Simply Be

Simply Be...

I celebrate the Wheel of the Year and I purposely left my schedule free today to observe the
Winter Solstice / Yuletide Sabbat. A day of doing nothing in particular but choosing to do whatever I fancy. I slept in, lost in a myriad of dreams, it was blissful. I had my morning coffee, fed my precious dogs and took them out to play in the bright sunshine of a cool morning. I made a lovely pot of soup for lunch and then I sat down to read and contemplate the past year and to anticipate the coming year.
This year's Solstice has a lot of hype attached to it. The end of the Mayan Calendar etc...
The fear or maybe the wishful thinking of some that waking up today would be to a new paradigm.
Well, to my way of thinking we all wake up each day to a new paradigm. A new dawn, a new day - everyday. We can stay stuck in the old or we can leap into the new as intrepid adventurers. There is so much to discover why not start NOW.
The title of this piece is Simply Be, how does that fit with being a courageous human, about to embark on a new and exciting journey you may ask. Remember this, it all begins with a single thought, an intention. We have to define this new path before we can begin.
To do this - Simply Be. Go within, define our dreams, visualize our new life and the opportunities awaiting us. This is "the first day of the rest of our life". Let's make it count.
Let's do something that will make a difference to not only ourselves but also to others.

Namaste

Jai Mata Di

Blue Moon 2012

Pisces Full Moon 



Friday August 31, 2012  ~ 9:58 AM EDT

 

 

A Blue Moon is the second Full Moon in a month.

The Blue Moon of August 31, 2012 is the last blue moon we will view until August of 2015.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first reference to a blue moon comes from a proverb recorded in 1528:

If they say the moon is blue,
We must believe that it is true.

In the 19th century, the phrase about a 'Blue Moon' developed, meaning "never." The phrase today, 'once in a blue moon' has come to mean "every now and then" or "rarely".

The modern calendar, being an artificial construct from the Christian popes, does not really relate adequately to natural cycles, whereas the astrological position of the Moon is far more important in terms of moon cycles and in terms of the energy signature of each moon phase. Before this 12 month calendar, months were measured by periods between lunations, creating a Lunar Calendar of 13 months per year (the word "month" comes from the word "moon"). After a revolution by the patriarchy, where the ancient rule of the the Lunar Goddesses was replaced by the rule of the Solar Gods, the 12 month solar year was developed based on the seasons and connected to the 12 signs of the Zodiac.

 

 

The Pisces Moon is the Compassion Moon

This week, focus on building your sense of compassion and creating some down time for yourself.
It's easy to be compassionate towards others but so often we are too self-critical and find it difficult to be kind and compassionate to ourselves. Perhaps we view this as being selfish or we simply don't take the time to value our own worth. Let the Pisces waters help you wash away that which no longer serves you, and let them heal you.
You may find this to be a good time to reawaken your connections to spirit and find direction for your soul’s path. This Full Moon has everyone feeling more sensitive than usual, so be mindful of how you interact with loved ones. You may feel more vulnerable, confused and impressionable, and the desire to retreat will be strong. We could really feel the weight of the world with this Full Moon, drawing attention to our own short-comings, suffering, and illusions of life. It’s a good time to reflect on such themes, but be careful not to get lost in the deep end. Retreat is a good thing, but isolation can also heighten our painful feelings.

To harness the energy in positive ways, engage in activities that are restorative and healing, such as being in water, meditating, or listening to soothing music. If we look to ourselves and the world through the lens of Piscean compassion, we can release long-standing patterns of suffering, such as the victim-martyr conditioning in relationships. Use this moon to deepen your intuitive capabilities by focusing on dreams, visions, and other spiritual channels in order to find inspiration and emotional sustenance. Find the time to reconnect with the Divine and feel how you are a part of the cosmos.

The Cosmic Message of this Full Moon is to release whatever is holding us back, particularly that which prevents us from connecting with Source AND with each other.

WE ARE ALL ONE.

QuanYin is the Goddess of Compassion, Mercy and Healing

She waits for your prayer, and the prayers of all Her children, as She watches over the earth, floating gently above the sea, the light of the moon illuminating Her, most Holy Mother, Quan Yin.     Jai Mata Di

Beltane

Beltane is a fertility Sabbat that celebrates life above all, honoring the life-force energy that emerges as spring reaches its mid-point. The fertile earth is abundant with her gifts and our senses are awakened with the joy of being alive.

The name Beltane means "Bright Fire" or "Sacred Fire" and great "balefires" were lit on May Eve
in the countrysides. Driving the livestock between two lit balefires as the blazes waned was a ritual for moving the cattle from their winter pastures to feast on the new green growth in the spring fields. These great bonfires would also mark a time of purification and transition, heralding in the season in the hope of a good harvest later in the year, and were accompanied with ritual acts to protect the people from any harm. Ashes from these Balefires were scattered over the fields to bless and protect them and infertile women would put some ashes in a bag and wear it around their necks.

Not only was Beltane observed in all of the Celtic Lands, but also in Europe, Scandinavia and even Russia. Beltane is celebrated on the first of May.

May is the month to celebrate womanhood, motherhood and the Goddesses. In Rome the followers of Flora, the Goddess of flowers focused heavily on the symbolic meaning of flowers. This knowledge spread across Europe and was nearly lost until it was revived by the Victorians who were very conscious of flower symbolism.

Flora

The Roman Goddess of spring and blossoming flowers whose name means flourishing one.

She rules over the flowering plants and fruits and protects vegetation from disease and rot.

She is considered to be a handmaiden to Ceres and also rules the blossoming of girls into womanhood. The Roman festival, Floralia, was a festival of theatric performances and games

to celebrate the return of spring.

Maia

Maia is the Greek Goddess of Spring. The Queen of the flowers. She embodies the forces of growth and brings the seasonal warming of the earth. She gave her name to the month of May.

She is the eldest of the Pleiades and the Mother of Hermes.

Happy Beltane to all!

Jai Mata Di

A weepy kind of day

Sunday morning blues

Happy tears and sad tears

Tears of what has been and tears of what is yet to be

Triumphs and injustices

The wonders of life and the frailties of life

A song that invokes a memory

A memory that paints a picture

A bird singing, the rays of the sun, a puffy cloud 

Each moment a precious gift

Yet we linger in the past

The future is uncertain

All we have for certain is NOW

This moment in time

On a weepy kind of day. 

                                                             

                                                 J. Ravenmoon

Om Kali Ma

The love between the Divine Mother and her human children is a unique relationship. Kali, the Dark Mother is one such deity with whom devotees have a very loving and intimate bond, in spite of her fearful appearance. In this relationship, the worshipper becomes a child and Kali assumes the form of the ever-caring mother.

O Kali, my mother full of bliss! Enchantress of the almighty Shiva!
In Thy delirious joy Thou dancest, clapping Thy hands together!
Thou art the Mover of all that move, and we are but Thy helpless toys.

-- Ramakrishna Paramahansa



Kali is one of the most well known and worshipped Hindu Goddesses. The name Kali is derived from the Hindu word that means "time", and that also means "black". Kali in Hinduism, is a manifestation of the Divine Mother, which represents the female principle. Frequently, those not comprehending her many roles in life call Kali the goddess of destruction. She destroys only to recreate, and what she destroys is sin, ignorance and decay. She is equated with the eternal night, is the transcendent power of time, and is the consort of the god Shiva. It is believed that its Shiva who destroys the world, and Kali is the power or energy with which Shiva acts. Therefore, Kali is Shiva's shakti, without which Shiva could not act. Kali receives her name because she devours kala (Time) and then resumes her own dark formlessness. This transformative effect can be metaphorically illustrated in the West as a black hole in space. Kali as such is pure and primary reality (the "enfolded order" in modern physics); formless void yet full of potential.

The Matsyapurana states that Kali began as a tribal Goddess of the high mountain region of Mount Kalanjara, which is in north-central India and east of the Indus Valley. However, because of the relatively recent origin of the Matsyapurana we cannot be certain when or where the worship of Kali actually began. We do know however, that she was mentioned in the Upanishads, which were written a thousand years before the Matsyapurana.

            

Mystic Hymn to the Goddess Kali

O Mother of this vast Universe,

all action is accomplished only

through Your unpredictable Will.

You take counsel with no one.

No one other than You knows why

You manifest every phenomenom,

every living being, every event.

Your manifestation, O Mother,

awakens, purifies, sanctifies,

and deifies the human soul.

You accomplish Your own Goals

through this inscrutable Play.

Men foolishly claim responsibility.

 

Jai Mata Di

A Shining Star

How lucky we were as children to have a grandmother who loved us unconditionally -
    who always had time
        for a hug
            to sing songs
                 to tell stories
                      to listen to our triumphs and our defeats
    who provided nourishment
          to our bodies
               to our minds
                    to our spirits
                         and gave us safe haven
She had wisdom and wit and a wonderful way of looking at life.
    She gave of herself totally
        never complaining
             always giving
                  and we who received her love are the fortunate ones.

She left us with beautiful memories and an everlasting love.

Today marks the anniversity of her birth, April 25, 1902.
110 years ago, the youngest child of 12.

She is now, as she was while living in this physical realm, a shining star.
Our shining star.
We just have to look up to the heavens and know she will always be shining down on us.

Happy Birthday Nany!
We Love you.

   
Jai Mata Di

Treasures

Today I went to a used furniture store to see about arranging a pickup for a desk I no longer need. Of course I had to do some browsing and of course I found myself in the back corner of the store where there were quite a few bookcases of books. It first appeared that the books they had were novels and the usual selection of cookbooks etc., but then I found the case with the books on religion, spirituality and self-help topics. In one of my earlier posts I wrote about my love of books, so it is no secret that I get a feeling of great satisfaction when I find some new ones to add to my collection. I feel like a hunter that has made a new conquest.

Today's treasures were four books: Ardath by Marie Corelli, Pagan Pride - Honoring the Craft and Culture of Earth and the Goddess by M. Macha NightMare, Great Swan - Meetings with Ramakrishna by Lex Hixon, and Sisters of the Earth a compilation of poetry and prose about nature written by ninety wonderful accomplished women writers.

I decided to choose a page at random from Sisters of the Earth and share it with you. I hope you like it as much as I do.

My Help is in the Mountain

by Nancy Wood

My help is in the mountain

Where I take myself to heal

The earthly wounds

That people give to me.

I find a rock with sun on it

And a stream where the water runs gentle

And the trees which one by one give me company.

So must I stay for a long time

Until I have grown from the rock

And the stream is running through me

And I cannot tell myself from one tall tree.

Then I know that nothing touches me

Nor makes me run away.

My help is in the mountain

That I take away with me.

Jai Mata Di

Anjea

ANJEA is an Australian Aboriginal fertility Goddess. She is an animistic spirit known to the tribesman of the Pennefather River, Queensland Australia. It is said that Souls reside within her between incarnations and when the time is right she places mud babies in the wombs of future Mothers.

When a child is born it is believed that a piece of a newborn baby's spirit remains in the afterbirth, so it is the custom for the Grandmother or Godmother to take the afterbirth and bury it as soon as the child was born and the cord severed. The placenta was gathered for a special burial because it was considered very sacred. It was buried in a very pristine place in Mother Earth so that the energy of Mother Earth could keep the purity. It was believed that the mother and child remained connected to the placenta. This placenta would never be destroyed or discarded by indigenous peoples.

The burial place was usually near running water, in the sand on the banks of a river.
The Grandmother or Godmother built a structure of twigs and sticks, arranged in a circle and tied together at the top to form a cone, like a small teepee, to mark the spot. When Anjea sees the marker she takes the spirit and carries it to away and safely places it in hollow tree.
It is left for some time, rumored to be left there until the person whose essence it was originally dies, and then it is time for the new child to be created. This she does by mixing the spirit with mud forming a baby, then this clay infant is put into another expecting mother.

The mixture of water and earth to form the clay that forms the baby is significant because of the
life-giving role of water to the Earth and to the people.

Anjea is not only a fertility Goddess but she is also an Earth Goddess. We honor her for her creative and giving spirit.



Jai Mata Di

Earth Day

Mother Earth

It is 42 years since the first celebration of this important event and it is now observed in 175 countries around the world. We all are aware that doing our part in conserving energy will ultimately help save our planet as well as save each of us - the citizens of Earth. Our natural resources are being compromised by the global elite - all in the name of greed, and for profits for the rich. We the people must stand up to the polluters, the pillagers and to those that have neglected to be responsible caretakers of our beautiful planet.

Clean air, clean water, free energy are our rights.

~Here's a reminder of our treasure ~

Jai Mata Di

The Great Goddess

In prehistoric and even earlier historic periods of human development, religions existed in which people revered their supreme creator as female. The Great Goddess, the Divine Ancestress, had been worshiped from the Upper Paleolithic Age of about 25,000 BC until the closing of the last Goddess Temples, at about 500 AD. The rise of Judaism, Christianity and Islam was the undoing of the Sacred Goddess Worship. The destruction of sacred icons and literature, the obliteration of historic records of the "pagans" or "heathens", as the Goddess worshipers were called, was major but not total. As more archaeological evidence is discovered and properly identified and deciphered, we can now see a much different picture of the veneration of the female Deity as creator and lawmaker of the universe, prophetess, provider of human destinies, inventor, hunter and valiant leader.
I can't help but wonder how errors in translations of ancient texts due to a bias in favor of the patriarchal beliefs and other unjust misinterpretations have helped to form this modern world of greed, wars, social inequities as well as the gross destruction of this planet we call home.



The Tao Te Ching was written by Lao Tzu 2500 (or more) years ago. There are many translations and my favorite is the translation by Jonathan Star,Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition. Here Is a Verse that explains The Goddess as The Creator.

Verse 6

Endlessly creating

Endlessly pulsating

The Spirit of the Valley never dies

She is called the Hidden Creator

Although She becomes the whole universe

Her immaculate purity is never lost

Although She assumes countless forms

Her true identity remains intact

Whatever we see or don't see

Whatever exists or doesn't exist

Is nothing but the creation of this Supreme Power

Tao is limitless, unborn, eternal -

It can only be reached through the Hidden Creator

She is the very face of the Absolute

The gate to the source of all things eternal

Listen to Her voice

Hear it echo through creation

Without fail, She reveals Her presence

Without fail, She brings us to our own perfection

       Jai Mata Di

Living in the maya

I haven't written for a while. I was caught up in the maya, the illusion of this earthly existence.
Thankfully though, not completely - every now and then I'd see and feel the Bliss, I'd be at the threshhold of a grand epiphany and then I would get distracted and I'd get pulled back into this
3-D world of ours, only to get stuck in the mundane for a while longer.


In Hinduism, maya is the veil that is to be seen through, like an epiphany, in order to achieve
liberation of the soul from the cycle of births, deaths and rebirths to which all beings are subject.
Ego-consciousness and karma are seen as part of the binding forces of maya.


Maya may be understood as the limited, purely physical and mental reality in which our everyday
consciousness has become entangled. Maya is held to be an illusion, a veiling of the true, unitary
Self—the Cosmic Spirit. The veil of maya may be pierced, and, with diligence and grace,
may be permanently dissolved.


Consider maya as the vehicle that we are given by the Divine Mother to reach our final spiritual
destination. All the twists and turns, all the detours and bumps in the road are all the experiences
and lessons learned, if we follow our divine paths, the veil will be lifted and we will all arrive
"Home".

                                                  Angels of Light Beyond theVeils

Goddess Blessings!

February Full Moon

Native American tribes of the North and East called the February Full moon the Snow Moon
since traditionally the heaviest snows fall during this winter month.
The Lakota Sioux called it the Full Moon When Trees Pop because of the heavy snows that cause the tree branches to break.

I can remember, when I lived in the north, the silence of a heavy snowfall. The snow seemed to muffle all the sounds - the silence was magical. It seemed as if nature gave us a momentary break from the all the hurry and scurry of our lives. When the snowfall ended and I ventured out to survey the scene it was all pristine, white and glistening. As I made my way through the fresh snow and maneuvered around the drifts, the only sound was the crunching of each footstep as I made my own path - creating a new journey.

At this Full Moon in Leo we may want to take some time alone to contemplate, find our own path and perhaps even re-create ourselves - find our own passions. Think about what makes your heart want to sing and create your own journey.


Jai Mata Di

Vision Quest

The Vision Quest is a Native American rite of passage in which the participant connects with the spirit world and receives messages to guide them in their spiritual and life direction. This shamanic journey is a type of initiation that prepares a young person for adulthood and may be a catalyst for pursuing their life's mission. Always done alone in the wilderness and while fasting, messages may appear from their Guardian Spirit or their Spirit Animal in visions or dreams

The following is a dream poem from the Anishinaabeg people...

Dream Poem

with a large bird

above me

I am walking

in the sky

I entrust

myself

to one wind

my feathers

sailing

on the breeze

honoring your brave men

like them

believing in myself

I am like the spirit

waiting

in my lodge

making me very old

Jai Mata Di



Brigid

Brigid is a threefold Celtic Goddess of Poetry, Healing and Smithcraft. She is an ancient Goddess with origins in Europe and was revered long before the Romans invaded Britain and before the birth of Christ. February 2 is Imbolc, her Feast Day, and when the church canonized her, because her following was so strong, they kept the date and renamed the Feast Day "St. Brigid's Day". 

The rite of Imbolc is a women's ceremony, where the coming of spring is celebrated with Brigid's Feast (Maiden aspect of Goddess), and the waning of Cailleach's winter power is acknowledged (Crone aspect of Goddess). Early February marks the time when the daylight
is increasing and the power of winter is waning. Imbolc was a festival of a herding culture, celebrating the time when lambs are born and ewe's are in milk. The milk provided cheese, butter and whey after a long cold winter, when food stocks were low.

Brigid means "The Bright One" or "Fiery Arrow" and has many variations - 
Brigid (pronounced Breed) of the Irish Celts, Brigantia to the English, Bride to the Scots and Brigandu in Celtic France.                          
She is the Muse to poets, The keeper of the holy wells and rivers of healing and rebirth, and she is the keeper of the Sacred Flame of creativity. Brigid is the Mother of inventions and the craftsmanship of metalworking.

Brigid has a way with animals, and she can call birds to sit on her hand. A hunted boar once found its way to her courtyard and was granted santuary from its pursuers. Cattle, milkmaids and milk are all sacred to Brigid and the cow is her favorite companion. She also is associated with a white snake and sometimes fish magically appear in her healing wells.

On the eve of Imbolc, women hung a piece of pure white wool cloth on a tree.Traditionally, Brigid imbues any piece of cloth that is left out at Imbolc with Her healing power by blessing it as She passes by. This piece of cloth is then known as Brigid's Mantle. Each subsequent Imbolc blessing the cloth receives, adds to its healing power year after year. This cloth was beleived to absorb the energy of the Goddess and sanctified in this way would become a special talisman. It would be wrapped around any part of the body that needed healing and used by Irish midwives to ensure a safe birthing for expectant mothers. It was also used as protection during birthing of animals. Brigid is invoked to guard the cradle of the new born infant while a woman hangs a rowan cross over the cradle.
This cloth blessed by the Goddess Brigid could also be used for an altar cloth.

A Bhrigid, scar os mo chionn
Do bhrat fionn dom anacal

Oh Brigid spread Above my Head
Your mantle bright To guard me.

Anyone desiring fertility, healing or creativity should invoke Brigid's blessings, as the ancients did.

Brigit awaits . . .

Brigit awaits, Her spirit is softly calling to us,
in the trees, in the grasses, in the hills and fields,
alive in many realms, present in all Nature's places.

Brigit awaits, present in the world around us,
Her mighty gifts of vision, insight, healing and craft
grow stronger when we acknowledge their power

Brigit awaits, dancing in the candle flame and hearth fire
forging truth, justice, healing, and beauty on Her sacred anvil
our dreams flow and nourish us, like Her sacred waters

                                       
                                         
                                  Brigit awaits each of us, in our own heart.

~ author unknown      

            Jai Mata Di                      

Imbolc

The Wheel of the Year is the natural progression of the Sun's cycle and its connection to the Earth's seasons. It consists of eight Sacred Festivals, spaced at approximately even intervals throughout the year. These festivals are referred to as Sabbats.

These festivals are understood by some to be the Bronze Age religious festivals of Europe. As with all cultures' use of festivals and traditions, these festivals have been utilized by European cultures in both the pre- and post-Christian eras as traditional times for the community to celebrate the planting and harvest seasons. The Wheel of the Year has been important to many people both ancient and modern, from various religious as well as cultural and secular viewpoints.

The Quarter Days are observed on or near the solstices and the equinoxes and the Cross-Quarter Days are observed roughly halfway between the Quarter Days. In the ancient times however, festivals were occasioned not by the passage of days marked on a calendar, but by events that took place in the everyday lives of the celebrants.

Something that helps sometimes, in working with the concept of the Wheel and its eight festivals, is to imagine that one is part of a primitive society, without all our modern scientific knowledge and records and calendars and almanacs. When all one has with which to measure the passage of time is the passage of the days and the turning of the seasons, one begins to place great significance in events previously considered to be of minor importance. Look at each of the feasts in the Wheel, and think about what is happening in the world around the celebrants as the time for the feast draws near, and you will draw new insights into the meaning of, and the reason for the feast.

Imbolc ~ February 2

Imbolc, also known as Candlemas or Brigid's Day is one of the Cross-quarter, Fire Festivals in the Wheel of the Year. It celebrates the passing of winter and the return of the agricultural part of the year, and the changing of the three-fold Goddess from Crone to Maiden. At Imbolc we can see the promise of Yule made manifest. The days are markedly longer, the sun a little warmer. In the sheltered garden, a lone crocus pushes boldly through the late snows. Overhead, somewhere in the scudding clouds of February, we hear the calling of the wild geese. Now is the time for new growth, as the tiny bobbing heads of Snowdrops and the uplifted faces of Crocuses appear. The Goddess is now renewed and welcomed back. Sacred fires were traditionally lit on hilltops to attract the new Sun, and in warmer climates the first Ewe's milk was available after the Winter. In some areas a celebratory drink called "Lambswool" was drunk - made from cider and water mixed with the flesh of roasted / baked apple - the frothy white mixture somewhat resembling Lambs' wool.

It is a time for shaking off the winter doldrums, for sweeping the dead leaves of winter out of our lives. What baggage, emotional or physical, is it you no longer need to carry into the new year? A ritual house-cleansing might be in order to rid your home of all the negative energies that accumulate during the closed-in months of winter. Try making a loose incense of sage, cedar, bay, rosemary, and frankincense to banish negativity and bless your home.
It is customary to light white candles to welcome back the Sun and to honor the return of the Maiden Goddess. It's a good time to tidy up your altar, refresh it with a white altar cloth, light some white candles and display a picture of the Goddess Brigid.


An evening feast is in order, since Imbolc represents a return to liveliness and all the bounties of Nature. Americans might best grasp the concept of Imbolc by thinking of it as a Thanksgiving celebration for what is about to happen. Celebrants can be happy feasting, knowing that winter is passing and that food will once again be growing and plentiful. The feast begins with a short prayer, or toast:

Blessed be the earth, and all who dwell upon it.
We give thanks for the season now departing from us,
For the blessings it has bestowed upon us,
And upon those with whom we share this world.

Blessed be the new season.
We pray that it will be a time filled with peace,
With abundance, with prosperity,
With wisdom,
With love.

Blessed be all who share this feast.
Let us now prepare for the time ahead
By opening our hearts, and our minds, and our spirits.

Blessed be.

Next: The Goddess Brigid

Jai Mata Di

More Celtic Lore

The Druids were the Celtic Priesthood with an Arch Druid at their head. In the beginning, the Celts had similar organizations of women. The Arch Druid's counterpart was the High Priestess of the Grove. These Druids and Priestesses were the healers, judges, astronomers, teachers, oracles and religious leaders of the clans. The Druids had three divisions within their order: the Bards (poets), the Ovates (prophets, philosophers) and the Druid priests. The older Priestesses were highly revered. Priestesses sang the dying to sleep, did enchantments, prophesies, charms, birthing and healing. They knew the power of words, stones and herbs. A magick cauldron, bowl or pool was one of the central features of their Groves. It was considered the Cauldron of Regeneration, and represented reincarnation within the womb of the Goddess. Nature itself was their house of worship, certain hills, lakes, caves, springs, wells, monoliths, clearings within groves and ancient stone circles were their Sacred Places. The Druids preferred oak groves and forests.

The Celts understood that all existence has a cyclic nature, and that there is a direct continuity between the material world and the otherworld. Druidic teachings that have come down to us from the Welsh tradition recognised that there is an unseen world that interpenetrates the visible world. Things are just not what they seem. Everything exists on simultaneous levels. Seership was a highly developed and an important function of the Druids.



Most celebrations were held at night as the Celtic day began at midnight and their calendar based on the moon cycle had 13 months. Religious holidays centered on the Solstices, Equinoxes, and Moon phases. During the waxing moon, they did positive magick, during the waning moon, dark magick. They also observed Imbolc in February, Beltane in May, Lughnassadh in August and Samhain at the end of October. Oak and mistletoe were sacred, as were wrens, which were considered prophetic.

More to come...

Jai Mata Di

Celtic Lore

Celtic Tree of Life

 

l love the Celtic folklore and Myths.
The Arthurian Tales, The Mabinogion, the Pagan and Druidic Customs and Rites and of course The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
It has always been one of my favorite escapes - reading about those long ago times. The next few days of posts will be about this culture and the various Goddesses that were revered.
The fact that their society was matriarchal certainly is appealing to me. Children took their mother's name and daughters inherited her possessions. A mother gave her child a secret name with the first breast milk; the secret name was carefully guarded so it could not be used in spells and curses. Virginity was not prized; twice the dowry was given for  a women with children. Abortion and choice or change of mate were a women's right.


The Celts were religious or what we would call spiritual today. They believed in reincarnation and transmigration of the soul. They honored Nature and their rites and rituals revolved around the Wheel of the Year. Their pantheon held a great number of female deities of primary importance - Mother Goddesses, Warrior Goddesses, Guardian Goddesses. They also had the concept of the triple Goddess, three aspects of a single deity, such as Maiden, Mother and Crone. These aspects were represented by the Irish Celts by Anu or Danu as the Maiden, Badb as the Mother, and Macha as the Crone. To the Celts of Wales the Maiden was Blodeuwedd, Arianrhod the Mother, and Cerridwen the Crone. There were other triplicities of the Goddess in other times.


The Celts first appeared in history in about the ninth century BC. They came from the east spreading across what is now Asia Minor and Europe and eventually settling in are we now call The British Isles. They excelled as craftsman in metal work,  as builders of roads, as experts in agriculture and animal husbandry. They were first and foremost warriors, often hiring themselves out as mercenaries to anyone who could afford their price. Among the Celts women warriors were held in high regard and were as good warriors as the men. One of the Celts most famous Women Warriors was Boudicca, who was a Queen, a mother and a wife who led an army against the Roman Occupiers.


More Tomorrow...




Jai Mata Di

Happiness is...

The purpose of life is the expansion of happiness. (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi)

Happiness is determined by one's state of mind. When we stop to take notice of the simple joys
of life we are happy. Think about some moments in time that you can remember that inner joy - a lighter heart. Happiness is a condition we all possess at birth and through our human journey we manage to see only glimpses of because the external events of our lives take over and we become distracted from seeking our true purpose.


 "Stop to smell the roses" means slowing down and seeing life in all it's glory. Seeing the good in others, recognising we are all one and the same and developing compassion and kindness all lead to happiness.


The Dalai Lama says, "Human nature is essentially compassionate, gentle. Anger, violence and aggression may certainly arise, on a secondary or more superficial level. In a sense they arise when we are frustrated in our efforts to achieve love and affection. Within all things is a seed of perfection, however, compassion is required in order to activate that seed which is inherent in our hearts and minds".


I've been really noticing the little things that bring me happiness: The dogs running and playing, a butterfly feeding on a flower, the sunbeams shining through the clouds just to name a few.
Helping others is another way to achieve happiness: do a good deed, help a neighbor, volunteer.


I'm going to begin a Happiness Journal and each day note the things that I see and do that make me happy.


Namaste
Jai Mata Di

What is Life?

The Passage from Mother Earth to the Spirit World

What is Life?

It is in the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass

And loses itself in the Sunset.

~ Crowfoot, as he prepared for his journey to the spirit world, 1890 ~

Jai Mata Di

Mid-January

Half the month of January has already gone by. The holiday decorations are put away and the quiet after all the hubbub seems strange.
Some of us began the year making resolutions that will improve our lives and others just hoping for a year that will be kind to us.

The winter is a time for introspection and reflection on our potential, our aspirations, our future.
In ancient times the winter was all about surviving the cold, the ice and snow. It was a time when stories were told around the hearth, families huddled together awaiting the spring.

The winter is associated with the Earth element and the North. It's the time of the year for recovering, of silence, harmony, balance, home, mystery, birth and death. And although the cold earth appears dormant, the cycle of life has begun beneath the surface, the seeds have been planted and with them the gifts we envision. The hours and minutes of darkness are lessening with each day.

Winter is the time of the Crone. She is the Wise Woman, the teacher, the guide. From her vast experience and knowledge obtained through her infinite life experiences she is the counselor.
She is the Keeper of Time and the All and the Nothing.

Here a few of the Goddesses associated with Winter:

Skadi is the Goddess of Winter and Mountains in Scandinavia. She is the Spirit of the North Wind,and is equated with the darkness and cold of winter, the shadow time during the state of hibernation. Her name is said to mean shadow or shade. She is a huntress, a magician. She is said to have given the gift of the bow and arrow to the hunters.

The goddess for whom Scandinavia was named dwelled high in the snow-covered mountains; her favorite occupations were skiing and snowshoeing through her domain. But when the gods caused the death of her father Thjassi, Skadi armed herself and traveled to their home at Asgard, intent on vengeance. Even alone, she was more than a match for the gods, and they were forced to make peace with her.
Skadi was offered to choose a husband among the gods for compensation for her father's death.
All the gods lined up, and Skadi's eyes were masked. She intended to select her mate simply by examining his legs from the knees down. When she'd found the strongest-thinking them the beautiful Balder's legs-she flung off her mask and found she'd picked the sea god Njord. So she went off to live in the god's ocean home.
She was miserable there. "I couldn't sleep a wink," Skadi said in a famous eddic poem, "on the bed of the sea, for the calling of gulls and mews." The couple moved to Thrymheim, Skadi's mountain palace, but the water god was as unhappy there as Skadi had been in the water. Thereupon they agreed on an equitable dissolution, and Skadi took a new mate, more suitable to her lifestyle: Ullr, the god of skis.
Hers is the power of perception, of going within and facing our true nature.

Cailleach Bheur, Celtic Goddess of Winter is also known as Beira, Queen of Winter. She is credited with making numerous mountains and large hills, which are said to have been formed when she was striding across the land and accidentally dropped rocks from her apron. In other cases she is said to have built the mountains intentionally, to serve as her stepping stones. She carries a hammer for shaping the hills and valleys, and is said to be the mother of all the goddesses and gods.
She appears at the end of October, born anew as an old women, bringing the winter storms.
The Cailleach displays several traits befitting the personification of Winter: she herds deer, she fights Spring, and her staff freezes the ground with every tap. In some stories, she appears to a hero as a hideous old woman, and when he is kind to her, she turns into a lovely young woman who rewards him for his good deeds.  She is guardian to animals throughout the winter such as the deer and wolf.
Cailleach rules the dark half of the year, from Samhain to Beltane, while her young and fresh counterpart, Bridgid or Brede, is the queen of the summer months.
It is said that on Imbolc, February 2, as the Wheel of the Year turns and power of Bridgid increases the light, Cailleach throws her staff behind a Holly bush. Then on Beltane, May1, she turns into stone until her rebirth the following October.


Jai Mata Di

Judgements

"Judge not a man unless you walk a mile in his shoes"

We've all heard this quote before. I have been making an effort to be less judgemental.
I would have liked to say non-judgemental instead of less judgemental but I am not there yet. It is a lofty goal. I do find myself being more aware of the judgements I have and I am  consciously working on eradicating  them as they occur.

Stop to think about all the judgements we make, big and small each day. Snap judgements,
judgements based on appearance, on actions, on anything outside of our comfort zone
just to name a few.

These judgements of ours can include everything from; feeling superior to someone else, to feeling vulnerable or even from fear of stepping out of our self-limiting boxes.

Wayne W. Dyer says, "Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances."

I know I have a long way to go but being more aware is the first step in this process. I find myself cringing when I hear someone else's judgements of others. Remember that our judgements of others defines us or as Carl Gustav Jung said, "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." Now THAT"S something to ponder!

While I dance .

I cannot judge,

I cannot hate,

I cannot separate myself from life.

I can only be joyful and whole.

That is why I dance.

Hans Bos

Jai Mata Di

Books wonderful books...

Yesterday I bought another book. I can't help myself, when I pick up a book that talks to me, I have to have it. While driving home I was thinking about my love of books and remembered my grandmother telling me, "Books are your friends, always cherish them". She was so right. They are always there for me patiently waiting for the day when I will pick one of them off the shelf to give me the enjoyment, information or the inspiration I need.  


I certainly don't have all the books I ever bought or that were given to me. Some were lost, loaned out and not returned, or given away gladly to someone who needed a particular book to get through a difficult time or sometimes given simply to share a book that inspired me.


There are books in every room of my house. On shelves, stacked on tables and always there are a few by my side in my sanctuary. I even have a kindle, which is very handy for traveling. I often carry it in my purse just so I'm not without a book. There is nothing, however, that compares to holding a book in my hands, turning the pages and savoring the written word.

Last night I picked up one of the books I read daily, "Goddesses for Every Day" by Julie Loar, and the Goddess for today, January 13, is the Egyptian Goddess Seshat.

Ah, sweet syncronicity! How appropriate... Seshat is the scribe.

The Ancient Egyptian Goddess of writing, the guardian of books.

She rules the written word in all it's forms. She was known as the Mistress of the House of Books as she was the Deity whose priests oversaw the library in which the scrolls of the most important knowledge were assembled and spells were preserved. She is the record keeper of the Gods, the Goddess of History, and the creator of hieroglyphics and mathmatics. Seshat is the Goddess of architecture, astronomy, astrology, building and surveying. And she assisted the Pharoah in the "stretching the cord" ritual which was the precise surveying and measurement related to laying out the temples and other important structures to determine and assure their sacred alignment with the stars when their foundations were laid. 

She was believed to assist the pharaoh in important royal duties and it was she who kept a record of his life. She  recorded the time allotted to him by the gods for his stay on earth. It was stated by Pharoah Tuthmosis III (1475-1425 BCE) that "Seshat opens the door of heaven for you".

Later, when the cult of the moon deity, Thoth, became prominent and he became identified as a god of wisdom, the role of Seshat changed in the Egyptian Pantheon when counterparts were created for most older deities. The lower ranks of her priestesses were displaced by the priests of Thoth. First, she was identified as his daughter, and later as his wife. However, as late as the eighteenth dynasty, in a temple constructed during the reign of Hatshepsut, there is an image of the pharaoh directing Thoth to obtain answers to important questions from Seshat.

Seshat is one of the most important Deities in the Egyptian Pantheon, what made future rulers deny her rightful place? Another deception in history, where the patriarchy changed the facts to boost their egos. How many more of these will we discover?

Here's a contemplation from the book Goddesses For Every Day,

As I lay the foundation for what I desire to build, I set my sights on the stars.

Jai Mata Di