Happy Thursday,
Just a reminder today that before you do or say something that you might regret take a moment and ……………….
I invite you to check out my websites!
The Desert Path: The dusty ramblings of a desert pagan. https://thedesertpath.com/
Cat’s Treasure Trove …. an eclectic collection of jewelry & gifts! https://thedesertpath.com
Sacred Spirals (the place where all paths meet)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SacredSpirals/
The Celtic Tree Month of Hawthorn: May 13th to June 9th.
The origin of the word Hawthorn comes from the Anglo-Saxon “Haegthorn” which means hedgethorn. This tree grows to the size of a large shrub, it is because of this that it popular as a hedge plant in England. It has dense branches that grow in twists and turns which makes it almost impenetrable. It also grows some pretty nasty thorns. The wood is similar to apple and burns hot. The new growth on a hawthorn is reddish and in May it sports white flowers and later in the season red berries both of which have medicinal properties. This tree has a very long life span and has been known to reach 250 yr old. The hawthorn was often called the May Tree because its fragrant white flowers bloomed in May just in time for Beltane. These flowers were used for decorating maypoles and homes for the holiday.(this custom must have come later because as you will see this tree is a good guy/bad guy tree). The flowers were also used for weddings by the Greeks and Romans who considered them lucky. On the other end of the scale the Europeans said the hawthorn was unlucky and associated with witches.
As I said good tree/ bad tree ( pretty flowers but nasty thorns) and the Irish Brehon word for this tree means “harm”.
In Healing
In healing, the flowers, leaves and berries are used. A tonic made from the berries is said to help water retention in diabetics. The leaves and flowers can be made into a tea that helps anxiety, poor circulation, asthma, arthritis, loss of voice and rheumatism.
In Myth & Magic
In ancient times hawthorn had a double reputation. The Greeks and Romans considered them lucky while the Europeans said the hawthorn was unlucky and associated with witches. In time the flowers were used for decorating maypoles and homes for the Beltane. One interesting superstition is that the month of May is considered to be unlucky for weddings and is said to be the main reason that June weddings are so popular.
The flowers were used by the Greeks and Romans who considered them lucky at weddings. In mythology, the hawthorn plays a roll in the romantic welsh tale of Kulhwch and Olwen. It embodies the protector of Olwens virginity, a giant called Yspaddaden. The giant is slain as the spring flowers (hawthorn) open which symbolizes summer defeating winter and the turning of the seasons. In other lore, the erotic scent of the hawthorn blossoms is said to enhance fertility and promote chastity. The ancient Turks called it ‘the scent of woman” and was considered an erotic symbol.
As a protective plant hawthorn was used to protect the home from lightning and negative entities and the ancient Romans believed that children were protected from evil spells if it was placed in their cradle. it could grant wishes and could be found guarding sacred wells and crossroads.
Hawthorn has long been considered a witches tree and is part of the sacred triad of oak, ash and thorn (the three realms/ maiden, mother, crone). It is also a favorite of fairies which makes it very unlucky to cut one down or harm it in any way.
To dream of pink hawthorn flowers means happiness, but if they are white it means money. If you dream of the tree itself it means harmony among friends. As a magical name Hawthorn is perfect for witches of either sex.
Hawthorn People
Hawthorn people are full of great ideas and tend to be multi talented innovators. These people may also be performers in an artistic format, much like the Bards of old. They also make shrewd business people and have little patience with folks who do not take their work seriously. They can also be very protective of family and anyone they consider family.
Correspondences
Magical Properties: fertility(both male and female), protection (the thorns), prosperity, binding and cleansing, fishing magic, chastity and fairy magic.
Also Known As: May Bush, Whitethorn, Bread and Cheese Tree, Mayflower, Tree of Chastity, Gaxels
Deities: Danu, Frigg, Thor, Brigid, Vulcan, Dagda, Goibaniu, Cardea
Sacred Stones: topaz, amethyst
sources: the crystal forest
controversical.com
dutchie.org
The New Book of Magical Names, Phoenix McFarland
Cunninghams Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Scott Cunningham
Flower and Tree Magic, Richard Webster
Tree Totem.com
Cat’s Morning Bits for May 15, 2019
Good Morning Beautiful Souls, grab a cup of your favorite morning brew and start things off with “Today’s Inspirations”. I hope you find something here that will make you feel good or help you on your path today.
Blessings, Cat
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May is bee in blossom,
May is birds a-nesting,
May is picking violets on a hill;
May is young and twenty,
May is Sunday-besting,
May is eager Jack and willing Jill.
-The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1961
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Spirit Library: Why Not a Kingdom? (a message from Brenda Hoffman)
Dear Ones,
There are undercurrents within your societies different from outward appearances. So it is you become upset when someone does this or that even though their actions – unknown to you – are fulfilling your dreams.
You are in the midst of crumbling world structures as you wait for some knight to make everything right – in your mind. That knight is not going to appear for you are the creator of your life.
https://spiritlibrary.com/brenda-hoffman/why-not-a-kingdom
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ThoughtCo: Purple Dead Nettle
Like many of the herbs that we can use in magic, purple dead nettle is, for all intents and purposes, a weed. It will take over a spring garden in no time at all, spreading with wild abandon through your yard. So why not take advantage of its folklore and magic, and use it in your workings? It’s a handy little herb to harvest.
https://www.learnreligions.com/purple-dead-nettle-magic-and-folklore-2562033
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MBG: Dealing With Anxiety? Here Are 4 Simple Steps To Clear Your Mind
Growing up, we learn math and reading, history and geography, but nobody teaches us about the logic of the mind and how to navigate the internal geography of our mental landscape. A significant aspect of anxiety arises when we don’t understand how to work with the normal and necessary thoughts that dart and dash through the mind every minute of every day. The most painful and alarming of these thoughts, the ones that can cascade into anxiety and panic and cause untold mental suffering, are what we call intrusive thoughts.
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/4-steps-to-break-free-from-intrusive-thoughts
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Daily Tarot: The Empress
Clear up a misunderstanding and free up some time and space to begin something you’ve been wanting to do but felt beyond your means. You might also come to an understanding with someone who has been an obstacle for you, whether because of pride, some power struggle, or other kind of competition or misconstrued sense of prestige or self-importance. Today, you are the equal of anyone. Be gracious
astrology.com (daily newsletter)
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Elephant Journal: A Full Moon Meditation for Releasing our Troubles.
In metaphysical circles it is widely held that the energy of the new moon supports us in sowing new seeds, or intentions, for what we wish to create in our lives.
And the energy around the full moon supports us in letting go of what no longer serves us.
Of course, we can set such intentions at any time. However, working with the energies of the moon can help to super-charge those intentions
https://www.elephantjournal.com/2019/05/a-releasing-meditation-for-the-upcoming-full-moon/
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MNN: New panda park in China will be much bigger than Yellowstone
Long the iconic face of endangered species, the giant panda has made significant progress in recent years. In the 1980s, only about 1,216 pandas were left in the wild, but the most recent census in 2015 counted 1,864 adult bears, prompting the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to downgrade the species’ threat level on the Red List from endangered to threatened in 2016.
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EarthSky News: Moon and Spica on May 15 and 16
These next few nights – May 15 and 16, 2019 – the bright waxing gibbous moon passes to the north of Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo the Maiden. Spica serves as a prime example of a 1st-magnitude star, so this star will probably be bright enough to overcome the moonlit glare
https://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-and-spica-on-may-15-and-16
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3 Pagans & A Cat: Green Witchcraft – Embracing Nature’s Rhythm
Well, I live in modest hope that sunshine and warmer temperatures are in my near future. The sun made a grand appearance after several weeks of rain and chilly temperatures which even by Michigan standards are unusual by this point in May. Oh, we’ve had a smattering of sunshine pushing through the clouds. Enough for me to begin harvesting dandelions and newly discovered common blue violets in my back yard, anyway.
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Inner Journey:
PRACTICE DETACHMENT
As our consciousness rises, our perspective becomes more and more impersonal. What does this mean?
It means we are increasingly able to view our lives and the rest of the world with detachment. This does not mean we are cold and uncaring. Rather, we are self- contained. We have well-defined boundaries and we are able to think and act objectively, clearly and responsibly.
When we have learned detachment, we do not get hooked into the thoughts and feelings of others. We are not easily upset or manipulated. We may feel compassion for others but this does not cloud our ability to choose how we think, feel and behave. We also do not need others to behave in any particular way.
“Until we take how we see ourselves (and how we see others) into account, we will be unable to understand how others see and feel about themselves and their world. Unaware, we will project our intentions on their behavior and call ourselves objective.”
— Stephen Covey
higherawareness.com
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Today’s Recipe: Cinnamon Apples
This is a great way to use up apples that may be getting a little old and wrinkly. I had some Honeycrisp apples that I didn’t have the heart to throw away, so I decided to turn them into cinnamon apples.
https://www.thriftyfun.com/Cinnamon-Apples.html
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Magical Correspondences for Wednesday
Intentions:Rules healings, the mind, Communication, Divination, Writing, Knowledge, Business Transactions, Debt, Fear,Loss, Travel and Money Matters, Addictions, Young People, Messages, Perception, Self Expression.
Incense: Jasmine, Lavender, Sweet Pea, Cinnamon, Cinquefoil
Planet: Mercury and Chiron (though this is a moon of Pluto)
Sign: Virgo
Angel: Raphael
Colors: Orange, Light Blue, Grey, Yellow and, Opalescent colors and Violet
Herbs/Plants: Fern, Lavendar, Hazel, Cherry, Periwinkle
Stones: Aventurine, Bloodstone, Hematite, Moss Agate and Sodalite
Oil: (Mercury) Benzoin, Clary Sage, Eucalytus, Lavender
Goddesses: Aset [Isis], Demeter, Ceres, Spider Woman, Bona Dea, Oya,
Devi-Kali, Hella, Rhiannon, Coatlique, Maman Brigette, Sekhmet, Het Heret
[Hathor]
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Daily Wisdom
May 15, 2019
Body
“The body is shaped, disciplined, honored, and in time, trusted.”
-Martha Graham, Blood Memory, 1991
Dancers know, as Martha Graham so beautifully states, that our bodies respond to the attention that we give them. When we take care of the body with nutrition and exercise and personal care, we can trust the body to function optimally.
-Lissa Coffey
coffeytalk.com
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Today’s Deity: Devi Saraswati
Saraswati is the Hindu Goddess of knowledge, music, arts, wisdom and the learning. She is the part of the trinity of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati. This trinity helps Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh to create, maintain and destroy (to regenerate) the universe respectively. As per Devi Bhagwat, Goddess Saraswati is the wife of Lord Brahma. She abodes in Brahmapura, the abode of Lord Brahma…..
Read more………. https://www.drikpanchang.com/hindu-goddesses/saraswati/goddess-saraswati.html
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About Cat’s Morning Bits: These daily post are reblogged from various email newsletters that I receive each day.
I invite you to check out my websites!
The Desert Path: The dusty ramblings of a desert pagan. https://thedesertpath.com/
Cat’s Treasure Trove …. an eclectic collection of jewelry & gifts! https://thedesertpath.com
Sacred Spirals (the place where all paths meet)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SacredSpirals/
The Inner You: Cat’s Angel Message for May 15, 2019
May’s Theme: This month brings changes into your life. While change sometimes feels scary, it is a necessary thing for our overall growth. Be willing to embrace it and allow it to happen naturally and get ready for better things!
Everything you say and do, is a reflection of the inner you. – Anonymous
515: We all have the power to change our lives for the better. The power of positive thought and perspective are powerful things, and by using them we can effectively create new opportunities and open the door to new growth and blessings. The angels are reminding us today that we are a reflection of our thoughts. If we surround ourselves with negativity then that’s what we will see and draw. However when we embrace a positive outlook the Universe sends good things our way. Since we are working with changes this month it’s a great time to give your inner garden some extra “positive nutrients”. You are worthy of receiving all the blessings the Universe has to offer so don’t be stingy with your positive intent…… now go and create something awesome!
One of our helpers for today is Archangel Jophiel. As the angel of beauty Jophiel helps us to see and feel the beauty around us. She tells us that by allowing ourselves to really appreciate beauty we can manifest, create and attract more into our lives. Positive (beautiful) thinking leads to positive outcomes in all that you do. The Ascended Master Serapis Bey helps us to release our troubles and offers clear guidance and motivation regarding our own self improvement. He also helps us gain spiritual insight and teaches us that loving care is essential to navigating change. And the Hindu goddess Lakshmi helps us to make decisions that are best suited for planning for the future. She says, ” You are worthy of so many wonderful things! Let me help you to clear the way so that these gifts can be given to you. Make room and feel the lightness it creates within your spirit.”
Our Sacred Stones for today include: Larimar which help to provide mental clarity. It teaches us that by learning to go with the flow navigating change is easier which allows us to meet challenges with positive energy and intent. We can also use Citrine to help us sift through information and analyze situations so that we can move forward with positive intent. Citrine also helps us go with the flow and encourages us to explore all options so that we can make the best decisions for our journey.
Bright blessings for a magickal day!
I invite you to share my work as long as no changes are made and to check out my websites:
Happy Wednesday,
Have you ever heard someone say “I need to find myself.” ? We all go through periods where we feel like we’re wandering around aimlessly or have been stuck in the same place forever. To stay in touch with yourself you have to keep growing and creating. Remember that we are all works in progress so keep growing and keep creating!
I invite you to check out my websites!
The Desert Path: The dusty ramblings of a desert pagan. https://thedesertpath.com/
Cat’s Treasure Trove …. an eclectic collection of jewelry & gifts! https://thedesertpath.com
Sacred Spirals (the place where all paths meet)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SacredSpirals/
Cat’s Morning Bits for May 14, 2019
Good Morning Beautiful Souls, grab a cup of your favorite morning brew and start things off with “Today’s Inspirations”. I hope you find something here that will make you feel good or help you on your path today.
Blessings, Cat
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In May, when sea-winds pierced our solitudes,
I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods,
Spreading its leafless blooms in a damp nook,
To please the desert and the sluggish brook.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82)
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Spirit library: Invocations for the Mystical Month of May (a message from Patricia Diane Cota-Robles)
Saint Germain and Mother Mary are assisting Humanity in powerful and brand new ways during this Mystical Month of May. You and I have the ability to exponentially expand their Holy Endeavors by invoking the NEW frequencies of the Violet Flame of Forgiveness and the NEW frequencies of the Resurrection Flame and the Flame of Enlightenment
https://spiritlibrary.com/patricia-diane-cota-robles/invocations-for-the-mystical-month-of-may
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ThoughtCo: Chamomile
Chamomile is a popular ingredient in a number of magical rituals and spell workings. The two most commonly seen types of chamomile, or camomile, are the Roman and German varieties. While their characteristics vary slightly, they are similar in uses and magical properties. Let’s look at some of the history and folklore behind the magical use of chamomile.
https://www.learnreligions.com/chamomile-2562019
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MBG: What ‘Synchronicity’ Really Means & How To Recognize One When It Happens
Carl Jung defined synchronicity as “a meaningful coincidence,” as opposed to something coincidental that happens and has no greater significance. In the examples below, I’ll share some recent synchronicities from my own life that occurred over the span of one week and how I discerned that these coincidences held greater meaning for me
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/what-synchronicity-means-and-3-examples-of-what-it-looks-like
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Daily Tarot: The Chariot
It may start out as an ordinary day but a situation may arise that uncovers talents that you had no clue you had. Be adaptable and be willing to say, “Yes, I’ll give that a try,” rather than automatically saying, “Well I’m not sure. I’ve never done that before.” Be positive, optimistic, and sure of yourself. It’s the perfect day to learn something useful and profitable as well as exciting
astrology.com (daily newsletter)
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Daily Good: Who is Mother?
Matt Hopwood is a writer, storyteller and founder of A Human Love Story. He has traveled widely to gather peoples experiences of love and connection. In 2018 after the death of his beloved grandmother – he wanted to explore the role of mother in our lives and communities. Matt eventually grew the awareness of the sense of Mother in himself. He shares with us his yearning to nurture, the longing to give love, to hold, to create, posing the question – Can I mother too?
http://www.dailygood.org/story/2271/who-is-mother-matt-hopwood/
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MNN: What are the different types of lightning?
From ball lightning and blue jets to elves and sprites, thunderstorms have a lot of tricks up their sleeves.
Although we tend to think of lightning as a bolt that crashes to the earth from the sky, lightning can strike the ground or hit inside clouds or the air. According to the U.S. National Severe Storm Laboratory, there are five to 10 times as many lightning flashes inside clouds as there are cloud-to-ground strikes. Here’s a look at the different kinds of lightning that could occur during a thunderstorm.
https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/types-of-lightning
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EarthSky News: Bright star Vega on May evenings
Vega is a lovely star to come to know. When I was first learning the night sky, more than 40 years ago, I spent hours, days, weeks, months poring over charts and books. So I sometimes came to know the names and whereabouts of certain stars before seeing them in the night sky. One soft May evening, I happened to glance toward the northeast. I was thrilled at the sight of Vega – gleaming, sapphire-blue – and surprisingly bright for being so low in the sky.
https://earthsky.org/tonight/look-for-vega-in-the-northeast-in-springtime
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Today’s Deity: Taranis: The Thunderer
by Bill Blank
The name Taranis derives from the Celtic (or Indo-European) root ‘taran’ meaning thunderer or thunder. A bronze figurine was found in Le Chatelet, France and is dated to the 1st to 2nd century BCE. It shows a wise, patriarchal being holding a lightning bolt and a solar wheel. As one who grew up in the Western traditions, this figure is almost instantly recognizable as Jupiter, only the solar wheel giving away the fact that this is a Celtic and not a Roman figure…
read more https://www.druidry.org/library/gods-goddesses/taranis-thunderer
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The Wild Hunt: Speak from the Heart
Last Saturday, I did something that I’ve never done before: I led a ritual without a script.
In my family’s tradition of Wicca, the responsibility of holding a sabbat carries with it the expectation that one will write a new and original ritual. That’s not to say that every ritual is completely idiosyncratic – they’re still obviously all Wiccan rituals, and they share a ritual grammar that would be instantly recognizable to anyone generally familiar with Wicca
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Patheos-Pagan: Nerthus: Prosperity, Parties, and Death
The Goddess Nerthus is my patron deity. I have honored Her and done Her work for years. Recently though I had someone contact me for more information about Her, and realized I had very little to point them to. I’ve written a few rituals, but I haven’t described much of my personal work with Her. It’s time to change that
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/heathenatheart/2019/05/nerthus-prosperity-parties-and-death/
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Inner Journey:
ON SELF-HONESTY
“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true.”
— Nathaniel Hawthorne
“You cannot fake a relationship and feel right with yourself or anyone else. Changing yourself to fit what you think other people want doesn’t work. Pretending to be someone other than yourself only broadens the distance between the person you are and the one with whom you’re trying to establish closeness.”
— Mary Manin Morrissey
“Just as surely as distress must follow self-deceit, healing must follow self-honesty.”
— Vernon Howard
“Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.”
— Janis Joplin
higherawareness.com
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A Note from the Universe
Those little things that you alone see aren’t by chance.
The sign, the squirrel, the dragonfly; the whisper, the song, the lily.
It’s me. I’m always with you. I’ll do anything to reach you — to give you hope, keep you on track, answer your questions.
The Universe
tut.com
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Today’s Recipe: 5 Breakfast Hacks
Weekday mornings can be rough, trying to get yourself and your family up and dressed, fed, then out the door in time for school and work. Try these breakfast hacks to help simplify your morning and nourish everyone at the same time.
https://pioneerthinking.com/5-simple-breakfast-hacks
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Magical Correspondences for Tuesday
Intentions: Courage, Destination, Physical Strength, Revenge, Military Honors, Surgery and the Breaking of Negative Spells, Matrimony, War, Enemies, Prison, Vitality and Assertiveness
Incense: Dragon’s Blood, Patchouli, Lignum Aloes, Plantain
Perfumes: Hellebore, Carnation, Patchouli
Planet: Mars
Sign: Aries and Scorpio
Angel: Samuel
Colors: Red and Orange
Herbs/Plants:Red Rose, Cock’s Comb, Pine, Daisy, Thyme and Pepper
Stones: Carnelian, Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet and Pink Tourmaline
Oil: (Mars) Basil, Coriander, Ginger
Goddesses: Aset [Isis], Soorejnaree, Pingalla, Anna, Aine, Danu, Yngona, Bellona, Aida Wedo, Sun Woman
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Daily Wisdom
May 14, 2019
Body
“If anything is sacred, the human body is sacred.”
-Walt Whitman (1819-1892)
The body really is such a miracle. It’s just beyond comprehension how all of our organs can work so effortlessly on our behalf to keep us up and running. We don’t have to think about breathing, or pumping blood – it just happens! Life is so precious. The body is its keeper. It’s up to us to nourish and nurture this sacred vessel so that we may wisely use our time on earth learning and growing. The more time that we’re here, the more time that we have to expand our awareness. Our bodies allow us to do that.
-Lissa Coffey
coffeytalk.com
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Beliefnet Angel Wisdom: It’s Time to get our Shift Together!
We’ve been going through some big changes, and Archangel Michael says it is time we get our Shift Together! The energies lately have been a bit intense and bringing about lots of changes. Changes means…
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About Cat’s Morning Bits: These daily post are reblogged from various email newsletters that I receive each day.
I invite you to check out my websites!
The Desert Path: The dusty ramblings of a desert pagan. https://thedesertpath.com/
Cat’s Treasure Trove …. an eclectic collection of jewelry & gifts! https://thedesertpath.com
Sacred Spirals (the place where all paths meet)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SacredSpirals/
Appropriate Rituals: Cat’s Angel Message for May 14, 2019
May’s Theme: This month brings changes into your life. While change sometimes feels scary, it is a necessary thing for our overall growth. Be willing to embrace it and allow it to happen naturally and get ready for better things!
Don’t think you can attain total awareness and whole enlightenment without proper discipline and practice. This is egomania. Appropriate rituals channel your emotions and life energy toward the light. Without the discipline to practice them, you will tumble constantly backward into darkness. – Lao Tzu
514: The practice of grounding, clearing and centering is important to our emotional, mental and spiritual health. There are no rules on how often it should be done. But sometimes we need to perform this more often due to stress, major upheavals or changes. As we are currently working with changes we are being reminded that now might be a good time to engage in this self care ritual. This 3 step process helps to keep us balanced and promotes peace and harmony within ourselves and with the Universe. Now that the weather is warmer I suggest “earthing”. Going barefoot in the garden or grass is a wonderful way get grounded and to connect with the energy of Mother Earth. Allow yourself to “root” into the earth and just release, feel the sun on your face and let healing begin!
Archangel Michael can remove all psychic hooks, lines and cords that have been attached to your energy field. By simply asking him to do this is frees up your energy and promotes balance and sense of great peace. The Ascended Master Maitreya teaches us that laughter and joy create the positive energy we need to propel us forward. It helps us to let go stress and worry, which allows the light of faith and hope to shine through. laughter can also help us to clear our energy. And the Celtic goddess Nemetona teaches us that nature is the best place to recharge, she says ” I am the spirit of the sacred grove. I invite you to worship in my temple and feel the heartbeat of nature. This communion can heal a weary and battered soul and replenish your spirit with hope and divine peace.”
Our Sacred Stones for today include the following: Amethyst which is associated with Archangel Michael. It calms and quiets internal chatter and “monkey mind”, which in turn enables us to relax and allow the grounding and balancing to take place and Hematite which has a strong connection to the earth element and helps us stay grounded and promotes feelings of safety. Hematite also brings mental clarity through focus and concentration which is essential letting go process which accompanies change.
Bright blessings for a magickal day!
I invite you to share my work as long as no changes are made and to check out my websites:
