Let go of the false self. Embrace who you really are

Tonight is the Full Moon, known as the Blood Moon because between now and Samhain/Halloween was the harvest of flesh, it was the time when the farming community would slaughter cattle and preserve the meat to last through the winter months. Poorer families would use the brightness of this full Moon to go hunting for their meat. 
So it became known as the Blood Moon it is also called the Hunters Moon, the Shedding Moon or the Falling Leaf Moon. This full Moon there is also a penumbral lunar eclipse when the Moon will appear much dimmer and redder than normal. The lunar eclipse will be visible to people living in Europe, Africa, the Americas and parts of Asia just before midnight GMT The full Moon is in the sign of Aries, making it all about pent up emotions and balance. 
The eclipse will also have your emotions reeling and will have you asking yourself are you in the right place you wish to be at this time and questioning your current situation. The Aries Lunar Eclipse requires us to be balanced in our masculine and feminine energies. Masculinity is not better than femininity. femininity is not better than Masculinity. We need a balance of both male and female to be whole. This will bring you towards greater self-expression and freedom. You may feel a strong need to stand up for yourself and speak your truth. Let us remember to give others plenty of room to be who they are and speak their truth too. You are born again in the Aries cleansing fire. Let go of the false self. Embrace who you really are. Be heart-centered. Liberate your mind. This is real freedom. Lunar eclipses (which have a 19 year cycle) signal a completion and an awareness that could change the course of our journey if we let it. The heart may skip a beat as raw emotions surface now and energies are charged up. This is par for the course. Allow anger and agitations to rise up and clear out without jabbing anyone with the energy. You don’t have to allow things to become volatile, instead use these emotions to look inwards on yourself rather than outwards blaming others. Take positive action in advance by being responsible for your emotions and reactions to things. Direct the pent up or stuck emotional energy into organizing, working out or anything that burns off the ‘gunk’ and exhausts you in a good way. 
This eclipse opens a window until November 3 of a time that supports deep change. The energy of this full moon can be a bit challenging if you are not in alignment with what you need at this time. May you finally get the message and leave the past behind, honoring the experiences by making them conscious and giving them meaning. We are on the threshold of knowing things that will alter the course and direction of our lives, and how our minds are able to recognize signs and signals and bring forth messages from the Spiritual realms. This eclipse comes to remind us that who we are is written nowhere but in our own hearts, and it is there we will discover it. 
This Full Moon, use the energy to heal, healing energies are very strong now, look inside yourself and ask what it is you need to heal your hurt, pain, emotions. Clear your mind of negativity and try to look to a brighter and more positive future in the year ahead, make the decision to make big changes, this Moons energy will help you achieve them. May you have a blessed Full Moon and may the Goddess watch over you.

100 Ways to Be Kind to Your Children

100 Ways to Be Kind to Your Children

Tell them:
1. I love you.
2. love you no matter what.
3. I love you even when you are angry at me.
4. I love you even when I am angry with you.
5. I love you when you are far way. My love for you can reach you wherever you are.
6. If I could pick any 4 year old (5 year old, 6 year old…) in the whole wide world, I’d pick you.
7. I love you to the moon and then around the stars and back again.
8. Thank you.
9. I enjoyed playing with you today.
10. My favorite part of the day was when I was with you and we _______.

Tell them:
11. The story of their birth or adoption.
12. About how you cuddled them when they were a baby.
13. The story of their name.
14. A story about yourself when you were their age.
15. The story of how their grandparents met.
16. What your favorite color is.
17. That sometimes you struggle too.
18. That when you’re holding hands and you give three squeezes, it’s a secret code that means, “I love you”.
19. What the plan is.
20. What you’re doing right now.

Play:
21. Freeze Tag
22. Uno
23. Crazy 8s
24. Gin Rummy
25. Memory
26. Go Fish
27. I Spy- especially when you’re tired of driving and feel snappish
28. Catch

Pretend:
29. To catch their kiss and put it on your cheek.
30. That their tickle tank is empty and you have to fill it.
31. That their high five is so powerful it nearly knocks you over.
32. That you are super ticklish.
33. That you are explorers in the amazing world of your own backyard.
34. That it’s party day!

Try:
35. To get enough sleep.
36. To drink enough water.
37. To eat decent food.
38. Dressing in a way that makes you feel confident and comfortable.
39. Calling a friend the next time you feel like you are about to lose it with the kids.
40. Giving a gentle touch to show approval, rather than saying something.
41. Dancing in the kitchen.
42. To get your kids to bop to the music with you in the car.
43. Showing your kids that you can do a somersault or handstand or a cartwheel.
44. Keeping the sigh to yourself. Just jump in and help clean up.
45. Using a kind voice, even if you have to fake it.

Read:
46. A book of silly poems.
47. A book and then act it out. (Like “I’m going on a Bear Hunt”)
48. Your favorite childhood book to them.
49. When the afternoon is starting to go astray.
50. Outside under a tree.
51. In the library kids corner.
52. The comic book they love that you’re not so hot on.
53. About age appropriate behavior so you can keep your expectations realistic.

Listen:
54. To your child in the car.
55. To that Lego description, and think how important it is to your child.
56. For that question that indicates your child really needs your input.
57. One second longer than you think you have patience for.
58. For the feelings behind your child’s words.

Ask:
59. Why do you think that happens?
60. What do you think would happen if______?
61. How shall we find out?
62. What are you thinking about?
63. What was your favorite part of the day?
64. What do you think this tastes like?

Show:
65. Your child how to do something instead of banning them from it.
66. How to whistle with a blade of grass.
67. How to shuffle cards- make a bridge if you can!
68. How to cut food.
69. How to fold laundry.
70. How to look up information when you don’t know the answer.
71. Affection to your spouse.
72. That taking care of yourself is important.

Take Time:
73. To watch construction sites.
74. To look at the birds.
75. To allow your child to help you dump ingredients in the bowl.
76. To walk places together.
77. To dig in the dirt together.
78. To do a task at your child’s pace.
79. To just sit with you child while they play.

Trust:
80. That your child is capable.
81. That you are the right parent for your child.
82. That you are enough.
83. That you can do what is right for your family.

Delight your child:
84. Clean your child’s room as a surprise.
85. Put chocolate chips in the pancakes.
86. Put a love note in their lunch.
87. Make their snack into a smile face shape.
88. Make sounds effects while you help them do something.
89. Sit on the floor with them to play.

Let Go:
90. Of the guilt.
91. Of how you thought it was going to be.
92. Of your need to be right.

Give:
93. A kind look.
94. A smile when your child walks into the room.
95. A kind touch back when your child touches you.
96. The chance to connect before you correct so that your child can actually hear your words.
97. Your child a chance to work out their frustrations before helping them.
98. A bath when the day feels long.
99. A hug.
100. You get to choose the next one! What is your favorite way to be kind to your child?

~ CreativeKids.com, quoted by A Handmaidens' Journey, Female Life from Birth to Ancestor

Source: http://creativewithkids.com/100-ways-to-be-kind-to-your-child/

Photo: "Supported" by Erika Hasting from the Mud Spice blog

♥ Katharine, Journey Of Young Women:
Coming of Age for Girls in Minneapolis, MN