Day: April 27, 2024

The Proper Timing for Magick c. 2017

Author: Taliesin McKnight

Timing is one of the most important things to consider when doing magick. Astrology can be likened to a great cosmic clock. It reflects the cycles and rhythms of nature. The proper alignment of the stars, the sun, the moon, and the planets should all be taken into consideration. Does this sound complex? I assure you it is not as complicated as it may sound. In fact, this may reduced to two things: the days of the week and the cycles of the moon.

The seven planets rule the seven days of the week. The names even derive from the planets in many different languages. In English these come from the names of the Norse planetary deities. Sunday is the day of the Sun; Monday is the day of the moon; Tuesday is the day of Tue (Mars) ; Wednesday is the day of Wodan (Mercury) ; Thursday is the day of Thor (Jupiter) ; Friday is the day of Freya (Venus) ; and Saturday is the day of Saturn. Therefore, for maximum astrological benefit, a love spell should be done on Friday, the day of Venus (planet ruling love) . In the same way, magick involving education may be done on Wednesday, which is ruled by Mercury. The planetary correspondences are as follows:

The Sun rules Sunday and is good for Success, luck, spirituality, knowledge, and healing. The moon rules on Mondays. This is a good time to do spells for intuition, dreams, astral travel, and communication with spirits. Mars rules on Tuesdays. It is a good time for effective magick involving battle, conflicts, protection, strength, overcoming adversity, and binding.

Mercury is the planet presiding over Wednesdays. This is a time for rituals for education, knowledge, divination, communication, and healing. Thursday is the day of Jupiter, and governs success, prosperity, luck, and leadership. Venus dominated on Fridays and can bring love, romance, heal relationships, and grant new friends. Saturday is governed by the baleful influence of Saturn. This planet grants protection, destruction, binding, curses, purification, and overcoming weakness.

In addition to the seven days of the week, the seven planets also rule the hours in the day. There are several different methods to calculating the planetary hours. One of these involves following the hours from sunrise to sunrise; another divides the hours between sunrise and sunset and divides them into 12 sections and the same is done for the period between sunsets. To avoid all the math and difficulty, a very simple and effective system omits this and simply uses the 24 hours from midnight to midnight. This has worked wonderfully for me and I see no reason to list the other methods. If you would like to examine other methods for calculating planetary hours, that information is readily available online or in other books on magick. For simplicity, just know that the planet for the day also rules the hour at 6 am, 1 pm, and 8 pm.

Now, to illustrate this, let us take an example. If you wanted to do a love spell, it would be a good idea to do this on Friday (the day of Venus) at 8 pm (the hour of Venus) . This acts as a magickal doorway in which the proper astrological conditions are right. In this way the magus moves with the cycles and the rhythms of nature. If one were to bind (or restrict) someone from causing harm to others, Saturday at 6 am would be a good time. The days and hours should be at least partially memorized. The easiest way to do this is to simply memorize which planets rule each day and to simply remember that the planet for that day also rules at 6 am, 1 pm, and 8 pm. In this way, it will not be necessary to look this up every time one wishes to do a spell!

The phases of the moon also have an important impact on the effectiveness of magick. The waxing (growing) phase and the full moon are good from creative magick and bringing things into your life; the waning (decreasing) phase and the new moon are used for destructive spells and getting rid of things in your life. This is the most stressed point in ritual timing in the Wiccan tradition.

The concept of moving with the phases of the moon is very ancient and is found in many different cultures. This can be seen as a more important element in timing than anything else. It is much better to go with the phases of the moon on the wrong day than to do it on the right day of the week and the wrong lunar phase. This aspect of magickal timing should not be over-looked. The full and new moons are peaks of the creative and destructive cycles. The mid-way points (the half moons during increase and decrease) are also times of great magickal power.

The last aspect of ritual timing is the moon sign. The moon passes through the 12 signs of the zodiac, remaining in each sign only for a few days. This is not as important a consideration as the other 2 timing concerns. Nonetheless, this can lend power to rituals and spells. When the moon is in an Earth sign (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn) are good for financial concerns; when the sign is in an Air sign (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius) are ideal for education and spells consistent with the characteristics of the element of Air. When the sign is in a Water sign (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) it is a great time for spells that are connected to the Element of water and to emotions, artistry, and relationships; While the moon is in a Fire sign (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) it is a good time to do rituals of a fiery nature.

The individual characteristics of the sign (rather than just the element) should also be considered. This is not a very important aspect to magickal timing, so don’t stress too much over it. As I said before, though, utilizing this can only help and never hinder!

There are other lesser aspects to astrological timing. These would include the weather and the current Sun sign. The reason Sun signs are rarely considered is not so much that it is a weak influence, but rather that it is not practical to wait months just to do a spell, when it will probably no longer even be needed or be too late. This could also be a great aid if followed.

Weather is an issue as well. Storms are usually great for magick because it is a time of great elemental power. Furthermore, if one is doing a ritual involving the Sun, this should be done during the day and when it is sunny. One would assume this would go without saying. On the contrary, however, many people fail to recognize this simple concept. After all, it is only common sense. Thus, weather and the Sun sign can lend a lot of extra power to spells, if you would only harness that power with the use of correct ritual timing.

Now that this has all been laid down and explained, let us take another example to make sure these concepts are well understood. Let us say that someone is looking for a new job and decides to do some magick to help the job search. The moon should be waxing (this is for bringing things into your life) and the spell may be done on a Thursday (the day of Jupiter) at 1 pm (the hour of Jupiter) on a cloudy day because Jupiter is a sky god. The moon should also be in the sign of Capricorn. This would be an extremely good time for such a spell. The conditions are perfect.

Does timing have to be followed? Of course not! In the preceding example, the job is probably needed immediately. It would be foolish to wait for the right conditions during such an emergency. Do spells whenever they are needed. However, WHEN IT IS CONVENIENT, the astrological conditions should be considered. If a spell can wait for the perfect conditions, then great. If they spell can wait a few days for the right day ruled by the proper planet, that is good too. But if the spell can’t wait that long, then do it now. The spell can be repeated when the stars, sun, and moon are aligned right if needed. The spell will still work. The point is lending extra power to your spells. That’s it.

Following the cycles and rhythms of nature is also another way of aligning oneself with the universe. In the ancient Mystery Traditions, from which magick derives, Man was seen as a reflection of the cosmos. One is moving in accordance with the universe. We are moving with the tides of nature. Can magick be done against these cycles and still be effective? Sure. But it is like swimming against a current. Why not “ride with the tide”? It may even carry you a ways if you would only let go and let the currents of the Great Mother take you. Thus, in magick we try to follow the ways of Nature. Magick is merely using Her ways.

Remember, that which separates the initiate from the vulgar is simply that the occultist is aware of the laws of the universe and uses them to his or her advantage while others do not use this power that lies in their hands.

April 27 and 28, 2024 Current Moon Phase for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres

You can use this link to go forward or backward in time for Moon phase information. If you are curious, you can even find out what phase the Moon was in when you or anyone else was born.

The 8 Lunar Phases

There are 8 lunar phases the Moon goes through in its 29.53 days lunar cycle. The 4 major Moon phases are Full Moon, New Moon, First Quarter and Last Quarter. Between these major phases, there are 4 minor ones: the Waxing Crescent, Waxing Gibbous, Waning Gibbous and Waning Crescent. For more info on the Moon Cycle and on each phase check out Wikipedia Lunar Phase page.

Useful Moon Resources

Check the weather before a night of Moon gazing at weather.com

For a list of all the current meteor showers visit American Meteor Society

Source: MoonGiant.com

Northern Hemisphere

April 27, 2024

The Moon’s current phase for today and tonight is a Waning Gibbous. During this phase the Moon can be seen in the early morning daylight hours on the western horizon. This is the first phase after the Full Moon occurs. It lasts roughly 7 days with the Moon’s illumination growing smaller each day until the Moon becomes a Last Quarter Moon with an illumination of 50%. The average Moon rise for this phase is between 9pm and Midnight depending on the age of the phase. The moon rises later and later each night setting after sunrise in the morning.

Visit the April 2024 Moon Phases Calendar to see all the daily moon phase for this month.

Today’s Waning Gibbous Phase

The Waning Gibbous on April 26 has an illumination of 94%. This is the percentage of the Moon illuminated by the Sun. The illumination is constantly changing and can vary up to 10% a day. On April 26 the Moon is 17.13 days old. This refers to how many days it has been since the last New Moon. It takes 29.53 days for the Moon to orbit the Earth and go through the lunar cycle of all 8 Moon phases.

Phase Details

Phase: Waning Gibbous
Illumination: 94%
Moon Age: 17.13 days
Moon Angle: 0.51
Moon Distance: 389,938.74 km

Southern Hemisphere

28 April 2024

The Moon’s current phase for today and tonight is a Waning Gibbous. During this phase the Moon can be seen in the early morning daylight hours on the western horizon. This is the first phase after the Full Moon occurs. It lasts roughly 7 days with the Moon’s illumination growing smaller each day until the Moon becomes a Last Quarter Moon with an illumination of 50%. The average Moon rise for this phase is between 9pm and Midnight depending on the age of the phase. The moon rises later and later each night setting after sunrise in the morning.

Visit the April 2024 Moon Phases Calendar to see all the daily moon phase for this month.

Today’s Waning Gibbous Phase

The Waning Gibbous on April 28 has an illumination of 80%. This is the percentage of the Moon illuminated by the Sun. The illumination is constantly changing and can vary up to 10% a day. On April 28 the Moon is 19.09 days old. This refers to how many days it has been since the last New Moon. It takes 29.53 days for the Moon to orbit the Earth and go through the lunar cycle of all 8 Moon phases.

Phase Details

Phase: Waning Gibbous
Illumination: 80%
Moon Age: 19.09 days
Moon Angle: 0.52
Moon Distance: 380,535.57 km
Sun Angle: 0.53
Sun Distance: 150,664,426.53 km

Divination Journal

Tarot Card

Tarot card reading comes from The Celtic Dragon Tarot by D. J. Conway. With art done by Lisa Hunt. This deck is unique as the cards are never read in reverse.

Ace of Cups – Minor Arcana

Joy; fertile period

Baby dragons are hatching out of a nest floating on the waters of a gentle stream below a waterfall. One hatched baby is looking at her reflection in the water, while another leans contently against her. A third baby is struggling out of its shell, while a fourth is settling itself for a peaceful nap. All humans, at whatever stage of life, begin their seeking for spiritual and/or emotional growth and knowledge with the naivete and innocence of children. They are innocent of the difficulties and perils that might lie ahead and at the same time enthusiastic to get started on their journey. Some get caught up in admiring themselves and what they believe they can do, while others are content just to bask in the sunlight and lean on others. Still others struggle through obstacles and become stronger for this. This struggles reflected in the faces on the rock. The waterfall and chalice are symbolic of the endless stream of lives that proceed from and return to the Goddess and God.

Divinatory Meaning: New beginnings in your life will fill you with joy and contentment. Your spiritual growth will expand and take you to a higher level of understanding. There is the possibility of a new love. This card can also herald a possible pregnancy, so take care if this is not what you want. This can also foretell a fertile period for ideas.

Animal Spirt Guide card comes from Messages from Your Animal Spirit Guides Oracle Cards by Steven D. Farmer

Animal Spirit Guide or Helper

Condor – “You’re too enmeshed in this situation, so step back and see the bigger picture before making any decisions or taking action”

You’ve lost perspective here because you either believe there’s something that you absolutely need to have happen or else you’re simply being too stubborn to let go, step back, and take a fresh look at circumstances. It’s the forest versus the trees dilemma: You’re too close to clearly discern the reality of what’s actually taking place. So make a practice of detachment. Most people think of this as a cold, sterile way of responding to a situation or person, but nothing id further from the truth. It’s far worse to remain so utterly involved and entangled that you lose perspective — and sometimes even your self! This all-too-familiar pattern stems from the guilty feeling that some how you’re not doing enough unless you completely immerse yourself into the problem or person, continually trying to fix the situation or rescue the individual involved. While this may give you a temporary sense of satisfaction, doing so also creates unhealthy dependencies — yours and others.

True detachment is objective compassion, a state of mind and heart where you still care very much but are distanced enough so that you’re not under the illusion that you can somehow control the situation or person through your participation or intervention. In any situation or conversation, follow these four simple guidelines. First, be 100 percent present and attentive; second, speak your truth (or maintain a dignified silence); third, keep the focus on what’s really important and what really matters; and fourth, let goof any attachment to outcome. These four steps will help keep your perspective while remaining compassionately involved and detached at the same time. You can still wield your influence by stating your prefer–whether strong or mild–without insisting on getting your own way. Express yourself and see what happens, all the while honoring and respecting others.

Associations: Perspective; Vision; Awareness; Death/Rebirth; Independence; Solitude;  Inspiration; Creativity; Leadership; Pachamama (“Pa-che-mama,” Mother Earth); Simplicity; Sensitivity; Detoxification

Rune

Source: The RuneSite.com

Uruz

Sound: “oo”
Stands for: Auroch (like a wild ox)
Color: Orange (Dark Green)
Casting meaning: Uruz is also a rune of power, but unlike Fehu, it’s a power that we can neither own nor control. In a casting it can mean that personal success is near. For charms and talismans use Uruz for its healing powers.

Witches’ Rune

Source: summergoddess.wordpress.com

Crossroads

This rune indicates a more difficult path where things are not so easy.

The Crossroads represents not only quarrels and misunderstandings but also discipline and mastery over the self.

It is not necessarily bad luck, but rather slow, substantial gains.

The Crossroads suggest maintaining the status quo, understanding boundaries and limitations, make a sustained practical effort, practical matters and solid achievement.

Relationships may be on shaky ground when one of these elements is sacrificed at the expense of another.

This rune stresses basic concerns and could indicate feeling boxed in. There may even be a feeling of discouragement. But you will soon discover innate strength and resources giving your achievements more meaning.

Ogham

Source: learnreligions.com

Uhr/Ura

U (sometimes W) is Uhr or Ura, the Heather plant, which symbolizes passion and generosity. This ground-covering plant grows on top of peat in the moors of the Celtic lands. The blossoms are full of rich nectar and are very attractive to bees, which are seen in some traditions as messengers to and from the spirit world. Uhr is associated with both generosity and healing, as well as contact with the Otherworld.

Historically, the Picts used the flowers of the Heather plant to make a fermented ale–the natural sweetness of the plant probably made this delicious! It is also known to bring good fortune, particularly the white variety of Heather. A number of Scottish clansmen tucked Heather in their bonnets before going into battle. From a practical standpoint, Heather was also harvested to use for thatching. Dyes and brooms were made from it as well; if you make a besom of your own, use some Heather for the bristles.

Medicinally, Heather has been used to treat everything from consumption to “agitated nerves.” The great Scottish poet Robert Burns advocated its use in “Moorland Tea,” brewed from the harvested flowers.

Uhr Correspondences

Mundane Aspects: When this symbol appears, it means it’s time to de-stress. Look inside yourself for healing if your body needs it, and don’t delay. Listen to what your physical self is telling you. Remember how closely our physical well-being and emotional health are tied together.

Magical Aspects: Blend the energy of the spirit with the healing of the body. Focus on whole healing–body, mind and spirit–to build a healthy soul. Meditate on this symbol to increase your spiritual awareness. If you’re feeling a bit fragmented, mentally, burn some Heather to help you gather your thoughts back together.

I Ching

Numerology

Source: worldnumerology.com

Number 5

The most vibrant, freedom-loving of all numbers in numerology

The Numerology Meaning of the Number 5: A DYNAMIC FORCE

The 5 is unpredictable, always in motion, and constantly in search of change.

Although it is molded from an almost equal mix of freedom-loving and loyal characteristics, the 5 is slightly more daring, and there is nothing submissive about it.

The 5 is extremely independent in mind and soul.

For an adventurer and risk-taker who has a hard time staying in one place, one job, or one relationship, the 5 is surprisingly loyal when the right partner comes along.

The 2 and the 6 are known as the most harmonious relationship numbers. Still, both will cheat on a partner when temptation is strong enough. The 5 will not. The 5 may break off a relationship due to their restless nature, but they will rarely deceive a partner. Although, when they are not in a committed relationship, they have no problem dating a different person every day of the week

The 5 generally doesn’t find a suitable career until they’ve tried several different jobs, some barely lasting long enough to warrant a full paycheck. This is especially true if there is monotonous routine involved; boredom sets in quickly for the 5 who simply cannot stand predictable, repetitive work.

But again, the 5 will surprise friends and family once they find their niche. This usually happens after age 30 when their focus, energy, and quick mind help them scramble up the ladder (faster, and with less apparent effort, than those around them).

Many 5s choose careers that require travel or otherwise offer a regular change of environment. People working in the travel industry, small business owners, independent consultants, lawyers, and those in sales often have the 5 in their core numbers.

The 5 can adjust quickly to pretty much anything coming their way.

The 5 is versatile, adaptable, intelligent, progressive, and tolerant. Convention bores them, and they are easily drawn to the eccentrics and misfits of society.

A social creature, the 5 is funny and uplifting, good at making others feel comfortable around them. They are generally well-liked and often surrounded by friends and acquaintances. However, they can also be polarizing, so people that are typically uptight, self-righteous, or judgmental are quickly aggravated by them.

Perhaps the most dominating trait of the 5 is the uncompromising demand for freedom in thought and action.

People with a prominent 5 in their core numbers make up their own mind, rebel against dogma and ideology, and recoil from clubs, cults, and religious sects. Their adventurous, daredevil nature may include riding motorcycles, but they will not typically ride with a large group. Chances are a 5 will be opinionated and passionate about political issues, but will remain independent of formal political parties.

A 5 may change their mind (regularly) but not without good reason. They won’t be controlled but are flexible and can be converted if the argument makes sense. The 5 has a healthy sense of humor and doesn’t sweat the small things. They carry their heart on their sleeve, and it’s not uncommon to give that heart to the wrong person – they are not always the best judge of character.

On the negative side, the 5 can be selfish, thoughtless, and irresponsible.

Rarely considering the future beyond next week, worrying is not in their nature. The 5 tends to procrastinate and can be unreliable. However, their most common downfall is a tendency to experiment with sex, drugs, alcohol, and other addictions. A desire for instant gratification, lack of restraint, and their feeling of invulnerability can be a recipe for disaster.

The shape of numbers reflect their nature, and just as the 4 is square and grounded, the 5 is a symbol of dynamic energy, elastic and constantly in motion.

Witchcraft Symbol

Source: otherworldlyoracle.com

Triple Moon

The Triple Moon is a popular modern witchcraft symbol, also known as the Goddess symbol. It essentially depicts the three major moon phases which corresponds to the concept of the Triple Goddess of Wicca: maiden, mother and crone. But whether you are Wiccan or not, this symbol holds feminine power and increases intuition, psychic abilities and aids our magic (pictured at the beginning).