Day: April 9, 2014

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for April 9th

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

At times, Americans seem too easily taken, too docile to political movements, and too indifferent to their own responsibilities as a free people. How easy it is to turn our heads and tell ourselves that there are intelligent people in high authority looking after our interests and that they will never let our freedom be lost. This kind of thinking is a fallacy. America still belongs to the people, and it is up to is to tell our representatives in Washington that we want it kept that way.

We are too easily led to believe that we deserve a way of life that appears free and easy. But seemingly free handouts will eventually take away our freedom unless we decide to personally do something about it.

Americans are known for their ability to start with a little ingenuity and a lot of faith to build powerful financial empires. But in great and small there beats a heart of devotion to God and country. In battle, no one could display more bravery, more determination, or more loyalty than these defenders of America. In the face of seeming defeat, young Americans have stood together and fought courageously.

Now, people of all ages must stand together. We must make our views known to the government. We must continually develop within ourselves moral, physical, and spiritual strength; and we must pray to God – without that faith, all is lost.

___________________________________________

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 9

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – April 9

“Everything really is equal. The Creator doesn’t look at me any better than He looks at the trees. We’re all the same.”

–Janice Sundown Hattet, SENECA

Sometimes humans think we are the center of the Universe. Sometimes we think we are above or better than other people or things. The Great Spirit made a set of Laws and Principles by which all things should live. Everybody and everything lives by the same Laws. We are all made of atoms just like the trees. The life force in the middle of the atom is the life force of the Great Mystery. It is the same for everything. We are all equal in the eyes of the Creator.

Great Spirit, today, I will respect your handiwork.

April 9 – Daily Feast

April 9 – Daily Feast

A problem of recent times is that we do not have a set of values by which we can live. If we are to live well and be reasonably happy, we have to have an idea of who we are and where we are going. There must be rules to guide us. Tsu gv wa lo di I, to the Cherokee means a definite standard by which to live, even when the values of others change by the hour. Without it, we are rafts on a high tide with no direction and no control. If the standard is missing we go with whatever comes along. Even is rules are self-made and are late in coming, if they come at all, it is worth the effort. And if we hold to them with a passion, they will be worth whatever we had to do, whatever we have to give up, to follow.

~ When a child, my mother taught me….to kneel and pray to Usen for strength, health, wisdom, and protection. ~

GERONIMO

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

The Daily Motivator for April 9th – Your own positive purpose

Your own positive purpose

Imagine letting go of all frustration, anger, resentment and worry. Feel the freedom.

Imagine having no bitterness or envy, no anxiety and no fear. Imagine the immense positive power of not being held back by your negative feelings.

That is all possible, and it is possible right now. You have imagined it, and you can just as surely live it.

Sure, all sorts of disappointing, frustrating and disconcerting things happen on a daily basis. Yet there is no good reason to hold on to the negativity in your life.

Choose instead to let it go. Choose instead to be driven by the power of your own positive purpose.

This day is too precious and too full of opportunity to let it be contaminated by past negativity. Let it all go, and let yourself live the best life you can imagine, right now.

— Ralph Marston
Source:
The Daily Motivator

The Daily OM for April 9th – Promoting the Positive

Promoting the Positive
Negative Pull

by Madisyn Taylor

We always have the option to not participate in negativity or to find a way to create a positive direction instead.

Sometimes we start out with the best intentions to think and speak only positive thoughts, but the people around us throw us off course. Not everyone fully understands the power our thoughts and words have, or even if they do, they may be stuck in old patterns of negativity. Much of our habitual communication takes the form of complaining and criticizing, and it can be hard to find a way into certain conversations without lapsing into those old habits. However, we always have the option not to participate in negativity or to find a way to influence the situation in a positive direction. In the right company, you may even be able to directly acknowledge the fact that things have taken a negative turn, thus freeing yourself and others from the negative pull.

Not everyone will respond to your cues, and there’s no need to become overly attached to the idea of changing other people, because people have to choose for themselves how they will be in the world. Many people choose negativity because it is familiar to them and feels safe. It is important to give people the space to find their own way, but you can always set an example, subtly representing the power of being positive. At times you may interject an affirmative statement into the conversation, and at others you may simply change the subject. You may also simply withdraw your energy and presence, which also makes a subtle statement. If you feel comfortable enough with somebody that is always negative, perhaps you can have an honest conversation with them; after all, awareness is the first step to change.

A powerful way to free yourself from the negative pull is to enlist allies who are similarly minded. You and a friend, coworker, or family member may agree to work together to continually shift the energy in a situation in a positive direction. The power of two people working to promote the positive is exponentially greater than one person working on their own. As you and your allies work together to lift the energy around you, you will be amazed to see how quickly the positive pull begins to draw people into its orbit, freeing one mind after another from negativity into light.

 

Source:

The Daily OM

Moon Money Spell

Moon Money Spell

Done During the Full Moon
Fill your cauldron half full of water and drop a silver coin into it.
Position the cauldron so that the light from the moon shines into the water.
Gently sweep your hands just above the surface, symbolically gathering the Moon’s silver.
While doing this say:

“Lovely Lady of the Moon, bring to me your
wealth right soon. Fill my hands with silver and gold.
All you give, my purse can hold.”

Repeat this three times. When finished, pour the water upon the earth.

Deities of the Moon

Deities of the Moon

 

Aditi: Hindu mother goddess, mother of the sun and moon Gods, Mitra and Varuna.

Aine of Knockaine: Irish-Celtic Goddess of love and fertility, related to the moon.

Alcyone: Greek Goddess of the moon and tranquility.

Alphito: Greek Goddess of destiny and the moon.

Anu: Irish-Celtic Goddess of the moon and air. She is also the Mother Earth Goddess and Maiden aspect of Morrigu.

Aradia: Italian Goddess, protector of Witches. Symbolises the element of air and the moon.

Baal: Canaanite rain God who symbolises air, fertility, health and the moon.

Cerridwen: Welsh-Celtic moon and nature Goddess.

Chons: Egyptian God of the moon.

Coyolxuahqi: Aztec moon Goddess; symbolises the element of fire.

Diana: Queen of the Witches – love, luck, the moon and general magic are hers.

Don: Welsh-Celtic Queen of the Heavens and Goddess of air and sea, who ruled the land of the dead. Also known as Danu (Irish-Celtic) .

El: Canaanite God of fertility and the moon.

Epona: Gaulish Goddess of horses and birds, represents the moon, enchantment and charms. Also called Rhiannon (Welsh-Celtic) .

Freya: Norse Goddess of love, and fertility, symbolises war, the moon and poetry

Frigg: Norse Goddess of marriage and motherhood, symbolises foresight, wisdom and the moon. Also called Frigga.

Hathor: Egyptian Goddess of joy and love, who symbolises the element of Air and the moon.

Hecate: Goddess of the Witches and the Dark Moon. The Crone aspect of the triple Goddess.

Hera: Greek Goddess who can be invoked for love, the moon, element of Air,motherhood.

Jana: Italian Goddess of the moon.

Kuu: Finnish moon Goddess.

Luna: Roman moon Goddess, also known as Lunah.

Neith: Egyptian Goddess of war and weaving, symbolises the moon and courage.

Phoebe: Roman moon Goddess and teacher to sorcerers; also known as Selene(Greek).

Rhiannon: Welsh-Celtic Goddess of horses and birds, represents the moon, enchantment and charms. Also called Epona (Gaul).

Selene: Greek moon Goddess and teacher to sorcerers; also known as Phoebe(Roman).

Tlazolteotl: Aztec Goddess of the crescent moon.

Varuna: Hindu moon God.

Offerings to the Gods: What’s an Acceptable Gift?

Offerings to the Gods

What’s an Acceptable Gift?

By

In many Pagan and Wiccan traditions, it’s not uncommon to make some sort of offering or sacrifice to the gods. Bear in mind that despite the reciprocal nature of our relationship with the divine, it’s not a matter of “I’m offering you this stuff so you’ll grant my wish.” It’s more along the lines of “I honor you and respect you, so I’m giving you this stuff to show you how much I appreciate your intervention on my behalf.”

So the question arises, then, of what to offer them? Different types of deities seem to respond best to different kinds of offerings. For example, you wouldn’t offer flowers to a war god, would you? When making an offering, it’s important to think about what the god represents. The Roman Cato described an offering for agricultural prosperity: Make offerings to keep your oxen in good health. Make the following sacrifices to Mars… three pounds of wheat, four-and-a-half of lard, four-and-a-half of meat and three pints of wine. While it’s probably not necessary to go that far and offer up enough food to feed a small army to your god, the passage does illustrate the fact that our ancestors thought enough of their gods to take their offerings very seriously.

In general, bread, milk and wine are nearly always appropriate for any deity. Here are some ideas for specific offerings you can make to deities, based upon the types of gods they are:

Hearth and Home Gods:

  • Food: Bread and grains, cooking oil, salt
  • Drink: Milk, wine, cider
  • Herbs: Rosemary, thyme

Gods of Love and Passion:

  • Food: Eggs, honey, apples
  • Drink: Wine, fruit juice
  • Herbs: Lavender, sandalwood

Garden/Nature Deities:

  • Food: Bread, cornmeal, fruit
  • Drink: Milk, water
  • Herbs: Bay

Gods of Prosperity and Abundance:

  • Food: Grains, dairy products like cheese or eggs
  • Drink: Milk, beer
  • Herbs: Mint, pennyroyal, catnip

Ancestor Spirits:

  • Food: Any meal from your family’s table
  • Drink: Drinks from the family table
  • Herbs: Sage, sweetgrass

Childbirth or Fertility Godesss:

  • Food: Eggs, baked sweets like cookies
  • Drink: Milk (including breast milk)
  • Herbs: Rose, sandalwood, apple blossoms

 

Source:
About.com

Appropriate Worship – Honoring the Gods the Right Way

Appropriate Worship – Honoring the Gods the Right Way

By

One issue that comes up often for people learning about modern Pagan spirituality is the concept of appropriate worship. There tends to be some question about what, exactly, is the right offering to make to the gods or goddesses of one’s tradition — and how we should honor them when making those offerings.

Let’s imagine that you have two friends. First, we have Jill. She likes French cuisine, Meg Ryan movies, soft music and expensive wine. She’s someone who lets you cry on her shoulder when you’re feeling blue, and she offers some wise and thoughtful insight when you can’t solve a problem on your own. One of her best qualities is her ability to listen.

You also have a friend named Steve. He’s a lot of fun, and sometimes shows up at your house at midnight toting a six-pack. Steve likes watching movies with lots of explosions, took you to your first Metallica concert, and can rebuild a Harley with his eyes closed. He eats mostly bratwurst and Funyuns, enjoys picking up strippers at bars, and is the guy you call when you want to have a good time.

When Jill comes over, are you going to have a nice quiet dinner with a glass of wine and Josh Groban playing in the background, or are you going to hand her a cheeseburger and a beer, pull out the Wii for a round of God of War, and stay up until 3 am seeing who can burp and fart the loudest?

Likewise, if Steve shows up, are you going to do things that he enjoys, or are you going to say, “Hey, Steve, let’s watch Steel Magnolias and talk about our feelings?

Much like our friends Jill and Steve, the gods have certain things they like and value, and certain things they don’t. To offer one of them something better suited to another is not only disrespectful, it shows that you really don’t know them at all and worse yet, haven’t even taken the time to learn about them. What do you think Steve is going to say when you offer him a vegetarian soup and turn on some chick flick? He’s going to bail, that’s what he’s going to do. Because not only did you present him with something he dislikes, but you’re showing a fundamental lack of knowledge of someone you claim is your friend.

Sure, you love Jill and Steve equally, but they’re not the same person, and they don’t have the same likes and dislikes. The gods are the same way — you may honor both Aphrodite and Mars, but that doesn’t mean Mars wants to you to leave him a bouquet of flowers and a glass of milk while you sing him Kumbaya. You can also be sure that Aphrodite probably isn’t interested in offerings of blood and raw meat, or warrior chants.

The idea of right or appropriate worship is not about someone telling you what’s “right or wrong.” It is simply the concept that one should take the time to do things – including worship and offerings – in a way that is conducive to the demands and needs of the god or goddess in question.

When you honor the gods, take the time to put some thought into it. Ask yourself what it is you hope to obtain by making the offering — are you trying to gain something, or merely show your appreciation and gratitude to the Divine? Learn about the types of deities you’re about to honor, and study the specific gods and goddesses of your tradition, so that when you do make an offering or present a ritual in their name, you can do so in a way that truly does them honor.

 

Source:

About.com

 

Working With the Gods and Goddesses

Working With the Gods and Goddesses

By

There are literally thousands of different deities out there in the Universe, and which ones you choose to honor will often depend significantly upon what pantheon your spiritual path follows. However, many modern Pagans and Wiccans describe themselves as eclectic, which means they may honor a god of one tradition beside a goddess of another. In some cases, we may choose to ask a deity for assistance in a magical working or in problem solving. Regardless, at some point, you’re going to have to sit and sort them all out. If you don’t have a specific, written tradition, then how do you know which gods to call upon?

A good way to look at it is to figure out which deity of your pantheon would be interested in your purpose. In other words, what gods might take the time to look into your situation? This is where the concept of appropriate worship comes in handy — if you can’t take the time to get to know the deities of your path, then you probably shouldn’t be asking them for favors. So first, figure out your goal. Are you doing a working regarding home and domesticity? Then don’t call upon some masculine power deity. What if you’re celebrating the end of the harvest season, and the dying of the earth? Then you shouldn’t be offering milk and flowers to a spring goddess.

Consider your purpose carefully, before you make offerings or prayers to a particular god or goddess.

Although this is certainly not a comprehensive list of all the gods and their domains, it may help you a bit to get an idea of who is out there, and what sorts of things they may be able to help you with:

Artisanship

For assistance relating to skills, crafts, or handiwork, call upon the Celtic smith god, Lugh. Many other pantheons have forge and craftsmanship gods as well.

Chaos

When it comes to matters of discord and upsetting the balance of things, some people choose to to check in with Loki the Norse prankster god. However, it’s generally recommended that you don’t do this unless you’re a devotee of Loki in the first place – you may end up getting more than you bargained for.

Destruction

If you’re doing a working related to destruction, the Celtic war goddess the Morrighan may assist you, but don’t trifle with her lightly. A safer bet might be working with Demeter, the Dark Mother of the harvest season.

Fall Harvest

When you celebrate the fall harvest, you may want to take time to honor Herne, the god of the wild hunt, or Osiris, who is often connected with grain and the harvest. Demeter and her daughter, Persephone, are typically connected with the waning part of the year. Pomona is associated with fruit orchards and the bounty of trees in fall. There are also a number of other harvest gods and gods of the vine who may be interested in what you’re doing.

Feminine Energy

For workings related to the moon, lunar energy, or the sacred feminine, consider invoking Artemis or Venus.

Fertility

When it comes to fertility, there are plenty of deities out there to ask for assistance. Consider Cernunnos, the wild stag of the forest, or Freya, a goddess of sexual power and energy. If you follow a Roman-based path, try honoring Bona Dea. There are a number of other fertility gods out there as well, each with their own specific domain.

Home and Marriage

Brighid is a protector of hearth and home, and Juno and Vesta are both patronesses of marriage.

Love and Lust

Aphrodite has long been associated with love and beauty, and so has her counterpart, Venus. Likewise, Eros and Cupid are considered representative of masculine lust. Priapus is a god of raw sexuality, including sexual violence.

Magic

Isis, the mother goddess of Egypt, is often called upon for magical workings, as is Hecate, a goddess of sorcery.

Masculine Energy

Cernunnos is a strong symbol of masculine energy and power, as is Herne, the god of the hunt. Odin and Thor, both Norse gods, are known as powerful, masculine gods.

Motherhood

Isis is a mother goddess on a grand scale, and Juno watches over women in labor.

Prophecy and Divination

Brighid is known as a goddess of prophecy, and so is Cerridwen, with her cauldron of knowledge. Janus, the two-faced god, sees both the past and future.

Underworld

Because of his harvest associations, Osiris is often connected with the underworld. There are a number of other deities of death and dying.

War and Conflict

The Morrighan is not only a goddess of war, but also of sovereignty and loyalty. Athena protects warriors and imparts them with wisdom. Freya and Thor guide fighters in battle.

Wisdom

Thoth was the Egyptian god of wisdom, and Athena and Odin may also be called upon, depending on your purpose.

Seasonal

There are a number of deities associated with the various times of the Wheel of the Year, including the Winter Solstice, Late winter, the Spring Equinox, and the Summer solstice.

 

Source:
About.com

 

Do Wiccans and Pagans Believe in God?

Do Wiccans and Pagans Believe in God?

By

Question: Do Wiccans and Pagans Believe in God?

I’m interested in Wicca, but my mom says Wiccans and Pagans don’t believe in God. I feel weird not believing in a universal force of some sort. What’s the deal here?

Answer: The deal is that most Wiccans and Pagans see “god” as more of a job title than a proper name. They don’t worship the Christian god, but that doesn’t mean they don’t accept the existence of deity. Various Wiccan and Pagan traditions honor different gods. Some see all deities as one, and may refer to The God or The Goddess. Others may worship specific gods or goddesses – Cernunnos, Brighid, Isis, Apollo, etc. – from their own tradition. Because there are so many different forms of Pagan belief, there are nearly as many gods and goddesses to believe in.

Many Pagans, including but not limited to Wiccans, are willing to accept the presence of the Divine in all things. Because Wicca and Paganism place a good deal of emphasis on the idea that experiencing the divine is something for everyone, not just select members of the clergy, it’s possible for a Wiccan or Pagan to find something sacred within the mundane. For example, the whisper of wind through the trees or the roar of the ocean can both be considered divine. Not only that, many Pagans feel that the divine lives within each of us. It’s rare to find a Pagan or Wiccan who sees the gods as judgmental or punishing. Instead, most view the gods as beings that are meant to be walked beside, hand in hand, and honored.

Another aspect of this that’s important to keep in mind is that not everyone who is a Pagan happens to be Wiccan. There are many other paths of Paganism, many of which are polytheistic. Some Pagan paths are based on a concept that all gods are one. There are also some Pagans who follow an earth- or nature-based belief system outside of the concept of deity completely.

 

Source:

About.com