by Garnet WindDancer In a reality where chaos, war and folly is the leading news, where pictures of fly-ridden children are starving before our very eyes and virulent communicable diseases claim more and more lives, it can be hard to appreciate the gentle beauty of the world around us. People, as a whole, have become hardened to suffering and desensitized to the plight of those around us. Especially at this time of year, we become so wrapped up in the pursuit of festivity and commercialism that we ignore the spiritual connotations of daily living. We feel satisfied if we can plan an elaborate Yule ritual and squeeze it in between the office holiday party and preparing that batch of rum balls for Christmas Eve. Guess what? Spirituality is no more about Sabbat rituals than Christianity is about displaying your new Easter finery on the one day of year you attend church. Most people desire a more fulfilling spiritual journey but few are prepared to walk the extra mile it takes to achieve such balance within our lives. We make it hard for ourselves by planning sunrise meditations, smudging the house every time someone makes a negative remark, and either zealously guarding our beliefs from prying eyes or wholeheartedly launching into the "I'm a Pagan so don't oppress me" speech. I'm just as guilty as the next person when it comes to making big plans and not always following through. So let's just stop. Stop making big plans because when we don't live up to our grandiose ideas of religious expression, we feel like failures. Besides, spirituality is not a goal that can be achieved. I think the word -spirituality- is wrongly used as a noun when it really should be a verb. We all remember "action words" from grammar school. Spirituality is not something you have, it's something you do. It is a process, a journey and one that we all have, wrongly, elevated from daily living and placed squarely in the higher realms. Sure meditation and ritual and divination all have their place and are a part of it but the act of living itself, carrying on day to day and finding ways to incorporate the Goddess into your life, is a much more potent way to live a magical life. So what, on a daily basis, can we do? That depends solely upon the practitioner but I believe there are common elements that we can all embrace. 1. Create an altar - Whether it be ostentatiously designed with athame, cauldron and Book of Shadows or a simple collection of candles and shells, you need the unifying force of an altar to act as your starting point. There are many books and online articles that describe the "correct" way to set an altar up but the most important thing to remember is that it should engender in you feelings of peace and tranquillity. 2. A morning/evening ritual - This can be as simple as lighting a candle and some incense at your altar each morning, pausing to pay tribute to the Goddess and to the glory of the coming day. If you have a difficult task ahead of you, ask for guidance and strength. If you have a job interview, ask for luck. Before bedtime, reflect upon the day and the choices you have made. 3. Meditation - It is no secret that meditating for at least 20 minutes a day is beneficial physically and mentally. If you have the time to work this into your morning ritual, then even better! However, most people don't realize that chanting is another form of meditation in that it quiets our conscience mind and allows us to enter a state of heightened perception. Several good chants for morning and evening might be: Hail to thee Oh Goddess fair Present in Water Earth Fire and Air Hail to thee oh God so bright With me through both day and night. Evening breeze, spirit song Come to me when day is done Mother Earth awakens me With the heartbeat of the sea
4. Giving Thanks - The majority of us have nothing to do with the raising and growing of our food and so we become detached from the natural process. Taking a moment to give thanks, either to the God and Goddess or the spirit of the plant or animal is a way of reminding ourselves that we are all a part of the circle of life. 5. Ritual bathing - Whether we take a quick shower in the mornings or a long, relaxing soak, the act of physically cleansing ourselves is the perfect time for clearing out a little psychic gunk, as well. Imagine the negativity flowing out of you and washing down the drain. Emerge from the water refreshed and renewed. | 
