After I'd been practicing The Craft for a while, I noticed that there were a few folks who stood out from the others, people that seemed to me to epitomize the essence of what it meant to be a Witch. The why of this puzzled me for a long time; they weren't necessarily the most successful, the most famous, or the most powerful. So what was it about these few individuals that made me look at them and think, "That's the kind of Witch I wish I could be"?

Eventually it came to me: these Witches, who all seemed somehow more centered, more in touch with spirit, more present in their own lives (which is not to be confused with being happy all the time, by any means)—they all walked their talk. Whether they were famous authors or the hypnotherapist who taught me tarot reading, they all walked their talk, all day, every day.

What I mean by this is that they had found ways to integrate their spiritual beliefs as Wiccans/Witches/Pagans with their everyday mundane lives. Once I'd figured it out, I began to try to do the same. Over the years, I'd like to think I have made a fair amount of progress along this path, although as with everything else, there is always room for improvement.

It has also become a theme—some might say an obsession—in my writing. In fact, one of my books, The Goddess is in the Details: Wisdom for the Everyday Witch, is dedicated (you should excuse the pun) entirely to the topic.

Does this mean I think you're not a "real Witch" if you only celebrate the Sabbats, or talk to the goddess on the night of the full moon? Of course not. One of the most wonderful aspects of a modern Witchcraft practice is that, as long as you are not doing anything to harm yourself or anyone else, there is no wrong way to do it. If you are happy in a practice that only manifests itself eight days a year, or twelve, or twenty, that's great.

More often, though, I find that people really want to integrate their Pagan path with their everyday lives; they just feel like they are too busy, too distracted, too broke, too tired. In short, for most of us, real life is just too overwhelming to allow for time and energy to focus on spirit.

The good news is that they're wrong. Not about being busy and tired, of course. Which of us isn't, in this hectic world we live in? But that's all the more reason to find ways, small at first, then maybe larger, to bring our spiritual beliefs into our daily lives, where they can help us cope, make better decisions, and just feel better about ourselves and the universe around us.

When I set out to find a daily ritual I could do every day, I tried various things, from lighting a candle each night to saying affirmations at my altar. None of the things I tried worked for me, until I realized that I was taking the word "ritual" too literally.

Now, I start the day by talking to the god and goddess before I even get out of bed in the morning. I say, "God and goddess, I greet you at the start of another day and ask for the strength and energy to do the things I need to do." I also ask for their help with whatever I have going on, as well as their protection for me and those that I love. At night, after I turn out the light, I say thank you for all the blessings of the day, naming them specifically to ensure that I am really focused on all that has been gifted to me.

Simple, right? And yet, that's twice a day every day that I make that connection to deity, walking my talk as a Witch and a Pagan.

I can't tell you how much of a difference it has made in my life, but I assure you, it has been huge. It didn't come all at once, of course. And I still have times when I forget or lose my way. But it is my hope that together, we can find ways to walk our talk, all day, every day, with the moon to light our footsteps and the goddess to guide our hearts.

I'll be blogging about everything from practical tips for bringing magic into your everyday chores to simple rituals you can do in five minutes a day or less—and anything else that comes to mind. Feel free to ask me questions, give me suggestions, or put in a request; we're all walking this path together, after all. We might as well lend each other a hand along the road.