Meditation & Journaling
Throughout my journey I have found the practices of meditation and journaling to be valuable in my spiritual life. A recent review of clinical research on meditation found in Integrating Spirituality into Treatment reported that "To the extent that spiritual experience is a universal human capacity, meditation has been proposed, and experienced by many, as a way to cultivate a sense of inner calm, harmony, and transcendence often associated with spiritual growth" (page 74). I have learned the hard way, though, that there is one key factor that holds true no matter what spiritual tool I try to use:
Spiritual practices become more and more powerful as they are practiced consistently.
This is my advice to you. Don't expect miraculous change overnight. It will come slowly as you practice over many days.
Meditation
Many Pagan authors discuss
meditation as much more than a relaxation tool. It can be a way to increase your
ability to focus and concentrate. You will find that many Pagan classes
and training programs immediately have the novices work on creative
visualization. The goal is to be able not only visualize something in your
mind's eye, but to stimulate all your senses through such mental imagery.
Three books that have been especially helpful to me in terms of providing interesting exercises for meditation and journaling are Pocketful of Miracles by Joan Borysenko, The Twelve Wild Swans by Starhawk and Hilary Valentine, and Witch Crafting by Phyllis Curott. You will find information, books, music, special meditation mats and various items you can purchase to create the perfect ambience. Don't feel pressure to purchase lots of things -- there's no need to make this an expensive practice.
Journaling
I hope you incorporate some time in your daily routine to think about the things you are learning on your Pagan journey. I have often heard people say, "I could never keep a journal because I wouldn't know what to write." Here are some thoughtful questions that would be perfect for journal entries.
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Are you basically happy and content? Why? Why not?
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What things do you worry about?
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What spiritual characteristics would you like to develop?
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How are your current primary relationships influencing your spirituality? Would you like to make some changes or do some things differently?
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How does your current physical environment influence your spirituality? Would you like to make some changes or do some things differently?
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What seems to be the most important topic or issue in your spiritual life right now?
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What are you learning about your spiritual self and/or about spirituality in general?
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How have your thoughts about religion and spirituality changed in recent months or years?
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What do you think will be the next step in your spiritual journey?
Another great topic for meditation is the readings or messages you receive through your Divination Tools. I often write extensively in my journal about tarot card readings.
As you work keep in mind that some Pagans view a journal as something different from a Book of Shadows (see Different from a Journal). Is that a distinction that works well for you?
Warning: Is your journal really private? I have heard horrible stories of individuals who have recorded their private thoughts only to have someone else discover them. If you keep a pen-and-paper journal consider just how private it truly is. If you keep an on-line journal you may want to password protect the document or folder.
Do I Need to Write It Down?
There is something powerful about seeing something written -- like your name on a business card or a diploma. When we see words in print, even when they come from our own hand (or keyboard), they seem to have an inherent power. The concept becomes a separate entity when I write it down.
Years ago I had an English teacher who gave me a piece of wisdom about journaling I have never forgotten. Many times he said to the class, "How can I know what I think until I see what I say." Journaling can help you organize, challenge and refine your own thinking. At some point you may want to transfer the most important parts of your writings to your Book of Shadows.
