Something To Believe In

I listened to Ariel's podcast last night and wow...what a great podcast! (of course they're all terrific as well as powerful.) Anyhow, one exercise he spoke of in his podcast on "Building your power base- the Water Body" was to take note of where we are placing our faith, in other words, what do we believe in? What a powerful question..."What do I believe in?" I'm not sure that I've ever paid attention to what I actually do believe in until confronted with a situation that is contrary or challenging to those beliefs. Just where does my faith lie... what are the places that I put my faith in daily, without even realizing it...where does that foundation of faith stem from? My head is spinning just trying to think of my beliefs...so, here it goes...

What I believe in:

~ The sun will rise every day and set each evening

~ There is always an answer, always a solution and always a choice to be made in every struggle

~No matter how dark life can get, there is hope...light at the end of the tunnel

~ The Universal Intelligence ( God, higher power, goddess, god) is around me all the time, present in all living things

~ No matter how long it seems to take....truth has no other option but to surface

~ Children are a privilege not a right

~ All living things deserve respect and compassion...yes, even people too

~ There is wisdom to gain from our elders

~ Most animals make better people than some people do

~ Say "I love you" to your loved ones as often as you can

These are just a few of the things that I believe in...what does that say about my faith? I think it simply reassures me that the path I walk... this journey I take, is the correct one for me. What are some things that you believe in...what foundation does your faith spring from?

P.S.- You can find Ariel's podcasts "The Witches Primer" on iTunes podcasts, I encourage you to listen.

For My Best Friend....

Just like in the non pagan community, sometimes pagans and wiccans find themselves battling addiction, like a very close friend of mine right now. Her addiction, however, is not drugs or alcohol but the father of her youngest daughter. He has been serving time for a methamphetamine addiction and other unmentionable offenses and is due to be released here very soon. It's so very difficult to watch her as she deals with the anger, pain and lack of hope that she's experienced in the past several years. She has been working a program that supports friends and family members of those with addictions and has made so much positive progress in learning who she is, her place in this world and how she fits into it now as a healthier outlook on life has taken roots.


Because most pagan spiritual paths encourage balance, harmony and personal responsibility.... for some pagans, recovery is more than just "getting better... it becomes a part of the spiritual practice itself." For a lot of pagans fighting addiction (whether it be their own or that of someone close,) the problem lies not in the twelve-step program itself, but in the interpretation of how those twelve steps should be followed. She has chosen to use the term "higher power" and it has worked out very well. She didn't get hung up on the terminology but forged ahead in making a better life for her children and herself.

Addictions are dark and terrible places to become trapped in but for the families and friends, it becomes a cycle that is not so easily broken. It takes inner strength, courage and a deep desire to rise above the pain and anger to a place where it is decided that things are going to change. I deeply admire my friend for choosing to stand up and say "No more" and draw boundaries for herself and her children. I feel so helpless sometimes because it is a journey that only she can take, I can only stand by to cheer her victories and give hugs when days are grey and stormy.

I by no means condone those with addictions and their lack of taking responsibility for their choices or actions, in fact it makes me ill. I witnessed the terrible devastation that is left in the wake of these addictions first hand as a child of nine and I see it now in the eyes of my friend and her girls. The thirst for justice screams in my head daily but I also remember that it is not my justice to take which makes it much more frustrating. So to my buddy..."Take heart, I will be there when you need my shoulder to cry on... I will be there in the sunshine and the rain...I will be there when you doubt your strength...I will be there!

Serenity Sunday

GRATITUDE:

Gratitude is an emotion that occurs after people receive help, depending on how they interpret the situation. Specifically, gratitude is experienced if people perceive the help they receive as (a) valuable to them, (b) costly to their benefactor, and (c) given by the benefactor with benevolent intentions (rather than ulterior motives).
(From WikiPedia.com)


My list for today:

1.) My children

2.) My friends

3.) WikiPedia.com

4.) Sunshine and rainbows

5.) My incorrigible kitties

6.) Cute animal pictures

7.) Fresh brewed coffee

8.) My electric blankie

9.) Ceremonial sage

10.) Good neighbors

Open Minds

The Akashic Records refer to the frequency grid programs that create our reality. The Akashic records (Akasha is a Sanskrit word meaning "sky", "space" or "aether") together are a collection of mystical knowledge that is encoded in the aether; i.e. on a non-physical plane of existence. The concept is prevalent in new age thought. and is understood to have existed since the beginning of creation (some even say before). Just as we have various specialty libraries ( medical and law), there are said to exist various Akashic Records ( animal, plant, mineral, etc) encoding Universal lore. Most writings refer to the Akashic Records in the area of human experience but it is understood that all phenomenal experience as well as transcendental knowledge is encoded therein.

The Akasha is said to be the library of all events and responses concerning consciousness in all realities. Every life form therefore contributes and has access to the Akashic Records. It is asserted that to gain access into the Akashic Records, every individual human can become the physical medium, and various techniques and spiritual disciplines ( yogic, pranayama, meditation, prayer, visualization) can be employed to quiet the mind, become a "witness" and achieve the focused, pre-conscious state necessary to access the Records.

I'm not quite sure about many of the theories that abound but I do know there is something else beyond our physical world. I do believe that energy cannot be destroyed nor does it dissipate once our physical bodies cease. Science has proved that this energy exists in us as does it in all natural, living things. Let me hypothesize for a moment...Just what if we do go on long after this world... what if a select few can tap into this energy or Akashic record? The possibilities can boggle the mind and all I ask is for you to consider is... "What if?"

The Four Fire Festivals

When speaking about the four seasons, I like to use my pagan view of them because it's my opinion (and only my opinion I remind you) that these were the original versions of spring, summer, fall and winter that we recognize today. What follows is the Celtic view of of these seasons or "fire festivals."

The four fire festivals marked the turning of the seasons. Two of the fire festivals, Samhain and Beltane, were considered to be male, and Imbolc and Lughnasadh were female. Each was celebrated for three days - before, during and after the official day of observance.

~Imbolc, which literally means "in milk", traditionally has marked the lactation period of ewes and cows. Ewes are unable to produce milk until after they bear their young, which occurs at this time. Since milk was very important to the basic survival of the tribes, this was a time of great joy. It meant that the end of a long winter was in sight, and green pastures were only a few months away. It's significance was placed upon the Light of fire and at Imbolc, Brighid was pregnant with the seed of the Sun. She was ripe with the promise of new life, as the seeds of the earth deep within its soil begin to awaken at this time, ripe with the promise of Spring, new life for the planet. Thus Imbolc was a time of awakening, promise and hope for the coming spring.


~Beltane, was a celebration of the return of life and fertility to the world, and was celebrated on or around April 30. It is sometimes referred to as Cetsamhain which means "opposite Samhain." Beltane was the last of the three spring fertility festivals, and the second major Celtic festival. Beltane, and its counterpart Samhain, divide the year into its two primary seasons, Winter and Summer. Beltane joyfully heralded the arrival of Summer in its full glory. It was believed that if you bathed in the dew of Beltane morn, your beauty would flourish throughout the year

~Lughnasadh marked the beginning of the harvest season, and the decline of Summer into Winter. Traditionally called Lammas from the Saxon word Hlaf-mass, the Feast of Bread, festivities and rituals typically centered around the assurance of a bountiful harvest season and the celebration of the harvest cycle. A bountiful harvest ensured the safe passage of the tribe through the upcoming winter months. The gathering of bilberries was an ancient practice that symbolized the success of the Lughnasadh rituals. If the bilberries were bountiful, it was believed that there would also be a plentiful harvest.

~Our modern celebration of Halloween is a descendant of the ancient Celtic festival called "Samhain" meaning Summer's End. Samhain was the first day of winter, and the end of one pastoral year. It was the time when the night became longer than the day, the last apples were picked, and the year began again with its dark winter half. Also called Samhiunn or Hallowe'en, this festival is sometimes called Trinoux Samonia or "Three Nights of the End of Summer."

Calendars....Not Just Wall Decorations

Celestial bodies — the Sun, Moon, planets and stars have provided us a reference for measuring the passage of time throughout our existence. Ancient civilizations relied on the movement of these heavenly bodies through the sky to determine seasons, months and years.

We know little about the details of time keeping in prehistoric eras but wherever archaeologists find records and artifacts, they usually discover that in every culture, some people were preoccupied with measuring and recording the passage of time. Ice-age hunters in Europe over 20,000 years ago scratched lines and gouged holes in sticks and bones, possibly to count the days between phases of the moon.

Five thousand years ago, Sumerians in the Tigris-Euphrates valley in today's Iraq had a calendar that divided the year into 30 day months, divided the day into 12 periods (each corresponding to 2 of our hours) and divided these periods into 30 parts (each like 4 of our minutes). We have no written records of Stonehenge, built over 4000 years ago in England, but its alignments show its purposes apparently included the determination of seasonal or celestial events, such as lunar eclipses, solstices and so on.

The Egyptians were the culture to formally divide their day into parts something like our hours within their yearly calender. Obelisks (slender, tapering, four-sided monuments) were built as early as 3500 B.C.E. and their moving shadows formed a kind of sundial, enabling people to partition the day into morning and afternoon. Obelisks also showed the year's longest and shortest days when the shadow at noon was the shortest or longest of the year. Later, additional markers around the base of the monument would indicate further divisions of time.

Who knew that the humble beginnings of the calendar was to evolve to where it is today! It's easy to just glance at our decorative calendars pinned to our walls and never really think of the metamorphosis that they have undergone.... carrying us along and into the twenty-first century.

Spring Foward.....Fall Back

I thought I might do a small series of posts dealing with time, calendars and seasons so here is the first post, today I picked Daylight Savings Time....

Whether or not we notice it, the schedule of our life is affected by the movements of the earth, moon, and sun. In ancient Rome a priest observed the sky and announced a new moon cycle to the king. For centuries afterward, Romans referred to the first day of each new month as Kalends, (which means "to proclaim”).

This coming weekend it is time to set the clocks ahead for Daylight Saving Time which gives us the chance to enjoy sunny summer evenings. ( in my neck of the woods I really hope we have a sunny summer because the usual rain we're prone to getting is really dreary!) Yet, the beginning of Daylight Saving Time has been riddled with controversy since Benjamin Franklin first thought of the idea.

Even today different areas and countries routinely change their approaches to Daylight Saving Time.Most of the United States begins Daylight Saving Time at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time.

As I mentioned earlier, Benjamin Franklin first suggested Daylight Saving Time in 1784 but the thought was rejected until 1916 when it was adopted by several counties in Europe that initially rejected the idea.... at that time an effort to conserve fuel was needed to produce electric power and Germany and Austria took time by the forelock, and began saving daylight at 11:00 p.m. on April 30, 1916, by advancing the hands of the clock one hour until the following October. Daylight saving time was observed nationally again during World War II, but was not uniformly practiced after the war's end.

Finally, in 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which standardized the start and end dates for daylight saving time but allowed individual states to remain on standard time if their legislatures allowed it.

I had never thought that much about Daylight Savings Time but it was very interesting to re-learn what it was all about. It seems that the little events that go unnoticed by us in our hectic everyday lives are the events that shape those busy lives too. So, don't forget this weekend to set your clocks foward or you might end up out of sync with those around you.

The Threefold Goddess

Spanning many traditions found around the world is the concept of the goddess as being threefold. These perceptions shared associations with the moon phases, with the growing seasons and with the phases of a woman’s life. Most frequently they are described as Maiden, Mother and Crone. With a strong connection to the Earth and its cycles, it’s not surprising that this view can be found in so many cultures.

The Greeks, Romans, Norse, Celtic and Hindu spiritual systems all had groups of goddesses who fit this interpretation. Sometimes a single goddess could embody all three and sets of threes were also found in some of the minor deities.

The Greek Furies and the Fates of Roman and Nordic beliefs are examples of this. Several goddess were of such complexity that they embodied the Triple Goddess all on their own. Brighid, Hecate and Kali all had multiple aspects. You can work with established triads of goddesses or compose your own based on what feels best for you.

~The Maiden, a young girl, represents the first stage. Newness, youth, purity, and innocence were qualities possessed by the Maiden. This matches the new moon phase. Fresh flowers, new grains and the color white are all appropriate for working with this energy. Springtime rituals often involve these deities. Specific instances when you might want to invoke the Maiden are during any new beginnings, when starting a new job, at the start of a new relationship and as part of a puberty ritual for young girls.

~The Mother, a woman who has reached puberty, represents the second stage. Her role is one of fertility, growth, sexuality and ripeness. She also is in a position of power, either from her life-giving forces or in her actions to defend her young. The full moon corresponds to the Mother, as does the color red. Summer and fall rituals, when crops are growing and being harvested, are when to work with these goddesses. Working with the Mother often happens when projects are reaching fruition, in rituals as part of marriage
and childbirth, for protection of people or animals, and when working with plants.

~The Crone, an elderly woman, represents the last phase. She is symbolic of wisdom, experience, change, transformation and death. The waning moon is associated with the Crone. Like the moon phase, the death she represents is necessary for rebirth. Winter is her season and her color is black. Working with the Crone is related to rituals that are about the ending of things (quitting a job, divorce, etc.), moving out of a home, extreme protection or retribution (assault, abuse), passing through menopause, or dealing with a death.

Bast, Egyptian Deity

Since I love cats so much, I figured a little research on the Egyptian goddess Bast was in order and some of what I found was very interesting.


Bast, also known as Bastet, patron of cats, women, and secrets appears as a desert cat or a woman with the head of a cat (this form possibly dates after the domestication of the Egyptian wild cat). She is described as probably the most famous Egyptian goddess after Isis and Bast was said to be the daughter of Ra though long after he created the primal gods.

She was originally a sun goddess but after contact with the Greeks, she changed to a moon goddess probably due to the Greeks associating her with Artemis. Like Artemis, Bast was a wild goddess and to those who were in her favor, she gave great blessings, but her wrath was legendary and she was sometimes listed as one of Ra's avenging deities who punished the sinful and the enemies of Egypt. This is of course in keeping with her totem animal the cat. Cats were sacred to Bast and to harm one was deemed a great transgression.

Bast's importance in the Egyptian pantheon might be due to the great value placed on the domesticated cat by the Egyptians. Cats curtailed the spread of disease by killing vermin and though the idea of microbes was unknown to the ancient Egyptians, they must have noticed the connection between rats and disease. Her worship was widespread, and her followers apparently had a great deal of power. Bubastis was even the capital of Egypt for a time during the Late Period and some pharaohs took her name in their king-names. Herodotus' description of her temple at Bubastis is that of a place of great splendor and beauty, rivaled only by the temples to Ra and Horus Worshiped widely throughout Egypt...... her center of worship was at Bubastis.

Cats have an air of mystery about them and some do not care for them as pets because of this but I have always understood them and knowing their royal history only makes me love them more!

Serenity Sunday

Last week seemed to just drag for some reason, I'm not entirely sure why but my meditation this morning cleared out a lot of the junk that's collected from everyday stuff and I feel a bit more inclined to be thankful for all the blessings in my life.

1.) My children

2.) My cats

3.) My roses that are starting to bud..."c'mon Mother Nature!"

4.) Chai Spice coffee creamer

5.) A cashier that smiles and says "Have a nice day".... while making eye contact

6.) The new wet/dry vac I just bought

7.) My tattoo is almost healed....yea! ( now for the rest of it to be finished)

8.) Pink Floyd

9.) Good friends

10.) Real butter

I know some things might make you want to question my sanity but it's real butter that just seems to make everything taste better.