June comes in with the heat of summer and the time of the Vestalia is upon us, celebrated from the 7th to the 15th. I follow my daily devotions, including some special purification rites and keeping Vesta's flame lit as much as I am able. Life has been very busy, but a friend and I did manage to join together for a formal devotional rite; washing Vesta's statue with scented water, processing with the statue, then placing it on the altar. We made our invocations, lit candles to be used during the year, and let ourselves be overcome with the love and devotion we have for this goddess.
Afterwards, a late dinner, then good conversation, discussion, and the sharing of books, all into the wee hours of the morning. I arrived home and after my evening ablutions, I fell into bed at 5:30 AM! Needless to say, today has been a lazy day, but I have tended my flame and am preparing to make my evening devotions.
Daily devotions are centering for me, they keep things together, heal the mind, open the avenues of communion with the goddesses I am devoted to. Some days, it takes some doing to set aside the time to make my devotions, but, as a priestess, it is what I do; and that doing is a stabilizing force, the foundation of my life. All stays where it needs to be, even the tough lessons, when I am centered in my spiritual life. A good reason, certainly, to keep doing it, but that isn't why I do it, not at all. I do it because my goddesses are deserving of it and expect it of me; I came to that realization after some reading, it just really hit home, why I do what I do spiritually, how ingrained it is in my life. I expect it of myself, and there is no option for not doing it. I have said this many times, to many people, if I can't give of myself and my time to the goddess, why would they continue to commune with me? It is up to each of us how far we wish to take our spiritual practice, but it won't go anywhere if we don't give of ourselves by maintaining that practice.
I will not tell anyone how they should conduct themselves in their spiritual practice, that is up to each of us. I can say, with the utmost certainty, that making the time for these devotions, the giving of one's self to deity, brings a very special and deeply satisfying life.
Blessings nine!
I agree with you 100% about making the time daily to have an active spiritual relationship through devotions. I admit that we all have our days when we don't feel well but I drag my ass out of bed and do the work. Since I made that commitment and I must uphold it for myself, the Gods, and the Ancestors.
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