From What’s up with this aura fluffing thing?

From Prayer to Hanuman. I think this one is my favorite.

From Dedication to Bridghid

I was looking out from a bedroom window and saw some ravens. For some reason, I counted them, and there were nine. Again for some reason, I felt that this was
significant. I have just googled nine Ravens and found myself here. Is it
significant?

From my perspective, the significance of anything in our lives lies in what it inspires or motivates us to do, be, or think. If seeing nine ravens inspired someone to google and that person found inspiration in reading my web site, then it was significant for that person in that moment, and sparked me to think about this topic more and now write about it. So, now it has some impact on my life as well.

Many of us are constantly asking for a “sign.” How many times have I stood at the metaphysical crossroads and begged for a sign from the gods! Just give me a sign that which way to go. Give me a sign that the world is a beautiful and good place. Give me a sign that there is hope in the darkness.

These signs or messages are all around us, if you are in the right frame of mind and spirit, if we are open, if we really need a sign. Synchronicities do happen. For example, lately orange cats have been on my mind, or I should say I’ve been obsessed with them. The other night I was driving down a dark road and thought that I should turn my high beams on. Seconds later, an orange cat streaked across the road. I was able to see it in time to brake and avoid hitting it because I had my high beam lights on. Does this mean anything beyond I was able to save a kitty’s life? I don’t know, but I do know that I would have felt devastated to hit an orange kitty (or for that matter, any cat).

As the saying goes, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. But at other times, it can be a symbol for a penis, a token of respect, an offering to the orishas, a reminder of some long forgotten experience, or all of the above. Paying attention to the world around us allows messages from the Deeper Self (the divine part of our self) and Younger Self (the unconscious) to get through to our Talking Self (our conscious, waking self). Deeper self and Younger self take advantage of the synchronicities in the world around us and the mental and emotional connections that we already have built up to make themselves heard by Talking Self. A chance encounter with a stranger. Seeing different books about the same topic repeatedly in very different contexts. Noticing something odd in nature and googling it because it piqued your interest.

Sounds like a sign to me. But I have no idea what it means…

I do not fully intellectually grasp a concept until I have contemplated the language we use to communicate that concept to one another. Writers use words with assumed meanings and connotations, and subtly manipulate words to sway their readers. Discerning readers can deconstruct a writer’s usage of certain words to gain insight into the writer’s biases. As an exhibits editor, I have to bring this word play to conscious awareness and examine the impact of individual words on our museum visitors’ comprehension. Add to that fun mix the fact that, in normal conversation, we tend to use words in idiosyncratic ways – each of us meaning slightly different things but using the exact same words – paving the way for so much misunderstanding and fighting.

So, it should come as no surprise that I would start my annual project for Reflections Mystery School by reviewing the key term of the paper: vocation.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, vocation refers to a regular occupation, especially one for which a person is particularly suited or qualified; or an inclination, as if in response to a summons, to undertake a certain kind of work, especially a religious career; a calling.

Of course, I just had to go over to the thesaurus and take a peek. In addition to duty, lifework, and mission, I could say that my vocation is my bag, baby. It’s what I do. It’s my thing. Of course these are all informal or slang uses. But if you say it with an Austin Powers emphasis…. OK, maybe it’s only funny in my head.

Now, what I find more interesting is that one of the antonyms for vocation was fun. Hmmm…not fun. I can definitely understand that. What brought me to begin walking my path consciously was clinical depression and a crisis of faith. Life itself tasted like ashes in my mouth, and I felt completely alienated from the divine connection I had previously experienced. After a year of secular therapy, I had the clarity to decide to start working on myself spiritually. While I have grown and learned so much, and had periods of great joy, and much humor with those with whom I travel, the work itself – not so much fun. But I look forward to the work. I am finding more joy in embracing the wonder in freshly exploring new realms and in wielding my skills and expressing my talents. So, that is fun.

From Etymology Online, the word vocation used to describe a “spiritual calling” comes from the Latin vocationem (literally “a calling”) from vocare “to call.” Call has its roots in Old Norse kalla “to cry loudly” and the Proto-Indo-European base *gal- “to call, scream, shriek.”

Which leads me to wonder who is calling whom? Is the Divine (in their myriad manifestations) calling to me and hoping that I will hear and act? Am I am wandering in the wilderness shrieking out in the hope that the Divine will respond? Are we calling to each other in our own languages, reaching out to embrace each other in life and love? These are questions I will sit with for a while without jumping to conclusions.

Taking a page from Jeff Lilly’s blog Druid Word of the Day. I wanted to look at vocation’s phonosemantics: how the sounds of the word contribute to its meaning in subtle ways.

So, taking bits and pieces from many of Jeff’s entries and with apologies if I mess this up…

The “v” may indicate a vibrating energetic boundary, which is grounded by the long “o”. The hard “k” sound acts as a container that is expanded and extended by the long “a”. The encompassing, living energy of God Herself (in the sense that Thorn uses the term to refer to “The Limitless”), moves down the Tree toward our physical realm, while the container that is the human heart and spirit reaches upward to the other realms and is expanded in the process.

The “sh” sound where they meet is a border, a moment in time and space where there is strong turbulence before the energy is released into thought by the short “u” toward the noble goal of “n”. Actively seeking conscious connection with God Herself, whether I am making or answering the call, brings me to my personal edge of the Abyss. When I make that leap of faith beyond my rational human senses, the energy of manifesting is released toward the noble goal of living my life fully.

Wow! I wasn’t sure where I was going to end up with this entry when I started. I think I need a cigarette…oh wait, I don’t smoke.

Technorati Tags: vocation

Aura fluffing? What the heck is that? Even my Pagan fiancé once incredulously asked me, “So, your group’s main magical tool is a lamb wool duster?!”

Well, yes and no.

At its simplest, aura fluffing is a fun way to give and receive support and encourage from those close to you. As babies, many of us are touched, caressed, and cuddled. This physical closeness is developmentally important. Babies who don’t get it don’t get it. Get it? But as we grow older, the sphere of who is allowed to touch us in such loving, intimate ways grows smaller. Caressing and cuddling becomes sexualized, and many of us are uncomfortable with loving touch outside of a romantic or intimate context. The playfulness and silliness of aura fluffing allows both the “fluffer” and “fluffee” to return to a more child-like where spontaneous and exuberant affection can be expressed, while at the same maintaining a psychically comfortable physical distance. I am not touching you with my taboo hands but with a tickly wooly duster.

I could talk about auras as magnetic life-force fields generated by the human body, the need to invigorate that life force, and how stagnant energy, like stagnant water, turns rank, smells bad, and breeds disease. I could talk about how humans are a social species who need contact with others, and that alienated individuals tend toward depression and other mental and physical health concerns, whereas community encouragement and positive attention increase a person’s overall happiness and chances of reaching their goals.

But that would be too serious, and hence, a bit silly. Aura fluffing is silly! But that does not mean it is frivolous or unimportant. The silliness facilitates the critical work that aura fluffing does. As a good friend told me, “Laughter is known to release stress, lower blood pressure and all sorts of good things. Being touched by a feather duster immediately brings out the giggles and smiles. The laughter soon follows.”

I recently asked a bunch of folks what they thought was happening (spiritually, energetically, emotionally, physically) during a fluffing. One response—“I never thought it was more than a silly, fun thing to do. I did feel more grounded yet light hearted afterwards”—got me thinking. Aura fluffing is easy to dismiss as “fluffy bunny.” In fact, I would bet that some of the Becoming folks inwardly groan when we do public fluffings or just don’t consider it “serious magic.” But what is magic? Many pagans use Dion Fortune’s classic definition that magic is “the art of changing consciousness at will.” As a Becoming member once expressed, “either the energy-draining forces get swept aside, or the positive energy pops up and forces itself to appear. Either way, you get a break in the stagnation and you end up feeling lighter. If you are happy- the world looks better, if you are unhappy- the world looks scary, daunting, and pessimism is rampant.”

Sure, we could, and sometimes do, surround the act of aura fluffing within a sacred circle, ritually set built and set aside for magic. However, if we prescribed an intricate, scientific, clinical, or esoteric ritual around it, the very thing that makes aura fluffing work would vanish. There would be no heart-felt connection or return to childish fun.

And at its core that is what aura fluffing is all about – connecting from the heart to the heart. The silliness of aura fluffing breaks down our everyday barriers in a safe way and allows our Younger Self, or child soul, to play and shine, even if only for a little while.

Yeah, but does it work? If you have cancer or a cold, getting your aura fluffed isn’t going to send the disease into immediate remission or bestow miraculous cures, but it does lift the spirit and make the day seem a bit brighter, which can make all the difference to the person going through trying times. From this perspective, how can aura fluffing, as silly as it is, not be magic? Magic with results, even.

First, remember to breathe. Breath is the life force moving through and enlivening us. In traumatic times, our breath changes and sometimes stops. Take slow, deep breaths when you feel yourself closing up, getting uncomfortable, or feeling insecure. Your breathing with intent will help your friend to breathe more easily. Have her breathe with you.

The same goes for grounding. It sounds elementary, but breathing and grounding are many times your best tools for working through strong emotional pain. By grounding yourself, you automatically help your friend ground. If you find yourself not grounded, don’t berate yourself — just breathe and ground. If you can, guide her through grounding as well.

Open your heart to the experience. When we are faced with illness and death, we often close ourselves down in orderto numb or escape our feelings of sadness, helplessness, and grief. If you close yourself off, you will not be able to connect or empathize with your friend. Opening your heart works sympathetically, just as breathing and grounding do. Your open heart gives your friend permission to feel and experience her own insecurities and fears with you. Opening the heart in these times can be scary and uncomfortable. That’s okay. Allow yourself to feel those emotions and then call on the Goddess to give you strength, comfort, and compassion.

Never underestimate the healing power of touch. Humans thrive on touch. It is the easiest way to connect, to show that we care. When in situations like this, often the patient and the family lose touch. They do not touch each other. They are not touched by others. People not directly affected tend to withdraw, as if they will be contaminated if they touch and connect. Holding someone hand, rubbing their back, giving them a gentle hug with your hand gently but firmly holding the back — all of these communicate love and comfort without any words needing to be spoken. One no-no, however, is to pat them on the back when embracing them. No matter how gentle, this patting sends the message that what they are experiencing needs to be repressed and shoved back into the body.

Listen more than you talk. By opening up and just listening to whatever your friends says in her time of need, without always responding, without any judging, without chattering on, allows her to explore her feelings. Let your friend feel her feelings, some of which she may be horrified or discomforted by. Let her know that it is okay to have all sorts of emotions, and fantasies. Her wondering what the future will be like will not cause bad things to happen.

Enter the silence. We are very uncomfortable in silence and often search for any way to relieve our discomfort — watching TV or talking about anything but what is happening are frequent ways of numbing ourselves from ourselves and our situation. Resist the temptation. If you can, find soothing music to play. Or if the waiting room is too crazy, suggest that you two have some quiet time in the hospital chapel — usually there is no one there, and if they are, they are there for the same reasons.

Don’t be afraid to cry, too. If your friend is crying and you feel tears welling up, don’t repress them. Let yourself feel fully and empathize. If you remember to breathe and ground, you won’t loose control of yourself. You are holding the container for your friend during this time — the sacred space in which she can find comfort and healing while in the center of a whirlwind of fear and hope.

Do magic. If you need to cast a quick circle of protection around you and your friend, you can do so easily by visualizing the energy coming up from the Earth, circling around you, and into you. If you need to call on the elements, a silent or quietly spoken prayer invokes them just as well as a full-blown ritual with props. The gods always answer our calls. If your friend is pagan or religious, don’t be afraid to suggest that you two pray together. The words will come directly from the heart to the Goddess. Your friend may be comforted by the sound of your words, asking for strength, comfort, healing, and peace. If your friend does die, a prayer, asking the Hecate (or whoever is special to her or the family) to take her into Her arms and guide her to the next step on her journey and to comfort the living left behind, is good too.

One last thing — no platitudes. No “it’s for the best.” No “it’s the will of the gods.” No “everything happens for a reason.” No “it will be alright.” All of these may be true, but they are not what your friends needs to hear right now. There is nothing to say that can make death better or easier to deal with. Again, you breathe and ground, touch and listen. Letting your friend know that you are there to support and love her is more helpful than any “easy” platitude you can say. If she rails against the gods for this happening to them, don’t admonish her or correct her with theology. Again, not helpful right now. Hold the container and let her express these difficult emotions. If she asks you what you believe about illness and death, tell her gently and openly. But expect that this may still not help her right at this time. It will not dull her pain or make her grief any easier to walk through. Later, it may grow as a seed planted and give her comfort.

I pray that you find a connection to the Goddess during these times and that you find strength and compassion to help your friends, your family, and yourself. Remember She is always with us, even when we feel all alone.

So much of what we “know” depends upon our perspective. How we sense the world, our position in space, time, and the social structure, our beliefs, our past experiences – all contribute to our unique perspective. It is amazing that two people can even communicate at all. Often we can’t. Even in mundane, trivial discussions we use language in idiosyncratic ways. These differences in definition and connotation are unspoken, and we think that we understand each other, but we don’t. Or we may think we disagree, but find upon further examination of our assumptions and definitions that we actually agree.

At the risk of going political, Pagans see Jews, Christians, and Muslims as more alike than not – all followers of the Abrahamic god. But from their perspectives, they are completely different. Just as they see Pagans as essentially the same, but we see the differences within our community between traditions and paths.

So, I have to ask: Is the War of Terror just one big Witch War writ large on the global theater instead of in an Internet list serve? You know, we’ve all seen it – two people (or more) just go out of control and flame each other, draw more people into the fight, and thereby destroy the very community they claim to want to save.

So, let’s ask ourselves “Who is the troll?” Or more correctly “Who are the trolls?” I see people on both sides doing and saying things to enflame other folks who could work together if they were encouraged and guided to do so. No, these trolls only look for ways to divide and sow mistrust and anger. Just your classic flame war.

I also believe there are people on both sides who truly want to find solutions. Their voices are quieter, drowned out by trolls and the angry mob. Maybe they don’t know how to work together, but they are struggling in the quagmire caused by the trolls.

Then there are those who don’t care and finally just get so frustrated at the media circus of sound bites and shield beating that they withdraw. They leave the community to live out their lives without reading the news or participating in the attempts to change. They are the silent and they are the majority. But their silence does them no good. For they live in the same world we all do. There is no escape.

Why are the trolls so damn loud?

Why do we listen to them?

Is there something in the nature of our species that finds it so easy to dehumanize and demonize another if someone tells us to do so long enough and loud enough?

It is one of my hopes with Becoming that we not only learn and say that the divine abounds everywhere, but that we live that truth and begin to actively and consciously look for the divine spark in all people. That we take that perspective into our daily lives and dealings with others. We may not like how others act or react. We may not agree with them. We may have to “draw the line” to protect ourselves and others. But keeping in mind that they are just as divine as we are helps us to not dismiss them as “just assholes” or demonize them, but to deal with them consciously, to try to understand what their perspective is, and to act from a place of understanding rather than anger and fear.

Because when I consciously look for the divine spark in others, I find it in myself. And when I demonize or dehumanize others and deny that they also have the divine within them, I lose connection with the divine within me.

We are all of us human and we are all of us divine.