The Charges of the Goddess

The Charges of the Goddess

The Charge of the Goddess is a beautiful poetic affirmation that I like to recall every full moon as do many other Goddess devotee’s.The original version which follows by Doreen Valiente was purported to have been found in a Gardenerian book of shadows and adapted by renowned Priestess Doreen.

Many people prefer to adapt these words into something more personal which resonates with their own belief system. The Charge of the Goddess is a powerful spell which reminds us to honour the divine feminine & also affirm that we can focus on our own goals at this time.
I particularly like the paragraph by Starhawk which states:

“And you who seek to know me, know that the seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without.”

It’s very easy to believe that we need something external to make us happy & that we can not enjoy life without acquiring the love of some particular person or some magical item or even a boob job!

I think that she is telling us to trust in ourselves and the love of the Goddess.

The following are the most popular versions but you may find some others of your own or even prefer to write/adapt one to honour the Goddess at the time of the Full Moon.

By Doreen Valiente

Listen to the words of the Great Mother;

she who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Cybele, Arianrhod, Isis, Dana, Bride, and by many other names:

Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all the witches.

There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach things that are yet unknown.

And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites;

and ye shall dance, sing, feast, and make music and love, all in my praise.

For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings.

Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside.

For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth, and mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of immortality.

I am the Gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.

Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace and freedom and reunion with those who have gone before.

Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice; for behold, I am the Mother of all living, and my love is poured out upon the earth.

Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess; she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, and whose body encircles the Universe.

I who am the beauty of the green earth, and the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me.

For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe.

From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return;

and before my face, beloved of Gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite.

Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth;

for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.

And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you

.And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery;

that if that which thou seekest thee findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee.

For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

By Starhawk.

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who of old was called

Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite,Cerridwen, Diana, Arionrhod, Brigid,

and by many other names:

Whenever you have need of anything, once a month, and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me Who is Queen of all the Wise.
You shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites.

Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in my presence, for mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and mine also is joy on Earth.

For My law is love unto all things. Mine is the secret that opens the door of youth, and mine is the cup of wine of life that is the Cauldron of Cerridwen, that is the holy grail of immortality.

I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal, and beyond death I give peace and freedom and reunion with those that have gone before.

Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the Mother of all things and my love is poured out upon the Earth.

Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of whose feet are the hosts of Heaven, Whose body encircles the universe.

I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters, I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me.

For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe.

From me all things proceed and unto Me they must return.

Let my worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you.
And you, who seek to know me, know that the seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery:

for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without.

For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

by Stewart Farrar

There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deeper secrets; to these will I teach all things that are as yet unknown, And ye shall be free from slavery;

and as a sign ye be truly free, you shall be naked in your rites, and ye shall dance, sing and feast, make music and love, all in my praise.

For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and more and mine is also Joy on Earth; for my law is love unto all beings.

Keep pure your highest ideals; strive ever towards them, let nothing stop you or turn you aside.

For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth, and mine is the cup of the of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Vessel of Immortality.

I am the Gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.

Upon Earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before.

Nor do I demand sacrifice for behold, I am the Mother of all living, and my love is poured out onto the Earth.

I am the beauty of green earth, and the white moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man.

Call unto thy soul, arise, and come unto me.For I am the soul of nature. Who gives life to the universe.
From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite.
Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.

Therefore, let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you.

And thou who thinketh to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knoweth the mystery;

that if that which thy seekest thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never it without thee.
For behold,

I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire. So says the Goddess...

by Silver RavenWolf

Hear my words and know me!

I shall be called a million names by all who speak!

I am Eternal Maiden! I am Great Mother! I am the Old One who holds the immortal key!
I am shrouded in Mystery, but am known to every soul.
Hear my words and know me!

Whenever the moon rises in the Heavens shall my children come to me.
Better it be once a month when the moon is full, shall ye assemble in some secret place, such as this, and adore the spirit of I.

I, who am the Queen of Witches! And under my watchful eye, my children shall be taught the mysteries of Earth and Nature, of the ways of all Magick!

That which is unknown shall be known, and that which is hidden shall be revealed, even the secluded soul shall be pierced with my Light.

From my cauldron shall be drunk all knowledge and immortality! Ye shall be free from slavery and ye shall dance, sing, and feast.

Music shall surround you, for mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine is also the joy of the earth!

I do not demand sacrifice! For behold, I am the Mother of all living things!
Create and heal! Be strong, yet gentle. Be noble, yet reverent.
Bring forth and replenish. And, as does the cycle of the Moon ever begin to wax and wane and to grow forth again, as do the seasons from one to the next flow in smooth rhythm, from sowing to reaping, to seeming death and rebirth.....So will my children know their own pattern in both worlds!

And ye shall say these words...I will love and harm none.

I Will live, love, die, and live again. I will meet, remember, and know. And embrace once more
.For the free will of ALL, and with harm to None As I will it now is done So mote it be!

by Charles G. Leland - Aradia

Whenever you have need of anything, one in the month and be it better when the moon is full, then shall you assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am the Queen of all witches.

When I have departed from this world, Whenever you have need of anything, Once a month, and when the moon is full, Ye shall assemble in some desert place or in a forest all together join to adore the potent spirit of your Queen My mother, great Diana,

She who fain Would learn all sorcery yet has not won Its deepest secrets, then my mother will Teach her, in truth all things as yet unknown.

Cyber Shrines

Please feel free to visit my Cyber Shrines.

Spend a quite moment with the Goddess in cyber space, light a cyber candle & leave a thought.

at:

http://nshrine.com/shrine/Isis
http://nshrine.com/shrine/Tara
http://nshrine.com/shrine/sekhmet
http://nshrine.com/shrine/Baste

Apples, Halloween & little Molly Hawkins

The traditions of Halloween that we see now in our westernized world of ‘trick or treating’ actually stem from Ireland hundreds of years back when the local farmers would gather together and organise a posse which went around the village knocking on each door and asking for food and items which could supply the village with a huge feast and a bonfire.
People who gave generously were promised good luck whilst those that didn’t were cursed with warnings of bad luck to follow through the coming year.
When many Irish immigrants went across to America in the 1800s they also took their Irish traditions with them which finally became adapted to the Halloween celebrations which we see today.


Here in the UK I recall celebrating Halloween back in the 60s at home with my sister and a few school friends; we had nothing like the kind of Halloween celebrations that are evident today with wonderful costumes and groups of children going out trick or treating.
Our celebrations back then consisted of activities such as ‘Bobbin for apples’ where a big basin sized bowl was filled with water and we had to try to get one out of the bowl with our teeth whilst keeping our hands firmly clasped together behind our backs.
By the time you actually managed to get an apple you’d probably be absolutely drenched from head to foot.
Also on an apple theme we used to hang them from strings along the top of a door frame and try to eat them this way also with hands behind back. Easier said than done I might add.
Apples must have been the one thing we had in abundance because I also recall us peeling them in one continual strip and throwing the peel over our shoulders and seeing what letter the peel looked like as we turned round, this we were told meant to represent our future husband’s first initial. Although in my case after being married 3 times I’d must have gotten a different initial every time, which might have meant me getting through quite a few apples!

We always made a jack O lantern from turnips which we placed in the window; apparently it was more traditional in England to use turnips rather than pumpkins.
Once again this idea stemmed from us carving out the turnips and putting a light inside to scare off the evil spirits. This was another custom which the Irish immigrants took with them to America but found pumpkins there in plentiful supply so adapted the humble turnip into the wonderful Jack O lanterns we all know and love so well.

Older more ancient customs date back to the ancient Celts who celebrated the 1st of November as the beginning of the New Year. Whilst October the 31st was the festival of Samhain or the Feast of the dead, Celts believed that the souls of the dead could return at this time and were able to mingle with the living as the veil between the two worlds were at the thinnest, also fairies and goblins along with all sorts of other-worldly creatures of the may cross unseen realms may cross over to our world at the special time of Samhain.
The dead ancestors were honoured by laying places at the table and food being left out for them.
Farmers also had the task of deciding which of the livestock needed to be slaughtered to see them through the dark winter months ahead.
The big village bonfires were a time of much merriment and feasting, people wore masks, costumes and danced, this also was meant to scare off evil spirits,
Divinations took place, often involving the village bonfire.


Bonfire traditions in ancient Ireland insisted that every fire (including hearth fires) throughout the emerald Isle be put out until the Samhain fire be lit at a sacred site known as Tlachtga, once the fire burnt brightly here it was then acceptable to relight the fires throughout Ireland.
Tlachtga is a hill named after the daughter of the druid Mogh Ruith whom some folk say was at one time a Goddess.
The tribes gathered at the ritual centre of another sacred site 12 miles away at one of the most known sacred sites in Ireland called ‘Tara’ for what was called the Feast of Tara, this unique centre it is steeped in a rich diverse tapestry of tales consisting of The Goddess, Kings, druids, and ancient folklore.
Tara is a beautiful serene mound in Co. Meath, recently it has been sadly vandalized by the Irish government who refuse to stop the building of a motorway destroying a beautiful irreplaceable site of cultural & historical importance, despite massive ongoing global protests.

Last year I celebrated Halloween in my town by researching some of our local folklore and finding the best spooky stories I could.
This culminated in me organising a Halloween ghost walk and taking several children along all in fancy costume. I couldn’t resist going as a witch myself. J

One of the more well known local stories is of a little ghost girl who haunts the Old Town of Hastings her name is little Molly Hawkins.
Her tale is quite sad; she was the daughter of a local fisherman back in the times when a river ran through the town to the sea and a great divide between the wealthy and poor existed (even more so than today!!!)

Molly’s mom had died in childbirth leaving her to take care of 5 younger brothers and sisters. Despite living in abject poverty little Molly had a reputation for skipping along and laughing. Sometimes Molly had to resort to stealing food from the local traders whom usually turned a blind eye to it knowing of her family circumstances.
Unfortunately however times grew hard for the traders and they decided to put a stop to Molly stealing and on this particular occasion she stole four big rosy red apples, concealing them in her raggedy dress pockets as she skipped her way home, suddenly behind her she heard a whistle blow and the cries of “stop thief”.
Three guards chased poor Molly as she ran up the High Street to a place known as ‘Waterloo passage’ which had a wooden bridge over the river Bourne; it was here that little Molly lost her footing along with her life.
The traders decided to just watch and let her drown as a clear message to other children not to steal from them.

Since then her spirit lingers in Waterloo Passage and many people claim to have sighted her skipping along laughing with her raggedy clothes, shawl and hair braids. Quite frequently a single apple is found in the passageway which the locals say is Molly returning what she stole from them.

When we went on our Halloween ghost walk we decided to take little Molly a new ribbon for her hair which my daughter had kept safely tucked in her pocket all evening, the plan was that we’d leave it in Waterloo passage for the spirit of Molly. When we got to the passage the children all stopped and were pointing at the floor and there we saw a big rosy red apple.
I said to my daughter that it was probably off Molly and that we should leave her the ribbon in exchange, but when she went to get the ribbon out it had already mysteriously vanished. My daughter insists that little Molly had already taken it.

We all liked to think of little Molly on our way home, imagining her skipping along,
Laughing and being very pleased with her new hair ribbon. Suffice to say we had a most memorable Halloween last year; perhaps I’ll take Molly a big bag of apples all for herself this year.

By Rosie Weaver

Goddess Reiki

Goddess Reiki has recently been given an assortment of labels which practitioners use to describe the healing energies of Our Sacred Mother of 10,000 names.
Within the Fellowship of Isis we refer to the term as ‘Isian Healing Rays’ whereby we receive the Goddess given energies which transmute situations requiring healing.

Just about every conceivable human condition & affliction can be transmuted by My Lady of All Magic & Healing whom I call Isis. Within my Reiki practices I also call upon her in her aspects of Green Tara who presides over what is known as the violet
flame Reiki .
Personally I also resonate with Sekhmet the lioness headed goddess of healing, one of her forms of Reiki is known as‘Sekhem’.
Although she is The Goddess of 10,000 names and her other reflective aspects resonate more with some people than others do, each of us must find our own relationship with whichever goddess we are drawn to work with.
Healing may occur whereby an old problem (including physical ailments & emotional conditions) are healed in an unexpected way and a new resolve is found that had not presented its self before.
Perhaps for example we find a new way to continue with the same pain which minimises its impact on us, or a new nutrition regime may hold the key to bodily imbalances or maybe a remedy that had not been thought of before suddenly comes to light.
Miracle cures do occur with Reiki healing although there are no guarantees that a particular ailment be totally cured but what most practitioners will agree on is that the recipient of healing energies will receive some benefit or other from it, even a terminal illness may be treated not as a cure but to bring a peaceful transition from one life into the next.

The Healing rays of the Goddess are natural and spontaneous and can not be controlled by anyone, although we may channel them as Reiki practitioners to where they are most needed guided by Isis.
Recipients of the Isian Healing Rays don’t always benefit immediately from the rays that are given to them although many do feel an instant effect which is very pleasant & energising. For others though it is as if the healing rays of Isis have a job that takes more time to work on a number of levels which may be spiritual, emotional & physical. Each experience is personal and unique.

Sometimes healing is not to do with a ‘cure’ of an ailment but about a whole fresh new perspective on the malaise itself and what has bought us to where we are at that time.
If we’re experiencing the same old pains over & over again then obviously some message is being overlooked that we may not have been able to see before.

Stress eventually takes its toll manifesting as some physical ailment or other which is the bodies response to our emotional being – in other words we’re being given a clear message to stop or move on from a situation that has caused the pain in the first place.

In the book ‘You Can Heal Your Life’ is a wonderful list of physical ailments which the healing author ‘Louise Hay’ presents to understand the underlying psychic reasons behind them.
It’s quite a comprehensive list and covers just about every illness imaginable,
Next to it she gives the psychic/emotional reasoning such as, for example:

Pain in the shoulders is to do with feeling tremendously overburdened & put up on, as if you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.
Stomach problems may be related to not being to literally stomach a situation you may find yourself in, perhaps you hate your job or home life & may be experiencing constant tummy upsets of one sort or another.

By applying the list to personal situations it really does make sense to work with to gain some further insights.

Reiki symbols have been veiled in secrecy in the past but now they are becoming public knowledge thanks to individuals who wish for the symbols to be freely available to all.
Symbols are wonderful to work with they are quite literally the symbolic language of the universe. Try experimenting yourself with them.

Try visualizing spinning upon your out stretched hands (palms up) the figure eight ‘8’ lying on its side in blue light, you should at the very least feel a sort of energised tickling sensation, with its energy continually flowing it is the symbol we find in the Tarot card ‘The Magician’
The Magician is all about ‘transformation’ and ‘alchemy’ using his intentions to bring about a change in circumstances.
It is an ancient symbol of infinity, without beginning and without end; its free flowing energy continues and is a good energetic symbol to use in Reiki to kick starts a flow of healing rays if you humbly request that the goddess turns on and makes this energy available to you.

Lets face it Reiki has become a huge money spinner for some people who insist that Reiki may only be practiced in a certain way which will be given once you hand
over X amount of cash.
Although I do believe in a fair exchange of energy for someone offering tuition, be that monetary or some other arranged equivalent which is fair for the service offered. I don’t however feel that the extortionate fee’s advertised by ‘Reiki Masters’ can be justified and this wonderful free universal energy has been denied to many individuals who would like to learn the principles involved for themselves.
The following quote is from a wonderful website (the link is at the end of this article) offering free attunements to all:

“Reiki healers do NOT need certificates. You can heal even without these fancy embellishments hanging on your wall. Paper is only provided for those who must prove that they have acquired a certain degree of mastery”

In my own practice I first of all see an image of the winged Goddess Isis in my minds eye standing behind me, above her head she has a glowing spinning ball of energy (you can see this image of Isis in many ancient Egyptian relief paintings.)
Sometimes I ‘feel’ her feathery soft protective wings wrap around my body.
Next I visualize the sign of a spinning golden Ankh symbol above my head and then I feel the light of Isis radiating from her solar disc above her head and flooding down into my crown and then throughout my entire body.
The sensation is quite distinct; I can only describe it as sparkly silver rain for want of better words.
The next part is that she will guide me to direct her healing rays where they are most required, sometimes I will see colours and symbols to focus on, and the symbols are always 3d and often are spinning or moving. These she will instruct to be placed where needed.
For example for emotional healing I may use the ‘sei he kei’ symbol shown above.

This I would see floating from Isis to me, through my hands and then down into the crown of the person receiving healing and then staying in the head area to work its magic if it was needed most their,.
It might continue as in some instances sinking lower to the heart chakra area if it is required more within that area or maybe even replicating itself to go to several places as required. The possibilities are endless.

We also may use Reiki on everything else that needs our help I’ve used it on computers, electrical equipment, even a blocked loo with miraculous results I might add, but always after using all of the logical methods first to resolve problems.
The goddess likes to see her children making an effort by helping themselves first, as do all good Mothers.
Any conceivable human situation can be assisted with healing energy including personal circumstances, animal/plants, family/community/global transformation.
Wherever we send our healing intentions & reiki symbols only good can come of it.

The healing itself is bestowed by the Goddess and this we must always remember and give thanks for; she is the source from where the energies flow & must eventually return.




Love & Hugs
Rosie
"Beannachd nas soilleir ort, agus air gach duine."
Brightest of blessings to you and all you hold dear.




www.psychicteachings.net/reikisymbols.htm



Great site filled with free attunements & working methods.
www.elementenergy.com/fusionreiki






Totally free attunements and fantastic free manuals to download

http://www.xtrememind.com/free-reiki.htm

Spirit of the Corn

Isn’t it funny how one train of thought leads to another it’s as if the Goddess is taking us on some journey of unfolding so that we may become enlightened in some way that She wishes for us.

This month I have been interested in learning all about wire wrapping & weaving as part of my current handicraft obsession. I’m intent on making woven/wrapped semi precious & natural stones into lovely jewellery which led me to discover some interesting facts about corn dollies.

I read that whatever you can do with weaving in basketry can also be applied to working with wire for jewellery making. I had it in mind to practice with copper wire first until I get the hang of the various weaving techniques & then use sterling silver and gold at some future point for my gemstone pieces.

Then you know how sometimes you wake up with mad harebrained idea’s about trying to apply some new technique to an old problem (a bit like a Galileo ‘Eureka’ moment without the bath)
Well this happened a couple of weeks ago when I suddenly awoke with the compulsion to look at how ‘corn dollies’ were constructed & somehow apply the same weaving principle to wire.

Corn Dollies here in England can be quite elaborate affairs, from my folklore studies I learned that every region throughout the UK (and further a field also) had its own particular signature corn dolly, evident by the design itself & colour of the decorative ribbons attached. No deviation was ever made from the characteristics of the corn- dollie construction of that particular village.
All of these old customs were particularly significant to this time of the year – September -Time of the Harvest.

Corn Dollies were sacred offering made to honour the Goddess in her spirit of Bountiful Mother. Both Demeter and Ceres are examples of more ancient archetypal corn Mothers.
Many, many traditions surround the corn dollies themselves; probably the most important for the farmer & community would be that of ‘giving thanks’ for a plentiful harvest of the all important corn. When the final wheat sheaf had been cut it was from this that one big dolly called ‘The Kern baby’ be made, sometimes they were built into huge either giant size effigies or at least life size and decorated with white clothes and brightly coloured ribbons, these represented the next Springtime and were kept until then & usually ploughed back into the field to ensure another plentiful harvest.

Smaller corn dollies were made for the individual homes to ensure a good year ahead like a lucky charm they were hung up in the home.
Another quaint custom of countryside youth was that of ‘Countryman's Favours’ these were small plaited corn motifs such as hearts, that were made by a young gentleman or lady and given to a member of the opposite sex to wear over the heart. Which indicated that they were definitely interested and noticeably so if the favour be worn.
Incidently the word ‘Doll’ derives from the ancient Greek word ‘eidolon’ translated as ‘idol’.

With all my corn dollie inspiration gathered I think I shall be making some little plaited wire versions of my own at the very least I shall be having a go at making a ‘Bridget’s Cross’.
Happy Harvest time everyone.

For further references
See also
www.strawcraftsmen.co.uk/project03.html


paganwiccan.about.com/.../ss/Brighid_Dolly.htm



hubpages.com/hub/Mabon/

Bedtime prayer to isis

My little girl (who is now 15!!!) used to have the following prayer to Isis pinned above her bed.We both used to say it together before she went to sleep each night.
I still think it's a simply beautiful prayer to end the day with, unfortunately I don't know it's origon.
It would be nice printed out on paper with Isis or an angel on the background & given as a gift to someone (or for yourself!)

May the wings of Isis enfold you
Safe may they always hold you
Near or far
The Great Mother will hear your call
Isis watches over us all.

The sparkling stars are spinning
Listen and you hear them singing
May your dreams be of wonderous things
Now sleep gently within her wings.

Stone Me

Stone Me.

Crystals are wonderful reflections of the myriad Goddess energies throughout our amazing planet. They are tools that may be used for every ailment known to humankind much like plants & herbs are used to assist the bodily healing process on all sorts of subtle levels including spiritual, psychic & emotional.

My favourite shop here in the town of Hastings where I live is called ‘Stone Corner’, it contains a fabulous array of gemstones and crystals in many different forms ranging from the most readily available which cost a few pence to some magnificent rare specimens that are mega expensive.
Sometimes I just like to go in and bask in the beauty of them, it’s wonderful to see so many different varieties and learn a little about their properties and where they originate from.
It’s just such a treasure trove to someone like me who is easily distracted by bright and shiny objects. Each stone exudes a sense of magic and wonderment, as I wander around my favourite shop finding myself drawn to particular stones.
I heard that crystals choose you and not the other way round, so I have grown to accept that they know better than I do when it comes to some work that they wish to do with me, as a general rule of thumb I find out some time afterwards that it was indeed just the right antidote needed to assist with a specific problem which my newly acquired stone throws a light upon, helping me to gain a renewed clarity on some aspect of an ailment that may have lay undiscovered until that healing stone/crystal has entered into my personal field of awareness and shift occurs.
Through working with crystals/stones I would say that they don’t affect a cure by themselves but what they do offer us is the ability for us to overcome current problems of all descriptions and some will be in the most unlikely ways imaginable.

For instance there are specific stones which call in angelic energies to assist us (I don’t actually believe in angels in the biblical sense, but believe that all winged angels derive from the winged Goddess Maat) and so I joyfully accept the assistance of any angelic presence that stems from my Lady and pay attention to what they may be telling me.
Such stones of Maat would for example be ‘Petalite it’s a lovely white colour’, and Celestite which reminds me of being on a spiritual adventure like the book if you have ever read it entitled ‘The Celestine Prophesy’ this particular stone has the properties of
‘jump- starting spiritual development’ as it is so described in the excellent guide to crystals by Judy Hall entitled ‘The Crystal Bible’.
There are many, many more stones that assist with angel frequencies as there are stones which we may attune to for just about every conceivable human predicament.
The great thing is that you don’t really need to do that much to work with the stone, just bring it into your life & spend time with it (keep it close) and you’ll find that somehow or other your life does get effected by it.
On saying that I would also add that it’s much more interesting to really get to know your crystal, find out as much as you can about it, where it comes from, what other properties it may possess and the different ways it could be used for example ‘Gem elixirs’ can be made from raw unpolished crystals by standing in water overnight and drinking the next day, they work much like the ‘Bach flower remedies’ do by imbuing the water with the rock/gem/mineral essence.

My daughter has a small polished labradorlite stone which we have nick named ‘Charlie stone’ because it has a face on it and a distinct personality, we found out that these crystals are called ‘crystal beings’ and contain a guardian spirit whom actively wants to work with you. We love Charlie Stone he’s a very jolly, upbeat character. Recently I managed to find Charlie a female companion whom we jokingly named ‘Sharon Stone’ she’s also a labradorlite these stones possess the qualities of aligning the spiritual & etheric bodies it also stimulates intuition, teaches faith in oneself as well as trusting the universe, on a physical healing level labradorlite relieves menstrual tension & relieves stress. Incidentally the colours in a labrodorlite crystal are amazing, they are quite dark until they catch the light but then they flash gold and blue iridescent hues, quite spectacular to behold.

Apart from the fact that gemstones are beautiful in themselves you also find that gorgeous beads & jewellery are made from them. Sets of prayer beads and pagan rosaries can be made up to enhance your own meditations. You can use various beads to represent your intent such as pretty rose quartz which reflects the qualities of love.
There are so many options to choose from within the crystal world, I hope you have as much fun as I am finding out about them.

Rosie

Ghost Groups

Ghost groups are an interesting concept, no I’m not referring to the type of people who go out and spend the night in a haunted house and attempt to track down un- restful spirits that have not passed over to the other side yet.
My attentions were brought to the term ‘Ghost Group’ whilst studying Esoteric Healing with the International Network of Esoteric Healers about 10 years back.

We were told of a group of spiritual healers whom were working together in the 1960’s in the town of Brighton here in the u.k, this town was well known at the time because of the gang culture which led to rival Mods & Rocker groups violently clashing on a regular weekend basis.

The 1979 filmQuadrophenia, based on the 1973 Record Album by the band
‘The Who’celebrated the mod movement, in it we see gangs travelling up to Brighton on scooters as part of the Mod movement in 60s Britain, culminating in a day’s fun at the seaside and finally ending in violent clashes with the rivalling gangs of leather clad ‘Rockers’ whom had also made the weekend pilgrimage for precisely the same reason.
Many young people were killed and suffered awful injuries as a result of the regular brawling despite efforts by local authorities & police to prevent such incidents occurring.

A concerned group of Spiritual Healers came up with the brainwave of forming what became known as a ‘Ghost group’ so called because the intentions were that the group should send out healing & positive energies in a very focused way together twice a week at the same time, directed towards the same place, a landmark within the community area (which was a known black spot for the violent clashes.)
As the group would not be present at the troubled spot, but chose to send distant healing energies instead, this was how the term ‘Ghost group’ was to be coined.

This experiment continued for a number of weeks, with the group of healers making a full commitment to send out healing vibrations of love and light to the designated area.
Just out of interest, the local police authority were also informed of the experiment and asked to monitor if any changes did in fact occur.
After a period of time, noticeable results were reported back to the healers. The regular clashes lessened to the point of becoming practically non existent anymore.
The experiment proved to be a great success much to the delight of the healing group, as a result of this other community groups of a similar nature were also set up, word got around throughout the country and lots of offshoots were to sprout up for various community problems to be resolved.

Globally healing groups across our planet continue to send out individual & combined energies which project positive thoughts, well wishes, prayers, light & love to designated troubled spots where the needs are great.

As a Priestess of the Goddess I believe that we should always try to resolve conflicts in the most logical way that we are able, but sometimes when we have tried working with the logical methods and they have failed to show improved results, or it may simply not be within our own power to act then it is worth trying illogical methods to create positive transformations.
As a simple little experiment just try it this week in your own lives, take notice of some area of conflict within you own immediate environment and commit to sending out the most positive prayers and healing thoughts, symbols, whatever you feel inspired to use.
. Continue to send out these focused intentions whenever you can and monitor for yourself over time if it makes a difference.


If you’re involved with any spiritual group that comes together on a regular basis perhaps you may discuss this idea further and set to work together on some community resolve for an agreed problematic area.


"Beannachd nas soilleir ort, agus air gach duine."
Brightest of blessings to you and all you hold dear.

Rosie Weaver )0(

Blessed Happy Ostara

Sisters, come with me! Come to the meadowsoft with grass, and there let us weave
magic garlands for ourselves. And as weweave, let us create happy futures:
let us weave for abundant grain,let us weave for the barley ears,
let us eave for the oats and the wheat,
let us weave for thick heads of cabbage.
-- Russian folksong, from The Goddess Companion by Patricia Monaghan, for April 20

Welcome, Eostre!
Springtime sacrificial festival named for the Sacon Goddess Eostre, or Ostara, a northern form of Astarte. Her sacred month was Eastre-monath, the Moon of Eostre.
Astarte, the Lady of Babylon, is one of the oldest forms of the Great Goddess in the Middle East, identified with Egypt's Hathor, Mycenae's Demeter, Cyprus' Aphrodite. she was the same creating-preserving-and-destroying Goddess worshpped by all the Indo-European cultures, and still typified by Kali as the symbol of Nature. Astarte was the "true sovereign of the world," tirelessly creating and destroying, eliminating the old and generating the new. Sidonian kinds could not rule without her permission. Each king styled himself first and foremost "Priest of Astarte."
Saxon poets apparently knew Eostre was the same Goddess as India's Great Mother Kali. Beowulf spoke of "ganger' waters, whose flood waves ride down into an unknown sea near Eostre's far home.
The Easter Bunny was older than Christianity; it was the Moon-hare sacred to the Goddess in both eastern and western nations. Recalling the myths of Hathor-Astarte who laid the Golden Egg of the sun, Germans used to say the heare would lay eggs for good children on Easter Eve.
Like all the church's "movable feasts," Easter shows its pagan origin in a dating system based on the old lunar calendar. It is fixed as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox, formerly the "pregnant phase of Eostre passing into the fertile season.
from Women's Dictionary of Myths and Secrets by Barbara Walker



Origins of the name "Easter":
The name "Easter" originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Similarly, the "Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [was] known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos." Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre." Similar Goddesses were known by other names in ancient cultures around the Mediterranean, and were celebrated in the springtime. Some were:
Aphrodite from ancient Cyprus
Ashtoreth from ancient Israel
Astarté from ancient Greece
Demeter from Mycenae
Hathor from ancient Egypt
Ishtar from Assyria
Kali, from India
Ostara a Norse Goddess of fertility.

There are two popular beliefs about the origin of the English word "Sunday."
It is derived from the name of the Scandinavian sun Goddess Sunna (a.k.a. Sunne, Frau Sonne)
It is derived from "Sol," the Roman God of the Sun." Their phrase "Dies Solis" means "day of the Sun." The Christian saint Jerome (d. 420) commented "If it is called the day of the sun by the pagans, we willingly accept this name, for on this day the Light of the world arose, on this day the Sun of Justice shone forth."