Water Meditation and the element of Water

Meditating with water can be a powerful way of aligning ourselves

with an element that sustains us.

Our bodies are over 50% water, so it makes sense that human beings have always considered water to be a sacred source of life and healing. It is literally half of who we are, and well over half of the Earth’s surface is water. Water cleanses and hydrates, contains and produces nourishment, and when we enter it, holds us in an embrace that leaves no part of us untouched. Meditating with water can be a powerful way of aligning ourselves more fully with this support system that makes life both possible and pleasurable on so many levels.

Making The Decision - Saying Yes To The Universe

By acknowledging the existence of what’s not working for us,

we can begin the process of change.

The hardest thing about saying yes to the universe is that it means accepting everything life puts in front of us. Most of us have a habit of going through our days saying no to the things we do not like and yes to the things we do, and yet, everything we encounter is our life. We may be afraid that if we say yes to the things we do not like, we will be stuck with them forever, but really, it is only through acknowledging the existence of what is not working for us that we can begin the process of change. So saying yes does not mean indiscriminately accepting things that do not work for us. It means conversing with the universe, and starting the conversation with a very powerful word — yes. 

The Passing of a Celtic Amazon

On Wednesday, 12 January 2011, after many months battling cancer for the second time, the Goddess Brighid gathered Lynne Sinclair Wood to her breast, freeing her from pain and taking her to the Summerlands.

Lynne was born in New South Wales but made Adelaide her home since the 1980s.  She held a Master of Arts from the University of Adelaide, a Fine Arts degree from the University of South Australia and a Diploma of Art Education from the National Art School, Sydney.  Her painting was largely influenced by her "life long spiritual journey as a Celtic Australian woman searching for her own sacred space: here in Australia, in her ancestral lands of Scotland and Wales and within her own mind, spirit and imagination" (source: Lynne's web site). 

Repressing the Inner Voice - Giving Away Power

Giving away our power is something we have been taught

since childhood by unaware adults in our lives.

In many ways, we are taught from the time we are children to give away our power to others. When we were told to kiss and hug relatives or friends of the family when we didn't want to, for example, we were learning to override our inner sense of knowing and our right to determine for ourselves what we want to do. This repression continued, most likely, in many experiences at school and in situations at work. At this point, we may not even know how to hold on to our power, because giving it away is so automatic and ingrained.

The Creation Ground of Experience - Thoughts

By choosing how to interpret and define each moment with your thoughts,

you truly create your reality.

Our thoughts are powerful forces in the creation of our experience of life. You may be able to recall a time when frustration that was based on a misunderstanding completely evaporated when your understanding changed. This is because our interpretation defines our experience, and it can change in an instant.  Our only true reality is the present moment, so rather than merely accepting that life is happening to us, we can harness the power of our thoughts to actively create a positive reality. For example, we can choose to appreciate beauty around us rather than focusing on traffic or look for admirable qualities in the people we deal with rather than focusing on the negative. By choosing how to interpret and define each moment with your thoughts, you truly create your reality.

Fire Child: The Life and Magic of Maxine Sanders, “Witch Queen”

Fire Child: The Life and Magic of Maxine Sanders, “Witch Queen”

By Maxine Sanders (Mandrake of Oxford, 2008)

Whilst much has been written about Gerald Gardner’s creation of Wicca, little is still known about Alex Sanders’ true influence and reasoning behind his push to bring Wicca into the public arena. That is until now. “Fire Child” is the long awaited book by Maxine Sanders, wife of the late Alex Sanders. Rather than being a tell-all book simply about Alex’s antics, it traces Maxine’s own life – warts and all – before and after Alex - and what an interesting life she has led.

Maxine was only a teenager when she met and fell in love with Alex and by her 20th birthday she had been initiated “Witch Queen”. In “Fire Child”, she frankly reveals what it was like in the 1960s and 1970s when Alex’s desire was to make Wicca more accessible to the public, some of the characters they met (including Charles Manson) and of the personal sacrifices they both made. She describes what it was like giving public rituals and interviews, her reluctance and the harassment she received.

Hyssop - the Holy Herb

As I bought a little hyssop plant yesterday, I thought I would investigate this herb more.  The name "Hyssop" (Hyssopus officinalis) is of Greek origin.  The Hyssopos of Dioscorides was named from azob (a holy herb), because it was used for cleaning sacred places. It is alluded to in the Christian Scriptures: "Purge me with Hyssop, and I shall be clean."

It is a native of Southern Europe and is an evergreen, bushy herb, growing up to about 1/2 metre high, with a square stem, linear leaves and flowers in whorls, six- to 16 flowered.   Cultivated for its flower tops, these are often used by being steeped in water to make an infusion, however sometimes it is used as an expectorant. There are three varieties of Hyssop, known respectively by their blue, red and white flowers.

Jesus and the Persia God Mithra

In the lands of ancient Persia, the worship of a messiah like Deity was established some 600 years prior to the conception of Christinaity. This God, who was believed to have said, "I am a star which goes with thee and shines out of the depths", was Mithra.

Born on 25 December, Mithra was the offspring of the Sun, and was the third most important Persian God after Ormuzd and Ahrimanes. He was said to be a beautiful youth and a mediator, a "spiritual light contending with spiritual darkness, and through his labours the kingdom of darkness shall be lit with heaven's own light; the eternal will receive all things back into his favour, the world will be redeemed to God. The impure are to be purified, and the evil made good, through the mediation of Mithras, the reconciler of Ormuzd and Ahriman. Mithras is the Good, his name is Love. In relation to the Eternal he is the source of grace, in relation to man he is the life-giver and mediator" (Plato, Philo, and Paul, p. 15).

Solace in Service - Doing for Others

One aspect of the Wiccan Priesthood, in particular the High Priesthood, is that of service to others.  This "service" can sometimes be misunderstood with some people expecting some kind of "return" (financial or otherwise) to be received.  However, "true" service is where one does something, shares something, makes themselves available etc simply because in doing so, their actions or what they have to share may benefit another.  An example of this is the open Full Moon Gatherings that the Temple of the Dark Moon have been holding since 2004.  These Gatherings, originally held all year round, are open to the public as they are held in public spaces and, as were the case of many that where held during the Summer months at the beach, witnessed by curious passerbys - some even joining in. 

Whilst due to time restraints these Gatherings are now only held during the Winter months, they are still open to the public where they are offered free of charge - there is not even the expectation of  a donation to help cover the cost of the items used.  This is because to hold such events that may benefit the spiritual development of another is part of what I view as my service, as HPs, to the community and society at large.

The following is an article from Daily Om about being of service - something that everyone is able to do.

Endings and Beginnings as Visions mark the Way

Last night conjured up an assortment of emotions - of sadness with it being the last "official" circle that the Temple's Inner Court would hold until mid January due to the Summer break, but also of achievement as we moved through our paces, despite what had seemed to be a "broken year" with our circles, in stepping between the veils and creating magick, not to mention excitement of the proposed ideas that 2011 will bring (not to mention another member to our folds).

Almost as a sign of just how far we each had progressed in the year, both separately along our own individual paths of spiritual enlightenment, but also as a group collective, every one of us received a potent result from the meditation.