Easter/Ostara/Pesach 2017

At this time, Christians celebrate Easter. Jews celebrate Pesach, or Passover. Pagans celebrate Ostara. Muslims observe Al Isra' wal Miraj, Mohammed's Ascension to Heaven.  All these holy days have common elements.

Egypt celebrates Sham el Nessim. In India, the celebration is Baisakhi, the Punjabi New Year. Cultural groups throughout the Northern Hemisphere celebrate Spring, coming Summer, blossoming and rebirth.

Underlying each celebration of Spring is an acknowledgement of renewal, of rebirth, of resurrection. We watch each Fall as around us all of nature fades and either passes into the season of hibernation or lays down its living self to become part of the mulch. Winter brings with it the strong time of hibernation and struggle for survival.

When Spring comes and the greenery breaks through, we rejoice. When our domesticated animals begin their season of reproduction, we rejoice. In the midst of the new work of planting and birthing and coaxing growth, we set aside time to rejoice.

The greatest element in this time of year is resurrection. Everywhere we look there is new life. Even though our minds recognize that it is the usual cycle of the seasons, our spirits are moved by that internal cognizance of nature's rebirth.

Each and every culture celebrates the renewal of life. This is one thing we share, no matter what language, culture, religion, gender, ethnicity. This is a time of rejoicing ~ and we would do well to acknowledge it and participate in the joy.

How do you celebrate the renewal brought by Spring? How has your family historically celebrated? What is different about your celebration from your family's? How do your neighbors celebrate? your friends? your co-workers or classmates? What are the similarities between the celebrations? What are the differences? What brings you the most joy in this time of resurrection, rebirth and renewal?

New Moon in Sagittarius 2016

Today's New Moon in Sagittarius carries an awakening, positive energy. It's moving us in a more outward and upward motion. It begins a cycle of awakening, rebirth and renewal after the rest of 2016 focusing mostly on cleaning up and clearing out.

The Sagittarius New Moon also draws attention to our creative potential for manifesting what we truly desire. It's time to focus on whatever change and newness we want in our lives ~ and plan accordingly. Although we may continue to feel drawn into ourselves, there is a fiery excitement also drawing us out.

There is a strong spiritual aspect to this New Moon, amplifying our intuition, awakening our imagination and focusing Divine energies. In the philosophical realm, we find our vision of core truths and honor expanded. Sagittarius is all about Truth. As the unbalanced patriarchy makes its last stand to gain power, the Divine Feminine continues to rise. From Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote in the U.S. election to the prayers of the women of Standing Rock to the increase of women finding their voices and standing together around the world, the masculine and feminine energies continue to rock our world as they seek to come into the balance of shared, give-and-take power.

An aspect of astrology to which I've recently been introduced is the Sabian Symbol. Dane Rudyher describes his work with them in astrology as "... presenting them as a contemporary American I CHING." The Sabian symbol for the Sun and the Moon at 8° Sagittarius is: Within the depths of the Earth, new elements are being formed. One interpretation of this is that this is a time with unconscious forces at work, helping us to awaken new responses and solutions.

All of this points to rebirths ~ which are good, often painful and definitely messy.

What newness is happening in your life? How are they affecting your relationships? How are you participating in the collective struggles and renewals? Are you finding yourself speaking up more frequently? If so, what is rising in you? How do you handle the swinging pendulum of masculine and feminine power? What images are surfacing in your dreams?

New Moon in Scorpio: Shifting our Alignment

Meteor showers assail the skies around us all the time. Sometimes, we can even see them. A New Moon provides even more darkness than other night skies.

Today's meteors are named the Taurids. According to Wikipedia:

The Taurids are an annual meteor shower associated with the comet Encke. They are named after their radiant point in the constellation Taurus, where they are seen to come from in the sky. Because of their occurrence in late October and early November, they are also called Halloween fireballs.

While the night sky is alight with these meteors, the New Moon rests Herself in Scorpio. This New Moon is about our power and our transformation. She shows us what our power is and provides the opportunity to align our life's purpose to it ~ or not. We always have choice.

As with every New Moon, this one is about releasing ~ like the deciduous trees in Autumn ~ and allowing the energy to pull us deep within and center us in our core. Scorpio, under the care of Pluto, ruler of the Underworld, is all about death and rebirth, completion and new beginning. Resting in Scorpio means there is no avoiding diving deep into the Self. If we allow it and trust our instincts, we can arise a true hero with strength and renewed purpose. Scorpio's energy is one of risk ~ and at this time, one of epiphany, if we allow ourselves to pull back the veil. We can realign ourselves with sacred wholeness.

What are you in the process of completing? What new or renewed doors are opening up to and for you? Where are those doors leading? What is your next level? How will you find your way there? What dream will enfold you at this time?

Marzenna

From 365 Goddess by Patricia Telesco:

Marzenna's themes are spring, weather, protection, winter, death, rebirth, cycles, change and growth. Her symbols are dolls (poppets) and water (including ice and snow). The Polish Goddess for whom this holiday is named represents an odd combination of winter, death and fruit field's growth and fertility. As such, She oversees the transitions we wish to make in our lives.

I walked into a used bookstore and saw Telesco's book. When I picked it up to check the Goddess of the date, I saw a paper marking today's date. It was the page for Marzenna. Since my heritage is Polish, I decided to check Her out.

This is a time of transitions, of changes in our world. That's especially true for each person individually as well as the community in total. Spring is about rebirth, changing the death time of Winter into the new greening of Spring that blossoms into the fullness of Summer. It's a time of transformation.

My life right now is about celebrating the changes, the transformations, that are happening within its boundaries. Around me are a variety of changes: deaths, graduations, surgeries, retirements, marriages. Some of them are directly related to me ~ some are even mine ~ but many belong to the people around me. These affect me deeply in a manner different from those that are directly tugging on my heartstrings.

Marzenna is the Goddess ~ and the celebration of that Goddess, or more precisely, the passing of that Goddess of Death, Rebirth and Change. In the celebrations a straw poppet of Marzenna is burned so that Newness can come into being. It's a passage and Marzenna is the Guardian of Change at the gate.

What Spring holiday or holy day resonates most for you? How do you celebrate the passages of time? What is transforming in your life in this moment? How will you support it?

Emerging

"The phoenix must burn to emerge."

~  Janet Fitch, White Oleander

I dreamt of the Phoenix ~ tremendous, fierce, immense and majestic. Then I dreamt of becoming the Phoenix. Every inch of me, every cell and every breath was alive with fire. Wait... what? Alive with fire? Doesn't fire kill? Not this fire. This fire cauterizes. This fire cleanses. This fire births.

I felt the heat and the searing intensity of pain. Like a wave, it washed over me. Bringing me to my knees with its force. Until I had no knees. No body. The wave of fire on which I rode was ferocious, abundant, extravagant. Then there was nothing. A deep void surrounded me. Lub~lub, lub-lub ~ I slipped inside the sound, rising and falling with its rhythm ~ a beating heart. Is this what it's like to be reborn?

As I woke, I felt the seeping away of the heat. It diminished to a warm glow that remained in and around me. It colored my day with gold and orange and the glory of being alive.

What creature or creatures do you dream of? What does it feel like inside your dream? How are you affected or changed?