THE WILD SHE – KALI The Wild SHE – Which Goddess comes to your mind when you hear “The Wild SHE”? For me, that will always be Kali. “By you this universe is borne, by you this world is created By you it is protected, O Devi. By you it is consumed at the end You who are eternally the form of the whole world, at the time of creation you are the form of the creative force, at the time of preservation you are the form of the protective power and at the time of the dissolution of the world you are the form of the destructive power You are…

Bast/Bastet  (Graphic: ancientegyptonline.com) The Egyptian Goddess Bast or Bastet was originally a Lion-Headed Goddess, who gradually changed into the Cat-Headed Goddess we are more familiar with. Even though Her outward appearance changed, Her temperament did not. She was still as fierce as a lion, while having the playfulness, grace, and dignity of a cat, sometimes affectionate, sometimes not, depending upon Her mood. Those of us who have a cat for a companion can certainly attest to that! (Graphic: Wikipedia) Bast was thought to be the daughter of Ra, and as such, was called the “Eye of Ra”. It is said that She rode with her father in his chariot, pulling…

The Eight Limbs of Yoga This month we move on to the most recognizable of the Eight Limbs. The third limb is asana, which is Sanskirt for “abiding”, meaning the physical postures within yoga. Even if you have never taken a yoga class, you are most likely aware of some of the yoga postures. (Graphic: food.ntv.com) The benefits of asana are balance, strength and flexibility. Flexibility is a necessity as we age; the more flexible we are, the better we will move and the younger we will feel. In asana, the body is challenged. With the physical challenge, your body grows stronger and the mind, through control and focus, becomes…

INTERVIEW WITH MOONWATER SILVERCLAW Author of Be A Wiccan Badass “Be A Wiccan Badass” is a easy-to-read, simple guide to the Craft, best for beginners and advanced beginners, although more seasoned practitioners will still get some good advice from it. I recently sat down with Moonwater for a chat. SM: Good morning, Moonwater. Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to talk with me. MS: Sure. My pleasure. SM: I have looked at both your website and your Amazon author page (links below). You have quite a few books to your credit, including “Be A Wiccan Badass”, which I have right here. What made you decide to be…

The Eight Limbs of Yoga The column last month discussed the YAMA’s. This month we will continue with the NIYAMA’s. NIYAMA means rules or laws. Here it becomes the way to fully live your yoga practice through “personal observances”. (Photo Credit: Pinterest) The NIYAMA are much more personal than the NAMA’s. These become our personal rules for living with our spirit, our kindness and compassion. (Photo Credit: Pinterest) Sauca/Saucha – Purity Sauca, or Saucha, means cleanliness and purity. Outwardly, we practice proper hygiene. Inner cleanliness is the way we think and behave. We can use pranayama (breathwork), which cleanses our lungs, bloodstream and nervous system. Practicing asana (postures) and meditation…

SIF (Photo Credit – debsden.blogspot.com) Sif is a Norse/Scandinavian Grain Goddess, associated with the Earth and its’ vegetation. One species of moss is named after Her, “haddr sifjar” or “Sif’s hair”, which is great praise, as her golden mane of hair was Her most striking feature. Her name possibly means “relation by marriage” which would be descriptive to Her role in Asgard. Sif was a swan-maiden, similar to the Valkyries, in that she was able to take the form of a swan. She is a Prophetess, as well as the Goddess of wheat, fertility and family. Some say She is also a Goddess of fidelity, but that title is debatable,…

BOOK REVIEW “The Key to Spirit Animals from Communication to Meditation” by Dawn Baumann Brunke “The aim of this book is to engage spirit animals in more conscious ways.” So, the author says, and so it is. “The Key to Spirit Animals” is exactly what this book is. It begins with explaining what a spirit animal is and how we may all have several spirit animals, as well as a lifelong Spirit Animal, which we can discover following her guided meditation. Ms. Brunke suggests keeping a Spirit Animal Journal and includes *journal prompts* throughout the book. The author explains how we can work more closely with nature to establish a…

Yemaya   (Photo Credit: the divinemoon.com)     Yey Oma Eja – *Mother Whose Children are the Fish”, or as She is more commonly known, Yemaya, *Mama Watta*, Mother of Waters, Queen of the Sea, Mother of the Fishes, Ocean Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Lady of the Rain, Daughter of the Sea, Constantly Changing Woman, Creator Mother, Patroness of Witches, Sirena. Yemaya. She is known by all of these names and more. (Photo: Pinterest) She was originally a River Goddess of the Ogun River in Yoruba. She was a powerful guardian and nature spirit, a Goddess of the African diaspora. When the people of Africa were stolen and brought…

The Eight Limbs of Yoga The eight limbs of Yoga are based upon the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which is the foundation of modern yoga. (Photo Credit: anandayogadunedin.com) The are as follows: 1. YAMA – Universal Morality 2. NIYAMA – Personal Observances 3. ASANAS – Body Postures 4. PRANAYAMA – Breathwork/Control of Prana 5. PRATYAHARA – Control of the Senses 6. DHARANA – Concentration & Inner Awareness 7. Dhyana – Devotion/Meditation on the Divine 8. SAMADHI – Union with the Divine As the author of the Yoga Sutras, and much about Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of medicine), Patanjali’s life is a mystery. His name, broken down means – Patan…

As I write this, it is the middle of January, 2017. It is a cold, dreary, overcast day in Massachusetts. A perfect day to journal, to meditate, to contemplate. It is also the week of the inauguration of a president-elect that many, many people feel is repugnant, an insult to the office of President. I must say that I am one of those people. Everything I stand for and believe in runs completely counter to what that man represents. I have been on my spiritual path for four decades; yes, 40 years. I am a daughter of the Goddess. I love my path. I love my Goddess. I love to…