Tag: Nature

How To Design a Nature Ritual

How To Design a Nature Ritual

Adapted from Connecting with Nature, by John R. Stowe (Findhorn Press, 2003).These four guidelines can help you to design simple, personal rituals that honor your own connection with the living world of nature.

The benefits of intentional connection are threefold. First, it helps to antidote the alienation that comes from believing in separation. Second, by focusing your attention–and your creative energy–on your positive relationships with the living world, you make them stronger. Finally, through your practice, you feed the living world around you. If your practice fills you with gratitude, appreciation, respect, and beauty, you and all of life are so much richer.

Find out how to create your own satisfying rituals of connection with nature:

1. Set your intention. To begin, choose a simple action to indicate that you intend o focus your full attention on whatever follows. It could be a short prayer–especially if you follow a religious tradition–or annunciation to the energies of Spirit to join you. It might be a simple gesture like reaching down to touch the Earth, turning to each of the four cardinal directions, or taking three slow, deep breaths. You could light a candle, sing, ring a small bell, touch your heart, or whatever else feels right to you.

Setting your intention establishes the tone for the whole ritual. It reminds you that you’re creating a space that is special, outside the flow of normal activity. You’ll find that the more you repeat a certain opening gesture, the more comforting and familiar it becomes. In time, just repeating it will help you calm your mind and focus your attention quickly and easily.

2. Communicate. When you’ve opened your ritual, how you proceed depends on your intention. What are you here to honor? What would you like to express? The possibilities are endless–and entirely up to you. Some people make a ritual to honor the sunset, or the full moon. Others may want to honor a specific natural event (the first snowfall, thunderstorms, moonrise) or a particular animal.

Give your imagination free rein. Ask yourself what you’d like your ritual to communicate, which connection with the living world you’d like to honor, which of your companions you’d like to thank. Then, ask yourself how to make a statement as simply and eloquently as possible. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to come up with simple, enjoyable rituals. Start simply, focus on one thing at a time, and let your experience lead you onward.

3. Completion. Just as you opened the ritual with a gesture, mark its closing in the same way. These two gestures–even if they’re as simple as a focused breath–reinforce your intention that everything between them be special. Your closing gesture could be a repeat of the opening one or something different–whatever feels appropriate. Choose one that helps you to honor your intention and then let yourself return to normal awareness.

4. Action. Using the outline you just created, find a time to perform your ritual. Choose an appropriate setting. Take your time. Proceed with intention and as much clarity as you can. When you complete your ritual of intentional connection, take a few moments to notice how you feel. What was your experience? What have you learned? If you were to perform this practice again, is there anything you’d change? How else might you like to observe your connections with Nature?

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for November 11th is 22: Grace and Beauty

22: Grace and Beauty

Hexagram 22

General Meaning: A splashy sunset bathes the mountains in a soft radiance; the light of a full moon dances on the surface of a rippling river. Grace and beauty adorn the natural world. Grace is not an all-powerful force, nor is it the essential or fundamental thing. By itself, it is form without content. Grace is moonlight on water, not the sunlight at noon. Yet grace brings artistic expression into the world, and enhances the quality of our lives.

In the arts, grace arises out of adherence to form: the dancer becoming the form of the dance, the musician giving life to the form of a musical score, the painter becoming one with the brush and canvas. In human affairs, grace is also aligned with form — with mastery of aesthetic and cultural patterns honed by time and honored by tradition. Through appreciation of graceful customs in human relationships we apprehend the pure beauty of the ideal, of life raised above the mere struggle for survival.

Possession of grace, like the bearing of a beautiful gift to a wedding, can add stature to those in humble positions. Take care to lend grace and dignity even to small happenings, while giving the weight of deep and careful consideration to matters of greater consequence. Though it should not be confused with true substance, an artistic flair can take one far in this world.

Today’s Runes for November 8th is Uruz

Today’s Runes

Stone Runes are most commonly used for questions about the natural world and things beyond human control. Uruz symbolizes the Auroch, a member of the ox family that became extinct long ago. This rune represents the strength, bravery, and endurance of this animal of old. Uruz portends the ability to meet problems head on and to overcome them. When the world was new, warriors used to test their strength against the Auroch. Hence, this rune has come to represent the masculine principle and the capacity to meet a challenge.

A Taste of Autumn

A Taste of Autumn

Author: Lady Rain StarDragon (Teresa Garcia)

Over the past several days, I’ve watched the maple tree between the laundry room window and the Mountain. Slowly, the vibrant green has yellowed to gold, and today, the whole tree now blazes a brilliant vermilion. Other trees still wear their green, like our own maples, while yet others are changing into their yellow robes. Across the street and all through the neighborhood, those that have apple trees have the golden and scarlet fruits of the season.

The air bites when I step out into the chill, sending a delicious shiver down my spine. I am constantly in a state of in between, my dragon self balances well with my human self, and so I can sense when my plumes stand up a little, and the shiver passes clear to the tip of my tail. When walking in this, the blasts of wind the town site was chosen for combs through my head and I can’t always resist the urge to spread my wings and revel in the feel.

Now is the time for hot apple pies heavy with cinnamon, and soon the pumpkins will be ready for harvest. Thoughts of warm pumpkin bread and persimmon cookies dance through my head. Sometime soon, I know that I will give in to the desire for pie, and indulge in the ecstasy that comes with baking, and then eating the fruits of my labors with loved ones.

The sky is gray, the clouds high and not touching the Mountain; yet again I’m sure the Mountain will wear a little more white. The wind and rain that caresses the land at night brings forth a purr from me, and inwardly I coil. Now is not the time to den though. This is the season of the harvest and the hunt.

Where Tia is, I know that she feels similar urges to mine. If I close my eyes, even during the day I can hear the short pant of her breath as we run through the forests in our dreams. Though we are different species, there are things that we share…

However, it is the waking world of physical form that I am in now, not the metaphysical one where not all is as it seems at first glance. Even in this waking world, I can practice my art. I can be One with Nature, draw it deeply into myself.

I have noticed that lately I have started wearing clothes that echo the changing leaves, a subconscious nod to the stately trees that teach me so much. The trees begin to draw their essence further inside of themselves, and I do as well.

The chill encourages this, this time of introspection and preparation. Now is a good time to finish things, and then I can have a little rest. The earth murmurs softly as the wind passes by, a reminder that change is the only constant.

The ranges around are still mostly green; various evergreens make up most of our forests here, despite the deciduous trees that are beginning their turning.

It is said that at this time, the veil between worlds is thin, and I’m inclined to believe it. I’ve always noticed that at this time of year, dreams become easier to recall and more vivid. It could be inspired by the weather, which inspired deep contemplation, but there is more to it.

The pendulum swings and the wheel turns, this is the way of my world. The voices grow louder, and sometimes even those that aren’t particularly open have interesting experiences.

It is also said that, in folklore and traditionally, anything left in the fields after the 31, must be left for the fey folk. Not only is it easier to pass between worlds, but they need food as well… It’s said that they blight anything left in the fields, I have sometimes wondered whether it’s because of the freeze possibility messing with the food, or whether it’s from them taking the essence… or some combination. At any rate, much of modern society doesn’t seem to follow this.

Perhaps it is a good idea to let the late stuff stay though… the nutrients return to the ground to nourish the earth, and animals have food to eat… The deer will not be quite so hungry, and the predators will benefit from this, but so will those prey animals that are fed upon. With the scat and vegetation turned under, the soil will be richer, and we will have a little less impact. But these are random thoughts as I let myself mingle with the season.

The waters grow colder with the temperature changes, and soon enough the lakes will begin to freeze. Ice will form over the rivers, though some larger ones will stay unfrozen. Small streams will sleep. But for now, we are between, and Summer mixes with Winter to make this Autumn.

Some traditions depict this time as a War between the two Kings of Summer and Winter. I’ve often thought of it more as the union of Summer and Winter, the blending and uniting of the two… male and female each season, yet neither sex as well. Two forces or essences swirling and merging, pressing into each other until at last… one gives with a last sleepy sigh and gentle nuzzle.

Summer sleeps then in the arms of Winter, and he/she covers them both with a mantle of snow as he/she watches the Beloved sleep and incubate the new life, resting for the next shifting in the Spring.

This is the Deep Magic, working with these forces that eternally shift and merge, draw apart and dance together again. This is what holds me trapped as I dance with Life and Death, Growth and Rest.

When people ask me what I think about the weather, I never know how to answer them in the moment. It is the weather, and the season, and I am a part of it, responding ever to the promptings. I’d like to share the ecstasy that a good gust of wind gives me as it passes by, leaves swirling giddily in its wake.

This is all that I can do… leave you with a taste and a touch, and let you hear the sighs of Summer and Winter in their Autumn Meeting.

Today’s Runes for Tuesday, October 25th is Thurisaz

Today’s Runes

Gold Runes are most commonly used for questions about business, career, and property. Thurisaz represents a thorn, the most basic of barriers to our boon or our bane. In the case of hedges, thorns protect our encampments from that which skulks towards us from the outlands. In the case of rosebushes, thorns keep us from beauty. Though thorns are passive and have no thoughts, they puncture, tear, and may even be poisonous. Hence, this rune may also represent irrational violence and anger.

Trees and Magick

Each tree species carries strength and healing, though obviously longer standing tree with deep roots and spreading branches have greater repositories of energy. Each kind of tree also has its own unique powers. These you may associate with the kind of nature essence dwelling in that species or more abstractly with the qualities filtered through different kinds of wood.

Hold a crystal pendulum close to different trees and you will feel in your hands and body, amplified by the crystal, the differing tree strengths. For example, a redwood may make you feel confident and a willow, dreamy and intuitive. Note these feelings in your nature journal along with any images or words that come into your mind.

There are variations in intensity even with different trees within the same species. Take time to explore these energies and to visit forests (children love them) to get yourself attuned.

An arboretum or botanical garden is a good place to start if you are not familiar with trees. Buy a small tree book to carry with you so you can identify trees wherever you go, even in cities.

Today’s Runes for Tuesday, October 11th is Man

Today’s Runes

Stone Runes are most commonly used for questions about the natural world and things beyond human control. Man represents Mankind. This rune evokes the image that although we must make much of our way in the world on our own, there is nevertheless an entire populous that shares similar experiences. Thus, this rune represents the relationship of the self with the whole – working together we can produce great results. Additionally, Man speaks to intellect and culture that separate us from the animals.

Today’s Runes for October 5th is Man

Today’s Runes

Stone Runes are most commonly used for questions about the natural world and things beyond human control. Man represents Mankind. This rune evokes the image that although we must make much of our way in the world on our own, there is nevertheless an entire populous that shares similar experiences. Thus, this rune represents the relationship of the self with the whole – working together we can produce great results. Additionally, Man speaks to intellect and culture that separate us from the animals.

Today’s Runes for Sunday, October 2nd is Fehu

Today’s Runes

Stone Runes are most commonly used for questions about the natural world and things beyond human control. Fehu represents cattle the Norse symbol of wealth. This rune has some interesting implications based on the fact that cattle, unlike land, move about of their own accord. Cattle also reproduce, so this rune often speaks of wealth that renews or perpetuates itself. Wealth takes many forms, but this rune generally represents the value that is purely material or monetary in nature. Alternatively, this rune is deeply associated with Frey, and hence can be the harbinger of fertility and children.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Sept. 23 is 11:Harmony

11: Harmony

Hexagram 11

General Meaning: The trigram earth is above that of heaven, and heaven seems to be on earth. The gravity of matter merges with the upward radiation of light to merge in deep harmony. This juxtaposition denotes a time of peace and blessings for all living things. In the affairs of humans, tranquility comes when the good, strong and powerful show favor to those of lower status, and those of more modes means are well disposed towards those who are currently blessed. This condition marks an end to feuding. In such a state, it is best to let the energy ride high. The way is cleared, and the prospects for great success are outstanding.

Chaotic forces still abide in nature, but man, by carefully responding to the rhythms and cycles of the world around him, can find peace in the natural world. By planting the right crop in the right place in the right season, the farmer brings harmony to the cultivation of plants, and prosperity to his family. Similarly, any business must adjust to the natural cycles of the season; only through flexibility and adaptation can order and growth be maintained. Peaceful times produce a time of flowering and prosperity; the wise person channels positive energy to all quarters, to each in proper proportion, just as a farmer waters his field. But be vigilant. Otherwise, peaceful conditions will foster the growth of weeds as well as flowers

A Summer Walk to Dream

A Summer Walk to Dream

by Jim Sun Weed

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I walk out into the sunny day, the morning breeze growing sweeter as the day’s heat develops. Over the soft grass, over the concrete sidewalk, striding in my sturdy boots and feeling like good Tom Bombadil, the Master. A small brown bird is on the ground, tugging at a food wrapper. She winks at me and hops out of the way.

Another bird swoops over my head. They say hello and bless me; their language is a visceral one which my body understands. The blackberries, ripe and heavy, and the golden grass gone to seed, vibrate their hellos.

The Earth is singing, and it’s a tune which calls me back time and again to the old ways, when Nature taught us everything, gave us everything.

Tall trees are swaying in the breeze, caressing my vision as the wind moves through their leaves, showing the white undersides contrasting with the dark green of summer growth. I pass beneath a great Himalayan Pine, touching the top of my head to its hanging boughs. These trees, these plants and animals, are all players in a rhythm which is of wholeness and rightness.

I am open and strong. I forget about work, bus schedules, career plans. I stop arguing with myself. I stop trying to define, and the answer is given as I too enter the sacred rhythm.

I visit the old pine trees on Capitol Hill. They were here before white people came to this part of the Earth. I can feel their thoughts telegraphing to one another, preserving the fabric of unity and protection. They are the good old citizens and I am grateful to be walking beneath them. Am I just like a human animal today? I have no creed, only rhythm, aliveness, gratitude and the sustaining oneness-interaction. Just as the trees and animals vibrate in their innate communication, I feel the blood of my body resonate with this vibration. A friendly Douglas Fir beckons me; I run my hand lightly over the rough bark of its trunk. I sit at its base, my head against the trunk, feeling as though we are the center, with the Wholeness choreographed around us. I close my eyes and feel the comings and goings of animals and insects, and the passing of time.

My thoughts melt into dreaming as I fall into a sleep. Nature is everywhere alive; the web of Spirit cannot be destroyed. Sometimes I am unaware of it. Often I don’t understand the significance of whatever work or play I’m doing. But that doesn’t matter. The only judge is me. As I enter more deeply into awareness of Nature around me, I become healed and whole. How have we ignored Nature for so long? What are we learning through our experience of separation?

In my sleep a dream washes over me. I am in a dank tavern, wood paneling, a couple of pool tables, just a few patrons talking about regular workaday things as the afternoon light slants in through the tiny window. I notice a tingling sensation in my feet and hands. Looking around the room I see it suffused with the same tingling: a light, a shimmering which seems to grow and envelop everything and everyone in the room. Is it coming from the spaces between atoms, from the freefall that lends grace to the gaps in our understanding? I wake.

The breeze plays in my hair. A squirrel is looking at me, head cocked to one side. An airplane flies overhead. The sun is still bright and the air sweet and warm; the afternoon feels as lazy as I do. I get up, dust off my jeans, and stride away to the tavern for a beer.

Celtic Magick and Its Uses Today

Celtic Magick and Its Uses Today

 

For several decades there has been a growing interest in the old Pagan beliefs. People are seeking a more practical, personal system of belief, some way to be spiritual yet improve their lives. This includes Pagan Religion and magick, which is both practical and spiritual.

The Celtic and/or Druidic systems are generally thought of as being Irish, British and Welsh. In fact, the Celts at one time inhabited much of western Europe. Remains of their civilizations range from southern France and areas of Spain north into lowland Germany, the British Isles and Ireland.

It is not necessary to be of those racial backgrounds to practice Celtic magick. All that is needed is an interest in Celtic mythologies and magick itself, a deep sympathetic feeling for Nature and her powers.

Celtic magickal beliefs are firmly rooted in the Earth herself and in the elemental spirits that are the very essence of all Nature. This includes the four basic Elements which make up Nature: Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

The ancient Celts had a vast knowledge of, and respect for the healing and magickal qualities of plants and stones. They knew and used the power flows of the Earth, trees and special outcropping of rock. They called upon the elemental spirits, the “little people” of the Irish, the gnomes and fairies of the British.

But perhaps the strongest belief, almost unique among ancient peoples, was their devotion to the Great Mother, the mother and warrior goddesses. In fact the Celtic peoples, before Roman and Christian intervention, were one of the few races to give their goddesses equal footing with their gods.

This is not to say that other Pagan religions did not honor the Great Mother. But upon close inspection you will find that the male deities of most other pantheons were considered more important, more powerful. The goddesses were allowed their place in worship so long a their followers did not try to usurp the prime position of power which was always held by a male deity.

The goddesses of the Celts did not hold a secondary position in their worship or their legends. This respect bled over into Celtic society. As a result Celtic women were highly respected, having many rights of property, person and status. Priestesses were held in honor. Women were warriors as well as mothers, and had equal rights with men.

Did this harm or weaken the society or lessen the men? According to history, decidedly not. The Celts were one of the fiercest, most spiritually advanced races of the Old World, weakening only when they accepted and bowed to the inroads of Christianity.

The life of a Celt was filled with magick and its uses. Their intertwining artwork on jewelry, clothing, utensils and their houses was a form of magick meant to avert the evil eye and send back curses. They believed that their deities could appear in any place and at any time, that it was the duty of humans to call upon them for aid. They also believed that it was the responsibility of each person to do whatever he or she could to better his or her own life, and that decidedly meant the use of magick both small and large. To accomplish this, a person had to be continually willing to learn and grow.

To practice effective Celtic magick today, you must be willing to learn about and use plant and herb magick. Certain stones must be sought, enticed into your service, and cherished as reservoirs of energy. The powers of the elementals and Elements must be respected, petitioned for help and befriended. You must seek the ancient reservoirs of god-power that were built and fed by Celtic worship and which still exist today.

But most of all, you must suspend all the narrow definitions of reality you have learned. You must rethink what is possible or impossible, realizing that when certain actions are taken, nothing is impossible. The practice of these particular actions is the practice of what is known as magick.

Magick is a suspension of what we see, and a belief in and use of what we cannot see, but know instinctively is there. Celtic magick is simply applying that invisible ingredient in certain ways, using natural or Nature’s powers to improve life.

Magick cannot be tested in a laboratory, dissected and placed under a microscope. Magick lives in the mind of the user, manifesting itself in practical living. Pagan magick is both practical necessity and part of a religious experience. Pagans are people who live very much in reality. Long ago they realized that when you no longer have to struggle for everyday necessities, spitituality can be freely sought and more easily attained. They also know that when you can do for yourself, it is seldom that another person will be able to manipulate or control you against your will.

The time is right for Celtic magick to come back into its own place in the world. More and more people are dissatisfied with what they see as socially accepted religions. They are seeking along old pathways, clouded by disuse and overgrown by falsehoods. But the very search of these people is creating a fresh wind that will scour those ancient tracks. The way will become clear, the old wisdom will once again be found and put into practice. To those who seek, success and growth will come. Success will be visible in the improvement of life itself.

Pagan-thinking people do not tend to be followers of the accepted social norm. They are innovators, thinkers, pursuers of wisdom and spiritual growth. They know that improving you, the person, and your immediate life is as important as perfecting the spiritual you or the soul. A well-balanced personality and a successful life by whatever terms you define success, is the true guidepost along the ancient paths. Striving for these worthy goals and getting there are what really matter, not the opinions of others.

May you find your way down the ancient pathways to the Groves of Wisdom.

Get in Tune With the Moon

Get in Tune With the Moon

Author: Jess

The modern age has led us to believe that we are better than nature. We have calendars that help us count the days and clocks to tell time for us. There is just one problem with that: it’s incorrect. How is it that our months have different numbers of days? Or that we have to adjust our calendar every four years to make up for our current systems inadequacies?

These are simple issues that all lead back to our ancestors and how their primeval ways were sometimes more advanced than our own. Humans of the past followed the moon’s cycle, a simple and natural way to connect with our planet and its time.

Following the moon’s cycle can help people to better understand their own internal clocks, especially women. There is a reason that the female body has a twenty-eight day cycle, and that females have such a passionate range of emotions.

The moon has much more power over us than a lot of people seem to believe. But we Pagans have a leg up on most people in that department. We acknowledge the moon and its stages along with the Goddess. So how much do we really connect with our beliefs in that regard? The moon helps women’s bodies change, sways our emotions, and even allows us to experience more enlightenment when the time is right.

No one can argue against the moon’s connection with women’s bodies. We wax and wane along with this bright beacon in the night’s sky. At our fullest we are fertile and I have met many a man who finds women more attractive during this time. It’s only natural.

Unfortunately, nowadays many women take oral contraceptives. And with good reason, of course. The world is overpopulated, and having a child is a big responsibility. But by masking our natural connection with the moon, women hinder the bonds with the Mother Goddess. That makes it harder to feel at peace with oneself.

My husband and I learned this when I stopped taking birth control pills to conceive our first child. Since then I have been much more in tune with my body, nature, and the Gods. After my daughter was born, I did the natural thing and breastfed her. While doing so I did not have my cycle. Its nature’s way of allowing your current baby the nourishment and care it needs.
Now that my daughter is a toddler and weaned, I do not wish to get back on any form of hormonal birth control. Since I have been off of the pill I have had less mood swings, and am much more in tune with my body. And there are so many other options of non-hormonal birth control.

Our hormones drive us to do what is natural, especially women. So when healthy women are taking unnatural doses of these chemicals to keep from getting pregnant, they alter their natural behaviors. This is not to say that I am against birth control in any way, but I have found that there are so many options out there that hormonal options are not always best.

Now that I am no longer on the pill I feel more connected to my body, and have found that following the moon’s cycle prepares me for what is coming next. I am more aware of when my mood may be more sensitive than others. And my husband is thankful that he can follow the moon in order to better understand how I may be feeling.

Next, there is no doubt that people have more energy when the moon is waxing, and that surge of energy is often able to contribute to success as opposed to the new moon stage, when a lot of people often feel drained or downtrodden.

I call this nature’s way of forcing us to slow down and take it easy. But many people fight these feelings in our fast paced society, creating adverse effects like depression or anger issues. A lot of us experience pressure to do better in the workplace or at school. But you cannot do more when you are feeling like less of a person.

Then there is the last and most intriguing of the moon’s direct effect on people. When we adhere to the moon’s cycle, it is possible to reach higher heights. Certain meditations are best done at specific days and times that coincide with the moon’s stage that best suits the practice.
This is where the gods come in. Being that the moon represents the Goddess and the sun represents the God, these spiritual high times are when the presence of the gods can be felt at a stronger and more intimate level. Nature is our direct link to the gods.

And nature’s clock is the sun and the moon; there is no sleep button, no loud buzzing alarm to set. Taking the time to listen to the moon and perform rituals and spells accordingly will help your practices be more effective. This is also more helpful in finding enlightenment or even simple piece of mind.

The full moon has always been the greatest time to have an out of body experience for myself. And when mastered, a knowledgeable spirit can glance into the Summerlands. There is so much more to life than what the technological world offers. Sure technology is great if used as just another tool, but the natural world is much more substantial.

Connecting with nature and understanding the moon helps people to live better lives. It allows us to be more conscious of the world around us and inside of us, just as following the sun helps people to draw on the elements. And by following the different stages of the moon, humans can better understand each other.

Men can better understand why women may be a bit more emotional during certain times and to be more understanding when emotions run a bit hot. Whereas women can be more in tune with their bodies, their emotions, and we can all experience more enlightenment. Following the moon’s cycle helps people to have a better grasp on the world around them. You don’t need a computer to tell you that.

Animals Talk, We Should Listen

Animals Talk, We Should Listen

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by Napecincala (Little Paws)

The early autumn air lay cold and damp around me as I tried to find a comfortable spot in my blanket. I had been in this pit for two days with no food and no water, but no vision came despite hours of singing and praying. I leand up against the wall and rested my back. I was tired and hungry and very thirsty, but I remained standing and stared at one of the fruit wood poles that my prayer ties were hung on. A little black spider started to spin a web between the pole and the string of my ties. It worked very quickly. I watched the operation, entranced by the beauty of the design and the opalescent colors that danced off the thread in the early morning light. It was beautiful when it was done. Then she crawled up the web and waited at the place where it was attached to the pole.

I stared up at the sky, and as the morning progressed the air warmed the dirt around me. The pit transformed from a cool retreat to an earthen oven. I pulled my star blanket over my head to keep off the biting deer flies. Only my blanket-clad head could be seen above ground by the helpers who periodically came to check on me. They did not speak to me, and I supposed they just came up to make sure I was still breathing.

Every once in a while I would look down at the web, but the spider had not caught any breakfast that I could see. A rabbit, unaware of my presence within a circle of prayer ties, hopped out from behind a rock and started to nibble on the fruit I left for the spirits. Crows called to each other, and butterflies, attracted by the bright colors of the prayer ties, would light on the string, searching futilely for the way in to the nectar of this strange, red cloth flower.

A large vulture soared on the warm updrafts above until it spotted a potential meal and disappeared over my diminished horizon. An hour or so later he was circling above me again. I kept thinking he was just waiting for me to die so I could be the next blue plate special. I held my pipe in my hands and sang prayer songs one after another in a high keening voice, begging for a vision.

As evening approached, bats performed amazing acrobatics above my head, hunting the wretched mosquitoes that had plagued me for nearly four days. I welcomed them and watched them dance in the gloaming. Even with all the mosquitoes in the air, the little spider still waited at the end of its web for a meal.

Stars lit up the prairie sky one at a time as darkness descended. I heard the scuffle of some ground animal behind me, though I never saw the passing porcupine. Only her tracks in the dust attested to the visit.

I woke that morning to a vision of diamonds suspended from the spider’s web. Morning dew and gray light formed a beautiful sculpture. Still the spider waited, and nothing disturbed the perfect form of the web. When the helpers came to take me out of the pit, I was weak with hunger and angry. In four days I had not been granted a vision. During the sweat lodge afterward the medicine person asked me what I had seen.

“Nothing,” I replied.

I could hear the smile in his voice as he asked, “So you were sleeping with your eyes open?”

“No, grandfather, what I meant to say was that I didn’t have a vision.”

“Oh,” he said across the darkness, “So you did see something while you were up there.”

Then I talked about the spider and the crows, the rabbit and the porcupine, the butterflies on the line. I described in detail how I felt and what I was thinking about, but I am sure he could hear the bitterness and disappointment in my voice. I had prayed and fasted for four days for a vision and spirit helpers, and it felt like it was all for nothing.

“Did the spider ever catch anything?” he asked.

“No.” I replied. It was the only part of my time “On the hill” that he asked about.

When we were all done and I was readying to leave, a woman helper came up and said that it takes a long time for most human beings to understand why things happen the way they do.

“We don’t really live in a fast food world, you know.”

Months later I began to understand that my time on the hill had given me everything I asked for.

*************

The above story is a parable, pure fantasy, a modern re-telling of an old Lakota story designed to teach something about the error of expectation and the need for patience when seekers are trying to learn from the natural world.

The reason I chose to write this parable in this way is because most white people walking the red road (learning about Native American spiritual beliefs) have a similar experience when they start out. I certainly did. More importantly, speaking in detail about personal visions and spirit helpers is a little like talking in detail about your sex life. It is usually more information than anyone has the right to know about you, or wants to know.

Like most people raised in a Christian culture, I came to the ceremony of “hanblecia,” crying for a vision, with all kinds of preconceived notions about what a vision was and how it would come to me. My pagan ideas also came into play, as I imagined animal spirit helpers as more like familiars that I could command than teachers I could learn from. Perhaps the most limiting expectation that I had was that I would be given an “important” animal spirit, like an eagle or a wolf or a bear. So, when my spirit helpers showed themselves to me, I didn’t see them, because I was not looking for them in the context in which they appeared.

My day-to-day world is bound by “clock time,” which is faster than Nature’s time, and “computer time,” which is so fast that I can’t even perceive it. As I contemplated my own hanblecia I began to see that time is a key to being able to listen to the animals. Lots of questions came to mind in the weeks following. Does a stone live on the same time as a hummingbird? Do daytime animals perceive time in the same way that nocturnal animals, like bats and porcupine, do? Why is it that most vision seeking ceremonies impose such difficult physical demands? What the Elder lady was trying to say, at the end of my story, was that Unci Maka (Grandmother Earth) has no respect for human concepts of time. We do not really live in a fast food world, and a real connection to Nature’s spirits requires that the human being accommodate them, by slowing down and focusing.

As in the Christian tradition, Lakota stories say than humans were the last thing to be created. But rather than being superior to everything, man was decidedly inferior. All the animals stood around First Man and First Woman and laughed and cried at how pitiful these naked things were. They had no fur to keep them warm, no teeth and no claws to feed themselves and they had nothing to offer the other animals in return for knowledge. Coyote laughed so hard at the sight of them that he died of it. Almost by accident, First Woman stepped over his prostrate body and brought him back to life. In his gratitude, Coyote begged the Great Mystery to do something to help these pitiful creatures. He thought that if they just died it would be better than the miserable short existence that they were in for.

Wakantanka had another idea. He created a plant, tobacco, and gave it exclusively to human beings. He also made the every spirit in nature long for the taste and smell of it, but the only way they could get it was if human beings offered it to them. So it was that human beings learned from animal spirits and other spirits in the world how to live.

I love this story because it clearly says that we needed the spirits in order to live. They did not need us. It is only with offerings of tobacco and a certain amount of humility that they are willing to reveal themselves to us. This was the purpose of the hundreds of red prayer ties I made in preparation for my ceremony.

In my fable, though, I did not have a vision in the way I expected. Rather the actual animals appeared in my world and demonstrated through their actions what I needed in order to live. The spider demonstrated careful construction and patience. The rabbit showed a certain amount of courage to come out into the open when it knew predators were still around, that there is a certain risk involved in really living. The porcupine taught me that I could figure out what was going on around me by simply opening my eyes and seeing the evidence. The vulture spoke to me of the opportunities to grow and change that death sometimes represents. The crows talked to each other and helped each other by sharing information. The butterfly reminded me that there is beauty in persistence. Even when it won’t get you what you want, it makes you stronger. The bats taught me flexibility and the immense power of listening carefully.

None of this interpretation came out of a book and the holy person who was assisting me did not even attempt to interpret what happened to me on the hill. He did stress, by his silences and later his questions, that while I could not control the things that happened, I certainly did control what they meant. It was my responsibility to find the meaning in the ceremony, not his. On reflection, I could tease out the lessons that all these helpers had given me. None of them were glamorous or particularly powerful medicine, but each brought me a lesson I needed at that time.

He also brought the spider back into my awareness with his question. “Did the spider ever catch anything?” When I thought about it later, I came to understand that just because I had done all the ceremony in the right way, at the right time and with the right materials, it did not guarantee that I would “catch” anything. And in another way, my answer had been wrong. The spider did catch something. It caught my attention. In those few minutes that it was spinning its trap, I was transported. I felt no hunger and no thirst. Time stopped as I gazed in awe at the beauty of the thing. I was listening and they were speaking in the language of symbols. Those moments, when time was suspended — that was my vision.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for July 21 is 11: Harmony

11: Harmony

Hexagram 11

General Meaning: The trigram earth is above that of heaven, and heaven seems to be on earth. The gravity of matter merges with the upward radiation of light to merge in deep harmony. This juxtaposition denotes a time of peace and blessings for all living things. In the affairs of humans, tranquility comes when the good, strong and powerful show favor to those of lower status, and those of more modes means are well disposed towards those who are currently blessed. This condition marks an end to feuding. In such a state, it is best to let the energy ride high. The way is cleared, and the prospects for great success are outstanding.

Chaotic forces still abide in nature, but man, by carefully responding to the rhythms and cycles of the world around him, can find peace in the natural world. By planting the right crop in the right place in the right season, the farmer brings harmony to the cultivation of plants, and prosperity to his family. Similarly, any business must adjust to the natural cycles of the season; only through flexibility and adaptation can order and growth be maintained. Peaceful times produce a time of flowering and prosperity; the wise person channels positive energy to all quarters, to each in proper proportion, just as a farmer waters his field. But be vigilant. Otherwise, peaceful conditions will foster the growth of weeds as well as flowers.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for July 6th is 22:Grace and Beauty

22: Grace and Beauty

Hexagram 22

General Meaning: A splashy sunset bathes the mountains in a soft radiance; the light of a full moon dances on the surface of a rippling river. Grace and beauty adorn the natural world. Grace is not an all-powerful force, nor is it the essential or fundamental thing. By itself, it is form without content. Grace is moonlight on water, not the sunlight at noon. Yet grace brings artistic expression into the world, and enhances the quality of our lives.

In the arts, grace arises out of adherence to form: the dancer becoming the form of the dance, the musician giving life to the form of a musical score, the painter becoming one with the brush and canvas. In human affairs, grace is also aligned with form — with mastery of aesthetic and cultural patterns honed by time and honored by tradition. Through appreciation of graceful customs in human relationships we apprehend the pure beauty of the ideal, of life raised above the mere struggle for survival.

Possession of grace, like the bearing of a beautiful gift to a wedding, can add stature to those in humble positions. Take care to lend grace and dignity even to small happenings, while giving the weight of deep and careful consideration to matters of greater consequence. Though it should not be confused with true substance, an artistic flair can take one far in this world.

Making Sacred Space Sacred

Author: Phoenix Forestsong

Have you ever been in your sacred space, just starting to raise your energy, and felt that maybe this space wasn’t really sacred enough, or maybe not at all? It’s happened to me, I’m sure it’s happened to you, but here are some thoughts on the matter to help put away the fear and uncertainty of that aspect of your workings. Let’s begin with two examples.

It is twilight; the sun has disappeared below his horizon, leaving burning golden fire in the purpling evening sky. The glittering diamond light of the night sky is just beginning to make itself known, and the Goddess, her silvery countenance shining proudly down upon her people, rides high and full in the sky. The faint smell of jasmine fills the air, as the twitter and chirp of evening birds can be heard for miles around. A dog howls in the distance, though the natural world is animated this beautiful twilight evening, the mere fact that the sound carries declares just how quiet the world is right now.

You find yourself in an old forgotten garden. Wildflowers bloom in the old natural planters, blue and gold and red and purple petals greet you, dripping with evening moisture. A well-worn stone altar faces to the north, while dark green ivy creeps along the ground and up and around the large Oak that marks the boundaries of this great secret glade. Humming birds dance their spiral rhythm while the babble of a small brook can be heard to the west. To the south, a small campfire burns off the chill that threatens from the coming night. In the center of it all stands you, the Witch, at the precise heart of this most sacred of spaces, a space most pleasing to the Gods.

Or…

It is after midnight, the sun is closer now to its rising than that of its setting, the night sky is dark, heavy clouds can be seen in the shadows of the sky, delivering rain upon the earth below. The full moon, hidden, is a pale silver ball of light, while it remains obscured, the light and love of the Goddess still shines down upon the Earth. The sizzle and thump of rain drops upon glass fills the quiet room. The wind, a howling gale, rushes and whistles in through cracks in the poorly fitting window frames. The smell of fresh rain and thunderstorm greet your nose as sit relaxing, enjoying nature’s display of power and fertility.

You sit in a well-worn computer chair, the smell of faux-leather long gone from the chair. In front of you is a flat-panel computer monitor, a well-used keyboard, and a trusty mouse sitting upon a pressed wood, cherry finished desk. The soothing and relaxing sound of Nick Drake plays through black plastic speakers.

To your right, a pink and purple painted psychedelic mushroom incense burner sits; the purifying smoke of Dragon’s Blood drifts outward and upward from under the blue-edged cap, spiraling and swirling in a faerie dance amongst the currents of the room.

To your left an electric powered water fountain churns and burbles fresh tap water over river stones, atop the fountain stands a candle, its flame dances as though alive, quivering and flicking with vigor and energy.

Directly in front rests one of the largest pieces of raw Citrine you’ve ever seen, the sunny energy that it projects fills you with confidence and warmth. In the center of it all sits you, the Witch, at the precise heart of this most sacred of spaces, a space most pleasing to the Gods.

Which Witch Are You?

I think that if any Witch were to have our preference, our personal sacred space would be the first option. The chance to worship amongst nature, to go between the worlds and commune with our Gods in such a pastoral and natural setting; I think every Witch would love the first. However, in the real world, our sacred space is much more like the second example.

In my home I have several sacred spaces from which I work. I have a full ritual space in my basement, mainly because I only have the room for it down there. I also have my desk, described above, with the homemade incense burner, the water fountain, and the candle, and the large citrine stone. Nick Drake is usually playing, or if not, the Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Pink Floyd, or Loreena McKennett, regardless, there is always music coming from this area at all times of the day, everyday. It is a sacred working space where I write and perform light magick.

Elsewhere in the house I have the music room, where much of my creativity and spiritual freedom are let loose, this too is a sacred space. Across the hall there is the bedroom, which is also sacred, for among other things, I do my all dream and most of my astral work in there. Also, in the Living Room, I have a small corner set up where I work on pottery and painting. I consider this to be a sacred space as well, as I do a good bit of meditating, thinking, and creating in this space. Most of my work in this area is also Craft related, or at least Craft inspired.

Perhaps the most sacred of all spaces that I keep is the shower. Many people would not consider their shower to be a sacred space, considering all the soap scum, mold, hair clogs, and other nasty, icky things that can, could, and probably do reside there whenever I’m not around. However, I consider this to be my most sacred space. I keep nothing magickal in the shower, I have no wiccan-made soaps, herbal shampoos, or magick lotions…nothing except for myself.

In my shower you will find a regular store brand bar of soap, a name-brand moisturizing bar of soap, a bottle of Pert, bottles of some swanky shampoo and conditioner set that my wife uses, and a washcloth. That’s all. So what makes this space so sacred to me and how can such a mundane utilitarian space be sacred? First of all, let us look at what sacred space truly is.

Sacred Space is a clean space, it is an area scrubbed free from negativity that is suitable to work magick from and to commune with the divine. Additionally this space will be saturated with your personal energy, so that it is your personal sacred space. It is a place for you, personally, to worship and work with the energies of the universe in absolute comfort for the most effective results. So how can a shower be sacred?

I begin my day with meditation, and usually that meditation is performed while showering, it works best for me, and it saves time. While the space itself may not be the most pleasing or comfortable, it is I that created this sacred space. It has been said before, by Silver Ravenwolf I believe, that the Witch is the Magick, well in the same vein, where the Witch is, is sacred. When standing before the universe, I am creating a bond, not only with my Gods and the natural world around me, but with the space that I reside in as well.

Making It Sacred

To begin to make a space sacred one must use a little energy and a lot of visualization. Begin by closing your eyes, grounding, centering, and start to feeling your surroundings. In your mind, see it flooded with a purifying white light, scouring away all traces of its previous energy. Raise your energy, slowly at first, and begin to think of the sacredness of the new place, the cleanness, and concentrate on how holy a place it should be.

Allow your energy to build, little by little, then, when you know the time is right, release that energy into the area; see it being absorbed into the materials of the space, see it infused with your power and the power of the Divine. Exert your will and make this space clean for your use.

But how can this now be a sacred space, must it not be cleansed, purified, and empowered just like a ritual tool? No. As stated above, the Witch is the Magick, and where the Witch is, is sacred. Ritual cleansing, consecrating, and empowering is a very important and required process, however, the space that you are using, the space where you will reside for a working, is inhabited by you.

Whether you realize it or not, anywhere the Witch is, is sacred. Wherever the Witch goes, he or she brings their sacredness with them, wherever the Witch stands, he or she stands on holy ground.

As a solitary practitioner of Wicca, I must be reminded sometimes that I am a Priest in my religion, aside from all the other roles that I will play during a ritual. I am, within the circle or without, a Priest of the Gods. Therefore, as a living, breathing, sentient individual, I contain within me Life, the spark of the Divine, the essence of that which is holy. Using this logic, it makes sense that I carry the spark with me at all times, that as long as I use this body in this incarnation I will always carry that Divine Spark within me. Therefore, as a living being, I bring that same Divine energy with me wherever I go, thus making every place that I go sacred, at least while I inhabit the location.

Does it sound a little too simple? Good. The truth of a thing can be determined upon how simple its explanation is. While the argument that got us there might not stand up in a court of law, the heart of the matter is that it is so simple it makes sense. Because we are living, and all life is divine, then we too are divine.

As a people we contain within us Life, Life that is aware of more than just our physical bodies and our meat instincts. Life beats strongly and flows deep from within to interact with the living world around us. It is this Life, this Divine energy that allows us to make a space sacred, just as we are sacred to the Gods.

Are there situations where a quickie cleansing won’t work? You bet! Especially in an area heavily trafficked by the public or in a place where something bad has happened. But for normal everyday, anywhere and any when cleansing, the quickie cleanse works just fine.

It was this line of reasoning that allowed be to become comfortable, not just with spell casting and ritual working, but with living in general. It used to be that I would go somewhere and feel like I really didn’t belong there. Now, knowing that I can make any space sacred, and that where I am, is sacred, I no longer worry about such issues.

If I’m spell casting and the question of “is it sacred enough?” enters my mind, I quickly cleanse the area again and get back to work. If I’m out and begin to feel uncomfortable, well, I just make my own personal area sacred, I make it mine, and that uncomfortable feeling fades.

So, what makes a sacred space, sacred? The answer, of course, is You!

Blessed Be,

-Phoenix Forestsong


Footnotes:
Silver Ravenwolf: To Ride a Silver Broomstick

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for May 18 is 11:Harmony

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Everyone:

11: Harmony

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

Hexagram 11
General Meaning: The trigram earth is above that of heaven, and heaven seems to be on earth. The gravity of matter merges with the upward radiation of light to merge in deep harmony. This juxtaposition denotes a time of peace and blessings for all living things. In the affairs of humans, tranquility comes when the good, strong and powerful show favor to those of lower status, and those of more modes means are well disposed towards those who are currently blessed. This condition marks an end to feuding. In such a state, it is best to let the energy ride high. The way is cleared, and the prospects for great success are outstanding.

Chaotic forces still abide in nature, but man, by carefully responding to the rhythms and cycles of the world around him, can find peace in the natural world. By planting the right crop in the right place in the right season, the farmer brings harmony to the cultivation of plants, and prosperity to his family. Similarly, any business must adjust to the natural cycles of the season; only through flexibility and adaptation can order and growth be maintained. Peaceful times produce a time of flowering and prosperity; the wise person channels positive energy to all quarters, to each in proper proportion, just as a farmer waters his field. But be vigilant. Otherwise, peaceful conditions will foster the growth of weeds as well as flowers.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for May 3 is 22:Grace and Beauty

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Everyone:

22: Grace and Beauty

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

Hexagram 22
 
General Meaning: A splashy sunset bathes the mountains in a soft radiance; the light of a full moon dances on the surface of a rippling river. Grace and beauty adorn the natural world. Grace is not an all-powerful force, nor is it the essential or fundamental thing. By itself, it is form without content. Grace is moonlight on water, not the sunlight at noon. Yet grace brings artistic expression into the world, and enhances the quality of our lives.

In the arts, grace arises out of adherence to form: the dancer becoming the form of the dance, the musician giving life to the form of a musical score, the painter becoming one with the brush and canvas. In human affairs, grace is also aligned with form — with mastery of aesthetic and cultural patterns honed by time and honored by tradition. Through appreciation of graceful customs in human relationships we apprehend the pure beauty of the ideal, of life raised above the mere struggle for survival.

Possession of grace, like the bearing of a beautiful gift to a wedding, can add stature to those in humble positions. Take care to lend grace and dignity even to small happenings, while giving the weight of deep and careful consideration to matters of greater consequence. Though it should not be confused with true substance, an artistic flair can take one far in this world.