DISCUSSION: Daily Practices

[AnaisStar]

I also set my intention, just like in casting a spell, I believe an idea or a strong intent is very powerful -- capable of being a driving force behind the day. This helps to ensure that everything goes right from the start.

My intent could be:
Today I am happy, healthy and wealthy. I trust my guides and Deities that they'll keep me awake for every trick. Today I sail through my work with efficiency and enjoyment, get to and from work easily, and have lovely evening to round off a perfect day.

Clothing is also one factor. I clothe myself carefully. How I present myself for the day has a magickal and spiritual effect on me for the whole day. It depends on what I want to see manifesting in a particular day. So colour correspondence is very useful to me. Sometimes, I just go with the instinct.

I love your intention statement Seraphin. I do the same and find I always have amazing days when I make that intention to be open.

I do the same with clothing as well (as well as accessories). I work a lot on balancing chakras, so I tend to dress to the ones that feel they need a boost that day, etc.

[Seraphin]

Nice to see someone else who does the same practices.

[loona wynd]

Nice topic! I'm really curious what everyone has to share

So far there have been a rather large variety of practices shared. This is a good thing

I am trying to meditate more. I'm on the hunt for Bell meditation music but have yet to find one I like.

Bell meditation music?

Mindfulness practices.

I guess my mindfulness daily in my spirituality would mostly be when I am working on crafting a new product or working on a new spell. During those times I am mindful of any stray thoughts that come into my mind. being sure to gently push them aside. Mostly it takes the form of being intensely focused on what I am doing at that time. For example today I worked on making some jewelry. In doing that from the process of setting up the work station to making the items I focused on every aspect of it. I noticed my frustrations and I kept note of them but I also worked through them and felt my joys and pleasures at crafting those items.

Every day I write 5 things that I am grateful or feel blessed about. I call it Gratitude practice. Since starting this I consistently feel much happier about life and things in general.

I like that. It sounds similar to doing a positive affirmation, though instead of being focused on gaining an attribute or something its about what you already have.

I usually do a daily draw in the morning using my Lenormand cards with the purpose for it to tell me one thing about my day. I also draw one tarot card with the aim towards it giving me Advice that I need most for that day. This combination really seems to work well.

I'm not that familiar with the Lenormand system of divination. So I can't comment on that specific thing. However I do know that many people do a daily draw to gain insight to the day and the like so the practice is common.

[loona wynd]

I do the LBRP daily, and up until recently I did spellwork daily as well. The LBRP helps in so many ways that I'll probably at least want to always do it daily.

The LBRP is a powerful ritual. I recently found a witchy version I want to try. Its the LBRP for the Feri tradition. It will be interesting to see the differences in my experience with the two different rituals.

[loona wynd]

Every morning, I look out my bathroom window and admire the woods, less than a few yards from my house. It's a wonderful way to center myself before I head out for work, and I find that daily reminder of how close I live to nature really helps me to make a better effort to actively practice my path. I also try and perform a reading at least a couple times a week (although sometimes I'm just too drained from work to get around to it).

That is one thing I also do every day. I love the fact that I actually have woods in my backyard again. There are also dozens of walking trails in the city. I'm happy and excited to be this close to nature again. While I can look one direction and see and remember I am in a city, I look out back and that memory is gone.

[loona wynd]

Baths. I also do daily offerings to my ancestors and wights.

What do you give them daily for an offering?

[raynelae]

I usually do yoga and I also talk to the Goddess. Also, it's good to just be in nature, even with headphones on. Simply allowing the sun and air to heal you is something we should all experience. Nature is our "church, after all.

[Kassandra]

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Raynelae! Miss ya.




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[loona wynd]

I try to pay attention to the little things that can easily go unnoticed. My computer faces a window now, so I sometimes stop to look out at the trees when my eyes need a break. I work very hard at not taking things too seriously. I sometimes even laugh when I'm angry.

Laughter is one of the best ways to relieve stress and to live a life more in peace.

[Seraphin]

I try to pay attention to the little things that can easily go unnoticed. My computer faces a window now, so I sometimes stop to look out at the trees when my eyes need a break. I work very hard at not taking things too seriously. I sometimes even laugh when I'm angry.

Laughter is one of the best ways to relieve stress and to live a life more in peace.

My fiancee and I recently joined a Laughter Yoga Class. At the end of the two-hour session, I could guarantee you that all participants felt lighter and happier! (Like these smileys :woot: on your screen)

I like Laughter Yoga because it's a revolutionary idea. You simulate love and happiness in the form of laughter and combine it with traditional yoga breathing techniques and postures.

It's actually an easy task to do. Just have an open mind and you're good! For most people, laughing without any reasons is a crazy idea especially to the deeply depressed. However, Laughter Yoga says that if you're unhappy, you could stay that way or try to find ways to change your attitude. You could sulk, get angry, cry, or laugh. So which do you think is better? Hmm?

I leaned that you really don't have to depend upon your mood to feel and act something. You can change your mood at will. It is YOUR mood after all. There is a crucial link between the body and the mind. Whatever occurs to the mind, the body reacts on it accordingly. This can be explained by Theory of Motion creates Emotion.

[loona wynd]

What are you banishing?

I have this little banishing ritual, which mostly banishes my excessive stress and negativity gathered from other people (if anyone is interested,

Thats sort of what my morning shower is for. Its a cleansing shower. I dont think of it as banishing though.

I will post it in the "post a spell" section).

If you think others might benefit from the spell you should post it in the spells/rituals section. That is why I put in my daily shower ritual.

When I do rituals, I do LBRP too.

The LBRP is a fun ritual. I am going to start doing that more often. As I want to start spending more time scribing my notes and working on my BOS I think using the LBRP before I start my work will be an excellent way to get into that mind frame.

The LBRP is awesome because you are connecting to your higher divine self as well as the divine spark that is out there. I do know that there are pagan versions of the LBRP that some people prefer to use instead of the traditional one. I can understand not wanting to work with the God names of Christianity if you are not comfortable with that God at all. Still for myself I like it.

[loona wynd]

I also do the LBRP, but I have been doing my own pagan version of it for years.

I've heard of pagan versions of the LBRP. If you understand the LBRPs concept to be vibrating Godnames and the use of the pentagrams to create a connection with our higher divine selves and with our chosen Godforms than using other divine names isn't really an issue. I bet it does change the energetic feel of the ritual.

I use the triquetra instead of pentagrams and god names. I evoke the Egyptian goddess Nut for Kether or the Thine divine light of God and connect with the god Geb for Malkuth of earth. I don't really use the Power or the Glory of god. Instead I envision myself one with the universe as a Panentheist it isn't hard for me to picture a unified whole. I have seen other pagan LBRP but none of them have goddess godform names Iam comfortable with, so I am thinking of finding transgender deities that would balance the quarters? Anyone else have any new ideas I would love to know!

I don't want this threads attention to become the LBRP, even though it is a wonderful daily ritual to practice. There is a thread here on the forum that discusses the LBRP LBRP Ritual thread I'd love to discuss the pagan version of the LBRP you created for yourself further. Perhaps we can move it to that topic?

I also go through the day to see what others project back to me, what weakness do I see in their eyes to make me stronger. How can I forgive those that deserve it and how can I forget those who don't. Basically how to have balance and unity in my life with theirs as a whole for the greater good of universal harmony. I find my faults and see how I can become a better person, in meditation you separate what you see of yourself from your emotions. You let go of ego and admit what you have done wrong, or what is not appropriate behavior. I am always trying to make the world correspond to "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Many people have said I should forgive some people in my past. However I don't see how I can. The consensus of the actions they did is that those sort of actions are unforgivable. So I don't know how I can work on that. Aside from forgivness concepts I like the way you ended this statement. You try to be the change you wish to see in the world. By living in that sort of life you set examples for others to follow.

[tukz]

I had a deck of animal cards given to me from a very special person to this day I carry them around with me everywhere I go, now and again I would go through them to see which animal guide will be my guide for the day not being a regular thing, but now just looking through the current posts I'm going to try and make it a regular practice to welcome positive energy to my day so that only love and light will brighten my day as well as give love and light to people who may cross my path during the day. If I do cross negative energy or thoughts may the lesson learnt be one that will be given back in Love ten fold.

[Seraphin]

That's great tukz! Let's aim for "inner awareness" everyday! Most people nowadays are asleep although their eyes are open. Let's wake ourselves up in order for us to see the blessings and welcome positive vibes to our day!

Oh and it sounds like a very nice deck. I have a deck of the Celtic Animal Oracle cards, and it's a wonderful tool. Most of my use of the cards has been to seek help and support when I get stuck while helping myself; sometimes I'll pull out the cards and do a brief reading, asking simply "What can I do for myself that will promote the highest good?" I've also consulted them when I was in a low mood and wanted some consoling. They've been wonderfully comforting when I needed that.

[loona wynd]

To me, my spirituality isn't something fix forever, but a living path to be applied day by day, in the light of circumstances to my life.

I agree. I believe that our spirituality should be fluid and should be constantly evolving. While I do have a concept or frame work that I have been working through and in I don't let that framework be what limits my experiences. I understand all experiences I have will be understood within that framework, but if I find a philosophy or trance exercise I want to explore that is not typically found in or associated with various forms of witchcraft or pagan practices I will give it a try.

I dont let my religious path limit my experience nor do I let the concepts and framework of witchcraft limit all of my experiences. I am open to exploring non witchcraft magical practices and the like. Hoodoo is one example of a non witchcraft magical path I am exploring. Though I understand my exploration and experiences will be colored by my work and life as a witch. Does that make sense?

In the end there are two true constants in this world. Change and death. If something doesn't change in this world it stagnates and eventually dies. In religion and spirituality this can mean the death of a persons spirit. So if a person no longer feels that they are getting anything out of their current spiritual path and direction they should start looking elsewhere or their connection with their spirit will fade and they can loose that part of themselves. So by having a fluid spirituality that is not stuck in a specific pattern or focus a persons spiritual path will never stagnate and die.

As I said, I'm practicing "mindfulness" daily. I'm trying to the best of my ability to incorporate my spirituality into my mundane activities.

Can you think of any examples you can share?

It aids in bringing about the full expression of other and completes it. In other words, if one becomes preoccupied with spiritual studies and magick and ignores normal mundane and social interactions, he's study and art does himself and society little good. But conversely, if at the main time of doing mundane activities and socializing, he ignores the spiritual and magickal things, it is a sign for me that spiritual truth and the magick itself has not penetrated deeply into the life of individual.

I agree completly here. I personally have been guilty of using my spirituality and my spiritual skills as an escape from reality and mundane life. I had things I was unable to deal with and getting that involved in my spirituality to me became a distraction. The real world faded away and all there was to me was my spiritual studies.

While I did get a lot of experience during that time I also forgot to simply live my life as well. My only real connections to the real world were my college classes (which I was looking at as a requirement to do the academic and anthrpological approach to my spiritual studies). Even my work in my folklore literature and analysis work started to reflect this component.

Conversely I have also had my mental health get so bad that I have been unable to do anything spiritually being so focused on the pain and the physical world. I was so out of sorts. I knew that performing a meditation or working on a prayer or spell would help change things around. I knew this and I desired to do the work. I just couldn't mentally and physically and emotionally drive myself to do the work, so my connections suffered. I knew something was there but I couldn't feel it or see it.

Neither of those are good places to be. Having experienced both of those positions in my life I can find that balance now.I am slowly starting to piece together what I want my life to be like when my spirituality and life are fully intertwined. Once I have a clear picture I can start doing more formal ritualized work to set the energies into motion while also doing little actions to work towards the goal at the same time. It can take some time and effort but that is where I would like to be and go with my life.

Well I don't believe that observance and practice of specific rituals is either necessary for practicing my magick or a sign of greater spirituality.

I dont think performing any form of rituals means a higher form of spirituality. Its just a different way of manifesting and practicing a spiritual path and religious path. My spiritual path includes offerings and organized rituals because it has a basis in a few different Pagan religious traditions including religious witchcraft, I dont think its better or higher than any other form of spirituality. Its just another different form of spirituality. To each their own.

Instead, I believe I have to develop a magickal and spiritual mode of celebrating each day for all the blessing I've been receiving, a magickal and spiritual form of worship and meditation, and lifestyle I can express both my magick and spirituality.

What do you mean by worship here? I do think celebrating each day is a great way to go. I wrote a prayer for the God of the Sun in the morning as well as the ancestors, and the heart and home spirits. I ask all of those forces to bless me and help me to enjoy the day and learn their lessons. I need to rememorize/learn the sun prayer and the hearth and home prayer. I only recently started to recreate that shrine for those spirits, considering the place I live was given to us by them, it only seemed appropriate.

My spirituality is my way of life. It guides me how to live a balanced and happy life. My spiritual path covers such areas as; community, healing, diet, health, clothing, protection, morality, ceremonies, festivals, worship, relationships between family and neighbors and the list is practically endless. My path isn't just a simple road to be walked but a living way to guide, lead and direct my magickal life each day.

And that is how I believe religions and spiritualities really should be. I believe that they are guides and paths for us on how we should and can live our lives with other humans and the world in general around us. I believe the actions in the physical world are important. I also believe online behaviors are important as well.

And unlike having a religion, my spirituality is not meant to be a drudgery of requirements but a joy and a delight to myself and to the Nature.

Religion can be joyous though. Religion doesn't have to be drugery. If your religion feels like a burden than your in the wrong belief system.

I just don't follow teachers. While we cannot deny that they have some amazing information from them who were doing their best to try to help beginners what is and what is not to believe, to practice and to study while walking in their path, still, I think no one is in the right place to define spiritual reality for other people, and I feel it's very disrespectful when folks try to define it for anyone other than themselves. This seems to be a major theme in my posts, doesn't it? Yikes!

A good teacher will never define religion or spirituality for a person. They will give guidelines and exercise that show a person where to look so that they will have their own experiences. Any teacher that says a path has to be X unless practicing an orthapraxic religion like traditional Wicca is not doing themselves or their students any good.