~♥IMAGINE A WOMEN♥~ POEM OF EACH AND EVERY WOMAN

Imagine a woman who believes it is right and good she is a woman.
A woman who honors her experience and tells her stories.
Who refuses to carry the sins of others within her body and life.

Imagine a woman who trusts and respects herself.
A woman who listens to her needs and desires.
Who meets them with tenderness and grace.

Imagine a woman who acknowledges the past's influence on the present.
A woman who has walked through her past.
Who has healed into the present.

Imagine a woman who authors her own life.
A woman who exerts, initiates, and moves on her own behalf.
Who refuses to surrender except to her truest self and wisest voice.

Imagine a woman who names her own gods.
A woman who imagines the divine in her image and likeness.
Who designs a personal spirituality to inform her daily life.

Imagine a woman in love with her own body.
A woman who believes her body is enough, just as it is.
Who celebrates its rhythms and cycles as an exquisite resource.

Imagine a woman who honors the body of the Goddess in her changing body. A woman who celebrates the accumulation of her years and wisdom. Who refuses to use her energy disguising the changes in her body and life.

Imagine a woman who values the women in her life.
A woman who sits in circles of women.
Who is reminded of the truth about herself when she forgets.
Imagine yourself as this woman.

"Imagine a Woman" © Patricia Lynn Reilly, 1995

WICCAN SABBATH

Lughnasadh

August 1, Lughnasadh, is the time of the first harvest, when the plants of spring wither and drop their fruits or seeds for our use as well as to ensure future crops. Mystically, so too does the God lose His strength as the Sun rises farther in the South each day and the nights grow longer. The Goddess watches in sorrow and joy as She realizes that the God is dying, and yet lives on inside Her as Her child. Lughnasadh, also known as August Eve, Feast of Bread, Harvest Home and Lamma, wasn?t necessarily observed on this day. It originally coincided with the first reaping. As summer passes, Wiccans remember its warmth and bounty in the food we eat. Every meal is an act of attunement with nature, and we are reminded that nothing in the universe is constant.

Herbs
All grains, Grapes, Heather, Blackberries, Sunflowers
Incence
Sandalwood, Rose, Aloes
Colors
Yellow, Orange, Green, Brown
Decorations
Corn Dollies, Any Wheat Weaving Crafts, Shafts of Grain
Foods
Breads, Cider, Blackberry Pies and Jellies, Rice, Meadowsweet Tea, Berries

THINKING ABOUT DIETING?

Ran across blog of a woman, Anita Revel, who has written a Body, Mind and Spirit infused diet book.
You can visit her blog @ http://goddessgoodies.blogspot.com
 [I truly recommend visiting her blog, her bright and strong attitude is inspiring!]

And see her book "The Goddess Diet" @ http://goddessgoodies.blogspot.com/2009/04/goddess-diet-see-goddess-in-mirror-in.html

And don't forget to check out The Goddess Workout! ;)
http://goddessgoodies.blogspot.com/2007/04/goddess-workout.html

FINNISH GODDESSES AND GODS

Short list in english of Finnish Gods and Goddesses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Finnish_deities

Long list in Finnish:

http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luokka:Suomalaiset_jumalat_ja_taruolennot

Gallen Kallela, Akseli "The Aino Triptych"

In Finnish mythology, Vellamo is the goddess of the sea, the wife of Ahti. The name is derived from velloa, "to rock oneself." She is sometimes described as "cold hearted". Along with Ahti, she dwells in the undersea palace of Ahtola. She is often pictured as a mermaid.

Kalma is Finnish goddess of death and decay. She lives in Tuonela, the Finnish Underworld, and is accompanied by Surma. Her name means "The Stench of Corpses".

In Finnish mythology, Rauni (Akka) is a fertility goddess and the wife of Ukko.

In Finnish mythology, Ahti or Ahto is one of the heroic figures Elias Lönnrot compiled in the character of Lemminkäinen.
Ahti is described as a fierce warrior who vows to live in peace after gaining Kyllikki as his wife, but breaks the oath and falls in a combat.

Tapio is an East Finnish forest spirit or god (bear). Hunters prayed to him before a hunt. His wife is the goddess of forest, Mielikki. He was the father of Annikki, Tellervo, Nyyrikki (the god of hunting), and Tuulikki. He figures prominently in the Kalevala.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_paganism
FINNISH PAGANISM