Breathing Exercise

This exercise is utterly simple... takes almost no time.... requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Although you can do the exercise in any position, sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

• Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
• Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
• Hold your breath for a count of seven.
• Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
• This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Note that you always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth. The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time. Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation. The absolute time you spend on each phase is not important; the ratio of 4:7:8 is important. If you have trouble holding your breath, speed the exercise up but keep to the ratio of 4:7:8 for the three phases. With practice you can slow it all down and get used to inhaling and exhaling more and more deeply.

Once you develop this technique by practicing it every day, it will be a very useful tool that you will always have with you. Use it whenever anything upsetting happens - before you react. Use it whenever you are aware of internal tension. Use it to help you fall asleep. This exercise cannot be recommended too highly. Everyone can benefit from it.

Monkey Buns

My friend Nola gave me this recipe and I tell you, they make a great addition to Sunday breakfasts, in fact I plan on giving this recipe a go this coming weekend!

Bon appetit....


Monkey buns make a delicious dessert and sweet snack... The sticky bread batter is broken into walnut-sized chunks, rolled in melted butter, and rolled in a brown sugar mix. The sugary dough-balls are then dropped into a bundt pan and, a rise, baked into a delicious ring of buns that can be easily pulled apart. This recipe makes one batch of monkey bread for one bundt pan.

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 pkg.)

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup milk

3/4 cup butter, soft

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup finely ground nuts

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

Preparation:

*Add yeast and warm water to large bowl and stir until yeast is dissolved.

*Mix in milk, butter, sugar, salt, and eggs.

*Mix in flour to make a stiff batter.

*Cover with wax paper and let rise in warm spot until double in size, about 45 minutes.

*Melt 1/2 cup butter in saucepan.

*Mix nuts, brown sugar, and 3 tsp cinnamon in a bowl.

*Lightly grease tube pan/angel food pan.

*Stir down dough.

*Grease fingers with melted butter to prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers.

*Pluck walnut-size amounts of dough out of the bowl, roll dough balls in butter, and in sugar mixture.

*Pile the dough balls evenly in the bundt pan.

*Cover with wax paper and let rise in warm place for 30 minutes.

*Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes, until done.

*Turn upside down onto a plate and let cool to warm.

The Star

The Star is a card of harmony and balance much like the card of Temperance. However, because the Star follows the card of the Tower, it also represents the end of a period of change and upheaval. The Star is a card of fulfillment, peace of mind, mental and emotional stability. Like Temperance, the lamb in the card holds two containers of water, but in this case she pours the water out to nourish the earth and continue the cycle of fertility which is represented by the green grass around her. Also like Temperance, she has one foot on land and the other in the water. The water represents the spiritual realm and the land is a symbol of the material world.

When the Star turns up in a reading, it is most welcome when grief and loss have overwhelmed us. In our darkest times, we need to know that there is there is light at the end of the tunnel. The Star is the opposite of the Devil who strips us of our hope in the future. This card holds out the promise that we can eventually find peace of mind. The Star also reminds us that we need to open our heart and release our fears and doubts. If you have been holding back , now is the time to give generously. It is important to remember that the Star is inspiring, but it is not a card of practical solutions . With out hope we can accomplish nothing but hope is only a beginning. When you see this card, you know that you are on the right track. Your goals and your aspirations are blessed, but to realize them, you must take positive action. Use the light of the Star to guide you in your efforts.


(Tarot of the Magical Forest)

Just Another Pet Peeve

I usually don't have much trouble with people giving me a bad time about my spiritual beliefs but I have this neighbor who seems to delight in scoffing at what I have experienced to be real. Usually I just let it roll of my back and pay no attention to folks like this but this one seems to have crawled under my skin, I'm not really sure as to why.... it's not like I even care what he disagrees with.

I sat on my porch this afternoon and pondered this question in the glorious afternoon sun and tried to brainstorm to myself as to why this bothers me so much. My first few answers such as "Maybe it threatens him." and "This just goes to prove that ignorance is not bliss...." or "Could he possibly be giving me a bad time to get my attention?" didn't seem to make a whole lot of sense so I found myself continuing to mull this over while cooking dinner and cleaning up the dishes afterward. Then the thought occurred to me that I was giving this entirely too much thought and that was probably just what his intention was. I really think that it bothers me because somehow I feel threatened...like my beliefs can be taken from me, which I know is utterly ridiculous. Then the question that really needed to be answered was "Why would I feel that way in the first place?!"

Not too many years ago, I was wandering aimlessly, looking for something to believe in and had nearly reached the point that it was all just hogwash, smoke and mirrors like this neighbor has...then one day wicca found me...I can't really explain how that works but for the first time in my life I realized that this new concept made absolute perfect sense...it felt so right, like it had always been there...waiting for me to notice. I realize that no one can take my spirituality but I also know that to me it is worth more than any treasure of silver or gold or precious jewels and I feel protective of it. There are many out there that put the few of us in a very bad light whether it be out of ignorance or fad and it makes me angry. Please don't lump me in with those that wear it like a charade...something to use to draw attention to themselves, be true to yourself and the god and goddess...the universal spirit. It goes far beyond a spirituality...it is a way of life...a reverence for nature and creation...respect for all that is natural around you.

I hold my beliefs dear to me and somehow writing this blog just seems to reaffirm the path I have chosen to be the correct one for me. I resolve to not let those who like to dismiss me bother me...I will continue on believing and ask the universe that perhaps someday this neighbor might know the peace and wholeness that I have been blessed with.

Hemingway Cats

I have several kitties but three of them... Windsor (Mr. Digits to most,) Binky and Koda all have multiple toes...It's a strange sight and I get a lot of comments from those who watch my cats' webcam about how unique they look (yes, my cats have their own webcam, hello...I'm a witch!) There's an interesting story about how multi-toed cats earned their fame so I thought I would tell you a little bit about how it all came about...

Ernest Hemingway, the famous writer and also an inveterate cat-lover, loved the spirit and independence of cats and acquired his first multi-toed cat as a gift from a ship's captain in Key West, Florida... where he made his home for a number of years. This cat which may have been a Maine Coon... had extra toes (technically known as polydactyl... Latin for "many digits".)

Today approximately 60 cats... half of them polydactyl... make their home in Key West...protected by the terms of Hemingway's will. At least some of those cats are descendants of Hemingway's first cat and are given fanciful names as he once did.... after movie stars and even characters in his book. The cats of the Hemingway Museum are so popular and so well-known, that the nickname "Hemingway Cats" or "Mitten Feet" have often been given to polydactyls.

The trait for polydact comes from a dominant gene and only a polydactyl cat can parent another polydact. Although the Maine Coon (whose ancestors are also thought to have immigrated to the U.S. aboard ships) is believed to have been the first breed to have this trait... polydact is considered a fault in that breed and indeed in every other breed except the Pixie Bob... a relatively new breed. So, rather than a breed, polydact is just a genetic trait somewhat like the genetics for the tabby pattern.

Instead of the normal 18 toes (five on each front foot and four on the rear) found on most cats, polydacts have six or more toes on the front feet and sometimes an extra toe on the rear. However, unlike the popular tabby whose pattern can be found in many breeds, the polydact is frowned upon by breed registries. Why.....? Although not inherently dangerous, there is a possibility that the extra toes could be malformed, either with two toes fusing such as Koda who has two extra toes are on top of his left foot or with ingrown toenails like those that had to be removed from Windsor (aka Mr. Digits.)

Although not approved as "purebreds," polydacts are adored by their human companions. Whether called "polydactyls," "Hemingway Cats," or "Mitten Feet," these many-toed cats warm the hearts and hearths of those people (and witches) fortunate to share a home with one.


(Pictured is my Mr. Digit's... he has seven toes on each front foot and five on his back feet....)

Serenity Sunday

Well, the painting is nearly finished...just the hallway left to be done. It's been quite the experience to be sure especially since all the furniture and knick knacks had to be moved from area to area since we couldn't exactly haul it all outside in the torrential rains we've been having. There are still pockets of things left to be put back into place but at least it's getting there. The whole living room has an almost zen feeling with it's new colors and I thought that maybe this next week I'd peruse the local import store for a few little items like a zen rock garden and perhaps some oriental accents...maybe a bamboo plant or two...

My List:

1.) My children

2.) My cats

3.) Earth toned paint

4.) Sara Brightman (beautiful voice!)

5.) My iPod

6.) Lots and lots of laughter

7.) The soft spring breeze

8.) Sweet smelling flowers

9.) Fresh brewed coffee

10.) Toodles ( one of my black cats) laying on my pillow, purring in my ear

Pink Jasmine

Since our living room has been newly painted, I decided I'd brighten it up by putting a few new plants under my plant light. Among my violets and pots of herbs and an ailing pothos plant, I just knew I could make room for it simply because the scent is absolutely intoxicating (and it was on sale for $9.99 at Fred Meyer.)

Anyhow, since jasmine is not a hardy outside candidate due to our winter freezes it will have to be strictly an indoor plant but that's okay with me because I will have the chance of trying to grow a new variety of plant. I'm usually very gifted with the ability to grow anything (except the cactus..... of any variety) it was a great fit with my other semi-tropical loving greenery.

This morning as I walked out of my bedroom, I was met with the most delicious scent...pleasantly sweet but not overwhelming...I sat down to enjoy my first cup of coffee feeling as if I had stepped right into the tropics! It's so relaxing to sit and wake up to such a calming, soothing environment.

I also have another addition to my plant table...I recently received five little Bird of Paradise seeds straight from Hawaii, that I promptly notched and soaked (for 24 hours) then planted in loose loamy/sandy soil so I'm really anxious to see their progress. They grow very slowly and take between two to five years to flower but when they do it is a very striking vision indeed!
I just love my friends, they always seem to know which plants I secretly wish for....and that the way to my heart is a flower with all it's roots attached.


"The lattice of thy casement twines
With jasmine vines, with jasmine vines;
The stars, like jasmine blossoms, lie
About the glimmering sky.
No jasmine tress
Can so caress
Like thy white arms' soft loveliness."

The Three Of Swords

The picture on the Three of Swords can bring up some disturbing feelings within us but these internal stirrings kick up within us because this card deals with the heart of the matter and if when we see the Three of Swords with honesty and understand it as sign for us to wake up... pay attention and begin to observe the inner workings of our heart... we can use it’s message to transform us.

The Three of Swords often represents life's curve balls that can land our direction from time to time.... betrayal, abandonment, rejection, separation.... can be quite a shock because they hit you when you least expect them. If you have drawn this card you may know what it refers to but if not, the Three of Swords is a valuable warning. It is likely there is something that needs attention in your life and you may be unaware of or unwilling to acknowledge it. Curve balls hit us when we're looking the other way and we need to look at the situation carefully. Talking to the people in your life and not taking anything for granted as well as listening to your inner voice will help you locate the problem

In this light, these swords hint to our ability to balance basic and supporting beliefs leading to heartfelt breakthroughs in our lives. The veil of obscurity is pierced, and the heart of our desire is made manifest through our practice of living an observed, aware, and balanced life.

The Month Of April

April was the second month in an early Roman calendar, but became the fourth when the ancient Romans started using January as the first month. The Romans called the month Aprilis. It may come from a word meaning 'to open', or it may come from Aphrodite, the Greek name for the goddess of love.

Small animals that hibernate are usually coming out of their burrows in April. The birds fly back northward or they settle down to have their families. The bees and butterflies begin to gather nectar from the first flowers of the season.

In some parts of the world, it's planting time. In other parts, it's the harvest season. Professional baseball begins in April. Then the amateur athletes begin to go outside in the warm weather. Spring cleaning starts and people start mowing their yards again.

Special days celebrated in April begin with the first day of April, when children and grown-ups play jokes on one another. Arbor Day is a day for planting trees, and it is observed on various April days as well as Earth day (on my calender it's the 22nd. of this month) and the full moon this month, on the 9th, is called the Wind Moon.

*Daisy and the sweet pea are the flowers of the month.

*Diamond is the birthstone for April

*The Revolutionary War in America began on April 19, 1775, when British soldiers and American revolutionaries clashed in Massachusetts.

*William Shakespeare, the playwright, was born on April 23, 1564. He also died in Massachusetts in 1616.

*Feast day of the Patron Saint of England is April 23.

*The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975, when South Vietnam surrendered.

April Fool's Day

Unlike most of the other non foolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear. There really wasn't a "first April Fool's Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring.

The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. Prior to that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New Year's Day was moved to January 1.

However, communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years. Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1. These backward folk were labeled as "fools" by the general populace. They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fools errands" or were made the butt of other practical

This harassment evolved, over time, into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French. April Fool's Day thus developed into an international fun fest, so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.

In Scotland, for example, April Fool's Day is actually celebrated for two days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body. It is called Taily Day. The origin of the "kick me" sign can be traced to this observance.

April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their "significant other" out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool!