Day: January 25, 2016

WOTC Extra (d) Closing the Intuitive Seasonal Spells

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Closing the Intuitive Seasonal Spells

Allow the tealight to burn until it is gone or until the water has evaporated. When that happens, you may close the spell by saying:

For inner knowledge true, bringing harm to none,
By fire and scent, this psychic spell is done.

Once the lamp has cooled to the touch, carefully wipe out the oil dish so your lamp is ready to go for the next spell.

Remember to focus on and to enjoy the seasons every day, no matter what zone you live in. Stay connected to the natural world as the year turns, and you will discover a new level of perception. Now use this knowledge wisely, and add it to your own personal magickal traditions; for the more we work with and empathize with the seasons and cycles of nature, the more we develop spiritually.

 

—Ellen Dugan, Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal & Practical Magick

WOTC Extra (c) Winter: Intuitive Spell for Introspection

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Winter: Intuitive Spell for Introspection

Scent— sandalwood or frankincense. These scents encourage spirituality and meditation, which are perfect for this season’s theme of introspection.

As the cold winter winds do blow and spin,
I now focus my attention within.
Introspection is the key at this time of the year;
My future aspirations will become bright and
clear.

Ellen Dugan, Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal & Practical Magick

WOTC Extra (b) Seasonal Spells

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Seasonal Spells

This time I thought we would mix things up a bit – bit— instead of the usual spell candle setup, I decided it would be more interesting to work with the aroma lamps that are often used in aromatherapy. These small ceramic dishes are inexpensive and easily found in candle shops or arts and crafts stores. I picked one up for about five dollars. I have a friend who is an aromatherapist, and she uses these little lamps often. She asked me why I never wrote spells that included these handy little lamps, and the more I thought about it, the better I liked the idea.

After all, as she pointed out, the four elements are all represented neatly. The lamp itself is typically made of ceramic material (representing earth). The small tealight that is placed inside represents fire when it is lit. There is water that sits in the dish above, and the fragrant essential oils that you drop into the water are for the element of air.

As the water heats up from the candle below, the scent is released into the room, and scent is one of our most powerful senses. It evokes strong memories and affects the magickal mood. Certain scents can affect your psychic centers and your awareness on a subtle level. They do this as the magickally charged aroma filters into the body, and this, in turn, creates a change in your conscious and psychic mind.

Supplies
An aroma lamp
Plain, unscented tealight candles (most tealight candles burn for approximately four hours)
Essential oils (use the suggested seasonal scent or choose your own)
A lighter or matches
A safe, flat surface to set up on
Other items as desired to personalize the spell

A Note for Personalizing

You may wish to personalize these seasonal spells; that is completely up to you. But if the idea gets your Witch’s imagination running, here are just a few quick ideas you can try: scatter metallic star confetti on the work surface and around the lamp. Add a snip or two of fresh pine, or arrange seashells, stones, flower petals or even colorful autumn leaves on the work surface. (Be sure to keep flammable items well away from the tealight and the lamp, of course. That ceramic dish does heat up!) If you live in the tropics, Deep South, or desert Southwest, obviously you might wish to incorporate natural items and plants that are local to you during the various seasons. So improvise and adapt. Don’t be bashful about putting your own spin on these seasonal spells!

Witchery tip: don’t go crazy on the oil. You can always add more. The first time I tried it, I added several drops of essential oil to the water, and it was very strong. My entire house was scented in only twenty-five minutes from one little aroma lamp. I was surprised at how powerful the scent was when it heated through. So I blew out the candle, let the ceramic dish cool off, and dumped out the water and oil. My second attempt was much better, as I just added two drops of essential oil to the water.

Directions

To begin, set the aroma lamp in a safe place away from small children or curious pets. Slip the tealight candle into the bottom section and then add two tablespoons of water to the dish. Choose the essential oil that coordinates with the season and the goal, and add a drop or two to the water.
As the oil hits the water, begin the spell by saying,

Now this natural oil so fair
Adds psychic power to the air.

Recap the vial of the essential oil and set aside. Light the tealight candle. While you put the essential oil away, allow the water to heat up and the scent to start diffusing within the room. It takes about three to five minutes. Once you can smell the aroma and know that it is indeed releasing its fragrance into your environment, then repeat the spell verse. Afterwards you can meditate for a while, or relax and take notes in your journal. Jot down what your intuition tells you and what your feelings were. Lastly note how your intuitive spells manifested.

Ellen Dugan, Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal & Practical Magick

WOTC Extra (a) Psychic Energies of the Seasons

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Psychic Energies of the Seasons

Here are the themes I have always found to work well with the four seasons. Experiment with these for yourself, and see what you can discover. In the winter months, we traditionally want to stay indoors and snuggle up, and our intuition leads us into looking within and personal introspection. In the springtime, we feel the need to shake ourselves off and to do something creative. We are motivated and full of new, fresh energy, hope, and ideas for the year. During the summer months, the tempo slows a bit, and we are influenced by the heat of the day and those sultry evenings. In the autumn months, the inner focus shifts to a personal harvest— what we have learned all year and how we will put this all to practice.

Discovering these intuitive energies and psychic cycles for yourself is an excellent way to expand your magickal abilities. It also gives you an opportunity to design and live your own personal magickal tradition. If you want to understand the nature of magick, you have to be attuned to her seasons, for the most intuitive Witches know that in order to work harmoniously with the earth’s energies, they need to be in step with the planetary rhythms and seasons of the earth. What follows are a few ideas to help you develop that intuitive connection.

—Ellen Dugan, Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal & Practical Magick

Let’s Talk Witch – Sensing the Energies of the Seasons

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Sensing the Energies of the Seasons

Have you ever tuned in to your intuition and noticed what different psychic energies are available to you during each of the four quarters of the year? Or are you too busy cursing at the weather and finding the whole thing a general inconvenience to your daily schedule? Yes, it is certainly easier to rhapsodize over a gorgeous spring day or a lovely autumn evening. But the seasons and their cycles each bring their own magick.

For example, this past winter was a gloomy one. It was on the dry side, and we didn’t get very much snow. We did, however, get more than our fair share of days when it was overcast, windy, and cold. Occasionally we would get a tease of spring, where milder temperatures prevailed. But the sporadic mild winter weather did make me appreciate the break in the temperatures. One late winter afternoon, I took advantage of the break and managed to sneak in some winter gardening. As the temperatures had hovered in the forties for a few days with a bit of rain, the ground was soft, and I was even able to get that last renegade bag of pink tulip bulbs planted.

It was muddy and chilly outside, and the gardens did not look especially pretty while I dug around. But the scent of the fresh-turned earth and the fragrance of last year’s fallen leaves were bracing. That day, I simply ignored the mud and felt my spirits lift. As I pulled back fallen leaves to dig the holes for my tulip bulbs, I discovered the earliest of the bright green shoots of my daffodils just breaking the ground. As I carefully dug around my other sleeping perennials, I made sure to cover back up those tender spears as I planted my tulip bulbs.

My husband walked outside to find me gently reminding the daffodils that we still had a ways to go before spring and to not be fooled by a midwinter thaw. When he asked what I was doing, I pulled back the leaves to show him the hints of spring green. His reaction was the same as mine had been— a big smile.

The halfway point between winter and spring, Imbolc, was only days away, and here was a physical reminder for both of us that the Wheel of the Year was indeed turning. And the two of us stayed there for a while, hunkered down next to the winter-dormant perennial beds, making sure the fallen autumn leaves were patted snugly back down to protect those shoots.

It was an excellent reminder for me that while that particular time of the year may not be especially pretty in the garden, there is still magick happening and plenty of natural energies to sense. Just remembering what it felt like to get in a bit of unexpected winter gardening cheered me right up. Plus knowing that the daffodils were waiting— not too patiently— to pop up and to welcome back the spring in another six weeks didn’t hurt either.

The trees and plants were still dormant, but change was coming. You could feel it in the air and sense it when you placed your hands on that water-logged garden soil. There had been a sleepy sort of vibe to nature at that time. But I was reminded on that midwinter afternoon that underneath those fallen leaves and brown grass, nature was just beginning to stir— and that was a creative type of energy that I could certainly put to good use in my magick.

—Ellen Dugan, Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal & Practical Magick

A Little Humor for Your Day – A Fairy Tale for Assertive Women

A Fairy Tale for Assertive Women

Once upon a time, in a land far away, a beautiful, independent, self-assured princess happened upon a frog as she sat contemplating ecological issues on the shores of an unpolluted pond in a verdant meadow near her castle.

The frog hopped into the Princess’ lap and said: “Elegant Lady, I was once a handsome Prince, until an evil Witch cast a spell upon me. One kiss from you, however, and I will turn back into the dapper, young Prince that I am and then, my sweet, we can marry and setup housekeeping in yon castle with my Mother, where you can prepare my meals, clean my clothes, bear my children, and forever feel grateful and happy doing so.”

That night, on a repast of lightly sauted frogs legs seasoned in a white wine and onion cream sauce, she chuckled to herself and thought: “I don’t think so.”

Courtesy of Turok’s Cabana

WOTC Quiz: What Elemental Beauty Type Are You?

What Elemental Beauty Type Are You?

 

Are you a passionate Fire or a dreamy, sensitive Water-woman? A sensual Earth type, or a fresh, stimulating Air being? Once you know what your dominant elemental type is, you can make color and clothing choices that reflect your true essence. And it’s lots of fun!

Take the quiz and find out which element you are, right here:

Answer the following questions true or false.

1. I love lots of activity: if I’m not doing something, I can feel bored and unhappy.

2. I prefer intensity in my life, as well as in my color and fashion choices.

3. I have a strong temper.

4. I enjoy attention and am comfortable being in the spotlight.

5. I am drawn to bright colors like red, orange, and gold.

6. My relationships are the most important thing in my life.

7. I love to spend lots of time day-dreaming.

8. I express my feelings and can laugh or cry easily.

9. I enjoy creating harmony, both between people I care about and in my home.

10. I am drawn to cool shades of blues and blue-greens, silver, and white.

11. I love animals, gardening, cooking, or time spent in nature.

12. I enjoy doing things with my hands: kneading bread, doing crafts, brushing a child’s hair.

13. I am slow to anger and generally like to keep things on an even keel.

14. I tend to be practical and love to create a cozy atmosphere in my home.

15. I am drawn to many shades of green and brown.

16. I love to feel inspired; if my mind is not active and alert, I feel “off.”

17. I’m a communicator and spend a lot of time talking to people or sharing ideas on the internet.

18. I like organizing and planning and am great with details.

19. I thrive on change and trying new things.

20. I am drawn to fresh, pastel shades of rainbow colors: buttercup yellow, rose, robin’s egg blue.

 

FIRE beauties answer “true” to 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. You will be drawn to hot colors and dramatic fashions as an expression of your vibrant personality. Stimulating and charismatic, you are often the life of the party. Bright Star or Fireball.

Jewelry: Ruby, garnet, gold, amber.
Clothing: Anything daring or attention-getting.

 

WATER beauties answer “true” to 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Your sensitivity make you a natural people-pleaser, and you choose clothing and colors that reflect your feelings and hint at your deeply affectionate nature. Mermaid.

Jewelry: Pearls, silver, aquamarine.
Fashions: Satiny iridescent fabrics and touchable soft textures.

 

EARTH beauties answer “true” to 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. Your sensual, grounded personality make you easy to be with, and you enjoy creating beauty around you. Earth Goddess.

Jewelry: Jade, malachite, wood beads.
Fashions: Comfortable, non-fussy clothes that allow you to dig in the dirt or walk in the woods.

 

AIR beauties answer “true” to 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. You thrive on new ideas and change (you may find yourself switching hairstyles–or even hair colors–frequently!) and you are refreshing and stimulating to be around. Breath of Fresh Air.

Jewelry: Anything that reflects light; you may enjoy sparkle and glitz.
Fashions: You love to play with different styles, and your fashion choices may be influenced by historical periods, artworks, or the latest film you enjoyed. Chiffon, and other light, airy fabrics, will appeal to you.

 

By Cait Johnson, author of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air (SkyLight Paths, 2003).

 

Astronomy Picture of the Day – Where Your Elements Came From

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.

2016 January 25

Where Your Elements Came From
Image Credit: Cmglee (Own work) CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Explanation: The hydrogen in your body, present in every molecule of water, came from the Big Bang. There are no other appreciable sources of hydrogen in the universe. The carbon in your body was made by nuclear fusion in the interior of stars, as was the oxygen. Much of the iron in your body was made during supernovas of stars that occurred long ago and far away. The gold in your jewelry was likely made from neutron stars during collisions that may have been visible as short-duration gamma-ray bursts. Elements like phosphorus and copper are present in our bodies in only small amounts but are essential to the functioning of all known life. The featured periodic table is color coded to indicate humanity’s best guess as to the nuclear origin of all known elements. The sites of nuclear creation of some elements, such as copper, are not really well known and are continuing topics of observational and computational research.

Earth Sky News for Jan. 25th: Moon, Regulus, Jupiter begin planet parade

Moon, Regulus, Jupiter begin planet parade

 

Tonight – January 25, 2016 – the waning gibbous moon and bright star Regulus will appear near each other in our sky. Jupiter will be nearby. These three objects will head up a parade of planets into our sky that you won’t want to miss!

The moon and Regulus climb over the eastern horizon together around 7 to 8 p.m. local time. That’s the time on your clock from Northern Hemisphere locations. At temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, look for the twosome – the moon and Regulus – to rise about an hour later. From around the world, however, the twosome – the moon and Regulus – will be up by mid-evening. And, by the way, when we say mid-evening, we mean about midway between sunset and midnight.

After the moon and Regulus rise, look for the dazzling planet Jupiter to follow them into the starry sky by around 9 to 10 p.m. Before going to bed tonight, look eastward to view the moon and Regulus, and the dazzling planet Jupiter beneath them.

Jupiter presents the first of tonight’s grand procession of all five visible planets.

Mars rises next, following Jupiter into the starry sky an hour or so after midnight at mid-northern latitudes.

Saturn is the third planet to come up, around 4 a.m.

Venus, the fourth planet to arise, lights up the southeast sky a couple hours before sunrise, and Mercury, at the caboose of the planet parade, rises some 80 minutes before the sun.

If you get up before sunrise, and see all five planets together … that’ll be something special! We haven’t been able to see them simultaneously like this since 2005, 10 years ago.

Luckily, the five-planet parade will last awhile, until about mid-February, 2016.

By the way, the exact rising times of the planets vary worldwide. To know more precisely when they rise into your sky, we invite you to check out the links on our almanac page.

Bottom line: The moon, Regulus and Jupiter are out on the night of January 25-26 from mid-evening until dawn. At the edge of night, or the first stirrings of morning twilight, you have the chance to view all five visible planets taking stage in the same sky.

 

Author

Bruce McClure

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