Mindful Living: A Connection of Mind, Body and Spirit

As we journey through the wheel of the year, we are going to connect that journey to our mindfulness practice. Our goal will be to explore ways that mindfulness and meditation can be woven into both our daily and magickal practices.

This turn of the wheel brings us to Beltaine and the astrological sign of Taurus. Beltaine represent the warmth as Summer Returns and fertility rites; as well as a fae connection. As Taurus is ruled by the planet Venus it represents love, beauty and money. Together this is an excellent time to explore love, beauty, passion, prosperity and the fires of creativity and rebirth.

Our mindfulness practice makes us aware of the shifts in energy as the Northern Hemisphere awakens with late spring and early summer blooming to life with love and potential fueled by the Sun. Reactions to the longer, warmer days are often followed by an urge to feel the sun on our skin, the rhythms of nature as we head outdoors to see the blossoming world around us. Many of us find an irresistible urge to connect and create during this time. Being aware of the cycles and seasons to the world around us and how our personal habits ebb and flow with seasonal changes is another form of mindfulness and self-care.

Journaling about your connection with the environment around you and your seasonal connection to it can be as simple or detailed as you are comfortable with. I recommend noting the season, weather, date, mood, whether you want to be indoors or out, with people or without and what you most feel like doing. This can be done before or after a meditation session, part of your evening self-care routine or as a reflection during an esbat or sabbat ritual.

Whatever frequency and detail work for you is what you should use in this exercise. The reason for this exercise is to be able to look back over time and track trends in your personality that correlate to the wheel of the year. A pattern will emerge on when you most want to be outside, socialize, productivity and rest, etc. This mindful awareness will allow you to more understand your connection to the universe around you, as well as your personal cycles within the seasons. When you deepen this understanding, you can deepen your life, dreams and your magic.

Summer season is often associated with growth and the full richness of life’s offerings. We planted in the spring. Tended our way into Beltaine. Now we begin to enjoy the richness of those plantings. Enjoying what you planted does not mean that the journey is at an end. For gardeners there will be an endless cycle of planting, harvesting, freezing and canning in preparation for the dormant months entwined with enjoying the scents and flavors of the seasons.

Those who have done personal and professional magic may see opportunities and results from spring magic, but that does not mean you stop your personal and professional development once you see any result. Cultivate those results, see the next steps and continue to work your magic while you take the time to celebrate your personal and professional growth.

Creatives find this a time of abundant inspiration. From the long days, natural inspiration, interpersonal activity and more opportunities than we can imagine to find inspiration in faires, festivals, art shows and nature to name a few.

However, while we explore and experience this time of growth, it is important that we remember to rest and enjoy. Listen to music, lay under the sun and moon, watch the trees sway in a breeze. Connect to yourself and your growth. This is another way to continue planting seeds. Without connection to self, you cannot not listen to what wisdom your soul is speaking to you. The more you are aware of your needs as an individual the easier it is to look at these future endeavors with a mindfulness to whether they are filling a necessity, want or need that will align with your body, mind and spirit.

During Ostara we spoke of the idea of spring cleaning. These actions are not limited to any one season. As you open windows to allow fresh air and ideas to freshen, infuse you and your home, there are things that you can do to intertwine your daily life with your mindfulness, meditation, spiritual and magical practices to further align your mind, body and spirit with your environment. During Beltaine we continue to harness the energy of the seasons with singing, dancing, drumming, feasting (aka BBQ season) and celebration gatherings.

Seasonal color is one of the easiest ways to infuse our environment. The colors most associated with late spring and early summer are green, yellow and turquoise. Infusing your home with these colors can be as simple as getting candles for your sacred and relaxing space in those colors to having sheets on your bed in these colors or throw pillows or curtains in your home with this theme.

Colors symbolize different ideas and have effects on the energy of our mind, body, spirit and environment. Each color is also associated with positive and negative aspects.

Green symbolizes harmony, safety, growth and health. Green effects energy to revitalize, balance, relax and encourage. The positive aspects of green are generosity, hope, prosperity and lucky. The negative aspects of green are judgmental, envy, materialism and inexperience.

Yellow symbolizes happiness, hope and spontaneity. Feeling the sun on your skin (responsibly) can give your health benefits to the body, mind and spirit. Feeling the connection between yourself and the Universe will uplift your spirit and bring hope.

Turquoise symbolizes friendliness, tranquility, growth and vitality. Many people find this a relaxing color to surround themselves with.

Depending on where you live May can be a very liminal time – caught between the energy and temperatures of Spring and Summer. Spring is correlated with nature, growth and rebirth. Summer is associated with growth and youthful innocence. It is a wonderful time for deeper explorations.

 

 Lilacs symbolize purity, love and protection. They also are associated with the element of water. Placing Lilacs in the home protects the home and inhabitants. Should you begin to notice a lot of lilac symbolism there is renewal or something new coming to you.

Hawthorns were traditional meeting places for gatherings. It is thought to be a meeting place between the worlds and has associations with the fae, from being their home to a portal to their home. Because of Hawthorne’s healing and spiritual properties it has often been associated with witches and witchcraft.

Apple Blossoms represents good fortune, hope and the cycle of life. Other meanings are prosperity, positivity and fertility. Gifting of an apple blossom brings luck to the individuals involved or in a romantic relationship passion and fertility.

Dog Roses purity, love, marriage and prediction of death if dreamt about. These are also known as sweet briar or witches’ briar. This plant is associated with Venus and the element of water.

Rue is also known as the mother of herbs or witch bane. Rue is used for hex breaking and warding off the evil eye. It is also used for protection and promoting your psychic abilities. Flower language associates’ rue with grace, clear vision and new beginnings. Warning: toxic herb.

 

Tansy is also associated with the planet Venus and the element of water. It promotes longevity and health. If you wish to get rid of people, events or spirits then tansy is the herb to use. It is also used for regeneration and rebirth. Overall, tansy is a great herb for longevity spells, death magic, spirit work and ancestral veneration.

 

Pennyroyal is associated with the element of fire and the planets Mars and Earth. Astrological associations are Scorpio. The magical properties are for strength, protection and peace. Healing properties are for digestion and headaches.

 

Crystals associated with Beltaine are:

African Turquoise for fertility and abundance.

Botswana Agate for grounding and Earth connection.

Garnet for passion and feminine energy.

Sunstone is to harness fire element, boost vitality and joy.

Tiger eye is for strength and masculine vitality.

Carnelian is for focused energy and confidence.

Golden sheen obsidian is a traditional warrior stone and protects against negativity and harm.It shines light on the inner darkness and clears your psyche.

Bumblebee jasper is positive energy that helps creative folk with willpower and confidence. It removes blocked energies and lets it flow.

 

As you choose, these elements can be incorporated into your practice, home or personal magic. Remember that mindful living is a learned skill that we must practice each day to assist us in maintaining the state of mindfulness that we wish to live in. Placing seasonal and spiritual reminders within our home, work and vehicle is a great way to practice taking a mindful moment when our eyes fall upon it. As yourself, am I living to my truth with my actions today? Take stock and see if you are. If you aren’t, do not judge yourself. Make note of it and adjust the actions needed to be in alignment with your truth. Mindfulness is not about judgment, but observation and personal truth.

After you have decided on the goals that align with your mindfulness lifestyle you can incorporate mantras into your meditation practice. A mantra can be repeated during a meditation cycle. These are often useful to help focus on an ideal that one is working on within their self or to help quiet the monkey mind.

Suggested mantras are:

I am loving kindness

Each day I grow into my purpose

I am aligned with the Universe

The Universe supports and sustains me

OM

Om Mani Padme Hum (The jewel is in the lotus). This mantra is believed to hold all of Buddha’s teachings.

Remember mindfulness is a journey of you. A way to deepen your awareness and connection to your body, mind and spirit. This deeper connection allows you to connect more deeply to the Universe. I believe that these are the keys to making both our lives and the world around us better. True connection to self must happen for us to have the truest connections to others. Each day is a new opportunity to practice mindfulness and connection.

Blessings, Irisa

 

Photos:

Lilacs – Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Tansy – Photo by Ekaterina Grosheva on Unsplash

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About the Author:

 

Irisa MacKenzie joined PaganPages.org in 2022 writing the Mindful Living: A Connection of Body, Mind and Spirit column and book reviews. Irisa has taught meditation and mindfulness for 25 years. Her blog irisamackenzie.org continues her discussions on mindfulness, meditation and living a purpose driven life. The Esty shop Viking Woman Creations has products to support meditation, mindfulness and magic that support our body, mind and spirit connection to the Universe. This is a small woman owned new business that will be growing over the coming years.