October 31, 2009

the seer



To you alone it is given to know the truth about the gods and deities of the sky... The innermosat groves of far-off forests are your abodes. And it is you who say that the shades of the dead seek not the silent lands
 of Erebus and the pale halls of Pluto; rather, you tell us that the same spirit has a body again elsewhere, and that death, if what you sing is true, is but the mid-point of long life.
(Lucan, Pharsalia, c.AD600)

"Divination... need not be simple fortune-telling...It can be an effective means of revealing hidden dynamics- whether they are in oneself or within a relationship, or within a group. Divination then becomes a means of gaining self-knowledge and a deeper understanding of the hidden causes behind appearances. Seen in this way it becomes yet another way that we can try to go beyond the surface, to plumb the depths, to look at causes rather than effects." (ref: Carr-Gomm, 2002)

October 25, 2009

laguz

Flow, water, sea, a fertility source, the healing power of renewal. Life energy and organic growth. Imagination and psychic matters.

Water is the symbol of unconscious and invisible Life forces. All of life is dependent on water, and therefore Laguz represents the universal ocean, the supreme unity of all life. The dream state and the shadow element both linger beneath its surface, and the human unconscious is revealed when explored and exposed to the conscious mind. We ‘take the plunge’. (ref: runesecrets.com)

October 20, 2009

beltane


History: It was a celebration of the fertility of the land and their animals. The main traditional element which was common to all Beltane festivals was the fire which gave it its name. All the fires of the community would be extinguished and a new, sacred ‘Need Fire’ was lit. (ref: beltane.org)

Emma Restall Orr (1998), a modern day Druid, speaks of the 'fertility of our personal creativity'. She is referring to the need for active and creative lives. We need fertile minds for our work, our families and our interests. Fire is still the most important element of most Beltane celebrations and there are many traditions associated with it. It is seen to have purifying qualities which cleanse and revitalise. People leap over the Beltane fire to bring good fortune, fertility (of mind, body and spirit) and happiness through the coming year.

October 14, 2009

purpose


"We are all visitors to this time, this place.
We are just passing through. Our purpose
here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love...
and then we return home."

Australian Aboriginal proverb.

October 11, 2009

equinox



"There is a god called Tyr. He is the boldest and most courageous, and has power over victory in battle...He is also so well informed that a very knowledgeable man is called Tyr-wise." (ref: Snorri Sturluson, Gylfaginning)

conviction. dependable. justice. balance. moral strength. self discipline. determination. spiritual warrior. courage. energy. strength and honour.


October 9, 2009

awen

The action of connecting (or reconnecting) with the source of the spirit of life that flows through us, body and soul.

We call it inspiration.

...more than just the relief at a piece in a mental puzzle clicking into position... more than just the usual unreliable and erractic flashes that life can bring.

awen comes from being with, being in and being part of all things.

This is where knowledge and understanding comes from.
Andy Goldsworthy

circles

A scared circle is not only a place in which we can play in exquisite safety, but also one in which we can investigate all the dark and dusty corners of our mind... the circle is a haven; it holds the scope of our knowing. Into it we deposit the contents of our soul, our memories, our belief, our understandings, our confusion, our complete experience and observation upon our existence, externalising what til now has been hidden within. (ref: Restall-Orr, 2000)


Andy Goldsworthy

...no beginning and no end, no moment of divine creation and no apocalytic end... The ebbing and flowing process of emergence and dissipation, change and evolution, is perpetual and infinite, sometimes gentle and then dramatic, but never extinguished. (ref: Restall-Orr, 2004)

October 7, 2009

returning

Muslims talk about people 'reverting' to the Islamic faith, not 'converting'. They believe that their faith is something all people are born into, but they are not necessarily brought up in that faith. Accordingly, when a non-Muslim finds Islam, they are returning to what they inherently know.

When we return home from long distant travels, we return to what we know.

Occasionally,we return to some inherent knowledge that has been locked away for many moons......

returning to what we already know....