I, like most of the rest of the planet, had my routine disrupted by the pandemic. It is ironic that during the pandemic I have (mostly) been able to maintain a new habit: a daily spiritual practice. Its been some trial and error, but I like what it has turned into.
A daily practice is one of those things that you know you should do but is just so hard to actually make yourself do. One barrier is I am a night owl. I learned at an early age if its choice between staying up late and doing something or waking up early and doing something I had better stay up late, because it wasn’t happening in the morning. Those wretched larks who run the world are the bane of my existence. Unfortunately, beside being groggy in the morning I have my royal duties to attend to. So, not happening.
However, I have started taking walks in the woods. I do a tree meditation which has gradually evolved into my daily practice over the last four months. One advantage is when I take a walk in the park, that has become crowded as the weather got nicer and COVID forced people there, if someone walks by and sees me standing next to a tree, I doubt they will raise an eyebrow. However, bringing full pagan bling might attract just a little bit of attention.
I have drifted away from the standard quarter calling and four elemental system, which will probably eventually be its own blog post. Not saying they are bad, its just a system that doesn’t feel right to me anymore. I have been inspired by Kristoffer Hughes and the Celtic realms of Land, Sea, and Sky, with fire being the power of transformation between them.
I originally invoked the three realms with the standard invocation—describing them and welcoming in my hand. Now I try to find a place in the woods I can see a body of water, preferably at a crossroads. I stopped invoking with words. Instead, I look down at the ground and spread my hands out, and think of land. Mud, stone, burrowing animals, mountains. For some reason I keep getting an image of a boulder rolling down a stone hill. Then I look to the body of water and raise my hands toward it. I think of swimming, waves, flowing water, a calm lake. Then I look up to the sky and raise my arms. I think of flying, wind, rain, and sun.
This connects on a gut level, without words. I think it works on elemental ideas when you can form the concept clearly in your head but don’t need words to describe it. I wouldn’t use it for a deity or spirit unless they are primeval or you are really close to them.
I do a three level invocation to land spirits/sidhe/good neighbors, then ancestors, then gods. These are the invocation style. I have started then thinking of some task I want to do and set my intention on it. Lately it has been writing blog posts and working on fiction. (You’re welcome.) Then finally, I do my tree meditation.
I used to think I totally sucked at meditation because I always maintained some awareness. I never completely have lost myself in any guided meditation or otherwise. I always thought I wasn’t totally into it if I had some awareness that yes, I am sitting in a chair. But one day, while meditating, I had an epiphany. I wasn’t trying to go deep within myself to lose the world around me. I was trying to reach outward to touch the world around me. I stopped closing my eyes, and now stare at a tree or lake. I imagine roots growing beneath me, connecting to the red of the earth, and reaching toward a tree or the lake. I then imagine branches from my head reaching all the way to Asgard and connect with a white light. Since I changed my perspective I feel more connected with the world around me while meditating, but its more of a gut sense, like when I invoke the realms without words. I try to stand there and listen for as long as feels right, then let go of the energy as I pull my branches back, then my roots. I spend a moment just making sure I am me and not a tree.
I then do a standard closing and thank everyone I invoked. For the closing I use words to thank Land, Sea, and Sky. I am finding this is very balancing. No, I am not enlightened, but the 20 minutes it takes leaves me feeling calm. I have had issues with depression in the past, and I am shocked that after the first couple of weeks I have been pretty even in my emotional level during our crisis. I do recognize I am quite lucky to escape the worst of it, but I do think my practice has helped me maintain an equilibrium.
That is my daily (sorta) practice. Now, it only all the bugs would go away while I am standing still so I don’t get new mosquito bites when I do this, life would be good.