Month: February 2012

Cosmic Calendar for Friday, February 10th

There is an uncommon sense of planetary restlessness going on during this intense void lunar cycle that began yesterday when the Moon in Virgo joined forces with Mars. Before the Moon leaves void mode by entering affable, airy Libra at 11:55AM PST, you need to work with the following aspects – Venus trine Juno in fire signs (1:18AM PST), the Sun moving into an off-kilter, 150-degree link to Mars (3:32AM PST), Mercury forming a caustic, 45-degree tie to Pluto (5:47AM PST), Pallas making a flowing trine to Saturn in air signs (8:56AM PST), and the Moon parallel to Ceres (10:14AM PST). The two challenging alignments – the Sun-Mars and Mercury-Pluto connections – could increase worries and stress across the board. Trying to extinguish their explosive potentials is the trio of favorable link-ups combining Venus with Juno, Pallas with Saturn, and the Moon with Ceres. These three contacts can assist you with improving the rapport with loved ones, problem-solving and strategizing, as well as increasing your all-around productivity in arts, crafts and hobbies. Once the Moon is in Libra (11:55AM PST), treat a friend, relative or significant other to lunch or dinner at a favorite cafe. Visit an art gallery, cultural exhibit, museum or national landmark. Enjoy a night on the town and let the good times roll as the Sun is approaching an inspirational, 72-degree rapport with benevolent Jupiter (forming exactly at 12:03AM PST tomorrow).

Calendar of the Moon for February 10th

Calendar of the Moon

Rowan Tree Moon

Color: Orange-red
Element: Fire
Altar: Upon a cloth of orange-red set a row of red candles, Brigid’s cross, and a bell.
Offerings: Votive candles. Quicken a newborn idea into birth.
Daily Meal: Hot drinks with every meal. Keep food warm.

Luis/Gamelion Invocation

Call: Now is the quickening of the year.
Response: Now is the time of the first movement.
Call: Now the child stirs in the womb.
Response: Now the seed stirs in the earth.
Call: Now the plains flood and our fire is threatened.
Response: Now the cold water drowns our spark.
Call: Now is the time of the hard struggle.
Response: Now is the month of desperation.
Call: Now is the time of desperation to live.
Response: Now is the time of desperation to be born.
Call: We turn in our sleep as the earth turns.
Response: We dream with the sleeping earth.
Call: Each of our dreams is a lit candle in the dark.
Response: Each of our dreams is a single point of hope.
Call: They shine faint and alone in the night of struggle.
Response: They are alone as we are alone.
Call: Yet we are not alone in our dreams.
Response: We are not alone!
Call: We will keep our fires burning.
Response: We will burn against the night!
Call: We will warm our dreams with the force of life.
Response: We will not die alone in the cold!
Call: We will ward off all evil.
Response: Only good shall pass our gates.
Call: We will care for each other.
Response: We will never cease to care!
Call: We will survive the winter.
Response: We will survive!
(Repeat last two lines twice more.)

Chant:
Protect the flame that warms your dreams
And dreams shall never die.

Calendar of the Sun for February 10th

Calendar of the Sun
10 Solmonath

Anahita’s Day

Colors: Black and silver
Element: Air
Altar: Lay a cloth of black studded with silver stars, and on it set many white candles, and a great six-pointed silver star, a chalice of white wine, and a tray of star-shaped cookies.
Offerings: Paper stars written with reasons to hope.
Daily Meal: Star-shaped breads and cakes. Vegetables sliced into stars. Cold raw food.

Invocation to Anahita

Lady of the Morning Star
Who sings us awake
With a song of hope
For the daily road ahead,
Never let us fail
In our ability to keep faith.
Lady of the Evening Star
Who sings us to sleep
With a song of peace
For the nightly struggle,
Never let us fail
In our ability to dream.
Lady of the starry sky
Whose womb birthed the universe
That we might one day come to be,
Never let us fail
In our ability to hope
For the future of this world.

Chant: Ai ya Ai ya Anahita Anahita

(One who is chosen to do the work of the ritual comes forth with the cakes and passes them around, saying, “Taste matter and manifestation.” Then s/he comes forth with the white wine and passes it around, saying, “Taste the spirit that brings it to life.” The rest is given as a libation. Afterwards, all present place their paper stars on the altar and meditate on hope.)

The Wiccan Book of Days for Feb. 10 – Unconventional Uranus

Friday, February 10th – Unconventional Uranus

It is now midway through Uranus’s rule as the planetary governor of the zodiacal month of Aquarius, and its unpredictable, radical, eccentric, and experimental influence may therefore be both especially concentrate and evident in world events. In Roman myth, Uranus (the Greek Ouranos) was the primeval sky God who mated with Gaia (Gaea), or Mother Earth, and fathered everything on Earth, as well as the Titans. He proved a cruel father, though, and at Gaia’s bidding, was therefore eventually rendered impotent by his Titan son, Saturn. The planet Uranus was discovered by William Herschel in 1781, and its sigil is a planetary orb centered on the letter “H.”

“Great Goddess Of Waters”

This is the feast day of the Persian War Goddess Anaitis(also called Anahita and Anat in the Near East), who was also linked with female fertility. Honor her by offering a libation of water collected from a natural flowing source.

Today’s Affirmation, Thought & Meditation for Feb. 10th

You Are Special Pictures, Images, Comments, Graphics
Today’s Affirmation for Friday, February 10th

“As I begin to explore new territories of the self, the shell of my false self-image begins to fracture under the pressure of my growth. I emerge – a newly hatched chick. I look forward to the adventure of learning.”

 

Today’s Thought of the Day for Friday, February 10th

“The best preacher is the heart; the best teacher is time; the best book is the world; the best friend is the Goddess.”

 

Today’s Meditation for Friday, February 10th

In the Womb

This meditation takes you back to the womb where your growth first began. Close your eyes and imagine yourself lying curled up as a fetus. Your body feels weightless, supported by warm bluid. You feel safe and warm, soothes by the soft throb of your mother’s heart. You feel yourself growing and developing, nurtured into a life of joy and potential by the strength of your mother’s love.

It’s Finally Here, Friday! Friday! Friday!

Friday Pictures, Images, Comments, Graphics
Good Afternoon, dear friends! I hope you are having a fantastic Friday. I been up and down all night long. I don’t know what the matter with me. Kiki (Pom pup) had something to do with it, of course. I swear, she barks at her shadow. And when she barks I get up to see what she is barking about. We have had a prowler/peeping-Tom ever since we moved in. I grew up in the country and then we never locked the doors or anything. So when we moved out here, dumb bunny me figured you could still do the same thing. Boy, was I wrong!

Hubby had transferred to Tennessee right after we had bought this house and everything. It made both of us sick but he had to work and we had to figure out something. We decided he would stay down in Tennessee during the work week then come home on the weekends. Everyone around here knew that. So I would go to bed and leave the shades up at night.  At the time, my huge Husky, Mocha, was still with me. She would wake me up standing over me, growling. Finally one morning, it was foggy and the humidity was super high, I turned around and looked at the window. On the window was two hand prints plain as day. My neighbor called the sheriff. Which was a waste of time. They came out and dusted for prints and took the print off the window. I knew they would never catch anybody and they haven’t to this day.

Well I noticed this summer our friendly prowler was back. I turned out all the motion sensor lights and sneaked out the door. I had a shepherd’s hook with me. I took it around to the window and put it in the ground. On the hook I put a set of wind chimes. That night it was funny as hell. I had the window cracked and I heard the wind chimes just start singing. Next thing, I heard was a voice say, “Oh, shit!” I liked to have rolled in the floor laughing. Anyway the prowler went flying like the wind. The next night, my wind chimes were cut and the peeper started peeping again. What he is looking at, I don’t know. I pull the blind way before dark now. So I guess last night the reason Kiki was barking was because we had a prowler again.

I got up this morning and ran to the store to get some milk. I checked in the tool chest on the back of the truck for my anti-freeze. I had just bought a new jug never opened. The jug had been opened and the top was missing and every drop of the anti-freeze was gone. So I purchased more of it when I went to the store. I also purchased items I would need to cast my Guardian Dragon Spell. It is a spell were you call your Guardian Dragon to protect your property. It works too. I used it in the city when we lived there. It scares the shit out of the person but I figured that don’t have any business over here at 3:00 in the morning.  So you can guess tonight besides doing my house blessing what else I will be doing. If the old boy gets a toasty bee-hind, it ain’t my fault!

Quick Protection Chant

Quick Protection Chant

Visualize a triple circle of purplish light around your body while chanting (silently, if necessary): 

I am protected by your might
O gracious Goddess, day and night
Thrice around the circle’s bound,
Evil sink into the ground.

Invocation to Freyr

Invocation to Freyr

“Freyr, Son of Njrd, Join us.
Freyr, Husband of Gerdr, Join us.
Freyr, Brother of Freyja, Join us.
Freyr, Father of kings, Join us.
Freyr, Whose sword would fight for itself, Join us.
Freyr, Who gave his sword for Gerdr, Join us.
Freyr, Patron of married couples, Join us.
Freyr, Most beautiful of Gods, Join us.
Freyr, Whose tooth-gift was Alfheimr, Join us.
Freyr, Master of Gullinbursti, Join us.
Freyr, Owner of Skidbladnir, Join us.
Freyr, Slayer of Beli, Join us.
Freyr, Master of Frodi’s Peace, Join us.
Freyr, Who directs Man’s good fortune, Join us.
Freyr, Who brings fruitful seasons, Join us. Freyr,
Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!”

Invocation to Freyja

Invocation to Freyja

“Freyja, Of the many names, Join us.
Freyja, Of the golden tears, Join us.
Freyja, Daughter of Njord, Join us.
Freyja, Wife of Od, Join us. Freyja, Sister of Freyr, Join us.
Freyja, Mother of Hnoss, Join us.
Freyja, Claimed by Thrym, Join us.
Freyja, Driver of cats, Join us.
Freyja, Goddess of Fertility, Join us.
Freyja, Who shares the slain with Odin, Join us.
Freyja, Who taught the Aesir Magick, Join us.
Freyja, Lender of Falcons’ Flight, Join us.
Freyja, Mistress of Brisingamen, Join us.
Freyja, Mistress of Folkvang, Join us.
Freyja, Mistress of nature, Join us. Freyja,
Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!”

Nine Sisters Chant

Nine Sisters Chant

 
To be recite nine times over a wound, tumor, or infection three times a day for twenty-one days (or less, should the wound close quickly). This Anglo-Saxon leechbook chant can also be used repetitively to remove evil from the home as the household is sprinkled with holy water and censed with a burning banishment herb, such as sage.
 
Nine were Noththe’s sisters.
Then the nine became eight
and the eight became seven
and the seven became six
and the six became five
and the five became four
and the four became three
and the three became two
and the two became one
and the one became none
 
Follow by drawing the equal-armed cross in the air and saying “It is so.”

Crone’s Corner – Getting Ready For Valentine’s Day

 

Crone’s Corner – Getting Ready For Valentine’s Day

 

In the early days of the American South, it was thought that if a woman wore a wasp’s nest in her clothing (hidden in her bustle), that her lover would love her more deeply. Don’t try this one at home, kids!

Feng Shui For Lovers!

A tall vase of pussy-willows placed in the southwest corner of the bedroom or the most southwestern corner of the house is thought to amplify warmth, compassion, tenderness and sweetness in a relationship. To attract a new relationship, put two roses in the same corner.
Love Potion #69
Two ounces Vanilla flavoured vodka
One ounce Orange flavoured vodka
Sprig of Mint

This is the adult version of a creamsicle. The vanilla flavour represents warmth, sweetness and smoothness of communication. The orange represents warmth, joy, tenderness and affection. The vodka is for hardiness and strength. Mix ingredients with lots of ice in a cocktail shaker. Pour into two martini glasses. Garnish with a sprig of mint – to encourage the whispering of sweet nothings in your ear.

Magick Spell
Take two large sewing needles, one representing a man and the other a woman. Name each of the needles and ask God to bless them. Insert the point of the “male” needle into the eye of the “female needle.” Bind the two needles together with orange thread (for passion), red thread (for lust) and pink thread (for joy.) Put in a place for safekeeping – like a jewelry box and don’t let the needles become unraveled until your wish is obtained.

If wish is not obtained within a year, it is probably not a union that is meant to be.

 

Submitted By Hel, Courtesy of GrannyMoonFeast

Spell Of The Day – Each Day Is a Gift Spell

 

Spell Of The Day – Each Day Is a Gift Spell


Each day comes as a gift, free of charge. It is ours to spend as we see fit. In this busy age, we often rush through without taking time to savor it, let alone give thanks for it. Most spells focus on asking for something. Here is an alternative verse to chant or song when appreciation is due: “I give thanks for the rising and setting of the Sun. For all good works completed or begun. For all the evil thwarted or undone, On this day whose sands are run. I give thanks for the passing of the swift silver Moon, For all hearts lifted by a happy tune. For the good food that fills the supper spoon, May more days this bright come soon.”

By Elizabeth Barrette

Celebrations Around The World, Feb. 9th

Diabetes Sundays
Man Day
National “DAV” Day
World Marriage Day

Feast of Apollo
Toothache Day
St. Apollonia’s Day (patron of dentists; against toothaches)
Hobert Regatta Day (Tasmania)
National Inventor’s Day
St. Maron’s Day (patron of Maronites)
National Bagels and Lox Day
St. Teilo’s Day
National Hooky Day
Tales of Kelp-Koli begin (Fairy)
Feast of La’Ala’A (Upolu God of Wrestling; Polynesia)

A Bad Day For Priests, according to Mayan chronological estimation.

Gasparilla Day, Tampa, Florida -Spanish pirate defeated by US Navy in 1821.Beginning of week long festival.
Someone playing Gasparilla is crowned Pirate King, given keys to city, etc.

…

GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast

 

 

Astronomy Picture of the Day for Thursday, Feb. 9th

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available.

Nobels for a Strange Universe
Image Credit: High-Z Supernova Search Team, HST, NASA

 

Explanation: Thirteen years ago results were first presented indicating that most of the energy in our universe is not in stars or galaxies but is tied to space itself. In the language of cosmologists, a large cosmological constant is directly implied by new distant supernova observations. Suggestions of a cosmological constant (lambda) were not new — they have existed since the advent of modern relativistic cosmology. Such claims were not usually popular with astronomers, though, because lambda is so unlike known universe components, because lambda’s value appeared limited by other observations, and because less-strange cosmologies without lambda had previously done well in explaining the data. What is noteworthy here is the seemingly direct and reliable method of the observations and the good reputations of the scientists conducting the investigations. Over the past thirteen years, independent teams of astronomers have continued to accumulate data that appears to confirm the existence of dark energy and the unsettling result of a presently accelerating universe. This year, the team leaders were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work. The above picture of a supernova that occurred in 1994 on the outskirts of a spiral galaxy was taken by one of these collaborations.

Green Tip – Healthy Valentine’s Day Cards & Gifts

Healthy Valentine’s Day Cards & Gifts

  • Jessica Kellner

Whether you’re making valentines for your child’s school party or going the traditional romance route with flowers and chocolate, don’t let Valentine’s Day make you abandon your principles of living wisely and well. Here are a few tips for a fun and romantic holiday that keep your health and the health of the planet in mind.

Handmade, Recycled Valentines
Every year around Christmas, we at Natural Home & Garden offer tons of tips for wrapping gifts in recycled materials you have around the house. Use those same principles to create adorable valentines made from items otherwise bound for the landfill. Brown paper sacks can become a beautiful canvas when embellished with fun cutouts, scraps of ribbon or fabric, multicolored buttons or costume jewelry. Consider finding pretty colors or images to cut out from old magazines.

Instead of spending money on disposable valentines, spend that money at the craft store on design tools you can use again and again, such as heart-shaped paper punches, pretty stamps and a red ink pad, calligraphy pens or specialty paints. Not only are you helping teach your kids a lesson about reducing waste, you’re also enhancing their capacity for creativity.

Fair Trade Chocolates and Organic Flowers

Sad but true: Conventional chocolate often relies on slave and child labor. As reported by Green America, the State Department’s 2010 Trafficking in Persons report describes children being traded as labor for West African cocoa plantations. Major American chocolate manufacturers such as Hershey rely on cocoa from these horribly run plantations. Fortunately, many types of certification exist to help you sort out the good chocolatiers from the bad. You can download Green America’s chocolate score card and guide to certification labels here and tuck it in your wallet for use at the grocery store. It’s true that Fair Trade and organic chocolate costs more than the other stuff. But when you consider that the low price of conventional chocolate is only possible because of child slaves, you’ll realize its true cost.

Conventionally grown bouquet flowers are sprayed with toxic pesticides and other chemicals both when they are being grown and afterward to keep them pesticide-free. If you want to purchase a bouquet for a loved one, look for those that are Veriflora-certified, which ensures the flowers were produced sustainably and with fair labor practices. Some national retailers such as Organic Style and Organic Bouquet offer certified flowers. Otherwise, assemble your own bouquet from pretty items plucked from nature. A collection of pretty boughs with winter berries in a vase might make a lovely centerpiece, or choose a locally grown cactus or a seedling from a local nursery that can be transplanted to the ground when spring weather hits in a few short weeks.

Think Outside the Chocolate Box

You don’t have to be a master of creativity or romance to come up with a great idea for a less conventional Valentine’s Day gift. Consider a piece of vintage costume jewelry, then have it engraved at a local jeweler for a low cost. Visit Etsy to search for handmade jewelry or other items. This “Lover Letter Bird Sparrow” locket necklace would make a perfect gift, as would this gold-plated “Love Birds” customized initial necklace.

Want to toast your loving relationship? Pick up a bottle of organic or biodynamic wine or organic champagne.

If you want to make something yourself, consider some simple bath salts or a pain-relieving massage with this homemade herbal muscle rub. If your love is a nature lover, make one of these simple homemade terrariums. If food is the way to your sweetie’s heart, try whipping up a batch of these handmade truffles (free of refined sugar!) or homemade candy hearts.