Deepavali (Diwali, Divali)

According to my calendar, today is the beginning of the Hindu holiday Deepavali (sometimes shortened as Diwali or Divali). The word deepa or dipa means "light of the dharma", and avali means "a continuous line". The more literal translation is "rows of clay lamps".

(If you watch The Office, this is the holiday that was featured on one of the episodes, where Kelly invited everyone to come to the Divali celebration.)

[This holiday is also celebrated by other Indian religions, including Jainism and Sikhism, two other religions of which I know nothing. I am focusing on the Hindu aspects. If I had the time I would post about them too but I don't, so you can read about them in Wikipedia by clicking on the links. Honestly, I guess I didn't know just how many religions there were in the world! But anyway, back to our holiday.]

Deepavali is a major Indian festival celebrated as the "Festival of Lights", generally celebrated for 5 consecutive days. It is one of the most important and most popular festivals in India. The festival celebrates the uplighting of darkness and victory of good over the evil within. The most significant esoteric meaning is "the awareness of the inner light".

Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light, in particular the knowing of which outshines all darkness (removes all obstacles and dispels all ignorance), awakening the individual to one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, imminent and transcendent reality. With the realization of the Atman, comes universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (Inner Joy or Peace).

On Deepavali, many wear new clothes, share sweets and snacks. There are festive fireworks, lights, flowers, and worship. One important practice Hindus follow is to light oil lamps in their homes on Deepavali morning. By lighting the oil lamps, the Hindus are thanking the gods for the happiness, knowledge, peace and wealth that they have received.

There are several mythological events related to or associated with Deepavali, including the the victory of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana (when Rama and his family returned to Ayodhya after a long exile and the people lit oil lamps to light their path in the darkness); the day Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura; the day Bali went to rule the nether-world, obeying the order of Vishnu; the day Lord Krishna defeated Indra, the deity of thunder and rain (also the story where the basis of the karma philosphy was set forth); and more!

SOURCES/MORE INFO:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali

http://meme.essortment.com/whatisdeepaval_rgwe.htm

http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/ethnic_relig/diwali.html

http://www.hinduism.co.za/deepaval.htm

http://bawarchi.com/festivals/diwali2.html

My poor car

Dave got his first 9 point buck!

Unfortunately, it was with my CRV. :(

We were driving home from work through Pinch on a 2-lane road in traffice, in the dark, and in the rain. A big buck came from out of "nowhere". It was a pretty good hit, and tore the front of the car up and may have even knocked the engine off its mounts. The airbags deployed, the engine jammed at full throttle. Dave is an excellent driver and kept it under control and got it back in our lane once he could see. As soon as we stopped the transmission locked and the horn was stuck on.

We are both fine except I have a sore thumb (I think I had it hooked in the seatbelt). We are both very grateful that we weren't hurt and that we didn't get rear-ended or run into someone else. The deer wasn't so lucky, but a man who stopped to help took it so at least the meat will be used. I wonder if he will mount that rack. We are also grateful we were in the CRV and not the little Sentra we normally drive to and from work.

Dave's coworker Gunner was so nice, he drove all the way out there to pick us up and take us home after the car was towed. Now it's just a matter of seeing what will happen with my poor car. It's a year from being paid off and I was planning to drive it another 5 years after that. I'm not sure that will happen now.

Synchronicity

These are excerpts from a long but excellent article - link at end if you would like to read the whole thing

"Synchronicity is the phenomenon of meaningful coincidence. ... It becomes synchronicity when it makes a meaningful connection with our life’s purposes or helps unfold our destiny to show love, see wisely, and bring healing to ourselves and our world. All coincidences are connected by meaning, but synchronicity happens when the meaningfulness is relevant to our personal evolution. ... It happens just in time.
...
Synchronicity is the surprise that something suddenly fits! Synchronous events are meaningful coincidences or correspondences that guide us, warn us, or confirm us on our path.
...
A coincidence is two unplanned events that happen simultaneously. It becomes synchronicity when it is connected by meaning. You and I love red roses. That is a coincidence. If unknown to each other, we meet as our heads bump while we are both smelling the same red rose that caught our eye at the same time and then later, we are married, that is synchronicity!
...
Synchronicity gives us a clue to the deep underlay of purpose and meaning in the universe and how that purpose is working itself out in our lives.

...
Things happen as they need to for the best purposes of the universe. Our belief that we can interfere with this is another trick of the arrogant ego. We may not know how what is happening right now really fits into our future. I can only trust that in addition to all I see, there is some other vision that will appear and make all this appear as just right.
...
Prayer that is answered is synchronicity since prayers that are answered are the ones that are consistent with our destiny.
...
Synchronicity is the special moment in which destiny summons us to move forward.
...
Synchronicity appears in our work on ourselves. There may be synchronicity in the fact that our knowledge of our real issues—in ourselves and in our relationships—comes simultaneously with the strength to face them! We are usually in denial for a long time before we finally recognize and acknowledge our own truth. Synchronicity is in the fact that we often only let ourselves know when we can deal with what we know.

When we are ready to learn, a teacher appears. This is synchronicity.
...
Synchronicity also occurs in looking back upon your life and seeing how it all prepared you or instructed you for the fullest fruition of your potential. A hidden feeling or truth waited to be awakened by just the right person or circumstance, sometimes painfully. My destiny had to have just such a beginning. My neglectful father helped me practice for the independent life I live now. My empty cupboard helped me care about starving children.
...
Everyone and every event in life’s drama is part of the metaphor of our journey. The issue from an old relationship may not be: "how bad he was" but: "how much I needed to learn!" Most of us keep meeting partners who show us exactly where our work is, e.g., men who abuse, women who are unfaithful. The wounds are openings into our missing life. Often, the only way a lost piece of ourselves or of our history comes back to us is through another person. The unknown is scary so people and events come along that help us go there. This is synchronicity. The only mistake we make is hanging on to some people too long or too briefly.
...
Finally, there is synchronicity in divination devices such as the I Ching or the Tarot: one ineluctably chooses the hexagram or card that coincides with one’s circumstance. This meaningful coincidence is based on the belief that the psyche will direct us to the exact information that we need when we need it.
...
Each generation presents to the universe a population of people who have just the right ingredients in them to make the world better. Each person is a crucial cell in this mystical body of humanity. There is synchronicity in the fact that here and now the world always has just the human resources that it needs to further its evolution as is fitting for this epoch. Nature participates in the same synchronicity by its drifts of species and seasons of growth and change in each era. It creates an ice age and a temperate age in accord with the over-all requirements of evolution. I am here at the right time— and just in time— for me to make my contribution and nature is supporting me by presenting just the conditions that promote this enterprise. And so are all the people in my life."


Unexpected Miracles: The Gift of Synchronicity & How to Open it, by David Richo, Ph.D.

Copyright © 2001 David Richo, Ph.D. This article is an excerpt from Unexpected Miracles: The Gift of Synchronicity & How to Open it.

Morgantown

This weekend we went to Dave's hometown of Morgantown to visit with his family. While there we also dropped by the Mountain Lair, the WVU student union, where Mountaineer Week activities were going on. I had never heard of Mountaineer Week before this week. They had a great craft fair at the Mountain Lair, along with food boths and other exhibits.

Just the other day I was looking up ancient German customs wondering about Halloween and at the craft fair I found a great book I didn't buy but should have, Signs, Cures, and Witchery: German Appalachian Folklore. I'm going to check it out at the library. My husband's family is of German ancestry and I have been interested lately in German history. The author was at the fair and I'm hoping he'll be at the Arts & Crafts Fair in Charleston so I can get an autographed copy.

My other favorite thing was the animal rehabilitation exhibit, which had a screech owl and a red tailed hawk on display.

Sunday we went to the Spruce Street United Methodist Church, which my sister-in-law attends, and enjoyed their service, including theri All Saints' Day recognition, very much. [Interesting that I just recently posted about not hearing much about All Saints' Day - it was the very next day that Sis-in-Law invited us to the service!]

It was the first church service I have been to in a long while and I was glad to go. Although my beliefs have changed quite a bit since I was a UM church member, I can still experience God in that familiar setting very easily. I really have come to appreciate all the different ways there are to experience God / Spirit / Creator -whatever you wish to call him/her. I would like to go to some services of other traditions to have those experiences as well. One of these days.

We also, of course, had to have some food from Wings Ole while we were there. We wanted to go to Chick-n-Bones as well but didn't make it.

Some camera phone pics from the WVU campus, and one (bottom) from Cheat Lake:

Secrets of Success

Jeanie Marshall’s Secrets to Success
(They are Not Secrets Anymore)

1. Be in integrity. When you get out of integrity (and it’s inevitable you will sometimes), regain your balance and integrity as soon as possible.



2. Meditate every day, as well as establishing regular practices of exercise, rest, good nutrition, leisure, laughter, and play.



3. Build a network of people you trust and respect, some of whom have different perspectives from yours.



4. Be exceptionally good at one or two skills you enjoy and learn other skills as they interest and benefit you.



5. Find and share your uniqueness. Create, claim, embrace, and/or excel at something that is so uniquely yours that you feel your own creative force from within you. You expand the world by being unique, not by being the same as everyone else.



6. Create a vision for your future in your mind’s eye and let it guide your journey. Taking side roads is enriching, but remember daily to keep the main thing the main thing.



7. Know, without a doubt, that you are creating your own life. Dismiss blaming and guilt as quickly as possible and embrace self responsibility. Live excuse-free.



8. Start every day with an empowering question, such as “What gift does this day offer to me?” Or, “What is most worthy of my attention today?” Or, “What is the most empowering thing I can do and say today?”



9. Write. Write to organize your thoughts; write to draw more ideas to you; write to express the thoughts inside you; write to empower yourself and others.



10. Follow the rules when following them creates order and enhances your relationships with others and yourself; break the rules when you know that serves, such as writing 10 success tips when the assignment is to write 8.



11. Know when enough is enough. Not too much, not too little, enough.



12. Strive for excellence, not perfection.



13. Laugh at yourself when you make a mistake.



14. Find others you can encourage, teach, and inspire along the way, keeping in mind that they need to find their own uniqueness rather than recreate you.


http://www.jmviews.com/2007/11/02/my-secrets-of-success-are-not-really-secrets/

Kucinich & the UFO

I knew I liked this guy...

"Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich has claimed he saw a UFO, according to Shirley MacLaine in her new book, "Sage-Ing While Age-Ing." Kucinich "had a close sighting over my home in Graham, Washington, when I lived there," wrote the actress, a close Kucinich friend. "Dennis found his encounter extremely moving. The smell of roses drew him out to my balcony where, when he looked up, he saw a gigantic triangular craft, silent, and observing him. It hovered, soundless, for 10 minutes or so, and sped away with a speed he couldn't comprehend. He said he felt a connection in his heart and heard directions in his mind."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2003968515_eye23.html

Doesn't this make him fit right in with some of our other presidents??

Did Dennis Kucinich see a UFO? He says yes! Does that make him a crackpot? No way - are you kidding. Kucinich has a lot of wild ideas and has spouted them on occasion but the fact that he claims that he saw something in the sky that he could not identify hardly makes him crazy. the Phoenix Lights still have yet to be fully explained.

Mr. Kucininch was asked by MSNBC moderator Tim Russert, "did you see a UFO?"' "I did," he replied, before stressing that it was unidentified and reminding the audience - correctly - that former president Jimmy Carter also saw a UFO. Kucinich said: "It was an unidentified flying object, OK? It's, like, it's unidentified. I saw something."

He added, "You have to keep in mind that more - that Jimmy Carter saw a UFO and also that more people in this country have seen UFOs than I think approve of George Bush's presidency. Citing Jimmy Carter was not likely the best example, he could have used Ronald Reagan.

The UK Telegraph reports that President Reagan believed he had seen UFOs at least twice -- once on the coast while driving to Hollywood with his wife, Nancy, and once, as governor of California, while flying on a plane near Bakersfield. In "Landslide," their 1988 book about Reagan's second term, journalists Doyle McManus, The Times' Washington bureau chief, and Jane Mayer, now of the New Yorker, wrote that Reagan's staff worked hard to keep the UFO sighting stories under wraps.

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272616991.shtml

Love

"Love and pity and wish well to every soul in the world; dwell in love, and then you dwell in God. – William Law

Loyalty is the quintessence of love. When two people tell each other, “As long as you do what I like, I’ll stay with you, but as soon as you start doing things I don’t like, I’m packing my bags” – that is not love; that’s convenience. Loving somebody means that even when they trouble you, you don’t let yourself be shaken. Even when they are harsh to you, you don’t move away. Even when they make a mistake that hurts you, you don’t go off and make the same kind of mistake to hurt them.

All of us are so liable to human error that unless we have some capacity to bear with the errors of others, we will not be able to maintain a lasting relationship, which is the tragic situation that many people find themselves in today. We should never settle for this unhappy state of affairs."

- Eknath Easwaran [via the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation email]

All Saints Day and All Souls Day

I'm going to cheat and post about both of these Christian holidays today, because they are mentioned together so much.

November 1 is All Saints Day and November 2 is All Soul's Day. Now, I was raised in the Christian church, but as a Protestant (first Fundamentalist and later Methodist). I never heard anything about either of these holidays. I don't recall them even in the Methodist church, but one of my sources says the Methodist Church has All Saints Day on the first Sunday in November to remember those who have passed away from the local congregation. Anyway, for the most part I think they are more a Catholic thing in America at least.

After the Romans invaded Britain, and as the Christian religion spread, November 1 was made a church holiday by the Roman Catholic Church to honor all the saints, called All Saint's Day (or Hallowmas, or All Hallows - "hallows" meaning "saints," and "mas" meaning "Mass"). Years later, the Church also made November 2 a holy day called All Souls Day (or Day of the Dead), which was to honor the dead. It was celebrated with big bonfires, parades, and people dressing up as saints, angels and devils. All Saints Day and All Souls Day were originally in May but were moved to November to downplay the Pagan holidays at that time. Religious leaders thought the holidays were too popular at the time to ban, but thought if they moved the Christian holidays the Pagan holidays would just die away.

In the early Church, Christians would celebrate the anniversary of a martyr's death (the saint's "birth day"). But eventually there were so many that a single day was designated for all of them. The first All Saints' Day occurred on May 13, 609 when Pope Boniface IV accepted the Pantheon (a Pagan temple) as a gift from the Emperor Phocas. Boniface dedicated it as the Church of Santa Maria Rotonda in honor of the Blessed Virgin and all martyrs. (May 13, was an ancient pagan observation, the culmination of the Feast of the Lemures, which involved malevolent and restless spirits of all the dead.) During Pope Gregory III's reign (731-741), the festival was expanded to include all saints and and moved to November 1. Pope Gregory IV officially designated the day in 837. Roman Catholics are required to attend Mass and to "refrain from unnecessary servile work" on this day. All saints, known and unknown (not just those that have been canonized) are honored.

Saints are ordinary people who have served God faithfully have reached a certain level of holiness, and who serve as inspiration and motivation. They are not perfect, but are relatable in that they have faults and foibles. They are considered to be close to God and able to help those on earth who are still struggling.

All Souls Day was started in 998. It is a time to pay respect to and remember the souls of all friends and loved ones who have died. In the Roman Catholic tradition, it is a time to pray for the souls who are deceased but who are in Purgatory and have not yet made it into Heaven(because they have not yet been cleansed from venial sins or have not fully atoned for mortal sins). Often, people will pray to their lost loved ones and even ask for special favors.

Customs for both of these holidays vary by region or culture. I don't believe in America they are really celebrated, except in the Catholic church, because I have never heard of anything like there are in other parts of the world. Traditions may include preparing an altar for the dead with an offering of food, flowers, candles, incense and photos of the dead; graves may be visited and decorated; candles burned for each person to be remembered; leaving food and water out for the spirits that wander on that night; in Mexico there are picnics at the cemetery and skull-shaped candy; in Germany, people try to return to their native villages and spruce up the graves of loved ones and in the4 evening have a procession to the cemetery; and in some places, it is traditional to see the play Don Juan Tenorio.

SOURCES/MORE INFO:

http://www.holidays.net/halloween/story.htm

http://www.holidayinsights.com/christian/saintsday.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Souls%27_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01315b.htm

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01315a.htm

http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/ethnic_relig/allsaint.html

http://www.homiliesbyemail.com/Special/Saints/background.html

http://www.holidayinsights.com/christian/soulsday.htm

http://www.theholidayspot.com/all_souls_day/customs.htm

http://www.serve.com/shea/germusa/allsaint.htm

Wild, Wonderful West Virginia

Yay the votes are in! And "Wild, Wonderful" won!

http://www.wvgov.org/sec.aspx?id=32&articleid=1588

The back story: Our governor changed all the Welcome to West Virginia signs to change the "slogan" on the signs from "Almost Heaven" to "Open for Business". Everybody hated it! To his credit, he let the public decide. Everyone was invited to submit a slogan, and the top 3 submitted were the finalists, I think. Then we voted for the winner. Finalists were "Almost Heaven", "Wild, Wonderful" and "The Mountain State". I think I voted for Almost Heaven, but I had a hard time choosing between Almost Heaven and Wild, Wonderful, so I'm happy with the result. As long as we get that stupid "Open for Business" off the signs.

Happy Samhain

According to my calendar, today is the Pagan/Wiccan holiday known as "Samhain" (pronounced SOW-in, SAH-vin, or SAM-hayne). It is generally celebrated on October 31st, but some traditions prefer November 1st.

According to Wikipedia, Samhain is the word for November in the Gaelic languages and was used for a month in the ancient Celtic calendar. According to another website, Samhain (Scots Gaelic: Samhuinn) literally means "summer's end."

The ancient Celts divided the year into 2 seasons: the light and the dark. The New Year was celebrated on November 1st, marking the end of the "season of the sun" and the beginning of "the season of darkness and cold."

At the end of the day on October 31, cooking fires in homes would be extinguished. The Druids (Celtic priests) would meet in the hilltop in the dark oak forest (oak trees were considered sacred) and light new fires and offer sacrifices of crops and animals. In the morning, the Druids would give an ember from their fires to each family to take home to start their new cooking fires, which would also keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits. The festival would last for 3 days. Many people would parade in costumes made from the skins and heads of their animals. This festival would become the first Halloween.

Samhain was the traditional time for slaughter, for preparing stores of meat and grain to last through the coming winter. The word 'bonfire', or 'bonefire' is a direct translation of the Gaelic tine cnámh. Sometimes two bonfires would be built side by side, and the people would walk between the fires as a ritual of purification. Sometimes cattle and other livestock would be driven between the fires as well.

Samhain was a significant time for divination. Divination customs and games frequently featured apples and nuts from the recent harvest. Children would also chase crows and divine things from the direction the birds flew. Stones were marked with peoples names and thrown into the fire, then retrieved in the morning and used to foretell the person's fortune for the coming year. In Scotland, a child born at Samhain was said to be gifted with "second sight" or clairvoyance.

According to Celtic lore, Samhain is a time when the boundaries between the world of the living and world of the dead become thinner, at times even fading away completely, allowing spirits and other supernatural entities to pass between worlds to socialize with humans. Some customs included leaving food on altars or burying it for wandering spirits, lighting candles to guide the spirits of ancestors home, and extra chairs set at the table. Turnips were hollowed out and carved to look like protective spirits. People dressed in white (like ghosts), wore disguises made of straw, or dressed as the opposite gender in order to fool the spirits.

Samhain is observed by Neopagans in various ways, some with elaborate rituals to honor the dead and deities associated with the dead in their particular tradition. Some celebrate as close as possible to the Ancient Celts. Some observe the holiday with rituals culled from numerous other unrelated sources.

In Wicca, Samhain is one of the eight annual holidays ('Sabbats'). It is considered by most Wiccans as a celebration of death and of the dead, and often involves paying respect to ancestors and loved ones who have died. In some rituals spirits of the departed are invited to attend the festivities.

SOURCES/MORE INFO:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain

http://www.holidays.net/halloween/story.htm

http://www.chalicecentre.net/samhain.htm

http://www.wicca.com/celtic/akasha/samhainlore.htm

http://www.religioustolerance.org/hallo_sa.htm

Top Office Pet Peeves

A Harris Interactive poll on biggest pet peeves in the workplace found:

60% - Gossip
54% - Poor time management, which included people making personal phones calls at work or surfing the Internet during work time
45% - Messiness in communal spaces, such as unwashed dishes in the kitchen sinks
42% - Potent smells like perfume, food, or smoke
41% - Loud noises such as speaker phones, loud talking and loud phone ring tones at
28% - Overuse of electronic personal communications devices in meetings
22% - Misuse of e-mail

But people are not so willing to take action against offending coworkers. 42% said they would say something directly to a person being too loud but only 34% would raise their concerns about gossiping and only 25% address a person directly about misuse of e-mail.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071029/wr_nm/work_peeves_life_tech_dc

Prayer

""More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones." -- Mother Teresa

If we are prompted to ask for spiritual blessings for ourselves or others, how do we best do this?

Speaker Kimberly Herkert offers that it is best to simply ask the divine for health and help. As human beings, we are not capable of seeing the big picture for anyone’s situation. As a result, we are not able to judge what is best for anyone, including ourselves.

The Higher Power always knows best, and the general prayer for ‘health and help’ acknowledges the wisdom that exists there and our faith in divine will.

"God answers prayer in His own way, not ours." -- Mohandas Gandhi "

www.higherawareness.com

Franki the Wonder Dog

 

I love the color of fall

 

Crockpot Casseroles

Last week I made hashbrown casserole in a crockpot instead of the oven since I was taking it to a pot-luck luncheon at work. I figured that way I wouldn't have to reheat it. I didn't change anything ingredient-wise. I cooked it about 4 hours on high.

For Thanksgiving I'm going to try broccoli casserole. I don't think it will take as long though, maybe 2 or 2 1/2 hours.

I need to think of some others to try before then. I used to make casseroles all the time and now I never do unless I'm taking it somewhere or having company.

A lion in West Virginia??

A hunter in Greenbrier County spotted a full-grown lion on his property! He estimates it was 250-300 pounds. People from Tiger Mountain Refuge, an exotic wildlife sanctuary in Nicholas County, is looking for it and hoping to capture it. They say if it was an abandoned pet, it probably has has been declawed and defanged and will have a hard time surviving. Rumor has it that a group of hunters wants to try to hunt it and kill it. So I hope the sanctuary people find it first.

You can read the whole story here: A jungle out there? Hunter says lion in woods

Meditation downloads

Colette Baron-Reid has some free meditation downloads on her website.

Go to: http://www.colettebaronreid.com/

Sign up for the member's lounge (free)

Once you are logged into or have entered the member's lounge, look for the "RTF Booksite" section, which is the third box from the top. Click ENTER over on the right.

On the left are all the meditations. To get to them you have to actually click on the video link - Hi or Low. Then on the right you'll see the video and underneath it is a link to download the meditation in MP3 format.

(I post these instructions in detail because I had a really hard time finding them!)

Get some sleep

"MONDAY, Oct. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Ever get a little testy after a bad night's sleep? Scientists may now know why.

A new study finds that a lack of sleep causes the brain's emotional centers to dramatically overreact to negative experiences.

A shutdown of the prefrontal lobe -- a brain region that normally keeps emotions under control -- is the reason for heightened emotional response in sleep-deprived people, said the researchers from Harvard Medical School and the University of California, Berkeley."

More here: Mind's emotion centers less controlled when weary, MRI study shows

Seasons

I mentioning the changing of the seasons and seasonal affective disorder in another post. This year I am more in tune with my body and my spirit, and the earth as well I think. I recognize the signs, and I understand that this is a natural cycle. Spring is a time of planting seeds and awakening. Summer is a time of sunshine and growth. Fall is a time of harvest. And winter is a time of dormancy, of slowing down, of retreating, of going within. It is a good time to reflect on the year behind and to prepare for the year ahead.

By recognizing this, I can be easier on myself, knowing that it is just a cycle and must run its course. I don't mourn the fact that summer is gone. I appreciate the beauty of autumn and enjoy the spectacular show of colors Mother Nature gives us as her farewell before she rests. I look forward to the quietness of winter. The trees and flowers may appear to be dead, but I know they are just dormant, and they will be reborn again in the spring. It doesn't have to be a depressing time.

We also have celebrations to look forward to. At Thanksgiving and Christmas we will spend time with our families and celebrate our connections. We will break bread together and exchange gifts as tokens of our affection. We will spend time with people we don't see as often as we'd like. I know that my husband doesn't like the holidays because we rush around to visit everyone over a few days. But I am grateful we have so many people who love us and who want to spend time with us. They won't always be here. Some day it might be just the two of us sitting alone and thinking wistfully of the gatherings of the past, hectic though they may have been. I choose to enjoy this time and make the most of it.

So although I recognize that the change of the season affects me, this year I resolve to be aware of it, to accept it for what it is, and to stay in the flow of the natural cycles of the earth without resistance. And I think overall I will be better off psychologically and physically for this.

Art

Recently I bought some art supplies from Michael's with a gift card I received. I had a hard time deciding what I wanted. I didn't know particulars, I just knew I wanted to paint something. There were so many things to choose from, and the good supplies are expensive when you get everything you need, and I wasn't sure what medium I wanted to play with, so I ended up getting a $20 kit from the kid section that included colored pencils, watercolors and oil pastels. I will certainly never be an artist, but I've had a lot of fun with it and have enjoyed being creative. I like learning to do new things. I need to get some acrylics to play with now.

S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder)

The past few weeks I have been feeling "off." I am pretty sure it is the changing of the season, the shortening days. I feel like this every year but I don't usually recognize it this soon. I don't feel that bad, but I don't have any energy and I don't want to do anything but hibernate. I haven't been meditating much or reading. I just want to sleep. I am not worried about it, I know it will pass. Just noting it. Even though the weather hasn't been cold, I can definitely feel the change.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 20 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

eBates

Here's a great eBates promotion!

If you aren't already on eBates check it out, especially with holiday shopping season upon us. It's a great site where you get cash back for shopping online. There are hundreds of online stores in the program. Amazon and eBay don't participate, but lots of others do, including iTunes, Avon, Buy.com, Target, Home Shopping Network, Discovery Channel Store, and many many many more. You just use their links before you shop and you get a percentage back on your purchase (the percentage depends on the store). If I'm going to shop online, I always go there first to see if the store I want is there. Then every 3 months you get a check (or you can have it deposited in PayPal or paid to a charity) as long as you have at least $5 in your account. I think I have around $20 in mine right now.

So the promotion is, if you sign up now when you make your first purchase you and I will each get $10 put in our account (usually it's $5 for referrals). Offer ends November 15. Just use this link!

www.ebates.com/doublebonusoffer/index.htm?id=33174364

Or you can just use my email address jamieannharman @ gmail.com when you sign up.

Rock & Gem Show

I go off and on with posting here and I'm going to try to start doing it more regularly, aside from just posting pictures and posts.

Yesterday Mom and I went to the Kanawha Rock and Gem Club's Mineral, Rock & Gem Show in South Charleston, WV. Here's what I came away with:



The big white thing is a selenite tea light candle holder that glows when you have the candle lit. Selenite is a type of gypsum. It is the colorless and transparent variety that shows a pearl like luster and has been described as having a moon-like glow. The word "selenite" comes from the greek for Moon and means moon rock. It looks so cool when it's lit!!

The other things are a large piece of crystal quartz (kind of wand-shaped), a green amber ring, a peridot ring, a slice of blue agate, an Orthoceras fossil, a piece of beautiful teal colored Chalcopyrite (copper pyrite), and a piece of aragonite from Peru.

Roscoe & Stubby Playing

myspace graphic at Gickr


pimp myspace

Birth of the Báb

Well here is a religion I know absolutely nothing about: Bahá'í. Baha'is believe in the unity of all humankind, and therefore the unity of all religions. They reject prejudice and stress ethical teachings such as world peace, education, and sexual equality. They believe that God is unknowable, but that God's presence and works are evident in the creation of the world and existence of prophets such as Adam, Jesus and Muhammed. The faith founded in Iran in the mid 1800's by Mirza Husayn Ali (1817-1892), better known as Baha'ullah.

"Birth of the Báb" is one of the 11 Holy Days for the Bahá'í faith, celebrated every October 20.

The Báb (meaning "the gate") was a religious leader and prophet who was a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad. As John the Baptist did for Jesus, the Báb prepared the way for Bahá'u'lláh. Both the Báb are viewed as manifestations of God, although the Báb himself said his mission was subordinate to Bahá'u'lláh's.

The Báb was born Siyyid 'Alí-Muhammad on October 20, 1819 in Persia (Iran). When he was young, he showed great intuitive knowledge of the Spirit and astonished his teachers. When he was 25, he declared his mission to his first disciple. He preached social and religious reform, and foretold the coming of a new age of human development. He had many followers but was persecuted by the dominant Muslim clergy. He was arrested more than once, imprisoned, and eventually publicly executed by firing squad.

On this holiday, work is suspended and joyous meetings are held that include prayers and devotional readings.

SOURCES/MORE INFO:

http://www.planetbahai.org/

http://www.beliefnet.com/index/index_10041.html

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/47/story_4731_1.html

http://www.bahai.us/node/154

http://www.funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/edu/birth-of-the-bab.html

Lailatul Qadr or Laylat al-Qadr

Today is the Islamic holiday Lailatul Qadr or Laylat al-Qadr, which means "Night of Power" or "Night of Decree" (a/k/a Shab-e-Qadr). This is one of the holiest days of the year for Muslims and one of the reasons the month of Ramadan is so important. This holiday commemmorates the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Mohammad by the Angel Gabriel.

Although Muslims are already fasting, reciting the Quran, giving to charity, praying, etc., during the whole month of Ramadan, because this is such an important holiday, they try even harder during the last 10 days. As I understand it, there is uncertainty and/or disagreement as to which day exactly this falls and it could be any of the odd-numbered days in these last 10.

Extra prayers are said on these days, particularly the night prayer. Those who can afford to devote their time may stay in the mosque for the last 10 days. This worship is called "atekaaf", meaning retreat. Worship on this night is worth more than a thousand months of worship, according to the Quran:

In the name of God, the Benevolent, the Merciful.
1 Lo! We revealed it on the Night of Predestination.
2 Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Night of Power is!
3 The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.
4 The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, with all decrees.
5 (The night is) Peace until the rising of the dawn.

(Qur'an 97, 1-5)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laylat_al-Qadr

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/kids/islam/qadr.html

http://www.kingstonmosque.org.uk/LailatulQadr.htm

Nick the Soccer Boy

 

My nephew (left) playing for St. Albans High School.

Go Red Dragons!

Maddie the Soccer Girl

 

Playing for Hayes Middle School. Go Hornets!

Sukkot

After the solemn holiday of Yom Kippur, it's time for a more joyful Jewish holiday - Sukkot. It lasts for 7 days, but the 2 separate holidays following the festival (Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah) are related and sometimes thought of as part of Sukkot. It is the last of three pilgrimage festivals.

Historically, Sukkot commemorates the 40-year period when the Israelites wandered in the desert, living in temporary shelters. The word "Sukkot" is a plural word means "booths" or "huts" (or "shelters" or "covers") and refers to those temporary dwellings. The dwellings were made of branches and were easy to assemble, take apart and travel with.

Sukkot is also a harvest festival sometimes referred to as the Festival of Ingathering ("Chag Ha'asif"). This focuses on hospitality, and it is important to share your meal with others.

No work is permitted the first two days of Sukkot, but okay on the remaining days. Those days are generally used to prepare food, clean house or travel to visit family all in celebration or preparation for the holiday. Activities that will interfere with relaxation and enjoyment of the holiday (laundry, mending, labor-intensive activities) are not permitted.

The focal point of the festival is the sukkah (the singular form of sukkot). Those who observe Sukkot build and live in a sukkah for 7 days. They are temporary shelters, the roofs covered with foliage, and fruits and vegetables are hung inside. Families eat their meals in the huts. Most people just eat in them, but some sleep in them as well. You can buy kits to build them. They can be built of any material, but the roof must be organic.

On each of the 7 days of Sukkot, the Torah requires the Jew to take Four Species of plants and to grasp and shake them in a specific manner. This ceremony is a symbolic prayer to invoke God's blessing for rain in the coming year for the earth's vegetation. This is usually done in synagogue during the daily prayer services but can be done at home or in the sukkah.

Shemini Atzeret ("the assembly of the eighth (day)") is a separate festival that follows immediately after Sukkot, on the 8th day. The family returns indoors to eat and sleep in their house, special synagogue services are held, and holiday meals are served.

Simchat Torah ("the joy of the Torah") falls on the 9th day. The very last portion of the Torah is read in synagogue during morning services and the very first portion of the Torah (beginning of Genesis) is read immediately after. This conveys the idea that Torah study never ends. In Orthodox synagogues, all the Torah scrolls are removed from the ark and worshippers engage in rounds of spirited dancing. In the Former Soviet Union, Simchat Torah was the day when Jews would gather in the street outside the synagogue to dance and proclaim their Jewishness openly.


SOURCES/MORE INFO:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot

http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday5.htm

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holiday5.html

http://www.holidays.net/sukkot/

Mabon

Today is the autumnal equinox. An equinox is when the Sun is directly above the equator, and day and night are nearly of the same length.

The Neopagan/Wiccan festival Mabon is celebrated on this day. It is also called Harvest Home, The Feast of the Ingathering or Harvest End.

The festival is not an authentic ancient festival in name or date. The name may derive from Mabon ap Modron, a character from Welsh mythology. The name "Mabon" wasn't used for the festival until the 1970s, when it was made up for a religious studies project. Apparently the name was chosen to impart a more authentic-sounding "Celtic" feel to the event. It is used much more in America than Britain.

It is a ritual of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the Goddess and God during the winter months. The Autumn Equinox divides the day and night equally, so respect is paid to the coming dark and thanks given to the waning sunlight. It is time to reap what has been sewn and give thanks for the harvest and the bounty.

Druids call this celebration Mea'n Fo'mhair and honor the The Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations (ciders, wines, herbs and fertilizers) to trees. Wiccans celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone, and her consort the God as he prepares for death and re-birth.

SOURCES/MORE INFO:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabon

http://www.wicca.com/celtic/akasha/mabon.htm

http://tylwythteg.com/Mabon.html

Yom Kippur

Today is the Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur ("Yom HaKippurim" in the Torah), also known as the Day of Atonement. It is the most holy day of the Jewish year, and is a day for atonement and repentance for sins. It is the climax of the Yamim Noraim ("Days of Awe"), and with Rosh Hashanah forms the Jewish High Holy Days.

Yom Kippur is considered the date on which Moses received the second set of Ten Commandments, following the completion of the second 40 days of instructions from God. At this same time, the Israelites were granted atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf, hence its designation as the Day of Atonement.

This day is set aside to atone for the sins of the past year. You may recall on Rosh Hashanah, God inscribes names in the books of account when he makes his judgments. On Yom Kippur, it is the last chance to demonstrate repentance and make amends before the books are sealed. Yom Kippur atones only for sins between man and God, not for sins against another person. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible. That must all be done before Yom Kippur.

No work can be performed on this day, and there are 5 other prohibitions specified in the Talmud*: Eating and drinking; Wearing leather shoes; Bathing/washing; Anointing oneself with perfumes or lotions; and Sexual relations. Abstention begins 18 minutes before sundown and ends after nightfall the next day. In Israel, by law there is no broadcast radio or television, no public transportation, and airports are closed.

A large and festive meal is eaten on the afternoon before the fast begins. Services are held before sunset on the eve of Yom Kippur and for morning and afternoon prayers the next day.
Most of the holiday is spent in the synagogue in prayer. It is customary to wear white, which symbolizes purity and the promise that our sins shall be made as white as snow .

SOURCES/MORE INFO:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur

http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday4.htm

http://www.holidays.net/highholydays/yom.htm

http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/yomkippur/

--------
*I wondered about the difference between the Torah and the Talmud. The Torah is the written holy scripture, and the Torah explains how to interpret and apply the scripture. See: http://www.jewfaq.org/torah.htm

Ganesh Chaturthi

The Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha. The festival begins this year on 9/15. I have come to especially enjoy learning about Hindu holidays - they have such colorful gods/goddesses, stories and rituals.

Ganesha (or Ganesh) is the Hindu god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. He is famous for being a trickster and for his sense of humor. He is the god of new beginnings and is worshiped before people undertake a journey or embark upon a new venture.

Lord Ganesha is the second son of the god Shiva and his second consort, the goddess Parvati [Incidentally, when Janice's character was introduced on the Sopranos, she was using the name Parvati and insisted everyone call her that. Her back story was that she had changed her name while living in an ashram in California. She later dropped the name, however.]

I am sure you have seen representations of Ganesha -- he is the one with the elephant head. I have wondered why he has such a head. I found conflicting stories.

The first story (which I found some variation of several places) is that Parvati created Ganesha out of a balm she used for her bath, then had him guard her door while she bathed. While she bathed, Lord Shiva returned. Ganesha didn't know him and refused him entry. Shiva got mad and cut off his head. Then he realized it was his wife's son, so he sent his attendants to get him the head of the first living creature they could find [or the first one facing north], and it turned out to be an elephant.

However, another story tells that Parvati was bored and started praying for a son. She gave birth to a beautiful boy she named Ganesha and was so proud of him she invited all the gods and goddesses to come and admire him. They all admired and blessed him, except for Parvati's brother, Sani (Saturn). It seems Sani had been cursed so that whenever he looked at someone, they were turned to ashes. So he didn't want to look at his nephew. But Parvati begged him to look at the baby just one time and when he did, Ganesha's head flew off. One of the gods said he would live live if the head of the first creature found was transplanted on Ganesha's neck, and another god went off and found an elephant.

So anyway.

During the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, statues of Ganesha are installed in homes and elaborately decorated mantapas (outdoor prayer halls or pavilions). The idols are worshiped with families and friends. A special puja (ritual) is performed twice a day. Public celebrations are also held, and it is a time for many cultural activities like songs, dramas and orchestra.

On the last (11th) day of the festival, the idols are taken through the streets in a procession accompanied with dancing and singing for a send off. Everyone joins in the procession, shouting "Ganapathi Bappa Morya, Purchya Varshi Laukariya" (O father Ganesha, come again early next year). After the final offering is made, the idols are carried to a river or sea and immersed, symbolizing the start of Ganesha's journey to his home on Mount Kailash, while taking away with him the misfortunes of all man.

Unfortunately, this festival has a negative environmental impact. Traditionally, the idol was sculpted out of earth taken from near the home, then returned to the earth in a nearby water body, representing the cycle of life in nature. But eventually these idols began to be produced commercially using Plaster of Paris. Plaster of Paris takes longer to dissolve and releases toxic elements into the water, plus the paint contains heavy metals. There are groups trying to come up with solutions to this problem.

PHOTO OF GANESH: http://sasw.chass.ncsu.edu/fl/faculty/taj/hindi/ganesha.jpg

SOURCES/MORE INFO:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesh_Chaturthi

http://www.theholidayspot.com/ganesh_chaturthi/

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/g/ganesha.html

http://hinduism.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/a/ganeshchaturthi.htm

http://www.dlshq.org/religions/ganesh.htm

http://www.paavani.in/blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/ganesha_symbolism_1.gif

Polarization

We have become so polarized, and instead of getting better, as we presumably evolve toward a more enlightened society, it seems to be getting worse. Blacks vs. Whites. Democrats v. Republicans. Men vs. Women. Conservatives vs. Liberals. Christians vs. Non-Christians. Muslim vs. Jew. Rich vs. Poor. Gay vs. Straight. My sports team vs. Your Sports team.

Everywhere you turn there's someone who thinks they are better than someone else because of one of these things or a hundred other groups.

We have to come together. Polarization keeps us apart. We cannot reach our potential as human beings and as spiritual beings if we continue this way. We must learn from one another, try to see one another's point of view, meet in the middle, look for our common interests, and work for the highest good of everyone. EVERY one. The answers are usually not found in the extreme of either side, but somewhere in the middle. We have to learn to appreciate one another and love one another and learn to live together in such a way that everyone -- EVERY one -- can be happy and free and prosperous.

We don't have to look down at other people to feel better about ourselves.

We really are in this together.

Rosh ha-Shanah

Today is the the Jewish New Year, "Rosh ha-Shanah", meaning literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." But it is also the Day of Judgment (Yom ha-Din), the Day of Remembrance (Yom ha-Zikkaron) and the Day of Shofar Blowing (Yom Teruah). The holiday is actually celebrated over 48 hours.

Jews examine their past deeds, ask for forgiveness for their sins, review the history of their people and pray for Israel. The Shofar (a trumpet made from a ram's horn) is blown in temple to herald the beginning of the High Holy Days, a 10-day period.

Similar to the Islamic holiday recently celebrated (Nisfu Sha'ban), Jews believe that on Rosh Hashanah God judges all of the inhabitants of the world and apportions the provisions for each person for the coming year. Judgment is carried out by recording names in three books of account. The names of the righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life, and they are sealed "to live." The wicked are "blotted out of the book of the living". Those that fall in between get another chance to repent and become righteous over the next 10 days leading to Yom Kippur (the day of atonement).

No work is permitted on this holiday. After afternoon services on the first day, a body of water containing live fish is visited in order to symbolically "cast away" sins into the river (Tashlikh, meaning "casting off") by emptying one's pockets or throwing bread or pebbles into the water.

It is customary to have a family holiday meal with traditional foods, including apples and honey to symbolize sweetness, blessings, abundance and hope for the year ahead. Depending on local custom, other symbolic foods mentioned in the Talmud may be served such as tongue (meat from the head, to symbolize the "head" of the year); dates; black-eyed beans [my family always ate black eyed peas at New Year and I think Husband and I were wondering why recently].; leek; spinach; and gourd. Challah bread, which is usually braided, is served round to symbolize the cycle of the year.

The common greeting at this time is L'shanah tovah ("for a good year"). This is a shortening of a phrase meaning "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year."

Sources/More Info:

http://www.holidays.net/highholydays/rosh.htm

http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday2.htm

http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/holidays/rosh.htm

http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/ethnic_relig/roshhash.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah

Ramadan

Today is the start of the Islamic holiday of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, the most sacred holiday of the Muslim year. It is a time of atonement somewhat similar to Yom Kippur and Lent. Ramadan is divided into three 10-day parts: Rahmat (mercy of God), Maghfirat (forgiveness of God), and Najat (salvation).

Ramadan is a time of worship, reading the Qur'an, charitable acts, and the purification of individual behavior. Fasting is considered to be the third pillar or religious obligation of Islam, providing many benefits including learning self-control. During this period, Muslims must abstain from food, drink, smoking and sexual intercourse from dawn until dusk each day. At the end of the day, fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the iftar. After the meal, it is customary to visit family and friends. It is common to go to the Mosque and spend several hours praying and studying the Quran.

The good that is acquired through the fast can be destroyed by five things: the telling of a lie; slander; denouncing someone behind his back; a false oath; and greed or covetousness. These are considered offensive at all times, but are most offensive during the Fast of Ramadan

Ramadan ends with Eid-al-Fitr or the Festival of Fast-Breaking.

SOURCES/MORE INFO:

http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/ethnic_relig/ramadan.html

http://www.holidays.net/ramadan/story.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

http://www.colostate.edu/Orgs/MSA/events/Ramadan.html

http://www.factmonster.com/spot/ramadan1.html

Vacation Pictures

Vacation August 2007

Nisfu Sha'ban

According to my calendar, today is the Islamic holiday Nisfu Sha'ban, a/k/a Mid-Sha'ban (and a bunch of other names)

Nisfu-Sha'ban is a Muslim festival celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month (Shaban) of the Islamic lunar calendar. (This year, it corresponds to August 28 on our calendar).

There are two major denominations of Islam: Shia (the Shi'its) and Sunni [aha - I never knew what these groups were exactly]. These denominations celebrate the holiday for different reasons.

Shias celebrate this holiday as the birth of Muhammad al-Mahdi. The Shias consider him to be the twelfth, final and current Shia Imam [a leader appointed by Allah who is a perfect example of how to live] and also the Mahdi [the ultimate savior of mankind]. The Prophet Muhammad said there would be 12 Imams after him, and apparently the Shias believe this one is the last one.

Sunnis observe this holiday as a night of worship and salvation, commemorating when Allah saved prophet Nuh's [Noah's] followers from the deluge [the flood]. They believe that on this night Allah prepares the destiny for all people on Earth for the coming year. It is decided who will be born, who will die, how much provision each person will get, etc. The angels are also given their duties for the coming year. It is a night spent in sincere introspection and repentance.

The Prophet Muhammad urged Muslims to stay up during the night and fast during the day. He himself would go to the graveyard of Madinah [a holy city] and pray for the dead. It is also desirable for Muslims to seek the forgiveness of their dead either by reciting the Qur'an, feeding the hungry, giving money in charity, or by just praying for them. .

SOURCES/MORE INFO:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Sha%27ban

http://www.sanatan.org/weekly/2002/144/festivals.htm

http://www.deenislam.co.uk/dua/Shaban_3.htm

http://www.salaam.co.uk/themeofthemonth/february02_index.php?l=3

Isra/Me'raj

According to my calendar, today is the Islamic holiday Isra/Me'raj

The official name of this holiday is "Laylat Al-Isra wa Al-Miraj", which means "the night journey and ascension." It celebrates that night that Muhammad went from Mecca to Jerusalem, ascended into the Seven Heavens, and returned, all in the same night. During his time in the Seven Heavens, Muhammad was instructed to establish the five daily prayers that Muslims use now. He also met other religious figures, including Abraham, Moses, Aaron, Adam, the archangel Gabriel, and Jesus. Many Muslims consider this a physical journey, while some scholars consider it a dream or journey of the soul.

The rock from which Muhammad is believed to have ascended is the focal point of the Dome of the Rock, a sacred building in Jerusalem.

http://www.bibleplaces.com/domeofrock.htm

Not all Muslims celebrate Isra Mer-aj and there are no obligatory prayers. Celebrations vary by area and may include gathering in mosques or homes to listen to the story of the journey, illuminating the cities with electric lights and candles, fasting, colorful decorations, and the partaking of sweets. It is also an opportunity for devotees to engage in good deeds, such as donating money to charity, distributing food among the poor, etc.

(There are more detailed descriptions of the vision/journey/dream in the links below - it's quite interesting. I found it somewhat amusing that after Allah told Muhammad he had to say 50 prayers ever day, Moses said that was too much, the people would never do that many, and told him to go back and get it reduced, and so he did, so there are only 5 prayers to do.)

Sources/More Info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isra_and_Mi'raj

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/holidays/isrameraj.htm

http://www.al-islam.org/restatement/16.htm

http://www.sanatan.org/en/festivals/islam/lailatulmiraj.htm

Ellen Burstyn

I've added her to my list of heroes. the others are Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Katherine Hepburn and Eleanor Roosevelt. Like them, she is strong, wise, independent and has worked in her own way to make the world a better place for women.

Excerpt from a BeliefNet interview (link at bottom):

"Can you talk about your exploration into Sufism, which you practice today?

Oh, it started with reading. I was reading the work of Gurdjieff. And Gurdjieff led me to the Sufis, and then I met a Sufi teacher. And then I traveled to Europe and I climbed the Alps and went up to a Sufi camp conducted by Pir Vilayat Kahn; I was initiated up there.

When I was on top of the Alps and Pir Vilayat did the universal worship ceremony, I was so moved by it because here we were on an Alpine peak facing Mont Blanc, and there was an altar, and Pir lit a candle to each of the major religions of the world, and then read from the sacred books of those religions.

And the idea that we didn’t have to say, “I am a Christian” or, “I am a Buddhist” or, “I am a Muslim,” but, "I am a spirit opening to the truth that lives in all of these religions,” brings you into a place where you see that the differences are in the dogma, and the essence is very, very similar.

The truth is there spread out and speaking. For instance, Jesus says that if someone strikes you to turn the other cheek and the Buddha says that "Hatred cannot be fought with hatred--hatred can only be fought with love. This is a law eternal." Well, they’re saying the same thing there. And you find that consistently. So, I knew when I came upon that that I had found what was, for me, a doorway into spirit."


Ellen Burstyn's True Face: The Oscar-winning actress talks about embracing her essence, a love of Sufi poetry, and her scorchingly honest new memoir.

Protective Aura

"As you develop your intuition and strengthen your inner guidance, it can have the effect of enhancing your sensitivity to everyone and everything. This week notice how some people or places make you feel energized, while others leave you feeling drained. Learn to strengthen your aura with protection. As you get dressed each morning — just before you start your day — remember to place a protective thought on your aura. See your aura as a brilliant white light that acts as an invisible shield, surrounding you throughout the day. It really is our own personal psychic shield. Use it – it’s part of you!"

(from John Holland's newsletter and 101 Ways to Jumpstart Your Intuition)

Lughnasa

According to my calendar, today is the Pagan/Wiccan holiday Lughnasa.

Lughnasa is a Celtic harvest festival celebrated on August 1st. It marked the beginning of the harvest season, the ripening of first fruits.

In Celtic mythology, Lughnasa was begun by the Irish god Lugh in honor of his foster-mother, Tailtiu, the last queen of the Fir Bolg. Tailtiu cleared a great forest so the land could be cultivated, but then died of exhaustion. On her death bed, she told the men of Ireland that as long as they held funeral games in her honor, Ireland would not be without song. Since Tailtiu's name means "The Great One of the Earth," she was probably a personification of the land itself. Lugh's name refers to childbirth, which ties in with the time of year when the earth gives birth to her first fruits.

The festival was traditionally a time of community gatherings, market festivals, horse races and reunions. Among the Irish it was a favored time for handfastings - trial marriages that would generally last a year and a day, with the option of ending the contract before the new year, or later formalizing it as a more permanent marriage.

At one time the festival had evolved into a great tribal assembly, attended by the High King, where legal agreements were made, political problems discussed, and huge sporting contests were held on the scale of an early Olympic Games.

In later times, the festival was christianized as Lammas ("Loaf-Mass"). Some Wiccans and Neopagans use this name. In some rural areas, it was called "Bilberry Sunday," the day to climb the nearest "Lughnasadh Hill" and gather blackberries.

Lughnasadh is observed by Neopagans in various forms and by a variety of names. Some celebrate like the Ancient Celts, while others observe it with rituals adopted from other unrelated sources. In Wicca, Lughnasadh is one of the eight sabbats and the first of three harvest festivals.

Sources/More Info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lughnasadh
http://www.chalicecentre.net/lughnasadh.htm
http://www.lughnasa.com/pages/1/index.htm
http://www.irishcelticfest.com/

Author says UFO-Air Force dogfight ended in Flatwoods

"BECKLEY -- Sci-fi buffs flocked to a fantasy film in 1984 bearing a title prediction that 2010 would be the year earthlings make contact with aliens.

Actually, contact has come, and it was less than friendly, says one UFO researcher.

Three decades earlier, in fact, back in 1952, just five years after the famed Roswell, New Mexico incident, the American military engaged a convoy of alien aircraft with orders to destroy them in a pitched air battle right off the Atlantic Coast, says Frank Feschino, author of "The Flatwoods Monster,'' a phenomenon that rocked a tiny West Virginia town that year.

An illustrator and writer, Feschino has produced a follow-up book, this one titled "Shoot Them Down,'' an effort produced after years of painstaking research of the U.S. Air Force's once-classified files on unidentified flying saucers and digesting countless magazine articles on the matter.

His years of exhaustive study have convinced Feschino that American jet fighters did indeed make contact -- at the point of their guns.

"Shoot Them Down'' draws its name from orders Feschino says President Truman gave military commanders while an American public was growing increasingly jittery over coast-to-coast UFO sightings.

Two years earlier, Truman had remarked at a news conference, "I can assure you that flying saucers, given that they exist, are not constructed by any power on earth.''

"There are tons of documents right there, intelligence reports, talking about pilots chasing these things, going after them,'' Feschino said, citing the once-hidden reports on the Air Force's so-called Project Blue Book.

"That's when it hit the fan, and the government stepped up. That is when they had to simmer the whole country down. The whole country was in an uproar. Everybody was panicking. The job of the government is to keep things under control, and they couldn't let the country panic.''

UFOs were buzzing the entire country that year, "and a good chunk of them were over military installations, and power plants, like Oak Ridge,'' the author says.

Feschino pulls his theory largely from the writings of Air Force Capt. Edward Ruppelt, a decorated World War II veteran, recalled to duty when hostilities erupted in Korea.

Roswell might stand out as the mother of all UFO stories, but 1952 was the most prolific year by far for aircraft sightings -- by one account, some 30,000 alone in the United States, many of them reported in local newspapers around the country.

Craft ranged from discs to round balls to elongated, cigar-shaped ships, the Port Orange, Fla., resident said.

"Capt. Ruppelt was dropping clues throughout his book,'' Feschino said. "And that's the premise of my book. During that time of 1952 we had the highest amount of sightings.''

In a book he wrote, Ruppelt said "other assorted historians have pointed out that normally the UFOs are peaceful,'' but he alluded to a chase in which one of two pilots engaging unidentified aircraft perished.

"They just weren't ready to be observed closely,'' he wrote.

"If the Air Force hadn't slapped down the security lid, these writers might not have reached this conclusion (about peaceful aliens). There have been other and more lurid duels of death. That's what everybody missed.''

Feschino flatly says the Air Force took on alien aircraft just off the coast with orders to destroy them in a move to pacify a public growing ever restless over bizarre sightings. In the battle, apparently one craft hobbled back inland, resting on a knoll in a West Virginia community known as Flatwoods. And it was there on Sept. 12 a group of boys, accompanied by some adults, scampered up the hillside and saw a metallic, 12-foot object emitting a sulfuric odor. Locals dubbed it "the Flatwoods Monster.''

"I have no idea who they were,'' Feschino said.

Based on his interviews with some 200 residents of Flatwoods, however, the author believes the aliens remain interested in rural West Virginia.

"There are people in West Virginia who have been seeing UFOs for the past 50 years, and there are key locations where they are being seen -- Wheeling, Huntington, and quite a few south of Charleston, around Cabin Creek, even down in the Beckley area,'' he said.

Feschino is a headliner for a Sept. 7-8 UFO summit in Charleston, organized by promoter Larry Bailey. Joining him will be Freddie May, a witness to the Flatwoods incident, and nuclear physicist Stanton Friedman, considered the leading UFO researcher in the world. Friedman has appeared on numerous cable TV shows with his belief that extraterrestrials are frequent flyers to planet Earth.

At the two-day gathering, Feschino plans to sell his new book, featuring a special, limited edition cover for West Virginia consumers."

Author says UFO-Air Force dogfight ended in Flatwoods

Quotes

Posting quotations here:

http://quotescollector.blogspot.com/

Anniversary of Nana's death

12 years ago today, my maternal grandmother, Christine Ellen Woolard Canterbury, passed over.

She was the source of the most unconditional and boundless love I ever had. In her eyes, I could do no wrong.

I have no doubt that I'll see her again when it's my time. Until then, I'll continue to think of her and miss her every single day.

I love you, Nana.

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere." - Frank A. Clark

"In every moment we have a chance to make a choice to bring light into the world. When we bless others with the gift of our positive energy, instead of letting circumstances affect us negatively, we bring a little peace to the world every day." - www.dailyom.com

"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return."

- Mary Jean Iron

Big Brother Starts This Week!

The cast has been revealed: "Half are under the age of 25, with one player below the age of 21. Four players hail from the Los Angeles area, and there are no less than three players who work at a restaurant or bar."

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117967770.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

Pictures of the house:

http://www.tvguide.com/news/big-brother-preview/070628-02

Be Here Now

"Be here in your mind as well as in your body, in a state of appreciation and an absence of longing. Let go of wondering about doing the right thing. Release the what-ifs and all of your goals for the future, replacing them with the power of this instant. Be here, and remember to do it now, for thinking about being someplace else uses up your precious present moments. The enlightened sage makes a practice of immersing himself completely in the current “nowness” of his life.

Being here now is accomplished by adopting an acceptance of life as it is presented by the great Mother, or the Tao. It’s a surrendering process, if you will—simply allowing this great all-creating, all-nourishing Source to take you where it will. You give up the idea of having to get more or to be in another place in the future, and instead see yourself as whole and complete just as you are. This surrendering process allows you to bear witness to the unlimited abundance and eternal light that is always present. You retrain yourself to give up your beliefs about lacks and shortages; you instead trust in the great Source to provide what you need, as it has always done for all beings."

- Excerpt from Dr. Wayne Dyer's forthcoming book Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life which is to be released July 31st

Animal stuff

This is such a precious story about some animals rescued after the tornado in KS (I just got it in email and found it online):

http://www.heavenlycreatures.ca/blog/?p=19

And this is a great story about a pet hippo!! She is going to be featured on a show on Animal Planet tomorrow night. I hope I remember to record it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/06/19/eahippo19.xml

"The question for each of us is not what we would do if we had the means, time, influence, and educational advantages, but what we will do with the things we have." - Hamilton Wright Mabie

stuffonmycat.com

One of my kitties finally made my favorite website!

http://www.stuffonmycat.com/index.php?itemid=4007

Revelers welcome summer solstice

"STONEHENGE, England - Druids, drummers, pagans and partygoers welcomed the sun Thursday as it rose above the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge on the longest day of the year — the summer solstice.

Clad in antlers, black cloaks and oak leaves, a group of druids cheered and danced at the Heel stone — a twisted, pockmarked pillar at the edge of Stonehenge.
...
About 24,000 people gathered at the stone circle in Wiltshire, in southwestern England. Dancers writhed to the sound of drums and whistles as floodlights colored the ancient pillars shades of pink and purple. Couples snuggled under plastic sheets.

Solstice celebrations were a highlight of the pre-Christian calendar. Bonfires, maypole dances, and courtship rituals linger on in many countries as holdovers from Europe's pagan past.

In more recent years, New Age groups and others have turned to Stonehenge to celebrate the solstice, and the World Heritage Site has become a magnet for men and women seeking a spiritual experience — or just wanting to have a good time."
...
Stonehenge, on the Salisbury Plain 80 miles southwest of London, was built between 3,000 B.C. and 1,600 B.C., although its original purpose is a mystery. Some experts say the monument's builders aligned the stones as part of their sun-worshipping culture."

Revelers welcome summer solstice

Summer Solstice

Today is the summer solstice, a/k/a Midsummer, Litha, St. John's Day, Alban Heflin, Alben Heruin, All-couples day, Feast of Epona, Feast of St. John the Baptist, Feill-Sheathain, Gathering Day, Johannistag, Sonnwend, Thing-Tide, Vestalia, etc.

The Summer Solstice occus on the longest day of the year and the beginning of summer. It is also referred to as Midsummer because it is roughly the middle of the growing season in Europe. People around the world have observed celebrations during the month of June (or in December in the southern hemisphere), most of which are holy days linked in some way to the summer solstice.

"Solstice" is derived from two Latin words: "sol" meaning sun, and "sistere," to cause to stand still. This is because, as the summer solstice approaches, the noonday sun rises higher and higher in the sky on each successive day. On the day of the solstice, it rises an imperceptible amount, compared to the day before. In this sense, it "stands still."

Many ancient celebrations related to the feminine, fertility, prosperity and abundance. They honored Mother Earth and other goddesses representing the divine feminine. The Celtic Druids celebrated the apex of light, midway between the spring and fall equinoxes.

After the conversion of Europe to Christianity, the feast day of St. John the Baptist was set as June 24 (the alleged date of his birth).

There are many ancient sacred sites where temples or other structures are built so that they are aligned with the solstices and equinoxes. The largest room of the ruins at Qumran (location of the Dead Sea Scrolls) appears to be a sun temple with two altars at its eastern end. Stonehenge's main axis is aligned on the midsummer sunrise. Machu Picchu's Sacred Plaza, Temple of Three Windows and Intihuatana platform align with the summer solstice. Many medieval Catholic churches were built with solar observatories, typically a small hole in the roof admitting a beam of sunlight which would trace a path along the floor. The path, called the meridian line, was often marked by inlays and zodiacal motifs.

Sources and Lots More info:

http://www.circlesanctuary.org/pholidays/SummerSolstice.html

http://www.religioustolerance.org/summer_solstice.htm

http://www.souledout.org/earthday/summersolstice/summersolstice.html

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/29/story_2991_1.html

http://www.candlegrove.com/solstice.html

http://www.satimagingcorp.com/gallery/machu-picchu.html

I'm famous

I was minding my own business at Chesapeake Bagel waiting for my breakfast when a newspaper reporter came up and asked me about the mayor's proposal to raise the user fee (that you pay for the "privilege" of working in Charleston). I am against it.

http://www.dailymail.com/display_story.php?sid=2007061861&format=prn

Then a little bit ago a television station, WSAZ, called asking to interview me later! I declined. I would be too nervous!

Juneteenth

This is not a religious holiday, but it was on my calendar and I had never heard of it so I decided to look it up.

Today is “Juneteenth”, also called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, which commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas. It is an annual holiday in 14 states and originated in Galveston, TX.

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued on September 22, 1862, with an effective date of January 1, 1863. Few slaves were actually freed at that time. In Texas, the Confederacy was in control of most of the state. News of the war's end did not reach Texas until well after the Confederate surrender at Appomattox in April 1865. Many speculate the news was deliberately withheld so that slave owners could bring in one last crop; others believe it was delayed because the messenger traveled by mule or the original messenger was murdered en route.

On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived on Galveston Island to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of its 250,000 slaves. That day has since become known as Juneteenth, a name derived from a portmanteau of the words June and nineteenth.

Former slaves in Galveston rejoiced in the streets with jubilant celebrations. Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the following year. Large gatherings are held at various locations, with music, dancing, contests and games.

Resources/More Info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth

http://www.juneteenth.com/

http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/ethnic_relig/juneteenth.html

Happy Fathers Day

The tiny cheetah cubs that have a slow, gentle start in life | the Daily Mail

The tiny cheetah cubs that have a slow, gentle start in life | the Daily Mail

Don't sweat the small stuff

"Often we allow ourselves to be upset by small things we should despise and forget. We lose many irreplaceable hours brooding over grievances that, in a year's time, will be forgotten by us and by everybody. No, let us devote our life to worthwhile actions and feelings, to great thoughts, real affections and enduring undertakings." - Andre Maurois

Frankie

My sister's & niece's new puppy, named after Ball Park Franks.

 
 

West Virginia Psychic

This morning I saw a psychic mentioned in a newspaper article who apparently is becoming pretty well known, and he lives in West Virginia. Interestingly, the CD he listened to that started him having these dreams is one that I have. I haven't listened to it for awhile because my cheap cd player in the bedroom started squeaking. Maybe I should start again!

http://www.briansprediction.com/

http://www.myspace.com/briansdreams