Category: personal post
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Surprise! I’m bringing back a project I did a while back called The True Sacred Space and am giving it new life as a long-running series. Today, we’ll start with how my favorite holiday went this year.
The Angelic End-of-Year Festival is my favorite holy day. I always chuckle when I say this because in truth, it lasts forty days and forty nights. This year, I’d hoped to accomplish a long list of goals for the season; but Heaven had other ideas.
Employment Challenge and the Future
It started when I received some guidance via a reading from Alura. Since then, I’ve been working hard to ramp up a secondary career that will (eventually) bring in extra income. While writing is my primary career, I’m not yet able to earn enough to live off of.
As long-time readers of my blog and author page will know, I’ve been job hunting for quite a long time now. While I’ve been able to earn a few dollars here and there, gainful employment has proved elusive. I know others who are in a similar situation and are very disheartened by the state of the job market – if you can even call it a job market anymore.
My reading also raised concerns about the impact of the current atmospheric energies on my spiritual body. I’m financially unable to get energy work done more than once a year. If I managed to land an outside job, the build-up of external energy would eventually impact my health. This would lead to things such as illness, time off work – and therefore, loss of pay – and unexpected bills created by health problems.
The best option was to focus on work-from-home opportunities and try to build up a writing business of some sort. This would also help my mother, as we continue to share the apartment. It will give her peace of mind knowing that someone is keeping an eye on things and accomplishing basic household tasks (cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, etc.) that she’s not able to do because of her hours.
Creating the Job and Lack of “Time”
A writing business takes a lot of time and effort to start up, particularly if you’ve never done something like it before. After a while, I was able to find something that sounded more like what the Heavens and my guides were suggesting and went for it. I’m not happy with it, but I do it anyway because I have faith it will lead to something greater down the road.
At the moment, I’m spending a lot of time reading and learning, which can make me anxious because I worry about it taking too much time. I also have concerns about finances and being able to contribute to the household in other ways. Having come from the family background I do, I believe I might have a phobia about being the type of person who doesn’t contribute. I need to remember that I’m forging my own path by learning from my own and other’s mistakes. I’ve made my choice to do better.
That’s the upside. The downside is that I’ve had less time and energy to do the things I had hoped to do this season. And the fact that “they” are speeding time up more and more doesn’t exactly help matters. It seems both my mother and I have been working all the hours of the day – weekdays and weekends – all this year. We seldom go out anymore except to run errands or keep appointments. Even then, I end up doing a lot of stuff by myself, which gets lonely after a while.
Making Time
A few weeks ago, we chose to go to the bookstore for some tea and a chat. It was the first time in months that we’d done anything fun. We did have to choose to do it, though. There were plenty of other things we could have gotten done, but we decided “downtime” was more important. Sometimes, I do wonder if not getting out more is bad; but then I remind myself that this is temporary. Things will improve. That’s what we’re working for.
During the same trip, we also made time to check out one of our local thrift shops and were rewarded with a few things we needed and one item we had wanted but never expected to find. That was a happy day.
I’ve also made a point to decorate for the season, even if it’s nothing more than making our door wreath and putting certain colors on our altar. We also kept up the tradition of keeping a candle lit for as many hours of the day and night as possible for the Deities honored during the forty days and forty nights of the festival.
Wreath for the pre-Grianstad holiday of Lughnasadh, incorporating some of the traditional colors of the first harvest. 
This year’s official Grianstad wreath. This went up in time for Mabon (fall equinox) and has remained until this month (November). 
Traditional dripping taper candle on the altar. 
We ran out of tapers this year, having not stocked up enough. So, I substituted tea lights for our “day” and “night” candles and used a crystal ball stand as a candle holder. Doing these small things really kept our morale up. We felt revitalized and not so disconnected from the traditions. I’m happy we overcame these obstacles and wonder what next year has in store.
The Value of November
Sadly, many these days have made a habit of jumping right into Christmas, choosing to completely disregard Thanksgiving and all of late fall as if it doesn’t exist. I think this is a serious mistake, particularly in light of the increased speed with which time is being moved forward.
While we don’t celebrate the fact that many Natives were kidnapped, enslaved, and killed by early settlers (not all settlers, but some) – and while Grianstad is a more appropriate version of “Thanksgiving”, in our opinion – we value this time as a rest period to help come down from the excitement of the previous forty days. Even though we weren’t able to do very much this year, the festival still held a certain energy. And it’s nice to be able to relax after that.
It’s also time to start cleaning up and making last-minute preparations for winter. This is the last chance to get everything done before the colder weather creates new difficulties. Even if this winter is not very cold, there are still things we’re watching out for – both seasonally and out in the world. Also, the shorter days of the season are even shorter now. Therefore, November is a very important month that we don’t ignore.
Now, let’s see what happens during the dead zone…
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As previously stated, this series has been written as a complement to the original post by Alura Cein. In this entry, I would like to add my own experiences with some of the suggestions She gave in that post about keeping yourself in a good place during these times.
Over the next several weeks, I’ll feature one of the habits I’ve formed – new or recent – that’s based either on advice publicly available from Alura through Her blogs or information I’ve researched myself over the years that have encouraged and helped me stay motivated. Let’s start with what’s in the air. (Cue symbolic meanings.)
One of the suggestions was to play recordings of Bible verses or other sacred texts in place of watching television. There hasn’t been a television set in my living space for years, and even when there was, we didn’t have cable. We completely controlled our viewing experience by having a collection of films and shows on tape (and later DVD) and only watched them when we were truly in the mood.
We still hold true to this habit. Judging from other people I’ve known and observed, I would say we tend to be a little less irritable and a lot less stressed – particularly compared to those who regularly watch the news.
The atmosphere of the home is considerably different from that of others I’ve walked into, as well. Since we don’t have nearly as many electronics as most people, the energy tends to feel more natural and relaxed. The devices we do have are not turned on all day. Those that are on sit near salt lamps in rooms where the windows can be opened to change the air. When you change the air, you change the energy.
We also use a great deal of natural light during the day for as long as there’s daylight. Even when it’s getting dark outside, we simply supplement with candles. While we still use electricity, we’ve lessened our dependence on it in the evening. Instead, we enjoy more candlelight, which has a soothing effect on us before we go to bed. (This plus natural light seems to have improved my vision, too. I used to be very nearsighted but haven’t worn glasses in years.)
Another benefit I noticed is that when I lessen my use of the devices and limit media viewing time (social media included), it became increasingly easier to meditate. This is not solely due to having more time. It’s because I’m not taking in the programming that’s put through those outlets. This makes it easier to clear my mind. I can also keep up a fairly regular meditation schedule and focus more on my connection with God and the Heavens. The attitudes and opinions of others aren’t there in my subconscious and unconscious to interfere as much.
I made a playlist of sacred texts on youtube that is added to over time. I play it fairly regularly along with other “higher vibe” lists I’ve collected. The difference between the feeling in the air while playing these texts and other sounds is very evident to me. They have become part of my go-to strategy when I feel something’s off or my emotions are getting the better of me.
Playing the sounds has also proven to be a great way to shift focus after a long day at work – both for myself and my mother with whom I share my home. It’s easier to release the stress of the day when the atmosphere is lighter and more gentle.
Personally, I can back up Alura’s recommendation and encourage others to give it a try. What have you got to lose? Clean out the popular “music” (especially hip hop and rap), and start shifting your listening habits to genres that are healthy for you.
Avoid all music that focuses on sadness, hurt, heartache, and anger, as well. Don’t you think it’s suspicious that it’s being promoted far more than the positive stuff these days? Don’t you think it’s odd that people are gravitating to it so much that it outweighs everything else they listen to? Have you ever asked yourself where that “enjoyment” of sadness is coming from? Why do you think it’s “natural”? As Alura has said many times: these thoughts and feelings are coming from somewhere.
If you discount the effects of sound and the power of words, then I suggest you pick up a copy of Masaru Emoto’s bestselling book The Hidden Messages in Water. This is a very surface example of how potent they are. Keep this in mind when you speak, too – or believe a word’s effect changes just because you’ve decided it should mean something else or be taken a different way. More on that, later…
- E.W.
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We have already touched on the true sacred space. Let’s start there, because all things come from it. Some of the things I don’t allow in my sacred space are: alcohol, drugs, gateway substances, the majority of modern “music”, swearing, television, and the majority of modern films.
I try to keep a very close eye on what I take in, knowing that at some point it’s going to come back out. When the influences creep in, I have to work on getting them out again. Actively maintaining yourself is vitally important.
Some of what I let in instead includes the following: classical music, positive affirmations, recorded prayers to God and Heaven, documentaries, science and history info, Celtic music, Gregorian chants, frequent walks, natural studies, time with animals, vegan and vegetarian food (preferably vegan), clean water filtered at home, studies to improve/expand skills, as many books as I can get.
I will also note that I have never and will never use an electronic book of any kind. The longer you remain on the screen, the worse it is for your brain, overall health, and social skills. Also, more natural light is key. Over the years, I’ve transitioned to using daylight and candlelight far more than electric. My mood and stress levels seem to have improved as a result.
I regularly feature my current reads on my Instagram page. I will include a few of my favorites here in a future post, as well. This year, I’ve been reading far more non-fiction than fiction. Since I have a “Hobbies and Skills” section on S.D. already, I’ll showcase a few that tie-in to this topic and can help you become more self-sufficient in these worsening times.
This post is a complementary addition to Alura Cein’s recent entry sharing what She does on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis – along with affordable things you can do yourself if you’re unable to get the more serious help right now.
Now, let’s talk about some of the specifics. Get ready for lists, links, and challenges!
- E.W.
Superlative Deviation: Life With Meaning, Life With Joy 