Learning, Re-learning .... coming back ....

[Still Kate]

Hello Everyone,
              I rarely get a few spare minutes to have a look through the forum however, Liams in his baby walker, and Millie's with Ryan (possibly lost under the huge pile of clothes on the floor in his room) so I had a nose through the "Introduce yourself" section.

It seems there's a few people coming back to the Wicca, Pagan paths.
I feel that ours is not simply a "religion", though I prefer the word "belief", I think that what we all have is an afinity with Mother Nature, the Earth and everything around us and we are more sensitive than most. Our beliefs are part of us and thats why we are all drawn to or drawn back to our particular path no matter how long we have been away.
We have a belief which grows within us and therefore it is so important to keep learning, and, often re-learning the ways of our choosen path. Think about your Rituals - none are ever exactly the same, the atmosphere of each ritual is different, I don't mean that Samhain is different to Yule, we all know that, but I'm talking about the deep feelings inside whilst performing each ritual and the unexpected things that can happen during them. So we learn each time.

I also feel that it is important to refresh our memories, (especially, if like me,  have rather tired old brains)re-read those books,get your head in some new ones and encourage growth within yourself.

Unlike the more accepted Religions in the world, where it is frowned upon if the individual misses a Sunday in church or an evening prayer ..... our beliefs are very personal to each of us, our beliefs seem to mould with us and our lives, not conflict or make our everyday living more complicated. 
It is not imperitive to perform every ritual, though it is important to acknowlege each. I was ill during the Autumn Equinox but I lit my candles, relaxed on the sofa and thought about the changing seasons and the wonder of the Goddess.   
What IS imperitive, is that we follow the Laws, "And it harm none", is one example. And use them in our everyday lives.   How many people go to church on Sunday and listen to the preacher about kindness and charity and asking for forgiveness, then continue their week being mean and rude to others. I know plenty like that.

Our beliefs are a part of us, they grow within us and therefore help us grow to be a part of them.

So maybe we all need to dust off those books languishing on the top of the book shelf, stop rushing around every day and re-learn all the things we've probably forgotten.

Blessings
Kate. xx

[Brijrian]

Must be something in the air...I feel much the same way about "dusting off" our old books and whatnot. Maybe it has something to do with the equinox and bringing balance back into our lives...

I just re-read "Living Wicca" recently and was reminded of simple things that I used to do to align myself with Divine energies...

I never really thought about it, but what you say about our path starting with an affinity to nature, and our beliefs  being part of us--that really makes sense. And by beliefs I mean that deep down alignment/compass that is part of our very personality and soul--not rote.


*Brij

P.S. Kate, I hope you are feeling better--I was really sick for the last Full Moon (I had been hoping to have a nice, Solitary ritual too). I recognized it by lighting a couple of candles on my altar and meditating in the moonlight (I have an east facing window and altar).

[Lark]

And in terms of balance I think it is important that we balance our book-learning with time to simply allow ourselves to reconnect with the Gods and the Earth.  How often do we let our pratice of meditation slip once the new wears off?  How often do we simply go for a walk and connect with the Elements all around us?  How often do we simply find a bit of quiet time and actively listen for the words of our Deities?  How often do we still speak to our Deities each day and perhaps make them a small offering?

We can get so caught up in everyday life that we tend to start putting aside all of those things that we did when we first began this path.  And then we wonder why we aren't feeling that same sense of connection to the Divine that we once had!  In this time of finding balance it is a good opportunity to restore the balance between our mundane lives and our spiritual ones.

By all means pick up a new book to read or re-read an old one and see what new ideas you can pick up to enrich your practice.  But don't forget about the doing as well.  Make meditation a habit again, get in touch with the world around you, and find some quiet time to listen to that still, small voice in your heart.

-Lark-

[Labrys]

This time of the year is always when I feel an intensification of need to study and become introspective.  I am something of a vacume cleaner about books, I shamelessly swipe ideas from one and see if it works with what is already in my head. 

I tend to deeply feel that all things are interconnected and so in my studying I look for clues to how and where those connections are reachable.  That seems, to me, to be the junction of mundane and magical, you see.

This year, I am working very hard on looking over my own shamanistic practices in comparison with Nordic style Seidh work.  And more than ever, I find myself regretting my utterly solitary practice---nobody to ask, nobody to do the necessary "reality check" you know?

But yes, it is the time of diving back "inside" and dusting off the books.  I have another month of yard cleaning up before winter closes in on me....but then, my favorite season is HERE. 

[Still Kate]

I love this Season too......... waking up early in the morning and seeing the frost touching each leaf and branch, the freshness and chill of the air, the wonderful colours of Autumn all around.

I live in the Countryside and this has to be my favourite time.

With regards to my original post, I didn't mean it to sound that books are the only way to learn, they most certainly are not, but rather, what I was trying to put across is familiarising ourselves with the Laws, refreshing our minds on the theory area of our beliefs that have been passed down over the centuries.

Blessings
Kate. xx

[Labrys]

No frost here yet, tho' I am avidly awaiting it.  Because once we get a good hard frost, I can go harvest rowan berries to make liqueur!

[Brijrian]

Because once we get a good hard frost, I can go harvest rowan berries to make liqueur![/quote]

No wonder this is your favorite time of year!

[Crescent Moon]

Sometime we need to go back over the basics we learned when we first came to out path.  For some like myself, we sometimes wander off out path and need to reconnect if you will with ourselves.  What a great idea and what better time of the year then now.

[Lark]

Sometime we need to go back over the basics we learned when we first came to out path.  For some like myself, we sometimes wander off out path and need to reconnect if you will with ourselves.  What a great idea and what better time of the year then now.

Absolutely.  It is so easy to get caught up in the needs of others and thereby neglect our own spirituality.  If we don't occasionally take the time to feed our souls then we run the risk of getting lost.

-Lark-