The sun has turned at winter solstice, and yet it has been difficult to recognize the change. From now on, the return of the light is more noticeable even though it is still winter, and nature is still sleeping quietly.
This day is also known as the festival of Brigid, an Irish Goddess and Saint. In the cycle of the God, this is the time when He grows, from child to adolescent. At spring equinox, He will be a young man, but today He is still a child.
Pathworking February Eve
Make yourself comfortable. Take some deep breaths and relax. Let go of stress, anger, anxiety.
Close your eyes and go to your safe place. Turn around and look for the door. It is there, quite unobtrusive, with an eight spoked wheel engraved.
Open the door. It is dawn on the other side, with a rosy haze, filtering through the huge trees of the forest. Before you, there is a path through the winter forest. There is snow on it, but it looks like it was used by animals regularly. You can see the tracks on the ground.
Follow the path. It leads you through the forest, among huge trees. Everything is quiet and peaceful.
The area is hilly, and your path leads you downwards, getting steeper...
You reach the bottom of the descent, and the trees give way to a wide open meadow. The snow there is covered with tracks, too, but they are mostly the tracks of human beings.
You hear laughter from the woods, and a girl emerges, chased by a boy with golden hair. They are obviously playing a game of chase.
The young God and Goddess start building snow figures. You can simply watch them as they enjoy themselves, or you can join them, if you want. They accept you at their playground immediately. In either case, take a careful look ath the figure they are building. ...
Gradually, it grows colder. You decide it is time to go and say goodbye to the God and Goddess. They bid you farewell and run towards the cave entrance, chasing each other again. You turn towards the path that has lead you here and return, up that hill and through the forest, until you stand before the door again. You open the door and return to your safe place. ...
From here, return to your body. Take some breaths to return and readjust. Count from 10 to 1. Open your eyes. Welcome back.
What figure did the young Gods build? If you feel like it and have enough snow outside, try to build it yourself. What could that figure mean for you?
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Book recommendations
I started this blog with the intention of writing a one year course on getting into contact with the divine daily. The year is almost over by now, and this course draws to a close. I have four more posts planned: one for Imbolc next week, and one final meditation for each of the three aspects of the divine in February. Today, there will be no exercise but a list of book recommendations for everyone who wants to look elsewhere for inspiration. Most of these books have inspired me for this blog.
Meditation – the Complete Guide by Patricia Monaghan and Eleanor G. Diereck
This book deals with meditation throughout all cultures and religions, covering topics as diverse as gardening, pilgrimage, creative meditations, tai chi, sufi dancing, yoga and shamanic journeying. If you want to get an overview over the different aspects of meditation or some inspiration every now and again, this book is a good choice.
Meditation Made Easy by Lorin Roche
This book treats meditation without any reference to tradition and history. It is a collection of shorter and longer innovative meditation techniques. If you want to approach meditation without a specific world view attached, this is an interesting book.
Wiccan Meditations – The Witch's Way to Personal Transformation by Laura Wildman
If I had to restrict my recommendations to one book, it would be this one. The first third of the book is dedicated to techniques for relaxing, getting into trance and getting out again. In the rest of the book, meditations for learning and transformation, for the cycles of the year and for coven work are given. A significant part of the book is dedicated to group work, but it is still a valuable resource for a solitary Wiccan.
All one Wicca, by Kaatryn MacMorgan-Douglas
This is the basic textbook of my tradition, Universal Eclectic Wicca. All one Wicca is a good place to get started when you want to learn about Wicca, and it is also interesting for more advanced students.
Sacred Time and the Search for Meaning by Gary Eberle
I found this book in a second hand bookstore, and it proved to be a gem. The book is neither about Wicca nor about meditation, but it examines our relationship with ordinary and sacred time.
The Artist's Way – A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron
This book is not about meditation, or Wicca, but about finding your personal creativity. There are many enlightening insights to be found. I started writing my Daily Pages after I reading it. If you are interested in art – drawing, writing, creating – but feeling unsure, have a look at this book.
The Earth Path by Starhawk
This book is about rediscovering and connecting to nature as well as how to build a sustainable relationship with the earth. If you want to get into contact with the divine universe in the aspect of the divine earth, Starhawk provides a wealth of exercises and meditations.
The Goddess Companion, by Patricia Monaghan
Patricia Monaghan has collected 366 Goddesses from all over the world. For each, she gives a prayer, hymn, or poem, and a short explanation. If you want to get into contact with the Gods, this book is invaluable.
Meditation – the Complete Guide by Patricia Monaghan and Eleanor G. Diereck
This book deals with meditation throughout all cultures and religions, covering topics as diverse as gardening, pilgrimage, creative meditations, tai chi, sufi dancing, yoga and shamanic journeying. If you want to get an overview over the different aspects of meditation or some inspiration every now and again, this book is a good choice.
Meditation Made Easy by Lorin Roche
This book treats meditation without any reference to tradition and history. It is a collection of shorter and longer innovative meditation techniques. If you want to approach meditation without a specific world view attached, this is an interesting book.
Wiccan Meditations – The Witch's Way to Personal Transformation by Laura Wildman
If I had to restrict my recommendations to one book, it would be this one. The first third of the book is dedicated to techniques for relaxing, getting into trance and getting out again. In the rest of the book, meditations for learning and transformation, for the cycles of the year and for coven work are given. A significant part of the book is dedicated to group work, but it is still a valuable resource for a solitary Wiccan.
All one Wicca, by Kaatryn MacMorgan-Douglas
This is the basic textbook of my tradition, Universal Eclectic Wicca. All one Wicca is a good place to get started when you want to learn about Wicca, and it is also interesting for more advanced students.
Sacred Time and the Search for Meaning by Gary Eberle
I found this book in a second hand bookstore, and it proved to be a gem. The book is neither about Wicca nor about meditation, but it examines our relationship with ordinary and sacred time.
The Artist's Way – A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron
This book is not about meditation, or Wicca, but about finding your personal creativity. There are many enlightening insights to be found. I started writing my Daily Pages after I reading it. If you are interested in art – drawing, writing, creating – but feeling unsure, have a look at this book.
The Earth Path by Starhawk
This book is about rediscovering and connecting to nature as well as how to build a sustainable relationship with the earth. If you want to get into contact with the divine universe in the aspect of the divine earth, Starhawk provides a wealth of exercises and meditations.
The Goddess Companion, by Patricia Monaghan
Patricia Monaghan has collected 366 Goddesses from all over the world. For each, she gives a prayer, hymn, or poem, and a short explanation. If you want to get into contact with the Gods, this book is invaluable.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
The beauty of a snowflake
Winter has finally arrived in Munich. There are loads of snow out there, and when I first thought about this meditation, it was still snowing. All too often, we walk through our lives, head down, without risking a glance to the sides. This is an exercise about recognising the beauty that surrounds us every day.
Do the exercise on a day when it is snowing, or at least when you have some snow lying around. Dress warm and comfortable. Then: leave your house and go outside. Walk through the snow and watch the beauty that enfolds around you: The snowflakes whirling through the air, the snow covered landscape, the branches of trees, loaded with snow or covered in ice, glittering in the light. Take your time and simply adore the beauty of winter.
Try to catch a snowflake with your sleeve or glove, or scoop up a bit of snow. Look at the snowflakes: can you see the sixfold symmetry, the intricate design, the beauty of it? I always find that snow is something to be admired.
Watch the snowflakes melting as the warmth from your body reaches them. Beauty is fleeting, sometimes. But look around you: there is so much of it, in the next snowflakes, in the snow covered landscape, in the trees, everywhere: beauty is pervasive.
Do the exercise on a day when it is snowing, or at least when you have some snow lying around. Dress warm and comfortable. Then: leave your house and go outside. Walk through the snow and watch the beauty that enfolds around you: The snowflakes whirling through the air, the snow covered landscape, the branches of trees, loaded with snow or covered in ice, glittering in the light. Take your time and simply adore the beauty of winter.
Try to catch a snowflake with your sleeve or glove, or scoop up a bit of snow. Look at the snowflakes: can you see the sixfold symmetry, the intricate design, the beauty of it? I always find that snow is something to be admired.
Watch the snowflakes melting as the warmth from your body reaches them. Beauty is fleeting, sometimes. But look around you: there is so much of it, in the next snowflakes, in the snow covered landscape, in the trees, everywhere: beauty is pervasive.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Goal Setting
One of the last exercises was retrospection, and originally, I planned to include some parts about exploring yourself next. Due to the unexpected hiatus, I will skip these, and today's topic is about planning and setting goals.
Traditionally, New Year is the time for setting goals that are forgotten by the end of January – the classical New year resolutions. Obviously, these are useless and a source for frustration, and that is not what I have in mind.
However, I believe that it is important to reorient yourself in your life every now and again, and the change of the year is one possible time for that. Reorientation requires you to look back as a first step – what has happened, what have you achieved? Where are you standing now? The exercise in retrospection is one possibility for that. This week's exercise is the second step: looking into your future.
Take something to write and go to a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Light a candle and some incense, if you want to. Then, think about important topics or areas of your life. Restrict yourself to three or four areas if possible. For me, they would be something like family and friends, religion, work and writing.
For each of these categories, look into the future. If everything continues the way it is now, where will you be? What will happen, in the next months, the next year, the next five or ten years? Is that what you want to happen? If yes, then fine: just move on to the next topic.
If not, imagine your future as you want it to be, in five or ten years. Imagine it vividly. Then, think: what can you do to move your life in that direction? What should happen over the next year? What steps can you take now to make it happen? Do not start with good intentions. Start with a vision of your future – then make plans that lead to that future.
Go through all the important areas of your life, and develop a vision for each of them. It might be that you want to change your life everywhere – just be aware that you do not have to change everything at once and that it might be easier to focus on one thing at a time.
If you are familiar with a divination system such as tarot cards, it might be helpful to support this exercise with some divination.
Write your visions and your plans down. Place them on your altar, if you have one. If you want to, create a picture of some kind – a drawing, a collage or whatever you like. Keep your visions and plans in sight, so you will have your future in sight.
I am speaking of a plan in a very general sense here. It can be as simple as “Exercise more” or as detailed as “Getting a gym membership for the winter months, running during the summer month, check with friends who might join me, set up a calender for documenting my training”. If you are interested in more detailed and thorough planning,there are a number of possibilities. Dianne Sylvan has described an interesting concept of several nested circles – daily, weekly, monthly and yearlong actions to achieve your goals - that sounds interesting to me. Use a planning system as simple or detailed as you need. But know where you want to go!
Traditionally, New Year is the time for setting goals that are forgotten by the end of January – the classical New year resolutions. Obviously, these are useless and a source for frustration, and that is not what I have in mind.
However, I believe that it is important to reorient yourself in your life every now and again, and the change of the year is one possible time for that. Reorientation requires you to look back as a first step – what has happened, what have you achieved? Where are you standing now? The exercise in retrospection is one possibility for that. This week's exercise is the second step: looking into your future.
Take something to write and go to a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Light a candle and some incense, if you want to. Then, think about important topics or areas of your life. Restrict yourself to three or four areas if possible. For me, they would be something like family and friends, religion, work and writing.
For each of these categories, look into the future. If everything continues the way it is now, where will you be? What will happen, in the next months, the next year, the next five or ten years? Is that what you want to happen? If yes, then fine: just move on to the next topic.
If not, imagine your future as you want it to be, in five or ten years. Imagine it vividly. Then, think: what can you do to move your life in that direction? What should happen over the next year? What steps can you take now to make it happen? Do not start with good intentions. Start with a vision of your future – then make plans that lead to that future.
Go through all the important areas of your life, and develop a vision for each of them. It might be that you want to change your life everywhere – just be aware that you do not have to change everything at once and that it might be easier to focus on one thing at a time.
If you are familiar with a divination system such as tarot cards, it might be helpful to support this exercise with some divination.
Write your visions and your plans down. Place them on your altar, if you have one. If you want to, create a picture of some kind – a drawing, a collage or whatever you like. Keep your visions and plans in sight, so you will have your future in sight.
I am speaking of a plan in a very general sense here. It can be as simple as “Exercise more” or as detailed as “Getting a gym membership for the winter months, running during the summer month, check with friends who might join me, set up a calender for documenting my training”. If you are interested in more detailed and thorough planning,there are a number of possibilities. Dianne Sylvan has described an interesting concept of several nested circles – daily, weekly, monthly and yearlong actions to achieve your goals - that sounds interesting to me. Use a planning system as simple or detailed as you need. But know where you want to go!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)