Samhain Friday 31st October 2014

Samhain is the most important festival in the Pagan Calender as it is a time when the veils between this world and the spiritual realms are at their thinnest and it is also the Celtic New Year.

A fire festival and it is a  time to honour the dead especially those who have passed over in the last year. We share fond memories of those we wish to remember and light a candle for each one.

I always find this a powerful festival, a time when our psychic powers are heightened and we often "see" and feel things and notice changes around us. I light candles at the windows to welcome the spirits and for me it is about honouring our ancestors and acknowledging their part in shaping our world.

This year I will be joined by a few women who have been part of my circle for over a year now as well as some new ones. We will share memories , light candles and afterwards feast with a plate of food set aside for those we are remembering.

The food is significant because in times gone by this would have been the last feast before the long winter months ahead.

This is the time of the Crone face of the Goddess and over the winter months we go inside and reflect on the issues we need to deal with to prepare us for the Spring to come when we start to see new growth.

Even if you are not part of a circle you can still honour the dead by lighting a white candle, putting out some flowers (ideally chrysanthemums) and just reflecting on what they meant to you.

Wishing you a happy Samhain

Creating a Magical 2014

So we are at the start of a New Year and from what I see and hear many new years resolutions are already waning. So why do we put ourselves through all this? I think we do want to look forward and by focussing on something we think we want, this initially feels good.

So how should we go about setting goals? Well the first step is to really want it. You have to feel passionately about your goal. Feel the emotion associated with the goal; where do you feel it in your body -  the excitement and passion?

Write your goals in the present tense eg I am... or I have... with a precise date. So this assumes you are already there and notice how good it feels. A real convincer for your unconscious mind, your goal getter.

Keep them simple, your unconscious mind likes simple. so much easier to handle. Must be achievable and realistic and make sure you believe 100% that you can make it happen. Then take Action, it is no use sitting and waiting for everything to find you,  take the opportunities as they arrive. The Universe is abundant we just have to know how to ask and what to do!

There is a Full Moon on the 16th January and a perfect time to reinforce your goals. Light a fresh white candle that evening and meditate focussing on your goals. Really feel the emotion around them.

Wishing you a magical 2014 filled with abundance, peace, love and fun.

Summer Solstice 21 June 2013

Tomorrow we celebrate midsummer (21 June) when the Earth is midpoint on her journey round the Sun. A fire celebration when the Sun is at the height of his powers

By concentrating all our thoughts on the Sun we gradually reinforce our connection to our spirit – the centre of our being.   The rays of the Sun that are present at sunrise are able to renew and transform us, and this is a time to sing, dance and celebrate life. 

 

So here is a sunrise meditation for you:

·         Start by breathing in the energy, draw your arms back, breathe out and push the air with your arms going forward, breathing in the light of life. 4 times 

·         Welcome the elements, your ancestors, the sun, moon, stars and spirit that lives in everything, and our own spirit guides and animals 

·         Set your intention to let go of all negative thoughts and limiting beliefs and be in balance. Find that fire within, the passion, creativity, love of life and see the fire without, the sun 

·         Breathe in the love of light, what is precious to you, hold it in your heart 

·       Meditate for a few minutes on the Sun, you can sit or stand, holding that light within 

·         Start to bring your awareness back to your physical body and allow in as much energy from the light as you can handle and ground this energy into the earth 

·         Feel the power of the collective energy around you and experience the light within, sing and dance and celebrate the Summer Solstice with love, laughter and life

 

With love and light

 

Colleen xx

 

 

Beltane Meditaton

It has been quite a while since my last Blog and so I thought that I start again with a Beltane Meditation.

Beltane is a Celtic fire festival and heralds the beginning of summer and abundance. A fertility festival and a time when animals and birds are breeding, blossom and spring flowers are all around and we are at our most creative. 

Our ancestors celebrated on the 30 April at moonrise when the young men and women would spend the night in the woods re-enacting the greenwood marriage between the God and Goddess. On the next morning, 1st May, all the villagers celebrated by decorating and dancing around the maypole and feasting afterwards. 

So for this Meditation, find yourself a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. Get yourself comfortable and light a fresh candle. 

Now just imagine it is the first of May and you are walking in the countryside along a path with trees overhanging; you can feel the sun  warming you and a gentle breeze; you hear the birds singing and you are feeling warm and relaxed. You reach the end of the path and come into a clearing where many people are gathered, men , women and children.  You hear the sounds of laughter and feel the sun's warmth on your skin. 

You walk further into the clearing and see a large table decorated with hawthorn blossom, food and drink. There is also a Maypole decorated with ribbons and a bonfire being tended. You can smell the smoke from the bonfire and the sweet blossom and flowers. 

Then all the people move into a circle around the bonfire and you see a small table decorated with hawthorn blossom,  spring flowers, oak leaves, pink, blue and green candles. You also see a chalice and athame and on the ground in front is a large cauldron with floating candles. 

A woman walks into the centre and then she sees you and asks you to join them. In front of you several women move over to make room for you and they smile a welcoming smile. You take your place in the circle. 

The Woman raises the athame and casts a circle around the group and then calls the God, the Lord of the Greenwood and the Goddess, Lady of flowers, to join the rite. 

Candles are lit and in turn everyone jumps over the bonfire calling out what they want to let go of and jump back calling out their wishes. It is now your turn and you jump over the bonfire calling out what you need to let go of, you then jump back over the fire calling your wish.  

When everyone has had a turn the Woman raises the chalice and dips the athame into it to represent the union of the God and Goddess. The chalice is then passed around the circle and everyone takes a sip. It is your turn and you raise the chalice and take a sip of sweet apple juice and then pass it to the next person.  

The God and Goddess are then thanked for joining the rite and the Woman uncasts the circle. She walks up to you and invites you to join in the maypole dancing. You take a coloured ribbon and start dancing,  weaving in and out with the others. It is a riotous dance and at the end you feel thirsty. 

You then walk over to the large table and take a cup of apple juice and a piece of cake and join a group and listen to their excited chatter. They are hoping for an abundant summer with good crops and fertile animals.  

You spend some time soaking up the atmosphere and then it is time to leave; you thank the Woman for allowing you to join their Beltane celebrations and start to make your way out of the clearing back along the path knowing you can always walk this way again. 

Now it is time to put your attention back on your physical body and come back into this reality.

It is a good idea to ground yourself with some food or drink after the Meditation.

 

Wishing you a magical Beltane.

 

 

 

 

Full Ice Moon in Leo

On Sunday 27th January we have a Full Ice Moon in Leo.  We may find that dramatic things happen and we can successfully deal with people with power and authority. We have a choice of being a drama queen or just be romantic! Ambition and being a leader are important and we like to be the centre of attention. 

We are also approaching the Pagan Festival of Imbolc on 1st February, a Celtic fire Festival and Brighid, a solar goddess presides over this and our creativity starts to gather power again after the winter months.

So on this Full Ice Moon it is the time for the Mother aspect of the goddess and our productivity peaks  and we bring fully formed wishes into manifestation.  We should use  our creativity, power, fertility and sensitivity; we have clarity and things come within our reach.

Here is a Meditation for the Full Moon:

·         You may want to light a fresh white candle and put your crystals in the moonlight to recharge them

·         Tell yourself you are protected and safe

·         Find yourself in a place of nature where you notice an old path with branches of trees over hanging the path.  Dappled light comes through

·         As you walk along the path you come to the end and notice it is night time and walking up a grassy hill feeling the grass beneath your feet, the Moon appears from behind a cloud

·         It is a Full Moon and seems to be hanging round and bright in the dark night sky

·         You relax and breathe in its light till your body starts to fill with her wonderful silvery essence

·         What do you feel, what messages do you hear, what pictures come to mind?

·         Let yourself be drawn deeper and deeper into the meditation with the Moon and spend time with her

·         Thank the Moon for her time and for her love

·         Come back into the room and open your eyes and write up your experience

Wishing you a wonderful and magical Full Moon

With love and light

Colleen

Full Moon in Sagittarius

We now start our journey towards the Summer Solstice on 21st June and today, 15th June, is a Full Moon in Sagittarius. A wonderful time for a party and holding a ritual. This is a time of high creativity, excitement and tremendous potential; a time to connect with the Goddess as our psychic awareness is heightened. We can all focus together tonight, even if we cannot see the Moon because of the cloud cover, we can feel her love and energy and send this out across the world joining with all the others who weave a web of light, this special night. Enjoy.

Celtic Oak Month

What a magical month this is! Today is the start of the Celtic Oak month. The Oak is the Druid Tree and its Celtic name is Duir. It is one of the major sacred trees of Europe and connected to Thor, Zeus and Jupiter. It is the tree of the Summer Solstice and a log is also burned at Winter Solstice.

A symbol of strength and endurance and my favourite Oak is at Kenley in Surrey which is over 800 years old. I have planted acorns from it and now have 8 baby Oak trees.

Oak warns us to use our strength of character to overcome obstacles and take charge of our own destiny. It draws us to explore our spirituality in a deeper way. So this month sit with your favourite Oak tree and listen to its wisdom.