Hi, folks!
Minus Tide at 7:06 PM of -0.7 feet
45F and rather gloomy, even if the sun should be up. There’s just enough breeze to make things move and the occasional gust that startles a clonk out of the bamboo chime.
I was up early yesterday and got the newsletter out, then went back to bed. Tempus didn’t wake me until it was time to leave for the shop, but he left me breakfast to finish. I spent the afternoon sorting pictures and then finding some things for the newsletter, then starting to set some up for next week. I still didn’t have enough oomph to write, but mechanical stuff was starting to work.
Tempus had loaded the car with stuff for storage, so he did that right after closing the shop. He didn’t get home until past 8pm because he unloaded first. He left for his paper run after I went to sleep and is still out there.
Today he’ll be at the shop. I’m still going to be home, although I think my temperature is finally down. If so, and I can think, I’ll be working on my cookbook for the feast coming up next month.
A new explanation for bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed!
Feast day of St Francis de Sales – Francis, Count of Sales, left a life of riches for poverty and became a preacher. Francis died in 1622, aged 55. Francis of Sales was beatified in 1661 by Pope Alexander VII, who then canonized him in 1665. More here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_de_Sales With Jane Frances de Chantal, he founded the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, called the Salesian Sisters. More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Visitation_of_Holy_Mary I went on a retreat at their convent in Georgetown. picture is Francis de Sales and Jane Frances de Chantal, medal 1867
Flowering fern [Royal fern], Osmunda regalis, is today’s plant, dedicated to this saint. Osmunda regalis belongs to the oxymoronically named flowering fern family, so called because the densely-clustered sporangia resemble flowers. It is said by some to be one of the most handsome European ferns, hence the name. It is widely distributed in Europe, Asia and North America. The ‘Royal Fern’ is also known as the ‘Queen Flower’. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmunda_regalis(pictures are the American variety of this fern)
According to Slavic mythology, the sporangia – called ‘Perun’s flowers’ – have assorted magical powers, such as giving their holders the ability to defeat demons, fulfil wishes, unlock secrets, and understand the language of trees. However, collecting the sporangia is a difficult and frightening process. In earlier traditions, they had to be be collected on Kupala night; later, after the arrival of Christianity, the date is changed to Easter eve. Either way, the person wanting to collect Perun’s flowers must stand within a circle drawn around the plant and withstand the taunting or threats of demons.
The shop opens at 11am! 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
******
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 1/25 at 5:46am. 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 2/8 at 6:39am.
A panoramic view 45 minutes before sunrise, plotted exact for January 25th. Each day Mercury will appear brighter and a little higher. Late this week the Moon enters this scene from the right; it will be near Jupiter on the mornings of January 27th and 28th and Spica on the 30th. The blue 10° scale is about the size of your fist held at arm’s length. All five naked-eye planets are visible in early dawn — especially by late in the week, when Mercury comes into its own. See our article Get Up Early, See Five Planets at Once!.
Bright Capella high overhead, and equally bright Rigel in Orion’s foot, are at almost the same right ascension. This means they cross your sky’s north-south meridian at almost the same time (around 9 p.m. now, depending on how far east or west you live in your time zone). So whenever Capella passes its very highest overhead, Rigel marks true south over your landscape. And vice versa.
As it wanes away from full later in the week, the 
Moon passes Regulus >>>>> and Jupiter. They’re well up by late evening.
Mercury and Venus are low in the southeast. Look about 40 to 60 minutes before your local sunrise time; Venus is bright and obvious at magnitude –3.9. Look lower left of it for fainter Mercury (about magnitude +0.5). Mercury becomes easier to see during the course of the week; it’s brightening and also moving a little higher. Venus and Mercury are 16° apart on the morning of January 23rd, and 8° apart by the 30th.
Goddess Month of of Bridhe, runs from 1/23 – 2/19
Celtic Tree Month of Luis/Rowan, Jan 21-Feb 17, Luis (LWEESH)/rowan
Runic half-month of Perdhro/ Peorth, 1/12-1/27. – Feast of Brewing, Druidic, Source: The Phoenix and Arabeth 1992 Calendar. Runic half-month of Elhaz/Algiz, from 1/28-2/11. This half month: optimistic power, protection and sanctuary.
Sun in Aquarius
Moon in Leo
Jupiter (5/9), Mercury (1/25) Retrograde
Color:Yellow
Harvest 1/24-25
*****
©2016 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright.
******
Celtic Tree Month of Luis/Rowan, Jan 21-Feb 17, Luis (LWEESH)/rowan 
– The rowan, or mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia L.) is related to servceberries. The red berries were historically used to lure birds into traps, and the specific epithet aucuparia comes from words meaning “to catch a bird”. Birds are also responsible for dispersing the seeds. Rowans thrive in poor soils and colonize disturbed areas. In some parts of Europe they are most common around ancient settlements, either because of their weedy nature or because they were planted. Rowans flower in May. They grow to 15 m (50 feet) and are members of the Rose family (Rosaceae). They are cultivated in North America, especially in the northeast.
Luis – Rowan Ogam letter correspondences
Month: December
Color: Grey and Red
Class: Peasant
Letter: L
Meaning: Controlling your life; Protection against control by others.
Quert – Apple Ogam letter correspondences to study this month
Month: None
Color: Green
Class: Shrub
Letter: Q
Meaning: A choice must be made
******
*
Tides for Alsea Bay
Day High Tide Height Sunrise Moon Time % Moon
~ /Low Time Feet Sunset Visible
Su 24 High 12:55 AM 7.4 7:43 AM Set 7:50 AM 99
~ 24 Low 6:26 AM 2.5 5:14 PM Rise 6:22 PM
~ 24 High 12:15 PM 8.7
~ 24 Low 7:06 PM -0.7
******
Affirmation/Thought for the Day – When you have the choice of two exciting things, choose the one you have never done.
******
Journal Prompt – What is? – What is a long term goal and how can you achieve it?
******
Quotes
~ Knights think for themselves, eliminating useless habits and routines., unfettered by dogma. They don’t blindly mimick anyone. – Kerr Cuhulain
~ In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. – Tony Robbins
~ Chivalry is: Sincerity, Self-Discipline, Compassion, Perseverance, Truth, Industriousness, Justice, Largesse, Courage, Humility, Courtesy, Loyalty, Honor. – Kerr Cuhulain
~ Life isn’t about finding yourself. It’s about creating yourself. – Lunar Rainbow
ESCAPE OF THE SOUL
My soul hid.
It quietly, gently
And insistently
Retreated.
Just to sleep
For a while,
Escape from pain
Into a world of dreams.
A slow withdrawal,
Mostly unnoticed
And perhaps
Unmourned.
My body is still there.
Part of the spirit
Will rise and greet the day,
And part has gone. – ©2005 Beth Johnson
******
Imbolc Magick – Poems
If Candlemas be bright and fair
Winter will have another year
But if it be dark with clouds and rain
Winter is gone, and will not come again
A medieval quatrain fills in a few more sketchy details:
Tasting every food in order
This is what behoves at Imbolc
Washing of hand and feet and head
It is thus I say
At the fireside
I want to sing.
At the fireside
I want to call spirits.
Here among you
my body will rest
while my soul travels
to the center of the earth.
When I return, I will sing:
children, here is what
I have learned, here
is what you need to know.
Children, children!
Go with the sun!
Direct your steps to her,
to the mother of morning! ~Siberian Shaman Chant
******
Silliness – Blonde’s Jigsaw Puzzle
A group of blondes walk into a bar. One of the women tells the bartender to line up a row of drinks for all of them. The gals lift their glasses and toast, “Here’s to 51 days!” and they proceed to down their drinks. Once again, they tell the bartender to “line ’em up”, and once again they toast 51 days and down their drinks.
The bartender says, “I don’t get it. Why in the world are you toasting 51 days?”
One of the blondes explains, “We just finished a jigsaw puzzle. It had written on the box ‘2-4 years,’ but we finished it in 51 days!”
Ancient Light's Daily Stuff 
You must be logged in to post a comment.