Brigid Lughnasadh New Moon Lion’s Gate Ritual                                August 8, 2021

 

Items needed: fire pit, cauldron, or fire proof container; newspaper, wood and lighter to make a fire; color changing wood blocks; paper or tree bark; magic markers; candles for each of the directions; offering of thanksgiving to Brigid from the garden

 

Purpose: Releasing any beliefs that hold us back from fully welcoming and embracing the bounty of the earth and the abundance that is our natural birthright

 

North ~ Guardians of the Earth, we welcome your abundance and sustenance to our ritual.

 

East ~ Guardians of the East, we welcome your openness and intelligence to our ritual.

 

South ~ Guardians of the South, we welcome your passion and energy to our ritual.

 

West ~ Guardians of the West, we welcome your connection and compassion to our ritual.

 

Guardians of the elements, we welcome you to our ritual this new moon night.

 

Blessings Lady New Moon, dark and mysterious but opening to the possibilities of tomorrow. Our futures are ours for the creation and with your aid, our goals are accomplished and made manifest on this earth. As we release those things that hold us back from our flow and the flow of the universe, we ask that you welcome them into your darknening embrace and transmute them into positive energy for the universe, the earth, and all living beings, including ourselves.

 

Today the Lion’s Gate is open, the time when the energy from the Sirius star aligns with the planet earth. At this time, universal consciousness expands and opens for the benefit of life on earth. Heart-centered, positive, courageous, the Lion’s Gate aids us in our spiritual growth and in physical manifestation on earth. The number 8 is the number of infinity; it supports empowerment and intention, sweeping us toward whatever we focus upon. We welcome the light of the star Sirius, the positivity of the sun in Leo, and the expansion of our heart chakras at this powerful time of the year. Releasing the old, out-moded stories, we make way for this new, fresh manifestation mindset. No longer will we hold ourselves back from the abundant possibilities of the universe!

 

Most blessed Brigid,

Bright Arrow,

arousing, swirling, teaching,

direct my words and

                           focus our art

to resonate your will

beneath the sky, beneath the sea.

Goddess of the Sun and

                           of the eternal fire,

You inspire.

 

Most sacred Brigid,

Sudden flame,

shaping, melding, purifying,

forge our hands and

                           guide our hearts

to do your bidding

beneath the sky, beneath the sea.

Goddess of the Sun and

                           of the eternal fire,

You transform.

 

Most honored Brigid,

Living light,

calming, soothing, restoring,

mend our wounds and

                           allow your love

to shine through us

beneath the sky, beneath the sea.

Goddess of the Sun and

                           of the eternal fire,

You heal. 

 

Most blessed Brigid,

Living light,

Bright Arrow

Sudden flame,

Goddess of the Sun and

                           of the eternal fire,

Arise like a shining sun

And join us at our ritual!

 

Brigid, Goddess immortal, most blessed,

We light this fire
In fiery offering to you.

 

 

(light fire and play Jenna Green Brigid song)

 

 

Goddess Brigid,

As Goddess of the forge and the flame

You transmute and transform our lives,

 

As Goddess of art and fire

You inspire and invigorate our lives,

 

As Goddess of healing and hearth

You empower and educate our lives,

 

We ask for your aid in transmuting old beliefs that hold us back from fully welcoming and embracing the bounty of the earth and the abundance that is our natural birthright.

 

(Gaze into the flame to find the belief that you wish to remove. Add color-changing wood. Write this belief on the bark or piece of paper with the magic marker. Allow the belief to leave your auric field and enter into the bark or paper.)

 

(When you feel like the energy is gone from your aura, place the bark or paper into the fire and say: )

 

May the New Moon accept these old beliefs and transmute them into positive energy for the universe, the earth, and all living beings, including myself.

 

May the light of the Sirius star enter into and expand my heart, filling any space left from the removal of the old, with light, love, courage, positivity, self-confidence, resilience, and manifestation of my intentions for my life.

 

(Gaze into the fire until the bark or paper is completely burned.)

 

In thanksgiving, we offer these gifts from the garden to the Goddess Brigid. We gratefully accept your positive role in our family life. Your power is great and your presence is magnificent. We welcome your energy into our lives.

 

(Place food at the base of the fire. If the fire is hot enough, place the food in the fire.)

 

Sing Holy Water, Sacred Flame 3x or 9 x, depending on how the energy feels

 

We thank you Brigid for your presence here at our ritual,

For giving us warmth of heart and hearth.

As the ancients of old, we have honored you

                                    in the traditional way.

May our love for you be felt through time and space,

                                    across the universe, upon the earth, and under the sea.

Although the light of this fire goes out,

                                    we carry your flame in our breasts.

 

Most blessed Brigid,

Living light,

Bright Arrow

Sudden blaze,

Goddess of the Sun and

of the eternal fire,

we guard your flame.

 

We honor the Lion’s Gate, the time when the Sirius star aligns with the planet earth and welcome its return every year! At this time and for the rest of the month, we will pay attention to our words, our thoughts, and our beliefs, focusing on the ever expanding beauty of our heart centers. Blessed Be.

 

We thank Lady New Moon, dark and mysterious for opening to the possibilities of tomorrow and allowing us a glimpse of our futures, manifest with abundance. Every month you afford us the chance to release into your comforting embrace, to rest in the quiet dark of the night. We honor you! Blessed Be.

 

 

West ~ Guardians of the West, we thank you for your connection and compassion during our ritual. Stay if you will, go if you must, knowing our love for you is ever in our hearts.

 

South ~ Guardians of the South, we thank you for your passion and energy during our ritual. Stay if you will, go if you must, knowing our love for you is ever in our hearts.

 

East ~ Guardians of the East, we thank you for your openness and intelligence during our ritual. Stay if you will, go if you must, knowing our love for you is ever in our hearts.

 

North ~ Guardians of the Earth, we thank you for your abundance and sustenance during our ritual. Stay if you will, go if you must, knowing our love for you is ever in our hearts.

 

The ritual is ended. May we go with the strength and love of the Goddess Brigid, the Lady New Moon, the energies of the Lion’s Gate, and the Guardians of the Elements in our hearts. Blessings of abundance, self-confidence, and success to all who have joined us and participated in our rite. Blessed Be!

 

Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet again!

 

Beyond the Norm...

Yes, it's the season of Lughnasadh. Yes, many Pagans honor the Irish God Lugh or his mother Tailtiu. But this Lughnasadh, I looked at the Wheel of the Year and thought, "Hmmmm, Imbolc is the Sabbat opposite Lughnasadh. I feel like I want to work with that energy this year ~ the energy of Brigid." For if Lugh is the God most associated with Lughnasdh, Brigid is the Goddess connected to Imbolc.

Imbolc is the second picture on the right. (Notice the daffodils.) 

Lughnasadh is the third picture from the top on the left. (Notice the hay and grain imagery.)

I also made the decision to not hold my ritual on August 1. Now I know you all are probably flummoxed at this point, wondering if my Pagan Priestess card should be revoked. (lol) But hear me out. You see, I just got back from my honeymoon on July 30th. It was amazing and magical and wonderful! (The wedding boasted a double rainbow!) However, by the time I finally unpacked and cleaned up and acclimated to "regular life," I was tired. And, in my opinion, there's nothing worse than pushing yourself to perform ritual when you can barely keep your eyes open.

Ritual should be done with an open heart and a clear mind. It is, after all, your opportunity to connect with the Divine and forge a relationship with your deity of choice. Ritual forges a link between the worlds and between time and space. It is liminal, sacred, sublime, and divine. It should be treated as a blessed event, not a chore that "has" to be accomplished. Your frame of mind will change the efficacy of any magic you perform. It could effect the whole season going forward. (It doesn't have to but it could!)

So, instead, I am celebrating my Brigid fire ritual on August 7, one day before the August New Moon. We will be using cool color changing fire wood that we first saw at my sister-in-law's house and picked up in one of those big box hardware stores. We plan on releasing any beliefs that hold us back from fully welcoming and embracing the bounty of the earth and the abundance that is our natural birthright.

I'll post the ritual in a few days so you can choose to celebrate, if you wish! In the meantime, I leave you with the song Holy Water, Sacred Flame from the Circle Round and Sing! cd by Ann Hill. This song to the Goddess Brigid holds special meaning for me as it was one of the first songs I felt comfortable singing out loud. Fifteen years ago, holding my daughter's chubby, toddler hand in mine, I took a deep breath and pushed aside all those old stories and untruths about the beauty (or lack thereof) of my voice. I sang, by myself. Without accompaniment. In honor of Brigid. May you feel the same sense of peace and purpose and acceptance that I felt when I first took that leap and opened up my voice.

Holy Water, Sacred Flame - YouTube  

Brigid by Lisa Iris

 HAPPY LUGHNASADH!

Lughnasadh is one of those holidays that help you to remember the joy of being alive. It's all about the first harvest and reaping the fruits of our labor. For me, living on a farm, the ripe sweetness of tomatoes is a part of Lughnasadh and the crunch of fresh cucumbers and the smells of freshly mown grass. One of my favorite Lughnasadh meals is cucumber sandwiches! So easy to make and soooooo delicious and nutritious!

Lughnasadh Cucumber Sandwiches

Items needed:  your favorite bread; a fresh (preferably organic) cucumber; mayonnaise (I prefer avocado or safflower oil mayonnaise since my honey is allergic to soy); salt and pepper to taste

Peel the cucumber, as much as you need for your sandwich. I usually use 1/4 of a cucumber for one sandwich but you may like more cucumbers than I do! Slice your cucumber into very, very thin discs. As you're slicing, toast your bread to the consistency that you like. I do not like mushy bread so I toast mine to a medium brown color. When your bread is toasted and your cucumber is sliced, spread a goodly amount of mayonnaise on both sides of the bread. The mayonnaise adds the most flavor to your sandwich so don't skimp on it! Add the slices of cucumber one at a time, overlapping them so there are no bare sections of the bread. Continue doing this until all the cucumbers have been placed on your toast. Now liberally salt and pepper the cucumbers to bring out their garden-y goodness. Place the second piece of toast on the cucumbers and squish it down lightly to get the mayonnaise to adhere to the cucumbers. Then cut your sandwich in half (it is much easier to eat that way) and Enjoy!       

Morning Salutations!

 I've decided to begin a new morning routine! Not just for me but for you too! My plan: a two minute pick-me-up to start the morning on the "right foot." Every day. (Yes, I know, that's a commitment but we're all worth it!)

Today's pick me up: Try a different tea

Sometimes we get stuck in a rut and go through the motions of the day, doing the same old thing without even really thinking about it. Are you drinking the same old coffee with milk and sugar right now? (I am. Oat milk for me, please!) Routine is great because it lends stability to our lives. That cup of coffee is something we can count on. And, we don't need to think about it.

But sometimes it's important to think about what we are actually doing. Am I drinking that coffee because I'm used to it or because I actually like it? Do I drink it for the caffeine or for the flavor? Consider the reasoning behind your morning coffee drink and make the conscious decision to either continue that pattern or... maybe... shake things up.

Maybe try some tea. 

My new favorite tea is The Child Green Tea from The Mandalorian collection at The Republic of Tea. It has a sweet, subtle favor, enhanced with linden blossoms. Linden blossoms! And there's caffeine. Caffeine! I love the scent of linden blossoms and, right now, they are blooming all over Massachusetts. I see them everywhere I go! As far as caffeine, well, sometimes I need a little energy kick to get me going for the day!

Consider trying something new today and really consider the reasoning behind your many choices. It's your life! Make it rock!
 

American Legends ~ Johnny Appleseed, Authenticity in Action

...One mother's quest to find out the essence of what it means to be American...

Did you know there is a Johnny Appleseed Festival in northern Massachusetts and a Johnny Appleseed parade in Ohio? There are. They take place at the end of September every year, commemorating Johnny Appleseed's birthday and his contribution to the American landscape. 


Johnny Appleseed is a real person whose lineage and life can be traced through history. He was born in Leominster, MA in 1775 and died in Ohio in 1845. During his 70 years on this earth, he saw the land of America rise from a rabble of fledging colonies, competing with each other for trade and reparation from England, to a comprehensive, cohesive, "united" states. 


Johnny "Appleseed" Chapman was not the seed-sower that is depicted in elementary classrooms across the country. Rather, he was a businessman, albeit an unusual one. Legend states that Johnny walked around barefoot in all weather, with a tin can for a hat and tattered rags for clothes. He ate berries, slept outside, made water from snow, and refused to harm any living thing, including bugs. He spouted Bible passages and mini sermons, based on the philosophies of the Swedenborg Christians. One time, when a traveling minister asked "Where is the man who, like the primitive Christian, walks toward heaven barefoot and clad in sackcloth," Johnny Appleseed stepped forward and said, "Here is a primitive Christian." 


While sporting behaviors that could be described as a trifle eccentric, Johnny Appleseed still managed to run a prosperous orchard business. Having taken seeds from the cider mills of Pennsylvania, Johnny travelled west to plant them in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. His orchard empire spread over 100,000 square miles and several of his trees still blossom and fruit to this very day! Johnny sold saplings to his neighbors for 6 cents each but he was not adverse to bartering. He would just as quickly give a sapling away for cornmeal, old clothes, or a promissory note. His pro-active attitude stretched beyond feeding his neighbors to ensuring their safety in all matters. In 1812, he travelled through the night, warning lonely farmsteads of a possible Native retaliation, which had been incited by the British. 


Johnny "Appleseed" Chapman died of pneumonia while on the road in Ohio. He is buried in Ft. Wayne, Indiana on a 12 acre grave site that has been named the "Johnny Appleseed Memorial Park." On his grave, the following phrase has been etched: "He lived for others."

Johnny Appleseed lived an authentic life. He did not merely spout his beliefs and values, rather, he lived them. His life was completely different from the "norm," yet he prospered and, now, is long remembered. Our lesson from Johnny Appleseed is to embrace our differentness, our truth, our authentic self and ACT upon those truths. Johnny Appleseed teaches us that, as Americans, there is room for all our differing thoughts and ideas. There is no "right" way to do things. The only right way is the one we decide for ourselves. Once we have figured that out, we can live fully in our truth, in our authenticity, and be prosperous, joyous, and happy.    

Tiger Moms? What about Yaks?

I just read the article about "Tiger Moms" in Time Magazine. It was the cover story. A cover story about parenting... and not just in Parenting or Fit and Pregnant but in Time! Insert appropriate nonsensical sound here. Color me excited!

To re-cap the article, a Chinese-American woman and Yale Law Professor, Amy Chua, wrote a memoir entitled Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, in which she describes her harsh, strict, traditional Chinese parenting style. Since it is a published memoir and since it is not mouldering in some long-forgotten corner of her study, you can be assured that her style of parenting is extreme. Extremely extreme. And, as such, it has gotten a LOT of press (hence, Time Magazine) and a lot of negative buzz on the Internet. Many mothers have responded emotionally, by calling Chua a "monster." Time, however, in true devil's advocate fashion, has decided to take the "maybe this is necessary because America is falling behind in the world on so many levels" approach. The article that follows Chua's is titled "Tiger Daughter ~ An American in Shanghai reports: I'm glad my kid has a tiger mom."

Now before we all jump on the "tiger bandwagon" and start enforcing perfection and high expectations, I'd like to mention a few things.

1. Look into two Chinese-American authors ~ Maxine Hung Kingston and Amy Tan. They tell a completely different story in relation to the "traditional" Chinese parenting style. (And they're fabulous writers too!) It's important to get lots of points of view when considering altering one's philosophy.

2. Have you ever considered the idea that America, as a country, may have an identity crisis and a lack of self-esteem? I mean, we go around wielding our clubs and making a lot of fuss and racket but spend an inordinate amount of time comparing ourselves to others. I wonder if France does that. Or Great Britain. Or China. Why do we make such a big stink about our values and the need to uphold them around the world while constantly trying to be like everyone else? Why can't we just be ourselves? Why is the "traditional Chinese parenting style" of such interest to us? We're not Chinese.

3. Remember, these children, your children, are going to be looking after you in your old age. And, unlike China, which is culturally-conditioned to honor and revere the elders of the family, America is all about the shiny and new. Elders are only barely tolerated and that's mostly because they have an excellent lobbying force in Washington. If you don't want to end up in the cheapest nursing home in your town, you might re-think being a "Tiger Mom." After all, what goes around, comes around!

Summer Solstice Newsletter ~ June 2010

Welcome summer! Welcome revelation! Welcome heat and fun and freedom and joy!

I love summer. (Can you tell?) But I especially love this summer because it really feels as though the old is on its way out and the new is coming on in. This can be a scary but also a freeing experience. No more excuses for not following your dreams. No more procrastination. No more blaming everyone else for your life and your existence on the planet.

The other day I stumbled across an awesome video that I shared on Facebook. If you are not a Facebook friend of mine and would like to be, just look me up under Michelle Skye Santos or SkyeJubilee@yahoo.com. If you are already a friend... WooHoo! Anyway, I'll share the video with you here again. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/real-life-mermaids-swim-sea-creatures-10801996 This is a ten minute video clip of the show 20/20. It shows two lovely ladies who had the unfortunate experience of being born with feet, when they're really more suited to a tail. That's right, these ladies are soul-deep mermaids. Yet, despite their feet, they are living their mermaid sea lives. Beautiful. Evocative. Moving. I urge you to take a few minutes to watch the video and explore the possibilities. Life's possibilities. Your possibilities. After all, who would have thought that mermaids would ever, EVER be on a semi-serious news program? And shown in such a positive light?!? The world is opening like a beautiful lotus blossom. May you open and bloom as well!

Many, many blessings dearhearts ~

Michelle Skye

Exciting Summer Events

June 9th ~ Free Teleseminar with noted wild herbalist Kiva Rose at 8:30pm Eastern time. To sign up, go to http://www.learningherbs.com/news_issue_se_2.html

June 19th ~ Bellydance benefit at 7pm for a local Amnesty International Group at Middle Street School of Music in Plymouth, MA. Amar Gamal, one of the leading names in bellydance, will perform, along with two other talented ladies. Tix are $10 in advance. Call to reserve them ~ 508-697-3273.

June 26th ~ Free Drawing Down the Sun ritual at 7pm to celebrate the Summer Solstice and the June full moon at Incantations in Plymouth, MA. Honor your own growth and bolster your energy for future projects and goals. Don't forget a pot-luck food or drink item to share! Call the store for more information ~ 508-746-8316.

July 9, Aug 6, and Sept 10 ~ For donation, Reiki Under the Stars event at 7pm in Kingston, MA. Come by and enjoy the outside ~ the stars, the wind, the soft grass ~ as talented Reiki practitioners gather to offer healing. Anyone can come! Bring a blanket and pillow, bring a chair, or just bring yourself and relax in the wonder of the beautiful outdoors. Anyone interested in offering Reiki, please drop me a note. Anyone interested in receiving Reiki, e-mail me for directions! (In case of inclement weather, event will be cancelled.)

July 17 and July 31 ~ Unicorn Healing Attunements at 7pm in Kingston, MA. Michelle Skye, noted metaphysical author and inspired healer, will attune you to three different types of unicorn healing energy. Unicorn energy is just re-asserting itself on the planet and has a very gentle, calm, and ancient feel to it. It is powerful, yet kind, and will allow you to access your own reservoir of love. You will work with all different kinds of unicorns, including the pixie unicorns and your own personal unicorn guide. Don't miss this amazing opportunity to springboard your own growth and healing! Price is $80 for all three attunements, manuals, and certificates. You will be able to attune others after you have taken this class. Call 508-816-1666 to reserve your spot or to ask any questions!

June 19th ~ Bellydance Benefit Concert for Amnesty International

Performance Event: What: Benefit Concert for Aung San Suu Kyi Hosted by Amnesty International Group 561 When: Saturday, June 19 at 7:00pm Where: Middle Street School of Music, Middle Street, Plymouth, MA / Admission $10 donation * For advanced tickets (as space is limited) call 508-697-3273 Performance by: Amar Gamal (bellydance) Bonnie Darling (bellydance) Laurie OConnor (bellydance) Paul Horton (musician) Who is Aung San Suu Kyi? Aung San Suu Kyi is the Nobel Peace Prize winner who has been the beacon of hope and change for nearly two decades in Myanmar, the Southeast nation formerly known as Burma. For 14 years of the past 20 years, Aung San Suu Kyi has endured unofficial detention,house arrest and restrictions on her movements. She continues to be held under house arrest in Yangon. The Amnesty International Group meet once a month at the Maha yoga center and they basically write letters to help free what Amnesty calls Prisoners of Conscience. These are people who are in prison, being tortured, etc. because of peaceful protest, or because of their religion or skin color, etc...And what the Amnesty group does really works! The last case was that of Roxanna Siberi and she is now free! The donation money will help buy stamps for all the letters collected.

Wednesday June 9th ~ Free Herbal Teleseminar

The Wild Remedy:
Grassroots Herbalism from our Backyards & Beyond

A Free Teleseminar with Kiva Rose

LearningHerbs.com is proud to present a free live teleseminar with herbalist and celebrated blogger Kiva Rose.

Kiva teaches and practices down to earth herbalism, nutrition and healing based on the same principles our ancestors followed within an adaptive and contemporary context. She makes her home in the Mogollon Mountains of the Gila bioregion of New Mexico at the Anima Lifeways & Herbal School.

Kiva & John will cover...

• Tips for the Beginning Herbalist, including connection to local wild plants.
  
• Kitchen Herbalism, touching on food energetics and everyday herbalism.
  
• One or two of Kiva's original recipes.
  
• Grassroots and community herbalism, and its importance in our economy and current healthcare crisis.
  
• Honoring our herbal heritage and traditions and working with local wild plants.
• Details of the upcoming Traditions in Western Herbalism Conferencewith Rosemary Gladstar, Paul Bergner, 7Song, Kiva Rose, Jim McDonald and many others.

Being Kiva lives WAY out in the wilderness and has no phone, it's an extremely rare event to hear her live. Do not miss this unique opportunity.

We'll also be giving away...

• A year subscription to HerbMentor.com (value: $125)
  
• One admission to September's Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference in New Mexico (value: $275). This the "official HerbMentor gathering."
  
• Multiple copies of Wildcraft: An Herbal Adventure Game
  
• Knowing us, I'm sure we'll add some more too. :)
  

---

• When: Wednesday, June 9 at 8:30 PM Eastern Time (7:30 Central, 6:30 Mountain, 5:30 Pacific)
  
  
• Where: Either listen live for FREE on your PC/Mac OR call on your phone (local phone fees may apply)
  
  
• How much is the teleseminar? FREE :)
  
  
• How long is it? 60-90 minutes most likely.
  
  
• Are spaces limited? YES. However, you can register even if you're not quite sure if you can make it.
  

Go to .... http://www.learningherbs.com/news_issue_se_2.html to sign up!!!

Random Thought #1 ~ Rapelay, the video game.... Huh?

One of a kazillion (numbers may be altered for shock and awe effect) hentai games created by the Japanese, this video game (which has been pulled off the shelves in Japan, was stymied from ever catching site of American shores, but has blossomed in true atomic fashion on the internet) features a scenario where the gamer goes about raping women. Not like a serial rapist... with random intention... but rather like a sadistic freakzoid who stalks his victim and then proceeds to rape her and her entire family. Mama Cass... come on over? Grandma Woo... you too!

Now, while I think this video game is not for me (definitely!), I find it interesting that this is a part of a larger type of game (the hentai game) in Japan. And I find it fascinating that you can walk into any game store in Japan and pick out a hentai game that includes abduction and rape and mind manipulation and all sorts of rather untoward activity that is not spoken of in polite society. Huh. Fascinating. Then I think to myself, why would it be an accepted part of Japanese culture when it is obviously (obviously!) shunned by Europe and America and the video-game-playing West? (I say obviously because of the uproar over the game "Rapelay." Seriously. Think I'm kidding? Just google it; you'll see.)

And then I remember the kamikazes. You know, those guys during World War II that kissed their loved ones good-bye, jumped into their airplanes, emblazoned with the rising red sun of the Japanese empire, flew into the wide, blue yonder and then promptly slammed their planes into various and sundry targets, causing mayhem and destruction and killing themselves in the process. Those guys. The ones committing suicide for their country? Yeah. Them. Unlike regular soldiers, there's no possibility of ever (ever!) coming back from a kamikaze mission. There's no hope of a miracle, much-maligned, "magic bullet" that will kill your whole platoon but leave you free to continue on your merry way. No. Your plane is a ball of fire! You will die.

What for, you may ask. For country. For family. For honor. A-ha! For honor. Because in the Japanese culture, honor is a big deal. You gotta do your best not just for your own personal self-gratification but so that you don't shame anyone in your family. And we're not talking just your bull-shit brothers and sisters. Oh no! We're talking lines of ancestors reaching back to the beginning of time. Oh yeah, all them too! So if you fu** up and don't reach your full potential, don't achieve some modicum of success, don't follow "the plan" as laid out by society-at-large, you are dishonoring entire generations of people. That's not funny. And it's a shit-load of responsibility.

So, back to the hentai games. If we have a culture that is steeped in honor and in the notion that current actions will reflect badly on themselves, their family, and their ancestors, what are the odds that the average gamer will act out the scenarios from the game in real life? I don't know the statistics, but I'm guessing it's kinda low. After all, "Rapelay" is only one of a kazillion (see disclaimer above) games in the hentai tradition. These types of games have been in stores for quite some time and are still available today. In Japan, these games appear to be widely accepted. But in the video-game-playing West, they are shunned and demonized. Why? Because we are a different culture and, thus, do not have the same built-in societal safe-guards. Think about it. Do you know your mother's mother's name? Her mother's name? Do you consider their ideas and opinions when you make a decision? Be honest now. Probably not.

Now, as a woman, I don't like hentai games. I don't want to play them. I don't want them in my house. That's a personal opinion, based upon my own personal beliefs. But do I think "Rapelay" deserved the blistering hatred and hoop-la it received. No. This is a case of cultures clashing. See it for what it is.


Random Thought #2 ~ "Single Ladies" send-up ~ Ah, Beyonce. What have you done to us?

Imagine my surprise when (in the one time in six years I actually turned the darn thing on) I saw gyrating seven year olds on Good Morning America. Commentators shook their heads, tsk, tsk, tsking emotionally. How could a dance teacher think this was appropriate? What has the world come to? And why do I have to watch it before my morning coffee? Seriously.

You've seen the Youtube video, right? A group of eight and nine year old girls dressed in black, sequined outfits, mid-drifts showing, thighs flashing, dancing ~ in an inappropriate manner ~ at a competition or a recital to Beyonce's hit song "Single Ladies." Let's just say that the moves were one step less than Selma Heyak's snake dance in From Dust Till Dawn. So. Yeah. I wouldn't want my daughter doing that on stage. (Although the snake was pretty sweet.) Anyway, huge public uproar. Children should not be exposed to sexual material. Children should not be taught gyrating dances. Children should be clean and spotless and innocent. Insert my guffaw here because these people, up on their high horses, waving their flags of righteous indignation, are targeting the wrong person. That dance teacher from a tiny dance studio in California that no one had ever heard of before this incident, is not the devil incarnate. She is merely one example of a society-wide epidemic.

Let's explore, shall we. Where, pray tell, did those little girls first hear said song-of-the-devil, "Single Ladies?" On Mtv late night? No. On VH1's 10 sexiest videos send-up? No. On a kid's cartoon show targeting children between the ages of five and nine? Bingo! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Remember the commercial for the sequel to Alvin and the Chipmunks? Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Squeakquel introduces the Chipettes, three cute, cuddly girl chipmunks in short, school-girl outfits (complete with plaid skirts and plaid ties). They dress fairly sexy, in a naughty school-girl kind of way, and their signature song is... you guessed it.... a high-pitched cover of Beyonces' "Single Ladies," complete with little furry gyrations and fluffy paws in wind-swept, tangled hair. Let's review. The Chipmunks wear baggy sweaters and sing "Christmas Don't be Late." The Chipettes wear naughty school-girl outfits and sing "Single Ladies." Are you seeing a difference?

Let's continue. Ever watch "Little Miss Perfect" on the We channel? It's a reality show that follows the Little Miss Perfect Pageant as it tours the country. Each show focuses on three or four little girls (and their moms... and their MOMS!) as they get ready to perform in the pageant. And this pageant is a mini Miss America, little girls with their caked on make-up and highly teased bouffant hairstyles strutting their stuff for the judges. They wiggle, they giggle, they shake their hips and answer questions about their dogs or favorite activities. They wear poufy dresses and skimpy bikinis. They blow kisses and give cheeky winks. It's rather like watching a strange display of flirting, behind a glass-enclosed museum case. "And here are the traditional methods for attracting a mate...." Truly useful skills.... especially when you're four and a half.

It's time to own up to our own societal down-falls. Americans want our women sexy. We want to pretend that we want them smart but, in a knock-down, drag-out jello fight, sexy's gonna win. Hands down. Thanks to our puritanical roots, we can't openly express our sexual natures in a public forum in an adult, mature manner. Therefore, we allow sex to mix and match with lots of other things, so we can pretend that it's not about the sex. We like the music. (Beyonce and Lady Gaga.) We like the historical representation. (The Tudors.) We like the violence. (Spartacus.) We like the female friendships and quick, witty repartee. (Sex and the City.) We throw in kink and blood and violence and fantastical costumes and snappy dialog and a slick backbeat to get around any notion that we are actually watching it FOR THE SEX. Which we are. Let's be realistic.

This need to delude ourselves is fine, most of the time. But a problem arises when we start truly believing ourselves, believing in the truth of the pretences we erect around our little, happy, no-sex boxes that we store in our vibrator drawer. In short, we forget that, while we may enjoy the music and the story arc and the dialog, we also enjoy the sex. It is when we ignore the sex, that we have serious lapses in judgment in discerning what is and is not sexually appropriate. Little girls in skimpy outfits prancing on stage in a burlesque manner? Inappropriate. Little girls made to look like living dolls flirting with men as old as their fathers in order to win a prize? Inappropriate. Cartoon chipmunks gyrating to a popular song? Inappropriate.

So, come on, say it with me. I like sex. I like consensual sex with of-age individuals ~ whether same sex, opposite sex, or both at the same time. (No judgment here.) I think sex rocks! I live for sex! Maybe if we say it enough, we'll stop pretending and accept sex for the intense, exciting, natural, biological, kick-ass experience it is. We'll be able to put away the societal guilt (and I do think there's some guilt there for all the pleasure it brings) and start channeling that sexual energy in productive, positive ways. Then, we can leave the little girls alone. Because, seriously, there's nothing sexy about that.

Life, Liberty, and Education

This week I would like to rant a bit about schooling. Now, don't get me wrong... I know school is good and wisdom-enhancing and important. I think about Greg Mortensson from "Three Cups of Tea" fame and I realize the importance of education in the world. We truly are blessed in America to have a culture where school is a by-product, an after-thought, a mundane part of life that is considered a right of each and every child. We don't need to fight for our child to have an education. We don't need to build a school on a mountainside. The mountainside is already levelled and the school is sharing space with a laundromat, a dry-cleaner, and two drug stores. School is simply a part of growing up.

Yet, I wonder at the evolution of our education system and its viability to today's world and to today's children. I starting thinking about this issue yesterday, at work. You see, after finding a book on Scotland for a tired mother, I was hijacked for about thirty minutes as she vented her dissatisfaction with her son's schooling. In seventh grade, at the age of twelve, he has, on average, two hours of homework a night. Sometimes, when big projects are due, he has three or more hours of homework, which bleeds over into the weekend hours. If you consider a three hour homework weekday and add it to a traditional school day (6 hours of schooling, an hour of busing), her son works a total of 10 hours a day. Ten hours a day! And he's twelve. When I asked the mother when her son gets to relax, she laughed cynically. "Relax? He never gets to relax."

Now on to mother number two. This mother has a son in the eighth grade, so he is thirteen. At thirteen, his English teacher is requiring the class to read Barack Obama's book " Dreams from my Father," which is an adult book. Perhaps you've never read it but it deals with one man's struggle with race in a family of mixed-origins and in an culture of hidden agendas. It is a good book. It probes ideas that are rarely brought to the surface in an America that likes to pretend that all lives and all people are equal. It really makes you stand up and consider where your prejudices lie and from whence they spring. It is a good book. For an adult. At thirteen, this book delves into topics that are so far from teenage reality as to be laughable. Not only that, there are numerous swears in the book when President Obama recalls incidents from his turbulent past. Now at thirteen, I know that kids use swears but do we want to be promoting them in classroom literature? A random "damn" certainly is not the end of the world but "motherfucker?" I got to draw the line there.

What are these two random, real-life stories telling us? In my mind, they indicate the (what I like to call) "adultification" of children in America. American adults work-hard, play-hard, and jam every spare moment of time with "stuff." We play with our stuff via video games and computer chat rooms. We run around and buy more stuff to clutter up our living rooms and home offices. And we chat via twitter and text and (ohmigosh, how retro) cell phone while we do all this stuff with our stuff. We send our children to day-care so we can make money to buy stuff. Then, on the weekends, we shuttle them around to playgrounds and playgroups and random team activities so we can be with our stuff, electronically-connected, emotionally-devoid. This way, we don't really need to "be" with our kids, just next to them. Parallel play.

Education in America is simply indulging our desire for little, mini adults that we can drop-off with the babysitter or in front of the TV while we run around in ever-tightening circles. Let's get off this ridiculous merry-go-round! How happy are we? How emotionally open can we be hard-wired to complete strangers? We tell our kids, "Let me check my e-mail," "Let me get this one phone call," "Let me work out the babysitting schedule." And where are the kids? Sitting on the floor, listlessly playing Barbies or Matchbox cars. Waiting. Waiting for us. Because the needs and wants of children have not changed in the millennia that humans have walked the planet. They want love. They want to have fun. They want to run and jump and explore. And they want to do it with someone. Not a virtual friend or a virtual pet in a virtual world. They want to do it with us.

Let's stop trying to force adulthood onto our children. It certainly hasn't made us happy. Instead, let's focus on the "childification" of adults. Let's remember the simple joys of jumping in a leaf pile or rolling down a grassy hill. Unplug people and feel the freedom of the world around you. Unplug and feel the joy of ife!

Once we do that, the school systems will stop trying to "adultify" our children. They will halt the hours of homework and the adult-book reading lists and the stress-inducing tests. For if we embrace our own children, we won't need them to be mini adults any more. We will allow them the pleasure of reading "Tom Sawyer" instead of "Dreams of my Father." We will give them the opportunity to run and play instead of sit and sweat over homework. Our values will have changed and, thus, the education system will follow our lead. Many parents feel disenfranchised in the political structure of the school system. In reality, we hold all the power. It will take time for the "childification" of American adults to permeate the culture. In the meantime, stand up for what you believe in. Voice your concerns. Not just once but over and over and over again until your voice is heard. This is your child. You have the right, indeed, the responsibility, to look out for him or her. Teachers and principals exude an air of authority but they're just people. You are your child's best advocate. Don't give up and don't give in. Your child deserves a childhood.

Thoughts on Halloween....

Halloween! It's here ~ jack o'lanterns and rustling leaves, and choco-candy galore! I love me some Halloween. But I do have a bit of a gripe....

.... you see, I wandered into my local Halloween party store to pick up some paper goods and s...s...c..a..a..a..a..a...r...y decorations and decided to head on over to the costume department. Big mistake. Costumes? More like strips of fabric held together with dental floss! Now, I understand the excitment of the twenty-somethings and their Halloween parties and the rah-rah-sis-boom-bah of the masquerade mystique. I "get" the fun of being able to take on the persona of someone else, leaving behind the drab, dull office job and becoming Supergirl or Wonder Woman or a flirty French maid from a bad 1930's detective movie. (Humphrey Bogart, eat your heart out!) When you're hot on the prowl and looking for some man-flesh, a sassy, skimpy skirt and fish-net stockings are a must have!

But seriously.... is that ALL the Halloween costume manufacturers can think of for women's costumes? 'Cuz I don't want to dress up like a flirty French maid and I certainly am not on the prowl for some man-flesh. (In fact, man-flesh may be highly over-rated but that's for a whole other blog! *wink*) I want to dress up like a Ninja. That's right, black pants, black skulky shoes, black wrap-around shirt, black face wrap, and black tight-fitting hat. Katana optional, as long as I can have those sharp, pointy stars. I want to tap into that mystical Eastern energy that allows human beings to run on air and leap from tree limb to tree limb. I want to magically materialize before my enemies and scare the crap out of them. And I don't want my ass hanging out of my outfit while do it!

As you may imagine from my diatribe, there is no such thing as a woman's ninja outfit in the Land-of-Halloween-Costumes-Manufactured-by-Masogynist-Pigs. There is also no Star Wars clone warrior outfit, which is my second choice. Instead, I must choose from sexy, short-skirted Dorothy (with stuffed Toto-in-a-basket), sexy, short-skirted Red Riding Hood (with stuffing-in-the-basket) or slinky, slits-up-both-sides-of-the-skirt Princess Leia (with no basket at all... thank God!)

In true rebel diatribe fashion, I have chosen to reject the offerings of the masogynist pigs and go with a Spider Queen outfit cobbled together from random spider accessories and a spiderweb shirt I found in the waaaaaaaay bottom of my costume box. But... though I claim rebellion, I can not truly separate myself from the Costume-Masogynists. They enter my bedroom on slippered feet, leaving their pawing prints all over my Halloween costume. I must admit, my spider shirt is completely see-though and one step away from sis-boom-bahing on a shiny stripper pole.

Damn you, Costume-Masogynists! Just wait. Some day, when you least expect it, when you're sitting in your fat-cat luxury box seats waiting for the cheerleaders to trip onto the court and wave their pom-poms, there will be ninja venegence. And ninja FURY! Mark my words. Your time is coming!

Meditation ~ Numero tres

So, this week, in an effort to mix things up and... once again... try something new, I performed a twenty minute Tai (Thai) Chi series that I found on my onDemand channel. The twenty minute segment is meant to be perfromed in the morning, to bring in good, fresh chi and remove blocked, stagnant chi. (Chi, in this case, being the Chinese word for their concept of energy in your body and in the universe.) I am totally digging this Tai Chi moving meditation. It is really very relaxing. It also doesn't hurt that it is filmed on a beautiful ocean beach (scenery for which I am a major sucker) and performed and narrated by a hunky older man (another type of scenery for which I am a sucker). *wink*

But, seriously, the two times I have tried Tai Chi (via video), the narrators have been male. And, in and around the South Shore of Massachusetts, the instructors of Tai Chi are almost universally male. I find this interesting and I wonder why men seem to flock to Tai Chi. Perhaps it is the martial arts connection but I find Tai Chi to be as relaxing as yoga. Sometimes more so because of the focus on energy and the different positions of the hands and feet. I was pleasantly surprised that one of the hand positions I use in energy work (using two hands and forming a triangle between thumb and forefingers) is the common position used in Tai Chi to move energy into and out of the body.

Anyway, I encourage you to try Tai Chi if you haven't before. It is really quite wonderful!

Mother

We spend so much time emulating the Mother Goddess, espousing her wisdom, her serenity, her innate femininity. We see the epitome of her on television, in the tabloids, slapped on billboards as far as the eye can see. Nursing mothers, playing mothers, mothers watching Sprout with their toddlers, mothers dancing to Barney tunes. On Amazon, we read the blurbs of mothers who love "Bear in the Big Blue House" as much as their little ones, who sing the praises of "Baby Einstein," who want to cuddle with soft blankie books. Mothers in magazines play Candyland and ball toss and Dora Bingo and we say to ourselves, "What great mothers! Look at all they give to their children." We smile and nod and thank the divine that our next generation will be sane and caring and considerate. In short, we buy into this notion of mother as giver and care-taker.

But what about the mothers? Taught to put aside their own needs, thoughts, ideas, and (heaven forbid!) wants, what happens to the mothers when the babies grow up, go off to school, no longer spend every waking moment at their sides? What happens to them when their children make new friends, participate in soccer, drama, ballet, or tennis? As they sit on the sidelines, cheering on the accomplishments of their children, beaming with pride at every goal, pirouette, and ace serve, how do they disentangle themselves from the routines and rituals of their children and re-gain their own perspective, their own goals, their own selves? How do they find their own truth?

I suppose, for some mothers, this isn't an issue. They've worked throughout their care-taking days and so are unaffected by the abrupt change in lifestyle. (And, don't kid yourself, it is abrupt.) Part-time or full-time, they've been working toward personal goals and, so, with their child pulling away into his or her own self-contained universe, they've suddenly got the room to pursue the things they may (or may not) have been putting off. Good for them! I say, go for it girl!

But for me, and I suspect lots of other mothers, I feel as though a part of myself has been summerarily ripped off, leaving a raw, gaping wound. And everyday (everyday!) salt is rubbed in until it hurts so much I just want to rip everything else off in an effort to stop the pain. I want to kill, maim, destroy. I am mad. Not peeved. Not aggravated. Not upset and angry. I am stark, raving mad at the entire situation. Not pretty, not pleasant... but there it is. Medical doctors talk about post-partum depression and Brook Shields made it famous but I think post-caretaker depression is as debilitating. (Maybe it's not a clinical depression but it should be!)

Now I understand why women have another baby just as their first child is boarding the bus for school. Now I realize the personal power behind schooling your wee ones in the comfort of your own home. It's the need to continue the mothering process that has been schooled into us, as women, from a very young age. The need to nurture and care and nourish is overwhelming and, now, no longer necessary. Move on, Mama, the kids got their own lives. You need to get one too.

But how does one do that? Get a life. How does one know what to do, where to turn, what hobby or job to pick up when one can't get off the sofa? When a movie with The Rock in it becomes the sole focus of the afternoon? When every resume is met with a deafening silence? You look in the mirror with your baggy, 6-year-old clothes and your unwashed, tangled mop-like hair-do and your dull, unfocused eyes and you ask, "Who are you? Who are you now?!" And there is no answer because you are all alone.

Faery Reiki and Other unusual energy systems

Soooooo, in an effort to restabilize my emotionality (it is a word...now), I have begun looking at different healing modalities that resonate with me. Last summer I was attuned to the first level of Shamballa Multi-dimentional healing, which I love a TON! My goal is to receive all four attunements and achieve teacher-master-healer level within the year. I think it is do-able! But, in the meantime, I happened to stumble across a few other forms of Reiki that seem to be connected to my Otherworld kin ~ Faeries!

I am wondering if anyone else has heard about these forms of healing and, if so, what kind of experience you've had with them. They are all relatively new, so I'm trying to find out about them.

There are ~ Faery Ray-kay; Faery Reiki; Fairy Realms Reiki; Energy and Magic of the Faeries; Unicorn Reiki; and Elven Shamanic Healing. Any and all info you've got would be appreciated.