Owning Your Sacred Tools
I have been working this moon on what my sacred tools really are and how in embodying them, acknowledging, and then sharing them makes the work I do in my sacred work but also in my life:
So much simpler and yet more powerful
It is a process of just being "with" what I already have and know innately, some may say for many lifetimes, rather than trying to "become" more, learn more stuff, and add more complication to my work and my life. And I can be a Queen of Complexity. The more "deep" and esoteric something is, the more I gravitate towards it. And yet, I (and you) already know what I need to know, and if, how, and when to share it, just by being present and aware, and simple. I have realized that in the chaos that has been so present in the collective that I have ignored some of the tools that are balm for my soul and support me in being grounded and fluid at the same time. Tools that are deceptively simple, like calling in and honoring the Elements of Nature every morning.
I am all for going out and learning new things to keep us growing and fresh, and some of us just absolutely love to learn, in fact I need to learn like I need air to breath. That in and of itself is a born-with sacred tool. But not if it's a continued process of "seeking" before you can share, or acknowledge the wisdom you already have and the sacred tools you already use and have access to. If doing and learning more "stuff" becomes an over-complication of life and work, it may not be serving you or those you are here to serve. I have really learned this moon (and really this whole year) that the more I simplify and honor my "original" tools the more accessible I am to my beloveds. There is no need to overcomplicate, and there is such depth in the simplicity of the essence of things. And when we share our gifts and tools at their essences, and are in community with others who have different gifts and tools to share, every being becomes more abundant and there is a Universal reciprocity.
"The most important thing each of us can know is our unique gift and how to use it in the world. Individuality is cherished and nourished, because in order for the whole to flourish, each of us has to be strong in who we are and carry our gifts with conviction, so they can be shared with others. Being among the sisters provides a visible manifestation of what a community can become when its members understand and share their gifts." -Robin Wall Kimmerer
I find such power in these words, and such power in sharing our gifts amongst community to make the whole stronger. And it does not have to be difficult or over-complicated. I feel very strongly that if humanity is to survive that a return to the “village” and honoring and sharing our gifts and our resources is necessary. Radical Hospitality is necessary. Toxic individualism must be dismantled. Everyone and everything in nature must be honored for who and what they are. I actually grieve the fact that this does not exist where I live, the sense of community is non-existent. Everyone seems out for themselves, or just too tired to “people” because of all the chaos, hate, insults and division. I think so many of us are just plain exhausted. Not just because of the division but also modern humans propensity for over-complicating everything.
You may be asking how do I know what my sacred tools are? Below are a few journal prompts to help you get to the essence of them,
What have you been doing naturally and have been drawn towards since childhood?
What has been passed down to you from your lineage? Do not overthink this, sometimes a gift is as simple as the pie recipe or the folk remedy for a cold. Sometimes it is storytelling. A very powerful gift by the way.
What do people praise you or thank you for? Sometimes praise that is hard to accept, because you don't think it's any big deal, or that it is a gift. (This is the golden nugget, it is a gift even if you don't think so).
What are you often doing in your sleeping dreams? (or your waking ones)
What brings you joy? And when was the last time you did those activities.
How can I share what I know how to do as an act of service? Not to monetize it (we love to monetize everything don’t we? And if we can’t we place no value on it), but to put it out into the community as a gift?
There are also some processes around "remembering" those things that may be very, very ancient knowledge and wisdom that you carry. Or you may already know of remembrances you have had. That is a deeper process, and I am considering offering something around this remembrance early next year.
For me, it is creativity, but more specifically fiber arts are the roots of my creativity and something I have been doing since I could hold a needle or hook. I ignored that while I spent some years painting, but the truth is, I am not that good a painter I and was too much “in my head” with it. Fiber arts are ancestral and come so naturally to me…more than I realized until the last moon or two. My great-grandmother taught me to crochet, she worked in the silk mills as a teenager until she became a mother, but I recently found out her father was also a weaver in Italy. And the history of women weaving and stitching and bringing their prayers and intentions into each stitch goes back to the beginning of time and is cross-cultural. It was often done in community, and the end product also served a crucial function within the community. A melding of spiritual simplicity, connection, and function. Right up my alley.
Can you think of anything passed down to you that maybe you have ignored or did not deem important?
Make a list of those things that perhaps your grandparents/elders taught you and that you let go of in favor of a more seemingly successful and productive way of living. What would you like to re-ignite? Maybe it is making fresh bread, maybe gardening, maybe like me knitting or weaving, maybe making music or writing poetry. And then make a commitment to bring it back into your life. Not to produce, not for perfection, but simply for the joy and simplicity of it. And make a commitment to choose something and make the space to do it. I assure you, you will not regret it.