Today is the Autumn Equinox. In my faith, this day is known as Mabon. 

Mabon is a harvest festival. It is a magical and symbolic time of year when the seeds we planted in the Spring reach their full potential.

With the harvest, life is affirmed. The crops we planted in the ground received nourishment from the Earth and will now nourish our bodies in return for having planted them. It is part of an endless cycle that has sustained human life on this planet for centuries.

Likewise, the seeds you planted in the fertile soil of your consciousness are ready for harvest as well. The crops you nourished with your intention and attention are ripe and ready to be enjoyed. And with the harvest comes the celebration.

Celebrate your harvest by making time to laugh and play with friends and family. Take pleasure in the simple things… a cold dog nose on your cheek, the heavy footsteps of a growing child on the stairs, the familiar feel of your partner’s hand in your own.

Take nothing for granted, even your problems. Your problems are also part of your harvest. They teach you valuable lessons about life and about your karmic lessons and contracts. Honor your problems as the gifts they are. 

Allow yourself to take in the fullness of the harvest. Let it sustain you and help you grow stronger, wiser and happier than ever. Blessed Mabon!

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I come from a dysfunctional family. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Big deal, we all come from dysfunctional families Michele.”

True, but I don’t think you understand... I’m come from one of those fist fights in the front yard, broken beer bottles, Jerry Spring type of dysfunctional families.

I come from one of those families so seeped in their own fears that they breed mistrust in each other because they see everyone around them as reflections of their own fragmented selves.

And from those fears my family creates all manner of myths about each other. Myths about other people’s intentions, myths about their own victimization, myths that allow them to hold harmful grudges masquerading as self-righteousness for years or even decades.

For a long time I believed it was my responsibility to “fix” them, to heal them all in some way, to make them understand the importance of loving each other despite our many flaws.

But lately I’ve come to the conclusion that my only responsibility ~ to them, to myself and to our children ~ is to forgive them. Nothing more and nothing less.

This week my family has again reminded me of the value of forgiveness by again giving me an opportunity to forgive. And for that I choose to be grateful because I recognize this as their gift to me... the gift of forgiveness.  
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One of the ways that I’m able to stay in the flow of my personal and professional energy and stay out of overwhelm (well, at least most of the time ;) is by staying in rhythm with the phases of the moon.

In fact, I strategically create my marketing schedule with a conscious intention of harnessing the moon’s energy to give my marketing copy and campaigns a mystical edge that sparkles with the magic of my sacred marketing message.

This is one of the things that sets my marketing and coaching practice apart and one that my clients say gives them an intuitive advantage when they’re planning their own marketing efforts.

Since this week we’re in a Waning Moon phase ~ this when the moon appears to be decreasing in the night sky ~ I thought I’d share some tips with you about how to align your personal and professional energy with the energy of the moon today.

Waning Moon Marketing Tip #1 ~ Reflect:
Reflect On What Worked… And What Didn’t

I’m a big believer in the idea of reflect, regroup and retry. So I use the energy of the Waning Moon to look back over my actions ~ both personal and professional ~ to see what worked and what didn’t.

Professionally, I look over my marketing copy ~ blogs, newsletters and social media entries ~ and see what resonated the most with people in my spiritual tribe. What blogs did people comment on, what tweets got the most views and what programs were people really excited about?

If I’ve given people something they like, I want to know so I can keep creating material that engages them, challenges them and gets them thinking about what’s possible. If people didn’t respond, if they weren’t interested in a topic, then I need to be able to recognize that and to realign my message to meet the needs of the people I’m here to serve.

But the only way that I can stay in rhythm with the people in my circle is to reflect on what worked and be really, really honest about what didn’t.

Waning Moon Marketing Tip #2 ~ Release:
The Waning Moon Is A Time Of Letting Go

As the light in the nigh sky continues to decrease with the energy of the Waning Moon, this is the perfect time to go within and be willing to let go of anything that’s not serving your soul’s highest potential.

The Waning Moon lends energy to help you release your limitations, especially around money or worthiness issues. As spiritual practitioners who are always growing and stretching into new possibilities we’re also always bumping into our insecurities and fears along the way. (Yes, this really does happen to ALL of us.)

Perhaps this is the price of moving forward. But it’s also a great opportunity to overcome your obstacles and let go of the old, outdated, dare I say… false, limiting beliefs we have about ourselves, our businesses and our self-imposed limitations.

The Waning Moon will help you notice these fears, myths and limiting beliefs and consciously LET THEM GO so that your business can soar. You can also tune into the needs of your spiritual tribe and challenge them to let go of their obstacles as well.

Waning Moon Tip #3 ~ Rest:
Take Some Time Off

Take some time to rest and regroup during this phase of the moon. No seriously, no matter how busy you are, there’s no way you can convince me you can’t take at lease 1 or 2 days off.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you should halt your forward motion or slow your growth. But believe it or not, taking a few days off can actually help keep you on track because it keeps you from burning out!

Bottom line: Keep making positive strides toward your goals, but also take time to rest and reflect. Remember to let your old limits and fears decrease with the diminishing moon.

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Ladies,

Are you still basking in the energy of this week’s Full Moon? I know I am!

For years I’ve been striving to live my life in harmony with the cycles of nature… the seasons, the moons and even the tides. And why not? Life ebbs and flows, so we might as well learn how to ride those waves instead of being knocked off our feet by them.

But this Full Moon brought me a special gift ~ the opportunity to shift my perspective (and my bad attitude) in a BIG way.

So here’s the deal… Lately, I’ve been dealing with massive changes, shifts and transformations in my life on every level from personal to professional. Some of these changes are “good” (like my son’s upcoming graduation from high school ~ go Tyler!) and some not so “good” (like my Grandpop’s recent passing).

And although I am a self-proclaimed “change junkie,” too much of anything can overwhelming. The result? One bitchy high priestess!

For the past several weeks I’ve been cranky, reactive and at times outright aggressive. Not really the energy I’m going for in my life. And with the energy of the Full Moon, intensified by my own internal Moon Flow… Well, let’s just say I was not somebody you wanted to piss off this week (just ask my husband).

But with my awareness of the energy and the rhythms of the planet and my own body, I was also aware that I had the power to change myself. So instead of giving in to the crazy, chaotic energy that had been swirling around me, I decided to harness that energy and channel it into something more positive.

So I gathered a group of my Ladies together for a little Moon-itude adjustment.

There we stood, in my back yard with candles lit, incense burning, and the light of Lady Moon, full and in all her glory, shining down on us. And under this light I took a good, long look at myself ~ flaws and all.

Some of what I saw I liked, other parts made me feel uncomfortable and even a little scared. Under the light of the Moon I saw my whole self and I made no apologies. I decided that instead of judging myself I would simply honor myself and all my imperfections while still striving to be better ~ to be a more complete expression of my divine self in spite of my human ego getting in the way sometimes.

So today I’m a softer, gentler version of me… Less reactive, less agitated, less bitchy. And a whole lot more content. (But just to be safe, I still wouldn't piss me off ;).
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As the Wheel of the Year turns yet another notch, we find ourselves at the Winter Solstice. This is the longest night of the year & a time to turn inward to reflect on our shadows before emerging into the light again.

At times, it feels as if the darkness of the winter months is overtaking us. But the Solstice offers us the promise of renewal. After tonight, the long darkness is behind us as our days become longer & brighter from now until the time of the Summer Solstice.

To herald in this change from darkness to light, the Oak King battles his mortal enemy – his own shadow – the Holly King, to reign supreme until Midsummer. This is an ancient battle in which the Lord of Light overtakes the Lord of Darkness that dwells within us all.

In this legendary myth, the old King is slain & the new King – or Sun – is reborn from the womb of the Virgin Mother Goddess. It’s a familiar Myth we see reflected in the story of the Roman Sun God Mithras & again in the Christian story of Jesus’ birth.

In the Pagan faith, each King/God knows that there is a time for light & a time for darkness. But like us, they fight the change even though they know in their hearts it’s futile. Change WILL come. Each will ebb & flow in its time & balance will rule.

Eventually, each King/God succumbs to his own death so that the other aspects of his personality can be explored through the filters of light & dark. But in truth, when one King is defeated he’s not really gone, but merely taking some time to heal, think & learn before returning again. And so the cycle continues…

We see this eternal cycle of birth, life, death & rebirth symbolized in one of the oldest Yuletide decorations – the wreath. The wreath represents the Wheel of the Year, which has no beginning & no ending. It’s the Wheel that we all find ourselves spinning on as we learn to honor the light & darkness within us. 

On this day, we light candles as our ancestors once did to lure back the light of the Sun. This is a form of sympathetic magic which dates back thousands of years. Tonight, as we add our tiny flame to the world, we feel the light gather & move within us & without as we work with the natural rhythms of nature to bring back the light! 
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This morning I called my dear friend Ann Marie, who told me that her loyal companion for the past 12 yeas, Molly the Dog, had taken ill. The vet suspects leukemia, but won't know for sure until the test results come in on Monday.

My heart sank as I recalled that Annie has lost 3 of her other pets this year... first Gracie, her loving black cat of many years; then Zeus, her smart-as-a-whip German Shepherd; and just a few weeks later Harold the cat, Zeus' best friend, who was the victim of a water moccasin attack. 

It's been a rough year for Annie and her family of animals, and the thought of losing Molly is so surreal, so unfair that tears filled my eyes and all I could do was promise her and Molly my love and my prayers.

And then my mind wandered back to a time several years ago when my son attended a local Christian school. Yes, I know, it's ironic that a Pagan High Priestess would send her son to a Christian school, but I had my reasons. 

First, the level of academic education was superior to that offered in public schools in my area. Not to mention the environment was much smaller and safer than the public middle schools around here.

But more than that, I wanted my son to be exposed to other religions so that he could choose his own spiritual path from an informed place, and not just blindly follow a path laid down for him by someone else... even me. 

One day, Tyler came home from school very upset. When I asked him what was wrong he informed me that during the morning prayer request one of the girls in his class raised her hand and asked the class to pray for her cat, who was very sick. 

The teacher scolded the girl, who was obviously distraught over her furry friend's illness, and told her that they would NOT pray for her cat because... are you ready for this... animals don't have souls. Tyler, a pretty mild mannered kid, had to fight the urge to throw his math book at the teacher. 

Now I don't by any means think that this is a belief held by all Christians. In fact, in my experience this is a belief that could only be held by someone who has never known the loyal love and companionship of a pet. (Which is pretty sad if you ask me.) 

Because if you are someone who has ever looked deeply into the eyes of a dog, you have seen a loving and trusting soul so pure it would break your heart. If you've ever held a purring and contented kitten in your arms, you've felt the warm playfulness of one of God's own messengers. And you know without a doubt that animals are among the most soulful creatures on this planet. 

But the hardest part of having animals in your life is the knowledge that one day you will have to say goodbye to them. It doesn't seem fair, but I guess it's the trade off we make to be loved so unconditionally. 

So now I reach out to all the animal loving peeps in my tribe of amazing, soulful people of all faiths, and I ask for your prayers for Molly the Dog and for Ann Marie her faithful and loving person. Blessed be!
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Do you ever find yourself in a rut where you know you’re not really taking very good care of yourself ~ either physically, emotionally or spiritually ~ but you just can’t seem to shake yourself out of it?


Well if this has never happened to you, please call me and tell me your secret! For the rest of us, these phases can be disheartening, disenchanting and downright depressing. 


Like most women, I know what I need and how to take care of myself. I know that my body and spirit feel better when I eat well and walk daily and when I take the time to meditate and pray and laugh with girlfriends. 


And yet I can so easily talk myself out of all of these things. I can make a million excuses about being too busy or too stressed or too… whatever… to make time to honor myself. 

So it’s during these times that I turn to my allies in the spirit world, and particularly to my ancient Goddess teachers who help to remind me of my own divinity! 

When I’m feeling low and I’m not honoring my own inner Goddess (and boy is it easy to do around the holidays with a “to do” list that never seems to end) one of the Goddesses I turn to is my girl Aphrodite! 

Aphrodite is the Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty and this Goddess is all about extreme self-care. She teaches you how to love and honor yourself, your needs and your dreams without ever sacrificing your femininity. 


She shows you how to flirt with life and relish in every experience, even things as simple as a hot bath, a good friend or a cold glass of water after a long walk. 

Aphrodite is one of my all time favorite Goddesses for loving yourself and nurturing your body, mind and soul. 


And that’s exactly why I’m hosting “Loving Yourself & Nurturing Your Dreams With Aphrodite ~ Greek Goddess of Love & Beauty at the divinely feminine Red Tent this Saturday, Dec. 11th from 1 to 3 pm. 

I hope you’ll take the time to join your Goddess sisters and me as we wake up our senses and enjoy each other’s company in the presence of Aphrodite. 

Together we’ll share the myths and legends of the ancient Goddess and discover how her energy can help even today’s busy modern woman (i.e. YOU) acknowledge her dreams and her needs and pursue them without fear or apology! 

Of course, I’ve got lots of fun little surprises sprinkled through the day. (Who knows, if it’s not too cold outside we may even fire up the footbath at the Tent!)

To register, call 561-865-5791 (and bring your girlfriends)!
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I who am the beauty of the green earth

And the white moon among the stars

And the mysteries of the waters,

I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me.

For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe.

From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return.

Let my worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold-

All acts of love and pleasure are My rituals.

Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion,

Honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.

And you who seek to know Me, know that your

Seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless

You know the Mystery:

For if that which you seek, you find not within yourself,

You will never find it without.

For behold, I have been with you from the beginning,

And I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

 
~ From The Spiral Dance 

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As the face of the moon grows smaller and smaller in the night sky, we're reminded of how interesting the shadows can be.

Within those shadows are the deepest parts of ourselves. The parts we sometimes hide away and ignore until life makes us face them once again.

But the time of the waning moon is the perfect time to look within those shadows to see what you might find out about yourself.

This month I learned that letting go is hard to do, as I realize that I've held on to certain things in my life and my career that stopped serving me long ago.

And the cost of holding on too long is that the Universe sometimes steps in and takes things from you to create the space you won't create for yourself.

So this waning moon, I reach bravely within the shadows and freely release that which no longer serves my soul.

This isn't always an easy process, but it's certainly an interesting and absolutely necessary one.
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Okay, so I'm way far behind on my blogs and my "to do" list is a mile long (big surprise, right?), but I couldn't let tonight pass without paying homage to the Full Moon.

Tonight is the Flower Moon and it's a perfect time to stop and smell the roses (literally and figuratively)! Take just 5 minutes tonight, go outside and cast your eyes up to the sky.

Let the beauty and fullness of the Moon wash over you and take in the energy of the Goddess. Feel her arms around you and feel her full potential penetrate your soul with her light.

Remember, the Moon is all about feminine energy, so let your hair down and take time to appreciate the sensual curves of your own Goddess body. Pick a flower from your garden and put it in your hair. Dance around under the fullness of the Moon and let your body find its groove.

If you have a partner, make love to them. If you don't have a partner, make love to yourself. But whatever you do, do it like a Goddess! ~ Enjoy!
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