Briefly: Update

I made a goal to write mostly about the Otherfaith this year, instead of focusing on drama in the many Pagan communities I interact with. This has been tough (though I consider my last post a very important one, and I’ve touched on similar issues as they relate to the Otherfaith before), but this commitment to focusing on the faith has been good. I haven’t been able to write a lot of completed posts, but I have had more opportunities for reflection and contemplation.

I had a very calming conversation last night, one which allowed me to breathe through the stress and disappointment and upset. It helped center me again in what matters. What matters is my religion, what matters is my family. What matters is improving my life so I can contribute and grow and learn and be an active part of the communities I’m a part of.

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My bike is currently unusable (I don’t own a car), so I’ve been walking to get where I need to go. Today was an especially good day for a walk. As I returned home (with the people who were walking with me), the moon hung above the eastern horizon, in a sky of soft purples and pinks. I felt my soul move in response to the sight, yearning to reach out and touch.

Walking allows me time to contemplate – and to pray. I pray often when I walk, sometimes with my prayer beads and sometimes on my fingers. Sometimes I just talk to the gods. (One night, in December, I prayed and prayed as sorrow crept up on me. The prayers didn’t make the pain go away, but they put it in perspective.) I’m re-focusing on my practice of greeting the world around me. Hello to the plants, hello to the birds, hello to the lizards. (And when I have kept this practice, my ability to talk with people has improved, which is another reason I wish to re-establish it.) I’m breathing deeply more often.

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To try to stir up my brain and writing even during difficult times, I’ll be doing a series of posts for the gods, focusing on the questions from 30 Days of Devotion. I’ll be beginning with the first god of the Otherfaith – the Clarene. I’ll also be drawing a Tarot card of the week and writing about it.

Happy Tuesday, everyone.