Water Is Life...

He that will learn to pray,
let him go to the sea.

~George Herbert~

Nothing in the world is more
flexible and yielding than water.
Yet, when it attacks the firm and
the strong, none can withstand it,
because they have no way to change
it.  So the flexible overcome the
adamant, the yielding overcome the
forceful.  Everyone knows this, but
no one can do it.

~Lao Tzu~

When the well is dry, we know the
worth of water.

~Ben Franklin~

Life originated in the sea, and about
eighty percent of it is still there.

~Isaac Asimov~

The oceans are the planet's last great
living wilderness.  Man's only remaining
frontier on earth, and perhaps his last
chance to produce himself a rational
species.

~John L. Culley~

Water is the driver of nature.

~Leonardo da Vinci~

Don't you realize that the sea is the
home of water?  All water is off on a
journey unless it's in the sea, and it's
homesick, and bound to make its way
home someday.

~Zora Neale Hurston~

I learned this past week that each
time we breathe out we release
droplets of water...in that release
we need to realize we are sending
love back to the Water...so think
about that please when you exhale.
This was told to my Dear Sister
Singing Water by an Elder and it
moved me profoundly...I am so
grateful she shared it with me.

I Pray You a Most Profound
Experience with Water, no matter
where you are, or what you are
doing.

A'HO!

A Beautiful Sharing...

I wanted to share with all of you this
most beautiful Water Ceremony as it
was shared with me.  I asked for
permission to reshare it here and
Rev. Vajra Ma graciously gave that
permission, so I thank her profusely!

If you would like to use it you must ask
permission to do so, as in ceremony or
ritual all things are Sacred and Honored.

The beautiful poem shared by Persephone
Wolfshadow is very moving and touched
me to the core.

Thank You!

Water ceremony at the Southern Oregon Temple of the Goddess Sunday, June27, 2010, in solidarity with ceremony held in New Orleans, Minneapolis and around the world— “Apology to the Spirit of the Sea, for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill” (photo--Yoruba altar with Yemaya, at SOTG)


Eight congregants and presiding Priestess Vajra Ma did ceremony with fresh local spring water that had been gathered that morning, contained in a brilliant blue altar chalice. First, Priestess Vajra Ma sprinkled some of the water on a sensually curved dried seaweed she had recently found at the ocean: Water returned to its source. Then she took the seaweed to the Temple’s Yoruba Altar and offered it to Yemaya, Goddess of the Ocean. She held up the chalice into the center of the circle while Persephone Wolfshadow read her devotional poem of apology and adoration to the spring water and the Waters of the World:

[excerpts] "…Sweet water, coming from the deepest earth…sweet and energizing as you are to us, we must treat your mother the ocean far better than we do…I’m so sorry my dear love water…I have seen your beauty dear sister. I have felt your purity wash my soul of sadness . Your ocean surges and purges the hate of the world. You connect us to each other, all religions, water encompasses all. You nourish us in the womb and stay with us to death…we must protect you."

Vajra Ma then poured the water from the altar chalice into individual cups which each participant held to their heart, imbuing the water with gratitude and love, (knowing that water crystals respond as per Masuro Emoto's research and photographs).

We meditated on the countless times in our lives when we were blessed by water---drinking it, bathing in it, weeping and sweating it, cooking with it, seeing it in lakes, rivers, ocean and the sky, eating it in food, and in the many other ways water is part of our lives. We reflected on how we were mindful or unmindful of the blessing and interaction with water over the years. We sent gratitude and awareness to the times when we were not as mindful as we now know to be.

After imbuing the water in our cups with love and gratitude, we sent this same intention and vibration into the waters in our town, the pipes of the building we were in and the homes around us, into the streams and clouds and into the waters in the Rogue River that runs nearby. Into the water in our bodies and in all the human, animal and plant bodies in our region. Then we expanded this to the ocean and waters around the world into all countries, homes, creatures, plants and people, with special awareness of the waters and creatures which are poisoned from the oil-bleeding wound in the Gulf of Mexico.

Persephone read another devotional poem of praise and healing to the Mother Waters.[excerpts] “…O wondrous water dance with us, we will give you energy

to heal the wound we have created. We pour our magic at your sacred streams that course to the rivers which surge to the ocean. Our magick and intent will help nurse the ocean to health, without you life is impossible…”

We then handed the cup to the person next to us, acknowledging how our love and gratitude affects and flows to those around us. Then, one at a time, around the circle each person dipped their fingers into the water and anointed the forehead of the person to their left, pronouncing a blessing upon them, whatever words and feeling flowed from our heart---like water. And so nine blessings were spoken. Priestess Vajra Ma then brought the empty altar chalice to each person who poured their water back, refilling the chalice in offering to the Great Mother Water. What we offer is already and always Hers—Source--flowing from Her to us and back to Her. Water is one. (end of ritual)

WATER is the DIVINE MOTHER in action and She calling us to awaken. WATER is the MOTHER and MIRROR of the SOUL of HUMANITY and She is calling us to unite as one human family, to remember who we are. Along with my grief, I take heart in how all the degradation, disrespect, ignorance, greed and destruction humanity has perpetrated over the centuries is presently being reflected in WATER. Water is the final place, we can go no further, for SHE is LIFE. We must awaken or die. She is calling us to awaken. So be it!”
~ Rev. Vajra Ma ~

Pictures are of Yemaya the Ocean Mother,
and Rogue River.

Where Does the Time Go?

                                 I sort of feel like Old Hilda here
                                 with me seemingly going in two

                                 different directions or more, lol.

                                 It has been a very busy week for

                                 me!  Thank You Holly for sharing

                                     this awesome graphic!  :)

                                 The week started out with some
                                  tests at the hospital, running
                                 errands in between the times of
                                 heat that has pervaded our neck
                                  of the woods along with storms
                                 now...and just generally trying to
                               keep up with gardening, housework,
                               answering phone calls, letters, and
                              spending time with my Grandaughter,
                               who is now known affectionately as
                                 'Little Grandmother.'  She's the

                              spittin' image of her Grandma and is

                              a whirlwind on legs!  She has had me

                                 laughing so hard that my tummy

                              muscles hurt and that is a good thing!

                              Here is a pic of her in the tub that her

                             Dad just happened to catch and sent to

                              me on his phone...I don't usually post
                               pics of my babes on the internet but
                                    this is too cute not to share!

Okay, so I'm having problems centering

all of this stuff!  I hope it comes through

okay!?

Today is also the Birthday of My Dearest

Sister/Friend DancingFire...If you've never

been to her blog you must go check it out!

She shares her writings, dreams and visions

with such clarity and heart that you are

drawn in by the power of her words, and all

align with the Truth.  Give her a big ol' Birthday

hug while you're there too!  This is my favorite

picture of her...and is truly a reflection of

the Healer that she is...a Wise Woman indeed!

Yesterday while bopping around reading

everyone's blogs, I stopped in at Eclectic Armadillo's blog

and on it she had posted some information on Kapoc.

I had heard the word before but it sort

of took on a life of its own as I was

doing some research on it.  Our Grandmother's

used to use it to stuff furniture, pillows, 

and the like with it, so I just had to see

what kapoc was all about.

Whilst researching, I came across a blog

by Hilton Kean Jones.  He had taken

pictures of a kapoc tree in Florida

that is just phenominal!  Well, long

story short I was going to copy the pic

when I noticed he had copyright to it

and me being the kind of hairpin I am

fessed up and told him, and that I'd love

to use it for my desktop picture.

He very graciously agreed to let me

use it and as well to be able to use

it as a blog header, which I will share

with you.  Hilton has an incredible blog

for those of you who might like to peruse it.

He is quite the busy man.  His blogspot is

 http://inkwatu.com/ and his website is

http://hiltonkeanjones.com/   Of course

after seeing the picture of the kapoc

tree I had to share Merry Me's blog with him

and her picture of The Treaty Tree!  Florida

has some very powerful trees living there.

I'm sure the Standing Tall Ones love the

soil, air, sunshine, and humidity there.

So anywho....I learned lots about kapoc

yesterday, was gifted a wonderful photo

and made a new friend!  How's that for

wonderful!?  :)  What's more he wrote a

little note to me and as his signature

he shared this quote which really touched

my heart....

"Gratitude is something of which none of

                           us can give too much. For on the smiles,

                           the thanks we give, our little gestures of

                             appreciation, our neighbors build their

                               philosophy of life." -- A.J. Cronin

                 Hilton shared that he was humbled that I would want
                 to use his pic but I am the one who is humbled for his
                 graciousness to share, so thanks a million Hilton.  This
                 is the real stuff of life...the sharing and kind words and
                   those moments captured on film which touch us all!

                        I hope you all are continuing to send loving,
                        healing energies into Mother Earth's waters,
                         and holding that energy until such a time
                       when our waters reflect back to us the purity
                         of the HeartSongs we have sent to them.

                  I wish for you a day of peace and clarity in all that
                   you do...a day of reveling in the simplistic...a day
                      of honoring who you are and where you have
                journeyed from and where you are now...and knowing
               you are loved beyond measure.  We are not alone, and
                        we are the ones we have been waiting for.
                   May Great Spirit Bless Each and Everyone of You!

                                                      

Spending Time With Family...

I'm spending some time with my
Grandson today....he's been having
a time dealing with his anger issues
of late...lots of stuff is now coming
up and out of him from all the things
that have happened....and that is
okay...I'd rather have it come out
than be bottled up inside.

His Momma is dealing with it like
a true Female Warrior, but even she
has a breaking point, so to give them
both some breathing space, I will go
and pick him up in a while and will
put him to work doing some things
for me. It will give him a chance to
earn a few centavos and maybe, just
maybe, some of that energy will be
worked off in a good way.

Good news is...he's doing waaaay
better in school!  Yes, he still has
his moments but since everyone has
gotten on board with helping him,
he's done a 360 and I am so happy
and grateful for that...Thank You
Blessed Universe!

So yup...I'm off to get my Grandson
and enjoy his essence...and after his
little work is done, we can sit down
and eat some brownies I baked and
just share from the heart.  It will be
cathartic for both of us.

Man oh man I love that child!  :)
He's been through so much and he
still smiles so beautifully...

My Hero...FireKeeper!