Divine Feminine

Coeur-age My Love: First Quarter Moon in Scorpio

Posted on by Della Ratcliffe

There is something of beauty about the First Quarter Moon, hanging in the south-western sky in early evening just above the horizon, finally setting just past the Midnight hour. Tonight, LaLuna forms a triangle with the planet Jupiter (in the constellation Virgo) shining brightly to its right (West), with Arcturus above them both, one of the brightest stars in the night sky, in the constellation Boötes, The Herdsman.

I love to see the light of distant stars, knowing we are looking into their distant past… and that some of them may now look very different, or have disappeared entirely.

It is pure magick for me to get out of the city and look up, watching the rotation of the night sky… the wandering planets… shooting stars… the streak of the Milky Way. And what an experience it was to travel south of the Equator for the first time, looking up into the night sky from the Andes Mountains in Peru … and seeing a sky that looked so very different!

My journey with Father Sky began with star-gazing at the night sky, with my father… captivated by his stories of the constellations and the Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, Heroines and magical creatures captured in the stars and planets.

And now these Gods and Goddesses have a deeper meaning for me… they are my inspiration, my support, my mentors and more.

⭐️ STAR MEDICINE ⭐️
Take some time this month to get more familiar with the night sky… observing the Moon as it rises and sets later each day… watching it rising at sunset at the Full Moon (a perfect time for the Drawing Down The Moon Ritual!)… until it fades from view at the Dark Moon. Feel that connection to LaLuna, Grandmother Moon. Get reacquainted with the constellations — and their stories — in YOUR night sky.

And for those who love to make a wish on a shooting star… you'll be delighted by the arrival of the Perseid meteor showers in August! So many stars, so many wishes! The Perseids peak the night of August 12th, through to the early hours of the next morning. These can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere, travelling from the north-east sky near the constellation Perseus. And because the Moon will be in her Waning Gibbous phase (between the Full Moon and the Third Quarter, so quite brightly illuminated), it may be easier to see the shooting stars before the moonrise in the East at roughly 11 PM.

🌓 MOON ENERGIES 🌗
You began the journey in the darkness of the New Moon. You set your goals and defined your actions, your steps for manifesting those goals, by the Waxing Crescent, and now you're on the outbound journey, tapping into the rising Waxing energy… and maybe "freaking out" just a little. Suddenly it's all real! You're doing this! Old fears may surface, old doubts.

But take a moment to breathe. The crisis point that is the Quarter Moon is toying with you once again, especially with its intense Scorpio energy which may allow negative energies to rise… but also one's sensuality and emotions. Tact and discretion may fly out the window, but breathe in that intensity and use it FOR you.

So, you got this. You can handle whatever this Scorpio First Quarter Moon throws your way. Why? Because you are The Maiden, strong and fearless, stepping into your power and are responsible for your Self only. You are Brighid, Artemis, and Persephone.

🌀SOUL WORK 🌀
Allow the energies of First Quarter — East, Air, Abundance — to inspire and motivate you as you review your journey thus far by asking the question "What is flourishing?", and not just for this month but for the year so far.

With Lughnasadh celebrations starting at sunset on July 31st, this is the perfect time to reflect on what has flourished in your life this year …. what metaphorical harvests you are reaping… and to determine your plans for the harvest period between Lughnasadh and Samhain on November 1st.

It is a time for gratitude for what is flourishing and abundant in your life, and for all who have supported you, loved you, taught you, mentored you.

❤️Coeur-age, my love ❤️

Wisdom from Seanmháthair Gealach (Grandmother Moon)
First Quarter Moon in Scorpio
Arrived July 30th @ 8:23 AM Pacific Time (15:23 UTC)
Moonrise @ 2:05 PM PT, Moonset @ 2:13 AM PT
Moon Mansions:
Al-Iklil, 17, until 10:12 AM PT (Essence: Friendship)
Al-Qalb, 18, from 10:13 AM PT (Essence: Defence.)
Theme for this Lunar Journey: Coeur-ageous transformation

sidebar graphics 7If you love working with Mother Earth, following the energies of Grandmother Moon (Seanmháthair Gealach), aligning with the energy of the Celtic Wheel of The Year, or are interested in learning more about this path, you will find great resources – and the opportunity to ask questions, share rituals, and more – in our NEWprivate Facebook Group, the Wise Woman Bean Gealach Circle. Limited to those who identify as women. For more information about the Circle, CLICK HERE

WP Sidebar graphics-5Connect to your purpose, your medicine, eliminate self-limiting beliefs, and integrate the new wisdom into your life through this unique you-centered blend of shamanic coaching and journeys, energy healing, alchemical healing, Earth Medicine, PSYCH-K® and PER-K® balancing, and six-sensory work. Together we draw on the modalities that best support your journey. Click on the picture for more information or visit our website:  www.innerjourneyevents.com

WP Sidebar graphics, resized to 300 x 213 pxDo you want a better understanding of the Wheel of the Year and how its shifting energies can support your own transformation and growth, support you in aligning with the rhythms of Nature itself? Subscribers receive regular free ebooks and articles, such as Celebrating the Equinox, along with tips for their personal practices, advance notice on free events and webinars, and much much more! 

Reflections on the Full Moon in Capricorn: Spellcraft & Ritual

Posted on by Della Ratcliffe

FB_WWBCC 940x788_Welcome Sisters (6)

The Sacred Circle. Art by Lisbeth Cheever-Gessaman

Wisdom from Seanmháthair Gealach (Grandmother Moon)
Full Buck Moon in Capricorn arrives on Day 15 at
08-July @ 9:06 PM PT  /  09-July @ 04:06 UTC

SPELLCRAFT & RITUAL
The Full Moon is associated with the magick of completing, healing and empowering… and for creating the magickal life you want.

Many practitioners choose to do a Release Ritual on the Full Moon, although my personal preference is to release when Grandmother Moon is firmly in the Waning Phase of her journey. But if it feels right for you, do it. Sometimes we need that Full Moon power to energize our release! This blog has several posts on Release Rituals using fire, water, earth.

One of my favourite rites for the Full Moon is Drawing Down the Moon, a very simple rite that can be done alone or in Circle. I love bringing in and internalizing that Full Moon energy… the epitome of the Moon’s energy and its connection to The Great Mother Goddess.

When we Draw Down the Moon, we connect to that powerful full moon energy, allowing it to infuse our very being…. powering up our ability to manifest and affirm our own personal magic.

DRAWING DOWN THE MOON
This rite can be done during the Full Moon OR New Moon energy. If done at the New Moon, it brings in the power of unlimited potential, the raw stuff of the Universe, and is great for initiating projects. If done at the Full Moon, it brings in the power and majesty of harvest and completion.

There are as many variations of this age-old rite as there are practitioners. If how I do this rite doesn’t resonate with you, change it up so that it does. Or look for other variations out there; this is where Google is our friend and ally!

Ideally, this rite is done outdoors in the light of the Full Moon. Of course, when doing at the New Moon, LaLuna is not visible. If the Moon is NOT visible for any reason, imagine instead where it is … behind the clouds…. below the horizon. You could even focus your energies on something representing LaLuna… a crystal, a drawing, a painting.

The important thing is to create sacred space for your ritual… that is the place where the magic happens, no matter where you are.

And just like a shamanic journey allows you to enter non-ordinary reality, Drawing Down the Moon can be a mystical experience of altered consciousness

To Begin:
This ritual is done standing, feet no more than shoulder-width apart, and preferably outdoors under the Full Moon light. If standing is not possible for you, be sure to find a suitable spot to sit or have someone bring a chair for you. And if you can see the Full Moon from indoors, it’s fine to perform the ritual there.

OPTIONAL: Bring some beloved music to play (softly, let’s not disrupt the night, LOL) during this ritual. One of my favourites is We All Come from The Goddess by Lindie Lila.

Start by breathing deeply and slowly until you feel the tensions of the day ebbing away. Focus on your breath, feeling that slow deep inhalation reaching into every part of your body and into your chakras. Focus on the Solar Plexus Chakra in particular, as it will support you in your Soul Work. Feel the Air energy reaching into every cell of your body, inspiring you, cleansing you. With each breath you exhale, feel any toxins, aches, pains, or unwanted thoughts to leave your body to be accepted by the outside Air for cleansing and returning to Mama Earth.

Open your Sacred Space in your preferred way, such as Calling in the Directions or casting a circle.

Call in your guides and allies, and all directions and elements, asking for their support.

Look up at the Full Moon. Really look at Her. Look at Her like you’ve never done before… deeply… feel Her light… feel Her energy. Call out to the Goddess(es) of the Moon… Selene, Diana, Gaia, Áine, Arianrhod, Artemis, Isis, Luna, Mama Quilla . . . Thank LaLuna and the Goddess(es) for their guidance. Send them the love that they give you daily. Continue breathing in LaLuna’s energy for a few minutes until you are fully relaxed and you feel nothing but you and the Moon.

Raise your arms with your palms facing the Moon, like a chalice ready to drink in the energy of The Goddess and the Moon. OPTIONAL: Bring your thumbs together, then your index fingers, to create a triangle through which you can gaze at the Moon.

Hold that position for as long as it feels comfortable…. gazing at the Moon, reflecting on your Will (the Sun) and your Emotions (the Moon)… reflecting on your affirmation for this month… reflecting on the Goddess, as she reflects the Sun.

Invoke the energy of the Goddess in your own way, inviting her to infuse your Self with her power, her love, her magick, her ability to manifest and create. It can be as simple as chanting “I invoke The Goddess” until you feel her energy flow. Feel her energy fill your body… your spirit… your mind…. you ARE The Goddess and She is You.

Hold onto this feeling, this wonderful feeling of wonder, love, energy, awe.. of being the Goddess.

Allow your emotions to flow freely during the rite… laugh, cry, sigh, yell, giggle, sob, dance a jig, kiss a tree, whatever feels right… I have one friend who gets the hiccups (and the giggles) every time she Draws Down the Moon!

And you — or others, if working in Circle — may find that you start to channel the wisdom from The Goddess… let it flow. Trust it.

OPTIONAL: Before completing the rite, say your affirmation (or goal) for remainder of the month or make a request of the Moon and The Goddess, perhaps for their help and support… perhaps the granting of a secret wish you have harboured for a while.

Once you sense that the Drawing Down is complete, thank the Moon, the Goddess(es) and any other deities that have come forward for you. Bring your arms back to your side and take a moment to breathe deeply and slowly once again, reconnecting to Mama Earth. Feel that Goddess power, knowing you can go forth with this energy.

Close your circle/sacred space as you opened it. Thank the directions, elements, allies, guides, etc.

Should you wish to do more Soul Work or Magickal Working during your Full Moon work, this rite will empower your work.

This is the third of a three-part Reflections on the Full Moon in Capricorn:

Part 1: Reflections on the Full Moon in Capricorn… Yellow Flower Moon?

Part 2: Reflections on the Full Moon in Capricorn: Soul Work 

sidebar graphics 7If you love working with Mother Earth, following the energies of Grandmother Moon (Seanmháthair Gealach), aligning with the energy of the Celtic Wheel of The Year, or are interested in learning more about this path, you will find great resources – and the opportunity to ask questions, share rituals, and more – in our NEW private Facebook Group, the Wise Woman Bean Gealach Circle. Limited to those who identify as women. For more information about the Circle, CLICK HERE

WP Sidebar graphics-5Connect to your purpose, your medicine, eliminate self-limiting beliefs, and integrate the new wisdom into your life through this unique you-centered blend of shamanic coaching and journeys, energy healing, alchemical healing, Earth Medicine, PSYCH-K® and PER-K® balancing, and six-sensory work. Together we draw on the modalities that best support your journey. Click on the picture for more information or visit our website:  www.innerjourneyevents.com

WP Sidebar graphics, resized to 300 x 213 pxDo you want a better understanding of the Wheel of the Year and how its shifting energies can support your own transformation and growth, support you in aligning with the rhythms of Nature itself? Subscribers receive regular free ebooks and articles, such as Celebrating the Equinox, along with tips for their personal practices, advance notice on free events and webinars, and much much more! 

Honouring our Great Mother on Mother’s Day

Posted on by Della Ratcliffe

wulfing_circle

“Circle, Mother and Child” by Sulamith Wulfing

This Sunday in Canada (May 14th) – and in many countries around the world – we celebrate Mother’s Day.

For some of us, this is a joyful day when we can spend some time with our mother… honour her… laugh with her…. share memories (and cake!). And for those of us who are mothers or grandmothers, we can delight in the time spent with our children.

But for others, it can be a poignant day, a day of loss. Perhaps you have lost your mother, as I did three years ago. Perhaps you have lost a child or miscarried. Perhaps you have a strained (or non-existent) relationship with your mother or child. Perhaps you are struggling with fertility.

However you choose to experience this day, consider holding a ritual to celebrate Motherhood in a way that is powerful and meaningful for you.

Perhaps you can…

  • honour our Great Mother — Danú , Gaia, Pachamama — or your Goddess
  • hold sacred space and love for the relationship you would like to have with your mother
  • step into a place of unconditional love, of healing and forgiveness
  • honour whoever is a mother to you in your life now
  • honour the child you wish to bring into this world or the child you lost
  • honour all mothers in a simple blessing
  • honour the women who are special to you – sisters, ancestors, friends
  • honour your Self and the medicine and gifts you have given our world….  ideas, children, relationships, beauty, art…

🌸 A RITUAL FOR THE GREAT MOTHER 🌸

These are only suggestions and I would encourage you to create your own ritual, perhaps using this as a starting point. You could do this on your own, or in Circle with others.

  • Collect some items for offerings to the Divine Feminine, the Great Mother of us all, whatever works for you and holds meaning for you: crystals, wild flowers, rose petals, or pebbles. Have something for each person/spirit you are honouring in the ritual.
  • Decorate your altar with items that represent both the Divine Feminine and Motherhood to you. These can be mementoes such as a piece of jewellery, a photo, a treasured gift, or items from nature such as a nest, an egg, a flower.
  • Place three candles on your altar to represent The Maiden, the Mother, the Crone. I like to use white and yellow on my altar but do consider using a red candle, representing our sacred flow.
  • Add a chalice or a bowl as a symbol of the Divine Feminine. This will be used in the ritual representing the womb. Add a small amount of pure water or blessing water.

🌿 TO BEGIN 🌿

Breathe deeply, relax and connect to the grounding energies of Mama Earth.

Create sacred space by calling in the directions, your guides, allies, ancestors… whoever supports you spiritually.

Light your candles.

Start by giving your blessings and gratitude to our Great Mother and all the mothers you wish to honour…. it could be along the lines of:

“I thank you, Great Mother,  for birthing this place we call home, this Earth that gives us food and shelter, that nourishes us. Your love supports me. Your wisdom illuminates my life. Your energy flows within me. Thank you, Danú.”

For each offering, hold the item to your Heart Chakra and connect with both the person you are honouring and the item. Imbue it with your love, your intentions, your gratitude. As you place your offering into the chalice or bowl give words of thanks, being as specific as possible. For instance:

“My Heart and Soul thank our Great Mother, who nurtures and comforts us all, who protects us from harm, who unconditionally loves her Self and her loved ones.”

“My Heart and Soul thanks my mother-in-law who has always shown me unconditional love and embraced me with care.”

With your last offering, honour YOU and give thanks to YOU, in your own words, such as:

“I am thankful for my gifts of _____________________ (e.g. music, wisdom, dance, strength, healing, etc) that are my Medicine for this world, and for all that I have birthed ________________ (e.g. children, ideas, art, etc). I honour all aspects of my own Divine Feminine: the Goddess within, the Maiden, The Mother and the Crone. They are me and I am them. Thank you, Great Mother.”

When your offerings are complete, take some time to connect, journey or meditate with the Great Mother and ask for her wisdom. Give thanks to her when she does so.

Close by thanking the directions, your guides, allies, ancestors… whoever supports you spiritually.

Blow out the candles.

Celebrate with Hugs:)

sidebar graphics 7If you love working with Mother Earth, following the energies of Grandmother Moon (Seanmháthair Gealach), aligning with the energy of the Celtic Wheel of The Year, or are interested in learning more about this path, you will find great resources – and the opportunity to ask questions, share rituals, and more – in our NEW private Facebook Group, the Wise Woman Bean Gealach Circle. Limited to those who identify as women. For more information about the Circle, CLICK HERE

WP Sidebar graphics-5Connect to your purpose, your medicine, eliminate self-limiting beliefs, and integrate the new wisdom into your life through this unique you-centered blend of shamanic coaching and journeys, energy healing, alchemical healing, Earth Medicine, PSYCH-K® and PER-K® balancing, and six-sensory work. Together we draw on the modalities that best support your journey. Click on the picture for more information or visit our website:  www.innerjourneyevents.com

WP Sidebar graphics, resized to 300 x 213 pxDo you want a better understanding of the Wheel of the Year and how its shifting energies can support your own transformation and growth, support you in aligning with the rhythms of Nature itself? Subscribers receive regular free ebooks and articles, such as Celebrating the Equinox, along with tips for their personal practices, advance notice on free events and webinars, and much much more! 

Passionate Transformation during the Full Flower Moon

Posted on by Della Ratcliffe

IMG_0388

This Full Moon carries so much power. Not only is it in Scorpio — giving us a powerful and emotional experience — but this Full Moon is a very special day in the Buddhist calendar, marking Waisak aka Vesak aka Wesak, when Buddhists around the word celebrate the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha.  Perhaps YOU are sensing that global energy of peace, enlightenment, transformation and forgiveness.

And each of Buddha’s transformations (birth, enlightenment, death) are closely aligned with our own theme in this lunar journey: Passionate Transformation.

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Firebird by Susan Seddon-Boulet

You may feel like everything is enhanced, fired up… your intuition, your emotions, your sensuality, your passions. You are like the FireBird or the Phoenix… burning, transforming, coming alive. Zinging!

The Full Moon is a powerful time for the Divine Feminine energy within us, and for our emotions. Many women cycle with LaLuna… ovulating at the Full Moon, experiencing their Flow at the Dark Moon. But even if we don’t align in that way, the Full Moon is the time to celebrate our femininity and our connection to the Goddess. This is HER power time, no matter which Goddess you follow or work with.

At the Full Moon, many turn to the Mother Goddesses for support and inspiration, such as  Gaia, Demeter, Isis, Hestia and Green Tara. But there are Goddesses associated with the Moon who can support us including Artemis, Diana, Luna, Mama Quilla, Selene.

SOUL WORK 
At this phase of our Lunar Journey, we are aligned with the Direction of the South and the Element of Fire as we birth our creativity and manifest our goals. We are fully charged with the fiery Yin energy for the next couple of days, before we move into the Waning Phase when our intuition will increase once again, and we will start to feel the drawing down, the drawing in of our energy and connecting to our Magick.

Be intentional in your Soul Work during this Full Moon, calling in the Directions, Elements and Goddesses to start your ritual, whatever that may be. It could be a release ritual; a simple honouring of the Goddesses, your Self and/or the amazing women in your life; or it could be as simple as lighting a candle and meditating on the Soul Questions.

CALLING IN THE DIRECTIONS 
We each have our own way of Calling in The Directions. Some like to start in the East (Air, Dawn, a new day in many traditions)  and some in the North (Earth, Night, start of day in Celtic traditions).  I tend to start in the East, with the inspiration of Air.

I recorded a sample Calling in The Directions that combines two traditions, that of CelticScreen Shot 2017-05-10 at 4.22.24 PM Shamanism and that of the Chinook First Nation of the Pacific NorthWest. Click here to listen to the recording, or click on the picture to the right.

Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 4.16.10 PM

And for a basic introduction to Calling in The Directions, click here for a short SoundCloud recording or simply click on the picture to the left.

Once you’ve listened to these, perhaps you will be inspired to create your own Calling In.

SOUL QUESTIONS 
For your meditations, journeys or rituals during the Full Moon consider these Soul Questions, or develop your own:

🔥 What is now flourishing in my life?

🔥 What is passionately transforming in my life?

🔥 What does transformation mean to me?

Full Moon Blessings on the Flower Moon!

Moon & Flower Image Source: an HD wallpaper on hdwallsbox

sidebar graphics 7If you love working with Mother Earth, following the energies of Grandmother Moon (Seanmháthair Gealach), aligning with the energy of the Celtic Wheel of The Year, or are interested in learning more about this path, you will find great resources – and the opportunity to ask questions, share rituals, and more – in our NEW private Facebook Group, the Wise Woman Bean Gealach Circle. Limited to those who identify as women. For more information about the Circle, CLICK HERE

WP Sidebar graphics-5Connect to your purpose, your medicine, eliminate self-limiting beliefs, and integrate the new wisdom into your life through this unique you-centered blend of shamanic coaching and journeys, energy healing, alchemical healing, Earth Medicine, PSYCH-K® and PER-K® balancing, and six-sensory work. Together we draw on the modalities that best support your journey. Click on the picture for more information or visit our website:  www.innerjourneyevents.com

WP Sidebar graphics, resized to 300 x 213 pxDo you want a better understanding of the Wheel of the Year and how its shifting energies can support your own transformation and growth, support you in aligning with the rhythms of Nature itself? Subscribers receive regular free ebooks and articles, such as Celebrating the Equinox, along with tips for their personal practices, advance notice on free events and webinars, and much much more! 

Soul Questions for the Waxing Crescent Moon

Posted on by Della Ratcliffe

ig-moon-phases

Wisdom from Seanmháthair Gealach (Grandmother Moon)
Day 4, Waxing Crescent 🌒🌘

We can now see a crescent of light in the Waxing Moon… it’s time to move from the reflective time of the Dark Moon / New Moon and step into action, to firm up your goals for the month.

This phase of the Moon is associated with the Daughter archetype, when we are at our most natural, connected to our Inner Wisdom, when anything is possible. Why? In part, because we are unencumbered by learned beliefs (both empowering and disempowering)… You might say “we don’t know what we don’t know”. And that can be very powerful! In this phase, we are supported by the goddess energies of Brighid, Juno, Kore / Persephone.

This is a significant month, with an Equinox in the latter part of the month. And, in some countries (US, UK, Australia), March is Women’s History Month. In Canada, we celebrate it in October. In our Wise Woman Bean Gealach Circle, we celebrate Women every day, at all stages of life… The Maiden, Mother/Woman and Crone and all other steps in our journey through life.

So for this lunar cycle, I invite you to explore the theme of your personal power in a month that celebrates women… what your strengths are, how you manifest them, how your power has shifted and changed throughout your life, your connection to the Divine Feminine within. And what goals you can declare this month. Keep in mind that we are approaching an Equinox later this month which always marks a shift, a change, a new beginning.

There is a First Nations saying that you may have heard:

“At her first bleeding a woman meets her power.
During her bleeding years she practices it.
At menopause she becomes it.”

I have heard some women express that they become “invisible” as they age, and I’ve certainly had that experience on occasion. But many of us become bolder as we age, become activists and are hard not to see!

SOUL QUESTIONS FOR THIS MONTH’S THEME

  • Are you aware of your Power? Your Divine Feminine energies?
  • Do others see your Power in the same way? How would others describe it?
  • Has your Power — or your relationship to it — changed over time?
    • If yes, how? If no, is that a positive thing or something you would like to change?
  • How do you express your Power?
  • How comfortable are you sitting in your Power?
  • How comfortable are you sitting in your Divine Feminine? With your Femininity?

TIPS
This is a good time to work with your Third /Solar Plexus chakra… checking in on it, balancing it, meditating with it, creating affirmations for it using the “rights” of that Chakra:  To Act, To Be Free, To Choose.

Our Wise Woman Bean Gealach Circle is now on Instagram!

Follow us there @Bean_Gealach_Circle !

sidebar graphics 7If you love working with Mother Earth (known by so many names, such as Gaia, Pachamama, and Danú), following the energies of Grandmother Moon (Seanmháthair Gealach), of the Goddess(es), of Father Sky (Daghda), following the Celtic Wheel of The Year, creating or learning ancestral crafts and herbalism, or follow an earth-based spirituality…. or are interested in learning more about this path, you will find great resources – and the opportunity to ask questions, share rituals, and more – in our NEW private Facebook Group, the Wise Woman Bean Gealach Circle.

For more information about the Circle, CLICK HERE

Or, CLICK HERE to join us today on Facebook

WP Sidebar graphics-5Connect to your purpose, your medicine, eliminate self-limiting beliefs, and integrate the new wisdom into your life through this unique you-centered blend of shamanic coaching and journeys, energy healing, alchemical healing, Earth Medicine, PSYCH-K® and PER-K® balancing, and six-sensory work. Together we draw on the modalities that best support your journey. Click on the picture for more information or visit our website:  www.innerjourneyevents.com

Imbolc Blessings

Posted on by Della Ratcliffe

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This week, we celebrate Imbolc (IM – OLK) and the Celtic goddess Brighid, goddess of fertility, creativity, the forge (blacksmiths and smithing), light, and livestock.

But exactly WHEN do we celebrate, you may ask!!

Some celebrate on the fixed date of February 1st whilst others will celebrate on the astronomical Cross-Quarter date of a February 3rd @ 15:27 Pacific Time (the precise midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox). I celebrate both!

Imbolc is the first of the Celtic spring festivals (Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltaine) and one of the four fire festivals in the Celtic Wheel of the Year.  In the Christian calendar, this day is observed as Candlemas. And on February 2nd, many celebrate Groundhog Day…. clearly an anticipation of Spring!

Imbolc  — the day we celebrate the goddess Brighid —  marks the first physical signs of Spring: the birth of the lambs, the flowing of the ewe’s milk (the literal translation for Imbolc!), the rising of the sap in the trees, and the budding of trees and 🌾plants.

It was also a time of empowerment for our ancestors, as they cleansed their homes of Winter dust and soot, and started to prepare for Spring by clearing the land and preparing to plough and sow.

How perfect that this is the time to honour Brighid with blessings and rituals to purify us for the sacred growth and seed through a three-fold Fire ritual, exemplified in this blessing:

Fire in the Forge that shapes and tempers

Fire in the Hearth that nourishes and heals

Fire in the Head that incites and inspires

Legends of Brighid’s Mantle

The first legend described the goddess Brighid as hanging her mantle on a beam of sunlight. Magickal!

A second legend said that Brighid walked the land on Imbolc Eve, healing both people and animals Legend had it that the dew absorbed her healing powers. The next morning, women would cut up the Bhrat Bridhe (Gaelic for Brighid’s mantle) into strips for sharing within the family.

In a third legend, St Brigid asked the King for a plot of land for her Abbey in Kildare, but the King refused. Brigid then asked for a plot of land no bigger than her mantle. Of course, the King agreed. Such a bargain! So she walked to the Holy Oak on the land she wanted, accompanied by four Maidens. Each took a corner of Brigid’s cloak and walked in all four directions. Miraculously, the cloak grew and grew until it stretched out to the exact plot size that Brigid desired. The King recognised the miracle and converted to Christianity. Brigid built her church. A cathedral was later built on the site but, apparently, the original foundations of Brigid’s church can still be seen.
🔥🔥🔥

Bhrat Bridhe Ritual

Ideally done on Imbolc Eve which – for me – is tonight. Place a piece of cloth on a tree, bush or windowsill. You can use any cloth (natural fibres if at all possible), or even a piece of ribbon, which is easy to tuck into a purse, yoga bag, or even a bra strap!

I use a red cloth – a piece of ribbon actually – as that tradition resonates with me, but some use white or blue. Even a simple handkerchief will do the trick.

Use your Bhrat Bridhe for healing for your Self or loved ones. You can also use your Bhrat for extra energy when you need to stand strong. Brighid will be there for you.

🌿 🌿 IMBOLC BLESSINGS 🌿🌿

How will you celebrate this special day?

sidebar graphics 7If you love working with Mother Earth (known by so many names, such as Gaia, Pachamama, and Danú), following the energies of Grandmother Moon (Seanmháthair Gealach), of the Goddess(es), of Father Sky (Daghda), following the Celtic Wheel of The Year, creating or learning ancestral crafts and herbalism, or follow an earth-based spirituality…. or are interested in learning more about this path, you will find great resources – and the opportunity to ask questions, share rituals, and more – in our NEW private Facebook Group, the Wise Woman Bean Gealach Circle.

For more information about the Circle, CLICK HERE

Or, CLICK HERE to join us today on Facebook

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Embracing our Crone wisdom

Posted on by Della Ratcliffe

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Last night I joined in a teleseminar led by Jean Shinoda Bolen, on the Goddess(es) in every woman after 50…. fascinating!

During the event, she talked about the “C” word… yep, Crone! A word many of us are reclaiming, just as many of us are also reclaiming the word witch, both with wise and sacred traditions of knowledge and wisdom.

Bolen spoke about the thirteen qualities that identify a Crone, in a light-hearted way, and the first of the thirteen really captured my heart: Crones Don’t Whine! LOL!

In her book Crones Don’t Whine, Bolen elaborates:

“TO BE A CRONE, you need to let go of what should have been, could have been, might have been. You need to silence the whining in your head that will come out of your mouth next. Whining makes you unable to live in the present, or be good company for anyone—even yourself. Whiners assume they were and are entitled to a different life from the one they have. Whiners do not see that everyone has had a share of the bad things that happen to people. Ungrateful for what they do have, whiners cannot enjoy the present.”

The book, of course, goes into this in much more depth… and defining what whining is (and isn’t).

It got me thinking about when I whine —or drop into Victim mentality, feeling powerless — vs. doing something about it. A powerful reminder!

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In future… I will wine… but not whine!

And I will stand proudly as a Crone !!!

Crone Power!
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sidebar graphics 7If you love working with Mother Earth (known by so many names, such as Gaia, Pachamama, and Danú), following the energies of Grandmother Moon (Seanmháthair Gealach), of the Goddess(es), of Father Sky (Daghda), following the Celtic Wheel of The Year, creating or learning ancestral crafts and herbalism, or follow an earth-based spirituality…. or are interested in learning more about this path, you will find great resources – and the opportunity to ask questions, share rituals, and more – in our NEW private Facebook Group, the Wise Woman Bean Gealach Circle.

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WP Sidebar graphics-5Connect to your purpose, your medicine, eliminate self-limiting beliefs, and integrate the new wisdom into your life through this unique you-centered blend of shamanic coaching and journeys, energy healing, Earth Medicine, PSYCH-K® and PER-K® balancing, and six-sensory work. Together we draw on the modalities that best support your journey. Click on the picture for more information or visit our website:  www.innerjourneyevents.com