Samhain and Energy of Scopio

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CwKiRzM_OG8/VjOhz12i0MI/AAAAAAAADkE/4qmdp_pHKXE/s1600/pondleaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CwKiRzM_OG8/VjOhz12i0MI/AAAAAAAADkE/4qmdp_pHKXE/s200/pondleaves.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Sun moved into the sign of Scorpio on October 23rd, 2015.  Just over a week later, on October 31st, we will celebrate Samhain and it is no coincidence, in my opinion, that this sign and holiday align.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> There is a synergy between the two that can help us better understand the season - and ourselves.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Scorpio is my rising and North Node sign and there are times when I've felt more resonance with its still deep energy than I have with any other aspect of my chart.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In most instances, Scorpio is an intensely private sign. Powerful yet controlled. Difficult but rewarding.  Its energy isn't warm and cuddly but it is valuable in the extreme.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Originally represented by the Phoenix, Scorpio is strongly associated with the larger than life themes of regeneration, transformation, and death - which are all difficult transitions to make. Challenging as such transitions may be, however, they provide the opportunity for insight and change.  In some ways, Samhain, the holiday that transitions us from summer into winter, does the same.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In thinking about Samhain, we need to keep in mind that Autumn was not a season proper to the ancient Celts who celebrated this holiday.  Their year had only two seasons (summer and winter) and Samhain marked the crossing point between the two.  As such, it represented the shift from light (life) into the dark womb of winter (death).  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Death and darkness aren't easy concepts for those of us who have been taught that anything dark is bad.  But the truth is there is a point to darkness, a point to sleep, a point to introspection, and keeping your own counsel and making new connections.  And, for me, all of those things are associated with the dark part of the year.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Summer is an active, building life-driven time of year.  My family spent the summer building wooden fences, working on the yard and remodeling our house.  We set goals, worked hard, and accomplished tangible and finite things.  While we still have a few things to wrap up (and some remodeling planned for our holiday "vacation" time), most of our winter goals will play out in a very different way.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Winter is a time of evaluation and learning from the actions of the past.  It is the time when we will talk about the garden, discussing what did well and what did not, and decide what we'll do differently in the Spring.  At some point in the dark of winter, we'll plant the seeds that we've selected in indoor containers and start the cycle again, but better - having learned from our mistakes.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iYoFtWeu2qs/VjOlYj2GlKI/AAAAAAAADkQ/z5zzTddn6HU/s1600/dayofdeadfood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iYoFtWeu2qs/VjOlYj2GlKI/AAAAAAAADkQ/z5zzTddn6HU/s1600/dayofdeadfood.jpg" /></a></div> Here in the Northeast, even the most hardy individuals will be spending more time indoors than out. Withdrawing from the more active outside world allows us time for time for focused study, individual projects and personal introspection.  Done right, these activities will change us and we will emerge from that still time as better and wiser human beings.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Samhain represents the transition from active days of summer to the more passive pursuits of winter. Even more importantly, however, it marks the shift from looking out to looking in.  As a crossing point, this transition has its own deeply spiritual meaning.  As the holiday, that begins the new pagan year, Samhain provides a practical opportunity to turn to spirit for the guidance that give us a focus for the dark days ahead.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> For me, those dark days are the most important days of the year.  Perhaps it is my connection to the sign of Scorpio or my own inherent love of transition and change, but I always find myself looking forward to winter and the lessons it will teach.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This year, I will be celebrating Samhain in three different ways. The first is with my family, making festive skull cookies and enjoying a Thanksgiving style feast, the second is in formal ritual with other witches, and the third is in my own private sacred space late at night after everyone else has gone to bed - in the company of my avatars, ancestors and guides.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> For me, this crossing point, this shift, this thin place is my opportunity to connect with those who've gone before.  Operating from a point in time 2000 years downstream from my ancient Celtic ancestors, I have to say that I don't really fully understand why such thresholds create an opening to the otherside but I understand that they offer an opportunity to connect.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This Samhain I encourage everyone to spend some time with living friends and family and some in private reflection.  It is the perfect time for divination, contemplative, connecting with the energy of the other side, and preparing for the year to come.<br /> <br /> <br /></div>

Samhain and Energy of Scopio

The Sun moved into the sign of Scorpio on October 23rd, 2015.  Just over a week later, on October 31st, we will celebrate Samhain and it ...

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Samhain: Spirit Communication & Power of the Craft

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k4SH3e-Io2A/VjKNZP_JJOI/AAAAAAAADjc/qwxt0_metL4/s1600/circe1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k4SH3e-Io2A/VjKNZP_JJOI/AAAAAAAADjc/qwxt0_metL4/s400/circe1.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Circe by John William Waterhouse</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Samhain (AKA Halloween) is almost upon us.  For some this is a fun time of year, filled with imagination and illusion.  For others it is more.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> For witches and pagans, Samhain is a connection to our collective past, a time when Halloween wasn't only dress up, and the space between the worlds was magic in the old, full sense of the word.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The old Celtic New Year of Samhain (literally summer's end) was celebrated because it was the dividing line between the two seasons of the Celtic year - summer and winter.  This division was a liminal space (or threshold) and liminal spaces were meaningful to the Celts. <br /> <br /> In the case of the liminal space of Samhain, the veil between the living (summer) and the dead (winter) was paper thin and anyone who really wanted to could peer through it and see the otherside.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In our own less focused era, the secular holiday of Halloween is strongly (if lightheartedly) associated with witches - as well as with the dead.  But this association shouldn't be in any way surprising.  Talking to the departed is an age old practice of the craft.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Ancient texts confirm this connection, linking spirit communication with witchcraft over and over again.  Sadly, however, even in the earliest literate times, witches were already being deliberately (and negatively) misrepresented - so it's hard to say exactly how early witches communicated with spirit or what those long dead practitioners were really like.<br /> <br /> But there are glimpses.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> One such glimpse is the biblical witch of Endor summoning the spirit of one king for another.  Another is my personal favorite the daughter / priestess of Hecate we know as Circe.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Circe appears in the writings of Homer not as a frightening old woman but as a beautiful enchantress ruling over animals and men, directing Odysseus to the land of the dead and helpfully telling him what to do once he got there.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Thought by some to be a Goddess (her magic is natural as opposed to practiced and her parents were divine), Circe probably had a good deal in common with other ancient practitioners of the craft.  One very likely similarity was that both witches and Goddesses understood the mysteries of the otherside - which was a plus in ancient times.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In the ancient world the dead were thought to be a very reliable source of information, possessing special knowledge not ordinarily available to those who were alive.  Communicating with the dead was an important practice, witches were a resource, and - among the ancient Celts - Samhain was the perfect time. <br /> <br /> What a incredible testament to the power of the ancient practitioners of our craft that, over two thousand years later, this  very special holiday still persists!<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fZgYBXas0DE/VjLGqb1UKDI/AAAAAAAADj4/78Yc4f-20R4/s1600/circe-awaiting-odysseus-by-libertinemedic-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fZgYBXas0DE/VjLGqb1UKDI/AAAAAAAADj4/78Yc4f-20R4/s640/circe-awaiting-odysseus-by-libertinemedic-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /></div>

Samhain: Spirit Communication & Power of the Craft

Circe by John William Waterhouse Samhain (AKA Halloween) is almost upon us.  For some this is a fun time of year, filled with imaginati...

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Blogging My Way Home

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8rHlSP4oNCI/VjJ_WDxfqII/AAAAAAAADjM/WOLT9xT_hZk/s1600/womanpath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8rHlSP4oNCI/VjJ_WDxfqII/AAAAAAAADjM/WOLT9xT_hZk/s320/womanpath.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This morning I saw that a reader had commented on a chakra series I wrote in 2012, telling me they'd enjoyed the article. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I have a long history of receiving guidance through comments on the blog so I decided that I should revisit those old posts.  One post in particular (on the solar plexus chakra) made me think about my connection to spirit and the confidence it takes to share that experience with others.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I hadn't thought about this blog in terms of confidence building for a long time but as I reread the solar plexus chakra post I remembered how, in the beginning, the idea of posting and making videos and talking on internet radio was a very scary thing.  I remembered that I didn't want anyone I <i>really </i>knew to find out that I was doing it and that this was why I decided to use an old family surname name and keep my posts to myself. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Not sharing the content of my blog wasn't hard for me.  I had been keeping my interest in tarot and the paranormal and all things occult to myself for quite a while.  To just keep on doing so suited me just fine.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I didn't do social media or in any way promote those first posts and I sometimes found myself hoping that no one would read them.  But despite my reticence I did want to share.  Partially because I felt isolated, perhaps, but mostly because I believed that spirit had encouraged me to do so.<br /> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> That encouragement came in the form of a dream followed by a synchronicity followed by a vision.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In the dream I was shown a spectrum of blue and an ancient book and made to understand that I had somehow written it.  Through the synchonicity I was made to understand that the world was in fact evolving and that each of us has a part to play in that evolution.  Through the vision I was convinced  that communication was an important part of my life path.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> My take away from all of that was that I should write a spiritual book and that this blog would help me find the confidence to do so.  This, as it turned out, was easier said than done.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Somehow writing a spiritual book never felt quite right to me and every attempt I made at a manuscript seemed worse than the one before.  At first I thought that this was because I lacked confidence and then I thought it was because I needed to evolve.  I worked hard at evolving but the book still didn't come and as I traveled from 53 to 57, I worried that it never would.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> And then, in my 58th year, something funny happened.  I began to see the blog not as a stepping stone to something else but as an end in and of itself.  It occurred to me that I could share on spirit in a blog just as well, and maybe even better, than I could in a book. It seemed to me that I should just take a breath and continue to do what I'd been doing.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Released from my own expectations, I began to reconnect with old (and new) things I liked to do.  I dug out my old my fiction manuscripts and began to edit and, before I knew it, new ideas were coming.  I found my old drawing box and bought myself a sketchbook and then I did a sketch.  I decided I might like to make artsy-crafty things to sell in my online shop and that I might want to train in astrology and attempt a full length work of fiction or spiritual non-fiction when I was ready.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> At the time, these small decisions didn't seem like any sort of step in any particular direction.  But this morning it occurred to me that the person who had written those old posts about the chakras, the person trying so hard to evolve, the person so stuck on what she wasn't that there was always something between her and the person she wanted to become, had undergone a very quiet transformation.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I thought about the book I read this week on the practice of magic and about how the most important step in that direction is to know yourself, to know who you are, and who you are not. And I thought, I've got that.<br /> <br /></div>

Blogging My Way Home

This morning I saw that a reader had commented on a chakra series I wrote in 2012, telling me they'd enjoyed the article. I have ...

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Aligning with the Resonant Energy of Today's Full Moon

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pWvVv8sMZjE/Vi-N72rRUPI/AAAAAAAADi8/9nn6dLGnSCk/s1600/full_moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pWvVv8sMZjE/Vi-N72rRUPI/AAAAAAAADi8/9nn6dLGnSCk/s320/full_moon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Today's Full (super) Moon occurs at 8:05 AM ET, so I got up early to see if I could connect with the available energy. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> It was still dark and too cold to meditate out in the yard, so after I gazed at the setting Moon for several minutes, I came in and sat down in my chair to see if I could connect.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Yesterday I read about the October 27th Full Moon and the associated correspondences and wrote a post on the current astrological influences.  Last night visualized the things I hope this particular Moon will help me to manifest before I went to bed.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But this morning there was no reading or writing or seeing.  There was just feeling and the feeling was delicate and pervasive and vibrating and true. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I could hear the energy all around me and almost literally taste the element of water like rain on the wind.  And as I let all of that sensation wash over me, I could feel the energy of the Moon as if it was a palpable, physical thing pulling my own choppy and discordant vibration gently into alignment.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This is the true feel of the energy of the Full Moon in Taurus, I thought later.  This is sensation.  This is balance.  This is just exactly what I need.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> There are many ways of connecting with the things we wish to incorporate into our lives.  And study and contemplation and ritual are valuable, meaningful ways of bringing needed information and ideas into our lives.  Sometimes however the most meaningful way of connecting is to simply let the energy in.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> May each of us do that today in our own individual way!</div>

Aligning with the Resonant Energy of Today's Full Moon

Today's Full (super) Moon occurs at 8:05 AM ET, so I got up early to see if I could connect with the available energy. It was sti...

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Connecting with the Full Moon in Taurus

<div style="text-align: justify;"> Some Full Moons are easier to connect with than others.  For those of us who feel a sense of resonance with the steady and oh so physical sign of Taurus, this October 27th Full (super) Moon at 3 degrees Taurus provides an opportunity to expand upon that connection and bring our goals and dreams a bit more into focus.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But what about those of us who don't feel any sort of affinity for this earthy, comfort loving sign?</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Taurus is a fixed earth sign, ruled by the planet Venus.  Because of this it has a sensual, yet reality based, disposition.  Sometimes accused of stubbornness, the energy of Taurus is determined and very deliberate.   While Taurus may appear dogged and slow-moving to airy, watery or fiery types (like myself), it is important to remember that this is a sign that finishes the race BEFORE changing direction.  And that finishing is place where we pick up our trophy.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> There is a lesson in that which may ring most true for those of us who do NOT connect with it.  Sometimes, in fact, it is the lesson that feels the least resonant that we need the most.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> For this Full Moon, I'll be conducting a small private ritual to help funnel a bit of the focus (and follow through) of Taurus  into my own projects and aspirations. My intent is to create more pragmatic approach to my own creative process by establishing a better routine and generally more deliberate approach.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This is my take on this Full Moon and only way to look at this energy, of course!  You may choose to focus on other aspects of the sign of Taurus, the season of Autumn, or simply the beautiful energy of the Full Moon in and of itself.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Full Moon is, after all, a lunar event and that that energy stays lunar even if we do chose to filter it through astrological or seasonal aspects.  Since connecting with the magic of the Moon is essential for any Full Moon work, I'll be getting up early tomorrow morning to do just that! </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ya8DaKYkZMI/Vi-COba3fWI/AAAAAAAADis/BuLItiUcqCM/s1600/zodiac_signs_taurus_004080_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ya8DaKYkZMI/Vi-COba3fWI/AAAAAAAADis/BuLItiUcqCM/s640/zodiac_signs_taurus_004080_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>

Connecting with the Full Moon in Taurus

Some Full Moons are easier to connect with than others.  For those of us who feel a sense of resonance with the steady and oh so physical s...

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Tending Brigid's Flame by Lunaea Weatherstone

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NI5C_Nx5u4/ViUMxK56sgI/AAAAAAAADgc/Wu090N7LbRU/s1600/Brighid4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NI5C_Nx5u4/ViUMxK56sgI/AAAAAAAADgc/Wu090N7LbRU/s320/Brighid4.jpg" width="213" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0738740896/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0738740896&linkCode=as2&tag=themysrev-20&linkId=4EA2HEMSUXTV5CEJ" rel="nofollow">Tending Brigid's Flame</a>" by Lunaea Weatherstone is a well-written and very comprehensive guide to Brigid, the ancient Celtic Goddess of metal-working, poetry, healing, and so much more. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I enjoyed this book on many different levels and thought that the author, a priestess and flamekeeper dedicated to Brigid, demonstrated a deep soul connection to the Goddess that was both touching and inspiring.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I also very much appreciated the scope of the book which includes historical research (including many lightly Christianized Brigid myths and stories), suggestions for modern practice, the personal and compelling experience of the author (and the 19 followers of Brigid who contributed to the book), and specific Goddess centered activities and crafts. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Because the author has such a close personal relationship to Brigid, I believe that she is particularly well-suited to helping us make a similar connection both immediately through the text and in an ongoing way - through craftwork, flamekeeping, establishing a Goddess centered practice, and by the dedication of sacred space in our own homes and heart.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> On a personal level, I found many of the spiritual practices shared in the book appealing and the personal accounts quite moving.  Many of the crafts featured (and pictured), such as Brigid's cross or sun wheel, and Goddess rosaries / prayer beads, are activities I definitely want to try!  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> While I loved the way the author helped me reaffirm my personal connection with Brigid, however, what I liked most about "Tending Brigid's Flame" is the picture it painted of the Goddess herself. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Brigid is a very ancient Goddess, in continuous veneration - either as Goddess or saint - since prehistoric times.  Her functions are many, including (but not limited to) Goddess of the Sun, spirit of the sacred well,  keeper of the sacred flame, keeper of the cauldron, Goddess of the forge, Goddess of divination and prophecy, Goddess of healing, Goddess of battle, poetry, craftwork, inspiration, and the coming Spring.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Capturing and making sense of all of that could be overwhelming but Weatherstone has done it very well.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Not only are the many attributes of the Goddess presented - they are explored in a clear and in depth way.  We are reminded, for example, that when we think of Brigid as a Goddess of poetry we should keep in mind that poetry wasn't only verse and sentiment to the ancient Celts - it was the entire story of their people.  Insights such as this allow us to connect with the modern Brigid, not only a Goddess of poetry and creativity, but as a Goddess of scholarship, learning, and wisdom as well.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Goddess Brigid is a very complex deity.  In reading "Tending Brigid's Flame" I have gained a better understanding of that complexity and established a deeper and more resonant relationship with the warm and welcoming Goddess who has been so many things to so many different people - in so many different times.   </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Please note that I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.  Please also note that I will be buying two print copies - one for myself and one for a gift :)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div>

Tending Brigid's Flame by Lunaea Weatherstone

" Tending Brigid's Flame " by Lunaea Weatherstone is a well-written and very comprehensive guide to Brigid, the ancient Cel...

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Crystals as a Gateway to the Fairy Realm

<div style="text-align: justify;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CAOHqfh8Akk/VhKwScVL04I/AAAAAAAADWo/lrmTgTcTDXE/s1600/greenfairy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CAOHqfh8Akk/VhKwScVL04I/AAAAAAAADWo/lrmTgTcTDXE/s320/greenfairy.jpg" width="212" /></a></div> My experience with crystal grids began at Inner Peace Holistic Health and Healing Center.  The grid was featured at the monthly gathering given by the center's owner, Donna Will.   </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> While the rest of the group, enjoyed a wonderful potluck meal and even better company, Donna laid out a beautiful fourth chakra crystal grid in an adjoining room.  When the grid was ready, she smudged and led us in one by one.  She then allowed us time to rest on a mattress and experience the energy of the grid.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> When my turn came, I stretched out and drifted into a light peaceful trance.  I noticed color almost immediately in the form of a clear, vivid green. <br /> <br /> Within a few minutes, a scene took shape and I found myself moving over shining landscape of bright green water and low-lying land. Gradually, the scene below and before me brightened until it was totally illuminated with a soft glowing yellow-green light.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> At the edge of my awareness, I could just make out the silhouettes of otherworldly beings, their hands apparently manipulating the luminous green-gold light.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This was not my first experience of otherworldly landscapes, luminous spiritual light, or the energy of green.  In my other experiences, however, the green light I saw was confined to a bright circle at my third eye - and my otherworldly landscapes ran to purple or blue.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I believe that  my vision of green landscapes and the beings of that realm was triggered by the fourth chakra grid and my own inner need. In the spirit of the vision, I've become increasingly aware of my need to improve my connection with nature, the element of earth and the fairy realm  - something that might not have happened without Donna and her grid!</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UiadcVmuOWY/VhAW-CHyMuI/AAAAAAAADUc/DkC-QX0lL9U/s1600/greencrystal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UiadcVmuOWY/VhAW-CHyMuI/AAAAAAAADUc/DkC-QX0lL9U/s200/greencrystal.jpg" width="200" /></a>But what do I think of the actual powers of the crystals used?</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Crystals are talked about a lot in New Age circles.  So much so, that the many meanings associated with these beautiful stones can be overwhelming.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Sometimes, all that hype can override our fundamental connection to crystals - as a living creation of our inner earth.  In my opinion, it is this connection that transcends the standard meanings and offers a potential portal to the inner realms.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A few days ago I attended a class given by Donna on the topic of crystals at the Inner Peace Holistic Fair and really learned a lot.  Even better - the word is that there may be more classes to come. I'm looking forward to learning more about crystals and creating my own crystal grids!<br /> <br /> For more about upcoming classes and events at Inner Peace please check out the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Inner-Peace-Metaphysics-Meetup/" target="_blank">Inner Peace  & Metaphysics Meetup here</a>.</div>

Crystals as a Gateway to the Fairy Realm

My experience with crystal grids began at Inner Peace Holistic Health and Healing Center.  The grid was featured at the monthly gathering...

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Inner Peace Holistic Fair & Workshops!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n-pI15iFwvY/VhKz4XCkdII/AAAAAAAADW0/uCr9i_tItWo/s1600/holisticfair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n-pI15iFwvY/VhKz4XCkdII/AAAAAAAADW0/uCr9i_tItWo/s1600/holisticfair.jpg" /></a></div> The Inner Peace Holistic Fair is tomorrow, Sunday October 3rd, and I can't wait.  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The fair - which is held at the Woodlands Inn and Resort in Wilkes-Barre PA - offers a full roster of holistic healers, psychics, card readers, mediums, metaphysical retailers and more.  Just as importantly, this event offers and amazing opportunity to learn.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> At the last Holistic Fair, I sat in on a free presentation given by fair organizer, and owner of the Inner Peace Holistic Center, Donna Will.  Donna  - whose credentials include Colon Hydrotherapy & Kinesiology certification through the Cayce-Reilly (Edgar Cayce) School, Eden Energy Medicine certification, Cancer Massage Certification and advanced training in Lymphatic Enhancement Therapy - spoke to us about the Cayce approach to health and healing with an emphasis on the digestive tract. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A few days later, motivated by that wonderful talk, I undertook the recommended detox and made the dietary changes that would lead to a significant, and ongoing improvement, in my overall health and wellness.  Something that could not have come at a better time!</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> At tomorrow's fair, there will be a number of free workshops on some amazing topics including (but not limited to) energy medicine, essential oils and evidential mediumship. In the evening, Donna will be offering a workshop on the use of crystals in healing, personal astrology, working with the chakras and aura, and in creating crystal grids. <br /> <br /> I'm thrilled to be participating in this workshop and, while all of the topics sound wonderful, I'm especially excited about the grids.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <ul> <li>To learn more about the Inner Peace Holistic Fair please check out the Facebook event page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/821232437974370/" target="_blank">here</a>.</li> <li>To read about the vision screen phenomena and my experience of an otherworld of purple please see the following post: <a href="http://www.mysticreview.com/2015/04/clairvoyance-and-practical-astral.html" target="_blank">Clairvoyance and the Practical Astral Projection Intensive</a>.</li> <li>To learn more about Donna Will and Inner Peace please read <a href="http://the%20inner%20peace%20health%2C%20healing%20and%20wellness%20center%20in%20wilkes-barre%2C%20pa/" target="_blank">Inner Peace Health Healing & Wellness</a>.</li> </ul> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div>

Inner Peace Holistic Fair & Workshops!

The Inner Peace Holistic Fair is tomorrow, Sunday October 3rd, and I can't wait.   The fair - which is held at the Woodlands In...

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