Meditations on Grudges
Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Laugh. Apologize. Let go of what you can’t change. – George Carlin Around the world, cultures observe the passage from October to November as Halloween, Samhain, the Day of the Dead, All Saints Day and other celebrations of unseen energies. These days also prepare for the holiday season and all that can be left behind in the new year. Grudge comes from the now dead Middle English word “grutch,” which meant “to complain or grumble.” Vocabulary adds this bit of humor, “You know Grandpa’s been holding a grudge against the neighbors for years, but you have to wonder: How long can he hold that shotgun?” In “Why We Hold Grudges, and How to Let Them Go,” Psychology Today, reminds, “It’s not about the person who wronged you. It’s about who you want to be.” In “The Mental Health Effects of Holding a Grudge,” Very Well Mind reported, “Holding a grudge is when you harbor anger, bitterness, resentment, or other negative feelings long after someone has done something to hurt you.” The article mentions how the social life can suffer and lists grudge-holding physical problems, like, Cardiovascular Digestion Reproduction Sleep The immune system To release grudges, Recognize resentments Understand why they’re being held See the situation from the other person’s point of view Insist on becoming bigger and better than the situation Stop judging, especially yourself Read More In the meantime, take the Grudges That Became Great Feuds quiz below. And Succeed and Soar! Why hold a grudge? Click here to view. [5 minutes] Grudges That Became Great Feuds Match families to their issues. Answers below. Brooks-McFarland From 1865 to 1869 in Bell County, Texas, caused by lingering, Civil War resentments. Early-Hasley A West Virginia flare-up that lasted 30 years. Began because families chose different sides in the Civil War and/or the belief that a hog had been stolen. Earp-Clanton Four Corners, Texas from 1867 to 1871, provoked when a Confederate soldier came home and found it occupied by the “Union League,” which was protecting blacks and Union sympathizers. Hatfield-McCoy This feud eventually involved the Texas Rangers, Texas State Police. It killing began March 25, 1868 during an arrest for horse theft and ended by January, 1877. Horrell-Higgins In northwest Louisiana’s Claiborne Parish in the early 1890s, at least a dozen dead by gunfire. Most from ambush. Lee-Peacock Lampasas County, Texas, 1873. Began during attempted arrest of men carrying firearms [recently outlawed by state governor]. Lincoln County Feud From 1878 to 1890. Began as a vendetta between two, prominent West Virginia families that became a bitter war between local timber barons and businessmen Ramsey-Tuggle Began with the historic Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, October 26, 1881. At that time, Arizona was a U.S. Territory and folks had to check their guns upon entering town. Reese-Townsend Between 1896 and 1902, in the Creek Nation of the old Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). It began with a botched holdup which was to originally include members of the other family. Sutton-Taylor Also called the Colorado County Feud, it ran from 1898 to 1907 and was caused by dissatisfaction with results from a local political race SkyScapes Journals Record your dreams, hopes, plans and achievements in these beautiful, inspiring notebooks. Details: 6” x 8, spiral notebook 120 pages, ruled on both sides Art printed on front Cover is thick paper stock. Back cover is medium gray Inside front and back covers have pockets for storing extra paper and pens View All Notebooks Thanks for shopping! Quiz Answers Early-Hasley From 1865 to 1869 in Bell County, Texas, caused by lingering, Civil War resentments. Hatfield-McCoy A West Virginia flare-up that lasted 30 years. Began because families chose different sides in the Civil War and/or the belief that a hog had been stolen. Lee-Peacock Four Corners, Texas from 1867 to 1871, provoked when a Confederate soldier came home and found it occupied by the “Union League,” which was protecting blacks and Union sympathizers. Sutton-Taylor This feud eventually involved the Texas Rangers, Texas State Police. It killing began March 25, 1868 during an arrest for horse theft and ended by January, 1877. Ramsey-Tuggle In northwest Louisiana’s Claiborne Parish in the early 1890s, at least a dozen dead by gunfire. Most from ambush. Horrell-Higgins Lampasas County, Texas, 1873. Began during attempted arrest of men carrying firearms [recently outlawed by state governor]. Lincoln County Feud From 1878 to 1890. Began as a vendetta between two, prominent West Virginia families that became a bitter war between local timber barons and businessmen Earp-Clanton Began with the historic Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, October 26, 1881. At that time, Arizona was a U.S. Territory and folks had to check their guns upon entering town. Brooks-McFarland Between 1896 and 1902, in the Creek Nation of the old Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). It began with a botched holdup which was to originally include members of the other family. Reese-Townsend Also called the Colorado County Feud, it ran from 1898 to 1907 and was caused by dissatisfaction with results from a local political race Read More.
Scorpio Season: Halloween, Samhain & Day of The Dead
You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself. —Alan Watts Imagine long ago, when people lit the night with fire. Back then, through clearer skies, stars shone brighter. They looked close enough to pick, like fruit. While the last harvest was gathered, the star cluster Scorpio glittered. For thousands of years, humans found special meaning in the midpoint between autumn equinox – when light and dark were equal – and winter solstice, the year’s longest night. Scorpio Season. From October 31 to November 1, many believe the barrier between the physical and spiritual domains thins. Communication with ‘other’ worlds opens. Aztec, Toltec and Nahua peoples saw physical death as the natural part of a longer life. The dead remained members of the community. Mourning the departed was disrespectful. Their returns on the Day of the Dead are still celebrated. At this time, families place their loved ones’ favorite meals on altars. The living wear fancy clothes, paint their faces to look like skulls and party hearty to rouse those of the spirit world and keep them close. Read more. The Celtic new year also begins at the midpoint between summer and winter. At Samhain [sow-wain], bonfires burn the old year’s fears and worries. Here, too, celebrants believe the spirit world can come closest and connect with the earthbound, like the costume ghosts and goblins traveling a night lit by the constellation Scorpio. It’s heart is the red, supergiant Antares, 400 times larger and 10,000 times brighter than our sun. A huge heart is vital for this season. While trees release leaves along with seeds, the life ending also plants opportunities for rebirth. Ancient stargazers sitting around campfires taught that Scorpio has three modes. The scorpion protects and cares for self during transitions. The snake reminds that identities can be outgrown and shed. The eagle flies high enough to see then reach a future bigger than the present. Midway between equinox and solstice, many cultures feast and celebrate the growing season’s bounty. While preparing to battle winter, the next six weeks of increasing darkness can allow the deepening and gestation, like seeds gone to ground, that is Scorpio Season. The more I study, the greater truths are found in this wisdom from the Bible’s Book of Genesis, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons.” Today’s celestial midpoint occurs under a full moon. Have you ever wondered how it affects us? Click the picture to watch Two Minute Universe’s answers. And, have you ever wondered what the first movie about the supernatural might have been? Click here to see “The Haunted Castle,” a 3-minute film from 1896, a fun journey back to the days of silent entertainment. * Special Offer Tales from the Dream Zone is a delightful, imaginative and, sometimes spooky, collection of brand-new, prize-winning short stories inspired by remembered or imagined dreams. My story about a magical coin is one of the winners. “Wishes” begins: On October 31, 1958, moonbeams lit the stardust that sprinkled Crescent Avenue’s sycamore and hawthorn trees. On that clear, bright evening, candles dimmed inside jack-o-lanterns as Estelle Ringgold Pearson said, “We shouldn’t see anymore spooky movies.” Parnell held her hand as they strolled from the Roland Theater. “Did The Queen of Outer Space really scare you?” * The cover price is $17.99.Order a signed copy for $15 during a special sale. Shop here for your copy of this delightful and imaginative collection. Buy more to give as gifts.