Day: December 18, 2015
Incense of the Day for December 18th is SUN INCENSE
Incense of the Day
SUN INCENSE
2 parts acacia resin
3 parts frankincense
½ part orange peel
1 part myrrh
2 parts red sandalwood
½ part rosemary
¼ part cinnamon bark
1 part benzoin
Few drops cedar oil
Gemstone of the Day for Dec. 18th is Fluorite
Gemstone of the Day
Fluorite
(Color: extremely variable; can be an intense purple, blue, green or yellow, reddish orange, pink, white or brown, as well as colorless. Flourite comes from the Latin word, fluere “to flow”
Hardness: 4
Specific Gravity: 3.1
Chemistry: CaF2, Calcium Fluoride
Class: Halides
Crystallography: Isometric
Cleavage: perfect in 4 directions forming octahedrons
Fracture: irregular and brittle
Streak: white
Luster: vitreous
Healing: Green Fluorite is used as a powerful stone of Healing. Use to purify the body. Helps to stablilize and calm the body as well as the emotional level. Allows for clearer insight into situations. Flourite is thought to re-kindle sexual libido.
Workings: Purple fluorite is employed as a stone of Intuition. Its energy is projective. It is the astrological sign of Pisces and Capricorn. Each color of Flourite vibrates to a different number:
Purple – Master number 77
Blue – 2
Green – 2
Yellow – 9
Chinese – 7
Colourless – 2
Chakra Applications: Flourite is effective for auric cleansing and assists in reaching a deeper state of meditation. Purple fluorite is used to open the third eye and aids in increasing psychic awareness.
Foot Notes: Fluorite is the natural crystalline form of calcium fluoride (CaF2). Flourite is found in numerous localities around the world. Especially in England, Germany, Mexico, and in Kentucky and Illinois in the United States. Fluorite is frequently fluorescent, thus adding to its range of colors. Fluorite is found as a common mineral in hydrothermal veins, especially those containing lead and zinc minerals. It can be found in a wide range of geologic environments, ranging from inclusions in granite to replacement deposits in limestones. Fluorite is a relatively soft stone.
Author: Crick
Website: The Whispering Woods
Herb of the Day for December 18th is Amaranth
Herb of the Day
Amaranth
Medicinal Uses: Amaranth is used to battle stomach flu, diarrhea, and gastroenteritis. It was used by Native Americans to stop menstruation and for contraception. It is also used internally for diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhage from the bowels, and nosebleeds. Amaranth seed and leaves have been used effectively as an astringent for stopping diarrhea, bloody stools and excessive menstruation. It is an excellent wash for skin problems such as acne and eczema to psoriasis and hives. It is used as a douche for vaginal discharges; as a mouthwash for sore mouths, gums, teeth and throat and as an enema for colon inflammation and rectal sores. Applied externally, it can reduce tissue swelling from sprains and tick bites.
Magickal uses: Amaranth is used to repair a broken heart. It is also associated with immortality, and is used to decorate images of gods and goddesses. It is sacred to the god Artemis. Woven into a wreath, it is said to render the wearer invisible. It is also used in pagan burial ceremonies.
Properties: Astringent, hemostatic, nutritive, alterative
Growth: Amaranth is an annual whose different varieties grow from one to five feet tall. It bears alternate, oblong-lancelet pointed, green leaves that have a red-purplish spot. Its flowers appear in August and grow in clusters. It does not transplant well, so sow it where you want it to grow. It is generally not picky about soil type, and tolerates heat and drought well. The leaves of the plant are used.
Infusion or decoction: Use 1 tsp. leaves with 1 cup water. Take cold, 1- 2 cups a day.
Gargle: 2 tbsp. to 1 quart water simmered 10 minutes and used as a gargle 3-4 times a day. May also be used as a douche for leucorrhea.
Tincture: A dose is 1/2 to 1 tsp.
Amaranth should not be used by pregnant or lactating women.
Source:
Author: Crick
Author: Crick
Website: The Whispering Woods
Have You Ever Heard of Krampus? Yikes!
Krampus
In Austro-Bavarian Alpine folklore, Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure who, during the Christmas season, punishes children who have misbehaved, in contrast with Saint Nicholas, who rewards the well-behaved with gifts. Regions in Austria feature similar figures and, more widely, Krampus is one of a number of Companions of Saint Nicholas in regions of Europe. The origin of the figure is unclear; some folklorists and anthropologists have postulated a pre-Christian origin for the figure (see Germanic paganism).
In traditional parades and in such events as the Krampuslauf (English: Krampus run), young men dressed as Krampus participate; such events occur annually in most Alpine towns. Krampus is featured on holiday greeting cards called Krampuskarten.
Origins
The history of the Krampus figure has been theorized as stretching back to Pre-Christian Alpine traditions. In a brief article discussing the figure, published in 1958, Maurice Bruce wrote:
There seems to be little doubt as to his true identity for, in no other form is the full regalia of the Horned God of the Witches so well preserved. The birch—apart from its phallic significance—may have a connection with the initiation rites of certain witch-covens; rites which entailed binding and scourging as a form of mock-death. The chains could have been introduced in a Christian attempt to ‘bind the Devil’ but again they could be a remnant of pagan initiation rites.
Discussing his observations while in Irdning, a small town in Styria in 1975, anthropologist John J. Honigmann wrote that:
The Saint Nicholas festival we are describing incorporates cultural elements widely distributed in Europe, in some cases going back to pre-Christian times. Nicholas himself became popular in Germany around the eleventh century. The feast dedicated to this patron of children is only one winter occasion in which children are the objects of special attention, others being Martinmas, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and New Year’s Day. Masked devils acting boisterously and making nuisances of themselves are known in Germany since at least the sixteenth century while animal masked devils combining dreadful-comic (schauriglustig) antics appeared in Medieval church plays. A large literature, much of it by European folklorists, bears on these subjects. … Austrians in the community we studied are quite aware of “heathen” elements being blended with Christian elements in the Saint Nicholas customs and in other traditional winter ceremonies. They believe Krampus derives from a pagan supernatural who was assimilated to the Christian devil.
The Krampus figures persisted, and by the 17th century Krampus had been incorporated into Christian winter celebrations by pairing Krampus with St Nicholas.
Countries of the former Habsburg Empire have largely borrowed the tradition of Krampus accompanying St Nicholas on 5 December from Austria.
Modern history
In the aftermath of the 1934 Austrian Civil War, the Krampus tradition was prohibited by the Dollfuss regime under the Fatherland’s Front (Vaterländische Front) and the Christian Social Party. In the 1950s, the government distributed pamphlets titled “Krampus Is an Evil Man”. Towards the end of the century, a popular resurgence of Krampus celebrations occurred and continues today. The Krampus tradition is being revived in Bavaria as well, along with a local artistic tradition of hand-carved wooden masks. There has been public debate in Austria in modern times about whether Krampus is appropriate for children.
Appearance
Although Krampus appears in many variations, most share some common physical characteristics. He is hairy, usually brown or black, and has the cloven hooves and horns of a goat. His long, pointed tongue lolls out.
Krampus carries chains, thought to symbolize the binding of the Devil by the Christian Church. He thrashes the chains for dramatic effect. The chains are sometimes accompanied with bells of various sizes. Of more pagan origins are the ruten, bundles of birch branches that Krampus carries and occasionally swats children with. The ruten have significance in pre-Christian pagan initiation rites. The birch branches are replaced with a whip in some representations. Sometimes Krampus appears with a sack or a basket strapped to his back; this is to cart off evil children for drowning, eating, or transport to Hell. Some of the older versions make mention of naughty children being put in the bag and being taken. This part of the legend refers to the times that the Moors raided the European coasts, and as far as Iceland, to abduct the local people into slavery. This quality can be found in other Companions of Saint Nicholas such as Zwarte Piet.
Krampusnacht
A modern Krampus at the Perchtenlauf in Klagenfurt (2006)
The Feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated in parts of Europe on 6 December. On the preceding evening of December 5th, Krampus Night or Krampusnacht, the wicked hairy devil appears on the streets. Sometimes accompanying St Nicholas and sometimes on his own, Krampus visits homes and businesses. The Saint usually appears in the Eastern Rite vestments of a bishop, and he carries a golden ceremonial staff. Unlike North American versions of Santa Claus, in these celebrations Saint Nicholas concerns himself only with the good children, while Krampus is responsible for the bad. Nicholas dispenses gifts, while Krampus supplies coal and the ruten bundles.
Krampuslauf
A Krampuslauf is a run of celebrants dressed as the wicked beast, often fueled by alcohol. It is customary to offer a Krampus schnapps, a strong distilled fruit brandy. These runs may include perchten, similarly wild pagan spirits of Germanic folklore and sometimes female in representation, although the perchten are properly associated with the period between winter solstice and 6 January.
Krampuskarten
Europeans have been exchanging greeting cards featuring Krampus since the 1800s. Sometimes introduced with Gruß vom Krampus (Greetings from the Krampus), the cards usually have humorous rhymes and poems. Krampus is often featured looming menacingly over children. He is also shown as having one human foot and one cloven hoof. In some, Krampus has sexual overtones; he is pictured pursuing buxom women. Over time, the representation of Krampus in the cards has changed; older versions have a more frightening Krampus, while modern versions have a cuter, more Cupid-like creature. Krampus has also adorned postcards and candy containers.
Regional variations
In Styria, the Ruten bundles are presented by Krampus to families. The twigs are painted gold and displayed year-round in the house—a reminder to any child who has temporarily forgotten Krampus. In smaller, more isolated villages, the figure has other beastly companions, such as the antlered “wild man” figures, and St Nicholas is nowhere to be seen. These Styrian companions of Krampus are called Schabmänner or Rauhen.
A toned-down version of Krampus is part of the popular Christmas markets in Austrian urban centres like Salzburg. In these, more tourist-friendly interpretations, Krampus is more humorous than fearsome.
North American Krampus celebrations, though rare, are a growing phenomenon.
Similar figures are recorded in neighboring areas. Klaubauf Austria, while Bartl or Bartel, Niglobartl, and Wubartl are used in the southern part of the country. In most parts of Slovenia, whose culture was greatly affected by Austrian culture, Krampus is called parkelj and is one of the companions of Miklavž, the Slovenian form of St. Nicholas.
In many parts of Croatia, Krampus is described as a devil wearing a cloth sack around his waist and chains around his neck, ankles, and wrists. As a part of a tradition, when a child receives a gift from St. Nicholas he is given a golden branch to represent his good deeds throughout the year; however, if the child has misbehaved, Krampus will take the gifts for himself and leave only a silver branch to represent the child’s bad acts.
Source:
Wikipedia
A Little Thought from Me to You…..
A Little Humor for Your Day – Enlightenment Quiz
Enlightenment Quiz
The following is a rest of your level of enlightenment. Score one point for each correct answer, subtract one point for each wrong answer. Add your total number of right answers to the total number of wrong answers, divide by the total number of questions on the test, then wonder why you’ve tried to follow it this far.
Select the answer which best completes the following statements:
|
|
True-False
_______Ramakrishna is a cereal made with rice and maple flavoring.
_______Satori is better than nirnana and samadhi except on weekends and holodays.
_______Sufi dancing is like square dancing only rounder.
_______The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a novel by Harold Robbins.
Score
0-5 points: You are hopelessly attached to the wheel of life and death. Try again next incarnation!
6-10 points You are largely unconscious and stuck in worldly pleasures
10-15 points You are so-so on the enlightment scale. Keep reading the New Sun.
15-20 points You are a very conscious being; with a little good karma you could go a long way.
20-25 points You are very close to God-realization–early November at the latest.
Astronomy Picture of the Day – Herbig-Haro 24
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.
2015 December 18
Herbig-Haro 24
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage (STScI / AURA) / Hubble-Europe CollaborationAcknowledgment: D. Padgett (GSFC), T. Megeath (University of Toledo), B. Reipurth (University of Hawaii)
Explanation: This might look like a double-bladed lightsaber, but these two cosmic jets actually beam outward from a newborn star in a galaxy near you. Constructed from Hubble Space Telescope image data, the stunning scene spans about half a light-year across Herbig-Haro 24 (HH 24), some 1,300 light-years or 400 parsecs away in the stellar nurseries of the Orion B molecular cloud complex. Hidden from direct view, HH 24’s central protostar is surrounded by cold dust and gas flattened into a rotating accretion disk. As material from the disk falls toward the young stellar object it heats up. Opposing jets are blasted out along the system’s rotation axis. Cutting through the region’s interstellar matter, the narrow, energetic jets produce a series of glowing shock fronts along their path.
Earth Sky News for Dec. 18th: December solstice brings longest days for whole Earth
December solstice brings longest days for whole Earth
The 2015 December solstice will come on December 22, at 4:48 Universal Time. This is December 21 at 10:48 p.m. CST for central time zone in North America. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the December solstice ushers in our shortest period of daylight and longest period of darkness for the year. And yet – if we consider the length of the day in another light – the longest days of the year come each year in December for the entire globe.
When we say the longest days of the year come each year around the December solstice for the entire globe, we’re talking about day not as a period of daylight – but as the interval from one solar noon – or midday – to the next.
In December, a day – one rotation of Earth relative to the noonday sun – is about one-half minute longer than the average 24 hours.
Keep in mind that the clocks on our walls don’t measure the true length of a solar day. To measure the time from one solar noon to the next, you need a sundial. A sundial will tell you the precise moment of local solar noon – when the sun reaches its highest point for the day.
The featured photo at the top of this post shows an analemma. It shows sun’s declination – its angular distance from the celestial equator – and difference (in minutes) between time as measured by the clock and time as measured by the sun.
So it’s December now, and that means one rotation of the Earth relative to the sun – what we call a solar day – is about one-half minute longer than the average 24 hours, for the entire globe.
Days are always longer – as measured from one solar noon to the next – than 24 hours around the solstices (and less than 24 hours around the the equinoxes).
The days are at their longest now – for the whole globe – because we’re closer to the sun on the December solstice than we are at the June solstice. Earth’s perihelion – closest point to the sun – always comes in early January. When we’re closest to the sun, our planet is moving a little faster than average in its orbit. That means our planet is traveling through space a little farther than average each day. The result is that Earth has to rotate a little farther on its axis for the sun to return to its noontime position. Hence the longer solar day.
Half a minute longer doesn’t sound like much, but the difference adds up. The longer days cause noontime to come earlier by the clock before the December solstice than at the December solstice. Moreover, the longer days cause noontime to come later by the clock after the December solstice than at the December solstice. Because the clock and sun are most out of sync right now, some befuddling phenomena cause people to scratch their heads.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the year’s earliest sunset precedes the December winter solstice, and the year’s latest sunrise comes after the December winter solstice.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the year’s earliest sunrise precedes the December summer solstice, and the year’s latest sunset comes after the December summer solstice.
Although the solstice brings the shortest/longest period of daylight, the earliest sunset/sunrise always comes before the solstice, and latest sunrise/sunset always comes afterwards.
The fact that we’re closest to the sun in early January also means that Northern Hemisphere winter (Southern Hemisphere summer) is the shortest of the four seasons. At the same time … ‘tis the season of bountifully long solar days.
Bottom line: As measured from one solar noon to the next, December has the longest days – the longest day/night cycle – for the whole Earth.
About The Author:
Bruce McClure
Bruce McClure is the chief writer for the popular EarthSky Tonight pages. Since joining EarthSky in 2004, he has written thousands of astronomy articles, enjoyed here by millions. He also writes, gives planetarium shows and hosts a wide assortment of public astronomy programs in and around his home in upstate New York. If you ask an astronomy question on our site, it’s likely to be Bruce that answers it. His love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, and he has sailed the North Atlantic, earning his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. Bruce is also a sundial aficionado. He says his number one passion – besides his wife Alice – is stargazing.
Article published on EarthSky
The Words of Confucius
The Words of Confucius
The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome his first interest; success only comes later.
Crack the Cookie
Your Daily Influences for Friday, December 18th
Your Daily Influences
December 18th, 2015
The Empress Reversed
This card represents infertility, instability and the loss of material possessions.
Jera
Jera denotes positive, recurring cycles, fertility and a time to harvest rewards from your hard work.
The Menat
You will find focusing on this aspect difficult, because truths will be obscured by dreaminess and illusion. You will not accomplish much here in the next several weeks, and therefore should focus your attention elsewhere
Your Daily Influences represent events and challenges the current day will present for you. They may represent opportunities you should be ready to seize. Or they may forewarn you of problems you may be able to avoid or lessen. Generally it is best to use them as tips to help you manage your day and nothing more.
Your Ancient Symbol Card for Dec. 18th is The Crystal
Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today
The Crystal
The Crystal glows with the power of mystical truths transformed into material realities. The Crystal denotes a self with a powerful connection to the spiritual world that allows them to literally soak up cosmic wisdom and apply it favorably to their everyday life. It suggest a tremendous growth of one’s spiritual self that will greatly impact the querant’s secular life.
As a daily card, The Crystal indicates a time when you are likely to be well served by allowing your spiritual self to guide your day to day behavior.
The Witches Rune for December 18th is Man
Today’s Witches Rune
Man
Meaning: The Man rune demands action. It’s not longer time to quietly sit and think, or to hide yourself and heal. No, it’s time to get up and fight for what you want. If things are slow or stagnated, change them. Begin something new. It’s not a moment to let things flow as they will, but to grab the reigns and gain control over the situation. Be the leader and defend your stand.
While the Woman rune is about healing, this one can be about defending yourself, and, sometimes, hurting or getting hurt in the process. You may have to defend your opinions, your actions or choices against some aggressive people. This rune offers you a challenge, but is also shows that you have the resources needed to face it. Naturally, this rune has very aggressive potentials in it, and they need a good deal of discipline in order to not become sorely destructive.
The Man rune also accelerates everything… nothing stays still when its around. The outcome of your question may happen sooner than you expected, but the result will probably be unexpected. It does not mean that all will go wrong, no – things will simply develop in unseen ways.
In relationship readings, the Man rune promises a period of instability, so it’s important to not have high expectations. Under the influence of this rune, the relationship can be a stairway to Heaven or a ticket to Hell… and sometimes both, in a short period of time. It promises a bumpy journey for the heart, but with a great level of intensity. The Man rune can stand for love/hate relationship, cat and rat games and obsessions… the kind of things that turns one nuts (for good and for bad). This rune is good in questions concerning sexuality.
Additional information about Today’s Witches courtesy of Your Spiritual Journey Australia
Your Crowley Thoth Tarot Card for December 18 is Fortune
Your Crowley Thoth Tarot Card for Today
Fortune
Fortune represents that aspect of life that is directed by forces and events we may not understand or even be aware of. In short, Fortune deals with chance—those occurrences that manage to alter even the most structured of lives, usurp man’s “best laid plans.” While the effects of Fortune are unpredictable, the outcome is always change; sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Our path through life is never a ride down a perfectly straight highway. Sometimes we may even experience hairpin turns or complete reversals of direction. Fortune is strong reminder that despite our plans, the Universe has its own agenda from which we cannot escape participation.
Your Daily I Ching Hexagram for December 18th is 61: Mutually Trusting
Today’s I Ching Hexagram
December 18th, 2015
_________________________
61: Mutually Trusting
Summary:
Develop mutual trust amongst your group. Trust will hasten success.
Line One of Your Hexagram is a 9:
Learn to trust those around you. Give them the benefit of doubt.
Line Two of Your Hexagram is a 9:
Manage fairly and everyone will enjoy success.
Line Three of Your Hexagram is a 6:
You may be at a turning point. Think through any plan carefully.
Line Four of Your Hexagram is a 6:
Deal with problems swiftly.
Line Five of Your Hexagram is a 9:
Do what you must to gain the trust of those around you.
Line Six of Your Hexagram is a 9:
Now is a time for action.
Casting the Stones, Your Past, Present & Future Reading for December 18th
Casting the Stones, Your Past, Present & Future Reading for Today
The Past
Perthro
Mysteries will become known to you. You should be able to see your life’s path clearly at this time. Pethro is often thought of as “Gambler’s Rune.” You are in a lucky period right now. Chance is your ally. Take advantage of it.
The Present
Fehu
Fehu is the Rune of prosperity, good luck and unbridled creative energies. Being associated with Frey, this Rune is also a powerful omen of fertility. Fehu is one of the three Mother Stones and should never be taken lightly.
The Future
Naudhiz
Naudhiz reversed may tell of needs met and harmonious relationships. Your passions for someone or something may be at their pinnacle.
Your Rune For December 18th is Mannaz
Your Rune For Today
Mannaz
Now is the time for you to explore your inner self and those of others. Your intelligence and creativity are very well honed at the moment. Cooperation from and with others should be very easy to attain
Additional information about Today’s Rune, Mannaz
mannaz : man, humankind
Phonetic equivalent: m
DIVINATORY MEANINGS: significator, self, family, community, relationships, social concerns
MAGICAL USES: to represent a specific person or group of people; to establish social relationships
ASSOCIATED MYTHS & DEITIES: Ask and Embla, Midgard
ANALYSIS: In its broadest sense, mannaz represents all of humanity, and therefore the entire realm of Midgard. In more practical terms, it is those with whom we have personal connections, from our immediate circle of family and friends to the wider community around us, reminding us of our nature as social animals. It also represents our connection with the Gods (Ymir), and with nature (the two trees). It takes the raw energy of ehwaz and controls it through our social conscience, reminding us of those we affect with our deeds both magical and mundane.
The rune itself resembles gyfu with its joining of masculine and feminine elements, but is much more complete. It is the entire web of human relationships, with the self at the centre, which mirrors the web of fate explored through raiðo. But while that web joined was more or less fixed, this one is mutable and alive. Past and present, male and female, self and other – all opposites are joined here and made whole. Mannaz is our home, and speaks for all those whose lives we touch when we use the gifts we have been given through the runes.
Source:
The Runic Journey (PDF)
By Jennifer Smith
Your Tarot Card for Friday, December 18th is The Hermit
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Your Daily Tarot Card for Today
The Hermit
___________________________________
December 18, 2015
The challenge of what has traditionally been known as the Hermit card is to be able to recognize a teacher in a humble disguise. This font of mysterious knowledge will not make it easy for the student to acquire his wisdom, as it takes time and long contemplation to fathom what he knows. He often speaks wordlessly, or in ancient and barbaric tongues, communicating with the elements, animals and Nature herself.
While the hourglass was an identifying feature on the earliest Hermit cards, more modern ones have shifted the metaphor, showing more or less light released from his lantern. In either case, the Hermit card reminds us of the value of time away from the hubbub of civic life, to relax the ego in communion with Nature.
@Tarot.com is a DailyInsightGroup Site
Get A Jump On Tomorrow, Your Daily Horoscopes for Saturday, December 19th
Get A Jump On Tomorrow….
Your Daily Horoscopes for Saturday, December 19th
Aries
There can be new insight into a business or life path matter today, dear Aries, but do watch for being too insistent with others. Apply your determination to a project instead. Conversations can be intense and passionate today, or they could become quite heated in a less pleasing manner! Something that’s communicated could be interpreted as provocative and might frustrate, but the sooner you pull yourself off the track of a negative line of thought, the better. Investigate, probe, and observe now for best results. A partner or significant person in your life can be supportive, and a relationship can open up. Even if it reveals some uncomfortable matter, it’s one step towards healing and repairing.
Taurus
There can be a tendency to either dwell on a problem or opinion today, dear Taurus, or to determinedly follow a personal interest and investigate a matter more fully. You can be feeling quite fired up about an idea or topic, and might embark on a little adventure that gets the adrenaline pumping. While you should avoid trying to “convert” someone to your line of thinking, you should definitely take advantage of your spirited, passionate approach and apply it to something constructive and worthy of your attention. As you pursue your interested heartily, others are more likely to see your perspective given a little time. Your powers of attraction run very high right now. A relationship can turn a corner with an open, honest approach to any problem areas.
Gemini
You can really probe to the heart of a matter today, dear Gemini, and your powers of persuasion are strong as long as you avoid pushing too hard when people are involved! Watch how you express yourself today, as there is a tendency to be a little too controlling or on edge. Use the intense energy of the day to push forward a creative project or focus your determination on something productive, such as for making plans, research, or investigating a matter further. Observe, but wait to act on your observations. The more open and honest you are with yourself, and the more you understand yourself and your motivations, the better your decisions. There is also good energy for service-related matters, business sense, and health discoveries. Repairing relationships with others is possible with an open-hearted, humbly confident approach.
Cancer
There can be expectations and perhaps even demands in a relationship today, dear Cancer, or a tendency to probe and get serious about a relating matter. You can come to a very happy position, however, if you combine resources and work together with someone special, instead of competitively.
You should not have to be force-fed ideas and perspectives, and it’s important to lay down your boundaries. You’ll have the most success if you use your powers of reasoning and compromise. Shared ideals or beliefs can be found now and can be a source of comfort, and possibly also attraction. There can be an emotional awakening to your love for someone or your own desires and needs. The Moon in Aries and your public sector stimulates your desire to be on top of things.
Leo
There is a strong desire and drive to be efficient today, dear Leo. You can be an operator in the better sense of the word right now. You can work your way through difficult problems or challenges in a step by step manner. Mercury in alignment with Pluto in your work and health sector stimulates your determination and focus to get ahead on a project or endeavor. Avoid being overbearing if people are involved, and do take time to really work at something you love, as you can make great progress now. Good energy for redoing or reworking a project is with you now. You may need to revisit decisions made now at a later date, but you might also lay down important ground work now. Researching a health or healing method can be rewarding now.
Virgo
Very strong energy is with you in the first half of the day for repairing or improving a relationship with the power of sensitive communication, dear Virgo. However, the atmosphere can also be rather charged with Mercury and Pluto in alignment in your creativity and romance sector. Conversations can be powerful, but can also become heated or loaded if matters are pushed too far. This can be a good day for breaking new ground or making a new commitment to a creative project, or for some, possibly even a romance. Use intense emotions and compulsions constructively through art or intimacy. There is a dramatic and competitive touch to everything you do today. If you are engaging in a competition of sorts, physical or mental, you are more likely to come out a winner right now through sheer determination.
Libra
You’re inclined to do some digging for answers today, dear Libra, and important or serious conversations can revolve around family or home life. As much as you want answers, try not to push things too far, and don’t allow others to push you, either, whether this is about pushing you to believe something, to do something you don’t want to do, or pushing your buttons! Channeling extra energy into making plans or organizing the home, and possibly family activities, can be successful. Fortunately, you a Venus-Chiron trine this morning helps to smooth things over, and it also helps you to evaluate financial and business matters quite accurately. You are in tune with what things and people are most valuable to you, and this helps you to gravitate towards what and who you need. Your powers of attraction run high.
Scorpio
Your mind may latch onto a dilemma or problem, possibly a past issue that hasn’t been resolved, for example, dear Scorpio. Be careful not to rub people the wrong way with the appearance that you might know better than everyone else, even if you don’t intend it (and even if you do know better right now!). Use your natural smarts to maximize your capacity for healthy communication today, as reaching out and connecting can bring unexpected opportunities right now, and your insight into a matter can be appreciated, particularly if you deliver it in a diplomatic manner. Comfort, beauty, and ambiance are especially important when it comes to your relationships today, so make sure the mood is pleasing and harmonious. Through your interactions, you have the chance to heal and grow.
Sagittarius
Creative problem solving comes easily now, dear Sagittarius, particularly when you apply your thinking to practical and professional matters. You could become thoroughly absorbed by a financial matter or fixated on something you want to purchase. Luckily, you are in a good position to judge value. Important conversations can occur now, and you can get much from them, as long as you look beyond the insistence of the messages you are receiving. An issue surrounding values, money, or questions of ownership can quickly become heated. Alternatively, you may be feeling conflicted on an inner level about your feelings towards someone. However, at the end of it all, you could learn a great deal from the differences that at first seemed so glaring. Watch today for a tendency to resort to manipulative tactics to get what you want. It’s probably not a good idea to be brutally honest – subtlety is best now. You can be quite temperamental about whether others value you, as you have a stronger need these days for being treated with respect.
Capricorn
With Mercury and Pluto aligning today in your sign, dear Capricorn, you may very well be the topic of discussion now! You might also own this energy and find yourself doggedly pursuing an answer or truth, or eloquently persuading others. This can be a strong day for making changes to your immediate environment and relationships, particularly involving communications, that truly help you to feel better and to connect more easily. Conversations could trigger deeper issues, and provocative comments may be taken the wrong way. However, challenges today seem to light a fire under you to make improvements. Look for the lesson and cut out the negative thinking spiral. There is good energy for support and healing through relationships, and especially friendships.
Aquarius
There can be a tendency to fixate on a certain topic or idea today, dear Aquarius. This can be positive if you are working on a project that needs your attention. However, watch for compulsive thinking, and avoid adamancy with your beliefs, as this can cause some stress. Watch that you are not your own worst enemy today by saying or doing things that invite negative reactions. There can be resistance to letting something go and possibly frustration with a feeling that you are in the dark about a matter. However, there is also helpful energy for seeing the good and the beautiful in people, and this can encourage you to push forward gently. An intense discussion about your past or about private matters may be part of the picture. It’s an excellent time for cutting through appearances and uncovering something previously unknown or hidden, and for uncovering your own buried needs.
Pisces
If it’s easy to trigger sensitivities today, dear Pisces, try to examine what kinds of things pull up the most frustration, as they are clues to unresolved issues that may be driving your behavior or causing undue stress in your life. Avoid pushing something that you can’t change. There can be strong opinions that can dominate your thinking, particularly among friends, with associates, or in your networking activities. Releasing pressure could involve letting go of something that you’ve been overthinking, or you might try redirecting thoughts to constructive ideas, particularly plans for the future. Others might notice a talent of yours, and the chance to show off your abilities can arise. It’s an exciting day for personal charisma.
Witches Of The Craft® 
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