My friend, Anna, moved in with her boyfriend. For the first weeks, she felt lost in the neighborhood. Nothing seemed friendly or familiar. Then she found a used bookstore. She was home!
Life keeps hitting us with things that we must adapt to or simply endure. Here are three insights.
You need time.
You need to hold space and time for your intuition. You can meditate and ask the Gods for Their guidance. The Gods are there for you. They can speak to you through your intuition.
If you are in an intense situation, help yourself by taking three deep breaths. Slowly in then out. This will give you time to pause. Then you can respond. In this way, you can adapt on the fly to the situation.
You need answers to fuel good decisions.
Guidance, whether from friends, family, or the Gods, is crucial. To adapt, see if you can develop a form of road map of answers.
You can meditate and hear answers from your true self that is connected with the Gods.
You can also use divinatory tools for help. Consider simple questions like:
What do I do next?
What does the road ahead look like if I do ____?
How can I best resolve the situation?
What is a good action for the good of myself and all involved?
Besides calling on the God and Goddess through meditation, you can use prayer.
Consider this prayer (or something like it):
Prayer
Lady of Moonlight. Hear my prayer this night. Help me adapt to all the barriers and troubles on my path. Strengthen me and develop my skills to keep me bright. Help me make decisions, for my good and the good of all involved. So Mote It Be.
The lizard stood on the path in front of our door. My husband paused. Intrigued. He turned to announce the lizard’s presence to me. My husband glanced back. The lizard was gone.
There one moment. Gone the next.
What is gone from your life?
Are you embracing your life or are you missing it?
I have three insights for you.
Focus and unlock the magick within.
“Magic is natural. It is a harmonious movement of energies to create needed change. If you wish to practice magic, all thoughts of it being paranormal or supernatural must be forgotten.” – Scott Cunningham
Magick, just like the lizard, can be fleeting. We cast our spells and hold them in our minds and then we let them fly. Gone from our grasp, to do their work.
Magick is also all around us. It is everywhere.
To use magick, you begin by raising energy. Some ways to raise energy include breath-control, singing, or dancing. Your body both serves as a conduit of energy, and it also produces energy.
Part of the process is to use your focus and will to send the energy where you want it to go.
Each witch is on a journey of discovering the self. You learn to unlock the gifts within you. The Gods support you along the way.
See magick in everyday life.
“In truly understanding the Goddess and God, one comes to understand life, for the two are inextricably entwined. Live your earthly life fully, but try to see the spiritual aspects of your activities as well. Remember—the physical and spiritual are but reflections of each other.” – Scott Cunningham
We are of the Gods. The Gods manifest as the natural world. Everything around us is sacred. From trees to bees, we are truly one.
Imagine seeing as the Goddess sees. View what you do as sacred. Having your morning coffee is sacred. A romantic night is sacred.
I have noticed that I can adjust my focus. I can stand in line at the grocery store and turn my perception to one of gratitude. I have the abundance to get what I need.
How can you adjust your focus and find the sacred in everyday life?
Invite the Gods to deepen your everyday experience of life and magick.
“That perhaps is at the core of Wicca—it is a joyous union with nature. The earth is a manifestation of divine energy. Wicca’s temples are flower-splashed meadows, forests, beaches, and deserts.” – Scott Cunningham
In our mundane lives, we see the sacred. To help you see these moments you can say a prayer like this one.
A Prayer:
Gracious Goddess and Honorable Lord, Let me see my magick in things both large and little. May I be one with You and the Universe. Help me cherish the world around me and the world within me. That I do not miss the fleeting moments and people in my life. Bless me on my path. So Mote It Be.
“Prayer—a common tool in many religions—is simply a form of concentration and communication with deity.” – Scott Cunningham
“My favorite time of year is winter,” I said to my friend, Alicia.
“It’s because I like hearing the rain,” I added.
Nature’s timing can teach us a lot.
Observe when you’re trying to rush things in an artificial way.
Sometimes relationships start off in an awkward way. Why? People have different styles of timing. One person might feel comfortable with the other faster. They may push. They may overshare and cause an embarrassing situation.
You might say that the flowers bloom with great timing. It happens when it is supposed to.
Observe if you’re too anxious and if you’re pushing.
Breathe deeply. Slow down. And find that you think more clearly.
Observe good timing to let troublesome thoughts flow by.
I was walking with my husband. I could see that he was troubled. Probably something at work. I then saw him take a deep breath and look around. He paid attention to the blue sky, the birds flying about, and the trees along the path that we walked. He had let the troublesome thoughts of his job flow by. His good timing was to be in the moment with me and nature.
Ask the Gods to support your developing good timing.
Here is a prayer:
Dear Lady of the Moon and Lord of the Hunt, Guide me in timing Help me in shining With my natural joy and goodness Help me discover The love that runs through the universe. So Mote It Be.
Have you noticed how cycles happen in your life? Recently, I thought about my college years. I had three cycles going, and I did not realize this at the time. One was my college experience. The second was my first marriage. The third was—and is—a friendship with someone I consider to be my “sister from another mister.”
Cycles can yield a harvest.
(I guess the harvest of my first marriage was pain and wisdom. Enough about that!)
I have three insights for you.
We don’t control when the harvest happens.
The Wheel of the Year includes cycles. Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. Then the cycle repeats. Predictable.
Not so with human lives. Many times, we can’t predict when the harvest will happen.
Perhaps, a new job in the fall. Or a baby is born in the Summer.
Seeds are planted. But when will be the harvest? Will the job continue? Will there be a layoff?
We may influence when these things might happen, but we cannot predict when things will unfold.
Perhaps, a job ends. But a friend from years ago brings you a new opportunity. And, a new cycle begins.
Our process is to keep planting seeds.
We need to tend the farm and show up every morning.
Even though we plant seeds, we don’t have a guarantee that things will blossom fast.
But you can show up every morning and tend to your fields.
Tend to your fields, or some opportunities may die.
You need to nurture your soil.
I know someone who makes wire jewelry. If she took a break of a year or two, she would lose her dexterity with this art form. She needs to “tend to her field” or practice her art.
We need to nurture our own health to keep going.
“Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you.” – The Goddess speaking in The Charge of the Goddess, as written by Doreen Valiente
Seeds are not the only things that need to be tended. We need to tend to ourselves, too.
Some seeds can take years to grow into something that can be harvested. I know writers who have written a number of books. They get better month after month. Richard Carlson, the late author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, told my husband that the “Don’t Sweat” book was his 10th book.
We need to take care and nurture our own health. Why? Because if we get sick or injured, we lose the chance to enjoy our harvest.
As I get older, I see some people become feeble.
On the other hand, I know someone in his 60s who lifts weights every other day. He seeks to stay strong for as long as possible.
How about you? What would be a great harvest for you? How are you keeping yourself healthy and strong?
“You’re lucky. I don’t tell you all the negative thoughts that come into my mind,” I said to my husband.
“Thank you. Please tell me what you need to. Otherwise, it sounds like you’re making good decisions,” he replied.
I understand that he is there for me when I need to talk about heavy subjects. Still, he is guarding both of us from ruminating and unnecessary suffering.
By avoiding constant “spills of negativity” on him, I am guarding both of us from unnecessary suffering.
I have three insights for you.
Identify the “Garbage-Thoughts.”
“Don’t believe everything you think” is an old bumper sticker slogan.
When I saw that, I thought, “That makes sense. I have so many Garbage Thoughts that invade my sanity.”
So how can you tell what is a Garbage Thought?
Does the thought empower you or strengthen you? Or does it tear you down?
A Garbage-Thought will devalue you as a human being.
Here are some Garbage-Thoughts:
Why are you so stupid?
What the hell is the matter with you?
You always get it wrong.
You can’t do anything right.
That is enough of that! You can see how terrible these thoughts are.
I realize that staying with Garbage-Thoughts can bring on depression symptoms. It has happened to me.
So, I move to the next step…
Choose what you focus on.
Once you decipher that something is a Garbage-Thought, pause.
Choose to focus on something else.
Let that Garbage-Thought flow past. Like a leaf on the wind.
My friend, Sarah, starts to feel anxious on Sundays because … Monday and work are coming.
She tells herself, “Slow down.”
That is how she shifts to enjoying whatever she is doing in the moment (on Sunday).
So, this is about:
Pause
Shift
Make space for something positive.
Sarah tells herself, “I’m here now. I’ll watch a comedy video with my boyfriend.”
Invite the Gods to cull out the Garbage-Thoughts
Asking the God and Goddess for help is not weakness. It takes great strength to ask for help whether from the Gods or even from people.
Here is a prayer you can use:
Lord of the Forests and Lady of the Moon, Guide my thoughts to positive ones real soon. Keep me in Your light of positivity, Strengthen my feelings and sensitivity. Take your blade of truth and cut away Those pesky Garbage-Thoughts today. My mind now made pure and whole, Positive feelings and thoughts fill my soul. So Mote It Be.
“Hey, you didn’t talk about George at your workplace,” I mentioned to my friend, Adriana.
“I didn’t want to have him take up any more space in my mind,” she replied.
I have three insights for you.
Choose how much space something or someone takes up in your life.
My friend, Brandon, said, “I don’t talk about work. I do not want to relive it.” He is choosing to free himself of the pain of the workplace. He doesn’t like his job. Some of the people there are disrespectful.
Brandon chooses how much time he thinks about work. He has a full life, and he does artistic pursuits outside of work.
Talking too much about work would spoil Brandon’s time with his family and friends.
Additionally, if you know you’re going into hostile territory, make sure to put up your shield. Here is a process you can use.
Choose to replace a negative thought by shifting to something positive.
As the lotus rises on its stalk unsoiled by the mud and water, so the wise one speaks of peace and is unstained by the opinions of the world.” – Buddha
We have the choice to make a shift in our thinking. The lotus flower does not stay on the level of mud. It rises and expresses its beauty. The same can be true for you.
You can shift your thoughts with a brief prayer in your mind. Something like: “Goddess guide me. Help me be strong and connect with the good in my life.”
Invite the Gods to help you shift your thoughts to positive ones.
You can use a different prayer to invite the Gods to help you shift your thoughts.
Here is a prayer:
Lord of the Hunt and Blessed Mother of the Earth, Change my thoughts from unhappy to mirth. Guide my thoughts to better things, And keep away those thoughts that sting! Let me choose the Light Path to see, As You will, So Mote It Be.
In some spiritual paths, the idea of sacrifice is pushed—a lot.
On the other hand, The Goddess emphasizes that She pours out her love.
“Nor do I demand sacrifice, for behold I am the Mother of All Living, and my love is poured out upon the earth.” – The Goddess speaking in The Charge of the Goddess as written by Doreen Valiente
I have three insights for you.
Refresh your thoughts about sacrifice.
So, sacrifice is good, yes?
Imagine another take on this topic.
What if we’re talking about choice and what a person chooses as important to them?
When a parent sacrifices their time and devotes their efforts to a child… is this a loss?
Actually, this is a declaration of “I choose this as important to me.”
The parent is declaring, “This is important to me. Your well-being is important to me. This is my choice.”
Problems of resentment rise when people fail to acknowledge the choices they are making.
Is it hard to support a friend, a child, or a family member? Yes. Certainly.
I notice that my friends and I make choices because we deeply care about each other.
Avoid looking for approval.
Some spiritual paths appear to emphasize sacrifice as a way to redeem oneself. As if one was created already “tainted.”
“…if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee.” – The Goddess speaking in The Charge of the Goddess as written by Doreen Valiente
Peace is within. Your worth is within. Why? The Gods created you worthy.
If a parent devotes their time and care to a child, it is not about whether anyone else deems the parent “a good parent.”
It’s really about the parent choosing their honorable path.
Sure, we want people to express appreciation and gratitude.
But to expect approval or gratitude can be a road to resentment.
Invite the Gods to help you move beyond resenting.
Here is a prayer:
Glorious God and Gracious Lady, Clear my path of resentment. May I see my choices with love. May I enjoy the journey of devotion, For my good and all those involved. So Mote It Be.
Resentment and fear can grow from outside this present moment.
If you focus on giving with your clear heart, that is something in this present moment. Whether the other person feels grateful—that’s out of your hands—and outside this moment.
The Goddess invites us to be like Her and to “pour our love out upon the earth.”
Recently have you felt a twinge of regret? Maybe you didn’t reach out to a friend at a certain time. Maybe you didn’t try something new and missed out on an opportunity. Some regrets can keep us stuck.
I have three insights for you.
Change may involve “little deaths.”
“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” ― Chuang Tzu
Recently, I was walking in the neighborhood that I lived in for twenty-two years.
I felt grief. That part of my life was over.
I now live in a city a significant distance from my old neighborhood.
I felt like part of my life had just dried up and was gone.
I could think of that chapter of my life as over—as if it had died.
What do we do related to death? We mourn. We grieve.
This part of my life was gone. All the good memories are now tinged with sadness. These memories seemed to die in front of me.
But like the caterpillar who dies in that one form…my life can transform into a new form.
The entity of the caterpillar is reborn in a new form.
My life won’t be the same. It can be different and good.
Appreciate the natural flow of life, death, and rebirth.
Every Yule, the God is reborn. And at every Samhain, He sacrifices Himself for His children with His death. He does this with a full heart. Then the cycle repeats.
You can let go of regret when you accept that when chapters of life end—it is the natural flow of things.
For example, a friend, Stephen, regrets the ending of his friendship with his high school best friend.
Stephen had made significant mistakes. He is now careful with how he supports his friendships.
Did the ending of his previous friendship need to happen? Perhaps, it was necessary. The loss woke him up to the treasure and fragility of friendships.
Ask the Gods to help you navigate the chapters of your life.
Here is a prayer that you may use to connect with the Gods.
Honorable Lord and Gracious Lady, May I flow into each new chapter of my life with the grace and dignity of the Gods. Calm my fears and ease the pain of grief over each chapter’s death. Let me be free to explore the beauty of each new chapter. So Mote It Be
To our ancestors, Beltane celebrates the beginning of summer. Bale or “bon” fires are an important part of the Beltane Sabbat. All fires at home or in shops were extinguished and then re-lit from the sacred bonfires that blazed on the tops of the surrounding hills. This was also the time when the herds were blessed. The people marched their cattle around and between the bonfires to bring good luck and fertility and to protect them during the year.
The Sabbat Beltane, coincides with when the God actually impregnates the Goddess. This sacred act ensures the continued fertility for crops and animals throughout the light half of the year (between the Spring and Fall Equinoxes.) A popular symbol for this sacred act, the May Pole represents the impregnation of the goddess. A May Pole is a pole set erect in the ground with ribbons attached on the top. People then each take a ribbon and dance in a weaving pattern around the pole. The pole represents God’s phallus and the colorful ribbons that the dancers wind around the May Pole represent the goddess with her flowers a-blooming. And so the impregnation of the Goddess is fulfilled.
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