Tween Time: Cross-quarters

As the cross-quarter approaches, a doorway in between time and space opens. It happens 4 times a year. Cross-quarters are the mid point between a solstice and equinox.

The time around the end of October and the beginning of November is the mid-point between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice. As a culture here in the U.S., most people celebrate or acknowledge Halloween in various ways. This holiday is a celebration of the cross-quarter.

In the past, I used to facilitate the Sacred Circle Gathering in Ocala National Forest at Camp Ocala. I offered the Gathering for 13 years on the first weekend of November. It was a very profound experience. It consisted of ceremonies to release negativity using smudging, drumming and rattling around the fire circle. We always created Prayer Ties which are small bundles of tobacco strung together. We made 7 bundles based on a Native American tradition. We put our prayers into the tobacco with our intention and then we wore those 7 ties hanging over our left ear for the whole weekend until the closing ceremony as a reminder to maintain prayerfulness.

I also facilitated various experiences throughout the weekend to help people connect with their power animal, trust exercises, meditations and time to play and relax by the lake. The 2 biggest events over the weekend involved building a medicine wheel and the Crystal Grid and Alignment.

The Crystal Grid and Alignment is a powerful guided meditation with 20 - 60 people. It involves creating sacred geometry with the participants laying in a particular one dimensional tetrahedron or merkabah-like formation. I connected the participants by laying gemstones on and around the body. I used my beautiful private collection of gemstones for this experience.

Through sound and guided imagery we expanded the tetrahedron to create a full 3 dimensional seal of Solomon -or a full expansion of the interlocking triangles. The intention for the meditation is to transform and transmute any energies that are no longer needed for the participants. Once achieved we used those transformed vibrations to bring balance, love and an activation of the grids of light and love to the whole planet.

And the weekend was always dedicated to connection with our ancestors - those who have walked on this path before us. It is a time of great power to connect with the wisdom of the elders and the ancient ones.

This year I'll be celebrating the Day of the Dead by offering a special drumming circle at The Crystal Garden on Nov 2 intended to help us to connect with our loved ones who have moved on to another dimension. Growing up Catholic we always acknowledged, All Souls Day and All Saints Day. Now, I connect with the cross-quarter and the time in between to allow for wisdom and messages to stream forth from the Other Side.

When I was on a sacred journey in Mexico, I visited Janitzio. It was my first exposure to the Day of the Dead.

As stated on this website: http://www.inside-mexico.com/janitzio.htm

"Day of the Dead in Janitzio features one of the most magnificent rituals of the rich Mexican culture. This time the celebration takes place in Janitzio, a magical little island in the State of Michoacan, perhaps the single most famous place for witnessing the Day of the Dead commemoration. "

According to Wikipedia:

The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos or All Souls' Day) is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Latin Americans living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 1st and 2nd in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints' Day which occurs on November 1st and All Souls' Day which occurs on November 2nd. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

How will you honor your ancestors during this cross-quarter?

Walking the cycles of life

As fall approaches, it makes me mindful of the cycles of life. It's harvest time in the parts of the country where the four seasons are more evident. Living in Florida, it's actually planting season. The tropics are a bit different than the rest of the country. Regardless, the vibration of the fall and harvest time is settling in. We just experience the Corn Moon . . . some call it the Harvest Moon . . . and yet according to my favorite astrology calendar and ephemeris by Jim Maynard, the Harvest Moon is when the moon is in Aries on October 4th. (These calendars are a favorite of most of our customers - but they usually don't arrive until December.)

The celebration of the ever-turning wheel of life can be found in a ceremony from the indigenous people of our country - the Native Americans. Various tribes used the labyrinth-like circle of stones for meditation and prayers. My experiences have shown me that the process of building a medicine wheel is a perfect time for story telling, prayer, singing, meditation and contemplation. It sets the stage for a-ha experiences and the ability to see life from a greater perspective.

During our last phenomenal drumming circle at The Crystal Garden, one of the participants sitting in circle asked me what tribe I'm from or what lineage am I associated with. With my red lipstick in hand, I indicated that although I apprenticed for 2 years under a Peruvian medicine man who followed the lineage of Grandfather Wallace Black Elk, I am an Italian American from Brooklyn of my own tribe - one that I created in 1990 - called the Angelic Warriors Tribe.

I did have the distinct honor of sitting in ceremony over a period of 10 days with Grandfather Wallace Black Elk. We were on a remote mountain about an hour away from Morelia in the state of Michocan, Mexico. Lucky for me that Grandfather was there because that made them speak all the ceremonies in English as well as the native Spanish! Whew! I had a lot of interaction with Grandfather because I was one of the few English speaking people there. I called him for meals, brought him food, helped him in sweat lodges and every second was an extreme honor. I couldn't have planned it if I tried!

Angelic Warriors Tribe met every Wednesday night from around 1990 through 1997-ish. We sat in circle and laughed, cried, ate, sang, did ceremony, sat in meditation, and re-created the wheel. Re-created the wheel?? Huh? Yep - we took Sun Bear's version of the Medicine Wheel and made it our own. Victoria Martin, artist extraordinaire, painted each stone to show the symbolic energy as a tool for teaching and story telling. Now these stones sit in sacred space in the front of portion of one of the classrooms at The Crystal Garden - in the Angel Room.

The stones are river rocks which I collected with my cousin, Maria, in Hermosa, CO. In fact, you just saw pictures of my trip back to Hermosa in an earlier post. There are 36 stones and each stone tells a story. There is an inner circle, 4 portals and pathways and 13 moons.

I'm going to offer a Teachings of the Medicine Wheel event on Saturday, Sept 19 from 1 - 4:30 PM at The Crystal Garden. The cost is low - only $13 - because I want to keep it affordable to experience these teachings.

I'll probably record the experience because I was told by someone whom I really respect that perhaps this is a subject for my next book. Hmmm . . . what shall I call it? Shall I be daring? Sacred Irreverence is the key here . . . Red Lipstick and the Wheel of Life . . . or Brooklyn Girl goes Native - naaaah - OK - Maybe Walking the Cycles of Life: Native Traditions meet NYC.

I'll have to give you a few more installments of what the medicine wheel is all about. So stay tuned.

It's been a while since I've written

Many bloggers blog daily. Now that is a nice discipline. I just can't seem to fit it into my day.

This last period of 3 weeks has been pretty intense for me. I have a tendency to try to do too much. I have so many ideas and ways to assist myself and other have a happier life, that I try to do it all - at the same time! Jeez Louise! Not happening. I have many plates spinning and I don't want any of them to drop.


My Dad was brought by ambulance to the hospital 2 weeks ago. He was home after 3 full days on the Infectious Disease floor at Bethesda Hospital in Boynton Beach. The nursing staff at Bethesda is very good. I am also so grateful for Dad's primary caregiver, Hyacinth. She does an phenomenal job taking care of him. During the hospital visit, Hyacinth stayed with Dad at night. In the past, that was something I always had done. 24/7 care. What a relief to have the help and support this time in caring for Dad.


He's home. He's recovering. He had bronchitis. They thought it was pneumonia but thank goodness it wasn't. Man - they sure did pump him with antibiotics though. At 94.9 years old (he turns 95 on 11/13) it's really wiped him out. Then our other fantastic daytime caregiver, Vern, got the bronchitis, so he was flat out for 7 days. Poor Baby!


I managed to do day care and Hyacinth did the night care. The staff at The Crystal Garden as always handled everything. They really are the BEST STAFF IN THE WORLD! Thank goodness! I am just now beginning to catch up. I'm not as stressed either. My body was trying to get something - like a sinus infection - but I think I was able to get rid of it without antibiotics this time.

I finally heard back from my acquisitions editor at Llewellyn Worldwide - my publisher. I now have direction on how to edit the book. (this info came around the same time Dad went into the hospital.) Yesterday, I finally sat down and started the editing process. I believe the book will have the title of Crystal Consciousness: Heal Yourself using Color, Aromatherapy and Gemstones. At least that seems to be the new working title for now. That could change.


At the same time that I'm trying to edit, I am also excited about the Angel Messenger Practitioners (TM) who will start their training with me and Archangel Mikael tonight! I believe that we'll have a phenomenal experience. I actually pumped out a Power Point presentation for the program and for the Gemstone Oracle training. It will really improve the ability for those learning to integrate the information. I know we'll be laughing a lot this weekend. I'm a bit comedic when I do this training. (OK - that's an understatement! Ha!) I'll probably offer another training in the first quarter of 2009. So let me know if you are interested.

And next Saturday, Sept 20th, we are celebrating 20 Years of Sharing Love and Light at The Crystal Garden. How cool is that? Very Cool! Here is an excerpt from the most recent email I've sent out:

"Our gift to you is 20% off EVERYTHING IN THE STORE ON SEPTEMBER 20TH! Come by and take advantage of our thank you to you for your many years of support.

Also, The Crystal Garden continues to get greener as we now premier our Green Bags with our beautiful angel meditating logo. Our bags are only $4.99 and quite large and sturdy. Between now and September 20th we will be giving you a free bag with purchase of $50 or more. One per customer please. Of course, you can buy more but the free one is a one time gift! So, if you can't make it on Sept 20th, stop by before Sept 20 and get your gift with purchase of $50.

You may have noticed the 36 stones that are stored in the front of the Angel Room. Those are the Medicine Wheel rocks. Join us for the ceremonial building of the Medicine Wheel. We'll be building it between 1 and 3 pm on Saturday, Sept 20. It's a prayerful story-telling experience. Come at any time between those hours. We've loosened up the ceremonial rules a bit so more people can come and go to experience some of this wonderful event. It's free."

Then - on Thursday, September 25, Dr. Eric Pearl will be presenting a lecture on The Healing Connection - an event created by The Crystal Garden to be held off-site at the Boynton Woman's Club. Read more about that . . . .


And then . . . Mama Mia. . . . really - is there more? Yes! The Crystal Healer Certification Level 2 will be on Sept 26 and 27th. So if you've taken Level 1 - sign up now!



I'm looking forward to all of these good things. I also am very involved in the Coalition of Visionary Resources. COVR is a national trade organization and I am now the president. With the fabulous help of our administrator, Sandi at Soul Journey, I am able to actually fulfill these duties. If you are thinking of creating a store, or go out on the speaking circuit - or even manufacture something that is within the visionary business trade - then this organization can really help you be successful. Check out their website at http://www.covr.net/.

So - that's what been happening in my world. I still find time to sleep, eat, laugh, enjoy my love, Vincent, and breath!

Many Blessings,
Margaret Ann