Being a pagan when it all seems too much

[@Tammy8008]

In case anyone of you need it; a few tips. 1. There is a time and place for everything. That includes doing nothing, and just letting everything be still. You don't always need to work hard on things and be very active.. Your body and mind need to rest, grant it the time and space for it. 2. Slow down. It may sound odd, but you can often achieve more by actively choosing to take everything very slowly, rather than trying to get a lot done in one go. 3. One thing at a time. There is no need to do 10 different things at once. Take it all one by one, and focus entirely on that one thing before you move on to the next. 4. As said in the video; have compassion with yourself. You're not a robot or a computer, but a human being. Perfection is not expected by any means.. 5. Take the time to consider what you can and cannot do. By that, I mean, assess how much you are capable of on your worst days. Your basic practice should be centered around that level only. Recognize that no more than that need to be done. Everything else is extra, and is to be enjoyed when you actually have the energy for it. Don't expect to be able to do more on the regular.. Each day is different, and there should be room for all kinds of days in your practice. 6. Let it flow naturally. The amount you do in your practice will shift depending on what's going on in your life. Know that this is normal, and that there is no need to feel bad during a time when you don't get to do as much as before, or if you don't feel as connected as you normally do. 7. Be patient. Especially if you're just starting out. There are always a lot of things that fascinate and interest us when we are still in an early stage of our journey into this, and so much to learn. Don't feel bad about needing time to figure things out, or time to learn how and what to do. You will find your place, and figure out what works for you eventually. Don't rush it.. But instead enjoy the journey of it all. Discovering is part of the fun. 8. Focus on the things that bring you joy and peace. Bring as much of those things into your life as you can. Having something to look forwards to, as well as something that calms you down, can do wonders for your mental health. It doesn't fix it, but it can make it easier to pull through when life is hard. 9. On a similar note; let go of as many harmful things as you can. Home too messy? Declutter whatever you can. In the middle of an argument with a loved one? See if you can find a way to settle the dispute. Too many things to be done? Take the most important thing first, and then the second, etc. Overwhelmed by the many things that need to be taken care of? Delegate what you can to others, postpone what can be postponed, and do the bare minimum. It's better than letting it drown you. Too many things to keep up with in your spiritual practice? Again, bring it down to the bare minimum for a while. If not less than that. The Gods will be there when you are ready, and they know what you're going through. 10. The Gods are not disappointed or angry with you for not being able to do everything you'd like to do. If you are able, that's nice. If you are not, they know, and don't blame you for it. They don't expect you to do more than you are capable of. 11. If you're in need of professional help, or even just a friend who can listen, seek it out. There is no shame in asking for things you truly need, and you don't have to suffer alone and in silence. Don't ignore it, and don't think your troubles are not significant enough.. You do, in fact, deserve the help. If any of you have more tips for people to add on, please do. We all have experiences that can help someone out there.

[@FeltheBlithe]

Thank you for sharing these important tips!!

[@wompusslompus5424]

"you don't have to hustle your religion" and "you're not less of a pagan for being mentally ill [or neurodivergent]" resonated with me so much!

[@FeltheBlithe]

💛💛💛

[@aquamarinedream4505]

I’ve been suffering with undiagnosed depression for years and I’m finally seeking professional help. I find having Aphrodite in my life to be very grounding. Like my devotion helps give me meaning and something to focus on. I did a small devotion in honour of Epitumbidia and also cleaned my altar after months of neglect. My original plan fell through because I was too overwhelmed but it was still a nice little celebration.

[@FeltheBlithe]

I’m glad it was a nice celebration regardless!

[@silverpromidi]

Burn out happens when we allow ourselves to beat ourselves over the head about what we 'should do'. The beautiful part of what you are saying has been the subject of one of Corrigan The Crone's videos. Be you, be who you are at heart, our Gods and Goddesses know us at our heart level. Oh for a very quiet place and not have to 'do life' and be able to be contemplative all day 😀 I still have discussions with myself about 'timing' and 'cleaning' and with mental health issues I agree, this gets difficult. I too offer every drink and meal as an offering of thanks. The moment of time to heal what you need to heal, as long as you do not walk away totally and stay connected. I have many heart felt discussions with Hekate about 'my level of devotion'. I think/feel She is ok with what I can offer, as long as I do it with my heart in the offering. Beltane Blessings from 'down Under' 💖

[@silverpromidi]

oh, and I LOVE your hair💖 also a thought, if you ask Hekate, Hestia and Hermes for help in direction and timing of a new home maybe they will help out? They are all associated with the home in one form or other.

[@nyssa853]

My work with Hermes is just as chaotic as my brain

[@FeltheBlithe]

Mood 😂

[@Silvertongue123]

I have a playlist for my gods and sometimes I'd dedicate my enjoyment of a certain fandom to them like to fot Athena she loves the Epic musical about Odysseus and Poseidon enjoys the Percy Jackson musical a lot

[@kenofken9458]

One thing I try to advocate for other Pagans is to not let your religion substitute for proper medical care. If you need medications and professional counseling, get them! We have a tendency to look to natural cures, herbs, organic diets and such, and while those can be part of a wellness plan, they're not enough if you have real depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia etc. When you find the right meds, it's life changing. In addition to that, you have to redesign every aspect of your life to help you move toward and maintain wellness. That can mean finding the right kind of friends, avoiding alcohol and drugs, getting regular sleep, having structure to your day. Regular rituals and honoring your gods can definitely be a positive part of that.

[@FeltheBlithe]

Definitely true!

[@freddy-i-guess946]

I've been having a rough depression time for the last four years and since last November I haven't really been able to do anything so I really needed to hear this thank you

[@FeltheBlithe]

Glad it resonated with you, take care 💛

[@colt9836]

To my follow Hellenists: We do not gift the Blessed Gods because They need them; we gift to Them because we love and adore Them, we gift to Them in our time of need, we gift to Them because They have aided us. The Gods are powerful and prosperous because of Their consumption of youthful nectar and strengthening ambrosia. Beautiful Hebe and Lady Hestia will continue to ensure that.

[@FeltheBlithe]

so true! thank you for sharing these wise words

[@kellylouisebrown4954]

ADHD, depression and anxiety here. I so get it. Love from a Welsh Pagan xxx

[@FeltheBlithe]

[@warchief2000]

You have one of the best pagan channels on all of KZbin, your videos are well researched, but also grounded and relatable. I hope you get time and rest to recover from burnout!

[@melindamorrison7793]

Watching this now. I got started on my path and realized real quickly my mental health needed addressed first and it was very much a bummer. But I think it was a big deal for me to start because even though I’m not doing as much worship as I want I do feel that support from my path as opposed to not, and when I say path I mean I started 2021 and it’s been 3 years of a “break” to get my mental health on track (lots of set backs.) and I feel this so hard. I wish I had a local community as well. So thanks for this video. Burn out shouldn’t be normal but it is 😭

[@Apixiekid]

Something I learned recently is giving yourself time to do absolutely nothing. no video games, no videos just lay down, and think about your day and how it made you feel what happened that day? what are you able to do now? Are you tired? Do you feel unproductive? and sitting or laying, planning without needing action. I find thinking about what happened and whats happening now to be very grounding. It helps me a lot to both let go of feeling that need to control what I think, i guess. and setting that time, so you know when you are done. stating "I will do nothing until.." gives you the feeling that you arent supposed to be doing anything else, and that is that time to be present for yourself. idk if that made much sense, or if its like something else that already exists (its kind of like meditation, ive heard) but i hope it helps anyone who may think to try.

[@princesschelsea1558]

Definitely needed this ❤ I finally got back to actively practicing yesterday after a long break where I put my mental and physical health first. I’m taking it slow and only doing what I feel I can handle at the moment so I don’t burn out again 😊

[@FeltheBlithe]

That’s a good way to approach it! 💜

[@justabitofamug6989]

Working through your own mental health while being spiritual is difficult. I really liked this video and I understand the ideas of feeling like a "bad" pagan. Playing sims for 5 hours in my bed is also a mood

[@idontknowdude3021]

Thank you, this helps a lot. I'm a baby hellenist and I want to do everything but I'm autistic and kinetic (ADHD) and depressed and chronically tired and.... it's just a lot. I'm trying to forgive myself for doing things wrong because I haven't learned everything yet and also not doing something every day.

[@FeltheBlithe]

💚💚💚 it's hard. I definitely get wanting to do everything but feeling like you can't. Some days you'll be able to do more and some days, less. It's important to meet yourself where you are and the gods will meet you there also

[@Chris-xr2gq]

That was a really good video

[@FeltheBlithe]

🧡 happy it struck a chord with you

[@overlord9859]

This video resonates so much with me... I have some mental health issues and my religion just naturally gets dragged in my mess, and beeing a part of a small one means I have basically no one around to talk about how my religion affects this. Thanks for this video!!! Edit: Omg the part that you talk about the holidays is so true for me.

[@feralgoober]

Thankyou Fel, I haven't been doing so good for the last couple months or maybe even a year and I'm only just trying to get out of it. Due to this I've been neglecting my faith and beliefs. You telling me I'm not any less of a pagan means so much.

[@FeltheBlithe]

🧡🧡🧡

[@Davlavi]

Ya confusion and Burn out is never fun.

[@sabbiosaurus101]

I get this feeling sometimes, but it's more of a self-beating-up "why can't I just do this, and do that, why can't I have enough energy to be 'perfect in practice' like so and so". A truth that I come to see comes from Apollon himself. One of the many Delphic Maxims is "Nothing in Essex". This I would imagine includes spiritual practice. We are all human, and we are all imperfect and the gods they understand that. We need breaks, and time to recharge our energies. The gods understand if we just need a month to step away, and focus on ourselves, keeping the gods in mind, but not doing weekly, or even daily ritual. I am Neruodivegent myself, so I understand the challenges that ADHD and the like bring to ones life. One of the ways I have started to cope with the challenges is just to accept that I have them, and to embrace the rough ride, as in the end it is a part of me, and it's not going away. I wish you well Fel, and it's nice to see you again. I have been a little concerned as to where you have been. Glad to see you are okay

[@FeltheBlithe]

Wise words! Thank you for sharing them 💛

[@divafever9754]

PLS sacrifice that shirt to the gods... in fire!

[@FeltheBlithe]

😂

[@isabellp.5730]

I'm just seeing this now, but thank you for sharing with us. Life has been really busy and really hard these past few months-- new job, college as usual, I moved, lost a friend. I've been beating myself up about not doing "enough" for the gods. I really needed to see this today. I hope things are well for you 💜💛

[@FeltheBlithe]

Hope things are well and getting better for you too 💙💜

[@joutavainen2920]

the good thing about the slumps is that it makes you reevaluate everything and often it makes the unneeded stuff disappear. like some people even loose their appetite. shouldn´t do that. we have to eat! for me what always remains is my daily walks through the woods.. everything else can go, but not that, even with no sun, and with everything dead on the ground.. it´s not how i´d like to see nature, but that is the way it is now (death is natural but because i live i would prefer to see life). as a "sun witch" i would never do that, i just do it as myself, to keep myself going (both my and self). i don´t even consider myself to be practicing at this time of the year. happily snow will fall soon, and then things will start to turn, i will start to take pictures again, spring will come, and light will prevail!

[@joutavainen2920]

also i don´t call myself a middle witch anymore.. i´m only in the middle in terms of working in the middle word, the visible world, and maybe in my opinions, because i rarely take a radical stance on anything. however in all the big matters, i´ve found out i´m not in the middle.. i dislike darkness, i dislike death, i´m with light and life.. that´s not in the middle at all, fuck middle. who can even be in the middle with everything, it doesn´t sound natural.. i´m with natural, against unnatural (cough new age, just kidding, i know there´s the same factions there as everywhere else). it´s those factions that are the real "religions", or sides, i think, everything else is just fake labels (like "middle witch" was a fake label for me, "sun witch" still true though, you don´t change a good thing).

[@lynnline8464]

Whenever I feel like I’m stuck, or I don’t have the energy or ability to do what I have been doing, I add something new or change something. It feels like a restart and it’s new and exciting. For example, I have been burning incense lately. It’s so simple and new and exciting.

[@FeltheBlithe]

A great idea! That’s why my path seems so eclectic to folks because I’ll try new things out to keep it fresh and also give me a unique focus

[@ashdolohov9234]

I’ve worked very closely with Dionysus for several years now and he’s really pushed for me to take my mental health seriously. If that means going to therapy and getting medication, or sitting around the house on the weekend playing a video game instead of going out and stressing myself out, then that’s what it means. Being pagan has taught me so much about balance and the importance of self. But yeah, my practice is definitely not an intense daily practice, most days it just means prayer.

[@FeltheBlithe]

Yes!! It can be so much simpler and more healing than sometimes people think it is

[@cancant9547]

I need to know this question. Is hellenism classed as a relegion regardless of it being non recognised properly?

[@FeltheBlithe]

Yes! Religion is not a designation that has to be given out by a government, it’s a sociological construct!

[@aelinsardothien8926]

you need Jesus in your life

[@FeltheBlithe]

Tried that already! But thanks for offering

[@anglishoutlander162]

Jesus doesn’t save you from the struggles of life. I was a Christian for years until I was 19, I’m 23 now and a Germanic Heathen. I havent been happier

[@auggiet8380]

😒😒😒 This is honestly one of my biggest peeves, and it’s so annoying.

[@knightforlorn6731]

My mother had a severe childhood. her mother thought it was okay to subject her own daughter to sexual predators and hard drugs. This went on for years until the day she ran away. For many years she took on herself a strong witches persona. She read many books and took it very seriously. In studying the Bible, she found answers that paganism could never answer. Slowly I have seen the scales drop from her eyes until finally she is free from it entirely and has found power and love. I know you think I came here to mock you or bring you down, but its not the case. I pray that you listen because God is calling. I don't know why youtube shared this channel but I do have a long history around witchcraft. You can know true power in your life as well as peace. His epitaph is the Prince of Peace.

[@Tarchoom]

so you are telling me some savages from the desert think there is one creator and that creator is a shlomo on a stick and a isrealite tribal diety from hebrew mythology. cucking for shlomo which plagiarised from Zoroastrianism to pretend the regressive attitudes of an Israelite deity is universal . Doesnt make sense to me.

[@isabellp.5730]

Which books did she read? I am glad your mother's former path gave her the strength to process her trauma, and I am glad her current religion is giving her peace and fulfillment. However, coming onto a video where people of a religion not your own talk in community about ways we practice and take care of our mental wellbeing while claiming that your god is "calling" is insensitive. Besides, how do you know? Do you speak for your God? Do you have that authority? Do you claim to know the mind of the divine?

[@auggiet8380]

Hey so not every space is for Christians to come bursting in on like a more annoying Kool-Aid Man. We’re well aware of Jesus, you REALLY do not need to keep harping.

[@WildMen4444]

Move along, friend. We are called by different Gods here. Paganism can answer every question. People who say it can't don't know enough about our traditions

[@kennedyrose2668]

*TW: INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS! Thank you for making this. I’ve been goin thru a rough time with this lately, bc I’ve been in pretty bad autistic burnout,, and also my OCD has been wiiiild yelling at me that I’m not cleansing things well enough before I give them as offerings, or that the gods are mad at me bc I’m not lighting their candles every day, and lots of other fun jazz. The gods I worship/work with have been very very understanding and have been sending me signs of support. Hades actually keeps telling me to make sure to take time to slow down so I don’t crash 😅. Ah, mental illness. 🫠 but yes yes thank you for this

[@FeltheBlithe]

💜💜💜

[@xoxothx]

omg as an autistic with ocd too i feel this