Quote of the day: 9 February, we listen to St. John of the Cross describe a benefit of the night and dryness—God enlightens the soul like light shining in the darkness, so that we can know both our own misery and his greatness
Since this is the proper moment, we ought to point out another benefit resulting from this night and dryness of the sensory appetite. So that the prophecy—your light will illumine the darkness (Is. 58:10)—may be verified, God will give illumination by bestowing on the soul not only knowledge of its own misery and lowliness but also knowledge of His grandeur and majesty.
Magic: meditation. Why should magical practitioners meditate?
Typically malas, or prayer beads, have 108 beads on them plus the start/end bead which has a tassel attached to it. Normally one assigns a mantra to each bead. Sometimes I do run a mantra while passing a mala’s beads through my fingers.
Mostly I just use it to count breaths. One breath in, one breath out, then move to the next bead.
Three times around is just slightly more than 20 minutes. Four…
Discursive Meditation and the Archon of This World
I was just reading John Michael Greer on discursive meditation, understood as a process that exercises the capacity to work with symbols in an intelligible way, a deliberate training of the symbolic muscle through repetition. Meditation has always been this, before its modern reduction to the exact opposite, the idea that meditating means emptying the mind. The word itself says something else. Meditation comes from the Latin meditatio, from meditari, which means to think at length, to reflect, to ponder, to rehearse inwardly. Nothing here points to emptiness.
That is precisely why, in monastic practices, so much emphasis is placed on repetition and on Lectio Divina. This work is done through the ruminative repetition of psalmody, continuous recitation, the sustained presence of the image in the mind. The same principle lies behind the contemplation of the Tarot for those who practise cartomancy, or behind the incessant repetition of the Kyrie eleison on Mount Athos. In all these cases, symbols function as keys. Not so much to “explain” something, but to open, or at least to give form to, the inner imaginative world of the human being.
reclaiming the lost art of deep thought
When was the last time you truly sat with an idea—let it breathe, let it unravel, let it lead you somewhere unexpected? Not just skimming the surface, not just forming a quick opinion before moving on, but actually dwelling inside the thought, following it down strange corridors, turning it over, testing its weight.
We don’t do this often anymore. Thought…
I have been writing my meditations on the ogham feda, or letters, and I've found it a very valuable experience, so I wanted to share my thoughts.
The meanings, keywords, and pronunciations of each letter is from Erynn Rowan Laurie's book Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom. Everything else is my own.
hÚath - H
(oo-uth)
Meaning: Terror
Keyword: Despair
Fear and despair are both things that stop movement, for me. Terror tries to activate movement through the fight or flight response, but there is also freeze. I think of when I went through my crisis in 2014-15 after a lifetime of depression. Was my body trying subconsciously to inspire action through fear? In some ways, it worked, because I finally got help. However, the fear was also so intense that I had trouble doing basic things like sleeping.
Fear is a method of protection. However, risk is inherent in many aspects of life. We must take risks. We even get dopamine from facing our fears successfully, which is why some people thrill-seek. Fear, thrill, excitement, desire... they are all so closely connected.
How do I work with fear as a partner? How do I acknowledge fear and then decide for myself if I want to move forward? How do I allow myself to fear, to scream all the way down the roller-coaster?
hÚath is the mark of the Morrigan.
May she guide me through the terrors of battle to righteous victory.
Dair - D
(dar)
Meaning: Oak
Keyword: Strength
Strength of the oak. Strength of the druid. Strength of the lion. Strength of the maiden.
Strength of the oak to grow tall, to grow in light, where other tree have not yet gone, to grow old, with deep roots, to grow hard and sturdy wood used only by master crafters, for doors and houses to last generations.
Strength of the druid, in touch with the spirits of the land, who has forged knowledge and lived experience into wisdom.
Strength of the maiden, master of her own mind, sovereign of her own self, beholden to no one. She who embraces the wildness of the self, lets it be wild, lets herself be wild, but also calms the wildness, the anger, the frenzy.
Compassion is strength. Gentleness is strength. Living is strength. Scars do not diminish strength.
Perhaps Dair is the mark of the Dagda to me. Perhaps Dair is the roots of the oak in my gut, supporting the fire in my heart.
Tinne - T
(CHIN-uh)
Meaning: Ingot (bar of metal)
Keyword: Mastery
Mastery. Could be a symbol of Lugh, Master of All Arts. The ingot. The forge. Skills that seem like magic. Skills are magic.
What does it mean to be a master? It's not perfection, which is impossible. Is it the ability to teach others? Maybe, but not necessarily. It's a level of skill, hard to measure. But it feel good. You may not know where the peak of a mountain is, but at some point you see the vista. See how far you have come.
It's something you build up to. There must be joy as well as challenge. Challenge without joy is suffering. Joy without challenge eventually loses its meaning, becomes boredom. Balanced, you feel joy in reaching higher each time, and struggles aren't crushing.
Lugh, may I find this balance. May I continue to reach ever higher.
Coll - C
(kull)
Meaning: Hazel
Keyword: Wisdom
Wisdom, nine rivers, nine hazel trees, the salmon in the pool. Mastery vs wisdom. Mastery of skill, earth of air, wisdom of the heart, water of air. Master of skills, wisdom of... ethics? Philosophy? Things you know, but more than know. Things one embodies, acts out every day. Experience.
Wisdom is the calm waters of the pool. Wisdom connects to the heart, the subconscious, the Otherworld. Psychology and spirituality are often linked. The human mind is a vast and mysterious place.
I can be wise and struggle to embody wisdom. That is being human.
Wisdom and inspiration are connected through the story of Taliesin and Cerridwen. Fire and water, things that should mix mixing. How are they similar and different? I'm not sure. Perhaps next time.
Ceirt - Q
(kyert)
Meaning: Rag or Shrub
Keyword: Misfortune
Misfortune. Sometimes bad things just happen! Sometimes things are out of our control. We tie clooties on trees, we pray, we try to blame ourselves, but sometimes it doesn't work. I think Picard once said "Sometimes you still fail, even if you do everything right."
Mental illness. Even when we are able to change ourselves, it is a slow thing, not linear. Sometimes it seems like all of our work is undone. "Brain does what it wants," I've said.
But this is only sometimes! When we ride out the storms, eventually the sun comes out again. If not, get help in what ways you can.
There are some things you can change, and some things you can't. It's against our nature, us homo sapiens, so good at thinking, but we need to let go of the things we can't change and focus on the things we can.
Quote of the day, 12 April: St Teresa often advised her nuns to meditate on the Passion of Christ. In the Interior Castle she defines meditation as thinking about the Passion, considering details like Judas' betrayal "and all the rest"
Since we know the path by which we must please God, which is that of the commandments and counsels, we should follow it very diligently, and think of His life and death and of the many things we owe Him; let the rest come when the Lord desires.
At this point, someone may respond that he cannot dwell on these things, and, because of what was said, perhaps he will in a certain way be right. You…
St. Joseph Novena 2020 — Day 3: The Silence of St. Joseph — In the Scripture, Saint Joseph never utters one, single word. His silence teaches us us how to watch and wait on the Lord; today, we try to practice his silent prayer
Today we continue the novena to St. Joseph. Joseph is so silent in the Gospels, so ordinary, that it took many years for the Church to give him due importance. St. Joseph is special because he reflects in a unique way the love of the Eternal Father for his only begotten Son.
Reading
Psalm 15
1 Lord, who shall be admitted to your tent
and dwell on your holy mountain?
