Day: April 25, 2012

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for April 25th

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

There seems to be two important things to do in times of difficulty. One is to pray and the other to keep our sense of humor. The first is essential to make the basic correction and the other is necessary to balance the human spirit while things work out.

Without a sense of humor, we tend to become too serious about the personal self. It becomes all too important, too self-righteous, and far too self-centered.

At the first sign of trouble, we may want to find someone wiser in whom to confide and ask questions. And their advice may be most helpful, but it is still our own responsibility to get off our backs and do it with dignity and self-respect that will not lower our standards nor cause us embarrassment. And humor can help us do it.

There is humor in every situation if we can detach ourselves from the seriousness of it long enough to look for it. Abraham Lincoln knew the importance of his sense of humor and said, “With the fearful strain that is on me night and day, if I did not laugh I should die.”

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Available online! ‘Cherokee Feast of Days’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler.

Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com

Elder’s Meditation of the Day
By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org

Elder’s Meditation of the Day April 25

Elder’s Meditation of the Day April 25

“Each person’s prayers can help everyone.”

–Thomas Yellowtail, CROW

Prayer is our entrance into the Unseen World. It is by prayer we can call upon the powers and laws of the Great Spirit. The Spirit World has powers and laws that are different from the Physical World. The spiritual laws allow healing to take place; they allow forgiveness to occur; they cause miracles to happen; they cause hate to disappear; they heal broken relationships; they guide every moment of our lives; they allow us to love even when it’s hard. Prayer allows us access to the Spirit World.

Creator, teach me to pray.

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April 25 – Daily Feast

April 25 – Daily Feast

The wild pink verbena that grew so profusely along the slopes have moved to another area. In their place are yellow flowers, unfamiliar but like sunshine after a shower. A familiar saying is that the more something changes the more it stays the same. Flowers, like people and circumstances, change so swiftly and unexpectedly that it seems like the very foundation of the familiar is moving and changing before us. The Cherokees call this a ma yi, creek water. It is always moving and changing before our eyes. Nature reminds us to renew our minds – to update and enlarge our vision instead of accepting the daily changes of the world that come to nothing. No one has ever been so perfect that he cannot surpass himself and bloom more brilliantly in another area.

~ When we lift our hands we signify our dependence on the Great Spirit. ~

BLACKFOOT

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days’, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

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Daily Motivator for April 25th – Keep moving

Keep moving

When your efforts bring the results you seek and also when they don’t, keep moving. Welcome the achievements with humility, welcome the setbacks with confidence, and keep moving.

Don’t use success as an excuse to rest on your accomplishments. Don’t use failure as an excuse to give up.

Whatever has happened before, your best choice now is to keep moving, keep learning, keep making the effort, and keep improving. Build new value with what does work, and accumulate valuable experience from what doesn’t work.

When you realize you’ve been distracted and wandered off course, don’t let it get you down. Just accept where you are, figure out the best way forward, and quickly get going again.

When you’re standing still or being pushed backward, you have no control over what happens to you. Keep moving, because the way to control your direction is to have some direction, and the more assertively you move, the more control you have.

Life’s abundance is all around you, and each day brings new opportunities for fulfillment. Use every day to keep moving, and bring your best possibilities to life.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Daily OM for April 25th – The Power of the Circle

The Power of the Circle
Uniting in Thought and Action

When we are in circle with others, the energy stays contained within the group giving back to all. 

 

There are many reasons for why a gathering of people in a circle is powerful. A circle is a shape that is found repeatedly throughout the natural world, and it is a symbol of perfection. We recreate this perfect shape when we join others to form a circle. Being in a circle allows us experience each other as equals. Each person is the same distance apart from the next participant, and no one is seated higher than or stands apart from others in a circle. From tribal circles to the mythical round table of King Arthur, the circle has been the shape adopted by gatherings throughout history.

The circle is acknowledged as an archetype of wholeness and integration, with the center of a circle universally understood to symbolize Spirit – the Source. When a group of people come together in a circle, they are united. This unity becomes even more powerful when each person reaches out to touch a neighbor and clasps hands. This physical connection unites thought and action, mind and body, and spirit and form in a circle. Because a circle has no beginning and no end, the agreement to connect in a circle allows energy to circulate from one person to the next, rather than being dissipated into the environment.

Like a candle used to light another candle, the connection with spirit that results when one person joins hands with another is greater than if each person were to stand alone. People who take part in a circle find that their power increases exponentially while with the group. Like a drop of water rippling on the surface of a pond, the waves of energy produced in a circle radiate outward in circular motion. While one person may act like a single beacon that emanates light, a circle of people is like a satellite dish that sends out energy. There is power in numbers, and when the commitment is made by many to face one another, clasp hands, and focus on one intention, their circle emanates ripples of energy that can change the world.

Precious Pup of the Day for April 25th

Name: Rocky
 Age: Eighteen months old
Gender: Male Breed: Boston Terrier
Home: St-Jerome, Quebec, Canada
Rocky is a Boston Terrier dog that is owned by Daniel. Like a typical Boston Terrier breed, he is friendly, alert, expressive and playful. He generally doesn’t bark except when necessary. He really likes to play with the balls and toys. He really enjoys going at the park to run fast, to expend energy and to play with balls. Every time we come home from work or anywhere, he is really happy to see us and wants to play.We think he is a very cute black and white Boston Terrier. He really likes to stay with his owners to play and he also likes to play with everyone, even with the cats. He is friendly with all other dogs, too. He likes to go for a walk and explore everything. He loves to go for car rides and going to the drive-in for watching movies. We really love Rocky and he is like our baby. He even inspired us to create a website for Boston Terriers!He is our first Boston Terrier and the first dog we have had. We decided to get him because we were interested in having a dog. We had seen some video and pictures of Boston Terriers and we thought that they were really beautiful and fun dog so we started learning more about the breed. We discovered that we found the perfect dog breed for us. The tricks he have learned so far are to sit, lay down and shake each paw. For his favorite games he likes to play, he likes to play baseball with us. He also likes to fetch sticks and he really likes to chew them. He also like to come camping with us and going for a canoe rides.

Because there is a cold winter season in Quebec, Canada and the Bostons don’t have long fur, we found it is a good thing to protect him from the cold weather by getting him a leather jacket and some hoodies. He fares well in the cold weather, but when it’s too cold he prefer going back inside where it’s warm. He doesn’t like spending too much time outside when it’s cold, but like us he likes the snow and everything else about winter.

Rocky, the Dog of the Day
See more images of Rocky!

Special Kitty of the Day for April 25th

Name: Milly
 Age: Six years old
Gender: Female
 Kind: Seal Point Siamese
Home: Vermont, USA
Meet Milly, she’s my beautiful blue-eyed apple head Seal Point Siamese Cat. I got her and her daughter Izzy in 2008 after my cat Samantha went to the Rainbow Bridge after twenty wonderful years with me. Milly’s former owners used to breed Siamese cats and they were moving out of state and could only take two cats with them. Milly came with fleas and worms and a big desire to be outside hunting. It took a while but she adjusted to being a happy indoor cat who is leash trained and allowed outside only with supervision. She even got used to sharing her house with two pet mice and a couple of Betta fish (the only casualty was a packet or two of Betta fish food.)Milly is special because she is a typical loud-mouthed Siamese cat. She is a real motormouth and we have lots of long, deep conversations with her. She lets you know what she wants and when she wants it.(usually it is right now!) She is a great lap kitty and has a very loud purr to go with her loud mouth. She can be a quirky cat, she loves being rubbed all over, loves playing with her catnip toys and just loves food of all kinds! Milly is very direct in letting you know just what she wants, she will not be ignored, she will meow, headbutt you, try to trip you and even poke you on the nose with her paw if you don’t give her what she wants. Usually it is food or a supervised trip out in the yard but sometimes she just wants extra love and attention which we are more than happy to give her.

Milly, the Cat of the Day
See more images of Milly!

This Day In History, Wednesday, April 25th

Today In History. What Happened This Day In History

A Timeline Of Events That Occurred On This Day In History

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

April 25

1590   The Sultan of Morocco launches a successful attack to capture Timbuktu.
1644   The Ming Chongzhen emperor commits suicide by hanging himself.
1707   At the Battle of Almansa, Franco-Spanish forces defeat the Anglo-Portugese forces.
1719   Daniel Defoe’s novel Robinson Crusoe is published in London.
1792   The guillotine is first used to execute highwayman Nicolas J. Pelletier.
1859   Work begins on the Suez Canal in Egypt.
1862   Admiral Farragut occupies New Orleans, Louisiana.
1864   After facing defeat in the Red River Campaign, Union General Nathaniel Bank returns to Alexandria, Louisiana.
1867   Tokyo is opened for foreign trade.
1882   French commander Henri Riviere seizes the citadel of Hanoi in Indochina.
1898   The United States declares war on Spain.
1915   Australian and New Zealand troops land at Gallipoli in Turkey.
1925   General Paul von Hindenburg takes office as president of Germany.
1926   In Iran, Reza Kahn is crowned Shah and chooses the name “Pehlevi.”
1926   Puccini’s opera Turandot premiers at La Scala in Milan with Arturo Toscanini conducting.
1938   A seeing eye dog is used for the first time.
1945   U.S. and Soviet forces meet at Torgau, Germany on Elbe River.
1951   After a three day fight against Chinese Communist Forces, the Gloucestershire Regiment is annihilated on “Gloucester Hill,” in Korea.
1953   The magazine Nature publishes an article by biologists Francis Crick and James Watson, describing the “double helix” of DNA.
1956   Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” goes to number one on the charts.
1959   The St. Lawrence Seaway–linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes–opens to shipping.
1960   The first submerged circumnavigation of the Earth is completed by a Triton submarine.
1962   A U.S. Ranger spacecraft crash lands on the Moon.
1971   The country of Bangladesh is established.
1980   President Jimmy Carter tells the American people about the hostage rescue disaster in Iran.
1982   In accordance with the Camp David agreements, Israel completes a withdrawal from the Sinai peninsula.
1990   Violeta Barrios de Chamorro begins a six year term as Nicaragua’s president.
Born on April 25
1214   Louis IX, king of France (1226-1270).
1284   Edward II, king of England (1307-1327).
1599   Oliver Cromwell, lord protector of England (1653-1658).
1873   Howard R. Garis, children’s writer.
1873   Walther de la Mare, poet and novelist (Memoir of a Midget, Come Hither).
1874   Guglielmo Marconi, Italian physicist, inventor of the radio.
1892   Maud Hart Lovelace, children’s author.
1908   Edward R. Murrow, war correspondent and newscaster.
1912   Gladys L. Presley, mother of Elvis Presley.
1914   Ross Lockridge, Jr., novelist (Raintree Country).
1917   Ella Fitzgerald, American singer.

Historynet.com

Daily Correspondences for Wednesday, April 25th

Your Daily Correspondences for Wednesday, April 25th

Magickal Intentions: Communication, Divination, Writing, Knowledge, Business Transactions, Debt, Fear,Loss, Travel and Money Matters
Incense: Jasmine, Lavender, Sweet Pea
Planet: Mercury
Sign: Virgo
Angel: Raphael
Colors: Orange, Light Blue, Grey, Yellow and Violet
Herbs/Plants: Fern, Lavendar, Hazel, Cherry, Periwinkle
Stones: Aventurine, Bloodstone, Hematite, Moss Agate and Sodalite
Oil: (Mercury) Benzoin, Clary Sage, Eucalytus, Lavender

This day is governed by Mercury. Wednesday’s vibration adds power to rituals involving inspiration, communications, writers, poets, the written and spoken word, and all matters of study, learning, and teaching. This day also provides a good time to begin efforts involving self-improvement or understanding.

Wicca Book of Days for April 25 – Banishing Blight

The Wicca Book of Days for April 25th

Banishing Blight

April 25 was the date on which the Robigalia was celebrated in ancient Rome. Although it is uncertain whether this festival was dedicated to Robigo, a Goddess, or Robigus, a God – or to both of them – because both deities were associated with mildew, or rust, its purpose was certainly propitiatory. Rituals that were thought to curry divine approval and thus ensure that vines and cereal crops remained unblighted by the rust to which they were vulnerable at this time of year included sacrificing a sheep and rust-colored dog at a sacred grove by the fifth milestone on the Via Claudia.

Offer Aid

A traditional Hungarian practice on this day is to bring a green wheat shoot in from the field to be blessed by a priest. Crop failure is a recurring problem in many countries, so consider offering help through a charitable organizations.

Today’s Affirmation, Thought & Meditation for April 25

Today’s Affirmation for Wednesday, April 25th

I juggle the demands of my life with grace, catching balls that give me purpose and putting down, without guilt or anxiety, those that drain my energy.

 

Today’s Thought for Wednesday, April 25th

“Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of so much of life. So aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something.”

Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 62)

 

Today’s Meditation for Wednesday, April 25th

Karmic Law

Within many wisdom paths is the belief that life is governed by Karma – the spiritual law of cause and effect. This law states that our actions in this life dictate the rewards we will receive in the next. Close your eyes and spend a few minutes considering how your actions impact on your own life and the lives of those around you. How would your life differ if you strived to be kind, generous and thoughtful at all times? Good Karma depends upon pure intentions, so it is important to try to release any thoughts of self-gain as a result of your good actions. Resolve that from now on you will make an effort to respond to all situations, whether easy or difficult, with consideration for others and generosity of spirit.

Calendar of the Moon for Wednesday, April 25

Calendar of the Moon
25 Saille/Mounukhion

Day of Eros

Color: Pink
Element: Air
Altar: Upon a cloth of pink set a bow and arrows, two pink candles, incense of roses and violets, a pitcher of fruit juice, and a plate of pink cakes.
Offerings: Give affection to someone. Try to help a couple who are struggling with romantic problems, although this must be done with no agenda as to their fate together.
Daily Meal: Sweet things. Fruit.

Invocation to Eros

Hail, winged one, Lord of Love!
We do not always welcome you
Into our busy lives as we should,
For you have no regard for
Our convenience, our rules,
But simply see each of us
As another target for love.
Sometimes, when you come, we rejoice.
Sometimes, when you come, we weep.
Yet even when your arrows
Are painful and agonizing,
Even when we lie awake at night
Aching from the wounds you have dealt us,
We must remember that all love
Is truly a blessing, no matter
Where it starts or ends,
No matter what its path or means,
No matter whether it must live unsung
And die unborn in our hearts
Or whether it can run freely
Hand in hand with the love of another.
Bless us with your wounds, winged one,
As you have endured love,
And made mistakes, so you will
Have patience with us as we
Fumble our way through your maze.

Chant: Love is a river,
Flowing from my heart, flowing from my heart.
(Each steps forward and touches an arrow point to their heart, saying, “I am open to love.” The fruit juice and cakes are passed around, and the remainder is offered as a libation for Eros.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for Wednesday, April 25

Calendar of the Sun
25 Eostremonath

Walpurgisnacht Day III

Color: Grey
Element: Air
Altar: Upon a grey cloth set three candles, a bowl of dust, the runes Thorn and Haegl, and a battered knapsack.
Offerings: Help those who are homeless.
Daily Meal: Fasting today, from the night before until today’s Hesperis.

Walpurgisnacht Invocation III

Odhinn the wanderer, once Lord of Asgard,
Once Keeper of Valhalla, once All-Father of gods,
Traveled the dusty roads of Midgard,
Dust for his meals and dust in his eyes,
And the folk of Midgard looked upon him
And saw only an old beggar,
And when he asked them for a meal,
Many threw stones, many threw curses,
And a few threw a crust of bread,
And counted themselves generous.
When he asked them for a drink,
Many threw stones, many threw curses,
And a few gave him a dipperful from a horse-trough,
And counted themselves generous.
When he asked them for a place to sleep,
Many threw stones, many threw curses,
And a few showed him to a pile of moldy hay,
And counted themselves generous.
When he asked them for work,
Many threw stones, many threw curses,
And a few set him to cleaning pigsties,
And counted themselves generous.
So was the Lord of Asgard served
By the folk of Midgard who saw him,
Not knowing that it was the Lord of the Aesir
At whom their stones were aimed.
And so Odhinn suffered, and made the first sacrifice:
Understanding what it is to have no home,
And count Midgard’s folk against you.

(Today, those who have no home should be invited in for a meal while the House fasts, or else the meal should be taken to another place for them to eat. Silence for the day while alone.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

The Current Moon Phase For April 25 – Waxing

Moon Phases: New Moon

(waxing/0-45 degrees)

by Jan Spiller

The New Moon is a time best suited to making new beginnings! For the first 48 hours following the exact time of the New Moon each month, a window of opportunity opens for making wishes that, if written down, come true in the days and months ahead. There is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm in the atmosphere and a feeling of Springtime. This is a great time to go forward and begin projects that you feel instinctively attracted to initiating. Follow your impulses and let yourself make new starts in areas that are important to you.

Your Daily Cosmic Calendar for April 25th

As mentioned at the end of yesterday’s calendar entry, Juno squaring Mars (1:50AM PDT) is no picnic when it comes to finding stability on the romantic front. After Tuesday’s Sun-Juno 150-degree contact and Moon-Venus conjunction, it appeared that love vibrations might be increasing in frequency. However, Juno at loggerheads with Mars is nothing to look down on or ignore. Be on your best behavior with dear ones who count on your kindness and support every day. Adding to today’s possible misery index is Mercury square to underworld-ruling Pluto (7:52AM PDT) – where communications, travel plans and business negotiations can go awry. Don’t make matters worse by bullying others or being exceedingly stubborn. Another long void lunar cycle checks in at 1:32PM PDT when the Moon trines Saturn in air signs. This lunar twilight zone lasts for 9+ hours and eventually ends at 10:43PM PDT. Finish old business instead of implementing bold plans even though the urge toward innovation is strong when the Sun makes a 30-degree connection with radical-change agent Uranus (8:13PM PDT). Once the Moon enters Cancer (10:43PM PDT) – the sign of its natural abode – home and family issues top the charts over the next 2+ days.