Reflecting On Past Christmases With My Deceased Grandmother

REFLECTING ON PAST CHRISTMASES WITH MY DECEASED GRANDMOTHER
Date Composed:  Christmas Eve, Saturday, 24      December 2011

One of the best gifts I had in my life were close family whom passed -- especially my Grandmother.  This was her time of the year at Christmas where she had most opened up her heart and gave her blessed Self to her family when we'd all have the gathering at her place for the day.  She would be in the kitchen making up her portion of the dinner and would make it a point to visit with each of us that were there with her -- young and old.

I especially remember one Christmas.  I went to visit by myself with her I believe the following day after the family gathering, and we were sitting and talking for a while -- and she wanted me to listen to a tape she had recorded off a Christian radio show.  It was called "A Cup Of Christmas Tea and A Memory of Christmas Tea":

(Amazon's Book Description)

"If you find you have some time, how wonderful if we could have a little chat and share a cup of Christmas tea."

A man receives an invitation from his elderly, ailing aunt and doesn't want to go. It's the midst of the Christmas rush, and who needs the aggravation? The depression? The strain? Driven by guilt, he visits her anyway, and rediscovers the true meaning of Christmas.

Tom Hegg wrote A Cup of Christmas Tea in 1981, when his pastor asked him to write something for his church's 125th anniversary. Drawing on childhood memories, he composed a straightforward, sentimental poem that brought tears to his audience's eyes. First published in 1982, it's been a seasonal best-seller ever since.

A Memory of Christmas Tea, published in 1999, is the heartwarming sequel. Revisiting the themes of A Cup of Christmas Tea, it gently reminds us of the important things in life—such as taking time for loved ones.

My Granmother served me up a hot cup of tea, and I listened very carefully to the tape by myself.  Being that I was the closest Granddaughter of hers (at least that is how I've felt over the years) and keeping an open-mind and open-heart to what I was listening to, I sat comfortably and really 'listened' -- blocking everything of my life out and focusing on that particular special moment between my Grandmother and I.  There were times throughout the story that had tears in my eyes, and not really remembering now just exactly how I 'felt', I knew in my own heart that this time with her was to be cherished, and I've held onto that moment forever since that night.

My Grandmother was very special to me as she was to my mom, whom she shared many stories and laughs and tears and sadness with of her own family with her.  Whenever she called and talked with my mom, she always made it a point to talk to me too; and many of times when I just needed someone to talk to or to have listen to me, I'd call her on my own free-will, and we'd have the best of conversations ever, each and every one of them throughout my childhood and until the day she passed away.

This time of the season still brings tears to my eyes, and now that she's gone, I cannot imagine ever having any kind of love I had in particular with anyone else that was like between my Grandmother's and mine.  So I am constantly reminded by this story and having that Christmas tea with her -- and the true meaning of the season.  I take this time now in reflection of what she has taught me through all her unconditional love, and in hopes of carrying on her Spirituality I learned from her in my own way of giving and being thankful of those closest in my life.

Blessings of the Season of Reflection to ALL.
   )O( Indigenous Shamanic Winds xo

Inspirational Poetry By My Dearest Sister, FernLily

Inspirational Poetry By My Dearest Sister, FernLily

"Today I step out and reach for the stars and become one with the stardust energy.
And this night I will seek the counsel of the Ancient Mother and the Lord of the Wild Green woods. I will also honor the bloodline of my Ancestors and ask for their guidance. I will embrace being a daughter of the Ancient Ones, blessed am I to have found my path and the knowledge to walk it as I travel this Earth journey."      ~FernLily, Sunday, 11 December 2011

There is something about this wonderful woman's poetry and stories that absolutely touch my heart when I especially am in need of reaching out to the Goddesses and Gods.  Bless her dear heart, my Sister I am proud to be to her, as she is to me -- who continuously inspires me from deep down within the Soul where nobody can ever reach except the Spiritual Muses of love, joy, and respect.  

Many Blessings and I hope that Fernie continues in inspiring and reaching out to others through her wonderful Gift of Writing.  This dear Crone has so much to share, just sit back and meditate upon the poetry she has shared once again.

 My Journey Into the Woods with My Dog Bella 

FernLily's lovely prose from the Ancient Mother through you reached out to me and made a 'silent' calling I was not nearly expecting tonight. I had just showered and took our pup Bella outside for her last walk of the night after reading your post and blogging on it.....

I usually only allow her to go where the lights from around our house is shining (I save the woods adventures for the dogs during the day) -- and I looked up at the Moon in the star-lit sky tonight, no thoughts or worries or emotions running through me, let Bella lead me down into the woods as I watched the Moon. She followed me and I followed Her. I stopped briefly down the path and looked from the sky down to the ground where Bella was sniffing around on the cold and snowy Earth, remembering how she loves digging into the Underworld realm in seeking what's beneath the dark soil of the ground.

Smiling and knowing that she was thoroughly enjoying me walking her where I usually don't tread at night with her, I kept walking as she pulled me down the little steep of the trail, around an old fallen branch that I had left in the path for years so that we had something to 'step over' along the way and so the dogs wouldn't go haywire and make me slide down the hill, and stopped once again. This time I was not looking up at the Sky Realms, nor the Underworld Realms: I looked ahead of me at the lengths of the trees that had grown so tall over the years since I was a child, and felt once again that I was on the Journey of my chosen Path, in the Middle Realm -- and knowing that I was not alone nor afraid of the shadows of black and gray and white in the night.

The Goddess was walking beside me, I Her Daughter, Priestess of Self -- and the God was there with me also, shedding His light and dark of our woods straight to my open heart in love and in trust. I carry the Moon and Her blessed 'Secret Place' that I scouted out tonight -- and in hopes of doing meditations and rituals there with Her in the near future.

)O( Indigenous Shamanic Winds 

 

 

Healing of Animals ~ Cats Special Touch

Healing of the Cats
~By Indigenous Shamanic Winds, Saturday, 10 December 2011

*Inspired by "Touch of the Goddess Healing, Aromatherapy, & Gift Shop on Facebook" from the posting on the page:

"The most adept healers in the world are your pets. Don't believe me? Sit down with a kitty or your dog or watch your tank of fish and then tell me you don't feel better. Be good to your pets, they love you know matter what and isn't that just too cool?"

I once had a female cat, Kitty, whom was such an amazing indoor/outdoor cat and quite the 'Healer'. About 14 years back, I had my Gallbladder removed, and the Surgeon was telling me about certain things to avoid -- one of them being not to lift anything heavy let alone have anything heavy on my incision area. I was pretty much drugged up on meds and pain killers, knocked me out and I laughed at everything while on certain ones.

I was missing having my Kitty curling up with me, she loved the family and always being 'close' physically to us, and I used to have her curl up on my chest and fall asleep on me when resting or at night time when I went to bed. I felt kinda like a part of me was missing when I she continuously kept climbing on me and wanted to be close to me -- and I'd push her down, because she'd climb right over the area of the one main incision scar.

One day I was really feeling crappy and felt a calling from her that it was ok to have her on me, I didn't care what the Surgeon had said about not having anything 'heavy' upon the area, so I let Kitty curl up and right in the dead center of my incision -- and just closed my eyes petting and meditating with her. The feeling of slow and careful healing from Kitty washed over my entire body, and for days when I was laying down or sleeping, I'd position her on my incision and ask for aide of the Divine Goddess to help heal and comfort me in my pain through Kitty's purring and soft and gentle body.

She healed me to health and I learned that Doctors may have advice -- but turning inwardly and listening to spiritual beings that send messages to one help out in the balance of one's personal Self-Healings.

I now have a young male cat -- Cisco -- who's slowly coming around and getting closer to us -- though he's very finicky and only is close when he wants to be, I'm working with him, and last night it was just so content watching him lay under the Yule tree in our house.

Blessings
~)O( Indigenous Shamanic Winds xo

No Acorns This Year from Our Old Oak Trees!

No Acorns This Year from Our Old Oak Trees!
~By Indigenous Shamanic Winds
Date Composed:  Monday, 05 December 2011

"Our old Oak Tree with barely any leaves left on it. This is one of the trees in our yard that usually produces an abundance of Acorns and turning leaf colours -- this year, I didn't see one Acorn fall to the ground, which is amazing because in past years since I've been a child, we'd always been out in the yard during the Fall stumbling upon the acorns and darting from Squirrels dropping them on our heads!"

The trunk of our old Oak Tree has been singing an old favorite song of that my Mother loved -- time in seeking out a YELLOW RIBBON! -- when she was alive: "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree":

I'm comin' home, I've done my time
Now I've got to know what is and isn't mine
If you received my letter telling you I'd soon be free 
Then you'll know just what to do
If you still want me
If you still want me
Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree
It's been three long years
Do ya still want me? (still want me)
If I don't see a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree
I'll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree
Bus driver, please look for me
'cause I couldn't bear to see what I might see
I'm really still in prison
And my love, she holds the key
A simple yellow ribbon's what I need to set me free
I wrote and told her please
Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree
It's been three long years
Do ya still want me? (still want me)
If I don't see a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree
I'll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree
Now the whole darn bus is cheerin'
And I can't believe I see
A hundred yellow ribbons 'round the ole oak tree
I'm comin' home, mmm, mmm
(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)...

~Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown
*(Photo taken by )O( Indigenous Shamanic Winds, Tuesday, 22 November 2011)

This past year I had noticed that our one particular Oak tree in our yard that generally produces more than enough Acorns for our wild animal critters, had dropped absolutely NONE AT ALL. Even the leaves on the tree didn't seem to reach their usual vibrant colour of potential!

From one of our other younger Oak trees (and ours have been around here at least before the late 60s when my parents first built their Home here) had a huge branch and fallen over the Summer in a heavy windy rain storm -- I was looking at one of the leave-stricken branches of it, and noticed that the buds that produce the Acorns were very, very tiny and hadn't even looked like they were going to fully reach their potential of growth.

We have lived here now for almost three years, and the two years prior to moving in when my dad was still living at the house -- you couldn't even walk through the side of the yard where the old Oak is, was so swamped with Acorns, and I'd even remembered picking some up that were fully grown and already starting to 'sprout' on the ground!

In a posting prior to writing this Blog, I'd told a friend:

"The Acorns have always been falling from this tree -- as a kid, I remember how many times I went out and collected the very Acorns to play with; I found them being more abundant than money themselves! And since my mom passed and when my dad still lived at the house here, the past couple years he was here and then when we moved in two years back, we were just rolling on the Acorns, and surprised that the Squirrels hadn't gathered them off the ground to bury in the yard and woods for their Winter food storage! I think the Squirrels had more fun when I'd walk Bandit and last year, my head was the target for the acorns, can't tell you how many times in one outing he tried bouncing them off the top of my head!!!"

Maybe with some research, I can learn how to give a little more nourishment to these trees in our yard, and if we ever get a clean-up done in our yard next Spring -- see if I can re-generate some of the fallen acorns that are left (weird, that year when there were so many of them, the Squirrels were out and about, but hardly harvested any of them; I remember I'd been visiting my dad one day and was out in the yard, and left a 'Blessing' to our Squirrel friends: a few handfuls of the acorns on an old stump where they always would run up and sit upon to eat their collected food. It took a little while before there were crumbs of the acorn nuts left on the stump, other times, the Squirrels would not even touch it!) 

I love Oak trees in and of themselves in all their beauty.

~)O( Indigenous Shamanic Winds

My First Infused Herbal Calendula Oil Is Strained!

I was so excited when I started studying about different homemade 'Herbal Infused Oils' that would help with skin (hand) problems and was looking around the web at different sites for something to make for my dry, cracked, peeling and sometimes bleeding hands -- which I often have a mild case of Eczema during the warmer seasons (I live in Michigan, so we get all Four!) and my hands tend to hurt more in the cold and Winter season.  I wanted to start with one herb and something simple to make, and when I came across the wonderful article called "Healing with Calendula" over at The Mountain Rose Blog ~daily herbal musings~ -- I really was intrigued in making the 'Calendula Herbal Oil' when I realized that I had an Ounce of Organic Dried Calendula Flowers in my collection of dried herbs I'd purchased in the past at our local health store that I had not used yet! 

In hopes that this wonderful oil would help my skin, since I've went through store-bought lotions and ointments, and the only thing that proved over time in actually healing my hands was that of A&D Ointment applied to my hands at night and sleeping with them covered in white gloves or new white socks -- it got to be so greasy and a pain at times, so I made the herbal infused Calendula Oil during the last of our weather's bright Sunny days and let it infuse both in the sunny window and overnight out in the open, shaking the jar gently everyday to help in the extraction of the medicinal uses in the Calendula flowers in maceration time in the oil.

I waited 8 weeks instead of the general 4 weeks before straining the oil this morning into a fresh jar to store -- and what a beautiful aroma and golden-color it had imbued over the time!  I meditated on its uses as I squeezed the lovely petals between a cheese cloth into the jar, and took some time to allow the oil to moisten my hands as I felt the warmth of the Calendula on my wounds.  How delightful!  I stored the jar into its dark and cool spot now in my magickal herbal armoire where it's away from the light -- and just read the oil can be stored for approximately 1 year before it goes racid.

I am sure I will find many other uses for this Calendula Infused Oil in the future -- both medicinally and topically applied as well as magickal, which for I was thinking instead of ridding of the oiled herbs, may use a small bundle under running bath water for a soothing bath ritual, and the remaining herbs for a possible 'double-infusion' (since I have about 1 or 2 more ounces of fresh organic dried Calendula I had also found I didn't know I had!) for yet another infused oil.  Or maybe for magickal purposes, adding some of the actual oil I made into a clear glass bottle with some of the used Calendula petals and a touch of Vitamin E oil to preserve the flowers from molding, in a Ritual that may arise; I read at the Mystical Blaze website on Calendula's magickal properties are of this:

"Calendula has a long history in magical lore. 
It is bound to Sun and Fire.  It is believed to be
useful for prophetic dreams, protection, respect,
and psychic powers, and to be of benefit
when legal matters arise."

The next step in my 'medicinal' makings, though, for using the Infused Calendula Oil, will follow in following the recipe for a Calendula Salve from the Healing with Calendula blog -- already got my beeswax beads and instead of the 'Optional Lavender Essential Oil' -- I may add a special touch of my own with the past Infused Goldenrod Oil I made from the flowers from our yard this past year as well!!!

Golden Blessings~
   )O( Indigenous Shamanic Winds xo
Date Written/Composed:  Thursday, 24 November 2011, Thanksgiving Day