If you travel a lot, you might have realized that it can be really hard to stay in touch with your spiritual side when you’re on vacation. Especially if you’re traveling with family or friends – while it’s usually nonstop fun, the key word there is “nonstop.” Everyone wants to hang out and do things and you feel bad saying no, even if you’re starting to feel a little disconnected from your spiritual practice. Have you ever felt that way before?
I travel kind of a lot, mostly because my parents live ten hours away in a different state and I like to go visit them. I’ve had to come up with a few ways to keep up with my spiritual practice even though I can’t exactly bring my whole altar with me when I go. Here are 6 ways I like to take my spirituality “on the go!”
1. take a book
I love taking books wherever I go – the back seat of my car looks like a (very disorganized) traveling library. I’ve found it’s really helpful for me to take books that are relevant to my spiritual practice with me on trips, because while it’s often hard to carve out time to actually practice my spirituality on vacation (doing a moon ritual while my family members look on in horror? no thank you) it’s often much easier and less conspicuous to find time to read.
Having a book about my spiritual practice on hand helps me stay connected to that part of me even when the rest of my routine might be disrupted. I especially like bringing books about tarot, since I usually have a deck with me as well. Some of my favorites (these are affiliate links) are:
- 78 Degrees of Wisdom
- The Creative Tarot
- The Tarot Coloring Book (fun to read AND to color, I bring this on plane rides!)
2. create a travel altar
I’ve seen these all over Tumblr and while I haven’t officially made one yet, I think they’re a great idea! Take an empty Altoids tin or other small container and fill it with some tiny versions of your essentials – a tea light candle, a tiny stick of palo santo, some little crystals, a sigil drawn on the tin itself, a picture of your deity, etc. This way if you DID want to do a ritual while you’re away from home, you have all the components you need right with you!
If you don’t want to go all-out and create a little kit, you can still bring a few small items with you just in case you’d like to use them. I have a little pouch that I keep some crystals in while traveling so they don’t get damaged, and I always have a tarot deck and my favorite essential oils on hand as well! I know that in a pinch, I could use those items to craft a spell or ritual if I really had to (like if I needed a spell to help me find something, or for safe travels.)
3. collect new items from your destination
Vacation is a great opportunity to connect with a different environment than the one you’re used to. Maybe you live in a landlocked area but are visiting the sea, or vice versa. It’s a fun idea to collect natural items from your destination that you can use in your spiritual practice in the future. For example, collecting seawater or seashells to use in a future spell or ritual (I did this over the summer when I went to North Carolina!) or maybe finding a nice-looking stick that you could use to make a wand.
Even if you don’t come away with anything, spending time experiencing a new area will give you a chance to observe how nature looks and feels in a new place. This can help you deepen your appreciation for this beautiful planet, which to me is a spiritual act in and of itself!
4. bring a deck
As I mentioned above, I always like to have a tarot deck with me. Tarot and oracle decks are amazing spiritual tools that also happen to be really portable. It’s easy to spend a few moments each morning drawing a card for your day, which gives you practice and keeps you rooted in your spiritual routine even while you’re away.
It’s also good to have them on hand just in case you end up needing them! It can be fun to read for new friends you meet during your travels, or to consult them if you’re having a personal crisis of some kind. It can never hurt to have a deck you love and understand on hand.
5. carve out some alone time
With all the hustle and bustle that goes on during vacations, it’s a good idea to find some alone time to help you center yourself and do some of the things you like to do every day back home. I think the biggest problem (at least for me) is that I feel like if I can’t have a whole hour to myself at least, it’s not even worth it. But that’s not true! Fifteen minutes is enough time for you to meditate if you wanted, draw some cards, do some yoga, or just sit there in thought without distraction.
You might not get to do all of the things you’d normally do as part of your routine, but something is better than nothing. Keeping those habits alive for just a few minutes a day will make it easier for you to get back into the swing of things at home.
6. journal
Finally, journaling is something you can do from anywhere! Write about how the trip makes you feel. Do you feel disconnected in your new surroundings, or do they make you feel alive? Is this trip making you realize anything about yourself? Often I find that trips make me feel REALLY inspired in one way or another, but if I don’t write that down then it ends up being totally lost! A trip can disrupt your everyday routine just enough for you to realize what’s working and what’s not. Use that to your advantage and take note of every little detail – you can sort through it all when you come back.
So those are my tips for keeping up with your spiritual practice when you’re on the go! While it might not look the same as your everyday spiritual practice, it’s a good opportunity to try new things and gather a new perspective.
What are your favorite ways to stay in touch with your spirituality when you’re on the go? I’d love to hear all about it! <3
