Remembrance Day

At 5.00 am on 11 November 1918, three German Government representatives accepted the Armistice terms presented to them by an allied commander, General Foch of the French Army. The demands of the Armistice included the withdrawal of German forces to the east bank of the Rhine within 30 days; immediate cessation of warfare; and surrender of the German fleet and all heavy guns with no further negotiations until the signing of the peace treaty.

The armistice became effective at 11:00 am the same day, and as the guns fell silent on the Western Front in France and Belgium, four years of hostilities ended.

Remembrance Day is observed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. To acknowledge this important anniversary an one minute's silence is held to remember the sacrifice made by all involved, the armed forces as well as civilians in time of war.

An Unwavering Connection to the Infinite

Your worth is not a product of your intelligence, your talent, your looks

or how much you have accomplished.

Though much of who and what we are changes as we journey through life, our inherent worth remains constant. While the term self-worth is often used interchangeably with self-esteem, the two qualities are inherently different. Self-esteem is the measure of how you feel about yourself at a given moment in time. Your worth, however, is not a product of your intelligence, your talent, your looks, your good works, or how much you have accomplished. Rather it is immeasurable and unchanging manifestation of your eternal and infinite oneness with the universe. It represents the cornerstone of the dual foundations of optimism and self-belief.

Conscious Decisions - Going Against What Is Popular

Because an idea or way of doing things is popular

does not mean it is right for everyone.

Just because an idea or way of doing things is popular does not mean it is right for everyone. However, part of the way that something becomes popular is that many of us do not take the time to determine what’s right for us; we simply do what most of the people we know are doing. In this way, our decisions about life are made by default, which means they are not what we call conscious decisions. There may be many other options available, but we do not always take the time to explore them.

This may be the result of feeling overwhelmed or pressured by family, peers, and humanity at large, to do things their way, the way things have always been done.

Regardless of the cause, it is important that, as often as we can, we decide for ourselves what to do with our lives rather than just drift along on the current of popular opinion.

Waves of Healing - Ocean Meditation

There is much we can learn from the ocean

as we have a similar inner landscape within us as well.

Delaware Beach, South Australia

Like us, the sea is ever-changing. And, like us, the earth’s vast oceans appear at a distance to be stable and homogenous. But beneath the mask of solidity that both we and the sea wear, there lies unpredictability, sensitivity, and power. There is much we can learn from the ocean, representative as it is of our inner landscapes.

The rough sounds of the sea’s waves are spiritually soothing, and its salt can purify our physical selves. Yet not everyone has the luxury of living by the shore or even visiting the coastlines where water and land meet. The ocean, however, exists in our conscious minds, put there by images we have seen and descriptions we have read. Wherever we are, we can access that mental image and use it as the starting point from which we can help to heal our emotions by meditating on the sea.

Keeping our Minds Supple - Questioning Everything

Being open-minded means that we are willing to question everything,

including those things we take for granted.

A lot of people feel threatened if they feel they are being asked to question their cherished beliefs or their perception of reality. Yet questioning is what keeps our minds supple and strong. Simply settling on one way of seeing things and refusing to be open to other possibilities makes the mind rigid and generally creates a restrictive and uncomfortable atmosphere. We all know someone who refuses to budge on one or more issues, and we may have our own sacred cows that could use a little prodding.

Being open-minded means that we are willing to question everything, including those things we take for granted.

Understanding the Concept of Perfect Love and Perfect Trust

One of the central phrases used within Wicca is the axiom of "Perfect Love and Perfect Trust".  The origins of this phase is believed to have come from the Rede of the Wiccae allegedly penned by Lady Gwen Thomson and published in 1975.  In the poem, we find the lines:

"Bide the Wiccan Laws ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust ..."

The Mystical Phoenix

I thought I would share an article that I wrote for Insight magazine back in October 2005 about  the phoenix ...

"Like a phoenix from the flame, I will rise again …" so yelled Irish songstress Sinead O'Connor in the song "Troy" from her first album "The Lion and the Cobra".

The phoenix, a mystical bird most commonly believed to be of Arabic descent, is often described as being the size of an eagle, with a brilliant scarlet and golden plumage.  A popular medieval legend, which has been passed down to us today, states that after living for several centuries, the phoenix builds its own funeral pyre, and throws itself upon the flames to be burnt up.  Then, after a number of days, the phoenix emerges from the ashes (or flames, depending on the source of the legend).

Affirming an Abundant Future

Squirrel medicine reminds us to set aside a portion of our most precious resources

as an investment in the future.

Native Americans considered all living beings as brothers and sisters that had much to teach including squirrels. These small creatures taught them to work in harmony with the cycles of nature by conserving for the winter months during times when food was plentiful.

Prayer of Awaking

Feeling a bit stressed out? Something just isn't quite right but you can't seem to put your finger on it? Well, Imbolc has passed and we are now moving towards the Spring Equinox.  As we do so, the energies shift around again, it is little wonder that things are feel out of sorts.

As I am finding myself waking earlier (along with the sun and the birds nesting outside my bedroom window), in the early mornings hours while the world still seems very much asleep, I like to spend this time atuning with Deity.

In Line with Spirit - Staying on Track

In a world where we have routines to get everything done,

we rarely have a routine for our spiritual self.

In a world where we have routines for nearly everything - our route to work, our physical fitness regimen, and our weekday schedule - it’s amazing how many people forget to create a routine for meeting their spiritual needs. We run around in an attempt to be at our many appointments on time and meet our many obligations. In our efforts to be as productive as possible, however, our spiritual needs tend to take a backseat. After all, taking care of our spiritual needs doesn’t directly pay the bills or tone our abdominal muscles.