Spiritual development
Design
Therefore how do I embody a more spiritual life? How do I stay connected while living in the midst of a technological civilization? Through my readings for this design I have encountered a number of strategies that I could potentially integrate into my life. The first 'holistic integration' explores what Poppy Palin describes as, 'weaving our beliefs and creative magic into all we do". Holistic integration: Weaving the craft into my daily life: *Honouring Gaia daily *Develop Daily practice = find new morning blessing/poem/light candle? *Planning my gardening around moon cycles *Going to more pagan events locally *Writing down more of my spiritual reflections & using a Book of Shadows journal system *Ensure altar is regularly re-designed for the turning of the year *Planning my life around the turning of the year Weaving the craft into all of my interests: *Integrate craftwork for all areas of my life e.g. at work, in the garden, for my organising, prosperity etc *Undertake sacred permaculture course *Add pagan features to my freelance journalism portfolio Re-connecting & recharging - More regularly visiting sacred sites or areas that are spiritually charged for me - Spending more time outside on the land - Develop a sit spot cycle - Clear my space energetically more regularly - Plan in walks around Avalon - Utilise magical tools: seek out a carnelian pendant, flower essences, bring in plants to work to recharge space - Slow down & connect more with the land especially in a non-work, non-design sense - Set aside Solstices for recharging & reconnecting - Keep a dream diary
Mastering my craft
A very close friend of mine, Poppy Palin, author of 'Craft of the Wild Witch' wrote that - the ultimate aim is to understand our wild heart, our soul nature, and to live a life of wild enchantment as part of the spiral of life, to be true to our path and master our craft for the benefit of all. Ive tried to develop a spiritual learning curriculum for myself so that I can best design for spiritual development. Using Poppys book, my findings are below: *Observation: Developing the ability to read omens and patterns. To observe our personal responses to tides, moons, weather, seasons, animal movement and more. To participate and celebrate the oneness of the wild, primal beings we are. *Sensation: To sense and be moved by when we observe, for good or ill, is central to the craft. Developing our sixth sense and actively working to tune in to how we feel by many means, including meditation and trance journeys. *Interaction: Developing each practical act as being full of enchantment. We may use ceremony or every day chants, as well as physical objects to heighten our level of concentration and give us focus. Branches of the Wild Path Wild Roots - Maiden, Mother and Crone energies - Divine feminine and masculine energies - Gods & Goddesses energies - Different traditions of the Craft - History of Witchcraft incl. persecution - Sacred Sites - Wild Energies; elementals, nature spirits, ancestral, fey spirits Cycle Awareness - Sun and Earth cycles - Moon cycles - Seasonal energies - Sabbats Other ways of mastering my energies & manifesting abilities *Design in activities & rituals for solstices *Learn tarot *Do regular card readings - every new or full moon? *Find mentors e.g. could contact teachers offering hedgewitch learning support or contact Poppy Palin again *Attend more workshops in Glastonbury *Explore energy work *Read more advanced craft working books *Work with the moon cycle more e.g. planting, planning outputs & projects Work with plant allies through more focused work Reconnect with medicine animals through learning & relationship building *Read more about labyrinths & do connection work *Plan for vision quests - once a year or more? Inner Work - Meditation - Visualization - Divination - Spirit Journeys
Finding Allies In my cravings to express my spirituality more I have looked to ways I can connect more with the pagan community, as seen on my Integration page. I also to seek to link my political and magical work, and have found the Reclaiming Tradition, which I seek to create connections with in 2012. Their statement of principles made my heart skip a beat as I see pagan writings declaring a focus on achieving social justice. Their principles are below. I also seek to connect with the pagan community through using Brook End as a venue for a Witch Camp or regular moot, attending more local workshops and events and eventually training more formally in working as a group on a magical level. There are also experienced women locally who offer mentoring services and I am seriously considering this option as a way to strengthen my learning journey and embrace the helps around me. Reclaimings Principles of Unity
My law is love unto all beings... The Charge of the Goddess The values of the Reclaiming tradition stem from our understanding that the Earth is alive and all of life is sacred and interconnected. We see the Goddess as immanent in the Earths cycles of birth, growth, death, decay, and regeneration. Our practice arises from a deep, spiritual commitment to the Earth, to healing, and to the linking of magic with political action. Each of us embodies the divine. Our ultimate spiritual authority is within, and we need no other person to interpret the sacred to us. We foster the questioning attitude, and honor intellectual, spiritual, and creative freedom. We are an evolving, dynamic tradition and proudly call ourselves Witches. Honoring both Goddess and God, we work with female and male images of divinity, always remembering that there essence is a mystery which goes beyond form. Our community rituals are participatory and ecstatic, celebrating the cycles of the seasons and our lives, and raising energy for personal, collective, and Earth healing. We know that everyone can do the life-changing, world-renewing work of magic, the art of changing consciousness at will. We strive to teach and practice in ways that foster personal and collective empowerment, to model shared power, and to open leadership roles to all. We make decisions by consensus, and balance individual autonomy with social responsibility. Our tradition honors the wild, and calls for service to the Earth and the community. We value peace and practice non-violence, in keeping with the Rede, Harm none, and do what you will. We work for all forms of justice: environmental, social, political, racial, gender, and economic. Our feminism includes a radical analysis of power, seeing all systems of oppression as interrelated, rooted in structures of domination and control. We welcome all genders, all races, all ages and sexual orientations, and all those differences of life situation, background, and ability that increase our diversity. We strive to make our public rituals and events accessible and safe. We try to balance the need to be justly compensated for our labor with our commitment to make our work available to people of all economic levels. All living beings are worthy of respect. All are supported by the sacred elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. We work to create and sustain communities and cultures that embody our values, which can help to heal the wounds of the Earth and Her peoples, and that, can sustain us and nurture future generations. This statement of core values was developed at the Reclaiming Collective Retreat held the weekend of November 8, 1997.
Enchantment Work - Spellweaving - Ceremony and Rituals - Charges, poems and enchanting words
Nicole Vosper, Wild Heart Permaculture 2012
ZONE 00 DESIGN
