A Mind Map for Your Life

One of the many hats I wear is that of a trainer of sorts. At a center where I occasionally work, I have been talking a lot about Mind Maps and how to use them. I invite clients to explore ideas and make plans while using this nifty tool.

Some are already familiar with mind maps. Some are not.

For those of you who are not, allow me a moment to explain.

A mind map is a way to get all of your brainstorming out in front of you so you can see it and then organize it. It’s a diagram where your information is more visually represented than the classic outline. You put your main idea/topic right smack in the middle and then create the supporting ideas around it. After you just get all your thoughts out, you can draw connections and see what’s important vs. what’s not. It might look a little something like this:

 

 

 

This is just an example I pulled off the net, but I like it because it shows how creative and colorful it could be! And as a creative sort of person, it makes me smile.

So, like I said, a mind map is a great way to just brainstorm and get a better vantage point of the whole picture at once, rather than in bits in pieces.

That being said, I have been struggling a bit with my life in terms of balance and what to do professionally. So I decided to create a mind map, and I asked myself these four questions:

1. What brings me joy?
2. What brings me peace?
3. What brings me purpose?
4. What supports my life in this realm/reality?

This last one is a heavy-hitter for me, and I think it’s really important to discuss.

What I have noticed a lot is this weird see-saw of “esoterics, hippies and pagans” to kind of ignore the fact that we do live in this reality, in this world, right now. We are reincarnated into this reality, and while we seek a deeper connection with the divine in whichever way, we still need to be mindful of how we are living in THIS reality. Sure, I can read a book on Buddhism that talks about detachment and whatnot, but that’s not applicable to me in this lifetime. This mama’s got bills to pay, amiright?!

I also noticed that when I turn to the “esoteric” for help and guidance, and by this I mean by turning to others in the various communities for inspiration, not my own practice, I noticed a lot of question number four is ignored or not even brought up.

“It will all fall into place if you meditate/do yoga!”

“The Universe will provide!”

“What will be, will be.”

“The gods do not exist to bend to your will.”

“Imagine if entities could help you!”

“Ask and ye shall receive.”

“God helps those who help themselves.”

Well, that’s all a bit contradictory. Do you see what I mean here? I can’t just float about and pray for the best – it’s not enough. I can’t support my life, or the life of my baby, doing this. Not in a healthy way, anyway. I can’t just look at my kid’s heavy diaper and say, “What will be, will be! I will meditate, and maybe it will change itself.”

See what I mean? Maybe I am exaggerating. Maybe I am on a certain life path.

HOWEVER…

I know I can be an awesome mom at the spiritual level and in this physical, 3D reality. But how can I extend this into the rest of my life?

How do we evolve as spiritual beings while still staying human to what this reality expects of us? How do we balance our expectations?

So there’s been some of my dilemma in finding this “balance” between my spirit life and my life-life. For some, they are lucky enough that they are one and the same. For many I sense, this is simply not the case. It’s not like I am a closet witch or anything, but I am happy keeping my spirit life a bit separate and private (hellooooo, scorpio over here). It’s only natural to me that I seek out “higher guidance” for all my problems, but I also gotz billz ta pay.

Oh, hey there mind map. It’s about time I practiced what I preached, hm? Good one, Universe! 😉

So this thing that I had been talking about and praising in my life-life, I channeled into my spirit life to ask big questions and get big answers. I gave it some thought and came up with a rough draft and am looking forward to the opportunity to doodle on it some more. I am definitely feeling clearer than I have in months, and gosh, what a relief!

I would like to invite you to maybe try the same. Think about how you’re supporting your mortal flesh and life around you, here and now, and how that connects with whatever brings you joy, peace and purpose.

 

mau ❤

 

 

 

 

 

An Echo of the Cosmic Divine

A “good” mom has to steadily, patiently make her way through the day, accomplishing a MILLION different things, and more often than not, does not get a break.

And while she tries hard to keep a composed exterior, her interior is going WILD in a frenzied chaos that echoes the Big Bang.

And when a woman loses this composure, more often than not forced on her by her cultural surroundings, and lets the chaos of her mind have voice and movement, she is met with disdain, discomfort and judgement by her peers, rather than embraced and loved for being exactly what she is – an echo of the cosmic divine feminine, trying to move through, explore and embrace life. 

Love her – don’t fear her.

Don’t lash out on her. Don’t belittle her or her emotions.

Just let her be.

Just love her.

 

 

How the Celtic perspective helped me to chase away the winter blues

Ah, the winter blues. Also known as seasonal depression, seasonal affective disorder and winter depression.

Cutting to the chase, it’s hard and it sucks. It is hard to put the breaks on the mental downward spiral of your emotions falling down the abyss of darkness because the sun has gone away and temperatures have dropped.

I moved from a very warm and sunny year-round climate into a more northern one with actual seasons. The first few weeks of my first winter were an adventure, but one that I could be happy and excited about. But after the holiday season, that’s when I got kicked in the head and those emotions began to tumble out of control. I barely made it out of my first winter in one, sane piece.

The next winter I tried to prepare myself. I bought a better winter wardrobe, had repainted the walls to warmer colors, had changed my diet and was exercising more. Again, I made it through the holiday season and then I tripped and fell into my blankets and hot water bottles and stayed there.

And then the third winter came, and just as the old saying goes, “third time’s the charm!”. This is when lessons in the more pagan lifestyles really began to manifest for me.

The sun officially “goes to sleep” by the autumn equinox (in September) and the dark half of the year really starts to make itself noticeable. The Celts and pagans had a really great way deal with this diminishing sunlight, and psychologically it has been the best medicine I could have asked for.

• The sun has gone to bed, so the yang energy that has been abundant and wearing you down with external activity is finally leaving you. Now it’s time to wave goodbye to it and welcome the yin energy and work with internal activity, since you’ll most likely be spending more time indoors anyway. I always picture friends coming for a visit and doing all sorts of outdoor activities, then waving them goodbye and sitting on the couch with a book and some tea with a warm, fuzzy pet curled up at my side. I’ve enjoyed the visit with the friends, and now am enjoying the visit with myself.
• Darkness is the natural balance to the Light, and it is NOT INHERENTLY EVIL. Darkness simply IS and has so much to teach you. Once you realize that what you cannot see with your eyes is not all evil and begin to trust your other senses more, the dark will be less scary and imposing. You’ll lighten your load as you begin to find the dark mysterious and comforting, peaceful and wise. For far too long fear has been spread about the unknown darkness, and I truly believe it’s because we have evolved to rely too heavily on just our eyes. The darkness challenges you in a way that the light cannot, and having to work harder emotionally and psychologically is not easy, and most people shy away from this. If it is “too much work”, it gets labelled as “wrong”, “bad” and “evil”. Silly humans, there is light in the darkness, but not the kind you can see with your eyes. It’s the kind you have to feel with your heart and soul. So if anything the dark makes you have to start trusting those more, and there is nothing wrong with that.
• More parties! After the autumn equinox in September, there’s another celebration coming up – Samhain! And after that? Yule! Another you say? Yes! Imbolc! Almost every other month, there is something to celebrate, and something to look forward to.
• On Yule, the sun is “born again”. So technically, from that day out, the sun’s time in the sky each day increases. So when the cold weather is blowing and the snow continues to fall, and even if you can’t see the sun through the clouds, look up and know that it’s there a little longer and a little stronger each day!
• There is beauty in the darkness and the cold and snow. You have to remind yourself to look for it. How many shades of grey do you notice in the clouds? Do you still hear children laughing as they play outside, regardless of the weather? How many birds or other animals do you notice? How is the snow falling and staying? Are there any early blooms yet? Is the sun through the fog creating mists and shadows or little glimmers and lights?

 

I hope these tips and tricks can help you next time around the winter blues start taking over your head and heart. I know it’s not easy, but you can do it! There is light in the darkness and darkness in the light, you just have to remind yourself it’s there and smile at it. Nature is not evil, it simply is. So there is no reason whatsoever to try to classify the natural darkness as if it’s out to get you. If anything, it’s out to bring you balance, wisdom, and if you’re really paying attention, love.

Why should I explore my [spiritually pagan] roots?

So yeah, not everyone has ancient cultural roots based on the pagan traditions of Europe. Duh. As a matter of fact, only about half of my own come from Europe (the other half comes from Africa).

But this is the side I found peace with. Do I expect everyone else to? No, of course not. But I do know that there are many people who do and many more who are interested in them. I also believe them to be as good a starting point as any, and that many of the ideas and beliefs from then can be relevant and useful today, especially when you are trying to figure out this whole “spirituality” and “esoteric” thing. There are also tons of parallels with European pagan traditions and those from around the world, and I’ll be exploring those in many posts to come.

Again, I pose the question, “Why should I explore my [spiritual] roots?”

Do you think you can grow a tree from planting a flower in the ground? No. You need the seed. From the seed grow the roots. From the roots grow the stalk and then come the leaves and finally the flowers and fruits.

The seed in this analogy is the idea that you should or want to reconnect with something older and bigger than yourself. You plant this seed when you start looking for information, asking questions and doing research. The roots begin to grow when you experiment, meditate and practice ideas. They grow strong and healthy when you find peace and magic, serendipity and gratitude, happiness and health. Once you understand how you are connected to the earth (Mother Earth), then your stalk begins to grow and leaves begin to sprout as you begin to explore how you are connected with the cosmos. The flowers come when you explore the cosmos (Spirit) and are nurtured and loved by it, just like you are by the earth. When these two things come together in you, the fruit begins to grow, ripen and be ready to be enjoyed and shared.

This is my logic and I have found it to be helpful and useful to not only myself but friends, family and other seekers.

Read the stories, myths and legends of the ancients. Understand their meanings and points of views, their connections and lessons. Find their relevance today. Explore how these were used by the people of old to connect to the earth and have relationships, knowledge and understanding. Experiment with their practices to get a first-hand account of it all. You already have the seed because you’ve stumbled upon this website. Let me help you plant it and get it growing. 🙂

Earth-based Lifestyle…what?

“Earth-based? What are you trying to say? Are you trying to trick me?”

Well, yes and no.

I think it’s safe to say that the human population is starting to look around and ask questions. This has happened before over the course of our history, and we’ve had great things happen as a result, things like the Renaissance and the Hippie Movement of the mid to late 1900s.

Now, with modern technology, there is a HUGE awakening going on as people begin to question their moral, spiritual, political and religious beliefs and go in search of answers. In this modern gold rush of information, there is a giant shift of people looking to disconnect with their electronics and reconnect with the earth and/or with the feminine aspect that the earth tends to represent. When this happens and people sit down in front of their search engines, people will start to see a lot of words like these:

WITCH! WICCA! DRUID! WITCHCRAFT! WIZARDS! MAGIC! SPELLS! POTIONS! WARLOCKS! RITUALS! SHAMAN! DRUGS!

Yeah, those words tend to scare a lot of people off, and no wonder. Looking back at recorded history, those words don’t tend to carry positive and welcoming vibes, and that’s really a shame. If you take a closer look, you’ll notice that these were generally good people trying to do good things. Does that mean everyone was? No, of course not, but just the same as not every Catholic priest is a kind and friendly one.

But if you take all those words out and look at what they’re talking about, you know, the people who tend to use those words and call themselves these things today, they’re all talking about a relationship with the earth.

In my own quest for answers and to reconnect with the earth, I decided to research and explore my ancestral spiritual roots as a good place to start. This led me to the earth-based philosophies and lifestyles that I deeply connect with. I was able to heal a lot of my own roots and enrich my connection to the earth and from there I have grown upward and out, much like any plant. Once my roots were healed, my branches, leaves and flowers started to grow exponentially. In an effort to help others do the same, go back and heal their own roots, I decided to create this website.

This website is designed to have an earth-based perspective to help (re)introduce you to your connection with the earth in a practical, logical and friendly way, via the European pagan beliefs and methods as well as New Age Spirituality. Think of this site as “paganism for dummies”, but I’ll try to use the words that scare people off more like references. The idea is to make it all simple and easily accessible so that as you go looking for information you’ve got a sort of base to come to and branch out from, and you won’t be bombarded with graphics, gifs, glitter and sound effects, either. 😉

I hope you find what you are looking for, and that in browsing through this site you are able to connect a little more deeply with the earth under your feet.