I was visiting my friend Cindy Greb this past weekend and found myself in her healing room that has the feeling of a haven, a cave of repose where one can come and let go of the cares of the world. Pine cones, drums, books, rocks gathered from her travels, photographs that she took on her travels and at home, candles, spiritual icons and a container of drying nettles, (I was particularly grateful for that, since she made tea later that night which helped with my allergies) among the elements. An interfaith minister; her spiritual practice is eclectic and it shows up in her art work and photography as well. Cindy is creating the beautiful cover art for my Bliss Mistress book. I had come over to do a photo shoot for the cover as well and had an amazing time playing in nature, peeking around trees, meandering through green fields and lying beneath a shower of flowers at Cindy’s expert instruction.

Afterward, I perused a table filled with various guidance cards with insightful messages and gorgeous imagery. Some bore vivid paintings of angels, nature beings, tree spirits, animals, elementals and Goddesses. One of Cindy’s areas of deep interest is The Divine Feminine and she teaches classes on the subject. I was drawn to  The Motherpeace Tarot cards: a circular deck embellished with beautifully  painted graphics that had messages from that Source. The words on the particular card that I drew from the deck delighted me, partly since I hadn’t seen them in awhile, but when I was initially introduced to them, they resonated with a sense of familiarity, as if I had taken them as vows in a previous incarnation.

Starhawk’s Charge of the Star Goddess

I who am the beauty of the green earth

And the white moon among the stars

And the mysteries of the waters,

I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me.

For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe.

From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return.

Let my worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold-

All acts of love and pleasure are My rituals.

Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion,

Honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.

And you who seek to know Me, know that your

Seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless

You know the Mystery:

For if that which you seek, you find not within yourself,

You will never find it without.

For behold, I have been with you from the beginning,

And I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

 From The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk.

From  Wikipedia:

Starhawk (born Miriam Simos) (June 17, 1951) is an American writer and anarchist activist.^[1] She is well known as a theorist of Paganism, and is one of the foremost popular voices of ecofeminism. She is a columnist for Beliefnet.com and On Faith, the Newsweek/Washington Post online forum on religion. Starhawk’s 1979 book The Spiral Dance was one of the main inspirations behind the Neopagan movement.

Listen to a lovely musical version of the chant

http://youtu.be/KoYbdxbr4Cg