Today is Thursday, January 12th, We Celebrate….

Hindu Solstice (India)
GANGA

Themes: Cleansing; Health; Mercy

Symbols: Water; Yellow-colored Items

About Ganga: As the Hindu goddess of the river Ganges, Ganga represents purification, wellness, and benevolence in the new year. Legend has it Ganga came to earth upon hearing the cries of people who were dying from drought. Shiva divided Ganga into seven streams so she would not flood the earth upon her arrival. Part of this stream remained in the heavens as the Milky Way, and the rest flows through India as the river Ganges, where the goddess lives.

The Howling Lesson

Today is Thursday, January 12th, We Celebrate….
To Do Today: In India, people gather on the river Ganges on this day and bathe in the waters for health, protection, and forgiveness from ten sins. They welcome spring’s approach during this festival by wearing yellow clothing and coloring food, like rice, with saffron. To adapt this tradition and prompt Ganga’s blessings, wear any yellow-toned clothing or jewelry today, light a yellow candle, carry a yellow-toned stone (like citrine), and/or eat rice as part of any meal. Adapt your shower, tap, bath, hose, or lawn sprinkler to substitute for the river Ganges. As you stand beneath the water, visualize any figurative dirt being washed away down the drain.

365 Goddess: A Daily Guide To the Magic and Inspiration of the goddess
Patricia Telesco

Lunamania, lunatic, hysteria

What energies! The energetic power is tremendous – flow with it! Give yourself a pat on the back for your hard work and effort of the preceding days. Celebrate your power and wisdom by allowing yourself time to celebrate the full moon with friends and loved ones. Dance, sing, play, drum, stay awake all night and celebrate the full moon outside, under the starry sky. The fullness of the moon reflects the fullness of the power and spiritual strength that are available to us. When the valleys of the emotional unknown are realized visibly, they become available for the use of the aware person. The full moon brings enlightenment. The face of the truth is exposed – the truth whose light bursts forth fully now through the darkness.

This is the time to look inward, to survey your actions, feelings, and emotions of the preceding days, and discover the irrelevant subjects or criticisms you allowed to distract you and divert you from your main aim.

Focus and muster your full strength.

This is the time to make wishes for peace, prosperity, growth, love, success, harmony…

Speak to the big moon and bring the realization of your wishes down to earth with the help of its light.
Meditate to receive additional insights and to achieve additional illumination. The illumination you are acquiring now will help you complete your work and polish your ideas.

Day-by-Day Wicca: A complete guide to Wicca from Beliefs and Rituals to Magic and Witchcraft (Astrolog Complete Guides)
Tabatha Jennings

The Magick of the Full Moon

This is a time when the Moon is at its most powerful, and the magic most potent. Performing any positive spell at this time will achieve good results. Since the full moon only truly occurs for one night out of the entire lunar cycle, it can be hard to fit it into your schedule. You can harness the energy of the full moon for about 2 days before or after the night the moon is truly full.

Spells: Artistic projects, love, romance, fertility, psychic abilities or making decisions. Also healing, guidance, and completion spells.

Source

Everything Under the Moon

The Sky This Week for January 12-15

A comet, longer days, and other exciting things to look for in the sky this week.

By Richard Talcott

Thursday, January 12

Venus appears brilliant in the western sky starting within a half-hour after sunset. It reaches greatest elongation today, when it lies 47° east of the Sun, but the planet will remain the evening sky’s brightest point of light through late March. It currently shines at magnitude –4.6, some 10 times brighter than the second-brightest object, Jupiter. Venus stands about one-third to the zenith 30 minutes after the Sun goes down and doesn’t set until nearly 9 p.m. local time. When viewed through a telescope this evening, Venus appears 25″ across and half-lit. You also might glimpse its outer solar system neighbor, 8th-magnitude Neptune, which stands 0.4° south of Venus this evening.

Friday, January 13

If you look to the lower left of Saturn before dawn this week, you can catch a nice view of Mercury. This morning, the inner planet lies 10° above the southeastern horizon 30 minutes before sunrise. Shining at magnitude –0.1, it shows up nicely through the twilight glow. (If you don’t spot it right away, binoculars will bring it into view.) A telescope reveals Mercury’s 7.5″-diameter disk, which appears about half-lit.

Saturday, January 14

The waning gibbous Moon appears in the company of 1st-magnitude Regulus tonight. The pair rises in the east around 8 p.m. local time and climbs high in the south after midnight. Just 1° — twice the Moon’s apparent diameter — separates the two.

Sunday, January 15
Jupiter dominates the morning sky in early January. The giant planet rises shortly after midnight local time and climbs halfway to the zenith in the southern sky by the time twilight begins. Jupiter shines brilliantly at magnitude –2.0 and shows a disk that spans 37″ when viewed through a telescope. A small scope also reveals the planet’s four bright moons, though you may have to hunt for one of them this morning. The shadow of volcanically active Io starts to transit Jupiter at 1:45 a.m. EST, and the moon itself begins to cross the planet’s disk at 2:59 a.m. Both transits last a little more than two hours.

Source

Astronomy Magazine

The Witches Daily Data for Thursday, January 12

The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 135.29° SE
Sun Altitude: 17.21°
Sun Distance: 91.421 million mi
Next Equinox: Mar 20, 2017 5:28 am (Vernal)
Sunrise Today: 7:12 am↑ 117° Southeast
Sunset Today: 5:05 pm↑ 243° Southwest
Length of Daylight: 9 hours, 52 minutes

The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 312.04° NW
Moon Altitude: -20.19°
Moon Distance: 228270 mi
Next New Moon: Jan 27, 20176:07 pm
Next Full Moon: Feb 10, 20176:32 pm
Next Moonrise: Today5:41 pm
Moon Phase: Near Full Moon (Waning Gibbous)
Illumination: 99.9%

Source

timeanddate.com

Moon Rise

As the moon so bright and full rises in the sky
we look upwards to see our Mother
As the wild ground phlox bloom to its glorious pink
we look to see our Mother.
As the birds return and their voices fill the wind
we look to see our Mother.

The burrows are empty and the animals roam the woods,
our Mother is there.
The caves are empty as the bears roam the forest,
our Mother is there.
The wolf has emerged and she takes her place on the ridge
howling towards the wind,
our Mother is there.

We feel drawn to the earth, our
Mother calls us.
We feel drawn to the moon,
our Mother calls us.
We feel the wind around us,
our Mother calls us.

I stand before the moon and face my Mother.
I stand with arms reached out and face my Mother.
I stand humbled before her beauty and face my Mother.

I send the hopes of my family.
I send the prayers of my Sisters.
I send peace and love.

May she answer my prayers.
May she answer my hopes.
May she answer my wishes.

Blessings to my Sisters.
Blessings to our families.
Blessings to our animals.

All is done.
All is well.

—A Witch’s Prayerbook
JoAnne Spiese

I would like to apologize about yesterday, our sudden disappearance. We just get back on the net and our local Co-Op decides to up-grade the entire system. They have to shut all the residents in this area down to do it. They are suppose to be up-grading all us hick-a-billies up to a Gig Certified Network. Anybody got an idea what the heck that is? We are baffled!

The funny thing, when they turn off their service to do the maintenance, the phone goes. TV, phone and internet all gone. The dummies forgot about cellphones. I called them to ask them what the heck was going on. The lady was surprised to hear from me but she explained it anyway. I acted like I knew what she was talking about, yeah right! Anyway, after they started the up-grade and our service disappeared, we got a letter in the mail about the up-grade. A little late but that is the way this bunch works. The letter mentioned that they will need to shut down the service several hours a day for the next week. They didn’t bother giving us the hours of shut-down but if we disappear you now know why. I would imagine if everything goes as usual after one of their fabulous up-grades, we will be off more than on. What we get for being in the sticks.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know. Hopefully we will see you in a bit.

Love ya,

Lady A

Wednesday, January 11

Wednesday is the day of the Teutonic deity known as Wodin or Odin, an aspect of the Allfather, god of knowledge, wisdom, enlightenment and combat, the parallel of Hermes, the planet Mercury.

Deity: Woden

Zodiac Sign: Gemini & Virgo

Planet: Mercury

Tree: Ash

Herb: Cinquefoil

Stone: Emerald & Sardonyx

Animal: Raven & Cat

Element: Air

Color: Red & Blue

Number: 6

Rune: Odal(O)

Celtic Tree Month of Beth (Birch) – December 24 – January 20

The Runic Half Month of Eoh (yew tree) – December 28 – January 12

Goddess of the Month of Hestia – December 26 – January 22nd

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

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Today is Wednesday, January 11, We Celebrate….

Burning of the Clavie (Scotland)
BANBA

Theme: Protection

Symbol: Soil

About Banba: A Celtic war goddess, Banba extends safety to those who follow her, wielding magic in their support. In Irish tradition, she protected the land from invaders. As a reward for her sorcery’s assistance, Banba’s name became linked with ancient poetic designations for parts of Ireland. Interestingly enough, Banba translates as “unplowed land” meaning it is left safe and untouched to grow fertile.

To Do Today: Considering crime and other societal problems, a little extra protection from Banba seems like something we could all use year-round. Think of your home and possessions as the “land” she guards. Gather a pinch of dirt from near your residence, take it inside, and keep it in a special spot. Light a candle (white is good) near this anytime you feel you need Banba’s diligent sheltering. On this day the Scots burn a pole attached to a barrel of tar (a Clavie) and take it around town to banish evil influences, especially magical ones. The Clavie’s remaining ashes are gathered by people as an anticurse amulet. In keeping with this custom, burn a small bit of wood (perhaps oak) on a safe fire source. As it burns, recite this incantation:

Banba, burn away negativity, burn away malintent.
Let the energy return from where it was sent.
Keep the ashes as an anti-negativity talisman.

365 Goddess: A Daily Guide To the Magic and Inspiration of the goddess
Patricia Telesco

Wednesday’s Conjuring

Wednesday – is associated with Mercury

Candle colors – Purple

Conjuring for Wednesday: Mastery, Domination Work, Wisdom, Healing, Dealing with Legal problems.

—Old Style Conjure Wisdoms, Workings and Remedies
Starr Casas

The Sky This Week for January 11-15

A comet, longer days, and other exciting things to look for in the sky this week.

By Richard Talcott

Wednesday, January 11

Full Moon officially arrives at 6:34 a.m. EST tomorrow morning, but it looks completely illuminated all night. You can find it rising in the east just before sunset and peaking high in the south around midnight. It dips low in the west by the time morning twilight starts to brighten the sky. The Moon lies in southern Gemini the whole night through.

Thursday, January 12

Venus appears brilliant in the western sky starting within a half-hour after sunset. It reaches greatest elongation today, when it lies 47° east of the Sun, but the planet will remain the evening sky’s brightest point of light through late March. It currently shines at magnitude –4.6, some 10 times brighter than the second-brightest object, Jupiter. Venus stands about one-third to the zenith 30 minutes after the Sun goes down and doesn’t set until nearly 9 p.m. local time. When viewed through a telescope this evening, Venus appears 25″ across and half-lit. You also might glimpse its outer solar system neighbor, 8th-magnitude Neptune, which stands 0.4° south of Venus this evening.

Friday, January 13

If you look to the lower left of Saturn before dawn this week, you can catch a nice view of Mercury. This morning, the inner planet lies 10° above the southeastern horizon 30 minutes before sunrise. Shining at magnitude –0.1, it shows up nicely through the twilight glow. (If you don’t spot it right away, binoculars will bring it into view.) A telescope reveals Mercury’s 7.5″-diameter disk, which appears about half-lit.

Saturday, January 14

The waning gibbous Moon appears in the company of 1st-magnitude Regulus tonight. The pair rises in the east around 8 p.m. local time and climbs high in the south after midnight. Just 1° — twice the Moon’s apparent diameter — separates the two.

Sunday, January 15

Jupiter dominates the morning sky in early January. The giant planet rises shortly after midnight local time and climbs halfway to the zenith in the southern sky by the time twilight begins. Jupiter shines brilliantly at magnitude –2.0 and shows a disk that spans 37″ when viewed through a telescope. A small scope also reveals the planet’s four bright moons, though you may have to hunt for one of them this morning. The shadow of volcanically active Io starts to transit Jupiter at 1:45 a.m. EST, and the moon itself begins to cross the planet’s disk at 2:59 a.m. Both transits last a little more than two hours.

Source

Astronomy Magazine

The Witches Sun & Moon Data for Wednesday, January 11

The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 135.66° SE
Sun Altitude: 17.26°
Sun Distance: 91.417 million mi
Next Equinox: Mar 20, 2017 5:28 am (Vernal)
Sunrise Today: 7:13 am↑ 117° Southeast
Sunset Today: 5:04 pm↑ 243° Southwest
Current Daylight: 9 hours, 51 minutes

The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 325.20° NW
Moon Altitude: -27.21°
Moon Distance: 226569 mi
Next Full Moon: Jan 12, 20175:33 am
Next New Moon: Jan 27, 20176:07 pm
Next Moonrise: Today4:37 pm
Current Moon Phase:Waxing Gibbous
Illumination:98.8%

Source

timeanddate.com

Moon Power

By the power of the Moon I stand
before thee
With my sisters I bow before your
light
And ask for your Blessings
We ask with the power of three times
three
That you grant our prayer
We ask with the power of the
Sisterhood to be heard

We call on the energy force of nature
To send our power to each of us
We call on the love of the Goddess to
take us in her arms
We call on our Sisters past to stand as
our witnesses
We call on those we love who have
passed to share this night

May love and joy fill our lives
May prosperity come to all our lives
May our wishes be fulfilled

I turn to the East and call on my
Sisters
I turn to the South and call on nature
I turn to the West and call on the
Witches from the past
I turn to the North and call on the
light of the Goddess

As the Moon rays fall on me, I feel her
energy.
As the Moon rays fall on my Sisters I
feel their energy.
As the Moon rays fall on me
I feel the light of the Goddess.
As the Moon rays fall on me I feel the
power of the earth.
As the Moon rays fall on me
I know I am a daughter of the Goddess.

I know what it means to be a
daughter.
I bow to the light, the energy and
beauty of the Goddess.
I feel her embrace.
I feel my hand in my Sisters.
I know the power we have.
I know the responsibility.

I bless those in my life
I bless those who are gone from me
I hold dear my animals
I know those gone are close to me
I bless my Sisters

I thank the Goddess for hearing my
prayers
I thank the force of energy for its
power
I thank my Sisters
I thank my family and friends

For all is done …

—-A Witch’s Prayerbook
JoAnne Spiese

Greenman Caftan