invoking sacred spirit

The dwindling days of summer create a yearning to dive deeper in while there is still time. This weekend a wonderful confluence of opportunities allowed me to do just that.

Crazy to think I've been away from this spiritual oasis far too long:

Power of Love temple with Ganesh ceramic mural

Friday night I made the 45 minute pilgrimage to another world (crossing the swollen river - poetic implications beyond my skills at this moment) to attend a Havan or Vedic fire ceremony. A time to symbolically cleanse myself of accumulated negativity and put forth my prayers and intentions for this period of my life.



















It was a return to my spiritual roots, a chance to reaffirm my need for sangha or community and commit to returning more regularly. It was the night before the full moon and I left feeling lighter, clearer and resolved to reinvigorate my practices. On the return drive, I saw a shooting star just as I re-crossed the river which I took as confirmation of the rightness of my actions.

Earlier that day Cowgirl and I made prayer ties, a practice introduced to us through SouLodge. I chose fabrics from my mother's stash of quilting squares, settling upon colors reminiscent of the colors of the seven chakras. I took a little license using pink - the color that represents balance within all the chakras - inside of white for the crown center. We filled each bundle with tobacco and offered our prayers for the coming school season. We took turns making our offerings, then said our prayers together as I tied each one up.








Cowgirl knew immediately where our prayer garland should hang - in the tree above our fairy circle. And there our wishes and prayers dance in the late summer breeze.









Savoring all these moments, I took time today to continue with my 49 by 49 project. Each card is a meditation and celebration of the spirit guides, guardians, teachers who have presented themselves to me. I have 32 completed with a little over two months to finish the final 17. I am finding my awareness of my guides grows stronger every day. At times, it feels like they are queuing up to teach me!

top row: crow, lizard, horse
middle row: Kuan Yin, praying mantis, Hathor
bottom row: Durga, coyote, spider

This is what I love: weaving together familiar rituals and traditions with new practices; creating a kind of homemade spiritual stew that fills my soul and brings me home to myself.

What rituals or practices nurture you? I believe it's time to update our cookbooks.