Tag: Human

Calendar of the Sun for August 27

Calendar of the Sun

27 Weodmonath

Phallogia

Color: Flesh
Elements: Fire and Earth
Altar: Upon a cloth the color of rosy flesh, place seven phallus-shaped candles of different colors, a tall glass of frothy white liquid, and many carved and shaped phalluses of many different materials, sizes and colors. There should be as many as there are people in the House. Have also baskets of phallus-shaped breads and pastries.
Offering: Take a phallus with you to bed, and sleep with it, warming it with your body.
Daily Meal: Phallic foods – long breads and pastries, long root vegetables, sausages.

Phallogia Invocation

As the trees stretch toward the Sun,
As the leaves burst forth on the branch,
As the grass thrusts to the sky,
As the pod explodes its seeds,
As the stamen lifts its pollen,
As the bird leaps for the heavens,
As the mountains heave toward the clouds,
As the lightning strikes the ocean,
As the wave swells forth toward the shore,
As the wind penetrates our lungs,
We honor today the leaping forth
Of the male principle,
And its symbol carved in flesh
And in many other places.
Hail, Priapus, Giver of Fertility,
Source of the Seeds of Life.
May we all share your boundless enthusiasm,
Your untamed vigor,
And your ecstasy as you wither and fall.

(Each should approach the altar and select one of the phalluses, which should then be taken to their bed and tucked in. Tonight, each will sleep with the phallus, warming it with their bodies, and they shall be returned to the altar the following morning upon sunrise.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for August 21

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

As long as there has been a human race there has been someone crying out, “No one understands!” Somewhere along the way communications have broken down and the result is misunderstanding.

To be misunderstood is painful. We keep wanting to explain and explain until we get our message across. Sometimes it is the lack of the wise use of words. Then, it may be an unwilling ear. But whatever the race, the politics, sophisticated or home grown, everyone has the desire to be understood. They want every motive, every mood, completely and unquestionably understood.

But to be completely understood can also have its rebound. A goddess can turn into a woman, and a hero can slip into a man when only one of their moods is completely understood.

Understanding breeds familiarity. Familiarity may not breed contempt, but it can certainly take the edge off the mystery. And, it is mystery that keeps life interesting.

In all wisdom, we should worry much less about being completely understood, and make a more diligent effort to understand others.

Something dies within us when no one cares. It is a circumstance of our own making when we have failed to give to another the thought and concern that would have helped when it was most needed.

Sorrows can be borne because others care. Greatness can be achieved because someone cared. To care is our purpose.

Who knows but that these small acts of sympathy and understanding may place another life into the one slot on the jigsaw puzzle of life.

If we were all the things we expect of others, the result would be perfection. We would be perfect in forgiveness, faithful in love, and devoted to the welfare of others. Such excellence has never been accomplished, except that we work continually for it. To work for it, we have to care. And for someone to care is the thing that matters.

“Instead of allowing yourself to be so unhappy, just let your love grow as God wants it to grow; seek goodness in others, love more persons more; love them more impersonally, more unselfishly, without thought of return. The return, never fear, will take care of itself.” – Henry Drummond.

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

Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet:

 

http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com

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

Daily OM for August 21 – We Are Beings of Light

We Are Beings of Light

Beyond the Physical

by Madisyn Taylor

It is through our connection to our light that we know things beyond what the visible world can tell us.

We are all beings of light. Put another way, we are spiritual beings having a human experience. As children, most of us know this, but other human beings who have forgotten what they really are and who cannot help us to know ourselves train us to forget. As a result, we are led to believe that magic is not real, that our invisible playmates do not really exist, and that we are limited beings with only one earthly life to live. There is enormous pressure to conform to this concept of ourselves and so we lose touch with our full potential, forgetting that we are beings of light.

At this time, many of us are reawakening to the truth of who we are, because we are living amidst such large-scale changes in the world. We need to access this light in order to not only survive but thrive as we shift into a new order of consciousness. As the changes around us proceed in rapid progression, we will want to be able to trust our own ability to sense what is happening and how we can best respond. We are no longer living in a predictable world in which we can trust external authority figures and prior ideas about reality to guide us. We need to be able to access the information that will help us navigate these uncertain waters, and the ultimate authority resides in our awareness of ourselves as beings of light.

It is through our connection to this light that we know things beyond what the visible world can tell us, and we see things beyond what the physical world reveals. In order to access this wisdom, we can simply allow ourselves to remember that we are not limited, as we have been taught. In fact, we are filled with divine grace and power that is ours for the asking. A daily practice of tuning into this vast potential, conversing with it, and offering ourselves up to it opens the door through which we can reclaim our true identity, taking ownership of the calling that the time has come to create bliss on earth.

‘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

The Fifth Rede – The Summerland

THE FIFTH REDE – THE SUMMERLAND

Upon Earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond
death, I give peace and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone
before.
Moondaughter taught that the polarity of Inner Self and Outer Self was also
manifest in the universe as a whole. The Outer Self of the universe is the world
known to materialistic science; its Inner Self is the world we touch through
meditation and ritual. For Moondaughter, however, the Inner World was not just
“in our heads”; it was an objective reality. Incarnate human beings, she taught,
exist simultaneously in both worlds.

Microcosm and Macrocosm

According to Moondaughter, each incarnate human being is a microcosm of the
universe. That part of us which exists in the Outer World dances the cycle of
birth and death, and ultimately returns to the earth — and in this it shares
the basic nature of the Outer World. The spirit, however, shares the nature of
the Inner World, and does not die, but continues to exist in that world.

Moondaughter taught that each of these Inner (spiritual) and Outer (materical)
parts of us itself consists of both an invisible Inner Self and a visible Outer
Self, and in later years I have come to associate what she called the Inner Self
of the material world with the what occultists call the etheric shell, and the
Outer Self of the spirit with the “astral body.” Thus, the mind/body polarity
exists in both worlds, and just as our physical bodies have senses which
perceive the Outer World, so also do our spiritual bodies have senses which
perceive the Inner World.

The Spirit Eternal

Because incarnate humans have these inner senses, we are capable of forming
relationships with disincarnate spirits. Indeed, Moondaughter taught that each
man and woman is constantly in relationship with many such spirits, but that
most human beings are so distracted by the material world that they never notice
the other half of their existence.

Even when unnoticed, however, these relationships affect us. My own experience
of meditation and ritual has confirmed for me that incarnate humans do indeed
interact with disincarnate spirits, and that we can become aware of these
relationships if we make the effort.

The Threefold Law

Moondaughter taught us that during physical life, the Inner Self and Outer Self
exchange elements. The character of our Inner Selves sets its mark upon our
bodies, and the flow of energy from the Inner Self can heal and energize the
physical body. At the same time, the character of our actions sets its mark upon
our Inner Selves, and the flow of energy from our Outer Selves shapes and
nourishes the growth of the spirit.

This I understand to be one of the ways in which the Threefold Law operates: the
character of our actions — helpful or harmful — sends a flow of energy to our
spirits which changes us. Thus any harmful act directly harms the self, in
addition to harming the victim and the universe as a whole.

The Flowering of the Spirit

It is this growth of the spirit, Moondaughter taught us, that determines our
experience of the Summerland. Human beings know joy when they relate to each
other, and to the Lord and Lady, as lover and beloved. Such relationships,
however, are not automatic; we, like the other fruits of the earth, grow to
ripeness.

A human spirit which has grown to be capable of mature love relationships
experiences the universe as a place of joy, but a human spirit which has
cultivated selfishness and exploitation of others lives a joyless, barren
existence.

During physical life, one can hide from this joylessness by glutting oneself
with bodily sensations, but not so in the Summerland. According to Moondaughter,
the malleable nature of the Inner World is such that one’s environment changes
in response to one’s thoughts and emotions, so one cannot hide from the
barrenness of one’s own character.

For those who have cultivated in themselves the loving nature of the Lord and
Lady, life in the Summerland is filled with joy. There we are reunited with
those we have loved on earth; there we can live constantly in the presence of
the Lord and Lady; there we can embrace those disincarnate friends who supported
us during our physical lives, and give our support in turn to those who follow
us in the dance of birth and death.

The Fourth REDE – The Great Work

THE FOURTH REDE – THE GREAT WORK

Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop
you or turn you aside.

To Moondaughter, men and women were children of the Lord and Lady in more senses
than one. Not only are we the offspring of Their sacred joining, but we are also
children in the sense that we are immature. We have not yet grown into the
spiritual and ethical maturity of which we are capable.

Moondaughter taught that the human children of the Lord and the Lady are in the
process of growth, a time during which they must build for themselves that
nobility of character that is their natural inheritance. Moondaughter’s students
learned that we cannot look elsewhere for salvation, but must build our
characters by our own actions. This is the Great Work.

Nobility of character, however, was only the outer aspect of the Great Work,
according to Moondaughter. The inner aspect was mystical union with the Lord and
Lady. Mysticism and ethics were for Moondaughter converging lines, each of which
must be energetically pursued. To neglect one would obstruct progress in the
other.

The Threefold Law

It is to Moondaughter that I owe my understanding of the Threefold Law, the
Wiccan precept that whatever a person does, good or evil, returns to her
threefold.

Every action, Moondaughter taught, first affects the self directly by leaving
its imprint on the character of the actor. Second, it affects the target of the
action, with whom the actor is in relationship, and the effects feedback upon
the actor through that relationship. Finally, every action affects the
environment in which the actor must live — ultimately, the entire universe —
and thus feeds back again upon the actor.

Thus the Great Work is a transformation of self which we pursue through our
actions and our relationships. It is the realization of our nature as children
of the Lord and Lady; and — since each of us is part of the web of
relationships which connect all that exists — it is at the same time a
transformation of the universe as a whole.

Mind and Body as Lover and Beloved

Moondaughter taught that the Great Work could be divided into three interrelated
aspects, each of which establishes a relationship of lover and beloved. The
first aspect of the Great Work consists of bringing one’s own mind and body into
the relationship of lover and beloved. Externally, this relationship results in
the opening of the inner senses, and therefore much of magical development is
concerned with this small part of the Great Work.

The union of mind and body, however, has an ethical dimension as well as a
magical one. Moondaughter taught that perfect unity of mind and body could only
be achieved when the actions that result from the mind/body interaction are
consistently based on Will rather than desire — a transition that requires more
than a little self-discipline.

It is possible (and unfortunately not uncommon) for mind and body to form a
relationship in actions that contradict the Will. Rape, for example, is a
perversion of sexuality which develops a dysfunctional relationship between the
mind and body of the rapist and corrupts the Work within him. Thus, living by
the Wiccan Rede — an’ it harm none, do what ye will — is a first step toward
accomplishing this first aspect of the Great Work.

The Sacred Marriage

The second aspect of the Great Work is the Sacred Marriage. Moondaughter taught
that for most of us this means that a man and a women come together as lover and
beloved, not merely physically and for a time, but on all levels and forever, in
a relationship that is in harmony with their individual Wills.

While each of us already has both Yin Self and Yang Self, union with the sacred
spouse brings Yin and Yang together in ways which transform each partner. Lover
and beloved act as priest and priestess for each other, and together they become
an embodiment of the Lord and the Lady.

The Unity of all Life

The third aspect of the Great Work is unity with all beings. This, Moondaughter
taught, is accomplished when an individual takes the entire universe as her
beloved, in a relationship in harmony with her Will.

In the lesser sense, this aspect is achieved when the individual comes to
spontaneously regard all beings with the love and compassion that the Lord and
the Lady feel for their children. In the greater sense, however, this aspect is
not achieved until humanity as a whole regards all beings with that love.

The culmination of this Work on the individual level, according to Moondaughter,
is a state in which the individual inherits the character of the Lord and the
Lady, and lives constantly in the presence of Lord and Lady. This is not a state
which I believe has been achieved by very many incarnate human beings, but I
have found it a most worthwhile goal toward which to strive.

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.

Today’s Witch For August 14 – Being The Change

 

Being The Change

By Tess Whitehurst

The year 2012 is finally here, and it’s lived up to its promise of marking an uncommonly interesting moment in history of our species. To many of us, it appears that we’re at a critical juncture, which may very soon culminate in one of two main outcomes: we humans might destroy or decimate ourselves by blowing ourselves up or making our environment unlivable, or we might find a way to harmoniously evolve into a peaceful and mutually beneficial relationship with our planet and each other.

You Must be the
Change you want to
See in the world. — Mahatma Gandhi

While it remains to be seen whether or not this big change is true, it is nonetheless significant that so many people, regardless of their spiritual and/or scientific persuasion, have a strong feeling that it is. Furthermore, no matter what the future may or may not hold, moving toward greater harmony is never a bad thing, and there has never been a better time for it than now.

As shapers of reality, our role during this time is extremely vital: our thoughts, words, rituals and visualizations, when directed toward universal healing and harmonization, have the potential to be a precious contribution to the future of the human race, wildlife and the environment as we know it. In addition to our work in the ethereal or spiritual realm, working in the physical realm — as activists, disseminators of information, artists, healers, teachers, volunteers, etc. —- can fortify our efforts, empower our intentions and generally help heal the world in a concrete, tangible way. And as we know from the Law of Returns, each of our positive intentions and generous actions will return to us multiplied, so our global healing efforts will also allow us to steep ourselves in positivity, harmony and good fortune.

 

Excerpt from:

“Being The Change”

By Tess Whitehurst

Llewellyn’s 2012 Witches’ Companion,

An Almanac for Everyday Living by Llewellyn

Daily OM for August 12 – Worthiness

Worthiness

Accepting Our Calling

by Madisyn Taylor

Our worth of being on the planet at this time cannot be judged as we are all worthy and essential to being here now.

The issue of worthiness may come up in many areas of our lives, as we ask, often unconsciously, whether we are worthy of success, love, happiness, and countless other things, from supportive relationships to a beautiful home. In the end, though, it all comes down to one thing: our willingness to claim our space in this life as humans on this planet at this time. When we accept our divinity, we no longer question whether we are worthy, because we know that we are meant to be here to fulfill a particular purpose, a purpose that no one other than us can fulfill.

There are no replacements who can take over and live our lives for us, no other person who has had the experiences we have had, who has access to the same resources and relationships, who carries the same message to share with the world. Our purpose may be large or small, and in most cases it is multi-leveled, with important actions taking place on the interpersonal level, as well as in terms of the work we do in the world. Small acts of kindness share the stage with large acts of sacrifice, and only through accepting and honoring our divinity can we know what we are called to do and when.

Ultimately, we are all equally, exactly, completely worthy of being here in this life. Moreover, we are all essential to the unfolding plan of which we are each one small, but important, part. If we suffer from low self worth, it is because we have lost track of understanding this truth, and allowing it to guide our actions in the world. Seeing ourselves as part of something larger, as beings called to serve, is the ultimate cure for feelings of unworthiness. In the end, it’s not about evaluating ourselves as worthy or unworthy, so much as it’s about accepting that we have been called here to serve and taking the steps required to listen and respond to what our lives are asking us to do.

Animals Talk, We Should Listen

Animals Talk, We Should Listen

by Napecincala (Little Paws)

The early autumn air lay cold and damp around me as I tried to find a comfortable spot in my blanket. I had been in this pit for two days with no food and no water, but no vision came despite hours of singing and praying. I leand up against the wall and rested my back. I was tired and hungry and very thirsty, but I remained standing and stared at one of the fruit wood poles that my prayer ties were hung on. A little black spider started to spin a web between the pole and the string of my ties. It worked very quickly. I watched the operation, entranced by the beauty of the design and the opalescent colors that danced off the thread in the early morning light. It was beautiful when it was done. Then she crawled up the web and waited at the place where it was attached to the pole.

I stared up at the sky, and as the morning progressed the air warmed the dirt around me. The pit transformed from a cool retreat to an earthen oven. I pulled my star blanket over my head to keep off the biting deer flies. Only my blanket-clad head could be seen above ground by the helpers who periodically came to check on me. They did not speak to me, and I supposed they just came up to make sure I was still breathing.

Every once in a while I would look down at the web, but the spider had not caught any breakfast that I could see. A rabbit, unaware of my presence within a circle of prayer ties, hopped out from behind a rock and started to nibble on the fruit I left for the spirits. Crows called to each other, and butterflies, attracted by the bright colors of the prayer ties, would light on the string, searching futilely for the way in to the nectar of this strange, red cloth flower.

A large vulture soared on the warm updrafts above until it spotted a potential meal and disappeared over my diminished horizon. An hour or so later he was circling above me again. I kept thinking he was just waiting for me to die so I could be the next blue plate special. I held my pipe in my hands and sang prayer songs one after another in a high keening voice, begging for a vision.

As evening approached, bats performed amazing acrobatics above my head, hunting the wretched mosquitoes that had plagued me for nearly four days. I welcomed them and watched them dance in the gloaming. Even with all the mosquitoes in the air, the little spider still waited at the end of its web for a meal.

Stars lit up the prairie sky one at a time as darkness descended. I heard the scuffle of some ground animal behind me, though I never saw the passing porcupine. Only her tracks in the dust attested to the visit.

I woke that morning to a vision of diamonds suspended from the spider’s web. Morning dew and gray light formed a beautiful sculpture. Still the spider waited, and nothing disturbed the perfect form of the web. When the helpers came to take me out of the pit, I was weak with hunger and angry. In four days I had not been granted a vision. During the sweat lodge afterward the medicine person asked me what I had seen.

“Nothing,” I replied.

I could hear the smile in his voice as he asked, “So you were sleeping with your eyes open?”

“No, grandfather, what I meant to say was that I didn’t have a vision.”

“Oh,” he said across the darkness, “So you did see something while you were up there.”

Then I talked about the spider and the crows, the rabbit and the porcupine, the butterflies on the line. I described in detail how I felt and what I was thinking about, but I am sure he could hear the bitterness and disappointment in my voice. I had prayed and fasted for four days for a vision and spirit helpers, and it felt like it was all for nothing.

“Did the spider ever catch anything?” he asked.

“No.” I replied. It was the only part of my time “On the hill” that he asked about.

When we were all done and I was readying to leave, a woman helper came up and said that it takes a long time for most human beings to understand why things happen the way they do.

“We don’t really live in a fast food world, you know.”

Months later I began to understand that my time on the hill had given me everything I asked for.

*************

The above story is a parable, pure fantasy, a modern re-telling of an old Lakota story designed to teach something about the error of expectation and the need for patience when seekers are trying to learn from the natural world.

The reason I chose to write this parable in this way is because most white people walking the red road (learning about Native American spiritual beliefs) have a similar experience when they start out. I certainly did. More importantly, speaking in detail about personal visions and spirit helpers is a little like talking in detail about your sex life. It is usually more information than anyone has the right to know about you, or wants to know.

Like most people raised in a Christian culture, I came to the ceremony of “hanblecia,” crying for a vision, with all kinds of preconceived notions about what a vision was and how it would come to me. My pagan ideas also came into play, as I imagined animal spirit helpers as more like familiars that I could command than teachers I could learn from. Perhaps the most limiting expectation that I had was that I would be given an “important” animal spirit, like an eagle or a wolf or a bear. So, when my spirit helpers showed themselves to me, I didn’t see them, because I was not looking for them in the context in which they appeared.

My day-to-day world is bound by “clock time,” which is faster than Nature’s time, and “computer time,” which is so fast that I can’t even perceive it. As I contemplated my own hanblecia I began to see that time is a key to being able to listen to the animals. Lots of questions came to mind in the weeks following. Does a stone live on the same time as a hummingbird? Do daytime animals perceive time in the same way that nocturnal animals, like bats and porcupine, do? Why is it that most vision seeking ceremonies impose such difficult physical demands? What the Elder lady was trying to say, at the end of my story, was that Unci Maka (Grandmother Earth) has no respect for human concepts of time. We do not really live in a fast food world, and a real connection to Nature’s spirits requires that the human being accommodate them, by slowing down and focusing.

As in the Christian tradition, Lakota stories say than humans were the last thing to be created. But rather than being superior to everything, man was decidedly inferior. All the animals stood around First Man and First Woman and laughed and cried at how pitiful these naked things were. They had no fur to keep them warm, no teeth and no claws to feed themselves and they had nothing to offer the other animals in return for knowledge. Coyote laughed so hard at the sight of them that he died of it. Almost by accident, First Woman stepped over his prostrate body and brought him back to life. In his gratitude, Coyote begged the Great Mystery to do something to help these pitiful creatures. He thought that if they just died it would be better than the miserable short existence that they were in for.

Wakantanka had another idea. He created a plant, tobacco, and gave it exclusively to human beings. He also made the every spirit in nature long for the taste and smell of it, but the only way they could get it was if human beings offered it to them. So it was that human beings learned from animal spirits and other spirits in the world how to live.

I love this story because it clearly says that we needed the spirits in order to live. They did not need us. It is only with offerings of tobacco and a certain amount of humility that they are willing to reveal themselves to us. This was the purpose of the hundreds of red prayer ties I made in preparation for my ceremony.

In my fable, though, I did not have a vision in the way I expected. Rather the actual animals appeared in my world and demonstrated through their actions what I needed in order to live. The spider demonstrated careful construction and patience. The rabbit showed a certain amount of courage to come out into the open when it knew predators were still around, that there is a certain risk involved in really living. The porcupine taught me that I could figure out what was going on around me by simply opening my eyes and seeing the evidence. The vulture spoke to me of the opportunities to grow and change that death sometimes represents. The crows talked to each other and helped each other by sharing information. The butterfly reminded me that there is beauty in persistence. Even when it won’t get you what you want, it makes you stronger. The bats taught me flexibility and the immense power of listening carefully.

None of this interpretation came out of a book and the holy person who was assisting me did not even attempt to interpret what happened to me on the hill. He did stress, by his silences and later his questions, that while I could not control the things that happened, I certainly did control what they meant. It was my responsibility to find the meaning in the ceremony, not his. On reflection, I could tease out the lessons that all these helpers had given me. None of them were glamorous or particularly powerful medicine, but each brought me a lesson I needed at that time.

He also brought the spider back into my awareness with his question. “Did the spider ever catch anything?” When I thought about it later, I came to understand that just because I had done all the ceremony in the right way, at the right time and with the right materials, it did not guarantee that I would “catch” anything. And in another way, my answer had been wrong. The spider did catch something. It caught my attention. In those few minutes that it was spinning its trap, I was transported. I felt no hunger and no thirst. Time stopped as I gazed in awe at the beauty of the thing. I was listening and they were speaking in the language of symbols. Those moments, when time was suspended — that was my vision.

Quiz of the Day for July 30 – Are You Energy Sensitive?

Are You Energy-Sensitive?

by Annie B. Bond

If you have ever found yourself getting irritated or depressed for no  apparent reason after spending time with certain people, the answer may be  simple: you may be a sensitive, absorbing or reacting to energy from these  individuals that isn’t healthy for you.

Answer these questions to see if this could be true for you, and then find  out what to do about it so you don’t continue to feel depleted or irritable when  you’re around these people.

1. Do you frequently feel angry, nervous, tense, or irritable around certain  people?

2. Do you often feel sad, low-energy, drained, or lethargic when you are  around some individuals?

3. Do you ever find yourself wanting to lie or cover-up around specific  people?

4. Do you frequently find yourself folding your arms over your midsection  when you are with certain people in your life?

5. Do you often feel ill-at-ease or uncomfortable with some individuals?

6. Does the mere sight of some people cause you to feel instantly defensive  or angry?

7. Do you find yourself inwardly groaning when you hear a specific person’s  voice on the phone?

The more questions you answered “yes” to, the more sensitive you probably  are.

Most of us are unconsciously influenced by others’ energies. These energies  are what they are, neither good nor bad–but some may be beneficial, and some  detrimental to us. The extent to which you are affected is a sign of your  sensitivity. Becoming awareof the energy-effects of interactions is a  wonderful first step in becoming more conscious, and in undoing the negative  effects of others’ energies on us.

If you think you are being adversely affected when you are in the company of  certain people’s energy fields, here are some things you can do:

If you are around someone whose energy makes you feel drained:

1.  Move away from the person.

2. Politely cut the interaction short.

3.  Redirect the person’s attention.

 

If you find yourself feeling irritable around someone:

1. First,  realize that you do not need to take this personally. Simply notice, “This is  someone who makes me feel prickly.”

2. Ground yourself. This can be as simple  as just placing your hands on the ground, or as complex as doing a brief  relaxation and grounding exercise.

 

Take Smaller Bites! Why Bite-Sized Foods Are Better

Take Smaller Bites! Why Bite-Sized Foods Are Better

by Eric Steinman

 

So much of the recent concern and debate over nutrition and obesity has  centered on the issue of portion size. With much of the fast food/junk food  industry marketing bigger is better, it is hard not to conclude that the  opposite might be true – small is preferable. Maybe a slider is better than a  Big Mac, and a bite of chocolate is better than a whole bar. Now, seemingly,  there is conclusive scientific proof that smaller bites are better than a  mouthful.

Researchers at Arizona State University investigated how the size and  number of food pieces affected human satisfaction and the human reward  mechanism. The researchers found that smaller pieces of food are more  “rewarding” and lead to a greater feeling of fullness than one large piece of  food with equal energy values. A food portion cut into multiple bite-sized  pieces may look more voluminous and will elicit greater satisfaction than the  same portion presented as a single large piece. This means that a plate of cute  little pizza slices will be infinitely more rewarding to a hungry person than  just four massive slices of pizza. This is good news for the calorie-conscious  who want to provide a more satisfying dining experience – just cut everything up  into smaller, bite-sized, pieces (if only it were that easy).

While this theory does hold some water, it is not clear whether we are  looking at a future of mini-everything. Sure it would likely be better for  portion control and sensible eating (not to mention a boon to marketers selling  bite-sized pieces at a premium), but we humans are hungry animals with an  unyielding desire for the grand offering.

What are your thoughts on smaller portions of food being inherently more  rewarding than big servings? Have you found this to be true for yourself? What  are some of your favorite small bites?

 

Daily OM for July 12 – Universal Timing

Universal Timing

Life’s Natural Rhythm

by Madisyn Taylor

 

Slowing down and listening to your own natural rhythm can quickly connect you to the Universe.

 

Nature’s natural rhythms orchestrate when day turns to night, when flowers must bloom, and provides the cue for when it is time for red and brown leaves to fall from trees. As human beings, our own inner rhythm is attuned to this universal sense of timing. Guided by the rising and setting of the sun, changes in temperature, and our own internal rhythm, we know when it is time to sleep, eat, or be active. While our minds and spirits are free to focus on other pursuits, our breath and our heartbeat are always there to remind us of life’s pulsing rhythm that moves within and around us.

Moving to this rhythm, we know when it is time to stop working and when to rest. Pushing our bodies to work beyond their natural rhythm diminishes our ability to renew and recharge. A feeling much like jet lag lets us know when we’ve overridden our own natural rhythm. When we feel the frantic calls of all we want to accomplish impelling us to move faster than is natural for us, we may want to breathe deeply instead and look at nature moving to its own organic timing: birds flying south, leaves shedding, or snow falling. A walk in nature can also let us re-attune is to her organic rhythm, while allowing us to move back in time with our own. When we move to our natural rhythm, we can achieve all we need to do with less effort.

We may even notice that our soul moves to its own internal, natural rhythm – especially when it comes to our personal evolution. Comparing ourselves to others is unnecessary. Our best guide is to move to our own internal timing, while keeping time with the rhythm of nature.

 

Are Pets A Luxury?

Are Pets a Luxury?

by Nicolas, selected from petMD

Ever marveled at how much more livable your life is now that you’re  lucky  enough to have pets in it? Wondered how you could function without  their  presence? Yet you constantly field annoying comments questioning  how much you  spend on them, right? As if keeping pets was a mere luxury…

Driving to work early Sunday morning I caught a snippet of the American  Public Radio show, On  Being.  Among other ontological tidbits, the guest, celebrated poet and  scholar  Elizabeth Alexander, addressed the following question: Is poetry a  luxury?

Her answer, a thoughtful “no” to the notion of poetry’s ready dispensability  for its elite or cushy connotations, was based primarily  on its permanence as  cultural touchstone through the ages. When did we  not have poetry? This form of  communication is purportedly as old as the  earliest civilizations. Hence, it’s  posited, we must harbor a  quintessentially human need to engage in it.

Which, of course, got me to mulling over much the same with respect to our  pets: Are they a luxury?

Excessive, indulgent, inessential, hedonistic, frilly, sumptuous,   extravagant. Such are the adjectives the word, “luxury” denotes. None  of  which, I’d argue, apply to my own conception of the animals I keep as  pets.  Nor is it likely to jibe with your worldview of petdom — not if  you consume  animal infotainment, like this blog, on a regular basis.

After all, some of us don’t necessarily see animal keeping as a personal   choice. We view animals among us as the result of the millennia old  process of  domestication — a complex, symbiotic relationship that serves  as a significant  measure of our humanity.

Which is perhaps why so many of us feel almost compelled to live  alongside  animals. This, despite the fact that with all our modern  advances we’ve mostly  “aged out” of keeping pets as ratters, hunters,  and defenders (among other  survival-based uses). Because, as the  argument goes, there’s something so  fundamentally co-evolutionary (about  dogs and cats in particular) that we  continue to forge lasting bonds  with them in spite of the less pressing need to  keep them close.

No, pets are decidedly not luxuries — not any more than  anything  else we might consider “essential” to our quality of life that  can also be said  to be a luxury. After all, we humans need no more than  food, water, clothing  and shelter to survive. All else is luxury, by  that standard.

Yet I’m also convinced the same cannot be said for all pet owners (we all know who they are). Nor do I expect everyone to agree that pet keeping can possibly be essential. Pets, they’ll say, are nothing more than a self-indulgent drain on personal resources.

Though, to rebut the naysayers, I might offer the case of the old woman   whose only reason to get out of bed is to feed her cat. I do understand  the  reasoning of those who wonder how far we as a society should go to  shoulder the  expenses not only of our human citizenry, but that of their  animals as  well.

Because if animals are deemed essential, non-luxury goods, our social   services would surely expand to meet the demand for low income pet care. Which  is sort of where we’re headed… for better or worse.

Then there’s the other end of the spectrum within the animal crowd: The   puritanical animal rightists who believe pets are the ultimate luxury, and that  keeping them “enslaved” to humans is no less morally egregious  than wearing  their fur or killing them (in the case of wolves) from  helicopters for  sport.

Moreover, the fact that we can and do subjugate them to our will and  call  them essential to our personal psyches and to our need to thrive is an affront  to their own physical and psychological welfare.

High-volume arguments from both camps aside, it’s clear the case is  thick as  mud. All of which only serves to make me ponder this gem all  the more: If  pets are a luxury, what does that say about veterinary medicine?

Atlanta, GA Faery Workshop Announced

Atlanta, GA Faery Workshop Announced

The Faery workshop “Calling All Humans: An Invitation From the Faeries” is to presented by Diomira Rose and the Faeries on Saturday, July 28, 2012 from 10am to 4pm.

The venue for this upcoming workshop has changed to Strawberry Fields: A Dana Gallery at the below address:

12655 Birmingham Highway Alpharetta, GA 30004

This change was inspired by none other than the faeries, as it connected to the most magical and enchanting piece of land teeming with faery energy – a superb backdrop and ideal playground for several of our workshop activities. There is even a labyrinth, which I am told is representative of the structure and design of the workshop! I will further explain as we walk this spiraled journey on the 28th.

What is the Faery Workshop About?

The faery workshop was originated almost 4 years ago after countless hours of meditation, inspiration and learning. It was Spirit-guided and channeled from the Faeries by Diomira, having made it very clear that the Time was upon us – whatever that meant. Eventually an understanding was reached and this is what they explained: “The Time of the Great Shift is Now. It is of the utmost importance that humanity begin to remember their connection to the Earth. We [The Faeries] wish to facilitate this bridge of reconnection with Gaia. It is in remembering our connection to the Earth, and all her creatures, that the divine awakening within Humanity can occur, and thus a seamless process of Ascension.”

Because the their mastery of form, and adept understanding of the universal codes that are embedded within the very fabric of nature, the faeries have much wisdom relating to making a dimensional shift. They wish to share their wisdom with us at this time. For our great benefit they have brought forth several tools for this wisdom to manifest. The Faery Light Healing is one of these such tools. The workshop is another.

The workshop helps us to clear emotional debris, while reintroducing us to the subtle, yet powerful energies of nature. Once the emotional debris is stirring, and our hearts are gently being guided open under the direction of the divinely-guided Nature Kingdom, we undergo an energetic clearing and attunement that prepares us to meet and bond with our Faery Counterpart. A Faery Counterpart is a faery that has stood forth in order to work with us as individuals to assist us in the remembrance of our connection to Mother Earth. We not only activate our relationship with our Faery Counterpart, but learn how to work with them in a myriad of ways. The Faery Counterpart is unlike a faery guide or friend you may have. The bond between our Faery Counterpart and us is an intimate connection unlike anything else I have experienced in that they complement us with an energetic configuration that fits perfectly.

This workshop is designed to give you tools to assist you as you move forward in your Christed Evolution on planet Earth. It will help you to remember your connection to the Earth, and/or allow you to deepen your relationship to her.

I request that participants bring the following: a journal/pad of paper, pen, wear comfortable clothing and whatever preparation you require personally for spending an hour outside, a lunch, as the break is not really long enough to leave.

All other materials are provided such as crystal and certificate (agreement)

Investment: $150

Registration is between 9:30 and 10am. Cash and check are preferred. Cards are accepted with Square. Please email me ahead of time to let me know you plan to attend, as space is limited and preparation needs to be made for accurate number of participants. All parking in the rear of the building please. Feel free to contact me with any questions at reply email address or phone: 404-789-4823.

*Please note, there are no prerequisites for this workshop. Workshop is meditation intensive, in that there are about 5 guided meditations (this includes the healings), so one must be prepared to sit through these with a little focus. The imagery makes these easy to follow and so no prior meditation practice or skills are required – only imagination, as that is the gateway into the heart. If you feel in your heart you want to come, this is probably right for you. Let your heart determine your course of action, not your mind. And so begins your initial homework. :)

Check your heart. See if you are guided to join the Faeries and me in this mystical workshop.

With Love and Faery Light, Diomira Rose and the Faeries diomiralista@hotmail.com

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for June 20

By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

At those times when we have planned for something and have our hearts set on our affairs going in a certain direction but they fail to materialize, we are disappointed. If we have any faith at all, we must remember that one door never closes but another opens. That which once seemed the right thing to plan for may not hold all the things that would be for our good in the long run. It may have been right in the beginning, but as time passes and other events come into being, a change may be necessary for the benefit of the over-all picture.

Sometimes we fix our attention so rigidly on one thing, one part of life, one person, that a change throws us into a state of extreme disappointment. But disappointment, like all of the emotions, can serve to strengthen rather than take away. The attitude with which we face life can determine its outcome.

We can look with woeful eyes on the negative mental attitude and wallow in self-pity, or we can flip the mind to the upper side and let the positive mental attitude bring to us the strength and peace we need.

Disappointment is something no one has escaped. The many plans we make sometimes fade like mist in the sunlight. A cherished dream may take another shape and to lose that vision can throw a dim view on all of life. Because one tiny part could not be fulfilled, we are so tempted to let all of the rest go with it.

But if only we could wait a bit. So often we then come to realize the reason for our change in plans.

Sometimes disappointment is the very thing that keeps us mounting the steps upward, keeps us stretching our minds to understand. And it may test our spirits. For if disappointment can make a spirit bitter, the joy of accomplishment would have soon soured.

There is no joy in a disappointment, but it may be the thing to save us from a life of mediocrity.

English novelist Edward George Bulwer-Lytton wrote, “Man must be disappointed with the lesser things in life before he can accomplish the full value of the greater.”

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

Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet:

 

http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com

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

Lilith, Queen of Our Hearts

 

Author: Zanaffar

Lilith is one of the most mysterious and enigmatic beings who, in one way or another, put her imprint on the human race. Most spiritual beings that we perceive as gods and goddesses have very distinct roles, and their relationship with humans is merely a supportive one. Since they all belong to a certain sphere, or represent a certain force of the Universe — some even in our planet’s nature — they offer their support to each human who performs an activity, or studies and works within their sphere or the force they represent. This support comes in form of energy and never, or extremely rarely, takes the form of an intervention or personal implication. This is perfectly understandable, because they are not human. Their knowledge and experience seems limitless compared to ours and so they know better than to interfere with human matters.

Many practitioners may say that a specific god or goddess offered them direct help, but this is only how we look at things. By drawing a certain power to themselves and combining that energy with their personal desires and will the result may seem like a divine grace or intervention. Power and energy is free for all to possess. Since you are free to do what you think is best (supporting the consequences of karma of course) with it… in this sense, a specific representative of a force may seem to have helped you. But Lilith is an entity who proceeds very differently.

We can find the story of Lilith in Jewish mythology, according to which she was the first wife of Adam. She refused to submit to a male’s will and chose a different path for herself. Her image is also associated with Ishtar, Astarte, and many other goddess images. Thanks to these legends, the Christian currents made her one of the most feared and dangerous of female demons, and this continual spiritual ‘gossip’, so to speak, nowadays creates a very false image of what she really is.

The following information is based purely on my personal spiritual research and cannot be found in any book. So here comes my version of Lilith’s story based on my experiences and research:

The origins of Lilith, where she came from, in what form she came, the nature of her spiritual essence is unknown. It’s certain that her true origins are alien from the spheres we know, and the structure of our world. What is certain that she is a female entity, she has a very well defined and strong personality and she has human characteristics … and because of these attributes, she probably is close to humans, our world, and our plane of existence.

Many say that her native element is fire. My opinion is that it is all of them, especially their combination that we might call the psychic plane. It is for certain that Lilith was in contact with humans and eventually those entities that are dominant in the Jewish mythology, and it is also certain that she rejected all for of dominance from others. From her first contact with the entities native to our world (even before humans) she underwent an intense and rapid process of evolution, thanks to which she mastered the energies of our natural spheres just like other entities. From the legends, we can understand that she learned from both demonic and angelic forces, embracing all the aspects of the Universe and placing herself in the middle… surprisingly similar to what humans do.

Some legends say that she had “sexual intercourses” with certain angels and demonic beings all suggesting an energy transfer, a process of learning. (We all can understand that a sexual intercourse from a spiritual point of view is something very different than we perceive from a physical point of view) . This energetic transfer, which the legends speak about, is a totally different phenomenon that clearly underlines her unique nature since neither angelic nor demonic beings are known to manifest in this way. (They are in permanent contact with each other, and in order to keep the sacred balance of our world, there are numerous phenomena of energy transfers, but nothing of this nature.) This manifestation… is highly unusual.

Thanks to her unique evolution, this female entity earned herself a very distinct position in our world. Unlike other beings, even goddesses who represent love, attraction, fertility, birth, reproduction, Lilith represents attraction in every form, both human, physical, psychic, spiritual energetic… you name it.

To many, this nature and role of hers is against the rules of nature, against the balance of our world. It can be seen as a spiritual and energetic perversion. This might be true, but it can also be seen in a very different way. By sacrificing her purity, in the sense that she might interfere in the delicate rules of our world, by releasing patterns of unusual, and unlikely attraction she catalyzes, encourages and helps evolution.

This act of hers can be considered as a huge, unspeakably valuable boost to all evolution in our world. And this doesn’t just affect humans; it affects every spirit who by its nature is susceptible to attraction. Only if two different, separate elements that resonate on an energetic level meet each other, can a third one, totally new and unique, be born. Without her attraction, this “mutation” so to speak, would take place in very, very slow paces.

Her power makes sure that if two elements are formally incompatible, this difference of manifestation can turn into attraction, reciprocal exploration and atone point unity, a change of experiences, a change of energies, fortifying both, offering something new and unique to both and, in some cases, even result in the birth of something new.

Thanks to this role of hers, she is a goddess, an entity of true love, because only love is that special force which attracts energies, matter, particles, spirits. Excluding another element because it’s different or formally incompatible is NOT unconditional love anymore, and this is what she is all about.

As I told you before, she doesn’t submit to any rule or regulation and this is what makes her relationship with humans so different. She is a guardian of women and believes in the superiority of the female element and she does encourage its perseverance in an active fashion. In other words, she sticks her nose into other beings’ businesses and this gesture of hers could be considered extremely outrageous spiritually. Very few entities present in our sphere do this; but all who do, in one way or another, consider themselves free from all rules and obligations and follow their own personal paths.

Lilith may be a harlot, temptress, seductress, goddess of prostitutes, source of the primordial sin, but her attraction and the forces she mastered make her the true queen of love and devoted defender of women.

For her free spirit, her incredible activity, and for her sense of justice and for her unequaled talent and power, I respect her and thank for what she is offering our world.

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for June 6

By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Have you heard how dreadful the neighbors are these days to ignore another’s plight, and how the world has gone to the dogs because people don’t care? Have you heard how hardened hearts are and how callous and unfeeling the human race has become?

It may be true such things do happen….for we hear about it daily. But it likely is that we hear more about the unusual than the usual.

For have you heard about the builder who laid his own plans aside to help another build his house….and the lady who gave her home and nursing care to someone who had no other place to go. Or the child who found its needs fulfilled in the love of a foster mother.

We may ignore, but we can never erase the love of the human race. The world may abound with sordid happenings; it may revel in senseless activities. But called to help, the greater number will respond without thought of the cost to themselves.

Of these things we hear so little. With these we come in contact every day and accept it as the normal pattern of life….which it is….for each unthinking, infantile mind there are two great thoughtful ones. And the second great Commandment still works its wonders in all our lives.

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

Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet:

 

http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com

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

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Good Sunday Morning, my dear friends! Have a Look, I’ve been taking pics again!

Good Morning Images, Quotes, Comments, Graphics
Good Sunday morning, dear, dear friends! How are you doing this morning? Me? I got up at 6:00 with wonderful intentions to do yard work. Ha, I took my medicine for my back and when right back to sleep. (For the new ones joining us, I had a three level back fusion.) I looked at the clock and thought, hmm, it can’t be that late. Yeah right, it was 11:00, I said,  “oh, sh*t!” Kiki and I do a lot of yard work together. When it is around lunch time, she doesn’t want to go outside because of the heat. Me neither, lol!

I have been out taking pics again and I wanted to show you what just showed up late yesterday. I got a call from a local vet and he asked if I would take in another critter for him. I asked him what kind and he told me, a beautiful red fox. I couldn’t believe it. It was brought to him with one of his back legs severely damaged. The poor thing, lost most of his foot and the rest of his leg and hip had to have pins. Needless to say, he is in quite a bit of pain. I give him pain shots every 4 hours and he stays sedated. I don’t believe if he didn’t, he could stand the pain. We aren’t sure what happened but the vet told me, some man just dropped him off and left. The man said nothing at all. So that led me to believe the man knew exactly what had happened. The vet said more than likely the poor thing had got caught in a trap. It wasn’t the intended victim, the man felt guilty about killing such a lovely creature and brought him to the vet. Now the question is, when the fox is out of the severe pain will he be able to function as he should. If not, he will have to have a home with a person. I never considered having a fox but if we bond during his recovery, then he will stay with me. Right now, he is very leery of humans and who can blame him. But here is his beautiful face.

This was taken while he was still under the influence of the sedatives. He had woke up just a minute and I had the camera in my back pocket. I snapped it very quickly. Then he went back to sleep. He is in a fairly good side inclosure. If he decides he wants to try to get up and walk and move, he can. I don’t believe in keeping animals in little crates or cages. All of the places I have for the animals to stay are quite large. It gives them a little freedom but they are still enclosed and safe. I might add they are also well protected and guarded.

The food bill I incur every month is huge, not to mention anything unexpected that might come up. I also always give the vets money for their supplies they use. I have received several donations towards these expenses. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate them too. No amount is too small. It all adds up and it is put to good use. You can see for yourself who and what benefits from the donations, the animals. Then on top of the bill for the upkeep and care of the animals, I also have a server that I have to pay each month also. So my funds get stretched to the max, to say the least. I want you to know that I appreciate ever donation that I get. If you would like to help keep the work I am doing with the animals going by making a donation. There is a PayPal button to the side here.

Remember no amount is too small, it all adds up. And most of all it is greatly appreciated. Thank you my friends, from the bottom of my heart. Because I truly love doing what I do.

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for May 23rd

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

It has been said that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. But it is even truer that there is no hell more furious than those human beings who feel scorn within themselves for themselves. It is natural but painful for those who do not know the meaning of love to find fault and grief within their own existence. Unable to accept the blame for their actions, there is a continual search for the cause in other people.

How can we tell what point in life others am have reached in their development? We can only see and sense the pain that some carry while they learn the way. If it is impossible to get along with them, we should get along without them, but condemning them will never turn the tide.

Understanding of others and of ourselves has been a great human need for all time. The fact that we do not look with a critical eye, pecking away in constant irritation at another’s faults, but give some sign of friendliness, some patience for rebellious spirits, may serve as the turning point for that spirit. And to try for such understanding does no harm for the one who makes the effort.

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

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

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

 
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