It is crucial to remember that you are your most wise sage.
Human consciousness is evolving. Along with our planet’s ascension comes the rise of spirituality. The mainstream is finally beginning to comprehend the Law of Attraction, the powers of crystals, and the toils of Mercury Retrograde. With this rise in spirituality comes spiritual bombardment from countless Instagram astrologers and tarot readers, vegan health blogs, empathic psychics advising on YouTube, and so on. Amid this informational abundance, we must remember to stay informed while also attending to our spiritual needs and journeys.
I want to share a ritual that can help design your spiritual practice to align with your own unique experiences, physical needs, and spiritual beliefs.
The Ritual
I call this ritual “Action Alchemy,” or simply put, prioritizing your ‘spiritual chores.’ I use this practice whenever I find myself thrown off balance without knowing how to get back on track, and my sacred practice starts to feel like a looming list of chores. That’s when I ask for help!
I start my spiritual chores by listing various rituals, actions, keywords, and phrases that have shaped my life and spiritual practice. Next, I pray for divine assistance, asking my source to help me design a schedule clarifying what I need to focus on in this unique moment. I feed my list into a generic online list generator and allow the shuffled results to guide me, focusing on the top 5 words the generator has spit out to incorporate into my day.
Here is how you can make your own Action Alchemy:
1. Create a list
Write down a list of all the rituals, actions, phases, phrases, symbols, foods, etc. that hold significance within your spiritual practice. This list should be personalized to your beliefs and will grow as you do. I consider the list to be an archive, or journal, documenting my ever-growing self-care practice. This is the first step towards building your spiritual chores.
My list is derived from foods and herbs that my body loves, astrological aspects that are significant to me, chronic health concerns, symbols I have developed a relationship with, and concepts that help me define life’s mysteries.
As an example, here is my list:
- Detox
- Astrology
- Simplify
- Student
- Try new things
- Purify
- Commitment
- Black Seed Oil
- Fire
- Water
- Air
- Earth
- Mantras
- Herbalism
- Candida
- Liver
- Hold your space
- Shadow work
- Ancestors
- Move!
- Schedule
- Beautify
- Spirit animal: Rabbit
- Spirit animal: Bull
- Silence
- Gratitude
- Discipline
- Books
- Nature
- Hydration
- Visualization meditations
- Silent meditation
- Action as meditation
- Highly Sensitive Person
- New Moon
- Full Moon
- Journal
- Yoga
- Clean
- Cook
- Rosary
- Celery
- Psycho Cybernetics
- Chakra Alignment
I suggest varying the topics on your list from vague to specific. If your word choice is too specific, you miss out on new understandings. If your words are too vague, then you may end up in need of just as much clarity as when you started the ritual. For example, I have included both “Black Seed Oil” and “Herbalism.” Black Seed oil is something that has frequently helped me in the past; therefore, it serves as both an herb and an experience.
2. Add Context
Next, add definitions to these words. Give your words context. A word like celery is self-explanatory, but “Shadow Work” is a phrase that will need more fleshing out. What does your word mean to you? Let this be another opportunity to channel your divine wisdom. When you are performing this in the future, the little bits of advice you record now can become shockingly insightful for future you.
Again, here are some examples from my own practice:
Beautify– Use the beautifying power of Venus to add love to your surroundings. Decorate your bathroom with flowers. Dress up in a way that embodies your beauty. Get a haircut. Paint your nails. Go to a museum and admire art. Listen to music in album form. Make your meals aesthetic. Look in the mirror at your radiant self.
Herbalism– What do you need help with? And what can help you? Your body needs some attention. Do some research and investigate on how the natural world can assist in your healing.
Air- Get out of your head and explore new ideas. Be creative. Have an open mindset. Bounce ideas off of others. Talk to new people. Get lost in a conspiracy theory. Research new topics.
Earth- Get grounded. Sit outside and meditate with your feet touching the ground. Channel the stability and patience of the earth. Give yourself permission to grow from mistakes. Work hard and enjoy the harvest. Enjoy the material world, your physical body.
Astrology– What is happening in the skies? Check your horoscope!
Shadow work- A time when an unknown part of ourselves comes to the surface. Bring light to a part of yourself that has been unconscious or ignored. Start noticing what your highest self is trying to teach you. You get to learn more about yourself. Rather than engaging in distractions, sit with your discomfort. Patience and self-compassion are crucial.
Discipline– Is your lack of discipline making you miserable? Commit to your work and trust your ability to complete long-term goals. You have the full capacity to succeed. Believe in yourself and ignore all doubts. If the word “discipline” causes anxiety, use “devotion.”
3. Ask for Assistance
Now, you are ready to perform the ritual. Say a prayer asking your guides and angels for assistance. Ask them to prioritize the words by the importance of what you need at this very moment. Tell them thank you!
4. Shuffle
Feed your words created in step 1 into a generator that shuffles lists. I use this in my practice.
Variation:
This ritual was developed by my use of oracle cards and my desire for more personalized information. That being said, the process can also be completed by writing down your words on individual cards and then physically shuffling the cards. Essentially, you are making your own oracle cards which has a lot of aesthetic potential. If this is the method I am using, then I will pull out additional tarot and oracle cards along side my homemade cards. This allows for more information to be communicated.
5. Actualize
Take the first few words from the top of the list that the generator shuffled. I usually focus in on the top 5. Incorporate these words through tangible actions within your spiritual chores (this is where Step 2 comes in handy).
The divine speaks through symbols, synchronicities, fragments, and parables. Therefore, it’s important to read the generated words like poetry: separate words working together to tell a single narrative. You have not only created a self-help to-do list, but a divine poem to interpret.