Thoughts on Grace

My word of the year to explore has been Grace.  I've always had problems with the word. It seems so... ephemeral. Like it means something but what it means has always been really vague to me.  It feels weird and abstract as a noun. As something you have. What is it that you have when you have grace?  

In terms of spirituality, grace is often spoken of as passive, as in being the passive subject receiving blessings not necessarily deserved. The granting action, however is not passive - it's an act of compassion. We are, I believe, called to both give and receive compassion in life. 

In terms of movement, you are said to 'have grace' when you move with elegant precision - when you move economically using neither more nor less strength/power than you need to in order to achieve your chosen goal. Another way I have come to think of this action is moving with accountability.  If action requires only a light touch, only use a light touch.  Sometimes action requires a heavy hand, do not use a light touch when a strong statement is required.  

Grace then is an action of compassionate accountability.  It is not compassionate to withhold accountability, and accountability does not require one to lack compassion.  They work hand in hand, and the balance of compassion and accountability is grace.

As I reflect on many recent events, I turn to Ma'at and ask for Her to hold us each, in all our very human humanity, in compassionate accountability.

CC0: ArtsyBee Pixabay

Catching Up!

So last year I focused on The Sisters of Fierceness Sabbats.  I missed posting on the last one, the Solstice of Rebirth and Renewal. We're off to a fabulous new start with a few new members this year and our Call to Adventure ritual at the beginning of February was an inspiring start to the year! This coming weekend, we're already on to celebrating our Equinox Rites of Discernment (Refusal and Acceptance).

In the meantime, with all that going on, I initiated into the Wildflower Collective at the PDX Sabbat of Prophecy and Initiation! I couldn't be more delighted! Lots ahead of me to work on, and such lovely people to work on it all with!  In the coming year, I hope to track my thoughts more along the lines of what I started out doing.  Last year went fast and while I was having all sorts of thoughts as we fleshed out the Sisters of Fierceness, I didn't always think to track them except in relation to the sabbats as they moved through the year.

March is when we start talking about the importance of Daily Practice. I do my daily practice at night before bed. Because of the time of night that is, it's really almost the first thing I do in a day.  Connecting each day with the sacred, the divine, my community in shared practice, is really grounding.  I can count on one hand the times I've missed my daily practice, and generally it's been because I've been so unwell that I could hardly stand, much less have the brain space to remember words.  Fortunately I'm not in that place too often because that's a miserable place to be!

So not going to try to hit all of the things right now, there's time, there's time, there's time. :)  But before I go -- happy International Women's Month, and o hai, today (since it's past midnight) is International Women's Day!  I'm looking forward to seeing how it's celebrated this year!