A Ritual for Peace and Serenity

This is a little ritual I am going to perform tonight.

In a quiet place, free of distractions, sit comfortably and allow yourself to feel present and at ease. Into the glow of the candle, relate your intention to realize your desire. May your intentions bring peace and harmony to all beings. Focus your intention and verbally affirm its truth.

When the ritual is completed, release the outcome from your grasp. Relax. Allow the universe to manifest your desires. Your intention will generate its own power.

The Invocation

I am fully present
in the place of the Mystery
wherein desire and destiny
become one.
Into this clearing of pure energy,
I release my fear
and awaken to my experience
of true peace and serenity.
I embrace the sweetness of life,
without reservation or limitation.
This, or something better,
is manifesting for me now.
And so it is.

What a Difference a Day...And Friends...Can Make

I'd like to start off by thanking all of you for your concern and for your kind words yesterday. I feel blessed to have found my new blog buddies. It helps to know there are people out there who care. Life was never meant to be easy, but they say we are never dealt more than we can handle. Hubbie and I have been through far worse, and we have survived. In 1994 when we had been married for about 3 years, hubbie contracted a lung infection and nearly died. He was so sick that most of his family had given up and were preparing him to go into the light. On the other side was myself, his mother, and one of his sisters...and we never gave up hope. I was angry with what his family was doing and let them know that it had to stop. Their response was "We feel you are in denial, and you may need some counseling to help you through this." And to that my response was, "There is a big difference between denial and having hope."

Well, hope and faith won out and 15 years later, hubbie is still here. Sadly, the rift in the family has never mended and probably never will, but we have each other...and that is what counts. Also, I have not heard from my friend since she told me of her illness, and all I can do right now, is to give her her space. So, with that in mind, I want to say I woke up this morning feeling a lot better than I did last night. I know that whatever is thrown at us, we can overcome if we just stay strong together. And the fact of the matter is, there are those out there who are in far worse circumstances than we are and I would wish for them a better life during the coming year.

If you could grant just one wish...what would it be?

Trying Times

You know, I have been sitting here for most of the day trying to act like all was okay with the world, but sadly, it is not. It's the holiday season, a season of love, peace, and joy...of colorful lights...gleeful music...smiling red-cheeked children lining up to sit on Santa's lap. The stores are dressed in their Christmas best. Bad things aren't supposed to happen to people...but they do.

Yesterday, I went home from work to find my husband in a darkened bedroom, under the covers. The first thing I asked was, "Are you sick?" my heart dropping because my hubbie has a host of health issues...including liver disease.

"No, I'm not sick." as he turns his head away from me. I can see pain in his eyes.

"There is something wrong. Tell me what's wrong."

"I've been suspended from my job."

Here's the story. My husband also works as a substance abuse counselor for a hospital outpatient program. One of his clients had gone to the program yesterday to attend a group...high on drugs...and carrying on that he wanted a metrocard. The receptionist refused to give it to him, so he went to my hubbies' office demanding one. My hubbie explained that metrocards were only given to clients who had insurance and that, since he didn't have insurance, they couldn't give him one. The client reached out and smacked my husband across the face real hard. He still had a mark when I got home. My husband reacted and hit him back.

The problem is that we counselors actually have no rights to defend ourselves when it comes to the clients. It's a sad fact, but a true one. We are SUPPOSED to deal with it in what they call a professional, non-violent manner. And the client is always right. Not too long ago at hubbie's work, a client beat the crap out of one of the female counselors, and on my job, a client beat up the 'male nurse' in our upstairs program. But we are not supposed to strike back and defend ourselves. And to add insult to injury, the client then went out and badly keyed my hubbie's new car. Can't prove it was him, cause he wasn't seen, but hubbie knows. The insurance has a $500 deductable...and hubbie doesn't know if he will still have a job or not.

I will be honest. I am scared over this. Didn't sleep much at all last night. Never mind Christmas, but how can we pay the rent? Buy the food? And hubbie saved for years for this car. He'll end up losing it...and one of his dreams was that for once in his life, before he died, he wanted a new car. And all of this over a $2.50 metrocard? Drugs make people do crazy things...and innocent people end up getting hurt.

Now, this all comes the day after a dear friend told she has just been diagnosed with widespread liver cancer. Ironically, we have never met in person, but online...yet we feel as if we are sisters...like we have known each other forever...and I truly believe we have. And, as I work my way through the stages of grief, I realize how precious life really is. I am blessed that she has been a part of my life.

So there you have it. This is what's going on in my life right now. I'm working my way through my feelings, and I know I will be all right. I am hurting right now, but we all hurt at times. Life was never supposed to be easy. If it was, we'd get it right the first time around, but we would never learn our needed lessons. Sorry for burdening you all with this, but it just got too tough trying to keep it up like nothing was wrong...and for myself, I cannot hold things in. Once I get them out in the open, I start to heal. Thank you for letting me share.

Trivia Time

Did you know that ....

...the British Parliament considered Christmas to be a heathen holiday so they officially abolished all related festivities until 1643.

...Donder, meaning 'thunder' was the original name of the reindeer who helped to pull Santa's sleigh. He was paired with Blitzen...whose name means lightning.

...the image of Santa as we know him today was popularized by the Coca-Cola company.

...Gingerbread houses became popular as holiday gifts during the 19th century after the story of Hansel and Gretel was published.

...eggnog wasn't always that creamy, rich drink we enjoy today. It is actually derived from a 17th century ale that was called 'nog'. The Irish celebrated Christmas Eve by drinking a pint or two....because they new that all the pubs would be closed on Christmas Day.

...the candy cane first became popular in churches where is was given as a treat to those children who behaved themselves during services.

...the story of "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" was actually written as a sales gimmick for the Montgomery Ward Company in 1939. It was written by one of their employees, Robert L. May, and this little book was given freely to every holiday shopper who shopped there during the holiday season.

...at midnight on the Christmas Eve of 1914, German gunfire was suddenly halted and replaced by the singing of Carols. At daybreak, the German soldiers began to call out 'Merry Christmas" to their foes, and before long, both sides declared a truce...shaking hands and exchanging gifts of food, cigarettes, and liquor. This merriment lasted for three days.

...St. Francis of Assisi introduced the singing of Carols to holiday church services.

...modern day astronomers say that the famous 'star of Bethlehem' was not a star after all. They believe it was most likely a comet or an astronomical phenomenon caused by the conjunction of several planets at once.

Legend of the Dream Catcher

Dream Catchers are believed to bless the "sleeping person" with pleasant dreams, good luck and harmony in their lives. According to the old legends which have been passed on throughout the years, dreams are messages from sacred spirits, and there are actually different versions of the legend about how they work; it seems that different tribes have different interpretations. One version says that the hole in the center of the web allows the good dreams through while the bad dreams are trapped in the web until they disappear with the first light of the morning. The other version says that the web catches the good dreams and allows the bad ones to slip away through the hole. The following is one of the legend I studied in my course on Native American legends and myth:

Long ago when the world was still very young, an old Lakota spiritual leader was on a high mountain and had a vision. In this vision, Iktomi, the great trickster and teacher of wisdom, appeared before him in the form of a spider. Iktomi spoke to the elder in a sacred language that only the spiritual leaders of the Lakota could understand...and as Iktomi spoke, the spider took the elder's willow hoop which had feathers, horse hair, beads, and offerings on it and began to spin a web.

Iktomi spoke to the elder about the cycles of life...and how we begin our lives as infants, move on into childhood, and then into adulthood. Finally, we enter old age where we must be taken care of as infants...thus completing the cycle. "But", Iktomi said as he continued to spin his web, "in each time of life there are many forces--some good and some bad. If you listen to the good forces, they will steer you in the right direction. But, if you listen to the bad forces, they will hurt you and steer you in the wrong direction."

He continued, "There are many forces and different directions that can help or interfere with the harmony of nature...and also with the great spirit and all of his wonderful teachings". All the while the spider spoke, he continued to weave his web starting from the outside and working inwards towards the center.

When Iktomi finished speaking, he gave the elder the web and said, "See, the web is a perfect circle, but there is a hole in the center of the circle." He then added, "Use the web to help yourself and your people to reach your goals and make use of your people's ideas, dreams, and visions....And if you believe in the great Spirit, the web will catch all of your good ideas...and the bad ones will pass on through the hole."

The Lakota elder passed his vision on to his people, and now they use the dream catcher as the web of their life. It is hung above their beds or in their home to sift their dreams and visions. They believe the dream catcher holds the destiny of their future.

For all you single ladies out there

In some parts of the world, December 1 is the traditional time for the young girls to perform the ancient art of cromnionmancy (divination by onion sprouts) to find out the name of their future husband. To find out who your future husband will be, take some onions and upon each one carve or write a different man's name. Place the onions near a fire and the man whose name is on the onion that sprouts first will be the one.

The Evolution of the Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree!

In many parts of the world the winter can be a very cold and harsh time of the year. And during this time of darkness, the Christmas Tree, with all of its bright, colorful ornaments and twinkling lights, has become a sign of warmth and gaiety, a popular symbol of the winter holidays. People of many faiths and many countries may have adopted it, but its roots lie back in the Pagan past.

Trees have been perceived as symbols of rebirth and renewal by the ancient cultures, and as such, they were often associated with the many Pagan solar deities whose birthdays were celebrated around the time of the Winter Solstice. Evergreen trees, in particular, were viewed as classic symbols of divinity and immortality because they do not die as other trees do. In ancient Greece, the God Attis, consort of the Mother Goddess, Cybele, was believed to have died and been reborn. His birthday was celebrated on December 25th, and his followers carried decorated Evergreens in a procession in his honor.

The Evergreen tree has also long been associated with the practice gift giving. In Rome, citizens celebrated Saturnalia, a week long December festival honoring the God, Saturnus, by giving gifts attached to Evergreen branches. The festival was so popular that it was eventually adopted pretty much intact by Christianity; the date of December 25th then being celebrated as the birth of the Christ child.

In an old Norse tradition, Evergreen trees were burned in an effort to encourage the return of the sun. This custom of burning a tree was eventually replaced with the trees being decorated with burning candles, a practice still common in many European households today. A direct descendant of this practice, still carried on today, is the burning of the Yule Log.

Because trees have long been a symbol of rebirth, the Christmas tree became the natural symbol for the resurrected Christ with the first known record of a decorated tree honoring the Christian nativity occurring in the 16th century; a German tree was decorated with roses cut out of colored paper, apples, wafers, gold foil, and sweets. In the United states, there was strong opposition to Christmas trees by our Puritan ancestors who kept them out of the American territories. It was not until 19th century when German settlers popularized the tradition that Christmas trees became popular here in America.