After the week I have had, it only seems appropriate that this post for the Pagan Blog Project be about emotions, and how they can effect someones practice. Every now and then, everyone gets into that funk where you just seem out of sorts. I have had one of those weeks, and decided to write about how it has effected me and my practice, and how it could effect others as well. Let me first start off by saying that I am DEFINITELY a Cancer. I am emotional! I don't get mood swings, I get emotion swings. One minute I will be happy and the next I am just down. As many people know, your physical well-being can play a key role in your practice as a Pagan, especially if you do spell work. If you are physically out of sorts, you will not have the energy necessary for your spell work. Well, the same is true for your emotional well being. If your emotions are all over the place and out of control, so will your energies.
So what can you do? Well that all depends on the person and what exactly your emotions are doing. Sometimes you may need a good cry. Others you may need to find a place where you can just scream your lungs out. Or maybe the best thing is to just sit and think what brought these feelings on all of a sudden? After many bouts of just uncontrollable crying and screaming, I have discovered that my trigger is stress. The more stress I am under, the more emotional I become. I am more prone to crying, and feeling down then when the stress is less. So I have found that the best thing to do is take a few minutes to sit back and relax. If I'm at home, I light a candle in my altar just for this purpose and just sit. Leave it lit for while as I go about my business. Go to the room where it is, and look at it knowing that it is never as bad as I make it seem. Quickly the stress and emotions just seem to melt away. If I'm at work, I sit back and watch a pointless video on YouTube, or just step outside to get in the open.
So what about practicing while emotional. I have found that no matter where my emotions are, they play into what I am trying to do. If I am in a crying state of mind, I will have a problem getting any words for rituals or spells out. If I am shut off from my emotions, I can concentrate, since everything I am is tied to my emotions. If I have had an especially emotional day, I will just set up a quick informal circle, light my candles and sit and be with Deity.
Another part of emotions that I know I have to deal with in my practice is the emotions of others. I quickly pick up on what others are feeling, and tend to feed off of what they are feeling. Not exactly a good thing for someone who is emotional in their own right. Ive come home from visiting friends and just been so exhausted from feeling the unspoken emotions in the area. Having to take the time get rid of these so they don't weight me down. Having to deal with the emotions of those I work with, as well as my own family.
OK, so getting this all written has actually made me feel better from this week. Hmmm, maybe this is something for me to remember for future use.
It often helps me to write my feelings down, even if it's a letter that I later destroy. Just pouring it all out on paper really helps. As far as doing rituals or spell work when my emotions have me feeling not quite up to par, whether depression or anger... well I refrain from any magickal workings during those times. I believe our emotions effect our energy, therefore effecting our magickal work. Great post!
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