The winter that I started working with Cerridwyn, I also started to work with the energy of the Phoenix, the Firebird. I had some pretty extraordinary things happen once I started working with the Firebird, and they are some of the stories of how I know my Paganism is real.
Tag: Spirituality
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.
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.
Chakra Clearing Meditation
I shared this particular meditation with a friend the other day, and I thought it might be nice to post it here as well! This is the visualization that I typically use for clearing my chakras. It can be great if you’re feeling off-balance, or if you just want to recenter and recharge.
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.
Heart Healing Meditation Stones
A lot of the New-Age world is abuzz with talk of the power of crystals and their vibrations. Until a few years ago, I was extremely skeptical. My formal science training screamed “There aren’t any research studies!” but somewhere, deep down, it made sense that rocks, crystals, or anything made of the Earth could have its own energies. I’ve never doubted the sacredness or spiritual energy of trees. Why would stones be any different? But they weren’t alive like trees were, and I’d read so many uses for some types of stones that it all started to sound like hippie nonsense. That was, until I found a stone that worked.
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!
Adventures of a Struggling New Empath
When I underwent my initiation for Aphrodite, I knew that some things in my life would change (perhaps quite drastically), while others would remain more-or-less the same. One change I was not expecting, though, was to start having empathic experiences. Read about my journey, and some tips on cleansing and shielding that I picked up during my struggles as a new empath!
Priestess of Aphrodite 