Musings over transformative things.
(Image description: A photo of a neon orange sign that reads “Change” against a reflective metal surface.) Credit: Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash
Occasionally, transformation is requested of you, but figuring out what that might entail requires you to sort out what might need transforming. This post will essentially be me randomly organizing these ideas. Some will relate to mundane things, while others will relate to spiritual ones. Mind you, these tasks aren’t necessarily separate from each other, as many things are more interconnected than we realize.
The first item is related to monastic dress. I don’t see myself as donning typical monastic robes for practical reasons. I feel any “monastic attire” would be rooted in contemporary clothing with my personal tastes shaping this wardrobe.
I’ve been meaning to declutter my closet for a while. However, in order to do that, I need to figure out what my personal style is. I realize now that my tastes favor a blend of layering, whimsical and fairytale/folklore-inspired subjects, and gothic fashion.
As a slight aside, I need to be careful not to overly romanticize aspects of folklore and mythology. I’ve always had a fondness for old stories, so they feel like a deeply important part of my heart. However, romanticization can lead to a domestication of stories that have an inherent wildness to them, like the way nature is. You can appreciate and respect something without taming it.
I realize that I’ve always favored these influences since I was young. As I’m getting older, I want to do things that bring me joy, even if it’s in small doses. A human lifespan is finite, so some of it should be spent doing things that bring you joy in a world that doesn’t always desire for you to do so.
While decluttering, I want to be mindful of what I keep, regarding both materials and DIY-ing. DIY-ing is a part of the goth subculture (I’m aware listening to music is the main one). Regardless, some items in my closet are synthetic. I would prefer to continue to use them as long as possible, rather than having them end up in a landfill.
This process will take a while, but I hope to create a wardrobe that brings me joy.
Next, my path with Nodens feels like it’s lacking somewhat. I understand that it’s still relatively new, but only using His prayer beads is inspiring me to write prayers for Him. I don’t think that I will have the same round of daily prayers that I do with Brighid, but I strongly feel like I need more of a routine with Him as well. I find that my understanding of Nodens might be developing differently from other devotees.
I don’t typically remember my dreams. So, when I’m able to recollect one, it can stand out as important. The most recent one involved my late father and the overall theme of cherishing family and not taking them for granted. I wasn’t aware of Nodens’s presence within the dream, but perhaps He had an influence on it.
While dreams are certainly tied to Nodens, I also link Him with disability due to His silver hand. I don’t use any prosthetics, but I have been using a cane more in my life to steady my walking. I’ve become more accepting of this fact, but there are times where I still struggle with this aspect of my life. Maybe learning to come to terms with this part of my life is some of the transformation that’s being required of me. I must also deal with frustrating invisible symptoms such as brain fog and chronic fatigue. Time will tell as I figure things out.
I would also like to draw a sacred image for Nodens. I don’t know if any image of Him will have a human shape, but having some tangible seems meaningful in its own way. I need to consult with Nodens to see what He would like for me to do.
This post could involve a second part, either next week or in the near future. I sense that Brighid may want me to check in with Her soon, so I’ll see what She wants. She was the one who indicated that transformation is needed, but this is where my writing out my thoughts ends.
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