May 1, 2025 (Beltane)

Our Ancestors celebrated May Day, the first day of May, because it was welcomed as the beginning of summer.  It is celebrated with flowers and ribbons and dancing.  The day was popular festival to signal that fields had been ploughed and the seeding was complete.

The celebration was to bring forth the Gods/Goddesses to bless the seeding and thereby ensure a great harvest.  For some Ancestors, May 1 was a celebration of fertility, and this was a popular day to court and confirm your love to the man or the woman who held your heart.

In today's world,  May Day is just another day.  You can make it special by going out into Nature to find places to be at peace with yourself.

More posts about May 1.

https://www.lightstationwisdom.com/2023/05/may-1-beltane.html

https://www.lightstationwisdom.com/2024/05/celebrating-may-1-may-day.html

Blessings,

Judy

Welcome June 2024

Picture of Fairy Tree in the meadow in Fish Creek Park – from Caro and used with permission.

 

As we move into the month of June, two things always jump to my mind. One – this is the sacred time of weddings, and two – this is the time of the power of Summer Solstice. What makes June sacred is that the Goddess, Juno (Roman) also called Hera (Greek) is the sacred patron of maidens and women. It is she who blesses unions and blesses the conception of children. In fact Juno blesses all creative acts and her power is strongest in mid summer. She is profoundly feminine, and powerful. Legend has it that Juno causes the wealthy to share their wealth with poorer folks, or for good causes. All the rivers, streams, lakes and oceans are her domain in summer because of the life that is created from the water.

Summer Solstice is a time of gathering of family and tribe. It is a time to celebrate the feminine – the ability to endure and to create. It is a time of healing when we cleanse to make ourselves stronger; when we ask for blessings to prevent tragedy and to protect us and our projects and crops for another year. This is a time of abundance for the first of the harvest – lettuce, green onions, peas, beans, and herbs are now ready.

The full moon in June is called “The Mead Moon” for this is the best time for making dandelion wine and honey wine.   June’s emotions are about loyalty and bonding.  Our Ancestors also knew that June, with its unpredictable weather, is about enduring and continuing.  Healers often pick herbs at this time because the strong summer sun and moon are good vibrations for the harvesting of herbs for cleansing, strengthening, and for protection.

May your June be sunny and happy!

Blessings,

Judy

Moose Is An Ancient Four Legged One

 

Moose in the snow from a set of winter pictures of Jasper, Alberta

As we approach Christmas, notice that in many yards in Calgary, and I am sure elsewhere, there are stunning light displays of a moose.  Some are large while others are small.  Since moose often comes to the city and hangs out along the river in Fish Creek Park.  Moose seems to represent the wildness and ruggedness of the West.  Here is a bit about this huge animal.

Moose are one of the more ancient four legged ones. In Alberta, we see them in the foothills, in wooded areas, and sometimes even along the rivers in the city. Moose was named from the Algonquin word “Moz” which roughly means stick or twig eater. Moose are totally herbivores and may eat up to 112 pounds of food per day in the summertime as the winter time is almost a time of fasting for them. Their great size – averaging six and a half feet at the shoulder, and one thousand pounds – makes sustenance a full time occupation. Their colouring allows them to blend into the bush, grass and water that are their habitat. Moose runs at about twenty-eight miles per hour, and swims quite rapidly as well. Even with its huge antlers which may weigh seventy-five pounds, the bull moose will move silently through the forest, and will appear invisible as well. When we do see Moose, it is so powerful a presence, one cannot help but feel a sense of the majestic force of Nature.

Our Ancestors have many legends surrounding Moose. Some are that those born with Moose’s shape – long legs and arms – will have Moose’s ability to connect with the higher realms. Moose’s gifts – presence and invisibility are also the message to those Moose appears to. Moose says to go and do what ever your journey is without drawing attention to yourself. If Moose has antlers, the message is to open up the crown chakra and connect to the universal consciousness and connect with the Heavens and Mother Earth and understand that balance is required. Moose reminds you that you do have great wisdom and that the wisdom is to be shared discretely; and that one should not be troubled by the garbled advice from those around them.

Moose’s habitat in summer is water. Here, Moose pulls up the tenderest shoots of marine plants, and feasts on the water lily, a brilliant yellow flower. This is a reminder that one must constantly plunge the depths of emotion to find the true moments of love and swallow them whole to incorporate them into one’s being, for love is the one true thing. All other emotion must be examined, and blessed and released to prevent this density from holding one back from growing into their full power.

Blessings,

Judy

What About Cardinal?

Picture of "Cardinal" from Wikipedia....

 

As I was writing Christmas cards, I noticed how many of the cards have a picture of the "Cardinal" on them.  I looked at the cards I had accumulated and realized that I had not really bought a box of cards on birds.  Yet, several cards in a row were showing me Cardinal.  Therefore, there must be a message for me.

First, the brilliant red Cardinal is usually found in through Ontario, Quebec, and some of the Maritimes, and then down into Maine and the eastern States.  In western Canada, the Cedar Waxwing is more orangey-red than red in colour.  When the early explorers and settlers saw this bird, the crest reminded the people of the red robes of Catholic Cardinals, hence the name.  Cardinal, then, does have significance for people on either a religious or spiritual journey - and often the two are exclusive of each other.  

My task is to figure out what Cardinal was trying to say to me.  The colours of Cardinal - black and red - are about the base chakra, and a reminder to be more in touch with Mother Earth and to stay grounded.  The base chakra is about survival - having food and shelter and feeling secure from harm - the very issues that our Ancestors faced when they ventured out from their cave or their village.  Cardinal is very much about survival and she knows which seeds to eat, summer or winter, that will benefit her.  At this time of year when over indulgence may become a habit, Cardinal reminds us to eat healthily and to avoid harmful foods.  I paid close attention to this information about food and eating because we have many social eating situations over the next several weeks.

Cardinal has a very high, loud whistle that echoes through the air.  Cardinal may be singing to its mate - male and female sound alike.  The message is to integrate our masculine and feminine traits and then use the combined skills of intuition and logic to achieve a very large goal.  Only by moving forward with our being totally integrated will we achieve the steps on our life mission.  This message is especially true for me right now as I am working on new workshop materials. I see the message that my communication must also be loud and clear!

As the colour of Cardinal is red, one often associates attributes of life with the colour.  So, Cardinal's message in this area is to live with assertiveness, courage, and to be pioneering in the areas of work/hobby that one does.  Cardinal may also imply that one is insecure, or fearful, or even self pitying or a victim, and urges the individual to be more like Cardinal - full of fun and life.

Again the message of courage and pioneering struck a chord with me as I am working on several things that go beyond the information that I have learned, and synthesizes ideas into something more - in fact, being a pioneer.  That message of pioneering felt good and right, and was affirming the steps that I am taking.  I am grateful for the message.

Blessings,

Judy

November 1 2023

 

November is the turning point of the season that brings us winter, even though winter really starts at the Winter Solstice in December.  We already have a goodly amount of snow in Alberta, in different places. 

November signals a time of slowing down, of gatherings like Fall Suppers and Thanksgiving in the United States.  It is when many summer and fall activities shut down.

November is a time of remembering…of wars fought, of loved ones who left this year, of warm summer days on the deck or beach with family and friends.  

November is a time for being grateful that the year has been good.  Or, in some cases, it has been challenging and we have learned from the challenges. 

November is when most of us start Christmas shopping to get the presents to send away, and to prepare for Christmas Day which is now 55 days away.  

When we hit November, we comment on how fast the year has passed and wonder what happened to make everything seem to move so quickly.

Many blessings,

Judy

Happy Halloween 2023

 This picture is from Microsoft Clip Art

 

 

The information in this article comes from The Information about Ireland Site Newsletter, The Newsletter for people interested in Ireland (http://www.ireland-information.com).  We thank them for putting out such detailed information to share with all of us.

 The Celts celebrated Halloween as Samhain, "All Hallowtide"  (the "Feast of the Dead," when the dead revisited the mortal world. The celebration marked the end of summer and the start of the winter months, and 1 November began the Celtic New Year.  

During the eighth century, the Catholic Church designated the first day of November as "All Saints Day" ("All Hallows'" -- a day of commemoration for those Saints that did not have a specific day of remembrance. The night before was known as "All Hallows Eve," which, over time, became known as Halloween.

Here are the most notable Irish Halloween Traditions:  

Colcannon for Dinner:  Boiled Potato, Curly Kale (a cabbage) and raw Onions are provided as the traditional Irish Halloween dinner. Clean coins are wrapped in baking paper and placed in the potato for children to find and keep.

The Barnbrack Cake:  The traditional Halloween cake in Ireland is the barnbrack,  which is a fruit bread. Each member of the family gets a slice. Great interest is taken in the outcome as there is a piece of rag, a coin and a ring in each cake. If you get the rag then your financial future is doubtful. If you get the coin then you can look forward to a prosperous year. Getting the ring is a sure sign of impending romance or continued happiness.

The Ivy Leaf:   Each member of the family places a perfect ivy leaf into a cup of water and it is then left undisturbed overnight. If, in the morning, a leaf is still perfect and has not developed any spots then the person who placed the leaf in the cup can be sure of 12 months health until the following Halloween. If not. . . .

The Pumpkin:  Carving Pumpkins dates back to the eighteenth century and to an Irish blacksmith named Jack who colluded with the Devil and was denied entry to Heaven. He was condemned to wander the earth but asked the Devil for some  light. He was given a burning coal ember, which he placed inside a turnip that he had gouged out.  Thus, the tradition of Jack O'Lanterns was born -- the bearer being the wandering blacksmith -- a damned soul. Villagers in Ireland hoped that the lantern in their window would keep the wanderer away. When the Irish emigrated in their millions to America, there was not a great supply of turnips so pumpkins were used instead.

Happy Hallowe'en!

Blessings,

Judy

About Grasshopper

Spirit Animal - Grasshopper

Grasshopper picture from email

 

John Keats - On The Grasshopper And Cricket

The poetry of earth is never dead:
When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;
That is the Grasshopper's—he takes the lead
In summer luxury,—he has never done
With his delights; for when tired out with fun
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.
The poetry of earth is ceasing never:
On a lone winter evening, when the frost
Has wrought a silence, from the stove there shrills
The Cricket's song, in warmth increasing ever,
And seems to one in drowsiness half lost, 

The Grasshopper's among some grassy hills.

                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Most of know Grasshopper by its cheery sound through the spring and summer, and into the fall.  Grasshopper sings some of the most ancient songs on Earth, and sings the same songs that our Ancestors heard.  In fact, the song of Grasshopper is about the wandering that one needs to do to find a mate, to find food, and to find a place to die.  The song would change when the weather changed, so our Ancestors knew that rain or drought was near.  The sound of the grasshopper is like a meditation in the summertime.  It fills the air with a melody that relaxes and soothes.  Grasshopper reminds us to connect with our Ancestors through song and music.  We can learn their wisdom from the memories stored deep in our cells.


Grasshopper has the ability to leap great distances, and she is able to leap quite high in the air.  Therefore, she has the gift of travel; of bi-location; of astral travel.  She is associated with the mysteries of translocation and teleportation. She tells us to trust your knowledge and to leap through time to the place where you need to get your answer.  She tells us to astral travel or remote view the place that you need to travel to next, to survey the lay of the land.  This ability also allows us to connect to the heavens in a new way.


Enjoy the gift of grasshopper!

Many blessings,

Judy

Cedar Waxwing

  

  Cedar Waxwing – picture from www.phase.com

As the leaves float off the trees, flocks of birds hit our yard to pull berries and seeds off the trees.  The last of these flocks this year are the Cedar Waxwings.

Over the past two weeks, when my dog and I walk in the woods, one or two cedar waxwings fly along with us and sing a song of trills and whistles.  Since they are trying very hard to get my attention, I spent some time finding out about the bird.

First, the birds are migratory, and arrive in Calgary in the early spring, any time in March.  They come in flocks of hundreds, and several flocks visit our back yard, and sit on our mountain ash, eating berries.  Cedar Waxwing’s diet is pretty much always fruit and berries (it loves the sweetness of life) except at breeding time, when it will eat insects as well.  In fact, the berries that it eats may affect the coloring of the feathers, making the light red/orange a much more vibrant red, and changing the yellow color to a more orangey-red hue.  

Second, while their favorite habitat is woodland with access to lots of berries, the Waxwing loves to be near open, running water, such as a stream, creek, or river.  Waxwing needs lots of water to help process its sugar rich diet.  

Third, Waxwings mate in early summer, coming together as a pair only for the season.  They make their vows as a couple by passing flower petals or some food back and forth.  They may have two nests through the summer as the eggs hatch within two weeks, and the young leave the nest after eighteen days.  Both parents feed the young.

Waxwing teaches lessons around going beyond the physical demands of the body (food and shelter needs found in the base chakra) and speaks to the joy of belonging, for they belong in flocks and pairs (which is what the second and third chakras, orange and yellow in color are about), and Waxwing sings of the sweetness of life.  Its love of running water is about letting all emotions run off your body.  Feel them to the utmost and then let them go.  It is stuck emotions that cause pain and illness, for many people.  Waxwing’s mask is a reminder that sometimes all that other see is the mask that they perceive.  And, for many of us, our truth is hidden, even from ourselves.  

Wishing you days of light and laughter.

Many blessings,

Judy

Welcome September 1 2023

Fall is one of my favourite times of the year.  For me, it is almost as though the smells change on September 1 and the weather changes at the same time.

I think of September more than March or April as the month of change.  It seems that most of my life, my career changes have happened in the fall, usually, sometime in September or early October.  

When I think of September, I think of abundance.  This is the time of pickling, and canning, and freezing all of the produce of the summer. 

I picture Mother Nature getting all of her charges in the Northern Hemisphere ready for bed.  Winter comes early in Alberta.  Already, there are new skiffs of snow up on the mountains.

The contradiction of autumn is that while we are finishing things off on one hand, it is a time of seeking renewal and many of us start new things – craft clubs, fitness programs, bowling, curling, hockey, and the list goes on.  

A resting time!  I see that, often, we use the fall to plan a rest from the activity of summer, and to get ready to vegetate through the coldest of the winter. 

I see the Elementals, the energy spirits in the park, change their behaviour from wild to more gentle as they prepare the park for winter.  

I think that the fall is a time of healing for nature and for humans.  I see us all come closer to that peacefulness of Oneness.  For, all of us are matter, and all of us are of the Earth.  

For me, September is a time of contemplating what will happen next.  I love the surprises that it brings.

Blessings,

Judy

Life is Filled With Storms

A funny thing… I was talking to my friend who lives several provinces away.  She was saying that I have not been to her house to visit since she moved several years ago.  We have seen each other, however, as we would meet up when I was in a city close to her.  I said that it was my plan to get to see her this summer.  I just did not know when.

Three and half hours later, I received a phone call that a dear friend had died.  Yes, she had lived a long life but the death still hurt.  It was a storm of emotion that clouded my evening and night. 

The next morning, I realized that I could plan going to the funeral so that I would have time to drive out to see my friend’s house.  And, I made plans accordingly.  My path was complicated but cleared.

I am filled with gratitude to the Universe for providing a balanced plan for me for the week or so ahead.

Blessings,

Judy

 

Thoughts About Family

We are in the midst of summer vacation time.  Often, summer vacation means taking time to see family and friends.  Vacation for you is not at the top of the priority list.  The stress starts when we have to deal with family and friends who are family, and we are feeling the pressure to “do things just right”; “to have things perfect”; “to meet others expectations”; and, “to perform”.  Alas, vacation is just another form of stress for many.

The Angels have given me some thoughts around this.  Funnily enough, they come from others who have to deal with family, too.  

May your time with your family be healing and healthy, and provide you with the love and the guidance that carries you through your days with a song in your heart!  The quotes below from great authors will tell you that everyone has to deal with family/friends and their expectations.

Family quarrels have a total bitterness unmatched by others. Yet it sometimes happens that they also have a kind of tang, a pleasantness beneath the unpleasantness, based on the tacit understanding that this is not for keeps; that any limb you climb out on will still be there later for you to climb back.  
-- Mignon McLaughlin

Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible -- the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.  
-- Virginia Satir

I know why families were created with all their imperfections. They humanize you. They are made to make you forget yourself occasionally, so that the beautiful balance of life is not destroyed.  
-- Anais Nin 

Family life is full of major and minor crises -- the ups and downs of health, success and failure in career, marriage, and divorce -- and all kinds of characters. It is tied to places and events and histories. With all of these felt details, life etches itself into memory and personality. It's difficult to imagine anything more nourishing to the soul.  
-- Thomas Moore

 Whatever you choose to do on your summer vacation/time off, do what pleases you.

Many blessings,

Judy

 

 

Wasp Power

  Picture from www.flowers.vg 

 

As the summer days roll into July, more wasps are showing up in our yard.  There are over 2000 different species of wasps alive today, according to Wikipedia.  That means that Wasp plays an important part in the ecology of Mother Earth and represents the four elements.  Wasp nests in the earth (earth), or, in trees (hangs in the air) in hives made from pulp and saliva (water).  And, Wasp’s sting makes your skin burn which is the fire element. 

Wasp uses a form of alchemy to change wood to pulp and eventually to paper to make the hive.  If you are constantly seeing wasp hives, perhaps it is time for you to pay attention to your ability to “change” things, and perhaps to investigate alchemy to see where you may want to experiment with herbs, essences, or the stock market.

One of Wasp’s characteristics is that she is independent and likes to work on her own rather than in a group.  Solitary wasps have little patience and will attack whatever task they are performing with a vengeance. Wasp does not need a task master.  She is her own.  If you like to be independent from all authority, and do better on your own, then you may have Wasp medicine in your etheric field.

If Wasp is showing up in your life:

1. What do you need to do to improve your life?
2. What element do you need to balance your life?
3. Do you need to leave your current partners, or job?
4. What solitary task can you do to give new meaning to your life?  A quest?  Some creative endeavour? A silent retreat?

Many blessings,

Judy

May 1 - Beltane

 

 

Beltane Fire picture from Edinburgh, Scotland.

 

 

Beltane is the Celtic festival celebrating the arrival of summer.  May 1 is a good day to take the cattle and sheep to summer grazing, and to lighten the load of the farmer.  May 1 signals that the towns and cities will be busier as people come out of the winter/spring hibernation.  Many of our Ancestors honoured Beltane in some way – whether Celtic or other tradition.

In Ireland/Scotland, Beltane is celebrated by all night bonfires, such as the one pictured above. There is music and dancing, and often the burning of an effigy of old man winter.  

“Another common aspect of the festival which survived up until the early 20th century in Ireland was the hanging of May Boughs on the doors and windows of houses and the erection of May Bushes in farmyards, which usually consisted either of a branch of rowan/caorthann (mountain ash) or more commonly whitethorn/sceach geal (hawthorn) which is in bloom at the time and is commonly called the 'May Bush' or just 'May' in Hiberno-English. ~~ From Wikipedia~~”

Beltane is a time of healing because in the celebration of life, all one’s troubles are placed on a shelf, to be dealt with at another time.  This is a time when Nature shows how beautiful she is, and the deer and the wolf give birth.  It is a time of oneness in a community. And often, great fun emerges as people tip back an ale or two, and shed their inhibitions. 

This is a time for newness.  It is a time to become motivated – to work on the yard, the garden; to take up an exercise program; to look up family and old friends; to do something nice for one’s self; to get out of the city, or to get out of the country; to write/paint/play music and allow the creativity.  May 1 is a doorway for loving one’s self unconditionally, and appreciating others.

May your Beltane motivate you to have fun!

Many blessings,

Judy