Stop, Look, and Listen! A guide to walking the Witches path. Pt 1

“You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.” ~Indira Gandhi

Early on in my spiritual seeking, I was a frenetic seeker-all ‘bump and go’.  Meaning, whether physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually, I RAN to find where I belonged. I traveled to many different areas, joined different groups and attended a gazillion workshops, lectures, and retreats. I read whatever I could get my hands on about Wicca, Paganism and Witchcraft in a multitude of cultures just looking for that one place I would finally feel at home. This was during pre-internet times. When the internet was in its infancy, there was not much information on the types of spiritual paths I was exploring. Many who walked those paths still believed they needed to practice in secrecy-whether by tradition or a fear of the repercussion for coming ‘out of the broom closet’. Those who were out were often charlatans…charging hundreds of dollars for poor guidance to lost seekers who just wanted to meet a kindred spirit.

I’ve learned a few things going down many roads to find myself. Mostly, it was learning to move beyond the fear of what might happen or what I might learn if I actually did sit still. As hungry as I was for motivation and change on my spiritual path, I was afraid of it as well. I wanted to share a few of these lessons, in the hopes that maybe someone else can benefit from my experience. Or perhaps, just to know they aren’t alone as they journey onward. My path continues to wind before me and will till I leave this plane and go beyond. I am an eternal student and even in my mid-life years there is always something new to see, hear, explore, learn and know.

“The self must know stillness before it can discover its true song.” -Ralph Brum

I suck at meditation…I really do. Well, at least the traditional Lotus position, eyes closed, perfectly serene face, sort of meditation. Honestly, it has never worked for me and still doesn’t. What I was taught early on was that you can’t achieve self-awareness or peace without being perfectly still…and so, I thought I would never be able to achieve any kind of real spiritual epiphanies or higher self without it. I was screwed, right? Hardly… and that early advice really interfered with my own ability to find how to connect with myself and the path I was seeking.  Don’t feel like this is something you have to do perfectly…that is a myth. Your path is your own…it unwinds before you at your own pace and your own way. But if you keep moving too quickly, you will continue to miss your exit!

We (our collective society) have made being ‘still’ feel like a luxury instead of a necessity for spiritual, physical and mental health. We are always running about doing errands, working late, taking care of family, friends and just keep on being busy, busy, busy. When we consciously take a moment to rest, we feel guilty!  We are drained and we never seem to replenish our energy and then seem to constantly run on low fuel. On a spiritual level, it is harder for insights to come to us when we keep running from them. I remember a quote from The Bells of St Mary’s with Bing Crosby-“A moving target is much harder to hit. Remember that.”  To receive the messages, guidance and influence of a higher realm, we have to adjust our thinking of how we can stop rushing, in order to receive the blessings intended for us.  You don’t need to have a special room, tools, altar, clothing, music, etc in order to achieve a spiritual moment. Regular people how these moments all the time and many just aren’t aware of them or how to make the most of them. A few ideas on how to take mundane moments and make them work for you:

"Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen - that stillness becomes a radiance. " -Morgan Freeman 

1-One of my favorite places to practice stillness is in the bathtub or shower. How many of us have found that we get our ‘best ideas’ while in the shower? The mundane act of showering has become an automatic routine, which allows us to just go through the motions and let the brain be still. Then our conscious thoughts move out of the way for other messages to reach us. We allow our bodies to relax, our breathing to slow a bit, and our minds are able to drift. The element of Water is a powerful aid and can be called upon to help us as we practice this daily.

2-Anyone who loves to cook knows what joy they can get when they enter the kitchen. Again, while thinking on and being aware of the preparations for a meal, there is a subtle shift in thinking. I believe that cooking is a highly spiritual activity because you are truly ‘in the moment’. Change your thinking, and see if your next meal time doesn’t feel a bit different to you! This way of looking at being ‘still’, or being ‘in the moment’ can also apply to Crafting. I have heard many seamstresses, painters, writers, etc who go into a different spiritual state when they choose to be ‘still’…and some pretty wonderful things can happen as a result!

3-Commuting can be brutal. Whether you drive your own car, take the bus or train, fly, etc  but the ability to transform those moments toward spiritual stillness are wonderful. Years ago I had a job where I had to drive 90 minutes to work one way. I experimented with this time by turning off the radio for one week. No phone, no distractions that I provided…just me. It felt weird and itchy almost at first. I was unaccustomed to being in my own company for that long without something I did to take my mind off of myself. Eventually, I started to use that time for communing with the Goddess for daily chats where I could speak freely and then be still to receive Her guidance. I still do this…it is a powerful tool if you are open to it.

4-Sit down. Really…just park somewhere already! Why are we always in constant motion? Does the tv or the radio have to be on? Do you really need to be on your phone all the time? Sit down…or lie down. If you can take a nap, great…but just lying down and staying awake can be invigorating to the spirit, as well as the body. The key is also being comfortable. How can anyone be still with a cramp in their leg? Ha…I know I can’t! Get comfy and hunker down for a little while…it will be just what you need. A local park is also great…but really, just stop what you are doing…just…stop.

5-Go for a walk. No ipod. Turn the cell phone to silent. Don’t shop. Don’t speak. For a few minutes allow your mind to stop being distracted and instead be fully where you are. Be still and know the world in the moment. Feel the world around you; its energy and yours. BE in that moment…

“But real action is in silent moments. The epochs of our life are not in the visible facts of our choice of a calling, our marriage, our acquisition of an office, and the like, but in a silent thought by the wayside as we walk; in a thought which revises our entire manner of life…”  -Ralph Waldo Emerson

As you can see, being still is not necessarily the same as not moving. This is more of a mental exercise to change the way we experience our spiritual path. And it isn’t expensive at all! No special cds of pan flutes, no super incense or candles necessary…though, if it does work for you, then go for it! But much of what we seek is Within…and when we fear to go to that place, we cause anxiety and chaos. To be in touch with the Divine, the Universe, life, love, peace, empowerment, etc…..we must first be still and go inside ourselves. This is not something someone else can make or give to you. You must learn to detach yourself from the outer world and be still within. Life may create many distractions and as fallible human beings, we will respond to the many changes around us. But in order to continue to grow and thrive on our paths, we must first journey inward. Stop…be still….BE…

Bright Blessings my friends…

“If that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find without.-Charge of the Goddess ” -Doreen Valiente