  My mood is very much dependent on creating stuff, and I think more people are like that than might be aware of it.

And especially if you feel like you don't have time to create stuff, I challenge you to find little ways to create.  Doodle in your planner, fold that receipt into a bird, make up a silly song and sign it to your pet (or your empty house!), write a poem (make it a haiku if you want to keep it short!), but there is always something you can do to add a bit of creation into your life.  And I bet that you will feel better after you create something, especially if you can let go of any expectations about what you are creating.

And that's the real beauty of creation, in my book at least...that it's not about the end result, it's about the process.  And the process of creating is often equal parts wonder and discovery, trial and error, and adjusting when things don't work out the way you initially envisioned.  And all of these things are tools we can apply to other parts of our life!

If you aren't sure how to get started, there are a million resources online!  Think about something that you maybe have always wanted to try or that you think looks fun.  Then see if you can find a tutorial online...or if you prefer a social route, see if you can take a class on it.  Whether you are more comfortable learning with a group or on your own, there are so many ways to start new projects, and so many ways to get help when we get stuck in our creations.

And maybe you can try something new (or pick up an old favorite), as part of your Ostara celebrations, or simply as a way to shake up that stagnant energy after the slowness of winter.  Just remember, there is no wrong way to create, and there is no benchmark for 'good'....it's all about enjoying the process and giving a form to your own imagination!

Meditation practice

 If I were to suggest any single practice to a stranger, it would probably be meditation.  It really is just a staple practice that brings benefits from the first time you do it to the last, for everyone.  And it really both surprises me and makes me sad when people say they don't like meditation.

I feel like there is a huge misconception about what meditation is.  You say the word meditation, and many people immediately think of robed monks, sitting in stillness and silence, for hours on end, with the goal being to empty your mind and have no thought.  And while this is absolutely ONE form of meditation...there are a million more!  If you have tried to meditate before, and felt like you didn't succeed at it, then you should absolutely try it a different way!

Before I start talking about variations of meditation or about why a regular practice is important, I first want to touch on what it means to meditate successfully.  Meditation isn't like many other practices that have a success parameter.  In fact, I'd be willing to say that there is no way to fail at meditation (besides never trying it *grin).  

So, what can meditation do for you?  There are a ton of benefits that can be gained through meditation, from lowering stress and anxiety, improving your mood, enhanced thinking and even pain reduction.  While once it was more of an esoteric practice, today many doctors recommend meditation as a helpful practice (to go alongside traditional medical procedures).

One of the things I find most appealing about meditation is that it is available to everyone.  It doesn't take any special equipment or training.  You don't need a teacher (although there are many great teachers out there and lots of people find having a teacher useful).

Not only can you literally start wherever you are, whoever you are, but there are so many different ways to meditate, there is absolutely something for everyone.  I suggest trying a couple of ways, whatever sounds the most interesting to you...and also trying a couple that sound either very different or maybe not that appealing to you.  Sometimes, we surprise ourselves, and something that we didn't think would work for us ends up being amazing.

One of the first types of meditation I learned was a body scan relaxation technique.  With a body scan, you start at one end of your body, and go part by part, simply putting your attention in that part of your body.  It can be helpful to notice any sensations you feel in that area, from pain or itchiness to warmth or pressure.  You can add in relaxation by deliberately relaxing each part as you go (if you struggle with this, try tensing each part first, then relaxing it).

Another form of meditation I learned early on is active meditation or moving meditation.  I used to run track, and it was very easy to slip into this type of meditative focus while running (especially since I was a long distance runner).  I also find it easy to access this type of meditation when doing anything repetitive that doesn't require much thinking (like washing dishes or shuffling cards).

A very popular style right now is mindfulness meditation.  This involves being open to all your senses in the present moment, including your thoughts.  But, instead of following your thoughts (letting one lead into the next), when you become aware of your thoughts, you notice them and then let them go.  This definitely (at least for me) takes some practice, and I've learned that adding in labeling (when I have a thought I label it:  past/future, helpful/unhelpful or whatever categories you feel fit).  Note, it's really interesting to see what your most common types of thoughts are, once you start labeling.

Focused meditation involves picking a focus and trying to fill your awareness with just that one thing.  This is one I often see mentioned in Pagan books as the candle exercise, where you sit with a lit candle in front of you and just look at it.  You might have also heard about it as breathing meditation (where your breath is the focus).  I really like using an auditory focus, whether that means picking some kind of white noise (like nature sounds), music or even just focusing in on what you can hear in the world around you.  This is a really great way to meditate if you are in a noisy environment, because you use what might have been a flaw to your benefit!

I'm really just touching the surface of the many types of meditation out there, and it would be impossible for me to cover them all.  But what I really want to bring up is that regular meditation practice is where meditation shines.  As I said before, you can gain benefits from your very first meditation session, but the more times you practice, the easier it will become, and the more deeply you will feel the benefits.

I also feel like regular practice allows you to try different things, whether it is whole new styles of meditation, alterations to a practice you regularly do or simply using a different focus.  And making your meditation a regular practice allows you to make the most of the time you do spend meditating.  I feel like spending ten minutes a day meditating is better than spending an hour once a week meditating (and it's often easier to sneak in ten minutes a day than to find a whole hour you can devote).

It may be helpful to think of meditation as a toolkit, and each time you practice you are making your tools a bit better.  Each different type of meditation is a different kind of tool, and some may be better than others in different situations.  So, not only does repetition make you better at meditation, variety makes you more versatile.  

If you have been wanting to get into mediation (or maybe you already are, but haven't broadened your practice yet), then I encourage you to give it a go!  Remember, you can keep trying different ways until you find the ones you like best (though I still encourage you to keep poking at the ones that are less appealing, just to make sure nothing's changed).  And every time you sit to meditate...you are winning!

Informal notes...aka Pagan Prayer Journaling

 Okay, so a bit ago I was thinking about stuff to write about, and I stumbled across this blog post:  65 Prompts for Pagan Prayer Journaling.  Now, this is a fabulous list of things to write about, but what especially caught my eye was the reframe it had on studying, notes, daily practice and journaling!  

As someone who is a big fan of taking personal notes (I definitely remember more when I have to write it out by hand, but also information sinks in better if I need to reword it into my own words), I still think of 'notetaking' as a formal process.  I have organized Books of Shadows, as well as a whole collection of notebooks that hold other notes and information I've written down.  And in my head, the goal is always to keep information tidy, so that when I want to find it again, I can.

But the idea of just writing stuff down everyday, whatever comes up or seems to want to be written down is such an enticing one.  I used to keep an 'internet notebook' just for copying over stuff I found online that I wanted to have..but didn't really fit in my BOS or maybe I wasn't sure where I wanted to put it just yet.  I sadly fell out of the habit as I got more used to just bookmarking sites (to be read later....my tbr bookmark selection is like my book tbr list....it's longer than I expect my lifetime to be, and I expect to live for quite a long time!)

I also feel this practice of keeping your daily writing in one place would be very helpful if you are one of those people who (like me) struggles with remembering to work in books that are put away (sometimes, the act of pulling out the specific book I want to write in is too much and I don't end up doing anything at all).  It would also be great if you spend a lot of time outside your home, as you would only need a single notebook to carry with you!)  You could even do this on a journaling app (which makes it even more travel friendly, and you could find one that lets you tag or organize your notes in a way that works for you).

One of the things I really like about this idea is that it lets you vary your daily spiritual writing practice.  Especially when you use a prompt list like this, you have lots of ideas of stuff to write about, when you want to do something spiritual but maybe don't have anything specific in mind (please tell me I'm not the only one who wants to do something but then kinda gets hung up on what to do).

It's kind of like a combination of a commonplace book (which is basically your personal journal of helpful tips and information to remember....made popular back in the days before published books were a reasonable price for the average person), a bullet journal (where you note down important stuff from your day) and BOS (specifically the style of BOS that is like a personal magic diary).

I definitely see aspects of this when I look for examples of witchy/Pagan bullet journals or calendar work.  And I used to see these pretty (or functional, depending on your style) pages of notes and think "wow, that would never work for me, I wouldn't ever be able to find anything", but I think that's really not the point of this type of practice.

Sure, you may end up with notes on things you are interested in and studying, and of course you could go back through your journals and compile the notes into something more cohesive...but you could also just keep making new notes (especially if you are like me, and your brain remembers best through small bits of repetition over the years...it's okay if this is my millionth time writing about astrology because I still don't remember what all the signs mean!!!)

Looking over the list, I think a lot of it could be distilled down to:  "Find a thing that interests you today.  Read about it, or do it...then write about it."  It's an action and then a reaction, and that's where the beauty lies!  It's funny, while I always hated reflections when I had to write them in school (especially reflecting on papers I had written..I hadn't yet figured out that teachers weren't just there to give me grades, but to help me learn, and that honest reflection on what went good, what went bad and how you felt about it is such a major part of learning).

In some ways, I think that is something that can be missing from solitary practice:  the feedback.  This style of journaling allows you to give your own feedback, both immediately and also later, when you go back and read what you wrote previously.  In fact, that would be my own addition to the list:  read a previous journal entry and then write your current thoughts on what you wrote before.

I also really like that they include brainstorming and planning as part of it.  Brainstorming or just coming up with ideas is such a great task, and it's something that we sometimes forget we can do in an unfocused way.  Sure, we can plan out that next ritual or gathering we are attending, but we can also just keep a running list of:  things we'd like to research, ideas we read that we want to try (someday), ritual ideas that would be fun, books to read, tools to buy....anything that you may want to do in the future (but have no definite plans for right now).  The best thing about playing with brainstorming like this is you end up with things you can turn to later (when you are actually looking for stuff to do).

But the absolute best thing (in my opinion) about informal notes like this is that there are no rules.  You don't have to format it in a specific way, you don't have to list your sources (but you can if you want!), you don't have to have all the answers or even know really what you are going to do.  Just pick a thing, and let your thoughts flow onto paper.

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.

Journaling as practice

 While it has become quite common for many people to have or use a journal as part of their practice, the act of journaling is often seen as an auxiliary thing.  You write things down as a secondary part of a primary practice.  But the journaling itself isn't seen as spiritual (with the exception of a practice like morning pages, which does embrace journaling as a daily practice).

I have a sort of funny relationship with journals.  I have a TON of them, and I do use them.  I tend to like themed journals, so I have tarot journals, magical journals, book journals, rune journals, study journals and activity journals (like for challenges and what not).  But I also often journal in phases.  I much prefer to journal by hand, but hand writing doesn't work well for me (my handwriting is atrocious, and it hurts me to write for any length of time by hand).

But there is something so very satisfying about grabbing a pen (or a handful, I tend to write in rainbows!) and filling a blank page with words.  I adore looking back through my journals and reading what I was about at different times in my life.  Even reading notes I took while researching a subject tells me a lot about my mindset at the time.

With Art and Junk Journals being quite popular right now, a lot of people are finding that creating beautiful artistic pages in their journals brings them a lot of joy.  I've seen fabulous spreads dedicated to a wide variety of topics, and there are definitely people who turn making these works of art into a spiritual practice.  Finding the right way to decorate a page to represent the information on it is a wonderful way to deepen your understanding (and experience) of a subject, whether it is one you are studying about or something you are reflecting on.

On the other side of the spectrum, Bullet Journals offer a lot of great organizational options, helping you keep all your writings neat and tidy.  And they are highly customizable, so if something doesn't quite work for you, simply change it!

But even if you aren't artistically inclined (or maybe you don't want/have the time to devote to this level of journaling), or you don't want to fuss with all the organization of a proper journal system, you can still use journaling as part of your personal practice.

I've been working with moon cycle journaling for just over eight months now.  The bones of my moon cycle journal practice are simple:  note the moon phase for the day, write an intention, and do one more thing for each phase (typically a card draw or more writing).  For me, taking the time to look up the phase (I use an app on my phone for this), and then think of an intention for each day helps me tune into both my daily life and the larger, natural cycles (that I often struggle to tap into, being very much an indoor person).

This moon cycle journaling led me to Sabbat journaling, and using my journal as a vehicle for observing and honoring the Sabbats.  I've journaled Sabbats (as record keeping) on and off for a few years, but I'll be honest, my actual observance of Sabbats isn't regular.  I try to keep my altar set for the current Sabbat, and to do other little things around my house to honor the shifting of the seasons, but I don't always have big work to do, so doing a full ritual (on my own), often feels off.  Instead, I find that spending some time writing about what the Sabbat means to me is helpful and allows me to honor the thoughts and feelings the Sabbat brings up for me.

Another journal practice I've started is an ancestor journal.  The idea is to have a place where I can write to my ancestors (blood, spirit or otherwise...pretty much anyone who isn't alive anymore).  This sort of encompasses themes from Samhain, Memorial day, Veteran's day, Mother Night and the many other times where we honor our dead.  But I like the idea of a journal that is kind of like letters to the dead, where I can talk to my beloved dead whenever I feel the urge.

And of course we have tarot journals!  I'm one of those people who thinks better in writing, so for me, journaling out a reading is an important part of the reading.  I also find that reading my notes on readings helps me to refine my understanding of specific cards.  I can see how I interpret the same card in different ways depending on the style of reading, the other cards involved, the deck and any other influences I may have experienced.

One thing I'm looking forward to is expanding my tarot journaling to include tarot journaling games, which I've recently become aware of.  I have a couple now that I've picked up, that include prompts that you then answer by drawing cards, but you weave a story in your journal, which I find absolutely fascinating.  And while it may seem to be a bit frivolous, I'm one of those people who learns best through play, so any way to play with my cards is a way to get to know them better.

I feel like one of the best things about journaling as a practice is it is something that you can do pretty much anywhere, with no one the wiser about what you are doing.  Which makes it great for travel or doing work when around non-witchy folks.  You can use your journal as a visualization tool, writing out what you are visualizing as you 'do' it (which means you don't need to have your tools or supplies with you, you can simply write out what you are doing and with what).  The brilliant thing about this is you can easily dip into guided meditations as well, where you note down the prompts, but then write out your responses.

In this digital age, of course you could also do some or all of your journaling online.  And you could absolutely make parts of it public (especially if you have other witchy friends who might want to journal along with you!), but I think there is something special about having words that are only for yourself, and journaling often fits that need.

So no matter how you do it, journaling can be a main part of your practice, not simply a way you make note of the other things you do.  Find new ways to entwine your practice and your journal, and you might be surprised at how robust a journaling practice feels!

Creativity as fertility

 As the year wakes up and we enter into spring and nature goes into full on fertile mode, we may find ourselves more inspired than usual.  Whatever our thoughts on physical procreation, we can embrace this creative energy and harness our own creative impulses.  

I absolutely believe everyone is creative, in their own way.  Sometimes we limit ourselves by thinking that creativity is limited to art (and to being 'good' at something), but if we take a step back, creativity is the act of creating something.  And that thing we create could be artistic, but it could also be practical.

There is so much we do in our lives that fall under the category of 'acts of creation,' from making food to building things, and yes this includes making art (though there is absolutely no requirement that it meet any standard whatsoever).  In fact, I think when it comes to creation, it's the act of creating that is more important than the product you end up with.

There is something really satisfying with working with our hands.  And even if you are a very cerebral creator (like a writer), at some point in the creation process, you are using your body to get the thought out into the world...you are birthing your idea into being.

I'd like to make a quick note here as well that the things we create don't always have to be unique or new.  I get a great sense of creation by making tried and true recipes that have been in my family for years.  In fact, this style of creation, by creating things we have seen others create, helps us cultivate a sense of connection.  When we create something that other people have also created, we are connected to everyone who has created the same thing.

The great thing about creation is that the sky's the limit.  Just because something has always been done a certain way, doesn't stop you from experimenting, from trying other ways or twists on the established method.  We can make things our own, if that is our desire.

One thing to remember, when you create, is that the more risks you take, the more possible rewards, but also the greater the chance of failure.  By staying to more safe methods, you have more reliable results, but you won't ever get the wow factor of something truly groundbreaking (though the counter point to this is that you don't have to be groundbreaking at all).

And of course, the more effort you put into your creation, the higher quality the results will be.  If I am wanting to turn a branch into a wand, and I am sanding it down, I might have a perfectly serviceable wand after a single pass with a medium sandpaper.  But if I take a few grades of sandpaper, and spend enough time working with each, I will end up with a much smoother final product.  Quality is one of those things that takes time to both achieve and to appreciate...a simple glance at something won't show you how well it's made, but as you spend time with it, quality will show through.

I love the fact that anyone can be creative, and this is a perfect way for everyone to embrace the energy of spring and this fertile time of the year.  Start paying attention to what peaks your interest, to the ideas that pop up in your head, you know the ones, where you think, 'I could do that...'  Find something that looks interesting and give it a go.

There are so many wonderful creative pursuits that we can explore, and each will bring something into our live that wasn't there before we engaged in the creation process.  You might find that the act of creating opens up your mind, sparking more thoughts and ideas.  Or, you might find the exact opposite, that when you create, your mind calms and you aren't consumed by the thoughts that normally crowd your mind.  I almost always find that I feel refreshed after creating, no matter the part of the project I am on.

New year doesn't have to bring newness

 

A lot of people link the New Year with big change.  It's seen by many as some mystical time of setting new goals and dreaming bit.  As a liminal time, there is power in the changing of the year, and it's a natural time to leave behind things we want to be rid of and to envision a better and brighter life for ourselves.

But sometimes, the idea of big change is just too much.  Some years we may not want to do anything big, or even really anything new.  For many people, the last couple of years have been too much, and though I think we all wish for things to be better, the prospect of working that change in our personal lives can feel daunting.  For other people, they have created big changes in their personal lives, and may need a year to regain their footing, a year of rest to really settle into the changes they have already made.

Just because we are starting a new year doesn't mean we have to seek out newness in our life.  Just because we are leaving behind an old year doesn't mean we have to set ourselves up with tasks to either get rid of or bring in different things.  Sometimes, it's okay to just want to stick with our regular patterns.

The thing about life is that it sometimes brings us change whether we want it or not.  I think part of the reason why we look to change at the New Year is because it is a natural time of transition.  I am a huge fan of reflection, of checking in at certain times (and yes the New Year is one of those), because I'm naturally forgetful, and I know that if I don't link reflection to specific times, I will forget to examine my life.  And if I'm not looking at where I am, then nothing will ever change.

But I also understand being overwhelmed by change.  When we are bombarded by changes, especially changes that are big and scary (and completely out of our control), we feel helpless and tiny.  We feel adrift on a turbulent sea, clinging to anything that feels safe and familiar and just wanting to close our eyes, block everything out and reassure ourselves that we have any sort of agency.

It is at these times we might feel a need to sink into our established rhythms instead of trying to change our course.  When we feel out of control, we turn to the familiar as a way to ground and center.  And whether or not the change was big and external or more personal, sometimes we need to focus on stability instead of looking for something new.

Traditions can be very soothing, and if you have built New Year traditions into your personal practice and life, it may feel scary to try to change that, but the nice thing is that you may not have to.  It may just take a bit of twisty thinking, turning your perspective on it's side and considering the New Year from a different angle.

For quite a few years now, I've picked a theme for my years.  Normally this theme comes with the idea of 'big work'.  Whatever my theme is, I'll think about how that can be applied to my life and what I can do to manifest my theme both in my daily life and over the course of the year.  In previous years, I've picked themes of magic (working all the Sabbats as well as increasing my daily practice), moons (working every phase of every moon), and reboot (which was meant to look at both my daily activities and my larger practice and give it a complete overhaul from the ground up...but ended up being about rebooting my health...it's funny how life works out).

I can still work with this idea of having a theme for the year and also incorporate in embracing stability and not seeking out change.  I just need to broaden my thinking to include more restful themes.  I might pick a theme like self-care (and work on being open to my personal needs and allowing myself space to just be with whatever feelings and experiences I'm going through), or maybe I could pick stability (working on really sinking into my daily rhythms and the other structures that make me feel safe and keep my life running smoothly).

Instead of setting forward thinking goals, I could turn them inward, and work on acceptance or empathy or observance.  The key is to find something that doesn't push you.  It may feel counterintuitive, especially if you are normally very goal oriented or if you are someone who finds big dreams helps them get the daily stuff done (I am very much one of those people...if I don't have some kind of bigger picture, then I feel like nothing gets done).  

And sometimes it means just sitting with the idea of having a rest year.  We might have to remind ourselves that 'not doing stuff' can actually be productive.  That if we are constantly going and doing and looking ahead, we never have time to reset and dream.  And both of those are necessary for a balanced and healthy life!

 

Rest time lets us recover our balance.  When we are constantly on the go, we never get a proper reset, and that means we don't fully integrate what we have learned along the way.  Think of it like trying to only survive on naps, instead of getting a proper night's sleep.  Even if you spend the same amount of time 'sleeping', taking 8 one hour naps isn't nearly as restful as sleeping for 8 hours straight.  

 

Dreaming is a creative output.  Dreaming includes time to wonder, to let thoughts drift around in your head just to see where they will go.  It's a form of rest, and it's often where our big ideas come from.  If you are wanting to focus on resting and dreaming, you can gather up your ideas and thoughts and keep them for later, for when you are ready to get back in there.  If you never stop to dream, you might suffer from burnout, from a lack of ideas for new projects.  

 

As we begin this new year, ask yourself if you need a new goal or if you need to step back from newness.  Both are perfect answers, at different times, the key is knowing which is best for you right now.  

Spiritual Roleplaying

 Roleplaying is something that has been a part of my life since childhood..back when it was 'playing pretend.'  I've always loved the idea of being someone different, of stepping into a world that is not my own, and of seeing where the story takes me.

I also feel that roleplaying often gets a bad reputation.  It's fine for kids, or it's okay as a hobby, but that's all it is:  a game (often for younger people that you are expected to grow out of).   And yet, roleplaying has so many benefits, and can be adapted to so many different areas of your life...and spirituality is definitely one of them!

Now, I know there is a bit of a stigma with crossing roleplaying with spirituality, especially as many people who don't understand Paganism or witchcraft assume we are all 'playing pretend.'  But at some point, we have to stop letting ignorant people dictate how we practice, especially when many of those people who are going to be extremely judgmental aren't going to listen with an open mind to what we actually do, they are just going to believe their own preconceived notions of our practice....so what we do is really up to us!

I also don't think that using tools like roleplaying makes someone more susceptible to loosing touch with reality, even when it overlaps with other areas of your life.  I get just as drawn into stories in books, tv and movies, and I have never had a problem knowing the difference between my actual life and any story-life I may be imagining (even when I use the story-life to explore things that I'm struggling with in my actual life...more on that in a bit).

It may surprise many people to realize that some of what we already do, especially with guided meditation, is a very basic form of roleplaying.  When we work with a guided meditation, especially one that has us interacting with things or having choices that lead to different visualized actions, we are engaging in rules-light roleplaying!

Now, for everyone who isn't familiar with tabletop roleplaying games (the ones with rules and dice, like Dungeons and Dragons), roleplaying games come in all levels of rules, from very light (where everything is story driven....much like visualization), to rule heavy (where every action you take has rules and parameters that determine how well you perform said action).  And all levels of roleplaying can be used spiritually, with a little bit of forethought.

We'll start with the very rule light versions, which as I mentioned are basically visualization.  The great thing about this style of roleplaying is it requires very little preparation or supplies.  You often are playing the 'role' of yourself, so you don't even have to think about how to act, you just do what you would do in a given situation.

The power of these types of visualizations is that you can give yourself different scenarios and practice what you might do in different circumstances.  This is great work to do alongside traditional spellwork, like if you are wanting to get a new job, you can do a spell to find a great new job, but you can also roleplay out (through visualization) callbacks, your job interviews and even your first day at the new job!  Using roleplay like this helps you calm any worries or anxiety you might have (especially if you get social anxiety), because you can practice the different things you need to do, and prepare for unlikely situations (like the interviewer asking you questions that throw you off).  By practicing through roleplaying, you become more confident and this will show through when you actually get that phone call or go in for the interview. 

And that leads us to the next version of roleplaying, where you are actually tweaking your own role a bit.  I think of this as Me+, in that I'm mostly being myself....just with qualities I wish I had more of.  So, if I am nervous and insecure about doing tarot readings for other people, I can think of the readings as roleplaying sessions, but instead of being myself when I do readings for other people, I am "Me, the professional tarot reader!"  You can also create a whole persona for yourself, like a new character, that is who you want to be as a tarot reader, and that becomes the character you play whenever you do readings.

It's almost like a mind hack.  By taking on a character, you can step outside of your insecurities and become someone who is skilled and confident at the task you are trying to accomplish.  You can use this for any thing you need to do, whether it is taking a leading role in a ritual or helping babysit your cousins.  

One nice little trick for this is to really think about who the character is you are going to be, and find something you can wear (clothing, jewelry, makeup) that will help you anchor that character.  You might have a particular ring that you wear as a tarot professional, or a shirt that the great babysitter wears.  Reserving those items for times when you are taking on the role of that character helps you stay in character and makes it easier for you to remember to embody them.  

Now the next step, in adding more rules to your roleplay, is to actually work with statistics and rules for success.  Now before I get into this, I need to talk a little bit about gamification.  Gamification is simply turning non-game activities into a game of sorts.  One of the reasons why people enjoy playing games so much is they get direct feedback and rewards for doing actions (often actions that might not be so fun on their own).

If you think about a video game, maybe you need to chop some trees down for wood.  If the entire game was just clicking on a tree enough times to get wood....and nothing more....most people wouldn't play the game, as it's not fun.  But, if you gather enough wood and now you can build a sword or a house or turn it in to a shopkeeper for some gold, now it is motivation.  It's no longer about chopping the wood, it's about the prize at the end.

We all have tasks in our lives that aren't so fun, but are necessary.  And sometimes, these necessary tasks don't really have good rewards.  Some do, like having a traditional job, where you put in the hours, do the work, and you get a paycheck.  Others have inverse rewards, like eating healthy.  For many people, eating healthy isn't the most fun (because unhealthy foods are tasty!), and the 'reward' is that you don't get sick....which isn't very tangible.  These are the kinds of things that can benefit from gamification, from adding in some light rules and creating rewards!

This might sound like pretty much every motivational system out there, and it basically is, but for many people that extra window dressing of making it feel like a game creates motivation to stick with it.  I worked with an exercise program that gamified working out, where you had some pretty basic exercises, but they were described in terms of a survival game, so instead of 'jogging for X minutes', you were traveling to the next town.  

One of the easiest ways to gamify your life is to dress things up in different terms.  Instead of drinking my morning coffee, I am brewing a potion to help revive me to life!  This can be a fun way to think about basic self-care actions, so if you struggle to drink enough water in a day, assign a value to each glass of water, and some way of rewarding yourself for meeting your daily minimums.  One neat way I've seen to do this to turn it into a battle, where you create a monster to fight, and each week it regains a certain number of hit points...in order to keep it at bay, you need to do your tasks to do damage to it.  Remember, rewards are key, so while tracking the damage can be a mini-reward, also find something to reward yourself for defeating enough monsters in a month!

Using gamification or roleplaying can also enhance your study.  I read something recently that talked about how repeating a skill during game play helped you learn it in less time (less repetitions) as compared to traditional learning.  I think that when we engage our imagination, when we create these alternative worlds and characters, we are using both sides of our brain, and it is memorable, which is why it's easier to learn.

So how can you use that to help you study?  I know that memorization is hard for a lot of people, and things like learning the meanings of runes (and remembering which rune goes with which meaning) can be really hard.  But you could build a game around the runes, where you use the rune meaning to create some kind of spell (Isa could freeze things or Kenaz to create light), and then create a world for yourself too explore, but in order to use your spells, you need to draw the right rune (and you can totally have your notes with you!).  It may sound a bit silly, but as you use your 'spells' over and over, you will start to remember what the symbols are.  And you can start getting more creative as you get more familiar with the basics, so to start you might use Fehu to tell you how much something is worth, but later on you might expand your understanding and realize you can also use it to change something's worth.

The important thing is that you have fun with it!  Roleplaying and gamification are all about having a good time, the goal isn't always obvious, and often the journey is worth more than the destination.  Try things out, see what works for you, and when you find something you enjoy...run with it!