INNER CIRCLE NEWSLETTER - JULY 23 2008
LET NATURE GUIDE YOU
CURRENT SPECIALS AT THE CELTIC CONNECTION
NEXT ISSUE: INTERPRETING NATURE'S SIGNS & OMENS
LET NATURE GUIDE YOU
Nature does speak to us ... but not like she does in movies where the mountains and trees have faces and even moving lips. For most of us, the voice is a subtle, quiet one that speaks to our heart and soul. When we acknowledge and honor the spirit of Nature or Mother Earth, this strengthens our connection to her and we become more aware of the messages and guidance she has to offer us.
Although trips into the wilderness can be refreshing and enlightening, you don't have to find a primitive area to connect with Nature. If you live in the city or a suburban area, there are still plants, trees and birds to be found. Indoor gardens can be created using healthy, potted plants. Any area that allows you to connect with a part of the natural world will help you relax and allow your intuitive abilities to become stronger. The more time you spend in these places, the deeper your connection to Nature will become.
As each season passes, you'll discover new wisdom and Divine gifts that can help you on your journey through life. By quietly observing, you can learn about life's mysteries and find guidance for the spiritual path you've chosen. In his best selling book, Nature-Speak, Ted Andrews lists Seven Rules to More Magical Encounters:
1. &nb sp; Practice seeing and questioning as a child does. Be fascinated and filled with wonder about everything in Nature.
2. &nb sp; Be a naturalist first. Magic and Spirit flow out from this and without the naturalist part, the magical Shaman cannot be.
3. &nb sp; Take trips regularly into Nature, at least once per season. Each season brings its own unique offerings and has its own lessons for us.
4. &nb sp; Find one special place for you to sit and observe regularly, a place that you can visit throughout the year.
5. &nb sp; Observe and be curious about everything. Notice what is going on around you, making notes or sketches of what you observe.
6. &nb sp; Be unobtrusive when out in Nature. Learn to be silent. Try not to talk. Just observe, contemplate and note activity.
7. &nb sp; Make your home environment attractive to wildlife. Hang feeders. Put up birdbaths and fountains. Have a variety of plants.
When you follow these guidelines, you develop the ability to recognize signs and messages that come to you from the natural world. Next week I'll continue this subject by exploring how to interpret some of these messages. I'd like to close this article with excerpts from the writings of a six-year-old girl named Opal. She lived in an Oregon lumber camp at the turn of the century. Nature "spoke" to Opal, and the stories in her beautiful and deeply touching journal help us remember what this wondrous world looks like through the eyes of a child.
"When I feel sad inside I talk things over with my tree. He is a grand tree. He has an understanding soul."
"I walked along the logs and I went among the ferns. I did have feels of their gentle movements."
"At the end of warm days I water the wild flowers and I water the plants that do grow in the garden. I can almost hear the tomato plants say, "We were waiting for you" every time I give them sprinkles."
"At night the wind goes walking in the field talking to the earth voices there. Now are come the days of leaves. They talk with the wind. In the grey days of winter they go back to earth again, but they do not die."
Copies of Opal's journal are available through our online bookstore. (See link below) May your next encounter with Nature strengthen your connection with our Mother Earth, and fill you with childlike wonder as she reveals the Divine gifts she has to offer you!
CURRENT SPECIALS AT THE CELTIC CONNECTION
ONLY 7 DAYS LEFT TO GETYOUR FREE SPELL-WRITING PEN. Place any Book or Magical store order through July 31st and a free pen will be added to your package automatically when it ships. These pens are black with silver colored trim and are inscribed with "As it is written, so will it be!"
CURRENT FEATURED BOOKS
For more information on connecting with nature, we suggest Nature-Speak and Animal-Speak by Ted Andrews. These are wonderful, well written books with in-depth teachings on how to interpret the messages of trees, plants, animals, and nature in general. We also highly recommend Opal, The Journal of an Understanding Heart. This is an enchanting and magical book that can help us see the world of Nature as it should be seen ... through the eyes of a child! It's one of my all time favorite books. :o)
For detailed reviews on these titles and hundreds of other books, visit our
BOOK STORE: http://www.wicca.com/celtic/catalog/books/books0.htm
MAGICAL STORE Home Page: http://wicca.com/celtic/catalog/catalog.htm
Use the link below to visit the Jewelry store at WICCA.COM
JEWELRY STORE: http://wicca.com/celtic/catalog/jewelry/jewelry0.htm
NEXT ISSUE: INTERPRETING NATURE'S SIGNS & OMENS
If you would like to comment on this topic, please feel free to email me at: Kardia@wicca.com I'll be addressing this subject in the next newsletter. All emails are read, but due to the large volume received, I can't personally reply to everyone. Your comments and/or questions may be printed in the newsletter, but all names and email address will be kept strictly confidential.
Once more, thank you for visiting us at The Celtic Connection. We hope to see you again soon!
Peace and health be with you,
Kardia
Inner Circle Editor & Site Administrator
Kardia@wicca.com
http://www.wicca.com
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to friends or family members who you think would enjoy reading it.
The Celtic Connection
622 Bear Creek Road
Cottage Grove, OR 97424
Usa
Tags: WICCAN
