Author: Rev. Lady Carla Beltane

Merry meet Sisters, Brothers, and Honored Guests, I'm an ordained High Priestess walking my spiritual path as an Eclectic Witch for over 45 years. I'm also a wife, mother of 5, mother-in-law of 4 (although I treat them the same as those, I gave birth too) and grandmother of 10. I am a spirit mother and sister to many of my dearest friends and apprentices. My magickal companions are a Chihuahua, Star, 11-years-old and Miniature Pinscher, Cleo, 14-years-old. MY beloved husband is known as Big Dawg. We also another canine fur kid, Merlin, 11-years-old. We all live very happily in a small home in a small town in Illinois, USA. I enjoy helping witches find their spiritual and magickal path. More information for the novice or adept courses offered look under "WOTC's School of Witchcraft" on the main menu. Please email me at wotcladybeltane@gmail.com for further information about our novice or adept or private study with Lady Carla Beltane witchcraft courses. If you have questions or suggestions for posts please email me at ladybeltane@witchesofthecraft.com I offer different types of readings, house, aura, and chakra cleansings, look for "Readings and Cleansings Done by Lady Beltane" in the main menu. Merry part and blessed be, Lady Carla Beltane

Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence for Friday

(YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE ANY COROSPONDENCES AND SPELLS POSTED TO A DOCUMENT TO PRINT AND/OR SAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER)

Friday from AncientPathway.com

Friday
Magickal Intentions:
Love, Romance, Marriage, Sexual Matters, Physical Beauty, Friendship and Partnerships, Strangers, Heart		 Incense:
Strawberry
Sandalwood
Rose
Saffron
Vanilla
Planet:
Venus		 Sign:
Libra
Taurus		 Angel:
Colors:
Green
Pink
Aqua		 Herbs/Plants:
Pink Rose
Ivy
Birch
Heather
Clematis
Sage
Violet
Water Lilly		 Stones:
Rose Quartz
Moonstone
Pink Tourmaline
Peridot
Emerald
Jade

 

September 22, 2023 Current Moon Phase and Northern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions

Current Moon Phase

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.

From MoonGiant.com

The Moon’s current phase for today and tonight is a First Quarter phase. This phase occurs roughly 7 days after the New Moon when the moon is one quarter of the way through its orbit around the earth. Exactly half the moon will be illuminated and half dark. On the day of the First Quarter phase the moon is high overhead at sunset and is visible until mid-night when it sets in the west. The First Quarter phase is a one-day event and in the following days enters a Waxing Gibbous phase becoming more illuminated each day until the Full Moon.

Visit the September 2023 Moon Phases Calendar to see all the daily moon phase for this month.

Today’s First Quarter Phase

The First Quarter on September 22 has an illumination of 47%. 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 September 22 the Moon is 7.07 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: First Quarter
Illumination: 47%
Moon Age: 7.07 days
Moon Angle: 0.53
Moon Distance: 373,848.53 km
Sun Angle: 0.53
Sun Distance: 150,136,910.71 km

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

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.

Northern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions

If you need to calculate the planetary positions in either hemisphere you can use this for a specific use and time in your local time zone, click on this link

Currentplanetarypositions.com

To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link  

For Your Local Time and Date 

Northwestern Hemisphere

This local time is in Los Angeles, California, USA

September 22, 2023
11:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM PDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:29 Virgo 41
Moon:01 Capricorn 31
Mercury:11 Virgo 51
Venus:18 Leo 15
Mars:17 Libra 10
Jupiter:15 Taurus 01 Rx
Saturn:01 Pisces 56 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 49 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 11 Rx
Pluto:27 Capricorn 58 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 08 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 10 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 49

Chiron:18 Aries 30 Rx
Ceres:03 Scorpio 04
Pallas:04 Libra 15
Juno:19 Leo 03
Vesta:02 Cancer 15

Eris:24 Aries 57 Rx

Fire:7
Earth:6
Air:2
Water:4
Cardinal:9
Fixed:6
Mutable:4

Northern Hemisphere

This local time is in Chicago, Illinois, USA

September 22, 2023
09:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM CDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:29 Virgo 36
Moon:00 Capricorn 23
Mercury:11 Virgo 46
Venus:18 Leo 12
Mars:17 Libra 07
Jupiter:15 Taurus 01 Rx
Saturn:01 Pisces 57 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 49 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 11 Rx
Pluto:27 Capricorn 58 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 08 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 11 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 49

Chiron:18 Aries 30 Rx
Ceres:03 Scorpio 02
Pallas:04 Libra 12
Juno:19 Leo 00
Vesta:02 Cancer 14

Eris:24 Aries 57 Rx

Fire:7
Earth:6
Air:2
Water:4
Cardinal:9
Fixed:6
Mutable:4

Northeastern Hemisphere

This local time is in Frankfurt, Germany, Europe

September 22, 2023
02:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM CEST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:29 Virgo 19
Moon:26 Sagittarius 24
Mercury:11 Virgo 28
Venus:18 Leo 02
Mars:16 Libra 55
Jupiter:15 Taurus 02 Rx
Saturn:01 Pisces 58 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 50 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 11 Rx
Pluto:27 Capricorn 58 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 08
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 12 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 47

Chiron:18 Aries 31 Rx
Ceres:02 Scorpio 55
Pallas:04 Libra 04
Juno:18 Leo 52
Vesta:02 Cancer 10

Eris:24 Aries 57 Rx

Fire:8
Earth:5
Air:2
Water:4
Cardinal:8
Fixed:6
Mutable:5

Divination Journal

Tarot

From The Tarot Lady

The Hermit

Keywords: inner wisdom, solitude, withdrawal, quiet, teacher or guru, research, seeker

Attributes: Virgo (Earth)

General meaning:  In order to get the answers you seek, it may be time to turn inward.  Shut out your distractions so that you may discover the wisdom within.  Answers are rarely found in another – everything you need is within yourself.  This card can also indicate a need to withdraw from circumstances in order to get a better perspective.  Sometimes a player needs a break from the grind.

Reversed:  Repeating your past mistakes.  Not learning.  This can indicate a lack of wisdom. Doing things without thinking of the consequences.  It can also indicate the extremes of solitude – like being some sort of creepy recluse.  Don’t lock yourself away.  It gets mighty lonely on that mountain top.

Affirmation: “Everything I need is within me.  I don’t need to look outside myself for answers.”

Animal Spirit Guide or Helper

Rune

Is

Sound: “i”, “e”, “j” as in the “y” in “year”
Stands for: Ice
Casting meaning: Ice is unchanging and restricting and like ice this rune embodies the resistant power that tries to prevent change.

Witch’s Rune

Rings

Think: Unbreakable bonds are between these rings.
Remember: Positive. You can’t do it alone, so form the right and lasting alliances. There may be a business partnership, a marriage, or other team formation. Seek out a partnership if none exists in the matter at hand.

Ogham

Source: thepeculiarbrunette.com

Duir or Dair

Pronunciation – Doo-r

Tree Association – oak

Meaning – Strength, security, resilience, endurance, wisdom, sacred spaces, leadership, and kindness. All your hard work and education have paid off. Like the oak, you stand tall and mighty. You are in a beneficial situation (family, work, financially, creative, relationship, etc.), and this circumstance will stay that way for quite a while. Trust yourself! Also, oak represents the intense energy and power of storms and wind. Symbolic of the endurance and stamina you possess that allows you to flourish and thrive.

If reversed – cowardly, uncertain, or frail. You have not been acting kindly or fairly in your leadership role. It’s ok to lack knowledge and facts, but do not make it a common practice.

Inscription and Magical Uses – Inscribe this ogham on an acorn for good luck in job interviews, courage, or pursuing justice. Duir is an excellent ogham inscription to keep at work. Helpful when working when storms, lightning, or the element air. It can also be used in healing or for those who need reminders of their resilience, profound strength, and tenacity.

Folklore – Oak trees are considered sacred guardians. They are an excellent place to meditate beneath or seek strength and assurance. If you catch an oak leaf before it touches the ground, you will have excellent health throughout the cold winter months. Representative of the Oak King, who marks the beginning and climax of the Summer Solstice.

I Ching

Source: ichingonline.net

Hexagram Six/6

Sung / Conflict

The high Heavens over a yawning Deep chasm:
An expansive void where nothing can dwell.
Even though he sincerely knows he is right, the Superior Person anticipates opposition and carefully prepares for any incident.

Good fortune if your conflict results in compromise.
Misfortune if your conflict escalates to confrontation.
Seek advice.
Postpone your crossing to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Conflict is a necessary part of life.
Tension upon the strings of a violin can make majestic music.
The critical mass of two hydrogen atoms trying to occupy the same space fuel the sun that nourishes our solar system.
Most conflicts you face in life are the result of your Path converging with another’s.
Your Path is not his, and one Path is not necessarily more right than the other.
Can you work together to remove the blockage?

Numerology

 Source: www.numerology.com

Six

Positive qualities

The main virtue of the Six is true humanism and truly cordial attitude towards people. You can be a liquidator working for the government, or even a tax inspector, but, at the same time, stick to your ideas that human life is sacred, and the right of freedom of expression is undeniable.

Seriously, you are a really kind and sympathetic person capable of giving away your last possession to those who need it most. Your loved ones know that you are the person they can count on, always and everywhere.

Negative qualities

Weaknesses of the Six are, in most cases, their virtues that got out of control. Defending a friend, you can be cruel and merciless to an enemy. Your willingness to sacrifice your own interests for the sake of others may give rise to the desire for martyrdom, which is pride. The same is true about your confidence in the aptness of everything you are doing.

The latter can cause serious conflicts with the nearest and dearest. Ignoring all reasonable arguments, you can drive others crazy proving to them that you are interfering in their life and destroy their plans with the best of motives.

Angel Number

Source: informationseries.com

Six

What is the meaning of angel number “6”?

Pay attention to the numbers that make up the angel number!

Angel numbers are often composed of various numbers. For example, if it is “222”, it can be said that it is composed of the number “2”, and it can be divided into “22” and “2”. It is also possible to add all the numbers of “222” and read from the number of “6” like “2 + 2 + 2 = 6”.

However, since the number “6” is composed of one number, it is not possible to divide it and read the meaning of those numbers, or to read the number calculated by adding them. Therefore, in the case of angel number 6, it is necessary to read from one number “6”.

“6” means “stability in life”

The angel number “6” is a number that stands for stability, harmony, and peace. Therefore, there will be various events in life, but these also mean the power to solve problems by making well-balanced decisions. That’s why the angels tell you that you can always live a stable life.

If you often see the number “6” and …

Scientists warn entire branches of the ‘Tree of Life’ are going extinct

Humans are driving the loss of entire branches of the “Tree of Life,” according to a new study published on Monday which warns of the threat of a sixth mass extinction.

“The extinction crisis is as bad as the climate change crisis. It is not recognized,” said Gerardo Ceballos, professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and co-author of the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

“What is at stake is the future of mankind,” he told AFP.

The study is unique because instead of merely examining the loss of a species, it examines the extinction of entire genera.

In the classification of living beings, the genus lies between the rank of species and that of family. For example, dogs are a species belonging to the genus canis — itself in the canid family.

“It is a really significant contribution, I think the first time anyone has attempted to assess modern extinction rates at a level above the species,” Robert Cowie, a biologist at the University of Hawaii who was not involved in the study, told AFP.

“As such it really demonstrates the loss of entire branches of the Tree of Life,” a representation of living things first developed by Charles Darwin.

The study shows that “we aren’t just trimming terminal twigs, but rather are taking a chainsaw to get rid of big branches,” agreed Anthony Barnosky, professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.

– 73 extinct genera –

The researchers relied largely on species listed as extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They focused on vertebrate species (excluding fish), for which more data are available.

Of some 5,400 genera (comprising 34,600 species), they concluded that 73 had become extinct in the last 500 years — most of them in the last two centuries.

The researchers then compared this with the extinction rate estimated from the fossil record over the very long term.

“Based on the extinction rate in the previous million years we would have expected to lose two genera. But we lost 73,” explained Ceballos.

That should have taken 18,000 years, not 500, the study estimated — though such estimates remain uncertain, as not all species are known and the fossil record remains incomplete.

The cause? Human activities, such as the destruction of habitats for crops or infrastructure, as well as overfishing, hunting and so on.

The loss of one genus can have consequences for an entire ecosystem, argued Ceballos.

“If you take one brick, the wall won’t collapse, he said. “You take many more, eventually the wall will collapse.

“Our worry is that … we’re losing things so fast, that for us it signals the collapse of civilization.”

– ‘Still time’ to act –

All experts agree that the current rate of extinction is alarming — but whether this represents the start of a sixth mass extinction (the last being the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago) remains a matter of debate.

Scientists broadly define a mass extinction as the loss of 75 percent of species over a short period of time. Using that “arbitrary” definition, Cowie said, a sixth mass extinction has not yet occurred.

But if we assume that “species will continue to go extinct at the current rate (or faster), then it will happen,” he warned. “We can surely say that this is the beginning of a potential sixth mass extinction.”

Ceballos warned that the window of opportunity for humans to act is “rapidly closing.”

The priority is to halt the destruction of natural habitats, and to restore those that have been lost, he said.

“But there is still time to save many genera,” he said. “There are 5,400 genera, we can save many of them if we act now.”

Source: newsbreak.com

A Thought for Today

Depending when we get Big Dwag’s Jeep back that is in for repairs to the power steering stuff whether or not I come back on a little later to do the northern hemisphere’s tomorrow posts or not. It is still rainy and cold here so no relief from the fibromyalgia flare I’m in, in the near future. But I felt I needed to go back to doing all the regular daily posts as it is not fair to you for me to give up doing all the posts that you are used to seeing on WOTC just because it hurts me to type.

September 21, 2023 Current Moon Phase and Northern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions

Current Moon Phase

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.

From MoonGiant.com

The Moon’s current phase for today and tonight is a Waxing Crescent Phase. Best seen in the west after the sun dips below the horizon at sunset. This is the first Phase after the New Moon and is a great time to see the features of the moon’s surface. The moon is close to the sun in the sky and mostly dark except for the right edge of the moon which becomes brighter as the days get closer to the next phase which is a First Quarter with a 50% illumination.

Visit the September 2023 Moon Phases Calendar to see all the daily moon phase for this month.

Today’s Waxing Crescent Phase

The Waxing Crescent on September 21 has an illumination of 36%. 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 September 21 the Moon is 6.06 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: Waxing Crescent
Illumination: 36%
Moon Age: 6.06 days
Moon Angle: 0.53
Moon Distance: 378,327.27 km
Sun Angle: 0.53
Sun Distance: 150,178,688.25 km

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

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.

Northern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions

If you need to calculate the planetary positions in either hemisphere you can use this for a specific use and time in your local time zone, click on this link

Currentplanetarypositions.com

To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link  

For Your Local Time and Date

Northwestern Hemisphere

This local time is in Los Angeles, California, USA

September 21, 2023
11:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM PDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:28 Virgo 42
Moon:17 Sagittarius 59
Mercury:10 Virgo 53
Venus:17 Leo 41
Mars:16 Libra 31
Jupiter:15 Taurus 05 Rx
Saturn:02 Pisces 00 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 51 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 12 Rx
Pluto:27 Capricorn 59 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 08
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 14 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 42

Chiron:18 Aries 32 Rx
Ceres:02 Scorpio 39
Pallas:03 Libra 47
Juno:18 Leo 35
Vesta:02 Cancer 01

Eris:24 Aries 57 Rx

Fire:8
Earth:5
Air:2
Water:4
Cardinal:8
Fixed:6
Mutable:5

Northern Hemisphere

This local time is in Chicago, Illinois, USA

September 21, 2023
09:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM CDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:28 Virgo 37
Moon:16 Sagittarius 53
Mercury:10 Virgo 48
Venus:17 Leo 38
Mars:16 Libra 27
Jupiter:15 Taurus 05 Rx
Saturn:02 Pisces 01 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 51 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 12 Rx
Pluto:27 Capricorn 59 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 07
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 14 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 42

Chiron:18 Aries 32 Rx
Ceres:02 Scorpio 37
Pallas:03 Libra 45
Juno:18 Leo 32
Vesta:02 Cancer 00

Eris:24 Aries 57 Rx

Fire:8
Earth:5
Air:2
Water:4
Cardinal:8
Fixed:6
Mutable:5

Northeastern Hemisphere

This local time is in Frankfurt, Germany, Europe

September 21, 2023
02:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM CEST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:28 Virgo 20
Moon:13 Sagittarius 01
Mercury:10 Virgo 33
Venus:17 Leo 28
Mars:16 Libra 16
Jupiter:15 Taurus 06 Rx
Saturn:02 Pisces 02 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 51 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 13 Rx
Pluto:27 Capricorn 59 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 07
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 15 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 40

Chiron:18 Aries 33 Rx
Ceres:02 Scorpio 30
Pallas:03 Libra 37
Juno:18 Leo 24
Vesta:01 Cancer 56

Eris:24 Aries 58 Rx

Fire:8
Earth:5
Air:2
Water:4
Cardinal:8
Fixed:6
Mutable:5

September 19, 2023 Current Moon Phase and Northern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions

Current Moon Phase

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.

From MoonGiant.com

The Moon’s current phase for today and tonight is a Waxing Crescent Phase. Best seen in the west after the sun dips below the horizon at sunset. This is the first Phase after the New Moon and is a great time to see the features of the moon’s surface. The moon is close to the sun in the sky and mostly dark except for the right edge of the moon which becomes brighter as the days get closer to the next phase which is a First Quarter with a 50% illumination.

Visit the September 2023 Moon Phases Calendar to see all the daily moon phase for this month.

Today’s Waxing Crescent Phase

The Waxing Crescent on September 19 has an illumination of 18%. 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 September 19 the Moon is 4.1 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 For – September 19

Phase: Waxing Crescent
Illumination: 18%
Moon Age: 4.10 days
Moon Angle: 0.51
Moon Distance: 387,809.74 km
Sun Angle: 0.53
Sun Distance: 150,261,685.51 km

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

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.

Northern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions

If you need to calculate the planetary positions in either hemisphere you can use this for a specific use and time in your local time zone, click on this link:

Currentplanetarypositions.com

To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link  

For Your Local Time and Date 

Northwestern Hemisphere For

This local time is in Los Angeles, California, USA

September 19, 2023
11:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM PDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:26 Virgo 45
Moon:21 Scorpio 56
Mercury:09 Virgo 19
Venus:16 Leo 36
Mars:15 Libra 12
Jupiter:15 Taurus 11 Rx
Saturn:02 Pisces 08 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 53 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 15 Rx
Pluto:28 Capricorn 00 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 05
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 20 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 29

Chiron:18 Aries 37 Rx
Ceres:01 Scorpio 49
Pallas:02 Libra 52
Juno:17 Leo 38
Vesta:01 Cancer 32

Eris:24 Aries 58 Rx

Fire:7
Earth:5
Air:2
Water:5
Cardinal:8
Fixed:7
Mutable:4

Northern Hemisphere

This local time is in Chicago, Illinois, USA

September 19, 2023
09:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM CDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:26 Virgo 40
Moon:20 Scorpio 53
Mercury:09 Virgo 16
Venus:16 Leo 34
Mars:15 Libra 08
Jupiter:15 Taurus 11 Rx
Saturn:02 Pisces 08 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 53 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 16 Rx
Pluto:28 Capricorn 00 Rx
True Lunar Node:25 Aries 05
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 20 Rx
Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 28
Chiron:18 Aries 37 Rx
Ceres:01 Scorpio 47
Pallas:02 Libra 50
Juno:17 Leo 35
Vesta:01 Cancer 31
Eris:24 Aries 58 Rx
Fire:7
Earth:5
Air:2
Water:5
Cardinal:8
Fixed:7
Mutable:4

Northeastern Hemisphere

This local time is in Frankfurt, Germany, Europe

September 19, 2023
02:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM CEST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:26 Virgo 23
Moon:17 Scorpio 11
Mercury:09 Virgo 06
Venus:16 Leo 25
Mars:14 Libra 57
Jupiter:15 Taurus 12 Rx
Saturn:02 Pisces 09 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 53 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 16 Rx
Pluto:28 Capricorn 00 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 04
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 21 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 26

Chiron:18 Aries 38 Rx
Ceres:01 Scorpio 40
Pallas:02 Libra 42
Juno:17 Leo 27
Vesta:01 Cancer 26

Eris:24 Aries 59 Rx

Fire:7
Earth:5
Air:2
Water:5
Cardinal:8
Fixed:7
Mutable:4

Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence for Monday

(YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE ANY COROSPONDENCES AND SPELLS POSTED TO A DOCUMENT TO PRINT AND/OR SAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER)

Monday

Monday is associated with the planetary correspondence of the Moon, falls under the zodiac sign of Cancer and has the elemental correspondence of Water.

This makes it an especially auspicious day to work on anything dealing with psychic abilities (enhancing, channeling, divination), emotions, intuition, fertility, healing and dream work.

If you plan to do a candle magick spell on this day, using blue, grey or white will work wonderfully.

Gods/Goddess associations include Hekate, Selene, Aegir and Thoth.

Angel association: Gabriel.

If you work with any of these deities or this angel, then a devotional spell and offering to them would be well-timed.

September 18, 2023 Current Moon Phase

Current Moon Phase

(Northern Planetary Positions will return tomorrow.)

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.

From MoonGiant.com

The Moon’s current phase for today and tonight is a Waxing Crescent Phase. Best seen in the west after the sun dips below the horizon at sunset. This is the first Phase after the New Moon and is a great time to see the features of the moon’s surface. The moon is close to the sun in the sky and mostly dark except for the right edge of the moon which becomes brighter as the days get closer to the next phase which is a First Quarter with a 50% illumination.

Visit the September 2023 Moon Phases Calendar to see all the daily moon phase for this month.

Today’s Waxing Crescent Phase

The Waxing Crescent on September 18 has an illumination of 11%. 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 September 18 the Moon is 3.15 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: Waxing Crescent
Illumination: 11%
Moon Age: 3.15 days
Moon Angle: 0.51
Moon Distance: 392,316.45 km
Sun Angle: 0.53
Sun Distance: 150,302,881.29 km

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

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.

A Thought for Today

Welcome to a new and wonderful week dear Sisters, Brothers, and Friends! May positive blessing come to you and yours today and every day.

OK, so, here’s what’s going on with me and posting… We are in the misted of changing from summer to fall which means a painful time for people with chronic pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis, etc. This along with long days with Big Dawg serving paperwork and than not sleeping enough because of the pain has my body in revolt. It is all I can do to get out of bed or off our couch to do anything. Typing or using the mouse is pure agony because of the nerves in my fingertips being super sensitive to touching anything and everything, including giving pets and scratches to our fur kids 😥

So, I will be only doing horoscopes, moon phase, northern hemisphere planetary positions, daily correspondences, and a spell until this recent acute fibromyalgia flare decides to calm down. The posts I am doing will go up probably on the day of and whatever time of day I can handle sitting at either my desktop or using my laptop to do them.

During a Skype chat with my coven yesterday I found out about some herbs that may help to keep my nervous system better under my control instead of it controlling many of my regular daily activities which includes all WOTC things. Now I have to find out where to either order them online or a store that carries them.

So please bear with me I will get back to full regular daily postings as soon as I can. Thank you once again for your support, caring, and comfort while my body and I aren’t on good speaking terms.

Weekly Horoscope Sunday, September 17 to Saturday, September 23, 2023

Click here to read Georgia Nicols Daily, Weekly and Monthly Horoscopes

All Signs

Mercury retrograde is technically over, but its shadow continues until the end of the month. This particular Mercury retrograde got me. Among other goofs, last week I referred to September’s New Moon as a Solar eclipse, when in fact, it’s October’s New Moon that is a Solar eclipse. Oy! Many well-meaning readers were quick to point out this mistake. Yes, I was chagrined, but I was also encouraged to know people are reading me. That’s why, this week, I intend to carefully proofread this column to see if you any words out.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

An element of confusion and discouragement is present this week, which means you have to tread carefully and pick and choose what and whom you want to believe. Be discerning. Someone might try to trick you. Nevertheless, powerful forces are at work that will allow you to improve your health, and be productive at work. This week the Sun moves opposite your sign, to stay for four weeks, which happens once a year, six months after your birthday. You might encounter opposition from others, especially authority figures. Some issues are reaching a culmination, which means you will see if they’re working or not. Respect your need for more sleep in the next few weeks.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Romance might confuse and disappoint this week. Parents should protect their kids against accidents with chemicals or food poisoning. Artists and sports types might restructure things to make improvements. Meanwhile, the Sun changes signs this week ushering in a four-week window where you will work hard. You want to work smart and be as efficient as possible, which is why you will discover the best way of doing things about how to manage your life. (High expectations!) Meanwhile, service to family, or working on behalf of someone else’s needs will come into play but you can handle this because Mars will boost your energy as well. You’ve got energy to burn!

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Something to do with home and family (perhaps a parent) is confusing, possibly debilitating for you. Make sure that others are being truthful because family discussions, especially about home repairs, might trigger deception to save face. Nevertheless, you can make improvements at home, especially to plumbing, bathrooms, recycling and garbage areas. Goos news! This week the Sun moves into one of the most playful, fun parts of your chart to stay for four weeks – something that happens once a year. This means the month ahead is a fabulous time for a vacation. Make plans to get out of town. Even a mini weekend getaway will be rewarding because you want to play!

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Be clear with others because confusion and deception are likely this week. You will also daydream and fantasize more than usual. Nevertheless, you’ll be persuasive about something that matters to you. This week the Sun will move to the bottom of your chart where it will stay for four weeks highlighting your personal world and your interactions with family, especially a parent. If possible, take some time for yourself to focus on your inner world. Memories of the past will bubble to the surface of your mind. Something or someone might challenge you, or work at cross purposes. (Grrr.) Don’t waste time on anger. Instead, focus on groups and friends. Appreciate what you have.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

There’s an element of confusion or deception with financial matters this week. Be careful in financial negotiations, especially about salaries. Likewise, be careful spending money. Keep your receipts. Make sure someone doesn’t deceive you. Nevertheless, you can use your money and resources to make improvements in your life. This week the Sun changes signs ushering in a four-week window that is fast-paced, busy and upbeat! Expect to take short trips. Enjoy meeting new faces and seeing new places. Your month ahead will be great for socializing with others and integrating your energy with neighbours and groups.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

The last few days of the Sun in your sign has arrived bringing confusion with partners and close friends. Perhaps unexpressed expectations have led to disappointment? It’s easy to think that loved ones should “know” what we want, especially because you believe actions are louder than words. Nonetheless, others can’t read your mind. You can improve your health and your well-being now – no question. Later this week, the Sun changes signs and moves into your Money House, which means you will give more attention to money, earnings and cash flow in the next four weeks. You will also re-examine your relationship to your belongings. You might also ponder your basic values in life. What really matters?

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Earlier this week, you might feel discouraged, even confused. You might doubt yourself. (“I’m navel lint.”) Don’t do this. Actually, this week Sun will move into your sign for the next four weeks, giving you a chance to recharge your batteries for the rest of the year! You will move from feeling indecisive and unsure of things into a mindset that is confident, upbeat and proactive. (Your bathroom mirror will be covered in kisses.) You might find yourself reaching out to others more on Facebook, social media, or when you’re out shopping or in the workplace because you want to be heard and you want to be seen. This is because when the Sun is in your sign, you have a strong need to express yourself! Get out there and fly your colours!

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Issues with friends, perhaps younger people, as well as your relationship to a group might be a tad dicey this week. You might feel let down by someone or betrayed. You might also work hard to improve a group, and in doing so, you’ll take control. (Relations with authorities are excellent right now.) However, later in the week, the Sun changes signs and moves into a hidden part of your chart. In a way, this means that you will go dark for the next four weeks. You will choose to hide, work alone or behind the scenes because in fact, your energy is percolating as it waits for the Sun to enter your sign on Monday, Oct. 23. Then you will enter – centre stage — empowered! Until then, it’s Netflix and take out.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

For the last four weeks, the Sun has been at the top of your chart casting you in a flattering spotlight. It’s been an empowering time for you. Just before it leaves, you might feel disappointed in someone or confused by their expectations. You might make some decisions about cleaning up your act and changing your life direction. Quite likely, this will be a bit halfhearted. (More wishful thinking than action.) This week the Sun moves into your House of Friendships to stay for four weeks boosting your interaction with others, especially friends plus groups and organizations. You might take on a leadership role? You might be involved in competitive sports or physical activities? It’s an excellent time to reassess future goals.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

This week you might feel betrayed or disappointed by propaganda or issues related to politics and religion. It’s hard to know what to believe. Be careful about proselytizing to others because you might change your tune. The good news is that the Sun will move to the top of your chart this week, which is the only time all year this happens. It will stay there for four weeks shining down on you (symbolically speaking) and casting you in a spotlight that is flattering. In fact, it is so flattering, bosses and VIPs will be impressed with you even if you don’t do anything special. Obviously, this is a window of opportunity for you to make your pitch and go after what you want because you look so good. Use it!

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

In discussions about inheritances, shared property or dealing with banks and mortgage issues, make sure you get your facts correctly. Confusion or deceit or carelessness could cost you money, especially because you might explore new ways to use the resources of someone else. Cover your bases. This week the Sun moves into an exciting part of your chart to stay for four weeks. It will usher in increased opportunities to travel and explore your world. If you don’t travel and meet new faces and see new places, then you will expand your world through further education or training. This will turn your crank because you love to learn. Plus, it will satisfy your desire for a change of scenery and some stimulation! Venus opposite your sign promotes warm relations with others. It’s all good.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Don’t waste time feeling disappointed with a partner or close friend this week, which is likely the case. Ask yourself if your expectations were realistic? Did others really grasp what you wanted? Fortunately, relations with coworkers are solid and supportive. Don’t dwell on disappointment because negative thoughts will make you feel worse. Actually, this week the Sun shifts signs as it starts to rise higher in your chart. For the next four weeks, you might be involved in counselling or some kind of activity that encourages self-scrutiny. You might even meet someone who will trigger major changes in your self-perception. You will also give more thought to wills, inheritances, debt and shared property. (Boring but unavoidable.)

Spell for Today – Sleep Spell – Printable

September 16, 2023 Current Moon Phase and Northern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions

Current Moon Phase

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.

From MoonGiant.com

Today and tonight the Moon will be in a Waxing Crescent Phase. Best seen in the west after the sun dips below the horizon at sunset. This is the first Phase after the New Moon and is a great time to see the features of the moon’s surface. The moon is close to the sun in the sky and mostly dark except for the right edge of the moon which becomes brighter as the days get closer to the next phase which is a First Quarter with a 50% illumination.

Visit the September 2023 Moon Phases Calendar to see all the daily moon phase for this month.

Today’s Waxing Crescent Phase

The Waxing Crescent on September 16 has an illumination of 2%. 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 September 16 the Moon is 1.29 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: Waxing Crescent
Illumination: 2%
Moon Age: 1.29 days
Moon Angle: 0.50
Moon Distance: 399,829.76 km
Sun Angle: 0.53
Sun Distance: 150,384,607.90 km

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

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.

Northern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions

If you need to calculate the planetary positions in either hemisphere you can use this for a specific use and time in your local time zone, click on this link

Currentplanetarypositions.com

To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link

For Your Local Time and Date

Northwestern Hemisphere

This local time is in Los Angeles, California, USA

September 16, 2023
11:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM PDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:23 Virgo 49
Moon:14 Libra 43
Mercury:08 Virgo 06
Venus:15 Leo 11
Mars:13 Libra 13
Jupiter:15 Taurus 20 Rx
Saturn:02 Pisces 20 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 56 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 20 Rx
Pluto:28 Capricorn 02 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 03 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 29 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 09

Chiron:18 Aries 44 Rx
Ceres:00 Scorpio 35
Pallas:01 Libra 30
Juno:16 Leo 12
Vesta:00 Cancer 47

Eris:25 Aries 00 Rx

Fire:7
Earth:5
Air:3
Water:4
Cardinal:9
Fixed:6
Mutable:4

Northern Hemisphere

This local time is in Chicago, Illinois, USA

September 16, 2023
09:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM CDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:23 Virgo 44
Moon:13 Libra 42
Mercury:08 Virgo 05
Venus:15 Leo 09
Mars:13 Libra 10
Jupiter:15 Taurus 20 Rx
Saturn:02 Pisces 20 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 56 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 21 Rx
Pluto:28 Capricorn 02 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 03 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 30 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 08

Chiron:18 Aries 45 Rx
Ceres:00 Scorpio 33
Pallas:01 Libra 28
Juno:16 Leo 09
Vesta:00 Cancer 46

Eris:25 Aries 00 Rx

Fire:7
Earth:5
Air:3
Water:4
Cardinal:9
Fixed:6
Mutable:4

Northeastern Hemisphere

This local time is in Frankfurt, Germany, Europe

September 16, 2023
02:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM CEST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:23 Virgo 27
Moon:10 Libra 10
Mercury:08 Virgo 03
Venus:15 Leo 01
Mars:12 Libra 59
Jupiter:15 Taurus 20 Rx
Saturn:02 Pisces 21 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 56 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 21 Rx
Pluto:28 Capricorn 02 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 03 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 31 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 06

Chiron:18 Aries 45 Rx
Ceres:00 Scorpio 26
Pallas:01 Libra 20
Juno:16 Leo 01
Vesta:00 Cancer 41

Eris:25 Aries 00 Rx

Fire:7
Earth:5
Air:3
Water:4
Cardinal:9
Fixed:6
Mutable:4

Spell For Friday – Endless Desire

(YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE ANY COROSPONDENCES AND SPELLS POSTED TO A DOCUMENT TO PRINT AND/OR SAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER)

LOVE SPELL WARNING: Love spells such as this one takes the person who you want to love you free will/spirit away. What happens with a spell like this is the person will become obsessed with you to the point of possibly losing their job, which in turn can make them lose their home, automobile, friends, their family, etc. I have heard of people under love spells dying from not eating or drinking when they are not in the presence of the spellcaster 24/7/365. So, unless you want some who only loves you because of a spell you put on them than go for it. But if you want someone to love you because they feel that emotion towards you than please do not do this spell. The same warning goes for animals or birds or reptiles or anything else that has a heart and can create a bond with someone.

September 15, 2023 Current Moon Phase and Northern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions

Current Moon Phase

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.

From MoonGiant.com

Today and tonight the Moon will be in a New Moon phase. During this phase the Moon is too close to the sun in the sky to be visible. The moon rises and sets with the sun and is not present in the night sky. Because of this the night sky is darker and an excellent time to view other celestial objects. Like the Full Moon, a New Moon happens at a very specific time when the sun and moon have the same ecliptic longitude and it can be measured down to the second it occurs.

Visit the September 2023 Moon Phases Calendar to see all the daily moon phase for this month.

Today’s New Moon Phase

The New Moon on September 15 has an illumination of 0%. 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 September 15 the Moon is 0.38 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: New Moon
Illumination: 0%
Moon Age: 0.38 days
Moon Angle: 0.49
Moon Distance: 402,535.82 km
Sun Angle: 0.53
Sun Distance: 150,425,115.27 km

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

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.

Northern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions

If you need to calculate the planetary positions in either hemisphere you can use this for a specific use and time in your local time zone, click on this link

Currentplanetarypositions.com

To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link  

For Your Local Time and Date

Northwestern Hemisphere

This local time is in Los Angeles, California, USA

September 15, 2023
11:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM PDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:22 Virgo 51
Moon:02 Libra 38
Mercury:08 Virgo 00
Venus:14 Leo 46
Mars:12 Libra 34
Jupiter:15 Taurus 22 Rx
Saturn:02 Pisces 24 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 57 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 22 Rx
Pluto:28 Capricorn 02 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 05 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 33 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 02

Chiron:18 Aries 47 Rx
Ceres:00 Scorpio 10
Pallas:01 Libra 02
Juno:15 Leo 43
Vesta:00 Cancer 31

Eris:25 Aries 00 Rx

Fire:7
Earth:5
Air:3
Water:4
Cardinal:9
Fixed:6
Mutable:4

Northern Hemisphere

This local time is in Chicago, Illinois, USA

September 15, 2023
09:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM CDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:22 Virgo 46
Moon:01 Libra 38
Mercury:08 Virgo 00
Venus:14 Leo 44
Mars:12 Libra 31
Jupiter:15 Taurus 22 Rx
Saturn:02 Pisces 24 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 57 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 22 Rx
Pluto:28 Capricorn 02 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 05 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 33 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 02

Chiron:18 Aries 47 Rx
Ceres:00 Scorpio 08
Pallas:01 Libra 00
Juno:15 Leo 41
Vesta:00 Cancer 30

Eris:25 Aries 00 Rx

Fire:7
Earth:5
Air:3
Water:4
Cardinal:9
Fixed:6
Mutable:4

Northeastern Hemisphere

This local time is in Frankfurt, Germany, Europe

15 September 2023
02:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM CEST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:22 Virgo 29
Moon:28 Virgo 08
Mercury:08 Virgo 01 Rx
Venus:14 Leo 37
Mars:12 Libra 19
Jupiter:15 Taurus 23 Rx
Saturn:02 Pisces 25 Rx
Uranus:22 Taurus 57 Rx
Neptune:26 Pisces 23 Rx
Pluto:28 Capricorn 03 Rx

True Lunar Node:25 Aries 06 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:26 Aries 34 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):28 Leo 00

Chiron:18 Aries 48 Rx
Ceres:00 Scorpio 01
Pallas:00 Libra 52
Juno:15 Leo 32
Vesta:00 Cancer 26

Eris:25 Aries 01 Rx

Fire:7
Earth:6
Air:2
Water:4
Cardinal:8
Fixed:6
Mutable:5

Illinois’ Wasps Are Everywhere-Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Kill Them

(SIDE NOTE: This is for anywhere on Mother Earth/Gaia where Wasps can be found.)

I have very little trouble admitting that I’ve killed more than a few wasps in my time. I’ve always had a live and let live relationship with bees, but wasps have always been on my kill-on-sight list.

I even went so far as to order the most souped-up electric bug-zapping racket I could find on Amazon. This thing is a one touch-one corpse gadget, and it has left a pile of wasp bodies in its wake, let me tell you. I also added the salt shooting “Bug-A-Salt” gun to my backyard arsenal. Think of it as a shotgun that fires table salt that obliterates insect pests.

It Turns Out That Wasps Do A Lot Of Good. Really.

So what good are these things that offer up painful stings, build nests under our eaves and decks, and seemingly do little else besides buzz around you and your family while you’re trying to enjoy a night on the patio?

A piece up at ThoughtCo.com says that wasps of all sorts offer some great ecological benefits like “pollination, predation, and parasitism.” I know what the first two are, but the last one sounds like a word that describes many politicians.

Wasps are apparently interested in more things than just stinging us:

“For instance, paper wasps carry caterpillars and leaf beetle larvae back to their nests to feed their growing young. Hornets provision their nests with all manner of live insects to sate the appetites of their developing larvae. It takes a lot of bugs to feed a hungry brood, and it’s through these needs that both hornets and paper wasps provide vital pest control services.”

So, wasps handle some of the much-needed pollination jobs, and they kill and eat all sorts of pests like caterpillars, spiders, and aphids. However, they are temperamental and territorial, and will happily sting you.

I’m not going to apologize for the ones I’ve “removed from the game,” but maybe I might not be so quick to grab my zapping racket and Bug-A-Salt gun in the future.

Source: myq1075.com

A Thought for Today

BUILDING A MYSTERY by thegypsy

It begins with the little things

Shadows in the corner

A quick glimpse and then nothing

Observed, perhaps

Too much uncertainty

And certainly not put to memory

Like a whisper in a crowd

There and then quickly dissipates

Maybe you question for a moment

Then rationalize and continue

And it continues

With objects slightly out of place

A crooked painting

Chairs that seem abandoned

Lights flash in a darkened room

Or a sudden chill in the air

Intuition is speaking

A feeling that keeps coming

Something is stirring

Something that isn’t right

Triggering defenses

Your mind now constantly moving

That newfound feeling

Gnawing ravenously

Building a mystery

No longer just on the inside

Visible now, like an open wound

Irritating confusion

The need is growing

And you begin to question

Your senses first, your sanity second

Tiny lapses in the time stream

What should have been,

Replicated with another version

Short on the how and why

But again, it’s been rationalized

Different thoughts for now

New explanations

But then you begin to realize

The other thoughts remain

One’s onerous and dark

It’s you they are coming for

Edges starting to fray

Pulling away

The hunger growing

Paranoia and accusatory

But of what accord is the wonder

Suspects in every direction

But no case in point to reference

Careful questioning

As the days continue

Evenings fading into night

More oddities in the shadows

Growth of unclaimed activities

Actionable encounters

Footfalls deep into the darkness

Too loud to pin to a dream

Scratching window on a cloudless day

The feeling of something stirring

But when and where and why

There’s a thinning happening

Blurring the distant vision

Double takes and reexamination

And the missing things

Now more important things

Searching becomes maddening

Suspicions manifesting

Eyes shifting and observing

Borderline panicking

Brow sweating, heart pounding

Vision darting, silence deafening

Madness overtaking

Ears ringing, haunted singing

Laughing becomes screaming

Fitful dreaming, broken thinking

Tearing, swearing, earth shearing

Ground shaking, everything breaking

Things corrupting, flames erupting

Evil rising, synchronizing

Head pounding, body shaking

Smoke coiling, blood boiling

Sharp stinging, barely clinging

Alarm clock ringing…