The Magick Rut (and Digging Your Way Out)

Since the moment the warm-fuzzy glow of discovering my spiritual path wore off, and still to this day, I occasionally suffered from "The Rut". Have you ever thought to yourself, "Crap... when was the last time that I did an Esbat ritual? or meditated? What phase is the moon in, anyway?" Unlike most religions, we don't really have rules saying that we need to pray at certain times, or visit a building on certain days. We have few or no rules (depending on your tradition), no expected schedule of worship, and no holy book of guidelines; We are pretty much all winging it on our own path. And this is wonderful! We are free to connect to the Gods and Goddesses however we want! We are our own sacred temples and the only preist/ess that can tell us how to worship is our own Spirit. We are the Divine! However, we are also human, and humans are lazy. And kind of forgetful. And easily distracted. (Did you see Game of Thrones this week?) So naturally, sometimes we wander from our Spiritual path, and get stuck. This realization that you aren't currently as connected to you Craft as you once were can be followed by guilt or even a dip in your personal energy. I'll be real with you, this happens to me a lot more than I would like to admit. It's not because I'm swept away by millions of mundane obligations, but rather because I just forget that I am a witch, and that the Universe really is completely awesome and well worth connecting with.

For a while, I thought that I was the only witch who suffered from "the rut" because my circle of Pagan friends was very tiny at the time. Then, my fabulous former Craft partner loaned me an amazing book (The Witch's Bag of Tricks by Melanie Marquis ) that seemed to be the kick-in-the-pants that I needed to boost me out of my funk. Clearly, I can't be the only witch with this chronic lack of inspiration because the first chapter of this helpful book is titled, "Out of the Rut, and Into the Fire". Here, Marquis states that, "There are two places in particular on the path where we are likely to get stuck in a rut of magickal mediocrity if we dont actively take steps to climb higher. The first occurs when we reach a point in our development where we've learned all the basics of magic [...] We look to books, but most are geared toward particular denominations, or are too basic." The other time being, "When we've been practicing magick for so long that we take it for granted".

So, what can you do to keep yourself in a witchy state of mind on a daily basis? The best advice that I've received came from my working partner: Just write; Write about anything, or nothing. Just write something. Nowadays, that is my go-to move when I'm not sure what to do with my path. I write in my Mirror Book (magickal journal) and just reflect on whats going on right now in my life, and eventually, an idea or a gentle nudge from the Divine pushes me in a direction that feels right. Just write something every day, even if it's just a sentence or two. If that doesn't put a hitch in your giddy-up try these tips:

• Check out your alter. What does it look like? Is it cluttered and unused? Is the energy stagnant? Your alter is a reflection of you and your craft. If it has stale energy and seems neglected, you're the bad-ass witch to change that! Your world without reflects your world within, and vice versa. If you can't change your state of mind, change the state of your alter, and give it a good cleansing. You might be tempted to use this lovely, energized alter now that it doesn't have cat hair and candle stumps all over it.
• Aim to do just one thing everyday that you find to be spiritually rewarding. Not sure where to go on your path? Try doing devotionals. You can incorporate a small, simple ritual into your daily routine to remind you that each day is sacred. You can greet the sun with a salutation or a positive affirmation for the new day, say a quick prayer before meals and pass bread/bowls around the table with a heartfelt "may you never hunger" to your loved ones, lay in the sun and meditate at high-noon, watch the sunset in the west and put an offering on an ancestor shrine (if your home has one), or have a quiet moment at your alter before bed. You can do one, none, or all of these, as long as it feels right to you.
• Make a Witch Bag. Simply, dump whatever books you're reading, a few divination tools, and whatever else you feel might be useful into a bag to carry with you (and yes, this is for men, too.)
• Buy an almanac. Do you have trouble remembering what the moon is up to or when it will be full? You wont have an excuse with a handy-dandy almanac in your witch bag. I recommend Llewellyn's Witches' Datebook which shows astrological events, shares recipes, has interesting articles, spells, and poetry. Yeah, it's pretty cool.
• Go on a nature outing as often as you can. For us city folk, it can be hard to connect to the Earth through a foot of pavement. So get out there! Swim in a river! Go for a hike! Lay in the grass! 
• Stay in touch with whats happening in the world around you and sign up for updates from Pagan news sources such as Pagan Newswire Collective
• Get in touch with other Pagans. You may have reached that point where you've learned as much as you can from books, and you would like to learn from others in person. You can connect through various resources such as Witchvox.com or search on Facebook for Pagan/Wiccan/New Age groups in your area. 
• Take a field trip to a New Age store. You can get a professional tarot reading, meet new Pagan peeps, take a workshop, get some cool jewlry, etc. Go have some fun.
• If there is an area of study that you're interested in, get a book on the topic. If there is already a seed of inspiration, water that bad-boy and see what it grows into. You could have a new hobby or end up starting your own Tradition. 
• Start a long-term project relating to whatever you're interested in. You can write a grimoire to collect all the knowledge that you've learned from that new book you just got. You could start a garden, a blog, a sanctum sanctorum, etc. Get crackin'!
• If you feel like you've outgrown your Craft, maybe you've outgrown your Book of Shadows as well. Does it have random print-outs and notes shoved in it? Go through and straighten it up, or start a second volume if you are running out of space.
• If you are interested in a certain path, but have no books or peers to help you on your way, try working with a specific God or Goddess.
• Have a Magick movie night. Gather some friends, or cats, or make a blanket fort (you never get too old) and watch movies that inspire you and take you back to that warm, fuzzy newbie feeling. Practical Magic, the Craft, and Mists of Avalon are popular favorites.
• Break out your Harry Potter novels. No, you never get too old. If you don't like reading a book twice, scout out Witchcraft fiction at the library. The Circle of Five books by Dolores Stewart Riccio are are about a real, honest to goodness group of witches without all of that Hollywood nonsense. If you have never heard of Terry Pratchet, get acquainted because his Discworld books are phenomenal and cleverly funny.
• Listen to Pagan music, or any other music that inspires your magickal side while you're going about your mundane life. Even doing dishes can be fabulous If you're dancing to SJ Tucker:  

Sound off, folks! What do you do when you are off your game? Do you have a favorite Pagan themed book or movie? Favorite Pagan band? Share how you get inspired in the comments, and as always, thanks for reading!

Spiritual Cleansing Part 4: Soul Body

What exactly is a Soul? It is hard to define such a sacred, intangible part of ourselves with mere words, but I feel that Christopher Penczak does a marvelous job of it in his book The Witch's Sheild: Protection Magick and Psychic Self Defense (which I highly recommend to anyone working in the craft).

"The Soul is associated with the highest level of spiritual knowing, often called the higher self. This is the body that is most energetic and elusive, and therefore the most protected and untouchable from outside harm. It's fiery nature prevents much of our harmful energy from accumulating, burning away that which doesn't serve us. In our true essence, we are connected to all things, and bound by none. By identifying with the soul, the divine, rather than our mind, emotions, or body we find true protection, fearlessness, and eternal wisdom"

This part of you is your connection to the Universe, and the Divine, but how often do you "connect"? In my opinion, the best way to connect to the Divine/Universe/Creator is through prayer, and you know what? Its really easy and you can do it ANY TIME! ALL THE TIME! Outloud, in your head, on paper, in traffic, at your alter, when you're stressed, when your lonely, or whenever. The Divine isn't some secret source of power, on a cloud out of reach to a us puny humans. We ARE the Divine. Not hidden outside us or trapped within us, but all around us. Doesn't that make you feel awesome? The source of life flows through us and everything else in the Universe. We are all the same atoms, spirit, and energy. So of course when you speak to the Divine, you are heard. It's like having a private cell phone number to the source that controls everything, loves you unconditionally, and never gets tired of hearing from you! Aside from lightening your mental and emotional load, you may also notice some welcome side effects with regular prayer including compassion, an open-heart, gratitude for small things in life, and over-all peace. If you pray often, do you just leave a voicemail, or do you listen for a reply? You may hear a small voice, or just gain a better understanding of the given situation. Have you ever prayed, and just had things fall into place? You may receive answers through synchronicity or omens. Prayer is very flexible and can be done in your way, on your terms.

Meditation is wonderful for all your bodies, and is a great way to sync up your vibes to the "hum" of the Universe. Every thing in the Universe, be it matter, thought, or emotion vibrates at its own frequency. The Universal "hum" is the collective vibration of everything, and is a term taken from Your Psychic Child by Sara Wiseman (which is an entertaining and enlightening read, even if you don't happen to have a psychic child). Sara Wiseman explains, "In meditation, you are simply allowing yourself to hear and see and exist as this hum, to feel it with your whole body. You 'lock in' to this hum. And it is one of the most wonderful feelings you will ever have". It is true, and many experience a sense of euphoria or a "spirit high" from meditation. If this sounds like a way that you would like to get to know the Divine, awesome. Explore a few different meditation techniques. To aid in your syncing process, you can repeat a mantra or kirtan to help you slip into the right vibration. I really love the group Krishna Das:

If you are wanting to connect to the Source by honoring it throughout the day, you can start practicing little devotionals, such as saying a prayer before meals, greeting and soaking in the sun each morning, sitting at your alter for a little bit, or serving others in some way. As with most aspects of religion, don't get hung up on whether or not you are making a connection in a right or wrong way. Just do what feels right to you. I hope you have enjoyed this four-part post, and thank you for your patience, support, and feedback. Namaste!

Spiritual Spring Cleaning Part 3: Mental Bodies

I'd like you to try something really simple, and it will only take a few seconds. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and begin counting to twenty. Open your eyes whenever you're done.



So, what did you think about? Random little thoughts about stuff that happened today? Cringing because of something embarrassing you said in middle school and wishing you could redo that scenario? Planning tonight's dinner? We are ALWAYS thinking. We have millions of thoughts each day. It's just what we do. However, most of our thoughts are very repetitive and not very useful. For example, you could be sitting at work thinking, "I can't wait to get out of here. I'm craving Chinese takeout. How am I ever going to pay off my debt? I could use a vacation, but I need to pay off my debt first. I need a better job. Could I pay my debt off if I sell a kidney? probably not. How am I going to get out of debt. I need to remember to pick up Chinese..." True, thinking about a problem and coming up with possible solutions is very important if you follow through with them. However, just chewing on a problem because your mind is bored and wandering is very harmful. Stress takes a toll on your emotional well-being and your physical health. Have you ever been so stressed that you end up having an anxiety attack or had chest pain? The state of one energy body effects the whole because they are all connected.

You probably already know the best way to clear your mind. It's no secret anymore. Word sort of got around in the 70's (thanks hippies). Meditating 10-60 minutes a day can greatly improve your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Yeah, its pretty awesome. But who has time for meditation? I don't know about you guys, but I've lost a few hours of my life stuck in the Pinterest-Matrix looking up craft ideas... that I never plan to do... I waste a lot of time with Netflix, Facebook and other modern distractions, but for whatever reason, I have trouble meditating because "just sitting around not thinking" sounds pretty unproductive. Plus, there's the whole sitting still issue. "Passive meditation" is very familiar to most folks, Pagan or otherwise, but a good alternative to sitting and clearing your mind is "Active meditation". This is just what the name implies, you are active while meditation. A few good examples include mandala painting, zen gardening, pulling weeds, washing dishes, folding clothes, and any other activity that involves repetitive motion and not much concentration. The goal is to be present in the current moment rather than fretting over the past and stressing about the future because no one cares or remembers that embarrassing thing you said in middle school and no matter how stressed you are, there's nothing that you can do about your finances in the 10 minutes you spend mowing the grass, so you might as well enjoy the process and relax.

Take a deep breath, slowly in. Slowly out. This was your first action when you entered the world. Breath in. And slowly out. In your last moment, this will be your final act. Our breath, not only fills our bodies with the oxygen it needs, but also circulates our Prana. Our Chi. The Force. Our collective Spirit. In each breath is life, and our connection to all living things. For the rest of today, try to be conscious of each breath. Alive in each moment. Live fully present in the Spirit of the Universe flowing through you.

I understand that mediation isn't for every one. A good way to toss out your random thought clutter physically is journaling Or, you could try free-writing. Simply take a notebook page, put your pen to it and write until you fill the page. This can lead to surprisingly fun results. If you don't know what to write, just repeat a word over and over and thoughts will come. "Bored bored bored are we out of eggs? bored how do chickens get pregnant? bored bored I need to visit Hannah's farm. I bet I could ride her horse. I've always wanted to try..." See? Give it a try sometime. Not really into writing? that's cool. Ask anyone who exercises regularly and they will tell you that being "in the zone" is a good way to clear your mind and relieve stress.

I'm going to get real with you folks. How many times have you considered going to your family doctor but have worried that people might think there's something wrong with you, or they would treat you differently for getting a check-up. Probably never. Unfortunately, mental health care still carries a stigma that prevents people from getting the help they need. "But what if there's nothing wrong and it's all in my head?" If it's all in your head, that is an issue. That's what these professionals are for. Therapy or counseling can help you lighten your mental load and gain insight on why you get stuck in certain thought patterns. If you or someone you know feel that you would benefit from therapy or counseling, go for it; You deserve to be as healthy as possible. In some areas, there are groups, churches, colleges, etc that offer free counseling! If you are having more serious issues, just know that you don't have to deal with it on your own. (check out resources at the end of the post)

We started this four-part post with the physical body, which picks up a lot of psychic debris because it is so connected to the physical world. The emotional body tends to flow into the energy of others, but is mostly effected by your own feelings. The mental body is your own internal world; It is difficult for the physical world to pollute your mental energy, unless you allow your surroundings to shape your thoughts. Have you ever heard the quote "A cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind"? It's true that your world within effects your world without (As above, So below). So get your thoughts in order, discipline that brain, give it a well earned break once in a while, and your life should follow suit. In my next post, I will be going over the big picture: the Spirit Body. Thanks for Reading!

Help Resources:
National Teen Gay and Lesbian Helpline:  1-800-347-TEEN
National Youth Crisis hotline:  1-800-HIT-HOME
National Hope Line:  1-800-SUICIDE
Alcohol/Drug helpline (24 hour):  1-800-417-6237
Al Anon & Al Teen: 1-888-4AL-ANON
National Domestic Violence Hotline:  1-800-799-SAFE
Rape, Abuse, and Incest Network:  1-800-656-HOPE

Spiritual Spring Cleaning Part 2: Emotional Bodies

(I'm back! For starters, I'd like to apologize for the hiatus. My laptop might have been stepped on, and I found out it is nearly impossible to type an article on an iPhone without throwing it across the room because of tiny, tiny letters. )

In my last post, I gave a few options on how to raise your vibrations and cleanse the energy of the physical body (smudging, herbal soaps, exercise, etc). Today, we are moving on the the layer closest to the physical body: the emotional body. As far as energy goes, this body is pretty dense. To some folks (you may have heard the term "empath" a time or two) it is very easy to feel other peoples emotional energy when they are in close proximity. The emotional body is very water-like, in that it moves freely around the body, ebbs and flows as your emotional state varies, and also tends to pick up any spiritual dirt and debris that it comes across. Most of us have had at least one occasion where we are in an area or around a person that feels off, despite having no tangible context clues to give you that impression. For example, you go into a house and get the feeling that a fight just took place there, or you see a stranger and get a sad feeling even if they are just calmly reading the newspaper. If this sounds familiar, then you have had an empathic experience. Merriam-Webster defines empathy as "the feeling that you understand and share another person's experiences and emotions : the ability to share someone else's feelings". Sounds great, right? Perhaps if you are a therapist, but most of us don't need or want to feel other peoples negativity. So what can you do if you don't want other peoples dense, negative energy getting up in your grill? Set boundaries. I can not stress this enough for your spiritual growth and emotional well-being. Boundaries are essential for you to let those around you know what you are comfortable with, and what you will not tolerate. For today, I am just referring to energy boundaries or "shields". If you are prone to these emotional TMI issues, take some time to ground and center in the mornings and get a feel for what your emotional baseline is. If, through the day, you feel angry/sad/anxious/stressed for no obvious reason, its probably not your baggage that you're carrying. If this happens, take a deep breath and feel your personal energy. Visualize it hardening around you, forming a barrier preventing any negativity from breaking through and keeping your own fluid body from wandering and leaving you feeling drained.

Fortunately, empathy isn't a daily problem for most people, and simple aura maintenance will suffice. You can simply add a splash of vinegar in your shower or bath routine to rinse off your polluted emotional body. Don't want to smell like vinegar? Rinse with beer. Why beer? The hops are cleansing herbs. Don't want to smell like you got into a bar fight? Use salt. If you are super-picky about your bathing preferences, you can try my personal favorite: floral waters! Rose water (which happens to be recommended by Edgar Cayce) is available in spray bottles and can be used to mist your body as much as you want, and it doesn't leave a strong scent. A few of my fellow witches and myself noticed an immediate change in our emotional state. It's not just soothing, but a little invigorating. It's like getting a hug from that one friend/relative who is always excited to see everyone. You can usually find this wonder-spray in New Age or natural food stores. There are other flowers that get the job done, but roses are a potent pick because they are naturally uplifting, grounded, sturdy, and protective. Here is my personal favorite brand:

 If you live with people who have toxic energy and normally leave you feeling like crap, or you just want to clear away any heavy vibes you track in from mundane life, raising your home's emotional energy is easy. A simple, little water fountain to keep the chi flowing does wonders (look into feng shui if this sounds like something you'd enjoy), or you can make a scented room spray with water and a few drops of rose, apple, or gardenia essential oils. If allergies are an issue, a bowl of salt water left on a windowsill can be charged with the intention of absorbing any negative energy.

Next week (Gods willing, and unless the laptop gets stepped on again) I will add Part 3: The Mental Body. Sorry for the delay (I know thats an understatement) and thanks for reading!

Spiritual Spring Cleaning Part 1: Physical Bodies

In the spirit of Spring cleaning, I'm going to present a four-part post on the subject of spiritual cleansing. Psychic hygiene, much like mundane hygiene, is very simple to work into your everyday routine for the benefit of yourself and those around you. By now, I assume all of you reading this take good care of your physical hygiene and have a strong sense of your own physical boundaries or "personal bubble". Now, are you taking care of your energy bodies? Yes indeed, your energy bodies get dirty and clouded from day-to-day actions, and need a good scrubbing now and then. Most magickal folks are familiar with their aura and the feel of its vibrations, so it becomes easy to tell when the "vibes" aren't as clear as they used to be. It's simple enough to cleanse a murky aura and prevent yourself from picking up psychic dirt when you set firm boundaries physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

For simplicity's sake, we are going to discuss the energy bodies of our auras in four parts. Some traditions say there are seven, nine, twelve or more! But they are essentially like ocean layers. It all flows together and there are no clear boundaries between them. Also, the health of one body can effect the health of the whole. For example, If you stressed about a problem and cluttering your mind with it, it can wreak havoc on your emotional well being, which in turn can lead to headaches and various other physical issues. (pardon the poorly drawn diagram below. It was leftover from a class I taught this fall where I found out that I'm not an artist)

We are going to start things off with the physical body, since its easy to find, and very simple to cleanse. The best thing that you can do to rid your physical vehicle of psychic debris is a good smudging. The wonderful thing about smudging is that it is like soap; It works even if you don't "believe in it". The effect on yourself and the space around you is automatic. I know, I know, incense is associated with air... so why is it a physical cleanser? Because the herbs use to make the incense are of the physical realm. If you are not familiar with using incense, it may be tempting to be led by your nose when picking an incense to bring home. Though strawberry or apple incense may spell wonderful, they don't really have any cleansing qualities to them. Some good herbs to stock up on are cedar, sage (always popular), sweetgrass (my personal favorite), sandalwood, frankincense and myrrh, or just a box of Nag Champa (which is normally available in any store that sells incense). When you smudge using these herbs, they raise the vibrations of your energy, and denser energy is driven out like dense oil separating from water.

I will go ahead and point out that many of the cleansing techniques that I mention can cleanse multiple layers of your astral body because these layers flow together and all effect the whole person, and that every person is different. Your psychic hygiene should work around your needs and preferences. Does incense make your allergies act up? Well, go wash yourself. A bath or shower with herbal soap or a salt scrub will cleanse your body and emotional body as well. No time to shower? Go out and exercise! Enjoy that au natural scent of your sweaty, glistening body and revel in the blood pumping in your veins and raising your natural vibrations. Don't get me wrong; I fully support people taking baths regularly, but your hygiene habits (psychic or mundane) are your business and should fit your lifestyle. Just don't expect people to hug you if you have really negative vibes or smell like a sweaty, majestic wildebeest. Nothing personal.

Just like a dirty body can leave muddy footprints through a clean home, so can a dirty aura. If you want to soak up any negativity that you or others track into your home, leave little bowls or jars of salt in each room. You can also try more aesthetically pleasing options like an arrangement of crystals on each window sill or a bowl of river rocks. A cheaper, faster, and easier option is to start at your front door and work widdershins (counter clockwise for folks up here, and clockwise for the Southern Hemisphere) with some incense, and smudge each room. 

In part 2, I will be covering the emotional body and how to keep that part of your aura sparkling. Thanks for popping in to read my ramblings, and thank you all for your input and support.

DIY Witchcraft: Pendulum Chart

If all goes well, I'm going to be posting an easy Pagan project once a week (emphasis on easy because truth be told, I'm a little lazy). This is very simple and there are endless variations of charts that you can make (or find online) for your pendulum. Lost your car keys? Draw a blueprint of the house. Can't decide where to eat? Write a bunch of restaurant names around a semi-circle. You can also use them for serious, less emergency-related issues, like deciding what branch of the Craft to study this spring. Don't have a pendulum? No problem. Take something and dangle it from a string of some sort. No really, it's that simple. A necklace, needle and thread, limp spaghetti noodle, nearly anything can be a pendulum. Get creative with it!

If you have never used a pendulum before and want to try it out, clear your mind and cleanse your chosen dangly tool with incense, water, whatever suits you. Get a baseline reading by asking a yes or no question that you know the answer to and see how it behaves. Example: "Did I wear shoes this morning?" Pendulum swings in a circle, so that means "no". "Was I drunk this morning?" Pendulum swings in a line, meaning "yes". See? Easy. Enjoy your divination.

Desperate Witch Tip #2: Using birthday candles is not cheating, it's efficient problem solving.