I have been discussing practice for the sabbats and lunar rituals. Daily practice is also an important part of what we do. A good daily practice can help keep you grounded and help you to connect with the Earth and divinity. These practices each take little time and are centered around mindfulness.
Meditation and work with breath is one major part of daily practice. Let us begin with the breath since it is an important part of meditation. Try square breathing: 1. Inhale for the count of four. 2. Hold your breath and count to four. 3. Exhale through your mouth for the count of four. 4. Repeat steps 1 – 3 until you feel relaxed. You can use meditation to ground and center. See my post titled “Grounding and Centering.” You can meditate with a tree that is willing to work with you. Ask the tree if it is willing to work with you and if you sense that the answer is yes, sit down with your back against the tree and meditate. Close your eyes, do some square breathing and imagine that you are becoming part of the tree. Imagine roots growing from the base of your spine and diving well into the Earth. From the crown of your head branches grow upward then bend to touch the ground. This completes an energy circuit. Use the energy from the Earth to build up the power you need for magick. At the end remember to ground and send excess energy back into the Earth, the great energy neutralizer. Bring the roots back in your body when you are done. Additionally you can use many things as a meditative focus. Try a candle, crystal or meditate on the four directions/elements.
Another important part of our daily practice is dreamwork. Start before you go to sleep by requesting a dream. You might ask for a dream that will help you solve a problem. Have a dream journal handy. Get into the habit of journaling your dreams when you wake up. Tips for dream journaling: 1. Record the the dream first thing before you forget the dream. You may use words, drawings or a voice recorder. 2. Remain still for a few moments upon waking up. 3. Record your dreams in the present tense. 4. Record any feelings that accompany the dream. 5. Reflect on and analyze your dreams. Take action if appropriate.
Greet the sun as it rises. Consider this to be sacred time. Face the east before there is light in the sky. Close your eyes and listen to the nighttime sounds. Breath in deeply the air. Open your eyes and notice the color, light and patterns in the sky as it starts to get light. As the orb of the sun rises, take care not to look directly at the sun. You may like to try sunrise yoga or tia chi. You might encourage the sun to rise by lighting a candle or a fire. You can also do a version of this at sunset.
An important part of our daily practice is the expression of gratitude. You can start the morning with a blessing. Bless and thank the day, and bless yourself. Use words or simply light a candle and meditate on the beauty of the day. Take the opportunity to give thanks for a meal. Give thanks to the plants and creatures for their sacrifice. Give thanks to the many hands that helped prepare your food from the farmers to the cooks. At the end of the day is the opportunity to give thanks for the day and to bless the coming night. Living with gratitude is a way to uplift the spirit.
Time spent in nature is time well spent. For those who are urban, that does not necessarily mean a 30 minute daily trip into the nearest park or forest. Do what you can to find that little bit of wilderness, be it a tree or a patch of grass. You could have a houseplant or a bonsai in your apartment. You could have a box of course sand to put your bare feet into in your home. I recommend course sand because it does not get all over the place like fine sand. Be careful if you have a cat that s/he does not use it as his/her sand box.
Working with your altar can be a daily task. Light a candle on it and take in the beauty of it. Spruce it up. Rearrange it as you see fit. Depending on whether your altar is indoors or outdoors, dust it or sweep the leaves away.
Smile. Smiling not only helps the people around you feel better, but it sends endorphins, those “feel good” hormones into your brain. I was waiting for the bus and a young woman walked by. I smiled and said, “Hi. How are you?” She told me about getting up on the wrong side of the bed that morning, but me smiling to her made her feel so much better. That I could brighten her day made me feel even better. So, in a number of ways smiling will help you feel better too.
These are some ways to do daily practice. You may think of even more ways.
Enjoy learning about daily practice and choose a practice to incorporate into your daily routine!
On the day of this post the moon is a waning gibbous. This is a time to remove something from your life that no longer serves you.
I will continue to post on Wednesdays.
Auburn Greene
Suggested Investigation:
Fox, Selena. “Spiritual Practice,” Circle Sanctuary Network Podcasts, August 29, 2021, Encore from July 11, 2012.
Fox, Selena. “Sunrise Rituals,” Circle Sanctuary Network Podcasts, January 10, 2021, Encore from February 10, 2015.
Fox, Selena. “Twilight Visions,” Circle Sanctuary Network Podcasts, May 22, 2022.
Hamilton, Julia. “Meditation on the Four Directions,” Unitarian Universalist Association, uua.org/worship/words/meditation/meditation-four-directions.
Master Class. “How to Keep a Dream Journal: 3 Benefits of Dream Journaling,” Master Class, September 8, 2021, masterclass.com/articles/how-to-keep-a-dream-journal.
My Inner Wiccan 