As a member of the group called Bone Songs Myth and Magic, a group of gifted Pagan practitioners offer their experiences and guidance in their field of expertise. This past month our theme was Focus. I wanted to share my contribution to this group with my blog audience and offer you the opportunity to find us and join us for our journey into learning more about ourselves and how we interact with the magical realm.
Here's my offering for January's theme called Mindful Magic. I hope you enjoy.
Mindful Magic
As we kick off 2022, it is a great time to start thinking about where you are spiritually. Our spiritual self, our inner self or our true self as it is often referred to, is that place where we are who we really are. This is the self that rarely is shared with others. This self, is the self that sits back and judges our actions; it rates those actions and then gives us a feeling of guilt or pride based on that judgment. That self is often thinking into the future about what will come of those actions or looking at the past, wishing for or regretting actions that led us to where we are now. That self is often negative.
I know what you’re thinking, not another one of those mind over matter mumbo jumbo pieces. Why yes, yes it is. Because my dear readers, it is true. We have within us the power to decide if we want to be happy or sad. We decide if we want to continue to pave a road with our tears or brush off our cheeks and move forward with a smile. And this year, my friends, is the year that we need more than ever before to move forward with a collective happiness that can indeed, change the world.
Mindfulness is the act of being fully present in the here and now. In this fast paced world of multitasking this is much more challenging than it seems. Every day we often sit at our computers, while watching TV and stopping to read an instant message that pops up while thinking ahead about the next task. We are preparing for the future and fretting about the past so much that we miss out on what is in our lives right now. Mindfulness is a deliberate act. We stop doing multiple things and focus on the one thing that we’re doing right now with intent and purpose.
Being mindful is the beginning of meditation. Mediation is a state of calm where you sit with yourself and seek to recognize the exact moment of where you are right now. Meditation has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure, ease the symptoms of anxiety and improve self-esteem. A study in 2016 showed that introducing a group of meditation practitioners into a community of those who do not mediate lowered crime rates and violence by about 20% in what is called the Maharishi effect. If we could get 1% of our population to meditate, we could change the world.
So what does all these mean, you’re asking? What does this mean for my magical practice?
As witches, intuitives, mystics and healers what this means to use is that we are in a unique place to help bring about positive change to our planet. We can look at each of our specific gifts and add mindfulness to it so that we can add focus to our result. Whose magical work does not benefit when you take a few extra minutes of self care time to focus your energy on your intentions? What healing energy isn’t reinforced when you spend some time directing that energy with purpose? I think we all know the answer.
For 2022, think of ways that you can begin moving into a mindful place. Think about the simple act of drinking a cup of tea. We need to be here to hold the cup, and to drink from the cup. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us that all acts including drinking tea should be done so, mindfully.
“You must be completely awake in the present to enjoy the tea.
Only in the awareness of the present, can your hands feel the pleasant warmth of the cup.
Only in the present, can you savor the aroma, taste the sweetness, appreciate the delicacy.
If you are ruminating about the past, or worrying about the
future, you will completely miss the experience of enjoying the cup of
Tea…..” - Thich Nhat Hanh
Make 2022 the year that you remain right here, right now. I look forward to taking this journey with you.
Namaste
Sosanna
Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson - CSM, PMI-ACP
Ordained Spiritual Counselor
Certified Holistic Wellness Coach
International Yogi Certification
Certified Crystal Master & Aroma Therapy Practitioner
Resources:
The Maharishi Effect - https://research.miu.edu/maharishi-effect/
How to Meditate - https://www.mindful.org/how-to-meditate/
Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh - https://plumvillage.org/
Thich Nhat Hanh’s Tea Meditation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNiwOI0u9AI
The Bell of Mindfulness - https://plumvillage.app/how-and-why-to-use-the-mindfulness-bell-on-the-plum-village-app/
Exercises:
Mindful Dishwashing
While washing dishes, think very deliberately about the task. Feel the warmth of the water on your skin. Feel the sponge or cloth in your hand. Think about each stroke across the dish. Feel the smoothness of the clean dish. Now repeat this for each item in the sink. Really feel it and focus only on that one thing. This is mindful meditation.
Applying a magical context would be - take a ritual bath and think about these same things.
Mindful Sweeping
While sweeping the floor, think very deliberately about the task. Feel the handle of the broom in your hand. Feel the wind that is created from the stroke. Watch the dust and dirt collected into the pile. Feel the dustpan as you collect it. Now take it out to the trash and feel it leave the dust pan. Send it out of your space.
Applying a magical context would be - clean your ritual space, sweep that negativity into its place and remove it from your area. Direct the energy here, same intensity, same focus.
Journaling Your Experience
Journals are a great way to document what you’re feeling before and after your mindful experience. I recommend picking up a small book or if so inclined use an electronic journal to jot down your feelings. This is going to be useful to come back to at the end of year to look at how you have grown. Some example labels for entries could be:
Date/Time
Day of the Week
Moon Phase
Activity Practiced (examples, mindful sweeping, mindful walking, mindful dishwashing)
Feelings Before
Feelings After
Goals/Notes
Take this time to jot down anything that comes to mind around your mindful activities. Even if you get distracted, jot that down. These things will help you on your path to grow into being mindfully present in all you say and do.
Posts
No comments
Post a Comment