Summer Solstice Sun at Stonehenge

The year moves swiftly! It is time to honor the longest day of the Sun. Summer Solstice 2019 in Northern Hemisphere will be at 9:54 a.m. on Friday June 21, Mountain Time. How will you celebrate the longest day?

The summer solstice is associated with change, fresh starts, and with a celebration of Nature.

Solstice comes from the Latin words sol, meaning Sun and sistere, meaning to come to a stop or stand still. On the day of the June solstice, the Sun reaches its northernmost position, as seen from the Earth. At that moment, its zenith does not move north or south as during most other days of the year, but it stands still at the Tropic of Cancer. It then reverses its direction and starts moving south again.

Traditionally, our Ancestors had huge celebrations for Summer Solstice – a gathering of the tribes or of the people. There were games and challenges and markets or fairs, and huge feasts to share and celebrate the bounty of Nature.

It was a time of creating new things, arranging new trade agreements, and a time of settling old scores in an attempt to move into peace.

Some quotes about Summer…

‘I am summer, come to lure you away from your computer… come dance on my fresh grass, dig your toes into my beaches.’ -Oriana Green
‘When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.’ -Wilma Rudolph
‘A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.’ -St. Francis of Assisi

Enjoy this day, and celebrate the Sun!

Judith

AUTHOR – Judith Hirst has been writing spiritual and technical blogs for the last thirteen years. She is a non-traditional shaman who has studied with shaman teachers from different lineages. As well, she has studied and uses Dowsing, Body Talk, EFT, Reiki, Quantum Touch, Hypnotherapy, Angel Karma Techniques, Angel Therapy, and has taught Star Talker Training classes. She is a seer and medium. Judith joined Questers in 2007, and now serves on the Questers Board as secretary and blog master.

Several years ago, one of my friends sent me the coolest story of a duck trusting her instincts and going to a policeman for help to save her babies. This Mother is a shining example of faith, of extreme love for her young, of the way Nature is changing with all of her children, and it is simply a great story about having the spirit to survive regardless of the obstacles. Animals and birds are like humans, our future survival depends on the survival of our children. And this Mother Duck has it right!

May all your instincts be for the greatest and highest good!

Judith

***************

Headline – Mother duck’s ‘bird brain’ saves ducklings
She grabs police officer by pant leg to lead him to her brood trapped under grate
Nicholas Read Vancouver Sun

Headline – Ray Peterson, Special to the Sun / Mother duck shows police officer where her ducklings fell through a grate into a sewer underneath the Granville Street Bridge.

Don’t mention ‘bird brains’ to Ray Petersen, because after what happened this week, he won’t hear a word of it.

Petersen, a community police officer for Granville Downtown South, was walking in the 1500-block Granville Street (directly under the Granville Bridge) Wednesday morning when a duck came up and grabbed him by the pant leg. Then it started waddling around him and quacking.

‘I thought it was a bit goofy, so I shoved it away,’ Petersen said in an interview.

But the duck, a female (he thinks it was a mallard), wasn’t about to give up that easily. Making sure she still had Petersen’s eye, she waddled up the road about 20 metres and lay on a storm sewer grate.

Petersen watched and thought nothing of it.

‘But when I started walking again, she did the same thing. She ran around and grabbed me again.’

It became obvious to him then that something was up.

So when she waddled off to the sewer grate a second time, Petersen decided to follow.

‘I went up to where the duck was lying and saw eight little babies in the water below. They had fallen down between the grates.’

So Petersen took action. He phoned police Sergeant Randy Kellens, who arrived at the scene and, in turn, got in touch with two more constables.

‘When they came down, the duck ran around them as well, quacking. Then she lay down on the grate,’ Petersen said.

While Kellens looked over into the grate, the duck sat on the curb and watched.

Then the two constables, John Schilling and Allison Hill, marshalled a tow truck that lifted the grate out of position, allowing the eight ducklings to be rescued one by one with a vegetable strainer.

‘While we were doing this, the mother duck just lay there and watched,’ Petersen says.

Once the ducklings were safe, however, she set about marching them down to False Creek, where they jumped into the water.

Kellens followed them to make sure they were all right, but elected to remain on shore.

The experience has changed Petersen’s mind about ducks. He thinks they’re a lot smarter than he used to.

And while he never ate duck before, he says he wouldn’t dream of it now.

*************

Talking About Spring!

Happy Colors – Spring also brings out the beautiful colors of the earth. From the blue sky and luscious greenness of the grass to the myriad of blossoming flowers, spring is a rainbow of colorful delight.

Love – Spring is the time for love to flourish – it’s just the way nature works. Studies have shown that more people fall in love in spring than in any other season. Love makes the world go round, so if you’re looking for a lifetime partner, get searching this season!

Animals Return: Many animals migrate to the south or hide out during the winter. When Spring comes and things warm up, the animals come back too! In addition, food becomes abundant for animals and many reproduce in the Spring – a great time to see your favorite baby animals!

“A Robin said: The Spring will never come,
And I shall never care to build again.
A Rosebush said: These frosts are wearisome,
My sap will never stir for sun or rain.
The half Moon said: These nights are fogged and slow,
I neither care to wax nor care to wane.
The Ocean said: I thirst from long ago,
Because earth’s rivers cannot fill the main. —
When Springtime came, red Robin built a nest,
And trilled a lover’s song in sheer delight.
Grey hoarfrost vanished, and the Rose with might
Clothed her in leaves and buds of crimson core.
The dim Moon brightened. Ocean sunned his crest,
Dimpled his blue, yet thirsted evermore.”
― Christina Rossetti

A good read is Whispers From the Woods by Sandra Kynes (Lewellyn Worldwide, Woodbury, MN www.llewellyn.com). The description of one of the trees really struck a me with a moment of AHA! All over Canada, it seems that juniper bushes get planted in front of the house or behind the house or in the yard.

Kynes talks about the fact that juniper bushes were planted in front of a house as a protection against witches. She also talks about the German belief that having a juniper bush in front of your house will prevent thieves from breaking into the house and stealing all the valuables. Did you know that juniper berries could be used to make gin?

What is really striking is that in the West, we have acres of juniper, if it were all together in one lot. It is striking that because of its medicinal purposes for colds, aches, and pains among other things, that almost every home then has a little medicine cabinet outside the door. Yet we are not conscious of the properties of the plant. We do seem to be conscious that somehow juniper is beneficial for we name many things from network systems, to music to designs after the juniper bush.

The juniper tree’s greatest gift is the berries. These berries may be used to make a diuretic tea that does not seem to diminish one’s electrolytes as over the counter diuretics may do. Pick the berries when they are ripe and then place them on a cookie sheet covered with brown paper. Place the cookie sheet in a dark place – a pantry – for three days. The berries will dry. They may be stored in a cloth pouch and used, a teaspoonful at a time, in tea. Pour boiling water over the berries, and mash a bit, and let the tea steep for three minutes. Sweeten with honey if you find the taste too bitter.

Let us know how your medicine from juniper turns out. Let us know too, if you have any juniper recipes to share. Bright blessings!

Walk in peace!

AUTHOR – This blog is a reprint of an earlier blog by Judith Hirst, from July 2008, and is used with the permission of the author. Judith has been writing spiritual and technical blogs for the last thirteen years. She is a non-traditional shaman who has studied with shaman teachers from different lineages. As well, she has studied and uses Dowsing, Body Talk, EFT, Reiki, Quantum Touch, Hypnotherapy, Angel Karma Techniques, Angel Therapy, and has taught Star Talker Training classes. She is a seer and medium.

Pigeons are often regarded as pests. In some cases, they are regarded as a delicacy for eating (squib). Some people revere them for their racing abilities. Most of us think of them as the birds that people feed in the parks and squares in the cities. We seldom think of them as a totem animal that may have something to teach us. If Pigeon is appearing in your life, you may be assured that he has a reason. Take into consideration that Pigeon was used by the Chinese for hundreds of years to deliver messages. Europeans adopted this technique and used pigeons to deliver messages in times of war. Pigeons have great courage and may fly 500 miles per day at speeds of 100 miles per hour for 100 miles! So what is Pigeon coming to say? Some of the messages might be:

-have courage and keep focused on the goal at hand.

-how to value the qualities of home, security, and the caring that a loved one provides. (Pigeon often appears as a totem or guide for people that have had a troubled or unsettled childhood, and who seem to have difficulty in finding a solid foundation in all areas of their lives.)

-how to know “true north” (we would call it the compass of integrity), and how to always find one’s way home – to the place in their heart where they know there is truth.

-how to always know where you are and to know where “home” is.

Pigeon’s big message when it first appears to you is to remind you that you must keep your sights and your actions focused on what it is that you want in life. It is reminding you to use all of your senses equally and thus stay balanced. Mostly, Pigeon says focus on where you want to be and start moving to that goal using your inner guidance so that you will always find your way, regardless of the journey.

Walk in peace!

Years ago, a reader asked me why she was seeing a “Fairy Penguin” in her dreams and seeing pictures of them when she looked in magazines. The reader was seeing a Spirit Guide. What I have learned is that when a spirit guide pops up in your life, it is there to help you focus on what is happening and what will be happening for the next week or two or even for a month.

As you can see from the picture, the Fairy Penguin has beautiful colouring that reflects the message that it may bring to people. Some may call the feather colour blue, and others will call it indigo. Whichever, the colour blue is associated with our throat chakra while the colour indigo is associated with the third eye or brow chakra. So, what is the message in the colour blue? Fairy Penguin is telling you to speak the truth, or your truth which may be the same thing, depending on the circumstances.

This thought brings to mind the book, “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz. In his book, Ruiz lays out the first agreement.

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Are you speaking your truth? Are you walking your truth? Are you aware of a situation that is a lie or cover up, and is it time for you to “uncover” the truth? The throat chakra is about communication as well. Just as you ask what the Penguin is trying to say – the Penguin may be saying to you that you need to communicate more and with a different tone/technique than you are now using. If people do not understand you, it may be their challenge or it may be yours. Generally, it is both. Those around us mirror that which we struggle with. An interesting thought is that the throat is used to express the will of the Creator (or God/Goddess). Are you needing to express a spiritual truth that you have been suppressing? If so, this little Fairy Penguin might be telling you about new beginnings and to get actively involved in something that expresses the creative voice and will of Creator and Universe. What is it that has been nudging you in the last several weeks – a conservation type project – perhaps helping with the Fairy Penguin, or is it about taking an active role in your community?

If you see the blue as more of an indigo colour, then the message is bringing you an awareness of your third eye. The third eye is about “seeing” what is beyond the visible or beyond our concept of reality. The fact that you saw a Fairy Penguin that others seem to be missing. Remember that the “Fairy” part of the Penguin’s name is about 4th Dimensional Reality, about magic and mystery, and about the unknown. Is your awareness growing? Are your psychic abilities now starting to present themselves? Are you doing anything – taking training, meditating – to help this process? The colour indigo is also a reminder that one needs to seek the highest truth (there is that truth thing again!) and usually the highest truth is that message or way of living that happens with Divine guidance.

The Blue Penguin or Fairy Penguin grows up to sixteen inches tall. His small size is certainly similar to what we believe the size of fairies to be. The white breast is associated with the colour of spirit. The dark and light contrast may be about moving between spirit and form, or between the light and night of the world. As the Penguin may move between the water and land, the little Blue Penguin also moves between the seen and the unseen. There is a very definite invitation in the “bark” of the penguin to take the “plunge” and move into the emotion and experience of working with the unseen. Remember too that water is always about emotion, so when an animal or another water related being speaks to you from the water, they are asking you to dive down into your emotions and examine them, and “swim” through them to get out the food or what you need and let the rest go.

If you receive Blue Penguin as a guide, you have been given a great gift! Enjoy your time with the guide, and remember to thank it and honor it.

© August 2018 Judith Hirst. Judith is a happy systems business analyst and a non-traditional shaman who has learned and continues to learn that healing happens in many ways. Sometimes the healing happens from a story in a blog. She is grateful for the clear guidance from Great Spirit and from her Angels for the messages that go into each blog.

The second total lunar eclipse of 2018 will be visible in large parts of Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. Totality will last for 103 minutes, making it the longest eclipse of the 21st century. (From https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2018-july-27)

Alas, in Canada, we will not see the total lunar eclipse on July 27/28th. We will, however, feel the effects of the eclipse energy. Eclipses are famous for triggering necessary changes in our lives – and often very suddenly. So get ready to see what your destiny is calling you towards – and away from.

And, oh yes: Surprises are quite likely! Often something happens that “eclipses” – or takes precedence over – your plans. Depending on your particular karmic journey, these surprises can be tiny minor adjustments or major life changes.

Here’s some other qualities of eclipses:

We often discover something that has been hidden, cloaked or disguised that can permanently change how we see a person or situation
Eclipses can “hurry” a decision or situation: If something has been teetering, an eclipse can force it to happen – pronto!
Eclipses usually involve an ending AND a beginning
If something ends during an eclipse, it is usually done. No going back.

Walk in Peace!

Picture of Bach Rescue Remedy in all its forms

I first heard of Bach Rescue Remedy from a friend and neighbour. I came back from the Philippines with an illness that turned out to be a form of malaria, and I was sick! With sickness comes feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and reclusiveness. Sally promised me that if I tried Rescue Remedy, I would start to feel different and better in a week. I went and bought a bottle of the drops. My house has never been without it since.

Here are some of the Rescue miracles. Most involve one to five drops on the tongue.

Heals a broken heart
Helps the healing process in an illness
A few drops revives wilting flowers
A few drops relaxes an anxious dog
A few drops soothes a “first time mother” horse giving birth
A drop perked up lethargic goldfish
Two drops at night helps insomniacs drift off for a couple of hours sleep

This sounds like a pretty interesting product, doesn’t it?

Well, Dr. Bach created a whole system of remedies like this one, called The Bach Flower Remedy System. The System includes many remedies in addition to the Rescue Remedy which is also called “The traditional crisis remedy”. The following comes from the Bach Centre website – http://www.bachcentre.com/index.php.

It (the Rescue Remedy) is the most famous of the remedies, but in fact is not ‘a remedy’ at all. Instead it’s a blend of five different remedies:

Rock Rose
Impatiens
Cherry Plum
Star of Bethlehem
Clematis

This mix was created by Dr Bach to deal with emergencies and crises – the moments when there is no time to make a proper individual selection of remedies. It can be used to help us get through any stressful moments, from last-minute exam nerves to the aftermath of an accident.

There is a complete list of the original Bach Remedies, what they are, and how to take them, on the Bach Centre website. Check it out, and let me know what your favorite remedy is.

Walk in Peace!

Editor’s Note: You can put your comments under this blog post, or you can email me at Judith-hirst@questers.ca.

Stars, Songs, Faces

by Carl Sandburg (1878-1967)

GATHER the stars if you wish it so.

Gather the songs and keep them.

Gather the faces of women.

Gather for keeping years and years.

And then … Loosen your hands, let go and say goodbye.

Let the stars and songs go.

Let the faces and years go.

Loosen your hands and say good-by.

Did You Know About Stars?

How The Stars Were Made – An Aboriginal Legend

Rolla-Mano was the old man of the sea. The blue ocean, with all its wonderful treasures of glistening pearls, white foam and pink coral, belonged to him. In the depths of the sea, he ruled a kingdom of shadows and strange forms, to which the light of the sun descended in green and grey beams. The forests of this weird land were many trees of brown sea-kelp, whose long arms waved slowly to and fro with the ebb and flow of the water. Here and there were patches of sea grass, fine and soft as a snow maiden’s hair. In the shadow of the trees lurked a thousand terrors of the deep. In a dark rocky cave, a giant octopus spread its long, writhing tentacles in search of its prey, and gazed the while through the water with large lusterless eyes. In and out of the kelp a grey shark swam swiftly and without apparent motion, while bright-colored fish darted out of the path of danger. Across the rippled sand a great crab ambled awkwardly to its hiding place behind a white-fluted clam shell. And over all waved the long, brown arms of the sea kelp forest. Such was the kingdom of Rolla-Mano, the old man of the sea.

One day Rolla-Mano went to fish in a lonely mangrove swamp close to the sea shore. He caught many fish, and cooked them at a fire. While eating his meal he noticed two women approach him. Their beautiful bodies were as lithe and graceful as the wattle tree, and in their eyes was the soft light of the dusk. When they spoke, their voices were as sweet and low as the sighing of the night breeze through the reeds in the river. Rolla-Mano determined to capture them. With this intention he hid in the branches of the mangrove tree, and, when the women were close to him he threw his net over them. One, however, escaped by diving into the water. He was so enraged at her escape that he jumped in after her with a burning fire stick in his hand. As soon as the fire stick touched the water, the sparks hissed and scattered to the sky, where they remain as golden stars to this day.

Rolla-Mano did not capture the woman who dived into the dark waters of the swamp. After a fruitless search he returned to the shore and took the other woman to live with him for ever in the sky. She is the evening star. From her resting place, she gazes through the mists of eternity at the restless sea-the dark, mysterious kingdom of Rolla-Mano. On a clear summer night, when the sky is studded with golden stars, you will remember that they are the sparks from the fire stick of Rolla-Mano, and the beautiful evening star is the woman he captured in the trees of the mangrove swamp.

Editor: This story comes from Sacred Texts Some Myths and Legends of the Australian Aborigines by W. J. Thomas [1923]

Walk in peace!

A group called – Uplift, We Are One – is asking people all over the world to join them on World Water Day on March 22, 2018.

Here is their invitation.

Bless the Water on World Water Day

Join the Campaign to Protect the World’s Water
On World Water Day, March 22 gather at your local water source, or home, and place good intentions and prayers into the water. Let’s stand in solidarity with the world’s Water Protectors and take the first step towards cleaning and restoring the world’s water.

Sign up to watch the free UPLIFT Film ‘The Voice of Water’ on March 22.
Water is finally being recognized as a living being. Around the world, from the Ganges in India, to the Whanganui River in New Zealand, many people are standing up for the rights of sacred bodies of water. Join us in an exploration of our intrinsic connection to water and how it affects our lives.

‘The Voice of Water’ features Nature Rights Advocate Hector Buitrago,
Polly Higgins, Grant Wilson, Dr Erin O’Donnell, and more.

You can go to their website at:

https://upliftconnect.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c87497801ca6435c2233f305d&id=71f16d885b&e=c35e9f3c3c

Tagged Did you know

As we move into 2018, the Questers blog will feature articles and stories from past Quester journals as well as stories and articles from current Quester members and from Quester friends.

We hope that you enjoy this wonderful story by Paul Elder.

Unlikely Savant

By Paul Elder
Every once in a while something extraordinary
happens — something so unusual that it
touches our hearts and minds in a special way.
Just such an event took place a couple of years ago, probably to remind us of the many wonderful mysteries of life.

One of the unique benefits of living on Vancouver Island is the necessity of traveling by ferry. A frequent traveler between the Island and the mainland, I’ve found that the ferry literally forces everyone to slow down and relax. There’s nothing else you can do, so you might as well sit back and enjoy the incredible scenery.

On one of these trips a few months back, I made my way through the
passenger deck to the stern, looking for an isolated seat to curl up in. It
was a quiet day, passengers were few and I was happy to find the rear
of the vessel virtually empty. In the background I heard the gentle strains of a beautiful melody. At first I thought that someone was probably playing a CD, but as I moved closer I discovered that the music was coming from a solitary man, sitting with his back to the passenger area,
playing a classical guitar.

Intrigued by the uncommon clarity of the beautiful tones resonating
throughout the cabin, I found the whole scene oddly out of place. The
musician was clearly a homeless person. His clothing and hair hung
matted and dirty from his thin, middle aged frame, a tattered touque
clung to the back of his head. He reeked of body odor. Carefully, I drew
closer, my eyes not believing what my ears were hearing.

Like a virtuoso performance, the sounds flowing from the guitar permeated the air with perfect clarity and vibration. This was no ordinary guitar player! Mesmerized, I watched filthy, stained fingers caress the
neck, effortlessly massaging the strings with the perfection of a master.

For more than an hour I became lost in the beauty and depth of the music this incredible musician poured from his heart. On numerous occasions I found myself blinking through tears, swept along by the haunting beauty of the melody and my sense of awe in the presence of pure genius.

Not once did this unlikely savant open his eyes or attempt to speak. I
tried offering a few words of praise and appreciation, but he simply
nodded and continued playing. Occasionally, clusters of passengers gathered to listen, murmuring expressions of surprise, eventually moving on, some shushing their children, whispering uncomfortably.

All too soon it was time to leave, and passengers began to return to their
vehicles. I simply couldn’t go without showing my appreciation. While
the man continued to play I noticed his backpack sitting on the seat next
to him, a side zipper partially open. In the next moment, I found myself
emptying my pockets, stuffing several $20.00 bills into his backpack.

Suddenly, he stopped playing, and abruptly turned to look directly at me. Setting
his guitar aside, he slowly
rose to his feet, stepped
towards me and pulled me
into a hug. Momentarily,
he drew back and tears
filled his eyes. My breath
stuck in my throat, and for
a moment time stood still. Shocking and comforting
at the same time, his bright
blue eyes seemed to look
directly into my soul. My own tears and a sudden lump in my throat muffled my response. I
couldn’t speak.

Ending the embrace, I numbly turned and headed for the vehicle deck.
After just a few steps I stopped to look back — and to my amazement,
there was no one there. He had disappeared. All that remained was a
dusty, tattered toque.

In my car, the enormity of the experience set in. Had this really hap-
pened? How could he have disappeared so quickly? Yes, I recalled, there was a doorway near-by through which he could have left, but I
had turned away for only a few seconds. I checked my pockets; sure
enough, they were empty, and I would have to find an ATM.

To this day I still think about this most unlikely savant, and I can’t help
but wonder if he was an Angel, a Saint, or a master in a beggar’s body?And I realize that it probably doesn’t really matter — one way or an-
other, an Angel had touched my life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This article is a reprint from the Questers Journal Volume 33 No 2 Journal # 103 Summer Solstice 2013 by permission of The Questers Board.

Paul Elder is the author of the popular book, Eyes of an Angel. A survivor of
several near-death experiences, he is a Consciousness Instructor at the world
renowned Monroe Institute’s Vancouver Island facility at Honeymoon Bay.
Website: www.monroeinstitute-canada.com

Tagged Inspiration Savant

Enjoying Spring!

Talking About Spring!

Spirit Animal–The Message from Pigeon

Spirit Guide–Fairy Penguin / Blue Penguin

Total Lunar Eclipse July 27th

Did you know????