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    Everyday Spells/Rituals

    I have no specific need for anything: money, love, friendship, healing, cleansing, etc.

    What I am interested in are some outcome non-specific spells or rituals. I feel somewhat adrift because I do not have the funds to purchase the very specific things that a lot of spells require: ginger root, dragon's blood oil, or what have you. I know there is a thread about budget paganism, so no need to point me there.

    What I NEED are some rituals that I can do on any day. I think of each one as a bit of worship and am monotheistic in my heart, so calling on spirits and such doesn't have a place in my walk.

    Can you help me? I need a rejuvenating step forward (without giving me rejuvenation spells, please).
    No one tells the wind which way to blow.

    #2
    Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

    What about acknowledging times of day, seasons, etc? Via prayers, and a mini ritual sort of thing?
    Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
    sigpic

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      #3
      Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

      Originally posted by thalassa View Post
      What about acknowledging times of day, seasons, etc? Via prayers, and a mini ritual sort of thing?
      That sounds wonderful! I am having a serious ritual block though. Could you help steer me in a direction?
      No one tells the wind which way to blow.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

        Get in the car and pat the dash ... Say "Please get me where I want to go with a minimum of fuss and bother and I will give you a good wash and wax" ...
        I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them ... John Bernard Books


        Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official; "You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."

        The Chief nodded in agreement.

        The official continued; "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?"

        The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied.. "When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water. Women did all the work, Medicine Man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex."

        Then the chief leaned back and smiled; "Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that."



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          #5
          Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

          Originally posted by Bjorn View Post
          That sounds wonderful! I am having a serious ritual block though. Could you help steer me in a direction?
          One of the books I love is called A book of Pagan Prayers by Ceisiwr Smith, which has tons of prayers for all different times of day, of the year, events, etc. While some of them mention particular deities, most of them are more a generic god/dess orientation, and nearly all of them are adaptable. While some of them are Another really great book, though its written from a solitary eclectic Wiccan perspective (though the author has since moved on from that direction) is The Circle Within by Diane Sylvan--it has some good prayers and ideas for making everyday actions spiritual rituals (like making your shower a time of cleansing and meditation). Though...you really don't need a prayer book...there are plenty of awesome poems and quotes that work as prayers too... Really, its just a matter of taking things that you are inspired by and turning them into something meditational...which takes some time, in terms of building a collection.

          What I have found to be helpful is to use prayer as an ongoing dialog with divinity and with the world around me...I have a few "standard" prayers, and mini-rituals and meditations, but just sort of speaking from the gut and working on mindfulness puts me as much in the mood of having a vital experience, depending on what is going on. Some of our prayers/rituals are more family/kid oriented, and may not really apply to you...but we have prayers for the start and end of day, a couple for mealtime prayers, some general sort of blessings, and some specific to the solstices/equinoxes. For example... (I have a little black book with prayers and such written in it, but since I often rewrite and adapt existing stuff, I don't write the original source down...so I can't point you to the originator of any of these)

          Mealtime blessing:

          Blessed are all who gather for this meal
          Blessed is the bounty we share
          Blessed are those that are not here to share it with us
          May our bodies be nourished by this feast
          May our hearts be nourished by one another
          Let us offer our thanks to ____________

          (sometimes we change the last like to something like "let us take a portion of our meal to offer our thanks to _________"...if we are at the beach, we might offer part of our meal to the "sea"---fish like crackers and seagulls like anything...lol)


          Random Element-based blessing for a thing/place--its goddessy, but adaptable:

          By the living air that is her breath
          By the living waters that course her veins
          By the living earth that is her body
          By the living fire that is her bright spirit
          May ___________ be blessed for ____________ purpose


          Prayer for Troubled Times (I think this might be from the Diane Sylvan book, but since its packed...I'm not sure)

          These woods are dark
          this path is shadowed
          walk with me
          and hold me fast in your grace
          that I might banish my fears
          that I might over come what lies ahead
          with your blessing
          I will emerge from this darkness
          and breathe free again


          Blessing for the day to come (with optional mini-ritual--plant, pitcher/glass of water, candle needed)

          Thanks be for the waters that supports and surrounds us
          Thanks be for the earth that supports and surrounds us
          Thanks be for the sky that supports and surrounds us
          (water plant)
          Thanks be for the support that surrounds us, enabling us to grow
          At our center burns a living flame (light candle)
          Let us pray with a good fire
          that this day the actions of our bodies
          be as the prayers of our soul.


          hopefully that gives you an idea, and if there are any particular themes that interest you, let me know, and I can see what I have...
          Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
          sigpic

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            #6
            Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

            Thal - those are wonderful. I am going to start compiling a book of inspiration, like you mentioned. It's just the sort of thing I need to light that fire under my keister!

            Some themes I am particularly interested in are animals (I love totems and animal symbolism), elements (especially wind), gratitude, and offerings.
            No one tells the wind which way to blow.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

              Originally posted by thalassa View Post
              One of the books I love is called A book of Pagan Prayers by Ceisiwr Smith, which has tons of prayers for all different times of day, of the year, events, etc. While some of them mention particular deities, most of them are more a generic god/dess orientation, and nearly all of them are adaptable.
              I thought of Serith's book too, it's got some great idea for how to write your own prayers. I'm also finishing his second book that recently came out, A Pagan Ritual Prayer Book, which talks more indepth about how to create prayers and has another impressive collection of prayers that can be used or modified.
              "Gardens are not made by singing "Oh, how beautiful," and sitting in the shade." - Rudyard Kipling

              Mathbatu: A Canaanite Polytheist's Blog
              Sparrow Wings: A Personal Blog

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                #8
                Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

                Whenever I light a candle for my essential oils I say a quick prayer, then another when I blow it out. Small, but keeps my mind in a good place

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                  #9
                  Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

                  Originally posted by PharaohKatt View Post
                  Whenever I light a candle for my essential oils I say a quick prayer, then another when I blow it out. Small, but keeps my mind in a good place
                  That's perfect - this is a good way to stay connected even if time is of the essence. I need some candles!
                  No one tells the wind which way to blow.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

                    I turn every day chores into mini rituals. When I clean the house not only do I clean the physical dirt but I clean all the spiritual gunk weighing me down. Same thing when I take a shower, I clean myself and my spiritual self at the same time. Its little things like that that helps keep my spirituality up

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                      #11
                      Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

                      Originally posted by Amber View Post
                      I turn every day chores into mini rituals. When I clean the house not only do I clean the physical dirt but I clean all the spiritual gunk weighing me down. Same thing when I take a shower, I clean myself and my spiritual self at the same time. Its little things like that that helps keep my spirituality up
                      Can you explain in more detail how you do these things? I am especially interested in the shower ritual - I am so entrenched in my simplistic bathing rituals that I forget it can be cleansing. Do you have words you say? Special soaps you use? Songs you sing? Visualizations? Please elaboate!
                      No one tells the wind which way to blow.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

                        I have a special lavender soap that I use when I am feeling 'bogged down'. It's got little pieces of seeds and essential oils and I envision it washing away my worries and problems.

                        Each night before bed I thank the Great Spirits for the blessings of the day. I ask for guidance for my troubles and ask that I be given one more day to better myself.
                        What you see depends on what you are looking for.

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                          #13
                          Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

                          Originally posted by Celest View Post
                          I have a special lavender soap that I use when I am feeling 'bogged down'. It's got little pieces of seeds and essential oils and I envision it washing away my worries and problems.
                          I have a similar ritual with some cinnamon shower gel. I picture it rubbing off all the stress and tension, and then all that goes down the drain with the suds. It helps that the shower gel is all real stuff; real cinnamon &c. I find natural stuff works much better for rituals, especially cleansing ones.

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                            #14
                            Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

                            Originally posted by Bjorn View Post
                            Can you explain in more detail how you do these things? I am especially interested in the shower ritual - I am so entrenched in my simplistic bathing rituals that I forget it can be cleansing. Do you have words you say? Special soaps you use? Songs you sing? Visualizations? Please elaboate!
                            lol, I think alot of us do this!!

                            Its cheesy, and I think I've mentioned it before in another topic...but I sing--sometimes I make up songes, sometimes I change the words to established songs. My favorite cleaning/cleansing song is actually "I'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair" from the musical South Pacific.



                            I change the words (I happen to like my "that man")...usually something along the lines of "scrub my worries right down the drain" or "wash my troubles right out of my life", etc. I use it when cleaning the house, or when taking a more invigorating type of stress relief shower (its not the best song for a relaxing bath)

                            Depending on my mood, I have a few different soaps to choose from. I make my own bath oils, salts, lotions, sugar scrub, etc...but for soap, I pretty much use Dr. Bonner's for everything from cleaning me to cleaning my kichen. If I want to relax, I use the lavender and if I want to be invigorated, I use the peppermint, with a couple drops of orange oil.

                            Alot of it is a matter of visualization. If you shower, visualize each issue (or, as my daughter calls them, the " all of the mad things, bad things that stuck to me today") rising from your core within to the surface of your skin, to be washed away and go down the drain.

                            Something that I try to remember (though it can be hard) is this:
                            ...so I use shower time to identify and examine and discard the baddies that are "stuck" and to find the good thinks--love, hope, joy that I can share with those around me. To cleanse the house/room/car/whatever, its pretty much the same thing. Open the windows and let the wind blow all the negativity from an illness out (sunshine kills germs too)--that arguement in the kitchen, scrub it out on the sink--the crying jag in the bedroom, vaccuum it on up and dump the filter/canister thingy in the trash while you are at it.

                            Some themes I am particularly interested in are animals (I love totems and animal symbolism), elements (especially wind), gratitude, and offerings.
                            I'll dig around and see what I have...my print library is all packed to move, but my external hard drive is *somewhere* accessible (I think)
                            Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                            sigpic

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                              #15
                              Re: Everyday Spells/Rituals

                              What Thal said LOL. If I have special soap, I use it but if not it's really no big deal. I just visualize as I wash my body, all of the yuckies from the day or what ever has been bothering me being washed away and taken down the drain. Then I try to just put it out of my mind!

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