The wild boar is an animal I work with a lot. He lives in the North Airt (direction) in my shamanic/Celtic spiritual practice. Thousands of years ago Britain was covered in thick primeval woodland and forests. It’s only comparatively recently that those forests have been felled, either for ship masts (which began in King Henry VIII time and onwards), or through the increasing turn to pastoralism by our ancestors. However, there’s no doubt about it, at one time the wild boar was a king among our woodland.

It’s hard to say when the wild boar finally became extinct in Britain but it is thought that the original British wild boar was probably gone from this country by the 13th century, which is pretty early actually. However, over time there were efforts to reintroduce it; during the reign of James 1st and his son, Charles 1st. Unfortunately these attempts were unsuccessful because most people saw wild boar as agricultural pests and killed them.

However, all is not lost. The wild boar is now alive and well and living quite happily in small pockets of wild Britain. In 1998 DEFRA announced two populations living in the wild. So, where had they come from? Apparently these wild boars are thought to be escapees from a couple of wild boar breeders, one on the Kent/Sussex border, and the other in Gloucestershire in the Forest of Dean. The habitat in these places is ideal for the boar to live and flourish because it is fragmented woodland and agricultural land and perfect for the boars’ needs. Not only that because of our mild and wet climate favours the boars natural needs too.

The main threat to the long-term survival of the returned boar appears to be hunting pressure. The fact that the animals are being shot year round and that pregnant/lactating sows are being shot suggests that hunting pressure is affecting population growth. However, whether hunting is actually reducing the population, or only slowing down population growth, is unknown. The tendency of the wild boar to feed on agricultural crops continually puts them in confrontation with the farming and hunting communities.

There are ecological implications also. Some say the constant rooting around of the boars with their snouts, which act like little bull ploughs is detrimental to wild plants etc. not to mention the very unhappy farmer who finds a ‘sounder’ (group of sows) in his fields digging up his root vegetables. On the other side there are those who say that the constant shovelling of the boar’s snout actually helps the woodland and encourages new growth. Despite the for and against, through studies of the UK Wild Boar Survey, the sightings of wild boar are increasing from their initial places and have now been seen as far as field as Dorset, Monmouthshire, Devon, the Home Counties, and even as far up as Lancashire, Northumberland and yes, even Scotland. So it does actually seem that the wild boar has made it back to its ancestral home or one of them anyway.

Wild boar in Kent

Of course we all know that the wild boar is a wild pig…yes? Actually it is THE wild ancestor to every pig you can possibly think of, even the pot bellied ones and the weeny miniature ones some people now keep as pets. Yes, the wild boar is THE BIG DADDY of them all. However, a wild boar male will mate with any pig that is an escapee or who has formed feral groups. The offspring although called wild boars themselves are most usually known as wild hogs, wild pigs or razorbacks.

The wild boar has a thick bristly coat but underneath is a softer and thick brownish hair. coat colour can vary from brown, red brown, dark grey, black and even brindled with white or tan tips. Just occasionally one can spot a rare white, known as a white phenotype, and an ever rarer pale coat with black spots. These two types are not albinos but naturally occurring hybrids. The piglets are adorable when born, they have striped coats, which acts as an excellent form of camouflage but these are lost by the time the piglet is 4 months old. The young then take on a reddish colouration until they gain their adult colours at about 1 year.

Sow with piglet in Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire

After 2 years of age male wild boar grow tusks from both the upper and lower canines curving upwards. The top tusks are hollow and act as a permanent whetstone against which the lower tusks are continually sharpened. The lower tusks are indeed extremely sharp. Females do not grow the upper ‘sharpening’ tusks as do the males, and their lower tusks are smaller and they do not protrude from the lip, as they do in males.

Wild boar prefer to live in small social groups referred to as ‘sounders’. Sounders are matriarchal and organised around a core of two or three mature reproductive females with their most recent litters, plus the surviving young and teenagers from previous litters. Group size varies between 6 and 30 animals. Mature males tend to be found in the vicinity of the group only during the breeding season. Outside the breeding season, the mainly solitary males will tolerate the presence of each other but aggression increases in winter with competition for females.

Sow with piglets in Surrey

The Wild boar is primarily a nocturnal animal. The daytime is spent sleeping in areas of thick cover in day nests, which are saucer shaped depressions in the ground which may be lined with leaves. Wild boars often have one long rest period in dense cover, during the day, which can last more than 12 hours. A short period of grooming on awakening, followed by four to eight hours of feeding during the night.

Wild boars are omnivorous and will consume a large variety of food items. Typically, plant material accounts for 90% of their diet and animal matter the remaining 10%. Plant matter consists of roots, bulbs and tubers (unearthed by rooting with their long snouts) and fruit and berries. Animal matter can consist of mice, birds’ eggs, snakes, lizards, worms, beetles and centipedes and carrion. The diet changes to accommodate seasonally available items and forest fruits (for example, acorns, beech mast, chestnuts, olives) are particularly important in the autumn as these protein rich foods enable the sows to be in peak breeding condition. In times of shortage, agricultural crops may be raided, particularly fields of maize, turnips and potatoes.

So why am I so attracted to the wild boar, and why does he represent for me the Northern airt. Of course, for my ancestors the boar was a very important food source. In fact, In Scotland there are places that still bear the boar’s name (muic is Gaelic for pig) – Allt na Muic, meaning ‘stream of the pig’ in Glen Moriston, Sron na Muic – the ‘nose of the pig’ in Glen Affric. Celtic and Anglo-Saxon helmets bearing boar-head crests have been found in a number of places; the crests were supposed to give protection to the warrior. Beowulf, in the Anglo-Saxon epic bearing his name, went into battle with a boar-head standard which was symbolic of his power as a leader.

In Celtic myths and legends there are many tales about great boars. One well known one is the story of Culhwch and Olwen from the Mabinogion. To cut a lovely story short, Culhwch wants to marry Olwen, his beloved. So Olwen’s father who is the giant Ysbaddaden, sets some seemingly impossible tasks for Culhwch to perform before he can marry her. The final of these is to cut Ysbaddaden’s hair and beard but the only thing sharp enough is the tusk belonging to Ysgithyrwn, the wildest boar in the land. Fortunately for Culhwch he manages this with a little help from his friend and cousin King Arthur. Then to deal with the beard he has to get the only scissors and comb in the land, and they reside in an impossible place, again between the ears of a huge and vicious boar named Twrch Trwth. In actual fact Twrch Trwth is an Irish king who had been transformed into the boar with poisonous bristles. Again Culhwch proves himself the man for the task and once the scissors and the comb have been obtained, the boar gets driven over a cliff.

The Norse fertility god Freyr had a wild boar called Gullinbursti meaning ‘Golden mane’. Its bristles glowed in the dark, illuminating his path. Freyr’s sister, Freya rode her boar Hildesvini ‘Battle Swine) into battle.

There is a goddess called Mala Liath (Scottish lore) who is also viewed as the Cailleach in south-western Scotland. She tended a herd of wild pigs all sired from the famous wild boar of Glen Glass. This goddess is also sometimes equated with Cerridwen. In fact Cerridwen is interesting, not only because she is a patroness of mine but because her name has been linked with the boar. In some interpretations she is known as the ‘White Sow Henwen’ – obviously not a domesticated white pig but perhaps one of the rare hybrids boars mentioned above. White is a symbol of the Otherworld in Celtic, especially Irish mythology, and many animals are seen as white to denote their links with this realm. However, this interpretation may not be strictly true because in earlier texts that first mentioned Cerridwen, her name can be translated as ‘Cyrridven’ or crooked woman. However, Cerridwen is a shape shifter and I like to keep this in mind when I work with her. She can manifest into any form she wishes. It is true that the white sow/female boar is an animal she is associated with.

In Celtic spirituality the wild boar (torc/muic) is always associated with the hunt, the search, nourishment and the fight. Wild boars are actually quite peaceable animals until they feel threatened, or are defending their young. For me I see the boar as symbolic of both male and female traits. Mothers are excellent nurturers and caregivers to their young but will turn aggressive if their young are threatened. Even the males won’t be out rightly aggressive unless confronted. However, they do have a wild and powerful spirit. Nothing stops them on their search for food. They are the hunters, the searchers of hidden gems. In some part of France even today, farmers will take a pig into the woods to search out ‘black gold’ or the truffles that are so sought after by restaurants the world over. It is an animal not to be trifled with, it has raw power that can be very destructive and that needs to be channelled. On the flip side it is nurturing and provides nourishment.

The boar in the North Airt guards the way to the cold internal world of the shadow, which must be integrated. Using the power of the boar, along with its nurturing aspects the shadow can be faced. The boar searches and guides, it won’t stop until it has found what it’s after. It faces its foes with bravery and ferocity. The shadow needs to be faced in this way sometimes. However, the mothering side is gentle and nurtures the self, allowing for healing.

Photo credits ~ Chris Grady, David Slater

Resistance tends to strengthen the energies it attempts to oppose by giving them power and energy to work against. Additionally, resistance keeps us from learning more about what we resist. In order to fully understand something, we must open to it enough to receive its energy; otherwise, we remain ignorant of its lessons. There is a Tibetan story of a monk who retreats to meditate in a cave only to be plagued by demons. He tries everything—chasing, fighting, hiding—to get the demons out of his cave, but the thing that finally works is surrender. He simply lets them have their way with him and only then do they disappear.

Now, this wisdom must be applied practically. We are not meant to get ourselves physically injured. Instead, this story speaks of how, in essence, our demons are inside of us. What plagues and pursues us on an inner level has a way of manifesting itself in our environment in the form of people, events, and issues that appear to be beyond our control. But all these external expressions are reflections of our insides, and it is inside ourselves that we can safely experiment with surrendering to what we fear and dislike. It may feel scary, and we may find ourselves in the company of a lot of resistance as we begin the process of opening to what we fear. But the more we learn to surrender, and the more the demons that plague us disappear in the process, the more courageous we will become.

Each of us has a spiritual self that animates our bodies and infuses our thoughts and feelings. Our language is limited to the world we know for descriptions of something that perhaps cannot be fully comprehended by the human mind. Therefore, only metaphors approach the expressions that give us a true sense of our spiritual nature. The paradox lies in opposing concepts, all of which are true at the same time. And in harmonizing the opposites, we begin to know the wonders of the spirit.

The self is not small or big but is both at the same time. Our spirit is like a drop in the ocean of spiritual energy. Although our spirit seems like a small, disconnected part of a larger whole, it is still made of the same things and can become part of the vast ocean once again. Our individual spirit seems to inhabit our bodies like a passenger in a vehicle but at the same time is not bound by our bodies. Spirits can reach across the miles to touch the heart of a loved one or expand to become one with the universe. We may feel small and perhaps insignificantly young when we look up at the stars, but we are made of the same basic elements. Perhaps looking at the stars is merely a reflection of what is going on within each atom and cell of our being. We are a universe within a universe. Our spirits are ever renewing, yet ageless and eternal. So the self is not new or old but both at once.

So our spiritual self is not small or big, new or old. We may experience life as good and bad, right and wrong, happy and sad, but this is the experience of the material world of dualities, not the truth of our spritual nature. By going within to touch the eternal and changeless energy at our center, we can go beyond the contrasting metaphors to the experience of oneness. And in that connection we can know big and small, new and old, movement and stillness. By accepting the paradox of spirit, we open ourselves to the fullness of our own being.

Just before the coming of the pale rays of dawn, Mother Nature exists in a state of flux. Earth’s energy is stable, free of the disordered vibrations that are a by-product of humanity’s comings and goings. In these first moments of day, when the sun’s golden light is only just peeking over the horizon, our animal mind remains in the land of slumber though we ourselves are awake. Deep sleep has washed away the impurities of existence that accumulated within us, so our mental, physical, and emotional potential is heightened. To meditate in this peaceful yet energetically charged in-between time is to connect with the divine in an extremely intimate fashion. We discover a new kinship with the universal life force during morning meditations because our awareness becomes a mirror for earthly consciousness—we wake as the world wakes, quietly embracing the joy of being and setting the tone for a serene, fulfilling day.

In the first glorious glow of morning, the light, air, and energy flowing around us speak in hushed tones of the activity to come. While we recognize that another day of being means becoming once again immersed in the challenges of action and reaction, we also understand that we can draw upon the unique energetic qualities of daybreak for comfort, creativity, and vigor. There is bliss in the simple knowledge that we have been given the gift of another day of existence. We are inspired by sights and sounds of the sun’s gentle ascension. Birds serenade the luminosity, which grows richer by the minute. And though we may feel a residual lethargy, our vitality returns as our meditation helps us to become one with the stirring of other beings rubbing the sleep from their eyes. At the start of each day, our destiny has not yet been written, and so there is nothing we cannot do.

How we choose to meditate is less important than our choice to attune ourselves to the spirit of wakefulness that travels round the world each and every day. Even the briefest moment of quiet contemplation in the muted light of the sun can put all that is yet to come into perspective. As a consequence of our daybreak reflections, our lives are imbued with the same stability, tranquility, and increased awareness that humanity has long associated with the stillness of early morning.

In some of our lives, sweeping has become an activity performed without much thought. In many cases, sweeping is a lost art, replaced by the noisy, efficient vacuum cleaner. But in several cultures and religions, sweeping the front and back porch every morning is regarded as an important cleansing ritual that prepares the ground for new energy on every level—physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. It is often employed to sanctify a space and prepare it for a ceremony. This seemingly simple action has the power to clear away the old and make space for the new. It stirs up the energy in a place, clearing out the astral buildup that is the natural by-product of the presence of humans.

This kind of sweeping is not about cleaning the area of dust. In fact, the broom doesn’t have to actually touch the ground to be effective. You might want to consider having two different brooms, one you use for cleaning dust and dirt, and one you use for energy clearing. If you are so inspired, you could decorate your broom by carving its handle, painting it, decorating it with gemstones and ribbons, or any other creative adornment that appeals to you. You can also make your own broom out of tree branches and twigs, or choose a naturally appearing broom from nature, such as a pine bough.

Sweeping each morning prepares the ground for the new day at the same time as it deepens our awareness of the importance of letting go of the past to welcome the present. As we clear the energy of our space, we clear our own energy systems. In addition, we create a space that feels clean, clear, and open to all who enter. Be sure to think welcoming thoughts as you sweep, manifesting what you need for the day. Making sweeping part of our daily ritual tunes us into the continuing cycle of releasing the old and welcoming the new that is the hallmark of a healthy energy system.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately on how I treat my poor body. Ever since I got a trapped nerve in my shoulder and have been in agony. At first I was angry at my body. How dare it do this to me! Then I wallowed as I’m rather a wuss with pain despite my being covered in tattoos (well, having a tattoo is a completely different sort of pain in my view). However, now I’m thinking that this is a wake up call, my body is giving me a sharp prod in the proverbial…ok in the shoulder! Yes, I do neglect it. I don’t always treat it as an embodiment of the Goddess. I take it for granted.

So, what to do? Well I then thought about how we do our best to look after the Goddess as embodied in the land. Through whatever means available and practical to us we nurture Her, whether this is just picking up litter in our local park to getting involved in Green Activism. We do all sorts of things don’t we? But can the same be said of our bodies? Do we nurture them and love them just as much? Do we pay just as much attention to them?

When our bodies hurt and we experience pain that’s a sign something is wrong and our bodies are telling us something. It’s not being nasty or a pain in the (fit in whatever word you like here). No! It’s pleading with us to pay attention, to expand our awareness in its direction. We tend to do this only when it plays us up but if we just took the time to  pay attention when everything is running smoothly then it wouldn’t have to kick up a fuss as often, if at all. So how can we expand our awareness to our bodies and treat them in a sacred way? Here are some ideas that I’ve implemented in my life:

1. Get up a little bit earlier each day. You don’t have to make a big thing about it – even 10 minutes earlier is enough to begin with. Before you do anything else give yourself a (((BIG HUG))). Go on, you deserve it – your body deserves it. When was the last time you hugged yourself? Make it a simple practice to begin each morning hugging yourself. I bet it makes you smile.

2. Ok, so we don’t all have baths, some of us don’t even own a bath but we can still nurture our bodies even in a shower. Find a shower gel that you just LOVE the smell of and pamper yourself. I use essential oils in my bath but it’s easy to make your own shower gel. Just get hold of a pump dispenser bottle and some unscented shower gel base and add your own essential oils. Ok, so not everyone likes the smell of lavender but there are so many wonderful essential oils out there and not all are really expensive. Get experimenting and have fun concocting your own shower gel.

3. Always make sure you have breakfast. Don’t skip this most important meal of the day. you know why it’s called breakfast don’t you? Because you’re ‘breaking your fast’ of the night. Believe me I know. I used to be absolute rubbish at eating breakfast and wouldn’t eat until later in the day. No wonder my poor body was starving and not playing nice. Even if it’s just a couple of pieces of toast make sure it’s good nutrition – choose a healthy and tasty topping. Please add some fruit too to your breakfast. Our bodies just LOVE fruit and fruit loves us. Fruit is great because it contains enzymes and is packed with goodies that help metabolism, mood, digestion and a whole host of other bodily functions. There is so much fruit available isn’t there, there’s got to be something that takes your fancy. I know some people on diets say you shouldn’t eat bananas because they’re fattening but personally I think that’s rubbish. Bananas are packed with potassium and other nutrients that are essential for our bodies. They really keep you going as they are complex carbs too. If, like me, you have an aversion to eating a banana straight from its jacket then why not whip up a smoothie. It’s so easy – a sliced banana, a cupful of milk and a tablespoon of bran, add some vanilla extract, whizz it up in the blender and voila…a delicious nutrient packed drink that really will keep you going.

4. On the subject of diets, which really are my bête noire, I say avoid them like the plague. Especially these ones that encourage a snack bar for breakfast, a shake for lunch and a ‘healthy’ pre-packaged meal for dinner. What’s all that about? As someone who has forced my body to suffer all kinds of diets in my life, I can attest that most are totally boring, a large percentage are unhealthy, maybe not in the short term but certainly long term and most do not work. Why deny yourself a nice piece of scrummy chocolate cake, or a lovely roast dinner? Balance is the key! We have a wonderful organ in our heads called a brain so let’s use it. A balanced intake of food plus some daily exercise and I promise your body will be happy and so will you and so will your wallet. You don’t need to pay out for expensive diets when all you need is to do a bit of research on the internet to find out what a decent nutritious food intake actually is, choose your own foods and enjoy it.

5. I’ve also started drinking a cup of Basil tea in the mornings too. Yes, common garden basil (the kind you add to your super scrummy tomato sauces). Why basil? Because it is a real ‘start of the day’ booster. Basil is a great herb for the digestion, it is antispasmodic and carminative (which means it acts on colicky stomachs and helps expel pent up gas. It’s also great for women’s ‘moon times’. Basil ‘opens up’ in the body. It is fantastic as a stimulating tea in the mornings. It stimulates a sluggish body and mind and helps one have energy to do the job at hand and helps us focus. Since I started taking Basil tea in the morning I feel more alert to do what I need to do during the day and my digestion is better too. It’s easy to make a cup. You need to treat yourself to a lovely cup and saucer, not a chipped old coffee mug. Drinking herbal teas from a lovely cup and saucer makes the whole thing something special. A ritual if you like that you can do for yourself before entering into the mundane world. I use the empty t-sacs and place 2 teaspoons of dried basil in it, fill the cup to the top and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Or you can make it in a small teapot and use a strainer while pouring it into your cup. I’ve found that I don’t really need any sweetener as Basil does have a naturally sweet flavour of its own but if you really need some then drizzle a bit of honey into it. Then sit down on your sofa or chair (no TV, no radio on) and just BE…be in the moment sipping your lovely basil tisane and enjoy; enjoy its flavour, the warmth of the basil reaching down into your cells. Be aware of your drinking, make it leisurely.

6. Become aware of your body through mindful meditation practise. This does not mean meditating for hours per day, nor is it something that is really hard to achieve although you do need to practice – remember the old saying ‘if you don’t use it you lose it’? Find somewhere comfortable to sit; on the train into work, in your lunch break, at home. sit and be still, allow your breathing to become calm and peaceful, regular and slow. Focus on your body, be aware of it. If intrusive thoughts come in – and they do, just acknowledge them but don’t focus on them. Keep your focus on your breathing and your body. Practice tuning into your body with your awareness. By doing this you will learn to listen, and I mean really listen to your body on a much deeper level.

7. Use herbs more often. Mother Nature has provided us with a plethora of wonderful plants and herbs we can use to aid our bodies and our health. One plant I’ve learnt to love big time is Nettles. Yes, those stinging nettles! Did you know nettles are one of the most nutritious and helpful plants available? Nettles contain calcium, chlorophyll, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, potassium, protein, silicon, sodium, sulphur, zinc and the Vitamins A, C, D, E, F and P. The alkaloids contained in Nettle neutralise uric acid in the body and thus helps to reduce the symptoms of rheumatism and gout. It is an excellent plant to take for high blood pressure, bronchitis, inflamed kidneys, poor circulation, anaemia, asthma, eczema and a whole lot of others too. A great way of consuming nettles is either in soup or to make a nutritious nettle smoothie and drink at least three times a week.

According to Susun Weed, Nettle infusions are…recommended for those wanting to stabilize blood sugar, reset metabolic circuits to normalize weight, reduce fatigue and exhaustion, restore adrenal potency to lessen allergic and menopausal problems and eliminate chronic headaches. Nettle is a gentle and powerful herb that can be drunk daily for increased energy and chi. Taken over a long period of time it is beneficial to the kidneys, lungs, intestine, arteries, hair, and skin.

So how to make a nettle smoothie. Well my version is slightly different from that given in the book nourishing Herbal Infusions because I’ve kind of experimented a bit. However, making the nettle infusion is the same at the beginning. to make a nettle infusion I get a large plastic jug and chuck in about two handfuls of dried nettles, or if you’re using fresh nettles then one handful. I then boil a kettle and pour on 1 pint of hot water. Stir the mixture and then pop a lid or plate over the top and just leave it over night. I don’t refrigerate it because it’s only being left to steep one night but I guess you could pop it in the fridge if you liked. In the morning you will notice the water has turned a lovely browny green colour…hmmm might be packed with great nutrients but doesn’t look very appetizing. First you will need to strain the liquid off and for this I use a plastic sieve, but you could use fine muslin if you wanted to. Then add to the liquid a carton of organic plain yogurt…actually I’ve tried it with thick and creamy Greek yoghurt and it’s adorable! Add a table spoonful of honey and whizz up in the blender…a lovely green creamy drink packed to the brim with all kinds of body loving goodies. Believe me your body will thank you. A word about toilet usage though – nettles are diuretic so you might find yourself peeing a bit more than usual but this is ok. Your body is getting rid of loads of toxins. If you have dry skin and/or dry hair you might like to add a bit of Marshmallow or Slippery Elm to the first stage to give added emollience to the brew. So all you have to do now is sit back, slurp and enjoy!

Oh yes, and a word about those left over nettle dregs you strained out. PLEASE don’t just throw them away in the trash. Go compost them…your compost heap will luurve them.

8. Exercise, yeah not a very nice word to some and it took me years to appreciate it. I talked to some friends, and asked them what they thought exercise was and most answered things like – Zumba (what’s that? Sounds like the name of a lion!), jogging, going to the gym for 2 hours. Well, exercise is definitely all of those things but if you’re a bit of a meandering molly like me then there are other ways, and far gentler on the body. Walking is ace! Take a walk even if it’s just 15 minutes and around your neighbourhood. You’ll be amazed at the amount of wildlife you’ll discover too even if you live on a housing estate like me. Another great form of gentle exercise is swimming; it really tones the body and is rather meditative in a way. So choose gentle impact exercise for the body; you will tone up fast.

9. I suppose, for me at least, the ultimate nurturing thing I can do for my body is give it a massage. Only I live alone so it’s not that easy. Once a month I treat myself to a professional massage for an hour. It’s not that expensive and well worth the money I spend on it. Of course if you live with a partner you can massage each other’s bodies and what a wonderful way to reconnect with your partner.

I think the point I’m trying to get across in this post is to encourage us all to really spend a bit more time nurturing our bodies. After all they are the earthly vehicle of our spirits aren’t they? Those of you who drive, think about what you do for your cars – you MOT it, feed it the appropriate food (gas/petrol), wash it (I hope you do!). How could we do any less for our bodies? Yet in this fast-paced world it seems we spend less and less time really looking after our bodies and then wonder why they break down on us. So let’s all treat our beautiful bodies the way they deserve to be treated.

References:

Nourishing Herbal Infusions by Rosalee de la Foret

Plant Healer Magazine: Volume 2; Issue 1

Today’s Herbal Health by Louise Tenney, M.H.

There will likely be times in your life when your soul evolves more quickly than your circumstances. Your subconscious mind may be ready to move forward long before you recognize that you are destined to embrace a new way of life. Your soul intuitively understands that changing habitats can be a vital part of the growth process and that there may be one part of you that is eager to move to another home, another state, or another plane of existence. But the ties that bind you to your current mode of being can make moving into this next stage of your life more challenging than it has to be. If you find it difficult to move on, consider that just as people in your life may come and go, your role in others’ lives may also be temporary. And many of the conditions that at first seemed favorable served you for a short time. When you are ready to match your situation to your soul, you will find that you feel a new sense of harmony and increasingly connected to the ebb and flow of th! e universe.

Moving on can be defined in numerous ways. Your forward momentum may take you from your current locale to a place you instinctively know will be more nurturing, comfortable, and spiritually enriching. Once you arrive, your misgivings will vanish, and you will know that you have found a sanctuary. Similarly, subtle changes in your values, goals, or emotional needs can motivate you to distance yourself from one group of people in order to reassociate yourself with individuals that are better able to support you. For example, this could mean moving away from your birth family in order to find your energetic or spiritual family. The route you need to travel may not always be clear; you may feel inspired to change yet be unsure as to why or how. Clarity may come in the form of a question if you are willing to seriously ask yourself where your soul is trying to take you.

In a way, moving from one point to another when you feel strongly driven to do so is a way of bringing your spiritual and earthly energies together. It is a two-step process that involves not only letting go but also reconnecting. You will know you have found your destination, physical or otherwise, when you feel in your heart that you have been reborn into a life that is just the right shape, size, and composition.

Many people move through life unaware of the presence of their muse. This lack of awareness can be compounded by the fact that we may have one muse that remains with us throughout our lives, multiple muses that inspire us concurrently, several muses that come and go as necessary, or a single muse that touches us briefly at specific moments. You will know that you have found your muse when you encounter a force that makes you feel courageous enough to broaden the range of your creativity. The presence of this force will erase your self-doubt and motivate you to give your thoughts and feelings form. Should your muse continue to elude you, however, there are steps you can take to increase your chances of falling under its inspired influence. If you surround yourself with people who support you, keep a pen and paper handy, immerse yourself in culture, and brainstorm frequently, you will soon reconnect with your muse.

Once you have identified your muse, embrace it by giving yourself over to the creative inspiration it provides. No matter what you are moved to create, you will find that neither fear nor criticism can penetrate the wonderful bliss that goes hand in hand with the act of taking an idea and turning it into something the whole world can enjoy.

Sometimes we start out with the best intentions to think and speak only positive thoughts, but the people around us throw us off course. Not everyone fully understands the power our thoughts and words have, or even if they do, they may be stuck in old patterns of negativity. Much of our habitual communication takes the form of complaining and criticizing, and it can be hard to find a way into certain conversations without lapsing into those old habits. However, we always have the option not to participate in negativity or to find a way to influence the situation in a positive direction. In the right company, you may even be able to directly acknowledge the fact that things have taken a negative turn, thus freeing yourself and others from the negative pull.

Not everyone will respond to your cues, and there’s no need to become overly attached to the idea of changing other people, because people have to choose for themselves how they will be in the world. Many people choose negativity because it is familiar to them and feels safe. It is important to give people the space to find their own way, but you can always set an example, subtly representing the power of being positive. At times you may interject an affirmative statement into the conversation, and at others you may simply change the subject. You may also simply withdraw your energy and presence, which also makes a subtle statement. If you feel comfortable enough with somebody that is always negative, perhaps you can have an honest conversation with them; after all, awareness is the first step to change.

A powerful way to free yourself from the negative pull is to enlist allies who are similarly minded. You and a friend, coworker, or family member may agree to work together to continually shift the energy in a situation in a positive direction. The power of two people working to promote the positive is exponentially greater than one person working on their own. As you and your allies work together to lift the energy around you, you will be amazed to see how quickly the positive pull begins to draw people into its orbit, freeing one mind after another from negativity into light.

What’s interesting to me is the idea of altars being places of offering or sacrifice. As a pagan (shamanic witch) the giving of offerings is important to me. It’s part of the reciprocal connection I have with the deities and spirits – ghosti (an Indo-European word from which comes our word host). So the main focus for my altars is the one on giving offerings. In fact the main reason for an altar is to give offerings to the spirits and deities with which I work. So how do I do this?

It all depends on the deity with whom I’m working. If it’s Brighid I offer milk, Cernunnos is offered oak bark which is burnt as a smoke offering, or olive oil. If I’m working with Modron I offer my own blood. I know that might seem nasty to some, and in some places is a taboo but it is done safely I assure you and she doesn’t require pints of it thank goodness. I will explain my use of a blood offering to Modron later on in this project. Suffice to say that what I offer is not decided upon by me but by my communication with the deities or spirits involved.

The offerings are placed upon my altar and left there for three days. Why the number three? Well, for me this number has high spiritual symbolism which stems from my Celtic tradition. The Celts, especially the Druids, loved the number three and we can still see its use in the Druidic importance of Earth, Sky and Sea. After the three days I place the offerings in a special receptacle in my garden. No, I do not leave things out for the birds or wildlife to eat (although I do feed my local wildlife).My thinking is this – if I give a present to someone I wouldn’t take it back and give it to someone else. The offerings I’ve made have been given to specific entities, therefore they belong to them. When the receptacle is full I seal and bury it.

But of course I decorate my altar, who wouldn’t! It seems it is a natural human thing to want to decorate one’s altar with symbolic and meaningful objects of ones beliefs and spiritual path. I also believe it’s part of the fun of ones path too, which is meant to be delightful as well as serious. Nonetheless I always try and remember that the main purpose of an altar is as a place of offering to the deities.