The Concept of Home
2nd Part of the correspondence of theory and practice with Dana of
My apologies for the rambling on this one.
The concept of home varies from person to person. I see us as having two homes. The first is the physical one we live in the second is our shell, our body.
For me the physical home is a sacrosanct place where no one may tread without my permission. It's my shelter from the storm around me. The only people ever invited into it, other than the most beloved man I live with, are those very close to me, the people I'd happily trust with my life, soul and heart without a second thought, and even then only rarely is an invitation extended. I am a private person and my home is a private place. Here I keep all my secrets tucked away in corners, my hidden passions, my silly dreams. There are places within the home that are more important to me than others. The kitchen, for example, is the heart of the home to me. I come from a large family and cooking was a big part of our bonding time and now it is the same with my partner and I. You can guarantee, no matter how stressed we are, that we spend a good half hour each night in the kitchen and another hour or two talking over and after dinner.
My house itself is my alter. I don't have a deity based practice though I have deity in my life so I feel no need to keep a fully functioning alter set up in a specific place. I work with what I have at hand in whatever space is appropriate at the time. Spells involving mess are done in the kitchen, spells involving my mental state are done in the bathroom etc. Quan Yin watches over us from the top of the book shelf in the lounge room. Morpheus, king of dreams, will be watching over us in the bedroom (as soon as I figure out which box he's in). My gods, traditional or otherwise, are scattered thorough out the home rather than located in one space and are moved whenever whim or necessity calls. This requires a level of dedication to the up-keep of the home. Shelves to be dusted, floors kept clean and above all the place kept tidy. As mine is a shared space this gets tedious and difficult at times yet it is through the sharing that the home is most bought to life.
To protect it, for both myself and my partner, is important both with physical and metaphysical locks and securities. I've yet to put locks here of any great nature outside of of the general deadlocks and most basic of spells which is a permanent irritation. So much to do so little time in this day. Herbs and oils need to be bought and mixed, then laid out on stairs and around perimeters. Servitors need to be created/worked on/reactivated for various things... it will be done and discussed further later.
The second home is me, myself, I. My body, the place where my thoughts live, that which houses my soul, my heart, my mind, and my magic. It is a home I have a love hate relationship with. I would never want it gone or drastically changed yet it is limited in its way. Easily weakened and rendered useless by illness it bothers me with complaints and aches. Yet when all is well and in harmony it is good and right and an absolute power house of energy and focus.
My body is soon to be decorated with sigils of it's own to assist it in it's healing and maintaining it's good health, and is already decorated liberally. A titanium bar through my tongue protecting against those little white lies we speak far too easily, a reminder that words are power and as such should be watched. A pair of simple holes in my ears, a childhood birthday present of earrings, reminding me of my family and that which has been and should be remembered. The clothes I wear, sheltering and revealing in turn, are reflections of the mind within, of personal tastes and desires, some of which are blessed or purposed with sigils and spells to meet ends. Boots that keep me on my path, and jackets marked out to make a certain type of person turn a blind eye to my existence late at night when I'm walking alone.
The body is the home I must feed and nourish in order for it to grow strong. The place I house my magic, the facilitator of my actions, and the storer of my dreams, hopes and most intimate thoughts. The body is the home I neglect, push to far, harm and brutalise without realising it until I am, yet again, sick. It is a home I dump toxins into readily without ever thinking about it, and the place I once starved and tormented in order to meet a social standard that is becoming increasingly impossible to meet and that I have since given up on ever attaining. Sad, considering it is the true home, the temple and the place I should truly worship. I feel the body is the home that many practitioners of magic often neglect far too readily. Especially those practicing "high magic" and trying to leave the troubles of the physical realm behind.