Ritual 22: Monday, May 28, 2007

Waxing Moon

The energy of the sun's waxing cycle is rising as we approach the summer solstice, less than a moon cycle away. With so many people enjoying this Monday off, there's also a feeling of summer vacation in the air. Vacation provides an opportunity to refresh our spiritual wells, to replenish our energy reserves. The rising tide of solar energy converges with the waxing moon, creating a strong surge of life force available for magic that will return your energy reserves to full.

You can do this simple ritual in your home or on a walk outside. It's an exercise in observation and appreciation. We filter all our perceptions through our moods and mental expectations. Tuning into what we enjoy about what's already around us helps us attract and perceive more of the same. Practicing the art of appreciation fills us up with a sense of abundance and well-being.

Start this exercise by closing your eyes. Count down from three to one like so:

I'm counting down from three to one
When I open my eyes the magic's begun
Three, two, one

Now open your eyes and describe out loud all the things you appreciate about the very first thing you see. That could be its physical beauty, its function or how it came into your life. If you've got no appreciation for it, or you keep tilting toward the things you don't like, then quickly shift your attention to something else before you, and describe it instead. Finish your appreciation with words of thanks for this thing being in your life. If you can touch what you see, it'll be even better.

(I just appreciated my coffee cup for being part of a matched set, for being a nice size, and for containing coffee that makes me feel alert and focused.)

Breathe in deeply and close your eyes again. Repeat the chant, and open your eyes to appreciate the next thing you see. Express gratitude for this thing, too, being part of your experience. Breathe in the energy of appreciation, and repeat the process.

Do this as many times as you like. If you find little to appreciate in your home (or there's too much negative charge around certain objects), then by all means, go outside. There is so much to appreciate in nature. This tree for its little flowers, this air for keeping me alive, this bus stop that gives me an easy way to get across town.

When you feel complete, use this rhyme to seal in your magic:

I'm counting up from one to three
The good I've observed is now a part of me.
One, two, three!

So mote it be!

After the ritual, share your experience in our community section.