The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

by Robert Lee Frost

the pony of Brecon

Blessed Samhain

Blessings to the Witches

We honor this night the Dark Goddess, the Mysteries, the Blessed Dead, and the Mighty Ones of the Craft. I send my love and gratitude to all my teachers, elders, brothers and sisters who dance the Spiral Dance with me in spirit, if not in flesh, this night.

And I give thanks for each of you, who take the time to visit here, and share the journey. May you, and all your Beloveds on both sides of the veil be most blessed this day.

http://owlsdaughter.blogspot.com/2009/10/blessings-of-samhain-blessings-to.html
http://www.nwcreations.com/face-crone.htm

Snake Medicine

Snakes smell with their tongues, and that's why it flickers out of their mouth so much. An amazing aspect of snakes is their ability to shed their skin and create a new layer. Before they shed their skin, their eyes cloud over giving them a trance like appearance. Once they have fully shed their old skin, their eyes clear up and they leave the place, never looking back.

Snake comes when we are moving toward change and need to let go of a part of our old self. Snake awakens our spiritual intuition allowing us to explore the mysterious depths of our mind and soul. Its unblinking stare looks into our souls and teaches us how to birth untapped power and creative wisdom.
http://www.animaltotem.com/snake.html

http://www.catfishplantation.com/halloweenpoems.html

the white Mare...

Pounding hooves, tossing mane,

Take me swiftly on my life's journey.

Loyal friend, carry me to a place of safety.

Lift me over the obstacles of my path.

http://www.linsdomain.com/totems/pages/horse.htm

a bit of thyne own tongue...

Pixie, kobold, elf, and sprite

All are on their rounds to-night,--

In the wan moon's silver ray

Thrives their helter-skelter play.

Fond of cellar, barn, or stack

True unto the almanac,

They present to credulous eyes

Strange hobgoblin mysteries.

Cabbage-stumps--straws wet with dew--

Apple-skins, and chestnuts too,

And a mirror for some lass

Show what wonders come to pass.

Doors they move, and gates they hide

Mischiefs that on moonbeams ride

Are their deeds,--and, by their spells,

Love records its oracles.

Don't we all, of long ago

By the ruddy fireplace glow,

In the kitchen and the hall,

Those queer, coof-like pranks recall?

Eery shadows were they then--

But to-night they come again;

Were we once more but sixteen

Precious would be Hallowe'en.

--JOEL BENTON in Harper's Weekly, Oct. 31, 1896.

http://www.janestarrweils.com/magickal/magickal-art-gallery/1915182

birth, life, death, rebirth...

A gypsy flame in on the hearth...

A gypsy flame in on the hearth,
Sign of this carnival of mirth.
Through the dun fields and from the glade
Flash merry folk in masquerade--
It is the witching Hallowe'en.
Pale tapers glimmer in the sky,
The dead and dying leaves go by;
Dimly across the faded green
Strange shadows, stranger shades, are seen,--
It is the mystic Hallowe'en.
Soft gusts of love and memory
Beat at the heart reproachfully;
The lights that burn for those who die
Were flickering low, let them flare high--
It is the haunting Hallowe'en.

--A.F. MURRAY in Harper's Weekly, Oct. 30, 1909.

“Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.
After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.”


http://thinkexist.com/

Panther Wisdom

That old black magic has me in its spell
That old black magic that you weave so well
Icy fingers up and down my spine
The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine...

Black Panther's Wisdom Includes:
Astral travel
Guardian energy
Symbol of the feminine
Understanding of death
Reclaiming ones power
Ability to know the dark
Death and rebirth

http://www.animalspirits.com/index18.html

changing woman ...

"I will tell you why," she said to him."You are male and I am female."You are of sky and I am of earth."You are constant in your brightness, but I must change with the seasons. "You move constantly at the edge of heaven, while I must be fixed in one place..."Remember, as different as we are, you and I, we are of one spirit. As dissimilar as we are, you and I, we are of equal worth...Unlike each other as you and I are, there can be no harmony in the universe as long as there is no harmony between us." (Zolbrod 1984: 275)

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA97/dinetah/change2.html

Spider Grandmother

The Spider Grandmother is creator of the world in Native American religions and myths such as that of the Pueblo and Navajo/Dineh peoples. She was responsible for the stars in the sky. She took a web she had spun, and laced it with dew. She then threw it into the sky, and the dew became the stars.
Some Navajo/Dineh limit the telling of stories involving Spider Grandmother to the winter months, which spiders supposedly spend asleep, to avoid attracting her attention or offending her.

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

Hawk Medicine

Messenger of the sky, Circle my dreams and teach me... the message as we fly.
The shrillness of Hawk's call pierces the state of unawareness, and asks you to seek the truth. The Ancients recognized this magnificent bird of prey as a messenger bringing tidings to their Earth Walk, the Good Red Road, from the world of the grandfathers and grandmothers who lived before them.
If Hawk were to magically cry, it was a sign to beware or be aware. This could mark the coming of a warring tribe, the birth of a child, or the celebration of counting a coup.
Hawk's cry signalled the need for the beholder to heighten awareness and receive a message. Hawk medicine is a totem that is filled with responsibility, because Hawk people see the overall view. Hawk is not like mouse, who sees everything through a magnifying glass. Hawk medicine people are aware of omens, messages from the spirit.
Hawk has a keen eye and a bold heart, for Hawk flies close to the light of Grandfather Sun.

http://www.art.net/~starhawk/totem.htm

set sail...

Set sail, set sail,
Follow the twilight to the West,
Where you may rest.
Set sail, set sail,
Turn your face where the sun grows dim,
Beyond the rim, beyond the rim.
Set sail, set sail,
One thing becomes another,
In the Mother, in the Mother.
Set sail, set sail,
Make of your heart a burning fire,
Build it higher, build it higher.
Set sail, set sail,
Pass in an instant through the open gate,
It will not wait, it will not wait.
Set sail, set sail,
Over the dark of the sunless sea,
You are free, you are free.
Set sail, set sail,
Guiding the ship of the rising sun,
You are the one, you are the one.
Set sail, set sail,
Into the raging wind and storm,
To be reborn, to be reborn.
Set sail, set sail,
Over the waves where the spray blows white,
To bring the light, to bring the light.
We are awake in the night!
We turn the Wheel to bring the light!
We call the sun from the womb of night!

"The Wheel turns on - 'tis Mabon-tide.
Dawn and dusk abreast now ride darkness, brightness, calm and storms.
The hand that holds the scythe transforms.
I vow this wisdom shall be my own: poise will let my power be known.
From balance the Wheel now turns toward the deep.
Through Winter, by vow and faith, I'll keep.

"Ashleen O'Gaea, Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Beltane to Mabon, p. 160.

The Prince

I am the radiant King of the Heavens,

flooding the Earth with warmth and encouraging the hidden seed of

creation to burst forth into manifestation.

I lift my shining spear to light the lives of all beings and daily pour

forth my golden rays upon the Earth,

putting to flight the powers of darkness.

I am the spirit of all beasts wild and free.

I run with the stag and soar as a sacred falcon against the shimmering sky.

The ancient woods and wild places emanate my powers,

the birds of the air sing of my sanctity.

I am the harvest, offering up grain and fruits beneath

the sickle of time so that all may be nourished.

For without planting there can be no harvest;

without winter there can be no spring. I am the thousand named Son of creation.

Know that by all names I am the same.

The spirit of the horned stag in the wild, the endless harvest.

See in the yearly cycle of festivals my birth, death and

rebirth and know that such is the destiny of all creation..

I am the spark of life, the radiant Sun,

the giver of peace and rest.

I send my rays of blessings to warm the hearts and strengthen the minds of all.

Author Unknown

http://www.carlsams.com/

"Smoke hangs like haze over harvested fields

The gold of stubble, the brown of turned earth

And you walk under the red light of fall

The scent of fallen apples, the dust of threshed grain

The sharp, gentle chill of fall.

Here as we move into the shadows of autumn

The night that brings the morning of spring

Come to us, Lord of Harvest

Teach us to be thankful for the gifts you bring us

The bounty of your sacrifice

The warmth and the light of friends gathered around the bounty of the earth.

Dionysus, Osiris, Cernunnos, Dumuzi, Frey,Lord of the grain,

Welcome!"

Autumn Equinox Celebration

O bonny Portmore, you shine where you stand

And the more I think on you the more I think long

If I had you now as I had once before

All the lords in Old England would not purchase Portmore.
O bonny Portmore, I am sorry to see

Such a woeful destruction of your ornament tree

For it stood on your shore for many's the long day

Till the long boats from Antrim came to float it away.
O bonny Portmore, you shine where you stand

And the more I think on you the more

I think long If I had you now as I had once before

All the Lords in Old England would not purchase Portmore.
All the birds in the forest they bitterly weep Saying,

"Where will we shelter or where will we sleep?"

For the Oak and the Ash, they are all cutten down

And the walls of bonny Portmore are all down to the ground.
O bonny Portmore, you shine where you stand

And the more I think on you the more I think long

If I had you now as I had once before

All the Lords of Old England would not purchase Portmore.

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

Homeric Hymn: the Goddess of the Hearth

HESTIA, wherever homes shelter, raised to the sky,
men going on earth or gods who never may die,
the foremost honour you've gained, and a lasting place.

Noble your portion and right.

For, lacking your grace, no mortal would dare to eat. First, he must bend, pouring sweet wine to you, and again at the end.

what Wolf can teach us ...

Wolves are the epitome of stamina, known to run 35 miles a day in pursuit of prey. They are highly misunderstood animals, who have gained the reputation of being cold blooded. In reality wolves are friendly and social creatures. Aggression is something they avoid, preferring rather to growl or create a posture to show dominance.

Even though living in close knit packs provide wolves with a strong sense of family, they are still able to maintain their individuality. Wolves represent the spirit of freedom, but they realize that having individual freedom requires having responsibilities.

Because wolf is a teacher and pathfinder, he comes when we need guidance in our lives. Those who have a Wolf Totem will move on to teach others about sacredness and spirituality. Wolf can also teach how to balance the responsibility of family needs and not to lose one's personal identity.

Wolf teaches us to develop strength and confidence in our decisions. He shows we will learn to trust our insights once we learn how to value our inner voice. This wisdom keeps us from inappropriate action. If wolf appears in your life examine where you need to develop more confidence and if you need more balance between friends, family, and yourself.


http://www.carlsams.com/
http://www.animaltotem.com/

the goat

One day there was a goat,

Who really liked to eat oats.

He ran around and played all day,

being all happy, and gay.

Next a dark cloud came near,

and the little billy, drank some beer.

Drunk he was, so he picked a fight,

so that little dark cloud, went amazingly bright.

Down came a thunder bolt, at that goat,

and destroyed much more, than just his coat.

The cloud ran away, back to the ocean.

The goat applied, some antiseptic lotion.

That little goat, was all scratched and bruised,

so he figured, his beer was far too brewed!

Now that goat, will be more nice,

and eat those oats,

with sugar and spice.

-Rick Tankard

http://trickytank.com/words/thegoat.htm

The Charge of the Crone by gypsy

Hear the words of the Grandmother of Time:

She who has been known as

Hecate, Erishkagel, Cerridwen, Kali-Ma,Anna, Perenna, Spider Woman,

and many other names- some feared, and some loved, but none ever ignored.

She it is who brings wisdom and the awareness of eternity.

She has been the Maiden, and remembers that joy.

She has been the Mother, and recalls that pleasure.

But age has changed her, and taught her the mysteries of the Wheel that is ever

turning, the Wheel that is life, death, and rebirth.

She is the whirling tornado, the erupting volcano,

the rising tidal wave, the trembling of the earth's crust.

With age comes an understanding of the past, and a glimpse of the future.

For, in the turning of the Wheel, the past is the future, and the future is the past.

She is the Learned One, the Teacher, the Bringer of Inevitable Change.

She is the Dark of the Moon, the Hidden One, the invisible unknown that lies ahead.

But do not fear her for she is not malicious, and her touch, however harsh, is love.

Only in ignorance is she scorned and reviled.

Those who do not know her, parody her as the ugly old woman

whose powers were said to blight crops and sour the milk in the cow.

It is fear that turns her age into abomination,
her wrinkles into hideous deformity,
and her voice into an evil and manipulative cackle.

For those who sought power over the earth
were afraid to face her wisdom and her unalterable truth.

But in the old days, we sat at her feet to learn the most ancient lore.

From her came the knowledge of the healing herbs,
and the chants and songs that shaped our lives.

She sat in honour at our councils, our marketplaces, in our homes.

She governed our governing, and interpreted our laws.

She gave focus to our changing seasons.

She was our teacher, our oracle, our promise of rebirth.

Come, honour her as of old, listen now to the words of the Wise One,

the ancient Seer, the Crone!

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.- Nathaniel Hawthorne

a letter to our niece...

Amelia Earhart once said “Adventure is worthwhile.” You are now entering a stage in your life that is destined to be filled with many adventures. These may take you to the other side of the world or just down the street. Sometimes our greatest adventures happen when we least expect them and right in front of us.

To help you along the way, we present you with these books. One is filled with examples of wonderful adventures to many exotic and faraway places. Use this as a reference when planning and searching for some of your adventures. The other is for you to record the adventures that are uniquely yours. These may be planned, well researched and perfectly timed. They may also be spontaneous, accidental, and catch you completely unprepared. But these will be your adventures to remember and reflect on.

Many adventures are exciting and leave us with a sense of wonder and happiness. But remember, some lead us to sadness and despair and make us question how we can move forward. The strength and knowledge that we gain from each adventure shape our character and help us interact wisely with those around us.

Take full advantage of every adventure you have. Make time to laugh, play, and love. Be prepared to cry, feel lost, and be afraid. In the end, it is our adventures that help define us and mold our legacy. Congratulations on your great accomplishment and always remember “Adventure is worthwhile.” S.E.P.

http://imux.deviantart.com/art/Adventure-Universal-Symbol-27276572

"There is a harmony In autumn, and a lustre in its sky, Which through the summer is not heard or seen, As if it could not be, as if it had not been!" - Percy Bysshe Shelley

The nature of the human experiment is about restoring balance.

With Trust, does inner vision grow.

Let the song in your heart be your guide.

As you walk the path of balance.

http://www.newmoonvisions.com/

fly me to the moon ...

Fly me to the moon

Let me sing among those stars

Let me see what spring is like

On jupiter and mars

In other words, hold my hand

In other words, baby kiss me

Fill my heart with song

Let me sing for ever more

You are all I long for

All I worship and adore

In other words, please be true

In other words, I love you

in the dark ...

Life isn't easy from the singular side

Down in the hole some emotions are hard to hideI

t's your decision it's a chance that you take

It's on your head it's a habit that's hard to break

Do you need a friend would you tell no lies

Would you take me in are you lonely in the dark...

You never listen to the voices inside

They fill your ears as you run to a place to hide

You're never sure if the illusion is real

You pinch yourself but the mem'ries are all you feel

Can you break away from your alibis

Can you make a play will you meet me in the dark...

You take no int'rest no opinion's too dear

You make the rounds and you try to be so sincere

You guard your hopes and you pocket your dreams

You'd trade it all to avoid an unpleasant scene

Can you face the fire when you see me there

Can you feel the fire will you love me in the dark...

Demeter

In Greek mythology Demeter was the most generous of the great Olympian goddesses. The Greek goddess Demeter was an ancient goddess beloved for her service to mankind in giving them the gift of the harvest, the reward for cultivation of the soil.
Also known as the Roman goddess Ceres, Demeter was the goddess of the harvest and was credited with teaching humans how to grow, preserve, and prepare grain. Demeter was thought to be responsible for the fertility of the land.
She was the only one of the Greek goddesses who was involved on a day-to-day basis in the lives of the common folk. While others occasionally "dabbled" in human affairs when it suited their personal interests, or came to the aid of "special" mortals they favored, the goddess Demeter was truly the nurturer of mankind.
Demeter also was the only one of the Greek goddesses who could truly empathize with the human experience of suffering and grief, having experienced it fully herself.

http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/greek_goddess_demeter.htm

The Sacred Wood

The Tree
by Ezra Pound

I stood still and was a tree amid the wood,
Knowing the truth of things unseen before;
Of Daphne and the laurel bow
And that god-feasting couple old that grew elm-oak amid the wold.
Twas not until the gods had been
Kindly entreated, and been brought within
Unto the hearth of their heart's home
That they might do this wonder thing;
Nathless I have been a tree amid the wood
And many a new thing understood
That was rank folly to my head before.

Lady, lady ...

Are you from an ancient star? Come to us from where you are.

SAFETY ON THE SHORE by Robert Herrick

What though the sea be calm?

Trust to the shore;

Ships have been drown'd, where late they danced before.

freedom ...

Summertime,

And the livin' is easy

Fish are jumpin'

And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich

And your mamma's good lookin'

So hush little baby

Don't you cry

One of these mornings

You're going to rise up singing

Then you'll spread your wings

And you'll take to the sky

But till that morning

There's a'nothing can harm you

With daddy and mamma standing by

Summertime,

And the livin' is easy

Fish are jumpin'

And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich

And your mamma's good lookin'

So hush little baby

Don't you cry

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

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/slavery/index.html

blessings ...

MidSummer

I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where ox-lips and the nodding violet grows;
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.

MidSummer Eve

If we shadows have offended,

Think but this, and all is mended.

That you have but slumb'red here

While these visions did appear.

And this weak and idle theme,

No more yielding but a dream

(V, i, ll. 412-417).

Sweet on the pipe, by Pan of Arcady,

Sweet is thy song, and on the viol, sweet.

I cannot fly, for

Loves encompass me are leaving me

And leave no breathing space, no not one whit;

For song and grace and beauty breathe desire

Now all at once: so I am all on fire!

"http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Sweet_on_the_Pipe_%28Horatio_W._Parker%29"

Lady Fergie... my faithful companion. You were worth it!!!

The Power of the Dog by Rudyard Kipling

There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie--
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.
When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find--it's your own affair--
But...you've given your heart for a dog to tear.
When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!);
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone--wherever it goes--for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart for the dog to tear.
We've sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept 'em, the more do we grieve:
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long--
So why in Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?

The Night Wind

In summer's mellow midnight,

A cloudless moon shone through

Our open parlour window,

And rose-trees wet with dew.

I sat in silent musing;

The soft wind waved my hair;

It told me heaven was glorious,

And sleeping earth was fair.

I needed not its breathing

To bring such thoughts to me;

But still it whispered lowly,

'How dark the woods would be!

'The thick leaves in my murmur

Are rustling like a dream,

And all their myriad voices

Instinct with spirit seem.'

I said, 'Go, gentle singer,

Thy wooing voice is kind:

But do not think its music

Has power to reach my mind.

'Play with the scented flower,

The young tree's supply bough,

And leave my human feelings

In their own course to flow.'

The wanderer would not heed me:

Its kiss grew warmer still:

'Oh Come!' it sighed so sweetly;

'I'll win thee 'gainst thy will.

'Were we not friends from childhood?

Have I not loved thee long?

As long as thou, the solemn night,

Whose silence wakes my song.

'And when thy heart is resting

Beneath the church-aisle stone,

I shall have time for mourning,

And thou for being alone.'

by Emily Jane Brontë

Pistyll Rhaeadr and Wrexham steeple,
Snowdon's mountain without its people,
Overton yew trees, St Winefride wells,
Llangollen bridge and Gresford bells.

Magic Circle 1886

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

happy anniversary my love ...

keuka lake ...

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

Redbirds

Redbirds, redbirds,

Long and long ago,

What a honey-call you had

In hills I used to know;

Redbud, buckberry,

Wild plum-tree

And proud river sweeping

Southward to the sea,

Brown and gold in the sun

Sparkling far below,

Trailing stately round her bluffs

Where the poplars grow --

Redbirds, redbirds,

Are you singing still

As you sang one May day

On Saxton's Hill?

by Sara Teasdale

Morning Rain

A slight rain comes, bathed in dawn light.

I hear it among treetop leaves before mist

Arrives. Soon it sprinkles the soil and,

Windblown, follows clouds away. Deepened

Colors grace thatch homes for a moment.

Flocks and herds of things wild glisten

Faintly. Then the scent of musk opens across

Half a mountain -- and lingers on past noon.

by Tu Fu

Song of Fairies

We, the Fairies, blithe and antic,

Of dimensions not gigantic,

Though the moonshine mostly keep us,

Oft in orchards frisk and peep us.

Stolen sweets are always sweeter,

Stolen kisses much completer,

Stolen looks are nice in chapels,

Stolen, stolen, be your apples.

When to bed the world are bobbing,

Then's the time for orchard-robbing;

Yet the fruit were scarce worth peeling,

Were it not for stealing, stealing.

~Leigh Hunt

Come By The Hills

Come by the hills to a land where fancy is free

And stand where the peaks meet the sky and the lochs reach the sea

Where the rivers run clear and the bracken is gold in the sun

And the cares of tomorrow must wait 'til this day is done.

Come by the hills to the land where life is a song

And sing while the birds fill the air with their joy all day long

Where the trees sway in time and even the wind sings in tune

And the cares of tomorrow can wait 'til this day is done.

Come by the hills to a land where legend remains

Where stories of old stir the heart and may yet come again

Where our past has been lost and the future has still to be won

And the cares of tomorrow must wait 'til this day is done.

Come by the hills to a land where fancy is free

And stand where the peaks meet the sky and the lochs reach the sea

Where the rivers run clear and the bracken is gold in the sun

And the cares of tomorrow must wait 'til this day is done.

The Path

When we are born, we start a journey along a path. Some say this path leads to heaven. Some say it leads to enlightenment. Others call it a path to discovery or adventure. I’ll just call it a path to the clearing. Some parts of the path are easy. These are wide valleys that are free of troubles and pitfalls. Some may be paved with bricks made with gold and silver. Other parts may be narrow and dangerous. There may be obstacles to overcome. Vines and brush may need to be cleared away. Stones and boulders may need to be climbed or pushed aside. There may canyons and rivers that will require bridges to be built. Stone walls may need to be torn down. Everyone’s path is different. Some are long and some are short. Some have easy paths and some meet hazards at every turn. No one knows for sure where their path will take them, but you must follow where it leads. In this we have no choice, because to not choose is a path itself.

Along the way, we meet many others traveling on their own path. Sometimes we travel together on a parallel journey. Some of those we meet may assist us. They help clear our path; give us a hand over the rocks; or help build the bridges over the turbulent waters. They keep us company; make us laugh; give us wisdom and love. Others we meet block our way. They put obstacles in our path; tear down the bridges; put up walls and barriers. These individuals delay our progress; force us into unexpected detours and dead-ends; frustrate us. But we do gain insight and knowledge from these individuals. They help us realize the strengths that we never knew we had. These strengths will serve us well as we follow our path because at the end it will take all our strength to complete the journey.

As we near the end of our path, we leave all others behind. The last part of our journey can only be completed alone. Some may see this as dangerous and difficult, with the most hazards and the hardest to complete. This part of the path is dark and ominous. It is full of doubt and despair, with shadowy figures hiding in every corner. The path becomes slippery and steep. The air is heavy and damp. It is hard to move forward, but you must keep going; you cannot turn back.

Some are afraid, but others welcome this part because at the end of the path is the clearing. The clearing is filled with sunshine and happiness and makes the journey along the path complete. In the clearing, you will see others you have met along your way. They have waited for you to complete your path. You will find joy in their presence. In the clearing, you will find peace. There is no pain or sorrow. Some may stay in the clearing and bask in its warmth. Others may start on a new journey down another path. But remember, every path leads to a clearing and take comfort in the knowledge that those that have gone on before you will be waiting in the Clearing at the End of the Path.

S.E.P. December, 2008

Sweet Summer

Robin Goodfellow

"that shrewd and knavish sprite

Call'd Robin Goodfellow: are not you he

That frights the maidens of the villagery;

Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern

And bootless make the breathless housewife churn;

And sometime make the drink to bear no barm;

Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?

Those that Hobgoblin call you and sweet Puck,

You do their work, and they shall have good luck:

Are not you he?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puck_(mythology)

A Tree Song by Rudyard Kipling

OF all the trees that grow so fair,

Old England to adorn,

Greater are none beneath the Sun,

Than Oak, and Ash, and Thorn.

Sing Oak, and Ash, and Thorn, good sirs,

(All of a Midsummer morn!)

Surely we sing no little thing,

In Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

Oak of the Clay lived many a day,

Or ever AEneas began.

Ash of the Loam was a lady at home,

When Brut was an outlaw man.

Thorn of the Down saw New Troy Town

(From which was London born);

Witness hereby the ancientry

Of Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

Yew that is old in churchyard-mould,

He breedeth a mighty bow.

Alder for shoes do wise men choose,

And beech for cups also.

But when ye have killed, and your bowl is spilled,

And your shoes are clean outworn,

Back ye must speed for all that ye need,

To Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

Ellum she hateth mankind, and waiteth

Till every gust be laid,

To drop a limb on the head of him

That anyway trusts her shade:

But whether a lad be sober or sad,

Or mellow with ale from the horn,

He will take no wrong when he lieth along

'Neath Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight,

Or he would call it a sin;

But - we have been out in the woods all night,

A-conjuring Summer in!

And we bring you news by word of mouth-

Good news for cattle and corn-

Now is the Sun come up from the South,

With Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

Sing Oak, and Ash, and Thorn, good sirs

(All of a Midsummer morn):

England shall bide ti11

Judgment Tide,

By Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/image_galleries/a_picture_of_nottinghamshire_wildlife_gallery.shtml?77

Halcyon Days

Halcyon Days
by: Walt Whitman (1819-1892)

Not from successful love alone,

Nor wealth, nor honor'd middle age, nor victories of politics or war;

But as life wanes, and all the turbulent passions calm,

As gorgeous, vapory, silent hues cover the evening sky,

As softness, fulness, rest, suffuse the frame, like freshier, balmier air,

As the days take on a mellower light, and the apple at last hangs

really finish'd and indolent-ripe on the tree,

Then for the teeming quietest, happiest days of all!

The brooding and blissful halcyon days!

http://www.blackcatpoems.com/w/walt_whitman.html

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=94429

The Fairies by William Allingham

My grandfather, Virgil, used to recite this poem to my brother and I when we were children. Always wanted to try the crispy pancakes made of yellow tide foam. Fond memories...

Up the airy mountain,

Down the rushy glen,

We daren’t go a-hunting

For fear of little men;

Wee folk, good folk,

Trooping all together;

Green jacket, red cap,

And white owl’s feather!

Down along the rocky shore

Some make their home,

They live on crispy pancakes

Of yellow tide-foam;

Some in the reeds

Of the black mountain lake,

With frogs for their watch-dogs,

All night awake.

High on the hill-top

The old King sits;

He is now so old and gray

He’s nigh lost his wits.

With a bridge of white mist

Columbkill he crosses,

On his stately journeys

From Slieveleague to Rosses;

Or going up with music

On cold starry nights

To sup with the Queen

Of the gay Northern Lights.

They stole little Bridget

For seven years long;

When she came down again

All her friends were all gone.

They took her lightly back,

Between the night and morrow,

They thought that she was fast asleep,

But she was dead with sorrow.

They have kept her ever since

Deep within the lake,

On a bed of flag-leaves,

Watching till she wake.

By the craggy hill-side,

Through the mosses bare,

They have planted thorn-trees

For pleasure here and there.

If any man so daring

As dig them up in spite,

He shall find their sharpest thorns

In his bed at night.

Up the airy mountain,

Down the rushy glen,

We daren’t go a-hunting

For fear of little men;

Wee folk, good folk,

Trooping all together;

Green jacket, red cap,

And white owl’s feather!

the oracle of delphi

Delphi is perhaps best-known for the oracle at the sanctuary that became dedicated to Apollo during the classical period. With origins in prehistoric times and the worship of Gaia, in the last quarter of the 8th century BC there is a steady increase of artifacts found at the settlement site in Delphi. Pottery and bronze work as well as tripod dedications continue in a steady stream, in comparison to Olympia. Neither the range of objects nor the presence of prestigious dedications proves that Delphi was a focus of attention for worshipers of a wide range, but the strong representation of high value goods, found in no other mainland sanctuary, certainly encourages that view.

The priestess of the oracle at Delphi was known as the Pythia.
H.W. Parke writes that the foundation of Delphi and its oracle took place before the times of recorded history and its origins are obscure, but dating to the worship of the Great Goddess, Gaia.

The Oracle exerted considerable influence throughout the Greek world, and she was consulted before all major undertakings: wars, the founding of colonies, and so forth. She also was respected by the semi-Hellenic countries around the Greek world, such as Lydia, Caria, and even Egypt.

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

She walks in Beauty

SHE walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that 's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

Lord Byron

Symbolism

Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil

A Story from Boccaccio

FAIR Isabel, poor simple Isabel!
Lorenzo, a young palmer in Love’s eye!
They could not in the self-same mansion dwell
Without some stir of heart, some malady;
They could not sit at meals but feel how well
It soothed each to be the other by;
They could not, sure, beneath the same roof sleep
But to each other dream, and nightly weep...

John Keats

http://www.bartleby.com/126/38.html

The Progress of Spring

The groundflame of the crocus breaks the mould,

Fair Spring slides hither o'er the Southern sea,

Wavers on her thin stem the snowdrop cold

That trembles not to kisses of the bee:

Come Spring, for now from all the dripping eaves

The spear of ice has wept itself away,

And hour by hour unfolding woodbine leaves

O'er his uncertain shadow droops the day.

She comes! The loosen'd rivulets run;

The frost-bead melts upon her golden hair;

Her mantle, slowly greening in the Sun,

Now wraps her close, now arching leaves her bar

To breaths of balmier air;

Up leaps the lark, gone wild to welcome her,

About her glance the tits, and shriek the jays,

Before her skims the jubilant woodpecker,

The linnet's bosom blushes at her gaze,

While round her brows a woodland culver flits,

Watching her large light eyes and gracious looks,

And in her open palm a halcyon sits

Patient--the secret splendour of the brooks.

Come Spring! She comes on waste and wood,

On farm and field: but enter also here,

Diffuse thyself at will thro' all my blood,

And, tho' thy violet sicken into sere,

Lodge with me all the year!

by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

http://www.emule.com/poetry/?page=poem&poem=2083

These are the things I believe...

The Hills they are Hollow (Damh the Bard)

As I walk upon this green land,

This land that love,

I see figures of chalk,

Carved into the hillsides above.

Cerne Abbas a man so proud,

And the Long Man opens wide the gates of his world,

And invites you to step inside.

And the hills they are hollow and home to the Fey,

Who dance on Midsummer's Eve,

Some people don't understand when I say,

These are the things I believe.

These are the tings I believe.

There is an old circle of stones,

That stands on the moor,

Every moss-covered face,

Tells the secrets of ancient lore.

The Tors stand as guardians,

Witnesses to the Rites of Nature's Gods,

Of Darkness and of Light.

Let's sing of the mystery,

Of Sacred Land,

See the shapes in the corn,

Made by invisible hands,

Secrets of the Pagan Ways,

Lie all around,

Written upon the Earth,

In rock and Sacred Mound!

http://www.paganmusic.co.uk/lyricshills.html

Very Early Spring

The fields are snowbound no longer;

There are little blue lakes and flags of tenderest green.

The snow has been caught up into the sky--

So many white clouds--and the blue of the sky is cold.

Now the sun walks in the forest,

He touches the bows and stems with his golden fingers;

They shiver, and wake from slumber.

Over the barren branches he shakes his yellow curls.

Yet is the forest full of the sound of tears....

A wind dances over the fields.

Shrill and clear the sound of her waking laughter,

Yet the little blue lakes tremble

And the flags of tenderest green bend and quiver.

Katherine Mansfield

Claire de lune

Moonlight

Your soul is like a landscape fantasy,

Where masks and Bergamasks, in charming wise,

Strum lutes and dance, just a bit sad to be

Hidden beneath their fanciful disguise.
Singing in minor mode of life's largesse

And all-victorious love, they yet seem quite

Reluctant to believe their happiness,

And their song mingles with the pale moonlight,
The calm, pale moonlight, whose sad beauty, beaming,

Sets the birds softly dreaming in the trees,

And makes the marbled fountains, gushing,

streaming--Slender jet-fountains--sob their ecstasies.

~Paul Verlaine

twilight ...

Into the Twilight

Out-worn heart, in a time out-worn,

Come clear of the nets of wrong and right;

Laugh, heart, again in the grey twilight;

Sigh, heart, again in the dew of the morn.

Your mother Eire is always young,

Dew ever shining and twilight grey;

Though hope fall from you and love decay,

Burning in fires of a slanderous tongue.

Come, heart, where hill is heaped upon hill:

For there the mystical brotherhood

Of sun and moon and hollow and wood

And river and stream work out their will;

And God stands winding His lonely horn,

And time and the world are ever in flight;

And love is less kind than the grey twilight,

And hope is less dear than the dew of the morn.

~William Butler Yeats

Delphia

Delphi is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in a valley of Phocis. Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and it was a major site for the worship of the god Apollo. His sacred precinct in Delphi was a Panhellenic sanctuary, where every four years athletes from all over the Greek world competed in the Pythian Games.
Delphi was revered throughout the Greek world as the site of the omphalos stone, the centre of the earth and the universe. In the inner hestia ("hearth") of the Temple of Apollo, an eternal flame burned. After the battle of Plataea, the Greek cities extinguished their fires and brought new fire from the hearth of Greece, at Delphi; in the foundation stories of several Greek colonies, the founding colonists were first dedicated at Delphi.
Location
Delphi is located on a plateau on the slope of Mount Parnassus, next to the Sanctuary of Apollo, the site of the ancient Oracle. This semicircular spur is known as Phaedriades, and overlooks the Pleistos Valley. Southwest of Delphi, about 15 km away, is the harbor-city of Kirrha on the Corinthian Gulf.



http://www.crystalinks.com/delphi.html

To Hestia - Homeric Hymn to Hestia

(ll. 1-6) Hestia, in the high dwellings of all, both deathless gods and men who walk on earth, you have gained an everlasting abode and highest honour: glorious is your portion and your right. For without you mortals hold no banquet, -- where one does not duly pour sweet wine in offering to Hestia both first and last.

quote

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.

~The Dalai Lama

http://www.thinkexist.com/

Stars

Ah! why, because the dazzling sun

Restored our Earth to joy,

Have you departed, every one,

And left a desert sky?

All through the night, your glorious eyes

Were gazing down in mine,

And, with a full heart's thankful sighs,

I blessed that watch divine.

I was at peace, and drank your beams

As they were life to me;

And revelled in my changeful dreams,

Like petrel on the sea.

Thought followed thought, star followed star

Through boundless regions on;

While one sweet influence, near and far,

Thrilled through, and proved us one!

Why did the morning dawn to break

So great, so pure a spell;

And scorch with fire the tranquil cheek,

Where your cool radiance fell?

Blood-red, he rose, and arrow-straight,

His fierce beams struck my brow;

The soul of nature sprang, elate,

But mine sank sad and low.

My lids closed down, yet through their veil

I saw him, blazinig, still,

And steep in gold the misty dale,

And flash upon the hill.

I turned me to the pillow, then,

To call back night, and see

Your words of solemn light, again,

Throb with my heart, and me!

It would not do - the pillow glowed,

And glowed both roof and floor;

And birds sang loudly in the wood,

And fresh winds shook the door;

The curtains waved, the wakened flies

Were murmuring round my room,

Imprisoned there, till I should rise,

And give them leave to roam.

O stars, and dreams, and gentle night;

O night and stars, return!

And hide me from the hostile light

That does not warm, but burn;

That drains the blood of suffering men;

Drinks tears, instead of dew;

Let me sleep through his blinding reign,

And only wake with you!

~Emily Jane Brontë

A Winter Night

When biting Boreas, fell and dour,

Sharp shivers thro' the leafless bow'r;

When Phoebus gies a short-liv'd glow'r,

Far south the lift,

Dim-dark'ning thro' the flaky show'r,

Or whirling drift ...

~Robert Burns

Winter Song

Rain and wind, and wind and rain.

Will the Summer come again?

Rain on houses, on the street,

Wetting all the people's feet,

Though they run with might and main.

Rain and wind, and wind and rain.

Snow and sleet, and sleet and snow.

Will the Winter never go?

What do beggar children do

With no fire to cuddle to,

P'raps with nowhere warm to go?

Snow and sleet, and sleet and snow.

Hail and ice, and ice and hail,

Water frozen in the pail.

See the robins, brown and red,

They are waiting to be fed.

Poor dears, battling in the gale!

Hail and ice, and ice and hail.

~Katherine Mansfield

Yemaya, Goddess of the Ocean and the New Year

They call her the goddess Yemaya, Ymoga (Mother of the Fishes), Iamanga, and Balianne. She traveled with them from Yoruba to distant lands, comforting them in the holds of the slave ships that took them far away from their homeland in Africa. Today she is also celebrated under many other names, including the virgin Mary (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception), Stella Maris (Star of the Sea), and Our Lady of Regla...to name but a few.
Originally Yemaya was a river goddess of the Yoruba in Nigeria, far from the ocean. She was a nature spirit, an orisha, a powerful guardian spirit that reflects an important aspect of the God of the Ife religion. An orisha manifests itself as a force of nature. When her people were hoarded onto the slave ships, Yemaya went with them, thus becoming the Goddess of the Ocean.
Actually Yemaya shares responsibility for the ocean with another orisha. Okolun rules the dark and turbulent depths of the ocean. Her domain is the upper level, the part of the sea that the light strikes, where water evaporates to be carried to land by her daughter Oya (the wind) to make rain for the crops. Yemaya's gentle waves rock the watery cradle of the abundant life forms of the sea.
Yemaya is a mother goddess, the goddess of home, fertility, love and family. Like water she represents both change and constancy--bringing forth life, protecting it, and changing it as is necessary.

http://www.goddessgift.com/

The moon is full this winter night;

The stars are clear, though few;

And every window glistens bright,

With leaves of frozen dew.

The sweet moon through your lattice gleams

And lights your room like day;

And there you pass, in happy dreams,

The peaceful hours away!

~Emily Jane Brontë

from Honour's Martyr

Sadness of Gaia

The Earth Goddess looks on sadly,

aware that our human weaknesses will mean many years of education

to prevent the ruin of our precious world.
The contents of her wings symbolise all the creatures that need protection.

As always "Gaia" will be there to listen and to comfort,

bringing with her the rainbow of hope.
The clouds are gathering around our world

but she knows she must be strong and work to rectify mans errors,

in the belief that he will one day understand

that our precious earth deserves our protection.
Let us hope that one day soon "Gaia" will look upon the earth

and be satisfied that her lessons have been learnt!
http://www.josephinewall.co.uk/sadness.html

Rumi

Soul receives from soul that knowledge,

therefore not by book nor from tongue.

If knowledge of mysteries come after emptiness of mind,

that is illumination of heart. ~Rumi

La Belle Dame sans Merci by John William Waterhouse

John Keats (1795–1821).
La Belle Dame Sans Merci O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms!
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel’s granary is full,
And the harvest’s done.
III.
I see a lily on thy brow
With anguish moist and fever dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
Fast withereth too.

IV.
I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful—a faery’s child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.

V.
I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She look’d at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.

VI.
I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery’s song.

VII.
She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild, and manna dew,
And sure in language strange she said—
“I love thee true.”

VIII.
She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept, and sigh’d fill sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four.

IX.
And there she lulled me asleep,
And there I dream’d—Ah! woe betide!
The latest dream I ever dream’d
On the cold hill’s side.

X.
I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried—“La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!”

XI.
I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill’s side.

XII.
And this is why I sojourn here,
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is wither’d from the lake,
And no birds sing.

into the forest ...

The Storm by Katherine Mansfield

I Ran to the forest for shelter,

Breathless, half sobbing;

I put my arms round a tree,

Pillowed my head against the rough bark.

"Protect me," I said. "I am a lost child."

But the tree showered silver drops on my face and hair.

A wind sprang up from the ends of the earth;

It lashed the forest together.

A huge green wave thundered and burst over my head.

I prayed, implored, "Please take care of me!"

But the wind pulled at my cloak and the rain beat upon me.

Little rivers tore up the ground and swamped the bushes.

A frenzy possessed the earth: I felt that the earth was drowning

In a bubbling cavern of space.

I alone-- Smaller than the smallest fly--was alive and terrified.

Then for what reason I know not,

I became trium- phant "Well, kill me!" I cried and ran out into the open.

But the storm ceased: the sun spread his wings

And floated serene in the silver pool of the sky. I

put my hands over my face: I was blushing.

And the trees swung together and delicately laughed.

http://www.emule.com/poetry/?page=author_list

May the Goddess Bless Rabbie Burns

Auld Lang Syne

Burns’ original Scots verse

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind ?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And days o' lang syne ?

For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp !

And surely I’ll be mine !

And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,

For auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes,

And pu’d the gowans fine;

But we’ve wander’d mony a weary foot,

Sin auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl’d i' the burn,

Frae morning sun till dine ;

But seas between us braid hae roar’d

Sin auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere !

And gie's a hand o’ thine !

And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,

For auld lang syne.

huh? ; )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne#Lyrics

GrandMother Wisdom

North Grandmother...

The field is deep in snow and the bare branches of the tree have a fluffy layer of white piled upon them. Inside a cozy fire lit cabin we find an aged crone. It is late but she no longer sleeps well anyway. Soon the deepest sleep before the next awakening will come for her. But this evening gratitude wells up within her as she remembers the blessings that have come her way.
She and her granddaughter are drinking raspberry tea as they talk into the night sharing what is in their hearts. A bond of love across generations is re-affirmed. North Grandmother knows when to listen and when to share her quiet wisdom. As this young woman talks of her mistakes and her regrets, her grandmother's love and humor helps her to see how unimportant these are in the greater picture.
North Grandmother reminds us to pay attention to such precious moments, the little things that make up our lives. We will find much beauty there. As we attend to this we see our life's possibilities with a clarity that we have never know before.

http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/2401/circle/northgra.htm

eyes ...

Rondel of Merciless Beauty by Geoffrey Chaucer

Your two great eyes will slay me suddenly;
Their beauty shakes me who was once serene;
Straight through my heart the wound is quick and keen.
Only your word will heal the injury
To my hurt heart, while yet the wound is clean -
Your two great eyes will slay me suddenly;
Their beauty shakes me who was once serene.
Upon my word, I tell you faithfully
Through life and after death you are my queen;
For with my death the whole truth shall be seen.
Your two great eyes will slay me suddenly;
Their beauty shakes me who was once serene;
Straight through my heart the wound is quick and keen.

Simplicity ...

Manifest plainness,

Embrace simplicity,

Reduce selfishness,

Have few desires.

~Lao-Tzu, Tao Te Ching

http://www.gardendigest.com/

Something to consider ...

Equality & Diversity

A society of free human beings functions better than does a society of slaves. A society of loving, connected people functions better than a society of disconnected neurotics or (at the extreme) sociopaths. Love for others includes respect for the rights of others, which is necessary for the market to function properly. Love includes compassion, which is necessary to fulfill needs where the market alone might not. Freedom optimizes human action (in ways that matter to human beings), which ensures that needs are attended to; in turn, the fulfillment of need protects and fosters love and compassion.
In sum: Love and freedom form a fundamental duality in human life. One without the other soon becomes a disaster, as would be night without the day.

http://www.strike-the-root.com/72/allport/allport13.html


Equality & discrimination ...

Age
It is unlawful for your age to be the cause of less favourable treatment in your workplace or in vocational training. Find out more about age discrimination and how and where it may affect you.
Religion and belief
Your religion or belief, or those of somebody else, should not interfere with your right to be treated fairly at work, at school, in shops or while accessing public services such as health care and housing. Learn more about religious discrimination in this section.

Disability
If you have a physical or mental impairment, you have specific rights that protect you against discrimination. Employers and service providers are obliged to make adjustments for you. Find out more, and what to do if you need help.

Gender
Women, men and transgender people should not be treated unfairly because of their gender, because they are married or because they are raising a family. This section explains your rights and how to use them.

Race
Wherever you were born, wherever your parents came from, whatever the colour of your skin, you have a right to be treated fairly. This section explains the rights that protect you against racial discrimination and prejudice.

Sexual orientation
Whether you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or straight should not put you at a disadvantage. Find out more about discrimination in the workplace, including harassment, on grounds of sexual orientation in this section.

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/yourrights/equalityanddiscrimination/pages/equalityhome.aspx


Fear ...

Carefully Taught

You've got to be taught to
Hate and fear
You've got to be taught
From year to year
It's got to be drummed
Into you dear little ear.
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to
Be afraid
Of those people whose eyes are
Oddly made
And people whose skin is a different shade.
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught
Before it's too late
Before you are six or
Seven or eight
To hate all the people
Your relatives hate
You've got to be carefully taught.

The words above are from a song in a Broadway play, South Pacific. Do we hate people because of a particular action or look or do we find the action or look ugly because we hate them? In our society, are we taught to hate, or do you think we can be taught to care?
http://departments.oxy.edu/orgl/NewPros/diversity_poems.htm

PERSEPHONE

I saw a tender maiden plucking flowers

Once, long ago, in the bright morning hours;

And then from heaven I saw a sudden cloud

Fall swift and dark, and heard her cry aloud.
Again I looked, but from my open door

My anxious eyes espied the maid no more;

The cloud had vanished, bearing her away

To underlands beyond the smiling day.

~Sappho

http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/pos/pos25.htm

All Gods are One...

There are many different religions to bring comfort and happiness to humanity in much the same way as there are particular treatments for different diseases. For, all religions endeavour in their own way to help living beings avoid misery and gain happiness. And, although we can find causes for preferring certain interpretations of religious truths, there is much greater cause for unity, stemming from the human heart. Each religion works in its own way to lessen human suffering and contribute to world civilization. Conversion is not the point. For instance, I do not think of converting others to Buddhism or merely furthering the Buddhist cause. Rather, I try to think of how I as a Buddhist humanitarian can contribute to human happiness.
While pointing out the fundamental similarities between world religions, I do not advocate one particular religion at the expense of all others, nor do I seek a new 'world religion.' All the different religions of the world are needed to enrich human experience and world civilization. Our human minds, being of different calibre and disposition, need different approaches to peace and happiness. It is just like food. Certain people find Christianity more appealing, others prefer Buddhism because there is no creator in it and everything depends upon your own actions. We can make similar arguments for other religions as well. Thus, the point is clear: humanity needs all the world's religions to suit the ways of life, diverse spiritual needs, and inherited national traditions of individual human beings.
It is from this perspective that I welcome efforts being made in various parts of the world for better understanding among religions. The need for this is particularly urgent now. If all religions make the betterment of humanity their main concern, then they can easily work together in harmony for world peace. Interfaith understanding will bring about the unity necessary for all religions to work together. However, although this is indeed an important step, we must remember that there are no quick or easy solutions. We cannot hide the doctrinal differences that exist among various faiths, nor can we hope to replace the existing religions by a new universal belief. Each religion has its own distinctive contributions to make, and each in its own way is suitable to a particular group of people as they understand life. The world needs them all.
There are two primary tasks facing religious practitioners who are concerned with world peace. First, we must promote better interfaith understanding so as to create a workable degree of unity among all religions. This may be achieved in part by respecting each other's beliefs and by emphasizing our common concern for human well-being. Second, we must bring about a viable consensus on basic spiritual values that touch every human heart and enhance general human happiness. This means we must emphasize the common denominator of all world religions -- humanitarian ideals. These two steps will enable us to act both individually and together to create the necessary spiritual conditions for world peace.
We practitioners of different faiths can work together for world peace when we view different religions as essentially instruments to develop a good heart -- love and respect for others, a true sense of community. The most important thing is to look at the purpose of religion and not at the details of theology or metaphysics, which can lead to mere intellectualism. I believe that all the major religions of the world can contribute to world peace and work together for the benefit of humanity if we put aside subtle metaphysical differences, which are really the internal business of each religion.
Despite the progressive secularization brought about by worldwide modernization and despite systematic attempts in some parts of the world to destroy spiritual values, the vast majority of humanity continues to believe in one religion or another. The undying faith in religion, evident even under irreligious political systems, clearly demonstrates the potency of religion as such. This spiritual energy and power can be purposefully used to bring about the spiritual conditions necessary for world peace. Religious leaders and humanitarians all over the world have a special role to play in this respect.
Whether we will be able to achieve world peace or not, we have no choice but to work towards that goal. If our minds are dominated by anger, we will lose the best part of human intelligence -- wisdom, the ability to decide between right and wrong. Anger is one of the most serious problems facing the world today.
I have written the above lines To tell my constant feeling. Whenever I meet even a 'foreigner', I have always the same feeling: 'I am meeting another member of the human family.' This attitude has deepened My affection and respect for all beings. May this natural wish be My small contribution to world peace. I pray for a more friendly, More caring, and more understanding Human family on this planet. To all who dislike suffering, Who cherish lasting happiness -- This is my heartfelt appeal.
© Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama [1984] Excerpt from booklet entitled: A Human Approach to World Peace

~We Are All Different. We Are All The Same~

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/spiritsong/AllGodsOneGod.html

Khalil Gibran (what a hotty ; )

Reason and Passion

And the priestess spoke again and said: "Speak to us of Reason and Passion."
And he answered saying:
Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield, upon which your reason and your judgment wage war against passion and your appetite.
Would that I could be the peacemaker in your soul, that I might turn the discord and the rivalry of your elements into oneness and melody.
But how shall I, unless you yourselves be also the peacemakers, nay, the lovers of all your elements?
Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul.
If either your sails or our rudder be broken, you can but toss and drift, or else be held at a standstill in mid-seas.
For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction.
Therefore let your soul exalt your reason to the height of passion; that it may sing;
And let it direct your passion with reason, that your passion may live through its own daily resurrection, and like the phoenix rise above its own ashes.
I would have you consider your judgment and your appetite even as you would two loved guests in your house.
Surely you would not honour one guest above the other; for he who is more mindful of one loses the love and the faith of both.
Among the hills, when you sit in the cool shade of the white poplars, sharing the peace and serenity of distant fields and meadows - then let your heart say in silence, "God rests in reason."
And when the storm comes, and the mighty wind shakes the forest, and thunder and lightning proclaim the majesty of the sky, - then let your heart say in awe, "God moves in passion."
And since you are a breath In God's sphere, and a leaf in God's forest, you too should rest in reason and move in passion.

http://leb.net/gibran/works/prophet/prophet.html

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

Winter garden ...

"In the depths of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."- Albert Camus

"One must have a mind of winter

To regard the frost and boughs

Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long time

To behold the junipers shagged with ice,

The spruces rough in the distant glitter
Of the January sun; and not to think

Of any misery in the sound of the wind,

In the sound of a few leaves."

- Wallace Stevens, The Snow Man, 1923

http://www.gardendigest.com/

The Path

When we are born, we start a journey along a path. Some say this path leads to heaven. Some say it leads to enlightenment. Others call it a path to discovery or adventure. I’ll just call it a path to the clearing. Some parts of the path are easy. These are wide valleys that are free of troubles and pitfalls. Some may be paved with bricks made with gold and silver. Other parts may be narrow and dangerous. There may be obstacles to overcome. Vines and brush may need to be cleared away. Stones and boulders may need to be climbed or pushed aside. There may canyons and rivers that will require bridges to be built. Stone walls may need to be torn down. Everyone’s path is different. Some are long and some are short. Some have easy paths and some meet hazards at every turn. No one knows for sure where their path will take them, but you must follow where it leads. In this we have no choice, because to not choose is a path itself.

Along the way, we meet many others traveling on their own path. Sometimes we travel together on a parallel journey. Some of those we meet may assist us. They help clear our path; give us a hand over the rocks; or help build the bridges over the turbulent waters. They keep us company; make us laugh; give us wisdom and love. Others we meet block our way. They put obstacles in our path; tear down the bridges; put up walls and barriers. These individuals delay our progress; force us into unexpected detours and dead-ends; frustrate us. But we do gain insight and knowledge from these individuals. They help us realize the strengths that we never knew we had. These strengths will serve us well as we follow our path because at the end it will take all our strength to complete the journey.

As we near the end of our path, we leave all others behind. The last part of our journey can only be completed alone. Some may see this as dangerous and difficult, with the most hazards and the hardest to complete. This part of the path is dark and ominous. It is full of doubt and despair, with shadowy figures hiding in every corner. The path becomes slippery and steep. The air is heavy and damp. It is hard to move forward, but you must keep going; you cannot turn back.

Some are afraid, but others welcome this part because at the end of the path is the clearing. The clearing is filled with sunshine and happiness and makes the journey along the path complete. In the clearing, you will see others you have met along your way. They have waited for you to complete your path. You will find joy in their presence. In the clearing, you will find peace. There is no pain or sorrow. Some may stay in the clearing and bask in its warmth. Others may start on a new journey down another path. But remember, every path leads to a clearing and take comfort in the knowledge that those that have gone on before you will be waiting in the Clearing at the End of the Path.

S.E.P.
December, 2008