Episode 34 of Media Astra Ac Terra is now available! This episode includes a look at the constellation of Boötes the Herdsman (and its bright star Arcturus) in the Astra segment, and in the Terra segment we learn about larimar! And in the main segment, I share some thoughts about the intersection of building a daily spiritual practice and crafting long-term strategies for dealing with stress.
In the introduction, I mentioned a great (great!) audiobook I’ve been listening to, called A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson. The audiobook makes for very entertaining listening, but I’m sure the print version is great (!) as well. 
As promised, here is the sigil/character for Arcturus, aka Alchamech, from Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy:
The Terra segment on larimar was suggested by Meical abAwen, host of the Pagan podcast (and now blog) Earth & Magick. Thanks, Meical!
In the main segment, I mentioned (and highly recommend) the book Meditation for the Love of It by Sally Kempton. And I mentioned a specific set of qigong exercises I’ve been doing, called “Eight Pieces of Brocade.” Here you can find a video of instructor Jesse Tsao demonstrating that sequence.
During the break, I played promos for Pennies in the Well and Lamyka’s Wiccan Podcast. And at the end I mentioned the upcoming Pagan Podkin Supermoot in Salem, Massachusetts. If you can make it, it sounds like it’ll be a great time!
Thanks for listening!
- Oraia Sphinx
August 4, 2011 at 12:38 am
It took me a little longer than usual, but I’ve finally listened to this episode! (I’ve been in a music not podcast mood lately, and didn’t want to spoil your show by listening to it when I didn’t want to).
First, love larimar. First saw it about 4 years ago. Love love love.
Right-o, the point of this comment! Is to say that I am in full agreement with the morning routine thing. I’m finally starting to get back to mine, newly adjusted given recent physical circumstances, and it feels great.
I started doing morning sun salutations because if I didn’t stretch in the morning, within a couple of days odds were good that my hip would go out. This is what we call negative reinforcement. Mind you, it was effective as I think I did those stretches nearly every day for at least two years before my back went (but hey, who knows how much sooner it might have happened without the stretching).
The magical practice has always been harder in the morning. I am so very NOT a morning person. More of a morning zombie. It’s not pretty. Which does not incline me towards doing much of anything. But, thanks to the yoga it was easier to add on a bit of something else. Which was the LBRP and then the star ruby but these days is just a ten minute meditation while I do one particular help-the-back stretch in the morning.
Lovely as always. I’d say don’t ever stop, but that’s probably not realistic, so I’ll just go with, don’t you dare stop any time soon.
August 5, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Thanks, Saturn!
At various times I’ve been more and less of a morning person, but I definitely don’t come by it naturally! I just find that it’s the only time I can be relatively consistent about. And I find it particularly difficult to stretch in the morning, so I’ve found it hard to maintain a yoga practice; that’s one reason I really like qigong as a morning routine.
I know what you mean about the magical practice, though. I’ve found it’s a little easier after a spot of meditation, or after I’ve showered, than if I try to jump right out of bed into an LBRP.