Daily Stuff 4-6-16 Tartan Day

Hi, folks!

Another of the posts from the messed-up series when the computer went down.

This was mislabeled as “Ukrainian Easter Bread”. It’s actually a wedding bread, but it’s *gorgeous*! I know how to do some of those decorations, but not all of them.

Today’s plant is Evergreen huckleberry,Vaccinium ovatum, a small shrub that is native to the PNW. The berries were a staple food for the PNW indigines. The fruit is blue-black and tends to be small, but makes excellent jam and the leaves are smoked or made into tea for colds. Gender, Feminine – Planet, Venus – Element, Water – Carry for luck and health. This is a plant that will keep away evil and break hexes. Burn the leaves to bring visions and to make dreams come true.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergreen_Huckleberry

July 1, 1982, was proclaimed Tartan Day in New York City, a one-time celebration of the 200th anniversary of the repeal of the Act of Proscription of August 12, 1747, the law forbidding Scots to wear tartan. It has become an annual event celebrating Scottish Heritage since the late 80’s in Canada and the US. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartan_Day What does it have to do with April 6? That is the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. That’s the Scottish version of the Declaration of Independence!

The shop opens at 11am! Spring hours are 11am-6pm Thursday through Monday, although the time that we’re there is drifting later with the longer days. 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

******

Today’s Astro & Calendar

Waning Moon Magick – From the Full Moon to the New is a time for study, meditation, and magic designed to banish harmful energies and habits, for ridding oneself of addictions, illness or negativity. Remember: what goes up must come down. Phase ends at the Tide Change on 4/7 at 4:24am. Dark of the Moon, End of the cycle – In the time leading up to the “New Moon” you may do banishings and other baneful magicks and healings that require blasting a disease away, as well as using the time for introspection and self-work. Do scrying, now. Good for reversing circumstances. God/dess Aspect: The One Beyond, the Watchers in the Outer Dark, psychopomps – Associated God/desses: Hecate, Kali, Arianhrod, Anja, Kore in the Underworld, Ereshkigal who was Inanna, Set/Seth, Hades, Osiris. Phas ends at the Tide Change on 4/7 at 4:2am.

Io crosses the face of Jupiter tonight from 9:52 p.m. to 12:07 a.m. EDT, followed by its more visible black shadow from 10:32 p.m. to 12:47 a.m. EDT.
Meanwhile, Europa disappears behind Jupiter’s preceding (celestial western) limb at 10:48 p.m. EDT.
As Mercury emerges into its best evening apparition of 2016, the crescent Moon guides your way down to it.
Jupiter (magnitude –2.4, near the hind foot of Leo) shines high in the southeast after dusk and highest in the south by 11 or midnight. It sets in the west before sunrise. See our telescopic guide to Jupiter in the March Sky & Telescope, page 48.

Goddess Month of Columbina runs from 3/20 – 4/17
Celtic Tree Month of Fearn/Alder, Mar 18 – Apr 14
Runic half-month of Ehwaz, 3/30-4/13 – Ehwaz, the horse; time of partnership between humans and Nature, as between rider and horse. Nigel Pennick, The Pagan Book of Days, Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont, USA, 1992, p. 55

Sun in Aries

Moon in Aries
Saturn (8/13), Juno (9/20) and Jupiter (5/9) Retrograde
Color: Yellow

******

Celtic Tree Month of Fearn/Alder, Mar 18 – Apr 14. Fern (FAIR-n) Alder – The common alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertner) is common along lowland rivers, where it grows with aspens, poplars, and willows. Like willows, alders sprout from stumps. This allows them to regenerate after heavy flooding. In protect sites they may grow to 20 m (65 feet) tall. Their leaves are more blunt-tipped than most North American alders, which look more like the grey alder (A. incana (L.) Moench). This species is more common in the mountains of Europe, and is not restricted to moist soils. Like ashes, European alders are not widely cultivated in North American (they are often sold as black alders), but several native species are. Alder wood is said to resist rotting when it is wet, and was the wood of choice for pilings in many regions. Alders are members of the Birch family (Betulaceae).

Fearn – Alder Ogam letter correspondences
Month: January
Color: Crimson
Class: Cheiftain
Letter: F, V
Meaning: Help in making choices; spiritual guidance and protection.

Ogam letter correspondences to study this month – Ailim – Silver Fir
Month: None
Color: Light Blue
Class: Shrub
Letter: A
Meaning: Learning from past mistakes; Take care in choices.

******

Tides for Alsea Bay
*

Day        High      Tide Height   Sunrise    Moon Time      % Moon
~ /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset Visible
W    6     High 12:12 AM     8.0   6:47 AM    Rise 6:31 AM      4
~ 6      Low   6:29 AM     0.2   7:50 PM     Set 7:14 PM
~ 6     High 12:31 PM     8.0
~ 6      Low   6:45 PM     0.1