I suppose I should start by examining the meaning of devotion, so I’ll pull from Merriam-Webster:
1. An act of prayer or private worship
2. A religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate worship of a congregation
3. the act of dedicating something to a cause, enterprise, or activity
4. the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal
Those definitions segue into the topic of this post. I want to explore the concept of daily devotionals, and I want to look at how these ideas can apply in a specific, meaningful way to the kitchen witch.
By dedicating time and energy to our deities, we strengthen our connection with them. (While it could be that we humans project our emotions onto the gods, or whether we get our emotions from them is irrelevant to me, for once. hehe)
There are many different ways of communing with the gods. One way is to meditate. I’m sure most of you have at least dabbled in meditation and are aware the benefits you receive from it. Another method of communication is prayer. Prayer and meditation can be combined. Some people use prayer beads or other symbols to help them focus. Candles, herbs, incense, music – all of these things are useful to different individuals and their practices.
For me, lighting incense and sometimes a candle means it’s time to cleanse the area. It’s time to create space for tarot. It’s time to get witchy! This made me think about how I can focus and incorporate some more daily spirituality (an area in which I royally suck, btw) into my broader path.
I’ve written before on the power of setting aside a special day once a week or every two weeks or so to unplug from technology and plug into the Divine. That doesn’t work with everyone’s lifestyle, and I totally get that. I’m forgetful. I’m a procrastinator. I’m lazy. It’s a horrible combination. I don’t always get my shit together for that day of rest.
Maybe you’ve seen me post about kitchen altar ideas and herbs for cleaning, purifying, and protecting. There are other, much better articles out there, too, but the reason I mention them at all is because they can all be a part of a daily devotional routine. At least, that’s what I’m shooting for.
Some of the ideas I’ve been working on are:
· Cleaning/magical cleaning schedule – washing surfaces, protecting doors and windows, sweeping dirt and negativity, etc. This is a bigger project. A never-ending project. A tedious project. A necessary project, though, and one that can be made more enjoyable. I usually put on some inspirational music when I’m washing the dishes and the rest of the kitchen. Not every job has to be done every day, of course. It all depends on your kitchen usage and time available. Whatever task you focus on, put your intent into it. As you sweep, focus on negative energies and obstacles to get rid of. If you are cleaning the stove, imagine polishing an altar in the temple of your hearth deity.
· Consecration of sacred space – this can include setting up and caring for an altar if you have one, or it can be as simple as lighting a candle and putting into your (turned off) oven to represent the hearth flame. You can do this in just a few minutes if that’s all you have. Light your candle, say a prayer or greeting to your hearth deity, and leave an offering if you can. The offerings can take place once a week or on weekends.
· Spend time in sacred space – even if it’s just a few minutes while you brew your coffee or tea in the morning, take some time to ground and center while the candle has a chance to burn a bit. You can meditate or pray more, or just enjoy the peace and quiet. This can be done at any time of day, really.
· Blessings – some of us enjoy the practice of saying a prayer or reciting a blessing before meals. This is probably the only thing I do consistently. The meal may be home-cooked or takeaway, but I am always thankful for it.
And there you have it. These are things I am working on adding to my life. What else would you/do you do?
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