Can you help me? What works?

[Windsmith]

Hi, all.

You may have noticed that I've not been around much lately. Or you might not have.

I am dealing with some very difficult, very painful panic and anxiety issues right now. These particular issues are leaving me very angry with and disappointed by my religion. I am slowly trying to find my way back, but who knows what my spiritual practice will look like when I do.

One thing that has been immensely helpful is reconnecting with Nature. Just being out in it helps, but rooting it in my Pagan practices helps even more.

So, what do all of you do? When you want to celebrate the flowers-and-fangs aspect of your spirituality, what particular rituals, affirmations, spells, or other things work for you?

This is a difficult time for me, but I treasure the community I have here in ye olde Pantheism forum of MW. Thank you all so much for being here.

[Dio]

I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this. I hope you don't mind a non panthiest response. :cutie:

I'm not sure even if my advice will help as I've been going through my own spiritual crisis of sorts, but I'll try. I've had to take things on a day-to-day basis. One thing that has helped me is just sitting out on my balcony enjoying the sunshine. Sometimes, I'll incorporate a cigarette into it by blowing smoke as a way of sending wishes out to the universe. Taking more interest in your talents or hobbies helps. Figure out a way of intentionally putting some spiritual energy into everything you do. It helps you remember your purpose and at least keeps your spirits up because you feel as though you're accomplishing something. Journaling helps too. Dream journaling, day-to-day journaling. Anything that keeps you focused on those little spiritual *hints* that are so easy to overlook when you're feeling that hopelessness and discouragement. Honor yourself and your personal needs, too. Can't stress that part enough.

Feel free to pm me if you wish to talk about it more. Perhaps we could help each other. :)

[BlackLili]

:hugz: Windy :hugz:

I think I know what you mean. Everyone has a crisis of faith from time to time, and you're right to take a step back and figure out what you want to reconnect with.

For me, bonfires, candle flames, standing outside in the darkness on a wild and windy night - these are the things that make me feel the most primal, the most connected to the reason why I feel about the world the way I do. I also have a wolfish side, and have been known to howl when the moment takes me. ;)

Anytime you want to talk, send me a PM, too. I'm no pantheist, but I dig on a lotta stuff. :thumbsup:

[HetHert]

Hi there Windsmith,

I have found that nature reawakens the amazement and the love that one can fall in with life. Watching the perfection and harmony and design of it all working together.

For this I go on nature walks and camping, listening to the birds announce the morning and the coyotes talk through the night. The mountains hold wonder to me.

Gardening is what I do at home to keep the whole process in front of and around me. Giving me a practical outlet and allowing me to nurture life and nature.

A small chiminae fire and scrying while in my garden or setting up my cauldron out amongst the herbs and picking the essences that speak to me then releasing them in ritual.

Walks around a lake or pond or sitting by a large body of water where I can contemplate with the sound of life around me natural or human. I think it's important to work through some of these things with reminders of reality. It's a balance I find keeps perspective. But I'm a people watcher so I don't mind.

[girlandthesea]

I'm sorry to here that, it sucks.

I agree with the journal! I use one on a daily basis. I write everything in there its not really a 'dear diary' kind of thing it's more any thought that comes into my head goes on that page. So it is abit of a mess but I find it really helps to keep me sane.

I find the best time to connect with all life is at dawn or dusk or during times of a full moon.

Hope you start to feel better again. I don't think that it's a bad thing if your beliefs change, mine are evolving everyday.

[Kaneithren]

Silly and simple as it may sound, when I want to reconnect with nature, I go sit under a tree. :) Something about sitting on the ground, leaning up against the tree, and just letting my mind wander helps me connect with nature better than almost anything.

A nice walk in a warm spring rain does the trick too... but it's a little chilly for a walk in the rain here at the moment. :lol:

[TygerTyger]

One of the things I like about Pantheism is the lack of formal restraints, there's no strict dogma, no particular ceremony, no observed attendance. For me it is not about the afterlife or a pending judgement on what I have or have not done, it is about life as the most immediate experience.

When I've been beset by worries and looked to my Pantheism to get me through I've always found contemplation works best. Like Kaneithren the simplest way is just to go out and sit under a tree or merely observe the landscape. Finding my place in existence helps me put my concerns into perspective. If, on reflection, something about my beliefs needs to be changed to accommodate a new understanding then that's what I do, because flexibility is an attractive quality.

These experiences that you are having at the moment, even though they may seem negative, they are also an opportunity to learn something. If you use that knowledge then you will be better prepared for dealing with similar situations should they arise again.

[green aventurine]

Sorry to hear you're having a rough time. I think there's some great advice on this thread.

I am into things like animism myself so I'm not sure 100% how much we coincide but I would imagine there is overlap. For me, reading books and thinking about spirituality etc is a big part of my path but I also find sometimes there's no substitute for getting out there and getting stuck into nature as well. I personally like wild forests. I also find some trees (or what lives in or around them) can be good healers amongst other things if you're fortunate enough to find a friendly one near you. Working energetically or meditating with crystals/stones/leaves/feathers as well sometimes although I don't have anything specific practice-wise that I do - I just go with the flow, really. Also things like sitting on isolated bits of beaches watching the sun set are quite nice for me.

I would also underline what girlandthe sea said:



I don't think that it's a bad thing if your beliefs change, mine are evolving everyday.


I think it can be disappointing when we feel we've been let down whether it's by people or belief systems or life itself. I would imagine everyone on this thread has been there at some point. I know I have. IMHO sometimes it makes room for something new that is better although it doesn't always feel like it at the time.

Good luck with everything and hope you feel better soon.

[sleepycat]

hmmm...
I haven't 'met' you here, so I'm just going with your name. Try this outside:

Windsmith's Circle

I call the East Wind.
With the promise of a sunrise, I call to thee.
As an innocent child I call to thee.
With the magic of laughter I call to thee.

I call the South Wind.
With the power of the noon sun I call to thee.
As the carefree youth I call to thee.
With the magic of passion I call to thee.

I call the west Wind.
With the beauty of the sunset, I call to thee.
As the wise old one, I call to thee.
With the magic of forgiveness, I call to thee.

I call the North Wind.
With the majesty of a night sky, I call to thee.
In memory of those passed, I call to thee.
With the magic of silence, I call to thee.

Stand Circle Center and Offer.
See what you receive in return.

Journey Well

[Sparkles]

Good advice on this thread. Try also doing an internet search on "dark night of the soul," and read up a little bit on what may be the spiritual crisis that you are experiencing. Dark nights of the soul are gut-wrenching, but they usually herald the approach of some big step or phase of growth.

Sparkles

[Clair de la Lune]

I think everyone has really had some excellent suggestions in this thread. I have certainly had a crisis of and reawakening of faith before. I have had a path change, and am always looking around to see if my heart is truly where it belongs, or if there is something more out there that I did not previously know about calling me.

Anyway, here is something else that may help you:

For any kind of anxiety or depression issues, nutrition and supplements can help.

Try 2,000 IU's of Vitamin D. This not only helps with the absorption of Calcium, but many of us don't get outside without sunscreen long enough to properly produce enough of this on our own. It especially helps with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Try a good B-Complex Vitamin with Vit. B-12. Take it in the AM or when you get up for energy.

Try a good fish oil with Omega 3 fatty acid. Unless you are eating an ungodly amount of fish every day, you probably don't get enough of this in your diet. It helps with all kinds of things in your body, including regulating your mood.

The following are for anyone:

Everyone needs a good Multivitamin/Mineral supplement. Most people don't get the daily recommended allowance for nutrients in their diets. The recommended amount is just the minimum we need.

Every woman of childbearing age needs Calcium.

Every smoker/ ex-smoker needs a good Vitamin C to help the Calcium absorb. The Vitamin C gets depleted when a person smokes.

Hope this helps! :)

[cheddarsox]

Here I am to put my foot in my mouth...Windsmith, I've been having some of the same issues this past winter, I feel for you.

but, it boggles my mind to read "reconnect" on a pantheist forum. Because the entire point is that we cannot ever not be connected. To hold the idea of disconnectedness, to imagine ourselves unconnected is the antithesis of pantheism.

To know that discomfort is NOT a sign of disconnect is the most basic thing, in my experience.

even in sickness, upset, panic, whatever, there is no less connectedness than at any other time. It's not a sign of anything other than that we are alive and reacting.

I'm not belittling the impact and discomfort of the experience, believe me, just the interpretation.

what to do...many of the suggestions are great, I'm just uncomfortable with what the use of the word "disconnect" implies.

on a practical level...meditation, comtemplation, intense physical activity, Calming herbs like Valerian, kavakava, and hops, journaling, ranting, sex, making bread, beer, or anyother long process food from scratch, and bizarrely, acceptance...can all help.

sometimes when we stop fighting the imagined "enemy" it stops fighting back, and we can engage with it on entirely different terms.

I tried something you can get at a health food store called 5HTP this winter, it's a precursor to seratonin, and it helped me tremendously with my depression and panic in a very short time. It may or may not work for you, but it's pretty cheap. It can cause heart valve damage if used for a long time, but it might be what you need to get a lift out of this intense discomfort. Just be wary of using it as a daily supplement forever.

I find anxiety and panic to be two of the hardest emotions to "sit" with, and I totally understand your desire to get past this, it's like a living hell.

Nothing makes me more irrational.

If none of these home remedies do the trick, I hear xanax takes the edge off.

[TygerTyger]

My own personal interpretation of being unconnected is more to do with a feeling or a perception than a reality. Occasionally I get that feeling too, it reminds me to stop and look at the world instead of just travelling through it.

I see it as being a question of conscious awareness. There are so many other things that can distract us from contemplation and I know that some people find it hard to experience Winter and still see the world around them as very much alive.

I don't think that the media helps with its' obsession for doom and gloom stories either.

I agree, however, that in reality we never lose the connexion, just the awareness of it. It sometimes takes an effort to remind ourselves of where we are in existence.

[spiral]

Hi, all.

You may have noticed that I've not been around much lately. Or you might not have.

I am dealing with some very difficult, very painful panic and anxiety issues right now. These particular issues are leaving me very angry with and disappointed by my religion. I am slowly trying to find my way back, but who knows what my spiritual practice will look like when I do.

One thing that has been immensely helpful is reconnecting with Nature. Just being out in it helps, but rooting it in my Pagan practices helps even more.

So, what do all of you do? When you want to celebrate the flowers-and-fangs aspect of your spirituality, what particular rituals, affirmations, spells, or other things work for you?

This is a difficult time for me, but I treasure the community I have here in ye olde Pantheism forum of MW. Thank you all so much for being here.

:hugz: I noticed you hadn't been around actually, I've always liked your posts.

When I went through a difficult time in my life, I spent a lot of time at the beach near my house, and that helped me feel 'reconnected'. I didn't do any particular rituals, it was just being out there and remembering that the world is so much bigger than myself and my problems. Also exercising outside... running along the beach on a windy, stormy day is so exhilarating that you forget your problems for a while. And I find planting things, nurturing and watching them grow to be very soothing. If it helps, you could try visualising your worries and stresses being blown away by the wind, or released into the earth.

But as valuable as all this was to me, honestly, refinding that connection with nature didn't solve my issues... to do that I had to work out why I was having them and what I needed to change to fix them.

It's hard, but keep trudging on, dark times always pass. I found that my connection with nature was different, yet stronger than it had been before. Spirituality is meant to grow with us, not hold us back. Maybe some of the anger you're feeling is a sign that something in your spiritual practice isn't right for you anymore?

Anyway, I hope you feel better really soon Windsmith :)

[Windsmith]

Thank you all so much for the kind words and the excellent suggestions. There's a lot here for me to digest and consider its applicability for me right now.

cheddar, your foot's not in your mouth at all! I know exactly what you're talking about. And, in fact, it's part of why this particular bout of anxiety has been extra scary for me. Because there's the part of me that knows perfectly well that I'm still connected: I'm breathing the same air as before the crisis hit; I'm walking on the same Earth; I'm drinking the same water and feeling the same breeze. But the majority of me doesn't feel that connection right now. I feel alone and cut off and scared. TygerTyger hit it right on in talking about reality vs. perception. Intellectually, I know I'm as connected as ever. Emotionally and spiritually, I don't know it at all. Hence the need for "reconnection" - a need to rediscover and reaffirm those connections.

I am healing, slowly. There's a lot more work to do, but I am starting to hope again. I don't know who or where I'll be spiritually when I'm done. But whatever happens, I know that this is a necessary step in my healing, and I hope I will like the "new me."

Thank you all again. I'll be around!

[TygerTyger]

I don't know who or where I'll be spiritually when I'm done. But whatever happens, I know that this is a necessary step in my healing, and I hope I will like the "new me."

If you know that much then you really are on the path to recovery and growth.

Hope to see the "new you" very soon :thumbsup:

[Eleisawolf]

Dear one,

What I often will do is go out and look at the moon and sing Sting's "Sister Moon."

~~~~~~~~~

Sister Moon will be my guide
In your blue, blue shadows, I would hide
All good people asleep tonight
I'm all by myself in your silver light
I would gaze at your face the whole night through
I'd go out of my mind but for you

Lying in a mother's arms
The primal root of a woman's charms
I'm a stranger to the sun, my eyes are too weak
How cold is a heart when it's warmth that it seeks
You watch every night, you don't care what I do
I'd go out of my mind but for you
I'd go out of my mind but for you

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun
My hunger for her explains everything I've done
To howl at the moon the whole night through
And they really don't care if I do
I'd go out of my mind but for you

~~~~~~~~~

It's really quite cathartic, for me. I often feel I AM out of my mind... but the moon doesn't care. It's always there, nevertheless. No matter what I do.

Peace to your heart.

[Windsmith]

It's really quite cathartic, for me. I often feel I AM out of my mind... but the moon doesn't care. It's always there, nevertheless. No matter what I do.

Peace to your heart.Thank you for sharing this with me, Eleisa. That's the kind of thing I need: a reminder of the things that endure, no matter how out bonkers I get.

[Eleisawolf]

Thank you for sharing this with me, Eleisa. That's the kind of thing I need: a reminder of the things that endure, no matter how out bonkers I get.

Big hugs to you.

:hugz::hugz::hugz:

Peace