Laying Shadows to Rest

Breaking through

each sleeping layer of self

I emerge

from this dark night of the soul

Unfurling tendrils of thought

I feed upon the Light

swallowing whole Truths

in a single gulp

stretching impossibly wide

to take it all in

like Grandmother Toad

drinking down the Moon

in all Her full blown glory

Until,

Light begins to shine

through me

Bright beams of Truth

kindling with my acceptance

revealing Wisdom unguessed 

hidden within my depths

like priceless gems

within the cave of my heart

But you would not see the Truth in me.

Rejecting those beams of Light

just as I was stubbornly blind

to the Darkness within you

for so long

I was not ready to see

your delusions

your jealousies

your selfish ways

your need to be lied to

and led, oh so easily,

down any path

but one of your own choosing

How you loved your Shadowself

more than the bright flashes

I once believed to be the true you

Once so close, in my mind’s eye,

we might have shared the same shadow

you and I

Until the day came

for me to lay my Shadow to rest

When you turned from

my Day bright Truths

in fear and anger

blaming me for all your unhappiness

all your fears come home to roost

once more

as your own children languished

in the barren Night you had chosen

unable to thrive

on the hollow Illusions

that laden your table

Thrust into a bitter Winter

where you blissfully remember

only a Summer that never existed

Only then could I see you

for what you really were

Only then could I embrace

the Night and Day of my Self

In exchange for my loyalty

you gave me betrayal

In exchange for my love

you gave me jealousy and anger

In exchange for a place in my family

you treated us all like enemies

In exchange for each bright Truth

I tried to give you

you gave me nothing

except lies

dark nights to burden my soul

petty pity-me tantrums

 Sugar spun dreams

because they tasted better on your tongue

than the cold ashes Truth would leave behind

I see you now as you truly are

Light and Dark

not just the pieces I valued

not just the true friend

I once believed you to be

I can see how much you prefer

the easy winding road of good intentions

that your imagination

lays out before you

I saw everything with clear eyes at last

Only then could I let go of you

For you prefer your Illusions to Truth

My Shadow,

and I choose Truth,

Light,

Love,

Laughter

over that empty fearful void any day
even if it hurts or takes more work

I no longer carry

the cold heavy stone of you about my neck

My shoulders don’t ache any more

from the burden of carrying you so far

Left beside the road

an unmarked headstone

for an empty grave

where lies the Illusion of who you were to me

Sister

Friend

Fellow champion

of ideals and truth

I find the ghost of my Shadow

has left hardly a footprint

in the dunes of my memories

While the rest of you walks off

towards false horizons

you love more

than the Truth of your choices

Happy trails!

Rest in peace, my Shadow

Until the Wheel turns

Until we meet again

a little wiser for the wear

I hope,

Less willing to offer you

a piece of my soul on a silver plate

Remembrance

Remembrance

Sunlight fades as our

Ancestors gather around us.

Many seasons, many lives

Hover awaiting only our

Attention.

In their hearts, only Love,

Never to be forgotten.

Innocent or

Sinful?

Shouldn’t we always remember

Those that have gone before?

I remember as I

Light the candle,

Love is an unbroken circle.

Happy youngsters with

Adults in tow

Linger beneath the

Lowering sky.

Orange pumpkins all aglow

Watch in silence

Every soul that wanders by,

Even those unseen by the

Naked eye.

Wise Ones,

In

The

Cauldron

Hallowed, know

Everything is

Sacred and

Revel merrily

In

Samhain’s altered

Embrace.

“Samhain. All Hallows. All Hallow’s Eve. Hallow E’en. Halloween. The most magical night of the year. Exactly opposite Beltane on the wheel of the year, Halloween is Beltane’s dark twin. A night of glowing jack-o’-lanterns, bobbing for apples, tricks or treats, and dressing in costume. A night of ghost stories and séances, tarot card readings and scrying with mirrors. A night of power, when the veil that separates our world from the Otherworld is at its thinnest. A “spirit night”, as they say in Wales.” – Mike Nichols, The Witches’ Sabbats

Samhain was typically celebrated around November 1st, one of the great doorways of the Celtic year, with October 31st being the eve of the new year. Samhain marked the end of Summer, the final Harvest, and the turning of the Wheel towards the rest and renewal of Winter. It is a time to let go of the debris and baggage we have gathered throughout the year, break bad habits, and prepare ourselves to begin again on a better path.

Now is he best time to let go of everything we’ve been carrying that we no longer need so that we can find renewal during Winter, healing and new beginnings in the Spring. We cannot move forward if we are clinging to concepts and habits that are keeping us on that particular Wheel of experience. It is also a good time to recognize your personal accomplishments and good growth over the past year, choosing to carry the best forward with you. This is also the time of year when the gates between worlds are lowered, when we remember our loved ones with love and reverence, and perhaps receive advice, inspiration or blessings for the coming year from our Ancestors. Divinations, especially with apples or water, are also traditional at this time.

‎"I was born on the night of Samhain, when the barrier between the worlds is whisper-thin and when magic, old magic, sings its heady and sweet song to anyone who cares to hear it.”― Carolyn MacCullough, Once a Witch

I like to visit one of our natural waterways about this time of year. While walking along the bank, I will find a stone and whisper all the things I’d like to let go of from this year, all the little ways I’ve held myself back or the harbored hurts experienced along the way. When ready, I’ll drop the stone into the stream or river, imagining myself letting go of all those things as the stone leaves my hand. Our family always prepares a special feast this month, gathering our loved ones near. 

For us, this is a time to honor Family; old, new, or passed beyond. This is also a time to pay special attention to honoring our connection to Creator and All Our Relations. Each year, a special plate is prepared with a little of everything and placed somewhere special with a lit candle in honor of family and loved ones who have pa bank, I will find a stone and whisper all the things I’d like to let go of from this year, all the little ways I’ve held myself back or the harbored hurts experienced along the way. 

When ready, I’ll drop the stone into the stream or river, imagining myself letting go of all those things as the stone leaves my hand. Our family always prepares a special feast this month, gathering our loved ones near. For us, this is a time to honor Family; old, new, or passed beyond. This is also a time to pay special attention to honoring our connection to Creator and All Our Relations.

Those who have passed on before us may be visiting. An offering of tobacco, smudging the house and family with sage and cedar… and oft times the added incense of Oak leaves in honor of my Celtic Ancestors and the wisdom they may pass on to us are common this time of year. Special plates are also prepared for the dogs in our family, that they may enjoy the feasting in place of All Our Relations who are not physically joining us during this special meal. These are the signs of Autumn begun in our home.

“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Happy New Year! For me, this is the time of year when I reflect upon the past and turn with the Wheel of Seasons to face the future. What lessons have I learned to carry into the new year? What mistakes or sorrows will I lay to rest?   Now is the time to allow Death to carry off these pieces of our lives that we are letting go; the ultimate change, Death is sometimes the death of phase in our lives or the death of an unhealthy situation. 

The old year dies to make way for the new, but tonight I will sit with my candles and incense long after the trick’or’treaters are tucked into their beds, remember loved ones who have gone ahead and asking for the wise advice and guidance of my ancestors. I often ponder on the many lives it took to reach through the years to find me living in the present moment. How did they live? What were their passions and their fears? What were they grateful for in their own lives?

I have much to be grateful for…my children, my husband, my friends, grandchildren and beloved souls who have slipped the veil before us yet still make the time to offer their guidance… Such a wealth of Love to encourage me through hard lessons learned, challenges met, new horizons, and all the little sorrows and tragedies that fill up the cracks and corners of Life. 

As always, I look forward to this time of renewal and rebirth although each year is different than all those that have passed before. The poem is an Acrostic and the first letter of each line spells out a hidden message. It reads Samhain is still Halloween. Witches rise! Everywhere I look, I see Nature’s loving eye and the patient renewal of the Universe… miraculous! Goodbye Summer, for another turn… Hello Autumn! May you both give and receive Love, Respect, Harmony, Healing and Gratitude from Universe and Creator during this bountiful Harvest season… Mitakuye Oyasin, my Beloved ones xo

Samhain and Soulcakes

You wouldn't believe

On All Hallow Eve

What lots of fun we can make,

With apples to bob,

And nuts on the hob,

And a ring-and-thimble cake.

~Carolyn Wells

During the Medieval era, children would go from house to house singing songs and asking for Soul Cakes also called Bram Brack; a traditional treat found from Ireland to Wales. For each cake gathered, they would then say a prayer for a deceased loved one from the family who gave the cake. These prayers were meant to help lost souls or those in purgatory into Heaven. Many historians believe this may have been the beginning of our modern day trick’or’treaters.

Ancient Celtic traditions would couple this with the Samhain bonfire. Children would collect a piece of wood for the communal bonfire from each house, along with any treats. After the bonfire was lit, people would douse the fires in their hearths at home to be relit with an ember from the sacred Samhain fire.

It is believed that this was meant to symbolize the Spark of Life found in all living things, that creative energy that connects us all... as well as our connection to our ancestors long passed and our children not yet born. The Samhain embers were carried home in carved “lanterns” that were made, apparently, from turnips, which is believed to be the first jack’o’lantern!

Hark! Hark to the wind! 'Tis the night, they say,

When all souls come back from the far away-

The dead, forgotten this many a day!

~Virna Sheard

You certainly don’t have to follow any of these traditions though to enjoy this lovely dessert bread. I especially enjoy it toasted and served with mulled cider served out of a pumpkin, so you can enjoy that lovely combination of flavors as well. Here is a basic recipe for this traditional Hallowe’en treat. It is based one that I found in a book called “An Irish Country Kitchen” by Mary Kinsella , although I’m sure that there are others too.

4 cups flour
1 cup milk, room temperature (I prefer to use buttermilk)
1 1/4 cups sultanas (golden raisins, although I prefer finely diced apples)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 (1/4 oz) package dry active yeast,
or 2 1/4 teaspoons, or 1 (.06 oz) cake compressed fresh yeast
1/2 cup candied orange or lemon peel
1 cup dried currants (I like to split the difference with dried cherries,
but currants are considered to be traditional)
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 egg


1) Cream/stir the yeast with 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the milk. Allow to proof (froth). Sift flour, spices, and salt together, then rub in the butter.

2) Add the rest of the sugar to the flour mixture and blend well. Add the milk and beaten egg onto the yeast mixture and combine with flour mixture.

3) Beat well with a spoon or with the dough hook of an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, or until stiff but elastic.

4) Fold in dried fruit and peel, cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled.

5) Divide in half and place each in a greased 7" cake tin. Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.

6) Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 1 hour, or until done.

7) Glaze top with 1 tablespoon sugar or honey dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water and return to oven for 3 minutes or so to set glaze.

8) Cool on wire rack. Serve in slices, buttered, with freshly whipped cream, or similar topping. After it has been glazed and cooled, I like to frost it with 1 pkg cream cheese well blended with a little apple juice (about 2 TBSP) and honey to sweeten.

Many times small items are hidden in the batter or pressed into the cake, charms or coins typically, foretelling events for that person in the coming year. Samhain was typically celebrated around November 1st, one of the great doorways of the Celtic year, with October 31st being the eve of the new year. Samhain marked the end of Summer, the final Harvest, and the turning of the Wheel towards the rest and renewal of Winter. It is a time to let go of the debris and baggage we have gathered throughout the year, break bad habits, and prepare ourselves to begin again on a better path.

Where there is no imagination there is no horror.

-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Now is the best time to let go of everything we've been carrying, everything that we no longer need so that we can find renewal during Winter; healing and new beginnings in the Spring. We cannot move forward if we are clinging to concepts and habits that are keeping us on that particular Wheel of experience. It is also a good time to recognize your personal accomplishments and good growth over the past year, choosing to carry the best forward with you.

Samhain is the time of year when the gates between worlds are lowered, when we remember our loved ones with love and reverence, and perhaps receive advice, inspiration or blessings for the coming year from our Ancestors. Divinations, especially with apples or water, are also traditional at this time. Long after trick or treaters have gone to bed, I can usually be found sitting with my candle, sipping hot cider with a warm piece of bram brack contemplating past, present and future.

For me, this time of year is like New Year's Eve is for most folks. Throughout the next month my thoughts will turn backward remembering departed loved ones and traditions of our Ancestors. I like looking at what I've achieved in the past year, what no longer serves me and needs to be left behind, as well as what goals I want to achieve over the coming year. I'm eager for October this year and already looking forward to all the coming years reasons for Gratitude.

Here in the U.S., the appearance of pumpkins is a sure sign of Autumn, and pumpkin pie, bread, rolls, cookies, lattes and anything else you can think of are seasonal treats that people look forward to each year I doubt I would have enjoyed turnip pie as much as pumpkin pie! Most of us enjoy carving wide pumpkin smiles for the lights we still put out for Halloween. What traditions do you keep alive? How do you celebrate in October?

“I was born on the night of Samhain, when the barrier between the worlds is whisper-thin and when magic, old magic, sings its heady and sweet song to anyone who cares to hear it.” 

― Carolyn MacCullough, Once a Witch

Tabbouleh Rasa

Fragrant wreaths to greet and please
sweet Persephone who waits to guide
at the gates between Life and Death
Sprung from the blood of infant Opheletes, 
known as Archemorous, forerunner of Death,
Poor child slain by the Dragon of Nemea
I am the Victor's crown at every funeral game.
Herculean garland
Herald of Thanatos
From humble Sardinian origin,
Tended by the hands of your Ancestors
for the last 2000 years
I have achieved world wide fame.
Confuse me with a fool at your own peril
You may find me vigorously growing
between a rock and a sparse place
or dreaming in a garden bed.
Wherever people gather to share a meal,
I am likely there encouraging good health,
stimulating appetites
freshening breath
gracefully guarding plates
I encourage blood to clot

widen vessels
keep bones strong
soothe inflamed joints

Diplomatic garnish
In my second year,
a bit more tough and bitter,
I'll open my umbrella
perhaps calling black swallowtails to attend
Let them have at me!
Sow my wishes in the Spring.
Nine times they must journey to Hades and back
that only the strongest, the most hale
will wipe clean their slate and thrive

For those new to the game, each poem is inspired by a Teacher found in Nature; a star, stone, plant, animal etc that holds lessons of Wisdom for us. Can you guess who is singing today? 

Mother's Breath

Inhale Wisdom. 

Exhale Freedom 

Unseen, 

I surround you always. 

I am there 
for every babe's first cry 

Hidden 
in each peal of laughter 

or wailing lament, 

every life's last sigh 

I stir 

in any song ever sung 

I whisper 

through the flight of birds 

I rage 

through storms far flung 

I am 

the very thought 

and action of your words 

I whistle 

through every season 

I cut 

through miscommunication 

with reason 

I rest 

in countless rusted wrecks 

I blow 

inspiration gently your way 

I breeze 

around the world with varying affect 

I dance 

within the ocean's salty spray 

I 

feed fire 

split stone 

bind water 

The sky is my only limit! 

Inhale Spirituality 

Exhale Change 

Each singing poem is inspired by a Teacher found in Nature. I'm feeling rather uncertain about this one as it is so very different. Can you guess who is singing?

Blazing Trails

One spark in darkness,

Creation ignites!

Exploding forth

from single cells

into endless diversity.

Once,

Humanity huddled round

my protective light.

Entwined communities

still employ me 
in their sacred rites.

Awareness kindles

uncoiling from within

like a snake on

the first day of Spring.

Illumination flickers

down the long passage of history,

and passions consume

within my ardent ring.

I might spread my arms

and hold back the fearful night;

Cook your meals,

inspire,

forge souls and swords, 

offer warmth,

protection and comfort.

Or, roaring in savage delight

devour all you hold dear,
charred remains to the horizon;

devastate, cauterize and incite.

Children,

which of my examples

will you choose to heed?

Creation or destruction?

Illumination,

or mindless consumption?

Generosity or greed? 

For those new to the game, each poem is inspired by a Teacher found in Nature; a star, stone, animal, plant etc that holds lessons of Wisdom for us. Can you guess who is singing today? Congrats to Jan Neavill Hersch, Sharonlee and Jaguarwombyn for naming this Teacher.

It is with our passions as it is with fire and water; they are good servants, but bad masters.  ~Roger L'Estrange, Aesop's Fables, 1692

Among the notable things about fire is that it also requires oxygen to burn - exactly like its enemy, life.  Thereby are life and flames so often compared.  ~Otto Weininger

Life is a flame that is always burning itself out, but it catches fire again every time a child is born.  ~George Bernard Shaw

Fire is typically seen as active and masculine as well as being a force of Nature that most closely resembles live sentient beings; it consumes, breathes, moves, grows and multiplies. Fire commonly represents concepts like truth, passion, vitality, life/creation, creativity, inspiration/enlightenment, chaos, destruction, energy/power, desire, courage, lust, fertility, anger, consumption, conflict/war, freedom/independence, purification, transformation, Divinity and the soul. A bundle of contradictions, fire can light our way through darkness, help us create tools, heat our homes and cook our food, or it can devastate landscapes, destroy lives and property. Fire has the potential to kill more people in a given year than any other force of Nature. 

While the Ancient Greeks considered Fire to be a major element along with Water, Earth and Air, those elements are all forms of matter. Fire, on the other hand, is actually a tangible side effect of matter changing form, a chemical reaction. It requires oxygen as well as a source of fuel (wood, gasoline, etc) heated to its ignition point. The color of flames will vary depending on what is burning and how hot it is. Variations within a flame are caused by uneven temperatures. Typically, the hottest part of a flame is the base, which is most likely glowing blue.  The cooler parts at the top or outer edges glow orange or yellow. Earth's gravity gives each flame it's pointed shape, because the hotter gases are less dense than the surrounding air. Fire moves, and spreads, upward towards lower pressure.

Part of what makes Fire so potentially devastating is that it is self-perpetuating, it will continue to burn as long as there is fuel and oxygen present. The fuel's size, shape and potential heat production will change the nature of the fire subtly in how quickly it will ignite, how long it will burn, how much smoke, soot or other residue it will produce. Experts often determine what started a fire by how the fire burned. 

In the Greek/Roman zodiac, Leo, Sagittarius and Aries are all fire signs. Fire has been used in sacred ceremonies of every culture, from simple candles or the lighting of incense, to bonfires that can be seen from a distance of miles. Some spiritual traditions celebrate the movements of the Sun, typically with some sort of ritual fire, and the Sun is often seen as the fire shared by everyone around the world. Prometheus, Raven, Coyote, Maui, Toad and a variety of other beings or animals have been attributed in tales with bringing Fire to the world or specifically to humanity. Curiously enough, a great many of these Fire-bringers have had to steal or trick fire away in order to bring it. I also find it interesting that while Fire is often considered a masculine element, the Sun is viewed as feminine and the Moon masculine in some cultural stories. 

Many cultures use fire as a symbol across the heart or around the head to indicate spiritual enlightenment and the inspiring touch of Divinity. In Christianity, the Sun is said to be the house of Archangel Michael and is consistently used to represent Christ or Christ-like attributes. The Eye of Varuna, the Sun in Hindu mythology is considered the "divine rejuvenator" .  The Sun is often seen as the Eye of Divinity; Zeus, Ra, Osiris, Horus, etc. Wheels, spirals, swastika, boats, chariots and stars have also been used to represent the Sun. Upward pointing triangles are the Alchemist's representation of Fire. Many animals have been associated with fire, some obvious like the Salamander, Rooster, Dragon or Phoenix, and others, like the Bear, Lion, Ram, Bull, Hedgehog, Spider, Swan or Horse are not so obvious. 

Fire is the Sword that protects or brings about Justice, as well as the chaotic devastation and brutality of War. It shines in representations of both Heaven and Hell. It can be the enlightened soul that brings illumination and positive transformations, or it can be the mindless consumption, selfish uninhibited passions that bring the world down around our ears. How does Fire appear in your life? 

"Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life." Buddha

"Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just a set of rules and equations. What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe?"

Stephen Hawking

"The instruction we find in books is like fire. We fetch it from our neighbours, kindle it at home, communicate it to others, and it becomes the property of all." Voltaire

"I don't know anyone who actually likes the dark or night-time. I don't care how much they say it doesn't bother them. That's why we used to huddle in caves and light fires when the sun went down." Paul Kane