Volume II, Issue 8, March 2, 2001 --- In WhispersOfAStoneCircle@y..., zeliziw@n... wrote: This week I started carnations and rosemary seeds in little peat pots. Cats and peat pots do not go together well. I woke up to all to the peat pots mixed together in a pile on the floor. At least they were things that I will be able to tell apart as soon they (hopefully) sprout. Yes I am waiting for everything to start turning green. It's been a long cold winter with tons of snow. I have been asked why I don't move to a milder climate, usually by people in a milder climate. It's cause I need to feel the change of seasons in my blood although I will admit at this time of year I really want to see something green and the harder the winter the stronger the need. May the coming season be fruitful no matter where in the world you happen to be. Sheila K. Watkins Web page until the move: http://homepages.go.com/~whispersofastonecircle/index.html Submissions always needed: Zeliziw@n... ~*~*~*~ I wrote this bit of prose a couple of years ago. Probably should say more like channeled it or saw it since I was half entranced when I typed it out. It's been published in a couple of newsletters but they always have a tendency to break it up in paragraphs which I find breaks the mood and the flow. So this is how I feel it should be. The Dance by Sheila K. Watkins I see the Goddess, young and glowing, a young boy by her side. He is frolicking in the snow, laughing with the Goddess as the flakes dance around them. It's a time for rest, not death. The snow is but a blanket. The Goddess starts dancing with her child, whirling faster and faster. The snow dances around them, twirling like a million fairy children. Slowly the snow starts melting away and the boy grows. At their feet, flowers start to appear. The young God is growing stronger and more beautiful. He starts playing a pipe and the dance grows wilder. Spring storms start. Lightning dashes across the sky. Destruction and change, growth and renewal, they all follow in the path of the storms. Still the laughter goes on, grows louder and we are invited to join in. Life is a time of joy and as for change, well, change is good for without change then there is nothing. The dance starts to grow more sensuous, the young God more strutting and proud. The tango, the lambda, they have nothing on the dance that is now being preformed. The dance turns to love making as another storm gathers. The passion of the God can not be held back and the passion of the Goddess is as strong. With the morning light the dance continues. The Goddess, once again pregnant, dances in her lover's arms. His strength and wisdom growing stronger with each passing minute. His breath lightly tickles her face and her laughter causes the flowers and trees to dance on the breeze. The God reaches his prime the earth is green and growing. His power is felt across the land. He is king and the Goddess his queen. Inside her he also resides, the cycle continuing. He struts with pride even as he starts to grow weaker. His strength is flowing into the earth. The harvest starts coming in and the God's beard is growing gray. The laughter isn't quite as strong, things are more serious but there is still a joy in the dance. It is life. It is change. It is good. Slowly the God grows older and the Goddess grows rounder. The passion is tempered but is still there, under the surface. Finally the God rests his weary head against the Goddess and his spirit is set free. There are tears and his body crumbles to dust in the Goddess's arms. The dance turns slower, almost like a lullaby. The earth grows brown and rests. There is a cry to the dance and the Goddess's time grows near. Inside the young God kicks and grows. Finally he bursts forth again and the Goddess rests, nurturing the young God sleeping by her side. She pulls the blanket of snow over them. The dance is paused but only paused. Daily their strength grows. They start to play in the snow, starting the dance again. ~*~*~*~ Cool Link(s) of the week As I was searching for ideas what to write about today it was suggested I do something on herbs. Well I am not an expert gardener, I just putter, but I did like the idea so the cool links of the week have to deal with herbs. The Official Seed Starting Home Page - Herb Seeds http://www.chestnut-sw.com/seeds/herbseed.htm Growing Herbs in the Home Garden http://www.altavista.com/cgi-bin/query? pg=r&n=a&i=OO39Z29&m=7&u=wvu.edu/% 7Eagexten/hortcult/herbs/ne208hrb.htm ~*~*~*~ Study ideas I have gathered up from here and there. By Sheila K. Watkins These ideas can be used for self-studying or for ideas for teaching Get a cheap notebook and pick an area outside. It has to have at least grass preferably something more like flowers, shrubs, or native plants. Go outside every day that you can for a year. Be smart about it. If you are too sick to get out of bed or the wind-chill is deadly cold or there is a hurricane going stay in side. Spend at least 15 minutes examining the area that you have adopted for any changes you see from day to day. Log these observations in your notebook. It's important to do this for at least a year and through al the seasons. Write out exactly what you think about yourself. Be honest what do you think your strengths and your weaknesses are? What are you good at and what you could work on to make yourself a better person. If your self-confidence needs help do the bead exercise from the last issue. Put the note away. 6 months later give or take does the same thing. About a year after you wrote the first one take them both out and compare them to each other and to how you are then. Sometimes it's hard to see changes day to day, which can be apparent over time. Look in a mirror each day and tell yourself "I love you" at least 3 times. Read at least one book that has to do with some an area of interest that can be considered even vaguely Pagan every month or two: Herb books, Myths and legends, magical books, book on various divinations, books on rocks, etc. Plant a garden if you have the space or at least have a few plants inside if you can't. My personal bias with this is herbs. Meditate at least a couple times a week in a quiet undisturbed spot. Spend several times a week if not daily getting to know the God and Goddess. See them in your mind's eye and talk to them tell them whets going on in your life and thank them for your blessings. That's all I can think of for now. ~*~*~*~ All articles, poems, etc are copyrighted by the writers of said items and are used with permission. They are not to be republished without the express permission of the writers except for personal use. Contact information may be obtained by contacting the editor of Whispers of A Stone Circle at Zeliziw@n...