So, how are you holding up? The adjective that best describes me these days is “weary.” I’m tired of watching the shit show that passes for American democracy these day. I’m tired of convincing people of the need to wear masks, social distance, and care about someone other than themselves. I’m tried of not seeing my friends, especially my magical ones. And, yes, I’ve done some magical work online with others but it’s not the same!

If “weary” describes you as well, the thing that helps me get through each day is narrowing my focus and putting my energy toward the places I can make a difference. Right now my medicinal herb garden is flourishing and I’m enjoying watching the bees dance happily on my flowers as I harvest and process my herbs for the coming year. This kind of “practical magic” feeds my soul. I try to connect with each plant on a spiritual level. It helps to remind me that beauty and wonder are still happening in our world even if it is only on a smaller scale.

The other thing that gives me strength is the time I spend babysitting my new granddaughter. She was born at the beginning of this pandemic and I wasn’t able to see her for over a month after she was born. So these days I treasure the time we spend together. I marvel at her soulful eyes and every time she smiles at me, my heart is at peace.

It’s okay if you’re not doing “big things” to change the world for the better. We don’t always have the strength to do this kind of transformative work. (If you do have the strength then, please, do everything you can to topple the oppressive patriarchal system we are living in!) If you’re feeling “weary,” then, by all means, give yourself permission to rest, to narrow your focus, and manifest the kind of practical magic that can fill your life, and the lives of those you love, with healthy, vitality and strength. Blessed be!

Copyright ©2020 by David Taliesin, http://www.sabbatsandsabbaths.com