Pagan

" My Necklace Is Beautiful!" #Pagan ~ Skaoi Kvitravn

Certain things that I am re-immersing/studying again #Pagan #wicca

Ostara occurs on March 21, the Spring Equinox, and is a celebration of life emerging. During the season of Ostara, we can look forward to and prepare for green life springing forth from the frozen, barren earth. One year I saw a picture of plants sprouting beneath a clear layer of ice, as though it were a natural greenhouse, and I thought it to be a perfect representation of Ostara.

Right now in particular, that visualization is resonating for me. The last two months have been bitterly cold with record snow falls, so to the senses it is still the dead of winter. But the seeds of last year are biding their time, and as soon as warmth comes, they will burst forward with life.

Popular symbols of Ostara include kittens, rabbits, flowers, and eggs, but where I live there is often little evidence of these by the time March 21 arrives. This year, I am looking forward to the return of many species of birds to my yard and neighborhood. The fat and fluffy chickadees have stuck around all winter, and now they are becoming more restless, knowing that spring is approaching. Soon they will be joined by many more birds, competing for the springtime feast of buds and berries.

Ostara helps me acknowledge, however small or slow, the returning of life to the earth around me, and the returning of energies reflected inside me. Like the chickadees, I am anxious for the spring, my internal clock indicating that is it time to move and build and grow. In the ways that I can, I am preparing. We have started our first seedlings indoors. I am keeping up with the shoveling, and organizing the snow removal process so we can use our yard as soon as we can.

But this spring I am also doing a lot more waiting than I'd like. I'm practicing accepting and tolerating the moment, and disrupting eternity thinking by reminding myself of the cycle. The seasons change, the Sun's strength returns, and spring will come.

I invite you to share how you recognize or celebrate Ostara or any other Springtime events! Also feel free to share how you're doing during this season, how you're feeling and what you've been up to. <3 #Disability #Pagan #wiccan #Spiritual #sabbats #Spring

Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash

This is my smallest and simplest version of an altar. For every day purposes, I just keep a cleansing kit in it but there's enough space for small crystals, herbs, and objects when I need or want them.

I used an empty box from a pair of earbuds and covered it in pretty stickers, including plants and crystals. One of the stickers says "self care isn't selfish" to remind me that loving myself through practicing paganism isn't an infringement on others. Another sticker says "Just Breathe", and I've written the same words on the same side of the other half, to remind me to breathe deeply and relax my body.

This box is small enough to carry around in a bag, purse, or even big pocket, for when I need my altar space to be easily portable or discreet. I also use this box around the house when my capacity is very low, because I can keep it next to my bed or wherever I'm settled in and use it without going anywhere.

Being able to cleanse with smoke wherever I am is very important to me. This practice helps to ground me and calm my nervous system, which is crucial for managing both my physical and mental emotional symptoms. And it's something I can do, or have someone assist me with, no matter how poorly I'm feeling.

#disability #ChronicIllness #Selfcare #Pagan

Imbolc occurs on February 1 and is a celebration of light and purity. Due to religious #Trauma , I had a very icky association with the word "purity", so in the past I chose not to use that word. After celebrating Imbolc for a few years and reading on different understandings of purity, I no longer feel triggered by the word and can include it in my practice. But I am reminded each year by the awareness of how "purity" has affected me that it's important to honor my needs through the language I use in my practice.

Beginning after the winter solstice, the Imbolc season is all about coaxing out the light of the Sun and letting go, cleansing, or cleaning out things that no longer serve us. Lighting candles and putting out mirrors spreads the light around our homes, and reminds us that each day the sun will shine higher and longer. Being #Disabled , I use electric candles and strings of twinkle lights when I'm unable to afford or safely manage keeping candles lit. I also feature my salt lamp more prominently during the Imbolc season, as a symbol of both light and cleansing.

Cleansing can be a practical measure, similar to spring cleaning, as well as part of #Spiritual practice. It can also be a way to end toxic #Relationships , manage our #boundaries , and intentionally make more space in our lives. This is most often the time of year when I work on or delegate deep cleaning tasks, like dusting and sweeping hard-to-reach spots or sorting porch and basement clutter. I also thoroughly cleanse my entire home with smoke, being sure to pay special attention to doorways, windows, mirrors, screens, and anywhere else I feel a transfer of energy. If I am unable to do this, I will ask someone capable of respecting the practice to assist me.

I try to craft a new Brighid's Cross each year, and hang it over the front door as a symbol of healing and protection. Brighid is a goddess associated with healing, medicine, and protection, as well as other associations. Her feast day is February 1st, so if it fits into your practice, it can be appropriate to honor Brighid during the observance of Imbolc. When able to, I will burn last year's Brighid's Cross in an Imbolc fire, along with any other spiritual or energy holding objects that require burning this season. If you're interested in making a Brighid's Cross, you can find crafting tutorials online.

Imbolc is one of my favorite #Pagan seasons because there is no western equivalent, nothing I can compare it to. After Yule, I feel a deep seated need for honoring the flickering of the light, the coaxing of embers into flame. After the darkest nights of winter have passed, often comes the most bitter cold, and I need the light to hold onto. For me, Imbolc is a season all about #Hope , that the Sun will return, that our health will endure, and hope for year full of life, love, and joy. Not all years turn out like that, but during Imbolc there's hope.

#Disability #ChronicIllness #MentalHealth

Imbolc occurs on February 1 and is a celebration of light and purity. Due to religious #Trauma , I had a very icky association with the word "purity", so in the past I chose not to use that word. After celebrating Imbolc for a few years and reading on different understandings of purity, I no longer feel triggered by the word and can include it in my practice. But I am reminded each year by the awareness of how "purity" has affected me that it's important to honor my needs through the language I use in my practice.

Beginning after the winter solstice, the Imbolc season is all about coaxing out the light of the Sun and letting go, cleansing, or cleaning out things that no longer serve us. Lighting candles and putting out mirrors spreads the light around our homes, and reminds us that each day the sun will shine higher and longer. Being #Disabled , I use electric candles and strings of twinkle lights when I'm unable to afford or safely manage keeping candles lit. I also feature my salt lamp more prominently during the Imbolc season, as a symbol of both light and cleansing.

Cleansing can be a practical measure, similar to spring cleaning, as well as part of #Spiritual practice. It can also be a way to end toxic #Relationships , manage our #boundaries , and intentionally make more space in our lives. This is most often the time of year when I work on or delegate deep cleaning tasks, like dusting and sweeping hard-to-reach spots or sorting porch and basement clutter. I also thoroughly cleanse my entire home with smoke, being sure to pay special attention to doorways, windows, mirrors, screens, and anywhere else I feel a transfer of energy. If I am unable to do this, I will ask someone capable of respecting the practice to assist me.

I try to craft a new Brighid's Cross each year, and hang it over the front door as a symbol of healing and protection. Brighid is a goddess associated with healing, medicine, and protection, as well as other associations. Her feast day is February 1st, so if it fits into your practice, it can be appropriate to honor Brighid during the observance of Imbolc. When able to, I will burn last year's Brighid's Cross in an Imbolc fire, along with any other spiritual or energy holding objects that require burning this season. If you're interested in making a Brighid's Cross, you can find crafting tutorials online.

Imbolc is one of my favorite #Pagan seasons because there is no western equivalent, nothing I can compare it to. After Yule, I feel a deep seated need for honoring the flickering of the light, the coaxing of embers into flame. After the darkest nights of winter have passed, often comes the most bitter cold, and I need the light to hold onto. For me, Imbolc is a season all about #Hope , that the Sun will return, that our health will endure, and hope for year full of life, love, and joy. Not all years turn out like that, but during Imbolc there's hope.

#Disability #ChronicIllness #MentalHealth