Daughter of Waters sums up 2011...

I am at a sheer loss for words, but I am gonna muster up the courage to talk about what this year, 2011, has taught me.  In doing this it is my hope that we all can reflect on the last twelve months and see shared experiences, new outlooks, accept the gifts we were given and walk into this next calendar year, knowing we all are truly better for having lived this year.

The Top Things I Learned in 2011

1. I learned to say thank you and be grateful especially when things were difficult
2. Through the deaths of the young and old this year I gained a greater appreciation for my life and breath each day
3. Sometimes silence is better than a rebuttal, it taught me so much more than talking ever did this year
4. I must allow folks room for redemption because I never know who my next helper will be on this life path
5. When things got hectic I laughed for the sake of laughter; Good Medicine
6. Having intuition is not helpful if I don't put it to use
7. Stepping into the sunlight (metaphorically speaking) will glean greater gifts for me
8. My relationship with beauty evolved and was quite synergistic at times
9. Many times I didn't have the answers and it was okay, sitting with things works as well
10. Love was, is, and has to be at the center of everything I do, there is no other way for me to progress

Looking forward to more living, learning, loving, laughter, and liberation!!

Dance our beautiful dances

Yet another Lunar Cycle is here

Ahhhhh! Just when we possibly thought we could not take another moment of the last lunar cycle (that was in Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter), we get a reprieve, the next lunar cycle.  This cycle presses its energy out as the moon floats on into Capricorn, the sign that is ruled by Saturn.

Seeing ourselves through Saturn

The lessons from Saturn are often so important to us, but they are also some of the most difficult to process.  We can think of Saturn and the lessons it has for us as that high school teacher everyone dreaded having, but you knew you had to in order to graduate.  And true to form once you entered into the class and dropped your preconceived notions you realized the teacher was engaging, informative, and quite comical.

Ring in a dance of joy

So, now Saturn is here beckoning us to dance.  Dance our personal dances, dance our evolutionary dances, dance our beautiful dances.  Now this dance will not be the usual two-step or even a partner dance.  This dance is our personal dances, those movements, turns, dips, and swirls they are imperative if we are to learn those lessons we can be gifted with when Saturn takes center stage.

I shall dance regardless

My personal dance this lunar cycle is to seek and find the joy in all that I do.  Whether I am riding high on love and good feeling or seeping low in an obstacle or challenge, JOY is mine if I choose to seek it.  And seeking it is just what I'm gonna do this cycle.  So, you all are here to keep me on this joyous choreographed path.

Below are concepts and facets in the Capricorn Lunar Cycle that should help ground you in the dance you will choose.  Go forth and DANCE!!!

Work in Saturn

Lessons from Experience and Self Knowing

Time and Resolution

Ancestral Legacies (Physical & Spiritual)

Binding and Constricting

Capricorn Lunar Cycle Totem-Grouse

Concept-Sacred Spiral

Meditate on my movements

Dance as creation of selfless beauty

Herbs/Flowers for Capricorn Lunar Cycle

Eucalyptus - Healing

Lemongrass - Honesty

Patchouli - Grounding

Capricorn Cycle Affirmation

Do my magic dance in the physical & spiritual realms,

For this sacred spiral is giving me an opportunity to transcend my everyday,

I will openly experience my path as it is as I turn and turn knowing each corner reveals my true self to me,

I will dance my sacredness into my view

As we wane the Solstice saunters into our souls

Happy Winter Solstice! The 12:30am EST (12-22-11) dawn of Winter Solstice 2011 brings with it so much joy, beauty and possibility.  Firstly for those who may not know Winter Solstice is essentially the longest night and shortest day of the year.  On a more soulful level it represents the coming of the Winter Season and all the gifts that it will bring to us.  It also stands as another line of demarcation for us in our lunar year as we are leaving the Autumn and ushering in a new time of hibernation, snow (in some parts of the Northern Hemisphere), and stillness unlike any other time during the year.

We once again get a chance to change, redo, atone, change paths, and veer towards where we are truly supposed to be.  This year's Solstice peeks out while nestled between multi-layered Scorpio and the gifting Sagittarius, choose wisely your works this solstice these desires will be with you for this entire season, whether you may want them to or not.

Be sure in your own way to mark this event.  Whether it is alone or with someone or some group, do not let another natural spiritual occurrence pass you by without stopping to acknowledge, being grateful and drawing the gifts it has for you.  Below I provide a few elements to have around, but be moved to bring this solstice in the way you need to for only you truly know how to make that happen.  Notice these elements are awfully familiar, might be just an inkling of what we do for the Christian Christmas holiday celebration, LOL!

Below are some of the domains to focus on during this Winter Solstice, feel free to expand, contract or contort any of these to fit what you desire or need.

Work for the Winter Solstice

Connect to Ancestors

Deepen spiritual Renewal & Love

Strengthen Family Bonds & Rituals

Accept Joy & Fun

Attune to Nature's Cycles

Winter Solstice Elements

Wreaths (live)

Candles

Wood Logs

Bells

Evergreen Trees 

 

Winter Solstice Affirmation

I accept the joy that is for me and am grateful for it,

I am dropping judgment embracing the open heart that has been here all the time,

My sorrows are just a reflection of my love experiences turned upside down,

Great Winter fill my heart and soul with beautiful experiences all day and all night

The seed that becomes the Rose

As the winter draws near, as the light of day recedes and as the "hibernative" powers of this time of year begin to overtake us, I offer us this.  In all of this there can stand a Winter Rose, that beautifully brave and blossoming flora that opens up when all the other petals are closed or fallen.  Are you that winter rose? Am I? Well with the Mother like energy of a Full Moon at our doorsteps we all can become that Winter Rose.  The Full Moon gives us the opportunity to extend to ourselves, the nurturing, love, compassion, and tenderness we freely share with others, now it's our turn.  We should be taking advantage of this enormous amount of night light that the universe is giving to us over the next 2-3 days.

 A Mother Moon gives way to more of ourselves

This particular Full Moon (in Gemini & Mercury ruled-don't worry it's all good keep reading) is doubly powerful because it dawns just as a Lunar Eclipse has occurred.  The eclipse offers us more ability to manifest our wants and desires than other times of year.  This specific eclipse being Lunar means we must pay more attention to our inner, deeper self.  Now is not the time for conjuring up things outside ourselves, but totally the time to work on issues, wishes or purposes inside ourselves.  So take this olive branch the universe has offered us before the end of this calendar and do the work, plain and simple.

Being just who I am, un-apologetically

My personal meditation throughout this Full Moon and as the eclipse is available is to clearly be who I am and walk my path with my head held high even if others around me might not recognize my path or quite understand it.  It's one thing to boldly be one's self when all approve and cosign, but it's another matter altogether to be that same proud being when you are charting a new course for yourself and those around you.  In all of this I am asking for strength, courage, love, patience, and fun, LOL!

Time to get to down to work

Below are areas or domains that are good to work on during the Full Moon.  Select from this list or a derivative of it.  Also strike out on your own, its lunar time so go inside figure out what you want to work on and DO IT! There's nothing else to it.  Most times the difficulty we feel in life is what we have made situations, even before they start.

Work in Full Moon

Love, Attraction & Passion

Abundance & Prosperity

Blessing My Space

Courage of Heart

Herbs/Essences for Gemini Full Moon

Bergamot - (Success)

Cypress - (Protection)

Rosewood - (Connection to Higher Energy)

Candle Power

During this Full Moon time it can be awesomely powerful to burn candles to cement that which you are working towards. Below is information on candle color that can be associated with the properties of Mercury, the ruler of Gemini. Find safe candles, burn them as long and as much as you like. Fire is a creation tool use it to ignite yourself towards your goals this Full Moon.

Yellow

Manifests Change

Curiosity

A New & Fresh World

Blog Birthday coming up!!!

Daughter of Waters blog is turning four years old this month! Please be a part of it.! In a post later this week I will ask for birthday greetings talking about what this blog has meant to you, please take part in our online "Blog Birthday Celebration".  Looking forward to hearing your greetings.  Thanks for all of your support, without you this blog would have a different impact.  I totally appreciate it and look forward to more in the future.

Andrea----