Greetings, Bees, and a happy and blessed Imbolc to you!
a three legged Brighid's cross that I made last Imbolc out of leaves from my dragon trees
I believe that spirituality is a huge component of our health and well-being, and I think most NMers would agree. No matter what your traditions or beliefs are, practicing our sacred rituals can bring us some peace and purpose in our hectic world, and ground us in the sacred.
One of the main ways I practice my devotions to my Gods is through creation. Sometimes that's writing, making charms, statues and wall plaques, the Gods' House (that's the roof of it that the Brighid's cross is hanging on, covered in cloth leaves), or, my God Dolls.
Morrigan and Nuada
I've always been a naturally creative/crafty person, but also being Pagan in a predominantly Christian culture, there isn't a whole lot of pre-made anything for us. You can get some supplies for your altar, some cool statuary, etc., don't get me wrong. But it is few and far between in general. So oftentimes, if you want to do a thing for your devotions, it's DIY time! :)
I like this, however, because I feel like the patience and time taken to make things is a form of prayer.
Some Catholic nuns make rosaries; some Buddhist nuns make prayer flags. This isn't an idea that I've pulled out of the ether: making the tools for your traditions is sacred work. And so, I'm happy to make my small devotions, however humble they may be, as a way to love my Gods, and demonstrate that love to them.
Currently, I am working on a doll of Lugh.
The way I picture Lugh (and his son, CuChulainn) is with flame-colored hair: brown at the roots, red in the middle, and blond at the ends. Good luck finding yarn dyed just that way in the right length to make doll hair out of, so I'm painting it, using oil pastels and turpentine substitute.
my first test strands; please ignore the pile of mess on the table behind it, lol
I started with cotton yarn that was already yellow for the blond part, and am painting on the red and brown. Then it hangs from a clip as in the above photo to dry.
Painting each individual strand, front and back, for an entire head of hair, as you might imagine, is going to take some time. And I'm going to end up doing it twice, because I plan on making a CuChulainn doll, too. :)
the first complete bundle of hair, airing out in my open window
But I'm happy to take the time to do it this way. Each strand of hair is a little show of love. Like saying a prayer or a mantra on a string of beads. :)
It's not about rushing to the end point, it's about the journey. It's about the process. It's about the devotion.
We often think of "love" as a pretty narrow concept: romantic, familial - but I think love is pretty central to spiritual life, too. <3
(if you want to see what my Lugh doll looks like when I'm finished, I'll be posting in the #needleworkmonday community when I'm done!)
Amazing art made for me that I got from a trade on Simbi! Simbi is a bartering website that I love. If you'd like to try it out, please use my referral link: https://simbi.com/wren-paasch/welcome
