Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Merry Yule, Happy Summer Solstice etc etc etc.

So it is that time again which can be a little confusing.  Here we are again at the time of year when so many people are celebrating (or not) the birth of Christ, or the sun God (or Not).

The origins of Christmas are plane and simple, and yet just like Halloween and Easter so many people either do not know what it is about, or they do not acknowledge where the traditions and stories evolved from.

It is another time of year when there are some that get upset about other people celebrating (or not celebrating) in different ways.  Or because they see people not going deeper into the stories and understanding where they come from.  It is a time when religions can clash and with it peoples beliefs.

For me I get upset for a whole different reason.  I get upset with the stress I see some people go through.  It is a time of year when people who have had loss feel it deeply.  A time when these with difficult families can have a very difficult time.  Or with no families can see happy families and feel very alone.  I get upset with the consumerism that is intensified and eating up more of our planets resources.  With seeing people be judged by the gifts they give (or don’t give).

I find myself at this time of year withdrawing a little and removing my self from the festivities.  Not because I get upset that people are celebrating Christmas when for this side of the world it is not even Yule.  I withdraw from the negative stuff and stress I see over spill from what can be a wonderful time.

For no matter the reason (be it Christmas, Easter, new year, birthdays, or any of the seasonal celebrations) this time can be amazing.  So be it that it has become popular through the story of Christ and a man with a red suit.  It can be time of forgives, of happiness, of joy.  Of getting together with those you care about, or getting in touch with friends who you have not spoken to all year.  Of reminding people that you love them and care about them.  A time to stop and take care of yourself, smell the roses or cook an amazing meal.  To play with your children, friends and family.

So to every one out there, play, laugh, be merry and be safe.

 

Image courtesy of pansa at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Enjoy the journey

This was a message that really stood out to me as I was doing some spiritual work with a friend last week.

We were listening to a bardic lesson that was going deeper into the story of the Goddess Ceridwen and Taliesin, a story that has many a lesson and learnings embedded and entwined into the words.  When some words came to me that really made me take note – enjoy the journey.

Each of our journeys twists and turns.  Some times we do not quite understand why there is a turn in the road, some times we have an idea of why, which then turns out to be complete different to what we thought.  Most of us do enter into the spiritual path with an idea that it is leading some were, though we may not have an idea of where that is at the time.

From the moment you start on this journey you start to learn, and if is one thing I am certain of, you never stop learning.  So is there really an end point?

I remember doing 1^st degree Wicca training, and feeling so good once I had completed it, that was the goal at the time, that was the end point at the time.  To complete 1^st degree, but to what end?  The learning did not stop, and if it had I believe I would have lost my way.

After a year, I went on to start and complete the second degree, and then 3^rd.  And now thinking back through those times, the end result would never have been there with out the steps through the journey.  I leant so much over time, as I placed one foot and then another along my own journey.  2^nd degree was gruelling at times, always present, always in the forefront of my mind what I needed to learn and do next.  And at the same time even with how constant and how much work it was, never did I think I can not do this, the journey through 2^nd degree was amazing and something I cherish even now.

At the same time I was reminded that this is not a lesson just for spiritual work, it is for all of life.  For example in the work I do.  Some time the work I do feels like the end goal is years away which can be vey disheartening.  By looking at the journey as the importance and not the end goal it feels so much more lighter and motivating.  “I can do this” are the words that spring to mind when I look at the journey and not the end point.  I can also see where this can be so important in all aspects of life.  The journey is to be enjoyed, I can and will be happy during the journey, not just at the end of it.I never entered the Wiccan path to be a teacher, or a HP, it was never an end goal of mine, it just happened over time.

And still the journey continues, ever questioning, and ever learning. Going deeper and deeper into my own understanding, and at the same time understanding my self just that little better.  One thing I do know is that the learning for me will never stop, and for that I am glad.

To paraphrase from the teaching, I was going through last week “a journey is to be taken, not a destination to be reached”

 

Image courtesy of chrisroll at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tools

So this week I was given a new tool, it is quite a beautiful new tool that for some people might not come under the heading of a tool.

When we learn about what are the tools of a Wiccan or witch.  We normally see Athama, Wand, Alter, Robe, Cords, BOS etc.  And yes these are the traditional Wiccan tools.  I go a little further then this.

One of the most useful and pretty much the only tool we really need is our selves.  While the rest can be nice to have, the most important and the only one you really need is yourself.  Rituals can be done any were any time with the right intent.  If you do want something you can make a quick alter from a seat, a wand from a twig, your BOS can be a computer.  It is still you that have to use them and still your energy that is helping create them.

In saying that I have said it before and I will say it again, I know I do not need my tools, but I really like having them.  They can make it a little easier to get in the right space.  They store energy from working with them, and this is the main reason why I have a lot of things that do not normally make the list that in my head I do call tools.

An example of my own list include, bowls that I made over 15 years ago that I use to mark the quarters, my $1 opp shop candle holder, as well as a beautiful candle holder set I was gifted by one of my students.  My drum, my many books, my runes, and now most recently my rattle which was added only a few days ago.  Which brings up another question I hear a lot – should I buy, make or wait till my tools come to me?  And should they be totally natural material?

Well, do what feels right for you.  Some I have made, some have been gifted, some are store brought, my wand I won in a raffle.  When you look at my alter you do not see a matching, pretty, well set out alter.  You see an alter that gets used and you see tools that get used.  Nothing matches, and yet it all fits together.  Some are totally natural materials, some are not.  What is there feel, how I feel about them and them about me, that is what is important to me.

So please, if you are worried about what, when or how with your tools.  Do I have enough or too many, am I a proper Wiccan with out them – Stop.  It will be what it is.  Think about how you use them, how they feel and let them happen, trust yourself when a new tool comes your way that it is right.

Why is it so ruddy hard some times?

We all come to Wicca, or any spiritual path in different ways.  Some grow up with there path, some find it by chance (or more likely when they are meant to), others are looking for what fits them best.  One thing I do find in common no matter which path you take is that some times it is just plan hard.

Spirituality becomes part of your life, and there are times when I know I have been really grateful from the lessons and learnings that walking my own path have done.  I also know at times I have cursed it, the lesson during this time has usually been a big one and not that pleasant to go through.

Now I know that in the future I will be grateful for what ever lesson it is I am meant to be learning.  Grateful for being pushed to work with a deep problem that I have.  And I know that breaking through what ever problem it is will benefit me in the future.  There are just some times when that thought is not very helpful.

Right now I am learning Spanish to prepare for a trip, how to make me feel really stupid – stick a dyslexic person into a language class.  Now I know I am doing my best, and unlike back in school all those years ago, the teacher is very understanding of why my progress is slow, and at time backwards.  Even the other students are more than understanding.  And yet each time I have to make myself sit there and keep going, tears threatening.  All from past experiences and past triggers that have been installed in my brain from back in Primary school.

And now the hard bit comes into it and it is because of my spiritual practices I actually feel the need to go deeper into this, work at it and really identify what the heck is going on in my head.  Hell here is a 40-year-old who is reduced to tears by something as simple as sitting in a class room??  Really – Yep.

So for the past 4 weeks I have been going deeper into this, looking at past experiences, re-living them, changing the perspective of them in my head.  After all, from those experiences I learnt how to progress, work with being dyslexic and achieve all that I have.  And some nights I have been brought to this deeper experience gladly, and some nights I am tired and I am dragged kicking and screaming even though I know it will be better once I get through it.

Why is it sometimes hard, so we can really feel the progress, really feel the wins and the joy that comes with breaking through.  To remind us to enjoy life, to look up and watch the breeze through the trees, and smell the flowers.  To remind us that some times no matter how bad it gets, there is always a new day and a new dawn, and things really do feel better in the morning.

 

Image courtesy of xedos4 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Plant, Animal, Human?

How does it work and how should it be?  I have been reading a few newsletters and articles that express this thought differently.  What I mean by this, is is there 2 categories of living species, or three.

• Plant and animal; or
• Plant, animal and human?

For myself for a very long time I know I view this as only 2, plant and animal.  For me humans are in the animal category as we are an animal.  I think I have trouble separating this into 3 as I do not see humans as any more or any less important than any other animal or plant.

Now the interesting thing about this is I also know that the people writing a few of the things I have been reading lately that do separate into 3, also do not believe humans are any more or any less important than plants or animals either, so why do I let it bother me?

I think this is because of the work I do in the environmental sector and in the business sector.  I see businesses and the people behind business put humans first in their business model and thus actually end up creating unsustainable businesses.  I also see what you can achieve when you respect all and create a business around working with plants and animals instead of destroying or disregarding them.

I see how words and how you describe things can create precedents or assumptions that are actually untrue.  So by describing humans as separate it can be perceived that they are more important, or higher up.  This reminds me of one of the very first lessons I did when studying 1^st degree Inclusive Wicca – how do you describe yourself, Witch, Pagon, Wiccan, all three, or none?  And again really it comes down to what you perceive those words mean and then do they relate to you or not?

Then also remembering that some one else may have different perceptions on what the words mean so while you may think with your interpretations they would be all three.  They, with there interpretations of those words, may not.  And it is important to respect others points of view.

So in this I guess I really should be taking my own advice, know they do not mean humans come first or are more important.  It is just how they express their views which is basically the same as mine anyway.

After all, the more all of the different living species that live on this rock floating around a sun, floating around in space work together.  The happier we will all be.

 

Image courtesy of  Vitolef. at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sprit Animals

 

In researching for Ostara I again came across the story of the Rabbit whom used to be a bird.  When found by the Goddess Ostara as a bird whom was close to death, she changed into a rabbit giving him a new life.

In my resent Shamanic Journeying work I have been working with one of my animal helpers in more ways than I ever done before.  In reading the story again of Ostara and a voice in my head asked a question that I am still attempting to put into words.

How much more or less important are Sprit Animals relationships compared to your relationship with the Gods and Goddesses?  Are we more likely to form relationships with the Gods and Goddesses as they take on human form therefore easier to relate to rather than an animal (or other).

In the Ostara story the Rabbit produces the eggs as he wants to bring happiness to the Goddess (or in other versions is ordered to bring her happiness in payment of saving his life).  It then reminded me of how we often see Gods and Goddesses with animals doing there bidding, or being an important part of there life.  My mind comes to the ones that are pulled around in a chariot (or similar) by an animal or two.  Why not the animal being carried around by the God or Goddess, is this our own human perception coming in putting human at the top of the tree?

And it is this thought that has me troubled, or thinking (I am not sure which word to use there).  I personally put no one on top of the tree, I put everything in a circle as nothing is any more or less important than each other.  As all life relay on everything else for survival.  A factor that I think has been forgotten in years past as people separated themselves from nature.

And so I come back to sprit animals and how I am glad the current steps of my spiritual journey I have been working with a sprit animal and opening up to others as well (most recently the sprit of trees).  I wonder how come it took me this long but then maybe it is just as simple as now is the time they want to work with me and before they were not.  I am not sure, I am just glad they are.

 

Image courtesy of vectorolie at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Learning how to practice when you don’t know what you are doing.

This is an interesting topic that a lot of people struggle with, especially when you are learning remotely and from books. I see it so many times when the students I am tutoring come to the actual ‘doing’ parts. After all, how do you know if you are doing it right when you have never don’t it before, or seen someone do it? And then to top it off, there is almost too much information out there.

Take a simple thing, or what should be a simple thing, doing a ritual. When you have never done one before it can be a daunting task. So you look to websites and books to get an idea of “how” you should do a ritual and “what” you should do. Only to get completely bombarded with so many different ways to do one and a lot of it conflicting.

A ritual should preformed outside, a ritual can be preformed inside, a circle needs to be 9 feet wide, a circle can be as big or small as you need, the elements go in these directions, no hang on it depends on what is around you, or what side of the world you are from, you do the circle, once, or maybe three times, you go clockwise, or is it anti clockwise, do you open the circle or not, you need to be skyclad, or you can wear cloths just not jewelry, you need to dress up as much as possible and look fantastic, hear out, hair up, you need all the tools, you need no tools, and on, and on and on.

And in amongst all of this the reason behind why you wanted to do the ritual can get well and truly lost.

So here is what I tell my students. Keep it Simple. Read up on a few different ways, think about them. Ask yourself what appeals to you, what do you want to try first to see how it feels for you? There are some basic elements or structures that are good to follow. Building a circle by walking around your space (with either your finger or athama or wand) visualizing the circle space building around you. Calling the elements in some way. Inviting the Lord and Lady into the space. Doing the ritual work and the reason that you wanted to create this space in the first place, which could be a simple as just wanting to communicate and spend time with the elements and/or the Lord and Lady to some form of complicated Magick, or anything in between. Sharing some Cakes and Ale, Saying good buy and thank you to the elements and the Lord and Lady. And though not everyone does this, I like to open the circle space again by walking the opposite way around the circle space (again with finger, athama or wand).

These are basic building blocks and from there it is try, try and try some more. Put the elements in different directions and see what works for you and your relationship with the elements. Do one that is clockwise, then next time anticlockwise and see how both feel to you. Think about how you want to be in the circle, how you want to present yourself in this space. Rituals can be very personal things and they do require some thought and planning, at the same time they can be very spontaneous.

And probably one last note, you can also trip over, stumble on words, forget what order you were going to do it in and get it back to front, burn things, drop things, head go blank, and have all sorts of Opps moments. The Lord and Lady are not expecting you to be perfect, after all they see you every day and know all your inner darkest secrets and all your bad points, and they love you anyway. When you drop the scared candle on the rug that catches fire in the middle of a ritual, they are going to completely understand that you are going to stop every thing and put the fire out.

So when it comes to the ‘doing’ relax,breath, keep it simple and most importantly, enjoy it.

Image courtesy of bandrat at FreeDigitalPhotos.net