Dannah Davidson doesn't believe in the tarot.  But her best friend Nirvana reads the cards and tells her what she sees.  Dannah overcomes the  terror of domestic abuse with the help of her friends in "Catching My Breath", available at Amazon.com

C.J.'s novel is published!!!

I am delighted to share the news of the day, the week, the month, okay, the year:
My novel is published and available at amazon.com

Dannah Davidson doesn't believe in the tarot cards or the angels she paints.  But her friends do.  Without them, she wouldn't be able to climb out of the abyss of domestic abuse.  To learn more,  order a copy today.  ;-)

Three women, three stories, one town...all in one book.  Joanne McLain and William Thomas write of two other women who learn to find happiness when it seemed beyond reach.  Three novels under the title:  "Catching My Breath."

 

The spring equinox is one of the four great solar festivals of the year. Day and night are equal, poised and balanced, but about to tip over on the side of light. The spring equinox is sacred to dawn, youth, the morning star and the east. The Saxon goddess, Eostre (from whose name we get the direction East and the holiday Easter) is a dawn goddess, like Aurora and Eos. Just as the dawn is the time of new light, so the vernal equinox is the time of new life. The New Year In many traditions, this is the start of the new year. The Roman year began on the ides of March (15th). The astrological year begins on the equinox when the moon moves into the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries, the Ram. The Greek God Ares is equivalent to the Roman Mars for whom the month of March is named. Between the 12th century and 1752, March 25th was the day the year changed in England and Ireland. March 25, 1212 was the day after March 24, 1211. I like to celebrate the festival of Nawruz, Persian New Year, which falls on the spring equinox. We fix a special dinner of seven food dishes that begin with ‘S.’ Since we don't know the Arabic names for food, we use English words and eat salad, salami, soup, squash, etc. The table is decorated with a mirror, a bowl of water with one freshly-picked green leaf floating in it, a candleabra containing a candle for every child in the house, a copy of the Koran (or other sacred text), rose water, sweets, fruit, a fish, yogurt and colored eggs. The Coming of the Spring Although we saw the first promise of spring at Candlemas in the swelling buds, there were still nights of frost and darkness ahead. Now spring is manifest. Demeter is reunited with her daughter, Kore (the essence of spring), who has been in the Underworld for six months and the earth once again teems with life. The month of March contains holidays dedicated to all the great mother goddesses: Astarte, Isis, Aprhrodite, Cybele and the Virgin Mary. The goddess shows herself in the blossoms, the leaves on the trees, the sprouting of the crops, the mating of birds, the birth of young animals. In the agricultural cycle, it is time for planting. We are assured that life will continue.

Robins Dance in the Spring!

Photo:  C.J. Prince

 

Article:  The Farmer's Almanac

http://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-seasons

www.almanac.com

First Day of Seasons: 2012 and 2013

When Does Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter Begin?

• The Reason for the Seasons

See chart below to see when seasons begin for 2012 and 2013—namely, the spring or vernal equinox, summer solstice, fall or autumnal equinox, and winter solstice.
The four seasons are determined by changing sunlight (not heat!)—which is determined by how our planet orbits the Sun and the tilt of its axis.

• On the first day of spring—the vernal equinox—day and night are each approximately 12 hours long (with the actual time of equal day and night, in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring a few days before the vernal equinox). The Sun crosses the celestial equator going northward; it rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west. See our First Day of Spring page!

• The first day of summer—the summer solstice—is the longest day of the year, the Sun reaches its most northern point in the sky at local noon. After this date, the days start getting shorter. See our First Day of Summer page!
   
• On the first day of fall—the autumnal equinox—day and night are each about 12 hours long (with the actual time of equal day and night, in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring a few days after the autumnal equinox). The Sun crosses the celestial equator going southward; it rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west. See our First Day of Fall page!
   
• The start of winter—the winter solstice—is the shortest day of the year, when the Sun reaches its most southern point in the sky at local noon. After this date, the days start getting longer. See our First Day of Winter page!

Seasons of 2012:
SPRING EQUINOX	March 20, 1:14 A.M. EDT
SUMMER SOLSTICE	June 20, 7:09 P.M. EDT
FALL EQUINOX	September 22, 10:49 A.M. EDT
WINTER SOLSTICE	December 21, 6:12 A.M. EST

Seasons of 2013:
SPRING EQUINOX	March 20, 7:02 A.M. EDT
SUMMER SOLSTICE	June 21, 1:04 A.M. EDT
FALL EQUINOX	September 22, 4:44 P.M. EDT
WINTER SOLSTICE	December 21, 12:11 P.M. EST

Credit: NASA

Do you have a favorite deck?

Which ever deck I hold in my hands seems always to be my favorite!  Today a card from the Morgan-Greer Tarot fell to the floor...from somewhere!  The magic of working with these cards.  The deck was tucked in a lovely velvet bag on the other side of the room.  That's how the cards work, how a deck calls me.

The Morgan-Greer Tarot is an excellent deck for beginners, and a welcome breath of fresh air for those long blessed with tarot decks.

 In the  Rider-Waite tradition, the art work cleverly does a close up of the action. The cards are uniquely borderless, like you're in the scene, not observing from a distance.

I sorted my cards, the Majors and the suits into Rods, Cups, Swords, Pentacles, just checking to tally 78.  Except for that wayward card, the remainder was in order. 

The Court Cards: Page, Knight, Queen, King

Major Arcana: Fool, Magician, High Priestess, Empress, Emperor, Hierophant, Lovers, Chariot, Strength, Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, The World.

The Fool is 0.   Strength is 8  and Justice is 11.  I always check.  This is my preference though they are often reversed.  The natural progression of the Fool's journey seems to want Strength in the 8th position.

Whatever deck dances into your hands this day, enjoy its gift, the color, design, history and message for the moment.

The High Priestess reveals Herself in many Guises

The High Priestess settled under the cedar trees, listened at the dining table as her sisters spoke of her truths.  Rotarota:  Tea and Tarot met to dance with wisdom.  Here are some of the images received during writing meditation:

grace beauty mystery a woman blessed happiness purity balance

in control even in darkness

not afraid to make decisions 

she shines like the stars  wise 

she gives good advise   she weaves the web of all  that is

cerridwen

ever changing mood of all seasons

stream of time    growth and change

half concealed   oracle of delphi

in stillness comes the answer   this too shall pass

it is not always necessary to pass on all of your knowledge

guidance of the moon

The High Priestess asks

 Image by Mari-na

Demure as the Mona Lisa's smile, she waits at the beginning of the deck, following the flippant Fool and the eager manifestor the Magician.  This day she wishes your attention.  She is not just another card.  She offers solace in the long journey to the World. 

Here are her questions for you:
   Do you see me as a maiden or crone?  Why?
   Do you see me in your dreams?  Ask as you enter dreamtime for I will help you.
   What are you ignoring?
   When do you feel trapped? 
   What secret do you need to reveal?
   Why do you study tarot?
   What wise women support you?  How am I present in their faces?