September’s Full Moon was called the Full Corn Moon or Harvest Moon by the early North American Farmers. The term “Harvest Moon” refers to the Full Moon that occurs closest to the Autumnal Equinox. The Full Moon closes to this Equinox rises about 20 minutes later each night as apposed to the rest of the year when the moon rises around 50 minutes later each night. This was important to early farmers because they had more nights of bright moon light to gather crops.
The Moon is traveling through Pisces today. You may feel disconnected. Serve others. Listen to music. Paint a picture. Daydream.
We are not inclined to want to face reality while the Moon is in dreamy, impressionable Pisces. It can be a wistful, sensitive, intuitive, and compassionate time. We are especially imaginative, and our intuition reigns under this influence. Boundaries and walls come down, as Pisces energy merges and blends. It’s a time when details are overlooked and feelings defy description.
The Moon in Pisces generally favors the following activities: Imaginative undertakings, mystical or spiritual pursuits, inner development, music and drama, going on a retreat, activities involving water.
Waxing Gibbous
Illumination: 100%
The Moon today is in a Waxing Gibbous phase. This phase is when the moon is more than 50% illuminated but not yet a Full Moon. The phase lasts round 7 days with the moon becoming more illuminated each day until the Full Moon. During a Waxing Gibbous the moon will rise in the east in mid-afternoon and will be high in the eastern sky at sunset. The moon is then visible though most of the night sky setting a few hour before sunrise. The word Gibbous first appeared in the 14th century and has its roots in the Latin word “gibbosus” meaning humpbacked.
Look toward a Ceres-Chiron parallel (6:28am) to supply you with an abundance of nurturing-comforting vibes while the moon is meandering through a long void cycle in Pisces that ends at 4:05pm with the arrival of the lunar orb in fiery Aries. Just before the enlightening full moon takes hold at 7:54pm (activating 2 degrees of Libra and Aries), the lunar orb hooks up with rainbow-bridge warrior Chiron (4:10pm). Under the auspicious vibrations of the monthly solar-lunar crescendo, individual and group meditations are advised. Live up to higher ideals and dissipate egocentric desires that only serve your personal interests. Send out your healing thoughts and prayers to Mother Earth, the struggling kingdoms of nature, and an often beleaguered humanity.
[Note to readers: All times are now calculated for Pacific Daylight Time. Be sure to adjust all times according to your own local time so the alignments noted above will be exact for your location.]
Copyright 2018 Mark Lerner & Great Bear Enterprises, Ltd.
Full Moon occurs at 10:53 p.m. EDT. At that moment, our lone natural satellite will lie 245,106 miles (394,460 kilometers) away. At this time, the Sun stands high above the lunar surface, a condition similar to midday here on Earth. Shadows at this time are shortest, so you’ll actually see the least amount of detail during Full Moon. That said, two features actually stand out better at this time: the lunar maria (seas) and lunar rays. In the first case, lava on the floors of the maria appears much darker than the surrounding highlands, so the contrast between the maria and the highlands is highest at Full Moon. In the second case, sometimes a dark surface covers lighter material. If, as has happened millions of times, a meteor hits the Moon, the impact can splash some of what’s underground across the landscape. And the bigger the meteor, the longer and brighter the splash. Astronomers call such ejecta “rays.” Most resemble the spokes of a wheel and extend for many times their crater’s diameter. And Full Moon is the best time to view them.
On Mars, the planet wide dust storm is abating, so surface features are once again within reach of a 6-inch or larger telescope. During moments of good seeing, Mars resolves into a patchwork of dark and bright markings. From North America, viewing the Red Planet this evening reveals that Syrtis Major, the darkest feature on Mars, lies near the martian central meridian. The bright Hellas Basin, the planet’s lowest-lying region, sits just south of Syrtis Major. And by month’s end, the dark, fingerlike extension of Mare Cimmerium appears at the center of the disk.
Wednesday, September 26
Speaking of Mars, as darkness falls tonight, look low in the south-southwest for magnitude 1.1 Antares (Alpha Scorpii) and compare it to magnitude –1.7 Mars, which lies in the south within the boundaries of the constellation Capricornus. You’ll note that both objects have a reddish hue, and that tips us off as to why the star carries its common name. “Antares” is a Greek combination of “anti” and “Ares” — literally, the “rival of Mars” or, according to some translations, “equal to Mars.”
Thursday, September 27
Look halfway up in the east after darkness falls this week, and you should see one of autumn’s most conspicuous star groups. The Great Square of Pegasus stands out in the evening sky at this time of year, though it appears balanced on one corner and looks more diamond-shaped. These four almost equally bright stars form the body of Pegasus the Winged Horse. The fainter stars that form the rest of this constellation’s shape trail off to the square’s west.
Friday, September 28
The variable star Algol in Perseus reaches minimum brightness this morning at 12:58 a.m. EDT. If you start watching the star once the sky darkens Thursday evening, you can see it dim by 70 percent over the course of about 5 hours. (Astronomers would say its brightness drops from magnitude 2.1 to 3.4.) This eclipsing binary runs through a cycle from minimum to maximum and back every 2.87 days. Algol rises slightly before sunset tonight and appears highest in the sky when it reaches minimum brightness.
Saturday, September 29
Go out around 10 p.m. local time tonight, look toward the northeast, and find the W-shaped asterism that marks the main part of the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen. Then, using binoculars, scan about 10° to the east for the famed Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884). This pair of open star clusters lies in the constellation Perseus the Hero. From a dark site, they appear as fuzzy patches to the naked eye. Any optics, especially 10-power binoculars, really bring out their glory.
Sunday, September 30
Around 4 a.m. EDT, Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull, will lie 1.4° south of the Moon. Because Luna doesn’t reach its Last Quarter phase for two more days, it’s still quite bright. When you look toward it and Aldebaran, don’t expect to see many more stars in the area. Astronomers classify Aldebaran as a red giant star, although most observers see it as orange. It has only slightly more mass than the Sun but its diameter is 44 times as large. Our daytime star will go through a similar transformation some 5 billion years from now.
The Moon continues its transit of Pisces until 7:04 PM EDT, after which it moves through the sign of Aries, reaching full at 10:53 PM. The Full Moon in Aries tonight reminds us to consider how we are honoring ourselves in the context of our close relationships. New revelations can occur now, particularly in the areas of our health, leadership skills, feelings of independence, our ability to initiate and begin new things, and our close partnerships. With this lunation square Saturn, we can struggle with obstacles or what appear to be harsh realities, but we’re persistent and resilient (the Sun and Moon also harmonize with Mars).
The Sun forms a quincunx to Uranus today, and surprise elements of the day can make us feel a little out of control of our lives or the direction we would like to take. Disrupted plans or schedules may be part of the picture now, and they throw us off center a little more than usual. A Sun-Mercury parallel adds mental focus or intensity to the day – our ideas are in sharp focus and highly personal.
The Moon is void from 1:26 AM EDT, with the Moon’s last aspect before changing signs (a trine to Jupiter), until the Moon enters Aries at 7:04 PM EDT.
The Moon is Full in Aries on September 24, 2018, at 10:52 PM EDT.
The Full Moon occurs in the sign of Aries, reminding us to consider how we are honoring ourselves in the context of our close relationships. New revelations can occur now, particularly in the areas of our physical bodies, leadership skills, our ability to initiate and begin new things, and our close partnerships. With this lunation square Saturn, we can struggle with obstacles or what appear to be harsh realities, but we’re persistent and resilient (the Sun and Moon also harmonize with Mars).
Half the moon is always illuminated by the sun. That lighted half is the moon’s day side. In order to appear full to us on Earth, we have to see the whole day side of the moon. That happens only when the moon is opposite the sun in our sky. A full moon is a moon opposite the sun. That’s why every full moon rises in the east around sunset – climbs highest up for the night midway between sunset and sunrise (around midnight) – and sets around sunrise.
Technically speaking, the moon is full at the instant it’s 180 degrees from the sun in ecliptic longitude. Want to know the instant of full moon in your part of the world, as well as the moonrise and moonset times? Click here, remembering to check the moon phases plus moonrise and moonset boxes.
Or you can just stand outside around sunset and look for the moon. Sun going down while the moon is coming up? That’s a full moon, or close to one.
The moon looks full for at least a couple of night around the instant of full moon.
Often, you’ll find two different dates on calendars for the date of full moon. That’s because some calendars list moon phases in Coordinated Universal Time or Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). And other calendars list moon phases in local time, a clock time of a specific place, usually the place that made and distributed the calendars. Click here to translate UTC to your local time.
If a full moon is opposite the sun, why doesn’t Earth’s shadow fall on the moon at every full moon? The reason is that the moon’s orbit is titled by 5.1 degrees with respect to Earth’s orbit around the sun. At every full moon, Earth’s shadow sweeps near the moon. But, in most months, there’s no eclipse.
As the moon orbits Earth, it changes phase in an orderly way. Follow these links to understand the various phases of the moon.
Bottom line: Full moon – when the moon is most opposite the sun for this month – happens on September 25 at 2:52 UTC; translate UTC to your time.
Originally published on EarthSky
You are an exceptionally creative person. Once you learn to focus your energy on one or a few creative passions, you can go far. Disciplining yourself is not necessarily a problem–you tend to have so many ideas and talents that it can be hard to develop just one. Indecision is sometimes an issue. You are especially thoughtful and helpful. You are very likable, and others sense your warmth, or at the very least, they seem to know you have a lot to share. Your mind is sharp and you love to communicate! You may grow into this quality–beginning life as a quiet child and, over the years, you discover your voice. You easily attract admirers and you are willing to make huge sacrifices for the sake of love. Famous people born today: Faith Hill, H. G. Wells, Larry Hagman, Leonard Cohen, Stephen King, Cheryl Hines, Bill Murray, Ricki Lake, Nicole Richie, Maggie Grace.
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.
This can be a year in which you experience important turning points, or you could begin new projects or goals that have a long-term impact on your life.
October and November may be a little more challenging than others, but it’s also a great time for getting organized. This can be a time of fixing problems or taking on responsibilities so that your life runs more smoothly.
There is more spontaneity in your personal relationships this year. You are more willing to take chances during this period of your life on a social level, and happily embrace 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 or friendships/alliances into your life.
This can be a busy year on a mental level, with personal interests, studies, exciting ideas, frequent lectures, debates, or animated discussions. You are more assertive or forthcoming with your ideas and advice or opinions. You are highly motivated to put your ideas into motion. There can be many errands, travel, and trips. You may be more actively involved with young people.
However, 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.
Fortunate connections are likely to be made this year–connections that benefit you now and down the road and that enhance your chances of success at achieving your goals. A new relationship with someone that helps to broaden your horizons, expand your mind, and deepen your personal philosophy of life is possible, or existing relationships grow and improve.
A freer attitude towards expressing your affection is likely now. Your open heart may attract easygoing friendships or love opportunities into your life.
However, your energy can vary greatly from one period to the next, so take advantage of the “high” periods in order to offset the possible loss in productivity during the low-energy stages. This may be due to wavering motivation – you may be seeking out something more meaningful which can pay with your physical energy levels.
This can be a time of building faith or confidence in your skills and talents, particularly in the second half of your birthday year. You can experience a stronger desire to seek out meaning, wisdom, and mental stimulation. You’ll be making plans and seeing important patterns, and you can be particularly motivated to solve problems.
You seek out nourishment from — and naturally nurture and support — others during this period. Needs and cravings seem to be in harmony, or at least not in conflict, with those of your loved ones. It makes you feel stronger and good about yourself to help and support, and you seem to have a good support system in place for yourself.
You are very likely to attract loving relationships and/or new warm social contacts into your life this year. Your popularity increases and efforts to smooth over challenges in partnerships are more likely to succeed. This is an excellent influence for negotiations, marriage, and business partnerships.
New beginnings and fresh projects are likely in the year ahead. This can be a special year for your social or romantic life, which can be more interesting. Fortunate connections can be made. You are embracing change and improvement in these areas. This is an excellent period for spreading your wings, trying new things, and taking on new and exciting interests, but you should watch for impractical choices and neglecting important details.
2017 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 pay special attention to 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. Positive new relationships are often not formed in a Four personal year. However, it can be a wonderful year for building, development, and laying a solid foundation for future successes. Advice – get yourself organized, work to build your resources, keep busy.
2018 will be a Number Five year for you. Ruled by Mercury. This is a year of discovery and freedom. It’s a time when exploration and reaching out to others brings opportunities. It’s a good time to advertise, promote, and sell. Surprises are in store, and the routine is broken for the better. 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, diversify, mingle.
As the Wheel has once again turned and we now prepare to enter into the Dark time of the year. It is time that we rededicate ourselves to the Craft and to the God and Goddess. To rededicate ourselves to them and ask for their guidance and light during the Winter ahead.
I believe no matter how long you have been practicing the Craft, whether Elder or newcomer, each of us should take time to rededicate ourselves to the Lord and Lady. Reaffirm our commitment to them and ask for their guidance and assistance during this time of year.
The ritual will start at 7:00 p.m. central time in the WOTC chatroom. The chatroom will be closed off to outsiders and the mundane. We will have complete privacy during this ritual. The ritual will probably last for 45 minutes to an hour. But it will be well worth you time to attend. If you find yourself running late, and the ritual has already started, please enter the room quietly. We will start gathering at 6:45 p.m. and then the ritual will follow at 7:00 p.m.
The ritual has a Celtic flare to it and I believe you will not only find it interesting and very powerful. I hope we have a good turn out for this ritual. It is something I have been wanting to do for a while and the Goddess has told me this is something that I not only need for myself but there are a few others who would gladly benefit for this ritual.
I will post the ritual tomorrow and let you know what you need. The ritual does not require much it more ceremonial. I can tell you the most important item you will need is your heart and the willingness to rededicate yourself to your Craft.
Lady of the Abyss
I should add this ritual is open to all WOTC members and Coven Life members and any others of the Pagan Tradition who would like to attend.
I am over at the store adding some new merchandise. Thought I would take a break and see if anyone wanted to chat this morning. If you do, come on over, I would definitely welcome the interruption, lol!
Demeter and Persephone are strongly connected to the time of the Autumn Equinox. When Hades abducted Persephone, it set in motion a chain of events that eventually led to the earth falling into darkness each winter. This is the time of the Dark Mother, the Crone aspect of the triple goddess. The goddess is bearing this time not a basket of flowers, but a sickle and scythe. She is prepared to reap what has been sown.
The earth dies a little each day, and we must embrace this slow descent into dark before we can truly appreciate the light that will return in a few months.
This ritual welcomes the archetype of the Dark Mother, and celebrates that aspect of the Goddess which we may not always find comforting or appealing, but which we must always be willing to acknowledge. Decorate your altar with symbols of Demeter and her daughter — flowers in red and yellow for Demeter, purple or black for Persephone, stalks of wheat, Indian corn, sickles, baskets. Have a candle on hand to represent each of them — harvest colors for Demeter, black for Persephone. You’ll also need a chalice of wine, or grape juice if you prefer, and a pomegranate.
If you normally cast a circle, or call the quarters, do so now. Turn to the altar, and light the Persephone candle. Say:
The land is beginning to die, and the soil grows cold.
The fertile womb of the earth has gone barren.
As Persephone descended into the Underworld,
So the earth continues its descent into night.
As Demeter mourns the loss of her daughter,
So we mourn the days drawing shorter.
The winter will soon be here.
Light the Demeter candle, and say:
In her anger and sorrow, Demeter roamed the earth,
And the crops died, and life withered and the soil went dormant.
In grief, she traveled looking for her lost child,
Leaving darkness behind in her wake.
We feel the mother’s pain, and our hearts break for her,
As she searches for the child she gave birth to.
We welcome the darkness, in her honor.
Break open the pomegranate (it’s a good idea to have a bowl to catch the drippings), and take out six seeds. Place them on the altar. Say:
Six months of light, and six months of dark.
The earth goes to sleep, and later wakes again.
O dark mother, we honor you this night,
And dance in your shadows.
We embrace that which is the darkness,
And celebrate the life of the Crone. Blessings to the dark goddess on this night, and every other.
As the wine is replaced upon the altar, hold your arms out in the Goddess position, and take a moment to reflect on the darker aspects of the human experience. Think of all the goddesses who evoke the night, and call out:
Demeter, Inanna, Kali, Tiamet, Hecate, Nemesis, Morrighan.
Bringers of destruction and darkness,
I embrace you tonight.
Without rage, we cannot feel love,
Without pain, we cannot feel happiness,
Without the night, there is no day,
Without death, there is no life.
Great goddesses of the night, I thank you.
Take a few moments to meditate on the darker aspects of your own soul. Is there a pain you’ve been longing to get rid of? Is there anger and frustration that you’ve been unable to move past? Is there someone who’s hurt you, but you haven’t told them how you feel? Now is the time to take this energy and turn it to your own purposes. Take any pain inside you, and reverse it so that it becomes a positive experience. If you’re not suffering from anything hurtful, count your blessings, and reflect on a time in your life when you weren’t so fortunate.
When you are ready, end the ritual.
By Patti Wigington,Paganism/Wicca Expert
Article found on & owned by ThoughtCo
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