Freja's Astro Advice August 2013

Freja is available for Shamanic readings over the phone and in person.

An intuitive reading for each sign of the zodiac…

ARIES

The World, Ruby, Openness You have put a lot of time and effort into a project or relationship that is very important to you. When you started out you had a clear idea about your goals and about how you wanted things to turn out. Things are now coming to some form of conclusion, but it may not be in the way you imagined. Keep an open mind and allow things to unfold before deciding whether this is in fact what you want. 

TAURUS

3 Vesicas, Rhodonite, Letting Go You have been putting creative efforts into trying to make something work. However, it seems that you may have been trying to apply a practical solution to essentially emotional problem. You need to decide if this situation would benefit from a more emotional approach before proceeding further and also to make sure you are not looking for love, validation or support where it doesn’t exist.

GEMINI

Patience, Hematite, Simplicity There is a stubborn problem in your life that needs to be properly tackled. Your natural propensity is to flit around such issues, but this really must be tackled head on! Be honest with yourself about the true nature of the issue and what you will need to do to deal with it. Apply the simplest approach possible & be prepared to patiently and resolutely chip away at it until the problem is fully resolved. 

CANCER

Maid of Cups, Citrine, Connection You have a lot to offer those you care about, yet your sensitivity can sometimes cause you to clam up or put to put defences between yourself and others to avoid getting hurt. You may not readily admit this and believe that others are not being available or loving enough. Gently accept any feelings of vulnerability and you will find that it becomes much easier to form close emotional ties with others.

LEO

8 Swords, Snowflake Obsidian, Earth Something in your physical world is causing your problems right now, possibly money or your health. You are quite determined to ‘get rid of’ the problem and may have spent a lot of time and energy trying to exorcise it and be feeling quite frustrated by it. Before you put any more energy into trying to banish this problem, take some time to look for the hidden message or gift that it brings.

VIRGO

Knight of Swords, Carnelian, Spirit Guide You are making someone or something into your Higher Power, or perhaps someone is trying to act like one and to convince you that you are ‘less than’ equal. You need to cut through the bull and get to the truth: you are an equal human being no matter what role you are playing and you don’t have to put up with rubbish treatment from others. It is time to make self-care your absolute top priority. 

LIBRA

7 Vesicas, Fluorite, Birth Things are coming to fruition and you are reaping the rewards for your hard work. This isn’t so much a new beginning, as the re-birthing of some aspect of your authentic self. Like with any labour, there will be some pain involved in this process, but rest assured it is the harvesting of something you have been working on for some time. Ask for Spirit to support and guide you during this exciting time.

SCORPIO

4 Vesicas, Jade, Challenge Life is full of challenges and you are usually pretty good at facing them head on because you believe this makes you a stronger person and also helps you to feel in control. The situation you are currently facing requires a less direct approach. While it is important to remain true to yourself and your values, you are being challenged to withdraw from the situation and find your inner balance.

SAGITTARIUS

The Devil, Red Jasper, Love Someone new may have entered your life or perhaps you are searching for a new adventure. While adventure and new experiences keep life interesting, it is important that you keep your feet firmly on the ground while you explore new territory. There is a danger of you over idealising someone or something or of getting a bit carried away. Remain grounded and take things one step at a time! 

CAPRICORN

Ace of Vesicas, Malachite, Change While you enjoy progressing in life, you tend to only like change when it is taking you closer to tangible goals. Your current situation requires emotional changes and this feels far less comfortable to you. Try applying your natural determination and clear goal setting to this unfamiliar situation and trust that you will gain a sense of emotional satisfaction when you achieve what you set out to do.

AQUARIUS

6 Swords, Amazonite, Stability Your perspective on some key issues is changing and may continue to do so for a while. Although this can feel rather unsettling at times, it doesn’t mean that the foundations in your life or internal feelings of stability need to be challenged. Use this time to allow your views to shift and change without giving in to the knee jerk reactions that often follow. That which you feel you urgently need to express may well change in a few weeks, so hold your fire.

PISCES

High Priestess, Clear Quartz, Conception 

It seems that you are really in tune with your intuition and inner knowing right now, or with a little effort on your part, will be very soon. Your connection to spirit is strong and this is a fabulous time to pray or meditate for answers. If things feel a little uncertain or unclear right now it is only because, like the dark of the New Moon, things are going on under the surface which are not yet ready to be revealed. Test your intuitive powers to see what is coming next.

Freja ♥

So, What is 'The Point' of Life?

While we all spend huge amounts of time putting our efforts into things such as building a career, raising children, or searching for love, at some point it becomes clear that life isn’t going to bring us the ‘happy ever after’ that we expected to reach at the age of 25 or 30. Instead, many of us find that life has started to resemble the ultimate ‘shaggy dog story’; no sooner than one particular goal is reached or problem solved than another one arrives to take its place. If none of our efforts will eventually lead to the happy ending we dreamed of as children, then what is the point of life? 

For most people the point of life is the reward we hope (or expect) to enjoy for all the efforts we make. The Christian ideology that is ingrained in Western culture suggests that if we work hard and tolerate the daily grind with a serene smile on our faces, that we will eventually be rewarded in Heaven. In this way of thinking, the point is to struggle and sacrifice while finding a way to maintain our faith in the promise of an amazing after life. While many Westerners are a little more earthly and pragmatic in their approach today, they are still ultimately looking for some kind of reward, usually the big pay cheque or finding the love of our lives. There are still others who feel the only point to life is to propagate the species which, if it is, would of course be the biggest shaggy dog story of all time. This particular belief leads to the rather dodgy conclusion that people who are unable to procreate have no real reason to exist and that women who choose not to have children or people in same sex relationships are breaking some kind of ‘natural law’ and should be sanctioned.

We may choose various ways to give our life meaning but the point of life itself must be beyond these individual choices or, depending on your point of view, certain individuals or groups would automatically be barred from having any right to exist. While individuals and cultures may adopt various different values and approaches to life, the underlying point of life has to be universal. Human beings are continually projecting their experiences and beliefs out into the world whilst believing they are looking at the whole picture, but you can only see the whole picture when you include all human experiences and possibilities. If a belief about life excludes any human experience, person or group, then it cannot be ‘the truth’, it is only the truth for some people. While there may not be one single meaningful way to live life, there is a universal point to it and it isn’t to gain reward, to compete for survival or even to procreate. There is only one thing that we all have in common and that is that we are here experiencing life as human beings; we all exist at this point in time. Therefore it seems the point of life is simply to experience being human and any other purpose we give our time here is merely a reflection of our personal values and preferences.

Once we accept that the point of living is simply to experience being human, then life suddenly becomes a lot simpler and less divisive. When we are able to take a step back, even the most abhorrent experiences or actions become just another colourful pattern in the giant kaleidoscope of experience we call ‘being human’. If a human being is doing it or feeling it then it is a valid human experience no matter how much we dislike it. The experience of being human will always contain both positive and negative aspects, the problem arises when we attach moral judgements to the intrinsic polarity of our existence and label positive experiences as ‘good’ and negative as ‘bad’. When we make such moral judgements, we start to separate experiences into those we will accept and those we reject and fight against and this naturally causes division and conflict within ourselves, our relationships and society as a whole. 

Somewhere along the line, we lost sight of the fact that experiences are essentially neither good nor bad, they just are. There are positive and negative aspects to every human experience; nothing can be experienced as purely positive or negative. It is impossible to blot out or eradicate the negative aspects of life, yet this is precisely what we seem to spend most of our time trying to do. We don’t want any pain, illness or suffering and we judge particularly harshly anyone we deem to have caused such things. Of course I am not suggesting that we should tolerate or ignore destructive behaviour amongst our fellows, but we can learn how to put up healthy boundaries, both personally and culturally, without stepping into moral judgement. Saying ‘this is not acceptable and if you do this, these will be consequences’ is very different from saying ‘you are a bad/evil person and you must be punished, humiliated or obliterated’. 

As Jesus once said; let person who has not sinned cast the first stone. However, this Christian understanding that we are all sinners has unfortunately often been misconstrued to mean that we are all bad and intrinsically guilty, ashamed and worthless so everyone is busy trying to pass the buck. What it actually means is no one is perfect and therefore no one is qualified to ‘play God’ and sit in judgement of anyone else. We are all capable of selfish, destructive behaviour and of making mistakes (sinning) and if we want the world to be a more loving place we would do well to focus on cleaning up our own side of the fence rather than casting aspersions, scapegoating or blaming others for the messes in our individual lives or the world as a whole.

Acceptance of ourselves and others becomes a whole lot easier when we let go of any moral judgements about the meaning of life. If the point of life is simply to be, then every ‘sin’ against us can ultimately be forgiven because feeling pain is just part of the human experience. When we maintain strong, loving boundaries with appropriate consequences for transgressions on both a personal or social level, there is no longer a need for the revenge, retribution or humiliating punishment and we become free to give our energy to something far more productive than trying to eradicate evil. And if we accept that the point of life is to experience it to the full, warts and all, then we also become free to give our individual lives any meaning we choose without fear of judgement or punishment for ‘getting it wrong’; if the 'point of life' is simply to experience it, then what purpose do you want to give your life?

Freja  ♥

If you are interested in a personal Shamanic reading with Freja: CONTACT  

How Do We Know When It Is Time To Walk Away?

'While it is a challenge for any individual soul to swim against the collective tide, thankfully the collective tide is now turning towards equality and personal freedom.' Freja ♥

While there are many benefits to 'staying the course' and to being loyal and committed, sometimes we reach a point where we must 'walk away' from a relationship or situation. We can spend many weeks, months or sometimes even years feeling unsure and undecided about whether to 'stay or go'. So, how can we tell when it is time to walk away?

It was not so very long ago that people were expected to simply 'put up with' their lot in life and it seems that having the ability to do this is still regarded as being a sign of inner strength and fortitude. While sometimes this truly is the case, more often than not the desire to 'stick it out' comes not from inner strength but from feelings of fear.

The list of fears that come up can be quite overwhelming; fear of lack or scarcity, fear of insecurity or loss, fear of nothing better being available, fear of being 'wrong', being judged by others or making a mistake... you get the picture. Our internal fears only get amplified when we think of the old saying 'better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't.' Surely it better to have no Devil at all?

This rather popular expression suggests that ultimately we are always caught between a rock and a hard place; that even if we manage to escape some awful reality, there is nothing better available to us so we may as well just 'put up and shut up'. Or, as a rather forthright Headmaster once advised me to do when I was really struggling as a teacher; 'go home, have a stiff drink, then come back tomorrow and get your head down.' 'Ah', I thought to myself, 'so that's where I have been going wrong all my life!'

For better or worse, I have never been able to simply 'put up and shut up' and this has made for a very rocky ride indeed. Although my approach has lead to a somewhat insecure life, when I look back the only thing that ever truly bothered me was the nagging belief that I should somehow be able to 'put up and shut up', and that if I can't then there must be something wrong with me.

The list of 'shoulds' that accompany the 'putting up with it' approach is also very long; should be able to 'stick at it'; should be able to turn a blind eye or ignore unacceptable behaviour, should be able to meet the unrealistic demands and expectations of others, should try harder, work harder, be more accommodating and less sensitive. The question is, where did we all get the idea that if a situation is truly awful that we just need to 'get better' at dealing with it, and if we can't that it means we are not trying hard enough? And who decided that being a 'responsible' adult equals agreeing to put up with 'the Devil' in our jobs and relationships?

Over the last hundred years or so, we have been moving into a more 'liberated' age, a time when people feel compelled to break free of oppression and enslavement. This process is all part of evolution of Humanity which is pushing us more and more urgently toward spiritual freedom. However, until we are ready to fully experience liberation and have found a way to integrate it into our lives, it can seem like all we are doing is trying to run away from something we ought to be able to accept.

Nothing can be further from the truth. Ultimately we are not really 'running away' from anything, we are 'running toward' spiritual freedom and inner peace. However, this process takes time and can make us feel lost and confused. Our soul's call for spiritual liberation usually begins with a strong intolerance for oppression, bullying, double standards, and for unreasonable demands being made on us in exchange for the security of love and/or money. Any intolerance to the endemic abuse of power within our society is not a sign of weakness or irresponsibility, it is a sign that your soul wants to break free.

The closer you get to reaching spiritual freedom, the greater your intolerance of power abuse becomes, however minor, subtle or unintentional. As your inner journey brings you closer to personal liberation, you become increasingly sensitive to how others respond to and affect your energy. While it would be so much easier to function 'normally', the 'normal' lack of sensitivity is actually due to desensitisation caused by thousands of years of oppression and layer upon layer of cultural denial.

Heightened sensitivity and intolerance to oppression is a sign of becoming increasingly unable to live in the 'Old Paradigm' – the abusive hierarchical social order that people have lived under for thousands of years. While it is a challenge for any individual soul to swim against the collective tide, thankfully the collective tide is now turning towards equality and personal freedom. Gone are the days when you are likely to be nailed to a cross or burned at the stake for owning your power or striving towards spiritual freedom – though don't be surprised if you are judged or shamed for it.

If you are trying to decide whether to stick at something or to walk away, you need only ask which option will enable your soul to evolve. Take a step back to check your feelings and listen carefully for any 'shoulds', underlying fears or limiting beliefs that may be holding you hostage. If having done all this you are still not sure, then make an empowered decision to commit yourself fully to your current situation, at least for the time being. And trust that if it turns out that you do need to walk away, in time it will become absolutely crystal clear – just as soon as you are ready.

Freja ♥

Why Do People Feel Shame About Being Single?

'The best way to deal with shame is to talk about whatever it is that makes you squirm and want to hide under the blanket.'

Freja ♥

We live in a society where individuals are free to choose all aspects of their life style. Gone are the days when a woman was passed from father to husband like a prized jewel or a marketable cow. Gone are the days of shot gun weddings, 'illegitimate' children, and the the fear of becoming an old maid at the tender age of 25. When it comes to sex and marriage, society has changed beyond all recognition, so why is it that people still feel so much shame about being single?

I used to think it was 'natural loneliness' that drove me to join one online agency after another and endure endless dates with men who were completely devoid of even the most rudimentary manners. But after the ending of my most recent relationship I was reminded once again of an inescapable truth: There is nothing more lonely than living with someone who doesn't love you - at least when you're single you're free to focus your time and attention on people who do love and care for you. After the initial shock and grief of the latest break up I thought I'd finally cracked it: I was happy and single – and if one day a lovely man should come along, he knew he would be the cherry on the cake not the eggs, milk and flour.

The it started, that old familiar feeling like a dark heavy cloud creeping slowly across the sun. I checked in with myself to see what I was feeling; lonely? No. Desperate for sex? No. Bored and in need of some drama or excitement? No. I decided to sit with this feeling until finally I was face to face with what was making me feel so bad and much to my surprise I discovered it was shame. I was absolutely horrified to hear the voice of shame that said 'no man wants you and therefore you are a failure, an outcast, an absolute reject'. In the eyes of shame, it never matters how great I think I am, or how wonderful my friends say I am, it doesn't matter how amazing my life is or what I achieve in the world – if no man has granted me his 'seal of approval' then shame quietly points out to me that if I am still single, then I must be completely worthless.

This may sound harsh but that is exactly what I discovered lurking in the core of my being when I stripped away all the layers of 'perfectly natural' loneliness, the urgent desire for sex, the feeling that something is missing and the wistful belief in my very own 'happy ever after'. And, knowing as many single women as I do, I also know I am far from alone in experiencing this insidious, excruciating shame. Are women really are free of the shackles of social control, or has the oppression has simply been sublimated and hidden from view, making us think we are now choosing to go bonkers in the quest for His love?

Things are difficult for men too, after all we all live together in this shame based society. If a man manages to cleverly avoid being 'tied down' by a woman, then he is expected to be out there having sex with everyone and anyone, (as long, of course, as it is not with someone wearing pig tails or long shorts which is the only sexually addicted behaviour that is frowned upon these days.) I have met many men who have no interest in 'sleeping around' but who feel shame about not having done it – as if this would have somehow made him more of a man.

Despite the 1960s 'sexual revolution', it appears that women and men are still carrying huge amounts of shame about their sexuality. We can't simply be, instead we have to constantly find ways to prove our sexual worth. The shape and form of the shame many vary between the sexes, and even between individuals – but it is always there; ugly, pervasive and cunningly well hidden. That's the problem with shame, it lurks in the shadows and is such an uncomfortable feeling most of us will do anything to hide it, even from ourselves.

A wise person once told me; shame doesn't live in the light and I have discovered that they were absolutely right. The best way to deal with shame is to talk about whatever makes you squirm and want to hide under the blanket. I was shocked to discover that not only do I feel ashamed of being single, but I also feel deeply ashamed that in this day and age, I can still feel this way. (I should have more self respect than that!) But I'd much rather own up to my feelings of shame than continue pretending that I am experiencing one of the more socially acceptable feelings of loneliness, horniness, wanting a baby or some dreamy notion of being rescued.

I wonder how many of us are running around sleeping with strangers, going on endless disappointing dates or slowly suffocating in painful, unloving relationships just because we are afraid of feeling ashamed? (Ashamed of not being 'man enough' or of not being cheerfully claimed and taken off The Shelf.) Maybe if we started admitting to our feelings of shame we could finally begin to heal the buried wounds caused by thousands of years of social-sexual oppression. Perhaps we could begin to experience true freedom from the realisation that none of us have anything to prove to anyone through our sexual encounters or relationships with others. After all, true self acceptance can only come from letting go of external judgements and living a life that is true to oneself.

Freja ♥ © November 2011

Additional note for Manifesting Mr Wonderful readers:

There is absolutely nothing shameful about wanting a positive loving relationship or to meet the right man. However, I highly recommend checking to see if you are motivated by feelings of shame about being single or if this shame is hidden somewhere in your unconscious because it will only stand in the way of you manifesting what you want. I now believe this 'shame of being single' plays a major role in blocking women's ability to manifest positive relationships; there really is nothing more effective at lowering your vibration and your standards. Shame is an incredibly powerful emotion and our unconscious fear of it can lead us far away from self caring decisions. If we really want to raise our energetic vibration then we must begin by confronting any conscious or hidden reservoirs of shame.

F ♥

Imbolc 2013: Initiating of the Age of Aquarius

So, here we are in 2013 and still in one piece! The Celtic Fire Festival Imbolc will soon be upon us, the initiatory awakening for the next 26,000 year cycle. As I predicted, there were no Hollywood style catastrophes on the Solstice, but that doesn't mean that ‘nothing happened’. All it means is that what is happening is happening energetically and predominantly on an inner level. People are changing on the inside and all changes of consciousness eventually ripple out and manifest in the outer world. One only has to look at the public outcry in India in response to one (sadly not uncommon) extremely violent sexual act to see the tide is already turning. That sort of collective reaction can only come about when the seeds of change have already grown strong within the human psyche because all social and political reform begins with people inwardly ‘waking up’.

Now that the door has energetically been closed on the Old Way, the established powers will find it increasingly difficult to control and manipulate the populous. Those individuals who continue to attempt to abuse and dominate whether out of fear or an active desire for power will find they are no longer supported by the blanket denial and collusion of collective. I predict over the next few years there will be many more dramatic, shocking ‘falls from grace’ for those high profile individuals and individuals who are abusing their power. Ordinary individuals will also find it increasingly difficult to tolerate repression or abuse whether within their personal relationships or in the outside world. As a result of this awakening, there will be many more uprisings, riots, revolutions and a general feeling of social unrest. But rather than fearing the chaos, we must embrace it for the chains of collective slavery must be broken if we are to find a way to build a peaceful, egalitarian future for humanity.     

So what can we personally do to help ‘bring in’ the New Age? Well there are many things we can do, but it is useful to begin with setting our intentions. While Solstice 2012 was about finally releasing ‘that which no longer works’, Imbolc 2013 is about identifying what you want to manifest and opening yourself to receive it. We may want to focus our intentions on world peace, and this is a worthy cause. However, world peace requires happy individuals and to achieve this we must turn our thoughts toward inner peace. Often we focus on all the chaos and pain ‘out there’ and forget that ‘out there’ is simply a manifestation of what exists ‘in here’. Yes, we need to be aware of what goes on in the world and to contribute to making a difference in whatever way we can. However, if we fixate on the state of the world instead of looking within we will be frustrated in our efforts because ultimately we only have power over ourselves.

Attachment to trying to fix other people or circumstances ‘out there’ is often a distraction from dealing with our own inner issues. If you feel unhappy, scared, lost, confused or uncomfortable being alone (with no distractions), I highly recommend that you make healing your own inner state of being your No.1 priority and trust that world peace will be the eventual natural outcome of this. The pain, abuse and suffering that we would all like to see come to an end stems from inner conflict and disconnection from Source. As Ghandi said ‘Be the change you want to see’ – and to do this you will need a strong, positive, loving relationship with your Self.

It is often much harder to look within than it is to focus on the outside world because of how we are taught to behave as children. It is the job of our caregivers to teach us how to be responsible in our actions while remaining true to ourselves. When we are taught to blindly ‘do as we are told’ for their reward or approval rather than to find a responsible way to be true to ourselves, we develop a codependent approach to life – we learn to live our lives through others. In this codependent state we must please, placate, manipulate and control to get our needs met, because we have not developed the skills or awareness to relate to and nurture our inner selves directly. In severely codependent states, we are so removed from our inner selves that we are really do not know who we are, how we feel or what we need except in relation to other people. This extremely frightening and powerless existence creates the compulsion to control and manipulate others in an attempt to make ourselves feel better. Give someone with no ability to know, love and care for themselves political or corporate power and they will take their inner battle for control onto the world stage. This is how wars start.

While we cannot change the unstable, egocentric individuals who are in power, we can change ourselves. And when we change ourselves we automatically show others what must be done to heal. As more people connect to their inner ‘authentic’ selves, we will naturally begin to choose leaders who mirror our personal integrity. For this to happen we must STOP abusing ourselves on every level; we must learn how to care for our bodies and minds and re-connect with our emotional and spiritual selves. Self-care may seem ‘selfish’, but actually people only become ‘selfish’ and egocentric when they don’t know how to meet their own needs. Once we can lovingly care for ourselves, the need to control, manipulate or abuse others evaporates.

So, if you really want to see love on a global level then make it your intention to lovingly care for yourself, no matter what. If you want to see world peace, then take time to heal the conflicts within your own fractured psyche. If you want those in power to be more responsible, start taking responsibility for your own neglected needs, whatever they may be. If you want other people to start treating you better, then it is time to treat yourself with more consideration and respect. If you want people to love you more, then learn how to deeply and unconditionally love yourself. Whatever you feel most attached to seeing change ‘out there’, whether in the larger world or in the people you know is exactly what you need to start giving to yourself.  And giving yourself what you need is exactly how you will change the world, because a world full of happy self-caring people is a world full of people who have so much more to give.

Want to celebrate Imbolc 2013?

True Imbolc takes place whenever the Sun reaches 15 degrees Aquarius, which can occur on different dates from year to year. Traditionally it is celebrated on the 2^nd of February but this year Imbolc actually takes place on the 3^rd at 4.14pm GMT. If you would like to do a ceremony to celebrate beginning of the New Great Year and/or to ritualise your intentions, Sunday the 3^rd would be the best day. Imbolc is all about cleansing and renewal so a good place to visit would be where there is naturally vibrant running water, preferably a spring, waterfall or a lively bubbling brook. Lighting a fire is also an important component of honouring the Goddess Brigit on Her special day. If you want more information about how to celebrate or ritualise Imbolc, there is plenty of information online. Whatever you decide to do on Sunday the 3rd, find a way to open your heart to all the wonderful new possibilities of the Aquarian Age and New Great Year. Enjoy!

Freja  ♥

Winter Solstice 2012 Preparations and Ritual Guide

Tomorrow is the last Winter Solstice of this Great Year and marks the end a 26,000 year cycle of human spiritual evolution. On this special day, we will finally close the door on the Old Way, on Humanity’s long period of separation from the Goddess.

While tomorrow is a day to celebrate this incredible ending, it is also a solemn day. During this period Humanity has been on a huge rollercoaster ride of ups and downs and all souls have experienced great pain and suffering along the way. All that pain and suffering is not going to magically evaporate on the last day of the Great Year, but it does mean that dealing with it will gradually become much easier. In a way, tomorrow is like the end of a huge war that has lasted thousands of years –and like with any war, after the euphoria of ‘victory’ comes the big clean up. So, while we have achieved something momentous that needs celebrating, it is also important that we take a moment during the day to acknowledge the suffering that so many people are still living with.

Many people have been asking me what we can do to ritualise the Solstice and what time the actual event is. Some people will celebrate as the sun comes up, as they do the Summer Solstice but the exact timing of the Solstice is the moment that the Sun enters the sign of Capricorn. This will happen at 11.12am GMT – the last minute being 11.11 to 11.12!

While it would be entirely fitting to have a celebration or party it would be highly beneficial to symbolically ‘close the door’ on the Old Way and to take time to pray for world peace before Humanity moves on to the next 26,000 year cycle.  

 

Solstice Ritual Timings

Sunrise – 11.11am (GMT)

This would be a good time to perform cleansing and purification rituals both for yourself and for Humanity as a whole.

11.11am (GMT)

Symbolically or in your mind’s eye ‘close the door’ on the Old Way. You may even want to visualise the whole of Humanity joining together to close a huge door on pain, poverty and suffering.

Once the door is closed make a silent, spoken or sung prayer for World Peace.

11.12am GMT

Welcome in the new 26,000 year cycle by wishing people a ‘Happy New Great Year!’

Then celebrate to your heart’s content!! : )

 

If you live in another country, work out your Winter Solstice plans according to your time zone, making sure you perform cleansing rituals beforehand then the door closing and minute prayer at the 11.11 am GMT equivalent, and conduct your celebrations any time thereafter.  

 

Cleansing Ritual

If you feel you would like to conduct a cleansing ritual, you can choose any activity that feels meaningful to you. The activity you choose is less important than the intension you use when you do it. Here are some suggestions:
 
1. Write a list of all things you would like humanity to let go of then burn them (please be careful how/where you do this!)

2. Use smudging or incense to cleanse yourself or environment

3. Take a special bath or shower and ask the water to cleanse you

4. If you have crystals, cleanse them in water. It is especially good if you can do this in a fresh spring, stream, river or water fall

5. Have a mini spring clean in your home – hoover, de-clutter, empty rubbish etc.

6. Conduct a short fast from daybreak or midnight on the 20^th until 11.12am on the 21^st   

7. Light a candle and say a prayer asking Humanity to be cleansed of the past

 

See you on the Other Side!
 
Freja ♥

The Festival of the Returning Goddess

In 10 days we will come to the end of a remarkable and terrifying 26,000 year long journey which has taken humanity to the heights of creative power and the depths of spiritual despair. Humanity's period of separation from The Goddess will come to a definitive close on Winter Solstice 2012. This is not to say there will be an immediate change or a sudden end to suffering, all it means is that a period of intense learning has been completed and we will now begin our journey back into the Light, here on planet earth.

Many people believe our suffering is a sign that human beings are 'bad' or have made some kind of terrible mistake but we have simply been experiencing the growing pains that come with a developmental stage. Mother Earth is a physical expression of the Divine Feminine and Humanity carries the spark of the Divine Masculine Spirit which seeks to expand, grow and to understand itself as as something separate. Therefore, Humanity is essentially the 'boy child' of the Earth Goddess. (In Biblical terms Mary represents the Mother Goddess and Jesus her human son who must leave her behind so he can Ascend to 'Heaven' and be with his Father God.)

Every boy must break his attachment with the feminine in order to develop into a mature, autonomous man. Boys go through a bewildering and often painful period of separation from their mother (and from girls) in order to define their masculinity. During this period they often differentiate themselves from all things feminine in order to feel more rooted in their masculinity. Separation from the feminine is also marked by power struggles and hierarchical initiation rites which take place between boys as they struggle to define their masculine power amongst peers.

During these years of separation, boys are free to develop their masculine identity, power and their autonomous 'otherness'. Once this process of differentiation is complete, the Divine Feminine pulls them back with intense sexual urges that call them like a siren song. Having successfully broken free from The Mother aspect of the feminine, the masculine then seeks to reunite with the feminine through sexual union with The Maiden aspect of The Goddess. During Humanity's separation, men were trying to leave the Mother but not yet mature enough to join with the Consort aspect of the Divine Feminine as equals. This meant that men's sexual relationships with women were often conflicted and dominated by the mother/ whore complex. (Men who are attracted to other men either identify primarily with the masculine principle and search for 'femininity' in other men or they identify with the feminine principle, even though they are incarnated in a masculine body. The converse is true for women who are attracted to other women.)

Humanity is ready to let go of the power struggle against the feminine because we have successfully defined our 'masculinity'. Humanity has come of age; it has developed its autonomous power and formed an identity which is quite separate from the Mother Goddess. In the last 100 years humanity reached its ultimate 'masculine' power by becoming capable of destroying Earth and being able to leave by going into space. This is akin to a boy reaching the stage where he knows he can physically overcome his once all powerful mother and when he knows he must leave home and find his own way. When he reaches this point, he knows he has left his boyhood behind and become a man. (Check out Space Odyssey 2001 for an wonderfully insightful film about this human/masculine plight.)

The process of separation has been a collective experience that we have all been equally involved in. It is important to acknowledge that every human soul has incarnated on both sides of this power imbalance which means at some point in our journey we have all experienced being both abusers and victims. For any genuine healing to take place, we must eventually develop compassion and forgiveness for our collective suffering. Ultimately, it is the willingness to come out of denial, heal and forgive that will lead us all to an evolved Higher Consciousness. Jesus was able to forgive those who betrayed, oppressed, tortured and murdered him because he understood that his oppressors were spiritual children who did not understand what they were doing.

Masculinity is not innately 'bad', but left unchecked by the balancing feminine counterpart, it will ultimately become destructive. At some point the masculine needs to consciously channel the power it has attained through separation back into the feminine so that balance can be restored. Both feminine and masculine powers are required for a peaceful world based on equality and for this to be made possible, women will need to step into their power and men will need to welcome 'feminine' leadership qualities in women and within themselves. It doesn't mean things should turn into an inverted Patriarchy where women are 'in charge', it is simply that men will have to humbly step down from their pedestal and women will have to rise up to meet them in the middle.

We can go no further in our separation from the Mother Goddess or the Divine Feminine. The process of separation is like an elastic band that eventually stretches to capacity and now it must be released or it will snap. Humanity has reached this 'breaking point' and the next Great Year will be about our path of Return. In many ways we are in a very precarious position and many aspects of our current existence will 'snap' or be lost. However, anything we have created that no longer serves us needs to break so we can be released and begin our journey of return. This 'break down' phase is also part of the plan and is not to be feared because ultimately it will bring new growth.

During the period of separation, The Goddess has taken on the Crone aspect of the Divine Feminine and submerged Herself into darkness. We have been lost to her and She has been lost to us. But as we begin to come back down to Earth, Her inner light is rising up to meet us. The fire festival Imbolc at the beginning of February brings with it the first signs that the Light is returning and the Goddess is stirring beneath the harsh winter landscape. Imbolc 2013 welcomes the Returning Goddess who will bring Light and warmth to us all – not just after this year's winter, but after a winter that has lasted many thousands of years and has caused much human suffering.  

I will be celebrating this auspicous date as the 'Festival of the Returning Goddess' over the whole weekend of the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd of February and I really hope you will join me... 

Freja ♥