Wednesday, November 18, 2009

The Importance of Elders

In very simple terms an Elder is one who is further up the path, someone who has more life experience as well as seasoned training and many skills in whatever path they walk. In some Pagan traditions what this means is very formalized, and in others it is not. It may be easier to understand what the role of Elder really means by watching the behavior of those you would give that respect and regard.

One such person in my life was Jerik Danerson, who was a master Tarot Reader and Palmist on Jackson Square in New Orleans for over 30 years. He also was a Pagan Elder and fine High Priest, who shared his knowledge and great depth of feeling freely and with love to all who approached with an open mind and heart.



Jerik worked on the square regularly, and while sitting at his Tarot set up spent his days conversing with his colleagues, with friends, clients and visitors to the city. He loved New Orleans very much, and delighted in showing visitors around and telling them about the amazingly interesting history of places in the French Quarter. He always found time to have long and deep talks with people from all walks of life, and frequently gave great kindness to those many people would overlook. He took street kids into his home and would give them a safe place to stay while they got on their feet. In between his readings he could often be found helping his friends sort out their issues with each other; encouraging this couple not to fight, this parent to do the best for their child, these friends to work together on important things, that artistic tourist to follow their heart and learn to paint or do whatever it is that moved them. Jerik was truly a Southern Gentleman; he was gracious in speech, kind in word and deed, loyal in friendship, protective of loved ones, and genuine in his dedication to his spiritual callings. He was a man who regularly found joy in the simple things in life, and even in the most difficult times would look for the good.

He was an incredible writer and a storyteller that I would describe as bardically gifted, and it was a great joy to me that he constantly encouraged me. I am blessed to have known him, to have shared letters with him, and countless nights of wonderful conversations. Jerik meant a great deal more to me than I know how to say. If someones life could be an example of what an Elder is, I think Jerik Danerson is one who should be honored in this regard.

He wrote me an amazing letter once with his story of making it through the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, and should you be interested I recommend having a read. You can find it here:

Jerik's Hurricane Katrina Story


Happy Birthday Jerik, I raise my glass and my heart to you!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Community Alters


(alters-and-offerings#2- photo by Nikki Stevens)

Here is an example of what I would call a community alter. The large Budda statue sat in an outdoor garden that was shared by a community of people, who all started to add things like candle holders and flowers around the statue. It is an interesting example to me of how an impromptu moment of community sharing can cause people with different perspectives on their personal spiritual philosophies to share a space and an intention in harmony.

Alters and Offerings



There are many different styles of making prayers and offerings, and people of all kinds of spiritualities have different ways of setting up spaces that honnor sacred concepts. Some people are very spartan in terms of physical elements they use to represent personal connection to spiritual things, others are very elaborate. This is the first in a series of photos I've been taking over time, to represent different styles of alters and offerings. Above is a photo of a simple offering of flowers that was placed in a backyard to honnor the nature spirits and the divine.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Power in Visualization or Vivid Imagination

I remember another moment from childhood with a crisp visvidness. It was perhaps the first time I can remember feeling astonished by being met with an expression of the metaphysical theorys my young mind was working on.

My mother and I were coming out of a hardware store in the Summer, and there was a sidewalk sale. It was the early eighties, and in the small suburban town I was in, this was almost something of a social event. There was a vendor with cotton candy. There were tables of stickers and toys and other things for very low prices. I'm sure there were hotdogs. I remember that there were games. One of them involved spinning a roulette wheel after guessing a number. If it landed on your number you won a prize. I wanted the little stuffed puppy, and badly. I guessed my favorite number, and the roulette wheel spun round and round. In my mind, I VIVIDLY IMAGINED that ball landing in the numbered spot I wanted. Just as the picture was totally clear, the spinner stopped. On my number. I got the stuffed puppy.

My imaginary friend said “ Well, now that you know how that works, life is going to get extremely interesting. “

I was about seven, and I still remember that moment very clearly. It's curious, the way such things come so naturally to children. I think there really must be something to the idea that children have not been taught to believe that magic isn't real yet, that their ideas are not steeped in the knowledge of a firm set of rules for reality, and that their experiences of fairytale stories and superhero cartoons in fact sttep them in the idea that magic really is real and the adults don't get it. That in fact is why Peter and Wendy didn't want to grow up- they didn't want to loose the land of make believe and the feeling that it has a certain kind of reality to it.

25 years later, I'm more rather than less sure that what we believe and dream are possible, and how we think on those things, has a -dramatic- effect on the courses and pathways of our lives. Whether we know it or not.

Updates on this page and explanations for the existance of the platypus

I think I've already made a nice start here, and I'm glad. I can't wait to be able to fix my old computer and get the information of a hard drive that needs repaired- I have all of the documents for a class I taught on Wicca and Paganism for two years, and all of the notes from a class I taught on Tarot.

Back when I was teaching there were always plans for a website, but I didn't have the knowledge to do it. Now, I can preserve and share the work that I did in this format, and over time build a website from all the notes. Particularly after a letter I got from an old friend today, I feel moved to do so. Apparently something I said to him ten years ago in a conversation we had about Paganism actually made some kind of positive difference in his life. Knowing that made me feel very warm and fuzzy, and it also made me feel even more as though now would be a good time to make those things available for folks who might get something out of it.

Now, things are still informal, and I suppose I could just chatter about my experiences and background so people reading these notes can get a feel for where I am coming from.

I grew up in Michigan, and had what I would call natural mystical leanings as a child. I had an affinity for playing in the woods, with friends and especially alone. When I would wander around in wooded areas by myself as a young girl, I had moments of blissful feeling that made me have a sense f being connected to everything in the universe, and as though even being was an act of communion with the Divine. I was only about nine when I developed an interest in actually studying and trying to experiment with these Mysterious and Natural Spiritual things I could sense, but not exactly see or touch. I remember reading a few new age books on extra sensory perception and metaphysics, and getting a sense from them of things like techniques and uses of visualization and relaxation. They also showed me my first guided meditations, which I tried out on all of my friends at slumber parties and walks in the woods. ( LOL- but true. ) It was around then that I got my first deck of fortune telling cards, in a clearance bin at a hardware shop after Halloween for a Quarter. LOL. I taught myself how to use those, too, and also practiced at the coveted slumber party gatherings.

Funny enough, that was about 23 years ago.... and I -still- read cards, and have done so to make a living for a good many years!

Anybody who doesn't see a delightful and sometimes charmingly ironic sense of humor in the Divine has not heard of the platypus!

Love,
Nicolette

Serindipity and Connectivity

See, now I know that “The Goddess” or “The Divine” or “The connective forces of the Universe” or “Neture” or “Quantum Physics” works in really fracking Mysterious ways, Ways beyond my comprehension, but not occasionally, my delight. Of course I always knew that, but this one made me smile.

Once upon a time, in another life, when I was about 19 I worked for the Ohio Renaissance fair. I was living in my very first apartment in Detroit, managing a retail art store, and driving back and fourth to this Renaissance festival in Ohio on the weekends. Among other things on my adventures there, I got to begin to learn sword fighting, got to wear an amazingly boned and tailored Elizabethan bodice and dress, sold pewter jewelery, and made ridiculous sums of money for a nineteen year old hippy. I did one cool thing then that only 2 other people knew I was involved in- I started writing notes from “the merry little elves”, purchasing roses, and sending them one by one to random strangers that appeared to deserve in intriguing random reason to smile. The lady who lost her kids and spend hours waiting at the gate, the tired shop keep, the boy with the broken heart- all got these random single roses and notes. It was a cute little way to make people smile, and it was fun to be in cahoots with the rose seller, my liaison in the flower running business.

I made many cool friends there, and lost track of all of them in the set of moves and life changes over the following decade. While working on my blogs one day I ran across someone else's post that mentioned a dream with me in it.... err...on some random blog. Of course I had to look, and couldn't immediately figure out if it was about me or about someone with the same name, but it sure sounded like me. And then, this person starts talking about New Orleans?

Turns out it was one of the folks I was friends with way back then. He wrote me back after I commented to him, and how cool! Apparently I had a conversation with him about Paganism -that- long ago during the summer we were hanging out, and it affected his life positively enough that he still remembered me all these years later; and somehow also wound up living in New Orleans at some point in his journeys. Very interesting. It really goes to support my theory that there is some connective force in the world that moves many of us along the same pathways.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Sacred Days and the Seasonal Cycle as Metaphor

Sacred Days
~Sylviana


Every day is a holy day. We turn to face the Sun, and it 'rises' out of darkness, giving birth to and being 'reborn' into a new day. Yesterday is gone, except for the affect it has had on our lives and the memories we carry. No matter how beautiful or sad, it is done, and something new has begun in its place.

The aspirations and dreams we have built over time have new opportunities to be evaluated and progress. Each new day we live is a sacred day, a gift from the Gods. It is ours to live as we choose, though we are counciled to live it with all the wisdom and love we have inside.

"Saving time" is not possible, only choices in how we spend it are possible. Time is spent weather we will it or not, weather we are conscious of its process or not, and weather or not we become an active part in the process. It is given to you to spend, but be aware of both the gift and the spending.


Cycle of Seasons and Metaphor of Life


The cycle of seasons is a very real thing we can experience in nature. It is also a grand metaphor, and from watching the cycle progress we may learn lessons that help us to understand the cycles of our own lives better.

In our lives we experience the year long play of the seasons, this cycle which repeats year after year. We respond to them in different ways as we grow. As children, we looked forward to throwing snowballs in winter and eating ice cream on a hot summer day, and we began to understand them in reference to how they affected our play. We may have been curious at the different ways we noticed animals behaving at different times of the year- how we could hear baby birds chirping for food in the spring and summer- and how we saw them form ling lines and fly towards warmer places in the fall. However it affected each of us personally, an experience of the cycles of nature grows within each child. As we mature, we continue to experience the cycles of nature through how they affect our lives, and are more or less aware of the progression of seasons. This experience is a common denominator in the human experience of life.

Seasons have been a part of the lives of every person, and all living creatures. The experience of them may differ in places with climates and weather patterns that are not alike, but some forms of seasonal change exist everywhere on the planet. No matter how different the land or the time, there has always been a cyclical pattern of changes in weather and temperature which has been noted and experienced by its people. This cycle connects us to all of that history.

This year long cycle of changes has several phases. It has a beginning, a time which is a period of fertilization and new growth. It has a period of maturation, when things become ripe. It has a period of harvest, during which things are gathered and consumed or saved. It has a time of decline and passing, which we have more or less prepared for in the seasons that lead to it, and that season makes the world ready to grow again when the time is right. In its passing, it creates the circumstances under which the cycle may begin again and continue. The beginning is found in the ending, and the ending affects what will come to be.

It is life, and a metaphor for life. It is itself, and represents more than itself. It represents the history out of which it came, and the future which it will bring.

It represents the cycle of the life span of everything that lives; every person, every creature, every plant. There is birth; growth, fertilization, ripeness, harvest, contemplation, passing, and transformation. The present and continuing moment is a part of the movement of this cycle, and has a cycle of its own. Each day is a part of the cycle, and has a cycle of its own. Lives, years, seasons, days and nights all reflect in one another; they share common patterns. By experiencing the patterns of the seasons fully, and coming to understand them in a philosophical way, you may also come to understand other patterns. It will enrich your life and your understanding of life. As that understanding deepens, your ability to make good choices in living will expand, and you will be more able to bring into existence the things you want to harvest.

Divination Tips for Beginners

A list of general things that may help in performing Divination

1. Find a place and a time where you will not be disturbed for the length of your work. It is entirely possible to do a divination accurately in the presence of a lot of people, but that can be a distraction to the ability to concentrate. Especially in the beginning, it will help you to work on divination in a relatively quiet and comfortable place.

2. Practice. Divination uses a particular skill set, and like with any developing set of skills, regular practice will help you get better at it.

3. When learning a particular system it helps to find ways to integrate it in some way into your regular schedule. Make it a habit. If you were studying runes, I would suggest drawing a single rune at the beginning of the day concentrating on a simple current question like "How should I approach this day?". Similar things can be done with the Tarot and other forms of divination.

4. If you are using a system that gives it's answers through a set of already determined symbols, work on learning the meanings of those symbols.

5. Don't be afraid to look everything up in several different books as you begin to read. Do that until you are feeling a stronger sense of the meaning of each card or rune.

6. Pay attention to the way symbols correlate to one another. Different parts of a given system interact with one another in a way that is easier to interpret when you understand how the different parts function. In the suits of the Tarot, for instance, each suit has an elemental correspondence and each number of each suit has a particular function. Overlaying the functions of the numbers on what you know about the elements may tell you more about the meaning of a particular card.

7. Once you are feeling that you have a sense of the meanings of the symbols you are working with, start relying on your intuition more and more. Start interpreting readings by yourself, and then pick up a book about your art and see what it says. Think about the similarities and differences you find.

8. When you find that your own feeling is different than what your books may say, think about it. You may find that you did not understand a particular card or symbol, or that you misremembered one for another. As you practice more and more, that will change into a new level of confidence. You may find that when you get a different sense of a symbol, you are intuiting the meaning of the symbol in direct relation to what you are reading about, and that means that you're getting somewhere.

9. You may wish to do a short period of meditation before you read. It helps to read when feeling comfortable, centered, and focused. Above all, remember that Divination is about looking to the Divine for council. It helps to light a candle and some incense, say a prayer, and do a blessing of the self.

by Nicolette Stevens, Reprintable with credit to and permission of author-
just send me a message and ask.

The Elements: I

*note- when I wrote this article I was teaching a class on Wicca, so the concept of Elements is framed within the Wiccan concept of working natural magick within a particular type of Pagan Circle. The correspondences and basic concepts hold weather you follow Wicca, a different Pagan path, or something with less dogmatic definition entirely. The meditation may be useful to anyone of any spiritual path.

The Elements
~sylviana

The four elements are Earth, Air, Fire and Water. They combine to make the fifth element, called Spirit or Akasha.

In Wicca the elements are revered as honored guests and friends, although they are not worshiped as Deity. They are seen as very powerful energies present in all life, and we call on them to aid in ritual and magick. It is believed that each of the four elements must exist in a state of balance with one another, and that each is necessary to sustain life. The concept of four elements as the components or "creative forces" of life is believed to have originated during the classical period of ancient Greece.

The elements are often personified as Elementals, beings or spirits that are of a particular element. Gnomes and Dryads are associated with Earth. Zephyrs and Fairies are associated with Air. Salamanders and Fire drakes are associated with Fire. Undines and Mermaids are associated with Water.

When we speak of an Element we are referring to the essence of all that element is, it's essential energy, and what it represents to us. When we speak of Elementals we are referring to beings or spirits associated with a particular element.

Elements can act in a variety of combinations, which you will understand if you watch and think about patterns of nature and natural occurrences. Mist for instance, can be seen as a combination of Water and Air.

Many people feel more drawn to and able to work with specific elements. This is perfectly natural. It may be the result of current circumstances in a persons life, or have something to do with the essential constitution of one's personality and psyche. To practice Wicca however, you should become comfortable working with each of the elements. It will be necessary to performing effective Wiccan ritual and Magick, and will help to create the personal balance we strive for and need to attain in spirituality and the practice of magick. Balance regarding the elemental energies is very important. It is okay to feel more naturally connected to one of the elements, but not at the expense of coming to an understanding and forming relationships with each of them.

Generally in Wicca we focus on the positive aspects of the elements; however it should be noted that they all have negative aspects as well. Negative aspects of the elements seem to arise when they are out of balance with one another. For instance physical illness and earthquakes can be attributed to Earth; mental instability and tornadoes can be attributed to Air, destructive passions and erupting volcanoes can be attributed to fire, depression and floods can be attributed to Water.

As you progress in your studies you will begin to be able to recognize the elements in nature, how they interact with one another, how they interact with you personally, what they represent and why, and what they feel like. Perceiving and working with elemental energy is a primary component of Wiccan ritual and magick. It is also important to the understanding and integration of spiritual philosophies associated with this path.

You should begin by learning about each element and what it represents.

Earth

The element of Earth represents the firmament, the earth itself. We are sustained by the food that it's flora and fauna provide. Earth is also associated with the physical stuff of our homes, our clothing, and even our bodies. Concepts associated with Earth are stability, growth, and fertility. It's directional correspondence is North and the color most frequently used to represent it is green.

Air

The element of Air represents the air we breathe, the breath of life, which is necessary to us from the time we enter this life until the time we leave it. It rules over many of the things we cannot see, but know to exist, like the mind and thought. Intellect, knowledge of truth, and mental inspiration are concepts associated with Air. It's directional correspondence is East and the color most frequently used to represent it is yellow.

Fire

The element of fire represents the spark of life, the warmth we need, and the blood that courses through our veins. It rules over light which is necessary to see, and also represents the metaphorical concept of the Light which we need to be able to See. Concepts associated with Fire are purification, energy, will and passion. It's directional correspondence is South and the color most frequently used to represent it is red.

Water

The element of Water represents the waters of the world, which we take into ourselves to sustain life. Rain, rivers, springs and oceans are all things of Water. Concepts associated with water are healing, nurturance, dreams, the emotions, and Love. It's directional correspondence is West and the color most frequently used to represent it is blue.

Spirit

Spirit is not exactly an element, but more like the essence of what the other elements come from, and the synthesis of what they are when combined in perfect harmony. Spirit represents the essence of our being, and our connection to the Divine. It is everywhere, nowhere, and at the 'center'. The color most frequently associated with it is purple.

Exercise:

Get a candle in the appropriate color for each element. (votive candles are inexpensive and work well. Another option is to get votive candle cups in the appropriate colors and use white candles. The look of candle flames through glass as they begin to burn down can be very aesthetically pleasing.) You may chose to anoint the candles with oils appropriate to each element, or to gently carve appropriate symbols into them. Also find something to represent each element. (Look around your home, you may be surprised by what you find.) Some possibilities are feathers for air, red satin cloth for fire, a goblet of water, and stones for earth. What you specifically use is not as important at this point as finding those things that evoke a sense of the element for you. You may be as creative or Spartan as you like.

Meditate on each element separately. To give yourself ample time, I would recommend doing this on different days or nights. You may chose to work at times associated with each of the elements (look at the elemental table.), or at a specific time each day. Set up the candle and elemental representative wherever you normally do indoor meditation. Relax yourself and do the grounding and centering meditation and visualization. Then light the candle (you may also wish to burn incense) and focus on the element you are working on. Think about what you know it to represent on both natural and metaphorical levels. Get a sense of what it's energy is like.

When you are ready, ask it for guidance in understanding it's nature, and what it means to you in your life right now. Then give yourself a few quiet moments to let your mind wander and try to find a sense of knowing.

When you are finished, thank the element for it's presence and guidance. Add the words "Stay if you will, but go if you must.", to the end of your thanks. Blow out the candle, and spend a few moments writing your impressions down in your journal.

You may wish to ground and center again, particularly if you feel overly energetic or out of balance. You may also wish to eat something, which will help you to ground and balance if you have raised energy in the process of your meditation.

Continue to do this exercise until you have a good sense of the energy of each Element.

How to Ground, Balance and Center

~Sylviana

Grounding: A method of making a connection with the Earth, releasing excess energy, and/or transforming negative energy into positive energy.

Balancing: The act of evening out and finding the point of most stability. Centering: A method of anchoring to that place in the center of your being which is the synthesis of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual parts; as well as the meeting point of all of your senses.

Visualization: The act of imagining in great detail, in a way that deeply involves your mind and provokes the senses. Some people actually see images while visualizing, like when in a dream state. Others feel the sensation physically, or become a part of it from a primarily emotional place. Essentially, use whatever skills you used when playing "make believe" as a child. Visualization is the act of consciously directed daydreaming.

Prayer: The act of acknowledging your connection to the Divine, and communicating with that Source. Prayer is an act of honoring both the Source and the connection to it. It is a time for giving thanks; and for asking for things like guidance, understanding, protection and Love. It is a great source of comfort and pleasure, feelings of love and well being. Prayer tends to be the central component in acts of worship, and may be expressed in a variety of ways. Prayer can be both formal and informal. It may be something written out and performed with ritual. It can be words thought or spoken, already written out, or made up on the spot. It can also be an act that becomes like a prayer. Singing or dancing can be used as an act of prayer; as can any act of creation. Sometimes a simple song on the radio or the feelings inspired by dancing with a partner you care for can spontaneously become a prayer, whether or not it started that way!

Affirmation: A statement you make to yourself which encourages positive transformation within yourself, which is geared to effect your life in positive ways. Here is a description of a basic visualization for grounding, centering, and balancing. Read it over several times, until you get the feel of what you will be doing. Then try it. You can amend the visualization to include things that make sense for you, as long as it works towards the same purpose. For instance, some people imagine that their tree is next to a gentle river, and that their roots are stretching into the water and being cleansed and nurtured from that source. When you do the visualization, it will help to do some simple stretches to relieve body tension before hand, and to be in a physically comfortable position. If you don't want to fall asleep, I recommend sitting in a chair, kneeling, or sitting on the floor in Native American or lotus style. Take as long as you need to relax yourself with slow, deep breaths. Try to ensure that you are sitting with a posture that aligns your spine without making you overly tense. Obviously, you should not do this while driving in a car, or operating heavy machinery! However, you will find that over time you will be able to trigger that sense of balance and solidarity just by thinking about it for a moment.

Grounding and Centering Meditation

To prepare yourself before beginning….

~ Do what you can to ensure that you will be free of distraction for a few moments. This may include turning off the television, radio, telephone ringer, loud appliances, etc. If you live with others you may wish to let them know that you need a few minutes by yourself.

~ Relax~

Get into a comfortable position; whether seated in a chair or on the floor, or lying down. (* Some people are prone to falling asleep while meditating laying down. If you want to avoid this, you may want to use one of the seated positions, or try laying down in an area you don't normally sleep in. Of course, falling asleep while meditating is not a "bad" thing, but is counter productive if you are trying to do work that is controlled in a conscious fashion. On the other hand, if you have trouble falling asleep, the same skills can be used to encourage restful sleep.)

~ Spend a few moments becoming conscious of your breath, and allowing it to become slow and deep. You should breathe "from your diaphragm", which is an involuntary muscle underneath your lungs, near your navel. The muscles around the diaphragm allow it to lower and raise, sort of like a bellows. When it lowers, it expands amount of space the lungs have to fill up with air. By controlling these muscles you can take in more fresh air and expel air that is "stale". You can also exhale for an extended period of time very smoothly. Breathing this way promotes good circulation and a general state of calmness. It is the natural way to breathe, but most people have a tendency to develop habits of breathing shallowly, only filling up the top portion of the lungs. If you are breathing from your chest, you will feel your sternum and chest raise as you inhale. If you are breathing from your diaphragm your tummy, instead of your chest, will go out; and the muscles around your ribs will allow the rib cage to open slightly. When you are ready, lead yourself through the following visualization process. You may wish to keep notes on your progress in your journal.

A visualization for Grounding and Centering.

Take some slow deep breaths, and tell yourself that you are relaxing as you breathe deeply. Close your eyes and count back from 10 to one, slowly, with your breaths. Imagine yourself as a tree, and give yourself a few moments to imagine what that would be like. Imagine the sensation of bark; the feeling of a gentle breeze through your branches, the stability of being rooted and solid, the warmth of sunlight, the joy and nurturence in soft rain that trickles down leaves and trunk to seep down to your roots in the Earth. Imagine that you can feel your energy connecting to the earth through your roots. Imagine that all negative energy (like fear, guilt, anger, and sadness) is slipping down into the Earth through your roots.

Imagine that energy is transforming, being cleansed in the cool earth, and imagine drawing it up again through your roots. It is helpful to breathe out while you are focusing on the negative energy sinking into the earth, and in when you are focusing on returning the transformed energy to your body. You can let go of tension over specific situations or more general feelings. You can also focus on easing physical tension or illness. When you have imagined that for a while, imagine doing something similar through your branches, into the sky. Spend some time with that, and then try to develop a circuit from your center to the earth, back into you, up into the sky, and back into your center.

Naturally, you will discover that there is a place that is in between the earth and the sky, and that point is your center. When you feel clean and calm bring that energy which was yours back in through your branches and roots, into that center.Spend a moment noticing how much more stable and strong you feel. If you like, you can spend a few moments thinking about things you are grateful for in your life, and people that make you smile. It's a good moment to say a prayer, both to request guidance and protection, and in thanks for the blessings in your life. Your mind is also more responsive to affirmations in this state. An affirmation is a statement to yourself such as "I am calmer and more centered now. It will be easier for me to handle the everyday moments of life by taking this feeling into it. This energy will help me in my day." They can be as long or short as you like it to be, and can be designed to help with a variety of things (like quitting smoking, or being more organized.) It should focus on changes you think would be beneficial for you to make inside of yourself, changes that will help in your life.

When you are ready, take a few more deep breaths, and find yourself becoming more in touch with your physical body, and the place you are in. Wiggle your toes. Become aware of what sounds you hear. stretch your hand out. Open your eyes. Take another focused breath, and then allow yourself to return to normal.

by Nicolette Stevens aka Sylviana,
Reprintable with permission from and credit given to author,
just send me a message and ask. :-)

80 Creative Ways to Explore Nature

1. Take a walk outside. 2. Watch a sunrise. 3. Look for shells on the beach. 4. Draw a picture of leaves changing color in the fall. 5. Build a sand castle. 6. Take photographs of plants, animals, clouds, sunsets, and other things you see outdoors. 7. Go hiking. 8. Go camping. 9. Go back-packing. 10. Research a special place and then go there on a pilgrimage.

11. Plant a garden. 12. Volunteer at an animal rescue service or a metro-park. 13. Learn about endangered animals and try to see them in their natural environments. 14. Learn how to identify different trees. 15. Learn how to identify useful herbs. 16. Pick raspberries and blackberries in the woods. 17. Bring flowers into your house. 18. Write a poem while sitting on your porch or in a park. 19. Collect feathers. 20. Watch snow fall.

21. Watch light coming through moving tree branches and leaves. 22. Hang wind chimes. 23. Build and tend a bonfire. 24. Go swimming. 25. Sleep under the stars. 26. Collect and learn to identify stones. 27. Go to an observatory and see a slide show about the planets. 28. Visit the Detroit science center. 29. Participate in a guided nature walk at a metro-park. 30. Learn a creation story and be able to tell it.

31. Learn about foods, nutrition, and how it affects the body. 32. Cook a meal and think about the growth cycle of each part of the meal. 33. Make a flower garland. 34. Make an incense and learn something about each of the plants and herbs you included. 35. Look at the sky from the same place at four different times in one day. Notice the differences. 36. Listen to birds singing and see how many distinct voices you can pick out. 37. Feel the texture of things like moist grass and rough bark. 38. Count the seconds between when you see a bolt of lightning and when you hear thunder crack. 39. Go on a boat ride and feel the wind and moisture on your face. 40. Take up an outdoor sport or regular outdoor activity.

41. Smell the fragrance of the wind in autumn. 42. Stop and smell flowers in some random place as you are walking. 43. Notice the halo around the moon on some nights. 44. Find out when a meteor shower is falling and try to catch glimpses of 'shooting stars'. 45. Sprinkle wildflower seeds along the highway. 46. Find something out in nature that speaks to you and bring it home. (a pine cone, a piece of driftwood.) 47. Drink water and appreciate it. 48. Catch your own fish or game, and use what you get. 49. Prepare a meal from scratch. 50. Make a salad that includes things you grew in your garden.

51. Learn about simple herbal remedies and grow some of the herbs in your garden. 52. Learn about the human body. 53. Make a point to actually taste and enjoy your food. 54. Take care of pets and spend time with them. 55. Visit a zoo. 56. Sit outside drinking a hot drink on a cold morning late in the fall. 57. Actively look for the first flowers and leaves of Spring. 58. Engage your senses in this very moment. 59. Let your eyes adjust and learn to walk around in near darkness. 60. Go to a playground and swing on the swings.

61. Go for a bike ride. 62. Learn how cats purr. 63. Find some folklore about nature and the weather and see if you can discern for yourself weather or not it is true. 64. Watch local animals and birds. 65. Climb a tree (or remember how it felt to climb a tree.) 66. Collect water from different natural sources. 67. Find a natural spring. 68. Learn how to use a topographical map. 69. Learn how to build or make something from things you find in nature. 70. Do that project.

71. Go for a walk at night with friends. 72. Make a meal on a fire you built. 73. Watch clouds passing. 74. Listen to the rain. 75. Listen to the waves of a lake or ocean. 76. Pet an animal. 77. Try to identify different scents you pick up in the air. 78. Go on a safari in your back yard. 79. Go on a real safari. 80. Watch sunsets.

by Nicolette Stevens

Reprintable with permission by and credit to author, just send me a message and ask.

Notes on Natural Magick- 1

Put very simply natural magick is the magick of nature. The force that moves it is the same force that governs the world we exist in. It is the underlying force that makes the breath of life available to us. It is the same force that created the circumstances for us to be able to have warm homes and food, and to know that plants often do well in sunlight. It comes to us in the form of thirst quenching water, and the comforting shade of trees that dot the lands on which we build our homes.


( Cody in Grandfather Oak )

Nature is in everything we touch, no matter how synthesized, because these things we make as a people come from the materials of our lands. There is nothing that exists that can be wholly divorced from nature.

There are many different kinds of natural energy, and in their way they weave together to form delicate patterns in the fabric of our existence. We are part of nature, and we have our own patterns and effects on this world we share with each other and nature itself. We exist within the pattern of seasons, and surrounded by the pattern of stars we see as our planet spins on its axis and continues to circle the sun.

Because we are of nature we have an effect within it. Because we are intellectual creatures possessing capabilities of reason, we can become very conscious of our own part of the pattern, and we can make choices about how we effect it. It is a gift that brings great blessings, but also requires great responsibility.

Watching nature and learning from it will show you how inseparable and interlaced those patterns are. Watching yourself and your relationship to the world will teach you about what your part of the pattern is today. Knowing that will allow you to make choices about what part of the pattern you would like to see emerge.

Understanding the patterns of nature and self are key to practicing any form of Natural Magick. Your ability to effect the pattern is directly related to your level of understanding the patterns and how they work.

If you wish to deepen your level of connection with nature, spend time outside, and also spend time in the deep places within yourself thinking about how these things might be connected and what that means for your life. Take note of the patterns of seasons, and the patterns of how the elements work together, and the patterns of the moon, and your own internal patterns.

If you approach the task in some small moments with reverence, you are likely to touch upon and be touched by the sacred. For it to happen you have to make space in your life for it. Also approach it with Mirth, because finding the joy out in the wild places of the world (and the wild places of your mind) can infuse your life with that abundant and joyous energy.

~ Nicolette

Poems and Quotes

A Few Poems and Quotes.....

Summons
By Robert Francis

Keep me from going to sleep too soon
Or if I go to sleep to soon
Come wake me up.

Come any hourOf night.
Come whistling up the road.
Stomp on the porch.
Bang on the door.
Make me get out of bed and come
And let you in and light a light.

Tell me the northern lights are on
And make me look.
Or tell me the clouds
Are doing something to the moon
They never did before,
and show me.
See that I see.

Talk to me tillI’m half as wide awake as you
And start to dress wondering whyI ever went to bed at all.

Tell me the walking is superb.
Not only tell me but persuade me.
You know I’m not to hard to be persuaded.


...... from the eighth letter, "Letters to a Youg Poet"
Rilke

You must not be frightened when a sadness arises within you of such magnitude as you have never experienced, or when a restlesness overshadows all you do, like light and the shadow of clouds gliding over your hand. You must believe that something is happening to you, that life has not fogotten you, that it holds you in it's hand. It shall not let you fall.

ODE: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY
William Wordsworth

(the last section, which is often read by itself)

What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass,
of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not,
rather find Strength
in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.

And O, ye Fountains, Meadows, Hills, and Groves,
Forebode not any severing of our loves!
Yet in my heart of hearts I feel your might;
I only have relinquished one delight
To live beneath your more habitual sway.

I love the Brooks which down their channels fret,
Even more than when I tripped lightly as they;
The innocent brightness of a new-born DayIs lovely yet;
The Clouds that gather round the setting sun
Do take a sober colouring from an eye
That hath kept watch o'er man's mortality;
Another race hath been,
and other palms are won.
Thanks to the human heart by which we live,
Thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears,
To me the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.

The Search for Meaning

When all else has failed, Even my prayers,
Or it seems that they have, and I weep in solitude;
When all reason eludes the grasp of my mind,
And my thoughts spiral in paths that ramble,
And I am feeling lost inside myself ~
I turn to the memories of smiling friends
To anchor me to the life that I’m living.

I turn to the memories of hands clasping hands,
Of warm embraces, of shared summer skies,
I remember meeting a loved ones eyes,
And I feel alive, I remember feeling alive,
And am brought back to my senses ~
My awareness of our being connected ,
Ours a shared world, no matter the distances.

Perhaps we are blessed, those who Tragedy visits;
Although the understanding makes the stomach ill,
And our frail hearts cannot bear to welcome Her.
An awkward gratefulness surrounds gifts that follow
~But what other Muse could move the heart so well?
Who else could inspire charity, compassion, acceptance-
The understanding that whatever answers can be found ,
Will be found in the eyes and arms and hearts of friends.

~ Nikki Stevens (written a bazillion years ago )

To Wait on the Will of Heaven - (poem)

Just a prayer I wrote years ago...... ( My Goddess, here's my new prayer: Make me as smart and wise as I was at 18 when I wrote this! )

( side note: when I wrote this I was researching ancient Sumerian Mythology, particularly that which centered around Inanna, the Sumerian Queen of Heaven and Earth and the High Holy Priestess among the Gods. I can see in this poem an imitation of the format of some ancient prayers that were translated from Hieroglyphs. Some of them can be read in a very nice format in a great book called "Inanna: Queen of Heaven an Earth"; which is very worth reading if such things interest you. This was a child's poor imitation, though I think very sweet and genuinely heartfelt at the time. )



To Wait on the Will of Heaven

Make my house a sanctuary,
A place that is safe from all evils,
Make my home a temple,
A place where serene reverence lives,
And comfort is found.

Make of me a ritual singer,
Teach me the art of bringing sparkeling stars
To shine the light that will see dark night
Into day.

I kneel at your feet ready to learn,
If you would have me as your pupil.
I stand at your arm,
ready to serve,
If you would make of me your servant.

Imbue in me beauty and gracefulness,
That I may be pleasing to you.
Let me listen to the river of truth,
That I may sing of you
Give the people ears that they might hear,
That I might not be alone,
In lifting songs of praise.

Let not the flow of the water be stopped,
Let not the ground run dry.
Let not the rain cease,
and your beautiful Earth to crack
And weep tears of wood for your absence.

Be not angry, take not your grace from my sight,
Cast not blindness upon me like mud in the eyes.
Forgive your servant her transgressions,
She is but a pale shadow of anything you could be.
She has found humility in her failings,
she bows before you,
Awaiting your judgement.

Hear her heart rails for want of peace,
Though her lips may be silenced in reverent awe of You.
You are the spirit eternal,You are the holiest of holies,
without you there would be nothing.

Your daughter has come to you with tears in her eyes,
That only you are capable of wiping away.
Your servant has entered with head bowed,
Waiting on your word.

Within her heart she prays:"Cast me not away."
Let me be brilliant for you,
Let me be fit enough to shine a little of your light,
That the people might see,
Give to me again the honey mouth,
Teach me to listen to the silence,
Let me sing again, I pray!

Let me bring you the sweet drink,
Let the cup not crack within my hands,
For you have placed something precious within it.
I wait on the will of Heaven.

Speaking of Samhain

Just two days ago it was the commonly celebrated Holiday Halloween, also called Samhain and all Souls Night..

Now, Halloween has been one of my favorite days since I was a little girl. Maybe it won't be a surprise, but I was a Witch for five years in a row- before I realized that maybe I wasn't really dressing up as a Witch at all. LOL. I also remember costuming myself as a Cat, a Ballerina, A Princess, A Medieval Maiden, and several other things. It's neat to me as an adult to realize that many of these things are really archetypes- but none of us thought about that as kids. Or did we? Who didn't want to grow up to be a Super Hero, a Rock Star, Yoda, Batman- something interesting and powerful in a spacial way? Were we perhaps with childlike minds exploring different states of being and different realities in all of our pretend games?

The imagination is a very powerful thing. Witches and Zen Masters alike, and just about every spiritual path we know of makes great use of this gift that we have. The human mind is creative and comes up with all kinds of possibilities. Harnessing and focusing those ideas in a positive meditative fashion may actually produce changes in ourselves and the world around us. The children who come to our doors begging for candy may remind us of that principal in a way.

The celebration of Samhain has a rich and interesting history, and has been celebrated around the world in many different ways and cultures. As the Roman Christians gained popularity and land in the Ancient World, they began to adopt and enmesh many older pagan practices and bits of local folklore into their own traditions. As a result, Halloween, a festival with primarily Pagan roots has survived to this day.

It is interesting to me to note the impact of modern technology and ways of living on these older traditions.

For instance, one thing that most Pagans do at Halloween is remember their loved ones and ancestors who have passed away. Different people celebrate this in many ways, but the basic intent and idea is the same. I personally have my own little traditions, for instance, I write and burn letters to the loved one's who have gone before me, often at Halloween. I also make offerings of wine and cookies or cakes, sometimes prepare a feast, and often incorporate the favorite food or drinks of people I miss who have reached the other side of the veil.

The other side of the veil? Oooh...that's an entry, or perhaps a book of it's own. We'll get there. The idea I'm focus on now is how different this has become, even in my time, slowly shifted by the advances of mankind. The Internet and computers have effected every aspect of our lives it seems.

This year, a good Friend of mine who was a Pagan Elder and Teacher passed away. We had many conversations, and a few of them edged towards making use of the magic available in all things. Our world now has this amazing connective force as expressed by the Internet- and it's having a fascinating effect on the transmission and sharing of knowledge- both ancient and modern.

Because my friend was particularly interested in Norse Mythology, I wanted to read a particular poem in honor of the friendship we shared and how much I felt he taught me. The epic is known as “The Words of the High One” or the poetic Edda, which is of very old Norse origin. It is basically the words and advice of the Norse God Odin- much of which seems to be very down to earth and still apply today.

So, I looked it up on wikipedia. Wikipedia? The Internet encyclopedia gave me a place to research and find out more about a really ancient and traditional text.

“The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. Along with Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda is the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends.”




There was a time when it might have taken a great deal more effort to come up with the material I was looking for. Instead, because of the Internet, I was able to instantly pull it up along with a lot of historical documentation that was well researched.

In a way, what I did was very informal, and may also represent interesting ways the progressions of modern life have opened up new options in spiritual thinking and living.
I looked up the information online, saved the page, and took my netbook of shadows to the park, where I opened the small laptop- and read out loud the words written and passed down orally by traveling bards and vikings hundreds of years ago.

Happy Halloween!

Welcome to Nicolette's Pagan Salon :-)

Me in Graddfather Oak at Audobon Park, New Orleans


Hello There, whoever happens to stumble through here, hopefully you will find something useful, entertaining and informative in my ramblings here.

I am Nicolette Stevens, a 33 year old Pagan woman who has practiced and studied many forms of Nature Based Spirituality since I was a child. I have been involved in and helped to lead and teach within several different Wiccan Traditions in different communities over the years. Currently most of my paractice is solitary, although I consider myself a member of the Odyssian Wiccan Tradition, which is primarily based in Canada. The tradition I came to work within has a strong emphasis on teaching and sharing useful knowledge, so that it might evolve and continue to be useful in the world and not be lost in some quaint retelling of history. We are the current evolution of mankind, we walk in the footsteps of all the priests and priestess and sages and wise people of other days. As such, we have an obligation to share what we know that it may be useful for future generations as well as for each other present in this world now. The future people of the world will walk in our foossteps, so let us give them clear and vaired beautiful pathways that may in turn help them to grow and evolve in positive spiritual ways.

I am also a professional Tarot Reader by trade; who has been doing readings at stores, parties, festivles, in public and in private for well over a decade. I began to teach myself as a child, before studying at length with an accomplished reader and spiritual teacher who I am blessed to be friends with. She taught me many things which I then experimented with on my own, developing a lot of experiences in different communities across the United States, Canada, and England.

I have taught classes in the past at quaint and quiet local occult stores namely in Michigan, where I grew up. Over the five years I was teaching publically I developed a lot of written material that I used for handouts in my classes, workshops, and discussion groups. My students also put together a wealth of information in reports and reaserch projects I encouraged them to do. It is my intention to share much of that basic material here.

Because it's a blog and the posts will cascade backwards in time, it may read “out of order” and you may want to go through the posts from the beginning.... however, I believe some things, like spiritual seeking and yearning, are timeless. You can probably pick up from anywhere and find something that may be valid or useful to you.

I invite other Priests, Priestesses, and Spiritual Folks of all traditions and backgrounds to comment here, and contribute if you feel so moved. In some things I may be quite proficent, but in others I am only beginning to learn.

That is the nature of this page. We all have something to teach each other, ways in which we could grow, and ways in which we might help others to learn something useful for themselves

Peace, and Blessed Be. The Path is Everywhere- even on the Internet. Welcome to Paganism in the Modern Age.