For many of us, as the days grow colder and darker it is a time of reflection, remembrance and also respect for those who are on the other side of the veil. We celebrate this time with contemplative walks and decorating our sanctuaries with candlelight, the scents of lavender and rosemary, and fires in the … Continue reading Remembrance, Souls & Cats
Category: Sacred Animals
New Moon Ritual
Moon rituals are an ancient and sacred practice that originated in Egypt, and other ancient civilizations, where moon worship was a part of the culture. The phases of the moon influence the growth or decline of plants, animals, and human life. Participating in the phases of the moon was seen as a sacred and necessary … Continue reading New Moon Ritual
The Caterpillar, the Cat, and the Butterfly
A secondary title for this post is Metamorphosis, which was inspired by an encounter with a lovely green caterpillar on the occasion of the recent Full Moon. This caterpillar, at some point in the future, will metamorphosize and take wing as a Butterfly, or so I thought. After doing some research, it turns out that … Continue reading The Caterpillar, the Cat, and the Butterfly
Saving a Sanctuary Animal and honoring Wadjet
There is so much pollution and man-made obstacles on this Earth. I am thinking particularly of the the animals trapped and killed by the plastic which previously held soda and beer cans, or carried groceries. There is a Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the North Pacific Gyre; a plastic wasteland in our Ocean off the … Continue reading Saving a Sanctuary Animal and honoring Wadjet
Matilda’s Full Moon
On this special Full Blood Moon we honor Matilda our dear friend, guardian of the Sanctuary, and lovely Isa Brown (red-blond) cuddle companion and pet. Matilda was a giant among chick-hens. She was much larger than her cock-companions. Perhaps because of her size, or protective nature, she was able to subdue raccoons and protect her … Continue reading Matilda’s Full Moon
Keeping the Bees
Keeping and caring for honey bees was practiced in Ancient Egypt for thousands of years. Aside from bees being recognized as the "Tears of Re" (the Sun), Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs reveal the importance of the honey bee, as well as the cultivation of hives for more than 4000 years, not only as a sweetener, but … Continue reading Keeping the Bees
The Inundation
At the heart of the Egyptian calendar year was the rising waters of the Nile as part of the annually-occurring inundation. Egyptians noted that the Sirius star (Sothis) would rise roughly at same time every year, which for between 3,000-2,500 BC was in late June. With the inundation usually happening shortly thereafter, the Egyptians celebrated … Continue reading The Inundation
The Five Gifts of Hathor
The Egyptians believed that the gods were not distant deities in the heavens; the gods lived alongside people and interacted with them daily. Trees were considered the homes of the gods and one of the most popular of the Egyptian deities, Hathor, was known as "The Lady of the Sycamore" because she was thought to … Continue reading The Five Gifts of Hathor
Ap-uat the Wolf
Listening to the coyotes communicating in howls and yips just yards away from our Sanctuary, brings to mind one of the most ancient Egyptian gods, Ap-aut (also known as Sed and Wep-wawet) a wolf-like god whose worship originated in Upper Egypt. His name means "the opener of the ways" which is sometimes interpreted as the … Continue reading Ap-uat the Wolf
The Great Cackler
The Ancient Egyptians welcomed and honored all sorts of creatures in their art, in hieroglyphics, as well as in the depiction of the goddesses and gods. Egyptian artwork includes more than seventy species of birds and they can be seen in dozens of hieroglyphs. The wide range of birds in Egyptian art, mummified remains of … Continue reading The Great Cackler
