
There are some really interesting news articles this week. Be sure to check them out, and Tiffany's discussing tv role models for African American kids. Karen and I have your standard fare, and you get an extra special treat from LaPulia Studio as well
Grab your favorite beverage and let's dig right in!
Happy Birthday this week to Elise Du Bois, Sue Park, Lisa Strand, Dorothy Morrison, Lily Collins, Margarita Ruseldorf, Jody Weitzman, Darrin Parkin, TJ Christie, Sarah Early, and Christopher Penczak. May this be your best birthday ever, and may your next year of life bring you joy, peace, good health, happiness and all the very best in abundance!
In the News
Boy Shot as Police Break Up Witch Hunt
Mufulira Police Pursue Man On Witchcraft Allegations
When Media Attacks Christians It's Not Just Whom but Witch
Hauntings and Witchcraft in Delco
How Protestantism Fuelled Europe's Deadly Witch Craze
Pagan Lore with Karen Szabo
Good Morning, Sunday Stew readers! Welcome to the first edition of Pagan Lore for the lovely month of May -- hope you all had a wonderful Beltane celebration last week!Sunday, May 4
Fairy Day. According to Irish folklore, it is on this day that the mischievous fairy folk emerge from their hiding places. To prevent human children from being stolen by the fairies and replaced by grotesque changelings, an offering of tea and bread must be left on the doorstep for the little people. For protection against fairies while traveling (especially through heavily wooded areas or open fields), wear your coat inside out. This is said to cause them such great confusion that they are unable to cause any trouble.
Monday, May 5
On this date in the year 2000, according to a group called the Lemurian Fellowship, the legendary lost continent of Mu was supposed to rise up from the Pacific Ocean. In various parts of Mexico and Central America, centuries-old rain ceremonies are performed every year on this day by shamanic priests and priestesses of the Old Faith. The ancient Goddesses who preside over rain and fertility are honored and invoked with prayers and offerings.
Tuesday, May 6
On this day in the year 1938, the Long Island Church of Aphrodite was established in West Hempsted, New York, by the Reverend Gleb Botkin, a Russian author and son the court physician to the last Czar of Russia.
Wednesday, May 7
On this date (approximately), a festival called the Thargelia was celebrated by the ancient Greeks and Ionians in honor of Apollo, the god of the sun, prophecy, music, medicine, and poetry. The festival was held once a year on the sacred island of Delos, the traditional birthplace of Apollo as well as the Goddess Artemis.
Thursday, May 8
In Cornwall, England, the annual Furry Dance is performed in the streets of Helston on this day in honor of the old Celtic Horned God in the guise of Robin Hood. The festival, which features street dancing and a daylong procession throughout the town for good fortune, is one of the oldest surviving Springtime ceremonies in the world. Theosophists commemorate the death of Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky on this day, which they call White Lotus Day.
Friday, May 9
An annual rite called the Lemuria was performed on this date in ancient Roman times to appease the restless spirits of the dead (Lemures), who materialized on this day to haunt the homes where they had once lived. The Lemuria was also held on the eleventh and thirteenth of May. As part of the rite, black beans (symbolic of the Underworld) were tossed as offerings to the ghosts and a powerful prayer was recited nine times.
Saturday, May 10
The sacred marriage of the god Shiva to the Goddess Meenakshi is celebrated annually on this date by faithful followers in Madurai, India. Sacred hymns are sung and offerings of incense and white flower petals are made at all temples dedicated to Shiva. Tin Hau, the Chinese Goddess of the North Star, is honored annually on this day with a festival in Hong Kong.
And there's the Lore for the coming week -- hope you found it interesting! See you next time,
Karen
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Sparkle and Shine with Sosanna
The Call of Spring
This time of the year always makes me happy. Here in eastern NC it is the start of the festival season. We have festivals for daffodils, azaleas and even pickles! I have participated in my fair share of festivals including most recently an Earth Day festival where I unveiled my newest passion, wheel-thrown pottery.
My heart goes pitter patter for another reason this time of year. Spring is the time when mythology tells us that Persephone returned to her mother who was happy once again, bringing life back to the earth. Spring really starts for me when I can see the tiny little apple blossoms change over to tiny little apples. I like getting really close up pictures of the blackberry blossoms and the tiny wine eggs (grapes) that are just starting to form.
This year hubby picked up some heirloom tomatoes from a company called Seed Savers Exchanged. For $30 (which goes to the non-profit) we got six live plants delivered to us. Generally we buy locally, but we wanted to test out this particular group to see how their plants are. For someone concerned about carbon footprint, this group is located in Iowa and would be a great local source for plants.
In my seedling dish this year we’ve started some pole beans. We’ve tried beans in the past and not had a great deal of luck with them. This year however I’m feeling extremely connected with the earth and we’re going to go for it. Next on the list we’ve got cilantro, basil of course and this time another new comer, onions! Here’s hoping I don’t end up in tears over this one. But on the bright side come harvest, I’ll be able to make a mean salsa!
We’ve already sectioned off the part of the yard from the chickens for tilling. After the rain this week, we’re hoping to be able to get the rows ready and put the larger tomato plants down over the weekend. I’ve created a Pinterest album where all my gardening successes and failures can be viewed. You can view my garden, along with all my other hobbies, over at http://www.pinterest.com/rreneeolson/.
Working outside is one of the best things that I have ever done. We spend the majority of our lives inside walls, mostly in front of electronics. We are natural beings and need to have contact with the earth. Walk outside. Find a patch of grass. Take of your shoes. Close your eyes. Feel the grass below your feet. Feel the energy coming up from the earth.
Do you hear that sound?
It is the voice of your mother asking you to stay a while.
Namaste and Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(
www.sosannascloset.com
www.confessionsofamodernwitch.blogspot.com
There and Back Ahen: Just a Bunch of Clucking Nonsense with Melissa 'Chicky' Cassick
How Do You Determine if You Are Indeterminate?I like to learn new things, and there are many, many subjects I would like to learn more about. One of those subjects is gardening. As I previously wrote, I face a lot of challenges in my teeny weeny garden. I have planted whatever appealed to me, as my mother did. But my mother had a great deal more land to use, in an area that received full sun all day. I also believe that she was blessed by Demeter, for anything she tossed in a hole just GREW.
Since I have so little space, and am surrounded by other city houses and fences, I needed to learn more about the best varieties of vegetables to grow. I found my way to a cooperative extension website, which listed popular vegetables with wonderful, easy to understand information. I grabbed a pen and paper to take notes, since that’s the way I retain information.
I knew there were tomatoes that grew to a nice bush, and took up less space, and I knew there were tomatoes that vined out all over the place, but I never knew the terms for either. Those terms are “determinate” and “indeterminate.” Determinates stop growing after the first blossom bears fruit.
Indeterminates will continue to grow as they fruit, and will wander at will. To aid in harvest, and reduce disease and rot, indeterminates are usually tied to stakes. They also have suckers, or leafy branches growing out at the juncture of a branch and the stem, that must be pruned away to enhance production.
I like those terms. Determinate. Indeterminate.
I have known people in my life whom I would classify as determinates. They grew all they felt they needed to, perhaps produced a child or attained a desired job -- and then they stopped. They did not grow any further -- intellectually or emotionally. They felt they had gone as far as they needed to go, and they were done.
I have known more people who are indeterminates: nothing would ever stop them from growing, sending out tendrils, sprouting leaves, and bearing fruit. To the first touch of frost and beyond, they spread their vines to all of the surrounding area.
Indeterminates remember that they need a stake and tie, as well: a system of support to help them grow to their full potential. Staking also protects against pests -- and indeterminate people need to protect themselves from pests, the ones that gnaw away at their growth by saying things like, “Are you sure you’re not too old for that?” “Don’t you think it’s time you settled down?” “Another new venture; is that wise?” Those pests try to stop the indeterminate from producing.
Indeterminates also need pruning. Suckers growing from the stem need to go, just as suckers who drain the life and vivacity from indeterminate people must be removed from their lives. No one can produce the fullest crop possible when their energy is being sapped.
I’ll keep on learning, taking my notes in my little black binder. I want to be an indeterminate, and when the frost at last blackens my leaves, I want to know I created a full harvest.
Tiffany's Gumbo with Tiffany Newson
Dancing Role ModelsToe touch. Cat jump. Left and right hurckey. Bow and arrow. Arabesque. Plie. Chinese split. Pop. Hair flip. Finger pop. Heel toe.
What does this all add up to? Dance, in many forms.
If you've watched TV lately, you may have seen quite a few dance shows coming up from traditional classics such as ballet and tap to more ethnic types such as hip-hop dance and majorettes.
If you look closely, you'll notice the classic dances have few to no people of color. From the professional to children dance teams, you'll only see the token person of color and generally they don't have much color and relaxed hair. They show very little of their ethnicity lest be taken out of the coming recital.
Shows like "Dance Moms" reveal the frustration of African American parents world-wide. The one and only ethnic dancer, Nia, is always getting the short end of the stick. I remember at the beginning of the series, she would wear her hair frizzy and in a fro, or have braids and look like a black child.
In one particular episode, her mother, Holly, had micros (small braids) in her hair. Abby basically told her they were unprofessional and to take them out. For my black audience, we know braids aren't cheap; some braids can run upwards of $150.00. Because Holly didn’t take them out, Nia was pulled from the group performance by stating that she wasn't keeping up like Abby thought she should have for the dance number.
Things like this are all too common in the dance community. We are excluded because we're too dark, are too curvy, have too ethnic of hair to put in the style needed for the recital, or our actual facial features are too ethnic (big lips and wide nose).
I am happy to say slowly things are starting to change. Currently there are twins, Imani and Nia, are beautiful 10 yr girls enrolled in the American Ballet Company. The first of, I pray, many to follow.
You can find out all about them here*
On TV every Wednesday, is a TV series about a majorette team out of Mississippi, The Dancing Dolls, on their show Bring It! This is an awesome series. It shows that we can have curves, weaves, loud makeup, and still dance like no other.
You may think that they over-sexualize the girls, but that's far from the truth. Mrs. D keeps her motto of keeping the young ladies just that- young ladies.
The dances have everything from ballet moves to stepping to African dance. It shows young ladies that there is more to dance than twerking, popping, and grinding.
As I watch my daughter get older and see all these ridiculous dances come out (like the Nae Nae), I know that when she sits down to watch TV there will be girls like her; girls who show how to stay classy. These girls from Bring It!, and the newest members of the American Ballet, show that there is more to life for her than video girls.
I pray that these shows aren't the last.
Sunshine's Meanderings with Kathleen Lane
Planting for LoveAs I got ready to get my flower boxes and beds planted for the new season, I walked out and looked at our house to try to see what other people would see as they walked or drove by. We have a hedge around our yard with an Amish made arch with wisteria on it across the front walk. The hedge is not high and the whole front of the house is visible from the sidewalk and the street so I wanted to plant for everyone, not just myself.
My husband likes very organized flower beds with everything in lines and structured. I prefer a cottage garden flower bed with a mish-mosh of flowers all thrown together. I like a mix of perennials and annuals with a few flowering shrubs thrown into the mix and he likes shrubs and perennials by themselves.
I tried to see what our yard says to other people. Is it welcoming or does it say "do not disturb"? Does it make you want to kick off your shoes and walk barefoot in the grass or stay on the sidewalk? Do you feel love or control?
After mulling this over and making lots of sketches, I have decided that this year, my flower beds will be planted for love. Love of beauty, love of flowers, love of butterflies and hummers, and love of the Mother.
They will be filled with flowering annuals and flowering perennials and scented herbs. Everything will be chosen to appeal to the senses without regard for order and symmetry and to attract the creatures that feed on nectar and move the pollen around.
Mid-Air Moxie with Adelina Soto Thomas
One of my favorite Spring poems is this one-“The May Queen is Waiting” by Ruth Barren.
"The new earth quickens as you rise.
The May Queen is waiting.
Feel the pulsing ground call you to journey,
To know the depths of your desire.
The May Queen is waiting.
Moving through the night, the bright moon's flight.
In green and silver on the plain.
She waits for you to return again.
Do not keep Her waiting.
Her temper stings if you refuse to taste Her honey.
Surrender as enchantment brings
The first light of dawning.
Move with Her in sacred dance, through fear to feeling.
Bringing ecstasy to those who dare.
Living earth is breathing.
Loving through the night in the bright moonlight,
As seedlings open with the rain.
She'll long for you to return again.
Do not keep Her waiting."
Here is a brief bit from another of my all-time favorites- “The May Queen” by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
“All the valley, mother, 'ill be fresh and green and still,
And the cowslip and the crowfoot are over all the hill,
And the rivulet in the flowery dale 'ill merrily glance and play,
For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.
So you must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear,
To-morrow 'ill be the happiest time of all the glad New-year;
To-morrow 'ill be of all the year the maddest merriest day,
For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.”
Let Spring poetry inspire you and work it’s magick upon you! Take the time to read these lovely works of art! Better still, absorb the wonders of Spring and write your own magickal poetry! I will leave you here with a brief excerpt from “May Day” by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
“Daughter of Heaven and Earth, coy Spring,
With sudden passion languishing,
Teaching Barren moors to smile,
Painting pictures mile on mile,
Holds a cup with cowslip-wreaths,
Whence a smokeless incense breathes.
The air is full of whistlings bland;
What was that I heard
Out of the hazy land?
Harp of the wind, or song of bird,
Or vagrant booming of the air,
Voice of a meteor lost in day?
Such tidings of the starry sphere
Can this elastic air convey.
Or haply 'twas the cannonade
Of the pent and darkened lake,
Cooled by the pendent mountain's shade,
Whose deeps, till beams of noonday break,
Afflicted moan, and latest hold
Even into May the iceberg cold.
Was it a squirrel's pettish bark,
Or clarionet of jay? or hark
Where yon wedged line the Nestor leads,
Steering north with raucous cry
Through tracts and provinces of sky,
Every night alighting down
In new landscapes of romance,
Where darkling feed the clamorous clans
By lonely lakes to men unknown.
Come the tumult whence it will,
Voice of sport, or rush of wings,
It is a sound, it is a token
That the marble sleep is broken,
And a change has passed on things.”
Join me at Mid-Stride Moxie at http://midstridemoxie.blogspot.com/
The Spice with La'Trice Lott
I’ve come up with a very “scientific” method of choosing which recipe I’m going to use each week. I spread my binders on the kitchen island, do eenie, meanie, miney, moe, and then pick a page that is marked with one of those little colored code flags. This method can be used for other decision make task and can be adapted to fit the user needs.
This week’s carefully chosen recipe comes courtesy of Cooking Light. It is very flavorful, especially if you make it a day ahead and give all the flavors time to mix and mingle. It can be used as a side dish for chicken or a nice firm fish or serve as a complete meal when paired with toast pita wedges.
Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Feta Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
•1 cup uncooked orzo
•2 cups baby spinach, washed and chopped
•½ chopped, drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
•3 tbsp chopped red onion
•3 tbsp chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
•½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
•¼ tsp salt
•1 (6 ounces) jar marinated artichoke hearts
•¾ cup crumbled feta cheese divided
Directions:
•Cook orzo according to package directions, omit salt and fat. Drain and rinse
•Combine orzo with spinach and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl
•Drain artichokes (reserve marinade) and coarsely chop
•Add chopped artichokes, ½ cup of feta cheese and reserved marinade to orzo mixture.
•Toss gently to coat
•If serving immediately, divide salad on to 4 plates and sprinkle with remaining feta.
The Witches’ Cupboard by Autumn Earthsong
Hello everyone! I hope that you all had a magickal Beltaine celebration this week. I know I did! Today here on the Stew…I thought I’d post some basic information on how to make herbal preparations. I’m going to tell you how to make a tea infusion, a tincture, an oil and a salve/balm. They are all so easy to make and all wonderful ways to use herbs for medicinal or magickal purposes and some of them for culinary use.
We will start off with a bit about herbs in general. You want to be sure that your herbs,whether grown yourself or bought or wildcrafted, are organic. You don’t want to be putting chemicals in your body in any way! When using fresh herbs, be sure to use the parts of the herb that are useful. For example, the flowers and leaves of yarrow are useful, but not the stalk or roots. Fresh herbs should be washed carefully. You can just rinse them well or even give them a swish in half-strength white vinegar water, then allow them to dry well. You don’t want any moisture in your preparations, except for teas of course.
TEAS: You can make a tea several ways. In general, you want 1 tsp of dried herb or 2 tsps fresh herb to one cup of hot water. Most herbals will want to steep for about 10-20 mins. That’s all you need to know to make one cup of tea. Now, of course, you can add more herb (as long as it’s a safe dosage) to your taste. In her Herbal course, “The Science and Art of Herbalsim” Rosemary Gladstar recommends that you make a quart at a time,especially if you’re taking the tea for medicinal purposes.
Two or Three cups a day of tea is recommended for most medicinal herbal teas. She says 2-3 TBS in one quart of water is good.
You can infuse tea a couple of ways. One way is to place the herbs in a jar with a lid, pour the boiling water over it. Quickly seal the lid to the jar. Allow to steep for 10-20 mins or so. Strain and drink.
A stronger medicinal infusion can be made by placing the herbs in a pan of cold water. Place a tight fitting lid on the pan and slowly, over a very low heat, bring the water to boiling point. DON’T BOIL. This makes a stronger infusion medicinally.
There are other ways to make teas too. You can skip the hot water part..fill the jar and make a solar infusion by sitting it out in the Sun for a few hours..I’m sure you’ve heard of Sun Tea! There are also Lunar infusions….so magickal for us Witches who use the Energy of the Moon!
Keep in mind that many herbs don’t necessarily taste good. Herbs are often bitter and can smell like dirt LOL. Use honey to help sweeten them. You can also add teas to other drinks like juices to help. Also, a tea infusion is wonderful to add to your bath or to soak your feet!
The rest of this post AND a FREE DOWNLOAD for your Book of Shadows/Grimoire is available at Autumn's Site! http://autumnearthsong.com
Come Shop at Verbena Lane Botanicals: www.etsy.com/shop/verbenalaneshoppe
The rest of this post AND a FREE DOWNLOAD for your Book of Shadows/Grimoire is available at Autumn's Site! http://autumnearthsong.com
Come Shop at Verbena Lane Botanicals: www.etsy.com/shop/verbenalaneshoppe
The Magical Gardener with Johanna Lawson
Playing in the Dirt
I was going to skip this week’s Sunday Stew due to a huge workload but something incredibly magical happened the night before the submission deadline. I stepped outside for some fresh evening air, the expected rain just starting, and I was overwhelmed by a rich scent. It was sweet like newly opened flowers, strong like a blend of many herbs, and pungent like decaying leaf matter, pine needles and grass. If Winter, Summer, Spring and Autumn were bottled as a scent, this was it. Soil. Dirt. Earth. It drifted around me, through me, and immediately grounded and centered me. I closed my eyes and just mingled there with it for a while. And then She spoke to me. “Play in the dirt,” She said.
It was dark, almost 11 p.m. What would the neighbors think? Again, “play in the dirt”. I heard it clear as day. It came on the surging scent of soil. I moved forward into the small garden bed on my patio, squatted down, and started lightly dragging my fingers through the dirt, around the emerging purple coneflowers, calendula, and day lilies. I took handfuls of cool moist earth and let it flow through my fingers and back down into the bed, tilling gently with my own hands. Giggling? Did I hear giggling? Was it me? Or was it Her. I felt the cares, worries and frustrations of my day slip from my hands with the soil to the surface and disappear silently. I felt the aches and pains of the weekend gardening chores and my renewed workout schedule fall away with each handful of dirt I held and released. I thrust my hands deep into the soil, up to my wrists, and there was a sudden constant rhythmic drumming in my ears. My heartbeat? Or Hers? It was definitely a heartbeat. The sound swelled in and around me, joined by the melodic giggling, like water bubbling from a fountain. And then silence.
I took my hands out of the soil, brushed them off, and stood up, an overwhelming peace and joy flowing through my heart, my spirit. “Thank you,” I said into the darkness. I waited but heard no reply. I knew She had retreated to the deeper darker places of the soil, where She would work through the night, to grow, to bloom, to nourish, to nurture.
I went back into my house, ready to get back to my work, but knew I could not. She wanted me to tell the story of Playing in the Dirt. She wanted me to share the magic of it with you. So I started writing this. Something was nagging at me though. Why did She call me to play in the dirt this night? I had already spent about an hour digging in the dirt, planting some new herbs, earlier in the day. I glanced at my Witches’ Datebook and saw that the new moon was arriving in only a few hours. A-ha! She wanted me to rid myself of all the negative stuff I was holding. Let it all go. Be done with it. She wanted to remind me of why I garden in the first place. Why is that? Because it is where I feel closest to Her, where I feel Her presence in everything, all around me, and in me.
You can find this same connection to Mother Earth, anytime, day or night, rain or shine, sprawling yard or container garden. Put aside the garden tools and just thrust your hands into the soil. Let its scent wrap around you. Let its texture soothe your aches and pains, take away your fears and frustrations. Listen for Her. She will speak to you. You will hear Her wisdom, feel it in your very bones, in the depths of your soul. You will know Her in yourself, feel Her flowing through your veins. She may call you to do this or you may call on Her to be there when you do. It doesn’t matter. Just play in the dirt.
Vision Board Pages from LaPulia Studio
Have you ever wanted to create a vision board, but weren't sure how to get started? We've created these pages for your Book of Shadows to help you. If you are in need of a keepsake Book of Shadows, we would love to provide one for you. Please visit us at LaPula Studio.

Click HERE to download these pages
This Week in Astrology
All times EDT.Planets in Retrograde:
Mars until May 19
Saturn until July 20
Pluto until September 23
Sunday May 4
All's quiet in the heavens
Monday, May 5
9:22am-1:55pm Moon Void of Course (VoC) then moves into Leo
Tuesday, May 6
11:14pm First Quarter Moon
Wednesday, May 7
10:56am Mercury moves into Gemini
11:17am Moon VoC for the rest of the dy
Thursday, May 8
Moon VoC until 2:23am then moves into Virgo
Great Day for Business after 2:33am
Friday, May 9
Great Day for Business- ALL DAY!
Saturday, May 10
Great Day for Business until 10:52am
10:52am-1:18pm Moon VoC then moves into Libra
11:35pm Waxing Gibbous Moon
Weekly Horoscopes from DarkStar Astrology
The Weekly Divine with Kallan Kennedy
Kallan Kennedy is a professional tarot/totem intuitive with more than 20 years of divination experience. She offers private readings to her clients via her website, Secret Services. Order your personal reading today!
Weekly Tarot: 7 of Cups
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Phantomwise Tarot |
I love the artwork of this card. It really encapsulates the meaning of the 7 of Cups. This card is about daydreaming, wishful thinking, having lots of options, and lack of action.
Dreaming is a wonderful thing. It provides us with inspiration to take action. And, therein lies the rub. At some point, it's time to awaken and actually do something about those dreams. Sometimes, having too many options can be paralyzing; so can fear of failure or success. It can be overwhelming to weigh the pros and cons and to decide upon a course to take. This card says, "Choose, you must." It is important that you prepare carefully and focus clearly on what you really want to do. What may seem like a great opportunity could turn out to be disastrous, and vice versa.
The danger lies in wishful thinking or unrealistic expectations (and, as we know from our study of Mulengro, expectation is just one of its faces). It may be tempting to fall into escapism right now, but this card warns against such habits at this time.
As the 7 of Cups is a card of getting what you want, it is time to carefully consider- be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. Decide and choose.. then, move forward. Be sure of what you want and that it is an honorable choice. Sometimes, it's as simple as cleaning house and getting rid of that which no longer serves you. No matter what, take action and do something this week that serves your highest purpose.
Weekly Totem: Antelope (Pronghorn)
'When time was just beginning and the "Tribe of Man" was small, Antelope saw that the two-leggeds were naked, hungry, and in danger of extinction. The Ancestors would soon vanish from Mother Earth if action were not taken. Antelope took action and came into the camp, calling all the two-leggeds together for Council. "Great Mystery sent me to teach you a lesson. The lesson is do. You have no need to be fearful if you know what to do and then you do it," Antelope said.
"And what shall we do?" asked the People.
"If you are naked and cold, you should kill me and take my coat to keep you warm. It is my gift to you. Do it."
"We will," said the People. "But what of our hunger. We are starving. What can we do to save ourselves?"
"If you are hungry, you should kill me and take my flesh, for it will nourish you and make you strong. It is my gift to you, and a part of my evolution. It is my service.
Do it."'~Medicine cards, Jamie Sams and David Carson
The Pronghorn antelope is found in North America. Pronghorns are an ancient species dating back nearly 20 million years-the only survivor of a group of hoofed mammals that originated in North America, and one of the few living links with the Ice Age. Pronghorns successfully survived the late Cenozoic and Pleistocene eras, as well as massive changes 11,000 years ago when a mysterious mass extinction claimed many other species. Indeed, the pronghorn was here to greet the first humans who set foot in North America, and ancestral Native Americans hunted pronghorn as much as 30,000 years ago. The pronghorn may have endured in part because it's tough. If necessary a pronghorn can go days without water, and will eat and thrive on plants no other grazing animal will touch-even thorny cactus. Pronghorns successfully survive both bitter cold and desert heat equally well.
No other creature in the world is related to the American antelope. The pronghorn's namesake-its distinctive horns-is the hallmark that gives the pronghorn its own genus, because it's the only animal in the world to annually shed a branched horn.The name "antelope" comes from the Greek antholops, meaning "brightness of the eye." Perhaps this curious name is appropriate. Pronghorn eyes are protruding, exceptionally large relative to the animal's size, and set high on either side of their head. These unusual eyes give these animals extraordinary vision and the ability to better detect the presence of distant predators three or four miles away.
The message of Antelope is that of proper action; action that has its basis in clarity, focus, and commitment. Antelope medicine is the knowledge of life's circle. Knowing of death, Antelope can truly live. Action is the key and essence of living. Antelope medicine gives you strength of mind and heart, and the ability to take quick and decisive action to bring your goals to fruition. If you're feeling stuck, or you need clarity and focus, Antelope can help you get on track. Antelope indicates a message of higher purpose. Antelope forces you to act on behalf of self, family, clan, nation, and Mother Earth.
That's it for this week's Stew. Mull. Digest. Enjoy! Our thanks to Jennifer Rasmussen for her fantastic editing work!
The Sunday Stew is a free, e-publication delivered every Sunday as a loving gift to the Pagan community. All submissions are the intellectual property of their authors, and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the blog owner. All photos are used with permission.
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