What we decide to call ourselves has immense power. In a spiritual sense, it’s the conscious act of putting yourself out there. Saying “I’m Pagan” has power to it. Saying “I am a witch” has power to it. The Divine is listening and the Earth can hear - you may be surprised what comes your way when you make a spiritual declaration of this sort.
Category: Aphrodite
Devotions to Aphrodite: Ecstatic Dance
Dance is a regular part of my spiritual practice. I mostly dance to commune with Aphrodite, connecting to the joy and love of movement. I will dance to raise energy. I will even dance to ground myself, which I know sounds counter-intuitive. If I feel angry or off-balance, dancing will help bring me back to center.
Why I Quit Caring About Formal Ritual and How That Made Me Better At It
When I quit caring about formal ritual, it allowed me to see more clearly the purpose of ritual: to connect deeply with the Divine. This completely transformed my personal practice. I rarely go through a full “ritual” with formal invocations for the elements and the Divine when I practice alone. My private devotions are much more conversational - and thus more strongly integrated into my day-to-day life. I believe this helps me to maintain a more powerful connection with Deity.
Why Beltane is My Favorite Holiday
I know I’m a few days late (I was very busy right around Beltane this year, both mundanely and magickally!), but I knew I had to do a post about Beltane. Beltane is the midpoint between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice, and is traditionally celebrated on May 1st. However, the astronomical midpoint is… Continue reading Why Beltane is My Favorite Holiday
My Experience of Aphrodite
Spiritual experiences are, by nature, very difficult to put into words. You’ve just experienced something transcendent - It’s no surprise that it also transcends language. Given that, I’m going to do my best to describe to you how I experience the Goddess Aphrodite.
When Books Aren’t Enough
What do you do when books aren't enough? When you begin to experience things that no one has written about? What if your personal experience of a deity doesn't match the lore? Here are some suggestions for how to navigate your experiences.
What Does It Mean to Be a Priestess?
What does it mean to be a priestess? I thought about this question for a long, long time before I took my official oath as a priestess of Aphrodite. I knew that being a priestess in a public Pagan community was not a responsibility to take on lightly, and I wanted to make sure I knew what I was committing to before I took that plunge. It is a holy office, and the mantle of priestesshood, while joyous and ecstatic, can be heavy at times and comes with a sacred duty to both your deity and your community.
Trials by Fire
I’ve found that spiritual growth is rarely a linear progression. There are times when it is slow and steady, and times of plateau where not much happens at all. Then, there are times when it’s a trial by fire. Right now is one of those times for me.
Lessons in Faith (-OR- How I Learned to Like Spicy Food)
Spiritual faith and spicy food have a lot more in common than meets the eye. This is how I learned to have faith (at least most of the time) on my Pagan journey.
Connecting with Aphrodite – First Steps
There are so many joyful and wonderful ways to connect with the Radiant Goddess of Love! I’m going to share a few that helped me to connect with Her in the beginnings of my journey. Many of these are material in nature - physical things that helped me to get into the right headspace to work with Her. Others are more reading and research based. These are not in a particular order - try out different ones and see which works best for you!
Priestess of Aphrodite 