The Rowdy Goddess

An Ecstatic Vision of the Goddess, dancing in harmony with the Universe.

Archive for the tag “gratitude”

30 Oct 2013
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Eat, Pray, Love, Rest, Thank, Receive: Some of the Keys to Successful Magic and Life

keysThe other day at work, I was listening to a webinair on workplace drama and how to turn around the situation.  The presenter made the point, one that I have heard over and over again for many things, that the only person you can really change is yourself.  In order to turn around drama, you have to change yourself and not be a part of the drama.  Curtains on your participation.

It’s true about drama, it’s true about spellwork, it’s true about relationships.  You really can’t change anyone but yourself.  Many years ago, I took a professional development course on how to deal with difficult people because I wanted to fix the problem at work and fix those other people!  The course was really good.  They presented people as “types” of dysfunction.  I could clearly see my co-workers in some of those types.  Unfortunately, I saw myself as well.  I can’t tell you how much I hated seeing that.  I realized that before I fixed other people, I would need to fix myself.  Using the strategies for dealing with that type of person, I changed my behavior, which, in turn, changed the way I related to circumstances and the people who created them.  By that time, I realized I would never be able to change my co-workers to be the change I wanted to see in the world.  I could only change myself.  I think that’s called maturity, by the way.

The presenter stated that in order to help change the workplace, you needed to exert mastery on your own energy and the way you related to the world.  She was quick to point out that this was not New Age babble but real neuroscience.  I just laughed to myself, because I could see that her points had applications to following a magical path.  She went on to state, tongue in cheek, that if you wanted live in drama and dysfunction, all you had to do was not do anything to master your energy:  never exercise; eat junk food; work incessantly; procrastinate; and never ask for help.

I began to think of how this applies to our spiritual lives.  I reframed as positive actions, and it’s very similar to much of what others write, and continues to make the point, that in order to live a life in harmony with the Universe, you must have practices in harmony with the Universe.  See, obvious and simple.  This is what I came up with:

  • Rest, eat well, and exercise your body and mind
  • Keep a balance between all the areas of your life including work, rest, and play
  • Ask for help and accept it
  • Be grateful for what you are and what you have
  • Give back to the Universe and the causes you care about
  • Be generous
  • Know yourself and set good boundaries
  • Be willing to receive
  • Express love, joy, Spirit, and gratitude in the ways that fulfill you

It sounds more than a little like Scott Cunningham’s 13 goals of a Witch, doesn’t it?  Each of us are guided by our internal moral compass which has grown from our ethical knowledges and practices.  There are many such lists about witchcraft and each of us will integrate it into our being in unique ways.  Having read students’ perceptions of the 13 goals for many years and having lived a few decades beyond Cunningham, I can say that years of teaching and living la Vida Wicca season my understanding of the goals.

Over and over again, we are told and we read that success in spellwork and ritual is based on our intention and focus.  Where does that intention and focus come from?  It comes from the heart of our energy.  If we are unable to master our energy of living well and living spiritually, then its is very likely that our intention and focus is diffused.  That’s it.  Simple.  Obvious.  And dammit, I have to work on myself some more.

May joy, peace, rest, and nourishment be a part of your day everyday.

Posted in Magic, prosperity, spells, spiritual practice and tagged , , ,
22 Feb 2013
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Finding Warmth in the Cold Times

Tiptoe through the snowflakes

We are closing in on the end of February, and we can look forward to the month that “comes in like a lion.”  It’s still cold in Central New York and there’s snow on the ground.  The forecast predicts unpleasant weather for the weekend.  That is unless you are a snow bunny, snow sports person or some similar aficionado.  Last night, a whole bunch of snowmobilers came through our area around midnight disturbing my cold-driven sleep.  It was cranky-making after a day of sneezing and muzzy headedness.

For some of us, winter makes us cranky, depressed, and out of sorts.  Normally, I ‘make do’ and find things to do–quilting with bright colors, reading lighthearted books, and watching British murder mysteries on DVD or television.  Because I’ve had the first cold in years, I’m a little more cantankerous.

I do believe there is a release in giving voice to your cranky side.  Just as I believe that in difficult times, it is important to give voice and respect your anger, grief, sorrow, and despair.  It’s also important not to dwell there.  Living in a pool of rage is exhausting and more than a little icky.  The ick clings to you and repels others who might comfort you; and will also make you dismiss the kindness of friends and strangers.  It’s difficult find gratitude in these times.  I advocate giving yourself enough mileage so you can have some hindsight.  In hindsight, you may be grateful for the losses, the setbacks, and the tribulations because it has made you stronger and better.  In the middle of it, you just need to muddle through, work it out, and find new purchase as you climb this new cliff.

It’s a balancing act between honesty and healing, I believe.  You can’t heal dishonestly.  It just doesn’t work.  Mostly dishonest healing is about stuffing the emotions down without working through them.  That stuffing compacts upon itself and somehow continues to expand and intrude in your life.  It will come out in weird ways and eventually, you will need to clean up the mess.

There’s a health issue in my family now.  I am not grateful for this situation.  I am grateful for the past, the strength, the joy and the beauty.  I am working through sorrow, regret, guilt, anxiety, and depression.  I must live through this situation and already I can see many points of beauty and gratitude.  It’s just not the time to feel it.  There’s joy and delight in other situations and that’s my comfort and I’m very grateful for that.

I didn’t intend to talk about this even if it is somewhat vague so the picture doesn’t quite fit.  Except that I think it’s funny and delightful.  What happy women, dancing and playing in the snow.

Posted in Family and tagged , , , ,
05 Jun 2006

Imagine Your Life Into Be-ing

Thursday is the start of Womongathering, a wonderful womon’s spirituality retreat. For four days, we gather to learn, to contemplate and to celebrate. It’s where the Rowdy Goddesses hang out to laugh, cry and eat chocolate. This year’s theme is Air and the Maiden goddess.
Air has many associations including intellect, imagination and intuition. Clarity through the mind (intellect), magical thought (imagination) and connected thought (intuition).
I learned a lot about the power of the mind and intuition at Akasha Con in March. One of the speakers, Priscilla Keresey gave two wonderful workshops on creating your life and living out your intentions.
In the first workshop she began by talking about the triplicity of the mind–conscious, subconcious, and unconcious–and how the three areas work together. The conscious mind is the place of rationalization, will-power, short-term memory, analysis, and focus. The subconscious is the home of our valies, beliefs, body functions, and long-term memory. The subconscious records everything that ever happened to us, without the filters of rationalization, focus or analysis. The unconscious our connection to the Source, and where we know the words of the gospel that say, “all this you can do and more.” Imagination!
Manifesting your imagination or desired life is based on the law of attraction, a physical law of the Universe that says, “Like calls to like.” What you put out there will come to you. Your thoughts, beliefs, words and action create vibrations within you. As you vibrate with this energy, similar energy is called to attention and comes to you. Feelings are how we create this vibration and they don’t think with the conscious mind, they are creatures of the subconscious. Once you are happy, then you will get what you want!
We are our own worst enemies. She said for many who want to lose weight and no matter how hard they try, it’s because emotionally they are convinced they are fat. If you tell yourself that you are beautiful and maintain the thoughts and language that reinforce that feeling, then you will get what you want.
Priscilla focused on money as examples. She said that if you are in a bad mood paying your bills, the Universe is unlikely to send you anything good. Always be positive and happy when you pay your bills. And then be grateful.
I touched on this when I talked about luck. Say it and forget it. For instance, if you want the money to go to a class. Say to the Universe, I wish for the money to go the ‘whatever it is.’ Then don’t doubt, let it go and let it be. Act as if it has already happened. Don’t think, “when I lose weight I’ll be beautiful;” think, “I am beatiful.” It will happen.
When it does happen, be grateful.Thank the Universe and the powers you believe in. In short, these are the steps to manifesting your imagination:

  • State your desire in positive, present tense way
  • Act as if it has already happened [don’t worry it like a dog with a bone]
  • Thank the Universe

I found this very life-changing. I realized that even though I know all of that stuff, I don’t KNOW it deep down in my blood and my bones. I make self-depricating remarkes about my thunder things (NO MORE) and I’d tell myself in the mirror that I was ugly and fat (NO MORE). I vowed then that I would no longer lend my power and my energy to negative talk about my body. I have maintained that since then. I lost five pounds in May. Whoo hoo. Thank you Universe.

When I returned, I started doing my daily (or almost) altar devotions in a new way. I’d end it with affirmations about my health and body, and whatever else is necessary. I do my altar devotions in the morning while I’m getting dressed. I use no tools just me, the elements and the Lord and the Lady. Priscilla pointed out that the perfect time to send our affirmations out into the Universe are the times just before we go to sleep and right after we wake up. We are closest to the state of unconscious then and our mind has yet to build up the barriers between each section and the Source. We are in a trance, and its time to step into the Cosmic Dance and wish.

Posted in body, Goddess, Rowdy Goddess and tagged , , | Leave a comment

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