Tricks or Treats, Samhain has come!
Halloween and Samhain are here -- how did the end of the year come so quick? So much to reflect on, the day already feels like it's simply whizzing by. Thankfully Samhain isn't simply celebrated on today, the 31st. Each tradition is different; when I was in BFC we observed Samhain on November 7th; many traditional Pagans celebrate on October 31st, others continuing through to November 2nd, as well as getting the opportunity to celebrate once more when Lunar Samhain rolls around. This many days of celebrations? Jai Ma!!
I was going to go to my old covenmates tonight for ritual, but she has informed me that she was just exposed to H1N1. She works as a nurse so I imagine being exposed to a variety of illnesses is fairly common, I trust she will be well but sending her light none the less. So, tonight I plan to stay in and enjoy the evening after taking Nimue trick-or-treating.
Our town is one of the few in NH that actually has trick-or-treating ON Halloween. Such a shame that days had to be specifically set aside for trick-or-treating. What has this world come to? Such a shame.
Nimue has requested to be a Princess this year. She picked out her pink ballgown dress, has several wands at her disposal (though found a Disney Princess one at the store that I allowed myself to purchase despite the "Made in China" stamp... grrr), and a purple tiara. When discussing this yesterday, about her outfit, she realized that she didn't have any "Princess shoes"... when I suggested sneakers (as they won't be seen due to the length of the dress) she simply scoffed at me, "No Mommy, that won't work"... to be the parent of a possible fashionista, oh my! Clothes are clothes. I want to make sure they weren't made in a sweat shop, that I'm not supporting a Communist China, and that the fibers haven't harmed... with that said I'm definitely not into fashion in the least.
However, we came to an agreement on the shoes, providing the rain holds off I suggested she wear her "flower girl" shoes that she wore to my sister's wedding this year. "That's a GREAT idea Mommy!" Whew, crisis averted!
She has requested that Mommy dress up as a Witch, which was her request last year and I imagine many more years to come, too cute; and she requested that Drac be a Prince... hm... a Princess and Prince, me the Witch? Perhaps too many Disney movies at work here!
Tomorrow I am planning on doing ritual, honoring the elders who have passed this year and paying homage to my ancestors on the other side. I'm also planning on doing a ritual that I posted on ADC (which reminds me that I must close the gates after today). We've begun our HBWM studies and, in perfect time for Samhain, I want us to do a ritual to meet our Slothwoman.
Z describes this in the beginning of Chapter 1, on page 8:
"My theory is that deep within ourselves, there lives a creature I call Slothwoman (or Slothman). She is our ancestral brain that is the repository for all our racial memories, that controls healing; a sturdy creature, to be sure, but speechless. She is into the elements, this brain: fire, water, and earth. She controls our instinctive behavior. Our sex life would be boring without her help, and generally she is what we deny in ourselves in this modern life.
In order to impress our Slothwoman, we have to do tricks, like making up little rhymes, easy ones she can rock to back and forth, and make a pretty little altar that would turn her on. We can use candles and incense to fascinate her within -- use magic, which is her language, her form.
This sweet gentle giant is the key to our lives; she is body, health, sex, instinct, creativity, and love. She wants securty from us. She wants to be regarded. She wants to be called forth. Otherwise, she can sleep through our modern lives and do nothing. She is Slothwoman, ancestor."
I think it's important for us to identify these ancestors, these guides, in our lives to be able to foster the next steps in spiritual journey. I have decided to make this part of my Samhain ritual this year.
I have a lot on my plate this Samhain -- good thing I like to celebrate on the various days mentioned above! A vision board is on the list, which is a different area of manifestation that I don't often utilize, relative to visualization, my manifestation comes more from the power of words and symbols, so this will be fun to explore and nurture the inner child who loves to paste!
And of course we must not forget the annual new year card reading for the year! I will pull a card tonight, however I plan to do a full reading either later tonight or tomorrow after ritual. Generally I tend to choose the deck I most resonate with in the moment, the one I have worked on the most, however last night in contemplating my approach to this my guides very clearly said that I would benefit from utilizing all of my decks for this reading.
This has been a big year, coming out of my first Saturn Return, the various changes I made in my professional life and the continued changes and shifts in my spiritual life, the cards and utilizing all of them is another layer of expansion. I will choose one card from each deck, some will have focus for each month of the year, while the others will serve as further guidance.
Much to do in such a short amount of time, I'm looking forward to what the New Year will bring, reminding myself to pay closer attention to language and the power of speech, as well as what I am cultivating, but more importantly, how I am choosing to cultivate it.
Blessed Samhain wishes to all, may the wisdom of our ancestors bring a new dimension of growth!
)0(
I was going to go to my old covenmates tonight for ritual, but she has informed me that she was just exposed to H1N1. She works as a nurse so I imagine being exposed to a variety of illnesses is fairly common, I trust she will be well but sending her light none the less. So, tonight I plan to stay in and enjoy the evening after taking Nimue trick-or-treating.
Our town is one of the few in NH that actually has trick-or-treating ON Halloween. Such a shame that days had to be specifically set aside for trick-or-treating. What has this world come to? Such a shame.
Nimue has requested to be a Princess this year. She picked out her pink ballgown dress, has several wands at her disposal (though found a Disney Princess one at the store that I allowed myself to purchase despite the "Made in China" stamp... grrr), and a purple tiara. When discussing this yesterday, about her outfit, she realized that she didn't have any "Princess shoes"... when I suggested sneakers (as they won't be seen due to the length of the dress) she simply scoffed at me, "No Mommy, that won't work"... to be the parent of a possible fashionista, oh my! Clothes are clothes. I want to make sure they weren't made in a sweat shop, that I'm not supporting a Communist China, and that the fibers haven't harmed... with that said I'm definitely not into fashion in the least.
However, we came to an agreement on the shoes, providing the rain holds off I suggested she wear her "flower girl" shoes that she wore to my sister's wedding this year. "That's a GREAT idea Mommy!" Whew, crisis averted!
She has requested that Mommy dress up as a Witch, which was her request last year and I imagine many more years to come, too cute; and she requested that Drac be a Prince... hm... a Princess and Prince, me the Witch? Perhaps too many Disney movies at work here!
Tomorrow I am planning on doing ritual, honoring the elders who have passed this year and paying homage to my ancestors on the other side. I'm also planning on doing a ritual that I posted on ADC (which reminds me that I must close the gates after today). We've begun our HBWM studies and, in perfect time for Samhain, I want us to do a ritual to meet our Slothwoman.
Z describes this in the beginning of Chapter 1, on page 8:
"My theory is that deep within ourselves, there lives a creature I call Slothwoman (or Slothman). She is our ancestral brain that is the repository for all our racial memories, that controls healing; a sturdy creature, to be sure, but speechless. She is into the elements, this brain: fire, water, and earth. She controls our instinctive behavior. Our sex life would be boring without her help, and generally she is what we deny in ourselves in this modern life.
In order to impress our Slothwoman, we have to do tricks, like making up little rhymes, easy ones she can rock to back and forth, and make a pretty little altar that would turn her on. We can use candles and incense to fascinate her within -- use magic, which is her language, her form.
This sweet gentle giant is the key to our lives; she is body, health, sex, instinct, creativity, and love. She wants securty from us. She wants to be regarded. She wants to be called forth. Otherwise, she can sleep through our modern lives and do nothing. She is Slothwoman, ancestor."
I think it's important for us to identify these ancestors, these guides, in our lives to be able to foster the next steps in spiritual journey. I have decided to make this part of my Samhain ritual this year.
I have a lot on my plate this Samhain -- good thing I like to celebrate on the various days mentioned above! A vision board is on the list, which is a different area of manifestation that I don't often utilize, relative to visualization, my manifestation comes more from the power of words and symbols, so this will be fun to explore and nurture the inner child who loves to paste!
And of course we must not forget the annual new year card reading for the year! I will pull a card tonight, however I plan to do a full reading either later tonight or tomorrow after ritual. Generally I tend to choose the deck I most resonate with in the moment, the one I have worked on the most, however last night in contemplating my approach to this my guides very clearly said that I would benefit from utilizing all of my decks for this reading.
This has been a big year, coming out of my first Saturn Return, the various changes I made in my professional life and the continued changes and shifts in my spiritual life, the cards and utilizing all of them is another layer of expansion. I will choose one card from each deck, some will have focus for each month of the year, while the others will serve as further guidance.
Much to do in such a short amount of time, I'm looking forward to what the New Year will bring, reminding myself to pay closer attention to language and the power of speech, as well as what I am cultivating, but more importantly, how I am choosing to cultivate it.
Blessed Samhain wishes to all, may the wisdom of our ancestors bring a new dimension of growth!
)0(
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