10-14-07 HUMILITY

Divine Mother of all BeingsGreat Goddess of Compassion and MercyMay my heart be home to youlike your island in the sea.May I feel your presence guiding me in fear and rage.May the strength and balance of your grace-filled body be mine when I need them,And may I walk in your Bodhisattva Way with trust and gladness,Beyond time, beyond the end, beyond the beginning.
prayer to quan yin - claudia l'amoreaux


I am bowing my headIn the eye of the Mother who gave me birth,In the eye of the Maiden who loves me,In the eye of the Crone who guides me in wisdom,
In friendship and affection.
Through thy gift of nature, O Goddess,Bestow upon us fullness in our need.
Love towards the Lady,The affection of the Lady,The laughter of the Lady,The wisdom of the Lady,The passion of the Lady,The blessing of the Lady,And the magic of the Lady
To do in the world of Abred,As the Ageless Ones do in Gwynfyd;
Each shade and light,Each day and night,Each moment in kindness,Grant us Thy Sight.
carmina gadelica - ancient celtic oral tradition


This new Bible shall be writtenOn the hearts of all mankind,Not by pen or book,But by acts of Love.For to Love as She doesIs to truly know who He is.The unchanged truth is eternal lifeFor all, without exception.For no longer do we wander lost in the Word,But live the word in eternal life.
justina m. pernetter


Yet determination and persistence without surrender and humility are like wild horses, undisciplined and unfocused. True desire involves the pursuit of longing though the practice of giving ones self over to God.
Teresa of Avila


The most intense form of courageous humility is surrender of will, for it operates on a determined faith that there is something greater than the individual self.

Not submissiveness, but an expression of self-knowlwdge and self-worth, the soul surrenders itself “with true confidence.” Julian of Norwich says “whether it be seeking or contemplating … [it] taught me to understand that the soul’s constant search pleases God greatly. For it cannot do more than see, suffer, and trust.”

The idea or practice of surrender does not function in Teresa’s thought to repeat the passivity or the dainty submissiveness of women[“s traditional roles]. Instead it is an empowering recognition of what it means to commit to inner fidelity - to a truth that takes away women’s subordination and restores their equality. Seldom in life do we give ourselves so totally and fully to the one necessary thing – to find the true self and to know God. Beverly Lanzetta


The early years of the great painter Paul Cezanne were difficult and his career was, from the very start, troubled with frequent rejection and failure. His family considered him peculiar and were unsupportive of his art.
After much family turmoil in his younger years, his father gave him a small allowance and he left for Paris where he worked alone and ignored.
Another painter Camille Pissarro became his mentor both lending him moral support, and influencing his palette. Cezanne, in a relatively short time period, switched from dark tones to bright colors.
Cezanne produced beautiful works as an unknown painter for many, many years. His commitment to, and passion for, his art was strong and unwavering and he did not strive for fame or even lesser recognition.
One day, a French art dealer happened to see the masterpieces of Cezanne. He was so impressed that he collected several of the paintings and arranged an exhibition in his gallery. Visitors to the dealer's gallery were stunned as they saw for the first time the works of the unknown master.
The story goes that Cezanne arrived at the gallery and was also stunned. He had never before seen his work featured and admired this way. He walked around looking at his paintings, leaning on his son for support. Slowly he turned his head and looked at his son in surprise and awe. Cezanne then said, "They have put them in frames!"



To know the masculine and yet to cleave to the
feminine is to be the womb of the world.
Being the womb of the world, never departing
from the eternal power of the Tao,
you become as an infant once again: immortal.

To know the bright and yet hold to the dull
is to be the example for the world.
Being the example for the world, not deviating
from the everlasting power of the Tao,
you return to the infinite once again:
limitless

To know honor and yet keep to humility
is to be the valley for the world.
Being the valley for the world,
rich with the primal power of Tao,
you return once again to simplicity,
like uncarved wood.

Allow Tao to carve you into a vessel for Tao.
Then you can serve the world without
mutilating it.

The Tao te Ching, Lao Tzu




All life is your own,
All fruits of the earth are fruits of the womb,
Your union, your dance.
Lady and Lord,
We thank –you for blessings and abundance
Join with us, Feast with us, Enjoy with us!
Blessed Be.
Starhawk