Of Insight and Feathers

   Today I had the honor of witnessing parent sparrows providing first flight lessons to their young.  I held my breath as the chick stretched its still somewhat fluffy wings and bravely let itself fall from the low maple branch, its parents singing and staying quite close.  Though a bit clumsy in air and having performed a bumpy landing in the tall lake grass, it seemed happy and the adult birds' song changed from songs of encouragement to notes of pride.  They both assisted the chick's ground level take off and the three were quickly back in the safe shelter of the giant leaf maple.  I've heard it said that, "magic is the art of bringing about wanted change".  This was an aspect of natural magic at one of its most potent life points.  

    My experience opened a flood of thoughts regarding my knowledge of birds, feathers, their accompanying metaphysical properties and my relationship with them.  Birds are messengers who grant us amazing gifts.  Insight, warnings, visions and memories that guide, support and protect us can be learned when we stop and listen to these feathered wisdom keepers.  

    After nesting season birds will begin molting their old feathers.  This is the opportune time to be on the lookout for and gather fallen feathers.  While the specific properties of a feather are a combination of the bird it came from and its color, and because the world of birds contains a vast number of species,  I will concentrate on the properties of a feather's color.

Brown - offers stability and respect - when barred with black (like a pheasant) the feather brings balance between your spiritual and physical lives

Yellow - brings cheerfulness, mental alertness and prosperity

Green - brings health, growth and prosperity

Blue - brings protection and increases mental ability, when from a bluebird it brings peace

Red - offers physical vitality, courage, good fortune and protection

Orange - brings energy, new ideas, thwarts loneliness and increases will power

White -  offers hope, protection, peace, and blessings from the moon

Gray - brings relief to doubt, supports neutrality, and promotes anonymity 

Black - represents spiritual initiation, mystical insight, balance and repels negative energy

    Water color artist, Dee McDonald, specializes in the painting of birds.  As she works, she opens herself to the subject bird and requests its knowledge.    In her self-published and illustrated book, "In the Garden of Delight", Dee, through the Great Blue Heron, invites us to, 

"Dialogue with the birds...infuse your Light into their Light".  

    So mote it be! 

Samples of Dee's artwork may be viewed on her website www.deemcdonald.org and via her artist page on facebook at Wings of Art.

    

    

Earth Day Blessings to All and Gratitude to Our Mother Earth

Among the precious life gems Nana shared with me are, 

"Let the moon's growing light draw above ground foods toward it" 

and 

"The moon's darkening time helps
 root foods mature". 

So was planted, in me, the seeds of gardening in harmony with the moon's cycles.  Though the exact time I was taught this, eludes my memory, knowing Nana (the wise woman that she was), she undoubtedly imparted her knowledge to me during the dark of a New Moon phase. 

For those of you who enjoy, and are curious about, gardening according to the moon, here are some key action dates for the duration of 2012.  

 plant above-ground crops

April 22nd 

May 5th, 23rd, and 24th 

June 1st, 2nd, 29th, and 30th

July 26th and 27th

August 22nd, 23rd, and 31st

September 18th, 19th, and 27th

October 16th, 17th, 24th, and 25th

November 21st and 22nd

December 18th and 19th

plant below-ground crops 
May 13th and 14th
June 10th and 11th
July 17th and 18th
August 3rd, 4th, and 13th
September 1st, 10th, and 11th
October 7th and 8th
November 3rd, 4th, and 30th
December 1st, 2nd, 10th, and 11th


harvest above-ground crops
April 22nd
May 1st, 2nd, 28th, and 29th
June 24th and 25th
July 22nd and 23rd
August 18th and 19th
September 23rd and 24th
October 20th and 21st
November 25th and 26th
December 23rd and 24th


harvest below-ground crops
May 18th and 19th
June 15th and 16th
July 12th and 13th
August 8th and 9th
September 5th and 6th
October 2nd, 3rd, and 12th
November 8th and 9th
December 5th and 6th

Mother Earth,

May we learn from your being 

to persevere with faith, 

to balance with grace

to embrace with love

and give of your bounty.

by Meenakshi Suri
(USA)

Wolf Moon - Full Moon of February 18, 2011

This Full Moon as in all purifying fire moons, is the energy of letting go of what no long is vital in your space and within your emotional body that causes you stress or pain and needs purification. When we chose to let drama go, we fill ourself with our pure creative within and express this part of ourself in healthy and beautiful ways, using our energy to fulfill rather than create struggle...

Indulgence for Distraction

Today I will be hosting a birthday party for my dogs who just turned a year old.  Eccentric?...maybe, but I saw in this occasion the opportunity to provide much needed distraction and levity from a rather challenging year.  

So, planning began as well as the shopping (yes I know, it is Holiday season and shopping is already nuts) - banner, streamers, plates, party hats...and then there was the baking, yes, baking.  

My kitchen is frequently covered in oat flour and molasses due to the demands of a growing organic pet treat business however, somehow, this was different.  As much as I love baking pet treats this time I NEEDED to - I needed the creative challenge of "winging" a recipe, I needed the whir of the blender, I needed to knead the dough and carefully place the cut shapes onto the baking sheets.  I needed to disappear into the depth of a task and come out the other end, covered in flour and peanut butter and molasses and a huge smile.  

Can this personal indulgence really give my spirit the boost it needs?  Well, the doggy ice cream is setting, the cookies are attractively placed on platters, the decorations are up, and I am smiling.  You decide.

Pets Benefit from Reiki Treatments

What is reiki for animals?

Reiki translates as universal life energy and is an amazing energy healing method that originated in Japan. It is offered as an alternative treatment in hospitals such as M.D. Anderson. While it has mainly been used for healing people, in more recent years, those who have learned reiki have realized how beneficial this healing system could be to their own pets and other animals.

What are the benefits of reiki for pets?

Because reiki is healing energy, it will never harm you or your pet.

It can be given to any type of animal.

If your pet has emotional problems due to a traumatic situation such as abuse, neglect, or being hit by a car, reiki can help release and heal those emotions.

For behavioral issues such as nervousness or hyperactivity, reiki can help your pet relax and reduce their stress and anxiety.

If your pet is sick or injured, reiki can help your pet heal more quickly. If your pet is facing a serious illness, reiki can help bring comfort and be a great compliment to conventional treatment.

If your beloved pet is dying, reiki for animals can help bring peace and comfort to you and your pet during this difficult time. It really seems to help them relax so they are not afraid and struggling to stay a part of our lives.

For the Ancestors I Know by Name and Those I Do Not

Many cultures, primarily outside of the United States, believe that the invisible world plays such an enormous part in everyday life, it is custom and is extremely important to pay a great deal of attention to the dead and the ancestral family.  I think we all can agree that death is a universal fact and is the inevitable end of all human life.  Life does not just end there.  The soul continues on in another form (spirit) and in another world.  It is also believed by many that the dead are reborn into family members so that they can finish whatever business they were not able to finish while on earth for these reasons (and others) a great deal of concern, care, time, and money is spent on proper burial rites.  From the preparation of the body all the way through to the prayers, ceremonies, and sacrifices given to help ensure that the deceased is satisfied and appeased for an easy transition from the land of the living to the land of the dead.  It is believed by some that if proper funeral rites are not performed for the deceased, the spirit of the dead person will become a ghost to roam the world without peace, lost and confused with the abilities to harm and haunt people and relatives until it gains attention and proper acknowledgment of the proper burial rights, prayers, offerings, or ceremonies that will bring contentment to its soul.

“Ancestor veneration” or “ancestor worship” (meaning to maintain an ongoing relationship with those who have departed) exists through almost every known culture. In celebration of All Soul’s Day, many honor the dead by putting gifts, flowers and food on the graves of their family members.  Many cultures will honor the dead with festivals, drumming, singing, dancing, and drinking for it is believed that to honor our ancestors is to honor our lineage and our roots and is the first step to reclaiming our spiritual heritage.  The ancestors become spirit guides and are consulted for guidance, prayed to, venerated with rituals and are given offerings for their continued influence on the living by helping them to resolve their day-to-day problems.

There are numerous traditions that incorporate reverence for ancestors, which is indirectly a self-respecting measure.

Flower petals are placed on the bed of the dead to honor the life of the deceased. The custom of funerary flowers is an ancient tradition passed down from the Egyptians.

At The Oriental Institute of The University of Chicago, an Egyptian coffin shows a flower petal headress worn by high ranking women and floral necklaces that were pictograms of renewal. Egyptian funerary rituals used flowers and petals to create massive arrangements, floral staffs that symbolize fertility and floral headresses that symbolize a joyful afterlife.

In his turn of the 20th century "Dictionary of Phrase and Fable," Ebenezer Cobham Brewer states that, "The Greeks crowned the dead body with flowers, and placed flowers on the tomb also."

Romans also covered their tombs and funeral couches with wreaths, flowers and petals to honor the dead.

In the Aztec tradition, marigold petals were used on the deceased and on funeral altars to celebrate life and provide a means for the deceased to find their way back to this world. To the Aztecs, death was a cycle of life that was completed by returning to this life with the aid of flowers offered by the living.

Wondering how you can honor your ancestors or looking for an addition to your existing practice?  Here are a few ideas to get your creativity flowing:

Make Halloween More than Fear: Traditionally Samhain is about honoring returning (good) spirits who came back for these few nights, and of course, keeping out the bad ones who also might show up.   We tend to focus on the bad ones now and dwell on the frightening aspect of death.   However, how often do you talk with each other or your children about welcoming back grandpa or Aunt Myrtle?   

Have a Home Altar: decorate it with family photos, as many as you can dig up, candles and incense.  Visit once a day or once a week.   Try to visit longer on the anniversary of a loved one's demise.   Stop by your family altar and talk to the spirits once in a while about hard things in your life and ask for advice and meditate there.   If you have children, you might assign one child to maintain the shrine by dusting it, replacing candles, etc.  

The Empty Plate: This charming tradition, for some, is known as the plate for Ezekiel.   POW-MIA Associations often host a missing-man service, where a table is set once a year with symbolic plates, flowers, salt, lemon, etc.   I recall my own parents setting an empty place at holiday meals.  Set the table for one extra person and come-who-may will be able to join you.  

Visit Graves:  Flags line graveyards on Memorial and Veteran's Day in the United States with flowers brightening the grounds on Mother’s and Father’s Day.   In Latin America and some parts of the United States, on Dia de Los Muertos, families will have a picnic and set up an ofrido (altar) at the family grave site, sometimes for a day or two.  Check your local cemetery to see if this is permissible, and what the proper rules are.  

Carry a Memento: Your dad’s lucky coin tucked safely in your wallet, grandma’s pearl earrings worn lovingly or your dog’s nametag hanging on your keychain, keep memories of our loved ones close and alive.

Take Care of Yourself: Strive to remain healthy, happy and balanced.  Your life, after all, is a gift from and part of, them.