Journey to the Land of the Setting Sun

A whole turning of the Wheel has gone by since I wrote here. In my last post, I felt that my life was at a turning point. And so it was. I went to Jomeokee, my sacred mountain in North Carolina. I was given a vision that has come to pass. At the time, that vision made no sense to me, as is so often the case. It didn't match my plan to stay in North Carolina and be practical.

Not long after my pilgrimage, I drove west again for another job in California. Once again, I was struck by the incredible vastness, richness, and beauty of this Turtle Island on which we live. It was a good migration, with visits to friends and family. When I arrived in these Sierras, I had no idea what was coming next. I only knew that it was good to be back in the West.

All winter I lived at a ski resort. All winter, I skiied and taught skiing to others. I met people, and they asked questions. What would I be doing this summer? Where am I from? Why am I leaving here again after ski season? Did I know how beautiful a Tahoe summer is? The land itself welcomed me, too. Though I had much work to do in regaining my dormant skiing skills, the mountain never hurt me. Far from it - Kirkwood took my heart.

Then I was offered a job for the summer. And it became a real possibility - what if I stayed? What if my long search for a home was over? What if it's here, in the Sierras? These mountains are friendly. They're smaller than CO. There is water here, by the great Da'ow Aga, Lake Tahoe. There are many many alpine lakes and streams scattered through the peaks here. It is a place of great beauty, and great opportunity.

It occurred to me, too, that at some point, I did have to make a decision. I've been searching for a home for years, really, for most of my adult life. At some point, one has to plant their feet and make their stand. I could have kept going. I could have kept looking, and that could have lasted for the rest of my life. But much like people, there is no "perfect place". Every place has its challenges. The lure of the unknown and the new is strong, but I have learned that it is so easy to let that become an escape. I'm done searching. I'm done running. This place and the people here want my energy. So be it. Here I stand. Here, I will put down roots, found my business, and build a home.

I stayed. This turning of the Wheel has been about establishing myself here. I had a great first season as a ski instructor. In the summer, I worked as a guide on high ropes courses. Now I am back to healing work. I've rented my first official home, and am just now putting the final touches on it.

I live in Christmas Valley, next door to what has become my true home here, the Hope Valley. From Luther Pass to Silver Lake is where I feel most at home, typical for this oread. As always, I have a foot in both worlds - the bustle of South Lake Tahoe and my beloved alpine wilderness. I live by the Upper Truckee River. It is quiet here. The aspens, willows, and cottonwoods are glowing gold.

Now that I am settling in, my daily practice is returning. This morning I was struck by how meaningful it is to me. I lit a candle on my hearth, and kindled a charcoal block for smudging. The smudging blend was made by a dear friend. My altar is covered with stones from all of my power places. The shawl I wrapped around me was given to me by a student of mine. The sheepskin I meditated upon was a gift from my best friend. I am surrounded by things I made, found on my travels, or was given by others. It is beautiful, this web to which I belong.

Well do I love travelling. And also, I have learned that I need a home to welcome me after the latest adventure. I am building it here, in this beautiful place. The community I am weaving is loving and positive. My strength and energy are returning. I am catching up on all the practical tasks that have built up during my years of travel. My career is blossoming, and abundance surrounds me. I am returning to calmness, to my true power.

Stay tuned. I have a lot of plans. I am re-starting my New Moon Women's Circle. I am founding a flute circle and a poetry salon. It may even come to pass that a local cell of my Clan of the Wildlings forms here.

Last night was the start of this Full Hunter's Moon phase. I went to the Hope Valley when the moon was high in the sky. All alone, I got out of my truck and went into the meadow. The night was calm, and cold with the promise of the coming winter. I read the Charge of the Goddess. My strong voice carried far in the clear air. I like to think that these mountains, my friends, heard me and approved. It felt right. I felt at peace, at home.

Like everyone here, I am preparing for winter. For me, that means ski gear and firewood, truck maintenance and general life logistics. I wish to have a snow dance. We need a good winter with lots of SNOW. Skadi, Ullr, hear me! Bring us the comfort of the blanketing snows!

May it be well with all of you in this season of the final harvest. It is hard to believe that the Festival of All Souls is in only two weeks! A blessed Full Hunter's Moon to you. May your hunts be fruitful. Naho. Blessed be. Namaste. OM Shanti!

Ritual

The Pagan Experience - Wk 2- Apr. 13 – Ritual - What is your definition of the word “ritual”? What are your rituals- mundane and spiritual? How do they inform each other? Is ritual a necessary component to spiritual practice?


Ritual is defined by the dictionary as "a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order." In a broader sense, a ritual can be any series of actions that are performed regularly.

The word ritual also implies a certain level of meaningfulness or reverence, even when used in the broader sense. That suits me down to the roots. My personal brand of shamanistic witchcraft has been heavily influenced by Eastern philosophy. I believe that there is no separation between the mundane and the magical, the everyday and the sacred. This whole Earth is my temple, and every step I take is a prayer. I'm into mindfulness - each moment is important, and truly is all we have.

My life is full of ritual. In fact, with all the transitions and changes in my life in recent years, you might even say that ritual is my anchor point. My daily rituals keep me centered amidst the ebb and flow of life. I have written before about my dinacharya, my daily routine. To summarize, I begin each day with prayer, Yoga, meditation and general self-care. I bless each meal. I end the day with meditation and gratitude.

Since I wrote those posts, my routine has shifted slightly. I'm meditating in the morning more now. I'm also writing more in the morning. My evening practice has all but disappeared, being devoted more to winding down, checking the last emails and spending time with family. Of course, these last few months  have been very transitional, so I'm working to get back on track. Whether I will find equilibrium at my old routine, or something new, I do not yet know. It's gardening season, so all bets are off.

Aside from the daily routine, there are many little things I do at random times that add meaning and a sense of the sacred to my life. I put magic into my cooking, infusing the meals I cook for myself and my family with healing and love. I sing to my plants. I take time every day to connect with my kitties. My partner likes to walk our property with me, taking note of each new bloom. I visit my favorite woods and rivers regularly so that I can watch the progression of the seasons in each place and to recharge my spirit. I make offerings to my favorite tree.

On the spiritual side of things, I mark and celebrate the seasons. I lead my Clan in rituals to honor the Full Moon, the eight great Sabbats and our five patrons and matrons. Because we are an eclectic coven, our rituals range from full-on formal circles to informal events like devotional hikes. This being our first turn of the Wheel together, we are still evolving and settling into a routine. I have so many ideas that I am excited to bring into being.

This question of how my mundane and spiritual rituals inform each other…it is a difficult one. I find myself writing this post and not knowing where to put certain items. Is recharging my crystals under the light of the Full Moon a mundane ritual or a spiritual one? Again, my view is one of unity. My intent is to make my life more and more of a seamless blend each year. I live on a homestead out in the country, and my view truly is to infuse the necessary with the sacred. The mundane WITH the spiritual.

The last question, is ritual a necessary component of spiritual practice…I say that it's a necessary component to MY spiritual practice. Yoga philosophy sums it up well: the things we do each day form scars or grooves (samskara), which itself is ritual whether we like it or not. I choose to do this consciously. To make my habits ones that uplift and support my purpose and path.

I would never dream of dictating another person's journey. Perhaps it includes ritual, perhaps not. Perhaps those rituals are secular rather than religious. It is not for me to say what is right for another. 

That being said, rituals and ceremonies were created out of a universal human need. Artifacts have been found from our earliest times for which no utilitarian function is known, their use being purely ceremonial. Scientists imply that our transition to sentient humanity as we know it today began with our need for meaning, for spirituality, for ritual. 

Rituals take us across the threshold of the stages of our lives. They heal us of trauma. They lift us up and help us to carry on through times both good and bad. They give us a sense of belonging and strengthen community. Rituals punctuate the daily grind with celebration, devotion and a joyous sense of occasion. Rituals are the percussion in the song of our lives. 

“Life is a ritual of love
Life is a ritual of union, and 
Life is a dance of the divine” 
― Vishwas Chavan, SoulBliss: a poetic tale of cosmic love

Putting my Money where my Mouth Is: Self-Care

The past few years, I have been putting my money where my mouth is, so to speak, in the area of self-care. Historically, that has been a tricky and spotty thing for me. It's ironic considering my career in helping others improve their health. This year has been especially good and I'm proud of myself. One thing I have noticed is that I do best when I am able to carry out my dinacharya (daily routine) without rushing.

I get thrown off track when life gets too crazy with things like big emotional upsets, early morning work and moving. Surely this is the case for most people. Ironically, the practice of Yoga that is so dear to my heart is meant to support us through the vicissitudes of life. I can attest that it does work. The times that I'm truly out of sorts have gotten smaller each year. I do occasionally "fall off the wagon", but I get back on pretty quickly these days.

“As spiritual searchers we need to become freer and freer of the attachment to our own smallness in which we get occupied with me-me-me. Pondering on large ideas or standing in front of things which remind us of a vast scale can free us from acquisitiveness and competitiveness and from our likes and dislikes. If we sit with an increasing stillness of the body, and attune our mind to the sky or to the ocean or to the myriad stars at night, or any other indicators of vastness, the mind gradually stills and the heart is filled with quiet joy. Also recalling our own experiences in which we acted generously or with compassion for the simple delight of it without expectation of any gain can give us more confidence in the existence of a deeper goodness from which we may deviate. (39)” 

― Ravi Ravindra, The Wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: A New Translation and Guide by Ravi Ravindra

As regular readers of this blog know, I experienced one of those life upsets almost two months ago now. Overall, I'd have to say that I've done fairly well during these two months of transition. There has been a good amount of Yoga, meditation, massage, time outdoors, time with friends and other supportive practices. There have been some dark days, but compared to how it could have been…say ten years ago, it's been a cakewalk.

Today I decided to take up the practice of abhyanga, or self-massage with oil. When I did my Ayurvedic self-experiment this spring, I wasn't too hot on the idea. Too messy and too time consuming, I thought. Why bother? It's humid in North Carolina! This isn't Colorado, where lip balm and skin lotion are two of the 10 Essentials of Survival.

But three things:

1. It feels really good.
2. I do want to incorporate anointing into my practice.
3. I do like to wear a scent, usually patchouli.

Abhyanga could combine all three into one step to save time AND give me some more health benefits. Behold, my plan:

I will make an aromatherapy blend with the base oil of coconut. In Ayurveda, the type of oil is matched to your constitution. I am a pitta-kapha constitution and it's still summertime, so coconut oil is good. In the cold months, I will likely change to almond oil. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

For the essential oils, I will use primarily patchouli for its mood balancing, cellulite/wrinkle reducing, and insect repelling properties. Alleged properties, anyhow. I like the scent and feel good when I wear it - that I know. As for the other oils, I have some cedar and sandalwood on hand, so I'll see how I like that blend. I may add lavender too, because lavender is love! It's been a while since I've practiced my aromatherapy, so this will be a good refresher.

Most likely, I will reduce the amount of oil used in the massage and will not shower afterwards. Coconut oil absorbs pretty well and when I did this today, I didn't need to shower. Also, I will not be applying this oil to my head and hair. I do plan to do oil head massage, but I will do that at night and have a different oil and herbal blend in mind. More to come on that later!

Today's abhyanga was a rushed affair. I got some plain coconut oil from Whole Foods and hurriedly rubbed it into every part of my body that I could reach. I was pressed for time, and didn't get to feel the meditative, super spiritual self love aspects of the practice. But my skin felt great the rest of the day!

Stay tuned for the results of this new experiment in self-care!

Adventures in Ayurveda

Ayurveda is the system of traditional Indian medicine - think Traditional Chinese Medicine. From the Ayurvedic Institute's website:

"This ancient art of healing has been practiced continuously for over 5,000 years. The principles of many natural healing systems now familiar in the West, such as Homeopathy and Polarity Therapy, have their roots in Ayurveda. Ayurvedic practices restore the balance and harmony of the individual, resulting in self-healing, good health and longevity."
 It's a sister science to Yoga, and I studied it in college. I've been using its principles in treating my patients for years, but until recently, I haven't done any extensive, disciplined experimentation on myself.

When I put together my plan for the Winter Pagan Fitness Challenge, I included a goal of incorporating Ayurvedic practices. As a yogini and a pagan, this seemed like something that would accomplish two goals at once: increase health and give me a ritualistic framework for my self-care routine.

I've discovered a secret about myself: routine and daily maintenance seem less onerous to me when they are a holistic part of my spiritual practice.

Ayurveda is a complex system of healthcare. It has many components, one of which is the concept of dinacharya, or your daily routine in harmony with the cycles of nature.

Sidebar: See what I mean? Totally harmonious with a pagan outlook on life. Of course, it was designed by pagans, at least the textbook definition of pagans. Ancient Vedic physicians were likely the authors of this system, and Vedic philosophy gave rise to Hinduism. Pagan=country dweller or rustic=non-Christian. Ok, it amuses me in a geeky way, I admit it.

At any rate, the Ayurvedic daily routine is the subject of my experiment of the last two weeks. I'm not going to give all the details because I don't wish people to rush out and try things without good knowledge or guidance.

Disclaimer: Do not self-treat with Ayurveda. Seek the guidance of a qualified practitioner*, and consult your physican before making any large alterations to your lifestyle or healthcare practices.

The first thing to know is that setting a regular sleep schedule is very important. What schedule you choose is traditionally defined by your personal constitution, or dosha, in Ayurveda. In general, it is recommended to arise early. This is the first step in the routine: get a good night's sleep and get up at a regular time. I've been working on this for some time, so this didn't require additional effort.

The next step in the routine is to say a prayer to greet the day. This was another practice I was already performing, so I continued with my personal routine in this area.

The next steps focus on awakening the digestion. Ayurveda, like all systems of healthcare that I am familiar with believes that regular elimination is essential to good health. I have had some issues in this department in the past and once again, I was already focused on this. I really liked the Ayurvedic recommendation to drink a glass of water. Simple, easy and logical. Start your day with hydration, and stimulate peristalsis.

The next steps deal with cleansing your body and dressing. This is where the practices got a little weird, and I'm not going to incorporate all of them into my daily routine. One example is karana purana, or putting oil in the ears. This made me feel congested and creepy. It's possible I didn't perform it correctly. Either way, it was ooky and I didn't like it. On the good side, splashing cold water on my face felt surprisingly good. I will take a clue and do more of these things, but I'll revisit this point later in the post.

The next step is exercise, which of course would be Yoga, this being an Indian system. Again, I do this every morning, so that was no problem.

After exercise, Ayurveda recommends pranayama, or breathing exercises. I'm supposed to be doing these already - it's a goal in the Air category of my Winter Pagan Fitness Challenge. But for some reason, it's hard for me to focus on pranayama regularly. I didn't do very well with this goal, and I've got to get better. Pranayama is extremely important and transformative.

Real talk: even educators and professional inspirers like me say "I don't wanna" sometimes.

Next up is meditation. I don't meditate in the morning; I prefer to do so at night. Having said that, I do briefly meditate some mornings, but I am not going to add this to my official routine as it's the exception for me. As someone who teaches meditation, I think it best to meditate when it suits you, rather than trying to force yourself to follow someone's recommendation or something you read in a book. Meditation anytime is better than meditation none of the time. Ok, getting off the soapbox...

The last step is breakfast. Historically I have skipped a lot of breakfasts, so another reminder is a good thing. But again, I was working on this already. Preparing breakfast muffins or some other healthy food in advance is the key for me.

Results

I really love the way that many of these Ayurvedic practices meshed seamlessly with what I was already doing. It was a wonderful confirmation that my quest for greater health and peace is headed in the right direction.

Some of these practices are either too weird, too time consuming or not suited to my needs. I will revisit some of them with further research. I really would like to get more training in Ayurvedic Medicine. I'm considering a correspondence course right now, as I can't take time away from my practice to study with the Ayurvedic Institute in person. First step will be to get my textbooks back and review my college notes on my own.

The other thing that was really beautiful about this experiment was the extraordinary level of self-love that the bathing and dressing portions of the routine promote. For most of my life, I have not been into the mainstream routines of feminine personal care and beauty. I do not choose to use chemically-based personal care products and cosmetics. Through my years of study in the broad field of holistic and alternative health, I have developed a "less is more" approach to skin and hair care. But in a completely unsurprising turn of events, Ayurveda recommends simple, healthy practices for health and beauty.

Taking it all together, this has been a great way for me to put more structure and beauty into my routine of self care, and to integrate it with my spiritual practice. It's a profound thing, to care for oneself. As a priestess, it felt like I was truly preparing myself for a day of sacred work. What higher act of devotion can there be than to honor your earthly vessel by cleaning, exercising and anointing it each day? To consciously begin and end each day with a prayer? To take the time to protect and increase your health? After all, having some amount of good health and inner peace is necessary in order to help others.

And isn't that our job, all of us, in some way? Be healthy. Care for others. Contribute your gifts to the world. Be a good steward of the Earth.

As for me, those are words I can live by, and Ayurveda is helping me continue to evolve and improve my ability to do so.


*Please note that Ayurveda is not a licensed modality in the United States. As a result, it can be more challenging to find a qualified practitioner. I practice certain parts of the system, and can refer local people to professionals in the Raleigh, NC area. I've noticed a lot of one day or short trainings being offered to Yoga teachers, so be wary. Like Traditional Chinese Medicine, it's a complex art. It takes a lot of time to learn. I studied it for two years in college and still don't feel qualified to call myself an official Ayurvedic anything. The Ayurvedic Institute is the best resource in the USA at this time. Dr. Vasant Lad, the director, wrote the textbooks that I studied and his organization is top notch.