Your Spiritual Practice is Still Practice!

“Be constant.”

This was part of the message I received yesterday while meditating with Amaterasu, Japanese Goddess of the Sun. That word, “constant,” is not one I use very often, if ever.  I had to mull on it.  I’m very constant when it comes to my work, my education, and my family, but constancy is not something I would ascribe to my spiritual life.  My practice has always been somewhat fickle.  I might go a month in a stagnant state before picking myself back up again.  Sometimes other things get in the way: work is too stressful, or my husband’s health took another turn, for instance.  I might get a bad turn in my tarot reading and stash away my deck for weeks at a time.

For those of us who are solitary practitioners, being constant with your religious practice can be tough, especially if you lack in self-discipline, like I do. There is no one to keep you moving on your path but you.  And if you’re like me, your own self is not always the strictest task master. 

I’m learning, though.  Taking time out of your day to journal is a great way to keep yourself attuned to the presence of deity in your life.  And although the weather is changing, it’s important to find time to commune with nature.  You could bring a blanket to the park, like I do.  Now is the best time of year to find peace and solitude outside if you live in an urban area. Children are in school and it’s too cold to play on the playgrounds anymore, but some of the birds have yet to cease their singing.  If nothing else, you can listen to the sound of falling leaves or rain.

Our Christian brothers and sisters, for the most part, take time every Sunday to commune with their God and community. Although we are not bound by rules about the Sabbath like they are, we could learn something from their weekly pilgrimage to their holy spaces.  There is some danger in routine when it comes to one’s spiritual practice.  Sometimes, when we fall into rhythms, we tend to compartmentalize our lives.  We say, “This is the time for me to be with the Goddess,” and we shut her out of the rest of our time so we can concentrate on getting dinner made or homework done.  This is part of the reason why Catholics wear sacramentals (such as a cross or crucifix)—it serves as a constant reminder that their God is always with them, regardless of whatever mundane activity they’re doing.  For pagans, a sacramental might be a favorite stone or a tattoo, but carrying a reminder of the divine with you always is not a bad idea.  For those of us still firmly entrenched in the Broom Closet, there are discrete ways of reminding yourself of the omnipresent deity in your life.  Where a pentacle necklace might bring questions, a star might be dismissed as merely trendy.  No one has to see what you carry close to your heart.

Maintaining a religious practice takes effort on your part.  Although there might be times when you feel the divine shouting at you, desperately trying to get your attention, there will also be times when She will want you to come to Her.  As in any relationship, it cannot survive if it is one-sided.  Sometimes we have to ask for what we need, rather than simply hope for it to arrive.  If you are seeking some kind of personal gnosis, you are going to have to nurture that relationship with the divine. How can you get the message if you don’t check your inbox?