The Goddess Tree Grows * Blackthorn, Oct 31 - Nov 1

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From Roots to Leaves, Branches to Bark

The Goddess Tree Grows

 

 

 

 

from Moon Bee Acres

 

There is a branch for you to sit upon with a beautiful view.

Climb up into her arms, and stay for a spell.

Feel her roots, her bark, her branches, her leaves.

She is shade, shelter, a home, a hide-away.

She is an escape.

She rocks you to sleep in your hammock.

She holds up your birdfeeder, your wind chimes, and your Samhain decorations.

 

She embraces anyone who loves to climb.

In the spring she offers life, and in the fall she gives her own.

She does not judge.

She just is.

 

Gwendolyn

 

thegoddesstree.com

 

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BLACKTHORN

 

 

 

 

The Mother of the Wood

Samhain, Hallowe'en, All Souls; October 31 / November 1

Fourth of the Witches' Cross-Quarter Sabbats

 

Planet: Mars, Saturn

Element: Earth, Fire

Zodiac: Aries, Scorpio

Symbolism: The inevitability of Death, Protection and Revenge, Strife and Negativity, The Balance between light and darkness.

Stone: Black Opal, agate, bloodstone

Color: White, Black, Red

Polarity: Feminine

Deity: Morrigan, The Great Goddess

Sabbat: Samhain

 

Folk Names: sloe, sloe plum, wishing thorn, faery tree

Medicinal properties: The fruit and leaves contain Vitamin C, organic acids, tannins, and sugars. Steep the flowers for a diuretic, tonic, and laxative. Her dried fruits can treat bladder, kidney and stomach ailments. Boil the leaves for a mouthwash or to sooth the throat from tonsillitis or laryngitis.

 

Magickal properties: The thorns were used as pins to stick in a poppet. Wand or Staff can be used for help in exorcisms or for protection from fire and for general protection. A staff can be used to make wishes, and carrying the wand or Staff protects one from evil. The wood makes a good divining rod.

 

The blossoms, the fruits and the crimson sap display the three colors of the Great Goddess: white, black, and red. The dangerous long spikes and the red " blood " that flows in the veins of this tree enhance the dramatic effect of her symbolism.

 

The advance of dualistic religions, which separate the world into " good " and " evil " , brought about the demonization of the blackthorn tree. Where it once had provided magical protection against negative influence, it now became the emblem of evil forces.

 

Blackthorns are sacred to the Luantishees, which are Blackthorn Fairies who guard the trees. Their Festival is November 11th.

 

 

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Of all the trees that grow so fair,

Old England to adorn,

Greater are none beneath the Sun

Thank Oak, and Ash, and Thorn

 

Rudyard Kipling, Puck of Pook's Hill 1906

 

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Protection Spell:

 

Carefully gather a few thorns from the tree.

On a piece of paper, write the name of the person or situation from which you seek protection, and then wrap it around the thorns. Bury this in the ground - if possible near the tree from which the thorns were collected.

 

Whispers from the Woods, by Sandra Kynes

 

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LESSON OF THE BLACKTHORN

from The Wisdom of Trees by Jane Gifford

 

" The blackthorn was respected as a cantankerous old crone, the hag aspect of the White Goddess, whose thorns remind us of our own negative attitudes that tear us apart. These attitudes also take root and grow into impenetrable thickets if they are left unchecked. We are advised to look at the many ways in which we hurt ourselves and others, and to think of ways to prevent this. When we face up to our own negativity, blackthorn guides us through the darker parts of our personality, helping us to pay off spiritual debts, and to accept the inevitability of our own death, which is the one thing on earth of which we can all be certain. "

 

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The Individual epitomizes the Universe.

 

Where exactly does your influence on life end? You'll never know the full power or consequences of your actions and choices. Enhance the whole of life today through your actions.

 

Healing Cards, by Carolyn Myss and Peter Occhiogrosso

 

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The Great Goddess

 

Morrigan

 

 

 

 

Morrigan is a Triple Goddess of battle, strife, and fertility. She reigns over Destruction and Creation. Her name means " Great Queen, " " Phantom Queen. " She also was a prophet and a shape-shifter, frequently appearing as a hooded crow, and the raven of battle. Some say she evolved into Morgana LaFay, sorceress of the Arthurian Legend. Worship Her at Samhain, the Festival of Death, and the decent into the time of dormancy.

 

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SAMHAIN

 

" The holy day of Samhain is, in the Celtic tradition, the first day of Winter: a time of sacrifice, divination for the New Year, communion with the dead, of endings and rest. On this night the world of spirits, ancestors and mortals might meet.

 

Within the mythic cycle of the Goddess as Crone, She deepens into Herself and enters the dreamtime, the place between the worlds where past, present and future exist simultaneously. The season invites you to enter a place of stillness and simply be where you are: not moving forward or backward but utterly present, suspended in the space between past and future. It is here that you may hear Her voice in the crackling fire, rain, and wind.

 

Review the year that has passed with introspection and retrospection. Commune with your ancestors and honor your beloved dead. Remember your sisters who perished in the Burning Times, and commit yourself to the struggle for justice. Divine and ask the Fates for blessings in the coming year. What do you leave behind in the year that has passed, and what do you wish to take with you? How will you prepare to listen to the Old Wise One within? "

 

Adapted from " Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries by Ruth Barrett, and We'Moon'07

 

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November 1, 2007

Waning Half Moon in Leo

 

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A Crone Stone

 

Otherworld

 

In this stone I see an image of a spirit sitting up out of a body that is lying down.

 

An otherworld journey is reflected, stirring your spirit. Find your Otherworld, whether it be called Summerland (Celtic), Dreamtime (Australian Aborigines), or to the Underworld descent as with Inanna and Persephone. Since the veils between the worlds of the living and the dead are thinnest, make use of this Samhain night and allow your spirit to wander and search for wisdom and offerings. This is the time to gain insight using divination. Seek assistance from your dreams, cards, oracles, your ancestors...anyplace outside of normal reality. Trust that the Four Grandmothers (each representing the four elements, directions, and seasons) that govern over Samhain will protect and provide for you.

 

visit

cronestones.com for more about crone stones

 

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