The 12 days of Christmas-a little history lesson

I'm sure that many of you have heard the Christmas carroll, The Twelve Days of Christmas. If you are anything like me, you may have found this song to be....well....weird, to say the least. After all, what in the world or who came up with the lyrics because they sure didn't make sense or mean a thing to me. I found it to be quite confusing, almost like someone was on an acid trip or something. Do you know the history of the song? Well, I have found the answers to the quest that I was on and did some research about the song.

All in all, this song now takes on a new meaning to me. The lyrics are a secret code and now I will share the mystery of the lyrics with you. I hope you enjoy this brief lesson.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning, plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.


-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.-

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.


-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

I found this quite interesting and very enlightening and now I can understand how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish. Brightest Blessings! 

Dream Special going on now!

Be sure to check out my website: http://www.skycladdreams.com/ for a great special on dream interpretations. Only $8.00 and regularly $18.00! Gift certificates are available and make a unique gift. Hurry, this special will expire soon.

Don't forget to check out my online store. Right now there is a sale on candles, figurines, games and Christmas/Holiday items as well as a clearance on Fall/Halloween items. Please feel free to check it out.
Shipping is UPS. Brightest Blessings for a wonderful and safe Holiday season.

Mercury goes Retrograde.

Planet Mercury goes retrograde on 11/24/11. So what does this mean? Well, a little history is that ages ago, Mercury was in charge of carrying messages between the gods and goddesses, as well as between humanity (mortals) and the gods. In today's world, Mercury rules computers, phones, internet, correspondence - basically communication. You can see Mercury's influence on how you express yourself - by speech, texts, letters or handwriting. You can also feel the influence by the way you collect data. I, personally, never fail to cringe when I know Mercury is heading into a Retrograde....it means an increase in lost packages, communication failures such as lost emails and missing orders, and misunderstandings with family, friends, co-workers and customers. The effects of Mercury Retrograde can be maddening!

Retrograde means that it appears that the planet is moving backward. The good news is Mercury is only retrograde until the 13th of December. So what does this mean? What exactly happens when Mercury retrogrades? Pretty much it means to expect the unexpected. Appointments get missed, computers crash, you find the car you just purchased, during Mercury retrograde, is a lemon. The repair shop that had your car for a month sends it back still broken, There will be countless delays, cancellations and postponements. Don't fight them, although your frustration level and feeling of restlessness will be hard to cope with at times. This is a time where electronic devices may not work properly, may break, or may malfunction. (Cell phones, cars, machines, appliances, computers, etc). Letters, bills, notes, any communication with people may seem strained, delayed or misinterpreted. People may be in tense moods and you may find yourself desiring or wanting more solitude. You may experience problems or delays in travel/trips as well as with meetings and appointments. This is a time where communication and schedules can be compromised. This is not really a good time to sign contracts or make big purchases such as a car or appliance, hence things tend to break down or not function properly. Mercury is the ruling planet for industries such as sales, writing, marketing, public relations, postal and delivery services, and any transportation industry. (Mercury also rules the zodiac signs of Gemini and Virgo. If you are a Virgo who works for the complaint department of the phone company, go ahead and take that vacation! Just don't travel anywhere - your luggage is likely to get lost). People from your past may even tend to resurface and memories or past regrets may come from out of nowhere to haunt you. During Mercury retrograde, it's not uncommon that you are likely to bump into old friends that you haven't seen in years. Adopted children tend to find their birth parents during Mercury retrograde periods, or people locate their long lost siblings. Prosecutors often find clues to crimes that had previously remained unsolved for years. Mail that went astray weeks or even years ago shows up during Mercury retrograde.

If it is so troublesome, why then, would the Universe give us Mercury retrograde? Have you ever heard the expression - Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it? The basic principle of Mercury Retrograde is that Mercury has turned around to show us something, something we have missed somewhere and somehow. Sometimes, in order to move forward, it is necessary to backtrack, examine our mistakes, and change our path for the future. It is important for us to reconsider, repair, reflect, and reconnect. Mercury forces us to slow down and fix what's broken, and in doing so, realize what mistakes we have made. It also gives us the opportunity to complete all the old projects we have placed on the back burner, therefore clearing the way for new opportunities.

Mercury Retrogrades also tend to cause things to repeat. Avoid having surgery, getting dental work done, or signing divorce papers and contracts during Mercury Retrograde. If you do, you might find yourself doing that same painful thing over again! On the other hand, doing things that are good for you, fun, or affect your life, in a positive way, are excellent activities for Mercury Retrograde. Focus on eating healthy, exercising regularly, and learning a new skill in this period. Go to a movie, go dancing, or do something else that you would like to repeat again! Not only will you feel better, but on the next Mercury Retrograde you will feel compelled to return to that healthy and enjoyable living.

What to do during this time: Think about your past and how you feel about your current circumstances. Consider if you are happy in your current situation? If not, think of ways to change it. This is a time to rethink, reflect, research, revise, reschedule, redecorate and renew. (Keep the 'RE' in mind for the next few weeks). In regards to relationships and partnership matters, our thinking is turned inward. Re-evaluating a partnership and communication style within that relationship is wonderful use of this reflection period.

What not to do during this time: Not a good time for big purchases such as a home, car or electronics. These types of things/items will generally encounter major problems. Don't sign important contracts or paperwork. Try not to get upset over set backs. Expect them so when they happen, you're prepared. Keep cell phone charged, keep a can of fix a flat in the trunk, etc.

**Again, if you plan any travels, try to allow for extra time for any problems which might arise. Also, keep your electronic equipment tuned up and working well, and try and take it easy on your nervous system. The nervous system can be on over-drive during the mercury retrograde. So try and allow extra time for sleep and relaxation. Allow yourself to take some time off from tasks and do some favorite activity you haven’t done in a while.

Mercury retrograde is also a great time to get things done you may have been putting off, like cleaning or organizing and recycling old stuff you no longer need. It’s a time to finish tasks that were started and never went to completion, but it’s usually not a good time for starting new tasks. Brainstorming is easier to do at this time, but generally, things will have an easier time of getting started if you wait until Mercury goes direct on the 13th of December.

***Keep in mind that the affects of Mercury Retro's can be felt as early as three weeks before it actually happens and you can feel the effects after it goes Direct for a few weeks also. Blessed Be to all.

Yummy receipes for healthy eyes and vision

Here is a great article worth checking out especially if you want to see better. It won't happen overnight, but as you get into the habit of eating better and healthier, you'll see a difference after some time. This article has some scrumptious suggestions....and the pictures of the food.....I'm hungry already.

Read the article in full by clicking on the link:  http://shine.yahoo.com/event/vitality/delicious-recipes-for-healthy-eyes-and-vision-2569455/#photoViewer=1

If life is a game, then these are the rules.....

Written by Chérie Carter Scott:

Cherie was one of three sisters, who Chérie grew up in a wealthy, but turbulent home with an alcoholic mother and a high-powered father. From the outside, the family appeared to live a life of privilege, but behind closed doors, they dealt with her mother's violent mood swings, while she literally drank herself to death. While educated at some of the nation's finest schools, Chérie's dysfunctional family life left her struggling to find meaning in her life. After her father's death, she and her sisters found that they were disinherited. Life, as they had known it, was over.

Her traumatic childhood was the impetus for Chérie to look for answers to life's deepest questions. Here's how her experience led to the creation of the 10 Rules for Being Human: I realized that what I make of my life was up to me. I began to ask fundamental questions, "What is this notion of happiness? How do I create fulfillment? What is the purpose of life?"

In 1974, when I was 25 years old, I passed through a premature midlife crisis. I had pursued a career in teaching to please my mother, and then a career in acting to please myself... neither one really satisfied me, and I was confused about what was next. The suggestions I received from family and friends only exacerbated the confusion. I didn't know where to turn for answers and so I started to pray for guidance.

After several weeks, I received three clear "messages" from what divine source I was not really sure - that answered my questions. The first stated, "You are a catalyst for discovery." The second said, "You will work in growth and development." The third came through loud and clear, "You have a gift for working with people." I knew these three messages were the answers to my prayers, but I didn't know how to deploy them. These three "revelations" didn't point to an industry or provide me with a job description, so I was left trying to figure out what to do. I formulated a sentence: "I am a catalytic agent who works with people in their growth and development." From that moment on, the messages came to me on a regular basis. One day, I thought, "I have been asking for these answers my whole life, and finally they have been delivered to me." The Rules answered the fundamental question I'd asked, "What is the purpose of life?"

What she came up with is this:

You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called "life." Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or hate them, but you have designed them as part of your curriculum. Why are you here? What is your purpose? Humans have sought to discover the meaning of life for a very long time. What we and our ancestors have overlooked, however, in the course of this endless search, is that there is no one answer. The meaning of life is different for every individual. Each person has his or her own purpose and distinct path, unique and separate from anyone else's. As you travel your life path, you will be presented with numerous lessons that you will need to learn in order to fulfill that purpose. The lessons you are presented with are specific to you; learning these lessons is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life.

Once you have learned the basic lessons taught to you by your own body, you are ready for a more advanced teacher: the universe. You will be presented with lessons in every circumstance that surfaces in your life. When you experience pain, you learn a lesson. When you feel joy, you learn a different lesson. For every action or event, there is an accompanying lesson that must be learned. As you travel through your lifetime, you may encounter challenging lessons that others don't have to face, while others spend years struggling with challenges that you don't need to deal with. You may never know why you are blessed with a wonderful marriage, while your friends suffer through bitter arguments and painful divorces, just as you cannot be sure why you struggle financially while your peers enjoy abundance. The only thing you can count on for certain is that you will be presented with all the lessons that you specifically need to learn; whether you choose to learn them or not is entirely up to you.

The challenge of Rule Two, therefore, is to align yourself with your own unique path by learning your individual lessons. This is one of the most difficult challenges you will face in your lifetime, as sometimes your path will lead you into a life that is radically different from others. Don't compare your path to those around you and focus on the disparity between their lessons and yours. You need to remember that you will only be faced with lessons that you are capable of learning and are specific to your own growth. If you are able to rise to this challenge, you can unravel the mystery of your purpose and actually live it. You cease being a victim of fate or circumstance and become empowered—life no longer just "happens to you." When you are working toward fulfilling your true purpose, you discover astonishing gifts within yourself that you may have never known you have. This process may not be easy, but the rewards are well worth the struggle.

Here is an amazing (short) video full of things to think about and apply everyday to your life. Please take a moment to watch it. You will not be disappointed. http://www.thesearetherulesmovie.com/store