Category: All Regular Daily Posts

July 16 – Daily Feast

July 16 – Daily Feast

If time were a dollar – how careful we would be with how we spent it. We wouldn’t spend it on worry, for we know fretting is not profitable. Anything limited makes us conscious of what we do with it, whether it is time or money or the people in our lives. How we value what we have decides what we keep. The Cherokee doesn’t want many things, but they know the wise are, I yv da, careful or mindful of what is important. Such caution teaches us to think before we talk, to slow our pace and find peace of mind. It eventually gives us more resources, and more time to enjoy them.

~ If we could have spared more, we would have given more…. ~

CANASSATEGO

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

Daily Motivator for July 16th – Get Better and Better

Get better and better

Every moment is a choice, and every day is a consequence of all the choices  you have made. To achieve different consequences, make different choices.

Each experience is a learning experience. Continue to learn what works and  what doesn’t, what fulfills you and what doesn’t, and use that knowledge to  great benefit.

Find valuable insight in what has been, and make use of that insight right  now when choosing what to do. That’s a surefire way to improve what will be.

As life goes on, you have every opportunity to get better and better at it.  With each joy, each disappointment, each success and each setback, your choices  can become more powerful and effective.

Life generously teaches, so learn. Life demonstrates, inspires, and gives  priceless feedback, so pay close attention and eagerly apply its ongoing  lessons.

You’re truly blessed with the opportunity to continue getting better. Take  that opportunity, now and always, and delight in continuing to discover all the  good you can do.

— Ralph Marston

Daily Motivator

Daily OM for July 16th – Recognizing Our Own Greatness

Recognizing Our Own Greatness

The Greatness in Others

by Madisyn Taylor

We are all moved by greatness when we see it we know the feeling of it and have it within ourselves.

A person who is said to possess greatness stands apart from others in some way, usually by the size or originality of their vision and their ability to manifest that vision. And yet those who recognize that greatness, whether they display it themselves or not, also have greatness within them; otherwise, they could not see it in another. In many ways, the achievements of one person always belong to many people for we accomplish nothing alone in this world. People who display greatness rely upon others who are able to see as they do, to listen, encourage, and support. Without those people who recognize greatness and move in to support it, even the greatest ideas, works of art, and political movements would remain unborn.

We are all moved by greatness when we see it, and although the experience is to some degree subjective, we know the feeling of it. When we encounter it, it is as if something in us stirs, awakens, and comes forth to meet what was inside us all along. When we respond to someone else’s greatness, we feed our own. We may feel called to dedicate ourselves to their vision, or we may be inspired to follow a path we forge ourselves. Either way, we cannot lose when we recognize that the greatness we see in others belongs also to us. Our recognition of this is a call to action that, if heeded, will inspire others to see in us the greatness they also possess. This creates a chain reaction of greatness unfolding itself endlessly into the future.

Ultimately, greatness is simply the best of what humanity has to offer. Greatness does what has not been done before and inspires the same courage that it requires. When we see it in others, we know it, and when we trust its presence in ourselves, we embody it.

Finding The Right Crystal

FINDING THE RIGHT CRYSTAL

Special care should be taken when selecting a personal crystal. Try and obtain a
single point with an intact point and all six facets visible on its surface. If
the point is chipped, the energy emitted will not be as focused. It should also
be small enough to hold in one hand. The suggested sizes can range from less
than two inches to five inches in height and diameter. If you are right-hand
dominant, the quartz’s vibrations can be tested by holding the crystal point up
toward the head in your left hand.

The Point is placed up rather than down in order to direct the energies into
your brain. The left hand is preferred as it is connected to the opposite side
of the brain. This is the right hemisphere, the intuitive portion of our mind.
For those people who are left-handed dominant, the holding process should be
reversed.

After holding the stone for a few minutes some people may experience energy
vibrations in the form of body temperature changes, colors flashing through the
mind, or a feeling of peaceful compatibility. If any uncomfortable sensations
are experienced, choose another crystal and repeat the same process. It is
important that you synchronize with its energies.

Often a stone will choose us by projecting strong vibration. It is not uncommon
to walk away from such a crystal only to discover a compulsion to return and
purchase it.

The most aesthetically pleasing is not necessarily the correct crystal.

The Care and Feeding of Crystals

THE CARE AND FEEDING OF CRYSTALS
by Matrika

Crystals have been in the lime-light ever since celebrities such as Shirley
Mcleane and Cher have come out of the closet and admitted they were  “New-
Agers”.  However, along with this public scrutiny, has also been a whole bunch
of misconceptions. The most common of which is that a person just wears a
crystal like jewelry or carries it and it works like some kind of instant stage-
magic or prestidigitation. This, of course, is not the case. To get the full
effect of “Crystal Power” in your life means, as with so much else, that you
must put into it what you take out of it. So here are a few simple guidelines
for those of you who plan on taking this subject seriously.
1.  Selecting your Crystal

To select a Crystal is not all that much different from selecting a pet or a
work of art. When you go into the store to purchase your crystal – or any other
stone used in healing or Psychic work – just pick the one that “calls” to you.
Handle the various stones and place them, one by one, in your receptive hand,
(the one that is not your dominant hand; if you are right-handed or ambi-
dextrous, your receptive hand is your left. If you are completely left-handed
your receptive hand is your right.)  The stone that is right FOR YOU will “pull”
you to it. This may not be the stone that looks the clearest or the most
impressive, either.  Our societies materialistic values and our conditioning to
accept them must not enter into our decision, which is very hard for most of us
at first.  Our first tendency is to judge the stone -as we always judge
ourselves and everything else in a constant stream of thoughts- by what we have
been conditioned to believe is “good” or “bad”.

If the piece you are choosing is for a specific purpose; i.e. for healing, or to
enhance your psychic abilities, or for meditation; it will help if you keep that
purpose in mind while you are selecting the stone.  An interesting phenomena
often happens to people who are just going into the gem and mineral healing or
psychic work.  Most people start off with clear quartz, because it has the most
applications. They go into a store or a gem show to purchase a clear quartz and
find themselves drawn to all kinds of other “rocks” (as the collectors call
them) too.  Many times they bring a bag of various mineral specimens home with
them.  Later they look up the stones in one of the many reference books on this
subject, only to find the stones they were drawn to are exactly the ones they
need to deal with issues or illnesses that they need to work on.

The very first thing you need to do when you first get a crystal is to “clear
it” from the imbalanced energies of anyone else who has touched it. Crystals
“work” because of their piezoelectrical field. Researchers in Kirlian
photography and other subjects have long shown us that the body is surrounded by a field of electro-magnetic energies, which psychics call the AURA.  People who have studied this subject tell us that Crystals help us by attuning their
piezoelectrical charge to the charge of our auras. So we must first remove the
charges from the stone that come from other’s handling of it.  This is done by
leaving the stone in sea-salt (available at almost any health-food store) for 3
days. The only time you will have to use this technique – which is drastic – to
cleanse the stone is when you first buy it.The reason I say the technique is
drastic is because it erases ALL of your energy from the stone too, so  the
stone has  to be rebonded. (explained later) This piezoelectrical effect of the
stone is the same reason that quartz is useful in making computers, telephones,
watches, and in other electronic devices.

2.  The regular maintenance of your stone

The regular care and maintenance of your stone is really quite simple. First of
all a gentler method of clearing the piece should be used at least once a week
and after any uses in either physical or inner  (mental/emotional/spiritual)
healing work. This can be done in several ways.  First of all, you can run it
under COOL – no extremes of temperature PLEASE – water in your sink for several
minutes, while visualizing (intensely imagining in vivid detail, from a
meditative or extremely relaxed state) all imbalanced energies leaving it.  You
can also leave it in mugwort  (an herb) for 2-3 days buried it in carefully. You
can also place it in a flowerpot with an African violet plant, but you should
know that if it has been used to heal any severe conditions, the plant will die.
The stones should also be re-charged about once a month or after every use.  For
other stones, direct sunlight is not such a good idea as it can fade the colors.
You can get the reflected energy of the sun by placing them in the moonlight
during the waxing of the moon. (from one day after the new moon through the
night of the full moon)  They can also be charged by surrounding them in a
circle of quartz points that have been charged by the sun, with the points of
the crystals facing inward toward the stones being charged.  Another method is
to purchase an amethyst or quartz cluster and place the stones on it. A cluster
is a specimen with several individual crystals on it.  Oh, and if you charge the
stone by a circle of crystals, be sure they have been cleared and charged
themselves before using them to charge anything else. The circle should consist
of at least 4 points, but 8 is best. These stones used for charging do NOT have
to be large at all.

3.  Using your stones

Stones are tools in our psychic work and, as in any other object used, work by
focusing the mind’s powers. To get the best use out of them, more than just
wearing them or carrying them is required. They should be used from a state of
meditation, while visualizing the goals we wish to accomplish with them  – such
as healing, increased Psychic perception, etc. A good way to do this for to help
you focus and a self-hypnosis tape that relates to your goals and use it.  And
if you are using the crystals in healing, be aware that they are NOT meant to
replace the care of a competent health professional – but many people find them
a useful adjunct to it.

A Little Humor for Your Day – 'Naming The Twins'

A man was taking his wife, who was pregnant with twins, to the hospital when his car went out of control and crashed.

Regaining consciousness, he saw his brother, a relentless practical joker, sitting at his bed side.

He asked his brother how his wife was doing and his brother said, “Don’t worry, everybody is fine and you have a son and a daughter.

But the hospital was in a real hurry to
get the birth certificates filed and since both you and your wife were unconscious, I named them for you.”

The husband was thinking to himself, “Oh no, what has he done now?” and asked with some trepidation, “Well, bro, what did you name them?”

Whereupon, his brother replied, “I named the little girl Denise.”

The husband, relieved, said, “That’s a lovely name! And what did you come up with for my son?”

The brother winked and replied, “Denephew.”

Test Your Kissing Knowledge!

Test Your Kissing Knowledge!

Test your kissing knowledge, and start smooching your loved one!

 

The Questions:

1. True or False?  Kissing can cause cavities.

2. True or False?  You burn 5 calories in a one-minute kiss.

3. True or False?  The average woman will kiss 25 guys before she’s married.

4. The average person will spend, overall, approximately ____ kissing in  their lifetime:

A)   2 days

B)   2 weeks

C)   2 months

5. 50% of all people have their first kiss before the age of…

A)    14

B)    16

C)     18

6. True or False? Only 60% of people in the world engage in kisses on the  lips.

7. True or False?  The record for kissing the most people in the  shortest time is held by Alfred Wolfram, who kissed 800 people in 8  hours.

8. What was the first film to show a couple kissing?

A)   Casablanca (1942)

B)   Romeo and Juliette (1968)

C)   The Kiss (1896)

9. True or False?  In all countries, anyone over the age of 14 can kiss,  with consent.

10. According to legend, any person who kisses the Blarney Stone in Ireland  will be endowed with the gift of:

A)   great kissing

B)   soft lips

C)   gab

 

The Answers:

1. True or False?  Kissing  can cause cavities.

True. If you kiss someone who may have bad bacteria in  his/her mouth, their saliva could pass the bacteria on to you, thereby causing  cavities. On the other hand, according to Dr. Liechtung, others believe that  kissing may actually prevent cavities since saliva is the body’s natural way of  cleaning the mouth.

2. True or False?  You burn 5 calories in a one-minute kiss.

False. The average one-minute kiss burns 26  calories.  Kiss those calories goodbye!

3. True or False?  The average woman will kiss 25 guys before she’s married.

Answer:

False. Start your engines!  The average woman will  kiss 79 guys before she’s married.

4. The average person will spend approximately this much time kissing in  their lifetime:

A)   2 days

B)   2 weeks

C)   2 months

Answer:

B) The average person will spend an estimated two entire  weeks of their life kissing.   That’s 20,160  minutes kissing in a lifetime.

5.   50% of all people have their first  kiss before the age of…

A)    14

B)    16

C)     18

Answer:

A) 14

6.  True or False? Only 60% of people in the world engage in kisses  on the lips.

False. Ninety percent of people  in the world engage in kisses on the lips. People in other cultures, such as  Eskimos, rub noses.

7. True or False?  The record for kissing is held by Alfred  Wolfram, who kissed 800 people in 8 hours.

False. In September 1990 Alfred Wolfram kissed  8,001 people in 8 hours – over 16 people a minute – at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.

8. What was the first film to show a couple kissing?

A)   Casablanca (1942)

B)   Romeo and Juliette (1968)

C)   The Kiss (1896)

Answer:

C) John C. Rice kissed May Irwin in 1896 and became the  first couple to be recorded kissing in the film The  Kiss.

9. True or False?  In all countries, anyone over the age of 14 can kiss,  with consent.

Answer:

False. In December 2007, South  Africa Banned Kissing involving anyone under the age of 16, regardless of  consent.

10. Any person who kisses the Blarney Stone will be endowed with the gift  of:

A)   great kissing

B)   soft lips

C)   gab (great  speaking skills and flattery)

Answer:

C) According to legend, any person who kisses the Blarney  Stone in the Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland, will be endowed with the gift of  gab.

———————

To keep your mouth kissable, Dr. Liechtung suggests daily brushing and an  annual visit to your dentist for a check-up.

Daily Feng Shui News for July 16th – 'The Ruby'

It’s long been believed that those born in July who wear their ruby birthstone close to their skin will never suffer from lover’s doubts or any other romantic anxieties. This could be because so many cultures and traditions associate the color red with passion, sensual sexuality and true, everlasting love. So, if someone you know is celebrating a birthday this month, give them the gift that literally keeps on giving — a little red stone with a lot of loving and fire energy attached. Not only is this gift hot, but now they will be too.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Your Animal Spirit for July 16th is The Fox

Your Animal Spirit for Today
    July 16, 2013 

Fox

Fox medicine represents the ability to blend in. She can change colors to blend with the seasons—becoming almost invisible against a backdrop of snow or foliage. Fox also has an amazing sense of smell that enables her to sniff out dangerous situations. Be like a Fox—street smart and safety savvy—don’t call attention to yourself as today is a day of watch and wait.

The Effects the Full Moon Has On Us

Just A Thought On Remembering Our Ancestors

 

I feel it is important to remember Lady Abyss during a Samhain celebrations, so I bring you an article she wrote in 2013.

I wasn’t going to torture you today with any of my comments. But I have been surfing the web for cartoons (it is actually hard to find good cartoons). I am beginning to think I should never leave the site. I ran across a few images that made my eyes water and then I was taken back centuries ago.

The images were of witches or accused witches tied to a stake and burning. Another was of a woman on a plank being dunked into the water. If you know me well, you know I can talk an hour or two on our ancestors. But what happened today moved my soul. Perhaps in all the hustle and bustle, I had forgotten for a moment what this season is all about. It is the Witches’ New Year but it is also a time to remember our ancestors.

For me, remembering my ancestors is both joyous and heartbreaking. I am into genealogy and was able (thanks to a dear friend) to trace my roots back to Ireland. Knowing where you came from can be a good thing or if your a witch, not so good. I know you are scratching your heads over that one, right? What I mean is, I know how witches were treated in Ireland. Persecuted. Then they sailed to the New World to escape the torment and the persecution. But unfortunately, they didn’t. They were found out and the same thing they were trying to escape confronted them again. No peace whatsoever. What kind of life did they have?

Most of my ancestors were healers. I have ran across a few that were hanged as witches. That makes my blood curdle. Their blood flows through my veins today. I know that for sure. There are times I have flash backs to my ancestors’ time. To see and experience one of your kin being hanged is one of the worse things in your life. You can see it plainly but you are powerless to do anything about it. When the flashback is over, I cry and cry. Why were people so ignorant and judgmental back then? Why couldn’t they just let the witches live in peace?

Perhaps if history didn’t happen the way it did, we wouldn’t have what we do now. Perhaps it was a test of some kind for our ancestors. I know they had to have unbelievable faith, courage and enormous amount of love for our Religion and our Goddess.

One of the reasons I can talk about our ancestors for hours is because I admire them so much. I know what they sacrificed for us. When accused of being a witch, they could have simply turned their backs and denied it. But they didn’t. I know they didn’t want to die anymore than the next person. But sadly enough they did. Some were killed and others went underground to protect our Religion. To ensure it would be passed on from one generation to the next. Everyone of them took risks so we could have what we do today.

This time of the year is very special to all of us. Don’t get caught up in all the festivities and forget what it is really about, remembering our ancestors. We owe them so much. And we never can repay the debt we owe them. But we can remember them. I believe remembering and honoring is the greatest way we can say “Thank You” to them for all they have given us.

Without our ancestors and their sacrifices, we wouldn’t have our Religion. This Samhain, hold the memories of your ancestors dear to your heart. Remember them and give them the honors they deserve. They have given us so much.

In the honor and remembrance of all
our ancestors.
Thank the Goddess for them.
 

The Wiccan Way

celt71

The Wiccan Way

By Paul Seymour

Recognizing that there is more than one path to spiritual enlightenment and that Wicca is but one of many, and that Wicca holds within itself the belief that there is more than one type of step set to the spiral dance, find here listed common denominators of the Craft.

That there is above all the Goddess in her three-fold aspect and many are her names. With all her names we call her Maiden, Mother and Crone.

That there is the God, consort and son, giver of strength and most willing of sacrifice.

That and it harm none, do what ye will shall be the law.

That each of her children are bound by the three-fold law and that whatever we create, be it joy or sorrow, laughter or pain, is brought back to us three-fold.

That as she is the mother of all living things and we are all her children, we seek to live in harmony not only with each other, but with the planet earth that is our womb and home.

That life upon the earth is not a burden to be born, but a joy to be learned and shared with others.

That death is not an ending of existence, but a step in the on-going process of life.

That there is no sacrifice of blood, for She is the mother of all living things, and from her all things proceed and unto her all things must return.

That each and everyone of the children who follow this path has no need of another between themselves and the Goddess, but may find Her within themselves.

That there shall not by intent be a desecration of another’s symbols of beliefs, for we are all seeking harmony within the One.

That each person’s faith is private unto themselves and that another’s belief is not to be set out and made public.

That the Wiccan way is not to seek converts, but that the way be made open to those who for reasons of their own seek and find the Craft.

And as it is willed, so mote it be.

A Little Humor for Your Day – Overnight Karma

Overnight Karma   

Mildred, the self-appointed arbiter of the community’s morals, kept sticking her nose into other people’s business. Several members were unappreciative of her activities, but they feared her enough to maintain their silence. She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his pickup truck parked in front of the town’s only bar one afternoon. She commented to George and others that everyone seeing it there would know what he was doing.

George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just walked away. He didn’t explain, defend, or deny, he said nothing. Later that evening, George quietly parked his pickup in front of Mildred’s house… and left it there all night.

 

Turok’s Cabana

 

 

Daily Feng Shui for February 20th – ‘Love Your Pet Day!’

This ‘Love Your Pet Day’ is made for man’s best friends, and the best way to do that is to share some Pet Shui! One sure way to make your furry friends happy is to make sure that they’re always clean and smelling good. An easy way to affect that rewarding result is to place their bed (or cage, whatever the case may be) outside where fresh air and sunshine will infuse it with healthy and happy Chi. This will not only lift the spirits of your pet but will raise the entire vibe of the whole house as well!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for February 20th is 8: Holding Together

8: Holding Together

Wednesday, Feb 20th, 2013

hexagram09

 

 

 

 

 

Holding together brings success. But high-level teamwork is achieved only when the right players on the right team share a clear goal at the right time. A team forms its relationships in a delicate manner; chemistry is brewed in the vat of shared experiences. Latecomers cannot share the same depth of union as earlier members. Whole-hearted commitment is required for team success.

All successful teams have a shared vision and a leader. If a team’s leadership is up to the challenge, the team will prosper. In personal and business affairs, just as in basketball, it is hard to win without a strong center.

Accept the structure of the team or partnership if you wish to receive its benefits — otherwise go off on your own. In holding together with others, cling to your own principles, but be willing to subordinate your personal desires for the good of the group. Perhaps you are contemplating becoming a leader of some group; remember that to become the center of influence binding people together is not only a considerable challenge but a serious responsibility. Assess yourself carefully first to see if you are up to the task. If not, it would be better not to commit rather than to go forward without proper preparation.

Refresh the Whole House With Lemon

Clean the drains. For this task, you’ll need lemons. To determine how many, just count the drains in your home—be sure to include the toilets and the dishwasher—and divide by two. Cut each lemon in half, squeeze the juice of one portion down each drain and flush well with hot water. This will take care of any nasties living in your pipes.

Your Animal Spirit for February 20th is The Wolf

Your Animal Spirit for Today
    February 20, 2013

wolf

Wolf

Wolf can survive either as a loner or as part of a pack, and he howls to remind you that you have to balance the needs of others with the needs of the self. If you’re giving yourself away to your own detriment, you are living in opposition to Wolf medicine. Return to balance—and begin feeding your emotions, your mind, and your body.