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Simple spiritual practices for stress reduction
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While celebrating a Sabbat or an Esbat in ritual space or during an intense meditation or shamanic journey, it is easy to be aware of our connection to the Divine. At times like these, the joy and connection inherent to the spiritual path of witchcraft are wonderfully clear. What is far more challenging is to find that connection to spirit in the midst of the stresses and conflicts that seem to crop up in our everyday lives outside of the circle.
As witches, if we remember to use some of the tools that we have available to us, we can do much to mitigate the stresses that we encounter. One of the simplest things you can do is to have some sort of daily morning practice. This is particularly helpful when preparing to go into a situation that induces anxiety. Your morning practice can be as simple or elaborate as you like and it can take as much time as you want to spend. Light a candle and some incense, put on a chakra clearing meditation or some soothing music, take a ten minute shamanic journey, say a prayer, do the lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram. I like to burn some Egyptian musk, put on some music and say a morning prayer to greet Ra and a morning prayer to greet Isis. It really doesn't matter what you do as long as you set aside some time to start your morning in a way that recognizes and honors your connection to the Divine.
While you may not want to go into work wearing all of your witchy finery, it can be very helpful to wear or carry items that you find empowering. If you have jewelry that you have charged for protection or grounding, wear it. If it is jewelry that you do not feel comfortable displaying, put it in your pocket or in a pouch that you can tuck into your clothing. Carry charged crystals in your pocket, your pouch or even your bra. If you have an idea for what energy you need to carry into your day, you can always do a simple tarot spell to charge some cards and then carry those tarot cards with you. I have carried the Strength card into situations where I needed to call on my inner resources or the Magician card and the King of Swords card into situations where I felt like I needed enhanced powers of communication. If you do a tarot spell, you can either carry the cards with you or perhaps place them in your desk drawer at work.
If possible, set up an altar at your workplace. I realize that for some of us, this may be a bit tricky. My suggestion is to be as creative as possible. If you have a calendar with beach scenes, put that on the west wall of your cubicle or office. I once used an assistant's day balloon I received from my boss to represent east. The balloon stayed full of air for over two years. If it is not possible to set up an altar, then get a small travel altar and keep that with you. Invest in a small finger labyrinth and put that on your desk. I have one on mine and most of my coworkers seem to think that it is a coaster. When I feel overwhelmed, I take a minute to close my eyes, breathe and use the finger labyrinth.
Practice breathing exercises or learn some simple mudras. Incorporate other practices you might be using, such as Reiki or yoga, into your day. Try to find some time to go outside and look around. If possible, touch a tree or sit on a rock, taking a small moment to literally get in touch with nature. Any time you feel overwhelmed or stressed out, take a moment to ground yourself and to remind yourself of all the tools that you have at your disposal.
Just as a daily morning practice is one of the easiest and most profound ways to honor the Divine, a daily evening practice is equally beneficial. No matter how stressful the day has been, an evening practice can alleviate that stress. Light a candle and some incense. Take a shower or bath and visualize the stress of the day washing off of you and swirling down the drain. Take some time for meditation or say a prayer of thanksgiving. When you start and end your day in a way that honors your spiritual path, you may find that it makes profound shifts in your life. No matter what happens during the day, it will be bracketed by the time you took in the morning and the evening to shift your perception and connect with the Divine.
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