Comments on: Daily Practice: The Work of Devotions http://sacredmistsblog.com/daily-practice-the-work-of-devotions Within The Sacred Mists Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:52:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: RowanPendragon http://sacredmistsblog.com/daily-practice-the-work-of-devotions/comment-page-1#comment-147 RowanPendragon Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:16:49 +0000 http://sacredmistsblog.com/?p=160#comment-147 Merry Meet Caroline, I don't think you were ever doing it "wrong". You followed your heart and did what you felt called to do. That can never be wrong. I actually do the smudging, candle lighting and meditating as my daily ritual most of the time. I do have a few other things that I add in,mainly reading from a daily meditation book and incense lighting, but I do specific work aimed at specific Gods when I feel called to. To answer your questions... #1 Finding a specific God or Goddess to work with can take time. One way that a lot of people work this out is by starting out with exploring and connecting to the Gods or Goddesses that they are drawn to. Others put the call out to the Universe asking that the God or Goddess who wishes to work with them give them as sign and come into their lives. Many people believe that it is best to use the later approach because it opens up the heart and spirit to welcome in a possible patron deity rather than just picking on and forcing it into that role. I say use whichever process seems to feel best for you. Working with one or two specific deities doesn't mean that you stop acknowledging the archetypal God and Goddess or other deities. It somewhat depends on your view of deity. If you see all the Gods and Goddesses as being part of a single divine source, then even when you're working with just one facet of that force you are still connected to the large whole. If you see the Gods and Goddesses as each being individual and distinct entities, then that's a little different and a bit tricky in the "giving thanks to all" area. But even if you work with just Isis, for example, you can still honor all Gods and Goddesses by calling on and offering thanks to "the Lady and Lord" or "the Goddess and God". #2 With my daily rituals I don't cast a circle but I do cast banishing pentagrams in all four directions as well as above and below in order to create a sort of protective and sacred area. It also helps to cast out and keep out any negative energies. But I don't go though any sort of formal circle casting process. When I do cast a circle I call on the Watchtowers but you don't have to (see the article from the day prior about working with calling the elements in ritual). There is a process for calling the elements into ritual that can incorporate the Watchtowers or you can work with another form of guardian. If you haven't read that piece yet, check it out and if you have other questions about that I'd be more than happy to help. :) Many Blessings! :) Merry Meet Caroline,

I don't think you were ever doing it "wrong". You followed your heart and did what you felt called to do. That can never be wrong. I actually do the smudging, candle lighting and meditating as my daily ritual most of the time. I do have a few other things that I add in,mainly reading from a daily meditation book and incense lighting, but I do specific work aimed at specific Gods when I feel called to.

To answer your questions…
#1 Finding a specific God or Goddess to work with can take time. One way that a lot of people work this out is by starting out with exploring and connecting to the Gods or Goddesses that they are drawn to. Others put the call out to the Universe asking that the God or Goddess who wishes to work with them give them as sign and come into their lives. Many people believe that it is best to use the later approach because it opens up the heart and spirit to welcome in a possible patron deity rather than just picking on and forcing it into that role. I say use whichever process seems to feel best for you.

Working with one or two specific deities doesn't mean that you stop acknowledging the archetypal God and Goddess or other deities. It somewhat depends on your view of deity. If you see all the Gods and Goddesses as being part of a single divine source, then even when you're working with just one facet of that force you are still connected to the large whole. If you see the Gods and Goddesses as each being individual and distinct entities, then that's a little different and a bit tricky in the "giving thanks to all" area. But even if you work with just Isis, for example, you can still honor all Gods and Goddesses by calling on and offering thanks to "the Lady and Lord" or "the Goddess and God".

#2 With my daily rituals I don't cast a circle but I do cast banishing pentagrams in all four directions as well as above and below in order to create a sort of protective and sacred area. It also helps to cast out and keep out any negative energies. But I don't go though any sort of formal circle casting process.

When I do cast a circle I call on the Watchtowers but you don't have to (see the article from the day prior about working with calling the elements in ritual). There is a process for calling the elements into ritual that can incorporate the Watchtowers or you can work with another form of guardian. If you haven't read that piece yet, check it out and if you have other questions about that I'd be more than happy to help. :)

Many Blessings! :)

]]> By: Caroline Mannheimer http://sacredmistsblog.com/daily-practice-the-work-of-devotions/comment-page-1#comment-133 Caroline Mannheimer Sat, 27 Feb 2010 12:50:25 +0000 http://sacredmistsblog.com/?p=160#comment-133 Rowan, I always enjoy reading your words...they are straight forward and easy to understand, even I would think, for a beginner (I guess that's the point, huh). I am in my 40's now, but became aware that there was a term for what I felt & believed in my late teens, early 20's: Wiccan. I did not have a lot of money for tools, and living with my parents, found it difficult to leave any kind of alter out. My daily devotions were not very ritualized, other than they happened at night, when the household was asleep. They consisted nothing much more than smudging, lighting an anointed candle and meditating. I believe this was the start of my holding my pagan beliefs close to my heart, keeping it very personal. It felt odd to me to see people walking around in robes announcing to any who would listen that they were witches...Of course, when I established my own living arrangements and got into my 20's, I began reading all the books I could find, purchasing every tool and amulet I could find or order, taking a trip to Salem, Mass., to meet with Laurie Cabott, falling in love with a High Priest, blah,blah. But, then life happened, as it does, and I found myself, again, broke and back to smudging & meditating, with sacred circles being cast on Sabbats only...then, the pendulum swung the other way; I was back enjoying all the accruements that come with having money and free time. Next, I found myself the single mum of a baby and I was back to touching base with the Gods, sometimes, with only a few deep cleansing breaths and pure intention. Now, my 'baby' is in kindergarten, and I'm finding that I have time and, within budget, some money to spend. But, mostly, time to do it "right". I put quotes around that word because, I don't feel I have been doing it wrong, it's just that, I'm at a time in my life where I feel like more ritualized daily devotions feel "right" to me now. Phew. Finally, I get to my questions for you! #1. How does one go about finding one deity? I've always been drawn, a bit, first to Isis then to Brighid, but with all honesty have never explored many others...and does focussing on one deity, seem to exclude all the others? I want to give thanks to all the Gods and Goddesses... #2. Concerns casting a sacred circle. Do you do that, as well, with your daily devotions? And when you do, do you have to call the Watchtower as a guardian for all the elements? My spirituality has become such a personal and "Caroline-stylized" that I sometimes feel concern that others do not understand what I mean; I may use terms differently than others, etc. But, be assured, my intentions are always of a pure, white energy! So, if anything about my queries confuse you, please, ask me to clarify. :o) Thank you for your work online; it's inspiring and very enjoyable to read! Blessed Be Always, Caroline Rowan, I always enjoy reading your words…they are straight forward and easy to understand, even I would think, for a beginner (I guess that's the point, huh). I am in my 40's now, but became aware that there was a term for what I felt & believed in my late teens, early 20's: Wiccan. I did not have a lot of money for tools, and living with my parents, found it difficult to leave any kind of alter out. My daily devotions were not very ritualized, other than they happened at night, when the household was asleep. They consisted nothing much more than smudging, lighting an anointed candle and meditating. I believe this was the start of my holding my pagan beliefs close to my heart, keeping it very personal. It felt odd to me to see people walking around in robes announcing to any who would listen that they were witches…Of course, when I established my own living arrangements and got into my 20's, I began reading all the books I could find, purchasing every tool and amulet I could find or order, taking a trip to Salem, Mass., to meet with Laurie Cabott, falling in love with a High Priest, blah,blah. But, then life happened, as it does, and I found myself, again, broke and back to smudging & meditating, with sacred circles being cast on Sabbats only…then, the pendulum swung the other way; I was back enjoying all the accruements that come with having money and free time. Next, I found myself the single mum of a baby and I was back to touching base with the Gods, sometimes, with only a few deep cleansing breaths and pure intention. Now, my 'baby' is in kindergarten, and I'm finding that I have time and, within budget, some money to spend. But, mostly, time to do it "right". I put quotes around that word because, I don't feel I have been doing it wrong, it's just that, I'm at a time in my life where I feel like more ritualized daily devotions feel "right" to me now. Phew. Finally, I get to my questions for you!
#1. How does one go about finding one deity? I've always been drawn, a bit, first to Isis then to Brighid, but with all honesty have never explored many others…and does focussing on one deity, seem to exclude all the others? I want to give thanks to all the Gods and Goddesses…
#2. Concerns casting a sacred circle. Do you do that, as well, with your daily devotions? And when you do, do you have to call the Watchtower as a guardian for all the elements?
My spirituality has become such a personal and "Caroline-stylized" that I sometimes feel concern that others do not understand what I mean; I may use terms differently than others, etc. But, be assured, my intentions are always of a pure, white energy! So, if anything about my queries confuse you, please, ask me to clarify. :o )
Thank you for your work online; it's inspiring and very enjoyable to read!
Blessed Be Always,
Caroline

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