Happy Tuesday!
Last night’s full moon was pretty, she looked better early this morning as she headed toward the western rim. Our thought for the day is about friends. We all have “friends”, people who we get along with and maybe have some things in common. However if we’re lucky we have at least one FRIEND that totally gets us, is always there for us and accepts and loves us unconditionally. don’t be afraid to tell them ” Thank you for being a part of my life!”
Good Morning and Welcome to a New Week!
Living in the Now is our thought for the day. Agonizing over the past or worrying about the things that didn’t turn out the way you thought they should is counter productive. If you are not in the present you miss out on the blessings that life has to offer. Let go and move forward!
Welcome to Friday, we’ve made it through another week, so give yourself a BIG high five!
Our thought for the day is just a reminder to always be yourself….Be the you that is eccentric, fabulous, amazing, outgoing, shiny or weird! Since we’re all in this together..stay weird my friends!
Weirdmaste!
Happy Thursday!
Our thought for the day is about self care. Never be afraid to set boundaries, honor your intuition, walk away from drama filled people or situations or give yourself a big hug. Remember that your happiness is controlled by one person….. YOU!
Bright blessings for a magickal day!
Happy Wednesday!
Today’s thought is about change. It’s easy to SAY that the world should be a better place. But the reality is that if we want things to be different we need to change ourselves first. The phrase “It starts with you” is true. Be the change you wish to see and lead by example. By showing that we are willing to walk the talk it encourages others to do the same!
Recently I have been thinking a lot about “women’s circles”. While I have never been really interested in them before, they have suddenly become important. I have never had a close circle of friends, usually it’s just 1 or 2 but I guess that’s normal for most introverts. There is also the fact that I rarely feel a bond with other women and generally feel that I have very little in common with them. About 8 years ago I started belly dancing, not only did it put me in touch with other women it has also put me more in touch with my goddess side. Hey…. this is a BIG deal for someone who doesn’t like “putting themselves out there” and who has spent a lifetime perfecting Greta Garbo’s “I want to be alone”.
When I turned 50 last year a part of me changed. Allowing my self to become involved in petty conflicts with others became a waste of my time, likewise the petty conflicts of friends with others. Now I do my best to get along , let things go and find at least one good thing in everyone. This is turn has made me see the women around me differently. They are no longer rivals, or people to avoid and I find myself reaching for the connection and enjoying the encounters more. For example, one of dance sisters and I had Jury Duty together and when neither one of were selected she invited me to lunch. We had a good time! Although I still have trouble initiating contact and it still surprises me when someone shows interest in me personally. Maybe I’m just weird……………….
So back to the women’s circles. I’ve been wondering what’s it’s like to actually be a part of one outside of the one for dance. Would it create some amazing friendships and a support network or would it be the same backbiting, Frenemy relationships that have kept me on the fringes in the past? I know what you’re going to say.. “You don’t know if you don’t try”, and you would be right. But the fact is that I’m not one to force myself on others nor has anyone really extended a hand and said “hey come join us”. This most likely has to do with the fact that I don’t get out much. I’m a caregiver to my mother, she’s 84 and my best friend. People don’t realize how much time is involved in caregiving. As a result I have been told that “you’re only interesting if you work outside the home, go to the gym or you involved in some community project.” Actually, I disagreed with this statement but as one of the “uninteresting” people who am I to say anything…..
I don’t really know where I am going with this women’s circle thing. But it’s been on my mind alot lately. It’s something I feel I need to experience not watch from the sidelines. Let’s call it a Bucket List item. After all…. isn’t that where we put the things that we have yet to try yet are important enough to consider?
The month of Alder or Ffearn (FAIR-n) runs from March 18th to April 14th.
Plant Information:
This tree is a member of the Birch family and is native to the British Isles, Europe and North America. Alders require a great quantity of water and can reach 65 feet or more if left to grow undisturbed. The tree itself grows in a rough cone shape with branches that are evenly spaced down its long trunk, The leaves are roundish and finely toothed and in the spring it produces flowers and catkins. The wood from this sacred tree comes in a number of colors. When an alder is cut down the wood changes from white to reddish-yellow that bears a remarkable resemblance to blood. This caused our ancestors to believe that the tree bled when cut and it was considered unlucky to cut one down. The wood is oily and water resistant and in past times was used for shields, the foundations for houses and is still used today in cabinetry and door making.
In healing alder has been used as a substitute for quinine. It has also been used to treat parasites, inflammation coughs, poison ivy, toothache, sprains and strains. On an interesting side note the inner bark is a great natural pesticide.
In Myth & Magick
The time surrounding the Vernal Equinox is and was important in the wheel of the Celtic year. The alder represents free will and liberty. In some places today it is still a crime to cut down this sacred tree. The person who is dumb enough to cut one down is seen as the cause of any trouble that happens in his neighborhood. The alder tree is also associated with courage and the evolution of spirit. This tree spirit can be called upon for help during disputes, where you need to see clearly to make the right decision or when you simply need to draw and bring forward you own inner strength.
Alder is associated with all four elements ( earth, air, water, fire) and is great for elemental magick. Flutes can be made from the wood and whistles from young alder shoots can be made to summon air elementals.
Alder is a fairy tree and as such is good for fairy magick. The leaves and twigs can be used in charms and talismans for protection. Dyes can be made from the bark, flowers and twigs to dye ritual robes. Red: Bark/ Green: Flowers/ Brown: twigs.
Alder People:
People born in the month of Alder make excellent oracles, they can tell you like it is and manage to do it gently. However, alder people must remember not to abuse their power, and just like the tree itself they tend to mature slowly. Alders are powerful and make steadfast allies, they are trailblazers who set the pace for others to follow. If you are an alder person, just remember to slow down once in awhile and take a good look around you.
As a magickal name Alder works well for people who tend to be secretive and changeable or for those with fire signs. Choosing this name can bring out sensitivity in people who have trouble letting it show.
Other Correspondences:
Names: Tree of Fire
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![MarchFullMoon_zpsa0b74136[2]](https://thedesertpath.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/marchfullmoon_zpsa0b741362.jpg?w=584)
Full Moon for March
The Storm Moon
March 12, 2017 at 10:54 am EST
If March comes in like a lion, it will go out
like a lamb.
If March comes in like a lamb, it will go out
like a lion.
-old weather saying
March coreespondences
| Nature Spirits: | Air & Water Spirits; Mer-people |
| Herbs: | Broom; High John Root; Irish Moss; Wood Vetony & Yellow Dock |
| Colours: | Pale Green and Red-Violet |
| Flowers: | Daffodil; Jonquil & Violet |
| Scents: | Apple Blossom & Honeysuckle |
| Stones: | Aquamarine & Bloodstone |
| Trees: | Alder & Dogwood |
| Animals: | Boar; Cougar & Hedgehog |
| Birds: | Sea Crow & Sea Eagle |
| Deities: | Artemis; Astarte; Athene; Black Isis; Hecate; Luna; Minerva and Morrigan (The) |
| Power Flow: |
Balance of Light and Dark; Breaking Illusions; Exploring; Growing; New Beginnings and Prospering
|
(Moon Magick, DJ Conway)
This months moon is called the Storm Moon (medieval england), probably due to the fact that March is known to have some major storms caused by earth changes brought about as spring approaches. The weather saying above is an old one and you have probably heard someone use at one time or another. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac ” Some skywatchers believe that there’s a heavenly connection. The constellation Leo, the lion, is rising in the east at the beginning of March, hence the “comes in like a lion,” while Aries, the ram, sets in the west at the end of March, and so “will go out like a lamb.” Other names for this moon are Fish Moon (colonial america), Sleepy Moon (china), Windy Moon (cherokee), Big Famine Moon (choctaw), When Eyes Are Sore From Bright Snow Moon (dakota), Moon of Winds (celtic), Palolo Worm Moon (new guinnea), Full Sap Moon ( for tapping the maple trees), Full Crow Moon (the northern indian tribes said that the cawing of the crows meant winter was ending), and the old settlers called it the Lenten Moon and considered it the last full moon of winter.
The Storm Moon of March is the herald of Ostara, Spring and new beginnings. Winters snow will soon give way to spring rain. The first of the seasons new growth is already showing, the days are longer and the Sun is climbing higher in the sky. So too are we experiencing new beginnings and growth. The time has come to clean and prune away the old debris that keeps us from moving forward. This much needed inner spring cleaning provides us with a new outlook and helps us to bloom, even during difficult times. Magical workings, meditations and healing should focus on personal growth and rebirth during this moon.
To enhance your endeavors wear the colors of spring, greens, yellows or lavender and adorn yourself with aquamarine, bloodstone, quartz crystal or jade. Use the scents of honeysuckle and apple blossom to create springs essence of hope and vibrancy to your altar, home or workspace.
Bright Blessings!
Cat
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The desert moves to it’s own rhythm. She has time and patiently waits her energy held close below her dry, sandy skin. The seasons move slowly as well and to the untrained and disinterested eye little changes. Just like with people, appearances can be deceiving and we must look deeper to see the unique beauty that lies hidden, often in plain sight.
Beneath last years dried stems and almost invisible from a distance…………..
Hidden beneath the snow crushed grasses the beauty is there for anyone who cares enough to look….. really look. Just like people. We see the dirty. the dry, the ugly, the inhospitable, the empty, the different or what we perceive as uninteresting and we ignore it or turn away. Our society today is blinded by an unrealistic vision of “perfection”. Forget outward appearances and dare yourself to look deeper and find true beauty, something of true value.
The lesson of the desert lies in this question:
“What do you see when you look at me? Do you take me at face value or do you see the treasures I guard and hide?
(C) LBolotin 2017
The Desert Path 
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