The Bitten Usagi's Lair

This weeks post could easily be split into two parts but I'm going to try and keep it short.

The word divination comes from the word divinare which means "to foresee, to be inspired by a god".  Divination is used as a way to gain some insight into a situation or question a person has by reading signs.  Now the kind of signs one reads depends greatly on the kind of divination being used which is where this blog post could easily explode with too much information.

In ancient China they used Oracle Bones (here's my Asian Studies minor) where bones from oxen or a shell from a tortoise had the question carved into the bone or shell and it was then thrown into a fire and the way the bone or shell cracked was interpreted.  This was used mainly in the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC–1046 BC) which I think makes it a great example of how long divination has been used for.  The kinds have changed greatly over the years, though I'm not sure anyone really uses oracle bones anymore.

A few kinds of divination I can think of off the top of my head:

Runes, Tarot, Smoke scrying, clairvoyance and crystal gazing.

Which I knew wasn't much but those were the only ones I could think of so I went in search of a site that had several listed and found this website.

*waits for you to take a look*

Back?  Holy crap on a cracker were you as blown away as I was?  I knew that this could easily turn into a lengthy post or two or three but I was not expecting that at all!  It's fascinating isn't it?  I'm really only familiar with Tarot though I've heard of several others and seen them done but this list really blew be away!

As I said really I only know Tarot very well and even that isn't as much as I used to but I'm hoping to get back to it now that I have a deck of cards like my first.  Too many think that a card reading will flat out tell you what to choose or whatnot but it's not like that.  I have a hard time explaining it but I'm hoping to get it down on paper for later in the year when we do T as this is definitely a blog post in itself for me.  See how I've mentioned it two weeks now?  In my crystals post and this one and I'm sure it will creep into others as they really mean a lot to me and are a must have. ^w^

Do you do any kind of divination?  If so, what kind?  Are there any you're interested in?

A woman looked at the layout of tarot cards, examining the over all feel of the results of the question from the young brunette woman sitting across from her.  The young girl was nearly trembling, her question of great importance in her life and the results of this reading could very well change her decision and even her life.  The woman doing the reading held a crystal in her hand tightly as she began to tell the woman what each card meant and as she began to talk of how it related to the young woman's problem the crystal began to warm in her hand, letting her know she was on the right track.  She could see the answers and realizations forming in the young girl's eyes as she patiently listened to her.  The crystal continued to warm in her hand until she could feel the warmth deep down within her.

Crystals are often used for healing and protection but first we need to figure out what is a crystal.

Crystals are the raw form of some gemstones but not all gemstones form from crystals.  Some gemstones that do form from crystals are different kinds of quartz, amethyst, rubies, diamonds, emeralds, topaz and sapphires.  These are their raw form, having not been shaped or polished.  They often look like this before being broken apart and shaped into a stone we often see in jewelry and have inclusions and a asymmetric and geometric appearance:

They can be used for many things other than just looking beautiful.  Here are some uses for some of the ones I mentioned earlier:

Amethyst:  Protection and increasing intuition

Emerald:  Clear emotional blockages and understanding life changes.

Diamond:  "Essence of the stars"

Yellow or Gold Topaz:  Removing artistic blocks and allowing creativity through (poo now I have a new appreciation for my birthstone, lol)

Blue Topaz:  Clarity of thought and clears communication

Now each has many more uses and there are many more colors and kinds of crystals but it would take a lot more time than I have to include all of that here.  Plus I wanted to explain my first experiences with crystals and what I use mine for.

I was still fairly new to a lot of this when my mother in law and I got to talking about them and that was when I found out how to tell if I crystal is right for you.  I'm not sure if this is how many others feel but it works for me and just like with Tarot cards I go for that which calls to me.  :D  You hold it in your hand and if you can feel something from it, a warmth, vibration, etc. then it will work well for you.  Together with this I use mine as the story above describes; a way to help when reading Tarot cards.  My MIL says she knows when she's on the right track when she can feel the crystal heating her palm and after finding a crystal I knew exactly what she was talking about.  Other than this use I really haven't used one for much else.

Do you use crystals?  What have you used them for?  Have you heard about finding a crystal that's right for you or using to aid divination?

So as you can tell, my post is a day late this week.  I was having problems with the post I wanted to write and then last night I just wasn't feeling it.  Then, today, as I'm describing to one of my best friends the snow that's currently falling, it hit me.

Calm.

The snow that we're getting right now are these big fluffy flakes that don't fall.  They float their way down to the ground.  Dancing together as they make their descent to join their brethren on the ground.  It's beautiful to watch and calms me all the way to the bone if only for moments before my son bonks his head on something and starts crying.

It's important to stop and observe things like a snowflake ballet outside your window, or listen to the rainfall, or even watch grass wave in the breeze.  Find what you think is calming and enjoy it (and I don't mean sitting around watching TV I'm talking about the kind of calm that you notice nothing but that for as long as you're able to do it and it's a calm that you can feel deep within you).  Let it calm you.  We are such a society of go, go, go, go, GO, GO, GOOOO that we too often forget that we need to stop and take it easy more often.  Stop worrying and let go.  Even just a few moments a day.  A couple friends recently posted a story on fb about a famous violinist that played in the subway for a day and shockingly few people stopped to take notice.  Some gave him money but didn't even stop to listen to the gift he was sharing.  Though interestingly enough children were craning their heads to see while parents rushed them by, ah kids, they are so much more in tune than us adults.

We gotta stop and enjoy life more often and let ourselves be calm.  Whether it's watching the snowflake ballet or watching a child take joy in something we take for granted (a new favorite of mine) we need to stop rushing and just be calm.

With that I share the Quiet Place in case you're having a hard time with this.  Tell me in the comments what you do or plan to do to calm down more often.  I'd love to hear what kind of things calm you down to your very core.

Go, but be calm.

^w~

I had really wanted to be much more prepared this week with an incredibly researched topic, but alas, I have an 8 month old.  This week I chose a topic close to my heart, the Goddess Brighid.

Brighid is also called by several other names (spellings); Bride, Brigit, Brigid, Brigitania and she is also known to Catholics, though, as Saint Brighid instead of a Goddess.  She is one of the most well known Goddesses and I'm sure many have heard about her as a holiday where many recognize her is fast approaching, Imbolc (or Imbolg, Candlemas, etc).

She is known as a Goddess of Hearth and Home as well as a Goddess of poetry and fire.  She is also associated with; childbirth, fertility, arts and crafts, education, healing, and psychic abilities. 

Brighid is of the Celtic tradition and she was the daughter of the Dagda and was betrothed and married to Bress, son of Elathan, of the Formors.  They had a son, Ruadan, who was killed which moved Brighid and Bress to create "keening", which is a vocal lament of mourning.

A symbol of the Goddess Brighid is Brighid's Cross which protects against fire and evil.  She is seen by many as the triple Goddess and often depicted as holding flames in her palms or surrounded by a fiery halo, though she is also associated with sacred wells and springs which may stem from her association with healing.

Brighid is a Goddess I feel a great connection to for many reasons.  I'll try to write more in a few days about Imbolc and activities and symbols of Brighid and Imbolc. ^_^

Artwork source: Pickled Pixie on deviantArt