:o)

Hi Maya!

Spring has truly sprung here, how is it doing up there?  The forest is actually starting to fill out some and the tourists are coming with their boats (we live at the shore), so that's when you know it's really begun!  My wildflowers that I planted last years are coming up, daffodils are pretty much over...

I'm so happy for you that you had a good childhood and found happiness in it!  Makes all the difference, doesn't it!  And the light continues to shine through you to others here, the children you teach, and, I'm, everyone you touch...  It's so beautiful!  You are truly an inspiration!

Share more of myself?  Ahh....  Well, let's just say that at the moment my therapy has gotten to a very intense point where I am remembering past abuse...there was so much of it, and even more I am still blocking, it's like the more you unravel the more you remember and it just keeps unraveling...I sort of invision it as a gigantic knot made up of a bunch of little knots and that therapy (for me) is this process of untying a knot here, or there, maybe two are intertwined...

So basically it about me.  My daughter is a senior (I home schooled her for about 6 years or so)...thus getting to spend so many hours with a young one, don't you love it?...will be leaving in August to another state to go to college! ...

A new chapter begins...

oops company's here...

Take care dear Maya...

Love and Light and a Wonderful Weekend to ALL!!!

jen 

(((phoebe)))....what a lovely mix!   What traits did you get from each one?    I usually think of Irish goddesses with dark hair and blue eyes or red hair and green eyes but with your indian heritage too, you must have an interesting blend.    I'm quite anglo-saxon in appearance...light skinned (peaches & cream) with fair hair and blue eyes.   My husband is half Irish half Italian and he has lovely olive skin, dark hair and blue eyes.    Luckily my sons inherited his skin tone because they tan beautifully....something I'm always envious of!   *smiling*.

Here's the beautiful Irish goddess of love .... Aine

 Have a wonderful weekend!

Bright blessings,     Maya

(((phoebe))).... couldn't resist this one either.....she's beautiful!

(((rette))), good to see you!

If you feel connected to your heritage you're no 'wannabee'.   You know what Joseph Campbell says....we all connect to some story, some myth and in that myth we find our authentic selves.   

Many of us here are on our paths....we know wisdom is out there some place and the more we learn from our friends walking alongside us......the more wise we become.    We cannot be wise without experience, falling down, getting up again.   

Everything you post is worth posting so post away.    You make it a wonderful place as we all do....

We are a circle within a circle with no beginning and never ending!

This image isn't native, it's celtic but I thought you'd like it.

Bright blessings,     Maya

Dear (((jen))) and (((all)))

Medicine Woman:

The word 'medicine' has its origins in ancient goddess cultures.  The Babylonian word for Mother Wisdom was 'me'.    'Me' also means the magical power of fate, the sacred presence of the goddess, healing magic or 'me'dicine.  Women were the first midwives and shamans, welcoming the newly arrived and preparing sacred rituals for the departed.  The Medicine Woman holds the moon in her womb; she trusts divine timing.   She knows that all things that once were will be again.

Women are encouraged to deny the waxing and waning of our being.  We are conditioned to strive for exactitude and perfection.  However, reason-driven answers are not the gutsy ways of the wise medicine woman.  Her omens are cloaked in mystery.  Give yourself a day of sacred medicine, especially if you are feeling 'caught up' in someone else's drama.  Connecting with dreams, fantasies, forgotten feelings, and distress signals can provide you with the healing insights you may need.  Like the Moon, you will emerge from retreat fully refreshed!  ~~ Goddess Days

(((jen))) you must be so proud of your daughter!  I respect parents who homeschool, it can be quite challenging.   Good for you!

Bright blessings,     Maya

Maya,

She's beautiful!!  Thank you!!  You know, I was just feeling a need for an inward retreat and then I read your post!  Isn't it Dr. Phil (Dr. Phil again!) who says, "There are no accidents"...

jen

Sending you lots of love and hugs (((jen))),   

I believe Dr. Phil says that but I've heard many a wise person say that as well *smiling*.   There are no coincidences!

Freya, Queen of May

(((all)))

The celebration of May Day, complete with May pole and dancing maidans stretches back into Pagan antiquity.   The May Queen represented the Norse goddess Freya.   Freya was a golden haired goddess of magic, love, fertility, war and poetry.

Beltane is a holiday that falls oppite Halloween (Samhain).   It falls in the sign of Taurus which is an earth sign that represents the abundance and exuberance of spring.   It is the perfect time of year for dancing, feasting and frolicking.   

Today, people all over the world still celebrate May Day and dance around the May pole.  The pole is adorned with flowers, herbs, garlands and ribbons.  Thrust into the ready earth, its phallic fertility symbolism was lost on no one, least of all the church  which repeatedly tried and failed to completely obliterate the custom.   

O Mother Goddess, Queen of the night and of the Earth;  
O Father God, King of the day and of the forests,
I celebrate Your union as nature rejoices in a riotous
blaze of color and life. Accept my gift, Mother Goddess
and Father God, in honor of Your union.

Tread gently,

Maya

You know, Rette, we are all worthwhile. I felt sad reading that sentence in your post. I always enjoy reading your posts. You sound so real.

A wanna be, no, never. Sometimes, in this discussion, I feel a bit 'lost' only because I have not focused on reading books about the Goddess. Ancient native spirituality, wow, I could go on and on, and this is one area I feel so in tune with, at peace, filled to overflowing.

I am learning so much about the Goddess from following this thread. Maya is an awesome teacher. I wish she had her own Goddess web site.

I too wish you could learn more about your native blood line. If you do, please keep us posted.

Namaste, dear Rette,

Windsong

P.S. I shall beat my drum and send it's song on the wind, just for you.

****Windsong*****

I know I am worth while.  Everyone is, and everyone is important to the world.  We all have a greater influence on things thing than we will ever know.  I boggles the mind to realize how the smallest choices sometimes change everything.  I guess it is the Goddess topic, which I really love, that I know little about, makes me feel at a loss for words.  That's all.  I have been frustrated,prehaps even insulted, when I have talked to some people about my Native American heritage.  I have heard the "wanna be" more than once.  It has made me be careful how I pursue the culture and the spiritiuality.  I would love it if you would start a thread on that!  Really!  Could you recommend some reading?

Learning about the Goddess has been so meaningful to me.  I always knew god was inside of me, finding the Goddess has been inspirational!  I have studied Greek mythology, but I always saw it as just stories.  I see it differently now.  Seeing all the images as well has been wonderful!  One thing that learning teaches me, is that I know so little!

Tread softly on the Earth,

****Maya*****

Thank you for that beautiful picture.  I really love it.  And thank you for your kind words.  I am on a path of enlightenment.  I guess it is the journey that is important rather than the destination.  When I was younger I thought I would "arrive" at the place where I would have every thing figured out, where I become the adult.  I still often feel like a child even though I now have a "grown" child.  I see people who appear to  be further along on the road, as well as those who are behind me or on a totally different road.  I sometimes feel I should be further along than I am at this point, like I am behind in the game.  But I guess that is my never ending need for perfection. I have to work on that, acceptiang myself as I am.  Learning about Goddess spirituality is helping me to do that.  You are a blessed teacher!

May the road rise up to meet you and may the wind always be at your back.

sorry it has taken me a while to respond.  i am darker skinned, (like a tan) and i have hazel eyes that change color, mainly green and some brown.  i have dark hair with some red highlights.  i also have some french-canadian and gypsy in me as well.  i am kind of a stange mix i admit, but happy to be who i am ... :-)

i saw this one and thought of you... it is titled, "maya"... she is a green woman... like you, caring for our earth...

i couldn't agree more, dear sister.. the cherokee say, that it only takes a drop of cherokee blood to make you cherokee...  embrace your dawn, feel the passions for life fill your spirit and let it SOAR!... this is for you...

(((phoebe))), what an exotic goddess you are!!!!  And you have every reason to be happy.    What a strange concept that some of mixed heritage should feel unhappy about it.   Oh I know many are because of prejudices and ignorance but it should be celebrated!   Why should we be this or that or one or the other.   Thank goodness society is changing!

Sweetie, let's celebrate together!!!!   The full moon and eclipse tomorrow.    A good excuse to howl.

I love your picture.   She is beautiful.   Is she Navaho?

I am honoured to be walking along the path with you!

Bright blessings,     Maya

(((phoebe))), thanks for 'maya'.   She is beautiful isn't she.   "Maya" was a name given to me at a wise woman retreat.   It means kinswoman and illusion.    People think I must be exotic, like you, to have such a name but I'm fair.    

Have a great day dear (((phoebe)))!!!!

Lots of love and hugs and howls coming your way.

Maya Papaya

Hello you wonderful ladies!!!

I really love reading all your posts, it's a true inspiration to me as well as gives me peace. I'm at a very confused area spiritually right now, I love the teaching of Jesus and the bible but yet I feel there is so much more. I feel a huge draw to herbs and nature too

the other day I had to get out of the house, the kids were being stinkers and I wanted some peace. my oldest daughter followed me, to the lake that is a block away from our house. I went to the shore, the wind was blowing hard, the sun was just starting to set and it was only in a small part of the sky the rest was blue with clouds around but around the sunset it looked as though it was a gate to heaven or paradise, I closed my eyes to breath in the air, my daughter started to talk to me I told her to hush, look, listen, and feel what is around her. The wind blew my hair around and would sometimes tickly my face, I could hear the leaves rustling in the tree, the birds singing, and the waves crashing onto the shore. It was warm, peaceful, and I could feel my body start to get light. I felt so connected to everything. I sat down and kept breathing in, thinking of peaceful things, I started to hum softly. I was like that a good 10 minutes. I opened my eyes and I felt so refreshed it was amazing.

I then got up, started walking with my daughter and we started talking about nature, teen age attitudes (LOL), etc. It ended up being a much nicer evening.

I've had quite a bit of stress in my life but since I've been walking and doing yoga I'm handling things much better. Now if only my younger daughter would follow she would be much more peaceful

Dena

~~~~Windsong~~~~~

I would love to read your book!!!!  If you can send it to my email I would send you my email address but the site would not let it go through.  Do you ever do yahoo messenger.  I sure we can figure this out.

I wish I could join your group as well. I reallly sounded wonder.  I have thought about a sweatlodge at little.  I asked my sister if she was interested in building one because she has property that is way out in country, completly undeveloped at this point.  I got a infactic NO!  She is still bound to the traditional Christian belief that she was raised with.  She is somewhat older than me, and we are very different.  When I first started telling her how my spirituality was changing, I thought she would freak, but she didn't.  That was a relief.  There really is no one around here to share much of this with.  The different sites I go to are my connection to others of like mind.  Am I repeating myself?

Thank you so much! 

Namaste,

(((jen))), thought you might enjoy this!   Joseph Campbell from Hero with a Thousand Faces

Throughout the inhabited world, in all times and under every circumstance, the myths of man have flourished; and they have been the living inspiration of whatever else may have appeared out of the activities of the human body and mind.  It would not be too much to say that myth is the secret opening through which the inexhausible energies of the cosmos pour into human cultural manifestation.  Religions, philosophies, arts, the social forms of primitive and historic man, prime discoveries in science and technology, the very dreams that blister sleep, boil up from the basic, magic ring of myth.

It will be always the one, shapeshifting yet marvelously constant story that we find, together with a challengingly persistent suggestion of more remaining to be experienced than will ever be known or told.

The unconscious sends all sorts of vapors, odd beings, terrors, and deluding images up into the mind...whether in dream, broad daylight or insanity; for the human kingdom beneath the floor of the camparatively neat little dwelling that we call our consciousness, goes down into unsuspected Aladdin caves.   There not only jewels but also dangerous jinn abide: the inconvenient or resisted psychological powers that we have not thought or dared to integrate into our lives.   And they may remain unsuspected, or, on the other hand, some chance word, the smell of a landscape, the taste of a cup of tea, or the glance of an eye may touch a magic spring, and then dngerous messengers begin to appear in the brain.   These are dangerous because they threaten the fabric of the security into which we have built ourselves within it; but then a wonderful reconstruction, of the bolder, cleaner, more spacious, and fully human life..that is the lure, the promise and terror, of these disturbing night visitants from the mytholgical realm that we carry within.

Psychoanalysis, the modern science of reading dreams, has taught us to take heed of these unsubstanital images.  Also it has found a way to let them do their work.

and on and on!

I go weak at the knees when I read Campbell!

Sweetie, have a great full moon hhhoooowwlllll!!!!!

Bright blessings,    Maya