on a mission from Goddess

A beautiful day in the neighborhood . . .

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:54:00 +0000

I have to admit folks that my goddess has been keeping me busy lately. Not only am I working a couple of jobs, I'm back in school for my masters and I am taking mediumship classes at a spiritualist church. Whew. Actually, I feel great because I know this is what I am supposed to be doing at this time--paving the way to take care of myself both spiritually and secularly. I am helping the universe raise another goddess and I was so pleased this week to do something empowering for my daughter--I put the down payment on her dorm for next year. She better love me.

Actually, I feel that my life is so blessed. Sure there are things that I want and things I want to see happen for myself and my family, but we are all where we are supposed to be. I couldn't ask for anything more. I am developing a sort of peace of mind that I didn't think was possible for me to achieve. I wish the same for you.

Reiki class reminder

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:23:00 +0000

Just a reminder to let you know that we will be having a reiki I and II class this weekend. There is still room, so please give Dee a call at 646-355-7934 if you are interested. Or you can sign up at our website. We'd love to see you in class.

Another Angel

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:45:00 +0000

Forgive me for not posting much in the last few days, but my beloved cousin Lindy passed to the other side. Many years ago she was a dancer with Alvin Ailey and performed on Broadway. She is greatly missed.

But I also know that part of my mission is to bring more folks into reiki. So in her honor I am holding class February 20/21 for levels 1 and 2. If you'd like to be part of the class, feel free to call me at 646-355-7934.

Am I blue? Not After AVATAR!

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:38:00 +0000

I finally had the pleasure of seeing Avatar in 3D and I was so totally impressed by this movie that I had to write about it. Not only is the technology woven seamlessly into the film, but the message and what it represents is awesome, too.

Thanks to whatever new technology was created for this movie, I was so engrossed in James Cameron's world of Pandora that I forgot for the most part that I was watching animated characters, not real flesh and blood beings from another planet.

As for the story, I truly was impressed with the depth of the storyline. Now you know me--I'm a sucker for a female deity, and for tribal leaders, male and female, who each perform their equally important roles for their people. My sister, who saw the movie before I did, described it as an Intergallactic Dances with Wolves. I find that description apt, it is also lacking in that DWW didn't delve into the underlying spiritual beliefs of the Native People's in any significant way. With Avatar, we see a culture that believes in and honors the connectivity of all things. We see a culture that practices healing, life and death in ways that harken to ways of indigenous people throughout the world.

Or at least they seem to. I admit I'm no expert in what Native cultures do or don't do. To my Western sensibilities, the Na'vi seem more authentic than many other depictions of so-called "primitive" cultures. And here lies my only problem with Avatar. Jake Sully is a bit too great-white-hopeish in his role as jarhead turned Omaticaya. Cameron casts the Na'vi with a real-life multicultural assortment, yet it's the lone white guy who is able to reunite all the tribes and save the planet. Outsider who rises to prominence as an insider is a familiar character arc in many types of stories, but it's not one of my favorites.

If nothing else, Avatar is notable for it's strong female characters. Sigourney Weaver has had a lock on the female leadership role since her Alien days. Michelle Rodriguez got her kick-ass credentials from Shaft and proves why she deserves them here. CCH Pounder as Mo'at (sound familiar to Ma'at, the goddess of justice and order profiled here last month) and almost every other character she plays proves that wisdom and insight win out over muscle. And then there is Zoe Saldana who won my heart as Uhura (I even have the dolly). She was brilliant as Neytira. If there is Oscar buzz for her performance, it is well deserved.

Out of touch?

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:48:00 +0000

How I just love Apple computers. Despite my recent purchase of a dell laptop, I'm nearly dying to get an Apple desktop again sometime in the near future.

But alas, it appears the folks at Mac could use a little goddess energy when it comes to naming their products. Their new tablet is to die for, except for one thing--its name. Coming under the category of "what were they thinking" they decided to name this beauty the iPad. Now I don't know about you, but there are many women that when they hear the word "pad" there's usually an implied "sanitary" that comes before it.

Oh well, maybe the folks at Mac should get a few more women on their staff before they end up looking more like MADtv.

Sharing is Caring

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:14:00 +0000

Announcing our Reikishares for the new year!

Healing Hands of Reiki Reikishares meet once a month on the second Monday. Our dates for the beginning of 2010 are February 8, March 8 and April 5. We gather at 7 pm.

Each Reikishare consists of a meet and greet, meditation, sharing (everyone gets a turn on the reiki table receiving reiki and helping to give reiki to others).

Space is limited to ten participants, so please call (646-355-7934) early to reserve your place. Light refreshments are served. The cost is $20.

Hope to see you there!

More for Haiti

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:21:00 +0000

This came to me today from Goddess Gift E-Zine in response to the devastation in Haiti.

A Prayer to the Goddess Yemaya

Goddess Yemaya, black madonna,
Goddess of courage and compassion,
Please hear our prayers.

Yemaya, you who once faced the suffering and fear
of your own life, and understood it so well
that you spread your calming light upon the sea.
You left your mountain home
to travel in the holds of the slave ships,

Comforting your people, letting them know that
Even though they were mightily afraid . . .
They were not alone.

Your gentle presence is needed now.
Great mother, Make haste to the island Haiti.
Cast your calm upon the chaos there, and
heal their hurt with hope.

Please give all of us the vision to see the highest in each other,
and grant us the opportunity to reach out and be there for each other,
Most of all in times like these.

Give us compassion and courage to ride the tides of despair with you,
and empower us always to love and nurture one another.

Oh goddess Yemaya, help all of us to cope, and hope,
cradled in the arms of your bountiful grace.

~ Sharon Turnbull
www.goddessgift.com

With her affiliation with the sea and her affinity with Mother Mary, Yemaya is a very appealing goddess to me. Here's what else Goddess Gift has to say about this powerful, compassionate orisha. May she bless us all, especially those in such dire straits right now, with her love, her wisdom, and the great calm in crisis for which she is known.

Mother Earthquake

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:48:00 +0000

The pictures coming from Haiti are almost too much to bear. If you can, please send healing energy to the Haitian people and to Mother Earth so that she may settle down. On a more prosaic level, please send money to this ravaged country for the relief effort.

Some ways to donate:

Americares
International Red Cross website
Salvation Army
UNICEF
Text Yele to 501501 to donate $5.
Text Haiti to 90999 to donate $5 to the Red Cross.

Of course, there are other ways to help. I urge you to do so in any way you can.

The Medium is the message

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:52:00 +0000

I started mediumship classes tonight at a Spiritualist church that I attend. I didn't really know what to expect, but I was surprised to see that most of the work we were doing was energy work. I don't know if I'm going to end up seeing (or hearing or feeling) dead people or whatever, but it seems as if there is a lot to learn in this class.

Maybe it's the teacher in me, but I always love the classroom, whether I am the learner or the learnee. 2010 is turning out to be a very good year so far!

We're Not in Kansas anymore, Toto

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:09:00 +0000

Okay, it's a stretch from the Wizard of Oz to Dr. Oz, but it is pretty wonderful the way reiki has been making it into the media these days. I've always liked Dr. Oz, and now I know why--he's the latest and most mainstream proponent of reiki. His wife is a reiki master (surprise, surprise). Below is a bit from his show. As my grandmother would say, wonders never cease.

Changing the channel

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:21:00 +0000

I don't usually reprint channeled stuff unless I know the channeler, but this appealed enough to me to make a distinction. Hope you enjoy it too.

2009 was a year of closure and endings. Whatever we had not finished with since 2000 and before we had an opportunity to decide that we would be finished with it this year. And what a year it was. If we thought that previous years had brought the ghosts out of the closets, we were certainly surprised in 2009. Everything that contributes to the density of the third dimension has been brought to light, with more to come in 2010. The earth’s vibrational energy is now high enough that all support has been removed from these dense energies. They may still be active but they have little energy supporting them.

A Time to Choose
This is the time for us to decide whether we were going to be on an ascension path of expansion and new adventures or of healing and limitations. There is no pressure for the choice except that which we put on ourselves. As we release the dense energies we also release everything associated with them. This is the ‘end of the world’ which has been predicted, but it is not a physical end of the world, just an end to living in third dimensional limitation.

Everyone has to make these choices and they are presented every day, in all situations. Each choice for a higher dimension releases all aspects of the lower dimension. It will be difficult to see loved ones who cannot choose the same path we are on but everyone is sovereign in their life and this will be a strong theme for this year. We will be called upon to offer acceptance to others and be removed from their path or else be brought back into their healing journey.

New Portals and Energy Surges
There will be six new portals in 2010 and with them will come energy surges, which are great shifts in the energetic vibrations on the earth. These energy shifts will be concentrated in places where they are most needed but will be felt by everyone. As of this moment, the greatest shifts will be focused in Asia, Africa, parts of Western Europe and the eastern most part of Eastern Europe. These areas carry large amounts of karmic energy, hold many dark secrets and all of these will come to light in the coming year as well as into 2012. Some of these shifts will result in earth changes, such as earthquakes, strong storms with heavy rains and flooding, shifts in temperature and unusual weather. The purpose of these shifts is to re-balance the energies and the most disastrous of them can be avoided if people will learn to connect and work together. They are a message to learn tolerance, to heal, to accept each other, to

The new portals will be in the following months:
February is a strong action month, following the rest and healing of January. It is a time to be clear on what you want. While the opportunities to take action may not be fully present, it is definitely time to be prepared with a clear intention and focus.

March is a time for courage, because much courage will be required of those know that they can no longer continue on the path they are on but who have not yet decided on how to change it. Once the choice for change has been made, the shift will release the connections to all limitations and the path to change is opened and cleared.

June’s portal is more peaceful and calm and the shift between those who have done their work and those who have yet to realize that this is their purpose. At this time, there will be a noticeable difference between those who have completed their healing work and those who have not.

September’s portal is a shift into the new energies of 2011. While 2010 is not yet completed, many will be ready to move on into higher dimensions. And this portal will allow them to do so, not by leaving the planet although that will be a choice that some make, but by shifting completely out of the third dimensional energies.

November’s portal brings in both peace and chaos. This is the beginning of the portals that close the third dimension so it may not be felt by those who have already shifted out of that energy.

December’s portal is a final clearing for this year. It can evoke a mixture of feelings, from relief to anxiety to disinterest, depending on where they are on their path. All of the energies of 2010 have been focused on disconnecting from the third dimensional aspects and those who feel this shift with disinterest are those who do not need a reminder that it is time to disconnect. This portal sets new energies for 2011 that will be focused on the 5th and 7th dimensional energies.

New Partnerships
Many people left partnerships, both romantic and others, in 2009 and some found new partners in that year. More will find partners in 2010 because the clearing work that was necessary to have partnerships that resonated with a higher energy than that of the third dimension has been completed. Two things determine whether this can happen: to be open to having a relationship that is grounded in a higher energy and to be willing to receive a partner.

The Year of Miracles and Blessings
As the third dimension loses power it is replaced with dimensions that resonate at a higher vibration. For eons of time most of humanity resonated with a single dimension. At this time, those who are shifting out of the third dimension are moving into many other dimensions, bringing those energies into the earth’s vibrational matrix. This allows miracles and blessings to occur as the limitations that are part of the third dimensional energy are released and the possibilities that exist in higher dimensions become available. This is a time of powerful manifestation—ask for what you want and know that it will come to you in the highest and best way possible.

Happy 2010, and I wish each of you the blessings of your heart's desire and an abundant, joyful, miraculous year.

Many blessings,
Jennifer Hoffman and Archangel Uriel

Copyright ©2010 by Jennifer Hoffman and Enlightening Life OmniMedia, Inc. This material is protected by US and international copyright now and may be distributed freely in its entirety as long as the author’s name and website, www.urielheals.com are included.

HAPPY New Year

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:32:00 +0000

Every year around this time, like everyone else, I start thinking about what I accomplished in the last year and where I fell short. I start thinking about what I want to do in the next year. One truth of my life is that most things that I set out to do I get done. If set a goal, I usually accomplish it.

So what is my major goal for this year? happiness. I plan to do what makes me happy. I intend to be less stressed, more peaceful, more contented. That's my aim. Of course that doesn't mean I intend to wander around aimlessly through the year. There are other things I wish to do, however they are subordinate to the overarching goal of allowing myself to be happy.

I use the word allowing myself to be happy because many times I allow transient circumstance to interfere with my overall wellbeing. For the most part, I have nothing to worry about. I'm here, my family is healthy and productive, I have friends and an interesting life. What more could I ask for? We all have little annoyances and things that go wrong in our days and in our lives, but if we are wise we let go of them sooner rtather than later. I am getting better at giving over to the Goddess those things that I cannot resolve. She never lets me down.

And for those things that I can work on myself (or you can work on yourself) I recommend a look at this post from Healing from Within on Manifesting Your Goals. Here's my favorite part:

Sometimes people set goals based on what they think they should do rather than what feels right for them. When something is right for you it will give you energy, you will get excited and feel a sense of aliveness. This, in turn, will help you feel motivated to take action.

Wishing you and yours the happiest New Year possible.

The Memoir that Brings Us Here

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:17:00 +0000

I have a confession to make. I can't write a review of Deborah DeNicola's book, The Future that Brought Her Here, as I was supposed to today. For one thing I haven't finished the book. That's not a bad thing, really, and I'll tell you why. It's the kind of metaphysical read that you really want to savor rather than rush through. While reading, I have felt compelled to stop and journal or check out her source material and otherwise delve into my own psyche or spirit to test the truth of her words. But more on that later.

The subtitle of the book is A Memoir of a Call to Awaken and this is precisely the focus of DeNicola's book. Her story starts, as many do, with a loss--the loss of a lover, a career, a home. It's the sort of anchorless state that sends many souls on a quest for where they truly belong. For DeNicola, that quest takes her inward to explore Jungian psychology and archetypal symbolism and gnostic spirituality and outward to Israel, the American West and Southern France. Not surprisingly, her journey mirrors some aspects of mine and others I know. Interestingly, though, the more I read, the more vivid my own dreams have become with symbolism and mother images. Coincidence? I don't believe in them.

Two more things I love about this book: First, DeNicola brings her award-winning poetic talent to the tome in both freestanding verse and a lyrical bent to her prose. Second, her focus on the Magdalene, helping to raise her energy from that of a fallen woman to her true stature as an incarnation of the feminine divine. You all know how I grok the feminine divine.

All of life is a journey, and I am enjoying walking DeNicola's path. I'm sure you will, too.

Be the change . . .

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:32:00 +0000

This bit of loveliness was sent to me by my sister via e-mail. Hope you enjoy it!

The New Religion of the 21st Century
On the surface of the world right now there is war and violence and things seem dark But calmly and quietly, at the same time, something else is happening underground
An inner revolution is taking place and certain individuals are being called to a higher light
It is a silent revolution
From the inside out
From the ground up

It is time for me to reveal myself
I am an embedded agent of a secret, undercover
Clandestine Global operation
A spiritual conspiracy
We have sleeper cells in every nation on the planet

You won't see us on the T.V.
You won't read about us in the newspaper
You won't hear about us on the radio

We don't seek any glory
We don't wear any uniform
We come in all shapes and sizes
Colors and styles

Most of us work anonymously
We are quietly working behind the scenes in every country and culture of the world
Cities big and small, mountains and valleys, in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands

You could pass by one of us on the street and not even notice
We go undercover
We remain behind the scenes
It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit
But simply that the work gets done

Occasionally we spot each other in the street
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way so no one will notice

During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs
But behind the false storefront, at night is where the real work takes place

Some call us the 'Conscious Army'
We are slowly creating a new world with the power of our minds and hearts
We follow, with passion and joy
Our orders from the Central Command
The Spiritual Intelligence Agency

We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking
Poems
Hugs
Music
Photography
Movies
Kind words
Smiles
Meditation and prayer
Dance
Social activism
Websites
Blogs
Random acts of kindness

We each express ourselves in our own unique ways with our own unique gifts and talents

'Be the change you want to see in the world'
That is the motto that fills our hearts
We know it is the only way real transformation takes place
We know that quietly and humbly we have the power of all the oceans combined

Our work is slow and meticulous
Like the formation of mountains
It is not even visible at first glance
And yet with it entire tectonic plates shall be moved in the centuries to come

Love is the new religion of the 21st century

You don't have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it

It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings

Be the change you want to see in the world
Nobody else can do it for you

We are now recruiting
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have....
All are welcome...
The door is open

-Brian Piergrossi
(From the book 'The Big Glow')

Earth angels . . .

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:50:00 +0000

A new wings post is available and it really resonated with me. Hope it does with you too. Here's how it begins:

For the past several days (or longer), there has been a great amount of light pouring in, and does it ever feel divine! I can literally feel all the cells of my body filling up with an amazing cushion, drink, tingling, glowing, and a simply amazing feeling of a most heavenly nature. This new light has arrived in a very timely way, for several reasons.

Many of us have recently been situated somewhere new in regard to our “homes,” or geographical locations. This has manifested as a literal move to a new area or new home, or even a re-building or remodeling of our current home. In this way, we have been placed somewhere “new” where we most certainly needed to be for the times to come. (If you have not recently moved, you are probably right where you need to be already.)

To read the rest, go here.

Happy Halloween, Happy Samhain . . .

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:48:00 +0000

. . . And merry birthday to me!

Forgive me folks for not posting this earlier, but with the birthday and all--yes I'm a pumpkin baby--I'm a little behind. Anyway, someone posted the following to a list to which I belong. I thought it was worth repeating.

The Halloween Witch

Each year they parade her about, the traditional Halloween Witch. Misshapen green face, stringy scraps of hair, a toothless mouth beneath her deformed nose.

Gnarled knobby fingers twisted into a claw, protracting from a bent and twisted torso that lurches about on wobbly legs.

Most think this abject image to be the creation of a prejudiced mind or merely a Halloween caricature.

I disagree; I believe this to be how Witches were really seen.

Consider that most Witches: were women, were abducted in the night, and smuggled into dungeons or prisons under the secrecy of darkness to be presented by light of day as a confessed Witch.

Few if any saw a frightened normal looking woman being dragged into a secret room filled with instruments of torture, to be questioned until she confessed to anything suggested to her and to give names or what ever would stop the questions.

Crowds saw the aberration denounced to the world as a self-proclaimed Witch.

As the Witch was paraded through town en route to be burned, hanged, drowned, stoned or disposed of in various other forms of Christian love, all created to free and save her soul from her depraved body the jeering crowds viewed the results of hours of torture.

The face bruised and broken by countless blows bore a hue of sickly green. The once warm and loving smile gone, replaced by a grimace of broken teeth and torn gums that leers beneath a battered disfigured nose.

The disheveled hair conceals bleeding gaps of torn scalp from whence cruel hands had torn away the lovely tresses. Broken twisted hands clutched the wagon for support, fractured fingers with nails torn away locked like groping claws to steady her broken body.

All semblance of humanity gone this was truly a demon, a bride of Satan, a Witch.

I revere this Halloween Crone and hold her sacred above all. I honor her courage and listen to her warnings of the dark side of man. Each year I shed tears of respect when the mundane exhibit their symbol of Christian love.

angel © 6-26-99
Petals & Thorns

I don't share the author's disdain of Christians per se, but I do understand the nature of the type of intolerance that leads to violence and torture. If your truth, whatever that is, requires you to annihilate others, maybe you ought to reexamine your truth.

Movin' on up . . .

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Well, sideways maybe. Just wanted to let you know that my blog for writers and reiki, appropriately titled reiki4writers has moved to its own domain name. Don't know why I didn't think of that when I first started it, but it's never too late to make things right. If you get a chance, please stop by reiki4writers and leave a comment.

Carnival of Healing #212: Holistic How-To

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:01:00 +0000

Hello and welcome everyone to the 212th edition of the Carnival of Healing. It's chock full of tips for healing, empowerment and everyday wisdom. I thank he host of the last edition (#211) The Conscious Life for the great lead in.

Let's start with the post from Life Optimizer's---How to Write in a Journal Effectively (in case this Carnival gives you something to write about).

You may know all the reasons why you should keep a journal, but if you’ve never written in a journal before, or have limited experience with it, you may not exactly know how to get started. You’ve got your notebook out, and a blank page staring back at you… now what?

As a professional writer I know how daunting that blank page can be. You'll find lots of good tips here.

Speaking of writing, Mad Kane urges us to wax poetic (ie limerick and haiku time) about love at first sight. Here's the haiku:

I laughed at the thought
Of love at first sight, but our
Love had the last laugh.

Go here for the limerick and some links to how to write one of your own.

From Wisebread we have 7 Cheap and Natural Ways to Fight the Cold and Flu. Lori Kerrigan begins:

Over-the-counter symptom relief is a normal and common reaction for the millions of people who suffer from the cold and flu each year. However, for my family, limiting how much acidic and unnecessary medicine enters our bodies is top on my priority list. In my research, experience and wisdom gained from others, I have found 7 cheap and natural suggestions for beating the common cold or flu.

The Conscious Life provides a beginner's guide to meditation. In part, the post begins:

I’ve written some posts on meditation in the past, but they are usually focused on the applications of meditation. So in this post, I’ve laid down some basic instructions for people who have little or zero knowledge about meditation, as well as concerns commonly raised by beginners.

Even non-beginners will find some good information here.

If you want to "shuffle" your way to spirituality, try Heal Pain Naturally's Healing Exercise.

Want to connect with like-spirited others for healing? Join Therapeutic Reiki in Healing the World.

How to release yourself from the tyranny of thought is the subject of Beyond Karma's Innocence.

I think I saw this in a movie—A Jesuit priest in 1800’s goes to the Canadian wilderness to straighten out the brown people, the unfortunate heathens, and the Jesuit tells them of the hell-fire fury they’ll suffer if they don’t get on board, and this one aborigine, trying to follow the faith, asks if he’ll be punished for his sins before the Jesuit shoveled his truth at him, and the Jesuit said with brimming compassion, no no no God does not punish you if you don’t know they are sins, and the native said, logically, then why did you tell me?

Indeed! A very (um) thought-provoking piece.

Find out how to start and end the day with Jody Fransh's A Life-Changing Procedure.

Beat the blues with A Personal Look at Depression from Prosper and Be in Health. The author writes:

I’ve battled depression off and on for the last nine years or more. I say “or more” because I never labeled it until nine years ago. But as early as junior high, and at different times throughout high school and college, I can recall crying for little or no reason, withdrawing from social interaction, or feeling apathetic, but I never talked to anyone about it.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, this article is a must.

Grace in Gravity has a seasonal take on how to adjust to seasonal mood changes. The post Heavy Metal asks and answers the question--Why does Autumn feel so sad. I always thought it was because my birthday's in October. Go figure.

Looking to relieve lower back pain? Try this advice from Natural Healing and Back Care.

Finally, if you want to know how to make the law of attraction work for you, Lessons from a Recovering Doormat shows how to put the LOA into action by Being Flexible.

That's all folks. I look forward to joining Therapeutic Reiki on October 31 (my birthday!) for a special Halloween Party edition ( the 213th) of the Carnival. Please stop on by. Please also take a moment to visit the Carnival home page to find out what it's all about, see what you've missed and what's coming next.

And for those who celebrate let me wish you an early Happy Samhain, Happy Halloween, and whatever else folks get together for during this time. Namaste.

Let's Hear it for the . . . Girl

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:02:00 +0000

On one of the lists to which I belong, someone posted commentary on pagan worship that both the God and the Goddess should be honored. The writer was of the opinion that many women, perhaps tired of patriarcal depictions of God or the God were content to worship only the Goddess.

Now, I don't consider myself a pagan. I don't know what the hell I am anymore. I've given up on labels since all they serve to do is put you in one sort of box or another. I have long believed that each of us must formulate our own relationship with the Divine, despite what your church, synagogue, mosque or whatever has to say. When you shuffle off the mortal coil there won't be anyone there but you to take the walk to the other side.

To be honest, though I could never much get into the faith foisted on me as a kid. How could it be that nowhere in the trinity of divinity preached in my catholic church was there a strong female presence responsible in some part for creation? And if men were responsible for creating life why the hell didn't men, not women, give birth? Makes no sense. Needless to say I was branded a bit of a heretic in my catholic high school.

However I do believe that both aspects of divinity are important. In this world of duality in which we live both sides of the opposite pair are important. What is light if you can't define it by darkness? However, so much time, attention, devotion, worship has been centered on male energies, I think a little extra attention to the Goddess is in order. Eventually those energies will balance out, but give it a moment.

Blog Action Day 2009

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:31:00 +0000

I'll admit I'm not all that well-versed on the topic of climate change. I just remember this summer when Seattle was sweltering and we in New York had nothing but rain. I look at the recent earth quakes, tsunamis, hurricane tornadoes and the like, events that make it into the news with greater regularity than they have seemed to ever before, and I wonder if our Mother Earth isn't in some sort of healing crisis. As more and more folks come into awareness and raise her vibration, the more muck and detritus comes to the surface to be healed.

That doesn't mean I believe that the entirety of climate change can be attributed to the misbehavior of humans. There is something to be said for the cyclical nature of climate and temperature spanning the aeons. However, we humans make a mistake in thinking that Mother Earth is in danger during this time. What is in danger is our ability to live on her. If we don't get our acts together she'll shrug us off the same way she has countless other species.

According to the IPCC (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change the earth's surface has warmed 0.74° C during the twentieth century. In addition:

between 1970 and 2004, greenhouse gas emissions increased by 70 per cent, and carbon dioxide (CO2) – by far the largest source with 77 per cent of total emissions – grew by about 80 per cent. Atmospheric concentrations of CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N20), the IPCC found, had risen markedly since 1750 due to human activity, and today, far exceed pre-industrial values.

From the UN's climate change site we get:

Examples of climate change impacts

By 2020, some 75 to 250 million people in Africa will face increased water shortages. Yields from rain-fed agriculture (dominant method) could fall by up to 50 per cent in some African countries.
About 20-30 per cent of plant and animal species will likely face increased risk of extinction if global average temperature increases exceed 1.5°-2.5° C.
Widespread melting of glaciers and snow cover will create risk of flash floods and, over time, reduce annual melt water from major mountain ranges (i.e.: Hindu-Kush, Himalaya, Andes), where more than one billion people live.
Seven of ten disasters are now climate-related.
More than 20 million people were displaced by sudden climate-related disasters in 2008 alone. An estimated 200 million could be displaced as a result of climate impacts by 2050.

I don't know about you, but this doesn't sound like the type of world I want to live in. So what's the answer for us everyday folk? Live like you want to stick around on the planet for a while. Change your light bulbs: plant some trees, give up your hairspray (the 1980s are over anyway); turn off your computer and other electronics when you're not using them; get a refillable water bottle; go for a walk every once in a while instead of using your car. Remember the old standby: reduce, reuse, reccycle. Most of all, make greening up your life a priority, not merely something to think about the next time you hear some dire news report.

Louder than Words

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:17:00 +0000

October 15 is Blog Action Day. I will be participating for the first time this year. The purpose of the annual event is to unite "the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance." This year the topic is climate change. So far over 6,000 blogs are participating.

Want to know more? Watch this video then decide for yourself if you'd like to particiopate. If you would, please let me know and we can link to one another.

Nobel Peace (sur)Prize

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:28:00 +0000

I thought I was still dreaming this morning when my daughter woke me to tell me of a surprising thing she just heard on TV--President Obama won the Nobel Prize for Peace. No sitting president since Woodrow Wilson did ninety years ago for his work with the founding of the United Nations.

I am constantly amazed by Obama's calm and forebearance, his honesty and his wisdom, which I imagine comes from a very old soul. I am proud to have him as my president and I send reiki to him whenever I think of it to help support him. I send reiki to his detractors also, and to all those people who seem intent on keeping our nation divided and in confusion. Hating never helped anybody and love and light may not be the complete answer, but hopefully it's a start.

Happiness Is . . .

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:00:00 +0000

I don't know why, but there is something about this song that I really grok.

I also have it on a CD by Trish Whelan set to a backdrop of ocean sounds that I like even better. It is one of my favorite CDs to put on during reiki treatments. The singer is Yungchen Lhamo from Tibet.

Am I Blue . . .

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 07:27:00 +0000

Archaeologists have discovered the baby sister to Stonehenge, a circle known as Bluhenge, named for the blue stones that once stood there. According to scientists the stones from Bluehenge were moved to Stonehenge at some point.

Already the pagan community has responded to the news. A group of druids has gathered to bless the site.

Okay, so maybe three guys in robes isn't an awe-inspiring sight. But I'll be in England next year. I had planned on visiting Stonehenge, but now I have another destination to add to my list.

The sweet smell of . . .essential oils

devioftherose@yahoo.com (devi of the rose) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:31:00 +0000

I have been a fan of aromatherapy since the first time mama smeared Vick's Vaporub on my chest. Smell has a very profound effect on most of us. So what did I do? I, well I should say, we (as in me and my sister Elyse) became distributors for Young Living. What I like about this company is that their oils are pure enough to be therapeutic grade. Until I joined up, I had no idea they also sell a variety of nutrition/vitamin/wellness and hygiene products as well. As my grandmother would say, wonders never cease.

I have no intention of turning this blog into a sales platform, but if you are interested in any Young Living products, you can email me by clicking on the Young Living icon in the sidebar or you can visit our Healing Hands of Reiki website for more info (as soon as I get it up).