Allowing Change
by Starcat
As I chatted with the other Moms at homeschool group, I casually pulled out the purple scarf I’m working on. The hostess, a longtime friend, exclaimed out loud that I was knitting, sounding amazed. Despite the fact that my mom, aunt, and daughter all knit (and are very talented), I haven’t really been into it before. My usual explanation is that my creativity just doesn’t extend to things with yarn and string. But lately I decided to try again, and I’m finding it enjoyable and calming, rather than boring or frustrating – even though I’m still only doing one stitch, and I have to tear it out once in a while to start again.
Another friend I haven’t seen in a while, who saw a photo of me on Facebook, was surprised because my hair is now so long. It’s not really that long, but since I’ve had very short hair most of my life, it seems so. I’ve always said that I don’t look good with longer hair because of the way my face is shaped, but I like this new look. You see, people change. We grow and learn and find out new things about ourselves all the time. Sometimes they are fairly surface things, like hobbies or hairstyles. But other changes go deeper, and are perhaps not as easy to articulate.
Allowing yourself to change is a powerful way of encouraging your spiritual growth. If you hold on to your preferences and aversions too tightly, you might be missing out on something new and interesting. If you say you’ll “never, ever” play your guitar on stage in front of people, or claim to “always” go camping in the mountains every summer vacation, you could miss out on a magickal musical connection or an empowering retreat at the ocean. Being open to change within yourself creates space for your spirit to expand. Rather than feeling stuck, you can flow with life’s currents, and discover new things about yourself and the world.
It can be a challenge to allow change in others, too, particularly your loved ones. We get an image of who someone is and become comfortable with that mental picture. Then, like all things in the universe, they change, and we feel off-kilter. Being conscious of relating to people as they are in the moment can help you allow change in them, and by extension, become more comfortable with your own changing sense of self. Rather than being upset that they are doing something unexpected, revel in the growth they’re experiencing. When you’re feeling a bit too set in your own ways, try something new. You might ask a friend to come with you on that beachside retreat, or call your aunt about a new knitting pattern. Allow change to enter your life and see what new insights you discover.