ZodiacGifts.net
About the Chart (continued...)
Goddesses & Gods
Although much of the western world reveres only one God, there are still spiritual paths world-wide where a variety of Gods and Goddesses are venerated and who play a large part in daily life. There has also been a revival of the Western Pagan or pre-christian tradition that never completely disappeared from our isles, where many different Goddesses and Gods can be approached for protection, guidance, healing, celebration and nature worship; they can be seen as symbolic aspects of one divinity or divine beings in their own right. We can call upon them and as with Angels, the more we work with them we will find it easy to feel their presence when we need them and ask that their qualities merge with ours to bring out our virtues and strengths. How wonderful it is to find a Goddess who you can call on for fertility, protection or success...! The deities most well known to us are from the Greek Pantheon: Apollo, Venus, Mercury, etc but there are Gods from worldwide traditions. They are not just names from mythology, but are as powerful and vital today as they were to the Greeks or Romans in the past and are waiting for us to rediscover them! They have astrological, daily and birthday associations. Find out about them and discover which Tradition, Gods & Goddesses you are drawn to. They may be the ones in your ZG chart. If you can acquire a figurine of a God or Goddess, or a small object sacred to one, and place it in a quiet corner, you have the makings of a shrine!
Celtic Tree & Moon Signs
The Celts were a warfaring tribe that plundered their way across Europe over 2000 years ago. However in their quieter moments they were known for their beautiful artwork, vivid mythology, bardic tales and most of all their sacred understanding of the earth and everything within it. Understanding the natural cycles of Earth, sky and celestial bodies was essential to their way of life and survival. Presided over by their Druid Priests, the Celts practised an earth based spiritual system and believed that everything in nature - animals, trees, stones, water, earth and sky was sacred and alive so the very land itself was humming with radiant life-giving energy. They practised their rituals in Oak Groves and key locations or power centres within the land where natural energy could be harnessed for healing, fertility & prayer. To the Celts the Goddess and the Land were inseparable and from this understanding & reverence came their desire to work in harmony with the natural cylces of Nature.
The Celtic Zodiac is based upon the cycle of the Moon, with the year divided into the 13 lunar months, starting with the first full Moon after Yule (-the Winter Solstice). The names of the 13 Moons are: the Wolf, Storm, Chaste Seed, Hare, Dyad, Mead, Wort, Barley, Wine, Blood, Snow and Oak. Each Celtic Moon month roughly corresponds with our traditional 12 zodiac signs but not quite; there will be some similarities in characteristics but if you research your Celtic Moon Sign, you may find it's corresponding dates & descriptions are a better match! Each Moon sign corresponds to a given tree. Trees were sacred to the Celts: not only did they provided tools, weapns, medicines & building materials but each tree had a Guardian Spirit or Dryad which was revered for its wisdom and gifts for humankind; nothing was taken without an offering being left in return. By blending with the essence of a tree, it was possible to absorb its qualities. for example for courage and bravery you could work with the strength of the Oak. See if you resonate with the qualities of your Celtic tree in some way. The Moon and Tree Sign also matched a letter of the Ogham alphabet (see below), a Guardian Animal, a Celtic God and other items such as colours & gemstones.
Celtic Ogham Alphabet
The Ogham was the Celtic mystical alphabet named after Ogma: the Celtic God of Poetry and Eloquence and intended for use by the gifted and the Wise for divination and for leaving one another secret messages! There were 20 letters in the alphabet, 13 of which relate to the Moon & Tree signs. Some of the ancient wisdom surrounding the Ogham and the mystical links between the trees, letters, birds etc has been lost, but may resurface again as true wisdom never dies... Your Ogham symbol will appear on your ZG chart. You can inscribe it onto jewellery, or hide it in your logo. Try connecting with your Sacred Tree, whether in forest-glade or in Meditation and see what gifts or messages its Dryad has for you!
Sacred Animal Guardians
The visitation of Animals as Guides and Allies carrying messages from Spritiual realms is a well-documented tradition in cultures ancient and modern; throughout history and mythology, Goddesses, Gods and Saints are frequently depicted alongside animals or mythological creatures and the village Witch had her magical cat or 'familiar'! Animal Sprits or Totems as they are known can provide you with wisdom, strength and protection. Sometimes the real pets we have at home, or look after can be our spritiual companions and the bond we have with them can be very deep and almost telepathic. Other times we will feel a connection to perhaps a wild creature or a shy woodland creature that isn't a pet, but to which we are mysteriously drawn. Personal Spirit animals can come to you in dreams, meditations or even sudden visions during waking life and can play a significant role in guiding and accompanying you on your life's path. Advice can come from any member of the animal kindgom be it bear, stag, wolf, owl, bird, fish, reptile etc - no animal is exluded! For the Celts and the Native American Indian Tribes among others, each animal brings its own 'medicine' or healing power and will often appear in various forms at different times through-out life. Anyone from any culture can benefit from taking time to access the subtle whisperings of their totem animal. Many different creatures may speak to you over time, but as with angels, we usually have a Guardian Animal ally that is with us for this life and beyond and the more we connect to it, the quicker we will hear its message and feel its protective presence around us.
All we need do to access animal wisdom is to become open and aware to the fact that there are animal spirits around us waiting to make contact and to start noticing Animal totems that appear in dreams or in daily life. You may find that everywhere you go you see pictures or symbols pertaining to a creature and when you find out more about it, the physical and spiritual qualities the animal represents are exactly what you currently need to develop in yourself. It is then it may appear in your dreams...Sit in a quiet place and ask for your Guardian animal to make its presence felt. You may think at first that you are imagining a presence or vision, but very soon it will become clear & you will know for sure that it is real and an Animal Guardian is really speaking to your spirit!
Flower Remedies
Flower Remedies were officially discovered in the 1930's by Edward Bach, a sensitive physician and homeopath of Welsh descent. Unlike herbal medicines which largely work on the physical body, Bach found that the essences of certain flowers worked on a more subtle, virbrational level could help ease our troubled emotions, be they long-held blocks holding us back, or recent, sudden states, such as shock for which the widely-known 'Rescue Remedy' is used. The beauty of these gently acting remedies is that they can be self-prescribed by reading carefully through the descriptions of each flower and easily bought, then administered by making up a mixture or putting a few drops of one essence on the toungue. There are now many more Flower Remedy Collections from all over the world: the Australian Bush Essences, Alaskan Gem and Bailey Essences being some of the best known. There are correspondences between the remedies and astrological signs and gemstones and the remedies suggested on your ZodiacGifts chart are determined from calculating the balance of elements in your chart. Any time spent browsing the different flowers and their healing properties could be worth its weight in gold ~ the remedies are so varied and comprehensive, whatever your state of mind, there is sure to be a flower that can help!
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