In Pagan practice we revere the natural world and the Divine spirit that imbues it. In ritual, our altar bears items for each of the four directions as well as the center. Each direction honors different aspects of nature and human life: the North is for earth and the body; the East is air and the intellect; the South is fire and passion and creativity; the West is water and emotions; the Center is held for Spirit. Setting the altar in this manner is one of the ways that we honor the multi-faceted wholeness of living in this world and living with Spirit.
Creating an altar and using ritual items is also a way that we direct our hearts and minds to be present and attentive to Spirit during our time together. These tools aren't necessary all of the time, but we find that practicing with them helps us to get beyond our chattering minds and immediate consciousness to something deeper, something more true, a thread that binds the sacred and mundane together as one in our lives.
Creating an altar and using ritual items is also a way that we direct our hearts and minds to be present and attentive to Spirit during our time together. These tools aren't necessary all of the time, but we find that practicing with them helps us to get beyond our chattering minds and immediate consciousness to something deeper, something more true, a thread that binds the sacred and mundane together as one in our lives.
Summer Solstice altar, June 22, 2014
At Summer Solstice, we recognize the longest day of sunlight, the shifting of the light to shorter days and longer nights, and the first fruits of the harvest. We give thanks for all that the sunlight sustains - including how good it feels on our faces and bodies! In this year's ritual, the first harvest included the gifts that we have received from the Divine to carry into our lives and to share with others. We honored this with readings, songs, and meditation.
one of our meditation images
I selected the image above to meditate with. The image spoke to me about the next phase of my life as a single mother. The skull and the flowers represented the integration of masculine and feminine traits that I embody and balance as Little N's mom. The image also represented independence and endurance. These gifts from the Divine are the strengths that I will call upon as I proceed with the divorce, co-parenting with my ex, and mothering Little N. They are not strengths that I will have; they are strengths that I possess today and am continuing to develop and employ in the coming months and years. They are the strengths that I live with, guide my son with, and share with our friends and community. I've tacked this image up next to my desk as an ongoing reminder, for those days when I feel especially challenged and overwhelmed, of the strengths I have been granted.
"party like pagans!" potluck tables
Following the good work of ritual is the good work of community. We "party like pagans" around a potluck table sharing food, conversation, and warm company. To me, this social time is as important as the spiritual time we inhabit together. This is when we catch up on each other's lives, cultivating our bonds as individual friends and as a cohesive little body. In this social time, we've celebrated births, jobs, and new partners. We've sympathized over losses and brainstormed solutions for each other's challenges. Our lives are enriched and sustained by both the spiritual work and the social work we practice.
As a Christian I'm hesitant to also call myself a Pagan. Frankly, I'm hesitant to apply any labels at all to my spirituality and identity. But this much I claim, in our little group I am met with both good Spirit and good Community. Meaning, this group, too, is one of my gifts from the Divine.
As a Christian I'm hesitant to also call myself a Pagan. Frankly, I'm hesitant to apply any labels at all to my spirituality and identity. But this much I claim, in our little group I am met with both good Spirit and good Community. Meaning, this group, too, is one of my gifts from the Divine.
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