Uranus still Retrograde in Aries – 15 degrees Uranus is that Planet that hates to be confined. It is known as the “break out” Planet for that reason. When retrograde, Uranus can be responsible, more traditional and relaxed. As Uranus goes retrograde in Aries, there is a feeling of enthusiasm and courage to take responsibility. It is not a time to worry about what others think about you. Do your own thing at your own pace and life will be grand. Uranus goes direct Dec 21 in Aries – 12 degrees.     Neptune still Retrograde in Pisces – 6 degrees Ah, the simple pleasures of seeing more clearly. The…

Lapis   Helps you to understand the mind.  Expands your viewpoint.  It is good for connecting the heart and the mind when worn over the heart.  It purifies and heals.  Worn in ancient Mesopotamia, Persia, and India to cure fever and prevent misfortune, melancholy, and insomnia.  In meditation it opens the brow.   Higher guidance, intuition, connection to higher self, overview, decisions for good of all.  Organizes and quiets the mind.  Opens the throat/Thyroid.  Good for Self expression, writing, creativity, dream insight, Anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, autism, shyness, nervous system, MS, speech, hearing, pituitary, DNA, lymph, inflammation, pain (especially head), and protection.  This great mineral provides mental calming while providing strength of…

The Healing Blanket When my grandma heard that her sister, my great aunt, was ill, she packed up a few things and taking me in tow we headed for my great aunt and uncles ranch. I must have been around six at the time. I remember now, how the living room always smelled of wood smoke and cherry pipe tobacco. The woodstove was opposite the front door and in the middle of the room was a large oval braided rug that my great aunt had made. As a kid, I could sit there for hours tracing the spiral pattern of the rug. My great aunt and uncle’s bed room was…

Meditation: Healing the Scars from Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, PTSD and More       By Tom North, author of True North: The Shocking Truth About “Yours, Mine and Ours” Meditation saved my life.     My father, Richard North, died in a Navy jet test flight crash when I was six years old.   Fifteen months after his death, my mother, Helen North who had eight children, re-married a man named Frank Beardsley who had ten, making us one of the largest families in the country. We became famous, and our story was featured in the movie, Yours, Mine and Ours. But it wasn’t one big happy family. We had…

A Tale of Prometheus Prometheus was a Titan who sided with Zeus in the war of the titans. The Titans were then conquered, partly because Zeus released the hundred-handed monsters from their prison, who fought for them with their weapons (thunder, lightning and earthquake), and also because Prometheus took sides with Zeus. Zeus owed him a debt and Prometheus was on Zeus’ good side at the beginning. That changed however in one tale about the creation of ‘mankind’. Zeus delegated the creation of mankind to Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus. This was in part due to the fact that Prometheus had helped Zeus in the war. Epimetheus went with his…

Skaði For years I heard people talk about patron gods and goddesses. Some just chose one they liked, others were ‘called’ by the deity itself. The first didn’t feel right to me, although I had several gods and goddesses I was attracted too. But ‘being called’ sounded a bit strange. What did they mean with that? When, why, how? I didn’t really get it and very few had a clear story about how it works. It seemed to be hard to explain… When I met my second power animal, a polar bear, in a meditation it was handed to me by a woman. At the time I didn’t really pay…

As Seen In — Nature Trees with roots and leaves are Nature’s bonuses Trees are cyclical in nature and to be counted on Trees are able to provide stability They exude resilience and a strength They offer a place to play in safety They always turn, keeping things in movement As a garden will run smoothly and is effective As a garden gives back just as much will be given As a garden it offers true and clear directions Even if the trees stopped it all today Even if they stopped providing the gifts Even after all of this, I would be thankful If those gardens went out of existence…

I think it is time for us to talk about the Aces, those unique members of the Pip cards. Aces are different from the other Minors, as they are seen as being the seeds of their suit and element, rather than the manifestation of their suit and element. Aces are not material, and there is no evidence that they exist or affect us, because they don’t. Aces are tendencies that are the foundation of the manifestations of their suit; the Ace of Cups, our card for this month, is not Water, but a tendency to become Water! Let’s begin our process of breaking down this Ace. The Ace of Cups…

Blessed Be!    I’ve been to Mabon Sabbats. I don’t like it. I garden, sure. But I get my foods from supermarket. So celebrating the bounty of one of three harvest celebrations, (Lammas, Mabon, Samhain) does not hold meaning for me. Then if you live in North America, like me, you do Thanksgiving, too. FOUR harvest celebrations! The older I get, the less energy I have for so much. I have an indifference to Mabon., I never bother with it. That is how I see it. A bother. Shadow taught me Neo-Pagans had four Sabbats at one time. One for each of the four seasons. Sounds better than eight to…

A Nagging Question Ancestor worship is important. Without our forebears, we wouldn’t be here. We wouldn’t exist. Think of all the living and dying that had to go on, just so you could have that Friday evening ice cream! It’s only fitting that ancestor rites should play an important role in our Pagan ceremonies. I guess I’m just forever the contrarian. Lately I’ve been wondering why I revere my ancestors. Take my great-grandmother’s grandfather, for instance. He ran an iron forge in Western Maryland that used slave labor and was notorious for its inhumanity to its workers. I have a baby daddy great-great grandfather and a baby daddy grandfather. One…