Beecken of Light

12/26/2023

Who are we?
What are our Goals?
What is it we strive to do at Beecken of Light?

12/26/2023

12/26/2023

Why choose Beecken of Light to perform your wedding ceremony?
💍 30+ years of public speaking experience
💍 Experienced with religious or secular ceremonies
💍 Ceremony Planning Sessions included in pricing
💍 Connections to other Amazing Wedding Vendors
💍 Easy-going style to make you and your guests comfortable
💍 LGBTQ+ Supportive
💍 Each ceremony uniquely created to reflect you as a couple
💍 Seminary trained in Interfaith Ministry- not online "ordination"
💍 Premarital counseling sessions available
💍 FREE Initial "Fitting" Consultation
For more information, see our Website:
https://beeckenoflight.com/interfaith-ministry/wedding-officiant-service/?v=7516fd43adaa

12/26/2023

Happy Kwanzaa!

12/25/2023

What was the best part of Christmas for you?
🎄🎄🎄

12/25/2023

How does this resonate for you, today?

12/25/2023

The kids, enjoying their presents 🎁

12/24/2023

How does this energy resonate for you, today?

12/23/2023

Happy Festivus to ALL!
Feel free to air your grievances below!!!
👎👎👎

The Story of Festivus

12/23/2023

All the feelz on this one! Thanks again, Holistic Contentment.

Strong People. QuoteDiary.Me

12/23/2023

How does this energy resonate in your life, today?

12/22/2023

I'm showing up for the day.

Might not be showing up well, but I'm showing up authentically.

Yesterday was a disappointment. I don't know how to say it other than sometimes it feels like I'm working my butt off (I wish) for nothing. Either technology seems against me (algorithms, unsent communication, things going wrong) or my expectations are too high or it seems like I'm doing all for nothing because no one sees it/reads it anyway.. For whatever reason, I was left feeling discouraged, apathetic, and turtle-ish. It was a fun little pity party of one.

And you know what? It happens. No one is perfect or has all the answers or has everything laid out exactly as planned. NO ONE. Not me, not you, not royalty. No One.

In the past, I would have just picked up my toys and gone home. But there's a higher purpose for what I'm trying to do here. Who knows who I can help just by sharing my stories and letting others know that they aren't alone (if FB allows anyone to see it).

So, just as I would give Grace to another person, it's important to give it to myself and let "Little Me" know that it's ok to not be ok all the time and that "Big Me" is here to be with her through it.

We'll get through, she and I. Tomorrow is another day, Scarlet.

Tomorrow is another day.

12/22/2023

How does RESILIENCE resonate with you, today?

12/21/2023

Oh 2024... What Adventures await me in your timeline?

I'm looking forward to expanding in some ways, and contracting in others...

Can you relate?

When I was a kid, I was "blessed" with Christmas trees full to brimming with gifts underneath. You see, my father grew up very poor and his being able to provide a rich and wonderful Christmas was always a high priority for him and gave him a feeling of pride. It was his goal to give his family a magical Christmas every year by providing an impressive pile of presents. Presence, however, wasn't always part of what lay under that tree.

For me, I'll never forget the year I snuck out of my room to see if Santa came. Little Marcia, sneaking around the corner of our darkened hallway into the living room with the tree lit all night long ONLY on Christmas Eve, for Santa to be able to see his way in I always thought.

SUDDENLY before I could even turn the corner, the storm door leading into our house swung open with a bang and scared the bejabbers out of me. Oh man!

SANTA WAS HERE!

I scooted as quickly as possible back to my room, afraid that it was Santa coming in and knowing that I wasn't supposed to be up. That feeling of sheer terror at being caught and of excitement that Santa was actually AT MY HOUSE is something I will never forget! I ran back to my room as silently as I could in my pajamaed feet and quickly jumped back into bed, pretending to be asleep just in case he came to look. I never did get a chance to see the tree. Good thing! Seeing the piles already there may have ruined the whole illusion for me. ;-)

The next morning, I don't remember what I got, but I sure do remember that outside door swinging open and the excitement it brought me. I'm pretty sure I got a lot of enjoyment from my gifts, but that memory of Santa's presence has brought me more Joy and Amusement than anything I received.

Which brings me back to the Present (pun intended? maybe) and my goal of expanding. This year, we're swinging open the door to new possibilities; playing it pretty cool between the financial chaos of job loss and figuring out how to make this retirement gig burst into flame like the Phoenix to become something alight with new opportunities. (How does one take a passion and turn it into that elusive "field of dreams", anyway?) We've decided that togetherness, enjoying the Presence rather than presents of others is what's important: goofy games, singing awful karaoke from the tv, and breaking bread is what's in store for us this year. And it feels GLORIOUS! No last minute wrapping, no extra bills to pay, and lots of FUN!

And contracting? Reigning in spending, taking baby steps to better health rather than jumping into unrealistic plans that we know we'll drop by noon, focusing on the positive and what our dreams can bring us rather than looking at the event horizon and getting sucked in directions we don't want to go...

So for me, 2024, I release fear, negativity, past trauma, and insecurity. I invite PRESENCE instead of presents. I swing open my door to invitation and new experiences. I see my living gifts wrapped in blankets, sweaters, and more than a little bit of fur, knowing that it's what's underneath that is important. I invite others into my life and welcome them with warmth, compassion, and support...

I wish you Warmth and the Glow of others' Presence in your Life!

Blessings and Happy Holidays to You and Yours.

12/21/2023

12/21/2023

I so love the Winter Solstice! It's such a peaceful time...

Today is Yule. It is celebrated on the Winter Solstice which is the longest night of the year, but after this night the nights will start to get shorter and days longer. It is a celebration of the rebirth of the Sun.

Ancient people were hunters and farmers and spent most of their time outdoors. The seasons and weather played a very important part in their lives. Because of this many ancient people had a great reverence for and worshipped the Sun. The Norsemen saw the sun as a wheel that changed the seasons. It was from the word for wheel we get the word Yule, houl or Jol.

Every 6 months there is a Solstice. On the Summer Solstice the longest day of the year and shortest night, the Waning Sun takes control of the skies and the days get shorter and nights get longer, the cold starts to set in and vegetation on the earth begins to die. On the Winter Solstice (Yule) the Waxing Sun takes over and the nights start to get shorter and the days longer, it is a sign that Spring is only a few months away where life will begin anew and the earth will start to blossom and bloom.

On Yule we celebrate the return of the Waxing Sun. In Wicca it is birth of the Sun God who has many names, Cernunnos, Pan, The Oak King, Apollo, Sol, Freyr, Horus, Mithras, The Horned God, The Green Man, Lord Of Light and more. The Goddess gives birth to him on this night, by doing this she sacrifices herself to give life to the Lord Of Light to ensure the earths survival.

In ancient tradition Yule was celebrated with a large fire where townsfolk and villagers would dedicate it to the Sun God. They would fill their home with evergreens and an evergreen tree to show that even though the land is barren and dead, life is still flourishing, They would decorate the tree and their home with shiny objects to encourage The Sun God to shine.

We use holly and mistletoe on Yule as the plants flourish in the Winter, we use them as symbols of the fertility of the God and Goddess. The red berries of the holly represent the blood of the Goddess and the white berries of mistletoe represent the semen of the God to ensure a healthy Spring and harvest to come.

Fill your Yule altar with fruit, nuts and winter seasonal fare such as fallen leaves, fallen tree branches, acorns, evergreens and also anything bright and shining. Light yellow, green, red, white or orange candles to ensure a good year and honour the season. make an offering of wine, grapes, juniper berries, apples, nutmeg, cinnamon or cloves to the Gods to honour them and make a wish for a happy New Year.

The Winter Solstice has been celebrated by many ancient cultures one of the most famous being Saturnalia. The ancient Romans held a festival to celebrate the rebirth of the year. Saturnalia ran for seven days from the 17th - 23rd of December. It was a time when the ordinary rules were turned upside down. Men dressed as women and masters dressed as servants, the servants were given lavish gifts and their masters made them a big feast. The festival also involved decorating houses with greenery, lighting candles, holding processions and giving presents. A Saturnalia Tree would be the centre piece of every home.

Yule is a celebration of light and of the Sun and it's life giving properties upon the earth. It is a time to rejoice and to be thankful for all we have and to gather strength for the New Year. It is a time to contemplate on the year that has gone and look to the future.

The Winter Solstice falls on the longest night of the year (this can fall from between (20th - 23rd December) and was celebrated in Britain over 10,000 years before the arrival of Christianity. The Druids (Celtic priests) would cut the mistletoe that grew on the oak tree and give it as a blessing. Oaks were seen as sacred and the winter fruit of the mistletoe was a symbol of life in the dark winter months. The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world.

It was also the Druids who began the tradition of the yule log. The Celts thought that the sun stood still for twelve days in the middle of winter and during this time a log was lit to conquer the darkness, banish evil spirits and bring luck for the coming year. To make a Yule log, cut a log into 12 pieces (each piece represents the 12 months of the year to come) and burn a piece every day for 12 days, with each piece burned make a wish for the coming new year. This is where we get the term 12 days of Christmas.

Many of the Yule customs are still followed today by Pagan and non-Pagans. They have been incorporated into the Christian and secular celebrations of Christmas.

Today we welcome back the Lord of Light. Blessed Yule to all.

12/21/2023

Happy Solstice!

12/21/2023

Big changes start with Little Practices!

To find out how a super simple 30 second practice can lead to Big Things, check out our page and sign up for our mailing list... I'll send you a video of my Best Practice to start your journey!

~M
https://beeckenoflight.com/contact-us/?v=7516fd43adaa

12/21/2023

𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙄 𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥 𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜?
✨ Builds your community
✨ Collaborative group learning
✨ Feels less "in the hot seat" than individual coaching
✨ Opportunity to build supportive, enduring relationships
✨ Allows participants to learn effective listening and communication skills
✨ Collective wisdom of women
✨ It's cost effective!
For More Information, check out our event: https://fb.me/e/4AMD1uSfJ
OR
See our website: www.BeeckenOfLight.com and look under the Life Coaching tab...

12/21/2023

Happy New Year!
Those of you who know me already know how I feel about resolutions. Those of you who are still waiting to jump inside the circle might be interested in knowing that, even as a Mindset Coach, I think resolutions are a load of hooey!
Every year, we’re barraged with messages that we’re not good enough, we need to make changes so the rest of the world finds us more attractive, better, harder-working, more determined.
And, to a certain extent, I get that. There certainly ARE things we can do to be better... for OURSELVES!
But making a big show of change on our own that falls flat year after year isn’t the kind of change that makes us feel better. Look at all the jokes about resolutions being broken by noon on New Year’s Day!
Changing limiting beliefs about ourselves can be hard. Doing it alone? Even harder. But, we’re never really alone. A quote from one of my favorite movies says,
"So now, all alone or not, you gotta walk ahead. Thing to
remember is if we're all alone, then we're all together in
that too.” (P.S.: I Love You)
Feeling like we’re alone in our change is probably the #1 reason we give up.
So, want to make some changes this year? My best advice is to take it slow. Really think about the change you want to make and why. Break it into manageable pieces that are doable and set DUMB goals around it. Get used to those small changes before moving on (btw, a great book to help with this is “The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron). Make a plan of how to reach your goal and then find someone who can support you through it.
Yes, it’s a New Year. We have to remember that we are still entering it with Old Year mindsets. But we can change those mindsets and limiting beliefs. Only then can we make lasting changes in all that other “stuff”.

Love YOU First!

~M

12/20/2023

I'll go first... Rudolph the Red-Nosed Rein Deerhunter.

12/20/2023

And, often the "little practices" make the most impact in our self-care! Don't forget YOU in the mix of things!

12/20/2023

In my coaching, I'm pretty sure that people think we have our s**t together and life is perfect. I'm here to tell you, nothing could be further from the truth.

Life is NEVER perfect. But what we make of the cards we're dealt matters!

As this year draws to an end, I look back and feel such gratitude for the journey this year. SO. MANY. CHANGES.

And, probably the biggest change has come from the work I've done with Betsy, who is an Accelerated Resolution Therapy practitioner. The journey with ART has been nothing but ABSOLUTELY LIFE CHANGING!

Now, coaching is great and helps us make and achieve our goals, but it is NOT a substitute for therapy, and I make that very clear in my work with people. I highly recommend finding an Internal Family Systems or Accelerated Resolution Therapy practitioner to help with past trauma work, along with or prior to coaching. What a difference it makes in the quality of life!

My gratitude is boundless for this healing journey of 2023. I truly am a completely different person than I was going into it.

If you'd like more information about IFS or ART therapists, just ask! This chick's got connections... ;-)

Wishing you a Beautiful Journey and Lots of Love!

~M

12/20/2023

Pretty morning at Beecken of Light !

12/20/2023

Is PEACE resonating with you, today? If not, I hope you accept this Reiki Energy of Peace.

12/19/2023

Yule Log Ritual
A Yule Log is symbolic of the Green Man, cut down at harvest time to be reborn anew! When lit, its flames invoke the light of the returning Sun, which warms and brightens our lives.
If you have a fireplace or fire pit, now is a great time to search for a Yule Log. A fallen oak, fruit, or birch log is perfect! If your only option is a limb from a living tree, always ask the tree's permission and leave an offering in its place: a crystal, stone, or herbal charm. Bringing your log inside is important to give it time to dry so it can burn properly. Take time to "get to know" your yule log; it's bark, the concentric circles, the energy of it. Try to connect with the life it lived and the things it saw in its lifetime.
If your log rests flat on a surface (alternatively, you may attach small pieces of wood to stabilize it) you may choose to drill 8 holes in the log, the diameter of candles that you'd like to put into place. Gathering greenery such as holly, mistletoe, and pine boughs, place them around your log and enjoy the light your Yule log offers you.
Your Yule log may be set on a wreath in your fireplace and lit, invoking the Guardians of the East, South, West, and North. Allow your log to burn yet save the last bits to use to start your Yule log blazing the following year. If you do not have a hearth, allow the candle to burn as low as is safe and save your log for the following year, as an alternative.
Blessed Be!
~Marcia

12/19/2023

Tit for Tat isn't the way to go. Seeing through a lens of Love and Compassion is...

12/19/2023

How does this resonate for you, today?

12/19/2023

Why choose Beecken of Light to perform your wedding ceremony?

💍 30+ years of public speaking experience
💍 Experienced with religious or secular ceremonies
💍 Ceremony Planning Sessions included in pricing
💍 Connections to other Amazing Wedding Vendors
💍 Easy-going style to make you and your guests comfortable
💍 LGBTQ+ Supportive
💍 Each ceremony uniquely created to reflect you as a couple
💍 Seminary trained in Interfaith Ministry- not online "ordination"
💍 Premarital counseling sessions available
💍 FREE Initial "Fitting" Consultation

For more information, see our Website: https://beeckenoflight.com/interfaith-ministry/wedding-officiant-service/?v=7516fd43adaa

12/18/2023

This IS Beautiful!!! I hope you ALL have so many empty boxes this year!

Christmas is for love. It is for joy, for giving and sharing, for laughter, for faith, and for reuniting with family and friends. But, mostly Christmas is for love. I had not believed this until a small elfin like pupil with wide innocent eyes and soft rosy cheeks gave me a wondrous gift one Christ...