Find Religion

Do you know what that means? It means give up something of value to yourself so you can bring joy & humanity to others who may be without. Give something that is your own; give what you want. Give something that is comforting and warm. A hat, scarf or mittens. Slippers or homemade soup and bread. A warm smile, nod, handshake or hug. Give something you love and would want for yourself. Cloak a part of your world with kindness and warmth. Give something you could keep yourself but out of the goodness of your heart you want to share that which you already strive for and love. Nourish someone. Give them sustenance for life. Heart & soul. This is why we are here. To do so eases wrongs and sets the world right. To do so is a sign of spiritual & emotional maturity. To delay one’s own gratification for the needs and fulfillment of another is one of the highest forms of intellectualized spiritual truth that represents a high level of emotional maturity. This maturity serves as a lifeline of grace & peace to an all too often gray & hardscrabble world. Behaving as such sends a very important message into your life and into the world around us. A message that lingers and sings words of Hope, Joy, Charity, Faith & Love. In today’s world-this is revolutionary! Viva La Revolution! No pain, no gain! Get giving! It hurts so good!

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.

Yule is the Pagan Sabbat to acknowledge and celebrate the rebirth of the Sun. In Pagan symbolism the Year is viewed as a constantly turning Wheel. Yule is the spoke where the Oak King , representing the light half of the year, vanquishes the Holly King, representing the dark half of the year, and thus promises that the light and warmth of the sun will begin to increase each day. Known also as the Winter Solstice, this is the longest night of the year and is akin to The Dark Night of Soul. Celebrations often echo both of these sentiments, beginning in silent darkness and ending in a blaze of light, fire and laughter.

While Yule is most often juxtaposed with Christmas today, Yule and Winter Solstice celebrations far out date the Christmas celebration. December 25th, the date to celebrate Christ’s birth, was also the birthdate of Mithras, the ancient Persian Sun god of light and the guardian against evil. Christianity didn’t celebrate Christmas until the fourth century. Even as late as 1740, it was a normal workday for the Puritans in the New World of America. They viewed Christmas as a Pagan holiday, and forbid any celebrations and/or decorations of acknowledgment of the day.

One cannot erase the Pagan aspects of this holiday. Most of today’s Christmas traditions are Pagan in nature, derived from both old Yule and Solstice traditions including reindeer, lights, wreaths, decorated trees, the Yule log, kisses under the mistletoe and the jolly old man himself, Santa Claus.

Yule is a time of rebirth, new beginnings and the setting of new goals for oneself. It is a time of putting aside regrets, resentments, and that which causes us unhappiness. But before we can rid ourselves of these, we must know them intimately. The season starts in the silent darkness of the cold winter’s night.  The beginning celebrations are a time of meditation and inward thoughts. Recognize the cold sorrows of the season of barrenness as both those within the frosted panes of our souls as well as those outside the frosted window.

…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.

This Thanksgiving was one filled with closeness and joy. We all helped out and made the work light and lovely for us all. We feasted and got festive, and gave thanks that we are still all here and all together. We watched football and ate a beautiful meal, shared stories and laughter. The undercurrent of the emotions of the day were full of anticipations, hopes, expectations of times to come. Thanksgiving is like turning a new leaf. A time to hunker down, gather your nuts and seeds, draw close and chew the fat. That is what the harvest time is for. Getting prepared for rain & snow. Getting food stock piled to make it thru the season. Taking out coats, snow boots, mittens and other winter gear.  I have insulated winter curtains that I put up to hold the heat in. I put rugs under the doors to catch drafts. I bake lots of cookies and bread. It’s all a process. It use to be integral to our survival. Now the seasons can come & go and we only notice if they mess up our hair or rain on our plans. The seasons and their cycles have much to teach us. If we can find balance within the seasons then we can truly enjoy and appreciate all the nuances and subtleties that help us greet our day with anticipation. There is something comforting about wearing slippers to keep your feet warm and getting snuggly on the couch under soft blankets. It’s a time for hugs and snuggles and making your own heat. I have found I am much more acclimated to the cold if I take a hot sauna regularly and exercise to keep my blood flowing and keep my metabolism active. I am grateful for these things I can do in my life to help me adapt to the changes in the season. It’s the creature comforts that makes us relish our existence in this world, a truly define us from the animal world.

We had the luxury of being able to share food this year. I found a Vietnam veteran who lost both legs in a landmine explosion. He lives alone with his daily cigarette rations layed out next to him, ready for when he wants one. He was parked in front of the television, with t.v guide close by, so he didn’t miss any of his favorite shows. He had a small, electric heater that worked furiously to keep the chill out of the room. I had seen his wheelchair but didn’t realize he had no legs until I walked into the small trailer and closed the door behind me. We had never met before and I held a hot pan full of food hoping he wouldn’t fear me, a stranger, bringing him food. I asked him if he had thanksgiving yet. He replied, “Yes”. I asked him if he would like some more. He again said “Yes”. I handed him the pan full of hot food, turned to open the sliding glass door, turning, I said “Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you” and left. After I left I realized that I had walked into this noble man’s full existence. His daily cigs and his t.v are his life, in between the horrors of war he tries to keep at bay, like the cold. I felt sorry that someone could give so much to so many and still have so little. I hoped for the writer’s strike to end so he could watch some fresh & entertaining t.v. to bring something to his life. I secretly hoped he was rich and had everything he needed and only lived this way because he was a sensible man with humble needs.

He didn’t realize the gift he has given me in receiving the gift I brought to him. I’m already scheming something nice for him for Christmas. I know my small, humble gestures make a difference in people’s lives. I am so happy when I can give where needed and be received. I hope you find a place of need and help them receive this season of thanks.

Thanksgiving this year is bittersweet. We had the loss of several friends this year leaving loving spouses behind to continue on. My heart goes out to these friends and comrades in life that have lost the most significant person in their worlds. I am thankful that I have not only my memory but my husband’s & children’s memories of cherished vacations & holidays. I can’t imagine the loss it must be to lose someone who is the other half of all your struggles and triumphs in life! What a bleak place to be!

This Thanksgiving I am going to hold my kids longer and tighter and gaze into my husband’s eyes deeply, and treasure the simple pleasure of our company, our traditions and our ongoing love. It is these simple things that bring me joy, gratitude and fulfillment. I wish you and yours a day full of love, tenderness, thoughfullness, gratitude and a whole cornucopia of the things that truly fill and sustain our lives.

Ask anybody what they are thankful for and in the top 3 answers you will find ‘Family’ universally is what gives our lives most meaning and fulfillment. As a wife, I am grateful to my hardworking and loving husband. As a mother, I am grateful for my healthy, happy children. These are the things that give my life meaning & joy! I was so happy to marry my husband after a passionate four year relationship. Marriage for us was the comfort & security we wanted and needed in our relationship to let our hair down a bit, so to speak and unfold together on our journey together thru life.  We as humans are social creatures. To find ultimate happiness we have to have the equation of a partner. That is just how we are built. It’s not difficult to understand. This rings true for any level headed, even minded person.

This Thanksgiving I’d like to ask you to think about the millions of people in our own nation that don’t have the equal birthright to ‘..life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…’, that the heterosexual community enjoys without a second thought. I want you to think about this, “What do we gain in denying same sex couples who just want the same comforts life affords us?” Furthermore and more importantly, “What do we gain in supporting millions of people to have a secure and fulfilling life with a partner of their choice; such as my husband and I have the luxury to decide for ourselves? We all have more in common than not, no matter our race, culture or sexual orientation. The time for same sex marriage is now. Who are we (you) to deny these people their comfort, love, family & happiness? It is just plain anti-American to block something so fundamental to our own personal satisfaction as choosing and marrying a mate. To deny another human something so intrinsic to their satisfaction with life signifies troubling stunting in the growth of a spiritual being as an individual and is anti-harmony with the way humanity was created. To afford everyone their rights in this country is going to make us stronger as a nation as gays find personal satisfaction and acceptance in the community. This builds stronger lives, families & communities. If you cannot see this reality, you have mis-interpreted what it means to be an American and need to re-examine what motivates your desire to harm many instead of letting others seek harmony.

If you’d like to support Let California Ring or read more information on this important and fundamental issue please visit  http://www.letcaliforniaring.org/

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