Friday, June 28, 2013

The Unfinished Art

Hello All!
Feeling a lot of love today!!!!!!!
And wanted to share it!
I know that most Artist don't like to share a painting before it is finished......but...today that's the point.
We can love this creation (All Creation)
AS IT IS. 
Finished or not.
Love unconditionally!
I am unfinished just as this painting.......I share myself with you in the same way everyday.
I LOVE YOU AS YOU ARE!
~Blessed Be~
Mary Willoughby

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Radiate Your Light On The World!

There are No limits!
Shine Boldly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
~Blessed Be~

Monday, June 17, 2013

Summer Solstice/Midsummer

     The Fire Festival, the longest day of the year, another ancient tradition stretching back to neolithic times, and is shared by cultures all over the world. Fertility rituals and bonfires abound across the globe on this sacred day.
     Celebrations occur between June 21st and 25th depending on the culture. In some places it is one of the most celebrated holidays of the year next to the Winter Solstice/Yule, which occurs in the southern hemisphere as the northern has summer solstice, and vice verse.
Also called Litha, a word that can be traced to the Anglo-Saxon name for the month of June. A Sabbath in the wheel of the year, one of the many celebrated by today's growing Wicca community. Golden flowered midsummer plants like Calendula and St. Johns Wart were celebrated for their healing powers and are picked on this night. Many people gather yearly at Stonehenge for this occasion.
     Vikings visit wells thought to have healing powers.
     Greeks celebrated Cronus the god of agriculture. 
     For the Egyptians, this coincides with the raising of the Nile. Festivals in honor of Isis and Osiris celebrate abundance and fertility. 
     In Latvia they jump over the bonfires, (a commonality seen in many different cultural festivals). There are many traditions as to what one should do here regarding good harvest, attracting a spouse, and predicting the future. People make wreaths of birch and oak for the celebrations. For the women, wreaths of flowers and the men, wreaths of Oak. Since the year 2000, in the western town Kuldiga, part of the Midsummer Latvian festival of Ligo, they mark the day by running through the street nude!
     In Poland wreaths are very popular also, and young maidens cast them into the Baltic sea, lakes or rivers.
     In Lisbon it is custom to celebrate multiple marriages. These marriages could be well into the hundreds
     In some areas an important feature is the midnight sun which is an occurrence during this time of the year. 
The Midnight sun is a natural phenomena that occurs at the Earths most southern and northern regions.
 Most accessible to view in the Arctic circle, in places like, the United states (Alaska) Canada (Yukon, Northwest territories, and Nunavut), Russia, Sweden, Denmark (Greenland) Finland and extremities of Iceland.  
     Norwegians celebrate this day by lighting bonfires along the coast. They would keep the fire burning through out the few hours of darkness so the legendary trolls could not return from the stones were they had been trapped.
These are just a few of the cultures that hold festivals honoring these ancient traditions.There are countless others.What traditions are held in your part of our wondrous world ? 

Marigolds

Buds are starting to open!
Started from seeds.
Will be planting more flowers ASAP.
Need some more Bees!

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Wiccan, Witch, Pagan. Which are you?

So whats the difference? Is there one? Yes.
     If you are Wiccan you are a Witch, but if you are a Witch that dose not necessarily mean you are Wiccan. Wicca follows a rede, and the path is most often associated with the teachings of Gerald Gardner and/or Alex Sanders.
    Witches do not follow this rede and the path is not associated with the Gardnerian or Alexandrian teachings. It follows a hereditary path and its teachings are not shared among the public.
     Being Pagan could be associated with both or neither.
   
     Witch, in Old English was Wicca, (masculine), Wicce ,(feminine), and in Middle English was Wicche.
In ancient times, to be the Witch, or the wise one in the village, was someone that was prized by their community. People went to the Witch for many many reasons including divination, rituals and medicines for healing, fertility, protection. They were the midwives and healers of the land, applying their knowledge of roots, herbs, barks and minerals and evoking the great cyclic energies of the universe, and/or calling to the spirits of their ancestors to the benefit of those around them.
To be a witch and employ the use of witchcraft is now known as the practices of the Pagans.
     Pagan in ancient times was used to describe a person that lived in a rural area or village then called paganus, coming from the Latin pagus which meant village district.
     Over time it came to be a term used to describe a civilian in the community as opposed to a soldier.
Further through time it was used to refer to a person that worshiped the old gods, as opposed to worshiping the Christian or Jewish monotheistic god.
Still, these terms are used synonymously with someone that dose not follow the Abramatic beliefs and follows the polytheistic system. It has further come to be used to refer to a person with no religion or no belief of god/gods such as an Atheist.
   
     In my opinion, being one, two, all or none of the above doesn't make a person stronger or better than the other. The path you choose does not determine your worth.


Monday, June 10, 2013

Random Thoughts

     Everything is made of energy, each atom a various expression of it. Each one with its own unique frequencies and vibrations. Allowing all energy to manifest into physical/visible form, or life. What we “see” depends on its frequency or level of vibration, and our perspective of it.
Matter collects in space where there is the least vibration, similar to the experiment I posted the other day the sand/salt collects in the areas that have the least vibration, and creates visual patterns. Just like what we “see” when we look outside.
     Life, expressions of energy slowed down enough to be seen in form, creating works of art before our eyes.
We are ALL are part of this “song”! The silver linings of the greatest symphony ever composed!

Mary Willoughby

Saturday, June 8, 2013

To The Readers

Thank you all for reading and sharing! You all are so great! You inspire me!
I hope you all have found inspiration too!!!!!

THANK YOU!
~Blessed Be~

Yesterday in the Garden

Wow! We have been Blessed! The Garden is looking great! Shout out to my Husband, Great job babe!

Peppers

Tomatos gone wild, and some herbs.

This one found a spot all his own!

Wow!

We'll be having fresh veggies tonight!

Yum!
May you all be blessed with the full bounty of Nature!
~Blessed Be~

Thursday, June 6, 2013

First Harvest

     First Harvest! In the bags on the back row and to the right are four different kinds of lettuces, and one bag of cabbage. Radishes, beans, and pickle cucumbers to the left and center! These were grown by my husband, great job babe!
     
     The culmination of elements giving life to all the universe! I am ever grateful to be a participant in this grand design.
     Divine reality, living nourishment from a Living Earth, an oasis of life in the heavens.
~Blessed Be~

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Purple Hibiscus Blooms

     Well the first flowers bloomed today, among my trees that is. I have a grand purple hibiscus tree in my back yard that is about 9 ft tall by now! Here are her first blossoms!
Had to hold my camera over my head to get these shots!
Wow! Beau has grown!
And yes Beau is her name.


Hope that you all had a wonderful day!
May Magic Blossom All Around!
~ Blessed Be ~