After an empowering meditation on the Earth Spirit this morning, I decided to create my impressions of the Earth Spirit with digital art, a new medium that I am getting involved in of late.
It was interesting that everyone tapped into similar aspects in the meditation.
Original digital artwork, “Earth Spirit”, by Janine Donnellan
(Click on the image for a larger view)
There has been a significant amount of chaos prevailing in and around my life over the past few months. This chaos has precipitated a reflective mood as I digest and ruminate over the events. The end result of this calamity has given me cause to deliberate over the nature of the Cosmic Laws, and how it applies to the human kind.
Occasionally you run into someone who is hiding behind the banner of spirituality, in reality their motives are self-gratifying and counter productive to anything truly spiritual; they live by the ‘anything goes’ or the ‘everyone for themselves’ principle. Some say that this principle is called the Law of the Jungle but this is a common misconception. In actuality it is the exact opposite; when Rudyard Kipling wrote the poem the Law of the Jungle, he was trying to emphasize that ‘the law’ is about the virtues of loyalty, keeping your promises, courage, and respect for other people and acting in accordance with the good of the all. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling tells the story of Mowgli, a boy separated from his mother by a hungry tiger, who is adopted by a loving wolf pack that teaches him the true nature of the law of the jungle. The first verse of ‘The Law of the Jungle’ states:
Now this is the Law of the Jungle — as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back –
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
Unfortunately, the ‘good of the all’, ‘the strength of the pack’ gets lost when people deliberately enforce their own private agendas to the detriment of everyone else. I often question if the Law of Return or the Karmic Laws does have an impact on those that break ‘the law’ assuming that these laws actually exist. One can only hope that there is such a system of applied justice.
Over the centuries there has been much idealism about the ‘good of the all’ for example, ‘All for one, and one for all’ (un pour tous, tous pour un) a motto traditionally associated with the King’s Musketeers in the novel The Three Musketeers written by Alexandre Dumas. In the novel, it was the motto of a trio of French musketeers named Athos, Porthos and Aramis who stayed loyal to each other through thick and thin.
I guess in life you will meet all kinds of people. There are those you meet that have pure intentions, that touch your heart and soul and you give thanks that you are part of their life and they are a part of yours. Through love and support the sense of ‘all’ grows stronger and stronger. Then there are those that are self seeking and create chaos and division; these people randomly come into your life for a reason and can often help you appreciate what you have and can give you the impetus to change what needs to be changed.
I must admit that I’m done with the chaos for the time being and I am looking forward to the ‘going within’ which comes with the onset of the colder months. Samhain is only a few weeks away but already I feel the thinning veil and I long for the comfort of submersing myself into the darkness as I am far more at home and safe in the familiar landscapes of the Otherworlds.
All is one: Nothing stays the same.
In this meditation (which was a part of the “13 Megaliths” ritual conducted by SOL on April 10, 2009) I find myself surrounded by a fog bank and as I move through it Stonehenge appears. Merlin is standing there to greet me and he directs me into the stone circle. I notice that Lilith is crouching on top of one of the megaliths in her serpent aspect. She jumps down and walks alongside Merlin and me, into the centre of the circle.
Original digital artwork, “Lilith the Serpent”, by Janine Donnellan
Within the circle the priestesses of Avalon are assembled for a ritual around a large stone altar which has a spiral design engraved into it. Immediately Lilith jumps upon the altar and proceeds to dance provocatively. The priestesses begin to sing and the High Priestess Vivienne enters the circle carrying a large athame with a mother of pearl handle which has a large hole in its centre. Vivienne raises the athame into the air and positions it in such a way that the hole captures the profile of the full moon. The moon’s rays penetrate the hole and radiates the area of the altar. Vivienne then takes the athame and cuts her right hand and then places her hand over the altar so that the blood drips directly onto the altar. Each priestess in turn cuts her hand and gives blood to the altar.
As each person sacrifices some of their life force to the altar, the blood merges and starts to move around the spiral into the centre of the altar where a small sink hole delivers the blood to the earth. The blood then penetrates the ley lines directly under the Stonehenge which in turn feeds, nourishes and gives healing to mother Earth.
Lilith takes the athame and cuts her hand and then takes my hand and cuts my hand and she presses our hands together. She looks directly at me and says that its part of a shift and that our energies are being merged. Each priestess within the circle presses their hands together allowing the energy to flow from one to another. At that point the meditation ends and I find myself back in the hall.
Mother of Pearl
Mother of Pearl signifies faith, innocence, enhances personal integrity, and helps to provide focus to ones attention. The pearl has been known as a “stone of sincerity”, bringing truth to situations and loyalty to a “cause”. It has been used to inhibit boisterous behaviour, and to provide a reflection of the self such that one may see the manner in which one appears to others. This stone is good for protection.
Mother of Pearl info from http://www.e-jewel.co.il/en/Site_Page_number.aspx?PageID=232
More information regarding the 13 Megaliths Ritual (which included “The Henge” meditation) and past SOL Full Moon Circles can be found in our Book Of Shadows. Please contact us for further details if you would like to attend our Full Moon Circles.
Chaos theory attempts to explain the fact that complex and unpredictable results can and will occur in systems that are sensitive to their initial conditions. This is known as the Butterfly Effect. It states that, in theory, the flutter of a butterfly’s wings in China could, in fact, actually affect weather patterns in New York. In other words, it is possible that a very small occurrence can produce unpredictable and sometimes extreme results by triggering a series of increasingly significant events.
The butterfly that caused the chaos to our Dark Moon circle recently was an intruder of the physical kind that interrupted our meditation and who seemed to herald the onset of chaos. The intrusion definitely resulted in an interesting night by all accounts and our group was certainly shaken out of our comfort zone. At the time I felt that this was a sign of a major shift in energy and the intruder was merely a messenger to forewarn the unexpected. Spirit always acts in partnership with us on this evolutionary journey. Nothing happens by coincidence, everything is planned and staged so that we meet our goals, and sometimes the experiences can be negative in order to help shift our attitudes and self-perception from complacency.
Chaos has been reflected in many aspects of my life since this event. Unexpected opportunities have arisen, some leading to blind alleys and others turning out to have great potential. If we go with the flow, chaos can shift us beyond our limited existence in order to create new and exciting possibilities. This chaos can also catapult us to a higher level of personal and spiritual development if we can integrate it into our lives rather than resist it. If we yield to chaos and learn from it, chaos can be an incredible teacher. The uncertainty and ambiguity of chaos often gives way to greater clarity and understanding of our higher purpose.
Lunar eclipses are benchmarks in times of change and the energies can be quite volatile. It can affect the planet, weather, the financial markets, political events, our relationships and often, it is associated with natural and man-made disasters.
A lunar eclipse always takes place at the time of a full moon, magnifying its effects. All full moons bring matters to fulfillment and cycles to fruition. This year, the first lunar eclipse of the year occurred in Leo, a fire sign. The astrological sign of Leo is also associated with the tarot card Strength, which represents strength, courage and determination, attributes that so many people will be drawing on over the next few months.
The Victorian firestorms that coincided with the lunar eclipse have been horrendous. I can’t even begin to imagine how the victims of the recent bushfires feel. I don’t even know how you carry on after such devastation. I certainly can understand the desire to extract some kind of meaning and understanding from the horrific images that have flooded our television screens and newspapers in recent days.
With so much pain and grief still being felt across the nation it is a time to grieve with those who mourn and stand in solidarity with those who have lost so much. The time for trying to fully process what has happened and to understand the events will come but first we must allow the season of grief to take its course and the season of healing to begin.
Crisis often brings out the best in people and what we have seen in the past few days is unprecedented courage, selflessness and generosity. For the first time in a long time, we are experiencing real community spirit. The journey of healing now begins; healing from our heart can uplift and transform. It can bring us into alignment with the deepest and most precious aspects of ourselves, and hopefully, this time of community and service will bring us into a new identity that is based not solely on our individual needs, but on an awakened consciousness, that experiences itself as one with all life.
Every now and then something happens, which makes you stop and take stock of life: an event or an experience, which forces the mind to take a pause from the mundane, to reassess priorities and to re-evaluate one’s life.
2008 had been one of those challenging years, physically, mentally and spiritually which has precipitated much contemplation on our journey through 2009 and beyond. I refuse to allow the negativity that one is confronted with in the media to ensnare me. Yes, we are all faced with serious challenges but with positive attitudes and action, I believe we can manoeuvre these difficult times and bring about a positive transformation to our life.
Now is not the time for past regrets, we are being propelled forward at breakneck speed to live our truth, to embrace life with new vision and to live it to the max. The time is now ripe, for each of us to rise above ourselves, and to be the change that we want to see in the world. So Happy New Year and blessings to everyone and lets make sure what ever happens during 2009 we set aside time for some fun and laughter.
“We can continue to try and clean up the gutters all over the world and spend all of our resources looking at just the dirty spots and trying to make them clean. Or we can lift our eyes up and look into the skies and move forward in an evolutionary way.” ~ Buzz Aldrin
(Written December 19, 2008 by Janine)
“In every difficult situation is potential value. Believe this, then begin looking for it.” ~ Norman Vincent Peale
2008 has definitely been a challenging year for most people and no doubt a year that will redefine our way of living and thinking over the next few years. The summer solstice has now arrived bringing with it an opportunity for us to stop and take stock and to assimilate all that has been rapidly developing over the past twelve months.
If we take a look at the numerological aspects of 2008 we see that this year added up to a number 1-year, which is a number that gives rise to new, unexpected and extraordinarily challenging life conditions. As 2009 looms closer, we are no doubt wondering what further changes and challenges we will have to face over the next 12 months. The numerology for 2009 adds up to 11, which is a master number. This number symbolizes a critical point in our journey where major decisions will be required that will prove challenging for all of humanity and will bring about an adjustment or a state of balance to our lives.
I consulted the tarot to gain further clarification of this situation and I have drawn 2 tarot major arcana cards from the Glastonbury deck. The first card drawn relates to 2008, it is the Death card.
The Death card signifies an ending that leads to a new beginning. The Death card moves us on into action; it encourages us to push for change, to put behind us all of the factors that held us back and to sever connections that are no longer helpful to us and do not support us. In order to do this, we need to recognize any fears of change that can hinder us from moving into a new beginning. Life is in constant motion and this is the irony of the Death card. Death is never the end – it is simply a motion in a different direction.
The other card drawn represents the energy for 2009 and it is the Wheel of Fortune.
The Wheel of Fortune is about consequence, it may mean that we should consider our actions and how they are affecting ourselves and others around us. Since ancient times, the Wheel has been a symbol for mobility, revolution, and cycles. The Wheel is symbolic of the natural flow of life, and we should allow ourselves to just go with the flow.
A change is coming into our lives, and no one knows whether it will be a change for the better. Even if it does not seem to be what we want, this change will move us in a new, and perhaps surprising, direction. I believe we have now entered one of the most important periods in human history.We have the opportunity to lift ourselves to new levels of consciousness, spirituality and responsibility – lets not squander this opportunity to make a difference to our lives and our precious planet.
I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of Spheres of Light to wish you all peace, joy and harmony for the New Year and have a safe and happy holiday season.
Janine
December 19, 2008
(Written November 20, 2008 by Janine)
The energy of Beltane was very vibrant and alive this year. Love was definitely in the air, and during our Beltane ritual we celebrated the union between the Great Mother and her young Horned God; their coupling representing the bringing of fresh new life on earth. No doubt some form of this Great Rite was enacted on this sabbat in nearly every pagan circle in the Southern Hemisphere.
What made this Beltane particularly special for me was the wedding of my daughter last Friday. It was the pinnacle of a year of planning, it was a perfect day and she looked absolutely stunning. I must thank the dragons for ensuring a lovely warm bright sunny day for the ceremony and the most spectacular display of lightning during the reception, no human fireworks could ever compete with Mother Nature.
Beltane is a good time to build on the changes that we have made in recent months, as it is the most potent and fertile part of the year’s cycle. Nature is now coming into full bloom and this is the time for us to fully realize our dreams. Make love, hug a tree, bloom like a flower, share your magical human energy with others and celebrate the fertility and potency of life.
The Taurus Full Moon coupled with the fertility of Beltane is the perfect time to celebrate who we are. Remember that everything is a reflection of what is happening within us and when we recognise that we are amazing beings of light we can see it reflected like the full moon’s rays all around us.
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
Janine
November 20, 2008
(Written October 10, 2008 by Janine)
On an emotional and spiritual level spring connects us to the spirit of birth, renewal, growth, expansion, and all that is creative. It is also a time for the warrior within to emerge ready to take on new challenges and to incorporate disciplinary processes to ensure that we have the focus to pursue our goals and creative projects. It is a time of hope and inspiration, and a time to take ourselves out of the comfort zone and stretch our selves as the new sapling that allows itself to bend in the spring wind.
Over the next few months we will definitely be bending with the wind as this global economic crises bites in. Interestingly the Chinese symbol of crisis can mean “opportunity” in a time of “danger”. At the dawning of this spring lets hope that we can utilise and work with this energy to bring about positive changes and new opportunities to the world we live in.
This economic catastrophe has been predicted for sometime and now it has hit the fan we have no other choice but to go with the flow. There is a purpose to this shift and I believe that there will be more major changes coming over the next few years that will challenge and expand our horizons.
What is occurring is a change of emphasis from greed to a more caring humanity based system, well that’s what I am hoping for anyway. Perhaps we will see a more balanced distribution of resources. There is no denying that we are all in for a bumpy ride and as a community we should be ready to support each other in these challenging times.
I decided to consult the tarot to help understand this situation and I have drawn 2 tarot cards from the Glastonbury deck. The first card drawn is the Chariot, and this is where we find ourselves at the moment:
The Chariot indicates positive change. You may not feel like it is at the moment but if you move your energy into a positive outlook it will become so. You are moving into a new and higher dimension in your life and you are being faced with a choice and now is the time to take charge of the opportunities that come to you.
This card also signifies the ability to look deep within yourself, and to be guided by your intuition. There is a need to tie up any loose ends in your life, so that you can move forward freely. The Chariot reminds you that although the body is governed by the mind, both of these are subject to the will and the spirit. There is a plan in place and you just need to trust what spirit has in mind.
The other card drawn represents the outcome of this current situation, the card drawn is the Maid of Chalices.
The Maid of Chalices represents the ability to give freely of yourself to the earth and to those around you. There is a kind of innocence and purity in this card, and an openness to what feels fresh and new. You can now be receptive to the ideas, energies, and feelings of others, and can rely on your intuition to know who you can or cannot trust.
This is a time of hope, where you can afford to be flexible and open-hearted. This card also signifies a new and tender beginning to a relationship with those around you and to spirit, and the ability to put your trust in another.
No doubt there are going to be important choices to be made and I believe if we focus on bringing in positive changes and on love and community we will get through this time of “opportunity” with flying colours.
“To Save The World we need new ways of thinking, creative ideas, and stepping out of the conventional. We need networking and discussion amongst all levels of society and a bringing together of people from all aspects of society including representatives of Government, Universities, Business and Industry,Medicine and the Military and especially the ordinary person to seek for innovative solutions. We need new science, new understanding of the Universe, of the nature of life and Death and the infinite potential of the Human Mind. We need to be open and have openness of dialogue.”
~ Dr Mike Ellis – The New Paradigm – International Journal of Economic Humanism, Medicine & Conscious Evolution http://www.newparadigmjournal.com
Janine
October 10, 2008
(Written September 16, 2008 by Janine)
Well after a colder than normal winter, spring has finally made its grand entrance with a spectacular warm day last Saturday followed by a fresh cleansing downpour of rain and then gusts of wind to blow away any leftover residual energy and to bring in the new energy of the season.
This is the time of year when our thoughts turn to ’spring cleaning’. The most common usage of spring cleaning refers to the annual act of cleaning a house from top to bottom, however it has also come to be synonymous with any kind of heavy duty cleaning or organising enterprise on a personal, national and sometimes a planetary basis. In fact have you noticed that there seems to be a massive spring cleaning going on all over the world at the moment, particularly with the aftermath of Ike symbolically bringing with it the winds of change? No doubt we will all experience the ripple effect with the crash of so many investment banks and the faltering US economy.
Change is the current catchphrase of so many politicians and change we will have, which after all it is the only constant in our life. There is no doubt that we are entering a period of turbulence which is all part of the natural cycle of life. The only way a system regains its balance is to let go of what is redundant; which includes life styles, monetary systems and hopefully governments. Once this takes place the system can rejuvenate itself thus allowing itself to recycle back up to a new evolutionary level of creation.
It is comforting to know that everything in this Universe has an ending point and a starting point and everything IS as it should be.
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin’
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changing
Bob Dylan
Janine
September 16, 2008
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