Ancient Light's Daily Stuff

Daily Stuff 9-23-18 Discovery of Neptune

Posted on September 23, 2018 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by Walter Duvall. House Capuchin Project Day from Noon-5pm.

The days are getting shorter by over 3 minutes per, now, and you can really tell that the Wheel has Turned to the Samhain season! 55F and wind at 1mph. The daytime UV is down to 4. Even I can be outside without sunblock or covering up at noon! The chance of rain starts building up next Saturday.

Yesterday’s newsletter was later than I like, but we had a lot of customers in despite the drizzle that the computer says wasn’t happening. 🙂 Once that was done, Tempus scrabbled around getting the sofa area ready for the D&D’ers and I worked on the area where we were to put the piano. …only to find that Tempus intended to put it into the playpen to get it off the floor until we can make progress in that area on the other side of things, so I went back to sorting.

During sitting time I talked with two of our sons and a couple of old friends on Facebook. …and the rest of the day was back and forth with customers and sorting and putting away and sitting.

At about 6:45 Lisa and Trevor showed up to help with the move stuff. The D&D’ers were still going strong and I got a phone call just after they and Tempus headed for the apartment asking if we were still open. Those folks came in and shopped hard. 🙂

The 8pm Nick showed up and 1/2 the D&D group trundled off with him to shift the piano. They were done in 1/2 an hour and back and the group played until 10 or so. We had been “ordered” to come home with Lisa and Trevor and got our stuff together. They were going to put us up overnight.

They have a lovely guest room and we slept hard and got showers this morning. I got a bit of a wander around the property with all the lovely plants. I’m going to find them some more plants for their garden bed out front. The guys headed for the apartment, getting the last things up and out. Lisa and I stopped and got coffee, dropped it off to the guys, then I got dropped off here and everyone else is now hard at work at the apartment.

I’ll open at 11am, although we’ve a lot of stuff in the aisles, and the piano is definitely in the way of the clothing. That’s going to be Tempus’ to work on once he’s here. I’m going to keep pecking at the area back by the reading desk, getting the space ready for my piano and the desk ready to be turned around and then used for display stuff.

We have the House Capuchin Project Day later today. I’ll be working on my embroidery and sanding on some of the wooden pieces. I think he has some bowls and that stool to finish.

We’ll be closing between 6 and 7pm tonight.

A photo from 9/20/18 by Walter Duvall of Yaquina Bay on a quiet afternoon.

Today in 1846 – Discovery of Neptune by French astronomer Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier and British astronomer John Couch Adams; verified by German astronomerJohann Gottfried Galle. The planet was named for Neptune, the Roman god of the sea. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune_%28planet%29

Today’s Plant is the Strawberry. We have two wild varieties out here, Wood’s Strawberry, Fragaria vesca, the Coastal Strawberry, Fragaria chiloensis, and of course the Garden Strawberry, Fragaria ×ananassa, which is a hybrid. The leaves of vesca have been used to make a tea to help with diarrhea and the whole plant is used as an anti-depressant, from flowers to leaves to fruit. – Feminine, Venus, Water, Freya (and many other deities) – Carry the leaves for luck, use them in love spells and sachets, sleep on them to dream of your love. Pregnant women should carry a sachet of the leaves during the last few months of pregnancy to ease labor. The berries themselves are simply an aphrodisiac, often combined with chocolate for this purpose. Yum! Wood’s Strawberry here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragaria_vesca and Coastal Strawberry here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragaria_chiloensis Garden Strawberry here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_strawberry

The shop opens at 11am. Fall 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

Waxing Moon Magick – The waxing moon is for constructive magick, such as love, wealth, success, courage, friendship, luck or healthy, protection, divination. Any working that needs extra power, such as help finding a new job or healings for serious conditions, can be done now. Also, love, knowledge, legal undertakings, money and dreams. Phase ends at the Tide Change on 9/24 at 7:52pm. Waxing Gibbous Moon – From seven to fourteen days after the new moon. For spells that need concentrated work over a ¼ moon cycle this is the best time for constructive workings. Aim to do the last working on the day of the Full moon, before the turn. Keywords for the Gibbous phase are: analyze, prepare, trust. It is the time in a cycle to process the results of the actions taken during the First Quarter. During this phase you are gathering information. Give up making judgments; it will only lead to worry. Your knowledge is incomplete. Laugh. Analyze and filter. LOOK WITHIN. God/dess aspect: Maiden/Youth, but in the uncommitted phase, the Warriors – Associated God/desses: Dion, Dionysius, Venus, Thor. Phase ends at the Full on 9/23 at 7:52am. 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 9/26 at 7:52am. 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 10/8 at 8:47pm.

Now the Moon shines even farther left of Mars after dark. Look lower right of the Moon, by roughly half that distance, for Fomalhaut, the Autumn Star, low and slowly on its way up in the southeast.
Uranus reaches opposition one month from today, but it already has become a tempting evening target. The ice giant world rises before 9 p.m. local daylight time and climbs some 30° above the eastern horizon by 11 p.m. The magnitude 5.7 planet lies in southwestern Aries, 12° south of the Ram’s brightest star, 2nd-magnitude Alpha (α) Arietis. Although Uranus glows brightly enough to see with the naked eye under a dark sky, binoculars make the task much easier. A telescope reveals the planet’s blue-green disk, which spans 3.7″.
Neptune, in Aquarius, is at magnitude 7.8. By late evening it is well up in the southeast. Finder charts for Uranus and Neptune, or see the September Sky & Telescope, page 48.

Old Farmer’s Almanac Sky Map for September 2018 – https://www.almanac.com/content/sky-map-star-chart-september-2018
Goddess Month of Mala runs from 9/6 – 10/2
Celtic Tree Month of Muin/Vine Sep 2 – 29
Celtic Tree Month of Gort/Ivy Sep 30 – Oct 27
Runic half-month of Kenaz/Ken/Kebo – September 13-27 – Ken represents a flaming torch within the royal hall, so it’s the time of the creative fire – the forge where natural materials are transmuted by the force of the human will into a mystical third, an artifact that could not otherwise come into being. The positive aspects of sexuality that are immanent in Freya and Frey come into play at this time. Nigel Pennick, The Pagan Book of Days, Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont, USA, 1992, p. 102 Runic half-month of Gebo/ Gyfu – Sept 28-Oct 12 – Gyfu represents the unity that a gift brings between the donor & recipient. It is a time of unification, both between members of society and between the human and divine. Nigel Pennick, The Pagan Book of Days, Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont, USA, 1992, p. 102

Sun in Libra
Moon in Pisces
Pluto (9/30), Neptune (11/24), Chiron (12/8), and Uranus (1/6/19) Retrograde
Color: Gold

Planting 9/22-24

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Celtic Tree Month of Muin/Vine Sep 2 – 29 – Muin – (MUHN, like “foot”), vine – The grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is a vine growing as long as 35 m (115 feet), in open woodlands and along the edges of forests, but most commonly seen today in cultivation, as the source of wine, grape juice, and the grape juice concentrate that is so widely used as a sweetener. European grapes are extensively cultivated in North America, especially in the southwest, and an industry and an agricultural discipline are devoted to their care and the production of wine. Grapes are in the Grape family (Vitaceae).

Muin – Vine Ogam letter correspondences
Month: August
Color: Variegated
Class: Chieftain
Letter: M
Meaning: Inner development occurring, but take time for relaxation

to study this month – Koad – Grove – Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Many Shades of Green
Class: None
Letter: CH, KH, EA
Meaning: Wisdom gained by seeing past illusions.

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Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
Su 23      Low   6:23 AM     0.3   7:05 AM     Set 5:26 AM      94
~ 23     High 12:37 PM     6.9   7:12 PM    Rise 7:02 PM
~ 23      Low   6:37 PM     1.5

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – I understand the meaning of peace. I let peace express itself through me.

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Journal Prompt – Personal Experiences – What actor would you hire to play you in your TV movie biography, and why?

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Quotes

~ Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field. – Dwight D. Eisenhower
~ Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. – Mother Theresa
~ Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations. – Earl Nightingale
~ Even negative emotions are good, if real; and if they are real, by and by, their very reality transforms them. They become more and more positive and a moment comes when all positivity and negativity disappear. You simply remains authentic. – Osho

There are flowers enough in the summertime,
More flowers than I can remember:
But none with the purple, gold, and red
That dyes the flowers of September! –Mary Howitt (1799–1888)

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Magick – Michaelmas Dragon

Michaelmas is a festival that marks the turning of the seasons. Traditionally, it is celebrated on September 29th. In Medieval times, Michaelmas was celebrated as a time for gathering: landlords gathered rent, people gathered food, and the food was gathered into cupboards and storerooms. A celebration was held to rejoice in the harvest if it was bountiful, or send up prayers for better harvests in the future. Later, the festival was given more of a Christian meaning and included celebrating the role of the archangel Michael as dragon-slayer.

The turning of the seasons marks a turning in our spirits as well. With the shortening days, we feel winter’s approach, and know that more of our time will be spent indoors. With the carefree days of summer, our hearts were light and seemed to match the warmth of the sun. Now that the days shorten and grow colder, we must look inside to find our light, and often this involves facing our inner dragons. This requires a depth of courage and tapping into the strength and light that will carry us through dark winter days.

In Waldorf tradition, Michaelmas is brought as a celebration of this strength of resolve, goodness, courage, and inner light.

For parents, working with inner dragons can lead to a rich experience of one’s own humanity and strength. Even inner dragons have their purpose within the context of our lives, and can be “harnessed” to bring out their redeeming qualities: protection, a rightful sense of justice, and action.

Children are, of course, nourished by the mood and the imagery brought around any festival, rather than the literal meaning or history of it. The mood of Michaelmas is related to gathering, harvesting, working, strength, courage, and steadfastness. The imagery related to those moods can be found in nature and story lore: squirrels gathering nuts, St. George taming or slaying a dragon, shooting stars, workers bringing in the harvest, mice making their nests, leaves blanketing the ground, etc. The colors associated with this festival echo the fiery colors of the changing season: reds, oranges, browns, and yellows.

For younger children, celebrating this festival and time of year can include stories of the harvest, activities such as polishing apples, making harvest wreaths, drying flowers, putting garden beds to sleep, raking leaves, chopping vegetables for soup, gathering marigolds and dyeing with them, and kneading bread for a harvest loaf. Some older children may delight in hearing stories of the dragon being slain. If you choose to tell dragon stories and are concerned they might be too scary for young children, you can have the dragon transform into a helper instead of being slain.

My intention is to bring a brief overview of Michaelmas and celebrating harvest. I encourage you to make up your own stories, and searching the web will produce some nice Michaelmas stories for you to use. There are also a few books that have many more crafts, songs, and ideas for celebrating Michaelmas. The Children’s Year and All Year Round are good books to start with. Wynstone’s Autumn and Festivals, Family, and Food are also good resources.

And finally, for your nature table, I present to you a dragon to make.

Materials
1/8th yard red felt
1/8th yard of yellow felt
Matching thread
Wool stuffing
Body pattern (print patterns to 100% on a 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper) http://rhythmofthehome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/dragonbody.jpg
Wing pattern http://rhythmofthehome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/wing.jpg

Begin by cutting out all parts. Because this dragon is made of wool felt, I recommend hand sewing it using cotton quilting thread and backstitch. If you like, you could use embroidery floss and sew the seams using blanket stitch. This dragon is sewn with the seams on the outside, so there is no turning it inside out to stuff it.

Once the parts are cut out, sew the head gusset to the head in between the placement marks.

Sew the spikes along the back (the pinked seam you see in the picture will be on the inside of the body).

Sew the legs onto each other. Sew only the sides of the legs, and leave the bottoms open. To make sure you sew your legs on facing the inside of the dragon, place your body pieces so they mirror each other, like so:

Begin to sew the body gusset by pinning it on one side of the dragon and sewing to the leg.

Pin both sides of the dragon body together, lining up the gusset marks on the other side. It is easiest to start at the tip of the tail, sew along the back, and end up on the other side of where you stopped.

Sew the tail from the tip to the gusset mark.

Now, begin sewing the rest of the gusset. When you get to a leg, tuck your finger inside the leg and hold it to stabilize the leg. As you sew, push the inner leg up toward the body a little bit. This will help keep the dragon’s legs from splaying out and help your dragon to stand. You can always go back and take a few more stitches toward the middle if need be.

Sew one side of the belly and legs, stopping at the gusset mark. Continue on to the other side, and sew up the legs, but leave the space in between the legs for stuffing.

Begin stuffing the dragon using a knitting needle to help get small bits of wool into the tail and head. Once the body and legs are stuffed, close up the belly seam.

Sew the bottoms onto the legs. Put extra stuffing in the legs if need be to help the dragon to stand. Pin the wings and ears into place and sew. If you sew them on the front and the back, they will stand up.

Place your dragon on your nature table, or in your puppet basket.

Happy dragon-taming!

As a teenager, Angela Mobley dreamed of having a home filled with children, music, and art projects. She imagined every room harboring colorful nooks of art supplies and crannies of creative expression. Today she is living that dream with her four children and husband. In addition to all that singing and knitting and sewing and exploring, she teaches handwork and music at the Waldorf School of Louisville. Find her somewhat irregularly at theartistthemom.

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Silliness – Inevitable Laws of Work – 15. To err is human; to forgive is not our policy.

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, Coastal Strawberry, Fragaria ×ananassa, Fragaria chiloensis, Fragaria vesca, Garden Strawberry, Goddess Month, Inevitable Laws of Work, Journal Prompt, Magick, Michaelmas Dragon, Moon, moon phase, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Runic Half Month, Silliness, There are flowers enough in the summertime, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca, Wood's Strawberry

Daily Stuff 9-22-18 Blessed Mabon

Posted on September 22, 2018 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Blessed Mabon! Sewing at 3pm. Also, the D&D people will be here.

Dim and cool this morning and not as damp as yesterday. 59F Wind at 7mph. Rain showers passing through and things are damp. They’re saying we only got .0.01 inches…. well, no…but it might have been a microburst. Next glump of rain end of *next* week.

I slept a good chunk of yesterday morning while Tempus dozed on the sofa. He got up to take the car over to the shop and then again when we opened, but after that he just slept.

We had a lot of customers in. I was organizing in the craft area between. Eventually Tempus woke, but not in time to do bread, so he went to the store after some.

Kaylee and her mom brought back the sewing desk and machine that we loaned her several years ago. She doesn’t have room in her new place. The mom and Tempus took it up to storage and I got a chance to visit with Kaylee for a bit. We might see her at 12th Night!

That was really nice, but I cost me time for a nap before the Sabbat. Tempus and I kept pecking at getting ready, frying the bacon then finishing the soup and cleaning up. We were ready in time.

The Sabbat went well, although there were just three of us. We had a good feast afterwards of Rayna’s frybread and blueberry jam, a blackberry wine, the soup and some other good things.

We hadn’t gotten the car back so we were stuck at the shop for the night. We’ve been up working on things for awhile already and the shop is open. There’s no Herbs Workshop until the moving mess is cleared out, but Sewing will be at 3pm.

…and we’re moving the piano at 7!

Yesterday was the 22nd anniversary of the Milk Miracle, the day that statues of Ganesha and others of his family drank milk. There’s no consensus reality explanation for something like this. It’s just a ….miracle…. http://www.crystalinks.com/milkmiracle.html I like the contention of many people that a miracle of this sort presages the coming of a new Teacher. That’s hopeful. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_milk_miracle

Svarog’s Holiday – Ruen (September) 21 – This is the Autumnal Equinox, the day of the God of Fire and the Sky. This is the day to drink mead and honor Svarog.

Today’s Plant is Yarrow, Achillea millefolium. This plant is often called woundwort or nosebleed because of its clotting properties and is used for fevers and infections because it has salicylates (aspirin) in it. The young leaves can be eaten and it becomes and aid to vision-work. It’s easy to grow and makes a great companion plant. We have mostly the pacifica and californica varieties out here. – Feminine, Venus, Water. Exorcism – Wear to protect – hold in hand to stop fear – hang over bed for lasting love – carry for love and bring friends and contact with relatives. Flower – Feminine, Venus, Water – flowers made into tea for psychic power, Exorcism, protection, stop fear, lasting love. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarrow

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

With the days growing shorter and kids back in school, it shouldn’t be surprising that summer’s reign is just about over. The warmest season comes to an official close at 9:54 p.m. EDT, when Earth reaches the autumnal equinox. This marks the moment when the Sun crosses the celestial equator traveling south. This moment marks the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Our star rises due east and sets due west today. If the Sun were a point of light and Earth had no atmosphere, everyone would get 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness. But the air and finite size of our star make today a few minutes longer than 12 hours.
Coincidentally, when summer turns to autumn Deneb takes over from brighter Vega as the zenith star after nightfall (for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes).
After dark tonight, the Great Square of Pegasus balances on one corner about three fists at arm’s length to the left or upper left of the gibbous Moon. The Square’s upper right side points down more or less toward the Moon.
Uranus, near the Aries-Pisces border, is easy in binoculars at magnitude 5.7, by late evening well up in the east — if you have a finder chart and know the constellations well enough to get started with it. Finder charts for Uranus and Neptune, or see the September Sky & Telescope, page 48.

Old Farmer’s Almanac Sky Map for September 2018 – https://www.almanac.com/content/sky-map-star-chart-september-2018
Goddess Month of Mala runs from 9/6 – 10/2
Celtic Tree Month of Muin/Vine Sep 2 – 29
Runic half-month of Kenaz/Ken/Kebo – September 13-27 – Ken represents a flaming torch within the royal hall, so it’s the time of the creative fire – the forge where natural materials are transmuted by the force of the human will into a mystical third, an artifact that could not otherwise come into being. The positive aspects of sexuality that are immanent in Freya and Frey come into play at this time. Nigel Pennick, The Pagan Book of Days, Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont, USA, 1992, p. 102

Sun in Virgo enters Libra at 6:54pm
Moon in Aquarius enters Pisces at 5:27am
Pluto (9/30), Neptune (11/24), Chiron (12/8), and Uranus (1/6/19) Retrograde
Color: Indigo

Planting 9/22-24

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Muin – Vine Ogam letter correspondences
Month: August
Color: Variegated
Class: Chieftain
Letter: M
Meaning: Inner development occurring, but take time for relaxation

to study this month – Koad – Grove – Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Many Shades of Green
Class: None
Letter: CH, KH, EA
Meaning: Wisdom gained by seeing past illusions.

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Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
Sa 22      Low   5:48 AM     0.4   7:04 AM     Set 4:25 AM      89
~ 22     High 12:07 PM     6.6   7:14 PM    Rise 6:34 PM
~ 22      Low   6:00 PM     1.9
~ 22     High 11:48 PM     7.1

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – In the Name of the All-Mother: I will complete a project today. – Galen Gillotte

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Journal Prompt – What is? – What is one of your pet peeves? Explain why it bothers you.

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Quotes

~ Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds. – Einstein
~ Ah, well, then I suppose I shall have to die beyond my means. – Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Irish writer and wit
~ And though thou notest from thy safe recess old friends burn dim, like lamps in noisome air love them for what they are; nor love them less, because to thee they are not what they were. – Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) English writer
~ An ancient script says, “Would you let a man rule the city who cannot even rule his own spirit?” Sometimes we do. – Jim Rohn

A shadow rests upon the fields.
As earlier Suns are setting;
The corn has reached the tasseled age,
Its silken tresses netting. –Stephen H. Thayer (1839–1919)

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Mabon Magick – Blessed Mabon!

The Goddess Farewell to the Hunter

Now I lay you down upon the drying grass,
Beloved. Your eyes sweep shut; you are weary,
Having given all you could give,
Even now you fade into the dry brown turf.

Your hand, once strong and warm, is dry
Like a little bundle of willow twigs; your hair
Fades into the leaves under your head.
Your blood and bones return to Me.

But this is how it is: your sacrifice is made
So that all can live again as the Wheel turns.
Even now your child quickens in My womb,
Growing, flourishing. He will be born when the snow flies.

How can I let you go, beloved?
I bend to kiss your lips, they fade against mine.
You smile, and slowly, slowly, sink into invisibility.
My tears fall where you were.

Now you will go down to that sunless sea,
Climb into your boat and sail the moonlit waters,
Safe in my womb. When My waters break, you will be born,
And I will hold you in my arms again. Child, brother, husband
O remember Me till I hold you again!

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Silliness – Maxine

Posted in Daily Stuff | Tagged A shadow rests upon the fields, Achillea millefolium, Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, Goddess Month, Journal Prompt, Mabon, Magick, Maxine, Milk Miracle, Moon, moon phase, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Runic Half Month, Silliness, Svarog’s Holiday, The Goddess' Farewell to the Hunter, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca, yarrow

Daily Stuff 9-21-18 Sedna

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by Anja. Open Circle for Mabon tonight at 7pm!

It’s fairly clear, with some streaks of cloud that got pretty red in the east. Maybe they’re right about rain tonight? 50F, wind at 8mph, showers starting around 9 or 10pm….if we get any….

Yesterday took awhile getting things sorted out. Before we were done our first cups of coffee we had customers in, one of whom was the black tourmaline lady. She spent a good hour (brought us a couple of lovely onions!) and a couple of other groups came in during that time, too.

I was trying to clear enough to be able to get through to my desk and beading table. I didn’t get all that far because it was hot in the shop. Tempus had a load of stuff for storage piled by the back door and couldn’t get through to open it.

I put away and put away and pulled some boxes of stuff that could wait, and helped customers and put all the glues into one box up high, and…. Phew!

So we had some lunch. I had made bacon/blue cheese butter a couple of weeks back and we had that on toasted crumpets with tomatoes on the side and a little peccorino cheese. The cheeses were our anniversary gift to ourselves. We don’t usually get expensive cheese, but this blue was *worth* it! Even the crumbs are delicious.

I got a nap late in the afternoon and then worked again on my space. Amy came in just as we were going to close and slowed down us leaving for our dinner. We had to stop at storage to offload the stuff in the car, first, because of the paper route.

We went to Ona for our anniversary supper. Tempus had the meatloaf and mashed potatoes, I had clams and asian slaw and a glass of becherovka and we shared the good sourdough bread and then a slice of almond cake with berry sauce and lemon curd. We had 3 slices of the bread to bring home for a snack and it was just the right amount to be satisfied, but not stuffed, although Tempus said with the size of that meatloaf he figured he might not have to eat for a couple of days. 🙂 …and he burped meatloaf the whole night and enjoyed it. 🙂

The Moon and Mars were really bright in the south, Venus in the West and Jupiter and Saturn between in a clear sky. …well, leaving out a few contrails. He dropped me at the shop, changed his jacket and hat and took off for Newport just before 9pm. He started the bulk drops at 10:50. Those are 1/3 again on Thursdays what they are on Tuesdays because of weekend sales of papers.

…and shifting and sorting and moving things around. I had to sit between things. I spent a lot of sitting time bagging things, not for sale, yet, but for storage, and filled another jar with bay leaves that were sitting out. …and then I made a mess pushing things out that need to go to storage. Might not have been the smartest with needing to take the car in… I did get the seal wax tablets headered.

Tempus had to rescue me. I got things glommed up enough that I couldn’t move anything to get out! He picked me up 4-ish. It was fairly clear with some haziness to the east. The Big Dipper was standing on its handle by the time we were done and Orion is higher in the sky every week. We finished up at 6:20 with a paper left over and Tempus is trying to figure out how that happened.

I just finished setting up the chowder for tonight’s ritual, so that will cook slowly all day.

Today we have to take the car for the radiator repair and we’re going to have to take turns napping at the shop, since we have no way to get back to the apartment.

A photo I took back on 9/18/15. I call September, “spider month”, because of how many webs you actually see.

Today is the Inuit festival for Sedna, the sea-goddess. She has many names across the Arctic cultures and much mythology, but in general she has strict rules for the harvest of her creatures and when hunting groups break her rules it is the job of the shamans to journey to her place beneath the sea. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedna_%28deity%29

Today’s plant is New Zealand Flax, Phormium Tenax. This is a very different plant from common flax or linseed, Linum usitatissimum. It is used mostly as an ornamental in the northern hemisphere, but at one time sustained a lively trade as a fiber. While the two plants are very different, they have similar magickal properties. These days the fiber is mostly used by paper artisans. – Masculine, Mercury, Fire, Hulda – Money spells, add to coins and carry, flax in the shoe averts poverty. For protection while asleep, add to mustard seed, put both opposite cold water. Protection from evil entering, scatter with red pepper by door. Health and healing rituals, sprinkle altar with flaxseed. More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phormium For the traditional uses of the plant fiber http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_flax

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

By Wednesday September 19th, the Moon hangs over Mars during twilight.

The closing days of summer (the equinox is tomorrow) always find the Sagittarius Teapot moving west of south during evening and tipping increasingly far over to the right, as if pouring out the last of summer.

Venus is shrouded in a visual-light obscuring haze thanks to a runaway greenhouse effect. Fortunately, NASA’s Magellan mission, launched in 1989, has mapped 98 percent of the venusian surface using cloud-penetrating radar. – NASA

Venus peaks at magnitude –4.8 this evening, shining brighter than at any other time during this evening apparition. (The difference is essentially imperceptible, however — it appears only a thousandth of a magnitude brighter today than it did yesterday or will tomorrow.) Venus lies only 5° high in the southwest a half-hour after sundown, however, so you’ll have to look for it from a site with an unobstructed horizon. As the inner planet swings closer to a direct line between the Sun and Earth, its telescopic appearance changes quickly. Tonight, Venus’ disk spans 40″ and appears about one-quarter lit.
Saturn (magnitude +0.4, above the spout-tip of the Sagittarius Teapot) glows yellow in the south at dusk, well to the right of brighter Mars. It sets by midnight.

Old Farmer’s Almanac Sky Map for September 2018 – https://www.almanac.com/content/sky-map-star-chart-september-2018
Goddess Month of Mala runs from 9/6 – 10/2
Celtic Tree Month of Muin/Vine Sep 2 – 29
Runic half-month of Kenaz/Ken/Kebo – September 13-27 – Ken represents a flaming torch within the royal hall, so it’s the time of the creative fire – the forge where natural materials are transmuted by the force of the human will into a mystical third, an artifact that could not otherwise come into being. The positive aspects of sexuality that are immanent in Freya and Frey come into play at this time. Nigel Pennick, The Pagan Book of Days, Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont, USA, 1992, p. 102

Sun in Virgo
Moon in Aquarius
Pluto (9/30), Neptune (11/24), Chiron (12/8), and Uranus (1/6/19) Retrograde
Color: White

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Muin – Vine Ogam letter correspondences
Month: August
Color: Variegated
Class: Chieftain
Letter: M
Meaning: Inner development occurring, but take time for relaxation

to study this month – Koad – Grove – Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Many Shades of Green
Class: None
Letter: CH, KH, EA
Meaning: Wisdom gained by seeing past illusions.

******

Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
F   21      Low   5:10 AM     0.6   7:03 AM     Set 3:26 AM      83
~ 21     High 11:35 AM     6.3   7:15 PM    Rise 6:04 PM
~ 21      Low   5:21 PM     2.4
~ 21     High 11:05 PM     6.9

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – Our core is the compass, the cosmos, our horizon. Multitudes of expressions are experienced in between, but we remain in clear orientation. Evohe!

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Journal Prompt – What is? – What is the best way to educate the world on lead and how it affects people, just one person at a time?

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Quotes

~ It is an insult to the divinity to conceive that he could possibly, in any manner whatsoever, commit with woman the crime we call adultery. – Voltaire on the Virgin Birth
~ It’s going to be the most important political trial in the history of the United States. – Jay Miller, director of the Illinois Division of the American Civil Liberties Union, on the Trial of the Chicago Seven
~ But there is always a November space after the leaves have fallen when she felt it was almost indecent to intrude on the woods…for their glory terrestrial had departed and their glory celestial of spirit and purity and whiteness had not yet come upon them. – L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Windy Poplars
~ Frequently the more trifling the subject, the more animated and protracted the discussion. – Franklin Pierce

’Tis the last rose of summer
Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone:
No flower of her kindred,
No rose-bud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
Or give sigh for sigh. – Thomas Moore (1779–1852)

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Mabon Magick – Bringing Autumn Magic In – Granny’s Herbals – Adapted from Witch in the Kitchen, by Cait Johnson (Inner Traditions, 2001).

There’s nothing more luscious than inviting nature indoors in the Fall: the
brilliant colors of Autumn make our homes feel deliciously warm and cozy as
the weather turns cooler. Changing leaves, swags of grapevine, and
vibrantly-colored apples and squashes make gorgeous, inexpensive decorations.

Find out how to connect with the abundant bounty and beauty of this harvest
season with these fun, easy tips for decorating with nature.

Preserve some colorful leaves. You can iron them between sheets of waxed paper, microwave them for a few seconds, put them in a solution of glycerin, or press them between the pages of a heavy book. Then you can apply them to backsplashes, place them artfully in a vase, mound them around a pile of gourds or squashes, or even use them as coasters for your favorite beverages.
Food is art. Find a local Farmer’s Market or roadside stand and load up on apples, pears, pumpkins, decorative squashes, nuts, gourds, and Native American corn. A simple wooden bowl loaded with these treasures makes an abundant centerpiece. You can parade them in a line on a mantel-piece or pile them in a basket. What you don’t eat, you can enjoy looking at.
Other treasures. Bring in grapevines to twine along the countertops, or make wreaths for doors or cabinets (see our article on making your own Inner Harvest Wreath). If you live in an area where bittersweet is not a protected plant, harvest some to put in an earthen vase Corn shocks are traditional to stand beside a door, but broom corn makes a beautiful and less usual alternative with its graceful russet fronds.
Beeswax candles. The amber color and honey-sweet aroma of these safe, all-natural candles just evoke the golden glow of autumn. As the days get shorter, it can be a soothing ritual to burn a beeswax candle at dusk.
Echo Fall colors. Bring in the Autumn hues of russet-red, vibrant shades of orange, deep greens, mellow golds, wine-reds, and vivid scarlet with cushions, towels, scatter-rugs, or other decorative accents. My family has a brightly-colored autumn leaf potholder and a set of pumpkin-shaped mugs that we use with pleasure year after year. Find the simple treasures your family will enjoy.
Try this creative and relaxing Leaf Meditation. Find a perfect autumn leaf and spend some time really looking at it, noticing the variations in color and shape. Trace its outline on a piece of paper, then try your hand at coloring it in with colored pencils, markers, or paints. Slowing down and taking time to savor the beauty of something as simple and commonplace as a leaf opens our eyes and hearts to nature’s magical variety. You may want to cut your colored leaf out and glue it on the cover of a journal to keep you company throughout the autumn months. Or do several leaves to decorate your cabinets or walls!
Think water. Western European traditions often associate Autumn with the element of water, since it is a time of deep feeling and flowing away: birds migrate, trees shed their leaves. Honor this ancient idea with a bowl of water in a special place. Notice how water evaporates. As you refill your bowl throughout the autumn months, give a little thought to your own feelings, and the things that you are in the process of releasing from your life.

)0( Granny’s Herb Course http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GrannysHerbs/

******

Silliness – Shorts – Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.

Posted in Daily Stuff, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, ’Tis the last rose of summer, Bringing Autumn Magic In, Celtic Tree Month, Goddess Month, Journal Prompt, Linum usitatissimum, Mabon, Magick, Moon, moon phase, New Zealand Flax, Oregon Coast, Pagan, phormium tenax, Runic Half Month, Sedna, Shorts, Silliness, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca

Daily Stuff 9-20-18 Telesterion

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by Ken Gagne. Open Circle for Mabon, Friday, September 21, 7pm.

The sky is clear and wide and very blue. There are some contrail streaks beyond the coast range, one streak of high cloud and a single puff. The marine layer is pulled out to the horizon. The hind-dunes lakes are mirrors. 56F, wind at 2mph. They’re calling the heavy dew, “0.01 inch of precip.” There’s still a chance of showers tomorrow night into Saturday.

Yesterday we started late at the shop. We went to storage first to drop off and pick up things and then back into town. By the time we had some food it was nearly dark! Tempus got the kitchen rolly scrubbed and I started re-loading it after sorting some of my things.

I got more of my garb stuff from the last couple of weekends sorted and put away. One of the things that surfaced in the morning was the metallic floss that had been for a project that Jeanne and I started. There was that and some beads and a baking dish and so on. The apartment is starting to look really empty.

…and then we didn’t have a way to move the piano… We’re down to a week…. It looks like we’re going to try over the weekend. Timing’s going to be weird.

So we did some more packing. We’re starting to clear the freezer and disassemble the futon frame. I had to make a box for our wall mandala, and ran out of tape before I was done, so that’s going to be tonight, I guess. …finding the tape while I’m thinking about it…and then hit the hay and only woke at 10 this morning.

We’re trying to get the shop usable this morning. There’s still stuff in the aisles. People could come in and shop, but it’s going to be a bit before we actually are really ready. I’m working on the necessary coffee at the moment and then I have to pack up some of the overburden in the office space area, so that I can finish putting things away!

I’m intending that Tempus and I are going out to supper tonight, since it’s our anniversary, even if we can’t do more than that with tonight being the paper run, as well.

Wild Turkey, photo by Ken Gagne 2-8-17

Today’s Feast is the day when the initiates entered the Telesterion during the Eleusinian Mysteries. This was the climax of the rite where the triple ear of wheat was shown. The Mysteries endured for centuries only to be stamped out at the end of the 4th century CE. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleusinian_Mysteries

Today’s Plant is Stinging Nettle, Urtica Dioica, otherwise known as, “Ouch!!!!” Grab a handful of this plant and you will know it. There are lots of hollow “hairs” on this plant that act like tiny hypodermics, injecting histamine, among other stinging chemicals. There’s even a name for a type of allergic reaction called, “nettlerash”, that picked up the word from the characteristic pattern of itchy bumps. This plant has been used for food, medicine, fabric and magic for millenia. It is used as a pot herb and is one of the vegetables with the highest protein content. If you soak it in water or cook it the stings go away. In medicine it has been used to treat arthritis, dandruff and lack of milk in a nursing mother. The fibers are suitable for making fabric and a related species has been used for over 6000 years to make a silky-looking textile called ramie, even though the processing takes a lot of effort. They are even used to make beer and cordials! – Masculine, Mars, Fire, Thor – Exorcism – for getting rid of nasty-minded Fae, plant nettles around your garden and barn. Protection – nettles in a pocket will keep a person safe from lightning and bestow courage. Nettles kept in a room will protect anyone inside. Lust – Nettles are reputed to enhance fertility in men and nettle tea is an aphrodisiac. Healing – fever can be dispelled by plucking a nettle up by its roots while reciting the names of the sick person and family. …and shirts made of fabric spun and woven from nettles feature as a girl’s quest tale in the Twelve Wild Swans.

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

By Wednesday September 19th, the Moon hangs over Mars during twilight.

The yellow-orange point to the right of the Moon this evening is Mars. Once night is fully dark, look for Fomalhaut >>>> , the Autumn Star, rising about three fists to the Moon’s lower left (out of the frame here).
Saturn and its rings always look wonderful when viewed through a telescope, but this evening provides a great opportunity to target the planet’s moons through an 8-inch or larger instrument. Two inner moons — 12th-magnitude Enceladus and 13th-magnitude Mimas — reach greatest eastern elongation within an hour of each other and show up under good viewing conditions. (The bright glare of the rings normally masks these moons when they lie closer to the planet.) The two stand just beyond the rings’ edge halfway between the 10th-magnitude satellites Dione and Tethys.

The MESSENGER spacecraft first flew by Mercury in January 2008, before going into orbit around the solar system’s innermost planet between 2011 and 2015. These images created with MESSENGER data provide some of the strongest evidence to date for the existence of water ice and frozen volatiles trapped in Mercury’s shadowed polar craters. – NASA/JHUAPL/Carnegie Institution of Washington/NAIC, Arecibo Observatory/Science Source
Mercury reaches superior conjunction at 10 p.m. EDT. This means the innermost planet lies on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth and remains hidden in our star’s glare. It will return to view in the evening sky, though just barely, in late October.
Jupiter (magnitude –1.9, in Libra) shines ever lower in the southwest in twilight.

Old Farmer’s Almanac Sky Map for September 2018 – https://www.almanac.com/content/sky-map-star-chart-september-2018
Goddess Month of Mala runs from 9/6 – 10/2
Celtic Tree Month of Muin/Vine Sep 2 – 29
Runic half-month of Kenaz/Ken/Kebo – September 13-27 – Ken represents a flaming torch within the royal hall, so it’s the time of the creative fire – the forge where natural materials are transmuted by the force of the human will into a mystical third, an artifact that could not otherwise come into being. The positive aspects of sexuality that are immanent in Freya and Frey come into play at this time. Nigel Pennick, The Pagan Book of Days, Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont, USA, 1992, p. 102

Sun in Virgo
Moon in Aquarius
Pluto (9/30), Neptune (11/24), Chiron (12/8), and Uranus (1/6/19) Retrograde
Color: Crimson

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Muin – Vine Ogam letter correspondences
Month: August
Color: Variegated
Class: Chieftain
Letter: M
Meaning: Inner development occurring, but take time for relaxation

to study this month – Koad – Grove – Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Many Shades of Green
Class: None
Letter: CH, KH, EA
Meaning: Wisdom gained by seeing past illusions.

******

Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
Th 20      Low   4:25 AM     0.8   7:01 AM     Set 2:28 AM      75
~ 20     High 10:59 AM     6.0   7:17 PM    Rise 5:30 PM
~ 20      Low   4:37 PM     2.9
~ 20     High 10:17 PM     6.7

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – Make this a Good day!

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Journal Prompt – What does this quote say to you? – We must be careful what we say. No bird resumes its egg. — Emily Dickinson

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Quotes

~ A proverb is the horse which can carry one swiftly to the discovery of ideas. – Yoruban Proverb
~ Before you speak, ask yourself, is it kind, is it necessary, is it true, does it improve on the silence? – Sai Baba
~ Like all dreamers, I mistook disenchantment for truth. – Sartre
~ Whether one has natural talent or not, any learning period requires the willingness to suffer uncertainty and embarrassment. – Gail Sheehy

September strews the woodlot o’er
With many a brilliant color;
The world is brighter than before,
Why should our hearts be duller? – Thomas W. Parsons (1819–92)

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Mabon Magick – More Soups

Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

3 Large Potatoes (peeled and Cubed)
1 lb frozen Corn
2 Large Onion (Cubed)
1 lb Bacon
2 Cup Milk
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup sour cream
1 tsp caraway seed
Salt

Directions:

Place potatoes and onions in a medium soup pot.
Boil in enough water to cover the tops of the cubed vegetables by an inch or two.
Drain off excess water.
In another pan, fry the bacon strips until curled and then drain off excess oil/fat.
Add bacon to the potatoes and onions along with additional ingredients.
Simmer over medium heat stirring frequently. Avoid boiling
Continue to heat until chowder is thoroughly heated.
Serve.

Potato-LEEK SOUP
Peel three potatoes and place them on a green cloth on your kitchen table. Consider three things you can do to improve your health. Carve on each potato symbols or words regarding your intention. Make a potato leek soup with your magical potatoes.

INGREDIENTS
4 cup   sliced leeks
3 cup   sliced potatoes
6 cup   chicken broth
1 cup   heavy cream
3Tbsp Sherry
chives

DIRECTIONS
1.         Combine potatoes, leeks and broth and cook for 20 minutes.
2.         Liquefy in a blender.
3.         Add cream, sherry, and chives and cook an additional 5 minutes without boiling, stirring constantly.

Adapted from ~Lily Gardner-Butts

Cream of Carrot Soup
Ingredients:
4 Tbs (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large onion, preferably Spanish or Vidalia chopped
12 carrots, sliced
1 potato, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken stock
2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste
additional rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Directions:

Melt the butter in a heavy pot over low heat.
Add the onion and let it cook slowly, covered, until it is soft but not browned, about 30
Add the carrots and potato, chicken stock, ginger, and rosemary. Cook until the carrots and potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes longer.
Mash with potato masher, or if you prefer a smoother texture, puree in a food processor.
Stir in the cream.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Garnish with rosemary if desired.
Serves6

From Cooking With Herbs, GrannyMoon’s Herbal Course – http://goddessschool.com/courses/Herbs/herbology.html

Harvest Soup
4 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
6-8 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper, optional
2 cans or 1 pint green beans, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can baby peas, drained
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 quart V-8 juice
1 lb. diced ham or beef stew meat
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Cover with lid and cook on high for 6-7 hours.
Recipe taken from “Crazy About Crockpots – 101 Soups & Stews for Less than $.75 a Serving” by Penny E. Stone, published by Champion Press. “Crazy About Crockpots – 101 Soups & Stews for Less than $.75 a Serving” is available for $12.00 from Parents & Teens at: https://www.wmsecure.com/%7Ehistoryg/specialbookorder.html

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Silliness – For his part

What did the bald man say when he was given a comb for his birthday?”
“Oh, thank you! I’ll never part with it!”

Posted in Daily Stuff | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, Goddess Month, Journal Prompt, Mabon, Magick, Moon, moon phase, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Runic Half Month, September strews the woodlot o'er, Silliness, Stinging Nettle, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Urtica Dioica, Weather, Wicca

Daily Stuff 9-19-18 Hippocrates

Posted on September 19, 2018 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Open Circle for Mabon, Friday, 9/21 at 7pm.

The sky overhead is perfectly clear and the stars were lovely during the paper route. 44F, wind at 3mph, AQI 14, UV today only 5.

Yesterday started kinda late. We didn’t hit the shop until 2:30 and before I got the newsletter done Tempus had to head back to the apartment. We did get a couple boxes of our property from the folks working on the house….except it was only one box of ours…. and several things were completely missing. So he ran back to take care of that, and I kept going on things at the shop.

I got so sleepy that I was curling up on the sofa when he got back and we both snoozed until 5:30 or so. He did get up to storage finally. I sorted pictures for awhile. once he was back we put some supper together and then I started in on newsletters.

…and then I got sleepy again! I slept for another hour and a half. What am I doing, hibernating? He headed for Newport before I woke and I went back to newsletters.

…and while working on that, got to pondering…. We really still don’t have a classroom space at the shop with everything else that’s been happening. We’ve lost three more teachers. I still don’t have info from the two more, which is holding up the handbook and the final advertising and we’re down to three weeks. Is OCPPG even possible this year?

When Tempus called from Makai I told him I was going to take a nap and slept until 3:30. I got picked up just past 4.

Orion was striding up the eastern sky. It was 45 and very clear. During the time we were in Bayshore we actually saw the zodiacal light. By 5 we were well out 34 and the fog was beginning to rise. By 6 the sky was beginning to pale and we were heading down Range Drive to do the last drops, but we were short a paper, so we stopped at the ranger station to figure out why. Well, no clue. Miscount, probably…. so we did the last drops and we’re back here at the shop to get this newsletter out.

I don’t know whether we’re going out for breakfast this morning, we’re both awfully tired, but we’re still hoping to move the piano tonight, if we have a truck. If not, it’ll be just a bunch more stuff shifted at the shop, getting ready for the week.

Hippocrates is credited with being the father of modern medicine. He is honored on this day, (which may be the 2476 anniversary of his birth) along with all doctors and medical practitioners. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocrates The picture is a Czech stamp with the symbol for a medical vehicle with a doctor on board. The image in the center is the Rod of Aesculapius, which is the proper symbol for the medical profession, unlike the usual Caduceus that we see in the US.

Today’s Plant is the Western Azalea, Rhododendron Occidentale. I’ve talked before about the azaleas being a subset of the rhodys. This is the main one that grows around here. It’s hard to tell from the shape and size of the plant that it’s an azalea, or even from the flowers, although the branches are thinner and the leaves shorter and rounder than those of rhododendrons. It least it’s hard for those of us who are familiar with the showy garden hybrids, which tend to be small and compact. The other West Coast azalea is Rhododendron Albiflorum, and there’s not a whacking lot of info floating around about that one. The wiki is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron_occidentale The Chinese call azaleas “thinking of home bush”. Magickal uses for azalea are to encourage light spirits, happiness and gaiety.

Love & Light,
Anja

******

Today’s Astro & Calendar

By Wednesday September 19th, the Moon hangs over Mars during twilight.

The Moon and Mars travel across the southern sky together this evening. Mars is currently 200 times farther away than the Moon. Find Saturn almost three fists to their right or lower right. Saturn is almost 20 times farther now than Mars. The waxing gibbous Moon stands 4° above Mars in this evening’s sky. The two make lovely companions from twilight until they set near 2 a.m. local daylight time.
The Moon reaches apogee, the farthest point in its orbit around Earth, at 8:53 p.m. EDT. It then lies 251,578 miles (404,876 kilometers) from Earth’s center.
Mars, in southern Capricornus >>> , fades from magnitude –1.7 to –1.5 this week, still a trace brighter than Sirius. It shines highest in the south about an hour after dark and sets around 2 a.m. In a telescope Mars shrinks from 18½ to 17 arcseconds wide this week. The dust in the Martian atmosphere continues to settle, allowing surface markings to show with slightly better contrast. For a Mars map that displays which side is facing Earth at your time and date, use our Mars Profiler.

Old Farmer’s Almanac Sky Map for September 2018 – https://www.almanac.com/content/sky-map-star-chart-september-2018
Goddess Month of Mala runs from 9/6 – 10/2
Celtic Tree Month of Muin/Vine Sep 2 – 29
Runic half-month of Kenaz/Ken/Kebo – September 13-27 – Ken represents a flaming torch within the royal hall, so it’s the time of the creative fire – the forge where natural materials are transmuted by the force of the human will into a mystical third, an artifact that could not otherwise come into being. The positive aspects of sexuality that are immanent in Freya and Frey come into play at this time. Nigel Pennick, The Pagan Book of Days, Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont, USA, 1992, p. 102

Sun in Virgo
Moon in Capricorn enters Aquarius at 4:52pm.
Pluto (9/30), Neptune (11/24), Chiron (12/8), and Uranus (1/6/19) Retrograde
Color: Brown

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Muin – Vine Ogam letter correspondences
Month: August
Color: Variegated
Class: Chieftain
Letter: M
Meaning: Inner development occurring, but take time for relaxation

to study this month – Koad – Grove – Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Many Shades of Green
Class: None
Letter: CH, KH, EA
Meaning: Wisdom gained by seeing past illusions.

******

Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
W   19      Low   3:31 AM     0.9   7:00 AM     Set 1:34 AM      67
~ 19     High 10:13 AM     5.7   7:19 PM    Rise 4:52 PM
~ 19      Low   3:42 PM     3.2
~ 19     High   9:22 PM     6.5

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – Tell more stories.

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Journal Prompt – Auto-Biographical narrative – It is said that what kids want most from their parents is time and attention. Write a narrative about a specific, special time you have shared with your parents. Include your feelings about this time.

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Quotes

~ I require constant reminding of the availability of the ecstatic currents that flow through me as a result of the intercourse of the energies of the Earth and Sky. – Arun Once Was ZyGoat
~ If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it. – Marcus Aurelius
~ There’s only one endeavor in which you can start at the top and that’s digging a hole. – Bits & Pieces
~ Beauty is the highest of all these occult influences, the quality of appearances that thru’ the sense wakeneth spiritual emotion in the mind of man. – Robert Bridges (1844-1930) English writer

Now by the brook the maple leans
With all his glory spread,
And all the sumachs on the hills
Have turned their green to red. – –William Wilfred Campbell (1858–1918)

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Mabon Magick – Spells

Touch the Earth Ritual

As the fields of August begin to bring forth the bounty provided for us by the Goddess, it is now time to get in touch—literally—with the Earth. At sunset, respectfully approach a newly harvested field, and speak these words:

You, who have nurtured our sacred seed,
and fulfill our every need.
You, who have are known as Demeter and Ishtar,
who follow the seasons
by Sun and Moon and star.
You, whom we call Mother Earth,
please accept my deepest thanks.

Now, kneel forward until your forehead and palms touch the ground. Feel the life–force, and accept this power even as your own energy sinks deep into the soil. During this ritual, cast no spell, nor ask for anything. Simply touch the Earth, and give thanks. ~ James Kambos – )0( FromThe Morning Feast Archives – Crone’s Corner – http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Crones_Corner/

Persephone Returns Ritual – Crone’s Corner

Heton Lampador Haera, the torchlit procession of initiates of the Eleusinian Mysteries, represents Grain Goddess Demeter searching for her daughter Persephone. As we prepare for the season when Persephone returns to the underworld and the land becomes cold and dark, we give thanks for the gifts her mother has bestowed. A Demeter ritual is one that can solidify our appreciation of all that we have, and enhance the shift of the seasons. Dress in robes of autumn colors, and burn candles of red, orange, gold, and violet. Place autumn fruits and vegetables on the altar—especially apples, pumpkins, and corn. Display a pomegranate in a prominent spot. Pomegranates are sacred to Persephone, who after swallowing three of the seeds was taken into the underworld. Gaze upon the abundant gifts of the earth, and give thanks to Demeter for providing all the gifts you possess. ~ Ruby Lavender,

GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives Crone’s Corner – http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Crones_Corner/

Reap the Harvest Spell

When we find ourselves repeatedly in situations that yield a grim emotional, spiritual, or physical harvest, we need to look inward to ascertain if the seeds that we are sowing will grow the crops that we desire. To do this, light a green or brown candle. Place malachite in front of the candle representing your heartfelt desire for change. Focusing on the candle, ask for guidance from your higher self in discovering your heart’s desires and ambitions. Script these desires in a visual present tense. State these or similar words:

The universe unfolds her abundant path for me.
Her fruitful harvest is mine,
So mote it be.

Focus the stream of your visualizations on the malachite. That is, visualize the malachite lending vibrations to your vision as it sends your energy out to the universe. Afterward, extinguish the candle. Hold onto the malachite as a reminder of your heart’s harvest. ~Karen Follet )0( From The Morning Feast Archives

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Silliness – Bumper Snickers – I remember when the candle shop burned down. Everyone stood around singing “Happy Birthday”.

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Bumper Snickers, Celtic Tree Month, Goddess Month, Journal Prompt, Mabon, Mabon Spells, Magick, Moon, moon phase, Now by the brook the maple leans, Oregon Coast, Pagan, Runic Half Month, Silliness, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca

Daily Stuff 9-18-18 Samuel Johnson

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Open Circle for Mabon Friday, 9/21. 7pm.

There’s a lot of cloud up there. The computer says it’s sunny, and it mostly is in town, but right now there are no shadows because something’s blocking the light. 60F, Wind at 11mph, gusting to 19, AQI 19, humidity at 76%, which just feels nice! It looks like rain on Friday evening into Saturday.

Yesterday was more than a bit of a slog to get through. We had a lot of chores to do, plus bills to pay. I was writing most of the day while Tempus rumpussed around, but there were decisions to be made about what was going to storage, etc. I also had some unpacking and putting away to do, plus to get the pictures. That’s why the Sunday newsletter got redone, late in the day.

When we got back to the apartment we had more packing to do and Tempus ran another load to the shop in the middle of the night, planning on taking it to storage this afternoon, which is where he is heading.

Today the estate agent came to the apartment to look over the library and to pull what he could, out. We had to be there to tell him what was ours, of course, so we’re only just at the shop. I’ve been embroidering and reading a new herb book….new to me, anyway.

Tonight’s the paper run!

Slavic Harvest headdress

Today is the anniversary of the birth of Dr. Samuel Johnson (born 9/18/1709 d. 12/13/1784), English lexicographer (A Dictionary of the English Language). He was the son of a poor bookseller, and grew up in poverty (which haunted him the rest of his life). Despite his humble origins, after Shakespeare he is the most quoted person in the English language. More in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Samuel_Johnson .

Today’s Plant is the Douglas Fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii, sometimes called Oregon Pine, since it’s actually a pine, not a fir at all. They are commonly used as Christmas trees, since they hold their needles better than many other trees, and are one of the better timber trees, growing quickly with a straight grain. Their main use, magickally, is in incense, since the resin has a good sweet scent. –Mars, Air/Fire – Attracting prosperity, purifying ritual areas and new homes, helping “stay the course” during difficult times. A wand or cone kept on the altar wards off evil influences. Carry cones to increase fertility and have a vigorous old age. Floor washes with the oil cleanse a space of negativity and ward off illness. Throw needles into winter fires for protection, or burn as incense for purification and divination. Place branches over the bed to keep sickness away, or to aid the ill. Hang a branch over the main door of your house to ensure continuous joy within.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudotsuga_menziesii

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

As the Moon waxes through first quarter, it moves eastward daily over Jupiter, Scorpius, Saturn, and the Sagittarius Teapot.

Now, at dusk, the Moon forms the top of a triangular bridge with Mars to its left and Saturn to its right.

How soon after sunset can you see the big Summer Triangle? Face southeast and look high. There’s Altair, currently the triangle’s bottom point. Vega, the Triangle’s brightest star, is nearly at the zenith (as seen from mid-northern latitudes). Deneb is a bit farther to Altair’s upper left.

Although autumn arrives with the equinox this coming weekend, the Summer Triangle remains prominent in the evening sky. Look high in the west after darkness falls 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 Triangle. The 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. For observers at mid-northern latitudes, Deneb passes through the zenith around 10 p.m. local daylight time, nearly 90 minutes after the last vestiges of twilight have disappeared.
Asteroid hunters have a great opportunity to spot Vesta in the vicinity of one of the Milky Way’s brightest star-forming regions this week. The 7th-magnitude minor planet resides in western Sagittarius, a region currently hosting the major planet Saturn. Vesta lies a few degrees southwest of Saturn. But of even more interest, the asteroid lies less than 2° southwest on the Lagoon Nebula (M8) tonight. On Friday evening, Vesta will slide 1° due south of the Lagoon.
Venus (magnitude –4.7) shines very low in the west-southwest in evening twilight and sets before twilight is over. Don’t confuse it with Jupiter, which will probably catch your attention first. Venus is to Jupiter’s lower right, and brighter. Their separation diminishes slightly this week, from 16° to 14°. In a telescope Venus is a striking crescent, about 30% sunlit and 36 arcseconds tall. For better telescopic seeing, catch it higher in a blue sky long before sunset.

Old Farmer’s Almanac Sky Map for September 2018 – https://www.almanac.com/content/sky-map-star-chart-september-2018
Goddess Month of Mala runs from 9/6 – 10/2
Celtic Tree Month of Muin/Vine Sep 2 – 29
Runic half-month of Kenaz/Ken/Kebo – September 13-27 – Ken represents a flaming torch within the royal hall, so it’s the time of the creative fire – the forge where natural materials are transmuted by the force of the human will into a mystical third, an artifact that could not otherwise come into being. The positive aspects of sexuality that are immanent in Freya and Frey come into play at this time. Nigel Pennick, The Pagan Book of Days, Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont, USA, 1992, p. 102

Sun in Virgo
Moon in Capricorn
Pluto (9/30), Neptune (11/24), Chiron (12/8), and Uranus (1/6/19) Retrograde
Color: Red

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Muin – Vine Ogam letter correspondences
Month: August
Color: Variegated
Class: Chieftain
Letter: M
Meaning: Inner development occurring, but take time for relaxation

to study this month – Koad – Grove – Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Many Shades of Green
Class: None
Letter: CH, KH, EA
Meaning: Wisdom gained by seeing past illusions.

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Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
Tu 18      Low   2:27 AM     1.0   6:59 AM     Set 12:43 AM      58
~ 18     High   9:12 AM     5.5   7:21 PM    Rise 4:10 PM
~ 18      Low   2:33 PM     3.4
~ 18     High   8:18 PM     6.4

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – The best way to predict the future . . . . . . . . is to create it.

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Journal Prompt – I wish… – I wish everyone loved……

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Quotes

~ He had not an ounce of superfluous flesh on his bones, and leanness goes a great way towards gentility. – Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865) English writer
~ A humble knowledge of thyself is a surer way to God than a deep search after learning. – Thomas a Kempis
~ You cannot conceive the many without the one. – Plato
~ If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance. – George Bernard Shaw

Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world. – Mother Teresa

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Mabon Magick – Crafts

Laminated Window Hangings for Mabon

you will need:
– lined paper
– laminating paper
– crayons
– Mabon cookie cutters(the big ones)
– scissors & a single hole punch
– a pencil
what to do:

Lightly trace the shapes of vegetables or other Mabon figures with your pencil.
Cut out those shapes with scissors.
Colour in the shapes with your crayons lightly.
Laminate the shapes with laminate paper, and cut off the excess edges, leave about 3mm extra laminate paper.
Punch a hole through the top of the shape and hang it up in your window.

Granny’s Herbals – Bringing Autumn Magic In – Adapted from Witch in the Kitchen, by Cait Johnson (Inner Traditions, 2001).

There’s nothing more luscious than inviting nature indoors in the Fall: the brilliant colors of Autumn make our homes feel deliciously warm and cozy as the weather turns cooler. Changing leaves, swags of grapevine, and vibrantly-colored apples and squashes make gorgeous, inexpensive decorations.

Find out how to connect with the abundant bounty and beauty of this harvest season with these fun, easy tips for decorating with nature:
1. Preserve some colorful leaves. You can iron them between sheets of waxed paper, microwave them for a few seconds, put them in a solution of glycerin, or press them between the pages of a heavy book. Then you can apply them to backsplashes, place them artfully in a vase, mound them around a pile of gourds or squashes, or even use them as coasters for your favorite beverages 2. Food is art. Find a local Farmer’s Market or roadside stand and load up on apples, pears, pumpkins, decorative squashes, nuts, gourds, and Native American corn. A simple wooden bowl loaded with these treasures makes an abundant centerpiece. You can parade them in a line on a mantel-piece or pile them in a basket. What you don’t eat, you can enjoy looking at.
3. Other treasures. Bring in grapevines to twine along the countertops, or make wreaths for doors or cabinets (see our article on making your own Inner Harvest Wreath). If you live in an area where bittersweet is not a protected plant, harvest some to put in an earthen vase Corn shocks are traditional to stand beside a door, but broom corn makes a beautiful and less usual alternative with its graceful russet fronds.
4. Beeswax candles. The amber color and honey-sweet aroma of these safe, all-natural candles just evoke the golden glow of autumn. As the days get shorter, it can be a soothing ritual to burn a beeswax candle at dusk.
5. Echo Fall colors. Bring in the Autumn hues of russet-red, vibrant shades of orange, deep greens, mellow golds, wine-reds, and vivid scarlet with cushions, towels, scatter-rugs, or other decorative accents. My family has a brightly-colored autumn leaf potholder and a set of pumpkin-shaped mugs that we use with pleasure year after year. Find the simple treasures your family
will enjoy.
6. Try this creative and relaxing Leaf Meditation. Find a perfect autumn leaf and spend some time really looking at it, noticing the variations in color and shape. Trace its outline on a piece of paper, then try your hand at coloring it in with colored pencils, markers, or paints. Slowing down and taking time to savor the beauty of something as simple and commonplace as a leaf opens our eyes and hearts to nature’s magical variety. You may want to cut your colored leaf out and glue it on the cover of a journal to keep you company throughout the autumn months. Or do several leaves to decorate your cabinets or walls!
7. Think water. Western European traditions often associate Autumn with the element of water, since it is a time of deep feeling and flowing away: birds migrate, trees shed their leaves. Honor this ancient idea with a bowl of water in a special place. Notice how water evaporates. As you refill your bowl throughout the autumn months, give a little thought to your own feelings, and the things that you are in the process of releasing from your life.

Granny’s Herb Course http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GrannysHerbs/

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Silliness – Both nuts

Posted in Daily Stuff, Newsletter, Pagan, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Astrology, Astronomy, Both nuts, Celtic Tree Month, Douglas Fir, Goddess Month, Journal Prompt, Mabon, Mabon Crafts, Magick, Moon, moon phase, Oregon Coast, Oregon Pine, Pagan, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Runic Half Month, Samuel Johnson, Silliness, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca

Daily Stuff 9-17-18 Hildegard von Bingen

Posted on September 17, 2018 by Anja Snihova'

Hi, folks!

Featured photo by Anja.

The sunshine is bright, this morning, but you can tell that we’re sliding rapidly into the winter, since the light is somehow thinner and less warming than even a couple of weeks ago. The sky is full of streaks and bits of wispy cirrus with a few heavier clouds lower. We’re under a small craft advisory for winds this afternoon. 60F, Wind at 4mph. There’s chance of rain bracketing the weekend, but otherwise none until late Thursday.

Broken links are one of the real downsides of using the net for information. The article in the Magick section below really shows that. Almost every article that was cited has vanished from the Web, even from the Wayback Machine (which I tried, hoping to pick up the rest of the info…) It’s still some interesting info and more articles exist on the net, just not the ones the author cited! I’d probably start with Wikipedia and then wander out into the google search stuff. Now, that I know there’s a problem, I’m hoping to find some more links for this article.

Yesterday was kinda weird. Rayna showed up for class after Tempus went after the youngsters only to be told that they had a required OSHA class… Hmm… well, they’re not going to be able to finish the course, which really sucks for them. It figures that Job Corps would find a way to mess that up for them.

In the afternoon I had a long consult with a woman who is considering moving out here who had a bunch of questions for me about Wicca, the SCA and some other things. We talked for several hours and then it was time to put the potluck stuff together and by which time the mild toothache that I had been dealing with earlier had turned into what felt like someone stabbing me through the jaw.

We had been busy all day, even without that, lots of customers in, some browsing, some buying, which is why the newsletter came out so late and, while I had been writing, I wasn’t nearly done, and gave up when the toothache got me. I’m going to go back in and re-write for yesterday, adding in the part that I didn’t manage last night.

No one showed up for the potluck, most likely because they figured with Coronet being on Saturday it wasn’t a good idea. Tempus and I got pictures of the food we fixed, ate, and went home. Well, I didn’t eat much, with my tooth, but some.

I went to sleep almost right away. Tempus stayed up and did some more packing. Then I was up for awhile in the early morning (tooth) and finally fell back asleep at just the time we’d been planning on getting up!

We were supposed to take the car in for the new radiator today, but they still don’t have it. Two weeks? Actually, it’s more like 3, at this point…. most of three, anyway. …and now we’re out of time with the moving, so we’re going to take it in on Friday and hope they get it done early enough.

So, for the rest of today, Tempus is going to be running back and forth to storage. We still need room for the freezer and piano here, and the futon frame that we’re going to use to store some things up high. I’m going to be sorting here, and also trying to get the last pieces put together for Pan-Pagan.

Sunset 8/16/18 by Anja

Feast day of Hildegard von Bingen, virgin, abbess and Medieval Polymath. She was a mystic, who probably had migraines, at least the descriptions of her visions start with what sounds like migraines…. but where she took it and how she interpreted it is pretty darned amazing! She wrote theological, botanical and medicinal texts, as well as letters, songs used in church ritual, and poems as well as a piece that is considered to be the oldest surviving morality play. More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingen

Today’s plant is Wild ginger, Asarum caudatum – This is a different plant from the one usually used in magick, but has only slightly different properties. This is related to black pepper, kava and birthwort. – Masculine, Mars, Fire – This is used for “heating up” spells. While standard ginger is used in money, love, success and power spells, Wild Ginger is mostly used to add power, rather than on its own. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asarum_caudatum

Love & Light,
Anja

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Today’s Astro & Calendar

As the Moon waxes through first quarter, it moves eastward daily over Jupiter, Scorpius, Saturn, and the Sagittarius Teapot.

Now the Moon shines closer to Saturn’s upper left at dusk, as shown above. Mars is two or three fists to their left.

Though Mars is now dry and desolate planet (left), scientists now believe the Red Planet may have once been awash with water and a thick atmosphere (right), bearing a much closer resemblance to modern-day Earth. – NASA/GSFC

Mars continues to put on a great show these September evenings. The Red Planet appears in the south-southeast as darkness falls and climbs highest in the south around 9:30 p.m. local daylight time. The world shines at magnitude –1.7, almost imperceptibly fainter than Jupiter. When seen through a telescope, surface features on the 18″-diameter disk continue to sharpen as the global dust storm dissipates. Mars currently lies among the dim background stars of southwestern Capricornus. And at 9 a.m. EDT today, the planet reaches perihelion — its closest approach to the Sun during its 1.88-year orbit — when it lies 128.4 million miles from our star.
The waxing gibbous Moon stands 4° to Saturn’s upper left this evening. Although bright moonlight hampers observations of the ringed planet, wait a day or two for it to move away and return Saturn to its glory. The planet lies nearly due south and at its highest altitude as darkness falls this week. It shines at magnitude 0.4, more than a full magnitude brighter than any of the background stars in its host constellation, Sagittarius. If you own a telescope, there’s no better target than Saturn. Even the smallest instrument shows Saturn’s 17″-diameter disk surrounded by a dramatic ring system that spans 38″ and tilts 27° to our line of sight.
Mercury is hidden in conjunction with the Sun.

Old Farmer’s Almanac Sky Map for September 2018 – https://www.almanac.com/content/sky-map-star-chart-september-2018
Goddess Month of Mala runs from 9/6 – 10/2
Celtic Tree Month of Muin/Vine Sep 2 – 29
Runic half-month of Kenaz/Ken/Kebo – September 13-27 – Ken represents a flaming torch within the royal hall, so it’s the time of the creative fire – the forge where natural materials are transmuted by the force of the human will into a mystical third, an artifact that could not otherwise come into being. The positive aspects of sexuality that are immanent in Freya and Frey come into play at this time. Nigel Pennick, The Pagan Book of Days, Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont, USA, 1992, p. 102

Sun in Virgo
Moon in Sagittarius enters Capricorn at 4:07am
Pluto (9/30), Neptune (11/24), Chiron (12/8), and Uranus (1/6/19) Retrograde
Color: Ivory

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Muin – Vine Ogam letter correspondences
Month: August
Color: Variegated
Class: Chieftain
Letter: M
Meaning: Inner development occurring, but take time for relaxation

to study this month – Koad – Grove – Ogam letter correspondences
Month: None
Color: Many Shades of Green
Class: None
Letter: CH, KH, EA
Meaning: Wisdom gained by seeing past illusions.

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Tides for Alsea Bay

*
Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet Sunset Visible
M   17      Low   1:19 AM     0.9   6:58 AM    Rise 3:22 PM      48
~ 17    High   7:56 AM     5.4   7:23 PM
~ 17      Low   1:15 PM     3.4
~ 17     High   7:10 PM     6.5

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Affirmation/Thought for the Day – Spend each day, thinking of someone to thank”, I know everyone at one point in their life has someone to thank, a friend, a love one, maybe a doctor that saved your life, this helps with negativity, wake up with gratitude, not thinking of whats wrong today, or what you can find wrong. If someone opens a door for you, say thank you, say good morning to the first person you see. quit finding fault with everything and everyone. Instead, love your love ones, thank your family and friends for what they have done for you. I know everyday you can think of someone to thank.

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Journal Prompt – Schoolish Stuff – Brainstorm a good slogan for the next Earth Day—one that has some special meaning to you.

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Quotes

~ Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. – Leo F. Buscaglia
~ Every Winner has scars. – Herb Caisson
~ Making rich people richer doesn’t make the rest of us richer. – Ha-Joon Chang, economist at Cambridge University
~ The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see. – Churchill

Over! the sweet summer closes,
The reign of the roses is done;
Over and gone with the roses,
And over and gone with the sun.

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Mabon Magick – Lore

From: SecondLight 22-Sep 23:31 4433.1 From http://www.mythinglinks.org/home.html <broken link> MYTH*ING LINKS – An Annotated & Illustrated Collection of Worldwide Links to Mythologies, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Sacred Arts & Sacred Traditions by Kathleen Jenks, Ph.D.

AUTUMN greetings, CUSTOMS & LORE September = December 2004

May we spend this time wisely so that at least we won’t be seen as foolish or reckless. Those born later in this century may not agree with us, but may they think of us as genial, full of humor, humble, and wise. We’re in a “thin space,” as the Celts call it, a portal between the worlds. Those who stood at that portal in the winter of 1900 brewed, all unknowing, two world wars. May we brew, if not peace, at least a growing sense of humanity and compassion. May we have the skill to defuse explosions. May we be remembered as tolerant and awake.

As autumn returns to earth’s northern hemisphere,
and day and night are briefly,
but perfectly,
balanced at the equinox,
may we remember anew how fragile life is —-
human life, surely,
but also the lives of all other creatures,
trees and plants,
waters and winds.

May we make wise choices in how and what we harvest,
may earth’s weather turn kinder,
may there be enough food for all creatures,
may the diminishing light in our daytime skies
be met by an increasing compassion and tolerance
in our hearts.

…Many of the Greek and Roman festivals of this season celebrate the end of the military campaigning season. At the end of September and beginning of October, however, the emphasis shifts to the Corn Mothers and other agricultural deities. In many Greek states the month beginning mid-September was called Demetrion after Demeter….

The page begins with the “Great (Eleusinian) Mysteries” of Demeter and Persephone (c. Sept. 29-Oct. 5), since these are, of course, the highlight of the season. Then it backtracks to 13 September (for the Roman feast of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva) and continues forward to 13 October, the Roman Fontinalia, a festival for Fons, the god of springs.

…In the Greek and Roman worlds, there are comparatively few festivals in October and November, which is the seed-time (Gr. sporetos), a season of ploughing and sowing. Women figure prominently in these festivals since in neolithic times they were responsible for crops raising (by the Bronze Age it became a male occupation)….

The details are wonderful and more information is given on the above-mentioned feasts of Apollo, Dionysus, and Theseus. There is also fine data for the Thesmophoria (see below).

http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa102400a.htm:
[8/20/04: when I try to get through, this link now crashes my program. I’m removing it but keeping the annotation.]

[Added 8/26-27/02]: From N.S. Gill, the ancient history guide at about.com, comes a fine page on the Greek harvest (or “Thanksgiving”) festival, Thesmophoria, which falls during October-November (also see above link):

“It is called Thesmophoria, because Demeter is called Thesmophoros in respect of her establishing laws or thesmoiin accordance with which men must provide nourishment and work the land….”

Since the fall harvest must usually take an agricultural society through winter, it is vitally important for survival. Whatever power provides that bounty deserves praise…. [This festival was]…in honor of the goddess who taught mankind to tend the soil, during a month known as Pyanopsion (Puanepsion), according to the lunisolar calendar of the Athenians. Since our calendar is solar, the month doesn’t exactly match, but Pyanopsion would be, more or less, October into November….

<broken link> …Because Ancient Greek festivals were held according to a lunar calendar, which was often out of step with the solar year, it is difficult to say what festivals would correspond to Samhain.

In Homer’s time the cosmical setting (first visible setting on western horizon at sunrise) of Orion, the Pleiades and the Hyades, which marked the beginning of the winter, herding season, occurred at the beginning of November (Nov. 5-10, by various computations). (Orion was the son of Poseidon and Euruale, daughter of Minos and sister of Ariadne, about whom more later.). Significantly, these constellations, which mark the seasons, are at the center of the Shield of Achilles (Iliad XVIII), that famous mandala of the Homeric Universe.

In classical Greek times there were several important festivals that nominally occur at the end of October and beginning of November. Two of these, which occur on the same day (7 Puanepsion), are especially interesting; they are followed on the next day by the Theseia (for Theseus), which is intimately connected with the first two….

Two of these festivals honor Apollo and Dionysus and are held on the same day.

…The Oskhophoria, in honor of Dionysos, occurs on the same day as the Puanepsia. It may seem odd to honor Apollo and Dionysos, so often taken as polar opposites, on the same day, but we must remember that They share Delphi, and this is the time of year when the changing of the guard occurs. An ancient pot shows Them shaking hands over the Omphalos (World Naval) at Delphi….

The third, Theseia, commemorates Theseus. The author retells the story: “Ariadne and Theseus’ Descent into the Labyrinth and Return.” The details are fascinating although it should be mentioned that the author has excluded other important ancient variants of the myth. Nevertheless, the story includes the mysterious desertion of Ariadne by Theseus, followed by her marriage to Dionysus himself — whose festival was celebrated only the day before.

http://www.schooloftheseasons.com/
I first grokked Waverly Fitzgerald’s School of the Seasons for my 1999 debut of the Autumn Equinox page. Since then, her jewel of a site has become a favorite of mine and appears on all my seasonal pages. The overall design is unusually tasteful and elegant. Even more important, Fitzgerald has well-researched content on monthly celebrations, feasts, and cross-cultural holy days (with hypertext links to further information on many of these). Her opening page also includes fascinating “Special Features” for each season. Fitzgerald’s command of lore is exceptional.

For each current month, she begins with a large number of names from various cross-cultural traditions. Then a calendar follows. If you click on hyperlinks for a particular day, you’ll be linked to more detail on another page. The September feasts, for example, include the Nativity of the Virgin on the 8th; Rosh Hashana; England’s Day of the Holy Nut; the remembrance of the Virgin’s Seven Sorrows; the God Pan; Yom Kippur; Autumn Equinox; the 9-day Eleusinian Mysteries; the Harvest Moon; Sukkoth; the Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival; and Michaelmas on the 29th.

NOTE: a new month’s calendar appears on the first of each month (sometimes a night or two beforehand).

http://www.jun-gifts.com/others/culturalcalendar2/culturalcalendar2.htm – [Added 15 September 2000]: This charming site looks at autumn and the autumnal equinox in Japan. There are many (usually clickable) photos connected with the months of September, October, and November. Text is fairly minimal but very useful to those unacquainted with Japan’s seasonal customs.

From “Slavic Pagan Holidays” comes fine data on harvest festivals from early August to early November. Autumn in Russia’s cold Ukraine begins early — it’s celebrated on August 2nd, the feast known as St. Ilia’s Day. The entire autumn season is a time of music, apples, honey, and grain sheaves:

…Sometimes the last sheaf ceremony was merged with the ritual surrounding a small patch of field that was left uncut. The spirit of the harvest was said to precede the reapers and hide in the uncut grain. This small patch was referred to as the “beard” of Volos, the God of animals and wealth. The uncut sheaves of wheat in “Volos’ beard” were decorated with ribbons and the heads were bent toward the ground in a ritual called “The curling of the beard”. This was believed to send the spirit of the harvest back to the Earth. Salt and bread, traditional symbols of hospitality were left as offerings to Volos’ beard….

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Silliness – Shorts – I started out with nothing & still have most of it left.

Posted in Daily Stuff, Wiccan | Tagged Affirmation, Asarum caudatum, Astrology, Astronomy, Celtic Tree Month, Goddess Month, Hildegard von Bingen, Journal Prompt, Mabon, Mabon Lore, Magick, Moon, moon phase, Oregon Coast, Over! the sweet summer closes, Pagan, Runic Half Month, Shorts, Silliness, Tides, Today’s Feast, Today’s Plant, Weather, Wicca, Wild ginger

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Daily Stuff 9-22-18 Blessed Mabon

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Planting 9/22-24

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