If Today is Your Birthday: August 15

You have cleverness and versatility that allow you to understand just about anything. Yours is a youthful spirit, with a mischievous streak, not only in youth but throughout life! As intelligent as you are, you see so many possible paths to take that it can be challenging focusing on just one. You share your fun-loving spirit through your sense of humor and unique ideas. You love to solve problems, and you may have marked writing or speaking ability. Your ability to solve problems is next to none. With your need to find wisdom in whatever you do and see, you are inclined to build up a strong personal philosophy. You are quite idealistic about people and about love, so you should watch for expecting too much from a partner. You can be quite sensitive to the mood swings of a partner.  Famous people born today: Ben Affleck, Julia Child, Princess Anne, Jennifer Lawrence, Natasha Henstridge, Tess Harper, Joe Jonas.

Your Birthday Year Forecast:

Your birthday this year occurs shortly after a New Moon, suggesting a time of new beginnings and fresh energy. You are instinctively starting a new phase in your life. It’s time to give your life a makeover and to branch out into the untried.

There may be a project, idea, or person that demands much of your attention or occupies much of your thoughts. It’s a strong year for any project or studies that require concentrated effort. You are especially resourceful.

However, because Mercury forms a tense aspect with Neptune in your Solar Return chart this year, err on the side of caution if offers arrive that seem too good to be true. Some confusion or possibly deception could arise in communications this year, and you may be skipping important details without even realizing it.

Emotions are powerful this year and need expression. You might feel especially stifled or stagnant if you don’t feel comfortable enough in your friendships and other personal relationships to discuss how you feel.

There can be a strong focus on harmonizing and cooperating this year, but you’re also redefining what you want and need from your relationships. You could be discovering new ways to relate, and putting difficult patterns of relating behind you. You might also come to important revelations regarding your approach to money and business.

There can be increased popularity with the public or audiences if you perform in some way, or if you present or publish. Charm levels are strong. You can also be especially busy with meetings, errands, and communications in the year ahead.

You are attracted to all that is new, unusual, and out-of-the-ordinary with regards to romantic involvements as well as financial undertakings. You are ready to experiment. This could be a good year for financial undertakings involving electronics, technology, the internet, metaphysics, and the arts, as well as group activities. You have a taste for the offbeat this year, and this energy can bring sudden or unexpected romance into your life, perhaps a scenario that feels like love at first sight.

This is a year of new beginnings and turning points. Your social life can be especially interesting, and your need for freedom to be yourself is pronounced in your relationships. You could find that what and who you value changes or becomes clearer this year, and goals can very well adjust along with these discoveries. Permanent alliances can be formed during this period of your life.

2015 is a Number Four year for you. Ruled by Uranus. This is a year of work and development. It’s “nose to the grindstone” time. It’s a time to deal with practical matters, and it’s not a time to be lazy or especially gregarious. Sometimes, it can be a year that feels hard, monotonous and routine, and/or lonely. Advice – get yourself organized, work to build your resources, keep busy.

2016 will be a Number Five year for you. Ruled by Mercury. This is a year of exploration and freedom. It’s a time when exploration and reaching out to others brings opportunities. It’s a good time to advertise and sell. Surprises are in store, and the routine is broken. This is a year when exciting relationships can be formed, or, if you are already in a partnership, new life is breathed into the relationship. Advice – explore, look for adventure, keep your eyes open for opportunities, mingle.

Courtesy of Cafe Astrology

Your Daily Horoscopes for Monday, August 15th

Aries

It can be a good day for bumping into the right person or coming across information that furthers work or health interests, dear Aries. There can be nice opportunities to make valuable contacts through work or pursuing daily routines. You can have an overwhelming interest in expressing your values through your everyday life, and your work ethic is strong right now. As Jupiter nears the end of its transit of your work and health sector, take advantage of opportunities to advance your interests in these areas of life. There can be some difficulties with focusing on chores done around the home today, however, as divided interests can be a distracting factor.

Taurus

Meeting people who make you feel good about yourself or who encourage you to express your more affectionate or creative side can figure strongly now, dear Taurus. Ideally, the last few days have brought you into closer touch with your expectations in your relationships, even if this was a tricky process. You can now use this to your advantage – knowing what or who you want makes things a little easier. There can be advances in the areas of creativity, romance, or hobbies now and this week. Connections might be made that advance your personal interests, and especially the more heartfelt ones. This can be a good day for feeding your spirit with exciting experiences or new studies.

Gemini

You’re inclined to entertain unusual emotions and longings today, dear Gemini. In fact, it’s a good time to get in better touch with desires and needs that may be laying just below the surface of things – these are significant urges in your life that you may not always acknowledge. It can also be an active period for coming to a better feeling of harmony with family or beauty and peace in the home environment. This drive is an important one in the coming weeks as well as today. New information or contacts can motivate you to make improvements and positive changes. Even so, there is some tendency to dilly-dally today, as time can be wasted questioning where to put your energies.

Cancer

People you meet or information that comes in today can help point you in the direction of positive growth and change, dear Cancer, particularly on the lines of communication, transportation, learning, teaching, and studies in general. There can be a happy feeling that you can accomplish a challenge along these lines, and a sense that you’re moving forward. As Jupiter nears the end of its yearlong transit of your communications sector, be on the lookout for opportunities to make connections and to learn new things. Things that keep you connected, such as phones, computers, or even bicycles and cars, can also figure strongly or see improvements now.

Leo

This is a generally good day for work and business, dear Leo, although there can certainly be some distractions to deal with. You might come across someone who helps you achieve your goals, or points you in the right direction of growth and advancement. Advice about money or business can be valuable today. You might find that you’re increasingly more business-minded and focused on producing and building these days. In fact, as Jupiter nears the end of its yearlong transit of your resources sector, and as we come closer to a Solar Eclipse occurring in this same area of your solar chart, it would benefit you greatly to give it your all when it comes to a particular talent, skill, or a business endeavor in the coming weeks.

Virgo

This is a good day for public relations or simply for positive feedback, dear Virgo. Your personality shines and others may especially enjoy being around you. You are inclined to take the lead and call the shots in some way, and you might enjoy steering people in the right direction through the sharing of helpful information or advice. There is generosity in your approach. The weeks ahead are very important for coming into your own, selling yourself, and reinventing yourself if you feel the need for a change. There is also positive creative energy coming your way today, and finding new or renewed ways to express yourself can be rewarding.

Libra

This is a good time for seeing the benefits of putting certain bad habits behind you, dear Libra. It’s also a strong time for healing and efforts to renew health and energy. A positive attitude tends to have the effect of moving obstacles out of your way – at the very least, the self-imposed barriers. While it’s always important to keep a healthy work-life balance, this is a special time for some level of solitude and for you to get to know your inner needs. Jupiter is nearing the end of its yearlong transit of your privacy sector, and is approaching its yearlong transit of your sign, and the coming weeks are especially important for identifying those attitudes that no longer serve you well.

Scorpio

There could be a new connection made now, dear Scorpio, which may come on suddenly but which nevertheless feels right. Something or someone could inspire you to move forward on a personal goal, dream, or plan, and you are beginning to see that these things are doable. A friendship may feel more hopeful, and a relationship can benefit from improvements and refinements. In the past few days, you may have discovered other levels or definitions of what you need from people in your life, as well as what you are willing to give, and this clarity benefits you greatly, particularly today and this week.

Sagittarius

You have an incredible sense of what people want these days, dear Sagittarius, and this can really help you out on a professional level, particularly if you’re involved with sales, marketing, or promotional work. Even if these are not your fields, you can promote yourself and your interests quite successfully now. Fortunate connections could be made now. You may be bringing more beauty, artistry, or charm to your professional life. You might also be finding work more pleasurable, and/or people are finding you particularly pleasing and appreciating what you do.

Capricorn

This is a great time to travel, to seek out adventure, or otherwise expand your horizons, dear Capricorn. Jupiter is nearing the end of its yearlong transit of the sector of your solar chart that rules these things, and the coming weeks are active for opportunities along these lines. There is more openness in your connections with others right now, and you can be particularly effective at teaching, guiding, and sharing ideas with people right now. Others are opening up to your ideas and your unique outlook. You may be taking more personal risks and losing some self-consciousness now. People coming into your life now tend to boost your self-image and serve to open your mind to new experiences and ideas.

Aquarius

You might have the opportunity to collect on a debt or pay off one now, dear Aquarius. It’s a good time to make contacts who help you manage money or who readily support you. You may be able to draw upon resources you never knew you had. This is a time for a “soft sell” approach – the expression that you catch more bees with honey applies right now. Your natural enthusiasm and charm are probably enough to sell a good idea or plan. Some of you could be bringing a deeper level of intimacy into your relationships, or attracting people who open you up to new ways of relating.

Pisces

You are looking to feel more alive, vital, and vibrant through other people or relationships these days, dear Pisces, and with Venus in your relationship sector in alignment with the Moon’s Node, you may very well attract loving people into your experience. Alternatively, you may be gaining support or enhancing an existing connection. People tend to point you in the direction of growth and improvement. Your sense of how relationships work improves, and it’s these subtle details that make the difference. You are especially attractive to others now, and you could have the opportunity to show yourself in the best light.

Your Love Horoscopes for the Week of August 15th

• General Horoscope

  Romantic vibes are positive and intense this week. On Wednesday Venus will be at a perfect trine to Pluto, allowing the power of love to shine through in the most beautiful way possible. You’ll be determined to show your lover the depths and heights of your feelings. Thankfully, this will happen in a grounded and realistic way that realizes love is not about control or unhealthy attachment, but mutual respect and admiration. A Full Moon in Aquarius on Thursday amplifies the theme of friendship and camaraderie.

• Aries Horoscope MAR 21 – APR 19

  As the Sun continues to move through your romance sector you’re ready to shine the brightest light on the love you have to offer someone special. This Tuesday, you’ll make an inventive move on someone that has the potential to truly captivate. By showing off the most unusual parts of your personality you’ll easily attract others your way. In fact, the more eccentric the better! What are you waiting for?

• Taurus Horoscope APR 20 – MAY 20

  If you recently started to date someone, you’ll feel as if things are progressing quickly but at the same time, you’ll know it’s right. While you’re busy getting to know one another, you’ll realize that you click when it comes to spiritual values and life philosophy in general. You might decide to pursue a mutual interest that requires you to hit the books together and sign up for a class or consult with an expert. Even if you’re in a committed partnership, you’ll have the potential to enjoy a mind expanding week together. Wonderful!

• Gemini Horoscope MAY 21 – JUN 20

  If you and your partner are planning to purchase a home or other real estate together this week everything might finally begin to gel. Move forward with confidence as you sign contracts or secure a loan or other mortgage. Another possibility this week is that your mate will offer to help you or a family member out financially. His or her generosity will only make you fall in love even more.

• Cancer Horoscope JUN 21 – JUL 22

  This will be a fantastic week for communication with your mate. The two of you might have a conversation that strengthens your relationship. Or, it’s possible that you’ll make a decision about your future with complete like-mindedness. If you’re getting married and have decided on a prenuptial agreement, this will be the perfect time to finalize and sign off on it. In fact, any formal contract you sign with your partner this week looks favorable.

• Leo Horoscope JUL 23 – AUG 22

  Anticipate a week of fulfillment and realization in your love life. A Full Moon in your partnership sector on Thursday, will help you to see the light when it comes to a vital relationship matter. Fortunately, whatever transpires between you and your mate this week appears to help foster loving kindness rather than animosity. In fact, you might be ready to make a real commitment to one another if you’ve been on the fence about this recently. When it’s right, you just know.

• Virgo Horoscope AUG 23 – SEP 22

  This week, romance has the potential to be incredibly satisfying and profound. Venus is now in your sign helping to enhance your magnetism. On Wednesday, she’ll make a perfect link to transformative Pluto, now in your true love sector. The intensity of your love for someone will be impossible to ignore. If there’s a person you’ve recently started dating, you might realize your feelings for this person run deeper than you expected. An already established bond of love will only become more beautiful.

• Libra Horoscope SEP 23 – OCT 22

  Whether you’re single, dating or attached, this week you’ll have definite traction in your love life. On Tuesday, you and your partner can expect the unexpected in your social life. The two of you might go out with friends who expose you to something unconventional and exciting. Or, it’s possible that you and your partner will make extraordinary progress on a shared aspiration. Dating someone new? If so, on Thursday, you’ll know for sure whether or not you want to continue to pursue this person. Listen to your heart.

• Scorpio Horoscope OCT 23 – NOV 21

  A love connection is probable this week. If you are with a group of friends, it’s possible that one of them will introduce you to someone you instantly feel a connection with. The two of you may talk it up all night alone in a corner table, away from the crowd. Your mutual friends will know better than to disturb you! Alternatively, it’s possible that you are looking for love life advice and seek out the wise counsel of a pal. He or she will not steer you wrong.

• Sagittarius Horoscope NOV 22 – DEC 21

  A sexy love connection is possible this week with someone you ordinarily wouldn’t consider to be your type. Be willing to expand your horizons and consider getting to know someone who is everything you thought you never wanted in a mate. There’s a good indication that you’ll be pleasantly surprised! This person might be from another part of the world or have a philosophical view that opens your mind. Soak it up!

• Capricorn Horoscope DEC 22 – JAN 19

  The intensity of love you have for your partner will be felt even more than usual this week. Fortunately, you’ll be able to express it in the most positive way. You and your sweetie might even decide it’s time to plan that dream vacation to another part of the world together. If you are traveling this week, you’ve chosen the perfect time. Soak up a new culture, language, food and perspective together. You’re blessed!

• Aquarius Horoscope JAN 20 – FEB 18

  This week is all about emotions for you which is not typically your style. In fact, cool, detached and calm is the way you prefer to handle life and love. On Thursday however, a Full Moon in your sign demands that feelings are expressed. This isn’t the time to shy away from sharing sentiments with your lover. If there’s an emotionally charged situation brewing, you’ve got the perfect opportunity to clear the air. You’ll feel better and it’ll leave you feeling more secure than ever about your relationship.

• Pisces Horoscope FEB 19 – MAR 20

  With Venus in your partnership sector until August 29, you’re in a gorgeous position to improve your love life and cherish the person you’re with. This week, there will be a magnificent opportunity to bond with your lover in the most empowering way. On Wednesday, your mate could be instrumental in helping you to achieve a long held goal. It’s possible that you actually share this aspiration and if so, the success will be even sweeter. Life and love are grand this week. Enjoy every drop!

   

Part of the Daily Insight Group

©Tarot.com 2016. All rights reserved.

The Balance of the Signs & the Elements for Monday, Aug. 15th

LEO STRONG
Self-confident, generous, warm-hearted, powerful leader, dramatic. Can be overly proud, vain, extravagant, arrogant.
VIRGO STRONG
Meticulous, discriminating, pure, practical, health conscious, hard working. Can be hyper-critical, petty and perfectionistic.
SAGITTARIUS STRONG
Inspiring, broad vision, enthusiastic, goal seeking, truthful, adventurous. Can be reckless, unrestrained, tactless.
CAPRICORN STRONG
Disciplined, responsible, reliable, industrious, conscientious, practical, achieving. Can be pessimistic, overly conventional, rigid, materialistic, callous.

BALANCE OF ELEMENTS

FIRE STRONG
Fire is enthusiastic, dynamic, and spontaneous, but lacks reflection. We are more courageous and adventurous now, with a tendency to act before thinking. There is little concern about what happened in the past. We are competitive and possibly impatient or bored easily.
EARTH STRONG
We are especially in touch with the physical world. We consider what we’ve learned and experienced in the past in order to make the most of the present. We can be cautious, practical, and possibly unimaginative. We are deliberate and can pace ourselves well. We need hands-on experience and are not impressed with theory as much as we are with results. Routines are tolerable and comforting.
AIR WEAK
We may have a difficult time being objective or detached. We may not be especially communicative.
WATER WEAK
There may be some insensitivity or lack of empathy now. We may be out of touch with what we’re feeling or with our emotional needs. We may be tougher than usual now, and more inclined to follow mental or practical considerations than we are to listen to our intuition.

BALANCE OF MODES

MUTABLE STRONG
We are flexible, adaptable, willing, open to change, and possibly flighty or nervous.

Astrology of Today – August 15, 2016

• The Moon is in Capricorn all day (until Tuesday, August 16th, at 7:52 AM).
• The Moon is void from 10:44 PM forward (until tomorrow at 7:52 AM).
• The Moon is waxing and in its Waxing Gibbous phase.
• A First Quarter Moon occurred on the 10th, and a Full Moon will occur on the 18th.
• Mars is direct and in its post-retrograde shadow until August 22nd.

Part of the Daily Insight Group

©Tarot.com 2016. All rights reserved

Inspiration for the Week – There Has Never Been a Time When You Were Alone

a message from Archangel Gabriel channeled by Shanta Gabriel

To read more of Shanta’s insight, please visit her website, Messages from Archangel Gabriel

The Gabriel Message Card for this Week:

There has never been a time when you were alone, no matter how you felt.

As we evolve into true multidimensional beings, there are times when we are feeling empty, disconnected and even abandoned. This can usually mean we are about to take a leap in energy to a greater expression of ourselves. As intriguing as that sounds, it can be profoundly uncomfortable.

We are in a powerful time that is encouraging us to liberate ourselves from our old ways of being. There are shifts in energy occurring within us that are requiring us to have the faith and trust enough to let ourselves expand into new aspects of life, even when they are unknown to us.

These feelings of disconnection are the indicators that we are about to move into a more expanded level of being, just as electricity in a house needs to be shut off in order for new wiring to be put into place.

Finding a place of neutrality and balance within us during times of outward upheaval becomes vitally important to our well-being. If we try to protect ourselves by contracting energetically in the face of challenging frequencies, we can feel as though we are cut off from our Soul and its guidance system. For me, this causes all sorts of old fear patterns to surface.

If I allow myself to run the chaotic energy I see in the world through my energy system, a downward spiral can develop which leaves me feeling overwhelmed and alone. It is in these times that this Gabriel Message just seems to fall out of the set of cards, reminding me of the truth of my existence — that I am always receiving God’s love, that I am never alone, and that my connection to Source energy is only a breath away. It is only when I start to breathe more deeply and slow down that I can actually feel more alignment with my Source energy.

When I feel confusion and sense of disconnection, it’s my clue to surrender to the process of realignment that is going on within me, rather than trying in vain to find the old connections that no longer exist.

We are moving into new levels of consciousness very quickly now. The faster I let go of the old ideas about how I am progressing, the easier it is on my nervous system. No matter how hard I try to box them into old forms, the energy connections are very different in feeling. I am being inspired and guided in new ways that can change moment to moment. It is a powerful opportunity to learn to treat myself with loving-kindness and to trust more.

Everyone is experiencing this opening in their own way, so our ability to stay neutral and balanced in our heart is extremely important.The consciousness of the Earth and all those living upon her is expanding and becoming more filled with Light. Whatever is not in alignment with this expansion is showing up to be transmuted.

The good news is that we are being inspired and guided through this process of expansion by Divine Love, eternally caring for us, always present, offering all that we need to fulfill our Soul’s purpose in every moment. And we are never alone, no matter what we think about it.

Divine Presence,

Thank you for inspiring me in resourceful ways to stay balanced within myself through times of spaciousness, as well as times of upheaval. Help me to remember that there is a Greater Power working within me as I expand to allow the new frequencies of Light to be present within my human form. As I continue to stay in Alignment with my Source energy, help me to stay grounded and gracefully release old patterns that may be surfacing. I offer all that I am, all that I do and all that I say to Divinity working in and through my being, now and always. And so it is.

The Gabriel Messages Book #28

There has never been a time when you were alone, no matter how you felt.

Dear One,

If you only knew how much you are loved and cared for, you would see your life in a different light. There are Angels who have been with you since your birth, and some from before your birth who have been with you for eons of time. These Angels are here to bless you, to protect you, to care for you, and to love you as you walk your earthly journey.

You have only to turn within and you will find us. You have only to look around you, and you will find Angels manifested in different forms everywhere, giving love to you.

Open your mind and heart to receive this love and you will find miracles manifesting in your life. It is this willingness to receive that allows miracles to occur for you.

In your darkest hours we have been there. It is not that the Angels are here to take away your pain or your lessons learned through experience. The Angels are here for you to turn to in those hours of need. We are here to assist you so you will have the courage to go on, and find peace within your heart. You are on this planet to learn and to choose between the darkness and the light. Even if you choose darkness, there are Angels who will neither forsake you nor leave you. However, if you choose darkness you will feel very alone, and life will be a continuous struggle.

If you choose Divine Light, the Angelic voices are raised in magnificent rejoicing and all manner of assistance, seen and unseen, will be there to illuminate your path. Choosing to live in the light can simply mean to turn over your burdens and struggles to a Higher Power, and to ask the Angels to assist you in finding your way to peace, happiness and prosperity. These are the qualities of God in which you are meant to live.

Choosing Light means praying for the Divine Presence to fill you to overflowing with love and peace. It means taking the time to visualize your self filled and surrounded by light, and even drinking in the Divine Light in order to nourish your heart and soul. Not only will this affect your mental and emotional state, but your physical body will also benefit.

The Angels are God’s messengers. We live in the Light. All the forces of good in the Universe are here to assist you so you too can live in the Light and find peace and happiness within yourself. It is up to you to ask to know this as truth in your life. Open your mind and heart to receive all the love that is here for you right now. Remember your message from Archangel Gabriel for today:

There has never been a time when you were alone, no matter how you felt.

Weekly Forecast: August 14 – 20, 2016

a message from Kelly M. Beard

To view more of Kelly’s insight, please visit her website, KarmicTools.com

The Karmic Tools Weekly Forecast covers the current planetary transits which affect people in different ways and to various degrees of intensity.  Take notice when it is a Personal planet (Sun / Moon / Mercury / Venus / Mars) interacting with a Social (Jupiter/Saturn) or Collective planet (Uranus / Neptune/Pluto).  And pay extremely close attention when it is a Social planet interacting with a Collective planet because that means something *big* is brewing that will move large groups of people along their evolutionary paths. Tuning in to the energy and rhythm of the planets can serve as a useful *guide* as you move along your Individual Path.  It also helps to understand your place within the context of the larger Social & Collective Story. Below, you will find out how these energies tend to manifest, as well as guidance and direction.

*NOTE*  There are some days when there are NO CONTACTS (besides the Moon), please note that there are no missing entries, we just list the actual Activations of each week + the day they happen.  

Weekly Forecast: August 14 – 20, 2016

8/14 ~ Venus (relationships) ~oppose~ Neptune (illusion):

Beware of delusions of grandeur where your relationships (old and new) and/or your finances are concerned. Basically, you should keep your true priorities in mind and you will be fine, but if you are deluded to any extent, it may be revealed at this time. It is time to balance what is truly important to you in you interactions with others and the vision for the long-term goal. You can have an ideal romantic experience with this energy, but remember true love takes hard work & dedication, while romance tends to come and go. This energy tends to make you give and give and give in a relationship thinking that will inspire the other to respond in kind, and ultimately you end up empty-handed because your motives weren’t correct, you were doing it with expectation (consciously or not), which almost always will let you down. Giving with any expectation always leads to disappointment. A better use of this energy is to focus on unconditional love, altruistic endeavors and anything artistic.

8/16 ~ Sun (core identity) ~trine~ Uranus (individuality):

This energy is wonderful for a little self-examination and taking action on your own behalf. Look at your habits, home situation, work or anything else that is important to you and look at how you’ve gotten to where you are. What kind of choices led here? This is a good time to look around and see how you can conserve what is useful and release that which is no longer relevant for you going forward. It’s also a good energy for organizing & clearing the decks, so to speak, of things that have piled up but still need to be dealt with (or released altogether). You may be feeling very practical, possibly selfish, but it’s actually self-preservation.

8/17 ~ Venus (values, relationships & resources) ~trine~ Pluto (purification & transformation):

Anytime Pluto’s involved the intensity levels go up and you are able to hear/feel your SoulSelf more clearly than usual. Venus brings up that which is most important to you personally, your individual values & priorities, where your relationships & resources are concerned. This is an easy angle, making purification & transformation smoother than usual too. So, what are you ready to change? How have your values & priorities changed completely in the last year or so? Use this activation to deepen your connection with those you love most and allow the relationship to evolve to a totally new level. If you’re working on your relationship with money or self-worth specifically, this activation is a good time for prayer or ritual that supports positive change and your vision for the future. Pour any intense emotions or revelations into art of any medium or do a vision board, but give expression to the depths you recognize as coming to the surface of your consciousness.

Calendar of the Moon
Coll Invocation

Colors: Blue and Brown
Element: Water and Earth
Altar: Upon cloth of blue place a goblet of spring water, the figure of a leaping salmon, and three blue candles; next to them on cloth of brown place a musical instrument, a pen, and fresh flowers.
Offerings: Poetry, songs, art, writing.
Daily Meal: Either fish (for the Salmon), poultry (for the Duck) or salads.

Coll Invocation:

Call: Hail the month of the Hazel Tree!
Response: Hail the month of the nuts that nourish us.
Call: First tree of the harvest, you give forth wisdom.
Response: Last tree of the summer, you chant our memories.
Call: The fading warmth follows you,
Response: And we feast on the fruits of your knowledge.
Call: This is the month of words and song.
Response: This is the month of the search for the mysteries.
Call: This is the month of the sacred pool,
Response: Wherein swims the Salmon of Knowledge.
Call: We fish for the gleams of divine light on the surface,
Response: We dive for the truths that lie deep in the Well.
Call: Our intuition is the hazel-twig held before us.
Response: We shall search out the underground streams.
Call: We shall find the hidden treasures.
Response: We shall spread them forth in words of power.
Call: We shall bring them forth with our hands in works of art,
Response: We shall gift the Gods and the people with our songs.
Call: Our voices will find their way across the land.
Response: Hear us, O Gods, as we sing your praises!
Call: This is the month of the bard’s silver tongue,
Response: This is the month of the golden door of autumn.
Call: As the Hazel Tree stands with words of peace,
Response: So shall we stand between the warring parties.
Call: So shall our Rule spread Justice and Peace,
Response: So shall our words spread beauty and harmony.

(As this is the month of the Bard, one or more shall stand forth and sing before the others, or read what words they would, to bring gladness and knowledge to the hearts of those who listen.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun

Feralia: Day of Purification

Color: White
Element: Air
Altar: On a white cloth put a lit candle, incense, a cup of water, and a bowl of salt.
Offering: Although this day is not a day of total silence, it is a solemn day and talking should be done only when necessary and in quiet tones. Bodies should be thoroughly cleaned during the bathing hour, and then the altar area should be cleaned and purified with all four elements. Each person, upon entering the altar space at the beginning of Sponde should remove their clothing and be naked, and each body should be purified with the four elements and marked with water and salt, at which point they may enrobe again. Chores of the day should concentrate on cleaning and repair.
Daily Meal: Vegan and extremely simple and plain.

Feralia Invocation

Breathe the air into your body
And breathe out again,
And as you breathe out,
Let all grime and corruption
Depart on that breath
(All breathe together for twelve breaths.)
Feel the blood coursing through your body
And imagine it clean
Of anything but what should be there.
Feel the energy coursing through your body
And wash it clean
Of anything that does not belong.
Feel the Earth beneath you,
Remember that She can absorb all
Remember that all rot is her provenance
Draw her energy up into you
And give it back again.

(After this grounding, all breathe together again in a yogic breathing pattern for the next half an hour, after which all will go with water and salt and incense and fire to all rooms in the house and cleanse them. Great care should be taken for the rest of the day not to disturb the energy of the freshly cleaned house.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

The Sky This Week for August 15 to August 21

The Perseids may slowly fade, but there’s still plenty to see out there this week, including an important Sirius sighting.

By Richard Talcott

Monday, August 15

• A second bright planet lurks low in the western evening twilight this week. Venus appears only about half as high as Jupiter, however, so you’ll need an unobstructed horizon to spot it. Fortunately, the inner planet glows brilliantly at magnitude –3.8 and will show up clearly under good atmospheric conditions. A telescope reveals an almost fully illuminated disk that spans 10″.

Tuesday, August 16

• Mercury reaches greatest elongation today, when it stands 27° east of the Sun. For observers at mid-northern latitudes, however, the innermost planet hangs low in the west after sunset. From 40° north latitude, it stands 5° high 30 minutes after the Sun goes down. You can find the magnitude 0.2 world through binoculars some 4° (about half a binocular field) below Jupiter. Be sure to keep an eye on Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter during the next two weeks as the triangle they form grows tighter.

Wednesday, August 17

• Full Moon officially arrives at 5:27 a.m. EDT tomorrow morning, but it looks completely illuminated throughout the night. It appears low in the east as the Sun sets and reaches its peak in the south around 1 a.m. local daylight time. Luna resides among the dim background stars of northeastern Capricornus. As a curiosity only, the Full Moon crosses the northern edge of Earth’s penumbral shadow. Just 2 percent of our satellite dips into this subtle shadow, however, and observers won’t be able to detect any dimming.
SaturnNSSDC

Thursday, August 18

• Although Saturn reached its peak in early June, it remains conspicuous on August evenings. You can find the planet in the south-southwest around 9 p.m. local daylight time, when it forms the vertex of a pretty triangle that includes Mars and Antares. Saturn shines at magnitude 0.4, intermediate in brightness between the Red Planet and the ruddy star. When viewed through a telescope, Saturn measures 17″ across while its dramatic ring system spans 39″ and tilts 26° to our line of sight.

Friday, August 19

• Distant Neptune reaches opposition and peak visibility two weeks from today, but the view now is essentially the same. The ice giant planet rises around 8:30 p.m. local daylight time and climbs nearly halfway to the zenith in the southern sky by 2 a.m. The magnitude 7.8 planet lies in Aquarius, 1° southwest of 4th-magnitude Lambda (l) Aquarii. You’ll need binoculars to spy Neptune and a telescope to see its blue-gray disk, which spans 2.4″.

Saturday, August 20

• Asteroid 2 Pallas reaches opposition and peak visibility today. The second-biggest object orbiting between Mars and Jupiter glows at magnitude 9.2, bright enough to show up through almost any telescope. You can find it on the border between Pegasus and Equuleus, 4° due west of 2nd-magnitude Enif (Epsilon [e] Pegasi), the star that marks the nose of Pegasus the Winged Horse. The lovely globular star cluster M15 lies 2.5° north and a touch east of Pallas. The three objects lie about halfway to the zenith in the southeastern sky after darkness falls.

Sunday, August 21

• Look toward the south-southwest during evening twilight and you can’t miss Mars. The Red Planet shines brightly at magnitude –0.4 and remains visible until it dips below the horizon around midnight local daylight time. Mars resides on the border between Scorpius and Ophiuchus, crossing from the former to the latter constellation today. When viewed through a telescope, Mars’ orange-red disk spans 11″ and shows several subtle dark markings.
• The Moon reaches perigee, the closest point in its orbit around Earth, at 9:19 p.m. EDT. It then lies 228,074 miles (367,050 kilometers) away from us.

Source

Astronomy Magazine

Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Monday, August 15th

The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 116.74° ESE
Sun Altitude: 50.61°
Sun Distance: 94.131 million mi
Next Equinox: Sep 22, 2016 9:21 AM (Autumnal)
Sunrise Today: 6:12 AM↑ 72° East
Sunset Today: 7:45 PM↑ 288° West
Length of Daylight: 13 hours, 33 minutes

The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 1.02° N
Moon Altitude: -71.11°
Moon Distance: 240329 mi
Next Full Moon: Aug 18, 20164:26 AM
Next New Moon: Sep 1, 20164:03 AM
Next Moonrise: Today5:47 PM
Current Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous
Illumination 91.2%

Source

timeanddate.com

Abundance

I wish you all abundance,
In everything you do,
Health, warmth and happiness,
Is what I wish for you

Take a walk in the forest,
Or run along the beach,
Take the time to learn,
Or give of yourself to teach

Spend some time alone,
When you feel more at peace and calm,
Then welcome in the ones you love,
And hold them in your arms.

Blessed Be: A Collection of Witchcraft Poetry
Chastity Skye