Return To Paradise

Imbolgen 17

Riane Eisler writes [The Chalice and the Blade]:

An earlier time when humans led more harmonious lives is (also) a recurrent theme in the legends of Mesopotamia. Here there are repeated references to a time of plenty and peace, a time before a great flood, when women and men lived in an idyllic garden. These are the stories from when biblical scholars now believe the Old Testament myth of the Garden of Eden in part derives.

Viewed in light of the archeological evidence we have been examining, the story of the Garden of Eden is also clearly based on folk memories. The Garden of Eden is an allegorical description of the Neolithic, of when women and men first cultivated the soil, thus creating the first "garden." The story of Cain and Abel in part reflects the actual confrontation of a pastoral people (symbolized by Abel's offering of his slaughtered sheep) and an agrarian people (symbolized by Cain's offering of "the fruits of the ground" rejected by the pastoral God Jehovah). Likewise, the Garden of Eden and Fall from Paradise myths in part draw from actual historical events. As will be detailed in succeeding chapters, these stories reflect the cataclysmic cultural change we have been examining: the imposition of male dominance and the accompanying shift from peace and partnership to domination and strife.

Later, Eisler writes:

In sum, under the new view of cultural evolution, male dominance, male violence, and authoritarianism are not inevitable, eternal givens. And rather than being just a "utopian dream," a more peaceful and equalitarian world is a real possibility for our future. ... our legacy from these Goddess worshipping societies is not only the haunting memory of a time when the "tree of life" and "the tree of knowledge" were still viewed as Mother Nature's gifts to both women and men.

Dedicated to every witch's personal return to Goddess and to Her Garden of Eden, available at WITCHCRAFTS by Liorah Lleucu ... this exquisitely detailed hand carved WITCH'S GARDEN black soapstone mortar and pestle.

Honoring Ancestors - The Most Difficult Mitzvah

ד׳ בשבט תשע"א
Imbolgen 6

I've written about this in past blog entries, but in light of today's attempted assassination of congresswoman Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, I am thinking about it again today. I am thinking about it again because the congresswoman, like so many from mixed marriages, 'chose' one set of Ancestors over the other, deciding to identify herself as "Jewish only" and rejecting her non-Jewish heritage. In my opinion, this kind of rejection violates the mitzvah (one of the Ten Commandments, in fact) to honor one's "parents," who in fullness, are one's known Ancestors.

JTA reports:

Giffords was elected to Congress in the Democratic sweep in 2006. The first Jewish woman elected to Congress from the state, she made her Jewish identity part of her campaign.

"If you want something done, your best bet is to ask a Jewish woman to do it,” said Giffords, a former state senator, said at the time. “Jewish women — by our tradition and by the way we were raised — have an ability to cut through all the reasons why something should, shouldn’t or can’t be done and pull people together to be successful."

Giffords, 40, was raised "mixed" by a Christian Scientist mother and Jewish father, but said that after a visit to Israel in 2001, she had decided she was Jewish only. She attended services at a local Reform synagogue.

Honoring one's Ancestors does not mean one has to follow their religion, but I think it does mean that one cannot cut off from oneself an entire limb of ancestral heritage. No one is only Jewish or only any other ethnic or racial group. There is no such thing as a human purebred anymore. We are all mutts, and Torah instructs us to honor our Ancestors. The Talmud (Talmud Yerusahlmi, Peah I:1) informs us that this mitzvah to honor one's Ancestors is the hardest mitzvah to perform. Tradition teaches us to make peace among our Ancestors. To do this, we must embrace and love them.

Assassination Attempt On U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords

ד׳ בשבט תשע"א
Imbolgen 6

CNN reports today:

A gunman intended to assassinate a U.S. representative when he opened fire outside a Tucson, Arizona, supermarket Saturday, killing six and wounding 12 including the congresswoman, the local sheriff said hours after the shooting.

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was in critical condition late Saturday after surgery for a single gunshot wound to the head. The dead included a federal judge and a 9-year-old girl, authorities said.

May the families and friends of those who were killed find the support and caring they need to get through this difficult time. May the injured be blessed with a full and speedy recovery.

ברוך דיין אמת

The Angel Michael

ד׳ בשבט תשע"א
Imbolgen 6

When I woke up this morning, following the dream described in A Barge to Avalon, I had a waking vision of mighty angelic feet like radiant steel land standing upon the earth. I felt the Presence of defense and protection for me. The angel's name is Michael. The name was called out and reverberated in my mind as it's landing shook the whole earth.

A Barge To Avalon

ג׳ בשבט תשע"א
Imbolgen 5

Commentary on Bo from Garden of the Dark Moon Jubilee - A Barge to Avalon.

WITCHCRAFTS Sales Steadily Trending Up

א' בשבט תשע"א
Imbolgen 3

While I'm not yet even close to being able to make a living through my Etsy shoppe (WITCHCRAFTS by Liorah Lleucu), my shoppe's gross sales are steadily trending up since I lost my job in August. Given that my shoppe is based solely on my meager week to week cash only investment, I'm pretty pleased with what the numbers are telling me. The graph below (with specific numbers removed) was prepared using gross sales data from August through December 2010. The trend line was calculated using only September through December 2010 data. The August data was excluded in calculating the trend line, as I hadn't begun actively developing my shoppe until mid to late August.

I've proven I can make money very well for other businesses, and soon, as my business continues to grow, I will be making money for my own. My shoppe has real business success potential!

Witchcraft The Profession

כ״ו בטבת תשע"א
Grael 29

An interesting bit of world news -

As WITCHCRAFTS by Liorah Lleucu is a legitimate tax paying business registered with both the State and local governments here in the United States, Romania has taken the step of declaring witchcraft to be a legal profession (for the purpose of collecting taxes, of course).

Pharaoh Says

כ״ה בטבת תשע"א
Grael 28

Commentary on Vaera from Garden of the Dark Moon Jubilee - Pharaoh Says.