April is the Seed Moon

Issue #:

seven

Greetings from the Priestess Leesa:

Bright blessings beloved readers,

April for me is a time of inspiration, action, and play. Expectations are surfacing like so many sprouting seeds. The soil is prepared so we may grow and blossom profusely. The energies of April are primed for unhindered imagination. It's the ideal time to be daring, take a chance, to
live, shine, and create with passion. When we are compelled from a soulful level to act or do, magickal things happen. Listen, our spirit speaks. As April unfolds, let's honor our inner knowing and begin taking the first steps toward living our ideal future. By centering and grounding our selves within the energies of change, we will be granted the sense of stability we require to flow effortlessly and in harmony with our dreams. So, let's make room for the wonders that await us!

Focus/Theme:

Grounding / Revealing / Flow

April is the fourth month of the year in both the Gregorian and the Julian calendars.
In numerology, the number four signifies grounding, organization, and stability. It represents
nature in all her seasons, as well as the elements water, earth, air and fire. Its energies call for
balance of mind, body, heart and spirit. This is obtained by purposeful devotion to every aspect
we require of our life and our being, from the mundane to the mystical, from the humble to the
sublime. True authenticity and well-being comes from challenging, nourishing, and realizing our
truth, inner wisdom, our desire and need for a meaningful, healthy, productive, flourishing life.
A word to the wise: "Be sensible, yet expectant of wonders. Center yourself. Be persistent in
pursuing your dreams, you will discover the gift of endurance. Take care of your daily needs."
Aphrilis is a Latin name for the Goddess Aphrodite. Her month is April, which comes from the
Latin word aperire, “to open” (as in: 'to blossom'). April opens the way for joy and our personal
enrichment in the most playful and sensual ways. It's the perfect month to burst forth and grow.

Focus Image:

STATEN ISLAND VINTAGE POSTCARD

I'm All Alone - Midland Beach, Staten Island. Digital ID: 104487

Though this postcard is entitled: "I'm All Alone", the woman is smiling - perhaps she knows

how empowering it is to be brave, free and to follow boldly after her dreams.

The water's fine. Let's dive in!

Mantra:

Mantras are one syllable sounds chanted with mindful repetition for health, balance and vitality.
Our bodies have seven main energy centers, commonly known as chakras.
Chanting mantras helps us to open these channels so pure energy can freely flow.

Listed below is the energy, location, colour, and seed sound associated with each chakra:    

Sahasrara: / Crown Center / Violet / Silence

Ajna / Third Eye / Center / Indigo / ONG (OM)             

Vishuddhi: / Throat Center / Blue / HANG (HAM)      
Anahata / Heart Center / Green / YANG (YAM)
Manipura / Navel Center / Yellow / RANG (RAM)       
Swadhistana / Sex Center / Orange / VANG (VAM)
Mooladhara / Root Center / Red / LANG (LAM)



Sit or stand. Breathe In and Out. Gently intone each sound. Repeat as many times as desired. Chant the seed sound while visualizing the chakras in order. Or, focus on a blocked chakra. Consult the chart below for guidance concerning your personal requirements:

Click on Image to View Larger Version









Affirmation:
"I flow. My energy moves unobstructed throughout my body. My essence is free."

Monthly Plans/Ideas:

Goddess of the Gypsy Moon:

Join the online Sisterhood Circle
http://sacredsisterhood.wall.fm/
Enjoy Spring Specials at the Gypsy Moon Boutique
http://www.goddessofthegypsymoon.com/the-gypsy-moon-boutique.html

Holy Days:
1    April Fool or All Fools Day
      Poetry & Creative Mind Day
2    National Love Our Children Day
6    Full Moon
7    No Housework Day!
8    Eoster/Ostare/Easter Day
      Draw a Picture of a Bird Day
9    Name Yourself Day
10  Arbor Day
      One Day Without Shoes Day
12  DEAR Day - aka - Drop Everything And Read day.
      Walk on the Wild Side Day
17  National Stress Awareness Day
      National Haiku / Poetry Day
21  New Moon
22  Mother Earth Day
      Take a Chance Day
26  Take Our Daughters/Sons to Work Day (fourth Thursday of April)
28  World Healing Day
30  May Eve
      National Honesty Day

Personal:
*   Dance
*   Play
*   Eat fresh
*   Plant a tree
*   Cook with garlic
*   Awaken passion
*   Honor your sexuality
*   Find ways to honor Mother Earth
*   Get creative - express yourself
*   Line your lingerie drawer with scented paper

An Interview with a Goddess:

Julie Raymond
Julie is a phenominal woman. Just look at her glow! I love her down to earth manner, her integrity, and of course, her exquisite beauty and self-confidence. Outspoken, brave and a voice of truth; she is a true leader. She is a compassionate, empowered, and dedicated woman who shines a bright light on subjects so many shy away from. It's a rare woman who not only cares deeply for our earth, our rights and our place in the sacredness of life, but takes action to awaken others. Julie is this rare woman. Sincere and kind, without hesitation, she shares her 
genuine heart and brilliant mind openly with others. I so admire her sweet grace and self-respect, her profound wisdom, and her ability to make things happen. She is the published author of  We The Trees: Book 1- The Well of Time. Seven books, countless secrets.  
Her book speaks to the soul of women and girls of all ages and reminds us of our truth.
It is my honor and pleasure to share this interview with a goddess. 

5 Questions I ask of the Goddess in You:

1. How do you nurture & nourish your self so that you may embody the goddess?
I often think of Gaia and feel the great love that is present in all life.With that connected feeling of love I lean in and breathe deep. I let that beautiful pollen of life get all over me. Then I spread it every where I go!

2. What inspires you and expands your awareness?
I'm truly inspired when compassion meets courage. Being informed, calm and centered. Unflinching as I learn about the world, seeing what is, and how it is for all life. Then visualizing, working and originating all of my actions from that deep spiritual center. I'm inspired when I see others acting from this deep place of love. Creative life sustaining solutions. The vision to know that we can change all of this, all we have to do is change our minds.

3. Please share what poem, quote, song, or book both breaks & opens your heart?
I'd like to share a poem. A single line in this poem is particularly potent for me.
It's become my reset button.
Now is the Time by Hafiz
http://youtu.be/i2FY_acsSlI

Now is the Time

Now is the time to know
That all that you do is sacred.(emphasis added)

Now, why not consider
A lasting truce with yourself and God.

Now is the time to understand
That all your ideas of right and wrong
Were just a child's training wheels
To be laid aside
When you finally live
With veracity
And love.

Hafiz is a divine envoy
Whom the Beloved
Has written a holy message upon.

My dear, please tell me,
Why do you still
Throw sticks at your heart
And God?

What is it in that sweet voice inside
That incites you to fear?

Now is the time for the world to know
That every thought and action is sacred.

This is the time
For you to compute the impossibility
That there is anything
But Grace.

Now is the season to know
That everything you do
Is sacred.

4. What truth do you live by that brings you back to your center, your place of balance?
Meditation, time in nature and exercise help me stay centered. I don't know how else to keep my balance. A friend once told me. "Julie, your body is like a car. You wouldn't drive your car if it had flat tires would you? No, you'd get your car fixed. Your spirit is limited by poor performance in your body. Keep your body healthy and your spirit will be healthier to. It isn't spirit then body. It's body then spirit." I have been steadily adjusting my life ever since.

5. What are you creating now that may inspire your sistars?
I'm working on a seven book womens fiction series called, We the Trees. Women are the being called to step forward into leadership. The particular gifts housed by the feminine are required to lead humanity through this time and establish a more balanced world. I'm hoping this book series will help women to step into that role. To recognize our strengths and the gifts that each woman has to offer the world. You can't be replaced. The unique combination of personal experiences, education, background, and vision that you carry are unique to you. That combination has never been on earth before and it never will be again. You are needed and
now is the time.

Please share a personal blessing for my readers as closing to this interview.

This is a song taken from the pages of my book.
It is sung by The Veiled One. She is the third Queen
in a triad that takes leadership responsability for this
ancient band of women.

"Great Mother, from whom all life springs,
Bestower of existence.
Doorway of the mysterious feminine,
Goddess of the sea, air and soil,
Embodiment of wisdom, reason and purity,
Gather the souls of women-
From You flow the waters of life,
from You grow the ancient trees,
From You every bird takes flight.
All that we see is Your body.
Our bodies function as Yours:
Birth, life, death, renewal.
In our bodies have You set the seasons.
In our bodies the seas rise.
In our bodies age becomes wisdom.
In our bodies we see the cycles of the moon.
Great Mother, Ancient One, Bestower of Life-
We Your daughters gather here,
Servants of Your sacred purposes.
Unite our hearts, our minds, our spirits."


Bio:
Julie loves to ride horses, hike, spend time outdoors, watching the sun rise or set, walking along the sea, in meditation, reading and writing, spending time with her dogs, and dancing. She also enjoys working with water colors and sculpture. She is a visionary and sacred activist.  Her soul work for the past seventeen years has focused on exploring the forgotten relationship between our ancient mothers with their modern daughters. Many years of deep soul work and research at home and abroad bore fruit in the form of a seven book women’s fiction series about ancestral memory Julie is writing called, We the Trees. The first book, The Language of Ghosts is now ready for publication. http://wethetrees-bookseries.ning.com  Julie believes a rich heritage is largely lying dormant in the consciousness of modern women. Recently, Julie began traveling the country leading circle workshops called, Reclaiming Our Mothers. Restoring in participants awareness of the rich memory of the collective feminine passed down in the genetic inheritance we receive from our ancient mothers. Ancestral memory is the complete birth right of every woman who has ever lived.  Embarking on the greatest excavation of all time Julie wants to help women, reclaim our mothers. She believes the central issue of our time is the rebalancing of the feminine and masculine. Integral to that rebalancing is the awakening of women, as a gender, to their heritage, gifts and voice. Public speaking and leadership in externally focused positions have consistently been the focus of Julie’s career. Regular spots on a morning news program doing book reviews, organizing events and results oriented community involvement were key aspects of her most recent professional experience. Now, a returning full-time student Julie is working towards a long-term goal of advanced degrees in genetics and anthropology. 

We the Trees
Book I: The Well of Time "Now, is the time to remember."
ISBN: 9781452098234
http://wethetrees-bookseries.ning.com/
http://wethetrees-bookseries.blogspot.com/2009/05/endorsements.html
Facebook pages:
Julie Raymond
Group - We The Trees

The Goddess Speaks:

Persephone - by Ronnie Biccard

Persephone is the maiden goddess (Kore), who, while innocently picking flowers was abducted by Hades, (God-King of the Underworld). She was taken for his bride. Her mother Demeter (the Harvest Goddess -Queen of the Underworld), was outraged, as any mother would be. She elicited the help of the wise crone Hecate (Goddess of life/death/rebirth) and refused to allow the earth to blossom or fruit until her daughter was returned. She was found, yet because she had eaten a handful of pomegranate seeds while there, she was forced to spend part of each year in the Underworld with her new husband. Thus, when Persephone returns to the earth, Gaia blossoms profusely and bears sweet fruit. And when She must return to Hades, all dies or lies dormant until her return every spring.

Plato in Cratylus, calls her Pherepapha, "because she is wise and touches that which is in motion."

 Persephone speaks:
"I am no longer that vulnerable girl. My innocence was traded for wisdom. Though there were many tears, they now serve as precious drops of a sacred elixir, which awaken me every year. And it is from this deep slumber, this shaded area of life, that I am made fertile, that I am made whole. I am eternally youthful, as my spirit knows the value of light and dark, of life and death, of innocence and passion, of dying and rebirth. Do not fear change, beloved, however frightening it may seem. Do not allow past actions to imprison you forever. Break free from commonality, from wandering aimlessly, from what you imagined your life would be. Rejoice in your unique blossoming. Be renewed by your inner wells of hope and deeper purpose. Awaken from your 
long slumbers and dance with me. The days are growing longer... there is sweetness in the air. Breathe deeply... What are you reminded of? Yes! Remember who you ARE. Live it again!"

Poem or Quote:
National Poetry Month

Persephone the Wanderer  
by Louise Glück

In the first version, Persephone
is taken from her mother
and the goddess of the earth
punishes the earth—this is
consistent with what we know of human behavior,


that human beings take profound satisfaction
in doing harm, particularly
unconscious harm:


we may call this
negative creation.


Persephone's initial
sojourn in hell continues to be
pawed over by scholars who dispute
the sensations of the virgin:


did she cooperate in her rape,
or was she drugged, violated against her will,
as happens so often now to modern girls.


As is well known, the return of the beloved
does not correct
the loss of the beloved: Persephone


returns home
stained with red juice like
a character in Hawthorne—


I am not certain I will
keep this word: is earth
"home" to Persephone? Is she at home, conceivably,
in the bed of the god? Is she
at home nowhere? Is she
a born wanderer, in other words
an existential
replica of her own mother, less
hamstrung by ideas of causality?


You are allowed to like
no one, you know. The characters
are not people.
They are aspects of a dilemma or conflict.


Three parts: just as the soul is divided,
ego, superego, id. Likewise


the three levels of the known world,
a kind of diagram that separates
heaven from earth from hell.


You must ask yourself:
where is it snowing?


White of forgetfulness,
of desecration—


It is snowing on earth; the cold wind says


Persephone is having sex in hell.
Unlike the rest of us, she doesn't know
what winter is, only that
she is what causes it.


She is lying in the bed of Hades.
What is in her mind?
Is she afraid? Has something
blotted out the idea
of mind?


She does know the earth
is run by mothers, this much
is certain. She also knows
she is not what is called
a girl any longer. Regarding
incarceration, she believes


she has been a prisoner since she has been a daughter.


The terrible reunions in store for her
will take up the rest of her life.
When the passion for expiation
is chronic, fierce, you do not choose
the way you live. You do not live;
you are not allowed to die.


You drift between earth and death
which seem, finally,
strangely alike. Scholars tell us


that there is no point in knowing what you want
when the forces contending over you
could kill you.


White of forgetfulness,
white of safety—


They say
there is a rift in the human soul
which was not constructed to belong
entirely to life. Earth


asks us to deny this rift, a threat
disguised as suggestion—
as we have seen
in the tale of Persephone
which should be read


as an argument between the mother and the lover—
the daughter is just meat.


When death confronts her, she has never seen
the meadow without the daisies.
Suddenly she is no longer
singing her maidenly songs
about her mother's
beauty and fecundity. Where
the rift is, the break is.


Song of the earth,
song of the mythic vision of eternal life—


My soul
shattered with the strain
of trying to belong to earth—


What will you do,
when it is your turn in the field with the god?

Quote:
Mythological Persephone teaches us that every woman and girl has intuition and that we have the power
within us to grow and transform through adversity.  Her intuitive wisdom gives us the gifts of
introspection and self-reflection to help us make choices that maintain harmony and balance our in lives.
Beverley Danusis
http://aboutwisdom.mybigcommerce.com/products/Persephone-Doll.html


Herstory/Ancient Wisdom:
Teen Self Esteem Month

Mary Pickford -  Actress/Filmmaker
“The Woman Who Made Hollywood.”*

Gladys Smith age 6

Mary Pickford was born Gladys Smith on April 8, 1892, in Toronto, Canada. Her father, John Charles Smith died unexpectedly when she was five years old. Her mother Charlotte, who was left penniless had little option but to run a boarding house and take in sewing to provide for her three children (Gladys, Lottie and Jack). A boarder suggested that she put her children to work on the stage to supplement her income. She had great misgivings, yet, within a couple of weeks she and all three children were involved in a production at the Princess Theater. Her family was paid $8 a week. Gladys absolutely loved it!

Gladys Smith as The Littlest Girl 1900c 

For the next nine years, the 'family star' appeared in vaudeville, melodramas, sketches, and a road show production that traveled throughout the northeastern United States. During this time she became known as hardworking, bright, frugal and kind, yet also willful and ambitious.

“She was a very grown-up baby, she would gaze wide-eyed at my array of dresses, hanging on the dressing room wall, a different one for each performance, and two performances a day. ‘Mother,’ she would say plaintively, ‘do you suppose I will ever have pretty dresses like those?’”
Elsie Janis

A goal setter, by age 15 she was mature enough to travel on her own. Decidedly, she determined to work for David Belasco, one of New Yorks most famous producers. He was impressed with her quiet confidence and after first insisting she change her name, he happily welcomed her to Broadway. In the summer of 1907 she sent this cable addressed to her mother in Canada:

"GLADYS SMITH NOW MARY PICKFORD - ENGAGED BY DAVID BELASCO TO APPEAR ON BROADWAY THIS FALL."

'The Warrens of Virginia' was the only Belasco play she appeared in, yet it was very long running. Though it wasn't long before she set her goals on starring in a 'flicker'.1

In April, 1909, at age 17, she went to the American Biograph Company studio and asked D.W.Griffith for a job. He immediately arranged for a screen test, in which he personally applied her makeup. She was given a small part in a scene for a film that was shooting that very afternoon. When she declined his invitation to dinner he said: “Will you come back tomorrow? Our pay for everybody is five dollars a day. We pay only by the day.” To which she replied: “Mr. Griffith, I’m a Belasco actress and an artist. I must have ten.” According to Mary's account of this meeting, Griffith laughed and agreed. Before the whirlwind of a year was over, forty-two films were released (in which she performed more than one role a week). Despite all the attention, coveted roles, and even raises, she did not gain fame, because D.W.Griffith was the only star of his films, the actors were never even named! Yet, in January 1910, she moved with his troupe to California where she played everything from an Indian maiden to a Gibson goddess. During this time she met and fell in love with fellow actor, Owen Moore. They secretly wed in January 1911, when she was 18 and he was 23, much to her mothers chagrin.

After appearing in eighty Biograph shorts, she left and went to work with Carl Laemmle’s IMP company because he offered her more money and name recognition. Thirty-five films later she broke her contract. From 1913-16 Mary made twenty-one feature films for a company that later became Paramount Pictures. She was earning $2000 a week, plus a $10,000 bonus upon completion of each film. It was quite unusual for a woman at that time to be earning $150, 000 a year! She was the most famous woman in the world! She was known as "Little Mary" and hardly seem to age. She was adored for her innocent ways, her long ringlets and sweet beauty. In 1916 she signed a new contract, in essence making her partner with Zukor. With her mother assisting in her negotiations, all of her pictures were henceforth produced by the Pickford Film Corporation and released under Artcraft Pictures (a new company:under the Paramount corporate umbrella). Over the next two years of the contract, she made a minimum of one million dollars, and she was barely twenty-four years old!

Pickford with camera circa 1916

"I was forced to live far beyond my years when just a child, now I have reversed the order and I intend to remain young indefinitely."
Mary Pickford

Mary Pickford with close friend, Frances Marion, in 1917
Frances Marion wrote seventeen films for Mary. 

Despite the fact that both married to another, Mary and Douglas Fairbanks fell madly in love, and on March 28,1920, they were wed. In1925, Mary both starred in her first 'talkie': Coquette, and filmed her last silent movie: My Best Girl. Early 1927, She was one of the first actors to win an Oscar. Mary Pickford, along with Douglas Fairbanks, Louis B. Mayer, Cecil B. DeMille, among others became the founding members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and United Artists. In March,1928 Charlotte Hennessey Smith Pickford died, and Mary was inconsolable. After three months she cut off all her curls.

By age 41, Mary had divorced Fairbanks and on June 24, 1937, married Charles “Buddy” Rogers, a man  twelve years her junior who had pursued her relentlessly. Though she turned her attention to charity and no longer acted, she remained active on the board of United Artists, produced films, appeared on radio and wrote her autobiography, Sunshine and Shadow (1954).  The "Godmother of Hollywood" became more reclusive as years passed, though remained happily married to Buddy until the day she died, May 29, 1979, at her Santa Monica home. She was buried in the Garden of Memory of the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Mary Pickford in 1976 at The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards Ceremony 
where she graciously accepted an Honorary second Oscar.

Woman as Goddess:
Every woman is a goddess. It is up to us, individually, to claim it. The act of self-respect seems to be a major key in claiming this birthright. When we respect our selves, we act in ways that support us on all levels. For some, especially those who as little girls were abused or neglected in any way by others, it is not an easy thing to do. It requires courage. It may require guidance, by a strong woman who knows who she is and is able to remind, or free this knowing in others. Self respect is defined as "a proper sense of ones own dignity and integrity."  With self respect we like ourselves, not because of what we can do or have, but because of who we are. We listen to our inner wisdom, we trust our inner knowing, we believe in our value, we honor our worth. When we listen to our body and our emotions, and then act from this sacred place to achieve our goals, we are embodying the goddess within.

"The willingness to accept responsibility for ones own life is the source from which self respect springs...
To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves - there lies the great, singular power of self-respect."  
~Joan Didion

This month, practice standing in your place of power. Remember your core essence and do not falter from this place of balance. Speak from your heart. Think in non-linear ways, as women are circular, we spiral, trust the process, your journey. Honor and care for your body. Listen to your soul song, and believe in the truth of your spirit.

Beauty: 

We all know that true beauty comes from within. When our spirit is free to shine bright, we enter into a sacred space of peace, of bliss. When we honor our feelings, we tune in to our essence. When we calm our minds, we allow wisdom a voice. When we cherish our bodies, we glow with a renewed vibrancy and vitality.

After a long winter, our skin is craving some body love. Body love is simply caring for your self enough to give your lovely curves some much needed attention. For optimal health and well-
being we need to flow. Beneath the surface of our skin are our lymph glands, a system that relies on motion in order to function properly. A daily walk and gentle yoga stretches and a weekly massage are ideal. Just the thought of a weekly massage makes me beam! Unfortunately, I have yet to allow my self this needful indulgent. I dare say, neither have you.
Let's be open and creative in making that our reality! But until then, let's massage our selves.

The Benefits of the Luxurious Body Scrub:

* stimulates blood flow.  
* improves blood circulation
* creates a smoother surface
* removes dirt and dead skin cells
* imparts a healthy-looking, vibrant glow
* helps the body produce its own natural oils
* stimulates and circulates the lymph fluids to eliminate toxins


LUXURIOUS BODY SCRUB MIX 
Dry Ingredients: 
1/2 cup wheatgerm 
1/4 cup fine oat meal 
1 tablespoon rice flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon fine ground almonds
Combine ingredients and store in an airtight jar. This recipe makes many applications.
When you wish to apply the body scrub, simply place 2 tablespoons of the dry ingredient in a bowl and add any of the following wet ingredients, a little at a time,  to make a gritty paste.

Wet Ingredients:
natural yogurt, milk, cream, honey, olive oil, pureed apple or avocado..
Water can always be added if  mixture is too thick.
Directions:
Have body scrub prepared, undress and step into the shower. You may rinse off first or apply body scrub to your dry skin. Take some scrub into the palm of your hand, begin with your hands moving up your arms and shoulders. Carefully bend over and massage into toes, tops and sides of feet (avoid soles to prevent falls) and up each leg in long sweeping motions (avoiding your yoni area). Next, move your hands up your body, sweep up to your breasts, up your butt and as high as you can go on your back and sides. Then from your shoulders to your chest. Avoid your neck and face as this scrub may be too abrasive for delicate skin. Let the oil rest on your skin for a few minutes before rinsing it all away. Gently pat your skin dry and use an oil or moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated. Flaunt your radiance!

Health/Healing:
Women's Eye Health & Safety Month

Honey
The healing benefits of honey are vast and have been used since ancient times. Since I began drinking a daily homemade honey elixir, (every morning before breakfast and again at three in the afternoon) I have been experiencing more energy and less fatigue.

Honey Elixir
1 tablespoon local honey
2 ounces water
1-2 dashes organic cinnamon
Mix together and drink. It's delicious!


Some Amazing Benefits of Honey:
* has antioxidants.
* promotes eye health
* soothes a cough, sore throat
* has bactericidal properties
* assists to improve bowel function
* improves assimilation and digestive system
* is a powerful immune system booster
* replenishes energy, enhances physical stamina 
* has antiseptic, antioxidant and cleansing properties
* has a calming effect on the mind and promotes sleep
* combats oral pathogens and promotes oral health
* cures ailments and diseases by correcting health disorders
* possesses carcinogen-preventing and anti-tumor properties
* healing properties treat from head to toe; eye conjunctivitis to athlete foot

Honey in its natural unprocessed form, is made of fructose and glucose, of course, but you may be surprised that it contains 21 amino acids, 14 minerals (like copper, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium phosphorus), 11 enzymes, the B complex vitamins, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamins C, D, E and K, biotin, pantothenic acid, and pyridoxine. Honey is also high in soluble fiber. Sweet.


*Safety note:
Never give honey to infants or children under three years old.


Colour Therapy:
Aprils birthstone is the diamond. Diamond is the stone of innocence and represents purity, peace, fidelity, and serenity. It's colour is a white/clear light which sparkles with a rainbow prism.

In colour therapy, clear light is perfect as it contains all colours in harmony. With every colour present, it benefits each level of our being - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It helps us to release blockages so we can experience brilliance, radiance, clarity and transcendence. It is the colour of the awakened spirit, because it allows us to merge with the Divine Consciousness so we become an open channel connecting with Goddess, Great Spirit, Universe, Love and Nature. Known as the "White Light of Healing and Protection.", it opens our crown chakra,
raises the vibration of our consciousness and our body. It is good for everything, as our wise bodies in their innate intelligence, take whatever colours are needed to bring about healing and balance. Directing the prism light into to a part of our body that needs love is one of the fastest ways to bring about healing. Try it and see.

Metaphysical Properties:
* enlightenment
* consecration
* aligns aura fields
* offers inspiration
* assists truth-seeking
* aids with inner peace
* awakens clairvoyance
* aids in deep meditation
* protection against negativity
* purification and cleaning on all levels
* contact with higher self and spiritual helpers and the divine

Home/Sacred Space: 
National Decorating Month

Let's flow with the fresh and playful energies of the month to decorate our home and sacred spaces for spring. This can range from crisp, clean simplicity to playful whimsy. I love flowers, don't you? In honor of Ostare / Easter, decorate your table with a centerpiece.

Eoster Centerpiece
You will need:
a large, wide mouth jar or vase.
a smaller jar or vase (it must fit in large one).
a bouquet of fresh flowers
a package of jelly beans, assorted colours
a package of 'Peeps' (marshmallow bunnies)
Directions:
Place smaller container inside larger container. Carefully fill the small jar with water, just over half full. Fill the empty space between the small and large container with jelly beans. Next, place peeps side by side, facing out, around the inner chamber. Remove leaves from flowers, and cut stems on an angle at desired length and place in the jar with water. Voila! 
Special note- 
Feel free to make this your own. Peeps come in bright pink and yellow and jelly beans come in almost any colour, so depending on the look  you want, make choices accordingly. Daffodils, tulips, irises and roses are lovely spring flowers that offer many colour choices. Have fun. 

Kitchen Witchery:
National Garden Month 

Every home should have an herb garden. A kitchen window sill herb garden is not only easy to maintain, it is beautiful and very useful. Meals taste better enhanced with fresh herbs. You might also wish to grow mint for a refreshing tea.

Many interesting and inexpensive containers may be used to grow herb seeds or plants..
Some ideas: unique or foreign empty vegetable cans or tins; empty metal tea containers; terra cotta pots; empty aluminum cans (remove labels); chipped or cracked tea cups,  or even pint size milk cartons. You are limited only by your imagination. Some of the herbs I like to grow are: basil, thyme, rosemary, and cilantro.
.
Fresh Spring Herb & Salmon Quiche

Preheat the oven to 400F
Prebake a home-made or ready made pie shell for 8 minutes on a baking sheet.


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 leek, well rinsed and thinly sliced
2 spring onions, finely chopped on the angle
small jar of artichoke hearts, drained 
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cream
3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6  oz. smoked salmon, cut into small pieces
2 oz fresh goat cheese or feta

Directions:
Melt the butter or oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the spring onion and leeks, cook until soft and turning translucent. Add the artichoke hearts and cook until softened and slightly browned, another 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Beat the eggs in a bowl with the cream, dill, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour half of the egg mixture into the prepared crust. Bake in the oven until the filling is partially set, about 10 minutes. Scatter half the onion and artichoke mixture, the salmon and the goat cheese over the partially set egg mixture. Pour on the remaining egg mixture and then scatter the remaining onions, artichokes, salmon, and goat cheese over the egg. Bake until the center is set, another 25 minutes. If the crust is browning too fast, cover it with strips of foil. Cool for 5 minutes before cutting. Garnish with extra dill. Ovens and altitudes vary, so check as needed.

Create: 
National Poetry Month  
National Card & Letter Writing Month

Have you ever written a haiku? It's a Japanese form of poetry that does not rhyme, but instead follows a syllable pattern of 5-7-5. They seem to be the perfect poem to write this month as they usually focus on nature and the seasons. To begin, think of Spring. Write random words or phrases that come to mind, that speak of the essence of Spring. Such as: billowing clouds, blue birds, blossoming branches, moist earth, lady bug, gentle rain, fresh scent, dancing winds, flowing streams, song on the breeze. Then think of what feeling or experience you wish to convey as you form the three lines. After you write your haiku, draw or create art to accompany it and then, give it away.

delicate buds open
upon the once naked limbs
beauty blossoms anew

This is mine. I'm enclosing it as a book mark, along with a letter to my mother.
Though I tell her often how much I love her, sometimes, written words speak louder.


Gaia, our beloved Mother Earth:

Redbud tree

My words rained over you, stroking you. 

A long time I have loved the sunned mother-of-pearl of your body.
I go so far as to think that you own the universe.
I will bring you happy flowers from the mountains, bluebells,

dark hazels, and rustic baskets of kisses...

I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.

Pablo Neruda

a snippet from my journal:
Spring comes shyly to Colorado... and then suddenly, with an aching recognition, I see signs that she is near... The grasses are greening sweetly, a family of crocus or daffodil peek from rich soil, still sheathed in brilliant green leaves, blossoms bud on naked branches, and curled, tiny green leaves appear every where. It's been unusually warm the last few weeks, and I know that despite the 80 degree temperature today, tonight it may snow. As much as my heart longs to lay with spring beauties, I secretly whisper, "Wait, fragile darlings, the meanness of winter is not yet over." Reverently I pray for gentle rains. In the coming weeks, I plan to spend hours beneath the red bud tree. Perhaps, a picnic spread upon a pretty cloth beneath her fragrant branches will awaken that something waiting within... Something stirs and I know change is the catalyst I need to grow. Upon the blank pages of my journal I will capture the essence of spring. And, just maybe, the magick she knows will rub off on me...
In honor of Gaia, my beloved earth mother, I am going to plant a tree, start a window sill herb garden, and celebrate her beauty by taking photographs, sketching in my journal and breathing
in the early morning while sitting upon the earth quietly meditating. I need time alone with Her.

The Realm of Fae:

Free Images by Magpie - On The House
http://magpieonthehouse.blogspot.com/

Here is a fairy queen overseeing all the little fairy sprouts 

that will soon populate the enchanted forest.

Tarot or Oracle Message:

The Buried Seed -
What holds you back. What you need to get rid of in order to create space in your life. 
Could be acts or attitudes
The Breakthrough – 
Wake the dormant seed. What you must  wake up inside yourself that has been sleeping. 
This is something you need in order to grow.
Nurturing Growth – 
What you need more of in order to grow. How you can deepen your roots.
Blooming – 
Time to come out of hibernation. Live more consciously. 
How to let your inner beauty shine forth.
Your Environment – 
What is growing around you and how can it inspire you?
The Vase –
How can I give something back?
Using your favorite oracles, delve into your centered place within and discover ways to ensure your flourishing and blossoming. If you don't have cards, just listen for your answers. Signs and messages 
are there if we simply pay attention. 

If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden.

Altar:

Ostara Altar by the beautiful RaeVynn Sands 

I love the energies of this altar. If you look at the back of the altar, you'll see the four elements arching as though they were sacred guardians.

The candle represents the element of FIRE
White for purity, cleansing, renewal, and blessings.
The censer represents the element of AIR.
Incense to carry our fragrant prayers.
The bell represents the element of EARTH
Metal for strength, foundation and support.
The bowl represents the element of WATER
Life to refresh, sustain, and awareness

The two blades lay sheathed, like SPIRIT -
ready to cut through the seen and unseen that may attempt to hinder our growth.

The Ostara Altar represents WOMAN
Balancing masculine and feminine energies with the Goddess Diana.
She stands naked, unashamed of her beauty and grace,
yet holds arched a bow, proud of her strength and stealth in hunting as well as protecting.

She offers four gifts to us:
The red butterfly speaks of the slow journey of life lessons
and the beauty of grace that blesses us all with the gift of transformation.
The egg, a symbol of our fertile energies, our hidden treasure,
our protective shield that yields when we are ready to break free.
The rabbit, reveals hidden teachings, intuitive messages
as well as grants productive creativity.
And the bouquet of wildflowers which remind us that seasons change,
things live and die, and the importance of living in the present moment with joy and celebration.

Ritual:

100 Blessings Ritual

This is a simple but powerful ritual which causes "a flow of blessings".
Use 100 stones for this ritual.
Gather all the stones in a pile in a quiet place. Have ready a container to hold them as the ritual progresses. Light a candle and state your intent to celebrate one hundred blessings.

Pick up the first the stone, hold it in your hand, and name your first blessing.
For example: "I am grateful for the gift of life."
Kiss the stone and place it in the container chosen for your "100 blessings", then pick up the next stone. "I am grateful for the gift of sight."
Continue on, naming your blessings until you have run out of stones.
Take a moment to be grateful for your 100 blessings.
Remember: Anytime you wish, you can count yourself blessed.

Chant & Meditation:

Spring Goddess Invocation

Meditation in Hyacinths

Journal Question/Theme:
What is changing in my life? Am I going with the flow or fighting against unseen forces? How can I honor the sacredness of play? What did I enjoy doing as a girl? In what way can I take a chance, today? What makes me shine? What makes me feel like dancing? Am I listening to my spirit? What wisdom do I hear? Write 4 things to do this month that I've not done before or in a very long time? Where is my center? How can I get there more often? What are my ideal, basic daily needs? Do I love myself enough to devote the time and resources needed? What has my inner maiden taught me? Do I really respect my self? What does that mean to me? What changes would occur if I respected myself from now on? How have I grown since last year?

Your Homework for the Month:
* grow beyond your limits
* accept yourself exactly as you are now
* create a dream board
* practice gratitude
* celebrate spring
* change something in your surroundings
* pay attention and be open for sudden joy


Prayer/Blessing:
Prayer to the Goddess of Spring
We hail the Goddess of spring,
of vibrancy, of stirring bounty,
of the waking earth,
that readies itself for the seed.
We hail the Goddess of sunshine,
and cycles, and changes,
and all good and terrifying things.
We pray for fertility in our works,
of minds, and hearts, and hands.
We pray for blessings,
and the gift
of hope's manifestation.
We hail the Goddess of spring,
as Her bounty covers the land.
Eostre, be Thou praised.
© Galina Krasskova


My Blessing For You:
May you be at peace.
May you be full of joy.
May you dance with life.
May you dance awake your dreams.
May you sing your true soul song.
May you sing to the earth and sky.
May you know you are beautiful.
May you know that you are loved.
namaste

Goddess Bless.

notes:
*Eileen Whitfield called Mary Pickford "The Woman Who Made Hollywood." in her 1997 biography
1 'Flicker' = silent movie