I stand tall, body full and present in all of its beauty.
I open my arms wide to bring all of life into my being. My arms form a temple above me, protecting and sheltering me.
I know that I am on holy ground. Yielding now, softening, my body takes the shape of the crescent moon.
As I move and bend, my heart stays open to the world.
I step wide into a squat. Mother Earth's ferocious powers rise up through my legs, hips, belly, and back. I give birth to all that is.
Straightening arms and legs I am a star.
I am the universe. Planets and galaxies whirl within me. I radiate light in all directions. Supple and yielding again, I reach to the side. I turn to look up. I reach, yearning and striving, and yet rest, accepting fully.
Turning to pyramid pose I become quiet. I submit to the inner workings of my own being. I am ready to descend.
Lunging, I stretch long and feel again the glorious length of my body. I ask for blessings and protection.
Turning, I place my hands on the blessed earth. Home of deer and bear, hillsides and ponds, I touch you lovingly.
Coming into a squat I am connected with all animal and plant life. I am the dark moon. For three days and nights I will stay here.
I am giving birth, Standing on the threshold of life and death.
I am Ereshkigal, Hecate, the crone. I am Queen of the Underworld.
Dear Earth, You have been with me when I needed comfort, Given me wisdom when I was in pain. I pray I may do the same for you.
I receive the blessings of the moon as I look up, I am here, divine spirit in all life, to do your bidding. I am restored and nourished. I feel my breath, my bones, my flesh.
I am Venus, the morning and evening Star. I am Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth.
I am infinite, beyond space and time. I am the bindi, the one point at the center of the world.
I am Lilith, I will not deny my sexuality. I am Kali-Durga, I fight for justice courageously and effortlessly. I am Mary, the Virgin, Quan Yin, compassionate mother of all. I am Aphrodite, flower of the fields.
I am the full moon. I am whole. I am complete. I know the world with all its sorrow and pain and I am not afraid.
I know myself with all of my sorrow and pain and I am not afraid. I am light and dark. I am the inside and the outside.
I am one with all.
Perhaps our 21st century eyes can look to the Morrigan for courage as we encounter modern battles against oppression and prejudice.
In the story of Vasalisa, the maiden must serve the Crone, all the while learning the lessons she'll need to be able to handle the fire she seeks. Pinkola-Estes calls this task, "Serving the non-rational" which is "learning to stay with and learn the customs of the feminine psyche, re-learning the rhythms of life/death/life." The Crone, whether in the form of Baba Yaga, Hecate or the Morrigan is always concerned with birth, fate/life, death and re-birth.
In some stories it is a man who meets the Crone (often with unfortunate results). In the story of the Morrigan and the Celtic hero Cu Chulainn, she offers her love to him and is rejected multiple times. She then cursed Cu Chulainn to die, for he did not recognize nor was he willing to receive the power of the Divine Feminine she was offering him. This seems to be a strong message for patriarchal thought in general and a message to women living in such societies as well. With each task that Baba Yaga gave to Vasalisa, she warned the maiden, that she must learn or else.
This brings us to the next set of tasks, those of "Separating this from that". The tasks of separating corn and poppy seeds from dust are symbolic of "learning to make fine discriminations, learning about the power of the unconscious, learning more about life and death." The Doll of Vasalisa's unconscious self, stays awake and does the work demanded by the Crone, while Vasalisa sleeps. This story illustrates again the need to go within, to go to the underground self so it can learn while the self conditioned by society sleeps (and doesn't interfere with the process!) In her aspect of the Washer at the Ford, the Morrigan scrubs the clothes of men about to die in battle, choosing who will die, again a message of selection.
As she goes about the work given her by the Crone, Vasalisa engages in "asking the mysteries". At this stage of the path she has continues her learning, going ever deeper and "meditating about the nature of life/ death/ life, learning about the elements of the wild nature, also knowing when to be silent and waiting for the right time to learn." In Greek Myth, the ancient Crone Hecate teaches Persephone the mysteries of Immortality, Creation and Dissolution. The story of
the Morrigan tells us that after the death of Cu Chulainn the Raven lands on his shoulder. This seems symbolic of the idea of renewal and rebirth. Even when we have failed to learn the lessons of the Crone, we aren't abandoned, but must wait for another opportunity.
But in our tale, she has succeeded and the newly empowered woman-Vasalisa is now ready for "standing on all fours". She leaves Baba Yaga "taking the gifts of power offered by the Crone, looking through newly opened eyes at the world." Understanding the mysteries instructed by Hecate, Persephone the Maiden, becomes Kore the Woman. In the ritual to Heal and Honor the Crone Self, the woman is given the three gifts of Healing, Liberation and Renewal as represented by "a crystal for insight, a sickle blade for cutting, and a dried snakes skin for transformation."
The breadcrumb path finishes with a good ending for the Woman, having taken into herself the knowledge of the Crone she is now ready to "recast the shadow". She uses her "new vision to recognize negative aspects of oneself, others and the world, the new self is strong enough now to recast, destroy or remove negative influences that surround her." Persephone Kore leaves Hecate and returns to the world as an adult woman, and Spring replaces Winter. Woman-Vasalisa returns to the evil stepfamily with a flaming skull lantern, that lights her way, illuminates her house and burns the evil stepfamily to cinders. May She live Happily Ever After...
Sources: Brooke, Elisabeth. Wisewoman's Guide to spells, rituals and goddess lore. 1995.
Mountainwater, Shekinah. Ariadne's Thread: a workbook of goddess magic. 1991.
Pinkola Estes, PhD, Clarissa. Women who run with the wolves: myths and stories of the wild woman archetype
Summer Ritual for a Sunny Will
Adapted from Witch in the Kitchen,
by Cait Johnson
Good will is certainly a concept to ponder. How many of us can truly say we have it?
Now, as warm colors and blazing vitality evoke the power of the will, we can align ourselves with our deepest, best selves with this simple, ancient ritual. After all, summer invites us to think of ways we can harness our immense fiery will in order to give something unique and meaningful to the world, knowing that when we do the things we most love to do we nourish ourselves and others, for the good of all.
This just takes a sunny day and a little birdseed. And it is such a joyful way to celebrate the sun and our own capacity for a truly good will:
Go to a place where wild birds are known to congregate (if you're a city-dweller, pigeons will do just fine). Stand facing the sun. Close your eyes and imagine that the golden sunlight is streaming into your solar plexus, your will center. Now visualize that you are beaming that
golden light back to the sun as you say:
I will to will Thy will.
Now, carefully sprinkle the birdseed around yourself in as perfect a circle as you can, and say:
May my will grow lighter, to feed the world. Now it is done.
Step outside the circle and find a place to sit quietly and observe. Watch as the birds discover and feed themselves with your gift. As each bird takes flight after its meal, visualize your will center growing more light and generous and warm.
Unexpected Enlightenment
DailyOM
You Never Know Who You'll Meet
Our individual journeys take us into many unexpected situations where we encounter a wide variety of people-some quite like ourselves and some very different. We cannot anticipate these meetings, but we can make the most of them when they take place.
When we are courteous as a matter of course and open-minded in our assessment of the individuals whose lives briefly touch our own, we are more apt to stumble upon surprising gems of wisdom that open our eyes to new worlds of possibility. Every person we meet can affect us profoundly, just as every situation we find ourselves in can teach us something new.
To fully embrace this fact, it is essential that we acknowledge that everyone is valuable in their own way and capable of expanding our horizons. Since we never know when we will happen upon those individuals who will unveil truths before us, we should extend to all people the same generous level of kindness, care, compassion, and understanding. When we assume everyone we meet is special and treat them as such, we can develop a strong rapport quickly.
By making an effort to adopt a positive attitude toward others at all times, we ensure that our emotions do not blind us to wisdom that may be lurking in difficult or distressing situations. We are accordingly receptive to knowledge that comes to us in the form of examples, advice, and direct teaching.
These brief relationships ultimately have the potential to enrich our lives in a very concrete way. But the wisdom we gain is proportional to the attention we pay to the world around us. The responsibility is on us to maintain a state of awareness that allows us to recognize when we are in the presence of someone consciously or unconsciously in possession of knowledge that will change us significantly. When we are cognizant of the potential for unexpected enlightenment, we make a habit of turning strangers into friends, thus ensuring that we are never without a font of wisdom from which to draw.
Abraham Maslow (1908-70) was a psychologist who became famous for his hierarchy of human needs. When he developed his theory in the 1950s, he predicted the transformation of humanity into a realm of spiritual transcendence, but he had no idea just how soon this would develop into a major movement.
Maslow's hierarchy of human needs shows that basic human needs have to be fulfilled before people can attend to higher needs and values.
First, the basic physiological needs of food and shelter must be catered for in order to ensure survival. Second, once food and shelter are obtained, safety and security must be achieved. Third, acceptance by others is sought, in both the social and romantic senses. To fulfill this 'belonging' need, people become part of a group, a tribe, an extended family or a community.
When these deficiency, or outer-directed, needs are satisfied, then the individual works to acquire self-respect. Recognition by others produces self-esteem.
Once the outer needs are fulfilled, the inner-directed need for self-actualization comes into play. To self-actualize means to become the best you personally can be.
Self-actualized people include those who have achieved material abundance, and also those who, as a decision of personal power, have chosen simplicity over the pursuit of further abundance. At some point, when a person says "That's enough" to the endless pursuit of additional financial security, then they become free to accomplish anything that inspires their inner joy the most.
Self-actualization is achieved after the individual ceases to have deference to hierarchical authority, and instead matures into the ability to make their own rules of personal responsibility. Personal responsibility is always more powerful and effective than any system of imposed rules.
For example, you can threaten to punish someone if they steal and hope that the threat works. But, a self-responsible person simply wouldn't steal because they would feel empathy for the loss that a would-be victim would feel. They simply wouldn't have the heart to do such a such a thing to another person.
It's a matter of increased maturity. When a person abandons the impositions of external authority and becomes their own, self-directed authority, then they become far more functional in the world. This is, in fact, a higher state of consciousness, one which provides a higher vista of awareness. From this expanded vista, they see clearly how they as an individual can best serve humanity.
In this state of awareness, the person acquires the ability to think and analyze situations independently. As a result, new and creative solutions spring to mind. They have enough self-esteem to be able to clearly see their own needs, skills, strengths and weaknesses, and from that they see where they can best be of service to humanity.
Once basic needs are fulfilled, the next values to require attention relate to being. The first of these being-values is self-actualization, which is the instinctual need of a human to make the most of their unique abilities.
Above that, Maslow placed transcendence, which he considered a spiritual value. Traditional universities typically presume that spiritual matters are beyond the understanding of their students, so they present the Maslow hierarchy of human needs differently. They present it with self-actualization as the ultimate human goal, and omit the transcendence stage beyond that.
The being-values of self-actualization and transcendence are the higher, more beautiful aspects of human consciousness. They include unconditional love, altruism, inner joy, a love of nature, the development of intuition (in males as well as females), idealism, and a sense of wisdom which springs from within. These skills develop the right-brain functions of creativity and intuition.
In the 1950s, Maslow believed that only 2% of the population had achieved self-actualization. The mid-1960s changed all that when masses of people began the search for the higher values, such as unconditional love and spiritual wisdom.
Today, that core group of progressive society has blossomed from 2% to over 20%, and is climbing every year.
The Shift is not a temporary by-product of the baby boom generation, or any other generation of modern society. It is not a passing fad. It is not going away.
It is a cosmic pressure that is unfolding and relentlessly increasing the frequency of all consciousness upon the planet.
It is a part of the plan of Infinite Being that we progress to the next stage of conscious human achievement. The Shift is, to put it simply, the most wonderful transformation in recorded history. This is where humanity gets to build, literally, Heaven on Earth.
This article was written by Owen Waters, author of "The Shift: The Revolution in Human Consciousness"
