Spring Equinox

This coming Sunday, the 20th March, sees the astrological event known as the Spring Equinox, an occasion when there are equal hours of light and darkness. The word 'equinox' stems from two Latin words: 'aequus' meaning equal and 'nox' meaning night.

The equinox, was an occasion marked by the neolithic inhabitants of these isles and for those who acknowledge the festival today it is important on three counts:

• It acts as the mid point marker of the sun's journey from winter through to summer (opposite if you are in the southern hemisphere)


• It has been essential in the calculation of the Christian festival of Easter for centuries (more about that next time)


• It coincides with the sewing of many crops in the farming calendar.

From this point on until the autumnal equinox in September daylight hours will exceed those of darkness and the long cold days of winter will once again slip into the memory archives.

This is a time to bring a sense of balance into your life between work and play, between relationships and self. It is also time to put all the plans into action that you have made during the dark days and seeing your dreams rise along with the sap.

Happy Equinox!

Clearing the Air

Although it is still strictly speaking winter time, there's something about entering the month of March that makes us turn our thoughts towards spring. As a result many of us think about the inevitable spring clean, but is it enough just to clean our homes of dust and grime or should we be looking to actually cleanse the space we live in on an energy level too?

Just as we like to feel healthy and energetic, our homes too benefit from free flowing energy and fortunately clearing the air can be both a simple and rewarding task that most of us can manage to fit into our busy lifestyles. Below are just a few ideas.

• Fill a small dish with water and add to it a teaspoon of salt. If you would like to add a pleasant aroma then essential oil of Cypress or Frankinense is recommended for their cleansing properties. Walk clockwise around each room sprinkling the salted water into all the dark corners whilst saying the following: 'Cleanse this place, my sacred space'.


• Ring a bell, play a singing bowl, clap your hands, drum, or sing in each room as the vibration on sound will raise the energy.


• Light a smudge stick (a bunch of tied sage) or an incense stick and walk clockwise around the room, chanting the words above.


• If you are a reiki practitioner you can use reiki energy to cleanse your room or if not you can simply use the power of visualise a bright white light illuminating your home and clearing all negativity.


• You may wish to place crystals in the corners of your room, each of which carry their own vibrations although clear quartz is reknowned for space clearing.

Happy Spring Clearing!

Coping with Grief

At Last it is the first day of March! The last two months have been dark for many, myself included, not only because of it being winter but also because my Mum passed away on the 5th January, an event which has changed many aspects of my life.

Until you lose someone close you can never really understand how it feels and grief affects different people in different ways, manifesting in all kinds of physical aches, pains and peculiar ailments to which there apparently seems no rhyme or reason, besides the heart rending pain of emotional loss. It is a time when everyone who is grieving should treat themselves gently and allow themselves time to cry, perhaps to be angry but hopefully come to find an acceptance and understanding of an event which is always life changing.

Nothing initially will ever take away the raw pain of loss but burning aromatic essential oils can have a profound effect on the psyche. Burning the following oils either alone or in combination on an incense burner or aromastone is recommended as long as NOT MORE than 6 drops are used at anyone time in a little water.

Cypress: Cleanses the air, lifts the atmosphere and clears any negative energies, associated with having to cope with hospitals, funeral parlours, crematoriums etc. It also has the reputation of bringing about an acceptance of death and was always revered by the ancients as having the ability to carry the soul of the departed on its journey.

Rose: Fills the heart with love and helps us to remember that the essence of our loved one is never lost.

Bergamot: Uplifts the soul and helps to ease depressive states that may descend following the passing of someone close.

Bach Flower Remedies may also help, especially the following:

Sweet Chestnut: For extreme anguish

Star of Bethlehem: For shock

(take these in accordance with instructions on the bottle)

May everyone who is suffering take comfort from the fact that you are not alone and that the Divine essence which resides in nature can help to ease the burden in some small way.

Full Moon celebration

Sunday 28th February 2010 heralds the time of the full moon, a time for action. The full moon is an auspicious time for bringing your immediate plans to fruition. Now is the time to go out on the date you planned and arranged during the first 14 days of the new moon, now is the time to write the letter, send the text or apply for the job. Seize the power of moonlight and take action to make your dreams a reality.

To the Celts this was known as the 'storm' or 'snow' moon. Although this was a time of great concern, for them, as they were still in the grips of winter and food supplies were often running low, they did acknowledge a stirring within the earth. This stirring they attempted to encourage with drumming and chanting in order to calm the storms and hasten the spring.

This full Moon is seated in the sign of Virgo and is an excellent time for seeking employment, begininning a new educational pursuit or reassessing your health and diet. It is auspicious for dealing with business matters,the law and carrying out healing rituals for the intestines, thoracic spine or nervous system.

Luna

I am the nectar

That sweetens your dreams,

I am the rainbow

That colours your tears,

I am the cloud

That carries the storm.

I am knowledge,

I am Goddess.

(From Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries)

Natural Healing for Sciatica

This week I've been asked for help regarding sciatic nerve pain. Sciatica can be both excrutiating and, rather annoyingly, take many forms. These include:

• Pain radiating out from the lower back
• Pain in the buttocks especially when sitting or rising
• Pain or numbness down the legs
• Pain or numbness in the feet and toes

There are of course many pathways you can take to ease the pain, although sciatica is often one of those things that often rights itself albeit after 6-8 weeks. Manipulative complementary and orthodox approaches include:

• Physiotherapy
• Osteopathy
• Chiropractic
• Bowen Technique
• Acupuncture

Mrs Darley however was always an advocate for vinegar and often recommended it for all kinds of ailments (it had to be the right kind though!) and for both sciatica and arthritis she recommended the use of cider vinigar in either of the following ways:

As a preventative:

1 teaspoon cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon honey in 1/2 cup hot water to drink first thing in the morning.

To ease the pain:

2 teaspoon cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey in a sitz (very shallow) bath to which a handful of dried nettle leaves are added.

My own remedies would include the use of essential oils, although care must be taken NOT to massage the area only to stroke the oils in gently twice a day in the following dilution:

2 drops lavender, 2 drops German Chamomile (Roman will suffice if you can't get German), 1 drop Basil blended into 2 teaspoon of carrier oil such as sweet almond or grapeseed.

Do NOT use the essential oils if you are pregnant and please do NOT exceed the suggested dose.

For those who prefer less hands on and a more esoteric approach carrying a piece of malachite may help.

Take care and hope this helps.

The return of the Maiden

The month of February is often looked upon as being the worst of the winter months as far as the weather is concerned. It does however have several high spots by way of ancient festivals, many of which are associated with new beginnings and all of which we can still celebrate in our own individual ways today.

The Celtic fetsival of Imbolc was always celebrated with the birth of the first lamb, which heralded a much welcomed event for our ancestors especially when they were still in the grips of a harsh winter. For today's Pagans the commemoration of this occasion normally runs from sunset on the 1st, to sunset on the 2nd february. It is a time when the return of the Goddess in her maiden form is celebrated and is often associated with the Irish Celtic Goddess Bride (Bridget), the patron of healing, smiths and poets.

In your celebrations drink white wine, elerflower cordial or milk and eat white meats or treat yourself to a creamy sweet treat. Reinvent the Maiden aspect of yourself by doing something that makes you feel young and acknowledge Bride by writing poetry or indulging in craft work.

We are of course all familiar with the romantic St Valentine's Day on the 14th February, but less is known about the following day which marked the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia.

To the Romans the month of February was named after the Latin word 'februa' meaning 'purification' and on the 15th February that is exactly what the festival of Lupercalia entailed. Here the lusty priests of the Goat footed God, Pan, would run around the streets whipping maidens with their goat skin thongs in order that they might become both purified and fertile.

If you feel the need to celebrate this festival then please be at liberty to do so as you wish, although a public display of goatskin thong thrashing is probably not the way to go!

In the Christian calendar, the beginning of the period of Lent normally falls during February, a time associated with resistance from pleasure until Easter Sunday. If therefore you intend to adhere to a period of abstinance during this time, the tempting delights of pancakes with the most sumptuous of fillings is a must on Shrove Tuesday.

The Return

Deep within the earth She sleeps,
Dreaming dreams of her awakening.

Deep within the earth She calls,
The snowdrops from their slumber.

Deep within the earth She breathes,
The frosted breath of morning.

Deep within our soul She lights
The spark which sets us free.

(From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers' )