New Moons 2011
January 4, Tuesday, Capricorn
February 2, Wednesday, Aquarius
March 4, Friday, Pisces
April 3, Sunday Aries
May 3, Tuesday, Taurus
June 1, Wednesday, Gemini
July 1, Friday, Cancer
July 30, Saturday, Cancer
August 287, Sunday, Leo
September 27, Tuesday, Scorpio
October 26, Wednesday Libra
November 25, Friday, Sagittarius
December 24, Saturday, Sagittarius
Wishing Moons
Moons close to the Sabbats. Great for Goals, planning, goals.
March 19
June 1
September 12
December 10
Full Moons 2011
January 19, Wednesday, Cancer
February 18, Friday, Leo
March 19, Saturday, Virgo
April 17, Sunday, Libra
May 17, Tuesday, Scorpio
June 15, Wednesday, Saggitarius
July 15, Friday, Capricorn
August 13, Saturday, Aquarius
September 12, Monday, Pisces
October 11, Wednesday, Aries
November 10, Thursday, Taurus
December 10 Saturday, Gemini
Eclipses
Jan 04: Partial Solar Eclipse
Jun 01: Partial Solar Eclipse
Jun 15: Total Lunar Eclipse
Jul 01: Partial Solar Eclipse
Nov 25: Partial Solar Eclipse
Dec 10: Total Lunar Eclipse
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
March Seed Moon
Seed Moon
Also known as: Bulb Moon, Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon, Flower Moon, Hare Moon, Lenten Moon, Moon of Winds, Plow Moon, Sap Moon, Sprouting Moon, Storm Moon, Virgin Moon, Willow Moon, Worm Moon.
* Colors: pale green, purple, pinks, yellow, pastels
* Scents: floral scents
* Gemstones: aquamarine, bloodstone
Trees: alder, dogwood, ash
* Gods: Black Isis, the Morrigan, Hecate, Cybele, Astarte, Athena, Minerva, Artemis, Luna, Eostre, Juno Lucina, Demeter, Artemis, Mars for which the month of March is named.
* Herbs: Broom, High John root, yellow dock, wood betony, Irish moss, jonquil, daffodil, violet, crocus, bulbed plants
* Foods: Hot Cross buns, seed buns, foods made with eggs, quiche, strata, and egg drop soup, strawberries, salad,
* Animals: cougar, hedgehog, boar sea crow, sea eagle, robin, crow, magpie, honey bees, hares, butterflies
* Element: Water and Air
Now, we come upon the month of March and what is known as the Seed Moon, Worm Moon, Plow Moon, Sap Moon, Bulb Moon, Egg Moon, Sprouting Moon, Crow Moon, Storm Moon, Crust Moon, Moon of Winds, Lenten Moon and many more. Each Moon name tells exactly what is going on in nature and in man. We are awake, alive, and active. New live is bursting from every seed and bulb buried, every herb in the garden is showing itself, tiny, fragile, small but there just the same. The trees are filled with buds not yet ready to burst forth. Now, truly is the time of new beginnings and unbridled potential. Now, is the time to start new projects, to learn a new skill and get out in nature and explore and enjoy the warmer weather and increased light and the effects it has on your whole being. Now, is also the perfect time to get the yard and gardens ready and to possible begin planting cool weather flowers, herbs and vegetables. If weather is too cold and does not permit planting it is good to plan ahead and decide what kind of garden you would like to plant. Consider what your wants and needs are, do you want an herb garden for cooking, healing or magick? Would you like a veggie garden with fresh produce or perhaps an orchard or grove of magickal trees? Would you like a flower cutting garden so you may make your own arrangements? Would you like a crafters garden with flowers you can dry to make arrangements with? Do you have a particular deity you would like to honor and grow plants that are associated with it? When you are planning your garden consider all four seasons and plant, herbs and trees with all seasons in mind. Stagger plants blooming times so you always have something in bloom, something in color, or something always to eat, plant trees and scrubs with berries, feathery leaves, and large seed pods for Winter interest. It is also a good time to think about creating an outdoor shrine, or circle that you may use to celebrate the Lunar and Solar festivals.
The Seed Moon is also to learn about and commit yourself to organic forms of gardening, to start a compost pile and to learn about gardening by the Moon. The month of March is also a good time to trim bushes and trees and to save these scraps for the Beltane fire, for making brooms, wands or Ogham sticks, Runes, or for making wreathes .Make sure you learn how to trim properly and that your instruments are clean and sharp. If the weather does not permit planting or clearing yet, it is a good time to bless the land in which will eventually be planted and/or your tools. In the Norse tradition, when the first signs of Spring were present a plow is ritualistically cleansed, sharpened, decorated and blessed, paraded through the streets with much fan fare then finally drawn across the ground.. You can also bless instruments of modern usage like your laptop, cars, business ledgers etc
The most popular names for the March Moon are the Seed Moon and Egg Moon, these are perfect names for this Moon because contained within each seed, and each egg is all that is necessary to nurture a young plant or animal until it is ready to burst forth from their hard, stone like enclosure and be born. Within the seed and egg is unbridled hope and potential. It is a scary and harsh world and one may feel that keeping inside your warm, shell protected would be better than bursting forth and having to worry about all the unknown conditions and issues you may be faced with. But the seed and egg grows small, claustrophobic and uncomfortable as you grow and sometimes you must just let go of your fear and burst forth ready for a change and challenge; ready to embrace whatever life brings. Now, is the time to burst forth to be new to come out of Winter’s hibernation and shell. Get out and enjoy the weather, wear new clothes purchased for Spring, feel good about yourself, know that nothing is permanent and that you, your health, your looks, your intelligence; your whole being is in a constant state of change. Take this time to think about what you want to grow this year, think also about what you want to leave behind. Schedule a haircut, a manicure and a pedicure treat yourself, pamper yourself. Start an exercise program change you’re eating habits. Use the cleansing energy of Spring to clear away any bad habits or addictions.
The constantly changing weather of March can be harsh on your immune system, bringing forth colds and flues. A good thing to do this time of year is to make a Spring cleanse or tonic. A Spring cleanse, cleans out your system removing toxins from the body. A Spring tonic is meant to wake up your sleepy Winter self, to invigorate and bring back a Spring in your step. This usually contains liver detoxifying herbs such as dandelion root, yellow dock and burdock root, immune strengthening herbs such as Echinacea and Ginger, and nutritious herbs such as Nettles, Red Clover, Motherwort or Alfalfa. Many books and websites will have recipe for these tonics, but be sure to research the herbs and ingredients well before taking any. Speaking of herbs now is a good time to take stock of your herbal supplies and decide what needs to be restocked or replaced, what can be grown by your own hands and what you must purchase.
With the Spring Equinox in this month now is a perfect time to work towards balance in your life, the balance of your light and dark selves, the balance of work and home, of the mundane and the spiritual. It is also a good time for Spring Cleaning, clean the house from top to bottom, open up all the windows and doors and let the Winter out and Spring in. use fresh floral and citrus scents to cleanse the air. Use your broom to sweep away all negativity. Bring Spring indoors, decorate with Springs symbols: eggs, hares, and flowers. Do something fun and frivolous, honor your inner child and let the season make your feel young again.
The Seed Moon is a particularly good time to buy, bless and plant garden seeds. To think about herb lore and medicine, about food and sustainability and decided what you want to grow this year. It is a great time to plan a new layout for your garden and to transplant, purchase, or grow new houseplants. Since house plants are not outside plants, they do not get the benefits of both the life giving, natural rains and their connection to the seasons and to the world wide water systems or the nitrogen that they shed down upon the Earth, it is a good idea to gather rain water and give it to your house plants and new plant starts for added vitality.
A simple spell for the Seed Moon is to buy herbs, flowers that correspond with some goal or something you would like to bring into your life, bless them and then plant them in your house and finally your garden. Nurture this seed and nurture your goal. Some new age and garden center stores also carry beans that have been made to grow with certain words on their leaves, such as: peace, love, prosperity , hope etc. these would be great plants to grow for your goals and make great gifts and ritual favors. Another spell is to gather a bunch of herb, veggie and flower seeds together and place on the back of the seed package the meaning of the seed, then as part of your Seed Moon ritual have each participant, blindly draw a seed from a basket and read the meaning of the seed. This acts as a divination telling the participant what may be coming into their lives or what they may need to work on. You can also host a seed and garden party have people bring extra or their seeds, starts, bulbs and tools and trade for ones you want and need.
The Seed Moon is also an excellent time to start a creating your own Herbal or a garden scrapbook. This will help you connect more to the Earth, your garden, and to the flowers, vegetables and herbs within. Begin with taking pics of your sleeping garden, then your garden once it has been cleared, then after it has been planted. Then every few weeks, or season or when you notice something significant or use the lunar cycles as your guide taking pics at each Dark, New, Quarters and Full Moons. This will give you an accurate account of your gardens growth. Do this also with herbs, vegetables, flowers and trees. Take pics of their seeds, seedlings, new growth, flower and fruit. This will help you learn their life cycle and how to identify them. This can also be used with native plants, weeds and wildflowers, you may learn what medicinal plants grow in your area, or what plants may be used as foraged food. Include these photos and information you have gathered throughout the year in your Herbal.
The Egg Moon brings with it an important food source, through Spring may be here, it is still cold and though we may have planted our crops they have not yet yielded any harvest. At the Egg Moon domesticated chickens and native birds are beginning to lay their eggs. Eggs are a nearly perfect nutritional food source, as they contain everything the growing chick needs to survive. The white of the egg contains high quality protein. While the egg yolk is filled with vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, D, E, B12, riboflavin, folic acid, iron, zinc and phosphorus. The nutrients in eggs help with healthy vision, hair and skin, as well as improving immunity and maintaining the central nervous system and the production of red blood cells.
On old fashioned farms this was the time of year when hens would be laying more eggs. Egg production was low or no-existent in Winter; it was only through the advent of modern farming techniques that we now have eggs all year round. This is done by cruel methods, exposing the chickens to constant light, giving chickens rounds after rounds of antibiotics and starving the hens. In nature hens start producing more eggs in response to increased sunlight. Sunlight stimulates their pituitary gland, which produces a hormone that stimulates their ovaries to produce eggs. What chickens eat also effects what nutrients are in their egg, hens fed better, more natural and nutritious fed will pass in the benefits to you. If there are natural, local farms in your area get your eggs from them and support a cruelty free environment, or you can even try rising some on your own if you have the space and if your area allows it.
The Egg Moon is special because eggs symbolize wholeness, completeness, perfection and totality and often serve as metaphors for the Universe. In many mythologies creation is contained in and hatches from an egg. Among them are Babylonian, Hindu, Egyptian, Greek, Japanese and Chinese. The modern big bang theory that the whole Universe existed in a very dense, compact and hot state, eternal, unchanging and that an explosion of sorts, sent all matter, expanding outwards, cooling as it went mirrors this concept of the Cosmic Egg.
The Ibis headed Egyptian God Thoth hatches the world egg and brings forth creation. In Greece creation came out of Nyx or night, darkness, when the silvery egg of the cosmos was formed. The upper shell formed Ouranos, the heavens and from the lower shell Gaia the earth. Drawn together by love they married and had many children among them: Okeanos, Hyperion, Rhea, Tethys and Kronos. Kronos married Rhea and their children were: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus.
In Chinese mythology the great God Pan Ku, a horned God with protruding tusks bursting forth from his jaw grew within an egg floating in the chaos of nothingness, of space. Finally feeling suffocated and restless he broke the egg with his mighty axe. The light clear part of the egg, floated to the sky and formed the heavens, The yolk; heavy and cold part of the egg sank below to form the Earth. As Pan Ku grew he pushed the heavens and the Earth farther and farther apart. Pan Ku’s life was spent creating something out of the vast nothingness, he hewed bases for tall mountains, he scooped out basins for the seas, he dug the courses for the rivers and hallowed out the valleys. When Pan Ku’s long life ended his last lingering breath became the wind and the clouds, his voice the roll of thunder, his sweat the rain that poured. His blood became the oceans, his veins the canals and roads. His limbs split and formed the four corners of the world. The marrow from his bones transformed into rocks metals and precious stones. His flesh became the fertile soil, his hair the trees and plants. His long coarse beard became the stars and his eyes became the Sun and Moon. The tiniest of creatures the insects that lived upon his flesh became the first animals and humans
As the Egg Moon rises remember that we are all interconnected, one, we are a single life force. We all come from the same matter that forms the Universe itself
The Egg Moon is also an excellent time to prepare nutritious egg dishes, and to decorate egg crafts. You may wish to try your hand at Ukraine Pysanky egg decorating. You could do this as a spell starting you’re decorating at the New Moon and concluding at the Full Egg Moon. This way you would have lots of wonderful eggs ready for Ostara. It is quite a magickal and time consuming process, but the results are wonderful and worth the effort. You can buy your dyes and supplies at: http://www.ukrainiangiftshop.com/pages/art.htm
The Supplies you will need is: Eggs, Kistkas of varying sizes, wax brick, taper candle and holder, newspapers to cover your working area, paper towels, Fantastic, Windex or 409, Q-tips, dyes, vinegars, design sheets and info, gloves, eggs blower, and a hair dryer.
The first steps to making these elaborate and beautiful eggs is to buy the biggest eggs you can find, and to wash them in a light bleach solution and set them to dry and sweat at least 24 hours before dying. These eggs must be raw and afterwards the eggs are not to be eaten. Handle the eggs only with gloves on as the natural oils in your hands will resist the dye. With a pencil lightly draw your design, traditional designs such as wheat, flowers, fish and even the different varieties of lines all have meanings so keep this in mind as you create your design. The creation of the design is a spell itself. If you make a mistake never use the pencil’s eraser instead use a Q-tip covered in 409, Fantastic or Windex to remove the mistake. Make your dyes a day or at least a few hours before so they have time to cool, you wouldn’t want to cook your egg.
If you want any part white cover it with wax from your kistkas. Test your kistkas out first on a paper plate before you begin to draw on the egg. To use your kistkas heat in the candles flame for about 10 seconds, until dark and sooty then drip it while it is still hot in the wax brick and pool some in the kistka. Dab on your power plate and start drawing, repeat the heating and dipping process as necessary. Dye your egg its first and lightest color. Dying the egg will typically take five to 20 minutes. Pat your egg dry gently so you do not rub off the dye. Let air dye until workable then go on to your next color. Progressively dye the egg from lightest to darkest
When you are done dying the egg and the egg has dried place it between several sheets of paper towels and have a friend help you blow dry the egg with a hair dryer. When the wax gets liquidy, wipe vigorously, removing all wax from the egg. Every egg is a colorful and beautiful surprise!
When all the wax has been removed go outside and shellac the egg, this will prevent the colors from rubbing off or fading and will help the egg not break when you empty the egg. Let the egg dry then gently poke a small hole in the bottom of your egg. Do not just stab the egg! Work slowly as to not create cracks. Scramble the eggs contents and very slowly and gently blow air inside the egg. When clean, gently fill the egg with water, shake and blow out until clean. Let the egg dry and drain.
Keep the eggs out of direct sunlight or heat store in Styrofoam egg cartons. The eggs dye will keep for years just brighten it with vinegar after each year and remove any scum that may have formed.
You can also decorate eggs with traditional dyes, tie dying them, using crayons as your kistkas, draw magickal symbols, keep or eat the symbols to take in their properties. You can use glitter and string and plant leaves to make cool designs you can use natural dyes to dye eggs that you’d like to keep or hard boil and eat.
Natural Egg Dyes
Yellow: carrots, turmeric, fenugreek, white grape juice
Orange: onion skins, paprika
Red: red onion skins, madder root, cayenne, raspberries, cranberries, beets, green tea, cochineal
Red-violet: purple grape juice, raspberries, blackberries, red onion skins
Green: carrot tops, bracken, colts-foot, spinach, sage, broccoli
Blue: blueberries, red cabbage, blackberries
Blue-violet: blackberries, beet juice, mulberries
Pink: heather, madder root, cochineal
Gray: Elderberries
Brown: coffee, walnut hulls, tea
Hard boil the eggs. Boil a handful of dye material until the water is colored. Place a small amount of vinegar in each dye and turn the dye on warm. Place the eggs in the dye until it is the desired colors. You can rub the shells with vegetable oil to make them shiny.
You can also dye your eggs and poke a hole big enough for a cork to be used and fill them herbs, stones, potpourri and paper with wishes written on them. Use this as a charm or talisman, or as an offering. Eggs can also be filled with wildflower and garden seeds, you can and glitter. You can have people make a wish and throw the egg on the ground or crack it over someone’s head to bless them. You can also make egg votives by cutting off the top part of an egg, draining and cleaning the shell and filling it with a wick and wax. Egg shells discarded from eating can be used to created mosaics or added to the compost pile or garden as a way to add calcium, a vital nutrient for root growth that is often depleted from the soil. Rough eggshells will deter slugs and snails from your garden, their sharp edges are not nice to crawl on. Powdered egg shells can also be used as a protection powder; you can sprinkle this around your garden or the edges of your property. An egg shell is surprisingly strong and keeps the baby chick protected from harm while still letting in heat and light. An eggshell sprinkled around your property will protect you while still letting the good in.
This Full Moon in March is also called the Crust Moon because the snow becomes crusted over from all the freezing’s and thawing. It was also known as the Lenten Moon because of its close proximately to Lent, a 40 period before Easter, that starts on Ash Wednesday and ends the day before Easter, where Catholics fast, pray and prepare themselves for Easter and the resurrection of their savior, Jesus Christ. It was also considered the last full Moon of the Winter season. The March Moon goes by the Name Worm Moon because it is now that the grounds begin to thaw and worms can make their way, feasting on last year’s compost, all the while aerating and enriching the soil and enticing the Robins, Magpies and Crows back to the land to feast and this is why this Moon is called the Crow Moon. The chirping of the birds and the cawing of the crows meant that Spring had returned to the land. Now is a good time to start bird watching. The March moon is also called the Storm Moon and the Moon of Winds and is a good time to harness the storms energy for spells by collecting rain water, by knowing that storms are the union and balance of the Goddess and God and is a good time to perform protection spells for your house and self from storms and their sometimes harmful effects, winds, lightning and floods.
If you look upon Spring’s sky you will find that Ursa Major the Great Bear is very visible and bright at this time of year. There is a rich and vivid story behind this constellation. It starts of like many Greek tales of love and lust of the God Zeus. One day Zeus spied Callisto, the daughter of Lycaon, a king of Arcadia hunting along the train of Artemis and fell in, love and seduced her. Callisto bore him a son Arcas, who grew to be a great hunter like his mother.
Then for reasons unknown and varied Callisto was changed into a bear by one of the Gods. Some tales say that it was Artemis who was enraged by Callisto’s loss of her sworn virginity, some saw Zeus may have done it to protect her from the jealous wrath of his wife Hera, and some say Hera herself changed Callsito after Arcas was born.When Arcas grew to be a man Hera tricked Arcas into hunting his Mother, but before the kill was made Zeus intervened and placed her high in the heavens and out of Hera’s reach. Arcas was placed in the sky as well and became Ursa Minor, the lesser Bear. Furious that her rival was given such an honor Hera convinced Poseidon to never let Callisto and Arcas to enter his waters at the same time.
The rising of Ursa Major is a sign of Spring itself, as the greet bear rises so does the sleeping bears awaken from their long hibernation. Artemis herself is sometimes represented by the great she bear.
Rising also in the Spring sky is the constellation of Virgo the Maiden of the harvest. Second only to Hydra, the celestial water snake, Virgo is the second largest constellation. She is often associated with Eostre and or Persephone and Demeter, and the harvest, with Spica her brightest star representing a sheaf of wheat.
Grandmother Moon, ZSuzsanna E. Budapest
Wheel of the Year, Pauline Campanelli
Moon Magic, DJ Conway
Everyday Moon Magic, Dorothy Morrison
Full Moon Feast , Jessica Prentice
Hedge Witch, Silver Ravenwolf
Wiccan Spell a Night, Strona Knight
Ostara Edain Mccoy
Exploring the Northern Tradition, Galina Krasskova
Celebrating the Seasons of Life,: Samhain to Ostara ashleen O’Gaea
A Year of Esbats Shannon Reilly
A Year of Rituals: Sabbats and Esbats for Solitaries and Covens Sandra Kynes
The Wiccan Year Judy Ann Nock
http://www.examiner.com/sitemaps/x-35413-Bangor-Paganism-Examiner~y2010m3d1-March-Almanac
http://www.crystalcavern.com/moonphase/MoonPhaseCalendar.html
http://www.wiccacraft.com/Esbats/March.htm
http://archaeosophia.blogspot.com/2009/03/storm-moon-some-acorns-and-great-great.html
http://www.unc.edu/~reddeer/index/00_fmr.faq.frameset.html
http://www.midnightmoonchild.com/moonchild5thmoonpage.html
http://www.angelfire.com/on/wicca/MoonMagick.html
http://thewheelandthedisk.blogspot.com/2009/03/seed-moon-is-new.html
http://wintergrove.net/2010/01/the-folklore-of-the-moon/#more-16
http://www.peacewind.org/moons/mar2005.htm
http://www.www.elftown.com/_Chaste%20Moon
http://www.daykeeperjournal.com/aarch08/0804apr/crystal032108.shtml
http://www.waningmoon.com/guide/library/lib0005.shtml#marc
http://www.sotcm.org/march.htm
http://www.holidayinsights.com/moon.htm
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/moonphasemagic/g/Storm_Moon.htm
http://paganpages.org/content/2010/03/o-march-moon-report-o/
http://travelingwithintheworld.ning.com/group/moonmagick/forum/topics/crow-moon-by-camilla
http://www.schooloftheseasons.com/spring.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donna-henes/the-vernal-equinox-hatchi_b_493877.html\
http://butterflypromqueen.blogspot.com/2009/01/storm-moon-march.html
http://tarasutphen.com/50.html
http://people.tribe.net/bonnierose/blog/c75f5c7f-065b-420e-9df1-a02e1b81403c
http://pollymoon.com/home.aspx
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-names
http://cauldron.wisefoodways.com/2003/m04_egg_moon.php
http://www.frontiercoop.com/learn/herbsavvy4.php
Also known as: Bulb Moon, Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon, Flower Moon, Hare Moon, Lenten Moon, Moon of Winds, Plow Moon, Sap Moon, Sprouting Moon, Storm Moon, Virgin Moon, Willow Moon, Worm Moon.
* Colors: pale green, purple, pinks, yellow, pastels
* Scents: floral scents
* Gemstones: aquamarine, bloodstone
Trees: alder, dogwood, ash
* Gods: Black Isis, the Morrigan, Hecate, Cybele, Astarte, Athena, Minerva, Artemis, Luna, Eostre, Juno Lucina, Demeter, Artemis, Mars for which the month of March is named.
* Herbs: Broom, High John root, yellow dock, wood betony, Irish moss, jonquil, daffodil, violet, crocus, bulbed plants
* Foods: Hot Cross buns, seed buns, foods made with eggs, quiche, strata, and egg drop soup, strawberries, salad,
* Animals: cougar, hedgehog, boar sea crow, sea eagle, robin, crow, magpie, honey bees, hares, butterflies
* Element: Water and Air
Now, we come upon the month of March and what is known as the Seed Moon, Worm Moon, Plow Moon, Sap Moon, Bulb Moon, Egg Moon, Sprouting Moon, Crow Moon, Storm Moon, Crust Moon, Moon of Winds, Lenten Moon and many more. Each Moon name tells exactly what is going on in nature and in man. We are awake, alive, and active. New live is bursting from every seed and bulb buried, every herb in the garden is showing itself, tiny, fragile, small but there just the same. The trees are filled with buds not yet ready to burst forth. Now, truly is the time of new beginnings and unbridled potential. Now, is the time to start new projects, to learn a new skill and get out in nature and explore and enjoy the warmer weather and increased light and the effects it has on your whole being. Now, is also the perfect time to get the yard and gardens ready and to possible begin planting cool weather flowers, herbs and vegetables. If weather is too cold and does not permit planting it is good to plan ahead and decide what kind of garden you would like to plant. Consider what your wants and needs are, do you want an herb garden for cooking, healing or magick? Would you like a veggie garden with fresh produce or perhaps an orchard or grove of magickal trees? Would you like a flower cutting garden so you may make your own arrangements? Would you like a crafters garden with flowers you can dry to make arrangements with? Do you have a particular deity you would like to honor and grow plants that are associated with it? When you are planning your garden consider all four seasons and plant, herbs and trees with all seasons in mind. Stagger plants blooming times so you always have something in bloom, something in color, or something always to eat, plant trees and scrubs with berries, feathery leaves, and large seed pods for Winter interest. It is also a good time to think about creating an outdoor shrine, or circle that you may use to celebrate the Lunar and Solar festivals.
The Seed Moon is also to learn about and commit yourself to organic forms of gardening, to start a compost pile and to learn about gardening by the Moon. The month of March is also a good time to trim bushes and trees and to save these scraps for the Beltane fire, for making brooms, wands or Ogham sticks, Runes, or for making wreathes .Make sure you learn how to trim properly and that your instruments are clean and sharp. If the weather does not permit planting or clearing yet, it is a good time to bless the land in which will eventually be planted and/or your tools. In the Norse tradition, when the first signs of Spring were present a plow is ritualistically cleansed, sharpened, decorated and blessed, paraded through the streets with much fan fare then finally drawn across the ground.. You can also bless instruments of modern usage like your laptop, cars, business ledgers etc
The most popular names for the March Moon are the Seed Moon and Egg Moon, these are perfect names for this Moon because contained within each seed, and each egg is all that is necessary to nurture a young plant or animal until it is ready to burst forth from their hard, stone like enclosure and be born. Within the seed and egg is unbridled hope and potential. It is a scary and harsh world and one may feel that keeping inside your warm, shell protected would be better than bursting forth and having to worry about all the unknown conditions and issues you may be faced with. But the seed and egg grows small, claustrophobic and uncomfortable as you grow and sometimes you must just let go of your fear and burst forth ready for a change and challenge; ready to embrace whatever life brings. Now, is the time to burst forth to be new to come out of Winter’s hibernation and shell. Get out and enjoy the weather, wear new clothes purchased for Spring, feel good about yourself, know that nothing is permanent and that you, your health, your looks, your intelligence; your whole being is in a constant state of change. Take this time to think about what you want to grow this year, think also about what you want to leave behind. Schedule a haircut, a manicure and a pedicure treat yourself, pamper yourself. Start an exercise program change you’re eating habits. Use the cleansing energy of Spring to clear away any bad habits or addictions.
The constantly changing weather of March can be harsh on your immune system, bringing forth colds and flues. A good thing to do this time of year is to make a Spring cleanse or tonic. A Spring cleanse, cleans out your system removing toxins from the body. A Spring tonic is meant to wake up your sleepy Winter self, to invigorate and bring back a Spring in your step. This usually contains liver detoxifying herbs such as dandelion root, yellow dock and burdock root, immune strengthening herbs such as Echinacea and Ginger, and nutritious herbs such as Nettles, Red Clover, Motherwort or Alfalfa. Many books and websites will have recipe for these tonics, but be sure to research the herbs and ingredients well before taking any. Speaking of herbs now is a good time to take stock of your herbal supplies and decide what needs to be restocked or replaced, what can be grown by your own hands and what you must purchase.
With the Spring Equinox in this month now is a perfect time to work towards balance in your life, the balance of your light and dark selves, the balance of work and home, of the mundane and the spiritual. It is also a good time for Spring Cleaning, clean the house from top to bottom, open up all the windows and doors and let the Winter out and Spring in. use fresh floral and citrus scents to cleanse the air. Use your broom to sweep away all negativity. Bring Spring indoors, decorate with Springs symbols: eggs, hares, and flowers. Do something fun and frivolous, honor your inner child and let the season make your feel young again.
The Seed Moon is a particularly good time to buy, bless and plant garden seeds. To think about herb lore and medicine, about food and sustainability and decided what you want to grow this year. It is a great time to plan a new layout for your garden and to transplant, purchase, or grow new houseplants. Since house plants are not outside plants, they do not get the benefits of both the life giving, natural rains and their connection to the seasons and to the world wide water systems or the nitrogen that they shed down upon the Earth, it is a good idea to gather rain water and give it to your house plants and new plant starts for added vitality.
A simple spell for the Seed Moon is to buy herbs, flowers that correspond with some goal or something you would like to bring into your life, bless them and then plant them in your house and finally your garden. Nurture this seed and nurture your goal. Some new age and garden center stores also carry beans that have been made to grow with certain words on their leaves, such as: peace, love, prosperity , hope etc. these would be great plants to grow for your goals and make great gifts and ritual favors. Another spell is to gather a bunch of herb, veggie and flower seeds together and place on the back of the seed package the meaning of the seed, then as part of your Seed Moon ritual have each participant, blindly draw a seed from a basket and read the meaning of the seed. This acts as a divination telling the participant what may be coming into their lives or what they may need to work on. You can also host a seed and garden party have people bring extra or their seeds, starts, bulbs and tools and trade for ones you want and need.
The Seed Moon is also an excellent time to start a creating your own Herbal or a garden scrapbook. This will help you connect more to the Earth, your garden, and to the flowers, vegetables and herbs within. Begin with taking pics of your sleeping garden, then your garden once it has been cleared, then after it has been planted. Then every few weeks, or season or when you notice something significant or use the lunar cycles as your guide taking pics at each Dark, New, Quarters and Full Moons. This will give you an accurate account of your gardens growth. Do this also with herbs, vegetables, flowers and trees. Take pics of their seeds, seedlings, new growth, flower and fruit. This will help you learn their life cycle and how to identify them. This can also be used with native plants, weeds and wildflowers, you may learn what medicinal plants grow in your area, or what plants may be used as foraged food. Include these photos and information you have gathered throughout the year in your Herbal.
The Egg Moon brings with it an important food source, through Spring may be here, it is still cold and though we may have planted our crops they have not yet yielded any harvest. At the Egg Moon domesticated chickens and native birds are beginning to lay their eggs. Eggs are a nearly perfect nutritional food source, as they contain everything the growing chick needs to survive. The white of the egg contains high quality protein. While the egg yolk is filled with vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, D, E, B12, riboflavin, folic acid, iron, zinc and phosphorus. The nutrients in eggs help with healthy vision, hair and skin, as well as improving immunity and maintaining the central nervous system and the production of red blood cells.
On old fashioned farms this was the time of year when hens would be laying more eggs. Egg production was low or no-existent in Winter; it was only through the advent of modern farming techniques that we now have eggs all year round. This is done by cruel methods, exposing the chickens to constant light, giving chickens rounds after rounds of antibiotics and starving the hens. In nature hens start producing more eggs in response to increased sunlight. Sunlight stimulates their pituitary gland, which produces a hormone that stimulates their ovaries to produce eggs. What chickens eat also effects what nutrients are in their egg, hens fed better, more natural and nutritious fed will pass in the benefits to you. If there are natural, local farms in your area get your eggs from them and support a cruelty free environment, or you can even try rising some on your own if you have the space and if your area allows it.
The Egg Moon is special because eggs symbolize wholeness, completeness, perfection and totality and often serve as metaphors for the Universe. In many mythologies creation is contained in and hatches from an egg. Among them are Babylonian, Hindu, Egyptian, Greek, Japanese and Chinese. The modern big bang theory that the whole Universe existed in a very dense, compact and hot state, eternal, unchanging and that an explosion of sorts, sent all matter, expanding outwards, cooling as it went mirrors this concept of the Cosmic Egg.
The Ibis headed Egyptian God Thoth hatches the world egg and brings forth creation. In Greece creation came out of Nyx or night, darkness, when the silvery egg of the cosmos was formed. The upper shell formed Ouranos, the heavens and from the lower shell Gaia the earth. Drawn together by love they married and had many children among them: Okeanos, Hyperion, Rhea, Tethys and Kronos. Kronos married Rhea and their children were: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus.
In Chinese mythology the great God Pan Ku, a horned God with protruding tusks bursting forth from his jaw grew within an egg floating in the chaos of nothingness, of space. Finally feeling suffocated and restless he broke the egg with his mighty axe. The light clear part of the egg, floated to the sky and formed the heavens, The yolk; heavy and cold part of the egg sank below to form the Earth. As Pan Ku grew he pushed the heavens and the Earth farther and farther apart. Pan Ku’s life was spent creating something out of the vast nothingness, he hewed bases for tall mountains, he scooped out basins for the seas, he dug the courses for the rivers and hallowed out the valleys. When Pan Ku’s long life ended his last lingering breath became the wind and the clouds, his voice the roll of thunder, his sweat the rain that poured. His blood became the oceans, his veins the canals and roads. His limbs split and formed the four corners of the world. The marrow from his bones transformed into rocks metals and precious stones. His flesh became the fertile soil, his hair the trees and plants. His long coarse beard became the stars and his eyes became the Sun and Moon. The tiniest of creatures the insects that lived upon his flesh became the first animals and humans
As the Egg Moon rises remember that we are all interconnected, one, we are a single life force. We all come from the same matter that forms the Universe itself
The Egg Moon is also an excellent time to prepare nutritious egg dishes, and to decorate egg crafts. You may wish to try your hand at Ukraine Pysanky egg decorating. You could do this as a spell starting you’re decorating at the New Moon and concluding at the Full Egg Moon. This way you would have lots of wonderful eggs ready for Ostara. It is quite a magickal and time consuming process, but the results are wonderful and worth the effort. You can buy your dyes and supplies at: http://www.ukrainiangiftshop.com/pages/art.htm
The Supplies you will need is: Eggs, Kistkas of varying sizes, wax brick, taper candle and holder, newspapers to cover your working area, paper towels, Fantastic, Windex or 409, Q-tips, dyes, vinegars, design sheets and info, gloves, eggs blower, and a hair dryer.
The first steps to making these elaborate and beautiful eggs is to buy the biggest eggs you can find, and to wash them in a light bleach solution and set them to dry and sweat at least 24 hours before dying. These eggs must be raw and afterwards the eggs are not to be eaten. Handle the eggs only with gloves on as the natural oils in your hands will resist the dye. With a pencil lightly draw your design, traditional designs such as wheat, flowers, fish and even the different varieties of lines all have meanings so keep this in mind as you create your design. The creation of the design is a spell itself. If you make a mistake never use the pencil’s eraser instead use a Q-tip covered in 409, Fantastic or Windex to remove the mistake. Make your dyes a day or at least a few hours before so they have time to cool, you wouldn’t want to cook your egg.
If you want any part white cover it with wax from your kistkas. Test your kistkas out first on a paper plate before you begin to draw on the egg. To use your kistkas heat in the candles flame for about 10 seconds, until dark and sooty then drip it while it is still hot in the wax brick and pool some in the kistka. Dab on your power plate and start drawing, repeat the heating and dipping process as necessary. Dye your egg its first and lightest color. Dying the egg will typically take five to 20 minutes. Pat your egg dry gently so you do not rub off the dye. Let air dye until workable then go on to your next color. Progressively dye the egg from lightest to darkest
When you are done dying the egg and the egg has dried place it between several sheets of paper towels and have a friend help you blow dry the egg with a hair dryer. When the wax gets liquidy, wipe vigorously, removing all wax from the egg. Every egg is a colorful and beautiful surprise!
When all the wax has been removed go outside and shellac the egg, this will prevent the colors from rubbing off or fading and will help the egg not break when you empty the egg. Let the egg dry then gently poke a small hole in the bottom of your egg. Do not just stab the egg! Work slowly as to not create cracks. Scramble the eggs contents and very slowly and gently blow air inside the egg. When clean, gently fill the egg with water, shake and blow out until clean. Let the egg dry and drain.
Keep the eggs out of direct sunlight or heat store in Styrofoam egg cartons. The eggs dye will keep for years just brighten it with vinegar after each year and remove any scum that may have formed.
You can also decorate eggs with traditional dyes, tie dying them, using crayons as your kistkas, draw magickal symbols, keep or eat the symbols to take in their properties. You can use glitter and string and plant leaves to make cool designs you can use natural dyes to dye eggs that you’d like to keep or hard boil and eat.
Natural Egg Dyes
Yellow: carrots, turmeric, fenugreek, white grape juice
Orange: onion skins, paprika
Red: red onion skins, madder root, cayenne, raspberries, cranberries, beets, green tea, cochineal
Red-violet: purple grape juice, raspberries, blackberries, red onion skins
Green: carrot tops, bracken, colts-foot, spinach, sage, broccoli
Blue: blueberries, red cabbage, blackberries
Blue-violet: blackberries, beet juice, mulberries
Pink: heather, madder root, cochineal
Gray: Elderberries
Brown: coffee, walnut hulls, tea
Hard boil the eggs. Boil a handful of dye material until the water is colored. Place a small amount of vinegar in each dye and turn the dye on warm. Place the eggs in the dye until it is the desired colors. You can rub the shells with vegetable oil to make them shiny.
You can also dye your eggs and poke a hole big enough for a cork to be used and fill them herbs, stones, potpourri and paper with wishes written on them. Use this as a charm or talisman, or as an offering. Eggs can also be filled with wildflower and garden seeds, you can and glitter. You can have people make a wish and throw the egg on the ground or crack it over someone’s head to bless them. You can also make egg votives by cutting off the top part of an egg, draining and cleaning the shell and filling it with a wick and wax. Egg shells discarded from eating can be used to created mosaics or added to the compost pile or garden as a way to add calcium, a vital nutrient for root growth that is often depleted from the soil. Rough eggshells will deter slugs and snails from your garden, their sharp edges are not nice to crawl on. Powdered egg shells can also be used as a protection powder; you can sprinkle this around your garden or the edges of your property. An egg shell is surprisingly strong and keeps the baby chick protected from harm while still letting in heat and light. An eggshell sprinkled around your property will protect you while still letting the good in.
This Full Moon in March is also called the Crust Moon because the snow becomes crusted over from all the freezing’s and thawing. It was also known as the Lenten Moon because of its close proximately to Lent, a 40 period before Easter, that starts on Ash Wednesday and ends the day before Easter, where Catholics fast, pray and prepare themselves for Easter and the resurrection of their savior, Jesus Christ. It was also considered the last full Moon of the Winter season. The March Moon goes by the Name Worm Moon because it is now that the grounds begin to thaw and worms can make their way, feasting on last year’s compost, all the while aerating and enriching the soil and enticing the Robins, Magpies and Crows back to the land to feast and this is why this Moon is called the Crow Moon. The chirping of the birds and the cawing of the crows meant that Spring had returned to the land. Now is a good time to start bird watching. The March moon is also called the Storm Moon and the Moon of Winds and is a good time to harness the storms energy for spells by collecting rain water, by knowing that storms are the union and balance of the Goddess and God and is a good time to perform protection spells for your house and self from storms and their sometimes harmful effects, winds, lightning and floods.
If you look upon Spring’s sky you will find that Ursa Major the Great Bear is very visible and bright at this time of year. There is a rich and vivid story behind this constellation. It starts of like many Greek tales of love and lust of the God Zeus. One day Zeus spied Callisto, the daughter of Lycaon, a king of Arcadia hunting along the train of Artemis and fell in, love and seduced her. Callisto bore him a son Arcas, who grew to be a great hunter like his mother.
Then for reasons unknown and varied Callisto was changed into a bear by one of the Gods. Some tales say that it was Artemis who was enraged by Callisto’s loss of her sworn virginity, some saw Zeus may have done it to protect her from the jealous wrath of his wife Hera, and some say Hera herself changed Callsito after Arcas was born.When Arcas grew to be a man Hera tricked Arcas into hunting his Mother, but before the kill was made Zeus intervened and placed her high in the heavens and out of Hera’s reach. Arcas was placed in the sky as well and became Ursa Minor, the lesser Bear. Furious that her rival was given such an honor Hera convinced Poseidon to never let Callisto and Arcas to enter his waters at the same time.
The rising of Ursa Major is a sign of Spring itself, as the greet bear rises so does the sleeping bears awaken from their long hibernation. Artemis herself is sometimes represented by the great she bear.
Rising also in the Spring sky is the constellation of Virgo the Maiden of the harvest. Second only to Hydra, the celestial water snake, Virgo is the second largest constellation. She is often associated with Eostre and or Persephone and Demeter, and the harvest, with Spica her brightest star representing a sheaf of wheat.
Grandmother Moon, ZSuzsanna E. Budapest
Wheel of the Year, Pauline Campanelli
Moon Magic, DJ Conway
Everyday Moon Magic, Dorothy Morrison
Full Moon Feast , Jessica Prentice
Hedge Witch, Silver Ravenwolf
Wiccan Spell a Night, Strona Knight
Ostara Edain Mccoy
Exploring the Northern Tradition, Galina Krasskova
Celebrating the Seasons of Life,: Samhain to Ostara ashleen O’Gaea
A Year of Esbats Shannon Reilly
A Year of Rituals: Sabbats and Esbats for Solitaries and Covens Sandra Kynes
The Wiccan Year Judy Ann Nock
http://www.examiner.com/sitemaps/x-35413-Bangor-Paganism-Examiner~y2010m3d1-March-Almanac
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http://www.www.elftown.com/_Chaste%20Moon
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donna-henes/the-vernal-equinox-hatchi_b_493877.html\
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http://tarasutphen.com/50.html
http://people.tribe.net/bonnierose/blog/c75f5c7f-065b-420e-9df1-a02e1b81403c
http://pollymoon.com/home.aspx
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-names
http://cauldron.wisefoodways.com/2003/m04_egg_moon.php
http://www.frontiercoop.com/learn/herbsavvy4.php
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
August Barley Moon
August Barley Moon
* Also known as: Corn Moon, Green Corn Moon, Corn silk Moon, Maize Moon, Grain Moon, Wheat Moon, Moon of the Fields, Ripen Moon, First Acorns Moon, Fruit Moon, Berry Moon, Blackberry Moon, Mulberry, Moon, Black Cherries Moon, Wine Moon, Wort Moon, Yellow Flower Moon, Heat Moon, Drying Moon, Dog Days Moon, Dispute Moon, Lightning Moon, joyful Moon, Nesting Moon, Sturgeon Moon
* Colors: gold, tan, yellow, red, and orange
* Scents: Frankincense, heliotrope
* Gemstones: Tigers eye, cat’s eye, carnelian, garnet, jasper, red agate
Trees: Holly, Hazel, Cedar, Alder
* Gods: Gods of agriculture and grain, Tammuz and Ishtar, Attis and Cybele, Adonis, Aphrodite and Persephone, Demeter, Ceres, Freya, Brighid, Lugh, Llew Llaw, Blodeuwedd, John Barleycorn, Vulcan, Mars, Nemesis, Hecate, Hathor, Thoth, Ganesha
* Herbs: Elderberry, Fennel, Savory, Southernwood, Valerian Rosemary, basil, rue, chamomile, angelica, bay, orange, St. John’s Wort, Sunflower, Marigold, Bindweed, Morning glory, cattails
* Foods: Grains such as: wheat, corn, millet, rye, barley, oats, breads, sourdough bread,, “stone, fruit,” peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, berries such as black berries, elderberries, jam, first veggies such as: tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, zucchini, beer, whiskey
* Animals: Grasshoppers, dragonflies, may flies, crane, birds of prey, eagle falcon, lion, phoenix, sphinx, dragon
* Element: Fire
Now, we enter the month of August, the eighth month of the Gregorian calendar, originally called Sextillis by the Romans. The name was later changed to Augustus in honor of Caesar Augustus. August is traditionally the most dry, arid and hot of all the Summer months. Now, is the time when you can really feel the effects of the waning Sun’s energy. Instead of life giving, and warm, He is brutal and drains you of any vitality. He calls the fields and his people to mature and to begin looking toward the dark, cold days ahead. At this time of year, you can begin to notice the waning light and the chill in the air at night. Autumn is now fast approaching and it is a good time of year to plan for the Winter months ahead. Make home improvements and repairs, clean carpets, hang new drapes, buy new sheets, and warmer blankets. Go over your Winter wardrobe and decide what you would like to keep, what you’ll need and what you’d like to donate. Take advantage of case lot sales of canned veggies and boxed foods, take advantage also of the, “Back to School Sales,” Pick up office supplies while they are cheap, and take advantage of end of season clearances, also look for new Fall clothes, treat yourself and feel like a kid again. Going along with the Back to School theme, August is a perfect time to pick up a few books and to begin studying a new subject. It is a good time for oaths regarding studying new subjects and paths.
Now, is also a good time to look over your life and to see what you have accomplished throughout the year. What you have planted, tended and harvested, it is also a good time to think about what you would like to let go of. It is also a good time to count your blessing, to send out prayers of Thanksgiving and to start a gratitude journal.
August is a good month to squeeze out as much Summer as possible out of the remaining season. Plan a trip, go camping, hike to the higher elevations; get out of the Summer heat and the Summer smog. Visit an amusement park or water park. Be appreciative of water and it quenching effects on both you and the land.
Augusts’ Moon goes by many names, most of them relating to the harvest, whether it is the harvest of grains such as: wheat, corn, millet, rye, barley, oats, or “stone,” fruits such as : peaches, cherries, apricots, plums, or berries such as: blackberry , mulberry and Elderberry. August is both a time of hard work and bounty. It is a time to enjoy the fruits of the season the fruits of your labor. If you have a garden enjoy its bounty, eat from its bounty and enjoy what has actually been grown by your hands. If you do not have a garden make it a point to support farmers’ markets and to eat locally and what is actually in season in your area. Not only will the food taste wonderful, but it will be fresh, full of nutrients and foster a connection with you to the land and to the season. Make fresh salsa by chopping tomatoes, peppers, onions up finely and add olive oil, lemon or lime juice to taste. Host a BBQ, invite family and friends and just enjoy the Sun’s the heat and each other. Host a garden swap, have the neighbors bring over the bounty of their garden to trade from some of yours. Bake bread, start a sourdough starter or make yogurt. Brew beer and wine. Preserve your harvest by making jams, jellies, and preserves, pickle, can, host a canning party, teach this valuable skill and share what you made. Dry herbs in Augusts' heat; make teas, and herbal preparations that you will need during the Winter months. Weave wheat, make corn dollies and floral wreathes.
The Month of August is a month of contrast it is not only just on the cusp of Summer and Autumn but is also on the cusp of intense, dry heat and unpredictable and strong storms. Usually these storms blow in quickly, accompanied by howling winds that kick up dusk and lightning that streaks across, the sky. These storms sometimes have large raindrops and sometimes bring with them hail. These storms can be destructive and scary or they can be silent and beautiful as the lightning, Sky God, fertilizes the Earth Goddess below. It is for this reason that this Moon is sometimes called the Lightning Moon.
Another name for this Moon is the Sturgeon Moon for the Native American tribes fishing the sturgeon, large fish of the Great Lakes, most easily caught at this time.
It is in August where we are presented with the opportunity and challenge to understand the meaning and sanctity of the grain, of the corn. For this mere seed, holds within its shell the secrets of all life, and the secrets of man’s history. the grain whether represented as a Goddess, such as the Barely Mother, Corn Mother, Demeter, Persephone, Ceres, Ishtar, Isis, Freya, or Cybele or by the God resurrected such as Tammuz, Adonis, Attis, Osiris, John Barleycorn or others it is an important lesson for all.
The grain is a mere seed from an older plant, it stays in suspended animation during the Winter’s months, when the perfect combination, of light, warmth, and moisture reaches it and it breaks through its shell. Up through the fertile Earth it pushes seeking Air, seeking light, it emerges and begins growing. Soon it is green, tall and dances in the breeze, and is showered by heavy storms. It flowers, and goes to seed, the seeds ripen, the plants begin to die and turn golden. They are cut down, harvested by man, the grain is threshed, winnowed and ground into flour, eaten as porridge, brewed into beer or whiskey. Every seed that fell nestles back into the fertile Earth, every seed eaten by birds or animals travels to populate a new area. In Spring the seed will be resown and it will rise again. Each seed, each grain, connected eternally to its ancestors, it was born of a previous generation, who also went through the life cycle that it will now embark upon.
This cycle reflects our own lives, our own journey from conception, birth childhood, adolescence, and maturity, to mother and fatherhood, to middle age, old age and death. We too will be planted deep within the Earth, we too will nourish, and make room for future generations, and we too will be born again.
The cultivation of grains started a revolution in human society; some say it created human societies as we know it. It leads us from small hunter gathering communities, to large cultivating communities. Like the grain sprouting from the soil so sprouted cities, so sprouted the philosophies, arts, sciences, technology and advanced thoughts. Societies grew and changed and class systems developed, Instead of living off the land we owned the land and forced it to produce. The wealthy man was he who owned the most land and had the most laborers and slaves to farm it. Thus we created class systems and lost our connection to the land. We did not see the growth of the grain, it appeared magickally on our plate, though the toll of others, we understand naught how it was produced, and the hard work it took. Grain even became a staple of the poor and was despised, refined and so changed that one could not recognize it. Grain is a gift from the Gods; and many mythologies say that agriculture was taught it us by the Gods. Grains it can be stored so that man does not starve during the Winter months. It provides carbohydrates and protein for the hard working man to burn; it is a sacrifice and a sacrament and should be honored by all. Grain is our Mother, our ancestors, ourselves
To celebrate this connection to the Grain and to life itself bake loaves in human forms, as you partake, know that this bread is a representation of the body of the fertile Earth Mother, and a representation of the resurrected Grain God. Grain is a complete representation of the year and of the life cycle or nature and of man. To break bread is also an ancient simple ritual of community. The simple act of generously sharing food with another person builds bonds and fosters community.
You may also wish to sprout fresh grain seeds to include in your ritual bread, or make “Gardens of Adonis.” In some Mediterranean countries woman would give offerings of small clay pot or dish filled with sprouted grain seeds either to the sea or later they would leave these dishes at churches.
There are many holidays in the month of August among them Lammas the first harvest festival, the Egyptian New year celebration, the Brauronia the Feast of Artemis. The Assumption of the Virgin Mary is celebrated at this time; worshippers celebrate the ascent of Mother Mary into heaven. At this time people ask Mary protect the harvest, during the last crucial days before it is gathered in. Offerings of flowers, cakes, seashell and the first of your harvest were given to this Goddess. In Elche, Spain an elaborate three day drama of the Assumption is acted out.
If you look out at night into the dark clear August skies you will notice a very bright star, the brightest star in the sky, shining brilliantly in a white or bluish hue, sometimes it is also seen with a red glow, and many times it seems to twinkle, this star is known as Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius is located in the constellation Canis Majora the Great Dog, in the bridge of the Milky Way. Sirius is not a single star but a binary star system consisting of Sirius A, a star three times the mass of our Sun and 1.8 times our sun’s diameter and over ten times as bright as our Sun; and Sirius B a “white dwarf,” star invisible to the naked eye. Sirius B though dim is very dense packing the whole density of our Sun into a size of a globe only 4 times the diameter of Earth. The Sirius star system is around 200 to 300 million years old. Sirius is only about 8 ½ light years away from Earth. It is the fifth nearest star to Earth. It is a very unique system, around every 50 years Sirius A and B’s orbits very close to each other, creating huge magnetic storms between them. As they approach each other, the stars begin to spin faster and faster and their tidal forces become stronger and stronger, finally resulting in a flip-flopping where Sirius A and B change places. This flip flopping has been known to influence Earth inhabitants in huge upheavals, most notably in 1944 when we were in the throes of World war 2, and in 1993 when the Berlin wall fell and the Cold war finally officially ended.
Sirius has been known by many people’s throughout human history and different civilizations. Many cultures have been observing this star for centuries and knew facts like that it was a binary star and that the two stars changed places, things that mankind have only recently observed through the invention of high powered telescopes.
Sirius gains its named from the ancient Greek word for “searing,” or “scorching,” and its reappearance in the sky after its 70 day disappearance due to it its conjunction with the sun, in which the sun’s rays blocked out its light where known as the, “Dog days,” of summer a phrase we still use now. The Dog days are the hottest, driest and most miserable moments in summer. Sirius’s influence was known not only to bring extra heat to the Earth but to make people “hot headed,” as well, it was known to inflame people’s tempers, and was a time of arguments and disputes, as well as welting crops.
The ancient Assyrians regarded it similarly and called it “Dog of the Sun,” or “Star Dog of the Sun.” And it ancient Chaldea, present day Iraq it was known as “the Dog Star that leads.” The Polynesians marked it as the beginning of Winter and Sirius was considered an important star for navigating the Pacific ocean. In the ancient Vedas Sirius was known as the, “Chieftain’s Star,” and in other Hindu writings, it is referred to as “Sutra,” “the Rain God,” or the “Rain Star.”
In Chinese astronomy Sirius is known as the “Celestial Wolf. In many North American tribes Sirius was associated with dogs. The Blackfoot called it “Dog face,” the Cherokee paired Sirius with Antares as a dig-star guardian of either end of the “Path of Souls.” The Pawnee knew it as “Wolf Star.” Or “Coyote Star.” The intuit tribe called it the “Moon Dog.”
Sirius was called Lokabreena (“the Burning of Loki” or “Loki’s Brand) by the Norse This refers to an incident where Loki, the trickster God cut off Sif’s long golden hair as part of a prank. Thor her husband was no enraged that he wanted to kill the trickster but Loki had a plan and was able to persuade the dwarves to make some magickal hair for Sif. This hair once it touched her head would grow just life Sif’s. It is thought that Sif’s hair represents the grain that is grown and cut and regrown every year. Her husband Thor is a thunder god and brings fertilizing rain to the Earth. Loki is described not only as a trickster but a god of wildfire and heat and is directly associated with Sirius’s intense heat, which causes the ripening of the grain.
To the ancient Egyptians Sirius was essentially important and a cause for celebration. Not only did Sirius’s rising signal that the yearly flooding of the Nile was drawing near, but it also was their New Year’s celebration. For the 70 days when Sirius would disappear from the sky the Egyptians would not bury the dead as Sirius was seen as a doorway to the afterlife and when it disappeared the doorway was considered closed. Sirius was known by the name of “Sothis or Sopdet,” “the Water Bringer,” “the Star of Isis,” It was said that Isis revives the Niles just as she revives Osiris, that’s he gives birth to Horus as she gives birth to the Nile.
August is also the month in which the Perseids meteor shower occurs. Usually, this is around August 17-24. At its peak you can expect around 50-100 meteors per hours. Its peak time is just after midnight. The Perseids meteor is the oldest meteor shower that has been recorded by mankind. It has been observed for around 2000 years, with its earliest recording of its existence in China around 36 A.D. The meteors from the Perseids are coming from the comet Swift-Turtle. Every year the Earth passes through the debris cloud of this comet and is bombarded with meteors. The Persieds meteor shower appears to radiate from the constellation of Perseus, named after the Greek hero of the same name. Perseids is known to have defeated Medusa, constructed the Atlas Mountains, and delivered Andromeda from a sea monster. Because of this the Perseid meteors are called the “Children of Perseus.” They are also called the “Tears of Saint Lawrence,” after the anniversary of his martyrdom.
Grandmother Moon, ZSuzsanna E. Budapest
Wheel of the Year, Pauline Campanelli
Moon Magic, DJ Conway
Everyday Moon Magic, Dorothy Morrison
Full Moon Feast , Jessica Prentice
Hedge Witch, Silver Ravenwolf
Wiccan Spell a Night, Strona Knight
Seasons of the Sun, Patricia Telesco
A Year of Esbats Shannon Reilly
A Year of Rituals: Sabbats and Esbats for Solitaries and Covens Sandra Kynes
Lammas Anna Franklin and Paul Mason
The Wiccan Year Judy Ann Nock
Seasons of the Sun Patricia Telesco
http://www.aradias-garden.com/Corn-moon-lesson.html
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/moonphasemagic/g/Corn_Moon.htm
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/aicr_barley.html
http://waitingonthenewmoon.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/corn-moon/
http://holidayinsights.com/moon.htm
http://carlfordcoven.webs.com/themoon.htm
http://www.paganlore.com/Moon_Phases.aspx
http://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-names?quicktabs_1=2
http://www.jksalescompany.com/dw/esbats.html
http://www.carlamary.net/Moonnames.html
http://www.moondragon.org/pagan/esbats/esbats.html
http://www.occult100.com/bos/esbatherbs.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/69834/a_pagan_family_guide_to_celebrating_pg2.html
http://www.witchinthewood.com/moon.html
http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7789
http://opossumsally.homestead.com/Celtic/998.html
http://paganwiccan.about.com/b/2009/08/03/celebrate-the-corn-moon-august-5.htm
http://www.orderwhitemoon.org/seasons/4-lammas04.html
http://cauldron.wisefoodways.com/2006/m09_corn_moon.php
http://www.relationships-4-all.com/HoroscopeReview/2010/10/catch-a-falling-star-and-put-it-in-your-pocket-literally-the-myths-magick-of-shooting-stars-the-perseid-meteor-shower-2/
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/corn.html
http://www.chiff.com/science/perseids.htm
http://www.eso-garden.com/index.php?/weblog/comments/get_ready_for_the_2007_perseids/
http://www.qsl.net/w8wn/hscw/prop/perseids.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius
http://www.siriusrising.com/sirius.htm http://www.souledout.org/cosmology/highlights/siriushighlights/siriusheavenlyhost.html
* Also known as: Corn Moon, Green Corn Moon, Corn silk Moon, Maize Moon, Grain Moon, Wheat Moon, Moon of the Fields, Ripen Moon, First Acorns Moon, Fruit Moon, Berry Moon, Blackberry Moon, Mulberry, Moon, Black Cherries Moon, Wine Moon, Wort Moon, Yellow Flower Moon, Heat Moon, Drying Moon, Dog Days Moon, Dispute Moon, Lightning Moon, joyful Moon, Nesting Moon, Sturgeon Moon
* Colors: gold, tan, yellow, red, and orange
* Scents: Frankincense, heliotrope
* Gemstones: Tigers eye, cat’s eye, carnelian, garnet, jasper, red agate
Trees: Holly, Hazel, Cedar, Alder
* Gods: Gods of agriculture and grain, Tammuz and Ishtar, Attis and Cybele, Adonis, Aphrodite and Persephone, Demeter, Ceres, Freya, Brighid, Lugh, Llew Llaw, Blodeuwedd, John Barleycorn, Vulcan, Mars, Nemesis, Hecate, Hathor, Thoth, Ganesha
* Herbs: Elderberry, Fennel, Savory, Southernwood, Valerian Rosemary, basil, rue, chamomile, angelica, bay, orange, St. John’s Wort, Sunflower, Marigold, Bindweed, Morning glory, cattails
* Foods: Grains such as: wheat, corn, millet, rye, barley, oats, breads, sourdough bread,, “stone, fruit,” peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, berries such as black berries, elderberries, jam, first veggies such as: tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, zucchini, beer, whiskey
* Animals: Grasshoppers, dragonflies, may flies, crane, birds of prey, eagle falcon, lion, phoenix, sphinx, dragon
* Element: Fire
Now, we enter the month of August, the eighth month of the Gregorian calendar, originally called Sextillis by the Romans. The name was later changed to Augustus in honor of Caesar Augustus. August is traditionally the most dry, arid and hot of all the Summer months. Now, is the time when you can really feel the effects of the waning Sun’s energy. Instead of life giving, and warm, He is brutal and drains you of any vitality. He calls the fields and his people to mature and to begin looking toward the dark, cold days ahead. At this time of year, you can begin to notice the waning light and the chill in the air at night. Autumn is now fast approaching and it is a good time of year to plan for the Winter months ahead. Make home improvements and repairs, clean carpets, hang new drapes, buy new sheets, and warmer blankets. Go over your Winter wardrobe and decide what you would like to keep, what you’ll need and what you’d like to donate. Take advantage of case lot sales of canned veggies and boxed foods, take advantage also of the, “Back to School Sales,” Pick up office supplies while they are cheap, and take advantage of end of season clearances, also look for new Fall clothes, treat yourself and feel like a kid again. Going along with the Back to School theme, August is a perfect time to pick up a few books and to begin studying a new subject. It is a good time for oaths regarding studying new subjects and paths.
Now, is also a good time to look over your life and to see what you have accomplished throughout the year. What you have planted, tended and harvested, it is also a good time to think about what you would like to let go of. It is also a good time to count your blessing, to send out prayers of Thanksgiving and to start a gratitude journal.
August is a good month to squeeze out as much Summer as possible out of the remaining season. Plan a trip, go camping, hike to the higher elevations; get out of the Summer heat and the Summer smog. Visit an amusement park or water park. Be appreciative of water and it quenching effects on both you and the land.
Augusts’ Moon goes by many names, most of them relating to the harvest, whether it is the harvest of grains such as: wheat, corn, millet, rye, barley, oats, or “stone,” fruits such as : peaches, cherries, apricots, plums, or berries such as: blackberry , mulberry and Elderberry. August is both a time of hard work and bounty. It is a time to enjoy the fruits of the season the fruits of your labor. If you have a garden enjoy its bounty, eat from its bounty and enjoy what has actually been grown by your hands. If you do not have a garden make it a point to support farmers’ markets and to eat locally and what is actually in season in your area. Not only will the food taste wonderful, but it will be fresh, full of nutrients and foster a connection with you to the land and to the season. Make fresh salsa by chopping tomatoes, peppers, onions up finely and add olive oil, lemon or lime juice to taste. Host a BBQ, invite family and friends and just enjoy the Sun’s the heat and each other. Host a garden swap, have the neighbors bring over the bounty of their garden to trade from some of yours. Bake bread, start a sourdough starter or make yogurt. Brew beer and wine. Preserve your harvest by making jams, jellies, and preserves, pickle, can, host a canning party, teach this valuable skill and share what you made. Dry herbs in Augusts' heat; make teas, and herbal preparations that you will need during the Winter months. Weave wheat, make corn dollies and floral wreathes.
The Month of August is a month of contrast it is not only just on the cusp of Summer and Autumn but is also on the cusp of intense, dry heat and unpredictable and strong storms. Usually these storms blow in quickly, accompanied by howling winds that kick up dusk and lightning that streaks across, the sky. These storms sometimes have large raindrops and sometimes bring with them hail. These storms can be destructive and scary or they can be silent and beautiful as the lightning, Sky God, fertilizes the Earth Goddess below. It is for this reason that this Moon is sometimes called the Lightning Moon.
Another name for this Moon is the Sturgeon Moon for the Native American tribes fishing the sturgeon, large fish of the Great Lakes, most easily caught at this time.
It is in August where we are presented with the opportunity and challenge to understand the meaning and sanctity of the grain, of the corn. For this mere seed, holds within its shell the secrets of all life, and the secrets of man’s history. the grain whether represented as a Goddess, such as the Barely Mother, Corn Mother, Demeter, Persephone, Ceres, Ishtar, Isis, Freya, or Cybele or by the God resurrected such as Tammuz, Adonis, Attis, Osiris, John Barleycorn or others it is an important lesson for all.
The grain is a mere seed from an older plant, it stays in suspended animation during the Winter’s months, when the perfect combination, of light, warmth, and moisture reaches it and it breaks through its shell. Up through the fertile Earth it pushes seeking Air, seeking light, it emerges and begins growing. Soon it is green, tall and dances in the breeze, and is showered by heavy storms. It flowers, and goes to seed, the seeds ripen, the plants begin to die and turn golden. They are cut down, harvested by man, the grain is threshed, winnowed and ground into flour, eaten as porridge, brewed into beer or whiskey. Every seed that fell nestles back into the fertile Earth, every seed eaten by birds or animals travels to populate a new area. In Spring the seed will be resown and it will rise again. Each seed, each grain, connected eternally to its ancestors, it was born of a previous generation, who also went through the life cycle that it will now embark upon.
This cycle reflects our own lives, our own journey from conception, birth childhood, adolescence, and maturity, to mother and fatherhood, to middle age, old age and death. We too will be planted deep within the Earth, we too will nourish, and make room for future generations, and we too will be born again.
The cultivation of grains started a revolution in human society; some say it created human societies as we know it. It leads us from small hunter gathering communities, to large cultivating communities. Like the grain sprouting from the soil so sprouted cities, so sprouted the philosophies, arts, sciences, technology and advanced thoughts. Societies grew and changed and class systems developed, Instead of living off the land we owned the land and forced it to produce. The wealthy man was he who owned the most land and had the most laborers and slaves to farm it. Thus we created class systems and lost our connection to the land. We did not see the growth of the grain, it appeared magickally on our plate, though the toll of others, we understand naught how it was produced, and the hard work it took. Grain even became a staple of the poor and was despised, refined and so changed that one could not recognize it. Grain is a gift from the Gods; and many mythologies say that agriculture was taught it us by the Gods. Grains it can be stored so that man does not starve during the Winter months. It provides carbohydrates and protein for the hard working man to burn; it is a sacrifice and a sacrament and should be honored by all. Grain is our Mother, our ancestors, ourselves
To celebrate this connection to the Grain and to life itself bake loaves in human forms, as you partake, know that this bread is a representation of the body of the fertile Earth Mother, and a representation of the resurrected Grain God. Grain is a complete representation of the year and of the life cycle or nature and of man. To break bread is also an ancient simple ritual of community. The simple act of generously sharing food with another person builds bonds and fosters community.
You may also wish to sprout fresh grain seeds to include in your ritual bread, or make “Gardens of Adonis.” In some Mediterranean countries woman would give offerings of small clay pot or dish filled with sprouted grain seeds either to the sea or later they would leave these dishes at churches.
There are many holidays in the month of August among them Lammas the first harvest festival, the Egyptian New year celebration, the Brauronia the Feast of Artemis. The Assumption of the Virgin Mary is celebrated at this time; worshippers celebrate the ascent of Mother Mary into heaven. At this time people ask Mary protect the harvest, during the last crucial days before it is gathered in. Offerings of flowers, cakes, seashell and the first of your harvest were given to this Goddess. In Elche, Spain an elaborate three day drama of the Assumption is acted out.
If you look out at night into the dark clear August skies you will notice a very bright star, the brightest star in the sky, shining brilliantly in a white or bluish hue, sometimes it is also seen with a red glow, and many times it seems to twinkle, this star is known as Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius is located in the constellation Canis Majora the Great Dog, in the bridge of the Milky Way. Sirius is not a single star but a binary star system consisting of Sirius A, a star three times the mass of our Sun and 1.8 times our sun’s diameter and over ten times as bright as our Sun; and Sirius B a “white dwarf,” star invisible to the naked eye. Sirius B though dim is very dense packing the whole density of our Sun into a size of a globe only 4 times the diameter of Earth. The Sirius star system is around 200 to 300 million years old. Sirius is only about 8 ½ light years away from Earth. It is the fifth nearest star to Earth. It is a very unique system, around every 50 years Sirius A and B’s orbits very close to each other, creating huge magnetic storms between them. As they approach each other, the stars begin to spin faster and faster and their tidal forces become stronger and stronger, finally resulting in a flip-flopping where Sirius A and B change places. This flip flopping has been known to influence Earth inhabitants in huge upheavals, most notably in 1944 when we were in the throes of World war 2, and in 1993 when the Berlin wall fell and the Cold war finally officially ended.
Sirius has been known by many people’s throughout human history and different civilizations. Many cultures have been observing this star for centuries and knew facts like that it was a binary star and that the two stars changed places, things that mankind have only recently observed through the invention of high powered telescopes.
Sirius gains its named from the ancient Greek word for “searing,” or “scorching,” and its reappearance in the sky after its 70 day disappearance due to it its conjunction with the sun, in which the sun’s rays blocked out its light where known as the, “Dog days,” of summer a phrase we still use now. The Dog days are the hottest, driest and most miserable moments in summer. Sirius’s influence was known not only to bring extra heat to the Earth but to make people “hot headed,” as well, it was known to inflame people’s tempers, and was a time of arguments and disputes, as well as welting crops.
The ancient Assyrians regarded it similarly and called it “Dog of the Sun,” or “Star Dog of the Sun.” And it ancient Chaldea, present day Iraq it was known as “the Dog Star that leads.” The Polynesians marked it as the beginning of Winter and Sirius was considered an important star for navigating the Pacific ocean. In the ancient Vedas Sirius was known as the, “Chieftain’s Star,” and in other Hindu writings, it is referred to as “Sutra,” “the Rain God,” or the “Rain Star.”
In Chinese astronomy Sirius is known as the “Celestial Wolf. In many North American tribes Sirius was associated with dogs. The Blackfoot called it “Dog face,” the Cherokee paired Sirius with Antares as a dig-star guardian of either end of the “Path of Souls.” The Pawnee knew it as “Wolf Star.” Or “Coyote Star.” The intuit tribe called it the “Moon Dog.”
Sirius was called Lokabreena (“the Burning of Loki” or “Loki’s Brand) by the Norse This refers to an incident where Loki, the trickster God cut off Sif’s long golden hair as part of a prank. Thor her husband was no enraged that he wanted to kill the trickster but Loki had a plan and was able to persuade the dwarves to make some magickal hair for Sif. This hair once it touched her head would grow just life Sif’s. It is thought that Sif’s hair represents the grain that is grown and cut and regrown every year. Her husband Thor is a thunder god and brings fertilizing rain to the Earth. Loki is described not only as a trickster but a god of wildfire and heat and is directly associated with Sirius’s intense heat, which causes the ripening of the grain.
To the ancient Egyptians Sirius was essentially important and a cause for celebration. Not only did Sirius’s rising signal that the yearly flooding of the Nile was drawing near, but it also was their New Year’s celebration. For the 70 days when Sirius would disappear from the sky the Egyptians would not bury the dead as Sirius was seen as a doorway to the afterlife and when it disappeared the doorway was considered closed. Sirius was known by the name of “Sothis or Sopdet,” “the Water Bringer,” “the Star of Isis,” It was said that Isis revives the Niles just as she revives Osiris, that’s he gives birth to Horus as she gives birth to the Nile.
August is also the month in which the Perseids meteor shower occurs. Usually, this is around August 17-24. At its peak you can expect around 50-100 meteors per hours. Its peak time is just after midnight. The Perseids meteor is the oldest meteor shower that has been recorded by mankind. It has been observed for around 2000 years, with its earliest recording of its existence in China around 36 A.D. The meteors from the Perseids are coming from the comet Swift-Turtle. Every year the Earth passes through the debris cloud of this comet and is bombarded with meteors. The Persieds meteor shower appears to radiate from the constellation of Perseus, named after the Greek hero of the same name. Perseids is known to have defeated Medusa, constructed the Atlas Mountains, and delivered Andromeda from a sea monster. Because of this the Perseid meteors are called the “Children of Perseus.” They are also called the “Tears of Saint Lawrence,” after the anniversary of his martyrdom.
Grandmother Moon, ZSuzsanna E. Budapest
Wheel of the Year, Pauline Campanelli
Moon Magic, DJ Conway
Everyday Moon Magic, Dorothy Morrison
Full Moon Feast , Jessica Prentice
Hedge Witch, Silver Ravenwolf
Wiccan Spell a Night, Strona Knight
Seasons of the Sun, Patricia Telesco
A Year of Esbats Shannon Reilly
A Year of Rituals: Sabbats and Esbats for Solitaries and Covens Sandra Kynes
Lammas Anna Franklin and Paul Mason
The Wiccan Year Judy Ann Nock
Seasons of the Sun Patricia Telesco
http://www.aradias-garden.com/Corn-moon-lesson.html
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/moonphasemagic/g/Corn_Moon.htm
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/aicr_barley.html
http://waitingonthenewmoon.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/corn-moon/
http://holidayinsights.com/moon.htm
http://carlfordcoven.webs.com/themoon.htm
http://www.paganlore.com/Moon_Phases.aspx
http://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-names?quicktabs_1=2
http://www.jksalescompany.com/dw/esbats.html
http://www.carlamary.net/Moonnames.html
http://www.moondragon.org/pagan/esbats/esbats.html
http://www.occult100.com/bos/esbatherbs.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/69834/a_pagan_family_guide_to_celebrating_pg2.html
http://www.witchinthewood.com/moon.html
http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7789
http://opossumsally.homestead.com/Celtic/998.html
http://paganwiccan.about.com/b/2009/08/03/celebrate-the-corn-moon-august-5.htm
http://www.orderwhitemoon.org/seasons/4-lammas04.html
http://cauldron.wisefoodways.com/2006/m09_corn_moon.php
http://www.relationships-4-all.com/HoroscopeReview/2010/10/catch-a-falling-star-and-put-it-in-your-pocket-literally-the-myths-magick-of-shooting-stars-the-perseid-meteor-shower-2/
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/corn.html
http://www.chiff.com/science/perseids.htm
http://www.eso-garden.com/index.php?/weblog/comments/get_ready_for_the_2007_perseids/
http://www.qsl.net/w8wn/hscw/prop/perseids.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius
http://www.siriusrising.com/sirius.htm http://www.souledout.org/cosmology/highlights/siriushighlights/siriusheavenlyhost.html
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Harvest Moon Soup
Harvest Moon Soup
1. Bake one acorn squash.
2. As the squash bakes chop:
1 onion
1 cup carrots
3-4 stalks celery with leaves.
3. Add the onion, carrots and celery to a pot with a tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté until soft and onions are transparent.
4. Slowly add:
1 32 oz can or box of chicken or veggie broth, you may need a bit more if the barely soaks up too much.
1 can of diced tomatoes with or without chili’s
2 chopped fresh tomatoes
½ c barely
2 T chopped garlic
Herbs and spices of you’re choosing.
5. Bring the mix to a boil and let it cook until the barely and carrots are ready.
6. When the squash is ready remove from heat and de-shell, add squash to soup, heat until all is up to temperature and well blended.
7. Top with cheese and/or sour cream if desired.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Barley Water for the Barley Moon
Barley Water
8 cups water
½ cup Barley
1-2 T honey, agave or raw sugar
Mint
Optional add ins:
Juice of two lemons
Fruit juices
Teas
Other herbs and spices
Bring water to a boil. Add in any teas herbs and sweeteners. Cook Barley until done. Turn off heat add juices. Let cool and drink.
8 cups water
½ cup Barley
1-2 T honey, agave or raw sugar
Mint
Optional add ins:
Juice of two lemons
Fruit juices
Teas
Other herbs and spices
Bring water to a boil. Add in any teas herbs and sweeteners. Cook Barley until done. Turn off heat add juices. Let cool and drink.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Summer Moon Salad
Summer Moon Salad
1 big package “Spring Mix,” salad greens
½ Cantaloupes
½ Honey dew
1 small package Blueberries
2 Kiwis
½ package Strawberries
Mango, Papaya, Avocado, Guava or Cucumber can also be used
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Bleu, Feta or Goat Cheese
Candied almonds salad toppers
Poppy seed dressing
This is an easy, fast and refreshing salad. You can simply chop, and toss. But if you want to make this even more special, use a melon baller and make melon balls with some of the cantaloupe and honey dew. You can also carefully peel the kiwis and slice into thin slices so you can see the pattern within. You may also wish to use cookie cutter in the shapes of Moons and Stars to cut pieces of melons, mangoes and papaya into shapes.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Gardening by the Moon
Gardening by the Moon
Christine Moonflower
So, what is gardening by the Moon exactly? No it is not rising at midnight, dawning your cat suit, dousing yourself in mosquito repellant, and grabbing a flood light. No, gardening by the Moon is the process of aligning your gardening to the Moon’s phases and/or the signs of zodiac. It is a fairly tried and true method and has been practiced for centuries. In fact gardening by the movement of the Moon was so well known that in the first century AD; Pliny wrote about it in his series, “Natural History,” and it is well known that Benjamin Franklin practiced it and it is still included in many Farmer’s Almanacs today.
There have been many studies on gardening by the Moon and evidence have shown about 10-15 percent improvements in crop yields, and overall quality, taste, color, and fragrance. If you would like to experiment simply plant the same kinds of seeds in the same kind of soil, with the same type and amount of water at different times. Plant one following the Lunar guidelines and one not following these guidelines. Carefully record the time it took the seed to germinate, how tall and healthy the young plant are and see which does better. This may be a fun and easy science fair project for students.
You may be asking yourself, how and why does Moon Gardening work? Well, the specifics aren’t exactly well known and most evidence comes from simple observation instead of more controlled scientific study; but the basic theory is that the same gravitational pull that increases the tides of the ocean at the New and Full Moons also affect the smaller bodies of water including ground water, and moisture residing in the soil. Though unperceivable by humans even continental land masses are said to rise 2 to 3 feet in elevation with the Moon! The highest amount of moisture found in the soil occurs during the New and Full Moons this added moisture allows plants to absorb more water and encourages seeds to germinate. Plants sown under the right phase of the Moon or the right Zodiac sign are healthier plants, more disease and pest resistant and harvests are often quicker and larger and plants don’t bolt and go to seed as fast.The gravitational pulls of the Moon are also said to affect weather patterns as well. Rainfall; tends to follow New and Full Moons. Another factor in gardening by the Moon is the Moon’s increased light. Even this dimmer version of light can increase plant growth
Gardening by the Moon will not only increase your yields and the quality of what you grow but it will aid you in becoming more aware of your garden, your plants growth, and the cycles of the Moon. It will help you forge a deeper connection to nature and a deeper appreciation of the food you consume, it can aid you in becoming more organized and adapt to plan ahead.
All you need to start gardening is a piece of Earth, (a nice pot and a bright window will suffice) something you’d like to grow and a good calendar or Almanac. I suggest either a Farmer’s Almanac, Seasons of the Witch day planner or many of the calendars and almanacs made by Llewellyn. Llewellyn makes figuring out the phases of the Moon and figuring out what zodiac sign the Moon is under easy but placing the symbols for them on the calendar. They also go a step further and have put on their calendar sprouting plants on days that are good to plant on and a sickle for days good to harvest on. Many other calendars can be found and purchased online. Some good websites that have online Lunar calendars are:
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/home_garden/gardening
http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/
http://www.moonconnection.com/
Planting by the Phases of the Moon
The easiest way to garden in alignment with the Moon is to simply go by the Moon’s phases. If you are a fairly aware person, all you will have to do is look out the window to find out what phase the Moon is in. Or you may consult a calendar or go online to http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/ for Moon Phases and Moonrise times. The Moon has 8 stages, New Moon, Waxing Crescent Moon, First Quarter Moon, Waxing Gibbous Moon, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous Moon, Third Quarter Moon, and Waning Gibbous Moon. A good website to visit that shows a detailed diagram of these different stages of the moon is: http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases.phtml. For simplicities sake we will go with the 4 most obvious stages of the Moon. These stages are called quarters, each quarter lasts about a week. The information on these is as follows.
First Quarter Moon: During this phase, the Moon is waxing (growing) from Dark to New and is starting to appear as a small sliver shaped crescent in the sky. The gravitational pull of the Moon is pulling water upwards and is causing seeds to swell and burst. Seeds sown at this time produce balanced root and leaf growth. Plant annuals producing their yield above ground and those that self seed, examples of this are asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cress, dill, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, spinach, strawberries, sunflowers, poppies, annual flowers, cereals, grains , and herbs. Cucumbers are the exception and prefer this phase though they produce their seeds on the inside.
Second Quarter Moon: During this phase , the Moon is Waxing towards Full and appears half Full. The gravitational pull of this Moon is rather low but the increased Moonlight is strong and encourages leaf growth. It is generally a good time for planting crops with internal seeds such as beans, peas, peppers, tomatoes, squash, melons, and fruit trees. This is also a good time to mow your lawn or prune your trees to encourage growth and is also a good time to harvest for juicy, water –filled crops such tomatoes or melons. Do all planting just before or on the Full Moon but not after the Moon begins to wane.
Third Quarter Moon: During this phase, the Moon is Full but waning (decreasing). The gravitational pull of this Moon is high, creating more moisture in the soil, but the Moonlight is decreasing pulling the energies down to the roots. All vegetable root crops such as beets, garlic, ginger, radishes, onions, potatoes, and peanuts, do best when planted during this phase, as well as beautiful flowering bulbs. It is also a good time to transplant biennials and perennials because of the active root growth. Trees, shrubs, and berry bushes also do well if planted at this time. Plants absorb more water during the Full Moon so now would be an ideal time to give them a nice long drink and it is a good time to apply mulch and fertilizer. It is a good time to prune the cut ends will lose less moisture and sap during this phase.
Fourth Quarter: During this phase, the Moon appears half full but is decreasing and moving towards the Dark phase. The gravitational pull and the Moonlight itself are decreased. This phase is a good phase to let the garden rest and be dormant. Do not plant or transplant anything during this phase. instead it is time to attend to your garden chores such as cultivating, pulling weeds, destroying pests, cleaning and repairing tools, and harvesting. It is an especially good time for harvesting roots and bulbs. This phase is also a good time to prune and mow to discourage growth. Weeds pulled in this phase or less likely to grow back!
Planting by the Signs of the Zodiac
Many or dare I saw most of you are aware of the 12 signs of the zodiac, most of you have read your daily horoscope, or casted your chart, many of you upon hearing a birthday will be compelled to check what sign that person falls under and if perhaps their sign is compatible with yours. Most are aware of the 30 day stay the Sun makes in each sign. But the Moon has a considerably shorter cycle and stays in one sign for approximately two and a half days. This bodes well as you will not have to wait long to plant your crops or do the corresponding garden chores. The Moon and Sun signs are actually opposite of each other, when the Sun is in Pisces for example the Full Moon will be in Virgo.
The signs of the Zodiac are divided into four Elemental groups, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Signs that are under the influence of Water are generally considered the most fruitful of the signs; these include Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. The Earth signs are also considered fertile signs and are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. These signs are optimal for planting and transplanting and for pruning or cutting back of any sort to encourage growth. The Barren signs of the Zodiac are the Air and Fire signs, under the influence of these signs it is best to cultivate, destroy weeds and pests, harvest and prune or cut back to discourage growth. The Air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. The Fire signs include: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.
The Zodiac signs can be combined with the Lunar phases to produce very effective gardening. For example you may choose to plant your watery, viney vegetables under the sign of Cancer during the Second Quarter to produce extra juicy vegetables. You may wish to transplant under the sign of Pisces during the Third Quarter to produce healthy root growth. You may wish to remove weeds under the most barren sign of the whole zodiac Leo during the Fourth Quarter to ensure that they will not grow back!
Moon in Aries: Ram, Fire, Masculine dry and semi- barren.
This sign is used for destroying weeds and pests as well as cultivating the soil, mowing and pruning to deter growth. This sign is great for harvesting roots fruits and herbs especially or long storage. It is not a good time to plant; plants germinated at this time are bitter tasting and quick to blot. The exception to this is pungent-flavored plants such as garlic, onions, beets and tobacco.
Moon in Taurus: Bull, Earth, Feminine, moist and productive.
Number one sign for planting root crops, also good for all planting and transplanting. Seeds planted in Taurus produce hardy plants with excellent roots, sturdiness and plants that can withstand drought. Sow beautiful flowers, lettuce, cabbage, spinach and similar leafy vegetables. Do not plant ivies or other vines.
Gemini: Twins, Air, Masculine, dry and barren.
Used for destroying weeds and pests. Good sign for mowing, and cultivating. Planting in Gemini will result in long, stringy, weak plants. Do not plant or transplant, the only exception is melons. Gemini is an excellent time for harvesting herb or root crops. It is a good time to cut flowers, as they will last longer and to dry flowers.
Cancer: Crab, Water, feminine, very moist and fruitful.
The most productive sign of the zodiac, Cancer is number one for planting, transplanting, budding, grafting, dividing, starting cuttings and any propagation. Seed planted under Cancer germinate quickly, are strong, can withstand drought and are the hardiest. Cancer is an excellent to plant all viney, watery crops, melons, mosses, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and gourds. It is also a good time for growth-encouraging pruning. Good also for watering and irrigation.
Leo: Lion, Fire, Masculine, dry and barren.
The most barren sign of the zodiac do not plant or transplant anything under this sign. Instead maintain what you have; cultivate, mow, and destroy pests. Weeding and the removal of trees, bushes and roots will be more successful at this time, especially in the fourth quarter. Prune to discourage growth. It is also, good for harvesting fruit and root crops.
Virgo: Virgin, Earth, Feminine, moist and barren.
Virgo is a barren sign good for planning gardens and performing garden chores such as cultivating and killing weeds and pests. Not a good time for planting or transplanting. The only exceptions to the rule is some vines favor this sign as well as iris’s
Libra: Scales, Air, Masculine, moist and semi-fertile.
The Moon in Libra is the best time for planting beautiful, fragrant flowers and herbs. It is also a good time to plant vines, creepers, crawlers and ground covers and root crops. Seeds planted under Libra produce strong pulpy stems and good root growth. Leo is also a good sign for seeding hay, corn, fodder, root crops and lettuce.
Scorpio: Scorpion, Water, Feminine, moist and fruitful.
The second best sign for planting, transplanting and all propagation. Seeds planted under Scorpio will germinate quickly and produce good stem and vine growth, sturdiness and high fruit yield. They may also produce a mass of off shoots and seedlings. Vines, climbers and creepers favor being planted under this sign. Tomatoes like to be transplanted in Scorpio, and it is a good sign for corn and squash. Planting during Scorpio will also bring Winter hardiness and drought resistance. Scorpio is a good sign to plant trees and prune to encourage growth and higher fruit yield. A good sign to fertilize crops and for irrigation
Sagittarius: Archer, Fire, Masculine, dry and barren.
A good sign to cultivate the soil and harvest crops especially fruits and root. Harvesting at this time will ensure that your crops stay fresh during storage. Under the influence of Sagittarius plant only pungent fruits and roots crops, onions, leeks, garlic and potatoes do well and are productive if planted under this sign. Also you can plant hay, maple, and oak and fruit trees. Sagittarius’s energy discourages growth, it’s a good time to cut plants back before putting them to bed
Capricorn: Goat, Earth, Feminine, dry and semi-fertile.
Good sign to plant and transplant root crops, rhizomes, bulbs and stalk crops. Planting under the influence of this sign will encourage strong, cold and drought hardy growth. Capricorn is a good sign for pruning, especially to promote growth; any branches pruned under this sign will grow back stronger than they would initially. It is also a good time for grafting, cultivating and turning the soil and applying fertilizer. Do not weed under this sign
Aquarius: Water bearer, Air, Feminine, barren and dry.
Good sign for cultivating, mowing and killing weeds and pests. Good sign to harvest leaf, stalk, fruit and root crops, especially for storage. Not a good time to sow seeds or transplant. Seeds planted during Aquarius don’t germinate well and will likely rot.
Pisces: Fish. Water, Feminine, Moist and fertile.
Pisces is one of the best signs for planting, transplanting, and propagating. Seeds planted under this sign produce strong deeply penetrating root growth, drought resistance, and a healthy plentiful fruit crop. Best sign for planting and pruning trees and shrubs. Now is the second best time to plant and transplant. Irrigation is also a good task to perform under the influence of Pisces. Not recommended for planting ivies or vines.
Harvesting by the Moon
• Harvest tops, greens and flowers during the Waxing Moon.
• Harvest roots, bulbs or rhizomes when the Moon is waning or dark.
• Harvest early in the day for higher essential oil concentrations, and harvesting in the morning will ensure that the rising sun will close the plants wounds.
• Bark should be taken in the Fall or Early Spring when the plant is dormant. It should be taken when the Moon is decreasing and in the signs of Aries, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius or Aquarius.
• Leaves and flowers for fresh use or freezing should be harvested in mid-morning after the dew has dried. The best times are when the Moon is increasing and in Taurus, Cancer, Libra, Scorpio or Pisces.
• Leaves and flowers to be dried should be gathered in mid-morning after the dew has dried. They should be lifted when the Moon is increasing and near Full in Aries, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius or Aquarius.
• Roots should be harvest in the Fall or early Spring when dormant. They should be lifted when the Moon is increasing and near Full in: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, or Aquarius.
• Seeds should be harvested when they are ripe as possible without falling off the plant. They should be taken the Moon is decreasing and in Aries, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, or Aquarius.
Gardening for the Days of the Week
From A Floral Grimoire Patricia Telesco
*)* Monday: a fruitful day especially for lunar-oriented plants.
*)* Tuesday: a high energy day that will boost the energies in flowers or plants that improve physical vitality or mental keenness,
*)*Wednesday: a creative day, good for spiritually-centered flowers and plants.
*)*Thursday: another high-energy day, suited to flora that augments devotion and tenacity.
*)* Friday: an emotionally warm day, suited to plants that are used in love and fertility magic.
*)* Saturday: sow, harvest, or tend plants on this day that augment transformation, manifestation and/or comprehension.
*)* Sunday: the perfect day to work with solar-oriented flowers and plants.
The Lunar Garden
Another special way to align yourself to the Moon is to create a Lunar garden, this is garden or corner of a garden, that is specifically designed with plants, flowers, herbs, trees and shrubs with the Moon’s energies in mind. This garden can be a very special place to gaze up at the moon, to relax, and let go, to enjoy the night’s energy, to align yourself with the Goddess and to perform Esbat rituals.
First you will need to find a basic plot of land unobscured by trees where you can see the Moon for most of the year. The Moon will rise in different parts of the sky and at different times throughout the year, Do your best to find a spot constantly in the Moon’s light, but do not stress out about it, even if the garden is not immediately in alignment with the Moon the energy will be there and usually the Moon will sweep by even if it is really early in the morning or very late at night.
Next, determine if the area is in bright direct sunlight, semi shade or shade. You will need to think back and consider what kind of light the garden gets throughout the year and plan your garden accordingly, You will also need to consider your hardiness zone and how much moisture your garden will receive naturally and how much you may need to supplement.
Next you need to determine the size and what you’d like the garden to look like. One of my favorite garden designs is a cute crescent Moon shaped border, encircled with bright, white, quartz.. If you do not have room for a garden specifically designed for the Moon simply add some Lunar plants to your existing garden. Or for those who do not have room for a garden or for people who live in apartments you can get large pots, or a series of small pots and a line them on your porch or doorway. Or if all you have is a windowsill you may grow select herbs or substitute houseplants. Choose pots that are white, silver or blue, or spruce up plain terra cotta pots by painting a nighttime/moon motif. You may also wish to add beautiful, crystals, stones and rocks and maybe even a miniature Goddess statue to the pot and place this on your altar when you perform Moon magick.
Other features you may want to consider when creating a Moon garden is adding some sort of Water feature to reflect the Moon’s light and create a peaceful vibe. A pond or a fountain would be wonderful, even a well placed bird bath would work and would help your feathered friends. Other decorations such as witch’s balls would look beautiful as would Goddess and God statues. Now, many garden centered are selling really cute solar lights, in the shapes of gnomes or faeries that may make a nice addition to your garden. You may also wish to set a nice spot in the middle of the garden where you can perform Esbat rituals. Lay stepping stones down, so you have an even footing and add a small altar.
Now, comes the fun part, picking out your plants. When deciding what you would like to grow consider what you like to do. Do you like to cook or perform herbal medicine? If the answer is yes you may wish to start a more vegetable and herbal based garden. Are you a person that loves everything in full bloom? Then you may wish to plant flowers. If you are a person who wants to be surrounded with trees you may wish to plant a grove. Or you can add all these elements together. Gardens can look wonderful even when one adds vegetable and fruit plants. They can add a real uniqueness and interest to your garden.
When planning out your garden variety is key, choose many different sizes, textures, heights and colors of plants. Choose plants with interesting leaves and seed pods, for contrast and Winter interest. Choose tall grasses and broad leafed plants, plant fragrant night blooming flowers, which are usually white in color, to attract the moths that pollinate them, or silvered leaved plants so they may be seen against the contrasting dark.
Also consider the size of each plant you choose, and make sure you have enough room for all and that you are not planting really tall, fast growing plants right next to low, slow growing plants, the larger ones wills shade the other plants ensuring that the smaller plants does not receive enough light. Also, be aware of how invasive and aggressive the plants are, the Artemisia’s in particular are beautiful but aggressive plants. Many have tiny grain sized seeds that can travel all over your yard and spread quickly. With these plants it is hard to tell when they go to seed because their flowers are not very showy so you have to be right on top of them, cutting the flowers back within a few days of their appearance. Also, Artemisia’s do not play well with others; they release a chemical into the soil that inhibits the plants around its growth. This phenomenon is called allelopathy. I have also personally noticed that plants grown near Artemisia’s have a tendency to take on Artemisia’s bitter taste, as well as taking on a similar fragrance.
Go with your instincts and with your wants and needs, let your intuition guide you and plant herbs, flowers, trees, shrubs that call to you and the mirror your spiritual and emotional needs.
Moon Plants:
Flowers: Acanthus, Bleeding Hearts, Camellia, Daisies, Datura, Dog’s Tooth Violet, Dwarf Rock Cress, Forget-Me-Knots, Honesty, Iris, Lily, Lily of the Valley, Loosestrife, Lotus, Lunaria, Narcissus, Nicotiana Tobacco Plant, Orpine, Pearl Trefoil, Phlox, Purslane, Roses, Saxifrage, Snowdrops, Stock Stonecrop, Touchwood, Tuberose, Wallflowers, Water Lilies, White Poppies, Yellow Flag.
Plants: Adder’s Tongue, Club Moss, Cotton, Irish Moss.
Climbing Plants: Angel’s Trumpet, Clematis, Honeysuckle, Climbing Hydrangea, Jasmine, Moonflower, Nightshade, Passionflower, and Wisteria.
Shrubs: Buddleia, Deutzia, Gardenia, Hydrangea, Lilac, Oleander, Philadelphus, Privet, Wintergreen.
Trees: Ash, Aspens, Beech, Elder, Magnolia, Maple, Mesquite, Olive, Palm, Willow.
Fruits and Vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, , Coconut, Cucumbers Grapes, Grapefruit, Gourd Lemon, Lettuce, Melons, , Squashes, Watermelon, Onions, Papaya, Pea, Peach, Potato, Pumpkin, Soy, Turnip, Watercress.
Herbs: Arrach, Betony, Buchu, Calamus, Camphor, Chamomile, Chickweed, Clary sage, Cleavers, Eucalyptus, Horehound, Hyssop, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Mallow, Moonwort, Rosemary, Speedwell, Sweet Cicely, Thyme, Yarrow,
Silver Leaved: Artemisia’s including Dusty Miller, Mugwort, Southernwood and Wormwood, Hostas, Lamb’s Ear, Sedum
Night Blooming: Angel’s Trumpet, Daylilies, Evening Primrose, Four O’clock, Gardenia, Moonflower, Nicotiana Flowering Tobacco, Night Blooming Cereus, Night Blooming Jasmine, Night Phlox, Nottingham Catchfly, Tobacco, Petunia, Soapwort, Yucca.
Water Plants: Water Lily, Lotus, Duckweed,
Lunar Houseplants: African Violet, Aloe Vera, Ferns, Gardenia, Jasmine, Ivy, Orchid, Spider Plant.
Blessing Your Garden
Now, that you have designed your garden and you know the proper days to plant, it is now time to bless your garden. I feel that it is important not to over look this step. This will not only add energy to your garden encouraging a good harvesting and increased growth, but will help you become more aware and spiritually in tune with your garden. Please perform this spell when you have your garden fully prepared for planting. You should have the soil aerated and tilled and should have already added any soil amendments. You may also want to perform this rite after you have actually planted your herbs, flowers and veggies. The blessing can be anything really. A quick prayer of protection and blessing is perfect.
When I bless my garden I wing it. I let my instinct and inspiration guide me, believing that I will know what to do and say. I do however follow a basic pattern. I mentally and physically prepare myself, clear my thoughts and begin walking around my garden. I see and visualize every step I take purifying and blessing the garden I usually do my garden blessing in three parts.
First, I walk slowly around my garden with a watering can full of pure clean, clear water. I continue to walk the boundaries, pouring the water on the ground. This first pass is for purification and removal of negative energies, past failures, insects, mold, fungus, disease and other harm.
Second, I pour a honey, milk mixture in the watering can and I call the Deities, Elements, Elementals, and Ancestors etc. for their help. I ask that they bless this garden with their energies and that they protect the garden from harm. An example goes something like. “I call you Air to come with cleansing breathes and cool winds to sooth the Summer’s scorching. I call you Air bringer of the storms, bringer of the wasps, lady bugs, bees, and butterflies the pollinators and protectors. Please shield this sacred space from destructive winds, hungry birds, aphids, eggwigs and all harmful insects. Blessed be!”
I make a third and final pass again with the honey milk mixture or compost tea and bless the plants I encourage them to grow deep roots, healthy, strong stems and many leaves, flowers and fruits. I bless veggies with nutrition, flowers with beauty and herbs for healing. I raise energy and send it into the soil and every plant. After I am done I offer some food and drink to the Deities, Elements, Elementals, Ancestors etc and I make sure I eat something to ground myself.
Other ingredients that are helpful to use when blessing a garden are powdered eggshells, they add calcium, a vital nutrient for root growth and one easily depleted into the ground. Egg shells also are protective against cutworm and snails; they hate the sharp edges and will not crawl on them. Eggshells will magickally act as a protective barrier for your garden and your plants. An egg shell is surprisingly strong and keeps the baby chick protected from harm while still letting in heat and light.
Coffee grounds are another great ingredient to add to the garden and use to bless the garden, they high in nitrogen and makes for very healthily green plants. Think about how green the world looks and how well your plants grow after a rainstorm, this is because the nitrogen in the air is brought down to the Earth through raindrops. Coffee will magically bring energy and stamina to the garden. It will help the plants work for you. Coffee is also a protective herb. You can use your own grounds or ask a local shop for there’s. They will be more than happy to let you throw away their garbage for them! Sprinkle these ingredients over your garden and imagine a protective barrier around your garden, your plants. See, this barrier protecting against harmful insects, animals and mold, bacteria and viruses.
Now, that you have the desire, knowledge, tools and confidence go out there and begin growing. Growing plants, growing herbs, growing your connection to the Earth and all of Nature and growing your own spirit and self! Blessed be!
Resources:
Moon Magic Lori Reid
Everyday Moon Magic Dorothy Morrison
Bud, Blossom, and Leaf Dorothy orison
The Charmed Garden Diane Morgan
A Floral Grimoire Patricia Telesco
Gardening with Goddess Patricia Telesco
Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs Scott Cunningham
A Wiccan Formulary and Herbal A.J. Drew
Mastering Herbalism Paul Huson
The Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients Lexa Rosean
PaganFM Moon Siren Astrology Kathleen Spitzer
http://corditecountryshownotes.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/gardening-by-the-moon/
http://www.plantea.com/planting-moon-phases.htm
http://www.stariq.com/pagetemplate/article.asp?pageid=1006
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/moongardening
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/868/
http://gardeningbythemoon.com/phases.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Gardening-with-the-Moon-Phases&id=709008
http://moongrow.com/zodiac_sign_gardening/zodiac_gardening_basics.html
http://www.naturealmanac.com/almanac/gardening/moonsigns/planting_signs.html
http://www.lunarorganics.com/moon_gardening_questions.html
http://garybrandastrology.com/articles/Other/GardeningbytheMoon5-1982.html
http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Gardening_and_Moon_Phases
http://www.danthegardener.co.uk/gardeningwiththemoon.htm
http://www.gaias-garden.co.uk/Articles/Friends/gardeningmoon.html
http://www.earthwitchery.com/moongarden.html
http://www.matrifocus.com/BEL05/greenwitch.htm
http://www.gardeningbythemoon.com/lunarfacts.html
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/1956/moongarden.html
http://gardeningbythemoon.com/signs.html
http://kaykeys.net/spirit/earthspirituality/moon/moonseed.html
http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonlif.htm#mlc
http://www.moongrow.com/moon_phase_gardening/gardening_by_moon_phases/second_quarter_moon.html
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/nightblooming
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4dmg/Flowers/night.htm
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/nyerges44.html
http://owlsdaughter.blogspot.com/2009/03/blessings-of-virgo-full-moon.html
Christine Moonflower
So, what is gardening by the Moon exactly? No it is not rising at midnight, dawning your cat suit, dousing yourself in mosquito repellant, and grabbing a flood light. No, gardening by the Moon is the process of aligning your gardening to the Moon’s phases and/or the signs of zodiac. It is a fairly tried and true method and has been practiced for centuries. In fact gardening by the movement of the Moon was so well known that in the first century AD; Pliny wrote about it in his series, “Natural History,” and it is well known that Benjamin Franklin practiced it and it is still included in many Farmer’s Almanacs today.
There have been many studies on gardening by the Moon and evidence have shown about 10-15 percent improvements in crop yields, and overall quality, taste, color, and fragrance. If you would like to experiment simply plant the same kinds of seeds in the same kind of soil, with the same type and amount of water at different times. Plant one following the Lunar guidelines and one not following these guidelines. Carefully record the time it took the seed to germinate, how tall and healthy the young plant are and see which does better. This may be a fun and easy science fair project for students.
You may be asking yourself, how and why does Moon Gardening work? Well, the specifics aren’t exactly well known and most evidence comes from simple observation instead of more controlled scientific study; but the basic theory is that the same gravitational pull that increases the tides of the ocean at the New and Full Moons also affect the smaller bodies of water including ground water, and moisture residing in the soil. Though unperceivable by humans even continental land masses are said to rise 2 to 3 feet in elevation with the Moon! The highest amount of moisture found in the soil occurs during the New and Full Moons this added moisture allows plants to absorb more water and encourages seeds to germinate. Plants sown under the right phase of the Moon or the right Zodiac sign are healthier plants, more disease and pest resistant and harvests are often quicker and larger and plants don’t bolt and go to seed as fast.The gravitational pulls of the Moon are also said to affect weather patterns as well. Rainfall; tends to follow New and Full Moons. Another factor in gardening by the Moon is the Moon’s increased light. Even this dimmer version of light can increase plant growth
Gardening by the Moon will not only increase your yields and the quality of what you grow but it will aid you in becoming more aware of your garden, your plants growth, and the cycles of the Moon. It will help you forge a deeper connection to nature and a deeper appreciation of the food you consume, it can aid you in becoming more organized and adapt to plan ahead.
All you need to start gardening is a piece of Earth, (a nice pot and a bright window will suffice) something you’d like to grow and a good calendar or Almanac. I suggest either a Farmer’s Almanac, Seasons of the Witch day planner or many of the calendars and almanacs made by Llewellyn. Llewellyn makes figuring out the phases of the Moon and figuring out what zodiac sign the Moon is under easy but placing the symbols for them on the calendar. They also go a step further and have put on their calendar sprouting plants on days that are good to plant on and a sickle for days good to harvest on. Many other calendars can be found and purchased online. Some good websites that have online Lunar calendars are:
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/home_garden/gardening
http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/
http://www.moonconnection.com/
Planting by the Phases of the Moon
The easiest way to garden in alignment with the Moon is to simply go by the Moon’s phases. If you are a fairly aware person, all you will have to do is look out the window to find out what phase the Moon is in. Or you may consult a calendar or go online to http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/ for Moon Phases and Moonrise times. The Moon has 8 stages, New Moon, Waxing Crescent Moon, First Quarter Moon, Waxing Gibbous Moon, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous Moon, Third Quarter Moon, and Waning Gibbous Moon. A good website to visit that shows a detailed diagram of these different stages of the moon is: http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases.phtml. For simplicities sake we will go with the 4 most obvious stages of the Moon. These stages are called quarters, each quarter lasts about a week. The information on these is as follows.
First Quarter Moon: During this phase, the Moon is waxing (growing) from Dark to New and is starting to appear as a small sliver shaped crescent in the sky. The gravitational pull of the Moon is pulling water upwards and is causing seeds to swell and burst. Seeds sown at this time produce balanced root and leaf growth. Plant annuals producing their yield above ground and those that self seed, examples of this are asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cress, dill, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, spinach, strawberries, sunflowers, poppies, annual flowers, cereals, grains , and herbs. Cucumbers are the exception and prefer this phase though they produce their seeds on the inside.
Second Quarter Moon: During this phase , the Moon is Waxing towards Full and appears half Full. The gravitational pull of this Moon is rather low but the increased Moonlight is strong and encourages leaf growth. It is generally a good time for planting crops with internal seeds such as beans, peas, peppers, tomatoes, squash, melons, and fruit trees. This is also a good time to mow your lawn or prune your trees to encourage growth and is also a good time to harvest for juicy, water –filled crops such tomatoes or melons. Do all planting just before or on the Full Moon but not after the Moon begins to wane.
Third Quarter Moon: During this phase, the Moon is Full but waning (decreasing). The gravitational pull of this Moon is high, creating more moisture in the soil, but the Moonlight is decreasing pulling the energies down to the roots. All vegetable root crops such as beets, garlic, ginger, radishes, onions, potatoes, and peanuts, do best when planted during this phase, as well as beautiful flowering bulbs. It is also a good time to transplant biennials and perennials because of the active root growth. Trees, shrubs, and berry bushes also do well if planted at this time. Plants absorb more water during the Full Moon so now would be an ideal time to give them a nice long drink and it is a good time to apply mulch and fertilizer. It is a good time to prune the cut ends will lose less moisture and sap during this phase.
Fourth Quarter: During this phase, the Moon appears half full but is decreasing and moving towards the Dark phase. The gravitational pull and the Moonlight itself are decreased. This phase is a good phase to let the garden rest and be dormant. Do not plant or transplant anything during this phase. instead it is time to attend to your garden chores such as cultivating, pulling weeds, destroying pests, cleaning and repairing tools, and harvesting. It is an especially good time for harvesting roots and bulbs. This phase is also a good time to prune and mow to discourage growth. Weeds pulled in this phase or less likely to grow back!
Planting by the Signs of the Zodiac
Many or dare I saw most of you are aware of the 12 signs of the zodiac, most of you have read your daily horoscope, or casted your chart, many of you upon hearing a birthday will be compelled to check what sign that person falls under and if perhaps their sign is compatible with yours. Most are aware of the 30 day stay the Sun makes in each sign. But the Moon has a considerably shorter cycle and stays in one sign for approximately two and a half days. This bodes well as you will not have to wait long to plant your crops or do the corresponding garden chores. The Moon and Sun signs are actually opposite of each other, when the Sun is in Pisces for example the Full Moon will be in Virgo.
The signs of the Zodiac are divided into four Elemental groups, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Signs that are under the influence of Water are generally considered the most fruitful of the signs; these include Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. The Earth signs are also considered fertile signs and are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. These signs are optimal for planting and transplanting and for pruning or cutting back of any sort to encourage growth. The Barren signs of the Zodiac are the Air and Fire signs, under the influence of these signs it is best to cultivate, destroy weeds and pests, harvest and prune or cut back to discourage growth. The Air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. The Fire signs include: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.
The Zodiac signs can be combined with the Lunar phases to produce very effective gardening. For example you may choose to plant your watery, viney vegetables under the sign of Cancer during the Second Quarter to produce extra juicy vegetables. You may wish to transplant under the sign of Pisces during the Third Quarter to produce healthy root growth. You may wish to remove weeds under the most barren sign of the whole zodiac Leo during the Fourth Quarter to ensure that they will not grow back!
Moon in Aries: Ram, Fire, Masculine dry and semi- barren.
This sign is used for destroying weeds and pests as well as cultivating the soil, mowing and pruning to deter growth. This sign is great for harvesting roots fruits and herbs especially or long storage. It is not a good time to plant; plants germinated at this time are bitter tasting and quick to blot. The exception to this is pungent-flavored plants such as garlic, onions, beets and tobacco.
Moon in Taurus: Bull, Earth, Feminine, moist and productive.
Number one sign for planting root crops, also good for all planting and transplanting. Seeds planted in Taurus produce hardy plants with excellent roots, sturdiness and plants that can withstand drought. Sow beautiful flowers, lettuce, cabbage, spinach and similar leafy vegetables. Do not plant ivies or other vines.
Gemini: Twins, Air, Masculine, dry and barren.
Used for destroying weeds and pests. Good sign for mowing, and cultivating. Planting in Gemini will result in long, stringy, weak plants. Do not plant or transplant, the only exception is melons. Gemini is an excellent time for harvesting herb or root crops. It is a good time to cut flowers, as they will last longer and to dry flowers.
Cancer: Crab, Water, feminine, very moist and fruitful.
The most productive sign of the zodiac, Cancer is number one for planting, transplanting, budding, grafting, dividing, starting cuttings and any propagation. Seed planted under Cancer germinate quickly, are strong, can withstand drought and are the hardiest. Cancer is an excellent to plant all viney, watery crops, melons, mosses, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and gourds. It is also a good time for growth-encouraging pruning. Good also for watering and irrigation.
Leo: Lion, Fire, Masculine, dry and barren.
The most barren sign of the zodiac do not plant or transplant anything under this sign. Instead maintain what you have; cultivate, mow, and destroy pests. Weeding and the removal of trees, bushes and roots will be more successful at this time, especially in the fourth quarter. Prune to discourage growth. It is also, good for harvesting fruit and root crops.
Virgo: Virgin, Earth, Feminine, moist and barren.
Virgo is a barren sign good for planning gardens and performing garden chores such as cultivating and killing weeds and pests. Not a good time for planting or transplanting. The only exceptions to the rule is some vines favor this sign as well as iris’s
Libra: Scales, Air, Masculine, moist and semi-fertile.
The Moon in Libra is the best time for planting beautiful, fragrant flowers and herbs. It is also a good time to plant vines, creepers, crawlers and ground covers and root crops. Seeds planted under Libra produce strong pulpy stems and good root growth. Leo is also a good sign for seeding hay, corn, fodder, root crops and lettuce.
Scorpio: Scorpion, Water, Feminine, moist and fruitful.
The second best sign for planting, transplanting and all propagation. Seeds planted under Scorpio will germinate quickly and produce good stem and vine growth, sturdiness and high fruit yield. They may also produce a mass of off shoots and seedlings. Vines, climbers and creepers favor being planted under this sign. Tomatoes like to be transplanted in Scorpio, and it is a good sign for corn and squash. Planting during Scorpio will also bring Winter hardiness and drought resistance. Scorpio is a good sign to plant trees and prune to encourage growth and higher fruit yield. A good sign to fertilize crops and for irrigation
Sagittarius: Archer, Fire, Masculine, dry and barren.
A good sign to cultivate the soil and harvest crops especially fruits and root. Harvesting at this time will ensure that your crops stay fresh during storage. Under the influence of Sagittarius plant only pungent fruits and roots crops, onions, leeks, garlic and potatoes do well and are productive if planted under this sign. Also you can plant hay, maple, and oak and fruit trees. Sagittarius’s energy discourages growth, it’s a good time to cut plants back before putting them to bed
Capricorn: Goat, Earth, Feminine, dry and semi-fertile.
Good sign to plant and transplant root crops, rhizomes, bulbs and stalk crops. Planting under the influence of this sign will encourage strong, cold and drought hardy growth. Capricorn is a good sign for pruning, especially to promote growth; any branches pruned under this sign will grow back stronger than they would initially. It is also a good time for grafting, cultivating and turning the soil and applying fertilizer. Do not weed under this sign
Aquarius: Water bearer, Air, Feminine, barren and dry.
Good sign for cultivating, mowing and killing weeds and pests. Good sign to harvest leaf, stalk, fruit and root crops, especially for storage. Not a good time to sow seeds or transplant. Seeds planted during Aquarius don’t germinate well and will likely rot.
Pisces: Fish. Water, Feminine, Moist and fertile.
Pisces is one of the best signs for planting, transplanting, and propagating. Seeds planted under this sign produce strong deeply penetrating root growth, drought resistance, and a healthy plentiful fruit crop. Best sign for planting and pruning trees and shrubs. Now is the second best time to plant and transplant. Irrigation is also a good task to perform under the influence of Pisces. Not recommended for planting ivies or vines.
Harvesting by the Moon
• Harvest tops, greens and flowers during the Waxing Moon.
• Harvest roots, bulbs or rhizomes when the Moon is waning or dark.
• Harvest early in the day for higher essential oil concentrations, and harvesting in the morning will ensure that the rising sun will close the plants wounds.
• Bark should be taken in the Fall or Early Spring when the plant is dormant. It should be taken when the Moon is decreasing and in the signs of Aries, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius or Aquarius.
• Leaves and flowers for fresh use or freezing should be harvested in mid-morning after the dew has dried. The best times are when the Moon is increasing and in Taurus, Cancer, Libra, Scorpio or Pisces.
• Leaves and flowers to be dried should be gathered in mid-morning after the dew has dried. They should be lifted when the Moon is increasing and near Full in Aries, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius or Aquarius.
• Roots should be harvest in the Fall or early Spring when dormant. They should be lifted when the Moon is increasing and near Full in: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, or Aquarius.
• Seeds should be harvested when they are ripe as possible without falling off the plant. They should be taken the Moon is decreasing and in Aries, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, or Aquarius.
Gardening for the Days of the Week
From A Floral Grimoire Patricia Telesco
*)* Monday: a fruitful day especially for lunar-oriented plants.
*)* Tuesday: a high energy day that will boost the energies in flowers or plants that improve physical vitality or mental keenness,
*)*Wednesday: a creative day, good for spiritually-centered flowers and plants.
*)*Thursday: another high-energy day, suited to flora that augments devotion and tenacity.
*)* Friday: an emotionally warm day, suited to plants that are used in love and fertility magic.
*)* Saturday: sow, harvest, or tend plants on this day that augment transformation, manifestation and/or comprehension.
*)* Sunday: the perfect day to work with solar-oriented flowers and plants.
The Lunar Garden
Another special way to align yourself to the Moon is to create a Lunar garden, this is garden or corner of a garden, that is specifically designed with plants, flowers, herbs, trees and shrubs with the Moon’s energies in mind. This garden can be a very special place to gaze up at the moon, to relax, and let go, to enjoy the night’s energy, to align yourself with the Goddess and to perform Esbat rituals.
First you will need to find a basic plot of land unobscured by trees where you can see the Moon for most of the year. The Moon will rise in different parts of the sky and at different times throughout the year, Do your best to find a spot constantly in the Moon’s light, but do not stress out about it, even if the garden is not immediately in alignment with the Moon the energy will be there and usually the Moon will sweep by even if it is really early in the morning or very late at night.
Next, determine if the area is in bright direct sunlight, semi shade or shade. You will need to think back and consider what kind of light the garden gets throughout the year and plan your garden accordingly, You will also need to consider your hardiness zone and how much moisture your garden will receive naturally and how much you may need to supplement.
Next you need to determine the size and what you’d like the garden to look like. One of my favorite garden designs is a cute crescent Moon shaped border, encircled with bright, white, quartz.. If you do not have room for a garden specifically designed for the Moon simply add some Lunar plants to your existing garden. Or for those who do not have room for a garden or for people who live in apartments you can get large pots, or a series of small pots and a line them on your porch or doorway. Or if all you have is a windowsill you may grow select herbs or substitute houseplants. Choose pots that are white, silver or blue, or spruce up plain terra cotta pots by painting a nighttime/moon motif. You may also wish to add beautiful, crystals, stones and rocks and maybe even a miniature Goddess statue to the pot and place this on your altar when you perform Moon magick.
Other features you may want to consider when creating a Moon garden is adding some sort of Water feature to reflect the Moon’s light and create a peaceful vibe. A pond or a fountain would be wonderful, even a well placed bird bath would work and would help your feathered friends. Other decorations such as witch’s balls would look beautiful as would Goddess and God statues. Now, many garden centered are selling really cute solar lights, in the shapes of gnomes or faeries that may make a nice addition to your garden. You may also wish to set a nice spot in the middle of the garden where you can perform Esbat rituals. Lay stepping stones down, so you have an even footing and add a small altar.
Now, comes the fun part, picking out your plants. When deciding what you would like to grow consider what you like to do. Do you like to cook or perform herbal medicine? If the answer is yes you may wish to start a more vegetable and herbal based garden. Are you a person that loves everything in full bloom? Then you may wish to plant flowers. If you are a person who wants to be surrounded with trees you may wish to plant a grove. Or you can add all these elements together. Gardens can look wonderful even when one adds vegetable and fruit plants. They can add a real uniqueness and interest to your garden.
When planning out your garden variety is key, choose many different sizes, textures, heights and colors of plants. Choose plants with interesting leaves and seed pods, for contrast and Winter interest. Choose tall grasses and broad leafed plants, plant fragrant night blooming flowers, which are usually white in color, to attract the moths that pollinate them, or silvered leaved plants so they may be seen against the contrasting dark.
Also consider the size of each plant you choose, and make sure you have enough room for all and that you are not planting really tall, fast growing plants right next to low, slow growing plants, the larger ones wills shade the other plants ensuring that the smaller plants does not receive enough light. Also, be aware of how invasive and aggressive the plants are, the Artemisia’s in particular are beautiful but aggressive plants. Many have tiny grain sized seeds that can travel all over your yard and spread quickly. With these plants it is hard to tell when they go to seed because their flowers are not very showy so you have to be right on top of them, cutting the flowers back within a few days of their appearance. Also, Artemisia’s do not play well with others; they release a chemical into the soil that inhibits the plants around its growth. This phenomenon is called allelopathy. I have also personally noticed that plants grown near Artemisia’s have a tendency to take on Artemisia’s bitter taste, as well as taking on a similar fragrance.
Go with your instincts and with your wants and needs, let your intuition guide you and plant herbs, flowers, trees, shrubs that call to you and the mirror your spiritual and emotional needs.
Moon Plants:
Flowers: Acanthus, Bleeding Hearts, Camellia, Daisies, Datura, Dog’s Tooth Violet, Dwarf Rock Cress, Forget-Me-Knots, Honesty, Iris, Lily, Lily of the Valley, Loosestrife, Lotus, Lunaria, Narcissus, Nicotiana Tobacco Plant, Orpine, Pearl Trefoil, Phlox, Purslane, Roses, Saxifrage, Snowdrops, Stock Stonecrop, Touchwood, Tuberose, Wallflowers, Water Lilies, White Poppies, Yellow Flag.
Plants: Adder’s Tongue, Club Moss, Cotton, Irish Moss.
Climbing Plants: Angel’s Trumpet, Clematis, Honeysuckle, Climbing Hydrangea, Jasmine, Moonflower, Nightshade, Passionflower, and Wisteria.
Shrubs: Buddleia, Deutzia, Gardenia, Hydrangea, Lilac, Oleander, Philadelphus, Privet, Wintergreen.
Trees: Ash, Aspens, Beech, Elder, Magnolia, Maple, Mesquite, Olive, Palm, Willow.
Fruits and Vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, , Coconut, Cucumbers Grapes, Grapefruit, Gourd Lemon, Lettuce, Melons, , Squashes, Watermelon, Onions, Papaya, Pea, Peach, Potato, Pumpkin, Soy, Turnip, Watercress.
Herbs: Arrach, Betony, Buchu, Calamus, Camphor, Chamomile, Chickweed, Clary sage, Cleavers, Eucalyptus, Horehound, Hyssop, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Mallow, Moonwort, Rosemary, Speedwell, Sweet Cicely, Thyme, Yarrow,
Silver Leaved: Artemisia’s including Dusty Miller, Mugwort, Southernwood and Wormwood, Hostas, Lamb’s Ear, Sedum
Night Blooming: Angel’s Trumpet, Daylilies, Evening Primrose, Four O’clock, Gardenia, Moonflower, Nicotiana Flowering Tobacco, Night Blooming Cereus, Night Blooming Jasmine, Night Phlox, Nottingham Catchfly, Tobacco, Petunia, Soapwort, Yucca.
Water Plants: Water Lily, Lotus, Duckweed,
Lunar Houseplants: African Violet, Aloe Vera, Ferns, Gardenia, Jasmine, Ivy, Orchid, Spider Plant.
Blessing Your Garden
Now, that you have designed your garden and you know the proper days to plant, it is now time to bless your garden. I feel that it is important not to over look this step. This will not only add energy to your garden encouraging a good harvesting and increased growth, but will help you become more aware and spiritually in tune with your garden. Please perform this spell when you have your garden fully prepared for planting. You should have the soil aerated and tilled and should have already added any soil amendments. You may also want to perform this rite after you have actually planted your herbs, flowers and veggies. The blessing can be anything really. A quick prayer of protection and blessing is perfect.
When I bless my garden I wing it. I let my instinct and inspiration guide me, believing that I will know what to do and say. I do however follow a basic pattern. I mentally and physically prepare myself, clear my thoughts and begin walking around my garden. I see and visualize every step I take purifying and blessing the garden I usually do my garden blessing in three parts.
First, I walk slowly around my garden with a watering can full of pure clean, clear water. I continue to walk the boundaries, pouring the water on the ground. This first pass is for purification and removal of negative energies, past failures, insects, mold, fungus, disease and other harm.
Second, I pour a honey, milk mixture in the watering can and I call the Deities, Elements, Elementals, and Ancestors etc. for their help. I ask that they bless this garden with their energies and that they protect the garden from harm. An example goes something like. “I call you Air to come with cleansing breathes and cool winds to sooth the Summer’s scorching. I call you Air bringer of the storms, bringer of the wasps, lady bugs, bees, and butterflies the pollinators and protectors. Please shield this sacred space from destructive winds, hungry birds, aphids, eggwigs and all harmful insects. Blessed be!”
I make a third and final pass again with the honey milk mixture or compost tea and bless the plants I encourage them to grow deep roots, healthy, strong stems and many leaves, flowers and fruits. I bless veggies with nutrition, flowers with beauty and herbs for healing. I raise energy and send it into the soil and every plant. After I am done I offer some food and drink to the Deities, Elements, Elementals, Ancestors etc and I make sure I eat something to ground myself.
Other ingredients that are helpful to use when blessing a garden are powdered eggshells, they add calcium, a vital nutrient for root growth and one easily depleted into the ground. Egg shells also are protective against cutworm and snails; they hate the sharp edges and will not crawl on them. Eggshells will magickally act as a protective barrier for your garden and your plants. An egg shell is surprisingly strong and keeps the baby chick protected from harm while still letting in heat and light.
Coffee grounds are another great ingredient to add to the garden and use to bless the garden, they high in nitrogen and makes for very healthily green plants. Think about how green the world looks and how well your plants grow after a rainstorm, this is because the nitrogen in the air is brought down to the Earth through raindrops. Coffee will magically bring energy and stamina to the garden. It will help the plants work for you. Coffee is also a protective herb. You can use your own grounds or ask a local shop for there’s. They will be more than happy to let you throw away their garbage for them! Sprinkle these ingredients over your garden and imagine a protective barrier around your garden, your plants. See, this barrier protecting against harmful insects, animals and mold, bacteria and viruses.
Now, that you have the desire, knowledge, tools and confidence go out there and begin growing. Growing plants, growing herbs, growing your connection to the Earth and all of Nature and growing your own spirit and self! Blessed be!
Resources:
Moon Magic Lori Reid
Everyday Moon Magic Dorothy Morrison
Bud, Blossom, and Leaf Dorothy orison
The Charmed Garden Diane Morgan
A Floral Grimoire Patricia Telesco
Gardening with Goddess Patricia Telesco
Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs Scott Cunningham
A Wiccan Formulary and Herbal A.J. Drew
Mastering Herbalism Paul Huson
The Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients Lexa Rosean
PaganFM Moon Siren Astrology Kathleen Spitzer
http://corditecountryshownotes.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/gardening-by-the-moon/
http://www.plantea.com/planting-moon-phases.htm
http://www.stariq.com/pagetemplate/article.asp?pageid=1006
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/moongardening
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/868/
http://gardeningbythemoon.com/phases.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Gardening-with-the-Moon-Phases&id=709008
http://moongrow.com/zodiac_sign_gardening/zodiac_gardening_basics.html
http://www.naturealmanac.com/almanac/gardening/moonsigns/planting_signs.html
http://www.lunarorganics.com/moon_gardening_questions.html
http://garybrandastrology.com/articles/Other/GardeningbytheMoon5-1982.html
http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Gardening_and_Moon_Phases
http://www.danthegardener.co.uk/gardeningwiththemoon.htm
http://www.gaias-garden.co.uk/Articles/Friends/gardeningmoon.html
http://www.earthwitchery.com/moongarden.html
http://www.matrifocus.com/BEL05/greenwitch.htm
http://www.gardeningbythemoon.com/lunarfacts.html
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/1956/moongarden.html
http://gardeningbythemoon.com/signs.html
http://kaykeys.net/spirit/earthspirituality/moon/moonseed.html
http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonlif.htm#mlc
http://www.moongrow.com/moon_phase_gardening/gardening_by_moon_phases/second_quarter_moon.html
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/nightblooming
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4dmg/Flowers/night.htm
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/nyerges44.html
http://owlsdaughter.blogspot.com/2009/03/blessings-of-virgo-full-moon.html
Friday, February 19, 2010
Quickening Moon, February
Quickening Moon
Chrisine Moonflower
* Also known as: Disting Moon, Chaste Moon, Ice Moon, Wind Moon, The Storm Moon, Sap Moon, Sugar Moon, Horning Moon, Rowan Moon, Red and Cleansing Moon, Fasting Moon, Candles Moon
* Colors: White, red, gold, purple and light blue
* Scents: Floral scents, Rose, Wisteria, Heliotrope, Cedar, Citrus and spicy warm scents
* Gemstones: Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Jasper, Carnelian, Howlite, Garnet, Bloodstone, Agate, Malachite, Tiger’s Eye, Turquoise,
Trees: Rowan, Myrtle, Laurel, Cedar, Maple
* Gods: Brighid, Aphrodite, Juno Februa, Mars, Selene, Kwan Yin, Buddha, Diana, Lupa, Vesta, Tacita, Terminus, Carista, Demeter, Persephone, Aphrodite, Ganesha
* Herbs: Hyssop, Sage, Myrrh, Nettle, Narcissus, Snowdrop, Hyacinths, Balm of Gilead, Spikenard, Primrose, Bilberries, Meadowsweet, Rose Hips, Lungwort, Yarrow
* Foods: All dairy and grains, and root crops, dried fruits, maple syrup, coconut, palm sugar, sorghum, honey, agave, chocolate, champagne, mead.
* Animals: Birds, Eagle, Chickadee, Otter, Groundhogs.
* Element: Fire
Now, we enter the second month of the Gregorian calendar year known as February, though this was not always so .The Romans for whom the name originates considered February the shortest and last month of the year. February originates from the word Februum which means purification. It may also originate from the name of the Goddess Juno Februa a goddess of love, passion, fertility and marriage as well as from the God Februss a god of the dead and of purification. Februalia was a month long festival based on purification, cleansing, and clearing away of the old. It was times to atone for any wrongdoings, to pray, mediate and make offerings to the Gods. During Februalia grain and salt were scattered about the house and pine boughs were used to sweep the floors clean. You may wish to continue this tradition with a thorough house cleaning, clean not only the physical but the astral, use an herbal based flour wash with sea salt to cleanse. Open the shutters and blinds and let the growing sunlight and air circulate. Leave a lemon cut in half in every room of the house with the intent that it may remove/absorb any negativity .When the lemon begins to dry, brown or rot, it has served its purpose and you may dispose of it. Now, is a good time to go through your clothes, pantry and other area and donate what is not wanted or necessary to charity. Also, it is a good time to go through the pantry and medicine cabinet and through your herbs, oils and natural remedies and dispose or recycle any that are too old and to make a list of ingredients you need to pick up.
Other Roman festivals that occurred during the month were the Terminalia, occurring around February 23; a festival honoring the god Terminus a deity of land boundaries. At this time the head of the household would go out and anoint the boundary stones on his property asking for prosperity and protection for the land and his family. You may wish to continue this tradition by walking your property lines and sprinkling protective herbs, anointing the fences with a blessing, protective oil, or by planting protective crystals or stones around your property or you can make a witches bottles. You may also think about planting a future privacy/protection hedge. It is also a good time to settle disputes, to make friends with your neighbors and to set and honor your personal boundaries,
The Parentalia was held at the full moon of the month of February and was a festival honoring ones parents, family and ancestors. Families would visit their diseased loved ones graves and make offerings. This was a somber remembrance of loved ones and weddings and other celebrations were prohibited. If you would like to continue this tradition visit the graves of your loved ones, decorate their graves and remember them. You may also wish to take a few other decorations to put on the graves of the very old, forgot or damaged stones. Everyone deserves someone to honor and remember them; you may help a lost soul and forgottem more than you know. You can also write and record past stories of the deceased and tell them to the younger members of your family, cook traditional family meals, go to past ancestors favorite places, research your genealogy and get family photos and scrapbooks in order; maybe making digital copies and uploading them to a secure site so they will be preserved and easily shared among family members. It would also be an excellent idea to treat your parents, or grandparents, do something nice for them, take them out to eat or do something with them that they enjoy. Make known and show your appreciation for all they have done for you.
The Lupercalia festival is an ancestor to the modern St. Valentine’s Day. The celebration was held on the 15th of the month. This was a very raucous festival, whose activities brought purification, health and fertility to the city of Rome and to its participants. The celebrants would start at Palatine Hill where the twins Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of the city were said to have settled. Offerings of corn cakes from the first harvested grain of last year harvest were offered along with a dog and a goat. The skin of the goat was then worn by the young men, priests of Faunas, and the goat skin were made into whips. The young men would run the boundary of this city lightly whipping the people them came across, driving away evil and bestowing fertility. Women who wished to get pregnant were said to strip all or most of their clothes off to give these young men a better shot. There was also a matchmaking lottery, where available maidens names were placed in a box and drawn out by young, single men, the man would consider this young women his love for the duration of the festival, and maybe even a little longer if he choose.
Another holiday you may wish to incorporate into your calendar is the celebration of the Chinese New Year; it typically falls between January 21st and February 20th. It falls the first day of the new moon when the sun is in the sign Aquarius and ends with the Full Moon and the Lantern Festival. Celebrations typically last for two weeks but can last up to a month. The Chinese assign a different animal for each year in their twelve year cycle; their calendar is based on the Lunar year as opposed to the solar. Every year is assigned an animal name or “sign,” according to this repeating cycle of: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse Sheep, Monkey Rooster, Dog, and Boar. According to Chinese legend the Jade Emperor, (the Buddha,) invited all the animals on the planet to join him for a New Year’s celebration but only 12 animals showed up. To reward the animals that did come he named a year after each of them in the order that they arrived. Another version of this myth says that the 12 animals were arguing over who was to head the cycle of years. The Gods decided that this was to be determined by a contest. Whoever reached the opposite bank of the river first would start it and those that followed would receive their years in order. All twelve animals jumped in the river and began swimming, unknown to the Ox the Rat had jumped on his back and was getting a free ride. As the Ox reached the shore the Rat jumped off and won the race, and became the animal to start the cycle.
Before the New Year is to begin it traditional that Chinese families do a thorough cleaning of the house, doing this is said to clear out any bad luck and energies of the old year. All cleaning must be done before the New Year begins so that you do not, sweep, throw, or wash away any luck from the New Year. This also applies to bathing, cutting ones hair, or buying new clothes. At midnight all the doors and windows of the house are flung open to let the old year out and the New Year in. It is said that whatever happens on New Year day sets the tone for the entire year. Therefore debts would be paid, bad language and unlucky words avoided, and death and the past year was not mentioned. Chinese families decorate and wear reds to ward off evil influences and spirits and bring luck into their lives they also decorate their house with the word fu, which translates to luck and happiness. They bring flowers into the house as a reminder of the upcoming Spring and new beginnings. A large meal is also eaten with family consisting of eight dishes, eight being considered a lucky number. Some popular foods that are eaten are: dumplings for prosperity, oranges to represent completeness and wholeness and noodles served to symbolized long life. Animals and Ancestors were honored and sticky, sweet rice cakes were offered to the kitchen God Tsa0-Wang. The festival concluded at the Full Moon with the Lantern Festival. Families lit lanterns which symbolized the brightness of Spring and hung them throughout their house, attracting good luck and averting disaster.
The Full Moon of February is called the Quickening Moon for it is at this time that you begin to feel l the quickening of life. In the past before pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, the stage in pregnancy where the mother begins to feel the child inside her move was called the Quickening. This is when the pregnancy and the child inside really begins to feel “real”. This was the time when aborting the child was not considered as the child was considered alive, it was also a safer time when families could announce that they were expecting. Like all Mothers, Nature is beginning to feel the Quickening as well. The Sun shines brightly when it is not obscured by storm clouds and the world begins to unthaw. Herbs not content to be locked up under frozen grounds begin to emerge from the soil; their green shoots and leaves can be seen poking through ice, encrusted snow and last year’s growth. Some self seeding plants emerge small and fragile; and buds begin to form and swell on the trees. Birds flock together, on bare skeletal branches singing strange, squawking songs and scavenging for food. Some animals begin to emerge from their deans and exhibit behaviors suggesting boredom and an acute case of Spring Fever. Some animals may even be giving birth. The Human animal also emerges from its cave and dean seeking out others and feeling the need to gather in celebration and community. We all feel the drive to clean, to make ready, to be creative, to craft and to begin looking towards Spring’s planting and Summer activity and trips. We also think about the direction our life is going and we find the desire and energy to move forward, suddenly our goals that seemed so impossible before seems more accomplishable and we move forward towards achieving them. Now is the time to work towards you personal growth, to purify yourself of any past failures and anything that may have held you back. Now is the time heal for past hurts, forgive others and yourself Now is the time to make sure that your plans are well rooted and have a good foundation. Now is the time for spiritual and physical growth. It is a perfect time for initiations or dedications, or rededications and for making good on past, failed promises.
The February Moon is also called the Chaste Moon because “all of nature at this moment is pure potential waiting to be full fulfilled.” http://www.witchway.net/moon/mfull.html. Now, is the time of the Maiden, a woman complete in herself, of all possibilities and full of promise. Now, is a time of newness and simple joy. Allow yourself to feel pleasure in the little things, make time for yourself and do what you like to do, especially those pursuits you liked as a child, now is the perfect time to honor your inner child. Give in to jolts of the imagination, write, pretend, color, paint, create. It is also a great time to give to children’s charities, to host a toy drive. Now, is the time to simplicity, to purify and make room for the new. It is also a good time to go through your financials, to evaluate your spending and eliminate unnecessary costs. Another fun activity may be to host a community garage sale/swap, though you may wish to wait until warmer weather. You may wish to begin planning and planting the seed. A book swap is also a good idea and can be done indoors, have people bring books that no longer serve them and have them swap them out for books that do. If there is any left and those participating do not want them back give them to a shelter or other charity.
This Moon is also called the Sap Moon because the sap is starting to run in to the trees, if you look closely you can see the buds forming and starting to swell. In the Eastern United States Sugar Maple sap runs from the first thaw until the buds appear, a period of 4-6 weeks, now is the times when they would tap the trees and beginning turning the sap from a watery , clear substance into a syrup or a sugar thus the name Sugar Moon. The indigenous people of the Chippewa, Abenaki, Mi’kmag, Passamaquody, Penobscot, Potawatomi, and Iroquois would drink the fresh sap as a Spring tonic and used it to make vinegar. Maple syrup was an important source of carbohydrate, flavor and nutrition at this cold time of the year to the indigenous people and the homesteaders alike. If the Full Moon falls towards the end of the month you may wish to host a Sap Moon celebration where participants drum to awaken the Earth, and to raise the sap from the roots and into the bark and limbs of the trees. This will also have the affect of waking you from Winter’s long rest and setting you to a course of growth and action.
This Moon is a great time to revisit and renew your New Year’s Resolutions especially if it pertains to being more health conscious and losing weight. Refine your diet and maybe cut some more harmful ingredients such as refined sugar and flour, unhealthy fats out and replace them with healthier more nutritious choices. Make small steps, replace the ingredients slowly and experiment, do not look at this as a loss or a chore but a learning adventure. Replace refined white sugar with honey, molasses, agave nectar or Maple syrup. Eat yogurt flavored with fresh or frozen fruits and flavored with honey, (commercial yogurts contain high levels of high fructose corn syrup) instead of ice cream and sugary desserts. Eat dried sweet fruits instead of candy and consume dark chocolate instead of milk. If you need something sweet and chocolaty and nothing but a cookie will do try making a healthier version containing ingredients like dark chocolate, nuts, oats flax seed and wheat flour. Eat lightly salted and buttered popcorn instead of chips or do one better and cook up a bowl of whole soy bean pods, lightly salt them and crack them eating the beans inside like you would sunflower seeds. You can replace high calorie soda and coffee (lattes and such) with natural fruit juices and herbal teas. Roasted Dandelion and Chicory Root mimic coffees roasted flavor and make excellent coffee substitutes, they are also a great Spring tonic and help detoxify and strengthen the liver. Drinking Green Tea or Yerbe Matte will give you the caffeine boost and will help you lose weight. Yerbe Matte is very high in caffeine and is a diuretic like coffee and will curve cravings for sweets. Herbal teas containing flowers or fruit pieces, sweetened with honey or agave nectar will help your cravings for soda.
So go create, explore, celebrate and enjoy the energy of pure potential of this life filled Moon!
Grandmother Moon, ZSuzsanna E. Budapest
Wheel of the Year, Pauline Campanelli
Moon Magic, DJ Conway
Everyday Moon Magic, Dorothy Morrison
Full Moon Feast , Jessica Prentice
Hedge Witch, Silver Ravenwolf
Wiccan Spell a Night, Strona Knight
Seasons of the Sun, Patricia Telesco
Candlemas, Amber K and Azrael Arynn K.
http://crunchy.blogsome.com/2005/03/11/the-quickening-moon/
http://www.modernfaerie.com/?p=39
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=3415783&blogId=469544998
http://brighterblessings.co.uk/articles/stormchastemoon.htm
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/moonphasemagic/g/QuickeningMoon.htm
http://www.paranormaltours.com/information_detail.php?id=134
http://cauldron.wisefoodways.com/2004/m02_sap_moon.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_moon#Full_moon_names
http://pagan-magic.co.uk/shop/article_info.php/esbat-herbs-moons-a-395
http://www.joellessacredgrove.com/Holidays/esbats.html
http://pagan-wiccan-practice.suite101.com/article.cfm/how-to-celebrate-februarys-full-moon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February
http://blog.seattlepi.com/angtime/archives/130766.asp
http://www.thaliatook.com/OGOD/februtis.html
http://www.witchology.com/contents/february/calendar.php
http://www.reclaimingquarterly.org/85/rq-85-fasting.html
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/imbolcfebruary2/p/Februalia.htm
http://dianasmuse.blogspot.com/2007/01/somber-events-of-february.html
http://www.meridiangraphics.net/lupercalia.htm
http://holidays.kaboose.com/what-is-chinese-new-year.html
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/chinesenewyear1.html
http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/zodiac.html
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/chinese_new_year.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantern_Festival
Chrisine Moonflower
* Also known as: Disting Moon, Chaste Moon, Ice Moon, Wind Moon, The Storm Moon, Sap Moon, Sugar Moon, Horning Moon, Rowan Moon, Red and Cleansing Moon, Fasting Moon, Candles Moon
* Colors: White, red, gold, purple and light blue
* Scents: Floral scents, Rose, Wisteria, Heliotrope, Cedar, Citrus and spicy warm scents
* Gemstones: Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Jasper, Carnelian, Howlite, Garnet, Bloodstone, Agate, Malachite, Tiger’s Eye, Turquoise,
Trees: Rowan, Myrtle, Laurel, Cedar, Maple
* Gods: Brighid, Aphrodite, Juno Februa, Mars, Selene, Kwan Yin, Buddha, Diana, Lupa, Vesta, Tacita, Terminus, Carista, Demeter, Persephone, Aphrodite, Ganesha
* Herbs: Hyssop, Sage, Myrrh, Nettle, Narcissus, Snowdrop, Hyacinths, Balm of Gilead, Spikenard, Primrose, Bilberries, Meadowsweet, Rose Hips, Lungwort, Yarrow
* Foods: All dairy and grains, and root crops, dried fruits, maple syrup, coconut, palm sugar, sorghum, honey, agave, chocolate, champagne, mead.
* Animals: Birds, Eagle, Chickadee, Otter, Groundhogs.
* Element: Fire
Now, we enter the second month of the Gregorian calendar year known as February, though this was not always so .The Romans for whom the name originates considered February the shortest and last month of the year. February originates from the word Februum which means purification. It may also originate from the name of the Goddess Juno Februa a goddess of love, passion, fertility and marriage as well as from the God Februss a god of the dead and of purification. Februalia was a month long festival based on purification, cleansing, and clearing away of the old. It was times to atone for any wrongdoings, to pray, mediate and make offerings to the Gods. During Februalia grain and salt were scattered about the house and pine boughs were used to sweep the floors clean. You may wish to continue this tradition with a thorough house cleaning, clean not only the physical but the astral, use an herbal based flour wash with sea salt to cleanse. Open the shutters and blinds and let the growing sunlight and air circulate. Leave a lemon cut in half in every room of the house with the intent that it may remove/absorb any negativity .When the lemon begins to dry, brown or rot, it has served its purpose and you may dispose of it. Now, is a good time to go through your clothes, pantry and other area and donate what is not wanted or necessary to charity. Also, it is a good time to go through the pantry and medicine cabinet and through your herbs, oils and natural remedies and dispose or recycle any that are too old and to make a list of ingredients you need to pick up.
Other Roman festivals that occurred during the month were the Terminalia, occurring around February 23; a festival honoring the god Terminus a deity of land boundaries. At this time the head of the household would go out and anoint the boundary stones on his property asking for prosperity and protection for the land and his family. You may wish to continue this tradition by walking your property lines and sprinkling protective herbs, anointing the fences with a blessing, protective oil, or by planting protective crystals or stones around your property or you can make a witches bottles. You may also think about planting a future privacy/protection hedge. It is also a good time to settle disputes, to make friends with your neighbors and to set and honor your personal boundaries,
The Parentalia was held at the full moon of the month of February and was a festival honoring ones parents, family and ancestors. Families would visit their diseased loved ones graves and make offerings. This was a somber remembrance of loved ones and weddings and other celebrations were prohibited. If you would like to continue this tradition visit the graves of your loved ones, decorate their graves and remember them. You may also wish to take a few other decorations to put on the graves of the very old, forgot or damaged stones. Everyone deserves someone to honor and remember them; you may help a lost soul and forgottem more than you know. You can also write and record past stories of the deceased and tell them to the younger members of your family, cook traditional family meals, go to past ancestors favorite places, research your genealogy and get family photos and scrapbooks in order; maybe making digital copies and uploading them to a secure site so they will be preserved and easily shared among family members. It would also be an excellent idea to treat your parents, or grandparents, do something nice for them, take them out to eat or do something with them that they enjoy. Make known and show your appreciation for all they have done for you.
The Lupercalia festival is an ancestor to the modern St. Valentine’s Day. The celebration was held on the 15th of the month. This was a very raucous festival, whose activities brought purification, health and fertility to the city of Rome and to its participants. The celebrants would start at Palatine Hill where the twins Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of the city were said to have settled. Offerings of corn cakes from the first harvested grain of last year harvest were offered along with a dog and a goat. The skin of the goat was then worn by the young men, priests of Faunas, and the goat skin were made into whips. The young men would run the boundary of this city lightly whipping the people them came across, driving away evil and bestowing fertility. Women who wished to get pregnant were said to strip all or most of their clothes off to give these young men a better shot. There was also a matchmaking lottery, where available maidens names were placed in a box and drawn out by young, single men, the man would consider this young women his love for the duration of the festival, and maybe even a little longer if he choose.
Another holiday you may wish to incorporate into your calendar is the celebration of the Chinese New Year; it typically falls between January 21st and February 20th. It falls the first day of the new moon when the sun is in the sign Aquarius and ends with the Full Moon and the Lantern Festival. Celebrations typically last for two weeks but can last up to a month. The Chinese assign a different animal for each year in their twelve year cycle; their calendar is based on the Lunar year as opposed to the solar. Every year is assigned an animal name or “sign,” according to this repeating cycle of: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse Sheep, Monkey Rooster, Dog, and Boar. According to Chinese legend the Jade Emperor, (the Buddha,) invited all the animals on the planet to join him for a New Year’s celebration but only 12 animals showed up. To reward the animals that did come he named a year after each of them in the order that they arrived. Another version of this myth says that the 12 animals were arguing over who was to head the cycle of years. The Gods decided that this was to be determined by a contest. Whoever reached the opposite bank of the river first would start it and those that followed would receive their years in order. All twelve animals jumped in the river and began swimming, unknown to the Ox the Rat had jumped on his back and was getting a free ride. As the Ox reached the shore the Rat jumped off and won the race, and became the animal to start the cycle.
Before the New Year is to begin it traditional that Chinese families do a thorough cleaning of the house, doing this is said to clear out any bad luck and energies of the old year. All cleaning must be done before the New Year begins so that you do not, sweep, throw, or wash away any luck from the New Year. This also applies to bathing, cutting ones hair, or buying new clothes. At midnight all the doors and windows of the house are flung open to let the old year out and the New Year in. It is said that whatever happens on New Year day sets the tone for the entire year. Therefore debts would be paid, bad language and unlucky words avoided, and death and the past year was not mentioned. Chinese families decorate and wear reds to ward off evil influences and spirits and bring luck into their lives they also decorate their house with the word fu, which translates to luck and happiness. They bring flowers into the house as a reminder of the upcoming Spring and new beginnings. A large meal is also eaten with family consisting of eight dishes, eight being considered a lucky number. Some popular foods that are eaten are: dumplings for prosperity, oranges to represent completeness and wholeness and noodles served to symbolized long life. Animals and Ancestors were honored and sticky, sweet rice cakes were offered to the kitchen God Tsa0-Wang. The festival concluded at the Full Moon with the Lantern Festival. Families lit lanterns which symbolized the brightness of Spring and hung them throughout their house, attracting good luck and averting disaster.
The Full Moon of February is called the Quickening Moon for it is at this time that you begin to feel l the quickening of life. In the past before pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, the stage in pregnancy where the mother begins to feel the child inside her move was called the Quickening. This is when the pregnancy and the child inside really begins to feel “real”. This was the time when aborting the child was not considered as the child was considered alive, it was also a safer time when families could announce that they were expecting. Like all Mothers, Nature is beginning to feel the Quickening as well. The Sun shines brightly when it is not obscured by storm clouds and the world begins to unthaw. Herbs not content to be locked up under frozen grounds begin to emerge from the soil; their green shoots and leaves can be seen poking through ice, encrusted snow and last year’s growth. Some self seeding plants emerge small and fragile; and buds begin to form and swell on the trees. Birds flock together, on bare skeletal branches singing strange, squawking songs and scavenging for food. Some animals begin to emerge from their deans and exhibit behaviors suggesting boredom and an acute case of Spring Fever. Some animals may even be giving birth. The Human animal also emerges from its cave and dean seeking out others and feeling the need to gather in celebration and community. We all feel the drive to clean, to make ready, to be creative, to craft and to begin looking towards Spring’s planting and Summer activity and trips. We also think about the direction our life is going and we find the desire and energy to move forward, suddenly our goals that seemed so impossible before seems more accomplishable and we move forward towards achieving them. Now is the time to work towards you personal growth, to purify yourself of any past failures and anything that may have held you back. Now is the time heal for past hurts, forgive others and yourself Now is the time to make sure that your plans are well rooted and have a good foundation. Now is the time for spiritual and physical growth. It is a perfect time for initiations or dedications, or rededications and for making good on past, failed promises.
The February Moon is also called the Chaste Moon because “all of nature at this moment is pure potential waiting to be full fulfilled.” http://www.witchway.net/moon/mfull.html. Now, is the time of the Maiden, a woman complete in herself, of all possibilities and full of promise. Now, is a time of newness and simple joy. Allow yourself to feel pleasure in the little things, make time for yourself and do what you like to do, especially those pursuits you liked as a child, now is the perfect time to honor your inner child. Give in to jolts of the imagination, write, pretend, color, paint, create. It is also a great time to give to children’s charities, to host a toy drive. Now, is the time to simplicity, to purify and make room for the new. It is also a good time to go through your financials, to evaluate your spending and eliminate unnecessary costs. Another fun activity may be to host a community garage sale/swap, though you may wish to wait until warmer weather. You may wish to begin planning and planting the seed. A book swap is also a good idea and can be done indoors, have people bring books that no longer serve them and have them swap them out for books that do. If there is any left and those participating do not want them back give them to a shelter or other charity.
This Moon is also called the Sap Moon because the sap is starting to run in to the trees, if you look closely you can see the buds forming and starting to swell. In the Eastern United States Sugar Maple sap runs from the first thaw until the buds appear, a period of 4-6 weeks, now is the times when they would tap the trees and beginning turning the sap from a watery , clear substance into a syrup or a sugar thus the name Sugar Moon. The indigenous people of the Chippewa, Abenaki, Mi’kmag, Passamaquody, Penobscot, Potawatomi, and Iroquois would drink the fresh sap as a Spring tonic and used it to make vinegar. Maple syrup was an important source of carbohydrate, flavor and nutrition at this cold time of the year to the indigenous people and the homesteaders alike. If the Full Moon falls towards the end of the month you may wish to host a Sap Moon celebration where participants drum to awaken the Earth, and to raise the sap from the roots and into the bark and limbs of the trees. This will also have the affect of waking you from Winter’s long rest and setting you to a course of growth and action.
This Moon is a great time to revisit and renew your New Year’s Resolutions especially if it pertains to being more health conscious and losing weight. Refine your diet and maybe cut some more harmful ingredients such as refined sugar and flour, unhealthy fats out and replace them with healthier more nutritious choices. Make small steps, replace the ingredients slowly and experiment, do not look at this as a loss or a chore but a learning adventure. Replace refined white sugar with honey, molasses, agave nectar or Maple syrup. Eat yogurt flavored with fresh or frozen fruits and flavored with honey, (commercial yogurts contain high levels of high fructose corn syrup) instead of ice cream and sugary desserts. Eat dried sweet fruits instead of candy and consume dark chocolate instead of milk. If you need something sweet and chocolaty and nothing but a cookie will do try making a healthier version containing ingredients like dark chocolate, nuts, oats flax seed and wheat flour. Eat lightly salted and buttered popcorn instead of chips or do one better and cook up a bowl of whole soy bean pods, lightly salt them and crack them eating the beans inside like you would sunflower seeds. You can replace high calorie soda and coffee (lattes and such) with natural fruit juices and herbal teas. Roasted Dandelion and Chicory Root mimic coffees roasted flavor and make excellent coffee substitutes, they are also a great Spring tonic and help detoxify and strengthen the liver. Drinking Green Tea or Yerbe Matte will give you the caffeine boost and will help you lose weight. Yerbe Matte is very high in caffeine and is a diuretic like coffee and will curve cravings for sweets. Herbal teas containing flowers or fruit pieces, sweetened with honey or agave nectar will help your cravings for soda.
So go create, explore, celebrate and enjoy the energy of pure potential of this life filled Moon!
Grandmother Moon, ZSuzsanna E. Budapest
Wheel of the Year, Pauline Campanelli
Moon Magic, DJ Conway
Everyday Moon Magic, Dorothy Morrison
Full Moon Feast , Jessica Prentice
Hedge Witch, Silver Ravenwolf
Wiccan Spell a Night, Strona Knight
Seasons of the Sun, Patricia Telesco
Candlemas, Amber K and Azrael Arynn K.
http://crunchy.blogsome.com/2005/03/11/the-quickening-moon/
http://www.modernfaerie.com/?p=39
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=3415783&blogId=469544998
http://brighterblessings.co.uk/articles/stormchastemoon.htm
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/moonphasemagic/g/QuickeningMoon.htm
http://www.paranormaltours.com/information_detail.php?id=134
http://cauldron.wisefoodways.com/2004/m02_sap_moon.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_moon#Full_moon_names
http://pagan-magic.co.uk/shop/article_info.php/esbat-herbs-moons-a-395
http://www.joellessacredgrove.com/Holidays/esbats.html
http://pagan-wiccan-practice.suite101.com/article.cfm/how-to-celebrate-februarys-full-moon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February
http://blog.seattlepi.com/angtime/archives/130766.asp
http://www.thaliatook.com/OGOD/februtis.html
http://www.witchology.com/contents/february/calendar.php
http://www.reclaimingquarterly.org/85/rq-85-fasting.html
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/imbolcfebruary2/p/Februalia.htm
http://dianasmuse.blogspot.com/2007/01/somber-events-of-february.html
http://www.meridiangraphics.net/lupercalia.htm
http://holidays.kaboose.com/what-is-chinese-new-year.html
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/chinesenewyear1.html
http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/zodiac.html
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/chinese_new_year.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantern_Festival
Saturday, January 30, 2010
A Moon Poem
Silver Lady
Riding the Sky
Clothed in stark darkness
Or adorned in clouds
That both obscure and illuminate your light
You turn your face, eye to observe all
One Moon’s light blurs,
Becomes three
An eternal triple
A force of tides turning
Churning light
That effects even the most stubborn bodies of Water
White Lady
We rise to meet you
We hold our hand out to reach
You
To cup you in our hands
To draw you down
We drink in your cool, distant, watchful, powerful,
Illuminating presence, essence
You nourish us, filling us, feeding our starving soul
Bathing us in your light, healing our wounds
And words that cut more than any danger
We surrender to your light, your chaos, your madness, you unpredictability
Your lessons and power over our lives
As we rise and fall, as we grow and diminish
Under your ever present light
Moon ride the sky, Moon ride our bodies
Moon ride our minds, Moon ride our souls
Take us in your arms, embrace us
As we embrace you
Blessed be!
Riding the Sky
Clothed in stark darkness
Or adorned in clouds
That both obscure and illuminate your light
You turn your face, eye to observe all
One Moon’s light blurs,
Becomes three
An eternal triple
A force of tides turning
Churning light
That effects even the most stubborn bodies of Water
White Lady
We rise to meet you
We hold our hand out to reach
You
To cup you in our hands
To draw you down
We drink in your cool, distant, watchful, powerful,
Illuminating presence, essence
You nourish us, filling us, feeding our starving soul
Bathing us in your light, healing our wounds
And words that cut more than any danger
We surrender to your light, your chaos, your madness, you unpredictability
Your lessons and power over our lives
As we rise and fall, as we grow and diminish
Under your ever present light
Moon ride the sky, Moon ride our bodies
Moon ride our minds, Moon ride our souls
Take us in your arms, embrace us
As we embrace you
Blessed be!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Full Moon in Leo
Full Moon in Leo
Sun Sign time: July22-August 23
House: 5th House
Ruler: The Sun
Gender: Masculine
Stones: Rock Crystal, Cat's Eye, Garnet, Ruby, Gold, Diamond, Sunstone, Opal, Citrine, Amber, Garnet, Peridot, Rhodochrosite, Onyx, Petrified Wood, Golden Quartz, Tourmaline, Sardonyx
Scents: Frankincense, Myrrh, Juniper, Neroli, Bay, Rosemary, Cinnamon, Basil, Ginger, Citrus, dragon’s Blood
Colors: Reds, Oranges, Yellows, Golds.
Gods: Helios, Apollo, Artemis, Hercules, Mithras, Cybele, Ra, Osiris, Sekhmet, Marduk, Nergal, Yaghuth, all Sun Gods & Goddesses,
Symbol: The Lion
The most fiery, solar sign of the whole zodiac, Leo joins the Moon in a perfect Yin-Yang balance; a balance of darkness and light, of Masculine and Feminine and of action and introspection. Leo brings new strength, vitality, warmth and energy to the Moon.
The symbol for Leo is said to represent several things, some say it is the curved tail of the Lion, some say it represents the two valves of the human heart, a part of the body Leo rules. Some say it is two incomplete circles of the Sun joined by a crescent Moon symbolizing power derived from both intellect and emotions. The pictograph is also the Greek symbol for the first letter of Leo.
Leo is the sign of the Lion, a truly powerful and magickal creature, Lions are fierce, and regal, they are guardians, protectors and hunters. Lions represent strength, courage, royalty, authority and power. Lions are one of the only animals in the feline family to live in groups called prides. These are tightly knit communities, with a definite and designed social structure. The females hunt and provide for the pride, and will even help raise other lionesses cubs. The males typically are clumsy hunters but do roar to panic their prey and lore them to the waiting lionesses. The males however are the first to feast upon the kill. Male Lions are the protectors and defends of the pride. Lions can teach us not only to rule our little part of the world, but teach us lessons in issues dealing with the community and your place in a group.
There are many lions in popular tales and mythology, the Lion drew the chariot of the Sun, The Goddess Cybele rode lions, and Artemis held a lion by its paws. The lion is a symbol of many royal families and is a symbol overnight for many nations and even greets us during the opening credits when we watch a movie. It is an important emblem for our times and that of the ancients.
The first of the 12 labors of Hercules was to bring King Eurystheus the skin of an invulnerable lion that terrorized the area around Nemea. He found this a daunting task, for he could not kill the lion with any of his weapons, instead he had to fight the animal with his brute strength and bare hands. After a long battle he succeeded in strangling the creature and using its own claws to cut the pelt from the animal and from it he fashioned a cloak that would protect him from all danger He also used the Lions head as a helmet, From that point the fierce Nemean lion skin became a powerful icon of Hercules’s strength and power.
Egyptians believed that the lion presided over the annual floods of the Nile and used statues and portraits on or above the gates of their temples to guard them. A lion with a Sun disk represented the God Ra and when it was a lion with a crescent it represented the God Osiris.
Sekhmet a powerful war goddess was depicted as a fierce lioness; or as a woman with a lion’s head and a woman’s body, she was dressed in red clothing, the color of blood.”Tame,” lions were kept at her temples. She is a perfect symbol of the feminine powers of the Sun, her breath was said to have created the desert and she shot fiery arrows at her or the pharaoh’s enemies. She brought death; destruction and disease as away to cleanse purify and destroy evil and right wrongs. She could also cure and protect against these ailments and she is a patron Goddess of physicians and surgeons. She is a protector of women and ruled over the menstrual cycle. Her feasts day coincided closely to the change of seasons and the flooding of the Nile. This indicated that cooler weather was ahead, as well as the promise of renewed life. This is perhaps connected to the myth of Sekhmet’s homicidal rampage to avenge Ra and her soothing. The peoples of Egypt had insulted and angered and even threatened to overthrow Ra, so he sent Sekhmet to avenge him. She was an excellent warrior but became enrage and intoxicated with bloodlust. She drank the blood of her victims and killed both the innocent and guilty. So much blood poured from her victims that the soil turned red. Ra seeing the destruction tried to stop her and tell her that was enough, that she had down a good job and he was satisfied, but to no avail. He devised a plan to get Sekhmet drunk; he infused wine or ale with herbs and pomegranate juice to look like blood and filled the Nile River with it. Sekhmet thinking it was blood drank and drank deeply and became intoxicated and soothed. She no longer was full of rage but was transformed into the mother Goddess Hathor. Sekhmet is the perfect symbol of a maternal figure with a great capacity for violence. Think of what a woman will endure to protect their children and think about the great rage and power than can overcome them when one harms or wrongs their children. Some see the lion as a reflection of feminine energies of creativity, intuition, and imagination and a model to use for a powerful, strong female leader.
Just like a Pride of Lions humans may feel the desire for companionship at this time. This Moon is a social Moon and not one to be faced alone. Surround yourself with friends and family, throw a party, especially one that leads towards the extravagant, and make it a truly elegant, black tie affair. This Moon lends itself well to forming and strengthening friendships. It is also a perfect time to draw near to you a new love or to bring back the spark in a relationship that may have cooled. It is the perfect time to lavish gifts upon your partner and to plan a romantic dinner or getaway. The Leo Moon is a perfect time to travel and to plan vacations. Scheduling a vacation at this time will not only ensure that the trip is rewarding but that it is packed with long lasting memories.
In business this is an excellent time to grow some balls and exhort yourself, it is a good time to ask for a raise or apply for a managerial position. Managers and bosses can use the natural leadership skills, and charisma of Leo to help them form a closer, more personal, more pack like atmosphere. She or he may want to encourage closeness by having her or his employees engage in out of the ordinary, fun and creative activities. It is a good time to recognize employee’s efforts and reward their abilities. It is a good time to encourage your employees to bring their special talents to the workplace. It is also a good time for speculation and investing, and signing contracts. Public speaking opportunities will go well and be well received. People in powerful situations do however need to avoid the temptation of becoming too self-centers and selfish, or becoming overbearing and know-it-all-ish.
The Leo Moon is a great time to do magick to draw a large sum of necessary money to you and can be a good time to ask for loans. Prosperity and abundance spells work well under this Moon. The Leo Moon is also a good time to sell a house for a profit or to lease or rent a property. Performing basic maintenance around the house and to redecorating will also go well under a Leo Moon. Leo is a sign of luxury and buying luxury items is appropriate at this time, jewelry, rings, designer clothes, silks, lingerie, theater tickets, champagne, caviar etc. Treat yourself you are worth it. You may be able to find some great deals at this time, but make sure to plan ahead, save your money and do not over do it. The Leo Moon also lends great energy for risky gambling ventures, buy a lottery ticket or play the slots.
The Leo Moon is a great time when one can become a leader, not a follower and truly change the world. It is a time to be generous to and thoughtful of others, and to bring about positive social change. It is also a good time for protection spells for our world leader and to ask the Universe to bless them with the knowledge and ability to use their power and influence, ethically, sanely and responsibly. Leo’s energy can also be used for binding spells. The Lion is a symbol of Justice so spells dealing with justice, knowing what is a just and fair action and legal issues work well at this time.
The sign of Leo is a confident, and self aware, it knows its strength and is proud of them and is proud to be who he is. He is not afraid of being noticed and not afraid to shine like the Sun that fuels him. Eternally powerful and confident, he can accomplish anything he sets his mind to and thrives to be the best he can be. Leo asks you to join him in his confidence, his energy, and his light. He asks you to banish all self doubt, to stop cowering in the shadows and to step into the light and be noticed, praised and adored. Do not shy away from complements and do not shy away from being proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Do not be afraid of being noticed but relish in it. Our society teaches us, that though we are special and unique, that we should strive to be ordinary and to fit into a certain mold or box. And if we stray, we will face harsh criticism and lose friends. If we are proud and confident then we are conceded, narcissistic and in love with yourself. If we have big hopes and dreams then we are being childish and unrealistic.
Now, is the time to be in love with yourself, now is the time to rejoice in just being who you are. Now, is the time to just do something for yourself, to visit a spa, to be pampered, to get a manicure, pedicure, to eat your favorite foods, to read your favorite books, to watch your favorite movies, to take a long candle lit bath, and just rejoice in the pleasures of relaxation. Now is the time to dress to stand out, to wear things that you may not have dared, that may be a bit flashy, reds, oranges, yellows and gold are particularly appropriate. Wear your fine jewelry; wear sunny stones such as Diamonds, Amber, Citrine, Sunstone, Opal, Garnet and Ruby. Anoint yourself in citrus, spicy, and/or warm scents, and/or buy yourself a bottle of your favorite perfume. Find ways to indulge in your favorite hobby, be creative and artistic, write, paint, dance, cook, participate in theatre, show off, and express yourself. Work on developing your personal skills and talents. Self edit less and talk more honestly, freely and openly.
A ritual that would be great for Leo would be to take some fine quality, brightly colored paper, and write down a list of things that define you, things that you are proud of, list your special talents and your accomplishments. Do not be shy or hold back, but let it flow freely. You are not being conceded just proud of who you are. When you are done read the list either silently or aloud and relish in your many wonderful qualities, this is you. Anoint the list with some Rose oil, some perfume, or other scents and maybe perform a self blessing ritual and either hang this list up, proudly displayed or put it somewhere, where you may find it when you truly need to remind yourself how awesome you really are.
You can also choose to turn this into a creative collage with letters, words, and phrases from magazines, and pictures of yourself, or things that represent qualities in yourself that you like arranged in a collage. You can write these qualities into a poem, a love poem to yourself. You can paint a self portrait with words or symbols to represent these qualities. You can sing yourself a song, or weave yourself a nice blanket or socks infused in this energy. Go with what your heart tells you to do and make the activity enjoyable.
This Leo Moon take some time to rejoice in playfulness and the pure joy of living, connect with your inner child and do things that you enjoyed as a child; (even if this is as seemingly silly as swinging or drawing with sidewalk chalk,) do it! Rejoice and reconnect. Take some extra time to play with, spend time with the children in your life. Honor and learn from them, they are the true spirit of Leo. They are unabashingly honest, they know who they are, they yield to no one’s expectations and aren’t particularly self conscious, they are truly selfish creatures but in the most positive sense of the word. Now, is also a good time to name a child or to make it known to the Universe that you would like to attract one into your life.
The Leo Full Moon is the time to have confidence, trust, and faith, it is the time to be bold and take a risk. Know that you will do well and that you really are the regal, powerful and proud lion. Be optimistic and determined, blast through any limitations and restrictions. Now is the time to completely rejuvenate your life.
Under the Leo’s influence honor your feline friends, appreciate the joy they bring and the lessons they teach. Spend some extra time with them, feed them some of their favorite treats, give them Catnip, and lavish them with attention. You may also wish to give time or money to charities that help conserve and protect wild cat populations or those that wish to reintroduce them to the wild.
Be cautious and aware not to be swept up in the negative sides of Leo avoid being entangled in others drama, avoid bragging about your success, avoid becoming selfish and self indulgent and self centered. Avoid being temperamental, stubborn and avoid manipulating others. And avoid getting cared away, spending too much and being too extravagant.
At the time of the Leo Full Moon be extra aware of the health of your, heart and circulatory system, back, spine, wrist and forearms. Be also aware of contracting diseases and of fevers. Be careful when enjoying yourself not to overindulge. Spend some time Sunbathing and otherwise enjoying the renewing properties of the sun.
In gardening now is the most barren of all the signs, do not plant or transplant, instead focus on tilling up gardens, pruning, trimming, weeding, destroying pests and diseases. It is also a good time to harvest root crops and store them.
Enjoy the Sun pouring down upon you, enjoy the light shining within you and with courage, strength and optimism face and celebrate the Full Moon!
Moon Magic Lori Reid
Praise to the Moon Elen Hawke
Lady of the Night Edain McCoy
Everyday Moon Magic Dorothy Morrison
Sisters of the Dark Moon Gail Wood
The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need Joanna Martine Woolfolk
Grandmother Moon Zsuxsanna E. Budapest
Animal Speak Ed Andrews
Animal Magick DJ Conway
http://astrology.about.com/od/themoon/qt/FullMoonLeo.htm
http://www.novareinna.com/constellation/leomoon.html
http://www.moonsigns.info/moon_signs/moon_in_leo.php http://thespiritualeclectic.wordpress.com/2009/02/08/february-2009-full-snow-moonlunar-eclipse-in-leo-ideas-for-meditations-and-rituals/
http://littlegreenblog.com/mind-and-spirit/moon-astrology/full-moon-leo-ritual/
http://www.starcraftseast.com/html/magical_moon.html
http://www.breathwork.be/Articles/Spirituality/Destiny-Calls-%11-Leo-Full-Moon/
http://www.mooncatsastrology.com/astro/leogirl.htm#leomoonwom
http://astrology.about.com/od/themoon/qt/fullmoonleo09.htm
http://www.bemyastrologer.com/rebecca_brents_new_moon_leo.html
http://www.californiapsychics.com/articles/Features/1076/Full_Moon_In_Leo.aspx
http://planetaryapothecary.com/tag/full-moon/
http://www.stargardening.com/archives/moonwatch0212.htm
http://www.thetrishfrisbieshow.com/leo
http://www.astrosphere.net/pages/archive/ArchivedMoon.aspx?szVar1=moontoday-2004-10-8.htm
http://netnews.helloyou.ch/moonchart/leomed.html
http://insightfuloracle.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/moon-in-leo-2/
http://wisemoon.blogspot.com/2008/01/full-moon-in-leo-22nd-january-2008.html
http://katybugdidit.tripod.com/id64.html
http://www.worldservicegroup.com/archives/ma-leo-2004.html
http://www.angelfire.com/zine/secondsight/moon.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_%28astrology%29
http://www.astrology-online.com/leo.htm
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/lion.html
http://www.orderwhitemoon.org/goddess/Sekhmet.html
Sun Sign time: July22-August 23
House: 5th House
Ruler: The Sun
Gender: Masculine
Stones: Rock Crystal, Cat's Eye, Garnet, Ruby, Gold, Diamond, Sunstone, Opal, Citrine, Amber, Garnet, Peridot, Rhodochrosite, Onyx, Petrified Wood, Golden Quartz, Tourmaline, Sardonyx
Scents: Frankincense, Myrrh, Juniper, Neroli, Bay, Rosemary, Cinnamon, Basil, Ginger, Citrus, dragon’s Blood
Colors: Reds, Oranges, Yellows, Golds.
Gods: Helios, Apollo, Artemis, Hercules, Mithras, Cybele, Ra, Osiris, Sekhmet, Marduk, Nergal, Yaghuth, all Sun Gods & Goddesses,
Symbol: The Lion
The most fiery, solar sign of the whole zodiac, Leo joins the Moon in a perfect Yin-Yang balance; a balance of darkness and light, of Masculine and Feminine and of action and introspection. Leo brings new strength, vitality, warmth and energy to the Moon.
The symbol for Leo is said to represent several things, some say it is the curved tail of the Lion, some say it represents the two valves of the human heart, a part of the body Leo rules. Some say it is two incomplete circles of the Sun joined by a crescent Moon symbolizing power derived from both intellect and emotions. The pictograph is also the Greek symbol for the first letter of Leo.
Leo is the sign of the Lion, a truly powerful and magickal creature, Lions are fierce, and regal, they are guardians, protectors and hunters. Lions represent strength, courage, royalty, authority and power. Lions are one of the only animals in the feline family to live in groups called prides. These are tightly knit communities, with a definite and designed social structure. The females hunt and provide for the pride, and will even help raise other lionesses cubs. The males typically are clumsy hunters but do roar to panic their prey and lore them to the waiting lionesses. The males however are the first to feast upon the kill. Male Lions are the protectors and defends of the pride. Lions can teach us not only to rule our little part of the world, but teach us lessons in issues dealing with the community and your place in a group.
There are many lions in popular tales and mythology, the Lion drew the chariot of the Sun, The Goddess Cybele rode lions, and Artemis held a lion by its paws. The lion is a symbol of many royal families and is a symbol overnight for many nations and even greets us during the opening credits when we watch a movie. It is an important emblem for our times and that of the ancients.
The first of the 12 labors of Hercules was to bring King Eurystheus the skin of an invulnerable lion that terrorized the area around Nemea. He found this a daunting task, for he could not kill the lion with any of his weapons, instead he had to fight the animal with his brute strength and bare hands. After a long battle he succeeded in strangling the creature and using its own claws to cut the pelt from the animal and from it he fashioned a cloak that would protect him from all danger He also used the Lions head as a helmet, From that point the fierce Nemean lion skin became a powerful icon of Hercules’s strength and power.
Egyptians believed that the lion presided over the annual floods of the Nile and used statues and portraits on or above the gates of their temples to guard them. A lion with a Sun disk represented the God Ra and when it was a lion with a crescent it represented the God Osiris.
Sekhmet a powerful war goddess was depicted as a fierce lioness; or as a woman with a lion’s head and a woman’s body, she was dressed in red clothing, the color of blood.”Tame,” lions were kept at her temples. She is a perfect symbol of the feminine powers of the Sun, her breath was said to have created the desert and she shot fiery arrows at her or the pharaoh’s enemies. She brought death; destruction and disease as away to cleanse purify and destroy evil and right wrongs. She could also cure and protect against these ailments and she is a patron Goddess of physicians and surgeons. She is a protector of women and ruled over the menstrual cycle. Her feasts day coincided closely to the change of seasons and the flooding of the Nile. This indicated that cooler weather was ahead, as well as the promise of renewed life. This is perhaps connected to the myth of Sekhmet’s homicidal rampage to avenge Ra and her soothing. The peoples of Egypt had insulted and angered and even threatened to overthrow Ra, so he sent Sekhmet to avenge him. She was an excellent warrior but became enrage and intoxicated with bloodlust. She drank the blood of her victims and killed both the innocent and guilty. So much blood poured from her victims that the soil turned red. Ra seeing the destruction tried to stop her and tell her that was enough, that she had down a good job and he was satisfied, but to no avail. He devised a plan to get Sekhmet drunk; he infused wine or ale with herbs and pomegranate juice to look like blood and filled the Nile River with it. Sekhmet thinking it was blood drank and drank deeply and became intoxicated and soothed. She no longer was full of rage but was transformed into the mother Goddess Hathor. Sekhmet is the perfect symbol of a maternal figure with a great capacity for violence. Think of what a woman will endure to protect their children and think about the great rage and power than can overcome them when one harms or wrongs their children. Some see the lion as a reflection of feminine energies of creativity, intuition, and imagination and a model to use for a powerful, strong female leader.
Just like a Pride of Lions humans may feel the desire for companionship at this time. This Moon is a social Moon and not one to be faced alone. Surround yourself with friends and family, throw a party, especially one that leads towards the extravagant, and make it a truly elegant, black tie affair. This Moon lends itself well to forming and strengthening friendships. It is also a perfect time to draw near to you a new love or to bring back the spark in a relationship that may have cooled. It is the perfect time to lavish gifts upon your partner and to plan a romantic dinner or getaway. The Leo Moon is a perfect time to travel and to plan vacations. Scheduling a vacation at this time will not only ensure that the trip is rewarding but that it is packed with long lasting memories.
In business this is an excellent time to grow some balls and exhort yourself, it is a good time to ask for a raise or apply for a managerial position. Managers and bosses can use the natural leadership skills, and charisma of Leo to help them form a closer, more personal, more pack like atmosphere. She or he may want to encourage closeness by having her or his employees engage in out of the ordinary, fun and creative activities. It is a good time to recognize employee’s efforts and reward their abilities. It is a good time to encourage your employees to bring their special talents to the workplace. It is also a good time for speculation and investing, and signing contracts. Public speaking opportunities will go well and be well received. People in powerful situations do however need to avoid the temptation of becoming too self-centers and selfish, or becoming overbearing and know-it-all-ish.
The Leo Moon is a great time to do magick to draw a large sum of necessary money to you and can be a good time to ask for loans. Prosperity and abundance spells work well under this Moon. The Leo Moon is also a good time to sell a house for a profit or to lease or rent a property. Performing basic maintenance around the house and to redecorating will also go well under a Leo Moon. Leo is a sign of luxury and buying luxury items is appropriate at this time, jewelry, rings, designer clothes, silks, lingerie, theater tickets, champagne, caviar etc. Treat yourself you are worth it. You may be able to find some great deals at this time, but make sure to plan ahead, save your money and do not over do it. The Leo Moon also lends great energy for risky gambling ventures, buy a lottery ticket or play the slots.
The Leo Moon is a great time when one can become a leader, not a follower and truly change the world. It is a time to be generous to and thoughtful of others, and to bring about positive social change. It is also a good time for protection spells for our world leader and to ask the Universe to bless them with the knowledge and ability to use their power and influence, ethically, sanely and responsibly. Leo’s energy can also be used for binding spells. The Lion is a symbol of Justice so spells dealing with justice, knowing what is a just and fair action and legal issues work well at this time.
The sign of Leo is a confident, and self aware, it knows its strength and is proud of them and is proud to be who he is. He is not afraid of being noticed and not afraid to shine like the Sun that fuels him. Eternally powerful and confident, he can accomplish anything he sets his mind to and thrives to be the best he can be. Leo asks you to join him in his confidence, his energy, and his light. He asks you to banish all self doubt, to stop cowering in the shadows and to step into the light and be noticed, praised and adored. Do not shy away from complements and do not shy away from being proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Do not be afraid of being noticed but relish in it. Our society teaches us, that though we are special and unique, that we should strive to be ordinary and to fit into a certain mold or box. And if we stray, we will face harsh criticism and lose friends. If we are proud and confident then we are conceded, narcissistic and in love with yourself. If we have big hopes and dreams then we are being childish and unrealistic.
Now, is the time to be in love with yourself, now is the time to rejoice in just being who you are. Now, is the time to just do something for yourself, to visit a spa, to be pampered, to get a manicure, pedicure, to eat your favorite foods, to read your favorite books, to watch your favorite movies, to take a long candle lit bath, and just rejoice in the pleasures of relaxation. Now is the time to dress to stand out, to wear things that you may not have dared, that may be a bit flashy, reds, oranges, yellows and gold are particularly appropriate. Wear your fine jewelry; wear sunny stones such as Diamonds, Amber, Citrine, Sunstone, Opal, Garnet and Ruby. Anoint yourself in citrus, spicy, and/or warm scents, and/or buy yourself a bottle of your favorite perfume. Find ways to indulge in your favorite hobby, be creative and artistic, write, paint, dance, cook, participate in theatre, show off, and express yourself. Work on developing your personal skills and talents. Self edit less and talk more honestly, freely and openly.
A ritual that would be great for Leo would be to take some fine quality, brightly colored paper, and write down a list of things that define you, things that you are proud of, list your special talents and your accomplishments. Do not be shy or hold back, but let it flow freely. You are not being conceded just proud of who you are. When you are done read the list either silently or aloud and relish in your many wonderful qualities, this is you. Anoint the list with some Rose oil, some perfume, or other scents and maybe perform a self blessing ritual and either hang this list up, proudly displayed or put it somewhere, where you may find it when you truly need to remind yourself how awesome you really are.
You can also choose to turn this into a creative collage with letters, words, and phrases from magazines, and pictures of yourself, or things that represent qualities in yourself that you like arranged in a collage. You can write these qualities into a poem, a love poem to yourself. You can paint a self portrait with words or symbols to represent these qualities. You can sing yourself a song, or weave yourself a nice blanket or socks infused in this energy. Go with what your heart tells you to do and make the activity enjoyable.
This Leo Moon take some time to rejoice in playfulness and the pure joy of living, connect with your inner child and do things that you enjoyed as a child; (even if this is as seemingly silly as swinging or drawing with sidewalk chalk,) do it! Rejoice and reconnect. Take some extra time to play with, spend time with the children in your life. Honor and learn from them, they are the true spirit of Leo. They are unabashingly honest, they know who they are, they yield to no one’s expectations and aren’t particularly self conscious, they are truly selfish creatures but in the most positive sense of the word. Now, is also a good time to name a child or to make it known to the Universe that you would like to attract one into your life.
The Leo Full Moon is the time to have confidence, trust, and faith, it is the time to be bold and take a risk. Know that you will do well and that you really are the regal, powerful and proud lion. Be optimistic and determined, blast through any limitations and restrictions. Now is the time to completely rejuvenate your life.
Under the Leo’s influence honor your feline friends, appreciate the joy they bring and the lessons they teach. Spend some extra time with them, feed them some of their favorite treats, give them Catnip, and lavish them with attention. You may also wish to give time or money to charities that help conserve and protect wild cat populations or those that wish to reintroduce them to the wild.
Be cautious and aware not to be swept up in the negative sides of Leo avoid being entangled in others drama, avoid bragging about your success, avoid becoming selfish and self indulgent and self centered. Avoid being temperamental, stubborn and avoid manipulating others. And avoid getting cared away, spending too much and being too extravagant.
At the time of the Leo Full Moon be extra aware of the health of your, heart and circulatory system, back, spine, wrist and forearms. Be also aware of contracting diseases and of fevers. Be careful when enjoying yourself not to overindulge. Spend some time Sunbathing and otherwise enjoying the renewing properties of the sun.
In gardening now is the most barren of all the signs, do not plant or transplant, instead focus on tilling up gardens, pruning, trimming, weeding, destroying pests and diseases. It is also a good time to harvest root crops and store them.
Enjoy the Sun pouring down upon you, enjoy the light shining within you and with courage, strength and optimism face and celebrate the Full Moon!
Moon Magic Lori Reid
Praise to the Moon Elen Hawke
Lady of the Night Edain McCoy
Everyday Moon Magic Dorothy Morrison
Sisters of the Dark Moon Gail Wood
The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need Joanna Martine Woolfolk
Grandmother Moon Zsuxsanna E. Budapest
Animal Speak Ed Andrews
Animal Magick DJ Conway
http://astrology.about.com/od/themoon/qt/FullMoonLeo.htm
http://www.novareinna.com/constellation/leomoon.html
http://www.moonsigns.info/moon_signs/moon_in_leo.php http://thespiritualeclectic.wordpress.com/2009/02/08/february-2009-full-snow-moonlunar-eclipse-in-leo-ideas-for-meditations-and-rituals/
http://littlegreenblog.com/mind-and-spirit/moon-astrology/full-moon-leo-ritual/
http://www.starcraftseast.com/html/magical_moon.html
http://www.breathwork.be/Articles/Spirituality/Destiny-Calls-%11-Leo-Full-Moon/
http://www.mooncatsastrology.com/astro/leogirl.htm#leomoonwom
http://astrology.about.com/od/themoon/qt/fullmoonleo09.htm
http://www.bemyastrologer.com/rebecca_brents_new_moon_leo.html
http://www.californiapsychics.com/articles/Features/1076/Full_Moon_In_Leo.aspx
http://planetaryapothecary.com/tag/full-moon/
http://www.stargardening.com/archives/moonwatch0212.htm
http://www.thetrishfrisbieshow.com/leo
http://www.astrosphere.net/pages/archive/ArchivedMoon.aspx?szVar1=moontoday-2004-10-8.htm
http://netnews.helloyou.ch/moonchart/leomed.html
http://insightfuloracle.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/moon-in-leo-2/
http://wisemoon.blogspot.com/2008/01/full-moon-in-leo-22nd-january-2008.html
http://katybugdidit.tripod.com/id64.html
http://www.worldservicegroup.com/archives/ma-leo-2004.html
http://www.angelfire.com/zine/secondsight/moon.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_%28astrology%29
http://www.astrology-online.com/leo.htm
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/lion.html
http://www.orderwhitemoon.org/goddess/Sekhmet.html
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