To Feel...

This post is part of The Pagan Experience, a group of writers of Earth-centered faiths. This is part of a series about the process of magic as framed by the five sacred elements - Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Spirit. What does 'to feel' mean, on both a mundane and spiritual level?

To feel is to dive deep into the dark Waters of life, the swirling, hidden, uncertain, fruitful waters of dream and intuition, the waters of the Goddess's womb, the waters of our infinite hearts. Feeling is about surrender. We can choose to try to control our experiences at every moment, or we can surrender to the flow of existence, with all the folly and unexpected surprises that brings to us and simply feel.

When we give way to the all-pervading embrace of Water, we can truly explore the mystery of this Earthwalk. We are spiritual beings in fleshy bodies, having a wonderful adventure in time and space. These bodies are fascinating interlocking systems of stimulus and response, loaded with sensory perception. When we surrender to feeling, we inhabit our bodies deeply, and we experience our existence in a rich, full way.

The varied sensations we explore in Water are both sensations in our bodies and emotions in our hearts. As we explore our external world, we feel a variety of sensations - the warmth of the Sun on our skin, the joy of movement, the cool breeze, the pleasures of love, the delights of food and drink, the unforgettable smells that cue our memory so poignantly, the pains of injury, and on and on.

We feel these things so deeply, and we simultaneously experience a flood of emotion that is intertwined with the physical sensations. In many cases, an emotion itself involves a physical sensation. For example, after the day is done, you may be lying in bed, and you remember something stressful...and suddenly your chest is tight and a knot forms in your belly. On the positive side, you have looked at someone you love and felt a flood of warmth, softness, and joy that 'melts your heart'.

When we are immersed in feeling, we are connected to the Great Mystery, for it experiences the physicality and emotions of daily life through us. We are the mystery, a microcosm of the greater macrocosm that is the Mystery, a tiny part that nonetheless contains the whole. The Mystery looks out of
our eyes, sharing our wonder at the majesty of creation.

Living in flow, connected to all the feelings of body and heart center, we are also more deeply connected with others. To share the joy and pain of life with others is to have compassion for their suffering and bliss. It brings us to the understanding that we have so much in common - we all breathe the same air, walk under the same sun, howl at the same moon, and long for connection, belonging, and love.

"We live by the sun
We feel by the moon
We move by the stars

We live in all things
All things live in us

We call to each other
We listen to each other
Our hearts deepen with love and compassion

We live in all things
All things live in us"

-Stephanie Kaza (excerpt)

This kind of heart-centered, watery way of living in flow is a lunar way of being. The Moon is the progenitor of tides, both in the world's oceans, and in our hearts and beings. Women, especially, are cyclical beings who ebb and flow each month in tune with the cycle of the Moon. The Moon makes the waters rise and fall, and our hearts follow suit. When the Moon is full, we are full of energy and emotion, filled with inspiration and creativity. When the Moon is dark, we are reflective, immersed in dreams and visions. Knowing this mystery is a way of power - knowing when to work, when to create, when to rest, and when to dream in time with the Moon...these things the wise practitioner knows.

Surrendering to the flow of feeling is the next step in the process of magic. From a prior post: "Knowing what you want is Air - getting inspired by a certain scenario and daring to believe it's possible. Working toward it, manifesting it, is Fire, where lives the Will. Choose it, choose it, choose it again." 

With Water, we allow our work to marinate, to "cook" or ferment, if you will. We reflect. We let the working rattle around in our subconscious, making all the mysterious connections with our personal set of experiences, symbols, and archetypes. Often information then bubbles up like a spring from our unconscious through dream, vision, or intuition. It may be a missing link in our thinking, or the idea that changes our life, allowing the fullness of our vision to manifest in the physical world. The ideas and wisdom that come to us in this way express the deepest truths within us. We know their rightness, we can feel it deep inside.Some people make the mistake of thinking that working magic is a linear, goal-oriented, action plan type of endeavor. This is the narrative that our dominant culture teaches us - decide what you want, figure out how to get it, work hard, achieve. Right? 

Not so - we get inspired, we do a working focused on what we want (not how to get it), then we enter the passive, reflective phase. We surrender to flow and *feel* the work we have done, and the changes it is already working within us. That is the lesson of Water - feeling, surrendering, flowing, reflecting, dreaming.

There is an ebb and a flow to magical working. In Air, we catch a dream as it blows by on the wind. In Fire, we glow with intensity as we work toward our intention. In Water, we flow...we reflect. It is a passive ebb in the cycle of magical working. 

Working with Water is a practice of non-doing. After all, Water must be calm to reflect our image clearly. 

Blessed be. Naho!

Water

The Pagan Experience - WK 1- Apr. 6 – Water - We are beings of water, but do we really honor it as element, physiologic need and the beginnings of our lives as humans? How do you honor water? How will you ensure its ebb and flow?

We all come from the Goddess, and to Her we must return/Like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean.

From the waters of our mother’s womb, we emerge into the world. Just like the human body, the flow of water is the life of the Earth. The water of Earth flows in an endless cycle of rain, flowing rivers, evaporation, excretion and recycling. In this way, all waters are one.

Water can heal and give life. Water, too, can take it away. Of all the elements, water is one of the strongest. What can resist the tsunami, the flash flood or the slow drip of erosion?

My relationship with water is that of a respectful, wary ally. I am happiest when I am near water. Truly, my ideal landscape is a mountainous, hilly wood with a river or lake. I love to hear the sound of water, whether it be the waves of the sea or the burble of a rocky creek. The otter is my spirit guide for the watery realms.

For me, the lesson of water has been about acceptance and flow. I envision our lives as a large river. The flow of the river is powerful, and it goes where it wants to go. From our perspective on the river’s surface, we can’t see where the river is going. We sometimes bob along like a bit of flotsam in a flood, and other times paddle our own boat.

The times when we are floating along totally out of control I liken to living an unconscious life. We are either unaware of our power to shape our destiny, or are living in a disempowered state in which we do not believe that we can make any changes. Perhaps we are depressed, living with a feeling that it does not matter what comes our way. We simply float along, accepting whatever comes.

The Moonbeam before her maiden voyage.

When we are awake and empowered, we are paddling our own boat. We cannot fight the river directly and go in a completely different direction than the flow. That sort of fearful, controlling mindset can get us killed on the river. This is often the time when we are focused on a specific desire and wish to control how it manifests, disregarding the signs along the way that what we think we want at the moment may not be what we truly need. I have found that these are the times when the river rages, turning over the boat and dumping me into the rapids.

But there is another way. We can paddle our boat with our desires in mind, working WITH the flow. Nudging, guiding and keeping that eventual goal in mind, we paddle on, unattached to small diversions, oxbows and obstacles. Working with the flow, we become a part of the river ecosystem. We suddenly have time to enjoy the view. We can eddy out and take a rest when needed. We pay attention when the ripples indicate hidden perils. This represents emotional upsets or insights. Other times, the river is clear and calm, and all we have to do is float and enjoy the sun on our faces and the wind in our hair.

Flow. Do not resist. Guide your craft. Enjoy the ride. Be mindful of what is beneath the surface. Respect the power of the waters. These are the lessons of water.

Me? I’m a paddler, through and through. I have spent many a happy hour on the lake, on the sea, on the river. I’ll paddle or sail anything that floats, though I do prefer craft without motors. This year, my partner and I built ourselves pirogues, which are flat bottomed canoe-like boats from Cajun country. My boat is called the Moonbeam, and she is nimble, responsive and I still can barely believe that I built her with my own hands.

On a more mundane though no less important level, I honor water in my daily life. I carry a stainless steel water bottle everywhere I go. I stay hydrated. I provide clean drinking water for pets and pollinators. I am mindful of my usage of water at home and out in public. When camping or enjoying the outdoors, I practice good hygiene and minimal impact. That means digging latrines well away from water sources, and refraining from using phosphate-laden cleaners to wash dishes or bodies. 

I strive to be as Miyamoto Musashi recommends – the master is like water. Water takes the shape of its container, but it is an irresistible force (paraphrased). I flow with the Universe, while using my will to shape and guide my craft. I adapt, holding true to my vision, my honor, my goal. I let go, let go and let go again. I surrender. 

Water, great giver of life, flowing from the womb of the Goddess, ocean of dreams, well of healing love, I honor you. Blessed be!