.Forming the connection.

HGfreak via twitter asked me to do a blog entry on how to connect with nature and the divine when you’re so completely swallowed up in the mundane.

With our daily lives it can be really hard to keep our spiritual selves in check. We have may jobs, school, familes, worries, bills, other obligations. At the end of the day the last thing you want to do is come home and spend more energy casting a circle. But being Pagan is a way of life. And it’s important to keep your spiritual self just as alive as the rest of you. There are many things I usually do to help jump start my spirit. Baths with candles and herbs is one. Plus they help relax you after a stressful day. If you have a dominate element spending a bit of time just communicating with it will be very helpful as well. As most of you know mine is water. When I feel I need a spiritual boost or something to help clear my head a tend to go swimming. Just being around my element really helps me connect. For Earth, Air and Fire some suggestions would be going on a nature walk, gardening, lighting a candle and fire gazing, having a bond fire, sitting outside and just listening to the wind through the trees on a clear day. Nature walks are another I really take advantage of a lot. Some times we just need to be reminded of what makes us believe what we do and why. When you go on a nature walk pick a place with lots of woodland areas. Take everything in. I like to bring a camera and take photos of whatever inspires me. Some times it’s nice to take a moment and sit down to just listen. If you’re very sensitive to energy, try putting your hand, palm down, on the earth. Close your eyes and just listen to her heart beat. Trust me, she’s there, always speaking in some form. If you’re a night person like me, you might benefit from some star gazing. Just last night I drove out to a cliff over looking the Minnesota river and snapped some shots of the full moon. There’s nothing more incredible than gazing up at a beautiful full moon or a night sky just painted in stars. Trust me, if you pay enough attention, it will move you.

If you’re unable to get out of the house for the day, here are some things you can do at home to help connect. One of the herb bath I mentioned above. There are many difference recipes for herb baths, so look them up and find what one works for you. Just be cautious if you have allergies. Some small, simple, quick things would be lighting a few candles and inviting that warming energy into a room. Or burning incense to cleanse out any lingering negativity. Some times I just like to cast a circle and sit in it while reading, writing or just contemplating. Another obvious and rather common one is meditation. Which honestly I am a novice at. I have a hard time turning off my brain from my worries. Anxiety is a really kicker for me. But one thing I have found that helps is using sound or music to keep my focus. I personally love rain sounds. You can find these in music stores, itunes or even in app stores if you have a smart phone. I have one for my iphone and it is amazing. It’s called relax melodies. It’s free too, which is always a plus. Head phones are your friend too. As long as you know you won’t be needed any time soon, plug them in and just drift away. You’ll come out feeling magickally charged. I would also suggest sitting down with your tools and handling each one of them. See how they feel. Do they have the right energy? Do they need to be cleansed? Or maybe just sit out for a bit? Just last night I started to do a tarot reading which I had not done in months. After a few minutes of shuffling my cards I noticed that they were caked in negative energy. I immediately cleansed them in cedar incense and held them between my palms imagining them being cleansed of all negativity. Some times you cannot tell right away, so hold the item for a bit. Even just spending some time with your tools, or taking a few minutes at your altar will help you remember your spiritual self. I have yet to try daily prayers and chants myself, but I would certainly suggest those as well.

We all become disconnected from time to time and it can be really hard to keep your grip on your spiritual life. Just remember what you believe and why you believe it. Again I say, Paganism is a way of life. You should make some small gesture to live it every day. Even if you just stop for a second to look up at the sky and admire it while on your way to class or work. One last point I’d like to bring up is to carry something with you that reminds you of your faith. It can be anything from a stone to a pentacle like mine. Just something. Hold it when you feel stressed, anxious or worried. I subconsciously tend to reach up and grab my pentacle when I am nervous. I never noticed it until some one else who knew me well enough pointed it out.

I do hope I helped by giving some pointers on this. It’s something we call struggle with every day. But all it takes is just a little reminder. 🙂