To be beautiful means to be yourself. Thich Nhat Hanh positive affirmation quote

"To be beautiful means to be yourself, You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself"
Thich Nhat Hanh

Very wise words with that quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, I don't think they need much extra comment from me. You have a Goddess inside you, let her shine. You are beautiful, you are a wonderful gorgeous human being, look in the mirror and tell yourself that.
Blessings, Alison

You can walk upon this planet safe and secure, always moving forward toward your greater good. Louise Hay positive affirmation

"As your understanding of life continues to grow, you can walk upon this planet safe and secure, always moving forward toward your greater good." Louise Hay

I love Louise Hay's positive affirmations, I think if we each read one of her affirmations to start our day with the world would be a much happier and peaceful place! Affirmations made on a daily basis do help to change the way we look at the world around us and the way that we look at ourselves. Remember that your soul or inner self is paying attention to everything and the more positive things that we can surround ourselves with the more our soul will take notice of the positive and put a greater weight on that rather than the negative.

This is Louise Hay's website where you can receive a daily affirmation http://www.louisehay.com/affirmations/

I also have her Power Thought cards and Wisdom cards. These are a lovely deck of cards that you can flick through and just find one that jumps our at you. I often pick one up and stick it on the fridge for a day or too to remind me of my positive intentions for that day. 

Here are a few examples of hers from my packs:

Everything is working out for my highest good. Out of this situation only good will come. I am safe.

I deserve the best and I accept the best now.


When we create harmony in our own minds and hearts we will find it in our lives. The inner creates the outer. Always.

You can find these wonderful packs of cards here:

Developing an attitude of gratitude. Brian Tracy Gratitude Quote

“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”

I posted about gratitude a couple of days ago and I have to admit, even though I really believe the importance of gratitude I had really gotten out of the practice of doing it on a regular basis. So since then I have been making a point of practising my gratitude. Very simply I have just been thinking of three things that I have been grateful for that day just as I have turned out my light and I am about to go to sleep. It means that I am going to sleep with happy thoughts in my head instead of all the worries and stresses and strains that have gone on during the day. There are always ups and downs in everyone's day and often the bad far out ways the good and it is very hard to feel you have anything to be grateful for. However you can usually find three things, they can be just three very small things like the fact that you remembered to pay that overdue bill, you smelt new mown grass for the first time, the lady at the checkout gave you a big smile and asked how your day was, your daughter sent a text to say she loved you.

So I have found that since I have been doing this I do actually feel happier! I am developing an attitude of gratitude! I am a migraine sufferer and I know that colours my view of my days often and sometimes I can feel very down so I am going to really keep on trying to do this so that even on the really bad days I think of positive things that have happened that I can feel grateful for and happy about. Even if I have been in bed all day with the curtains drawn I still may have managed to hug my kids before they went to school or stroked the cat and heard her purr at me or squinted at the moon! 

So what do have to show gratitude for today?

You can read some of Brian Tracy's wonderful blog here http://www.briantracy.com/

I found this wonderful gratitude prayer written by Dianne Furphy

‘Today I start to recognize more and more of my blessings. I am grateful today and everyday for all of my life experiences, people and all that crosses my path. For I am most grateful to wake up today knowing I have this chance to have another day to live. Thank you for this life, I am most grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you.’

I hope you have enjoyed this post on gratitude and that it has inspired you to develop an attitude for gratitude, I am certainly trying to get into the practice, it is worth it, just try it for a little while and see if it works for you.

One of Brian Tracy's excellent books is here:

May you overcome every darkness you face in your life with the light of your soul. Prem Tihan quote

May you overcome every darkness you face in your life with the light of your soul. ~ Prem Tihan

Your soul is beautiful, your soul is full of light, allow it to light up your life, light up the world around you and overcome any obstacles that you have to face and any darkness that is near you. Blessings to you, AstarteAlison

Artwork Megan Thompson, model Carys Thompson

We are Divine enough to ask and we are important enough to receive. Wayne Dyer Manifesting Quote

We are Divine enough to ask and we are important enough to receive.

Wayne Dyer

We are all part of the Divine and we are all wonderful deserving human beings. We are all worthy of love and worthy of al wonderful life, we just need to ask for it and believe that we are worthy of that love and that life.  We have to let go of limiting beliefs that hold us back from attaining the life that we wish to live. "We’ve all developed mental habits of fear, judgment, getting angry at people for no reason, and feeling threatened. With the working out of divine love, we start seeing these habits for what they are; then we start correcting our thoughts. Finally, we start acting on the corrections."Wayne Dyer Blog

Believe in yourself you are wonderful and you are worthy, you are important and you have an important role to play in this life.

Wayne Dyer has written many wonderful books that help you on your spiritual journey, among them are Wishes Fulfilled. By practicing the specific technique for retraining your subconscious mind, you are encouraged to not only place into your imagination what you would like to manifest for yourself, but you are given the specifics for realigning your life so you can live out your highest calling and stay connected to your Source of being. From the lofty perspective of your highest self, you will learn how to train your imagination in a new way.

Your wishes - all of them - can indeed be fulfilled. By using your imagination and practicing the art of assuming the feeling of your wishes being fulfilled, and steadfastly refusing to allow any evidence of the outer world to distract you from your intentions, you will discover that you, by virtue of your spiritual awareness, possess the ability to become the person you were destined to be.

Another favourite of mine is Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.'Wayne Dyer For years Wayne Dyer has been researching the power of intention, the energy that surrounds all of us. He tells us how we can train ourselves to tune into this energy and step beyond our minds and egos. When we do this we become what Dyer calls 'Connectors' and make ourselves available to the energy of success.Connectors are the people whom everyone sees as lucky, the people who get all the breaks. They don't say, 'With my luck, everything will go wrong,' they just know things will go well. They trust an invisible force that will be all-providing and just don't attract negativity to themselves. This book is full of dynamic steps that we can use to tap into this transformational energy.This book explores intention - not as something you do - but as an energy you're part of. We're all intended here through the invisible power of intention. This is the first book to look at intention as a field of energy you can access to begin co-creating your life!

Image http://www.istockphoto.com -->

You are a Divine magnificent masterpiece.Marie Cornelio Quote

You are a Divine magnificent masterpiece, allow the part of you that is deeply powerful, loving, intuitive and receptive to flow, expand and then live from that place. ~ Marie Cornelio

You are a wonderful person, believe in yourself and feel your deep power within the depths of your soul. It is the full moon as I am writing this and I can feel a deep sense of the celestial Full Moon energy all around me,  our moon surrounding us and bathing us in her amazing force. Tap into her deep beautiful energy as you tap into your own. Feel your own energy expand in tune with Mother Nature, you are one with the Universe, the Universe is one with you, a living breathing force of existence. You are beautiful,  deeply powerful, loving and intuitive. Enjoy the feeling of being at one with the Divine. Full Moon blessings to you, AstarteAlison

April Full Moon Names: Pink Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, Peony Moon

April Full Moon Names

The full moon in April is known by many names according to what was most important to the native peoples at the time of that full moon. Some Native Americans called this moon the pink moon because of the flowers that were widespread at this time of year. This was the ground phlox, commonly known as herb moss or Pink. The full moon in April was also called the Egg moon because of the association to Oestara and Easter. It was also called the Full Sprouting Grass Moon as this was when the grasses would start to spring into life. Amongst coastal tribes it was called the Full Fish Moon as this was the time that the Shad, which is a type of herring, swan upstream to spawn. The April Full Moon was also often known as the seed moon as this was the time for planting seeds in a lot of farming communities.  In the Southern hemisphere the April full moon was known as the Harvest Moon, Hunter’s Moon and Blood Moon

Other names for the April full moon from around the world include:

Chinese: Peony Moon

American Indian (Choctaw) :Wildcat Moon

American Indian (Dakatohah Sioux) :

Moon When Geese Return in Scattered Formation

Celtic :Growing Moon

English Medieval: Seed Moon

Pagan: Awakening Moon

Colonial American: Planter's Moon

 Source:moon names

A lovely exercise for you for this full moon is to pick a name that resonates with you particularly and focus your intent on that name. You may like one of the names that the April moon has already been given or you may like to make one up of your own, I quite like the idea of Daffodil Moon as there are so many lovely blooms around me at the moment, but I also loved the Dakotah Sioux name, that Native American moon description conjures up such a lovely image of Geese flying in the sky! Whatever name you choose make it your own, draw strength from the wonderful full moon in all her glory. The beautiful Full Moon brings a time of brilliance and blossoming. It is a period of personal contentment, but also a time to search for the deeper meanings in your life.

One huge universe and I had the privilege to meet you! Quote

This goes out to all my friends and family, feel free to share it with yours!

One huge universe and I had the privilege to meet you!

I thank you for being in my life, being my friend and my support through thick and thin. You are very important to me and I love you.

You are amazing, well-being quote

You are amazing, don't ever lose what makes you you.

You are amazing

We are all individual, unique in every sense of the word. We all have our place on this earth and our part to play within it. Every role is important, no role is more important than any other, what you are doing right now in your life is what makes you you and that is unique. 

Just as the daffodil springs to life from the soil in the spring, so you can bloom and shine with a life full of colour and beauty.

People are as wonderful as sunsets. Well being quote Carl R Rogers

“People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I don't find myself saying, "Soften the orange a bit on the right hand corner." I don't try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds.”

You are wonderful, you are as beautiful as every sunset, allow the beauty of your life to slowly unfurl, don't try to push it, it will happen exactly as it should.Don't let your life control you and don't let any person or thing in your life control you. You are in control you are strong, you are beautiful, and you are amazing. Allow the Goddess within you to shine!

Acknowledging the good that you have. Gratitude and abundance quote. Ekhart Tolle

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” Ekhart Tolle.

This is a lovely quote on the subject of gratitude and abundance. It is very easy to get down in our day to day lives: problems seem unsurmountable, grief seems terrible, pain is awful, monotony is a treadmill, stress is uncontrollable.  All of those things will be true for each of us probably at some point along life's path, although hopefully not all at once! A lot of us live with daily pain, daily grief, daily stress etc and it often does seem hard to feel that happiness inside. 

This is why it is important to try and practice gratitude for however hard our day may have been, there will have been something good about it. If we express that it will highlight the positive to our inner selves. That thing maybe really small: our morning tea was just the right temperature, the daffodils looked nice by the side of the road, someone at work cracked a joke that made us laugh, the wind didn't feel so cold today, the car didn't need defrosting, your daughter drew you a lovely picture at school.  

If we can try and think at the end of each day of three things to be grateful for then our minds will go to sleep with those thoughts rather than all the negative ones that have crowded in during the day. Send something positive  out into the world, send your gratitude. It's not always easy to do, for sometimes you really don't feel happy or feel you have anything to be grateful for but I promise you, as you start doing this the easier it gets and the lighter your soul will feel. Practising gratitude will in the end make you feel happier and make everything in your life easier to deal with. Don't take my word for it have a go- try it for a week and see if it makes a difference, I'm sure that it will!

This is what Ekhart Tolle has to say on the subject of gratitude and abundance:

Dear Friends,
Almost two thousand years ago, the philosopher Plutarch wrote:
"Most people bypass what is good and refreshing in their lives, and habitually focus on the unpleasant, bad elements."
How easily all our attention can get absorbed by our "problems". Thinking and talking about them strengthens a false sense of self. And so we miss the good in our lives. Where's the good? It's wh

ere Life is: in the present moment. It's in the clouds and vast spaciousness of the sky, the air you breathe, the life-giving light and warmth of the sun, the silence of the night. It's in a small act of kindness given or received. It's in the sound of the rain, the intense aliveness of a flower....the same aliveness that you can also feel inside your body.

Another word for acknowledging the good in your life is - gratitude.
And: what you focus your attention on, grows.
With love,
Eckhart

Ekhart Tolle has written a number of fabulous books on the subject of gratitude and mindfulness. It was hard to single on out but I chose this one:

Practising the Power of Now

Eckhart Tolle's book describes the experience of heightened consciousness that radically transformed his life - and shows how by living in the moment we can also reach a higher state of being where we can find joy and peace and where problems do not exist.

Beltane celebrations in Glastonbury, Pagan, wheel of the year, maypole dancing, fire jumping,

I'm so excited to be off to Glastonbury for Beltane soon. It's my favourite Sabbat, it marks the start of the summer and the weather always seems to be lovely even though it is only the 1st May. I say that, we have had some events when it has rained all day but that never puts people off and the mood is always cheerful!

The photographs are mine from previous Beltane events. If you are featured in any of them and you would like me to take them down then please do say and I will do so immediately.

Beltane Fire 2010

 

If anyone is in that corner of the world or can make it down it is a wonderful event to go to. You won't be disappointed, everyone is really friendly, we are not from Glastonbury but try and go down as often as we can as we love it down there, but are always made to feel truly welcome.

We start off with the ceremony in the Goddess temple on the 31st which is beautiful. Beltane Ceremony

Tue, April 30, 7:30pm – 9:30pm. More details here: http://www.goddesstemple.co.uk/

Then the next day on Beltane itself there is the sunrise on top of the Tor, it's a very early start but really worth it, a wonderful atmosphere on the top of the Tor to welcome the dawn. This is followed by the wonderful ceremony in the Chalice Well Gardens: Chalice Well

Flowering (Mayday Ceremony)

1 May 2013

Gardens open 5.30am

The ceremony starts 7:00am in the Cress Field above Chalice Well Gardens, followed by fire-jumping.

Maypole Chalice Well Gardens

Following that we usually go and get breakfast before the events begin in the market square at 11.30. (scrambled egg in the Blue Note has to be recommended!) They have wonderful singing dancing and crowning of the May King and Queen, then we all go up to see the maypole on Bushey Coombe. The brave ones take part, I have to say I haven't ever been that brave, maybe this year lol!

beltane head dress

This is information from a wonderful site http://www.wizardwellbeing.co.uk/

"Witness this wonderful revival of the ancient Celtic fertility festival

and kick off the summer with fun, frivolity and passion. You are welcome

to join the wild dance dressed in your own nature spirit costumes,

animals and spirits of the season will come alive as we prepare for a

Greenman

great cavalcade through town.

 A wonderful array of unique and wild performers, drummers and musicians will play out the ancient

mythology of the season. We will be inviting you to assist the Queen of

the May as the Green Men compete for her favour, and asking you to join

May Queen 2012

in with the cavalcade as we celebrate the summer. The Drummers of Avalon

will mark our steps with the beating drums as we move from the centre

of town to the White Spring on Wellhouse Lane. We request that you stay

on the pavements and try not to spill onto the road.

 Join us at the White Spring to witness the blessing of the red and white

waters of Avalon upon the maypole and the fertile land. Here we pause to

refresh, and listen to the Living Mythology of the Land. Then the

Blessing the May Pole

cavalcade, with the Green men carrying the May pole, will parade up to

Bushey Coombe. The festivities continue, with May pole dancing, the

sacred union and a chance for you to share your songs or poetry.

11am - Meet at the Town Market Square where local musicians and performers will delight with song and dance to delight your day.

1.30pm - Together we will frolic up the High Street to the sacred waters on Wellhouse Lane.

2pm

- Gathering at The White Spring followed by The Sacred Marriage of the

Spirit of Water

May Queen and ummer King, Ceremony and Maypole Dancing at Bushey Coombe.

With

our joy and inspiration, we share with you our love of the season and

our celebration of the summer warmth that allows us to get out into the

night and celebrate the rhythms of nature."

Heel an toe, jolly rumbalo

We were up long before the day-o

Dancing at the White Spring

To welcome in the summer

To welcome in the May-o

Maypole at Bushey 2011

Bushey Coombe 2012 Beltane

May Queen and King 2012

Summer is a comin’ in and winter’s gone away-o

Bushey Coombe Beltane 2012

Perfectly imperfect inspirational quote Steve Maraboli: you're not broken

" Stop trying to 'fix' yourself. You're not broken. You are perfectly imperfect and powerful beyond measure" Steve Maraboli.

You are wonderful exactly as you are, none of is perfect that is what makes this world so wonderful, the fact that we are all perfectly imperfect. Imagine how boring it would be if we were all perfect. The way I think about it is we are all trying to do the best that we can with the life that we have. We don't have to be perfect at what we do though we just have to be trying to do what we can do and we all have our own limitations. I know for example that I'm a 'good enough' mother I'm not perfect, far from it. I get angry when I shouldn't, the girls have to make their own dinner when I have a migraine, I may not always give them the attention they deserve: for all these things I feel guilty sometimes but then I remind myself that I am doing my best, I am perfectly imperfect!

I love Steve Maraboli's words he speaks such common sense words directly from the heart. This is from his blog on the subject of the changing of the seasons and the change that is all around us.

"Every few months one season begins to make its elegant exit as another greets us with its refreshing changes. Change is in the air… 

What about you? 

Are you going to allow the world around you to change while you remain stagnant? 
Why not let this season of change be YOUR season? 

Let this be the time when the fresh seasonal transition carries a tune of change that makes your heart dance! 

It’s YOUR season! 
You have been waiting to break free and release your greatest self. Let this be your season. 

Enough of the same old rut! 
Enough of the worries, insecurities, and doubt! 
Enough of the regret! 
Enough of letting undeserving people dictate your moods! 
Enough of giving others power over you! 
Enough of feeling empty and unfulfilled! 
Enough of letting days, weeks, months, and years pass without truly embracing all their blessings! 
Enough is enough! 

Change is in the air. This change reminds us that we are made and beautifully sculpted by the same power that is orchestrating this transition. Let this be the season you embrace and align yourself with this change."
Steve Maraboli 

There is a lot of change around at the moment so embrace that change, embrace the uncertainty and follow your heart, your spirit knows what you should do in every situation. Remember that in every situation and with every decision, you are always doing your best. There are no wrong decisions, the decisions you made were the right ones at the time, even if looking back you feel you may have done things differently. 

You are imperfect, we all are. You are perfect just as you are. Embrace change, embrace the power you have within you, live your life.
Blessings to you, AstarteAlison xx

One of Steve Maraboli's amazing books is Life, the truth, and being Free. I fully recommend his truly inspirational and down to earth writing.





This is what another of my favourite authors; James Redfield, from the Celestine Prophecy has to say: "Radio star, Steve Maraboli's book, Life, the Truth, and Being Free, is a masterpiece of wisdom. Filled with pearls of insight on all areas of life, it speaks directly to the primary issue of our day: How to save this world without losing ourselves. Courageously, Steve maps out the only plan that works - Engage life, stay aligned with the truth, and find the freedom to create something better for those we touch every day."
- James Redfield, author of The Celestine Prophecy

You are the magick let it shine from within you.

You are the magick let it shine from within you.

Magick is within us and around us, we are part of this earth and at one with the magick that she gives us.

Embrace and feel the magick as you go about your daily life.

Goddess blessings to you and all your family and friends, AstarteAlison