Autumnal Equinox 2010

The Sun, on its final day in Virgo on September 21, decides to go out with a real fanfare of trumpets as is opposes expansive Jupiter and then sparkling, excitable Uranus in Pisces. An opposition usually produces a tension between the two ends so the hard-working Virgo Sun will not quite know what to do with lazy, over hopeful Jupiter, which usually expects results effortlessly. But, add Uranus into the mix and the energy will add adrenaline and speed us all along.

There should be more sudden and positive surprises coming your way, sprinkled over the past couple of days since the Jupiter Uranus conjunction on September 18-19. With the morale boost this brings, you’ll be eager to take a few small risks, to step out into the unknown and try to make a real difference to your life. This isn’t the time to hang onto security or the status quo. If you’ve been holding yourself back because of uncertainty, timidity, lethargy or even hopelessness, now is the right time to take a leap forward. Be bold!

On September 23, at 3:09 AM UTC (September 22, 11:09 PM EDT, 8:09 PM PDT), the Sun moves into Libra for four weeks ushering in the Autumnal Equinox of 2010. The year is nearing the end. It is autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, and spring approaches in the Southern Hemisphere. The days and nights are of almost equal length. The Libra Ingress (point of entry of Sun into Libra) was always considered to be the most important, setting a tone for the coming twelve months.

The Sun’s sojourn in Libra will bring a sociable, co-operative, fair minded mood to proceedings. Relationships of all varieties are Libra’s main focus. As a sign it is happiest one-to-one, always thinking of the other and trying to calm down any aggravations. But it is also well adapted to larger groupings of people where Libra tries to instill a mood of balance, equilibrium and good manners.

The new Libra Sun, however, immediately moves into an opposition to the Aries Moon setting the scene for a Full Moon on September 23. A Full Moon denotes a time of opposites with the nurturing energy of the Moon at odds with the active energy of the Sun — a time to seek balance, but also a time of culmination, a time for things to reach fullness, bring plans and a project together — a time of romance! (Astrology.com)

Moon & Witch Comments & Graphics

September for Balance

Moon & Witch Comments & Graphics

New Moon in Virgo, Wednesday, September 8, 2010 6:30 am EST

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Full Moon in Aries, Thursday, September 23, 2010 5:17 am
Harvest Moon

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New Super Moon in Virgo: Balance is the Key

During a New Moon, the Sun and the Moon are always conjunct — that is in the same degree of the zodiac, and within an eight degree orb of each other. Every New Moon we have is a coming together of the masculine energy of the Sun with the feminine energy of the Moon.

New Moons represent new beginnings — fresh starts. When the dual forces of the Sun and Moon join hands in their monthly cosmic dance, they create an ebb and flow of opposites — the conscious versus the unconscious – action versus receptive intuition. This is the Dark Side of the Moon and the energies of the Moon are now at a subconscious level. We probe deeper and review our innermost needs and desires, and we plant seeds.

New Moons are about balance of these opposing forces — the cosmic balance of the male and female energies, the Yin and the Yang — both in our individual selves and in the universe. astrology.com

Meditation For World Peace

Join us for an evening poolside meditation in honor of World Peace Day
We’ll begin with pranayama (breath work) followed by a soothing guided meditation for Healing and Peace.
After meditation receive your mini Angel reading.


The International Day of Peace, also known as the World Peace Day, occurs annually on September 21. It is dedicated to peace, or specifically the absence of war, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone. It is observed by many nations, political groups, military groups, and peoples. The first year this holiday was celebrated was 1981.
source: Wikipedia.org

Sacred Chant Concert

Sunday, October 03, 2010 07:30pm

Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center
1770 Monroe St. Hollywood, FL 33020

Concert, chantfest, musical group meditation, a yoga class in melody . . . how best to describe a live performance by Snatam Kaur and her band? It’s all of these things and more. Crystalline and radiant, Snatam’s voice is redolent of the simple yet powerful truth of the heart.

Snatam often leads audiences in a round of pranayama (yogic breathing) or gets everyone on their feet for a stretching exercise that soon becomes a sacred dance. By the end of the night you will be let in on a great cosmic secret: devotional music is fun.

CLICK HERE for more band info, artist bio and to purchase tickets

bamboowater

Inner Sunrise

A Brand New Day
by DailyOM

We don’t need to wait until tomorrow to start fresh,
today can be a blank slate starting right now.

bamboowater

When today is not going well, it is tempting to focus on tomorrow as a blank slate with all the possibilities that newness provides. It is true that tomorrow will be a brand-new day, but we do not have to wait until tomorrow to start fresh. We can start fresh at any moment, clearing our energy field of any negativity that has accumulated, and call this very moment the beginning of our brand-new day.

There is something about the sunrise and the first few hours of the morning that make us feel cleansed and rejuvenated, ready to move forward enthusiastically. As the day wears on, we lose some of this dynamic energy and the inspiration it provides. This may be why we look forward to tomorrow as providing the possibility of renewal. Many traditions consider the light of the rising sun to be particularly divine in its origins; this is why so many people in the world face east when performing ritual. We too can cultivate that rising sun energy inside ourselves, carrying it with us to light our way through any time of day or night, drawing on its power to awaken and renew our spirits.

One simple way to do this is to carry an image or a photograph of the rising sun with us in our wallet or purse. We can also post this image on our wall at work or at home, or have it as our screensaver on our computer. When we feel the need to start fresh, we can take a moment to gaze at the image, allowing its light to enter into our hearts. As we do this, we might say out loud or quietly to ourselves, I am ready to let go of the past and start anew. We might visualize anything we want to release leaving us as we exhale, and as we inhale, we can take in the fresh energy of the eastern sun, allowing it to light the way to a brand-new day.

Source: DailyOm.com

vegan boots

Vegan Shoewear

The following is a guest post by PETA staffer Royale.

Who is the vegan vixen?

She is strong, but compassionate; she is a lover and a fighter; and she is down for the cause and for causing a scene. In a word, she’s a trooper. And this trooper is all about wearing her heart on her feet.

The lace-up combat boot is the perfect look for enemy-engaging, animal-defending dames. It’s coming in hot this fall, and with plenty of vegan options, there’s no excuse for animal casualties. Mid-calf or knee-high or buckled, zipped, or laced, each pair comes with a personality all its own. Just add activist.

So lace up, it’s time to kick some fur-wearing, animal-experimenting, meat-eating derrière, ladies. Don’t like our style, Nuclear Wintour? Tough chic.

And just so you know, the vegan versions are signified by the pink heart!

Be all you can be in boots that are cute and cruelty-free!

source: LivingPeTA.org

Duty Calls!

As The Sun Moves Into Virgo

On August 23, the Sun will move out of royal, radiant, outgoing Leo into sensible, earthy, hard-working Virgo for four weeks. In the Western Hemisphere this is the time of the harvest, reaping the gifts of summer. The astrological glyph for Virgo is a goddess holding the sheaf of corn which will produce food for the time ahead.

Virgo has a reputation for being nit-picky and critical but this meticulous trait is hugely useful when you are separating the wheat from the chaff, storing up the apples, and bringing in the goodness of the year and storing it for winter.

The cosmos and the season demand that this is the time to roll up your sleeves and get cracking. Duty calls and there will be rewards for service, effort and attention to detail. Virgo is not a sign that blows its own trumpet or stands on its dignity. It prefers being understated and just getting on with the job at hand. Taking pride in what you do for its own sake without expectation of fame, success or glory is what works best at this time of year.

On August 24, the new Virgo Sun is opposite or across the zodiac from the Pisces Moon and we have what is known as the Harvest Moon, Corn Moon or Barley Moon. In American Indian folklore this full moon marked the right time to start the harvest and farmers could work late into the night by the light of this Moon which rises early and is very bright.

Full Moons signify a time of culmination, a time to bring plans and a project together. It is also a time of romance, fertilization, relationships, emotions and feelings. Emotions tend to run high during these times and as always, this is a time to find a balance between opposites. On one side, there is Virgo’s earthy common sense energy and on the other side is Pisces’ urge to find spiritual or artistic nourishment. “Man cannot live by bread alone” really is the motto of this Full Moon. There should be time for work and time for inner solace; time to give to others and as well as yourself.
source: Astrology.com

vineroad

From The Grape Vine

vineroad

Celtic Tree Month of Vine begins Thursday September, 2, 2010

Vine corresponds to the Ogham letter muin (muhn) and heralds the time of harvest and completion.
Grapes, though not native to the Celtic regions, became embraced as the most important ingredient in wine-making, and are associated with the smiling, leafy Green Man. The fruits of the vine are integral to celebrations worldwide, and as our crops mature, why not celebrate your prosperity during the harvest season?
grapevine
Pour a glass of wine, or grape juice, and place it within a small grapevine wreath found at a craft store (or in Nature, if its available to you). Light any candle the color of the autumn leaves. List all the good things you’ve harvested in your life this year. When you are done with this celebration, pour the remaining wine on the earth as an offering of thanks.
Raise your glass and before you sip, repeat the following charm:

I raise my glass and make a toast,
The vine month brings a harvest to boast,
My gratefulness for the year’s abundance,
I give my thanks with greatest reverence.”


by Mickie Mueller, Llewellyn Worldwide

Reduce Stress Naturally

Stop and Believe to Let Go of Stress
(a holistic and natural way to reduce stress)
By Shealy Healy

Poor health often is a byproduct of stress. When you accumulate too much stress within your mind and body you are left depleted of healthy rejuvenating every. Your mind becomes ill. Anxiety takes over your body. You get sick.

Anxiety is a crippling disorder that imprints itself upon your energy body but it does not have to ruin your life.

You can learn a life skills method of soothing the anxiety that is trying to control your health and wellbeing. If you suffer from generalized anxiety you might complain of obsessive or uncontrollable chatter running through your mind. Due to the inorganic circumstances of the contemporary world; worry, stress and grief have taken hold of most of our population. People with anxiety disorders present a variety of physical symptoms in addition to non-physical symptoms that characterize the disorders such as excessive, unrealistic worrying.

Many of these symptoms are similar to those exhibited by a person suffering general illness, heart attack, or stroke, and this tends to further increase anxiety. These symptoms of anxiety can be seen from a psychic point of view as stressful metaphysical energies moving over and through your physical body. Your thoughts are powerful forms of energy. If you could see them with your physical eyes you would see floating, bursting, vibrating and scattering energy surrounding your body at every moment.

Early Ayurvedic references to a life force, or prana, go back to the eighth century b.c. In the West, as early as the sixth century b.c., Pythagoras conceived of a life energy, or pneuma, visible in a luminous body.

Both ancient and modern energy practitioners have realized that changing the way you think as well as manipulating the metaphysical energy of your body can help you to heal your anxiety. A modern organic method of energy medicine “Stop-Believe” will help you to heal both your energy body and your obsessive thoughts in order to ease your anxiety. This method teaches you to stop in order to improve your organic abilities to rejuvenate. Stop and you will heal. Stop and you will attract health and spirit.

Stop and you will live a longer and more successful life without the pain of anxiety. It makes good sense to rejuvenate the body-mind energy in order to relieve anxious thoughts. But, it is not always an easy task. You can learn to stop your mind from creating unproductive and damaging thoughts when you follow “Stop-Believe.” “Stop and believe” is a natural like skills method of healing designed to help you replace mind stress with peaceful energy.

This form of meditation has become a favorite method of resting the brain and entire body. When the mind practices a method of discovering its ability to believe and connect with spirit it is able to focus upon one subject, one vision and one thought of belief. During this process your mind will actually fall into a state of trance or sleep that is healing. Meditation relies on the body’s ability to switch to an alpha (resting) or theta (relaxing) brain-wave state, during which the brain’s rhythm slows appreciably, and endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, are released.

Studies have shown that during meditation, metabolism is lowered, resulting in a slower heart rate, decreased blood pressure, and slower breathing. In the seventies, Dr. Herbert Benson, a cardiologist at the Harvard Medical School, formulated the theory of an inborn “relaxation response” that can be cultivated to counteract stress. Eliciting it, he wrote, “can help counteract the effects of repeated insults of stress on the heart and other organs.”

To begin the method first, make a decision to stop the chatter within your mind. Many who suffer from anxiety will find it difficult to agree to practice a method of relieving mind stress that asks them to give up their worry. But, it is necessary to make that agreement in order to heal. When you agree fully to trust a healing method then your anxiety level is more likely to drop.

Healing an indecisive mind is not usually likely. When you feel that you are fully aware that mind chatter is not a value to you then you are ready to begin to stop the chatter. Mind chatter is anxiety and worry and it is always counterproductive. Anxiety and worry do nothing more than attract more worry and anxiety.

To replace anxious thoughts with relaxation it is necessary to reach toward your belief system and your ideal of a higher power. Begin by realizing or catching yourself when in the process of mind chatter. When you find you are day dreaming in a negative manner then stop and switch your thinking to a process of belief. Belief is a powerful tool. The process of belief begins when you ask yourself if you believe that a power greater than yourself exists. If you can answer yes to this question-then you can work toward believing.

The process of belief is a never ending one. You will come to understand belief more deeply with each year you live. If you choose to place your mind upon belief, two glorious things will happen.

You will eventually become aligned with your spiritual self. And, you will relax your mind. At first, you may have to practice this constant meditation method over and over throughout your day. Each time you realize that your mind has begun to chatter you will make a conscious effort to stop and then ponder the process of belief.

When you begin “Stop-Believe” you will catch yourself in the process of mind chatter even after you have made this agreement with self. Be gentle with yourself. Take your time. Eventually you will align with your higher power while practicing this method.

When placing your mind upon belief you will ponder the idea that your higher power is available to you and willing to care for you. Eventually, if you can answer “yes” to these questions of belief your mind will begin to realize that you do not need to work so hard worrying. You can stop and believe that your higher power will take care of you. Just imagine experiencing a moment of freedom from the fear that is imprinted upon your energy.

Like a weight removed from your shoulders, neck and back, the release of fear induced anxiety will scatter. Your body’s intrinsic ability to heal will set in motion an entire process of detoxification. Your mind becomes healthy. Anxiety leaves your body. You are…healed.

source: www.susunweed.com