Messages In This Digest (8 Messages)
- 1.
- 12 Ways to be Thankaful From: Lady Nightshayde
- 2.
- This Week's Moonscopes Forecast for the week of Nov. 28 to Dec. 4 From: Lady Nightshayde
- 3.1.
- Cool Website of the Day From: Lady Nightshayde
- 4.1.
- Elder's Meditation of the Day From: Lady Nightshayde
- 5a.
- Re: An Update on Dee From: Lady Nightshayde
- 6a.
- Re: Lovely thoughts From: chris
- 7.
- **Topic Tag**, 11/28/2010, 12:00 am From: 13Witches@yahoogroups.com
- 8a.
- File - Mundane Personal Problems From: 13Witches@yahoogroups.com
Messages
- 1.
-
12 Ways to be Thankaful
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Sat Nov 27, 2010 9:13 am (PST)
Cicero said that "gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." The English preacher John Henry Jowett wrote that "every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road." And according to Aseop Fables, "gratitude is the sign of noble souls." A dear professor of mine just acknowledged a thank-you note I sent him and told me that "gratitude is the sign of maturity and wisdom."
I don't feel like I'm very good at gratitude. This virtue comes hard to a depressive whose first thoughts are seldom positive. It has only been with much work and lots of practice that I have been able to cultivate gratitude and be genuinely thankful. Here are 12 techniques I use to help me get to the parent of all virtues.
1. See with the heart.
One of my very favorite quotes is from Antoine de Saint-Exupery's "The Little Prince": "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye." Every time I throw myself into a tizzy because things aren't going as expected, or as I projected on my Excel spreadsheet for the year 2020, I have to remind myself that I'm looking with the wrong instruments: I need to go back and tell my heart to get some guts and speak up to my head because it's starting to listen to my eyes again.
2. Change your language.
Learning how to see with the heart--shifting perspectives ever so slightly--is easier once you learn how to talk to yourself and to others. Dan Baker, Ph.D., writes in "What Happy People Know": "Just as changing your life can change your language, changing your language can change your life." I do a lot of self-bashing, and when I'm in the middle of a rant, I'm not able to be thankful. According to Baker, recent research has actually proved that: it's impossible to be simultaneously in a state of appreciation and fear, which is why gratitude and appreciation are antidotes to fear. Moreover, the words I speak to myself and to others really do alter my perception of the world. But when I can recognize the toxic self-talk and change my choice of words, the seeds of gratitude can grow.
3. Get a gratitude partner.
Shifting perspectives--seeing that the cup you thought had one teensy drop is actually two-thirds full--and communicating with new language takes time, discipline, and practice. Just like working out. So it makes sense that a gratitude buddy might help you stay in line, just like your running partner does, or, well, is supposed to. Because, come on, who really wants to wake up at 5:30 in the morning on a dark, cold morning and jog around town, right? Only those who are training for the Olympics, exceptionally disciplined, or have work-out partners who will yell and get even if they are stood up.
4. Remember.
"Gratitude is the heart's memory" says the French proverb. Therefore, one of the first steps to thankfulness is to remember... to remember those in our lives who have walked with us and shown kindness. I have been extremely fortunate to have so many positive mentors in my life. For every scary crossroad--when I was tempted to take a destructive path and walk further away from the person whom I believe I was meant to become--I met a guardian, a messenger, to lead me out of the perilous forest.
5. Keep a gratitude journal.
Gratitude can do more than make you smile. Research conducted by psychologist Robert Emmons at the University of California at Davis, author of "Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier," has found that it can also improve your health: raise energy levels, promote alertness and determination, improve sleep, and possibly relieve pain and fatigue. Emmons maintains that writing in a gratitude journal a few times a week can create lasting effects.
6. Write a thank you letter.
Another gratitude exercise suggested by Dr. Emmons, known as "the father of gratitude" in the psychology world, is to compose a "gratitude letter" to a person who has made a positive and lasting influence in your life. Emmons says the letter is especially powerful when you have not properly thanked the person in the past, and when you read the letter aloud to the person face to face.
7. Make a gratitude visit.
Emmons encourages folks to read their letters aloud in person. But I like to go free style. I just show up, usually to a high school or college classroom, and I tell the students what a difference in my life their teacher has made, that I hope that they know how lucky they are to be learning from such an exceptional person, and to be sure to take lots of notes because chances are that they won't throw out their notebooks after the course is over.
8. Start a gratitude club.
This sounds like an idea for those with, well, lots of time on their hands. But I'm only suggesting it because it works. Last year, Group Beyond Blue held four "self-esteem forums," where we got online at a specific time, and were each assigned one person to whom to write a warm-fuzzy letter. A few people visited the thread, just curious about what we were up to, and wept after reading some of the letters.
In his book, "Authentic Happiness," Martin Seligman, Ph.D., the father of the positive psychology movement, describes the dramatic impact of "Gratitude Night," where class members bring a guest who had been important in their lives but whom they hadn't thanked properly. Each member of the class presents a testimonial about the person and thank them. Gratitude night has become the high point of his class, and many students remark on their evaluations of the class at the end of the semester that gratitude night was truly one of the best nights of their entire life. Writes Seligman: "We do not have a vehicle in our culture for telling the people who mean the most to us how thankful we are that they are on the planet."
9. Acknowledge yourself.
Most published books include a page or two of acknowledgments, where the author cites all the persons who helped shepherd her book to production. It's like the Oscar moment, when the actor is up on stage and is rattling off every name he can think of and hopes to God he didn't forget anyone--especially his spouse. The truth is that most people, and especially those who suffer from low self-esteem, do forget a very important figure: themselves. Which is why I think a healthy activity is to write a page of acknowledgements to yourself. Mine would go something like this:
And I thank you, Self, for doing all that you do to try and keep me healthy: for storing the kids' Halloween bags up where you can't reach it, where you need a stool to get it down, which is entirely too much effort for a Kit Kat; for exercising four to five times a week; for going to therapy; for trying every day to erect boundaries between your work and home life; for taking six Omega-3 soft-gels capsules a day in addition to all the other vitamins and meds you swallow; for trying your best at good sleep hygiene; and for laughing at stupid stuff whenever possible, because I say that it's better than crying.
10. Accept a gift.
Sometimes gratitude is hard because we don't think we're worthy of the gifts bestowed on us. Tal Ben-Shahar, Ph.D. explains this problem in his book "Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment": "When we do not feel that we are worthy of happiness, we cannot possibly feel worthy of the good things in our lives, the things that bring us happiness."
One of the hardest acts of gratitude is to graciously accept a gift, to believe in the goodness of the person who gave it to us, and to believe in ourselves enough to receive it. When I was a senior in college, a homeless man wanted to take me out to lunch. I had been spending my Fridays at a shelter and we had become friends. I didn't feel right about his spending the only dollars he had on a lunch for me. It should be the other way around.
"Let me take you," I said. And he frowned and became sad.
"Please," he pleaded, "Let me do this. It would make me happy."
So I let him. And it did.
11. Pray.
"If the only prayer you say in your life is 'thank you,' that would suffice," wrote Meister Eckhart. I remember that piece of advice as I say my prayers in the morning, the hour I spend running around the Naval Academy. I start with a rosary, then I launch into all my prayer requests, which probably sound to God like Katherine's Christmas list does to me: "Mom, have that man, Santa, get me everything I have circled in this catalog, okay?"
And then, when I reach my favorite stretch of the run--where the academy field follows the Severn River, a gorgeous spot on the campus that takes my breath away--I don't say anything. I just take in the beauty with a grateful heart. My only prayer for those three minutes is "thank you."
12. Give back.
The other day I was trying to come up with a way of repaying a former professor of mine for all his encouragement and support to me throughout the years. Nothing I could ever do could match his kindness. No letter of appreciation. No visit to his classrooms. So I came up with this plan: perhaps I could help some young girl who fell into my path in the same way that he helped me. I told my professor-friend that I would try to help and inspire this lost person--I would try to guide her to a source of love and self-acceptance--just as he had done for me.
Giving back doesn't mean reciprocating favors so that everything is fair and the tally is even. That's the beauty of giving. If someone does an act of kindness for you, one way to say thanks is to do the same for another.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
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http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
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We are a support group for Women Only.
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
http://health.groups.yahoo. com/group/ BlackHatsAndBroo msticks/
We are a support group for Women Only.
- 2.
-
This Week's Moonscopes Forecast for the week of Nov. 28 to Dec. 4
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Sat Nov 27, 2010 9:15 am (PST)
This Week's Moonscopes Forecast
For the week of November 28 to December 4
(Missed last week's forecast? Here it is.)
Sunday, Monday: the Moon is in Virgo
The Sun, Mercury & Mars, in Sagittarius, are square the Moon. Jupiter in Pisces is opposite the Moon. Lots of invigorating astrological energy going on in case you have things to do. Virgo is always a good sign for sorting, editing, and executing a good clear-out. If there's something you are not sure about whether to release or to keep, make a decision at another time but no later than mid-March when Uranus, also now in Pisces, moves into Aries.
Tuesday, Wednesday: the Moon is in Libra
Saturn and the Moon, often seen as the mother and father in an astrological chart, are in the same sign during the middle part of this week. Saturn is exalted (in its highest power) in Libra so this will not be the often typical tough time that this planet can potentially hand out. It's a good time to balance the masculine (active) and feminine (receptive) aspects of a situation.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday am(*v/c): the Moon is in Scorpio
Venus in Scorpio and therefore conjunct (in the same sign as) the Moon makes for a nice few days, especially if your natal chart (birth chart) shows that your Sun or Moon or rising sign (ascendant) are in this sign. Enjoy pleasant things for yourself and extend pleasantries to others, no matter what their signs are. Venus energy and Moon energy are always lovely to spread around.
Saturday pm: the Moon is in Sagittarius
Even though Mercury is technically in Capricorn now, it's basically still relating to Sagittarius because it will return to this sign by the middle of December. And even though Mercury does not go retrograde until December 10, the influence of this slower energy is already on the table. Mars is getting ready to exit Sagittarius on December 8 and that energy is not something to count on either right now. So with all this going on, and with Sagittarius being a sign that can indicate scattered physical and mental energies, the Moon is rather uncomfortable at this time since it likes things to remain on an even keel. Some people could feel rushed and hurried this weekend, however it's best to be as low key as possible until after the New Moon on Sunday.
Check your astrology chart to find which house (section of your chart) has the current Moon sign on the cusp (the beginning edge) & apply Forecast information to that area of your life as well.
For example, the Moon is in Leo and one of the suggestions is to entertain - however Leo is located in the 12th house of your chart, which is an inward energy place...then have a small, quiet gathering. By contrast, if Leo is located in the 1st house of your chart, an outward energy place...have a party! Don't have an astrology chart? Click here .
It is interesting to note when the current Moon is in the same sign as your birth Moon and to see how the flavor of that day carries through the next 30 days.ting to note when the current Moon is in the same sign as your birth Moon and to see how the flavor of that day carries through the next 30 days.
Current Planet Positions:
Sun - Sagittarius, until Dec. 22
Mercury - Sagittarius, until Jan. 13
(**retrograde Dec. 10-30 and briefly in Capricorn early that month)
Venus - Scorpio, until Jan. 8, 2011
Mars - Sagittarius, until Dec. 8
Jupiter - Pisces, until Jan. 23, 2011
Saturn - Libra, until Oct. 6, 2012
Uranus - Pisces, until Mar. 12, 2011
Neptune - Aquarius, until Feb. 4, 2012
Pluto - Capricorn, until Nov. 20, 2024
Current Asteroid Positions:
Ceres - Capricorn, until Jan. 4, 2011
Pallas - Sagittarius, until Dec. 21
Juno - Virgo, until July 28, 2011
Vesta - Scorpio, until Dec. 4
Chiron - Aquarius, until Feb. 18, 2011
Current Asteroid Transits:
Ceres - Responsibility illustrated with a nurturing attitude.
Pallas - Broaden skill and information bases.
Juno - State clearly what you want in a personal partnership.
Vesta - Deep devotion that is often private.
Chiron - Regeneration comes in unusual forms.
Note: Timeframes for Moon signs, void-of-course periods, and current planet & asteroid positions are noted for Eastern time zone (USA). Please adjust according to your own location. Times are not given if the void-of-course Moon occurs for a very short period or if it occurs during the night (based on same Eastern time zone).
* v/c = Void-of-Course - When the Moon is void-of-course, spend time working on projects already in progress, creative endeavors, or self-improvement. Void-of-course simply means that no planets are aspecting the Moon as it gets ready to change signs. It's best not to start new projects, sign important agreements, or go shopping when the Moon is void-of-course because the result will probably be unsatisfactory in some way.
** Mercury Retrograde - the speed of the planet slows down considerably. Communications, paperwork, electronics, and traffic can become very mixed-up or delayed during this time. A situation will be in the process of changing, so wait until Mercury is direct to finalize anything. In general, maintain a slower, more cautious pace in daily affairs. Always allow at least two days before (to slow down) and after (to resume regular activities) a Mercury retrograde period. Read More about Mercury Retrograde here
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
http://health.groups.yahoo. com/group/ BlackHatsAndBroo msticks/
We are a support group for Women Only.
- 3.1.
-
Cool Website of the Day
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Sat Nov 27, 2010 9:16 am (PST)
Brownielocks and the 3 Teddy Bears
According to Brownielocks and the 3 Bears, the Official Holidays can be a bit different from the traditional ones. 'Crazy, unknown, bizarre, goofy, silly, odd' are some of the terms that are used for those unusual holidays and observances listed. The traditional ones are listed as well so you can use the site to plan your week/month/year accordingly. The material is arranged by month with the ones to which there are links listed first, followed by the Monthly Observances, then the Weekly ones and last, the Daily observances. 'All are validated through printed (copyrighted) material only,' making the observances legitimate ones. Spend a few minutes seeing what observances are in the offing! Naturally, there is an interesting Thanksgiving Cartoon Fun + History presented as only 3 bears, definitely not turkeys, can present the material!
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
http://health.groups.yahoo. com/group/ BlackHatsAndBroo msticks/
We are a support group for Women Only.
- 4.1.
-
Elder's Meditation of the Day
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Sat Nov 27, 2010 9:21 am (PST)
Elder's Meditation of the Day
"Things would go well for us if we would think positively about everything."
-- Mary Hayes, CLAOQUOT
Each of our thoughts are like individual seeds. These thoughts will plant our life garden. Whatever our thoughts, they grow in our gardens. Each day we will process about 50,000 thoughts or thought seeds. Positive thoughts will produce positive results. Have you ever been aware of what you are thinking about during the day? Of the possible 50,000 thoughts in one day - if the positive thoughts were flowers and the negative thoughts were weeds - how would your garden look at the end of the day?
Great Spirit, let me plant positive seeds.
from www.whitebison.org
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
http://health.groups.yahoo. com/group/ BlackHatsAndBroo msticks/
We are a support group for Women Only.
- 5a.
-
Re: An Update on Dee
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Sat Nov 27, 2010 9:26 am (PST)
He had about a week of fairly good days when he felt well enough to be
up and about and to do things with us. We took him to St. Augustine
for a picnic lunch on the sea wall so he could get some of that good
sea air and spent most of the day in the shrine watching wildlife.
It's good to hear he is getting out and about. Hoping he starts feeling better. We are still doing healings for him.
Love Each Day,
Lady N
- 6a.
-
Re: Lovely thoughts
Posted by: "chris" jckofdime@yahoo.com jckofdime
Sat Nov 27, 2010 7:52 pm (PST)
Please feel free specially if it can help anyone.
--- In 13Witches@yahoogroups.com , Cheri Sadler <bonnielassshaw@...> wrote:
>
> Chris,
>
> Oh my what a absolutely lovely thought, I keep a bit of a Quote journal with me
> at all times, May I be permitted to use this saying from time to time as the
> need arrises.
>
> Keep a warm smile in your hearts. I know you're worth the best of everything,
> because you are one of the best!
> >
> >With love. Chris
> >
> >
>
- 7.
-
**Topic Tag**, 11/28/2010, 12:00 am
Posted by: "13Witches@yahoogroups.com" 13Witches@yahoogroups.com
Sat Nov 27, 2010 7:56 pm (PST)
Reminder from: 13Witches Yahoo! Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/ cal
**Topic Tag**
Sunday November 28, 2010
All Day
(This event repeats every week.)
Notes:
It's Topic Tag again. Whoever posed the last question for Topic Tag needs to tag someone else today.
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- 8a.
-
File - Mundane Personal Problems
Posted by: "13Witches@yahoogroups.com" 13Witches@yahoogroups.com
Sun Nov 28, 2010 12:23 am (PST)
Greetings to the group, please remember that this is a Pagan/Wiccan/Earth religions list, and our content reflects that. Please do not post in great detail your personal problems expecting an easy answer from the members, as there are none. Each situation is personal, and the solutions will vary. You can ask for a spell to help, for a candle to be lit, but this is not the appropriate public forum for psychological/ legal/medical issues.
Lady Nightshayde, Owner
Fran, Ani, Lady Hawk--Moderators
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