January 6th, 2012

It never ceases to amaze me how much school fills up my schedule. I practically live in that building. This week we had Monday off for New Year's, but Tuesday and Wednesday were stressful, long, and generally upsetting. Then, Wednesday night, the reason for this occurred to me. Over winder break, I got a bit lazy, as one often does, and forgot to do my devotion and meditations. Remember how I mentioned them a while back? Here, have a link. Anyway, that night, I got back into my usual routine, and I tell you, the results were spectacular. Today and yesterday were actually fun, and I got just about all my stressful work accomplished. My sleeping quality also improved (I didn't wake up four hours before my alarm went off, for example), and my dreams, which I hadn't had in a while, returned. If you don't meditate or do devotions, I suggest you give it a whirl for a week or two, and see what you think. You may be shocked by the results.

Devotional

Here's another very pretty devotional, provided for me by the ubiquitous Google. If my previous example didn't work for you, perhaps this one will.

October 5th, 2011

Most people have a specific routine they go through in the morning and evening. For instance, in the morning, I take a shower, eat breakfast, and go on Facebook. But every day before I leave the house, and every night before I go to bed, I have a mini ritual I perform, known as a daily devotion. Now, such devotions can be easily incorporated into any religious structure, and I'm sure an atheist could write one they would be comfortable with as well. However, as a Pagan, my example shall naturally be Pagan in nature. While performing a devotion, you can certainly stand if you prefer that, but I like to sit in a comfortable, upright position, facing my window. If you can be outside that's even better, but I wake up at 5:00, so sitting outside is not particularly practical.
In the morning, ground and center, and then say in a calm, clear voice "I am one with universal perfection. I invoke the positive energy of the Lord and Lady to bless and cleanse my body and spirit that I may perform this day in perfect love and perfect trust, as is befit a member of the Craft of the Wise."
Evening devotions follow much the same procedure, though with a few phrases changed. After grounding and centering, say "I am one with universal perfection. I invoke the positive energy of the Lord and Lady to bless and cleanse my body and spirit that I may sleep this night in peace and wisdom, as is befit a member of the Craft of the Wise."
If there is wording in these examples that you dislike, or something that just doesn't speak to what you believe, feel free to change it. Remember, worship is a personal experience, and I'm only sharing what works for me. If you would like to embellish this procedure and add some burning incense or tea light, that is also perfectly acceptable. Personally, I always wanted to light some incense, but I'm not allowed to burn it, as it's a safety hazard.