Solar Eclipse/Change Your Life

A Solar Eclipse will take place on May 20, 2012 (May 21, 2012 for local time in the Eastern Hemisphere). A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, totally or partially obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth.

This eclipse isn't a total eclipse. It is an annular eclipse, when the moon appears slightly smaller than the sun so it doesn't cover the sun completely. A ring of light will shine around the blackness that is the moon blacking the sun.

It will be the first central eclipse of the 21st century in the continental USA, and also the first annular eclipse there since the solar eclipse of May 10, 1994.

Solar eclipses always happen at the time of the new moon, which is a good time for scrying using a dark mirror or other forms of divination. An eclipse is a great time for inner journeying and self-discovery.

This eclipse occurs when the sun is in Gemini, which has to do with communication (words, writing, discussion, the internet, etc.)

During a solar eclipse, we experience what might be called a "micro year". The sun is whole, then partially or completely hidden, and then visible again. Within just a few minutes, an energy similar to a complete cycle of solstices and equinoxes can be felt.

In addition to this somewhat seasonal energy, we are aware of the Moon's presence. Her shadow falls across the Earth as she appears between the Earth and the Sun. This adds the unification of solar and lunar energy, reinforcing the sense of wholeness, completion and cycles of a solar eclipse.

Consider this fact about solar eclipses: A solar eclipse can only occur during the day, on a new moon. This means that you are working with new moon energy (great for getting rid of things and letting go).

The New Moon is powerful, and combined with the Sun it creates the strength and power to manifest whatever you wish into your life as a new beginning.

What is it that you’d like to change in your life? You can be creative with the changes (i.e. Losing Weight, Changing Hair Color/Style, Getting a New Job, Etc.) Or even if you just wish to be reborn and change everything.

This is the best time to make these changes!

I urge you all to make some positive changes in your life.

This eclipse contains the potential of deep cleansing hydrotherapy of the soul or for those stubborn demonic stains comes complete with added hydroblast water jet! I say this because of the amount of potent stars and a super-conjunction that are adding juice to this eclipse. We have a tight Venus trine Saturn which I think is beautifully healing and powerful for lovers to affirm their commitment to one another no matter how treacherous the icky Neptunian sea gets.

Don’t Let This Powerfully Magic Time Slip Through Your Fingers!

Remember to take proper safety precautions when viewing any solar eclipse. Never look directly at the sun with the naked eye or through telescopes. Even binoculars need the proper filters.

Celebrating Mothers

I stumbled across some interesting information about Mother's Day;

Some historians believe that the earliest celebrations of Mother's Day was the ancient spring festival dedicated to mother goddesses. The ancient Greek empire had a spring festival honoring Rhea, wife of Cronus and mother of the gods and goddesses. In Rome there was a Mother's Day-like festival dedicated to the worship of Cybele, also a mother goddess.

Then came the adoption of Mother's Day in the United States, the New York Times of May 10, 1953, reported:

"In spite of the popularity of Cybele, . . . and sporadic occasions honoring mothers during the Middle Ages, it was not until 1914 that the proper combination of sentimentality, idealistic promotion and hard business sense impelled the United States Congress to designate the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day."

Let's consider though that Mother's Day is a spring celebration. And others around the world celebrate Mother's Day in a distinctive way that involves worship to Mother Nature or Mother Earth. For example, the first rites of Spring are held over Mother's Day weekend by Pagans in New England. It is a Pagan gathering that started in 1979 on Mother's Day weekend and involves pagans, witches, and other participants from all over the world. 

I never thought Mother's Day may have it's roots in Paganism, so I looked for more information and here is what I found:

Matronalia seems to be kind of a Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, and anniversary of a marriage, and fertility holiday all rolled into one! Wikipedia describes Matronalia (or Matronales Feriae) as a festival that is similar to Mother's Day. The festival celebrates Juno Lucina, the goddess of childbirth ("Juno who brings children into the light"), and of motherhood (mater is "mother" in Latin) and women in general. In the original Roman calendar traditionally thought to have been established by Romulus, it was the first day of the year. As the first day of March (Martius), the month of Mars, it was also the Feriae Marti.

The date of the festival was associated with the dedication of a temple to Juno Lucina on the Esquiline Hill circa 268 BCE, and possibly also a commemoration of the peace between the Romans and the Sabines.

At home, women received gifts from their husbands and daughters (not sons?), and Roman husbands were expected to offer prayers for their wives. Women were also expected to prepare a meal for the household slaves (who were given the day off work), as Roman men did at the Saturnalia. (Hmmm...seems these Romans may have shown at least a little gender equality then.)

Even if you do not have a relationship with your own mother, you have a relationship with Mother Earth. And if you are Pagan, you most likely have a relationship with the Goddess in some shape or form. And Although Mother's Day was yesterday, you can celebrate Mother Nature and The Goddess Every Day!

Thousands of years later, one of the biggest holidays in the United States is Mother's Day, which is when we take a few moments to say thanks to the women we love -- moms, sisters, grandmothers, etc. If we expand a little on this, we can use Mother's Day as an opportunity to honor all of the women who have touched us, both spiritually and emotionally. The archetype of the mother goddess is one that has been significant in many cultures, so what better day than this to celebrate the power of the sacred feminine? Take a few minutes to celebrate both the goddesses who have touched you, and the women in your family and circle of friends, with a special rite: 

The Goddess Rite

1. This simple ritual can be performed by both men and women, and is designed to honor the feminine aspects of the universe as well as our female ancestors. If you have a particular deity you call upon, feel free to change names or attributes around where needed. Otherwise, you can use the all-encompassing name of "Goddess" in the rite.
   
2. Decorate your altar with symbols of femininity: cups, chalices, flowers, lunar objects, fish, and doves or swans. You'll also need the following items for this ritual:
   
   • A white candle
   • An offering of something that is important to you
   • A bowl of water
   • A handful of small pebbles or stones
3. If your tradition calls for you to cast a circle, do so now. Begin by standing in the goddess position, and saying:
   
   I am (your name), and I stand before you,
   goddesses of the sky and earth and sea,
   I honor you, for your blood runs through my veins,
   one woman, standing on the edge of the universe.
   Tonight, I make an offering in Your names,
   As my thanks for all you have given me.
4. Light the candle, and place your offering before it on the altar. The offering may be something tangible, such as bread or wine or flowers. It can also be something symbolic, such as a gift of your time or dedication. Whatever it is, it should be something from your heart.
   
5. Once you have made your offering, it is time to call upon the goddesses by name. Say:
   
   I am (your name), and I stand before you,
   Isis, Ishtar, Tiamat, Inanna, Shakti, Cybele.
   Mothers of the ancient people,
   guardians of those who walked the earth thousands of years ago,
   I offer you this as a way of showing my gratitude.
   Your strength has flowed within me,
   your wisdom has given me knowledge,
   your inspiration has given birth to harmony in my soul.
6. Now it is time to honor the women who have touched your life. For each one, place a pebble into the bowl of water. As you do so, say her name and how she has impacted you. You might say something like this:
   I am (your name), and I stand before you,
   to honor the sacred feminine that has touched my heart.
   I honor Susan, who gave birth to me and raised me to be strong;
   I honor Maggie, my grandmother, whose strength took her to the hospitals of war-torn France;
   I honor Cathleen, my aunt, who lost her courageous battle with cancer;
   I honor Jennifer, my sister, who has raised three children alone…
7. Continue until you have placed a pebble in the water for each of these women. Reserve one pebble for yourself. Finish by saying:
   
   I am (your name), and I honor myself,
   for my strength, my creativity, my knowledge, my inspiration,
   and for all the other remarkable things that make me a woman.
8. Take a few minutes and reflect on the sacred feminine. What is it about being a woman that gives you joy? If you're a man performing this ritual, what is it about the women in your life that makes you love them? Meditate on the feminine energy of the universe for a while, and when you are ready, end the ritual.
   
   
   
   
   How to say 'Mother' in 126 different languages:

   Afrikaans	Moeder, Ma
   Albanian	Nënë, Mëmë
   Arabic	Ahm
   Aragones	Mai
   Asturian	Ma
   Aymara	Taica
   Azeri (Latin Script)	Ana
   Basque	Ama
   Belarusan	Matka
   Bergamasco	Màder
   Bolognese	Mèder
   Bosnian	Majka
   Brazilian Portuguese	Mãe
   Bresciano	Madèr
   Breton	Mamm
   Bulgarian	Majka
   Byelorussian	Macii
   Calabrese	Matre, Mamma
   Caló	Bata, Dai
   Catalan	Mare
   Cebuano	Inahan, Nanay
   Chechen	Nana
   Croatian	Mati, Majka
   Czech	Abatyse
   Danish	Mor
   Dutch	Moeder, Moer
   Dzoratâi	Mére
   English	Mother, Mama, Mom
   Esperanto	Patrino, Panjo
   Estonian	Ema
   Faeroese	Móðir
   Finnish	Äiti
   Flemish	Moeder
   French	Mère, Maman
   Frisian	Emo, Emä, Kantaäiti, Äiti
   Furlan	Mari
   Galician	Nai
   German	Mutter
   Greek	Màna
   Griko	Salentino, Mána
   Hawaiian	Makuahine
   Hindi -	Ma, Maji
   Hungarian	Anya, Fu
   Icelandic	Móðir
   Ilongo	Iloy, Nanay, Nay
   Indonesian	Induk, Ibu, Biang, Nyokap
   Irish	Máthair
   Italian	Madre, Mamma
   Japanese	Okaasan, Haha
   Judeo Spanish	Madre
   Kannada	Amma
   Kurdish Kurmanji	Daya
   Ladino	Uma
   Latin	Mater
   Leonese	Mai
   Ligurian	Maire
   Limburgian	Moder, Mojer, Mam
   Lingala	Mama
   Lithuanian	Motina
   Lombardo Occidentale	Madar
   Lunfardo	Vieja
   Macedonian	Majka
   Malagasy	Reny
   Malay	Emak
   Maltese	Omm
   Mantuan	Madar
   Maori	Ewe, Haakui
   Mapunzugun	Ñuke, Ñuque
   Marathi	Aayi
   Mongolian	`eh
   Mudnés	Medra, mama
   Neapolitan	Mamma
   Norwegian	Madre
   Occitan	Maire
   Old Greek	Mytyr
   Parmigiano	Mädra
   Persian	Madr, Maman
   Piemontese	Mare
   Polish	Matka, Mama
   Portuguese	Mãe
   Punjabi	Mai, Mataji, Pabo
   Quechua	Mama
   Rapanui	Matu'a Vahine
   Reggiano	Mèdra
   Romagnolo	Mèder
   Romanian	Mama, Maica
   Romansh	Mamma
   Russian	Mat'
   Saami	Eadni
   Samoan	Tina
   Sardinian (Limba Sarda Unificada)	Mama
   Sardinian Campidanesu	mamai
   Sardinian Logudoresu	Madre, Mamma
   Serbian	Majka
   Shona	Amai
   Sicilian	Matri
   Slovak	Mama, Matka
   Slovenian	Máti
   Spanish	Madre, Mamá, Mami
   Swahili	Mama, Mzazi, Mzaa
   Swedish	Mamma, Mor, Morsa
   Swiss German	Mueter
   Telegu	Amma
   Triestino	Mare
   Turkish	Anne, Ana, Valide
   Turkmen	Eje
   Ukrainian	Mati
   Urdu	Ammee
   Valencian	Mare
   Venetian	Mare
   Viestano	Mamm'
   Vietnamese	me
   Wallon	Mére
   Welsh	Mam
   Yiddish	Muter
   Zeneize	Moæ

   
   
   

The Jar of Life

A friend of mine posted this story on Facebook. I was about to skip over it, but I am glad I stopped and read it. These are wise words, and I am going to share them here for you all.
I hope you all take something away from this, because sometimes it's hard to figure out what is important in life.

I do not know who originally wrote this story, but whoever did was a wise person, and I am glad I got the reminder about what is important in life.

The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

What is the lesson of the story?

Well I think it means not to sweat the small stuff and take care of the important aspects of your life first and foremost. 

What are your priorities in life?

My Top Priorities (Golf Balls) are my Relationship, Family/Friends, Health, Pets, etc.

Next (Pebbles) are my Hobbies, Religion, Home, Traveling/Vacations, Jobs, etc.

And then it's all the rest (Sand).

What about you?

Beltane

Beltane (Bell-tain) takes place May 1^st.  

 Also known as May Day, Walpurgisnacht/Walpurgis Night, The Fertility Festival, Bealtaine, Bhealtainn, Bealtinne, Festival of Tana-Strega, Giamonios, Rudemass,  Walburga-Teutonic, Fairy Day ,Sacred Thorn Day, Rood Day, Beltain, Floriala-Roman feast of flowers, Fire of Bel/Bright Fire and Fire Festival. Beltane is the second principal Celtic festival  with Samhain being the first. 

Observed on May 1st, festivities usually start on the last night of April. It's a time to welcome the abundance of the fertile earth. There are many different ways you can celebrate Beltane, but the focus is usually on fertility. It's the time when the earth mother opens up to the fertility god, and their union brings about healthy livestock, strong crops, and new life all around.

Beltane traditionally marks the arrival of summer, although summer doesn’t technically start for another month and a half.

Beltane, and its counterpart Samhain, divide the year into its two primary seasons, winter (Dark Part) and summer (Light Part). As Samhain is about honoring Death, Beltane, its counter part, is about honoring Life. It is the time when the sun is fully released from his bondage of winter and able to rule over summer and life once again.

Beltane, like Samhain, is a time of "no time" when the veils between the two worlds are at their thinnest. No time is when the two worlds intermingle and unite and the magic abounds! It is the time when the Faeries return from their winter respite, carefree and full of faery mischief and faery delight.

Love is in the air at Beltane. In our rituals, we celebrate the union between the Great Mother and her young Horned God. Their coupling brings fresh new life on Earth. Some form of this Great Rite is enacted on this sabbat in nearly every modern pagan circle. The Great Rite symbolizes the sacred marriage, or sexual union, of the the Lord and Lady. Often the rite is performed symbolically by a male and female who place a knife (a phallic symbol) into a chalice (a female or yonic symbol). In Old Europe, whole villages would celebrate May Day by slipping away into the woods for indiscriminate sexual encounters.

       

Songs: Beltane Fires, Beltane Song, Fire Leap, Freedom, Summerisle Song, Like A Prayer, The Worship of Trees, Green and Grey, Witches Reel, The Mummer’s Dance, Invocation, Maypole Dance Chant, Beltane Fire Dance Song.

Activities: Dancing Around A Maypole, Enjoying a Bonfire, Purifying/Cleansing your Space, Do Spells for ‘Prosperity’ ‘Love’ ‘Fertility’ and ‘Protection/Safety’, Jump a Bonfire (carefully) and Make a Wish, Scatter the Ashes of your Bonfire in the garden to ensure Fertility, Look for Fairies, Gather the First Herbs of the Season, Picnic in the Fields, Make Love, Wash your face with the Morning Dew and Decorate your Hair with Ribbons, Walk around your property to check that all is in order, Feasting, Get Handfasted/Jump the Broom, Give a Food Basket to a Food Drive, Have Breakfast foods for Dinner.

Foods: Flaxseeds, Almonds, Spring Soups, Mushrooms, Oatmeal, Dairy Products, Candied Flowers, Oatcakes, Flower Wine, Bread, Cereal, Strawberries, Cherries, Greens, Salads, Honey, Sweets, Eggs, Custards, Vanilla, Ice Cream, May Bowl (Wine/Fruit/Flower Punch), Pancakes/Waffles, Sausage, Cheese.

Crafts: Make/Decorate a Maypole, Make a Flower Wreath, Make an offering plate of fruits and nuts to leave for the Fairies, Make a Flower Garland, Plant Seeds in the Garden or in some Flowerpots, Weave a Basket.

Colors: Green, White, Pale Pink, Yellow, Blue, Brown, Red, Rainbow.

Symbols: Flowers, Bonfires, Doves, Ribbons, Swans, Chalice, Baskets, Cats, Maypole, Rabbits, Eggs, Butterchurns, Honey Bees, Faeries.

Stones: Rose Quartz, Garnet, Emerald, Amber, Tourmaline, Sapphire, Malachite, Beryl, Bloodstone, Orange Carnelian.

Herbs: Fireweed, Dragon’s Blood, Coriander, Marjoram, Fern, Blessed Thistle, Curry, Broom, Ash, Nettle, Flaxseed, Clover, Hawthorn, Radish, Paprika, Snapdragon, Meadowsweet, Woodruff, Elder Leaves, Belladonna, Mint,  St. John’s Wart, Rosemary.

Flowers: Dogwood, Daffodils, Rose, Foxglove, Lilly of the Valley, Ivy, Marigold, Violets, Daisies, Bluebells, Lilac, Primrose.

Incense: Vanilla, Rose, Musk, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Peach, Passionflower, Frankincense, Lilac.

Gods: Bel, Apollo, Bacchus, Bel-Belanos, Cernunnos, Pan, Herne, Faunus, Cupid-Eros, Odin, Orion, Frey, Robin Goodfellow, Puck, and The Great Horned God, Artemis.

Goddesses: Arianrhod, Astarte, Ariel, Var, Skadi, Shiela-na-gig, Cybele, Xochiquetzal, Freya, Rhiannon, Aphrodite, Bast, Diana, Flora, Maia, Venus.

Earth Day

It's Earth Day here again to remind you to take good care of our planet. Today is as good a day as any to Honor Mother Earth!

That means Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!

The first Earth Day celebration was held in 1970, and sponsored by the Earth Day Network. This annual celebration is a time when people worldwide honor our planet and (hopefully) take a few minutes to try to make a difference in the world.

Although Earth Day isn't an Official Pagan Holiday, many of us in the Pagan community choose to celebrate it as a way of marking our commitment to stewardship of our planet. After all, when I began walking a Pagan path, I realized fairly quickly that if you adhere to the concept of nature being sacred, it's pretty darn important not to treat our planet as your own personal garbage dump. 

“The spirit of Earth Day 1970 did not just happen; its roots could include the gradual stirring of environmental consciousness that accelerated in the 1960s, but that stirring itself had deeper roots in an American consciousness of a special relationship with the land, even if that relationship was often abusive. Still, if there was a year when Wicca (in the broad sense) became “nature religion,” as opposed to the “mystery religion” or “metaphorical fertility religion” labels that it had brought from England, that year was 1970.” - Chas Clifton, Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in America

Everyone must do their part, Regardless of Religious background. We all Share the Planet, and we all have to deal with what happens when we do not take care of the Planet.
Even if it's small, every little effort counts. So please:

• Shut off lights you aren't using
• Use reusable shopping bags instead of plastic
• Plant a Vegetable Garden
• Bring your lunch in a reusable container
• Walk or Ride a Bike instead of Driving
• Don't buy prepackaged snacks and other goods that have a lot of waste (packing your own portion sizes of crackers and snacks using reusable containers instead of plastic baggies)
• Unplug Electronics when they are not in use
• Start a Compost Bin
• Stop Eating Fast Food
• Shower with your Partner
• Eat Less Meat
• Don't let the water run while brushing your teeth
• Buy Locally when Possible
• Volunteer 
• Use Natural Products
• Try alternative energy sources (Solar, Water, Wind, etc)
• Etc.

Here is a list of 50 Ways to Help The Planet

And if you don't the Goddess with get fed up with how badly we treat Mother Nature, and she will swallow us whole!

 

Friday the 13th Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my Friday the 13th Blog Posts. If you'd like to read Part 1 Please go HERE!

When Friday is combined with the 13th day of the month we have a double dose of pagan symbolism and female significance. Up until the Middle Ages when pagans continued to celebrate symbolic pagan days, Friday the 13th was thought to be especially lucky because it combined the goddess’s sacred day with her sacred number (drawn from the 13 months of the lunar year). As a result, Friday the 13th was a celebration and festival day for many Pagans.

It is a shame that people had to start thinking of Friday the 13th as something to be feared...What seems to appear, after one reviews the history, is that the modern taboo of Friday and 13 (and especially the two together) is the result of the Christian manipulation of earlier pagan beliefs... but this isn't the first Pagan celebration that was changed by the Christians (Easter, Christmas, etc.). The fears of Friday the 13th came about after Jesus was Crucified.  The Last Supper was certainly not the only time Christ gathered with his disciples and there were always 13 of them. No one suggests these earlier events were unlucky. In fact, based on the historical view of thirteen at the time of Christ, all indications show 13 as a lucky number, and this probably played a role in determining how many disciples there should have been. The same goes for the New Testament rationale for the dislike of Fridays. The crucifixion of Christ is the foundation of Christianity. After all this holy day is called Good Friday and is celebrated as a positive day!

If you believe that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day, chances are you will attract negative experiences. But on the other hand, if you believe that Friday the 13th is a lucky day perhaps you will attract positive experiences. We get back what we send out in thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Interesting Facts: 

Australians have one interesting way of looking at this day. Australian lottery ticket sales go through the roof on Friday the 13th.

The pathological fear of Friday 13 is called paraskevidekatriaphobia.

In the United States alone, $800 to $900 million is lost in business each Friday 13th because people will not travel or go to work.

In 1306, the King of France, King Philip had hundreds of Knights Templar arrested on Friday, October 13. He had them tortured and executed.

The name "Friday" is derived from the Norse goddess known either as Frigg - wife of Odin (the goddess of marriage & fertility, the moon & witches) or Freya (goddess of love, beauty, sensuality, war, good fortune, magic & wisdom).

This year were have several Friday the 13ths. Last Friday the 13th was 13 weeks ago, and the next Friday the 13th is 13 weeks away.

 

Moving On To A Better Life

I was watching a video on YouTube that I would like to share with you all. Even if you are not Wiccan or do not believe in Magic, I urge you all to watch this video and really pay attention. CharmingPixieFlora has a lot to say about moving on from bad situations and finding a better/happier life. And not playing the victim.
The beginning of the video may be a little confusing for non-pagans because she is talking about light and dark magic, but it's the underlying message I want you all to hear. The message of not running away from your problems because they will follow you. You have to face your problems and work through them in order to move on from them and leave it all behind.
Please Watch:

If that video didn't change you in the slightest bit, then please watch it again and pay attention.
Thank you all and have a wonderful day!
Blessed Be!