Cat’s Morning Bits for August 2018

Posted on August 17, 2018 by Cat

CMB canva sm

Cat’s Morning Bits for August 2018

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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Many swarms of wild bees descended on our fields:
Stately stood the wheatstalk with head bent high:
Big of heart we laboured at storing mighty yields,
Wool and corn, and clusters to make men cry!
–George Meredith (1828–1909)

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Spiritual Unite: 13 Lightworker Awakening Symptoms

Did you know there is a massive conscious awakening happening on our planet right now? Well, you probably already know that, because things never felt right for you.
Throughout your childhood you knew you were different, you tried your hardest to adapt to everyone including your family and friends. There was something inside you that made you feel this was not the way.

https://www.spiritualunite.com/articles/13-lightworker-awakening-symptoms/

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Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response to what happens. And response is something we can choose. – Maureen Killoran

Daily Good: 4 Ways to Train Your Brain to Feel Better

It might be difficult to think that stress could be an opportunity, but Laurel Mellin, Ph.D. believes that it can encourage us to pause long enough to change how we think. Mellin is the founder of EBT, Inc. (Emotional Brain Training) an educational organization that provides certification and brain training to health professionals and the public. With stress as the number one epidemic worldwide, Mellin and her colleagues have developed four brain-based techniques that anyone can use. . { read more }

http://www.dailygood.org/story/2074/4-ways-to-train-your-brain-to-feel-better-laurel-mellin/

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Elephant Journal: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, has died at 76. Here are her 10 most Inspiring Quotes.

She had been suffering from pancreatic cancer, and died at her home in Detroit in the morning hours of Thursday, August 16th. She was surrounded by her family.
In memory of one of the greatest musicians of our time, here are the 10 best quotes from the Queen of Soul:

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2018/08/aretha-franklin-the-queen-of-soul-has-died-at-76-here-are-her-10-most-inspiring-quotes/

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MNN: Add another strange property to the list of silver’s bizarre traits

In folklore, silver can stop creatures like werewolves and vampires in their tracks, but this element’s real-life properties might be even stranger than fiction. Silver has antimicrobial powers, is the shiniest element, and is the best electric conductor on the Periodic Table.

https://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/stories/add-another-strange-property-list-silvers-bizarre-traits

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EarthSky News: Moon near Jupiter, plus a Venus milestone

On August 17, 2018, a glance up into the evening sky will show you a bright planet near the moon. That planet is Jupiter, biggest world in our solar system by far (more massive than all the other planets combined). The moon is now in the process of passing all four planets in the evening sky, starting with Venus earlier this week.

http://earthsky.org/tonight/venus-hits-milestone-on-august-17

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Patheos-Pagan: Toxic Positivity Culture: Why Pagans, Polytheists, & Occultists Should Guard Against It

“You attract what you are.”
“Everything happens for a reason.”
I’ve seen a variety of these sorts of phrases. They’re typically found in the New Age and LoA (Law of Attraction) communities, but it’s not unusual for pagans, polytheists, and occultists to fall under the trap of this type of thinking. A lot of this tends to stem from the notion that intent is everything (or at the very least the main thing) which you need in magic, therefore if you “just think positively” your magic won’t fail.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/teaaddictedwitch/2018/08/toxic-positivity-culture/

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Inner Journey:

HEAL THE PAST

“What you bring forth out of yourself from the inside will save you. What you do not bring forth out of yourself from the inside will destroy you.”
— Gospel of Thomas

We can transform painful memories by re-imagining them from the soul’s perspective of love and meaning.

Andrew Schneider says that all experiences have the purpose of serving the soul. An experience in the past blocked us because our fear at the time distorted our perception of what happened. To transform this limiting experience, we must bring what was thenunconscious into the soul’s realm through consciousness.

We can do this by following these steps:
1.RECALL the past experience that might inhibit us.
2.OWN the experience (no judgment, blame, etc.).
3.TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for it and the consequences (i.e., the experience was determined by my subjective perception of what occurred, dictated by my lack of wholeness — specifically my fears).
4.GIVE IT MEANING (the soul was attempting to gain some kind of mastery or skill, but we didn’t know that at the time).
5.RE-IMAGINE it from the perspective of soul consciousness (showing its higher purpose).

“Letting go of our suffering is the hardest work we will ever do. It is also the most fruitful. To heal means to meet ourselves in a new way — in the newness of each moment where all is possible and nothing is limitedto the old.”
— Stephen Levine

higherawareness.com
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A Note from the Universe

An earth changing idea, the clutch comeback, or the deal of a lifetime. Finding the frog before he turns into a prince, Cinderella only days before the ball, or getting in on a ground floor opportunity, at the ground floor.

These are the result of:

A. Astute observations, keen intellects, and lengthy preparations?

B. Someone starting an adventure with a desired-end clearly in mind, enabling me to work “backwards” from the vision impressed upon the unseen, to the facts and circumstances of their life today; pushing and squeezing, nipping and tucking, deducing and maneuvering all of their evolving circumstances so that everything is tied together in a series of accidents, coincidences, and surprises that appear so uncanny, people everywhere are utterly stupefied by their luck?

(Wink. Wink. Rhymes with “me”).

A+

The Universe

tut.com

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Today’s Recipe: Cream of Overgrown Zucchini Soup

If you have reached the stage where neighbours are leaving zucchini on your porch or if a few have grown too large to grill, it’s time for this creamy and delicious soup. It is simple and you can return to it again and again. These days I encourage a few larger fruits to form just so I can make it!

https://www.thriftyfun.com/Cream-of-Overgrown-Zucchini-Soup.html

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Magical Correspondences for Friday

Intentions: Love, Pleasure, Affairs of the Heart, Romance, Marriage, Sexual Matters, Physical Beauty, Friendship and Partnerships, Strangers, Peace, Healing, Beauty, gentleness and Women’s Issues.

Incense: Strawberry, Sandalwood, Rose, Saffron, Verbena and Vanilla
Planet: Venus
Sign: Libra and Taurus
Angel: Ariel
Colors: Green, Pink, Aqua
Herbs/Plants: Pink Rose, Ivy, Birch, Heather, Clematis, Sage, Violet and Water Lilly

Stones: Rose Quartz, Moonstone, Pink Tourmaline, Peridot, Emerald and Jade
Oil: (Venus) Cardamom, Palmrosa, Rose, Yarrow, Apple Blossom, Musk, Ambergris

Goddesses: Astarte, Aphrodite, Erzulie, Aida Wedo, Eve, Venus, Freya, Diana, Aset [Isis], The Witch Of Gaeta, Chalchiuhtlique

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Daily Wisdom
August 17, 2018

Success

“Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed.”

-Corita Kent

Present-moment awareness. Being awake and aware and alive to the beauty and abundance in and around us at all times. Wow. How could that be anything less than success?

-Lissa Coffey

coffeytalk.com

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Beliefnet: Life’s Cycles made better with Archangel Haniel

Life’s cycles teach us that things never remain the same for long and Archangel Haniel is the perfect archangel to work with during those cycles. Everything has its perfect time, its right moment and divine timing is sometimes difficult for us humans to understand. Archangel Haniel can help us with balance, life’s cycles, and honouring our magic. Tune into the moon’s magic today with Archangel Haniel helping to light the way.
Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/angelguidance/2018/08/life-cycles-archangel-haniel.html#l0bqyCXaIPVHQJBI.99

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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/

Cat’s Morning Bits for August 16, 2018

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Cat

CMB canva sm

Cat’s Morning Bits for August 16, 2018

Blessings, Cat

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When high the sun in noonday glory rides,
Where willows keep the lake’s green margin cool,
The speckled trout amid their shadow hides,
And dragonflies haunt every shaded pool.
-Thomas S. Collier (1842-93)

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Tetrakyts: How to Design a Beautiful Pagan Altar – The Ultimate Guide to Building your own Altar in 8 Steps

What’s an altar?

If you search the definition of altar on the internet, you will find something like this:
a place […] where sacrifices or offeringsare made to a god, an ancestor, etc.
a table, stand, etc. used for sacredpurposes in a place of worship[1]

https://www.thetetraktys.com/2018/how-design-beautiful-pagan-altar-8-steps/

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Daily Good: Eager: The Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter

A beaver is a change agent. They build a dam, create a pond, then over the course of years, the pond fills in, becomes a wetland, wet meadow and the cycle starts again. Humans like things static, which is one reason beavers and humans have not gotten along. We have fundamentally different visions of how the landscape is supposed to work. The consequences have been the decimation of the beaver population resulting in a profound loss of habitat. In his book, Eager, environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb explores the deleterious effects removing these essential animals has had and how bringing them back can help us solve all sorts of problems. His book not only opens the reader to seeing beavers as industrious, brilliant engineers worthy of endless observation, but is a gateway into a love, devotion and connection with nature. { read more }

http://www.dailygood.org/story/2068/eager-the-surprising-secret-life-of-beavers-and-why-they-matter-ben-goldfarb/

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Elephant Journal: Why Adventure is Essential to our Evolution.

When I was a child, playing alone in the living room on my twelfth round of Pac Man after having read the “dirty” parts of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret for the fifth time, I made a promise to myself that when I grew up, I would never—ever—feel bored again.
Little did I know how freakin’ hard that would be.

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2018/08/why-adventure-is-essential-to-our-evolution/

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MNN: Edible weeds rival kale for nutrition

When you think of foraging, what image comes to mind? Do you imagine hipsters on a professionally led foraging tour of the local park? Farm-to-table chefs waking early to head into the woods to forage for today’s menu items? Yourself, grabbing the dandelion leaves from your yard?

https://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/edible-weeds-rival-kale-nutrition-urban-food-desert-study

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EarthSky News: Happy Chinese Valentine’s Day, from Vega

One of the prettiest stories in all skylore surrounds this star. “On the 7th night of the 7th moon …” The legend sets the date of Chinese Valentine’s Day – the Qixi Festival – this year on August 17.

http://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/vega-brilliant-blue-white-is-third-brightest-star

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Patheos-Pagan: Making Magick with Resistance

I was in a funk last week. I don’t remember why. Maybe I’d read too many articles about climate change. Maybe I’d heard “45” talk too much that day. Maybe I’d simply spent too much time on Facebook. I’m part of the Resistance–I think? Are we even still calling it that? I was feeling much more hopeless than #resist-full. I thought if I ran errands I’d feel accomplished and therefore, better.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/doubletoilandresist/2018/06/magick-magick-with-resistance/

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Inner Journey:

FORGIVE THE HURTS

“Forgiveness will never fail to free you.”
— Jerrold Mundis

How do we forgive when we’re angry and hurt?

As a first step, we can be willing to truly feel our anger and hurt. Honouring our feelings by being fully present with them helps to release the feelings themselves.

And it helps to remember that people only hurt others when they themselves are in pain. When we can recognize the other person’s suffering, our heart can open in compassion. We can also remember that at some time or another, we too have hurt someone throughour own unskilful action.

Only love can heal the rifts caused by a hurtful deed. Forgiveness holds immense power because it mends separation. It moves us towards the unity and love that lie at the core of our being. It is a fundamental part of the healing process.

“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”
— Paul Boese

“God has a big eraser.”
— Billy Zeoli

higherawareness.com
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A Note from the Universe

Well, next time someone treats you differently than you expected, at least you’ll know you’ve been sending out mixed signals.

Hey, could be worse.

Like, if you didn’t know.

Whirlpools of love,

The Universe

tut.com

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Today’s Recipe: Blooming French Strawberry Tart

Many of my family members live in France. One thing I look forward to having every time I visit is the classic French fruit tart. It’s got a delicate crust topped with a custardy pastry cream (crème pâtissière), with fruit arranged beautifully on top to resemble a blooming flower. I finally learned how to make it myself so I don’t have to long for it between visits. It’s worth the effort, and I hope you give it a try!

https://www.thriftyfun.com/Blooming-French-Strawberry-Tart.html

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Magical Correspondences for Thursday

Intentions: Luck, Happiness, Health/ Healing, Religion, Legal Matters, Male Fertility, Treasure and Wealth, Honor, Riches, Clothing Desires, Leadership, Public Activity, Power and Success, Trade and Employment

Incense: Cinnamon,Henbane Nutmeg and Sage

Planet: Jupiter
Sign: Sagittarius and Pisces
Angel: Sachiel
Colors: Purple, Royal Blue and Indigo
Herbs/Plants: Cinnamon, Beech, Buttercup, Coltsfoot, Oak
Stones: Sugilite, Amethyst, Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire
Oil: (Jupiter) Clove, Lemon Balm, Oakmoss, Star Anise

Goddesses: Juno, Hera, Kwan Yin, Mary, Cybele, Tara, Mawu, Mlaba Mwana Waresa, Ishtar, Nuit

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Daily Wisdom
August 16, 2018

Success

“Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”

-John Wooden

With this definition, it doesn’t matter what industry you work in, or how much money you make. It doesn’t matter where you grew up or who you know. This says that success is all a matter of our own efforts, and how we see how we are doing. And it leaves room to say that we are “becoming” – which is great, because we are all changing, and growing, and succeeding every day, every minute!

-Lissa Coffey

coffeytalk.com

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Beliefnet: Eight Ways to Overcome Creative Blocks
If you enjoy any creative arts, chances are that you’ve felt it… The creative well that once was overflowing suddenly runs totally dry.

Cat’s Morning Bits for August 15, 2018

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Cat

Cat’s Morning Bits for August 15, 2018

Blessings, Cat

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Where-e’er you walk, cool gales shall fan the glade,
Trees, where you sit, shall crowd into a shade,
Where-e’er you tread, the blushing flow’rs shall rise,
And all things flourish where you turn your eyes.
-Alexander Pope (1688-1744)

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MBG: Are Your Self-Care Rituals Making You Unhappy? This Doctor Thinks So

‘m a holistic psychiatrist, so when patients walk through my door, they’re usually already A+ students when it comes to yoga, meditation, eating clean, taking Epsom salt baths, and surrounding themselves with essential oils and salt lamps. Who am I to call any of these lovely practices and rituals into question? I do many of them myself!
And yet, I’ve often wondered if there are times when we do so much self-care that, ironically, it starts to get in the way of our ability to take care of ourselves and can actually contribute to burnout.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/the-negative-effects-of-self-care-practices

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Daily Good: How to Unhijack Your Mind from Your Phone

What if we didn’t unplug, but changed the way we used our phones? Would it increase productivity? Would it improve your mood? See what a former Google employee has to say about mindfulness, and how to avoid unnecessary phone time. { read more } http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?op=get&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2Fthrive-global%2Fdistracted-in-2016-reboot-your-phone-with-mindfulness-9f4c8ad46538

Be The Change

Take at least one of the tips in the above article and implement them in your daily phone usage this week. How do you feel once the week is over?

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MNN: Never underestimate the power of a good thank-you note

The bottom drawer of my desk contains two things: stationery to write letters, and notes from others that I’ve received in the past few years. On top of everything in the drawer is a three-page letter, forwarded to my writing partner and me by the publisher, from a woman who wrote that she was grateful for the female-centric history book we wrote. In my attic is a box of more notes that have been sent to me over the years

https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/power-written-thank-you-gratitude

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Tetraktys: Everyday Magick: 10 Rituals That Take Less Than 10 Minutes to Perform

Hello witches! This week’s post is about everyday magick. In this article, I will show you how to incorporate small rituals into your daily routine. Instead of performing time-consuming and complicated rituals only one in a while, why don’t you infuse your everyday life with magick?

https://www.thetetraktys.com/2018/everyday-magick-10-rituals-10-minutes/

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EarthSky News: Moon, Venus, Jupiter August 14 to 16

After sunset on August 14 to 16, 2018, look west to see three brilliant worlds – the moon, Venus and Jupiter – beautifying the evening twilight. Each successive evening, after sunset, watch for the waxing crescent moon to move away from Venus and closer to Jupiter. This daily eastward movement of the moon relative to the background stars and planets of the zodiac is due to the moon’s motion in orbit around Earth.

http://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-venus-jupiter-august-14-to-16

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MNN: The surprising beauty and benefits of driftwood

Trees are pillars of their communities, a role they can maintain even in death. An upright dead tree offers vital habitat to certain birds and bats, for example, while a fallen tree is a bonanza for life on the forest floor, including future trees.

Yet rotting in place is not the only natural afterlife for a tree. Sometimes, instead of giving back to its birth forest, a tree will embark on an odyssey to pay it forward, carrying its ecological wealth away from the only home it has ever known

https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/blogs/driftwood-beauty-benefits

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Inner Journey:

WHAT ARE YOU PROCRASTINATING?

“The greatest amount of wasted time is the time not getting started.”
— Dawson Trotman

Procrastination seriously drains our energy and our morale. What remains undone nags at us. What are you avoiding?

Make a list of items and then review each one. Does it really need to be done? After you’ve reviewed your list, prioritize it and start one task today.

Please do not procrastinate taking one minute to write down your answer to this question. Capture it on paper and this will help build awareness, commitment and discipline.

“How soon not now, becomes never.”
— Martin Luther

“Talk does not cook rice.”
— Chinese proverb

“Do you know what happens when you give a procrastinator a good idea? Nothing!”
— Donald Gardner

higherawareness.com
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A Note from the Universe

Lilac pandas, dancing flowers, sugar mountains, and rainbow houses, don’t even hint at the splendor of where you came from. But then, your friends back “home” can’t imagine crimson sunrises, falling snow in moonlight, twirling dolphins, wagging tails, purring hearts, ocean mists, or bare feet in grass.

You’ve so impressed the Joneses.

Another day in paradise,

The Universe

tut.com

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Today’s Recipe: Summer Squash Lasagne

I had a big summer squash, leftover turkey breast, and leftover cheese. I decided to try putting them together lasagne style, and was pleased with the results. The squash replaces the noodles, so it is low in carbs. You can vary the cheeses, meats, and seasonings. I had basil and kale, so I added them in as well. If I had have ricotta or cottage cheese I would have used that, too.

https://www.thriftyfun.com/Summer-Squash-Lasagne.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
August 15, 2018

Success

“I am not the smartest or most talented person in the world, but I succeeded because I keep going, and going, and going.”

-Sylvester Stallone

There is a lot to be said for persistence and perseverance. How much drive and enthusiasm have we put into our efforts? When we pursue something “whole-heartedly” then we simply can’t give up. When we invest our Selves into our plans, we can’t help but succeed!

-Lissa Coffey

coffeytalk.com

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Beliefnet: 9 Ways to Live an Authentic Life
If you’re struggling with redefining your life and need some insight – check out these nine ways to live an authentic life.

Cat’s Morning Bits for August 14, 2018

Posted on August 14, 2018 by Cat

CMB canva sm

Cat’s Morning Bits for August 14, 2018

Blessings, Cat

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And from the hot field’s farthest edge
The cricket’s soft refrain
With mellow accent tells the tale
That August’s here again.
-Helen Maria Winslow (1851-1938)

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Spiritual Unite: Feeling Lost After Spiritual Awakening? You’re Not Alone

If you are feeling lost after your spiritual awakening, then don’t worry, because you are not alone. Every person who gets blessed by attaining this higher form has to suffer the same consequences. We are humans who have a good memory. We can remember things that we have learned them in our childhood

https://www.spiritualunite.com/articles/feeling-lost-after-spiritual-awakening/

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Spirituality & Health: 20 Affirmations for When We’ve Messed Up

Being human is like nail polish. What I mean is, no matter how many coats of polish I use on my fingernails, less than 24 hours later, they start to chip. They are still pretty, still gold and shiny—but they are flawed, and everyone can see it. Wise sages assure us that though we are chipped, we are still loved by the Divine, and also still worthy of self-love. Believing in that worthiness, though, is harder after a major blunder. To give a PG version of a Mumford & Sons’ lyric, “I really mucked it up this time. Didn’t I, my dear?” What, then, do we do after we really muck things up? After we’ve had too much to drink, or lost our temper, or stood someone up, or been rude, or any of the other million ways we behave when we are so not being our higher selves? Here are some affirmations for a chipped-feeling soul.

https://spiritualityhealth.com/articles/2018/08/13/20-affirmations-for-when-weve-messed-up

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Elephant Journal: How to Live a Zen-like Existence even when Life feels Chaotic.

Peace. it does not mean to be in a place where there is no trouble, noise, or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart” ~ Lady Gaga

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2018/08/how-to-live-a-zen-like-existence-even-when-life-is-hectic/

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Tetrakyts: 8 Reasons Why Life Is Worth Living – A “Feel Good” Article

The title says it all: this article will give you 8 reasons to appreciate life and feel good about your own. Although it might sound very cheesy, I believe this kind of articles to be very useful from time to time, as we tend to get so overwhelmed with our own considerations that we forget what the real world is all about. When things seem dire for us, we must remember that the only thing that changes is our own perception. The world is as it is and keeps going.

https://www.thetetraktys.com/2018/8-reasons-why-life-is-worth-living-a-feel-good-article/

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Pioneer Thinking: 10 Lessons from Honeybees

We can learn many things by observing the behaviour of honeybees. Here are ten examples of lessons we could usefully apply to our own lives.

https://pioneerthinking.com/10-lessons-we-can-learn-from-honeybees

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EarthSky News: Moon, Venus, Jupiter August 14 to 16

After sunset on these mid-August evenings, look westward to see three brilliant worlds – the moon, Venus and Jupiter – beautifying the evening twilight. Each successive evening, after sunset, watch for the waxing crescent moon to move away from Venus and closer to Jupiter. This daily eastward movement of the moon relative to the background stars and planets of the zodiac is due to the moon’s orbital motion around Earth.

http://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-venus-jupiter-august-14-to-16

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Patheos-Pagan: We Have Different Definitions of Magic and Witchcraft, And That’s Okay

I’ve been practicing my own version of magic and witchcraft for decades. Lately, I realized that there are some people who want to police witchcraft, with arbitrary rules and hard definitions. They like to tell people there’s only one way to be a witch or sorcerer, and only one right way to work magic. They believe they’re on the right side, which is usually a traditional or historical pagan path, and they tell anyone who doesn’t fit into that hard mold that they’re wrong.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/starlight/2018/08/we-have-different-definitions-of-magic-and-witchcraft-and-thats-okay/

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Inner Journey:

USE YOUR POWER TO CREATE

“I am a child of God. I came from the womb of creation.”
— Tao Te Ching

Our grand business in life is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.”
— Thomas Carlyle

We each play a role in the bigger game of life. In this bigger picture, life plays with energy and matter to expand, create, express and evolve. It explores new possibilities, realizes them and then reaches for even more. Life continually transforms what is into something brand new.

We choose how actively we take part in this cosmic dance. We can become mere spectators to life if we get stuck in old ideas that have lost their energy for us.

How much passion do you feel for your goals? Are you still being creative in how you work with them?

“Embrace fully your capacity to create, to think in unlimited ways, and to pursue everything that you have been wanting. Be flexible, open and willing to let the new come to you. “This can be the most joyous, prosperous, and creative time of your life.”
— Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer

higherawareness.com
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A Note from the Universe

I still don’t get why people are so surprised that the turtle beat the rabbit over the long run.

Consistent effort no matter how small, sparks magic, fills sails, butters bread, turns tides, instills faith, summons friends, improves health, burns calories, creates abundance, yields clarity, builds courage, spins planets, and rewrites destinies.

No matter how small,

The Universe

tut.com

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Today’s Recipe: Baked Fish with Mango Jalapeno Relish

This is a super simple recipe for your busier days. It’s got just a handful of ingredients, but looks and tastes like you went well out of your way. The spiciness from the jalapeno really challenge sweetness of the mango, but work well together when smothering the baked fish. I used a whole trout here, but you can use any fish you like.

https://www.thriftyfun.com/Baked-Fish-with-Mango-Jalapeno-Relish.html

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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
August 14, 2018

Success

“If a man wants his dreams to come true, he must wake up.” -Anonymous

Dreams might come to us, but success is something we must go after. Inspiration strikes, then it’s up to us to take action. We could buy all the great works of literature, but it we don’t actually read them, what is the point? If we feel that success is eluding us, then now is the time to evaluate our activities.

-Lissa Coffey

coffeytalk.com

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Beliefnet: Five Ways to Follow Your Dharma in Your Daily Life
Dharma is a Sanskrit word that encompasses an inner wisdom that’s intrinsic to life itself. It is an inner guidance, a natural order, the universal law, a cosmic way of being.

Cat’s Morning Bits for August 13, 2018

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Cat

CMB canva sm

Cat’s Morning Bits for August 13, 2018

Blessings, Cat

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Summer declines and roses have grown rare,
But cottage crofts are gay with hollyhocks,
And in old garden walks you breathe an air
Fragrant of pinks and August-smelling stocks.
–John Todhunter (1839–1916)

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Spiritual Unite: 10 Signs You Are The Carrier Of Your Family Karma

One of the strangest traditional beliefs in spirituality is that some of us are carriers of the bad karma in our bloodlines. Our families often hold bad blood and some advanced spiritualist think that the feud stays in the family and the new generations pay for the sins of the older generations.

https://www.spiritualunite.com/articles/10-signs-you-are-the-carrier-of-your-family-karma/

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MBG: Anxious About Summer Ending? We’ve Got An Essential Oil Blend For That

If you’ve suffered from them, you know: Summer scaries are real. Imagine an amplified version of the Sunday scaries that last way longer than a single night. It makes sense—the shift from summertime into autumn is huge and anxiety-inducing. It’s arguably more significant for both our bodies and our schedules than ringing in the New Year, for example, and yet we don’t give ourselves the time or head space to make sure we’re equipped for the change.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/best-essential-oil-blends-for-anxiety

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Daily Good: GK Chesterton: A Piece of Chalk

Imagine “roaring with laughter” at the sudden radiant realization that the very thing you so desperately need is right there in abundance all around. You may currently be keenly aware of lacking something physical like the artist’s chalk in this essay. Possibly, you are aching with the lack you feel for something deeper such as love or belonging. Read how expanding your awareness and truly ‘seeing” where you are in this moment sometimes allows the discovery of glorious abundance all around. { read more }

http://www.dailygood.org/story/1944/gk-chesterton-a-piece-of-chalk-g-k-chesterton/

Be The Change

Reflect on one thing you feel keenly lacking in your life at this moment. Experiment with shifting your view of the issue or problem to the idea that it exists in abundance all around, waiting to be discovered. Then go on a treasure hunt of discovery.

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Elephant Journal: Best Quote from the Dalai Lama Ever.

Whether we’re conscious of it or not, all of our actions begin with a motivation. Whether it’s going to the fridge to get a snack or deciding to sell everything and build a yoga retreat center in Iceland, we have some kind of goal in mind.

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/01/best-quote-from-the-dalai-lama-ever/

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MNN: How a sound bath can make meditation easier

Even for people who’ve been doing it for years, meditation can be difficult sometimes. So, it’s no wonder that those who are new to the practice can be frustrated or confused about what’s going on. What’s meditation supposed to feel like? How do you make your mind stop racing? How do you know when you’ve done what you need to do to reap the many benefits?

https://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/blogs/sound-bath-make-meditation-easier

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EarthSky News: Young moon, Venus after sunset August 13

This evening – August 13, 2018 – look westward at dusk to see the young moon and the dazzling planet Venus bejeweling the evening twilight. The moon and Venus rank as the second-brightest and third-brightest celestial bodies, respectively, after the sun, so they’ll pop out into the sky shortly after sunset.

http://earthsky.org/tonight/young-moon-venus-after-sunset-august-13

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Inner Journey:

DON’T THINK AWAY YOUR FEELINGS

“When emotions are managed by the heart, they heighten your awareness of the world around you and add sparkle to life. The result is new intelligence and a new view of life.”
— Doc Childre and Howard Martin

How do you intellectualize your emotions?

Many of us live so much in our heads that we intellectualize our emotions. We analyze, rationalize and explain them away so quickly that we don’t actually experience them.

Learn to honour your emotions at all times by being willing to feel them. Of course, you may need to exercise some judgment over how and when you express them.

“Learning to be aware of feelings, how they arise and how to use them creatively so they guide us to happiness, is an essential lifetime skill.”
— Joan Borysenko

higherawareness.com
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A Note from the Universe

There are absolutely no worldly circumstances, Cat, under which you can’t or shouldn’t be making the very best of things.
Including today…

The Universe

tut.com

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Today’s Recipe: Cold Soba Noodle Salad

When we have left over rotisserie chicken or any chicken on hand this is our go to quick meal. Tastes delicious and very easy to make

https://www.thriftyfun.com/Cold-Soba-Noodle-Salad.html

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Magical Correspondences for Monday

Intentions: Psychic Sensitivity, Women’s Mysteries, Tides, Waters, Emotional Issues, Agriculture, Animals, Female Fertility, Messages, Theft, Reconcilliations, Voyages, Dreams, Medicine, Visions and Merchandise

Incense: African Violet, Honeysuckle, Myrtle, Willow, Wormwood
Planet: Moon
Sign: Cancer
Angel: Gabriel
Colors: Silver, White and Gray
Herbs/Plants: Night Flowers, Willow Root, Orris Root, Birch, Motherwort, Vervain, White Rose and White Iris
Stones: Carnelian, Moonstone, Aquamarine, Pearl, Clear Quartz, Flourite, Geodes
Oil: (Moon) Jasmine, Lemon, Sandalwood

Goddesses: Luna, Selene, Diana, Re, Gaeleach, Ida, Artemis [Whom The Greeks Associated With Bast], The Witches, Yemaya, Erzulie, Bast

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Beliefnet: 7 Steps to Reconnect With Yourself
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” ~Rumi

Cat’s Morning Bits for August 10, 2018

Posted on August 10, 2018 by Cat

CMB canva sm

Cat’s Morning Bits for August 10, 2018

Blessings, Cat

_________________________

Buttercup nodded and said good-bye,
Clover and daisy went off together,
But the fragrant water lilies lie
Yet moored in the golden August weather.
–Celia Thaxter (1835–94)

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Spiritual Unite: 5 Simple Ways To Create Good Karma

Karma is the gift that keeps on giving and especially to those who like to be negative compared to others who like remain positive. It’s a pretty universal understanding that whatever kind of energy you put out into the universe is destined to come back to you tenfold.

https://www.spiritualunite.com/articles/5-simple-ways-to-create-good-karma/

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MBG: Your Favorite Summertime Sound May Be Disappearing (Thanks, Global Warming)

Fun fact: The sound of chirping crickets is actually male crickets rubbing their back legs together in order to entice nearby females. A not-so-fun fact? This soundtrack of summer could be disappearing, thanks to human activity and climate change.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/why-are-crickets-disappearing-dying

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Herbal Muse: Spearmint Enhances Brain Function & Memory

Spearmint has been valued for centuries for its antibacterial, antispasmodic and antioxidant qualities. Now scientists are examining the activity of phenolic compounds in the herb that show the ability to promote the generation of new brain cells in the hippocampus area of the brain as well as protect existing cells.

https://www.herbalmusings.com/single-post/2018/08/05/Spearmint-Enhances-Brain-Function-and-Memory

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Elephant Journal: Reclaiming the Fierce Feminine for Ourselves, our Men & our World

What would our world look like if we had a Disney fairy-tale reversal?
What if Cinderella rode in on a horse, dirty, sweaty, and ambitious, searching for a prince who would fit into the perfect-fitting glass loafers?

What if Snow White, in all her red-lipped, porcelain-skinned glory, spent her whole life waiting to resurrect her mystery man with a heroic, gentle kiss?

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2018/08/reclaiming-the-fierce-feminine-for-ourselves-our-men-our-world/

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MNN: This all-women anti-poaching team is changing the face of animal conservation in Zimbabwe

If we’re going to save endangered species living in wildlife reserves in Africa, we humans need to do a better job of protecting them from other humans.

Anti-poaching squads already work hard to fend off people who want to kill elephants for trophies, dubious medical treatments or meat. Now, the focus is on encouraging them to work smarter. One way to to do that is to bring women into this previously all-male world. There are now two all-women anti-poaching squads (the first were the Black Mambas in South Africa) and early data shows they are saving more animals.

https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/all-women-anti-poaching-group-saving-more-animals

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EarthSky News: Top 10 tips for watching 2018’s Perseid meteors

Another event for this weekend! The Perseid meteor shower will be at its best. People are reporting meteors already. Here’s how to watch.

http://earthsky.org/tonight/perseid-shower-best-between-midnight-and-dawn

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Patheos-Pagan: The Time I Accidentally Manifested a Kitten

You know the expression “it must be something in the water?” That phrase usually follows the observation that everyone around you is pregnant or giving birth, babies everywhere. Human babies really don’t show up on my radar, but the saying has felt applicable to kittens these last few months. Like everyone on my feed has been getting kittens, somehow, somewhere.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/tempest/2018/08/the-time-i-accidentally-manifested-a-kitten.html

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Inner Journey:

NATURAL VIBRATIONS

“I sing the body electric.”
— Walt Whitman

The water that makes up so much of our bodies is like oceann water. The salt crystals in this water vibrate at ever-changing frequencies. Our hearts are the emotional centers of our bodies, and they put out frequencies that are 10 times the power of the frequencies of our brains.

When we are happy, we vibrate at a higher frequency than when we are angry or sad. Our emotions change the chemical composition of the water in our systems. That’s why happy tears taste different than tears of sadness.

Experiencing physical, emotional and mental stillness harmonizes the vibrational output of the body, heart and mind and we become stronger.

“The message we give our bodies — one of irritation or acceptance — is the message to which our bodies will answer.”
— Deb Shapiro

higherawareness.com
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A Note from the Universe

It’s being alive that makes you rich.

So easy to forget,

The Universe

tut.com

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Magical Correspondences for Friday

Intentions: Love, Pleasure, Affairs of the Heart, Romance, Marriage, Sexual Matters, Physical Beauty, Friendship and Partnerships, Strangers, Peace, Healing, Beauty, gentleness and Women’s Issues.

Stones: Rose Quartz, Moonstone, Pink Tourmaline, Peridot, Emerald and Jade
Oil: (Venus) Cardamom, Palmrosa, Rose, Yarrow, Apple Blossom, Musk, Ambergris

Goddesses: Astarte, Aphrodite, Erzulie, Aida Wedo, Eve, Venus, Freya, Diana, Aset [Isis], The Witch Of Gaeta, Chalchiuhtlique

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Daily Wisdom
August 10, 2018

Soul

“The soul unfolds itself like a lotus of countless petals.”

-Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)

Our spiritual growth is such a beautiful thing. We bloom into ourselves and extend loveliness and sweetness out into the world. Like the lotus, we become more soft and gentle as we unfold into more of who we are- and we also become more “layered” in our experiences and challenges

-Lissa Coffey

coffeytalk.com

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Beliefnet: 6 Ways to Reclaim Your Sanity
Go from scattered to sane.

OMG! If it is not an email, a text or an ostensibly unending work week, it’s traffic or other forms of hostility that drive us to the breaking point of aberration. With all the psychological warfare bombarding us on a daily basis, no wonder why we need antidepressants and sleeping aids to survive. We are enslaved to stress and chaos. Do we have anyone else to blame? Nope, nada and zip.
Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/inspiration/6-ways-to-reclaim-your-sanity.aspx#AOYJ2JSMtJSzOQZd.99

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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/

Cat’s Morning Bits for August 9, 2018

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Cat

CMB canva sm

Cat’s Morning Bits for August 9, 2018

Blessings, Cat

_________________________

August brings the sheaves of corn,
Then the harvest home is borne.
–Sara Coleridge (1802–52)

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Spiritual Unite: 10 Best Crystals to Boost Your Mood

Crystals are highly beneficial to uplift and boost your mood. They can heal the deep-seated tissues in your body and improve your energy and senses by preventing stress and anxiety.
If you are looking for the best crystals to boost your mood, then you are in the right place. Read on to know more about these crystals.

https://www.spiritualunite.com/articles/10-best-crystals-to-boost-your-mood/

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Daily Good: What It Means to Hold Space & 8 Tips to Do it Well

“To truly support people in their own growth, transformation, grief, etc., we can’t do it by taking their power away (ie. trying to fix their problems), shaming them (ie. implying that they should know more than they do), or overwhelming them (ie. giving them more information than they’re ready for). We have to be prepared to step to the side so that they can make their own choices, offer them unconditional love and support, give gentle guidance when it’s needed, and make them feel safe even when they make mistakes.” In this piece, author Heather Plett shares eight concise, clear, and readily-applicable tips she learned from others who have held space for her during tough times. { read more }

http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=7550

Be The Change

Try to apply one of the 8 tips to hold space for someone else or yourself.

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Elephant Journal: Asleep at the Wheel: 9 ways I Re-energized my Life.

Our brains are wired to be lazy.
Humans are mammals. As such, we create pattern generators.
What the hell are those?

A pattern generator is a neural pathway we create when we do something over and over. It’s how we learn to dance.
It’s how we learn to play basketball, ride a bike, or do our daily morning routine.

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2018/08/asleep-at-the-wheel-9-ways-i-re-energized-my-life/

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MNN: 23 widespread myths about animals

A lot of animals are misunderstood, plagued by fallacies about their traits and behaviors. Some falsehoods are based on old legends. Others result from exaggerations, distortions, misunderstandings and even deliberate fabrications concocted by self-serving humans.

https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/widespread-myths-about-animals

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EarthSky News: Moonless nights ahead for the Perseids

It’ll be a great year for the annual Perseid meteor shower. Don’t miss this preview by Guy Ottewell, which has the best charts you’ll find anywhere online.

http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/moonless-nights-for-perseids-guy-ottewell

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Patheos-Pagan: Three Gates to Transformation

The Three Gates are the ways that we, practitioners, enter the Path of Transformation. It is how we gain the power to change our lives. Each Gate is an initial approach we might take to enter the greater spiritual world and discover the deeper self. I have discussed them elsewhere as the Priest, Magician, and Shaman; these are the three initial ways to begin training.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/theothersideofthehedge/2018/07/three-gates-to-transformation/

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Inner Journey:

BELIEVE IN YOUR UNLIMITED POTENTIAL

“You cannot see anything that you do not first contemplate as a reality.”
— Ramtha

How do you typically define yourself? Do you tell yourself and others that you are slow and methodical, that you have two left feet, that you are lazy, or unimaginative or that you can’t hang on to money?

In our unconscious self talk, most of us rarely say positive things about ourselves. List the positive and the negative ways you describe yourself. Then look over your list and contemplate how those definitions limit your ability to be cosmic in your outlook and performance.

“Belief has the word ‘lie’ in it… and that pretty much sums up what the world has us believing about ourselves.”
— Doug Firebaugh

“We are what we believe we are.”
— Benjamin N. Cardozo

higherawareness.com
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A Note from the Universe

Every fortune, gold medal, and trophy…

Every comeback, triumph, and celebration…

And every kiss, hug, and hand held,

Were first a thought, a whisper, or a dream.

Go, go!

The Universe

tut.com

_________________________
Today’s Recipe: Orange Banana Smoothie

An orange banana smoothie is a great way to start the day or give a quick energy boost when you need it in the afternoon.

https://www.thriftyfun.com/Orange-Banana-Smoothie-Recipe.html

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Magical Correspondences for Thursday

Incense: Cinnamon,Henbane Nutmeg and Sage

Goddesses: Juno, Hera, Kwan Yin, Mary, Cybele, Tara, Mawu, Mlaba Mwana Waresa, Ishtar, Nuit

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Daily Wisdom
August 9, 2018

Soul

“The soul of man is immortal and imperishable.”

-Plato (427-347 B.C.)

The physical world is temporary and transient. It is ever changing. What is true and constant and utterly reliable is that God is ever-present. And our connection with that Source remains even when the physical fades away.

-Lissa Coffey

coffeytalk.com

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Beliefnet: 7 Ways to Reinvent Yourself

Reinventing yourself shouldn’t be confined to a promise made on New Year’s Day and broken a month later. Now is the time to reflect on the past, consider who you want to be in the future, and make resolutions to be that person!

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