Ancient Light's Daily Stuff

Daily Stuff 8-22-19 Denis Papin

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by NewsLincolnCounty.

Bright sunshine this morning. I have a reflection from someone’s bumper stabbing me in the eye through the crack in the sign planter! 67F, wind at 7mph and gusting, AQI33, UV7. …and after yesterday’s rain, it’s dry out to the middle of September.

I took it really easy yesterday. Tempus and I are getting worn down by the pace of summer.

Most of the day was small chores, lots of them computer housekeeping. Tempus did another batch of the stuff from the weekend, but there’s more, still.

It was lovely to see the rain!

Then in the evening I cooked the last of the meat and got the weiner schnitzel right. The coating stayed in place! Tempus and I were both stuffed. Afterwards I finally got to the cabbage/sauerkraut and there’s another batch going. Right now it’s sitting on the work table. I managed to pound it well enough to not have to add any brine.

Today we opened a little late. Both of us were dragging and I’m short on sleep because of an asthma attack for some reason. So I have to go on with sorting extra headers. Some have to get dumped because they’re too old, but then I need to get some more printed.

Paper run tonight, so Tempus has to get out the door, just a bit after closing time.

Eclipse Totality over the Yaquina Bay Bridge from 8/21/17. I believe this one was from NewsLincolnCounty.

Today’s feast is in honor of the anniversary of the Hugenot refugee Denis Papin, the inventor of the piston steam digester, one of the devices that made the piston steam engine possible. He was also one of the first to use a steam engine to power paddles to move a boat, so he’s also one of the forerunners of the paddlewheel ships. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Papin and here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_engine

Today’s Plant is Big-leaf Maple, Acer macrophyllum. This tree has the largest leaves of any maple. I remember being startled by that when I first moved to Oregon. Have you ever played with the seeds? A twin pair, before they separate, is a good charm for separated lovers. Maple syrup can be made from the sap, although it is subtly different from the taste of sugar maple and a bit thinner. Masculine, Jupiter, Air – Maple leaves are used in prosperity and love spells. When doing a baby blessing, walk the child down a row of people with maple wands to help the child to a long life. Maple has long been used for wands, being easy to work and directing energies very well.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_macrophyllum

The shop opens at 11am. Summer hours are 11am-7pm Thursday through Monday. Need something off hours? Give us a call at 541-563-7154 or Facebook or email at ancientlight@peak.org If we’re supposed to be closed, but it looks like we’re there, try the door. If it’s open, the shop’s open! In case of bad weather, check here at the blog for updates, on our Facebook as Ancient Light, or call the shop.

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

Waning Moon Magick – From the Full Moon to the New is a time for study, meditation, and magic designed to banish harmful energies and habits, for ridding oneself of addictions, illness or negativity. Remember: what goes up must come down. Phase ends at the Tide Change on 8/30 at 3:37am. Waning Gibbous Moon – Best time for draining the energy behind illness, habits or addictions. Magicks of this sort, started now, should be ended before the phase change to the New Moon. – Associated God/dess: Hera/Hero, Cybele, Zeus the Conqueror, Mars/Martius, Anansi, Prometheus. Phase ends at the Quarter on 8/23 at 7:56am.

Take advantage of these moonless late evenings to use your scope to pick out the asteroids Eunomia (now magnitude 8.4), Laetitia (9.4), and Psyche (9.8) just north of the Capricornus >>> star pattern — using the article and chart in the August Sky & Telescope, page 48.

The Big Dipper – The Big Dipper sets behind a windmill located in Show Low, Arizona. This week, observers can catch the bright asterism climbing higher in the evening sky. The Dipper is the most conspicuous part of the constellation Ursa Major the Great Bear. – John Vermette

The constellations Ursa Major the Great Bear and Cassiopeia the Queen lie on opposite sides of the North Celestial Pole, so they appear to pivot around the North Star (Polaris) throughout the course of the night and the year. In late August and early September, these two constellations appear equally high as darkness falls. You can find Ursa Major and its prominent asterism, the Big Dipper, about 30° above the northwestern horizon. Cassiopeia’s familiar W-shape, which currently lies on its side, appears the same height above the northeastern horizon. As the night progresses, Cassiopeia climbs above Polaris while the Big Dipper swings below.
Neptune (magnitude 7.8, in Aquarius) is well up in the southeast by 11 p.m. and highest in the south by about 2 a.m. Finder charts for Uranus and Neptune.

Old Farmer’s Almanac Sky map for August – https://www.almanac.com/content/sky-map-august-2019
Goddess Month of Hesperus runs from 8/9 – 9/5
Celtic Tree Month of Coll/Hazel, Aug 5 – Sep 1
Runic half-month of Ansuz/ As /Os/, 8-13-8/29 – This time is sacred to the god/desses of Asgard and contains the time of the Ordeal of Odin and the festival of the Runes. This time is also referring to Yggdrasil, the Tree that give order to the Worlds. This is a time of stability and divine order visible in the world.

Sun in Leo
Moon in Taurus
Saturn (9/18), Pluto (10/3) and Neptune (11/27), Chiron (12/12), Uranus (1/10/20)Retrograde
Color: Turquoise

Planting 8/21-22

©2019 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright

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from Wikimedia commons

Celtic Tree Month of Coll/Hazel, Aug 5 – Sep 1, Coll (CULL), hazel – The hazel (Corylus avellana L) is the source of hazelnuts. It forms a shrub up to 6 m (20 feet) tall, inhabiting open woodlands and scrubs, hedgerows, and the edges of forests. The filbert nut in North American groceries is Corylus maxima, a related species. The European hazelnut is cultivated in North America, primarily as an ornamental. Hazelnuts are in the Birch family (Betulaceae).

Coll – Hazel Ogam letter correspondences
Month: July
Color: Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: C, K
Meaning: Creative energies for work or projects.

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Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
Th 22     High   5:32 AM     5.4   6:27 AM     Set 1:24 PM      68
~ 22      Low 11:19 AM     2.0   8:10 PM    Rise 11:47 PM
~ 22     High   5:43 PM     6.8

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – The wildflowers of happiness are often found in the woods of difficulty.

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Journal Prompt – Schoolish Stuff – If you could travel through time, what period in the past or the future would you like to visit? Explain your choice.

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Quotes

~   A wind has blown the rain away and blown the sky away and all the leaves away, and the trees stand. I think, I too, have known autumn too long. – e. e. cummings (1894-1962) u. s. poet
~   Remember, we are all affecting the world every moment, whether we mean to or not. Our actions and states of mind matter, because we’re so deeply interconnected with one another. Working on our own consciousness is the most important thing that we are doing at any moment, and being love is the supreme creative act. – Ram Dass
~   Each time dawn appears, the mystery is there in its entirety. – Rene Daumal
~   Without some goal and some effort to reach it no man can live. – Feodor Dostoyevsky

Beside the country road with truant grace
Wild carrot lifts its circles of white lace.
From vines whose interwoven branches drape
The old stone walls, come pungent scents of grape. – Katharine Lee Bates (1859–1929)

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Mabon Magick – Crafts

DIY FALL WHEAT SHEAF WREATH – http://julieblanner.com/diy-fall-wheat-sheave-wreath/#_a5y_p=2417680

I’m finally getting there-decorating our home for my favorite season, Fall. It also happens to be the busiest time of the year for me-wedding season! I gravitate toward natural wreaths. They’re beautiful, simple and can surprisingly be used year after year with care. Over the weekend, we traveled outside of the city to the pumpkin patch. Of course Kansas, is covered in wheat. I wanted to integrate it’s beauty and simplicity in our home. I wanted to create a wheat sheaf wreath, similar to a centerpiece I saw on Martha StewartWeddings a few years ago.

Gather your wheat bunch {found at a craft or home store} with a rubber band to hold the stems in place.

One layer at a time, cut to desired length with scissors.
Twist your stems to give a nice round, full, effect. Trim any loose stems.
Using a wreath hanger, determine your desired height.
Secure by your rubber band, or if necessary, by using twine/string.
Add your ribbon & you have a beautiful wheat sheaf wreath! I chose to coordinate mine with my mums…I think it will go beautiful with the green jarrahdale pumpkins I picked at the patch over the weekend.
Wouldn’t this make a beautiful entrance to a Fall wedding?
To adapt this for a centerpiece, finish by trimming the bottom of the stems evenly.

Time: 10 minutes

: To adapt this for a centerpiece, finish by trimming the bottom of the stems evenly.

: Gather your wheat bunch {found at a craft or home store} with a rubber band to hold the stems in place.

: Step 2

: Step 3

: Step 4

: Step 5

Anja’s Note – Using the same directions, but cutting bundles where the stems are cut to 4 inches long you can bind wheat to a wreath frame 2-5 stems at a time, overlapping, and make an actual wreath for the door or to lie flat on a table for a centerpiece. The latter goes well with prosperity pumpkins or pumpkin candles.

Julie Blanner is the voice behind the stylish lifestyle blog filled with do-it-yourself inspiration for effortless entertaining, home design and thoughtful gift-giving.

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Silliness – Street Name?

“I’d like the number for Jennifer Smith in Richmond, Virginia,” the young man said to the 411 operator.
“There are multiple listings for Jennifer Smith in Richmond, Virginia,” the operator said. “Do you have a street name?”
The young man hesitated a moment, “Well, uh, most people call me Bubba.”

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Acer macrophyllum, Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, BESIDE the country road with truant grace, Big-Leaf Maple, Celtic Tree Month, Goddess Month, Journal Prompt, Mabon, Magick, Moon Moon phase, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Runic Half Month, Silliness, Street Name, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca

Daily Stuff 8-21-19 Consualia

Posted on August 21, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by Anja.

Goodness, it *did* rain! …all of 0.05 inches worth… but for August that’s amazing. 62F, wind at 3mph, AQI18, UV7.

Yesterday just kept going sideways. Chores took *way* too long, to the point where the stuff for the kids just wasn’t going to happen. …and then Tempus took forever to get out the door, anyway. It was just one of those frustrating days that happen sometimes.

I needed to do some cooking, setting up the next batch of sauerkraut, but didn’t have room to work, even when he was done, much less to sew, so I took my bubble-suit embroidery into the back with me and alternately read and stitched, as usual.

Tempus started on the bulk drops at 11:15, and I got to work on newsletter frames and did the basics before he started the regular route.

I went with him on the Bayshore/Bayview/OldTown part of the route. It was very bright, even if the moonlight was mostly indirect. We got a couple of glimpses, but the clouds were thickening. It was pretty windy, not like winter, and none of the papers took off on odd trajectories, but enough to send cool breezes in through the open window of the car, even when we weren’t moving. When we came back through town the thermometer read 59F.

So I woke to rain… not like the predicted amount, but it’s there. Tempus is still asleep, but I’ve been sitting here, thinking and watching out the window.

Once he’s awake we need to finish up the debris from Sunday’s doings at the shop and then get set up for our work week. I’m hoping to get some of the games out onto their shelf after I move the baskets.

It’s getting brighter outside and there’s some fog steaming up, now. …and he’s up, so he’s starting a bread loaf.

I also need to finish that embroidery, so I can cut out and sew up the bubble suit and get the whole box out to the kids!

Crescent shadows from the eclipse 8/21/17. That’s Tempus with the sieve.

Today is the Roman Feast of Consualia, the feast of Consus, god of harvests and underground grain stores. Consus’ altar was underground and kept buried for all by two days of the year, just like the seeds that he represents. He didn’t have any special priesthood, so sacrifices were performed on that day by priests of other gods. Games and races were held in his honor. It’s also a special day to honor horses and even tractors, those animals and machines that help us get in the grain harvest. In ancient Rome, horses were pampered on this day, given special foods, manes and tails braided up and hung with garlands before being paraded around and made much of. It sounds kinda like a State Fair! More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consualia

It’s also Bartle-tide, an odd commemoration of a thief or a giant and no one’s sure which! Some think it’s in honor of the Cerne Abbas Giant, a turf-cut figure, or the giant is in honor of the feast. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Witton

Today’s Plant is Cascade penstemon, or coast penstemon, Penstemon serrulatus.A member of the plantain family, this was used by the 1^stnations peoples as a medicinal remedy for toothache. It’s common name, “Beardtongue” is because the flower appears to be sticking out it’s hairy tongue! It has a lovely flower, and is a semi-deciduous shrub, which usually is very short, unlike many shrubs. The tender shoots that the flowers grow on often get frost-nipped so only survive for a year or so, with the rest of the plant surviving below the level of surrounding plants, acting as a perennial ground-cover. –Feminine, Venus, Earth – Use for headaches, particularly headaches coming from tooth pain or infection by binding the herb with red wool and/or putting it into a red cloth pouch and bind to the head, or even put into your pillowcase at bedtime. You can put a leaf in your shoes to help with the effects of standing on them too long. Roots protect from snakebite and a bunch of the flowers will chase negativity away, particularly that coming from outside. Iow, it won’t do much for a bad mood…. More on Penstemon here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penstemon

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

Different people have an easier or harder time seeing star colors, especially subtle ones. To me, the tints of bright stars stand out a little better in a sky that’s still the deep blue of late twilight. For instance, the two brightest stars of summer are Vega, overhead at that time, and Arcturus, shining in the west. Vega is white with just a touch of blue. Arcturus is a yellow-orange giant. Do their colors stand out a little better for you in late twilight? Could this be a contrast effect of seeing yellow, orange, or orange-red stars on a blue background?
Magnificent Saturn reached its peak six weeks ago, when it appeared opposite the Sun in the sky, and our view of the ringed planet remains spectacular. It resides among the background stars of Sagittarius the Archer, a region that appears highest in the south around 10 p.m. local daylight time and doesn’t set until 2 a.m. Saturn continues to shine brightly, too, at magnitude 0.3. When viewed through a telescope, the planet’s disk measures 18″ across while the dramatic ring system spans 41″ and tilts 25° to our line of sight.
Uranus (magnitude 5.8, in Aries) is high in the south just before the beginning of dawn.

Sun in Leo
Moon in Taurus
Saturn (9/18), Pluto (10/3) and Neptune (11/27), Chiron (12/12), Uranus (1/10/20)Retrograde
Color: Brown

Planting 8/21-22

©2019 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright

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from Wikimedia commons

Coll – Hazel Ogam letter correspondences
Month: July
Color: Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: C, K
Meaning: Creative energies for work or projects.

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Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
W   21     High   4:36 AM     5.8   6:26 AM     Set 12:21 PM      76
~ 21      Low 10:41 AM     1.4   8:12 PM    Rise 11:19 PM
~ 21     High   5:03 PM     6.7
~ 21      Low 11:39 PM     1.4

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – Do not lose belief in your dreams.

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Journal Prompt – What? – What would you invent to make life better?

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Quotes

~   If our atmosphere is so extraordinarily different, so reactive, and yet it stays constant for millions of years, something must be regulating it. And since I knew that these gases all came from living organisms, it must be life that’s doing the regulating. – James Lovelock, The Gaia Hypothesis.
~   The instrument of torment was identity. As some philosopher said, identity politics is zoological. If we don’t see our partial struggles as part of a general project of human emancipation, we turn on each other and fight over crumbs. – Ken MacLeod
~   Health, Wealth, and Happiness attend! – Signora Francesca Testarossa de’ Martini
~   There’s only one reason why you’re not experiencing bliss at this present moment, and it’s because you’re thinking or focusing on what you don’t have….But, right now you have everything you need to be in bliss.” – – Anthony de Mello

Eruptive lightnings flutter to and fro
Above the heights of immemorial hills;
Thirst-stricken air, dumb-throated, in its woe
Limply down-sagging, its limp body spills
Upon the earth. A panting silence fills
The empty vault of Night with shimmering bars
Of sullen silver, where the lake distils
Its misered bounty.—Hark! No whisper mars
The utter silence of the untranslated stars. – E.E. Cummings (1894–1962)

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Mabon Magick – Lore

HarvestTime – Pagan Studies

The bittersweet time of year is upon us. Gather the fruits of the season now: pumpkins, gourds, cranberries, and corn. Light candles of yellow for health, orange for sharing the harvest, and purple for deepening spiritual awareness. Hang a braid of garlic for protection from the coming winter. Make a simple grapevine wreath for your door, and entwine it with bittersweet stems. Fashion a new broom, or buy one from your favorite broom-maker, and place it outside your front door. On a clear breezy day, make a clean sweep of the house in a widdershins direction. Open windows and hang out rugs and blankets. Gather fresh air energy into your space. Burn sprigs of rosemary for preservation and longevity. Clear out stagnant forces, and rededicate your home to peace ~: Karri Allrich

Crone’s Corner – Fall Equinox (Mabon)

The Fall Equinox or Meán Fómhair is the Autumnal equinox, on or around September 21st.

It is the Neopagan equivalent of Thanksgiving, and the first day of the fall. It is at once the

winding down of things, but not the end. It can be linked to the move to maturity and preparing

for new stages of life or advancement it is the last great feast of the year and time to take stock.

Most traditions include final harvesting (symbolic or actual), stalk bundling, and preparing for the times that will come.

Feasts consist of stews, meats, pumpkins, wines, ale, and seasonal vegetables (mostly vine or root types.)

The deities honored my most traditions are “royal” or complex (with differing manifestations), such as Bran (sometimes Vran) and branwen – or Lugh and The Morrigan. Ancestors that complement these complex divinities can also be honored.

The plans that were made on Samhain should now have run their natural courses to completion.

Then, as the wheel of the year keeps turning, it’s back to Samhain…As previously stated, Not all Neopagan traditions will practice the same holidays in the same way or have the same views on them. Celebrate them in ways that seem right to you, even if you can only consider the symbolism of them, mark them in your own way. The Neopagan festivals are reminders of the Agricultural/natural cycle of life that we are now so far from. In a world were foods and goods are less and less seasonal, it is a nice way to re-connect.-And besides, Who doesn’t like an excuse to celebrate?

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Silliness – Special Delivery

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Bartle-tide, Cascade penstemon, Celtic Tree Month, coast penstemon, Consualia, Consualis Ludes, Consus, Eruptive lightnings flutter to and fro, Goddess Month, Journal Prompt, Mabon, Magick, Moon Moon phase, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Penstemon serrulatus, Runic Half Month, Silliness, Special Delivery, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca

Daily Stuff 8-20-19 Malaria

Posted on August 20, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Oh, dear! I’m sorry this is coming out so late. I went down 3 hours of rabbit hole after doing chores and getting up late!

Featured photo by Grand Central Pizza.

It’s overcast, but bright. No shadows. 66F, wind at 4mph and gusting, AQI22, UV7. We’re already up to a 40% chance of rain which is 70% chance of 1/3 of an inch by morning.

Yesterday’s newsletter came out late and today’s is worse. Sorry, I’ll try to do better.

I spent most of what was left of the day, writing and writing. I have 3 more posts to get out this week (besides this newsletter), but yesterday’s was the big one. It didn’t get done until past 10pm and then we didn’t have supper until going on midnight.

Yes, the shop was open. It was mostly browsers, but a sale or two is nice. Tempus headed out late in the afternoon to do the laundry, which was one of the big chores this morning. The other was starting on the process of getting the regular dishes sorted from the special ones and the specials put away for the month. …and that’s going to go on for a couple of days, yet, it looks like. I also have to put together sets of leftovers for the “boys” (Jay and Sash) in Newport, neither of whom could make it to the potluck.

Tempus will drop them off when he starts the paper run. …but I have to cook another set of weiner schnitzel for them to try. …and we just found out Sash isn’t at work today, so that means a run to Toledo

…and then I’m sewing this evening, I hope.

Hunh? The sun is trying to come out….

The beautiful Alsea Bay Bridge at night. Photo (C) Grand Central Pizza on Facebook. Looks like the photo is from the shoreline below the Alsi Resort.

Today is the anniversary of the discovery of the parasite that causes malaria in 1898. Sir Ronald Rose was knighted and received a Nobel prize for his work. The page is a facsimile of the notebook sheet on which he recorded seeing “pigmented bodies” in the guts of the mosquitoes that he later figured out were the malaria parasites. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Ross See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malarial_parasite

Today’s plant, Luffa (or loofah, luffa aegyptica or luffa acutangula) is an odd sort of plant, rather like a cucumber in that it’s a long, green vegetable with the flesh on the outside and a core full of seeds. They’re even edible, if a little bitter, when young. The biggest difference is that they grow a fibrous frame that has been used for a long time as a “vegetable sponge”, wherever they grow and are particularly good for scrubbing scratchable dishes, counters and glassware. They’re used a lot in Chinese medicine, and the juice is a remedy for jaundice. – Feminine, Moon, Water – Their magicks include helping with rheumatism and arthritis, detoxing, especially the liver, and with acne and scarring. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luffa

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

August is prime Milky Way time now that the Moon is finally leaving the evening sky. After twilight fully ends, the Milky Way runs from Sagittarius in the south, up and left across Aquila and through the big Summer Triangle very high in the east, and on down through Cassiopeia to Perseus rising low in the north-northeast.

The non-Red-Spot side of Jupiter, imaged on July 18th by Christopher Go. South here is up. Note the blue festoons in the Equatorial Zone, the bright marking at one of them, and the pronounced, even ripples in the south edge of the bright North Tropical Zone.

Although Jupiter reached opposition and peak visibility more than two months ago, it still dominates the sky from shortly after sunset until past midnight. It lies against the backdrop of southern Ophiuchus the Serpent-bearer and appears some 25° in the south-southwest as twilight fades to darkness. Shining at magnitude –2.3, Jupiter is the night sky’s most conspicuous object until the Moon rises in late evening. When viewed through a telescope, the planet shows a 40″-diameter disk and striking cloud-top detail. You’ll also

Jupiter’s Galilean moons – It’s easy to identify the gas giant’s four brightest satellites when they line up in order of increasing distance from the planet the evening of August 20. – Astronomy: Roen Kelly

see the gas giant’s four bright Galilean moons. Because they all glow around 5th magnitude, it can often be difficult to tell apart. But this evening it’s a piece of cake because they line up in order of their distance east of the planet, with Io closest to Jupiter followed by Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
Saturn (magnitude +0.2, in Sagittarius) is the steady, pale yellowish “star” in the south-southeast during and after dusk, 29° left or upper left of Jupiter. Below Saturn is the handle of the Sagittarius Teapot.

Sun in Leo
Moon in Aries enters Taurus at 9:48pm.
Saturn (9/18), Pluto (10/3) and Neptune (11/27), Chiron (12/12), Uranus (1/10/20)Retrograde
Color: Scarlet

Harvest 8/19-20

©2019 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright

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from Wikimedia commons

Coll – Hazel Ogam letter correspondences
Month: July
Color: Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: C, K
Meaning: Creative energies for work or projects.

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Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
Tu 20     High   3:50 AM     6.3   6:25 AM     Set 11:19 AM      84
~ 20      Low 10:09 AM     0.9   8:14 PM    Rise 10:53 PM
~ 20     High   4:29 PM     6.7
~ 20      Low 10:48 PM     1.5

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – I create a safe and protective environment in which to transform my fears.

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Journal Prompt – What is? – What is one thing that happened in the last week that I really want to remember 10 years from now?

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Quotes

~   A wounded coward lies low. – The Saga of Thorstein Staff-struck
~   We cannot avoid adversity, but we can rise to it. And in our courage, our greatness pours forth. – Scott Sonnon
~   It is no longer possible to go on passively ‘hoping for the best’ while remaining as we are. – Annie Lou Stavely
~   A friend is a gift you give yourself. – Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) Scottish novelist, poet

A day of torpor in the sullen heat
Of Summer’s passion: In the sluggish stream
The panting cattle lave their lazy feet,
With drowsy eyes, and dream. – James Whitcomb Riley (1849–1916)

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Mabon Magick – Mabon Correspondences

Mabon Correspondences
Foods – Cornbread, Wheat products, Bread (especially whole wheat or multigrain), Grains, Corn, Beans, Rice, Rice cakes, Wheat crackers, Corn muffins, Oat cakes
Berries, Blackberries Grapes, Nuts & Seeds, (acorns, sunflower seed), Dried fruits, Apples (dried, baked, fresh or in cider) pomegranates,
Squash, Roots (ie onions, carrots, potatoes, etc),
Wine, Ale and, Cider, Grape juice,

Herbs – hazel, corn, acorns, vines, ivy, cedar, passion flowers, honeysuckle, Apple, balm of Gilead, calendula, corn acorn, cypress cone, hazel, milk thistle, mugwort, myrrh, oak, orris root, passion flower, pine cone, rose, sage

Incenses and oils – benzoin, myrrh. pine, frankincense, jasmine, cinnamon, clove. Myrrh, Sage, Pine, Frankincense, Jasmine, Cinnamon

Colors/Candles – brown, green, orange, red, deep gold, scarlet, yellow, maroon, purple, violet and indigo. Orange, Dark red, Yellow, Brown, Violet, Deep gold

Gemstones – yellow agate, carnelian, yellow topaz, sapphire, lapis lazuli and amethyst, Carnelian, Lapis lazuli, Sapphire, Yellow agate

Goddesses – all Fruit and Vegetable Deities, Harvest Deities, Persephone, Demeter/Ceres The Muses (Greek), Pamona (Roman
Gods – All Wine Gods, Gods of Fruits, Dionysus (Roman), Bacchus (Greek), Thoth (Egyptian).

Symbols and Altar decorations – autumn leaves and autumn flowers, marigolds, gourds, berries, pine and cypress cones, acorns, a small statue or figurine representing the Triple Goddess in her Mother aspect and other corresponding deities. All harvest symbols, corn, red poppies, nuts, grains, leaves, oak sprigs, wreaths, vine, grapes, cornucopia, horns of plenty, apples, grapes, vines, garland, Acorns, Pomegranates, Pine cones, Baskets of fallen leaves, Horn of Plenty

Activities to celebrate Autumn Equinox

Have a thanksgiving feast.
Can and preserve fruits and vegetables.
Decorate Cornucopias
Hang dried ears of corn on the front door.
Serve wine in honour of the God and beans and squashes in honour of the Goddess.
Call upon the elementals and honor them for their help with (N-earth) home and finances,
(E-air) school and knowledge, (S-fire) careers and accomplishments, (W-water) emotional balance and fruitful relationships.
Tend your garden, thanking the plants and flowers for their abundance, harvesting whatever is ready, collecting seeds and leave an offering.
Make a mandala of seeds and grains on the ground, as a gift for the animals and birds.
Bake a loaf of bread or cookies in the shape of a sun or with a sun design.
Gather donations of food and/or clothing for a favorite charity.
Decorate your altar with leaves, acorns, berries, and other things symbolic of nature’s bounty.
Some chose to sprinkle Autumn leaves around the house as decoration, the leaves can be dipped in paraffin and put on wax paper. After the leaves dry, they may be placed around the house or in large jars with sigils of protection and/or abundance carved lightly into them.
Spellwork for protection, wealth and prosperity, and security, include spells that will bring into balance and harmony the energies either in a room, home, or situation. health, security, feelings of self-confidence
Make a beverage of: hot apple cider. Apple rules the heart, cider alone is a self-love potion. Spice it with a stick of cinnamon, ruled by Jupiter and the Sun. It also makes the house smell wonderful

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Silliness – CIA Job

A college graduate applied for a job at the Central Intelligence Agency. Together with several other applicants, he was given a sealed envelope and told to take it to the fourth floor.
As soon as the young man was alone, he stepped into an empty hallway and opened the packet. Inside, a message read: “You’re our kind of person. Report to the fifth floor.”

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, CIA Job, day of torpor in the sullen heat, Goddess Month, Journal Prompt, Mabon Correspondences, Magick, Moon Moon phase, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Runic Half Month, Silliness, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca

Daily Stuff 8-19-19 Rustic Vinalia

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by Jamie Marie.

It’s a lovely day again, with some white veiling the sky. 68F, wind at 6mph, AQI31, UV7. …adn they’re talking about 1/2 and inch of rain early Wednesday! That would be different.

Yesterday started as a hot mess. The back is cluttered up again and stuff’s been shifted around so that it’s hard to find things. We got it sorted (it took a couple of hours) and I started in on cookery. …and that went on all day.

Folks started arriving not long after noon and we had hours of sitting, working on projects, chatting and eventually eating. I think we put the nibble tray out around 3:30 and then I went in the back to work on the weiner schnitzel at around 5, planning on eating at 6pm….

Well, it was closer to 6:30… but it tasted great! There’s a learning curve on this stuff, though. I kept losing the coating. …and the recipe is wrong, not nearly enough of the ingredients.

But we ate until stuffed, waited an hour, then ate some of the dessert stuff and then lolled around looking at each other until the food coma wore off. 🙂 One batch of people took off at 10 and the other stayed over until this morning, which is why this is late coming out.

Yes, the shop was open all day and we had a few sit in with us while we were working on projects and one lady’s nose pulled her into the back to where I was cooking the schnitzel… so she got a copy of the recipe. 🙂

So we opened at 11 today and we’ve been visiting and talking and just a few minutes ago got some bad news…. a very long-time friend of Tempus’ and mine, that we’ve known for nearly 30 years Crossed this morning. He’d been ill for months and we didn’t even know, but we hadn’t seen him for years…. just heard from each other, occasionally.

Photo by Jamie Marie from Yachats of a juvenile heron during minus tide. I’m not certain, but that looks like Neptune Park, south of Yachats.

Today’s Feast is the Rustic Vinalia, an ancient Roman feast dedicated to Venus as protector of the Vinyards. They were immensely important in Rome, being a provider of a major food, as well as wine. More about this feast here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinalia

Today’s Plant is Pearly Everlasting, Anaphalis margaritacea, sometimes called Life-Everlasting. The “everlasting” part of the name comes from the fact that the flowers dry well and can be used as decorations during the winter month. There are a number of medicinal uses for this plant, particularly as poultices and often as a decoction added to a hot bag of some sort (iow, put it on a washcloth, warm and put a heating pad on top of that) for bruises, sprains and to the chest for bronchitis, among others –Feminine, Venus, Air – Add to spells that are long-term. Can be useful in a sachet/potpourri/amulet since the flowers will soak up essential oils and release the scent over time.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaphalis_margaritacea

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

Sagittarius above a Cape Cod beach house – The famous Teapot asterism in Sagittarius stands out to the upper right of this vacation home, while the central regions of the Milky Way arc through the top of the image. – John Chumack

Evenings this week are great times to explore the constellation Sagittarius the Archer. This star group lies due south and at peak altitude around 10 p.m. local daylight time, shortly after the last vestiges of twilight have faded away. The brightest stars within the constellation form the shape of a teapot — a distinctive asterism once you’ve found it. The central regions of the Milky Way pass through Sagittarius, so it’s always worth exploring the area through binoculars or a telescope.
Whenever bright Vega >>> crosses nearest your zenith, as it does right after dark now, you know that the Sagittarius Teapot must be at its highest due south, even if it’s hidden by buildings or trees.
Two hours later when << Deneb crosses closest to the zenith, it’s the turn of little Delphinus and boat-shaped Capricornus down below it to stand at their highest due south.
Jupiter (magnitude –2.3, between the feet of Ophiuchus) is the white dot in the south as twilight fades. After dark it moves lower toward the southwest. Orange Antares, much fainter at magnitude +1.0, twinkles 7° to Jupiter’s lower right. Jupiter and Antares form a shallow, tilted, nearly isosceles triangle with Delta Scorpii (Dschubba) to Antares’s right. Delta, a long-term eruptive variable, has been not too much fainter than Antares for most of the last 19 years. In a telescope Jupiter is 40 arcseconds wide and shrinking. See Bob King’s observing guide to Jupiter.

Sun in Leo
Moon in Aries
Saturn (9/18), Pluto (10/3) and Neptune (11/27), Chiron (12/12), Uranus (1/10/20)Retrograde
Color: Silver

Harvest 8/19-20

©2019 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright

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from Wikimedia commons

Coll – Hazel Ogam letter correspondences
Month: July
Color: Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: C, K
Meaning: Creative energies for work or projects.

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Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
M   19     High   3:09 AM     6.7   6:24 AM     Set 10:18 AM      90
~ 19      Low   9:38 AM     0.4   8:15 PM    Rise 10:30 PM
~ 19     High   3:58 PM     6.7
~ 19      Low 10:04 PM     1.6

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – Nothing is so bad that some good may not come of it.

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Journal Prompt – What does this quote say to you? – As long as I can conceive something better than myself, I cannot be easy unless I am striving to bring it into existence or clearing the way for it. — George Bernard Shaw

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Quotes

~   I just sit down for a few minutes, do a little thinking, and God writes the songs for me. – Hank Williams (1923 – 1953), Country and western singer
~   When people are laughing, they’re generally not killing each other. – Alan Alda
~   The surest test of discipline is its absence. – Clara Barton, American Red Cross founder
~   Reach for the stars and you will find your horizon.~ Lori J. Batcheller

All Nature helps to swell the song
And chant the same refrain;
July and June have slipped away
And August’s here again. – Helen Maria Winslow (1852–1938)

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Magick – Recipes

ZUCCHINI RELISH – https://www.almanac.com/recipe/zucchini-relish

“This relish is a good way to use up some of that over-abundant zucchini you have in your garden. It can be used with meat loaf, stew, sliced meats, and even hot dogs. We serve it at dinner and cookouts. It is a favorite with our guests.” –Knoll Farm Country Inn, Waitsfield, Vermont

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup pickling salt
12 cups coarsely grated zucchini
2 green peppers, coarsely grated
2 sweet red peppers, chopped
4 cups coarsely grated onions
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups vinegar
4-1/2 cups sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large enamel or stainless steel pan, mix pickling salt into vegetables.
Let stand overnight.
Drain, rinse with cold water, and return to pan.
Mix together rest of ingredients and add to vegetables.
Boil 20 minutes.
Pour into sterilized jars.
Seal and process for 20 minutes; start counting the processing time when the water starts to boil.

Learn more about pickling here: Pickling Tips and Recipes

YIELD – Makes about 12 pints
PREPARATION METHOD – Boil
CATEGORY – Pickles and Preserves
COURSE – Side Dishes
SOURCE – Best Recipes from New England Inns

Herbed Mushroom and Rice Foil Packs – https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/herbed-mushroom-and-rice-foil-packs/b3026f90-ab9b-40fa-a5ce-733644c88419

Prep30 MIN
Total60 MIN
Servings4

Grilling veggies can be tricky or require special equipment (looking at you, grill baskets), but with these clever mushroom and rice packs, all you need is foil! Double up the recipe and call it a meal, or serve alongside grilled steak for an easy weeknight dinner.

By Tablespoon Kitchens – Updated May 11, 2017

Ingredients

1 cup Progresso™ chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked instant white rice
1 lb button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves
Lemon wedges, if desired

Steps

1 – Heat gas or charcoal grill. Cut 4 (18×12-inch) sheets of heavy-duty foil. Spray with cooking spray.

2 – In large bowl, mix broth, melted butter, brown sugar, garlic, thyme and salt. Add instant rice; stir and let stand about 10 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed. Divide mushrooms evenly among sheets of foil, then top with rice mixture.

3 – Bring up 2 sides of foil so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again, allowing space for heat circulation and expansion. Fold other sides to seal.

4 – Place packs on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 12 minutes. Rotate packs 1/2 turn; cook 12 to 14 minutes longer or until mushrooms and rice are tender. Remove packs from grill; cut large X across top of each pack. Carefully fold back foil, and garnish with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.

5 – To make in oven, place packs on cookie sheet. Bake at 375°F 45 to 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Carefully fold back foil, and garnish with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.

Expert Tips

For best results and tastiest mushrooms, slice mushrooms as thinly as possible.
Shiitake or cremini mushrooms make excellent substitutes for the button mushrooms.

Orange Creamsicle Pie – https://www.thespruceeats.com/orange-creamsicle-pie-recipe-4163740 – By Elaine Lemm – Updated 07/19/19

Total:20 mins
Prep:15 mins
Cook:5 mins
Plus:90 mins
Yield:6 servings

Without a doubt, a Creamsicle-inspired pie is a thing of beauty – both to look at and in citrusy flavors and creamy textures. On a hot day, they are oh-so refreshing. Add to that a couple of tablespoons of tangy, sharp orange marmalade and your taste buds will sing.

This tangy, orange Creamsicle pie is also no-bake, which makes it super easy to throw together. Say goodbye to the struggle of pie crust you have to bake, especially when temperatures soar. Instead, invite in this pie, which comes together in minutes. Then pop it in the freezer and hey presto, dessert is done.

Ring the changes with other flavors, if you wish, by using a lime marmalade for a softer, but still tangy pie.

Ingredients

1 cup water (boiling)
3-ounce packet orange jello
4 ounces butter (plus extra for greasing)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 cups whipping cream (for the pie, plus 1/4 cup for decoration)
4 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoons orange zest

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Heavily grease a 7-inch tart tin with butter and put to one side.
Add 1 cup of boiling water to the jello powder and stir to dissolve. Keep to one side to cool.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the cracker crumbs and sugar, then mix thoroughly. Once mixed, check to see the crumb will set by squeezing a little in your hand. It should hold together, but not be soggy. If it’s too dry, it will need a little more butter; too greasy, just add a touch more crumb.
Once you have the consistency which works, press the mixture into the greased tart tin evenly across the bottom and up the sides. Using a flat-bottomed glass or cup, press the crumb to firm it up, then once done, pop it into the refrigerator.
Whip the 1 1/4 cups of cream with a hand or electric whisk until firm, but not stiff. Gently pour the jello, the marmalade, and 1 tablespoon of the zest into the cream and stir carefully with a metal spoon until thoroughly mixed. Try not to flatten the cream.
Carefully pour the mixture into the pie crust. Tap the tin on the work surface to release any air bubbles then place into the freezer. Once frozen, wrap in plastic wrap if you are not eating immediately.
The pie can be eaten frozen but you will need to remove it from the freezer at least 30 minutes before eating, or it will be too hard.
Before serving, whip the remaining cream and pipe in generous swirls onto the slices of pie and sprinkle with the orange zest.

Recipe Variations

Switch out the orange marmalade for lime for a softer flavor. Or for more tang, try grapefruit marmalade instead.
For a semi-frozen or semifreddo pie as sometimes called, remove the pie from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator until it is semi-frozen. Serve as above.

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Silliness – I deas of Interest

— My weight is perfect for my height — which varies.
— I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not sure.
— The cost of living hasn’t affected its popularity.
— How can there be self-help “groups”?
— Is there another word for synonym?
— Where do forest rangers go to “get away from it all”?
— The speed of time is one-second per second.
— Is it possible to be totally partial?
— What’s another word for thesaurus?
— If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales?
— It’s not an optical illusion. It just looks like one.
— Is it my imagination, or do buffalo wings taste like chicken?

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, All Nature helps to swell the song, Anaphalis margaritacea, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, Goddess Month, Ideas of Interest, Journal Prompt, Life-Everlasting, Magick, Moon Moon phase, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Pearly Everlasting, Runic Half Month, Rustic Vinalia, Silliness, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca

Daily Stuff 8-18-19 Nineteenth Amendment

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by Ken Gagne. House Capuchin project day and potluck today. Projects from 1-5 and potluck starts at 6.

The sky is a lovely pale blue with clouds tucked in around the edges. Very bright sunshine! Reflections are flashing all around the shop. 62F, wind at 5mph, AQI9, UV7. That chance of rain for Wednesday night has jumped to 50% of something measureable!

Yesterday was long and too warm once we started started cooking. I started the day cooking the tvarog that I had put together earlier in the week and got it hung.

In the early part of the day, once we were open, the shop was very busy with people browsing, but as the day went on fewer and fewer came in until by suppertime we could have closed although we stayed open until past 9pm.

I worked on plants for a little while between customers, and wrote a bit. During Sewing Workshop time I did a couple more of those tiny “bobs” that I’ve been doing over the last several weeks.

Tempus was working in back, trying to get me more space to work, but he wasn’t feeling all that well, for some reason, so he had trouble keeping going.

Finally, I was able to get the tvarog unbagged, spiced and into the fridge, then started cooking a pickle broth, and then got some of that into a batch of pickled eggs, while the rest went into the fridge. As the evening went on I started a batch of rice, from one of the German Renn cookbooks, and a veg stew, which are completely cooked, already.

I need to decide whether I’m going to try doing the cabbage rolls today, or to just start the spaetzel so that it’s done, already. I want to start a batch of ginger carrots and then something with the cabbage…

We were up early, but we’re both groggy.

Today is the House Capuchin Project Day and Potluck. We might have people in costume wandering in and out, but the reading area is going to be a little crowded from the sound of it. It ought to be fun!

…and Susanne just stopped by. Shes lending me her potato ricer for the spaetzel. It should work a lot better than last time.

A Ken Gagne photo of Yachats Bay from 8/17/16!

“The Nineteenth Amendment (Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution prohibits any United States citizen from being denied the right to vote on the basis of sex. It was ratified on August 18, 1920. The Constitution allows the states to determine the qualifications of voters, subject to limitations imposed by later amendments. Until the 1910s, most states disenfranchised women. The amendment was the culmination of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States, which fought at both state and national levels to achieve the vote. It effectively overruled Minor v. Happersett, in which a unanimous Supreme Court ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment did not give women the right to vote. The Nineteenth Amendment was first introduced in Congress in 1878 by Senator Aaron A. Sargent. Forty-one years later, in 1919, Congress approved the amendment and submitted it to the states for ratification. It was ratified by the requisite number of states a year later, with Tennessee‘s ratification being the final vote needed to add the amendment to the Constitution. In Leser v. Garnett (1922), the Supreme Court rejected claims that the amendment was unconstitutionally adopted.” – Wikipedia, More here: –https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Vetiver root – Vetiveria zizanioides, Chrysopogon zizanioides, vetyver, vertivert, khus khus or khus – This is a type of grass that grows long roots, deeper than most other grasses. Often woven into sleeping mats it also smells better than mothballs in sachets. It repels bugs and rats and, used wet, acts as a cooling scented curtain in hot climates. It’s used as a fixative in soaps, and lotions and can be used for acne and other
skin conditions. As khus syrup it is added to foods. Makes a great incense especially combined with sandalwood. – Feminine, Earth, Mercury, Capricorn – Uplifting. Helps get one through the times when nothing works. Calming for PTSD. Aids in deep sleep and good dreams. (esp. essential oil, called Oil of Tranquility). Helps in processing grief. Attracts money and repels thieves. Can be used to promote love in same-sex couples. More here:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Chrysopogon_zizanioides

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

Mercury is brighter and more directly below Castor and Pollux (as seen from 40° north latitude, for which these scenes are always drawn).

Pluto reaches opposition
The distant dwarf planet glows at 14th magnitude at its peak this week, and appears as a pinpoint of light even through the largest telescopes. The New Horizons spacecraft revealed a stunningly diverse world when it flew past four years ago, however.
NASA/JHUAPL/SwR

Although it lies just 6° east of Saturn, Pluto will test your observing skills. The dwarf planet glows at magnitude 14.2 and shows up as a faint pinprick of light through 8-inch or larger telescopes on a dark night. The key is to have a go-to telescope or be able to star-hop from a relatively bright (though still dim) star. Tonight offers a prime opportunity, as Pluto slides 12′ due north of magnitude 9.4 HD 183431. And tomorrow night, the distant world slides 2′ north of a magnitude 10.5 field star.
As summer progresses and Arcturus moves down the western sky, the kite figure of Bootes that sprouts from Arcturus tilts to the right (depending on your latitude). The kite is narrow, slightly bent with its top leaning right, and 23° long: about two fists at arm’s length. Arcturus is its bottom point where the stubby tail is tied on. The Big Dipper now slants at about the same height in the northwest, to the Kite’s right.
Venus and Mars are out of sight behind the glare of the Sun.

Sun in Leo
Moon in Pisces enters Aries at 9:33am.
Saturn (9/18), Pluto (10/3) and Neptune (11/27), Chiron (12/12), Uranus (1/10/20)Retrograde
Color: Gold

Planting 8/16-18

©2019 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright

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from Wikimedia commons

Coll – Hazel Ogam letter correspondences
Month: July
Color: Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: C, K
Meaning: Creative energies for work or projects.

******

Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
Su 18     High   2:31 AM     7.0   6:23 AM     Set 9:18 AM      95
~ 18      Low   9:08 AM     0.0   8:17 PM    Rise 10:08 PM
~ 18     High   3:28 PM     6.6
~ 18      Low   9:24 PM     1.7

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – I remember freedom. I remember who I Am. I am free.

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Journal Prompt – Friends – if you could be a friend of any one of the Presidents of the United States—past or present—whom would you choose? Explain the reasons for your choice.

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Quotes

~   Being a writer is like having homework every night for the rest of your life. – Lawrence Kasdan
~   If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” – Rabbi Harold Kushner
~   The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach–waiting for a gift from the sea. – Anne Morrow Lindbergh
~   One of the greatest joys known to man is to take a flight into ignorance in search of knowledge. – Robert Lynd

Summer declines and roses have grown rare,
But cottage crofts are gay with hollyhocks,
And in old garden walks you breathe an air
Fragrant of pinks and August-smelling stocks. – John Todhunter (1839–1916)

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Magick – Making Brooms the Old-Fashioned Way – http://www.offthegridnews.com/how-to-2/making-brooms-the-old-fashioned-way/

Written by: Esther How-To 10 Comments Print This Article

A cottage in the woods or a farmhouse kitchen wouldn’t really be complete without a broom in the closet to clear away dust, with another near the hearth for sweeping up ashes from the previous night’s blazing fire. And imagine how satisfying it would be using materials from your own garden to create those brooms? Certainly, these would be brooms that would be pretty enough to display on a wall or tucked into a corner so they will always be close at hand.

Making your own broom is a fairly easy craft, and one that will leave family and friends in awe at your survivalist skills.

And although the term “flying off the handle” was born from the use of handmade brooms, which had – and still do have – a tendency to lose their heads when they’re used too forcefully, it doesn’t mean you yourself will fly off the handle when you attempt to make your own broom.

You’ll just need a little bit of patience, along with the necessary materials, and you’ll soon have your own straw broom, birch-branch broom, or broom-corn broom, the last being the sturdiest of these rustic, hand-crafted tools.

Straw should be easy to find if you live on or near a farm, and you can easily gather twigs and branches from the woods to tackle a birch broom. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can grow your own broom corn, paying tribute as you do to early broom designer Levi Dickenson, a Massachusetts farmer who crafted a broom for his wife using tassels from a variety of sorghum. Dickenson’s resulting broom was so successful (his wife told all her friends, and word around town quickly spread) that the sorghum variety he used is now called broom corn. The stalks grow like sweet corn and look the same, although it has no cobs, just the tassels on top, and that is the material you’ll use to make your broom. (And remember, if you master the art of broom making and grow enough broom corn, you will have gifts friends and family will love or that you can sell at craft shows, farmer’s markets, or fairs, where people are sure to fall for a hand-crafted broom’s old-time appeal.)

You can also order broom corn online from broom-making suppliers, where other supplies for crafting your own brooms can also be found, along with plans for more challenging broom designs.

The following projects, though, will get you started and can take on even pioneer-level quantities of dirt and debris.

Making a Straw Broom

A straw broom is easy to make, and the project is one that would be fun to do with the kids or a as a great back-to-nature project that would be ideal for a group activity at a craft fair or other special event.

Things you will need:

Straw
A stick to be used as a broom handle
Twine or wire for binding
A knife and scissors for finishing touches

Handles can be ordered from a supplies store for a more commercial look, but if you are going for rustic or are taking advantage of the items you have available to you, you can make your own using branches that you have collected. It is a good idea to strip the branches of their bark and allow them to dry for a few months before using them to ensure that no cracking or splitting will occur when you put them to use.

Clean your straw so it is free from dust and debris, shaking bits loose without using water, which can cause your broom to mold.

Divide straw into ten separate, equal bunches.

Gather one bundle of straw together, making sure that ends on one side are even. Hold the bundle together tightly and wrap it securely with twine. The tighter the bundle, the stronger your broom will be, so squeeze it tightly. Repeat the steps with the remaining nine bunches of straw.

Tie together the gathered bundles one at a time using wire or twine, ensuring that the bundles are secured as tightly as possible. If you want a flat broom for use on floors or hearths, place straw bundles side by side. If you want to use your broom as a whisk broom, connect the bundles in a circular design, still making sure bunches are as tightly linked as possible.

Sharpen the end of your handle so it can be pushed into the center of your bundle of straw, and secure it tightly to prevent your broom head from “flying off the handle.”

Cut the ends of straw so they’re even, and your broom is ready to use.

Are you one of the millions of Americans that are replacing harsh chemical cleansers with eco-friendly alternatives?

Making a Birch Broom

Birch brooms have a more botanical-inspired look than the farm-infused straw or broom-corn brooms.

Things you will need:

Birch branches
A stick
Twine or willow branches
Sharp knives

Soak birch branches and willow overnight so they’re more pliable and flexible, a must for the final steps of this project.

Place your stick or broom handle on your work surface and surround it with branches on both sides, making sure that the bottoms of the branches are pointed toward the top of your handle.

Tie the branches securely in place around your broom handle using twine or soaked willow branches.

After branches are secured, fold them down over the twine so tips are pointed downward. Secure them with additional lengths of twine, wrapping the branches either once or twice near the top of the handle.

Let your broom dry a few days before using it.

Making a Broom-Corn Broom

Things you will need:

Broom corn tassels
Twine or wire
A wooden handle or stick
Scissors

Shake any dust and debris from your broom corn, then divide it into ten separate, even bunches, layering stalks until they are about one inch thick in each bundle. Use longer stalks for a large, full-length broom; reserve smaller ones for use as a whisk broom or small hearth broom.

Secure bundles together tightly with twine, remembering that the tighter the bundle, the stronger and more secure your broom will be. Repeat the steps with the remaining nine bunches of broom corn.

Tie together two gathered bunches of broom corn using wire or twine, ensuring that the bundles are as tight as possible for a sturdy, durable broom. Add the next bundle of broom corn, placing it flat against the first two bundles for a broom you’ll use on floors or hearths or in a circular design for a smaller whisk broom. Continue the process, attaching new bundles one by one, until all of the broom corn is attached securely.

Sharpen the end of your handle so it can be pushed into the center of your bundle of broom corn, and secure it tightly at the base.

Cut the ends of your broom corn so the base is even and as smooth as possible to capture debris, and trim the top if desired.

For an added decorative element with any of the brooms you make, drill a hole at the top of the handle and knot a loop of twine through it. Your broom can then be hung on a hook near your fireplace hearth or on the wall in your kitchen. Cast iron hooks crafted by a blacksmith would also be a nice, rustic touch.

Good luck and enjoy!

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Silliness – The Judge

When Dan was appointed to the Superior Court it was generally believed that he would be a strict law and order judge, one willing to use the three strikes law to keep repeat offenders off the street. But it didn’t work out that way, Judge D. finding any means possible to give a convicted felon the minimum prison time possible.When the time came for re-election, the judge found himself in a heated battle with a former prosecutor. In a debate before much of the local citizenry, he was asked by his challenger, “How can you justify your unwillingness to use the three strikes law.”
Judge Dan answered immediately, “I refuse to pronounce a long sentence because it is beyond my jury’s diction.”

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, Chrysopogon zizanioides, Goddess Month, Journal Prompt, khus, khus khus, Magick, Making Brooms the Old-Fashioned Way, Moon Moon phase, Nineteenth Amendment, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Runic Half Month, Silliness, Summer declines and roses have grown rare, The Judge, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, vertivert, Vetiver root, Vetiveria zizanioides, vetyver, Weather, Wicca

Daily Stuff 8-17-19 Odin’s Ordeal

Posted on August 17, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Last Minus Tide of the cycle at 8:38 AM of -0.4 feet. No Herbs, today! Sewing Workshop 3-5pm.

Tempus says, “That’s blue, but there’s white, puffy s*** all over it.” 🙂 64F, wind at 3mph, AQI19, UV7. The Pisgah fire is out. That one was a shock. It’s right in Eugene and took off when no one was looking!

We were busy! Not just people “browsing”, but we had people buying off and on all day, too.

I felt better yesterday, but by 5pm I was wiped out and still having to keep going. Tempus was feeling really tired, too, but he did the shopping and other errands in Newport, then came back and finished the ones here.

I got our batch of goodies from One Witch’s Cottage. We have Green Comfort ($19), Mind Soothe ($9), UnBurn Gold ($14), and HerbaLinament ($19) pain rub in stock, but only a few, since we want to see how these will sell.

We stayed open until 9pm, but didn’t have anyone more in. …and we turned in early, hoping to get a decent night’s sleep and get up early.

Of course that means I’m groggy sitting here with my coffee. I’ll get my eyes open pretty quickly, but wow…..

No Herbs this morning. I’m going to be doing a lot of cookery today. There *will* be a Sewing Workshop this afternoon. …Oh, Tempus has the doors open. Here we are!

Faerie Star wreath

Today’s Feast is the beginning of Odin’s Ordeal – “In Rúnatal, a section of the Hávamál, Odin is attributed with discovering the runes. In a sacrifice to himself, the highest of the gods, he was hanged from the world tree Yggdrasil for nine days and nights, pierced by his own spear, in order to learn the wisdom that would give him power in the nine worlds. Nine is a significant number in Norse magical practice (there were, for example, nine realms of existence), thereby learning nine (later eighteen) magical songs and eighteen magical runes. One of Odin’s names is Ygg, and the Norse name for the World Ash —Yggdrasil—therefore could mean “Ygg’s (Odin’s) horse.” Another of Odin’s names is Hangatýr, the god of the hanged.” (from Wikipedia)

Today’s plant is Goldenrod, Solidago Canadensis. A good browse plant, although not shade-tolerant, it is one of the first plants to colonize burned-off areas. In Fukishima it has taken over the rice fields near the wrecked nuclear plant. – Feminine, Venus, Air – Wear a piece of goldenrod to see your future love. Hold a piece in the hand and it will direct you to things you’ve lost or buried treasure. If it blooms by your door without being planted, good fortune will follow. It’s also used in money spells and has the property of survival. Wiki article here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidago_canadensis

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

Constellation of Lyra

Look overhead around 10 p.m. local daylight time anytime this week and your eyes will fall on the brilliant star Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp. At magnitude 0.0, Vega is the brightest member of the prominent Summer Triangle asterism. The triangle’s second-brightest star, magnitude 0.8 << Altair in Aquila the Eagle, lies some 35° southeast of Vega. The asterism’s dimmest member, magnitude 1.3 Deneb in Cygnus the Swan >>> , stands about 25° east-northeast of Vega.

Moon Apogee/Perigee – * For a good explanation of what this is – https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/lunar-perigee-apogee.html

The Moon reaches apogee, the farthest point in its orbit around Earth, at 6:49 a.m. EDT. It then lies 252,429 miles (406,244 kilometers) from Earth’s center.
The actual Little Dipper is tipping far over leftward in the north. It’s less than half as long as the Andromegasus Dipper, and most of it is much fainter. As always, you’ll find that it’s oriented more than 90° counterclockwise compared to Andromegasus.

Getting lower

Mercury displays itself low in the dawn this week, lower every morning, as it brightens from magnitude –0.8 to –1.3. Look for it about 30 or 40 minutes before sunrise. Don’t confuse it with lesser, twinklier Procyon well off to its right.

Sun in Leo
Moon in Pisces
Saturn (9/18), Pluto (10/3) and Neptune (11/27), Chiron (12/12), Uranus (1/10/20)Retrograde
Color: Grey

Planting 8/16-18

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from Wikimedia commons

Coll – Hazel Ogam letter correspondences
Month: July
Color: Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: C, K
Meaning: Creative energies for work or projects.

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Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
Sa 17     High   1:55 AM     7.3   6:22 AM     Set 8:18 AM      98
~ 17      Low   8:38 AM    -0.4   8:19 PM    Rise 9:45 PM
~ 17     High   2:59 PM     6.6
~ 17      Low   8:46 PM     1.8

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – A best friend is like a four leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have.

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Journal Prompt – Wiki – What are some major inventions that happened during your life time?

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Quotes

~   The Lord’s Prayer is 66 words, the Gettysburg Address is 286 words, there are 1,322 words in the Declaration of Independence, but government regulations on the sale of cabbage run to 14,992 pages! National Review
~   When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure. – Peter Marshall
~   Definition of your “native language”-the language you swear in when you hit your thumb with a hammer 🙂 – Nate Merrill-Spiritfire
~   Middle age is when you’ve met so many people that every new person you meet reminds you of someone else. – Ogden Nash

The big doors of the country barn stand open and ready,
The dried grass of the harvest-time loads the slow-drawn wagon,
The clear light plays on the brown gray and green intertinged,
The armfuls are pack’d to the sagging mow. – Walt Whitman (1819–92)

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Magick – RE-THINKING THE WATCHTOWERS or 13 Reasons Air Should Be In The North by Mike Nichols – fondly dedicated to Kathy Whitworth – http://www.beliefnet.com/frameset_offsite.asp?pageloc=http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/7280/LLew.html&query=&script=/story/82/story_8220_1.html

INTRODUCTION

It all started many years ago. I was a teenager then, and a recent initiate to the religion of Wicca. Like most neophytes, I was eager to begin work on my Book of Shadows, the traditional manuscript liturgical book kept by most practicing Witches. I copied down rituals, spells, recipes, poems, and tables of correspondences from every source I could lay hands on. Those generally fell into two broad categories: published works, such as the many books available on Witchcraft and magic; and unpublished works, mainly other Witches’ Books of Shadows.

In the late 1960s, most of us were “traditional” enough to copy everything by hand. (Today, photocopying and even email attachments are becoming de rigueur.) Always, we were admonished to copy “every dot and comma”, making an exact transcription of the original, since any variation in the ceremony might cause major problems for the magician. Seldom, if ever, did anyone pause to consider where these rituals came from in the first place, or who composed them. Most of us, alas, did not know and did not care. It was enough just to follow the rubrics and do the rituals as prescribed.

But something brought me to an abrupt halt in my copying frenzy. I had dutifully copied rituals from different sources, and suddenly realized they contained conflicting elements. I found myself comparing the two versions, wondering which one was “right”, “correct”, “authentic”, “original”, “older”, etc. This gave rise to the more general questions about where a ritual came from in the first place. Who created it? Was it created by one person or many? Was it ever altered in transmission? If so, was it by accident or intent? Do we know? Is there ever any way to find out? How did a particular ritual get into a coven’s Book of Shadows? From another, older, Book of Shadows? Or from a published source? If so, where did the author of the published work get it?

I had barely scratched the surface, and yet I could already see that the questions being raised were very complex. (Now, all these years later, I am more convinced than ever of the daunting complexity of Neo-Pagan liturgical history. And I am equally convinced of the great importance of this topic for a thorough understanding of modern Witchcraft. It may well be a mare’s nest, but imagine the value it will have to future Craft historians. (And you are unconditionally guaranteed to see me fly into a passionate tirade whenever I’m confronted with such banal oversimplifications as ‘Crowley is the real author of the Third Degree initiation’, or ‘Everyone knows Gardner invented modern Witchcraft’.)

CONFLICTING TRADITIONS

The first time I noticed conflicting ritual elements was when I was invited as a guest to attend another coven’s Esbat celebration. When the time came to “invoke the Watchtowers” (a ritual salutation to the four directions), I was amazed to learn that this group associated the element of earth with the north. My own coven equated north with air. How odd, I thought. Where’d they get that? The high priestess told me it had been copied out of a number of published sources. Further, she said she had never seen it listed any other way. I raced home and began tearing books from my own library shelves. And sure enough! Practically every book I consulted gave the following associations as standard: north = earth, east = air, south = fire, west = water.

Then where the heck did I get the idea that air belonged in the north? After much thought, I remembered having copied my own elemental/directional associations from another Witch’s Book of Shadows, her book representing (so she claimed) an old Welsh tradition. Perhaps I’d copied it down wrong? A quick long-distance phone call put my mind at ease on that score. (When I asked her where she’d gotten it, she said she thought it was from an even older Book of Shadows, but she wasn’t certain.)

By now, I felt miffed that my own tradition seemed to be at variance with most published sources. Still, my own rituals didn’t seem to be adversely affected. Nor were those of my fellow coven members, all of whom put air in the north. Further, over the years I had amassed lots of associations and correspondences that seemed to require air to be in the north. The very thought of air in the east offended both my sense of reason and my gut-level mythic sensibilities. There are good reasons to place air in the north. And the whole mythological superstructure would collapse if air were in the east, instead. If this is so, then why do most published sources place earth in the north and air in the east?

RITUAL TAMPERING

Suddenly, I felt sure I knew the reason! Somewhere along the line, someone had deliberately tampered with the information! Such tampering is a long and venerable practice within certain branches of magic. In Western culture, it is most typically seen among Hermetic, Cabalistic, and ceremonial magic lodges. It is common among such groups that, when publishing their rituals for public consumption, they will publish versions that are incomplete and/or deliberately altered in some way from the authentic practice. This prevents someone who is not a member of the group from simply buying a book, and performing the rituals, without benefit of formal training. It is only when you are initiated into the lodge that you will be given the complete and/or corrected versions of their rituals. This is how such groups guard their secrets. (And it is a telling postscript that many scholars now believe modern Witchcraft to have “borrowed” its directional/elemental correspondences from ceremonial magic sources! What a laugh if this was Crowley’s last best joke on his friend Gerald Gardner!)

I remember the first time I became aware of such deliberate ritual tampering. A friend of mine had been making a study of the so-called planetary squares, talismans that look like magic squares consisting of a grid of numbers in some cryptic order. There are seven such squares—one for each of the “classical” planets. While making this study, he began coloring the grids (more for his own pleasure than anything else), making colorful mini-mosaics, using first two colors, then three, then four, and on up to the total number of squares in the grid. Six of the planetary squares yielded pleasing patterns of color. Then there was the Sun square! Against all expectation, the colors were a random jumble, with no patterns emerging. Thus, he began his quest for the corrected Sun square. And I became convinced of the reality of ritual tampering.

THE WATCHTOWERS

All that remains, then, is for me to assemble all the arguments in favor of the air-in-the-north model, which I have now come to believe is the corrected system of correspondences. The remainder of this article will be devoted to those arguments, each with its own name and number:

AIRTS: This is perhaps the strongest argument. In Celtic countries, the four elemental/directional associations are referred to as the “four airts”. And it is a known fact that this tradition associates air with north. While it is true that some writers, familiar with ceremonial magic (like William Sharp and Doreen Valiente), have given tampered versions of the airts, it is a telling point that folklorists working directly with native oral traditions (like Alexander Carmichael and F. Marion McNeill) invariably report the air/north connection.
PARALLEL CULTURES: Although arguing from parallel cultures may not be as convincing, it is still instructive to examine other magical aboriginal cultures in the Northern Hemisphere. For example, the vast majority of Native American tribes (themselves no slouches in the area of magic!) place air in the north, which they symbolize by the eagle. (Aboriginal cultures lying south of the equator typically have different associations, for reasons I will discuss next.)
GEOPHYSICAL: If one accepts the insular British origins of elemental directions, then one must imagine living in the British Isles. To the west is the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean (i.e. water). To the east, the bulk of the European landmass (earth). South has always been the direction of fire because, as one travels south (toward the equator), it gets warmer. Which leaves north as the region of air, home of the icy winds of winter. (These last two associations would be reversed for cultures in the Southern Hemisphere, for whom north is the direction of the warm equatorial region, and south is the land of ice.)
HYPERBOREAN: In fact, an ancient name for the British Isles was Hyperborea, which literally means “behind the north wind”, thus associating north and wind (air) once more. The inhabitants were themselves called “Hyperboreans”, and the phrase “at the back of the north wind” (the title of one of George MacDonald’s faery romances) is still current. Of all the winds of the compass, it is unquestionably the north wind (Boreas), bringer of winter, which is perceived as the strongest and most influential (cf. Robert Grave’s Goddess fantasy Watch the North Wind Rise). You don’t hear too much about the other three cardinal winds.
SEASONAL: Many occultists associate the four seasons with the four cardinal points, as well. Hence, winter = north, spring = east, summer = south, and autumn = west. (To be precise, it is the solstice and equinox points that align with the cardinal points.) Again, in most folklore, winter is associated with air and wind, as the icy blasts that usher in the season. In spring, it is the Earth that arrests our attention, with its sudden riot of blooms and greenery. Again, south relates to summer, the hottest season (fire), and west relates to autumn.
DIURNAL: Occultists also often associate the cardinal points of a single day to the four compass points. Thus, midnight = north, sunrise = east, noon = south, and sunset = west. (Please note that we are talking about true midnight and true noon here, the points halfway between sunset and sunrise, and between sunrise and sunset, respectively.) These associate nicely with the seasonal attributes just discussed. It is easy to see why sunrise should equate to east, and sunset to west. And, once again, from the perspective of the British Isles, the sun rises over land (Earth) and sets over the ocean (water). South is related to noon because it is the moment of greatest heat (fire). Leaving the “invisible” element of air to be associated with the sun’s invisibility, at midnight.
MYTHOLOGICAL: In Celtic mythology, north is invariably associated with air. The pre-Christian Irish Gods and Goddesses, the Tuatha De Danann, were “airy” faeries (later versions came equipped with wings, relating them to sylphs). The Book of Conquests states their original home was in the North, “at the back of the north wind”. And when they came to Ireland, they came in ships, through the upper air(!), settling on the mountaintops. (It has always struck me as odd that some modern writers see mountains as a symbol of earth. The crucial symbolism of the mountain is its height, rising into the air, touching the sky. Virtually all Eastern traditions associate mountains, favorite abodes of gurus, with air. A cave would be a better symbol of earth than a mountain.) In Welsh mythology, too, Math the Ancient, chief God of Gwynedd (or North Wales), is specifically associated with wind, which can carry people’s thoughts to him.
YIN/YANG: Many occultists believe that the four elements have yin/yang connections. Both air and fire are seen as masculine, while earth and water are seen as feminine. If air is associated with the north point of the magic Circle, and earth is east, then one achieves a yin/yang alternation as one circumambulates the Circle. As one passes the cardinal points of east, south, west, and north, one passes feminine, masculine, feminine, masculine energies. This alternating flux of plus/ minus, push/pull, masculine/feminine, is the very pulse of the universe, considered of great importance by most occultists. That it was equally important to our ancestors is evidenced by standing stones in the British Isles. At sites like the Kennet Avenue of Braga, the tall, slender, masculine, phallic stones alternate precisely with the shorter, diamond-shaped yoni stones.
GENERATOR: This argument flows out of the previous one. Practicing magicians often think of the magic Circle as a kind of psychic generator. Witches in particular like to perform circle dances to “raise the cone of power”. Hand in hand, and alternating man and woman, they dance clockwise (deosil) around the circle, moving faster and faster until the power is released. This model has an uncanny resemblance to an electrical generator, as man and woman alternately pass each of the four “poles” of the magic Circle. These poles themselves must alternate between plus and minus if power is to be raised. This means that if the masculine fire is in the south, then the masculine air must be in the north. If the feminine water is in the west, then the feminine earth must be in the east. If any adjacent pair were switched, the generator would stop dead.
MASCULINE/FEMININE AXIS: When you look at a typical map, north (the cardinal direction) is at the top. Any north–south road is a vertical line, and any east–west road is a horizontal line. Likewise, a “map” of a magic Circle makes the vertical north–south axis masculine (with air and fire), while the horizontal east–west axis is feminine (earth and water). This makes logical sense. When we look at the horizon of the Earth, we see a horizontal line. Water also seeks a horizontal plane. Feminine elements, considered “passive”, have a natural tendency to “lay down”. Fire, on the other hand, always assumes an erect or vertical position. Air, too, can rise upward, as earth and water cannot. Masculine elements, being “active”, have a natural tendency to “stand up”.
ALTAR TOOLS: In modern Witchcraft, there are four principal altar tools, the same four tools shown on the tarot card, the Magician. They also correspond to the four tarot suits, the four ancient treasures of Ireland, and the Four Hallows of Arthurian legend. And, like the four elements, two of them are feminine and two of them are masculine. The pentacle is a shallow dish inscribed with a pentagram, representing earth, and is here placed in the east. The womb-shaped chalice, symbolizing water, is placed in the west. They form the horizontal feminine axis. The phallic-shaped wand, representing fire, is placed in the south. And the equally phallic-shaped athame is placed in the north. They form the vertical masculine axis. (The gender associations of cup and blade are especially emphasized in the ritual blessing of wine.)
AXIS SYMBOLISM: In nearly every culture, the vertical line is a symbol of yang, or masculine energy. The horizontal line is yin, feminine energy. When the vertical masculine line penetrates the horizontal feminine line, forming the ancient Pagan symbol of the equal-armed cross, it becomes a symbol of life, and life force. Place a circle around it or on it, and you have a circle-cross or “Celtic” cross, symbol of everlasting life. (Please note the importance of the equal-armed cross. If one arm is longer or shorter, then the four elements are out of balance. The Christian or Roman cross, for example, has an extended southern arm. And many historians have commented on Christianity’s excess of “fire” or zeal. Some versions actually show a shortened northern arm, indicating a dearth of “air” or intellectual qualities.)
ASTROLOGICAL: The astrological year is divided into four equal quadrants, each beginning at a solstice or equinox. And each quadrant is governed by one of the four elements. Which element can be discovered by examining the exact midpoint of the quadrant. For example, the first quadrant, beginning at the winter solstice (north) is governed by air, which rules fifteen degrees Aquarius, symbolized by the Man or Spirit. The second quadrant, beginning at the spring equinox (east) is governed by earth, which rules fifteen degrees Taurus, the Bull. The third quadrant, beginning at the summer solstice (south) is governed by fire, which rules fifteen degrees Leo, the Lion. And the fourth quadrant, beginning at the fall equinox (west) is governed by water, which rules fifteen degrees Scorpio, here symbolized by the Eagle. Thus, north, east, south and west correspond to air, earth, fire, and water, and to Spirit, Bull, Lion, and Eagle, respectively. If the last four symbols seem familiar, it is because they represent the four elemental power points of the astrological year, and their symbols appear in the four corners of the tarot cards, the World and the Wheel of Fortune. (The same figures were later adopted by Christians as symbols of the four Gospel writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.)

If those are the arguments in favor of air-in-the-north, where are the counterarguments in favor of earth-in-the-north? Surprisingly, I’ve heard very few. The most common by far is “But we’ve always done it this way.” Not too convincing. However, no matter how persuasive my arguments may be, many have countered that magic doesn’t lend itself to rational arguments. It’s what feels right that counts. True. And there’s no denying that many practitioners do just fine with earth in the north. Granted. Still, if they’ve never tried it the other way, how would they really know?

My challenge to my fellow practitioners then is this: give air-in-the-north a shot. Just try it on for size. See what it feels like. And not for just a single ritual. It’ll take several tries just to overcome your habitual ritual mindset. And nothing is as habitual as ritual! So in order to give this a fair shake, you’ll have to do a whole series of rituals with air in the north. And go into it with an open mind. Like all magic, if you decide ahead of time it won’t work, it won’t. Then, once you’ve tried it, compare it to your old method. Ask yourself what’s different, if it worked any better, and why or why not. And in doing so, you may discover you have anticipated your tradition’s great Third Degree secret. Shhhh!

Most Recent Text Revision: Tuesday, May 3, 2005 c.e.
Text editing courtesy of Acorn Guild Press.
Document Copyright © 1986, 1995, 2005 by Mike Nichols.
HTML coding by: Mike Nichols © 1997, 2005

Permission is given to re-publish this document only as long as no information is lost or changed, credit is given to the author, and it is provided or used without cost to others.
This notice represents an exception to the copyright notice found in the Acorn Guild Press edition of The Witches’ Sabbats and applies only to the text as given above.
Other uses of this document must be approved in writing by Mike Nichols.

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Silliness – Escher!

Posted in Daily Stuff | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, Escher!, Goddess Month, Goldenrod, Journal Prompt, Magick, Moon Moon phase, Oregon Coast, Pagan, RE-THINKING THE WATCHTOWERS, Runic Half Month, Silliness, Solidago Canadensis, The big doors of the country barn stand open and ready, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca

Daily Stuff 8-16-19 Aretha Franklin

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Minus Tide at 8:07 AM of -0.6 feet.

Between clouds the sky is blue, but there are a lot of clouds this morning. 64F, wind at 6mph and gusting, AQI16, UV7. Still that tiny chance of rain on Wednesday, but nothing more… and I just saw a note that Mt. Pisgah is being evacuated due to fire. Not sure what’s with that. Ok, here’s a clip. Nothing too big, thank goodness… https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2019/08/fire-on-mount-pisgah-in-mop-up-mode-park-to-remain-closed-through-weekend.html

Yesterday’s newsletter went out so late that there’s not that much to put in this one. I finally started to feel human again around midnight, but I didn’t have enough energy to do much more than what I had been doing, i.e. sewing and reading. I played

on the computer a little, got a nap, and then took a look in the big freezer to see what all was on top, at least, so I know what *not* to ask Tempus to get on the store run.

Today we’ve got the shop open. I feel as though I weigh something like 3 tons. Typical post-migraine…. Tempus is dragging because he got in around 6:30 or so. …but we’re open.

Aretha Franklin 1942-2018 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklinwise

The strange case of William Harrison, the Campden Wonder –
On August 16, 1660, a 70-year-old rent collector (manager of Viscountess Campden’s estates at Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, England http://www.chippingcampden.co.uk/ ), William Harrison, disappeared from Chipping Campden, England, and only his hat, comb and ‘collar band’, or scarf, were found. His servant, John Perry, confessed to his murder and implicated his mother Joan (who was thought to be a witch) and his brother Richard. All three were hanged, although a body was never recovered.
Fully two years later, the ‘murdered’ William Harrison returned to Chipping Campden, with a fantastic story, which he laid out in a sworn letter http://www.law.utexas.edu/lpop/etext/newgate/perry.htm to Sir Thomas Overbury, a magistrate of the county of Gloucester. Harrison wrote that he had been kidnapped by two armed horsemen, who stabbed him through the side and thigh with swords. They had taken him on a long journey through England to Deal, where they had put him on a ship. The ship was captured by Turkish pirates who sold the old man into slavery near Smyrna, Turkey … More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campden_Wonder and here: http://www.thecampdenwonder.com/index.html

Today’s Plant is Red Huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium), which grows mostly at low to middle elevations in soil enriched by decaying wood and on rotten logs, all over the coast range. It is a deciduous shrub growing to 13 ft tall with a small, edible red to blue-black berry. The local peoples ate, dried, stewed and made sauces from this berry which was one of their staple foods. The bark is a cold remedy. The leaves make a good tea. I make jam of the berries, which also make a tasty tea. Both berries and leaves are good for sore throats, aching teeth and inflamed gums. It’s sometimes used as an ornamental, but it doesn’t take well to getting the roots disturbed. – Gender, Feminine – Planet, Venus – Element, Water – Carry for luck, health (especially teeth/throat), to keep away evil and break hexes, Burn to make dreams come true. Dried berries can be used for prosperity magicks. More info and links here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccinium_parvifolium

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

Full Moon – The day of, the day before, and day after the true Full Moon. “And better it be when the moon is full!”! Prime time for rituals for prophecy, for spells to come to fruition, infusing health and wholeness, etc. A good time for invoking deity. FRUITION Manifesting goals, nurturing, passion, healing, strength, power. Workings on this day are for protection, divination. “extra power”, job hunting, healing serious conditions Also, love, knowledge, legal undertakings, money and dreams. God/dess Aspect: Mother/Abundance/Kingship – Associated God/desses: Danu, Cerridwen, Gaia, Aphrodite, Isis, Jupiter, Amon-Ra. Phase ends on at 8/16 at 5:27pm. Waning Moon Magick – From the Full Moon to the New is a time for study, meditation, and magic designed to banish harmful energies and habits, for ridding oneself of addictions, illness or negativity. Remember: what goes up must come down. Phase ends at the Tide Change on 8/30 at 3:37am.

Asteroid 15 Eunomia reached opposition and peak visibility earlier this week, but the view tonight is essentially the same. The main-belt object traverses the sky from dusk to dawn and climbs halfway to the zenith in the southern sky around 1 a.m. local daylight time. Eunomia shines at magnitude 8.2 and should be easy to find through binoculars under a dark sky and in a 4-inch telescope from the suburbs. The asteroid is currently moving westward against the backdrop of Aquarius the Water-bearer. Tonight, it lies 4.3° due west of magnitude 2.9 Beta (β) Aquarii.

This whole giant pattern was named “the Andromegasus Dipper” by the late Sky & Telescope columnist George Lovi and is shaped sort of like a giant Little Dipper with an extra-big bowl

As August proceeds and nights begin to turn chilly, the Great Square of Pegasus lifts up in the east, balancing on one corner. Its stars are only 2nd and 3rd magnitude, and your fist at arm’s length fits inside it. Late this evening the waning gibbous Moon rises below it. From the Square’s left corner extends the main line of the constellation Andromeda: three stars (including the corner) about as bright as those forming the Square. This whole giant pattern was named “the Andromegasus Dipper” by the late Sky & Telescope columnist George Lovi. It’s shaped sort of like a giant Little Dipper with an extra-big bowl, and it’s currently raising its contents upward.
Uranus (magnitude 5.8, in Aries) is high in the southeast before the beginning of dawn.

Sun in Leo
Moon in Aquarius enters Pisces at 8:49pm.
Saturn (9/18), Pluto (10/3) and Neptune (11/27), Chiron (12/12), Uranus (1/10/20)Retrograde
Color: White

Planting 8/16-18

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from Wikimedia commons

Coll – Hazel Ogam letter correspondences
Month: July
Color: Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: C, K
Meaning: Creative energies for work or projects.

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Tides for Alsea Bay

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Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
F   16     High   1:18 AM     7.5   6:20 AM     Set 7:18 AM      99
~ 16      Low   8:07 AM    -0.6   8:20 PM    Rise 9:20 PM
~ 16     High   2:29 PM     6.5
~ 16      Low   8:09 PM     1.9

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – Contemplate the nature of Goddess, the nature of the Infinite, for a few minutes.

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Journal Prompt – Expository – Can you buy happiness?

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Quotes

~   An open heart is a sanctuary where all are welcome. – Paul Ferrini
~   A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. – Samuel Goldwyn
~   Men of genius do not excel in any profession because they labor in it but they labor in it because they excel. – William Hazlitt, English writer
~   The longing to produce great inspirations didn’t produce anything but more longing. – Sophie Kerr

On this scene enter–winged, horned, and spined—
A longlegs, a moth, and a dumbledore;
While ‘mid my page there idly stands
A sleepy fly, that rubs its hands . . .- –Thomas Hardy (1840–1928)

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Magick – Recipes

Gari: Japanese Pickled Ginger – https://www.thespruceeats.com/pickled-ginger-2031497 – By Setsuko Yoshizuka – Updated 06/04/19

Total:20 mins
Prep:15 mins
Cook:5 mins
Yield:24 to 32 servings

Pickled ginger, or sushi ginger, is called gari or shin-shoga no amazu-zuki in Japanese. It’s served with sushi or sashimi; the ginger’s spiciness and sweet vinegar flavor cleanse the palate in between eating different types of sushi, allowing you to enjoy the taste of different kinds of fish and rolls. Gari is also great with century eggs, which are a Chinese delicacy.

Although you can find prepared pink or white pickled ginger in most Asian markets, it is simple to make your own. The success of the recipe, however, hinges on using fresh young ginger. The young ginger’s skin is very thin and easy to peel with your fingers or a spoon and is thinly sliced and then marinated in sugar and rice vinegarmixture.

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh young ginger root
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups rice vinegar
2 cups granulated sugar

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Wash the young ginger root and scrape off any brown spots with a spoon. Then scrape off all the skin with a scraper, or peel the ginger by hand.
Slice the ginger thinly and salt the slices. Leave salted ginger slices in a bowl for about 1 hour.
Dry the ginger slices with paper towels and put them in a sterilized, heat-resistant container or jar.
Mix the rice vinegar and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil until the strong vinegar aroma has evaporated.
Pour the hot vinegar and sugar mixture over the ginger slices. If you want to keep the ginger spicy, pour out the liquid after about 1 minute. Otherwise, let the mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes.
Drain the slices in a colander and let them cool by placing them on a paper towel in a single layer. The pickled ginger should change its color to light pink; if you are using old ginger, it might not turn pink naturally.
With clean hands, squeeze the liquid out of the slices and place them in a jar.
Cover the jar and store it in the refrigerator, where it will last in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.

Tips

Young ginger is harvested and sold in early summer. It has a mild ginger flavor and a fine fleshy texture that is tender, unlike matured ginger usually used for cooking. Look for ginger with the pinkish tips, which will make the pickled ginger naturally pink. (Some of the commercially produced and sold pickled ginger is artificially dyed.) You can find young pinkish ginger in Asian grocery stores.
If you find yourself with extra fresh ginger and would like to try to use it differently, there are plenty of ways to preserve fresh ginger, from freezing it for later use to drying it to add to baked goods to fermenting it into real ginger ale.

Cheeseburger Roll-Up – https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/187264/cheeseburger-roll-up – Try our twist on an all-American favorite with this cheeseburger roll up recipe! Bake this cheesy, meaty dish and serve with your favorite burger toppings.

1 Hr(s)
25 Min(s) Prep
35 Min(s) Cook
6 Servings

What You Need

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup Tomato Ketchup
1 Tbsp. Yellow Mustard
1 can (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
1 cup Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese

Let’s Make It

Brown meat with onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Return meat mixture to skillet. Add ketchup and mustard; cook 2 min., stirring frequently. Cool 10 min.
Heat oven to 400°F. Unroll pizza dough onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray; press into 15×8-inch rectangle. Top with meat mixture to within 1/2 inch of edges; sprinkle with cheese. Roll up, starting at one long side. Rearrange if necessary so roll is seam side down on baking sheet.
Bake 20 to 25 min. or until golden brown.

Kitchen Tips – Special Extra – Serve with your favorite burger toppings, such as CLAUSSEN Kosher Dill Burger Slices, shredded iceberg lettuce and/or chopped tomatoes.

Easy Apple Muffins – By Carroll Pellegrinelli – Updated 07/20/19 – https://www.thespruceeats.com/easy-apple-muffins-recipe-304504

Total:50 mins
Prep:20 mins
Cook:30 mins
Yield:18 Muffins (18 Servings)

See Full Nutritional Guidelines

These muffins are full of flavor and can take on many variations. Ready in less than an hour, they’re simple muffins to which you can add the toppings, fillings, and icings of your choice.

Bake and freeze to have at hand when you’re short on time. These muffins are a great way to start your day or to treat yourself when you need a pick-me-up during the afternoon.

We use a cake mix to speed up the process, and in a little under an hour the result is amazing.

Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
21 ounce can apple pie filling
18 ounces cake mix (yellow, white, lemon, or spice cake mix)
Optional: freshly ground cinnamon

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease or paper-line 18 muffin cups.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, and apple pie filling, mixing well.
Add cake mix to the bowl, being careful not to overmix the batter.
Place batter in muffin cups and sprinkle tops with ground cinnamon (optional).
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the muffin. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing.
Serve warm with butter and enjoy!

Muffin Extravaganza – Here are some ideas to give your muffins a twist:

Crunchy: Mix 1/2 cup of crushed almonds, cashews, or chunky granola into the batter to add some texture.
Chewy: Add 2/3 cup of currants, raisins, tart cherries, or chopped dried apricots to the batter to add sweetness and give your muffins a chewy texture.
Sweet: Mix 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips or caramel chunks into the batter to make them extra decadent.
Fruity Fillings: Mix 1/2 cup of the marmalade of your choice with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. Transfer into a piping bag. With an apple corer remove a cylinder of dough from each of the muffins, fill with 1 teaspoon of the marmalade and put back the dough cylinder. Dust powdered sugar on top.
Icing: Pipe store-bought icing and use sprinkles to add some color for celebratory muffins, or use a simple glaze for decoration and extra sweetness.

Chicken Lasagna Roll-Ups – Enjoy the cheesy goodness of lasagna in these Chicken Lasagna Roll-Ups! Prep time for this Chicken Lasagna Roll-Ups recipe is just 20 minutes. – https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/055307/chicken-lasagna-roll-ups

50 Min(s)
20 Min(s) Prep
30 Min(s) Cook
Makes 6 servings.

What You Need

1 pkg. Chicken Breast Strips
1 cup Ricotta Cheese
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
6 lasagna noodles, cooked
2 cups Traditional Pasta Sauce
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Let’s Make It

Heat oven to 375°F.
Combine first 5 ingredients; spread onto noodles. Roll up tightly.
Place, seam-sides down, in 9-inch square baking dish. Cover with sauce; top with mozzarella.
Bake 30 min. or until heated through.

Kitchen Tips – Substitute – Substitute Cottage Cheese for the ricotta.

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Silliness – Sniglet – Any word which should be in the dictionary but isn’t.

boslum (BAHZ lum) – n. The small metal ring on a ballpoint pen that separates the top half (MELANEXUS) from the bottom half (MOOSTERUS).

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, Goddess Month, Journal Prompt, Magick, Moon Moon phase, On this scene enter--winged horned and spined, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Red Huckleberry, Runic Half Month, Silliness, Sniglet, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Vaccinium parvifolium, Weather, Wicca

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