Closing the Doors

Last updated on: October 4, 2014 at 8:25 pm by Niki Whiting

Closing the Doors 2014-10-04T20:25:56-08:00 Niki Whiting

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Doors! The Doors! In wisdom let us attend.

In the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church the above line is spoken loudly. It calls for the doors of the church to be closed, that no one else may enter. In times past this was the point when all the unbaptized had left the building, as communion was a sacred mystery reserved for those who were full members of the Church. This is no longer the case today, but the words are still chanted.

These words came to mind today, as I have closed my altar doors for the next few weeks.

I don’t typically close them. I leave them open all the time, as this unit functions as both shrine and altar. Even in my new house in its awkward temporary position, I leave the doors open.

But this morning I cleaned my altar and closed it up. Navratri is over and I need to rest. I am taking a deliberate break from devotions. I’ll be honest, I don’t know exactly what “taking a break” means. But here is what I’m going to focus on:

*My Home: When we moved in five and half months ago I knew our set up would be temporary. We’re renovating the garage to be Adam’s office. I am hoping that the office will be finished by the end of the month. I had a baby (the night we moved in), so not everything has been Organized. Several rooms in our already very small house are still in boxes. There are stacks of things against walls.

I hate clutter. I hate it. I’ve often said there’s so much going on inside my head, that I can’t abide a mess outside my head too. I am hoping to get our home a little more organized and settled. Get the art up on the walls. Find a better spot for my altar. Make more sense out of the kitchen.

*My Body: I need more exercise. The cooler temperatures combined with the last of the light make me want to move my body before the hermitage of winter sets in. I am also itching to lose more of my pregnancy weight so I can some of my old clothes again. Not so much deep and meaningful as practical and seasonal.

*My Land: Our property is still lush, but the growing season has passed. Still, there is work to be done. The lawn needs mowing. Blackberry needs pruning. Some of the weeds need a good talking to. But I also just plain old need to get out more. So much of my time is spent in my house (chores, cooking, nursing) or in my car (to and from schools and activities). I feel a desperate urge to be OUT.

*My Self: I have some re-evaluating to do, spiritually. I have some more relationship work to do, this time with my gods in mind. I have feelings to feel.

What the above “goals” suggest to me is that I need to get grounded. I need to connect with my physical world. I need to clean and tinker with my spiritual container so that I can return to my Work (although being in this world is part of my Work as well) stronger, more focused, and with greater clarity.

The doors are closed! In wisdom shall I attend!

Previous Post

October 1, 2014

Pausing Polytheist Practice

Next Post

October 7, 2014 Full Moon Eulogy

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Alaska altar altars Ana Ancestors Anderson witchcraft Arddu Bhairava Biography bodies books Christianity Christmas community current events death Delphic Maxims Dhumavati dual observance Durga Faery family life feminism Feri Feri tradition Feri witchcraft food ganesha gratitude Guest Post guru health Hinduism holidays Jesus Kali Lakshmi land links magic Many Gods West movie review movies music my heart mystery myth Navratri Orthodoxy pagan pagan culture paganism pantheacon parenting Place politics polytheism practice pratice prayer Red Goddess review ritual sacred arts Samhain Saraswati Shinto Shiva singing Star Goddess Tantra tarot the Gods theory Uncategorized values virgin mary wales washington winter witchcraft year in review yoga

Select a Month September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which topic is a major focus in both Psalms and Proverbs?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jewish festivals Sacrifices The tongue/speech Temple measurements