Owlthena

Witchy give away at That Witch is True

2012-01-15T20:09:00.004-06:00

Hey another witchy give away!! woohoo!
seriously go over to http://thatwitchistrue.blogspot.com/
She is celebrating her 100th follower,she is giving away the following items:

A copy of "Utterly wicked", a snake pendant, an Anubis pendant and a ring with a leaf pattern. All you ahve to do to be entered is:

1. Leave a comment telling me about your spell that went wrong (everybody has got one - something that backfired, or something that simply didn't turn out as expected, or a ritual that would never even start off right).

An extra entry if you:
2. Blog about this giveaway.

That's it. ^^ Entries will be accepted until January 31st, and some time on February 1st I will draw the winner and contact him/her.

Enjoy! Oh, and thanks to all of you for putting up with my silliness, I really appreciate that!

MOON MAGIC THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

2012-01-11T20:28:00.000-06:00

Moon Magic throughout the year

http://hearth-n-home.blogspot.com/2011/04/secrets-of-moon-magic.html

Certain spells work better during specific times of the year. the following list, based around the 13 "tree Months" of the Celtic calendar, show when your spells have the most power.

Birch Moon (dec 24 - jan 20) - At the beginning of the year, concentrate on new beginnings. Ask for general luck in whatever the coming year brings and focus on what you want to achieve.
Rowan Moon (jan 21-feb 17) - Focus on how to go about getting your goals. Spells involving communication and psychic connection work well at this time.
Ash Moon (Feb 18-mar 17) - Love spells and loved ones should be foremost in our minds in early spring. It's no coincidence that valentine's day falls close to this month.
Alder Moon (mar 18- apr 14) - Spells to aid success in your business and academic ventures work well at this time of year. Sow seeds of your success now.
Willow Moon (apr 15 - may 12) - Focus on bringing someone round to your way of thinking. Attract love or a new job or aim to make good first impressions.
Hawthorn Moon (may13 - jun 9) - Focus on keeping a barrier between yourself and things you don't want. Aim to push away old problems or lingering irritation.
Oak Moon (jun 10 - jul 7) - Growth and fertility spells work best at this time of the year. Focus on building and consolidating your wisdom, endurance and security.
Holly Moon (jul 8 - aug 4) - As the days shorten after the summer solstice and the moon grows in power, focus on putting bad situations behind you.
Hazel Moon (aug 5 - sept 1) - This is the best time of the year to focus on gaining wisdom and absorbing knowledge. Cast spells to heighten your senses and concentration.
Vine Moon (spet 2 - Sep 29) - Never give up hope that you will succeed in your endeavors. This is a good time to reap the rewards of your hard work.
Ivy Moon (sep 30 - oct 27) - As winter months draw in, you'll need to improve your resilience and tenacity. Spells for good health are advised at this time of the year.
Red Moon (oct 28 - nov 24) - In the depths of winter you need to recharge. As you tend to stay indoors a lot during the cold season, this is a good time to both focus on and bless your home.
Elder Moon (nov 25 - Dec 23) - The last full moon of the year represents completeness. Cast spells dealing with closure and take stock of what you have achieved.

MOON PHASES 2012

2012-01-11T20:21:00.000-06:00

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Moon Phases 2012 http://darkstarastrology.com/lunar-calendar-moon-phases/

Moon Phases – Date	Longitude	Time (UT)
Full Moon January 9 2012	18° 26′ Cancer	7:31 am
New Moon January 23 2012	02° 42′ Aquarius	7:40 am
Full Moon February 7 2012	18° 32′ Leo	9:55 pm
New Moon February 21 2012	02° 42′ Pisces	10:36 pm
Full Moon March 9 2012	18° 13′ Virgo	9:41 am
New Moon March 22 2012	02° 22′ Aries	2:38 pm
Full Moon April 6 2012	17° 23′ Libra	7:20 pm
New Moon April 21 2011	01° 35′ Taurus	7:20 am
Full Moon May 6 2012	16° 01′ Scorpio	3:36 am
.
Solar Eclipse May 20 2012	00° 21′ Gemini	11:48 pm
Lunar Eclipse June 4 2012	14° 14′ Sagittarius	11:13 am
New Moon June 19 2012	28° 43′ Gemini	3:03 pm
Full Moon July 3 2012	12° 14′ Capricorn	6:53 pm
New Moon July 19 2012	26° 55′ Cancer	4:25 am
Full Moon August 2 2012	10° 15′ Aquarius	3:29 am
New Moon August 17 2012	25° 08′ Leo	3:55 pm
Full Moon August 31 2012	08° 34′ Pisces	1:59 pm
New Moon September 16 2012	23° 37′ Virgo	2:12 am
Full Moon September 30 2012	07° 22′ Aries	3:20 am
New Moon October 15 2012	22° 32′ Libra	12:04 pm
Full Moon October 29 2012	06° 48′ Taurus	7:51 pm
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Solar Eclipse November 13 2012	21° 57′ Scorpio	10:09 pm
Lunar Eclipse November 28 2012	06° 47′ Gemini	2:47 pm
New Moon December 13 2012	21° 45′ Sagittarius	8:43 am
Full Moon December 28 2012	07° 06′ Cancer	10:22 am
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Eagle sighting today

2012-01-10T14:40:00.001-06:00

I have been having another blah day, no motivation, no enthusiasm about anything, just getting some house work done , being bored with Internet, about per usual as my days have been going. So this afternoon I went outside to enjoy the weather before the Arctic blast comes through tomorrow and hell freezes over. I sat down on my back steps and was watching the birds feeding, my dog chew on his bone and I look up and to my joy I see a bald eagle soaring high above me going in slow circles spiraling around and around for over 5 minutes until it gets so high up in the sky that I can not hardly see it any more and then it stops and flies straight north. Eagle shows up in my life in times like these, and when I am really sick to let me know that all will be well, and so it has been .
After my post yesterday about the eagle, I would say that I was given a reminder from Spirit to heed my own words and rise above my life today and soar with the eagle . Bless you Spirit for lifting my spirits today, I appreciate it very much.

Please go to this website for some wonderful information on the eagle:
http://www.eaglespiritministry.com/works/ese.htm

Quan Yin Blessings and Prayers

2012-01-09T16:22:00.001-06:00

I have always had a special place in my heart for Quan Yin, maybe because just looking at any of her images makes me feel good, which would be reason enough.

Quan Yin Blessings & Prayers~ http://quanyinhealings.blogspot.com/2009/01/quan-yin-blessing-mother-of-love-and.html

Quan Yin Invocation

Mother of Love and Compassion
Bestow your wisdom upon me
Help me see humanity through your eyes
Help me master the love and compassion
that you hold near your heart of Gold
Help me shine like a beacon in the night
and see my reflection in your tear of love
Quan Yin I thank you for your tireless love
and your patience and hope for humanity~

Shanti~ Shanti~ Shanti~
Amen~

Quan Yin Gratitude Prayer

I thank thee O Mother Goddess,
Who shines for all,
Who flows through all.
Thankyou for sharing your time with me,
My thanks for watching over me,
Guarding me and guiding me.
My thanks for all you have given me,
And all you will continue to give me.
Please continue to light my path, and my life.

Healing Chant
Deep in my bones the Goddess is alive,
Deep in my cells and blood the Life Force is strong,
Deep in my heart and spirit,
I believe I will heal.
I feel Kuan Yin at my core,
Filling me with Faith and Health.
Abundant Life Forces of the Universe flow in me,
And banish all disease.
My blood, my bones, my cell and my body,
Are healing now...
Are healing now...
The Goddess force is in me
And healing me now ...
In Times of Trial
Goddess within me,
Your daughter seeks your aid,
Courage to face this,
Strength to stand!
Love to aid!

Morning Affirmation
Goddess within me,
God around me,
Spirit throughout me,
I will complete this day
In balance and love.

To End Negative Thinking

Oh Goddess within,
Oh Goddess of the Moon,
The Waters and the Earth.
I need to feel your presence.
I need to be reminded of you.
Assist me to remember your lessons.
Show me the key that will unlock my spirituality !

Night Prayer
Oh Blessed Quan Yin,
I now enter the Realm of Dreams.
Weave now if you will,
A web of protective light around me.
Watch over me and mine,
Until the Sun once again rules the Earth.
Oh Gracious Goddess,
Be with me through the night !

End of prayers and blessings :

WEATHERING THE STORMS OF LIFE

2012-01-08T20:24:00.001-06:00

Isn't that remarkable? While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above. It does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm. What an extraordinary way to deal with adversity!

Life feels more like a storm ,we are either in a storm, coming out of a storm or one is always approaching us. Life is not easy , I don't care who you are, whether poor or rich, sick or healthy, life is constantly a test on who you really are and who you will be. This is why I believe that there is more to this life than just living it and trying to get by and then we die. If this life is all there is then why fuss with it, just live a hedonistic life , get what you want, and die with the most goodies because that is all you will get out of it. But I believe there is more to it than that.
What is the purpose to life anyway? It seems to me that no matter who you are, where you live or what you believe you are being tested. That is how it feels to me. It seems all of us are either in a storm, just got out or moving into a storm and it seems to be a constant cycle. The only reasoning for it all it seems to me is to produce within us a stronger person one with depth to us, character, growth, a learning process that has a purpose in it. For what? It depends on one's religious beliefs as to what the purpose may be, but most religions believe that this life is mainly a kind of earth school and when we die and are reborn into the spiritual realm/dimension that this process that we find ourselves in now,will in hindsight not be as traumatic as we believe it to be on this side of the gateway or rainbow bridge ,that we all will eventually must pass through or over.
But now the storm rages, it is scary, the winds of fate are blowing us this way and that and lightning strikes of pain, sickness, disease,depression,loss jobs or relationships or the death of love ones, strike unmercifully. Sometimes it is a mild storm and other times it feels like a tornado or blizzard. I believe that those who get through these storms the best are those who know that there is a purpose for it all and that if we can keep our minds in a positive light that we will get through it,maybe a bit tossed and disheveled and some times worse for wear but we got through it and if we can believe that we will one day see these storms from a higher perspective,if we can be like the eagle that flies above the storm clouds that we are under, and uses the storm itself to rise above it all,we will be more equipped to weather the storms of life. If we keep the perspective that there is a purpose in these storms ,that my friend, will make all the difference in how we deal with them or they deal with us. Lets keep an eagle's perspective through it all and may the Gods be with you.
eagle blessings to ya
Owlthena

The Spirit Food Diet

2012-01-07T05:38:00.000-06:00

Here is an interesting and possibly a healthy concept and way of viewing how we eat and how to view our diets. This concept is found here: http://www.godweb.org/spiritualweightlossplan.htm#list

The Spirit Food List

To that end, I offer the following. Rather than dwelling on the food you should NOT be eating ... most of us already know about that ... it is far more useful to focus on the food that is both nutritious and good to eat, while not being loaded with unnecessary calories. I believe that the key here is not to approach weight loss as a matter of sacrificing all those tasty and toxic foods we tend to indulge in. Rather, a more promising approach, it seems to me, is to focus on all of those delicious foods that can and should be part of any plan for a long and healthy life. In this context, the carrot works far better than the stick ... literally.

The successful way to lose weight may in fact be the route that Columbus took in trying to find a route to the "New World" he was looking for. Sailing West to find a shorter route to the East. Since what you really need is a permanent change of those habits of the heart that contribute to your problem, and most diets are not permanent routes to a long and healthy life, let alone that deeper sense of self-worth that all of us desire, I am going to suggest setting out on a new path. Forget about dieting. Think about the quality of the food you are eating, and the qualities of character you'd like to nurture within yourself. They tend to go hand in hand.

It turns out that many of the foods that are recommended by dieticians and experts on nutrition, just happen to be those that are associated in the great spiritual traditions with positive qualities of character. I have explored the world's great religious and spiritual traditions, and find that a strong pattern emerges. People tend to associate various kinds of food with qualities of the spiritual or emotional life. This is not a matter of fad or fashion. Such associations have evolved over centuries and millennia as people experience the affects of the food they eat. What we eat has consequences for the body, of course, but diet also influences the soul. And it does so in specific ways.

Accordingly, I have taken a chart that catalogues the physical benefits derived from eating various sorts of food, and added a column listing the qualities of soul that are associated with these same foods in the world's great spiritual traditions. I've also created a printer friendly version of the chart so you can print it out and keep it with you .... especially on trips to the supermarket or neighborhood deli! I call it the "Spirit Food List."

My suggestion is simple. Think about the good and delicious foods on the list... and the benefits of eating more of them. Count calories if you want. Avoid carbs, fat, fast food and fatty meat to be sure. Try and stick with any reputable diet program, if you prefer. But also include the following spiritual practice. Before heading out to the supermarket, sit down for a few moments with the spirit food list and let your mind focus on the positive qualities associated with some of the foods on it. Try it right now. What do you see?

Apples are right there at the top of the list. Not only do apples provide various physical benefits ... protecting your heart, improving lung capacity ... those would be sufficient reason to include some delicious, juicy, tasty apples on your shopping list. Apples have been associated by millions upon millions of people who have pondered these things with health, peace, even immortality! "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." You've heard that many times; what we tend to forget is that this familiar saying is rooted in the wisdom traditions of the world's great religions, including Christianity. It's a wisdom confirmed by science to be sure, but it reflects the actual experience of real people eating real food. It is the nearly universal consensus of humankind that what is good for the body is also good for the soul. The chemicals in various foods that tend to calm the nerves also tend to soothe the soul.

Looking a bit further down the list, there's the avocado. Not as often found on a typical grocery shopping list, the avocado is equally valuable to the body as the apple. It tends lower cholesterol, while protecting the heart and smoothing the skin. There are strong physical benefits to be derived from avocados, to be sure. But in the world's great wisdom traditions, the avocado is associated with love and beauty. Not just the outer beauty that is skin deep, but the inner qualities of beauty that reflect a strength of soul. Further, a ripe avocado is delicious!
See what's happening here? You are not only going through a mechanical process of building a shopping list ... you are becoming attentive to the qualities of character and the aspects of your spiritual life that you'd like to enhance. You are beginning to associate eating good food with leading a good life. You are letting your imagination, your sense of touch, taste and smell become supports for a more powerful spiritual practice. You are weaving the practice of attending to the needs of the soul into your daily routines. You are bringing mind and body together in a new way to work in concert with each other ... building a stronger foundation for a longer and more fulfilling life. Try it. And let me know how the spirit diet works for you. I'll be adding to The Spirit List over the coming weeks and months, and your feedback will be helpful as I do so.
The Spirit Food List

apples	health, immortality, peace	Protects your heart	prevents constipation	Blocks diarrhea	Improves lung capacity	Cushions joints
apricots	optimism, love	Combats cancer	Controls blood pressure	Saves your eyesight	Shields against Alzheimer's	Slows aging process
artichokes	inner life	Aids digestion	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Guards against liver disease
avocados	love, beauty	Battles diabetes	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin
bananas	wisdom and inner strength	Protects your heart	Quiets a cough	Strengthens bones	Controls blood pressure	Blocks diarrhea
beans	reconciliation, release from anxiety	Prevents constipation	Helps hemorrhoids	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Stabilizes blood sugar
beets	love	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones	Protects your heart	Aids weight loss
blueberries	youthfulness, zest, inner security	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Boosts memory	Prevents constipation
broccoli	foresight	Strengthens bones	Saves eyesight	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure
cabbage	happiness and hope	Combats cancer	Prevents constipation	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Helps hemorrhoids
cantaloupe	wholeness, harmony	Saves eyesight	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Supports immune system
carrots	abundance	Saves eyesight	Protects your heart	Prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Promotes weight loss
cauliflower	spiritual nourishment, purity	Protects against Prostate Cancer	Combats Breast Cancer	Strengthens bones	Banishes bruises	Guards against heart disease
cherries	honesty, truthfulness, insight	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Ends insomnia	Slows aging process	Shields against Alzheimer's
chestnuts	success, prosperity	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
chili peppers	fidelity, inspiration	Aids digestion	Soothes sore throat	Clears sinuses	Combats Cancer	Boosts immune system
figs	discernment, fulfillment, prosperity	Promotes weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
fish	spirituality, energy	Protects your heart	Boosts memory	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Supports immune system
flax	prosperity, discernment	Aids digestion	Battles diabetes	Protects your heart	Improves mental health	Boosts immune system
garlic	practicality, protection from danger	Lowers cholesterol	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	kills bacteria	Fights fungus
grapefruit	wholeness, harmony	Protects against heart attacks	Promotes Weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol
grapes	repentance and renewal	saves eyesight	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Enhances blood flow	Protects your heart
green tea	courage, inner strength	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Helps stops strokes	Promotes Weight loss	Kills bacteria
honey	abundance and grace	Heals wounds	Aids digestion	Guards against ulcers	Increases energy	Fights allergies
lemons	release from anger and rage	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin	Stops scurvy
limes	perseverance	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin	Stops scurvy
mangoes	fertility, productivity	Combats cancer	Boosts memory	Regulates thyroid	aids digestion	Shields against Alzheimer's
mushrooms	imagination	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Kills bacteria	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones
oats	inner peace	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	prevents constipation	Smoothes skin
olive oil	comfort	Protects your heart	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	Smoothes skin
onions	introspection	Reduce risk of heart attack	Combats cancer	Kills bacteria	Lowers cholesterol	Fights fungus
oranges	blessing or good fortune	Supports immune systems	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Straightens respiration
peaches	abundant life	prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes	aids digestion	Helps hemorrhoids
peanuts	truthfulness, curiosity	Protects against heart disease	Promotes Weight loss	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol
pineapple	hospitality, warmth, charm	Strengthens bones	Relieves colds	Aids digestion	Dissolves warts	Blocks diarrhea
prunes	nimbleness of heart and mind	Slows aging process	prevents constipation	boosts memory	Lowers cholesterol	Protects against heart disease
rice	hope, security	Protects your heart	Battles diabetes	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes
strawberries	sensuality, satisfaction in matters of the heart	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	boosts memory	Calms stress
sweet potatoes	harmony with loved ones	Saves your eyesight	Lifts mood	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones
tomatoes	domestic happiness, harmony	Protects prostate	Combats cancer	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart
walnuts	intelligence, diligence	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	boosts memory	Lifts mood	Protects against heart disease
water	cleansing of the soul	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Conquers kidney stones	Smoothes skin
watermelon	love or relaxation	Protects prostate	Promotes Weight loss	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure
wheat germ	abundance	Combats Colon Cancer	prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	improves digestion
wheat bran	success	Combats Colon Cancer	prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	improves digestion
yogurt	adaptability, flexibility of mind and heart	Guards against ulcers	Strengthens bones	Lowers cholesterol	Supports immune systems	Aids digestion

Additional articles on health and fitness.

Various spreads for the Pentacle spread

2012-01-02T09:38:00.004-06:00

The Elemental Pentacle

The pentacle has been said to symbolize many things throughout the centuries, but the system with which the Elemental Pentacle spread concerns itself is the attribution of each point of the pentacle to one of the four elements (plus the pseudo-element Spirit). Each point is also assigned one of the five magical virtues (To Know, To Dare, To Will, To Keep Silent, and To Go). These help define the positional meanings.
The spread itself is laid out in the form of the pentacle, starting with the upper point, then the lower left point, and proceeding until the pentacle is completed with the card in the lower right.

Each point of the pentacle represents a different element, as shown above. These elemental positions influence the cards that are placed there; some elements naturally oppose each other. Fire and Water are opposites, as are Earth and Air; they weaken when placed near each other. This means that a Cup card in the Fire position loses a lot of its power. Also, a strong Wand card in the Fire position will gain strength, and will weaken the card in the Water position.
Here are what the five positions mean:

1. The topmost point - Spirit (To Go): Represents outside influences in the matter, or the essence of the matter (a synthesis of all the other cards and a key to the reading as a whole). It may also show the best possible outcome of the situation. A card in this position is made more powerful if it is a Major Arcanum. The first position is not modified by any of the other positions.
2. The lower left point - Earth (To Keep Silent): Represents stable energies in the situation, not likely to change in the near future, lasting influences. May also represent the foundation of the matter; why things are the way they are. This foundation may be known or unknown to the seeker. The card in this position is strengthened if it is a Pentacle or an Earth Major, but weakened if it is a Sword or Air Major. This position is also modified by the card in the fourth position.
3. The upper right point - Water (To Dare): Represents somewhat stable but still fluid energies, which may change but are likely to remain. May also represent the action to take at this point which would lead to the best outcome. The card in this position has its power increased when it is a Cup or Water Major, and decreased if it is a Wand or Fire Major. This position is influenced by the fifth position.
4. The upper left point - Air (To Know): Represents dynamic energies in the situation that are likely to change in the future. Can also reveal a secret to the seeker, or show them what they must know or learn in order to act. The card laid here is made more powerful if it is a Sword or Air Major, and weaker if it is a Pentacle or an Earth Major. The position itself is influenced by the second position.
5. The lower right point - Fire (To Will): Represents those forces which are in a constant state of change, or that are entering or leaving the matter. Also shows what the seeker wants to do; the action which they are planning on taking at this time. This position is influenced by the third position. The card here is made more powerful when it is a Wand or a Fire Major, but weakened if it is a Cups card or a Water Major.

A New Years Spread

This spread from : http://www.tarotize.com/

The Earth card shows you what will emphasised for you in terms of physical health and financial stability in 2012.
The Spirit card represents your main spiritual lesson. (Here too you can choose to place an oracle card)
The Fire card shows your creativity, fertility, willpower, courage and ambition. This card relates to your work/calling theme for 2012.
The Air card highlights problem solving in the year ahead. Your main communication theme/challenge for 2012 can be seen here.
The Water card represents the sphere of emotions. Your main relationship theme/challenge for 2012 is found here.
The central 'interface card' shows you how you can be of service to humanity in 2012.

This pentacle spread from: http://tarotinateacup.wordpress.com/

1. My card for this year:

2. The challenges of this year:

3. What I will achieve this year:

4. What I need to focus on this year:

5. What I will learn this year:

Lunar Pentacle Spread

---6---
5-7-1-2
-4---3-

1. Light / Self - This card represents the person being read. It picks up on basic emotions, and sometimes hidden ones as well.
2. Earth - This card talks about things affecting the person from a physical standpoint. Finances, residence, physical talents, etc.
3. Water - This card talks about aspects of the person's inner circle. These are things happening to family members and close friends.
4. Fire - This card tells aspects of the heart. What the person's current passion is and things having to do with love. I should point out that from experience, this card DOES tell secrets whether the person wants you to know or not, so be careful.
5. Air - This card will talk about influences coming from outside the person's circle. These would be co-workers, acquaintances, other members of society, even forces of fate may show up here.
6. Spirit - This card talks about the person's core. It tells the state of their spirit and very often will show the presence of spirit guides. If a guide is knocking on this person's door, trying to get them to pay attention, they'll show up here. Sometimes very insistent at that. lol
7. Dark / Destiny - This is the card that speaks of possible future happenings.

Position the cards in the following manner:
Card 1 is at the top center
Card 2 is diagonally below and to the left of Card 1
Card 3 is diagonally below and to the right of Card 1
Card 4 is directly below Card 2
Card 5 is directly below Card 3

Five Senses Spread

1. Touch - What about this situation touches me
the most? Take notice of any physical sensation that
may be a source of intuitive information.

2. Taste - This card represents the attitude from
or towards the querent, which may be metaphorically
salty, sweet, bitter or sour.

3. Hearing - Inner hearing. This card gives the
wisdom of the still quiet voice of the Higher Self.
Like the physical ear focuses external vibrations
toward the inner ear that turns them into sounds, the
inner hearing captures the wisdom of the still small
voice of the Higher Self.

4. Smell - The nose knows. This card shows what
could be helping or hindering in the situation. This
card looks at risks. Does something smell fishy? What
influences will help the querent come out "smelling
like a rose?"

5. Sight - New insights or seeing something you
didn't see before is indicated by this card.

Mind - Body - Spirit Spread

1. Mind - The current mental state or focus of the
querent.

2. Body - Possible actions or next steps for the
querent.

3. Spirit - Karmic lessons for the querent.

4. Strength - What supports the querent.

5. Weakness - Areas that need attention or could
be damaging.

The next spread comes from The DruidCraft Tarot
by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Comm, illustrated by
Will Worthington. It is called The Pentagram Spread
and is useful for exploring the influences of the functions
of feeling, sensing, thinking, intuition and Spirit
defined by Carl Jung.

The Pentagram Spread

Card 1: The Place of The Inner Flame - This
card shows how intuition play a role in your life
or suggests ways intuition may be developed.

Card 2: The Place of The Well - The card in this
position describes the role of emotions in your life.
It also suggests ways to develop emotional maturity.

Card 3: The Place of The Sword - This card relates
to influences affecting your thoughts or judgments. It
shows the role that intellect plays in your life.

Card 4: The Place of The Stone -This is the realm
of the physical body and the earth. This shows areas
concerning physical health or environment.

Card 5: The Place of Spirit/Soul -This represents
the advice or gifts of the spirit, or fifth function.This advice relates to bringing about a sense of
wholeness or may relate to the needs of the soul.

Source: http://tarotschool.com/Newsletter.html

The first card represents the inner situation of the consultant;
the second card represents the direction of his life;
the third represents the obstacles that will appear;
the fourth suggests a way to overcome those obstacles.
The last card points out the objective the Consultant should give himself during his life.

Rune Pentacle spread

NATURAL REMEDIES FROM OLD FARMERS ALMANAC

2012-01-01T08:32:00.001-06:00

http://www.almanac.com/topics/home-health/natural-remedies

Two Month Astrological timetable

2012-01-01T08:21:00.000-06:00

by Celeste Longacre

http://www.almanac.com/bestdays/timetable

Our astrological timetable, based on the Moon's sign, show the best days for certain activities during the current and next month. Below are two free months, as a courtesy to our Web visitors. Buy the full 12-month astrological timetable in our store.

Activity	January 2012	February 2012
Begin diet to gain weight	26,31	22,27
Begin diet to lose weight	13,17	9,13
Begin logging	21,22	17,18
Breed animals	17,18	13,14
Can, pickle, or make sauerkraut	17,18	13,14
Castrate animals	23,24	19,20
Cut hair to discourage growth	14,15	11,12
Cut hair to encourage growth	3,25,26	27,28
Cut hay	1,2,28,29	24,25
Destroy pests and weeds	1,2,28,29	24
End projects	22	20
Go camping	19,20	15,16
Graft or pollinate	8,9	4,5
Harvest aboveground crops	3,4,30,31	27,28
Harvest belowground crops	12,13	9,10
Have dental care	12,13	9,10
Plant aboveground crops	25,26	4,5
Plant belowground crops	17,18	9,10
Prune to discourage growth	10,11	15,16
Prune to encourage growth	1,2,28,29	24,25
Quit smoking	13,17	9,13
Set posts or pour concrete	21,22	17,18
Slaughter livestock	17,18	13,14
Start projects	24	22
Wean animals or children	13,17	9,13

THE GIFT OF A NEW DAY

2011-12-31T05:17:00.004-06:00

Sitting here early on the last morning of 2011, drinking my coffee and just thinking about what pops in my head , I started thinking about how we tend to compare everything , we compare this day with yesterday or the same day a year ago or 23 years ago on this date. I tend to compare my pain level today with yesterday, or last week or last year and I do the day and myself an injustice. The weatherman compares today's weather with yesterdays, with a year ago, with the record weather on today's date. We compare our lives with others and we compare our lives today with what it was in the past. I believe we do ourselves a disservice when we do this. Today is what it is, it is not the past or the future, it is today. It is brand new, literally. It should not be compared with yesterday. What happens today is what the day is , it is unique and frankly it is what it is. Each day is truly a gift of now, it is unique and one of a kind, what we do today, what happens good or bad, successes or our failures today will belong to that day only. We can keep that day as a memory to think about but we must not compare it with any other day because in truth there is nothing to compare the day to , it is what it is. We compare everything to gauge whether or not it is 'normal', and I am thinking , normal to what? Just like the weatherman averages the temperatures to tell us whether or not today's temperature is normal, again normal to what?
Today is a gift, if I am trying to lose weight, or if I am trying to quit drinking or smoking or what ever it is, I should not compare how I did or am doing with my past actions, today is what it is, a new beginning and so we can ,today decide whether or not we will eat that piece of cake or smoke that cigarette or drink that drink, a choice we should make moment by moment when the temptation rares it's head. I view a temptation as a gift too, because we get the gift of a little time to choose whether or not we want to take the temptation or not, we don't always get a chance to choose like that and temptations give of that gift of a little time to decide whether or not we want to do what we are being tempted to do, time to weigh the options and consequences of our actions if we do what we are being tempted to do. Many people do not take that gift of time the temptation gives us ,to look at our actions and at the consequences that arise because of them.

So on this last unique day of 2011 , I will look over the past year, at the gifts and challenges it gave me and give thanks that I was given yet another year to live my life and savor all that it was and I will try not to think about 2012 because it has not happened yet, I will savor this day on it's own merit. My only New Year's resolution is to take each day as it is, a new beginning and a chance to be who I choose to be each moment of that day and I hope that this will allow me to see the gift I am being given every new day.
blessed be,
Owlthena

SCHOOL AND CLASS ROOM DREAMS

2011-12-29T15:02:00.002-06:00

I have had a recurring dream with some variations on the same theme at least 6 to 10 times a year if not more. I have found out that many of us have had the same dream.
The Dream: I am at school, either high school or college and I make it to my first class but for the life of me I can't remember the rest of my classes and I spend the rest of the dream trying to figure out how to get my class schedules.

The Dream: I am about to take a test but apparently I forgot that I even had the class.

The Dream: I am at high school and I miss the bus to go home.

The Dream: I am at high school and I forget the lock combination to my locker.

So from the meanings below here is my take on my own dreams. I do believe that when I dream of looking for a class, or class room I forgot I should be in, I believe that I am having trouble in my non dream life with focusing on what I need to learn at the time of this dream, I feel that I am missing something and it is an important key to my progress to find it. I am truly lacking confidence in my own ability to make the choices and decisions I know I need to make, but am afraid of making the wrong choice.So because of that I am frozen and unable to move forwards, I want God/dess to make the decision for me, but I know that it is my life and the whole point for us here is for us to make the choices and decisions and THEN they help guide us afterwards.

The dream of forgetting the combination to my locker the meaning rings very true to me ,

"To dream that you cannot open a locker or that your forgot the combination suggests that you are unsure of where you stand in a particular situation. You feel you have lost some aspect of yourself. In other words, you are on shaky ground. If you cannot find your locker, then it symbolizes your insecurities about your role or position in a situation."

This is so true, in my non dream life I really feel that I have lost something of myself over the years because I have been giving away much of my decision making rights to others or that I have become too passive in my life and reacting to life instead of being proactive in my life and causing what I want to become real.Yes I have become very insecure in my life because of this.

The bus dream again rings true to me and goes along with the above aspects of my life, I don't want to make the wrong choices.

As for taking a test I am not prepared for, ditto again, all in all , these dreams are telling me the same thing but in different ways. What I am learning is not that making the right choice is the most important thing I will do in life, but that I need to be more secure and confident in myself, that I need to know who I am and what I really want is what matters and when I know myself, the choices and decision I must make in life will be easier from me because they will come from a place within me that truly knows who I am and where I want to go in my life. So Owlthena get on with it and figure out who you are..................take responsibility for your self, your dreams, your hopes, your goals, it is your life, and you are the captain of your boat, no one else is, so take over the controls and steer your own life down the river of life.

The meaning: http://www.dreammoods.com/

Classroom

To dream that you are in a classroom indicates that you are learning an important life lesson. Alternatively, it symbolizes personal growth. You are learning something about yourself.

To dream that you are looking for a classroom suggests that you need to expand your knowledge and learning.

Class

To dream that you are in class is a metaphor that you need to have more class.

To dream that you forget to attend a class you signed up for indicates your anxieties and fear of failing. You may also be lacking self-confidence in your ability to handle new responsibilities or projects.

College
To dream that you are in college indicates that you are going through some social or cultural changes. You want to expand your knowledge and awareness. It also suggests that now is a good time for you to experiment and try new things. If you had gone to college in your past, then also consider your personal experiences and memories of your college days. However, if you are currently in college, then it may be a reflection of your current surroundings. Alternatively, the dream suggests that you will achieve your goals through perseverance and hard work. You may be going through a period of stress in your life.

High School
To dream about high school refers to the bonds and friendships that you made while you were in high school. What spiritual lessons have you learned? The dream may also be telling you that you need to start preparing for the real world.

To dream that you have to repeat high school suggests that you are doubting your accomplishments and the goals that you have already completed. You feel that you may not be measuring up to the expectation of others. The dream may occur because some recent situation may have awakened old anxieties and insecurities.

Locker
To see or use a locker in your dream signifies aspects of yourself which you have kept hidden inside. Consider what items and belongings are in the locker. In particular, to dream of a school locker denotes hidden feelings, knowledge, and attitudes that you need to learn and/or acknowledge. To dream of a PE locker refers to physical abilities that you have yet to recognize. You are experiencing some physical limitations.

To dream that you cannot open a locker or that your forgot the combination suggests that you are unsure of where you stand in a particular situation. You feel you have lost some aspect of yourself. In other words, you are on shaky ground. If you cannot find your locker, then it symbolizes your insecurities about your role or position in a situation.

To dream that someone else is using your locker suggests that someone can see right through you and your facade. You feel that this person has access to your hidden Self.

School Bus
To see or ride a school bus in your dream suggests that you are about to venture on an important life journey needed for your own personal growth.�

School
To dream that you are in school signifies feelings of inadequacy and childhood insecurities that have never been resolved. It may relate to anxieties about your performance and abilities. If you are still in school and dream about school, then the dream may just be a reflection of your daily life and has no special significance.

Bus

To dream that you are waiting for a bus indicates a temporary setback in achieving your personal goals. If you miss the bus, then it indicates that an aspect of your life is out of control. You need to slow down and map out a new plan. If you get on the wrong bus, then the dream indicates your fears of making the wrong choice and going on the wrong path. You are conflicted between what you want and what others want for you.

To dream that you are at the bus station suggests that you have reached some new level or stage in your emotional or physical life.

To dream that you are riding a bus implies that you are going along with the crowd. You are lacking originality and control over where your life is taking.

To dream that you are in a bus accident suggests that it is time for you to move away from a group setting and venture out on your own. You need to be more independent.

Alternatively, a dream that takes place in school may be a metaphor for the lessons that you are learning from your waking life.�You may be going through a "spiritual learning" experience.

To dream that you are looking for a school suggests that you need to expand your knowledge and learning. To dream that you are at a new school means that you are feeling out of place in some situation. Or perhaps there is a new lesson that you need to learn.

To dream that you are running away from school means that you are not being receptive to new ideas and viewpoints. You have not learned from your past mistakes.

Test

Test dreams also suggest that you are feeling unprepared for a challenge. Rarely, these dreams are about the actual content of the test, but rather it is more about the process and how you feel during the exam taking process. These feelings often parallel how you are actually feeling in a particular challenge or situation in your waking like.

Test dreams are also an indication that you are being judged. These dreams serve as a signal for you to examine an aspect of yourself that you may have been neglecting and need to pay more attention to. You may be harboring some guilt because you did not prepare enough for a school exam, meeting, business project, or some project. Most of the time, though, people who have such dreams are unlikely to fail a test in real life. This dream is rooted in the fear and anxiety that you may not meet other's standards. You are afraid to let others down.

DAILY DIRECTION , TAROT SPREAD

2011-12-29T11:11:00.001-06:00

I found a spread that looks like it will help give some helpful insights for me. I found it here : http://thefourqueens.blogspot.com/

I found an interesting spread today in a book called, 'Messages from the Archetypes: using Tarot for healing and spiritual growth' by Toni Gilbert. It's called Daily Direction, however I'd say it's too in-depth to be a spread you'd use on a daily basis. Each card position centres on a deep area of focus and can offer plenty of food for thought if you're struggling to find the right path or suffering a crisis of confidence. Try this six-card spread and see if you can benefit from its messages. Here are the six positions to draw a card for:

card 1 - where I am. This one outlines your current position and any obstacles or important circumstances.
card 2 - what empowers me. Use this card to find your strength and help yourself to see what you're capable of.
card 3 - what I use. Which skills can you use to your advantage? What have you got at your disposal that will make life easier?
card 4 - higher power. This position is elusive. I'd personally read it as what's driving the core of your being and what guides you subconsciously.
card 5 - what I seek. What are you looking for? What's the missing link?
card 6 - what I create. What comes from you and is put out into the world? What do you produce that benefits you and those around you? What is your motivation?

See what comes up.

THE KITCHEN WITCH'S ALPHABET

2011-12-26T12:47:00.000-06:00

I found this from this blog site: http://momsawitch.blogspot.com/
I really like it.

Kitchen Witch's Alphabet

Always stir in a clockwise motion
Before you chop veggies, offer thanks
Cut mindfully, gratefully
Do all preparations in a loving spirit
Energize food with good thoughts
Feast gratefully
Give and share what you can spare
Home and hearth are sacred
Invoke blessings of Goddess on all food
Join hands with friends often
Kindness shows in serving food
Love goes into every dish
Mindfully gather ingredients
No wasting - recycle, compost, feed animals
Open your senses, enjoy your surroundings
Play as well as work
Quench thirst, thinking of clear clean rivers
Resolve to be grateful & waste not
Salivate as you smell fragrance & anticipate flavors
Thank the Universe & Goddess for health
Use utensils carefully, then clean up
Value time spent with loved ones
When possible grow & harvest your food
eXtra food is for creative recombining
Yearly rituals & feasts build traditions
Zestful living in every area is our goal.

CROW SPIRIT AND MEDICINE

2011-12-24T04:40:00.003-06:00

The past few months there have been 8 crows that come and visit me every day. Around 7 or 8 in the morning I usually go outside with my dog and buddy Salem to walk around my yard and letting Salem do his business and get some exercise. Well most mornings the crows will be in my big Oak trees right outside my house and welcome me with their calls and then fly around. What is strange is that in previous years ,if they even saw me in the door they would fly off before I could get the door open, but now they are in the trees above me talking to me every morning. Or they would let me watch them hunting on the ground for food while standing on my back step or they would stay around as me and Salem would walk about my yard. They seem to be a permanent feature in my home area now when that has not been the case, they have been around but not as often as I see them now. . I wonder if it is sign of a God or Goddess making themselves known to me,I have been asking for such, if so they better give me more information on who they are because many Gods have crow or raven as their symbol. So here is some more wonderful information on the totem of Crow.

Crow Spirit and Medicine: http://www.controverscial.com/Crow.htm Contributed by - Patricia Jean Martin

The crow is a major member of the Corvids family (genus, Corvus) along with raven, magpie, blue jay and others, so some of the major teachings of Crow have already been posted within the texts on Raven. As this is the case, I will need to mention some of the similarities between the two, but will concentrate mainly on the differences. For more in-depth knowledge, a study of Raven would be beneficial to anyone with Crow as their Totem or Spirit Guide, and vice-versa.

If Crow has called on you, you may soon find the following show up in your life: A call to magick, a better understanding of the creative forces within and without, a greater nudging to speak your truth, and the courage and cunning to fly into the Void in order to retrieve the necessary knowledge and wisdom to manifest all of the above and more.

When Crow comes into your life, you can also expect to gain a better self-understanding, greater intuitive reflexes, guidance while shapeshifting through the shadows, and the opportunity to learn about the advantages of determination and watchfulness. Extremely intelligent (along with ravens, crows are noted as being the most intelligent of all birds), the crow will work diligently at manipulating an object or their surroundings until they have accomplished what they've set out to do. Like the raven, they are known to use physical tools along with ingenious methods of action that are noted as being well thought out and even planned. For those with Crow Totem, all these mental capacities and skilful manoeuvres reflect a need to use one's inner senses and outer resources to their fullest.

A crow will build its nest up higher than most other birds do, and they do this for several reasons. The most important are for safety and to secure a wider visual range. A ship's highest lookout point (a small circular balcony surrounding a tall mast) is called a "Crow's Nest" for obvious good reason. Those working with Crow medicine will find it advantageous to work on broadening their horizons, along with anticipating and being on the lookout for new opportunities that are sure to come when under Crow's tutelage. The crow has often been nicknamed "The Sentinel," as one will often sit and watch and remain aware of all that is going on around them in order to protect other crows in the flock (technically called a "murder") and to make sure no harm comes to their family. One can learn a lot in this respect, and Crow will teach you how better to do the same. From this higher perspective and this watchful awareness, your perception increases and you are able to foresee what is in the offing, thus giving you greater opportunity to be prepared for and/or embrace what is coming your way.

Crow, unlike the raven, does not mind living in populated areas. They are apt to cohabitate with humans and often live near or around them, as opposed to the raven's deep forest preference. In fact, it is very easy to befriend a crow. Some people have even been known to keep them as pets. A crow very easily bonds and is imprinted with the image and mannerisms of its keeper and will remain faithful and trusting throughout their relationship if well cared for. This shows the bird's willingness to work with humans, and also gives insight into their teachings of being strongly connected to kin...of recognizing family, even if through past lives shared... and of honouring the spirit of their kin and never forgetting them. Past life regression becomes easier when working with Crow Spirit. And through their prompting, acknowledgment and veneration of one's ancestors is brought to the forefront of your memory.

Crow's character is one of protector, scholar, messenger, and a bit of trickster. They can be very playful, quite amorous, and very wilful...almost downright cocky, actually. And akin to ravens, crows like to talk. Most people find their vocals brassy and annoying, but one with Crow Totem will find them quite soothing, peaceful to the soul, and even joyful and interesting to listen to. Learning to listen to the various tones, inflections and repetitive but varied patterns of the crow's voice can teach you such things as how to work cooperatively, how to discern the truth behind another's words, how to read between the lines, and even how to predict the weather, be alerted to the sudden appearance of a predator, or how to navigate life successfully. But even through all of Crow's love of talk, they will also teach you the very opposite...how to stay advantageously silent when necessary. The Four Cornerstones of Magick (the Witch's Pyramid) is in no way foreign to Crow.

Omnivorous and apt to eat most anything available, Crow shows you how to maintain a keen sense of personal survival and how to have an "appetite" for a wide and diverse store of knowledge that you will "eat"...take inside, digest, and either be nourished by or spit out. How to use that nourishing knowledge can often be learned by watching the movements and antics of the crow - how they interact, why they interact, and when and with whom they interact. When you learn how to use wisely the vast array of knowledge they offer you, it then becomes wisdom. Raven medicine is more apt to delve more deeply into this conversion of knowledge to wisdom, but Crow will always, at the very least, open the door and offer you the way.

Aside from merely observing crows in the wild, you can work with the quintessence of Crow in the Spirit world. Here, Crow's own wisdom, offered to you very often in a knowledgeable message form but also in connective experience, is invaluable. They possess the ability to peer into all realms, to coexist in the world of timelessness, and they are very likely to delve into the depths of hidden and obscure knowledge and emerge with a message. It's a bit of a wild ride when working with Crow medicine, as they can take you high aloft to towering realms where the essence of magick may manifest but has yet to fully form, and in the next minute take you perilously deep down into the depths of your psyche, where they almost impatiently will expect you to simultaneously pull forth and examine the message they've delivered from both. In working with Crow, I've found it best to mimic them by staying open and courageous and willing to receive. I've also found they will scoff at you if you do not heed their messages.

Yes, Crow is the epitome of all messengers. Some older superstitions carry the belief that the visit and call of the crow is an omen of impending death, but this was probably adopted in thought as a result of a series of ancient myths - one being where Crow delivered unwelcome news to Apollo, who in turn smote the then pure white messenger by turning him and all his brethren to the colour black. In going from white to black, Crow was actually given the gift of now knowing both of these realms very well - wherein the past, present and future are frequently visited by this most magickal and mystical bird. Being well-known for their methodical and meticulous explorations and their curious and brazen dispositions, Crow Spirit delves deeply into the Void in order to bring word of what may be in need of a better balance in your life. Like their kindred, the Raven, Crow's colour even reminds us that things are never just black and white. Within their present black colour lie all the other colours of the spectrum pulled within - as within one's self lie all the secrets of magick. Black is the colour associated with creation. It is the Void in which all new things are birthed. It is pure potential awaiting the spark of thought. Those with Crow Totem will find themselves pushed to seek out and bring back harmony, balance and justice to their world, and will be urged to unleash their unlimited creativity. In the act of creation, though, some outdated habits and things that are no longer useful are apt to demand change and transformation. Crow medicine very often heralds change through the aspects of death and rebirth. Crow is the Totem of Destiny.

As leaders and messengers in the world of Totems, you can expect Crow to lead you to magick at every step. With Crow being my own Life Totem, I've had them literally physically lead me to things of importance in terms of my enlightenment, and other times merely to a place or thing just for the sheer pleasure of viewing it. In fact, I use them as guides quite frequently. When travelling, I am very apt to see Crows along the way. In fact, I worry if I don't. Whenever I do see a Crow while walking or driving, I can usually expect something exciting to appear just around the bend. Just as they are known for being attracted to bright and shiny objects (which they will often steal and stash away for their own enjoyment), they tend to lead you to them too, both literally and metaphorically. It's not unlikely that you'll find something awe-inspiring - something that brings bright spiritual light and shining resonance to your life - immediately after spotting a Crow. They also very noticeably show up at particular times where I've been able to relate it to my own action and whereabouts, in the sense that they let me know I am in the right place at the right time. Crow's attraction to the bright and shiny can help you learn to value the light in yourself and in others.

In all these things and much more, Crow is an extraordinarily gifted teacher and guide.

Sources

Animal-Speak (The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small) - By Ted Andrews

European Myth & Legend - By Mike Dixon-Kennedy

Oxford Dictionary of World Mythology - By Arthur Cotterall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrion_Crow

http://www.ravenfamily.org/sam/index.html

Written and compiled 19^th July 2007 © George Knowles

ON FINDING A CROW FEATHER

2011-12-24T04:25:00.004-06:00

Greetings on this Christmas Eve, I have been given the strangest sign this very early morning at 3 AM. I was turning on our gas fire place and in the front corner of the fireplace was a black feather,I believe it to be a crow feather. I know it was not there last night when I turned the fireplace off because I would have noticed it, where it was placed was very obvious. So where did it come from? Who gave me a feather ? And in the fireplace of all places.
Another thing , yesterday afternoon I get a call that I won the raffle for the Sheriff's department of 150$ I bought 15 , 1$ raffles a few days earlier. So wow, is this great or what!! Are they both messages for me? I will accept them as such.
So this is what I could find about a feather.

Sacred Feathers by StarStuffs

http://www.starstuffs.com/animal_totems/feathers.htm

Birds hold knowledge of speaking with all animals. All feathers relate to human spirit and its innate connection with the Divine. They are the "initiators of air" in opening to realms beyond physical time and space. Psychic perceptions are thus transformed into spiritual intuitions. Air separates Heaven and Earth, thus the birds are the epitome of the flight between spiritual and the physical being. With bird medicine, we learn to use our innate intuitions to ride the currents of life.
There are several kinds of feathers that help propel flight. I will only relay the most common ones without the breakdown of the specific type of feather and its function.

The flight /wing feathers are strong and vaned. These lift and reduce drag. If these feathers are found they can heighten meditation and movements in life.
Tail feathers are sturdy and strong. They are used for steering and braking. They align us with forces to help stop and steer our own lives.
Down feathers are soft and dainty. These grow continuously under the main feathers for insulation and to condition the bird's coat.

When a feather comes to you, it is sometimes difficult to tell what part of the bird the feather is from. After inquiring of the feathers and learning about the bird, eventually you'll recognize and identify feathers more easily. But nonetheless, it is a message from nature to contemplate on. When you find a feather it can lift, insulate, and protect you against life's elements. When a feather catches your attention and is discovered in an unexpected place, it is a gift for your path. Feathers bring us inspiring messages to remind of us our world and our connection to it. Their symbolic meanings inspire us to soar to new heights.
There are times when a feather becomes a reassurance symbol by appearing to you when you are going through the different phases in your life. Letting you know that you are loved and watched over. They remind you that you are still a part of the Whole. Different feathers also may correspond to your own awareness cycles as the ebb and flow of energy changes.
The feather creates the opportunity to awaken your insights. Spend time with your feather and the symbolic meaning will appear. You can honor your feather by: meditating with it, breathing on it which activates the life force of air and wearing them. Make prayer sticks/wands, staffs, aura dusters and feather/fetish pots. To help you determine how birds reflect your present life you may ask these questions.

What is the size, shape and color of the bird?
What is the feather function?
What are the wing structures? (Soaring, fast, slow)
What are the actions in the air and on land?
What are the sounds it makes?

If you look, listen and watch carefully you will see birds and other animals around you that accurately reflect what you are feeling and going through. They can also lead you to understanding of where you are going and how to change directions in your life. All of the actions you do reinforce your connection with the bird spirits. In nature all is one. Honor what you have, it will always honor you, therefore you honor yourself and your oneness with the Great Spirit, The Highest and Most Holy One.
Animals have never failed to talk to us, we have never listened. Only by enhancing our awareness of intuition and consciously listening to our natural surroundings can we learn from all the animals.

Crow:

Crow is a harbinger of change; spiritual, mental and emotional. Life, death, rebirth, transition magic, watchfulness, look for opportunities coming up, aids in ability to move spiritually and physically. They teach the power and balance of light/dark and spiritual/physical. He teaches to create and manifest things in our lives, all of life is waiting. Crow announces a newness on the horizon. Are you aware of the nuances in life? Are you listening to signs around you? Crow can give strength and show you how to maneuver in intuitions and insights

Raven:

Raven is about the magical act of creation, internal magic and transformation along with miracle of a rebirth. Raven tells us to be aware of omens that become a harbinger of the mystical and exotic. He can show how to stir life without fear and teach to balance life's playful aspects. Raven also brings in the light of awareness and knowledge with opportunities of great changes that are in store for you. Raven will teach how to usher in these new energies. He shows how to dive into the depths of the inner being to illuminate the true self. Are you ready to uncover past conflicts and long forgotten emotional issues? Raven will teach how to transform your spirit. From the deepest part of you healing begins. What has been in darkness will now emerge into the light.

HIBISCUS MOON CRYSTAL ACADEMY GIVE AWAY!!

2011-12-22T18:50:00.000-06:00

HIBISCUS MOON CRYSTAL ACADEMY is having a give away!!!!
please check out her website for the details!!!!
http://hibiscusmooncrystalacademy.com/2011/12/22/hibiscus-moon-give-away-fun/

I’ve been itching to do a give-away again. I just have way too much fun with these!! There will be 5 different winners this time!!! So here are the prizes:

1. Your choice of any 1 item you like from my Zazzle Store(pssst: there’s some really cute t-shirts in there!)

2. Two winners will get 1 free online On Demand Crystal Class (your choice)!

3. Three winners will get 1 free Crystal Grids Template Package just in time to set up for your 2012 goals!!!

Its super-easy to enter too! And there are 3 ways to do it & you can enter as many times as you like. Weeeeeeee!

Happy blessed Winter Solstice!

2011-12-21T15:50:00.003-06:00

Greetings and Hello
I hope y'all are having a wonderful and blessed Winter Solstice day!!!! Not much going on in my world, had my 3 older grandchildren over last night to open their gifts and had a wonderful time with them.
My newest granddaugther ,MaKenna Grace was able to come home yesterday! She is doing well and still healthy. I found out that if my daughter would have not listened to her inner voice which was telling her that something was wrong with her wee little one, and had waited another day she would have lost her baby. Apparently she had no amniotic fluid left and so the baby would have died. The amniotic fluid is part of the baby’s life support system it protects the baby and aids in the development of muscles, limbs, lungs and digestive system.. I am so grateful and thankful to my Mother/ Father Creator that they were insistent with their voice within my daughter to warn her of the dangers that were lurking. This episode makes me insistent to all to listen to that insistent voice within and maybe alot of stuff we suffer through would not have happened in our lives. Even if you think that you are crazy to listen to it, what would it hurt to follow through with it, it is better to be safe than sorry. And believe me we would have been heart sick if my daughter did not listen to her inner voice, we was spared a terrible terrible situation during this time of Yule and Christmas, it would have forever ruined this time for us.
So at this most blessed time I am a happy happy granny witch and there is much to celebrate this Yule!

SPIDER MEDICINE

2011-12-18T05:15:00.000-06:00

BY PATC

DAILY OM INSPIRATION
December 16, 2011 http://www.dailyom.com/
Spider Energy
Weaving Your Life

The feminine energy of spiders reminds us that we have the ability to weave our lives into strong beautiful works of art.

We may not realize that the sight of a spider's web glistening in the sun, the beads of morning dew catching the light to shine like diamonds on an intricate necklace, may carry a message for us. Their beauty belies their strength because though they are spun from thin strands of silk, they can hold the weight of the dew and capture nourishment in their nets as well. This paints an accurate picture of the traits of the weaver, the spider. Their feminine energy reminds us that we have the ability to weave our lives into strong, useful, and beautiful works of art. Though people may have an instinctive fear response to spiders, we can look beyond the physical instinct to understand the spiritual message they may be bringing us.
Among the various Native American traditions, spider medicine has been known to represent creativity. Her eight legs represent the four winds of change and the four directions on the medicine wheel, while her body is in the shape of the infinity symbol, which represents infinite possibilities. Spider was said to have woven the alphabet, creating the means for people to communicate and record their history through language. Just like the Greek myth of the Fates, three women who weave the tapestry of life, spiders are said to weave the creative forces that bring forth the intricately symmetrical patterns of our lives.
So if a spider has wandered into your line of sight, she may be bringing you one of several messages. She could be reminding you of the infinite possibilities you can draw from to create your life. Perhaps her message is to check your email or "the Web" to see if communication you sent has captured something. You might even want to refer to old journals to look for patterns recorded in your personal history. As spider weaves her web, you too can weave your reality and your future. Her medicine could be reminding you that as the creator of your life you need to have the courage to reach out and create your own intricately beautiful and strong tomorrows. If you don't pay attention, spider may feel the need to bite you to get your attention. If this happens, investigate what that part of the body represents to gain further information about your message from spider medicine.

Meet my newest GrandDaughter, MaKenna Grace

2011-12-18T04:47:00.002-06:00

Welcome to my world ,my newest grandchild, she was one month early weighing in at 4 lbs. and 11 oz and 19 inches tall. She is a Cancer rising , Sun in Sagittarus and Moon in Virgo, Her name is MaKenna Grace

This last picture you can see her hand and its gesture, she is saying, I am the boss and I decide when I come into this world and no one else!!! We have been trying to delay her early arrival all week with shots and pills but she says f&^k you, I will be born when I say so!!!! LOL

My Grocery store dream

2011-12-17T04:50:00.001-06:00

OK I had a dream last night, I have not been able to remember many of my dreams for awhile, maybe because I don't sleep well anymore, or the medications I am on, but I remembered most of my dream for a change. So here is what I have been thinking about prior to my dream. I have been trying to find out what I truly believe, about God , do I see God as ONE or as Mother /Father? Or are all gods really just same God but through different lenses, or is God just Consciousness, and what about Jesus do I really believe what I read about Him or not , I either do or don't. About religion and my spirituality or lack of, do I really believe what I have learned from the Bible or do I really like the Wiccan faith and it fits better ? Is there really ultimate TRUTH? And then about my life and my purpose or lack of purpose, do I really have any choices in my life anymore being 55 and disabled?. I can't seem to decide because I fear I will make the wrong choices.

I had a dream last night here it is:

I am at a discount grocery store with my parents ( my dad has passed on, mom is now 81) they seem to be middle aged in the dream. The store is well stocked and I am choosing my food items, my parents are making suggestions like large carrots. There are many twists and turns and aisles and rooms in this store (in fact this store seems familiar like I have dreamt of it before). Somehow I get lost from my parents, and I realize the store has closed and parents are not waiting for me in the store so I go out of the store with only some kind of liquid I had squirted into a shopping bag, I don't remember what it was ,but as I was getting it I was singing and the store people heard me and made a comment but I don't remember it ,I go outside only to find my truck gone so I fumble with my phone to call my parents and I hear what I think is my dog whining and I look for him and see my truck and they are parked in the shade of a tree so I go to truck and as I get closer I see some sort of animal move fast in the shadows but can't see what it is, anyway I get to the truck and mom is sleeping behind the wheel, dad asleep in back seat and dog is asleep too. So I realize it was this other animal that whined to let me know where the truck was since my dog is sleeping and did not alert me. I ask why they did not get me in the store before they left, they said that they knew I would find them and that they were in no hurry , they were waiting on someone and they hadn't showed up yet so they had to wait any way.

Some dream interpretation

Grocery store To dream that you are in a grocery store, represents some emotional of physical need that you are currently lacking in your life. You may be in need of nurturance and some fulfillment. Consider the specific items that you are shopping for. Alternatively, the grocery store signifies frugality.
GROCERIES the things you need in life - the things that you consider as essential
GROCERY STORE interests that you consider essential at present
GROCERY the things you need in life - the things that you consider as essential
SHOPPING : Shops symbolise two things - the options available to you and the things that you want and how to go about achieving them. The dream may concentrate on some change in the options available to you - do you have time problems or has some health issue suddenly changed the options available to you. The dream may also be making a point about the things you want. Has some interest ceased to be as important as it once was?
Parents-

Dreaming of a father symbolizes authority and discipline, while a dream of a mother symbolize love and protection—depending, of course, on how the dreamer felt about his or her parents. If the parents are still living, perhaps you need to contact them. If the parents have passed on, then they could be bringing you an important message. Dreaming of one's parents is perhaps the most subjective dream symbol of all. The dreamer's relationships with his or her parents, as well as the other symbols in the dream, need to be considered before a workable interpretation can be found.
Astrological parallels: Saturn (father) and the Moon (mother).
Tarot parallels: The Emperor, The Empress.
MOTHERS : Mothers tend to relate to our emotional concern for both ourselves and for the people around us. As far as yourself is concerned the mother maybe symbolises your wishes for reassurance, your own worries and concerns about the way your life is going. The mother may symbolise your own wish to take a cautious and safe approach and not wanting to make hasty decisions(a wish not to be pressured). The mother can also symbolise our behavior towards others. They may be symbolic of our worries and concerns for others such as coworkers.
FATHERS : Fathers are symbols often of our own need to stop something getting out of hand. It maybe that we are behaving in a way that is causing us major problems or that we are not giving some problem the attention it deserves(such as a health problem). The message is that we must act before things get totally out of hand. So look at some issue from the day before which is sliding out of control.
Fathers also symbolise the need to be sensible so look towards some issue where you have suddenly had to make a practical decision.

DOGS : Dogs in dreams will tend to symbolise some specific aspect of their behavior. Dogs are pack animals and maybe can link to your wish for others to follow and copy your behavior. They may symbolise a dogs ability to sense danger(especially if the dog barks). Dogs are territorial so look for some issue in your life involving control of territory. Dogs can symbolise good friends and devoted family. In a negative sense dogs may link to stale ideas which just follow the pack and have no imagination.

My take: I have been seeking signs and signals wanting God to make my decision for me by giving me the answers, but I know that, this is not how it works. We are the one that makes the decisions and choices and then we get a nod or a sign as to whether or not it was a good one or not. Spirit will not make my decisions they wait for us to do that and then they move in our behalf. I believe that the parents represent my view of God/dess, I believe the grocery store represents that I have many choices in the spiritual and physcial realm and that I pick and choose what I want to eat.Mother /Father may suggest something but I make the choices. Mom at the wheel suggest to me that the feminine aspect is in the driving seat and the Male aspect is in the back seat not in the lead and driving my life at this time. Seems not to be a sense of hurry in this, that they trust that I will find them when the time comes. I am being guided but not in a direct way with the whine and fleeting sight of the animal letting me know where the truck is.

Saudi Woman Beheaded for 'Witchcraft'

2011-12-14T03:33:00.000-06:00

This is so upsetting to me, whether or not this woman and these people were practicing witchcraft or not, they are NOT the criminals here but this government IS. People everywhere HAVE the rights to be who they choose to be as long as it harms none, and no one or government has the right to take that from anyone. And for any government and mine included who has the death penalty, they must use that penalty only ,IF at all, in the worse of situations and the last resort. This is so upsetting to me, what a world we live in, life is so hard on it's own and we make it worse by doing crap like this to one another. Let people just be.
for what it is worth
blessed be
Owlthena

Saudi Woman Beheaded for 'Witchcraft'

By RANDY KREIDER | ABC News – 17 hrs ago

A Saudi woman was beheaded after being convicted of practicing "witchcraft and sorcery," according to the Saudi Interior Ministry, at least the second such execution for sorcery this year.

The woman, Amina bint Abdulhalim Nassar, was executed in the northern Saudi province of al-Jawf on Monday.

A source close to the Saudi religious police told Arab newspaper al Hayat that authorities who searched Nassar's home found a book about witchcraft, 35 veils and glass bottles full of "an unknown liquid used for sorcery" among her possessions. According to reports, authorities said Nassar claimed to be a healer and would sell a veil and three bottles for 1500 riyals, or about $400.

According to the ministry, Nassar's death sentence was upheld by an appeals court and the Saudi Supreme Judicial Council.

Philip Luther, the interim direct of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa program, condemned Nassar's killing, calling it "deeply shocking."

"The charges of 'witchcraft and sorcery' are not defined as crimes in Saudi Arabia and to use them to subject someone to the cruel and extreme penalty of execution is truly appalling," Luther said.

Luther said that a charge of sorcery is often used by the Saudi government as a smokescreen under which they punish people for exercising freedom of speech.

Nassar was not the first person to be executed for alleged witchcraft by the Saudi government this year. In September, a Sudanese man was publicly decapitated with a sword in the city of Medina after he was found guilty of the same crime.

According to Amnesty International, at least 79 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia so far in 2011, more than three times as many as in 2010. The human rights group condemned the kingdom's reliance on capital punishment.

"Where the death penalty is used, under international law it should only be applied to the most serious crimes," Luther said.

The Saudi embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Cernunnos /Herne/the Horned God

2011-12-11T11:13:00.001-06:00

Charge of the Dark God

I am the fire within your heart – the yearning of your soul.
I am the hunter of knowledge and the seeker of the Holy Quest.
I – who stand in the Darkness of Light, am He whom you have called Death.
I – the consort and mate of She whom we adore, call forth to thee.
Heed My call, beloved ones, come unto Me and learn the secrets of death and peace.
I am the corn at harvest and the fruit on the trees. I am He who leads you home.
Scourge and flame, blade and blood – these are mine gifts to thee. Call unto Me in the forest wild and on hilltop bare and seek Me in the Darkness Bright.
I – who have been called Pan, Herne, Osiris and Hades speak to thee in thy search.
Come dance and sing; come love and smile, for behold: This is my worship. You are my children and I am thy Father.
On swift night wings, it is I who lay you at the Mother’s feet to be reborn and to return again.
Thou who thinks to know Me, know that I am the untamed wind, the fury of the storm and passion in your soul. Seek Me with courage, lest you be swept away in the seeking.
Seek with pride and humility, but see me best with love and strength, for this is my path, and I love not the weak and fearful.
Hear My call on long winter nights, and we shall stand together guarding Her Earth as she sleeps.

-Author Unknown

THE CHARGE OF THE GOD

Listen to the Words of the Horned God,
Who was of old called among men:
Adonis, Tammuz, Dianus, Herne, Esus,

Bran, Beli, Lugh, Gwyn,
Dionysus, Osiris, Cernunnos, Pan,
And by many other Names.

O Secret of Secrets,
That art hidden in the being of all that lives,
Not Thee do we adore,
For That which adoreth is also Thou.
Thou art That, and That am I.
I am the Flame that burns in the heart of every being,
And in the core of every Star.
I am Life, and the Giver of Life,
Yet therefore is the Knowledge of Me
The Knowledge of Death and Resurrection.
I am alone, the Lord within ourselves,
Whose Name is Mystery of Mysteries.
I am the Horned God.
I am the Lord of the Universe,
The Father of all living,
The All-Devourer and the All-Begetter.
I am He Whose Seed lies strewn
As glittering Gems across velvet darkness
Within the Womb of the Mother.
I am the Lord of the Shadows
In the darkness of the Underworld,
For I am the Midnight Sun.
I am the Light of the Stars,
And the Spark of the Spirit Eternal,
For I am the God Within.
I am the Horned Leader of the Hosts of Air,
The Leader of the Wild Hunt,
The Judge of Gods and of Men.
I am the Hidden God,
Who ever yet remains,
For I dwell within the secret seed.
I am the seed of grain,
I am the seed of flesh,
I am the Seed of the Stars.
I am the Lord of the Heights,
I am the Lord of the Depths,
God of forest, of flock, and of field.
I am the Hunter and Hunted,
I am the wolf and the Shepherd,
I am the vine and the grain.
I am a Guiding Star above you,
I am a bright Flame before you,
I am a smooth Path beneath you.
I am the Light of Life.
I am the Flame of Love.
I am the Horned God!!

This picture of Cernunnos /Herne/the Horned God is one of my most favorite renditions of what I think he would look like. I have been studying about him and I like what I have read about him. But have yet to meet up with him or any Pagan God yet. The Goddess has been elusive as well, but I have been studying about Ceridwen , Freya, and Inanna. I like these charges of the God.
blessed be
Owlthena

Yule and Christmas , is it the same holiday or different?

2011-12-05T15:35:00.003-06:00

I believe there should not be any problems between Pagan's celebration of Yule/Winter Solstice and Christian's celebration of Christmas. Both have valid claims to their holidays. I believe that no one stole anything from anyone. All religions have had the habit of incorporating many rituals and symbols from other cultures and religious celebrations that they have come in contact with. There is no pure religion.
The Jews took many Pagan elements into their holy days at the very formation of their religion, they incorporated many Myth themes of the people and tribes around them and made them their own, Christianity at first took many themes from the Jews and as they became more Gentile they began to incorporate many symbols and celebrations from their neighboring Pagan religions. Pagans have been free to pick and choose many aspects of the many various celebrations they follow, it is what religions and people do and have done throughout the ages.

Pagans should celebrate Yule/Solstice with all the trimmings and enjoy their holiday with joy and anticipation.

I personally celebrate the Wheel of the Year around the natural season of each and the energy that surrounds them, I don't incorporate the Pagan Myths that go along with them. But that is the joy of being eclectic and having the freedom and rights to do so.

Christians have a beautiful holiday of Christmas and the birth of the Son, Jesus Christ as God Incarnate, which makes the Christmas holiday very special indeed and can be incorporated in the Solstice celebration of the birth of the Sun very well indeed.

So are they the same holiday or are they different?
Well the Solstice and Yule usually arrives a few days before Christmas so they are not the same. But if the truth be known there is so many similar themes and aspects of all the religions and their myths and legends ,that it is hard sometimes to see any differences in them, each religious path has made each of these elements uniquely their own.So what is the fuss about? Celebrate one or the other as you wish or celebrate both. Just let each follow the dictates of their own religion, path ,tradition and heart.
All the fighting and bickering about who stole from whom is really a waste of time and energy and really puts a damper on the festive ,joyful spirit of the Season.
There is a wonderful spirit about this time of giving, loving, family, friends and good will towards all, lets keep this joy flowing and let us celebrate the holiday of our choice. Happy Holidays to one and all.
blessed season to all
Owlthena

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF EACH FINGER FOR RINGS?

2011-11-27T08:37:00.001-06:00

What is the Meaning of each Finger for Rings?

I love symbolism and I believe we can use it as a powerful force in our lives for change. The language of Spirit is through symbols, our dream time uses symbolic language, and most holy books are nothing but metaphors and symbols. One simple way to utilize symbolism is by placement of a simple ring on a finger, the color, the stone, the shape, the design all have meaning and can enforce and encourage us in the direction we would like to go. Here is some information of the symbolism of our fingers.
blessed be

Right Hand vs. Left Hand

In the dual nature of man, the right and left hands are part of his whole being yet represent his twofold conscious and subconscious mind. The left hand (the subconscious) is a reflection of his deeply buried instinct, beliefs and attitudes. The right hand (the conscious) reflects his logic and his awareness. Wearing rings on your left hand could symbolize your unknowing wish to strengthen the powers associated with the finger that wears the ring. Rings on the right hand reflect your desire to control your life and actions.

The thumb represents self-assertion and willpower. It is the only finger not named after a Greek god. It symbolizes the will power in a person. This finger is connected with the inner self of a person. In case you have been told to wear a ring on this finger, you would need to be especially attentive to the changes that happen in your life. The ring would then help to boost your willpower. Choose thumb rings made with carnelian, garnet or ruby gemstones.

The index finger named for Jupiter to symbolize self-confidence, leadership, ambition, authority,ambition and spirituality. This finger is considered to represent a certain kind of power. This was particularly seen in the ancient days when powerful Kings wore rings on their index finger. Therefore, wearing a ring on this finger would help you get a boost in this direction. Select a ring with lapis lazuli, amethyst or blue topaz stones.

The middle finger , named for Saturn, stands for balance, justice, the law, responsibility and soul-searching,represents individuality of a person. Located in the middle, it symbolizes a balanced life. Wearing a ring on this finger would help you to add balance to your life. Soothing stones such as rose quartz, coral and aquamarine are appropriate for rings

The ring finger is the fourth finger,represents Apollo and symbolizes relationships, creativity and the love of beauty,. This ring finger of the left hand has a direct connection with the heart. Therefore, the wedding ring is worn on this finger.. It also represents emotions (affection) and creativity in a person. Wearing a ring on the right hand would help you to become more optimistic in your life. Complimentary gemstones include moonstone, jade, amethyst, sapphire and turquoise.

The little finger ,Mercury rules the little finger, which stands for intelligence, communication, persuasion and intuition,represents everything about relationships. This finger is all about our associations with the outside world as compared to the thumb; where in the latter is all about the inner self. This little finger represents our attitude towards others. Wearing a ring on this finger would help one to enhance their relationships particularly in terms of marriage and helps to improve business relationships as well. It also helps to change a person's attitude towards relationships for better. The creativity is associated with emotional as well as material things. . Pick rings with stones such as moonstone, amber or citrine.

"The way that a Claddagh ring is worn on the hand is usually intended to convey the wearer's romantic availability, or lack thereof. Traditionally, if the ring is on the right hand with the design facing outward and away from the body, this indicates that the person wearing the ring is not in any serious relationship, and may in fact be single and looking for a relationship. When worn on the right hand but with the design facing inward toward the body, this indicates the person wearing the ring is in a relationship, or that "someone has captured their heart". A Claddagh worn on the left hand ring finger, facing outward away from the body, generally indicates that the wearer is engaged. When the ring is on the left hand ring finger and facing inward toward the body, it generally means that the person wearing the ring is married."

_

Rings On Your Finger
By Alana http://www.handanalysis.net/library/kin_rings.htm There are two kinds of rings to be found on the hands. One is that which is placed on a finger form ornamentation; the other is a small etching in the skin of the upper palm just below the base of the forefinger, and it is drawn there by repetition of a particular behavior.

In our culture, if you wear hand adornment at all, it is likely to be on (What do you know) the ring finger. But the tradition of wearing jewelry on the ring finger encourages conscious and therefore ambiguous messages regarding marital status and wealth, and has little to say about inner workings. Rings displayed on the other fingers contain more "inside information." For instance, more is said about relationship potential by the presence of rings on both little fingers than by the absence of w wedding band. When that second pinkie ring was put on, its wearer declared, "I want more intimacy and I'm going to get it!"
Generally, the left hand is the more personal one, the right is the more public. Rings are for emphasis; if the ring is large, the intention is large. But any ring at all is notable and the less likely a ring is to appear, the more potent its meaning. For example, how often does one see a ring on a first finger? On a thumb? And how much less often on men than women? The presence of more than one ring on a single finger adds importance; several locations indicates diffusion of focus. If a ring has a stone, its influence prevails: reds excite, blues bring calm.
A ring on the middle finger fortifies safety. In some way, the wearer is expressing an attitude of practicality, order, and taking care of business. If that finger is 1/2 inch or so longer than the others, a ring enhances the person's sense of security in assuming responsibility. Worn on a relatively short middle digit, a ring's significance approximates the gesture most associated with the finger!
An accessory on the first finger deals with the wearer's coming to grips with power. When you see a ring on this finger, how do you and react? If you yourself can wear a trigger finger ring, then maybe you respond positively. However, if you find some subtle aversion to others who sport this ring, consider that you might be among those who are uncertain of their own inner resources. (Uncertain? Me? Resistant to my own power?) It could be interesting at that next job interview to wear a ring around your right pointer finger, or for that visit with your parents to slip something comfortable on the first finger of your left hand.
Ornamentation on the thumb is rare, but when it is there it is to enhance the capacity to get results.

MY THANKSGIVING DEER MESSAGE

2011-11-24T15:13:00.000-06:00

DEER INTO THE WOODS, by PATC"]

: MY SPIRIT /STONE CIRCLE, by PATC

Spirit has not been very talkative with me of late and I have been struggling with depression and with the pain I have been going through, I have felt kind of abandoned and lost. Confused in my path and purpose in life and at times just wanting to give in to the sorry state I find myself in. Trying to force Mother/Father SOURCE into saying anything to me, just show up already and let me know that I am not going through this alone. So this morning on my usual early morning trek out into my stone circle to sit and comtemplate things and to tell all of nature and SOURCE of my thankfulness for all the blessings in my life, and of course to let Salem run about and do his thing. I felt that there would be a gift for me from Spirit this time so I was a bit excited on this very chilly foggy Thanksgiving morning and as soon as I arrived and sat down and began to say my prayers ,Salem scared up 2 or 3 white tail deer and I was blessed to see them scamper off with their white tails flashing. Deer are one of my 9 totem helpers and I haven't seen deer in my enchanted woods but 3 times in 17 years, so I knew this was a gift from spirit, and I accept it as such. Thank you deer and Source for your message this morning.

Blessed be

PATC aka OWLTHENA

The message of Deer is to use less force. (my comment: what did I say but that I was trying to force the issue with SOURCE to speak to me or just show up) It is not the right time to confront the enemy. Know when to walk away. Be alert to danger. Pay attention and look before you leap. Time for compassion and forgiveness.She teaches us to be gentle with ourselves and to honor our heart. Learn to trust. (my comment: here I have been a bit hard on my self because I have been trying to force myself into trying to believe something I just am not able to and fearful , since I can't, of the consquences of not being able to ) Cultivate new friends and ideas. Try something new . Don’t be afraid to cry. Nurture yourself and take time to heal. Walk more or increase activity . (my comment: being in pain so much and not being able to walk very good, it is so easy to just sit and do nothing and I have to force myself to get up and move around) Spend more time outdoors. Dance and be joyful. Cultivate your inner knowing. Get a massage or try an alternative healing session. Try meditation . Look deep within your nature and root out major fears.

From these sources deer means:

from Ann Albers: Deer – The deer is gentle and strong. She can leap gracefully and quickly up the mountainside but more often she prefers to graze on the tender shoots and grasses. She teaches us to be gentle with ourselves and to honor our heart.

In the South American Huichol tradition, the deer spirit leads the shaman through the “doorway of the heart” and gives him information on how to live in balance. Allow the deer to show you a gentler and more peaceful way to live . She will help open your heart.

From One Spirit: Deer, Stag- Gentleness, Healing, Connection to the Earth and the Forest, Keen Scent, Grace, Swiftness, Being Alert for Any Danger, Psychic Powers, Innocence, Love, Kindness, Sensitivity, Pride, Independence, Purification, Strength, Nobility.

Denise Linn/The Secret Lanugage of Signs: A deer can represent the gentle aspects of yourself. This can also be a sign of feeling victimized and defenseless. Remember, there are no victims, only volunteers. Try to find areas in your life where you can take control and make changes. If you identify with the innocent deer, remember too the power of the stag–magnificent and forceful.

Jamie Sams & David Carson/Medicine Cards: If Deer has gently nudged its way into your cards today, you are being asked to find the gentleness of spirit that heals all wounds. Stop pushing so hard to get others to change, and love them as they are. Apply gentleness to your present situation and become like the summer breeze: warm and caring. This is your tool for solving the present dilemma you are facing. If you use it, you will connect with Sacred Mountain, your centering place of serenity, and Great Spirit will guide you.

Contrary: Deer in the contrary position indicates that you are courting your fear by fighting the internal demons of negative ideas. This is a clue to you that force is not always the best method. You may not be willing to love yourself enough to feel your fears and let them go. You may be projecting your fears on others. It may also be others whom you fear, reminding you of a time when you reacted to life in much the same manner. At any rate, love is the key. The only true balance to power is the love and compassion of Deer. Be willing to find things to love about yourself and others, and your demons will melt away. Your fears cannot exist in the same place that love and gentleness abide.

The Druid Animal Oracle by Phillip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm-Stag: Pride, Independence, Purification Stag brings us the qualities of grace, majesty, and integrity. Contemplating the stag can help you achieve a greater sense of poise and dignity. if you are ever confronted with a situation in which you feel vulnerable or under scrutiny, such as in a court of law or a public appearance, by attuning to the stag and asking for the protection of his spirit you will find yourself feeling calmer, stronger, and more dignified. The stag signifies independence too–both spiritual and physical. You will be able to find the strength to gain and maintain your independence. It relates to the birch tree and the number one. The birch is associated with the blessing of beginnings. It is auspicious when contemplating new projects. The stag’s connection with fertility and sexuality signifies taht you will find a way to bring dignity, grace, power and integrity to your sexual life.

Contrary it shows that you need to examine the degree to which your pride is helping or hindering you. Pride can be a valuable feeling when it helps you to give only of your best, but it can also block your development and enjoyment of life if it exists only to protect your feelings of vulnerability and inadequacy. ask yourself whether your pride is serving you, and if not, see whether the qualities of the Stag can help you find integrity and dignity without the need for inappropriate pride. The stag-god, as Lord of the Hunt, is responsible for culling, which can be seen as a process of purification or sacrifice, maintaining a proper ecological balance. Contrary may signify the need for sacrifice or purification in your life–perhaps through letting-go of unnecessary possessions or emotional attachments, thereby helping you to gain independence and integrity

SNAKE VISITS ME IN MID NOVEMBER

2011-11-18T22:06:00.001-06:00

The weather today was very windy with 25 to 30 mile gusts, temperature was around 47 the wind chill probably in high 30's . I was wrapped up in my coat and scarf and taking my dog Salem out for a walk in my field along a path I keep mowed down when I heard Salem barking which he only does if we have people show up, he is not a big barker, thank goodness, any way he is pouncing around and agitated so I hurry ,as fast as I can go with my walker, to see what the fuss is all about and there is a 3 foot snake stretched out across the path ahead of me. It was a slate gray color with faint brown blotches of color, it was either a Rat snake or a King snake. But what in blue blazes was a live snake doing out an about in the middle of November? Shouldn't snakes be in their dens this time of year? Signs of snake have been showing up for the last month, I found 2 snake skins of, I am assuming of a Black Rat snake and now a live snake going across my path, I get it , a message from one of my totems.
I have been having a hard time of it the last few months, pain has been getting the best of me and I have been in a deep pit of self pity and depression for a long awhile, so what is snake trying to tell me this time, what could be their message for me?
I went to the doctors yesterday and they put me on some prednisone for a few months and already I am feeling better and up and around able to do things I haven't been able to for quite awhile. But Prednisone has some nasty side effects and I have to weigh them with having a life with less pain and more activity. So far I am choosing the less pain for now. So snakes message for me is timely and about time I get something from spirit, it has been so damn quiet from spirit for a long while that I was feeling abandoned and all alone , lost and aimless.
I will post tomorrow on what I believe the message is for me from snake.
blessed be
OWLTHENA

IT MUST BE THE SEASON OF THE WITCH

2011-10-31T15:47:00.002-05:00

My Autumn Altar

2011-10-31T15:20:00.001-05:00

Happy Samhain and Celtic New Year

2011-10-31T15:18:00.001-05:00

I HOPE ALL ARE HAVING A BEAUTIFUL SAMHAIN/HALLOWEEN TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE WEATHER HERE IS BEAUTIFUL CLEAR SUNNY AND IN THE LOW 60'S . LOVELY WEATHER TO BEGIN A NEW YEAR ON.

Autumn here in the Ozarks

2011-10-31T15:16:00.004-05:00

10 Naughtiest Vegetables

2011-10-12T19:35:00.000-05:00

I love natural erotica from nature, here are some veggie pictures that fall in that category

http://www.organicauthority.com/foodie-buzz/most-suggestive-vegetables-on-earth.html

HAWK IN FLIGHT

2011-09-28T10:38:00.003-05:00

Made a video of some of my hawk pictures I had taken while I was on the road with hubby during our trucking days. This day we were on our way to a dairy down a long dirt road and I spotted this hawk so hubby was able to stop the truck so I could capture this awesome creature with my camera.This hawk was hunting for prairie dogs and one of the last pictures you can see the hawk about to dive toward a hole/burrow of a prairie dog in a middle of a corn field.
blessings

VIDEO OF SPRING AND SUMMER

2011-09-27T11:20:00.002-05:00

Here is a snapshot of this past spring and summer on my home stead, woodpecker making a nest , black snakes breeding, my dog Salim before a much needed hair cut and then after his hair cut, his buddy Rico, and various flowers and critters that come and go.

A CRICKET IN MY HOUSE

2011-09-25T19:36:00.003-05:00

I have had a cricket in my home for over a week, and the chirping is driving me batty! I have problems with ringing in the ears and it sometimes makes me crazy and it sounds like the cicadas do when they are at their nosiest. So having a constant chirping is just as annoying as the ringing in my ears that I sometimes have. So I figure that maybe there may be a message here for me, since there are no accidents, maybe I best listen up, so here is some information on this little critter.
blessed be

www.linsdomain.com/totems/pages/cricket.htm

The appearance of Cricket in your life heralds
an awakening of sensitivities
and finding light within the dark.
Dreams become more clairvoyant.
Trust in your intuition – it is more accurate
than you believe.

Make sure to stay grounded and balanced
while exploring
your intuition and psychic abilities.
The appearance of Cricket might also be a
reminder that you are using psychic powers
without proper grounding.

In China, the Cricket symbolizes a fighting spirit.
In England, it is considered good luck to find a cricket
on the hearth.
Crickets were believes to be familiar who watched
over and
guarded the home's occupants.

Cricket Luck – Good Luck or Bad Luck, Take Your Choice

By Charles L Harmon

www.ehow.com › Plants

In most instances crickets are considered good luck or a creature that will bring good luck to the person that sees them. The friendly chirping sound of many crickets sound like a fine tuned orchestra on a summer’s night. That’s an exaggeration, but in general cricket chirping is a reminder of cheerfulness. Over the ages that cricket chirping sound has been associated with a comfortable domestic life.
It’s only the male cricket that chirps and it is produced by the friction of its wing covers rubbing together. In literature the chirping is often associated with its animated, lively, and gay quality.
At one time in ancient Greece, cricket amulets were raised high above the people in temples to protect everyone from the evil glances of wicket spirits. Those same spirits were thought to be lurking around when temple bells were silent.
Shakespeare himself alluded many times about the fact that crickets in the house were a sign of mirth and plenty. Who wouldn’t want that, mirth being gaiety or jollity? There were those people both here and abroad who believed that if a cricket departs from a hearth where it has been heard chirping for a long time, that its departure signals misfortune, and its regarded as a direct calamity by the family. Possibly that same feeling is present today for those persons still believing in this old superstition.
There are a lot of cricket superstitions and here are a few:

A strange cricket in the house is an unfailing sign of death
To kill a cricket on Sunday is especially unlucky
If crickets sing louder than usual, expect rain
To see a white cricket denotes an absent love will return
Kill a crickets mate and it will eat holes in your clothes, especially stockings
Crickets are enchanted beings hundreds of years old
Never kill a cricket that’s in your house, lest a member of your family will meet the same fate

Crickets and similar insects make popular charms or lucky pieces. Some superstitious singers and musicians believed that to be near or in contact with a musical cricket (not all are musical), for instance, might inspire them in their own professional work. Also that common association with the chirping cricket helps keep them happy and cheerful.

“Far from all resort of mirth, / Save the cricket on the hearth!”
John Milton

An ordinary cricket at the foot of the fireplace may be considered a sign of good fortune, but a cricket in the ground, the mole cricket, is a serious farm pest and a sign of bad luck for a farmer. It will uproot seedlings and menaces the newly planted field or garden.
So if you want to play it safe when you see a cricket chirping in your house, think twice before you decide to do deadly harm to that little creature or even shoo it out the door; it could just be your good luck you are tampering with.

MYSTERY CREATURE PUZZLES ZOOKEEPERS

2011-09-23T19:05:00.000-05:00

I love a good critter mystery, and I love the fact that we are still finding new species here on Mother Earth.

Mystery creature puzzles zookeepers

Posted on Thursday, 22 September, 2011 News tip by: Still Waters

Image credit: CC 3.0 Shannon Davis

Nobody has been able to identify the strange animal left to a zoo in China by an anonymous man.

Its exact species has become a topic of hot discussion both at the zoo in Wenling, China and on internet forums. Some of the zookeepers believe the creature to be some type of monkey, while others have suggested it to be a bush baby or more recently - a spotted cuscus based on the appearance of its nose, eyes and tail.

With a nose that looks more like a rodent's but long, pointy paws and white fur dappled with brown and orange, he is quite unique. And zookeepers at Wenling, in eastern China, who were handed the animal by an anonymous man, have been unable to work out exactly what species he belongs to.

View: Full article | Source: Daily Mail

AUTUMN BLESSINGS

2011-09-23T06:19:00.000-05:00

I hope you all have a wonderful Autumn Season.

~Magickal Graphics~

~Magickal Graphics~

DOCTOR TAKE AIM AT ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE FROM FACTORY FARMING

2011-09-18T06:23:00.000-05:00

Doctors Take Aim At Antibiotic Resistance From Factory Farming

Friday, ‎September ‎16, ‎2011, ‏‎6:13:00 AM | donna@thefrugallife.com (Donna L. Watkins)

As the U.S. government stalls, other countries are moving ahead. Denmark, the world's leading exporter of pork, began phasing out non-therapeutic use of antibiotics more than 15 years ago.

Many U.S. experts on antibiotic resistance are frustrated that it has taken their country so long to take action. The FDA expressed their concern regarding the severity of the problem as early as the 1970s, and Ellen Silbergeld, a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, suggested that the dangers have been obvious for far longer.

In 1945, upon accepting his piece of the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery and isolation of penicillin, Scottish biologist Alexander Fleming delivered an ominous warning. "The time may come when penicillin can be bought by anyone in the shops. Then there is the danger that the ignorant man may easily underdose himself and, by exposing his microbes to non-lethal quantities of the drug, make them resistant," said Fleming, who had observed antibiotic resistance in his lab.

His warning went largely unheeded. Soon after, the FDA approved use of the drugs in livestock feed, and the effectiveness of penicillin quickly plummeted.

In a May 2011 lawsuit filed against the FDA for failing to curtail antibiotic use in animal feed, the plaintiff, the National Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, cited research suggesting that nearly half of the meat and poultry products in the U.S. contained drug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus -- of which more than half were resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics. Read the entire article.

Autumn Swooshes in

2011-09-17T18:18:00.000-05:00

Autumn came on the North wind this week, it swooshed right in and displaced the high 90's we were having and brought with it the damp, overcast skies, and the much needed rains we have been without for the past few months.The temperatures dropped to the low 40's at night and 50's and 60's during the cloudy damp and dark days.I caught a whiff of wood smoke in the air this morning, the neighbors must have fired up their outdoor wood heater. I love the smell of wood in the air ,nothing speaks as loud to me that the seasons are changing than wood smoke from fire places in the air. With the damp coolness, the leaves have begin to turn and drop almost immediately since we had been so dry I fear we will not have much color this year, which will be a big disappointment for me.

I brought my house plants in since it is a wee bit cool in the nights for them, they grew really good this summer. I even brought in some herbs to over winter as well, I do hope I have better luck with them this year.They just don't seem to take to indoor living but the alternative is death by freeze, so they best wise up to the fact that I am just trying to save their beautiful lives.

This season of change is reflective of my own changes taking place, I believe I am in the late summer to early fall of my life the 'Queen' phase and time of moon pause where my blood and wisdom remains within. A time to gather up the wisdom learned and knowledge acquired and make some sense of this Journey we call life or Soul crafting.It's the time of Grand-parenting, of still being able bodied enough to assist our daughters and son with the rearing of their own children and assist them with the means to remain grounded when everything in family life is so hectic as the children grow and learn to be who they be.

As the wheel turns towards Mabon ,Second Harvest, Autumnal Equinox, it turns towards harvesting, gathering and storing what we need to be able to over winter during the cold months to come. A time to put up preserves, dry herbs, can remaining vegetables, to clean up our spent gardens and yards .A time to gather up some reading material , crafting and hobby supplies so that we be ready for the long and cold nights that will soon be upon us. A time of gathering up our hunting supplies for the various hunting seasons that are near,making sure our rifles are clean and we have the ammunition sizes needed for various game we will hunt.

Mabon is a time of gathering and thanksgiving , of communing with nature and with our families and friends as we approach many of the celebratory holidays rushing towards us as the seasonal wheel yet again makes it turning.A time to reflect on the blessings , the times of sorrow, the hard work, the ups and downs this past year has bestowed upon us. Have we grown for the better through our challenges that we have had or are still facing? Have we received the answers we so desperately thought we needed to have in order to keep on keeping on?.Were there areas in our life that we have grown out of and something new is needing to take it's place? Has the year been one of hardship and more grief we think we can bear ? I can say it has for me, but I know in my heart and in my soul that as the Seasons change that those so called bad and dark places in my life have got to change as well, it is the gift of our Creator who has given us the wisdom of the Wheel of the Year, the lessons that the seasons and the phases of Grandmother moon, and daily changes of Grandfather sun teach us on a continual basis, which is ,that life is change, nothing will ever remain the same and that "it " will not stay as it is, be it for good or bad ,happy or sad, glad or misery , what ever " it" is , has it's own season and it must change so that we can move on in our journey of Soul Crafting on this journey we call life..My hope and prayer is that you will always find the blessing within the seasons of change that enter your life and that you be able to weather any storm that may arise.

blessed be

Sins among Saints

2011-08-19T10:05:00.000-05:00

Most religions do not stress perfection and preach that we need to live sinless lives as much as the religion of Christianity, in fact Christianity spends most of it's time telling non believers how sinful they are and that if they don't believe as they , well to hell you will go. So to read of many stories of the terrible sins of the clergy as we read about , blows my mind. The sins of physical abuse of children and women in these so called God fearing families, and the sexual abuse of children perpetrated by the clergy, and others in the Church, just boggles my mind. I know that these things happen across the lines in all areas of society, but what makes it bad is that out in society we know to expect that there are predators out and about and to remain aware, but in here, the home and ones church, the children and women are taken off guard because they are suppose to be safe in these places. It is really like wolves and other predators ,really do have safe hunting in places of Religion. http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2011/August/Missionary-Kids-Silent-No-More-about-Abuse-/
"I considered church people easy to fool... they seem to want to believe in the good that exists in all people... And because of that, you can easily convince with or without convincing words."- Imprisoned Pedophile
Child sexual abuse is one of the fastest growing forms of child abuse. In 2003, there were over 90,000 known reported cases of child sexual abuse in the United States.
Sadly, the Christian community is far from immune. In the last 10 years, there have been an average of 70 child abuse allegations against American churches every week. And those who survive child abuse face a lifetime of spiritual, emotional, and physical challenges.
The financial costs of child abuse are staggering. Child abuse costs this country more than $94 billion each year. That translates to $258 million per day or $1,462 annually for every household in the United States. Within the Christian community, law suits were a result of 21% of the allegations made against Christian churches. Child abuse has been both spiritually and financially devastating to the Christian community.
Today, over 60 million survivors of child abuse are living in the United States. This translates into 45 out of every 1,000 American children, many of whom are sitting in our churches and attending our Christian schools.
http://www.netgrace.org/index.asp?str_string=Home~none~none

JUST HANGIN

2011-08-19T07:59:00.000-05:00

I have not written much on here all summer, it has been a terribly hard summer for me. Hell the last 2 years have been terrible. I have had severe pain in my shoulders ,arms, neck and back along with my other chronic pains that I have had a hard time not lingering at the self pity party too long. Because of the pain it had made it hard for me to even use my walker or crutches so I have been just sitting around all by my lonesome all day long , day in and out. So I have had nothing of interest to write about , nothing has interested me since I can't do anything. But I have been reading your blog posts and just surfing the net and watch tv. I have been trying to find the right pain med combo that works, I am afraid I went over board a couple of days ago when I got desperate and made myself sick to my stomach , so now I am being more careful and starting out slowing with all my different choices to find out which one really works better than the other, wish me luck on this. It would be nice to be able to get around and do something productive again. I have to begin feeling better because I start keeping my grandsons ages 6 and 8 before and after school and night, for a month while daughter is doing her military thangy, she will be home on weekends though.Thank God it is not all day long!!!!
I know there are millions in worse shape than me so I try not to get on here and complain, I like to be more positive and affirmative than to bring everyone down. So I keep my self quiet so I am not such a downer.
I hope the rest of you have had and still having a wonderful summer!
blessed be

HERE'S YOUR SIGN

2011-08-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

OZARK COOKIN-SQUASH PATTIES

2011-08-19T06:53:00.000-05:00

Squash Patties

3 Squash, Grated
1/2-3/4 Cup. Cheddar Cheese, Grated
1 Sm. Bunch Green Onions Chopped (green part only) or 5-6
Chopped Jalapenos (Canned) or 4 fresh (no seeds)
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Cornmeal
1/2 Cup. Flour
Salt

Mixed all ingredients, Spoon mixture into a hot skillet of shallow vegetable oil. Cook on low-medium heat on each side until golden brown.

These are soooooooooo good kind of like Potato patties……

OZARK HUMOR-HUNTIN TRIP GONE BAD

2011-08-19T06:47:00.000-05:00

A group of ozark hunter friends went deer hunting and paired off in twos for the day. That night, one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under the weight of an eight-point buck.

"Where's biggen ?" the others asked.

"biggen had a stroke o' some kind. He's a couple of miles back up the trail," ucne replied.

"You left biggen layin' out there and carried the deer back?" they inquired.

"A tough call," nodded ucne . "But I figured no one's gonna steal biggen !"

OZARK HUMOR

2011-08-19T06:36:00.001-05:00

When you're from the country ~ your perception is a little different..

An Arkansas farmer in his pickup drove to a neighbor's, and knocked at the door.
A boy, about 9, opened the door
"Is your Dad home?"
"No sir, he isn't; he went to town."
"Well, is your Mother here?"

"No sir, she went to town with Dad."

"How about your brother, Howard? Is he here?"

"No sir, he went with Mom and Dad."

The farmer stood there for a few minutes, shifting from one foot to the other, and mumbling to himself.

"Is there anything I can do for you? I know where all the tools are, if you want to borrow one, or I can give dad a message."

"Well," said the farmer uncomfortably, "I really wanted to talk to your Dad. It's about your brother Howard getting my daughter, Suzie, pregnant."'

The boy thought for a moment.
"You would have to talk to Dad about that.

I know he charges $500 for the bull, and $50 for the hog, but I don't know how much he charges for Howard."

RED BELLIED WOODPECKER MEDICINE

2011-07-27T09:53:00.001-05:00

Redbellied woodpecker by P.A.T.C.

Here are some pictures of life around my yard, this is a red bellied wood pecker making a nest, which they finally finished but a starling chased them out of it and so no one raised young in it, alot of work was waisted on this, but hopefully next year they will find it again an move in without the work.

Red bellied woodpecker by P.A.T.C.

Notice the woodpecker spitting out wood dust.

There you go, he is all done and open for business.

Here is what woodpecker medicine means , this is from :

www.birdclan.org/woodpecker.html

Hear a Red-bellied Woodpecker sing
(Real Audio)

Woodpecker Medicine

Imperial Woodpecker
Red-Cockaded Woodpecker
Ivory-billed Woodpecker (UPDATE)
Tristam's Woodpecker

John James Audubon watercolor from 1826.

Woodpecker's Wisdom Includes:

Connection to the earth
Ability to find hidden layers
Understands rhythms, cycles and patterns
Warnings
Prophecy
Associated with thunder
The Earth's drummer
Pecks away at deception until the truth is revealed

Woodpecker is not only a medicine someone can carry, it is a Native American birth totem too. A WoodPecker (June 21 - July 21) birth totem is not the same thing as a spiritual totem or having a particular animal as a spirit guide. Those relationships are purely spiritual in nature. If WoodPecker is your birth totem, the animal acts as a teacher along your path specifically for spiritual understanding and growth. In other words, it is what you came here to learn! There are about 180 species of woodpeckers in the world. Most spend their entire lives in trees. Woodpeckers are climbers. They climb by propping their stiff pointed tail feathers against a support while shifting its leg hold. With its body close to the trunk or branch and its head bobbing, the bird hitches upwards, back down spiraling and nimbly darts sideways at incredible speeds. Because of their speed predators have difficulty catching them.

Their flight patterns are unique. Woodpeckers fly up, coast down then fly upwards again. Those with this totem often find that their path in life will not always conform to society's standards and that their personal unique rhythm needs to be honored. Woodpeckers teach us to honor our personal truth and move through life with perseverance and inner strength. By staying grounded in our pursuits our goals can be obtained.
Woodpeckers are opportunists. They know when to fly out from a perch to catch insects in the air or on the ground. Their barbed tongues and strong chiseled beaks symbolize life lessons associated with discernment and proper use of speech for those with this totem.

In spring the loud calls of woodpeckers often augmented by drumming on hollow wood are the sounds of males holding territories. Woodpeckers defend their territory aggressively. Those with this medicine need to be in control of their personal environment and will not tolerate others trying to change it. Although personal space is very important for woodpecker medicine people, control issues can sometimes be a problem and flexibility needs to be learned. The woodpecker is known as the Earths drummer. Drumming is the heartbeat of mother earth and is associated with shamanism and the ability to move into other dimensions at will. For those with this totem the woodpecker represents self discovery. As they peck into and through trees and dead wood, hidden layers of ones psyche are revealed. Those with this medicine are good analysts and have strong mental capabilities. They make excellent psychiatrists and psychologists. Woodpeckers are active birds so caution is advised to maintain balance when reviewing any situation or issue. Too much analyzing can result in procrastination.
The woodpecker is able to find food hidden under layers of bark and wood and teaches us to dig deeply to find truth and deceptions. Woodpecker energy is associated with prophecy and the ability to see deeper than surface lies.

James Coe Artist & Naturalist

Woodpecker speaks of not being hard-headed because they are able to use their beak to peck at trees. Woodpecker is telling us that even if something seems difficult to do, not to give up. To do what works, even if it is unconventional. To set your own pace, your own rhythm.
People born under the woodpecker sign need safety and security and are often wary because of their extreme sensitivity to their surroundings.

This totem is the power of rhythm and determination; stimulates new rhythms. Woodpecker folks are able to "ride the flow of life" and to receive in silence. They are gentle, sensitive and dreamy folks who tend to both absorb and reflect things around them. They are here to learn more independence and stability.

redarrow@birdclan.org

AND THIS IS FROM:

www.whats-your-sign.com/symbolic-meaning-of-woodpecker.html

A Quick-List of woodpecker symbolic meaning:

Balance
Progress
Signaling
Returning
Protection
Initiation
Attention
Prophesy
Listening
Opportunity
Discernment
Communication
Determination

When I hear the woodpecker knocking, I think of opportunity. You know the old saying "when opportunity knocks, answer the door." That's precisely what I'm driving at here.

Woodpeckers are extremely opportunistic themselves. Each tree is a door, revealing tender morsels of food (grubs and ants are their favorites). Other trees will yield against their beak-hammering to provide great mansions for their young.

When the woodpecker comes tapping into our awareness, it's also a signal to use our heads. Just as the woodpecker uses its head (beak) to hammer out solutions (food, shelter), we too can use our intellect in finding solutions to our own barriers.

The symbolic meaning of woodpeckers also point to a need for creative vision. Being opportunistic, woodpeckers can see value everywhere, even in dead trees. Have you ditched an idea or given up on a project? The woodpecker may be trying to tell you to breathe new life into your project, just as they build new homes into dead trees.

Further, the symbolic meaning of woodpecker indicates a return to our roots, or having trust in our basic (gut) feelings. Dr. Carl Jung observed the woodpecker as a symbol of a return to the womb of creativity. In this observation the tree is symbolic of a womb; earthy, grounded, sturdy and secure. The woodpecker's home within the tree is analogous of a fierce determination to return and protect that which is sacred to us.

When this bird comes pecking, it is a call for us to return to our roots, back to the womb of our ideas and use our intellect and discernment to follow through with our plans.

This analogy is doubly profound in the case of red-headed woodpeckers as the color red is associated with the root chakra. Prime, protective energy. Another clear sign for being aware of our core impulses, and our basic beliefs.

Native North American wisdom recognized the protective home-based themes of the woodpecker too. Prairie tribes had a myth that the title of protector of humankind was once vied for by the turkey and the woodpecker. The woodpecker won the title because of her ability to make such marvelous nests wherein the spiritual seed of humankind would always be sheltered from predatory threat.

The woodpecker may also remind us to be mindful of our words. It has a narrow tongue, extremely effective for picking up food in narrow places. This is symbolic for using a narrow route to get the most profound effect. The woodpecker asks us to use fewer words to make a stronger impact in our statement. ..............
And so, when the woodpecker comes calling, it may be a sign to:

Fly back to our roots.
Nurture our ideas in the womb of our core passions.
Shelter our wisdom from predatory threat.
Use our heads (intellect) to think up innovative solutions to overcome barriers.
Communicate our ideas in more creative or non-traditional ways.
Stop and consider the opportunities available to us at this time.
Look at projects in unique creative ways to bring new life to a project.
Listen more clearly to subtle energies, there is a message that only our intuition can interpret.

My garden , summer 2011

2011-07-27T08:01:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pictures of my garden this year , a few at the beginning and in the middle of the growing season.

Here is a picture of the beginning of growing season and my corn plot just planted, and my boxes early on this season.

Here is another angle of my early garden this season.

Here is my small herb bed , thyme , chives and lemon balm in the cement blocks, sweet and purple basil,oregano and rosemary in the bed itself, and a lone tomato.

Here is my herb bed later on in the season and the box behind it full of zucchini squash, cucumbers and tomatoes.

Here is my corn patch, okra and tomato in the blue tub later on.

Here is my spaghetti squash and in the freezer my Zucchini as well.

plants in front are okra and the box behind is the tomato and cuke box

off in the distance by the white building is my climbing green beans.

Where there you go some pictures of my garden this year. I have not been getting a good harvest though, a few now and again, the plants looked good but the produce far and few in between, but it is still enough for us to eat as you go. It is really nice this year to be able to tend my garden , I haven't been able to for the past 13 summers being on the road, but it has been a challenge between the heat and drought and my pain and disability, but still enjoying being home in spite of myself.

Summer blessings to ya 'all

5 SOLUTIONS FOR NATURAL FLEA CONTROL

2011-07-19T18:36:00.003-05:00

5 Solutions for Natural Flea Control

posted by Veronica Peterson Jul 18, 2011 3:30 pm

With a scratch, scratch here and a scratch, scratch there… Warm weather is returning and with it come the fleas. Those nasty little buggers could drive a dog to drink but pumping their blood full of prescription medication (aka harsh chemicals) or using harsh soaps and sprays hardly seems like a pet lover’s answer. Below are some all-natural solutions that will have your dog itch-free in no time.
1. Rosemary Flea Dip
Steep two cups of fresh rosemary in boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid, discard the leaves and add up to a gallon of warm water depending on the size of your dog. Wait until it cools but is still warm and pour over your dog until he’s soaked. Allow your dog to dry naturally. Works especially well on hot summer days.
2. Lavender Essential Oil
Wash your dog thoroughly and towel dry. Apply a few drops of lavender essential oil to the base of the tail and another at the neck.
3. Brewer’s Yeast
Add a small Brewer’s yeast tablets to your dog’s food. Much like prescription meds (but much healthier), this is excreted through Fido’s skin making him less attractive to fleas. Check with your veterinarian for the proper dosages depending on weight.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
A spoonful of this stuff added to your dog’s water makes their skin more acidic and not-at-all tasty to fleas. If apple cider vinegar is not your dog’s cup of tea, you can dilute it 50/50 with water, pour into a spray bottle and use as a repellent.
5. Lemon Spray Repellent
Cut a lemon into quarters, cover with boiling water and let it steep overnight. In the morning, spray all over your dog, especially behind the ears and around the head generally (be careful of his eyes), around the base of the tail, and under your dog’s legs.

THE MIND BODY CONNECTIONS

2011-07-04T05:49:00.000-05:00

Mind/Body Connection: How Your Emotions Affect Your Health

What is good emotional health?

People who have good emotional health are aware of their thoughts, feelings and behaviors. They have learned healthy ways to cope with the stress and problems that are a normal part of life. They feel good about themselves and have healthy relationships.

However, many things that happen in your life can disrupt your emotional health and lead to strong feelings of sadness, stress or anxiety. These things include:

Being laid off from your job
Having a child leave or return home
Dealing with the death of a loved one
Getting divorced or married
Suffering an illness or an injury
Getting a job promotion
Experiencing money problems
Moving to a new home
Having a baby

“Good” changes can be just as stressful as “bad” changes.

How can my emotions affect my health?

Your body responds to the way you think, feel and act. This is often called the “mind/body connection.” When you are stressed, anxious or upset, your body tries to tell you that something isn’t right. For example, high blood pressure or a stomach ulcer might develop after a particularly stressful event, such as the death of a loved one. The following can be physical signs that your emotional health is out of balance:

Back pain
Change in appetite
Chest pain
Constipation or diarrhea
Dry mouth
Extreme tiredness
General aches and pains
Headaches
High blood pressure
Insomnia (trouble sleeping)
Lightheadedness
Palpitations (the feeling that your heart is racing)
Sexual problems
Shortness of breath
Stiff neck
Sweating
Upset stomach
Weight gain or loss

Poor emotional health can weaken your body's immune system, making you more likely to get colds and other infections during emotionally difficult times. Also, when you are feeling stressed, anxious or upset, you may not take care of your health as well as you should. You may not feel like exercising, eating nutritious foods or taking medicine that your doctor prescribes. Abuse of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs may also be a sign of poor emotional health.

Why does my doctor need to know about my emotions?

You may not be used to talking to your doctor about your feelings or problems in your personal life. But remember, he or she can’t always tell that you’re feeling stressed, anxious or upset just by looking at you. It’s important to be honest with your doctor if you are having these feelings.

First, he or she will need to make sure that other health problems aren’t causing your physical symptoms. If your symptoms aren’t caused by other health problems, you and your doctor can address the emotional causes of your symptoms. Your doctor may suggest ways to treat your physical symptoms while you work together to improve your emotional health.

If your negative feelings don’t go away and are so strong that they keep you from enjoying life, it’s especially important for you to talk to your doctor. You may have what doctors call “major depression.” Depression is a medical illness that can be treated with individualized counseling, medicine or with both.

How can I improve my emotional health?

First, try to recognize your emotions and understand why you are having them. Sorting out the causes of sadness, stress and anxiety in your life can help you manage your emotional health. The following are some other helpful tips.

Express your feelings in appropriate ways. If feelings of stress, sadness or anxiety are causing physical problems, keeping these feelings inside can make you feel worse. It’s OK to let your loved ones know when something is bothering you. However, keep in mind that your family and friends may not be able to help you deal with your feelings appropriately. At these times, ask someone outside the situation--such as your family doctor, a counselor or a religious advisor--for advice and support to help you improve your emotional health.

Live a balanced life. Try not to obsess about the problems at work, school or home that lead to negative feelings. This doesn’t mean you have to pretend to be happy when you feel stressed, anxious or upset. It’s important to deal with these negative feelings, but try to focus on the positive things in your life too. You may want to use a journal to keep track of things that make you feel happy or peaceful. Some research has shown that having a positive outlook can improve your quality of life and give your health a boost. You may also need to find ways to let go of some things in your life that make you feel stressed and overwhelmed. Make time for things you enjoy.

Develop resilience. People with resilience are able to cope with stress in a healthy way. Resilience can be learned and strengthened with different strategies. These include having social support, keeping a positive view of yourself, accepting change and keeping things in perspective.

Calm your mind and body. Relaxation methods, such as meditation, are useful ways to bring your emotions into balance. Meditation is a form of guided thought. It can take many forms. For example, you may do it by exercising, stretching or breathing deeply. Ask your family doctor for advice about relaxation methods.

Take care of yourself. To have good emotional health, it’s important to take care of your body by having a regular routine for eating healthy meals, getting enough sleep and exercising to relieve pent-up tension. Avoid overeating and don’t abuse drugs or alcohol. Using drugs or alcohol just causes other problems, such as family and health problems.

Source

Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.

American Academy of Family Physicians

When undergoing a particular issue in your life this is where you are likely to be having health issues:

Immune system, bones, joints and skin-- is related to problems with family or other group in your life.
Lower back, uterus, ovaries, pelvis--is related to problems balancing money & love.
Digestive track, weight, addictions-- to let you know you have problems with work or self-esteem.
Heart, breasts, lungs-- is linked to symptoms like hypertension, high cholesterol, asthma-- related to problems with mood, emotional expression, and anxiety.
Neck, thyroid-- related to problems with communication, being heard.
Brain, eyes, ears-- symptoms include headaches, tinnitus, and eye problems-- has to do with how you perceive the world.
Life threatening illness-- like cancer, has to do with the question 'why am I here?' and spiritual purpose.

Supreme Court rejects ban on violent video games

2011-06-28T08:37:00.001-05:00

I have a big problem with this issue, your telling me that it is not ok to let youngins see people pleasuring each other in videos but that it is ok to allow them to see extreme violence and killing, maming and amputations etc...boy as a society we have gotten way off the mark.In my opinion such as it is ,I believe there should be an age limit on both kinds, adult sex and violence videos and games should have warnings and limits according to age.I agree with the judges that parents should be the ones to step up here and monitor what their kids are watching and doing, but I believe they need to know that it is not going to be made easy for their kids to get their hands on these videos when parents are not around. What is wrong with us, when we want our kids to see this crap, violence in my mind is far worse to see than sex. I believe that it is a moral issue to allow our kids to think that killing, beating, shooting, putting people on fire, cutting off heads and limbs is ok, but that loving and pleasuring someone else is wrong, nasty and bad. Wow , I am not saying that we should allow kids to see adults at play, but if I had to choose between the two, I choose sex every time. We have really gone off the deep in ,in my opinion.

For that it is worth,
Owlthena

Supreme Court rejects ban on violent video games

By Joan Biskupic and Mike Snider, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court's groundbreaking decision Monday striking down California's ban on the sale of violent video games to minors represents a landmark moment for the gaming industry and lifts a threat to its creative development.

The 7-2 decision, affecting a $25-billion-a-year industry and more than 100 million gamers, immediately ricocheted across the Internet, as video game fans and developers hailed the victory on Twitter and Facebook. The ruling ensures the industry will keep making titles such as L.A. Noire, which has been compared to big-budget R-rated crime thriller films, they say.

"Had this decision gone the other way," said Ted Price, president of Insomniac Games, known for the games Ratchet & Clank and Resistance, "it would have left us handcuffed wondering whether or not what we create would fall under the restrictions and thus be illegal to sell to minors."

James Steyer of Common Sense Media, a parents' advocacy group, disagreed with the court's First Amendment protection for video games, saying "This is a sanity issue, not a censorship issue."

STORY: High court strikes down Ariz. campaign finance law

Justice Antonin Scalia's robust opinion on behalf of five justices, however, said that while video games might not be as "intellectually edifying" as a great work of literature, they deserve similar free-speech protection.

And he rejected arguments that video games present special problems because they are "interactive" with players participating in the violent action on screen. All literature is essentially interactive, Scalia said.

Getting to the crux of the state's argument that violent content should be kept from youths under 18 as sexually explicit materials can be, Scalia said there is no tradition in America of restricting children's access to depictions of violence.

"Grimm's Fairy Tales, for example, are grim indeed," he wrote, observing that California's ban was the latest in a long series of failed attempts to censor violent entertainment for minors.

Monday's ruling ensures that any limits on the sale of video games are set by the industry, which already has a rating system in place to warn consumers about the level of violence and other elements.

About 5% of games fall into a category rated "mature" and recommended to those 17 years old and older. Those games, however, account for about a quarter of all video game sales.

The nation's gaming audience has been aging, creating greater demand for video games with more mature themes. Entertainment industry groups that challenged California's law said a victory for the state would have chilled video game publishers' willingness to put out games with mature themes. Eleven states had sided with California before the high court.

Activision Blizzard's chief public policy officer George Rose added that the industry is liberated from the litigation, yet does not view it as "carte blanche to just go out and start to create a bunch of violent video games."

As the audience for video games has aged — the age of the average game player is 37 and nearly one-third of gamers are over the age of 50 — game makers have adjusted.

"For us to be successful as an industry, we will offer a wide range of media to appeal to that full market, much as you have seen the motion picture industry do," said Michael Gallagher, president of video game industry trade group, the Entertainment Software Association. The ESA was one of two industry groups that started the legal challenge.

Gallagher emphasized the importance of the court's sweeping First Amendment protection to video games: "It's a very historic day for the video game industry."

Video violence a concern

Yet there were some cautions for the industry in Monday's case, which had been argued on Nov. 2 and was the longest pending case of the annual session that ended Monday. Four justices — two of whom concurred only in the judgment against California and two who dissented — took issue with the Scalia majority's dismissal of a link between video watching and harm to children.

Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, referred to "the effect of exceptionally violent video games on impressionable minors, who often spend countless hours immersed in the alternative worlds that these games create." Alito said he "would not squelch legislative efforts to deal with what is perceived by some to be a significant and developing social problem."

Alito and Roberts joined the majority in voiding the law, saying it failed to sufficiently define a "violent" game. Unlike Scalia, however, they believed states could restrict game sales with a narrowly written statute.

California's law, passed in 2005 and signed by then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, prohibited the sale or rental of a "violent" video game to anyone under 18. It defined a violent video game as one that depicts "killing, maiming, dismembering, or sexually assaulting an image of a human being" in a way that appeals to a deviant or morbid interest of minors.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Stephen Breyer dissented separately.

Thomas said minors lacked free speech rights under the original understanding of the First Amendment. Using another rationale, Breyer said the law should have been upheld under a 1968 precedent, Ginsberg v. New York, that said sexually explicit materials could be kept from minors.

"What sense does it make to forbid selling to a 13-year-old boy a magazine with an image of a nude woman," he wrote, "while protecting a sale to that 13?-year-old of an interactive video game in which he actively, but virtually, binds and gags the woman, then tortures and kills her? What kind of First Amendment would permit the government to protect children by restricting sales of that extremely violent video game only when the woman — bound, gagged, tortured, and killed — is also topless?"

Designers will use caution

Game designers and publishers said that while the ruling would not significantly alter their day-to-day activities, it lifts a cloud that had hung over the industry once the high court decided to hear California's appeal. "I don't actually think we ever had any doubt that the Supreme Court would rule this way," said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, the U.S. No. 1 publisher of games, including Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.

Video game developers are unlikely to push the limits, says Ken Levine, creative director for Irrational Games, the studio that created BioShock.

Compared with films, where "torture porn" such as the Saw series have become a common genre, games rarely delve in "the most extreme depictions of violence," Levine said.

"Game developers have realized that in general, extreme violence is not a recipe for creative or commercial success. However, it's critical that such a realization comes from ourselves and from our dialogue with gamers — or in the case of kids, their parents — not from the government."

Levine said he expects game designers to "move forward empowered, but also with a sense of responsibility." He said creators understand the power of their work and would continue to self-regulate, rather than have government exert its authority over their work.

Effect on children debated

An overriding point of contention between the Scalia majority and other justices turned on the value of video games and their potentially dangerous effect on children.

Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, a San Francisco-based parents advocacy group focusing on technology, said the ruling could heighten public debate on the dangers of certain video games. "This issue is only going to get bigger," he said, "now that children can download even to their cellphones."

California state Sen. Leland Yee, a Democrat from San Francisco who sponsored the voided law, said children's well-being is still at risk: "These kinds of games really train kids in how to hurt people. This issue is not going to go away."

The Scalia majority, which included Justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, spurned California's attempts to show the harmful effects on children. "The state's evidence is not compelling," Scalia wrote. Studies "show at best some correlation between exposure to violent entertainment and minuscule real-world effects, such as children's feeling more aggressive or making louder noises in the few minutes after playing a violent game than after playing a nonviolent game."

Scalia also responded to Alito's objection to comparing the experience of playing a game to reading a book. "Reading Dante is unquestionably more cultured and intellectually edifying than playing Mortal Kombat," Scalia wrote. "But these cultural and intellectual differences are not constitutional ones."

Other states were divided over California's effort at the high court. Besides the 11 states that backed California, nine were opposed, arguing that such a ban would keep law enforcement away from more urgent safety concerns.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit had declared California's law unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds, in keeping with other lower courts that had considered similar state laws.

Scalia said Monday's decision is consistent with high-court precedent, including a decision last term in which the justices rejected a federal law that banned the sale of depictions of animal cruelty. In that case, the justices provided a roadmap for Congress to write a narrower law that would restrict "crush videos." They had prompted the 1999 ban and typically show women's heels digging into small animals.

That kind of roadmap did not emerge Monday. The Scalia majority, after detailing a history of gory children's literature, including Hansel and Gretel killing their captor by baking her in an oven, said states simply could not keep violent materials from children. "That is unprecedented and mistaken," Scallia said.

No 'him' or 'her'; preschool fights gender bias

2011-06-28T05:36:00.000-05:00

No 'him' or 'her'; preschool fights gender bias
By JENNY SOFFEL - Associated Press | AP – Mon,
Jun 27, 2011
In this Monday June 20, 2011 file photo, children play in the garden of "Egalia", …
In this Monday June 20, 2011 photo, Lotta Rajalin, director at "Egalia", a Swedish …

STOCKHOLM (AP) — At the "Egalia" preschool, staff avoid using words like "him" or "her" and address the 33 kids as "friends" rather than girls and boys.
From the color and placement of toys to the choice of books, every detail has been carefully planned to make sure the children don't fall into gender stereotypes.
"Society expects girls to be girlie, nice and pretty and boys to be manly, rough and outgoing," says Jenny Johnsson, a 31-year-old teacher. "Egalia gives them a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want to be."
The taxpayer-funded preschool which opened last year in the liberal Sodermalm district of Stockholm for kids aged 1 to 6 is among the most radical examples of Sweden's efforts to engineer equality between the sexes from childhood onward.
Breaking down gender roles is a core mission in the national curriculum for preschools, underpinned by the theory that even in highly egalitarian-minded Sweden, society gives boys an unfair edge.
To even things out, many preschools have hired "gender pedagogues" to help staff identify language and behavior that risk reinforcing stereotypes.
Some parents worry things have gone too far. An obsession with obliterating gender roles, they say, could make the children confused and ill-prepared to face the world outside kindergarten.
"Different gender roles aren't problematic as long as they are equally valued," says Tanja Bergkvist, a 37-year-old blogger and a leading voice against what she calls "gender madness" in Sweden.
Those bent on shattering gender roles "say there's a hierarchy where everything that boys do is given higher value, but I wonder who decides that it has higher value," she says. "Why is there higher value in playing with cars?"
At Egalia — the title connotes "equality" — boys and girls play together with a toy kitchen, waving plastic utensils and pretending to cook. One boy hides inside the toy stove, his head popping out through a hole.
Lego bricks and other building blocks are intentionally placed next to the kitchen, to make sure the children draw no mental barriers between cooking and construction.
Director Lotta Rajalin notes that Egalia places a special emphasis on fostering an environment tolerant of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. From a bookcase she pulls out a story about two male giraffes who are sad to be childless — until they come across an abandoned crocodile egg.
Nearly all the children's books deal with homosexual couples, single parents or adopted children. There are no "Snow White," ''Cinderella" or other classic fairy tales seen as cementing stereotypes.
Rajalin, 52, says the staff also try to help the children discover new ideas when they play.
"A concrete example could be when they're playing 'house' and the role of the mom already is taken and they start to squabble," she says. "Then we suggest two moms or three moms and so on."
Egalia's methods are controversial; some say they amount to mind control. Rajalin says the staff have received threats from racists apparently upset about the preschool's use of black dolls.
But she says that there's a long waiting list for admission to Egalia, and that only one couple has pulled a child out of the school.
Jukka Korpi, 44, says he and his wife chose Egalia "to give our children all the possibilities based on who they are and not on their gender."
Sweden has promoted women's rights for decades, and more recently was a pioneer among European countries in allowing gay and lesbian couples to legalize their partnerships and adopt children.
Gender studies permeate academic life in Sweden. Bergkvist noted on her blog that the state-funded Swedish Science Council had granted $80,000 for a postdoctoral fellowship aimed at analyzing "the trumpet as a symbol of gender."
Jay Belsky, a child psychologist at the University of California, Davis, said he's not aware of any other school like Egalia, and he questioned whether it was the right way to go.
"The kind of things that boys like to do — run around and turn sticks into swords — will soon be disapproved of," he said. "So gender neutrality at its worst is emasculating maleness."
Egalia is unusual even for Sweden. Staff try to shed masculine and feminine references from their speech, including the pronouns him or her — "han" or "hon" in Swedish. Instead, they've have adopted the genderless "hen," a word that doesn't exist in Swedish but is used in some feminist and gay circles.
"We use the word "Hen" for example when a doctor, police, electrician or plumber or such is coming to the kindergarten," Rajalin says. "We don't know if it's a he or a she so we just say 'Hen is coming around 2 p.m.' Then the children can imagine both a man or a woman. This widens their view."
Egalia doesn't deny the biological differences between boys and girls — the dolls the children play with are anatomically correct.
What matters is that children understand that their biological differences "don't mean boys and girls have different interests and abilities," Rajalin says. "This is about democracy. About human equality."
____
Associated Press writer Karl Ritter contributed to this report.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Give me a break,what is wrong with being male, or female, there is a difference between genders, what is wrong with that? We can have equality while still honoring who we are, our gender is a major part of who we are and trying to ignore our differences ,in my opinion , is going way out in left field, trying to make us genderless is screwed up. Playing with cars or dolls or action figures are equally enjoyed by both genders and it is ok, but to say it is not ok to be a boy or a girl that is not ok.Because some people may have gender identity problems or issues does not mean that all of us do.Because some folks want to stretch and bend gender identity does not mean we have to do away with gender all together.

No matter what any one says there is a difference in females and males, and yes that is a GOOD THANG , we are not the same no matter how much these folks want to change this. There is a 'him,he' ,'her, she'. So what if a girl is tomboyish, or a boy is girlie that is their own unique way of expressing themselves nothing wrong in that but to make all of the rest of us have to blurr our gender is going in the wrong direction, but then that is just my take on this.

for what it is worth

Pat

COLOR THERAPY

2011-06-11T13:35:00.001-05:00

Color Therapy or Chromotherapy is a method of treating diseases by color. It is used as an adjuvant therapy along with other natural ways of maintaining and preserving health such as exercise, correct diet, proper rest and relaxation.

The practitioners of Chromotherapy believe that the cause of any disease can be traced to the lack of particular color in the human system. Color Therapy is a technique of restoring imbalance by means of applying colored light to the body. This method was very popular even in the ancient times. In ancient India, Egypt and China color halls were used for healing and even Pythagoras applied colored light therapeutically. The actions and effects of various colors on the body and their healing qualities are as follows:

There are 3 methods of treating diseases by color. They are:

1. Application of Light through Different Colored Glasses: In this method sheets of glass of 30cms*36cms of the required colors are needed. They are placed at a convenient location in such a way that the sun's rays pass through them and fall on the patient's body. The usual duration of this treatment is thirty minutes. Even for topical application on the body, the same procedure is used.

2. External or Internal Use of Color Charged Water: This method requires colored bottles. These bottles are cleaned up and filled up to three-fourths levels with fresh well water, rain water or distilled water. The bottle should be corked and then placed in bright sunlight for three to four hours. After this the color charged water can be used both internally and for external applications.

3.The most prominent source of light is the sun, providing sunlight which consists of 7 different colors - red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, blue and violet, which contain most of the benefits to maintain a healthy body. Hiding and depriving oneself from the benefits of sunlight can only bring negative effects and encourage diseases. Diseases such as chlorosis, anemia, leukemia, emaciation, muscular debility, degeneration of heart and liver, dropsical effusion, softening of bones, nervous excitability, physical deformity and stunted growth are some of the result of sunlight deficiency. Reasonable usage of sunlight however, is well known to improve digestion and nutrition, quicken blood and lymph circulation, as well as increase the elimination of impurities through the skin.
Thus we can say that the healing power of colors have proven to be very useful in treating various diseases and ailments.

Color Chart

www.deeptrancenow.com/colortherapy.htm

A preference for certain colors can point at two things:

self-expression (you choose the colors which match your personality; for instance green for a lover of harmony and nature)
completion (you choose the colors you need more of; for instance an active, passionate person chooses blue colors to cool down his nature).

An aversion against certain colors gives information as well. Possible explanations are given in the chart.

	Red Healing properties: Brings warmth, energy and stimulation, therefore good for energy, fatigue, colds, chilly and passive people. Red energizes heart and blood circulation, it builds up the blood and heightens a low blood pressure. Energizes all organs and the senses hearing, smell, taste, vision and touch. Increases sexual desire and activity. Stimulates ovulation and menstruation. Never treat cancer with red, because this color will stimulate cell growth! Red links with and stimulates the root chakra, at the base of the spine, causing the adrenal glands to release adrenalin. This results in greater strength. Red causes hemoglobin to multiply, thus increasing energy and raising body temperature. It is excellent for anemia and blood-related conditions. It loosens, opens up clogs, releases stiffness and constrictions. It is excellent for areas that have become stiffened or constricted. Esoteric/magickal: Deities of love, passion, sexuality and war (to stimulate a healthy portion of assertiveness). Great energy, courage, will-power, determination, speed, assertiveness, aggression, masculinity, independence, physical strength, sports, competition, conflicts, health, sexual attraction and potency, love and passion, fertility. Preference for red: Red is associated with passionate love, sex, great energy, impulse, action and stimulation, assertiveness and aggression, courage, strength and power, adventure, danger, warnings, revolt and revolution. Temperamental and ambitious people with a need for personal freedom. Aversion to red: A person who has an aversion to red may be over-active, too impulsive, hot-tempered, aggressive and egocentric, or have difficulties with people with such characteristics. It can also symbolize deeply hidden fears and rejection of his own assertiveness.
	Orange Healing properties: Orange is warm, cheering, non-constricting. Orange has a freeing action upon the body and mind, relieving repressions. Orange shows new possibilities and other options in life. Stimulates creative thinking and enthusiasm, and helps assimilate new ideas.It is also helpful in dealing with excess sexual expression. Orange stimulates the lungs, the respiration and the digestion. Increases the activity of the thyroid. Reliefs muscle cramps and spasms. Increases the amount of mother milk. Finally, orange links very strongly with the sacral chakra. Esoteric/magickal: Deities of good luck and fortune. Attraction, charm, kindness, encouragement, stimulation, optimism, success, abundance, prosperity, feast and celebration, energy, achieving business-goals, investments, success in legal matters. Preference for orange: Orange represents the warmth of the fire. It brings even more energy than yellow, celebration and great abundance, comfort, enjoyment of the senses. Warm, sociable, dynamic and independent people who dedicate themselves to whatever they do. Aversion to orange: A person who has an aversion to orange may have suppressed sexual feelings or other difficulties with sensual enjoyment of life. The attitude can also be over-sensual, indulgent, or too materialistic.
	Yellow Healing properties: Yellow helps strengthen the nerves and the mind. It helps awaken mental inspiration and stimulates higher mentality. Thus, it is an excellent color for nervous or nerve-related conditions or ailments. It also energizes the muscles. Dark yellow soothes pains in the nerves (shooting pains) Yellow can be used for conditions of the stomach, liver, and intestines. Speeds up the digestion and assimilation, and the stool. It helps the pores of the skin and aids scarred tissue in healing itself. Yellow links with and stimulates the solar plexus, or psychic center. It can be used for psychic burnout or other psychic-related conditions or ailments. Activates and cheers up depressed and melancholic people. Gives lust for life. Esoteric/magical: Elemental air. Deities for trade, travel, knowledge and magick. Life-force, vitality, change, progress, contact, communication, trade, commerce, to persuade with confidence, joy, cheerfulness, learning, knowledge, mental clarity, concentration, memorizing, tests, speaking and writing, traveling, affirmation, visualization. Preference for yellow: The color of the sun, life-force, vividity, vitality and energy. The color of cheerfulness, curiosity, alternation, flexibility, progress, amusement, contact through traveling and communication, learning and practical knowledge. A feeling for writing and speaking. Aversion to yellow: A person who has aversion to yellow may be emotionally disappointed and bitter.May have tendency to rationalize feelings, or to avoid the depth of life by often changing relationships, many superficial relationships and/or constant changing activities.
	Green Healing properties: Green is the color of Nature and the earth. It is balance and harmony in essence and possesses a soothing influence upon both mind and body. It is neither relaxing nor astringent in its impact. Green can be used for just about any condition in need of healing. Green rings psychological and emotional harmony and balance. Green links with and stimulates the heart chakra.Green affects blood pressure and all conditions of the heart. It has both an energizing effect and a moderating or soothing effect. It cures hormonal imbalances. Stimulates growth hormone and rejuvenation. Cleans and purifies from germs, bacteria and rotting material. Harmonizes the digestion, stomach, liver, gall. Has a healing effect on kidneys. Increases immunity. Builds up muscles, bones and tissues. Stimulates inner peace. Strengthens the nervous system. Esoteric/magickal: Elemental earth (dark green) and elemental water (blue-green). Nature, fertility, growth, rejuvenation, recovering, healing, harvest and abundance, prosperity, harmony, balance, peace, hope, mother earth, home, herbal magick, plants and animals, counteract greed and jealousy. Preference for green: Green brings peace, rest, hope, comfort and nurturing, calmness and harmony. Interest in nature, plants, fellowmen, children and animals, health and healing, natural and plain life. Longing for a safe home and family-life. A dislike of conflicts. Aversion to green: A person who has an aversion to green may be more interested in independence and self-development than in a warm family-life. May prefer to keep a certain distance in (sexual) relationships.
	Blue Healing properties: Blue is cooling, electric, astringent. Dr. Edwin Babbitt, in his classic, "The Principles of Light and Color," states that "The Blue Ray is one of the greatest antiseptics in the world." Cools down inflammations (don't forget rheumatic inflammations), fever, high blood pressure, stops bleedings, reliefs the bursting headaches, calms strong emotions like anger, aggression or hysteria. Brings tranquility. Anti-itching. Anti-irritation (for instance redness of the skin), anti-stress. Soothes suffering. Blue can be used for any type of ailments associated with speech, communication, or the throat. Excellent forlaryngitis or inflammation of the larynx. Blue links with and stimulates the throat chakra. The throat chakra is often referenced as the "power center" and "the greatest center in the body" because it is the primary center of expression and communication, through speech. Esoteric/magickal: Elemental water and elemental air. Deities of the sea, truth and wisdom. Peace and tranquility, calmness, truth, wisdom, justice, counsel, guidance, understanding, patience, loyalty and honor, sincerity, devotion, healing, femininity, prophetic dreams, protection during sleep, astral projection. Preference for blue: Cool and soothing, dreamy and magical. Peace and rest. For people who keep a certain distance, but give calm and practical help; they are faithful and loyal, have a sense for order, logic and rational thinking. Flying in day-dreaming, ideals or nostalgia when felt mis-understood. Dark blue is more severe and can be melancholic. Blue is also the color of truth. Aversion to blue: A person who has an aversion to blue, may be very disciplined, strong career worker, with an aversion of commentary or restriction. He may have charted out a clear direction for his life and wants to follow that lacelike .
	Indigo Healing properties: Indigo is a great purifier of the bloodstream and also benefits mental problems. It is a freeing and purifying agent. Indigo combines the deep blue of devotion with a trace of stabilizing and objective red. Indigo is cool, electric, and astringent. Indigo links with and stimulates the brow chakra (third eye) and controls the pineal gland. It governs both physical and spiritual perception. It can be of great assistance in dealing with ailments of the eyes and ears.
	Violet / Purple Healing properties: These are colors of transformation. They heal melancholy, hysteria, delusions and alcohol addiction and bring spiritual insights and renewal. These colors slow down an over-active heart; stimulate the spleen and the white blood cells (immunity). Bring sleep. Soothe mental and emotional stress. Decrease sexual activity. Decrease sensitivity to pain. They help in detoxification. Leonardo da Vinci proclaimed that you can increase the power of meditation ten-fold by meditating under the gentle rays of Violet, as found in Church windows. Esoteric/magickal: Elemental spirit. Divination and prophecy. Angels. Psychic abilities, divination, counter-acting negativity/black magick, reversing curses, psychic healing, psychic power, inspiration, meditation, spirituality, spiritual power, astral projection, third eye, compassion, counter-acting depression. Preference for violet/purple: Colors for meditation, contemplation, mysticism, spirituality and religion power. A longing to ascend and dissolve polarities (purple consists of the active red and passive blue), to improve the world. Reservation, mystery and dignity. Soft, sensitive people with often paranormal abilities. Aversion to violet / purple: A person who has an aversion for violet / purple may have very serious attitude towards life; and may find it difficult to give dreams, fantasies, vague fears or memories a place in it. May have tendency to rejection everything he regards as unnatural or unrealistic.
	White Healing properties: White is the perfect color; for it is all colors, in perfect balance and harmony. It is the color of the awakened Spirit; the light of perfection; the light of the Cosmic Consciousness,the Divine Light. Just about everyone has heard of surrounding people with the "White Light of Healing and Protection." White light raises the vibration of one's consciousness and the body, bringing harmony in all aspects of one's life. Directing white into to a part of the body that needs healing is one of the fastest ways to bring about healing. Esoteric/magickal: Purification and cleaning on all levels, contact with higher self and spiritual helpers, (inner) peace, aura-healing, truth seeking, consecration, spiritual enlightenment, protection against negativity by raising your vibration, breaking curses, exorcism, meditation, divination, inspiration, clairvoyance, invoking spirits White can be a replacement for any other color your magick requires. Preference for white: White points at innocence, purity, virginity, cleanliness, freshness, simplicity, nothingness, oneness and completion, truth. In certain cultures white is the color of death and mourning. Aversion to white: A person who has an aversion to white color isforemost or solely interested in 'realistic' and tangible things, not in illusions or things that are beyond seeing or understanding. Knows and accepts the own imperfection and does not wish to achieve perfection.
	Magenta Healing properties: Strengthens contact with your life purpose. Stimulates adrenalineand heart activity. Esoteric/magickal: Scorpio-energy. Magnetism, to attract or speed up things, extra power, when immediate action and great spiritual power are needed, life purpose, life path. Preference for magenta: Much energy and activity focused on achieving power and self-realization. Strong but controlled passions and emotions. Daring, ready to fight, willing to give everything for a goal. Can drive things too far and have fixed ideas. Aversion to magenta: A person who has an aversion to magenta may feel overwhelmed by people with strong convictions or heavy emotions like jealousy; also may have difficulties with exposing deep emotions.
	Pink Healing properties: Heals grief and sadness. Restores youthfulness. Brings you in contact with your feelings. Esoteric/magickal: Softness and tenderness, romance, caring, nurturing, for children, youth, peace, friendship, femininity, emotional love, emotional healing. Preference for pink: Regarded as a feminine color. Pink symbolizes softness, sweetness, innocence, youthfulness and tenderness. Soft and kind people. Aversion to pink: A person who has an aversion to pink may have a challenge with expressingsoft, tender, female side.
	Turquoise Healing properties: Increases intuition and sensitivity. Works disinfecting and antiseptic. Tones the general system. Builds the skin. Relaxes sensations of stress. Esoteric/magickal: Alterations, intellectual and intuitive insights, technique, inventions, originality, renewal, brotherhood, humanism. Preference for turquoise: Just like the wide turquoise sea you don't want to feel restricted and you don't immediately bring to the surface what goes on in you; emotions can remain hidden. A color for non-triviality, renewal, innovation and inventions, progressive technics, alternative ways of living together, humanity. Aversion to turquoise: A person who has an aversion to turquoise may be looking for solidity and security in society, especially in marriage. Also, may be reluctant to think originally or to walk new paths.
	Brown Esoteric/magickal: Elemental earth. The planet-spirit Saturn. Stability, grounding, conservation, protection of household, family and pets, healing animals, finding lost objects, material constructions (buildings etc.), material increase, to make relationships solid, to increase decisiveness and concentration, attracting help in financial crisis. Preference for brown: An earthly color for practical people with a preference for natural, tribal and primitive things, solidity and simplicity. Brown can be warm and cosy but also depressing. Family-life persons, stable people, loyal friends. Aversion to brown: A person who has an aversion to brown may feel an aversion against normal, boring, trivial life; may not feel connected with his roots (home-land, family, etc); may experience instability in health and attitude.
	Grey Esoteric/magickal: Neutralizing negative influences, erasing or cancelling situations, causing stalemates Preference for grey: Very neutral and indifferent, non-expressive. It can be deliberate, but also lifeless, fixed, depressed and apathic. Reserved, cool people; unwilling to expose themselves or to have obligations. Grey can be refined and tactful. Aversion to grey: A personwho has an aversion to grey may prefers to be straight to the point, no time for political and tactical attitudes. Demands clarity, a knowing where one stands.
	Black Esoteric/magickal: Elemental earth. Deities of the underworld. Repel/banish evil and negativity, protection, banishing, binding, breaking free from bad habits/addictions, deep meditation, opens up deep unconscious levels. Preference for black: Symbolizes seriousness, darkness, depression, death, mourning, mystery, secrecy, occultism, a standing apart from or revolting against triviality, provocation, underground, underworld, things that have to remain hidden, nothingness as the great source of all creation, the need to keep your energy with you. Black is a color for extremes, everything and nothing. People who foremost trust themselves. Aversion to black: A person who has an aversion to black may have fear for the unknown, or fear for the abuse of power. Desires to become free from all kinds of dependency, blockages, hindrances; to throw off shackles.
	Gold Esoteric/magickal: Absolute authority, (self)confidence, creativity, perfection, solar energies, male energy, financial riches, investments, luxury, winning, worldly power, magickal power, overcoming bad habits/addictions.
	Silver Esoteric/magickal: Female energy, cycles, rebirth, reincarnation, healing of hormonal imbalances, emotional stability, remove or neutralize negativity, intuition, dreams, psychic abilities and psychic workings.
	Copper/Bronze Esoteric/magickal: Love and passion, for positive relationships in love, friendship and business, career promotions, negotiations.

The point to remember concerning color therapy - is that complete healing generally comes about through some type of internal transformation. Heal the mind and the body will, surely, follow suit.

Owlthena

Witchy give away at That Witch is True

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Sources

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COLOR THERAPY

Color Chart

www.deeptrancenow.com/colortherapy.htm

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Blue