Devotion is one of my favorite words.

I love the way it feels on my tongue.

I love to be the object of devotion almost as much as I love the act and veneration of devotion itself; and it is the latter to which I will turn.

Devotion is intimacy, in this case with the Divine or Goddess or spirit. It is an act or a series of acts that represents reverence and commitment, growing from and pouring forth from the heart.

In my own life, devotion has been the central pillar in my relationship and commitment to the Goddess of Love and Lust, and to this presence and energy within myself.I express my devotion through daily ritual; prayer, lighting candles, meditation, gratitude. But over the past 16 months, I have found a container for my devotion that has deepened this connection between myself and the spirits I serve. And this container is through longform devotionals.

In my practice, a “devotional” is a longform ritual rooted in a specific intention, desire, or in honor of a spirit or Deity, that takes place for a series of days. I love doing devotionals for a month- so from New Moon to New Moon- though I have done devotionals for shorter than this time and much longer. Yet, the kind of devotional I have found so much support and power in is the one where I commit to an intention for a lunar cycle.

Beginning on the New Moon up until the following New Moon, I decide on a name, theme, and intention for my devotional. This could be something like a “Devotional to the Shadow” or a “Devotional to the Dark Goddess”. It could be a “Devotional to the Sun” or a “Devotional to Desire.”

In my own practice, I allow the sign the New Moon is in to guide my working, alongside what it is I feel like I need to focus in my life, or what it is I want to align myself more thoroughly. So for the Libra New Moon I may commit myself to a devotional around Love, while for the Leo New Moon I may commit myself to a devotional around being seen in my creative and erotic power.

On the New Moon, I perform a ritual to consecrate and formally begin this devotional, and then on the day before the next New Moon, I will do something to close this, usually a meditation and smaller ritual if I am starting a new devotional on the New Moon, or a bigger closing ritual if not.

What works as the meat of the devotional is the commitment to come back to this magick and intention every single day. This is where having an established daily practice really comes in handy. It is better to commit to a devotional for a shorter period of time if you know you can follow through and do this everyday, then commit to something for longer and not be able to honor this by doing your ritual practice every day. Keep in mind you can make daily work as simple as you like; lighting a candle, saying a prayer, meditating for ten minutes, reading some liturgy all work beautifully. You may wish to pick one of these activities and do this for a few days, before adding on something else once you’ve gotten comfortable with this.

The reason I am so passionate about devotional work is because it extends an intention past something to focus on just for a ceremony. It transforms this into a container in which you live your life. This isn’t just a spell you do and forget about. It’s a shift in consciousness you commit to for 28-days (or however long), that you then take and live in your life.

As I move through my day-to-day life, I remember my intention. Because I sit down each morning to meditate on my devotional, I am aligning myself with this energy first thing every morning, and from here it filters into my daily life. I see everything as a part of this sacred working. My life begins to reflect the theme I’m working with, and from here, it’s so much easier to see my life as a part of my spiritual practice, and not separate from it. The transformation that has happened because of my commitment to this work is truly astounding, and I know it’s a possibility for anyone who decides to root into their magick in this way.

If you’d like to explore longform devotional work, here are some questions you may use to plan your working and rituals, in a way that resonates with your practice.

  1. When would I like to begin and end this devotional?

  2. What is my intention for this working? What am I devoting myself to?

  3. What sign are the Sun and Moon in? How can this support my intention?

  4. What are planetary energies I can work with or call on for support? Elemental energies?

  5. What Gods, Goddesses or spirits can I work with or call on for support?

  6. What can I commit to everyday? Can I add something to my daily practice every few days, so the devotional gets more intense as I go? Some examples:

    1. Lighting a candle I carve, anoint, and dedicate

    2. Prayer

    3. Meditation

    4. Tarot/ oracle/ divination

    5. Sex magick

    6. Reading liturgy or sacred books

    7. Creating art

    8. Dance

    9. Drinking tea

    10. Taking a bath

    11. Leaving offerings

  7. Optional: What am I naming my devotional? IE: Devotional to….

If you want more support and guidance, I am leading two classes with Treadwells on creating longform devotional practices. On November 13th, I am teaching a class on creating devotionals to the Dark Goddess and on December 11, I am teaching a class on becoming a votary to the Goddess of Love. In both classes I will go over the framework that I use in creating longform devotional rituals.

Until then, I am sending love, lust and magick.