Just to add to what you've said. Find the magick in what you already do daily. Food prep, eating, bathing, cleaning, bed time, etc.

@septegram

2 жыл бұрын

Yes! Chop wood, carry water.

@calicedetamarack

2 жыл бұрын

Right! This is how a person practices every day - every moment!

@gabrielleangelica1977

2 жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more! So Zen...🎑

@YvonneAburrow

2 жыл бұрын

Excellent suggestion!

This is one of the indicators, for me, that shows me that myself and/or someone else are no longer beginner witches but easing more into intermediate witchcraft. I used to want to copy all the things, research all the things, do all the spells, etc. But now I am more likely to stir my tea with intention than read and study or practice every day.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I think that’s a good indicator too! It’s kind of like relaxing into something. I think sometimes we look back on our early days of almost frantic learning and mistake our current state for laziness, but that often isn’t really what’s going on. We settle into routines and become confident!

Totally agree. I practice when it feels natural and comfortable. For some that could be daily and that's totally cool; but one shouldn't try to force it. I think the "daily" parts will develop naturally over time and be much more effective.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

That's been my experience, too! Some things have taken practice and been challenging, but a lot of other things have come naturally, and it's been more effective building over time rather than forcing a ton of stuff all at once. And why do we always seem to think everyone should have to struggle and suffer to demonstrate commitment?

@shanehiggs1779

2 жыл бұрын

@@drawingKenaz the mythology of "paying dues" comes to mind. We convince ourselves that in order to get somewhere we must first suffer. That's true to an extent - suffering can and does lead to eventual reward - but it doesn't mean every little aspect of life has to follow that exact model. Sometimes "easy" is meant to be just that. Probably to offer ballast for something else not even obviously related...might be why people have respective talents. Snapshot of thought - could probably explore that rabbit hole for a while and not solve it...lol

THIS. I am a firm believer in daily practice, but I feel that is so misinterpreted. A daily practice should be the thing that comes naturally, something that works well in your lifestyle, not forcing yourself to do the LBPR every morning and every night because that's what you're 'supposed to do.' The gym analogy is a great example. I hate the gym, I avoid it like the plague, I hate working out, and doing yoga. BUT pole dancing and movement is something that I naturally will do, and WANT to do. It's still fitness, but it fits into my lifestyle and personality way more and makes sense for me. This is what we mean when I talk about having a daily practice. Not forcing yourself to do something that doesn't make sense. Fantastic video, as always Thorn.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

Yes! And thank you! Sometimes I think it's that we're all conditioned to take things really literally, or we just don't allow ourselves the space to be flexible. None of us goes from nothing to perfection in one swoop!

@gabrielleangelica1977

2 жыл бұрын

Bless you, Olivia! 🎑

For me, daily practice evolved. Forget about big rituals or Instagram-worthy photos/videos. It’s just a few minutes here and there sprinkled throughout my day. ✨🔮✨ Great advice, Thorn! 🌹

I think sometimes less is more,I find if I leave my tarot cards alone for a while I get stronger reading when I do have a read.blessings🌛🌕🌜

This is good advice not just for people revving up to a daily practice, but for people who can't help but start at 100. Hyperfixation can drive certain people to invest all of their time and energy into the new project that they come out the other end not only burned out but finding that other aspects of their life have derailed. Then their (in this case) magical practice becomes the culprit in the mess, which could lead to hesitation in resuming a practice. Your advice is a good starting place to help pump the brakes for people who instantly deep dive into the next new passion.

Thank you for this! Burnout is real and I agree with incorporating regularity in life.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome! I've been on the burnout bus myself, and it's no joke! Sometimes we have to just do the best we can and cut ourselves some slack.

I think one of your very early videos was about what pagans can learn from Christians, and I think this may be another thing that we could learn from more mainstream religions, as many of them have daily (or even several times daily) prayer practices that strengthen their spiritual connection to their higher powers. Maybe it's because the witchy books that sell are more focused on spells or self-help than religious devotion, but it's definitely a weakness of the tradition. Practicing your breathing and visualization regularly is fine, I guess, but no wonder it gets boring, as there is no relational element to it as there is with prayer and devotion to deities. Daily (or regular, as you say) practice can be very simple, people don't realize you don't have to be lighting candles and casting circles for every spiritual interaction. Saying a few short prayers/invocations to the gods/spirits/powers you follow on a regular basis to cultivate a deeper relationship can make a big difference.

@SweetHollySweet

2 жыл бұрын

Thats my problem at the moment. I want to start a devotinal practice and I don't know how because I never was religious before.

@gastronomist

2 жыл бұрын

People often criticize the idea of going to church every Sunday, but it has it's benefits.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

I wasn’t religious before becoming Wiccan, and it was kind of a weird process. There’s definitely a kind of outlook that I think “religious” people often share, regardless of their tradition; and I found it helpful to watch and interact with others to see how they lived. My aunt was a nun, and she used to tell me that she kept herself connected by talking to God everyday, just while she was going about her regular business. So I started trying to just talk to the gods on my own tradition. Then I kind of just built things from there.

@poisonparadise13

2 жыл бұрын

@@gastronomist Definitely. Although maybe it depends on the church.

@poisonparadise13

2 жыл бұрын

@@drawingKenaz Yeah, I have a lot of admiration for monastic orders. They have a depth of spirituality and "magical practice" for lack of a better term that would put witches to shame. The rhythm of their liturgical life and discipline of prayer for the well being of the world is impressive. Most pagan rituals I've been to have been pretty casual, the leaders used vulgar language, and just gave no real sense of the sacred. Maybe pagans are too afraid of having anything in common with Christians to have a sense of piety.

A wonderful topic and much needed advice, especially with full time jobs. My job (healthcare) is not only mentally, but physically exhausting. Sometimes at the end of the day, I just wanna collapse. So, this could not have come at a better time. Thank you Thorn, you are a treasure!

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

That’s how teaching was, too! When I became a teacher there was just no way to maintain my practice exactly as it has been prior. Thank you so much for the kind words!

1000% agree. I was obsessed with needing a daily practice, reading all the books I could find, buying all the crystals, herbs, etc. Before I knew it I questioned my path and left it for a year and half, and just recently came back. Now I'm taking it one step at a time. I do magic when I feel it's the right time, I only read books that pertain to my path and needs. My altar went from this expensive altar, to just being in nature in my back yard. I feel that my daily practice is being a Pagan, I don't have to do something daily to express who I am, I think if more people would try this thought process, they wouldn't feel the need to do daily practice and be part of "the Norm". Great video girl!!!

Your book is on my wishlist for sure. As an intermediate level artist everyone says to practice everyday. I like the idea of small steps, just start once a week for like a month and then 2 times a week so on and so forth at your own pace.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

I think that’s the most realistic approach! And thank you, I hope you like it when you get a chance to read it!

I think some of this comes from deconstructing from American Christianity, too. It’s the idea that like, you’re not “right with God” without a daily devotional/prayer situation. A lot of us don’t realize we are lugging these ideas with us into whatever spiritual life we move into.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

I think some of that is too. The idea that suffering and sacrifice are symbolic of holiness and that that being devout/religious/spiritual is about struggle is also, I think, the result of Christian (particularly American Protestantism) influence.

I love videos like these when people talk about subjects JUST LIKE THIS. I don't think it's touched on very often and the 'ideal' NEVER looks like the reality. I appreciate this video. for some it may feel like giving permission to do things less, and frankly, that's fine too. I've tried MULTIPLE TIMES in my past to create a 'daily practice' but something always got in the way to keep me from doing what I'd assigned myself.... typically it was tiredness, burn out or depression, but like it's still a bother when ur passionate about something but have no motivation or energy to work on it. So I eventually stopped doing a lot of stuff and focused only on research and journal writing and that became a very manageable weekly habit. I stumbled into creative witchcraft using paper crafts, yarn (crochet) and journalling and it's not something I'd have ever considered a viable practice in the past because my idea of witchcraft at the start was 'candles everywhere, moody music, chanting in the dark, yada yada yada' and it never occurred to me that sigil drawing all over my sketchbook and burning oragami folded notes could be magic in itself as well. 2-3 times a week I'd work on an art journal that was focused entirely on witchcraft and related subjects and in 5 years I had a book that is striking to look at and full of info I was interested in and crafts I actuually tried. Finding your flow, your groove, is half the journey and it doesn't work to force yourself every day to do stuff. sometimes ya gotta learn the hard way but when u figure out what works for you it becomes less of a chore and more of a passion or hobby or spiritual lifestyle, like it was intended from the start :)

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

I’m so glad! I sometimes feel like I’m just rambling to myself, but these are the kinds of videos I like to! And yes to all this!

This was an excellent video! I work with Tarot/Oracle cards and Crystals and I've really gotten down on myself about not working with them daily. But with dealing with chronic illness and fluctuations in my symptoms, daily just often isn't a reality for me. I love the idea of a regular or consistent practice, whatever that might be, however that might be workable for each individual. 💖 I needed to hear this right now. 🥰

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

I’m so glad! Yeah, we’re all just so different, and have different constraints. I would never tell someone that if they weren’t doing something as frequently as I was, it must be because they weren’t serious enough-but we tell ourselves stuff like that all the time!

While on one hand some of the most powerful magic I’ve ever touched required x amount of days of one ritual, that leads to one different conclusive ritual, and a daily specific meditation. I do agree with this. ESPECIALLY with magic you’re not completely sure about or have some subconscious fears tied to. Of the 2 teachers that required daily practice, 1 did not believe that emotions tied to your practice was important. They were well known and studied as a practitioner. That magic all blew up in my face and wasn’t sustainable. They were working with some spirits that intimidated me but I pushed through. I really had to recover from it even though some people succeeded and saw it was such a powerful enlightening class. The second person actually withheld new info or classes with me til I finished the other stuff so I left feeling a bit scammed. It wasn’t withheld entirely I was just paying high prices and didn’t get as much info as I should have. The only teacher who’s been successful long term is someone I see about every other month. An abundance of info and time to decompress my new tools for the journey. I will never practice daily if I’m going through a short wave of depression ever again lol.

I’m late to this convo but you are 100% right. As a professor, I lol when you talked about your experiences with students. SAME. I always have a student who will ask me two weeks before the semester ends if they can turn in all of their papers. I tell them no, and I also tell them that even if I said yes, there is a 98% chance they wouldn’t follow through anyway. And yet, I’m over here *still* trying to have a daily practice 🙄 Thank you so much for this.

I love this video! Thank you for talking about this. It can get tiring to feel shamed by other practitioners for not having a daily practice. This is super important.

Yes, love love love this! I can't tell you how many times I've set goals just to flunk them lol I started using the SMART method a few years ago for very specific goals and it's worked super well for me. I also love the idea of consistency and regularity over daily. There's such an emphasis on daily practice but I mean...I'm a witch with things to do outside of my religious practice lol I can't afford to spend hours and hours on ritual a day. I've got bills to pay!

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

The SMART goal thing felt sort of icky and corporate at first (and it was a thing I learned in fitness circles, too, so there was also weird body and competition baggage there), but it's been *surprisingly* helpful in witchcraft! So why not?

Hi Thorn, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this topic. My daughter has grown so much lately, she can now climb up to my shelf where I used to keep all my supplies. I just didn't want to fight with her all day long, because she is four, she's still pre-rational. So I stored most of my stuff out of my home for a while. It enhanced my 'daily' practice! It's so interesting to me. Most of the days I only do deity work now and it's so much fun actually. I've never had such a great time before, because I was overwhelmed by limited time and all the options I had. Most of the time I have to get up at night with my second child. And I've placed LED candles next to my goddess and my god and they 'burn' from 1:30am til 5:30am every single night. So I usually come over to my living room in the middle of the night and it's like my Gods are welcoming me. So cozy and fun. 😍✨ It's almost fun to get up at night. I used to do this when my daughter was tiny, but I've had different rituals back then. Daily practice is all about incorporating things you want to do into your actual raw real life. 😁

@thrivingselfcarerenee

2 жыл бұрын

I don't have kids but your comment really resonated with me. 💖

You’ve helped me so much to move forward with things. I’ve found myself so stuck because I’m overwhelmed by all of the information, and I’m a perfectionist. Thank you so much for these videos.

I needed to hear this as i've had a year off from not thinking about my pagan practice and ignoring it. But i miss it and feel drawn back to my goddess and am trying to let go of the guilt. This video helps as when i discovered witchcraft/paganism i went all in, which may have influenced my stepping away from it completely for a year.

Consistency is the key. I agree

I agree. Thank you for saying this.

This is really helpful, thank you.

Thank you so much, Ms. Thorn. As usual, great advice. :)

I really needed to hear this today, thank you

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome! 💙

So true and Wise! When you sum up at the end to pick one thing and set reasonable goals ans build on, I would also add 'reassess your goal' for your current situation. As you beautifully mentioned, life happens and it is better to adjust or reassess than quitting for feeling like a failure. We should give ourselves the right to evolve and change. Thanks Thorn for this crucial insight on 'daily' practice!

Excellent stream! Thank you so much!

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching!

Very well said! I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on this. It's a refreshing perspective.

Brilliant video

Love this. So smart, as always!

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

The only "daily practice" that ever felt natural and actually felt like it was making a positive, energy shifting, impact on my life, has been a gratitude practice... it's not fancy, there are no cards involved but it's really helpful to me. I've tried for a long time to form a daily practice but they usually just end up feeling like a chore🤷‍♀️

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

A gratitude practice is great! I had a lot of success at the daily level with that myself. It did a lot for my mood each morning.

Omg thank you! I don't know why I haven't heard this or told myself this yet (maybe it's just the way you said it all too) but I needed to hear this message..not just for witchcraft/spirituality but in general with general life goals. Thank you so much 🥰

Very rooted advice. Love it.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Dear Thorn, Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. You have helped me make progress for sure! Thanks again!

such good advice. I work 12 hr nights and it isn't always easy to do a practice every day. as long as you're dedcated that should be enough.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

I think so too! Dedication looks different for everyone, and all of us make different sorts of sacrifices. For some, time is no big deal, but for the rest of us, we find other ways!

Now this, is practical magic! Love this!!!

@drawingKenaz

Жыл бұрын

Hi Kate! Glad it was helpful! 💙

This is beautiful. I got so much more out of this video than I could've expected. Thank you!

@drawingKenaz

Жыл бұрын

You’re so welcome! Thank you for watching!

As a university professor who is struggling with maintaining a daily practice, this video resonated with me entirely! Thank you so much for it.

You found a good topic. I enjoy reading and researching Hekate a few times a week. Not on a daily. BB

This is such a helpful video. I did the LBRP nearly every day for about six months to a year and I definitely pulled a spiritual muscle doing that! I’ve also done various other practices for periods of time ranging from a month to a year. The ones that work for me involve writing (no surprises there). I do them for a bit and then have a hiatus and then try again.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

I have phases where I do a lot, and do things daily, but I cycle through into others where I’m much more contemplative, or focus instead on community building (and writing us a part of that). It’s *all* religious practice for me! I think collectively we put too much pressure on ourselves and each other to meet an arbitrary standard.

This is great. I'm practicing for over 20 years now. The difficulty I have now is I'm disabled and chronically ill, one of my biggest issues is when everyone says "just go outside for a walk to connect". Sometimes that is actively impossible as it is for me. I can't practice daily. I cannot go out of the house very often, because of physical disabilities. It is extremely difficult to be pagan in that situation, but I've never found anyone talk about it. This is great re daily though ❤

@drawingKenaz

4 ай бұрын

I’m so glad it was encouraging! Yeah, it’s just not realistic to expect everyone to operate on the same time frame, using the same strategies. And then to treat people who are different as though they’re automatically lazy or uncommitted is nonsensical. You’re no less pagan because your body and needs are different! 💙

@Lala_Fae

4 ай бұрын

@@drawingKenaz thank you so much ❤️ I've been following you a long time. I appreciate you

Thanks! Needed this today because the High Five Habit just has not been working for me.😜

Someone call Georgina (aka Da’at Darling) she is always saying that your magic won’t be as good as it would if you had a daily practice.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

I think Georgina and I are largely on the same page, and I expect (like Trinity said) she’s probably referring to “practice” in the broadest sense. But, yeah, I’ll go far enough to say that even the language of “daily practice” is usually unhelpful. It just isn’t realistic for the majority of working people with families, especially as we age (and then add in children, jobs with hard schedules, illness, etc). Many of the ceremonial practitioners we admire were wealthy and didn’t have those responsibilities, and I don’t think it’s fair to hold ourself to the same expectations.

@MrsDaedalus_

2 жыл бұрын

I remember her saying some sort of daily practice. Daily practice doesn´t have to be intense. Also, she is a ceremonial practitioner/Thelemist with a lot of time. Or at least this was the case at the time, we were in contact. So her form of daily practice is different from people that are still in school or have a day job. In the end, it really depends on your time. For example, I am an academic (doing my master's in Global History right now) and I don´t really have time to have a "daily practice" like reading tarot or meditation. Now I have to think about how to incorporate practising into what I do every day and that is cooking. So, I am cooking with intention right now every day. That is IMO the easiest way to establish a "daily practice" without feeling stressed.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrsDaedalus_ I'm in grad school, too, so I definitely feel that! If I'm going to take advice from someone on what a regular practice should look like, I'm going to need for them to have an appreciation for what life looks like when someone works full time and is in school. There are lots of people telling others what one true way is the best way (and to be clear, I've never ever seen Georgina do this--I think she's great, and I'm just speaking in general), and often those people have a lot of time on their hands. It's so cool that you've found a way to bring intention into your cooking! I've done the same with my studying and schoolwork.

So I did kundalini yoga for 8 years. Forced myself into an hours long daily practice many many times. Let me tell you, after a while it just stops working. The positive emotion, motivation, dedication and transcendence just disappears from most of your practice if you force overly rigorous discipline on yourself. At this point I do magick, mostly banishing and prayers 2-3 times a week, as well as studying, and energetically, it just feels different. I have just as profound transcendental experiences as before, if not more so, without having to torture myself daily to attain it.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

That’s been largely my experience too. I’ve had periods where I’ve had intense daily devotional and magical practices, and (also like with athletics) at some point I’d just hit where the rate of return would level out and then plummet. It’s like your body and brain adjust, and then just require more effort to take it farther the next time. And that just wasn’t sustainable or beneficial.

@SaaryLilla

2 жыл бұрын

@@drawingKenaz It is kind of liberating to know that others struggle with this, too. And that not only does forcing yourself to do a daily practice feel horrible - it also doesn't work. It's not like your hard work would really pay off.

As someone with a chronic illness, doing magic everyday is just too hard. But I do something witchy every few days - mostly meditation or reading - and it works for me. So many people say that you HAVE to have a daily practice and that made me feel like a failure because I'm just not capable of that. I'm really happy that you're promoting regular over daily

this might sound repetitive, but I so so wished I had this video when I was figuring out where to start; I would have saved myself a year of my life where I had no idea what to do. thank you from the bottom of my heart, love your content 🧡

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Marina! What a kind comment! I wish I’d been encouraged to just jump in, too! Now hopefully more people will be.

I have found it quite difficult learning about Witchcraft and the general consensus that it has to be your whole life or you aren’t a legitimate Witch. I’m not there, I can’t be there at the moment but I feel like I’m failing because I’m not living up to the ideals of witchcraft. Not just on Instagram or Tik Tok but on private groups of dedicated Witchcraft where there is a standard!

I think the Moon 🌙 (Esbats) and Sabbats are key; you don’t necessarily need a daily practice but do you need a regular one

Where were you 30 years ago? Seriously though I’m in my 60s and only discovered this idea within the past few years. I started with daily tarot practice (years) then started welcoming my guides (years) then added then LBRP,then lighting candles to the Divine, goddess,etc ……..This took years to develop/grow. It was natural, and took no effort. So many years wasted in fits and start taking the “all or nothing “ approach. You’ve shared wise guidance Thorne 🙏🏻

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

Happy to help! Or just be affirming. And thirty years ago I was probably crying over math homework somewhere, or sweatily being forced to run away from dodge balls other kids were throwing at me. I wasn’t at all useful yet. 😌

What color is that on your walls!? It is so gorgeous!!! 😍

I have found that if you are REALY drawn to this path, then it will not require a lot of effort to do anything daily. I began with daily meditations. I come from an older school of witchcraft, and for us it is important to do it daily. I will say that not everything began daily, it developed over time, but my meditations have been daily since day one. They have enabled me to overcome so many barriers in my life and is the cornerstone of my practice. I don't do a lot of spell work because I don't have a need for it. The balance that meditation brings me (in my daily life and my witchcraft) allows to focus on more than just spells. IMO (and my OPINION only), if you aren't practicing anything more than spells daily, then you should seek out another form of religion because there apparently is not enough dedication to what you think you believe. It is also my opinion that this path requires dedication to daily practice (forget about spells). This path about awakening the inner self and being aware of "you" and there are many ways to do this.

I think I got stuck on the advice to do something "meaningful". It sounds silly, but when you said that, I realized that I have a hard time connecting "meaningful" activities with my spiritual practice. I enjoy writing, singing, playing various instruments, drawing, etc., but these things feel separate and not at all integrated with my spirituality...and I don't know why that is. 🤔 Then when I try to "be spiritual", it feels like an empty meaningless gesture. Like I'm acting in a play. I haven't had ANY spiritual practice in a long time because of this. I feel "sorta pagan-y" most of the time, but I don't really do anything to express it. Great video, Thorn. Thought-provoking, surely.

I love your videos and this one was especially helpful to me. I am thinking about making videos and I think you sound great. What microphone and camera are you using for your videos? Thanks again for such great content.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

You’re so welcome! I’ve actually only really ever used my phone. I tried a lapel mic briefly but it wasn’t as good. I *just* got an iPhone 13 (not the pro-just the basic one) and I can’t believe how good the camera is. Before that I was using an iPhone7.

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

For a while I thought about investing in a camera and mic, but it was cheaper to upgrade my phone!

@shaynacasey7656

2 жыл бұрын

Wow! I am amazed that is your phone. It sounds great! Thanks for sharing.

My only daily practice is sleeping w tarot cards lol

So how long does it take to get to the level of Aradia??

🥰❤💯🌛🌕🌜

I've been starting to meditate more often because I've been using a candle flame to look at while I'm doing it. I was watching a doctor named doctor berg on KZread and apparently according to him, infrared light can penetrate your skull. So I thought, okay I guess that means in some way the light is coming in contact with our pineal gland. Actually I think that's why he mentioned it because it was a video about melatonin (Some of the melatonin in our body is stored in the pineal gland) and how if you expose yourself to infrared light you will get more melatonin and have better sleep.

@artsylady1747

2 жыл бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/pYKfzrVpnN3Sl6Q.html

Thorn, as a fellow educator, does your school know you are Wiccan? If so, then what is the reaction? 👩‍🏫 P.S. witchcraft is a state of mind...

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

My immediate colleagues knew when I was teaching at the high school! It never really came up at a higher level, though, and I never discussed it with students. I think a lot of the admin and older teachers would’ve thought it was weird or scary, but the younger teachers largely knew what it was and were pretty accepting. Now at my university, yes, my department knows! They didn’t bat an eye. But it’s a religious studies department, so they’re unusually well informed! Overall I’ve been really lucky and had good experiences.

@gabrielleangelica1977

2 жыл бұрын

@@drawingKenaz Wow, thank you! (I haven't gone public yet...) 🎑So glad things worked out for you. P.S. used to teach secondary education/Spanish.

Thank you Thorn I needed this!

@drawingKenaz

2 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome 💙