Find Religion

Today’s Santa is a folk figure with multicultural roots. He embodies characteristics of Saturn-Roman agricultural god, Cronos- Greek god, also known as Father Time, the Holly King- Celtic god of the dying year, Father Ice/Grandfather Frost- Russian winter god, Odin/Wotan- Scandinavian/Teutonic All-Father who rides the sky on an eight-legged horse, Frey-Norse fertility god, the Tomte- a Norse Land Spirit known for giving gifts to children at this time of year, and Thor- Norse sky god who rides the sky in a chariot drawn by goats. Julbock or Julbukk, the Yule goat, from Sweden and Norway, had his beginnings as carrier for the god Thor. Now he carries the Yule elf when he makes his rounds to deliver presents and receive his offering of porridge.
When Early Christians co-opted the Yule holiday, they replaced the ancient Holly King with religious figures like St. Nicholas, who was said to live in Myra (Turkey) in about 300 A.D. Born an only child of a wealthy family, he was orphaned at an early age when both parents died of the plague. He grew up in a monastery and at the age of 17 became one of the youngest priests ever. Many stories are told of his generosity as he gave his wealth away in the form of gifts to those in need, especially children. Legends tell of him either dropping bags of gold down chimneys or throwing the bags through the windows where they landed in the stockings hung from the fireplace to dry. Some years later Nicholas became a bishop, hence the bishop’s hat or miter, long flowing gown, white beard and red cape.
When the Reformation took place, the new Protestants no longer desired St. Nicholas as their gift-giver as he was too closely tied to the Catholic Church. Therefore, each country or region developed their own gift-giver. In France he was known as Pare Noel. In England he was Father Christmas (always depicted with sprigs of holly, ivy, or mistletoe). Germany knew him as Weihnachtsmann (Christmas man). When the communists took over in Russia and outlawed Christianity, the Russians began to call him Grandfather Frost, who wore blue instead of the traditional red. To the Dutch, he was Sinterklaas (which eventually was mispronounced in America and became Santa Claus). La Befana, a kindly witch, rides a broomstick down the chimney to deliver toys into the stockings of Italian children. All the Santas were arrayed in every color of the rainbow, sometimes even in black. But they all had long white beards and carried gifts for the children.

Winter was a time of death and stagnation in the eyes of early humans. The earth was barren and unproductive, shelter was drafty, disease was common, and food was scarce. Little wonder they did all in their power to assure the Sun’s return each year. During the festivals of the waning year, fire became a form of sympathetic magick to entice the Sun back to the earth. Bonfires were lit, flaming wheels rolled down hillsides, burning candles were placed in windows. Candles were later placed in the boughs of evergreen trees, later evolving into lights on our holiday trees.
Honor the new solar year with light. Do a Solstice Eve ritual in which you meditate in darkness and then welcome the birth of the sun by lighting candles and singing chants and Pagan carols. If you have an indoor fireplace or an outdoor fire circle, burn an oak log as a Yule log and save a bit to start next year’s fire. Decorate your home with colored lights. Because of the popularity of five pointed stars as holiday symbols, this is a good time to display a pentagram of blue or white lights.

The Oak King

The Wiccan God is the Lord of the Greenwood, consort to the Lady of the Greenwood. Known also as Cernunnos, the Green Man, Herne the Hunter, and Lord of the Wild Hunt, he is a god of fertility, growth, death, and rebirth.
Two God-themes figure predominantly in Wiccan Sabbats: the Sun-God theme and that of the Holly King and Oak King.
The Sun-God rules the seasons. At Yule, he is the new babe, the embodiment of innocence and joy. He represents the infancy of the returning light. At Imolg, his growth is celebrated, as the days are growing longer and light stronger. At Ostara, he is a green, flourishing youth whose eye is taken by the Maiden Goddess. On Beltane, he is the young man in love who takes the Goddess as his bride. Their consummated marriage is celebrated with maypoles and bonfires. At Midsummer, he consumates his marriage in a union so complete that it becomes a death. He is mourned at Lammas, and at Mabon, he sleeps in the womb of the Goddess. At Samhain, he waits in the Shining Land to be reborn.
The symbolism of the Horned God is also played out the theme of the Holly King and Oak King. The Horned God is the Holly King and the Oak King, two twin gods seen as one complete entity. Each of the twin gods rule for half of a year, fights for the favor of the Goddess, and dies. But the defeated twin is not truly dead, he merely withdraws for six months, some say to Caer Arianrhod, the Castle of the ever-turning Silver Wheel, which is also known as the Wheel of the Stars. This is the enchanted realm of the Goddess Arianrhod where the god must wait and learn before being born again. Arianrhod means “silver wheel” and the castle is the Aurora Borealis. She is the goddess of the astral skies and there she rules as goddess of reincarnation.
The golden Oak King, who is the light twin, rules from midwinter to midsummer. The darksome Holly King rules the dark half of the year from Midsummer to Midwinter.

Holly King

From the Celtic tradition, we get a pair of ancient pagan images who fight for supremacy at Yule. The Holly King and the Oak King are probably constructs of the Druids to whom these two trees were highly sacred. The Oak King kills the Holly King at Yule. The Oak King then reigns until Midsummer when the two battle again, this time with the Holly King as the victor. The Holly King, who has evolved into the present day Santa Claus, wears red, dons a sprig of holly in his hat, and drives a team of eight, (total number of solar sabbats) deer, an animal sacred to the Celtic Gods. Holly and mistletoe are traditional to the season through commemoration of the battle. The holly was hung in honor of the Holly King; the mistletoe in honor of the Oak King.
The Oak King and Holly King are mortal enemies at Midsummer and Yule, but they are two sides of a whole, and neither could exist without the other.

…And youth is wasted on the young! I am reminded today of my best friend who died  much too young; age 36, of breast cancer. Yesterday would have been  her 44th birthday and I can’t help but remember & miss her. I wish she was still around to laugh and talk with. She is one of the few people left in my life that knows my past, knows where I came from. There is something particularly special about that in a friend. Oh, I have other great friends who know me well. I’m an open book and generally will answer any question as truthfully as possible; which isn’t always pretty! But someone who ‘knew you when’ has a unique perspective on what makes you tick. If you have this kind of friendship in your life, then you are very blessed. If you don’t have a meaningful friendship, what is stopping you? A secret to friendship is seeing God/dess love behind every friendship.

If you have a friend, close or long lost, take a moment today to send them an email if you can. Or if you can’t reach them that way, send some good thoughts their way thru your heart connection. How many times has the phone rang while you were thinking about someone and then there they are on the other line? Our heart connection with our friend’s is just like that. There is no misunderstanding that is greater than the love a friendship holds. Oh, yeah, also, before I forget, if you have breasts, please give yourself a breast exam, or find someone who would doubly enjoying doing so. Life is too short as it is to let something that can be cured end anymore good & useful lives.

I love you Toni! Come visit me in my dreams tonight! We’ll go play, just like old times!

Toni Jean November 26, 1963 - June 10, 1999

Nice as can be! Great cook! Caring friend! Always there to lend a hand. Friend.

Beautiful blue eyes. Button nose. Brown hair. Italian stare. Always care. Friends forever. Daughter, sister, auntie, wife, mother. Step lightly for a dream lay buried here.

When I visited your grave  I thought I would be able to dance from the joy of loving you, calling you friend. I ended up drinking my tears in sadness and loss. I ate strawberries and drank tears; just as we ate strawberries and drank laughter together. Remembering you…

Today was another day infused with gratitude, serenity and goodwill. I drove around with my 4 year old daughter and the dog, spreading smiles and good vibes everywhere we went. The day began with my girl finding some jingle bells. As we drove down the road she jingled those bells right in time with the fantastic Latin music that the local radio station played. I rocked on the steering wheel as the dog had her head out the window in blissed out face full of wind, glee. Even though it was cold out, we had 3 of the windows down and the heater going full blast. As we drove in the canyon that links us to the outside world an impatient driver tailed us closely making me nervous. I waited for a safe spot and pulled of and she drove by giving us a friendly wave. I was glad to anticipate her need to get there sooner than me and I was left feeling all the more gracious for moving out of her way and going on in my own merry way.

Our first stop was at our favorite thrift store, where we picked up a recorder and some more bells so we could add to the musical mayhem. I insisted my daughter played the recorder ‘pretty’ instead of the full breath bleeeet that she preferred to play. As we exited the thrift store, I anticipated another person wanting to exit and grabbed the door to help her make her way. We shared a smile and some small courtesy talk and again I was left feeling gracious and buoyant.

As we drove on we seen an older fellow holding a cardboard sign asking for any ‘help, everything helps’. So I pulled a couple dollars and a coupon for a free taco out of my wallet to give him. He was so happy and said, “God Bless you”, over and over. I told him no problem, happy to help, sorry I didn’t have more to give him. He petted our sweet dog who lapped at his face and we left him feeling better than we found him. We drove on.

I was amazed at how receptive everyone was to us. We had nothing really to do today. No where in particular to go. We just needed a day out of the house as cabin fever settles in as the weather turns colder and we spend less & less time outside. We were happy to let the guy with only one item go in front of us in line, and to move aside for the hurried mom with 2 little ones in tow. By the time I got home, I was like a helium balloon flying high as I recalled the small ways I was able to spread a little joy and sunshine on this cloudy and overcast day.

Go out and spread your good graciousness. It feels great! I was so happy to be me today. I was happy to share the earth with my comrades in arms. I am grateful to be able to bring even the smallest joy. Bringing many small joys brought me great joy! I highly recommend it!

More cowbell, anyone?

I basked in the harvest of my gratitude today and found it created a calm graciousness in me. There is a woman speak thought that says when we steal, it is essentially telling God/dess that there is not enough in the world for everyone. This misconception is fundamentally wrong. There is enough for everybody;  more than enough. The way the world works now, wealth is hoarded, undistributed and the masses are truly hungering for ‘their own’. We can see this hungering in the crime we see in our poverty ridden communities who’s destitute lives have lost hope & meaning.

When I was gravely ill with a serious disease, that Christmas, on Christmas eve, in fact, we got a phone call from someone we had never met or spoken to. She told us her & the 4 H group and the local church had gotten together and got us a bunch of groceries. Boy, did they ever! We had so much stuff that we couldn’t even put it all away in the cupboards! It was a fantastic surprise that came out of no where and made our holiday for we were in dire need of some help. This act of kindness from complete strangers has reverberated in me since that day. The world has tried for many years to take away my dreams, my hopes, my strength and in one fell swoop my faith in humanity had been restored. It’s gratifying to know that one small act such as sharing with those in need can really make the difference for someone. Or for someone’s whole family!

I can’t give grocery carts full of food. But I can make homemade breads and shape it into Challahs, braids, bagels, ropes, pretzels, cinnamon rolls and other delights to share. I want to make it a season of literally breaking bread with my neighbor. As I sit here a fresh loaf of bread is cooling on the kitchen counter. I long to break bread and share with those who may not only be hungry in body but also in spirit. Bread is fundamentally a symbol of transformation as ground grain is brought to rise. I hope the bread (words) I share here can help even one of us to rise above the lip of the pan that is keeping us from spilling over into the world and nourishing one another with our kindness, generosity, thoughtfulness and love. Be someone’s simple, nourishing bread today by transforming someone’s day with something simple, even if it is just your genuine smile. You never know how far it will go, whose life it will touch and how it continues to grow. I want us to break big bread, like the episode of I Love Lucy when the loaf of bread rises so huge that it pins Lucy to the wall from it’s immense size. I want us all to be sharing the best of ourselves that rises to the top and gives the most life affirming and sustaining aspects of our character. Take this as a challenge of sorts. Where are you going to bring the bread of peace & community this season? What form is that going to take for you personally? Let yourself be transformed just as the ground grain is transformed into body sustaining bread and kindness turns into the soul sustaining bread of life.

The most famous of all effigy mounds is the Great Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio. It spans 1,330 feet in length along its coils and averaging three feet in height.
Atop a plateau overlooking the Brush Creek Valley, Serpent Mound is the largest and finest serpent effigy in the United States. Nearly a quarter of a mile long, Serpent Mound apparently represents an uncoiling serpent. The construction of effigy mounds was a regional cultural phenomenon. Mounds of earth in the shapes of birds, bear, deer, bison, lynx, turtle, panther or water spirit are the most common images.
In the late nineteenth-century Harvard University archaeologist Frederic Ward Putnam excavated Serpent Mound and attributed it’s creation of the to the builders of the two nearby burial mounds, which he also excavated. We now refer to this culture as the Adena (800 BC-AD 100). A third burial mound at the park and a village site near the effigy’s tail belong to the Fort Ancient culture (AD 1000-1550).
A more recent excavation of Serpent Mound revealed wood charcoal that could be radiocarbon dated. Test results show that the charcoal dates to the Fort Ancient culture. This new evidence of the serpent’s creators links the effigy to the elliptical mound and the village rather than the conical burial mounds.
The head of the serpent is aligned to the summer solstice sunset and the coils also may point to the winter solstice sunrise and the equinox sunrise. Today, visitors may walk along a footpath surrounding the serpent and experience the mystery and power of this monumental effigy. A public park for more than a century, Serpent Mound attracts visitors from all over the world. The museum contains exhibits on the effigy mound and the geology of the surrounding area.

Visit the National Parks Service website for tourist and other information.

http://www.nps.gov/efmo/index.htm

The Effigy Mound Culture extends from Dubuque, Iowa, north into southeast Minnesota, across southern Wisconsin from the Mississippi to Lake Michigan, and along the Wisconsin-Illinois boundary. The counties of Dubuque, Clayton, and Allamakee contain almost all the effigy mounds found in Iowa

This is a description from wikipedia that I thought is an interesting read. Enjoy.

Goddess worship is a general description for the veneration of a female deity or deities. Many New Age Goddess devotees prefer the term goddess spirituality, avoiding the term “worship” for a faith that does not distance the Divine into a remote, hierarchical separation. Goddess veneration may be also used instead of “worship”, as it can imply respect and intimacy without undue deference. In such contexts, “spirituality” is often preferred to “religion” because major organised religions have not recognized the concept of a goddess, or goddesses, with the notable exception of Hinduism.

Goddess worship can be conservative, supporting male dominance, state control, and empire building; or it can be feminist, challenging those all patriarchal traditions. It can and usually does support women’s ancient, natural spiritual authority. In Western society goddess worship has developed into a distinct culture since the mid-19th century. Goddess worship is not necessarily feminist, though in Western societies the feminist version is probably the most articulate.

Modern day Goddess temples and churches in many forms are currently in operation all over the world. Some are small circles in (usually) women’s homes, and some are larger, federally registered non-profit churches that offer Sunday services like many other “traditional” churches. The first such modern church generally recognized is The Goddess Temple of Orange County, in Irvine, California. Usually, the services in such circles and churches is eclectic, and emphasizes a spirit of sharing of wisdom, rather than a leader lecturing a passive congregation.

Some goddess circles/churches/temples are “woman only” and others serve mixed groups. Women-only groups generally prefer to celebrate the Goddess in woman-only space for many reasons: 1) women hold a different frequency from men; 2) women cannot heal together from the ills of patriarchy while under the “male gaze.” 3) goddess celebration is usually and naturally woman-centered, and the “blood mysteries” of females is an essential part of this form of spirituality; men, with different bodies, cannot truly share in this form of spirituality, so dependent upon “body knowing”.

Pagan and Neopagan religions or denominations generally recognise goddess worship as one of their few areas of consensus. However, not all goddess worship is Pagan. More Christians are recognizing the Mary’s as goddesses, both Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene. The Jewish faith recognizes “Shekhinah.”

The female deity may be referred to in all inclusive terms, such as “The Great Goddess” or “Queen of Heaven”, or she may be referred to in more specific terms: Kali, Isis, or Kwan Yin. Frequently, because of her many names, she is known as “She of Ten Thousand Names.”

Some authors, the most notable of whom is Marija Gimbutas, believe goddess worship started in prehistoric times. They believe that artifacts from that period, such as the “Venus of Willendorf”, may be representations of power goddesses]]. However, it is difficult to prove the role of these artifacts conclusively as evidence surrounding their place in their society is scanty. Male scholars including Peter Ucko have asserted that the figurines in question were territorial markers, toys, sex aids, sex education models, and images of priestesses rather than goddesses. Those who hold, as Gimbutas did, that these ancient images are of the Female Divine believe that archaeology is a patriarchal and male-dominated field, which tends to belittle and trivialize what was an ancient, worldwide general religion honoring the Female Principle.

Those who are of Goddess Spirituality generally believe that Goddess religion is the root of all other religions, since cave paintings and etchings from the Paleolithic Era seem to support the notion that Goddess worship/veneration began at that time in human history. At 30,000 years old, these markings, such as those found at Lascaux, France, are clearly evidence of a form of female oriented worship/celebration much older than all modern day religions, and philosophies such as Buddhism, most of which are less than two to three thousand years old.

Trees are the highest form of plant life. They connect humans to the mysteries of life, divinity and transformation. Even their appearance is a lesson in rebirth, renewal and regeneration. In Northern Europe there are designated wish trees. They are successors to ancient pagan tree shrines where people once appealed to the spirit beings connected to the trees for help in solving problems. Today’s wish trees are often adorned with ribbons & offerings.
Spiritual insight can  be achieved through close contact with trees. Many inspirations are born while beneath the limbs of a tree. A consistent belief among some cultures are that a deva or tree spirit, is connected to each tree. Large or old trees are thought to be homes to wise beings. To American Indians, certain trees were allies to whom they could go for help during difficult times.

Trees try so hard to get our attention! Stretching out their limbs and dropping leaves, whistling the wind, hoping we will listen. They are shelter from the sun and from the world. They house and feed insect life, squirrels and birds. They give us the fruit and nuts that make life so wonderful & delightful  with their variety, textures and tastes.

Take time to talk to trees. They are good listeners. Be sure and listen when you ask a question. and trust what you hear.

Tirawa Atius is the great eternal God who created all things. He supplies the needs of all creatures and living things including the rock people, the four legged creatures and the creepy crawlers. He created the Path of the Departing Spirits, known to the White Man as the Milky Way. East of the Path is the Male Principle, the Morning Star. To the west is the Female Principle, the Evening Star. All that has ever happened and will ever happen has been ordained by Tirawa. The stars are his servants. From the east the Morning Star began to pursue Evening Star in order to make love to her, but she continued to elude him. She put hindrances in his path, but continued to beckon him all the while. Why? Because it was not yet time to make living things on the earth; and females always tease and flirt with males, as well as demand tests to prove men’s character.

The number ten has always had significance for human beings. This is because Evening Star placed ten obstacles in the way of her suitor. One of the hindrances was in the chaos beneath them. There was an endless sheet of water presided over by the Great Serpent. The Morning Star threw a ball of fire at the serpent, which caused the serpent to flee beneath the waves. As the fire hit the water, enough of the water dried up to reveal earth and rocks. From these materials, Morning Star threw a pebble into the sea of chaos and it became the earth.

When the earth was in its proper place, Tirawa appointed four lesser gods to administer it. They were East, West, North, and South. They joined hands at the edge of the great sea on earth and a land mass emerged.

Eventually, Morning Star caught up with Evening Star and made love with her. Soon Evening Star conceived a little daughter. When she gave birth to the little girl, she placed the child on a cloud and sent her to earth. High above the earth, Evening Star asked Morning Star to water her celestial garden. As a love gift, he made the first rain.

In the celestial gardens of Evening Star, there grew a great many plants, including Mother Maize, the greatest of food plants. Evening Star gave maize to her daughter as a gift to plant on the newly emerged earth. Soon the Sun and the Moon produced a son, who married the daughter of Evening Star and Morning Star. Daughter-of-Evening-and-Morning-Star and Son-of-Sun-and-Moon are the parents of all living human beings, as well as the first beings to cultivate maize.

Beautiful stories like these show us that we were created to enjoy a simple & wholesome life. That life is a blessing of love. All the earth’s delights are to be our wonder and joy.

Seeing the universe in a single stone or the rays of the sun in a flower’s face is the true magic. May you be one of the few blessed ones who still have the creativity and vision to evoke pleasure from the simplicity of the beauty around us.

White Buffalo Calf Woman is one of the most revered deities among the Native Americans in the United States. One of the gifts of White Buffalo Calf Woman was the suggestion that all children be taught to hold baby animals with love and caring, so that as they grow they will learn to love all the other babies of the world.

As the White Buffalo Calf Woman gave her instructions, the white buffalo calf that accompanied her rolled over four times, each time changing colors . . . once for each race, first white, then yellow, then red, the black, signifying that we are all members of the same family.
When White Buffalo Calf Woman arose she was once again the beautiful woman, cradling the sacred bundle in her arms.

Spending four days with the people, White Buffalo Calf Woman taught them sacred songs, dances, and ceremonies as well as the traditional ways.
She instructed them to be responsible caretakers of the land and to be always mindful that the children are the future of the people.

White Buffalo Calf Woman prophesied that the birth of a white buffalo calf would be a sign that it was near the time of her return. In 1994, a white buffalo calf was born on a farm in Wisconsin. . . the first white buffalo born in decades.

Some believe she was the fulfillment of the prophecy that the return of the White Buffalo Calf Woman will herald the advent of an age of peace and harmony.

Goddess Symbols of White Buffalo Calf Woman

General: White buffalo, peace-pipe, circle (hoop), and the numbers 4 and 7

Animals: Buffalo and bison, eagle, and hawk

Plants: Buttercup, pulsatilla (Pasque flower), and spruce

Perfumes/Scents: Sage, wisteria, tangerine, and rose geranium

Gems and Metals: Agate, rose quartz, gold , silver, and red clay

Colors: White, yellow, red, and black

…Our Daily Bread…

We are blessed, for we not only have bread to eat, but milk, meat,  fruit and drink. When I sit before a meal, even a simple peanut butter & jelly sandwich, I thank the wheat that waved in the wind, shining in the sun, taking up nutrients for my body to use. I thank the sugar cane and fruit of the vine for it’s flavor & sweetness. I thank the peanut, living underground, wrapped in the dust of our ancestors, growing so that my life may be sustained so I can bring truth to all. I thank the clouds that brought rain and the people who work hard to make everything come to fruition.

When we honor and acknowledge the gift, the beauty, the sacredness around us, it infuses our life with conscious gratitude that is a platform for compassion, openness and joy.  When we nourish our bodies it is important to be mindful of what crosses our lips. When we eat, it is not only for sustenance for life but for enjoyment of the gifts that this life gives us.

Be mindful tonight of the sources of your sustenance. Give thanks greatly so you can enjoy heartily that which you need so you can continue in your unique way, the gift that you have been bestowed. LIFE!

Today was a unique day in which I attended a funeral of a friend. If being loved is a measure, then his portion is going to be very missed in this world. I learned a lot from this sunshine smile hippie God-loving devoted family man. His death came at age 58; way too soon. He was someone who truly enjoyed his life. He rode his motorcycle to work everyday. He was always happy and so friendly. When I was seriously ill this man made my day with his kindness by giving me some pictures that he had taken & printed off his computer for me. It was the little things he did that meant so much to people. I had never attended a funeral with so many people. There were over 300 people there! The lady who works the counter at the local pizza joint where he would often have lunch even showed up to his funeral! That is someone who has made an impact on even the simple person’s life. It takes someone mighty special to touch so many lives and change them forever. We miss you! Thanks for all the good times, your kindness & generosity and your easy smile! You were your own brand of sunshine!

To balance my day I found out I’m going to be a new auntie! So the cycle continues. As the old and not so old, die away, there is a promise of new, emerging life, right at the brink of it all.

It is important to know that this life is finite. That fact denotes that we are here to do something important and we can’t waste time not getting the important things done. The trick is having your priorities straight and knowing what is important in this life.

Be sure and tell your loved ones how you feel about them. Take a moment and hug your child extra lovingly and extra long! Gaze into your partners eyes and really see them. Call a friend. Find your smile and share it. We can all be heart to heart if we really wanted to be. It all starts with some love in your heart that puts a smile on your face.

The first place to start is to create a sacred space. Find a place in your yard that you can devote making a Medicine Wheel upon the ground. It can be under a tree, in a field or even among a garden or lawn. The first stones you will want to start out with are the sacred 4 directions, North, South, East & West. Using a compass find due North and work from there placing South next, then West then East. Getting to know the different elements of each direction helps give balance & focus for each season. Honoring the cycles of the earth, life and the seasons is a way for us to find continuity and touchstones of connectedness and familiarity that bring comfort and delight.

Use this space to come to to pour out your heart, ask for guidance, give thanks for your many blessings and to open, ask & listen. Making an external symbol of inner sacred workings is a powerful way to raise consciousness and connect with the earth around you.

One of the great ways to connect with nature is to watch & hear the wind. We live in a valley and everyday like clockwork around 3 p.m. the wind starts up. Not only can I stand outside and hear the wind coming before it gets here but sometimes the wind is so high that it’s only in the treetops and not touching the ground. I have several wind chimes hanging on the porch that signal the wind or a sudden, unexpected storm.

Spiritually or energetically, I love to send heartfelt wishes to my loved ones far away. And I love to send random love & compassion on the wind to find an aching heart of someone in need. Wishing on the wind is a lot like praying but instead of sending it up you send it forward to be caught by an open soul, like an unexpected smile, heart to heart. Try to hear if the wind has a song,  memory,  wish or dream upon it for you. Don’t feel silly doing this. If you do feel silly, so what? Do it anyways! We have more to learn from the foolish than the wise! Emotions are energy in motion and even though they are intangibles, they are very real energies. Use them kindly, use them often and use them compassionately. Like a boomerang, they will find their way back to you.