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2006 The
world seemly comes to a standstill at this time of year. In fact, the word
Solstice means “standing still sun”. The sun does seem to be
still……daylight is at its shortest, night it’s longest. The ancient
Romans termed the Solstice: The Birthday of the Unconquered Sun”, and
had great feasts and parties to welcome the return of the Sun God. In
ancient Scandinavia, the winter celebration was called “Yule”, and
huge Yule logs were burnt to symbolically restore the warmth and light.
Warming foods and beverages were abundant.
The longest night of the year
was then followed by the beginning of the new solar year, and the birthday
of the Gods and Goddesses. (I always wondered why the New Year was
celebrated in the dead time of the year, and now I know….to bring the
year alive again!)
Christmas used to be a
“moveable” feast, much like Easter, since the birth date of the Christ
Child was not specifically mentioned in Biblical texts. Pope Julius I
decided to permanently move the feast of Christmas to December 25th
in the fourth century. This was the traditional time of the “pagan”
celebrations of the Winter Solstice, and the “Sun God’s” triumphant
return. The Goddess would birth Her Son, the Sun, and the Light would
return again to earth. The Pope hoped to replace the pagan traditions with
Christian ones, and succeeded very well.
So many Christmas traditions
have their origin in early Goddess times. The Christmas wreath is in
reality the wheel of life, the wheel of fate, which reminds us of the
turning of the seasons, and of life. The Christmas tree (or now, in the
politically correct terms, the “holiday tree”), was greenery brought
in to keep the wood spirits and fairies warm. It was decorated with bells
to frighten away evil; and candles, to ward away the darkness. The Yule
log brought light and warmth to the home, and reminded the people that the
return of the Light, and the Sun God was here. So many common traditions,
repackaged, updated, slightly reworded, but the same, since the beginning
times. We change so little………..
Icy cold mornings, snowy afternoons, quiet evenings, blustery
nights. The world settles into a serene quietude that does not occur in
other seasons. Light, finally, is gradually being restored into our lives.
Warmth, radiance, and security are being restored. We crave the Light,
because it has retreated from us. We decorate our homes with garlands of
twinkling white and colored lights, we festoon the Yule tree with
artificial candle glow, to restore the Light within our homes. The Goddess
will birth Her Radiant Child of Light once again.
This
might be the time of year to birth the Light within ourselves. I have a
feeling that our tradition of “New Years Resolutions” began as a way
of expressing the newness of Light and the New Year.
As
a spiritual exercise in creating Light in your life, you may want to write
down in your journal ten of your best qualities. Yes, that is correct, ten
of the things you like best about yourself. Write them in the “I am”
format: “I am a good listener” or “I am a great and loyal friend”
or “I am an excellent organizer”. Whatever your talents and gifts are,
write them down. If you would like to choose more than ten: wonderful! Now
select two or three of these qualities that you would like to intensify,
and bring more Light and Brightness to. If, for example, you select,” I
am a devoted friend”, how could you show more devotion to your friends?
Who are your friends? Is your next door neighbor a friend? What could be
done to make relations more “neighborly’? Is it possible to have
friends that you do not personally know, such as residents of a nursing
home or prison? Would you be willing to hold your known and unknown
friends in daily prayer? Is Mother Earth your friend? How could you show
more love and devotion to Her? Is Spiritual Ecology a path you wish to
travel? What about the animals? People in other parts of the country, or
world? Can you see where this is leading? This is just the beginning; you
have other qualities and gifts that will flourish with more attention and
respect. Focus on the good parts of you. Your “imperfections” (which
may actually be charming eccentricities) perceived will vanish in the
Light of your ministrations. Write down your plans for adding to your
Light. Celebrate each time you bring more Light to your life, and the
lives of others.
Instead of “resolutions”
which are so easily broken and forgotten, and setting a heart up for
failure, holding good ideals and ideas in the Light of the Goddess brings
peace to your heart. Draw out those beautiful qualities that reside with
in you, and assist them in preparing to blossom in the Springtime, which
shall arrive soon. This
is the time of year to withdraw inside our cozy spaces, to reflect and
meditate, to read and craft, to play with the children and pets, to pray
and reflect, and enjoy the inside world of our homes. Traditionally, this
was the time of year for schooling, for the teaching of stories and songs,
for the learning of the crafts and trades of the previous generations.
Winter is also the time for silent walks on abandoned pathways and trails,
cross country skiing, meditatively feeding the birds and following tiny
animal trails. Withdraw now into the silence of Winter, and create warmth
in your heart. Enjoy the
beauty of this Season of Light. And please enjoy the beauty that is you. Bright
Blessings, I
have been contemplating prayer quite a bit lately. Working so diligently
on many projects over the course of the summer has provided ample
opportunity to think and muse. Digging weeds, stripping old wallpaper,
renovating and restoring is the type of semi-mindless work that is perfect
for meditative thoughts.
In particular, prayer in all its many
forms has been on the forefront. Our part of the world experienced a long
drought this summer, and signs and billboards sprang up all over town,
with one common message: Pray for rain! Yes we sorely needed it, and no,
the rains did not come. The sky was clear and blue, the plants were dry
and withered, and rationing was begun. Finally, the clouds opened late in
the summer, and the nourishing rains arrived. And I did not see one sign
that said “Thank you for the rain!”
And the thought came:
when we are asking for stuff, is that the only time we know how to
pray? Is the concept of gratitude out of date? Or maybe is prayer out of
date?
Growing up in the Catholic tradition,
we had prayers for every day, and every time of day. Every season, every
occasion, every tradition, every situation had specific prayers for it.
Morning prayers and evening prayers. Prayers before meals and prayers
after meals. Prayers for Christmas, and Easter, and St. Valentine’s Day,
prayers for St. Joseph’s Day and St. Anne’s Day and St. Bridget’s
Day. Every day had its very own saint and special prayers to go with it.
There were special blessings for house pets and farm animals, sore throats
and other maladies, prayers for the dead, prayers for the newly born,
prayers for the sick and injured, prayers for every person on earth.
I learned that there were many forms
of prayer: Prayers of Thanksgiving, Prayer of Adoration, Prayers of
Petition, and Prayers of Reparation.
There were so many beings to pray to:
God, Jesus, and of course, His Mother, Mary (she is the favorite;
did you know that there are more Churches dedicated to Mary than to Her
Son, and all the Saints combined?), and at least a million (more of less) saints and angels. I felt overwhelmed with love and protection
from so many beneficent Holy Ones.
However,
they all seemed so far away. Far away in Heaven and so far away from me.
One day, my studies lead me to the
Prayer of Jesus in his original Aramaic language….we are all familiar
with the translated English version of it…..”Our Father, who art in
Heaven, hallowed be your name…..”
In Aramaic, the language he actually
spoke and taught in, however, the prayer is much different: I
was amazed. This was not the prayer I had said fervently each day. This
was something new and yet, older than ancient. God was Mother. God was
intimate, peaceful, loving, and so much more. God was Mother. God is
Mother. We were not made of
dirt or someone’s left-over body parts, as was stated in old texts.
We were birthed from God, as stated by Her Son. And since males
cannot give birth, God became The Goddess to me. A Goddess as close to me
as my own body. A Goddess who encompassed us, our world and the Universe
with Her love. I
learned new prayers. Not prayers of asking for stuff, not prayers of
complaint, not prayers begging for forgiveness. True prayers. Happy
prayers. Prayers of singing, and dancing and poetry. Prayers of joy for
being alive. And possibly, most important, prayers of contentment for the
joy of being together with Goddess.
Nowhere was there ever written a
prayer for just “hanging out” with the Divine. Not asking for
“stuff”, possessions, wealth; not formal petitions and structures, not
asking to Power to smite my enemies. Prayers of: Let us be, let us love,
and let us enjoy one another. Let’s have a cup of tea, and be together.
No agenda, no formula. Let us talk and snuggle and breather in each
other’s presence. I learned to love being in the company of the Goddess,
and to see Her beauty everywhere.
I discovered a prayer, written by Henry Horton, that I thought you
might enjoy. It is loosely based on the traditional “Our Father”. Our
Mother, whose body is the Earth Blessings
of Autumn Equinox to you. I
keep you in my heart always. Sharon Blessings,
Joanna, for all you do to keep this site so lovely!!!
Summer
is the season of the Goddess, in all He rich and abundant forms and shapes
and colors. It is the season where all the sensations of the senses come
to life and are finely tuned. I love looking out and seeing a thousand
shades of green. Enormous puffy clouds, the moon and stars at night,
swallows performing air acrobatics. What a gift to be able to see. Hearing
bird songs, and chainsaws and teenager’s loud speakers blasting their
latest version of music, and smaller children at their play. What a gift
to be able to hear. The mixture of scents waft by……garden flowers, a
barbeque grill scorching dinner, the chlorine of a swimming pool. What a
gift to be able to discern scent. The feel of Mother earth beneath my
body, the texture of the flowers and shrubs, the softness of the growing
puppies ands kittens. What a gift to be able to feel. The blessings of the
Goddess are unlimited. The
Spring-born animals are growing rapidly, enjoying the brightness of the
days, and the plethora of good foods to eat. Plants that have lain dormant
for months are growing at an astonishing rate. It feels as though there is
an ongoing race outside, to see who can get the biggest/tallest/widest in
the shortest amount of time. I
have been observing “the race” from the vantage point of my garden.
The weeds are trying valiantly to take over every possible amount of space
open, and I am attempting, just as valiantly, to keep them at bay. There
was a luxurious rain the evening prior, so now the weeds are in the
lead…..for now. Until I suit up in “my armor” of gloves, insect
repellent, rake, trowel, and shovel. The weeds don’t stand a chance. And
as I vigorously yank out the offending visitors to my garden, the
reoccurring thought of life and death keeps running through my mind…… I
realized that a great deal of Summer is about letting go and releasing
that which is no longer wanted or necessary. My prolific and happy weeds
would be just fine in another place or time. But here amidst my flowers,
they are unwanted little villains now, vying for precious space, crowding
out the poppies and myrtle and bleeding heart And out they go the compost
pile……to be transformed and to be reborn at a later time, finding a
home in another season, perhaps, in nourishing the vegetable patch. The
Wheel of the Seasons turns. The
beauty of Summer would not be complete if not for the harshness of Winter.
The hotness and humidity that are hallmarks of Summer are in stark
contrast to Winter’s icy cold dryness. The lush abundance of Summer
greenery contrasts the stark white and black and grey landscapes of deep
Winter. I
thought about life and death in my little garden. It was time for the
weeds to die, even if they were not ready to go. They would have a second
chance at existence later on. Life is change and transformation. The seed
transforms to the plant, to the fruit, back to seed, to be transformed
once again. Life is not stagnant in Nature. When there is no change, death
approaches swiftly. When water becomes stagnant, is it no longer a source
of nourishment and life. It brings destruction. We also must transform, or cease to be. In
Summer’s warmth we can jump and run and play, or lay back in tall
grasses and idly watch the clouds go by. Were you fortunate enough to have
a childhood Summer free of the chronic over-scheduling we now inflict upon
our children? Do you remember being able to have seemingly unlimited
amounts of freedom to explore the neighborhood; stopping to see how far
ants can travel with a boulder of a bread crumb on its tiny back, running
and shrieking through the sprinkler, riding a rickety bike down the
driveway, back inside to pester Mom for
a refreshing orange popsicle? What a gift to have TIME. Were you given
that great gift? I truly hope so. If not, give yourself that great gift of
time now…..even if it is only a half hour to sit and sip a icy glass of
lemonade, and delight all your senses with it. The
great seasonal feast of Litha quickly approaches. This is the traditional
celebration of the Mid Summer Solstice, the Longest Day of the year, June
21st. Litha brings Summer to it’s official beginning. To
celebrate the Sun, and the warmth, and the abundance of Mother Earth’s
bounty. Litha also reminds us that the days will start to shorten the next
day, on the way to winter’s inevitable return. There is a cycle and a
balance to our life on Mother Earth. A time to weed out what is not
wanted, a time to enjoy the beauty and pleasures life offers, a time to
nurture what we have symbolically and literally planted in our lives. The
ancients deemed Litha a tremendously important occasion, and built
monuments to commemorate it, monuments that are in use to this day. The
great edifice of Stonehenge will be the site of ritual prayer and
remembrance on June 21st. There are other sites in other parts
of the world that are used to mark the days of solstice and equinox. The
days are filled with the possibility of personal transformation, if used
wisely and reverently and mindfully. Celebrate the day with fresh
strawberries and orange colored produce, feast on local greens on your
most beautiful china plates Grace your table with roses, lavender and
yarrow. Look and see and feel the healing power these lovely flowers and
fruits contain, and appreciate the planet that produces them. And realize
that even though we are celebrating the beauty of Light at its peak,
Darkness is beginning its journey towards the Winter. Everything changes,
all is transformed. Bright Blessings
of Summer. I keep you in my
heart. Sharon
I
am completely amazed every year at this time. Spring comes in so quickly.
One day the bog is frozen and silent, and the very next day, it comes
alive with the sound of frogs and crickets and who-knows –what- all that
is living in there. One day, the trees and bushes are bare and forlorn,
and again, the very next day….there are buds!! How does this happen? How
does Creation know exactly the day it should come alive again after the
long winter?
There
is an underlying wisdom to all of Creation. Some personify this wisdom as
a Goddess and give Her the name Ostara, She who brings the blessing of
warmth and beauty of Spring. She who brought the balance of night and day
with the coming of the Spring Equinox. She who brings forth new life and
abundance each year with the turning of the seasons.
Ostara weaves a wonderful story of
rebirth and renewal in Spring; some even call this renewal “the
resurrection”; life from death. Spring from Winter. The cycle of life
continues in brilliance and beauty.
Traditionally, many cultures and
nationalities begin the New Year in mid to late March, in the days of the
Julian calendar, the New Year started on March 25th. This makes
perfect sense. Spring is the beginning time, with new life bursting all
around. I am sure the bight person who moved the beginning of the year to
dark, cold, dreary January had a good reason, but, for the life of me, I
cannot figure out why. Winter is dead time, spring is alive. Spring is
filled with anticipation and promise. Spring is sweet scents and luscious
colors. Spring is new baby chicks and bunnies. Spring is the first white
butterfly flittering above. Spring is Life. Spring
is the perfect time of year for our own personal renewal. Traditionally,
this is the time for the Annual Spring Cleaning Event. Houses were torn
apart, scrubbed and put back together, sparkling clean. All the dirt and
grime from the winter was cleansed away, making the home fresh for the
Spring….immaculate windows, fresh carpets, baseboards clean, new paint,
cupboards rearranged and scented with fresh shelf paper. Outside, the yard
called out for major overhaul…..branches and twigs picked up, old leaves
and trash removed, flower beds uncovered. Winter is hard on the garden and
yard, and needs to be ritually removed so that new growth may come forth
unimpeded.
In the days of the Goddess, the home
was reverently cleansed and blessed. Garbage was hauled away and burnt.
Nothing new could be brought into the home until the old and
no-longer-useful was cleared away. This can easily be transformed into our
lives today. It is always enjoyable to invent a new ritual to make the
unpleasurable activities into something more tolerable.
I realize that we, as women, have come
too far in our lives to be relegated back to the kitchen. We have
professional and personal goals to achieve, and living life as house maids
is not something we aspire to. However, we, as women, are also stuck with
the majority of the household tasks. This is a fact. This can be a
blessing or a curse, and it all depends on attitude. There is an old
saying in Zen Buddhism: “before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.
After enlightenment, chop wood carry water.” What needs to be done,
needs to be done. It can be done with a curse or a prayer…..but you will
find greater joy, if you do your work with a blessing.
Our home can either be our temple or
our crash-pad. And again, it is a matter of intention and attitude. There
will always be the household chores. But if these tasks are performed in a
spirit of reverence and gratitude….the spirit of renewal can blossom
forth. Put on some great music, place a drop of two of essential oils of
pine or lavender into your cleaning water, and begin. If you live with
someone or “someones”, enlist their assistance, according to their
joy, or your needs. If you have children in your home, let them help also,
according to their age and ability. Even the smallest toddler can pick up
toys and wave a feather duster around. And at the end of the day,
celebrate with your or your family’s favorite treat; or dream up a
wonderful surprise dinner. Enjoy
the meal together. Feel grateful to be able to have this time together,
complete with abundant food and a beautiful living space
I feel that the preponderance of
“clutter controller” and “mess master” services speaks to the need
in our lives for the ritual of home renewal. When there are no rituals to
bring order out of chaos, it is easy to sink into despair, and feel
overwhelmed. Spring
is a good time for renewal in our personal life….body, mind and spirit.
Beginning with our living space, our lives may enjoy a major
transformation, and begin to move into greater levels of peace, serenity
and gratitude. Many religious traditions use the weeks preceding Spring as
a cleansing time for the soul. This is a time to weed out negative traits
and practices for those that are more fulfilling and joy-filled. Some
practices involved “giving up” a favorite item, such as a favorite
food or activity, to strengthen the soul. Others add an activity, such as
an extra prayer time or community service, or a mind-fullness walk; again,
to strengthen the soul. You may enjoy the challenge of adding such an
activity to your own spiritual practices.
Our
hearts enjoy a renewal in the Spring. To paraphrase the poet “in spring
a young person’s fancy turns to love.” And love it is. The world looks
fresher, and more vibrant, and easier to love. There is hope, which
signals the beginnings of love. And there is beauty, which is food for the
soul and spirit. Enjoying the loveliness of Nature enriches every aspect
of us.
Each
season has its own particular beauty, but Spring alone carries the promise
of rebirth and renewal. Spring’s special charm the promise of newness it
holds. Spring brings forth babies of all kinds, from bugs to birds to
bunnies, and all are delightful in their own way. It is almost impossible
to resist a baby!
Enjoy this sacred, beautiful season of
Spring, and all the wonders of the Goddess in your life. My
Father died almost one year ago. How very strange it is to write that. How
very strange it is to experience it. A year. Could it have been that long
ago, when Dad was so sick? It seems like only yesterday. And yet, it seems
as though I have lived a hundred lifetimes since that day. I understand
now the common practice of allowing a year for mourning, a year for
wearing mourning clothes, a year to be allowed to grieve. I have needed
this year to begin the healing journey process. There
has been an entire year of “firsts” we must live through when someone beloved
dies. The First Thanksgiving
without Dad. The First Christmas without Dad.
My first Birthday without Dad. Dad was born on New Year’s Eve,
and he took the New Year Celebration with him, for the entire family. The First Easter without Dad will soon arrive. And very soon,
we arrive at the First Anniversary of his Death. The man I adored for my
entire life has been gone for one year. I adore him, and always will, even
though he is somewhere, someplace, somewhen, somehow, that I do not
understand. This
year of mourning has also been a search for the meaning and understanding
of life and death. What happens when we die? What part of us leaves? Where
does that part of us go? Heaven? Is there a Heaven, or is it just a
fairytale, like Santa and the Tooth Fairy? Or, maybe “it “doesn’t go
anywhere, and we just die dead. We just die dead like all other life dies.
But do we die? My
sisters and I held Dad constantly during his last days. There was always a
caress, a kiss, a song, a touch. Dad never did like to be alone, and we
kept a constant vigil. We all knew exactly when his last breath left his
body. There was an instant knowing: “Dad is gone”. It was like a door slamming shut. Gone.
Gone Gone. The presence of Dad, the essence of Dad, the being of Dad was
gone. The body we knew so well lay still, and we reverently cleaned and
changed the clothes. But Daddy, where are you? Prayer
and meditation, reading the words of mystics and sages, and the teachings
of the Goddess, have opened doors to understanding the “whys” of
death. We all die. It is the common thread that binds us all together. We
all live and we all die. This is the cycle of life. From life comes death,
and from death, life is reborn. The Goddess gives vivid illustration of
this: from the bitter depths of Winter when Earth is cold and seemingly
dead, comes the new, fresh beginning of life. Spring is the celebration of
life is all its myriad forms. The tree felled in Autumn, laying dead on
the ground all Winter is now home for tiny animals and insects. From roots
and branches creep moss and lichen and grasses. Life from death.
The enormous realization that all life is essentially One Life.
Each of us is a part of everything. We are all truly One. One with each
other, one with all life, and one with our planet, Mother Earth.
We are all a part of this great cycle of life and rebirth, and as
such, we live forever. We live in the circle of life. My
Father lives on in each of his six children. He lives in his
grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. And in their children, yet to be
born. He lives in his words and the stories we remember and share. He
lives in the trees and stars and water and plants and animals. He lives in
all I see and feel and touch. He lives on in you, because we are all One.
In the known and the unknown, the physical and the spiritual, the now, and
the yet-to-be. This is the great mystery of life. This is the blessings
and gift of Spring. I keep you in my
heart. Bright Spring
Blessings. Sharon
There will be Festivals of Light and
Hope beginning shortly. February 2 is the celebration of Candlemas, the
return of the Light and the Spring. Our ancestors trembled in fear
throughout the long winter months. They faced uncertainties that we know
little of: would the tiny babies and frail elders survive the cold winter?
Would there be food enough to last until new crops could grow? Would there
be illness? Life was uncertain at best without our modern luxuries of
heat, mega-markets and medical treatments. Yet these strong people had the
abundant hope and faith that, yes, they would survive, and so would their
community. They would all work together to ensure that survival. They
shared the stores of food, herbal medicines and supplies. They created
sacred rituals and prayers to closely bond the community. Clothes, foods,
embroidery and knitting patterns, dances and songs were all used to forge
a sense of togetherness, of belonging to a special group. All of these
activities heighten the spirit of hope. The mid-winter celebrations
heighten the hope of new life to come.
How much hope is in your life now?
What do you hope for? What do you live for? What brings passion and joy
into your heart? Who do you love? And who loves you? What do you do to
bring hope into your life, and the lives of others?
One of my favorite quotes is from
Albert Einstein, who said “There are two ways to live your life. One is
as though nothing is a miracle; the other is as though everything is a
miracle.” I choose a miracle. I choose lots of miracles. Living and knowing that all you see and hear is miraculous is
living with hope eternal. To know that Spring will come again is to live
in hope. To know that the sun will indeed rise each day is living a
miracle. To know that you are loved is a miracle of the highest magnitude.
Love gives hope its flavor and substance. Giving and receiving love is the
greatest gift we can know.
We are bombarded with messages
during the Christmas season to give, give, give and share love, time and
most of all, money. All of those messages vanish like discarded wrapping
paper once Christmas is over. Yet, these next few months are the times of
the greatest cold and hardships. These are times when the lonely are truly
forgotten. This is the time when hope fades, leaving despair in its place.
No one should have to know despair, especially not the children, or the
ill, or the elderly. You know what to do…..you know how to give hope,
and love.
The wisdom of the Goddess invites us
to see the continuation of the cycle of life in all its myriad forms.
Winter gives way to Spring, darkness gives way to light, life and death
dance in a circle of completion. Goddess brings the message of hope to all
beings. She encourages you to bring your own personal message of hope and
love to your world….your family and friends, co-workers, community
members, strangers. Give the beautiful gift of yourself, and bring the
light back into the world. I
keep you in my heart. Bright
Winter Blessings of Light Sharon
The
autumn is such a fascinating time of year. It is a microcosm of life,
condensed into one tiny part of the year. Our ancient fore-parents honored
the wisdom and beauty of this season with many rituals and celebrations,
mostly of thanksgiving and gratitude.
The gradual darkening of the days and the lengthening of the nights
may serve to remind us of the lengthening of our own days into the evening
time of our lives. The brilliant blaze of color from the trees, which
comes from the chlorophyll fading away revealing the true nature of its
leaves, serves to remind us of our own true nature.
The days now are decidedly
cooler, which brings about greater enthusiasm for moving and scurrying
about. The coolness also brings us into the shelter of our warm homes. The
fall clothes are coming out of storage…warm, cuddly sweaters and thick
socks take the place of summer’s tank tops and sandals. Everything
changes. Life is transformed yet again. And this is the message of the
Goddess of the Autumn.
The Goddess invites us to look
with wisdom on this autumn season. Notice and marvel at all you can
discover. And there is much to learn. What has always been meaningful to
me is watching the cycle of life complete itself in Autumn. Winter brings
dormancy and rest. Spring bursts forth new life in infinite variety.
Throughout Summer, life has
been growing and flourishing at an amazing pace. And now, in Autumn, the
growing is done. No more will the fruits and vegetables grow; they are at
the peak of their cycle. What happens next, if fruits are not eaten and
enjoyed, is decay and rot. The vegetation turns inward, and begins to
consume itself. No more growth is possible, only decomposition. However,
if the fruit or vegetable falls into the soil, it can transform. The seeds
become part of the soil, burrow downwards, and there, safe and snug in
darkness, rest for many months. Many animals seek the safety of
hibernation, and secret inner growth. By
the magic of inner knowledge and wisdom, they will grow in the light of
Spring at exactly the proper time. The miracle of the seasons is
continuing once again.
The message in this Autumn
transformation is knowing the wisdom of letting go. There is only so much
we can hold on to, only so much we can grow in a single season. There
needs to be time to absorb, assimilate, and reflect. There needs to be
time for rest and release. New vegetation cannot be produced if the seeds
are not released. New animals cannot grow if they are not born. Autumn is
the time for letting go, and giving thanks for what has been given. Autumn
is time for inward turning and inward growing. Autumn is the time for
recognizing what is no longer needed or necessary. The fruits of our lives
need to be released so that new growth can occur.
Autumn
housecleaning is just as important as Spring housecleaning…literally and
figuratively. Whatever you cannot use, can be given away to certainly
bless someone else.
The Goddess wisdom invites us
to take a look at life now and discern what needs to be released, to
flourish somewhere else. Outmoded ideas and thoughts make way for new
patterns to be discovered. Outdated clothes are transformed into someone
else’s vintage styles. Relationships that no longer nurture and sustain
need to be released, so that new friendships can begin. Stale routines are
brightened into new travels and interests. Autumn is traditionally the
“back to school time”, and with good reason. New knowledge is always a
necessity for expansion.
Release with gratitude and joy.
Give away what no longer gives you pleasure, in the desire that it will
please someone else. Thank Goddess for the happiness of all your seasons
of life, as you embrace this new season with enthusiasm. (And know that
the word “enthusiasm” means to be filled with the Divine.)
Know that after all is
released, the resting time can commence. You may patiently watch and wait,
knowing that the new seeds you have planted will begin their growth
presently, in their own time and pace, but grow they will.
Please take some time to
delight in the world around you…enjoy the brilliant trees and the cool
winds. Wander through the pumpkin patch, and jump in scratchy hay. Plant a
tree or some flowering bulbs now. Say a little prayer over them as you
“tuck them in bed for the winter”. Observe how our animal friends
prepare for the inevitable cold weather. Where do your favorite birds go
in the autumn? Where do the squirrels in your neighborhood hide their
acorns? How do you invite the cool breezes into your life? Too often, we
forget to “unbusy” our lives enough to spend time outdoors. The Autumn
air will refresh your spirit.
Invent a special gratitude
ritual to thank the Goddess for all this incredible beauty that surrounds
us. And please don’t let the word “ritual” intimidate you. A ritual
can be as simple as a heartfelt “thank you” prayer before your evening
meal. Thanksgiving does not have to occur only on one specific day in
November….it can and should, be literally every day, if you desire it to
be. As
much as you can, live in gratitude. Be grateful for the people you
encounter, the places you go, the things you see. The “attitude of
gratitude” will transform your life!
I wish you all the blessings of
this glorious season of Autumn. I
keep you in my heart. Blessed
be. Sharon
August…what a regal
sounding name for this month. You can feel the lushness in the air, the
overwhelming abundance of warmth, green, sunshine and plant life. It seems
as though all creation is reaching completion in this month. The fruits
and vegetables are almost done with their growing cycle, ready to be
harvested and either enjoyed now or preserved in some fashion for the
coming cold fall and winter months. And, yes, a touch of autumn is in the
air. Some of summers flowers are brown and withered now, their growing
finished for this time. The
days are perceptibly shorter now, the cycle of the seasons continues.
In the older days, August
was the time of harvest celebrations, of giving thanks to the Great Mother
for Her bounty. There were no supermarket superstores in days gone by. No
guarantees of fresh foods, or of any foods, for the long, frigid months
yet to come. Any weather calamity now that threatened the harvest would
have disastrous results for the community. Food was precious. Food was
life. Food was a gift from the Goddess for Her children. And Thanksgiving
celebrations were the order of the day.
The first major festival
of thanksgiving was, and is, called Lughnasadh, or Lamas….the gift of
the first loaf made from the new grains harvested. What an extraordinary
tradition to be celebrated…the giving back to Mother Earth, the gifts
received from Her. This is a celebration of the fruits of the Earth. A
celebration of the community. A celebration of family.
In the old Irish
tradition, Lamas was sometimes termed Colcannon Day, named after
colcannon, a traditional meal. According to Mara Freeman in her lovely
book “Kindling the Celtic Spirit”, the head of the household would dig
the first shovel of potatoes with great reverence and sprinkle it with
holy water. The woman of the household would wear a special white apron,
kept just for this day, and prepare the potatoes with garlic and onions
and cabbage. It was served with butter and hot milk, and eaten with
gratitude. It was believed to be very unlucky to not have potatoes on this
special day, so the household made sure they shared with the neighbors.
In the spirit of
tradition and gratefulness, try to emulate our wise ancestors this month.
At the very least, say out loud some words of thankfulness before you eat
your evening meal. Give thanks to the farmers for growing the vegetables,
give thanks to the truckers for bringing food to the stores, give thanks
to the markets for providing the availability of so much, give thanks to
yourself for preparing the food with love and care, give thanks for those
gathered together to share your meal, and give thanks to the Great Mother
for Her bounty. Your meal will taste so much better.
If you like, try making
the traditional colcannon as a treat this month (it is good!) or try your
hand at making bread….a fruit bread would be appropriate and fun. If
you are like me, you may have neighbors who drop off anonymous bags of
zucchini and squash on your doorstep in the wee hours. Try making
vegetable bread….it still falls in the realm of the traditional. I have
the best recipe for zucchini bread…..drop an email to me if you would
like the recipe…..super yummy!!!
Above all, have fun this
month….this last hurrah of summer. There is no better way to honor the
Goddess than by enjoying Her beautiful world. Bright
Blessings of summer. I
keep you in my heart.
My goodness! Where
has the summer gone? I was sure that it was May just a week or two ago! My Wonderful Web
Goddess was beset upon by Internet Gremlins and other unpleasant nasties,
which is why we are a little late updating our website. Ahhh, the
scattered energies of summer! But thanks to Joanna, the Web-Goddess-Guru
and Computer Genius-par-excellent’, everything is up and running
beautifully. Thank you, dear Joanna!! You are the Best!!! Since the month is
half over, I shall keep this message very tiny. I just wanted you to know
that I am keeping you in my heart and prayers these long, warm summer
days. I wish you and
your family safe and happy vacation travels, joyful get-togethers with
friends and family, inspiring summer reading, and peace in your innermost
heart. Goddess Bless! Sharon “Mother Earth
laughs in flowers”
If ever a month could be said to laugh in flowers, it would have to
be June. How lovely the world is now, sweetly fragranced and richly
colored. I love green!
June receives its name from the Roman Great Mother Juno, the Roman
Goddess of love and marriage and families. She
extends Her blessings to all couples who select Her month to celebrate
their marriages. And surely She must be the patroness of family reunions!
Juno had dozens of titles and attributes: She was a Goddess of war, Juno
Seispitei (Juno the Preserver), the Goddess of
checks and balances (Juno Moneta), the Goddess of Light (Juno
Lucina), the Goddess of the people (Juno Populonia) and many other names
throughout the ages.
It was believed in the ancient times that every woman had her own
personal “Juno” within her….her own special Goddess sparkle which
illuminated her spirit. No matter what her looks, talents, attributes or
demeanor, every woman embodied the Goddess in a special way.
The Goddess Juno brings a timely amount of balance into our lives.
She reminds us that there is nothing more important in our lives than the
people in our world: our families, our friends, and our communities.
“Work can take a back seat for awhile,” Juno says. “Make time for
picnics, and graduations and outings to the beach. Talk to your relatives,
get to know your cousins, play with the nieces and nephews.” The gift of
family in our lives is a true blessing. Use your “Juno Gifts” to make
this month memorable: plan the family bar-be-que and prepare the world’s
best tasting potato salad; make a scrap book for the family to marvel
over; listen to Great-Grandmother’s stories, and then preserve them in a
book, a poem, photographs or a painting or collage. You have the gift of
the Goddess within you!
Father’s Day is celebrated this month, on the 18th,
under the good auspices of Juno. She who is the spiritual guardian of
families, smiles on the physical guardian of the family: Father. Please
cherish the gift of your father.
This is the first Father’s Day our family will observe
without Dad. He has been gone from our lives for two months now, and he is
missed more than words can express. We, his six children, always bought
him Father’s Day gifts of “Old Spice” after shave, and when he still
smoked his pipe, cherry tobacco or “Mixture Seventy-nine”. How I still
love the scent of “Old Spice!” He said they were his favorite gifts,
and we always believed him. We bought Dad outrageously colored t-shirts
and sweatshirts with goofy messages on them, and he actually wore them. We
gave him the most ridiculous ties and socks ever created, and he wore them
proudly to work. We lovingly crafted treasures from tuna fish cans and
baby-food jars and macaroni, and Dad used them. He loved us, and we
worshipped him.
Now we have the precious memories of the way his eyes crinkled
up when he grinned, his beautiful salt and pepper hair, (he said the
silver was another gift from his children) his marvelous scent. I would
give anything to see him smile again, and hear one of his silly jokes. We
all would. I see him in my heart each day, and give thanks for the time we
had together.
This Father’s Day, give your father an extra hug and kiss.
Make sure your Dad knows that he is so very important in your life.
Give him an outrageous tie with a smile, and love from me, and Juno. The first day of
summer, the Summer Solstice, occurs on June 21st. Celebrate the longest day of the day of the year with some
quality time with Mother Earth. Let Her know how very grateful you are for
Her wondrous bounty. Beautify your corner of the planet with love for our
Mother. Plant a tree or flowers, pick up the trash, create a compost pile,
and revere our sacred world in your own fashion. You will be glad you did! Bright Blessings
of the Summer and the Solstice to you. I keep you in my
heart.
Sharon
After
the parade, we would walk home and talk about all we had seen and heard.
When she was a little child, Christa did not understand about war heroes
and veterans. She understands now.
One
of his daughters, Gladys, was inspired to follow in his footsteps and
joined the Navy. She developed discipline, strength of character and
courage. She met her husband, Peter, through the Navy. They married and
had a child, Peter Ray, who, when he grew up, joined the Marines, and just
recently finished his tour of duty overseas. Another grandson, my son,
Michael, joined the Army after 9/11, and is currently stationed in Iraq.
Both grandsons joined the American Legion in honor of their Grandfather.
Dad was the Commander of the Roose-Vanker Post 286 in Detroit for many
years, and he was proud to have two grandsons join him there.
My
Father lived his life in color: he had a laugh that would make a stone
smile. He sported a huge handlebar moustache, and favored bright happy
clothes in reds and blues and yellows. He painted landscapes in oils and
read thousands of books on every subject imaginable. He could out -solve
Sherlock Holmes and Nero Wolfe. Pizza
and chocolate were his world-famous cure-alls for what ailed you. He sang
wonderful, semi-cleaned up sea shanties. It never occurred to us that not
every child was lulled to sleep with a stirring rendition of “99 bottles
of beer on the wall” and “what do you do with a drunken sailor?”…..that
was Dad and we loved him without reservation.
Our
Dad died on April 2, just a few weeks ago, after a long struggle with
cancer. He was in his home
surrounded by his family. We hugged him, and talked to him and loved him
as he fought his last battle. He was always brave and had a smile for each
of us. He is the finest man I have ever known, and I am so proud to be his
child, and a part of his family. Family was the most important thing in
his life. He worshipped our mother, and all of his children, and we adored
him.
Purchase a poppy this May
18th, for the physical rehabilitation of our veterans, and the welfare of
their families who have been left without their presence. They have given
their all for us. Remember them in your prayers. Keep Memorial Day a
Remembrance Day for our brave warriors. Christa’s Birthday parade is in
honor of her Grandpa this year. I love you, Daddy. I keep you in my
heart. Sharon At last,
April is here, we have begun
to see the blossomings of new life in the world outside…and hopefully, a
new blossoming in our spiritual lives as well.
April is a mixture of so many things:
the blustery winds of winter, the warmth of summer, and the vibrant
colorways of autumn, all rolled into one tapestry of delight, with
April’s own special vibrancy.
The name “April” comes to us from
one of the many names of the Greek Goddess Aphrodite. The entire month of
April is sacred to Her. Aphrodite
is most commonly known as the Goddess of love and pleasure. But She is
also a rich and multi-faceted presence in myth. She presided over
childbirth, life, death and time. Aphrodite was also worshipped as the
Goddess of crafts and letters, arts and culture.
In
other translations of the Goddess’ name, Aprilis and Apru, the meaning
of Her name is “to open”. “To Open”. How fascinating is that! We
have just completed the Spring Equinox, the new beginning of life in the
Seasons of the Year. And now, through the blessings of Aphrodite, we are
invited to open. Open to what? To whom?
Let us ponder for a moment the ritual
of the spring equinox, when we thought about our lives and what was needed
to become more in balance, in every aspect of our being. Physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual balance is the beginning of wisdom. And now we
receive the invitation to open to the freshness and newness of April.
To enliven the balance with the grace of Aphrodite.
For
my own personal meditations, this means opening to the new and unknown. To
welcome the new thoughts, ideas, and people that come into my life, and
bless their presence. Random coincidences are rarely just that. I believe
in the Divine Presence that sends exactly what I need, exactly when and
how it is needed, into my life. And I believe that is true for you also.
New
people wander in and out of our lives for a purpose. Perhaps that reason
is not known yet, but, in truth, it is not necessary to know. Just accept,
and be prepared for an abundance of wonderment in your life!
New ideas make their presence known in dreams, or songs, or flashes of
inspiration. This provides the mechanism for creativity. Run
with those ideas! Write your poem! Create your new artistic endeavor!
Redecorate your living room! Paint your toenails! Live in color! Live in
Aphrodite! Take all the wisdom from the Equinox and refresh your life; use
this wisdom to implement the balance of your life.
Easter is this month….April 16th. Easter is “late” in the
season this year, as compared to occurring at the end of March in other
years. Did you ever wonder how the Easter date is calculated? I
always did……so I will share it with you! Easter is the first Sunday, after the full moon, after the
Spring Equinox.
Easter
receives its name from the Goddess Eostara, who is the Goddess of the
Springtime. Her symbols are bunnies and eggs and newly blooming flowers,
the traditional signs of the spring celebration of new life.
No matter what your spiritual
tradition or background is, Easter can still be powerfully symbolic of
transformation and renewal. The promise of new life and resurrection can
open us to unique wisdom. The promise of new potential and new
possibilities can open us to a treasure trove of unlimited brilliance.
Take a moment over the Easter weekend to enjoy the fullness of your life,
and make a commitment to live in gratitude for the tremendous gift of life
we have been given. Let the beauty of April, Aphrodite and Easter open your heart
and bring you closer to the balance and brightness of Spring. I keep you in my heart. Bright
Spring Blessings, Sharon
No, really, I have not lost my mind! It truly is March, not January. But we can celebrate a brand new year this month! In the old Julian calendar, the New Years festivities began on March 25. Now that is something that makes sense to me. I could never figure out why the New Year was started in the dead of winter…..well, that was when Pope Gregory wanted it to start in his new and improved calendar. But in the old way, the Julian way, the New Year began on March 25. The beginning of the warm times, the return of the Sun, the welcome return of Spring. That seems more in tune with the cycle of the year. Apparently, our foremothers and fathers felt the same way. They marked the New Years beginning at the Spring Equinox, the time when day and night are equal in length. The even gave this day s special name: Ostara. This is when darkness and light are in perfect balance. This is the beginning of the light returning to conquer the darkness, the lengthening of the daylight hours, the return of the nourishing warmth, and the gladness of Spring. It is indeed a new beginning. The Spring Equinox on March 20th is a perfect occasion to gain some insight into our lives. This is the day of balance. It is a great time to look deeply into our lives, and see just where some balance is needed. This month is also a nice time to take a brief inventory of our lives, to see just where we are and where we plan on going. Make a list of all the items in your life now, to see where you can add the necessary balance. Start with your food…are you nurturing your body with good, wholesome foods? And no, what the burger joint down the street serves is not food! Your body requires the lovely foods provided by Mother Earth, and in as near a state as She offers it. Sleep….are you getting the hours that your body needs? My husband always tells me, when I am stressing out, that I don’t get a prize for staying up too late. He is right! Sleep is Our Mother’s way of healing the body and restoring the soul. Go to sleep!!
Are you taking the
necessary measures to calm and de-stress yourself? Watching television
does not count! TV is an additional stressor on your emotional and
physical systems. Go outside for a short walk instead. Breathe. Take a
soothing bath. Read an uplifting work of literature. Write an uplifting
piece of literature! Play with your pets. Go outside and watch the clouds.
You are entitled to a respite! I am sure you can discover more ways to find balance within yourself. I am very aware that for so many of you life is a whirlwind of activity. You are going to school, finishing a degree, and working full-time in demanding career. Some of you are planning weddings, and preparing an event for two or three or four hundred people is a massive undertaking. But that is all the more reason to rediscover the balance within you! Please take the necessary time for prayer, meditation, stress relief, and just plain taking care of yourself….in positive, loving ways. You are a very valuable creation! Enjoy the Bright Blessings of Spring! You are in my heart. Sharon I
love February, because its arrival signals the beginning of the end of
winter. The seemingly endless sunless days and cold winds are about to
give way to the bright blessings of warmth and sunshine. All we need do is
wait.
Our Foremothers and fathers would mark this new beginning as sacred
and special. They understood that hidden in the depths of Mother Earth the
tiniest beginnings of Spring are making their presence known. The days are
lengthening. Spring bulbs are
beginning to awaken. The blood of the trees, the sap, is starting to flow
once again, waking the sleeping giants of the woods.
Our foremothers would celebrate these new beginning with a ceremony
of light, called Imbolic, the festival of the Goddess Brigit. Brigit was
later Christianized and canonized into Saint Brigit, but She is forever
and always a Goddess. The Goddess of Ireland and the Celts, and us, as
well.
Spring is already beginning in Ireland, where this festival
originated, although for us, Spring is many weeks away. It was, and is, a
time for reflection, peaceful contemplation, prayer and inner seeking, and
making a Brigit solar cross to protect the home. It was a time to contemplate what needed to be accomplished in
the coming weeks and months. It was a time of celebration.
It is a good idea to use this wisdom of the past for our own
benefit. Perhaps now would be a nice time to take a mini inventory of our
lives, to see what needs doing, what needs removing, what need cherishing.
It is all right to be quiet for a while. The Great Goddess encourages the
quiet. There are those beings
that cannot grow and prosper in noise and confusion, that need and demand,
the quiet in order to flourish.
Sometime around the beginning of the month, for that is when
Imbolic is, take time for yourself. Prepare a peaceful interlude for
yourself, perhaps with a small scented candle and a cup a spiced tea.
Breathe in and out quietly, softly, and enjoy the silence around you. Have
your journal handy, and jot down a few things that you would like to see
grow and prosper in your life. Write out your gratitudes: your health,
your family, your friends, your pets, this lovely world, clean air,
sparkling water, your job, your education, everything you can think of. It
would be especially significant to find 19 things to be grateful about,
for the number 19 is sacred to Bridget. And
to complete, write a statement about your life, a powerful affirmation.
“I am growing peace in my world”
“I am a competent, gracious friend to many people.”
“I am a loving child of the Goddess.” “I am a creator of
prosperity.” I am sure you can think of many more. Copy your favorite
statement to a sticky-note, or make a poster, and put it where you can see
it every day this month. Become the blessing of light in the world.
To close your ceremony, finish your tea, blow out the candle, and
breathe a genuine “thank you” to the Creator of all, for the goodness
of your life. Give your journal a little kiss, and place it on your altar
space. Ask Bridget to bless you with Her love and awareness. Imbolic is
February 1, but there is no reason you could not do this little ritual any
day you desire this month…..particularly on the 19th.
Enjoy these first whisperings of Spring. I keep you in my thoughts
and prayers each day. Bright
Blessings! Sharon New Years has always confounded me. I could never figure out why the New Year begins in the dead of winter. During the winter in my part of the world, the sun vanishes for weeks at a time behind a thick layer of clouds. It is very cold, snowy and topped with gale force winds….and that is on an average day. On stormy days…. Oh my goodness! Head for the downy covers….it is a maelstrom! So why on earth would anyone decree that the New Year is to begin when there is nothing alive in sight? How can one talk about beginnings when not a thing is beginning? What is the meaning behind all this?
In some earlier cultures,
the New Year will begin in February, when the sap in the tr Our New Year began in 45 BC, when Julius Caesar decreed that a new calendar was to be implemented, and January First was the first day of the New Year. And so it is today. Trying to find meaning and value in the New Year, in the coldest and dreariest time of the year, can be a challenge. The media would like us to believe that there is much we need to change about ourselves, beginning with our physical appearance. Aggressively advertised products for self improvement dominate the airwaves and newspapers beginning the minute that the Christmas push is over. Perhaps this year we might like to explore a more Goddess-centered look at the New Year. Perhaps we might like to look at out lives as a metaphor of the Earth. The Earth now is slumbering under mounds of snow, yet is still providing us with oxygen to breathe, water to drink, food to nourish. Outside, it is crisp and still. The landscape has a stark, special beauty found at no other time of year. Some animals enjoy hibernation, a respite from the world, to dream, to hide, to survive. Yet under this quietude, there is hope and the promise of new life returning. There is the certain knowing that Spring will burst forth, but only in Her own good time. First must come the deep, icy rest of winter. The cycles of the Earth Mother have suggested that winter is the time of rest and rejuvenation. Many things need the darkness and the quietness for growth. Tulips and daffodils need the dark layer of cold in order to bloom in the Spring. And we too need the rejuvenating quiet and peace in order to grow and become the being we are in the process of becoming. May I offer a suggestion for this New Years? Please take a few moments for yourself. Make a nice hot cup of tea (my personal cure-all for almost anything), enjoy the scent and taste, and relax. Do nothing. Just relax. Enjoy your own company….you are pretty nice after all! Don’t think of all the “shoulds” and ways to change yourself. You are absolutely perfect, just the way you are. Your hair is perfect, your nose is perfect, your life is perfect….just the way it is now, because it is yours. You are a Child of the Goddess….how could you be anything less than wonderful? Take a moment, while enjoying your tea, to reflect on all the beauty in your life. There is beauty in everything, if only we know where, and how, to look. Look deeply at yourself, and see the beauty there is…the beauty of your kindness, your generosity of spirit, your compassion and love. You are gifted with so much goodness. Please do not forget the beauty that is YOU. Look at the beauty of the world around you. And if you see something that does not please you, know that you can affect a change. You are intelligent, beautiful, wise, and powerful, and a Divine Child……the change you seek is within you now. Go within yourself, and truly rest. Let the wisdom that comes from the quiet come forth in its own time, in its own method. If you would like to make a resolution, resolve to add more love to your life. Resolve to add more love to your family. Resolve to add more love to the world. Resolve to add more joy, more laughter, and more light. Resolve to include more reverence in your life…..reverence for yourself, your home, your work, your family, your community, your world. Resolve to be more peaceful. Resolve to see the beauty in all things. Resolve to love things about yourself that you have a hard time loving. Resolve to see the goodness. Resolve to smile more. Meditate with tea as often as you can, hopefully daily, and enjoy the sense of peace that comes with your respite from the busyness of your life. Enjoy the New Year as the precious gift that it is, and enjoy yourself, as the gift you are to the world. “Let there be
light, and there was light”
Genesis
This is the Season of Light, this dark-time wonder of December. For months now, the days have become shorter and shorter, and the nights longer and seemingly darker. Until we come now, to Yule, to the magical Winter Solstice, when the Goddess births Her Radiant Child, the Sun. Through out the mythologies, the Great Goddess gave birth to the Light of the World, the return of the Sun, in the cycle of the year. Isis gives birth to Horus, Rhiannon bears Pryderi, the sacred son, Demeter gives birth to Her sacred daughter, Persephone. Divine Mothers all across cultures bring forth their light filled sacred children. And no wonder; light is returning to the world. It will still be many weeks before the warmth of the Sun Child will be strong enough to kindle the Spring. But for now, there is the hope of light and warmth and green plants. Hope is always enough. And now, to celebrate that hope of the future, we fill our homes with light and festive sweet- scented greenery, sympathetic magic as it were, to generate light and green in the cold, snowy world outside. We celebrate the Divine Mother and Her beautiful Child. The ancients called this celebration “Modraniht”, the Mother Night. A child is born, and a new world is created. How wise our ancestors to celebrate all Mothers, all children, with this sacred holyday. We would be wise to observe the same reverence towards all mothers and their children, past, present and yet-to-be, and rejoice in their presence in our lives. Fill your lives now with hope and light and reverence. Our wise fore-mothers gathered the clans around them, to enjoy the foods, drinks and stories that would become traditions. Continue your family traditions, or perhaps, begin new traditions that better serve your needs. Fill your precious family together time with stories and games. Turn off the television. Listen to the children. Play with the boxes. Make a spaceship and journey to the stars with them. Enjoy your family. Enjoy the silence of the snow. Fill your life with hope. Fill your life with love. Enjoy this Season of Light. Bright Blessings, Sharon
“As we express
our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not
to utter words, but to live by them.” John
F. Kennedy I came across these words as few days ago, and was struck by the beauty and simplicity of these sentiments. As we approach the traditional season of gratitude, please remember President Kennedy’s words, and make them a part of your life. It is a very important thing to express gratitude. Giving thanks is a part of almost every spiritual practice and a valuable part of everyday life. I am hoping that you take the time to give thanks for the great and small blessings that we enjoy each day. Give thanks to the One Who provided the fresh air, rich soil, rainfall. Give thanks for dinner, for the one who cooked, prepared, planned, shopped, and cleaned up. Give thanks to the farmers who lovingly grow our food. Give thanks for the grocery stores and merchants who make it easy for us to purchase our food. To quote Gladys Browyn Stern: “Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone”. Let everyone know how much you appreciate them! However, I would like to recommend going that one step further. Put feet under your prayers of gratitude. It is great to express your gratitude; it is another to actually do something about it. The Great Mother is not one to waste time with words, She is action incarnate. When She is serene, she laughs in flowers and butterflies and the breath-taking beauty of nature. When She is not, look out! To paraphrase an old commercial:” it’s not nice to mess |
ees
is starting to flow, signaling the first nuances of Spring. New England
celebrates this event with maple sugar festivals. Other cultures, such as
the Celtic peoples, find the New Year beginning in October, after the last
of the autumn’s harvest has been brought in. The Chinese use a
lunar-based calendar, and their New Years is anywhere between January 21
and February 20, depending on the moon.