Offerings Of The Spirit

Enchanted Moon is a book of pagan poetry written by Ruth Francis-Foster.
Its priced at £4.99 and all proceeds are going to Ruth's local Stray Cat Rescue centre which desperately needs all the help it can get! 

If you would like to buy one and in doing so help those wonderful furry beings, feel free to send an e-mail to Ruth on her mail address which is  Ruth.thewytch@hotmail.co.uk and she will give you all the details you need to know for the purchase.

Blessed be  )O(

When many of us try to define happiness, we often equate it with such things as financial security, getting married, having friends or material abundance. Society often tells us, in a myriad of subtle and not so subtle ways, that happiness comes from something outside ourselves. If we make more money, lose weight, buy the newest electronic gadget, etc., etc., we will be happier people. But, in reality, that's not the case. Because happiness, true happiness, comes from within ourselves. This deep happiness that resides within us can be known as spiritual happiness.

Spiritual happiness is characterized by an easy, flowing joy, along with contentment, gratitude and self-acceptance. When a person is spiritually happy, they are in tune with themselves as well as the world around them. They live in harmony with the flow of life, and are aware that life holds a much deeper meaning than what appears on the surface. For many people, it may seem that spiritual happiness is impossible to achieve. But through deeper awareness and daily practice, this can become a natural state of being.

A Brief Note- Because there are a wide variety of beliefs and religions in the world, higher source is referred to by many different names such as God, Creator, Allah, Source, etc. For the sake of simplicity, this higher source will be referred to as God in this article.

Know Who You Are
An important part of spiritual happiness is understanding who you are, and learning to respect your own, unique self. We are all expressions of God, by whichever name we recognize God to be, and you are no different. Honor that expression by understanding your nature, and nurturing the gifts and qualities God has given you. When you understand and respect yourself, you're able to live more harmoniously with the world around you.

Remember Your Essence
As you get to know who you are as a person, take it a step further by remembering your essence. Also known as your soul, your essence goes beyond your appearance and personality to who you really are. It is the true You that is always at one with creation. Rather than looking outward for approval, attention, riches, etc., get in touch with the wealth of wisdom and love within your soul. This is best done in a state of stillness, such as meditation or quiet contemplation. When you remember your essence, you deepen your connection with God, thus tapping into the infinite source of joy and love.

Be Thankful
As humans, we often fall into the habit of comparing ourselves with others, and focusing on what we're lacking. These comparisons, and the sense of lack, can leave us feeling dissatisfied and spiritually disconnected. But gratitude has a way of bringing our focus to what is truly important. It softens the heart, letting contentment and joy enter the soul. Count your blessings every day, no matter how small that blessing may seem. Make it a habit to say "thank you" to God when you awaken in the morning. Focus on what is good in your life, rather than falling into the habit of comparing.

Find Happiness in All You Do
When we think of happiness, we tend to equate it with tasks or activities that bring us enjoyment. But spiritual happiness and fulfillment can be cultivated even during the most menial or difficult tasks. Think of it this way...if you're going to be doing something, you can do it with resentment and complaints, or with cheerfulness. When you do things with an enthusiastic, sincere heart, greater spiritual happiness will come into your life.

Have a Sense of Humor
Having a good sense of humor helps us have a more positive outlook toward life. It can help us relate better with others, be better problem solvers, and allow us to access joy even during the most painful times. Having a sense of humor is not the same as laughing off, or ignoring one's problems. Instead, it loosens the rigidity within when we feel burdened or overwhelmed, allowing our outlook on life to be more light and flexible. It also helps us to not take ourselves too seriously. Think about the things in life that make you happy, look for the humor in life, and allow yourself to laugh.

The gift of spiritual happiness comes to us through greater understanding of who we are, and a deeper, more expanded awareness.Open your heart to this gift of happiness and allow your light to shine.
Recommended book: Choosing Happiness: Life And Soul Essentials by Stephanie Dowrick

Here is little something for everyone whose spirit guide is a cat...

"Nava-ratri" literally means "nine nights." This festival is observed twice a year, once in the beginning of spring and again at the onset of autumn.

What's the Significance of Navratri?
During Navaratri, we invoke the energy aspect of God in the form of the universal mother, commonly referred to as "Durga," which literally means the remover of miseries of life. She is also referred to as "Devi" (goddess) or "Shakti" (energy or power). It is this energy, which helps God to proceed with the work of creation, preservation and destruction. In other words, you can say that God is motionless, absolutely changeless, and the Divine Mother Durga, does everything. Truly speaking, our worship of Shakti re-confirms the scientific theory that energy is imperishable. It cannot be created or destroyed. It is always there.

Why Worship the Mother Goddess?
We think this energy is only a form of the Divine Mother, who is the mother of all, and all of us are her children. "Why mother; why not father?", you may ask. Let me just say that we believe that God's glory, his cosmic energy, his greatness and supremacy can best be depicted as the motherhood aspect of God. Just as a child finds all these qualities in his or her mother, similarly, all of us look upon God as mother. In fact, Hinduism is the only religion in the world, which gives so much importance to the mother aspect of God because we believe that mother is the creative aspect of the absolute.

Why Twice a Year?
Every year the beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are two very important junctures of climatic change and solar influence. These two junctions have been chosen as the sacred opportunities for the worship of the divine power because:
(1) We believe that it is the divine power that provides energy for the earth to move around the sun, causing the changes in the outer nature and that this divine power must be thanked for maintaining the correct balance of the universe.
(2) Due to the changes in the nature, the bodies and minds of people undergo a considerable change, and hence, we worship the divine power to bestow upon all of us enough potent powers to maintain our physical and mental balance.

Why Nine Nights & Days?
Navaratri is divided into sets of three days to adore different aspects of the supreme goddess. On the first three days, the Mother is invoked as powerful force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects. The next three days, the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees the inexhaustible wealth. The final set of three days is spent in worshipping the mother as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order have all-round success in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the divine mother; hence, the worship for nine nights.

Why Do You Need the Power?
Thus, I suggest you join worshipping "Ma Durga" during the Navaratri. She will bestow on you wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, knowledge, and other potent powers to cross every hurdle of life. Remember, everyone in this world worships power, i.e., Durga, because there is no one who does not love and long for power in some form or the other.

Navaratri in Haidakhan Babaji Tradition
The followers of Haidakhan Babaji, who is believed to be incarnation of God Shiva, celebrate Navaratri the way He instructed us. Here, in Osijek, in Haidakhandi Love Center, celebrations are held every day in the morning (Yagya - a ceremony of Sacred Fire and offerings made to God and Goddess through that fire, Arati - daily offering of the Light to Deities and Paduka Puja - giving respect to Guru's feet by making different offerings) and evening (reading of Sapta Shati - scripture describing glories of Divine Mother and Arati - daily offering of the Light to Deities). I wish you all a special Navaratri, all the blessings of all forms of Divine Mother, Goddess, Durga, Shakti or however you would call Her............. Om Dum Durgayei Namaha.......


Thank you Ram for sharing with  us a glimpse into the Navaratri celebration in Osijek Love Centre