Sometimes Revelation comes in the quiet of the night!

Sometimes Revelation comes in the quiet of the night while reading a most amazing book.

Sometimes Awareness of ones life comes in vivid words laid out on a page of a book written years ago, but just now comes into hands that have been waiting for a read at such a Time as this!

Sometimes it is Time to embrace where one is on this Life Journey and cease looking back and concentrate on Being!

Sometimes is Now Time!

The Great Cosmic Mother co-written by Monica Sjoo &Barbara Mor has changed my life forever. The Sometime is Now Time!

It is simple really. I have known since my teen years that I saw the Divine, who made me in Her Image, as Feminine! I didn't have the words when I was a teen, but what I did know was that there was something totally wrong about the way our society treated and viewed women. I knew that the church, business, government made rules and decisions that kept women as "less than" and took every opportunity possible to demean, abuse and deny rights to women. And I became a radical feminist.

But I still was apart of a church that did so much damage to so many and filled people with fear as the male leaders used their patriarchal power and control to reinforce and encourage misogyny, racism, and sexism. I was still a part of the work force that did not pay women the same as men. I was still a part of a government that tried to deny women the rights to make decisions regarding their own bodies. And I was married to a man who was addicted to pornography and treated women as sex objects with disdain. I had a love/hate relationship with them all.

Finally, I realized that I had to leave the church and my husband and totally embrace in thought, word and deed the Goddess, paganism and witchcraft. I am a vocal spokeswoman for them all.

But wait, this is not the Revelation I have as a result of this marvelous book. But you see, without all my past encounters with the misogynist institutions and family members, I would not have been ripe for the Revelation!

I was a social worker for 35 years. I worked with families caught in the cycle of abuse; with families torn apart by such so that their children had to come into foster care; with pregnant and parenting teens and the elderly on the last part of their journey. I was dedicated and very good at what I did. I knew this was the way Goddess was pouring HerSelf out into the world: using me as Her Vessel.

I then retired from this work and tried my hand at other jobs, and now find myself working part time as an accounts payable assistant.

Revelation?

Well, you see for the past 4 years I have been struggling with no longer "serving my neighbor". I kept thinking I should be volunteering, etc. Every now and again I would give my parents money to donate to their food bank, etc.

Revelation? Get to the point, Deb!

Yep, that quiet night as I was reading, I realized that I had in fact done what I came here to do.

That quiet night, I realized that I did not have to volunteer, give money, etc (unless I want too!) to have a purpose in life and to help my neighbor.

Revelation?

I help others every breath I take. I help others, women in particular, as I speak out to my conservative family members, as I educate others on the Goddess, and as I listened to a co-worker as she made the decision to put her cat down today.

Revelation?

I am now preparing myself for the rest of my Life Journey here and in doing that I am preparing myself for my next Life Journey.

It felt kind of weird when that Revelation came to me. It was as if I was saying my time was done here. And I could hear Goddess Laugh! Why must endings be like....The End! Vamous! Out of here!

Revelation?

I am finished with that part of my life. I am now ready to step into the next which has as a large component: relaxing into the woman I have always been, but now AM!  And most of all Being Present. Not looking back to see where I have been and why I am no longer there, and really not looking forward as to what I should be doing. But Being Present!

Revelation!

Yep, pretty simple I know, but big for me. And what did it take but a Powerful Book in my hands at just the right time. Not too early, not too late, but exactly right!

Amazing how She works, right?

Blessed be! 

Wado Autumn

(Wado is the Cherokee word for Thank You!)

You began when the Earth was still full of Life and Sunshine.
Wado

You brought cooler Temperatures and shorter hours of Sunshine.
Wado

You sent the message to the Trees that it was time to rest.
Wado

You left the Everygreens to remind us that Growth will come again.
Wado

Oh Autumn!
We now say Good bye to you for another year on this day of Solstice.
We hold in our Memories, beautiful Colors as the trees shed their Leaves.
We hold in our Memories Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Thunderstorms and Rainbows.
We hold in our Memories flowers in full Bloom, Crops growing to feed us and Birds singing their sweet songs.

Wado!

But the Wheel must Turn!
And Persephone travels deeper into the Underworld to spend time with her dear Hades.
And Demeter's heart is broken not Knowing where her Daughter has gone. And she Cries tears of Ice and Snow.

And our Bodies tell us it is time to Hibernate!
Nado!

But this morning, Sweet Autumn, as I played my Drum for the last Sunrise of this Season; as I played my Flute at my Altar, I wanted to stop and say

Wado!

Blessed be and much love!
Wado!

The Whistling Tea Kettle

My Maternal Grandmother had a Whistling Tea Kettle. She loved tea and drank it often.

When I went to visit her in Pennsylvania, she would put water in that Whistling Tea Kettle and fix us a delicious cup of tea. I loved these times with my grandmother. She embraced her Croneness!

I love the sound of a Whistling Tea Kettle.It reminds me of my Grandmother.
It reminds me of this Woman with her wrinkly hands, her white hair, and her round body.
It reminds me of Love.

And so each day, when my Tea Kettle whistles that She is ready to pour out boiling water into my tea cup, I tell Gram how much I miss and love her.

Sometimes it is the simple things that stay with us, that warm our heart and that remind us to hold on to our Memories!

May your Tea Kettles always Whistle reminding you to stop and Remember!

Blessed be!

Damn I have a broken foot!

Ok, so once again I was in a hurry, not paying attention and missed the last two concrete steps and bam, down I went! Not much pain and little swelling so I thought I would wait til the next morning to access the damage.

Off I went to the ER and the doctor announces: "I will get to the point, you have broken you foot and you did it up good! Broke right through!" To which I replied, "SHIT"!

My souvenir was this picture and a splint! And an appointment to see the orthopedist who will decide what to do!

And the worst???? Stay off your foot, elevate it and oh yes, since it is your right foot no driving for 4-6 weeks!

Immediately I went into: how will I get to work, how will I get all the paperwork I have to gather up, how will I get up and down my stairs, oh damn, I won't be able to get to the grocery store or the post office to send Yule and Christmas cards! And the mail center....if I can't drive how will I get there every day????

Oh how necessary my feet are to me and how I forget to thank them every day!

Then I stopped short and began to tear up! I realized that meant no walking to the Lake or in the Forest until sometime in January! And I would not be attending the Goddess Weekend December 21st! I thought my life was over!

Damn I broke my foot!

And the text began to come, thanks to facebook and my willingness to put my whole life into cyberspace, with offers of help, rides to work, help with grocery shopping, etc. My heart was touched, but my first reaction was how much I don't like to depend on others! But yet, I want others to reach out to me!

After drumming today and thanking Great Spirit Goddess for all my blessings, I was reminded that we are all called to be Her Vessels at some time or another. When we say no, we dishonor the Goddess and those She has chosen to be her Divine Vessel! When we say no, we are not allowing another to feel the Fullness of Her Nourishing Liquid Divineness! When we say no, we are not allowing another to be Her Hands, Feet and Heart! When we say no, we are not allowing another to taste the Richness of Her blessings both on them and us!

We are Vessels of the Goddess! The answer should always be YES! Both when She calls Us to pour forth and when She calls Us to Drink Deeply!

Yes, I broke my damn foot, but from this will come not only Lessons but Opportunities. Opportunities to Accept Help! Opportunities to be quiet, to reflect on the busyness of my life, read, blog and meditate. It will challenge me to look closely at my "financial" need and how that impacts the time I have to actually spend time with Goddess and Her Daughters!

It will be interesting to look back in January when I finally get back to Driving and see the Show unfold before me of all the Divine Appointments I actually showed up for cause I was slowed down.

Life is just that: A Divine Plan that unfolds before us! Reminding us "We plan, Goddess laughs!"

So, yep I broke my Damn Foot, but I look forward to all the Amazing Opportunities that await me!

Blessed be and much love!

Demeter's Journey begins

The Fog embraces my part of the Forest today! As I sat on the Balcony having my breakfast of french toast with butter and maple syrup along with slices of an orange and hot cocoa; I had a vision!

There sat Demeter, with her Cauldron bubbling away. The Steam from Her Cauldron slowly moves out onto the world that is now going cold. The leaves have fallen and are being stirred into her pot. The flowers no longer bring color to the Earth and the Pines are the only trees standing tall in their regalia; never to loose it despite their Sweet Goddess's departure to the Underworld.

Yes, Persephone has heard the cry of the Underworld and thus has begun her journey downward. As She walks past each Field the ground closes its eyes and goes to sleep. As She passes flowers they bow their beautiful heads and drop off in grief and loss. As She moves among the bears, they slowly but surely find their Caves and begin their long winters sleep. Snakes slither to the underground along with Her and birds fly to warmer parts of the Forest!

And Demeter does not know where She has gone! And so Demeter gazes into Her Cauldron as She would a Crystal Ball trying desperately to find the beauty and sunshine of her Daughter. But alas, the Sun also grieves the departure of Persephone and can not hold the Light for longer periods of time. Shorter and shorter the sunlight becomes which leaves Demeter less and less daylight to search for Her beloved Persephone!

Demeter's tears become the ice cycles that form in the dead of winter and the snow that falls from the sky! But She never stops Searching! It is a Dark time for Demeter. A time of Grief and Loss! A time of having to look under all the rocks and bushes and in dark caves. But the one Dark Cave which would lead her to Persephone is closed off and she passes it by day after day until......

Ah Winter! It beacons us to go inward. To drop our beautiful flowers, our green leaves and find the cave of ourSelves! It is the Time that we are called to Hibernate within ourSelves and face the Shadows and the Death that inhibit our full Blooming and Growth. It is the Time we are called to provide our own sources of Light so that Growth awaits the coming of Spring! Like the Fields it is the time to Lay Fallow and Heal; to Lay Fallow and Rest; to Lay Fallow and Prepare for when we Know it is time to come out into the Light and Warmth of the Spring.

What we forget is that Winter is not only a Physical Season, but a Personal Season. We may be called to do Winter Work in the Summertime or the Spring! If we listen to our Persephone Voice we will know when we must Delve into our WinterTime Journey. It is necessary! And it takes as long as it takes!

Yet we live in a society that does not know how to deal with Withdrawal Times! We don't know what to do when someone is in Grief and Loss (that may be a loved one or grieving of something we must put aside to continue on this Life Journey). And we certainly don't Honor those who aren't going around with a hug smile on their face day after day after day! We don't like when the Dark times come, literally or figuratively.

But they come! And as we know; Persephone Knows when it is time to leave the Underworld and come out into the Playground of Gaia's Garden! She knows because She Listens to Her inner Knowing!

May we be as Wise as Her!

Blessed be and blessed Wintertime!

Wounded Maiden and Night of Hekate!

I took my walk as usual through the bit of forest here in my apartment complex. I am so blessed to have a path to the Lake and a path through a densely wooded area between apartment complexes! I don't know that I could breathe here without mountains if I did not have these two sacred places! But alas this is not my story tonight!

The Path is now covered in leaves and it rained last night. So, I was delighted to stand and breathe in that very familiar fragrance: wet leaves in the cool crisp air of Fall. And it took me back: it took me back to my childhood!

I remembered Dad raking up the leaves and us running and falling in them!
I remembered walking through the Forest (yes, we actually lived at the base of Mill Mountain in Virginia and thus had "real live woods!) in the Fall and loving the Fragrance and the Sounds of the Leaves!

Today as I stood in all the glory of Fall I realized that I did not have a Wounded Childhood! I did not have Inner Child Issues! I am one of the very fortunate Women! And for that I am very very grateful!

As I stood in all the Glory of Autumn I realized I was a Wounded Maiden.

You see today also is the anniversary of the Day I walked out of an emotional and sexual abusive marriage of 30 years. On this day 11 years ago; my daughter and I moved out and into our own apartment; I was 50 and she was 18! And we could breathe! At last we could breathe and begin our Journey toward finding our own Voices, our own Journeys and our own Truth!

I married this Man two days after my 20th birthday! I was very naive; growing up in a normal family with all it's dysfunction common in the 50's and 60's. We did not have a perfect family by any means, but I was loved and cared for and encouraged to be the person I was meant to be.

And then I married a man who under the cloaks of "we are hippies" said to me over and over that he was there to help me "grow" and "reach my potential", but what he meant was "grow and reach HIS idea of what a woman, as seen in pornography, was suppose to be." Under the cloak of "I am an enlightened Man and really buy into all your Feminist stuff" was a Narcissistic Man who really  thought women should be subservient to men in bed and in the work place. That women were stupid and really didn't know what the hell they were doing if a man was not there to instruct them in how to "be".  I was a Maiden, caught between what I KNEW was my Truth was and what I was being brainwashed into believing was my truth.

So young and naive; so ready to be married and happy; so not ready to have my Voice stolen from me. Funny, tho', I didn't realized I had lost that voice until I watched my daughter grow into her teen years and she too was loosing her Voice!

And so for 11 years I have been Healing the Wounded Maiden! And today She is Healed! She has taken Her place beside the Inner Child, the Mother and now the Crone!

I thank my Maiden Self for being strong and for learning so much during those times of misogyny in the church and my own marriage. All those times finally brought me to the point where I could hear the call of Hekate!  She, the Maiden, Mother, Crone revealed Herself to me during Spiritual Direction, but I didn't know Her then. She revealed Herself to me in stories I began to read and finally She revealed Herself to me one Dark Night! She claimed me as Her own.

So tonight I will honor Hekate! I will honor Her for protecting my Maiden Self; for empowering my Mother Self and for now Welcoming My Crone Self!

The Healing is complete! Blessed be!

The Crone comes into her Own

Once Upon a Time a Crone came into Her Own, sitting on the Stones on the Coast of Maine!

One Upon a Time She woke up every Morning, fixed her Hair and put on her Makeup Mask!

Once Upon a Time Her Mother told her that once She began wearing Makup, she could never go outside without it on!

Once Upon a Time Her Mother told her she looked like "death warmed over" without the Makeup Mask!

And so on the Huge Rocks on the Coast of Maine the Crone Came Into Her Own!

All week the Crone had gone with her Hair tied up and no Mask on her Face!

All week the Crone Breathed the Fresh Clean Air of Maine, Drank in the Beauty of the Ocean, the Playfullness of the Chipmunks and Squirrels and Luna, and Tasted Freshly Harvested Lobster for the first Time!

All week the Crone Shared Space with MotherSelf as her Maiden Daughter surrounded her with Unconditional Love and a Peak inside the Container of Blossoming Forever Love!

Once Upon a Time, the Crone sat on the Rocks and Watched New Love Flourish! She sat on the Rocks and Realized how Foolish it has been, trying to Please others. She sat and Gently, Sweetly came into her Own!

There is something to be said for Peaceful Moments, for Vision and for Contentment.

Once Upon a Time the Crone put the Last Puzzle Piece into Place. The new Puzzle awaits to be opened!

Once Upon a Time........

Blessed be!