Lighten the Load

Watching Spring unfold here in the northeastern U.S. is truly enjoyable for me. The “spring peepers” woke up last night, just as the last of the ice over the pond melted away, and our resident tom turkey awakened me early this morning whilst chasing the ladies with his morning gobble. Ahhh, Spring. Signs of rebirth, renewal, and rejoicing at the return of the sun to our side of the globe are all around us!

The earth comes alive as the dainty crocuses bravely bloom in the receding patches of snow. Daffodils raise their lazy heads as they seemingly race to catch up with the calendar on this year’s late start to the season. Tulips, hyacinth, and hosta plants bravely poke out from the leaf-laden ground. The air is filled with the echoes of phoebes finding mates, robins busily building nests, and the tapping of the red-bellied, hairy, downy, and pileated woodpeckers. Chipmunks waste no time getting right to scurrying, and the koi fish come to surface in the sun-drenched pond.

Winter’s hibernation is complete once more, the atmosphere is lighter, the sun warmer. Nature’s spring foods are bright green, delicate, and full of new life. As creatures of nature, humans can do well by following this rhythm. The sudden urge to open the windows, let the fresh air in, and do “spring cleaning” is our natural instinct to prepare our nest for new life.

Spring cleanses are very appropriate this time of year and include not only physical cleansing of winter’s buildup of fat stores, but also de-cluttering our home environments, cleaning up our thoughts, clearing out habits and/or issues that no longer serve a purpose for us, and simplifying our lives. Remember how it feels to clean out a closet? To give away or return something you no longer need? To discover something you forgot you had, or something you lost? This is what our bodies need. To clear out the tokens of yesteryear and begin anew.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Drink green smoothies-more bang than the chew
• Eat salads-for fiber and chlorophyll
• Find a local spring water source-water direct from the earth assimilates easily with our body’s chemistry
• Consume minimal or no animal products-they are “dead weight”
• Stretch-gets the kinks out of the limbs
• Get out in nature-expands your awareness
• Laugh-it boosts the immune system
• Sing, Listen to Music, Dance-it frees the mind
• Puff your chest, strut your stuff, and lose the winter fur-advice from tom turkey and the deer (it works for them)
• Wash the bedsheets with drops of Lavender essential oil-freshens the room and you’ll sleep great too. *For an added treat, hang them outside on the clothesline. Delicious!
• Walk-gets the kinks out of the bowels
  
• Walk a Labyrinth-calms the mind and centers the soul
• Ride a bike-fun exercise
• Bathe in Epsom salts-magnesium for relaxing the muscles and organs
• Journal-putting it on paper changes perspective
• Meditate-finds your inner guru
• Share-speaking out loud to a sacred witness is a powerful way to synthesize and process emotions

Once you begin to lighten the load by eating lighter and cleaning your environment, you will notice your senses become more discerning and your intuition sharper. You will have more energy and motivation to do more of the deeper practices of meditating or journaling. You can do it! Find that Spring sprout buried in your belly (second chakra). Nurture it with sunny, loving thoughts and water it with fresh, clean water. Give birth to the creative soul that is you!

More of Cathleen's published writings can be found on Smashwords.com

Power Seeds

The universal shake-up continues as we move from the Equinox Super-New Moon Total Solar Eclipse into a Full Moon Total Lunar Eclipse! The time between this new moon and Saturday’s full moon is an intense period. “The door on your new life has opened. Now you walk through. Action is required: Keep following your soul’s instructions.” –Elizabeth Peru

Although the moon will set here in eastern North America prior to totality, we will have a glimpse of the partial coverage of the moon before it sets at 6:45 am EST.

More info:

http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2015-april-4

http://earthsky.org/tonight/shortest-total-lunar-eclipse-of-the-century-on-april-4-2015

Watch the eclipse live here beginning at 6:00 am EST:

http://main.slooh.com/event/total-lunar-eclipse-on-april-4-2015/?event_date=2015-04-04

How can we use this time effectively and purposefully? Eclipses are opportunities for major transformation; this is a time when the energies of the lunations are more amplified and focused.

Our power seeds have been planted (New Moon of March 20, 2015), 

now we must give them nourishment.

Eclipse Meditation Ritual

You will need:

a white candle

salt

purified or spring water

incense

small pieces of paper and pen

Some helpful symbols:

- use white or silver candles and altar cloths

- Lunar Goddesses: Isis, Artemis, Diana, Hecate, Kwan Yin

- Lunar Herbs: mugwort, camphor, sandalwood

-Lunar Metal: silver

- Lunar Stones: moonstone, selenite, pearl, mother of pearl, sapphire

- draw the symbol for the Moon on your candles

http://www.moonspells.com/ie/articles/eclipse-med.html

CHARGE OF THE GODDESS

(Hecate Goddess of the Full Moon)

I am Goddess of three Moons.

I am mistress of the Night.

I am the richness of the Earth.

I am the Moon and the Seas.

I am all that was and is and ever shall be.

Nor has any mortal ever seen that which lies beyond my veil

for I am indeed mistress of mysteries and the keeper of the keys.

I am Queen of all living things, for I Am Goddess of Nature.

I smile and the radiance of the Moon is everywhere.

Gather in secret if you must,

but do not tarry too long behind closed doors,

for it is in the richness of the earth and the boundlessness

of the sky that my true temple is to be found;

And the Moon, and sun and stars will keep your secrets.

I am all these things and more.

Hear my words my children and worship and be glad.

Look for me within these things but above all,

within your own soul, for it is there I am.

I have been with you in the beginning

and I shall be with you at the end.

I am the womb of new beginnings,

as yet unimagined and unknown.

http://www.hecatescauldron.org/full_moon_ritual.htm

   1. Take a ritual bath (add hyssop and lavender if you have it, salt if you do not) and visualize yourself releasing any blocks and fears, and affirm that you are ready to take yourself to the next level, and face the truth with an open heart and mind.

   2. Sit in front of your altar, and do some basic grounding and rhythmic breathing. (You can ground by imagining your spine growing roots that grow down into the earth, and with each inhale, breathe in the energy from the core of the Earth... with each exhale, release anything you need to release, i.e. fears, doubt, sadness, apathy, etc. The earth can turn almost anything into fertilizer, so transform your "negatives" into something you can use!)

   3. Pour the salt into the water, and clear yourself with it by lightly sprinkling yourself and anointing yourself with it.

   4. Light your candle. Meditate on the symbolism of the flame; that fire transforms and illuminates. Stare into the flame for a while, and ask for clarity and truth during this eclipse cycle. Give yourself permission to release any and all thought forms that no longer serve your highest good.

   5. Ask yourself:

What area of my life needs some new ideas and a fresh perspective?

How can I break through restrictive "safe" constructs, to be fully alive?

Write these down on a small piece of paper.

   6. Next, write down what keeps you from achieving the goals you are after.

Say: "All energy is neutral. I now release and transform this energy into an energy source that can be utilized for the highest good for all concerned.”

   7. Burn the paper, focusing on the transformation of the energy.

   8. When you feel like you're clear, thank the Deities, energies, spirits, guides, and angels, you've worked with, and bury the ashes in the earth.

I Am A Powerful Woman

More info:

“We are headed towards a potentially radical and liberating Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse in Libra on April 4th, 2015. Things may be up in the air, sudden reversals or project alterations are possible.  This is the strong impetus for purge and transformation.” Dipali:

https://celestialspace.wordpress.com/2015/03/26/leading-up-to-the-potent-lunar-eclipse-in-libra-on-april-4th-2015/

“So this month stay awake, have faith, be brave and face death.   A new birth is upon us…a collective yearning for something better to arise in our world…” Cathy Pagano

This Lunar Eclipse/ Full Moon in Libra brings the focus to our relationships and the dynamics in our relationships, for relationships are the looking-glass through which we can see ourselves…

What are we needing to see within the dynamics being reflected?

Where does balance need to be restored?

http://www.mysticmamma.com/lunar-eclipse-full-moon-in-libra-april-15th-2014/

Benjamin Bernstein says of the lunar eclipse on 4/4 (14°24′ Libra):

“This “Full Moon on steroids” is great for evaluating and making adjustments in the areas of relationship and creativity, and whose impact will resonate potently for many months. This eclipse’s strength is further augmented because it tightly aligns with the Uranus-Pluto square, indicating that revolutionary transformation is greenlighted in all areas of life affected by the eclipse.

http://astroshaman.com/march-april-2015-astrology-forecast-final-uranus-pluto-square-2-potent-eclipses/

http://wholeastrology.blogspot.com/2015/03/lunar-eclipse-in-libra-april-4-2015.html