Wiccan Wisdom

[Raine]

So, this is a little topic thread I decided to start, to give or receive spiritual advice in general. Whether you be Wiccan, or Christian, or Atheist, or Agnostic; we all have something to offer each other in the ways of wisdom.  I've decided here is just a good a place as any to start sharing. These can be experiences, thoughts, ideas, or just some intellectual banter. Though, keep in mind I've created this not to argue one another, but to offer each others opinions and knowledge. Please, don't say any one person is right or wrong, we all have an opinion.

Anyhow, to start this off, lately I've found myself to be kind of a harbinger of sadness. I've found, that after a week or two of this, that it's probably my own melancholy mood reflecting back at me. Most often it is just misunderstandings on my part; or the emotional side of me wanting a bit more from the people I care most about, that makes me upset. This in turn makes them upset, and I blame myself or think that there is some other source. I've decided that sometimes, people are just happier to be around a much happier person; so perhaps I should put on a smile, even if it hurts a little.

[Oniya]

It certainly sounds like empathic feedback.  My mother is a projective and I'm a receptive, so I've learned about how to deal with that sort of thing.  Luckily, it sounds like you have a clue, unlike my mother. ;)  Have you tried doing simple grounding and centering before going out with people?  Even if you can't flush out the negativity, at least being able to identify it might help you know what's your (pardon the wording) crap being reflected back at you, and what is other people's crap.

I also like to keep a small piece of hematite as a touchstone.  Whether you believe in crystal energies or not, the iron stays soothingly cool for a long time when you fidget with it.

[HairyHeretic]

Have you tried shielding? If you can stop it going out, or back in, you might feel better.

I would also use Algiz, as it acts like a spiritual lightning rod to earth away negative energies. Might not work for everyone, but I'm asatruar, so it does for me.

[Raine]

I'd like to thanks you guys who gave me advice; it made me feel better to know that people cared enough to post in this thread. I am grateful. I ended up doing several hours of meditation and left some sandalwood incense burning; took a long bath and just thought things through. I'm much better now.

I still think we should keep this thread alive, and leave it open to anyone else who needs spiritual guidance or advice.
-Raine

[Mnemaxa]

Have you tried shielding? If you can stop it going out, or back in, you might feel better.

Speaking from experience, shielding can have detrimental effects if used too much or too intently.  Filtering is slightly harder, but less likely to have drastic repercussions.  If you're strongly empathic in either direction, you have to be able to live witth it for a long, long time, and shielding can prevent you from being prepared when those inevitable somethings happen to tear them down.

[Oniya]

Filtering is slightly harder, but less likely to have drastic repercussions.  If you're strongly empathic in either direction, you have to be able to live witth it for a long, long time, and shielding can prevent you from being prepared when those inevitable somethings happen to tear them down.

A tip on filtering - picture an enclosure around you.  You can make the walls out of whatever you want, from mosquito netting (open enough to let most things in but keep the bugs outside, and transparent enough so you can 'see' the bugs) to velvet (absorbs most things, but you can't see through it) to mirrors (sends stuff back where it came from).

[undisclosedtoyou]

Something I was always interested in,

When I was little I heard that when your scared, or about to go to sleep, that it's a good thing to picture yourself surrounded by a white light.  I use it on occasion when I'm really scared, or get that 'something bad is going to happen' feeling, and it works to make me feel safer and/or more secure.

The thing I always wondered about was whether this was something that is really taught or not, and was something made up.

not sure if this was the place to post this question.

[Oniya]

This is a common way of visualizing a shield or protective barrier (not quite the same thing, but similar principles).  Depending on who you learned this from, the source of the protection can be from yourself or from whatever Higher Power you believe in.  I've heard Catholics describe it as asking God to hold you in His hand, for example.

[undisclosedtoyou]

Mmmm I heard it from someone long ago, so I can't remember, but I'm agnostic, I believe that there's a higher power, but it could be anything, well that's how I interpret my beliefs lol.

Sounds odd, but I still have an irrational fear of the dark that some times creeps up on me, and so whenever I feel like somethings out there I just visualize the white light, and it calms me down, I've also heard of visualizing a circle of blue light around you to, although I forgot what that means...something about healing, but I'm unsure.

Thanks for answering my question though.

*smiles*

[Oniya]

I was sort of trying to say that the 'white light/protection' thing crosses over all sorts of belief systems. :)  (Darn that generic 'you'.)

Blue is also associated with healing and peace, possibly through association with water, which would explain the circle of blue reference.

[undisclosedtoyou]

Yay I learned something new.

*smiles and offers yummy cookies as payment for the treat*

[ShrowdedPoet]

Every morning when you wake up try thinking about everyone you love and how beautiful life is.  Do not wake up thinking about all that you have to do or all the worries you have.  Just think how wonderful and beaufiul life is and how happy you are to be living in such a beautiful way.  That always helps put a smile on my face no matter how hard life is or how hard it's gotten to wake up every morning.

[Raine]

I've found that a good way to put the mind at ease is to submerge myself in cold water; close my eyes, and just let the water wash away my worries and my stress. Of course, it's not good to do this without someway to breathe or if not, emerging every minute or two to take a breath. Usually the cold water stimulates my nerves and allows me to relax and just focus on the soothing feeling.

[undisclosedtoyou]

Oh I always do that when I have a lot on my mind and just need some time to myself, where there's silence. But usually I use warm/hot water. 

[Pumpkin Seeds]

I perfer to sit in the bathroom and just hear the water fall.  I've always been a fan of water falling.  Just allows me to focus on such a simple sound and place.  Not even the rain sound machines seem to match that feeling.

[Raine]

Rain sound machines never work for me either. I don't think anything can match nature's true sound or it's soothing effects. The cold water works best for me just because the water temperature doesn't change as quickly as it does if the water is warm. It cools my mind as well as my body.  ;)
It feels quite nice to be sharing this with you all.

[undisclosedtoyou]

it does feel good to share it all here.

Mmmm I love standing in the rain. At night, and no ones around, it's soothing.

[HairyHeretic]

No experience with rain machines, but when my mood is sufficiently screwed up, I'll go sit on a boulder down at the beach and stare out into the sea. That seems to help a bit.

[Raine]

I do wish I lived that close to the beach... I live like twenty five minutes away. And i just don't make enough to afford to drive down there. And... it's a tourist attraction where I live, so i don't really like to be there unless the weather is bad or it's cold out. I usually have to resort to the woods in my neighborhood, or sometimes I only have my room. But it's great to be able to have somewhere you can unwind and rest yourself from the weight our public lives put on us. I never have feel than how I feel after meditation.

[HairyHeretic]

I'm about five minutes walk from the beach, give or take. Maybe 10, depending on how fast you walk.

It's a nice enough spot, but I have the feeling there's something down there.

[Raine]

What do you mean, by 'down there?'

[HairyHeretic]

At the beach. Specifically in the water.

I'd a rather strange experience down there one time.

[undisclosedtoyou]

Now I really want to hear this story?

Mind sharing?

[HairyHeretic]

Don't mind at all.

It was a few years back now .. I don't remember exactly how many. My wife and I were down on the beach, not doing anything much. We both started to get the feeling we were being watched. The light was good, so we could see the beach was deserted, for as far as we could see in either direction. No one to be seen on the cliffs behind us either.

The feeling didn't go away, and the strength of it seemed to build. It wasn't hostile, but I'd say .. wary, or suspicious maybe. I felt it was coming from a spot about 25 - 30 meters off shore, where I could see the waves breaking.

After about 5 - 10 minutes of this feeling building and building we both decided to leave. We walked back up onto the path leading up from the beach, got maybe 30 or 40 meters along it, and it was like a switch was flicked. The feeling was just gone. Pressure, pressure, pressure, boom, nothing.

We looked at each other, confirmed we'd both felt it up til that point, and felt it go in the time it would take to click your fingers.

Never experienced it before or since, and I've been down to the beach again since then.

[Pumpkin Seeds]

Closest I can relate to the beach here is a giant, black lake we have nearby.  Truly a giant thing, though it does have its own charm.  Best thing is when the wind is high and the waves are crashing against the shore, you can sit in your car at the edge.  The waves just come up and over the car.  Everything shakes and roars.  So peaceful and calm that I've fallen asleep a few times there. 

If I ever leave this city I'd miss the wind and that dirty lake.

P.S. That is real freaky Hairy.