Card Sass and Spiritual Hygiene

Sometimes I will draw four cards from my Quareia Magician’s Deck (by Josephine McCarthy) as a daily check-in. Mundane Energy, Magical Energy, Mundane Advice, and Magical Advice are the four placements in the spread I use for this. For today’s draw, the Parasite card appeared for Magical Energy, and the Foundation card appeared for magical advice. I asked a bunch of follow-up yes/no questions to try to pinpoint what the Parasite card was referring to in this position. It is pointing to a specific aspect of my routine. It’s pointing to an aspect that is missing.

It took me a bit of a head think to sit with the cards, but the results of the clarification questions and the Foundation card finally registered. I’m expending more energy than I need to because I do not have a regular routine set up for my spiritual hygiene. Do I do spiritual hygiene? Yes. Do I currently have a set way and/or time to make sure that I’m regularly keeping up with it? No. It’s become one of those things that I have deprioritized, and my cards are calling me out.

When I talk about spiritual hygiene here, I’m referring to the process of cleansing, grounding, centering oneself on a daily basis (if not more often) and shielding regularly in accordance with your needs. If you live alone and work from home, your shielding might only be necessary when you go run errands. If you have a bunch of roommates, you may find a small level of shielding helpful around the home. Everyone’s needs and tolerances are different. The important aspect is addressing those needs ahead of time. It’s like brushing your teeth regularly to help prevent toothaches and the need for dental work.

As a person with bipolar disorder and sleep issues, I go through cycles where simply keeping up with all of my physical hygiene can be a struggle. I try to give myself grace around this and recognize it as a sign that I might need to shift my stress level and increase my supports. I have been feeling myself energy and mood pick up a bit as spring approaches. I have also been finding myself doing a lot more magical work for others on a much more regular basis. If I have the energy and focus to do the magical work, than I know I have the ability and energy to re-implement a set spiritual hygiene routine.

Ideally, a spiritual hygiene routine is a part of every spiritual practitioner’s daily habits. As someone who sometimes loses the thread of even basic daily habits, I understand that the ideal is not always the reality. I have multiple methods for maintaining my spiritual hygiene. Right now I need to focus on implementing the one that I can do daily with the least external factors. My partner has a set of five runes that they galdr for their spiritual hygiene upkeep. They ask each rune for help with a specific part of their spiritual hygiene (such as asking Ansuz for cleansing). This part is important because they are letting the runes know what they are asking them to do. Then they galdr each rune. To galdr is to sing or intone the name of each rune with magical intent. It is a very straightforward and effective process that you can do anywhere.

I’m going to add that to my daily morning prayer routine to ensure that I’m building the necessary foundation for my day. My personal relationship with the runes is something that I’ve developed over the years and am actively engaged in. I have undervalued that relationship at times. I know several people who have very deep relationships with the runes. My relationships with my spirits do not need to (and will not) look the sames as others’ relationships with those spirits. That does not make either set of relationships more or less worthy or capable. The runes have and do assist me in many other ways. It makes sense at this point in my practice to ask them to help me upkeep my spiritual hygiene.

Am I still hoping to get outside regularly to assist with my grounding? Yes. Do I still want to wash with natron for deep cleanse as part of my practice? Yes. I did weave spiritual hygiene into some of the actions of my daily routine over the last year or two. When that routine changed, I didn’t register the fact that I was leaving out my spiritual hygiene practices with my new process. I would like to bring some of that back in again. However, galdring the runes is still the method right now that will be the easiest for me to maintain. Adding in the galdr to my own daily routine won’t negate my ability to use other methods. It will help ensure that I’m doing the self-care that is necessary to help support me in the work that I’m currently doing.

I do feel a bit silly that I didn’t realize how my routine was shifting in a way that was cutting out my spiritual hygiene practices. Hindsight is 20/20 though. Silly or not, I’m glad to be shifting to a more solid foundation again. Thanks for reading.

I Forgot

I was partway through reading Snow’s post on offerings and devotion here when I realized that I had forgotten something today. A few weeks ago, my ancestors asked me to invite them in when I go out to Bob Evans for food and coffee. It’s a family friendly restaurant that reminds me of going out to lunch after Sunday Mass when I was a kid. With a snow day for the kids falling on our regular grocery shopping day, a Bob Evans outing with my partner and his youngest was included. I did coffee runes and meal prayers with my partnerandthe young one. I chatted about purple straws and Burple from Dragons: Rescue Riders. I tried to quickly draw a few cards for my day in between conversation and food. I worked hard to be present. I even made note that there were circus peanuts in stock when we entered, and we picked some up for my ancestors on our way out.

It’s only now, at 8pm at night, that I realize I forgot to invite the ancestors to breakfast with us. They would have appreciated the company and conversation. Burple may have been an unknown entity, but the enthusiasm of a six-year-old makes any topic interesting. I know they would have appreciated me being present with them. I still can, and I still will, though my room and akhu shrine are not quite Bob Evans conversations and bendy straws.

I expect my ancestors will forgive my faulty memory. I also know they will really enjoy the love, connection, and presence when I do remember. Coffee is definitely a part of the connection for some of them, but they asked to be included on Bob Evans outings because those are a time of pause and connection. A time where it is easier for me to be present, relax, and appreciate the joys of my life.

I still need to go back and finish reading Snow’s post. I don’t think I agree with all the views shared in their post. It has, however, given me a wonderful chance to be present. I am very appreciative of how their post is prompting me to remember and re-examine how I view offerings and such. Thanks for reading.

New Beginnings

The new year is already well underway. I made offerings at the three vés (shrines) by the creek as well as three places in the forest to honor the new year on January 1st. For those who may be new here, Sarenth and I set up and tend a vé for the landvaettir, a vé for the dvergar, and a vé for our spiritual specialist ancestors next to the creek behind our backyard. The three places in the forest where I also leave offerings are simply spots where I sometimes pause to commune with the spirits there. It was a great way to start off the year.

Last Sunday, January 14th, I led an ancestor ritual for the last day of Winter Trothmoot. It was an online event. My anxieties had built up during the previous month as I tried to get myself to properly prepare. I fought with myself as I tried to get the pieces written down. In the end, I realized that the preparation I could do was not the preparation I thought I should do. Sarenth was kind enough to agree to do his cleansing galdr for the beginning and end of the ritual. He also let me know when I was covering my mouth with my hands while speaking. I chose the runes for the galdr that I wanted to do. In addition to my galdr, I did type up a few notes that I wanted to mention during the introduction. I asked for Hel’s blessing and help in creating a space that was a reflection of a feasting hall in Helheim but not in Helheim proper. I wanted to create a safe space that was in between where participants, blessed dead, and invited gods and spirits would feel welcome. Hel, Freyja, Sleipnir, and Odin were all involved in making it a successful ritual. I did some candlework, runework, and cleansing with mugwort ahead of time to make the space ready. I set up the altar and arranged the offerings. I had originally hoped to have the ritual and the guided meditation typed up from beginning to end, but my anxieties pushed hard against this. Thus my preparation included a few notes, establishing some important aspects with my gods and spirits (such as where we were going and protections around that), and physically and magically preparing the space. It was a ritual to commune with our ancestors. It was also a exercise in trust, trust from me in my spirits and trust from me in myself. I find such joy in connecting with my ancestors. It was an honor and a privilege to facilitate that for others.

Last night (January 20th), I participated as one of the new co-hosts in the first recording of this year for the podcast Around Grandfather Fire. It was episode 122 if you want to listen, but this post will likely be up before the podcast episode gets released. It was great fun, and I’m looking forward to contributing to a community who has done a lot for me over the years. Sarenth Odinsson is the one returning host. Snow, Cabra, and I are joining as the new co-hosts this season. I’m very excited to learn, share, and see where this season takes us.

These are a few of the more notable things that I’ve done this month. There are a lot of new beginnings this year, and I’m curious to see what grows within my practice. I wish you all a blessed and joyful new year. Thanks for reading. If you have any questions, please drop them below.