Happy Earth Day !!

I'm a bit of an Naturalist. Earth Day should be everyday. We should always honour and protect our precious planet Earth. As a child, I felt very connected to the Earth, Sky and Sea. I liked to draw trees, planets, insects and animals. I was always a gardener. As a child I was fortunate to be able to discover nature closely. I could look at butterflies and ladybugs, be fascinated by a praying mantis or a spider. I loved birds. I loved waking up just as the sun was coming up and listening to the birdsong. Animals, plants, birds and fish were always a big love throughout my life. The mere thought of cruelty to any living being, including the upright animal effects me to the core. I don't even kill bugs. If a bee or a spider comes into my house, I take a dixie cup, capture it and put it outside.

I have always followed a nature based spirituality. I honour and treasure the Great Goddess, Gaia, the Mother of us all. Her four children, Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall have each held their special allure for me. I'm very fortunate that I live in a region where each season presents it's own individual, dramatic canvas; The early buds and fresh smell of earth in Spring; The song of peep frogs on a hot Summer night; The crisp palette of red, gold and yellow of Fall; The short, dark days of Winter, balanced by the magic of freshly fallen snow. Spring, the time of renewal, Summer, the time of growth and reaching out, Fall, a time, for many, for new beginnings ( think of going back to a new semester of school, for example), and Winter, the time for rest and introspection.

Writers, artists and musicians have captured thier feelings of nature, the Earth, and the Seasons in thier art. Henry David Thoreau, Born in Concord, Massachusetts in July 1817, wrote his most popular book, the very beautiful Walden Pond, with nature and simple living as it's focus. Through his observation of nature, he discovered spirituality, his critique of modern life and "to front only the essential facts of life."



Antonio Vivaldi composed four violin concertos in 1723, Le quattro stagioni, The Four Seasons. Each piece was accompanied by four sonnets intended to be read with each concerto. The music from La Primavera ( Spring), for example, resembles birds singing, and L'inverno (Winter) gives the impression of slipping and sliding on ice. I love to listen to the music and see the images Vivaldi wrote for it.

The Mother of Environmentalism, Rachel Carson, a Marine Biologist who write the landmark book, Silent Spring ( 1966), which is acclaimed to be the catharsis for the environmental movement. Since the mid 1940's, she saw the effects of the then new pesticide, DDT, on the environment and did research to present to the government on it's harmful effect on wildlife.

The Bald Eagle was declared endangered in 1967. DDT was causing thier eggs to be so thin that just they broke or just became unable to hatch. Because of Silent Spring, DDT was outlawed in the US in 1972. Lead and Mercury still pose a danger to these magnificent birds, but in 1992, the were declassified from endangered to threatened. I am so fortunate to live in a region where they are starting to thrive due to the efforts of rehabilitation efforts from the Massachusetts Audubon Society. I live near the Merrimac River and have the privilege to see these giant beauties often flying over head. So popular are they that there is a yearly Merrimac River Eagle Festival in my town.

EAGLE CAM

I am scared of the possible effects of pollution and global warming on our sacred Earth. I believe that nature and humans must find a balance for all of or survival. We must consider the effects of strip mining and deforestation on species of all kinds. It's horrible to lose anything special, big or small. Simple humane treatment of animals and other beings is for the betterment of humanity. Gandhi said that we can tell a lot about society by the way it treats it's animals. In my little world, I hope that my love, life and sensibilities can benefit humanity on some level. I can't change the whole world, but I can change the world in some small way with my example and deeds. I believe people are going to become more sensitive to our environment. Ms. Carson got DDT outlawed, we are recycling, Green Design is a big trend now, conserving energy is becoming normal. We have a ways to go, but by Gaia, we need to hold her close. Without her, we all die.

EARTH DAY & ENVIRONMENTAL LINKS;

INTERNATIONAL EARTH DAY

The Nature Conservancy

Massachusetts Audubon Society

Celebrate Earth Day!

Interesting Earth Facts and Misconceptions

About Global Warming

Good Works On Earth

Pink Moon. April 2, 2007

PINK MOON

April 2 1:15 pm EST

Native Americans gave names to each Full Moon. They kept tract of time, the months and the seasons by observing the moon and giving them names. The Pink Moon is named by the Algonguin groups of northern and eastern section of the US after the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Names by other tribes for this month's celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn. The Dakota Suix called this moon the moon when geese return in scattered formation.

More Moon Names

The Native American Moon Calender dictated planting seasons, when to sow and when to harvest. They knew what prey was available to hunt or fish to catch by understanding the cycle of the moon. Because it takes the moon approximately orbit the moon in 28 days, thee are many other traditions and celebration from cultures worldwide. The Chinese, Hindu, Thai, and Islamic moon calenders are all very intriguing and beautiful. Of course, we in the west are most familiar with the Gregorian Calender.

Wild Ground Flox

The moment a moon is actually full is when the sun, earth and the moon are in perfect alighnment, and you see the moon reflecting the light of the sun, forming a beautiful circle of light. A full moon is always wonderful to see! This painting by artist Lori Barker is a beautiful rendition of the atmospheric colour I percieve on a full moonlit evening.

"Moonbeams Toward Heaven"

The angel is reaching toward the light of the moon,

reaching for the energy and for clear answers.

The gorgeous bronze statue below is a prominent fixture in front of the Museum Of Fine Art in Boston. Called Appeal to the Great Spirit, it was designed in 1909 by Cyrus E Dallin.

The Great Spirit is in all things,
he is in the air we breathe.
The Great Spirit is our Father,
but the Earth is our Mother.
She nourishes us,
that which we put into the ground she returns to us....

-Big Thunder(Bedagi)(Wabanaki Algonquin)

Interesting sights about the moon;

MOON FEVER

WIKIPEDIA

GOOGLE LUNAR LANDING SITES

We Like The Moon!

Unfortunately, because of rain and dark clouds, I had no view of the Pink Moon this evening. The moon is currently 100% full, and will start waning this week, and we won't see it as a full moon until May 2, The Full Flower Moon.

Paddy's Day Blizzard

HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY !!

(UPDATE March 18, '07 - Pictures of crystallized trees in sunlight added!! See bottom. )

We in New England have had a March Madness Nor'easter last night. It rained and this morning I looked out my bedroom window to see these gorgeous crystallized trees.

I love the ethereal feel of this tree covered with icicles.

The huge willow tree in my yard has been losing big branches due to the weight of the ice. The sound when they break and fall to the ground is very loud. I was surprised. I am watching a big bough that is right over to garden sheds in the yard of that yellow house next door, hoping it does not break and crush the sheds.

( see pics below)

This tree really looks stunning. If the sun were out and shining, the icicles would shine like diamonds! The photo does not do any justice to how dramatic the view is.

On March 21st is the Vernal Equinox! I can't wait to see crocus, daffodils and tulips come up. Spring trees and bushes flowering in the yellow, pinks and peaches of apple and cherry trees, and quince and forsythia bushes. Soon the boats will be in the water, warm spring days will turn to simmering summer nights with the sound of crickets and peep frogs. After the 21st, the days start becoming longer than the nights. The beach beckons, the sound of a sail snapping, a hoot owl in the night and moths bumping against the screen door. What a sweet dream after a very cold, but beautiful winter.

Looking right on my street. The

snow is wet and dense and melting rather rapidly so it's rather wet everywhere. I shoveled a lot so got a pretty good workout. A friend came by to help me out, but I managed to do a pretty good job. He finished removing the snow in front of my garage where the plow pushes it against due to my narrow driveway. The weather is mild, not bitter cold, so it was rather nice to be outside shovelling.

Looking left down my street. The street I live on hugs the beautiful Merrimac River. The other day I was going over Chain Bridge and slowed down to see if I could spot any Bald Eagles who are now a very special feature around here. Sure enough, on a tall, naked branch was an adult male! He was stunning! People are always on the bridge and on the banks of the river eagle watching. I saw two young males sitting near each other a few days ago. The Bald Eagle has been rehabilitated by the Audubon Society in recent years and now they are off the endangered list.

The view behind my house. I really enjoy this view so typical of a New England village. This is my view from my home office and my bathroom. In the summer, all the trees are full and you cannot see these houses at all. My yard is a beautiful, private, shady spot in the summer. The willow tree is beautiful so I hope it doesn't lose too many of it's branches.

The willow tree embellished in ice, creating stress on it because of the weight of the ice.


This branch is huge! The noise it made when it broke and fell to the ground was amazingly loud. Later that day, another branch broke and went over the fence into the yellow house's yard, but did no damage to the fence or the sheds. Also, when I just went out to check it, the air had dried up and all I could hear was all this crackling noises all around me. It was all the ice on the trees cracking as a wind gently rocked the branches. It was kind of eerie. If the wind kicks up during the night, the willow tree may be in danger. The good news is that the sky is clear and light on the western horizon, so hopefully the sun will be out tomorrow and melt the ice. If the trees still have ice on them with the sun out, I will try to get a picture as crystallized trees are amazingly surreal, but magical !!


Anyway, Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

NEW PICS!!

These were taken the following day, March 18, with the morning sun shining on them. Good thing I went out early as it id melting swiftly and the sky is now greying up. Below is looking North East, with my house in the foreground. The second pic is zoomed on some branches. I then took a walk around the neighboorhod to the river and the grasses and bullrushes were stunning, all incapsulated in shells of icecicles! The sun was glistening off the ice, making a magical landcape of glittering diamonds. I an grateful to be able to witness the beauty of nature. PS, The willow tree did well during the night. No more branches came down! :)

Boston- Augustana

She said I think I'll go to Boston.
I think I'll start a new life.
I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name.
I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather,
I think I'll get a lover and fly him out to Spain.
I think I'll go to Boston.
I think that I'm just tired.
I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind.
I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of Sunset,
I hear it's nice in the summer, some snow would be nice, oh yeah.

You don't know me,

And you don't even care, oh yeah,

Boston, where no one knows my name...

( lyrics by Augustana)

The Wolf Moon

"January's great path of the moon is solitude. Each day is a part of an infinite puzzle, interlocking with all the proceeding days and all ones that follow..."

Today is the Wolf Moon, the Pueblo Indians name for January's full moon, which is today and tomorrow. The Pueblo's philosophy was that there is twelve great paths of the moon.

I was born under the astrological sign of Cancer whose ruling planet is the Moon. I and am proud to be one considered a Moon Child. The Moon is a prominent feature in many legends & myths of many cultures throughout time. The Greco-Roman goddesses were Luna and Selene. Native American tribes had their own names and myths for the full moon of the each month. Today is the the Wolf Moon
Like the moon's gravitational pull on Earth, and effecting the the ebb and flow of the tides, going through different phases, waxing and waning, yet steady in it's monthly cycle, the moon is always associated with women, especially women's menstrual cycles that naturally follow a 28 day cycle. The sign of Cancer is said to be associated with the home and domesticity. We are said to be emotional, sympathetic and nurturing, but like the Moon's waxing and waning tendencies, we can be prone to moodiness, depression, and hypersensitivity. I'm not a huge follower of Astrology and don't understand it's complexities outside of fun, but everything I ever read on describing a Cancerian has fit me to a "T"


I enjoy domesticity. I'm not a housewife in any sense of the word, especially since I now live alone, but I love to be home, cooking and nurturing those in my life. I like being tucked in bed with a good novel on a cold winters night, safe from the harsh elements outside. I am hypersensitive, and often times too trusting with what I give of myself to others. Now I have learned to hold my cards a little closer to my chest, being more patient with observing how new people that come into my life unfold rather than taking them under my trust immediately like I used too.

The Moon represents yin in Chinese astrology. Yin is usually associated with feminine, dark and mysterious, as opposed to the Sun, which is considered yang; masculine, illuminating, and aggressive. Yin & Yang are the perfect balance of everything, and one cannot be without the other. The earth would not be as we know it without both the sun and the moon! As a Moon Child, I have experienced both Yin & Yang in my personality. As a child I was Yin. I was shy, quiet and hid in the shadows, repressing my dreams and personality. As I grew up and my personality developed and became stronger, I became more confident, assured and out spoken. For awhile I lost the Yin side of myself, but lately I am starting to get back in touch with it. I am learning to listen, to be patience, to simplify, and to take things much slower. Perhaps Yin & Yang components show up at different times in our lifetime as a measure of development and self preservation. When we are young, we need our Yang personality to learn, to go out in the world and to find out who and what we are. As we developed that part of ourselves, we are able to let the Yin back in and to relax and stop the upward projection of our youth to find our place in the world. It makes sense to me.

The beautiful moon. The full moon tonight, Feb 1, 07. I observed it from the train, and also it's soft reflected light of the sun across the floors in my dark house. I looked up at it as much as I can over these next couple of days before she starts to wane back into her secret shadows. The Moon is not the lesser sister of the Sun. No, she is as strong, independent and celestial as is her beautiful, life affirming sister, our biggest star, the Sun!

Dante associated Luna with grammar as part of the unified, study of the liberal arts. Reading and writing have been extremely strong influences in my life. Reading as a child helped me survive some very hard and confusing times. As an adolescent who felt felt like an outsider, reading was my comfort. In college, it turned the key to the freedom I so so longed to accomplish, and now, I will read anything that crosses my path. Books seduce me. I have spent thousands of dollars on them. I have owned thousands as well. I always have books with me, near me and in nearly every flat surface of my house. If I leave the house, I don't feel complete unless I take a book...or two with me. I even did a glamorous stint as an international interior design writer! If I do go through this MA program ( a new lunar phase in the life of this Moon Child?) I will probably write a thesis. I do know I will write a book...or two in my life as well.

A little about my beloved and favorite planet, the Moon. I have always been interested in astronomy, fascinated with the moon. It's not the most "impressive" planet out there as it doesn't have rings or covered in fire. It doesn't need to be bright and full of energy, it's impact is subtly known here on Earth, whether it be a full Harvest Moon, the sea at high tide or a lunar eclipse. We have visited the moon, but we cannot, so far, conquer her. That is her strength.

Click here for some cool Moon Info....

Winter Solstice

Welcome Winter Solstice!

Woke up this morning at 7:30 and there was a blazing red streak of light on my wall. It's magical purity amazed me and I jumped out of bed, opened the blinds and threw back the curtain. The 1st day of the winter solstice had arrived in a beautiful triumphant red glory, coming over the ocean and rooftops of Newburyport and into my eyes. It was an amazing feeling. I looked right into the sun as it slowly creeped up, and watched as the red light eventually faded to pinks and then into pure white light. The shortest day and the longest night. The transition of seasons to winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer south of the equator, with the sun shining directly on the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer respectively. A time of deep freezes, warm hearths and introspection.
The solstice marks a turning point in seasons, and for New England, a time for hibernation, dark nights and new beginnings. The last couple of days, other than unconsciously putting on George Winston's musical celebrations called December and A Winter's Solstice, I have noticed various symbolic things, like twinkling lights, electric candles in windows, representing fire as the promise of spring, mistletoe which reminds us that life still flourishes, even during the dark, cold winter, and holiday feasts, reminescent of ancient times when eating big helped get through a lean winter. At a Christmas party yesterday, the shortest day, and a day I had problems with in the past due to seasonal melancholia, there were 2 new babies, representing new life became a symbol of the new sun, new hopes, new dreams. Also, right after the sun set, 2 friends ( Mark & Amy) stopped by with freshly baked cookies and hugs, and that made the shortest day brighter too. The evergreen trees and the small, but resilient Chickadee ( one of my very favorite birds) were proof of life endeared during, even in a deep freeze. The festive party table packed with comfort foods, foods from other wonderful cultures, and cookies and baked treats all made by individuals as gifts to others in the sharing of the bounty, a community sharing in the winter feast, sharing a joyous time of laughs and caring, making for warmth and strength to carry through the cold, dark season.

The seasons in transition making me aware of my own transitions through life. A time to ponder my own changing seasons. Like night and day, good and evil, sweet and sour, and how each passing year adds to the rich tapestry of my life. Of Christmas's past, present and future. Where have I been, where am I going? Who will be there in my life and who won't? Hoping for the very best for my friends and loved ones for the years to come and to being able to share many more Christmas trees and cookies. That is my candle in the dark, to light the sad places, to bring hope, laughter and life to those I love. To let them know, that even though I don't say it often and I hide behind my "I'm OK" mask, that I love them with my whole being.

The time to live is today. The time to love is now.

More Info on The Winter Solstice

SOLSTICE

Winter Solstice