Mindless Cracker's blog: "Pagan Treasures"

There is a secret hour of the night when the Goddess rises in the moon, the great queen of all humanity, full of power and majesty. She shines on us, and all of us are enlivened by Her. all of us: animals, both wild and tame, and plants and trees, and even rocks, clouds and oceans, for everything has its rhythm, everything has its ebbs and flows. Whether in the air, on earth, or beneath the sea, everything is Hers. ~Apuleius, The Golden Ass The moon is, in many cultures, a symbol of feminine principle, representing the powerful cycles of nature we see all around us. But these cycles are as much within us as around us. Women, like the ocean, respond monthly to the call of the moon, our bodies linked with that pale luminary glow through our courses. But men may also respond to the lunar pull, in ways we do not understand without the visible evidence women's bodies provide. Male or female, our bodies are saltwater like the sea, and like the sea we are pulled by that great presence in our earthly sky, whom the ancients called the Queen of Night. Living with nature's cycles attunes us to our connection with the universe and its mistress. Attending to the cycles of the moon structures our lives into a natural ebb and flow, allowing us to grow aware of our need to have both in balance. )0( By Patricia Monaghan

~ A Faerie Flower Garden ~ Although most people are familiar with faeries from Celtic tales, faeries are familiar creatures from all over earth, from the Slavic countries to Southeast Asia, to the deserts of Arabia. The following are some of their favorites. Grow as many as you can, reasonably near to each other, to create a faerie bower that will welcome the wee folk and make them feel at home. Berry Bushes, Chamomile, Corsican Mint, Forget-Me-Nots, Foxglove, Hibiscus, Hollyhocks, Honeysuckle, Lavender, Lilac, Milkweed, Morning Glories, Pansies, Peonies, Primroses, Rosemary, Thyme, Vincas, Violets. Faeries like deep tangles of berries, herbs and flowers. Any place where ash, hawthorn and oak trees grow close together is reputedly guaranteed to house a faerie domain A source of water is always attractive and helpful to them. A pond or small waterfall is best but a birdbath works too. Statues, witch balls, lanterns and birdhouses provide interior decoration. Crystals attract faeries and stimulate plant growth, too. Make circles of clear quartz or strategically arrange larger crystal clusters near favorite plants or sources of water. Burn some faerie incense as a welcoming signal: Equal parts dried hollyhock and rosemary. ~ Fragrant Night Garden ~ If you need encouragement to go outside and moon gaze, or if you wish to create an enchanted setting for a little night magic, consider a selection of the following flowers. They may look innocuous enough during the daytime, but at night watch beautiful, luminous white flowers emerge. Not that you need to use your eyes: these flowers fill the night with their powerful, seductive fragrance. Angel's Trumpet, Evening Primrose, Moon Flower, Night Jasmine, Night Scented Stock, Ornamental Tobacco, Spider Flower ~ Fly Me To The Moon: An Astral Projection Pillow ~ Artemis is the Greek Goddess of the moon and magick. If you're trying to fly, sample Artemis' two favorite herbs: Four Ounces Dried Mugwort Four Ounces Dried Dittany Of Crete ~ Sun And Moon Psychic Bodyguard Dream Pillow Stuffing ~ This pillow provides the equivalent of a wonderful faerie tale: Brother And Sister To Watch Over You While You Sleep Four Ounces Dried Mugwort Four Ounces Dried St John's Wort A Tiny Piece Of Real Silver

Crystals & the Planets Sun Fertility, Growth Healing, High Magick, Illumination, Increase, Legal Matters, Magickal Energy, Masculine Energy, Money, Physical Energy, Potency, Prosperity, Protection, Success, and Vitality. Amber, Carnelian, Diamond, Orange Calcite, Quartz Crystal, Sunstone, Tiger's-eye, Topaz and Zircon. Moon Compassion, Dreams, Dream Magick, Family, Feminine Energy, Fertility, Gardening, Healing, High Magick, Home, Love, Peace, sleep, Spirituality. Aquamarine, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl, Pearl, Quartz Crystal, Sapphire, Selenite. Mercury Communication, Divination, Eloquence, Mental Magick, Studying, Travel and Wisdom. Agate, Aventurine, Mottled Jasper and Pumice. Venus Beauty, Children, Compassion, Family, Feminine Energy, Fidelity, Friendship, Happiness, Joy, Love, Luck, Meditation, Pleasure, Reconciliation and Women. Azurite, Blue, Green, Pink Calcite, Cat's-eye, Chrysocolla, Coral, Emerald, Jade, Green Jasper, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Olivine, Peridot, Blue, Green, Pink, Watermelon Tourmaline and Turquoise. Mars Courage, Defensive Magick, Healing, Masculine Energy, Physical Strength, Politics, Protection and Sexual Energy. Bloodstone, Flint, Garnet, Onyx, Red Jasper, Red Tourmaline, Ruby, Sardonyx and Watermelon Tourmaline. Jupiter Good Fortune, Growth, High Magick, Increase, Luck, Meditation, Mental Magick, Psychic Energy, Spirituality, Ritual Magick and Wish Magick. Amethyst, Lepidolite and Sugilite. Saturn Centering, Grounding, Karma, Protection and Purification. Alum, Apache Tear, Black Tourmaline, Brown Jasper, Coal, Hematite, Jet, Obsidian, Onyx and Salt. Pluto

Think of your childhood role models that influenced your life: Poppy King for her revolutionary red lipstick; Xena Warrior Princess for her ball-busting abilities; Anastacia for making blue sunglasses cool and Kylie Minogue for proving little people can be glam too. They all glow with attributes to admire – courage, integrity and an amazing sense of purpose, to name but a few of the signs of a powerful, well-nourished inner goddess. It is energy you can exude yourself, simply by reconnecting with your inner goddess and setting her free. It can be as simple as rejuvenating your chakra energy centers, using affirmations and positive mantras and being conscious of your own powerful, dormant goddess energy Here is an A to Z guide of attributes that you can use to tap into goddess energy so others too can see your essential self. * Abundance – You can ask the Universe for an abundance of material, emotional or spiritual things, providing you are not greedy or selfish in your request. Give yourself permission to receive what is coming to you. Invoke Fortuna for wealth, Gaia for food and nourishment of the soul, and Ishtar when visualizing achieving your prosperity. * Balance – Being able to remain calm amidst change can be a challenge, especially when it comes to retaining your boundaries and identity. You need to keep your feet steady on the ground, yet remain flexible to bend with the storms. Pallas will help you draw on her gifts of diplomacy, respect and resilience to negotiate your way. * Creativity – There's no goddess like Pele for finding that creative spark, but sometimes other forms of creativity are required. For example, Athena will help you with creative reasoning, IxChel will inspire you with emotional creativity and Ishtar will help remove blockages in your creative stream. * Decisiveness – We're all faced with impossible decisions at times, or it may just be that procrastination is blocking your progress. Persephone will give a boost with inner knowledge to make those decisions, Ishtar will give you the determination to see them through, and Isis gives you perseverance to stick with it. * Empowerment – Courage to stick with your ideals and instinct is part and parcel with empowerment. Yielding to situations against your will only serves to dis-empower you. Athena's influence will uplift you with independent and resourceful energy to maintain your personal power and keep that heart of yours brave. * Faith – Believing you can achieve the impossible requires mountain-loads of faith. First, you need to release fear, and then comes learning how to have complete trust in your ability to create your own destiny. Isis will help you develop your intuitive powers, and refine your knowledge that what you truly desire is what you can manifest. * Generosity – The Universal law of three-fold return means the more you give away, the more comes back to you. Spider Woman will guide you in giving freely of your love, time, energy and resources, and Kwan Yin will give you the compassionate base from which to start. * Humour – When Demeter was pining for her daughter and withholding fertility from the world, cheeky Baubo danced and performed merrily, inducing the Great Mother to laugh and take some nourishment – just long enough for the crops to flourish again. Laughter heals the deepest pain, so follow Baubo's example, and laugh your woes away. * Integrity – Regardless of challenging adventure, or simply in the routine of daily life, threats to your integrity can test the strongest of women. At these times, moon goddess Artemis brings the gift of strength to deny forces that inhibit you. Know that you are a powerful being able to bring an end to destructive forces in order to stay true to you. * Joy – Joy is more than just happiness. Happiness is contentedness, whereas joy is about electricity. Take the time to chase pure, invigorating, blissful joy. When infused with Bast's bliss, the charge of energy is enough to send you leaping for the nearest cake. It's about having your cake and eating it too, after all. * Knowledge – There are many kinds of knowledge. Cognitive, intuitive, intellectual, spiritual, and good old-fashioned wisdom. Each type is energized differently – business acumen is ruled by Athena, Diana and Ishtar, for example, whereas Isis and Nuit rule spiritual knowledge. In any case, knowledge stems from unprejudiced openness. * Lightness – Carry no baggage in order to travel light. Unclutter your surroundings, clear out negative energy and welcome in radiant new light. Amaterasu is a shining example of how adversity can help us to 'blossom and bloom' more at times. She will help you look for the lesson to be learned when the adverse times arrive. * Magic – "Double, double toil and trouble, Fire burn and cauldron bubble, " says Hecate, the crone Witch goddess whose mysterious magic steers you in the right direction at times of crossroads. Her catalytic energy lets you seem a dream but prove real – all you need to do is believe, and bewitch those around you with your biggest smile. * Natural – Wild women do, and they don't regret it. Get in touch with nature, that is. Diana resounds with the places in your inner psyche, the part of you that hungers for more than daily routine. Quench the needs of the wild-child within – feel the grass under your bare feet and the sun on your face as you get back to nature, and being natural. * Optimism – Having faith that everything will be okay and having courage to see it through – optimism changes what appears to be fate and allows you to be bold and restructure, to investigate your beliefs and to follow your heart. Use Pele's volcanic energy to keep you fired up and rearing to meet your challenges. * Playfulness – Play is a perfect way to keep your inner child healthy and happy. Allow yourself time to daydream; give yourself permission to play outdoors and make sure you go to bed each night knowing you have been spontaneous that day, and that you have allowed Baubo's infectious energy to get you giggling countless times. * Quiet – Time for introspection, relaxation, observation and calm makes you more receptive to the calming influence of Oshun. She teaches you to "go with the flow" of your instincts to find inner tranquility. Just as water ebbs and flows, be generous with your time for yourself during an "ebb, " and for others during a "flow". * Relationships – Friendships, colleagues, soul-mates, family and even strangers. We juggle hundreds of relationships in our lives and they are rarely easy. Venus is the flirtatious influence on our romantic lives, Juno presides at home, Artemis promotes the sisterhood, and Kwan Yin gives us the compassion we need to deal with everyone else. * Self-acceptance – How to love those thighs? Take a big does of Venus, goddess of beauty and love, and use her energy to foster a healthy self-esteem and noble sense of self-worth. Double up with Lilith, Diana or Ishtar to develop an honest projection of sexuality, and call on Gaia for grounded acceptance of your place in the world. * Transcendence – Transcendence is having the grace to rise above the daily bunkum. Invoke Kwan Yin's limitless capacity for compassion in order to learn tolerance, and use Spider Woman's wisdom to be thankful for all challenges sent your way – they serve to help you go beyond your limits and become a stronger, well-balanced person. * Understanding – Everyone has their own cross to bear. Put judgment of others aside, and instead call on Isis' higher intuition to become more perceptive and compassionate to their needs. Practice kindness and spiritual intelligence, and listen well to what those around you are saying. * Vitality – Goddess-inspired women glow with inner health and well-being. Gaia gives you vitality, health and sustenance, while Ishtar and Rhiannon give you a clear awareness of your self-worth. Call on Diana to get motivated and active, and use Yemaya's healing powers that are carried in water. * Warmth – Be a magnet for positive energy by emitting warm energy yourself. Shine with an abundance of love, and give it away as much as you can. Be honest, make eye contact, share experiences, nurture your goals and others'. Be the embodiment of Isis' feminine divine, and welcome Kwan Yin's weightless and free gift of love. * _Expression – Self-_expression, articulation and communication are all attributes governed by goddesses such as Medussa, Rhiannon and Athena. They all help you to put into words what it is you wish for, then to ask for it. As long as you believe you deserve it, their energy will help you manifest your dream. * Young at Heart – Perpetuate the circle of life and enjoy a cycle of constant rejuvenation and renewal. Energies ebb and flow, but don't despair if you find yourself low. Call on Persephone to help you break free of destructive habits and take charge of your life with renewed vigor and restored innocence. * Zest – Passion for life, love and everything in between drives us to achieve the A to Z of goddess attributes. Use Kali's unwavering strength to power your way forward, and Freja's passion to win the battles you may encounter on the way. Be inspired by Aphrodite, and embrace Eostre's passion for the new direction your life is taking.

13 Ways To Celebrate Yule Light up your house on Solstice Night to remember that the light will return. Use candles, twinkle lights and light a Yule log if you have a fireplace. Send Yule cards. Make your own (kids love this) or buy them. You can find Christmas cards that are patently Pagan featuring holly wreaths, Yule logs, partridges, etc. Pagan and Pagan-friendly folks will be delighted to receive them. The rest won't know the difference. String popcorn and cranberry garlands for your Yule tree. After Twelfth Day or whenever you take down the Yule tree, hang them outside on trees and bushes for birds and small wildlife to share. Make a Yule log. A fireplace without a Yule log on Solstice Night is a wasted fireplace. Tell stories. Gather friends and family around the fire and tell the story of The Oak King and the Holly King. Decorate your home. Decorate a tree the day before Yule and leave it up at least until Twelfth Night. Make your own decorations and let the kids pitch in. Make a tree topper for your Yule tree. Make wreaths to decorate your door and home. Decorate your house and tree with cones, golden apples from the craft store, images of the Sun, Moon and Stars, Triple Goddess motifs, images representing the four quarters, images representing the wheel of the year, garlands and anything that reminds you of the season. Use lots of red, green and gold. If at all possible, bring in a small live potted tree on Yule eve instead of using a cut tree. If you use a cut tree, find out about proper disposal. Many communities accept cleaned Christmas and Yule trees to mulch and use in parks and other community areas. Build a Yule altar in a place where the family gathers often. Place it on a coffee table or dinner table and decorate it with red, green and gold candles, pine cones, symbols of the Sun and the Triple Goddess. Include a miniature Yule log and other hand-made decorations. Have a Yule Feast. It is customary to feast on Solstice eve after sundown. Have a Yule ritual. Remember that this is a religious celebration, not a secular holiday. Write a ritual if you know how. If you don't, modify a borrowed ritual and promise yourself that you will write your own next year. Stand Vigil. On Solstice night, after the Yule feast and ritual are done and the little ones are in bed, plan to stand vigil to await the Dawn. Get together with other Pagans or Pagan-friendly friends and family. Serve wassail. Talk about the meaning of Yule. If you're in a baking mood, start a batch of Yule Bread for breakfast. Bake a yellow cake or yellow cupcakes to celebrate the Sun's birthday. Welcome the Dawn. Wake up the kids and go outside before dawn. Meditate on the coming light and say a Solstice Blessing. If you have little ones, stick a yellow birthday candle on a round yellow cake and sing Happy Birthday to the Sun as he rises. Celebrate the Sun's birth with a breakfast of yellow foods. Serve orange juice, pancakes, corn muffins, Yule Bread, fried eggs, corn flakes and any sun-dried foods such as raisins and prunes. Use bright yellow napkins and set yellow flowers on the table. Cut out place mats from yellow construction paper and have the kids decorate them. Go outside and let the sun shine on your face. Write an essay or make an entry in your Book of Shadows. Next year when you again celebrate Yule, you will have reminders to yourself of things to try out, what worked, what didn't and suggestions for next year. If you have children, ask them to write a short essay on their Yule celebration and to draw pictures.