The Eyes Have It...

"The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides."

~ Audrey Hepburn

I have always had a fascination with eyes.  Whenever I have been in a doodling state of mind, I usually doodle eyes.  When I am consciously working on a piece of art, eyes usually enter into the mix.  In my paintings that involve people as the subject matter, one of the first things people comment on are the eyes. I don't create renderings that would be considered 'realistic', but the eyes have a sense of life.  The paintings below are a couple of mine...they are older works, and the photos are not very clear, but they are representations of my style.

(Painting on the left is from my imagination; Right: Trent Reznor)

Without a doubt, the first thing I notice about new people I meet is their eyes. They reflect so much of a persons interior.  A key to my formation of first impressions.  (People often say that you shouldn't judge someone by first impressions, yet we always seem to form them.)

While looking around on the net, I came across some pictures of eyes.  Irises to be exact.  The colored ring of the eye from an up close and personal perspective.  Absolutely fascinating.  Seeing the chaotically radiating meshwork of Stroma (connective tissue fibres) in such detail was beautiful. So delicately designed, the formations look like tediously created works of abstract art.  Some even look like a colorful yet eerie forest of naked and contorted trees.

The delicately beautiful Iris serves as one of the most important features of our eyes.  Located behind the cornea and in front of the lens, it expands and contracts to open and close the pupil, in response to light levels.  It helps to protect the retina.  Around the edge of the iris are the 'Canals of Schlemm'. The canals allow aqueous (watery) fluid to drain back into our bloodstreams. Running along the canals is the Trabecular Meshwork.  It's job is to regulate the internal pressure of the eye.  Looking at the above photo on the left, the thin web of Stroma looks like it would break or unravel with one eye rub.  

What determines an eyes' color?  Another interesting feature of the eye.  Many people have their preference, and some even find someone more attractive because of the color of their eyes.  Resting unevenly on the lower, or 'basement', membrane of the Iris is a pigment layer consisting of two rows of epithelial cells.  Both are dark purple in color.  These layers serve as a barrier to prevent light from penetrating through the Iris into the inner chamber of the eyeball.  It is the pigment layer and the Iris that work in tandem to determine an eyes color.  If you have brown eyes, that means the connective tissues of your eyes' Stroma contain brown pigment.  The brown pigment obscures the purple of the pigment layer giving a uniform brown color.  Have blue eyes?  Your Stroma don't have any pigment.  This causes the purple pigment layer to come through a uniform sky blue color.  For albinos, well, they don't have pigment of any kind in the Stroma or pigment layer.  The resulting transparency makes the blood vessels of the eye visible.  This is why albinos have a slight pink color to their eyes.

"Nature and books belong to the eyes that see them."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"If only we could pull out our brain and use only our eyes."

~ Pablo Picasso

"The Eyes Are The Windows Of The Soul"

Thinking on the subject of eyes put me in mind of this well known, and oft used, saying.  How true it is.  I feel that you can see so much of a person within the life and 'light' level in their eyes.  They are such a reflection of what is happening on the inside.  What are the phrases origins?  Who said/penned it first?  The form we know today is more of a contemporary wording.  There have been (and still are) many variations of it.  Some say the first form appeared in the King James Bible (c. 58 to 68 AD), Matthew 6, 22-23:

22:  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

23:  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. Therefore if the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

I suppose that could be construed as to having the same meaning as the eyes being the windows of the soul.  It has also been attributed to Dante, but I couldn't locate any specifics.  The oldest reference I found was a variant spoken by Roman Statesman Cicero (c. 106-43 BC):

"Ut imago est amini voltus sic indices oculi."  

Translation:  "The face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter."

Lots of variations, but nothing concrete on when this particular saying, worded as it is above, began.

"No one can lie, no one can hide anything, when he looks directly into someone's eyes."

~ Paulo Coelho

"If you haven't cried, your eyes can't be beautiful."

~ Sophia Loren

   "Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder"

Another well known and frequently used saying that is also so true.  Everyone has their own idea of what beauty is to them.  One may see something that another may not.  Who can be credited with the origins of this phrase? Another attributed to many.  The earliest reference I found was that it first appeared in the 3rd century BC in Greek...no actual quote was given.  Unlike the eyes being the windows of the soul, a word for word quote dates back to the Renaissance to English Dramatist John Lyly (1554-1606).  Another credit around that same time is to a wider known dramatist, William Shakespeare, and the quoted variation is from "Loves Labour's Lost" (1594):

" Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye"

Another variation is credited to Benjamin Franklin from "Poor Richard's Almanac" (1741):

"Beauty like supreme dominion, is but supported by opinion"

Scottish philosopher, David Hume (1711-1776), from "Essays, Moral and Political":

"Beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates them."

Some credit Irish Novelist, Margaret Hungerford, in "Molly Brown" (1878) for the first appearance of the modern (current) wording.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find any specifics on the exact quote from the work.  Given time I am sure I could find more, but I will just give credit to them all.  I appreciate the form it's in today whoever was the catalyst for its creation and popularity.

"Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes."

~Jim Carrey

"No ghost was ever seen by two pair of eyes."

~Thomas Carlyle

"The Evil Eye"

From the time I was a child, I have always associated the "Evil Eye" with gypsies.  Probably saw it in an old movie, an old gypsy woman placing a curse on someone out of revenge.  The recipient of the 'Eye' would have bad luck, or be in a horrible accident.  They would spend the majority of the film running around in a panic trying to get rid of it before they die.  The lesson taught by those films is to never cross a gypsy.  *grin*

Belief in the 'Evil Eye' spans many cultures, primarily in the Middle East.  In ages past, it thrived among Mediteranean tribes and cultures.  It is said to have started in Classical Greece, and later moved to Ancient Rome.

Most people associate the 'Evil Eye' with mysticism.  Is it a real threat?  Can someone cast it on a foe for real, or are its effects all in the recipients mind? Is it just a way to mess with someones head, so much so that they create the horrible things that befall them themselves?  The mind IS a powerful thing...maybe it is best that they wear a protective talisman...just in case.  The class of 'Evil Eye' Talismans are known as "apotropaic".  It is a Greek term which means "turns away".  These talismans are designed with an image much like a wide staring eye so that the curse can be willed back to the caster. Of the examples below, the middle charm from the Middle East is called a Hamsa Charm.  Hmm...in addition to showing it the staring eye, maybe it's saying 'talk to the hand'?

 

If you are in fear of the 'Evil Eye', then you might want to place a talisman on your children.  Many believers  think that the most common recipients of the curse are babies and small children, as they are frequently approached and commented on by strangers.  What can an individual unlucky enough to have the 'Eye' cast on them expect?  The most common causes are believed to be bad luck, illness, and even death.  One cultural commonality is said to be the causing of dryness.  Dehydration, and the withering away of the afflicted.  The cure?  Moistness.  (Gee, didn't see that coming.)  

"Fear has many eyes and can see things underground."

~Miguel de Cervantes

"The eyes like sentinel occupy the highest place in the body."

~Marcus Tullius Cicero

"An Eye For An Eye"

The full quote is "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life", and who hasn't heard this one?  If a person does wrong to someone else, the wrongdoer is punished in a like manner.  Dating back to Ancient Babylon, the phrase is said to be part of the "Code of Hammurabi", Hammurabi being the King of Babylon (1792-1750 BC).  The laws listed in the Code were written on huge stone tablets that stood over eight feet tall.  The Code was specific, the punishments falling under the "eye for an eye" philosophy, and being extremely harsh by the standards of today.

The phrase can be found in several passages of the Hebrew Bible, and is also found in the King James Bible, Matthew 5:38:

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth"

"Those things that nature denied to human sight, she revealed to the eyes of the soul."

~ Ovid

"The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart."

~ St. Jerome

Eyes are truly miraculous things.  So small and intricate in the grand scheme of our anatomy, and they give us so much.  We live in this world, and our eyes give us the ability to view it.  To experience a sunset, or study a work of art. The eyes might be the window to the soul inwardly, but outwardly they are our window to everything else...

"Ghost Adventures" Revisited...

Roughly six months ago I wrote a post called "Paranormal TV".  In it I talked about paranormal investigation shows, past and present.  One of the shows I spoke of in less than flattering detail was "Ghost Adventures", the current paranormal investigation show on the Travel Channel.  I have felt the need to update my views on the show as they have altered a bit.

Over the last few months, I have reached the point of stagnation on Paranormal investigation shows.  I am not saying that to indicate that I have grown tired of them.  What I mean is that I have been in need of some fresh viewing of the genre.  "Paranormal State" has been in reruns for ages now.  I keep hoping for new episodes, but more and more I am wondering if there will be anymore produced.  "Ghost Hunters" keeps the new shows coming, but the investigation team is so...boring.  I appreciate their methodology in their investigations, but most of those guys need to grow a personality.  For paranormal investigation show episodes unseen by me, I was left with one option...

"Ghost Adventures".  Yep, the show I said I couldn't sit through.  I did have to take a couple of runs at the show before it stuck, but I have now seen quite a lot of the episodes available on Netflix.  Enough to say that I can give a more 'educated' personal critique of it.  I am not saying that what I am about to write is more positive or negative of what I said before.  I just have more viewing time to base my opinion on.

I guess the first point to make is whether or not I have been entertained by the show.  That answer would be, yes.  Not necessarily for the same reasons as a lot of the fans.  Lead man, Zak Bagans, is...well, he comes off as a caricature of himself.  He's overly intense and dramatic when covering a site.  The main reason I am entertained by him is his wreckless approach to taunting spirits. Egging spirits on and inviting them to enter your body, well...not what you want to do in places where negative activity has been reported.  Just not a good idea in any haunting situation.  Taunting spirits is like a box of chocolates...catch my drift?

While net surfing a bit before starting this post, I found a story on the TMZ site about Bagans.  He decided to make a wise (cough, cough) decision, and take a human skull home that he found while investigating an old mining town hotel. He put it in a custom built case in his basement, and guess what?  He noticed an immediate spike in the paranormal activity in his home.  A "demonic presence" that hadn't been there before.  He said that he was grabbed and yanked several inches by unseen hands when he was sleeping, and a girl visiting his home was pushed down some stairs by unseen hands.  He hired a local Bishop to do an exorcism because he wants to feel safe in his home. Think he might want to start by not bringing home random parts from human remains he finds...

The above clip is from an episode that aired this past Friday on the Travel Channel.  The faithful trio were in Scotland investigating the extremely haunted Edinburgh Vaults.  (They are below ground for those unfamiliar.)  The particular area that Zak is in is purportedly haunted by an evil entity called "Mr. Boots".  The entity (when he was alive) was said to have murdered a prostitute in that room of the vaults.  Zak is flying solo at the point of the investigation in the video.  He is clearly terrified, and rightly so.  I included this because it illustrates the wreckless approach he has to taunting spirits.  He doesn't do it in this particular instance, but he regularly dares evil entities to do him bodily harm or to possess him.  Zak is lucky that Mr. Boots only scratched the wall behind him, a response that sends Zak into the five-year-old girl state.  Can you say 'sensationalism'?  Doing stupid things to thrill the audience?  Zak, if you want to feel safe you might want to rein in this deal of challenging spirits. Or, if you have methods you employ to get cleansed after these intense encounters, you might want to update them. Especially if stuff is following you home like I have heard you say on more than one occasion.  I find what you do fascinating on one level, and absolutely stupid on another. 

(Left: Nick Groff; Right: Aaron Goodwin)

The other two members of the on-air team are Nick Groff, and Aaron Goodwin. Quieter than Bagans, they do not have the 'in your face' approach to spirits that Bagans does.  Nick Groff seems to be the middle man, and Aaron Goodwin is the perpetual drawer of the short straw, having to hang out solo in some of the more hardcore haunting areas.  Aaron is in a constant state of 'AAAAAAGH', and both of his partners find great humor in sticking him in places he would rather avoid.  Put Goodwin in a room where a demon is said to prowl, and let the "dudes" begin.  I said in my 'Paranormal TV' post that you could create a drinking game around the number of times 'dude' is said in an episode, and Aaron is the main source.  In most episodes his eyes bug out as he shares that he felt a breeze or something touched him.  I just hope he doesn't treat Zak and Nick to him having a heart attack during one of their lock downs.  Nick, on the other hand, does get a tad spooked here and there, but he keeps his cool for the most part.  The most intense experience I have seen that involved Nick was when he was supposedly possessed for roughly a minute.  The video of the event is below:  

I'll admit that he seems to be acting a tad 'off', but is he really possessed? Maybe. The way these lock downs are conducted, I wouldn't be surprised. They don't appear to really believe in safeguards when addressing the spirits, so they leave themselves wide open.
Do I think "Ghost Adventures" is legit?  Yeah, I do.  As I have also written in posts on this blog, I have experienced hauntings first hand as two separate places I have lived were haunted.  (My experiences were rather benign...active, but not malevolent.)  The guys reactions and body language.  They seem to be having real reactions to something.  
There are some things I like about the show.  The way they interview a cross section of people, for example.  They also give pretty in depth background on the places they investigate.  "Ghost Adventures" is hosted by Bagans, who comes across like the love child of Henry Rollins and Steve Irwin.  Then you have Goodwin who always reacts like Don Knotts in "The Ghost & Mr. Chicken".  As for Groff, I really don't know how to describe his place in the mix.  As I said before, he is the middle man. 
Am I hooked?  Well...I wouldn't go that far.  I am still waiting hopefully for new episodes of "Paranormal State".      

New Year's Eve 2012...

The New Year has officially begun.  2011 is past, and 2012 is here.  A new year with new beginnings.  The days stretch out before us, and it is up to each of us to make of them what we will.  Throughout the days there will be things that occur in our lives that influence us, but inevitably the choices are ours.  I have things I want to accomplish in the coming months.  All I have to do is want them, and will them into being.  Creative projects all.  The seeds are there in my mind.  I just have to nurture them, so they will germinate.

2012 is going to be a good year.  A positive year.  Yes, I know.  Some believe the Mayans have already laid a path of destruction via their circular calendar, the 'Cuauhxicalli Eagle Bowl'.  I am not among them.  I feel that 2012 is going to be a year of change for the better.

My New Years Eve day started with a trip to Kroger for a few things.  Everyone and their mother were buying groceries, but as usual my parking Karma was in effect and I got a space right up front.  As I walked in I noticed all of the bundles of greens leaving the store.  Looked like the traditional Collard Greens and Black Eyed Peas were the hot sellers as usual here in the South.  Black Eyed Peas consumed on New Years Eve symbolize good luck, and eating Collard Greens symbolizes monetary gain.  Your basic tradition of prosperity in the year to come.  

Over the past week I had kind of settled in my mind on staying in for New Years Eve night.  With all of the drunk drivers weaving back and forth on the roads, it has been my general opinion that staying home is the way to go. Then I changed my mind.  My tendency to be a shut-in on the various holidays usually has won out, but I decided that it would be good to get out.  To ring in the New Year in the company of others.  To "get out among them", as my father says.  

The local watering hole we visit upon occasion to shoot a few racks of pool was to be the place.  "The Islander" is a one room establishment that is close to home, and familiar territory.  There's nothing really special about the interior. Three pool tables, a bar along one wall, small dance floor, and assorted tables and booths.  The required collection of neon beer signs, and liquor themed posters and cardboard cutouts.  It being Saturday, there would be the regular karaoke machine and DJ.  Nothing out of the ordinary was expected.  

(Orion's Belt)

We always head up there in the later hours.  Anywhere from 10:00 to 11:00 PM.  I don't know why, really.  Anyway, after sprucing up a bit, we exited the front door.  On the way to the car I looked up at the night sky.  The stars were very visible.  My eyes immediately went to three stars that could only have been Orion's Belt.  There is really no mistaking them.  Beautiful and bright, I wished that I could have taken a decent picture.  (Mental note for the coming year: get a new camera.)

(Orion Constellation)

A friend of mine several years ago had a nephew named 'Orion'.  If his mother had done a bit of research on how Orion got the name, I think she might have changed her mind.  I assume that there is more than one variation on the story of Orion's naming, but this is a common one:  A man, Hyrieus of Boeotia, was granted a wish for showing great hospitality to three individuals...the three disguised Gods Zeus, Poseidon, and Hermes.  Hyrieus's wish was that he wanted a son.  So the Gods urinated on a bull's hide and buried it in the Earth. Nine month's later a child was produced.  The name 'Orion' is derived from the Greek word 'ourios', which basically means urine.  "Hey everybody, I would like you to meet my nephew, Urine."  See what I mean?  *grin*  But I digress...

Back to the 'belt'.  The three glowing stars (Alnitak, Alnilam, and Minkaka) were beautiful.  Orion's Belt is the main fixture of the constellations most noticeable to me.  It and the Dippers.  Locating Orion's Belt is the best way to locate the constellation of Orion.  The best visibility for viewing the 'Belt' is during the month of January.  It was like the 'Belt' was heralding in the start of the new year.  Letting me know that January of 2012 was here.

We arrived at "The Islander", and it was about a third full.  It filled up pretty quickly, so a number of people opted to show up later like we did.  We got in a game of pool, but spent the rest of our time there at the bar talking to Aaron, the main bartender.  Rudy, the bar's owner was in attendance, so we spoke to him, too.  Both of them are top notch guys.

There were a number of singers taking advantage of the Karaoke machine...all absolutely terrible.  You could tell that they all thought they were great.  The worse the singer, the louder the singer.  The one that got to me the most was a gentleman singing an AudioSlave song.  Now, I am a huge Chris Cornell fan. He's got the best pipes in rock, in my opinion.  There is one thing in this world that devotees of the Karaoke should NOT do, and that thing is to sing Chris Cornell songs.  Those few minutes constituted one of the more painful periods of time I have experienced in awhile.

About 11:30 PM, the party hats and noisemakers were handed out, and close to midnight the champagne was taken around.  The New Year exploded onto the scene in a cacophony of horns and a shower of balloons.  2012 had arrived.  It's about time.  A new year and a fresh beginning.  Just what my creative self needs.

Wishing a Happy New Year full of light and love to all. 

Winter Birds ~ Dormant Bath...

I felt the time was ripe for me to visit a personal project of mine.  The bird bath a few buildings up.  Although it sits a number of feet from the end corner of the screened in porch of the end condo, it looks to be abandoned.  The only time I have seen water in it is due to rain.  Over the last several months, I have been taking pictures of the natural 'trash' that collects in the basin.  The collections of leaves, twigs, berries, etc. that accumulate have proven to be illustrative of whatever season is 'happening' at the time.  The images I have snapped are among my favorites.  My prior visits have found a certain amount of water in it. This visit really reflected Winter's presence.  The shedding of the old and dead to make way for the renewal of Spring.

(Photo: Lisa Erin Brown)

(Photo: Lisa Erin Brown)

(Photo: Lisa Erin Brown)

(Photo: Lisa Erin Brown)

(Photo: Lisa Erin Brown)

(Photo: Lisa Erin Brown)

(Photo: Lisa Erin Brown)

Some Trees Of Winter...

The time was ripe for a walk, and some therapeutic picture taking. Photography has become my chief way to clear the grey cells.  Hanging out with Mother Nature is another way that's right up there.  I took these yesterday (Friday).

After venturing out to an appointment mid-morning, I was pleased to see that the sky was growing dimmer, and the air started to cool.  The yin to go for an afternoon walk hit me, and thankfully it was still light enough out.  These shorter days of Winter throw me off.  I don't mind the longer nights as night is my favorite portion of the day, but I do require a certain amount of natural light for my flash-less photographs.

I could tell that there was a cloud cover rolling in, so I didn't plan to stay out long.  There was a possibility of scattered showers.  These types of forecasts never result in rain of any kind, but I didn't want to take the chance of getting caught 'out in it'.

From the moment I walked out the front door, a wind blew errantly across the small front porch.  The mood was beginning to darken as the grey clouds slowly took over.  There were patches of blue in the sky that were slowly disappearing.  As I headed toward the main entrance to the condos, my eyes were drawn to the stark nakedness of many of the trees.  Clear signs of Winter's presence.

The first shot I took is above.  The dark green masses dotting the chaotic collection of branches are the parasitic Mistletoe.  Mistletoe, although a symbol of fertility and Christmas's smooch inducer, is of the variety of plants that live off of other plants.  The usual host of choice for the poisonous growth is the Oak Tree, but I am pretty sure that the trees in the photo are not Oaks.  Oaks are built of stouter stuff.

I am a big fan of trees.  Period.  The trees of Fall and Winter are my faves. Fall for the colors.  Winter for the eerie delicacy some of the trees that drop their leaves take on.

The above picture is of dry and spent seed pods on a Crape Myrtle tree.  The fissures in them are really interesting looking.  I really like the dark quality of the pods in the picture, but in a few places you can make out some of the openings.  They are subtle, but they are there.

The wind was really blowing and the Spanish Moss hanging from the Sweet Gum tree above were swaying back and forth.  I was trying to get a shot of the moss hanging from the pictured branches, but the moss moved continually.  The tree is covered with the prickly sticky balls (a.k.a. monkey balls) the Sweet Gum produces. Although prickly, they do not really stick/prick the skin.

I continued on my route, cutting across the grassy area at the far end of the last building of our condo division, and swung back towards home by way of the marsh.  I came across the naked trees...well, naked except for the ever present and abundant moss...in these two pictures.  Over on the marsh side of the buildings, these stark trees created an atmosphere that felt like Halloween.  But then I do find the Halloween in everything...

I arrived back at home.  Feeling Zen and re-energized.  

Just as I predicted...no rain...

New Moon In Capricorn, Christmas Eve...

(Artist: David Palladini)

Today, December 24, 2011, marks the last New Moon of the year, with a New Moon in Capricorn.  The sign of Capricorn is a feminine earth sign, and this Moon is focused from a natural perspective, and a "ground"ed place.  We just saw the passing of the Winter Solstice here in the northern hemisphere a couple of days ago.  During this time of mid-winter, the landscape is one of serenity as nature takes a rest.  Things may appear in a complete state of dormancy, but there is a lot going on under the snow.  Under the dead and withered detritus released from flora.  Under it all, the soil...rich and fertile...is preparing for the arrival of Spring.

(Pan)

A God closely associated to Capricorn, is the God Pan.  Pan is the ruler of forests and mountains.  These natural realms can cause us to become calm and cause our minds to lose focus.  It is important to balance the sense of relaxation and calm with a focused mind so the way isn't lost. 

New Moons mark the time for new beginnings.  A time to look at things with a fresh perspective.  The current Moon and cycle is rife with positive energy.  This cycle is about aligning us with our sense of the goodness life has to offer.

This New Moon in Capricorn is close with Pluto in Capricorn.  It symbolizes deeper expression and feeling.  Tap into and pull from the love and happiness you have from within, and wash away any negativity that  may be trying to harsh your mellow.

A Trine from Jupiter in Taurus has been in effect, and still is.  There is a tremendous boost of goodness and positive energy.  Taurus is all about laying an organized foundation, forming solid plans before moving forward on something.  Capricorn is all about this, as well.  There is going to be an extra boost from this Trine on Christmas Day as stations will go direct.  During this period, it is not advisable to jump into a new situation too quickly as you could end up having to jump out just as quickly.  Take a moment to assess things to make sure expending the energy is worth it.

We can attract the important things to us.  The things we need.  Not the things we want.  Regardless of any anxiety we may be experiencing over 'what will happen next', our needs will be met.  We should take some time to strengthen our individual base structures, both external and internal.  With effort, anything is possible.  By boosting our positive healing energy, we can overcome doubts and bring hope into the equation.  Out there in the outside world, more often than not we measure individual success by level of prestige and money.  With the New Moon in Capricorn being connected to Uranus in Aries, now is the time to be inventive.  Think outside of the box rather than bending to the status quo.

There are two Semi-Sextiles.  1) The Sun/Moon in Capricorn will be in Semi-Sextile to Venus in Aquarius.  2) Mercury in Sagittarius will be in Semi-Sextile to Pluto in Capricorn.  This all favors strongly in the relationship department. Aquarius expresses its preference to approach a relationship in an open and even experimental way, whereas Capricorn prefers things to move slowly. Trying to find a happy medium between the two is advisable.

There is quite a bit going on here.  Pluto getting a brushing touch from Mercury can indicate the presence of obsession.  Sagittarius is partial to being right, and Capricorn can overstep pushing things too far.  During the holiday season, put the brakes on if feeling the need to be right.  Work on your listening skills.  It will most likely save you from a difficult and uncomfortable situation.

New Moons are full of possibility.  Relax and breathe it in.  Move forward in a slower calm manner, and enjoy time with friends and family.  This is not a time for big changes.

Trine:     An aspect of easy energy.  It creates an ease in life, enhances natural talents or abilities, and is an  enjoyable area of life.  Trines are generally positive.

Semi-Sextile:     A 30 degree Aspect.  A helpful Aspect, but not enough to considered an enhancement.

Aspect:     Planets within specific degrees of each other that create beneficial or negative attitudes, habits and energy.

Station:     The point in the orbit of a planet when it becomes either retrograde or direct; so termed because it remains stationary there for a few days before it changes it's course.

The Winter Solstice Is Nigh...

(This is an Advent Spiral. If you would like to know more about it, this link has some background.  The Spiral has a wide reaching foundation of many different spiritual beliefs.)

It is quite grey outside. The weather radar on television shows a large patch of green heading our way.  The forecasts said that we would be getting some intermittent showers during the day.  I am hoping for more.  It is the time of the Winter Solstice, and if I can't get snow for the occasion, rain would do just fine.

This Solstice marks the exact moment when the North Pole is the farthest from the Sun.  The exact moment that signifies the shift from lengthening days to shortening days.  It is the shortest day and longest night of the year.  I love the night.  Too bad that all days can't contain more dark than light.  (The Sun and I have never had a very good relationship.)  The North Pole has been in complete darkness for months now.  The inhabitants of the Pole won't see their next dawn until March.  I would love to experience months of darkness.  I have always been my most creative at night, so a night many months long would probably have my creative juices flowing in a torrent.

(Winter Solstice at Stonehenge)

The actual moment of the shift will be at 12:30 AM/EST.  People the world over have various celebrations to honor the Solstice.  Saturnalia, Midwinter, Yule...just some of the celebrations held.  The ancient Celts had massive bonfires. The ancient Japanese honored Amaterasu, the Japanese Sun Goddess.  The Vikings had Yule.  Most, if not all, of those celebrations are still held today.  One of the better known celebrations honoring the Solstice is the gathering at Stonehenge.  (That has a high place on my list of things I have always wanted to do.)

(Left: Celtic Bonfire;  Right: Japanese Sun Goddess, Amaterasu)

One of my favorite stories of the Winter Solstice is the Celtic/pagan story of the Oak King and the Holly King.  The two kings represent the two halves of the Celtic year.  They meet to do battle twice a year on the Solstices. On the Summer Solstice, the Oak King defeats the Holly King, taking reign of the seasons until the Winter Solstice when the Holly King wins.  The cycle continues each year.  (This is my Reader's Digest condensed version.)

(Artist: Anne Stokes)

The Holly King is the dark half.  His image is said to be what Santa's appearance is based on.  (Think a woodsier version of Mr. Claus.)  Holly represents Wisdom and completion.  The learning of life lessons, and the time for rest and withdrawal.

(I'm not sure who made the Oak mask on the left,
but the artist who created the Holly mask on the right is Lauren Raine.)

The Oak King is the light half.  His image is also presented as the Green Man.  Oak represents rebirth, Life, and growth.

It amazes me that the year 2011 is almost over.  Where did the time go?  It doesn't seem possible.  2012 is just around the corner, and I feel it is going to be a good year.  There is a lot being said about a day that falls exactly one year from today...huh...just noticed that.  Exactly one year.  I think we are going to experience some shifts.  Some changes.  All for the better.  No doom and gloom in my future...

Happy Winter Solstice, Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, _________________ (enter your holiday in space provided) to all.