Pagan

[Bit]

Hey there, welcome back Irish! Glad you got your altar put together!

Foxy, you cunning one you, sneaking your birthday celebration in like that. I highly approve! Those dreams of yours sound quite intense. I am glad you reconnected with your friend!

Gryph has experienced the same as you, that sometimes spirits want no help and say "mind your own business." I would say, that IS a shaman's business! *wry smile* But hey, there are certainly enough people in need of help that no one need look far to find someone else who wishes to cross over.

My dreams have been pretty active lately as well. The ones I remember, I am reliving books and stories, and sometimes writing new chapters in my dreams. I am content to have it so---sure beats nightmares!! But when I'm not burying myself in escapist dreams, I do have a dream world that seems to be filled with symbols that have meaning for me, things which are either not in dream interpretation books or have a different meaning than in the books. I suppose it's rather like having your own personalized tarot deck.

{{{{{{{{{{{{Irish, Foxy, Blue, Andrew}}}}}}}}}}}}}} Bright Blessings in the coming week!

[2myladyblue]

The Charge of the Goddess


I who am the beauty of the green earth
and the white moon among the stars
and the mysteries of the waters,
I call upon your soul to arise and come to me.

For I am the soul of nature
that gives life to the universe.
From Me all things proceed
and unto me they must return.

Let My worwhip be in the heart that rejoices,
for behold--all acts of love and pleasure
are My rituals.
Let there be beauty and strength,
power and compassion, honor and humility,
mirth and reverence within you.

And you who seek to know Me,
know that your seeking and yearning
will avail you not, unless you know the mystery:
for if that which you seek,
you find not within yourself,
you will never find it without.

For behold, I have been with you
from the beginning, and I am
that which is attained at the end of desire.

[2myladyblue]

If you focus enough on the Goddess, it is almost as if she begins to notice you and takes you under her wing. She gradually begins to reveal herself in all her complexity, and sometimes in unexpected ways. This is an ongoing process, spiralling to deeper and deeper levels, always continuing. Let the Goddess come into your meditations, your dreams, your work and the faces of people around you. You will begin to recognize and acknowledge the Goddess in your life and become fertile soil for her to grow in. Give her plenty of water, light and food, and you will find yourself transformed by what grows inside of you. You will have become the Goddess.

-from The Heart of the Goddess by Hallie Iglehart Austen

[2myladyblue]

"The spiritual world is like the natural world--only diversity will save it. Just as the health of a forest or fragrant meadow can be measured by the number of different insects and plants and creatures that successfully make it their home, so only by an extraordinary abundance of disparate spiritual and philosophic paths will human beings navigate a pathway through the dark and swirling storms that mark our current era." Margot Adler (in Drawing Down the Moon)

[Bit]

{{{{{{{{{{{{{Blue}}}}}}}}}}}}} Thank you for sharing these quotes!

Happy Beltane, everyone! May this May Day bring you happiness and peace!

[foxyshaman]

Thank you LadyBlue for those beautiful quotes. I like Margot Adler's quote. Amen to diversity.

{{{{{{BIT}}}}} How are you huney? Are you feeling any better? Is spring bringing some good changes about for you??

I celebrated Betaine with a different group than I usually do and HAD A BLAST. Lots of drumming, lots of dancing & a tantric feast to boot. I almost did not get there, I could not find the farm, and then I perservered (sp?) and voila there it was. The people who put it on had built a huge (17 foot) effigy to the goddess to burn. We had players of the green man and the lady light the effigy. There were fire dancers, drummers (me too), dancing, even top naked bodies... lets face it, it is Apr 30 in Alberta and we were below zero that night... cold titties. I went home really late and had a lovely sleep.

I spent yesterday writing part 2 of a curse workshop I am teaching. I was working on the tie between Samskara (karma cycles) and curses. And then a bit on PTSD as a way of understanding the affect of trauma and what happens to the 'soul piece' that gets stuck or lost from us. I think it will be an interesting and long workshop.

Must get back to work. Wishing everyone a great day!!!

[Bit]

{{{{{{{{{{{Foxy}}}}}}}}}}} Hi!! Sounds like your Beltaine was truly wonderful! Mine was too, although it was bloody cold in that park... winter storms that blow through after spring is well established really chill people to the bone!! But blue lips and all, it was a wonderful wonderful day!

I've been doing better, thank you for asking. Also doing worse, both at the same time, but what can you do, eh? It's been absolutely shocking to me how badly I was burnt out; last week I still could basically do nothing energy-wise. The ley line that runs through That House is my lifeline; I can, with the assistance of an Ally, grab some of that and direct it for healing once in a while. I cannot send the healing long distance, though, only to Gryph or to one of the furbabies. That's quite a come-down from sending energy all over the place like I had been doing.

My focus is still shot, too, but I persisted with my cleansing efforts and they're working better than they were.

I've managed a couple times to be Gryph's "battery" so to speak, and lend energy during a working.

The biggest change is that the person I was linked to who was being drained (the same way I was drained in December and January, by sending energy to someone who was being systematically drained by life-stealers) finally accepted Gryph's help and the tie to the life-stealers was cut, as well as my tie to her. I felt better immediately! Once I was no longer feeling her uncontrollable rage, I came back to emotional balance within myself and my own natural happiness started to reassert itself.

I was able to get started on my gardening then, and that's bringing me much joy!

Unfortunately, I'm not doing so well physically. The fibro seems to be flaring in cycle with my hormones--which is bad enough--but my carpal tunnel syndrome is steadily worsening and that really bothers me.

I've come to truly believe that being drained by the life-stealers (through my friend) is what allowed the physical worsening. That energy had to come from somewhere, and once it was gone I surely couldn't use it to keep my body intact. That tells me I have to be vigilant and keep an eye out for situations where the draining can happen, now that I'm learning to recognize it.

Most of the time it's really easy to recognize life-stealers, because usually they're not very sophisticated--you know, spend time with someone and come away feeling drained and depressed--it's obvious. But this kind of drain is more subtle, slower, so that I write my tiredness off to the fibro, or to eating too much turkey (lol! darned tryptophan!), or to fluctuating hormones and pain levels. It takes several days before I realize that it isn't me, that something is actively pulling the energy away.

I realized while I was writing this that it's happening again, but only because I've been puzzled all evening about my friend's bad day and bad mood; telling you about the drain put that into perspective. I guess once done is not forever, but I was thinking it would be and so I didn't expect the ties to be put back in place. *rueful look* Now I know better.

Gryph didn't expect them to be put back either, and he's got way more experience than I have, so I don't feel quite so foolish about not realizing it... but now that I know, I have to watch.

This past year sure has been filled with lessons about taking care of myself! The consequences of allowing emotional ties that then allow me to come under attack are brutal. It's showing very drastically not just in my health, but in Gryph's exhaustion; in the furbabies (Lady's diabetes and subsequent blindness, Bubba's hyperthyroidism, Trooper's worsening paranoia); and even in the physical condition of That House. I can't allow this pattern to continue; I have to make changes in how I allow people to relate to me.

No more Feeders. No matter how much I might love them, no more Feeders. I just don't have that kind of energy. I noticed several years ago that a huge number of people with fibromyalgia seem to be Empaths... maybe it's the other way round. Maybe being an Empath makes one vulnerable to fibromyalgia, because of the huge and constant drain on one's energy by the Feeders.

I guess if I succeed in cutting them all off and my fibro gets better, I'll know!

Best to you with your workshop. I bet it will be awesome! If you feel like talking about it, I'd love to hear!!


Cath

[foxyshaman]

{{{{{{{{{{{CATH}}}}}}}}}}}}

I am sorry to hear that you are still experiencing energetic hardships like that. It kind of makes one not want to put out energy for anyone. Life stealers are around in all walks of life and all circumstances. You and gryph have a lot around you that requests/requires your attention. Between the constant energy drain and the fibro girl you just are not catching any breaks.

I am sure that there are lots of things that you have tried to make your energy come back up and stay put. I wish I had a simple all round effective answer for you. I am relieved to hear that you are disconnected from the primary energy drain and that your emotional balance has come back.

I have had experiences with energy drains, but not to the extent that you are experiencing for the length of time you are experiencing it. I wonder if your condition is made more vulnerable by your fibro? From what you are saying they are all interconnected and affect you greatly.

Then the furbabies, you really have your hands full. I read your posts and your references to what your furbabies are going through & I am relieved that they have as supportive and caring a parent as you two are. They are great gifts to you, from what you have said, and they seem to have come to you with the need to be loved and taken care of. Mother Nature knew she had a good caretaker in you. Now, if she could just shoot you some extra cash now and then to help with the cost load that would be great!!

I will keep in touch regarding the workshop. I am trying to work on my own self sabotage pattern. I will be journeying to try to find the root cause for my legs and feet getting injured just as I am really into my exercise and weight loss. This last one happened on Friday. I got a blister on my ankle a bad one so this week I am out of exercise. So... back to yoga...

I will keep in touch!!!

[Bit]

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

{{{{{{{{{{{CATH}}}}}}}}}}}}

I am sorry to hear that you are still experiencing energetic hardships like that. It kind of makes one not want to put out energy for anyone.

Ain't that the truth!! But I can't help it; tis always my first impulse. I'm gettin' a lot of headaches lately, trying... evidently it's still too soon.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Foxy}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} I hope things are going well for you!

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

Life stealers are around in all walks of life and all circumstances. You and gryph have a lot around you that requests/requires your attention. Between the constant energy drain and the fibro girl you just are not catching any breaks.

Sometimes you have to make your own breaks, look at your life and say, "what makes it better? what makes it worse?" and then do something about what makes it worse. That's why I'm not online so much anymore--and the past couple of days when I *have* been online a lot, I notice the difference!

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

I am sure that there are lots of things that you have tried to make your energy come back up and stay put. I wish I had a simple all round effective answer for you. I am relieved to hear that you are disconnected from the primary energy drain and that your emotional balance has come back.

I have had experiences with energy drains, but not to the extent that you are experiencing for the length of time you are experiencing it. I wonder if your condition is made more vulnerable by your fibro? From what you are saying they are all interconnected and affect you greatly.

Near as I can figure. A lot of it seems to be automatic. Several years ago a healer told me it was no wonder my muscles were all knotted up like iron, that I'd been trying to armor the world out since I was a child--and she had the right of it. Now I have shields to do that job, but I also have the fibro.

Thank you for wishing to make it better. I appreciate that!

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

Then the furbabies, you really have your hands full. I read your posts and your references to what your furbabies are going through & I am relieved that they have as supportive and caring a parent as you two are. They are great gifts to you, from what you have said, and they seem to have come to you with the need to be loved and taken care of. Mother Nature knew she had a good caretaker in you. Now, if she could just shoot you some extra cash now and then to help with the cost load that would be great!!

I think that you think I'm better than I am. *sigh* And extra cash would be lovely. I have a three week lay-off just as the gas bill is going down--and the electric bill is going up! Not even a week between the furnace and the fans, and we'll be wanting the air conditioner pretty quick here--like tomorrow!--unless I just stop cooking and doing laundry. Sheesh! (Welcome to Kansas, lol!)

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

I will keep in touch regarding the workshop. I am trying to work on my own self sabotage pattern. I will be journeying to try to find the root cause for my legs and feet getting injured just as I am really into my exercise and weight loss. This last one happened on Friday. I got a blister on my ankle a bad one so this week I am out of exercise. So... back to yoga...

I will keep in touch!!!

Did you figure it out? Hope it's better now!

My spring good mood has vanished under the threat of 96 degree weather the next two days (35.56 C). I mowed the lawn yesterday, thanks be! Guess most of my house and yard work will have to move to the early morning hours, since the day's low is usually at 6 am. (I am SOOO not a morning person.)

Sometimes I wonder if it would be possible to limit a climate with energy work, to call the rain on a regular basis (without tornados, tyvm), to keep the temps below 85, to just in general make it pleasant all summer long. I suspect it would take a PILE of energy-work to make something like that happen.... and then, one would have to wonder about places up and down the line, whether the energy-work might be changing their weather for the worse.... that's why I don't do it; I always worry about the consequences to everyone else.

Love to you! Talk soon!

Cath, ramblin' on....

[Bit]

Hey y'all, how are you this week? Hope things are going well for everyone!

[foxyshaman]

Hello everyone...

I got some shocking gossip about me yesterday. And it makes me mad mad mad. Fuck... I bust my ass to do all I can do and all I am trained to do... and then I hear that I am getting a reputation for having 'gone to dark side'. WTF !!!! Seriously... cause you know I want to see the darkest underbelly of human nature... yup I do. And then I want to get all evil. Yes that's it. And then next I will probably start doing "satan" work. Gone to the dark side... I have been to the dark side and you know if you open your freaking eyes, you can see in the dark, but only if you are brave enough and look hard enough.

I wish these pansy assed people who want to talk about me, without knowing me, could come and tell me to my face.

Anyway...

20 years at this and I still face marginalization and misinformation and all the other crap that goes with it.

Why o why could I not just be another "fluffy" and be done with it.

<please return to your regular scheduled programming>

[foxyshaman]

I am all better now. Sometimes I just need to (or BFP Gab) to help work through stuff.

I have to keep reminding myself of all of the good deeds and things that go on. Not only done by myself, but also by those around me. We are more than the sum of our deeds.

I am one person, in a world of billions, and realistically I am one very tiny cog in the wheel of life. Getting myself bent out of shape like that simply reminds me that I am still human. And to be human is what I am here for.

Thanks for listening...

[Camo Eagle]

Memorial Day SALUTE to all my Pagan Brothers & Sisters that have or are still serving. To the surviving Families as well.

http://www.circlesanctuary.org/ministries/military/

[2myladyblue]

Originally Posted by Bit

Hey y'all, how are you this week? Hope things are going well for everyone!

Bright Blessings Cath, Foxy, Andrew...anyone else who joins in...
I haven't been online much, but I was just today having a conversation with my eldest about how she may very well be an empath & needs to be mindful about the people she spends time with...& I caught a radio show on the horrible treatment a lot of fibromyalgia patients have received from the medical professionals they consult.
& my counsellor recently asked me if I have been diagnosed with fibro....hmmmm....

[2myladyblue]

I wonder if my daughter IS an empath...
I wonder if being empathic contributes to having fibromyalgia...
I wonder if I should be concerned about these aches & pains...


I wonder where everybody went

[Bad_boi]

Here is to hoping I will have someone to celebrate samhain with. Seems like everyone wants drunken debauchery and candy around here.

[foxyshaman]

On March 17 I will be once again putting on my annual Waking the Bear Ritual.

I just wanted to share some of my writing with you. If anyone is curious about Eros, or any other stuff... feel free to ask. Poke around my site if you like... http://www.changingwoman.ca

Why are we gathering you may ask. And I would say, good question. The short answer, is cause we always do. And you may ask…always? To which I would sheepishly reply…well for years now.

Waking the Bear is the most sumptuous spring ritual you will ever find ’round these parts. It contains… drumming… yes, yes it does. It contains…. singing… well maybe not YOU, but you could if you really wanted to. It also contains (finger to lips…shhhhhh) BEARS. Yup that is true. Now don’t go telling any park rangers we snuck their bears into the hall. Nope, don’t do that. Cause well… I may get into trouble.

Oh… and there is a story telling. Why yes there is. I’m on the trail of a Peruvian story called “Why the Foxes tail is Black“. Now those who know me, know that that would just about make me crazy happy to find a story like that to tell. Oh and there will be puppets. I know, I know… what on earth is an adult doing with a puppet? You will never know unless you come. I can’t give away ALL my secrets here.

Now, if you are just as curious as I am excited, we might just get along. If you are even a wee bit more curious read on. I will carry on my discussion of “Waking Up Bears”.

Spring Equinox is March 21. Now some will tell you its March 20, but hell, why split hairs. Oopps sorry, wrong voice. Equinox, as you are well aware, is when the hours of sunlight and darkness are as close to equal as they can be.

But why Bears? Why Waking the Bear? Cause Bear said so, and if you have ever met Bear, when Bear says something, generally, paying attention is a REALLY GOOD IDEA.

For centuries we have venerated the Bear. We see the Being in the Sky, Ursa Major. We see the Being, Bear, as our Brother. We know Bear as one of the first healers. Bear has come to us in our dreams, in our journeys, even in our childhood stories.

The Constant Dreamers. Bear is forever lumbering across the darkest of the darkest skies, the Northern Skies, never entering light… always dwelling between the places. Bear, although a tough teacher, is also a Being of incredible love and kindness. Eros, the Primordial Being of Love, transformed into many shapes. Bear is one of the manifestations of Eros.

Love can be both brutal and gentle, much like Bear. As the year progresses ever closer to December 21, 2012 we have been asked to spiritually prepare ourselves for a most auspicious celestial event. Like Love, Healing can be both strong and gentle. Healing does not have to be outward to others, it can also be inward to ourselves. Bear usually comes at this time of year to awaken us from our slumber, clean the cobwebs from our psyche and prepare us for the planting time.

Ready yet??

Waking the Bear – March 17, 2012

When we Dreamt the Dark for Winter Solstice we sang, drummed and aspected Eros. We learnt the word “parthenogenesis” which comes from the Greek parthenos, meaning “virgin”, and genesis, meaning “birth”. Just in case you missed that the first time <insert fun wink>

We discussed the duality of Eros the “ two-sexed, two-faced, glorious Eros”. Eros portrayed as a beautiful golden-winged hermaphroditic deity wrapped in a serpent’s coils. I picture the coils of the serpent to be silver, liquid silver.

Eros, in the beginning myths, was that of “coming together of that which has always been separate.” The Unconscious and the Conscious… the Primordial Creative Cause – the element that binds and attracts Spirit and Matter together. The binding together of two aspects of Eros – the penetration & blending energy of matter, with its counterpart and complement, Spirit. Esoterically, Eros is the leading force within a seeker that takes her/him away from a level of duality to a level of unity and wholeness. Eros wedded Psyche – Goddess of our Soul.

Eros bestowed upon us a powerful vision; the passionate bond between the Seer and the Seen. Cosmic Eros “creates living seeds” and harmonizes the random elements of Primal Chaos and Primal Earth into a living world. Eros not only drives all organisms to procreation, but also into relationship with each other: mating, bonding, nurturing, and all other forms of desiring, not excluding hunting and preying, for passion hungers like the hunter for its prey.

Eros is the cosmic force which causes the unmanifest (Chaos) to seek self-manifestation: it is divine love, will, desire; the desire to manifest in creative activity, and thus to give life and existence to all beings. This desire, which “arises first in It”, is in the gods and in all nature. After the worlds have been manifested, Eros then becomes, the ever-active force which brings together and combines the elemental atoms.

Funky heh!! I thought so. And then I asked to be placed in the Bears Den and Dream Waking the Bear. How does a Bear Dream from Eros. How do we gather to Manifest Bear from the “ever active force which brings together and combines”… Bear, The First Being; One of THE ANCESTORS. A sky nation recognized by Beings on Earth. Bear led me on a Dream….

Come on into the Den…. You know you wanna…. <insert yet another playful wink>

On March 17 – Waking the Bear – we seek to expose the soil of our souls; the dark rich soil, much like the Dark – Den – Bear – Slumbers. In. Waking the Bear, our chance to connect with our Constant Dreamer. Bear also known as the Dreamer That Never Awkens. Dream on Mama, Dream On

Give me Your Visions Mama

We seek Bear Dreams the World – the Constant Dreamer, as our guide to waking our Dreamer within. Eros awoke us to the Duality the Unconscious and Conscious within ourselves. Now, we must awaken from the slumber of the Dark Night and put our Dreams into Action. Do we have a clear vision? A good question to ask ourselves.

I do not know what position, or role, you will take in the coming time nor do I have to… our work together for Waking the Bear is just about March 17, 2012. How, you will be, on March 18, 2012, is your own story.. your own mystery… a mystery of which I am not involved in.. but for right that night…you are in My Dream, My Mama Bear Dream, you are all a part of Bears dream to Embody (Aspectors), Aliven (Joikers) and awaken Her Dream (Drummers) … We are all a part of the Dreamer That Never Awkens. Constant Dreamer, Dream On Mama Dream On

We are in very troublesome times. However, as the end of 2012 approaches, my dreams are asking me to become solid within myself (ourselves) and (my) our own intuition BEFORE we reach out to others.

I Give you My Body Mama

We are all gathered here and we are all healers in our right. Bear in long old myths refer to Bear as the Original Healer. It is speculated, and I imagine true, our Ancestors – GLOBALLY – watched what Bears ate, so they too could learn which plants are safe. So, how did they know the Bear stomach would be similar… and not the Dear? Just asking…. We know some of our strengths, but certainly not all of them.

Healers come in all forms, shapes and sizes. All forms of abilities. Some, gasp, even work with the Light. Why yes, yes they do. Shocking to the likes of me… <smiling> One aspect of healing for me is altering the world from within the parameters you have.

Waking the Bear require the Dreamer within each of us, to be awoken (oxymoron I know, but…) to function fully from Higher Self and ourHigher Place.

Much like Eros, the Constant Dreamer, is considered to be a Spirit of Creation. There was a belief once commonly held that bear cubs were born without a physical form, and that their mothers licked them into shape, creating order out of Chaos. The Bear thus became widely seen as a symbol of creation. In Greek mythology it was the sacred animal of Artemis the huntress who, although a virgin, was also the Goddess of childbirth.

Give me your Wisdom Mama

The Bear is one of the symbols of renewal such as is the Moon and the World Tree.

We are gathering together this evening to support one another in our endeavour to become more self-aware. Now self-knowledge is a solitary path, no one can do it for you and nothing can create it instantly for you. Our dial a day mentality does not lend itself to nurturing self awareness.

As Bear is connected with each one of us, each one of us is connected to each other as well. On the Medicine Wheel North is the place of Community. Everything is Community. We are a part of the Whole, whether We are conscious of that or not. Reality does not necessarily require your belief to continue to exist. It can however, be shaped… Reality can be quite the mind bender.

We do not know where the world is heading to politically, environmentally, socially or even human to human. We are gathered here today to Waken the Bear, The Bear is not only a healer but is guardian of the hidden time, the dream time… we are allowed this evening to take an active part of Bears Constant Dream. We will Breathe Deeply Bear, welcoming Her Wisdom through our Drums, Our Voices and Our Bodies.

We sing songs of Bear to all of us and sing songs to awaken the Bear Within.. the healer, the mother, the father… the wisdom keeper. The time of Mudjekeewis is the Evening til Midnite, Autumn, our adult years to elder time. This is the time of slowing down, of taking stock of experiences, of going within, like the Grizzly in autumn, but going within spiritually, to gain strength from the knowledge thus gained; the time to prepare for the times of “winter” or later times. Like Eros, manifest the unmanifested.

If you are reading this last sentence… Bravo, you have a great attention span. Thank you. I ask that you remember we are on this journey together. How can we truly do our spiritual walk and create a global spiritual community without walking through the fires together — confident that we have ancestral resources and spirit helpers that shall guide us and show us the way. All traditions, through their deep mystical paths — often hidden beneath contemporary, obscuring clothing–offer us much. Such explorations together can restore vision to eyes and hearts weary with the conflicts of the world. Thus restored, we can bring sustenance to others — and we need this in these times.

[Lady Pamela]

Happy Solstice!

[cara]

Thanks! You, too.

[mariamma]

DAYMN! THAT WAS GOOD! Thanks for sharing

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

On March 17 I will be once again putting on my annual Waking the Bear Ritual.

I just wanted to share some of my writing with you. If anyone is curious about Eros, or any other stuff... feel free to ask. Poke around my site if you like... http://www.changingwoman.ca

Why are we gathering you may ask. And I would say, good question. The short answer, is cause we always do. And you may ask…always? To which I would sheepishly reply…well for years now.

Waking the Bear is the most sumptuous spring ritual you will ever find ’round these parts. It contains… drumming… yes, yes it does. It contains…. singing… well maybe not YOU, but you could if you really wanted to. It also contains (finger to lips…shhhhhh) BEARS. Yup that is true. Now don’t go telling any park rangers we snuck their bears into the hall. Nope, don’t do that. Cause well… I may get into trouble.

Oh… and there is a story telling. Why yes there is. I’m on the trail of a Peruvian story called “Why the Foxes tail is Black“. Now those who know me, know that that would just about make me crazy happy to find a story like that to tell. Oh and there will be puppets. I know, I know… what on earth is an adult doing with a puppet? You will never know unless you come. I can’t give away ALL my secrets here.

Now, if you are just as curious as I am excited, we might just get along. If you are even a wee bit more curious read on. I will carry on my discussion of “Waking Up Bears”.

Spring Equinox is March 21. Now some will tell you its March 20, but hell, why split hairs. Oopps sorry, wrong voice. Equinox, as you are well aware, is when the hours of sunlight and darkness are as close to equal as they can be.

But why Bears? Why Waking the Bear? Cause Bear said so, and if you have ever met Bear, when Bear says something, generally, paying attention is a REALLY GOOD IDEA.

For centuries we have venerated the Bear. We see the Being in the Sky, Ursa Major. We see the Being, Bear, as our Brother. We know Bear as one of the first healers. Bear has come to us in our dreams, in our journeys, even in our childhood stories.

The Constant Dreamers. Bear is forever lumbering across the darkest of the darkest skies, the Northern Skies, never entering light… always dwelling between the places. Bear, although a tough teacher, is also a Being of incredible love and kindness. Eros, the Primordial Being of Love, transformed into many shapes. Bear is one of the manifestations of Eros.

Love can be both brutal and gentle, much like Bear. As the year progresses ever closer to December 21, 2012 we have been asked to spiritually prepare ourselves for a most auspicious celestial event. Like Love, Healing can be both strong and gentle. Healing does not have to be outward to others, it can also be inward to ourselves. Bear usually comes at this time of year to awaken us from our slumber, clean the cobwebs from our psyche and prepare us for the planting time.

Ready yet??

Waking the Bear – March 17, 2012

When we Dreamt the Dark for Winter Solstice we sang, drummed and aspected Eros. We learnt the word “parthenogenesis” which comes from the Greek parthenos, meaning “virgin”, and genesis, meaning “birth”. Just in case you missed that the first time <insert fun wink>

We discussed the duality of Eros the “ two-sexed, two-faced, glorious Eros”. Eros portrayed as a beautiful golden-winged hermaphroditic deity wrapped in a serpent’s coils. I picture the coils of the serpent to be silver, liquid silver.

Eros, in the beginning myths, was that of “coming together of that which has always been separate.” The Unconscious and the Conscious… the Primordial Creative Cause – the element that binds and attracts Spirit and Matter together. The binding together of two aspects of Eros – the penetration & blending energy of matter, with its counterpart and complement, Spirit. Esoterically, Eros is the leading force within a seeker that takes her/him away from a level of duality to a level of unity and wholeness. Eros wedded Psyche – Goddess of our Soul.

Eros bestowed upon us a powerful vision; the passionate bond between the Seer and the Seen. Cosmic Eros “creates living seeds” and harmonizes the random elements of Primal Chaos and Primal Earth into a living world. Eros not only drives all organisms to procreation, but also into relationship with each other: mating, bonding, nurturing, and all other forms of desiring, not excluding hunting and preying, for passion hungers like the hunter for its prey.

Eros is the cosmic force which causes the unmanifest (Chaos) to seek self-manifestation: it is divine love, will, desire; the desire to manifest in creative activity, and thus to give life and existence to all beings. This desire, which “arises first in It”, is in the gods and in all nature. After the worlds have been manifested, Eros then becomes, the ever-active force which brings together and combines the elemental atoms.

Funky heh!! I thought so. And then I asked to be placed in the Bears Den and Dream Waking the Bear. How does a Bear Dream from Eros. How do we gather to Manifest Bear from the “ever active force which brings together and combines”… Bear, The First Being; One of THE ANCESTORS. A sky nation recognized by Beings on Earth. Bear led me on a Dream….

Come on into the Den…. You know you wanna…. <insert yet another playful wink>

On March 17 – Waking the Bear – we seek to expose the soil of our souls; the dark rich soil, much like the Dark – Den – Bear – Slumbers. In. Waking the Bear, our chance to connect with our Constant Dreamer. Bear also known as the Dreamer That Never Awkens. Dream on Mama, Dream On

Give me Your Visions Mama

We seek Bear Dreams the World – the Constant Dreamer, as our guide to waking our Dreamer within. Eros awoke us to the Duality the Unconscious and Conscious within ourselves. Now, we must awaken from the slumber of the Dark Night and put our Dreams into Action. Do we have a clear vision? A good question to ask ourselves.

I do not know what position, or role, you will take in the coming time nor do I have to… our work together for Waking the Bear is just about March 17, 2012. How, you will be, on March 18, 2012, is your own story.. your own mystery… a mystery of which I am not involved in.. but for right that night…you are in My Dream, My Mama Bear Dream, you are all a part of Bears dream to Embody (Aspectors), Aliven (Joikers) and awaken Her Dream (Drummers) … We are all a part of the Dreamer That Never Awkens. Constant Dreamer, Dream On Mama Dream On

We are in very troublesome times. However, as the end of 2012 approaches, my dreams are asking me to become solid within myself (ourselves) and (my) our own intuition BEFORE we reach out to others.

I Give you My Body Mama

We are all gathered here and we are all healers in our right. Bear in long old myths refer to Bear as the Original Healer. It is speculated, and I imagine true, our Ancestors – GLOBALLY – watched what Bears ate, so they too could learn which plants are safe. So, how did they know the Bear stomach would be similar… and not the Dear? Just asking…. We know some of our strengths, but certainly not all of them.

Healers come in all forms, shapes and sizes. All forms of abilities. Some, gasp, even work with the Light. Why yes, yes they do. Shocking to the likes of me… <smiling> One aspect of healing for me is altering the world from within the parameters you have.

Waking the Bear require the Dreamer within each of us, to be awoken (oxymoron I know, but…) to function fully from Higher Self and ourHigher Place.

Much like Eros, the Constant Dreamer, is considered to be a Spirit of Creation. There was a belief once commonly held that bear cubs were born without a physical form, and that their mothers licked them into shape, creating order out of Chaos. The Bear thus became widely seen as a symbol of creation. In Greek mythology it was the sacred animal of Artemis the huntress who, although a virgin, was also the Goddess of childbirth.

Give me your Wisdom Mama

The Bear is one of the symbols of renewal such as is the Moon and the World Tree.

We are gathering together this evening to support one another in our endeavour to become more self-aware. Now self-knowledge is a solitary path, no one can do it for you and nothing can create it instantly for you. Our dial a day mentality does not lend itself to nurturing self awareness.

As Bear is connected with each one of us, each one of us is connected to each other as well. On the Medicine Wheel North is the place of Community. Everything is Community. We are a part of the Whole, whether We are conscious of that or not. Reality does not necessarily require your belief to continue to exist. It can however, be shaped… Reality can be quite the mind bender.

We do not know where the world is heading to politically, environmentally, socially or even human to human. We are gathered here today to Waken the Bear, The Bear is not only a healer but is guardian of the hidden time, the dream time… we are allowed this evening to take an active part of Bears Constant Dream. We will Breathe Deeply Bear, welcoming Her Wisdom through our Drums, Our Voices and Our Bodies.

We sing songs of Bear to all of us and sing songs to awaken the Bear Within.. the healer, the mother, the father… the wisdom keeper. The time of Mudjekeewis is the Evening til Midnite, Autumn, our adult years to elder time. This is the time of slowing down, of taking stock of experiences, of going within, like the Grizzly in autumn, but going within spiritually, to gain strength from the knowledge thus gained; the time to prepare for the times of “winter” or later times. Like Eros, manifest the unmanifested.

If you are reading this last sentence… Bravo, you have a great attention span. Thank you. I ask that you remember we are on this journey together. How can we truly do our spiritual walk and create a global spiritual community without walking through the fires together — confident that we have ancestral resources and spirit helpers that shall guide us and show us the way. All traditions, through their deep mystical paths — often hidden beneath contemporary, obscuring clothing–offer us much. Such explorations together can restore vision to eyes and hearts weary with the conflicts of the world. Thus restored, we can bring sustenance to others — and we need this in these times.