How & Why of Simple Ritual: Spirituality & Motherhood Ep 5

Episode5 The hows and whys behind simple ritual

Jeannette: Peace and innumerable blessings. My name is Jeanette Lancien  and welcome, welcome welcome to the spirituality and motherhood podcast.  Where we're going to explore different ways of honoring your path, deepening your spiritual gifts and your divine connection all while being a mama. My intention here is to support you... support your spiritual path support your spiritual gifts and your divine connection by sharing the wisdom experiences of other mothers who are on the path, just like you. You're not alone. We got you. You're not alone. I come to this podcast, I come to this experience as mother of two boys ages four, six, a psychic, a hoodoo a root worker, the tree talker, a lay herbalist, and an entrepreneur. I run a site called simple weekly ritual where I offer full and new moon ritual  via a news letter, right? Cause you deserve to be in harmonious rhythm with the earth and the universe. And I want to support you in that.

Intro
Let's dig in to this episode. Okay. Now this episode is brought by Lilo and stitch children watching Lilo and stitch for a moment. And then they're going to go on to, I think, kid cosmic. So if you hear stuff in the background, it's the children and it's sunny. So there might be some motorcycles. I don't know.
We're going to see what happens. So we are going to have intuitive wisdom and  a ritual or two cause when you flow intuitively you'll have like, I'm gonna do this thing. And then the Spirit's like, nah, you're not so ritual or two a suggestion or two, and then I'm gonna do two different segments. One, we're going to talk about being centered because, that's something I've been playing with lately, right.  Being centered in the heart, which has been an adventure . And then why, why ritual? Why simple ritual. But before that let's dive into this intuitive wisdom into these suggestions these  simple rituals  that spirit has for us today.

Segment 1 Intuitive Wisdom & Simple Ritual
Intuitively, we have to connect more deeply to the earth. There's like no way about it. As we play with what exactly it means to be human, what humanity is, what it isn't, what rights does it confer  like, as we figure all these different things out , one thing that will help us is  cultivating a relationship to mother earth and nature. Why? Because nature and mother earth exist in a way of, harmony and unity.  Now it does not look like harmony and unity to us because we have ideas about what harmony and unity is. And I would say that our ideas around what harmony and unity is, and being able to function cohesively as the one need to be massaged because they really center around being human.

Capitalism and a lot of other things that are not necessarily healthy for everybody. There's a way of being in harmony, in unity and rhythm with the one that will cause us and will ask us to expand out of some limitations we have around being human. Some things that we think that we can't do some relationships with other energies and entities that we think that we can't have some things that we just don't really think it's possible, but you know what we here it's possible. And if we're going to survive, we've got to do it. So , as we navigate this, we must build a deeper relationship with, with earth and, with nature. And with spirit. Right? So how do you do that? Like where, where the hell do you start with that? Because that's like a big order I would start. Okay. So, so two, two different ways around it.

First thing is starting by saying thank you to the space you live in the land you live on. And the community you live in, it's simple. You could just say, thank you. Like every night I lay in bed and I'm like, thank you to this apartment, to this land and to this community for having us may this apartment land and community be blessed and protected because I'm truly grateful to be here. That's a simple way to do it. Just say thank you. You can search for Juniper and like leave apples for local nature spirits, but I would suggest by just starting to say, thank you. Because the thing about tokens is this. It may not be worth it .

And, and I get lectured, I get lectured. They look at me and they're like, you know, this is really cute. You're leaving this. But like, why don't you sit down and smoke your pipe and just be with us? Yeah. We know you, you busy. Yeah. Your mind is occupied. We see you running around but just, just. Just be with us. So my suggestion would just say, thank you. When (you) have time and space like go, sit in nature in your favorite spot, a spot that feels good in your body and your spirit to be there. And just go be, because , I keep on being told, like your presence is the gift. And I think that's also  a piece of cultivating relationship that we're figuring out as humans it's not always about giving. It's sometimes just about sitting and loving and allowing and listening and less thinking that we know and more being willing to listen to the wisdom and the experience of others.

That's thing number one. Thing number two is learning how to connect with earth by growing something . Now I suggest if you're growing like a plant with your children, choose something non poisonous. Cause they'll eat it. Choose  something like some basil, some chamomile and no matter where you are in the world, it's possible to grow something. So, you know, it doesn't even have to be like one of those $10 rosemary pots, whatever is in the store, sprouts some beans at the house and just grow something together. And as you grow, you know, research is helpful. Research is nice, but this is a great opportunity for your children and you to flex your intuitive muscles and your observational muscles, and the part of you that like reads the energy and the part of your child that reads the energy.

Go sit with that plant at least once a day and see if you can discern whether the plant needs something. Does the plant need fertilizer? Does a plant need some water? Is the plant happy where you placed it?  Just sit with the plant, listen to the plant, put your love on the plant and cultivate a relationship that way. Be willing to put what you think the plant needs to the side to actually listen and connect with the plant. It sounds foolish because I think as human, we feel like we have to know  everything, especially as moms, we have to know everything, do everything be on top of everything.

AH! No, it's a team, it's a team, life's team sport. So sometimes you're not going to know sometimes your kid's going to know. Sometimes the kid's not gonna know, but you will , know. And then sometimes both of y'all will be clueless and you gonna have to go to the internet or your grandma or whoever else grows plants around you.You go to the store and be like, ah, yeah, I don't know what this plant is doing. But either way it's okay. The point is to learn how to , cultivate a relationship with a representative of mother earth or representative of mother nature and get closer to building skills that will facilitate harmony as things move forward, right? Cause this earth, this space, this time is changing. And what will enable us humans to survive is being able to a discern,  and b work with our intuition , in  moving with nature. By learning to listen, to plant centered wisdom, the wisdom of spirit, by being able to root into place in love and gratitude and be thankful to the spirits that keep us in space and harmony space in place and land in harmony, things will work out.Things work out. We just need to learn to listen . All right. Let's dig into the next segment. 

Segment 2 Remaining Centered
So this segment is about remaining centered caveat, if you've been here and you listened to another episode, you know, like I'm homeschooling. So I'm like in the homeschooling weeds, right. So it's very strange to sit here and be on the microphone. Talk'n 'bout, yeah. You know, we're going to be centered I think before talking about how I'm gonna say it's okay. If you're not it's okay. If you're not it's okay. If you are not floating. through   the day  on a cloud of peace as your children scream and throw Lego  and refuse to do their math problems. It's okay. It's okay. If you feel like you want to throw your coffee, cause you know, little, whatever the child's name is, has not done, what they're supposed to do. You still have things you want to do for yourself. And dinner is not made . It's okay. It's okay. To not be centered. It's okay to feel whatever you are feeling. It's okay to just be barely making it through the day and be like, Jesus, I don't know how we going to eat.

I don't know what we going to eat. I just know we're here now. And I don't know. Wherever you're at whatever you're feeling it's justified and it's okay. Please know that. I think , with these sort of practices and these, you know, and just spirituality in general, it's kind of easy to beat yourself over the head with like, I should be just floating and eat nothing but kale and avocado and mangoes. Not everybody. No, no, no, no. Well, not for me. How about that? Not for me.

Ain't nobody. We're not monks. At least I'm not a monk. So when I'm talking about centering, I'm talking about coming back to a space that like, you know, All that's real, all that exists. You're feeling it, but you're still coming back to a space where like, you're, you're honoring your emotions, but you're also stepping back behind them to acknowledge that you're more than just these feelings and that there's a part of you that is sacred and divine, and you're willing to come and sit in that part.

So it doesn't mean that you don't want to, like, you know, rampage or cry or, um, hide in the bathroom for good, like 10 minutes, just so you can sit on your phone and gather yourself, or just crying in the bath room or  whatever it is. All that's real, all that deserves to be honored or like, just be like, I'm good. That's good too. But like just coming back to the divinity within and sitting in it . So, first of all, what does that feel like? How do you do it? I'm gonna share my practice. There are like 10 million other people who do it too, but I'm gonna share how I do it. I do it by centering on this space behind my heart.

So like behind my heart, not necessarily my heart, because my heart is connected to all that stuff, but there's a space behind my heart where like, I feel like my soul is. And when I get into that space, I  just kinda observe stuff. I observe my feelings, I observe the room, I observe what the children are doing, and it's a safe space for me to be in my body in the present moment, still engaged with life, but also like just tapped into the part of me that is divine and sacred and , connected to the grand organizing principle. So like, how do you get to that space? I get there through practice I know, right. I get there through like at night, putting my hands on my heart before I go to bed and focus (ing) on breathing into my heart and feeling what my body feels like. And then dropping back into that space. I do it by um, going into the shower, and when the water flows and hits my heart, I feel what I need to feel. Things come up. Like sometimes it's childhood stuff. Sometimes I realize I just need a hug. Sometimes I realize I'm stressed out. But like with all those things flowing out and me acknowledging them, I can come back and drop back behind my heart and connect with divinity because there's space .

And I also practice by like, you know, doing things like drinking a lot of tea. tea? It doesn't matter (which) tea. The tea allows me to breathe cause like, you know, I take a deep breath before I sip and when I'm breathing in, I connect to that space, that space behind my heart and I breathe and I have a moment where I'm connected to divinity and, um, I see dinosaur teeth that are filled with Play-Doh, I'm going to have to clean later and I'm worried about dinner and I've noticed that no, schoolwork's getting done, but you know, I'm breathing and there's still space. There's still time and it's going to be okay. Cause there's tomorrow too. So I invite you. To create little spaces without your kids, where you're breathing  into your heart and just feeling it, and then eventually getting behind your heart spaces when you're on the toilet, take a few more few extra seconds or moments on the toilet.

If you have kids who will let you be on the toilet by yourself. Cause that's real. That's real yeah. Woo. Take a few extra , moments in the shower or in the bath, to just let the water run on your heart. Feel what comes up honor what comes up, do your best, not to judge what comes up because what comes up , it's important for you to hear.  It's for you. Receive it, honor it. It's your heart wisdom. It's your emotions. They deserve to be heard. They have wisdom. And then, you know, when things are busting loose , just come back to your heart, it'll, eventually get to a point , it'll pull you in. It'll grab you. Say, come on. Come back to your heart. Come on, come back to your divine space. Come on. I got you. I see you stressed out. Let's come on back here. I know everything is okay, because then that spot, you know that everything's okay. And that space of divinity behind your heart when you're centered, you know, everything's okay.

And you don't have to leave the present moment. You don't have to shut your eyes. You can handle it. You can stay in the chaos or whatever it is in the moment and handle it, but it just takes some practice and it just takes some faith. Right. You can do it. I know you can do it. You can do it, just come back to your heart and another thing is like, if you want to practice this more and like, you know, the shower thing and the at night thing, You can just practice it by setting a timer, set a timer to remind yourself to just, you know, drop back and drop into your heart. Listen and drop further back into that soul space and listen,  so that is my spiel on  being centered. Knowing that, whatever's going on in the present moment. You got it. Just breathe. Get back into that space, knowing that you're connected to the divine honor whatever feelings you got. And when you're ready to go, you got this, you got this. Okay. That's the end of the segment. Let's move on

Segment 3 Why & Hows of my Practice of Simple Ritual

I'm going to talk about ritual and not like ritual like we calling in  everybody. We fitting to get down. I'm calling in the East, the West, the North, the South calling in and above or below the helpful ancestors. No, we talking about simple rituals that you can do to connect you with the divinity within. To honor the divinity  within .Because you are divine, you are sacred, you are Holy, you are amazing. And it's important to honor these parts of you.  It's important to celebrate them and connect with them. So like, let's get into it. First I'm going to tell my process .

My process is there are certain things that like for me, that's divinity flowing through me.  My connection to nature is divinity flowing through me, my connection with not just the plant world, but the earth herself is divinity flowing through me. I have a connection to spirits with the ability to see them and hear them. And that's divinity flowing through me too. So for me honoring, my divinity through simple rituals means creating ways to honor those gifts. So for me, this is for me.  I need to create space to listen. So my way of creating space for listening is in the shower when I'm in water. I, I easily hear , it's safe space for me to hear ancestors. It's a safe space for me to hear different nature spirits.

I have to listen because if I don't listen to spirits, I get surly. They're like, where are you? And they start to talk over  children who are already talking over each other and it's bad. I got to  listen to the spirit. It's gotta, it's just a gift. And if it doesn't get used, things happen.  I have a connection with plants. I love the plants. The plants love me. I honor that connection with plants through herbalism, through, asking plans for help when the children are sick by asking plants for help for maintaining my own spiritual and mental and physical health asking plants, you know, just to chill with me and to go chill with them. So I create ritual around that by thanking mother earth keeping plants around me, that I listen to and I take care of, and just taking care of plants and going to be with them and hanging out with them as much as possible . But like we're always, we're always working with different plants around here for different reasons, whether it's just to maintain health.

It's like, everybody's, you know, stressed out. Okay. We're going to take a spiritual bath. And these plans are volunteering I allow the plants to tell me as part of our relationship and part of intuition. And because I trust the plants, they have not led me wrong. Another simple ritual I have is adornment.  Adorning my body and honoring my body connects me to the divine femininity within me. So , I make soap, but the Juju in the soap, well I didn't put the Juju in the soap. I asked the plans for help ask the oils for help.

And they put the Juju the soap. So I put a little, my own stuff in it. . So I love making soap for this reason. I ask for help from the plants and like, I'm, guided to work with different essential oils, different herbs, put them, in the soap and like, you know, the whole family washes with the soap . And also I make lotion. The boys have their own lotion and I have my own lotion. And my lotions, different has different stuff in it because , the soap is very masculine, the soap because there's three boys and there's me. So the soap is usually like, okay, you know what shows up to be in the soap? Frankincense shows up to be in the soap, Cedar wood shows up to be in the soap, like masculine plants and oils.

And even though there's like some there's other things in the soap , But the soap skews towards divine masculine. Cause there's there's dudes so for me, my lotion has to be super feminine. It does. So I'm putting on things. They make me feel beautiful. They make me feel divine. They connect me with like the juiciness, the softness, the sweetness, the gushy that I am. And when I'm putting on this good mama lotion. I'm slathering it on with self-love. These are the rituals that connect me with the divine feminine within me and the divinity, nature, because that's how I connect. Um, there's other things I do around feeding spirits in the morning.

And lots of prayer, lots of prayer, but like, these are like, these are the rituals that get done every day. Because every day I wash my tail and put on lotion. So there are things like that for you. So what is it for you? What are the things that  when you do them, you come alive and make you feel good in your heart. Those are things that you can create ritual around and make sure that you do every day to honor divinity and how the divine expresses in you.  It's important to do these things, especially as a mom . We must come to a space where it's more , important to honor the divinity within us, then to kind of engage with , all the things that must be done right now, because all the things that must be done right now, even if you wait they'll get done. And you know what the divinity within you is connected as an aspect of the grand organizing principle that organizes all the things that must be done. So by connecting with that aspect of you, you'll be able to do all the things that must be done in a more joyful, loving fashion. So I'm going to close this segment by asking you what are simple things that you can do every day that honor the divinity within you, that celebrate the divinity within you that connect you to the divinity within you, you know? And, and how can you build those things into your schedule? Because ritual or building that space where you're connecting with spirit, where you're building that relationship with spirit does not have to be something complex.

 It does not have to take 45 minutes. You do not have to March into the forest. You do not have to go through anyone. Or anything else to connect with the divinity within you to honor the divinity within you, or to figure out how to connect and honor the divinity within you. That is your work. Your connection is for you . And , having simple practices every day, will support you in deepening that connection because it's important. Things are shifting. Things are moving. Things are changing. But our connection with the divinity within us  will guide us and keep us as we navigate all the things that are changing, all the things that are shifting, all the things that are moving.

So  I implore you and I have faith in to find things that you can create simple ritual with. Practices that you can create, to celebrate and honor the divine within you. And that's that! I think I've said all I need to say for this segment . Alright.

Closing
Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for listening. It's a blessing to share and I pray this episode is a blessing for you. If you enjoy this work, please support it. Please support it by leaving a good review by sharing with your friends or by subscribing to my newsletter at simpleweeklyritual.com. It's like three euros a month, 18 for a year. You can also slip me some change  via PayPal at Palpay.me/ritualmama. I look forward to seeing you for the next episode. Stay blessed. Peace.