welcome to ur happy place for10/27! this week right of passage is everywhere it seems. here i am with my son, niko...
and he is, on samhain (say sow-inn), also know as halloween, going to begin a very big right of passage known as, the thirteen moons. it's a time in the pagan tradition for one who will spend the next thirteen moons studying, learning, practicing the teachings, ways, ceremonies, rituals of the path. he will be exposed to and integrate these ways so that they become a way of life and at the completion of the moons, approximately a year and a day he can then decide if this is a path he chooses to continue to walk.
because i'm pagan and my husband, dino is catholic, we are bringing up niko in both traditions so that he can learn both ways of understanding and practicing these faiths. yes it does make it interesting..and wonderful..niko begins this training just as he comes into his 13th year because it is such a significant time for a young man. i believe he needs to have a powerful , important and transformative right to undergo- a way to connect beyond the mundane to his original nature, to his spirit, and to his greater wisdom. boys today really don't have much in the deeper sense to usher them into young adulthood. our culture offers activities like joining sports teams, playing militaristic video games, boy scouts ... and then of course there's sex. way too much too soon! yikes! 
still i want him to have something that really connects him to himself beyond a mere party for crossing over the threshold of the big 13. so on the witches' new year (samhain) we'll begin. since ancient times, samhain has been more of a solemn, introspective time. it is said that this is the time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest..and a time to honor and celebrate our ancestors and loved ones no longer with us. so we will. we'll do a "dark circle" to see who from spirit might like to come visit and give us messages. as the year progresses, we'll move through the seasons and celebrate the wheel of the year: 8 holidays still honored today whose origins span back eons of time: samhain,(halloween), winter solstice ( on or around 12/21-22),imbolc (a fire festival for goddess brigit on /around 2/1-2/2), spring equinox ( on or around 3/21), beltane(may day), summer solstice (on or around 6/21-22), lughnasadh (a harvest festival on or around 8/1), autumn equinox (on or around 9/21).
if you'd like to learn more for curiosity sake..here are a couple of books: the wheel of the year by pauline campanelli, celebrate the earth by laurie cabot,paganism by joyce and river higginbotham.
the right of passage for nature is in full swing too. i'm seeing more and more barren trees, stripped to their core...no more frills, or decorated shells, they are preparing for the still times, the dark times, for the end of this year, for death. to our ancestors, the end of the harvest marked the end of the year. for us too, the approaching winter invites us to draw closer to our true form, to turn inward and to see what we could let die, let of of, say goodbye to. and what we might wish to bring back to life come spring... what new seeds we might wish to plant and nurture that are fresh and exciting to us. maybe in and around the costumes, carmel apples, candy corn and pumpkin carving this year, you'll take a moment to stand out among the moon and stars and listen..you never know who might want to say hello!
maybe too, you'll sit by the fire one night soon and watch the tree silhouettes wave to you through a darkened window. and maybe you'll have the courage to ask, what needs to die?
either way may the blessings of this time be with you!
ur happy place haiku:
death is never an ending
just another room
for our souls to travel through
and now some powerful words from a man who knows!
Why Men Need Yoga.
Yoga touches most of our sore points, which is why most people and especially men need Yoga. Men need to say "yes" to embracing a process that requires self acceptance and self approval. From my male viewpoint the hardest steps are the first ones that lead into a studio or a practice.
Most men are unconsciously tight towards exploring and experiencing something that they perceive to be for women or is a practice that goes against the concept of being manly and strong. To some degree the yoga community is to blame in that it markets Yoga in a way that looks difficult or unattainable.
Men are by and large unaware of their bodies needs, they have a desire to be strong and tough. A yoga practice will encourage them to explore body awareness and accept that they have weakness.
"Anybody can do yoga, all you need to do is breathe!" How many men and for that matter women do you know that appear invincible, independent, always in action and somehow suppressing their feelings, and when they do feel anxious they just shrug and say that is normal. Yoga will help YOU accept your vulnerability, encourage YOU to accept support, allow for the opportunity of introspection. From there our feelings can be embraced.
It's okay to be human and kind. It's okay to be strong and compassionate. Practicing yoga will provide tools for conscious breathing, movement begins the process, and the relaxation helps men to let go of perceived control.
So rather than than say no, say "yes."
YES, to giving something new a try, maybe more than once.
Yes, to perceiving yourself to be something you are not, it's okay if the older woman is stronger than you in the class.
Say, yes, and be humble, say yes to the fear that yoga or something like yoga may actually be good for you, and that you really enjoy it.
The world needs more men to to say something like, "I am compassionate and strong, I bravely acknowledge my entire self in loving care and I allow myself to cry." And before I watch the football, game or retire in front of the TV, "I will help with some household chores, like folding some clothes or starting the laundry."
om shanti to you all.
Ken Lidden
until next time...xx
until next time...xx
yoga sakti 
