When I became a priest nearly two years ago, I didn’t think much about how my interaction with the Unseen world would change. Mostly, that was because I wasn’t concentrating on the Unseen world. I knew what it was, but I didn’t stick my nose in it much. This had become the norm for me, after years of slowly abandoning a practice of what many would call “good spiritual hygiene”: regular grounding, centering, and psychic shielding. At the outset of my investigation into Kemetic Orthodoxy, I decided to abandon such things. There was no mention of psychic shielding in antiquity, so how could it possibly be useful to me?
Fast forward to this fall. I am pushed to take a few steps back from my work with the gods due to family illness and personal reasons. I don’t feel any different, save for feeling guilty that I can’t uphold my duties. I slowly spend less and less time on anything spiritual, doing only the bare minimum needed to get my work done – until one day in February, when I walked into a local woo-shop and found myself informed that I needed to work on grounding and shielding myself. Well.
Following that, I found myself moving back in a direction of spiritual hygiene. I started to practice regular grounding. I kept a check on my Unseen self. I made my way to my shrine more often, doing more and more work with the gods (though not without potholes and pitfalls!) – until this month, when I finally made my way back to full time work.
As I stepped back up to the plate, I found myself amazed at how vivid all of my experiences in shrine felt all of a sudden. Suddenly, I could feel the energy of the rituals I perform pouring over the shrine; I could feel the purifications and the reversion of offerings. In a way it was like watching my actions burst into a life of their own.
I don’t know why it feels so different this time around. I have two suspicions: one, that I came to the priesthood already making regular worship of the gods, and therefore was already acclimated to being in the Divine presence; two, that I have combined my worship practices with exercises that will naturally heighten my perception of things Unseen, and therefore make me more acutely aware of the goings on. Or alternatively: both.
All of this has certainly drawn my attention to just how far I have climbed from the depths of existential angst that I tumbled into in November 2010. I can see the Gods. I can feel Their presences. I know They live, They are a part of my life, and I honor Them. I pray that all of you may know Them as deeply and as fully as you seek.
carrying their light 
I think what’s going on here is a little of both.
After spending so much time in a Fallow Time (what I call the periods where our spiritual practices enter a null zone), I’ve found that my spiritual practice can take on a whole new aura when I get back into it. Everything is new and exciting again! It’s really pretty awesome, although sometimes, I get upset and am like, “Why does it take a ____-long period for me to get back into this stuff?!”
And then in adding your meditative techniques, you’re just doubling the awesomeness.
Also. Congrats on getting back into the swing of things. It’s a long, hard, horrible road some times but it’s worth it.
I like the phrase “fallow time”. I think it captures the sense of those spiritual ruts really well. The deficit of spiritual growth and connection feels much like a field laying fallow.
And thanks! I’m just so relieved to feel something deeply spiritual again. I thought I’d found my way back to center this time last year, but now I see I was only halfway there. 🙂