The importance of shared experiences

 I firmly believe that everyone is unique...we are all our own special people and our experiences are specific to us.  Even if when looking at twins who grew up together, they will be different people, and they will have different experiences in the same situation, even if it looks (from an outside perspective) as if they are having the same experience.

We tend to try to clump people together and make generalizations about experience based on common factors.  For example, we may feel like women in general are more nurturing and 'naturally' take to motherhood, and yet obviously, not every woman feels that way.  By trying to create a unifying factor, we are actually isolating the people who don't feel like they fit and making them feel like they are less than or 'not a real' woman (or whatever other category you clumped people into).

This is why I feel like shared experiences...in conjunction with talking about those shared experiences and our personal responses to them...are so important.  The shared experience gives us a common ground to work from, but then our personal reactions (and talking about them) let us see the differences in our perspectives.  The more we not only share experiences but really dive into how we felt during those experiences, the more we will come to realize that no one experiences things exactly the same..and not only is this okay, but it's wonderful!

But I also feel like we need to work harder to include diverse groups in our shared experiences.  Most people have certain groups (or types) of people who they associate with on a regular basis...and most of us seek out people that are 'like us' to hang out with, because we feel like we have that bases of shared life experiences.  In fact, we often seek out groups that fit the parts of us we most identify with, whether that is based on our race, our culture, our gender, our sexual identity (or tastes), our hobbies or our struggles.

The problem comes when we only associate with (and share experiences with) people who we assume are like us.  The more we surround ourselves with people who are just a reflection of our own self, the more we start to forget that there are other types of people and other types of experiences.  We are literally denying ourselves the opportunity to experience a bigger world...we are limiting our world.

Being in broader groups and sharing experiences with people who aren't like you can definitely be scary.  You may feel more alone (at the start) and worry if the other people will understand you or judge you.  You may have been told stories about what other people are like (and often stories about 'other people' are very biased and designed to make outsiders seem undesirable) or maybe you are just scared of making a mistake and insulting someone because you don't know better.

But widening your circle to include more diversity can also bring a lot of excitement.  It can literally open up whole new worlds to you, expose you to ideas and things you couldn't have imagined....and also show you how many similarities you have with people you maybe didn't think you'd have anything in common with.

Truth is something we often struggle with, but sharing experiences has a way of letting people experience the truth for themselves.  It's much easier to show someone how hard something is (especially if you can make it so they can go through it personally) than to try to describe it.  

It can take a lot of bravery to put yourself in a new experience, but being open to it will go a long way in helping you adjust and have a wonderful time.  One of the most important things is to try your best to get rid of all your expectations (except for having a good time!).  If you think you know what a thing will be like (but you've never actually tried it), then take a breath and clear your mind and focus on what you are experiencing. 

Setting aside our judgements can be tricky, but it is worth it.  And sometimes your expectations might be spot on, and sometimes the experience might not be that enjoyable.  But even in those cases, you learn something!  And moving forward, you now have experiences outside your comfort zone, you have shared experiences with people who aren't in your normal social circles...and that alone can give you a huge advantage over anyone who keeps only to people they feel are 'like them'.

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.

Things don't always age well

 The world is constantly changing, and we are living in a time where we see ideas become obsolete in our own lifetime, and sometimes things that were socially acceptable when we were little are definitely not now.  It can be hard to adjust, and to reconcile our feelings with our thoughts.  But we also don't want to toss the baby out with the bathwater, and just because some things are outdated and didn't age well doesn't mean that they should be completely set aside.

This is one place where I feel like we have to engage both our critical thinking and our ability to see things from another perspective.  Just because we don't agree with an idea today, doesn't mean we can't see how our ancestors might have viewed something (and how it could have been something good for them while simultaneously being not good for us).  

One of my favorite examples of this is with mythology.  Many modern practitioners accept myths as a version of teaching stories.  They were a way that our ancestors tried to make sense of the world around them, especially when they lacked the understanding to explain things in a way that made sense to them, and so creating a story to explain what was going on helped them accept changes and situations that would otherwise create anxiety and stress for them.

A lot of myths talk about how things came to be.  Perhaps they are explaining the universe or why humans are different from other life on the planet, or they might be explaining unusual natural phenomenon (like eclipses or earthquakes).  Our ancestors would see a thing, and it wouldn't match with the rest of the world, and they would try to figure out why this thing was different.

Of course, today we often know the reasons why the earth shakes or how humans evolved to develop speech and use tools.  And this may cause us to question our love of myth, because we have two conflicting sources of information (or more, especially if you follow multiple pantheons and now have multiple creation stories for different things).  

But we also have more levels of understanding on how our own brains work.  We have the left brain, the thinking brain, the ego, and that part is the one that likes knowing the why.  In our modern lives, this is the part that often turns to science and logic.  We also have the right brain, the child self, the id, and this part of us loves whimsy and play and symbols.  (yes, these different parts don't quite line up, and then there is the superego/higher self....but you get the idea)

And that is where we can love a thing and also understand why it's not Truth (with a capital T).  Things don't have to be 'real' to be real....a story can be completely made up and still carry weight.  It can move us, in ways that logic and science don't always.  It can bring us to a place of magic.

With outdated ideas, this can sometimes bring real conflict.  Thinking about some of the earliest books on Paganism that I read, there were a lot of really inappropriate ideas about how people interact with each other (being skyclad, sexual initiations, power dynamic, gender duality, cultural appropriation).  Even at the time, I knew some of the things I was reading didn't 'work' for me, I just kind of assumed I was the odd duck out, I must have been just not ready to be that open or that connected to other people.

But even the parts I was conflicted about imprinted in my brain as examples of 'how magic works' (especially magic with multiple people).  I think I will always have romantic ideology about dancing naked in the woods or a working partner, and I kind of tuck those thoughts away in the fantasy part of my brain (you know, the part that idly dreams about movie stars and being rich...yeah that part).

The thing is...I can enjoy those thoughts in my brain, even though if I were to be in that situation in realty I'd definitely be freaking out and highly anxious.  Things aren't black and white, and there are a lot of places where we can live in the grey area.

We may be absolutely opposed to any kind of nakedness with other people, and still enjoy reading a novel where a coven holds those kinds of meetings.  We can watch a movie that embraces very sketchy magical practices....and like the movie, but still condone real world work in those areas.  We can examine a historical document and recognize that we have methods available to us today that simply weren't there before (and thus our ancestors had to take a very different approach when put in a bad situation).

Everyone has to decide their own levels of comfort with things that haven't aged well.  For some, it may make them uncomfortable enough they want to avoid it altogether, and that's fine.  For others, they may be okay with sifting through the troubling bits and pulling out the parts that are okay.  Or enjoying something in a purely entertainment fashion and recognizing that the things we may enjoy in a bit of fiction aren't things that we actually support.  The important thing is to know that there are different ways to approach this, and you don't have to completely avoid things that haven't aged well, if you don't want to.

The sacredness of everyday objects

 When we talk about things that are sacred, we often end up putting things on pedestals.  It reminds me a little of the 'company plates'...you know, the fancy ones that you only break out when company comes, or for holidays or other special occasions.  As a kid, I always looked forward to times when we would break out the company plates...even though it meant more work for me (the company plates couldn't go in the dishwasher of course, so they had to be hand washed and dried).

And there is something about special items that lends themselves to sacredness.  Often it's the extra work that does it.  Because something is special and not for 'ordinary use' we often have more rituals around how we use it.  Much like breaking out the company plates, we may think of ritual offerings as needing special containers, luxury ingredients, something handmade...rarely do we think of the simple everyday things that we use in our regular life.

But those everyday items have their own brand of sacredness.  Let's talk about bread for a minute.  I'll admit, I'm not always a fan of plain old sandwich bread.  It's a super staple, and we are more likely to have it on hand than some other fancy kind of bread.  But for almost everything, I will pick some other kind of bread if it's offered.  I've heard myself say "I don't really like bread...." and I'm always thinking of white sandwich bread.  The funny thing is, I don't really dislike white sandwich bread either, it's just that when thinking about bread, I think of sandwich bread first, and then my brain automatically compares it to the many other kinds of bread and I end up feeling a bit disappointed.

The thing is....I actually don't mind white sandwich bread.  One of my big comfort foods, especially when I'm feeling really off and needing something soothing, is two pieces of sandwich bread, and two pieces of processed cheese (you know, the ones that come wrapped in plastic).  Microwave until the cheese is melted then make a sandwich.  It's soft, it's gooey, and it's absolutely lovely.  (Amusing note:  I'm definitely a fancy cheese lover as well, but I have never disliked the 'cheap' processed cheese)

When I think about using bread for a ritual or offering....my first thought is never sandwich bread.  Even though, as I mentioned earlier, it's what we typically use around the house.  My brain thinks sacred and wants to use something 'more.'

Which I find at odds with how most of my practice is:  using what I've got and trying to entwine spiritual and mundane as much as possible.  I think a lot of it goes back to the early days, where all your spiritual tools were supposed to be special things, only used for ritual purposes.  I've had to fight my own brain along the way, to use tools that were also used for their intended purpose (my first athame was my pocketknife, which I carried with me for all kinds of things).

I know that it can sometimes be hard to see the sacred in everyday objects, especially if they are both terribly mundane as well as inexpensive.  It's like we have been trained to not honor the worth of things that fall into those categories.  This is one of those places where you might have to really sink into the work and recognize the sacredness of an item before you use it.

I find mindfulness practice can really help here (and working on mindfulness with regards to the sacredness of everyday objects can also help your mindfulness practice, which is great for emotional and mental stability...so it's a win/win!).  If you are looking at something, want to use it as a part of your practice, but are struggling with seeing it as sacred, then take a step back and try to see it with fresh eyes.

Really look at it, as if you had never seen it before.  Look at what colors are there, what texture it is, what it smells and tastes like.  Does it have a sound (or absence of sound....white sandwich bread is much quieter than, for example, a freshly baked crusty loaf of sourdough)?  Think about the role it plays in your life...what does this object let you do?  Think about how it makes you feel...and try to think of several different situations and how the object fits into them (like how sandwich bread is super available or I always remember peanut butter and honey sandwiches as travel food because they don't require refrigeration).

Simple, everyday objects can be super fascinating, when we slow down and take the time to appreciate them.  And not only as they are now, but the role they have played in our life.  Most of us are impacted SO much more by everyday objects than we are by things like company plates.  Sure, we had a matching set of fancy coffee/tea cups (with the little saucers)....and I can't remember ever using them (I'm sure we did, I just have no memories of them), but I can clearly remember the hodge podge of souvenir coffee mugs that we had accumulated over the years.  Those were a part of my life...the fancy cups weren't.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with wanting to have and use fancy objects for your sacred work.  I have some lovely, ornate tools that were handcrafted and I keep for special things.  But you are missing out if you don't also consider the everyday things around you...and how they impact not only your daily life, but how they could work into your sacred life as well.  So the next time you are looking for something to work with, don't overlook the things you use every day...you might surprise yourself in how meaningful they become, once you have seen them as sacred.

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).