As a daughter of The Great Mother Goddess…one of many ways I connect with Imbolc/Brigid’s Day and Valentine’s Day(February 2-14)is through…Oshun. This deity is the Yoruba cosmological force of water, moisture, and attraction…these“energies” and or “attributes” are brought through the planet Venus(who rules Taurus),which is also,archetypical,the Goddess of our eternal flame… passion,seduction,grace, beauty, love, and creativity…all of us have this archetype within us…the one that calls to our desires. In this instance,S-he is known as the Venus(Love) of our inner-beings. The mother, the one who sends sensual and sexual pleasures, warmth, comfort and human love.

You see,contact with this Essence heals one relationship with self and thereupon,with the divine…the fe-male energy-field within ourselves. This union of self opens us up to supreme consciousness which one can experience as messages to the soul that appear through the higher side of the consciousness.

One should realize that through a giving heart and or spirit it is your FREE choice to experience love, in its many manifestations, through the reflection of self-love,extended love,and or divine love…for love is present everywhere and should be in all bonding unions in one’s life. 

Extend yourself…to opening up Supreme  Consciousness…

 Blessings,

 Creolemoon

Notes:  Valentine, Eros,Mars,Cupid are lesser aspects of the Supreme Goddess of Love… for the Venus of Eternal Love knows no bounds.

The year of the Dragon takes place every twelve years. Children born during Dragon Years are said to enjoy health, wealth, and long life. Dragon references occur prominently in early philosophical texts as well as in the images of shamanistic worship.

The Dragon is a symbol for Kundalini fire-energy. The Kundalini Serpent Power of the Dragon is a Mother Goddess Cosmic energy within each individual. Incidentally, the Dragon is associated with the seasons. S/he ascended into the sky in the spring to make rain for the crops and returned underwater in the fall. Ancient Chinese prayed to the dragon for good harvests, banging gongs to awaken the Spirit in the spring. They brought offerings and small images in clay. Revered and feared…s/he is most often associated with the weather and is also known as the “Rain Master”… eyes flashing lightning, wings causing the wind, and breath the rain. The dry season occurred when s/he was hibernating in the water, its natural element. The tail of the dragon symbolizes the time of fall equinox. It represents our past. And, the head of the dragon symbolizes the spring equinox…the future of the becoming.

The color of Dragons are associated with their powers, some examples are as follows: Azure dragons are associated with spring, red and black are ferocious, representing storms in clouds, and yellow dragons are like the sun, elusive,and solitary. Dragons are associated with several cosmic sphears: Celestial Dragons (Tien-lung) who guards and supports the heavens, Spiritual Dragons (Shen-lung) who control rain and wind, Earth Dragons (Ti-lung) who direct the course of rivers and streams safely toward the sea, and Subterranean Dragons (Fut’s-lung), who guard the treasures of the earth, gems, jade, gold.

To dig further down into the Spirit…the Dragon of Living Fire Rises because it is time for your reBirth into a highER Self-actualization…a higher self-consciousness. The heart of this Goddess Kundalini lives within you…s/he is you. This energy-field is spiraled up within you. When one’s kundalini Rises…it is the absolute pure knowledge of compassion.

“When we talk in the light of Kundalini, we have to understand that this light spreads in your life, outside your life and, expresses itself in a very beautiful manner. When it works, the whole thing works out and you develop faith. That faith is within you. Nobody can challenge you if you have faith. It will be done. Your pure desire is now being fulfilled, you are now connected, and you are now Divine. The brain cannot perceive divinity unless it is illuminated by the Spirit.” Shri Mataji

Happy New Year! May 2012 be FILLED with wisdom and compassion.

CreoleMoon

 Serpent Goddess of Justice, Time, Heaven and Hell…She who rears up

Not too long ago a dear friend visited me and we touched on the subject of if my family and I celebrated Christ in our Xmas. I would like to respond with the following cosmology…you see, I am a High Priestess of the Great Mother Goddess…Isis, Kwan Yin, Kali, a crowned daughter of Iemanja…whatever one wishes to call her by name…I follow Shakti… an Ultimate Energy-field that pushes me into further growth. I follow the Sun and Moon the Stars…the Womb…the everlasting Cosmic…and what you see and read from my thoughts…is just a brief exploration of what unlimited possibilities are within…Consequently, I cannot express the detail of what I celebrate on Xmas…in such a blog post. But, I would like to share a gift with you…a gift of enlightenment…

You see, one of many of these personifications that I CELEBRATE are as follows;Wadjet is the Cobra Kundalini goddess( a serpent that is within each of us that ascends to the immortal divine)of Lower Egypt whom eventually took the title, The Eye of Ra. Wadjet,the personification of the north, a forceful snake-headed protector of kings,childbirth,and children-a motherly defender. Wadjet can be seen rearing from the forehead of the rulers,such as King Tutankhamen.

Many Egyptian deities,such as Wadjet, are connected with specific hours, days, and months. Her time is considered to function as the fifth hour of the fifth day of the month, or lunar cycle. Consequently, December 25th, on the Egyptian calendar, is considered to function as the “going forth of the Goddess.” In the Pyramid Texts,it said that the papyrus plant emerged from her, and that she is connected to the forces of growth.”

Egyptian Serpent Power

 Blessed be,

CreoleMoon

I have a lot of questions on how one starts the journey of self-knowledge? How does one start the exploration into the “Craft” of self-awareness? Incidentally, in my previous post, I posed the question…how does one find that true-self within the cave? I would like to pick up from there. I can share my own experience with you.

I have many guides(deities) and or archetypes (personified fields) that I journey and identify with in order to enhance my psycho-spiritual-growth. The psychic contact (cosmic being) that I fuse with ,and or vibe’ with becomes a “numinous energy” that helps me develop further empathy, compassion, honor,and reason for myself and others. Incidentally, when I attach my consciousness into the archetype(s) the union creates a certain energy-field that penetrates my collective unconsciousness and finds my hidden and higher-self. The former is an example of remolding one’s subconscious. Consequently, in order to feed’ such a strong energy-field, the subconscious, it takes dedication, a flow of magnetic mental force. One can use affirmation(s) and or tantra(s) to begin to tap’ into self-awareness and or the inner-path. Observation…is the first awakening of the soul…learn to concentrate on the mind.

Remember, archetypes typically operate unconsciously but we can become aware of them and interact with them consciously, as with defenses. One must’ intentionally focus on the healing of self-psyche by tapping into the inner-resources and or phenomenal field our “temple” holds for us. Furthermore, our yearning for self-concept,self-worth and or self-actualization…is the driving force behind that push to experience oneself in a way that is consistent with one’s conscious view of what one is…thus the built-in motivation’. Spirituality resides within the person. Only then, can peak experiences and or trance being occur… I like the saying, moments of personal-illumination… a complete unification of consciousness. For in these moments of solitude and or deep meditative thought…a personal energy heals and thus becomes ego-transcending; thus releasing one’s own free-will. I practice the former daily via centering and or drawing down the moon’. By doing the former, I connect to my inner-power! Over the next few post…I will send out Power Affirmations…that I can only hope… will continue to spark an awakening within your being…

Blessed be,

CreoleMoon

Notes: My inspiration for this piece was Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami

Not very long ago, my husband was asked, via a Christian “friend”, if we were serious about raising our children as pagans! Mind you, there was malicious sarcasm embedded within his question. Well,…the question would read, “Do you as a Christian celebrate Valentine’s Day?”

Incidentally, the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia (in honor of Februata Juno-the Roman goddess of women and marriage, was an annual three day festival in order to increase fertility. It was started by Romans in the 4th century BCE. It was held on February 13th -15th. Some believe the festival honored Faunus, who was a god of herds and crops and much like the Greek god Pan; thus, the “Feast of the Wolf.”

Consequently, Pope Gelasius officially condemned the pagan Roman festival and banned it observance at the end of the fifth century. Incidentally, many of its practices quickly appeared in a newly established holiday added by him to the official’ church list of feast days in A.D. 496; Hence, St. Valentine’s Day. What amounted to a revamped Lupercalia gradually turned its self into the Valentine’s Day we know today; which included Cupid(Eros) the Roman god of desire, affection, and erotic love and son of Venus (the Roman goddess of love and beauty)and Mars.

Incidentally, today, Valentine’s Day, among many other pagan holidays, is a festival that has been incorporated into many church’ activities without regard to its pagan origin(s). Consequently, historically, the pagan festival was celebrated with a lottery in which a man would draw the name of a woman and she would become his love (sex-which is a sacred union in paganism) companion for the day, a year, or the rest of their lives. These partners exchanged gifts as a sign of affection, and often married. However, Christianity tried to further change the celebration of Lupercalia by first replacing the lottery names of women with saints. The idea was that during the following year the young men would emulate the life of the saint whose name they had drawn.

Incidentally,in short…because the point of the moment is that Valentine’s is of pagan origin, there are at least three different Saint Valentines, all of whom were Christian martyrs of February 14. One of them is described as a priest from Rome, another as a bishop of Interamma, and the third from Africa. Eventually, due to its pagan origins and practice, the Catholic church decided to abandon St. Valentine’s Day in 1969. Incidentally, the French government banned it’s practice in 1776. And, in Italy, Austria, Hungry, and Germany also banned the ritual over time. Furthermore, Valentine’s Day had also been banned in England during the 17th century when the Puritans were strong.

However, in 1660 Charles II revived it. From there, it also reached the New World. Incidentally, Esther A. Howland produced one of the first commercial Valentine’s Day cards in 1840′s. The Valentine’s industry has been very profitable ever since.

In Peace and Light,

CreoleMoon

notes:
Incidentally, in further writings I will go more into a transpersonal perspective of what Cupid, Kamadeva, Venus and Psyche mean(s) to me. However, for the moment…this post is purely informational to help shed light upon the origins of the pagan holiday known as Valentine’s Day.

My family and I celebrate a Pagan Xmas; a time of shamanic ritual. Winter solstice(the elevated position of the sun), December 21-22, is the day of the year with the shortest daytime and the longest nighttime…it nourishes hope… for the return of the Sun. “It breaks up the cloudy skies; and lightens up the cloudy darkness of the human mind. It yields her light to the other stars-shining, exceptional, seeing and hearing everything…(Pliny the Elder, Naturkunde II, 13).”

Without the Sun there would be no life. Consequently, on December 25 this light’ begins to grow…thus, the Rebirth of the Sun…

The most important source of information on sun rites from antiquity is the book About Isis and Osiris by the Greek philosopher Plutarch (circa 46-119 ce). Plutarch, a priest of Delphi, was intimately acquainted with the holy rites of Apollo and Helios and initiated into the mysteries of Isis and Osiris. Here, he writes about the original Egyptian ritual:

Around the time of the Winter Solstice, they carry a cow seven times around the sun temple, and this walk is called the visit to Osiris…One had to walk seven times around the temple, because the sun finishes its walk from the winter to summer solstice in the seventh month. Horus, the son of Isis, is supposed to have made a sacrifice to Helios on the fourth day of the month, as in the book called Birthday to Horus. To make an incense offering to Helios three times a day, offer resin at dusk, myrrh at midday, and so-called kyphi at dawn…These are believed to show favor to Helios and the serve him (Plutarch 1850, 93f).

The Hellenized word kyphi means “incense substance.” Incense was considered “the divine maker” in Egypt because it was supposed to sanctify the environment when burned. Kyphi was the “favorite dish” of the sun god. The Egyptian Papyrus Ebers, the oldest existing medical text (written around 1553-1550 bce), states:

Kyphi is used to make the house or clothes smell more pleasant: Dried myrrh, juniper berries,
incense, spruse, aloewood, sebet-resin, calmus from Thailand (in Asia), inekkun-corns, mastic,
and juice from the niiuben tree {styrax} are ground, combined, and put on the fire (Papyrus
Ebers, XCVIII).

This is the time of year for the element of earth, winter. It is the time of year when elements give the impression that they are dormant. However, through this visible dormancy inner growth is happening. It is during the winter when seeds lie congealed inside mother earth and take into themselves all of her vigor that enables them to thrive in the days that follow. It is during winter solstice that most of us look and feel compelled to take into ourselves the insight of the Consciousness we will use as we proceed with our experience with regards to the wheel.

Now is the time of decelerating, of evident limitation, when external functioning undeniably decreases. Here is the time of shadows,silence, and dreams. This is a point in time when individuals tend to recollect and from their recollections impart the wisdom they have acquired. It is a time of evaluating achievements and endeavors and of planning for the foremost giveaway of dying and of delivery. It is a moment in time when many individuals come to an awareness of their personal life, and acknowledgment of what they have or not achieved. It is time of tranquility, and a time of strength, a time of forgiveness and graciousness for all around you. It’s a time to end old practice, to submit to the slight transformations of body and mind in measure for the important shifts that will come.

This is also true in a person’s life. Our Consciousness, our energy levels goes to an environment that prepares us for the new start to come. The foremost principle is that of the giveaway..understanding that the greater we bestow the more we have attainable. It is a good time to take a look at our lives, to think about the paradoxes of life. It is a good opportunity to take into account inquiries of life and death and to look at your thoughts toward both. It is a time to understand tolerance. This is actually the position of physiological healing, where we come to give thanks for mending what has transpired and to request remedy that is essential for ourselves and for others.

May you be FULL of light…

CreoleMoon

References:

Pagan Christmas: The Plants, Spirits, and Rituals at the Orgins of Yuletide By Christian Ratsch and Claudia Muller-Ebeling

I am often asked, “Why do I call myself a Witch or practice witchcraft?” I simply say, “I have always known that I was a witch…a practitioner of Earth and or Natural Magick”. I have always known witchcraft as a path that draws primarily on the Element of Earth and the honor of Nature. A path composed of the elements Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

Incidentally, it was not until I was much older, than that young child, that I realized what the “magick” aspect of witchcraft was molding my psyche into. You see, the magick that I hold so dear projects my natural energies (such as personal power); all to bring about that needed change. In psychoanalytic terms,  ”Transpersonal Psychology” in this instance, that magick is the balance created between mind, body, and spirit. Consequently, magick is a natural, not supernatural, practice.

In regard to the Elements, I speak of more than just the physical elements. For example, each element symbolizes our physical, spiritual, and emotional attributes.

Consider each element is their natural state; thus, examining within yourself what spiritual and or emotional aspect you connect with them. For example,

• AIR is the element of the mind. It stimulates intellect, inspiration, and imagination. It contains the ideas, knowledge, dreams and wishes. Air aids us in visualization, a technique that is very important in magick.
• FIRE is the element that promotes change and passion. It cultivates creativity, motivation, will power, drive, and sensuality. Fire encourages sexuality, both physical and spiritual. Fire governs all candle magick.
• WATER is the element of emotion and subconscious. It is love, purification, intuition, compassion, family, and mysteries of self. Water accentuates psychic ability.
• EARTH is the element of stability and of the body. It contains the wisdom, strength, growth, and prosperity in each of us. Earth Fosters the physical earth and the very heart of life.
• Spirit is that which permeates all things…It connects us to each-other…to the divine-energy.

So you see, being a Witch and practicing Magick is a Positive! It is a path of self-knowledge, a path of peace and light.

Blessed Be,

CreoleMoon

Green Witch