Owl, Fire and Beads Sun, 20th January, 2013
Part of making spaces in my life is to allow time for more deliberate spiritual practices. In doing so, I feel myself gradually becoming a new person. This realization brings both joy and fear. My visitation by the Owl, I've decided, was the turning point. I'm still hoping to learn much more about Owl Medicine. For some, owls are a symbol of great wisdom and insight, while the majority of cultures around the world view them as an omen of death. For me the owl experience is both one of new self-knowledge and my own spiritual rebirth. The old me has been marked for death.
I've been exploring the basic elements of native American spirituality, including the four elements of fire, water, earth and air. The lesson of fire, among other things, is that life and death are a natural cycle and not to be feared. Fire brings creative destruction, burning away the old to allow rebirth of the new.
Making space for these reflections has led me, as mentioned before, to explore prayer and meditation more deeply than the old me had ever dared to do. My spirit guide in this journey is Erik Wikstrom, with his book Simply Pray. In it, he leads the seeker to create a set of prayer beads. This was the focus of my day yesterday, shopping for just the right beads and assembling them. The beauty of the Unitarian Universalist tradition is that the prayer beads are not prescriptive as in some traditions but rather are reflective of one's own spiritual journey and aspirations. I'm certain the meaning of the various beads for me will evolve over time as the new me comes into being.
After the large centering bead, which is the starting point for clearing your mind and focusing on your time of prayer or meditation, I have placed a bead with bright red-orange splashes as the symbol of fire. For the creative destruction of the old self and new growth that then becomes possible will for me always be the point at which I enter into the holy.
The detail of what every subsequent bead stands for is too much for this brief space and in some cases is not yet fully known to me. But you can click on the bead picture to the right if you're curious to learn more about the meaning of their selection and arrangement.
Creating your own prayer or meditation beads is one of the most beautiful forms of worship - worship meaning worth-shaping, celebrating or remembering what which is most holy to you. I know the owl would approve.
Part of making spaces in my life is to allow time for more deliberate spiritual practices. In doing so, I feel myself gradually becoming a new person. This realization brings both joy and fear. My visitation by the Owl, I've decided, was the turning point. I'm still hoping to learn much more about Owl Medicine. For some, owls are a symbol of great wisdom and insight, while the majority of cultures around the world view them as an omen of death. For me the owl experience is both one of new self-knowledge and my own spiritual rebirth. The old me has been marked for death.
I've been exploring the basic elements of native American spirituality, including the four elements of fire, water, earth and air. The lesson of fire, among other things, is that life and death are a natural cycle and not to be feared. Fire brings creative destruction, burning away the old to allow rebirth of the new.
Making space for these reflections has led me, as mentioned before, to explore prayer and meditation more deeply than the old me had ever dared to do. My spirit guide in this journey is Erik Wikstrom, with his book Simply Pray. In it, he leads the seeker to create a set of prayer beads. This was the focus of my day yesterday, shopping for just the right beads and assembling them. The beauty of the Unitarian Universalist tradition is that the prayer beads are not prescriptive as in some traditions but rather are reflective of one's own spiritual journey and aspirations. I'm certain the meaning of the various beads for me will evolve over time as the new me comes into being.
After the large centering bead, which is the starting point for clearing your mind and focusing on your time of prayer or meditation, I have placed a bead with bright red-orange splashes as the symbol of fire. For the creative destruction of the old self and new growth that then becomes possible will for me always be the point at which I enter into the holy.
The detail of what every subsequent bead stands for is too much for this brief space and in some cases is not yet fully known to me. But you can click on the bead picture to the right if you're curious to learn more about the meaning of their selection and arrangement.
Creating your own prayer or meditation beads is one of the most beautiful forms of worship - worship meaning worth-shaping, celebrating or remembering what which is most holy to you. I know the owl would approve.
