Crystal Charms and Goddesses for Healing which are you drawn to ?

Emerging as I often do like a sleepy kitten from a long sleep when I have had these long stretches of migraines I feel drawn to sit and create so that is what I am going to do today, catch up on orders that need posting and make some new pieces. I would like to make some new healing charms I think so if anyone has any needs then please let me know, I love doing special pieces. Each crystal and charm has its own story to tell and put together may be just the right combination for you to begin your own healing and transformation. First thing I am going to make this afternoon is a good luck charm for my daughter who has been studying so hard for her A levels.

Moon Goddess Healing Angelite Pendant www.astarte-moon.co.uk

New Moon Jade Charm for luck and positivitywww.astarte-moon.co.uk

Aceso was the main Greek Goddess for healing. Indeed her name is said to mean curing. She was known for tackling the healing process, the root cause not just the problem itself, thus can be seen as the root of holistic medicine. We of course have a lot to learn from our ancestors in terms of the way we approach modern healing methods. She shared an altar with Aphrodite and Athena and was the daughter of Epipione and and Asclepius. Aceso also spelt Akeso knew the importance of maintaining good health as well as good hygiene in order to stay fit and well, something that was often neglected when looking to cure a specific disease or illness. 

Amethyst Pentacle Charm may help pain relief www.astarte-moon.co.uk

Many of the well known Moon Goddesses such as Aine, Brigid and Isis were known to be powerful healers. Brigid or Brigit was also said to be responsible for fertility and Aine was known for breathing life force into being. Aine is connected with lakes and healing wells. Water is extremely important as a healing aid and I cleanse all my crystals with water from the red spring at Chalice Well gardens in Glastonbury. I bless them all before they are sent out to you so that you may receive the full force of the healing power.

If you are interested in the ancient Celtic ways you might like to take a look at this course that caught my attention. Cat Curacelo's Celtic mysteries course invites you to look at the background that shaped your own life journey and the shapes and symbols that occurred along the way. Cat says

" Whether you are new to 'the journey' or returning to this tribe, this will be a wonderful opportunity to explore and extend your travelling, using visual narrative as a form in this brand new Celtic Mysteries journey that celebrates ancestral remembering and our deep myths."Once Upon a Mythos Cat Caracelo

The important thing to note when looking for healing is to find the right mix of things that are right for you and to remember that your biggest help is Mother Earth. If you are drawn to a particular crystal, goddess, pentacle, stone, herb then there is often a reason for that. Modern medicine can often be used alongside traditional remedies and there is often no reason you cannot take both as long as you check with your healthcare provider. Our earth is a powerful healer and she has much to offer us as long as we give back in return.

Celebrating the earth at Glastonbury White Spring Beltane 2014

In the words of the wonderful Glennie Kindred
"Experiencing deep heartfelt connections to the Earth will bring us closer to understanding ourselves and trusting out intuition. It will help us foster a sense of belonging and love for the Earth and all peoples of the Earth.  To live in harmony with the earth, we need to remember our connection to her."
Glennie Kindred Earth Wisdom

So do you have a favourite healing goddess, a favourite crystal or a favourite icon? Strong symbols can often make us feel powerful and obviously colour makes a difference in the choice of crystal we go for. A carnelian stone with an owl and wolf charm might be my choice for my exam charm.......

Goddess blessings to you, may you be abundant and blessed in all you do this month, AstarteAlison XXXXX

Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways.Sarah Ban Breathach.

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

New Moon Affirmation. On accepting the challenges ahead of us in life and practicing Gratitude

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

Brigid's Imbolc blessings positive inspirational quote. Follow the Brigid bliss.

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

Ten Fun Facts You may not know about Imbolc, festival of Brighde

Ten Facts You may not know about Imbolc

So of course you know that Imbolc is celebrated on 2nd February and that is is the festival of the Goddess Brighde, Brigid or Brigit. There seems to be many different spellings of her name around! Imbolc celebrates the beginning of our earth's awakening and the return of the light. So the following are just a few facts about Imbolc that I put together that you may or may not know!

Imbolc derives from the word Oimelc which means lactating sheep, hence the connection to the spring time and fertility.

Imbolc is also said to be translated as 'in the belly'

Brighde is known as the Goddess of fire and Imbolc is strongly related to fire with bonfires being lit throughout the land in ancient times.

Brighde or Bridey dolls and Brigits cross are strong Imbolc symbols

Imbolc is often a good time for spring cleaning and cleansing of ones living space to prepare for the year ahead.

Imbolc was re-named Candlemas and celebrated by Christianity 

Groundhog day is celebrated on Imbolc and it is said it originates from the legend of Brighde's snake emerging from the ground.

Trees representing Imbolc are the Rowan and the Willow.

Other symbols for Imbolc are the snowdrop, the swan, candles and the plough.

Enjoy this wonderful season of our earth's awakening, may the spirit of Brighde bring love and light into your hearts and your homes.

Blessings, Alison

As we look to the New Year, Hold on to what is good. Inspirational New Year Quote 2015

As we look to the New Year, Hold on to what is good, Let go of what is bad. It really is that simple. Mandy Hale.

New Year Blessings to you all, hope that 2015 brings you a year full of health and happiness. This is wonderful advice from Mandy Hale. The New Year is a good time for looking at what we do and don't need in our lives. I'm not one for a big new year's resolution list but it can be a good time to just take a bit of time to reassess and look at what is working and what is not. Make a few changes, make a new years resolution list if that is what works for you but only if you know it is a realistic one that you can stick to. Keep the good and let go of the bad and look forward to a wonderful 2015 full of bliss and all that you deserve.

Much love and rainbow hugs, Alison xxxx ☽✪☾

You are the magic, absolute belief is the key. Positive Waxing Moon Inspirational Affirmation

You are the magic, absolute belief is the key.

This is a wonderful positive affirmation, print this free e-card out if you like and put it somewhere where you will see it all the time, such as the back of your front door. You are the magic, you can achieve your dreams. Now is the perfect time to set in motion those dreams as we are in the time of a waxing moon, a great time to repeat those positive affirmations.

Magickal blessings to you, Alison

Tomorrow begins with a brand new light. Thoughts on Gratitude.

Embrace your dreams through all of the night, tomorrow begins with a brand new light.

As you fall asleep, think with gratitude of the day that has been today. It may have been a good day, it may not have been the day you had hoped for. Somewhere within that day there will have been things that you can be grateful for. Think of those things as you fall asleep, dwelling on the positive to help you through the night. Tomorrow is always a brand new dawn with its own hopes and dreams, whatever has happened the day before, a new light will make everything seem different. 

Blessings of new light to you, Alison

"You are emerging from the cocoon of your former self. Marianne Williamson Positive Inspirational Quote

"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

Launch of new healthy living magazine Harvest 20% discount coupon

I have the thrilling news of the launch of a brand new magazine 'Harvest' This wonderful magazine gives you a seasonal guide to healthy living for a happy life. This beautiful print magazine is packed full of in-depth articles with ideas and inspiration for how you can live better through natural solutions.I have my own contribution in the first issue with the story of my personal Pagan path which I am very excited about!

Modern-day life is hectic and often leaves little room to appreciate the important things in life – the happiness and health of ourselves and our family. We often feel that something is missing in our lives. There is a vast range of alternative solutions out there, claiming to be the one that works, but how do you know where to start?

There is no easy answer to that question but Harvest magazine helps you to find your path through the mine field of alternative therapies and natural remedies to find a happier healthier you, more in touch with yourself and more in touch with nature.

For Astarte-Moon friends I have a very special discount code for you which gives you 20% discount plus 5 mags for the price of 4- bargain for this info packed publication! Just enter the code HARVESTMOON20 at the checkout.

Click on the link below to take you straight to the website:



Issue One is packed with loads of fabulous articles. Of course there is my article which talks about what led me down the Pagan path in the first place, what being a Pagan means to me, and how you can celebrate Paganism in the Autumn. Then there are loads of wonderful pieces of which the following are just the tip of the iceberg. 

• Woodland workout 

Fed up with your local gym? Give nature’s gym a go. We join Oliver Selway in the local woods for a full body workout outdoors.

• Flu fighter 

Don’t let that next cold strike you down. Essential oils to the rescue! Alex Martin explains how to use them effectively to fight off your next cold.

• Garlic goodness 

Much-loved by chefs, but much-maligned for its odour, we rough garlic up a bit and find out why it’s so good for us and how to make some kitchen remedies.

• Plus we’ve got articles on natural deodorants, the paleo diet, exercises from our life coach to unlock true happiness and why playing with your food is a great way to deal with fussy eaters. 

So, give it a try, I promise you won't be disappointed and there is a money back guarantee to make sure you are not! Remember just click on the link above to take you to the website and enter the code to get your discount. You can download a preview of the magazine before buying to checkout some of the articles plus there are lots of great competitions in the blog section of the Harvest website.

Harvest blessings to you, Alison 

A Pagan path with Gratitude for all creatures on our Mother Earth, Gaia.

We are not the only creature on this planet with emotions, feelings and a family life.

Isn't this a beautiful picture? Just reminds us of the importance of all the wonderful beings who inhabit our Mother Earth alongside us. We sometimes have to be reminded that we are not the only ones who to whom things such as family and feelings are incredibly important. Following a Pagan path means to me that all creatures are important on this earth we call Gaia and I constantly offer Gratitude for each and every one of them.

Gaias blessings, AstarteAlison

Happy World Animal Day! A dog wags it's tail with it's heart!

Happy World Animal Day!

A dog wags it's tail with it's heart!

Gratitude quote from Michael Bernard on being grateful for what you already have.

I love this wonderful quote on Gratitude from Michael Bernard. "Nothing new can come into your life unless you are grateful for what you already have. Michael Bernard"

Rescuing one dog may not change the world but it will change that dog's world forever. Another Gratitude lesson from our canine friends.

Rescuing one dog may not change the world but it will change that dog's world forever. Our pet's truly show us the meaning of Gratitude and sometimes it is humbling to see how grateful they are for our presence in their lives. They do not ask for much yet are so grateful for what we give them and are so happy to see us, we have a lot to learn from this.

This beautiful dog is Wendy, a rescued street dog from Serbia that my my Mum brought over. The flowers around her neck were because she was in Glastonbury celebrating Beltane! A million miles away from that existence she endured for so long, she is still so very grateful for every day I'm quite sure. The picture below shows her at the shelter in Serbia before she was brought over to England. Gratitude blessings to you all, Alison

To love unconditionally, to be happy and grateful for the little things in life, we humans have a lot to learn from our pets.Gratitude quote

To love unconditionally, to be happy and grateful for the little things in life, we humans have a lot to learn from our pets.

Gratitude blessings to you, AstarteAlison

May the abundance of the divine Goddess be with you and your loved ones today and always. Free inspirational e card

May the abundance of the divine Goddess be with you and your loved ones today and always. AstarteAlison

blessings to you all, please feel free to send this e-card to all those special to you to let them know you are thinking of them. Goddess blessings. 

When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully. Gratitude quote. Steve Maraboli

When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully. When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light. Steve Maraboli

Love this gratitude quote, it can often be hard to be the first to shine a light when all around appears to be darkness. However daring to shine that light and smile even when you really don't feel like it can often so lift your spirits and affect those around you. Practising gratitude is a fabulous way to lift your spirits on a daily basis, especially on those darker days. 

Blessings of gratitude to you, Alison xxx

Our pets often teach us the wonder of unconditional love. Gratitude pets quote.

Our pets often teach us the wonder of unconditional love. Often our best friends in the whole world our cats, dogs, fish, guinea pigs, and rabbits give us so much love and so much to give gratitude for. They are there at the end of a hard day to just listen and be there for us, always happy to see us. Do you have a pet who is special in your life?

This is my daughter and her cat Izzi, we have two cats at the moment and have had two dogs who are now over the rainbow bridge, all have filled our lives with wonder and have given us so much to feel grateful for. Blessings, Alison xxx

Full moon July 2014. Blessing Moon. Hay moon

Our Moon is full this month on the 12th July.  For the full list of times for the full moon in your particular time zone please see the post I wrote a couple of days ago. Here in England we seem to be having a few dry days so hopefully that will make for some good full moon viewing!

As usual I have written a few words about the full moon names. I will try not to repeat my previous posts!  Most to the names follow what is happening in the weather at this time of year. The native american names for the full moon are often the most descriptive giving us an idea of what was happening in their lives at the time of the July full moon. 

Here is a list of the Native American full moon names for the various tribes:
Abenaki –Grass Cutter Moon
Algonquin –Squash Are Ripe Moon
Cherokee –Ripe Corn Moon
Choctaw –Little Harvest Moon, Crane Moon
Comanche –Hot Moon
Cree –Moon When Ducks Begin to Molt
Dakota Sioux –Moon of the Middle Summer
Haida –Salmon Moon
Hopi –Moon of the Homedance
Kalapuya –Camas Ripe (the bulb of the camas lily was a staple food to the Kalapuya)
Lakota –Moon When The Chokecherries Are Black
Mohawk –Time of Much Ripening
Ponca –Middle of Summer Moon
Potawatomi –Moon of the Young Corn
Shoshone –Summer Moon http://paradelle.wordpress.com

You can see from this list how important a crop corn was to the Native American tribes. This was also seen in other cultures, although now we have a variety of other crops available to us. Colonists to  America called the full moon in July the Corn Tassel Moon. 

The full moon in July is the closest moon to the Pagan feast of Lammas or Lughnasadh. This marks the festival of the first harvest. Lammas or Lughnasadh (Loo-nahs-ah) falls on the 1st August. It is a cross-quarter holiday festival which lies between the Summer Solstice (Litha) and the Autumnal Equinox (Mabon).  Traditionally it was a time for giving thanks for all that our Mother Earth, Gaia has provided; with a particular focus for the grain that has been grown that would sustain people during the long cold winter months. When you look upon the full moon therefore try and offer gratitude for all that our mother earth has provided for us. Lammas or Lughnasadh is also seen as a fertility festival as the earth is ripe with her fertility at this time of year, this is an excellent time for attracting luck and fertility in all areas of your life. Why not have a go at writing your own blessing to read out, either aloud or just to yourself at the time of the full moon? If you would like to share I would love to hear from you.

Full blessing moon love to you, AstarteAlison xxx  

Happiness is a journey not a destination. Ben Sweetland

Happiness is a journey not a destination. Ben Sweetland Gratitude happiness quote

Practising gratitude on a daily basis is a wonderful way to help in your happiness journey. Sometimes it feels like happiness is out of your grasp and certainly not possible everyday. Practising gratitude day by day will help you on your happiness route and make the sad days happen less often. Don't just take my word for it though. Give it a go! Just three things to be grateful for at the end of every day. Our ancestors got it right I believe, these ancient Pagans who came before us offered gratitude all the time to our Mother Earth, believing if they didn't then she wouldn't provide for them. 

Let me know how you get on. Stay happy!  Blessings, Alison xxxx