Listen
to music that praises the Goddesses and heals your heart
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My Books
Practicing the Presence of the Goddess Practicing the Presence of the Goddess is the daughter of A Woman's Book of Rituals & Celebrations, which I first wrote in 1990. It was published with an ugly green cover, and enough people bought it in spite of the cover that the published decided to reprint it (with a new cover) in 1995. I got to so some rewriting and hopefully it was a better book. I still hear from people who tell me they love it. In 1999, the publisher decided to give the book a third incarnation, and I got to rewrite it once again. That's the best part for a fussbudget writer like me: every rewrite is an opportunity to make it just that much better, clearer, prettier, more factual, more poetic. I adapted the phrase "practicing the presence" from Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, a Carmelite friar who lived in Louis XIV's Paris and wrote a little book called The Practice of the Presence of God. Brother Lawrence's practice was to dedicate his every thought and action to his god, whether he was praying, writing pastoral letters, repairing the shoes of his fellow Carmelites, or cleaning the monastery's kitchen. We
can likewise practice Her presence every day while we're, say, packing our kids'
lunches, scrubbing the toilet, cleaning up after a sick cat or dog, sweating at
the gym, standing in line at the post office, or driving on the freeways or crowded
city streets. Wherever we are, there She is too. On
pages 58-68 of Practicing the Presence of the Goddess, I list a number
of specific ways we can practice Her presence:
It
seems to me, however, that the best way we can practice Her presence in though
creativity. Here, from the book, is a small ritual to honor and inspire our creative
selves: Whenever you begin a new project—perhaps you have something specific in mind, like the creation of a new magical tool or a small symbol to suspend from your rearview mirror—and lay your materials out on your table or desk, your working space becomes an ad hoc altar. Imagine a glowing circle around the room where you're working. Think about the work you're beginning, how it will grow and develop, who (besides you) it might touch. State your intention for this project out loud and then read these words or tape them beforehand and listen to them or use them as a model to make up your own words.
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©2001-2002 Barbara Ardinger, Ph.D.
All rights reserved.
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