"L" Week 1-2 (Pagan Blog Project)

I have fallen behind on all my blogging (sigh). My main focus has been on my endeavor to get in shape and get healthy and my blog continues to fall to the wayside.  I'm doing a combination post of not one, not two, but several "L" mini topics to get caught up... again.

Lavender

One of my favorite herbs/flowers! Why? Lavender is a beautiful plant with wonderful healing qualities, it's purple, it smells good, it soothes and relaxes, it aids in healing headaches, insomnia, and stress, it can be used freshly cut, dried, in eye pillows, incense, poppets and other spellwork, in herbal elixirs, oils, soaps, bath salts, in tea, and even in icing and honey! Check out these yummy recipes!

Law of Three

This is the Threefold Law; it's actually part of the Wiccan Rede. The Threefold Law is the belief that whatever energy (positive or negative/good or ill) you put out into the universe will be returned to you many times over, basically it is karmic payback. If you want more positive energies/events in your life, put more positive into the universe i.e. kindness, positive thoughts, good deeds, charity, love, caring, positive affirmations, etc. It really works, I promise!

Labyrinths

Labyrinths have been used in various cultures all around the world for thousands of years from Native American, Greek, Mayan, Celtic, etc; they are used for meditation, reflection, and prayer. There are actually three basic labyrinth designs: the 7 circuit, 11 circuit, and 12 circuit; the 7 circuit labyrinth is the most common. The labyrinth is not to be confused with the maze; the maze is a puzzle and features many dead ends, where the labyrinth cycles around upon itself in a 180 degree turn at each circuit which shifts direction at each turn, and ends at the beginning. It is said that each time you shift directions in a circuit you are also shifting from Left to Right brain, shifting consciousness and aiding in balancing your chakras. Amazing, right! Each person has a different unique experience when walking the labyrinth; it can be a healing and spiritual experience... and each visit is different. I want to experience this myself someday!

Lepidolite

raw/natural form

Lepidolite ranges from hues of lilac, rose, and/or gray, or in some varieties yellow; it consists of silicate minerals, mica and lithium. Metaphysical correspondences include: transitions, awareness, emotional balance, meditation and prayer, Libra, the Third Eye and Crown chakras. It aids in healing depression, reducing stress, assists in cosmic awareness, intellect, removing blockages from past lives, aids in astral travel, aids in releasing addictions, aids in focus and direction, strengthens the immune system, and clears electromagnetic pollution. 

polished

Knights in Tarot (Pagan Blog Project "K")

Knights are about changes, action, challenges, and travel or movement. When related to an individual Knights represent young adults from teen to the young adult years, i.e. twenties, or someone that behaves similar to the age groups. They are more emotional, more innocent and possibly naive, more cynical and judgmental, and more energetic and spontaneous than an older individual; they are also more prone to anger outbursts, arguments and more apt to fight for their beliefs, etc.

Knight of Wands (Fire) may indicate exciting travel, exotic or new places to explore,  rapid change, perhaps flexing energy levels, competition, wild, impulsive, and/or unexpected actions, behavior or change. If this card represents an individual, this person is carefree, spontaneous and is all about the fun and attention. He/she may be headstrong, a risk taker, a bully or bossy type, selfish, undependable but can be fiercely loyal.

Knight of Cups (Water) may indicate water related travel, fluctuating emotions that may be all over the scale especially relating to relationships. If this represents an individual, he/she may be the romantic, dreamy, sensitive type, spiritual, artistic, a very moody emotional person, maybe prone to depression, prone to drug or alcohol use as an escape, and also a fiercely loyal.

Knight of Swords (Air) may indicate air travel, rapid thoughts, actions, or changes that seem to quickly appear and disappear, too much thinking, feelings of restlessness or boredom, an inclination to argue or stew, or something that is mentally stimulating. If this represents a person, he/she is very smart, maybe too smart for his or her own good, very talkative, logical, inquisitive, augmentative, and social, a great problem solver with a smart mind and sharp tongue that may cause problems for himself/herself. This individual may not stop to think about consequences or other peoples feelings before speaking but a great person to have on your side.

Knight of Pentacles (Earth) may indicate land based travel i.e. walking, hiking, cycling, etc., slow consistent steady change, action, or behavior. If this represents a person, he/she may be the type that has more than one thing going on (projects, jobs, studies, etc). He/she is very serious, studious and always looking to the future based on dreams and wants, but is not a planner and is unprepared for the unexpected. This person wants to fit in but not stand out, and will require his/her own space to retreat to. He/she is very materialistic and wants the best of everything and perhaps the type of person to have champagne taste on a beer budget. He/she has strong work ethics, very organized, but has a fear of failure.

Kyanite (Pagan Blog Project "K")

Kyanite is a splintery, striated, sometimes translucent amplifier that originates from Brazil, Montana, North Carolina, and in Switzerland. Although it is commonly blue, it does come in green, pink, yellow, white, orange, gray, and black as well. 

It's excellent for attunement, reaching higher frequencies, strengthening psychic abilities such as intuition and connecting to your spirit guides, connecting with your Higher Self, dream work, aligning your chakras, grounding, relaxation, and therefore it's a great tool for meditation. 

Other uses includes cutting through negativity, fears, and blockages, illusions, anger and/or stress, and aids in helping you speak truth, and communication, muscular disorders, thyroid disorders, throat, adrenal glands, brain, fever, and urogenital system.

Interestingly, Kyanite never needs cleansing as it does not hold negativity! Nice, huh? I don't have any Kyanite yet, but I will definitely be adding some!

Chakras: 

Sacral, Heart, Throat, Third Eye

Astrological Signs: 

Taurus, Aries, Libra

Other Correspondences: 

Archangel Michael, Elements Air and Water

Cut and polished, it resembles a Sapphire

Green Kyanite

Orange Kyanite

Pink Kyanite

Black Kyanite

Juniper Berries & Justice (Pagan Blog Project, "J" Week 1 & 2))

Yes, I'm cheating; I fell behind for letter "J" and here we are in the first week of "K"  so I am cheating and combining my "J" posts. I know, shame on me, tsk tsk!

My first "J" subject is Juniper Berries; I am surrounded by them, so hey, what the heck! Obviously juniper berries grow on juniper trees, an evergreen shrub-like tree, a very common variety of tree where I live. As you can see, they are bluish in color while they are fresh, but once they fall they harden into brown or gray pebbles, which by the way, if left to accumulate on the ground can be very dangerous. I kid you not, I have damned near fallen right on my ass slipping on those perilous dried balls, just like a Saturday morning cartoon character slipping on marbles!

Juniper trees encircled by fallen berries

I grew up knowing them as poisonous, but that is so not the case; they are actually used for seasoning (dried and ground) for meat, as well as used in various herbal remedies. Some of their healing properties include: a diuretic and antiseptic for urinary tract problems, gallstones, kidney stones, eliminating crystallized uric acid, bacterial infections, and digestive issues. An anti-inflammatory for arthritis, gout, sore muscles, as well as an expectorant and decongestant, and blood purifier.

Juniper berries may be used in oils, teas, tonics, dried & ground for use inside capsules; however, a word of warning: they are not be used if you are pregnant for it stimulates the uterus and may cause a miscarriage, nor should they be used by children under 12, or by those with breast cancer or kidney disease as it may cause complications.

Onward to my second "J" topic: Justice (Tarot); the card representing Libra.... that's me! Of course it represents other things as well, but of course you already know that if you are familiar with Tarot: balance justice, consequences, legal matters, blocks/obstructions, fairness, actions and adjustments/decisions, reasoning, logic, and facts.

Rider Waite deck

Sacred Circle deck, my deck! 

I love my Sacred Circle deck! Guess what is in the upper left corner.. juniper berries! AND interestingly, a spider is in the upper right corner. Why is that interesting? Well, I have suspected for some time now that Spider is one of my Totems, keeping in mind this card represents Libra (me), I find this tidbit very cool! Now why haven't I noticed this before? Hmm...

Let's examine this card further, shall we? The Web card (Justice) features (1) the Goddess Arianrhod, the Weaver Goddess, the goddess of fate and justice. Notice her knife? She has the power to cut the threads as well as weave the threads. (2) The web, which represents the spiral; the symbol of regeneration and rebirth, life and death, (3) Spider, the weaver/spinner which represents fate and destiny. Spider of teaches us how to "vibrate the web" to achieve our desires, wishes, or goals in life Spider of course has eight legs, we all know that, but its eight legs represent the four winds/elements, the four directions, the eight Celtic festivals/sabbats, and the symbol of infinity, (4) juniper berries which represent the juniper tree, the tree of purification, which is associated with the goddess of justice and truth, but also the sacred Celtic spirits of divine justice (5) the goddess's animal, the dog. Note its white fur and red ears, this coloring represents the Cwn Annwn, the fairy hunting dog. These are spirit/ghost dogs of the Wild Hunt that pursue evildoers, another symbol of justice, (6) hazel nuts in the lower left corner; the hazel tree is one of the "chieftain trees" of the Celtic lore, a symbol of wisdom for good or ill. (Source: Sacred Circle Tarot by Anna Franklin/Illustrated by Paul Mason)

Now as for Libra, the Libra has a strong sense of justice and fairness, and boy do I LOL The astrological sign for the Libra is the scales, as in the justice scales, weighing and measuring, and finding balance. Libras need balance in their lives or they become, well let's say... moody (and boy can I!). We can see both sides of the story, and weigh the pros and cons to find solutions to problems, preferably fair solutions that will satisfy everyone involved. When Libra is in balance, life is good :)

The Web/Justice card essentially represents your inner sense of right and wrong. It calls you to recognize your actions in life and reminds you that your actions effect other people as well as the Universe. Your actions are energies that spread like ripples in a pond; they vibrate and shake the entire web affecting everything it touches for good or bad. It is basically reminding you of the Threefold Law; whatever energy you send out into the Universe will be returned to you many times over. When you draw this card, you are being told to weigh the consequences of the situation and/or action(s) involved. Of course depending on surrounding cards, this could represent a legal matter, a dispute, and justice.

If this card is reversed, it could indicate that you are experiencing, or will experience, an injustice of some kind, whether it be gossip, false accusations, an legal issue, a misunderstanding, etc which may cause unwanted ripples in your life, but whatever the cause, be careful to look at both sides; really search and weigh the matter  to find a sensible resolution, and consider the far-reaching consequences before reacting.

Now that "J" is complete, I can begin thinking about "K." Hmm.... this might require my heavy duty thinking cap! Let's hope I don't melt anything! **giggle**

Inanna (Pagan Blog Project "I")

I am lacking in inspiration this week, and I'm blaming this on my current and exhausting exercise regimen LOL I am so sore and tired that I can't even think of something semi-interesting to post about for the letter "I".  Yep, in my pursuit of health and improving my quality of life, I am not only eating healthier but have added Kickboxing on Tuesdays and Thursdays, to my already existing Zumba routine on Wednesdays. I love both, I really do; they are fun, but I spend my weekends just recouping LOL Last night's kickboxing did a thorough job of kick my ass, and today I am hurting... inner thighs, lower back, upper arms, upper back, knees, feet.... O M G.

I decided to post about Inanna this week. Inanna aka Ninnanna, daughter of the Summarian sky god, An, but also the Moon god, Nanna, is probably one of the most well know goddesses in Paganism. She is the goddess of grain, fertility, love and war; she is a lover, healer, protectress, lifegiver, and a strongly independent female; her personality has many attributes:

strength

independence

sensuality

playfulness

passion

eroticism

powerful

magnetism

love

joy

jealousy

generosity

ferocity

and last but so NOT least... 

FREEDOM!

Sensual 

Warrior Protectress

The decent of Inanna

Other names: Mother Goddess, Goddess of the Morning and  Evening Star, Goddess of the Earth and Sky.

Innana's Song of Power

"My father gave me the heavens, gave me the earth,

I am Inanna!

Kingship he gave me,

queenship he gave me,

waging battle he gave me, the attack he gave me,

the floodstorm he gave me, the hurricane he gave me!

The heavens he set as a crown on my head,

the earth he set as sandals on my feet,

a holy robe he wrapped around my body,

a holy sceptor he placed in my hand.

The gods are sparrows -- I am a falcon;

the Anunnaki trundle along -- I am a splendid wild cow;

I am father Enlil's splendid wild cow,

his splendid wild cow leading the way!"

http://inanna.virtualave.net/inannatext9.html

Some Correspondences:

Eight pointed star or Rosette

Venus

East, and West

Pisces

Lapis Lazuli and Bloodstone

Spring Equinox

Dawn and Evening

Crescent Moon and Dark Moon

Apples, Bread, Dates, Grains, Figs, Olives, Wines

Cow, dove, dragon, lion, viper, scorpion, sparrow, sheep

Holistic Healing with Hydrotherapy (Pagan Blog Project "H")

Hydrotherapy is a therapeutic healing process used to revitalize and restore health; it has actually existed for centuries in ancient Rome, China, and Japan, but probably the most well known source is Sebastian Kneipp, priest who treated disease by eliminating body toxins and waste through the use of... yep you guessed it, water. He revolutionized Naturopathy after curing himself of Tuberculosis by immersing himself in the freezing Danube River. This prompted his study of the healing power of water and plants. He was known to send people to the local hot springs and mineral springs for a healthy dose of a good soaking. He became a pioneer in the field of holistic healing and holistic teacher.

How does applications of water and soaking in water restore health? Well, we all know cold water is stimulating and refreshing but it also causes blood vessels to constrict, slowing the flow of blood to organs, and alleviates swelling and bruising; hot water of course is relaxing and soothing, aids in alleviating muscle pain and stress/anxiety, but it also causes blood vessels to open up, and aids in eliminating toxins and waste from body tissue. When you combine the two by alternating hot and cold you are aiding you body in eliminating waste, improving circulation, decreasing inflammation, reducing pain, stress/anxiety, aiding your digestive and immune systems, as well as calming your pulmonary and endocrine systems. Can you say, WOW!

Hydrotherapy treatments include, steam baths, spas, hot and cold compresses or wraps, foot soaks, sitz baths, water massage.

Hot Spring/Healing Water Deities

Sulus, goddess of the hot springs in Bath, England

Adsullata, goddess of hot springs

Arnamentia, goddess of spring waters, healing and purification

Sirona, goddess of healing springs and waters

Aveta, goddess of healing waters

Temazcalteci, goddess of steam baths and medicine

Borvo, god associated with bubbling spring waters

Glanis, god of a healing spring in Glanum

Grannus, god associated with spas and mineral springs

Brigid, goddess associated with healing waters

Sources

http://www.kneipp.com/kneipp_philosophy/sebastian_kneipp.html

en.wikipedia.org

Hawk - Red Tail (Pagan Blog Project "H")

Hawks are beautiful and one of my favorites. The Hawk immediately grabs my attention and makes me go still in wonder, as something in my heart stirs and catches my breath. How can I not stop and stare? The Red Tail Hawk in particular has a special meaning for me, which I will explain in a minute.

Red Tail Hawk soars between the Two-Legged (humans) and the Spirit Realm. He represents psychic vision and is a spiritual messenger. He teaches us to be observant, aware of our insights and wisdom, for he is a direct contact to insights, wisdom, and a higher calling. He encourages us to seek wisdom with precision, to use our sharp mind on our spiritual path, and to see the big picture.

Red Hawk's gorgeous coloring comes with his maturity, which symbolizes the wisdom and beauty that comes with age, and takes time to fully reach its potential, reminding us that aging is a gift, and wisdom is earned slowly through change, and of course change follows trials... our lessons in life. Furthermore, he tells us to ride the currents of Change. Change happens for a reason, soar with it.

In July of 2010 I met my Spirit Guide for the first time. Mind you, I had been hungering for such an experience for my entire adult life, and frankly, I had grown discouraged and frustrated because, for whatever reason, I was unable to meet my Guide(s). I had been trying meditation for a very long time, to no avail. You can imagine my complete astonishment when he finally appeared to me!

I was meditating on a candle flame in the dark (of course) when out of nowhere I saw his face inside my head. He reminded me of the historical photographs of Sitting Bull but slimmer... an older Native American male, haggard in the face, with two braids. I was stunned and somehow remembered to ask him his name. I did not receive words right away, instead I received the color red, followed by an image of a hawk flying, and then I got the name Joseph... Joseph Red Hawk. I got no other message, and he was gone as quickly as he appeared. I cried for a long time afterwards, out of joy. I still cry when I remember the experience, and this is why Red Tail Hawks have such a special meaning to me.

What a magnificent and noble creature!

Garbage Day! (Pagan Blog Project "G")

I returned to the trailhead where I saw so much trash and ended up carrying two very full trash bags out... I wanted to do more but honestly, I was wiped out. My legs felt like noodles and I had the tremors really bad. I went back and Saturday and hauled out two more bags!

Mountain Mother was pleased, she sent me a large bright yellow butterfly. The butterfly flew in circles around me and at one point I though it was going to land on my hand! It was an amazing and beautiful experience. I wish I could have gotten a photo but it would not hold still LOL. It's just not everyday you see large butterflies in Payson, so I went home and hopped on the computer to look up Arizona butterflies and found a pic that resembles it.

Two Tailed Swallowtail,

Arizona's State Butterfly

While I was there I took photos of that rock floor I wrote about in my Cybele post... I just find it so interesting how the ground of the entire area is covered with these giant slabs of rocks like an ancient stone floor.

Near the edge of the mountain, there are clusters of large stones, and if you stand on them you have the most amazing view! I did some rock hopping and tree limb dodging to get this photo, and I one point got my hair tangled in one of the branches LOL

Rock Edge

While there Saturday, I broke bread with Mountain Mother, sharing a bagel, as well as my gratitude with her and leaving her some pretty Spring flowers.

 I was a physically exhausting weekend, but beautiful in so many ways! 

Thank you Mountain Mother!

Great Mother bestowed to us

A wondrous blessing in Nature

Her beauty is astounding

Glorious landscapes and seascapes, the

Simple pleasures and joys of her creatures, and

The magick of her Seasons.

Each day is a gift of love

How I rejoice in it!

Geodes (Pagan Blog Project "G")

 My little geode... polished.

I'm a bit of a stone and crystal junkie LOL so you will most likely find that I often incorporate posts regarding stones and crystals... and this week it is geodes, for "G". Geodes come in different sizes, forms, textures, colors... well in lots of different variations, from Agate to Amethyst. A geode is a sphere shaped rock that contains a hollow cavity lined with crystals. There are different theories as to how they are formed in nature.. from volcanic bubbles, to mud balls with combinations of water, gas, and mineral innards, that over time hardened and formed into these gorgeous creations.

You can find them in their natural form and dyed to add color.They are cool, beautiful, and a bit mysterious, and they are fun to crack open to discover what beauty awaits inside, AND they also have some nice metaphysical properties.

Geode properties include: 

fertility

 creativity

Mother Earth energies

 protection

grounding

visionary properties

energizing the Root Chakra

Some favorite crystals and gemstones actually come from geodes, such as Celestite, Amethyst, Citrine. Other geodes include Malachite, Azurite, Chrysacolla (sometimes a combination of the three), and Septarian.

Celestite (natural) ... I have one almost identical to this one; it's beautiful.

Agate (natural, polished) with a druzy center

Amethyst (natural)

Septarian geodes, aka Dragon Stone

I actually have a real cool chunk of Septatiran Stone; I will include a pic of it at the bottom of this post :)

Malachite and Chrysacolla geode

Citrine geode

Dyed Agate Geode Slab
You can find these in many shops that carry stones; they include blues, greens, pinks, and purples but they are all dyed to enhance the beauty of the patterns formed by Mother Nature and of course, add to their beauty. The dyed geodes are pretty, I will admit, but I prefer their natural appearance. My little geode (at the top of this post) is beautiful... it has all kinds of natural swirls and full of sparkly crystals... it's much prettier in person; the photo doesn't do it justice :(                       

Some geodes having an inner coating of tiny, fine, sparkling crystals; these are called a Druzy or Druse and are often used in jewelry such as pendants and rings. 

An example of a natural agate geode druzy (polished).

Notice the fine layer of crystals on the inside... gorgeous!

an example of a druzy ring

an example of an agate druzy pendant (natural color)

an excellent example of a dyed agate druzy... from alibaba.com

MY SEPTARIAN STONE

Forest Abuse (Pagan Blog Project "F")

I tried to think of something clever for the title of this post, something starting with an "F" but couldn't think of anything (sigh). I visited a few forest locations today... wanted to spend some time with Nature, and maybe take some photos while getting some exercise.

I got some beautiful scenic shots, which I will save for a future post, but I also got some rather ugly pics which I am sharing today... photos of the litter left behind from disrespectful, irresponsible humans. I can't tell you how much this irks me!  If I had the proper tools on hand, I would have done a trash pick up, but when I left the house this afternoon, picking up trash was not in my agenda for today.

I'm thinking I will purchase a whatchamacallit tool.... that has a gripper on a pole, and a whole lot of trash bags, and dedicate a day of cleaning up the forest, because... well this is awful, and inexcusable!  We are blessed to live in one of the most beautiful areas of Arizona, and this is how people treat it. Being a lover of the forest, I just don't understand it; it's so sad.

A nasty old diaper

 A oil container used for target practice.... oil!  

You know some of the oil still existed inside that bottle :(

 a cardboard box and shattered glass

 Cardboard boxes and buckets

 Oh come on!

The Forest is one of my favorite places to be, and it's a place where I feel the most connected to deity. It's peaceful, healing, beautiful, and magickal. How can someone disrespect it so? What happened to the rule, "Pack it in, Pack it out"? 

Beloved Forest, how I love you so! This breaks my heart.

I changed my mind... I don't want to end this in ugliness... 

I will share some of the beauty I saw today, as well as a poem I wrote in 2009 dedicated to the Forest.

Forest’s Lullaby

Peaceful serenity

Cocoons me, renews my spirit

Pacifies my soul

Returns to me, my sanity

Within

Forest’s lullaby

Sentinels wizened in years

Whisper secrets in my ears

Kissed by Nature’s perfume

Caresses my cheek, dries my tears

Blessed sweet voices in chorus

Sweet divas of the forest

Chirping, singing merrily

Notes of healing harmony

Flowing shivery coolness

Cleanses away the dismalness

Worries ebbing, fading

Life’s pressures dissipating

Peaceful serenity

Returns to me my sanity

Where healing and magick abide

Within

Forest’s lullaby

©Reba White 2009