Traditions

Eucharistic Justice Liturgy

A beautiful liturgy of justice and welcome which can be found in The Eucharist: Bodies, Bread, & Resurrection by Andrea Bieler. Sunshine sent this in around Christmas last year and I (hellaD) am just getting around to sharing it with you all now. The ritual of speaking from the elements is very powerful and the call to a table set and waiting resonates deeply in all of us. The community and communion of breaking bread together is very important to all of humanity. Even if you are not a Christian, or even religious, this liturgy will demonstrate the power of a long awaited meal, shared together with deep respect for the bread and the mystery of soil and elements which come together to provide the bread in the first place.

The Sema Ceremony (Whirling Dervish)

The Sema Ceremony (Whirling Dervish)

I have pulled out some excerpts from Sema: Human Being in the Universal Movement (Text by Dr. Celaleddin Celebi, illustrations by Ingrid Schaar) which will help to explain the Sema Ceremony of whirling. At the end it explains briefly how to twirl like a dervish and tap into the energy of nature, ple ...

The Basics of Spirituality

The Basics of Spirituality

One should not pass over these things, simply saying they are food. They are in reality a complete civilization. -Abdulhak Sinasi, Camlicadaki Enistemiz (1944) I really like the philosophy and spirituality of the Mevlevi (a Sufi brotherhood which originated in the Seljuq period, under Mevlana Ja ...

Sima – Finnish Mead

As I started writing up this article on sima I realized my timing couldn’t be be better. Vappu is only a week away. Just enough time to brew up my first batch of the year. It brings back a flood of memories of my time in Finland.

Sima is a Finnish homemade mead, and is the traditional drink for their Vappu holiday, which falls on May 1st. The holiday itself is quite a mix match of different traditions. Originally there was a pagan celebration at this time, involving the lighting of bonfires and the welcoming of spring. With the coming of Christianity the same holiday was used instead to honour a Saint Walpurga, while still keeping some of the old traditions. Later on it became a day associated with political, religious, and student activism, including marches, demonstrations and speeches. Today it is a mix of all these things, and the holiday typically involves music and picnic feasts in the park by day, and bonfires, partying and drinking by night. And so with that bit of background here is my recipe.

Movement – Tai Chi, Walking, Dance, Yoga…

Movement – Tai Chi, Walking, Dance, Yoga…

Any kind of movement will help to detox your tissues, especially if you work up a sweat! The breathing and moving help get your lymphatic fluid and circulation flowing. I have always loved walking just to get somewhere, or see a city, as well as a therapeutic method of letting events work themsel ...

Susan Weed Interviews Sally Fallon

Susan Weed Interviews Sally Fallon

This is just a quick post because I have just discovered Susan Weed's site Wise Women Weblog and her radio show where she interviews empowering women. Sally Fallon has been one of my heroes ever since I first picked up her cookbook Nourishing Traditions in 2001. Reading her book finally made nutriti ...

April Health Horoscope

April Health Horoscope

My Healthy Options magazine arrived with this health horoscope for April 2010. I found it to be right on track with many points I have been pondering lately about rituals, healing and detoxification. Given that I am in the process of posting about various detoxing methods, this message fits right in ...

Oil Pulling Detox

Oil Pulling Detox

I first read of this unusual healing technique in Moon Time: The Art of Harmony with Nature and Lunar Cycles by Johanna Paungger and Thomas Poppe when I first moved to New Zealand. At that time for some reason I couldn't get my hands on cold-pressed sunflower or sesame oil and didn't get a chanc ...

Lady Day – Feminine Resurrection

Lady Day – Feminine Resurrection

I was just looking over some posts from last year and found this in a post about seeds, seasons, rebirth and resurrection: Lady Day, the 25th of March, was a very ancient celebration of the Great Rite, or the holy marriage. In the legends of ancient Sumer, Inanna descends to the underworld on the ...

Methods of Detoxification

Methods of Detoxification

"There are numerous ways in which the body rids itself of harmful materials, metabolic products and radiation. The liver, kidneys, intestine, skin, lungs -- all work in concert to rid us of everything harmful and superfluous. Anything that strengthens these organs is also strengthening the capacity ...