Ancient Mysteries of Beltaine

April Message by Finbarr

Continuing on our journey around the wheel of the year we are still working on transparency, compassion and balance.

We now enter the third spoke in the wheel: Beltaine, a time of rebirth of all things made new. This occurs on May 1st. Beltaine stands opposite Samhain (held October 31-November 1).

Samhain is associated with the Goddess, feminine energy, the world of spirit and inner work, urging us to embrace all aspects of ourselves including our shadow side, bringing us transformation as we let go of old patterns.

Beltaine on the other hand is asking us to move to outward activity, embracing this world and its fertility. It is the gateway to the bright part of the year, summer when the countryside is filled with beautiful flowers and foliage, so too it is with our lives as we are being asked to shake of the shackles of the past, to let go of issues and enter a time of "Thy Will be Done" and embrace life fully knowing that all is as set out in our blueprint. No accidents, only ways of calling us to higher awareness.

I want to share a morning prayer with you from the West of Ireland that is tied to the energy of Beltaine:

Good Morning Father God

Good Morning Father God
You are ushering in another day
untouched and freshly new
so here I come to ask you God
if you will renew me too
forgive the many errors I made yesterday
and help me once again Dear Father God
to walk closer in Thy way
Father I am well aware
I cannot make it on my own
so take my hand and hold it tight
'cause I can't walk alone.

Before we enter this period of Beltaine we need to embrace ourselves and tell ourselves the following:

I love you.

I apologize.

Please forgive me.

Thank you.

As we embrace these energies within ourselves we are making ourselves ready to venture into the outer world knowing that all is in divine order. We are now ready to take full responsibility for our lives and for ourselves - no exceptions, no excuses - as there is no one to blame.

Every challenge we have in our life we invited in, they are just old, recycled problems showing up to give us another opportunity to see and embrace them with love. We are the source of all the experiences and we are the healer. As the healer we look inside ourselves and see what it is we want to transform in our life, whether it is relationship, finances, or whatever else. All the answers are within as we embrace ourselves in love and allow.

"Thy Will be Done", and as we look at ourselves in the mirror, or in prayer, or meditation say to ourselves about any situation:

"I love you" , "I apologize", "Please forgive me", and finally gratitude for all that you are "Thank you".

Allow the Golden Flame of Love within yourself (see it and feel it) and fully embrace The Divine Feminine, The Christ Consciousness and the Sacred Union and allow the magic to happen in your life as we ask the higher world for assistance and then simply surrender.

Blessings, love and peace,
Finbarr

Discovering the Goddess

What is the Goddess?

By Ixchel Tucker

"Through the Goddess, we can discover our strength, enlighten our minds, own our bodies, and celebrate our emotions." ~ Starhawk

There is so much talk these days about the Divine Feminine and the Goddess. Much of this focuses on how the Divine Feminine is reawakening, coming back into balance. There are Goddess Cards, Goddess books, so much available.

But how do we bring that into our lives, what does it really mean for us? A few things we can do are:

• Meditate with the Goddess, the Divine Feminine, the Water, the Moon, and the Womb
• Visit Sacred Goddess Sites and connect with the ancient feminine energies they hold
• Go inside - ask our inner-most selves what is feminine, and how to bring out the Divine Feminine that is within us

The Goddess isn't just something out there to be seen, to be visited. As with everything, what we see outside is also within ourselves. So discovering the Goddess and the Sacred Feminine is an inward journey, one of discovering more of ourselves.

A few years ago I was introduced to a Path of the Sacred Feminine. It was nothing new, it was actually an ancient Native Path that is being reborn after a hundred years or more of being buried. It helped me discover what feminine and Goddess energy was, at a level that I have not seen taught by anyone.

If your want more about this path, visit:

Path of the Sacred Feminine

But in this article I would like to share with you the deeper awareness of what Sacred Feminine and also Sacred Masculine are that this path has rebirthed in me.

First of all, Divine or Sacred Feminine is not just for women. We all carry both feminine and masculine within us and it is through the full expression of both that we come into balance within ourselves and truly become one. This is not just a path for women, though women very much need it, so do our men.

The Sacred Feminine cannot exist without the balance of the Sacred Masculine. It is not that the Feminine is any better, or more important. It is just that the feminine aspects of the Divine have been weeded out of most practices, they have been lost, they have been buried. It is time for them to resurface, to come back into balance. It is time for women to discover that they are, and have always been, goddesses.

I've seen that most of us women have lost the feminine within ourselves. It is still there, but has been overrun by the masculine aspects we have had to develop in order to work, live, and provide for our families. The feminine is more community oriented and in an age of "me", of the individual doing everything, isolated and needing to take care of themselves and their family, there has been little room for the feminine to thrive. We are coming out of that now, we have realized that isn't enough, people are once again looking for community.

As I began to connect with the Path of the Sacred Feminine I asked what being feminine was. I saw that I had lost much of it, and the rest had been subdued by lack of understanding and necessity. I had been a single mother of three, needing to get out and work, in the business world. I wasn't taught feminine values. I wore business suits. Even when I was relaxing I wore masculine clothing - jeans, t-shirts, and dull colors.

Through the meditations and journeys of the Sacred Feminine Path I asked myself what it was to be a woman. These meditations connected me to the Womb within both men and women) where all creation happens and everything is infinite possibility. The womb is a place where we hold, where we are safe, where we can be just as we are. Remember what it's like to just be held and comforted by your mom? Or, if you didn't have that experience, imagine what it would feel like. You can hold and mother yourself, or let the larger Divine Feminine hold you. It is a very loving experience.

As I discovered the power of the womb I also realized that it has been part of my nature to "hold space" for others. I have realized this very subtle, but very strong power as well. As I energetically hold others they are more able to "do" (the masculine) the things they are here to do. They are more able to access their truth, their Divine aspects of who they are. I find that things move more smoothly around me.

I have also seen the power of intuition and connection become stronger within me. I've realized how the feminine aspects of our being are often more subtle energies, but they are such an integral part of everything. Even in the business world there is an understanding of intuition that is used in advertising, working with people, often in hiring and firing, business decisions and more.

Women have a natural ability to connect, to see subtle messages and act accordingly. In opening to this I have become much more aware of my energetic connections with people, animals, nature and all of life.

I've found that as I've worked with this Path, opening more to the Goddess within, that I can walk proudly in feeling the essence of the Goddess. I find that I am drawn to wear dresses more, colorful clothing, to look like a woman.

I see the Goddess in all women, even those who aren't showing it a lot. It is time for us all to let the Goddess awaken more fully into our expression, into our being.

One way to help awaken your inner Goddess is on a Spiritual Tour with Finbarr Ross. I've been working with Finbarr for a few months now and I can see the balance of the Divine Feminine that he holds. He has an deep connection to the Divine Feminine and works with the feminine energies.

Through Celtic Mystical Journeys, Finbarr takes people to Sacred Feminine Sites, places of the Goddess, of Mary Magdalene, St. Mary , St. Sophia. He tells stories of these women and what they represented. He connects you with the ancient energies through powerful meditations, rituals and ceremonies.

If you're seeking to connect with Sacred Feminine Sites you might want to join us on our Goddess Tour of Turkey, our France Tour in Search of Mary Magdalene, or our Special Goddess Tour of Ireland. These trips are especially designed with the Divine Feminine in mind.

For information on any of the Spiritual Tours offered by Celtic Mystical Journeys, visit: Celtic Mystical Journeys

Whatever your path to the feminine, you will discover that the Goddess isn't just something of history, something out there to be found, the Goddess is YOU!

Blessings on your journey to Discover the Goddess!

Ixchel

Ixchel Tucker is a ceremonialist and Keeper of the Women's Water Ceremonies, offered by the Path of the Sacred Feminine and the New Dream Foundation. She also serves as a Vice President on the board of New Dream Foundation, a non-profit organization designed to bring together Global Spiritual Community through the Sacred Feminine.

She does intuitive marketing and web design and works with Celtic Mystical Journeys and The Nature Doctor to help promote their work in world. You can find her at www.webdesignbyixchel.com