King Solomon's Mines

Jews worshipped in tents on the top of mountains, where god appeared or where his voice was heard, until the first temple was built on a threshing floor where the wheat was sifted from the chaff! This was the citing of the first temple, Solomon, the wisest and richest king of Judah, and the temple had two pillars and it contained 3 rooms, the farthest of which was the Holy of Holies. 

     We know of Solomon’s great wealth, and the mines of gold found in Ophir, of three days travel. The box called the Ark of the Covenant and the golden menorah were said to be just two of the great ancient treasures. The Ark was said to be able to miraculously bring success in war. Maybe at the time of the first temple conquest, it was abandoned, or perhaps taken to Babylon in 586BC. The great magical Ark that brought success in war did not always provide success and Solomon’s Temple was destroyed! Cyrus the Great defeated the Babylonians and allowed the Jews to return to their homeland to rebuild their precious Jerusalem Temple.

This second temple contained the menorah which is said to have been taken to Rome in 70AD when this temple was destroyed and the Jews dispersed. 
How can we investigate these temple sites because there is no evidence for the Temple of Solomon! 

It has been suggested that there was a huge mistake in the names of kings and the dates of this one great building. Amenhotep III was a great 18th dynasty Egyptian king who embarked on a great building spree. The description of Medinet Habu sounds identical to Solomon’s Temple! He built it in Canaan, and he is known to have built on Temple Mount in Jerusalem. 

And here we come to ahi ram of Tyre, the place where the great cedars of Lebanon grew. The Melqart Temple also had courts and two pillars, one of gold and one of green stone. What is most surprising is the cherubim were depicted on the Ark and all over the Temple building, however the Jews are not allowed to reproduce the human form. 

The 10 Commandments were originally thought to have come from Egypt, and many of David’s psalms are almost identical to those from Egypt. 

Was the entire Jewish Bible a fabrication, a jealous god wanting what Egypt had in abundance. 

Charlie Kirk

Hi, this is a stream of consciousness, having watched a good part of the memorial service for Charlie Kirk late last night. It was a mixed bag. Firstly, my criticisms: I feel uncomfortable with religion mixed with politics. Politics adulterates religion and I suspect the manipulation of minds. Sadly, it became a political rally as they used every opportunity to be salesmen for the masses who were there and those watching across the world! There are times when I felt that Charlie Kirk (who as a human being was not perfect - we are all found wanting in the sight of God) yet it was alluded to several times that there were comparisons between Charlie Kirk and Jesus Christ - an exaggeration that is tantamount to hubris, and  adulation. The speakers were trying to outdo each other to praise him in extreme ways. 

The Grail -Two

Extract from The Grail Legend by Emma Jung and Marie-Louise von Franz.

“ The fact that the Grail was considered to be a real object engendered the very widely held belief that it was identical with the vessel known as the Sacro Catino, a bowl, believed to be made of an emerald, brought back as plunder and payment by the Genoese after the seige of Caesaria in 1101. A 16th century Genoese Chronicle in the library at Berne says that the exceedingly precious bowl was called the Saint Graal and that according to some it was a platter Christ had used at the Last Supper with his disciples but that others thought was the vessel from which King Arthur ate, very devoutly at important ceremonies, with the companions of the Round Table. Napoleon took it to Paris, where under expert examination, it was found not to be made of emerald stone at all, but simply moulded glass! 

December Oracle Card Reading

For this month, I have chosen a card from Nature-Speak Oracle by the late Ted Andrews. It is the card of Ice and Frost. It is common for us to lack energy when the weather is cold and this card shows a time of reckoning and preparing for times to come. Patience is required but within this incubation period, a great deal of inner activity is taking place. It might be a day, a week or a month, however long it takes, within time, the ice melts, movement begins again!

Next from Ancient Feminine Wisdom of Goddesses and Heroines by Kay Stevenson and Brian Clark. Her name is Eurynome and she is the powerful Aegean Goddess of Creation who arose out of Chaos. She separated the land from the sky and laid an egg from which all life arose. She heralds the birth of a new order. The serpent that surrounds her body is an omen of renewal. Something can arise from nothing and creative potential often arises from the darkness.



Next is LeGrande Circle & Sideshow Tarot by Joe Lee with the card of the Wheel of Fortune. A card of challenge! Even the most accomplished wheel acrobats must eventually stop rotating and come to balance and rest! We must use the skills we have learned to ride the ever spinning circle of fate and circumstances. Navigate the dizzy turns by enjoying the ride without expectations. Recognise our patterns! The best learning is to see our repetitive behaviour and where it is undesirable, change it for the better. Sometimes, the wheel is spinning so fast, we are unable to see where we are, and unable to make good judgments or come off the wheel when required. We are invited to slow down, assess more, avoid taking uncalculated risks!

Lastly, but not least, a practical card from Magical Messages of the Fairies by Doreen Virtue. The card insists: Get Some Exercise! This is about getting your body strengthened for the year ahead and exercise reduces stress. The fairies dance, run, jump, play and are always active. They keep themselves in good physical shape. It means they sleep well when they are finished with the day. Exercise and good sleep improve every area of life, ie relationships, career, hobbies, etc. You are invited to do physical work today, such as housework, walking, dancing, swimming, yoga, sports! 
Reading by Wendy Stokes visit: https://wendystokes.co.uk

Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind

Mind Body & Soul book post: Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind - The Zen Journal and Letters of an Irish Woman in Japan by the late Maura Soshin O’Halloran, published by her mother upon her early death. 

At a time when female monks were rare, Maura having gained a very good degree at Trinity College, Dublin, studied Zen in Japan and wrote this remarkable and moving journal. Her mother published the journals after her daughter’s death. The name that Maura was given, Soshin means Pure Heart. Waking up to enlightenment requires intense chanting meditation known as zazen. The privations amount to malnutrition, being cold and uncomfortable.She became second in command of the Buddhist Temple and she tended the gardens. Begging was an important spiritual practice for a once a day meal.

Praying the 'Hours'

 Praying The Hours - An Introduction

Praying The Hours provides a rhythm for our days, establishing a rhythm in order to connect with the sacred. Bee is speaking about the Catholic way of praying the hours. The Liturgy of The Hours has changed over time and is sometimes called The Divine Office and within that are the canonical hours (hours that mark the divisions of the day in terms of fixed times of prayer at regular intervals). A book known as a ‘Breviary’ containing weekly cycles of psalms, prayers, hymns, antiphons, and readings which changed with the liturgical season is commonly used.

Bee will be making her own book of hours and is collecting quotes and images that are meaningful for her. In Bee’s favourite book about praying the hours there is a wonderful quote- Meister Eckhart says,

 ’If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is Thank You, it will be enough’

If we just stop what we are doing to say thank you, if we come out of clock time/calendar time to move into sacred time then we’ve done it. A pause is enough.

‘Pete Greig says the reason for praying the hours is to get to know the creator of a hundred billion galaxies’

Let Me Go - A Poem

When I come to the end of the road, And the sun has set for me,

I want no rites in a gloom filled room Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little, but not for long, and not with your head bowed low, 

Remember the love that we once shared, miss me but let me go. 

For this is the journey we all must take and each must go alone.

It’s all part of the master plan, a step on the road to home. 

When you are lonely and sick at heart, go to the friends we know. 

Laugh at all the things we used to do, miss me but let me go.

Convergent & Divergent Thinking

 

There are two types of thinking:

Convergent thinking focuses on arriving at a single well-established answer to a problem. Convergent thinking is used as a tool to problem-solve. When someone uses critical thinking to solve a problem, they consciously use standard probabilities to make judgements. This contrasts with Divergent thinking where several possible solutions are sought.

First Force Field Analysis

Hello! The light in me bows to the light in you! Here are some life tips taken from my old diaries!

Be specific with the following questions. Write the answers down and refer back to them after 1 month:

What one thing would add to/improve/enhance your life?

What are you prepared to do to achieve this?

Is it within your control to get it? What might be the obstacles or not within your control?

How could you sabotage yourself from getting it? 

Will others know you want it?  Will they know when you get it?

Is it in keeping with your standards, judgments and ethics?

Rules for Debate

10 Commandments of logic and debate

1 Thou shall not attack the person’s character but the argument (ad hominem)

2 Thou shalt not misrepresent or exaggerate a persons argument in order to make them easier to attack (straw man fallacy)

3 That shall not use small numbers to represent the whole (hasty generalisation)

4 Thou shalt not argue that position by assuming one of its premises is true (begging the question)

5 Thou shalt not claim that because something occurred before, it must be the cause (post hoc/false cause)

6 Thou shalt not reduce the argument down to 2 possibilities. (false dichotomy)

7 Thou shalt not argue that because of our ignorance, the claim must be true or false (ad ignorantum)

8 Thou shalt not lay the burden of proof onto him that is questioning the claim (burden of proof reversal)

9 That should not assume ‘this’ follows ‘that’ when it has no logical connection (non sequitur)

 10 Thou shalt not claim that because a premise is popular, therefore it must be true (bandwagon fallacy).

If Nobody Smiled - A Poem

IF NOBODY SMILED

 

If nobody smiled and nobody cared, and nobody helped us along; If every fellow looked out for himself, and the good things all went to the strong; If nobody cared just a little for you, and nobody thought about me; And we stood all alone in the battle of life, what a dreary old world this would be.

Life is sweet because of the friends we love, and the things that in common we share; And we want to live on, not because of ourselves, but because of the people who care. It's giving and doing for somebody else - on that all of life's splendor depends; And the joy in the world, when you've summed it all up, is found in the love of our friends.

Fifth Field Analysis

Words to live by: - Integrity, Authenticity, Discernment, Responsibility, Accountability, Courtesy, Resilience, Empowerment, Truth, Honesty, Empathy, Equality, Humility, Service to others! 

4 types of family systems: 

Distracting, Placating, Computing, Blaming. 

Defence mechanisms: Retroflexion It’s all my fault. Attribution: To assume, interpret and judge. Projection: Your unowned trials and emotions attributed to others. Seeing the splinter in their eye not the log in your own. Introjection: to swallow whole, attitudes, values, beliefs. You believe what you are accused of without question. Deflection: Backing away, denying. Confluence: agreeing and never risking disagreement. 

Which is your easiest zone? Comfort zone, Learning zone, Panic zone, Stretched zone? 

What do you want to communicate? What would heal your pain/ brokenness?

What do you consider is unacceptable behaviour?

Better Relationships Part One

Assertiveness: Being assertive - an honest and direct communication without blame. It is a form of communication that is neither manipulative nor aggressive. It is designed to enable both parties to be heard without creating hurt or distress, and leaves the situation open for further discussion. Assertiveness provides the following 'rights': 

Everyone has the right to say 'no' without feeling awkward, uncomfortable or guilty. Everyone has the right to change their mind. Everyone has the right to ask questions. Everyone has the right to make mistakes (providing they learn from them). Everyone has the right to ask for help. Everyone has the right to ask for what they want.  Everyone has the right to get what they want, need or desire (in ways that do not hard others). Everyone has the right to self esteem, and to feel good about their capabilities, talents, experience, achievements, etc., (providing these do not harm others). 

The Birch Tree

From “Tree Wisdom - The Definitive Guidebook to Myth, Folklore and Healing Power of Trees”  by Jacqueline Memory Paterson. 

The birch tree is known as the lady of the woods. It is a womanly, constant and friendly, a tree of enchantment. When seen in the Moonlight, it presents its most outstanding feature, a gleaming silver bark, which Legends throughout Europe described as the hallmark of the fairy. This white bark also gleams attractively in the Sun and shows the lightness of the tree’s spirit, the ethereal beauty of the innocent, dancing quality of the female in nature, with delicate branches, and leaves to match. It is the tree of love, protection and purification. Birch wind has special properties. 

As Birch is one of the first trees to leaf in spring. It is known as the tree of inception.It is also seen as a treat of purification, cleansing the old to make way for the new. At the ancient Beltane festivities, Birch twigs were used to light the oak fires, and traditionally the May day love making was enjoyed in a Birchwood or forest. Being a white tree, a silver birch, what is seen to have the ability to ward off evil or negative spirits. Traditionally, Birch rods were used to drive out the spirit of the old year and for beating the bounds of the parish. They were also used in the none too kind practice of beating spirits and demons out of lunatics. The Romans carried Birch rods when they installed their Consuls, no doubt to beat back the crowds in an early use of caning. 

The birch is believed to grow at the gates of paradise. It is primarily a tree of the Sun and sky. When use for the first ogham inscription in Ireland, the Birch became associated with sun. God Lugh, for this first inscription warned him that his wife was being taken away to the land of fairy. Birch is dedicated to the Norse goddess. Frigga, goddess of married love and the sky and clouds. She became Odin’s wife. Frigga had 11 handmaidens who aided her in caring for humanity, and she pun golden threads, and the rainbows of spring. It was believed that she had seven mortal sons who founded the seven Saxon kingdoms of England.

The name batch is thought to have derived from the Sanskrit word, which means a tree has Barkers used to write upon. The second king of Rome, successor to Romulus, is said to have written books on birchbark in 700 BC, which legend says are buried along with the author. In all probability, because of the indestructible quality of birchbark, these books would still be in good repair if found. So far, this has not occurred. Birch has great healing properties, including the fragrance it emits after the rain. Brooms were made from birch sticks and twigs. 

Circus - A Story

 “When I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. In front of us there were eight children, probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money. The children were well-behaved, standing in line behind their parents. They were excited about the acts they would be seeing.

The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adults." The ticket lady stated the price! The man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price. He didn't have enough money. How could he tell his eight children?

Sacred Wild Woman Medicine - A Challenge!

Who are you becoming?

"I don’t care how spiritual you are. How long you can melt in the sweat lodge. How many peyote journeys that have blown your mind, or how well you can hold crow pose. Honestly. I don’t.

I don’t care what planets fall in what houses on your birth chart, how many crystals you have or how vegan your diet is.

I want to know how human you are. Can you sit at the feet of the dying despite the discomfort? Can you be with your grief, or mine, without trying to advise, fix or maintain it?   want to know that you can show up at the table no matter how shiny, chakra- aligned or complete you are- or not.

Can you hold loving space for your beloved in the depths of your own healing without trying to be big?

It doesn’t flatter me how many online healing trainings you have, that you live in the desert or in a log cabin, or that you’ve mastered the art of tantra.

Shrines of France - A Visit

I left London with my travelling companion, Laura, firstly to visit the chapel and castle of St Mesmin. The traffic was congested so we continued on to the city of Orleans. This was an ancient town in 1424 when an illiterate girl, only 12 years old, saw visions and heard voices of the saints, Michael the archangel, Catherine of Antioch and Margaret. She also communed with the archangel Gabriel. Their voices inspired her to lead French armies in victory against the English during the Hundred Years War, restoring the crown to Charles VII. Shockingly, she was betrayed by the British, tried in court and burnt at the stake as a witch in 1431. We wondered why Michael and Margaret, both dragon slaying saints and therefore both related to leylines, were involved in Joan’s mission and we discovered strong leys in the area of Orleans. We visited the house in Donremy where Joan or Jean - the female form of John - was born and said mass in the thirteenth century church where she prayed. The original statue of St Margaret is there before which Joan prayed. It is a particularly powerful statue and myself and my colleague received an outpouring of love and strength, and we also received a message about the pointlessness and poisonousness of war, it's swings and roundabouts, and losses that last for generations. The energies in the forest where Joan received her first messages from the saints we’re still there to experience.  The spring - which in ancient times provided healing for those with fever and which the judge questioned her about during her trial - registers extraordinary energies. In the local town of Greux is a special shrine to St Margaret whose energies are very powerful.

Force Field Analysis No 6

Examine and describe in detail your values, motives, emotions, beliefs, attitudes, intentions, abilities, traits, and personality type. 

Relationships can provide health, wellbeing, contentment, harmony, joy, and ecstasy, as well as fear, distress, ill-health, wasted years of life and pain, tears and suffering. What do relationships mean to us, how do we maintain good relationships, how do we nourish and support those whom we love? How do we neglect, starve and undermine ourselves and others? 

The Golden Rule: Temperance (balance), humility, integrity, industry, simplicity, modesty, courage, justice, patience. 

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. 

Questions to ask yourself for personal growth and self development! Becoming a person of excellence!

How do you damage your own life?

Do you damage the lives of other people?

Can you accept the treasure that is in yourself accepting you are not perfect?

Can you accept the treasure that is in another person accepting they are not perfect?

Are you too sensitive? Do you over react? Do you accuse or bully?

Can you expand on narrow thinking to be a person of generosity and kindness?

Do you limit your love and caring?

Pagan Ireland

Christianity and Paganism - A Comparison 

I often hear pagans criticising Christianity, but I don’t hear Christians criticising Paganism! Paganism has much to recommend it. It’s adherence to caring about pollution, climate change and species extinction is exemplary and our planet needs this emphasis! Paganism offers equality, so males should not take precedence over females, but Christianity is catching up, offering greater prominent roles for females. 

The Pagan pantheon does not promote the written commandments of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Their pantheon of gods and goddesses could be said to be a dysfunctional royal court in the sky. Where are the role models for good leadership and good relationships? Pagan or not, in a world of division and violence, it is important that we have balance and accuracy - and praise for the goodness that people bring into the world from whatever place. 

Forecast Reading

From the Soulful Woman Oracle Cards by Shushann Mousessian and Gemma Summers, I have chosen:

Boundaries. “Boundaries are necessary and we all have them. They keep us safe and healthy, and without them, we are in danger. The reading states: "My boundaries are like energy doors that help me manage my life. At times, I have the doors open , inviting in blessings from others and my environment. At other times, I need to close them in order to replenish my energies, nourish my creativity, and defend my well-being. I feel good about having boundaries and for being able to say "No Thanks" because I know when I say "No" that I am expressing an important aspect of myself as a person. Having clear boundaries allows me to protect myself, nurture my intentions, and follow my true self. Boundaries are an essential part of self care. Affirmation - My clear boundaries allow me to protect myself, nurture my intentions and follow my true self."

Kubla Khan - A Poem

 Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
     Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

Second Force Field Analysis

Which of your emotions need changing? 

What habits are you tied to? 

What is at the root of your worst problem?

What grounds you/centres you? 

What desires do you wish to fulfil?

How are you using your power?

What are you envisioning, instigating, or initiating?

How do you express your ability to love?

The Journey to You

The Journey to You - A Shaman’s Path to Empowerment is a book by Ross Heaven that links spirituality and science. It will guide you on your spiritual path in a grounded way that has benefits for you and the world today. It provides healing practices and techniques, such as image work, journeying and soul retrieval and draws on the latest scientific research and provides guidance from leading figures. For each book sold, there is a contribution to the Dream Change Coalition for Rainforest protection and the preservation of indigenous shamanic wisdom. 

The shaman asks ‘does it grow corn?’ Or does it have a useful purpose that provides value to people? We are all gods of a kind, that can assist, support and provide, and we have a responsibility to do this. The shamanic world is experiential but it has purpose and meaning, without which it is null and void. 

Stephen Wollaston - An Interview

Introducing Stephen WOLLASTON

"What have I been doing... I recovered from a straightforward illness that became serious one night when hospital doctors informed me they needed to contact a member of my family. I remember being quite accepting of the situation and thinking "I won't have any bills to worry about now". Yet, through the quick actions of the doctors, I pulled through and here I am! It was an interesting time. I realised I'm not afraid of dying! 

Before this, in 2017 I co-edited a new title with Ian Mowll, the coordinator of GreenSpirit, in the low-cost GreenSpirit Book Series, ‘Dark Nights of the Green Soul’, which was expanded this year with four additional chapters. The book highlights wisdom about facing difficult times, alongside reflections on our interactive relationship with Nature. The second and largest section has particularly resonated with some readers, and includes personal stories of people who found new meaning and growth by either connecting with an animal friend or in Earth-centred spiritual awakenings and teachings.

Saalumarada Thimmakka - A Tree in Time

Saalumarada is known as a folk hero in her home area because, when she was a teenage girl, she planted her first Banyan tree just outside the remote Indian village of Hulikal in south western state of Karnataka. She was illiterate, but had green fingers, and enjoyed the planting of the tree and watching it grow. Though Saalumarada was born into poverty and married very young, she had not fallen pregnant. There was a local folk tradition that if a childless woman planted a Banyan tree, the national tree of India, she would be rewarded with a child. She did not conceive a child, but she continued to plant up to 380 Banyan trees, watering them daily, and creating a 28 km tree lined avenue near her village. To add to this, she planted another 8,000 trees of different kinds. For this, she was granted the highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri Award in 2019 when she was almost 100 years old. 

7 Habits

Personal Mission Statement: 

Succeed at home first. Seek divine help. Never compromise with honesty. Remember the people involved. Hear both sides before judging. Obtain the counsel of others. Defend those who are absent. Be sincere yet decisive. Develop one brand-new proficiency a year. Plan tomorrow’s work today. Hassle while you wait. Maintain a positive attitude. Keep a sense of humour. Be orderly in person and in work. Do not fear mistakes, only the absence of creative, constructive, and corrective responses to those mistakes. Facilitate the success of subordinates. A listen twice as much as you speak. 

 From The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey

Perfume Toxicity

 

The New Scientist publishes the concerning levels of perfumes in the atmosphere and water. 

Synthesised perfumes have reached detectable levels in the air we breathe. The compounds can accumulate in our bodies. About 8000 tons of Musk fragrances are synthesised every year for perfumes, cosmetics and soaps. Researchers have found synthetic musk compounds in fish and muscles, and in human fat, milk, and blood. The compounds build up through the food chain in much the same way as polychlorinated biphenyl and some pesticides such as DDT. Now these molecules have been found in air samples. Robert Gatormann and his colleagues at the Norwegian Institute for a research  in Tromse found high mass concentrations in indoor samples and much lower concentrations similar to PCB levels in outdoor air. it originates from cosmetics and all kinds of cleaners and air freshener sprays. He said that humans can build up compounds in the bodies by breathing in these organic pollutants. As well as my eating contaminated, food. Exposure can also come from textiles that are washed in powder containing musk compounds.. 

Leadership Styles

 

Your Garden Meditation

 

With thanks to Erica Longdon for the voice over and video creation.

 

Lot’s Cave - An Extract

A monastery dedicated to Lot, (the hero from Genesis who escapes God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah) has been discovered on a remote mountainside in western Jordan near the Dead Sea. The excavation is funded by the British Museum, and has uncovered a basilica with semicircular apse and a grotto that early Christians believed was the cave where Lot, the nephew of Abraham and his daughters took refuge. A 7th century monastery was discovered during the excavation of a stone reservoir near the south-eastern end of the Dead Sea. Decorated with vines and animals, mosaic floors date the Basilica to 691 AD, a period when monastic groups were developing in the region. 

Despite its arid location, the site was fed by a spring that irrigated terraces where monks grew grapes, apricots, and olives. Seeds and bones found at the site reveal 25 different foods, including meat and fish which were served to visiting pilgrims. Archaeologists also discovered. a 7 cornered pulpit, coins, fine pottery and fragments of hanging lamps. 

Two angels were invited to stay at Lot’s home in Sodom. The people came and demanded the angels were given to them to have sex. Lot offered his two daughters to the crowd instead. They fled the violence to seek safety in a cave, so the story goes, both daughters got Lot drunk and had sex with him! The eldest daughter gave birth to a son, Moab who become the patriarch of the Moabites, and the younger daughter also gave birth to a son, Ben Ammi, patriarch of the Ammonites. 

One cave yielded a clay pot and drinking cups dating to the Bronze Age when Lot is said to have lived. Did his daughters seduce him in this cave and give birth to sons whose descendants populated ancient Jordan? 

Tarot life path reading

Strengths come up as priority development. These involve having the resources to cope well with setbacks in life. The fool is demanding and incapable. The lightning struck tower follows when all is lost and not recovered. A breakdown. This cannot happen. The consequences are major for life progression when things go wrong, when the querent causes things to go wrong. It is a tragedy when opportunities in life are lost, instead of a good life, this is replaced by a very difficult life, struggle, weakness, illhealth, adversity. The fool does not correct the difficulties with speed. The tower has fallen, and rebuilding requires great strength and determination, sometimes it can take generations to recover.

 Grief, anxiety, maybe anger with oneself and others occurs. The Fool does not see problems arising in the future, like driving, we must anticipate what could occur in the future. The Fool fantasises and is not in the real world but the disasters are real. The Fool is a wake up call. 

Oracle reading Harvest

I have chosen at random, the number Seven from Numerology Guidance Cards by Michelle Buchanan is the first card and it is titled ‘Personal Growth’ and you are encouraged to have the highest standards possible, to be the best you can be as a person. It is time to ask yourself “Who am I?” “What do I want from my life?” “What prevents me from self development?” We sometimes need to acknowledge our limitations and work on our weaknesses. Now is the time to be determined to reach your full potential in all you do. Consciousness raising is on the cards for you and you can ask others to help you to reach higher levels of self awareness. Use the affirmation: As I improve myself, I improve the circumstances of my life and improve the lives of others around me.

Changing Woman – Goddess of the Corn from Goddess Inspiration Oracle by Kris Waldherr also tells us about our own transformation and that of the planet, to honour the earth and its nourishment and beauty. This goddess is one of the most powerful deities of the Navajo Holy People and her blessings of music and dance take place at major family celebrations. She is associated with corn and she symbolises the unique planet upon which we live. She appears as a young woman in spring, a mature woman in summer and she becomes a crone in the autumn and winter. Her words are: All of life’s seasons bring blessings. Appreciate them!

Free YouTube Healing Meditation

Please do not drive whilst listening to this meditation. Make yourself comfortable, close your eyes, take a couple of deep breaths, relax and imagine.... Meditation presented by Erica Longdon with text by Wendy Stokes  
12Radio Breakfast With Erica and works at

ANGEL HANDS HEAL

and 12Listen.com

Tarot Card Origins

 First published in Psychic News Magazine:

 Playing cards for recreational games of chance and skill were first developed in China and were printed on bamboo strips for use by the leisured class. Due to advances in paper and wood block print technology in the 9^th century Tang dynasty and, over several centuries, a large variety of these card games spread westward along the Silk Routes to appear in the Middle East with ornate calligraphy and elaborate abstract designs. These were known as Mamluk cards (in the Topkapi Palace Museum) and were used by the Sultinate in Egypt from late 1200s with Moorish and Saracen associations. In the 1300s, card games reached Europe with designs of birds and Roman Gods, some included astrological symbols and elements (such as the Minchiate deck) and depicted people in medieval costumes. Cards were used by wealthy nobles, merchants and scholars and were often hand painted and with gold leaf. 

Better Relationships - Part Two

Validate what you like in the Other person - their values, actions, skills and abilities. Look for areas of rapport, agreement and similarities. Ask genuine interest questions and be open to speaking your truth and to listening with an open heart. Want the best for the Other, so they can be confident, content and productive in their life. Focus on a way forward to always improve the quality of the relationship, setting daily goals to please each other. Expect the best and give the best, but bear in mind that some people are naturally better at relationships due to empathy, being articulate and being more consistent and steady in their thinking and relating style.Women are usually better at collaborations than men, though there are exceptions. 

Can you discuss everything, your priorities, hopes, and ambitions, your personal thoughts and feelings, even those that other people might not like? Do you feel fully accepted as a person and do you feel you develop yourself with this person, growing in understanding of yourself and of them too? What are your criteria for a relationship and does this person tick your boxes?What are the boxes. Define what you are looking for in your relationship. Do you think you are a good match? Are you close friends who communicate well or do you feel you need to put on an act or a mask to please this person? 

Getting to Know the Goddess Course 1:1

Goddess-Pages online course.
This  purse is practical as well as educational, and it has made me think about so many aspects of my life and society in general, as well as put me in touch with antiquity, with womanhood throughout the ages, and about many of the women in my life that have influenced me. I had never thought of ‘Goddess’ as a diminutive word, such as waitress, but She is the original, the first, She was the one and only, and therefore maybe I will attach a prefix such as this when describing Her. 
I have a connection with the Goddess and relate to many of Her archetypes. She is healing, and when focussing, and meditating on ‘the Lady’ especially in Springtime, as Flora, my meditations are wonderful, and full of images of beauty of all kinds. I love the early archaeological discoveries of the sculptures of the ‘Venus’ types. I am reflected in these images. I am very concerned about the incredible temples in the Middle Eastern war zones, unexplored, with the ground full of wonders, many, I am sure, would reveal much more about Her if protected for the future. I feel very aggrieved about the archaeological atrocities, despite many being in protected World Heritage sites. (Not to say anything about the animals, and rare species especially those that are badly affected by war, the ecological damage – as well as human suffering beyond our ability to imagine). I am against war, war on people, animals, and the delicate ecology of the planet.

Goddess 2.0 - An Extract

Goddess 2.0 - Advancing a New Path Forward by Rev. Dr. Karen Tate, published by Megalithica Books, paperback 188 pages £10.99

You are not alone if you believe domination and authoritarian patriarchy are destroying countless lives and our planet. There is a more sustainable alternative and it's not new. In fact it's ancient. Exiled for a time, but making a return, the Sacred Feminine has become indelibly integrated into our lives, reminding humanity during this time of crisis that the ideals of the Great She offer a pathway to secure a more sustainable future. As people lose faith in organized religion, as the paradigm of power shifts across the globe, as climate change quickly approaches a point of no return, people are leading using their divine intelligence gleaned from Goddess teachings to find solutions and sanctuary. They're listening to their consciences, heart wisdom, and intuition to manifest a new normal. They're practicing partnership, generosity, and compassion to establish a new way of being. They're tapping into their empathy and morality as they hit the reset button. We are witnessing this awakening across the globe as people from all walks of life and cultures turn to Goddess, deity, archetype and ideal, to evolve from the malignant chaos we face today. Using the wisdom and activism suggested in Goddess 2.0; Advancing a New Path Forward, we see through the lens of spiritual, cultural and political leaders, old and new, male and female. They share the many ways Goddess Spirituality has grown and matured in the minds of Her advocates to inspire the birth of a new world and usher in a time of security, peace, joy, equality and prosperity for all.

Waltham Abbey Church

In the time of the Danish King Canute, around the date of 1030, his standard bearer, Tovi, owned land in the area of Montacute (locally called Lutegaresberi) near Glastonbury which was a very prestigious monastery. A blacksmith on Tovi's land had a dream - a vision over several nights resulting in fingerprints left upon the arm of the smith by an Angel who showed a hill top where great treasure was buried. So, with prayer and fasting, an investigation was organised by the village priest. A delegation of dignitaries, in procession, singing litanies, dug to a depth of forty cubits where the dream suggested, and there a large black stone crucifix carved skilfully onto black flint was discovered. With it was a smaller one under the right arm, and a bell under the left arm. There was also a book of the gospels. The Lord of the Manor, Tovi was called and they were taken to the graveyard. The small cross was placed in the Montecute church. 

The other precious objects were placed on a wagon with twelve red oxen and twelve white ones. Holy sites were named by Tovi to the animals, such as Canterbury, Winchester, York, Glastonbury, Westminster, etc., but the oxen failed to make any movement forward. Only when Tovi called the name of Waltham was called did the cart move. Waltham was a tiny church and hunting lodge, on the Lea river owned by Tovi. The animals immediately started walking and continued until they arrived at Waltham when they abruptly halted. Along the route many were healed of illness. The crucifix was taken from the cart and erected at the tiny church which was named after the holy cross. 

Introduction to Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust was founded by author and naturalist Gerald Durrell 50 years ago with the mission to save species from extinction, and it has a proven track record of doing just that! Species that have been pulled back from the brink include the Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon, echo parakeet and the Mallorcan midwife toad, and our dedicated conservationists are hard at work in threatened habitats around the world, continuing each day to protect and conserve many more amazing species.

Due to the increasing demands of humans on the environment, we have witnessed in recent decades, a massive rise in the rate of extinctions.The number of species under threat has reached alarming proportions, including 23% of mammals, 12% of birds and 32% of all amphibians. A wide variety of species are necessary for the building blocks on which our ecosystems are sustained and it is these ecosystems that provide us with previous resources, such as clean water, fuel, fibre and food. 

Meeting the Crow Tribe

Les Fuller Interview ‘MEETING THE CROW TRIBE OF EAST LONDON

Les is a trained healer and platform medium and has worked in the Essex/East London area for over 40 years with his partner Jacci (pronounced Jacky) who quietly supports him with her own healing and mediumship skills.

Les has had many tutors and mentors, but he also has worked closely with his own spirit guides to enhance the empathic and authentic spiritual life path that he walks. Over these many decades of working with Spirit, Les has been inspired and encouraged by his First Nation/Indigenous American spirit guides to work in new ways which provide relaxation, joy and upliftment and can be profoundly moving experiences for those who attend his workshops and meetings. One of his early mentors was the late Ernie Alexandra of Waltham Abbey, a recruiting medium who recruited Les and Jacci to his training circle. Edmonton was another early centre of gaining knowledge of spirit and spirit messages and he has worked at Cheshunt giving talks and at Manor Park.

The Fox

About 16,000 years ago, when Paleolithic painters were drawing steppe bison in the Spanish cave of Altamira, A woman of unknown name died in what is now Jordan, in a site called autumn al-Hamman. The body was laid among flint and ground stone, and a red fox was carefully placed beside her ribs, resting with her fraternity on a bed of ochre. The care in the joint burial is believed to suggest some emotional link between the human and Fox, beyond that shown to wildlife perceived as food or clothing. It has been speculated that these pre-Natufian people coexisted with foxes that we’re at least half domesticated. It is clear that Fox’s held a strong cultural significance for these people of the Levant. They are commonly found in human graves in modern Israel, dated around 8600 years ago, while stone carvings of foxes with thick brushes adorn the pillars of Gobekli Tepe in Turkey, believed to be the world’s oldest temple. Bones from two foxes have been found in a grave in North Yorkshire at Star Carr and ancient settlement along with those of Britain’s first known domestic dogs.

Cornwall - A Visit

St Just Well

Wild moorlands and magnificent coastlines of Cornwall have inspired artists and writers to visit this beautiful rural county but there is further wonder and magic that makes it ideal for channelling energies of angels and ascended masters. 

When hordes of invaders, Angles, Saxons, Vikings, Jutes, and others, arrived from the Continent of Europe, the indigenous Celtic people were driven to outlying lands, to Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. In these places, the Celtic languages survived, and we have traditions handed down the generations by the Druids, famed throughout the ancient world for poetry and storytelling, their love of family ties and their knowledge of the law.

Lenormand Cards

Lenormand Cards are named after the most famous fortune-teller of all time, Mademoiselle Marie Anne Lenormand who was born in 1772 in Normandy (as her name suggests). She was 5 years old when her parents died and she entered a convent orphanage. Though her personal history is unclear, she was sent to Paris at 14 years of age and apprenticed to a milliner but by the age of 30 she was known as the ‘Sibyl of the Parisian Salons’. Many celebrities of the day met with her and reported on her style and methods. The telling of fortunes was described as a ‘black art’ and was illegal so she designed her own card decks to double as ordinary picture cards. They were small enough to hide in the volumes of her lace and pearls should she be confronted by the police. Her drawing room, the ‘Sanctum Sanctorum’ was guarded by a servant and Mademoiselle Lenormand would appear from a hidden door within the panelled walls. The room was extravagantly decorated and perfumed and she wore highly exotic costumes. She would shuffle and the Querent (a derivation of a Latin word meaning ‘seeker’ and denoting someone who seeks the advice of a cartomancer or medium) would cut the cards with their left hand and she would lay the cards out in rows, side by side, asking, as she did so, a number of questions, such as the Querent’s date of birth, favourite colour or animal.

Your Feast Meditation

 With thanks to Erica Longdon for the voice-over and video creation
 

Auditory Processing Disorder

 

Reclaiming the Earth

 The values of the reclaiming tradition stem from our understanding that the Earth is alive and all of life is sacred and interconnected. We see the goddess as eminent in our planet’s cycles of birth, growth, death, decay and regeneration. Our practice arises from a deep, spiritual commitment with the Earth, to healing and to the linking of magic with political action. 

Each of us embodies the divine. Our ultimate spiritual authority is within, and we need no other person to interpret the sacred to us. We foster the questioning attitude, and honour intellectual, spiritual and creative freedoms. 

We are an evolving, dynamic tradition and work for female and male energies of divinity, always remembering that the essence is a mystery which goes beyond form. Our community rituals are participatory and ecstatic, celebrating the cycles of the seasons and our lives, and raising energy for personal, collective and Earth healing. 

Writing Autobiography

The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Oscar Wilde

Don’t just remember what happened! Relive and reflect on episodes of the past as though it is happening today. Write in the present tense! Write like you are writing to a dear friend whose relationship you treasure!  Don’t forget to say how you feel, and include your thoughts, not just circumstances. Live your truth and describe it with good language skills and with as few repetitions as possible. You are unique, your story is unique, don’t copy anyone else. Make it deep. Make it exciting. Make it live! Send shivers down spines, make your reader gasp, make them tell their friends about the excitement! Write from your heart, mean every word. Write and write, but your spontaneity is required. At the end, edit, and edit bigtime, especially avoid being presumptuous, up staging or praising yourself too highly. Take out the ‘shitty committee’ and if you do criticise, end with compassion. We don’t walk in the shoes of others, and if we are in their shadow, look for our own mistakes within that uncomfortable relationship. 

Claim your story! Write for yourself - readers will relate to you better than you can relate to your readers. There needs to be light and darkness, different moods, joys, tragedies, difficulties, burdens overcome, outcomes not expected, people described in all their variety, places experienced, coldness followed by warmth, followed by enlightenments and revelations shared. What is the motive for your memoir? Please don’t say ‘to make money’ because unless you are an international star, your time will never be paid for. Revenge, therapy, for your grandchildren, to raise yourself out of obscurity, setting a record straight, to make others laugh or to share your life wisdom? You will discover your reason usually after you have written it! All these and more will be part of your life story!

Free YouTube Meditation

Your Film Story. 

This is a free YouTube healing meditation written by Wendy Stokes and presented by Erica Longdon. Please make yourself comfortable, avoid interruptions, and enjoy the visit to your own personal spiritual cinema!

Perfume Part Four

There are 20 species of herbacious perennial freesias in the wild, all natives of South Africa. The name derives from the German physician, Dr Heinrich Theodore Freese who discovered the beauty of this flower. In 1909 the British painter Edward Frampton painted them in Fairyland as an emblem of spring and regeneration. Freesias are second only to the great favourite rose oil; their variety of colour makes them popular for cut flower displays and their lemony scent lends itself to a single note fragrance. The yellow Freesia refracta abd the pink Freesia armstrongii were brought from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to Europe in the later 19th century and have been hybridised into the many beautiful flowers we see in florists and garden centres today. The Netherlands is the main centre of production, but they can also be found growing in East Anglia and Lincolnshire. They are also grown in California. Most freesia scents are now chemically based. 

Words of Power

The Gospel of John begins: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God! This sets out the power of nouns which are naming words. The name of God was so powerful in the Jewish religion that it was not allowed to be spoken. A symbol or alternative word for God's name was used. The second Commandment states: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord Thy God in vain! The name of God was sacred. In fact, everyone's name is sacred, yours, mine and others. Since earliest recorded time, it has been recognised that words have an intrinsic power. Abracadabra, Hocus Pocus, Heypresto, Opensaysme! All are words that conjure magic or call upon spirits. Words that name places, also carry power. Ask any Irish person about this. Many of their folk songs feature place names that have not only ancient meanings but also hold highly valued personal memories. Words are said at special times to bestow important meanings, 'Congratulations', 'I forgive you', 'You are fired', are examples of words that carry vital meaning. Words have power, to heal and to harm. This is the nature of the curse. An awareness of the power of words means that we understand that by using a word, we deliver that energetic vibration into the world.

This Year - A Poem

 This year I do not want the dark to leave me.

I need its wrap of silent stillness,

its cloak of long lasting embrace.

Too much light has pulled me away

from the chamber of gestation.

Let the dawns come late,

let the sunsets arrive early,

let the evenings extend themselves

while I lean into the abyss of my being.

Templars!

The Templars had great success in defeating the poor peasants of the Holy Land, but Templars were trained warriors on large and heavy armoured horses. The Crusaders wielded expensive swords and wore expensive armour, how could the poor people of this land fight and win against them? God supported the Crusaders are they rode through the countryside, many hundreds of miles, taking from local peasantry whatever they needed in terms of food and other necessities, sometimes they returned home with great luxuries! Over the course of 200 years, the local people gathered and trained themselves to fight against these Crusading intruders. Losses occurred, and God no longer supported their successes! This would lead to the downfall of the Templars. 

The Templars honoured St John the Baptist and also Mary Magdalene, who were saints, but neither featured in the Christian Creed. Templars were dedicated to both these prominent saints but not instead of Jesus the Christ or his mother, Mary the Theotokos, Mother of God. There were two pillars of the church, John the Baptist and Jesus. Both had a powerful ministry. 

The Baptist was the fore runner of Jesus, like Elijah who handed his cloak to Elisha. He also was a powerful preacher who baptised in the name of forgiveness, and preached the way of the Lord. He came from the highest and important Judaic family of his time, his father was the High Priest of the Jerusalem Temple and, like Jesus, he also had a miraculous birth. 

Mary, Theotokos, Mother of God, was praised for her obedience and humility. Catholics asked Mary to intercede with Jesus for favours, as she was the closest to him. Her life is documented from time time when Gabriel appeared to her and the Magnificat prayer was said by her. 

Mary Magdalene was honoured as a saint who is mentioned in the Bible as one who had 7 demons exorcised from her by Jesus. She cared for Jesus and his disciples from her own money, so she was a woman of independent means. She was at the crucifixion and saw Jesus after he rose from the dead. So she was considered a woman of high sainthood. 

Dancing at Lughnasa - A Story

It’s 1936 in the Mindy family’s small village croft in Donegal, a priest returns home after spending thirty years in a leper colony in Africa. 

His five sisters greet him but he is saddened because his mother has died. He is the only son - the only male in the family. His sisters have sent their pennies to him in Africa over all those years, knitting gloves and taking other poorly paid work. As a man, he should have been at home to support the family, emotionally and financially, but he doesn’t fit in with the repressed Irish Catholic society. He talks of goddesses and he plays with his young nephew! There is a thin veil of respectability in the family house that overlies a very embarrassing situation where an illegitimate child was born to the youngest sister - and another sister is having a love affair with a married man! 

The priest says, “I have come home to die!” The sisters have no money to bury him and are resentful! However, the priest slowly changes the lives of those around him - they begin to enjoy a more relaxed happiness in their lives, but the Bishop expresses displeasure with the priest and does not come to visit and tells one of the sisters that she will lose her job as a school teacher…. 

The Farmer's Best Wheat - A Story

Once, there was a farmer who grew excellent quality wheat, and every season he won the award for the best grown in his county. One year a reporter from the local newspaper interviewed the farmer and learned that each Spring, the man shared his seed with his neighbors so that they too could plant it in their fields...

“How can you afford to share your best wheat seed with your neighbors when they are entering their crops in the competition with yours?" the reporter asked....

“Why? because the wind picks up pollen from the developing wheat and carries it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior wheat, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of all the wheat, including mine. If I am to grow good wheat, I must help my neighbors grow good wheat"...