Behind the web

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Celebrating Beltane

What is Beltane? Is it a Pagan Celebration and can anyone celebrate this day of fertility, fire, and abundance that marks the beginning of summer?
Beltane or Beltain is the Gaelic May Day festival. Most commonly it is held on 30 April–1 May, or halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. It was observed in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. In Irish it is Bealtaine, in Scottish Gaelic Bealltainn and in Manx Gaelic Boaltinn or Boaldyn. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals.

Whether you consider yourself Pagan or not, every one can celebrate Beltane.

April's showers have given way to rich and fertile earth, and as the land greens, there are few celebrations as representative of fertility as Beltane. Observed on May 1st, festivities typically begin the evening before, on the last night of April. It's a time to Welcome the abundance of the fertile earth, and a day that has a long (and sometimes scandalous) history. Depending on your tradition, there are a number of ways you can celebrate this turning of season.

Rituals and Ceremonies

Depending on your particular tradition, there are many different ways you can celebrate Beltane, but the focus is nearly always on fertility. It's the time when the Earth Mother opens up to the fertility God, and their union brings about healthy livestock, strong crops, and new life all around.

Here are a few rituals you may want to think about trying -- and remember, any of them can be adapted solitary or with a (small) group, with just a little planning ahead.

  • Celebrate Beltane with a Maypole Dance
  • Beltane Bonfire Ritual - a group ceremony
  • Hold a Family Abundance Rite for Beltane
  • Honor the Sacred Feminine with a Goddess Ritual
  • Beltane Planting Ritual
  • Handfastings and Weddings

Beltane Magic

Beltane is a season of fertility and fire, and we often find this reflected in the Magic of the season. You can look arround and notice that we are surrounded with Spring Magic, fertility Magic, along with the Magic found in gardens and nature.


Crafts and Creations

As Beltane approaches, you can decorate your home (and keep your kids entertained) with a number of easy craft projects. Start celebrating a bit early with fun floral crowns and a Maypole altar centerpiece.

  • Floral Crown
  • Maypole Altar Centerpiece
  • Faerie Chair
  • Make a May Day Cone Basket
  • Magical Weaving & Braiding
  • Beltane Fire (Incense)

Feasting and Food

No good celebration is really complete without a meal to go along with it. For Beltane, celebrate with foods that honor fertility of the Earth. Enjoy light spring soups, colourful fruits, fertility bread loaves, and more.

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Sources:
Wikipedia
Patti Wigington   

Books to read and learn more:
Beltane: Springtime Rituals, Lore and Celebration ($14.95)

Celebrating the Great Mother
A Handbook of Earth-Honoring Activities for Parents and Children  ($16.95)







Saturday, April 27, 2013

13 Sisters, Indigenous Women Elders

13 Sisters
Indigenous Women Elders, Shamans and Medicine Women from around the world, have been called together to share their Sacred Wisdom and practices.



For many years, a spiritual teacher named Jyoti had been making relations with Indigenous wise women elders. Suddenly she found herself carrying a vision of a circle of Indigenous Grandmothers. Carrying this vision, she was on her way to Africa to meet an African shaman and medicine woman named Bernadette Rebienot. While there, she mentioned her vision to Bernadette and was surprised to hear that Bernadette was having the same vision. They committed to manifesting it. After returning to her home in California, Jyoti and her associate Ann Rosencranz sent out invitations to 16 Indigenous women from around the world to join them in a gathering. The 13 Grandmothers who responded had all received their own visions and heard their own ancestral prophesies. They were told that they would be called together at a critical time in history when their ancient knowledge was needed for the survival of the next generations.

At their first meeting in October 2004, the Grandmothers, shamans and medicine women, bonded deeply and discovered that despite their different languages and cultures, they all shared a common goal. This led to the formation of The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. From then on, the Grandmothers decided to carry out their mission globally through visits to each of their home communities.

Through the years, they've become teachers and icons who are galvanizing and uniting a rapidly emerging global movement. They are awakening people to the urgent need for change if we are to survive on this planet. But they are not using fear as a weapon. They are offering us hope. What many people see as a threat, they see as an opportunity. They show us that by going back to the ancient and time-proven earth-based traditions and practices of our Indigenous people, we will be able to break away from our destructive habits and make the changes necessary for our survival.

 © Grandmothers Council







Thursday, April 25, 2013

Full Moon Circle 25, april 2013

Welcome Sisters! (and Brothers!)
.. to our Wild Woman Sisterhood Full Moon Guidance

Happy Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio April 25th, 2013


We are having a very 'potent' Full Moon today.
A Lunar Eclipse (the first of three) and a FULL MOON in SCORPIO, the sign of transformation and rebirth.


As we are writing this we are overwhelmed with emotions. So many Sister World Wide are joining us today. Over 4400 signed in on our Event Page. We are Aware that our Guidance for this Full MoonCircle hasn't been at our best, as we where working so hard to get our Blog finished by today, and to launch this in the Full Moon Energy. From now on we will provide you more then just posting amazing pictures and inspiration on facebook. We will Blogging on all kinds of subjects in Sisterhood. Inspiration in Empowerment, Art, Healing, Moon -Circles, Dance, Gatherings, Rites de Passage, Maiden-Mother-Crone, Nature, Organic Health, Sustainable Living and connections in Sisterhood. We want you all to Be part of this and share all that is going on World Wide in all Women Circels.

So also for us, this is very exciting and a Special moment in Time. We are Grateful to have you all here!

We want to thank you in advance for understanding that there was a bit of lack in guidance this Month, especially for the first timers. We strongly believe that you did all find your own way to prepare youself to connect in the Circle today. And even if you did not, know that just Being there with your Heart and connecting with all Beings and our Divine Universe.. is all that is needed to be part of this Beautiful Event where we all connect. Next May Full Moon Circle, and from now on, you can find all information about our Global MoonCircle on this website. There will be a Video out here with Guidance and Voice meditation and we will collect here all the information we can provide about MoonCircles, Rituals and everything that is needed to know about this subject and how we all connect in moments like these. We want to thank all Sisters that took care of guidance for us. We are all in this together, that is what this is all about. Connection and Unity! Sisters, and Brothers also.. no one is excluded here.

MoonBlessings,

Wild Woman Sisterhood



Some great advice from the always wonderful Dipali Desai and her Celestial Space Astrology blog:

“In this darkened space, there is an aching for awareness….There is minimal room to breathe, to be, to feel free, as old ways and reactions no longer seem to work or fit. Who you are, who you will become. The sheath of old desires, unfelt emotions, painful memories constricts the flow of life-force.”

“Similar to a snake shedding its skin, it is wise to shed the sheath or layer of energies that stifle one’s growth and healing. Now is the moment to take the plunge and go deep into the realm of healing. Submerge yourself in Love itself and allow all that is not the real you dissolve. Swim up from the depths and up to the surface and walk upon the shores reborn. A feeling of lightness, freedom to feel and courage to act makes each cells tingle within the body. Awareness casts clarity on the path. Express from this state of renewal and draw to you fresh possibilities.”

“A good way to handle the Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio is with humility and wisdom. The issues, emotions and things arising around the time of the Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio at 5° 46′ on April 25th, 2013 may feel highly ’cause and effect’ oriented. Deep, intense, powerful rush of emotions and swelling up of a core issue that requires healing is very likely.”

“Keep in mind, Saturn in Scorpio retrograde closely aspects the Full Moon in Scorpio thus this symbolizes a ‘karmic’ tone or a vibe of — ‘Haven’t I been down this road before or worked at this issue repeatedly?’ The answer more than likely is – yes. With that in mind, it is time to recycle energy. That which no longer serves your greatest good, can leave now. Are you willing to let go of the past? Saturn symbolizes learning, lessons and mastery, and whatever you need to learn, will come up under this phase. Transiting Saturn/Mars tense aspect may bring up obstacles or set backs and yet, the potential is that for mastering one’s desires and ability to be patience around the organic process…”

“Lunar Eclipses symbolize an ending of a chapter, time of letting go, surrendering and closing of doors so to speak. You can see this is a great time of shedding the past, at least whatever you are ready to, and really diving into it and letting go. Don’t over-analyze it. Release the grip and set yourself free to heal and move on. Honor whatever it is or was and let it go on all levels of your being. Wherever area of life the Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio activates for you, consider it a time of serious letting go for deep transformation and reclaiming your power. You may find you free up some stuck creative energy in the process!”

“It is possible to encounter obstacles and lessons about desires, as well as manifesting desired outcomes. If you remain too fixated or attached to things, you may be very disappointed or even stifle the progress. This Lunar Eclipse is the first of two more eclipses soon to follow. Be conscious and begin to work with the issue or themes happening and you may not feel as overwhelmed.”

“The Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio may bring up seeds that you have sown a long time ago. Whether it is this lifetime or beyond, whatever appears and activates emotional stuff is what needs to be cleared and balanced through being responsible and accepting your part in it. Denying or avoiding will only keep the issue stuck to you longer than necessary.”

“There may be layers to all of this, so do your best to be patient and honor whatever emotion and feeling that comes up from the depths of your being. Allow the emotional cleanse to take place. Remember, energy transforms. What appears to be a loss or leaving your life, there will be something new being born or emerging. The challenge is there to work through lingering unhealthy attachments to people, things and issues…”

“Intention: “I AM Trusting the Process as it Unfolds for My Highest Good and Path”

© Copyright 2013 Dipali Desai. All Rights Reserved


Wild Woman Sisterhood Short Meditation Guidance


At the full Moon, the energy builds and builds.. there's an explosive outgoing aspect to it. All of nature grows and is more vital at the full Moon. This surge allows you to take action on behalf of those new Moon intentions you set two week prior (we will do this also online the next New Moon, stay tuned). A full Moon ritual might involve taking one solid step, with a symbolic action. And it can be a powerful time to release, cast out, unburden yourself, purge, etc. You celebrate your emergence by stepping out of an old skin, identity, behavior, attitude, relationship. The ritual helps you by marking this inner transformation in a formal way.

It is a Wonderful idea to keep a MoonJournal. If you do this, you get a change to recognize patterns. More and more we'll see how strongly we are connected with the Moon and her cycles.


Short meditation:

Create a Nice atmosphere for yourselve, Light candles and surround yourselve with the things that symbolize your intentions of that you like to see unfold. You can put a seed in the ground, as this is such a Magical Symbol to actually see and watch this seed grow, together with your intentions. Trust! ..that everything will unfold in the most Perfect way.. ♥

Be still.. go inside yourselve and let everything around you go. Your Work, your thoughts. Just Be in this moment and relax!

Tune in with the Cosmos, Tune in to the Earth, Tune in to the Moon and Tune in to our World Wide Wild Sisterhood MoonCircle.

Feel how strong the connection is we all have been building up by ourselves and together. Finding each other again, connecting with each other. Having a World Wide Network of Sisters available now makes us feel strong, alive and it inspires us in so many ways. Our creative sites are being inspired and we are becoming more and more Aware of our own True essence and what we really want and need in live. We have been and are planting seeds everywhere. It is now up to ourselves what we do with the seeds that we have planted. We can now decide to nurture our seeds with the best care and to guide them, so that they can become the most beautiful trees, plants and flowers with solid healthy roots in the Earth.

Imagine that all your intentions, you want to grow this year, are brought in a seed. And see how this seed will grow, growth itself a way through the Earth, overcomes difficulties.. and see how this seed grows into a beautiful flower and how it shines in the Sun, Grateful at Peace ♥

Keep having faith and trust in yourself, and in live. Realize that we Sisters (/Brothers) are connecting at this very moment, and that we are all on the same road finding our way Home. To live in Love and acceptance. And we ARE on our Way, you can see this and you can feel it.

By embracing each others differences, we are Embracing OurSelves and the Universe.

Love to all, Always!

A Blessed Loving Beautiful Full Moon every One!


♥ May we all expand beyond our limitations ♥




Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Sacred Women Circles

There are many ways and many reasons to sit in a circle. At its very core, a Sacred Circle of women is an opportunity to be Loved and held in a way that only women can provide. The Circle itself represents a Sacred Symbol that has been honored throughout time. It is a reminder of the Sacredness of the Circle of Life, the Seasons, Sunrise to Sunrise, the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Earth, all things round.

There is something magical about a Circle. Geometrically it encompasses more space than any other shape. Within it, one sets out on a journey and returns having never left her seat. Whenever we engage in an act of Ritual or Ceremony that has been shared throughout time, we are the beneficiary of all the Goodness that has come from it. The Circle, in and of itself, is imbued with lifetimes of profound Wisdom.

Holding Sacred Circles means that there is an agreement present to hold each other and the Gathering itself as Sacred. What is shared or spoken is done in a Sacred manner. As we listen to one another, we do so in a Sacred way. There is no judgment or criticism present. We are able to listen Whole Heartedly to what each Woman has to say, holding her in Support and Compassion, receiving her in Wholeness.

Circles also allowing that everyone within the Circle is equal. There is no hierarchy in Circle. Everyone and every expression is equally valued. We learn so much from one another. We witness each other, allowing ourselves to be seen and heard, honored, loved and enjoyed. These things go a long way toward strengthening us individually and collectively.

In a Sacred Circle, each participant is encouraged to take guidance individually by listening to her Inner Voice. Each guidance, Soul and life experience, when offered to the center, begins to resonate throughout the Circle and creates what we experience as a resonant field. This Unified field operates as a Source of Light that illuminates our individual blind spots, makes us grow and find clarity. It is one idea perceived from multiple perspectives at once allowing it to evolve to its most Profound Wisdom in that moment. In this way, the Power and Energy that flows through the Circle is guided by Divine Grace. Energy that we might otherwise experience as “local” or limited to our own perception becomes Universalized and "global" through a balanced and refined process of a Circle. We discover, then, that we are as One, learning, living and sharing One Spirit in a Divinely orchestrated, Authentic way.

© Amari Gold
Photo: Ma Gaia Drummers


Short list of interesting books to read about Women Circle's:
Click on the links to buy them

Sacred Circles: a Guide to Creating you own Women's Spiritualy Group
Author : Robin Dean Carnes & Sally Craig

The Millionth Circle: How to Change Ourselves and The World
--The Essential Guide to Women's Circles

We have come to Be Danced



Not the pretty dance
Not the pretty pretty, pick me, pick me dance
But the claw our way back into the Belly
Of the Sacred, Sensual Animal dance
The unhinged, unplugged, cat is out of its box Dance
The holding the precious moment in the palms
Of our hands and feet Dance

We have come to Be Danced
Not the jiffy booby, shake your booty for him dance
But the wring the sadness from our skin dance
The Blow the chip off our shoulder Dance.
The slap the apology from our posture Dance

We have come to Be Danced
Not the monkey see, monkey do dance
One two Dance like you
One two three, Dance like me Dance
but the grave robber, tomb stalker
Tearing scabs and scars open Dance
The rub the Rhythm Raw against our Soul Dance

We have come to Be Danced
Not the nice, invisible, self-conscious shuffle
But the matted hair flying, Voodoo Mama
Shaman Shakin’ Ancient Bones Dance
The strip us from our casings, Return our Wings
Sharpen our Claws and Tongues Dance
The Shed Dead Cells and slip into
The Luminous Skin of Love Dance.

We have Come to Be Danced
Not the hold our breath wallow in the shallow end of the floor dance
But the Meeting of the Trinity, the Body Breath and Beat Dance
The Shout Hallelujah from the top of our Thighs Dance
The Mother may I?
Yes you may take 10 giant Leaps Dance
The olly olly oxen free free free Dance
The everyone can come to our Heaven Dance

We have come to Be Danced
Where the Kingdom’s Collide
In the Cathedral of Flesh
To Burn Back into the Light
To unravel, to Play, to Fly, to Pray
To root in skin sanctuary
We have come to Be Danced

We Have Come.. Zwarte harten (kaartspel)

~ Jewel Mathieson
Photo Art: Sarume Tribe Barcelone

Monday, April 8, 2013

Croning Ceremony

Croning Ceremony

Celebrating the Wisdom of Age
 
In Ancient times, older women were the keepers of primal Mysteries and were revered for their special wisdom.

Clad in purple, surrounded by memorabilia, Linda Sanda stood in her Urbandale, Iowa, dining room and talked about turning 50. About 40 close friends, co-workers and family members came to mark the occasion. But there were no mocking black balloons or teasing "You're Over the Hill'' banners.

This was a Croning Ceremony, designed to invoke Spiritual reflection, dignity and wisdom. An Ancient Rite de Passage to Honor older women, Croning Ceremonies had become nearly extinct. But they are making a comeback. And they're going mainstream.

With the oldest baby boomers turning 50 this year, many women are evaluating what it means to stand on the threshold of old age. For some women, Croning Ceremonies serve as an ideal way to make a statement about that passage. "I see so many people fighting the aging process,'' says Sandra Bury, another Des Moines-area woman who went through the Ritual. "I wanted to celebrate that to become old is a gift. I didn't want to be afraid of it.''

The rising interest in Croning Ceremonies also reflects a larger movement to reassert the value of older women, according to the book:
Woman of Ages, Celebrating Ourselves ($28,95).

In Ancient Times, she says, old women were known as Crones. They held Power and enjoyed status as "the Healers, the Mediators, the Wise of the Communities.'' Gradually, that Power and recognition were lost. In modern times, the old woman has become nearly invisible, pushed aside and forgotten.
"We don't listen to her. We shut her up,'' Only a few groups - blacks, Native Americans, Asians - Honor old women.

To recapture the value of becoming a Crone, the Feminist Spiritual Community of Portland, Maine, began holding Crone Rituals in the early 1980s. "Since the patriarchy isn't going to value old women, we celebrate ourselves. It's becoming quite widespread,'' says Ward, now 67 and a member of the Portland group. She had her Croning Ceremony in 1990. More recently, the Crones Council was formed, drawing women from all over the USA. Last year, about 300 women attended Crones Council III in Scottsdale, Ariz., says Ann Kreilkamp, 53, a member of the council and editor of The Crone Chronicles - A Journal of Conscious Aging. As a result, crone groups are forming all over the country. Circulation of Kreilkamp's journal also testifies to the growing interest. Started six years ago with 100 copies sent to friends, The Crone Chronicles now has 10,000 subscribers. The quarterly journal, published in Kelly, Wyo., dedicates itself to "re-activating the archetype of the Crone within contemporary Western culture.'' The magazine typically prints one Crone Ritual every issue, she adds. But nothing about the Ceremony is prescribed. Many women write their own, though books of Crone Rituals are now available. And there is no preferred setting. The Rituals can be done at home, in a church or outdoors. They can last 10 minutes or go on for days and include lavish feasting. Women often wear purple, the color associated with old age and wisdom.

There is also no set time to hold a Crone Ceremony. Some women wait until after menopause or when they turn 56 - a significant point in the astrological world. In all cases, the Rite de Passage carries individual meaning. For Linda Sanda, the ceremony acknowledged the troubled waters she had crossed in her life. For Sandra Bury, 61, who had hercroning at 56, it was a celebration of old age. For Maureen Barton-Wicks, 53, of Des Moines, it was a way to publicly commit her life to God and acknowledge her Wisdom.

"I wanted to say to the world, `I'm proud of who I am, and I claim the Crone in me,' '' Barton-Wicks says.

For these three women, preparation was intense. Each spent months reading, writing and reviewing events in her life. Bury, a Des Moines school counselor, says the power of the Croning Ceremony was more in writing it than going through it. For Barton-Wicks, reliving various events "was horrendous,'' she recalls. What's more, it was hard work. She revised her Ceremony seven times before she was satisfied. Barton-Wicks had her Coning during the regular Sunday service at her church. No meal or celebration followed. "To me, it's a Sacred Ceremony. It's not a birthday party. That was enough for me,'' she says. Bury's ceremony, held at the church with a few relatives and friends, took about 15 minutes and didn't cost anything. A former harp teacher, Bury wrote a chant that everyone sang. She brought objects from home that had been important in her life.

Sanda, who directs community education programs for the West Des Moines public schools, wanted a celebration in addition to a Ceremony. She sent invitations and had a buffet supper in her home. She had been a nun for 13 years, and she says she struggled for years with feelings of inadequacy, uncertainty about her relationship with God and the desire to marry and have children. Now she's married to a former priest and the mother of two. She says the Croning Ceremony felt like a coming out after years of trauma.

What does a woman gain from a Croning Ceremony?


Five years after Bury had hers, she feels vigorous and joyful about her age. "Right now, I'm thinking about what my next careers will be. I hear people talk about feeling burned out. But I'm just getting started,'' she says. Two years after Barton-Wicks' ceremony, she is studying to be a minister. "I'm allowing myself to be led by spirit, rather than ego. And today, I appreciate my fears. They're only trying to protect me,'' she says. As a bonus, she says, "I no longer feel life is too short or I am too old.''

Since Sanda's Ceremony a year ago, life has been richer and more joyful. "I've had some real healing experiences. I still get mad at things. I have a teen-age son who's challenging. But I know he can teach me.'' And what's even more important, she says: "Instead of feeling as though I'm fighting life, I feel as though I'm one with life.''

Books aimed at enriching the Spirit

For more information about crone rituals or women and aging, here are some books suggested by Linda Bacon of Morning Light Books and Tape in Des Moines:

Jubilee Time: Celebrating Women, Spirit and the Advent of Age by Maria Harris (Bantam, $22.95).
On Women Turning 50: Celebrating Mid-Life Discoveries by Cathleen Rountree ($18).
Roads Home: Seven Pathways to Midlife Wisdom, Kathryn Cramer (William Morrow, $22).
Woman Heal Thyself: An Ancient Healing System for Contemporary Women by Jeanne Elizabeth Blum (Charles Tuttle, $24.95).
Women at the Edge of Two Worlds: The Spiritual Journey Through Menopause by Lynn V. Andrews (Harper Perennial, $22).
A Woman's Book of Rituals and Celebrations by Barbara Aringer (New World Library, $11.95).

By Melinda Voss, The Des Moines Register

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Believe


 
Once we Believe in who we Are
Beings of infinite Strenght and Love
and we stay Awake and True to our
Inner Knowing, dreams and Goals

When we keep spreading Love everywhere we go
let the winds take us where we need to Be ♥

Our Journey on Earth has then become a total fulfilment

~ Wild Woman Sisterhood

Picture: Jacqui Lalita

Wild Beauty

Wild Woman Sisterhood

Bringing Back Original Wild Beauty Campaign

Bringing Back Natural Beauty; of all sizes, ages and cultures in Photo (Art)

Especially photo's with natural women, without make up, are hard to find. They excist, but there is a lack of pictures of profound shiny pure beautiful women who shine from the inside out and radiate Love, in all sizes, ages and cultures.. That's also the reason why there aren't enough of those kind of pictures on Wild Woman Sisterhood sites. They are hard to find. Our Power and goal is to connect, awaken and inspire every one, and not to create an image of 'perfect' women, as if a woman is only perfect when she is thin or with make up. Absolutely not! Pure Beauty shines from within. And that beauty we want to present on the images we use.

 We are not anti make up/decorating to exemplify our femininity, not al all! We are pointing out that there is a lack of images available that shows us purity and natural looks, without make up and all kind of women.

Unfortunately at this moment, almost all the pictures we find that beholds that certain vibration that we share, are all 'perfect' women. It is not that we see it like this, everyone is perfect and everyone is Pure Beauty in his divine essence. It is our world that has created some kind of 'perfect' image of a woman, and the time is Now! to change this! It is time to show the World that real beauty shines from within.

So we also like to ask photographers to please use more varied kinds of women in your pictures. This world is craving to see women on pictures of all sizes and cultures, without make up and who are shining and radiate Peace, Strenght and Love. Pictures that also show us a a real healthy image of how women look like in reality. All women will shine from within once we have found ourselves and learn how to love our pure and wonderful own perfect Being.

What we are looking for are pictures that vibrate positive energy and we prefer a natural atmosphere with al kinds of women, all sizes, all cultures..
Also we planned to create these pictures ourselves, to share World Wide that true Beauty and Happiness is an inside job. We want to inspire the rest of the World to do the same. Lets co-create!

We are looking forward to receive lots of varied Art en pictures.

Please join us in this Campaign so we can all share a more reality image. Thanks all!



Wild Woman Sisterhood


If you have or find images or Art which you want to share with the world,
you can sent them to us and we will. E-mail: wildwomansisterhood@gmail.com