Blesses Ostara!

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Good Morning and Blessings Everyone!


Today let's talk about Ostara also known as Spring Equinox, the Rites of Spring. It usually falls between March 21st and 22nd and marks the first day of spring. Everything wakes up from a long winters nap. The Goddess blesses the earth with the new beginnings, trees in bloom, flowers growing, crops waking up in the field. She kisses the earth with fertility giving us what we need to be ready to survive another winter. This is also the start of longer days and shorter nights. It is a day when both day and night are in balance. It's when the sun over takes the darkness giving us more light to enjoy the beauty the Earth is giving birth too. It is a time for mating between the wild animals that roam the forest and now even the city streets.

Ostara is a time to beginning planting new things. Starting your garden, planting a new tree, perhaps even putting forth a spell for a new beginning. Many celebrate this day with a ritual of tending to their gardens. Some people like to get together for a group ritual feeling it gives more power and strength to the spell that is being cast for a good season, crop, even financial success. It is a time for fertility. To start things new. Spring cleaning getting rid of the old and in with the new.

Actually this is the day the Christians model Easter after. For both Ostara and Easter the tradition is painting of eggs, baskets of goodies for the children, a time to decorate the house with flowers. This is the time of year to clear things out, to banish it from you energy. It is also a time to cast a spell for find what you have lost or to ask what for what you may need. It is a time for romance and new beginnings for everyone.

In my house when I was growing up we didn't celebrate Ostara as I know it today. We did mark it as the first day of spring however. Spring the start of all the new and beautiful things about to come. Everything in bloom and Easter is on the way. Easter was celebrated with morning at church in our new spring clothes an Easter egg hunt, baskets from the bunny himself and of course being Italian, a huge Easter dinner. Never to lose the reason why we celebrated this day. It was the day that marked the rise of Jesus Christ. My parents and the nuns I loved to spend time with always reminded me to remember the real reason we celebrated such holidays. When I got older I realized that most of our Christian holidays center around ancient Pagan celebrations. That doesn't make them wrong it just points out that in all religions from Pagan times till now have their own reasons for celebrations around the same time as the Wheel of the year.

What I have always loved the most about this time of the year is watching everything come into bloom and for me it starts with the blooming of the Cherry Blossom Trees. These trees start blooming the end of March beginning of April depending on the weather. The sad part is they only last about two weeks once they bloom but the beauty they bring, the beautiful colors they fill the Earth with, mark the start of the spring season and the beginning of new life. I have always loved long walks in the park, as a young girl, this time of the year. When my children were small I used to take them for walks to see the trees as my parents had done for me. When they were all grown up it advanced to rides through the park because they didn't have time to sit with me in the park. My ex husband and I used to take the time to go and sit near the senior center and have lunch or an ice cream Sunday while admiring the view the park has to offer. Now I am back to drives through the park and walking around the area soaking up the beauty of it all. No matter how I do it I always find time to enjoy the first blossoms of the year! Below is a picture of these trees perhaps you will agree with me. http://www.ncas.rutgers.edu/cherry-blossoms-2013




                                                   

                                                                          Ostara

By Toni Gamarro

Ostara is the beginning of Spring!

New beginnings it will bring.

The blooming of multicolored flowers,

the beginning of longer daylight hours

means less time we are in the dark,

and the cherry blossoms bloom in the park.

The smell of spring is in the air

so plant your garden with care.

Watch as the blossoms begin to bloom

wiping away the winter gloom.

The first day of spring is a reason to rejoice.

Spring is my season of choice!

As the flowers begin to sprout

little buds popping out,

take the time to watch the Earth come alive

slowly as spring begins to arrive.

A little chilly it will be.

Cautious is the budding tree,

not to bloom too soon

for it will never see the full moon.

Slowly life begins to flourish.

This life the Earth will nourish.

As it welcomes in the spring,

new life it will bring,

to every garden, field and park,

warming up the trees bark.

So take the time to enjoy the view

grass of green and sky of blue.

Every color flower known to man.

Sit in a meadow and with your eyes scan

all the beauty Ostara has welcomed in.

Take a moment to blow a kiss with a happy grin,

and to Eostre the Goddess of Spring

take a bow and let your voice sing.

Thank her for the grass and the trees

for the flowers and the bees.

For giving us the crops we need

so our families we can feed.

Oh, Ostara is a remarkable time of year,

so take the time to shout out a cheer.

Welcome Ostara, Welcome Spring,

Thank you for all the beauty you bring!

Have Faith, Believe!

Good Afternoon and Blessings Everyone!


I know I've been working on the Wheel Of The Year but just for today I want to take a break and talk to about another topic. Sometimes Empathetic's, Intuitive's, Healers, we have this unbearable need to shut down. We have this feeling that builds up inside of us screaming "I just can't do it anymore!" What causes this feeling of despair?  That's simple enough. What causes this feeling is what I have been talking about for so long now in many of my posts about empathetic people. It comes from those around us.  This one needs our help or that needs our help. The drama begins to build up around us and we allow it. We not only allow it, we absorb it from everyone else to make their day a little better.

So whats my point in all of this today? I'm here to tell you there is nothing wrong with taking a break for you. There are too many of us who suddenly lose it. Who suddenly feel like they can't cope anymore. They are confused. They don't know what they are doing, why they are here. They don't understand what is going on around them anymore. They get so scared and begin to wonder if what they are hearing are really just voices in their heads. What if it really isn't their guides talking to them? There are too many of us out there who after so many years of giving, giving, giving, and not taking care of ourselves just can't do it anymore. Some of us end up sick mentally as well as physically. The problem is there is no one there to put things back in order because there is really no physical ailment. It is just all the garbage that has built up in our bodies that we have not cleared for our own good. We tend to forget that. We tend to not take the time for ourselves.

When I shut my store back in September I didn't know what I was going to do with myself. I thought I was going to waist away, not hear them anymore. For a while there I thought they weren't going to want to talk to me anymore, get this, because I let them down by closing the store. I was wrong. Yes the store put me in touch with a lot of amazing people. Some who were looking for something but not quite sure what it was, others who were on a particular path, and still others who were blessed with many wonderful gifts. I don't do this on a daily basis anymore. I do this on a basis of need. When someone calls out to me I am there for them. I never turn anyone away and sometimes I have to catch myself as I realize I start to hide out in the house which is my comfort zone. My safe place to be that blocks all the junk from the outside world.

After my father died I didn't want to hear anymore. I know I really don't have a choice I have been blessed with gifts from the Divine so if hearing is what is meant for me that day then hearing I will do. A few months before my dad died I had a beautiful dream of Jesus. In this dream he told me everything was going to be OK. He said it would all be alright by November 23rd. At this time in my life I was sick they didn't know what was wrong with me. So I thought "yeah, OK, everything is going to be alright by November 23rd. They are going to figure out what this is and I am going to be back to me." A little selfish and self centered of myself I would say because that message wasn't about me. The message I got in that dream wasn't for me it was for my dad who had been suffering for years with Parkinson's Disease and Sun Downers. You see my father passed away on November 23rd at 9:30 in the morning. I only told two people about that dream the day I had it. I told my boyfriend Joey as soon as I opened my eyes and I called my daughter Gynise before she left for work that day. The day my father passed Joey looked at me and said "You were told this was going to happen today is November 23rd. Maybe that's not what you understood it to be but you were blessed enough to be told.You were being prepared."

That's why we need these breaks because things get in our way. Cloud our thinking process, exhaust us. I take them sometimes for weeks at a time but I don't think I am the one taking the break. Confused? I think they are making me take it. They are saying you have absorbed enough. It's time to breath, be who you are, re-energize yourself, charge your battery.

Recently I did a remote healing for someone I love very much. I prayed for God to do what he felt was best. I asked them to go in there and see what can be done. I asked all my Angels and Saints as well as his team, to work on him. He is a stroke victim. While doing this healing I closed my eyes to connect, to try and see whatever messages they had for me. In the healing I saw where the problem was. I saw the blocked out mass on his brain. I saw the gray area around it and  the purple area that was working on healing. I thought wow this is something. Immediately after that I thought to myself how lucky I am to be allowed to see this. I then asked if it was possible for me to see what they were doing not just the colors involved in it. I asked for a glimpse, a peak for me to see how they were getting the job done.

Now some of you are going to think I am crazy and others are going to completely understand this. No sooner I asked this I had a vision of fairies. That's not odd to me because I work with fairies folks.  I saw a flock of fairies coming in and doing their work . The replaced the color show I often get. As they came in and got to work it was almost as if they were painting a picture. I watched them work on his healing in amazement. At first it looked as if they were drawing trees with bare branches. Everything asleep for the winter or dead. Then they started to bloom and grow into a beautiful forest. As I watched them help this forest to grow the green leaves everything suddenly became white as if covered by snow. Looking closely I  realized each snowflake was perfectly laid and you could see the design in the flakes. Each one different, you could make out the lace of each flake as they worked on this image before me. Then the trees parted and in the center of this forest was an image of the green man done completely in white snowflakes. God spoke to me as far as I am concerned, once again. I wish there was a way for me to take a picture of the things I see when I ask to be shown one thing or another. This was the most beautiful, amazing, spiritual images I have ever seen. As they continued to work I began to see the trees close up the gap the fairies made. This time the trees were no longer green instead they were purple and they had birds fluttering through them. I knew now things were going to be OK. One way or another things were going to be OK. They were working. It may not be the way we hoped it would be but they were on the job doing what they feel is best.One thing we all have to remember, we are not in control during a healing. We may think we are and forget there is a higher power but then we remember this is not our doing it is in their hands. They will do what is best .

How can I stop? How can I question? How can any of us question if we really take the time to understand what they do for us? If I stop losing faith, you stop losing faith we all stop losing faith, and stop believing then what?  The Divine doesn't  want us to suffer, be confused or scared. If we stop believing, if we lose faith then that is what will happen not only to us but to those who come to us. Those who have come to depend on people like us to clear things away and set it right with the help of those they can not see. When one door closes one really does open again. The only way that happens is we have to believe. It's our faith that causes the door to open, that turns the key to that lock. It's our faith that brings those in need to us. They can see the light so many try to put out. So when you feel overwhelmed, distraught, shut down for a while. Don't listen to those who say your life will be in a turmoil if you don't  use your gifts. The Divine is not hear to punish us and neither are your guides. They are here to help us grow spiritually, to get stronger, gain knowledge, teach us how to help those who are in need, to guide us. Help them do their job by taking a break, breath, relax in a salt bath, rejuvenate yourself. Get rid of all the gunk you picked up from all the drama around you. Remember you are their vessel. They love and need you as much as you love them and need them. Just believe! That's the message you should be giving everyone. Have faith and everything will work out. Believe and it will come to be!


                                                                     Just Believe
                                                                    By Toni Gamarro
   
                                                       You have no idea why they come to you,
                                                       Why they bless you the way they do,
                                                       You have been granted a special gift,
                                                        Back and forth your gifts may shift,
                                                       One thing will always keep them strong,
                                                       Having Faith can never be wrong,
                                                       Do not question what your path may be,
                                                       Let them guide you so you can see,
                                                       The images they send out,
                                                       Understanding them will rid the doubt,
                                                       So take the time to relax,
                                                       A glass of wine and some snacks,
                                                       A salt bath to wash troubles away,
                                                       So negative energies can not stay,
                                                       Attached to you and drag you down,
                                                       You need to rid your brow of the frown,
                                                       Brightening your heart with the light,
                                                       Makes your soul smile bright,
                                                       Do not let your faith slip away,
                                                       A little bit each day,
                                                       Take the time to reconnect,
                                                       Reach out and collect,
                                                       All the positive energy your guides will send,
                                                       This is the helping hand they lend,
                                                       Remember to reach out when in need,
                                                       To their warnings you must heed,
                                                       And when you need your team by your side,
                                                       Know they will be there as your guide,
                                                       By your side they will never leave,
                                                       If you have faith so Just Believe!
                                                     
To Be Continued........
                                                       

Blessed Imbolc

Good Morning and Blessings Everyone!


The next Sabbat we will be talking about is Blessed Imbolc, February 2, also known as Candlemas. This is the first celebration of Spring, another fire festival. Imbolc is when we welcome the Sun back once again. We start to see the buds on the trees, the flowers popping up through the start of the nice green grass that is starting to grow and calling out to be tended to. Everything is waking up to bring you and me the beauty of color and sweet smells of flower we are granted every spring. This is the festival that celebrates the end of winter and the beginning of spring, the beginning of a new crop, a new season.

Saint Brigid's Cross

Imbolc has also been called Brigid's Day but it is not pronounced as we see it or as they do in the Catholic Church and Christian beliefs, it is pronounced Breed. We call it that because it is a day to honor the Celtic Goddess Brigid. Brigid is the triple Goddess. On this day we celebrate the changing of the Goddess from the Crone to the Maiden. She is the Goddess of Poetry, Midwifery, Healing and Smithcraft. In other words anything and everything you do with your hands she is there to help you, guide you, and bless the work you do. This is the time of the year when you light a white Candle to Brigid.

Let me tell you a little story an amazing woman taught me many years ago. It tells us of a beautiful Goddess Brigid who falls in love with a the God of the forest, Cernunnos. Their love grew and soon they married. They were very happy together looking over the land and making sure the creatures who lived there had whatever they needed to survive. One day the beautiful Goddess Brigid told her charming love Cernunnos she was pregnant. She tended to the needs of all those who were looking towards her for food and protection all through the summer and the spring but come the fall she was too tired to continue. Cernunnos loved her so much and he wanted what was best for his child and sent her to rest for the fall and winter till she was needed once again in the spring. As so she rested and on February 2nd she gave birth the The Sun God. Now she was able to give Cernunnos a chance to rest since he had been standing guard all winter making sure every one and every thing had all the food, water, and protection they needed to survive. Now it was her turn to watch over the land and those who lived in it. So it is on this day we pay tribute to Brigid with fire festivals, feasts, celebrations and rituals.

I always like to take the time during the spring season to realize all that is coming to life once again.


Brigit's Day
By Toni Gamarro

Blessed Imbolc, Saint Bridget's Day,
Others watch for what the Ground Hog might say,
The first celebration of Spring,
And all the beauty it will bring,
There is a tale they used to tell,
Of this day, I know it well,
The Beautiful Goddess Bridget the story goes,
Falls in love it the forest God Cernunnos,
Married and happy together they watched over the land,
Caring for all creatures hand in hand,
Then one beautiful day,
Bridget told him they had a child on the way,
She worked beside him caring for all,
But she grew tired by the Fall,
For his family he wanted what was best,
So he took over and made her rest,
He knew he could take care of whatever the winter may bring,
Till she was needed once again in the Spring,
And so she rested till that special day,
February 2, when it was time to say,
Hello to her little one,
We now know as the God of the Sun,
With his birth came two things,
The celebration of the first sign of spring,
And the time for Cernunnos to take a break,
To get some rest so he can wake,
In time for winter to take his post,
Making sure everyone and everything had the most,
Food, water, and protection they would need,
Until Feb 2. when Bridget wakes to do her deed,
Whatch over the land and all in her care,
As she breaths the breath of Spring back in the air.

Winter Solstice

Good Morning and Blessings Everyone!

Today let's talk about yet another one of my favorite holidays, Winter Solstice, Yule. A solstice happens only twice a year, winter and spring. It is the time of year when the sun reaches it's highest point and can be seen from the north and south pole. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year while the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. 

Winter Solstice, Midwinter's Night, or Yule is celebrated around December 21st or 22nd. The Solstice plays an important role in the years wheel of celebrations. It is a turning point that begins the shortest day of the year, the beginning of more sunlight, representing the rebirth of the Sun. In the Southern Hemisphere this is when summer begins.

Through out time people celebrate Winter Solstice with feasts fit for a King and gift giving among each other. In ancient times there were sacrifices made. Many people would bring wreaths made of evergreen into their homes and as decorations for their door. In today's society it marks the last month of the year. People bring trees into their homes to decorate and feast with family and friends. Of course gift giving is still welcomed :) Christians have adopted this time of the year for Christmas. A time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.In ancient times it was considered a time to celebrate the Birth of the Sun God. 

I have many memories of this time of the year growing up as well as anyone. It was always a time to celebrate with family and friends, decorate the house inside and out, but always my parents reminded us that he meaning of the season was to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Christians have chosen December 25th for Christmas Day. Once again centered around the ancient festival of Yule and the rebirth of the Sun. I didn't start to celebrate Yule until I was much older and started to to follow my own special path but still with my family I celebrate Christmas. 

One of the strangest and yet understanding memories I have of Christmas is about Christmas Eve. My parents always made sure there were tons of presents under the tree from Santa every year. When we moved into our family home I was fourteen years old. Our first Christmas there we were enjoying a traditional Christmas Eve Dinner complete with seven fish dishes, and old tradition, family and friends. At the stroke of midnight, just as my father was about to place Jesus in the manager, since he would never allow us to do it any earlier, the lights went out in the entire house except for those on the Christmas tree. Now that alone wouldn't be weird after all it could have been on a separate breaker but that wasn't it. You see the television was also plugged into the same outlet and that went out every year until my mother passed away twenty years ago. We actually looked forward to it happening every year. It gave us the knowledge that those who have left us through out the year joined us for Christmas celebrations. I was rather disappointed when it stopped but I understood it with all that was going on in the family at the time. I believe it was their way of saying they weren't really happy with the change of venue that was now taking place. My mother was defiantly  missed.

Today I celebrate Yule with my friends who do the same. We have dinner, enjoy the meaning of the day, and are thankful for all the wonderful people in our lives. With my family and still other friends I celebrate Christmas. Both with a tree, decorations to brighten the house and bring joy and light welcoming in the Sun and celebrating the birth of Christ and the rebirth of the Sun God. What an amazing time of the year!

                                                      Blessed Yule
                                                      By Toni Gamarro

                                              Time to dance and to sing,
                                              Looking forward to what the holiday will bring,
                                              Candies and cookies freshly baked by Mom,
                                              Joyful glee and Holiday calm,
                                              Family and friends gathering together,
                                              In Rain, snow, any kind of weather,
                                              Feasting on a Christmas goose or ham,
                                              Grandma makes your favorite candied yam,
                                              Gifts set neatly under the tree,
                                              Gosh will I get one, two, or three,
                                              Of course that's not why we celebrate Yule
                                              But it's fun to watch Dad sitting on a stool,
                                              Passing out all the gifts beneath the tree,
                                              Winking as he passes them to me,
                                              And after all is said and done,
                                              We have taken the time to thank everyone,
                                              Take a moment to yourself and reflect,
                                              Think about what this time will affect,
                                              Think about what it means to you,
                                              Of all the trials God has seen you through,
                                              Yule is a blessed time of year,
                                               It brings friends and family near,
                                               Most importantly it celebrates rebirth,
                                              And that is the cause of all the mirth,
                                              So throw a kiss to the Sun,
                                              Remember to thank everyone,
                                              Enjoy the beauty this time of year will bring,
                                              Remember to rejoice, dance, and sing!
                                                

To Be Continued........
                                               
                                              
                                              
                               

Samhain

Good Morning and Blessings Everyone!

I thought I would address the Wheel of the Year today. Let's do this by taking it one at a time. I know we just past Beltane but I would prefer to start out at the beginning of the Wheel then somewhere in the middle.No sense in confusing everyone and being a bit backwards. That being said let's start out with one of my favorite times of the year, the start of the Witches Calander (Wheel of the Year) Samhain, October 31st.

Needless to say this is one of my favorite holidays for my childhood memories alone. Getting dressed up and going out trick or treating with my father since my mother worked nights. My fathers sister, Aunt Dolores, always made us homemade popcorn balls and every family members house we went to had a special treat for us. Of course we didn't call it Samhain we called it Halloween, a reason to get dressed up in scary customs and eat candy till your teeth hurt. No one every gave any real thought to why we did it we just knew  it was time to go out and have some good clean fun.

Actually Halloween or Samhain (Sah-ween) as it was called back then, began as an ancient Pre-Christian  Celtic Festival of the dead. According to the ancient calendar this day marked the first day of the new year, the first day of winter. During this time the farmers had to move their cattle and sheep in closer pastures and get ready for the winter months ahead. All crops we harvested and stored also for the winter. 

In Celtic times this holiday was considered the biggest one of the Celtic year. It was the time of year when the Celts believed spirits of the dead mingled with the living. You see it was believed those who died during the year traveled to the otherworld on this night. They made animal sacrifices as well as fruits and vegetables.  On this night on the hills and through the fields people could see bonfires lit in honor of the dead. They believed it helped the dead on their final journey and kept them from the living.

Christians became obsessed with changing Celtic practices and beliefs. They did all they could to draw the Pagans into their church. In doing so they adopted many of their beliefs but changed the names of the holidays to adopt it to their Church but in still make the Pagans feel welcomed. Look back and to ancient Celtic times and check out some of the names of the Gods and Goddesses you will find they are the same in many religions today. They have just been transformed to meet that belief. Something we will explore in the future. Samhain is no different. Many Christians celebrate All Souls Day on November 1st, the celebration of the dead. No different than Samhain but to separate the two days naming one Halloween and the other All Souls day. In actuality it is all still the same celebration. Samhain started at dusk on or around October31st depending on the moon and ended with the rise of the sun the next morning. 


Christians wanted to wipe out all Pagan holidays. Pope Gregory the First instructed the missionaries to use the customs and beliefs of the Celtic people rather than to erase them all together. They didn't understand the religious leaders of the time were not devil worshipers but believed in worshiping that which God and the Goddess gave us. Christians did not understand the practicing of the Celts. This as an established religion over looked by the Druids. Druids were priests, poets, scientists, and scholars. They studied hard to learn all they could and to share their knowledge with those who followed them. It was a strong religion, belief, that threatened Christianity. Christians did not understand Druids were not much different then missionaries and monks. Instead they saw Druids as evil doers so to wipe out their kind they adopted their beliefs to draw their people to Christianity. 

Even the wearing of costumes and going from door to door can be traced back to Celtic times. People left food and drink out by their door to ward off the dreadful demons, fairies and souls of the dead. After doing this for centuries people started dressing up in scary costumes in the images of these creatures. They would perform tricks in exchange for the food or drink. They called it mumming we call it trick or treat. More and more adults are celebrating Halloween these days dressing up in costumes and enjoying the day waiting to see if they get a visitor or two in the evening hours.

In today's society All Saints Day is known All Hallows Eve the night before the most intense activity, the night when the veil between the two worlds is at it's thinnest. There are those who believe on this night the spirits that walk the earth are evil. I often listen to people talk about the evil spirits that are in their house or haunting their lives. I am amazed how many are afraid of the unknown and do not understand all that is negative is not evil but negative energy that is built up sometimes inside of us or around us with the help of others. On Halloween or Samhain as I call it, it is a night of the year to celebrate those who have passed on. Those who have made the journey to the otherworld during the year, it is a night to connect to the ones you have lost during this time. 

Personally I have experienced many a Blessed Samhain connecting to those I know and those I have never met. At no time have I connected to a spirit wishing to do me harm. On this night as well as any night you plan on seeking a spirit you protect yourself. Careful in your wording, careful to protect yourself to secure a sacred space. Never do any such work without first learning how and what you are doing. Remember knowledge is always the key. Of course when I was a young girl I didn't have this knowledge but I didn't seek the spirits they came to me usually in my home which for me was the safest place in my world making me well protected. 

Halloween or Samhain for any Witch is a day to celebrate, to enjoy the harvest, cook amazing foods, eat, drink, and be merry. It is a night to help those who are in need cross over, to bid farewell to those they have lost and loved over the year. It is Our New Year, new beginnings. So let's raise our glass and toast this night Happy New Year One and All, Cheers!


                                              Blessed Samhain
                                               By Toni Gamarro

                              The bonfires burned on the hillside all night,
                              Keeping the fields lit bright,
                              Keeping away the souls of the dead,
                              Calming every ones fear and dread,
                              Oh how our belief has changed,
                              All mixed up and rearranged,
                              Samhain is a Witches New Year,
                              It's not a day to run in fear,
                              The veil between the worlds is thin,
                              Some like to welcome the spirits in,
                              With a ritual celebrating this day,
                              While helping the spirits on their way,
                              Nothing to fear, nothing to dread,
                              It's a feast to celebrate the dead,
                              Enjoy dancing and having fun,
                              For the Witches New Year has begun!


To Be Continued........