March is here. I don’t know what happened to February. It is like we blinked and it was gone. Spring begins in three weeks. The Equinox on the 21st is a solar turning point in the year and a good time to regroup and rebalance. In January we make extreme resolutions that we can’t keep. In March- we say ” hey- maybe I can do this and do it well, but not all that”. March is a season of reason, rational decisions and full of anticipation.
What about being as mad as a March Hare?
How about March madness in sports?
Did you ever wonder where expressions like that come from?
Actually, the hare is behaving madly due to fertility. He is acting out mating rituals. I have a rabbit and can attest to the fact that he goes crazy jumping up and down and in circles with pieces of bedding in his mouth when he gets amorous feelings for the cat who walks by (that is a whole other story)
Did March come in like a lion or a lamb?
Beware the Ides of March.
What about St Patrick and the snakes?
March is full of deeper significance. Check out a couple on my newsletter above.
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Candlemas
The archetypal message of February 2nd is about the balance of light in mid-winter. Germans watched to see if a badger or hedgehog would see its shadow. “For as the sun shines on Candlemas day, so far will the snow swirl until May.”
Early Germanic settlers in Pennsylvania adapted this to the ground hog. When Punxsutawney Phil (or Wiarton Will) sees his shadow, expect six more weeks of winter. Farmers say: “Groundhog day, half your hay.” It reminds us to conserve fuel and food.
The Celtic Imbolc feast of Saint Bridget heralds spring with the birth of lambs. Bridget’s crosses, symbolizing the rising sun, were made of rushes and placed in homes. Candlemas marks the purification of Mary and the bringing of candles for blessing at church. Every room in the home was lit to clear out the darkness of winter. Spring cleaning begins.
The modern North American celebration is the feast of Super Bowl Sunday.
The February newsletter is attached above.
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Click below for the revised January 2014 newsletter with updated website link.
Sacred days, feasts, holydays, and spiritual festivals are invitations to reconnect with our own spirit. We do not have to belong to a specific religion or believe in the literal details of the origins of the event to relate to the symbolic metaphors behind the holiday. Symbols are the language of the soul. They are universal.
As the story goes, three learned leaders Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar followed a star. They journeyed out of the darkness, guided by a light, towards a newborn life. To honour the new little spirit they had gifts from the earth: gold and incense.
MY EPIPHANY
I love rocks! I love mountains, earthquakes, volcanos, and anything to do with earth energy. To me, rocks…well, they rock! I also love jewelry. I love to shop for jewelry.
Between the shoppers’ holy days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a renegade Santa reportedly shamed shoppers for their impact on staff family Thanksgivings. The ethical ghosts of purchases past whispered to me too. Philippines’ relief drew out the better half of folks. A guilt ridden idea was hatched. “You could use your jewelry to help.” So, I did. Now, having followed the star, seen the light and dodged some metaphoric camel pooh, I resolve to use my super savy shopping skills for good rather than for evil.
Sacred stones speak to the soul
When I sit still, take time, and listen, the next step will appear. My soul craves beauty: beauty in art, in texture, in the cut of a good outfit, in flowers, in beautiful music and in jewelry. Once I realized that I don’t crave the jewels, I crave the beauty they radiate; I decided I don’t need to buy for me. I can buy for others and see the beauty uplift them.
I have an eye for unique pieces, the knowledge of gemstones, the skill to sniff out a good deal, and the wisdom to skirt the fine line between pretty junk and affordable quality. I love the thrill of the hunt. I watch for weeks, like a tiger in the grass, waiting for the right price (and free shipping) before I pounce.
Beauty is sacred. It evokes an eternal moment of awe. Beautiful stones in beguiling settings take your breath away and, for a divine instant, you transcend the mundane.
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sacred stones for the soul 
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