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Exerpts from DAUGHTERS OF THE MOON TAROT BOOK, Revised
Edition |
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| weaving our way
around
and round we go
and where we split and tear
we dart and tuck, we seam,
we mend
we yield and bend and wind
our way
together toward the light
~ Abagail Brown, Lady-Unique
The legend of Spiderwoman, of the Pueblo peoples, is that
She created (spun) the world (web) and wove a web-thread coming
out of each being's head. Native American legends speak of
connecting with the Spiderwoman by opening the tops of our
heads with chanting. She will then spin her awesome Goddess
spirit into our bodies.
Spiderwoman is portrayed as one being, in her three aspects:
as the Maiden she spins the wheel of life, as the Mother she
weaves the web, and as the Crone she cuts the thread of time.
The Moirae were three wise womyn who, according to Greek tradition,
wove the fate of humanity. The wheel and web are both traditional
symbols of destiny. Arachne, the Spiderwoman, was once a mighty
Goddess of creation who wove time and circumstance, and was
associated with webs and chariot wheels. She was thought to
be the thirteenth sign of the zodiac. Later, the powers of
these weaving Goddesses were trivialized, as were many ancient
women's skills. Yet, the archetype of womon as weaver and
spinner still resonates with the traditional card of fate,
the Wheel of Fortune. Internalizing this archetype can assist
us in seeing ourselves as weavers or creators of our own lives.
This is an important reclaiming, considering we live in a
society which teaches us that women cannot create their realities.
This card represents life as a living wheel and the wheel
of karma, whereby we experience the results of the seeds we
have planted in the past. Each time a similar situation comes
around, we remember its lessons more clearly, until we can
anticipate and time responses of our choosing. As we become
more aware of the results of our acts, we develop more control
over them. Our sense of destiny becomes a positive trust in
life. Of course, great responsibility comes with this skill,
and sometimes we wonder which is easier, the way of the innocent
who steps blindly into joys and sorrows, or the way of The
Wise One who must make so many careful decisions based on
Her knowledge. For centuries scholars have searched for the
perfect formula for turning the wheel of life, while some
mystics urge us to get off it altogether, dismissing it as
illusion, and therefore, rendering it unnecessary. The Pagan
approach is to welcome it as a miracle, celebrating the major
landmarks as sacred rituals with poetic ecstasy.
If you get this card in a reading you might be dealing with
a sudden shift of events, experiencing the consequences of
your deeds or those of your group. The nature of your fortunes
should be reflected in the cards nearby. You are lucky now,
and it appears that fate has stepped in, bringing a whole
new turn of circumstances. Appearance of the Spider Woman
shows us how we can do things differently the next time around
on the Wheel of Fortune. She also gives us the strength to
change.
Reversed meanings indicate that you are losing your connection
with Goddess and your ability to create new realities. It
can also mean that you are harvesting the fruits of a not-so-positive
planting that you sowed in the past.
So all forms repeat, return,
Rebirth, dissolve, reflect forever
Down the passages of space and time,
Each birth the same, yet ever new
Universes blooming into unimagined worlds
That yet shall be
~
Shekhinah Mountainwater |
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| PRECOCIOUS
PECAN PIE 9-inch single pie crust, unbaked
2 cups pecans, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 tablespoons butter or alternative health spread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pie shell with the
chopped pecans. In a bowl combine sugar, honey, flour,
vanilla and salt, until blended. Beat in the eggs, one
at a time, mixing well. Pour into pie shell and dot
with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, or
until firm. |
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| Greetings, Lovers of the Moon
KUAN
YIN (KWAN YIN) MOTHER OF MERCY
SHE WHO HEARS THE CRIES OF THE WORLD
By Ffiona Morgan, © 2003, 2007
Boundless compassion and
great mercy are rare qualities in our fast-paced world. However,
in the midst of global chaos Kuan Yin’s gentle presence is
still felt, as She holds out Her willow branch of love to a planet
starved for these qualities. She is utterly lacking in pride, ambition
and vengefulness.
Kuan Yin is our modern-day
Mother Theresa or Mahatma Gandhi, and the countless workers of compassion
who selflessly serve in the healing arts. During this period of
time when I am temporarily disabled I have felt Her presence often,
sometimes from strangers who offer me a gentle helping-hand navigating
stairs, opening doors, or on a crowded bus. I give thanks. Also,
Kuan Yin’s energy fuels ours so that we become inspired to
give our hard-earned money to charitable organizations that care
for the world’s starving children and beaten women.
She is known in Her Japanese
manifestation as Kwannon, and in ancient China as Nu Kwa. When Buddhism
entered China in 560 BC, worship of Great Mother Kuan Yin was already
very old. She was known then as Nu Kwa, the fishtailed Goddess.
Since Nu Kwa was loved so deeply and by so many, Buddhists absorbed
Her into their belief system and renamed Her Kuan Yin: Kuan means
earth and Yin means woman. She even survived Mao’s revolutionary
regime in China, when large numbers of people, risking severe punishment,
hid statues of Her in their homes.
This Chinese Goddess and
the Goddess Pax are our models for peace. Kuan Yin, in particular,
is so compassionate and kind that She even refuses to punish the
wicked. She is the complete antithesis of a vengeful, wrathful God.
Fisher-folk have always
had great love for Her, and She is often depicted in art and statue
with a fishtail, standing in a floating lotus or gazing out to sea.
She sometimes holds an urn containing the “dew of compassion”.
Kuan Yin is definitely a water Goddess, appearing where there are
rocks, lotus pools and willows. In art She is frequently rendered
as a beautiful young woman or a wise midlife Queen. My Daughters
of the Moon Tarot pictures Kuan Yin in Her latter aspect, sitting
elegantly in a rocky waterfall with the light of “grace”
surrounding Her.
Kuan-Shi-Yin means “Hearer
of the cries of the world” and She indeed hears us, relieves
our suffering and pain, peril and sorrow, and comforts us in the
hours of our greatest need. The myths say She comes to caress the
fevered brow with Her cool touch, when no one else will. Women in
childbirth call out for Her and She comforts those in great pain.
Our Mother of Mercy watches over all Her children, but especially
blesses those who live in kindness and love and those who do not
rage or make war.
You might be asking yourself
what you can do to exemplify the qualities of Kuan Yin and internalize
the lessons She teaches? Begin by helping those less fortunate than
you; start with friends and family, then branch out to acquaintances
and strangers. Give away money. If you are paying someone for a
job well done, give a little extra. Leave a tip when you encounter
a friendly and efficient waitperson in a restaurant. Start small.
Do something for someone else once a day. Modern civilization is
becoming extremely self-focused and it expands our spirit and heals
our hearts to give to others. Visit a sick person, pick flowers,
grow vegetables, and give some away. You know what do! And let others
know there are no strings attached to your gifts of love and friendship.
Kuan Yin challenges us
to be peaceful. Make peace, not war. And speaking of war, are there
people out there that you are “at war” with? Some of
them used to be friends. War is more than guns and battles; it can
also be an emotional battle. If the world is at war, as it is now,
(the macrocosm), we are the microcosm by being at war with each
other. Like a mirror, one reflects the other. We have the power
to end war on a personal level by confronting and then ceasing our
battles with people. Practice forgiving. Make a list of those who
you are at war with, email or call them, one by one, and ask to
get together and talk out your troubles. I guarantee that in most
instances you will receive a favorable response. You can say, “I’ve
been thinking about the world at war, and I realize you and I have
been waging our own little mini-war. So, let’s stop and try
to work it out.” In your peacemaking, try to avoid “winning”
and take responsibility for your part in the conflict. Practice
Kuan Yin’s qualities of humbleness, compassion and peace.
Hold out your own willow branch. Then you will truly make Kuan Yin
your personal Goddess.
Blessed Be. Ffiona Morgan |
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