Nashville, part 8 of The Journey (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7 )
We arrived at the Parthenon just before they closed the gates for the night. The guard was acting as docent giving an impromptu talk, highlighting the various details of Athena Parthenos. Deb spoke with the maintenance man who admitted that it has taken him a while to get used to being with the Goddess. When he 1st started working there it spooked him to be alone with the colossus, especially in the dark when he opened up for the day.
Fear not O mortal man, let the greatness of the Divine Feminine, empower you to wholeness, embrace her mighty power & become a true human being.
Spiritually Fortified, we made our way to the Sunflower Café to meet Barbara Bittles & Cathy Green our Nashville hosts, holders of The Middle Tennessee Branch, for a Southern style veggie dinner.
Then we drove to Barbara’s stately home, which was rebuilt after a fire completely destroyed it. Luckily Barkley her faithful dog, (who has since gone back to the group soul), alerted her in the night & they were able to escape the flames.
I decided to set up for our workshop which was happening at 10 am the next morning, knowing Deb had to be at the airport at 7 am, so she could be home in time to go to the Biodynamic conference.
Right on time, folks began arriving, young & old, with their hearts & hands ladened with good will & food for the potluck. Many brought pictures of their beloved dead which we set up to create an altar on the mantle.
We began with eurythmy in the Chapel, a spiritually charged room dedicated to the Act of Consecration – the Christian Community Service, which a visiting priest gives quarterly.
The workshop was lively with much participation; folks sharing stories, insights, asking questions which took us deeper into the work; & thru the rendering of the planetary seals, gaining a sure foothold as we made our collective journey between the life of death & rebirth.
So many amazing coincidences & synchronicities arose between us. One remarkable gentleman, a true mountain man, farmer & founder of the local Waldorf School, was actually in Memphis when MLK was shot. As a fireman he was called in when the riots broke out.
The group was attuned to the concept that the past, present & future are interwoven, revealing our karmic destiny – reaching out from other incarnations, into future generations, thru us in every moment.
We lingered over lunch & enjoined each other’s company before Angel;a & I had to pack up & make our way to Knoxville/Maryville/Rockford TN.
Many Blessings dear friends, as we give Thanks
***
28 November 2019 – “Speaking with the Stars”: Bella Luna pairs with Venus at dusk.
Does the Sun already seem to be setting about as early as it ever will? You’re right! We’re still three weeks away from the winter solstice — but the Sun sets its earliest around December 7th & right now it already sets within only about 1 minute of that time. A surprising result of this: The Sun actually sets a trace earlier on Thanksgiving than on Christmas — even though Christmas is around solstice time!This offset from the solstice date is balanced out by the opposite happening at sunrise: the Sun doesn’t come up its latest until January 4th. It’s because of the tilt of Earth’s axis & the eccentricity of Earth’s orbit.
Thanksgiving Day
The prayer below was shared with me during Thanksgiving week a few years ago. It is timeless & appropriate at any time of year, but particularly now.
Giving thanks is common to all spiritual & religious groups.
Native Americans had entire ceremonies just for the purpose of expressing thanks – sometimes lasting for days.
This Thanksgiving Prayer comes from the Seneca Nation & is at least 500 years old.
It is traditionally done around a fire, with spiritual food on the altar.
Seneca Thanksgiving Prayer
And now we are gathered together to remember the Great Mystery’s first instruction to us: to love one another always, we who move about on this earth.
And the Great Mystery said that when even just two people meet, they should first greet each other by saying: “Nyah Weh Skenno” which translates to “thank you for being” and then they may take up the matter with which they are concerned.
[Nyah Weh Skenno more literally means: “thank you for being alive in the here and now and not adding to the confusion of the world.”]
The Great Mystery gave us our lives and requires in return only that we be grateful and love one another. The purpose of this prayer is to pass on those instructions and give us the opportunity to express our gratitude.
So the first thing we will do is give thanks for our lives.
And the Great Mystery gave us the Earth on which to live and roam. We refer to her as “Our Mother, Who Supports Our Feet.”
And our mother gives us everything we need in order to live and be happy. She teaches us to be generous and nurturing, yet strong.
Let us be of one mind that we may do this properly. We give thanks for Our Mother Who Supports Our Feet.
And the Great Mystery decided to have Plants growing on the earth. They are available in abundance as Medicines to heal us and Food to sustain us.
And we have Berries which come back every year when the winds turn warm again. In giving thanks for them, we give thanks for the warm winds that usher in the season of abundance.
Let us be of one mind that we may do this properly. We give thanks for Plants and Berries.
And the Great Mystery gave us the life’s blood of our mother to sustain us. When the new day dawns, the first thing we use is Water and it’s the last thing we use at night. It comes from the springs, brooks, ponds, lakes and rivers. It is found not only on the earth, but even falls from the heavens in the form of blessed rain.
Let us be of one mind that we may do this properly. We give thanks for Sacred Water.
And the Great Mystery decided to put Forests on the earth. The trees of the forest provide warmth, fuel and protection. We call them our Tall Standing Brothers and they live their lives drinking in the sun.
When they die and give themselves for the fire, they represent the Sun here on earth.
One tree was created to remind us of the Great Mystery. The Maples stand on the earth and drip sweet liquid when the cold wind blows. Our elders called this “wood juice” — it gives us energy and lightens our spirits during the long cold winters and is a great gift.
Let us be of one mind that we may do this properly. We give thanks for Our Tall Standing Brothers, the Trees.
And the Animals are a great gift – they are our friends and relatives upon the earth. The four leggeds test us and amuse us; they’re our teachers and companions. And they provide food and clothing for the people.
And there are Birds with outstretched wings who dance upon the air and sing a beautiful song that ushers in the warm spring. And they also provide us with food.
Let us be of one mind that we may do this properly. We give thanks for the Animal and Bird Nations.
And the Great Mystery gave the people another gift, to sustain them: the Three Sisters: Corn, Beans And Squash. The people are to take care of them, plant them in the earth, tend them as they grow, and harvest them. This will strengthen the hearts and sustain the bodies of the people.
Let us be of one mind that we may do this properly. We give thanks for the Three Sisters: Corn, Beans and Squash.
The Wind strengthens the people as they move about on the earth. It strengthens our breath, clears the air as well as our minds and carries the voice of the ancient ones all over the earth so that, even in the desert, the smallest whisper reminds us we are never alone.
Let us be of one mind that we may do this properly. We give thanks for the Wind.
And the Great Mystery fashioned a sky above us and put a helper in the sky who moves about across the earth, yet lives in the sky. This helper always comes from the east and travels to the west. His heart is so big and strong, and his love for his relations so great, that he lights the entire sky when he passes by. This light is our Elder Brother, The Sun.
The Sun takes that obligation seriously and with great regard, for he never misses a day of this journey. He brings us light, and warmth and allows growing things to flourish.
Let us be of one mind that we may do this properly. We give thanks for our Elder Brother, the Sun.
But there is also a time when the earth is in shadow so the Great Mystery gave us another helper for this time: the Night Circle Of Light, our Grandmother, the Moon. Our grandmother is a measure for us up to this present time. She changes her form daily: she regulates the tides on our mother the earth and also in the bodies of women. She also taught us how to measure through the cycle of the seasons.
Let us be of one mind that we may do this properly.
We give thanks for the Night Circle of Light, Grandmother Moon.
And the Great Mystery also put the Stars in the sky while it is dark. They are indicators and we can find our way by them. Each one has a name, and there is one for every human on the earth, those living now and those who have passed on.
Let us be of one mind that we may do this properly. We give thanks for the Star Nation.
The Four Winds, the directions, are our protectors. Wherever we go, wherever we stand, we are at the center of the four winds, and we want to speak good words to them so that they may bless us with their protection.
Let us be of one mind that we may do this properly. We give thanks for the Four Winds.
And the Great Mystery saw that the people also needed guidance so he sent Clan Ancestors to teach understanding of the Great Mystery. Our clan ancestors teach us how to love one another and give guidance to our minds. They hold great knowledge and our future depends on how well we listen to them.
Let us be of one mind that we may do this properly. We give thanks for our Clan Ancestors.
And the Great Mystery, told us this: “I shall continue to dwell above the sky, and that is where those on the earth will end their thanksgiving. I shall always be listening carefully to what the people are saying and shall always be watching carefully what they do. They will begin on the earth, giving thanks for all that they see. They will carry that gratitude upward, ending where I dwell.”
We want to live well to earn that right.
Let us be of one mind that we may do this properly. We give thanks for the one who gives us our lives, the Great Mystery.
[At this time express gratitude for other aspects of your life]
Closing:
May our grief be lifted,
Our hearts be open,
Our stomach be full,
Our bones be braced,
And our will be calmed.
It is spoken, it is beautiful.
& so dear friends, I wish you a blessed Holy Day. Thank you for being alive in the here & now, & not adding to the confusion of the world.
Today & everyday
XOX
~hag