Day 11 – Assimilating the First Ten Days of Prayer
With the wisdom and strength of Spirit,
I open my heart and mind to accept the transformations I have asked for.
With the compassion and courage of Spirit
I support the people, known and unknown, I have prayed for and with.
Lady and Lord
Thank you for embracing those who need you.
Thank you for guiding me along my Divine Path with grace and ease.
Blessed be.
Day 10 – To Recognize Prosperity
Lakshmi – Hindu Goddess of Prosperity. Lakshmi is the epitome of wealth and abundance in both the material and spiritual realms. She rules prosperity in all its forms, and widely bestows Her gifts to those who are open to receive. Celebrations of Lakshmi are held during the month of October. She is generally pictured wearing red and gold, standing on a blooming lotus with gold coins pouring from Her hands. Full moons are sacred to Her.
Mother Lakshmi,
You who are the abundance of all things,
You who supplies the treasures of heaven and earth,
Hear my prayer.
As the coins tumble freely from your hands,
And the milk flows from your breasts
I know that you supply me with everything I need
to be prosperous and successful in my career,
my home, and my relationships.
I thank you for this.
Glorious Lakshmi
Your love for humanity means we will never go without
And as the world is blinded by ideas of lack and poverty,
Remind us that you are the true source of luxury
Help us become open to receive you.
Blessed be.
Writing bad poetry’s terribly easy
Glib little couplets their line endings cheesy
With words that rhyme but make no sense
Although these two lines are quite coherent, I’ll say in my defence
Even if I did mutilate the rhythm a bit there
And then couldn’t get a rhyme on this one.
For the sacrifice of sense
The poet must watch
You can’t just say whatever rhymes
Like throwing in a scotch
For no reason.
The rhythm, the rhythm, the rhythm,
Oh please
Which walks and then crawls
And then it falls down in its knees, really badly
With a rather embarrassing sigh.
Meter or no meter, choose by all means
But limping between the two
Is often hideous and feels really awkward.
And getting a rhyme by repeating a word,
Sure, word rhymes with word
So far as I’ve heard
But it sucks.
If you’re going to rhyme
Want to do it all the time
As the tension starts to climb
Doing it and stopping
Sounds a bit silly
Now that I think about it.
You can rhyme alternate lines
Or the end of a stanza
Use internal echoes sometimes
Try half rhymes, they are grand sir!
If you don’t like structure
Make exquisite free verse
That flows, river smooth
Across the page
Be
Truly
Free with it
Take no prisoners with clichés
Keep your metaphors unmixed
For a mixed metaphor is like
A bull in a church.
A fart in a china shop
They make no sense.
Your poetry is like a blossoming flower
And I am drowning in its sea.
Don’t steal from famous writers
Smart people will notice this.
But if you can avoid these traps
You will be a poet
My son.
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Wake up!!! It’s Wednesday!!!!
I know, I know…what’s so special about Wednesday. Well, it means we are half way there…half way to that glorious weekend where most of you have off.
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How many has ever heard of the Count Alessandro di Cagliostro? Well I haven’t which goes to prove why Ancient Calendar is just so dang cool. It gives each of us a chance to learn a little something who had a bit to do with some form of Paganism.
The Count, given name at birth Giuseppe Balsamo, was born in a place called Palermo, Sicily during the year of 1743. While the details of his life are a mystery, he was known for being an Alchemist, Freemason, and an adventurer (makes me think of our own William Maltese). Now while the Count claimed to have studied Alchemy and the Kabbalah with the Knights of Malta, the very controversial Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was actually the one who added the many tall tales known about him. Whether they are true or not…we may never know, unless one of us gets off our butts and channels up a spirit or two in order to find out. *winks*
So, summing things up…what does today have to do with the Count? Well, it’s his Birthday of course. Happy Birthday Count…from all of us here at The Pagan and the Pen…wherever you may haunt!
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Now here is a more popular name for you, or for those who love to dive head deep into Prophecies. The notorious Mother Shipton, real name Ursula Sontheil, is remembered today. Mother Shipton was born in a cave (no lie) which was beside the river Nidd in Yorkshire back in the year of 1488. For those who haven’t a clue as to who she is…she wrote down poetic prophecies. Some of her famous once, which was said to come to pass–
Henry VIII victory over France in 1513
The Famous London fire of 1666
The Victory and defeat over the Spanish Armada in 1588
And her own death…in 1561
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Now, stepping back in time, Ishtar of Babylon, who stood for love and fertility would have her festival on this day…if Babylon was still shaking a tail feather.
Rumor has it, that Ishtar had her history of lovers…taking them and then tossing them to the side whenever she tired of them. (GO ISHTAR!!!)
There are many tales concerning Ishtar, concerning gods named Tammuz, and then one named Gilgamesh, a King of Uruk, (who in here watched the Movie The Knight’s Tale?). Gilgamesh was said to turn her down, and his reasons—the way she tossed her other lovers so easily away.
Now, according to Barbara G. Walkers (whom I absolutely dig) , Ishtar is the same as the biblical Ashtoreth, Anath, Asherah, Esther, the Queen of Heaven in (Jeremiah 44: 19) Of course Biblical writers had to also make her the Great Whore of Revelations 17: 5 (gotta love that), and Mother of all Harlots.
Ishtar, , Star, according to the Babylonian scriptures, was known as the Light of the World, along with a whole bunch of other wonderful and very cool names. And according to more Feminine translations, Ishtar did not chase Tammuz into the Underworld in order to make him one of her many-toss- him- to- the- side- lovers, but to rather SAVE him. We have to watch when reading the myths of our times, because somehow, Goddesses get a bit of negativity tossed to their names, depending on what writer is raving on them.
Also according to Gilgamesh, the one who became famous for turning her down, she was cruel to her lovers. However, this misunderstanding could have come from the misunderstanding concerning who her lovers were…each representing a sacrificial god who refreshed the fertility of the earth with his blood.
The fact was, Ishtar was not one to muck about with. And she was a woman, a Goddess who held super duper kickin’ powers that the other Gods feared because if they didn’t walk a straight line, Ishtar could deny them their sacrificial meals.Because of the power factor, it could be, that Priests of later Gods, decided to lessen her image as such the case as time went on…and the image of the Great Goddess was slowly destroyed.
Here is hoping you enjoyed today’s Ancient Calendar. Please comment, and let us know what you think. Did you learn a little something?
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