Do you have gardening tips to share? Do you read Llewellyn’s Moon Sign Book? Want to see your gardening tips in print? Llewellyn is looking for reader-submitted gardening tips for publication in the 2013 edition of our Moon Sign Book. Now is your chance to be a part of your favorite annual gardening and astrological guide! We are still in need of gardening tips for our 2013 Moon Sign Book, so we’re extending our call!

Details:
What: Llewellyn is looking for gardening tips from readers around the country and around the world! Every gardener has a trick or two that they rely on, so let’s share our tips with other readers. There is a 75-word limit for entries.

How: Send your tip to NicoleE@Llewellyn.com, including your full name and mailing address. We will publish only your first name and last initial, along with your state or country. If your tip is chosen for inclusion in the 2013 edition, we will mail you a free copy of the book in July 2012—you’ll be one of the very first people to see the 2013 Moon Sign Book!

When: All submissions must be received by January 15, 2012 to be considered for publication.

Important note: By submitting text to Llewellyn, you agree that we may publish, distribute, sell, display, and use the text without limitation. You also agree that you will not be compensated monetarily for your contribution.

A deep thank you to all of our readers, past, present, and future—you help make us great!

Calling all gardeners!

Do you have gardening tips to share? Do you read Llewellyn’s Moon Sign Book? Want to see your gardening tips in print? Llewellyn is looking for reader-submitted gardening tips for publication in the 2013 edition of our Moon Sign Book. Now is your chance to be a part of your favorite annual gardening and astrological guide!

Details:
What: Llewellyn is looking for gardening tips from readers around the country and around the world! Every gardener has a trick or two that they rely on, so let’s share our tips with other readers. There is a 75-word limit for entries.

How: Send your tip to readertips@llewellyn.com NicoleE@Llewellyn.com, including your full name and mailing address. We will publish only your first name and last initial, along with your state or country. If your tip is chosen for inclusion in the 2013 edition, we will mail you a free copy of the book in July 2012—you’ll be one of the very first people to see the 2013 Moon Sign Book!

When: All submissions must be received by November 15, 2011 to be considered for publication.

Important note: By submitting text to Llewellyn, you agree that we may publish, distribute, sell, display, and use the text without limitation. You also agree that you will not be compensated monetarily for your contribution.

A deep thank you to all of our readers, past, present, and future—you help make us great!

Do you have gardening tips to share? Do you read Llewellyn’s Moon Sign Book? Want to see your gardening tips in print? Llewellyn is looking for reader-submitted gardening tips for publication in the 2013 edition of our Moon Sign Book. Now is your chance to be a part of your favorite annual gardening and astrological guide!

Details:
What: Llewellyn is looking for gardening tips from readers around the country and around the world! Every gardener has a trick or two that they rely on, so let’s share our tips with other readers. There is a 75-word limit for entries.

How: Send your tip to readertips@llewellyn.com, including your full name and mailing address. We will publish only your first name and last initial, along with your state or country. If your tip is chosen for inclusion in the 2013 edition, we will mail you a free copy of the book in July 2012—you’ll be one of the very first people to see the 2013 Moon Sign Book!

When: All submissions must be received by November 15, 2011 to be considered for publication.

Important note: By submitting text to Llewellyn, you agree that we may publish, distribute, sell, display, and use the text without limitation. You also agree that you will not be compensated monetarily for your contribution.

A deep thank you to all of our readers, past, present, and future—you help make us great!

And we want you to join in our celebration! Beginning today, we will be asking a fun or reflective question to our followers on Twitter each day, denoted by the hashtag #dailymoon. The #dailymoon question is designed to inspire conversation between ourselves and our readers.

In more, bigger Twitter news, we will also be hosting a series of six Twitter parties this summer, each focusing on a different topic and with a featured author providing their expert point of view. Did we mention giveaways? In addition to having a great time and getting to chat with well-known Llewellyn authors, you’ll have a chance to win copies of Llewellyn Books! (Prize winners will be drawn at random at the end of each Twitter Party from the participants of that party. We will contact winners via direct message after each party.)

Save the Dates and Spread the Word! Our Twitter party schedule is as follows:

What: Twitter Party #1, with featured guest author Deborah Blake. Our conversation topic(s) will be the Summer Solstice (for our Northern Hemisphere folks) and the Winter Solstice (for our Southern Hemisphere folks), rituals, and the Sabbats.

When: Tuesday, June 21 from 2:00pm CDT – 2:30pm CDT

Where: On Twitter! Follow @LlewellynBooks and @deborahblake

How: Use the hashtag #moonchat in your party tweets. We’ll tweet the questions, you’ll tweet the answers, and we’ll chat! 

Spread the Word! Tweet and/or share the following: “Join me at the #moonchat Twitter party on 6/21 as we celebrate the Solstice and chat with @deborahblake! http://ow.ly/5e5wq @LlewellynBooks”

 

 

What: Twitter Party #2, with featured guest author Tess Whitehurst. Our conversation topic(s) will be feng shui, and creating a sacred space both at home and at work.

When: Wednesday, June 29 from 2:00pm CDT – 2:30pm CDT

Where: On Twitter! Follow @LlewellynBooks and @tesswhitehurst

How: Use the hashtag #moonchat in your party tweets. We’ll tweet the questions, you’ll tweet the answers, and we’ll chat!

Spread the Word! Tweet and/or share the following: “Join me at the #moonchat Twitter party on 6/29 as we discuss sacred space and chat with @tesswhitehurst! http://ow.ly/5e5wq @LlewellynBooks”

 

 

What: Twitter Party #3, with featured guest author Deonna Kelli Sayed. Our conversation topic(s) will be ghosts, ghost hunting, and the paranormal.

When: Friday, July 8 from 2:00pm CDT – 2:30pm CDT

Where: On Twitter! Follow @LlewellynBooks and @deonnasayed

How: Use the hashtag #moonchat in your party tweets. We’ll tweet the questions, you’ll tweet the answers, and we’ll chat!  

Spread the Word! Tweet and/or share the following: “Join me at the #moonchat Twitter party on 7/8 as we discuss ghosts/paranormal & chat w/ @deonnasayed! http://ow.ly/5e5wq @LlewellynBooks”

 

 

What: Twitter Party #4, with featured guest author Amy Herring. Our conversation topic will be Astrology.

When: Friday, July 22 from 2:00pm CDT – 2:30pm CDT

Where: On Twitter! Follow @LlewellynBooks and @heavenlytruth

How: Use the hashtag #moonchat in your party tweets. We’ll tweet the questions, you’ll tweet the answers, and we’ll chat!  

Spread the Word! Tweet and/or share the following: “Join me at #moonchat Twitter party on 7/22 as we discuss astrology/chat w/ Amy Herring (@heavenlytruth)! http://ow.ly/5e5wq @LlewellynBooks”

 

 

What: Twitter Party #5, with featured guest author Corrine Kenner. Our conversation topic will be Tarot.

When: Tuesday, August 16 from 2:00pm CDT – 2:30pm CDT

Where: On Twitter! Follow @LlewellynBooks and @CorrineKenner

How: Use the hashtag #moonchat in your party tweets. We’ll tweet the questions, you’ll tweet the answers, and we’ll chat! 

Spread the Word! Tweet and/or share the following: “Join me at the #moonchat Twitter party on 8/16 as we discuss tarot & chat w/ @CorrineKenner! http://ow.ly/5e5wq @LlewellynBooks”

 

 

What: Twitter Party #6, with featured guest author Donald Michael Kraig. Our conversation topic will be Magick.

When: Wednesday, August 31 from 2:00pm CDT – 2:30pm CDT

Where: On Twitter! Follow @LlewellynBooks and @dmkraig

How: Use the hashtag #moonchat in your party tweets. We’ll tweet the questions, you’ll tweet the answers, and we’ll chat!

Spread the Word! Tweet and/or share the following: “Join me at the #moonchat Twitter party on 8/31 as we discuss magic & chat w/ @dmkraig! http://ow.ly/5e5wq @LlewellynBooks”

So, log on to Twitter, follow @LlewellynBooks, and start enjoying the #dailymoon and mark your calendars for our upcoming Twitter Parties! Don’t forget to use the hashtags #dailymoon (for answers to our daily questions) and #moonchat (during each Twitter Party) so we can see your tweets.

Lastly, Thank You! We’ve enjoyed the past 110 years, and smile upon the next 110—and a giant thank you is due to our great readers and authors!

A friend said that dreams were like letters from a wise relative; they must be opened. Over the past years dreams have helped me find a mate, warn me about the stock market crash, and helped me to get published. In dreams many things become clear and transparent. Like in ancient dream temples, we can create a place where we’re ready to receive them and grow. In workshops, people tell me, “I don’t dream.” This is not true; everyone dreams every night. It’s part of sleeping. In each ninety minute sleep cycle we spend approximately half an hour dreaming. This is the Rapid Eye Movement period, better known as REM sleep.

When we use this untapped capacity it can help us to find solutions to problems at work and in our personal life. Elias Howe, inventor of the modern sewing machine, was puzzled about how to get the needle to work. He was stumped until he dreamed of being in a tribe where men with spears shook them at him. He noticed the spears had holes in the point. He awoke with an “ah-ha” moment and realized that if he put the hole in the tip of the needle, his sewing machine would work. Stephen King dreamed the setup for his book Misery, and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein grew out of a dream, too. If you have problems with dream recall, here are a few tips:

1. Keep a note pad and pen by the bed. Dreams need to be recorded immediately on waking. Any rapid movement out of bed will shift you into another state of consciousness and make dreams more difficult to recall. Some people prefer to speak into a recorder. You may want to keep a small flashlight by the bed, too.
2. Give dreams a title and record them in present tense. “I am walking through a garden…” This will help to keep them alive.
3. Work with your symbols. Begin to explore the images, animals, and scenes in the dreams. What qualities do they have? Dark or light? If there are people, what qualities do you associate with them? Was Uncle Earl a miser or a wimp? Do you dream of a tiger on the prowl? Begin to create your personal dream dictionary and learn your personal language of the soul.
4. Seed your dreams. To use dreams for problem solving, try the trick used in ancient dream temples: drink your favorite warm tea, and as you drink it reflect on what you would like to dream about. Do you want to know how to solve a problem at work or how to do something better? Say a prayer of protection and pray to receive the guidance necessary. Be sure to write down what you dream in the morning and work to understand the messages.

Dreams have given me hope when I’ve felt despair. They showed me how to structure my book, Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life, which was published by Llewellyn. Dreams revealed the economic collapse that culminated in the stock market crash in October 2008 about six months before it happened. Many people have said they dreamed of the World Trade Center attack before the event. Dreams hold a wealth of information. They’re a great source of inner wisdom and much needed to help us find the solutions to serious problems we’re facing in the world.

I think it was the late brilliant comedian George Carlin who pointed out that we don’t have to save the Earth. If we pollute, bomb, and do everything necessary to destroy all human life, the Earth will be just fine. It may take a few thousand years—maybe longer—for the Earth to purify the air with its “lungs” composed of trees, flora, and rainforests. It may take as long or longer to purify the Earth’s “blood” as it’s cleaned through the soils and rocks and vein-like rivers. It may take even much longer to purify any radioactive pollution. But the Earth will eventually restore herself.

We don’t have to save the Earth. If you want to commit to making a change, you’re committing to saving life as we know it. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it People Survival Day.

I still remember growing up in Los Angeles. Some days the air was so bad my eyes would burn as if salt had been poured into them. My lungs hurt so badly that rather than taking full breaths I’d take short, little gasps, hoping I could breathe without the pain.

In order to literally survive, the citizens of Los Angeles had to make some sacrifices. At that time, each house, apartment and business had behind it an incinerator to burn trash. They were banned. Although faced with fierce opposition from auto corporations, the citizens collected over a million signatures on a petition to Congress so that Congress would allow individual states to set more strict anti-smog controls on cars. The auto companies spent millions of dollars fighting the legislation. They said it would add hundreds of dollars to the cost of cars and would ruin business. Later, after the bill was passed, they fought it through the courts. Finally, when they had no choice but to obey, they started using it as an advertising gimmick, saying how much their cars now reduced smog. Had they done that from the beginning, they could have saved millions of dollars and our air would be cleaner.

The air in L.A. still isn’t clean—far from it! But it’s much cleaner than when I was a boy. I honestly don’t remember a day for years when the smog was so bad that a child couldn’t go out and play.

But you don’t have to work to get a mass movement to make massive changes. You can start by doing little things, at home, that can make a big difference. Your small actions now can make big differences later. Acting in small ways locally can make major differences globally. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

1. Recycle as much of your trash as possible.
2. Bring bags to carry your shopping so when asked, “paper or plastic” you can say “Neither!”
3. Walk or bike.
4. Buy fruits and vegetables grown locally.
5. Start your own vegetable garden.
6. Send an email stating your position on bills related to ecological issues to your Congressional Representative and Senators.
7. Pick up a piece of trash.

These are all easy, small items that will take up little time, effort, or money. Some are fun and good for your health. You don’t have to start a movement to save the planet. Just do something small. Just one of those things or something similar will make you part of a global movement.

Maybe they’ll call it People Survival Day.

So the other weekend as part of my spiritual practice I went out for a nice walk in my neighborhood to pick up trash. As the days have been growing ever warmer, it’s the perfect time of year to see what’s been left behind under the last vestiges of melting snow, sand, salt and grit along the side of the road. I found car parts, a glove, a cell phone, and tons of beverage cups, plastic bottles, wrappers, aluminum cans and broken glass.

My plan was to walk to the park, start picking up trash there, and work my way back home. I passed a lot of trash on the way to the park, thinking “I’ll get that on the way back” – but it turned out my huge bag wasn’t nearly huge enough to fit all the trash, so there was no picking up on the way home. Next time I’ll have to bring 3-4 trash bags. Or just pace myself and do a little each day! In the end it only took 15-20 minutes to completely fill a bag with trash. And during that short amount of time I was rewarded thrice, in the following ways:

1. Immediately found a dollar. A very dirty dollar, but a dollar nonetheless! : )

2. A couple walking across the street from me, going in the opposite direction, called out a thanks to me. I waved back.

3. I saw a wild turkey from maybe 10 feet away!

The turkey was the coolest part. It happened after I put the trash in the park’s dumpster, stripped off my winter coat and sweater because I was so hot by then, and sat on a bench for a rest. (I think picking up trash burns a lot of calories!) When I felt ready to walk home, I stood up and turned around just in time to see flapping of large wings behind a concrete barrier around the playground. At first I thought it was some kind of hawk because of the reddish hue to the brown wings. But then I saw its little head poke up — definitely turkey looking!

So I gathered my things and quietly approached, and saw the turkey crouching on the ground. She stood up when she saw me and looked at me hard. Then she hopped up onto the concrete barrier and I thought she’d wander over to say hello to me. Maybe she’s used to people in the park or gets handouts from them. But no, she was not quite that tame and took off after a couple minutes, flew across the park toward the trees.

Next time maybe I’ll bring my camera! But this is about exactly what she looked like (except imagine her in a very urban city park!):

Wild Turkey by flythebirdpath~} teddy

I guess the moral of my little tale here is that even in the city, nature holds little delights for you if you just keep your eyes open. Make your trash walk into an omen walk, a nature walk, a treasure hunt, or even a good excuse for exercise. (I found out the hard way that picking up trash by repeatedly squatting almost non-stop for 20 minutes really, really hurts the next few days! If you’re not fit, think about bringing along a trash poker or grabber instead. They cost around $10-$30, depending on length, quality, and whether it’s a simple poker or a grabber.) If you think about the fact that just 15-20 minutes of work can fill a whole trash bag, just imagine what you could do if you dedicated an hour, spread out, per week. Get friends and neighbors involved and share drinks and snacks afterwards! If you’re lucky enough to be part of a larger Pagan community or coven, consider adopting a stretch of highway, or a local park.

Have a nice Earth Day week everyone! Feel free to share your suggestions for Earth Week (and beyond!) here in the comments section.

What card marks the idea of new beginnings better than the Fool? And what a bonus…tomorrow just happens to be April Fool’s Day.

Our image for today is from the Spirit of the Flowers Tarot. This darling little Fool, as the flower Geranium, also embodies the spirit of spring. In Victorian times, flowers (and even the method of presenting or holding them) were symbolic. Geranium communicated the idea of impatient desire. That’s how many of us are feeling right now…impatiently ready for Spring.

Looking at this image, we see that he is determined to keep moving but his little dog seems to be distracting him.

Is there something that you impatiently desire to do? What is holding you back? What is distracting you? These questions and this image lead to a spread that you might want to try in preparation for Spring. We want to shake off the lingering hibernating energies of Winter. We want to unfurl our limbs. We want to wake up our slumbering enthusiasm.

To do this reading, take the Fool card out of whatever deck you prefer to use. Set it in the center of your reading space. Shuffle your cards and lay out cards all around the Fool, so he looks like he is in a box, like this:

To interpret the spread, notice what he (the Fool) is looking at. That is what you want to move toward. What cards are by the dog (or whatever creature is on your card)? These are distractions or heavy winter energies that are slowing you down or holding you back. The cards near the bag are what you are bringing along. Are they going to be useful or are they just excess baggage? Other cards not assigned to the Fool, the creature, or the bag give information about the environment, including possible dangers, that can help you move ahead with more certainty.

After doing your reading and having identified the energies you want to release, stand up and shake! Visualize the remnants of winter being shed, falling off you, freeing you. To do a complete job of it, sweep up the shed energy and put it outside where it can be redistributed to where it is needed. Recycle! You don’t need it anymore, so pass it on.

As an extra-special bonus gift to you, here is a link to some April Fools Fun.

The hectic nature of our world takes its toll on each of us in different ways. If you are like me, life in the 21^st century is a flurry of activity with very little time or energy left at the end of each day to balance my checkbook, not to mention my chakras.

This year, why not give a gift that will help your friends and family rise above any situation life may hand them? I’ve put together a list of books that are perfect holiday gifts for people on your “nice” list who want to care for their bodies, harmonize their minds, and nurture their spirits.

For the Body

These books make great gifts for those friends who are wannabe yogis, into herbs, natural medicine, and homeopathic remedies, or just need a good aura cleansing.

Yoga enthusiasts will discover effective tools for creating a life of healthful beauty and inner peace in The Pure Heart of Yoga. Dr.  Robert Butera’s simple ten-step approach invites yoga practitioners of all levels to deepen their understanding of yoga philosophy and work toward health and self-realization.

Entertaining and practical, Essential Herbal Wisdom by Nancy Arrowsmith covers everything from herb gathering prayers and charms to information on the properties and correspondences for fifty different herbs. Illustrated and described in complete detail, each herb entry provides tips on growing, gathering, drying and storing, as well as its culinary, cosmetic, medicinal, veterinary, and household applications.

With more than 200,000 copies sold since it was originally published in 1999, Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith has become the essential guide on the system of chakras, taking the reader through each chakra step-by-step, with each step in the learning process helping to develop inherent skills and abilities to meet the increasing demands of life in our times.

For the Mind

Those who wish to uncover their hidden psychic talents, achieve a sense of inner calmness and well being, or harness the untapped potential of the human mind will find these books, not only fascinating reads, but also fantastic gifts.

In Discover Your Psychic Type, professional psychic and therapist Sherrie Dillard introduces readers to four unique psychic types—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Dillard also teaches readers how to identify their psychic type as well as how to develop their unique psychic abilities through guided meditations and exercises.

There are so many benefits to meditation. It helps to focus your attention, leads to deeper levels of relaxation, enhances the immune system, and can even help to boost self-confidence. Meditation for Beginners provides a step-by-step approach to introduce readers to the endless possibilities of this age-old spiritual practice.

Co-authored by Llewellyn’s own Carl Llewellyn Weschcke and Joe H. Slate, Ph.D., author of Psychic Vampires and Beyond Reincarnation, Psychic Empowerment for Everyone is a comprehensive guide to the psychic realm that blends compelling theory with practical techniques for accessing the limitless wellspring of psychic power within us all.

For the Spirit

The people on your gift list who long to understand their true purpose, transform their lives by realizing goals and dreams, or create a deeper connection with their spiritual source will find these gifts enlightening reads.

Soul Visioning is a groundbreaking book that teaches how to create a life of passion and purpose by following your soul’s wisdom. Susan Wisehart shares practical step-by-step techniques to heal the unconscious beliefs that block our connection with our spiritual source and our life’s purpose.

Refreshingly simple and unique, Your Dreams takes a new approach to dream exploration based on the premise that dreams reflect the inner wisdom that lies within us all. The easy-to-use tools Ana Lora Garrard shares in this book help readers to interpret the messages their souls are communicating every night in their dreams by engaging the heart, mind, and body.

The art of prayer is explored in Prayer for Beginners, a one-of-a-kind guidebook by award-winning author Richard Webster. Whether we long to connect with God, the universe, or our Higher Self, prayer provides us with a uniquely human bridge to the divine. The simple act of lighting a candle and saying a prayer can give us the strength to get through tough times, help us find answers to life’s questions, create a deeper connection with our spiritual source, and provide us with solace and comfort during dark days.

One last book…

By Candlelight is one of my very favorite books because it contains so many beautiful rituals and prayers wrapped around the lighting of candles. I absolutely love candles. Candles literally and spiritually bring us out of darkness and into the light. We use them to create a sacred space, illuminate our celebrations, and provide comfort during times of loss.

I’ve selected only a few titles out of hundreds of possible books for the body, mind, and spirit published by Llewellyn. If you didn’t find what you were looking for in this post, click here for a few additional ideas.

Of course, the best possible gift you can give anyone is you. Yes, you. Give of yourself. Be fully present this holiday season. Open your heart to family and friends. Share your love and your light with the special people in your life because it is probably what they want more than anything else you could give them.

Who knows? The gift you give this year might just change someone’s life.