As many of you are aware, I turned 50 last week. I had the best birthday ever, and many of my friends spoiled me rotten with gifts, well-wishes and phone calls. More on that in the Monday Musings :).
Since it's such a full stew, I won't hold you up.. let's get right to it.
Happy Birthday this week to Nick Hanson, Shelly Gross, Danni Suplicki(!), James Nolan, Stacy Austin, Csilla, Lydia Pagnotti, Dora Vanderberg, Shelby Dilley(!), Morinanna Wizard, Vicky Hollar, Bill Lazdowski, Crystal Harper, Kimberly Willis-Hammon, Marie Brau-Lemon, Sula Rose, Green Tara, and Dusty Miller. May this be your best birthday ever, and may the next year of your life be filled with joy, peace, health, prosperity, happiness and all good things!
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Pagan Lore with Karen Szabo
Sunday, February 10
An ancient African festival marking the beginning of the fishing season and the New Year is celebrated annually on this day by members of the Kebbawa tribe of Nigeria. The ancient gods of their religion are honored and invoked, and traditional fish divinations are performed.
In pre-Christian times, the Goddess Anaitis was honored on this day in the country of Persia (now Iran). She was a deity who was said to have possessed great powers over the Moon and the seas.
Monday, February 11
Each year on this date, millions of faithful men, women, and children make a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady in Lourdes. A spring in the village of Lourdes, France, is believed by many to possess curative powers. The pilgrims bathe in the water in the hope that it will heal their illnesses and disabilities.
Tuesday, February 12
On this date in the year 1663, the infamous clergyman Cotton Mather was born in Boston, Massachusetts. (This is certainly one birthday no Witch would ever celebrate!) His writings and sermons condemning the practice of the Old Religion contributed greatly to the hysteria of the 1692 Salem Witch-hunt. Cotton Mather died in Boston, one day after his birthday, in the year 1728.
Wednesday, February 13
On this date, an annual holiday called the Parentalia was observed in ancient Rome. It lasted until the twenty-first of February and was a day for families to honor and commemorate their deceased loved ones, particularly their parents. During the week of Parentalia, all temples in Rome were closed and all wedding ceremonies forbidden. Ancestral tombs were visited and offerings of wine and flowers were
made to family ghosts.
Thursday, February 14
Saint Valentine's Day. This is a day dedicated to all lovers, and the traditional time for Witches around the world to practice all forms of love magick and love divination. This day is also sacred to Juno-Lupa, the she-wolf Goddess of the ancient Roman religion. In early times, she was honored annually on this day by a women's fertility festival and the sacrifice of a female wolf.
Friday,, February 15
On this date in ancient Rome, a festival known as the Lupercalia (Feast of the Wolf) was celebrated to honor the god Lupercus and to mark the beginning of Spring. The festival which was a rustic ritual of both purification and fertility magick, also included the sacrifice of goats and dogs to the god Faunus (identified by classical writers as the horned goat-god Pan). During the orgiastic festival, young men would choose their sexual partners by drawing the names of young women out of a bowl.
Saturday, February 16
In the distant past, a rite called the Devil's Dance was performed annually on this date (approximately) as part of the Tibetan New Year festival. Monks wearing grotesque masks would dance for hours as a village sorcerer exorcised demons and the evil influences of the past year with various magickal incantations.
And there you have it, this weeks' Pagan Lore! Wishing everyone a fantastic week -- see you next time!
Karen
Sparkle and Shine with Sosanna
The dark moon is a time when the moon is nearly invisible in the night sky. It usually lasts from a day to three days depending on the location and tilt of the Earth. Some do not make a distinction between the dark moon and the new moon. In my practices I view the new moon as the crescent that’s first visible in the sky.
The Farmer’s Almanac suggests that from the time of the full moon through the dark moon is the best time for killing weeds, thinning, pruning, mowing, cutting down trees and for planting root type crops. It also recommends that wooden shingles will lie flatter if the wood is cut in the dark moon.
From a magical prospective the dark moon is closely associated with magic related to deep introspection. This time is also associated with honoring those considered Dark Goddesses. Hecate, for example is often honored on the dark moon. Her association with necromancy and the spirit world also lends her directly into dark moon worship. Often even called “The Goddess of the Dark Moon” as one of her titles, Hecate stands at the crossroads with her torches lit, waiting to assist those to either cross to the other side or to give guidance on questions presented to her. Each direction can represent a possible answer for the follower.
So the dark moon is a great time for all sorts of things. I get that. How do I find the dark moon?
GREAT Question!!
There’s an app for that!
In the iTunes store there are several apps available for moon phase tracking. I use Moon. By CDV Concepts. It’s free. It doesn’t offer a dark moon notification but it does offer a new moon one. Just set it to alert you 24/48 hours before depending on how you’d like to see the dark moon.
I always have a trouble with moon magic. In today’s busy life the best thing I have to go by is a work calendar that I’ve programed to message me at the phase changes of the moon. Each change I check my calendar and try to understand; if the new moon is on Sunday, is my dark moon on Saturday? How do I make sure I don’t miss it? Some sites on the internet will tell you there is only 45 minutes of actual “Dark Moon Time” and this is the time that banishing rituals should be cast. Yeah, because ancient Greeks and Romans had stop watches? I don’t think so.
Here’s my take on this whole thing. I believe that the intent is the key here. Just as making a representation of the God/dess in your belief structure wouldn’t necessarily need to be made from a particular source; I also believe that when you are working with magic, the components are more to remind you of what you’re doing. The blue candle doesn’t do the magic. The blue candle reminds me of the magic I’m casting. The candle could be green, yellow or black. As long as my focus is on the task at hand, the magic is complete.
Ritual is created as a way for us to prepare our mind for a specific task. We may take a cleansing bath or meditate. We will then collect our tools and cast our circle. These are all steps we take to put ourselves in a magical frame of mind. I can worship the Goddess walking in the park down the road, or standing sky clad in front of my altar.
Neither are more powerful or showing more devotion to the Goddess. They are just different. My energy is different. The moon pulls upon us the same way it does the oceans. After all we are mostly water ourselves. So I do believe that the power of the moon, be it full or dark will affect the power of the spell you cast only in so much as how you yourself feel during that rite.
This weekend is the dark moon, according to my calendar notification and I’ll be preparing my offerings to the Goddess. I’ll prepare my eggs, my leeks and light my sage. I’ll walk to the crossroads and leave my gifts. As I return to my abode careful not to look back I gaze up into the darkness, I send out honor, and love to the world around me and hope they can stop for a moment and embrace this wonderful night’s sky. I hope they see the stars above and within and love the Sparkle and Shine.
Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(
The Spice with La'Trice Lott
Philosophy is a walk on a slippery rock; religion is a light in the fog. . .
For the first 10 years of my life, I was a Navy Brat. My family picked-up and moved every 2-3 years. Not to delve too much into psycho-social development but, always being the new kid in school had a profound effect on how I approach relationships and life in general. In most situations, I’m not one to just cannonball into things. Nope, I need to sit back, observe, take in the scene, and see what’s what. As a kid, I sometime felt marginalized, excluded, always the outsider. However, as I got older, I came to realize that being on the outside looking in could be a valuable asset.
Chuck me in the shallow waters, before I get too deep. . .
This was especially true in terms of religion. Living in naval housing afforded me the opportunity to meet and interact with people of different cultures, faiths and ethnicities. I learned how to use chopsticks, before I could use a fork. By age 7, I could dance the Hula and the Horah with the best of them. And, by age 10, I had visited quite a few places of worship: Jewish Synagogues, a Buddhist retreat, and a number of Protestant, Baptist and Lutheran churches. I’d even been kicked out of Catholic school (that’s a story for another day). I loved attend ceremonies that were steeped in ritual: Passover Seder, Midnight Mass, walking the meditation/prayer mazes, etc. Even at that young age, I was aware of the fact, that although people worshipped in various ways, everyone was pretty much striving for the same thing. That’s way I could never understand how was never able to understand why a lot of people who claimed to claimed to follow Christ would do things like, tell people of other faiths they were going to hell; say negative things about those they were trying to help, and judging people for doing things, they themselves were doing or wanted to do. I made me very uneasy.
I’m not aware of too many things I know what I know if you know what I mean.
Over the course of the past 38 years, I’ve become a mother and a wife. There have been hardships and there have been triumphs. I’ve learned a lot about who I am and who I want to be. During my spiritual journey, I’ve walked along the paths Judaism, Atheism, Eastern religions, and Native-American spirituality and have been lead me here, to a place where I truly feel I belong . . .following of the Wheel the year, celebrating each season as it comes, acknowledging in the duality of the Divine, honoring Gods and Goddesses alike; and a cherishing Mother Earth; finding happiness in the bounty she provides.
What I am is What I am.
Editor's note: You can find La'Trice on Facebook.
Sunshine's Meandering with Kathleen Lane - New Contributor!
Growing up in a family of Pagan beliefs on one side and Quaker on the other made for an interesting schism that was only resolved when I was old enough to actually see which worked and which didn't.
The Native American side gave me such a strong, gut level bonding with the Mother that a patriarchal belief just never worked for me. We live in PA now but moved here four years ago from the NW where we lived on the Washington coast. At this point on the Wheel, I am at peace with the Crone phase of my existence and very content to live in the here and now and pass on what I have learned on this rotation.
I sew, craft, garden and enjoy what this phase of life is showing me. Every day is a new learning experience
Article: Herbs
This week as I sat looking through seed catalogs and nursery catalogs and planning more "dream" gardens, I realized how many of the plants I use are ones that I also use for herbal treatments of various types. And then, after chatting with someone on line, it came to me that this was a good subject for my blog this week.
For years I had a company called Rainbow's End. I made organic lotions, balms, teas and salts from herbs I grew myself or bought from organic growers. It was a very satisfying and productive way to satisfy my "mud-pie urge" as my husband calls my gardening mania and produce something beneficial to other people. So this year, if you plan to garden, plant the lovely things that give back in the form of "medicines".
My herb garden has chamomile, marigold, black cohosh, lavender and lemon balm in it. It is lovely to look at, delicious to smell and is a beautiful addition to my other "just for pretty" plants. All of the plants in it have medicinal qualities of one type or another. Almost everyone knows that chamomile helps with sleep, but did you know that a tea from the plant will also help with PMS and digestive issues? You can combine it with dried hops in a pillow to help with bad dreams.
Marigold has been used for thousands of years to treat burns, rashes and has anti-fungal properties. The balm and lotion I make with it and lavender help heal skin rashes, take the burn out of sunburn and sting out of nettles and really help with dry skin.
Black Cohosh, a lovely plant, works wonders for headaches and for kidney problems. It is a pretty flower and looks great along the back of a flower bed.
Lavender, besides being glorious to smell, kills germs, repels hornets, heals rashes and added to tea with chamomile, helps you sleep. The town of Sequim, WA has a yearly lavender festival and people come from everywhere for it. It was there I had lavender ice cream for the first time and my daughter sent me some wonderful lavender cheese for the holidays.
The last one, for this blog, is Lemon balm. It grows tall, so it makes a lovely back row for a flower bed, attracts hummers and butterflies and is a beautiful plant. It makes a lovely tea combined with valerian for people who have trouble sleeping, gets rid of stomach cramps and in a balm or lotion with marigold and lavender heals rashes and cold sores. The only real difficulty with anything in the mint family is their tendency to take over the flower bed. Consequently my Lemon balm is contained. Since they spread by roots, I had an old fiber glass wheel barrow that had gotten the wheels broken off, so my husband buried it for me so the top edge was just above ground level and that is where I grow it. It can't escape.
Growing up Gram always made a lot of cough syrups and tonics and balms. If I was in her good graces, I got a cough syrup made from violets and honey. Otherwise, I got the one made from onion and slippery elm. It was really nasty!
New Contributor: David Watson
Introduction:
Article: Shadow Dance
The way that I see it, we try too hard to remain good and do only that which is positive in our workings in a world that has turned ever more dark and foreboding. Our intentions are honorable and commendable, but the more light-working we do, it seems like the more the darkness closes in around us. How can we continue to be a bastion of light amidst such energies when it feels, at times, like the entire world wants to be forever dark? Herein lies the problem — we are locked in binary.
Good and evil. War and peace. Light and dark. Day and night. Black or white. Up or down. Heads or tails. Left or right. This is what we have become as a society, and it is killing us — as a people, as a spiritual path, as a way of existence, as a species, even as a world.
With the dawning of the Aquarian age, we are beginning to feel and experience certain changes taking place, yet they are subtle...too subtle, it often feels, given what is taking place more and more from those who are desperate to cling to the old Piscean habits. We become tired, depressed, frustrated, angry...how can one who walks the path of the light cope with this?
By remembering that the shadow is because of the light...and that which exists between.
So does this mean we should “switch sides”? No. Does this mean we should “embrace the shadows”? In part. Does this mean we should be neutral? Not entirely. Rather, it’s more about remembering that the darkness is not always the absence of light, and that energies from both may be used to achieve harmony.
Consider: what is “good” for one person may well be considered “evil” for another person. The same between regions, countries, cultures and beliefs. An example of this is animal sacrifice. Most Western cultures look upon this practice as horrific, yet we slaughter animals by the tens of thousands in mechanized, semi-automated, systematic fashion for our Big Macs and Chalupas. Why is honoring the spirit of an rooster, thanking it for its flesh, becoming part of its energy and consuming it in a ritual feast “barbaric” yet picking up a bucket of the colonel’s chicken for a picnic is perfectly all right? What about humans? Why is executing someone on death row with a lethal injection more “humane” than the guillotine? Cultures differ, ideologies differ, practices differ. Occasionally they clash, but often that clash serves only to illuminate our own hypocrisy.
Another illustration: wars are fought for ideas, whether that idea is freedom, religious purity, expansion of dominion, greed for resources, or whatever...but peace becomes an ambiguity that is never fully understood. Peace through superior firepower. Peace at the point of a sword. Peace...we know what it feels like on an individual level, but how can we ever hope to implement it when we are railing against the forces that bring about its antithesis? Isn’t that just warfare in a different sense?
Fighting for peace is as oxymoronic as Romeo’s declaration:
"O heavy lightness! Serious vanity!
Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms!
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!"
We need to forge a path between the two extremes if we are to ever understand how to bring about that notion of peace, to let it become stronger than the forces that seek its denial. This will be anything but an easy task for this binary view has become ingrained within our own societal conditioning, yet to begin we must only consider that there lies an infinite number of shades of gray between the black and the white. The coin has an edge that is rarely explored. The sea extends before us...but there is no edge to sail off, merely over and over again until we have reached the opposite shore.
Focusing solely upon the light is to deny the darkness, yet within that darkness are some wonderful things...if you only know how to look at them. “Evil” energies, “black magick”, these things can be tempered and put into beneficial use, not just the baneful methods that we often associate with them. A hex upon a person who is causing you harm, not to cause them the same, worse, or a different harm, but to prevent them from causing that harm to begin with. A curse upon a loved one to keep them from doing something that is harmful to themselves is still a curse, but one that is for the greater good.
Similarly, workings of “light”, “white magick”, “good” energies...these can be used to bring about harm without even intending such to occur. Providing healing energies to someone who is incurably and terminally ill, forcing them to suffer for just a little longer before the end. Blessing someone who is incredibly hateful toward you so that they now develop more resentfulness, further compounding their anger.
It’s learning to work within the gray, to understand the center, the balance, the neutrality, call it what you will. It’s walking between the light that we see before us and the darkness that is behind us, recognizing both for what they are and understanding that it is what labels we humans have placed upon them that give them their power one way or another.
It’s about being a part of Nature, not just residing within Her realm.
Toward this end, it is my intention, through this next series of articles, to introduce those who are curious, to just such a path — a “gray” path, if you will, but one I prefer to simply call witchcraft. My own particular take on it blends elements of Vodoun and Santeria into some common practices one would typically associate with Alexandrian Wicca. It is not my intention whatsoever to guide you along my path, rather to illustrate, through my own workings, how you can utilize energies you would normally avoid because of their darker natures — “shadow” energies, for lack of a better term, yet the energies themselves are inherently neutral. It is what we humans DO with those energies that connotes “good” or “evil”.
In this article, I will begin with the common hex. I won’t go into the specifics surrounding this particular hex, but I will state that the person whom I am directing it toward has approached my wife and I with all the good intentions of an anaconda, stripping us of our power with a smile on his face and a politician’s promise of good things to come, while simultaneously denigrating us both and my wife in particular. Those energies have increased our stress levels and blood pressures (a dangerous thing considering my wife’s hypertension). My intention is to gather that stress and negativity and direct it back to its source and binding it there so it does not revisit itself upon us. For this, I will be using a black skull candle, nine straight pins, a few herbs and oils and some incense specific to the task at hand. I perform this at night with the only light coming from a single red candle on my altar and the jar candle on Eshu’s altar.
What I am doing here is channeling that negativity, that destruction of our personal power, that denigration of our spirits into the black skull candle through a combination of two things: visualization/meditation, and heating the pins in the red candle’s flame and piercing the black skull candle.
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| Eshu's altar |
The significance of the black skull is (in this case) death, evil, negativity, endings, finality, humanity, mortality. The color represents the negativity in and of itself, but here I am using it for absorption/destruction of that negativity. The skull’s representation is of the intended person and the energies that he has directed toward us that I am sending back. As with an actual skull, it is a vessel — though here it’s not of the soul, brain, etc. but of those energies.
Each pin carries with it the thing that he took from us: our dignity, our protection, our prosperity, our future, our enjoyment, our tranquility, our power, our hopes and our dreams. The physical act of inserting them acts as a vehicle to place those energies into the skull.
The candle has also been dressed with the herbs and oils, bestowing upon it the associated energies and attributes inherent within such. It also sits on top of a strip of paper upon which I have written this individual’s name nine times.
I should explain the significance of the number 9 here. The number 3 is a sacred number. Everything around us can be broken down into threes. Birth, life and death. White, gray and black. Day, dusk/dawn and night. Maiden, Mother and Crone. Warrioress, Huntress and Protectress. Beginning, middle and end. One of the oldest known sacred symbols of humankind is the triangle. The number 9 takes that and places upon it a complexity of three sets of three. Nine is also the highest of the single numbers, placing it into the highest order — the greatest power.
Calling to Papa Legba to open the gates as I stand before Him at the crossroads, I light the candle, then begin intoning the name I have written on that paper, then begin a chant to reclaim our power from him, to return the evil that he has imparted upon us. As the candle burns down to the pins, I remove them, one at a time. For each one removed, our power is restored. The evil has been burned from the pin and now I am drawing out of that molten mass that which he stole from us. Our spirits renewed, the negativity channeled into the candle is released to wrap itself around the one who birthed it to begin with, binding him in his own evil.
As the last pin is removed, I extinguish the remains of the black skull candle, break it into as many pieces as I can to signify breaking the last of his hold on us, then put them into a black bag. To this I add cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt and black salt to bind all that remains and seal the evil with him. After this, I scatter the pieces in secret to allow the elements to reclaim whatever is left.
You can see by this ritual that hexing or cursing is not something that is necessarily about bringing harm to another (nor is it something one takes lightly). Rather, it's something that can bring positive results and still be within the tenets of the Wiccan Rede and other moral compasses. This particular ritual, while still being a hex, is little more than a reversing/reclaiming protection ritual. It serves to illustrate just one of the many ways in which “shadow energy” may be utilized in workings of light. There are many others.
As Sarah Williams penned in “The Old Astronomer”:
“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”
Editor's note: You can find our favorite Captain (David) on Facebook.
Eliora's Magickal Life with Lorelei Gumbiner - New Contributor!
At 62, I am thoroughly enjoying my Crone years. I am a retired IT Business Analyst, and Applications Developer. While I did enjoy my work, I have waited a lifetime be where I am, doing what I am doing, right now. I am Eliora, Pagan Artisan. The child of creative parents, there has not been a time in my life, since I could hold a pencil, a brush, or a needle, when I have not been creating something. In recent years, I have turned my creativity almost exclusively toward my Path. One of the greatest blessings I experience in the creative process is the spiritual growth that comes as I research and incorporate Deities, sacred themes, and symbols into my work. Many of these inspirations have become part of my personal spiritual practice.
I am married to Mike; we've been together for over almost 45 years. We started our lives together in Northwest Indiana; spent about 20 years in Southern California; and now, retirement finds us near where we started - in Portage, Indiana. We have two amazing daughters, Rebekah and Sarai, who came to us while we were in California, and who are the delight of our lives.
Editor's note: You can find Eliora on Facebook or at her shop, Eliora's Enchanting Elegance.
A Witch's Wanderings with Vickie Lesperance- New Contributor!
Introduction: I have been defying description for more than half my lifetime. I occasionally have my sanity, although my circle of friends might disagree with that; I’m a mix of opposites, random, different and unconventional. I’m a self-taught know it all and even though I can admit I really don’t know everything, I do know enough to carry on a conversation with most anyone. Some call me mouthy, I freely speak my mind…I do NOT tolerate BS. I’m a wife, Mom, Abi, Pagan, eclectic, free thinking FaerieWitch, Priestess in training, wanna be gardener, who loves to cook and loves my life!
Hello, my name is Vickie and I am a witch. Even though I grew up in a Christian home, I’ve come to realize I've always been one, it just took me a while to figure it out and put a label on it. From the age of about 8 or 9, I've known things, seen things. I say what others are thinking, I think what others are about to say, I think of someone and they call, I dream and it comes true, I feel the energy of a space (I hate crowded places and hotel rooms make me crazy, frantic and my shields work over time), I read emotions and know what people feel, I can see what’s in your soul from the look in your eyes, and I can connect with those passed through the veil. I always felt different than everyone else. I didn't fit in even though I tried. It was only much later that I became more than thankful that I didn't, that I wasn't average, that I wasn't like everyone else.
I follow the moon on a crooked and shadowed path, walking the path with my Goddesses. Each day I feel more rooted and sure of each step I take, it feels like I've found my fate, it feels like I've come home. They say that once you start seeking, you will never stop. It has become a part of me, it is in my blood. There was a time I was unsure of what I was doing and as fate would have it, I met someone who showed me where my journey was taking me, that I have always been a healer, a witch. I am a Priestess, having taken my sacred and secret vows to the Goddess. I practice the craft both alone and with my sisters by choice, the sisters of my coven, who are my spiritual strength and support. I have come to find so many like-minded individuals, the other seekers, all of whom I love and cherish even though we have never met, I am more than blessed by each of them.
I know this is real, I know that when you light the candles, burn the incense, set your intention, speak the words and it share it with the Universe, it comes true. Be careful what you wish for. Do the ritual, just do it. Live it. Make it part of your daily life, not just something you do on an Esbat or Sabbat. Observe nature and live in harmony with it. Grow when the moon waxes and let go when it wanes. Be present. Find what makes you happy, find your peace, find where you feel like home. Trust in yourself and your spirit, learn your lessons, and love. Follow your instincts and you will never go wrong.
It's very difficult to give you an in depth description of me. Yesterday I was a dyed in the wool stuffy shirt, and today I am probably one of the most open minded people you could ever meet. I am in a totally committed relationship with the one person on this earth who lets me be me...the REAL me and loves me unconditionally no matter what. I am fully convinced he is my one true love and as my soul mate we have just picked up in this life where we left off in our previous one.
I am blessed with 3 grown children and 7 of the most amazing Grand Girls anyone could ask for. Two have begun to show their powers as Witchling's and I am anxiously waiting to see which of the others may or may not follow this path. Even though they each live in different parts of the country and I don't get to see them as often as I'd like, they are still a very big part of my daily thoughts and prayers.
Article: Alignment… and the Law of Attraction
No, I’m not talking about a front end alignment on your vehicle. I’m talking about the aligning of the energies we work with on a daily basis. Over the past few months the energies have been going crazy. Some will attribute this to the Mayan calendar and the possible end of the world as we know it. Since the apocalypse didn’t happen and we are still inhabitants on planet earth, the humming’s and vibrations are more intense and noticeable.
Why are we able to notice and feel these vibrations now when they were much calmer and nearly impossible to notice, let alone feel them touching us on a regular basis? Each person is constantly giving off vibrations of energy when they think and feel. These vibrations can be picked up and received by other people. If you feel excited, enthusiastic, passionate, happy, joyful, loving, appreciative, abundant, prosperous, relaxed and peaceful, you are giving off positive vibrations. These positive vibrations contribute to how we understand what is going on in our personal space and the environment around us.
On the other hand, if you feel bored, anxious, worried, confused, sad, lonely, hurt, angry, resentful, guilty, disappointed, frustrated, overwhelmed, stressed out, or depressed, then you are giving off negative vibrations. The law of attraction states that the universe responds to whatever you are offering, by giving you more of whatever you are vibrating. It doesn’t care whether it is good for you or not, it simply responds to your vibration. When you are responding to what happens around you on a daily basis, you tend to stay stuck in your current condition. This is why most people’s lives never seem to change very much.
It IS possible to get out of this never ending cycle and create what you want instead of continually recreating what you already have. Identify what you truly want and then eliminate the negative. It’s important to focus on what you want instead of what you don’t want. You must state it in the positive, removing the words don’t, not and no. Please remember, your mind works in pictures and if you say I don’t want to be mad, you are creating the picture and thus the vibration of being mad. You must create the opposite of what you don’t want. For instance, use I want to be peaceful.
You also need to raise your vibration level by creating a vibrational match for what you say you want to have. How would you be feeling if you already had those things? The perfect job, the perfect relationship, the amount of money that you want to have? You need to realize the things that make you feel good, do more of those things and not allow negative feelings. Affirmations are an important part in raising your vibrational level to what it is you want. Remember, the law of attraction does not respond to the words you use or the thoughts you think. It merely responds to how you feel about what you say and how you feel about what you think.
Finally, you need to release it and allow it to remain gone. This is where you simply release your affirmation, your vibration, and your feelings to the universe to take care of your “request” or as I like to say “order”. Most importantly, you MUST abstain from any doubts. If you doubt you can have it in any way, then you are not allowing it to take shape in your life. You are pushing it away and you end up with contradictory messages to the universe. It is only when the contradictory thoughts, talk, and images are removed that your desired results will manifest.
Namaste`
Vickie
Editor's note:You can read more from Vickie at her blog, Aiobheal's Lair
Tiffany's Jumbo with Tiffany Newson- New Contributor!
I'm Tiffany! I am so exited to be part of such a great team. I really didn't know what to say so for now here is a little about me.
I'm a stay at home to 2 beautiful kids, a daughter 5, and a son 6 months. I am married to a Christian husband who I have been with 8 yrs in May, married for 2 in Nov. He knows I don't follow his religion but loves and supports me regardless.
I have been following the Goddess' path for a little over 10 yrs now.
I prefer domestic and kitchen magic. I would say garden as well but I'm better at growing hair than herbs. I really don't have a green thumb. As much as I love Nature I'm not good at taking care of it. Kind of ironic huh? That's one of the great things about my path I don't need to know how grow it (from scratch) as long as I honor and not harm it.
Well, there is a little about me. I'm not sure what I'll be writing about next but I can't wait!
Editor's note: You can find Tiffany on Facebook.
This Week in Astrology
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| Aquarius, by Josephine Wall |
February 10:
2:20am EST, New Moon in Aquarius
Lady Luck New Moon in Aquarius
Chinese New Year: Year of the Black Water Snake
Upcoming Alerts:
Feb 18th: Saturn Retrograde 12:02 PM
Feb 23rd: Mercury Retrograde 4:41 AM
Weekly Horoscopes
Moon VoC Calendar, February
Song of the Week with Kestril Trueseeker
Weekly Tarot: Queen of Pentacles/Coins
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| Vanessa Tarot |
Key Words:
Nurturing
Big-hearted
Down-to-earth
Trustworthy
Resourceful
Abundance shared
Pentacles/Coins: able, adept, capable, determined, enterprising, factual, generous, handy, industrious, loyal, magnanimous, organized, proficient, resourceful, skilled, tenacious, unwavering
Queen: The Queen is mature and feminine. She embodies the qualities of her suit, rather than acting them out. Her focus is inward, and her style, relaxed and natural. A Queen is less concerned with results than with the enjoyment of just being in the world. She is associated with feelings, relationships and self-expression.
The Queen of Pentacles/Coins is the ultimate hostess. When you visit her, she welcomes you with open arms, feeding and nurturing both body and soul. Her home is warm and filled with abundance of children, animals, plants, guests, et al.. she's also the practical type. She doesn't have time for scheming or elaborate plans. If something needs doing, she just makes it happen. She's down-to-earth and matter-of-fact. She is loyal and trustworthy.
We could use a week with this Queen. The Queen's focus is also inward versus outward. Take this week to slow down, enjoy the moment and languish in the abundance of blessings in your life. You've earned this and you deserve it.
Ask yourself, "Am I being sensible? True to my word? True to myself? Am I feeling warm and caring toward others? How can I share my talents and skills with others?"
It's a time for slowing things down and just enjoying life.
Follow the lead of this royal energy.. relish it all :)
Weekly Totem: Crow
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| Crow, by Shochin |
The Crow totem is sacred in many different ways to many different cultures.
My grandmother once told me that Crows are the smartest of all birds, and I think science might even agree with me on that one. They are known to use tools, recognize faces and even pass that knowledge down through generations. They build apartments of nests together and understand the value of strength in numbers. I've personally watched a crow and one of its blue-jay cousins team up together to chase off a red-tailed hawk in my back yard.
They also have a very distinct moral code. I've watched them turn their backs on one of their own when he failed to report a cache of food. It's been said that crows set up a sentry at night to watch out for one of their main enemies- the owl. If the sentry fails at his job, the other crows will kill him.
Native America: the crow is the keeper of Sacred Law and can bend the laws of the physical universe to shape-shift. Crow medicine people are masters of illusion. The Sacred Law Belts, or Wampum Belts, beaded by native women long before the boat people or Europeans came to this continent, contain knowledge of the Great Spirit's laws, and are kept in the Black Lodges, the lodges of women. The law which states that "all things are born of women," is signified by Crow. It's main message is integrity.
Ireland: Sacred to the MorRhiogan shape-shifted into a crow and flew over the battlefield at the onset of the conflict. Crows are very closely associated with prophecy, the land, curiosity, the protection of Fae and those who are descended from them.
Greece: Crows were sacred to Apollo, and foretold the future.
Israel: In the Bible, the crow is the first bird sent by Noah to search for land after the great flood. The crow did not return, so Noah sent out a dove the next time. Again, crow is sacred to the land.
Africa: Crows are protectors, bringers of light, and warn men of dangers ahead.
Central America (The Mayans): Crow was the God of lightning and thunder.
Scandinavia, Germany, Eastern Europe:: Crows were sacred to the God Odin. They scout out the land and report back to him on what is happening.
Japan: Crows are messengers from the gods.
China: Crows are sacred to Hsi-Wang-Mu (the faerie queen) and are her messengers.
The Appalachians: Crow is a bad omen. Death or sickness usually follows. This most likely stems from Medieval Europe where crows would feed on carrion, especially during the Black Plague.
Overall, the crow is seen in a positive light by most cultures. Universally, Crow is a prophetic messenger, sacred to the land and protector of magical folk. Be especially open this week to messages, signs and omens coming from this amazing creature. Magic is in the air :)
The Shameless Plug
I'm sending you to my BFF, Snowy for this week's Shameless Plug at her shop, Eye of Nuit:
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That's it for this week's stew. Mull. Digest. Enjoy!
Let us know what you thought of this week's stew! We love getting your comments and feedback :)