Advanced practice

This is something that has come up a couple of times, in different groups I am in.  The predominance of 101 and beginner information, not only in published books, but also in online groups.  Many websites focus on basic stuff, books rehash the same old information, and many groups seem to share the same standard info-graphics.

So where is the advanced stuff?  Sure, there are more advanced books, but many of what gets recommended as advanced books are actually just basic books for specific subjects (so instead of being a Paganism 101 book it's a Norse mythology 101 book).  I've actually heard authors complaining because publishers don't want things that are more advanced, they only seem to want the general stuff, and actually told the author to take the more specific stuff out of the book so it would be more marketable.

And I do think there is some amount of truth to the idea that people who are just starting out tend to dive in with both feet.  They want all the information, and will buy a half-dozen books (before realizing that they all mostly say the same stuff...). 

Where it gets tricky is that a lot of the advanced stuff is just the basic stuff, but deeper.  It's taking what you have learned, working with it enough that you are comfortable with it, and then seeing how you can take it further.  It's actually breaking away from what you learn from other sources and figuring out how to pave your own path.


This makes advanced practice sometimes really hard for people, depending on their circumstances and how they learn.  Many people are book learners, they like to see words in print, to be able to read them over and over, to take notes and organize their thoughts on the page.  The struggle for these people is often weeding through the vast amounts of basic stuff for those few kernels of fresh thoughts.  Or trying to read adjacent material (like history textbooks) to piece together things that aren't typically talked about (like how an ancient culture might have approached a coming of age ceremony).

Other people need to be able to sit with someone and ask questions.  It's often the interplay between teacher and student that helps them.  This can be hard if there isn't anyone in your area who practices.  Some people need to just work it out for themselves, they actually do best if they aren't trying to read from a book or learn from someone else, and the biggest struggle they may face is breaking free from all the books and people telling them 'this is the way you need to do this".

Speaking of which, I think there is always that part of us, no matter how experienced we are, that isn't fully sure of ourselves.  We all have doubts, and having those doubts doesn't make you any less of an experienced practitioner!  I think it's what you do with those doubts that is more important.  A beginner might feel worried about doing things right, and so they hold off.  They try to find some outside source that tells them that what they are doing is right and proper and that yes they should do it.  A more advanced person will examine their doubts, see if there are honest concerns that need to be addressed (like safety issues), and once those have been handled, they will trust their own knowledge and experience and move forward.

Not everything you do, even as an advanced practitioner, will end in success.  But when you fail, you learn from it!  You stop and examine what happened, you seek out the places where your endeavor went astray, and you figure out ways to stop it from doing the same thing in the future (even if you aren't sure of those ways...it's still something new to try out!). 

I also feel that practice often follows a bell curve.  You start out knowing nothing, you dive in and submerge yourself in something, and slowly you start to swim.  But then, you might take a break, because we all need rest.  You might go and do something else for a while.  Eventually you end up where you are comfortable, and you can swim without much effort.  And many people stop here, and if that is what you want, that is fine!  But to take things to the next level, you need to push yourself.  You need to take that deep breath and dive.  You need to try to see if you can swim further, or faster or with less effort.

And I think that is where many advanced practitioners circle back (pun intended!) to the basic practices.  Many will revisit meditation or circle casting, after having done it for ages, and study it AS IF IT WERE NEW!  They will take all the information they have learned along the way, both about themselves and their path, what works for them and what doesn't, and they will apply it to those basic lessons.  And each time you do this, your understanding of a practice becomes more complex, more multi-faceted, and more personal. 

This is where I think the community is lacking.  I think we have a million sharable resources for the beginner stuff.  And every day, in my social media groups, I see posters and lists of correspondences, spells and motivational quotes.  These are shared over and over....and people like them or comment that they agree.  Sometimes people will ask if something is true, and often the response is a simple, "If you believe it, and it works for you, then yes it is true."

And all that is great and fine, but I think we, as a Witchy and Pagan community, as a global collective of people who are wanting to be spiritual and to improve ourselves, I think we need to stop just hitting the like button and start actually sharing!

Not sharing the post (though, definitely feel free to share stuff that you resonate with), but actually stopping, taking a moment to share YOUR experiences.  "Yes, you can charge your stones under and eclipse moon.  I did this last eclipse, and here is what happened...."  "Sure, you can cleanse your house with something other than sage, I use...."  "You know, everyone posts that tree meditation for grounding, but that never really worked for me.  Instead, I do...."

These are the ways we can all help each other advance!  By talking about what works and doesn't, by sharing our thoughts and experiences...by actually sharing what we do (no you don't have to write out the full details of every spell/ritual you do and post it online...but surely there are some things you are comfortable sharing!)

Sometimes this means being really honest about things we may not be fully comfortable with, things we may feel others might judge us for.  I don't do workings every moon cycle (not actual formal, full moon stuffs).  I was doing really good with my personal Sabbat rituals...but missed Midsummer (life got busy, and then whoosh it was gone).  We aren't all perfect, and our practices might not be perfect...but if you do anything, talk about it!  If you are struggling right now, and you aren't managing to do stuff (but you wish you could)...talk about that too.  Because there are probably a dozen different people feeling bad because they feel like they should be doing more..and when one person talks about it, everyone feels more comfortable talking about it.

Books often paint this picture of 'advanced practice' as something that is frankly unrealistic for most people.  Being advanced doesn't mean you have a three hour long ritual for every Sabbat that includes a full meal, crafts and seasonal spellwork.  It doesn't mean you own all the crystals and herbs and are brewing up all your own cleaning and bath products.  It doesn't mean that you mediate for half your day.  You may do some of those things, or you may do none of those things.  Advanced practice means that you have advanced beyond looking for other people to tell you what you should be doing and how to do it, and you have started making those decisions for yourself.  You determine what your advanced practice is, and the more people we can get talking about it, the more everyone benefits!

Making tools your own!

There are a lot of things we use in our practice, tools that help us to get into the right mind frame, focus our energies, record our thoughts, tap into the unknown, or any number of other things.  And there are a LOT of traditions and superstitions about many of these.

Things I have heard over the years:  Your Book of Shadows needs to be hand written!  You should make your own tools (including learning to forge your own blade).  You should be gifted tarot decks, not buy them.  You should never haggle over the price of a tool.  Your deck should be wrapped in silk and stored in a box.  Your crystals should be laid out to bask in the moonlight every full moon.  You should grow your own herbs.

Many of these traditions have good roots.  I know that writing the BoS by hand accomplishes two things:  firstly, hand writing things reinforces memory, and secondly, if someone malicious were to get a hold of your book, it won't have bits written by other people in it (so you can't incriminate someone else).  Other traditions I think made more sense in other times.  When people did more things themselves, it was no big deal to whittle your own wand and make your own clay cup (and even possibly work with the blacksmith to forge your own blade), but that's not always practical anymore.

One of the trends I am seeing lately that I am a big fan of is personal modifications.  I have seen a lot of scrapbook style Book of Shadows, and they are gorgeous!  The great thing about many of the ones I have seen is they don't require really any personal artistic talent, just access to a printer and crafting supplies.  You can find neat pages online, or even just art that fits the information you have, print out both your information and the art, and start cutting and pasting, adding in bits of additional fancy tape or ribbons, found feathers or dried plants, and you end up with something amazing!

If you feel more adventurous, you can totally add your own illustrations or art.  I took part in an intentional creativity project several years ago, where we made our own art books (in the picture above), and then had different projects throughout the year, each with it's own intention (it was magical art!) and process.  It was a lot of fun, and most of the projects didn't require a lot of artistic skill (either there was a really good tutorial, or it was more 'put color on the page to represent your anger' type of thing).

I recently joined a group that is dedicated to tarot (and divination) card alteration...and it's really cool.  I have a friend who removes a lot of the borders on her cards, and they look great.  Some of the people in this group also edge their decks (they color the cut edges to match or contrast the deck), and they look so pretty!

I think there is this fear, with magical tools, that if we do anything to them, we are somehow disrespecting them.  It's kind of like how we are taught to not write in books as children.  But if you look at historical books, some of them have notes, or doodles...and it's really special.  It's a glimpse into the mind of the person who read that book all those years ago. 

This is how I think about making alterations to my tools.  Firstly, they are MY tools, and as long as I own them (the same way I might write in my own books, but never one I have borrowed from someone else), then changing them in any way I see fit is fine.  Secondly, I want them to fit my practice, so if there is something that I don't like about a tool or something I think that might work better, then why not adjust it!

Sometimes we definitely have to take a deep breath and let go of some things.  I haven't actually altered a deck yet...because I have sort of a thing about patterns.  Of the decks I have, most of them have an offset face (because of the border plus the name at the bottom), but a centered back that goes pretty much to the edge...so if I were to trim the border off the front, the back would now be offset...and I think that would bother me. 

I know that not having the titles on cards bothers a lot of people (especially if they read based on traditional meanings, so they need to know which card is which).  For me, this isn't an issue, because I read based on image, not based on the traditional meanings.  But, I've seen people who cut the titles off their card mark the names right on the card with a pen! 

And some people may find the slight roughness, a bit of uneven cutting, or some ink bleeding (because many times when people edge decks, the ink bleeds a bit...or more) makes it look worse, but I kind of like it.  It's like the little imperfections that show up on pretty much every hand made thing.  To me, these speak of the love and energy that went into modifying or creating the thing.

A slightly off-topic thing that some people worry about, with modifications, is the resale value.  And yes, if you are planning on selling your books or decks (or other tools), and they are out of print or hard to come by, then modifying them can alter their value (almost always for the worse).  Again, personally, this is a non-factor for me.  For most things, once I own them, they belong to me.  I very rarely use things that I plan on rehoming later (and I never buy things as collector's items...just don't have the room/money!).  And frankly, if I am giving someone something that I used and altered, and they are unhappy with the alterations, they don't have to take it!

One thing that comes up also sometimes, when talking about alterations, is do the alterations change the original meaning of the thing....and does this become disrespectful.  This might apply if you are removing cards out of a deck (or altering the art on the cards), or if you find a statue you like, but want to alter it in some way (possibly changing which deity it represents).

I think this is something we each need to find our own comfort level on.  I personally don't tend to buy things that are original artworks, so when I buy a mass-produced or replica thing, I don't feel bad changing it up, even if I'm making some kind of extreme change.  I don't think I would alter original artwork...that I think would bother me (not saying it's wrong, I just think I wouldn't like to do it).  I don't have a problem altering statues (again, the mass-produced kind), to make them different.  I think that if I were changing the deity a statue represented, I might do a ritual to thank the original deity and to exchange that representation with the one I wanted.

There are a lot of ways we can alter our tools to make them our own.  Some of the alterations we may do might require us to do some soul searching, and decide if it is something we are comfortable with.  But there is also a lot of space for creativity, for taking something basic, or older, or simple and making something fabulous out of it!  Check in with your tools, see what might not quite be perfect for you....and figure out if there is something you can do to make it a better fit.  What you create might surprise you!

Firework magic!

Where I live, if it's within about a month of the 4th of July, fireworks are fair game.  Day, night, weekend, weekday....it doesn't matter, and the sound of mini-explosions will be heard.  The intensity definitely ramps up the closer we are to the actual holiday, but the little booms and starbursts are to be expected for quite a while at this time of year.

The first couple of times I hear fireworks each year, I forget what they are.  I think it's a car backfiring, or a gun (both of which are not super unusual around here), and it's not normally until a few days have passed and I start to notice the regularity of the sounds that I remember it's fireworks.

I have always loved fireworks, both the big, spectacular displays that you get at formal events (or Disneyland), and the small ones that you buy for use at home.  Even sparklers bring me joy!  There is something about the bright flashing lights, bright colors, sounds and smells that I just enjoy.

I think that fireworks are often one of our earliest big magic moments.  When we are little, and we look up at the sky, and these huge stars of light burst into being, it feels like absolute magic.  We don't know the science behind them, we just know that they are beautiful and fascinating.

This is something we can tap into, using fireworks in our magic, either in actual physical form, or through the visualization of them.  There are lots of different forms of fireworks, but they are all (semi)controlled fire or explosions.  They are things that are prepared ahead of time, have some sort of trigger, often a delay, and then there is an initial explosion, followed by a cascading effect.

Let's consider using actual fireworks first.  There is a lot of power in the explosion, as well as a bit of time to keep focused attention as you are waiting for the fuse to burn down.  You can pick a firework that matches your intention, something that contains colors or a pattern that fits what you are working on.  Not all are large or flashy.  There is one that I was always fascinated by, that creates this snake of ash, which would be great for things that you want to grow.  Some shoot up into the sky, which would be perfect for anything you want to send out into the greater world.  There are ones that spin around on the ground, which would be fantastic for creating momentum.

Then you charge it like you would any other ritual item.  I wouldn't anoint it with oil, but you can draw sigils or write power words on the side.  You can place (non-flammable) items to be charged underneath the fireworks (or build a frame to support the fireworks over the items you are charging, so they are safe and protected, but still right there when the fireworks explode). 

Hold the firework between your hands and charge it with your intent.  Whisper your desires into it.  Then, make sure everything is safe, and light it.  As the fuse burns, feel your focus grow and then when the first explosion happens, let it go!  If you have something that has multiple cascading effects, then keep sending energy as long as it is going off.

You also don't have to be in charge of the fireworks yourself.  If you are going to a fireworks display, and you know the theme, you can prepare intentions to seed the show with.  If you have a focus item, you can hold it in your hand, as you watch the show.  If you have words to say, you can whisper them as the fireworks go off.

There is a meme that has been popping up lately, where sparklers are called 'angry incense', and I love it.  But in many ways, sparklers are similar to incense, with light and sparks instead of scent.  Sparklers are great for risting (drawing symbols in the air).  You can write your intention on a piece of paper and tie it to the handle.

You can also use fireworks as a model for how your spells unfold.  If you look at the picture of the sparkler above, it's sort of fractal in nature:  each spark bursts and sends off new sparks, some of which burst and send off even more sparks.  For a lot of spells and intentions, just sending them out to do their work, like a single mote floating through the air, is perfectly fine.  For others, using the model of a bank of fog, billowing out and surrounding everything works better.  But for some, imagining the unfolding of fireworks works best.

I also think of this model as a multiplier of the initial push.  You start with just one spark, but that divides and turns into three, each of which divides and turns into five.  Within a very short period of time, you have a thousand tiny motes of magic!

I also think that fireworks are good background for meditation.  When I would see fireworks, I always found it easy to loose myself in the moment, to sink into a space where I was calm and content.  It brought back the easy joys of childhood, where worry and strife don't linger.

Sometimes, I would visualize myself flying through the air, dodging in and about the fireworks (I watched a lot of fireworks at Disneyland, so Tinkerbell was right there, flying through them!)  Disney does a lot of good things with their fireworks shows, they all have a theme and music and words to guide you on a journey, and this is something you can do yourself as well.

You can find fireworks videos online, and some programs even let you design your own fireworks displays!  These are particularly cool as you have full control over the look of the fireworks, can add in music, and can create your own fireworks event for either meditation or spell work!

There is a lot that you can do with fireworks, and it is a fun thing to explore.  Call upon your inner child and stare at the sparks in wonder, and see what magic you can create!

Working your opposites

We often think about working with opposing forces at liminal times, such as the equinox, when the forces are more in a state of balance.  But there is also great power in working with the opposites of the things that we are very strong in...or working with an energy at the height of it's opposition.

We are smack dab in the middle of summer, and most people are working with the fire, with summer energy, with light.  We feel these energies strongly right now, and it is natural to work with them.  Whether we are personally strongly connected to these energies or not, we are surrounded by them, and so it's easier to call them up.

But it is well worth the effort to work with the opposing energies as well.  What can we learn about winter, while we are in the middle of summer?  Sometimes we do this because we find a particular energy so foreign, and so overwhelming, it's only comfortable for us to work with it when it's at it's weakest. 

I am not really a sun person (though I am a fire person!), and for a long time I didn't like to even stand outside and soak in the sun during the summer.  But I could stand and turn my face to the sun and appreciate it's energy in the middle of winter.  It was tolerable to me then.  I was surrounded by colder and darker things, and so a bit of sun was something I could manage.  By allowing myself to reach out, at these times, when the sun energy was weaker, I definitely started to build more of a connection to it. 

Sometimes, we reach out to an opposing energy because we need a bit more of it to balance out the dominant energy.  During the summer, when it's so hot outside that it makes breathing hard, and so bright that it's hard to see clearly, I like to go outside at night.  The heat has mellowed and the light is gone.  I can tap into that softer summer energy because I am using the night and the dark and the (relatively) cooler temperatures to counteract the strong sun energy.

Many of us find really solid connections with a particular element, and might struggle with it's opposite.  We may find that the traits that are aligned with our opposite element are ones that elude us, or ones that we manifest in a shadowed way.  We may want to call more of those traits into our lives, or move them from being shadowed and back into the light.  We might also want to use them to dim the power of the dominant energies within ourselves.

As I mentioned, I like fire.  I definitely struggle with water.  I blocked my own emotions for many years, not willing to connect with them.  I am also a natural empath, so emotions are a distinct weakness for me (both my own and other people's).  I struggle with emotions every day.  When I am feeling overwhelmed, I often have to break contact (I literally look away, or get up and move away from whatever is overwhelming me).  I also find anger is the one emotion that I feel I have the most control over.  I can hold my anger, and I can put it away...my anger doesn't control me (the way that other emotions can).  I can use my mastery of anger to help me deal with other emotions (that aren't as easy for me).

Working opposite energies also creates a fullness that can be very useful magically speaking.  When I was learning, back when everything was covens and working partners, that was one of the reasons given to the male/female suggested pairings.  It was to be able to use the masculine and feminine energy together.  I personally think that there are many ways to use these types of yin/yang combinations, and focusing so entirely on such a biological distinction is limiting.

When I think about pairings of opposites, I do often think of my husband.  We are very different in many ways...and it works.  I think that living with someone who was too similar to myself would quickly be problematic.  It is nice to know that I can lean on him when I struggle with something, and that often it's because the things I struggle with are easy for him (and the things that he doesn't do quite as well, I'm often better at). 

Of course, having vastly different perspectives and approaches also means that sometimes we have spectacular fights.  This is another place where working with your opposites is helpful!  As has been said many times, if you can put yourself in the other person's perspective, that is a huge first step in working out an issue.  So, even though I don't respond to things the way he does, I have learned to step out of myself and into his viewpoint, to see things as he might think of them, and then to re-examine the issue we are having...but from the opposite side. 

Going back to using opposites in magic, many spells and rituals take a one sided approach, but I think we loose a lot this way.  It's like trying to shove stuff in a bag without first taking out the stuff that was in there.  When we work, we are often calling something into our lives or trying to release it.  But nature abhors a vacuum, and so we can use this to work both sides of the magic.

If you are trying to call something into your life, spend some time thinking about what you might need to release to make room for what you want.  You might be surprised by what comes up!  For example, if you are wanting to move into a house, you might need to do some work to let go of the memories you have at your current place, or you might need to release old insecurities about no longer having the safety net of a landlord who will fix things for you when they break.  Sometimes, if we don't do the work to clear out these things first, they will hold us back from what we want to receive.

On the flip side of the coin, if you are wanting to get rid of or release something, you might have to look at the good things that were brought into your life by it and work on updating your connections to those.  You might want to leave a toxic friendship, but maybe they are the only person who is willing to drop everything and babysit when you find out you have to work the next day.  In order to actually cut them out of your life, you might have to call in a solution to that problem...so you don't keep literally calling them back because you need them. 

The wonderful thing about working with opposites is that they bring a level of complexity to any situation.  Working with just one thing gives you a very flat approach.  When you bring in the opposite energies, now you have this push and pull that creates a tension...and movement.  It looks at things from both sides, and lets you see things you might have missed.  It allows you to work an issue from both sides, giving you extra power with which to create the life you want.  And it gives you more tools to work on your inner growth.

A gathering of Solitaries

The Pagan world is constantly changing and evolving.  Twenty years ago, not only were the vast majority of book that were published on Paganism as a modern practice somewhat homogeneous (it was all neo-Wicca, fairly standard stuff), they were all pretty much geared towards group work.  You cast a circle with one person to call each quarter, one each for the lord and lady, and then a high priestess to officiate (plus whoever else was going to be present).  Many spells were geared towards groups, having roles for multiple people.  There was very little that was published that was aimed at solitary practitioners.

Today, there is a large body of work that focuses on a solitary practice.  And not only that, but the practices are specific and varied.  Talk to any two Pagans and you will probably find they have very different ways of doing things, even if they are both casting circles and working on a healing spell.

Life has, in many ways, become more busy as well.  The same amount of work no longer covers the bills, so people have to work longer and harder to make ends meet.  Many families can't afford to be single income, and even a two-income nuclear family isn't always viable.  Your online presence is also a factor for many people, and it has made it both easier and harder to connect as a group.

There are lots of challenges to meeting others to work or celebrate together, but there are many benefits as well.  The wonderful thing is that we have definitely grown beyond the idea that a coven is the only way for a group to meet.  That isn't to say that there aren't successful covens out there, or that many people don't find group work to be their primary Pagan experience.  But if you are one of the many people who prefer solitary work most of the time, there are other options for you.

One thing I love about group work is the ability to not only experience different ways of doing things, but to be able to blend together different paths and methods.  It isn't something that I would want to do all the time.  I am definitely a solitary person by preference, not just by circumstance.  My practice is familiar to me, and like a well loved blanket, it brings a sense of home and security that I can't find anywhere else.

But, working with others is like going out to a fancy new restaurant.  You try dishes that you may have never even heard of.  And sometimes it is this amazing experience, and you go home and try to figure out a way to make the recipe whenever you want, but other times it's just not to your taste.  Sometimes you find things that you know you will enjoy...in small doses and only after some time has passed, and that is just fine!

The thing that is important to remember is that just because you like being solitary doesn't mean you can't also like group work.  The two aren't mutually exclusive.  And you can like different things depending on whether you are working alone or working in a group.  You can also like different things depending on the group you are working with.

I have several groups here that I work with on a semi-regular basis.  One is further away, one is closer knit, and one is newer.  And I definitely have different comfort levels with each one.  The closest one, is with my best friends, which lends a level of familiarity.  I am less socially awkward with them, and even things that would normally be uncomfortable for me are okay...because there is a deep level of trust.  I know that no matter what happens, they have my back and they won't judge me.

The larger local group is people that I interact with frequently online, but may only see once or twice a year in person.  Our group work is also, by necessity, less personal in many ways.  We definitely all add our own flavor (we often take volunteers to call quarters and cast circle, so there may be many paths represented), and there is normally an opportunity to share...but it is a larger group (typically between 10-20 people), so there is less time for each person to talk in ritual.

The newer group, is not only newer to me, but I feel like the group itself, and many of the people in it, are newer to their path.  There is a freshness to this group, and a different kind of energy.  I like working with people who are new, that doesn't bother me at all, but I also feel like sometimes you want to make sure you are explaining things more, or starting out where they are (and not trying to get too complicated or deep).

I have never been a part of a group that does regular work together (by this I mean one that meets once a month or more frequently).  But some of the people I do ritual with I have known for years now, and have worked with many times over those years.  There is a familiarity to working with the same people all the time.  For me, this is much more comfortable than going to a brand new group (like attending a public festival and joining that ritual where I might not know anyone).

We all look for different things from ritual and from our practice, and we might look for different things from solitary and group work.  There is nothing wrong with having different parts of your practice speak to different parts of your Self.  You may love working on your own, but sometimes you just want to socialize with other people that understand the things that are important to you.  Or, you may be struggling with an issue and want to talk shop.  Perhaps you just had a breakthrough and want to share your success.  Or you feel like you need a little extra help with something you are working on.  All of these are good and valid reasons to work with a group!

So, whether you want to keep most of your practice solitary and just work with others a few times a year, or if you want to have a regular group that you work with, grouping up isn't something that follows strict rules.  Find the groups that speak to you, even if you are a solitary!  Seek out your people, in whatever form they may take.  And find the ways that let your group work enhance your practice, instead of feeling like you have to be a formal part of a group to work with others.

Working with fire

As we approach the Summer Solstice, we may find ourselves drawn towards the fire more.  It is the height of the light half of the year, and the time in which we stand most fully in the light.  The Solstice is strongly associated with fire, and it may be a part of your ritual.

But Sabbats are definitely not the only time we can work with fire.  Many of us call fire into our circle when we call the quarters.  It has historically been considered one of the four core elements that make up all of creation.

A lot of practices involve fire in some form or another.  Whether we are burning a candle or working with a bonfire, burning something away or igniting our passions, we are working with fire.

The simplest and most basic way to work with fire is physically.  We literally light something on fire.  This is the basis of many banishing spells (where we write down what we want to banish and then burn the paper it was written on), candle spells (where it is through being burnt the magic is released), or a ritual bonfire (where the fire stands in as a symbol of the sacred).

When working physically with fire, one of the most important things to be mindful of is safety.  Fire is the most dangerous of the elements to work with, the one most likely to injure us or cause damage to the world around it.  Even a candle, if not treated properly, can burn down a house.  Always make sure you are treating the fire with respect, and never leave fire unattended.  I can't leave a candle burning if I'm not in the room with it, we have slightly oblivious kitties, and I have walked in to see one sitting with the candle behind her...her tail fur getting singed by the fire!  Along these same lines, wearing long flowing cloaks or trailing sleeves around fire is a hazard if you aren't paying close attention.

Flame aside, you also need to be aware of the secondary effect of fire:   heat.  When you burn things, even in a fire-proof container (like a cauldron), you need to make sure it is sitting on something that is heat proof.  Many people use glass jars to burn candles in (to help keep things safe from the flame), but you want to make sure the glass is suited for the high heat.  I've had glass crack and break before, because it got too hot.  And, of course, make sure that you are protecting your hands when you need to handle things that have been close to the flame (and make sure things have cooled down enough before you touch them).

If you are burning paper, you want to make sure you have a safe place to let it burn out completely.  Stone or metal tend to be good containers for things that will flare up but not burn for long (like loose pieces of paper).  I love to burn bay leaves, but these flare up super quick, and so I have to be very careful where I burn them (I tend to burn them over the sink, so they can fall into the metal sink and I can use water to put out any lingering embers).

If you are outside, wind is also a concern.  Not only might it spread sparks, but smoke can be a significant irritant to people!  Nothing is worse than standing downwind of a roaring (and smoking) campfire....it makes your eyes water, and clogs up your throat...not something that is helpful when you are trying to do a ritual!

For a campfire, you also want to make sure that you either have a good fire pit dug or you have cleared enough space around where you are setting your fire, so that it can't catch grass on fire.  At the height of summer, this may not seem like a big issue, but fire is tricky and it is always better to be safe.  Having a big bucket of water on hand is a good precaution to have as well.

As Pagans, we can also work with the spiritual aspects of fire, in a way that doesn't require actual flames.  I know this is a big concern for a lot of younger people, especially those who are living in dormitory situations where they may not be allowed to burn candles. The element of fire can be called up in many different ways.

Stones are a great way to represent fire, and hold the energy of fire.  You might want to find a stone that looks like fire to you, one that captures the colors of the flame or one that has the flicker and flash of a fire.  You might use stones that were forged in fire (I have some lava stones for this purpose), or ones that were touched by fire (stones that perhaps were part of the boundary of a campfire and are a bit scorched, or stones you put under where the fire would be built, to soak up the fire energy).  I have a plain, palm sized river stone that I have dedicated to fire, as a healing tool.  There was nothing particularly special about the stone before I started working with it, but I have been using the same stone as a fire stand in for over twenty years now, and it has built up it's own resonance.

In this digital age, you can also use images of fire.  When I was in the dorm, I had pictures of all four elements that were tacked up on my wall, to represent the circle and it's quarters.  If you like working with guardians, you might have a picture of a dragon or some other fire beast to represent fire.  There are moving images of fire (or candles) that you can use in place of the actual thing, for meditations (many simple meditations involve staring at a flame).

When we talk of the fire within us, we often think of anger or other extreme emotions, that often rob us of our ability to think clearly (of our air), or connect emotionally (our water) or even be concerned with our physical well being (our earth).  These can be very powerful emotions, passions that drive us to great and amazing actions, but just like when working with actual fire, we need to learn how to handle them or we will end up burning ourselves (or others).

There are so many ways to work with fire, and so much that fire can teach us.  Working with fire can be vastly rewarding, but you may need to take extra precautions, to make sure you (and those around you) are safe.  If you are planing to work with fire, it is always a good idea to make sure you spend a bit of extra time, before you start, thinking about the best way to stay safe, so that when you get caught up in the heat of the moment, you are well prepared.

Indoor Paganism

When many people think of Paganism, they think of nature worship.  They envision Stonehenge or ancient peoples gathered outside beneath the stars.  They think of working with trees and the cycle of the seasons.  They think of the outdoors.

And there are many people who feel the call to connect with nature, to feed their spiritual selves by going out of their homes and sinking their bare feet in the grass.  But, there are just as many people who may are called to this path who keep the majority of their practice inside, either through need or desire.

I love nature, I really do...but I don't always get along with nature.  I am apparently very tasty to critters, and pretty much can guarantee that I'll get bit by something if I go outside (sometimes I get bit just going to check the mail!).  I suffer from allergies.  I burn fairly easily (and by the time I put on sunscreen and bug repellent, I'm hot and sticky, before I even get in the sun!)

I also often don't have the means to really have privacy outside.  We live in a small apartment, and we don't have any actual yard.  We have neighbors who are often outside (both front and back), and quite curious, so if I am doing anything outside, there is a good chance that someone will ask what I'm doing.

I think that if I had a private back yard, I'd do more outside, but even with all the space and privacy in the world, the core of my practice would be inside.  At my heart, I'm a child of the modern world.  My home is the center of my practice, and that means doing things inside.

There is a bit of a sense of, not quite shame, but almost, when you practice indoors.  This idea that you 'should' be doing stuff outside.  That if you were dedicated enough you'd find a place where you can go and do things in nature.  That 'all witches' should be growing their own herbs and making their own incenses.

Honestly...that's all bunk, and it doesn't do the community any good to put different styles of practice down.  All it does is make newer people, ones who may not have learned how to adapt yet, feel like they are doing things wrong, like they just aren't good enough to walk this path. 

There are many, many ways to practice, and being nature oriented is only one of them.  It isn't intrinsically better or worse than any other way of doing things. 

The thing is, we have access to all this technology, and many younger people grew up using it.  They may be more comfortable finding modern ways to approach things than they would be out in the woods.  I feel that Paganism and witchcraft both are living, breathing, growing, evolving practices, and just because something was done a certain way in the past, doesn't mean that is the best way to do things...simply what was.

Our ancestors were, by necessity, tied in closer to the land and to nature.  Their daily lives depended on the weather, on the crops, on the plants and animals that surrounded them.  Today, many of us are blessed to not be that dependent.  We can drive to the grocery store and get produce in the middle of winter.  Our homes are warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and protected from insects and wild animals.  We don't have to make sure our crops grow to know we will make it through another year.

We may experience nature and natural things through more artificial means.  We might use essential oils or even manufactured scents to fill our home with the smell of flowers or evergreens.  Instead of hunting down an animal to observe and learn from we might watch a nature documentary or read a book about them.  We watch the weather channel or check our phones to see what the weekend will be like instead of studying the signs ourselves.

One thing to remember is that our focus is different today.  Our ancestors knew a lot more about many natural things, but we spend our time learning different skills.  Instead of knowing when to harvest the plants, we might know how to fill out a spreadsheet.  We have so much information at our fingertips, we don't need to memorize everything (and we know how to read and write, so we can keep our own notes). 

You might even find that you are more open to trying things if you don't feel like you are obligated to do them.  Tasks become fun again, they become an adventure, when they are optional.  You may have dreaded the idea of having to go outside to gaze at the moon every month, but now you find yourself stepping out into the dark and staring up at the sky in wonder (knowing that next month, you can check in with the app on your phone).  Or not...either is fine, as long as it works for you!

The majority of my practice is done inside.  I use digital means, or artificial ones without shame, because they allow me to do things that I wouldn't be able to do otherwise.  We don't have anywhere to grow things inside, and our cats like to eat plants I bring in, so I enjoy flowers preserved in jars or dried, or images on my screens. 

And I find, that sometimes I do need to be outside...for small periods of time.  I might spend that extra moment soaking up the sun when I take out the trash, or stop and gaze at the moon after coming home late at night.  I also find that when I do have occasion to practice outside, like at a public ritual, I can enjoy it...because I know that I don't have to do it all the time.  I don't feel guilty about doing my personal rituals at home, in the bedroom...because if I didn't do them inside, they wouldn't get done.

Whether you feel called to practice in nature or not is your choice, it is your path.  You may seek out ways to be in nature occasionally, or you may never feel the call to do so.  You might explore nature through modern means....or not.  It is perfectly acceptable to practice inside, in the world that you know and live in.  Just find what moves you, and do that.