Ancient Light's Daily Stuff

Daily Stuff 6-25-10 Rainbow Flag

Posted on June 25, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by Girl in Water Photography.

We got 0.14 inches of rain overnight, out of our 20% chance, enough that the pavement is still damp. The clouds are thick and grey-white, but brightening quickly. There should be sun this afternoon. 54F, wind at 2mph, AQI19, UV9. Wed-Friday have the highest chance of showers with some accumulation, but it’s still under 40%.

Yesterday was rough. We were busy, not incredibly, but some. The hard part was after the long counseling session in the morning, I had another set of readings, later, that ended up including some counseling and a *lot* of teaching, for at least 1 1/2 hours.

I got a nap before class, then we had class which was short. We couldn’t start the review because some reading needed to get caught up first. That was ok after that day I’d had! We’re going to wait until the bulk of tourist season is past to go on with 103.

Tempus had gone out to do laundry and once he was back we closed down for the night. We watched the Falcon Heavy SpaceX launch, which was amazing, as always. Why don’t more people watch these? I was enthralled all the way through deploying the 34 (!!!!!) satellite deployments. They landed the boosters, which was an amazing shot, and then the main engine missed the drone ship and ditched, but for the first time the “catcher’s mitt” got part of the fairing that covered the satellites during liftoff and the other 1/2 was floating nearby so that the small boats went after it. Then one satt after another, just like clockwork, moved off from the main ship.

I worked on some more embroidery and then finished the pendants that I had packed for the evening, then finished the bib I’ve been working on. I’ve got to do photos this morning.

Today we need to buckle down to some heavy-duty cleaning again and tonight’s the paper route. …oh, and putting laundry away….although that’s 1/2 done, already.

Photo from 6/24/17 of a Juvenile Red Rock crab by Jamie Marie@girlinwaterphotography Perfect for the Sun in Cancer! (used with permission)

Today’s feast is in honor of the day that the Gay Pride Rainbow Flag first flew in 1978. It has a history and the color order is that of the spectrum. It may have been used in he 60′s as a diversity symbol but this is the first one associated with a large Gay Pride day. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_flag_(LGBT_movement)

Today’s Plant is Cow parsnip, Heracleum lanatum, or Indian Celery. Growing in every damp place along the roads out here, this is easily confused with seacoast angelica, and other plants, and even dangerously with water hemlock, if you don’t look carefully, or dig it up to check the root. It’s a huge plant (over 6 feet tall) with leaves large enough to make a hat from! Local peoples used it as a poultice plant for bruises and sores. The young stems and leaf stalks can be peeled and eaten in spring. The root makes a nice yellow dye. – Feminine, Water, Moon, Hathor – The flowers glow in the moonlight and I have used this as a plant of sacrifice to Bona Dea or the Great Mother in one of her many aspects as it is a symbol of the plenty of spring. More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heracleum_lanatum

The shop is closed today. 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 7/2 at 12:16pm. 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 6/25 at 2:46am. Waning Crescent Moon – Best time for beginning introspective magicks that are more long term (full year cycle) A good time for beginning knot magicks to “bind up” addictions and illness (finish just before the Tide Change of Dark to New) and “tying up loose ends” God/dess aspects – Demeter weeping for her Daughter, Mabon, Arachne Tyr. Phase ends on 6/28 at 12:16am.

Last Quarter Moon – A Last Quarter Moon rises behind a blooming iris on the Tibetan plateau some 14,750 feet (4,500 meters) above sea level. The photographer captured this scene near Yamdrok Lake on June 9, 2015. – Jeff Dai

Last Quarter Moon arrives at 5:46 a.m. EDT. It rises in the east shortly after 1 a.m. local daylight time lower right of the Great Square of Pegasus, and climbs higher in the southeast as dawn approaches. During this period, our half-lit satellite lies among the background stars of southern Pisces the Fish.
The two brightest stars of summer, <<< Arcturus and Vega >>> , are about equally high overhead shortly after dark: Arcturus toward the southwest, Vega toward the east. Arcturus and Vega are 37 and 25 light-years away, respectively. They represent the two commonest types of naked-eye stars: a yellow-orange K giant and a white type-A main-sequence star. They’re 150 and 50 times brighter than the Sun, respectively — which, combined with their nearness, is why they dominate the evening sky.
Jupiter (magnitude –2.6, in southern Ophiuchus) is that white point glaring in the southeast as the stars come out. Antares, much fainter at magnitude +1.0, twinkles 9° to its right. Jupiter is highest in the south by about midnight daylight saving time, with orange Antares now to its lower right. Jupiter and Antares form a wide, flat, almost isosceles triangle with Delta Scorpii (Dschubba) to their right. For most of the last 19 years, Delta, an eruptive variable, has been only a little dimmer than Antares. In a telescope Jupiter is still a good 46 arcseconds wide. See Bob King’s Jupiter Is Outstanding at Opposition.

Old Farmer’s Almanac Sky map for June – https://www.almanac.com/content/sky-map-june-2019
Goddess Month of Rosea runs from 6/13 – 7/10
Celtic Tree Month of Duir/Oak, Jun 10 – Jul 7
Runic half-month of Dagaz/ Dag, 6/14-6/28. – Beneficial rune of light, health, prosperity and openings, signifying the high point of the day and the high point of the year when in light and warmth all things are possible. Runic New Year’s Eve, final day of the runic year June 28

Sun in Cancer
Waning Quarter at 2:46am
Moon in Aries
Ceres (7/17), Jupiter (8/11), Saturn (9/18), Pluto (10/3) and Neptune (11/27)Retrograde

Color: Black

Harvest 6/25-6

©2019 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright

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Celtic Tree Month of Duir/Oak, Jun 10 – Jul 7 – The oak of myth and legend is the common oak (Quercus robur L.). It is sometimes called the great oak, which is a translation of its Latin name (robur is the root of the English word “robust”). It grows with ash and beech in the lowland forests, and can reach a height of 150 feet and age of 800 years. Along with ashes, oaks were heavily logged throughout recent millennia, so that the remaining giant oaks in many parts of Europe are but a remnant of forests past. Like most other central and northern European trees, common oaks are deciduous, losing their leaves before Samhain and growing new leaves in the spring so that the trees are fully clothed by Bealltaine. Common oaks are occasionally cultivated in North America, as are the similar native white oak, valley oak, and Oregon oak. Oaks are members of the Beech family (Fagaceae). Curtis Clark

Duir – Oak Ogam letter correspondences
Month: May
Color: Black and Dark Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: D
Meaning: Security; Strength

to study this month – Eadha – White Poplar or Aspen Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Silver White
Class: Shrub
Letter: E
Meaning: Problems; Doubts; Fears.

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Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
Tu 25      Low   1:20 AM     2.5   5:33 AM    Rise 1:36 AM      56
~ 25     High   6:38 AM     5.0   9:05 PM     Set 1:37 PM
~ 25      Low   1:04 PM     1.2
~ 25     High   7:49 PM     6.4

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – Just when you get really good at something, you won’t need to do it anymore. No, really, it’s a *good* thing! Get it done!

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Journal Prompt – Firsts – Write about a “first” in your life—such as the first time you stayed home alone or the first time you stayed overnight at a friend’s house.

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Quotes

~   Mistakes……call them unexpected learning experiences. – Richard Bach
~   America makes prodigious mistakes, America has colossal faults, but one thing cannot be denied: America is always on the move. She may be going to Hell, of course, but at least she isn’t standing still. – e. e. cummings (1894-1962) u. s. poet
~   He who has not tasted bitter, knows not what sweet is. – German Proverb
~   Failure is not defeat! It’s merely a stepping stone to success. He who perseveres shall surely wear the crown of glory. – David Roppo

O my Luve is like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve’s is like the melody
That’s sweetly played in tune. – –Robert Burns (1759–96)

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Magick – The Magic of Hagstones

In some magical traditions, particularly in older traditions of folk magic, you may see references to something called a hagstone. Sounds intriguing – but what does it actually mean?

The hagstone is simply a stone that has a hole going all the way through it – a naturally occurring hole, mind you, not one that’s been drilled or manmade. In folk magic traditions, the hagstone has a variety of purposes and uses.

Hagstones have a variety of uses. Photo Credit: Image (c) Patti Wigington 2014; Licensed to About.com

According to legend, the hagstone got its name because a variety of ailments, all curable with the use of the stone, were attributed to spectral hags causing illness or misfortune. In some areas, it’s referred to as a holey stone or an adder stone.

Depending on whom you ask, the hagstone can be used for any of the following:

Warding off the spirits of the dead
Protection of people, livestock and property
Protection of sailors and their ships
Seeing into the realm of the Fae
Fertility magic
Healing magicand banishing of illness
Preventing bad dreams or night terrors

A hagstone is created when water and other elements pound through a stone, eventually creating a hole at the weakest point on the stone’s surface – this is why hagstones are often found in streams and rivers, or even at the beach. It’s not uncommon to see people in rural areas wearing a hagstone on a cord around the neck. You can also tie them to anything else you’d like to have protected – your boat, your cow, your car, and so on.

It is believed that tying multiple hagstones together is a great magical boost – they’re fairly hard to find, so if you are lucky enough to have more than one, take advantage of the opportunity.

For fertility magic, you can tie a hagstone to the bedpost to help facilitate pregnancy, or carry it in your pocket. In some areas, there are naturally holed stone formations that are large enough for a person to crawl or walk through – if you happen to see one, and you’re trying to get pregnant, think of it as a giant hagstone, and go on through.

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Silliness – Poppop’s Nose

The other day my five year old grandson was lounging on my lap.
Him: “Poppop, you have hair in your nose.”
Me: “Everybody has hair in their nose.”
Him: “But you have a lot of hair in your nose.”
Me: “Well, it’s not growing on top of my head very well. I have to grow it somewhere.”
Him: (thoughtful pause) “Do you want me to pull some of it out for you?”
I declined the offer.

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, Cow parsnip, Goddess Month, Heracleum lanatum, Indian Celery, Journal Prompt, Magick, Moon Moon phase, O my Luve is like a red red rose, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Poppop's Nose, Rainbow Flag, Runic Half Month, Silliness, The Magic of Hagstones, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca

Daily Stuff 6-24-10 Inti Raymi

Posted on June 24, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by Ken Gagne. Wicca 102 at 6:30.

The sky is mostly covered with long streaks of cloud with turkey vultures and seagulls balancing on the currents. 63F, wind at 4mph, AQI11, UV9. 9? 9!!!! They’re still talking showers with some accumulation from Wednesday through Friday, but the chance is down below 40%.

Yesterday started pretty well. We had a lot of people in in the morning/early afternoon, both while Tempus was out east getting plants and after he got back. I did a reading. When I wasn’t working on that kind of thing I was sorting beads/jewelry from the lot of stuff that came in late in the week. Around 3pm Tempus went out to look at at the tail end of a yard sale that was in Old Town and picked up some potlids and cooling racks.

After he got back we potted up the tomatoes, mustard greens and lemon balm, and then filled a couple more pots with lettuce seeds for later in the season. I also grabbed the radishes that have been growing in a tray from a rotisserie chicken for several weeks and dropped them into a pot instead.

Around closing time I gathered up my embroidery, so I could work on it during the evening. Tempus made a ham salad and home-fries for supper.

Today we’ve been doing a very difficult counseling session, both of us, almost since we opened. Tempus worked with a couple of customers, but luckily we had to time to work with this client. It’s put off getting the newsletter out, though.

Wicca 102 tonight is going on with the Work of the Night.

A photo from 6/22/17 by Ken Gagne. Look at his feet! He’s got an eel!

Today’s feast is Inti Raymi, the ancient Incan festival of the Sun, which is the Winter Solstice festival in the southern hemisphere. In 1944 a re-creation of the festival was celebrated and has been ever since. Here’ s a Wiki article. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inti_Raymi

Today’s Plant is Nodding Onion, Allium cernuum. This is sometimes called Lady’s Leek. It’s an edible plant in the Allium family, but not particularly choice. (Yeah, personal experience…) It’s called “Nodding” because the inflorescences, the “flower”, tend to droop, unlike a lot of the alliums that end up with a ball on a stick. Most of the plants in this family are edible, but be careful! There are a few that are either disgusting or at least mildly poisonous and there are bulbs that *are* poisonous that are easy to mistake. Onions have been very important as a food/nutrition source for a long while and have even been worshiped at times. These are grown as ornamentals, mostly, but are found wild here on the coast. – Masculine, Mars, Fire, Isis – Cut and dry the flowers and add to a grapevine or rosemary wreath for a house protection spell. These are great for house blessings. Grown in pots indoors or in the garden they protect against evil and particularly against poisonous snakes. When you harvest in the fall, make a decorative braid of onions and hang over bedroom doors to prevent infections. Nodding onions are great for this purpose because, not being particularly great as food, you won’t mind replanting them in the spring as they start to sprout! Purify swords and athames after particularly heavy magicks, by rubbing the blade with a cut bulb, then wash with clear water, then oil with rosemary-infused almond oil. Place the dried flowers in a vase at the head of the bed, or pack into a pillow sachet to help clarify prophetic dreams. More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_cernuum and on Alliums here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium

The shop opens at 11am. Spring hours are 11am-6pm 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

Mercury at its best – The innermost planet peaks at greatest elongation June 23, when it stands 11° high in the west-northwest 30 minutes after sundown. This view from the MESSENGER spacecraft shows Mercury’s cratered landscape with the giant Caloris Basin at top right. – NASA/JHUAPL/CIW

As the week begins Mercury and Mars are still close together, with Pollux and Castor to their upper right. But day by day they reconfigure, until on the 28th they’re arrayed as shown here.

Mercury is very low in the west-northwest as twilight fades. Look early in the week; the little planet dims from magnitude +0.3 on Friday June 21st to +0.8 by Friday the 28th. Mars, magnitude +1.8, remain’s barely 2° to Mercury’s lower right the 21st. Day by day they grow farther apart. Pollux and Castor (magnitudes +1.2 and +1.6) twinkle weakly to their upper right or right. Bring binoculars!
This is the time of year when, right after dark, the dim Little Dipper floats straight upward from Polaris (the end of its handle) — like a helium balloon on a string, escaped from a summer-evening party. Through heavy light pollution, however, all you may see of the Little Dipper are Polaris at its bottom and Kochab, the lip of the Little Dipper’s bowl, at the top.
Jupiter reached opposition and peak visibility just two weeks ago, and it remains a stunning sight all night. It appears low in the southeast during evening twilight and climbs highest in the south around midnight local daylight time. Shining at magnitude –2.6, it is the night sky’s brightest celestial object with the exception of the Moon and Venus, which doesn’t rise until morning twilight is well underway. It also stays visible throughout the night among the background stars of southern Ophiuchus. When viewed through a telescope, the planet’s disk spans 46″ and shows intricate cloud-top detail.

: Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, imaged by Christopher Go on May 12 before it started to shed. South is up. “Seeing was perfect this morning,” Go writes. “The GRS is well resolved with many features visible inside it.” Dark material fully outlines the Red Spot Hollow and the spot itself and extends in two lines all the way around the preceding limb. But now . . .

: .by May 22nd the dark rim made contact with the Red Spot, and is apparently drawing off some of it. Note the spot’s unprecedented lumpy distortion on its left (preceding; celestial west) side. South is up.

: By the 27th, the flake on the left had detached and moved downstream (left), while a big new one had formed on the right (following). And the Red Spot itself looked a bit smaller! Christopher Go image.

: Two days later on May 29th, the new blob on the Red Spot’s following edge seemed to have shrunk and moved a little southward (up). And a little blob was in the opposite side. Christopher Go image.

: Two more days (May 31st) and the scene had changed again. Writes Go, “The flake material has now emerged at the SE [upper left] of the GRS as predicted.”

: By June 4th the red flake material was more far-flung, and the spot itself looked fairly normal. Clyde Foster image.

: 6/17

Sun in Cancer
Moon in Pisces enters Aries at 7:38pm.
Ceres (7/17), Jupiter (8/11), Saturn (9/18), Pluto (10/3) and Neptune (11/27)Retrograde

Color: Grey

Planting 6/22-4

©2019 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright

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Duir – Oak Ogam letter correspondences
Month: May
Color: Black and Dark Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: D
Meaning: Security; Strength

to study this month – Eadha – White Poplar or Aspen Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Silver White
Class: Shrub
Letter: E
Meaning: Problems; Doubts; Fears.

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Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
M   24      Low 12:15 AM     2.8   5:33 AM    Rise 1:13 AM      65
~ 24     High   5:33 AM     5.5   9:05 PM     Set 12:36 PM
~ 24      Low 12:17 PM     0.7
~ 24     High   7:06 PM     6.2

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – Some folks wear their halos much too tight…

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Journal Prompt – Favorites – Write about your favorite hobby. How did you get started? What do you like about it? Would you recommend it to others? (If you don’t have a hobby, write about the hobby you would most like to have or explain why you are not interested in having a hobby.)

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Quotes

~ No sight that human eyes can look upon is more provocative of awe than is the night sky scattered thick with stars. – Llewelyn Powys
~ Don’t reckon your eggs before they are laid. — Italian Proverb
~ Don’t be afraid to give up the good for the great. – Kenny Rogers
~ Obstacles across our path can be spiritual flat tires — disruptions in our lives seem to be disastrous at the time, but end by redirecting our lives in a meaningful way” – Bernie Siegal

Now summer is in flower and nature’s hum
Is never silent round her sultry bloom
Insects as small as dust are never done
Wi’ glittering dance and reeling in the sun
And green wood fly and blossom haunting bee
Are never weary of their melody. – John Clare (1793–1864)

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Magick – Recipes

Spätzle

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup milk
3 eggs
butter for finishing
[Anja’s note – There’s not nearly enough liquid in this recipe! I would make it an 1/2 cup milk and 2/3 cup water, at the least.]

Method

In a large bowl mix together the flour and salt. Add the water, milk and eggs to a measuring cup and whisk together well.
Pour into the bowl with the flour and immediately start vigorously stirring the batter with a wooden spoon until there are no more lumps and you start seeing bubbles forming. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
When ready to make the Spätzle bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add a knob of butter to it.
Place a coarse metal grater (or a special Spätzle maker if you own one) over the pot. Add about 1/3 cup of batter on top of the grater and gently stroke over it with the back of a spoon. Remove the grater and let the Spätzle cook until they come to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and drop into the hot pan. Proceed the same way with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan as needed.

Apples with Sweet Cicely

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds cooking apples
honey or other sweetener to taste
2 teaspoons minced sweet cicely

Peel the apples, core and slice. Place them into a heavy skillet with water to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the sweetener to taste, depending on how tart the apples are. Cover and cook until the apples are tender. Stir the sweet cicely into the apples and cool in the pan. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream.

Czech Cherry Bublanina BY KYTKA – MARCH 13, 2016 – Czechs eat this like a coffee cake and even for breakfast. [Anja’s note – Babicka would make this for Sunday breakfast, since everyone but her got up a little later. We would have a square of this, scrambled eggs, sausage and toast, with maybe one of her delicious canned pears. …and then everyone would get out of the way because her Sunday dinners (served around 3pm) were always worth waiting for! …and we had dessert first in the morning! 🙂

Ingredients

3 eggs, divided and preferably at room temperature
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp rum or vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cups fruit of your choice
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

You will need two bowls. Break and separate your eggs (yolks in one bowl, whites in the other). To the yolks add the softened butter, sugar, pinch of salt and rum and cream together until light and fluffy. Add flour and mix for another minute.
With a clean whisk beat your egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the whites into the yellow mixture to incorporate.
Pour into a prepared pan 9×9 inch pan (buttered and floured) and cover with your fruit of choice.
Pop it into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
Cool slightly (if you can wait) and sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve.

Dobrou Chut!

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE – Sam Jones/Quinn Brein – https://www.almanac.com/recipe/braised-chicken-thighs-mustard-cream-sauce

YIELD: – Makes 4 to 6 servings.
SOURCE – The Old Farmer’s Almanac Comfort Food

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 chicken thighs with skin
2 slices bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2 cups thinly sliced mushroom caps
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or several sprigs fresh thyme
1/3 cup heavy cream (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken, add to the skillet, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until browned, tuning once. Transfer chicken to a platter.
Pour off most of the fat in the skillet, then add the bacon. When it has rendered most of its fat, add the onions, celery, and mushrooms, stir, and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic, stock, white wine, mustard, and thyme. Return the chicken to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest for 15 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a platter. Return the skillet to the heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil the liquid rapidly, until reduced by half. For a creamy sauce, add heavy cream to the reduction and stir before removing

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Silliness – Confucius Says – Crowded elevator smell different to midget.

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Allium cernuum, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, Confucius Says, Goddess Month, Journal Prompt, Magick, Moon Moon phase, nodding onion, Now summer is in flower and nature's hum, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Recipes, Runic Half Month, Silliness, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca

Daily Stuff 6-23-10 Ivan Kupala

Posted on June 23, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by Clifford Paguio. House Capuchin Project Day from 1-5pm.

It rained during the night, 0.01 inches, but the pavement is already dry. The sun is supposed to come out later, which would be awfully nice. It’s still overcast, but bright. 58F, wind at 4mph and gusting, AQI5, UV7. There’s only an 8% chance of rain tonight, but that’s going to get a lot closer to 50% and a small amount of accumulation from Tuesday through Friday.

Yesterday was very busy in the shop. Tempus decided to do a bit of spellwork to help out and he ended up summoning a chipmunk! 🙂 We’re calling it that, anyway. An early set of customers brought in a turtle (on a leash, yet) some others had their dogs, which is much more normal, and then the chipmunk.

Apparently the little guy ran in the door, when Tempus wasn’t watching (I was in back), or rather, he was talking with a customer somewhere away from the displays by the door and had Tempus seeing things out of the corner of his eye as the chipmunk was “shopping”. Finally he got an actual glimpse as the little furball whisked across his line of sight and he realized what he was seeing. The chipmunk actually ran under the table in back before figuring out where the door was!

We had one family in from Louisiana, and several from the Valley, one set from Coos Bay, and Pirates’ Plunder sent some folks to us for some specific spell ingredients.

By 7pm we were both awfully tired. I had been sitting and embroidering for quite some time, as the customers petered out by 5pm and we sat and panted for a bit after our posted closing time. We ended up celebrating by going over to the Salty Dawg for supper, rather than trying to make anything ourselves.

Tempus had their Bubba Burger, at my urging, since he hasn’t been eating well, and that burger is a *good* meal! I had halibut fish and chips, which I like better than cod, because the halibut doesn’t pick up the grease the same way. I had trouble finishing mine, since I was getting very, very sleepy, but I managed it, and we took a spin out to Eckman Lake before going home, just to see the twilight.

We both napped when we got home, then I pulled out my embroidery and he fell down a rabbit hole looking into thorium reactors. 🙂

Today we’ve been open since just a few minutes after 11 and had 7 customers in, no chipmunks, but the crow that come here looking to be fed, just walked in and landed on the counter. I tossed a bit of bread from my breakfast over the counter and he hopped down, cawed his thanks, picked up up and waltzed out the door and then flew off. Starting to wonder whether we’ve stepped into an alternate reality… 🙂

Today is House Capuchin’s Project Day. Tempus has already headed up river for some tomato and lemon balm plants that were offered, with pots and shovel in hand. I’m hoping he’ll pick up some of the lady’s delicious eggs while he’s there. I’m going to get some photos while he’s gone of some of the projects and then once he’s back I’ll go out and tend plants for awhile, before sitting down with the puppets again. ….well, between customers…

Vista House, along the Columbia Gorge by Clifford Paguio

Today’s feast is Jan Kupalo or Ivan Kupala, the Slavic Midsummer festival. Depending on whose version you’re working with (it goes from Poland and the Czech Republic to the far end of Russia) it can mean bonfires, bathing (especially naked bathing in lakes and rivers, flower wreaths worn, floated on rivers or as divination. Running into the woods in search of fern flowers (yes, I know, ferns don’t bloom, but people in those areas “find” babies under ferns or in mushroom patches instead of under cabbage leaves) is another favorite pastime. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Kupala_Day

Kupala – Kresen (June) 23 – (In the Old Russian tongue, Kupala means “bather”). Today the holiday of the Summer Solstice and remembrance of the human sacrifices made in olden times to the Master of things Sub-marine, Jasse (Dragon). All through the night people are celebrating, singing songs, hiking, doing readings (fortune-telling). A blot is held near water. In times gone by, fires were lit in preparation for a sacrifice of a young maiden by drowning in the river. Later, however, the human sacrifice was replaced by a doll made of bread (a loaf-doll).

Today’s plant is St. John’s Wort, Hypericum perforatum,which traditionally blooms at mid-summer on the pagan festival that the feast of St. John the Baptist replaced. It is widely used in the treatment of depression and to ward off evil, both in a medical and magickal sense. Charms made of this herbs, harvested on the summer solstice (or on June 24 or July 7, depending on your culture) make some of the best protection charms (especially against lightning) and good prosperity charms.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_John%27s_wort

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

As the week begins Mercury and Mars are still close together, with Pollux and Castor to their upper right. But day by day they reconfigure, until on the 28th they’re arrayed as shown here.

Mercury reaches greatest elongation at 7 p.m. EDT, so today marks the peak of its current evening apparition. The innermost planet lies 25° east of the Sun and appears 11° high in the west-northwest 30 minutes after sunset. It shines at magnitude 0.4 and should show up easily to the naked eye, although don’t hesitate to sweep the area with binoculars to find its position. If you view Mercury with a telescope this evening, you’ll see that its 8″-diameter disk is about 40 percent lit.

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 3:50 a.m. EDT. It then lies 251,375 miles (404,548 kilometers) from Earth’s center.
Can you spot the Coma Berenices star cluster with your unaided eye? It’s big but sparse and dim, high in the west after dark. You can locate the right spot as follows: Find brilliant Arcturus high in the southwest, and to the right of that, the end star of the Big Dipper’s handle. The Coma Star Cluster is down below the midpoint between them, forming a nearly equilateral triangle with those two stars. You’ll need a dark sky. The cluster is about 4° wide, about the size of a ping-pong ball held at arm’s length. Its brightest stars form a tilted, upside-down letter Y. In binoculars the cluster fills most of the field of view. So if you’re expecting something small, you’ll miss it by looking right through it!
Venus (magnitude –3.8) is disappearing very low into the bright sky before sunrise. If you’re feeling ambitious, scan for it just above the east-northeast horizon about 15 minutes before sunrise using binoculars or a wide-field scope.

Sun in Cancer
Moon in Pisces
Ceres (7/17), Jupiter (8/11), Saturn (9/18), Pluto (10/3) and Neptune (11/27)Retrograde

Color: Orange

Planting 6/22-4

©2019 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright

******

Duir – Oak Ogam letter correspondences
Month: May
Color: Black and Dark Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: D
Meaning: Security; Strength

to study this month – Eadha – White Poplar or Aspen Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Silver White
Class: Shrub
Letter: E
Meaning: Problems; Doubts; Fears.

******

Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
Su 23     High   4:38 AM     6.0   5:32 AM    Rise 12:48 AM      74
~ 23      Low 11:34 AM     0.2   9:05 PM     Set 11:36 AM
~ 23     High   6:22 PM     6.1

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – Don’t hesitate to make changes in your life. Don’t sit and say, “I don’t have anything”. Learn to step out and do something about. Life is what you make it to be…. Good or Bad your choice.

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Journal Prompt – Friends – Miss Piggy once advised, “Never eat more than you can lift.” What is some advice about, eating, or anything else, you could give to your friends?

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Quotes

~   It is known that there are an infinite number of worlds, simply because there is an infinite amount of space for them to be in. However, not every one of them is inhabited. Therefore, there must be a finite number of inhabited worlds. Any finite number divided by infinity is as near to nothing as makes no odds, so the average population of all the planets in the Universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the whole Universe is also zero, and that any people you may meet from time to time are merely the products of a deranged imagination. – Douglas Adams in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
~   Warriors think for themselves, eliminating useless habits and routines, unfettered by dogma. – Kerr Cuhulain
~   Opportunity is something more people would recognize if it didn’t come disguised as hard work. – Author Unknown
~   Words do two major things: They provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness. – Jim Rohn

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Magick – Summer Poems

Hail to you, noontide Sun, high in the southern sky. A king in full power are you, sitting high in the heavens’ throne room. And I come to you, as a faithful subject, to ask you to stretch forth your many shining hands and lay them on my head in benediction.

Summer by Marian Lore Singer – http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/tigris/567/id20.htm

Standing midst the Circle
I look at faces —
all searching for that special spark
that sense of connection
which spans all words
and worlds.

We come together
to know the same magic
that moved the great stones
birthed the dragons
and touched even the stars
with its mighty song.

Together,
to sense the power
rising within us
like the glory of a summer sun
until we too sing
its timeless ballad.

Together,
until our souls dance hand in hand
with the Lady of Light
and Lord of the Fires
Rejoicing.

(The above “Summer” poem is quoted directly from Llewellyn’s 1994 Magical Almanac, page 169, Llewellyn Worldwide Publications, 1993.)

Wielder of the flaming arrow,
look down from your place on high,

and, fitting a shaft to your bow,
let loose your bowstring
Sink deep into the Earth the shaft of fire,
warming the world, bringing the summer.

******

Silliness –

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, Goddess Month, Hypericum perforatum, Ivan Kupala, Jan Kupalo, Journal Prompt, Kupala, Kupalo, Magick, Midsummer, Moon Moon phase, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Runic Half Month, Silliness, St. John's Wort, Summer Solstice., Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca Litha

Daily Stuff 6-22-19 Brest Fortress

Posted on June 22, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by Ken Gagne. Last Minus Tide of the cycle at 10:53 AM of -0.2 feet. Herbs Workshop at 11am. Sewing at 3pm.

The sky is white and a little lumpy. We’re supposed to get some sun, later, but right now the light is very non-directional and any shadows are indistinct. 57F, wind at 3mph and gusting, AQI14, UV8, pollen high. There’s about a 40% chance of less than 1/2 and inch of rain from Tuesday through Friday.

Yesterday sorta flew past. I was working pretty hard, still on cleaning. Mary Cedarwolf came in with some donations to shop stock. *She’s* still cleaning, too! 🙂

I spent awhile on embroidery, and Tempus ran his errands in Newport, but other than that, and working with customers (and we were busier than we’ve been in awhile!) not too much.

Today we have the workshops and my people are already here!

A Ken Gagne photo from June 2017 of a goldfinch on his feeder.

Today’s feast is from Belarus, in remembrance of the victims of the Great Patriotic War (WWII). “In solemn remembrance of all the victims of the Second World War, and in commemoration of the heroic last stand of Brest Fortress in 1941, on the very country and city (Brest) in which the Eastern Front began.” It is much like the US Memorial day in the remembrances, but without the picnics. Here’s a bit about the war and the Eastern Front. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Patriotic_War

Today’s Plant is the Buttercup that flourishes in my area in two types, Ranunculus bulbosus (sometimes called. St Anthony’s Turnip) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus_bulbosus and Ranunculus repens , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus_repens (called creeping buttercup or crowfoot) which is the variety in my garden. These are non-native plants and invasive, but not usually worried about too much, since they usually grow in grasslands and very poor soil, not suited for agriculture. Although the fresh plant is poisonous, the sap being used as a blistering agent for gout and rheumatism, the dried plant is safe for consumption. Tinctures of this plant have been used on shingles and infusions for “soremouth”. – Masculine, Mercury(Uranus), Fire – These are used in spells for tenacity & stubbornness, both to create and cure, and as a plant of fertility, possibly being the plant that the Flora gave Juno to use to get pregnant with Mars. Carry in sachets (dried flowers only) for fertility or the dried leaves for tenacity. This is also used for harmony and for Sight (and called Frog’s Foot) Use buttercup flower petals in magickal potpourris for spells regarding: divination, energy, innocence, prosperity, youth. Solar spells: Use buttercup in solar spells involving energy and prosperity.

Love & Light,
Anja

******

Today’s Astro & Calendar

Regulus. the “little King” in the constellation of Leo

Leo the Lion is a constellation of late winter and spring. But he’s not gone yet. As twilight ends look due west, rather low, for Regulus, his brightest and now lowest star: the forefoot of the Lion stick figure. The Sickle of Leo extends upper right from Regulus. The rest of the Lion’s constellation figure extends for almost three fist-widths to the upper left, to his tail star Denebola, the highest. He’s treading down to the western horizon.
This week offers a good opportunity for binocular users to track down the northern sky’s brightest globular cluster. M5, whose 100,000 stars glow at a combined magnitude of 5.7, lies in the southwestern corner of the constellation Serpens the Serpent. You can locate it just 0.4° north-northwest of the 5th-magnitude star 5 Serpentis. Binoculars show the cluster as a hazy ball of light punctuated by a bright core.
Look high in the northwest after darkness falls this week and you’ll be greeted by the familiar sight of the Big Dipper. You can use the dipper — the sky’s most conspicuous asterism, a recognizable pattern of stars that doesn’t form a complete constellation shape — to find two of the early summer sky’s brightest stars. If you follow the curve of the handle to the south, you’ll easily spot Arcturus. This magnitude 0.0 star, which belongs to Boötes the Herdsman, lies some 30° from the end of the Big Dipper’s handle. It is the fourth-brightest star in the whole sky and the second-brightest visible from mid-northern latitudes. And if you continue the curve another 30° past Arcturus, you’ll arrive at magnitude 1.0 Spica, the luminary of Virgo the Maiden. An easy way to remember the two is with the phrase: “Follow the arc to Arcturus, then drive a spike to Spica.”
Uranus is still very low just before dawn.

Sun in Gemini enters Cancer at 8:54pm.
Moon in Aquarius enters Pisces at 7:01am.
Ceres (7/17), Jupiter (8/11), Saturn (9/18), Pluto (10/3) and Neptune (11/27)Retrograde

Color: Blue

Planting 6/22-4

©2019 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright

******

Duir – Oak Ogam letter correspondences
Month: May
Color: Black and Dark Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: D
Meaning: Security; Strength

to study this month – Eadha – White Poplar or Aspen Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Silver White
Class: Shrub
Letter: E
Meaning: Problems; Doubts; Fears.

******

Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
Sa 22     High   3:51 AM     6.6   5:32 AM    Rise 12:20 AM      81
~ 22      Low 10:53 AM    -0.2   9:04 PM     Set 10:36 AM
~ 22     High   5:39 PM     6.1
~ 22      Low 11:15 PM     3.0

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – At least once a day sit and do nothing!

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Journal Prompt – Personal taste – The best lesson my grandparent ever taught me was…

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Quotes

~   Not he who has much is rich, but he who gives much. – Anonymous
~   Do not hold as gold all that shines as gold. – Alain de Lille
~   Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill
~   So soon as a fashion is universal, it is out of date. – H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) US writer

Great is the sun, and wide he goes
Through empty heaven without repose;
And in the blue and glowing days
More thick than rain he showers his rays. – –Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94)

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Litha Magick – Crafts

Jeweled Fairy Pentacle – If you’ve never done wire-wrapping before this can be a fun piece to learn on, since it’s not critical to have everything stay put.

You need:

Needle-nose pliers
Wire-cutters
Possibly a hot glue gun
Small amount of thread or light cord in the same color as the sticks.
An 8-10 inch wire ring – These are available at craft stores. You want one that really doesn’t want to bend.
5, 8-10 inch straight sticks (match the ring diameter for length, grapevine is good, but isn’t necessary
Light craft wire in copper, if possible.
Thin Aluminum wire comes in multiple colors. You can use this for the decorations.
20-25 glass leaf beads (copper color) with large enough holes for the wire
20-25 pearls (greens) with large enough holes for the wire
5 metal and glass ornaments
1 large fairy pendant
5 complementary stone pieces, probably agates or jasper
Drill with a tiny bit (if possible)

If you have a drill cut the sticks to the inner diameter of the ring (minus a little bit, look at the picture) and drill tiny holes crosswise on both ends so that you can wire them to the ring. If you don’t have a drill, cut them longer and fasten them to the face of the ring. In both cases use the thread/cord to fasten them in place and put glue on the knots and let dry.

If you are “magicking” the pentacle, start from the top to bottom right, then bottom right to upper left, then across, then from upper right to bottom left, then bottom left to the top. As you tie the last knot say, “So Mote it Be!

Tie the intersections and put a dot of glue on the knots.

Add your fairy. If you have a large enough jump ring you can fasten that to the top of the inner pentagon as in the picture. Else, tie/glue in place.

Play with making curls of the wire, spirals like on top of the stones and wrap enough around the stones to hold them in place, then wrap around the sticks and make a spiral at the other end. If you’ve never done wire wrapping this is going to take awhile, but play with it. It’s not rocket science.

Take the heavier wire and cut a 4-8 inch piece to make a hanging loop. Twist the ends of the wire together, putting the loop between the upper sticks and around the ring.

String your leaf beads and pearls on the lighter wire, alternately.

Fasten the wire at the top of the ring, by curling it around….something….whatever looks right to you.

Start wrapping the wire around the ring, keeping 4 of each leaf/pearl between each stick. You can change this up as in the picture, if you wish, but decide before you start, if you have a limited number of beads!

Twist the wire around the hanging loop, clip, leaving an inch and then twist the last bit around the ring.

Check to make sure all your intersections are glued/twisted/knotted into place.

Set the pentacle face up and fasten the metal/glass ornaments on the points of the star. You can glue/wire/tie as necessary.

Once everything is dry, your pentacle is ready for use, either flat on an altar or hanging up.

Note – You can change the color combinations; just try to keep to 2 or 3 of metal and color. Red/Gold/Brown is one possibility. Silver/Green/Gold would be another and of course the copper/green/silver of the original. ©2018 M. Bartlett

******

Silliness – There are two types of people in this world: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.

Posted in Daily Stuff, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Brest Fortress, Buttercup, Celtic Tree Month, creeping buttercup, crowfoot, Goddess Month, Great is the sun, Jeweled Fairy Pentacle, Journal Prompt, Litha, Magick, Moon Moon phase, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Ranunculus bulbosus, Ranunculus repens, Runic Half Month, Silliness, St Anthony’s Turnip, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, two types of people, Weather, Wicca

Daily Stuff 6-21-19 Blessed Litha!

Posted on June 21, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by Photos by Mike. Minus Tide at 9:34 AM of -1.0 feet.

It’s quite clouded over at the moment, but there’ve been some sun breaks. 57F, wind at 1mph and gusting, AQI12, UV8, pollen back up to high. There’s a chance of some rain next week, pushed off to Wednesday and beyond and still under 40%.

Yesterday I fought being tired for the whole early part of the day. All I wanted to do was stick my face into the computer and ignore the world. Well, a retailer can’t do that! So I put on my customer face and just did what I needed to. Eventually, I got to the point where it wasn’t an effort. Took far too long, but I got there.

I spent a couple of hours sorting stuff in totes. It was all grumple from in and around the office space, things that got dropped or not put away properly.

We had some shoppers in, but not a lot. It’s still really slow.

I spend awhile working on embroidery in the evening, and then took the embroidery and a book to bed when Tempus was heading for Newport. At midnight he was starting the regular route. I had gotten a nap by then, so I sat down at the computer to work on newsletter frames.

I got picked up at 2:50 and was back at 3:45! It was just barely starting to get a bit light in the east, but the Moon, flirting with some thickly curdled clouds, was bright when Her light was visible. Else, it was cool and still with a lot of fog down in Bayshore.

Tempus said that the papers were out just after 8pm, and since it was likely to be dry, he single-bagged. That’s how fast he was going. He made the last drop at 5:06am. That’s way earlier than he’s managed for awhile.

Today we’ve got the shop open. Tempus is making sure he got all the drops done and then he’s going to work in back. Eventually he has to go into Newport for some shopping.

Today’s feast is Litha, Midsummer, Jan Kupala, Langtanz night or whatever you call it. Whether you celebrate with fire, beer, dancing, swimming, flowers or just with friends, have a Blessed One! A good Wikipedia article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer

Today’s plant is Sage, Salvia Officinalis, sometimes called true sage, or culinary sage, is a plant that has been used in cookery, magick and medicine for many thousands of years. It is one of the ingredients in Four Thieves Vinegar. The blossoms make a delicious tea. – Masculine, Jupiter, Air – In purple cloth, brings wisdom. Worn in an amulet sewn into a horn shapeprotects against the evil eye. Used as a wash, or sniffed, enhances youthful mindset and appearance. Eat sage in May for long life. Carry to promote wisdom. Write a wish on a sage leaf and sleep on it. If you dream of it, it will happen, else bury the leaf in the ground. More here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_officinalis

Love & Light,
Anja

******

Today’s Astro & Calendar

Summer Sun – June’s long days reach their peak at the summer solstice June 21, when our star climbs highest at local noon. This view through a Hydrogen-alpha filter shows prominences, flares, sunspots, and filaments. – Ron Brecher

The solstice arrives at 11:54 a.m. EDT, when the Sun is farthest north for the year and begins its six-month return southward. Official summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere, winter in the Southern Hemisphere. For us northerners, this is the year’s longest day and shortest night. It’s also the day when (in the north temperate latitudes) the midday Sun passes the closest it ever can to being straight overhead, and your shadow becomes is the shortest it can ever be. This happens at local apparent solar noon, which is probably rather far removed from noon by your civil (clock) time. And if you have a good west-northwest horizon (in mid-northern latitudes), mark very precisely where the Sun sets. In a few days you should be able to detect that it’s again starting to set a little south of that point. For astronomy buffs, however, long days translate into short nights and extended twilight, which limit our time under the stars.
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot should transit the planet’s central meridian (the line from pole to pole down the center of the planet’s disk) around 1:21 a.m. EDT tonight; 12:21 a.m. CDT. Meanwhile Europa, the smallest of Jupiter’s Galilean moons, crosses the planet’s disk tonight from 11:32 p.m. to 1:57 a.m. EDT, followed closely by its tiny black shadow from 12:04 to 2:32 a.m. EDT. For timetables of all the Red Spot’s transits this month and all the interesting phenomena of Jupiter’s moons, see the June Sky & Telescope, page 50. Neptune’s eastward motion against the background stars comes to a halt at midnight EDT. This so-called stationary point marks the beginning of the best period to observe any outer planet. Neptune rises around 12:30 a.m. local daylight time and appears about 30° high in the southeast as morning twilight commences. The magnitude 7.9 planet lies in Aquarius, 1.3° east-northeast of 4th-magnitude Phi (φ) Aquarii. You can confirm your sighting of Neptune through a telescope, which reveals the planet’s 2.3″-diameter disk and blue-gray color.
Saturn (magnitude +0.2, in Sagittarius) rises by the end of twilight. It’s the steady, pale yellowish “star” 30° east of Jupiter. Saturn’s opposition comes on July 9th.

Sun in Gemini enters Cancer at 8:54pm.
Moon in Aquarius
Neptune Retrograde at 7:36am (11/27)
Neptune Ceres (7/17), Jupiter (8/11), Saturn (9/18) and Pluto (10/3) Retrograde
Color: Purple

Harvest 6/20-21

©2019 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright

******

Duir – Oak Ogam letter correspondences
Month: May
Color: Black and Dark Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: D
Meaning: Security; Strength

to study this month – Eadha – White Poplar or Aspen Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Silver White
Class: Shrub
Letter: E
Meaning: Problems; Doubts; Fears.

******

Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
F   21     High   3:08 AM     7.0   5:32 AM     Set 9:35 AM      88
~ 21      Low 10:13 AM    -0.7   9:04 PM
~ 21     High   4:57 PM     6.1
~ 21      Low 10:22 PM     3.0

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – To lie down and be discouraged is our temptation, but to hope and have faith is our wisdom.

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Journal Prompt – Wiki – Imagine you’re stuck on the roof of a house that has been carried away by a flood. Which person would you most like to be on the roof with you?

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Quotes

~   A wise youth works hard all summer; a youth who sleeps away the hour of opportunity brings shame. – Proverbs 10:5
~   Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society. – John Adams (1735-1826) US President (2)
If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, and He decides to deliver a message to humanity, He WILL NOT use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle. – Dave Barry
~   Travel, instead of broadening the mind, often merely lengthens the conversation. – Elizabeth Drew (1935- ) US journalist

Mine is the Month of Roses; yes, and mine
The Month of Marriages! All pleasant sights
And scents, the fragrance of the blossoming vine,
The foliage of the valleys and the heights.
Mine are the longest days, the loveliest nights.
The mower’s scythe makes music to my ear;
I am the mother of all dear delights;
I am the fairest daughter of the year. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82)

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Litha Magick – Past Midnight – Author: Merideth Allyn, Posted: August 12th. 2016 – http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=ustn&c=words&id=15932

I am Witch. It is one a.m. yet again, with two, then three to follow. The Witching Hours. However, unless casting or divining by the moon’s hours or its course, no matter how I struggle or resist, my legs take charge, grounded in earth’s gravity, and take me to bed. They know, at least, that should I refuse, which I have done as I am of defiance born, or if I linger longer, fatigue awaits me in the later morn.

The post twilight now-dark hours past midnight are most magically magnetic and most mysteriously mine. Like the svelte nocturnal beasts I prowl. I own the dark: above, below and around me. The black night is as pregnant with possibilities as the faeryflies are abundant this midsummer night. A whimsical wind I hear outside the confines of my cottage, and I look out my huge bay window opened to the balmy air, and my heart trips at this full night of moon. The wind makes musical the enchanting wind chimes scattered for prism effects and crystalline tinkling in the lower branches of the huge oaks for strength and in the walnuts for wisdom, the elders for magic and the hawthorns for the fae. I love my trees, wildflowers and my medicinal and magical herbal gardens copious with lavender, sage, bee balm, primrose, lilac, jasmine, chamomile and so many more. I am a healer, primarily of the emotions and spirit, and I take pride in what I grow to be of service to any who seek me.

This wind seems to take its orders from the clouds scurrying across the moon followed by birds all seemingly going to some sacred ritual. A most enigmatic night it is and my soul stirs in my loins. The moon’s radiance brings deep shadows and contrasting light placing in bas relief every leaf on every tree and every petal on every flower, yet keeping the background almost too murky making me wonder who or what lurks. Regardless I am inside and feeling stifled, I wrap my shawl more tightly around my shoulders as I can sense more than most.

The night sounds that deafen suddenly can go silent, though, when the whip-whip-whippoorwill trills in a minor key the liberation of a soul from Middle Earth, and takes its piping melody, with bound soul, to the Otherworld. But it saddens me not. It is release…freedom from this heavy overcoat to a lighter, more energized, viable and less visible form. With a lighter coat, there is less scrutiny from eyes that wish harm and souls that lack understanding. Fear is a terrible thing. I have little fear as I have faced my imminent death to Middle Earth, regardless my late middle years for age matters not to the majestic reaper. And, besides, I seek adventure of the mercurial kind.

This evening’s past ‘tween time feels much like my adolescent first love…reckless with passion. The sun sinks into the coral, lilac and golden ocean. My veins feel the thrill of blood rushing and a lightning like quickening. My stomach is roller coasting in uncontrollable ecstasy. Almost giddy and childlike now I merge, in my mind’s eye, with all the beauty, wonder and awe of a Universe so replete with surprises.

The night, this night, calls me. It calls to me like no other has ever called. My middle-aged loins are buzzing where comfort and coziness and sitting contently by a blazing fire were all I usually desired. I have felt no 20-year-old passion in many a year; no galloping knights on steeds sweeping me off the mundane ground and off my peasant’s feet to gallop with them to their sparkling castles in the Otherworld. And, oh, that sweet smell of honeysuckle and wild rose competing for attention in my gardens; it does more than waft through the windows. It compels me. How can I refuse such an alluring call?

But a good Witch, also, must make her daily tasks magical by completing them. There is still sweeping and mopping and watering the drooping plants in my sacred space no matter the lateness of the hour before fulfilling fantasies in this night so intensely wild. I look out the bay window again. I look up at the silver mother of pearl hanging orb surrounded by twinkling smaller ones, a sequined sky. My sky, my night. I see the huge trees bending and swaying, undulating their siren call to me. I can resist no longer.

I burst through the stained glass and oaken door which has afforded me such sunny pleasure when the yellow orb of day penetrates the glass and paints the walls, floors and ceiling with dancing, colorful, prismatic figures. I rush heedless into the untamed freedom of this cacophonous night, smelling the sweetest of fragrant scents…so sweet almost unimaginable and certainly not of this world or of my garden. I hear music alchemically mixing with the music of my wind chimes and could swear to the sounds of children laughing and singing a beckoning song. I follow their laughter. I follow their song but cannot reach them try as I might. I could only, and finally, sink to the soft, receptive earth watching and waiting expectantly for the night to bring me what it promises.

Five a.m. What happened to the time? I look as the dawn turns to pale shades of citrine, lavender and rose quartz, and I cannot recall. And, oh dear Lord and Lady of the Wildwood, my gardens…so overgrown. I remembered then the legend of Rip Van Winkle and knew, without one doubt, that I had been pixie-led.

My gardens have grown up to the cottage and farther up the old stonewalls tend riling around the chimney. The glass is cracked and the panes shattered in my beautiful bay window where my cats and I had so peacefully curled and enjoyed thunderstorms, sunsets, and warm slumber during all seasons. My hands are gnarled and littered with age spots. And, my clothes are tight and cumbersome where they once fit correctly on my used-to-be middle-aged body. Wildness and chaos reign but from a different kind on this day.

The now old woman lived broodingly a year and a day to the exact moment when she was pixie-led, which seemed to her lifetimes ago. She had foraged among her kitchen and wildflower gardens to keep her alive, but, sadly, she never could remember the happiest days of her life; her days with the faeries in the cherished green forest, feasting and dancing by the amber fires with glowing lanterns swinging from the trees expressing an ambience unearthly; a day she had always dreamed of for she had never given up believing in faeries regardless the parents’ and the preachers’ and teachers’ insistence that there were “no such things.”

Grieving, she lived those three hundred and sixty-six days going outside to leave, each night, a gift for those who had taken her and a plea they would come for her again promising she would never reveal the way to the Otherworld, to the place of The Gentry or People of Peace. If she could only remember, she would take any path, no matter how difficult, no matter how terrifying, to get to Elphame, one of the Faery Lands, once again. She looked to the heavens, saw the moon and the stars and sighed. No more was there midnight mystery although there was mystery in the not knowing…the lack of remembrance. A tear fell and riveted along her wrinkled cheeks and dropped to the ground.

Midnight on day three hundred and sixty-six found her feeling dizzy. Her heart fluttered and once again she fell to the receptive earth filled this time with varied colored and fragrant lilies. There was music again as well, but this time her ears were dead to the sounds as was she to all of life on Middle Earth. Though, before her ears could hear no more, she did hear the minor keyed melody of the whippoorwill.

The Good People of the Otherworld were trooping toward her in high fashion. For the fae never forget one of its own regardless kith or blood kin. Trumpets trumpeted, flutes pan-piped and The Gentry whisked her away as if she were no heavier than they. Moonlit bright ribbons billowed in a once again whimsical wind she seemed to hear and feel from a distance. A moment or two later, no matter it was not past midnight on Middle Earth, she woke to the remembrance of remembering, to the sheep’s tail of a lingering dream…she woke to bliss. She looked herself over and saw a maiden’s light ephemeral form…she always knew she would feel lighter in the Otherworld, and she understood that this time she was here to stay. She would laugh, love and live with her beloved faeries and dance in the magical sunlight and moonlight in enchantment for forever and a day.

Copyright: All Rights
ABOUT…
Merideth Allyn
Location: Jackson, Tennessee
Author’s Profile: To learn more about Merideth Allyn – Click HERE

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Silliness – Noah and His Ark Today

If Noah had lived in the United States today the story may have gone something like this:

And the Lord spoke to Noah and said, “In one year, I am going to make it rain and cover the whole earth with water until all flesh is destroyed. But I want you to save the righteous people and two of every kind of living thing on earth. Therefore, I am commanding you to build an Ark.” In a flash of lightning, God delivered the specifications for an Ark. In fear and trembling, Noah took the plans and agreed to build the ark. “Remember,” said the Lord, “you must complete the Ark and bring everything aboard in one year.”

Exactly one year later, fierce storm clouds covered the earth and all the seas of the earth went into a tumult. The Lord saw that Noah was sitting in his front yard weeping. “Noah!” He shouted. “Where is the Ark?”

“Lord, please forgive me,” cried Noah. “I did my best, but there were big problems.

First, I had to get a permit for construction, and your plans did not meet the building codes. I had to hire an engineering firm and redraw the plans. Then I got into a fight with OSHA over whether or not the Ark needed a sprinkler system and approved floatation devices. Then, my neighbor objected, claiming I was violating zoning ordinances by building the Ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city planning commission.

Then, I had problems getting enough wood for the Ark, because there was a ban on cutting trees to protect the Spotted Owl. I finally convinced the U.S. Forest Service that I really needed the wood to save the owls. However, the Fish and Wildlife Service won’t let me take the 2 owls.

The carpenters formed a union and went on strike. I had to negotiate a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board before anyone would pick up a saw or hammer. Now, I have 16 carpenters on the Ark, but still no owls.

When I started rounding up the other animals, an animal rights group sued me. They objected to me taking only two of each kind aboard. This suit is pending.

Meanwhile, the EPA notified me that I could not complete the Ark without filing an environmental impact statement on your proposed flood. They didn’t take very kindly to the idea that they had no jurisdiction over the conduct of the Creator of the Universe.

Then, the Army Corps of Engineers demanded a map of the proposed flood plain. I sent them a globe.

Right now, I am trying to resolve a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that I am practicing discrimination by not taking atheists aboard.

The IRS has seized my assets, claiming that I’m building the Ark in preparation to flee the country to avoid paying taxes. I just got a notice from the state that I owe them some kind of user tax and failed to register the Ark as a ‘recreational water craft’.

And finally, the ACLU got the courts to issue an injunction against further construction of the Ark, saying that since God is flooding the earth, it’s a religious event, and, therefore unconstitutional. I really don’t think I can finish the Ark for another five or six years.”

Noah waited. The sky began to clear, the sun began to shine, and the seas began to calm. A rainbow arched across the sky.

Noah looked up hopefully. “You mean you’re not going to destroy the earth, Lord?”

“No,” He said sadly. “I don’t have to. The government already has.”

Posted in Daily Stuff | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, Goddess Month, Jan Kupala, Journal Prompt, Langtanz night, Magick, Midsummer, Mine is the Month of Roses, Moon Moon phase, Noah, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Past Midnight -, Runic Half Month, sage, Salvia Officinalis, Silliness, Summer Solstice., Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca Litha

Daily Stuff 6-20-19 Ceridwen

Posted on June 20, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by Kattelman. Minus Tide at 9:34 AM of -1.0 feet.

From the dark clouds before sunrise and rain to a bright rim peeking over the coast range into a mostly clear sky took about 15 minutes! Now, it’s all blue and white with a lovely cool breeze. 61F, wind at 2mph, AQI8, UV8, pollen moderate. 0.04 inches of rain. The chance of rain over the next several nights is the same… “who knows” is what they ought to put on the forecast!, but then, starting on Tuesday, there are several days where we might see some accumulation. That would be really, really nice.

Yesterday I got my computer housekeeping done first. After that I got the ritual printed and then bathed.

It was hot in the shop when we started setting up for the ritual, so we got the doors open. I dinked around for a bit, killing a little time, because I was kinda tired. I did a tiny bit more writing at that point, too.

The ritual itself went well, and we all sat around kinda tired and content listening to the beehive sounds that Tempus found for the computer music for a lot longer than is usual after a ritual. We had some tasty cookies and the pumpernickel bread was awfully good with honey, although we all got quite sticky. 🙂

It rained just before sunrise. Not very much, but the pavement was wet and the little shells that Tempus set out to dry outside were each a tiny bowl of rainwater, reflecting the blue and white of the sky.

Today Tempus has been fiddling with the computer music for the shop. The computer was going through the massive updates that the others have needed since the weekend.

I have a bunch of totes to sort out. I’ve started the process, but there’s a *lot* more, and then we have the paper run tonight.

Good night, heron. Good night, seals. Good night, gulls. Goodnight, sun. Goodnight, Waldport. ❤️- by Beth Kattelman, 6/18/19

Today’s feast is that of Ceridwen who is the Mother form of the Triple Goddess worshiped in Wicca and modern paganism, probably derived from the writings of Robert Graves. Goddess of inspiration, she is also goddess of fertility and re-birth, because of her ever-flowing cauldron. She is not the ancient goddess-form known by this name although the old stories get used as part of her symbolism. This modern feast is celebrated by burning vervain in small cauldrons, tying green ribbons to trees and using green altar coverings and clothing on this day. Here is a Wiki article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerridwen and another on the Triple Goddess http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Goddess_(Neopaganism)

Today’s Plant is Cascade Oregon Grape, Mahonia aquifolium, or Dull Oregon Grape, Mahonia nervosa, occasionally called Holly Grape. It’s a lovely, spiky-leaved large shrub or small tree with amazing clusters of bright, yellow flowers in the early spring. Dull Oregon Grape is a shorter plant with duller leaves with a nerve-like pattern of veins, but they both have the same magickal properties. The locals used it to help with rheumatism and it has been tested to replace Goldenseal in the pharmacopeia with some good results. The fruits can be made into jam or wine, although they’re too sour to eat on their own. Feminine, Earth, carry to draw money and prosperity, or popularity. More on aquifolium here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_grape and on nervosa here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahonia_nervosa

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

After dark Vega is the brightest star shining very high in the east. Barely lower left of it is 4th-magnitude Epsilon Lyrae, the Double-Double. Epsilon forms one corner of a roughly equilateral triangle with Vega and Zeta Lyrae. The triangle is less than 2° on a side, hardly the width of your thumb at arm’s length. Binoculars easily resolve Epsilon. And a 4-inch telescope at 100× or more should resolve each of Epsilon’s wide components into a tight pair. Zeta Lyrae is also a double star for binoculars; much tougher, but plainly resolved in any telescope. Delta Lyrae, a little below Zeta, is a much wider and easier pair, tinted reddish orange and blue.
Observers of the outer solar system get their first good views of Uranus before dawn in late June. The best time to look for it is shortly before twilight begins around 3:30 a.m. local daylight time. Uranus then lies 10° above the eastern horizon among the background stars of southern Aries the Ram. This morning, use binoculars to find the magnitude 5.9 planet 2.4° south of the similarly bright star 19 Arietis. A telescope will help you tell the two apart — only the planet shows a blue-green disk that spans 3.5″.
Jupiter (magnitude –2.6, in southern Ophiuchus) is just past its June 10th opposition. It glares in the southeast by late twilight. Antares, much fainter at magnitude +1.0, twinkles 10° to its right. Jupiter is highest in the south by midnight or 1 a.m. daylight saving time, with orange Antares now to its lower right. In a telescope Jupiter is 46 arcseconds wide. See Bob King’s Jupiter Is Outstanding at Opposition. And, changes continue in and around Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.

Sun in Gemini
Moon in Capricorn enters Aquarius at 7:01pm.
Ceres (7/17), Jupiter (8/11), Saturn (9/18) and Pluto (10/3) Retrograde
Color: Crimson

Harvest 6/20-21

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Duir – Oak Ogam letter correspondences
Month: May
Color: Black and Dark Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: D
Meaning: Security; Strength

to study this month – Eadha – White Poplar or Aspen Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Silver White
Class: Shrub
Letter: E
Meaning: Problems; Doubts; Fears.

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Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
Th 20     High   2:28 AM     7.5   5:32 AM     Set 8:36 AM      94
~ 20      Low   9:34 AM    -1.0   9:04 PM    Rise 11:49 PM
~ 20     High   4:15 PM     6.2
~ 20      Low   9:35 PM     2.9

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – What do you do when the only person who can make you stop crying is the person who made you cry?

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Journal Prompt – What would you? – What would I say to them if I could see them again?

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Quotes

~   I used often to go to America during Prohibition, and there was far more drunkenness there then than before; the prohibition of pornography has much the same effect. – Bertrand Russell (1872 – 1970)
~   Joy is a return to the deep harmony of body, mind and spirit that was yours at birth and that can be yours again. That openness to love, that capacity for wholeness with the world around you, is still within you. – Deepak Chopra
~   As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot. – John Lennon (1940-1980) English singer, songwriter
~   He that respects himself is safe from others. He wears a coat of mail that none can pierce. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It is a sultry day; the sun has drunk
The dew that lay upon the morning grass;
There is no rustling in the lofty elm
That canopies my dwelling, and its shade
Scarce cools me. All is silent, save the faint
And interrupted murmur of the bee,
Settling on the sick flowers, and then again
Instantly on the wing. – William Cullen Bryant (1794–1878

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Litha Magick – Recipes

Rose Cake – Look at roses in a whole new way

From, “Atlanta Cooknotes,” published in cooperation with your Daily Inbox Newsletter.

INGREDIENTS:

Petals from 6 red roses
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup superfine white sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 to 3 Tablespoons grated orange rind
1 teaspoon rose water
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour milk or yogurt
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped pistachio nuts

TO PREPARE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gently wash and dry rose petals; snip only the red part into small pieces and set aside. Cream butter and add sugar, beating until light and smooth. Add egg yolks, lemon and orange rinds, and rose water, mixing well. Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour milk or yogurt. Fold in rose petals. Beat egg whites until stiff, and gently fold into mixture.

Sprinkle one-half pistachio nuts on bottom of a greased and floured two-quart tube pan. Pour batter over nuts and sprinkle with remaining nuts. Bake 40 minutes or until cake springs back when touched. Remove from pan and glaze while hot. To make glaze, combine all ingredients and boil five minutes. Brush half of hot glaze over hot cake; repeat after both have cooled, using remaining glaze. Garnish cake with edible flowers such as roses, carnations, or candied violets.

NOTE: Roses become dark green after baking.
SERVINGS: 6 – 8

Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup sugar
4 cups of diced rhubarb
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup flour

Directions:

Mix ingredients, dot with butter and bake in a pie shell in a hot oven, 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes or until bubbly and brown.

Notes: Recipe by Jim Crawford of New Morning Farm. It has not been tested by NPR.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

Ingredients:

3 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoons nutmeg
4 cups rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Beat eggs slightly, add milk. Stir in sugar, flour and nutmeg. Pour over rhubarb and mix. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Dot with butter. Optional: Cover with lattice pastry. Bake 400 Fahrenheit degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.

Notes:

Recipe by Marion Otte, who was Jennifer Ludden’s grandma. She let her grandchildren help harvest the rhubarb in her garden in West Point, Iowa. The recipe has not been tested by NPR.

Solstice cookies – From Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2006 – Makes about 3 dozen.
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup chopped apricots, dates, or raisins
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seed
1 to 4 tbs water as needed

Preheat oven to 375*F.
Cream butter and sugar; add egg, vanilla, and salt, mixing well.
Stir dry ingredients together.
Mix wet and dry.
Add water a tablespoon at a time until dough holds together.
Drop on greased cookie sheet, flatten slightly.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Note – Serve with strawberry rhubarb punch.

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Silliness – Confucius Says – Man who stand on toilet high on pot.

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Cascade Oregon Grape, Celtic Tree Month, Ceridwen, Confucius Says, Dull Oregon Grape, Goddess Month, Holly Grape, It is a sultry day, Journal Prompt, Litha recipes, Magick, Mahonia aquifolium, Mahonia nervosa, Midsummer, Moon Moon phase, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Runic Half Month, Silliness, Summer Solstice., Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca Litha

Daily Stuff 6-19-19 Minerva’s Temple

Posted on June 19, 2019 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Open Circle for Litha tonight at 7pm at Ancient Light.

Featured photo by OCD Photography. Minus Tide at 8:55 AM of -1.2 feet.

It’s sunny with a pale blue sky, but there are a few clouds upon occasion, to strain the light and dim it. 60F, wind at 6mph and gusting, AQI10, UV8. There’s a tiny chance of rain, but no accumulation tonight and tomorrow night, but possible accumulation after the weekend.

I got yesterday’s newsletter out so late that I was all thrown off. I kept working on the computer, but after Tempus got loose from the rabbit hole he fell down on Pinterest he went back to work in back. We’re not *done* up front, but it’s enough better to get by until our next weekend. We’ve got to make progress in back, though.

Finally Tempus went out to water plants and I got going on newsletters and other posts. Eventually, we had supper, leftovers from Sunday and really, really tasty.

Tempus headed for Newport just a bit past 9pm, after having gotten things ready for me to make cheese. He was starting bulk drops at 11:15. I kept on writing.

I got picked up around 3:30. The Moon was high and bright and Saturn just a star beside Her. Jupiter was much brighter to the west. Big cloud banks covered and uncovered it all as we drove. When we could see the moontrack on the ocean we stopped to look, once in upper Bayshore and once up on Alsea Heights.

He was actually done at 5:40! That’s just a touch over 5 hours for the route, which is a lot better than 6 1/2.

I got the cheese done after I got home, since the milk wasn’t coming up to temperature before. I got it finished, unmolded, wrapped in fig leaves and put away, first thing today, but we got up around 3pm, so this is around the usual time for a Wednesday. We have the Open Circle for the Sabbat tonight and need to do some sort/put-away both before and after, so’s to get ready for the week.

Heceta Head Light from 5/26/18 by OCD Photography

Today’s feast is in honor of Minerva’s Temple in Rome, which had a commemoration of some kind on this date, two months after the anniversary of the temple’s founding. No one’s sure what they did, why or how, just the basic fact of “they did something….” She was the goddess of wisdom and has been honored down through the millennia. There’s a good Wiki article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minerva

Juneteenth! The other Independence Day! This is the day that slavery finally ended. It was celebrated in many communities until the aftermath of the Civil War caused such bitterness that it was suppressed. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/juneteenth-our-other-independence-day-16340952/

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

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

Here it is two days from official summer. But as twilight fades, look very low in the north-northwest for wintry Capella very out of season. The farther north you are, the higher it will appear. You may need binoculars. If you’re as far north as Montreal or a Portland (either Oregon or Maine!), Capella is actually circumpolar.

The Summer Triangle returns to the evening sky – In this image, the Summer Triangle and the Milky Way appear above Yosemite Valley in California. The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) lies on the far left, above Half Dome, while the lower right features Nevada Falls and, below it, Vernal Falls. – Ruben Kier

The conspicuous Summer Triangle asterism dominates the eastern sky in late evening. Vega, the triangle’s brightest member, shines at magnitude 0.0 and stands highest of the three stars. To its lower left lies Deneb; at magnitude 1.3, it’s the faintest of the trio. Magnitude 0.8 Altair completes the bright asterism. Despite its name, the Summer Triangle appears prominent from late spring until the onset of winter.

Mercury tangos with Mars – These two planets slide within 0.5° of each other on both June 17 and 18. They have not passed this close in the evening sky since 2006. – Astronomy: Rick Johnson

Mercury and Mars pass each other very low in evening twilight. Look for them in the west-northwest about 40 to 60 minutes after sunset. Bring binoculars. Mercury is by far the brighter of the two, fading from magnitude –0.1 to +0.4 this week. Mars is less than an eighth as bright at magnitude +1.8. On June 14th you’ll find Mars 2½° to Mercury’s upper left. They appear closest, a mere ½° apart or less, on the June 17th and 18th. After that, Mars moves away to Mercury’s lower right. Pollux and Castor (magnitudes +1.2 and +1.6) twinkle weakly above or to the upper right of them.

Sun in Gemini
Moon in Capricorn enters Aquarius at 7:01pm.
Ceres (7/17), Jupiter (8/11), Saturn (9/18) and Pluto (10/3) Retrograde
Color: Yellow

Planting 6/18-19

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Duir – Oak Ogam letter correspondences
Month: May
Color: Black and Dark Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: D
Meaning: Security; Strength

to study this month – Eadha – White Poplar or Aspen Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Silver White
Class: Shrub
Letter: E
Meaning: Problems; Doubts; Fears.

******

Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
W   19     High   1:49 AM     7.8   5:31 AM     Set 7:38 AM      97
~ 19      Low   8:55 AM    -1.2   9:04 PM    Rise 11:12 PM
~ 19     High   3:34 PM     6.3
~ 19      Low   8:50 PM     2.8

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – Mental Floss prevents Moral Decay.

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Journal Prompt – Describe – Describe the ocean to a person who is blind.

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Quotes

~   A clear breeze has no price, the bright moon no owner.”- Song Hun
~   Make the most of today. Translate your good intentions into actual deeds. – Grenville Kleiser
~   Don’t give up the ship! – The dying words of American naval hero Capt. James Lawrence became an honored naval motto.
~   If God didn’t want us to eat meat, why did He make cows so slow? (ever eaten a Cheetah burger? Nope. And you never will.) – Dr. Denis Leary

Till to my garden back I come,
Where bumble-bees for hours and hours
Sit on their soft, fat, velvet bums,
To wriggle out of hollow flowers. – –William Henry Davies (1871–1940)

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Litha Magick – Studies

Hotogov Mailgan – 6/22 Today’s Goddess: White Nights (Russia)

Themes: Sky; Tradition; Arts Symbol: Pale Light

About Hotogov Mailgan: In Siberia, Hotogov Mailgan illuminates the night sky with her heavenly sparkle. She is the Queen of the Sky, a creative force for personal empowerment, and the manifester of the life energies in and around us.

To Do Today: Between June 21 and June 29 the skies in Russia always appear light gray at night because of the northern location. The effect throughout St. Petersburg is very magical, casting unique shadows on the lavender, pink, and yellow pastel-colored buildings. To celebrate this beauty, the citizens enjoy traditional Russian ballets, theatrical performances, and music. So, get out the theme music from Dr. Zhivago, rent a ballet featuring Barishnikov, or cook yourself up some Russian dumplings (varnekey) and invite this goddess to join you.

If you perform any magic today, try putting up some pastel-colored curtains around the space to filter the outside light so it suits Hotogove Mailgan. Or darken the room and use glow-in-the-dark stars to mark the magical circle so you’re literally surrounded by her power.

Try taking a bubble bath and dotting the surface of the water with glitter to look like Hotogov Mailgan’s night sky. Then sit, relax, and meditate, absorbing the hopeful, dreamy energy that her stars inspire in people everywhere.

)0( By Patricia Telesco~ From “365 Goddess” and GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast

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Silliness – Mowed Lawn

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, Goddess Month, Journal Prompt, Juneteenth, Litha Studies, Magick, Midsummer, Minerva’s Temple, Moon Moon phase, Mowed Lawn, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Runic Half Month, Silliness, Summer Solstice., Tides, Till to my garden back I come, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca Litha

Ancient Light's Daily Stuff

Daily Stuff 6-22-19 Brest Fortress

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Planting 6/22-4

©2019 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright

Daily Stuff 6-21-19 Blessed Litha!

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Harvest 6/20-21

©2019 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright

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