The Legend Of The Poinsettia

It was a custom in the village to glorify the Christmas season with special events to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, Jesus. Everyone took part in the preparations by festively decorating the village church and the piazza in front of it. Even the children helped by making gifts to give to the Baby Jesus on Christmas Eve.


Maria wanted to make a very special gift. She had helped her mother before with the loom, so she tried, on her own, to weave a colorful blanket. But Maria was too inexperienced and the yarns became an entangled mess. Maria was heartbroken. She wanted so much to be able to march in procession with the other village children, but she had no gift to give to the Christ Child.


Finally it was Christmas Eve! The villagers gathered in the piazza. Some whispered that they thought they could hear angels singing tonight. Everyone was ready. Holding lit candles, all the villagers began to process down the aisle amid joyous music and singing.


All except for Maria, who hid in the shadows, watching with tears in her eyes as the procession to the church started.


"I don’t have a gift for the Baby Jesus," she sniffled softly. "I tried and tried to make something beautiful, but instead I ruined it."


Suddenly, Maria heard a voice. She looked up and saw only a bright star in the sky; it seemed to hover and shine over the village church. Was it this star that spoke to her?


"Maria," she heard the voice again, "The baby Jesus will love whatever you give because it comes from your heart. Love is what makes any gift special."


With that, Maria stepped out from the shadows. Nearby she noticed some tall green weeds. She rushed over and quickly filled her arms with the weeds, covering them with her manto. Then she ran swiftly to the church.


By the time she arrived, the candles were ablaze and the children were singing as they walked down the aisle carrying their gifts to the Christ Child.


Padre Francesco placed the figure of the baby Jesus in the manger, with the children’s gifts all around it.


Suddenly, Maria was scared when she saw all those people dressed in such beautiful clothes, and she was dressed so poorly. She tried to slip behind one of the big pillars, but she was too slow. Padre Francesco saw her.


"Maria, Maria," he called out. "Hurry girl, come, bring up your gift!"


Maria was terrified. She wondered, "Do I run away? Do I go forward?"


The Padre saw her apprehension and coaxed her more gently, "Maria, come up here and see the Baby Jesus. There is space left for one more gift."


Before she could think, Maria found herself walking down the main aisle of the church.


"What is Maria carrying under her manto?" the villagers whispered. "Where’s her gift?"


Padre Francesco stepped down from the altar and walked with Maria to the Christmas crèche. Maria bowed her head and said a prayer then opened her manto and let the weeds tumble out.


Voices gasped, "Look! Look at those glorious flowers!"


Startled, Maria opened her eyes. She was stunned. For each weed was now topped with a flaming, bright, red star.


And outside, too, every weed now bore a bright red star.


Maria’s love had created a miracle.

Deck Review- Decks For Youth

The Gummy Bear Tarot

The next few Tuesdays, I'm going to be reviewing tarot decks for the younger set and the first deck I'd like to introduce is the absolutely adorable Gummy Bear Tarot by Dietmar Bittrich and available from US Games Systems. This is a a very wonderful deck for beginners, young at heart and a great teaching tool for kids.

This seventy-eight card deck features the precious little Gummy Bears all set in traditional Rider Waite poses that most of us learned when first beginning to read the Tarot, however, the images are a bit more simplistic in their appearance and these little darlings make for a wonderful first deck for children and pre-teens.

The cards themselves measure 2" x 3.5" and are marvelous for those small little hands to shuffle. The card stock is of the same US Games stock and not too thick but not too thin as to bend easily as kids may be just learning to shuffle as well as read tarot. My daughter had a very easy time shuffling this deck and quickly deemed it her favorite deck that she has seen to this date, not to mention the hints that she might want to have this for her own use. 

The Gummy Bear tarot comes packaged in a wonderful little keepsake tin with the standard LWB (little white book) of meanings accompanied by the strengths and weakness of each card and are presented in a way to be easily read by young readers. On the backs of the cards you will see sixteen bears in four rows of four, in the bright and bold colors of blue, green, red and white and can be read upright or reversed. 


The Gummy Bears cast their magic spells, wield their wands, and delight in reaching out to people through the mischievous imagery found in each card and don't forget, the holiday season is coming up before we know it and this deck would make the perfect gift for the child or the child at heart

US Games Systems

ISBN: 1-57281-471-3
Artist: Dietmar Bittrich

Family Traditions

There's a book that I've ordered recently called Circle Round raising children in the Goddess tradition. I first became aware of it a few months ago on Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom's blog where Mrs. B gave it a great review. I have been mulling over this book, checking reviews and putting a lot of thought into whether or not I should buy it to introduce (more in depth) my beliefs with my youngest two children. My kids know that I'm pagan and  have a basic understanding of what that means but I never really taught them exactly what my spiritual path is all about.

When I was their age (after my father passed away), it was not an option to choose which spiritual path I wanted to follow, I was going to go to the catholic church and follow the belief system that my mother thought I should. I began resenting "church" because deep down inside it did not resonate with me. I could not reconcile the belief that people who commit suicide went to hell...sure, my father took his own life but he suffered from manic depression and alcoholism...did god sentence cancer patients and the mentally ill to  suffer fire and brimstone for all eternity... hadn't these people suffered enough in this world? How is that an example of a loving god?

So I made a vow to myself that when I had children, I would raise them to be respectful, conscientious, loving and kind but not shove my idea of spirituality down their throats as had been done to me. I'm very proud of my children (all five of them) and have always supported them in their search for

meaning...which ironically is more earth based than mainstream beliefs and makes me chuckle to think they have a  mostly pagan belief system and they don't even realize it.

However, now that I'm older, I want my youngest two to experience the world with a more grounded view of life and how they fit in, so I finally made the decision to teach them my spirituality on a level that they can understand. I want them to experience the freedom of a spirituality that does not base it's teachings of fear or control..that being who they are is exactly as deity made them to be.... I want them to embrace their gifts and not stifle them as I did.

In this book, there are many activities and things that we can do together that also teach them about the turning of seasons, about the god and goddess and traditions that we can build together that they can pass along that teach and promote a healthy outlook on the  natural world and how it works. I'm so excited to start reading and sharing with them and maybe I'll post our progress in a few entries. I think it will deepen my own spirituality in the process.

Tarot Shadow Work- Hidden Treasures

This week I'm going to give one example of Shadow Play that will help in unlocking those long forgotten shadows. In the previous Shadow Exercises, I identified my Shadows and how I might recover them in the Star of Discovery and Star of Recovery spread.  Now, let's try some make believe...

Imagine a large treasure chest, big enough to hold all your  special treasures. Visualize what this treasure chest might look like...describe it as detailed as you can. This chest will represent you as your present self, how you present yourself to the world...the perfect you. Locate a box big enough to hold the eleven cards that were used in the two Discovery spreads. Don't worry, it doesn't have to be grandiose...a simple shoebox or something approximately the same size will do.

Now, decorate the outside however you wish to symbolize the "you" that you show the world. Try to include all your hobbies or talents as you decorate, try to make it as personal as you can. Place the eleven tarot cards inside the box and picture them as the toys (Shadows) that you hide from the world. These cards now symbolize the shadow treasures that can be found hiding in the dark. Mix all the cards up like you are stirring a pot, and repeat the words "I want my Shadow back" as you do so, in a manner that resembles a stubborn child deminding his toys back.

Draw one card from your treasure chest and look at it...this is the hidden treasure you want back...the lost part of you that wants to come home. What card have you drawn...? What part of your lost self do you want back now? Looking at this card, how does it differ from the decorated treasure chest outside? When looking at this card, realize that this is the disowned part of you, if you want your power back, then you must lay claim to the Shadow that blocks it. What is the gift that lays in the dark?

This week I am going to do this exercise and see what card  I pull that I will be reclaiming. What gift do I have that has been hiding in the dark...? Tune in next week!

The Legend Of Pwyll And Rhiannon (part 3)

Rhiannon's father said that Pwyll should listen as no man deserves this treatment. Pwyll asked for Rhiannon's council. Rhiannon said that that she would take Gwawl's pledge that he would never seek revenge for what has happened to him, and she would let him out of the bag. Gwawl said he would pledge this. Pwyll said that this will be done, but that he wanted a covenant to be drawn up. And the covenant was drawn, that Gwawl would be set free, and Pwyll would keep Gwawl's counselors in the Palace, as a surety that no revenge would be taken.

Gwawl was set free, and returned to his own palace to heal from his wounds

.

The next day, Rhiannon said to Pwyll, that he should give gifts to all the minstrels and should refuse no one his bounty. So Pwyll called all the court together and said for them to point out what they wanted as a gift. And he gave freely from all that he had.

So Pwyll and Rhiannon were married, and set off for Dyfed, to the palace of Narberth, and Rhiannon gave precious gifts to all of the noble Lords and Ladies of the land.

They ruled the land prosperously for four years.

In the forth year of a son was born to them, and women were brought to watch the child at night. Instead of caring for the baby, the women fell asleep, and when they awoke, the looked in the cradle, and the child was not there.

They became frightened and plotted together to accuse Rhiannon of murdering the child before their own eyes. Rhiannon pleaded with them not to accuse her falsely, and that if they told the truth, she would defend them before the Gods. But they said that they would not, for Pwyll would surely kill them for having slept, and not watching over the baby.

And Pwyll the Prince of Anuvyn, arose and the Nurses told him falsely of what happened. Word got around to all the nobles of the land, and they came and pleaded with Pwyll to execute his wife. But this he would not do.

Rhiannon, in her spirit, could not bring herself to punish the women, so she decided that she would take a penance from Pwyll, and that for Seven years she would sit everyday by the horseblock at the gates of the Palace, and offer anyone who came that she would carry them into the Palace on her back

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And she did this for most of a year. Tiernyon Twryv Vliant was Lord of Gwent Is Coed, and he was the best man in the world. And into his house there belonged a mare, and there was no other horse in the kingdom as beautiful as she.

Every year on Beltane, she foaled and no one ever knew what became of the colt. One night Tiernyon asked his wife, what could be done about the disappearing colts. and his wife couldn't answer.

The next Beltane, Tiernyon hid in the stable and when the mare foaled, he saw a great claw come in the window and grab the colt by it's mane.

Tiernyon drew his sword and cut off the arm by the elbow and heard a great wailing. He rushed off after the creature and followed it, but he remembered that he had left the door open, so he went back and at the door was an infant baby boy, wrapped in the purest silk. So he took the baby to his wife, and as they had no other children, she kept the baby for her own.

They named the baby "Goldenlocks" and he grew more strongly and quickly than any other child.

By the time two years had passed the child was as big as a six year old.

So at a certain age, they gave the colt that had been saved from the beast, to the child, being that the colt was born on the night the child was found.

Rumor came to Tiernyon of the plight of Rhiannon, and he wondered on it. And as the child grew, he noticed a strong likeness between the child and Pwyll Prince of Annuvyn, for Tiernyon had once been in the court of Pwyll.

So Tienyon said to his wife that they should not keep the boy, and send him back to Pwyll and release Rhiannon from her punishment and that Pwyll would reward them greatly for raising the child.

So Tiernyon set off for Dyfed with the child. He met Rhiannon at the gate, and both him and the child refused to be carried in on Rhiannon's back

.

They went to Pwyll and presented the child as his long lost son. And Rhiannon asked what name they had given him. Tiernyon said that they called the child Goldenlocks. And Pwyll said that from hence forth the child shall be called Pryderi, which is "end of trouble" for this ends the punishment of Rhiannon.

Pwyll richly rewarded Tiernyon and all his company, and said that the child and he would support them for all of their life. and Tiernyon and his wife became the foster parents of the child, that they would be able to be with him during his life.

And Pryderi, son of Pwyll prince of Dyfed, grew up strong and fair and ruled fairly for many a year .