New Moon in Capricorn Cleansing

Original post written December 29, 2013

I feel immersed in the cleansing salt water of emotionally; physiologically cleansing abyss.

Floating, I am to witness patterns of emotions that once I swept under the rug to collect dust in the far corners of my mind. The invisible puppet master to each of my actions and as I boxed these wounds away, they lay there festering, seeping into all of my actions.

As I am suspended in the silence of the clarity of the New Moon in Capricorn, like that of being submerged in deep water, I view each subconscious influence of my actions without judgement. As if I was watching someone else's life pass by, being able to give perfect clarity to heal each situation, to heal each wound and catalyst.

I do not speak, I do not thrash or gasp for air but just wait and watch. I am the witness and as the witness, I become the siren Goddess of unconditional love singing the seductive song of the entirety and purity of the universe itself.

When I just have the willingness to show up, I become the brave adventurer in the darkest of nights with the knowing-ness that the light of dawning clearer perspective is around the corner. You may feel sensitive during this time, as I do. You may feel anger, frustration, sadness, repression, and fear. Dive deep my friends, the surface and the sun is above you but the treasure lay buried in the depths of those places you have been running from.

The time is now.
It is all in you now.

New Moon Manifestation

Prep for Upcoming New Moon Manifestation

1. Check a moon phase calendar for the next upcoming new moon.
2. Set aside 20-30 minutes to do the ritual itself.
3. Supply suggestions:
   • notebook
   • pen and colored markers
   • candle
   • matches
   • incense
   • smudge sticks
   • meditation music
4. Prepare yourself a sacred space where your will perform the ceremony when the new moon arrives.

Setting your New Moon Intentions in Motion

1. Cleanse your sacred area with an opening prayer, a sage smudging, and/or by burning some incense.
    
2. Light one or more candles.
    
3. Center your being and calm yourself in whatever way is appropriate for you. Take some deep cleansing breaths, play the meditation music, and/or leisurely sip on a cup of relaxing herbal tea.
    
4. Open your notebook, and date the first page. Write down these words "I accept these things into my life now or better for my highest good and for the highest good of all concerned." or write in your own words. Below your affirmation statement, begin writing down your desires. Your list may consist of a single item or you may have several pages listing multiple items. Try not to limit yourself. If having many things in your life helps to fulfill you then don't deny yourself wanting these things.
    
5. Access all of these goals on your new moon list when the full moon approaches.

Full Moon Meanings

Native Americans full Moon names were created to help different tribes track the seasons. Think of it as a "nickname" for the Moon! See our list of other full Moon names for each month of the year and their meanings.
Why Native Americans Named the Moons

The early Native Americans did not record time by using the months of the Julian or Gregorian calendar. Many tribes kept track of time by observing the seasons and lunar months, although there was much variability. For some tribes, the year contained 4 seasons and started at a certain season, such as spring or fall. Others counted 5 seasons to a year. Some tribes defined a year as 12 Moons, while others assigned it 13. Certain tribes that used the lunar calendar added an extra Moon every few years, to keep it in sync with the seasons.

Each tribe that did name the full Moons (and/or lunar months) had its own naming preferences. Some would use 12 names for the year while others might use 5, 6, or 7; also, certain names might change the next year. A full Moon name used by one tribe might differ from one used by another tribe for the same time period, or be the same name but represent a different time period. The name itself was often a description relating to a particular activity/event that usually occurred during that time in their location.

Colonial Americans adopted some of the Native American full Moon names and applied them to their own calendar system (primarily Julian, and later, Gregorian). Since the Gregorian calendar is the system that many in North America use today, that is how we have presented the list of Moon names, as a frame of reference. The Native American names have been listed by the month in the Gregorian calendar to which they are most closely associated.



Native American Full Moon Names and Their Meanings

The Full Moon Names we use in the Almanac come from the Algonquin tribes who lived in regions from New England to Lake Superior. They are the names the Colonial Americans adapted most. Note that each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred.

Link on the names below for your monthly Full Moon Guide!
Click the link for more Farmer's Almanac information.

Month	Name	Description
January	Full Wolf Moon	This full Moon appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages. It is also known as the Old Moon. To some Native American tribes, this was the Snow Moon, but most applied that name to the next full Moon, in February.
February	Full Snow Moon	Usually the heaviest snows fall in February. Hunting becomes very difficult, and hence to some Native American tribes this was the Hunger Moon.
March	Full Worm Moon	At the time of this spring Moon, the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. This is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins.
April	Full Pink Moon	This full Moon heralded the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox—one of the first spring flowers. It is also known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon.
May	Full Flower Moon	Flowers spring forth in abundance this month. Some Algonquin tribes knew this full Moon as the Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon.
June	Full Strawberry Moon	The Algonquin tribes knew this Moon as a time to gather ripening strawberries. It is also known as the Rose Moon and the Hot Moon.
July	Full Buck Moon	Bucks begin to grow new antlers at this time. This full Moon was also known as the Thunder Moon, because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month.
August	Full Sturgeon Moon	Some Native American tribes knew that the sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this full Moon. Others called it the Green Corn Moon.
September	Full Corn Moon	This full Moon corresponds with the time of harvesting corn. It is also called the Barley Moon, because it is the time to harvest and thresh the ripened barley. The Harvest Moon is the full Moon nearest the autumnal equinox, which can occur in September or October and is bright enough to allow finishing all the harvest chores.
October	Full Hunter's Moon	This is the month when the leaves are falling and the game is fattened. Now is the time for hunting and laying in a store of provisions for the long winter ahead. October's Moon is also known as the Travel Moon and the Dying Moon.
November	Full Beaver Moon	For both the colonists and the Algonquin tribes, this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. This full Moon was also called the Frost Moon.
December	Full Cold Moon	This is the month when the winter cold fastens its grip and the nights become long and dark. This full Moon is also called the Long Nights Moon by some Native American tribes.

Best Ancient Detoxifying Secret

Information from The Earth Diet

Total time: 5 minutes

Serves: 1

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon bentonite clay
1 cup water

Action:
1. Mix clay into water and stir well with a wooden spoon. Drink daily!
TIP: You can let the drink sit for 30 minutes to achieve a smoother drink.

You could also make this into a face mask by adding more clay and less water.

Benefits:
+ Bentonite clay absorbs toxins from the body
+ It absorbs worms and parasites
+ Aids weight loss
+ Aids digestion
+ Clay absorbs heavy metals
+ Great for people who smoke, take drugs or drink alcohol
+ Removes toxic waste from bowels
+ Provides essential vitamins and nutrients to the body
+ Helps with diabetes
+ Strengthens the immune system

Vegan Green Smoothie Apple-Berry Cobbler!

Ingredients

Serves 3

1/2 cup Frozen Mixed Berries (Blueberries, Raspberries & Black Berries)
1/2 cup Almond Milk 
1/2 cup Apple Cider

1/2 cup Water

Scoop of Amazing Grass Green SuperFood Powder
1/2 cup Spinach
1 tsp Chia Seeds
1-2 tbsps Hemp Seed Protein Powder

Blend & Enjoy!

Vegan Ice Cream - Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana

By The Stay At Home Mom

Ingredients

2 bananas, peeled and frozen

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon cacao or cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Cut the bananas into chunks and put them in a food processor, or heavy duty blender (or a Yonanas machine). Blend until smooth. 

2. Add in the desired flavor (in this case peanut butter and cocoa powder), and blend until everything is incorporated and smooth.

Other flavor ideas that we like:

• Strawberries (just blend a handful in with the bananas)
• Coconut and Chocolate (2 tablespoons coconut milk or coconut oil +1 tablespoon cocoa powder)
• PB Banana (just add 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• PB and Jelly (1 tablespoon peanut butter + 1 tablespoon strawberry jelly)

The possibilities are endless! What's your favorite?

Why I Love Ovulating & Why You Should Too (MEN THIS IS FOR YOU TOO!)

posted by Deborah Skye at Soul Therapy


Primal Sexuality & Spirituality Goes Deep During Ovulation


There are 3 phases during ovulation and it’s wonderful if yourself and mate understand what these emotions are and why they show up within a couple of days from each other, polar opposite within your moon cycle.

One day you can be emotionally needy, then wanting to cuddle then wanting to bask in the beauty of love making for hours and within a day pushing your partner away and not wanting to see her/him.

Sound confusing?

It isn’t if you understand your body, her rhythms and your monthly cycle. Your partner will also be able to breath when she/he knows your cycle and can let go of your emotional neediness or rejection when she/he knows that it’s part of your cycle and then can honor that part. I know that when we understand the smaller cycles in our lives we can embrace the larger ones and acknowledge how we operate in our universe instead of getting down on how our emotions or mental thoughts dictate our actions and behaviors.


A women’s red moon cycle is a women’s most powerful tool to access her inner ancient wisdom, society has shut that out, made it a pharmaceutical issue and criticizes her innate power by labeling it PMS. That is pure BS.


I will not focus on the hormonal secretions and the estrogen that is released at different time so the cycle but more on the emotional and mental reasoning behind her behavior as it’s fascinating and will most likely bring to light an ‘aha’ moment in understanding your own experiences. It’s also great knowledge to have for when you are in your cycle and ovulating, you can refer back to this article for insight.


Phase One:

During the first phase of ovulation your egg is released and the body receives a new rush of energy and emotions into the blood stream, heart and mind. This is where an alchemical mixture has been released into your body temple, opening you up the powerful experience and expression that is going to take place for the next 7-14 days.

Emotions will begin to focus on ‘lack of,’ involving your appearance, what is out of order in your life, etc. You will seek out imperfections in your relationships and also begin feeling irritated in your body or to your environment, if you are in sync with your cycle and experience your moon time as a spiritual experience, this phase is of on internal growth and incredible insight into how to cleanse out what no longer suits your overall development. You get crystal clear on what works and what is not working and have the force of truth behind you to speak clearly and honestly.

A common complaint is that your clothes do not fit you and your feeling fat, of course you forget that your in phase one of ovulation, or that you cannot stand the way your partner eats or leaves his/her clothes hanging around, repeats herself/himself and patterns become very obvious to you during this phase if you have a partner.

You are heightened to the fact that something is out of order, your body is giving you a feedback loop yet your mind is feeling extremely focused on what is not working, re: judgmental. What happens in this stage is that most people say you are bitchy or in your PMS phase. When in reality your body’s intelligence is telling you know exactly what is not working for you but you have not had the guts or honesty to express yourself.

Ah, the power of the Goddess showing up giving you permission every 14-21 days or so to speak your truth, express what it is you truly desire and/or journal about it. It is an amazing time to be reminded of the qualities that support your overall well being. If you feel you are not being honored in your relationship or that do not like something in your partner tell her/him, it will be OK. You have boundaries and at this phase of ovulation, your boundaries show up in a forceful way. It is a good time to understand and watch yourself to see how healthy your boundaries are during this phase.


This is also a great time to trust yourself and listen to what your body is desiring, what foods she wants to eat, who you want to surround yourself with and what impulses her to feel nurtured and loved. You will find that it is the most important aspect of your moon cycle, the input you receive at this time is gold, treat it as such. If you find yourself complaining about your work, individuals, your money situation or any lack of, pay attention, the Goddess within you is speaking up!

During the first phase of ovulation you are desiring nurturing, gentle and Goddess like delivery on how your partner treats you, you want to be heard and acknowledged, loved and respected. Your open to receive the delicate parts of yourself and receive them. Pay attention to who you are being, it’s a great example of who you want to become.


Phase Two:

Phase two of ovulation comes the day before your bleeding cycle and when you are bleeding, men know it and they can sense the sexual attraction, your on fire hormonally. Men can also hear it in your voice, the vibration will command them to be heightened sexually or turned off by you, the larynx and vagina show similar hormone receptors.


At this stage your partner can get very protective and jealous towards other men as he can sense your heightened sexual nature and creative energy to birth life. It is also a time when you will be attracted to men that you would otherwise not be, the bad boy, hard chiseled body and chin, rough looking or very masculine type when your partner might not fulfill that category at all.

It’s primal and it goes deep.

Single women have found themselves entwined in a quick love affair at these monthly cyclic impulses, hardwired for procreation the emotions of raw luscious sexuality take over. Every single sensory is at it’s peak, your libido is off the charts and your alchemical fluids are at a peak level to produce. The primal energy of life force is announcing herself to you to seek a mate to procreate within a loving yet intense way that will provide the raw sexuality that you seek and longevity in developing a relationship if you are currently in one. It’s a great time to share you core desires and needs to be heard and expressed openly to yourself and partner.


This is the time that your partner can be pleasantly surprised by your openness and candor in the bedroom and will feel your passion. Most women are conditioned to hide this phase within their cycle, take medication, cover up and continue along the day as if nothing new is taking place.


Damn woman your body is experiencing a tidal wave of pure primal emotional/spiritual energy~ own it! You are in your FULL power here and most women never get to experience this as they are too tired or too busy to experience the power that is pulsating through her body and blood.

This is also the most psychic/spiritual phase of your cycle if you just slowed down to listen to her she will reveal incredible insights and truths to you. A natural spiritual molecule in your pineal gland DMT is coursing through your blood revealing your higher intuition and opening you up to your 6th sense.

Phase Three:

Phase Three of ovulation comes right after this peak level of heightened sexuality, from here you spiral down to simple
yet deep grounding into the earth for refocusing your energies on the world around you. Prior to this 7 day period the hot
topic on your mind and libido was finding a mate to co-create with. Now, your sane, present and your focus is back onto you.


If you are in sync with your moon cycle this can also mean round two in peak sexuality, for most who are not it will show up as nurturing and loving space between you and your partner, cuddling and gentleness are at the forefront during this stage.
Being a women means you get the opportunity to help assist in the healing of your emotional body, rise up into your full spiritual self and tap into your intuitive awareness and consciously participate with the Earth’s consciousness. She is asking you to tap into her organic rhythm and create with her to balance your life. You know how sensitive and bitchy, frustrated and irritated you become prior to bleeding? Have you ever asked why or have you left that up to the medical community to decide for you via labeling you and dis-empowering you through marketing to you a pill that will ease your power by calling it PMS, and re-pattering your natural moon cycle?
Here’s some deep insight ladies & men:
Your tapping into deep wisdom, your own. Your bitchiness is due to lack of fulfillment in life and the uncomfortable situations that you have gotten yourself into. What ever you don’t speak about and keep hidden for fear of communicating your truth, honoring your intentions and values or compromising yourself for another human being will make you feel depressed and undesirable.


Mother Nature never compromises and either should you.

All the sensitivities you experience during ovulation are really truly there for your benefit! Not to shut you down, feel cranky, insecure, shameful or take medication nor to label you lowering the vibration of this powerful moment.
I believe that every single women on this planet should be in sacred space on their first day of her cycle and be served by others, not the other way around. No working, no cooking, lifting nor doing physical work for anyone else but herself. If you remember deep in your cells, the Priestesses served one another during this time, honoring, bathing, massaging each other, giving to one another. I believe that every single woman or young lady should be taken care of in an unconditional loving and nurturing way, so she can tap deeply into her wisdom that is being revealed through the release of DMT to claim knowledge and understanding of what needs to be let go of in her life, enhanced or withdrawn as something that does not serve her.

She will also gain a deeper awareness of how to take care of her own well-being, which passes onto her children and her partner. It is a beneficial exchange as she is the foundation and creator of the household, if that is in a kiva, a suburban 4 bedroom home, a ranch, a log house, forest dweller, hammock or in a high rise, it does not matter. Women everywhere on this planet can be in the experience of her power every 21-28 days embodying the Goddess within.

I would love to hear your input and insight to this article. There is SO much more to share on this topic that will be shared in coming articles….please put your URL of your website down below if you speak to women on empowerment, healing and sacred ritual. I’d love to connect with you

Spider Woman - Dream Weaver

Article Source: http://www.crystalinks.com/spiderwoman.html

Spider Woman is a metaphor for she who creates from a central source. One day it is She who will pull all of her creation - back to her source. Her web represents the grids or matrix of our reality - the Spider Web Effect. Spider Woman's web links you to everything and everybody in our reality. It is how we learn to be psychic and to connect telepathically.

Spider woman is linked with Dream Catchers.

During dream time we remove part of our consciousness from physical reality and venture off through 'her' web experiencing that which we cannot understand with our physical consciousness.

The Internet is a Web of information that is helping you understand and experience at this level of awareness.

Native Americans believed in the legend of Spider Woman, she who sits at the great galactic center. She is the female force of all creation who joins all nations, all tribes, all galactic families, and all realities together, in her web. This may be the reason UFO sightings are becoming more common. Space travelers have woven their web of destiny with us in the past. Presently, we as a people and as a plane, stand at a crossroads at the end of a major age and the birth of a new age of revelations and inner peace. We stand at the possibility of destroying ourselves environmentally, with war weapons and global politics, and the petty little bickering of dictatorships and power hungry men. We also stand at a place where we can transform our lives with inner healing, planetary healing, and taking responsibility for our choices, and our decisions.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Crumble Bars (Vegan)

Source: MindBodyGreen

Pumpkin is this season's magic ingredient, so let's celebrate with a pumpkin treat that won't leave you with a sugar hangover! Full of wholesome ingredients, these Pumpkin Crumble Bars are yummy on their own and even more magical topped with coconut manna or your favorite coconut ice cream.

This recipe calls for a layer of pumpkin filling. You can make either a canned pumpkin puree or make your own. Feel free to get creative and try kabocha, butternut or acorn squash.

Pumpkin Crumble BarsMakes 9 bars

Dry Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1/3 cup coconut oil, softened
• 1/4 cup agave (or 1/3 cup pure maple syrup)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling Layer

• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree of your choice. To make your own puree, cut a pumpkin (or your favorite type of squash) in half, scoop out the seeds, sprinkle with water and bake for about 40 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool, remove from skin and puree in a blender until smooth.
• 2 tablespoons agave (or 3 tablespoons maple syrup)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Grease 8" x 8" baking dish with coconut oil
3. Prepare pumpkin filling layer by blending puree with agave (or maple syrup).
4. Mix all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix all wet ingredients in a small bowl. Add in wet ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed. Press half the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish.
5. Spread the pumpkin filling evenly across the bottom layer, then top with the other half of the mixture.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top of the crumble is lightly browned.
7. Serve warm from the baking dish as a crumble, or wait until it’s completely cool and slice into bars.
8. Top with coconut manna or your favorite coconut ice cream!

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Layered Mexican-Chipotle Quinoa Bake

Ingredients

1/2 cup Tricolored or Regular Quinoa

1 cup Water

1 tsp Chili powder

1/2 cup Black beans

1/2 cup Corn

1 can of Refried Beans

2 Avocado

1 can of Chipotle salsa

1 small container of Vegan or Regular Sour Cream

Tortilla Chips

Optional Cheddar Cheese and Cilantro Garnish

I love Trader Joe's brand of Chipotle salsa and their Black Quinoa Tortilla Chips!

If you do not have access to Chipotle salsa you can always take regular salsa and add a finely chopped Chipotle pepper or Chipotle powder.

Instructions

Making the Quinoa Crust 

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil, reduce the heat, simmer, covered, until tender and most of the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes, remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes.

Mix the quinoa, black beans, chili powder and corn and press into the bottom of a pie plate.

Bake in a preheated 375F oven until lightly golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes

Preparing the Layers

Spread refried beans in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.

Pit avocado and mash with a fork in a medium sided bowl.

Top beans with the fresh avocado.

Pour salsa over the avocado.

Optional: Top with shredded cheddar cheese. 

Bake

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve

Top with regular or vegan sour cream, optional cilantro.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Anti-Cancer Dandelion Elixirs

Siyaram Pandey, a biochemist at the University of Windsor, has been studying the anti-cancer potential of dandelion root extract for almost two years.

"It was startling, but it was not that startling until we saw that it was non-toxic to the normal cells," he said.

John DiCarlo, 72, says dandelion tea saved his life, after other medical treatments for his leukemia failed. (CBC News)

John DiCarlo, 72, was admitted to hospital three years ago with leukemia. Even after aggressive treatment, he was sent home to put his affairs in order with his wife and four children.

The cancer clinic suggested he try the tea. Four months later, he returned to the clinic in remission. He has been cancer free for three years.

He said his doctor credits the dandelions.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/cancer-killing-dandelion-tea-gets-157k-research-grant-1.1248382


Dandelion Beer

Time expected to brew: 3 days- 1 week

Ingredients-for one gallon:
Water
7-10 heads of sumac
1 cup of honey
1.25 cups of maple syrup
1 cup of dandelion root- diced                                 
1/2 cup of hollyhock root- diced

Process:

Starter:
Pour one cup of water into a glass pint jar
Add one teaspoon of maple syrup and one teaspoon of dandelion root
Put the glass on a shelf with paper towel covering the top
Check on it every day to see if it's bubbling
If it's not bubbling- add one teaspoon of maple syrup and one teaspoon of dandelion root

Sumac-Aide:
Fill a half gallon jar with the sumac
Pour cold water over the top until jar is full
Let sit in the fridge overnight
Strain out the sumac saving the water

Tea:
Take the hollyhock root and the rest of the dandelion roots and add them to a 4 quart pot with a lid
Add 3 quarts of water
Cover and boil for an hour
Let tea cool overnight
Strain out roots 

Filling the jar:
Add the sumac-aide, the tea and the starter to the jar
Add the rest of the maple syrup and the honey to the jar 
Mix real well
Top off to one gallon with water if necessary 
Cap and set on the shelf for one day
Put in fridge to cool down and stop the fermentation
Once it is cool, open and pour it into a glass

http://rubus-raspberry.blogspot.com/2011/10/dandelion-root-beer.html

Dandelion Wine 

I pour one gallon boiling water over one gallon dandelion flowers in a large bowl. When the blossoms rise (wait about twenty-four to forty-eight hours), I strain the yellow liquid out, squeezing the remaining liquid out of the flowers, into a larger ceramic or glass bowl. I compost the spent flowers (thanks dandelion!).

Then I add juice and zest from four lemons and four oranges, and four pounds of sugar (4-4-4 = E.Z.). Okay, now here’s what I think is the best part: I float a piece of stale bread, sprinkled with bread yeast, in the mixture. This technique is used in Appalachian and some European recipes.

Then I toss a dishtowel over it so the mixture can both breathe and the crud floating around my house stays out. I continue stirring the wine several times a day until it stops fermenting. This takes about two weeks or so.

When I am certain it has stopped “working”, I strain, bottle and cork it up and bid it farewell until months later. In fact I wait until the winter solstice, when I can revisit that sunny spring day by drinking it in.

http://www.rootsimple.com/2012/04/mellow-yellow-how-to-make-dandelion-wine/

Merry Samhain!

Happy Halloween! Merry Samhain!

Samhain is pronounced "sah-win" or "sow-in." . Samhain is one of the original festivals behind the holiday we know as Halloween. The Celtic New Year, Samhain is celebrated from sunset on October 31 to sunset on November 1, almost halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice.

It's considered a liminal time, when the veil between life and death grows thin. Food is set aside for ancestors and protective spirits, and rituals honoring the dead take place. As it was believed that faeries, witches, and demons roamed the earth on Samhain, food and drink were customarily set out to placate them. Later on, people began dressing up as these creatures and claiming the goodies for themselves, sometimes performing antics or tricks in exchange for food and drink. This practice evolved into Halloween's tradition of trick-or-treating.

It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals along with Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh. Rituals surrounding Samhain include bonfires, healing, dancing, thanksgiving, and honoring of the ancestors. Some celebrate Samhain with a ritual to guide the passed on into the light by opening a western-facing door or window and placing a candle by the opening. Some of Halloween's most common traditions are rooted in Samhain's harvest festival roots, such as the carving of pumpkins and bobbing for apples.

Similar to Samhain, Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos) was celebrated in late July and early August by Aztec Indians for thousands of years. When the Spaniards conquered Mexico in the 1500's, they looked upon this celebration as a pagan ritual. In an effort to eliminate it, they moved it to the date of All Saints and All Souls Day in November. The effort failed, and the Aztecs along with all Mexicans continue to celebrate the holiday. This story of the attempt at conversion also rings true for many of the world's cultures including Asia and Africa, for instance The Ghost Festival in the Chinese Calender.
It's considered a liminal time, when the veil between life and death grows thin. Food is set aside for ancestors and protective spirits, and rituals honoring the dead take place. As it was believed that faeries, witches, and demons roamed the earth on Samhain, food and drink were customarily set out to placate them. Later on, people began dressing up as these creatures and claiming the goodies for themselves, sometimes performing antics or tricks in exchange for food and drink. This practice evolved into Halloween's tradition of trick-or-treating.
It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals along with Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh. Rituals surrounding Samhain include bonfires, healing, dancing, thanksgiving, and honoring of the ancestors. Some celebrate Samhain with a ritual to guide the passed on into the light by opening a western-facing door or window and placing a candle by the opening. Some of Halloween's most common traditions are rooted in Samhain's harvest festival roots, such as the carving of pumpkins and bobbing for apples. 
Similar to Samhain, Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos) was celebrated in late July and early August by Aztec Indians for thousands of years. When the Spaniards conquered Mexico in the 1500's, they looked upon this celebration as a pagan ritual. In an effort to eliminate it, they moved it to the date of All Saints and All Souls Day in November. The effort failed, and the Aztecs along with all Mexicans continue to celebrate the holiday. This story of the attempt at conversion also rings true for many of the world's cultures including Asia and Africa, for instance The Ghost Festival in the Chinese Calender.

Magickal Workings:
Samhain is one of the most potent nights of the year for magick.

As a cross-quarter day it is a supernatural time, a time outside of time, the night that is not a night, a powerful time of flux and change. This is a good night for: candle magick - astral projection - past life work - dark moon mysteries - mirror spells (reflection) - casting protection - inner work - propitiation - clearing obstacles - uncrossing - inspiration - workings of transition or culmination - manifesting transformation - creative visualization.

Ritual Fire:
Bonfires to protect the family, coven or land through the winter darkness - bale fire, to erase mistakes and negativity - torches to honor the dead - extinguish all fires then kindle new fire for a fresh start with the new year - burn incense to get the site - set the torc tenned ablaze, a pyramid of timber called the Fire Boar; save the ashes to use as a base for next Samhain's torc tenned - put a candle in the window to help the spirit of a loved one find its way home - light a candle on the ancestral altar - lanterns, jack o'lanterns or candles outdoors to guide the way for spirits and fairies who are abroad this night - light a fire in the cauldron for protection or transformation.

Divination:
Samhain is a power night for divination: read the tarot cards; use the Wheel of the Year spread to forecast the year ahead - cast runes or the I Ching - scry in crystal balls, dark mirrors, bowls of black ink or pools of water - swing a pendulum, asking yes or no questions - eat an apple in front of a mirror at midnight, by candlelight, to scry your future mate.

Meditation:
This is a good night for deep reflection and inner work. Meditation themes include: changes, transition, endings and beginnings, passage, return, mortality and reincarnation, chaos leading to reorder.

Spirit work:
(by invitation, not summons) This is the night when the veil is thinnest, the gates between the worlds are open. Souls of the dead are said to visit their homes at midnight. Possible workings include: a dumb supper for the beloved dead - ouija - séances - trance possession - automatic writing - bury apples as food for hungry spirits - leave spirit plates of food outside your home - set a place for a missed love one at the banquet or dinner table.

New Year workings:
Release the old: bad habits and toxic relationships, illness, failure and poverty; everything you do not want to carry into the new year - sweep negativity and out of your home - end quarrels - settle debts, make amends or restitution if needed - spells for prosperity and security for your family.

Faery Magick:
This is a great night for visiting the faery realm but you must return by dawn or remain forever enchanted, unable to return.

Sex Magick:
Like Beltane opposite it on the wheel of the year, Samhain is a night when the Goddess descends into women. This is an excellent night for sex magick of all kinds, and the Great Rite.

GODDESSES: Crone, all crone goddesses, Cerridwen, Hecate, Hel, Oya, the Morrigan, Lilith, Kali, Ishtar, Arianrhod, Rhiannon, Tlazoteotl, Nephthys, Persephone, Beansidhe (Banshee), Inanna, Baba Yaga, Isis, Pomona and Cailleach Beara (Brigid's crone aspect), who is reborn this night.
GODS: Osiris, the Horned God, Herne the Hunter, Cernunnos, Anubis, Odin, Bran, death gods, dying and rising gods.
INCENSE: Copal, sandalwood, mastic resin, benzoin, sweetgrass, wormwood: to get the sight, to see the spirits of the returning dead.
CANDLES: New candles for the new year: black, orange, autumn colors, or black candles for the Lord and the old year, white candles for the Lady and the new year.
TOOLS: Besom, to sweep out the old year and any negativity it had.
Cauldron, for transformation.
Divination tools: Tarot cards, scrying bowl, rune stones, pendulum, mirror, etc.
PLANT: Pumpkin, apple, grain, pomegranate, mugwort, wormwood, Dittany of Crete, acorn, oak leaf, gourds, root vegetables, rosemary (for remembrance).
STONE: Obsidian, carnelian, onyx, smoky quartz, jet, bloodstone.
ANIMAL: Bat, black cat, owl.
ALTAR DECORATIONS: Autumn leaves, fall flowers, pomegranates, apples, pumpkins, ears of corn, sprays of grain, corn dollies, gourds, nuts, seeds, acorns, chestnuts and images of ancestors are all appropriate. Use whatever is in season where you live, whatever feels right and looks good to you.
FOOD: Gingerbread, freshly roasted nuts, nut breads, anything made with apples or pumpkin, meat (especially bacon), doughnuts, popcorn, cakes with lucky tokens in them, and red foods because the ancients held them sacred to the dead. DRINK: Mead, apple cider, mulled cider, mulled wine.
CELEBRATE: Masks, costumes - trick-or-treating - feasting and partying to defy the coming darkness (bob for apples, roast nuts, pop popcorn) - harvest feasts - rituals to honor the dead - Witches' Ball.


☽ Blessed Be ☾ All Hallows Eve! May the void in between this grand coming lunar eclipse cleanse your soul! Happy Trick or Treating Everyone 

http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/the_wheel_of_the_year/samhain.as

The Meek

My cousin interviewed me for her religion class. The following are the results.

1)    What is your understanding of the origin of the universe? 

To put it simply in my understanding, everything came from nothing which was at the same time everything. Which when supported by either religion or science can be explained in extreme detail.

2)     How would you describe your view of human nature?  (Are human beings basically “good”?) 

I think that all human beings are wired for the purpose to survive and procreate. All things come then from love or a cry to be loved. Love being the thing that helps us collaborate in groups-independently for optimal survival and also what drives us to procreate. I think when we are thinking of others (the group) or we are reaching out intentionally to love another, (procreate) we are activating the “good nature” within the human capacity and sole drive within our biological processes. 

3)     Do you believe in God (a divine being or power)?

                           Yes

a.    If so, could you describe what God is like?

 In science we know that everything around us is made from energy. Energy being the smallest form of anything in the entirety of the universe.

There are three laws that energy must obey and always has:

1.    Moves in form, through form and out of form.
2.    Always will be and always has been
3.    Neither can be created nor destroyed

If you ask a theologian about what God is in ANY religion he will tell you this same definition. I think that people get lost in the definition of what religion is.

Referring to the quote from number four, God is within us because he is what makes up the entirety of the universe itself.

How else would know every strand of hair on your head?

“And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” –Matthew 10:30

Or how else would he know you before you were born? If time is also definable by energy particles then this would apply as well.

"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb." -Jeremiah 1:5

He is immortal because he is time itself.

 "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." -- Rev. 1:17-18

b.    Does God have a plan for humankind?

Yes, to experience itself fully through as many probabilities as possible. This defines God’s perfection, not in a romanticized definition but that everything that could happen in any reality or probability can and will, within the constructs of “him” being the mighty universe with several densities-dimensions. His “plan” is a predetermined road of time that always has been since the “creation” and that is to experience “himself” fully in as many forms and realities as possible.

"You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself."

-- Alan Watts 

4)    Can human beings know God?  If so, how?

You are God experiencing himself.

Jesus was once asked when the kingdom of God would come. The kingdom of God, Jesus replied, is not something people will be able to see and point to. Then came these striking words: “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)

 “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” -- 1 John 4:12 

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst? -- 1 Corinthians 3:16

We are not God in the sense of the universal consciousness which has power over everything but we have the ability to create and destroy on our own level. We can then experience God-The universe through ourselves through quiet contemplation, prayer, mediation and services like loving our neighbor and have a humble healthy love for yourself. That we fill ourselves with so much love that we can effortlessly overflow that love to give to others.

5)    How would you explain the presence of evil in the world?  Why do human beings do evil things?

           It is a call for love.

I think evil or darkness, is just confusion and separation from the ultimate truth, God which is everlasting love.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” -- 1 John 4:7

6)    Do you believe that reconciliation is possible (and if so, on what basis) between:

a.    People of different racial, ethnic, or religious viewpoints?

                                   

                             We must see that we are all one.

“And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” -- Mark 12:31

b.    God and humankind?

Knowing the truth of God is the reconciliation itself. It is the knowledge that God is love so there is no higher law than to love all things unconditionally.

7)    What is your view of truth?

a.    Are there universal norms of “right” and “wrong” that all of humanity must acknowledge?

All things are right in love without attachment or without expectation.

b.    If so, what are they based upon?

The only time anyone does anything that would be considered wrong, it is fear instead of love based.

8)    Do you believe that history is moving towards any goal?

                                         

No, I do not. Since history itself is a series of events culminated through the view point of human perspective history is technically not even a definable actuality in reality. Therefore the goal would only be held in the viewpoint of the individual observer.

9)    Is there anything beyond this life (e.g. a life after death)?

Yes, we are guaranteed this not just from holy text like the Bible but from science as well. Since we can neither be created nor destroyed and always will be always have been. We are infinite in nature, just not guaranteed the human form and/or we are not guaranteed what human consciousness (or at least what humans define as consciousness). I think that all parts of God -- the universe are conscious.

10)              Given the state of our world (e.g. the prevalence of war, ethnic & religious division, and global warming), is there any hope for humankind?

  Yes, the hope will be in the pursuit of truth which will lead us to unconditional love again.

But first, we must address the lies that have prevailed throughout humanity for thousands of years.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” -- Matthew 5:5 

THE MESSAGE Let us usher in the new earth, where each is held is such esteem without explanation. A shoulder to lean on, a hand to wipe away the tears is offered without knowing his faith, background or gauging qualification. It is not about pressing your faith, your culture or corporate national structures. It is about becoming one with the land, the universe and your personal relationship with God. With this all men will question from your personal actions: “what do you do different?” Let each person come to their own process.

THE MEEK are those who are gentle, humble, and unassuming, simple in faith and patient in the face of every affront. 
Chromatius, Tractate on Matthew

IF IT IS the meek, the helpless, the disabled, who will inherit the earth, this is perhaps because the earth, God's earth, the real earth, can be had on no other terms. It is a gift. Or, in the words of the beatitude, it is an inheritance.
Simon Tugwell, The Beatitudes

THE LAND is always inherited; it is not taken. It is not ours to take, but God's to give. Thus we have no absolute right to it. Our "inheritance" of any land ultimately demands fidelity to God's vision for the household, how we are to live in the land.
Michael H. Crosby, Spirituality of the Beatitudes

GENTLENESS, to be sure, is a fruit of meekness. But the main point about the meek is not their gentleness but their quiet faith and trust in God. 
The meek turn again and again to God for help, for direction, and for the sheer joy of it.
John W. Miller, The Christian Way

THE SCRIPTURES make much of meekness … and so it is the more appalling that meekness does not characterize more of us who claim to be Christians. Both at the personal level, where we are too often concerned with justifying ourselves rather than with edifying our brother, and at the corporate level, where we are more successful at organizing rallies, institutions, and pressure groups than at extending the kingdom of God, meekness has not been the mark of most Christians for a long time.
D. A. Carson, The Sermon on the Mount

THE PERSPECTIVE My life anytime I entered any place where there was supposed to be “stepping stone” to success, there were always those who would tell me or push upon me their beliefs. The only thing I could never bend a knee to was the fact that it went against the strong vibration of my heart was telling me, what the spirit which moves through me was ever guiding me to. That all of these missions and institutions did not open their hearts or ears, I would stand quiet ever fervent in loving them even though they would tell me that things were different. That only certain things deserved certain rights, certain position. That in order to get ahead you needed to step on others, leave them in the dust. Then even after all of this wasting my life grinding away, climbing to the top all that I would show for it was a ticket to heaven through some networking skills, God’s grace and pension that would hopefully last me until that fateful day. But you see, I could not swallow that pill. I could not cover the mouth of my scream pulse, telling me my decision to embrace them with love ever still and then run in the other direction. To hide away and anytime that I would interact out of that space to give myself completely in love anyway. 

 I am in the process of trying to help create a land where the meek shall walk the Earth unbridled. 

Where the pure of heart, the soft and gentle are uplifted.

The standing, breathing embodiments of the divine ascended masters will preside to empower and nurture this gift that has been given to us.

All things come from the heart space. The only truth is love. This truth is infinite. Hence God's immortality.  

Walk in constant question.

Am I moving through my heart?

I love you all so much.
Namaste, we are one. <3 nbsp="">