Re-post: "Archetype: Priestess"

Re-post from my old Super Duper Social Worker Blog, July 2012

While standing around, waiting for ritual to start tonight, I went on a little rant about my recent trip to New Mexico. Last time I was home I facilitated a little ritual for some friends and family while we were out camping, and I was surprised that nearly five years later, they still remembered it. I was even more surprised that they wanted me to facilitate another ritual for the group.

Sometimes I'm amazed at the leadership role I've come into over the years.

Wait, let me explain! I'm not amazed that I take on leadership roles. Let's be realistic. I'm an Aries and the firstborn child out of a large family. It's easy for me to decide to be leader. But what I'm surprised at is this particular role, the role of priestess and minister.

I'm amazed that people trust me so much! I personally don't ritual with just anyone, and I'm pretty critical of ministers and clergy because people in this role have the potential to inflict so much damage. It's a sacred honor, and it should not be taken lightly.

So, when my family asked me to do another ritual, I was excited but nervous. Me? Why me? And I felt as if they had high expectations. I wanted to "wow" them, sure, and show off a bit. But I also wanted them to have a positive and healing experience.

One friend said "well, you write good rituals!" which came as a shock to me because I feel like I have such a hard time writing rituals, though facilitating rituals has gotten much easier over the years. (but I still get pre-show jitters!) and another friend said "well, welcome to the role of priestess."

Because being a priestess isn't just writing rituals. It's not just having a script and getting enough people together at the right time (ha!) to cast circle. It's a role where I am not myself. I'm speaking for Deity. I'm acting on behalf of the Cosmos. I have to be aware of the circle and the participants and time and space and myself. It's reading people and energy and keeping a flow, as well a balance of energy and emotions.

I haven't been doing this priestess thing for very long, not really. But I'm becoming more and more aware of it, being a priestess in both service to God/dess and to those who are in need. So me doing a ritual for my friends and family wasn't just Amanda hanging out in Tracy's backyard. It was a Priestess providing a service for the community, and I hope I was able to do so.

I hope I did them proud, not just Mutti and her friends and my sisters, but God and Goddess, too, and to all of the spirits, seen and unseen, who helped that night.

The Pagan Experience: "House Cleansing"

Wk 4 - Apr. 29 – Any writing for the letters G or H -I am keeping this familiar format on week 4 for those who have joined me from the Pagan Blog Project.

Be sure to check out my previous post on the importance of cleanliness!

Here is the House/Property Cleansing ritual that I use.  It is thorough and a bit long (if you have a big house and/or a big property) but it has proven to be most effective.

Anoint yourself with holy water and/or protection oil before you begin.  You can also wear hematite or obsidian, or something protective like a holy symbol or amulet.

Start in the center of the home.  State your intention to cleanse your space, such as “We are here to cleanse this home and property and anything within this space. This space will be cleansed of anything baneful, harmful, negative, or evil.  Anything baneful, harmful, negative, or evil will be banished from this person’s home and from this space. As I will it, so mote it be!”

Going counterclockwise, sprinkle salt, burn sage, sprinkle holy water or khernips, bang loud drums or bells or pots and pans, or spray Florida water diluted with pure water.   Do this around the home going counterclockwise.  Get every single nook and cranny.  Be certain go get every corner, closet, doorway, mirror, window, etc. Say “out out out out out” while you do it.  Do this until you’ve gone in every nook and cranny around the house, paying special attention to any type of entrance or exit.  Go counterclockwise until you’ve gone back to where you started.

Repeat the above outside.  Pay attention to outside windows, doors, ditches, trees, dark areas, etc. Do it especially at the driveway and the fence-line of the property, going counterclockwise.  Do this in both the front and backyard.

Once back inside, state your intention:  “This house is cleansed. This space is cleansed. Nothing baneful, harmful, negative or evil is in this home or on this property.” Or say something similar.

Next, after you have cleansed the space, bless the space. Start at the center of your home and with sage, holy water, bells, protection oil, holy items, or religious statues go clockwise. Repeat what you did above. Get every single nook and cranny and corner. Pay attention to entrances and exits.  Anoint the oil or holy water on every doorway, mirror, closet, window, etc. Say or think or chant “bless bless bless bless” or something similar.  Do this both inside and out, front yard and back yard.

http://www.luckymojo.com

Set up a barrier at the corners of the property.  I use quartz crystals, but you don’t need it. (It just really amplifies the work you’ve done, and can be re-charged later, too.)  At the corners of the property say: “this is a barrier. None may cross this barrier that is baneful, harmful, negative or evil. Only that which exists for my highest good and the highest good of the occupants in this space may cross this barrier.” Place crystals and state your intentions at every corner of the property.  Place another crystal in the center of the home, and imagine the barriers connecting like a protective grid, going all around, above and below. Do this clockwise.  This is a protection shield and when you are feeling under attack you can recharge it with your mind. About once a year or so you can re-do this whole ritual, or if you need a quick recharge, just repeat the actions or words in your mind as a creative visualization.

Once you are done, declare “this space is cleansed. This space is blessed. Nothing baneful, harmful, negative, or evil may enter this space. As above, so below, SO MOTE IT BE” or something similar.

Take a GOOD LONG shower after. Use sage or eucalyptus or mint in the shower. Cleanse and recharge any amulets or stones you have used. Wash your clothes.

Another thing I like to do after the completion of this ritual is give offerings to my house wights and land spirits.  I like to thank any deities I might have called upon, or spirit allies or ancestors.  I even like to give an offering outside of the barriers to the energies I have banished – “you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.”

How do you spiritually, magically, and energetically cleanse yourself, your space, your home, and your property?  What works for you, and what does not work for you?  Please feel free to share your experiences in the comments!

Don't forget to check out my previous post on cleanliness!

The Pagan Experience: Week 2 April 13 - "Ritual"

 Wk 2- Apr. 13 – Ritual - What is your definition of the word “ritual”? What are your rituals- mundane and spiritual? How do they inform each other? Is ritual a necessary component to spiritual practice?

Ritual is so important.  It does so many things for the human brain, and to our “souls”, and to our energy.  This is a topic we wrote about to quite an extent in our book, EsotericMysticism.  So it’s hard to sum up the importance of ritual into one blog post, and it’s hard to go into depth about it, too. 

But basically, I adore ritual.  I try to go to as many as I can (to the point that I’ve experienced bad ritual burn-out on more than one occasion.)  But I just love rituals.  All of them!  (Well, I take that back.  I have a hard time connecting to non-denominational Christian church services, but I’d really hardly call those ritual.)

By engaging in repetitive ritual, we change our energy.  The energy of that ritual literally becomes of part of who you are.  Ritual helps us to engage timeless archetypes and energies.  When we engage these things, it fundamentally changes who you are.  And I mean this in the most literal sense.  Certain types of ritual invoke certain changes, and some of these can be quite powerful (especially those that initiate a sense of permanence within an impermanent Universe.)  (Which is basically what the book is about…!)

Creating new rituals helps you to explore the Cosmos.  It flexes your creative muscles and helps you engage your world in new ways.  It’s fun and creative, allowing you to explore new depths and new heights.  New rituals can be opening and expanding in a very profound way!

Our brains respond to rituals.  You can literally observe our brains reacting to ritual – to meditation, prayer, drumming, chanting, contemplation.  Parts of our brains light up when we are in altered states, particularly religious or spiritual settings.  They help us to connect to one another when shared in a group.  They help us to connect to the Divine.  They help us to connect to ourselves and help us to learn about ourselves and engage in Gnosis, knowing ourselves!

Ritual helps us connect to community.  It means we interact with one another on a regular basis.  When done correctly, good ritual can build intimacy.  It helps break down barriers, both within ourselves and how we engage others.  It gives us a chance to celebrate, to have fun!  We gather to create beautiful altars, to chant, to sing, to create magic, to engage in witchcraft.  Ritual is a time for both celebration and work.

Most of all, ritual isn’t just about us, but about Them.  Ritual is a fundamental way for us to honor the Gods and the Divine.  It is a way for us to honor them.  While ritual can be used for work only (a working circle for magic and witchcraft) it can be a way to spend time with your beloved Gods, ancestors, and spirits.  Within ritual, every act, every moment, every word, every gesture has the potential to be done in honor of the most deserving Divine.  And in addition to honoring Them, when we honor Them, when we open ourselves up to Them, that loops us back to my first point.  At these moments we are fundamentally, forever and fully changed.  Ritual opens us up to engage with energies, and once we make contact with those energies, we have the potential to be changed at our very core.

Regular and consistent ritual is so important to living a full religious, spiritual, and mystical life.  It changes you, it changes the world, it changes the Universe, it changes the Cosmos.  And few things come close to the magnitude of this type of power, power we have access to as soon as well will it, open ourselves up to it, and engage.

Mundane Mysticism - only at Pagan Square!

My latest post over at Witches & Pagans/Pagan Square is a post on Mysticism.  Which is to say, this post was incredibly hard to write because, despite spending over a year working on a book about mysticism, I'm convinced that it's truly impossible to write about mysticism.  But, please check it out, and leave your thoughts and comments, too!

And be sure to check out my other posts over at Pagan Square.  I'm really proud of my little space, so I appreciate feedback and love!

Mundane Mysticism

Thank you, friends!

Pagan Health Survey

Self-Care tips from the Space Witch

"Go round and Round, Round and Round..."

Anxiety and the Black God

Melancholia, Moon Dreams, and the Goddess

Space Witch

The Pagan Experience - F is for Fasting

Wk 4 - Mar. 23 - Any writing for the letters E orF – “I am keeping this familiar format on week 4 for those who have joined me from the Pagan Blog Project.”

F is for Fasting

I have mixed feelings about fasting.

I’m a fat girl who has always had blood sugar issues, so fasting isn’t easy for me.  (Though I understand it isn’t supposed to be “easy”…)  But the more I learn about the occult, the more exposure I get to the idea of fasting.  Back when I was a Baby Pagan I didn’t know anyone who ever fasted (unless it was for a fad diet.)  So while it’s not a completely foreign concept to me, fasting is not something I engage in very often.

I’ve been told that a light fast is good before a ritual, which would include eating simple foods like salads, brothy soups, fruits, veggies, and tea.  Sparse eating before a ritual ensures that your body isn’t too distracted by digesting your food.  It means you won’t get too sleepy or distracted that you can’t engage in higher processes, like chanting, charging an item, concentrating, serving as an oracle, or something similar.  I’ve also been told that fasting before sleep is really conducive for initiating active dreams.  A light-headed feeling allegedly helps you reach higher realms.

I know that I personally feel bogged down if I eat too much.  It makes me feel unwell, and if I don’t feel well I don’t want to engage in ritual.  But on the other hand, if you fast too much, you run the risk of getting too distracted from your hunger and bad feelings.  So, while too much food will bog you down and make you feel yucky, too little food may make you feel too light-headed and out of whack, which is also not conducive to magic and ritual.

from The Last Temptation of Christ

I’ve seen too many people get overly hungry in the middle of rituals.  They don’t eat beforehand, they don’t ground and center, they get loopy, their attention wanders, and they get whiney.  This isn’t just unpleasant to the person experiencing that moment, but it’s distracting for the whole group.  So what’s the point of fasting (a type of purity) if you just fill yourself with another type of impurity (negative and disruptive thoughts and actions)?

Certainly there is a historical precedence for fasting.  We’re all familiar with Jesus’ 40-day fast in the desert before he decides to finally accept himself as a sacrifice.  Muslims also abstain from all food and water from sunup to sundown every day during Ramadan.  Certain groups of people rejected certain foods because of their supposed detraction from living a pure, religious life.  (Such as the Pythagoreans and beans, and Jews and pork).  So part of pre-ritual fasting may include abstaining from certain foods like coffee, tea, alcohol, red meat, processed foods, meat in general, or too much dairy.

Of course, while it’s advised to fast before ritual, it’s highly encouraged to eat after a ritual to make sure you get re-grounded.  I’ve seen people reach for the sweet (key lime pie), the salty (sacred Tostito chips), the carby (slice after slice of bread), the healthy (hummus and veggies) and everything in between.  I find that I personally feel better (post-ritual and in my life in general) with lots of protein, but with a fair amount of hearty carbs thrown in, too. 

There are examples of austere mystics and occultists who we admire because of their ability to fast and to reach higher realms, but this is something I rarely see modern people even attempting, let alone succeeding at.  All in all, it seems like fasting can be a useful tool, but that many of us don’t know our body’s strengths and limits enough to engage it effectively.  It’s all part of self-knowledge, I suppose, and of maintaining balance and health.

Please, chime in!  Do you fast?  How often, and for what reasons?  Do you cease the consumption of food and drink completely, or do you just cut back on certain items?  What are the pros for fasting, the cons for fasting?  What have been your successes or your failures?  I’d love to hear your thoughts?

Pagan Blog Project – week 37 – S#1 – Simple Self-Love Spell

Pagan Blog Project – week 37 – S#1 – A Simple Self-Love Spell

Here is a little self-acceptance charm I kept with me while I was managing a coffee shop and struggling with depression in a bad way.  Not only is it good for self-acceptance, but it also helps you be patient and more loving with others.  When you can accept yourself, you’re more likely to accept others, and vice versa.  Love ripples and expands, then bounces back and multiplies in infinite ways, so here is an easy way to bring a little more love into your life and into the lives of those with whom you interact.

You will need a bottle of impatiens flower essence.  Impatiens is a good flower essence to use for those who struggle with impatience (naturally), tension, intolerance, and general anxiety and stress.  The flower essence helps you to be calm and more harmonious.  It helps you find a balance and rhythm in your life, and reminds you to be patient with yourself and others.

What is your power number, your favorite number, or your lucky number?  Hold the bottle in your power hand (are you right or left-handed?  Use which ever hand is your dominant hand.)  Shake the bottle of flower essence while reciting quietly or out loud the qualities you’d like to bring into your life.  I would say “by the power of three times three times three, I bring love and patience to me!”  And as you will it, so mote it be, blessed be!

Now, take the essence and drop a few drops into your tea, coffee, or water first thing in the morning.  Working in a coffee shop I’d often have coffee first thing, so into my coffee it would go.  I’d recommend 3-4 drops.  It won’t change the flavor of your drink at all, especially if you only use a little bit. 

Before you take a sip, think of the qualities you’d like to bring into your life that day.  Blow your intentions, your energy, and your breath over the surface of the liquid until it is spinning clockwise.  Take your first sip, and offer a blessings to the Cosmos in thanks for the love and care it has given and continues to give you.  So mote it be!

Keep the tincture into a special place.  I kept mine in a silky, pink pouch along with a tiny piece of pink tourmaline.  Pink stones in general are good for love, including romantic love, universal love, and self-love. 

Pink tourmaline reminds us that to love ourselves is to love others, and to love others is to love ourselves.  (It pairs perfectly with impatient!)  Some use it as a protective stone, but it also promotes love, sympathy, patience, and friendships.  It helps keep you aware of yourself and how you connect to others, as well as how you connect to the Universe.  It helps those who suffer from depression and anxiety to find more balance in their lives, and it helps keep emotions into perspective, balancing the mind and heart.

Remember to be patient and kind to yourself.  If you’re not your own best friend, how can you expect to be a friend to anyone else?  How can you expect others to give you what you cannot give yourself?

Bless!

(I must give credit where credit is due!  The "blowing on your morning tea" spell comes from my Bee-Friend, who taught a workshop on herbal magic at a Pagan retreat I went to many years ago.  The flower essence for impatience was recommended to me from the owner of a local new age shop, who gifted me with the piece of pink tourmaline when she knew I was going through hard times.  Love to both of them for their kind gifts and the lessons they have both taught me over the years.  I am blessed to have kind, generous, and knowledgeable teachers and friends in my life!)