Tag: God

Daily Motivator for August 18 – Put your mind at peace

Put your mind at peace

Put your mind at peace, and put yourself in a powerful state. Let go of the  worries and anxieties, and let in the most meaningful and positive  possibilities.

You already have enough challenges to deal with. Don’t let your own thoughts  drag you down.

Instead, quiet those thoughts and feel the beauty of your own being. Rather  than getting carried along by one distraction after another, experience the  unique power and potential of the moment.

At the center of who you are, there is peace, and it is real. Connect  yourself often with that peace, and let its positive power fill every corner of  your life.

Put your mind at peace, and free yourself to think and to act according to  your highest, most authentic values. See the best possibilities, and see how you  can lovingly bring them to life.

Live from a perspective of peace, and live at a higher, more heartfelt level.  Put your mind at peace, and be your most sincere and positive self.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Lighten Up – Out of the Mouths of Babes

Out of the Mouths of Babes

 

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?

( 2 ) No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you’re stuck with. — Kirsten, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?

( 1 ) Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. — Camille, age 10

( 2 ) No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married. — Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?

( 1 ) You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. — Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?

( 1 ) Both don’t want any more kids. — Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?

( 1 ) Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. — Lynnette, age 8 (isn’t she a treasure)

( 2 ) On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date. — Martin, age 10

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

( 1 ) When they’re rich. — Pam, age 7

( 2 ) The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn’t want to mess with that. — Curt, age 7

( 3 ) The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It’s the right thing to do. — Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?

( 1 ) It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. — Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN’T GET MARRIED?

( 1 ) There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn’t there? — Kelvin, age 8

And the ..1 Favorite is…..

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?

( 1 ) Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. — Ricky, age 10

 

THE FULL MOONS OF THE WITCHES

THE FULL MOONS OF THE WITCHES

November: The Wheel of the Year begins anew once more.

December The Holly-King dies, and the Oak-King is born.

January: Bid the past farewell, and receive the year that Web of Days has just
been born.

February: Welcome Spring! Now is the time for banishing Winter.

March: Feel the shift of balance from darkness to light growing stronger.

April: The time of fertility and growth is upon us.

May: The time of the Sacred Marriage of the God and Goddess.

June: Here comes the Sun! The Holly-King replaces the Oak-King.

 July: The first harvests begin ; time to give thanks and celebrate.

August: John Barleycorn must die. The harvest begins in earnest.

September: The cycle of growth draws nears its end.

October: The Horned One steps forward bringing darkness, and the end of the year.

November: Snow Moon; the snowy brightness and coolness of Her light is upon us.

December: Cold Moon ; the Sun is at its lowest point, and Lunar Nights the Moon is a little colder.

January: Wolf Moon ; gather close to the hearth, for wolves draw closer now.
February: Ice Moon ; beneath a blanket of snow and ice, Nature rests.
March: Storm Moon ; the boisterous storms of the light half of the year begin.
April: Growing Moon ; seeds are ready to be planted, and growth begins.
May: Hare Moon ; rabbits leap and play in their mating games, and fertility
abounds.
June: Mead Moon ; as in days of old, honey is gathered for fermentation into
mead.
July: Hay Moon ; a potent moon, as tides of psychic energy flow freely.
August: Corn Moon ; a time to contemplate the eternalness of life.
September: Harvest Moon ; time to collect the harvest and seed for new
beginnings.
October: Blood Moon ; spirits of the departed join the sacred dance.

Wishing You A Very Blessed & Happy Thursday, dear ones!

Well here I go again, apologizing for running late. But this time I believe I have good news and you will like why I running late, lol! We are currently in the process of opening up our own store. Yes, you hear right, the WOTC is going to have its’ own online store. After several weeks of going through agreements and terms with providers, we have found a fabulous one. We are going to be able to give all of our FOLLOWERS super discounted prices!  Then, of course, to the general public, we will have coupons and other promotions for them. That once again, our FOLLOWERS can use with their already low prices! We are all super excited about this. Opening our own store has been a dream for a while and now it is coming true. Thank the Goddess!

The only bad thing about the deal is, I am the only graphic designer in the bunch. So I get to sit at the computers, get the eyestrain, backaches, and all those other nasty little things that happen to you when you are at the computer to long. But I don’t mind it a bit. You know why? Because I love all of you! This is going to be some incredible that we can offer you. So I don’t mind a bit, if I look like the hunchback of Notre Dame time this is over with, lol! (I hope not though :s)

We will be offering about anything you could want. Athames, staffs, cauldrons, herbs, hard to find herbs, Books of Shadows and much more. You are just going to have to check it out when we open it. And, of course, there will be a huge announcement when we do. So for the next week or two, please have some patience with me. Please!!! We are in the process of making one of our dreams come true and you are going to benefit from it. Remember though, to get the discounts and then use the coupons and promotions on top of you discount, you have to be a current FOLLOWER of the WOTC. So take a moment to press the follow button.

Anyway, I am going to run for now. I just wanted to apologize and share the good news with you. I hope you have a very blessed Thursday, my friends!

Lady A

More Thursday Comments

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for August 15

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Have you considered the effect your presence may have on people around you? Do they need you? The answer is yes. We are somewhat selfish with our presence at times. We want to withdraw and think our own thoughts and read quietly rather than entertaining someone or just listening to them. But we never really know how much they need us, not to perform good deeds for their good, but only to be company to share a happening of the day.

Perhaps within their minds we can quiet some restlessness, assure them that they are needed or give them a feeling of tranquility. To many lie is no simple matter, and to hear them out may be the remedy.

It has been said by a very wise man that if you never make a mistake you’re not doing anything.

It is a relief to know that every day, without fail, we come in contact with people who put such confidence in us that we strive ever harder to never fail. Such people build human beings – and there is no job more worthy, or more creative.

Building character and confidence in fellow human beings is a delicate task….for no two people respond in the same way. Challenges may be the way to boost up some individuals, while others may need encouragement and praise to guide them on their way. But, oh, how human we all are having the need for accomplishment….for attention….for approval.

And how great the responsibility for leaders who must have the wisdom to inspire….the integrity to trust….the heart to understand. The race is hard for leader and follower, for each must understand the other – and there must be compassion for the slow, courage for the weak, and appreciation for the loyal. To follow one must be secure; to lead one must be very wise.

It should be the practice of all of us that when we hear something complimentary about someone to tell them. It is so true that man does not love by bread alone, and to be recognized in having done something that rated approval is a very great reward.

Nothing so builds character in children than to let them know someone believes they have a fine potential. That feeling that “someone believes in me” can be the very thing that will anchor their faith deep in hope for humanity.

To be able to see the good acts of others renders service to ourselves. Swiss theologian Johann Casper Lavater once said, “He is incapable of a truly good action who finds not a pleasure in contemplating the good actions of others.”

Appreciation for the achievement of others is akin to sunshine – we simply can’t help it shine on other people without feeling the glow ourselves.

*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

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

August 15 – Daily Feast

August 15 – Daily Feast

Most people do not intend to get caught in a bad cause. We simply get swept along with the tide. It can happen because we want to get ahead fast – but it more likely happiness out of ignorance. It has been said that we have the capacity to make heaven a hell, or a heaven of hell. We’ve been known to do both – though it is a matter of choice. According to the Cherokee, it is plain to see that the place called heaven, ga lv la di-tso sv, is the ultimate choice. We have had to deal with situations that we didn’t choose. They were simply piled on us and we tried to help. But here we must be wise. We can’t allow ourselves to be drawn into a cause that is not our responsibility, and that we may not be well informed enough to handle.

~ I have been trying to seize the promises which they made me….but I cannot find them. ~

BIG BEAR

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

The Seventh REDE – Healing the Earth

THE SEVENTH REDE – HEALING THE EARTH

And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion,
honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.

The wheel of the year turns round and round, but not each turning is the same.
The acts of men and women return threefold multiplying both goodness and harm.
Moondaughter taught her students that we have a responsibility for adding to the
goodness in the world by the way we live our lives.

Human Freedom and Human Evil

The natural cycle is a balance of cold and warm, darkness and light. But
Moondaughter did not consider those evil times that come in the history of human
society — the Burning Times, the Holocaust, etc. — to be part of the natural
cycle. Those times she saw a the product of human actions and human choices.

Human freedom is a great gift from the Lord and Lady; it is our inheritance as
Their children. But that freedom allows us to choose to act without honor or
compassion, without beauty, reverence or humility, and when we do we bring the
evil times closer.

Human freedom also allows us to choose to act with honor and compassion. it
offers us the chance to not only banish the evil times, but to invoke a world of
peace and harmony — a world in which the beauty of nature is reflected in human
society.

Achieving such a world may take many lifetimes, but we do not face this task
alone. Every man and woman who acts with honor and compassion adds to the
goodness in the world.

The Wounded World

The world we live in today is a wounded world, a world in need of healing. Out
task, as children of the Lord and Lady, is to bring healing to that world by our
actions, by our relationships, by our love for all of Their children. Because
each of us is a part of the web of life, the wounds of the world are also our
own wounds, and we cannot heal the one without also healing the other.

Moondaughter dedicated her life to healing this world. Her every act was a
gesture in a great spell to invoke beauty and strength, power and compassion,
honor and humility, mirth and reverence into the lives of her students, and
ultimately of all men and women.

Today Moondaughter’s name is not remembered, except among those few whose lives
she touched. No doubt Moondaughter is pleased by this, as she never sought
recognition for herself. But if ever a child brought joy to the hearts of the
Lord and Lady, it was Moondaughter.

The First REDE – Divinity in Nature

THE FIRST REDE – DIVINITY IN NATURE

I, who am the Beauty of the Green Earth, and the White Moon among the
stars, and the Mystery of the Waters, and the Desire of the Heart of
Man, call unto thy soul.

Arise, and come unto me, for I am the Soul of Nature, who gives life
to the universe.

Moondaughter taught us that all of nature reflects the Lord and Lady. The God
and the Goddess, she said, can be seen in the natural world just as the Inner
Self of an artist can be seen in the lines and colors of her paintings. Thus,
she taught, it is the divine character of the Lord and Lady Themselves which
gives rise to the great polarities of nature

The Great Polarities and The Four Elements

Moondaughter saw all the Yins and Yangs of nature — from the positive and negative charges within the atom to the male and female characteristics within each individual — as reflections of that sexual polarity between Lord and Lady
which is the origin of all nature’s creatures. In addition, however,
Moondaughter taught us that a second set of polarities of Inner Self and Outer Self existed throughout nature. This polarity she called vertical in contrast to
horizontal polarity of male and female.

From a superficial view, the polarity of Inner Self and Outer Self might appear
to be a form of dualism, but this was not the case. Moondaughter did not view
Inner and Outer as utterly different in their natures. Rather, she viewed the
Outer Self as a second version of the Inner, the same pattern manifested in a
denser material.

It was in terms of the two great polarities that Moondaughter taught the meaning
of the four elements. Fire corresponds to the masculine Yang, which is balanced
by Water as the feminine Yin. Air corresponds to the invisible Inner Self, and
Earth to the visible Outer Self.

First Lessons in Magic

The simplest and most obvious manifestation of the Earth/Air polarity in human
beings is the relationship between mind and body. The nature of the body is
reflected in the mind, and the nature of the mind is reflected in the body.
Those divinatory sciences which, like palmistry, interpret the form of the body
make use of this correspondence — but the fact that the correspondence exists
does not guarantee the accuracy of any particular school of interpretation.

The Earth/Air polarity is also seen in the instinctual mind of animals and in
the response of plants to human feelings. Even atoms and molecules have an Inner
Self that can respond to emotion and will. When we do magic, we touch the Inner
Self of that which we would influence, and the effects of that touch are
reflected in that being’s Outer Self.

The Universe as a whole also has its Inner Self and Outer Self, which are the
two worlds between which we step in ritual. Thus the rationale for astrology is
not (as the skeptics claim) that the physical planets themselves somehow
influence us, but rather that patterns of the visible heavens are a reflection
of invisible patterns in the Inner World.

The Soul of Nature

Moondaughter taught that Earth and Air appear throughout nature because the Lord
and the Lady are Themselves beings of Earth and Air. Their Outer Selves are the
energy and matter which make up the material world, while Their Inner Selves are
Their ability to Know, to Will and to Love.

In another sense, nature as a whole — Earth and Air, Fire and Water — is the
Outer Self to the Lord and Lady, who are the Soul of Nature. Every one of Their
many children is a visible expression of the Their character.

Calendar of the Sun for August 15th

Calendar of the Sun

Feralia: Day of Purification

Color: White
Element: Air
Altar: On a white cloth put a lit candle, incense, a cup of water, and a bowl of salt.
Offering: Although this day is not a day of total silence, it is a solemn day and talking should be done only when necessary and in quiet tones. Bodies should be thoroughly cleaned during the bathing hour, and then the altar area should be cleaned and purified with all four elements. Each person, upon entering the altar space at the beginning of Sponde should remove their clothing and be naked, and each body should be purified with the four elements and marked with water and salt, at which point they may enrobe again. Chores of the day should concentrate on cleaning and repair.
Daily Meal: Vegan and extremely simple and plain.

Feralia Invocation

Breathe the air into your body
And breathe out again,
And as you breathe out,
Let all grime and corruption
Depart on that breath
(All breathe together for twelve breaths.)
Feel the blood coursing through your body
And imagine it clean
Of anything but what should be there.
Feel the energy coursing through your body
And wash it clean
Of anything that does not belong.
Feel the Earth beneath you,
Remember that She can absorb all
Remember that all rot is her provenance
Draw her energy up into you
And give it back again.

(After this grounding, all breathe together again in a yogic breathing pattern for the next half an hour, after which all will go with water and salt and incense and fire to all rooms in the house and cleanse them. Great care should be taken for the rest of the day not to disturb the energy of the freshly cleaned house.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Which Witch Are You?

Which Witch Are You?

Solitary:

Practices the craft alone and does not work with a group or coven. By the Gardnerian and Alexandrian way solitary witches are not witches. In order to be considered a witch you must work with a coven.

Eclectic:

These witches pick chose and mix various traditions. They have no set path.

Hereditary:

These are the practitioners who have been taught the craft from their relative. The craft was passed, unbroken, from generation to generation.

So, now, do you want to be a solitary witch or work with a coven? Let me give you a few Pros and Cons to consider.

PRO

If you join a coven you will receive lots of support. There are people available with the same beliefs to talk to. You will also get some structure. You can work your way up from dedicant to High Priest(s).

CON

Just by the fact that there is structure in a coven may discourage some people. The coven decides on the where, when at time of the Sabbats and meetings. If you break the laws of the coven (dishonor) you will be asked to leave. The cons of a coven are not unlike those that relate to any group activity.

PRO

OK, so you will go solo and be a solitary. This means that you can learn at your own pace. You can follow your own schedule for Sabbats, within reason. You attire is strictly up to you. Some solitaries will join with a know coven to celebrate Sabbats. You can design your own rituals.

CON

The major downside is that you are on are on your own. Help and guidance from knowledgeable witches are not going to be readily available. The solitary had no linage to look back on for guidance. Solitary witches are looked down on by name of the coven witches. What do you know – a class structure L

So what type of training do you want? You can find metaphysical shops and seek help from them. You can use the local library or book shop. If you have internet access there is a wealth of information available for you.

You may want to join a coven. This decision must be made carefully. Some covens are basically nothing more than social groups. Others are based on the D & D games. Be selective, just as they will want to interview you, you should reciprocate in kind.

NOTE: Witches do not try to convert people.

Once you have decided upon a coven go to a few open Sabbats and meetings, if permitted. If you can not attend an open Sabbat write the coven off. With the exception of two Sabbats, all others can be open.

Sit down with the Priestess / Priest and see what the coven will want of you. The will also ask what you can bring to the coven. Remember, a coven becomes your family away from home. The coven should NEVER supercede your home life. You family will always come first.

Once you are in total agreement – both ways you can apply to become a dedicant. During this time you will be kept under the eye of the Priestess and Priest. Your initial training will last for a year and a day. After that time, if upon the agreement of all, you can become an initiate. From that point on you will go through the three degrees of initiation. Each degree will take a minimum of a year and a day to complete.

Being a member of a coven is a commitment. You will be expected to attend coven functions. Covens usually meet to celebrate the 8 Sabbats – holidays of the God and 13 Esbats – holidays of the Goddess. Members of the coven are given a part to perform during the rituals. Not showing up for ritual is a major NO-NO. If you do not make it you can ruin the ritual.

You may also be asked to help the coven. Many covens take on community work to help the community.

Many covens plan outing and fun events for their members…

One thing to remember no matter what path you choose; When the Student is ready, the Teacher Will Appear.

Please forgive me for running late……

Good Morning, dearest of friends! I must apologize for running late. My mouse died this morning on me. I had to drive 50 miles to get another one. That’s what I get for living in the boonies, lol! It’s not funny I know. I have done buried my mouse, I threw it in the garbage on the way out the door. Needless to say, I uttered some words that wasn’t very nice to give it a proper send off. If I had had time I would have blew it up with a firecracker. I’m not violent, I just hate to be inconvenienced, lol!

So now on with the show…..

More Sorry Comments

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Monday, August 13

 

The Priestess

The Priestess is the Gatekeeper of the subconscious, the unknown. She travels in worlds which most of us only glimpse in our dreams. Her realm is that of unseen truths, untapped potentials, and hidden dangers. Purely Yin in nature, The Calling of The Priestess is to go beyond the obvious and visible to tap those powers which are veiled from normal vision. While she is passive by nature, she has the power to uncover unknown potential and is very aware of the infinite potential all humans harbor within them. She is also very patient. She can wait for events to blossom in their own time.

As a daily card, The Priestess suggest the answers you seek can only be found by looking beyond the obvious. This is a span in which you may do better by applying the power of your subconscious to your everyday actions. Your intuition should be very strong. Be patient, allow events to unfold and you will find propitious moments of opportunity.

Elder’s Meditation of the Day August 12

Elder’s Meditation of the Day August 12

“With one mind we address our acknowledgment, respect, and gratefulness to all the sacred Cycle of Life. We, as humans, must remember to be humble and acknowledge the gifts we use so freely in our daily lives.”

–Audrey Shenandoah, ONONDAGA

The sacred Cycle of life – the baby, the youth, the adult, the Elder. Let us respect all directions, the four directions of the Grandfathers; let us respect their power. Let us remember we belong to the earth, the earth does not belong to us. Help us to be respectful to all the gifts You have given us.

Oh Great Spirit, help me this day to be humble. Let me not attack anything in deed or in my thoughts. Let my thoughts focus on the beauty You have created in all things.

Daily Motivator for Aug. 12 – Keep reminding yourself

Keep reminding yourself

When you feel like feeling sorry for yourself, stop. Remind yourself that  self-pity won’t get you anything worth having.

When you feel like running away from your problems, stop, turn around and  face those problems. Choose to become stronger and to create real value by  working your way through them.

Is there work to be done, and you don’t feel like making the effort? Remind  yourself that in the long run, getting the job done will feel much better than  endlessly putting it off.

Living with intention, discipline and focus is not all that complicated or  difficult. It’s a matter of reminding yourself that it’s your best option.

You are absolutely capable of creating and experiencing the very best life  you can imagine. You just have to keep reminding yourself to keep choosing it.

A life that’s positive, successful and authentically fulfilling comes from  the quality of the choices you make in every moment. The life you live is the  life you choose, so remind yourself, again and again, to choose the best.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Midmaiden Crisis

Midmaiden Crisis

Author: Deborah Castellano

I’m having a midmaiden crisis.

Sometimes I wonder if I make my life much harder than it has to be. Like, just about everyone else I know seems perfectly contented working a job that is hopefully not soul-sucking 40 hours a week, getting engaged/married, spending a lot of time at home, paying nominal attention to their religion of choice, occasionally still going out with friends maybe monthly, once in a blue moon going to a club or a party, and just generally going about life.

I understand watching my family’s struggles with secrecy, pain, and shame has made me very resistant to an average, mundane kind of life even though most people don’t have horrible consequences for choosing a life that becomes very insular. I guess I saw almost all my mom’s friends leave her since she would not leave my alcoholic dad and saw how unhappy both my parents were. So the idea of being so dependent on any one person for everything and being so limited in life choices made me decide at an early age that that would never be me.

I’ve spent all of my life trying to make safe/secure life decisions. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted what I never had growing up (a warm, loving, happy family) and to please everyone and be successful. Instead I am staring down:

A career I left because it was crushing me and not nurturing my soul, so I could become a part time nanny and bring home exactly half the money I was previously bringing home for half the hours. This was not the life my mother or I had envisioned for myself. I was supposed to be on a career path! I was supposed to be making lots of money! I was supposed to be working towards being someone important in someone else’s fishbowl! Instead, I am a nanny for two small children for a very nice family and I am helping to nurture them to grow up smart, self-confident, and happy.

Loving, happy, but complicated love relationships. My heart tends to be too complex to fit into a typical Cosmo’s “How to have a successful relationship and give a good blowjob and have an awesome career and spend lots of time with your galpals and girl, get your ass to the gym for some yoga and quality you time!” column. I am truly blessed to have partners in my life who understand this and friends who do their best to try as well. But when you step out of society’s check boxes (Gay or straight? Married or single?), it can also feel isolating and frustrating to not have all the words to explain things quickly or the comfort of doing what’s expected of you.

A religion that’s often misunderstood. I was brought up Catholic (and was a very devout believer), but after my dad died, it started to not work so well for me. I started asking a lot of questions and hoped to find answers that worked for me. And while in my college coursework I found peace with the religion I was raised in, and respect for my feminist Catholic sisters who are fighting the good fight, the revolution was not moving fast enough for me personally. I learned about Dianic Wicca in my studies and was lucky enough to find a circle near to me that started my path as a Pagan. It was (and is) a beautiful, exciting, and moving experience for me. But I would be lying if I didn’t say that sometimes I miss the ease of Catholicism — go to church Sundays, be a good pony, confess when you haven’t, and God will always take care of you. Following a much newer (and at the same time much older) religion and religious movement is exciting and exhilarating because I feel like I personally am making a lot of impact on it. My connections to my own goddesses and gods feel a lot more personal to me. But there are also many explanations needed, fewer religious texts to fall back on, a firm but smaller support structure, and let’s not forget the whole “I went against hundred of years of tradition in my family” to be a Witch thing.

Not wanting any kids. I love being a nanny. I really do. But I also love going home. I love having the freedom to do whatever I want whenever I want it. And that is not going to go over well with my fam when they find out.

Still have a house that is often messy. Part of the reason I left the corporate world was to have more time to tend to my own hearth. To have the time and energy to care for my loved ones, my house and have enough time to cook (another pastime I enjoy). But oftentimes the house is still messy more days than not, we eat casseroles and crockpot meals more often than not, along with the stigma of others (not my partners!) devaluing my labor in the home because it’s unpaid. I also am dealing with my own envy for the women I know who work full time, but make Martha Stewart look like a burnout slacker. It can be very hard to not hold myself up to these other women and find myself lacking.

To say taking the road less traveled is terrifying is nothing shy of an incredible understatement. I remember how scared and anxious I was when I was just out of college, sitting on the concrete train station floor in Belgium, stranded and unable to speak the language with just a fistful of currency (wafflemarks?) in my pocket. If you had told me then that it would pale in comparison to how I would feel five years later, surrounded by friends and family in my own hometown trying to follow my heart like some damned chicklit novel, I probably would have thrown some wafflemarks at you. But yet, here I am anyway.

I guess I’m saying it’s hard sometimes, feeling like not a lot of people in my life can say “I know exactly how you feel” and really mean it. Sometimes this path to my true heart is lonely and often it’s scary. I’ve always, always had a really exacting plan, but I threw my map into the river. Stepping out of my box is really hard for me. My inner critics are loud, bossy, and opinionated. And that’s just my inner critics; forget about my loved ones who want what’s best for me…according to them. It can be hard to stand up for myself to all of them when I still have so many doubts and fears. Because you know what? I don’t know what I’m doing.

In this time of personal turmoil, I’ve gotten so bogged down in the mundane that I’ve forgotten how to practice my spirituality. And, you want to know a secret? I’m scared to get back into a regular practice. To me, it feels like coming home way after curfew, smelling of cigarette smoke, and you know your mom is up waiting for you. At times, I still see my deities as disappointed parents. I’ve been trying to put the magical in the daily (giving thanks to Yemaya in the shower, singing praise to Crow in my car). I’m trying to appreciate all the things I do and accomplish. I’m trying to see the beauty of just being in the grace of the deities who have blessed me by choosing me as one of their beloved. But it’s hard for me to set aside my tendencies to be an overachiever in my spiritual life.

I feel like I should be able to “just” set aside all of my faults in this one area of my life. My altars should be maintained, my meditation practice should be daily, I should give of my time freely and easily to the community and oh yeah, not be critical of my execution of my faith. In other words, I should not be me but maybe Kuan Yin instead. But then . . .aren’t all our flaws and graces amplified in this area of our lives? I’ve been crueler, more selfish, more demanding, harsher, less trusting, less attentive, angrier, and sadder in my faith than I have in any other part of my life. I’ve also been more selfless, kinder, more nurturing, more faithful, more ecstatic, and most peaceful than any other part of my life.

When I can tell my inner critic to take a nap for a little while, I can still see the beauty of my practice, even now. I can see kitchen Witching for Lammas and singing Bridget’s song to Her while I make pan after pan of food with my fellow kitchen Witches and letting a friend cry into my apron when she needed to. I can see myself at the Jersey shore, introducing one of my loves to Yemaya and twirling and throwing white roses into Her sea. I can see my Crow side teasing my friend while I read her Tarot and sort out her love life. I can see my shaman self, dancing to the universal heartbeat at a goth club, dripping in sweat, being brave enough to get on a table and dance my offerings to the Universe and yes, as if no one is watching. And I have to hold onto these pieces of myself during this difficult time, tighter than I’d hold a box from Tiffany’s, because it’s what reminds me that I am part of this universe. It reminds me that I do bring wonder and joy, even when it’s harder to see. Most importantly, it reminds me that following my path to my secret heart is indeed full of miracles and wonders if I can see them through my tears.

Footnotes:
Additional Resources for Soul Searching:

Truth or Dare : Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery by Starhawk: A powerful exploration into using our spiritual power as women to make changes in our own lives, our community, and our world.

Office Sutras: Exercises for Your Soul at Work by Marcia Menter: A very helpful little book with ideas on how to find soulfulness at your current job and how to figure out what will make you happy in the workplace in the long term.

Planet Sark: http://www.planetsark.com/: A beautiful, colorful website with lots of kindred spirits figuring out their life’s path with some really great resources.

The Honesty Room by Dar Williams: A lyrically amazing, gorgeously sung cd that will make you laugh and cry and think about your life.

Good Morning, Dear Friends! Here is Today’s Affirmation, Thought & Meditation Especially For You!

Today’s Affirmation for Sunday, August 12

 “I resolve to speak and act with a pure mind. When I do, happiness follows as my shadow.”

Today’s Thought for Sunday, August 12

 Do not assume that only those lives marked by grand achievements or spectacular heroics have value. An ordinary life, striving for virtue and wisdom, is an achievement in itself.

Today’s Meditation for Sunday, August 12

Listen for the Bells

According to myth Celtic shamans used sacred branches hung with silver bells to open doors between the material and spirit worlds. Close your eyes and imagine hearing the music of the silver bells. Approaching the sound you see a gateway formed by two blossoming trees. Passing through, you find yourself in another world. Ahead of you the guardian of the gateway is tending a cauldron over a fire. The guardian fills a chalice with liquid from the cauldron and hands it to  you. The spicy drink replenishes your strength. The guardian tells you to return whenever you need to, reminding you to listen for the silver bells. You pass back through the gateway and open your eyes. You feel full of life and energy.

 

More Good Morning Comments

The Living Rede

The Living Rede

A lifetime of learning I’ve set to these pages, Some learned from fools, and some learned from sages.

This tome contains musings: some wisdom, some rant. Some will find truth here, some won’t and some can’t.

If your eyes fall upon this page, it’s meant for you, For the Universe offers what you’re meant to do.

The Secret of Magic quite often astounds: There isn’t a Secret! Just look all around!

The Trees teach you lessons – the Willow that bends. The challenge for you: learn the message it sends.

By Example and Symbol the Universe speaks. It may happen quickly or take many weeks.

Be aware what you notice – it needs your attention If you’re going to hear what it’s trying to mention.

For the Universe rarely speaks loudly and clearly, But it speaks all the time if you listen sincerely.

You’re here for a reason – to heal, teach and learn. The better you listen, the more growth you’ll earn.

The goal, it would seem, is reunion with Spirit. Learn lessons while here, don’t run from, don’t fear it.

Though we travel our own paths, our lives interlace. We must all grow together – this isn’t a race.

So be mindful of others, and help when you can, A bird, tree or pebble, a woman or man.

Material, Ether and Astral involved, Work them correctly, your problems be solved.

Magic is simple, has rules, like Mundane, Push or pull with your Heart and direct with your Brain.

The Emotions you raise will determine its power. The more you project, that much sooner its hour.

The Thoughts that you hold in your mind as you cast Tell the power its job – where to go and its task.

If your thoughts falter or change while you work, Your focus is lessened – your power will fork.

Dual aspects to work with, the God and the Goddess, Called Yang and called Yin – the names matter not, honest!

Yang feels like anger – you feel in your chest. It jumps to the hand and for quick work is best.

Yin is much softer – it’s felt at the womb. The power of Love and the peace of a tomb.

Yang is aggressive – Male “Get It Done Now!” If you’re in a hurry, Yang does it, and how!

Yin is more subtle, for delicate tasks. If you’re working with love, it’s the one you should ask.

All genders have both, their intensities varied, And strong you will be with both energies married.

Be Humble and True, though, whatever your power. Sometimes you’re the lightning, sometimes you’re The Tower.

The Cards hold no magic, the Runes have no secret That’s not found within you – if only you’ll seek it.

Negative or Positive? Sometimes you must give. The Antelope dies so the Lion may live.

Remember, when tragedy breaks down your door: Whatever you lose, you will gain so much more.

I know it sounds hard, when loss brings pain and sorrow, But you will know joy again – next year, or tomorrow.

One thing that I’ve found, and I hope you will heed: Ask not what you want from life. Ask what you need.

Ask what you want and it may come to you, But ask what you need: What you came here to do.

This far through my Rede you have stayed and have read. Down paths much like mine you are likely to tread.

I welcome you, joyful, a companion to walk, For someone to listen to, someone to talk.

These pages are yours to accept or critique. May your road straight to Spirit unfold at your feet.

Stay if you will, here, or leave if you must. Blessed Be, One and All. Perfect Love. Perfect Trust.

– Brian Gallagher – author of this rede

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for August 10th is 5: Patience

5: Patience

Hexagram 5

General Meaning: A fisherman can cast the line, but he can only wait for the fish to bite. Your catch will come in its own time; you cannot make it hurry to you — neither by working, nor by planning, nor by wishing. You may need to provide nourishment or support for others; but only through patience can you become the bridge between the fickle fish and the eventual feast. Strength in a time of trial waits quietly, resolutely. Weakness grows agitated, and abandons the effort before the fish bites. Periods of waiting are most fruitful when used for quiet contemplation.

Proceed cautiously, but resolutely, with whatever you are doing. The time and situation are calling for consistency and patience. Waiting is an essential skill; patience is a powerful force. Good timing is an ally of those with inner strength — the kind of strength that allows you to be uncompromisingly honest with yourself, while sticking to the path you have charted. If you persevere with a positive attitude, time weakens even the hardest obstacles. To rush anything, or impatiently force results, stimulates resistance and causes setbacks. At best, you achieve surface changes — the kind that can just as quickly be reversed. Steadfast waiting — while holding to your integrity leads to slow but permanent improvements. In the end, you accomplish something great. Practice patience.

Calendar of the Moon for August 9

Calendar of the Moon

9 Coll/Metageitnion

Taliesin’s Day

Color: Sky-Blue
Element: Air
Altar: Upon cloth of sky-blue set a chalice of wine, a cup of honey, a ring of keys, a single stone, and many blue candles.
Offerings: Words that you have written yourself.
Daily Meal: Any food transformed to look like something else, such as a subtlety.

Invocation to Taliesin

Hail, Greatest of Bards!
You who were once Gwion Bach,
A wandering child with no home and no luck,
You who minded the Cauldron of Cerridwen
And stole from it three drops of wisdom,
You who heard the language of birds
And fled from the Goddess’s wrath,
You who were hare and fish and otter,
You who were a bird and a single grain of corn,
You who were seized by Her sharp eyes
And devoured by Her questing beak,
You who grew to fullness again in Her belly
And were birthed forth a second time,
You who were cast into the sea and blown forth
Upon the shore of a far land,
You whose words bedazzled the throned ones,
You whose curse turns men to stone,
You whose song confounds and enlightens,
You who are the Power of Words
Cascading over our ears and our minds,
Infuse us with the Spirit of Inspiration
And may our own words gleam
With the treasure more precious than gold.

(One who has been chosen to do the work of the ritual pours the honey into the wine cup and stirs it, and takes it about to each one present, bidding them drink and saying, “May thy tongue flow with honey.” Each drinks, and the rest is poured out as libation. As this is the day of the God of Bards, one should be brought in from outside the house to sing or speak to all the folk present. They should be feasted as the reliquary of Taliesin, and given honor. Many books should be read tonight.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]