Independence and the Witches Creed – “And it harm none”

The witches reed is “And it harm none, do as thou will,” so your independent personal path is just as valid as another so long as you bring harm to none.  Sometimes it’s hard to determine what will bring harm to none, and that is one of the most difficult things for positive practitioners to work out.  How do you know if it will harm none?  This is where meditation comes in.  Ask yourself what your motivation is for doing what you plan.  Who does it benefit, and who can it possibly harm.  

It’s extremely hard to see all the possible ramifications of our actions when we plot a course, so while I’m meditating about what is “my will,” I also ask the Lord and Lady to let me consider how what I do will affect others.  You’ve probably heard the old saw, “For every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction.”  This is especially true of craft, but in craft, what you send out comes back to you threefold, so if you focus on your positive thoughts and feelings, kindness, compassion, gentleness, love, honor, of self and others, your course of action will become clear. If you weave a spell that is not in the best interest of all involved, it will not only unravel, it will come back to you with triple the negativity you sent out.  

At Pagan Realms, we want to know what you think, and what you’d like to see in the blog, so we’ve placed a suggestion submission at the bottom of the page for your comments and ideas.  We’re also having a contest for guest bloggers.  Each month we will choose one of the suggestions.  If your suggestion is chosen, not only will you get the opportunity to blog about it yourself, if you wish, you will also win the prize selected for that month. The selected prize will change every month.

Summer Solstice: Trust your intuition

Spirituality is a very personal thing to me, and now that Summer Solstice is upon us, as is the super moon, the time is right for rededicating to craft and positive visions and goals regardless of which tradition you follow.  No matter your primary path, almost every site, teaching, or book will propose a different card to represent the solstice, from the High Priestess, or the Empress to the Sun and the Chariot and each will give you a little bit different way to celebrate.  This week, we’ll look at some of the primary cards suggested by different places, and just explore some of the meanings.

The beauty of the Pagan path is that it empowers each of us to trust ourselves.  I find that I take what works for me from many different paths, and incorporate them into a belief system that reflects who I am. Unless you have already found what works for you, it may take some research to find what colors, crystals, jewelry, altar supplies, and cards resonate with your energy.  My goal is simply to help you find your path, whatever that may be.  

The best way I can think to do that is to tell you what has worked for me.  You are welcome to use what I tell you, or find a way that works better for you, but if I get you started on finding your own path, I will have accomplished my goal.  For example, I choose my Solstice card by spending a bit of time focusing on each card before the solstice to see which one resonates, and then I incorporate it into my solstice celebration.  A few minutes a day will let you know which card you want to focus on for your particular goals.

The super moon will make solstice this year an especially powerful time for creating positive energy.  If you haven’t already planned your ritual or celebration, now is the time to make sure the way you spend the Sabbat reflects the path you want to take, and the goals you want to accomplish in the second part of the year.  What would you like to manifest in your life? 

2013 Your own space

Well, Aeslin set up a blog for me, so now I have to fill it.  LOL!  With the recent solstice, and since I’m working on our crystals and stones page, I’ve been thinking a lot about balance lately and how hard it is to maintain the balance we need to be creative and feel fulfilled when the world seems to throw some new chaotic event or even person at us on a regular basis.  How do we work through the chaos to find the balance we need?  

I’m also in the process of reclaiming my space, so that is also influencing my urge to seek balance.  I have had roommates for the last few years, and while I loved having them here, I had forgotten how much I loved living on my own and having my space the way I want it.  Sometimes it’s hard to carve out that space, a place where we can just get away from the world, and if you have a family or roommates, it is even more difficult.  However, any place can be that space; even a small space can give you a chance to catch your breath and regain a bit of balance.  When I had roommates, that place was my bedroom, and if you share the bedroom, that can be a place for the two of you to share your peace.  

If that doesn’t work, any small space will do, and you can create that space with the use of color, crystals, and stones of other types that help you harmonize yourself and your chakras with the universe and more particularly with the earth.  Hematite is one of my favorite stones for achieving balance.  It’s a crystalline iron ore, and is one of the most effective grounding stones available.  Its magnetic properties help balance the chakras to help find the balance you seek.  

Even if you can’t carve out that “special” place amid the chaos that is around us, hematite can be one way to help stay grounded.  It’s a brittle stone, so necklaces and earrings are generally better than rings.  It’s been my experience that the rings break far too easily, and then must be replaced.  If a ring is the only thing you can find, you might try wearing it on a long chain rather than on your finger.

Mobility and the Body

As I’m sitting here with my broken foot propped up, I can’t help but reflect on mobility.  I drove for the first time since I broke it, with my left foot, since the right is the one that is broken, of course.  We often don’t appreciate the mobility we normally have, and I know we often don’t appreciate and celebrate our bodies and everything they do for us.  

So my focus for today is ways to celebrate ourselves.  Do something nice for yourself and your body!!!  It doesn’t matter whether you take a walk or a bubble bath, both will do you a world of good.  In the long run, one will probably do us more good than the other, but both I’m not trying to preach about exercise.  We all know it’s good for us, and a way to improve our bodies, but the important thing is that both are ways to celebrate yourself and your body.  I do want to encourage you to do as much physically as you are able to make sure you can continue to do as much as you are able.

Some of the other ways to celebrate you and your body are with lotions, taking a moment to freshen your skin and feel the sensation and how smooth it makes you feel can smooth out your stress and make you feel like doing more.  Sit down with a cup of tea to relax, or take yourself out to a movie or even just to the lake, or a festival.  You can recharge your love with meditation and spells, candles, oils, and talismans, or you can recharge your space.

Even something as simple as a smudge stick, or incense can make your space more positive. This, in turn, will make you feel more positive.  This is good for both your mind and your body.  You can also redecorate your space in small ways, or re-do your altar.  Try adding new curtains, or a new altar cloth.  Even flowers will brighten up your space and your mind.  Small changes can make all the difference in your approach to yourself and your appreciation and celebration of your body.  It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day, and to forget to appreciate what we have and what we can do to celebrate ourselves.