The Sacred Hearth

The motto of the Sacred Hearth is “Living a magical life”, but what exactly does that mean? What does it take to live a magical life? Does it mean to separate ourselves from the non-magical elementsi of the world? Or does it mean to announce our status as magical people to everyone we meet?

A magical life need not be an extravagant one, and a magical person need not be public about their magical status. But as a Pagan, I choose to live magically, though certainly not all Pagans do, and I encourage magical living as a tool toward the ultimate goal we all share; Joy. Magical living is an attitude, a state of mind, and a practice that allows us to connect more closely with the Divine, by whatever name we call it, with ourselves, and with our world around us. Therefore, magical living isn’t just an option for the Pagan, but for anyone.

So what is it, exactly?

Some features of a magical life include:

1. Being mindful of the Alli. That is, recognizing the Divine in all things, and your connection to it.
All things are connected as part of this great web of life and nonlife. The more you understand this connection, the more successful your magical workings will be, if you choose to perform them.

2. Maintaining your body as a sacred temple of the Divine.
Your body is a physical representation of the Divine. Not only is it sacred in this respect, but it is also the vessel of your personal energy. Your energy is the force behind your Will. The healthier and stronger your body, and the more aware of it and knowledgeable about its workings you are, the better control you will have over your personal energy and by extension your Will.

3. Maintaining your home as sacred spacei.
Your home is your temple. It is where you relax at the end of the day, prepare your food, plan your life and if it isn’t, it should be. The home should be maintained as a relaxing, nurturing environment and sanctified to the deity of your choice.

4. Expanding and cultivating knowledge and wisdom.
The more you know about the world, the more successful you will be in manipulating the energies around you. A successful healer, for example, does not just know about sickness, but also about the way a healthy body functions, the affects of nutrition, exercise and psychological issues that can affect the body. He must study not only healing herbs, but harming herbs and not just those, but synthetic drugs as well, their affects, counter indications and interactions. A healer must explore death, birth, health and sickness to be truly great. Ignoring any aspect won’t make him a failure, but it will keep him in the realm of mediocre. Knowledge is power. It’s not just a corny saying. Wisdom comes from a combination of knowledge and experience. We must seek not just to read about things, but also to experience them, to become a part of them, to really know them.

5. Walking softly on the Earth.
The Earth is our material source. More than that, it is our home. It should therefore be treated in the same reverent manner as the building we call home. Walking softly on the Earth may seem like simply a moral issue, and it is, but it is also a magical issue. Many energies a magic-user manipulates or uses comes from the Earth itself or, at the very least, travels through the Earth or is altered by Earth energies. Every single person who walks softly on the Earth helps to strengthen and balance these energies, thus making them more useful for all of us. Also, in walking softly, we are able to learn more about these energies, as we are not blocking them or scattering them by our actions. We are thus able to expand our own knowledge through this practice.

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