do i prefer to hide inside this plastic box
that spews crisis and beauty to bury myself under
turning me from where Winter and Summer
ripple and swell at the doorway

Letting Noise take over the Silence
where I have to face myself, my limited capacity
and my infinite possibilities
Brave the darkness to see the Light

And worries are tossed aside
thoughts may be spoken, written
through art is healing and I am an artist of words
nature calls

(Seems there are still ways to lose myself
Slow moving days the proof itself
that in plugging the jug and flushing the pot
i can still find new ways of rot)

Polish Winter Customs & Traditions

From: http://sonsofpoland.org/culture-community/polish-customs-traditions/

Koljada (kohl-YAH-da) – Winter Solstice

Most sources agree that koljada comes from the Roman word “calendae” which refers to the first 10 days of any month. Others believe the word is derived from “Kolo” or wheel – much like the word “Yule” is an Anglo-Saxon word for wheel. In the English language, Yuletide refers to the Christmas season and is used even in contemporary Christmas songs. The holiday of Winter Solstice may have originally been called “Ovsen”.

The Winter Solstice festival was filled with revelry. Processions of people masked like animals and dressed in costumes roamed the village. Often they were accompanied by a “goat’s head,” usually hand-made and placed on a stick. The person holding the goat’s head on a stick would then be covered with a blanket to give the illusion of a “goat person.” Sometimes a child—symbolic of the reborn sun—would accompany them seated on a horse played by two men in a horse costume. One of the pageant participants would carry a spinning solar symbol lit from within by a candle. Later, after Christianity entered the scene, the spinning “sun” became a star.

This group of revelers would go from house to house and stop to sing Koljada songs. These songs usually included invocations to the god or goddess of the holiday, praises and good wishes to those who listened, requests for gifts and threats if refused. The gifts were also called “koljada” and usually took the form of little pastries or “korovki” shaped like cows or goats. The grandmothers and grandfathers traditionally baked these “korovki.” The actions played against those who would not give rewards could be brutal. Garbage might be brought from all over the village and piled in front of the offending host’s gate, their gate might be torn off and thrown in the nearest water or livestock could be led off. One of the carolers would carry a bundle of hazel twigs and after receiving their “koljada” would gently hit his host/ess with a small stick loudly wishing happiness and health in the coming New Year. The small twig was then left with the farmer who nailed it above his door for wealth and protection.

Bonfires were sometimes lit, and the dead ancestors were invited inside to warm themselves. Mock funerals were held where a person pretending to be dead was carried into the house amidst both laughter and feigned weeping. A young girl would be chosen and traditionally would kiss the “corpse” on the lips. The “corpse” would leap up after being kissed—a symbol of rebirth. Holiday foods included kutia, a food consisting of whole grains, a universal symbol of new life, and pork.

On the last day of the koljada season in Poland, all the unmarried men of the village would get together to go begging for oats. Since it was impossible to get rid of them with just a scoop of oats, the farmer would need to keep a sharp eye on his grain that night, because otherwise the carolers would steal it as part of the evening’s custom. The men would then sell the oats and with the money would hire musicians and organize a large dance party in the village during the pre-Spring festival period.

Wigilia (Vee-GEE-lya) — Christmas Eve Dinner

Wigilia or Wilia is from the Latin word vigilare, which means to watch, or Czuwać in Polish. Close to the heart of every Pole, it is filled with such mystical symbolism that it is considered by many to be a greater holiday than Christmas itself.

December 24^th had much significance centuries before Christ’s birth. It followed the longest night and the shortest day and the mystical symbolism associated with it was closely tied to the solar system. In early Poland the word Wigilia was formerly known as the day before a feast day. Today it is used only as the day before Christ’s birth. The Wigilia supper is the most special, and there is no other like it throughout the year.

With severe cold weather and deep snows, most Polish families hold their festivities within each family group. A custom from the past encompassed the belief that spirits permeated the home on this day. They were to be made as comfortable as possible since this day would prophesize everything that was to happen in the coming year. Everyone was careful of his/her conduct. They were to rise early, say their prayers, wash thoroughly, dress and then peacefully and patiently attend to the work at hand.

Preparations for Christmas Eve began right after midnight. A young girl from the family would go to the nearest stream and bring water to be used to sprinkle on the cows in the barn and also on the family, awakening them in this manner. It was believed that water on this day had the power to heal and prevent illness and later the entire family would wash themselves in this water.

The males in the family would go into the forest and bring back the top of a spruce or fir and other branches to decorate the house. This top of the evergreen tree was hung from a beam in the ceiling, with the tip facing down over the table where the Wigilia supper was to be held.

To prepare for this most important meal of the year, the table is first covered with straw or hay, and then with a white tablecloth. The blessed opłatek is placed on the best plate of the house. The youngest child is sent out to look for the first star in the sky and the Wigilia meal begins. Those sitting down to eat must add up to an even number, otherwise someone would not live to the next Christmas Eve supper. To prevent this from happening, someone was always invited, be it an honored guest or a wandering beggar. It mattered little whether a family was of noble station or peasant, traditional dishes were served and often with the same pageantry. One of the traditional dishes was kutia,which was made from hulled barley or wheat, cooked and sweetened with honey to which mashed poppy seeds, raisins and nuts were added. The dish was set down in a place of honor near the Wigilia table and it was the first to be eaten. Wigilia is a meatless dinner with an uneven number of dishes served; 13 being the preferred number as it represents the number that sat down at the Last Supper. Various fish comprise the main fare. Many households also prepare a great variety of accompanying dishes reflecting the produce of the family’s harvest such as borscht with uszka (dumplings), matjas (herring), makowiec (poppy seed cakes), nut rolls, dried fruits (apples, plums, apricots, dates, etc.) and salads. Certain regions have more specific offerings, and some include edible Christmas ornaments.

After supper the family would sing carols and exchange gifts, which were deposited by the Aniołek (angel) under the Christmas tree. The Gospodarz, or head of the family, would light the candles on the tree, and the smoke from them foretold the future. The period approaching midnight was a magical time. The children would give the leftover bits of the Christmas wafer to the animals, who, if you listened carefully, would talk. Even well water turned to wine. Now it was time to get ready to attend Pasterka (Midnight Mass), meaning the Shepherd’s Mass, as they were first to greet the newborn Christ Child. Everyone would hike through the dark of the night in freezing weather or ride in sleighs to their local churches. On the way to the Mass, they counted as many stars as there were in the heavens, which would indicate how many sheaves of grain would be harvested the next year.

Cathy Pagano on the December 13-14 Full Moon: Help us see more clearly what our truth is

I was pulled outside last night even though it was overcast with snow-heavy gray clouds. The beautiful full moon was shining through a small gap in the darkness, like a small beacon of hope in the worldwide deception. I spoke to her then, sharing wishes, praying for dreams and guidance under her gentle glow.  I stood there in silence then until she was obscured by the murk again. All night long I felt the pull and am still feeling it now.

A quick google search confirmed why. This is but the beginning.

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From: http://www.mysticmamma.com/full-moon-supermoon-in-gemini-december-13th-14th-2016/

FULL MOON Super Moon in Gemini calls us to hold a high vision for our collective future and brings the gifts of expansion in the mental realms and in the fields of communication so that we can better express and share our deepest truth.

From the wonderful CATHY PAGANO from her Wisdom of Astrology:

“Our cosmic instructions concern how we are relating to our collective culture (Pluto in Capricorn)—our economics, our social structures, the ‘rules of engagement’ that have shaped our collective purpose for quite some time now.

“What parts of this collective mindset no longer serve the goals of humanity and freedom? What parts do we need to preserve and expand on? …What does the future demand of us?

“How can we keep harvesting the gifts and treasures of Mother Earth without a thought of what future generations might need?How can we stop the train wreck of continual progress and find new ways to create a better life?

“…This is the energy Jupiter in Libra is bringing into this powerful engine of change. A sense of balance, of fairness and justice, of courtesy and honor, beauty and art.

“It’s offering each of us (Uranus) a way to engage in the transformation of the culture (Pluto).

“We can begin to create this possible future with our art and our actions. Our actions, like what happened at Standing Rock with the Water Protectors, now will have more affect since we’ll do it as a group (very Aquarian of us).

“We show our Aries courage in standing up to the wrong use of power, to the stupidity of self-destruction. Life is what matters.

“Uranus is energizing our pioneering spirit again, though this time let’s seek the unknown for the good of all, rather than personal aggrandizement. 

“Artists have a big part to play now too. The Arts used to be healing tools for the collective psyche, unlike how they are seen today as a commodity.

“When we return the Arts to their archetypal purpose—to teach, to heal, to create, to enliven, to imagine, to share, to learn—they will lead the revolution just as John Lennon and the Beatles opened up the world to a new paradigm. (December 8th-RIP John) Artists can bring the message home to the heart. 

“…The Broadway show Hamilton, is doing it—bringing history alive again so we understand what moment in history we’re at and how we’ve changed but stayed the same…

“If we play our parts in truth, it will be a peaceful revolution, because it will be the right thing to do. 

“A Full Moon asks us to bring together complimentary ideas: Sagittarius wants us to see the Truth of the matter while Gemini wants to communicate the information that can help us see more clearly what our truth is.

“… How have we been distracting ourselves with information overload when the truth can be found in our hearts? What thoughts, words and information need to be refined and which need to be let go of?

“Saturn joins the Sun during this Full Moon, helping us set up filters for discerning what information is true and what is false.

“Saturn wants us to take responsibility for our beliefs and because Saturn symbolizes authority, we need to understand that the word authority confronts us with the question, ‘who is the author of my story’.

“The word author means ‘one who makes or creates’. We can give away our authority and let someone else write our story or we can take back control and become the authors of our own lives.”

© Copyright 2016 ~CATHY PAGANO All Rights Reserved

The POWER of WORDS / Roberts

Daily Mentoring with Greg Roberts [Facebook]
November 6 at 10:44am

Day 92: The POWER of WORDS

We use so many words in a day, yet aren't aware of the power each one holds. Your words have energy that affects your life in many ways. Each word you speak or think has its own unique vibration. Learning how the power of each word you use will quite simply change your life.
Think of one of the negative words you may use often, like "I hate." The energy of that phrase makes me feel emotions like angrer, sadness, or depression. Hold the thought of these words... actually take it in and feel the energy of the word. Notice the transformation of your own energy vibration and how the power of the words made you feel.
Now take a deep breath and let all that energy go completely... just relax, know that it's okay.
Now take the word love, joy, happiness, caring, or peace. Hold one of these words in and feel the transformation as your energy shifts its vibration. Hold onto this feeling... the more you hold onto the power of the positive words, the stronger it will become. It's your right to feel this way anytime you desire.

With this beautiful secret, you can start to feel the energy in every word you think and speak. You create this energy and it's important to keep your own vibration high, clean and clear. All your good thoughts and words transform over time and attract health, prosperity and love . Use the power of words to bring beautiful things into your life.

All the less favorable, negative vibration words decrease and weaken your vibration, opening you up to things like anxiety, depression, sickness, and even disease. So erase these words from your life and your mind as they have no benefit to you or anyone around you.
The lower vibration words have no room within your existence, especially when you're trying to create a more fulfilling life. So today, start to let them all go. You can, with awareness, literally think before you speak and let every word you allow into your reality create a beautiful vibration of positive energy and protection around you.

Surrounded yourself with words of love, health, and prosperity and let the power of these words do the work for you to help you transform your life and the world around you.
The words I think and speak become my reality.

"About all those changes that have been going on ... "

This explains ALOT.

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End to Begin: Full Moon Eclipse.
Via Emily Priceon Mar 20, 2016
libra full moon

Eclipses come in pairs, and the Full Moon in the sign of Libra on March 23rd (check the time/date for your location below) brings a Lunar Eclipse on the Libra-Aries axis.

This is the culmination of the eclipse energy birthed during the solar eclipse in Pisces on March 8th.

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned in syzygy—three celestial bodies aligned to form a straight line—and the Earth blocks some of the Sun’s light from the surface of the moon creating a shadow. (Visually, this eclipse will be subtle, but still visible in North America, most of South America, Australia and most of Asia.)

Eclipse season brings extra power and heat to our lunar events and how they impact us. We often feel the eclipses as endings, beginnings and major energetic shifts in our lives.

As an astrologer, I’ve observed that the solar eclipse earlier in March did not fail to deliver some much needed change to many of my clients. If we have been feeling stagnant in some areas of life, this lunar eclipse will provide a push or a nudge into a new realm. Sometimes we choose it, sometimes it chooses us—and change is not usually comfortable, or sometimes even desired. It can be helpful and comforting to know that major life shifts occurring now are, essentially, happening on a divine schedule (even if it does not match our planned schedule!)

Collectively, we have experienced a lot of reviewing and clearing these past months. First, Uranus went direct after a long retrograde period on December 25th, 2015, very close in time to the (Christmas) Full Moon in Cancer. There has been a lot of Uranian lightning bolt-type energy zinging about these past months (more on Uranus can be found here). We then had an intense Mercury Retrograde period that characterized the first month or so of 2016; I couldn’t help having a secret smile each time I heard someone remark that they almost felt their year began in February rather than on January 1st—aligning perfectly with the end of the mercury retrograde period!

Even if not always consciously, we do feel the planets and their power. Societal influences may have been telling us to go running full force into our 2016 plans, but larger cosmic energies were at play encouraging us to review, sort through and revisit unresolved themes throughout the month of January.

By Valentine’s Day (that’s February 14th if you’re outside the U.S.), we emerged from the retrograde shadow period. The first new moon post-shadow was the Solar Eclipse on March 8th. It was, in my opinion, the first New Moon of the year that really carried the true forward momentum we associate with the new moon energy. We were truly post-retrograde and probably handling some golden insights based on what had been revealed to us during that time. There was a little wink from the multiverse; however, it being an Eclipse, some unexpected surprises and shake-ups may have come along with that new moon seed energy. Chiron and Saturn were major players in that lunar event and the theme seemed to be that of collective encouragement to take some real action around our own healing and our deepest level of service to other beings in this life.

Now, here we are, on the brink of the cherry on top of this recent cycle—the Lunar Eclipse. Mercury is involved here too, tightly conjunct the Sun in Aries (opposite the Libra Moon), and Uranus is also conjunct the Sun by sign in Aries. In some way, this Lunar Eclipse in Libra is the period at the end of the sentence. It is not the end of the book (although for some of us, something major enough may be culminating for it to feel like that!), but there is definitely value in a moment of pause at this time to look around and see what was unearthed, rebirthed, or cycled away in these past months. The sign of Libra is known for her focus on balance, harmony, beauty and friendship.

When we have an Eclipse on the Libra-Aries Axis, we are essentially being asked to look at “I” versus “We.”

Where do we end and others begin? How are we balancing our needs and wants with those of others?

Mercury always highlights communication. What is our inner dialogue? How do we communicate with Self? Are our thoughts and words that we share with ourself and others in alignment with what we most want?

Do we make space for balance and beauty? Or are there times where we tread into the waters of overconcern with our appearance, self-consciousness, or being too limited by what others may think of us?

Mars is sextile to this Moon, so there is some extra oomph to power us past these limits. Use it!

Think of the bright light of the Libra Full Moon as a spotlight showing us the truth of where we’ve been since last March and the divine trajectory of where we might be headed. The energy of this lunar eclipse is actually perfect for the Tax Season vibe we’re in the midst of here in the States. It is the moment for a full inventory—not just the two weeks since the Solar Eclipse, but the overarching cycle of the last year, and the mini-review cycles within that (such as retrograde periods).

Thorough review and assessment can be an arduous and tedious processes, but there is no doubt we will perform our work with greater ease, elegance and grace in the new cycle if we lovingly offer our precious time and attention to an honest look at our losses and gains. Making peace with the past is challenging, especially since the Libra Moon opposing Mercury in Aries might bring up a storm of conflict between the rational, more diplomatic mind and the hard-wired gut instinct.

As with most strong waves of emotion and awareness, knowing that the experience is temporary can help a great deal. Bringing awareness to what we are feeling and thinking without immediately acting upon it is a good lunar eclipse protocol for anyone. Much will be revealed to us, but emotions will be simultaneously running high. We can take some time to process and set our sights on April’s new moon for next steps.

Allow the storminess of the lunar eclipse to pass and trust that any upheaval is clearing space for fresh opportunities. If you’re curious about how this Eclipse may be affecting your chart personally, look to the house of Libra in your own natal chart and any planets there for greater clarity and insight.

Full Moon Journaling Exercise:

The Eclipses come in pairs, every six months. This Eclipse cycle crystallizes the past year and its lessons by looking back to other related Eclipses. To get a sense of what this lunar eclipse may mean for you, there are a few dates to review. The timeline runs from March 2015 to September 2016, with peak moments occurring September 2015 and March 2016 (now!).

Think back along this timeline.

What stands out? Is there any significant thread or theme?

Allow yourself space to process through the events of the past 12 months.

What lessons are you taking with you? Can you see where you might be headed by September 2016?

If there is something you are still carrying that you won’t want to take with you to that culmination point approximately six months from now, this is a good time to begin releasing it. If you see clearly what that is, write it down and burn the paper four days before the next new moon. Use this full moon to see clearly, with balance, grace, and ease, and to release the unnecessary before entering into the next cycle of unfolding.

Clear a simple space for a full moon altar, if you do not already have one, and place your most sacred intention there, along with a note of gratitude for all the work you have done so far. Surround it with beloved images and objects in line with your intention. Light a stick of incense to send your prayers upward and connect consciously with Spirit. You can return there throughout the next week to allow your insight to open and grow.

~

Lunar Eclipse Dates and Times:

March 23rd 5:02 a.m. PST (Los Angeles)

March 23rd 12:02 p.m. UTC (London)

March 23rd 8:02 a.m EST (New York)

March 23rd 11:02 p.m. AEDT (Sydney)

March 23rd 5:32 p.m. IST (Delhi)

Poetry of Mary Oliver

The Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do--
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

-------------

“to live in this world
you must be able
to do three things
to love what is mortal;
to hold it

against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go”

- Mary Oliver

From: http://www.poetseers.org/contemporary-poets/mary-oliver/mary-oliver-poems/

Hollow Bones

Elder's Meditation of the Day January 7
"When we become hollow bones there is no limit to what the Higher Powers can do in and through us in spiritual things."
--Frank Fools Crow, LAKOTA
If we want to be of maximum use to the Creator, we must ready ourselves to do so. if we are to become a channel for His purposes, we must prepare ourselves to do so. If we have resentment, fear, selfishness, or anger, we are not hollow bones. We must be rid of these things. We must change ourselves. We must ask for forgiveness for ourselves and forgive our brothers and sisters. We must keep our insides clean. We cannot use our power in a good way when we have blockages such as hate, judgement, and envy. When we are free of these things the Higher Powers can use us beyond our wildest imagination. Then we can really help ourselves and help our people. Only when we are hollow bones can we have an effect on the world.

Oh Great Spirit, remove from me the things that block my usefulness to You. Remove from my day all thinking that is out of harmony with Your ways. Grant me Your peace and allow me to function as a hollow bone.