I thought I would share my idea of what Pagan lifestyle means to me. There are as many ideas and definitions of this as there are Pagans in the world. Please feel free to share your concept of this lifestyle.
I believe a Pagan lifestyle means living each moment in a spiritual way either directly or indirectly. It’s all about mindfulness, intent and yes, work. Ideally we can live each moment in a connected way.
We can be connected with the earth, the elements and our brothers and sisters with whom we share this lovely planet. There will always be busy times, hard times, and other challenging days when we will be disconnected or too busy to do any kind of spiritual work and that’s okay. It would be impossible to expect to be connected spiritually 24/7. But our lifestyle choice calls for us to be spiritual as much as possible. I believe everyone can find even 5 minutes a day to honor Spirit in some way. Whether it is through prayer, ritual or even being grateful for your blessings, there are little things that can be added to our daily schedules that take care of our souls.
A Pagan lifestyle doesn’t mean we are Pagan on holidays, esbats etc. It means we live our faith every day. We walk the talk every day.
Adding something simple like a candle lit prayer or blessing each day is pretty easy to do. You can tailor your practice to suit your needs. Some people have more time than others so just be creative and figure what works for you and your situation.
I am bi-polar and have major depression often. There are days when it’s hard to be spiritual but I manage to find something. When I am depressed I force myself to find one thing to tell Spirit that I am grateful for. Some days it’s the fact that I am breathing. My lungs work. Or my heart is still beating. That depression didn’t kill me today.
Sharing knowledge, experiences and positivity with others is also a spiritual act. Find anything you can do for a few minutes each day that keeps your heart and mind open to Spirit. Develop a personal practice that works for you.
Remember to be kind to yourself. Trying your best to walk your talk everyday can be hard for some of us and we will forget, or be unable to do spiritual work. When that happens, forgive yourself (for no one is perfect) and move on.
Many blessings,
Lady Black