The Mysterious Ballachulish Goddess

    All hail the Ballachulish Goddess!!  This morning I saw an amazing photo posted on Facebook by one of my favorite authors and Goddess thealogy scholars, Patricia Monaghan, of an ancient Goddess statue.  The Ballachulish Goddess was discovered in a peat bog near Loch Leven, Scotland  in 1880.  Her delicately carved four foot tall oak body, with inset quartz stone eyes was perfectly preserved for more than 2500 years in the "tomb" of peat.  Carved between the years of 730-520 B.C.E, and encased in a shrine casing of wicker; she was buried at an important, yet dangerous crossing.  I have never heard of Her, and I have many questions.  Who buried her? Was she ritually buried or perhaps hidden?  There is more mystery surrounding her, than facts.  I could not resist writing about a good mystery!!  This rich landscape of Loch Leven would probably have been able to support an agricultural society 4000-6000 years ago.   Ancient depictions of the Divine Feminine have been found on every continent, except Antarctica; and the Ballachulish Goddess is the oldest human-like figure uncovered in Scotland.  She is presumed to be a fertility figure, as many of the feminine statues are in this patriarchal age.  I did an internet search, and other than an account of the excavation, including some Christian rhetoric from 1880, there is little information.  I intend to do some more research soon.
     Another mysterious Goddess roamed these lands, the Celtic hag, the Cailleach, meaning veiled one.  A nearby mountain, Beinn a' Bheithir is named for Her.  The Irish and Scottish lore surrounding the Cailleach are marvelous.  She was a crone Goddess, manifesting winter wind and snowstorms.  She farmed and was a spinner, and challenged people to out-do Her in the fields or at the wheel. She was the winner in these contests, and collected many young lovers, and offerings of wool laid on hearths all over the land. She was born old at Samhain and became young by Beltane, or shape-shifted into a moist boulder.  In some stories she was replaced  by the maiden Goddess, Brigit in the spring season.    As the wheel of the year turned, the Cailleach was once again, riding her wild pigs, and wolves, navigating through blinding snow-storms with only one eye. She often carried a magical slachdan made of aspen wood, similar to a shaman's staff, to challenge hunters for Her deer, bring frost over all the land and to both heal and curse.  In some stories it was made of iron.  She dropped boulders from Her apron, creating mountains and there were numerous man-made and natural shrines to her.  She was also Sovereignty, and kings had to lie with an old hag, seeing through to Her inner beauty, and power, to prove they could reign.
    In one of the legends, she forces a hunter to tie up his hunting dogs with one of her hairs.  She then attacks him and says, " Long have you been the devoted enemy of my persecuted sisterhood." Such is the struggle between crones, and man, for all time.  The Cailleach was thought to be as old as time, She was Creatrix of the landscape, and her very breath was the wind. The Celts took up worship of Her, already an ancient Goddess, when they came to the area now known as Scotland and Ireland; but it is unknown how long She was worshiped before that. The Christian Church attempted to wipe out worship of the Divine Feminine, but the Crone was too big for that!  Even into the 19th century, the Cailleach was said to bring the end of winter snow squalls, save young boys that slipped from the mountains, foil hunters in their chase, and sing to people nearing death. 
    So I wonder, is the Ballachulish Goddess really a maiden or mother Goddess, holding a phallus near her womb?  Or is she wielding, a slachdan?  Perhaps, she is the even more ancient representation of the Crone Goddess; power and wise fierce beauty, lifted from her dark grave, so we can once again share in Her many mysteries!!!

The Ballachulish Goddess currently resides at The National Museum of Scotland, in Edinburgh

Four foot tall and deteriorated since discovery

Sources: The Goddess Path, Patricia Monaghan, and Max Dashu's Crones at http://www.suppressedhistories.net/secrethistory/crones.html

Bald Eagle Messages

      I have heard the sacred call of birds my entire life. I always remember watching birds, lying for hours on my bed observing the bird feeder, trying to catch them, and feeling I was very much like a bird.  I spent much of my childhood flying in my dreams nearly every night.  I did not know of astral travel at the time, but upon awakening I was so convinced I could fly, my mother was afraid I would jump from a tree.  I enjoyed the peace, solitude, and height of my favorite maple tree, but never considered jumping.  I now believe my tree retreat was my innate way of grounding myself in the solid branches, and firm roots deeply reaching into the earth, after a night of soaring the heavens.  I will write much more about this, and my connection with many birds in future posts, as it is a key to my spiritual evolution.
      My recent call from the avian world is from the Bald Eagle.  I have to admit, this very majestic, powerful and high-flying medicine is overwhelming to me.  I feel unworthy, but I have to follow this path.  When I speak of "Medicine," I refer to the Native American meaning;  connection with the Great Spirit, and all of creation, to heal the body, mind and soul.  I  discovered eagle-cams last year.  They are growing in number around the country to monitor eagle nests, and provide a window into the lives of these amazing raptors.  I was amazed at the thousands of people who like me, watched the eagle parents  rearing eaglets on towering nests of sticks eighty feet in the air.  This technology is miraculous!  I held my breath as the eaglets with unsteady, gangly bodies, so close to the edge of the nest, swayed  to and fro in high winds.   I cried at the sheer strength and commitment  of the Eagle parents; their protective wings covered with new-fallen snow.   Eagle-cam addicts, myself included,  sobbed when we heard a mother eagle we had been following in Norfolk collided with an airplane while her chicks were still in the nest.  I took many notes of Bald Eagle habits hoping to write an article,  possibly a poem, or a song, about their lessons for me, and the world.  I did not write about them, other than in my journal.  Life gets in the way sometimes. 
      I have seen bald eagles in the wild a few times in flight.  It is always a special treat, the energy it gives me sustains my spirit for weeks.  However, in the past three weeks I have seen a Bald Eagle three times near my home, and during meditation have been visited by what at first appeared as the piercing eye of an unknown raptor.  I now know her as an eagle, and when asked what I should call her, she responded, Nila. The name means she who succeeds or acquires.  She does not say much, but watches, peering into my soul with eyes that see everything.  I have prayed for wisdom, to find my way, for understanding of the call inside me that I cannot explain, but must be answered.  She tells me to sit in Spirit, ask for help, and appreciate the guidance I have been given throughout my entire life from my guides.  She tells me to study, think and meditate, and to be in communication with them often.  She says I am on the right path, I must believe her.  

       Bald Eagles have been revered and used as symbols of power the world over.  They have always been used by shamans to see above the mundane, view the big picture, and connect with the Divine.  In Native American tradition they are believed to be messengers from Spirit, their feathers have strong healing powers, and their strength gives courage to soar above,  while remaining connected to the earth and the Source.  Eagle medicine has the power to transform dreams to reality, with hard work, and  higher intentions than ego.  Eagles are the king of birds, but they live in delicate balance with all life.  Soaring on unseen currents of air, slowly spiraling higher and higher, it appears easy.  Perhaps with keen awareness, developed perceptions that reach inward and ever upward; with humility and faith we can all rise to the call of Bald Eagle.
     Yesterday morning, while on my long commute home from work. I spotted a Bald Eagle perched high in a tree along the frozen banks of Lake Champlain.  I rolled down the windows of the truck, and inched as close as possible, trying not to disturb.  She turned her head around to look at the truck, but continued viewing the entire landscape from her lofty branch.  I sat in awe for nearly ten minutes, until she lifted off the branch with wings outstretched, slowly lifting into flight.  Never had I seen an Eagle's flight so closely.  How fortunate I was to have witnessed this, and even snapped a few photos with my phone. 
     Yesterday evening I received a call from my family. It was a message of bad news, of which I will write later.  I am reeling, feel powerless, afraid, aware that I will need to leave the solitude of my beloved home in Vermont to travel to be with my parents.  I am almost numb this morning with the weight of it.  Everything I worried of yesterday before the news is washed away with my tears. A new perspective, indeed.
       I recall when my mom and I saw a Bald Eagle, a few years ago, flying over the car, on the bridge to the island.  It was her first, and I believe her only sighting, and we gasped and pointed and reached out hand in hand  to connect in the moment.   We both cherish that memory.  With tears of remembrance falling onto my keyboard; I pray for strength of Eagle, swift, easy flight of healing energy and the wisdom and love of all my companions.

Bald Eagle spotted January 20, 2012 in Alburgh, Vermont.

A is for Alchemy!!

    I am participating in the Pagan Blog Project.  Every week a large group of pagans from around the world will post to their blogs a topic of their choice starting with a letter.  This week is an A week.  I am amazed about all I did not know, and probably never will know about alchemy.  I decided on the name of my blog after  several days of thinking and meditating on the subject.  The name Of Eskies and Alchemy just "came to me" after meditating, and communicating briefly with a newly discovered spirit guide.  I will write more on spirit guides, and how they help me later.  I could not get the name out of my head, kept coming back to it, even though it is rather unusual.  I also kept thinking of integration in relation to my spiritual path.  Before I researched alchemy, I thought it was only to make something mundane special or different.  I was attracted to this because of my natural whimsy.   I was of course, aware of the esoteric nature of the study of alchemy, and also imagined ancient bearded men boiling substances in flasks.  So, in researching my first topic for the project, I am overwhelmed, excited, and prickling with psychic energy about alchemy.  This brief post will be only the beginning of my posts on alchemy.  I promise not to bore you.  Where to start??
      Alchemy is defined in Websters as, "Medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve transmutation of the base metals into gold; the discovery of a universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means to indefinitely prolong life.  A power or process of transforming something common into something special."  
The first known alchemists were Egyptian, however there is record of the study of alchemy all over the world.  Probably the best known, were the European alchemists searching for the Philosopher's Stone in the 17th century.   This stone, once created, could remove impurities from anything, including people.  To discover it, would be like finding the fountain of youth.  Even Issac Newton was an alchemist.  According to his journals, he was fascinated with having power over nature, and studied alchemy, although it became illegal at that time.  Authorities were worried about counterfeit of lesser metals, being sold as gold or silver.  I have to wonder though, if they were not also concerned about the spirituality of alchemical  pursuits not aligning with church doctrine.  
       Alchemy was not just scientific experiments performed in test tubes.  The scientists meditated on the results of an experiment, focusing on colors, and mundane and mystical animals to represent the steps.  A discovery that did not include changes to the very soul of a scientist could not be proven.  The inner awakenings  were as important as the physical results. The steps built on each other, and were documented in a lustrous code of symbols and pictures. 
     Alchemy was, and still is, a way for humans to seek their place in the universe.  Through attention to our spiritual hunger we can be forged, as if anew, in the great cauldron of life.  The great alchemists never found the secret to the Philosopher's Stone, but they gave themselves time and space to search into the blackness for a spark of light.  They integrated the spiritual and the physical worlds with a sense of wonder and awe.  They understood the connections, and the grandeur of infinite possibilities within change. 
       "Alchemy is truly the art of becoming allied to the full spectrum of life-forms, from mineral to spirit worlds", as defined by the Celtic Philosopher Caitlin Matthews in, Singing the Soul Back Home.  What a WOW moment when I read this.  My blog name is exactly what I needed and wanted, and I did not even realize it.  Life just works that way sometimes.  I got an answer, and I did not even know the full breadth of the question.  
With humility, and a wish for many more moments like this, I am again - in awe.

Please visit http://www.alchemywebsite.com for an unbelievable amount of information on alchemy.

From Museum Hermeticum, Frankfurt, 1625

    
     

    

Birthdays!!

     I am celebrating my 42nd birthday today!  I am feeling older, but not that old!  I have always liked celebrating anything, birthdays included.  I have always wondered though, why we don't really celebrate the mother of the person who was birthed??  For, the mother is the one who made it all possible.  In my case, my mother was young, alone in the delivery room, scared, yet very excited to meet me.  I really was a wrinkled, smooshed, pasty infant, (luckily my looks improved), but my mother says I was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen; and she named me Heather.  This Gaelic name of our heritage, was in fact perfect for me, and she decided on it against the wishes of others.  She also decided to breast-feed me.  This was not popular during that time, all her older sisters were against it, as well as all the nurses at the hospital, save one.  Fortunately, this older nurse helped my mother, and encouraged her.  I have kept this in my mind throughout my years of nursing, because mothers do know best!!  The birthing is only the beginning of what mothers do for their children.  I love her so much, and appreciate all she has done for me.  I am so thankful to have more and more interests to talk about with my mom as the years go by.  She is just as weird as me, or am I as weird as her? So today as I look out the window at the falling snow, munch on mini-cupcakes, and reflect on what fun I will conjure up for my next 42 years; I salute the one who made it all possible, my MOM!!

My mom and I at the Tower of London, on her 60th birthday!

I'm a Blogger??

       For some time I have considered blogging.  Finally, I was inspired to start a blog because of the new year, and the start of The Pagan Blog Project.  One of my heart's desires for the year is to write more.  A weekly commitment to writing with a group of pagans is a perfect way for me to meet my goal, focus my studies, and share a bit of my life with the world. 
       I am fortunate to have had many chances to "re-invent" my life.  My struggles have shaped me, and my gifts have blessed me with an ability to see the Divine connection with All there is, and ever was.  Today, I am happier, and more at peace than I have ever been.  I make a conscious effort to surround myself with love, beauty and the wonders of the natural world.  This allows me to do difficult work as a pediatric nurse, and to see beyond the barrage of chaotic distractions of modern society.  For there is so much to enjoy before our very eyes, if we could try to See!  Whispers of the past and future, offer solace and wholeness  during troubling times, if we would only Listen!  We can experience the rhythms of the earth, and the moon, like our ancient ancestors, if we would only STOP and Feel!  
       For all of you reading this who are not pagan, no problem.  What I plan to share with you in this blog is not just "woo-hoo"; and for me it is not a religion.  I am definitely a confessed spiritual  tree-hugger, but am also very grounded in reality.  What I Know is, we are all connected in the cosmic web of life.  Our societal disconnect with this concept leads to war, famine, and incredible pain and suffering.  In our daily lives this disconnect leads to depression, fear, feeling scattered and alone.  I have learned and re-learned, what I knew innately as a small child.  We are all in this together, and We are so much more than we imagine.  Over the next year I will share my perceptions of the world, through my eyes, and the eyes of the many companions who accompany me on my spiritual path.  With introspection, keen awareness, and always a hint of whimsy, I am now a blogger!

Pagan Blog Project
http://onewitchsway.com/pbp2012/