the Crone

I came across this poem - author unknown - in the latest issue of the Beltane Papers. As the Wheel moves on towards Winter Solstice the Crone gets ready to transform into the Maiden once again.

I found the words well chosen and the poem evoked the thought well.

Bright Blessings

Sharon

the Crone

“I am the silence of midnight and black velvet skies

I am the shadow of vision that tempers your eyes.

I am the darkness of secrets that draw the veil thin.

The coldness of winter that shakes on your skin.

I am the grandmother, weaver, enchantress and crone.

The knowledge of justice that strikes at the bone.

Destruction is mine when its time comes to be.

Death to the living, who all come to me.

Mine is the hand of the spinning of fates.

Mine is the passage between life’s fragile gates.

I am the giver of magickal sight,

the slight sliver of waning moonlight

on a cold winter’s night.

I am the branch of ageless worn trees

Hear my voice and know me !

I am the raven that flies through the woods,

Black silken wings opened up to the sky !

Bearer of closure, competition and truth

Dreamscapes and Banshee am I !

Mine is the wisdom that comes in the dark.

Mine is the dying that calls to your flesh.

Mine are the hidden remains of your heart.

Mine is the mist that will take your last breath.

Give unto me what is old and outworn,

and I will return it with new life reborn.

Give me your sorrows, your sadness, your grief,

and in the dark hour, I will give you relief!

I am the giver of death and rebirth.

Mine are the last things, before they are first.

See me in shadows, and in the dark sea.

I am the Crone !

hear my voice and know me! “

- author unknown

SAMHAIN October 31-November 1
The Witch's New Year, The Feast of the Dead

It is the first festival of winter and the last of fall. The festival was set by the ancients to coincide with the appearance of the constellation of the Pleiades on the eastern horizon at nightfall. The Crone rules here where the gates of life and death stand open and the curtain between worlds is the thinnest. All things are possible as we stand on the threshold of reality and listen to the words of those who came before. We take this time to honor our ancestors. It is a time or reflection.

In Old Europe the warmth of the Summer is gone from the land and the first frosts will be seen by the end of the month. It is the time of slaughter. There is enough hay in the barns for the breeding stock, but the rest of the live stock must be killed to provide food for the hard winter. This is the great sacrifice. The giving of life so that life may continue. The Oak King died to let the Holly King Rule.

YULE - WINTER SOLSTICE December 21-22

The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and represents the farthest excursion south of the sun. After this day the sun will begin to appear farther North each day, and the days will begin to grow longer. We are half way through the weight of winter and celebrate the transition from death to life, as it is the moment of the Sun King's Birth, which reflects in our world as the beginning of the growth of light. The Crone gives her crown to the Maiden, and new replaces old. It is the turning point of the winter. Our metabolism has slowed down and the crafts we've worked on during our the gifts that we give to others. We feast as we have not feasted in months. It is a celebration to give us a break from our bleak hard winter and to remind us of the spring that is ahead.

Winter Solstice: December 21

It is the longest night of the year, the shortest day. We meet to honor the darkness at its peak, reclaiming the night sky and the dark womb as source of light and life. We rejoice in the return of the sun as the light begins to grow. The Goddess is the newborn baby. We honor the birth of the Sun Goddess, Lucina, coming with her crown of lights to disperse the darkness. Amaterasu (Japan) comes out of the dark cave, sees her reflection in a mirror, and lights the world with love from the beauty she sees. Yemaya (Africa) creates the world anew from her womb.

Dog Days of Summer

My we have been through a hot humid week.

Hope you enjoy these photos.

Dog Days of Summer

http://picasaweb.google.ca/bbirzz/August2010?feat=directlink

Bright Blessings

Sharon

Ode on the Spring

Dutchman's breeches are one of our earliest Spring flowers.

Acrylic 8" x 10" from a collection of Apsley Acers Spring flower paintings I did years ago.

Ode On The Spring
Thomas Gray

Lo! where the rosy-bosomed Hours,
Fair Venus' train, appear,
Disclose the long-expecting flowers,
And wake the purple year!
The Attic warbler pours her throat,
Responsive to the cuckoo's note,
The untaught harmony of spring:
While, whisp'ring pleasure as they fly,
Cool Zephyrs thro' the clear blue sky
Their gathered fragrance fling.

Where'er the oak's thick branches stretch
A broader browner shade,
Where'er the rude and moss-grown beech
O'er-canopies the glade,
Beside some water's rushy brink
With me the Muse shall sit, and think
(At ease reclined in rustic state)
How vain the ardour of the Crowd,
How low, how little are the Proud,
How indigent the Great!

Still is the toiling hand of Care;
The panting herds repose:
Yet hark, how through the peopled air
The busy murmur glows!
The insect-youth are on the wing,
Eager to taste the honied spring
And float amid the liquid noon:
Some lightly o'er the current skim,
Some show their gayly-gilded trim
Quick-glancing to the sun.

To Contemplation's sober eye
Such is the race of Man:
And they that creep, and they that fly,
Shall end where they began.
Alike the Busy and the Gay
But flutter thro' life's little day,
In Fortune's varying colours drest:
Brushed by the hand of rough Mischance,
Or chilled by Age, their airy dance
They leave, in dust to rest.

Methinks I hear, in accents low,
The sportive kind reply:
Poor moralist! and what art thou?
A solitary fly!
Thy joys no glittering female meets,
No hive hast thou of hoarded sweets,
No painted plumage to display:
On hasty wings thy youth is flown;
Thy sun is set, thy spring is gone
We frolic while 'tis May.

The Many Faces of Spring

Amazing here we are March 8th coming to the close of what seems to be the least wintery winter for many years. After a rash of mild sunny days it seems we are to get even more. Somehow the back of my mind keeps wondering what is yet to come from the Pandora Weather Box - surely this isn't really it?

I seem to need Snow as a catalyst to appreciate Spring. Combined with the increasing warmth of the Sun the phenomenon of this wondrous season zings to the forefront of my brain.

To sit on a day such as this listening to the water dripping off the eave into the snow; watching as these tiny droplets form wondrous deep caverns that when photographed (above) take on unbelievable structures taking one’s mind’s eye into the realms of fantasy.

Our Ravens are nesting - coming often to the compost diner as a couple to share in the recently tossed banquet. Talking raucously between themselves one can’t help but listen in on their conversation. As tall tree dwellers these two have been nesting in the ancient spruce about the yard for many years. Thus becoming quite nonchalant about us humans when we sit out in their space. We would feel lonely without their presence about the yard.

What is interesting is that on this the mildest of winters we have burnt the most wood ever for a winter - as have many I speak to - a thick layer of snow obviously has a better thermal blanket than the so called mild. Our wood is very low this year. How fast 5 bush cords can burn on a cold winter. Fortunately we have a back-up bush cord near the pond. The positive flip side this allows room for a summer fold out chair allowing one to sit comfortably and dry while soaking up the sun rays on a day such as this.

Needless to say you can close your eyes and have the same feel as sitting on a beach in the summer. The contained heat and reflected light from the snow is a similar rich warmth.

Quite easy to get company for the same heat/dry reasons. Geeko has a way of turning up no matter where you go - definitely a people dog. The paths which we keep clear all winter dry out quickly - a definite plus at this time of year. Wood gets done first thing in the morning while the night’s frost is hard making pushing the wheelbarrow much easier.

By noon; wet foot prints show up readily and one hopes the world dries smoothly. This is Geeko’s big print. I am glad they don't show up all through the house. Tom took a photo of fresh coon tracks in a whisp of snow on the drive a few days back. We don’t usually have coons visit - they prefer the lush pickings of garbage day in town - perhaps it was passing through.

Even the dog seems to squint looking at the way too bright snow. The soft snow melts s at different rates as the layers of recent snows have individual compaction. You can actually see by the striation lines on the old freezer which will be painted later this year and become a raised garden box.

We all agree that another of the wonderful spring things is the smells on the air - being fortunate to live in an area with no near neighbors our subtle changes bring scents totally created by Gaia. Spring has a wonderful combination of the freshest smells ever - no company will ever be able to duplicate even a tinge of it. Those ghastly toxic chemical laden air fresheners the world seems to think safe make me so sick - imagine I could never even buy a house where one had been used as the oil penetrates so deeply it never leaves. Imagine wanting to make one's house that toxic and allowing children and pet let alone themselves to be in it on a daily basis - I shudder at the thought. .

With scents on the air Geeko often gets led astray. As the day progresses the snow softens and wading through it becomes quite hard.

One minute he’s there - the next gone! He is a woods wimp and always returns quickly plus the deep snow wears him out.

If you look over to the hill to the east of the cabin you will notice the trees have started to well. This is a sure sign the sap has started to move. If this were a maple syrup year we’d be tapping trees.

There is no wind in the trees at the house level BUT the large pines at the top are swaying and making a delicious March south-west wind songs. Aren’t telephoto lenses wonderful! The photo below is the middle evergreen and I didn't move an inch.

When the dog gets pack he is content to lie in the snow and cool off - he often rolls about or sticks his nose deep inside to collect spring smells from below. Sometimes he gets quite excited and starts to dig frantically - perhaps a mouse ran down it’s winter trail? At other times he is content like me to just enjoy the sun with his eyes almost closed - with the heat making him sleepy.

Talk about cerulean blue cloudless sky - the few remaining white oak leaves look stark against the sky. The only other leaves which are even more tenacious are on the beech . I often collect those at this time of year to make a mild astringent face water for summers oilier skin days.

Giving my new Cannon Elph a good run through today - I am so pleased with the colour , crispness and ease of use.

Our well was covered with snow earlier today - now it has melted and this beautiful thriving clump of moss - so many bits of new life are lovely surprises on a day such as this.

I also noticed fresh clumps of Johnny-Jump-Up leaves ready to start growing. Guess the crocii along the toe of the ridge will in bloom soon also.

The macro on this wee camera is down to 1.25 “ if I remember correctly - being one of those who relishes the instant gratification of digital photography it is making my greed for speed corner quite smiley with its ability to respond well to all the tasks I set out today.

I will leave you with this shot of a second of the fabulous ice lace edge along the path as I walked back to the house. Such a glorious time of renewal swirling all about. My heart sings along with the rhythm of the arrival of Spring. My primordial clock is being reset with the pure clean sunshine - the fresh breeze blows the cobwebs from my brain and thoughts of many things crowd in - each vying to be the top of my to - do list.

Bright Blessings

Sharon

Life is Good!

Spring Coming is a wonderful Scent

Today the sun was warm - the roof was madly dripping - the delicious smell of spring coming filled the air
- I just know it won't be long till the pussy willow start to show
- till birds arrive back and the season moves into full swing.
Such a joyous mood descends upon me as I start thinking seriously about life's renewal on so many levels.
This photo is of my standard rosemary which pops into deliciously sweet blooms each year at this time.
Life is Good!
bright Blessings
Sharon