Monday - The Day of Giving & Valentine's Day...Perfect

Excerpted from The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents Pg 69

" Monday is the Day of Giving

Today we tell our children, "If you want to get something, give it."

On Monday we agree as parents to do the following things with our children:

1. Invite them to give one thing to someone else in the family
2. Inspire them to receive graciously
3. Share a brief ritual of gratitude for life's gifts"

So at 16 months old, Finn is a pretty good sharer...kisses, food, books, colds ;) although Aunt Mary really likes that "one more kiss" that makes him cranky. And I tried before we went to bed to do a little ritual of gratitude with him which was really me saying that I was super grateful for him. But I wasn't inspired with a blog post story, I didn't feel like I had anything to share...

Then this morning I woke up at 6 and Finn wasn't awake yet so I contemplated another 30, 40 minutes of sleep or getting up and getting a move on the day. I thought about the Daily Goddess and wondered what I would share and then I remembered dinner. This is the first Valentine's Day I have spent with my family since high school and when I got around the table everyone had written cards and my dad had gotten us all a box of candy and I didn't do anything. My Valentine is in Costa Rica - I figured I had the day off!! I was feeling a little guilty, so I don't know if I inspired to recieve graciously but in thinking about this law this morning I really connected to the power of the little things. The smile, the acknowledgement, an email, a hug. None of these things cost money (which I have been focused on for the past 2 years plus) but they can and do absolutely have the power to transform a person's day, life.

It did make me think that it's time I played bigger, that it's time I stopped feeling self conscious and I just got out there and started playing the game. And Deepak Chopra is right - it's not about the time you spend on a particular activity - because at the end of the day yesterday I truly felt like I had failed at Monday, failed at Giving. It's about paying attention.

Love to you.
Patty

Dearest Goddesses,

It's been a very long time since my last post. I sort of felt like if I was stuck and couldn't really get myself out of this difficult time that I was going through, how could I possibly be a "voice" of the Goddess. How could I possibly provide guidance and support for people. I was acutely aware of the people who might be reading and I simply got self-conscious.

Over the years, the times that I felt the most powerful were times when I was connected to people, to my various communities and especially to spirit and it's been a long time since I've felt that connection - and this blog was a way that I connected - a chance to get out of my own way to share with the world and so it is time that I get over myself and start sharing again...and honestly, noone has to read it.

I took out a bunch of books from the library a few weeks ago in an effort to get some support about discipline. My little boy Finn is now 16 months old and just a vibrant life force and I so do not want to dim that source, but I also want to make sure that I set boundaries, so I wanted some help. One of the books I grabbed was Deepak Chopra's The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents and I felt that old tingle of inspiration. I'm only a couple of pages in and he's described what the seven law are - and how they translate into in kid's speak and he broke them up in days of the week truly begin to practice these laws. It's not about the time that you spend on each of the tasks (he gives three per day) it's simply about paying attention. And perfectly - today is Sunday which was when he started his week and I'd like to share with you...

Excerpted from Deepak Chopra's The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents, page 55:

"Sunday (Law One) The Day of Pure Potentiality

Today we tell our children "Everything is possible, no matter what."

One Sunday we agree as parents to do the following with our children:

1. Lead them in a few minutes of silent meditation
2. Inspire them to appreciate the beauty and wonder of Nature
3. Show them the hidden possibilities in familiar situations"

So after reading this, I packed up my little boy in his winter jacket and hat and mittens and we headed outside so I could "inspire him to appreciate the beauty and wonder of nature." Once we got outside I was stuck. What was I going to talk about? So of course we are surrounded by snow, so I told him about individual snowflakes and how they are all different but join together to make all of these snow drifts and when the sun comes and melts some snow it can become ice (which was what we were walking on). Then all of a sudden Finn starts going crazy mooing. (His first words beside hi and bye were not Mom or Dad but MOO. We were approaching this big wooden bear, so I figured he thought it was a cow, but then I looked where he was looking and saw the moon in the sky! He was going crazy for the moon! And suddenly, I am completely inspired over the beauty and wonder not only of nature but of my amazing son.

So - I will keep sharing these laws and my days of paying attention and look forward to reconnecting to my spirit and the world outside of my head.

Blessings,
Patty

Uzume - Laughter

The following is excerpted exactly from The Goddess Oracle by Amy Sophia Marashinsky and the illustrations are by Hrana Janto. For more information on their work, please visit the following websites:

Amy Sophia Marashinsky: http://www.amysophia.com/
You can download the meditations included in the ritual suggestions at http://deepspiritualnourishment.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2

Hrana Janto: http://www.hranajanto.com/

Before the Rock Cave of Heaven

where Amaterasu Omi Kami, the Sun Goddess

had hidden her radiant face

where all the assembled Gods and Goddesses had tried

and failed

to lure her out

I stepped up to the Cave

with utmost seriousness

with grave determination

with proper decorum and a lofty mien

and with a bump and a bump and a bump bump bump bump

lifted my kimono and revealed myself in ways

that caused the mouths of the exalted ones

to water and fall open

Then I played puppet with my labia

and paid myself a little lip service

I heaved my breast over one shoulder

then the other over the other

and landed on my ass

with a bump and a bump and a bump bump bump bump

amidst the explosions of laughter and merriment

of the esteemed crowd

With breasts tied in a knot

my legs spread like a welcome mat

I called in the Spirits

and offered them my body

but they refused to take it

The crowd howled and laughed as I continued my dance

till Amaterasu Omi Kami couldn´t stand it any longer

and rushed out to see what was what

And thus did laughter

win the Sun Goddess from her dark cave

and bring light and warmth back into the world.

Mythology

Uzume (pronounced oo-zoo-may), ancient Japan´s shaman-Goddess, is credited as being the one to entice the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu Omi Kami, out of the cave where she had hidden. Uzume did a bawdy dance making fun of shamanic ritual. She exposed her breasts, she played with her genitals, amidst the howls of laughter of the deities assembled. So loud and enticing was the uproar she created, that Amaterasu´s curiosity got the better of her and she came out from her cave.

Meaning of the Card

Uzume begins her comic dance in your life to tell you it is time to nurture wholeness with laughter. Laughter causes us to relax, enables us to gain perspective, helps ease us through difficulties. Have you been taking life too seriously? When is the last time you had a good laugh? Are you able to laugh at yourself in a gentle way? Perhaps life is challenging you with such ferocity that you find it hard to see the humor in your present situation. Uzume says that wholeness is gained when you choose to laugh and see the humor in all of life´s challenges.

Ritual Suggestion: Journey to Uzume

Click the link below to download the meditation for Uzume for $1.50

http://deepspiritualnourishment.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=67

Find a time and a place when and where you will not be disturbed. Sit or lie comfortably with your spine straight and close your eyes. Take a deep breath and release it with a "ha, ha, ha". Take another deep breath and lift your shoulders up and down three times as you exhale. Take another deep breath and release it with a "ha, ha, ha" while moving your shoulders up and down as if you were having a good laugh. Take another deep breath and, as you exhale, see, sense or feel the Rock Cave of Heaven. Take another deep breath and, as you release it, see yourself standing in front of the cave. Enter the cave. It is warm and pleasant. A small dancing sun appears before you to light your way through the darkness of the cave. You follow the dancing sun, enjoying its playfulness, becoming more relaxed, more at ease. The sun leads you to the light at the end of the cave where you step out into the Underworld. There you are met by Uzume who warmly walcomes you with a big smile. She takes you by the hand and leads you to a stage area with some cushions in front of it.

She sits on the cushions and gestures for you to do the same. She asks you what you need. You tell her you need help seeing the humor, the comedy, in a particular situation in your life. She agrees to help you. As you give her the details, the entire situation is played out before you on the stage. Once you have finished, she claps her hands twice and the entire scene is replayed as a comedy, complete with clowns and your favorite comic actors. It is very funny and you find yourself laughing and feeling light and carefree. When the scene is finished, Uzume claps and the scene vanishes. You thank Uzume and she asks you for a gift, which you give to her with an open heart. She escorts you back to the cave entrance where you are met by the dancing sun. You and the sun dance your way back through the cave, feeling energized, refreshed, revitalized and as light as air. At the cave entrance you take a deep breath and come back to your body. Take another deep breath and, when ready, open your eyes. Welcome back!

The Erinyes - Crisis

The following is excerpted exactly from The Goddess Oracle by Amy Sophia Marashinsky and the illustrations are by Hrana Janto. For more information on their work, please visit the following websites:

Amy Sophia Marashinsky: http://www.amysophia.com/
You can download the meditations included in the ritual suggestions at http://deepspiritualnourishment.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2

Hrana Janto: http://www.hranajanto.com/

We snap you

crack you

flapjack you

We are that wild chaotic place

that sharp edge

the point that activates your fears

the point of no return

the point where anything can happen

We always demand your death

or complete surrender

you can´t get beyond us

around us

or over us

you must meet us and go through us

We are the cosmic steamroller

the place of greatest opportunity

We are crisis.

Mythology

The Erinyes (pronounced eh-rin'yees) were the forces of retribution personified as three immortal dark maiden Goddesses. They took revenge and punished anyone who killed their kin in matriarchal pre-Hellenic Greece. In poet Aeschylus´s play, The Oresteia, Orestes – the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon – kills his mother, thus enraging the Erinyes who go after him. When his trial results in a deadlock, Athene, Goddess of Wisdom, is called on to cast the deciding vote. Her vote sets Orestes free from ay punishment for the matricide. The Erinyes, unappeased, demand vengeance. Athene consoles them with promises of special rituals in their honor. They are then renamed the Eumenides, or kindly ones.

Meaning of the Card

The Erinyes are howling after you because you and/or a loved one are in crisis. The way to nurture wholeness for you now lies in reaching out and asking for help. Whether it is from the human, animal, or spiritual kingdoms, help is required at this juncture of excess, psyche-breaking stress, and instability. Identify and name the kind of crisis you are in. If your crisis is psychological, call a crisis hot line or make an appointment with a healer of psyches. If your crisis is financial or job-related, seek financial assistance or find a career counselor. If it involves your health, visit a health-care practitioner. It is vital for you to get the help and support you need, for you are not in a place where you can help yourself. Do something. Or ask a friend or loved one to do it for you. Crisis in your life also brings the experience of crisis into the lives of your loved ones. Don't blame yourself or try to take care of them. Be selfish. Deal with your crisis and let them deal with theirs. The Erinyes say all crisis are accelerated growth/transformation points that bring opportunities. However, before you get to the opportunity, you must get through the crisis, and for that you must reach out for help.

Ritual Suggestion: The Cocoon

Click the link below to download the meditation for The Erinyes for $.75

http://deepspiritualnourishment.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=40

The time to do this is now, wherever you are. No time to look for perfect conditions. Use this ritual suggestion to give yourself some breathing space while dancing with your crisis. There is no limit to the number of times you can do the Cocoon.

You can sit or stand anywhere. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and release it gently. Sense, feel, or see a cocoon being built around you of the most nurturing and comforting materials. Do you like silk or cotton flannel? Does lambswool or a blanket of your favorite flowers soothe you? It could even be a cocoon of rosy pink light or your favorite soothing sounds. Once you have wrapped that cocoon around you, fill it with the love of those who care about you. You can also include animals, plants, stones, the Goddess, trees, the sky, the universe.

Once your cocoon is filled, allow yourself to take the love and comfort of your cocoon into every cell in your body. Feel yourself handing over to the Goddess the challenge that overwhelms you. Feel the comforting sensation as she takes the challenge from you. Keep breathing in the comfort of your cocoon until you feel full. When ready, take a deep breath and exhale gently, open your eyes, and come ot of the cocoon. Or you may prefer to stay in while you go about your tasks in the world. Remember if you leave it, you can always come right back by taking a deep breath and sensing, feeling or seeing your cocoon around you.

Happy New Year!

Dearest Goddesses,

It´s New Years Day and I have been waiting for the chance to open a brand new calendar and sort of brush off 2008 for what it was for me – A year of transition, of completion of contraction. I am looking forward to growth , joy, abundance and expansion beginning in 2009.

As you can tell from the distance between this and my last post – I have allowed my life and circumstances to distract me from my goal which is to truly make a difference. And rather than go through the grocery list of why and how come the distance existed – which would also not be in keeping with my commitment – I have decided to complete what I started last year which was sharing The Goddess Oracle and my life inside of those messages and hopefully make a difference for the people in my life.

My new boss has asked us to write out our goals for 2009 and put it in a sealed envelope with our names on it and give it to her to hold for the duration of the year. At the end of the year, she´ll give this envelope back to us to review – what did we want to create that we accomplished and then some? And also, what was important to us in January that changed over the course of the year? I encourage you to do the same and either have someone hold it for you, or put them away where you can review it in December.

In closing, to tell on myself, I don´t feel ready to begin sharing again, but I felt it was important to get over myself and to not make this about me. That perhaps my message, however small they may be…well it might just make a difference. And so, hopefully, as you are contemplating what it is that is important to you in this year - get out of your own way and take action, regardless of whether or not you are ready.

So, I leave you with where I left off last year…This weeks goddess is: Minerva who represents Beliefs. What a great way to start the New Year!

Wishing you all love, abundance, joy and expansion.

Love to you,
Patty