This week's stew is filled with the great ingredients of summer. We have Kestril's spicy song, Sosanna's getting personal, Kathleen's teaching the teacher, and we have a guest post from Renee Avard on meditation. The Captain is out this week, teaching sailing to lucky swabs, but he'll be back again soon with another adventure.
Of course Karen and I have your Pagan Lore, News, Astrology, Tarot and Totem, and this week's Shameless Plug is all about Kittens!! Appetite whetted? Good!! Let's dig right in!!
I can't help tapping my feet to this song. Oh sure, there's bit of déjà vu I get from listening to it (a bit of 90's spice if you catch my drift). But I can get behind the "girl power" message - if you have wings, then by all means fly, and let the complainers complain.
Happy Birthday this week to Captain Dave Watson(!!!), Anita Bernyk, Rhonda Kachur, Angela Tyman, Pixie Nyx, Desba Claus Silver, Noelle Smith Harralson, Nalaya Oddly (!!!!), Sandy Hearn, Jennifer Morgan Moriarty, Grace Ozekie, Son of Morrighan, Deanna Smith-Powers, Linda Coulter, and Alicia Oliveri-Robinson!!! May this be your best birthday ever, and may your next year of life bring you good health, joy, peace, happiness, and all the very best in abundance!
Summer Solstice Festival has Pahokee Residents Outraged
note: Update on Florida Festival
Teacher Commits Suicide After Accusing Family of Witchcraft
Saudi Arabia Sentences 2 Women to 10 years/1000 Lashes for Witchcraft
Older People Wrongly Accused of Witchcraft
Life Sentence Upheld for Man Who Killed His Wife for Witchcraft
Initiate Deaths Blamed On Witchcraft
Bullets to Sue Wanderers Over Witchcraft Claims
Our Elections Are Incomplete Without Witchcraft
Sunday, June 2
Today is the Shapatu of Ishtar, a Pagan festival dedicated to the Goddess Ishtar which is celebrated every year on this date. She is the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian deity who presides over love and fertility as well as war. The birth of the god Apollo is also celebrated on this date.
Monday, June 3
The Festival of Cataclysmos is celebrated annually on this date on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The seaside ritual consists of prayers for the souls of the departed, traditional water games, and a sacred dance. In Japan, a Buddhist ritual for young girls is performed annually on this date, and is dedicated to the Goddesses Befana, Bona Dea, Kuan Yin, Rumina, and Surabhi.
Tuesday, June 4
Whitsunday, an annual Christian festival marking the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the disciples, is celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter (which normally falls on or near this date). However, like most Christian holidays, Whitsunday was at one time a Pagan fertility festival. It was celebrated in Europe with a "heathen feast" that marked the death of the spirit of Winter and the birth of the spirit of Summer.
According to English superstition/folklore, if a baby comes into the world on Whitsunday, he or she is destined to commit an act of murder or to be murdered.
Wednesday, June 5
On this date in the year 8498 B.C., the legendary island-continent of Atlantis sank beneath the waves of the Atlantic Ocean in a cataclysm believed to have been brought on by the anger of the great god Zeus.
To ensure an abundant harvest, a sacred Corn Dance is held each year at this time at San Ildefonso by the Pueblo in the southwestern United States. It is dedicated to the Earth Mothers and the nature spirits known as the Rain People.
Thursday, June 6
On this date (approximately), an annual festival to honor ancestral spirits begins in Nigeria. The festival, which lasts for one week, consists of street dancing, offerings of food and gifts to the Egungun, and ecstatic trance. In Thrace, an ancient country in the southeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula, a festival called the Bendidia was held each year on this date. It was dedicated to the lunar Goddess Bendi.
Friday, June 7
The Vestalia, an annual festival in honor of the hearth Goddess Vesta, began on this date in ancient Rome. During the eight-day long festival, the shrine of Vesta was opened to married women. After the festival was over, the shrine was once again forbidden to all except the Goddess' attendant vestal virgins.
Saturday, June 8
In many Japanese villages, an ancient rice festival is held annually on this date. Women wearing traditional kimonos recite prayers and light rice-straw fires to honor the god of the rice and to bless the crops.
In China, the Grain in Ear festival is celebrated at this time. The grain gods are honored with old rituals to ensure a harvest of plenty.
Wishing everyone a wonderful week! See you next time with another edition of Pagan Lore,
Karen
Independent Avon Representative
Serving all your Avon needs -- come see what's new!
http://www.youravon.com/karenszabo
This led hubby and I to the hospital which of course meant I’d be around my family. It started ok. I had them warn my sister that I was coming so either she’d stay and show her ass or she’d leave. She left. My mother on the other hand set there and tried to chat a bit with Eli. I ignored her and just focused on sending good energies to my grandma.
They came in and told us they were moving her to another room so we all stepped outside and waited for it to happen. One of my other aunts (I have 6 living) came down from the waiting room, walked into our little huddle and says, “Last time I saw you, you were skinny, what happened?”
Umm What? I stood there stunned. It never occurred to me that something so trivial would be so damning. I stuttered for a moment and said something to the effect of “It started when my mother moved in….” My other aunt chimed in – “So you’re gonna let her win?”
They each wandered off to do their thing and I was left there to stew in my own juice. I replayed the moment in my head over and and over and over. I tried it several ways until I was content that there was no other way to take what she said.
The next day I had a call from the aunt that asked me about letting her win, which consisted of her telling me that I needed to not take things so personally and let them slide off my back. At some point during the call I dropped the F bomb and told her that nothing would roll any more, I was full.
Why do I always have to be the right one? The upstanding one? Why do I have to be the bigger person? Why do I have to walk away when what I really want to do is punch her in her throat?
That night I was awake till after 1am. I caught myself walking to the fridge to snack as I often do when I’m upset. I thought and thought and replayed it. I was pissed off. She was wrong. That was an ugly thing to say. I wanted to hurt her back.
The following day I was exhausted. I couldn't think straight. I had tons of work to do. Blog posts to write and little kitties to make to try to help fund the spay/neuter surgeries for the kitties. I felt utterly defeated. I looked at hubby and he told me that this would be the last day. You see it takes me three full days to recover from being around some of those people.
I looked at him and asked, that same question, “Why do I have to be the bigger person?”
Quickly he shot right back at me, “why don’t you be rude back to her?”
I said, “I should!”
He said, “But why don’t you?”
I said, because it’s mean.
He said, “Right and what else?”
I said, “And it’s ugly.”
He said, “Right and what else?”
I said, “And I’m not ugly.”
He said, “Exactly.”
I learned something very important. I don’t have to be ugly to tell someone they hurt my feelings. Or to tell them that they are rude. You see, you can say, Hey, that was uncalled for. In fact, you really need to say it. Because otherwise you spend time feeling like you’re not being heard and people are walking on you.
From now on, I’m going to say something. I’m not going to call her names or punch her in the throat. I will however say. You know. That was a very rude thing to say. And I’ll walk away. I’ll still be that wonderful person I am and I will continue to sparkle and shine.
Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(
~ A Method of Finding Peace and Releasing Anxiety ~
• Find a quiet and close your eyes
• Breathe in and out, slowly and deeply
• Concentrate on how your body feels – stretch your neck and back while you breathe
• Allow your mind to grow still and smile as you are in the Moment
• Smile, frown, make a sad face – feel each emotion each expression brings up.
• You are it right now. In your world, you are the most important person.
• When you feel okay, slowly, steadily and with feelings of success, open your eyes.
• Slowly allow your surroundings to be noticed.
• When you feel a sense of clarity, write down what you thought/felt/experienced.
• Life is getting your attention – take solace in the fact that you are worthy to receive lessons
• Smile, stretch and go about your day.
As one whose Life includes serious anxiety – I like to do the above a couple of times a day. Really, it quiets the mind, and the world, even for a few moments. I used to be attached to some serious anti-anxiety pills which would lead to memory loss, confusion, and generally feeling “out of it,” These times of quiet and solace work better than any pill and you are able to still function after all is said and done.
I also employ the use of Essential Oils to assist me with relaxing – I have even created my own. I also love candles, incense and scents of all kind. On any given day, I burn about 5 sticks of incense and quite the number of candles. Sometimes, I feel like doing a candle magic moment, other times, just the lighting of the candle with a certain stated intent is all that is needed.
And – music. I cannot begin to describe how very much music, off all genres and styles, can change my mood within the 3 to 6 minutes it plays. Some songs, more than others, affect me in a certain way, and I am forever moved to an array of emotions. Some of my best work and thoughts have made their appearances outside of my head during a song. If you are interested in my music-related inspirations, I have a new feature on my site I will be starting.
Leaving you with this: Always focus your thoughts and feelings on something positive. It's too easy to let the negative win. But, make an effort to change things around so that you have a better outlook on the world around you and the person in the mirror. If you do not respect yourself, it can be hard to accept that others respect you. As you implore this method of a quick meditation and journaling, and truly did it with the correct spirit of the moment, you will always learn more about yourself. This is taking care of yourself – something we all need to do more.
With Gratitude and Blessings for this Space,
Renee Avard
Frog's Message
As many of you are aware, Sosanna and her husband Elijah rescued some kittens from underneath their hen house a couple of weeks ago. They are having a fundraiser to help get these kittens fixed. It's a truly worthy endeavor and I'm so proud of them for their work with animals. If you're able to help, I highly encourage you to do so. $15.00 will go a long way to helping these sweet kittens.
From Sosanna:
The Sunday Stew is a free online publication presented as a gift to the Pagan community each week. All submissions are copyrighted to their authors and the views/information presented are strictly those of their authors and not necessarily those of the blog owner. Guest posts, event notifications, etc... are welcome. Contact Kallan Kennedy for more information or use the contact form at the top of this blog. We also welcome your feedback. Please leave a comment here or on Facebook and tell us how we're doing!
Of course Karen and I have your Pagan Lore, News, Astrology, Tarot and Totem, and this week's Shameless Plug is all about Kittens!! Appetite whetted? Good!! Let's dig right in!!
Song of the Week with Kestril Trueseeker
I can't help tapping my feet to this song. Oh sure, there's bit of déjà vu I get from listening to it (a bit of 90's spice if you catch my drift). But I can get behind the "girl power" message - if you have wings, then by all means fly, and let the complainers complain.
Happy Birthday this week to Captain Dave Watson(!!!), Anita Bernyk, Rhonda Kachur, Angela Tyman, Pixie Nyx, Desba Claus Silver, Noelle Smith Harralson, Nalaya Oddly (!!!!), Sandy Hearn, Jennifer Morgan Moriarty, Grace Ozekie, Son of Morrighan, Deanna Smith-Powers, Linda Coulter, and Alicia Oliveri-Robinson!!! May this be your best birthday ever, and may your next year of life bring you good health, joy, peace, happiness, and all the very best in abundance!
In the News
Miguel Spurs Controversy with Tweets on Paganism and Race
Summer Solstice Festival has Pahokee Residents Outraged
note: Update on Florida Festival
Teacher Commits Suicide After Accusing Family of Witchcraft
Saudi Arabia Sentences 2 Women to 10 years/1000 Lashes for Witchcraft
Older People Wrongly Accused of Witchcraft
Life Sentence Upheld for Man Who Killed His Wife for Witchcraft
Initiate Deaths Blamed On Witchcraft
Bullets to Sue Wanderers Over Witchcraft Claims
Our Elections Are Incomplete Without Witchcraft
Pagan Lore with Karen Szabo
Good Morning, Sunday Stew readers! Hope everyone is doing well in the midst of the past week's unsettled weather patterns. It's almost impossible to believe that the Summer Solstice is only a few weeks away, isn't it? Here is the Pagan lore for the upcoming week, just for you!
Sunday, June 2
Today is the Shapatu of Ishtar, a Pagan festival dedicated to the Goddess Ishtar which is celebrated every year on this date. She is the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian deity who presides over love and fertility as well as war. The birth of the god Apollo is also celebrated on this date.
Monday, June 3
The Festival of Cataclysmos is celebrated annually on this date on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The seaside ritual consists of prayers for the souls of the departed, traditional water games, and a sacred dance. In Japan, a Buddhist ritual for young girls is performed annually on this date, and is dedicated to the Goddesses Befana, Bona Dea, Kuan Yin, Rumina, and Surabhi.
Tuesday, June 4
Whitsunday, an annual Christian festival marking the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the disciples, is celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter (which normally falls on or near this date). However, like most Christian holidays, Whitsunday was at one time a Pagan fertility festival. It was celebrated in Europe with a "heathen feast" that marked the death of the spirit of Winter and the birth of the spirit of Summer.
According to English superstition/folklore, if a baby comes into the world on Whitsunday, he or she is destined to commit an act of murder or to be murdered.
Wednesday, June 5
On this date in the year 8498 B.C., the legendary island-continent of Atlantis sank beneath the waves of the Atlantic Ocean in a cataclysm believed to have been brought on by the anger of the great god Zeus.
To ensure an abundant harvest, a sacred Corn Dance is held each year at this time at San Ildefonso by the Pueblo in the southwestern United States. It is dedicated to the Earth Mothers and the nature spirits known as the Rain People.
Thursday, June 6
On this date (approximately), an annual festival to honor ancestral spirits begins in Nigeria. The festival, which lasts for one week, consists of street dancing, offerings of food and gifts to the Egungun, and ecstatic trance. In Thrace, an ancient country in the southeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula, a festival called the Bendidia was held each year on this date. It was dedicated to the lunar Goddess Bendi.
Friday, June 7
The Vestalia, an annual festival in honor of the hearth Goddess Vesta, began on this date in ancient Rome. During the eight-day long festival, the shrine of Vesta was opened to married women. After the festival was over, the shrine was once again forbidden to all except the Goddess' attendant vestal virgins.
Saturday, June 8
In many Japanese villages, an ancient rice festival is held annually on this date. Women wearing traditional kimonos recite prayers and light rice-straw fires to honor the god of the rice and to bless the crops.
In China, the Grain in Ear festival is celebrated at this time. The grain gods are honored with old rituals to ensure a harvest of plenty.
Wishing everyone a wonderful week! See you next time with another edition of Pagan Lore,
Karen
Independent Avon Representative
Serving all your Avon needs -- come see what's new!
http://www.youravon.com/karenszabo
Sparkle and Shine with Sosanna
Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Sometimes bad people happen. Over this last week, it’s been a rough one for our little corner of the world. We believe we may be about to lose our 13 year old cat. Tuesday was hubby’s dad’s birthday. He passed in 1996 and it is still a really tough day for hubby. My 97 year old grandmother went to the hospital and they were literally calling us to come up and say our goodbyes. As I’m writing this, she’s still with us.
This led hubby and I to the hospital which of course meant I’d be around my family. It started ok. I had them warn my sister that I was coming so either she’d stay and show her ass or she’d leave. She left. My mother on the other hand set there and tried to chat a bit with Eli. I ignored her and just focused on sending good energies to my grandma.
They came in and told us they were moving her to another room so we all stepped outside and waited for it to happen. One of my other aunts (I have 6 living) came down from the waiting room, walked into our little huddle and says, “Last time I saw you, you were skinny, what happened?”
Umm What? I stood there stunned. It never occurred to me that something so trivial would be so damning. I stuttered for a moment and said something to the effect of “It started when my mother moved in….” My other aunt chimed in – “So you’re gonna let her win?”
They each wandered off to do their thing and I was left there to stew in my own juice. I replayed the moment in my head over and and over and over. I tried it several ways until I was content that there was no other way to take what she said.
The next day I had a call from the aunt that asked me about letting her win, which consisted of her telling me that I needed to not take things so personally and let them slide off my back. At some point during the call I dropped the F bomb and told her that nothing would roll any more, I was full.
Why do I always have to be the right one? The upstanding one? Why do I have to be the bigger person? Why do I have to walk away when what I really want to do is punch her in her throat?
That night I was awake till after 1am. I caught myself walking to the fridge to snack as I often do when I’m upset. I thought and thought and replayed it. I was pissed off. She was wrong. That was an ugly thing to say. I wanted to hurt her back.
The following day I was exhausted. I couldn't think straight. I had tons of work to do. Blog posts to write and little kitties to make to try to help fund the spay/neuter surgeries for the kitties. I felt utterly defeated. I looked at hubby and he told me that this would be the last day. You see it takes me three full days to recover from being around some of those people.
I looked at him and asked, that same question, “Why do I have to be the bigger person?”
Quickly he shot right back at me, “why don’t you be rude back to her?”
I said, “I should!”
He said, “But why don’t you?”
I said, because it’s mean.
He said, “Right and what else?”
I said, “And it’s ugly.”
He said, “Right and what else?”
I said, “And I’m not ugly.”
He said, “Exactly.”
I learned something very important. I don’t have to be ugly to tell someone they hurt my feelings. Or to tell them that they are rude. You see, you can say, Hey, that was uncalled for. In fact, you really need to say it. Because otherwise you spend time feeling like you’re not being heard and people are walking on you.
From now on, I’m going to say something. I’m not going to call her names or punch her in the throat. I will however say. You know. That was a very rude thing to say. And I’ll walk away. I’ll still be that wonderful person I am and I will continue to sparkle and shine.
Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(
You can read more of Sosanna's posts at her blog: Confessions of a Modern Witch or check out her shop, Sosanna's Closet for all her fantastic creations!
Sunshine's Meanderings with Kathleen Lane
We are all teachers!
I can't remember when I didn't know how to read. I was fortunate to have an aunt not a lot older than myself and she taught me as she learned. And I come from a family of readers! Adults who read teach their children by example and by reading to them. If you can read, you tend to take it for granted that in this country everyone can read. This is not the case.
We lived in Florida for several years and I got involved with the Adult Literacy Program. One tends to find indoor things to do down there in the summer time. Our local library had an Adult Literacy Program and I became a teacher. I thought when I started that most of the people would be immigrants but was truly amazed at how many of my students were born and raised in this country. Some of them had dropped out of school at an early age for various reasons but some of them had actually graduated from high school and still did not know how to read. Sometimes they were elderly and had lost a spouse who always read things for them. For whatever reason we have far too many people in this country who can't read. In the modern world that has to be a scarey nightmare for someone who has to rely on other people to tell them what something says. At one time a handshake and a promise was golden and could be relied on, but not anymore.
If you are interested in teaching adults to read, you can go to the ED.Gov US Department of Education and look for an adult literacy program in your area. It is a very gratifying job and the light that goes on in a person's face when they actually read a sentence or two on their own is wonderful. When I started writing this I was furious. I had just read another article about cutting back more education funding in PA and yet kids are being shuffled through school and handed a diploma that part of them can't even read. We can afford to finance the sports programs in the public schools but we can't afford good teachers to help our children learn to read.
I realize that there are children who struggle to learn to read. My son is totally right brained and struggled but he had a great teacher who caught the problem. Once I knew what the issue was I could address it. Now he is a voracious reader and I now understand how right brained people process information. Because the primary grades are the ones that teach reading, if a student doesn't get it in those grades, they just get more and more behind. And yet those are the grades where the bulk of the funding gets cut. Most schools only use certified aides in classrooms, but there are public libraries everywhere and a lot of them jump at the offer of someone who will spend a few hours a week reading to the young children. It gives "teachers" a chance to point out letters and words during those reading sessions and maybe open some doors for children that are struggling. We all have something we can teach to another person and the best gift of all is knowledge.
I can't remember when I didn't know how to read. I was fortunate to have an aunt not a lot older than myself and she taught me as she learned. And I come from a family of readers! Adults who read teach their children by example and by reading to them. If you can read, you tend to take it for granted that in this country everyone can read. This is not the case.
We lived in Florida for several years and I got involved with the Adult Literacy Program. One tends to find indoor things to do down there in the summer time. Our local library had an Adult Literacy Program and I became a teacher. I thought when I started that most of the people would be immigrants but was truly amazed at how many of my students were born and raised in this country. Some of them had dropped out of school at an early age for various reasons but some of them had actually graduated from high school and still did not know how to read. Sometimes they were elderly and had lost a spouse who always read things for them. For whatever reason we have far too many people in this country who can't read. In the modern world that has to be a scarey nightmare for someone who has to rely on other people to tell them what something says. At one time a handshake and a promise was golden and could be relied on, but not anymore.
If you are interested in teaching adults to read, you can go to the ED.Gov US Department of Education and look for an adult literacy program in your area. It is a very gratifying job and the light that goes on in a person's face when they actually read a sentence or two on their own is wonderful. When I started writing this I was furious. I had just read another article about cutting back more education funding in PA and yet kids are being shuffled through school and handed a diploma that part of them can't even read. We can afford to finance the sports programs in the public schools but we can't afford good teachers to help our children learn to read.
I realize that there are children who struggle to learn to read. My son is totally right brained and struggled but he had a great teacher who caught the problem. Once I knew what the issue was I could address it. Now he is a voracious reader and I now understand how right brained people process information. Because the primary grades are the ones that teach reading, if a student doesn't get it in those grades, they just get more and more behind. And yet those are the grades where the bulk of the funding gets cut. Most schools only use certified aides in classrooms, but there are public libraries everywhere and a lot of them jump at the offer of someone who will spend a few hours a week reading to the young children. It gives "teachers" a chance to point out letters and words during those reading sessions and maybe open some doors for children that are struggling. We all have something we can teach to another person and the best gift of all is knowledge.
Starsteps with Renee Avard
Breathe And Release
~ A Method of Finding Peace and Releasing Anxiety ~
• Find a quiet and close your eyes
• Breathe in and out, slowly and deeply
• Concentrate on how your body feels – stretch your neck and back while you breathe
• Allow your mind to grow still and smile as you are in the Moment
• Smile, frown, make a sad face – feel each emotion each expression brings up.
• You are it right now. In your world, you are the most important person.
• When you feel okay, slowly, steadily and with feelings of success, open your eyes.
• Slowly allow your surroundings to be noticed.
• When you feel a sense of clarity, write down what you thought/felt/experienced.
• Life is getting your attention – take solace in the fact that you are worthy to receive lessons
• Smile, stretch and go about your day.
As one whose Life includes serious anxiety – I like to do the above a couple of times a day. Really, it quiets the mind, and the world, even for a few moments. I used to be attached to some serious anti-anxiety pills which would lead to memory loss, confusion, and generally feeling “out of it,” These times of quiet and solace work better than any pill and you are able to still function after all is said and done.
I also employ the use of Essential Oils to assist me with relaxing – I have even created my own. I also love candles, incense and scents of all kind. On any given day, I burn about 5 sticks of incense and quite the number of candles. Sometimes, I feel like doing a candle magic moment, other times, just the lighting of the candle with a certain stated intent is all that is needed.
And – music. I cannot begin to describe how very much music, off all genres and styles, can change my mood within the 3 to 6 minutes it plays. Some songs, more than others, affect me in a certain way, and I am forever moved to an array of emotions. Some of my best work and thoughts have made their appearances outside of my head during a song. If you are interested in my music-related inspirations, I have a new feature on my site I will be starting.
Leaving you with this: Always focus your thoughts and feelings on something positive. It's too easy to let the negative win. But, make an effort to change things around so that you have a better outlook on the world around you and the person in the mirror. If you do not respect yourself, it can be hard to accept that others respect you. As you implore this method of a quick meditation and journaling, and truly did it with the correct spirit of the moment, you will always learn more about yourself. This is taking care of yourself – something we all need to do more.
With Gratitude and Blessings for this Space,
Renee Avard
This Week in Astrology
Jun 2nd: Venus enters Cancer 10:13 PM EDT
Moon Void of Course from 12:30 AM- 2:33 AM EDT enters Aries
June 3: All Day- Good day for business activities
June 4: Moon Void of Course 2:08 AM -11:53 AM EDT enters Taurus
June 5: Moon Void of Course from 9:24 AM EDT through the rest of the day
June 6: Moon VoC ends at 11:31 PM EDT enters Gemini
June 7: All Day- Good Day for business activities
Jun 8, 2013 11:56 AM EDT Sun Conjunct Moon (New Moon in Gemini)
All Day- Good Day for business activities
Horoscopes from DarkStar Astrology
Weekly Tarot: 10 of Pentacles
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Crystal Visions Tarot |
Key words and Phrases: Abundance, wealth, inheritance, family, establishment, retirement, peace, tranquility, gratitude
This week is all about completion of a cycle. You have accomplished much, and the reward is great. This could be the result of an improved career path, more solid financial reserves, a stable home environment and/or a possible committed and long-term relationship. Family plays a big part in this card, whether it's genetic or chosen; it speaks to lineage, history, and birthright.
Financially, luck and success are on your side right now. You will feel highly successful and proud of everything you have achieved. You will also feel compelled to share this success with others to ensure that they are also taken care of.
The message here is about permanence. What you have achieved and will continue to achieve in the future is built upon a lasting foundation for future success. Commit to a sustainable future, invest in the long-term, and use a consistent approach and your abundance will last well into the future.
Weekly Totem: Frog
Key words: Luck, Purity, Rebirth, Renewal, Healing, Transitions, Opportunity| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Pacific Tree Frog |
Frog in Various Cultures
- In ancient Egypt, Frog is represented by Heket, the frog-headed goddess of birth.
- In Celtic societies, Frog was considered lord over all the earth. The Celts believed Frog had curative and restorative powers because of its connection with water, and particularly the cleansing rains.
- In older Christian societies, frog's stages of development represented death and resurrection. Christian art uses frog to represent the Holy Spirit.
- In China, Frog is an emblem of Yin energy and is a symbol of good luck. In Feng Shui, it is recommended that you place a frog in the East area of your home to encourage child birth and a happy home life.
- An ancient Asian practice was to place a jade frog in the mouth of a deceased loved one to ensure his/her spirit would pass safely into the spirit world, and allow them the ability to still speak to living loved ones after they had passed.
- In Japan, Frogs are considered good travel luck. The Japanese word for frog is "kaeru." It is the same word meaning "return." Travelers carry a small frog amulet with the intent of returning safely home.
- Ancient Hindus believed that Frog projected the world into space.
- Indigenous Americans believe(d) that Frog was a healer in both a medicinal and spiritual sense.
Frog Totem
Those who have frog totem are usually healers of some kind. They tend to soothe and 'cleanse' whatever or whomever with which they come in contact. They usually are either clairsentient or clairaudient (or in rare cases, both). They are also strong survivor types who usually experience some kind of trauma or abandonment in childhood (Frogs do not tend to their own young). This makes them excellent shamanic and medicinal healers.
Frog's Message
The message of frog is usually one of transformation. You may be experiencing a transition in your life. Frog can help you through this. You can also call upon this totem for protection in travel, or are working to enhance your intuition and connection to the spirit world. If you need healing of any kind, frog's medicine will assist and enhance it greatly. Frog sings for many reasons. Find your own special song, and sing it with him!
Shameless Plug: Fix-A-Kit Fundraiser
As many of you are aware, Sosanna and her husband Elijah rescued some kittens from underneath their hen house a couple of weeks ago. They are having a fundraiser to help get these kittens fixed. It's a truly worthy endeavor and I'm so proud of them for their work with animals. If you're able to help, I highly encourage you to do so. $15.00 will go a long way to helping these sweet kittens.
From Sosanna:
This is part two of our fundraiser to help fix a litter of five kittens we found under our hen house. SNAP-NC our local spay/neuter assistance program charges $70 for a full surgery and shot set up on new kittens. I know not everyone can afford to sponsor an entire surgery and some folks may be allergic and cannot have a kitten. I'm here to help!
I've created these lovely kitten charms that won't scratch your furniture, or make you sneeze. For every donation of at least $15.00 to help us get this litter fixed, I'll send you one of these lovely charms. Simply send a donation to sosanna@sosannascloset.com via PayPal and then message me your mailing address. Your kitten charm will be mailed next day.
I've created these lovely kitten charms that won't scratch your furniture, or make you sneeze. For every donation of at least $15.00 to help us get this litter fixed, I'll send you one of these lovely charms. Simply send a donation to sosanna@sosannascloset.com via PayPal and then message me your mailing address. Your kitten charm will be mailed next day.
That's it for this week's Stew. Mull. Digest. Enjoy!
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