Kirsty Mitchell

A braw bricht moon licht nicht

2011-03-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

There are many traces of moon beliefs and moon homage still current and alive today. Our Scottish ancestors have been known not to kill farm animals at the wane of the moon, as they believed the animal would be without taste. Neither would they cut hazel, willow or pine to make creels, baskets and boats, in the waning of moon, as they believed the wood would become crumbly. Instead our ancestors did all of these tasks at the waxing or at the full moon. This reserved the new moon for tasks such as cutting peat, shearing sheep and reaping corn. Our ancestors were observant of the facts of nature and took great guidance from the land and the skies.

“ Glory to thee for ever,

Thou bright moon, this night;

Thyself art ever,

The glorious lamp of the poor”

Skip forward a few hundred years and recent press reports suggest that, mainstream agriculture is on its way out, due to fossil fuel scarcity and sustainability issues. Biodynamic farming goes beyond traditional organic methods. Animals are encouraged to roam freely and are given homeopathic remedies, not pharmaceutical medicine. The quality and sustainability of crops is said to be enhanced by choosing cosmically correct days to sow seeds or harvest.

So next time you are out moon gazing, take a few moments to give thanks to the moon’s guiding light and to our intuitive and preceptive ancestors.

Magic

2011-03-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

Regardless of time or place, magic is based on the understanding that behind the ordinary, everyday world, there exists another dimension or otherworld, a spiritual domain that is said to coexist with our ordinary lives. Magic is also a word we often use to describe a beautiful sunset, breathtaking mountains, leafy forests or a wintry landscape transformed by a carpet of twinkling snow. It may also be how we refer to a special moment in our lives, such as a great holiday, birth of a child or excelling in our studies or work. All of these experiences, however diverse or contrasting, have something in common. They touch us deeply by captivating, surprising and delighting us. We may also use the term magic to express our sense of wonderment at creation and our place in it. Whenever and however we experience magic or tap into it’s beautiful and perfect dimension, we can say that we are for that moment, at one with ourselves and with the inner nature of the beings that make up the universe, the spiritual part of all things that are cosmic and eternal.

Be your own master magician! Step outside your everyday reality, connect with something precious and much bigger than your little self. We are all equally blessed and entitled to feel that, for this moment at least, all is right with the world.

Desiderata

2011-03-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

Go placidly amid the noise

and the haste and remember

what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others,

even the dull and ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,

they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself to others

you become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater

and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as

your plans. Keep interested

in your career however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise

caution in your business affairs,

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you

to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself, especially do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the council of the years gracefully

surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture the strength of spirit to shield you

in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself

with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue

and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be; and whatever your labours

and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life,

keep peace with your soul.

With all its shams, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy

Max Erhmann