Greetings to all Full Circle friends and members,
In this February edition of our newsletter we have:
HEARTS AND FLOWERS – RECLAIMING VALENTINES’ DAY
This story is for those among us who hate Valentines Day because they find it meaningless and depressing. It doesn’t have to be that way…
It’s February 14th, 1987 - Somewhere in L.A. nine women are dining in a elegant restaurant. The group is a mixed circle of ages, sizes, colors and lifestyles. They have three things in common: they have been friends for years, they are all single, and they are dressed to kill.
“Why should we sit home on Valentine’s Night feeling lonely and full of self pity?” they said. “Let’s get out there and celebrate.” And so they did.
They had a marvelous time. The restaurant was lovely, the service perfect and the food superb. The women tell stories and jokes and toast one another frequently. Nearby diners sneak curious glances at their table. “Why are they staring as us?” the women asked. “They are wondering”, the waiter said, “which of you is the bride-to-be”.
During the meal, the women read a series of limericks and short poems. Earthy female laugher eruptes from the table as the friends recite works by Dorothy Parker and Edna Saint Vincent Millay; two poets valued for their wit and warmth.
These ladies are not looking for a lover to “rescue” them from their lives and they did not think that loving another person would somehow solve all their problems. They were grown-ups, after all. Still, this is a fairy story so something magical is bound to occur. What happened is this: each woman celebrated her best self that night, a unique creation she saw mirrored back to her in the loving faces of her friends. When these women looked to find love again, they would remember what was due to that self and they would choose more wisely then they had before.
But I’m getting away from my tale. The ladies finished the main course and the dessert cart arrived to much rejoicing. One small, ritual remained to close the Circle, and that involved the giving of gifts. Names were chosen by lot beforehand and the rule was this: presents had to cost less than $15.00 and each gift must be a token; something that represented what each woman liked most about that particular friend. The best part of the evening is now spent in a haze of chocolate decadence as the women open their presents and share the meaning of these gifts with one another.
It is late when their celebration ends The women go their separate ways and each carries her special gift home with her.
I still have mine.
Fast forward now to late January 2004 - I am standing in the aisle of our local superstore, talking into the cell phone with my friend Molly and laughing so hard my sides hurt. Anyone walking by is going to see a crazy lady surrounded on all sides by pink and red hearts. She appears to be talking to herself and tears of mirth are running down her cheeks.
I’m laughing because everywhere I look I see hearts in the shape of candles, dishes, decorations, and gifts. I see hearts on hundreds of cards, hearts on t-shirts, hearts on purses, on mirrors (which sends me into more gals of laughter) and on pillows. I’m standing in the center of six solid aisles of hearts and thinking, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” It’s at that moment that I have to call my gal pal. I need to share this with another woman who understands…
Bear with me, all ye who hate this holiday for I will reveal a mystery. For years, we’ve been told that the heart symbol is an ideogram (1) for romantic love. It doesn’t stop there, of course. There is the idea of Courtly Love and then there is sex. Consider, if you will, that arrow which is sometimes represented as penetrating the heart. (“Dr. Freud, please call your office”).
Ideograms are scattered throughout our past, (“Professor Campbell, your class is waiting”) and they serve a very valuable function. Nevertheless, I’m going to ask you to see the heart symbol in a different, yet connected way, because I believe it to be a sacred shape.
For many in the Earthwise community that heart symbol is our version of Sheila-Na-Gig. This concept has been discussed by feminists for many years, and was recently re-stated by Gloria Steinem in her wonderful forward to The Vagina Monologues. She writes:
“…the shape we call a heart -- whose symmetry resembles the vulva far more than the asymmetry of the organ that shares its name -- is probably a residual female genital symbol. …I thought of this while watching little girls drawing hearts in their notebooks, even dotting their i's with hearts, and I wondered: Were they magnetized by this primordial shape because it was so like their own bodies?”
The heart symbol comes in shades from blushing rose, to blood red, as is proper for the colors of passion and romance. Is this heart’s blood, we ask, or does it belong to some other organ? You decide.
Here is another question: Why is it that western culture prefers to have only it’s females associated with the heart shape. Males rarely wear or receive this symbol (except when they are given a pair of boxer shorts with hearts on the front as a joke). Is this segregation due to a belief that love is a women’s main concern, or is it because some part of us recognizes that this symbol is, in fact, uniquely female? (2)
And now you see why I was laughing. Here I was standing in (dare I say it?) the commercial heart of western culture, and I was surrounded by miles of silly-sacred, woman shaped, sex positive symbols. (Really, when you think about it, those greeting card folks are a lot of filthy minded old so-and-so's… Gods love ‘em.)
As for the giving of flowers, well, that’s longer story for another time. I will simply remark that flowers have always been a symbol of love, fertility, and romance and point you to the evocative flower paintings of Georgia O’Keef.
Move further forward, into the future - All over the world, those who wish to reclaim this holiday for their own (both men and women) visit a website called V-Day. V Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. There are V-Day events during the month of February. Check it out.
We have a chance this month to look in the mirror and to see what’s really there. From that seeing comes empowerment. From empowerment, comes creativity and change. We can do that magic alone, among friends or through community action. In the end, though, what matters most is that we celebrate the heart in ways that truly honor the gifts of love, our selves and one another.
Here’s to the sacred and sexual beauty of women all over the world.
Happy V-Day,
Sia
(1) A sign or symbol that directly represents a concept, idea, or thing rather than a word or set of words for it.
(2) Why not fly in the face of tradition and buy a heart-shaped present for a man? Real men (whether they be straight, gay and bisexual) appreciate the Goddess. If he’s got a sense of humor, let him in on the joke.
BALTANE BALL & WITCHES BALL TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR SALE AT PANTHEACON:
Planning to attend PantheaCon? If so, stop by the Snapdragon Gifts booth in the Vendor Room to buy your tickets for the Beltane & the Witches’ Ball.
Snapdragon Gifts will be selling tickets to both these events at the lowest prices of the year. They will accept checks, Visa & MasterCard and, yes, even cash for this transaction.
Elvish Liberation Front
For those of you whose utterly fey and sylph-like personas have aching to get out of the closet lo these many years, the news is good: it’s now okay to speak Elvish in public.
Just when you were wondering if it would ever stop raining, if the foggy mornings and descending doom of 5 p.m. would ever lift, along comes February to raise your wintry spirits.
First, there’s Candlemas or Imbolc, a celebration of Brigid; goddess and saint. This is also a time known as Candlemas. In many Traditions, Brigid is celebrated as the goddess of healing, smithcraft and poetry.
For many people working in circles, this is a time for initiating newcomers, or re-dedicating oneself to the group. My coven is celebrating Brigid by making medicine shields – collages – that represent the objectives we’ve set for ourselves in the upcoming year: healing health or family problems, building financial security, creating new career paths, working for the betterment of our neighborhood or our planet, taking risks, becoming more open to the challenges of middle age, finding love.
February 2nd is also Groundhog Day, when rodent celebrity Punxsutawney Phil runs a furry three-card monte scheme on meteorologists across the nation. Better yet, Ground Hog day is a perfect excuse to watch the exquisite Bill Murray movie of the same name.
Later in the month, there’s Lunar New Year, celebrated by the Asian community. While the New Year festivities begin January 17, the San Francisco parade, with its dragons and fireworks, is February 7th. The Tet Festival (the Vietnamese Lunar New Year) is celebrated in Santa Jose and San Francisco. This is also a popular holiday in Korea. (Losar, the Tibetan New Year, falls on March 1st).
This is the Year of the Monkey, which means all of you born in 1944, ‘56, ‘68, ‘80, or ‘92 can spend the rest of the year going ape! According to Chinese astrology, Monkeys are fun loving, well-liked, clever, upbeat, creative, and giving.
Next up, we have the sacred occurrence of Friday the 13th, which has unfortunately developed a sinister reputation in modern times. Back in ancient Rome, however, Friday was sacred to Venus, goddess of love. And, of course, in many cultures, the number 13 corresponded to the 13 moons of the year, each sacred to Gaia. Hardly an unlucky combination!
Finally, we have Valentine’s Day, a celebration of sex, sweethearts, and the cacao bean. This holiday’s romantic preoccupations are the vestiges of a more ancient February rite, the Feast of the Lupercal. According to the History Channel website:
“Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goat hide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.”
Looking for an interesting gift for your own sweetheart this Valentine’s day? While it’s hard to go wrong with chocolates or champagne (well, perhaps I’m biased), Walker Metalsmiths offers some lovely jewelry using the Celtic Lover’s knot.
Of course, the loveliest Valentine’s gifts are piling up all around you, a big wet kiss from the mother of us all. Listen to the birdsong that trembles in the trees. (Or, at my house, the throaty croak of a lovesick frog marking his territory and hoping to get lucky). Notice that the sun is coming back earlier every morning – and staying later each night. Look for buds pushing their way up through the dirt. Enjoy the unexpected moments of sunshine, appetizers for summer’s full course meal.
According to a recent article in the Guardian, we live in an increasingly selfish world, where “a culture … of the self and its satisfactions is everything. We are bombarded with messages telling us that we should have what we want because we're worth it (and we’re damn rude about getting it). Two centuries ago the Earl of Chesterfield, writing to his son, warned him that men would forgive any quarrel or criticism except one. They cannot tolerate being treated with contempt.”
For those making “left turns” this year, visit the Anti-Career web page for advice on creating work that you love.
It’s winter, it’s dark, it’s cold … and you want something tasty to eat, but you’re simply too busy to go to a lot of trouble. “Cooking for Comfort” provides 125 realistic recipes for the home cook – most made in one pot – that cook on their own with little clean up. This is food that gets better a day or two after it's been made, food you can make on the weekend and savor throughout the week.
The book includes "Variations" (tips on ways to embellish a dish by adding vegetables or meats), and "Tomorrow's Table," which helps the cook stretch one meal into another by simply adding another ingredient.
And, for after dinner, here’s an Earthwise cooking activity for small fry. These Moon Cookies will teach them about the phases of the moon and the necessity of greasing the baking sheet. It’s always good to mix a little of the pragmatic with a lot of soul….
As a follow-up on our segment on The Hope Line in the December newsletter, Eco-Cell is another place where you can turn in your old phone and help raise money for a non-profit.
Worried about cell phone safety and health issues? Popular Science has a disturbing article that links mobile phone usage to brain damage in rats. And if it isn’t bad enough that cell phones are being used by scientists to harm innocent rodents, note that the mining of minerals for these – and other electronic gadgets – is endangering the equally blameless lowland gorilla.
There’s a bit of controversy brewing in reality TV! (What? You’re kidding?). However, this one concerns many in the Earthwise community: Pagans, Wiccans and Witches. According to the press release on the SciFi Channel’s web page for the new reality show, “Mad House,”
“This show puts contestants into Alt Manor, a house inhabited by a vampire, a witch, a voodoo priest, a yoga master and a psychic, where the contestants must compete in a series of increasingly bizarre challenges to claim a grand prize.”
Well, all righty, then. From press photos of the show in Entertainment Weekly, it seems that the aforementioned witch, Fiona Horne, appears to follow an interesting new branch of Wicca by way of the Playboy Mansion. We here at FCE are bemused by her self-description as “the world’s favorite witch.”
If you find yourself a bit offended by this shoddy exploitation of your spiritual path, you can sign an online petition that will be sent to the executives of SciFi Channel, USA Cable Entertainment, and Vivendi Universal Entertainment. Or, you can just cast a banishing spell …
For those of you planning your costumes for the Beltane Ball, here is a short video of magical images to inspire you. (This comes from our friends at Duirwaigh Galleries.) Allow time for this to load and turn on your music feed, as the Celtic music that accompanies this short movie is really lovely. (Our thanks to Scoutghost who sent this gorgeous link to us.)
CIRCLES OF CONNECTION
Our friends at the Brass Unicorn in Fresno write to tell us that a local Pagan family experienced a devastating fire on New Years day this year – and the loss of their father and husband, who died saving his family. To support this family in their time of need, the folks at Brass Unicorn are collecting donations (cash or checks) as well as furniture, boys clothing (age 1, 3, and 4 years old) kitchen items. To make a donation, please contact The Brass Unicorn at 559-441-7107.
CELL DOGS
There is a new program on Animal Planet called "Cell Dogs," which is about non-violent offenders who are given "lost cause" dogs to raise and train. The dogs are later found homes via the Humane Society. To learn more, visit the website of the group that operates this program, Second Chance Prison Canine Program.
Earthwise gardening
Thinking about your spring garden? Think about lavender! Lavender is lovely to look at, delightful to smell, and surprisingly marvelous to cook with – for example, the Fairfax Scoop, a local ice cream parlor on my neighborhood, makes an awe-inspiring Lavender Honey Vanilla ice cream. Lavender makes a delicious rub for meats, perks up a salad of spring greens, and brews into a fragrant tea. Oh, and throw some in the bath.
And here’s an old, Farmer’s Almanac gardening twist: lunar gardening. “The practice centers on the moon's gravitational effect on the flow of moisture in soil and plants and, to a lesser degree, the effect of moonlight on seed germination,” according National Geographic online magazine. What a wonderful way to combine an Earthwise spiritual practice with a fragrant and delicious hobby. (Oh, and don’t forget the lavender…)
Pagans in the military? Well, yes, actually, there are quite a lot of them, as Carl McColman writes in his article for Belief.net. While many in our larger spiritual community make broad assumptions about what it means to follow a Pagan path – a concept Sia wrote about both in this newsletter and in the Witches Voice – the truth is that we are a diverse group. Yet the image of the “hippie Pagan,” someone who makes his or her own yogurt, owns a wardrobe resplendent in tie-dye, and works as a massage therapist, persists in part because it’s sometimes true (at least in my neck of Marin).
In the South Bay, however, I met and worked with Wiccan, Pagan, Druid and other Earthwise folk who were engineers, physicists, art directors, biochemists, veterinarians, sales reps, nurses, and so on. Some – perhaps most – would be classified as “liberal” but many also had a sophisticated sense of the complexity of modern social and political issues. Most actively performed some form of “gratitude” observance, registering voters, cleaning up a park, volunteering for wildlife rescue, activities that demonstrated a sense of responsibility for the earth and our siblings on this planet. And, yes, some may be serving as the warriors – soldiers and police – who protect all of us.
Hey, isn’t this path all about diversity? Just look at the many ways we have to worship, and the number of deities to choose from! Diversity in our community is simply another avenue of connection, an opportunity to practice, learn from – and benefit from -- inclusion. As McColman states in his article,
“Military Pagans may be changing the face of the Pagan community, but that trend can move in both ways. Perhaps Pagan warriors will also help to shape the future of the armed forces, in positive and ethical ways that would make their warrior ancestors (not to mention the Gods and Goddesses) proud.”
Full Circle Events is currently looking for responsible people to fill two, important positions. These are volunteer positions.
Position: Vendor Coordinator – The 2004 Witches’ Ball
Duties: Interviews & helps to select Vendors for the 2004 WB. Arranges table placement. Manages Set Up & Break Down in the Vendor Room. Is responsible for the smooth operation of the Vendor Room during the WB. *
Hours: As we have taken a smaller hall and will have fewer Vendors, we assume this will take between 3 – 7 hours per month for 3 months prior to the event in question + working the event itself.
Requirements: Applicants must be responsible, practical, professional in manner, and detail oriented. This position requires someone who is firm, friendly, tactful and who meets project deadlines. This individual must have excellent written and spoken communication skills. The work takes place during the months preceding the Witches Ball and from 5 p.m. – midnight during the event itself.
Preferences: We are looking for someone with retail or management experience or experience working at conventions or events.
Responsible To: The Events Director (1).
Training & Contacts: To be provided.
Benefits: Your resume will note that you have worked as a Chair for a non-profit group on a charity event. You will have the right to purchase up to 6 WB tickets at the lowest rate (and this will be a tax deduction, as well). If you do a good job, we will provide you with professional letters of recommendation to employers and other groups at your request. Other benefits include: Meeting great people andthe experience of working with a group that is organized, fun loving, ethical, and well respected in the community.
How to apply: Interested parties should write to the Events Director, FCE care of ravensong99@hotmail.com. Please be prepared to submit a brief resume that notes your experience and skill set.
Please note: This position is not limited to members of the Neo-Pagan community – all are welcome to apply.
Duties Include: Finding, interviewing, training and coordinating with FCE volunteers (both new and returning). This person will train the new volunteers and oversee the work of senior and new volunteers during our two charity events. This job requires working at both the Beltane Ball and the Witches Ball * (Please note: This position could be handled well by two people who work very well together).
Hours: On average: 3 – 6 hours per month, for 2 months prior to the event in question + working during the event itself.
Requirements: Applicants must be very good with people. They must be responsible, practical, professional in manner, and detail oriented. This position requires someone who is firm, friendly, tactful and is very good at following up via emails and phone calls. This individual must have excellent written and spoken communication skills. The work takes place during the 2004 calendar year.
Preferences: Someone with a background in teaching, management and/or training others. The applicant will need to have good social boundaries and the ability to make people feel welcomed and valued while maintaining the high standards we hold here at FCE.
Responsible To: The Events Director (1).
Training & Contacts: To be provided.
Benefits: Your resume will note that you have worked as a Chair for a non-profit group for two charity events. You will have the right to purchase up to 6 WB and 6 Beltane Ball tickets at the lowest rate (and this will be a tax deduction, as well). If you do a good job, we will provide you with professional letters of recommendation to employers and to other groups at your request. Other Benefits include: Meeting great people and the experience of working with a group that is organized, fun loving, ethical and well respected in the community.
How to apply: Interested parties should write to: Events Director, FCE, care of ravensong99@hotmail.com. Please be prepared to submit a brief resume that notes your experience and skill set.
Please note: This position is not limited to members of the Neo-Pagan community – all are welcome to apply.
Status: pending (further details to be announced). Please do not contact us about this position until after March 2nd.
(1) All Committee Chairs report to the Events Director.
* This position allows for the Chairs to dance, see their friends and enjoy the event so long as this does not conflict with their duties.
EVENTS OF INTEREST
We currently have hundreds of events listed on our California Community Calendar:
Here are a few:
And there are lots more. New events are added every day. Click on the Full Circle California Community Calendar to access a list of on-going and dated events throughout the year.
Do you want your event listed? Then please go to our calendar page and click on the link that says “Submit Event.” The on-line form is simple and very easy to use. If you have any questions, please contact our Networking Coordinator ScoutGhost at ScoutGhst@aol.com
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Those of us with sweethearts may look forward to Valentine’s Day with sweaty anticipation and fond memories. (Mine include an exploration of the spatial properties of the backseat of a Ford Mustang! Which can be done, but is much more challenging if you’re old enough to attract the interest of the AARP …)
However, prior to meeting my beloved, I was single for ten (count ‘em) years, and I know that Valentines Day can be a fabulous opportunity for single people to tally up their many failings in an effort to determine why they are indeed sans partner. (Wanna see my list?)
For women, and even some men, the first 10 or 20 items will often concern appearance. You know the routine: “I’m too fat/ flat chested/ dumpy/ wrinkled/ flabby/ tall/ freckled/ knock-kneed. My hair is frizzy, my nose is bumpy, my teeth are yellow, my eyes are beady, my pores are enlarged, butt is huge, my thighs are monstrous … blah, blah, blah, blah, blech.
We often spend a lot of time thinking about beauty – but only from the most microscopic perspective (usually with our misshapen little noses pressed up against the mirror). Perhaps we could do with a little distance. Sia recently found a website that offers one avenue for achieving that distance. According to its introductory paragraph, “Beauty Worlds: the Culture of Beauty” is a site dedicated to the experience of beauty in nature and in cultures past and present.” The author acknowledges that beauty is controversial and even dangerous.
An odd mélange of beauty tips, collagen ads, and plastic surgery information, Beauty Worlds mixes all this standard stuff with intriguing and thoughtful essays on a variety of beauty-related topics, including:
· How one author’s research for a book on footbinding helped her understand the culture of her mother and grandmother.
· A South Asian writer describers the subtle challenges of she faces trying to live up to a white beauty norm.
· An exploration of the changing standards of beauty in China from 200 BCE to the present.
· A historian examines the role of cosmetics and adornment in ancient and modern Iran.
· An essay on Hathor, Lady of Beauty
· Notes on the aesthetic sense of Prehistory Man (sic)
· Musings on body modification and tattooing throughout history
· One black woman’s thoughts on the politics of weaves and extensions
Use sites like this as well as other tools, such as Naomi Wolf’s “The Beauty Myth,” to take a critical look at how your view of attractiveness has been cooked up and spoon fed to us from earliest childhood. But also read a bit about women who turned their heads and didn’t swallow that meal. Betsy Prioleau’s “Seductress: Women Who Ravished the World and Their Lost Art of Love” trots out dozens of examples of women who were not beautiful, nor in some cases young, but who were nonetheless captivating, vigorous, successful, and much adored. They all possessed a heady elixir of intelligence, wit, sexual zest, self-confidence, and energy, and we could do worse than to elevate those standards again in the 21st century – for both men and women.
For many of us, Valentine’s Day is the celebration of Aphrodite, now regarded as the goddess of love and beauty. But before the Greeks winnowed her down to that somewhat limited role, she was honored as powerful Mother goddess, sea spawned and generative, the patroness of creativity and growth. Her worship was the adulation of life in all its expression, and her beauty was manifest in the world around us – and in our own sacred bodies.
As a potent way to honor this deeper aspect of Aphrodite on Valentines Day, try this simple ritual (Guys, you can do this too – it’s not just a girl thing!):
Praise Your Parts
Stand naked before a mirror. You may feel shy at first, but stick with it. Don’t look at yourself with the eyes you use every day, but instead look with the eyes of Degas or Michelangelo (or the eyes of the Goddess herself!).
See the soft curves of your body, the sharp angles, the inviting fullness, the warm pastels. Move, and notice the wonderful mechanics of the shoulders, the expressiveness of your hands, the delicate latticework of veins and arteries. Bend over and stretch. Hop into the air. Wiggle. Walk.
Touch and even massage yourself. Feel the softness of your thighs, the rough edges of your elbows, and the tickling tufts of your hair. Watch the miraculous gift of breath, as your diaphragm lifts up and pulls down. Smell the air as it sucks down your nostrils.
Shake your head. Look deeply into your eyes. Smile, grimace, make all manner of noises and squeaks.
Laugh. Smile. Sigh.
See yourself the way a loving mother would.
See yourself the way a satisfied artist would.
Finally, talk aloud about what you see, and how amazing it is. Tic off your best features, using lots of flattering adjectives. Move on to praise some of those features you think of as ordinary, and even those you’ve been snippy and critical of in the past.
Call them all out, one by one, giving each their due.
Close by offering thanks for this fabulous housing, and commit to doing one special thing for your body this month: a massage, a nice long walk, a particularly delicious meal, a teeth cleaning, a new and healthy habit, whatever your body wants most – ask, listen for the answer, and give it what it wants.
You may notice that, after doing this ritual, you walk a little taller, look people in the eyes, feel a bit of added confidence. Good. Aphrodite laughs with delight.
When Aphrodite chooses you,
there is no “maybe”
no decision
no options
There is only sweet surrender
and instant gratitude.
When Aphrodite calls you to her,
before you know it
you answer
with your bones,
your sinews
your sweat
with your very soul.
When Aphrodite beckons,
you go
with no expectations.
No assumptions.
No hopes.
Nothing.
Aphrodite doesn’t promise anything.
Except
Pleasure.
Pure and golden.
Rich, lush, never-ending joy.
Delicious.
Free.
Yours.
Oh, you may think that you are Artemis’ girl,
wild
unfettered
alone.
Bounding through the moonlit night
by
your
self.
Or maybe you follow the Kore,
like her, always descending
descending
descending
to your cool, dark places where pain and fear are smoothed,
sanded, and smoothed,
into
tiny
specks
of
dust.
And maybe you do
belong to Artemis
to Persephone
to Kali or Inanna or Hecate or Tara.
But when Aphrodite calls you, you rise and step into her embrace.
She encompasses all
She trumps all.
She is the one we seek when we need comfort
counsel
caresses.
When Aphrodite calls you
She whispers your name,
the sound whirring like bees in your ear
and you are dizzy with it the promise of it.
She kisses you with honeyed lips
and you can taste her sweet spicy breath in every cell of your body.
She gives you a sacred garment
to wear in her honor.
Put it on.
Pull on that tender dress of flesh
Array yourself in your body
like a gown of light.
and follow Aphrodite where she leads you
Praying
Dancing
Tasting
Loving
Breathing
Giving yourself to her as a sacred act of worship.
As you walk down the street
on your way to somewhere unimportant
looking just like everyone else
(with a sly smile rippling just beneath the smooth surface of your lips)
Don’t forget to
smell the salt spray
hear the waves
feel the soft tickle of swan’s down against your thighs
and know the secret that is yours alone
When Aphrodite calls.
SnakeMoon
Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present, Create the Future