Tuesday, February 16, 2010

A New Moon. A beautiful new Aquarian moon. And, with this new moon it's a good time to set an intention. I say my New Moon Prayer:

I call the directions holding my intentions for this new month.
I sage away the old and I invite new energies to embrace me.
I reinvent myself. A new me with
Peace, Serenity, Strength, Confidence, Poise and Abundance.
I am more powerful than I have realized and
I have grown into the Priestess Self that I am.
I pray to the Great Mystery and feel my connection to All That Is.
Health, Happiness, Abundance and Perfect Expression is Who I Am.
I am Light, Love, Inner Beauty and Outer Glow
With each smile, I radiate the Great Spirit that resides in me.
And So It Is.

Setting an intention can be as simple as setting a goal, making a resolution, or making a wish. Or, setting an intention can be on such a deep level as to transform who you really are: transformation on a cellular level in the physical body by increasing health, transformation on an emotional level by changing your perspective and your reactions to the events around you, or transformation on a spiritual level by seeking guidance from deep within.

I've learned to ask myself questions: How important is it to me to do this? How confident am I that I can do it? Asking myself questions can help clarify this intention.

After setting an intention. The next step is to decide on obtainable goals. If I wanted to make an intention to get healthy. A goal could be set to go for a 30 minute walk every day. Then set it into motion by breaking it down into a task; to buy a pedometer, or to eat an apple every day.

Taking the time to actually make a goal and decide what steps to take can be a good first step. Finding support is another. Who can be part of My Team. Often we dwell on who may be unsupportive but we need to find who can be supportive. Find someone who can help technically, who can help me emotionally, and who can gently hold me accountable.

My challenges with my intentions are finding the time. Actually looking at how I am really spending my time is sometimes eye opening....How much time do I watch tv every day? On the phone? Set priorities. Then I can see where I need to make some changes.

Finally I needed to look to where I get my inspiration? Nature, reading, writing, meditating? From whom?

The first time I was given the task of writing an intention statement. I found it pretty difficult. I wondered what it was that I really intended to do with my life. What was it that my spirit really desired. I hadn't actually sat down to ask myself that most basic question. What was it that I wanted most? And, if I could answer that, then what it is that I intended to do with it? These were some pretty evocative questions.

So I thought and pondered. I kept asking myself the question, what kind of life do I want?


What kind of life could I have?
If I see myself as beautiful
And I quit trying to be prettier, thinner, better
Then, I wouldn’t have to wait
To be good enough.

What kind of life could I have?
If I see others as kind
And, I wouldn’t get my feelings hurt by some offhand remark
I wouldn’t have to wait
To feel loved.

What kind of life could I have?
If I see happiness in every moment.
And, I smiled instead of cried
When I feel sorry for myself.
I wouldn’t have to wait
To feel grateful.

What kind of life could I have?
If I see my thoughts can create reality
And I could change them …anytime.
I wouldn’t have to wait
To live.

What kind of life could I have?
If I see myself as strong
And I made my own decisions.
And lived my own life.
I wouldn’t have to wait
For direction.

What kind of life could I have?
If I see the sacredness of all nature
Of everything from the moon to mountains.
From fresh water to fresh food.
I wouldn’t have to wait
To survive.

What kind of life could I have?
If I see a softer face in God
Maybe as a wise old woman
Who knows the ways of the world.
I wouldn’t have to wait
To be saved.

What kind of life could I have?
If I see that God does not rule the world.
She is the world.
I would not have to wait
To be free.

What kind of life could I have?



An inner longing of my soul, raged forth in answer.



I want to awaken my consciousness to its true nature as Unconditional Love and extend that to everyone around me and to all the planet so I can see the beauty and sacredness of all nature.

I want to eat the forbidden fruit….In this patriarchal society of today, I want to find my own individual uniqueness and importance and autonomy.

I want to see each human as the light spirit that they truly are on this earthly plane walking their path to enlightenment.

I want to practice the fact that Energy heals and Thought can transform my world.

I want to Stir up and Ignite a Fire of Passion and express it daily with creativity and enthusiasm.

I want to be mindful of the fact that everything I send out comes back to me three fold.

I want to find my spirit’s purpose and find an inner sense of pride and self-respect, enlighten my mind, discover my strengths, celebrate my emotions, and cultivate and apply my own unique abilities.

I want to listen to my muses.

I want to live in a Circle of Love; to be held when I cry, supported when I fall, and celebrated when I succeed.

I want to Find the Mother and let her live on.

I want to Remember me.


And, with these longings, my intention unfolded.



I intend to be an open vessel to honor and channel the Goddess, re-claiming the power in me that is inherently in each soul and learn the magic of the Goddess through ritual and behavior, and radiate compassion, healing, and love with serenity and contentment.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Imbolc

Today is Imbolc. In ancient Celtic tradition "i mbolg" meaning "in the belly." It's the turning of the season. Seeds deep within the Earth are beginning to stir and will soon show signs of budding and emerging. This is a good time for the seeds inside that have been lying buried all winter to begin to stir and begin to manifest in my life as well. I have been holding inside the seeds of creation. I've wanted to write so here I am. I begin my blog.

I light a candle and call the directions.

I turn to the North and call in Earth. Home of the Eagle, Bear, Winter, healing herbs, trees flowers, the seeds growing deep inside, me and the Earth. I connect with the Earth. I sit by my door and look out onto a wintry scene of my personal sacred space on my deck. It is now devoid of any greenery, but I still love it. I sit by a beautiful huge amaryllis with 8 magnificent blooms on the ends of stalks that have grown to 35 " tall and pots of large elephant ears. I drop a drop of water that I have energized by the Goddess Brigit, the keeper of holy water and sacred flame, into each of the flowers and onto myself. I light my holy candle and connect with Earth. I ask Earth to reveal to me how I can honor the element Earth in my life. The answer comes to me. I need to get outside as much as possible this year: walk in the woods, dig in the Earth planting, eating organic healthy raw fruits and vegetables. Detox myself. And, to honor the cleansing time of the year, I can cleanse my home. I can clean closets and every room of my home releasing those things that no longer serve me . Things that no longer serve me physically, if I don't use them or aren't beautiful, need to be released. I need to be grounded and take steps toward my goals. I will fill out the application for herb school and Metaphysical University. And, I will take more time to reflect, write, connect with the Earth.

Air - I turn to the East. Home of the winged creatures and home of the new day-new beginnings. This is the beginning of a new season. The sun will begin to shine warmer. I open the door to my deck and stand in the cold-feeling air, breathing air, being air. The cool, crisp, freshness fills my lungs and every cell of my body feels cleansed. I left the door open a little as I return to sit on the floor looking outside and the cold breeze cleansed the candle smoke from the room. I will remember to invite air into my home more - especially as the weather warms.

Air is the mental realm. I'm reading and memorizing the traditional Goddesses and where they are from. I need to remember to use my mental capacities and stretch. One thing I love about my life is comfort, contentment, stressfree, the actual freedom I feel. Free as air. Blowing breezes. Occasionally the Goddess Oya comes in blowing a storm with worries, shaking things up. Then I realize that in this moment, this moment in which I am living right now, I am comfortable, happy. I cannot live in any of my past or in any tomorrow. I am right now.

Fire - I turn to the South and call in fire. Home of the sunshine, warmth, Passion and drives fill my center and I glow outward. I call in the power of the Phoenix, the firebird as I sit by my lone candle. It is a wooden wick candle and I can hear the fire, I can see it, I can smell it, I can feel it. Fire is powerful as is the fire in my belly. The fire of passion and desire in my third chakra, my center is very strong. And, my lists of passions is long. The seeds of desire are planted and nurtured and need to come forth. Maybe the time for solitary learning needs to be balalnced by being taught by others. That takes money. Maybe it's time to release my inhibitions on spending so I can learn and grow. I really want to take that herb class. I will let the fire spread. Share my light. Glow forth. Let it out. Let the masculine, fearless part of me have free reign to forge a new path. New ideas. A new life.

Water - I turn to the West. Home of Oya, Goddess of the rain and storms, to nurture the new seeds, help them grow. The rain water runs to Oshun, Goddess of streams and rivers, all the way to Yemaya, Goddess of the ocean. Besides my bowl of energized water, I look out at frozen water on my deck. Snow. So much snow this year. But it's still water, just as the rain water that I long for that will briing forth the tree buds and start the stirrings of the seeds.

Water runs through me. I am mostly water. My blood, tears, degestion juices, my milk I had for my babies, my womb. I am pulled by the moon cycles just like the seas of the Earth.

Water is the emotional realm. Do I need to go with the flow? Hmmm. Always a good idea. Now is a good reminder to honor intuitions. Connect with the feminine aspect of me. Feel my connection with the Divine in me. Let her out. Compassion. Love. Serving others. Give the Goddess a gift. A gift of me. My hands. My heart. My voice. Let me do your work for you

Spirit - I turn to the center. The center of me. The center of time. The center of everything. The within. Before we were here. After we are gone. Those who come before us. Those who have yet to come.

I connect with Spirit inside of me. I feel it very strongly. The me that I am. The one who sees what I do, what I say, how I act. The one who stays the same. The one who changes. The same one I was when I was a little girl, a young woman, a new mom.

I look inside a baby and I can see the new Spirit fresh from Heaven. The Divine has many forms and displays. The ancient Gods and Goddesses are aspects of the one Divine Spirit. My Guides and Spirits help me keep the connection. The Muses speak through the heart, into the crown. I connect and hear ideas, answers, and I feel the love.

I close my ceremony. I thank Brigid for helping me. And, I know I walk the rest of the day and every day with Grace and Love.