A New Moon! and Summer Solstice coming up!

I'm going to hold a small Esbat for the Full moon. I don't have all my tools yet, so I will just observe. Hopefully by the next full moon, I'll be able to a cleansing, invocations and mediate.
As you can read, I attended a weekend retreat recently. My biggest issue is finding time. I believe I 've started to figure out how to do this... involve the kids! let's see how this goes.

For my non-Wicca, non-Pagan friends, you may wonder what is an Esbat? According to Wikipedia, An esbat is a ritual observance of the full moon within Wicca and other Wicca-influenced forms of Neopaganism. Traditionally, the eight festivals of the Wheel of the Year are times of celebration, while "magical work" is done at the esbats. Check out this link on how to do an Esbat Ritual

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/wiccanandpaganrituals/ht/Esbat_Rite.htm

Hmm! If only we were allowed religious holidays for Wiccas and Pagans! We can, using personal/vacation time. Sigh, I wish it was more mainstreamed like Christian and Jewish holidays.

Now for the next Festival... According to Wikipedia, Summer Solstice is on June 21. A solar festival which was almost universally celebrated; and, especially in Europe. In the European tradition, the night before was Midsummer’s Eve; a time for great magic , especially for love charms. Certain herbs were picked at midnight to bring protection against lightning, fire, witchcraft, disease and ill fortune. Witches and fairies roam on Midsummer’s Eve, as they do at Beltane; there is a bit of madness in the air. Great bonfires are lit to help change the course of the sun in the sky, the rites resemble those of Beltane. Burning wheels are rolled down hills, and burning disks are thrown at the sun. The zenith of the power of the Sun God is manifested in the flourishing of crops and livestock. The sabbat was Christianized to St. John’s Day (for John the Baptist).

I wish, wish, wish upon a bright star... that one day I will be at Stonehenge to celebrate summer Solstice in person! Meanwhile, I'll have to content to greet the dawn at home.

Blessings

New Tools for Life

I had a wonderful weekend at the Connie Russert/Deaf Spirit ASL weekend retreat. It was so nice to reconnect with some friends I've not seen for a long time. Nice to meet new friends. I enjoyed my 3 roomates. We're all alike yet different! It was a spiritual treat to meet Paulayro via Connie. The picture on the right is Connie and Me.

I learned that I CAN sense energies. It was mind blowing to feel and experience energies. Learned to mediate, cleanse my chakras, learn healing energy and to expand my intuition. Oh boy, what a rush it was to actually feel Paulayro up close in my 1:1 session. As goddess is my witness, I was so eager for my turn... not nervous at all. As soon as I sat down for my 1:1 session, my hands and feet became hot and sweat. All my hair was raising, indicating an energy field. I'm not sure but I felt like I was in presence of something so profound, radiating white and clarity.

I took a mini yoga class taught by a sweet soul at the weekend... I found my back pains actually went away, specially the tense/tight/spastic spots. Unbelievable. A couple of yoga positions and I'm feeling better? OK, I'm game to sign up for yoga now. Anything to get my back issue better. Thinking of signing up for a beginners class around the corner, perhaps dragging my youngsters with me to class too. Back to reality, it is HARD to schedule time for 15-30 minutes of mediation time with 2 young children. SIGH.

BUT... I am committed to adjusting my life to find time for ME. It's just a matter of time and effort to do so, to get out of a 10 yr rut. Smiles.

Checklist to do: call the yoga center, the chiropractor whom I've been avoiding for a few months now and find out about clay/pottery classes. Breath and show/feel compassion when our teen wigs out. Allow it to be easy.

Its a New Dawn of a New Me.

A New Sunrise. A New Day. A New Me.

I woke up this morning, headache free! Well, maybe not entirely headache free, but pain free. I still notice some achy spots in my head and I know the worst will be mid-morning. I'm hoping I've gotten past the detox stage of withdrawal from caffiene.

Gee, I notice this morning I had some energy. Very unusual feeling. Instead of dragging my sorry ass to the coffee pot, I looked at the mirror and said OK, let's whip this sorry ass into a healthy state. I stretched (groan) , did some warm up stuff (oh my, the muscles are so stiff) and I faced my Nemesis-The Stationary Bike. I removed all the clothes hanging on it, plugged it in and hopped on. I decided to go 15 minutes. Not bad.. burned 87 calories. giggle. Stretched afterwards. Feeling like I have a buzz. Is this what exercise addicts talk about? Well, if that is the case, I will keep it up! I decided that I'm going to seriously tackle this pink elephant in the room. Gotta stay Raw. Gotta Exercise. Gotta lose some of the spare tire.

Reading up a couple of blogs, websites. Reading them is so inspiring. I'm motivated. I told The Hubby to think about buying a Greenstar Juicer instead of a Kindle2. Why? So I wont be sitting down reading books. I think that is a fine decision. Lets see if I can get thru the day without caffeine headaches or cranky attacks.

Caffiene Detox

I've decided to stop drinking coffee. Good bye Starbucks Grande. Good bye Dunkins Medium. I plan to drink tea from now on.

I'm serious about eating better. I'm embracing Vegan. It is so easy. I'm trying to go RAW. It is harder.

I try to get on my rebounder. Check it out www.qibounding.com I love it! I'm the world's biggest klutz, so I'm amaze I can stay on for 15 minutes. I have caught myself losing balance a few times Giggle. I'm trying to do it daily and build up to 30 minutes on it.

It's Beltane! May Pole Dance!

What's Beltane? Beltane marks the half of the year, it's the light half. Samhain (Halloween) is the dark half. Beltane honors life. Samhain honors death.

Growing up, I recall doing the May Pole dance. I never quite understood the purpose except it was something I looked forward to every May. It has been ages since I've done this dance. I will do it with my family sometimes this weekend. We're expecting rain. I think it's ok to do it on a day we can- Goddess will understand!

I borrowed this description from WitchVox's page, "The Maypole is an important element to Beltane festivities, it is a tall pole decorated with long brightly colored ribbons, leaves, flowers and wreaths. Young maidens and lads each hold the end of a ribbon, and dance revolving around the base of the pole, interweaving the ribbons. The circle of dancers should begin, as far out from the pole as the length of ribbon allows, so the ribbons are taut. There should be an even number of boys & girls. Boys should be facing clockwise and girls counterclockwise. They each move in the direction that they are facing, weaving with the next, around to braid the ribbons over-and-under around the pole. Those passing on the inside will have to duck, those passing on the outside raise their ribbons to slide over. As the dances revolve around the pole the ribbons will weave creating a pattern, it is said that the pattern will indicate the abundance of harvest year."

Neat ritual, isn't it? I'm not quite ready to teach the full meaning of Beltane to my kids. May Pole Dance.... long ago, folks celebrate with a romp in the field, if you catch my meaning? It's a fertality dance, celebrating spring. Enjoy the Day!

Struggling to finish my paper, staying Raw and sane.

Gee, when it rains, it really pours for me. Dealing with the throes of an adolescent that has taken much of our attention and energy, working as a school counselor dealing with other children in throes of adolescent and I have family obligations of younger children and husband. Gee, I wonder why my emotional energy is depleted. Am I busy enough? No. I am also taking a graduate level course offered by my place of employment. Oh boy. Trying to do all that and embark on a new life style of eating Raw... things are not quite going the way I want it to go. I am roughly 60 to 75% Raw most days. For my graduate class, I decided to write about the importance of emotional literacy and how it impacts a child's psycho-social development if they're deaf. Trying to find research and read through all the psycho-babble, literacy-babble about any research that proves teaching emotional literacy to deaf children via sign language and literacy. This is hard work. I can't believe just how long and tedious it can be. Such a wide and diversified research area. Banging my head, wondering why did I do this? The last time I had to seriously do any graduate level research was April, 1990, a few weeks prior finishing my Masters Degree. Oy vey. I don't have much grey brain cells left! Guess what, I need to maintain my grey brain cells and this is a good activity for me... keep my grey cells alive, maintain my professional knowledge and possible publish an article! Knock wood, toss salt over my shoulder and hope I really pull it together! Oh my goddess... I have 7 weeks left and I need to do my data collection! YIKES. I think I'm going to ask for a 6-8 week extension so I can get my stuff done! ANYWAY, I read Claude Steiner's revised book that he was kind enough to send via email and it was so awesome. I get goose-bumps just talking about his book here. I would recommend anyone to read this, just to understand how important emotional literacy for all of us. I needed a curriculum that I believe is the final puzzle piece for my research and I did not want to spend money buying it. Being a book snooper that I am, I was snooping a colleague's bookshelf and came across the very item I was in need of! The colleague was so kind enough to let me borrow it (thanks!). Karma is good! What goes around, comes back two-fold. I'm not sure if that quote if for bad stuff or good stuff too? I hope for the good stuff it works. I got two of the items I needed the most free due to kindness of these people. I shall continue to thrive to be kind, generous and harm none.

Well, I'm back to trying to stay on the path to Raw food. Been trying to bounce on my qibounder. Trying to mediate, trying to apply exercises found in the book by Connie. "Allow it be easy"... ha! Trying to visualize exercises by The Green and Burning Tree. "Be aware of inner vision".. where is it? Dammit. Nothing is working. What works is that I'm a blob on the sofa, curled up protectively and under my favorite blanket. :D Feeling warm, safe, and secure? Yep. That is OK, it is what I need now. Peeking here out from under the covers, typing my blog. Chat later.

Channeled Messages and Pathways...

I'm excited about attending the Deaf/ASL friendly spiritual retreat in May. I have been reading Connie Russert's book, "Channelled Messages from a Parallel Universe" and her tools for transformation messages. I guess I'm at a time in my life journey to seek answers to life's questions that come my way. Picking up her book, it feels like a smooth pathway to getting answers, if you know what I mean? Not a struggle, a mountain to climb, don't need to be Indiana Jones to obtain the answer. I am eager to learn more from her. I am looking forward to meeting her at the retreat!

Talking about pathways this morning, it appears my current pathway is a very rough one. Dealing with child in the family who has Reactive Attachment Disorder. Boy, does it throw everyone in a tizzy. I've had difficulty maintaining my Raw Food Journey, reverting to SAD at times, just because I could not find my energy to focus. Well, I apparently feel terrible- GI discomfort, headache, stuffy nose and just feeling yucky. (Too Much Information TMI sorry.) I'm going to need detox this weekend on Juice and Vegetable feast. I can't quite bring myself to a Juice fast yet.

Have a Happy Ostara! Happy Spring! It's Spring Equinox today! I'm going to offer a prayer to Mother Earth today.

Green Smoothies- Yummy.

As part of my learning process about eating Raw Foods, I came across Victoria Boutenko's book, Green for Life. I read the book front to back, then again in the same day. Made a food list and went to the store. Kale, bananas, berries, spinach. Whipped a batch up... crossed myself and drank... one word- YUMMY. In heaven. Ever since, I've been whipping up smoothies for the mornings. Using all kinds of green combinations. I'm in veggy heaven. No more SAD breakfasts! It's funny, I have trouble with the commercial-made V-8 juices, they smell and taste so vile. I see there is a suggestion for that juice in the book... haven't found the courage to try it yet. I need to because pretty soon we'll be starting our greenhouse up and will be eating tomatos from end of May until October. I think it will be nice to use the tomatoes as part of my green drink. Ok, I'll let you know how it goes when I come across some nice vine-ripen tomatoes.

Spring Equinox is coming!

As much as I enjoy living in a 4 season area, this winter has been rather long and cold. I can't wait for warm weather. What is that picture you may ask? This is what Celtics/Druids/Wiccans and a couple of other folks use to describe the changing seasons. The Wheel (year) is divided into 4 parts: Winter Solistice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solistice, Autumn Equinox. What is Spring Equionx? According to the dictionary, it means : " either of the two times each year (as about March 21 and September 23) when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are everywhere on earth of approximately equal length." For us in the north part of the equator, we will go into spring, for the south part of equator, will go into fall.

I'm looking foward to Spring Equinox, the balance of day and night, as the wheel turns towards the light. It's a time where we welcome the arrival of spring and the growing season. I am looking at vegetable seed catalogs and trying to decide what to grow. Since I've decided to embark on a new way of life, Raw Food, I'm also thinking of what I can grow that will make my meals fun to eat.

The picture at bottom is our greenhouse. Soon, we will be starting it up and soon plow the fields. I know it means I'll do more work this summer, especially if I'm growing my own meals!

Learning all I can about Raw Food way of life. Wish I did this years ago.

It is hard to break loose from the Standard American Diet (SAD). At least this will give me new appreciation for our budding vegetable farm.