The Temple of You by Jenn Embers
Get
LIGHTER
as the Get
Days
Darker!
the same, summer days are full of warmth which radiates through our bodies and winter days have us bundled up in coats as we brave the snowstorms and icicles. As Pagans we honor the seasons with the Wheel of the Year, we celebrate Ostara to honor the spring and the rebirth of the earth and Samhain marks the end of the harvest, we celebrate this holiday to thank our mother earth for the year’s bountiful harvest. Why should we treat our mortal bodies any different than the way we treat the earth’s seasons?
“Without darkness there is no light.” Life is a series of
cycles, we have our murky, dark days and we have our illuminant days
full of light. The earth’s seasons are much
Some say the Goddess Maeve’s motto is, “Honor the cycles of your body, emotions and energy levels.” We should honor our physical bodies by not allowing the darkness of the Earth to affect our health and exercise routine. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a mood disorder triggered by the seasons of the year, between 10% and 20% of American’s show signs of S.A.D. Exercise is a wonderful way to boost or enhance ones mood. It’s natural to be mentally filled with the darkness due to lack of light or sunshine, but fitness can turn your mood around and have you screaming “Yay winter!” in no time. Get Lighter continued on page 26
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™• October 2011 • Volume 2