In most things, we all start out with the best of intentions. We are excited at first; ripe for discovery. We throw ourselves into this new thing wholeheartedly, and we really get going, only to find, after several weeks have passed, that our interest has flagged. In magical practice, it may be that we haven't done a daily devotional. A layer of dust has gathered on the altar, and we can't recall which crystal goes with what spell. In short, life often gets in the way of our new interests. Between work, lovers, children, and other things, it can be difficult to make time for spiritual things. What to do? If you accept that your spiritual well-being is important to you--and well it should be--then maintaining your spiritual practice means work. In fact, as far as spiritual things go, there's always more work to be done. Just as you have to maintain the pets, your household, your car, and all manner of things, so you have to maintain your spiritual practice. Your spirituality is just as important as everything else in your life; by maintaining your spirituality, you maintain yourself. That doesn't mean you can't take "time outs" or that you are a "bad person" if you lapse. Life does get in the way at times, and we all get overwhelmed. But, when something does go wrong, taking a minute to look at your life can be a good and wise thing. If your life seems to be falling apart, chances are good that you have let your spirituality lapse. You may feel that you let your spiritual practice lapse because your life fell apart. Trust me, if you can continue your practice during the tough times, you will be able to get through them a stronger soul. Instead of berating yourself for slipping up, simply get back on track. Though you may need to work your way back up spiritually, as you would have physically had you stopped going to the gym, all will come in good time. To start your magical maintenance, you need to give yourself time and space. This can be something as simple as turning your morning shower into a ritual or devotional to greet the day. That is, you may want to light a candle and incense and play music while you shower. If you get ambitious, turn your bathroom into a sanctuary. Read up on water goddesses and decorate the room with appropriate colors, objects, and images. Your morning prepares and protects you for the day. Your evening bath or shower can assure a good night's rest. Meanwhile, the kitchen is your hearth, the center of your home. Let everything you do in the kitchen be sacred. When you stir, stir clockwise, visualizing love and warmth, giving thanks to the Mother for her abundance. Breathe or speak a blessing as you prepare or serve food--even your morning cereal. Hang beautiful and fragrant herbs in the kitchen; cut up an apple, sprinkle with cinnamon, and toss in a pot of water to simmer on the stove and scent the whole room. Use scented floor washes. Vacuum and mop as often as necessary. Turn spring cleaning and fall cleaning into full rituals, including everyone in the household. Allow your spirituality to be inclusive instead of exclusive. In time, you should walk around your home and feel the furniture. Rearrange the rooms until things feel right. If the rooms are used by the entire family, allow everyone to have a say. Change sheets and towels frequently--clean laundry is sacred. Imagine all negative energy draining away in the rinse cycle, and the positive energy of the Sun entering the clothes in the dryer. If you are fortunate enough to have an outside clothes line, you can invoke the Sun's energy into the clothes as they dry. Scrub the pet bowls. Clean the cat box. Water the plants. Throw out what's dead, and nurture what is still alive. All of this is an outward __expression of your inner journey. Get fresh flowers or seasonal decorations and spread them around the house. Smile at yourself every time you see your reflection in the mirror, especially as you are going out of the door. Take a look at your altar. How does its energy feel? Can you clean the wax drippings off the candleholders and wash the altar cloth? If necessary, you might even remove everything from the altar and sprinkle some anointing oil on the base of the altar. Start again from square one. Put on a fresh cloth. Rearrange what you want on the altar, removing everything but what you need and want in the present time. Reconsecrate everything. Look at the bits and pieces you've removed from the altar. See what needs to be cleaned and put away. See what needs to be returned to the earth. See what needs to be released. Do it. You may even go so far as to go through your magical drawers or boxes where you keep your magical tools. You may be surprised how much you've accumulated through the years. Take time now to remember when you started out, with all that energy and enthusiasm and even envy for long-time practitioners who had all that cool stuff. Well, guess what--now you're one of them. You've got plenty of cool stuff that you have to take care of. When in doubt, reconsecrate. If it looks dusty, lonely, and unused, it probably is. Bits of unfinished spells should be released and gotten rid of. Jewelry and statues should be cleaned. Books need to be dusted and rearranged. Take a deep breath and look around. Isn't that better? Now you can actually concentrate when you meditate, when you do your devotionals, and when you thank the deities. Of course, not everyone lets it slide to that extent. But even in your daily work, there are things that need maintenance. You do want to keep your books, statues, and tools dust-free. Tarot cards should be cleansed after each use and put out under a Full Moon every three to six months to rejuvenate. Cards can be cleansed by passing them through incense, or, if you are somewhere and don't have access, with sacred breath. Same with stones or any other oracle. Any jewelry that you wear constantly should be cleaned with good solid cleaner once a year and then reconsecrated with an oil with a personal scent made specifically for or by you. You should go through all of your boxes and drawers at least once a year to see if anything got shoved aside. Tie up loose ends, figure out if something needs to be organized or removed. At times, something will ask to be given away. Rearrange your altar whenever it feels right. One woman I know rearranges it every morning, as part of her morning devotional. It's a way for her to start each day fresh. Another woman I know rearranges her altar for each Sabbat. I don't have a set schedule. I rearrange whenever I feel the need. It's a very individual process. Treat your magical objects with tenderness and reverence and they will assist in giving you focus, comfort, and forward motion in all aspects of your life. Maintain your magical space and tools lovingly and mindfully, and the rewards will be returned at least threefold
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