Category: Gratitude

  • 7 Simple Spring Equinox Rituals for Renewal and New Beginnings

    7 Simple Spring Equinox Rituals for Renewal and New Beginnings

    7 Simple Spring Equinox Rituals for Renewal and New Beginnings

    The Spring Equinox is one of those quiet turning points in the year that you can almost feel before you can explain it. The light lingers a little longer in the evening. The air shifts. The earth begins to stir. Even if the trees are still mostly bare and the mornings still carry a chill, something has changed.

    This is the balance point of the season, the moment when day and night stand equal. From here, the light begins to grow. For many people, the Spring Equinox feels like a natural time to reset, clear space, and welcome fresh energy into both home and spirit.

    The nice thing about honoring the equinox is that it does not have to be complicated. You do not need an elaborate ritual, a perfectly decorated altar, or a long list of supplies. Often, the simplest acts are the ones that carry the most meaning.

    If you have been feeling tired, stuck, or ready for a fresh start, here are seven simple ways to honor the Spring Equinox and welcome renewal into your life.

    1. Open the windows and let in fresh air

    One of the easiest and most satisfying equinox rituals is simply opening the windows and letting the house breathe.

    After a long winter, our homes can start to feel heavy. The air gets stale, the rooms feel closed in, and everything begins to hold the energy of the colder months. Opening the windows, even for a short time, is a way of inviting in movement, freshness, and change.

    You might do this while saying a quiet prayer, setting an intention, or simply standing still for a moment and letting the new air move through the room. It is a small act, but it can shift the feeling of a space almost immediately.

    2. Clear one small space

    The Spring Equinox is a wonderful time for clearing, but that does not mean you need to tackle the whole house in one day.

    Choose one small area instead. A tabletop, a nightstand, a drawer, an altar, or even just one corner of a room. Wipe it down. Remove what does not belong. Make it feel lighter and more open than it did before.

    This kind of clearing is about more than tidying up. It is about making room. When we clear physical space, we often create emotional and spiritual space too. We send a quiet message to ourselves that we are ready for something new to enter.

    3. Light a candle for balance and new beginnings

    A candle is a beautiful way to mark the equinox because this sabbat is so deeply tied to the return of the light.

    You might choose a white candle for clarity and balance, a yellow candle for joy and fresh energy, or a green candle for growth and renewal. Keep it simple. There is no need to overthink it.

    As you light it, take a moment to reflect on what you are leaving behind and what you hope to welcome in. You can sit quietly with the flame, say a few heartfelt words, or just let the candle burn while you move through the rest of your evening.

    Sometimes the smallest rituals are the ones that stay with us the longest.

    4. Spend a little time outside

    The equinox is a reminder that the earth is waking up, and one of the best ways to honor that is to step outside and notice it.

    You do not need a grand nature outing. Stand in the yard. Sit on the porch. Take a short walk. Look closely at the trees, the grass, the sky, and the way the light falls. Listen for birds. Notice what is beginning to return.

    This ritual is especially powerful because it asks nothing from you except attention. No performance. No pressure. Just presence.

    If you feel comfortable doing so, you might place your hand on a tree, stand with your face turned toward the sun, or offer a quiet word of thanks for the season ahead.

    5. Plant seeds or begin something small

    Spring is the season of beginnings, so the equinox is a natural time to plant something, literally or symbolically.

    If you enjoy gardening, plant seeds in the soil or start something small indoors. If gardening is not your thing, think about what else you would like to begin. A new habit. A creative project. A journal. A prayer practice. A goal that feels ready now, even if it did not a few months ago.

    The key here is to start small. Early spring is not the full bloom. It is the first stirrings of life. This is not the time to overwhelm yourself with a hundred plans. It is the time to gently begin.

    Ask yourself: what do I want to grow this season?

    That question alone can be a ritual.

    6. Make a simple seasonal meal

    Food has always been one of the most grounding ways to mark the turning of the year.

    A Spring Equinox meal does not have to be fancy. It can be as simple as fresh bread, eggs, greens, herbs, honey, or something light and nourishing that feels like a welcome shift from the heavier foods of winter.

    The point is not perfection. The point is mindfulness. Prepare it with care. Set the table if you can. Light a candle. Eat slowly. Let the meal become a way of noticing the season and receiving it.

    There is something deeply sacred about feeding yourself with intention.

    7. Write down what you want to grow this season

    This may be the simplest equinox ritual of all, but it is also one of the most powerful.

    Take a few minutes to write down what you want to grow in the months ahead. Not just what you want to accomplish, but what you want to nurture. Peace. Confidence. Better health. Creativity. Stability. Love. A stronger sense of purpose. A new project. A softer inner life.

    Try not to make it a giant list. Keep it honest. Keep it personal. Choose what feels real.

    You can tuck your words into a journal, place them beneath a candle, or keep them on your altar as a reminder of what you are calling forward.

    The Spring Equinox is not about having everything figured out. It is about recognizing that the season has turned, the light is returning, and something in you is ready to begin again.

    That is enough.

    However you choose to honor the equinox, let it be simple. Let it be real. Let it meet you where you are.

    You do not need to do everything. One candle, one open window, one cleared corner, one quiet intention can be enough to mark the moment.

    The earth is not rushing, and you do not have to rush either.

    Stand in the balance. Breathe in the new season. And take one small step toward what you want to grow.

    In Service,

    Sister Bridget

  • Welcome Aquarius!

     

     

  • I can’t help it…..I just love September!

    September5

  • You Were Made For This!

    Hello!

    Having gone through a great many changes in my life the past two years, there were many times I have read and reread this article below. The images of ships upon the water spoke deeply to me, and reminded me frequently to seek guidance from Capitaine Agwe. Master of the Sea, he is one to go to for guidance, setting a course through the stormy seas of life. Our own Brother Menfo now offers readings and rituals to his guardian lwa, Capitaine Agwe and his wife, LaSirene. You can view his offerings at www.spellmaker.com/menfo.htm  I hope you find some jewels in this article to help you through any stormy patches you may find yourself in.

    Love

    Sister Bridget

    You Were Made For This

    By Clarissa Pinkola Estes

    My friends, do not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have heard  from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered. They are concerned about the state of affairs in our world  now. Ours is a time of almost  daily astonishment and often righteous rage over the latest degradations of what matters most to civilized, visionary people.
          You are right in your assessments. The lustre and hubris some have aspired to while endorsing acts so heinous against children, elders, everyday people, the poor, the unguarded, the helpless, is breathtaking. Yet, I urge you, ask  you, gentle you, to please not spend your spirit dry by bewailing these difficult times. Especially do not lose hope. Most particularly because, the fact is that we were made for these times. Yes. For years, we have been      learning, practicing, been in training for and just waiting to meet on this exact plain of engagement.
          I grew up on the Great Lakes and recognize a seaworthy vessel when I see one. Regarding awakened souls, there have never been more able vessels in the waters than there are right now across the world. And they are fully provisioned and able to signal one another as never before in the history of humankind.

    Look out over the prow; there are millions of boats of righteous souls on the waters with you. Even though your veneers may shiver from every wave in this stormy roil, I assure you that the long timbers composing your prow and rudder come from a greater forest. That  long-grained lumber is known to withstand storms, to hold together, to hold its own, and to advance, regardless.
          In any dark time, there is a tendency to veer toward fainting over how much is wrong or unmended in the world. Do not focus on that. There is a tendency, too, to fall into being weakened by dwelling on what is outside your reach, by what cannot yet be. Do not focus there. That is spending the wind  without raising the sails.

    We are needed, that is all we can know. And though we meet resistance, we more so will meet great souls who will hail us, love us and guide us, and we will know them when they appear. Didn't you say you were a believer? Didn't you say you pledged to listen to a voice greater? Didn't you ask for grace? Don't you remember that to be in grace means to  submit to the voice greater?
    Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any  small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely. It is not given to  us to know which acts or by whom, will cause the critical mass to tip toward an enduring good.

    What is needed for dramatic change is an accumulation of  acts, adding, adding to, adding more, continuing. We know that it does not take everyone on Earth to bring justice and peace, but only a small, determined group who will not give up during the first, second, or  hundredth gale.
          One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a      stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires, causes proper matters to catch fire. To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these – to be fierce and to show mercy    toward others; both are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity.

    Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing  to show it. If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do.
          There will always be times when you feel discouraged. I too have felt despair many times in my life, but I do not keep a chair for it. I will not entertain it. It is not allowed to eat from my plate.

    The reason is this: In my uttermost bones I know something, as do you. It is that there can be no  despair when you remember why you came to Earth, who you serve, and who sent  you here. The good words we say and the good deeds we do are not ours. They are the words and deeds of the One who brought us here. In that spirit, I hope you will write this on your wall: When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for.

        Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D

  • Following a Resolution.

    Hi there!

    Part of ny New Year's resolution was for me to try new and exciting things. I am taking a jewelry making class. I am getting ready to sell my house and  make a really bold move. I am looking at my financials in a new light. I have also decided to try branching out a bit in my practice. I am currently starting up a shop on Etsy, and have also recently listed my readings on KEEN. It can be relaly hard in today's world to know how and where to focus one's energies. There are so many options on the 'net today and social media, to say the least, can be overwhemling. They key for me is to try really hard not to get overwhelmed by the choices, and know that the only way to know what path is right for me, is by trial and error. I do my research, listen to my guidance, and then take a try. It is a step – not always forwards, but a step none the less. Change can be scarey. New things can be overwhelming. But no progress can be made by standing still. In these days following the New Year, when your resolutions are still fresh in your mind, I encourage you to try, to take a step and see where it goes. You will miss 100% of the chances that you do not take.

    Blessings,

    Sister Bridget

  • Happy New Year!

    Hello All!

    As 2011 draws to a close, I wish you all many blessings and a Happy New Year! 2011 certainly did seem to go by fast 🙂 I am very much looking forward to 2012 and getting back to blogging regularly. My blog is being retooled, and there will be lots of new topics and features! Lots to look forward to 🙂

    A Safe and Happy New Year to you all!

    Love

    Sister Bridget

    Bridget

     

    Prayer for the New Year

    ……Anonymous

    Grant me the strength from day to day
    To bear what burdens come my way.
    Grant me throughout this bright New Year
    More to endure and less to fear.
    Help me live that I may be
    From spite and petty malice free.

    Let me not bitterly complain
    When cherished hopes of mine prove vain,
    Or spoil with deeds of hate and rage
    Some fair tomorrow's spotless page.
    Lord, as the days shall come and go
    In courage let me stronger grow.

    Lord, as the New Year dawns today
    Help me to put my faults away.
    Let me be big in little things;
    Grant me the joy which friendship brings.
    Keep me from selfishness and spite;
    Let me be wise in what is right.

    A happy New Year! Grant that I
    May bring no tear to any eye.
    When this New Year in time shall end
    Let it be said I've played the friend,
    Have lived and loved and labored here,
    And made of it a happy year.

  • Top Ten Reasons to Adopt the LAW of GRATITUDE

    Top Ten Reasons to Adopt the LAW of GRATITUDE

    What would your day be like if you started and ended it by simply noticing all that you have in your life?

    If you count all your assets, you always show a profit. Gratitude is a natural high. When you live in tandem with your spirit, appreciating all of life and what you have, you discover more joy and kindness in the world. Miracles happen everywhere all the time, but only those with an "Attitude of Gratitude" seem to notice them.

    This circle of peace grows and you return to your natural state of joy, love and peace, knowing you are whole and complete just as you are.

    "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the
    parent of all the others." ~ Cicero

    The following is a list of the top ten reasons to adopt the Law of Gratitude in your life:

    One. Being in Gratitude Only Has Positive Side Effects.

    Positive emotions make you feel good and offer a sense of comfort. When we take a few moments to express our appreciation inwardly or to another, immediately we begin to feel happier, more relaxed, more optimistic.

    Two. Feelings of Gratitude Provide Short-Cuts to Miracles.

    Negative thoughts and feelings create an interruption in the natural flow of life. When you are feeling positive and grateful you accelerate what it is that you desire. Consciously appreciating what you already have is the short-cut to manifestation and the secret to personal fulfillment.

    Three. Thoughts of Gratitude Flood Your Body with Immune-Boosting Endorphins.

    Studies also provide evidence that a positive, appreciative attitude enhances the body's healing system and general health.

    When you hold feelings of thankfulness for at least 15 to 20 seconds, beneficial physiological changes take place in your body. Levels of the stress hormones cortisol and norepinephrine decrease, producing a cascade of beneficial metabolic changes. Coronary arteries relax, thus increasing the blood supply to your heart. And your breathing becomes deeper, raising the oxygen level of your tissues.

    Four. Feeling Grateful Puts you Back into the 'Flow of Life' at the Speed of Thought. Thoughts create things. If you are feeling and thinking positive thoughts, you create positive situations. You draw positive people to you. Like attracts like.

    Five. Gratitude Unlocks the Fullness of Life

    Feelings of gratitude turn what you have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast or a house into a home. Gratitude makes sense of your past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

    Six. Feelings of Gratitude Give You a 'Natural High'.

    Grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that researchers say boosts the immune system. Studies indicate that daily gratitude exercises result in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy. Grateful people experience less depression and stress, are more likely to help others, exercise regularly and tend to make more progress toward personal goals.
    People who feel grateful are also more likely to feel loved.

    Seven. Gratitude Provides an Immediate Sense of Well-Being.

    Gratitude, it turns out, can help us better manage stress. Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress.

    Eight. Feeling Grateful is the Main Cause of 'Sustained Joy'.

    Focusing on the gifts one has been given is an antidote to envy, resentment, regret and other negative states that undermine long-term happiness. Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.

    Nine. The More You Give — The More You Receive.

    You always get more of whatever you appreciate. When you express LOVE, GRATITUDE, and SINCERE APPRECIATION, you naturally expand. Consciously appreciating what you already have is the short-cut to manifestation and the secret to personal fulfillment.
    The more you assist others, the more you will assist yourself.

    Ten. When You Are Genuinely Thankful Anger and Fear Disappear.

    One of the incredible truths about gratitude is that it is impossible to feel both the positive emotion of thankfulness and a negative emotion such as anger or fear at the same time.

    To Practice This Thought:
    – Be lavish in your gratefulness.
    – Make gratitude a daily ritual.
    – Be thankful for whatever forces you to deal with your own strong emotions.
    – Set aside an hour or two to do nothing much except be grateful.

    Focus on what is working in your life and what IS right in the world. It doesn't matter how small or seemingly insignificant it may be. Before long you will notice that more things will fall into place with little or no effort on your part. Gratitude is a wonderful tool to use to feel good fast.

    7hearts 

  • Fishing Trip 🙂

    Hello!

    Below are some pictures I took while fishing with Marran and Parran this Spring. Hope you enjoy them 🙂

    Light and Love

    Sister Bridget

    ABQSpring2011 076 
      Marran having a fine day! 
     
     ABQSpring2011 117
    Marran and Parran and a Fishy Friend!

    ABQSpring2011 083 Here is the little fella that I caught, being held by Parran's bother, Andrew. We threw him back (the fish, not Drew….) and he swam away to live another day 🙂

    ABQSpring2011 093 The Neighbors! A mess-o-chipmunks lived in a rock pile right next to where we were seated for the day. These little guys were quite brave and really seemed fond of rice crispy treats! They were awesome entertainment in between nibbles on the line.

  • Happy Thanksgiving 🙂

    Wishing each and every one of you a peaceful holiday filled with good company and good food. I am very grateful to have you in my life.

    Light and Love

    Sister Bridget

    A Thanksgiving Prayer

    In the spirit of humility we give thanks for all that is.

    We thank the great spiritual beings who have shared their wisdom.

    We thank our ancestors who brought us to where we are now.

    We are grateful for the opportunity to walk this planet,

    to breathe the air,

    to taste the food,

    to experience sensations of a human body/mind,

    to share in this wonder that is life.

    We are grateful for the natural world that supports us,

    for the community of humankind that enables us to do many wonderous
    things.

    We are grateful that we are conscious,

    that as intelligent beings we can reflect upon the many gifts we
    have been given.

    Tom Barrett

    Images2

  • A different perspective on things…..

    Someone recently sent me this in an email. At times of loss, it can be soooo easy to focus on what we dont have, rather than on what we do have (and are taking for granted…….)

    I AM THANKFUL:

    FOR THE WIFE
    WHO SAYS IT’S HOT DOGS TONIGHT,
    BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME,
    AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.

    FOR THE HUSBAND
    WHO IS ON THE SOFA
    BEING A COUCH POTATO,
    BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME
    AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.

    FOR THE TEENAGER
    WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES
    BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME,
    NOT ON THE STREETS.

    FOR THE TAXES I PAY
    BECAUSE IT MEANS
    I AM EMPLOYED .

    FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
    BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
    BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

    F OR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG

    BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
    ENOUGH TO EAT.

    FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
    BECAUSE IT MEANS
    I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE.

    FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING,
    WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,
    AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING
    BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME.

    FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
    I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
    BECAUSE IT MEANS
    WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

    FOR THE PARKING SPOT I FIND AT THE

    FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE
    OF WALKING AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION ..

    FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
    BECAUSE IT MEANS
    I AM WARM.

    FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH
    WHO SINGS OFF KEY
    BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN HEAR.

    FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING
    BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

    FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES
    AT THE END OF THE DAY
    BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN
    CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

    FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF
    IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

    AND I AM THANKFUL:
    FOR THE CRAZY PEOPLE I WORK WITH
    BECAUSE THEY MAKE WORK INTERESTING AND FUN!

    AND FINALLY, FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL
    BECAUSE IT MEANS
    I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME

    Light and Love

    Sister Bridget