Candle Ritual Redux

The Wise have long known the power of words to shape reality. In late summer 2009, I posted a simple candle ritual which I’ve recently revised and started using again. Both are simple, beautiful, and (for me) evoke strong emotion – I just felt the words could be shifted to enhance the affirmation’s power.

What it was:

May I be like this candle – a gentle and unwavering light in the world, radiating warmth and illuminating truth.

What it has become:

Like the flame upon this candle, may the unwavering light of my soul radiate warmth, illuminate truth, and shine through all levels of my being.

And so it is.

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Gratitude: the torch that shows the path from dark to light

It’s been just over a year since my last post. In that time I’ve experienced some dramatic highs and lows, and return now to ground zero to begin rebuilding.

When I was younger, writing helped me through difficult times by providing an outlet for feelings I couldn’t or didn’t know how to express otherwise.

I did not fear the night when I was younger
Back to maple, eyes to full moon above
Dreaming of all I was to become
of places far
and love all-consuming

As years have come and gone
Scars have grown in number
Sometimes I touch them and remember the pain
When once so easy to pick myself up and try again
Now my will has waned

The voice inside tells me, “There is always a way.”
And so here I sit, pen in had, looking for a way
out of this crippling apathy

Lately, when gripped by the terrible fear that I no longer know how to pick myself up and start again, I’ve remembered the power of gratitude. No matter how down I am, no matter how alone or desperate I feel, focusing on even one thing I’m thankful for has been my lifeline out of the consuming darkness of apathy and self-pity. As I hold this focus of gratitude longer, I begin to remember more and more that I’m thankful for.

If you ever feel this way, please join me in doing this exercise, which I’ve recommitted to doing daily. Find that one thing you’re grateful for and write it down! Feel deep gratitude as you look at what you’ve written, and then keep writing! Together we will stop living in our heads and remember how to live in our hearts, for as Little Grandmother says, NOW IS THE TIME.

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The Birth of the Warrior, Part III

In Part II I discussed the Warrior’s shadow, the Victim. Becoming clear about the characteristics of the Victim helped me identify the beliefs I was carrying that interfered with my growth. But realizing where I was stunted and resolving to heal these areas was only part of the process. Because what we focus on is what we experience, it’s also necessary to turn our thoughts to new and empowering beliefs when we’re trying to replace the outmoded ones. To uncover these new beliefs I asked myself, “Who is the Warrior to me?” This is what I came up with:

Walking like the Warrior, or “Contract with my Selves”

1. I will not allow myself to be victimized by the words, actions, or thoughts of others.
2. I will not allow myself to be victimized by my own words, actions, or thoughts.
3. I thank the Victim for showing me the path to the Warrior. With gratitude and compassion I now dismiss the Victim, and bid him farewell for the rest of this lifetime and beyond.
4. I will not ignore my highest good or hide from the growth that leads me there.
5. I will allow myself to feel my emotions.
6. I will not allow myself to wallow in my emotions, or to shut down and hide from the opportunities for growth they present.
7. I will walk with dignity, self-respect, and humility. I will honor myself and my gifts without being arrogant.
8. At all times and in all ways, I will look on myself and others with compassion.
9. At all times I will acknowledge and appreciate myself and others.
10. I will see Love in every situation – its presence, the lack of it, the need for it, or the opportunity to create more of it.
11. I will not allow my external reality to affect my inner peace.
12. I have decided to have joy, peace, passion, and prosperity in my life, and I will not settle for anything less.
13. I believe I’m worthy and capable of living a life guided by these principles, and will not give energy to thoughts that say otherwise.

Many of these have been inspired by the book Living with Joy by Sanaya Roman. (Scroll down to the “Book Club Selection” widget in the right margin for info on the book.)

Tomorrow in Part 4, I’ll share the culmination of this process – the healing ritual I recently performed.

Love and Light,

Jerome

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The Birth of the Warrior – Part II

In The Birth of the Warrior Part I, I shared an affirmation that served as the foundation for a powerful healing ritual I recently performed. In today’s post I’d like to discuss the shadow the Warrior cannot exist without, the Victim.

The Victim is that part of me that values safety above all else. It doesn’t matter what must be sacrificed to maintain this safety – fulfilling relationships, financial prosperity, personal growth, joy, health – none of these are more important than avoiding pain. He believes in status quo, in not rocking the boat, and in keeping everyone else happy – even if doing so means he’s miserable. He values everyone’s opinion except his own, believes the world is unfriendly, and is convinced daydreams are a waste of time. He believes if you cower in a corner and try not to be noticed, you’re less likely to be ridiculed.

As if the experiences at the root of these feelings weren’t unpleasant enough, we’re also conditioned to feel bad about feeling them! Society tells us the Victim is wrong. We’re told to buck up, toe the line, make no excuses, and deal with life – period. This is particularly true for men. What are sons told when they come crying to their fathers because they’ve skinned their knees? “Big boys don’t cry.” What does this really teach little boys? That it’s not okay to be weak. If you can stand to watch the evening news, look for any of the numerous examples of the damage this causes – domestic violence, chemical dependency, war – it all tracks back.

After years of trying to defeat the Victim within by making him wrong, I’ve finally realized that the only way I can leave him behind is to love him. I’ve started thanking him for keeping me safe during my childhood, and reassuring him that the people who hurt me then can’t hurt me now. I’ve started telling him, gently but firmly, that his part in my growth is done – that it’s time for him to leave so the Warrior can arrive.

With gratitude and compassion I dismiss the Victim. Let the Warrior now be born!

So now I know where I’ve been – but do I know where I’m going? In Part 3 I’ll share who the Warrior is to me.

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The Birth of the Warrior – Part I

I thank the Victim for showing me the path to the Warrior. With gratitude and compassion I now dismiss the Victim, and bid him farewell for the rest of this lifetime and beyond. Let the Warrior now be born!

Yesterday I did a spontaneous ritual centered on this affirmation. It comes from what I’ve named “The Contract with my Selves,” a list of 13 affirmations I’ve created to aid me in moving into the position of the Warrior and away from the position of the Victim.

Without conscious intent, this affirmation fell onto the page as item number 3, which numerologically is associated with birth energy – the result of the union between numbers 1 and 2. It’s neat that it came in this order, given its emphasis on the “Birth of the Warrior.” If we quiet our minds, still our bodies and ask for guidance, it really does come.

This ritual was very positive and powerfully transformative. I’m looking forward to sharing it in detail.

In tomorrow’s post, Part 2 of 4, I’ll give some background regarding my experience with the Victim and share the key role s/he plays in our spiritual and emotional growth. Wednesday I’ll discuss the role of the Warrior in Part 3, and on Thursday in Part 4 I’ll post the complete details of the ritual for any who’d like to work it on their own.

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The Power of Simplicity

Wicca and Witchcraft have been sensationalized a great deal by the media over the last decade. Movies and TV have painted fantastic and unrealistic pictures of both, attracting many newcomers to the Old Ways. Some undoubtedly drift on to another less-demanding path once they’re dis-illusioned – once they discover there’s nothing supernatural involved. (But…I just spent $300 on a custom-made, silken, hooded ritual robe!). Unless their path later brings them back to the Craft, these people may never discover the beauty and power that lay in its simplicity.

In truth, much of what’s viewed as mysterious or “supernatural” is incredibly simple. Take Stonehenge. For many years scholars and metaphysicists alike have pondered its meaning and purpose. Meditation and/or quiet reflection while visiting the site (or one like it) will reveal much. It really isn’t as complicated as we’d like to make it. The same goes for magick. The novice might be tempted to spend unreasonable amounts of money on magickal tools and accoutrements (I know I was). But does having a silken robe, a leather-bound Book of Shadows, and a complete set of custom-made, ultra-blessed altar tools make magick more powerful? Absolutely not. The power does not come from things, it comes from us.

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Practicing the Craft during a Void of Course Moon

At this writing, the moon is Void of Course. Every few days the moon moves through a different astrological sign. The time between leaving one sign and entering the next is described as “Void of Course,” often noted as VOC or v/c on lunar charts. The length of this period can vary from a few minutes to several hours.

I’m preparing a Spell, and wanted to research whether casting during moon VOC was advisable. My research led me to Estelle Daniels’ website, and this is what I learned.

It’s generally accepted that beginning anything which one intends to produce a tangible, real-world outcome should be avoided during moon VOC periods. Because the intent of magick is typically to affect change on the material plane (our “physical” reality), it seems to fall into this category.

A caveat: Intent is paramount. If the magickal need is urgent, Craft regardless of moon phase.

Source material: Estelle Daniels’ article “Void-of-Course Moon and how to use it in your everyday life.”

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