Online Book of Shadows

Many people have difficulty meditating. For some it may be that they have a hard time focusing; while others may simply have the wrong idea about what is supposed to happen when you meditate. You cannot make your mind blank. Thoughts are always going through your mind, whether you are actually conscious of them or not. You can however, calm the chatter and be aware  of your thoughts without getting caught up in them.  You can learn to focus your awareness on one thing for longer and longer periods of time. You can learn to relax but you may need to go slowly and gradually at first. You will still have other thoughts but they will become less and less intrusive.

There are many, many ways to meditate. I would like to focus here on a couple of ways for you to get started if you are new to meditation or simply have a tough time slowing down.

Preparation:

For all methods, wear comfortable clothes.

Sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight, such as upright in a chair with your feet on the floor and your hands resting on your thighs. You can sit in a cross-legged or lotus position, but only if it is absolutely comfortable for you.

Sit in a quiet place, and turn off the phone.

Method 1– Simply Breathe: For this first method you are simply going to concentrate on your breath. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. Take deep breaths and breathe out through your mouth and in through your nose. Your mind will wander and that’s okay. Just notice this and go back to focusing on your breathing when this happens. Do this as long as you like. I would recommend 5-10 minutes to start but don’t get to caught up in the amount of time you spend meditating or let yourself watch the clock! This will defeat the purpose. Even a couple of minutes is fine to begin. If you really want to you can set a timer somewhere away from you, just to get an idea of what five minutes feels like; but it’s really not necessary. Just stop when you feel finished and try to gradually increase the time as you get better.

Method 2–Notice Your Thoughts: As in the last method you are going to focus on your breathing; but this time when a thought pops up  imagine it as a leaf floating by on a stream, a butterfly flying by, or whatever makes sense to you. Or you can simply say to yourself “a thought”, and let it pass by and return  focus to your breathing until the next thought. As before, stop when you feel finished.

These meditation exercises should help you get started and give you the idea of what meditation feels like, and how it can begin to affect you.

Many Blessings!

Dreams provide important insights into ourselves and our problems. I personally believe that there are many types of dreams. I have dreams that are obviously influenced by events of the day; and may or may not have a message. I have dreams about people I’ve never met or places that I’ve never been, and things I’ve never done, to find later that these are actually dreams of the future. I think some dreams are merely a release for stress. Then there are those that tell us  important things about ourselves that will help us solve problems or move through obstacles in our path.

I often hear people asking for help with dream interpretation. What most people don’t realize (including me at one time), is that you are the best person to interpret your dreams. Not only that, you don’t need a book of stock symbol meanings to help you. While sometimes it helps to get another person’s perspective, the meanings of our dream symbols are unique too us and may not represent the same thing to someone else.

The first step is to write your dream down right away. It’s good if you can do this regularly, but don’t worry about it for now. We’re going on the premise that you have a dream you remember, and want to interpret.

Next here are some things you can do to start figuring out what your dream means:

1. Pick  put any symbols, colors, people, etc. that stand out, and (one at a time) think about what they mean to you. Not what you think they represent in your dream, but what comes to mind for you when you think about them. Free associate if you have to. Write it down.

2. Ask yourself questions:

Are you watching or participating in the dream?

How do you feel about what’s happening?

How do you deal with issues that arise in your dream?

Write this down,  along with anything that comes to mind as a result.

3. Remember that objects, animals,  and people that appear in your dreams, may or may not be taken literally, since they can actually represent aspects of yourself.

4. Can you relate any of this information to current events or issues in your life?

5. When you’re finished, you still might not have an answer. Just let it go for awhile and the answer will often come to you.  Sometimes your brain needs time to process everything.

A book that I found very helpful in learning to analyze my own dreams is called “Awakening  A Dream Journal”, by Ellen Foreman. The book explains how to work on analysing your dreams and has  a blank glossary at the end for recording your own personal dream symbols. There is also a companion dream journal. Mine came as a set, many years ago from a book club.  I checked on amazon.com, and only found one new one available, I’m not sure if it’s out if print. the journal was called “Awakening Workbook”.

I hope this gives you a good start. Pleasant dreams and wonderful adventures!

You can use this rite when you are  feeling scattered, to harness your personal power,  or in preparation for a larger ritual. You will need four candles one for each quarter (north, east, south, west) colored according to your tradition or beliefs. You can also switch the elements and directions if your tradition is different than mine. Place the candles unlit in the appropriate quarter.

Start by facing North- Light the candle and say:
A Child of Earth, I am solid and strong;
Nurturing that which needs to grow,
and letting rest that which is tired.
Pause for a moment or two then,

Turn to the East-Light the Candle:
A Child of Air, I can move swiftly or slowly
towards my destination sweeping away all obstacles.
Pause as before, then

Turn to the South, light candle:
A child of fire, I take action passionately and powerfully
Pause,

Turn towards the West, lighting the candle:
A Child of Water, I wash away that which I no longer need
I floating gently along,  I am rejuvenated and cleansed.
Pause here , until you feel you are ready to end the rite.

When you’ve finished state So Mote it Be, and extinguish the candles in the order you lit them. It is a good idea to write down any impression you have while pausing, or at any other time during the rite.

A good place to start learning about magical timing is by working magic in conjunction with the moon. You can work with basic phases (waxing, waning, full, new, and dark) or you can work with the moon’s phase and the astrological sign it is passing through.

The new moon is for new beginnings, and starting projects.

The full moon is good for most kinds of magic, cleansing, raising power, and charging crystals and magic mirrors.

The waxing moon (between new and full) is for growth, building and increase.

The waning moon (from full to new) is for banishing unwanted energy or habits. Also things that need to decrease.

The dark moon (the day before the new moon) is good for working with ancestors, resting, and introspection.

This is not by any means a definitive list, and if you really like to keep things simple you can just use two phases: waxing-from the beginning of the new moon to full, and waning–from just after the full moon to just before the new moon.

Working magic when the moon is in a sign that corresponds to your intention, packs an even bigger punch. Many books on magic and astrology can tell you the significance the moon has in each sign.

There are times when the moon is considered to be void of course. This is a period of time when the moon is between signs. This can last for a few minutes or most of the day. It is best to not do magic or make major decisions at this time.

Believe: Believe in the magic. It works! (Sometimes in ways you don’t expect)

Use Caution: Be careful of what you ask for and how you ask, so that you get what you really want, in the way that you want.

Cultivate Gratitude: Give thanks everyday, either by prayer, sharing what you have, or otherwise showing appreciation for what you receive. On your worst days try to find something (no matter how small or trivial it may seem) to appreciate. Write it down. But…

Acknowledge All Your Feelings: Being thankful doesn’t mean you should ignore your feelings. They are all valid and will teach you important and useful things about yourself. Ask for help. Asking for peace, calm, and healing is always beneficial.

Yule has passed and Imbolc-The Feast of Brighid is approaching. The Crone is reborn as the Maiden. It is a time for purification and renewal. A celebration of the return of the Sun.  Candles or torches are lit, seeds are blessed and planted, corn dollies and Brighid’s crosses are made. Dairy foods are traditional for this Sabbat.

This whole past year has been a new beginning for me; from a cross country move to a totally new environment– to much personal transformation. I have been truly blessed and hope that things in my life continue to improve, and that I continue to grow. And so it is.

What do you want to transform or start completely new? Many Blessings!