Beltane Blessings, my Beloveds!
I wanted to talk a little about something that most people tend to ignore. Intuition. That little inner voice that tells us when we are about to fuck up. Ooops, outside voice.
I know you all know what I mean. You're thinking about doing something. You have this nagging feeling that it's not the right thing, but...it's not consistent with that "other" thing you really, really want to do...so you ignore it!
I can't tell you how many times my "Inner Bell" went off as a warning about situations and/or relationships and instead of following it, I decided that I was just being neurotic and danced happily into hell!
We humans are creatures of emotional complexity. We've evolved into a species that chooses intellect over instinct. We lust after people and things that can destroy us, and indulge in behaviors that can lead to our untimely demise, simply because we can't resist not to. And we will come up with every reason under the Moon and Stars to justify our decision.
This being said, it's very difficult to listen to a little disembodied voice in our heads. It's often suggested that people who talk to themselves are crazy...but, I think the true madness lies in not listening to ourselves.
From a Witch's standpoint, developing one's intuition is a crucial element in a successful practice. My best advice is to start small. Our egos have an uncanny knack for interfering with our instincts, so begin by practicing with things that will cause the least amount of damage. You're driving home, you always make a right at a certain intersection, but instead, today you feel you should make a left, try it. But, if you have $30 to your name till pay day and something is telling you to indulge in $300 gift for yourself, that's your ego talking. Tell it to "shut the fuck up!" Oooops, outside voice!
I do most of my best work when I work solely on gut instinct. The Internet is great if you are just beginning this journey and need a general idea, but I tend to not follow those recommendations. You are using someone else's suggestion for work you are doing for yourself. It's your work! Perfect it!
Try this. The next time you are considering doing work, quiet your mind. and focus on exactly what you want to achieve. What is your purpose and intent? Ask yourself the question, "how do I make this happen?" I find that I will get bursts of inspiration in which every ounce of my being screams, "Yes, yes, yes!" Kind of like a psychic orgasm! I might mull over things for a few days or longer if needed and over that time, things change, evolve and gain more clarity I might decide a black candle would work better than a red, carving something in mirror script (the way writing appears in a mirror's reflection) would work better than writing on parchment, burning something rather than burying it, (although burning shit is, ya know, always fun), etc. Often, by the time I'm actually ready to do the work, I am absolutely certain of what I need to do and I can "feel" it, rather than just "know" it. If however, you are standing at your altar or where ever the work is taking place and suddenly something doesn't feel right or you think it needs a little something, listen to the little voice in your head! Ferfuxsake! Ooops, outside voice :)
Oh and most importantly, when you meet that person you distrust at first sight? The worst thing you can do is assume you're wrong!
In Darkness, Light!
Tracy
