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Building a Daily Practice, by Stephanie Woodfield

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

A good number of Pagan books, including my own, recommend building a meaningful daily practice of some kind. You can find more about creating daily practices and connecting with deity in my book Dedicant, Devotee, Priest: A Pagan Guide to Divine Relationships. Perhaps, its frequent mention is in part because it is a practice that spans traditions. No matter what kind of Witchcraft, Paganism, or Occultism of which you are a part, "practice" is a key part of finding it meaningful or being an adept at what you do. Witchcraft, after all, is a "craft," and no artisan ever became good at their trade by not honing their skills. The problem is that while creating a daily practice is mentioned so often, it is also one of the hardest things to do.

Why do so many folks find daily practice so difficult? We have other routines that we do every day that aren't necessarily fun or exciting. Yet, I have also found myself struggling with this, too. Some days it just felt impossible to carve out five minutes to do something magical, something spiritual. Part of the problem is how we approach daily practices. Although I was not exposed to mainstream organized religion until I had already started practicing Witchcraft, the things I framed my daily practices around still came out of that over-culture of religious thought. I made a set of Pagan prayer beads and tried using them as my daily practice. What I found was that I really wasn't getting much out of it. I dutifully sat with the beads, said words I thought I should say, and eventually it became a boring chore. The more it became a chore, just something I had to do, not something I was getting anything out of, the less I did it, unless I just stopped completely. Ironically, I do use prayer beads as part of my practices now, but at the time I just couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. The thing was that I was just going through the motions. I didn’t know why I was doing the action. I didn't really have a plan, either; I didn't sit down and decide what I wanted to get out of the practice, or even who or what I was supposed to be connecting to. I had made something very cookie-cutter: it had the shape of what I had seen others do, but that was it. It had nothing personal in it for me. If you don't know why you are saying or doing something, then it is going to hold no meaning for you. Also, if you don't understand the mechanics and meaning behind what you are doing, you'll never be able to build your own and tailor what you are doing to your own needs. The why behind what we are doing matters.

It took me a long time to figure out a daily practice that worked for me. In the end, there were things I had to craft in a meaningful way for myself. I can give you examples of what works well for me, but if you don't change it to fit your own needs chances are you won't keep up with the practice. In the end, I find the practices we create for ourselves are the ones that we get the most out of and the ones we will use consistently. Below you will find a few key things to consider when creating your own daily practice. You could start from scratch, or you could modify one from something that you like.

It Has to Be Something You'll Actually Do
This seems obvious, but I've found I was attracted to do long and complex magical maneuvers when I first started out. I thought meaningful meant that it was to be complicated—it doesn't. There are many deceptively simple practices that can hold a great deal of meaning. I am also not a morning person, so the idea that I was going to get up early and doing something complex to prove my dedication to my spirituality sounded great at one in the afternoon, but at five in the morning you better believe I hit the snooze button more often than not. Be realistic about what you are willing to do on a daily basis. What amount of time can you practically allot for your practice? When should it be? Are you a night owl? A morning person, or something in-between? What fits best with your current schedule? Maybe it's that five minutes after you get the kids on the bus and the house is quiet before you head out for the day. Maybe it's during the time you set aside for your morning coffee. Or maybe it's right before bed. You may want to map out your daily routine. List out all the things you normally do in a day and see where your practice might fit in.

Why Does It Have Meaning to You?
This one is important. If it has no real meaning to you, you won't get anything out of it. A daily practice should be something that you look forward to and enjoy. You should be getting something out of it. Think about words or imagery that have meaning to you. Perhaps there is a certain myth, phrase, or piece of a ritual from your tradition that holds special meaning to you. Think about how you can incorporate that into a less-than-five-minute practice. Also think about what has meaning to you in your ritual set up, cosmology, etc. Should you face a certain way while doing your practice? Are there astrological aspects that should be considered? Do you work with the elements or call on certain spirits in your other magical practices? Should those beings be represented or acknowledged in some way in your daily work? Are there certain hand gestures or movements that have meaning to you? What inspired you? What makes you feel centered and connected to spirit? Whatever those things are think about how you can include them in a very simple, bare-bones way.

What Do You Want to Achieve?
This is the question I really needed to ask myself when I first started my practice. The thing is, not everyone needs the same things. As an empath, I really need to ground, center, and cleanse every day. I also need to feel a connection to my Gods. Otherwise, I feel like a flag blowing aimlessly in the wind. Think about specific things you need. What will make you feel connected and in touch with your spirituality? Maybe you're a healer and need to focus more on cleansing and release. Maybe you are very energy-sensitive and need to focus on grounding. Maybe your goal is solely to connect to a specific deity, your ancestors, or another kind of being. Maybe you want to ask for blessings or aid for the day, or to help you get in the right headspace. Maybe you have trouble shielding and want to ask a deity you feel connected to for helping to do that. The list is endless. Think about what your goals and needs are. They aren't going to be the same as those of other people, and that's perfectly ok. This is your daily practice, not someone else's.

Daily Practice Doesn't Equal Doing the Same Thing All the Time
This one also took me a long time to figure out. Just because I did something daily didn't mean I did the same thing each day. I have a several different practices that I use; some are even for particular times of the year, or when I have a specific goal toward which I am working. Even the best practices can get stagnant, and it is ok to change things up when you need it. The point of a daily practice is for you to connect to the divine, to your magical nature, and to help you in whatever way you need. Needs change. So, our daily practices should shift and change depending on what is going on in our lives, too. Don't be afraid to change things or experiment when what you have been doing doesn’t feel fulfilling anymore.

Daily Is the Goal
I used to feel like I wasn't a good Witch if I skipped doing my daily practices. Don't be hard on yourself. Life is busy and sometimes there are going to be days where you forget, are too busy, or have an emergency. It happens, and it's normal. Daily is the goal, but doesn't always happen. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to do your practice daily. Just accept that if something happened and you didn't have time in the day, it's ok. It happens to all of us. Your daily practice should feed you, it should uplift you, it should be something we look forward to doing as part of our day. But life is messy, and sometimes it has its own plans for us. So, don't feel bad, or like you are doing something wrong if things get away from you sometimes. The important part is that you keep you with your practice, and change things if you need to. The practice is for you, after all; the only one holding you accountable, or who can look down on you, is yourself. Treat yourself with kindness, and remember you are doing this for yourself.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2021. All rights reserved.

I am very interested in the spirit world. I have started to see spirit lights and hear people speaking softly in my bedroom when I'm relaxing and trying to sleep. No one else is in the room with me, so I know this must be spirits. I would like to know how to hear them more clearly. Can you help?

Christine

Astrea:

There are many different ways to approach what you're seeking. Depending on when and where you are trying to listen, those will vary. Of course, hearing is a very personal thing, so you might want to try different things out before you settle on those that work well for you. Following is one method you can try.

Clarify the voices you are hearing by first separating the different voices and sounds into two groups. This isn't as difficult as it may seem. Define what you hear by highs and lows. Use any musical instrument you have at hand, and hit or pluck a note on it.

Now tune in to your voices; this should divide them into two separate groups. Pick one group of voices - the one that seems clearest and easiest to hear. Go through the same process again, and then a third and fourth time to narrow things down.

By now you should be able to tune one or two of the voices into sounds that seem more like words. They may not be clear words at first, but every time you hear your group, sift through for the two that you recognize the easiest, and concentrate on trying to communicate with those two.

Another way is to try to discover the names of the voices you hear. Putting a name with a sound is always helpful. Just ask the voices to give you their names.

If they don't or can't do that right away, sift through all of them again in the same way you did before, and give those voices names that you will know and recognize every time you hear them. The more familiar you become with the spirits you're talking to by giving them names as well as your name so they know how to address you, the more likely they are to speak up.

Also, remember that they may be speaking a language that you don't understand, either foreign or a spirit language all their own. Sometimes we aren't meant to decipher everything they say. If they're using the place you practice meditation as some kind of conduit or even a place they rest before they move on, they may not want to speak clearly to the living at all.

Soon you'll be able to discern who will and who won't speak clearly to you, and you'll be able to block out the other sounds coming into your harmony. If you concentrate on your top two picks for a while, you'll soon be communicating clearly with them.

You are going to experience a big turnover of associations as each of these spirits moves closer to the Light at its own individual pace, so don't get too attached or dependent on your new friends. Pray for them to peacefully depart the Earth Plane when it's their time to go.

*****

Susyn:

To quote an old adage: Practice makes perfect! One of the best ways to develop your skills is to set aside time each day for the purpose of drawing these spirits closer. Early morning and late in the evening are good times for making these connections, so I recommend you target those hours to build upon your skills.

It's important to remember that you need to set up some boundaries to protect yourself as you open up the door to the spirit world. Some spirits are benevolent, while others are not so positive. Often when people first immerse themselves in metaphysical practices, they are unaware of the hazards of calling in all types of spirits.

You don't mention what you are hearing the people in your bedroom saying, but as you tune in and begin to hear them more clearly, pay close attention: Are they talking to you, or are they talking to each other?

To make this the most positive experience possible, you'll need to surround yourself with protection and ask that only the highest and noblest spirits come in contact with you. This would apply not only to spirit guides but also to any souls you call in who have crossed over.

Before you begin your meditation session, always light a white candle and smudge your bedroom with a sage smudge stick or incense. (These things can be purchased at your local metaphysical bookstore or online.) Light the sage and let the smoke waft around you and throughout the room. Invite the spirits to come near to commune with you, but be sure to request that any negative or evil spirits be blocked from communicating with you.

If you follow these simple steps, interacting with the spirit world will be a wonderful experience. These spirits may have the ability to enlighten, guide and direct you in positive ways. If you're interested in contacting your loved ones who have crossed over, this practice will enable you to carry on conversations with them as well.

It's recommended that you find a mentor or group of people who practice this art for guidance and direction. Working with an experienced psychic or group of practicing metaphysicians is important because they can mentor you and make sure that you don't call in negative entities whose presence in your life would be harmful.

To add to your understanding and your ability to talk with spirits, you may want to take a look at some of the many wonderful books available on the subject. As your ability grows, the spirits themselves will guide you to other groups and sources of information that will support your goals.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.