ctrl+v
Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again. Sarah Ban Breathnach.
Very uplifting words from the wonderful Sarah Ban Breathnach. She is the author of the book 'Simple Abundunce', helping you to always look on the bright side. Ironically after writing that book Sarah Ban Brethnach underwent a lot more hardship herself and faced financial ruin at the age of 61 after a lot of very poor business decisions. She writes about it in her book 'Peace and Plenty', and shows us that there is always a way out of the darkness however dark that path might look at the time. Just because yesterday was a bad day it does not mean that tomorrow will be.
Abundant blessings in all areas of your life, AstarteAlison
We have a new moon today and with it comes an apology from me for not posting in ages. Too much going on I won't bore you with but hopefully life will get on bit more of an even keel now.
So we have a new moon and with it always the hope of new beginnings, fresh eyes on the world, new ways of thinking, amazing opportunities and challenges to be faced. It is an exciting time in the lunar month I always find, as well as sometimes for some an unsettling on, coupled with the time of the full moon I often think this is the most turbulent time, it is how we use this time to our advantage that is the key here really. I have to admit I often do struggle at these times as I do suffer from migraines at the time of the new moon and full moon but try to push through. This is a time of challenge, we all have our challenges to face, the key is how we deal with these. Practicing mindfulness and gratitude are great ways of doing this. Concentrating on the here and now and being grateful for what you have right now, the little things, is a great way to take your mind away from the worry of any larger issues that may be causing you pain.
What plans do you have for this new moon, do you have any projects you would like to get started on? I plan to book my craft fairs and festivals for the summer over the next few days so that is something to look forward to.
New moon blessings to you,
Alison
Imbolc blessings to you and all those you hold dear, wherever you are, all around the world.
May the Goddess Brighde be in your hearts and her love bring all the goodness of the first awakenings of spring to you and those around you. Brighde, Brigit or Brigid was celebrated as the Goddess of Fertility, may she bring prosperity, fertility and happiness into all aspects of your lives. Brigid was said to be the mother of the God Yule, she is nursing him now at Imbolc as he grows strong. She is known as the fire goddess and many celebrations centre around fire building and the lighting of candles. Brigid is one of the few Pagan goddesses who still survives to this day, she was adopted by the Christian church and was worshipped as Saint Brigit, although she was de canonised in the 1960s, she is still venerated in Ireland.
Embrace the spirit of Brigid and bring her love and joy into your lives. Our earth is awakening, allow yourselves to awaken and blossom, you will be amazed at the wonderful happiness that lies waiting ahead of you. Follow the Brigid Bliss.
Brigid's blessings to you, AstarteAlison
"You are emerging from the cocoon of your former self. There are no limits to the extent of the transformation that's possible for you" Marianne Williamson
This is a wonderful and truly inspiring quote by the fabulous Marianne Williamson. She teaches us that it is always possible to change, change is within us and it is never too late to do so, we just need the courage to take those initial steps towards transformation, to shrug off the chains that may be holding us back and move forward towards our dreams. Whatever the terminology we use, the Lightening Process, NLP, mindfulness, all of these are designed to bring about the change from within but first we need to want to change. Are you ready for change, are you ready to take that first step?
Marianne Williamson is also author of the book
The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for a Radically New Life [Paperback]
Marianne Williamson.
In this lovely book Marianne talks about change and how we should embrace it. Our lives should be flexible and we are encouraged to find our own path that is truly right for us.
"Marianne Williamson delves deeply into the rule of change and transition in our lives in this inspirational book, reflecting on the paradoxes that inevitably pervade our experience as she helps us find our way. Williamson examines the paradox of what we gather on the path of life, as our most difficult times sometimes bring about the most wisdom. She then investigates our inherent resistance to change and our recklessness around it. Finally, she focuses at length on the paradox of existence – being firmly rooted yet flexible in our lives.
Providing seven practical principles to support us through the transitions and changes we experience in life, Williamson ensures that whatever change you are facing – whether it's a relationship ending, the loss of a loved one or embarking on a new career path – you can learn to stop resisting the change itself and move into the future gracefully. The Gift of Change also examines the roles of openness and letting go, grieving and forgiveness, and love and fear. Marianne Williamson delivers hope and healing as she brings us to a place where we can truly live in the freedom of love." Amazon.co.uk
So let your light shine, you are brilliant and amazing and others around you will appreciate that light and allow their own light to shine.
Click on the link below to take you forward to find out more about the Gift of Change from Marianne.
Bright blessings of transformation to you, Alison
Happy World Animal Day!
A dog wags it's tail with it's heart!
With every person, animal and living thing that we give gratitude for, our spirit soars a little higher. AstarteAlison
Send out some gratitude into the universe today and allow your spirit to soar. What are you grateful for? Today I am grateful for my beautiful daughters(always!) the lovely baby frogs in my garden, and the cooling breeze just started up as I write this post. They don't have to be big things but Mother Nature has so much for us to feel gratitude for. This is where I feel the ancient Pagans had it right, they continually gave their thanks to Mother Earth for all she provided for us, they respected and honoured her for all that she meant to them. This is where I feel we need to get back to those roots, Paganism shows us a way to feel that gratitude again, we are truly blessed to live upon this wonderful earth, our Gaia.
blessings of Gratitude to you, Alison
“Get your dreams in line and then just shine, design, refine ‘til they come true.” Dolly Parton
I thought I would give you this quote today after Dolly's amazing performance on the stage at the Glasontonbury festival this year. At the fabulous age of 68 she drew the biggest crowd on the Glastonbury 2014 stage, a wonderful feat. She demonstrates such a zest for life and down to earth fun that you can't help but be caught up with her enthusiasm. She teaches us that we can follow our bliss! I love this quote, she shows us to go for our dreams, they may need refining along the way but we can still reach our end goal if we reach hard enough for it.
"You don’t need to have it all figured out, just start where you are. What is it that excites you most right now? Take action. The more you pursue what you love, the more opportunities will come your way. They may not be what you expected — they may be even bigger and better than you imagined! But go ahead and get started. Get to livin’ because life is your canvas, cowgirl."http://mindbodyspiritofacowgirl.com
Shining blessings to you, Alison
"Dance when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you're perfectly free" Rumi.
Rumi teaches us the importance of being in touch with your inner soul. Sometimes when life is tough, something as simple as dancing can lift you from the depths of sadness. A simple act like dancing may make you start to feel better, at first you may only be pretending to feel better, putting on a show perhaps for those around you, but eventually you may start to feel better deep within you.
Rumi's book
Rumi's Little Book Of Life: The Garden of the Soul, the Heart, and the Spirit
is a wonderfully uplifting read I would recommend to anyone. "This collection of mystical poetry focuses on one of life's core issues: coming to terms with the inner life. During the course of life, each of us is engaged on an inner journey. RUMI'S LITTLE BOOK OF LIFE is a guidebook for that journey. The poetry is a companion for those who consciously enter the inner world to explore the gardens within - out of the everyday 'world of dust'- through an ascending hierarchy that restores one's soul to the heart; the heart of the spirit; and in finding spirit, transcending all." http://www.amazon.co.uk
May sparkly dancing feet lift you to towards all your dreams, blessings, Alison
I love Wayne Dyer's writing on abundance he makes a lot of sense.
"Abundance is not something we acquire it is something we tune in to." Wayne Dyer
Tuning into that abundance and accepting it will in turn make it a part of your life.
Wayne Dyer has written many amazing books, one brilliant book that I like is Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting
This is a book that shows you how you can truly achieve all that you desire. You really can realise your dreams and achieve your destiny.
Another great book written by Wayne Dyer is and based on Taoist wisdom is Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living The Wisdom Of The Tao "In this book, Dr Wayne W. Dyer has reviewed hundreds of translations of the Tao Te Ching and has written 81 distinct essays on how to apply the ancient wisdom of Lao Tzu to today's modern world. Each chapter is designed for actually living the Tao or the Great Way today. Some of the chapter titles are "Living with Flexability", "Living without Enemies", and "Living by Letting Go". Each of the 81 brief chapters focuses on living the Tao and concludes with a section called "Doing the Tao Now".Wayne spent one entire year reading, researching, and meditating on Lao Tzu's messages, practicing them each day and ultimately writing down these essays as he felt Lao Tzu wanted you to know them.This is a work to be read slowly, one essay a day. As Wayne says, "This is a book that will forever change the way you look at your life, and the result will be that you'll live in a new world aligned with nature".Amazon
I also personally find mediation CDs very helpful when I want to mediate but just can't stop the 'monkey chattering' of my mind on that particular day. Some days are better than others. Wayne Dyers CD I AM Wishes Fulfilled Meditations is a fabulous one to listen to, really inspiring.
Enjoy his work and enjoy bringing some abundance into your life, blessings, Alison
Happy December to you, hope this month brings you all that you wish for.
Blessings, Alison xxx
If the path before you is clear, you're probably on someone else's. Joseph Campbell Inspirational Quote
Joseph Campbell was an amazing writer who coined the phrase 'follow your bliss' By that he meant be true to yourself, find out what makes you happy and follow that path. That path is rarely straight forward and there will always be kinks and ups and downs along the way. We can't see our own path clearly and we aren't meant to, nobody knows what is exactly round the corner and that is fine. That is part of life and we should just accept that as part of our path. Everyone's path is different and we should not judge others or compare our path to somone else's or see our path as inadequate or better than anyone else's path.
This is an account from Dennis Merritt Jones of the huffingtonpost.com on his personal journey on reading Joseph Campbell's ideal of following your bliss "Was Campbell saying that I could follow a career path that would make me extremely happy -- one that brings joy and a smile to my face -- and that doors would open effortlessly for me, providing me with the means to live well? But what would my parents think? I became a marketing major because my dad was my hero and made a great living as a VP in a major ad agency. It was then that I realized I was following my dad's path rather than my own. Why? Because, not only did I want to honor him (and make the kind of money he was making), I wanted to be him. The realization I had was that, in the process, I was really dishonoring myself. This was the first of what would become a series of re-defining moments in my life as I set out on the path that Campbell refers to as "the hero's journey."
This "reality check" became a re-defining moment because I knew in my heart that my bliss would never be found in studying economics and market trends, or selling someone else's ideas and products; as it would turn out, my bliss would be found on an entirely different path. I began to focus on where my passion was and one day, right there on campus, a new door opened for me. While sitting on the grass, playing guitar and singing with my friends, it became obvious where I would find my happiness -- it was right there in front of me: For three years I had been hanging out with people who were following their bliss... as music majors. In short, after going the distance for three years of college as a marketing major I changed my major to music and never looked back. I had found my bliss. As one door closed another door had opened, and in the process, I began to understand what Joseph Campbell meant by bliss."
Our path may not always be clear but it is our path. It may not always be happy but it is our path. It may often be filled with pain but it is our path. It will be balanced we hope by times of happiness and bliss and it is our path. We own the path, we claim the path, it is our path.
What is your bliss? Are you following your bliss? Are you walking your own pathI feel like I'm finally following my bliss becoming more spiritual and writing this blog. In writing about what I love and sharing my information with others I'm finally working at what I love and growing as I do so.
Blissful blessings to you, Alison
