Spring Into Self Empowerment
Written for submission to Priestess Pathways Newsletter, Beltane Edition:

As we come into the light of the sun, the fertillity of spring... flowers ablaze in color, bees buzzing, the bright green of the trees around us, it's hard not to feel the joyous excitement of the coming of summer. This time of year reminds me of the heaviness of fertility, ripe with passion and heat. It reminds me of long nights, working in the garden with the expectations of fruit to come. This time of year reminds me of the growing suns light that shines so early in the morning with a wet dew on the grass. What better time to look towards our own inner light that shines?

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God(dess). Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God(dess) that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Maryanne Williamson quote (Goddess additions by Calesta Ana)

This Maryanne Williamson quotes is one of my very favorites. It tells us the importance of acknowledging the Divine within! What a practice, to see our own inner beauty. It reminds me of one of the greatest yoga practices I have encountered- the practice of compassion. It is by learning to let go of judgement, and have compassion for myself, I can begin to let go of judgement and have compassion for others. Like that, it is by seeing the Divine in myself, and allowing myself to shine, that I help others do the same. This quote, is very similar to another very favorite of mine- "Be the change you wish to see in the world" by Gandhi.

So how do we actually do this? I mean, it's one thing to read a quote, but quite another to begin to live it? As Priestesses, we are taught to live and share this. We come to love ourselves. We do this by understanding who we are, peeling the layers away, and taking time for ourselves. We do what we love and enjoy. This is what Starhawk shares in her teachings- that spiritual acts are full of love and pleasurable for us. We surround ourselves with those who can help us, uplift us, and point out this beauty. We follow a spirituality that recognizes women, and teaches us Her Mysteries.

What I encourage you to do this beautiful time of year, is to take time out for acts of love and pleasure. To enjoy your life, your mind and body and spirit. Listen to your inner voice... what does it tell you? Do you love to dance? Put on the music and go for it! Have you always wanted to try out an art class? Do it! Maybe you need more hot bubble baths with a good book in hand? Maybe it's more than this that you need to do... maybe your inner voice is telling you to step up and let your light shine. Re-read this Maryanne Williamson quote. Daily. Take it as an affirmation and repeat it until you know it in your heart. You are talented, beautiful, and brilliant! Your body, your mind, and your spirit are Divine gifts to be shared with the world! Walk out into this beautiful spring sunshine and blossom!

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April New Moon: The Growing Moon or Mating Moon
Quoted from Earthtime Moon Time by Annette Hinshaw:

"The Mating Moon teaches us that all fertility is the merger of opposites that seed each other and, in merging, make something new. This is the lesson of the divine polarities, and of such folk wisdom as "opposites attract," and "two heads are better than one."... The balanced energies of the mating Moon are expressed by our understanding that all life fits together in light and shadow, and that we must draw from both to make wholes. So long as we try to exclude one-half of what makes us alive and human, calling, for instance, our bodies shameful and our minds the highest value, or separating the material and the spiritual, we cannot draw on the wisdom of the mating Moon or be truly creative, either for ourselves or for others. Trusting in our own intrinsic value is the beginning of knowledge... We must begin with loving what and where we are, fully and unreservedly before we can progress to somewhere else."

I encourage you this month to look at accepting yourself more fully, without guilt. We have many different aspects to ourself- like a crystal with many shiny facets- the light hits them in different ways. As you look at the dark and the light, remember we need all of ourselves to be whole.

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Earth Mother Yoga


One of the Daily Goddess 13 Poses for Health and Wellness in the new book, Earth Mother Yoga

Womb Pose



Rest here and go deep within to the source of all, the source you hold within. You can do this with knees together or apart, and arms at your side or stretched out in front of you. This pose helps to relieve stress, while gently stretching the hips.

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Goddess and Herb of Love: Aine/Meadowsweet
Quoted directly from the book A Romantic Guide To Handfasting by Anna Franklin

"Aine is an Irish goddess of love and fertility who took many mortal lovers. Her name means "brightness," "heat," or "speed," indicating that she is a sun goddess and the word Ain is cognate with the Latin ignis, meaning "fire". Her festival is Midsummer, marked by a torchlight procession about her hill led by young women and a bonfire vigil. When she was pursued by St. Patrick's hounds, she scattered her perfume on meadowsweet to confuses them, and so gave the flower its scent. It is one of the herbs of love."

"Meadowseet Filipendula ulmaria/Spirea ulmaria
Meadowsweet is sacred to Aine, Blodeuwedd, Gwena, and Venus. Use this herb for love, marriage and handfasting, fertility and abundance."

More information on Meadowsweet quoted from Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs:

Meadowsweet's Powers: Love, Divination, Peace and Happiness
Magical Uses: Strewn about the house to keep peace. The scent of meadowsweet cheers the heart. If gathered on Midsummer, meadowsweet will give you information regarding thieves; if you have been robbed place meadowsweet on water. If it sinks the thief is a man. If it floats, a woman.

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Earth Prayer
Prayer for the Healing of the Earth, To be said on Earthday, Saturday April 21:

We join with the earth and each other.

To bring new life to the land.
To restore the waters
To refresh the air

We join with the earth and with each other.

To renew the forests
To care for the plants
To protect the creatures

We join with the earth and with each other.

To celebrate the seas
To rejoice in the sunlight
To sing the song of the stars

We join with the earth and with each other.

To recreate the human community
To promote justice and peace
To remember our children
We join with the earth and with each other.

We join together as many and diverse expressions
of one loving mystery for the healing of the
earth and the renewal of all life.

U.N. Environmental Sabbath Program.

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Earth
Quoted directly from the Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara G. Walker

"Thousands of feminine names have been given to the earth. Continents- Asia, Africa, Europe- were named after manifestations of the Goddess. Countries bore the names of female ancestors or of other manifestations of the Goddess: Libya, Lydia, Russia, Anatolia, Latium, Holland, China, Ionia, Akkad, Chaldea, Scotland (Scotia), Ireland (Eriu, Hera) were but a few. Every nation gave its own territory the name of its own Mother Earth... As late as the 12th century, many Europeans still recognized Mother Earth as a Goddess, perhas their only supreme divinity. She was described in an English herbal of the period with no mention of God at all:

'Earth, divine goddess, Mother Nature, who dost generate all things and bringest forth ever anew the sun which thou hast given to the nations; Guardian of sky and sea and of all Gods and powers; through thy influence all nature is hushed and sinks to sleep... Again, when it pleases thee, thou sendest forth the glad daylight and nurturest life with thine eternal surety; and when the spirit of man passes, to thee it returns. Thou art indeed rightly named Great Mother of the Gods, Victory is thy divine name. Thou art the source of the strength of peoples and gods; without thee nothing can either be born or made perfect; thou art mighty, Queen of the Gods. Goddess, I adore thee as divine, I invoke thy name; vouchsafe to grant that which I ask of thee, so shall I return thanks to thy godhead.'

Up to the Renaissance, English farmers continued to call upon Erce, eorthan modor (Earth, mother of earth) when planting. Similarly up to the 20th centruy, Russian farmers continued to call upon Mati-Syra-Zemlya (Most Mother Earth) for almost everything. Instead of touching a Bible when taking an oath, a Russian peasant would put a clod of earth on his head, invoking the Mother's curse if he broke his word. This perpetuated an ancient Greek habit. Even the patriarchal Olympian Gods wore their binding oaths by Mother Earth: Gaea, or Rhea, called Universal Mother, Deep-Breasted One, firmly founded oldest of divinities. Hesiod admitted that she rules Olympus before the coming of the Hellenic deities. She ruled Russia too. The country bore her ancient name, Rha (Rhea), the Red One, the mother of the Volga and all its tribes."

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Links on global warming:

http://www.globalwarmingsolutions.org
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/
http://www.climatecrisis.net/blog/

Link on Gaia at EMY:

http://earthmotheryoga.com/gaia/

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I wish you the best during this Moon Time:)
Feel free to email me using the contact form.

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