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Hethert  ~ Het-Heret ~ Het-Heru ~ Hathor

“House of Heru” Another Name known from predynastic times, Hethert represents the feminine principle, as reflected in several of Her symbols: the cow, the mirror, and the ritual rattle or sistrum. Hethert is patroness of women, and professions given to Her priesthood include dancers, singers, actors and acrobats; even up to Greek times the arts were under Hethert’s dominion. Hethert’s temples, especially that at Ta-Netjer were centers for both healing and midwifery. Priests in the temple of Ta-Netjer conducted oracles with Hethert in trance rituals held in crypts underneath the sanctuary, and any person could sleep on the temple roof and hope for a dream, which could be interpreted the next morning by the priests. Hethert’s association with both cows and the sistrum probably results from Her assimilation of the Predynastic Netjer Bat; “sistrum capitals” atop the pillars throughout Kemetic temples show Hethert’s full face with cow’s ears atop a “naos”-style sistrum. Hethert was closely associated with Heru-Behdety at Edfu, perhaps influencing the fact that She was a patroness of Kemet’s queens (as Heru is to the king, so Hethert is to the queen). Some queens are referred to by Hethert’s titles of “Mistress of Heaven” and “Lady of Gold.” Nefertary’s spectacular temple at Abu Simbel in Nubia depicts the Great Royal Wife as Hethert in many places; and her husband Ramses II is depicted in its sanctuary, suckling from the udder of Hethert as a divine cow. ”

I am the Soul of Hathor

Het Heru
(Greeks called her Hathor)

Het Heru is the goddess of beauty, love, sensuality and all the shiny things in life.

She is envisioned as being a very beautiful maiden usually adorned with jewelry and wearing a crown made of a pair of bull horns with a solar disc.

Het Heru is the goddess that motivates us to seek our hightest potential. She is the energy that gives us a sense of fulfillment that allures us to quest after change. Her erotic force, which stimulates passion is what motivates us all to change. It is for this reason that she is also called the goddess of love and passion.

She loves the colors green, yellow and pink. Her sacred number is five and her day of the week is Friday. Though she owns all jewelry but her favorite metal and stone is brass and diamonds, as they are her best friend.

Hathor, Womb of the Origin

Her essential hieroglyph, read as Het Heru, which translates as the house of Horus symbolizes Hathor in her ancient role as sky goddess. Here she is seen as, the primeval waters or womb of space where the great illuminated one Horus, the oldest of the sun gods, represented here by the falcon was conceived, brought forth and dwelled.

In her form as the celestial cow that nourishes all creation, Hathor is an ancient goddess who originates from pre-dynastic Egypt. Pictured in this form with stars on her belly, horns of the crescent moon and a solar disk on her head, Hathor, the ‘mother of the light’ and ‘golden one’, is the loving consort of the powerful sun god Ra. Throughout the literature she is alternatively referred to as Ra’s mother, daughter, and powerful shining eye. According to the eminent scholar of Egyptian studies E. A. Wallis Budge, Hathor was perceived as “the great Mother of the World,” and the “power of nature that was perpetually conceiving and bringing forth, rearing and maintaining all things, both great and small.” In this role she represented the fullness of the feminine experience. “She was the mother of her father, and the daughter of her son. Heaven, earth and the underworld were under her rule and she was the mother of every god and every Goddess.”

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Mindful Eating

Slow Down to Nourish: A Practical Guide to Mindful Eating

In a world that moves fast, eating has become something we often do on autopilot—between meetings, while scrolling, or standing at the kitchen counter. It’s no wonder so many of us feel disconnected from our food and our bodies.

Mindful eating offers a gentle way back.

Mindful eating isn’t a diet or a set of restrictions. It’s an invitation to slow down, tune in, and rediscover the pleasure and wisdom in each bite. Whether you’re hoping to build a healthier relationship with food or simply want to enjoy your meals more, mindful eating is a powerful place to begin.

What Is Mindful Eating?

Mindful eating is the practice of bringing full presence to the experience of eating. It means noticing the colors, textures, smells, and flavors of your food—and how your body responds to it. Rather than labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” mindful eating focuses on awareness, curiosity, and compassion.

It helps you reconnect with your natural hunger and fullness cues, so eating becomes less about rules and more about honoring your body.

The Core Principles of Mindful Eating

  1. Eat With Awareness
  2. Check In With Your Body
  3. Slow Down
  4. Savor Your Food
  5. Pause Mid-Meal
  6. Release Judgments

Why Mindful Eating Matters

Mindful eating can transform your relationship with food in subtle but meaningful ways. It can help you:

  • Reduce emotional or binge eating
  • Improve digestion
  • Increase satisfaction with meals
  • Break free from dieting cycles
  • Cultivate a kinder, more connected relationship with your body

When you slow down and listen, your body becomes a reliable guide.

A Simple Mindful Eating Exercise

The next time you eat, try this short exercise:

  1. Sit down at the table. Take three slow breaths.
  2. Look at your food. Notice colors, shapes, and textures.
  3. Take one intentional bite. Chew slowly.
  4. See if you can fully taste the first 3–5 bites—often the most flavorful.
  5. Notice how your body feels as you continue eating.

This small shift can create powerful awareness.

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Danu – The Ancient Celtic Mother Goddess

Danu is a legendary mother goddess who sits right at the heart of Celtic mythology. She’s mysterious, powerful, and a quite magical. People have been telling stories about her for ages, and even though we lack many details, Danu’s influence is everywhere. From folklore to festivals, her spirit is very much alive.

You’ll find Danu in some of Ireland’s oldest texts, like the Lebor Gabála Érenn (“The Book of Invasions”), which basically lays out the wild and ancient history of Ireland. The Tuatha Dé Danann—whose name means “People of the Goddess Danu”—are said to have arrived in Ireland from a misty, magical place in the north. Th were said to control the weather, change their shape, and were talented in art and music.

Danu’s name is linked to rivers all over Europe and Asia, not just Ireland. So, her legend might stretch from Ireland to the Danube and beyond. She us all about life, growth, and abundance. She wasn’t just an Irish goddess—we find her in many ancient cultures.

Danu is the Earth Mother. She is fertility, the changing seasons, and the cycle of life. The land itself is seen as female. Danu is the spirit of Ireland’s green hills and winding rivers. Peopleleft offerings for her at springs and riverbanks, hoping for good crops and a happy family.

She is also a goddess of wisdom and magic. Poets, bards, and druids look to her for creative inspiration and answers to life’s big questions. Some stories say she welcomes souls into the Otherworld—a mysterious, mystical place full of knowledge and eternal youth.

The Tuatha Dé Danann

The Tuatha Dé Danann are gods of Irish mythology. Led by famous gods like Dagda (the “Good God” with his magical cauldron) and Brigid (goddess of poetry and healing), they possess all talents and arts. Danu is the Mother and at the center of most of their mythology. When they landed in Ireland, they conquered the Fir Bolg and took on the monstrous Fomorians.

Most of their stories, found in epic tales like the Cath Maige Tuired (“The Battle of Mag Tuired”), are concerned with fighting, magic, and eventually disappearing into the fairy mounds to become the Aos Sí—the spirits of the land. Throughout all of it, Danu’s influence is there, quietly guiding and nurturing them.

Danu hasn’t faded away—far from it! Today, she is prominent in neo-pagan and druid traditions. People call on her for help with creativity, growing things, and protecting the environment. You will see some of her legends in Irish art, music, and stories. She is a symbol of the deep connection between people and nature.

Artists, writers, and musicians still find inspiration in Danu’s story. Her legend fuels environmental movements, goddess worship, and a general love for all things ancient and wild.

 `Danu isn’t just a myth—she’s a symbol of life, mystery, and transformation. Her story is ancient, weaving together nature, magic, and the human spirit. Whether you picture her as a river goddess or the heart of the earth, Danu reminds us to stay connected to the land and the old stories that make us who we are.

Music: Words by Desnne Quarrie, music generated at suno.com

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Me and the Sea

I look up and see my boulder. A favorite place to sit and watch the ocean.  I stand here looking for the best way up. Rocks will serve as giant stepping stones to reach my goal, in between, small little pools.

Oh! Look!  A crab scurries by hoping to hide from my glance.

I sit like a bird on a perch, my boulder, a smooth grey stone. Behind me, I feel the rising sun, before me, the grey morning sea, White caps are caught in the wind that eventually reaches me, blowing in my hair.

I feel free here in the sky!  Tall and strong, but it is time to go. I climb down, careful to not step in the little pools.

On the beach now, the sand, cool under my bare feet.  Over to my left, mounds of kelp brought in by the sea. I remember, as a child, hanging that kelp all over me, pretending to be a giant sea monster!

At last, I stand at the edge, water lapping over my feet, pulling the wet sand over them, moving back to the sea.

So peaceful here, alone with only what belongs to the sea, like me. The little sand pipers running around finding bits to eat. Seagulls call to me and pelicans are diving for a meal, reminding me that I am hungry too.

And so, I leave, grateful to have this place, forever mine, within my memories.

Deanne Quarrie, D. Min.

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The Divine Feminine

I grew up in the Episcopal Church. I believe my parents chose that for us because members of my father’s family were Anglican. As it turned out, they all stopped going after a year or so, but I continued by myself.

Every Sunday when I came home, my father and I sat at the dining room table to discuss what the lesson was in Sunday school.  He would ask me what they taught me that it meant.  Then he would suggest that perhaps it could have a different meaning and then share his.  Finally, he would ask me what I thought it meant.  After sharing my thoughts, he always told me that what I thought was the most important thing.

The Episcopal Church is like that.  Each of us might have a different slant on meanings and most of the time we do not really share them with each other.  We find comfort in our own interpretation.

At some point in time, my child’s mind created a holy family of Father, Son and the last, Holy Spirit, the Mother. I knew even as a child that every living creature has a mother. I am aware that the Church as a whole does not think of the Holy Spirit as being female, but historically the Holy Spirit, the grammatical gender of the word for “spirit” is feminine in Hebrew (רוּחַ, rūaḥ).  All words in Hebrew ending in “ah” were considered feminine words. I do confess, that in my heart of hearts, I know that the Holy Spirit is the Mother of God.

I grew up outside. My early childhood was spent exploring the foothills of the San Bernadino Mountains and my summers were spent on the beach and in the Pacific Ocean.  Water was my element. I learned to body surf at the age of four and found incredible freedom in the water, floating, swimming and riding the waves.

It was only natural that my spiritual path became focused on the natural world. The love of nature, combined with the gift of magical thinking, handed down to me from my parents, created who I am today.

It seemed so right that my spiritual path diverted, and all emphasis was now focused on the divine feminine.  At the age of forty-five I knew that I would spend the rest of my life, helping women find their own power and to learn to be one with all things on this Earth where we live.

I live in an apartment complex for seniors, built by an Episcopal Church forty years ago.  Because members of that church are involved in activities here, I got to know them and their priest. Because I really like them and love how their Church is involved in amazing outreach into the community, I decided to go visit.  My visits have now turned into being fully involved there. That involvement has lifted the spirit of love in my heart. I have found a spiritual community where I belong.  Not a bad thing at the age of 82.

I am still Her Priestess – still working with women, still loving all the many goddesses that assist us in being all that we can be. Still a mystic. Still a believer in magic. That will not ever change.

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Inanna’s Return and Bread and Waters of Life

Most of us know the story of Inanna’s descent into the Underworld to visit with her sister Erishkigal. The reason for her visit is that Erishkigal’s husband has died and Inanna was a childhood friend of his and she will visit to pay her respects.  As she travels to meet her sister, Inanna must pass through seven gates where they ask her to remove and part with aspects of herself so when she approaches Ereshkigal.

Upon arrival, her sister, who is angry because she believes that her husband loved Inanna, hangs Inanna from a meat hook to die.

While Inanna was in the Underworld, Ninshubur waited three days for Her to return, and when she did not she thought all was lost and began to mourn for her. She visited the temple of Enki who agreed to help her. Enki knows the nature of the underworld and its rule by a jealous, anguished Erishkigal.  As a god he has the power to create and ease hardship. From the dirt under his fingernails, he creates the kurgarra and galatur, instinctual, asexual creatures endowed with the artistic and empathic talent of being professional mourners, capable of mirroring the lonely queen’s emotions.  These little asexual creatures represent the attitude necessary to draw a blessing from the dark goddess. He commanded them to go to the Underworld where they found Erishkigal in the throes of agony and reeling from the misery she has caused. When she moans, they moan with her, appeasing her anguish by the echo of their concern, affirming her in her suffering.  Enki has understood that complaining is one voice of the dark goddess, a way of expressing life, valid and deep in the feminine soul.

When she sees their sympathy she offers them a gift. They are to ask only for the corpse of Inanna and, having received it, are to resurrect her with the bread and water of life.  They perform the task of bringing Inanna back to life, reviving Her with the gift of the bread and water of life. But as they prepare to leave but Anunna stops them and tells them she may not leave unless someone comes in her place.  Inanna agrees to find someone and is allowed to leave.

She returns to Demuzi, her new husband, only to find him enjoying himself, drinking, feasting and making music while she was suffering. Enraged, Inanna decides Dumuzi should be the one to take her place in the Underworld.  She directs the Anunna to seize him, which they do. Dumuzi desperately pleads with Inanna to relent, but she turns her back on him. He then appeals to Utu, but he too forsakes him. The Anunna carry Dumuzi away.

Inanna’s descent into the Underworld is the Sumerian mythology to explain the Dark Times and the absence of the Goddess.  It is at Imbolc (the beginning of Spring – our Ground Hog Day) that Inanna is given the bread and water of life.  This is the promise of returning life, the first stirring of the Bright Goddess’s return to us. She has not yet returned to her Temple, nor has she chosen Demuzi to be Her replacement.   She is alive – and returning.  It will be at the coming Spring Equinox that Demuzi will be taken to the Underworld.

Hail Inanna!  Blessed Be the Gift of the Bread and Waters of Life!

Retrieved at Inanna, an Opera of Ancient Sumer http://www.craton.net/inanna/main.php?action=synopsis

Retrieved at Library of Halexandria http://www.halexandria.org/dward385.htm

Perera, Sylvia Brinton, Descent to the Goddess, Inner City Books, Toronto, Canada 1981

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Difficult Conversations

If words that we speak misfire and cause pain.
Please ask us to clarify and fully explain.
For often it is our limitations at play
For choosing our words and what to say.
Please make no assumptions but give others a chance.
Don’t judge them without asking, please allow them to enhance.
Hold back in assuming, don’t jump at a thought
Be open and ask or all is for naught.
When caught up in emotion we can travel two ways.
We either shut down completely or fail to convey.
Don’t jump to conclusions but rather choose trust
And ask what is meant  and not assume we’re unjust.
Let us choose love and expect the best
And question our reactions, that is our test.|
For love is the answer and a willingness to forgive.
It will strengthen our friendships and bring peace as we live.
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Tailtiu, Primal Earth Goddess for this Season

We are in the season of Lughnasadh, also known as Lammas.  This is the first of three harvest festivals.  This one focuses on what we call the “first fruits”, those fruits, vegetables and grains ripening early in the season. The other two are Mabon and Samhain, one celebrating the harvest of the last crops and the next that of the herd animals sacrificed to feed the tribes.

In the many myths about this festival there is a consistent theme, that of sacrifice. To see the abundance of our harvest, it is important that we also honor the sacrifice made to assure it.  Typically, the stories are of the great feats of Lugh is association with this special season. Lugh, the great hero of the Celts, was the child of Cian of the Tuatha Dé Danann and Ethniu of the Fomorians. The union of these two forged an alliance of two tribes.  He was given in fosterage to Tailtiu, Queen of the Fir Bolg, wife of Eochaid mac Eirc, the last of the Fir Bolg Kings, further deepening this alliance. Lugh’s story is about birth and transformation.  He is a powerful archetype who achieves his greatest gifts through adversity.

There is some confusion in these Celtic stories for we find different versions that often conflict with each other. One version is that Eochaid, King of the Fir Bolg created a great festival in honor of his queen, Tailtiu.  Other stories say that Lugh created the festival in her honor of his foster mother when she died.  However, it began, this festival has been celebrated for a very long time and still is, in many places.

“Lammas” by Wendy Andrews

“Lammas” by Wendy Andrews”

So, who was Tailtiu?  Tailtiu, the last queen of the Fir Bolg, died from exhaustion after clearing a great forest so that the land could be cultivated. Without land on which to grow food, her people would perish. When all gathered at her death-bed, she told them to hold funeral games in her honor.  She prophesied that for as long as they celebrated in this way, Ireland would not be without song.  Her name comes from the old Celtic Talantiu, “The Great One of the Earth.”  From this we believe she may originally have been a personification of the Land itself.  There was a time when Lughnasadh had an older name, Brón Trogain, which refers to the painful labor of childbirth. From this we might see that at this time of year, the Earth births her First Fruits in order for us to live.

The people of early Ireland held the festival at Teltown in County Meath (its name derived from Tailtiu). Over time it became a great tribal assembly conducting all the business of the tribe. There they made legal agreements and had discussions about political issues.  It was also a time for handfastings, as well as large sporting events with races of all kinds.  As with all “faires”, many kinds of things were bought and sold. There was storytelling, music, and much revelry.

This festival seems to have two origins. The first is Tailtiu who died from exhaustion after clearing a great forest so that the land could be cultivated and second, we have Brón Trogain, which refers to the painful labor of childbirth; both great sacrifices. Sacrifice does not come without pain. Brón Trogain was also the name for the month of August and means, the “month of sorrow.” We can associate this sorrow with the death or subduing of the land-spirits and the sadness felt by tribe over the fact that the plants they have birthed and nourished must now be cut down. All must die for the harvest to be won. This was a gift freely given. She cleared the land for the crops and gifted them to her foster son and the tribe. In either case, the origins point to the sacrifice of mothers – the laboring and birthing as well as the nurturing.

As women we are aware of the meaning of sacrifice.  Those desires and dreams we release in order to birth and raise our children; personal sacrifices we give to another for love; the time spent working while raising a family; the work and sacrifice necessary for maintaining a home as keepers of the hearth; the pain and sorrow of our progeny’s (all of our creative endeavors) failures and losses, not our own, but felt through our connections as creators.

It is also the great festival of Lugh, or Lug, the great Celtic Sun King and God of Light. August is His sacred month when He initiated great festivities in honour of His mother, Tailtiu. Feasting, market fairs, games and bonfire celebrations were the order of the day. Circle dancing, reflecting the movement of the sun in sympathetic magic, was popular, as were all community gatherings. August was considered an auspicious month for handfastings and weddings.

But underlying this is the knowledge that the bounty and energy of Lugh, of the Sun, is now beginning to wane. It is a time of change and shift. Active growth is slowing down and the darker days of winter and reflection are beckoning…

The Sun God, Lugh, as John Barleycorn, is the living Spirit of the corn, or grain. As the corn is cut so John Barleycorn is cut down also. He surrenders his life so that others may be sustained by the grain, so that the life of the community can continue. He is both eaten as the bread and is then reborn as the seed returns to the earth. The first sheaf of corn is supremely important, produces the first (and best) seed and assurance of future harvest. Death and rebirth. Everything dies in its season. Everything is reborn. This is our whisper of immortality. And the wonderful bittersweet of Lammas.

Many years ago, a group invited me to priestess for a rite at Lughnasadh. I felt ill prepared as I had not yet found a way to identify with this festival, so often masculine in nature. I decided to take myself into a trance and see if I could journey to an earlier time when this festival was honored.  I don’t know where I went.  Where is much less important that what I saw and felt.

I was standing next to a large field of golden grain which was moving in waves at the urging of the wind.  I was holding a tall scythe in my right hand, and I was gazing out over this field.  I could feel the hot sun behind me and an equal warmth in my heart as it filled with pride at the beauty of this fine harvest before me.  I was proud of the work I had done and yet felt even more was the gratitude for the rich soil, the frequency of rain and the energy of the glorious sun shining down, the energy of the Mother, giving life to this crop which I am about to sacrifice, in all its bounty, so that I might live yet another year.

Let us enjoy and celebrate our early harvest, the bounteous gifts we have received, for the sacrifices we and others have made.  Let us give thanks for this bounty.  Let us dance and make merry that the fruits of our labor have manifested in this joy.  Let us offer grateful hearts for all the sacrifices made each day.  Let us honor those we have made, those of our mothers, fathers, friends, and family and finally, by our plant and animal kin who have given us the gift of life. Let us honor all those who clear the fields from which our crops are harvested.

Deanne Quarrie 2013

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Friendship

Many years ago, I read the book, Soul Mates, Honoring the Mystery of Love and Relationship, by Thomas Moore. I was incredibly impacted by what Thomas More discussed in this book.  Prior to reading it I knew that for relationships to remain healthy they required attention paid to them, but I had never seen it described as he did in this book.  He says that all our relationships have a “soul” and that the soul of every relationship requires nurturing for the relationship to remain healthy.  Understanding this is an absolute requirement if we want the relationships, we must be healthy.

I have come to realize, in my old age, that I am not an expert on relationships.  Sadly, it is not one of my strong suits. There are some who would so lovingly disagree with my statement but then there are those who would jump on it vigorously in their agreement!  Mostly I believe that long lasting, quality relationships have been elusive for me because of the nomadic life I lead.  Also, I tend to see potential in people – I see possibility but sadly, quite often fail to see what is “real” and enter relationships with unhealthy people.  To be honest, I haven’t quite figured it all out yet! The result is, however, that the relationships I do have are precious to me.

I have often found myself in one-sided relationships. I am talking about friendships here – not romance. Somehow, I invested far more than the other person or cared more or needed it more and therefore “fed” the relationship more.  I found that if we connected at all, it was always me that called, me that wanted to make plans.  There comes a point when that is happening and it has been happening for a long time, it becomes painful to be in the relationship. When I did see it happening, I would always try to discuss it but somehow never found understanding with the other person or a way to change the dynamics.  At that point, the relationship would change, and I stopped feeding it.  Without my continued support the friendship faded away. We see it in romantic relationships, and we chalk it up to one loving more than the other and that too, is painful.  After I became aware of the pattern in how I formed friendships, I slowed down the process, trying to take note of the give and take and if balance were present before diving headlong into what would once more turn out one-sided.

So, what does Thomas Moore mean when he says that the soul of a relationship must be nurtured? What are the things we do when we care about someone?  We check in on them on a regular basis.  We try to get together when time permits.  We let them know how we value our relationship with words and actions.  We let them know on a regular basis, that we care.  We do wonderful things for them and accept wonderful things from them.  Our actions, our words, our behaviors all say, “I care about you.”

In a romantic relationship, when these things stop, we feel taken advantage of but how do we deal with it when it as a sibling, a child, a parent, or friend?  Do these too, not need nurturing to stay healthy? Absolutely!  This is where the phrase, “love is an action verb” comes in.  If we do not say, do not behave toward another in ways that say, “You matter to me” how is that relationship going to survive?  I found this quote in my email today, “Love is not just a feeling, but a verb. It’s something we do, a bit of spiritual theater we enact through actions large and small.” (Mooncircles)

Most people, when something like this is called to their attention, will say it is all from being too busy, that there simply is no time in their lives.  There may be truth in that, but I also see it as a matter of priorities.  If a friend is at the bottom of our “to do” list – just how important is that friend?  If an aging parent never hears from her grown children, or if one never gets a phone call from a sibling, I must ask, does love even exist? It is only a sense of obligation and not love at all. I don’t know.

I do know that when I have loved, it has been fiercely.  When I find a friend, they really matter to me.  If I still had a sibling to stay connected to, I would be thrilled. How blessed I would feel to have had the privilege of seeing my parents grow old.  What a sense of loss I feel when I think about not having had that experience – losing them when they were still young.  When I don’t hear from my own children for months on end or when they fail to display loving behavior, I have been known to say, “whose children are these?”

I often wonder if it isn’t this new social media experience we are involved in when friendships are made which a click of the mouse, where details of private lives are posted, mean and ugly comments and when people convolute what others say.  It is so easy because hey, who will bother to scroll down to see what was really said, anyway? Are these “friends” taking the place of real friendships? And if we are simply too busy to keep up with our friends, why have we let that happen, and when did we stop needing friends?

The only thing I do know for certain is that I need my friends.  Family matters to me and I am sad when I don’t hear from them, but I cannot live without friends. I cannot live without the deep connection that true friendship brings to my life. My friends are my chosen family. The love that comes from a good friend supports me emotionally and brings immense value to my life. I hope I am the kind of friend who gives that as well. In the end – what we share with those we care about is really all that matters in life – all that matters in the end.

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Aine and the Giant Leap

Summer Solstice is a traditional time to honor Aine, Goddess of Love, Light, and Fertility who is also Queen of the Faeries. Aine’s name means “Bright” and She is typically honored when the sun is at its peak of power.  The Solstice is associated with abundance, beauty and bounty.  It is not necessarily about the harvest season, as that is yet to come.  However, everywhere we look we can see the abundance of the Mother and so it is when we first acknowledge, with joy, what is before us.

In my Tradition, the Summer Solstice falls within the Oak Moon, the Moon in which we “court the lightning bolt.”  What that means to us is that with our roots planted firmly in the ground, as does the Oak tree, now is the time to take all of our plans and put them into action.  “Go for it” is what we are saying to ourselves and to the world.

We call on Aine for aide in love, fertility and prosperity. We ask for Her help in claiming our own power and in experiencing true joy in life.

In this rite our work will involve taking a look at the preparations we made earlier in the year and then looking at all the work we have done leading up to this moment. In order to bring in the last of our bounty, those dreams not yet manifest, now is the time for us to take a “leap of faith.” Aine is calling to us saying, “Take a risk, and put your heart’s true desire into action!” It is time to “Court the Lightning Bolt.”

If we have been procrastinating – that has to stop. Indecision – putting off – all of that has to go away.  We need to understand that now is the time for decision making.  We must trust that the Universe will support our decisions.  This is our magic!  For once we make a decision – once we decide to act – doors open!  Once our intention is made known. We will be supported and what we need will fall into place.

Aine is asking us to take a leap of faith and jump wholeheartedly into putting the dream into play!

With our work done in the discovery process of what is already done, as well as what still needs to be done, we call upon Aine. We say to Her, to the Universe and to any there who listen, “I now take the Leap. With your help, Aine, I am ready! This is my Will. So Mote It Be!”

One other little part of Aine’s story is of particular interest to me.  My tradition, The Apple Branch has its roots in the Faerie Faith Tradition

Aine is known for teaching human children about love, both by taking human men as lovers and also by teaching humans how to share and express love in sacred ways. She gave birth to many children, some of them with mortal men and with those unions, created a magical Faerie-Human race.

Throughout time, we humans have inquired about our origins.  Where did we come from?  Are we star seeds?  A mix between gods and human animal forms? Did we breed with aliens?

We of the Faerie Faith, know that our origins began with the Fey. We love to think that we are those Faerie-Human Children of Aine, and hence our connection to the Gods of Old.  Perhaps you as well?

Anyway, returning to our original story… Are you ready to reach for the stars?  Are you ready to leave that place of indecision and with gusto, take a giant leap to claim what is yours? Take the power of the Sun from Summer Solstice and with the Full Moon coming up, call on Aine to guide and protect you in your own Giant Leap!  She may come to you as Lair Derg, a red mare that no one can outrun or She may be Beautiful Aine with long red hair, held by a headband of fallen stars. Either way, She walks among us, offering aide where She is needed.

May the Goddess of Light, Love and Fertility, bring us the sun’s power and life force and the moon’s mystery of intuition and regeneration. May She be with you and protect you as you move through these glorious days of Summer.