Okay it always amazes me when things just seem to pop up..in my mind or in my life and then later I discover some significance.
A week or two ago...I was writing a blog post over at Ginger's Journey....sort of just a rambling post about how sometimes the journey gets rough...how some parts of life are like a butterfly floating through the sky on a sunshine filled day....and then the rough spots...and how if you can weather them you can some out into the sunshine again...and maybe you'll get back the butterfly phase but more than likely not...and then I just started writing about how you could be a dragonfly instead...LOL...well....then
I was watching some friends get tattoos and I suddenly decided my next one would be a dragonfly...(I already have a fairy). Well afterward I was looking up symbolism...and I discovered the dragonfly is often linked to faeries...and is a symbol of transformation...and some other good stuff....makes me wonder if the faeries helped me pick that symbol...LOL...
Then since I still need to create my faery guide card...I decided it would be a dragonfly....now I just need to sketch it...and use some colored pencils to create it on my card.!! Wow...this world is a mysterious place!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Faery Cards
Here is something interesting or at least mildly interesting to me...the faery cards. I had been getting really seriously about my study of the archtypes and history behind the images on the faery cards. I had been dialoguing with people about them, writing about them, etc. And I started feeling totally stressed and I was wondering about it.
Then suddenly it came to me (a message from the faeries so to speak). Trust your intuition. One of the main idea in the Faeries Oracle is that the cards are meant to tap your own inner self, intuition, etc So it doesn't matter as much about the history of a card, or what the book says about a particular card, etc...what matters is MY THOUGHTS about the card..what it says to me...that is the beauty of the whole process.
So for the last couple of days I have thought about things from my own intuition and while I might read the book's intrepretations I have stopped relying on it as the expert and started relying on myself....and guess what? The lighthearted mood and positive vibes that I first got when I started using the cards has returned!!
Then suddenly it came to me (a message from the faeries so to speak). Trust your intuition. One of the main idea in the Faeries Oracle is that the cards are meant to tap your own inner self, intuition, etc So it doesn't matter as much about the history of a card, or what the book says about a particular card, etc...what matters is MY THOUGHTS about the card..what it says to me...that is the beauty of the whole process.
So for the last couple of days I have thought about things from my own intuition and while I might read the book's intrepretations I have stopped relying on it as the expert and started relying on myself....and guess what? The lighthearted mood and positive vibes that I first got when I started using the cards has returned!!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Focus of the Day: Tobaira of the Waters
This was originally posted at Ginger's Journey on March 13, 2009.
Well today's focus is brought to us by Tobaira of the Waters. Let me start out by saying that this is the first focus card that has presented reversed. I'm not sure if when focusing we are to look at the reverse of the card or both. With the other cards even though they presented right side up, I sort of wove all aspects of the card into our reflections and so I will do that also but just felt inclined to mention the reversed status.Tobaira of the Waters is a healing faery.
She presides over the healing powers present in water. We have all heard of the Fountain of Youth...well there are other supposedly magical water sources also. There are wells and other places that bestow healing, skills, or wisdom on people. For example the Hippocrene fountain in Mount Helicon gives one great poetic skills. One drink and the drinker acheives a certain level of poetic skill, another brings more and a third allows the person to be at a poetic "high".
Tobaria and other healing faeries work diligently to keep healing waters, springs, and other sources from becoming contaminated by many things in the human realm. Not just pollution but negativity etc. Faery waters reflect the emotional state of the humans around them. Words that speak of Tobaira are: serenity, meditation, and graceful acceptance of change. (The Faeries Oracle, Text by Jessica MacBeth, copyright 2000) For more information about the Faeries Oracle you can visit Faery Wisdom or World of Fround.
Tobaira speaks of change particularly emotional change. Like water emotions are fluid and ever changing. We have choices about where to head..."toward the calm flowing purity of the faery waters or the boiling cauldron of hot temper and steamy emotions" (MacBeth, 2000, pg. 126). Reversed Tobaira may speak of "emotional needs not meet or a thirst of the spirit or emotions" (MacBeth, 2000, pg. 126).
Now I need to move into other archetypes that may have this description and lastly my personal thoughts about Tobaira. We must keep in mind that our personal thoughts and ideas are just ask important as what any "expert" tells us but I do enjoy enriching my own thought processes by examining different views.
Well....hmmmm....finding specific archetypes that are like Tobaira of the Waters is proving to be difficult for my muddled mind today. There are plenty of "healing archetypes" and there are plenty of references to water so I will share a couple of those.Archetypes that are healers are plentiful...they may be a spiritual figure, physician or even a therapist. The need for wholeness is strong so throughout history there has been much focus on healing...very often spiritual. Many references to water include references to its healing benefits. And we can also see this is Christianity with the baptisim ritual with water and with Jesus washing us clean of sins.
In addition, in archetypical terms water is often the symbol for the unconscious. Along with others like caves, the forest, the night, and the moon. These tend to be feminine images because most of them that enclose or nourish or viewed as female. I think the whole idea of water and the unconscious speaks to the idea that healing the spirit is VITAL to our existence perhaps even more so than healing the body.
In my search I found a blog, that seems quite interesting...First of all the title Emerging Crone is well....just interesting...and then the blog description: "Guaranteed to thrive where planted, Flowering ecstatically in the garden of my soul".....well that is just cool!!! I just did a little looking around but I plan to go back and read some more later. The entry that came up in my search had to do with rain. Okay...rain...water...you following that whole line. Any way at the end of her post she posed these questions. I think they fit a bit with our reflection today. "What gifts does the rain bring you when it comes? What dams are needing to be breached so you may flow to the sea?" (The Emerging Crone)
Now I would reword those questions for us today as we Focus on Tobaira of the Waters:
What gifts does Tobaira of the Waters bring you?
What blocks need to be overcame so that you may become the person you are meant to be?
My thoughts on Tobaira of the Waters:
First the reversed presentation: Hmmm perhaps telling us that we all need to get in touch with our emotional selves and that are spirits are "thirsty" for us to provide them with a cool drink of water to refresh them.
This is a card of choice: cool calming faery waters or turbulent, boiling emotions. We have to recognize that we have a choice and we make the choice.
Also I think of the fluid changing nature of water. I think the water represents what we need at any given time......in other words we find what we need NOT what we seek. Sometimes they are the same but not always.
Reversed the card also speaks of calming down and quieting the waters before making decisions...probably never a bad thing.
Water...we are like what made up of a large percentage of water.... does that mean we have the healing power of water inside each of us...but we just need to figure out how to access it?
The Ocean: as Kelsey can attest...I'm a big lover of the ocean...the largest body of water on the earth...does this speak of me or to me in some way? I mean I like lovely walks in the woods and mountains and other naural settings...but to me NOTHING is quite like the Ocean!! Watching it for hours as time slips by quietly.
Well, dear readers, I could go on and on forever...but there are thoughts for you to think and now is the time for you to do so.
Well today's focus is brought to us by Tobaira of the Waters. Let me start out by saying that this is the first focus card that has presented reversed. I'm not sure if when focusing we are to look at the reverse of the card or both. With the other cards even though they presented right side up, I sort of wove all aspects of the card into our reflections and so I will do that also but just felt inclined to mention the reversed status.Tobaira of the Waters is a healing faery.
She presides over the healing powers present in water. We have all heard of the Fountain of Youth...well there are other supposedly magical water sources also. There are wells and other places that bestow healing, skills, or wisdom on people. For example the Hippocrene fountain in Mount Helicon gives one great poetic skills. One drink and the drinker acheives a certain level of poetic skill, another brings more and a third allows the person to be at a poetic "high".
Tobaria and other healing faeries work diligently to keep healing waters, springs, and other sources from becoming contaminated by many things in the human realm. Not just pollution but negativity etc. Faery waters reflect the emotional state of the humans around them. Words that speak of Tobaira are: serenity, meditation, and graceful acceptance of change. (The Faeries Oracle, Text by Jessica MacBeth, copyright 2000) For more information about the Faeries Oracle you can visit Faery Wisdom or World of Fround.
Tobaira speaks of change particularly emotional change. Like water emotions are fluid and ever changing. We have choices about where to head..."toward the calm flowing purity of the faery waters or the boiling cauldron of hot temper and steamy emotions" (MacBeth, 2000, pg. 126). Reversed Tobaira may speak of "emotional needs not meet or a thirst of the spirit or emotions" (MacBeth, 2000, pg. 126).
Now I need to move into other archetypes that may have this description and lastly my personal thoughts about Tobaira. We must keep in mind that our personal thoughts and ideas are just ask important as what any "expert" tells us but I do enjoy enriching my own thought processes by examining different views.
Well....hmmmm....finding specific archetypes that are like Tobaira of the Waters is proving to be difficult for my muddled mind today. There are plenty of "healing archetypes" and there are plenty of references to water so I will share a couple of those.Archetypes that are healers are plentiful...they may be a spiritual figure, physician or even a therapist. The need for wholeness is strong so throughout history there has been much focus on healing...very often spiritual. Many references to water include references to its healing benefits. And we can also see this is Christianity with the baptisim ritual with water and with Jesus washing us clean of sins.
In addition, in archetypical terms water is often the symbol for the unconscious. Along with others like caves, the forest, the night, and the moon. These tend to be feminine images because most of them that enclose or nourish or viewed as female. I think the whole idea of water and the unconscious speaks to the idea that healing the spirit is VITAL to our existence perhaps even more so than healing the body.
In my search I found a blog, that seems quite interesting...First of all the title Emerging Crone is well....just interesting...and then the blog description: "Guaranteed to thrive where planted, Flowering ecstatically in the garden of my soul".....well that is just cool!!! I just did a little looking around but I plan to go back and read some more later. The entry that came up in my search had to do with rain. Okay...rain...water...you following that whole line. Any way at the end of her post she posed these questions. I think they fit a bit with our reflection today. "What gifts does the rain bring you when it comes? What dams are needing to be breached so you may flow to the sea?" (The Emerging Crone)
Now I would reword those questions for us today as we Focus on Tobaira of the Waters:
What gifts does Tobaira of the Waters bring you?
What blocks need to be overcame so that you may become the person you are meant to be?
My thoughts on Tobaira of the Waters:
First the reversed presentation: Hmmm perhaps telling us that we all need to get in touch with our emotional selves and that are spirits are "thirsty" for us to provide them with a cool drink of water to refresh them.
This is a card of choice: cool calming faery waters or turbulent, boiling emotions. We have to recognize that we have a choice and we make the choice.
Also I think of the fluid changing nature of water. I think the water represents what we need at any given time......in other words we find what we need NOT what we seek. Sometimes they are the same but not always.
Reversed the card also speaks of calming down and quieting the waters before making decisions...probably never a bad thing.
Water...we are like what made up of a large percentage of water.... does that mean we have the healing power of water inside each of us...but we just need to figure out how to access it?
The Ocean: as Kelsey can attest...I'm a big lover of the ocean...the largest body of water on the earth...does this speak of me or to me in some way? I mean I like lovely walks in the woods and mountains and other naural settings...but to me NOTHING is quite like the Ocean!! Watching it for hours as time slips by quietly.
Well, dear readers, I could go on and on forever...but there are thoughts for you to think and now is the time for you to do so.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Today's Focus: The Un Dressing of a Salad
This was originally posted at Ginger's Journey on March 12, 2009.
And you thought the name of yesterday's character brought a smile. The Undressing of a Salad is one of the cards in the Faeries Oracle created by Brian Froud and with text from the book written by Jessica Macbeth....so since I'm not sure if there is an archetype present here or not I will write a bit about the card itself so we can get a bit of insight and then I'm off to check the internet for similar symbols...remember it is not the name that is important but rather the insight or philosophy of life that the card brings us.
To create a salad various things must be brought into play and combined to create a tasty dish but how does one "undress a salad?" That is exactly the point...and while it might seem impossible ....is it? On this card we have quite a few remarkable images coming into play. We have Adroito, the Faery of Doing Impossible Things and he is balancing orbs. He is also called the Faery of Being Impossible (hmmmm some people don't need any help with that...lol) and the Faery of Avoiding Extremes...There are other creatures on the card also...all with their own message....but for now...Consider the act of Balancing Things....that in and of itself is a huge message and one which we should ponder often...(The Faeries Oracle, Text by Jessica MacBeth, copyright 2000). To read more about the Faeries Oracle you can visit Faery Wisdom or the World of Froud.
Anyway not only is balancing what we are pondering today but also the times in life when we have to turn bad into good. And think about balancing balls or orbs...eventually you drop one or someone snatches it away from you...those are the times when you have to be creative and realize that old balls wear out...maybe its time to get a new one? Think about it.Hmmm...today is not a good day to write about a complicated aspect....as time is short for research, however...I will throw in what ever tidbits I find and maybe revisit it again at a later date...Again these are just things that resonate with me...and may or may not be accurate of what is being suggested to us...just other points of view, thoughts, and history
The Goddess Maat is an Egyptian goddess that is the feminine aspect of Thoth. She is representing the concepts of truth, justice, balance, order, and the Divine Law. She has also been called the Goddess of Truth and Universal Order....now that would be one balancing act right there!!!
Hey here's another perspective I just stumbled across and hadn't thought about...all the horoscope signs are in effect archetypes....and of course Libra (my sign) is one of balance! the outward mode of Libra is activating, creating and illuminating....hmmmm I love that word illuminating! Libra is the archetype of intimacy, balance, relationships and aesthetic beauty. Libras symbolize the creation of social harmony and justice. The image associated with Libra is the scales. Attaining balance and standing up for fairness are key goals.
As I have been scanning and looking for similar archetypes...sharing the common idea of balance or finding the good in the bad etc...something just struck me...ALMOST all of the archetypes have an element of balance in them...like yesterday's the Pook...having a villian turn into a hero and vice versa....Or The Green Woman being three in one The Crone, The Maiden, and The Mother, all of those aspects balanced together in this archetype....or The Dark Lady...whose purpose is to guide us through dark times and into new beginnings (balance between despair and joy or turning bad times into good).....HMMM...are you seeing where I'm going with this?
To me The Un Dressing of the Salad is a metaphor for almost ALL aspects of life...with two key ingredients...BALANCE and TURNING THE BAD into good.....or like I like to call it ..."getting through the darkness and coming out into the light again" It is through this process that we can journey through life successfully and to live our life to the fullest...and be the individuals we truly were meant to be.Anyhoo....those are just my thoughts on this subject and I'll be interested to hear others should they present themselves.!! Until later dear readers ponder these thoughts and may they bring a sense of purpose and balance into your lives!!
And you thought the name of yesterday's character brought a smile. The Undressing of a Salad is one of the cards in the Faeries Oracle created by Brian Froud and with text from the book written by Jessica Macbeth....so since I'm not sure if there is an archetype present here or not I will write a bit about the card itself so we can get a bit of insight and then I'm off to check the internet for similar symbols...remember it is not the name that is important but rather the insight or philosophy of life that the card brings us.
To create a salad various things must be brought into play and combined to create a tasty dish but how does one "undress a salad?" That is exactly the point...and while it might seem impossible ....is it? On this card we have quite a few remarkable images coming into play. We have Adroito, the Faery of Doing Impossible Things and he is balancing orbs. He is also called the Faery of Being Impossible (hmmmm some people don't need any help with that...lol) and the Faery of Avoiding Extremes...There are other creatures on the card also...all with their own message....but for now...Consider the act of Balancing Things....that in and of itself is a huge message and one which we should ponder often...(The Faeries Oracle, Text by Jessica MacBeth, copyright 2000). To read more about the Faeries Oracle you can visit Faery Wisdom or the World of Froud.
Anyway not only is balancing what we are pondering today but also the times in life when we have to turn bad into good. And think about balancing balls or orbs...eventually you drop one or someone snatches it away from you...those are the times when you have to be creative and realize that old balls wear out...maybe its time to get a new one? Think about it.Hmmm...today is not a good day to write about a complicated aspect....as time is short for research, however...I will throw in what ever tidbits I find and maybe revisit it again at a later date...Again these are just things that resonate with me...and may or may not be accurate of what is being suggested to us...just other points of view, thoughts, and history
The Goddess Maat is an Egyptian goddess that is the feminine aspect of Thoth. She is representing the concepts of truth, justice, balance, order, and the Divine Law. She has also been called the Goddess of Truth and Universal Order....now that would be one balancing act right there!!!
Hey here's another perspective I just stumbled across and hadn't thought about...all the horoscope signs are in effect archetypes....and of course Libra (my sign) is one of balance! the outward mode of Libra is activating, creating and illuminating....hmmmm I love that word illuminating! Libra is the archetype of intimacy, balance, relationships and aesthetic beauty. Libras symbolize the creation of social harmony and justice. The image associated with Libra is the scales. Attaining balance and standing up for fairness are key goals.
As I have been scanning and looking for similar archetypes...sharing the common idea of balance or finding the good in the bad etc...something just struck me...ALMOST all of the archetypes have an element of balance in them...like yesterday's the Pook...having a villian turn into a hero and vice versa....Or The Green Woman being three in one The Crone, The Maiden, and The Mother, all of those aspects balanced together in this archetype....or The Dark Lady...whose purpose is to guide us through dark times and into new beginnings (balance between despair and joy or turning bad times into good).....HMMM...are you seeing where I'm going with this?
To me The Un Dressing of the Salad is a metaphor for almost ALL aspects of life...with two key ingredients...BALANCE and TURNING THE BAD into good.....or like I like to call it ..."getting through the darkness and coming out into the light again" It is through this process that we can journey through life successfully and to live our life to the fullest...and be the individuals we truly were meant to be.Anyhoo....those are just my thoughts on this subject and I'll be interested to hear others should they present themselves.!! Until later dear readers ponder these thoughts and may they bring a sense of purpose and balance into your lives!!
The Pook
This was originally posted at Ginger's Journey on March 11, 2009.
Okay...don't laugh...the focus for the day is embodied in The Pook, or shape shifter. Today we reflect on words such as paradox and resolution. We also think about the "good in the bad" and the "bad in the good". For everything under the sun has a dual nature or the possiblities of good and bad. Our paradoxes and confusions are self created and the Pook just dresses them up a bit to confuse us. The Pook is against rigid mind sets and in his own (often maddening way) encourages us to develop inquiring minds. His challenge is for us to "wake up" (The Faeries Oracle text by Jessica MacBeth, copyright 2000) You can read more about the Faeries Oracle at Faery Wisdom or World of Froud.
The Pook, is simply the name that is given to this archetype in the Faeries Oracle but this concept or archetype is present in other cultures, religions, and lore from around the world. On a worldly realm....the shape shifter is present in many screenplays...that character that switches from good to bad...or vice versa. The character who has been a villan and then in the final few moments of the story does something heroic and self sacraficing....you can name a bunch that fit I'm sure. And of course, the other also...characters that we believe to be good that end up doing horrible things or betraying others.
The shape shifter is sometimes called a spell caster because of his ability to change appearances and navigate through various setting...conscious and dreaming. As this blogger: Woffle puts it think of the politician who can put on any face in any situation. But on the positive side the Pook has the ability to see the possibilites in any situtation.
This archetype is referred to frequently in Native American cultures and can travel through different level of consciousness, dreams, awake or on the astral plane. I'm not sure of this but it makes me wonder if the shape shifter is also the guide during "dream walking"...like I said that is just a guess but it seems to fit.
Some believe this archetype is closely linked to the trickster. There are many archetypes that appear to have the ability to shape shift: Tezcatlipoca, of the Aztecs and Esrsanatlehi, a powerful Navajo deity. For these though shape shifting is just an "added bonus". The true nature of The Pook is to show us the good in the bad and the bad in the good. To wake us up to all possibilities and to break us out of rigid thinking patterns.If we think of the archetype of the Trickster he finds expression through human imagination and experience. He is a Jungian Archetype and as a character creates realities in the duality of time and illusion. Sometimes he breakes the rules maliciously but usually with a postive outcome in the end. And while some of this is true of the Pook...any trickster or shapeshifter can be good or bad...or at times both...It is in the decisions made about the use of changing shapes that the role of helper or hurter is created.
For me...The Pook...speaks of examining rules, giving up rigid mind sets, and attempting to see the dual naure of people and situations. When the Pook turns up in our lives its time to examine our beliefs and to clear away the confusion...the information we need is there...we just need to find it among all the paradoxes. Or on the flip side of that, sometimes he stops by to tell us the information is not available at this time and we need to get on with our lives until the insight is present. I don't know this Pook guy can be pretty confusing...lol...but that's okay...the dual nature means that with confusion there is also clarity....so maybe that comes in the end! Or maybe they send another faerie our way to clear that up!
Okay...don't laugh...the focus for the day is embodied in The Pook, or shape shifter. Today we reflect on words such as paradox and resolution. We also think about the "good in the bad" and the "bad in the good". For everything under the sun has a dual nature or the possiblities of good and bad. Our paradoxes and confusions are self created and the Pook just dresses them up a bit to confuse us. The Pook is against rigid mind sets and in his own (often maddening way) encourages us to develop inquiring minds. His challenge is for us to "wake up" (The Faeries Oracle text by Jessica MacBeth, copyright 2000) You can read more about the Faeries Oracle at Faery Wisdom or World of Froud.
The Pook, is simply the name that is given to this archetype in the Faeries Oracle but this concept or archetype is present in other cultures, religions, and lore from around the world. On a worldly realm....the shape shifter is present in many screenplays...that character that switches from good to bad...or vice versa. The character who has been a villan and then in the final few moments of the story does something heroic and self sacraficing....you can name a bunch that fit I'm sure. And of course, the other also...characters that we believe to be good that end up doing horrible things or betraying others.
The shape shifter is sometimes called a spell caster because of his ability to change appearances and navigate through various setting...conscious and dreaming. As this blogger: Woffle puts it think of the politician who can put on any face in any situation. But on the positive side the Pook has the ability to see the possibilites in any situtation.
This archetype is referred to frequently in Native American cultures and can travel through different level of consciousness, dreams, awake or on the astral plane. I'm not sure of this but it makes me wonder if the shape shifter is also the guide during "dream walking"...like I said that is just a guess but it seems to fit.
Some believe this archetype is closely linked to the trickster. There are many archetypes that appear to have the ability to shape shift: Tezcatlipoca, of the Aztecs and Esrsanatlehi, a powerful Navajo deity. For these though shape shifting is just an "added bonus". The true nature of The Pook is to show us the good in the bad and the bad in the good. To wake us up to all possibilities and to break us out of rigid thinking patterns.If we think of the archetype of the Trickster he finds expression through human imagination and experience. He is a Jungian Archetype and as a character creates realities in the duality of time and illusion. Sometimes he breakes the rules maliciously but usually with a postive outcome in the end. And while some of this is true of the Pook...any trickster or shapeshifter can be good or bad...or at times both...It is in the decisions made about the use of changing shapes that the role of helper or hurter is created.
For me...The Pook...speaks of examining rules, giving up rigid mind sets, and attempting to see the dual naure of people and situations. When the Pook turns up in our lives its time to examine our beliefs and to clear away the confusion...the information we need is there...we just need to find it among all the paradoxes. Or on the flip side of that, sometimes he stops by to tell us the information is not available at this time and we need to get on with our lives until the insight is present. I don't know this Pook guy can be pretty confusing...lol...but that's okay...the dual nature means that with confusion there is also clarity....so maybe that comes in the end! Or maybe they send another faerie our way to clear that up!
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Green Woman
This was originally posted at Ginger's Journey on March 10, 2009
I find it a bit interesting that yesterday's focus was the Dark Lady and today's is the Green Woman...perhaps the universe is trying to tell me to focus on the beauty and strength of being female...hmmm...not sure but The Green Woman is also an archetype....however finding her counterparts throughout the world is proving to be slightly more difficult than the Dark Lady. But today I will share with you what I am discovering.
The words associated with the Green Woman are wildness, expectant gratitude, natural magic and untrammeled creativity. The Green Woman dances naked whereever she wants. She is unencumbered by what you think of her because she is confident in her worth because of her life and experiences. She shows us how to release the constraints of artificial rules and limitations. She reminds us of the power of growth and the importance of perserverance and patience. She symbolizes a time for developing talents and for self confidence. (The Faeries Oracle Text by Jessica Macbeth, copyright 2000) You can read more about the Faeries Oracle at World of Froud or Faery Wisdom.
As far as this particular archetype in other cultures...I am sure it exists...I will continue to look for this "woman" under different names but here are a few tidbits I have uncovered already.The Green Woman's image can be found in the stonework of ancient churches in England and France, and is viewed as the feminine face of nature. Also known as Sheela-Na-Gig she is often pictured entangled in vines and foliage. The Green Woman's "nature" encourages us to see ourselves despite self limiting perspectives we have taken on through the years. To read more about this view point of the Green Woman please check out Becoming the Green Woman. Perhaps this blogger says it best with her words...."The Green Woman is at once both an ancient archetype and a primal life force that is constantly creating and recreating herself through the cycles of birth, bloom and fermentation."
Some believe that The Green Woman is three in one. At the same time Mother, Maiden, and Crone. And there are many references to The Green Woman is relation to herbal healing. In fact I even discovered online courses related to this ancient art. There are many references to The Green Man and the Green Woman...more information seems available on the masculine image than the feminine.
In fairy folklore there were tree fairies called Green Ladies, that lived in the trees and were often offended if the trees were not treated with respect. Old sayings have it that before cutting a branch it was best to ask the fairies for permission.
So my focus today is to ponder the wild creative nature of growth...perhaps self growth. To recognize that I am what I am...and that is quite enough in and of itself. Seeking acceptance and positive regard is human nature.....but the Green Woman says to Dance and celebrate yourself for being who you are! ... Be self confident....experiences and life by the age of 51 must have taught me something of worth...just listen to it!
I find it a bit interesting that yesterday's focus was the Dark Lady and today's is the Green Woman...perhaps the universe is trying to tell me to focus on the beauty and strength of being female...hmmm...not sure but The Green Woman is also an archetype....however finding her counterparts throughout the world is proving to be slightly more difficult than the Dark Lady. But today I will share with you what I am discovering.
The words associated with the Green Woman are wildness, expectant gratitude, natural magic and untrammeled creativity. The Green Woman dances naked whereever she wants. She is unencumbered by what you think of her because she is confident in her worth because of her life and experiences. She shows us how to release the constraints of artificial rules and limitations. She reminds us of the power of growth and the importance of perserverance and patience. She symbolizes a time for developing talents and for self confidence. (The Faeries Oracle Text by Jessica Macbeth, copyright 2000) You can read more about the Faeries Oracle at World of Froud or Faery Wisdom.
As far as this particular archetype in other cultures...I am sure it exists...I will continue to look for this "woman" under different names but here are a few tidbits I have uncovered already.The Green Woman's image can be found in the stonework of ancient churches in England and France, and is viewed as the feminine face of nature. Also known as Sheela-Na-Gig she is often pictured entangled in vines and foliage. The Green Woman's "nature" encourages us to see ourselves despite self limiting perspectives we have taken on through the years. To read more about this view point of the Green Woman please check out Becoming the Green Woman. Perhaps this blogger says it best with her words...."The Green Woman is at once both an ancient archetype and a primal life force that is constantly creating and recreating herself through the cycles of birth, bloom and fermentation."
Some believe that The Green Woman is three in one. At the same time Mother, Maiden, and Crone. And there are many references to The Green Woman is relation to herbal healing. In fact I even discovered online courses related to this ancient art. There are many references to The Green Man and the Green Woman...more information seems available on the masculine image than the feminine.
In fairy folklore there were tree fairies called Green Ladies, that lived in the trees and were often offended if the trees were not treated with respect. Old sayings have it that before cutting a branch it was best to ask the fairies for permission.
So my focus today is to ponder the wild creative nature of growth...perhaps self growth. To recognize that I am what I am...and that is quite enough in and of itself. Seeking acceptance and positive regard is human nature.....but the Green Woman says to Dance and celebrate yourself for being who you are! ... Be self confident....experiences and life by the age of 51 must have taught me something of worth...just listen to it!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Dark Lady
This originally was posted on Ginger's Journey on Monday March 9, 2009.
Today's focus is to ponder the meaning and message of The Dark Lady....hmmm...the most widely known reference to the Dark Lady is Shakespeare's Sonnets....and perhaps Cher's song of the same name. While these are common references they may or may not have anything to do with the true essence of The Dark Lady. How then did the archetype come into being and what is its "true" nature?
Drawing from memory and inner thoughts without reading...I pulled forth what is perhaps typical of beliefs about the Dark Lady...a temptress, representing passion, desires, and impulsive behavior.....imagine my surprise then when I discovered that this "symbolic image" has only minimal connections to such things.
One interpretation of The Dark Lady is that she is the keeper of all thoughts and ideas and the guardian of the unborn. She holds the dreams and ideas that have not yet sprung forth in us. She is with us in the darkest of nights and guides us through passings whether they be death or simply an ending of a phase or thing in our lives. She is there at the end of our grief process and helps us to move forward to a new beginning. The words associated with her: unconscious power & wisdom, rituals, mysteries, secrets. (The Faeries Oracle, Text by: Jessica Macbeth Copyright 2000) You can read more about the Faeries Oracle at Faery Wisdom or World of Froud.
As I explore and strive to understand archetypes and how they have developed over time and virtually across every culture and society on earth...it brings me back to Christianity and my belief in God. How do I reconcil this interest with a strong belief in God and Jesus Christ? Is it dabbling in areas that are best left alone? In truth, while I do not know the answer to this....I believe that exploring these concepts enriches and reinforces my belief in a Higher Power. In my life that is God and Christ. I know for others that may not be the case and while I can argue with you that my beliefs are the REAL beliefs...in truth I have no way of proving that to you or anyone else.
So I decided to read a bit more about the Dark Lady and was very interested in finding an article in the National Catholic Reporter called Art & Spirituality: Seeking the Dark Lady. Here I will try to paraphrase those ideas that resonated with me and caused a bit of pause. For further information plase check out the link. It is a short easy to read article.
Key Points from My Perspective:
1. Images of a black or dark skinned Madonna with dark hair are among the oldest Madonna images in the world. Hmmmm...it is believed that these are a result of symbolic meanings and representations of attributes of goddesses.
2. Black Madonna images, both sculptures and paintings, have been found around the world. This representation of the feminine divine has been noted by Jungians and mystics. This image in its blackness represents the mystery surrounding the divine...a light so bright as to be seen only as blackness.
3. Also know as the Queen of Nature, she represnts fertile transformation both in the common meaning of the word...through birth & nature but also internal birth and change.
4. Other names depicting the Dark Lady through out Mexico and other countries: Sorrowful Mother, Mater Dolorosa, The Madonna of Solitude and Sorrow.
5. There is also similarities between the Dark Lady and a Hopi spirit called Crow Mother. She is noted as the Keeper of Balance and is the mother who fertilizes life.
6. BUT perhaps the most interesting to me was the following quotation taken from the article by Rich Heffern but is in part contributed to Craighead. ....
"With contemporary lore about black holes at the center of our galaxy and elementary particles burbling into existence out of nothing, Craighead said, “science now shows us pragmatically what people in both the Old World and the New have probably always known forever, with their deep hunches about our origins. Black is holy. It’s the mysteries of the night sky. We both come from and are contained somehow by this darkness.”
National Catholic Reporter July 25, 2008
Those are my ramblings today about the Dark Lady...she is encouraging a connection to the earth which I find ironic in this age of "going green". So while the term dark might lead one to believe in evil...the Dark Lady represents nature, sorrow, new beginnings and the essence of transfomation. She is a strong feminine image that evokes strength and support.
Today's focus is to ponder the meaning and message of The Dark Lady....hmmm...the most widely known reference to the Dark Lady is Shakespeare's Sonnets....and perhaps Cher's song of the same name. While these are common references they may or may not have anything to do with the true essence of The Dark Lady. How then did the archetype come into being and what is its "true" nature?
Drawing from memory and inner thoughts without reading...I pulled forth what is perhaps typical of beliefs about the Dark Lady...a temptress, representing passion, desires, and impulsive behavior.....imagine my surprise then when I discovered that this "symbolic image" has only minimal connections to such things.
One interpretation of The Dark Lady is that she is the keeper of all thoughts and ideas and the guardian of the unborn. She holds the dreams and ideas that have not yet sprung forth in us. She is with us in the darkest of nights and guides us through passings whether they be death or simply an ending of a phase or thing in our lives. She is there at the end of our grief process and helps us to move forward to a new beginning. The words associated with her: unconscious power & wisdom, rituals, mysteries, secrets. (The Faeries Oracle, Text by: Jessica Macbeth Copyright 2000) You can read more about the Faeries Oracle at Faery Wisdom or World of Froud.
As I explore and strive to understand archetypes and how they have developed over time and virtually across every culture and society on earth...it brings me back to Christianity and my belief in God. How do I reconcil this interest with a strong belief in God and Jesus Christ? Is it dabbling in areas that are best left alone? In truth, while I do not know the answer to this....I believe that exploring these concepts enriches and reinforces my belief in a Higher Power. In my life that is God and Christ. I know for others that may not be the case and while I can argue with you that my beliefs are the REAL beliefs...in truth I have no way of proving that to you or anyone else.
So I decided to read a bit more about the Dark Lady and was very interested in finding an article in the National Catholic Reporter called Art & Spirituality: Seeking the Dark Lady. Here I will try to paraphrase those ideas that resonated with me and caused a bit of pause. For further information plase check out the link. It is a short easy to read article.
Key Points from My Perspective:
1. Images of a black or dark skinned Madonna with dark hair are among the oldest Madonna images in the world. Hmmmm...it is believed that these are a result of symbolic meanings and representations of attributes of goddesses.
2. Black Madonna images, both sculptures and paintings, have been found around the world. This representation of the feminine divine has been noted by Jungians and mystics. This image in its blackness represents the mystery surrounding the divine...a light so bright as to be seen only as blackness.
3. Also know as the Queen of Nature, she represnts fertile transformation both in the common meaning of the word...through birth & nature but also internal birth and change.
4. Other names depicting the Dark Lady through out Mexico and other countries: Sorrowful Mother, Mater Dolorosa, The Madonna of Solitude and Sorrow.
5. There is also similarities between the Dark Lady and a Hopi spirit called Crow Mother. She is noted as the Keeper of Balance and is the mother who fertilizes life.
6. BUT perhaps the most interesting to me was the following quotation taken from the article by Rich Heffern but is in part contributed to Craighead. ....
"With contemporary lore about black holes at the center of our galaxy and elementary particles burbling into existence out of nothing, Craighead said, “science now shows us pragmatically what people in both the Old World and the New have probably always known forever, with their deep hunches about our origins. Black is holy. It’s the mysteries of the night sky. We both come from and are contained somehow by this darkness.”
National Catholic Reporter July 25, 2008
Those are my ramblings today about the Dark Lady...she is encouraging a connection to the earth which I find ironic in this age of "going green". So while the term dark might lead one to believe in evil...the Dark Lady represents nature, sorrow, new beginnings and the essence of transfomation. She is a strong feminine image that evokes strength and support.
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