Day: July 18, 2012

Calendar of the Moon for July 18

Calendar of the Moon

18 Tinne/Hekatombaion

Arthur’s Day

Color: Gold
Element: Fire
Altar: Upon a golden cloth place a single red candle, a crown, two crossed swords, and the figure of a knight on horseback.
Offerings: Aid someone in a leadership position.
Daily Meal: Roasted meat.

Invocation to the Spirit of Arthur

To be a King
Is to live a life of compromise
And to do it uncompromisingly.
To be a King is to be the center of every struggle
Yet be not on the front line of the battle.
To be a King is to balance warring forces
Whose very nature is to be opposed,
To rein in the lions and then to release them.
To be a King is to be first among equals
And to never forget that they are equals
Yet never let them forget that you are first.
To be a King is always to be an example
And never forget that you are watched.
To be a King is to be gracious
Even to those who do not deserve it,
And to struggle always between justice and mercy.
To be a King to the land and the people
In the sacred manner,
Is to lead by inspiration
Rather than by force.
To be a King is to be an avatar of the Sun
And to let it burn through you,
Even if you are consumed in the process.
So let us remember those who were consumed
Even to ash of body and soul
And let their lives sift through our fingers
And live again in inspiration.

Song: “Cold Iron”

(End with readings of Arthur and other such who embody the qualities of honorable nobility.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for July 18

Calendar of the Sun

18 Haymonath

Nephthys’s Day

Colors: Black and Tan
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon cloth of black and desert-tan place a winnowing-basket, a clay cup of beer, and incense of myrrh.
Offerings: Give to the poor.
Daily Meal: Whole grains and lentils, very plain. Only water to drink until Hesperis.

Invocation to Nephthys

Lady of the House, Dweller Within Senu,
Holy Neb-Thet, keeper of mystery,
Dark sister of the blessed Isis,
Mother of Anubis, guide of the Dead,
Lady of the Winnowing Basket
Who takes the suffering souls
Of the great mass of the lowly,
Let the tombs of the wealthy
Glorify your sister whose arms
Cradle only the high and noble;
Your winged span enwraps the nameless ones,
Those who were bound in what rags
Could be spared from a menial life.
Those whose bodies were soaked in salt,
Bound to the shape of an unborn child,
And buried in the endless sands of the desert.
You are the Dark One of decay and corruption.
You are the Lady of the barren sand’s edge
That in the time of greatest flooding
Springs suddenly green and alive.
Friend and counselor of the newly dead,
Comforter of the forgotten bereaved,
You who give courage to the birthing mother,
Mourning kite who wails through the sky,
You who understand what it is
To be bound to tyranny against your will
And to have the courage to flee,
Aid those of us whom the world does not honor
With riches and glory; remember us
When our time comes to pass through again.
(All kneel silently before the altar, then the libation is poured and all exit in silence.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Today’s Current Moon Phase for July 17 – Balsamic Moon (Waning)

Balsamic Moon

(waning /45-0 degrees)

This is a time to rest, reevaluate and reflect, pulling back into yourself to reconnect with inner sources of strength. Now is not a time to initiate anything new. It’s a phase suited to spending time with friends and getting in touch with the “big picture.” A window of opportunity exists for seeing your life objectively and becoming aware of what is important to you. At this point, what are your dreams and aspirations? What larger goals can you aspire to that will bring vitality and excitement into your life? This is a time for resting and gaining inner strength to prepare for a new cycle.

Today’s Magickal Spell for July 16 – A Tree Spell for Strengthening Your Own Identity

 

A Tree Spell for Strengthening Your Own Identity

If you are under a lot of pressure to conform to others’ wishes and you know this will compromise your happiness and perhaps integrity, try this spell. It absorbs the strength of a mighty tree, such as an oak or ash, to help you to resist and maintain your independence.

You Will Need:

A long cord or rope that will loop around the tree; a sturdy old tree

Best Time To Cast:

Mid-morning

The Spell:

Tie one end of the rope or cord loosely around the trunk of the tree and then hold the other end taut, as far away as possible  from the trunk.

Slowly wind the rope deosil (clockwise) around the tree until you are touching the loop on the trunk, as you do so saying repeatedly:

Empowering tree,

Empower me,

Knot binding,

Knot finding,

Knot winding,

Preserve, I ask,

My identity.

Touch the connection of the rope to the tree and say softly:

I would be free,

Empowered by thee,

So may it be!

Now reverse the movements, unwinding the rope from around the trunk as fast as possible. This time chant:

Empowering me,

Releasing me,

Knot unbinding,

Knot not finding,

Knot unwinding.

Returned is

My identity.

With a final tug, pull the rope free, as you do so shouting:

Knot untie,

Power fly,

Fly free.

Forever be!

You Ever Have Days When You Can’t Win for Losing

Well that is one of those days for me. I am sorry about the interruption in posting today. We have some out-of-town contractors putting in fiber-optic cable for the phone company. It never fails they tear up something. The last time, they came through they cut the main water line to all the houses on my road. It was a beautiful gusher, lol!

So hopefully, they won’t tear up anything else today. Now let’s get back to normal.

Your Magickal Correspondence for Wednesday, July 18

Your Magickal Correspondence for Wednesday, July 18th

Wednesday Is Ruled By Mercury

Element:  Air

Color:  Yellow

Crystals:  Agate, citrine, falconite’s eye, jasper, malachite, onyx

Incense:  Lavender, lemongrass, mace

Trees:  Hazel, ash

Herbs and oils:  Dill, fennel, parsley, valerian

Metal:  Aluminum, mercury

Astrological rulership:  Gemini, Virgo

Wednesday, the day of Mercury, is good for spells for money-making ventures, clear communication, persuasion, adaptability and versatility, improving memory and sharpening logic, learning, examinations and tests, mastering new technology, short-distance travel and short breaks, and conventional methods of healing, especially surgery.  It is also potent for business negotiations, overcoming debt, and repelling envy, malice spite and deceit. Mercury is a fleet-footed messenger God who carries the healing caduceus, a staff with entwined serpents.

The Wicca Book of Days for July 18 – XVIII: the Moon

The Wicca Book of Days for July 18

XVIII: the Moon

 

Take advantage of the energies of this, the eighteenth day of a largely lunar-ruled month to immerse yourself in the symbolism of the Tarot card of the Moon (XVIII).  Most versions of this major-arcana card include a full and crescent moon in one (denoting the changing faces of the Goddess), a dog or two (signifying the Greek Crone, Goddess Hecate, who is accompanied by howling hounds), and a crayfish (representing the zodiacal sign of Cancer).  These details open up a plethora of possibilities, but the card’s overall meaning points toward dreams, instincts, and the unconscious.

 

Happy Returns

Join many Wiccans today in paying tribute to Nepthys or Nebet-Het, today, for July 18 is said to be this Egyptian Goddess’s birthday. As a deity associated with darkness and death, Nepthys was considered a protector of those who had died and were awaiting rebirth.