October is a good time to tidy up the soul. First,
make a list of things that have got to go, such as resentment
of friends or enemies, anger at yourself (potent and common garbage).
Just think through your life to see what you no longer need. Go
through your soul as if it were a long forgotten attic and see
where cleaning up is way overdue, then write down what you find.
I am not talking about resent,ents like those you feel if you're
just divorced, if you got ripped off, if you had to leave a job
due to harassment, if you lost a promotion because you were not
a man. These oppressions are not your own doing, so please don't
blame yourself for them. Find groups with which to work them through
and channel your anger into political activism, which can give
your life more meaning.
Create an altar with black cloth, the color of the
universe, the color of chaos, where everything comes from and
to which everything must return. Place on the cloth some fallen
leaves, representing the natural order of the seasons and the
discarded past. The fallen leaves are beautiful, but they are
meant to become compost; to compost is where all our bad garbage
is going as well. Place your list of psychic garbage on the table,
light two black candles, one on either side, and some dispelling
incense. If you can't find incense specifically made for this
purpose, use sandlewood, frankincense, myrrh, or cedar.
When you pray to the Goddess, always talk normally,
as if to your own sweet mama. You can say:
Dearest Goddess, I have come a long way this
year, carrying my burdens. I would like to take them off my
shoulders and give them back to you to recycle, to bury, to
compost. Here, I offer you my resentments against friends,
family, and [fill in your own needs here] and ask you
to absorb them into your black universe. Releive me of them
and allow me to walk more lightly.
Burn your list in the flame of your candles. Now
imagine all these feelings evaporating into smoke, and say something
like:
I feel all light, happy and cleansed now.
Dearest Goddess, you are my true strength and guide. I thank
you for being accessible and answering your children's call.
I honor you and thank you.
Gather all the things that were part of your meditation
and cast them into a living body of water. When you cast them
off, don't look back. Even let go your thoughts about the ritual.
