Month: August 2019

Matrons and Patrons

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This week’s question from the Pagan Perspective YouTube channel is about the the pantheons one uses in their practice.

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Topic for the Week of 8/19: “What is your perspective on matrons and patrons from different paths?”

Okay, so first I feel that I need to explain what “matrons and patrons” are. This is essentially the gods and goddesses (or other personalities and energies) you worship and work with in your faith and practice. For example, if you have a strictly Wiccan path, you have the god and the goddess. On a Nordic path, you would worship Nordic gods and goddesses. Helenic paths would worship/serve Helenic deities. Same with Dianic, or many other paths. There are certain gods and goddesses for each “venue” someone can choose to worship.

What this question is asking is, how do you feel about people that perhaps worship along one path, but choose to incorporate other outside gods and goddesses into their worship and path.  Or, at least that is how I understand the question.

In this, I feel… to each their own. If you connect with a certain deity or matron or patron, then does it really matter that it’s not in your personal faith’s pantheon? I don’t think it does. I think as you are being respectful (and educating yourself) to the culture that these other deity come from, it’s okay.

Although, I feel once you do this, if you are someone that is wanting to strictly -label- your path, I don’t think it really fits to continue calling yourself just as whatever that primary path is. At that point the label then needs to include the word “eclectic” or something to indicate that you have diverged a bit beyond the “box” of that primary faith.

I personally do not do labels, or deity. That is why I use the very broad umbrella term “Pagan” to name my faith. It allows for that eclecticism, as well as the fact that deities are not a part of my faith and practice.

 

The Triumphant Elephant

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and thirty seconds long, and focused on the intrusion of thoughts into meditation.

A lot of people think meditation is a time for clearing the mind of everything and sitting in the complete silence of a blank slate.   What I find, though, is that isn’t the case at all.   In meditation, the mindfulness approach involves not pushing away or burying  thoughts, but rather developing an awareness of thoughts that visit without letting them carry you away.

That is to say, thoughts come and you acknowledge that they came to visit and then move on, rather than falling down into the rabbit hole trap of focusing upon them and letting them drag you in.   It’s the difference between allowing a thought to flit in and back out again, or grabbing hold of it (or letting it grab hold of you) and allowing it drag you into deeper contemplation.

By letting these flitting thoughts go rather than being pulled in, you return again and again to the mindfulness of the moment at hand, rather than getting wrapped up in the cyclical thoughts of the past and future.

Today’s draw is the Nine of Wands (the Asian Elephant) which is a representation of fulfillment, fruition, culmination, and consequences in the area of one’s passions, drive, willpower, and ambitions.  This card often deals with themes regarding one’s resilience and courage in the face of adversity and challenges.

In the guidebook for this deck, the Asian Elephant’s key words are endurance, strength, dedication, remembrance, and protection.

I see…. triumph.   I see breaking free of the chains that bind you.  In the imagery of this card, I see freedom.  The elephant has torn down the tent and it rests in shambles around and behind him, while he stands proud and free, trampling the remnants at his feet.

That is what I see in today’s Nine of Wands.

I’ve been revisiting the memories of my ex lately, and this card is a reminder that I am the elephant.  I may have feel as if I’ve torn a good deal of my life asunder in the process of healing from everything that’s happened, but in the end, I am on top.  I am strong, and I am triumphant.

Deck Used: The Animism Tarot

 

The Impending Spring

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and focused on how it is important to take small pauses within your day to center yourself and just breathe.

This is a sort of reset, and it is something that I do on the regular.  Stoplights and moments in parking lots are my friends, as they give me these pauses in which to just take a deep breath and -be- for a moment.  To set aside everything and stretch my inner soul.   Rainy days are also wonderful for this, as I often work outside and I can take a moment just to stand in the rain, my face to the sky, and soak in the scent and feel of the world when it is being washed clean and nourished.

These times give the tight clench of anxiety and awareness a moment to ease throughout my day, letting a touch of stress and concerns slough off briefly.   I also find when I am super stressed or dealing with my depression, these times are something lacking from my days.

Today’s draw is the Seven of Pentacles (the Peacock) which is a representation of progress and the unknown, as well as the entrance of spirituality and looking outside the self in the area of resources, the physical world, finance, and manifestation.

In the guidebook for this deck, the Peacock has been assigned the keywords of rebirth, confidence, victory, patience, resilience, and devotion.

Today, I see the Seven of Pentacles as perseverance.  If you look closely at the card, you see that behind and around the peacock the world is covered in snow and ice, with hints of the green sprouting up to break free into the sunlight.

It is a message of holding on.  Of leaning into the hard times in life and the times when life feels barren and wanting, because spring is coming.   Relief and release is coming. To me, the imagery in this card represents the cusp of that change, and offers hope for the times when I am stressed and worried, reminding me to always keep in mind that such situations and mindsets are temporary.

Deck Used: The Animism Tarot

 

Obsession

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I just wanted to muse for a bit on how much I love you… and how surprising it is that you don’t creep me the fuck out.

What I mean by that is to say that you take me by surprise in many ways.  One of these is in the  many ways in which you fit the “profile” of a stalker.

After all… you’re obsessive. Invasive. Highly focused. Extremely protective.  And in someone else?  These things being directed at me would absolutely set off a crap load of triggers and freak me out.

And yet with you?  Not at all.  You’re all mine, including that intensity with which you set your focus upon me.

It took me a long time to be comfortable with the sheer volume of attention you wanted to direct my way, though. Then again, it probably helped that I was a bit oblivious as well.

I remember being shocked at some of the things you remembered that I would have never thought to even notice. Quirks, shoe size, preferences on various innocuous things, and so much more. If I had not been so oblivious, you might have scared the ever living shit out of me.

As it was though, I became aware of the obsession gradually, only discovering more and more as you snuck your way deeper and deeper under my armor and before I knew it, you’d taken root there in my heart.

I love you.  Always.  All ways.

 

Energy and Inspiration

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Today’s meditation was twenty minutes long, and I did not meditate to a guided meditation.  Instead, I put on YoYoMa and used the twenty minutes to sink into the sensation of the music as it flowed through my senses.

It has been a long time since I’ve done this, and it was very soothing.  So much of my crossed wires boils down to an effort to ignore sensation, and the opportunity to settle in and just let it flow over me doesn’t come very often.

Today’s draw is the Page of Wands (the Chinchilla) which is a representation of a receptive omega type of energy, personality, or person in the area of  passions, drive, willpower, and ambitions.

In the guidebook for the deck, the Chinchilla is assigned the keywords of discovery, curiosity, communication, awareness, innocence, and enthusiasm.

The Page of Wands appearing in today’s reading means that it is a good day to work on my new idea, and that’s exactly what I did with this energy.   I took pictures, I did research, and I began the preparation process that is needed before actions can be taken.

This, of course, meant that I got a bit of a late start on my orders for the day, but that too seems to be coming along nicely.

This card is filled with energy and inspiration, and I’ve felt it all day long.

Deck Used: The Animism Tarot

 

Slow Down

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and focused on awareness during mindfulness.   That is to say, the practice of being aware of your surroundings while meditating instead of sinking into a space where you are not aware of what’s going on around you and are turned completely inward.

In the meditation, it walked you through exploring sensations one sense at a time before combining them into a full awareness while in that meditative state.   It was very relaxing right up until the last part, which I found a little overwhelming and really brought home how much I compartmentalize physical sensations.  This is a habit I got into when I was dealing with pain after the car accident in my teens, and serves me well in pain management since then.

Today’s draw is the Four of Cups (the Sloth) which is a representation of stability, ease, structure, shelter, and taking time to reassess, as well as cloistering and stagnation in the area of emotions, creativity, relationships, and intuition.

In the guidebook for the deck, the Sloth carries the key words of solitude, withdrawal, introspection, observation, and fatigue.

My intuitive hit off this card when it was drawn this morning is that it’s telling me it is okay to take my time.

Often, I push myself so hard and  get so focused on my tasks and goals that I forget to slow down and just breathe.  Today’s card is a reminder that sometimes you need to take that pause.   It’s healthy and important.