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Post by nellie on Dec 23, 2010 15:10:02 GMT -1
Hello again all, Excuse the posting frenzy - I just have so many questions that I want to get out!
Would anybody be willing to share the form their personal practice takes? This is one of the things I have always struggled with. Having never been a part of any group, or even any forum before this one, I've always felt that my own personal practice is lacking. In a way it is the more everyday (even if it isn't literally every day) practice that feels more important to me even though it's the main festivals that get more attention from pagans in general.
What sort of things do you all do on a regular basis to connect to the spirit of place, locals gods, ancestors?
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Post by potia on Dec 23, 2010 16:04:36 GMT -1
Hi Nellie Have a look here: www.dunbrython.org.uk/rituals/Some of us have given examples of things we do in our own personal practices here. Other than the triple toast on festivals I don't think there is anything that we all do in the way of practice. Some of us share in some practices at full and new moon but there are variations on those practices too. Daily stuff varies even more. In my case I don't really do any daily practice at present although for the last three moons I had been doing some daily singing for a particular purpose but that has been completed now. For me personal practice usually includes song in one form or another
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Post by nellie on Dec 23, 2010 16:28:01 GMT -1
Hi Potia I had read that you use singing in your practice, which sounds beautiful (though I doubt it would be if I used it lol!!) I'm just really interested in how you all build your own practices more than how the group works as a whole. I've always thought of prayer as a christian thing even though I know it isn't exclusively christian, but it's more or less the foundation of my own personal practice. I wasn't raised by christian parents, had very little contact with christianity at all except for school nativity plays etc, but as far back as my memory goes I always did pray. It's sort of my touch stone I think. I don't really have any reference points as to form a meaningful personal practise. Is there any particular reason that you use song?
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Post by potia on Dec 23, 2010 17:39:32 GMT -1
I've always loved to sing and have crafted a few songs for specific deities over the years. I say crafted because I don't have the skills to write music. I have recorded a couple of them in the past but I have others that only live in my mind and voice For me to use song is a natural way to connect with the gods. For others it may be poetry or prose perhaps or even ritualised movements.
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Post by crowman on Dec 23, 2010 18:50:39 GMT -1
i like to go out walking whenever i can, for me this helps me to reconnect with nature and the landscape, i also have my garden and i take a daily interest in what the weather is up to..... i enjoy astronomy (when its not too cloudy!) which i love doing, its great for reminding you how small and insignificant you are but also for reminding you that you are just as much a part of the universe as that big ball of gas we call the sun. Im only new myself here at Brython but like you ive felt at home pretty much straight away... its everything ive been searching for and more.... ritual wise i'll peform the last of the triple toasts tomorrow at dawn which bargains for the return of the grey mare and the sun in the coming months, ive been keeping a record on my practise and observations on my blog which you can view by clicking on my homepage icon located under the crow piccy
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Post by nellie on Dec 23, 2010 19:49:53 GMT -1
You know you've made me reassess CrowMan... I find there are certain places where walking seems to turn into almost a physical form of prayer. Not everywhere, but certain places... And gardening is, as you said, as pure a magic as I can find. The garden is my route to the world in microcosm. (oh that was bad english wasn't it!!) Caring about a garden makes you tune in to exactly what is happening: frosts, the first plants to bud, the different characters of the soil. Maybe I really am just getting too hung up on form. Does the act of living in and loving the land constitute as a form of personal devotion and spiritual practise in and of itself?
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Post by crowman on Dec 23, 2010 19:57:59 GMT -1
I think living in tune with the land and loving it is the purest form of personal devotion you can possibly get. When im out walking i zone out of the modern world along with all its hassles, problems, wants and needs... when im walking its just me and the landscape. The ceremonies i perform recognise the changing year, i use them as a form of bargaining really but also to keep myself in tune with the ebb and flow of the seasons. Its a personal thing however, what works for one may not necessarily work for another, thats one aspect the druids fall down on... the main thing is that if it feels right to you then it is right. Its the different variations on a theme that keeps Brython meaningful. One community, many hearths. thanks for the comment on my blog by the way, glad your settling in here!
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Post by nellie on Dec 23, 2010 20:01:33 GMT -1
Crowman I was convinced I already followed your blog - now i just look like an idiot! ahem...
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Post by Adam on Dec 23, 2010 20:12:36 GMT -1
Does the act of living in and loving the land constitute as a form of personal devotion and spiritual practise in and of itself? All that it takes to undertake a personal devotion is that you devote yourself to something It is a form of Bahkti yoga, a way of drawing oneself closer to the object of ones devotion through love. Walking almost always takes the form of a meditation for me... as for personal practice, I follow our triple toasts here to bind me to the community and I approach my ancestors, generally on the dark moon but at other times as I find myself called... approaching my ancestors usually involves simple dialogue, but as it is a two way interaction, the forms it might take are not prescribed...
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Post by crowman on Dec 23, 2010 20:21:31 GMT -1
Crowman I was convinced I already followed your blog - now i just look like an idiot! ahem... Well you follow it now, thats the important thing.
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Post by bram on Dec 30, 2010 21:38:59 GMT -1
Well I probably don't do anything I should!
For Ritual, I do the minimum necessary - no casting circles (i want the spirits in not keep them out), quarters due to popular demand, ancestors, spirits of place, deity associated with the feast day. I do not do Awens.
Privately I sieze the moment and thank the Gods for things as I see them or feel the need to.
I firmly believe that ritual and devotional practice are all about giving the Gods their due and not about seeking personal favours.The time for that is in private and involves me trying to find the cause of the problem and THE strength to deal with it. I do this by à few practices I have learnt.
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Post by Tegernacus on Dec 30, 2010 21:55:15 GMT -1
"ritual" for me goes from formal-ish toasts, to the cosy, candle-lit, storytelling type situation, to the quick tip of the hat when crossing a sacred spot, to throwing a coin in the river with a quick silent prayer. Nothing so formal as a Wiccan circle, or even as formal as the Stonehenge lot (and that is quite informal already). Just don't see the need, I am not a priest, just an ordinary person acknowledging the gods as I go about my daily business.
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Post by Rion on Dec 31, 2010 1:17:58 GMT -1
I am not a priest, just an ordinary person acknowledging the gods as I go about my daily business. Exactly how I feel. My personal practice is very household-based: I light a flame for Briganti when I cook, and put aside a little for her in a dish; once a month (like many people here) I make a pot of tea and share it with my ancestors; also once a month I clean the house thoroughly and make offerings to the threshold guardian and the household spirits. When there's rain (a rare occurrence where I currently live) I often offer something to Taranis in thanks, and Noudons gets a shekel whenever I'm at the sea. At the full moon I give an offering to Taranis and at the new moon I give one to Rigantona, but these are far less elaborate than (for example) what Deiniol posted as his practices on his blog. I'll also generally join in the triple toasts with the rest of Brython throughout the year if the occasion is something I celebrate. Don't hold much truck with casting circles, calling corners, and whatever it is one does with the elements and the archangels. I'll wash my hands and face while saying a blessing and that's me prepared to meet the gods.
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Post by dreamguardian on Dec 31, 2010 1:26:36 GMT -1
"ritual" for me goes from formal-ish toasts, to the cosy, candle-lit, storytelling type situation, to the quick tip of the hat when crossing a sacred spot, to throwing a coin in the river with a quick silent prayer. Nothing so formal as a Wiccan circle, or even as formal as the Stonehenge lot (and that is quite informal already). Just don't see the need, I am not a priest, just an ordinary person acknowledging the gods as I go about my daily business. Neatly described how I go about 'ritual' too.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2011 9:10:44 GMT -1
What sort of things do you all do on a regular basis to connect to the spirit of place, locals gods, ancestors? I have a few altars in my house and I leave offering to the Gods, Nature Spirits and Ancestors, and I talk to them. I am not very good at saying formal prayers so I just talk. (Public rites are a different story but they are more complicated and not terribly relevant to Brython) My latest offerings are things that are warm; ginger, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, whole dried peppers, and brandy. I also make art, for example right now a group I am in are making spiritually themed Artist Trading Cards for each other for each holiday, we have done Samhain and Yule/Winter Solstice so far. I grow plants ( nothing outdoors yet, not til spring) but I did grow my avocado plants from seeds. TBH I consider a lot of experiences as shared with the Gods, Spirits, Ancestors even dancing in a club, walking in the frosty cold with the moon overhead, finding frogs and toads in the forest preserve, reading a good books, watching the lake fog winding around the skyscrapers downtown, singing loudly to terrible pop songs when I am here alone, I think you get the idea Oh I am also doing my geneology to honor my Ancestors. I hope to have a family tree for my ancestor shrine when I am done. Anyway I hope that helps
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Post by dreamguardian on Jan 16, 2011 20:44:01 GMT -1
Eirian,
may I ask to which Gods, SoP and ancestors do you give tribute too. Are they localised in Chicago and/or further a field?
Do you speak to them by name?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2011 6:21:36 GMT -1
Eirian, may I ask to which Gods, SoP and ancestors do you give tribute too. Are they localised in Chicago and/or further a field? Do you speak to them by name? Ironically none of the Gods are Brythonic (yet anyway) which might be because I don't know enough about them yet to know if one was showing an interest or how to go about attracting it but my personal main ones are Athena, Medb, Odin, Brighid, and Shiva (yeah I didn't see that one coming either) For Nature Spirits or Spirits of Place, there is of course a rather predominant one just to the East of me, Lake Michigan. I just call her Lake Michigan, although apparently her NA name is Michi gami. On a much smaller scale I though I usually also acknowledge the spirits of the general flora and fauna, my own plants in the house, even the cats really. As for ancestors, my Grandma and Nana definitely, I wasn't very close to either Grandfather so not them really, a lot of my recent ancestors by name. After that it's mostly as a group. I also acknowledge my spiritual and inspirational ancestors as well (locally, the Haymarket martyrs www.kentlaw.edu/ilhs/haymkmon.htm for example). Eirian
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Post by dreamguardian on Jan 17, 2011 18:34:33 GMT -1
Eirian, may I ask to which Gods, SoP and ancestors do you give tribute too. Are they localised in Chicago and/or further a field? Do you speak to them by name? Ironically none of the Gods are Brythonic (yet anyway) which might be because I don't know enough about them yet to know if one was showing an interest or how to go about attracting it but my personal main ones are Athena, Medb, Odin, Brighid, and Shiva (yeah I didn't see that one coming either) For Nature Spirits or Spirits of Place, there is of course a rather predominant one just to the East of me, Lake Michigan. I just call her Lake Michigan, although apparently her NA name is Michi gami. On a much smaller scale I though I usually also acknowledge the spirits of the general flora and fauna, my own plants in the house, even the cats really. As for ancestors, my Grandma and Nana definitely, I wasn't very close to either Grandfather so not them really, a lot of my recent ancestors by name. After that it's mostly as a group. I also acknowledge my spiritual and inspirational ancestors as well (locally, the Haymarket martyrs www.kentlaw.edu/ilhs/haymkmon.htm for example). Eirian It's an interesting mix. I wondered, Have you felt close to any of the local deities? The reason for my curiosity is that my upbringing was in south London, as was my maturing into a man. It naturally is my 'spiritual' home. For instance, when I skipped school as a lad, I would take a short walk to the thames & felt (and still do) something very emotional about the place and presences there. However I have since left the place and reside in a different country. It's only on special occassions I pay tribute to the Gods of my 'home'. My main focus is naturally on the local Gods of west Wales where I reside, as well as SoP here. Although a stranger to these parts and a foreigner, it's always been spiritually pleasing & rewarding.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2011 20:52:07 GMT -1
Ironically none of the Gods are Brythonic (yet anyway) which might be because I don't know enough about them yet to know if one was showing an interest or how to go about attracting it but my personal main ones are Athena, Medb, Odin, Brighid, and Shiva (yeah I didn't see that one coming either) For Nature Spirits or Spirits of Place, there is of course a rather predominant one just to the East of me, Lake Michigan. I just call her Lake Michigan, although apparently her NA name is Michi gami. On a much smaller scale I though I usually also acknowledge the spirits of the general flora and fauna, my own plants in the house, even the cats really. As for ancestors, my Grandma and Nana definitely, I wasn't very close to either Grandfather so not them really, a lot of my recent ancestors by name. After that it's mostly as a group. I also acknowledge my spiritual and inspirational ancestors as well (locally, the Haymarket martyrs www.kentlaw.edu/ilhs/haymkmon.htm for example). Eirian It's an interesting mix. I wondered, Have you felt close to any of the local deities? Not really. I felt very close to the place I grew up, but it is gone now (I mean the place is still there but our's and my Grandma's home and land were bulldozed for more houses so the place I remember really only lives in my head now) and I have honored the Ones I have encountered since (like in Flagstaff where I lived practically on their doorstep, literally.) But I have always felt like a stranger in my own land. (course I'd be stranger anywhere else as well but what do you do?) Other than the spirits of the land, I don't really get anything from the Deities here. Of course I am not NA so that probably has a lot to do with it. (Course I'm not Hindu either so I can't explain the Shiva thing, and it was pretty definite as well)
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