Through the Eyes of a Broom Closet Witch: Litha
Cloaks and capes. Shawls and scarves. Just witchy accoutrements? I think not. For me, definitely not. Welcome back, Broom Closet Witches, and Blessed Litha! Claire de Lune here, a High Priestess in the Temple of Witchcraft tradition, with the 26th article in our “For Broom Closet Witches” series. So, what do cloaks, etc. have to do with Litha? Well, as this year’s Wheel of the Year articles are about seeing through the eyes of this Broom Closet Witch, let’s see…
As Litha is, in part, a celebration of the Summer Solstice, a time of bright light and sunshine, I thought it might be pertinent to talk about meditation and visualization – (my experience with them) – as learning how to “contend” with light has been a big part of my practice from Day One.
Like others, I would imagine, meditation and visualization were new skills for me to learn after enrolling in Witchcraft I with the Temple of Witchcraft. I found the existence of the “Screen of My Mind” during waking hours very intriguing, as I had only experienced it at night, in dreams. I was very excited to begin! I found it challenging, at first, though, and my challenges had a lot to do with light.
The rays of the Sun at this time of year give rise to the need for protecting one’s skin and eyes if exposure is going to be lengthy. So, “covering up” or “shielding” oneself from the sunlight (with seasonally appropriate clothing items) is not a bad idea. And as going inward in our Wheel of the Year Sabbats takes center stage in our “For Broom Closet Witches” articles this year, it naturally made me think about my meditation practice.
By “covering up” my eyes with the hood of my cloak or cape pulled down or by using a shawl or scarf pulled down over my eyes in meditation, I am, essentially, going “inward” by becoming the “in”, with the covering then becoming the “out”. A bit of a stretch? Maybe. I find it most useful, though – no – essential, in my case, to not only have that physical barrier by putting my cloak over my head, but also by turning off the lights, drawing the curtains, and putting on one of those “sleep masks” that cover the eyes, otherwise I won’t be able to “see” anything.
When I “close my eyes”, I don’t completely close my eyes. They are still a wee bit open even when they are “closed”. This is why I must sleep in a completely dark room at night and simulate the dark during the daytime when I meditate if I want to have any success at visualization. Any light that gets through the “barriers” I set up makes it harder for me to “see” when I meditate and try to visualize. The “Screen of My Mind” must be completely black, or I can’t “see”. And squeezing my eyes shut for any extended period is just plain uncomfortable. So, I cover my eyes and make the room I’m in as dark as possible. I suppose I could wait until nightfall, but then I am more apt to just fall asleep.
I don’t know if anyone else has a similar situation, but the cloak/cape/shawl/scarf thing might be worth a try if one is having difficulty “seeing”.
Disclaimer: Please, do make sure to leave a big enough gap in whatever type of covering you choose so that you are able to breathe freely! Also, please don’t do this around any little “witchlets” who might get ideas and try to cover up their own heads … Yikes!
And finally, please don’t cover up so much that you overheat and dehydrate. Just please cover up responsibly if you choose to try this!!! There. I think that’s got it covered.
Oh, and that “dome thingy” on top of the Broom Closet in the picture was supposed to be a big sun umbrella, but it turned out looking more like a blue and pink mushroom, in my opinion. We can pretend it is some sort of futuristic portable fan/air purifier/sun shield/umbrella. Or not.
I hope this article has been helpful, and until next time –
Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet again!
Litha Blessings,
Claire de Lune