Day: March 11, 2016

The Sky This Week: March 11 – 13

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The Sky This Week: March 11 – 13

Friday, March 11
If you’re into comparisons, check out Mars sometime after it rises shortly after midnight. The Red Planet shines at magnitude 0.3, much brighter than the dim stars of Libra the Scales, within whose borders it lies. Then, after fixing the brilliance of Mars in your mind, remember to head out at the end of March and find it again. On the 31st, it will shine at magnitude –0.5, more than twice as bright as tonight.

 

Saturday, March 12
Head outdoors around 10 P.M. local time and look for the sky’s fourth-brightest star rising in the east. That’s Arcturus (Alpha Boötis), the luminary in the constellation Boötes the Herdsman. The easiest way to find Arcturus — just as with finding Leo a few nights ago — is to first find the Big Dipper high in the northeast. Note that the Dipper’s handle is curved. Follow that curve downward and you’ll come to Arcturus. Because the handle’s curve is also part of a circle called an arc, use the old phrase, “Follow the arc to Arcturus,” to remember how to locate the orange star.

 

Sunday, March 13
Daylight Saving Time begins this morning. Be sure to spring forward one hour.
The variable star Algol in Perseus reaches minimum brightness at 9:21 p.m. EDT, when it shines at magnitude 3.4. If you start viewing the star at that time, you can watch it more than triple in brightness (to magnitude 2.1) over the course of about 5 hours. This eclipsing binary star runs through a cycle from minimum to maximum and back every 2.87 days. Algol appears high in the west after sunset and sinks slowly toward the northwestern horizon after midnight.

 

Source

Astronomy Magazine

Your Solar & Lunar Data for Friday, March 11

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Your Solar & Lunar Data for Friday, March 11

Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 135.58° SE
Sun Altitude: 39.33°
Sun Distance: 92.362 million mi
Next Equinox: Mar 19, 2016 11:30 PM (Vernal)
Sunrise Today: 6:10 AM↑ 94° East
Sunset Today: 5:59 PM↑ 267° West
Length of Day: 11 hours, 48 minutes

Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 97.79° E
Moon Altitude: 21.95°
Moon Distance: 224386 mi
Next Full Moon: Mar 23, 20167:00 AM
Next New Moon: Apr 7, 20166:23 AM
Next Moonset: Today9:17 PM
Current Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent
Illumination: 9.8%

Source

timeanddate.com

TGIF! TGIF! TGIF! Can’t Tell It’s Friday, Can Ya’! Wishing You & Yours A Very Beautiful Day & A Very Blessed Weekend!

...Goddess in the Clouds...
The Maiden Awakes

The Earth stirs from her winter
slumber
Snowdrops peep through the
snow-crusted soil
Autumn’s harvest left her tired
So all winter she has slept,
resting after her toil
And now it is time for her to
emerge
To waken again in the growing
light
To coax out the crocuses, and
daffy-down-dillies
To stretch to the sun after such a
long night And though the wind in the trees
is still blowing
And the rains clouds have not yet gone
We know that the Maiden is
awake
And Spring won’t be far along.

—Arietta Bryant, Ramblings & Rhymes

Ostara/Spring Equinox and Adept Initiation Rituals on 3/19/2016

Anyone is welcomed to join us!

WHEN:

Saturday, March 19, 2016

TIME:

7:00 to 8:00 PM CT

The Sacred Circle starts at 7:15 PM CT SHARP. Please be considerate and be on time or wait until 7:45 PM CT to join us for visiting after the circle has been opened!

WHERE:

Coven Life Chat Room

For information on how to find and get into the chat room or to figure out your local time please check out the banner on the left side of Coven Life Home Page.

PLAN FOR THE CIRCLE

Just because it says coven does not mean you have to be in the coven to attend. All Pagans are welcome to join us! If you have any questions about the gathering please email ladybeltane@aol.com I look forward to many of us coming together to celebrate this wonderful Sabbat.

OSTARA RITUAL 3/19/2016.

A minute of quite to center and ground before the ritual begins. Anything appearing in bold type is where the entire gathering praticapates.

Lady Beltane: I call upon Ostara and the Oak King to cast this circle with me three times three. To keep all present in it safe. We are now in a sacred place where magick can be worked.

Laura – East: We call upon Air to help the bees spread pollen from plant to plant to help them grow with the rebirth of spring and our Devine Maiden so fair.

Mary – South: We call upon Fire in the form of the Sun God to give light that is needed to help our seeds grow with the rebirth of longer days.

SunRay – West: We call upon Water to give nourishment to our growing seeds as you are the bringer of all life.

Lady of the Abyss – North: We call upon Earth the mother of us all to keep us grounded in all things we do.

Ritual for Everyone – Place green candle to your left and the white candle to your right. Leaving enough room in the middle to place your Ying/Yang symbol.

Place the Ying/Yang symbol in between the lit candles. Place the darker egg into the hole in the lighter colored side of theYing/Yang and the lighter colored egg into the hole in the darker side.

Everyone – When done type in “Ready.”

Lady Beltane – We offer these eggs to Ostara as all new life grows from an egg or a seed. Ostara we ask you to bless these eggs to help us renew ourselves as Mother Earth wakens from her slumber. That we may find new life coursing through us as cleansing energy. Oak King we ask that your fertilize the hopes and wishes we have written here so they may grow and come to fruition as the year progresses.

As the Spring Equinox is the balance of day and night as equals so is the relationship of all males and females. We ask Hecate and her Consort to bless our relationships with others be they men or women. That we feel equal to them and not above or below them.

Take the eggs and set them on the side. Tape the circle of opposite color into the now empty holes. (Before breaking the eggs to eat them write the same runes on to the circles now in the Ying/Yang symbol. The side you write them on should be the same color as the egg they are written on.)

We will take 2 minutes to complete the Ying/Yang symbol. When you are done type in “Blessed be”.

Lady Beltane – This concludes our Ostara/Spring Equinox ritual. You eggs can be eaten whenever you want to on Ostara/Spring Equinox which is tomorrow Sunday, March 20th.

We will be doing a second ritual in the circle to night to welcome two Witches who have gone from Novice to Adept in this coven.

Lady Beltane (Laura and Mary) – I called upon you as your High Priestess to “stand” and be recognized as adepts of the Coven Life’s Coven. To swear to all present that you will not carry any tales of any member or guest of this coven. That you will uphold the sanctity of the sacred circles and rituals when this coven is gathered. That you will not give out to anyone outside of this coven another members magickal working/coven name. I ask you to remember your brothers and sisters here are more then ready to help you if you ever need them to and welcome you as a part of us. Your position as an adept will be for one year and one day from this date.

Laura and Mary – Do you enter this coven of your own free will?

Laura Answer

Mary Answer

Laura and Mary – Do you so swear to uphold the sanctity of Coven Life’s Coven?

Laura Answer

Mary Answer

Lady Beltane – Laura I welcome you in perfect love and prefect trust into Coven Life’s Coven. I ask what name you have chosen for yourself when attending coven or pagan gatherings and when working magick on your own?

Laura state your coven/magickal working name_____

You shall be known now and forever more in Coven Life’s Coven by this name. Merry meet and merry greet _____ many blessings to you as you continue your journey on your chosen path,

Lady Beltane – Mary I welcome you in perfect love and perfect trust into Coven Life’s Coven. I ask what name you have choosen for yourself when attending coven or pagan gatherings and working magick on your own?

Mary state your coven/magickal workings name ____

Lady Beltane – You shall be known now and forever more in Coven Life’s Coven by this name. Merry meet and merry greet ______ and _______ many blessings to you as you continue your journey on your chosen path.

Everyone – Please welcome our newest coven sisters _______ and _______. I ask that you give them your help, advice, and/or guidance if they ask it of you. That you treat them with the same respect you would treat all coven members and guest that attend our gatherings.

Wolf Woman Ways – Farewell to wintry spirits and friends. As we greet the gaining light in the morn. To welcome the seeds of change and rejuvenation. Our Blessings to thee. And merry meet next winter again.

Stregga –

Lady of the Abyss – North: We thank and dismiss Earth the mother of us all to keep us grounded in all things we do.

SunRay – West: We thank and dismiss Water for giving nourishment to our growing seeds as you are the bringer of all life.

Mary – South: We thank and dismiss Fire in the form of the Sun God for giving light that is needed to help our seeds grow with thr rebirth of longer days.

Laura – East: We thank and dismiss Air for helping the bees spread pollen from plant to plant to help them grow with the rebirth of spring and our Devine Maiden so fair.

Lady Beltane – This circle is now opened but not broken. As you leave here tonight may the Lady and Lord bless you with all that you need and something you just want. I bid you peace and joy. Blessed be brothers and sisters of The Craft. Merry part until we merry meet again.

Look for the information on the items needed for the Ostara/Spring Equinox ritual in the post titled Preparing for Ostara/Spring Equinox Coven Gathering Ritual.