Fate and Destiny

I've been thinking a lot about Fate recently. There are numerous goddesses (and they always seem to be goddesses) associated with Fate: the Greek Moirai, the Roman Parcae, the Norse Norns. I think it's a human thing to wonder if the events that transpire in our lives are part of some greater purpose. Or to shift blame from our own choices and actions onto the notion that something was meant to be. It's both an explanation of why things happen, and a means of absolution.

The goddesses of Fate are three, representing past, present, and future; birth, life, death. They are weavers of the threads of life: one spins, one measures, one cuts. They are independent of the gods, and indeed the gods themselves cannot avoid their decrees.

"Nothing happens without a reason," is a popular saying. As an optimistic person who tries to find whatever good can be taken from a situation, I've tended to believe this. It can be difficult to see in the moment, but more often than not, when something in my life changes and I look back upon the series of events that led up to it, there does seem to be an underlying purpose. Or perhaps it's just my desire to believe that even seemingly random events are not random at all.

The notion of destiny is a little frightening, in my view. I have always believed in free will. Circumstances, geography, birth, determine where you begin, and play a part in where you go, but it's impossible to discount the impact our choices and behavior have on our lives. I can't believe that we are powerless to change the course of our lives.
People are inherently unpredictable. The randomness with which one might turn right instead of left, or leave thirty minutes later, or turn away at the moment when eyes might meet - it's hard to imagine that Fate can control all of these seemingly insignificant instances that can change the course of events in a heartbeat.

On the other hand, maybe there doesn't need to be a distinction between free will and Fate. Perhaps we're free to choose what we will, but certain key pieces of our lives - people we meet, places we go, skills we learn - are inevitable. In the last few years I've been more and more inclined to believe it. It's true that I've deliberately taken steps toward everything that now makes up my life, but there's also an odd sense of destiny about how it's all ended up. Particularly in recent days, I can't shake the notion that somehow everything has been moving toward this moment.

Is it possible that every decision I've made has somehow led me here, not by random happenstance but by design?

Norns only know. But it's fascinating to contemplate.

Ostara - Vernal Equinox

I started this blog with the intention of posting something every day, no matter how trivial. It is an exercise in discipline...unfortunately, I've never been one for discipline. 

In any case, the first full day of Spring has arrived, and what a lovely morning it is. This, after six weeks of strangely spring-like weather through February and the first part of March, and then it turned cold and snowed for two days. Gotta love it. 

Still, this being Colorado, the snow flurries yesterday died off mid-morning and even the frost had melted from the streets and cars by 10 am. Soon enough the sun was out and it became a beautiful sunny day, if a bit colder than it's been. Nevertheless it was a fine day and inspired Round One of Spring Cleaning. Clearing out the dust of winter, changing out snow-themed decorations for flowers and greens, is one of my favorite tasks. I know... kind of sad that I enjoy cleaning as much as I do. I think it's less the activity than the sense of accomplishment when it's done. 

Also, a clean house. I'm not as OCD as my mother was, but I definitely have a touch of it. 

http://www.justshortofcrazy.com/natural-dyed-easter-eggs/

At the end of the day I decided to color some eggs. I have always loved this tradition and a few years ago, I found some great ideas for naturally colored eggs, rather than those Paas kits we used when I was growing up. Turns out all you need is a cup of a coloring agent and a tablespoon of vinegar. I took some of my ideas from the gal at left (see caption for link to page), and also made up a great pink color with the last of the red curry I brought back from Tanzania a decade ago. I'm still waiting for the blueberry to get a little deeper. 

Trick if you use this method: do not do as the author did in her illustrative pictures, and put your eggs in mason jars. I tried that with two of my batches (blueberry and coffee) and they became mottled on one side. I'm not positive it was the crowding in the mason jar that did it, but I've done this before, always in bowls, and it never happened before. So I will draw the connection there. Use bowls. 

Eggs are of course a prime sign of fertility, birth, beginnings. Coloring them is an ancient tradition. I'm not sure where it originated, but it certainly does evoke the new color and growth that marks this season.  The Equinox marks the day when the hours of daylight and night are equal, the world in balance. From here the days become longer, stretching into the glorious long days that are summer. It's a time to celebrate the awakening of the Earth. Already trees are in bud (or bloom!), flowers are poking their heads above ground, grass is greening, and I even found a few new dandelions in my yard last week. 

Note: leave your dandelions for a while. They are among the first new blooms for bees. The greens are edible (if a bit bitter), and you can make oil and a soothing salve from the flowers. I made one last year that was a bit too greasy for my liking, and will look for a different recipe this year. I'll share it if I find a good one!

It's a funny thing that all my life, I have loved Autumn the best of all the seasons, but in recent years it's Spring that has brought me the most joy. Perhaps it's because Winter can be so long and cold and difficult to get around that the warming of the land is more inspiring than it was in my youth. Perhaps it's because the closer I get to death myself, the more I appreciate the notion of returning life over impending death. 

In any case, Spring is here, and it is beautiful, and it needs to be celebrated as a time of rebirth and new beginnings. In the Wiccan tradition this holiday is called Ostara, and there will be posted in coming days a thousand memes about Ishtar being the original Easter and how that Christian holiday is really a pagan holiday, but I don't want to get into all that. Besides, the Christian holiday is pretty clearly aligned with the Jewish feast of Passover, which is when Jesus' crucifixion is said to have happened. The theme of 'rebirth' is pretty clear in both cases. 

There are a number of ways to mark the day. I have been a little under the weather in recent days, so I slept too late to go watch the sunrise at the park of standing stones, but I'll go down for the sunrise tonight. Decorating the house with flowers and fresh greens is always a positive way to mark the change. If you have a yard, now is the time to clear out dead leaves and branches and think about what you'll do with the garden this year. 

If you want to do a little magic, a simple rite would be to take a white egg and write your wishes for the coming year on it, in the color that reflects your desire. Bury it in the garden, plant a flower above it, and watch it grow. 

Idun

Idun is a Norse goddess. Keeper of the apples of youth, she doles out the fruits that keep the gods vigorous and healthy. She is married to Bragi, the bard and poet of the gods. Her origins are a bit fuzzy, but some say she is the daughter of the dwarf Ivaldi and the elf Hildegrun.

The most famous story involving Idun is that of her kidnapping. It begins with an adventure in which Odin, Loki, and Honir were traveling about in Midgard. One night as they cooked an ox for their dinner, an eagle came to rest in the tree above them. It declared itself hungry and asked the gods for some of their meat. They agreed, but the eagle ate so much that Loki became angry and seized up a wooden staff to impale the creature.

At that moment it became clear the eagle was not an ordinary bird but the Jotun, Thiazi. Thiazi took flight, and Loki found his hands stuck fast to the staff so that he could not free himself. Thiazi then in his eagle-form took Loki on a merry ride, bashing him against rocks and scraping him along tree branches until Loki begged for mercy. Thiazi said he would let him go, but at a price: Loki must fetch Idun and her apples out of Asgard. Battered and exhausted, Loki agreed.


Loki returned to Asgard and told Idun he had seen a tree in Midgard with apples like hers. Idun, curious, agreed to bring some of her own apples to compare them, and accompanied Loki over the Bifrost to Midgard. Thiazi was waiting, and swooped Idun up in his eagle form, whisking her away to his fortress in Jotunheim.



Idun's absence was noted immediately; before long, the gods began to succumb to the process of aging. Suspicion fell upon Loki, who soon admitted his role in her disappearance and, on pain of death, agreed to arrange her rescue. He borrowed Freyja's falcon skin and flew off to Thrymheim, Thiazi's fortress, in the form of that fast flyer. Finding Idun, he transformed her into a nut and grasped her in his falcon's talons to take her back to Asgard.

It wasn't long before Thiazi realized what had happened, and he took off after Loki at full speed. With his head start Loki was just barely able to outpace Thiazi in his eagle form, swooping and diving as he closed in on the walls of Asgard, Thiazi hot on his heels. The gods were waiting. As Loki crossed into the city, the gods set fire to a large bundle of wood they had piled up outside the walls. Thiazi's wings were burned in the flames and he fell to the ground, where the gods killed him.

So was Idun snatched away and returned.

The Lovers

6: The Lovers



The lovers stand naked under the blessing of the archangel Raphael. Cloaked in the purple of royalty and the warm glow of the sun, he bestows his blessings upon the couple below. The man stands before a tree of flames, representing passion; he looks at the woman, who stands before the tree of knowledge and the serpent of temptation; she in turn gazes up at the the angel. This represents the connection of the conscious (male) to the subconscious (female), which then looks above to the superconscious, the angel.

The Lovers typically signifies a relationship, often a very intense or serious one - marriage or a devoted mate. It indicates trust, harmony, attraction, close intimacy, a sexual relationship.

In addition to this (obvious) symbolism, this card also indicates a choice to be made. Most often, it is a serious choice, an important dilemma, something that challenges one's values and sense of self. It asks the seeker to carefully consider the consequences of any such choice before you, and reminds you to stay true to yourself. Examine your motives, feelings, and options.