The Sacred Glen
Volume #2 Issue #8
Samhain 2008
The Sacred Glen is a publication of Daughters of the Greening online school. All articles within this ezine are written by students of the school and are their own personal property, unless otherwise credited. Daughters of the Greening is dedicated to teaching about the sacredness of all life and offers classes in Sacred Ecology, Holistic Healing, Discovering Past Lives, Faery Magic and Women's Spirituality. The school is open to anyone who is 18 years of age or older.
The Sacred Glen Council
Morgana Ravenwings
Susan
Wren
Arlais
Dragonfly
Spiralotus
In this issue:
Sacred Days of the Ancestors
The Goddess Speaks
Plant Medicine
Sacred Holidays
Mothercraft * New Column
Songs of the Muse
Holistic Recipes
Sit a Spell
Garden of Eatin'
Harvests from the Printing Press
Spider Woman's Web
Sacred Days of the Ancestors
October, 2008
10/23: Beginning of Scorpio (the Scorpion).
10/24: Yoruba/Santeria feast of Orisha Erinle, Healer of the Sick and Injured. * 10/24: Feast of Raphael, Angel of Healing.
10/25 to 10/28: Diwali/Lunar New Year/Festival of Lights– Hindu festival for Goddess Lakshmi (source of health, fertility, and prosperity) and Her consort, God Vishnu (the preserver of life); focus is on peace-making and new beginnings. Hindus’ life goals are ethical living, passionate love, prosperity, and spiritual devotion.
10/28 (7:14 p.m. EDT): New Moon.
10/28: Kali Puja–Hindu festival honoring Great Goddess Maha Devi as Kali--decay, death, and transformation.
10/28 to 11/3: Isia–Old Romano-Egyptian festival recalling Set (God of Destruction) killing God Osiris; Goddess Isis mourning Him, resurrecting Him, and conceiving God Horus with Him; and Osiris becoming Lord of Amenta, realm of the dead.
10/31: Day to mourn the women tortured and killed as “witches” because of their independence, wealth, wisdom, or religion.
10/31 eve: Halloween–Night that the dead return to visit their families; celebrated by children, dressed as spirits, going door to door for treats.
10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Old Sumerian fast recalling the descent of Inanna (Goddess of Life) to the Underworld. Ereshkigal (Goddess of Death and Rebirth) detained Her until She agreed to have Dumuzi (God of Life and Death) remain there each Winter.
10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Samhain– Old Celtic/Welsh New Year and feast of Cerridwen (Goddess of Death) and Beli (the Holly King--God of the Waning Sun).
10/31 eve to 11/6 eve: Mid-Autumn/Day of the Dead/Hallowmas.
November
11/1: All Saints Day–Day Christians remember all the virtuous dead, known and unknown.
11/1: Mindfulness Day–Zen Buddhist day for mindfully seeing and acting with compassion for the Earth and all creatures.
11/1 to 11/2: Fon/Vodou feast of Ghede, Loa of the Dead; time for honoring ancestral spirits. Fon/Vodouisants believe all Loas (Deities) originate from Co-Creators Goddess-God Mawu-Lisa.
11/2 (2:00 a.m.): Daylight Savings Time ends--set clocks back 1 hour.
11/2: Aztec Day of the Dead–Day for honoring the departed and Mictlancihuatl-Miclanteuctli, Goddess-God of the Dead. Aztecs believe all Gods are united in Great God Ometeuctli, all Goddesses are united in Great Goddess Omecihuatl, and the Great God and Goddess are united in Ometeoltl.
11/2: Hopi & Zuni Ancestors’ Day– Food offerings are put into rivers and lakes in honor of the ancestors.
11/4: Baha’i feast honoring the one Deity as Qudrat--Divine Power.
11/6: Day for meditation on Tantric Bodhisattva Goddess White Tara, who guides the dead to Buddha Amitabha’s Pure Land, where all will find salvation.
11/9 eve: Krystallnacht–Night of the Nazi attacks on Jewish homes, synagogues, and shops in Germany, beginning the persecution that would end with the deaths of six million Jews (1938); night for meditating on the evil of all religion-based hatred.
11/11 to 11/17: Old Anglo-Teutonic fast marking Hod (God of Darkness) unintentionally killing Balder (God of Light), and his true love Nanna (Goddess of Flowers) dying of a broken heart. The dead were honored.
11/12 eve to 11/14 eve: Feast of Divine Justice--source of just law--honoring Goddess-God as Maat-Thoth (Old Egyptian); Goddess as Themis (Old Greek), Torah (Jewish Kabbalah) & Justice (Christian); and God as Forseti (Old Norse).
11/12 to 11/15: Tewa Buffalo Dance–focused on healing. Tewa rites honor Mother Earth, Father Sky, and the four directions and elements of life--air of the North, earth of the East, fire of the South, and waters of the West.
11/13 (1:17 a.m. EST): Full Moon (Wolf/Hunting Moon).
11/22: Beginning of Sagittarius (the Hunter/Huntress).
11/22: Day for meditation on Tantric Bodhisattva Deities Manjusri and Prajna-Paramita, consciousness and empowerment of Wisdom. Prajna-Paramita is considered Mother of All Buddhas.
11/23: Baha’i feast honoring the one Deity as Qawl--Sacred Speech.
11/25: Yoruba/Santeria feast of Oya, Orisha of Death and Rebirth.
11/27 (11:55 a.m. EST): New Moon.
11/27: Thanksgiving Day–Day to give thanks for the abundance of our land and for our food, clothes, shelter, and health.
11/27 to 12/10: Hopi & Zuni Shalako Festival–welcoming back to the pueblos the Kachinas/Kokos--Spirits of Nature and the ancestors that provide protection, health, fertility, and food.
11/28 eve to 12/28 eve: Dhu al-Hijjah–Muslim month of pilgrimage (the hajj) to honor the one genderless universal Deity at the holy shrine of the Kaaba Stone in Mecca.
11/30 to 12/24 (OC 11/28 to 1/6): Advent/Festival of Lights– Christian vigil for the birth of the Cosmic Christ. Advent candles are lit.
December
12/1: World AIDS Day–Day to pray for healing of all those suffering with AIDS and HIV.
12/4: Yoruba/Santeria feast of Orisha Shango, Defender Against Evil.
12/5: Day for meditation on Tantric Bodhisattva Goddess Red Tara, protector against evil and harm.
12/6: Mindfulness Day–Zen Buddhist day for mindfully seeing and acting with compassion for the poor and oppressed.
12/8: Rohatsu–Zen Buddhist celebration of the Buddha’s enlightenment.
12/11 eve to 12/13 eve: Feast of the Immanent Feminine Divine Spirit–honoring Goddess as Maha Devi Shakti (Hindu), Allat Ruh Sakinah (Old Arabic-Sufi), Eloah Ruach Shekhinah (Jewish Kabbalah) & Holy Spirit Wisdom (Christian).
12/12 (11:37 a.m. EST): Full Moon (Snow/Fire Moon).
12/12: Baha’i feast honoring the one Deity as Masa’il--Mystery.
12/12: First Appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of God and Mother of the Oppressed, at the former shrine of Aztec Moon Goddess Coatlicue (Mexico 1531).
12/13: Feast of the Light-bringer– honoring Goddess as Juno Lucina (Old Roman) & Lucia (Old Swedish); merged with the Christian feast of St. Lucia.
12/15 (A 1/25): Old Egyptian festival of Neteret Amenet-Rait-Mut, the primordial Great Mother.
12/17: Yoruba/Santeria feast of Orisha Babalu Aye, Healer of Deadly Diseases.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Excerpted from
THE MYSTIC'S WHEEL OF THE YEAR 2008
A Multifaith Calendar Reflecting Eco-Egalitarian Spirituality
© 2007 Page Two, Inc.
info@WheeloftheYear.com
www.WheeloftheYear.com
The Goddess Speaks
Baba Yaga
By Morgana
Baba Yaga lives in a wickedly animated hut that is constantly spinning around in circles on its extra-large chicken legs. The hut's windows act as eyes and it emits blood-curdling screams as it spins its way throughout the forest.
Only when a secret spell is said will the hut come to a stop and face a visitor. Then it is seen that the hut is surrounded by a fence made of bones (from the travelers that Baba Yaga is said to have eaten) and topped with skulls whose illumined eyes light up the darkness.
Baba Yaga herself is a whirlwind of activity, traveling through the forest, or in the air, in a mortar and using a pestle as an oar. Wherever she goes a wild wind ensues and a host of spirits accompanies her. Scary as she is, the pure of heart have nothing to fear for she has no power over them.
Baba Yaga rules over the stages of women's lives . . . maiden, mother, crone . . . and over the elements. Although portrayed as a wild witch, she is also known to be a helper and wise woman. She represents the Earth Mother, and as such is all-wise and reveals mysteries to those who seek.
Symbols for Baba Yaga include skulls, bones, mortars and pestles, any type of grain, autumn leaves, the Death card in tarot and brooms.
Call on Baba Yaga when doing any type of spellwork for endings, croning ceremonies, divination or female power. And then stand back and watch out!!
Plant Medicine
Apples and Halloween (A History)
By Susan Allen
In ancient times, the apple was considered to be the magical or holy fruit. The belief in the sacredness of the apple is prevalent in many cultures. A Norse legend tells of a how the gods kept themselves healthy and young by eating the apples of Asgard (the home in the sky). Ancient Celts believed in a paradise full of apple trees that both bloomed fragrant flowers and bore fruit at the same time. Even the Iroquois believed that the apple was the central tree of heaven. And in Christian cultures, the apple is the forbidden fruit of knowledge eaten from the tree in Paradise. A fruit this important is bound to have several traditions associated with it.
*disclaimer: games are for entertainment only. No guarantees are given that you will actually see or meet the man/woman of your dreams, but have a blast trying! J
On Halloween, an apple can be used to find out a person’s fortune in love. To find out your marital future, tie an apple to the end of a string. Spin the string around and around. The person whose apple flies off first, will be the first to marry. If you spin and spin and your apple never flies off, you will be doomed to live unmarried.
Should you be able to peel an apple in one single unbroken strand, throw it over your left shoulder and the shape it makes on the ground will be the first initial of the man you are destined to marry.
Using a mirror cut an apple into nine slices and place the slices on the blade. Hold the slices over your left shoulder while brushing your hair. The face of your future husband will appear to you in the mirror.
If the sun shines through the branches of an apple tree on Christmas morning, the trees will produce plenty of fruit for the next year.
Do not pick every apple off of an apple tree. It was tradition to leave a couple for the birds or doom your tree to barrenness the following year.
If an apple left on a tree is still there in the spring, there will be a death in the family.
Apple Ducking: Fill a large tub with water and be sure to place it on a plastic sheet on the floor (don’t want the floor to get ruined). Float some apples in the water. Play by tying gamers hands behind their backs while they try to pick up an apple with their teeth!
Snap Apple: Suspend several apples from the ceiling with long pieces of string. The apples must then be completely eaten without touching the apple with anything except the teeth. For extra messy fun, smear the apples with caramel!
Pips: When faced with a choice between two lovers, get too apple seeds (pips) and name them after the objects of your desire. Place the wet seeds on your cheek. The one that falls of first is the one you should do without. The one still sticking is the one you should choose.
Variation: Put an apple seed on the grill of an open fire. If the pip bursts in the heat, the love you have is true. If it burns slowly, your lover will not be faithful.
Chocolate Applesauce Cake
1 c margarine
1 c sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1 c unsweetened apple compote made by cooking and smashing 4 large apples (or be lazy like me and go buy some applesauce )
1 ˝ c + 2 tbs flour
˝ c of cocoa
1 ˝ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda (ha ha old recipe says bicarbonate of soda ~ good thing I’m a chemistry teacher and know what that means! )
1 tsp water
1 bar of plain chocolate (melted)
Cream the margarine with the sugar. Add the beaten egg. Put in the apple compote (applesauceJ). Sift flour, cocoa, and cinnamon together and add to the mixture. Stir the mixture well. Dissolve baking soda in water, then add to the mixture and stir thoroughly.
Bake in a greased pan (9x9) at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until soft to the touch. When cool, spread melted chocolate on top. Cut into slices when the chocolate has set.
Pumpkin
Compiled by Dryw
The pumpkin has been a longtime favorite of children, featured in their favorite stories (Cinderella's coach) and in song (the keeper for Peter Pumpkin Eater's wife). In China the pumpkin is still called the emperor of the garden.
Pumpkin technically belongs to the squash family, but is used so often as a pie filling that it is often considered a fruit. It is also a good main course vegetable and an ingredient in soup, quick breads, cookies, cakes and pudding. It is an excellent source of many nutrients including Vitamin A, iron, potassium, Vitamin C and others. It is low in calories, sodium and fat.
In the past, pumpkin seeds served as medicines. American Indians chewed them to ward off kidney infections and parasites, and they were an official drug in the 19th century as a diuretic and worm remedy.
by www.SixWise.com
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/07/10/03/pumpkins-arent-just-for-scary-faces-pumpkin-nutrition-uses-recipe--and-some-interesting-lore.htm
Link contains a great article and some yummy recipes for pumpkin!
Mabon
By Morgana
Mabon, celebrated on the Autumnal Equinox, is a holy day with many other names including Second Harvest Festival, Harvest Home, Feast of Avalon and Feast of Dionysus. It signifies the end of the grain harvest, the harvesting of the vine, and also has deep ties to apples. It is celebrated much like Thanksgiving. Mabon is a time of reaping, both from the fields of the earth as well as the fields of our lives. Even though the days are dwindling (day and night are equal on Mabon, but thereafter, nights begin to lengthen), it is a time of joy and celebration for the abundance of summer crops.
Altars should be decorated with leaves and acorn gathered from walks in the woods. Gardens should be thanked for bringing forth their abundance to feed us during the winter months ahead. Seeds should be left out for our four-legged and winged friends and apples should be left on the gravesites of loved ones, encouraging new births.
Food: Grapes, apples, wheat, corn, root crops, nuts, beans and squash.
Drinks: Wine, ale and cider.
Herbs: Oak leaves, mums, acorns, marigold, pine, cedar and sage.
Spells: Protection, prosperity, security, self-confidence, harmony and balance.
Colors: Red, gold, orange, brown
Plants: Vines, garlands, gourds, pomegranate, ivy acorns, wheat, pinecones.
Deities: Dionysus, Bacchus, Triple Goddess, Morgan, Persephone, Mabon, Harvest Deities.
By Morgana
Diwali is a major Hindu and Buddhist holiday, which falls this year at the end of October. Known as the Festival of Lights, Diwali is celebrated by the lighting of lamps and fireworks which are intended to demonstrate the victory of good over evil in human beings.
The Goddess Lakshmi plays a central role in this festival. It is believed by some scholars that Diwali originated as a harvest festival, honoring the final harvest of the year. Lakshmi, being the Goddess of Wealth, is thus thanked and petitioned for a prosperous year ahead. This takes place on the first day of the festival. Kali is also invoked to abolish laziness and evil. On the third day of the festival, which is also the last day of the lunar year, many lamps are lit symbolizing knowledge and the celebrants are encouraged to reflect on the meaning of the festival. The following day is the first day of the new lunar year. Old business accounts are closed, and new ones are opened.
People are encouraged to again self-reflect and remove any anger, jealousy or hatred from their hearts. Bali, an ancient king known for his generosity is honored and the concept of seeing good in others is emphasized.
While Diwali appears to be focused on lights, business and ethical living, it has a much deeper spiritual meaning. Its true focus is on the inner light that resides in us all. This light is the immortal being that is beyond our physical and mental being, called spirit, soul, atman or Self. This part of our being is what lives on after the death of our physical body and when we awaken to it, we awaken to universal compassion and love and the understanding that we are all one.
Diwali is celebrated the world over including places like Canada, United States, Fiji, Japan, South Africa, Australia and the United Kingdom. In some of these countries it has even become a part of the local culture.
Samhain
By Morgana
Samhain, celebrated on October 31st, was originally known as the Feast of the Dead. It is the third and final harvest, and the beginning of the dark half of the year. Samhain is known as a spirit night...a night when spirits abound and walk/fly around freely because the veil between the worlds is lifted. This is a night to communicate with departed loved ones, and to use any form of divination. It is the time of the Dark or Crone aspect of the Great Goddess. Food offerings are left outside to appease the angry dead, and candles are left in windows to guide departed loved ones home. Other traditions include the setting of extra places at the dinner table and the burying of apples for those spirits who have no living relatives. The fae were also very active at this time, and are known for pulling pranks on unsuspecting travelers. Traveling after dark is not recommended.
Samhain fires were lit from the first fire of the new year that was lit by the Druids. The people danced around the bonfires and cast written prayers into them, making requests of the gods. Even today these bonfires can be seen on many hillsides in Scotland and Ireland.
Correspondences for this day are:
Foods: Apples, gourds, turnips, nuts, pumpkins and wines.
Colors: Black, orange, yellow, red.
Stones: Carnelian, jet, obsidian, citrine.
Animals: Black cats, bats.
Mexican Day of the Dead
By Susan Allen
Los Dias de los Muertos: the Days of the Dead (October 31st to November 2nd) is a Latino celebration of life and death. Visit any Mexican city or United States town with a high Latino population on November 1st and expect to see a fantastic celebration. The streets are decorated in bright colors; flowers and fruit are everywhere. The parade begins as men and women alike walk the streets with skeleton masks and brightly colored outfits. Mariachis play as the parade continues through town. The destination is the cemetery, where families are already busy decorating the graves of their loved ones with flowers, fruit, and most importantly: the items that were cherished by the dead while they roamed the earth with us.
By ancient Aztec beliefs, November 1st is the day when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is the thinnest. It is the day when those we’ve lost may roam among us. It is a day of celebration, because on this day, our loved ones are not lost, but with us still.
People begin this day by scrubbing and weeding headstones in the cemetery. Then they decorate the headstones in bright colors, flowers, fruit, and with items loved by the lost one. The parade begins, balloons are sold, and children play games. The entire community celebrates for the whole day in anticipation of nightfall.
As darkness descends, family members light candles for each dead family member. The warm light guides the dead and invites them to walk with their families again. Families tell stories and catch the dead up on the things they’ve missed over the year. They also remember the good times they had when their loved ones were still with them. Most families will spend the entire night visiting with their loved ones, because the veil will not return to normal until dawn.
After the Spanish Conquest, the Day of the Dead was changed. Spanish missionaries worshipped God and did not believe in the Aztec deities or their way of celebrating the loss of loved ones. The people refused to give up their traditions, so instead they merged many of them with the traditions of Catholicism. The catholic day for celebrating the saints is November 1st and the day for all souls is November 2nd. The ancient Aztecs were able to merge these two celebrations into Los Dias de los Muertos.
One of the main variations after this merger is the addition of an altar to the dead. Families will make an altar with the lost loved one’s image and favorite things on it. They often include candles and favorite foods. This altar is called an ofrenda. Often altars take up a permanent place in the homes of the people who’ve made them. It is their way of letting the dead know that they are always welcome in their homes, not just on a special day.
The Mexican Day of the Dead is a different way to view death. It celebrates through dedicated remembrance the loved ones who have gone before us. It allows us to remember the importance of their lives. It also allows us to feel as though they are really not gone from us and that they are still with us.
MotherCraft
Holding Open the Gate
By Amber Dragonfly
As a young girl, I could see the spark of life within each plant, rock, and animal. I could see beings in the air and hear songs from distant lands. I found the gate to the enchanted realms wide open for me, and have all my years. It is with a conscious heart that I hold open the gate for my children.
My oldest, Ethan, sees beings at night that I cannot see, but I know they're real. I've asked him what are they there for, what to do they want, and he usually says, "To party." Because I home school my children, our social life can be limited, and I am decidedly a choosy mom when it comes to who visits my house. I prefer to have our home's energy mostly unruffled. I am blessed to have a dear friend who lives nearby who has a son who also sees spirit beings and is willing and able to come over and play with us, often so. He is happy to talk about faeries and gnomes, about the spirits in his back woods and what he sees in his home. His words are never disrespected by me or my children, and his spirit eyes are excitedly welcome. When he comes to visit, he brings in a peaceful light to our home. And I never have to clear out his energy afterwards. The enchanted realms are still real and a part of his daily world for him.
The opposite can be said for my two nephews, ages 9 and 7. Though I do love them, and have them over as often as I can, when they come here, they bring the energy of destruction and disconnection. Over the summer we often had their company, and as I am not one to hide my love for nature, faeries and spirit, they got a healthy dose of our enchanted life. About a month ago, when they would come to visit they started their visit by boldly stating that they didn't believe in faeries. I would tell them that that's fine, and that I do and it's okay to be different. My son would echo my sentiments and it all seemed to be fine. But the more recent visits showed me what was happening underneath. I asked one of them why they didn't believe in faeries, and he told me that his mom and dad told him he was too old to believe in them. This is also the one who, whenever he is here, has to destroy our faerie lodge and declare the faeries dead.
Whenever he does this, sometimes I tell him that faeries are immortal, but mostly I tell him that I love the faeries and want him to respect the faeries, even if they are only dolls, that are in my home. My children are very aware of everything having a spirit, and everything being affected by words and deeds. They know that trees have feelings, that rocks are alive, and to ask for permission and give thanks. They know this and I see it in their earth walk. But to see the absence of it in my extended family, hurts my heart.
For us who live awake, we hold the gate open for those who know but are afraid, or for those who want to remember. We do this simply by living the light, fully present in every moment. I know that my nephews will remember me, be it by my eccentricities or my compassion , certainly a combination of many things, and the greatest gift I can give my family, is to shine my light brightly and fully for all to see, to live my truth, in every breath, in every step. This is how the gate stays open. Even if you are not a parent, you still can be an example to those who are, and to children everywhere. It is time for us to release our fear of being seen, and to hold the gate open, for ourselves, and to all we touch. May we all know the safety and compassion of a supportive and loving community that knows how to embrace diversity and see the light of spirit alive!
Samhain Blessings to you and yours.
Songs of the Muse
Autumn!
By William Blake
O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stain'd
With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit
Beneath my shady roof; there thou may'st rest,
And tune thy jolly voice to my fresh pipe,
And all the daughters of the year shall dance!
Sing now the lusty song of fruits and flowers.
"The narrow bud opens her beauties to
The sun, and love runs in her thrilling veins;
Blossoms hang round the brows of Morning, and
Flourish down the bright cheek of modest Eve,
Till clust'ring Summer breaks forth into singing,
And feather'd clouds strew flowers round her head.
"The spirits of the air live in the smells
Of fruit; and Joy, with pinions light, roves round
The gardens, or sits singing in the trees."
Thus sang the jolly Autumn as he sat,
Then rose, girded himself, and o'er the bleak
Hills fled from our sight; but left his golden load.
Submitted By Wren
Witch Goes Shopping
By Lilian Moore
Witch rides off
Upon her broom,
Finds a space
To park it.
Takes a shiny shopping cart
Into the supermarket.
Smacks her lips and reads
The list of things she needs:
“Six bat’s wings,
Worms in brine,
Ears of toads,
Eight or nine.
Slugs and bugs,
Snake skins dried,
Buzzard innards,
Pickled, fried.”
Witch takes herself
From shelf to shelf
Cackling all the while
Up and down and up and down and
In and out each aisle.
Out come cans and cartons
Tumbling onto the floor.
"This," says the witch, now all a-twitch
"Is a crazy store.
I CAN'T FIND A SINGLE THING
I AM LOOKING FOR!"
Submitted by Susan Allen
Musings on Faith
Faith
By Spiralotus
There is an ancient aphorism from a wise sage that "faith is the White Magic of Power". As a teacher of Wise Woman Craft, I often see women go through incredible changes in the time of studying with me and even afterwards. They change jobs, careers, homes, lovers, and goals. As they work through these changes they face the incredible darkness of their fears. There are times those fears seem as though they will gobble them up and they will not live through the issue.
Many times these are women that were raised in a church or synagogue and have turned their back on many limiting paradigms. One of those paradigms that I often have to remind them to continue to incorporate into their lives is faith. Unlike our religions prior to our life changes, we have the Goddess and incredible role models to help us with that faith. When we face difficult challenges like breast cancer, we can remember Inanna and know that she will walk with us through that journey. We can look at her actions and reclamation of power as we face our darkest hours, thus increasing our faith.
Sometimes we may not have a Goddess but a saint or amazing woman to lead us. As we change our goals and look for more rewarding work the task can seem daunting. We look to Saint Theresa who had three ducats to create an orphanage and was laughed at by her superiors. She had the faith that the Divine would help her and knew her goals would be met; which they were. We see that with Marie Montessori who wanted to create a school for the poor street children of her country. She created an educational system that is still used to this day and is considered one of the best ways to teach children.
As we go through our mundane and spiritual life, let us remember to have faith that we do not walk alone, but with the Goddess in her many forms. On this path we are blessed with role models in the form of real women as well as the feminine Divine. Let us hold onto that faith for ourselves and help other women to keep that faith within their hearts when they face their inner demons remember that it is our white magic - our power.
Sit a Spell
A Samhain Meditation
By Arlais
finished relationships that still tie you down? Do you want to move job or home? Think deeply and honestly about these questions and decide on a resolution to make tonight. Remember the Wicca Rede "and it harm none" as you do . . .
Consider now the majestic oak tree growing from a tiny acorn, reminding us that great things can come from small beginnings. Your resolutions tonight are as that acorn and they will grow and flourish with the help of the Lady Hecate.
Imagine an acorn in your hands. Concentrate on the image and make it clear and strong. Look inside the acorn and see tiny embryo waiting to grow.
Now say out loud "Lady Hecate, Goddess of the crossroads, guide my thoughts this night. Help me I pray, (your resolution). Let it become real with your blessings and aid, and help me stay true to my desire. So mote it be".
Place your resolution inside the acorn. See it become part of that embryo oak tree. When the image is clear, plant that acorn within yourself. Make it part of you, make it part of your will. Follow this acorn through the coming months. See it begin to sprout. See it grow bigger and stronger, and see the changes it will create in your life, until it has become a massive oak and you have achieved your goal.
Hold this image in your mind. Nurture it through the coming year.
Make it happen by your will and the blessings of Hecate. Let it be so.
Finally, remember to make an offering of thanks to Hecate by honoring her on your altar.
By Arlais
Tonight we come together to bring healing energy to our Earth. Please join me now as we prepare to cast our circle.
Picture yourself in a field after the harvest. It is a beautiful September day in an Indian summer, - the sun incredibly warm and the sky a clear blue. Only the length of the shadows hints that winter is approaching. The wheat has been harvested but a few stray grains lie between providing welcome pickings for the birds and mice. There is a wonderful scent of fresh cut straw in the air. The hedges around the field are rich with berries of hawthorn, of blackberry and of rose-hips. Take a moment to savor the beauty of this scene.
Reach out now and take the hands of those on either side of you. Feel the energy increase as the circle is closed forming a ring of power.
Let our circle be cast by the power of all present, let us welcome the Guardians within. Let it stand as a place of safety and strength for the work we do this night.
Guardian of Water, Lady of the West. We welcome you to our circle this night. Great whale of the seas we ask you to lend us your powers of emotion. With love, we greet you tonight. Hail and welcome!
Guardian of Earth, Lady of the North. We welcome you to our circle this night. Great bear of the caves, we ask you to lend us your stability and power. With love, we greet you tonight. Hail and welcome!
Our Lady Ceres, keeper of the harvest and the Earth, we invite you to join us in our circle this night and ask you to lend your aid to our work as we raise healing energy for the earth. With love we greet you tonight. Hail and Welcome.
See the Lady Ceres standing before us in her Roman robes in shades of greens and yellows. She smiles her pleasure for our work this night and indicates that we should continue.
We are all aware of the problems facing our planet, problems that may be laid at the door of man's greed and carelessness. We are aware of the many barriers to creating change, - stubbornness, money, lack of consideration, ignorance, and refusal to accept that anything is wrong. We know that we have a lot of work to do, not just through healing energy but through education of others, through practical measures such as recycling, supporting earth charities, writing letters to organizations. Make a commitment to do something practical this coming month and make a promise to Ceres that you will do this.
Tonight though, we will work to raise a cone of healing energy for the earth through visualization and through sound. I ask you all to start to hum as we begin the visualization, softly at first and then increasingly louder until you reach peak volume just as the cone is ready to be released.
Return with me to the wheat field and take a moment to watch the many birds. One in particular catches your attention. It is the corn bunting, a small sparrow sized bird that frequents agricultural land.
Watch it hopping among the cut stalks, searching for grains of wheat. Imagine yourself as that bird. What are you thinking about? What do you feel? Allow yourself to really become the bird. Feel your connection to the Earth and the seasons. Feel how these shape your life, telling you where to find food, when to seek shelter, when to find a mate, when to build a nest. Now, hold onto those feelings as you return to yourself. Try to retain this closeness to the earth as you go about your daily life.
As you watch, you see a whole flock of corn buntings appear. It whirls and dips in the sky above you, flying in an ever moving circle, round and round, faster and faster, until it becomes a vortex of energy. This is the gift of Ceres. Let us now add to it. Send your own healing energy augmented by the energy raised as you hummed into the vortex. See the vortex grow in strength and power. Keep humming, louder and louder. And now, let us release that energy. With a shout of joy let us send it up into the sky. See it rise up, higher and higher until it almost disappears. See it suddenly break open showering shining green healing energy over the Earth. Know that this
energy will do its work.
So mote it be!
And now, return to normal consciousness as I prepare to thank the Goddess with a basket of fruits and grains Lady Ceres, we offer you these gifts of the harvest as a small token of our enduring thanks. Blessed be!
And so we move to the close of our ritual.
Lady Ceres, we thank you for your presence and aid this night. You have planted the seed of healing and it shall prosper. Till we meet again, farewell Blessed be!
Guardian of Earth, Great bear of the north. We thank you for your presence and aid this night. Till we meet again, farewell, blessed be!
Guardian of Water, Great whale of the west. We thank you for your presence and aid this night. Till we meet again, farewell, blessed be!
Guardian of fire, Great phoenix of the south. We thank you for your presence and aid this night. Till we meet again, farewell, blessed be!
Guardian of air, Great eagle of the east. We thank you for your presence and aid this night. Till we meet again, farewell, blessed be!
Let our circle be open but forever unbroken, let our care for the Earth never falter.
Till we meet again, Farewell, Blessed be!
Healing Ritual for Mother Earth
By Mehitabel
Tonight we come together to create healing energy for our planet which is suffering at the hands of Man. Join me as we prepare for our ritual tonight.
Visualize yourself standing in the remains of part of the Amazon rainforest. Everywhere there are the broken stumps of trees poking up from the ravaged Earth. The sounds of the bulldozers create a discordant sound here once the calls of beautifully colored birds graced the air. There is no sign of any wildlife. No birds, no monkeys, no lizards, no butterflies, no antelope, it is now a dead zone. Feel the sorrow of this land. Sorrow for the loss of life, for the loss of habitats, and for the sheer waste of valuable resources now lost forever. Contemplate the greed of man, the blindness of our race to the consequences of our actions and the threats facing our planet. Yet all is not lost. We can change things. While our individual efforts seem small, together they are powerful. Think on this as we move to our ritual tonight. Please take the hands of those on either side of you as we begin to cast our circle.
Through the power of the elements let our circle be raised to stand as a place of safety and power, let us now welcome the Guardians with love.
Hail to the Guardian of Air, Great Aldebaran in the East. Be welcome in our circle this night. Grant us the inspiration to save our planet. In love and trust we bid you hail and welcome!
Hail to the Guardian of Fire, Lord Regulus in the South. Be welcome in our circle this night. Grant us the ability to transform and restore our world. In love and trust we bid you hail and welcome!
Hail to the Guardian of Water, Grand Antares in the west. Be welcome
in our circle this night. Grant us the strength and determination to create change. In love and trust we bid you Hail and welcome!
Hail to the Guardian of Earth, regal Formault in the North. Be welcome in our circle this night. Grant us the power to heal our planet. In love and trust we bid you Hail and welcome!
Beloved Earth Mother, Goddess of creation. We welcome you to our circle this night to bear witness to our work. In love and trust we bid you Hail and welcome!
Our act of power this night is to create healing energy for our world. Please join me now in a short visualization.
Feel yourself begin to rise upwards till you are floating a few feet from the floor. Take a moment to get used to this strange feeling of lightness, and then begin to rise again. Up to the level of the roof tops, and up again.
Continue floating slowly ever higher and higher until you pass beyond our atmosphere and into space itself. Pause here to contemplate the wonder of creation beyond our own world, and then begin to rise again. Bow your head in respect to the moon as you float past her, traveling further and further until our planet looks like a small blue-green jewel in the darkness of space. Here, between the four great stars of Mesopotamia let us raise our energy of healing.
Open your senses and feel the vastness of space that surrounds you and remember that this is all the work of the Goddess. Now, open your senses a little more and feel the pulsing of the life-force energy that pervades everything in Creation, the life-energy of the Goddess herself. Concentrate on this energy and draw it towards you. Feel it fill you and revitalize you, feel the love within this energy, the love of the Mother Goddess who we know as Mother Earth. Now begin to channel this energy. Draw it through your body and send it out through the palm chakra of your dominant arm in an unbroken stream of silver light. Focus this light upon that blue-green jewel that is our planet. Add your own love to this energy and your sincere intent to create change. See the blue-green jewel shine brighter as it absorbs this healing energy. Remember this place and make a vow to return
often to send more healing energy to the planet.
Send one final pulse of love and then begin to sink slowly back towards the planet. As you do so, notice a patch of silvery mist forming above that blue-
green jewel of our world. As you sink still lower, see this mist clear to reveal the Mother Goddess, our Mother Earth, holding Her world in Her hands. She turns to us and acknowledges our work this night and then gently bestows a kiss on our planet, Her gift of healing love. Sink steadily lower and lower, entering the atmosphere and then drifting down back to your physical form here in the circle.
Allow the vision to fade as you return to normal consciousness.
Let us now thank the Mother Goddess for her gifts this night.
Lady of our Earth, Mother of all Creation, we ask you to accept this sacred chalice of wine as a small token of our love and gratitude.
Blessed be!
And now, our ritual draws to a close.
Mother of the Earth, we thank you for your gifts and love this night. Till we meet again we bid you Hail and Farewell!
Guardian of Earth, we thank you for your direction and aid this night. Regal Formault you are ever welcome here. We have planted the seed of healing in your fertile soil. Till we meet again, Hail and Farewell!
Guardian of Water, we thank you for your direction and aid this night. Grand Antares you are ever welcome here. You feed the seed of healing with your sacred rain. Till we meet again, Hail and Farewell!
Guardian of Fire, we thank you for your direction and aid this night. Lord Regulus you are ever welcome here. You nurture the seed of healing with your gentle warmth. Till we meet again, Hail and Farewell!
Guardian of Air, we thank you for your direction and aid this night. Great Aldebaran you are ever welcome here. You draw the seed of healing into flower with your sacred breath. Till we meet again, Hail and Farewell!
Let our circle stand open but forever unbroken and let love be forever in our hearts.
Blessed be!
Full Barley Moon Ritual
By Arlais
Tonight, as the barley moon hangs low in the sky as a large, orange globe let us just pause to appreciate the wonder of the world for we are often too busy to simply stand and look.. Join with me in a short meditation.
Let us take a walk through the countryside together. Come with me along a country lane in August. The day is pleasantly warm, the sun is high in a bright blue sky and there is a very gentle cooling breeze. Let us stand for a moment. Close your eyes and feel the warmth of the sun caressing your skin.
Soak up that warmth, that golden energy, and feel it fill you and invigorate you. Keep your eyes closed and listen. What can you hear? The skylark singing overhead? The bees feeding on the flowers of the dog-rose in the hedgerow behind us? The rustle of small mammals in the undergrowth? Now extend your other senses – what can you smell? The honeysuckle rambling over the hedges? The late crop of new mown hay in the field beyond the lane? The pleasant scent of summer on the air? Enjoy these things that we so often miss. Open your eyes now and let us walk on, taking pleasure in this simple activity. Ahead of us a cock pheasant crosses the path. A rustle in the hedgerow heralds the appearance of a rabbit which disappears as quickly. A kestrel hovers in the sky watching for mice and other small mammals. We miss so much beauty and wonder when we are caught up in the hurly-burly of modern life. Let us all try to set aside a few moments each day at least to appreciate the wonder of our world and to give thanks for the gifts of the Goddess.
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
Now, let us gather into a circle and wait for the ritual to commence.
In the name of the maiden Goddess under the Full moon sky, I start the circle; in the name of the mother Goddess under the Full moon sky, I continue the circle; in the name of the crone Goddess under the Full moon sky, I close the circle. In the names of the three Goddesses, the circle is complete.
Guardian of Air, keeper of inspiration, we invite you to our circle this night. Grant us your protection and strength as we rejoice in the Full Barley Moon. We bid you Hail and Welcome.
Guardian of Fire, lord of transformation, we invite you to our circle this night. Grant us your protection and strength as we rejoice in the Full Barley Moon. We bid you Hail and Welcome.
Guardian of Water, defender of emotion we invite you to our circle this night. Grant us your protection and strength as we rejoice in the Full Barley Moon. We bid you Hail and Welcome.
Guardian of Earth, protector of stability, we invite you to our circle this night. Grant us your protection and strength as we rejoice in the Full Barley Moon. We bid you Hail and Welcome.
Lady Temazcalteci, Goddess of healing. We invite you into our circle this night and ask you to grant us your powers of healing. With love and trust we bid you Hail and Welcome.
The Lady Temazcalteci is the Aztec Goddess of healing. She is invoked to both banish ill health and to bring good health. Tonight, as the moon enters the waning phase, let us banish ill-health from our lives, but let us also invite good health to follow when the moon again begins to wax.
Join with me in our act of power. Think of the thing you wish to banish. Make it clear in your mind and hold that image. Now, visualise silver light streaming down from the Barley Moon above. See it forming a bubble around that thing you wish to banish. See it begin to float upwards taking that thing away from you. See it float towards the Lady Temazcalteci and see her open her arms to receive these bubbles. As we watch, the Lady takes each bubble in her hands and breathes gently upon it. As she does so, that negative thing becomes positive. Ill health becomes good health. As she changes each bubble she sends them floating back towards us. Accept your bubble and absorb the power within. Know that the healing energy it contains will start to work when the moon begins to wax again, reaching full potential at the next full moon. Hold this image for a moment longer, and then allow the vision to fade.
So mote it be!
I shall now thank the Goddess for us all.
Lady of healing, we thank you for your gifts this night and ask you to accept this small token of our appreciation and love. Blessed be!
Let us now move to the close of our ritual.
Lady Temazcalteci, you graced our circle this night with your presence and power, and we offer you our heart-felt thanks for your gifts. Till we meet again we part in love. We bid you hail and farewell!
Guardian of Earth, protector of stability, we thank you for your presence and protection this night. As the seed grows within so shall it grow without. Till we meet again, we bid you hail and farewell.
Guardian of Water, defender of emotion, we thank you for your presence and protection this night. With pure love within, so shall it be without. Till we meet again, we bid you hail and farewell.
Guardian of Fire, Lord of Transformation, we thank you for your presence and protection this night. With burning light within so shall it be without. Till we meet again, we bid you hail and farewell.
Guardian of Air, keeper of inspiration, we thank you for your presence and protection this night. As inspiration grows within, so shall it manifest without. Till we meet again, we bid you hail and farewell.
In the names of the Three Goddesses let our circle now stand open but forever be unbroken, let love remain forever in our hearts.
As the full moon shines her light upon us let us take our leave. We merry meet and merry part and merry meet again. Blessed be!
(Poem by William Henry Davis)
Garden of Eatin’
Spicy Pumpkin Butter
Source: Eramurra
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 tbs sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 t. allspice
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. cloves
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 cups pumpkin (canned puree or make your own)
Add to whipped cream to granish a pumpkin pie.
Combine the two sugars, water, allspice, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamin in a 4-cup glass measure. Mix well on high for 3 minutes; stir.
Add pumpkin and mix well on high for 5 minutes. Let cool and refirgerate. Keeps several weeks in refrigerator or you can freeze it. Yeild: 2 cups
Use as you would apple butter.
Submitted by Dryw
Savory Pumpkin Pie
2 sheets puff pastry
1tsp crushed garlic
1 cup grated mozzarella
˝ cup grated parmesan
1 egg
Splash of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Peel and chop the pumpkin into 2cm slices, place in a roasting tray with a good coating of light olive oil and bake at 200C for 15-20 minutes.
2. Line a flan tin with 1 sheet of puff pastry, prick the bottom thoroughly with a fork and blind bake at 200C for 3-5 minutes.
3. Arrange the roasted pumpkin on top and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. Place the pastry lid on top (sealing the edges with egg wash) and crimp together, bake at 220C for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
From Alive and Cooking
Shamanism as a Spiritual Practice for Daily Life
By Tom Cowan
Tom Cowan writes with a comfortable style and his book is both enjoyable and informative. He turns the complexities of the shamanic path into a simple route available to all, showing us how to incorporate practices into our daily lives and makes the spirituality of shamanism available to all.
of altered consciousness that facilitate the shamanic journeys which allow us to view our problems from a new perspective and to acquire and develop relationships with spirits in order to bring back information to help oneself and society.
Cowan explains the role of animals as both teachers and providers and teaches us how to find our own power animal and form a relationship with them. He then proceeds to explain the shamanic journey teaching us how to enter the three worlds with our power animal as guide and he explains that it is an intention journey with a purpose that actively initiates communication with the spirits.
The book goes on to explain the four sacred horizons, the four directions and their importance to shamanic practice. Here Cowan draws comparisons with other spiritual paths which make use of the directions for protection. He teaches us to meet the allies and the adversaries of the four directions, how to honor the spirits of the directions, how to gather talismans and a shamanic bag, and how to use a circle and a cross.
Middle world journeys are given special importance for they help us rekindle our relationship with the spirits of nature by regaining awareness of the spiritual world that overlaps our own. These journeys allow us to travel to places that hold importance for us, to travel back in time to experience events of the past or meet ancestors, or to make pilgrimages to sacred places. Awareness of the middle world enriches our lives and shows us our true nature.
Cowan's book includes a chapter on the spirits of place, how to build a sacred site and how to make particular shamanic journeys such as pilgrimages, night vigils and vision quests in sacred power spots to bring spiritual enlightenment and understanding. He goes on to remind us of the importance of childhood, how to reclaim the innocence and understanding of those years and how to incorporate this into adult shamanic practice. He also explains how to show children the wonders of shamanic teaching, enriching their lives from an early age by validating their awareness of worlds beyond our own.
The penultimate chapter discusses ancestral spirits and explains how to journey to them in order to gain wisdom and understanding; how to gain an awareness of death, how to perform graveside rituals and how to be open to spirit dreams.
Finally Cowen gives some advice on sharing shamanic practice with others in drumming circles, the type of journeys appropriate for such sessions and the potential problems to avoid thus ensuring a successful group.
Crossing Press 1996 ISBN 13:978-0-89594-838-0
Submitted by Arlais
Spider Woman's Web
Here are some links we love!!
http://www.earthhealingideas.org/
A non-profit resource service that lists a wide variety of creative and powerful ideas/tools/links for global and planetary healing ...
http://www.wecansolveit.org/
Joining with others to solve the climate crises.
http://www.angelfire.com/tn/earthhealing/
A personal site devoted to healing mother earth.
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/
A collective working to encourage governments, corporations, and politicians take the steps necessary to stop global warming.
http://www.rainforest2reef.org/
Helping to save rainforests....
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/1992-08-01/Making-Harvest-Corn-Dollies.aspx
From Mother Earth News: how to make corn dollies
Links to Daughters of the Greening:
Information on Courses
Tarot Readings
Prayer Requests
Email: school@daughtersofthegreening.com
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