Day: March 17, 2014

As You Probably Guessed……..

Yes, that was my brother. Older brother, I should add. I just wanted to mention one thing, our dollar birthday fund for Lady Abyss.

We are asking for just one dollar to be donated to our birthday fund for Lady A. To say thank you for all she does for us. She doesn’t know about this because my brother has her laptop. Hopefully with your help and donations, we can say thank you to her and give her a nice birthday present at the same time.

It doesn’t take much, just $1.00, that’s it. I know times are hard for everyone that is why we are asking for so little. It doesn’t take much, it all adds us. Thank you in advance for your help.

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for March 17th

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Life equips us in many ways for very special purposes. Some never catch the right vision as to why they may be the objects of ridicule or the witnesses of cruelty – while others bear the brunt of many heartaches and still are capable of knowing compassion for those who cause it.

Jesus was such a man – He withstood more than we are able to comprehend, but He asked that His tormentors be forgiven for they knew not what they were doing.

It is our individual decision whether we choose to be one of the throngs of agitators who see only to confirm what everyone else is doing, or we can catch the vision of greater things and walk firmly in paths we believe are right.

To fall into the role of just another face in the crowd is an ill-chosen path, but to lead others to follow is the essence of parasitism – the need to have others be just as nameless and even more dependent.

_________________________________________

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 – March 17

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – March 17

“By listening to the inner self and following one’s instincts and intuitions, a person may be guided to safety.”

–Dr. A.C. Ross (Ehanamani), LAKOTA

Be still and know. The Medicine Wheel teaches the four directions of inner power-not personal power, but the power of God. These four directions are emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual. As our emotions get too far our of control, we simultaneously create an equivalent mental picture, our physical body fills with stress and tension, and we become spiritually confused. When we experience these uptight feelings, the best thing to do is mentally pause, slow down our thinking, breathe slowly, or pray and ask the spirits to help. Only when we approach the stillness of the mind do we get access to our spiritual guidance system. To be guided, let your mind be still.

Creator, today, let me reside in Your stillness.

March 17 – Daily Feast

March 17 – Daily Feast

Remembering is painful at times. It is so easy to relive what happened, and what did not happen, and we try to take all the blame. A fortunate few can look back and delight in the memory of times past. Most see it as a reflection of our own guilt. We know what guilt is. Why dud we not do a better job, pay more attention, follow a hunch? It is probably because we are better at hindsight than we will ever be in seeing things as they are now. Would we have done differently if we knew then what we know now? Maybe. But how could we see past the bend in the road? The best thing we can do for ourselves is to forgive. Forgiving heals. It clears the way for quality time – time to build and love, and renew and restore. It is what the Cherokees call, a da to li s di, a time of grace when we have done nothing to deserve it.

~ I am tired of fighting…..from where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. ~

CHIEF JOSEPH

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

The Daily Motivator for March 17th: Be truly inspired

Be truly inspired

Be inspired by life, and yet go beyond being merely inspired. Act on your  inspirations.

Let life stir your passion, and let that passion push you into action. Let  the outstanding, meaningful ideas flow, then do something real and useful with  them.

Each time life makes a profound impression upon your heart, resolve anew to  make a difference. Take the real goodness you see, and be the living instrument  through which it is amplified and expanded.

There is so very much that can inspire you, in the ordinary moments as well  as in the extraordinary experiences. Consider each inspiration as a starting  point from which you can do truly amazing things.

There is a reason why you feel that warm, right and wonderful sense of  inspiration. It resonates so well with you in order to give power and authentic  purpose to your actions.

Follow that purpose, and make the most of that power. Be truly inspired to  act on your inspirations, and lift all of life to inspiring new heights.

— Ralph Marston

 

Straight from

The Daily Motivator

Daily OM for March 17th: Feeling Our Words

Feeling Our Words
Words Have Weight

by Madisyn Taylor

The more conscious we become, the more we deepen our relationship to the words we choose to use.

Words carry energy and this gives language its power and its potential to heal or hurt. Most of us can remember a time that someone sent a word our way, and it stuck with us. It may have been the first time we received a truly accurate compliment, or the time a friend or sibling called us a name, but either way it stuck. This experience reminds us that what we say has weight and power and that being conscious means being aware of how we use words.

The more conscious we become, the more we deepen our relationship to the words we use so that we speak from a place of actually feeling what we are saying. We begin to recognize that words are not abstract, disconnected entities used only to convey meaning; they are powerful transmitters of feeling. For the next few days, you might want to practice noticing how the words you say and hear affect your body and your emotional state. Notice how the different communication styles of the people in your life make you feel. Also, watch closely to see how your own words come out and what affect they have on the people around you.

You may notice that when we speak quickly, without thinking, or rush to get our ideas across, our words don’t carry the same power as when we speak slowly and confidently, allowing those receiving our words time and space to take them in. When we carefully listen to others before we speak, our words have more integrity, and when we take time to center ourselves before speaking, we truly begin to harness the power of speech. Then our words can be intelligent messengers of healing and light, transmitting deep and positive feelings to those who receive them.

Straight from

The Daily OM

Correspondences & Symbols of Ostara

 Correspondences & Symbols of Ostara

 

Symbols used to represent Ostara include the egg-for fertility and reproduction, and the hare-for rebirth and resurrection, the New Moon, butterflies and cocoons. Symbolically, many Pagans choose to represent Ostara by the planting of seeds, potted plants, ringing bells, lighting new fires at sunrise, either in the fireplace, in the cauldron, or light a balefire outdoors. I always give myself a gift of a newly potted plant or take a seed and plant it within my cast Circle. Ritually, a fire may be lit in the cauldron during (not before) the rite itself. You may want to decorate your altar with a colorful bouquet of Spring wildflowers. Other traditional activities include working on magickal gardens and practicing all forms of  herbal work—magickal, artistic, medicinal, culinary, and cosmetic. author unknown

Ostara Deities: Eostre, the adolescent Spring Maiden, the adolescent Spring Lord, All Youthful and Virile Gods and Goddesses, Sun Gods, Mother Goddesses, Love Goddesses, Moon Gods and Goddesses, and all Fertility Deities including :Persephone, Blodeuwedd, Eostre, Aphrodite, Athena, Gaia, Cybele, Hera, Isis, Ishtar, Minerva, Venus, Robin of the Woods, the Green Man, Cernunnos, Lord of the Greenwood, The Dagda, Attis, The Great Horned God, Mithras, Odin, Thoth, Osiris, and Pan.

Symbolism of Ostara: Renewed promise of life, The Union of the Goddess and the God, Fertility, and dispensing of the old and making way for the new.Resurrection of life , The Season of Rebirth

Symbols of Ostara: Eggs, bunnies, new moon, butterflies, cocoons, dragons, flowers,trees.

Colors: lemon yellow, pale green and pale pink. Other appropriate colors include green, all pastels, Robin’s egg blue, violet, and white.

Ostara Foods: eggs, egg salad, hard-boiled eggs, honey cakes, first fruits of the season, fish, cakes, biscuits, cheeses, honey and ham. You may also include foods made of seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, as well as pine nuts. Sprouts are equally appropriate, as are leafy, green vegetables.

Plants and Herbs: acorn, broom, celandine, cinquefoil, crocuses, daffodil, dandelion, dogwood, elder, ginger, Gorse, honeysuckle (woodbine), iris, jasmine, jonquils, irish moss, lavender, lemon balm, lilac, Lily, lily of the valley, lovage, marjoram, meadowsweet, narcissus, oak, oakmoss, olive, orris root, peony, rose, rose hips, sage, snowdrops, strawberry, tansy, tarragon, thyme, trefoil (purple clover), tulip, vervain, violet, willow, woodruff and all spring flowers.

Incense: jasmine, frankincense, myrrh, dragon’s blood, cinnamon, nutmeg, aloes wood, benzoin, musk, African violet, sage, strawberry, lotus, violet flowers, orange peel, or rose petals.

Gemstone: agate, amazonite, amethyst, aquamarine, bloodstone, clear quartz crystal, garnet, lapis lazuli, moonstone, red jasper and rose quartz.

Spellwork for Ostara: Spellwork for improving communication and group interaction are recommended, as well as fertility, balance and abundance

Animals and Mythical Beasts: rabbits,snakes,unicorns, merpeople, and pegasus

Candle Colors: Yellow and Green.

Tree: The Alder, a tree sacred to the God Bran, who is said to protect the British Isles. Trees are very
important to Witches, and indeed important to us all. They are the lungs of the Earth, purifying the very air we breathe as they shade us and protect us.

Straight from

Raven and Crone

Ostara Re-dediction Spell

Ostara Re-dediction Spell
Author: Edain McCoy

Re-dedicate yourself to your deities and renew your commitment to the magical life with this ritual. Invite your deities to your circle by lighting candles in their honor. Anoint yourself four times with the following oils: Sandalwood for purity, rosemary for power, lotus for spirituality, and clove for courage. When you are finished say:

Lord and Lady, as you dwell in me,
Make a fit vessel of me;
Give me strength and wisdom to do
All these thing I’ve promised to you.

Ostara Ritual

Ostara Ritual

Flowers should be laid on the altar, placed around the circle and spread on the ground. The cauldron  can be filled with spring water and flowers, buds and blossoms may be worn as well. Arrange the altar, light the candle and incense, and cast the Circle. Say:

“Great goddess, you have freed yourself
From the icy prison of winter.
Now is the greening, when the fragrance of
Flowers drifts on the breeze.
This is the beginning. Life renews itself
By Your magic, Earth Goddess.
The God stretches and rises,
Tiger in His youth, and bursting with
The promise of summer.”

“I walk the earth in friendship, not in dominance.
Mother Goddess and Father god, instil within me
Thorough this plant a warmth for all living things.
Teach me to revere the Earth and all its treasures.
May I never forget.”

Straight from

Raven and Crow

Ostara Seed Spell

Ostara Seed Spell

Small plant pot
Coin
Seed
Soil
Paper
Ink

Write your goals and ambitions for the following year on the paper. Place the paper at the bottom of the pot, and lay the coin on top of it. Fill the pot with soil. Plant the seed into the soil, and water. Hold the pot between both hands and visualise your dreams/wishes growing as the plant does. Place the pot in a sunny spot, and nuture.

A Spell of Reawakening

A Spell of Reawakening

The Spring Equinox, called Ostara by many, is a day of perfect balance between night and day, darkness and light, slumber and awakening. Many craft traditions, covens, and solitaries have devised their own rituals for awakening Mother Earth at this time. Many of these can be traced back to England.

One common practice is to walk through a natural area, tap the earth three times with a staff or , and make a joyful noise to welcome the Goddess’s return. This ritual is performed three times in keeping with the sacred number of many of the Pagan sects from western European countries. Now is not only a good time to awaken Mother Earth, but also to awaken ourselves. We should ask: Are we only going through the motions now? Or are we reawakening our spiritual selves, and seeing anew all the magical possibilities of spring? To awaken your own body, mind, and soul to spring’s rebirth, give back to Mother Earth some of the things we’ve taken from her. Plant a tree, herb garden, or flowers. Feed her animals and birds. As you do any of these things, consecrate your offering by saying:

Mother Earth, Goddess we walk upon,
May my gifts be of value
Even after I’m gone.
Today, while I’m here,
May my offering be,
An act of love
for you from me.

By: Edain McCoy

Ostara Creation Spell

Ostara Creation Spell

This joyous holiday honors the spring goddess, Ostara, whose name means “movement toward the rising Sun.” Just as Imbolc signals the return of light, Ostara signals the awakening of the Earth. Trees are blooming, bulbs are pushing up out of the ground, birds are nesting, and animals are mating. The creative energy is at its strongest during this season. If you haven’t decided what you wish to manifest this year, do so now.

To empower your goal, write it on a hard-boiled egg with a wax crayon. The egg is a powerful symbol representing the universe in embryo. Your goal lives within you in the same way that creation lives within its egg, and like the egg, your goal has everything it needs to manifest. Now, draw two interlocking triangles to form a six-pointed star on your egg. This star symbolizes one of the most important keys in magic: as above, so below. What you can create in your imagination, you can manifest on the physical plane. Dye your egg a deep red to symbolize the goddess and life itself. Using your egg as a focus, work in the days ahead with the interplay of imagination and physical striving to achieve your desire.

By: Lily Gardner

OSTARA- Daffodowndilly Spell

OSTARA- Daffodowndilly Spell

The purpose of this spell is to make wishes concerning all areas of your life.

This is the perfect time of year for planting wishes that will come to fruition in summer and using plant ingredients for magic is a age old custom.

You will need:

one green candle
one yellow candle
matches or lighter
summer flowering bulbs, one to a wish
soil or potting soil in a medium sized indoor planter

As part of your OSTARA ritual and in a properly cast circle, work as follows.

1. Light the green candle saying: By the shoot

2. Light the yellow candle saying: By the flower I invoke OSTARAs power

3. Take each bulb and seperately name it after the wish you seek to acheieve.

4. Hold them in your hands and chant your wish into them with the following words: As the nights shrink down and this bulb goes underground, As the days grow long, so the thing I wish grows strong.

5. Bury the bulbs in the soil, or potting soil. Place your hands palms down on the soil and visualize the growth you have wished for coming to pass.

6. Keep the bulbs inside until the threat of frost has passed, then plant outside next to the spring flowering bulbs.

The idea here is to trade on the fertility of the daffodils by empowering summer flowering bulbs and planting them closely by. The summer bulbs will get the general idea from the flowering daffodown dillies and charged with your wishes hurry to grow and flower.

From Hearth and Home Witchery

Ostara Circle Notes From: Dorothy Morrisons-The Craft

Ostara Circle Notes From: Dorothy Morrisons-The Craft

Use a green altar cloth, pastel colored candles, and decorate with wild flowers or flowers of the season.

Use small baskets of appropriately colored eggs to mark the Quarters.
Cast the Circle with the wand. Alternatively, use a flowering branch, Dogwood, cherry, and pussy willow branches all work well.

Ostara Celebration Ideas:
Serve deviled eggs and milk for libation instead of cakes and wine.
Using a white crayon, label boiled eggs with qualities you’d like to add to your personality or life. For example, you might label one with prosperity, another with kindness, and so on. Dye each egg an appropriate color, bless it during ritual, and eat it. Know that the quality’s spiritual seeds have been planted within you and will flourish throughout the year.

Plant an uncooked egg at each corner of your property to ensure a fruitful home life. As you put each egg in place, say something like:
Fertile egg of ancient life
Bring joy and laughter-ease all strife-
And with your great fertility
Grant perfect love and harmony
To all who live within these bounds
Be they person, thing, wild life, or hound

 

Straight from

Raven and Crone

The Goddess Eostre

Eostre

Eostre is the Germanic Goddess of Spring. Also called Ostara or Eastre, She gave Her name to the Christian festival of Easter (which is an older Pagan festival appropriated by the Church), whose timing is still dictated by the Moon. Modern pagans celebrate Her festival on the Vernal Equinox, usually around March 21, the first day of Spring.