Creating Truth

Went to my Pagan Journaling group again this week. It was amazing and wonderful and full of discoveries as usual. I found out that, like Dianic Wiccan, Kitchen Witches, and other theologies within pagan spirituality, there is a belief system for the Wise Woman. I look forward to learning more about it. Right now, all I know is that there are no set dogmas or required beliefs-- unlike Dianic or Georgian or Faerie. The basic goal of the Wise Woman is to connect with her greater wisdom-- with the universal wisdom of the spirit self. I like that.

I also learned that the group leader has a book coming out soon-- one she is self-publishing in small batches to match her available assets. It is a series of writing exercises to help survivors of abuse move forward with their lives, reconnect with their emotions, acknowledge their pain and anger, and then move forward with their lives. I want a copy. There are few women in my life who would NOT want a copy. To her surprise, she's actually already sold out her first printing, before it has printed! I'm hoping she will do another few batches-- I want to get a copy for a friend of mine.

I get so much out of the exercises and journaling moments she leads us through in our group-- I think how much more I would get out of following a journey like that over many days. This week, we worked on Affirmations. We journalled to find our passion in life-- the thing that we love doing and that heals us as we do it-- and then we worked to write out the meaning behind our discovery. Now, our homework is to use that writing as a basis for creating Affirmations for ourselves. Affirmations are present-tense, positively worded (Ex: You don't want to say "I don't make a mess." You want to say "I keep my home clean."), short, and clear. If the sentence you come up with doesn't resonate, then keep re-writing and re-wording it until it does. THAT is an Affirmation. And the more often you read it, speak it, and think it to yourself, the more that becomes a part of your reality.

Powerful stuff, Affirmations.

It was interesting, too, the discussion we had about our findings. We talked about our awareness that true creativity must come from a person's true self. It is very hard not to come face to face with who and what and how and why you really are, with your inner self, when you create something-- paint it, write it, whatever your artistic medium. Copying the work of others, or making a boring painting or quilt-- well, that happens when we don't open ourselves to the act of creation-- to our passion. It happens when we avoid who we really are. Creating is a risk. Not because someone might not like it, but because we have to see who we really are, and put THAT on the page before us. We have to experience passion in a world where passion is highly controlled and highly criticized. The risk is in putting ourselves out to be judged. And we are our own toughest critics.

So an Affirmation or three or four or ten-- ABOUT OUR PASSION-- well, that might just be the break through that changes our whole way of living and expressing and acknowledging our inner selves. I'm excited. I want to know myself better. I want to like myself better. I want to be better.

To Your Health!
Saphoro