Day: December 4, 2012

Your Daily Horoscopes for Tuesday, December 4th

We have time to integrate recent experiences as our lives quiet down a bit. Although we still might try to explain our feelings to someone we love, our words don’t fully express the situation as the dramatic Leo Moon squares talkative Mercury. If we put our thoughts out into the open, we may attract more attention than we really want. Most of us could benefit by shining a spotlight on others and appreciating them for what they add to our lives.

Aries Horoscope

(Mar 21 – Apr 19)

You may be feeling more positive now about what you are doing with your life. It’s as if you’re awakening from a sound sleep just as the lights are switched on. However, there is no need to overreact. If you work yourself up into a flurry of activity, you might have to retreat so that you don’t go over the edge. Making slow and steady progress is better than trying to sprint to the finish line.

Taurus Horoscope

(Apr 20 – May 20)

Being aware of the conflict between two facets of your own personality today doesn’t mean you are able to arrive at a clear answer. The more you try to hold on to the status quo, the more difficult it is to make your choice. You might waste precious energy trying to figure a way out of your present dilemma, but the most useful solutions will come from remaining as open as possible to the changes ahead.

Gemini Horoscope

(May 21 – Jun 20)

You can dance circles around everyone today because you feel as if you’re at the top of your game. Others may think you are quite charming and witty, but you might lose your advantage if you overplay your hand. Don’t act too sure of yourself or your plans could backfire pretty quickly. Enjoy the day, but resist the temptation to expect that everything should go your way.

Cancer Horoscope

(Jun 21 – Jul 22)

Opening your heart to someone at work today may have you worrying about the appropriateness of your actions, especially if the situation makes you uncomfortable. Try to avoid getting caught up in other people’s responses to your emotional disclosure. What anyone else thinks is less important now than what you feel; you will be better off expressing your vulnerability whether it is received with enthusiasm or not. You might be very busy caring about everyone else’s needs, but that doesn’t mean yours don’t count.

Leo Horoscope

(Jul 23 – Aug 22)

It’s time to explore your emotions and show others what you want now that the Moon is back in your sign. However, you could be treading on dangerous ground if your motives are completely selfish. Putting yourself first is healthy as long as you also listen to and honor the requests of others. Communication is a two-way street so make sure to follow the signs as you move forward.

Virgo Horoscope

(Aug 23 – Sep 22)

What others don’t say now can grab your attention today, as if the unspoken words have more power because they are kept secret. This may manifest through a simple misunderstanding if you make a false assumption. Listen carefully to all the viewpoints of everyone involved. Discuss the most important elements of the current circumstances with those who want to work together to create positive change. Build a consensus and establish common ground to move things in the right direction.

Libra Horoscope

(Sep 23 – Oct 22)

Good friends come to your rescue today, whether it’s just for an enjoyable escape or a more meaningful interaction to share your feelings. If there is nothing already on your calendar, make something happen by getting on the phone and connecting with your social network. This has the potential for a really fun day, but it won’t amount to much unless you step in and co-create it. Think outside of the box and anything is possible.

Scorpio Horoscope

(Oct 23 – Nov 21)

You’re likely to reveal more of yourself than you intend today, yet you still can act professionally at work now that the Moon is in your 10th House of Public Status. Maintaining your composure is probably a good idea, for your job should come first at this time. And even though it’s not wise to leave your emotions completely out of the picture, don’t say everything that you feel. Keeping some things to yourself now gives you more control of your life.

Sagittarius Horoscope

(Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You might be feeling upbeat about what’s happening, but don’t bury significant information just so you can have a better time today. It’s not that you will necessarily lean toward denial; it’s just things may not be quite as clear as you prefer. If you find yourself drifting off into fantasies, pull yourself back to the ground and begin the conversation once you feel like you have returned to earth. Stick to the facts as much as possible and the rest should fall into place

Capricorn Horoscope

(Dec 22 – Jan 19)

You may be working harder than ever since you realize that it’s time to make a significant commitment to your career now — especially if you are to succeed. But your nagging fear of failure could just be the surface of a deeper issue. Your critical judgments might stem from your uneasiness with actually reaching your goals. Examine what you’re really afraid of before firming up your plans for the day.

Aquarius Horoscope

(Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Although everything might seem to be going well now, a difficult interaction with someone at work could catch you off guard. If you’re feeling uncertain about your responsibilities, ask your boss for clarification. It’s better to know exactly what’s expected of you today, so you can gauge your time accordingly. Just make sure to keep one eye on your long-term goals, even if others are encouraging you to take care of business in the present moment.

Pisces Horoscope

(Feb 19 – Mar 20)

You may be asked to work in service now without receiving the recognition you deserve. This lack of attention could bring up familiar issues that make you uncomfortable. It’s not that you don’t want to be a team player, nor are you trying to avoid your job. You just don’t want to vie for the spotlight and you could resent it when everyone else receives the applause. If this is an ongoing problem, letting others know how you feel should help to alleviate the tension.

Yuletide Herb – Pine

Pine

 

Botanical: Various Species

Family: N.O. Pinaceae

 

Pines are among the most important commercial trees. Most of them have straight, unbranched, cylindrical trunks, which furnish large amounts of excellent saw timber. On account of the straight grain, strength, and other qualities of pine timber, it is used for nearly every sort of constructional work and the trade in it is enormous.

All the Pines yield resin in greater or smaller quantities, which is obtained by tapping the trees. The crude resin is almost entirely used for the distillation of Oil of Turpentine and Rosin, only small quantities being employed medicinally – for ointments, plasters, etc. When the Oil of Turpentine is entirely distilled off, the residuum is Rosin or Colophony, but when only part of the oil is extracted, the viscous mass remaining is known commercially as common Crude Turpentine.

Oil of Turpentine is a good solvent for many resins, wax, fats, caoutchouc, sulphur, and phosphorus, and is largely employed in making varnish, in oil-painting, etc. Medicinally, it is much employed in both general and veterinary practice as a rubefacient and vesicant, and is valuable as an antiseptic. It is used for horses and cattle internally as a vermifuge, and externally as a stimulant for rheumatic swellings, and for sprains and bruises, and to kill parasites.

Rosin is used not only by violinists, for rubbing their bows, but also in making sealing wax, varnish, and resinous soaps for sizing paper and papier maché and dressing hemp cordage, but one of its special uses is for making brewer’s pitch for coating the insides of beer casks and for distilling resinous oils, when the pitch used by shoemakers is left as residuum. Pitch is also used in veterinary practice.

Tar is an impure turpentine, viscid and brown-black in colour, procured by destructive distillation from the roots of various coniferous trees, particularly from Pinus sylvestris. Tar is used medicinally, especially in veterinary practice, for its antiseptic, stimulant, diuretic and diaphoretic action. Tar-water is given to horses with chronic cough and used internally and externally as a cutaneous stimulant and antiseptic in eczema. Oil of Tar is used instead of Oil of Turpentine in the case of mange, etc.

A considerable industry has grown up in the United States in the distillation of Pine wood by means of steam under pressure. One of the products thus obtained, which has considerable commercial importance, is known as Pine Oil. It has a pleasant odour, resembling that of caraway or Juniper Oil, and has been largely used for making paints which dry without gloss and as a ‘flatting’ material. It flows well under the brush and is a powerful solvent, and is useful for emulsion paints such as are now employed for inside work.

Pine resins are largely employed by the soap-maker for the manufacture of brown soaps.

The trade in resins was for many years almost exclusively a French industry, and only in France were the Pine forests turned to account for the production of resin on a commercial scale. Now, however, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia and North America furnish quantities, though, from the point of view of quality, the Pines which flourish near Bordeaux furnish a resin still much in request, and the turpentine extracted therefrom is abundant and one of the best qualities produced.

—Medicinal Action and Properties—Rubefacient, diuretic, irritant. A valuable remedy in bladder, kidney, and rheumatic affections and diseases of the mucous membrane and respiratory complaints; externally in the form of liniment plasters and inhalants.

—Preparations and Dosages—Oil of Turpentine. Spirits of Turpentine, B.P., 2 to 10drops As a vermifuge, 2 to 4 drachms. Tar, B.P., Pin. Sylv. Tar, U.S.P., Pin. Palust. Ointment Tar, B.P. Syrup Tar, U.S.P., 1 drachm.

 

SPECIES OF PINES HAVING MEDICINAL PRODUCTS

Pinus balsamea. Abies canadensis. A. balsamea. Balsam Fir. Balm of Gilead Fir. Perusse. Hemlock Spruce.      Canada Turpentine. Pills for mucous discharge.

P. Canadensis. A. canadensis. Hemlock Spruce.      Pitch and Oil.

P. Cedrus of Mount Lebanon.      A false manna used in phthisis in Syria.

P. Cembra (Siberian Cedar or Tannenbaum). Europe and Asia.      Edible seeds eaten by Russians as nuts. Coniferin from the cambium.

P. Cubensis. Cuban Pine.      Turpentine.

P. Damaris. Agathis Damara.      Damara Turpentine that hardens into a hard rosin.

P. Densiflora. Japan.      An exudation called akamatsu. Timber.

P. Echinata. Short-leaved Pine.      Turpentine. Timber.

P. Gerardiana. Neosa Pine. N.W. India.      Edible seeds called neosa or chilgoza seeds.

P. Halepensis. Mediterranean countries.      Spirits of Turpentine.

P. Heterophylla. Eastern America.      Spirits of Turpentine. Timber.

P. Khasya. Burma.      Turpentine resembling French Oil.

P. Larix. Larix Europaea. A. larix. L. decidua. Larch.      Briançon manna, containing no mannite. Venice Turpentine.

P. Maritima. P. pinaster. Cluster Pine. Mediterranean countries.      Bordeaux Turpentine. Pitch. French Oil of Turpentine, 25 per cent.

P. Merkusii. Burma.      Turpentine resembling French Oil.

P. Microcarpa. P. pendula. L. Americana.   Black or American Larch. Hackmatack. Tamarac.      A decoction of the bark used.

P. Mughus. Hungarian terebinth.

P. Nigra. Pieca Mariana. Black or Bog Spruce.      Decoction of young branches gives Essence of Spruce used for Spruce Beer.

P. Palustris. P. Australia. Long-leaved Pine. Yellow, Southern, Hard, Virginia.      Spirits of Turpentine, 17 per cent oil. Carpets woven from leaves.

P. Picea.  A. pectinata. Picea vulgaris. P. abies.  A. vulgaris.  A. alba.  Spruce Fir. Norway Spruce.      Strassbourg Turpentine. Térébinthine au citron.

P. Pinea. Mediterranean countries.      Edible seeds. ‘Pignons’ or ‘Pinocchi.’

P. Ponderosa. Heavy Pine. California.      Exudation is almost pure heptane; a chief constituent of American petroleum. Timber.

P. Pumilio. P. montana.      Volatile Oil from the leaves. Oil of Dwarf Pine Needles. Oil of Pine.

P. Rigida. Pitch Pine.      Tar.

P. Roxburghii. Himalayas.      Spirits of Turpentine.

P. Sabiniana. Nut or Digger Pine.      Turpentine, the oil being called abietene. Edible seeds.

P. Scropica.      Occasionally its Turpentine is used for American Rosin.

P. Strobus. P. alba. White Pine.      Coniferin from the Cambium Bark. Compound Syrup with Morphine. Timber.

P. Succinifera. Extinct.      Fossil resin or amber.

P. Sylvestris. Scotch Pine or Fir. Norway Pine.      Spirits of Turpentine, 32 per cent of oil. Russian Turpentine. Finnan Turpentine is the oleoresin. Timber.

P. Toeda. Loblolly Pine. Old Field Pine. United States.      Occasionally its turpentine used for American rosin.

P. Teocoty. Mexican or Brea Turpentine.

P. Thunbergii. Japan.      Exudation called Kuromatsu. Timber.

Calendar of the Moon for December 4

Calendar of the Moon

4 Ngetal/Maimakterion

Night of Wild Winds

Colors: Black, white, grey
Element: Air
Altar: Upon cloth of swirling white, grey, and black place incense, fans, pens, and small pieces of paper. All windows in the House should be opened throughout the night.
Offering: Give your wishes to the winds.
Daily Meal: Raw, cold food.

Invocation to the Wild Winds

This is the Night of Wild Winds!
We have opened ourselves to the still cold waters,
And tonight we open ourselves to their counterpart,
The ever-flying bitter winds that rush
Through all things! Open all the windows,
Let them run through the House,
Let them tear through our hair and our heads,
Let them flay us clean of all impurities!
For on the winds ride the souls of our ancestors,
And the spirits of the Air itself!
Listen to their songs, their whispers,
And learn the wisdom they speak.
Spirits of the Air, Powers of the Winds,
Be with us tonight!
Be with us in our beds,
Be with us in our dreams,
Be with us until the dawn!
Hail, Night of Wild Winds!
May we breathe in your inspiration
And may it blow us through to a new day!

Chant:

Spirit of the Wind, carry me,
Spirit of the Wind, carry me home,
Spirit of the Wind, carry me home to myself.

(The incense is carried throughout the house, and all windows are thrown open. They shall stay that way, regardless of cold, until after sunrise the next day.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for December 4

Calendar of the Sun

 

4 Yulmonath

Day of the Frost King

Color: White
Element: Air
Altar: Upon cloth of thick, soft white place a figure of the Frost King, his sleigh, snowflakes, icicles, and many gifts given to each other. The gifts shall be removed to the Yule Tree later.
Offerings: Give gifts to each other.
Daily Meal: Frozen dishes.

Invocation to the Frost King

Hail to the Lord of Frost!
Hail to his sleigh of bells
Pulled by the beasts of the tundra
Or by snow-white horses
Through the thick white cloak of the Snow Queen.
Hail to the lace-maker, the artist
With his silver brushes, the giver of Death
In the most beautiful and painless way.
Hail to you who are found in many places,
Many stories, many tales, many rites
Around the world, and whose gifts pile up
Around the great Tree where you ride.
Gift-giver, you found the maiden in the snow
And near froze her with your testing,
Yet when she awoke there was fire, and riches
All around her. You smote the ungenerous
And the greedy, for in your world
No one refuses to share. That is the First Law
O f Survival. Share what you have,
Be it fire, food, drink, comradeship,
A warm cloak against the winds,
A warm body against the cold.
Let each day be a gift-giving, you say,
For if all gifts wait until the longest night
We will all be cold indeed.
Hail to you, Father of Winter,
And may you teach us generosity with your knowing smile.

(All bring gifts from the altar and give them to each other, saying why the gift was given, and blessing each person present.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

 

Current Moon Phase for December 4th: Waning Gibbous

Gibbous Moon

(waning /71% illumination)

This is a tremendous time of transmutation. All of the prior elements are coming together for a final burst of creative output. You have seen a clear view of your own needs and the posture of significant others. Now the accumulation of that input is leading to a deep, core change within you. In this phase, you will naturally be inclined to seek higher guidance so that you can emerge from this transformation successfully. The Disseminting Moon favors sharing what you have learned (and are learning) with others

Yuletide Herb – Frankincense

Frankincense

Botanical: Boswellia Thurifera Family:

N.O Burseraceae

 

—Synonym—Olibanum.

—Part Used—The gum resin.

—Habitat—Arabia, Somaliland.

 

—Description—Obtained from the leafy forest tree Boswellia Thurifera, with leaves deciduous, alternate towards the tops of branches, unequally pinnated; leaflets in about ten pairs with an odd one opposite, oblong, obtuse, serrated, pubescent, sometimes alternate; petioles short. Flowers, white or pale rose on short pedicels in single axillary racemes shorter than the leaves. Calyx, small five-toothed, persistent; corolla with five obovate-oblong, very patent petals, acute at the base, inserted under the margin of the disk, acstivation slightly imbricative. Stamens, ten, inserted under the disk, alternately shorter; filaments subulate, persistent. Anthers, caducous, oblong. Torus a cupshaped disk, fleshy, larger than calyx, crenulated margin. Ovary, oblong, sessile. Style, one caducous, the length of the stamens; stigma capitate, three-lobed. Fruit capsular, three-angled three-celled, three-valved, septicidal, valves hard. Seeds, solitary in each cell surrounded by a broad membranaceous wing. Cotyledons intricately folded multifid.

The trees on the Somali coast grow, without soil, out of polished marble rocks, to which they are attached by a thick oval mass of substances resembling a mixture of lime and mortar. The young trees furnish the most valuable gum, the older yielding merely a clear, glutinous fluid, resembling coral varnish.

To obtain the Frankincense, a deep, longitudinal incision is made in the trunk of the tree and below it a narrow strip of bark 5 inches in length is peeled off. When the milk-like juice which exudes has hardened by exposure to the air, the incision is deepened. In about three months the resin has attained the required degree of consistency, hardening into yellowish ‘tears.’ The large, clear globules are scraped off into baskets and the inferior quality that has run down the tree is collected separately. The season for gathering lasts from May till the middle of September, when the first shower of rain puts a close to the gathering for that year.

The coast of Southern Arabia is yearly visited by parties of Somalis, who pay the Arabs for the privilege of collecting Frankincense, and in the interior of the country, about the plain of Dhofar, during the southwest Monsoon, Frankincense and other gums are gathered by the Bedouins. (The incense of Dhofar is alluded to by the Portuguese poet, Camoens.)

 

—Constituents—Resins 65 per cent, volatile oil 6 per cent, water-soluble gum 20 per cent, bassorin 6 to 8 per cent, plant residue 2 to 4 per cent; the resins are composed of boswellic acid and alibanoresin.

—Medicinal Action and Uses—It is stimulant, but seldom used now internally, though formerly was in great repute . Pliny mentions it as an antidote to hemlock. Avicenna (tenth century) recommends it for tumours, ulcers, vomiting, dysentery and fevers. In China it is used for leprosy.

Its principal use now is in the manufacture of incense and pastilles. It is also used in plasters and might be substituted for Balsam of Peru or Balsam or Tolu. The inhalation of steam laden with the volatile portion of the drug is said to relieve bronchitis and laryngitis.

The ceremonial incense of the Jews was compounded of four ‘sweet scents,’ of which pure Frankincense was one, pounded together in equal proportion. It is frequently mentioned in the Pentateuch. Pure Frankincense formed part of the meet offering and was also presented with the shew-bread every Sabbath day. With other spices, it was stored in a great chamber of the House of God at Jerusalem.

According to Herodotus, Frankincense to the amount of 1,000 talents weight was offered every year, during the feast of Bel, on the great altar of his temple in Babylon. The religious use of incense was as common in ancient Persia as in Babylon and Assyria. Herodotus states that the Arabs brought every year to Darius as tribute 1,000 talents of Frankincense, and the modern Parsis of Western India still preserve the ritual of incense.

Frankincense, though the most common, never became the only kind of incense offered to the gods among the Greeks. According to Pliny, it was not sacrificially employed in Trojan times. Among the Romans, the use of Frankincense (alluded to as mascula thura by Virgil in the Eclogues) was not confined to religious ceremonials. It was also used on state occasions, and in domestic life.

The kohl, or black powder with which the Egyptian women paint their eyelids, is made of charred Frankincense, or other odoriferous resin mixed with Frankincense. Frankincense is also melted to make a depilatory, and it is made into a paste with other ingredients to perfume the hands. A similar practice is described by Herodotus as having been practiced by the women of Scythia and is alluded to in Judith x. 3 and 4. In cold weather, the Egyptians warm their rooms with a brazier whereon incense is burnt, Frankincense, Benzoin and Aloe wood being chiefly used for the purpose.

The word ‘incense,’ meaning originally the aroma given off with the smoke of any odoriferous substance when burnt, has been gradually restricted almost exclusively to Frankincense, which has always been obtainable in Europe in greater quantity than any other of the aromatics imported from the East.

There is no fixed formula for the incense now used in the Christian churches of Europe, but it is recommended that Frankincense should enter as largely as possible intoits composition. In Rome, Olibanum alone is employed: in the Russian church, Benzoin is chiefly employed.

The following is a formula for an incense used in the Roman Church: Olibanum, 10 OZ. Benzoin, 4 oz. Storax, 1 OZ. Break into small pieces and mix.

The Witches Spell for December 4th: Releasing Intense Emotions Spell

witch81

 

Releasing Intense Emotions   Spell

Perform this easy spell to calm yourself when dealing   with intense emotional family or other issues. By ridding yourself of this excess   emotional energy, you will allow your mind and body to stay healthy during this   stressful season.

Ingredients:  

a piece of unlined paper  

a pen  

a black candle  

a bowl of purified water  

sea salt

 

Spell:  

Light the candle. On the paper write down any fears, frustrations, or concerns   you may be feeling. Let the words come flowing from inside you, do not hold   back. If you feel like saying the words aloud as you write them do so. Once   you are finished fold the paper up and burn it in the candle flame. After you   burn the paper, dip your fingers in the water and sprinkle yourself with it   while saying:

“I release these words, I release this tension, I release this   negativity from my life”

You’re done!

The Witches Correspondence for Tuesday, December 4th

 

The Witches Correspondence for Tuesday, December 4th

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 Witches Almanac for *Tuesday, December 4th

 

The Witches Almanac for *Tuesday, December 4th

*Tuesday (Mars): Passion, sex, courage, aggression and protection.

St. Barbara’s Day

Moon Sign: *Leo

*Leo: Draws emphasis to the self, central ideas or institutions, away from connections with others and other emotional needs. People tend to be melodramatic.

*Waning Moon

*The Waning Moon (from the Full Moon to the New): is a time for study, meditation, a little magickal work (except magick designed to banish harmful energies).

Incense: Basil

Moon Phase: Third Quarter

Color: Red

A Good, Blessed Morning to All Of My Dearest Family & Friends!

Thank you for being my friends!

I am such a lucky witch to have each and everyone of you here each day.

Much Love & Many Blessings,

Lady A

P. S.

This morning during the regular posts, you will find info regarding herbs. These herbs are special because they pertain to Yule. Don’t hurt to refresh ourselves occasionally. Well for me at least it doesn’t. I hope you enjoy them!

 

 

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