Wicca Spirit Newsletter Devotionals and Meditations

There are many ways to meditate. They all seem to lead to the same place, so find one that suits you. Here I describe a classic meditation that is simple and easy.

Mantras: A mantra is a sound, word, or phrase that is repeated to yourself. It could be spoken aloud, as a chant, or silently, as in meditation. Many people think that the best mantras are sounds which have no clear meaning, and are used as a way of displacing your usual thoughts and moving your awareness inward. There are many mantras ranging from words taken from Hindu Sanskrit to Christian scripture (especially when "saying the rosary," where the repetition of the prayer is meditative). If you do not already know of a good mantra to use I suggest you use "hamsa." This is a natural mantra, being the sound that one makes when breathing, with "ham" (h-ah-m) on inhalation and "sa" (s-ah) on exhalation.

Directions for the hamsa meditation:

a.. Sit comfortably. A quiet place is preferred, but not required.

b.. Close your eyes. Breathe naturally. Sit for about one minute before you begin thinking the mantra to allow your heart and breathing to slow.

c.. Gently bring your attention to your breath and begin to think the mantra, gently and easily. Just let it come, don't force it. Think "ham" on the inhale and "sa" on the exhale. Allow yourself to be absorbed in it.

d.. Allow your thoughts and feelings to come and go with detachment. Don't try to control them in any way. Just note them, and when you realize that you are not repeating the mantra, gently return to the mantra. Do not try to force yourself to think the mantra to the exclusion of all other thoughts. You may experience a deep state of relaxation but it is OK if you don't.

e.. Meditate in this way for 20 minutes (children for less time).

f.. When done, take about a minute to slowly return to normal awareness. Be gentle with yourself when opening your eyes or coming to stand after a meditation. It isn't good for your heart to get up quickly after the state of deep rest that is often a result of meditation. Note: It is OK to glance at a clock to time the meditation.

**Don't use an alarm timer.**

I have found the following techniques deepen my experience. You will certainly find your own as well. These techniques are secondary and may be omitted entirely or added later:

a.. Keep your spine straight, head balanced on your cervical column.

b.. Many people like to pray or do visualization after meditating, while still in an altered state. Some teachers of meditation are opposed to this practice while others advocate it. I suggest to do it if it feels right to you. I do.

c.. As a "pre-meditation" preparation, bring your attention to the physical act of breathing. breathe naturally and, with each cyle of the breath, bring your attention to a different part of your body, paying attention to the changes there as a result of the breathing: the rising and falling of the chest; the movement of your belly; the sensation of the air entering and leaving the nostrils; can you feel any movement of your kidney area? How about your pelvis- do you feel your pelvis tilt at all when you breathe? What do you do between breaths? Is there a pause? If you don't feel these things it is OK, just consider them, one at a time, and move on. (This can also serve as a short "centering" meditation that can be done while waiting for a stoplight to change, or as a short work or study break.)

During meditation your business is simple awareness, nothing else. It is a time to connect to your inner Source and let go of the things and roles we get caught up in: work, parenting, concerns and responsibilities. It may be that your meditation is peaceful, or it may be fretful and full of obsessive thought. Regardless, daily meditation will have a positive effect on your life.

Benefits of Meditation: The benefits are unique for each person, but both physiological and psychological balancing is common. Some of the benefits of meditation will be realized quickly, and others over many months, so don't be discouraged.

When to Meditate: I recommend that a person meditate twice a day. Before breakfast and before dinner are ideal. (The digestive system often shuts down during meditation, so a full stomach may result in indigestion. ) Remember, whatever happens is OK. It's OK to fall asleep or to not become relaxed, OK to laugh or cry, OK to be, or not to be, in an altered state, OK if the mantra doesn't follow the breath as I have suggested, or even goes away altogether. What is important is that you have an *intention* to think the mantra during your meditation. In short, don't try to control it! For 20 minutes, twice a day, JUST BE!

Questions and comments: The most common question I get when I teach someone to meditate is "What do you mean by "think the mantra gently and easily"?' My best answer is an analogy. When you read you take the effort to look at the page, to focus on the page and the words. And you *intend* to discern the meaning of the words. That is usually enough and the meaning comes without much effort, yet there is *some* effort involved. Thinking the mantra is similar in that you direct a similar level of effort (which is very little, yet it is there) toward thinking the mantra. You do *not* force yourself, brow furrowed, to think the mantra to the exclusion of all else. Just let it come, and if that is not enough, then encourage your mind to think it with a small effort.

If you are tired when you meditate you may fall asleep. Regardless, do not use meditation as a sleep aid. If you have insomnia, just meditate during the day and the insomnia will probably take care of itself.

"Sitting comfortably" to meditate does not mean cross-legged. If that is comfortable for you, you can meditate in that position. However, sitting with your feet flat on the floor, erect but comfortable in a chair, is just as good. Don't lie down.

I suggest that you re-read this occasionally, it contains lots of information.

Shareware, etc.: Consider this to be "shareware." If you find the information in it valuable please distribute this document in an appropriate manner and make a donation to a worthy charity in stead of payment. I suggest:

Institute for Attitudinal Studies

PO Box 19222

Alexandria, VA 22230

which is a non-profit educational and spiritual organization which I am not affiliated with. The idea for this meditation page was inspired by the IAS text: To See Differently, Personal Growth and Being of Service Through Attitudinal Healing.

"Prayer is you talking to God; meditation is you listening to God." -Yogi Amrit Desai

___

RIVER OF LIFE MEDITATION

Find a comfortable place where you can relax and be completely quiet...relax...allow your thought snow to just come and go...come and go...and take a deep breath in and hold it...(pause)...now gather up the tension in your body, and release it as you exhale...take another deep breath, and as you exhale, let go of anybody else's energy or thoughts you may be carrying....and breathe in new energy...breathe in new possibilities...and allow your body to fill with lightness...feel it becoming lighter and lighter as you relax more and more...relaxing deeply...going deeper...feeling very light now...so light you could almost float away..........

And as you relax, imagine a beautiful colored mist is swirling up around you, billowing up around you into a cushiony, soft, cloud of energy...and you are resting completely upon this cloud...and you are safe...as you breathe in and out, let your thoughts just come and go...relaxing more and more...and the cloud of energy now lifts you up into the air and carries your down into your own inner world...down between the boundaries of time and space...to a place of timeless beauty and infinite possibilities...floating down now, going deeper and deeper, leaving the outer world and its concerns far behind, as you drift and float on this beautiful cloud....going further and further down below you is a rock, a giant rock...and the cloud gently and effortlessly lands upon the rock and you step off it, as the cloud swirls back into a mist and disappears for now...

Stand upon this rock now, and feel the strength of it under your feet...and as you turn around, you look out upon a great river...flowing as far as you can see...seeming to come from some infinite place...and disappearing into an infinite place... a flowing, endless river of energy...this is the river of all life waters...all of life draws upon the life force that moves through its steaming currents... look closely at the water...what color is it? it may look like liquid light to you...look deeply into it, and sense the power and depth of the river...what sound does it make as it courses through its channels?...as you stand securely upon your rock, notice and fragrance ...and bend down and cup your hands in the living water, and splash some of it on your face...feel the life giving force on your skin... take a sip of the water...allow the river of life to nourish you....

Now relax a moment upon the rock...and bring into your mind the magical intention that never seemed to go anywhere...what were you trying to accomplish?...what was the basic intention you had?...what was the emotion behind the intention?...feel the energy of that emotion moving onto the palms of your hands now...feel the energy glowing...pulsating...breathe and allow your intention that you're still clinging to externalize...the energy of it is now shimmering, glowing...swirling into a sphere...allow all of your desire to flow into this sphere...and allow this sphere to appear to you however it appears...and just observe what you see...you may see pictures or symbols emerging within the sphere...whatever you see is fine...

When your sphere is completely filled with the last of your desire, emotion, and intention, hold it aloft...feel the power of it in your hands, a globe of power that you can now release...and look out into the river of life...watch as its currents of possibility flow for ever and ever - as far as you can see...and whenever you're ready with as much and as little force as you need, throw the pulsating sphere into the river...and give this intention to the life force of this great river...watch as the sphere touches the water...and gradually disappears into the current...

Take a deep breath... as the sphere disappears the last of your intention and emotion and desire merges with the source of all life, from which it originally came...and leaves you...

Now complete any business here that you need to finish...take a few moments to enjoy the flowing river of life and know that the possibilities it nourishes can bring miracles into you life too...

Take another deep breath, and notice the colored mist is once again swirling around you...billowing up underneath you to form a beautiful cloud of cushiony energy, which is lifted up into the air, with you upon it...relaxing into the cloud you are returning the way you came...lifting up...up through time and space, coming back from the inner world...coming up... further and further...floating and drifting back...coming back...bringing you all the way back into your body now, into this room...brining your attention completely back into this time and place...take a deep breath and begin to re-orient yourself to the outer world...and when you're ready, count to three..., and on the count of three open your eyes, and return feeling relaxed, alert and at peace.

As always, change any of the wording or images in this meditation if it suits your purpose better. The important part is just to finally and completely let go of your intention, so that the energy can be recycled in whatever form the creative force and your own consciousness will allow. Out of this release, new lives, new opportunities, and new magical opportunities are born.

___

Wicca Spirit is seeking articles, poetry, artwork, opinions, essays, book reviews, spells, rituals, any information of interest to the Wiccan & Pagan Community.

All submissions are given serious consideration - let us showcase your work!

Send submissions to Editor.

Spell and Ritual Supplies - Click Here

African Traditional Prayer

I am one with my father and the universe.

I am one with mother earth.

I am one with everyone within the reach of my voice.

And, in this togetherness,

we ask the divine intelligence to eradicate all negatives

from our hearts,

from our minds,

from our words,

and from our actions.

And, so be it.

babatunde olatunji - 1927-2003

Elder’s Meditation

"That spiritual power I wear is much more beautiful and much greater.

We call it wisdom, knowledge, power and gift or love. There are these four parts to that spiritual power. So I wear those. When you wear that power it will beautify your mind and spirit. You become beautiful. Everything that Tunkashila creates is beautiful."

--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA

When I was young, I asked my grandfather, "What should I pray for?"

He thought for a long time and then he said, "Pray only for wisdom and for the knowledge of love."

This makes a lot of sense. No matter what happens I ask the Creator to show me the lessons I should be learning.

I pray for Him to help me learn the lessons.

By doing this everyday we become beautiful human beings.

Great Spirit, grant me Your wisdom.

www.whitebison. org

The above meditation, The River of Life, has been credited to: Gay Clarke www.pathwaytospirit.co.uk