~~~

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who was of old also called Artemis; Astarte; Diana; Melusine; Aphrodite; Cerridwen; Dana; Arianrhod; Isis; Bride; and by many other names.

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

There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not yet 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 are really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, 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 toward 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. 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 upon the earth.

Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess, she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven; whose body encircleth 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 heart’s desire, call unto thy soul. Arise and come unto me.

For I am the Soul of Nature, who giveth life to the universe; from me all things proceed, and unto me must all things return; and before my face, beloved of gods and mortals, thine inmost divine self shall be unfolded in the rapture of infinite joy.

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 know this mystery: that if that which thou seekest thou 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.

~Doreen Valiente

~~~

Many Wiccans include a version of the Charge in their Book of Shadows. Use this version if it resonates with you, or perhaps edit it until it feels right. The Craft is about ones personal relationship with the divine, so do not feel the need to conform to the words of others.

You can find books on Wicca and Paganism, and the tools of practice, on my webstore. Blessings!

~Anyanka

No related posts.

Life isn’t about the destination, it is about the journey. You likely have heard this saying before, but this time I want you to contemplate it. Consider it, hold it, understand it. Really grasp what it means, all of the implications expressed in such a simple statement. Enjoy each relationship for what it is. Learn what you should, teach what you can, and have fun! And when it is over, be grateful for the time you had and the lessons exchanged in the process.

Please share a link to this post with others, I believe it contains a simple yet powerful message!

~Anyanka

No related posts.

Learn the basics of spellcraft, and how to apply it to healing spells:

• writing a spell
• working with intention
• determining your specific purpose
• calling on the elements
• considering karma
• working with someone’s free will
• tools of the trade
• candle magick
• what to do when spells backfire or appear to have failed

Attendance in the Healing Spells for Beginners class is an interactive experience! Listen, ask questions, participate in discussions, take notes (bring a notepad!)

The fee is $20 per person, and the class is held in my office at the Center for the New Age on highway 179 in Sedona, Arizona. Seating will be limited to 5 people per class to assure comfort and to ensure that each person can receive the attention they deserve. The class length will vary depending on how many people are participating, and how many questions there are. With a full group of 5, expect the class to be approximately 45 minutes. The class starts promptly at 2pm. This is an all inclusive introduction for beginners, therefore, it is a stand alone event. In other words, you only need to attend once in order to get the full benefit of the class.

Wish to have this class as part of your party, event or celebration? Call me at 928-254-9994 to make arrangements.

Blessings!

~Anyanka

P.S. I will be available for psychic tarot readings at my regular rate before and after the class. Thank you!

No related posts.

 My meditation began much as any other had. Using my current favorite guided meditation by Lilou Mace (below) I relaxed into a comfy chair in my office and surrendered myself to the visuals of the meditation. At one point in the meditation Lilou tells you there is a light ahead of you on the path. Having done this meditation many times previously, I know that she continues on to say that it is beginning to take shape. Before I can even get to that part, WOOSH! She was right there, by my side, and talking (what seemed like) a mile a minute!

She was wearing a silver-blue, slick looking, iridescent, skin tight, full length, dress that flared slightly at the bottom. Her extremely tall, cone shaped headdress was of the same color and material as her dress. The dress almost had the appearance of scales. Her hair was all gathered into the headdress, but I knew from previous visions of her that her hair is jet black, shiny and perfectly straight. Her skin, a golden brown color, seemed to glow. Before I could even ask, she confirmed that she was indeed Isis, which she pronounced as if eye-sis. I bulked at this pronunciation as I know from my research that this is not the pronunciation of her name. The most accepted (by scholars) pronunciation appears to be (as if) ee-set, or a-set, but the true pronunciation was probably closer to eye-see. When I attempted to protest she promptly cut me off and told me “names do not matter.” She suggested that I was getting too hung up on details, and that doing so would be a hindrance to my progress. I gathered that she thought it wise to simply surrender to the pronunciation now common to free myself of this burden. She proceeded to tell me that she was the world, all in it, all of creation, and creator. I asked what was above her and she replied “the purity of energy from whence we all came.”

Excited by the clear vision and audio of this experience, I attempted to gather my thoughts to ask the questions I have been burning to ask. “What is happening to me? What am I becoming?” I inquired. She answered with the cryptic response of “You are, have been, and are becoming, a goddess.” I was uncertain what to make of this statement, but decided to make a mental note of it for future pondering and move on as I didn’t know how long the connection would remain as intense as it was at that moment. “Was I you?” came the next question, unbidden, from my lips. “No, but our energies merged fully in the life that you were my High Priestess.” This statement reminded me of a statement made by a friend a week or so earlier. She told me that during a past life I fully merged with the goddess Isis. She said that there was (if I remember correctly) “no difference between your energy and that of the goddess.” Still processing the huge amount of energy I had already been given, I continued “Who was I… before?” Without hesitation she said “Astarte.” Being familiar with the goddess chant, and involved in the business that I am involved in, I recognized the name, but realized I knew absolutely nothing of this person/being. All I knew was that she was an ancient goddess. Despite the fact that she had already said as such, I reeled from this revelation. Sensing I had much to learn in a short amount of time, I was forced to save my astonishment for a later time.

“What am I supposed to do?” Reiterating a message I had received from Athena in a previous session, “Learn and teach, teach and learn.”

Me: “What should my areas of focus be?”

Isis: “The cards. Cultivate a deep understanding of the cards. Become proficient in astrology and numerology. Go deeply, deeply into the cards.”

She then launched into a monologue, providing precious information and confirmation to subjects on my mind.

Please Note: the following is not for little eyes, aka children, or for those uncomfortable discussing sexuality.

Isis: “In your incarnations you are nearly always female, and nearly always deeply involved with religion and/or spirituality.” This confirmed information provided earlier by Athena, and greatly explains the tremendous draw I feel to such subjects. “Being of earth goddess energy, you are tremendously sexual. The act of love making generates life force energy. You create this energy and release it into the world, helping to sustain life and fuel growth and rebirth, and fuel your light work. You recharge your soul batteries through sex. Your partner must fuel the fire. As a creator goddess you need to fuel your passions in order to create. This is also necessary to maintain mental stability.”

Me: “What about my husband?”

Isis: “You are meant to be together to foster one anothers growth and to teach.”

Me: “What is my purpose?”

Isis: ”Raise awareness and understanding.”

Me: “Will I have more children?”

This time her answer was not as clear or direct. ”The concern is the distraction an infant would create. Distraction from your purpose.” So I suppose I am not to know yet, or perhaps it is not yet determined. Maybe a lesson I need to learn first, I a truth to come to terms with prior to receiving an answer?

After the last question she kissed me gently, but firmly, on the lips and with one last statement “Connect and touch” (hands on healing maybe?) she was gone.

I am glad to be able to share this story, and welcome the stories, experiences, and input of others. Have a blessed day!

~Anyanka

Related posts:

1. Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna ~ Burning Times lyrics
2. First Time Connecting to My Spirit Guides

April 10, 2010 I was invited to a couple’s house for a gathering. <Note: when I first published this post I mistakenly put an incorrect date as the date of the gathering. It is now correct. thank you!> I knew this couple in passing at the time, although we are now becoming quick friends! At this gathering the couple discussed what the wife (Jo) called a “Drink of Consciousness” that they had been using. If you know anything about me, you will know that this perked my ears right up.  For the next two hours I listened to them and their friends exchange stories of the seemingly miraculous mind, body and spirit transformations they had been experiencing, and witnessing in others, from this drink. The drink is a tasty, all natural, liquid nutritional supplement. My hosts choose to share it with me, so I got to taste it first hand. The people at the gathering shared their personal stories of how this drink improved their arthritis, stopped pain, aided insulin balance, eased depression, even promoted weight loss. But a drink that would somehow increase your consciousness? This was a bit too much to swallow.

Later that day I called my husband and found he had just woken from a nap. I asked him what was wrong, and he said he was just tired because we had gotten so little sleep the night before. I denied this claim, not remembering the late bedtime, and told him I felt perfectly fine. Not tired at all. This was when I realized that he was right, I had barely had 4 hours of sleep. I’m usually a bear with anything under seven hours. Could it be that this drink was the reason I didn’t crash? I felt fine, not racy or anything like I can get from coffee. I wouldn’t say I felt normal, because I rarely feel very awake or alert so this was a new experience for me lol! I started using some of the products on a regular basis, and increasingly felt alert, awake, strong. I found my mental state improving. I was letting obstacles and issues roll off easier, and feeling happier. My husband also experienced these benefits once he started using the product, but his reaction was even more profound. His skin condition (psoriasis) showed marked improvement by the 3rd day, and he was off his depression medicine in under a week. For the first time in years he didn’t have any flakes on his shoulders. Thinking that maybe something else had caused the improvement, he stopped taking the drink supplement. A week later he came to me saying he no longer doubted it was the drink, and asking when I could get him more because his skin condition had worsened since he stopped taking the supplement, his head was once again itchy and flaky, and he wasn’t feeling as happy and motivated as he had been. He started drinking it again, and this time saw improvement in less than two days. His skin and mood have been improving ever since.

In addition to my feelings of alertness and happiness, I experienced physical changes as well. I have had skin tumors for seven or eight years, one on each shin, that my dermatologist assures me are fine even though he hasn’t done anything more than look at them. They are hard, raised, purplish, bumps, not particularly attractive. I thought about having them removed, but was told that the scar tissue from the removal can be worse than the bump that is already there. I’ve only been drinking my new miracle supplement for about a month now, and my tumors have changed! One is completely flat, and the other is almost completely flat. The color on both has lightened considerably, to the point where the one on the left is barely noticeable. I also have issues with my menstrual cycle. My cycles are long and irregular, usually between 32 and 36 days. This month my cycle was 30 days (very close to the “normal” benchmark of 28!) and I had ZERO cramps! This is profound because I usually have one day per cycle where I am completely debilitated from my cramps, even bedridden.

Finally, let’s move on to the part you have all been waiting for, consciousness. As you may know, I have recently made HUGE leaps and bounds in my spirituality. It wasn’t until yesterday that I realized that the largest leaps have come since I begun drinking this “drink of consciousness,” as my friend Jo calls it. After seventeen years of metaphysical study, I experienced the first visual breakthrough of my adult life during a meditation on April 9th. If you would like to read about it, see my post First Time Connecting to My Spirit Guides. At first I thought this was unconnect as the gathering I had attended was on April 10th. However, I now remember that my friend Anita had given me a sample of the energy drink version of the product on either April 8th or April 9th. Since then I have connected visually and audibly with my spirit guides on multiple occasions (a post about the most profound encounter to date coming soon,) my tarot readings have been deeper and more detailed, I have been able to channel more information without the cards, and my spiritual awareness and understanding has been on the rise. It feels like I learn, remember, experience, or intuit something new everyday. Although I understand that this is something I have probably always been capable of, and am now experiencing due to a readiness of my soul, I believe that my supplement is assisting the transition, opening me to Spirit, expanding my consciousness, and facilitating the expansions I am experiencing.

Now I am not trying to sell anyone anything. I was in sales for years, and frankly don’t choose to be again. Take, for example, my online metaphysical shop. If you have visited my store you may have noticed that, although I make items available that people may choose to buy, there isn’t an attempt to sell. Buying is a choice, being sold implies that ones will was not fully in play. With that said, I do not choose to sell you the product I have ben discussing. However, if you choose to try it in order to see how it affects your mind, body and spirit, or if you just wish to find out more, you may do so by visiting this webpage, which will open in a new window. If you sign up or order through that link it will tell you that Sandra Novotny is your brand parner, this is correct. The specific products my husband and I currently use are Vemma and Verve, my 11 year old daughter uses the children’s formula Next. From what I have seen the company who makes it seems to be of a high integrity, even donating supplements to children! The company also offers a business opportunity for its customers, with no sign up fees, for those who wish to refer friends, family, even businesses. Great for those needing a second income, and/or wishing to work for themselves. If you choose to take that opportunity, I will be happy to help you in doing so. Several of us in the Sedona spiritual community are involved with these products, and have teamed up to support each other, so anyone signing up with me has a powerful business line supporting them, that is also exceptionally spiritual as well!

I hope this informational is helpful, or at least interesting lol Until later, namaste!

~Anyanka

P.S. I guess I should include some kind of disclosure here. I am not an employee of Vemma, I am an independent Brand Partner. The above are my personal experiences, and the experiences of people I know. Your experience may differ. The FDA has not ruled on whether this is a drink of consciousness which will assist you in connecting to spirits

No related posts.

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
                                       
There were those who came to power through domination, and they
      bonded in the worship of a dead man on a cross.
They sought control of the common people by demanding allegiance
      to the church of Rome.           
And the Pope declared the Inquisition, it was a war against the
      women whose power they feared.   
In this Holocaust against the nature peoples, a million European
      women died.                      
                                       
And the tales are told of those who, by the hundreds, holding
      together, chose their deaths in the sea.
Chanting the praises of the Mother Goddess, a refusal of betrayal,
      women were dying to be free.     
                                       
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
                                       
Now the Earth is a witch, and the men still burn her! Stripping
      her down with mining and the poisons of their wars.
While to us the Earth is a healer, a teacher, a mother.
She’s the weaver of the web of life that keeps us all alive.
                                       
She gives us the vision to see through the chaos.
She gives us the courage, it is our will to survive!
                                       
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna….(repeat ad lib)

~Anyanka

Related posts:

1. Messages from Isis – a meditation breakthrough

April 9, 2010 I was sitting in my office at the Center for the New Age in Sedona Arizona cruising websites on my laptop. It all started with a You Tube tarot video that caught my eye. I watched a couple tarot videos (tarot is my passion after all!) and then saw a Reiki video of interest. After watching a couple Reiki videos I wondered what to look at next, and in my head I heard “guided meditation.” Searching “guided meditation” I came up with a plethora of results. I’ve tried guided meditations before. In fact, I even bought one here at the Center about a year before establishing my office here, at the recommendation of Jamie, my aura reader. Although I find the meditations quite soothing, I never experienced what they seemed to imply I would. So how do I choose one from this extensive list? As I have been actively pursuing an increase in consciousness, the obvious choice was by intuition. So I sat quietly, starring at the meditations on my screen. Trusting in myself and my intuition, I easily selected one by Lilou Mace. Seating myself in a comfortable chair, I pressed play on the meditation video and closed my eyes.

This guided meditation started out as expected. A short explanation, counting you down in your consciousness, then creating the visualization. As I was being counted down I could feel myself going into a deep state of consciousness, similar to what I achieve (at a lighter level obviously) while connecting psychically. The visualization (of the guided meditation I used) begins with imagining yourself in a crowded room, finding a door to a quiet room, and settling into a comfortable chair. After you are counted down to a deep level you step into a beach scene. I decided to really experience this as I haven’t been to a beach in years, and as a Pisces this is unacceptable lol! I could feel the breeze on my skin, smell the salt in the air, feel the sand between my toes. I got really into it!

Next the meditation instructs you to see a path, and see the light at the end of that path. As the light gets closer, you begin to see your guide solidify from that light. This is the key moment… go time! This is the moment you need to truly surrender. I, admittedly, have some control issues, therefore, not an easy thing for me. I guess somehow I was just ready. I realized I had to let go, or nothing would happen. And I did. I surrendered completely to the vision and allowed it to continue on its own. And that’s when it happened. I saw her, my spirit guide!

She was walking down the path toward me, the warmest smile on her face. At first she was a little fuzzy, but she started to come in much clearer the closer she got. Her hair was just past her shoulders, big, thick, golden waves. Her skin was smooth and luminescent. She wore a white outfit which made me think of a toga. I searched google images trying to find an example, and couldn’t really find one that matched, but I believe it was some sort of toga. It was white, gathered to emphasize the bust line, flowing, with a gold colored cord at the waist. As she came toward me, I noticed a guy directly behind her. He kept blinking in and out like bad tv reception, and eventually disappeared all together. I was later told (by a psychically inclined client no less!) that his name is Ethos. I did not get to speak to him then or since, however, a fellow psychic intuited that I don’t need him yet and will connect with him some time on or after July 22nd of this year.

As my guide approached I asked her name, to which she replied “Athena.” It wasn’t until after the meditation was over that I made the connection between the manner of dress and the name. I have not yet been able to confirm whether my guide Athena is the same Athena from Greek legends, but I suspect I already know the answer to that. The goddess Athena is known as a warrior goddess, a defender, and as a teacher. Good thing I didn’t think to be star-struck at the time or it may have pulled me out of the vision!! I asked Athena if I have lived before, and was told that I have lived many many times, usually deeply involved with religion and/or spirituality. When asked how many spirit guides I have, she replied 17! This seemed like a large number to me, so I was quite astounded. Although the guided meditation track I was using only lasted a total of 8 minutes, it felt like I was under for far longer. Unfortunately, I didn’t record my experiences in a journal or post at the time. It was one of those moments which felt as if I could never forget, but already much has faded. The entire experience had a dream-like quality to it, although I am certain that I was not in fact asleep. And as dreams do, details have flitted away.

I have used this meditation several more times, usually with some degree of success. The second time I used it nothing happened. The third time I saw the guy (presumably Ethos,) but he was faint and did not communicate with me. The fourth time I connected with Athena again, and to bottom right of my vision was a beautiful Egyptian woman, but she did not speak. The fifth time I saw the Egyptian woman again, this time solo, but her words were faint. The sixth time I again connected with Athena, strongly as before, and was told that my purpose is to “learn and to teach.” My seventh attempt yielded nothing. And on the eighth attempt I was finally able to connect with the Egyptian woman, but we will save that story for another day

I feel I have learned some valuable lessons from these experiences, and I hope that my experiences are a source of guidance, hope and inspiration to others. Here are a few tips I feel may help. Please remember, these are from my own experience and my own perception. You may experience something completely different, and that is perfectly alright.

1. Just because you can’t remember the last time you psychically “saw” something does not mean it is impossible. I think the last time, prior to this experience, that I “saw” a spirit, entity, guide, etc, was when I was about 11 years old. I was frieghtened, thought I was nuts, and promptly stopped “seeing.”
2. You are unlikely to have a vision if you resist or try to control the experience. I think this was my block all along.
3. Visions (at least for me) are not cinema quality. Don’t expect a Hollywood movie to play behind your eyelids. The texture and quality of the scene matched that of my own visualizations. The difference is that I felt this take off on its own, I knew that I was no longer fully in control, and I felt the truth of the experience.
4. Hearing guides (in my experience so far) sounds very much like a thought. My visions, sadly, do not come in dolby digital! There are two things that distinguished this from a thought (a.) the answers would begin before I was finished asking the question (b.) The end of the words would seem to cut off, like when you have a bad cell phone connection. I think these are both things one learns to overlook as time progresses and the interaction is experienced multiple times.
5. Pause the meditation track once you connect with your guide if you think you can do so without bringing yourself out of the meditative state. This gives you more time to connect with your guide and receive more guidance.
6. If you don’t see something the first time, don’t panic. It may take practice. My husband didn’t see anything the first time, and my daughter only saw a ball of light. Neither of them got audio on their first try. Work on your skills of surrender, and try again another day.
7. Trust yourself. As I said earlier, much of the experience is similar to a thought. So how do you know that you are experiencing something instead of just making something up, imagining, etc? Trust & intuition.

Let’s be honest, if you have any experience in the paranormal you know that feeling of “Have I lost my marbles?” Don’t give into this self doubt. If you trust and listen, you will feel how effortlessly the information comes. If you were imagining and creating, it wouldn’t be that effortless. It would require thought. Yet if you ask your guide a question, the answer is (in my experience) instantaneous. So unless you have the answers to all of life’s questions on the tip of your tongue, it’s not coming from you lol!

{sidebar} As I am writing this my right thigh is all tingly. Waves of tingles. I wonder what that means? {end sidebar}

Guided meditation can be just what you need. It will help you relax, connect with yourself, connect with your guides and intuition, learn to hear your inner voice, and even provide concrete answers to necessary questions. Find one you resonate with and practice,practice, practice!

I will be sharing more experiences in the future. Until then, please post your own stories in the comments below as I would love to hear them!

Love and blessings,

~Anyanka

Related posts:

1. Messages from Isis – a meditation breakthrough

Origin (possibilities)

1. possible connections to the Roman festival of Floralia
2. named for Irish fire-god Belenus

Meaning

1. May Day
2. Bright fire
3. Sacred fire
4. Bel-fire
5. Feast of the god Bel

Date

1. April 30th (May eve)
2. May 1st
3. April 28th – May 2nd
4. first full moon after May 1st
5. when the sun reaches 15 degrees of the zodiac sign (Taurus)

Name

1. Beltane
2. Beltaine
3. Bealtaine
4. Bealltainn
5. Roodmass
6. Walpurgisnacht

Traditions

1. lighting the Beltain fire
2. hanging May Boughs on doors and windows
3. giving May Baskets of flowers
4. driving cattle between two fires
5. walking between, or jumping over, the fires
6. gathering flowers as a (romantic) couple
7. sacred orgies to bring fertility to the land
8. honoring love, lust & fertility deities
9. feasting
10. dancing the maypole
11. drinking May wine (white wine, lemon slices, sweet woodruff)
12. love & lust spells
13. a “Great Rite,” or sexual act done in a scared space
14. selecting a May King & May Queen
15. joining a chalice & blade to symbolize the Great Rite of the Lord & Lady
16. planting something
17. burying a magickally charged crystal
18. making a “may gad,” a mini maypole made from a branch and wrapped with ribbons symbolizing wishes
19. pouring milk onto the ground
20. dancing

Powers

1. fertility
2. luck
3. abundant milk
4. new growth
5. purification
6. transition
7. protection from spirits
8. abundance
9. sexual desire

Flowers

1. roses
2. tulips
3. daisies
4. lavender
5. hibiscus
6. violets
7. columbines
8. hyacinths
9. jasmine
10. orchids
11. pansies

Herbs

1. patchouli
2. rosemary
3. thyme
4. sweet basil
5. cinnamon sticks
6. juniper
7. lady’s mantle
8. peppermint
9. willow
10. yarrow
11. dill
12. lemongrass

Deities

1. Aphrodite
2. Astarte
3. Belenus
4. Cernunnos
5. Flora
6. Freya
7. Pan
8. Venus

The above lists are not meant to be all inclusive by any means. I can not even imagine the time and research needed for such a project, especially when this small article took me more than 5 hours! Plus, I doubt it could have be fully complete. In any event, ths should give you enough info, and plenty of possible ideas, for your own uses. May you have a blessed Beltane!

~Anyanka

Information for this article was collected from, and checked against, the following sources: Llewellyn’s Sabbats Almanac, A Witches’ Bible by Janet and StewartFarrar, The Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi, Witchvox article by Peg Aloi, Wikipedia.com, and (as always!) personal knowledge.

I found two especially divine quotes in Llewellyn’s Sabbats 2009/2010 Almanac:

“When lovers come together in passion, the energy between them builds and builds, and becomes a tangible force that is much greater than the sum of its two (or more!) parts. Sexuality is sacred to Pagans because it honors and celebrates life and love, and in doing so, serves the life force.” ~Thuri Calafia

and

“Family covens should look around and in nature seek the reassurance of the God and Goddess. If together through their sacred marriage the Divine Couple can provide enough for the entire planet at this time of year, then surely the representations of the God and Goddess in a family coven can find a way to provide for their own charges.” ~ Lydia M. Crabtree

Related posts:

1. Ostara 2010 – History and Rituals

I do not doubt that synchronicity can fuel spiritual growth, but what about chaos? Initially this may seem ridiculous, but look under the surface… here one finds the truth.

Discipline, consistency, these are our weapons against chaos. They are traits that are considered positive, good and necessary. Chaos is considered negative, wrong and counter productive. Yet our greatest ideas, advancements and opportunities for growth spring from chaos. Conflict causes the break down of beliefs that no longer serve us, crisis shows us our strength and demonstrates our resourcefulness, the emergence from a chaotic situation shows us the force of our will, and often times, bares our soul. Chaos is the cause of evolution, both spiritual and physical. It built civilization, and the people in those civilizations.

Do you feel your ultimate is to live in a disciplined stability? Do you shun incidents of chaos in your life? It is time to change your mindset. Don’t shun chaos. Accept it with open arms, and ask it to whisper its lessons to you. This will feed your intuition and your growth. However, don’t live in a state of continuous chaos either. In the quest for self, one must seek balance. In the quest for balance one must embrace the benefits of synchronicity as well as the benefits of chaos. As you seek to grow, do not look for just one answer. Learn from each of life’s little lessons, benefiting from each medium of that teaching. And one of those lessons is not to fear chaos.

Blessings to one and all!

~Anyanka

No related posts.

A wonderful way to celebrate the potent energies of this time, is with cleansing, clearing and planting. Both literally and spiritually. Clean your house, car, office, wherever you spend your time. Freeing these places of clutter and unnecessary items does wonders for one’s psyche, allowing you to reclaim the energy being diverted to these areas. This will help you with your more personal cleansing. Next, clear your spaces of negative energy. Use a smudge stick or incense if possible. In the case of an office you may not be comfortable smudging, so do your best to mentally bag the bad energies and toss them out a window! Next, make yourself a cleansing ritual bath. While bathing, envision yourself expelling all negative energy, bad habits and repelling energy zapping people (AKA psychic vampires.) Fill yourself with a white-gold light, relax into it, hold this vision until you know it has served its purpose.

Planting can also be literal or figurative. Plant a garden, pot a plant, or even plant a single seed. On a personal level, plant the mental seeds for goals you wish to accomplish, and dreams you wish to fulfill, over the coming months. Start a journal, or even just make a list. Check things off, and even add or refine items, as the year progresses. The time of rest that winter brought has drawn to a close, time to get cracking!

Activities: 

• Have an Ostara egg hunt!
• Plant a seed.
• Eat an egg imbibed with a desire.
• Clean out your house/car/office/etc.
• Smudge your living areas to clear negative energy.
• Make hot cross buns.
• Make a feast of in season local foods.
• Start a goal journal for the upcoming season.

Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section. Bright Blessings to one and all, and Happy Ostara!

~Anyanka

Related posts:

1. Beltane 2010 – History & Rituals