Today's Goddess: THE EARTHLY MOTHER

New Year of the Trees (Isreal)
Themes: Nature; Earth Awareness
Symbols: Trees

About The Earthly Mother: This Essene Goddess embodies nature and teaches us
how to live in harmony with the earth. The Essenes portray her with the
elements personified as four angels (earth, air, fire, water) plus two
companions named Joy and Life, all helping the Earthly Mother in her work.
What a magickal blend to bless and energize this first month!

To Do Today: In the spirit of making every day Earth Day, why not launch the
new year by giving something back to the earth in the tradition of the
Isrealites? Today (the fifteenth day of Shebat on the Hebrew calendar),
plant a tree to rejuvinate the land. If you wish, name the tree after a
deceased loved one, as the Isrealites do. According to lore, doing so brings
that person peace in the afterlife.

If your location or finances don't allow for tree plantings, just water a
tree. By doing so you symbolically feed the whole earth. Sit down for a
moment or two afterward and meditate. Feel the rich soil beneath you, and
feel how it nourishes and enriches all living things including you.

Finally, as you're walking around, pick up any stone that catches your eye.
Put it in your pocket to carry a piece of the Earthly Mother with you as a
gentle reminder that the earth is a sacred, living thing that blesses us
daily.
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By Patricia Telesco From "
<http://www.amazon.<WBR>com/exec/<WBR>obidos/ASIN/<WBR>0062515683/<WBR>o/qid=967872373/<WBR>sr=8-1/re
f=aps_sr_b_1_<WBR>3/102-7095949-<WBR>1804962> 365 Goddess" and GrannyMoon's Morning
Feast