Doing enough?

It's easy to feel like our efforts aren't enough, especially in regards to the Sabbats. Too often it just seems like we need to be doing more, that the things we're already doing aren't truly enough, aren't proving our dedication to our path or our Gods.

This can especially come about in reading the tales of others' celebrations, telling of their intricate rituals, describing or even showing pictures of their beautiful altars and tools, the traditions that they enact, year after year, to mark that Holy Day. It can make our own efforts seem so... pale. 

It's hard to say where these feelings come from. Perhaps they arise from only having celebrated that Sabbat once before, or to being new to this path and thus having general feelings of "unsureness" about everything, or perhaps from practicing alone and thus not having the confidence that comes with having others of like mind and practice close at hand to "validate" what one is doing. Regardless, these feelings do surface, even for the seasoned practitioner. 

But how to handle them? It's easy enough to spout a common axiom within the magickal community, that it is the will, the intent behind the act that truly matters, but that doesn't always work to quell the unease that we may be missing something, possibly the point of it all.

So what then? Well, the obvious thing to do then is to try and do more. Just adding one small thing to our practice can be enough. Yule is coming up, what else can you do to celebrate? It needn't be much, and the more creative you are, the more worth you're apt to pull from the experience. How about stringing popcorn? Sure, it is a little silly, but after the Solstice, you can place the garlands outside to feed the birds, it's good to give back. 

Or trying doing something on a daily basis. Meditation has great benefits, both physically and spiritually. What about doing a weekly ritual? Plan it for the weekend, then spend a little time each day planning it, trying something different each time (like try doing the ritual silent, without tools, or entirely through movement and dance.)

Or, what about learning something new? Or revisiting something you laid aside? Dust off that Tarot deck, grab that book you first read when you came to this path that really inspired you, work on finally being able to see auras all the time. 

All of these can be great ways to feel motivated again and may be just the thing to rekindle your confidence.