Monthly Archives: April 2013

Coyote Medicine

CoyoteThe full moon brought a new visitor to Shaman’s Grove this month. At 3:45am Thursday morning, I was quickly roused from my sleep by the sound of a coyote yipping outside my bedroom window. I bounced out of bed, quickly reviewing the location of our pets as I dashed to the front deck. Yup, I did close up the chickens after dark, and the cat was on the bed. I flung open the front door, purposefully making lots of noise to encourage our visitor to move on . . . Just needed to be sure he wasn’t in the chicken pen. All my feathered goddesses were safe and the interloper moved quickly past my garden and down through the woods. After double counting noses, I returned to dream time.

So, it was time to see what message, if any, coyote might have for me. Continue reading

Earth Day 2013

Happy Earth Day“Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the
earth befalls all the sons of the earth.
This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man
belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”

Attributed to Chief Seattle – 1854
(Actually written by Ted Perry for Home – an environmental move in 1972.)

Earth Day rolls around again. I know this is a few days early, but wanted to give you a head start in case you want to plan some activities.

There’s so much hype – both positive and negative – about the creation of another “remembrance day”.  We have Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Flag Day, Labor Day . . . Why not an Earth Day? Continue reading

Smudging – Shamanic Spring Cleaning

Last week I had the opportunity to help a friend with her spring cleaning. No, not the dust rag and mop kind (and I DON’T do windows), but giving her house a good smudge after her roommates moved out.

Spring is a great time for smudging your home to remove any negative energy that has accumulated over the winter. It’s the time when the air is fresh from the spring rains and we can pop the windows open and feel the warmth of Father Sun flow in. Continue reading

New Moon Activities

New Moon
This Wednesday is the first New Moon of spring. In spiritual circles, a lot of focus is placed on the full moon as part of our meditation, healing and growth cycles. But, the new moon is also a powerful time for achieving our goals.

As humans we have been emulating nature and following the cycles of the moon for thousands of years. We know that moonlight has a great impact on plant, animal and human life. Among many other things, the moon affects our heart rate, blood pressure, brain waves, controls women’s menstruation and ovulation, along with controlling oceanic tides and signaling the start and end of animal hibernation.

According to the Almanac, it’s widely believed that activities will be more fruitful or lead to improved results depending on the moon phase. The period between the new and full moon (first and second quarters) is considered as the best time to perform tasks that require strength, fertility and growth. The period between the full and new moon (third and fourth quarters) is best for harvesting, retarding growth, etc. Many gardeners swear by planting in these cycles. And I have been known to cut my hair by the phases of the moon with great results.

When the moon is waxing (moving from new to full), it is believed to help with all “forward movement” intentions Continue reading