Magickal Names

Week 26 - the letter "M" again

Discovering my magickal name was something that was incredibly important to me early on in my practice.  I desperately wanted to embrace my new path and felt that selecting a special name would serve as my dedication to Paganism.  It would be a rebirth connecting me to this new beginning.

Using Numerology and the Pythagorean System (as suggested in one of my books...maybe one by Scott Cunningham), I played around with spellings and words that I felt reflected my personality and my goals.  With a dedication ceremony, I named myself Jaelan.  Jaelan was a combination of my maternal grandmother's name Jane Eleanor and my paternal grandmother's name Floriann and pronounced Jay-len.

And that name was a good fit for me and certainly served me well over the years.  When the group I was working with and leading went our separate ways, I kept the name for a while.  And then I was betrayed by one of the group members.  There's no need to go into the specifics, but I knew I needed to change my name. 

Names and words have power.  And my magickal name was something used in private and among those with whom I practiced.  It was time for me to sever my ties from the group and start on a new journey of my own.

As a lover of the movie "The Dark Crystal", Kira was a name I loved and a character I adored.  Because the spelling was incompatible with my birth number, I played around and got creative and Keirah was born. 

When I became a part of the pagan community in which I currently belong, I still used the name Keirah.  As I continued to grow and take on other roles within the community, I found myself using my magickal name less and less.  Instead, I was using my given name.  It felt right and it still feels right. 

The division between my life and my practice has lessened as time progresses.  I don't have a "Non-Pagan Shanda Life" and a "Pagan Shanda Life".  Being Pagan is just who I am and I no longer feel that I need to have a different identity for my magickal life. 

Since I've never used a "secret" name that was only shared between me and the divine, it is unlikely that I will adopt a different name somewhere down the road.  I'm not saying it's a definite, but unlikely.  I do, however, have a name ready should I go that route.  But for now, that is a secret. 

Meditation wisdom

Meditation wisdom from Sharon Salzburg

Meditation wisdom from Pema Chodron

Meditation

Week 25 - the letter "M"

(Still playing catch up.)

I used to hate meditation.  I couldn't do it.  There was no way I was going to be successful at shutting down my brain to a nothing statues.  I couldn't focus.  I couldn't shut down.  I sucked.

Om Tree of Life Meditation by Laura Iverson

For many years, this was my mindset.  I tried guided meditation and using different scripts.  There have been more chimes and chanting than I would care to admit.  Focusing, mantras, walking.  Nothing seemed to work.

Until it did. 

I let go of everything I had ever thought was Truth about meditation.  I forget what it should be and what it shouldn't be, how it was supposed to work, how it should make me feel.  I embraced the crazy that is my mind and was able to work through the chatter to enter into a meditative state. 

You don't have to have a clear, quiet mind that is silent and serene.  You don't have to sit in a certain way.  You don't have to tone or hold your hands a certain way.  There is no time minimum or maximum. 

You just have to be.

Let your mind shout at you, recognize it, and then tell yourself you will file that away for later.  Don't dwell on it.  If you have emotional responses, let them come and go with the flow.  Concentrate on yourself and on your body.  It is okay to be aware of each an every sound around you but you don't have to focus on those sounds. 

There are so many types of meditation out there.  Your meditation can be mindful, spiritual, focused, movement, or mantra.  You can make use of nature in numerous ways.  When it comes down to it, meditation can be as simple, or as complex, as we want it to be.

I meditate daily and strive to do so for at least 20 minutes.  I find a comfortable place and so my best to ensure I will not be disturbed.  With my eyes closed, I focus on my breathing...the rhythm, the inhale, the exhale.  Sometimes I count as I do this.  I listen for my heartbeat.  I sometimes use a metronome or music.  There are times I use mantras to keep me in the moment and not let my mind take over with random thoughts. 

I also have an app on my iPhone that reminds me it's time to meditate.  It's called Chakra Chime and is by Goodman Gear.  (For android via Google Play.)  This app also has a timer and a diary.  It was free when I got it and it is really nice.

Labyrinths, part 2

Week 24 - the letter "L" again

(I'm bummed that I didn't get this out in time but we have a lot going on and it just didn't happen.  This is my attempt at catching up.  It will be short since my mind is on a million different things and not one of them is this blog.)

A few years ago on the Summer Solstice, I joined several others in walking the labyrinth.  I only two of the individuals.  The diversity of those in attendance was beautiful.  Some carried small bells and there was enchanting music playing in the background.  The experience was very calming and soft.  (Soft is the best way I can explain it.)  Energy was raised but it was a soothing and gentle energy.  It was very memorable.

After that, I decided to start using the labyrinth more often in my practice.  

The first ritual I created was for me and two of my closest female friends.  We entered the labyrinth one at a time.  As we entered we wound ourselves up but remembering all the hurt and anger we had been experiencing.  Once we all reached the middle, we sat down with our ritual kit, some blankets, and took turns purging those thoughts from our minds.  We took turns, listening, and supporting each other.  This was a safe and sacred place where we were safe and allowed to be vulnerable.  We weren't going to judge each other or offer unsolicited advice.  There were tears and laughter.  It was wonderful.  After we had released all that junk, we moved out of the labyrinth and only thought of the good, happy, and positive things.  We wanted to let these things really push out the unwanted emotions and memories.  I think it was very successful.

In a 2013 Autumn Equinox ritual, I revised my first labyrinth ritual slightly to better include a large group, with people who they may or may not feel comfortable around or even really know.  Here is part of the ritual:

When we walk the labyrinth today, we are going to focus on those things that can knock us off balance. These things can be good or bad. They can be large or small. Maybe it’s too much work and not enough play. Perhaps you say yes to everyone else but rarely to yourself. Everything in your life takes energy. If you give too much energy to any one place, it can tip the scales and knock you off balance. 

Before you enter the labyrinth, pause at the entrance and ground yourself. When you are ready, begin walking towards the center. 

Think about those things that mess with your balance. Get riled up. Cry. Yell or scream. Fully let them occupy your mind...building and winding you up tighter and tighter as you go. Let them build and fully blind you with how they damage your balance.

As the groups began to enter the labyrinth, I talked to them and asked questions.  I wanted to prompt them to really think of those things that knocked them off balance. 

When a participant made it into the center, I would lead them through some breath work and exercises to help each person rid themselves of those things that they brought into the labyrinth.  I focused on bringing everyone to the present and encouraged them to be as mindful as possible. 

When they were ready, the person would then retrace their steps to exit the labyrinth.  I met them there with an embrace and to check in with them.  We weren't going to process a lot at that point but I did need to make sure the participants were okay to continue the ritual.  I also worked my hands over the person to ensure they were grounded and stable.

There were 17 participants in that ritual and every one of them told me they had really gotten something out of the experience. In wrapping things up I talked about the range of emotions that are with us everyday and how they can knock us off track/off balance but there are also those feelings that bring us back to balance. Balance is key to so many aspects of life. We balance work and home, family and friends, relationships and independence.

Besides just walking the labyrinth on a semi-regular basis, I am planning to plan something for the coming Winter Solstice that will include the labyrinth.  I'm not yet sure if this will be just for me, or for my family, or for close friends, or for the Pagan community.  

Labyrinths

Week 23 - the letter "L"

We have a labyrinth (photo below) in one of our local parks.  It's quite beautiful and I love having it so close to where we live.  It is a meander-type labyrinth in the Chartes-style.  Prior to it being installed here, I knew of labyrinths (both the maze [which some do not consider an actual labyrinth] and meander type) but hadn't had the opportunity to truly experience one.  When I saw it for the first time, I felt something unexplainable.  When I walked it for the first time, I found something amazing.

I'm a very grounded person and some call me a "natural ground."  It's easy for me and I can aid others in achieving the same.  But walking the labyrinth took me to an entirely new level of being grounded, but more so, relaxed.

Imagine taking a long, luxurious bath where the water is the perfect temperature and the perfect depth.  You are completely undisturbed by any outside forces and your brain is calm and quiet.  No aches and pains, no stress, no worries.  When you are ready, you leave the bath, put on something extremely comfortable, and climb into bed.  This bed is the ideal blend of softness and support and before long you drift off into a deep and restful sleep.  You awake naturally and find yourself in a very zen-like state.  This is what the labyrinth does for me.

Walking the labyrinth is a meditation for me.  It is something that is mindful enough that the gremlins don't creep in and start up their chatter, but also mindless enough that I can just be present. 

From Awakenings: Lessons for Living:

"Your life is a sacred journey. And it is about change, growth, discovery, movement, transformation, continuously expanding your vision of what is possible, stretching your soul, learning to see clearly and deeply, listening to your intuition, taking courageous challenges at every step along the way. You are on the path... exactly where you are meant to be right now... And from here, you can only go forward, shaping your life story into a magnificent tale of triumph, of healing of courage, of beauty, of wisdom, of power, of dignity, and of love." -- Caroline Adams

We are all on the path... exactly where we need to be. The labyrinth is a model of that path.

A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. The Labyrinth represents a journey to our own center and back again out into the world. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools.

A labyrinth is an archetype with which we can have a direct experience. We can walk it. It is a metaphor for life's journey. It is a symbol that creates a sacred space and place and takes us out of our ego to "That Which Is Within." 

Labyrinths and mazes have often been confused. When most people hear of a labyrinth they think of a maze. A labyrinth is not a maze. A maze is like a puzzle to be solved. It has twists, turns, and blind alleys. It is a left brain task that requires logical, sequential, analytical activity to find the correct path into the maze and out.

A labyrinth has only one path. It is unicursal. The way in is the way out. There are no blind alleys. The path leads you on a circuitous path to the center and out again.

A labyrinth is a right brain task. It involves intuition, creativity, and imagery. With a maze many choices must be made and an active mind is needed to solve the problem of finding the center. With a labyrinth there is only one choice to be made. The choice is to enter or not. A more passive, receptive mindset is needed. The choice is whether or not to walk a spiritual path.

At its most basic level the labyrinth is a metaphor for the journey to the center of your deepest self and back out into the world with a broadened understanding of who you are.

More on my experience with labyrinths next week.