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The Silver Chalice E-Zine, Issue #001, July 2007 -- Spiritual Rebirth In Action
August 01, 2007

A Step Forward In Humanity's Spiritual Evolution

July 2007

Editor's Note

Welcome to the Silver Chalice E-zine!

It's been an exciting spring. Not too much visible on the surface, but so much going on, on the energy levels. See the Feature Article and the Spiritual Rebirth Barometer for more on this.

And there's more excitement coming up!

In September, yours truly will again be offering workshops at the wonderful Wise Woman's Weekend. Please see the Events column for more info.

I wish you the best of the season!

With Blessings,
H

Table of Contents


* What's New on the Website
* Events - Wise Woman's Weekend '07
* Feature Article - A Step Forward In Humanity's Spiritual Evolution
* Wicca Tips - Lammas, A Celebration of the Sun's Gifts
* Quote of the Month - Albert Einstein on Religion, Art, & Science
* Energy Field Barometer - Temperature Scale
* Ask The Priestess - Chakras In Wicca
* Survey - Do You Use Chakras In Wicca?
* Word on the Street

What's New On The Website

If you haven't been to Wicca-Spirituality.com lately, check it out! The whole site has been upgraded, making it more user-friendly than ever.

And there's a whole new section on Spiritual Practices.

Here are explanations of various spiritual practices, and instructions on how to do them. If you're interested in

  • Grounding Meditations,

  • Visualization tips,

  • Drawing and interpreting Mandalas,

  • Divine Light Invocations,

  • And other ways to meet the Goddess Within.
Come take a look at Spiritual Practices.

Events: Wise Woman Weekend 2007

Every year in September, over a hundred women gather in Naramata, BC to learn, play, celebrate, create, discover, and revitalize themselves.

The weekend is a heart opening time, when we come together to honour Spirit, and connect with Self and others.

We open with casting a circle together, which stays open til the end, when we all gather once again to release it. In between, there are courses and morning practices, crafting and quiet time at the lake, bodywork and psychic readings, great food and inspiring company.

Every year I come away from it feeling as if a part of me that normally goes hungry, is well-fed indeed.

This year's 11th annual Wise-fest promises to be as soul-renewing as always. The theme for 2007 is "Come To Our Senses."

So join us if you can: it's a gift to your spirit that lasts all year. And I'd love to see you there!

Here's the contact information for you:

www.wisewomanproductions.ca wisewomanweekend@shaw.ca
1-888-497-1182
Wise Woman Weekend, Box 23015, Penticton BC V2A 8L7
"Come, Celebrate Your Feminine Nature"

PS. Please see the Wicca Spirituality Blog for updates.

Feature Article: A Step Forward In Humanity's Spiritual Evolution

There has been a major advance in the healing of the planet this year.

Perhaps you've noticed it. . . .  Read More...

Wicca Tips: Lammas, A Celebration of the Sun's Gifts

It seems like Summer Solstice was only last week! (If you missed the blog on the Summer Solstice Tide Walk, click here.)

But it's been a month, and Lammas is coming up on us quickly.

Lammas, or Lughnasad, is the height of summer. The God is at his peak of strength and virility, as the Sun warms the Earth deeply. The Sun and the Earth - the God and the Goddess - are celebrating their love as only those can who foresee their imminent separation. And fruitfulness is the issue of their union.

The warm scents of summer time slow the heartbeat to a peaceful rhythm. Beauty is everywhere. The weather is glorious. Vegetables and fruits pour into our baskets. Like in the Tarot Sun card, life feels rich and abundant and joyful.

Yet it is also the first step toward winter, as we reap the main harvests of the year: corn and wheat.

Lammas is a celebration of the harvest which sustain life, and the skills which serve life. Lammas comes from Old English, and means "Loaf Mass." The grain would be reaped, prepared, and baked into breads that were shared with the whole community.

This is a recognition that the gifts of the Earth belong to all, and that only by cooperating with each other can we survive. Everyone is valuable to the community. We all have special skills and gifts to share.

Traditionally, corn dollies would be made. You can offer last years' to the fire, with gratitude for the abundance she's brought this year.

Chants for the season include:

I am the Fire, I am the Sun
Heart's desire, Thy will be done

Hoof and horn, hoof and horn
All who die shall be reborn
Corn and grain, corn and grain
All that falls shall rise again.

I am a gift
To the world I offer myself

Happy Lammas to you and yours!

Quote Of The Month

All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom. -- Albert Einstein

Energy Field Barometer

Have you noticed that the temperatures this spring feel colder than the thermometer states?

Many people have become aware of this. It may say it's 24°C, but it feels like sweater weather!

I've noticed this particularly on the West Coast of Canada, but it seems to stretch farther out as well.

Actually, this may not be a field at all… If it doesn't pass, it'll signify a change in the physical experience of the planet.

I don't know if it's something we need to work with or transform, as most energy fields are. It may simply be a healthy adaptation to a planet that's getting warmer.

Only time will tell . . . .

Notice or suspect an energy field going around? Let us know, and we'll check it out for you.

Ask The Priestess

Dear Priestess,

I've heard some Wiccans talk about chakras, and others say there are no such things in Wicca. Is there or isn't there? Do Wiccans work with chakras?

Confused in Colorado

Dear CC,

Let's back up a bit, to a definition of chakras. Chakras are energy vortices in the human body. Each one has its own character and sphere of influence.

I think of a chakra as a gateway between the body and the energy / spirit realm.

There is no doubt except in the most cynical minds that something like chakras exist. They have been experienced and explored for millennia in the far East.

Western European peoples, however, seem not to have noticed chakras, as such. There's no real proof that they didn't, of course, but there's no evidence that they did.

And since Wicca is a derivative of Western European - particularly Celtic - religion, chakras aren't something that traditional Wicca attends to. This is why many Wiccans will say things like "There are no chakras in Wicca!"

Of course, that's just the knee-jerk response.

Chakras do belong to the human body/soul and are real energetic forces. Like duck-billed platypuses, they exist - whether or not we've ever seen one or heard it mentioned in our sacred texts. In other words, whatever your religion, chakras are at work within you.

Wicca Spirituality is grounded more in reality than in dogma - it's one of the things I like best about it. Why should we deny spiritual insights that come to us from other cultures?

So even if the idea of chakras didn't originate in Wicca or its predecessors, working with chakras is entirely valid for Wiccans.

Do you have a question you'd like an answer to? Click to Email the Priestess, and your question could be answered in a future issue.

(Note: questions may be edited for brevity or clarity. No real names will be disclosed. For reasons of legality, all questions become the property of Wicca-Spirituality.com.)

Current Survey

Are you a Witch/Wiccan? Yes | No | Sort of | Not sure

Do you work with chakras? Yes | No | Sort of | Not sure

Write in and add your vote!

Word on the Street

Thanks for writing! I appreciate hearing from you!

What People Are Saying About Wicca-Spirituality.com:

Found your website on-line and definitely a Godsend. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge and experiences. Blessed be. -- D. in USA

Thank you!!! Thank you so much!! I have been running in circles in my life searching for ..... I did many things unconsiously, you write about and now I start to understand myself, the power and the Divine Mother. You are a guide beyond!! Thank you again!! -- H. in Italy


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© erin dragonsong 2007, All rights reserved.

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