While the dark-of-the-moon vibes are intense – suggesting the need to complete old business on a high note – Vesta forms an inspirational, 72-degree rapport with Chiron (3:08AM PDT). Thus, despite the strange morning atmosphere, you may be able to find ways to increase the value of your investments. The main event of the morning is the second New Moon of Gemini (following the previous one back on May 20) – this one energizing 29 degrees and happening at 8:03AM PDT. This would normally suggest the need to take a great leap forward immediately, but instead the Moon enters a void cycle that lasts until 10:35AM PDT when the lunar orb shifts into its natural abode of watery Cancer. This 10:35AM PDT shift of the Moon begins a 2+ day lunar cycle that places an emphasis on home and family matters. Nostalgic interests wax in power and you may have an urge to research your ancestral tree. Cooking, baking, gardening and water sports (weather-permitting) are back in vogue. Mercury shows off its strength by forming a parallel with the Sun (12:22PM PDT) and making a supportive, 60-degree rapport with Vesta (8:51PM PDT). Business opportunities are ripe for the picking. Love bonds receive a temporary, positive jolt as Mars makes a supportive, 60-degree link to Juno (9:57PM PDT). However, because tomorrow morning brings in a provocative Venus-Pluto aspect, it is best to keep a low profile overnight and be extra kind to dear ones on the ropes.
Calendar of the Moon for June 19th
19 Huath/Thargelion
Kallynteria: Spring Cleaning
Color: Grey and white
Element: Air
Altar: Upon cloth of grey and white place many brooms locked together in a geometric star, a clay bowl of water, and strong incense.
Offering: Clean the house.
Daily Meal: Vegan and simple.
Kallynteria Invocation
Call: Hail, Spirits of Cleansing!
Response: Hail, Wind of Change!
Call: We walk through the grime
Of many days and nights,
Grime of body that comes
On the bottom of our soles!
Response: Grime of spirit that comes
From the depths of our souls!
Call: On this day we sweep it all away!
Response: Sweep it all away!
Call: Weariness and drabness!
Response: Sweep it all away!
Call: Despair and sadness!
Response: Sweep it all away!
Call: The ashes of fear!
Response: Sweep it all away!
Call: The coals of resentment!
Response: Sweep it all away!
Call: The cobwebs of boredom!
Response: Sweep it all away!
Call: We will make this place ready for the Gods.
Response: We will make ready!
Call: We will clean and purify!
Response: We will await the Plynteria!
Call: This place will be sacred space!
Response: As is each of our souls!
(Each takes a broom from the altar and goes to sweep one part of the house. As they approach the altar, they are anointed with water from the cup as a purification. Others follow behind with the incense, fumigating every room. Open all windows and let the winds blow in.)
Calendar of the Sun for June 19th
Feralia: Day of Purification
Color: White
Element: Air
Altar: On a white cloth put a lit candle, incense, a cup of water, and a bowl of salt.
Offering: Although this day is not a day of total silence, it is a solemn day and talking should be done only when necessary and in quiet tones. Bodies should be thoroughly cleaned during the bathing hour, and then the altar area should be cleaned and purified with all four elements. Each person, upon entering the altar space at the beginning of Sponde should remove their clothing and be naked, and each body should be purified with the four elements and marked with water and salt, at which point they may enrobe again. Chores of the day should concentrate on cleaning and repair.
Daily Meal: Vegan and extremely simple and plain.
Feralia Invocation
Breathe the air into your body
And breathe out again,
And as you breathe out,
Let all grime and corruption
Depart on that breath
(All breathe together for twelve breaths.)
Feel the blood coursing through your body
And imagine it clean
Of anything but what should be there.
Feel the energy coursing through your body
And wash it clean
Of anything that does not belong.
Feel the Earth beneath you,
Remember that She can absorb all
Remember that all rot is her provenance
Draw her energy up into you
And give it back again.
(After this grounding, all breathe together again in a yogic breathing pattern for the next half an hour, after which all will go with water and salt and incense and fire to all rooms in the house and cleanse them. Great care should be taken for the rest of the day not to disturb the energy of the freshly cleaned house.)
Current Moon Phase for June 19 – New Moon
New Moon
(waxing/0-45 degrees)
The New Moon is a time best suited for new beginnings! For the first 48 hours following the exact time of the New Moon each month, a window of opportunity opens for making wishes that, if noted, come true in the days and months ahead. There is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm in the atmosphere, making it a great time to go forward and begin projects that you feel instinctively attracted to initiating. Follow your impulses and let yourself make new starts in areas that are important to you.
Tuesday, June 19th is a terrific day for…..
June 19th
Cut Firewood, Mow to Increase Growth, Dig Holes, Host a Party, Travel for Pleasure, Write
The WOTC’s Spell of the Day for June 19: Flame Talisman Spell
Flame Talisman Spell
(To draw energy and strength from the sun)
Purpose: To gain energy that you can carry right through to the winter solstice.
Background: Litha, or the summer solstice, celebrates the sun at the height of its powers. On the longest day, we honor the strength of the sun just before the days begin to shorten again. It is generally well known that the sun has some positive physiological effects on humans: at this time of year we are generally more outgoing, happier, and healthier. This spell enables you to capture some of that sun power to carry with you…
You Will Need:
One red candle, 6-8 inches long
One white candle 6-8 inches long
Matches or a lighter
One sharp iron nail
One plain copper disk with a hole through it
One 24 inch length of fine cord
One tea-light candle in a jar
Timing:
Cast this spell at Litha—the Summer Solstice
Casting the Spell:
As part of your Litha celebrations, work the first part of this spell indoors in a properly cast circle prior to going out overnight to await the Litha sunrise.
1. Light both candles.
2. Using the nail, inscribe on the disk a circle divided by eight lines, meeting in the center and overlapping at the edge.
3. Hold the disk in your left hand, the cover it with your right and close your eyes. Focus on the after image of the candle flames behind your eyelids. Visualize it moving through your body to your solar plexus and through hour hands into the disk.
4. Thread the pendant, and take it with you to greet the sunrise.
5. Place it on a rock next to the tea-light candle which should be lit as dawn breaks. As sunlight strikes the pendant, raise your arms and say: “Ignite the sacred Fire within”.
6. Wear it until the winter solstice.
Reference:
Your Magickal Correspondences for Tuesday, June 19th
Your Magickal Correspondences for Tuesday, June 19th
Magickal Intentions: Courage, Physical Strength, Revenge, Military Honors, Surgery and the Breaking of Negative Spells, Matrimony, War, Enemies, Prison, Vitality and Assertiveness
Incense: Dragon’s Blood, Patchouli
Planet: Mars
Sign: Aries and Scorpio
Angel: Samuel
Colors: Red and Orange
Herbs/Plants: Red Rose, Cock’s Comb, Pine, Daisy, Thyme and Pepper
Stones: Carnelian, Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet and Pink Tourmaline
Oil: (Mars) Basil, Coriander, Ginger
Mars rules Tuesday. The energies of this day best harmonize with efforts of masculine vibration, such as conflict, physical endurance and strength, lust, hunting, sports, and all types of competition. Use them, too, for rituals involving surgical procedures or political ventures.
The Wicca Book of Days for June 19 – The Celtic Pantheon
The Wicca Book of Days for June 19
The Celtic Pantheon
The Gods and Goddesses venerated by the European Celtic people were local 
divinities identified with features of the landscape, the creatures and trees that inhabited it, and the tribes that lived there (Brigantia being the Goddess whom the Brigantes worshiped in Britain, for instance). Because the Celtic tradition was oral, the nature of these deities remain imprecise but something of their individual characters survived if they were subsequently fused with Roman divinities or Christian saints. Perhaps the best know Celtic God is Cernunnos, or the Horned God.
Circles and Spirals
Circles and spirals were important mystical symbols to the Celts, representing as they did the Sun and Fire, eternity, fertility and life itself. Wear jewelry bearing one or other of these dynamic symbols next to your skin today and become infused by the energy that it emits.
Start Making Scents
How to Make Incense for Magickal and Spiritual Intents
by Miriam Harline
Smell is the sense most hot-wired into our animal past. According to Diane Ackerman’s A Natural History of the Senses,we smell by means of olfactory bulbs at our nostrils’ upper tips that, when triggered directly, signal the limbic system — a brain region inherited from our mammalian ancestors, a player in lust and creativity. Smell is also our most permanent sense. Research says scents go straight into long-term memory, later to be retriggered with all the emotion of the time that laid the memories down. As Ackerman writes, “A smell can be overwhelmingly nostalgic be-cause it triggers powerful images and emotions before we have time to edit them.”
Smell thus proves one of our bodies’ best gifts to the magician, ritualist and spiritual seeker. To speak to the emotions, to the animal spirit, to the part of us that believes in and works magick, use scent. Burn incense.
If ease is a priority, you can buy your magickal incenses. I’d recommend Wortcunning and Nu Essence brands. You can find Wortcunning incenses, by local incense master Leon Reed, at Travelers (501 E. Pine in Seattle) or directly through Wortcunning (P. O. Box 9785, Seattle, WA 98109). Wortcunning incense is one of the reasons I moved to Seattle. On a visit here, I picked up some Pan incense, which when I ran out of self-igniting charcoal in mid-Missouri I burned on the stove: great before going out dancing. I figured any place with incense so magickal had to be worth returning to.
However, if you want incense imbued with your specific magickal or spiritual purpose and your energy, make it from scratch. Once you have supplies, it needn’t take a long time, maybe an hour per scent. It’s fun. And there’s something special about burning a mixture that smells heavenly (or noxious, as the intention may be) and saying, “Hey, I made that.”
Following I’ve set down wisdom from my teachers and my forays into the craft and recommended books to take you further. But, as with cooking, you learn incense making by doing. Find a recipe you like, study it till you understand how it works, then improvise based on your tastes and ingredients. As with any practice, trust your instincts. If you want to reproduce the exact incense in a seventeenth century grimoire or Egyptian papyrus, you’ll follow that recipe to the letter (if you can find the ingredients). Otherwise, experiment. Play.
I describe here how to make loose incense, to be burned on self-igniting charcoal briquettes. You can buy such charcoal most any place that sells incense herbs. You can also make stick and cone incenses, which the books I recommend describe. Stick and cone incenses look more impressive for presents and are easier to burn. But they’re more complicated to make, and the different forms don’t make your intentions’ results more sure.
Getting Started
To make incense, you’ll first gather some ingredients and tools:
- Herbs and oils
- Eyedropper (preferably several)
- Base oil
- Mortar and pestle (preferably two)
- Coffee grinder (optional)
- Ziplock baggies, in gallon and sandwich size
- Small bottles or tins (optional)
- Small spoon or spoons (optional)
- Astrological calendar
- Book or books of recipes
If you want to make just one incense, get just the herbs and oils you need. However, if you plan to make incense as an ongoing hobby, round up some basic incense makings. Some elementary herbs and resins, arranged by how often I use them:
- Sandalwood
- Myrrh
- Frankincense
- Benzoin
- Pine resin
- Orris root
- Lavender
- Rose petals
- Cedar
- Cinnamon
- Copal
- Rosemary
- Mace
- Nutmeg
- Bay
- Lemongrass Some of the above list will look pretty familiar. Rosemary? Nutmeg? Got it, in the spice cabinet. If you want to start cheap, you can make many incenses from common kitchen spices.Of the nonspices listed above, orris root (iris root) deserves special mention. It’s a good idea to add one part orris root as a preservative and fixative to most incense recipes, especially those that don’t include resins. (Resins are gums formed by solidifying plant juices, for example frankincense, myrrh and amber.) Get your orris root preground if you don’t feel like spending an afternoon worrying a tuber.
In general, you’ll want to get woods and tough roots in powdered form. For anything grindable, however, get leaves or chunks, and grind the ingredient when you need it. That way, it will stay fresher.
For oils, I tend to buy those specific to the recipe I’m doing. After making a few incenses, you’ll have a large library. These are the ones I use most:
- Patchouli
- Jasmine
- Cypress
- Eucalyptus
- Peppermint
- Rose
Use essential oils, rather than perfume oils. An essential oil will generally announce itself on the bottle. And watch out for patchouli oil. It’s intense; a few drops will do.
You can locate herbs and oils at pagan and herbal supply shops. To buy herbs, I tend to go to Travelers or Tenzing Momo (93 Pike Street in Seattle). You can order from Tenzing Momo by phone, at (206) 623-9837. I wouldn’t recommend a phone order for a novice incense maker, though; you’ll want to see what you’re buying. Many herbs and resins are very light, ounces not pounds. Some are very expensive, though most are not. The fresher you get something the better — beware a very dusty herb bottle.
Herbs originate in gardens and the wild, of course, and if you have access, jump at the chance to harvest when the herb’s ready. Don’t wildcraft too much; take no more than a quarter of what you find, and never take more than you can use. Pagans will want to ask the plant’s permission before clipping; a gift in exchange, such as water, returns energy to the herb.
There is such a thing as too fresh, though. If you just cut your herb, you can’t use it today. I’ve tried quick-drying herbs at 200 degrees in the oven, and it doesn’t work. Ideally, you should harvest herbs on a dry day at the peak of their maturity, when active ingredients have reached the highest concentration — an herbal will tell you when. Hang the plants upside down in a dry, airy place between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit; they should take about a week to dry. Don’t store them still damp; they’ll mold. Store herbs in air-tight containers, ideally glass or pottery. This process should occur beforeyou try making incense.
When working with oils, an eye-dropper proves useful. If you don’t employ one, at some point I guarantee you’ll screw up an incense recipe by, say, pouring in a half-ounce of patchouli. Get several to avoid cleaning droppers between oils. Look for eyedroppers at your local drugstore. In addition to scent oils, you’ll add a base oil to incense to activate some of the esters (scent chemicals) in dried herbs, to make the incense mixture hang together better and to help preserve it. I tend to use safflower oil because it has a very light scent, but I’ve been told it goes rancid more quickly than others. People I trust have recommended jojoba oil and sesame oil. The strong scent of sesame oil disappears as the mixture dries.
To grind your herbs and resins, you’ll want at least one mortar and pestle. It’s a good idea to get two and powder herbs in one, resins in another — this because resins tend to stick and stain and may never come out of a coarse mortar and pestle. Mortars and pestles can be found at kitchen supply stores. If you do a lot of grinding, you’ll want a coffee grinder. Buy one secondhand, and devote it to incense only — you don’t want mugwort-flavored coffee.
Ziplock baggies are good for incense mixing and for temporary and less pretty incense storage. More pretty incense storage is the domain of cute, colored, cork-topped glass bottles and cunning little tins. The Soap Box used to carry such bottles, and I’ve seen them at kitchen supply stores. You can also store incense in film canisters or pill containers, anything airtight. Small spoons prove helpful when doling out incense samples to burn, something you’ll do a lot while concocting scents.
An astrological calendar aids in making incense just as it does in any magickal or ritual activity, to align with the energies of the universe. The subject of associations is endless and personal, and I’ll only touch on it here. In general, create incenses under a waxing or full moon for intentions involving growth and waxing energy, under a waning moon for intentions involving shrinking or ending. If you’re making an incense for Aphrodite or to draw love, Venus should probably be favorably aspected; to get a job, Jupiter should probably be favorably aspected. You get the idea.
You’ll want recipe books. I list some recipes at the end of the article; chances are none of them will suit your exact magickal or spiritual purpose. The books I rely on are Scott Cunningham’s The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews and Wylundt’s Book of Incense. The latter includes many recipes based on kitchen spices, if you can’t afford much in the way of supplies. Both also explain how to make stick and cone incenses.
Substitutions
Suppose you have a recipe you like, for an intention you’re interested in. It calls for peppermint, bay, frankincense and gum bdellium. The first three the herb shop has. On the last one, the cashier shakes her head. “Never heard of it.” You try pronouncing it again — same effect. Even if an herb, gum or oil is theoretically obtainable, you may run into a situation when you want the incense now and can’t find the odd ingredient.
Don’t give up. Substitute.
You can substitute in several ways. First, if the recipe calls for the herb or resin and you can only find the oil, use the oil, or vice versa. For example, oak moss itself is hard to find, but you can locate oak moss oil fairly easily.
If you can’t track something down in solid or liquid form, The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews has a lovely table suggesting one-for-one substitutions for many ingredients. You can also substitute according to intention or elemental or planetary rulership. Both The Complete Book and Wylundt’s list ingredients aligned to different intentions, elements and planets. For example, “love” has a list of suggested ingredients, as do “water” and “Venus.” Many Wicca and Magick 101 books offer similar tables of correspondence. If you poke through the tables, you’ll find a substitute for your herb or oil, often a whole list to choose from. In a pinch, as Cunningham writes, rosemary can safely be substituted for any other herb, rose for any flower and frankincense or copal for any gum resin.
Substitutions are essential for many obscure and poisonous ingredients recommended by old magickal tomes. In case you need to be told, do not use aconite (wolfsbane), belladonna, hemlock, henbane, mistletoe, nightshade or other poisonous substances in your incense! It’s not worth the hassle. Some substances are sufficiently toxic that merely handling them is dangerous. You can replace any poisonous herb in incense with tobacco, as Cunningham suggests.
Likewise, be careful with ingredients that cause smoke that’s very foul-smelling or liable to produce an allergic reaction, such as asafoetida, mace, pepper and rue. Some incenses are best burned outdoors.
Making Incense
Ingredients, tools, moon phase and aspects all lined up, it’s time to start. I generally lay out everything on a clean, smooth surface, then put up a circle and call the elements, deities and fey to witness. You can be as formal or informal as you like about your working, but stating and concentrat-ing on your intention as you assemble ingredients will help imbue the incense with that intention.
Now dig out your gallon Ziplock baggie. This will be your mixing bowl.
Reread your recipe. Incense recipes are often listed in terms of “parts.” What constitutes a part is your decision. I often use for a part as much as I can hold in the palm of my hand. You can also use a teaspoon or a half-cup or any other measure as a part, as long as you keep the part measure consistent through the recipe. If your incense recipe is listed in terms of weight (ounces, grams), however, use weight measurements throughout — don’t mix parts, which are measure-ments by volume, with measurements by weight, or the result will make no sense. Whatever the form of measurement, measure any ingredient that requires grinding in its final, powdered state.
I often find I have a limited quantity of one ingredient. In this case, I usually grind that first and let the resulting measurement dictate how much incense to make. For example, if the recipe calls for two parts lavender, and I only have two teaspoons of it, my part will be one teaspoon.
Another factor in pulverization order is your tools. If you have two mortars, you can grind herbs and gums separately. If not, start with herbs as they’ll stick up the mortar less.
If your ingredients and tools are sufficient to the task, grind herbs and resins in order of smell. Incense, like perfume, is considered to have top, middle and base notes. Top notes are the lightest and generally what you smell first. Floral scents are often top notes, for example neroli (orange flowers). Base notes are the bottom of the spectrum, the strongest, darkest scents. Animal odors, such as musk, and heavy woods, such as patchouli, usually form base notes. Some strong herbs, such as lavender, are also bases. Vanilla and rose are examples of middle notes — strong, but not as overpowering as patchouli. Use less of the base and middle notes when creating an incense, more of the top notes, to create a balance. In the absence of other concerns, start creating your incense with the base note. This rule especially applies if you’re creating or revising a recipe.
To get to know each ingredient, burn a small ground sample. Your own associations and emotions for each scent are important. For me, benzoin smells fey; eucalyptus is cool and sensual. Everyone senses subtly different affinities. If you find your nose burning out, sniff coffee beans to clear your sense of smell.
Grinding takes a while. Have faith. Some herbs are surprisingly tough to work with — lemongrass, for example, grinds away to nothing, so you’ll be working a long time. Bay doesn’t pulverize well; use scissors to cut it as fine as possible. Your final powder grains need not be infinitesimally small; however, the smaller you grind, the more thoroughly your ingredients can mix to create the unique smell of the final incense.
As you finish each ingredient, add it to the gallon Ziplock baggie, close it and shake thoroughly.
Once you have all the dry ingredients in, add scent oils. If you’re adding an oil where the recipe calls for an herb, or vice versa, keep in mind that an oil comes across much more strongly than the matching herb. A few drops of most oils will suffice, unless you’re making mountains of incense. Again, with your oils, start with the base note and use little, then move on to the middle and top. Mix your oils with the dry ingredients thoroughly, rubbing out dark spots and balls.
Herbs, resins and scent oils mixed, burn the result. What do you think?
You’re wrinkling your nose. That’s okay — you can fix it.
Suppose your incense smells like just one of your ingredients — cinnamon and nothing else. There’s a couple of ways of dealing with this. You can add a little more of everything else. Or you can decide which of the other ingredients would help balance the strong scent. Cinnamon’s a middle to base note — another middle to base note would balance it, for example lavender, assuming your recipe includes lavender. Oil is the easiest way to add balance because it’s so strong.
Sometimes incense will come out smelling like next to nothing. Too much balance! Here, you’ll want to emphasize one or two ingredients, whichever seem most appropriate. For example, if I were creating a moon incense with oil of jasmine that came out smelling bland, I might tap in a few more drops of oil, as jasmine is an ingredient that I like and that feels very moon to me.
Once you’ve got your incense smelling as you want it, it’s time to add the base oil. Add it in small amounts — you don’t want the incense wet. Add till you get a sticky or tacky feel, till the powder sticks a little to your hand.
The base oil gives your incense a longer life, but it makes the mixture produce a heavy, burnt-smelling smoke in the short term. If you must burn the incense right away, leave out the base oil. After you add the oil, incense takes a week to ten days to set, and it’s not till after that period that you’ll be rid of excess smokiness. Check your incense while it’s setting — if the smoke continues heavy, you can leave the container open to let the in-cense breathe a bit.
When I’m done adding base oil to an incense, I raise energy and consecrate the incense to the purpose for which I devised it. This step is essential if yours is to be a magickal incense.
Now, sit back! You’ve made incense. Be proud of yourself. You have a new ritual tool that will heighten your every working. And you’ve brought some scents into the world.
Special thanks to Sylvana SilverWitch and her incense classes, from which I learned much of the preceding.
Sample Recipes
Full Moon incense
2 parts frankincense 2 parts myrrh 2 parts sandalwood 1/ 2 part rose petals Jasmine oil
The smell is powdery and sweet, very moony and watery.
Hecate incense
4 parts sandalwood 2 parts peppermint 2 parts myrrh Cypress oil
As you might guess, the sandalwood is very forward in this recipe. Wortcunning also makes a stellar Hecate incense based on information in ancient magickal texts. However, that incense strikes me as better burned outdoors. Use the preceding to gently honor Her in your hermetically sealed ritual room.
Hermes incense
1 part cinnamon 1 part frankincense 1 part lavender
This is not my own recipe; I’m afraid I forget where I got it. But it’s great! Use it also for spells of communication, travel protection and the like — anything ruled by Hermes.
Lammas incense
2 parts frankincense 2 parts sandalwood 1 part pine resin 1/ 2 part bay 1/ 2 part cinnamon 1/ 2 part coriander 1/ 2 part meadowsweet 1/ 2 part oregano 1/ 2 part rosemary A few drops rose oil Slightly less oak moss oil Very little patchouli oil (start with one drop)
Meditation and divination incense
2 parts benzoin 2 parts lavender 2 parts myrrh 2 parts sandalwood 1 part orange peel 1/ 2 part mugwort
Equal amounts eucalyptus, patchouli oils This mixture is very floaty and psychically oriented. If you have trouble grounding, ground before you burn. The sandalwood and eucalyptus come to the fore.
In a Dream Country
by Bestia Mortale
Something woke me — I think it was a sound, a throbbing of some sort, or an infant’s cry. Waking was like coming into focus, as if I was an image in a lens. I sat up and looked around, a little alarmed, but it was a dream. I was lying in a field in the mist, among a crowd of sleepers. Others were stirring.
I glanced at the people near me. They were so beautiful. I tried to examine them more closely and became aware that until I considered walking, they had no legs. Until I thought of hair, they were hairless. Until I remembered about men and women, they had no gender. And yet, as it turned out, they had everything but age.
Someone was moving among us, chatting and laughing, a beautiful woman. I realized we all were naked. She came up to me, smiling. I smiled back a little shyly as she offered a hand to help me up. Her breasts were large and small, all different shapes, every sort of nipple. It occurred to me that she had countless arms and legs as well, and heads.
I walked beside her through the mist, leaving the crowd. I became aware in the strange light that it was not so much mist as an intricate pattern of swirls, as if a cloud of colored dust had been frozen in time. The colors were disturbing, hard to identify. At first I thought there was something wrong with my vision, but everything had a clarity I was unused to.
As we left the field, the mist cleared somewhat and we walked through a deserted city of strange windowless fortresses, down the middle of streets like shallow troughs. On either side, instead of sidewalks, there were sunken channels six or eight inches deep in which were planted twisted, leafless bushes, some so large they almost blocked the street.
The whole effect was disturbing and would have been unpleasant but for the sky. The sun — though not the sun — was vast, and not so bright or hot as normal. Yet its warmth was full of comfort, its light rich and deep. The cloud formations — not clouds, either, exactly — towered layer upon layer, an intricate landscape of unaccustomed color, depth, striation and structure. Unlike normal clouds, the closer you looked at them, the more detail you could see. Their beauty in the strange light was so intense as almost to be painful.
Far in the distance, the land rose away from us. For a while, I thought we were in a valley of some sort, but then I realized that there was no horizon — the mountains and sky were one.
It was the colors that were most haunting — bright, saturated hues, like certain stones in water that grow ordinary as they dry — but not reds, greens, blues, or anything I could put a name to.
“Where are we?” I asked her. “What is this place?”
She paused, facing me, her face so many faces. “This is the underside,” she said.
“What?”
“Of your city, your world.” I could not understand. “Come, I will show you.” She led me down a side street to a little park, full of the enormous leafless bushes. In the center was a peculiar silvery translucent mound. When we came to it, my feet sank in it as if it were liquid, yet without a ripple.
“Here,” she said, standing beside me. “Look.” She pointed to my feet.
I saw that the mound had a mirror-like underside in which was perfectly reflected the chthonic sky above my head.
“Look deeper,” she said, taking my hand and squatting down. I squatted beside her and peered carefully through the substance. At first I could see nothing, but gradually I made out tiny pinpoints of light beneath the mirrorlike floor. “There,” she whispered, pointing, “My sister.” I saw, inexplicably far below me, familiar and remote, the moon.
A Smattering of Solistice Spells
by Melanie Fire Salamander
As a pagan, you may well light a bonfire Midsummer night and jump it, for Litha is a fire festival. Likewise, you may stay up to greet the Midsummer dawn.
If you do, keep a pair of garden shears handy. Midsummer’s Eve at midnight, Midsummer’s Day at dawn and Midsummer noon are prime times to collect plants sacred to the sun or special to the fey. In fact, any magickal herb plucked at Midsummer is said to prove doubly effective and keep better. Divining rods cut on Midsummer’s Eve are said to be more infallible, too. You can charge your charms, depending on their purpose, at midnight, noon or in dawn’s first light.
Charms traditional at Litha include those for courage, dream divination, fertility, invisibility, love, luck, protection, wealth, the restoration of sight and the ability to see the fey. Midsummer is a fey time, both by tradition and observation. The scent of the air is thick, green and juicy; it’s lost its spring astringency and is simply lush. The whole world is stretching its limbs and frolicking. The fey are big on that.
Especially for charms of love, gardening and magickal abilities, the fey are a great help in herb collecting. In exchange, they like gifts of milk and honey, cookies, sweet liqueurs, or any sweet food, drink or liquor. They also like baubles, particularly pretty or shiny. Or cold hard cash — but in coin, not paper, and it’s best if shiny.
To stay in good with the fey and the herbs you collect from, leave enough of the plant or other plants of the type that the herb survives in the spot collected from. Remember too to always ask the plant before taking a cutting, and to wait for an answer. A quid pro quo usually works: a shiny dime, some fertilizer, or a bit of your hair or clothing — whatever you think the plant most wants.
Courage: Tuscans use erba della paura (stachys)collected on Midsummer’s Day as a wash against fear. Steep the herb in hot but not boiling water, then rinse the limbs with long strokes moving outward from the torso. You might substitute wood betony, a relative more common in North America.
Dream divination: Litha is a good time for foretelling things in dreams. Specifically, to induce dreams of love and ensure them coming true, lay a bunch of flowers under your pillow on Midsummer Eve. That’s what the girls of old Scandinavia did.
For effective dream divination, remember to keep a notebook beside your bed. At bedtime, relax, ground and center, then clearly define your question. Meditate on that question until it’s firm in your mind, and assure yourself you will remember your dream on waking. Then go to sleep.
As soon as you wake, record your dream. One trick is to set an alarm clock so you’re wakened artificially, which can help dream recollection. Dreams dreamed on Midsummer’s Eve are said to be more likely to come true.
Fertility for your garden: For a lush garden, mix ashes from the Midsummer bonfire with any seeds yet to plant. (You still have time to plant cosmos and a handful of fall-blooming flowers.) Likewise, for fertility sprinkle bonfire ashes on any flowers or vegetables you have growing.
Fey charms: To see the fey, pick flowers from a patch of wild thyme where the little folk live and place the flowers on your eyes. A four-leafed clover not only grants you a wish but also, carried in your pocket or a charm, gives you the power to see fairies dancing in rings. A good place to look is by oaks, said in Germany to be a favorite place for fey dances. To penetrate fey glamour, make and wear an ointment including fourleaved clovers.
St. John’s wort, also known as ragwort, has a strong connection to the fey and transportation. You might add it to charms to travel quickly. The Irish call the plant the fairy’s horse, and the fey are said to ride it through the air. But beware: The Manx say if you step on a ragwort plant on Midsummer’s Eve after sunset, a fairy horse springs out of the earth and carries you off till sunrise, leaving you wherever you happen to be when the sun comes up.
Invisibility: Collect fern seed on Midsummer Eve for use in charms of invisibility. To become invisible, wear or swallow the seed (that is, the spores) you have collected. Such spores also put you under the protection of spirits.
The fern is said to bloom at midnight on Midsummer Eve, either a sapphire blue or golden yellow depending on your source.
Love: Plant two orpine starts (Sedum telephium) together on Midsummer Eve, one to represent yourself, one to represent your lover. If one withers, the person represented will die. But if both flourish and grow leaning together, you and your lover will marry.
Luck and human fertility: As at Beltaine, leap the Midsummer bonfire for fertility and luck.
Protection: Herbs traditional to Litha (also know as St. John’s Day) in England include St. John’s wort, hawkweed, orpine, vervain, mullein, wormwood and mistletoe. Plucked either at Midsummer’s Eve on midnight or noon Midsummer Day and hung in the house, they protect it from fire and lightning. Worn in a charm on your body, they protect you from disease, disaster and the workings of your enemies.
Sight: Dew gathered Midsummer Eve is said to restore sight.
Wealth: The fern also has a connection with wealth. Sprinkle fern seed in your savings to keep them from decreasing. The alleged golden-yellow fern flower, plucked on Midsummer Eve at midnight, can be used as a dowsing tool to lead to golden treasure. Alternatively (the Russian version), you throw the flower in the air, and it lands on buried treasure. Or, if you’re Bohemian, you pluck the flower and on the same Midsummer Night climb a mountain with blossom in hand. On the mountain, you’ll find gold or have it revealed in a vision.
If you wait patiently till midnight on Midsummer Eve and see no such golden fern flower, perhaps invisibility will have to do.
Solstice Day, Chasing the Clouds Away!
by Andy
Litha is the time of the sun. While the sun was ascending at Beltaine, it is in its full glory now. In the northern latitudes, which we share with the Northern European peasants who created many of our traditions, it doesn’t even get dark until 10 o’clock. All around the world, sun gods and goddesses from different mythologies have Their special rites on this, the longest day. They come in Their various guises, fighting the dark and bringing fertile, healing light. Today is the day of Their greatest victories.
In ancient Greece, Helios was the God of the Sun. Every day, He rode across the sky in a chariot pulled by four wild, flaming steeds. Every day the horses fought Helios, but every day He was their master. Helios had a son named Phaëthon. He was a mortal and with pride did he watch his father ride across the sky. Phaëthon loved his father and wanted to know more about him and be like him. In short, he wanted to drive the chariot for a day.
Phaëthon begged his father to grant him his fondest wish. Helios, loving his son, agreed. Then the son revealed that his wish was to drive the chariot, and Helios had to grant it. Phaëthon put on the crown of golden rays, mounted the chariot, and off he went. Across the heavens he rode, lighting the sky. The horses began their daily struggle, but Phaëthon could not master them. The horses rode wild. They towed the chariot at the zodiac animals who became enraged and drove the it from the sky. When Phaëthon neared the earth, it dried and cracked. Lakes boiled away. Then he rode up high again and the earth froze.
Zeus saw all this and knew He had to step in. To prevent Phaëthon from destroying the earth, He hurled his great thunderbolts, slaying Phaëthon and destroying the chariot. Helios’ grief was terrible, and he vowed that no one but He would ever drive His chariot again.
The gods are at the height of their power and majesty at Litha and now is the time to meet them up close, but not too close. It is dangerous to for mortals to meet and interact with the divine. As Phaëthon wanted to know the Sun God, so do we go to the God or Goddess. Let us hope that we don’t get burned.
‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for June 18
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Courage must have its everyday face. We can’t preserve it just for special occasions. We must have courage when we are disappointed, because disappointment is a robber of reason and faith, and even dignity. We must remember that whatever we have to meet there is something within us to help us meet it. But it is like a vein of rich ore. We must tap it, know what it is, and turn it into a finished product that will serve a purpose.
Every day we must have courage to forgive. The adamant we shall always face, but to forgive is to disarm. To forgive is to release and to release is to remove the graceless things that make it necessary to forgive.
A little common, everyday courage can give a life so much more to live for and to find contentment in the knowledge that today I did not give on to the smaller self. And I can draw on the strength from One who bore personal suffering with supreme courage.
A comforting adage is that it is always darkest just before the dawn. The darkness of fear and worry and misunderstanding can last only so long, and then the light of dawn breaks through to show everything in its true perspective.
To someone who is troubled, the darkness holds only the most frightening difficulties. This kind of night seems to have no end, but given a little time it will pass, as will our problems.
The very fact that we are not alone should give some comfort, for no matter what we are experiencing someone else has been there too. We must not delude ourselves with notions that we are meant to be cross-bearers forever.
And frequently, they are much better people who emerge from their own night to remember that it is as important to have faith in the dark as it is easy to have faith in the sunshine.
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Available online! ‘Cherokee Feast of Days’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler.
Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet:
http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com
Elder’s Meditation of the Day
By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org
Elder’s Meditation of the Day June 18
“I am particularly found of the little groves of oak trees. I love to look at them, because they endure the wintry storm and the summer’s heat, and, not unlike ourselves, seem to flourish by them.”
–Sitting Bull, SIOUX
Every season, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, has gifts that it gives to all creatures. The animals will develop thicker furs just before Winter and will shed this fur in the Spring. Squirrels will store their food in the Fall; other animals build up fat so they can hibernate during the Winter. We can watch all forms of nature and see all creatures work in harmony with the seasons. The secret for us is to learn by observing nature. Watch the trees. Learn from them. We human beings need to learn the gifts and blessings of the seasons.
Grandfather, Grandmother, teach me to live in harmony with the seasons.
June 18 – Daily Feast
Talking too much is a little like painting a picture. It is frequently what we leave out that makes it the masterpiece. We don’t have to tell everything we think – not use every color on the palette. Subtlety makes someone else think, and that is more important. Our tendency is to think that no one understands unless we spell things out for them. It is hard to keep our mouths shut when we want to say something so much – usually with a da li s ga na ne hi, irony or a degree of sarcasm, according to the Cherokee. Silence can be as unkind as saying too much but in the long run it serves a better purpose in preserving friendships. There is a time to speak and a time to keep silence, but it is a person of rare sensitivity who knows when the time is.
~ Tell your children of the friendly acts of Indians to the white people who settled here. Tell them of our leaders and heroes and their deeds. ~
INDIAN COUNCIL
‘A Cherokee Feast of Days’, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Daily OM for June 18 – Acceptance as Giving
Allowing Ourselves to Receive
by
Madisyn Taylor
By allowing ourselves to receive we are given the gift of seeing through another person’s eyes.
Giving and receiving are part of the same cycle, and we each give and receive in our own ways. But we can lose our balance when we try to be too controlling on either side of the cycle. On the receiving end, we may feel that we don’t deserve the effort made if what we gave was easy for us to give. But perhaps there is a different lesson there for us. We may be receiving not only gratitude, but a chance to see the world through the eyes of another. We may be learning that just because we gave easily, it doesn’t diminish its value. Or perhaps the universe is giving us an example to hold close to our hearts, to encourage us on some future day when our own generous act of giving is not met with a visible act of receiving. When we can allow ourselves to receive as well as give, we do our part to keep the channels of abundance open for ourselves and others.
Sometimes we may find ourselves struggling to respond to others’ gifts in the same ways—like responding to an expensive present with something equally expensive, or feeling like we have to throw a dinner party for someone who has thrown one for us. But when these are done out of a sense of obligation, their energy changes from something that shares to something that drains. If this sounds familiar, we can decide next time to allow ourselves to receive with arms, minds and hearts open and simply say thank you.
Accepting a person’s gift is a gift in itself. Sincere appreciation for their acknowledgement and their effort joins our energy with theirs in the cycle of giving and receiving, and nurtures all involved. If ever we find we are still having difficulty, we can decide to allow ourselves to be conduits for gratitude and accept on behalf of a loving, giving universe.
Astronomy Picture of the Day for June 18 – Milky Way Above Easter Island I
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.
2012 June 18
Milky Way Above Easter Island
Image Credit & Copyright: Manel Soria
Explanation: Why were the statues on Easter Island built? No one is sure. What is sure is that over 800 large stone statues exist there. The Easter Island statues, stand, on the average, over twice as tall as a person and have over 200 times as much mass. Few specifics are known about the history or meaning of the unusual statues, but many believe that they were created about 500 years ago in the images of local leaders of a lost civilization. Pictured above, some of the stone giants were illuminated in 2009 under the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy.
6 Natural Mosquito Repellents
Recent studies have linked DEET-based mosquito repellents to brain and neurological damage. So how do you avoid the mosquitoes and the dangerous effects of DEET? While Mother Nature offers dozens of different options, here are some of my top natural mosquito repellents:
1. Citronella—the old standby—use only pure essential oil of citronella—not fragrance oil. Oils purchased in bulk for burning are not adequate for applying topically to your skin. For your skin it is best to get a high quality citronella essential oil from a natural food store.
2. Soy oil—The New England Journal of Medicine reported that natural repellents made of soybean oil are just as effective as DEET-containing repellents. Soy oil is inexpensive and easy to find, making it an excellent choice. Plus, it is an excellent body moisturizer. As an aside, research shows that an ingredient in soy can slow the growth of body hair when applied topically. Choose organic soy oil if possible.
3. Catnip—an Iowa State University research group showed that the essential oil found in the herb catnip is about 10 times more effective than DEET in repelling mosquitoes in the laboratory.
Discover the mosquito repellent that the US National Research Council states is more effective than DEET…
4. NEEM seed oil, or “neem oil” is extracted from a plant that grows in India. An ingredient in Neem seed oil has also been found to be more effective than DEET by researchers at the Malaria Institute in India. Both the US National Research Council and the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association have confirmed this finding.
5. Lavender essential oil smells great and is a commonly used and effective mosquito repellent.
6. Garlic—eat lots of fresh garlic—mosquitoes can’t stand the stuff.
I mix some of the essential oils into an unscented and natural moisturizer which I rub onto my skin prior to heading outdoors. There are likely some pre-made products with these ingredients at your local health food store.
Adapted with permission from World’s Healthiest News by Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD. Subscribe to my free e-newsletter World’s Healthiest News to receive monthly health news, tips, recipes and more.
Research Links DEET Mosquito Repellents to Nerve Damage
DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide), a common ingredient in mosquito repellents, has been linked to nerve damage.
A new study by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, found that DEET-based mosquito repellents interfere with proper nerve signals, disrupt the hormone dopamine needed for healthy brain function, and invoke chemical mechanisms associated with neurological disorders and nerve degeneration.
Earlier studies have also linked DEET to brain damage. Duke University researchers found that the toxin is linked to brain cell damage, harmful interactions with some medications, and behavioral changes. The scientists also observed brain cell death and behavioral changes in animals exposed to DEET after frequent and prolonged use.
According to the chemical industry’s own material safety data sheets, the toxic effects of diethyl-meta-toluamide include: reproductive disturbances, genetic material mutations, and central nervous system disorders.
The effects may be worse in children since their brains and nervous systems are in the developmental stages. Instead of spraying yourself or your family members with DEET-based mosquito repellents, why not give the natural options a try? Some have even been proven to be more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET.
Subscribe to my free e-newsletter World’s Healthiest News to receive monthly health news, tips, recipes and more.
A Year of Full Moons
Learn the name and meaning of the Full Moon every month
Tarotcom Staff on the topics of moon, full moon, astrology
In Astrology, the Full Moon signals a time each month when we are able to take a clear look at what is happening in our lives so we can decide if we need to make changes. But culturally and historically speaking, the Full Moon has additional meaning that changes from month to month throughout the year.
Either way, the Full Moon stirs our emotions, so it’s fitting that the Full Moon for each month has a different name and personality. Many of the Full Moon names date back to ancient tribes who followed the Full Moon to help keep track of the seasons.
Other Full Moon names have been created by different cultures around the world, and most of the Full Moons have more than one name — although one is likely more widely used than the others.
Let’s take a glance at a year’s worth of Full Moons!
January: The Wolf Moon
The Full Wolf Moon in January is named for the time when wolves could be heard howling with hunger in the heart of winter. Alternate names: Snow Moon or Old Moon.
February: The Snow Moon
The Full Snow Moon in February is named for the time of the heaviest winter snowfall. This is also a time when hunting is more difficult, so it is also known as the Hunger Moon.
March: The Worm Moon
The Full Worm Moon in March is named for the time of year when the temperature begins to warm, the earth softens and earthworms begin to reappear, followed by the birds. Alternate names: The Sap Moon or the Crow Moon.
April: The Pink Moon
The Full Pink Moon in April is named for the time of year when the earliest pink phlox and wildflowers begin to bloom. Alternate names: The Grass Moon, the Egg Moon or the Fish Moon.
May: The Flower Moon
The Full Flower Moon in May is named for the abundance of flowers that begin to bloom this month. Alternate names: The Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon.
June: The Strawberry Moon
The Full Strawberry Moon in June is named for the time of year the Native American Algonquin tribes would rush to gather ripe strawberries. Alternate names: The Honey Moon, the Rose Moon or the Hot Moon.
July: The Full Buck Moon
The Full Buck Moon in July is named for the time of year when buck deer begin to grow new antlers. Alternate names: The Thunder Moon (for frequent thunderstorms) or the Hay Moon.
August: The Sturgeon Moon
The Full Sturgeon Moon of August is named for the time when Native American fishing tribes could most easily catch this fish in certain lakes. Alternate names: The Green Corn Moon, the Red Moon or the Grain Moon.
September: The Corn Moon or Harvest Moon
The Full Corn Moon of September is named for the time of year when Native Americans harvested corn. It’s alternately called the Harvest Moon (which is the Full Moon closest to Fall Equinox and can happen in September or October) or the Barley Moon.
October: The Hunter’s Moon or The Harvest Moon
The Full Hunter’s Moon of October is named for the time of year when Native American tribes hunted for the fattest game and stored provisions for winter. October’s Full Moon is called the Harvest Moon when it falls closest to the Fall Equinox. Alternate names: The Travel Moon or the Dying Moon.
November: The Beaver Moon
The Full Beaver Moon of November is named for the time when Native Americans would set their beaver traps before the water began to freeze over. It’s also the time of year beavers begin to prepare for winter. Alternate name: The Frosty Moon.
December: The Cold Moon or The Long Nights Moon
The Full Cold Moon or Full Long Nights Moon of December is named for the mid-winter month in which the cold really takes hold, and nights become long and dark. Alternate name: Yule Moon.
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