Writing as a Spiritual Art

[EclecticWheel]

While I love forums many of my reflections are personal and not necessarily of interest to others.  I keep what I call a bullet diary, though it functions as a journal as well depending on my mood and needs.

I use it among many other things as a space to reflect and also work out my spiritual struggles.  A five subject spiral notebook works for me.

I have also begun within this notebook a fictionalized autobiography in a postmodern writing style meaning in this case there is no clear plot or sequence and the narratives flow like a dream.  As I make progress I revise and upload it to a blog.

It's hard to say how much is fiction and reality.  So far most of it is based on real events or conveying real experiences I've had but in dream like form.  My "good Angels" are intertwined in the narratives.

Some of those narratives convey actual communications from them I have received.  Others are imagined conversations with them, but I believe imagination is probably still an authentic communication from my Friends in this case.

I am expressing and working out my religious philosophy in this way.

Do you practice writing as a spiritual discipline?  If so how do you go about it?

What else do you use writing for?

[arete]

Do you practice writing as a spiritual discipline?  If so how do you go about it?

What else do you use writing for?

Yes, I write down everything that helps me spiritually. I also write prayers I think on my own about the gods. 

[EclecticWheel]

Yes, I write down everything that helps me spiritually. I also write prayers I think on my own about the gods. 

That's something I neglected to mention, but I have talked about it elsewhere on the forum.  I write prayers and liturgies too.  One day I may not be able to perform them but they encode my spirituality and provide a narrative structure to work from.

[Altair]

Do you practice writing as a spiritual discipline?  If so how do you go about it?

Writing--specifically, writing myths--is a central part of my spirituality. I used to just carry the myths around in my head, but the act of actually writing them deepened them and forced me to think through what their importance was, where they were coming from. I haven't written a new myth in quite a while, though; these things come when they come.

My other spiritual use of writing lies in the creation of dedications and invocations, like the poem in the signature of my posts.

[Sefiru]

Do you practice writing as a spiritual discipline?  If so how do you go about it?

What else do you use writing for?

Sort of ...? I primarily write fanfiction, and I don't overtly include references to my religion ... but themes and some emotional aspects definitely get in there. I often write scenes of characters interacting the way I would like to interact with my deities, if it weren't for the whole 'immaterial being' thing. I don't write much about 'me and my deity' directly because it would be too intense, I think. The separation of writing with fictional characters makes it easier to process. (Also, self-inserts are just so cliche.)

[Eastling]

Do you practice writing as a spiritual discipline?

Writing is my most fundamental and intuitive method of self-expression, and my practice demands self-expression. So, yes, I suppose--to a certain extent, my writing is a spiritual discipline. But then again, there isn't exactly a clear line of demarcation there between "spiritual discipline" and other forms of activity for me in this case.

If so how do you go about it?

I have a nigh-infinite collection of incomplete documents full of musings about my Powers, self-indulgent torrid romances involving my Powers, poetry, and other miscellanea. Occasionally I blog some of the more publishable bits.

I have tried to establish more formal routines for my writing, but so far it hasn't worked.

What else do you use writing for?

I've written a lot of fanfiction over the years, too.

[Scales]

Do you practice writing as a spiritual discipline?  If so how do you go about it?

What else do you use writing for?

Very much.

The 'obvious' things, but at the same time, things I don't think everyone does, are drafting most things on paper, recording rituals and readings, making notes on divination methods (like if a tarot card in a certain deck often pops up an off-label meaning, or a pendulum has some specific action that always means something.

Less obvious but still not quite spiritual practice in themselves, I write out thinking exercises, do journaling prompts, short research paragraphs or essays, and keep notes on things I read (because writing it down myself helps me remember). None of these are something that do anything spititual, but they definitely help memorize, organize, and process thoughts and ideas. Also in this category, I keep a spiritual-specific journal, with entries after interesting things happen, or after I get something I've been excited to use, and just to keep my spiritual things tied to what was happening in my physical life.

Actually spiritual, I write to travel, to try and make contact with beings I've lost contact with, that sort of thing. I start with a vague idea and basically freewrite.

Also, I date everything. That's been a mistake in the past.

(I'm sure there is more but this is everything that came to me right now)