[Main Blog Post] Seeking Stillness

[jprussell]

A shorter post this week, I talk a bit about what I miss about mindfulness meditation and the two techniques I turn to these days to get the kind of break from stress and anxiety I used to look for from mindfulness meditation. If you have any ways that you look for stillness amidst the chaos of life, I more than welcome hearing about it!

Comments

Re: Thank you!

[jprussell]

I'm very glad to hear that, and of course you're welcome.

There's some variation on how different traditions do drink offerings - the Greeks primarily poured it on the ground, the Norse did shared toasting, and Revival Druids raise a horn and then place it on the altar for the length of the ritual. So, it seems like the core requirement is "have the intention of giving this drink to one or more spiritual beings within a prayer or ritual," and the specific mechanics don't matter too much.

That being said, since it can be helpful to have something to go on, let me share what seems to be the standard approach in various heathen traditions, and the current iteration of my own idiosyncratic practice. First, a standard heathen drink offering has a drink in a drinking vessel (horns are traditional). Whoever is praying or currently leading the ritual raises the drink in the horn and speaks a dedication - what God(s) the drink is given to, if it is in thanks or prayer for anything in particular, and so forth. That person then takes a drink, to create a shared bond with the God(s) prayed to, and it might be passed around to anyone else taking part. Whatever is left of the drink is then poured into a bowl that is placed on the altar for the length of the ritual, or perhaps longer. In some rituals, especially if the drink was not passed around, the drink may be sprinkled on the participants, traditionally using a sprig of evergreen (this used to be done with the blood of sacrificed animals). Eventually, it is usually poured onto the ground somewhere, sometimes with a word to the spirits of the place it's poured.

My own practice is that I have a main ceremonial cup and a handful more, which I use because I don't have a bowl or horn yet. I sometimes will also put a drink container (like a can or bottle) straight onto my altar on a coaster. I bless any drink with my Thunor's Hammer before putting it on the altar. To make the offering, I say "Hail [God's Name], [epithets]" and then I say for what I am giving the drink. I usually include both something I am giving thanks for and something I am asking for. If I don't have anything specific to ask for, I ask for help "knowing how best to pray to you, to come to know you better, and to bring forth into the world what you would have me do." Usually I throw in a "nonetheless, your will, not mine be done." I then make a toast to my forebears, and I often try to call out a specific group of my forebears relevant to the prayer - so if offering to Woden, I might toast my forebears who sought wisdom, for example. After the toast, I take a small drink, and then I dip my finger in the drink and put a bit on my forehead, either in the shape of a relevant rune or in the shape of Thunor's Hammer. Then I put the drink back on the altar, and I leave it there for a time (usually overnight until my next daily prayer, if praying at my permanent altar). When I take the drink off the altar, I ask leave of the God to whom it was given, and then I take it outside to pour on the ground. When I pour it on the ground, I address the landwights (spirits) and say "With [God]'s leave, and my blessings if you'll have them." Then I clean up the cup(s) and go get ready for the next time.

I know that's a lot of detail, but I figured it might be helpful to have too much rather than too little. I arrived at the approach I currently use through a mix of reading how other folks do it, trying things out, making compromises based on what I had available, and paying attention when I prayed to what felt "right" or "off," along with sometimes praying to explicitly ask "is this right? should I keep doing this or do something else?" I hope this at least gives you something to get started with, and please let me know any questions you have.

Re: Thank you!

[miow]

That is exactly what I wanted to hear, thank you for taking the time to answer so thoroughly.
I have a few ideas and will test their acceptability in prayer and meditation. Your advice on finding the stillness has been very useful these past few days. I have transformed my daily dogwalking hour into something sacred, and am lucky that I can do it like that because I live close to a wood.
All the best to you and yours.