‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Human dignity is that silent something in us that keeps from falling below the level where others look down on us to make light of our very existence. None of us exists who cannot sense to some degree the feeling that others hold for us. It may create in us a “show them” attitude that takes us through life more successfully, but it will more likely destroy our desire to be anything more than what is expected of us.

It is an appalling thing to see others impose their superiority upon human dignity of those whose literacy may not be equal to their own. Only profound ignorance could convince anyone they have the right to see and idly judge another’s intelligence, or to insult the dignity of any human being.

The little silent people who have not yet discovered within themselves the abilities they need to lift themselves, still have the right and dignity of being human. A small amount of respect and direction might start them on the road to better things, though it might be all uphill. At least if they know it is all uphill they may work harder and reach and place where they can look back at those with lofty ideas about themselves, standing forever stagnant, and feel more compassion than they could ever have felt.

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – January 26

“All life is a circle.”

–Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE

The atom is a circle, orbits are circles, the earth, moon, and sun are circles. The seasons are circles. The cycle of life is a circle: baby, youth, adult, elder. The sun gives life to the earth who feeds life to the trees whose seeds fall to the earth to grow new trees. We need to practice seeing the cycles that the Great Spirit gave us because this will help us more in our understanding of how things operate. We need to respect these cycles and live in harmony with them.

Great Spirit, let me grow in knowledge of the circle.

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January 26 – Daily Feast

There are in every life both sunshine people and rainy-day people. There are giving people and there are those who take, but how so few in number are those who understand. To have someone understand why we cry or laugh, why we feel downcast for no apparent reason, is to have a friend. A friend accepts our changes of mood without telling us to snap out of it. They know if we could so easily handle tears we would have done it already. All our loneliness and worry and fear seems to fade in the presence of a friend who never judges but stands alongside with loyalty. “My u na li, take my hand and walk with me until you can go alone.” It gives us what we need to be a friend as well.

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The Happiness of Remembering  

Once  there  was  a  happy Buddha named Bobo. He loved to smile and laugh, and wherever he went he spread joy.
This  was his job. As a result, he received whatever he needed, whenever he needed it, All he had to do was to
remember to be thankful.

 

However, as time went by, he began to take what he received for granted and forgot to be thankful. One day One
day he found himself before the throne of Most High.

 

“Well, Bobo,” said Most High, “you are forgetting to be thankful.”

 

“I’m so sorry,” Bobo replied. “I promise I’ll never do it again.”

 

“Well,”  said  Most  High  kindly,  “You’ll  get  another chance, but if you begin to forget again, the law of
reciprocity will have its way with you. There’s nothing I can do about that”

 

“Oh,” said Bobo, “Ah. Hum.”

 

“You  remember,  Bobo,  reciprocity means that what goes around comes around. Sometimes it’s called the golden
rule,” Most High added.

 

“I  won’t  forget  again,”  said  Bobo  sincerely.  And  for  some time he was extra careful to remember to be
thankful.  But  in  spite  of  his good intentions, he began forgetting again. One day he forgot to say “Thank
you,” to the woman who was giving him some water to drink.

 

“Bobo,  you  have  lost your awareness,” Most High said sadly. “You forgot to stay present in the moment. I am
sorry  to  say,  you  will  completely forget you are a Buddha. That will continue only until such time as you
remember enough of what it means to be a Buddha again.”

 

“What does that mean?” Bobo asked, but already he was back where he had been. Now he wondered why he was there
and  what  he  was  supposed  to  be  doing.  He  shook his head and sighed. “I must spend my days remembering
something, But I’m not sure what.”

 

With a vague feeling that something was missing from his life, Bobo wandered the streets. He had to rummage in
trash  cans  for  bits of leftover food and clothing and huddle on street corners trying to stay warm. He grew
more and more miserable.

 

One  day,  he found a small grey alley cat. Starving and angry, she was even worse off than he was. She almost
bit  his  hand  when he offered her some of the half eaten sandwich he’d found in the trash. He felt sorry for
her. His chest began to feel warm from the inside out. His heart was expanding. What could he do to help?

 

He spoke to her softly. Eventually she came closer. Finally she crawled into his coat for warmth. As time went
by, he nursed her back to health, sharing his food, talking to her and petting her when he felt lonely.

 

He  found  a  bird  with a broken wing fluttering on the sidewalk. Tenderly he picked it up. Somehow with very
little  effort,  the  wing  went back in place. He carried the pigeon in his picket until it could fly, but by
then it was used to his pocket and liked being there when it wasn’t aloft.

 

His  collection  of  animals  grew. He carried a mouse in another pocket, a small garter snake he’d found half
dead outside a pet shop coiled around his wrist. A mangy dog adopted him and grew progressively better looking
with  feeding  and  brushing.  It wasn’t always easy to find enough food, but he persevered. Sometimes he went
without  food himself to feed them. He didn’t mind. He’d just pat his round belly and say, well, I have plenty
here already.

 

One  day  he  found  an abandoned hut in the woods. He filled it with guests that he fed, watered, and petted.
Some  came and went, though his original few remained. He spent his time caring for those who came his way. By
now he had forgotten he was supposed to remember something. Still, he was content in his life.

 

Much  to  his surprise, one day he found himself in front of Most High. “Sometimes it helps to get practice in
what you forget,” Most High said. All at once Bobo remembered he was a Buddha. It made him very happy.

 

“Thank you,” he said. “Now can I go back and take care of my friends?”

 

Most High smiled and nodded.

 

Instantly Bobo was back in his hut with all the furred and feathered friends he loved. The only difference was
now he remembered why he was there. And that made him happier than ever.

Lunar Lore with GrannyMoon 

Today Is: Woden’s Day  

Energy: Male Ruler: Mercury – Rules healings, the mind – Use for magick involving mental issues, learning, higher education, addictions, communications,  

travel, young people, messages, perception, self-expression, artists, poets, and writers   
Today’s Magickal Influences: Conjurations, Predictions, Knowledge, Writing, Eloquence  

Today’s Goddesses: Aset [Isis], Demeter, Ceres, Spider Woman, Bona Dea, Oya, Devi-Kali, Hella, Rhiannon, Coatlique, Maman Brigette, Sekhmet, Het Heret [Hathor]
Incense:   Cinnamon, Cinquefoil 

Perfumes: Sweetpea, Lavender, Mastic, Frankincense, Cloves 

Color of The Day:  Yellow, Gray, Violet 

Colors for Tomorrow: Purple, Indigo, Blue 

Lucky Sign: Wednesday Is The Lucky Day For Gemini  And Virgo   

Candle: Purple Violet 

Our rune today is Berkano of Tyr’s Aett pronounced “bear-kawn-oh” (B: Berchta, the birch goddess) Birth, general fertility, both mental and physical and personal growth, liberation. Regenerative power and light of spring, renewal, promise of new beginnings, new growth. Arousal of desire. A love affair or new birth. The prospering of an enterprise or venture.

Buds on the trees are opening with the beginning of spring. Cold is dangerous for them. A new beginning needs a careful attitude. Something very new is beginning in your life. The appearance of this rune may correspond to the birth of a child or a crucially important event, or a new job or relationship. This new entity is still very delicate and needs your constant care. Any active and risky action towards it is simply not relevant. You must create the most favorable conditions for this defenseless little shoot to grow, and wait until it becomes stronger. If you try to rely on someone else to do this for you, instead of devoting yourself wholly to it, or if you take it for granted, you will create difficulties for all concerned.

Berkano Reversed or Merkstave: Family problems and or domestic troubles. Anxiety about someone close to you. Carelessness, abandon, loss of control. Blurring of consciousness, deceit, sterility, stagnation. (Note: the reversed or merkstave definitions are included only for reference as they apply to a multi-rune cast and not to a single rune that’s drawn blind from the pouch)

As with all, take only what feels right to you and disregard the rest.

**a portion of today’s rune meaning/description was kindly provided by Ingrid Halvorsen at sunnyway.com and used here with her gracious permission**

In the Light…

Tom

Source: Lady Becky via Ravensgrove Coven

Daily Goddess Devotion

Let all gather in the Circle of Light,
As we hearken unto the night.
In love and trust we are forever free,
Hand in hand as a true family.

Lady Abigail
Copyright © 01222011

Accept Compliments Gracefully
by Jane Powell

“Accept praise.”

Sometimes the hardest thing to hear and to accept is a compliment. We tend to be guarded, possibly because we have been hurt by words in the past. We fight the urge to believe the praise; it simply can’t be true.

The truth is compliments should be embraced and welcomed. They’re an intangible gift, a confirmation of a job well done. Others may see great changes happening to you and they want to let you know. Respond with a smile and a simple “thank you.”

You deserve to be flattered, so accept it, and enjoy it!

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Everyone:

15: Humility

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011