Wheel of Wonder January 29, 2017

From The Goddess and The Greenman(goddessandgreenman.co.uk):


Imbolc is traditionally the great festival and honouring of Brigid (Brighid, Bride, Brigit), so loved as a pagan Goddess that her worship was woven into the Christian church as St Bridget. She is a Goddess of healing, poetry and smithcraft. She is a Goddess of Fire, of the Sun and of the Hearth. She brings fertility to the land and its people and is closely connected to midwives and new-born babies. She is the Triple Goddess, but at Imbolc she is in her Maiden aspect.


Imbolc, it is the promise of renewal, of hidden potential, of earth awakening and life-force stirring. Here is hope. We welcome the growth of the returning light and witness Life's insatiable appetite for rebirth. It is time to let go of the past and to look to the future, clearing out the old, making both outer and inner space for new beginnings.

Beautiful picture above from the Druids of the Order of Aspen. (May be an OBOD seed group?)  Imbolc reminds us that the desire to burn away the cold and depression of winter and of disappointments is always just under the surface and ready to burst like new life that triumphs over the slow death of a cynical viewpoint on the world.  Connecting with the spirit of Imbolc helps us to become more than a pale shadow of our former selves.  Instead, we can be an embodiment of all our best aspects of courage, character and inspiration, we can become an active participant in our world.
Happy Imbolc! (February 2)


 

Wheel of Wonder January 22, 2017

I don't actually know if its actually "The Trump Era" in the United States, but many people in this country are disturbed by what they think the newly inaugurated President will do.  Well, in the sense of US History, we've been in situations were unjust laws and viewpoints have been held by people in powerful political positions.  These "eras" cast long cold shadows over many people's viewpoints, and in some cases a instilled a fear in them that action would be taken against them just because of  their personal identity or genetic ethnicity.  The people who faced these fears stood up to them, organized against them and made some advances towards a more ethical and just society.  It seems that President Trump has inspired people into these sort of actions once again, though as Americans, we don't actually know what he is really going to do while he is in office.

To me it looks like a classic scenario of people forgetting they had a shadow side, a "darker side" and oppressing and ignoring it.  A Millionaire TV celebrity and a cabinet of White Millionaire/Billionaires now holding positions in government.  America, behold your shadow!  Ignoring and choosing not to learn from what your shadowside tells you, rather than making it disappear, will eventually make it impossible to ignore, at that point it could potentially become a dominant factor in your life, or perhaps the life of your country?  Our shadowsides seem to embody all that is flawed in our characters, but like a trickster tale, they are there to remind us what is wrong or ineffective in our lives and culture.  Pagans and Spiritualists who spend time , usually during the dark time of the year between Samhain and Imbolc, doing shadow work honestly engage their darker natures and the spirits, gods, goddesses, and personas that reflect it.  The trick then , as I understand it, is not to give in and become your shadow completely, but honestly consider and analyze what it is trying to tell you, so you can learn and improve your life.  Do you sometimes feel selfish or greedy?  Perhaps your shadowside is trying to tell you that you have not been taking care of your needs, monetary, material, and emotional well enough and you should give these more thought and plan actions that will help you to get these needs met?  If you don't, quite possibly your concern about these things will begin to consume your time and adversely effect your work, your lifestylle, and your relationships. 
This would be the shadowside "Taking Over" to insist it must be heard, wereas had one engaged these aspects, in an attempt to understand them and learn from them in the first place, they could be managed better and not become obsessions or social ills manifesting in one's life.  As with death and rebirth, Winter and Spring, hope and growth waits beyond the shadows, but first we must journey through them.  Many of these challenges we as a people can face together.  Take heart in that brighter day joining us from the future and blessed be!

This picture found at Pinterest, copyright free as of 1/22/2017, by all available information.

Wheel of Wonder, January 1 2017

Following last post:  I did indeed spend a great deal of time engaging nature, and the hills and forests I call home through the month of December.  Back for the New Year (according to the Gregorian Calendar).

Those of you who listen to Wheel of Wonder, or follow the blog and live in America may well be concerned about the results of our last Presidential election.  Honestly, some outside of America may be concerned too.  The problems that anger Americans in this country full of fiercely independent minded people are addressed well in this YouTube video and no this is not the new President of the USA, but it is the message that's important and still pertinent, even after the results of our last election.

The dark half of the year is often viewed by Earth spiritualists as the time to honestly look at, and acknowledge our shadow selves.  To understand and learn what our self-generated, darker selves really represent.  It is advised by those who engage in shadow work that we listen to our darker selves and learn what negative traits we should be aware of , before through our ignorance, they grow into a controlling force that harms our peaceful co-existence.  America, behold your shadow!
This process of awakening is not about just the pain and fear we must work our way through and learn from, it is about taking action to keep the shadow self from continuing to control our lives.  If we can learn from our darker halves, whether they be consumer, misogynist, colonial, or insensitive, acknowledge their existence, without embracing them as our identities, just another tool for learning who we are, then we can respectfully distance ourselves from these shadow aspects before they overtake our better selves and realities.  If we refuse to acknowledge them, their power will grow, until we are consumed by them.  Learn from your shadow, but don't let it control you.  My advice is that we all consistently put forward our best effort to find our better Angels, to be as good to the Earth and other people as we are capable of being.  Many current world leaders seem to be leading us the wrong direction, their views perhaps unduly biased by fear, power envy and greed.  these are shadows we must acknowledge, but they don't have become the spirits that define us.  We all can think, we all can plan and organize, we don't need our governments to do it for us.  What kind of world do you want to experience in the course of your lifetime?  What kind of a world do you want to leave for those who remain when you are gone?

Today is the beginning of a new year on many calendars.  What kind of year do you want this to be?  We are here, now, we are planting the seeds for future beliefs.

I found this winter solstice tree image on a kids educational site about the solstice.