January–The Month of Janus

The first month was called Januarius by the Romans, after Janus, the god of doors and gates. We see the same word in janua, the Latin for a gate or opening. From the idea that a door is a way in, an entrance, it became a custom among the Romans to pray to Janus whenever they undertook a new work. He was also the god of the beginning of the day, and it was only natural that when a new month was added at the beginning of the year it should be named after him. During this month offerings to the god were made of meal, frankincense, and wine, each of which had to be quite new.

Since a gate opens both ways, Janus was thought to be able to see back into the past, and forward into the future, and he was usually represented in pictures as having a double head that looked both ways. On the earliest Roman coins he is drawn with two bearded faces, with a staff in one hand, and a key in the other, He was also the protector of trade and shipping, and on some coins his head is shown with the prow of a ship. When people wished to picture him as the god of the year, they drew him holding the number 300 in one hand, and 65 in the other.

Janus was worshiped on the Janiculum (Hill of Janus), one of the seven hills on which Rome was built. Since he was the God of Gates, all the gates of Rome were under his care, especially the archway through which the army marched to war, and by which it returned. This archway was afterwards replaced by a temple which was called Janus Quadrifrons–that is, four-sided–because it was square. On each side of the building there were three windows and one door, making twelve windows and four doors, which represented the twelve months and the four seasons. In times of war the temple gates were kept wide open since people were continually making offerings to the god, but whenever there came a time of peace, the gates were at once closed. As we know the Romans were continually fighting, it does not surprise us to find that the gates of the temple were closed only three times in seven hundred years.

Janus was said to be the son of Apollo, the God of the Sun, whose daily task it was to drive across the sky in his chariot of fire. Each morning when Aurora, the Goddess of the Dawn, had opened the gates of the East, Apollo set forth, and when, his task accomplished, he reached the Western Ocean, he returned to his palace in the East.

“And the gilded car of day
His glowing axle doth allay
In the steep Atlantic stream:
And the slope sun his upward beam
Shoots against the dusky pole,
Pacing toward the other goal
Of his chamber in the East.”
MILTON–Comus.

Apollo had another son, named Phaeton, who one day persuaded his father to allow him to drive the sun chariot. All went well for a time, and then Phaeton, being a reckless boy, began to drive too fast. He soon lost control of the horses, which plunged madly along and bore the chariot far from its track. It went so close to the earth that the fields were scorched, the rivers were dried up, and even the people were turned black–and they are black to this day! The cries of the terrified people attracted the attention of Jupiter, the king of the gods, who became enraged when he caught sight of the daring boy in the chariot of the sun. Taking up one of his thunderbolts, he hurled it at Phaeton, who, scorched by its fire, fell headlong to the earth.

Another sad story told of Apollo is that of his friendship with a youth named Hyacinthus, to talk with whom Apollo used often to come down to the earth. Zephyrus, the God of the South Wind, was very fond of Hyacinthus too, and one day as Apollo and Hyacinthus were playing a game of quoits, Zephyrus came by. Filled with jealousy at the sight of Apollo and his friend, he blew Apollo’s quoit aside so that it struck Hyacinthus and killed him. Apollo was greatly distressed at his friend’s death, and in order that he might never be forgotten, changed the fallen blood-drops into clusters of flowers, which we still call Hyacinths.

“For so Apollo, with unweeting hand,
Whilom did slay his dearly loved mate,
Young Hyacinth born on Enrotas’ strand,
Young Hyacinth the pride of Spartanland,
But then transformed him to a purple flower.”
MILTON.

Another flower which should always remind us of Apollo is the sunflower. A story says that there once lived a girl named Clytie, and that each day, with eyes full of love for the fair sun god, she watched him journey across the sky: but Apollo, knowing nothing of her love, took no heed of her as he passed. Clytie watched for him day after day on a river bank, and her heart sank as each evening she saw his chariot dip down into the West. She would not leave the river bank, but stayed all through the cold night, anxiously waiting for the first flash of the sun’s rays from the glowing East. At last the gods took pity on her, and changed her into a sunflower. Her green dress became green leaves, and her golden hair became yellow petals. Now was she happy indeed, for she knew that she could always see Apollo, and you will find that to this day the sunflower turns its head towards the sun as it moves across the sky.

Aurora, the Goddess of the Dawn, whom we have mentioned as opening the gates of the East for the sun god Apollo, married a mortal, Tithonus, a prince of Troy. In order that their happiness might know no end, Aurora begged Jupiter to grant Tithonus immortality. The wish was granted, but in her anxiety that Tithonus should never be taken from her by death, Aurora forgot to ask also for the gift of eternal youth. As the years went on Tithonus grew old and weak and became only a burden to her. At length, tired of his shrill voice and constant complaints, she turned him into a grasshopper, whose shrill complaining note is known to all.

The name for this month among the Angles and Saxons was Wulfmonath (Wolf month), since it was the time of year when the wolves were unable to find food, and their hunger made them bold enough to come into the villages.

Witches Of The Craft’s Southern Journal For Thursday, January 3

Southern Hemisphere Journal

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“I have learned a great deal from other Witches, Wiccans, Odinists, Voodoo and Houdoo practitioners, Druids and many others who consider themselves Pagan. The one common thread is that every single person has been nonjudgmental. Isn’t this what it’s all about, acceptance? Are we not here to design our own spiritual path?”

— Arin Murphy Hiscock

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Custom Planetary Positions

January 03, 2019
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:12 Capricorn 52
Moon:14 Sagittarius 48
Mercury:27 Sagittarius 37
Venus:26 Scorpio 02
Mars:01 Aries 39
Jupiter:12 Sagittarius 18
Saturn:11 Capricorn 41
Uranus:28 Aries 36 Rx
Neptune:14 Pisces 08
Pluto:20 Capricorn 41

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Planetary aspects for the Month of January

04 January 00:12 am – Mercury trine Uranus
04 January 02:56 pm – Sun sextile Neptune
05 January 08:28 pm – Solar Eclipse at 15 25
05 January 09:27 pm – Venus quincunx Uranus
06 January 03:26 pm – Uranus Direct 28 35
08 January 05:04 am – Mercury square Mars
11 January 06:38 am – Sun conjunct Pluto 20 56
13 January 08:30 am – Mercury conjunct Saturn 12 51
13 January 01:58 pm – Jupiter square Neptune
14 January 01:45 am – 1st Quarter Moon 23 47
14 January 08:13 am – Mercury sextile Neptune
18 January 11:49 am – Venus trine Mars
18 January 03:03 pm – Mercury conjunct Pluto 21 11
18 January 08:30 pm – Sun square Uranus
20 January 11:41 pm – Venus square Neptune
21 January 00:15 am – Lunar Eclipse at 00 51
21 January 06:47 am – Mars square Saturn
22 January 07:25 am – Venus conjunct Jupiter 16 03
23 January 06:13 am – Mercury square Uranus
25 January 12:53 pm – Mars trine Jupiter
27 January 04:10 pm – 3rd Quarter Moon 07 38
29 January 09:51 pm – Sun conjunct Mercury 09 54
31 January 09:14 am – Saturn sextile Neptune

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A Look At The Stars for January 3 thru January 7

Friday January 4
0:12 am – Mercury trine Uranus opens your mind to new possibilities. There may be some exciting news coming your way, or chance encounters with eccentric, or in some other way stimulating people. This also has a very stimulating, electrifying effect on your thinking and communications. Keeping an open mind comes naturally and this increases your chance of making new discoveries and making new friends. All of your senses are also stimulated and your intuition should be strong and correct.
1:54 pm – Moon enters Capricorn
2:56 pm – Sun sextile Neptune heightens your sensitivity and ability to read people and situations. Any intuitive or psychic abilities are also enhanced during this spiritual weekly horoscope. Greater empathy and receptivity by both you and others, means that all of your relationships will benefit from a shared understanding that may be non-verbal. So this would be an ideal time express your more caring and sensitive side by serving others, and by doing so you will feel a boost to your self-esteem and personal satisfaction.
10:39 pm – Mercury enters Capricorn

Saturday January 5
8:28 pm – Solar Eclipse at 15 25 is generally positive thanks to a close alignment with the harmonious fixed star Vega. This massive pale sapphire star in Lyra Constellation, the Harp, has an optimistic, generous, creative and poetic influence. This weekly horoscope solar eclipse conjunct Saturn also gives a serious and conservative influence but a helpful aspect to Neptune lightens the mood. So this is an excellent solar eclipse for starting or growing a business.
9:27 pm – Venus quincunx Uranus increases your need for change and excitement in your love life. If you have a partner you may want to get kinky in the bedroom. So if you feel smothered by your partner of they are the conservative type, you will probably feel a sudden urge to do your own thing. You may also seek stimulation through entertainment or amusements or even an affair.

Sunday January 6
3:26 pm – Uranus Direct at 28 35 brings to an end the 155 days of Uranus retrograde inner change in response to external changes in your life.

–Astrology King

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Solar Eclipse 5 January 2019 – Big Business

The New Moon on Saturday January 5, 2019 at 15° Capricorn is a partial solar eclipse. The Solar Eclipse January 2019 astrology is generally positive thanks to a close alignment with the harmonious fixed star Vega. This massive pale sapphire star in Lyra Constellation, the Harp, has an optimistic, generous, creative and poetic influence.

The January 2019 Solar Eclipse conjunct Saturn gives a serious and conservative influence but a helpful aspect to Neptune lightens the mood. This is an excellent solar eclipse for starting or growing a business. It is ideal for creative, musical and artistic projects and encourages acts of kindness and charity. With integrity and good intentions, it is possible to build your little project into a big business.

Solar Eclipse Meaning
A solar eclipse is just like a regular new moon where the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun. However, a solar eclipse is more powerful because the Moon darkens the Sun. Solar Eclipse January 2019 is a partial solar eclipse so most of the Sun will still be visible. The new moon represents the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new cycle. A new moon influence lasts for four weeks but a solar eclipse lasts about six months.

The strongest and most important aspect in astrology is Sun conjunct Moon. It means all possibilities are on the table and you can rightly put yourself in the forefront of new plans for the future. It is time to question your old habits and behaviors as you search for new and inventive ways to make progress. This is the ideal time to make a fresh start, so write your new goals on paper. The Solar Eclipse January 2019 astrology will compliment themes found in the January 21 Lunar Eclipse. Together, they make up an eclipse phase which lasts until the July 2, 2019 solar eclipse.

Solar Eclipse January 2019 Astrology
At 15°25′ Capricorn the solar eclipse on January 5, 2019 lies between Saturn and Pluto. The Saturn-Pluto midpoint at 16°21′ Capricorn gives a very serious, dark feel to the solar eclipse. However, the strongest aspect to the eclipse is a sextile to Neptune which lightens the mood. But the strongest single influence on the solar eclipse comes from a very close alignment to one of the brightest stars in the heavens, the massive fixed star Vega.

Fixed Star Vega
At 15°33′ Capricorn Sign is the fixed star Vega, the brightest star in the Harp, Lyra Constellation, and the brightest fixed star of the northern sky. It is a positive influence and a particularly good omen when conjunct the Sun and above horizon as it is for this eclipse. It gives a poetical and harmonious nature, charity, kindness, ideality, hopefulness and refinement. But Robson says it also makes people grave and sober, causes changeableness and makes people outwardly pretentious and usually lascivious.

Ebertin said “Vega is supposed to give artistic talents, especially for music and acting, but also a liking for good living. With eccentric artists, this may lead to a debauched life”. [3] Vega rules the back of the right knee in the human body. It is associated with the ego. It creates fulfillment through the ego and can be considered as masculine pride brought forward from a former life into this incarnation.

So Vega is a positive star but it also has some harmful effects. According to Robson, when the Sun and Moon join Vega it can make people critical, abrupt, reserved and unpopular. It gives fleeting honors, insincere friends, public disgrace, probably through forgery, loss through writings, some ill-health, but also success in business, an influential position and gain through an annuity or pension.

Solar Eclipse Aspects
Solar eclipse conjunct Saturn does give this eclipse more serious overtones. It reinforces the grave and sober influence of Vega in general, and the critical, abrupt, reserved and unpopular influence from Vega. However, Neptune eases the cold and restrictive nature of Saturn. Saturn gives the discipline and patience to fulfill your duties and obligations. You may have to take on extra responsibility or act as a mentor or guide.

This can be a time of great satisfaction, with achievements, recognition and promotion. You could act as a rock for someone, or be looked up to because of your stability and wisdom. Structures in your life may need attending to. This can range from your physical home to how you organize your daily routine. This is a good solar eclipse to simplify and bring efficiency to your life. clutter your life and remove the dead wood to make your goals less complicated and easier to achieve.

Solar eclipse sextile Neptune amplifies the harmonious and poetical influence of Vega. It makes this an excellent eclipse for musicians, artists and actors. Neptune will also heighten your sensitivity and ability to read people and situations. It brings vivid dreams and enhances your intuitive and psychic abilities.

Greater empathy and receptivity in your relationships will bring shared non-verbal understanding. This is a good eclipse to express your more caring and sensitive side by serving others. Doing so will boost your self-esteem and personal satisfaction. Group activities and spiritual work like meditation will bring inspiring insights, greater self understanding and contentment.

Saturn sextile Neptune brings material gain from spiritual pursuits. With hard work and a sensible, realistic approach, your dream can come true. You will understand your own limitations but will be optimistic at the same time. This is a solar eclipse to gain a deeper understanding of your spiritual goals and how they fit into the bigger picture.

You will show patience and self discipline without denying yourself or making sacrifices. You can also help make other people’s dream come true now through practical help and through spiritual support and encouragement. Devotion and service to others will increase your spiritual awareness and understanding. This aspect is also associated with finding or building your dream home.

Summary
The January 5 solar eclipse has a generally positive influence because of a close alignment with the bright star Vega. A positive aspect to Neptune enhances the harmonious and optimistic influence of this star. So solar eclipse January 2018 is ideal for starting creative, artistic and musical projects.

The solar eclipse conjunct fixed star Vega is also a good omen for starting or expanding a business. Most new business ventures fail within the first year but Saturn conjunct the solar eclipse with Vega improves your chances of long-term success. Great satisfaction and fulfillment, as well as financial independence are the likely results if you take a serious, ethical and moral approach to any new venture.

The solar eclipse sitting between Saturn and Pluto means serious business but also big business. Saturn sextile Neptune encourages this idealistic approach and makes it easier to turn your dreams into reality.

Solar Eclipse January 2019 Times and Dates

Los Angeles, January 5 at 5:28 pm
New York, January 5 at 8:28 pm
London, January 6 at 1:28 am
Delhi, January 6 at 6:58 am
Sydney, January 6 at 12:28 pm

–Astrology King

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The Solar Almanac for Thursday, January 3

Sun Direction: 184.66° S↑

Sun Altitude: -33.09°

Sun Distance: 91.404 million mi

Next Equinox: Mar 21, 2019 8:58 am (Autumnal)

Sunrise Today: 5:48 am↑ 119° Southeast

Sunset Today: 8:09 pm↑ 242° Southwest

—-timeanddate.com

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The Lunar Almanac for Thursday, January 3

Moon Direction: 138.14° SE↑

Moon Altitude: -28.90°

Moon Distance: 244170 mi

Next New Moon: Jan 6, 201912:28 pm

Next Full Moon: Jan 21, 20194:16 pm

Next Moonrise: Today3:32 am

Current Moon Phase: Waning Crescent

Illumination: 11.5%

—-timeanddate.com

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The Sky This Week from January 3 to January 6

Brilliant Venus climbs highest before dawn, while one of the year’s top meteor showers peaks under a New Moon.

By Richard Talcott

Thursday, January 3
The Quadrantid meteor shower reaches its peak tonight. And with New Moon arriving in just two days, observers with clear weather will have ideal conditions. Astronomers expect the shower to peak around 9 p.m. EST. Unfortunately, the radiant — the point in the northern part of the constellation Boötes from which the meteors appear to originate — doesn’t climb high until the early morning hours. And rates drop dramatically from the peak. The Quadrantids can produce up to 120 meteors per hour at maximum, but that number drops to 30 just eight hours on either side. North American observers should see a good display, but the best views likely will come from Europe.

The waning crescent Moon appears 4° to the left of Jupiter this morning. Both objects rise shortly after 5 a.m. local time and climb about 10° high an hour before sunup. A telescope shows Jupiter’s 32″-diameter disk, but you likely won’t see much detail because the light has to travel through thick layers of turbulent air near the horizon.

Friday, January 4
Although people in the Northern Hemisphere experienced the shortest day of the year two weeks ago (at the winter solstice December 21), the Sun has continued to rise slightly later with each passing day. That trend stops this morning for those at 40° north latitude. Tomorrow’s sunrise will arrive at the same time as today’s, but the Sun will come up two seconds earlier Sunday morning. This turnover point depends on latitude. If you live farther north, the switch occurred a few days ago; closer to the equator, the change won’t happen until later in January.

Saturday, January 5
New Moon occurs at 8:28 p.m. EST. At its New phase, the Moon crosses the sky with the Sun and so remains hidden in our star’s glare. At least, it typically does. But if you live in the right area, you can watch the Moon pass in front of the Sun and cause a partial solar eclipse. Observers in southwestern Alaska, Japan, and eastern Asia can see the Moon partially eclipse the Sun. Maximum eclipse occurs in eastern Siberia, where our satellite covers 71 percent of the Sun’s disk. Remember that when viewing the Sun during a partial eclipse, protect your eyes by using a safe solar filter.

Sunday, January 6
Venus appears brilliant in the southeast before dawn. It reached greatest elongation late yesterday evening, when it was 47° west of the Sun, so it stands highest in this morning’s sky. The inner world shines at magnitude –4.6, more than 10 times brighter than the second-brightest planet, Jupiter. Venus rises nearly four hours before the Sun and stands 20° high in the southeast when twilight begins. The planet lies among the background stars of Libra, but it will move into Scorpius this coming week. If you point a telescope at Venus, you’ll see a disk that spans 25″ and appears halflit.

–Astronomy Magazine

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Moon Phase Calendar for January 3

Current Moon Phase: Waning Crescent

Moon Currently in Sagittarius

Moon in Sagittarius:
The greatest need is to always search for something. In order to feel safe you might find that you need to have a goal, mission or philosophy that gives your life meaning. With Moon in Sagittarius you have an optimistic approach to life and you believe that things will get better even if you get into trouble.

Organs influenced by Sagittarius Moon Sign:
Organs: Liver, sacrum, thigh bone, tail bone, hip muscles, hip joint, lumbar vertebra, lumbar muscle.

These organs are now more sensitive so provide them with extra care.

Surgical operations:
Surgical operations are recommended during the Waning Moon.

However, avoid surgeries of organs under the influence of the Moon Sign.

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Today is Thursday, December 27

Thursday is the day of the planet Jupiter, dedicated to Thunor(Thor), God of thunder and agricultural work. His parallels in various European traditions are Zeus, Taranis, Perun, Perkunas and St. Olaf. The faith of the Northern Tradition holds Thursday sacred, just as Islam reveres Friday, Judaism the Sabbath(calculated from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday), and Christianity, Sunday. This is why almost all adages about Thursday are positive, such as “Thursday’s child has far to go,” “Sneeze on Thursday, something better,” or “Cut nails on Thursday for wealth.” Thursday rules controlled optimism, energetic growth, physical well-being and material success.

Deity: Thor

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn/Pisces/Sagittarius

Planet: Mercury

Tree: Oak

Herb: Henbane

Stone: Turquoise/Bloodstone/Topaz

Animal: Fish/Goat/Aurochs

Element: Fire

Color: Brown/White/Orange

Number: 3

Rune: Thorn

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

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

Goddess of the Month of Freya

—The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

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The Goddess Book of Days for January 3

Pueblo Deer Dances (Native American) women’s fertility ceremony for the Deer Mothers, so that they may have many children. (Spider Woman, Changing Woman, Iatiku, Mawu, Juno, Hathor, Freya, Oddudua, Hera, Erzulie, Aida Wedo). In Greece, the Lenaia of Dionysus, God of Fertility and Wine. He is Adonis, Bacchus, Apollo, Pan, Tammuz, Damuzi, Heme, Lugh, Osiris, Chango, and Damballah.

Goddesses Associated With Thursday, The Day of Thor

Juno, Hera, Kwan Yin, Mary, Cybele, Tara, Mawu, Mbaba Mwana Waresa, Ishtar

–The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein

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~ The Goddess Days of the Moon ~

Days 4-6 Ruled by Artemis/Diana, the independent one of the wilderness, the impetus behind the newly planted seed
Days 7-9 Kore rules these lunar days, and she is seen as the Maiden of Menarche, the link between childhood and adulthood
Days 10-12 Ruled by Hera, Queen of Heaven and creatrix, representing the power of inspiration
Days 13-15 Demeter, the nurturer, rules these
Days 16-18 Dedicated to Gaia, the Earth Goddess
Days 19-21 Hestia, Goddess of Waning Moon, is the matriarchal grandmother, ruling and protecting her family
Days 22-24 Ruled by Medusa, the crone of death and spiritual release, the necessary destruction that allows a new cycle to begin
Days 25-27 Ruled by Hecate, queen of the underworld and the shades, she is seen as the one who allows departed souls to choose thier paths in the next phase of existence and rebirth
The remaining days of the moon – the dark days – are those of the unknowable Masked Goddess, who is present, but invisible.

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The Wicca Book of Days for Thursday, January 3

On this day, an annual fertility ceremony known as the Deer Dances is performed by the Native American tribe of the Pueblo in the southwestern United States. The ceremony, which includes sacred ritual dances performed by shamans wearing deer headdresses, is centuries-old and dedicated to the great female spirit-goddesses known as the Deer Mothers.

In ancient Greece, a Pagan religious festival called the Lenaia was celebrated each year on this date in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility.

The Wicca Book of Days
Gerina Dunwich

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On Thursday, January 3, We Celebrate….

Third Day of the First Moon (China)

CHIN MU

Themes: Health; Longevity; Femininity; Magic

Symbols: Peach; Mulberry; Cats; Gold-toned Objects About Chin Mu: Chin Mu is the Queen of the West in China, dispensing peaches that cure disease and grant eternal life to all who eat them. Chinese art depicts her as an ageless, beautiful woman living in a golden castle (a solar symbol), thereby getting her translated name of “golden mother.” She is also sometimes shown as a cat-woman, which represents her yin energy and connection with sorcery.

To Do Today: Honoring Chin Mu today brings health, long life, and a year filled with magic. One simple way to do this is by wearing a piece of gold jewelry or gold clothing.

Traditionally, Chinese women carry a bowl of hot vinegar into each room of the house today to protect those who live there from sickness all year. To try this yourself, slice up a peach (frozen if necessary) and add it to the heated vinegar (peach tea bags work, too, and release a nice fragrance). The peach invokes Chin Mu’s blessing. Walk clockwise around the home, visualizing it filled with golden light (you can pray or chant as you go, if you wish). If you’re pressed for time, eat a peach or drink some mulberry wine instead and internalize Chin Mu’s hearty energies just the same! Finally, meditate on the feminine aspects of yourself and the divine (a good time to do this is during your morning shower, or while driving to work). Honor the women who have influenced your life, even if you do this just by saying thanks.

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

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The Magick of Thursday

Planet Ruled: Jupiter

Colors: Blue, purple, green

Crystals: Turquoise, Amethyst, Lapis

Deities: Jupiter, Juno

Magickal Intent: Abundance, protection, prosperity, strength, wealth, healing, male fertility, ambition, expansion

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The Witches Almanac for Thursday, January 3

St. Genevieve’s Day

Waning Moon

Moon phase: Fourth Quarter

Moon Sign: Sagittarius

Incense: Nutmeg

Color: White

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The Witches Magick for Thursday, January 3

MIRROR MAGICK

Take a small mirror and lay it down, so it reflects up at you. Then take a bowl of water (preferably a glass or silver bowl, but any bowl will do.

HINT: If using a ceramic bowl, plain is best.

You should use a bowl with pictures on it only if you have to (unless they are hieroglyphs). Only use plastic bowls if you absolutely have to.

Put the bowl of water in the center of the mirror, and surround the mirror with candles (this spell should be done in a dark room, or at night). The spell works best if the candles are vanilla or lavender. There should be four candles, one at each corner of the mirror (or, if using a round mirror, one at each of these points: Northeast, Northwest, South east, Southwest).

In between the candles, on the North, East, South, and West sides of the mirror, put incense burners (the spell can work without the incense, but it works better with it). Put a small piece of silver (it can be a coin, a piece of a fork, anything) in the bowl. Look down at the mirror, and chant this:

Mirror, Mirror, on the floor,
reflect for me forever more,
give me now the thing I crave,
I’ll give it back when I’m in my grave,
A pool of water, A touch of ice,
a teardrop from the moon,
all this I have and all I want, Is this.

Then you say what you want.

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Witchy Tip # 139 for Thursday, January 4

Many witches believe that turning or stirring things clockwise (Deasil) will bring positivity, luck, and success. Using the counterclockwise (Widdershins) motion, however, can bring chaos and misfortune. These two are often reversed when practicing in the Southern Hemisphere.

Witch Tips : The Essential Guide to Contemporary Witchcraft
A. Rayne

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Daily Incantations & Enchantments for January 3

A blessing for your shoes, to take you on a positive path every day. Single shoe, pair of shoes, heels or flats,

Choose the path of happiness wherever I’m at.
Walk me through difficulties, never lead me astray,
All things negative will be kept at bay.

Bless your shoes as you put them on, repeating once for each shoe. And for extra measure once again after you have both of them on.

–The Power of Positive Witchcraft: Daily Incantations & Enchantments: A Spell a Day for 30
Days
Garden Summerland

“Blessed Are the Witches “

Shop Magickal Necessities for all your magickal needs….

All the sales and proceeds from the sales at Magickal Necessities go to the daily operation & expenses of The WOTC.

Witches Of The Craft’s Northern Journal For Wednesday, December 2

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE JOURNAL

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Witchcraft … is a spiritual path. You walk it for nourishment of the soul, to commune with the life force of the universe, and to thereby better know your own life.

–Christopher Penczak

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Current Planetary Positions

January 02, 2019
Tropical Zodiac

Sun: 11 Capricorn 50
Moon: 02 Sagittarius 15
Mercury: 26 Sagittarius 08
Venus: 25 Scorpio 02
Mars: 00 Aries 59
Jupiter: 12 Sagittarius 06
Saturn: 11 Capricorn 34
Uranus: 28 Aries 36 Rx
Neptune: 14 Pisces 07
Pluto: 20 Capricorn 39

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Planetary aspects for the Month of January

02 January 00:49 am – Sun conjunct Saturn at 11 31
04 January 00:12 am – Mercury trine Uranus
04 January 02:56 pm – Sun sextile Neptune
05 January 08:28 pm – Solar Eclipse at 15 25
05 January 09:27 pm – Venus quincunx Uranus
06 January 03:26 pm – Uranus Direct 28 35
08 January 05:04 am – Mercury square Mars
11 January 06:38 am – Sun conjunct Pluto 20 56
13 January 08:30 am – Mercury conjunct Saturn 12 51
13 January 01:58 pm – Jupiter square Neptune
14 January 01:45 am – 1st Quarter Moon 23 47
14 January 08:13 am – Mercury sextile Neptune
18 January 11:49 am – Venus trine Mars
18 January 03:03 pm – Mercury conjunct Pluto 21 11
18 January 08:30 pm – Sun square Uranus
20 January 11:41 pm – Venus square Neptune
21 January 00:15 am – Lunar Eclipse at 00 51
21 January 06:47 am – Mars square Saturn
22 January 07:25 am – Venus conjunct Jupiter 16 03
23 January 06:13 am – Mercury square Uranus
25 January 12:53 pm – Mars trine Jupiter
27 January 04:10 pm – 3rd Quarter Moon 07 38
29 January 09:51 pm – Sun conjunct Mercury 09 54
31 January 09:14 am – Saturn sextile Neptune

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A Look At The Stars for January 2 thru January 7

Wednesday January 2
0:49 am – Sun conjunct Saturn at 11 31 means you must stand up and be counted. So hard work, discipline and patience are needed this weekly horoscope to attend to your duties and obligations. You may also have to take on extra responsibility or act as a mentor or guide. This can be a time of great satisfaction, with achievements, recognition and promotion. However, it can also be a time of privation, insecurity and hardship. Much will depend on how diligent and responsible you have been over the last year. So if things start to fall apart then it is a signal to change course and set new goals.
3:58 am – Moon enters Sagittarius

Friday January 4
0:12 am – Mercury trine Uranus opens your mind to new possibilities. There may be some exciting news coming your way, or chance encounters with eccentric, or in some other way stimulating people. This also has a very stimulating, electrifying effect on your thinking and communications. Keeping an open mind comes naturally and this increases your chance of making new discoveries and making new friends. All of your senses are also stimulated and your intuition should be strong and correct.
1:54 pm – Moon enters Capricorn
2:56 pm – Sun sextile Neptune heightens your sensitivity and ability to read people and situations. Any intuitive or psychic abilities are also enhanced during this spiritual weekly horoscope. Greater empathy and receptivity by both you and others, means that all of your relationships will benefit from a shared understanding that may be non-verbal. So this would be an ideal time express your more caring and sensitive side by serving others, and by doing so you will feel a boost to your self-esteem and personal satisfaction.
10:39 pm – Mercury enters Capricorn

Saturday January 5
8:28 pm – Solar Eclipse at 15 25 is generally positive thanks to a close alignment with the harmonious fixed star Vega. This massive pale sapphire star in Lyra Constellation, the Harp, has an optimistic, generous, creative and poetic influence. This weekly horoscope solar eclipse conjunct Saturn also gives a serious and conservative influence but a helpful aspect to Neptune lightens the mood. So this is an excellent solar eclipse for starting or growing a business.
9:27 pm – Venus quincunx Uranus increases your need for change and excitement in your love life. If you have a partner you may want to get kinky in the bedroom. So if you feel smothered by your partner of they are the conservative type, you will probably feel a sudden urge to do your own thing. You may also seek stimulation through entertainment or amusements or even an affair.

Sunday January 6
3:26 pm – Uranus Direct at 28 35 brings to an end the 155 days of Uranus retrograde inner change in response to external changes in your life.

–Astrology King

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Solar Eclipse 5 January 2019 – Big Business

Solar Eclipse January 2019 Times and Dates

Los Angeles, January 5 at 5:28 pm
New York, January 5 at 8:28 pm
London, January 6 at 1:28 am
Delhi, January 6 at 6:58 am
Sydney, January 6 at 12:28 pm

–Astrology King

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The Solar Almanac for Wednesday, January 2nd

Sun Direction:122.75° ESE↑

Sun Altitude:4.11°

Sun Distance:91.404 million mi

Next Equinox:Mar 20, 2019 4:58 pm (Vernal)

Sunrise Today:7:08 am↑ 118° Southeast

Sunset Today:4:48 pm↑ 242° Southwest

Length of Daylight: 9 hours, 40 minutes

–timeanddate.com

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The Lunar Almanac for Wednesday, January 2nd

Moon Direction:153.58° SSE↑

Moon Altitude:31.44°

Moon Distance:244162 mi

Next New Moon:Jan 5, 20197:28 pm

Next Full Moon:Jan 20, 201911:16 pm

Next Moonset:Today2:30 pm

Current Moon Phase: Waning Crescent

Moon Illumination: 11.5%

–timeanddate.com

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The Sky This Week from January 2 to January 6

Brilliant Venus climbs highest before dawn, while one of the year’s top meteor showers peaks under a New Moon.

By Richard Talcott

Wednesday, January 2
Earth reaches perihelion, the closest point to the Sun during its year-long orbit, at midnight EST. The two then lie 91.4 million miles (147.1 million kilometers) apart. It surprises many people to learn that Earth comes closest to the Sun in the dead of winter, but the cold weather in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year arises because the Sun lies low in the sky.

Saturn passes behind the Sun from our perspective, a configuration astronomers call solar conjunction, at 1 a.m. EST. Needless to say, our star’s glare makes it impossible to see the planet. Saturn will return to view before dawn in the second half of January.

Thursday, January 3
The Quadrantid meteor shower reaches its peak tonight. And with New Moon arriving in just two days, observers with clear weather will have ideal conditions. Astronomers expect the shower to peak around 9 p.m. EST. Unfortunately, the radiant — the point in the northern part of the constellation Boötes from which the meteors appear to originate — doesn’t climb high until the early morning hours. And rates drop dramatically from the peak. The Quadrantids can produce up to 120 meteors per hour at maximum, but that number drops to 30 just eight hours on either side. North American observers should see a good display, but the best views likely will come from Europe.

Friday, January 4
Although people in the Northern Hemisphere experienced the shortest day of the year two weeks ago (at the winter solstice December 21), the Sun has continued to rise slightly later with each passing day. That trend stops this morning for those at 40° north latitude. Tomorrow’s sunrise will arrive at the same time as today’s, but the Sun will come up two seconds earlier Sunday morning. This turnover point depends on latitude. If you live farther north, the switch occurred a few days ago; closer to the equator, the change won’t happen until later in January.

Saturday, January 5
New Moon occurs at 8:28 p.m. EST. At its New phase, the Moon crosses the sky with the Sun and so remains hidden in our star’s glare. At least, it typically does. But if you live in the right area, you can watch the Moon pass in front of the Sun and cause a partial solar eclipse. Observers in southwestern Alaska, Japan, and eastern Asia can see the Moon partially eclipse the Sun. Maximum eclipse occurs in eastern Siberia, where our satellite covers 71 percent of the Sun’s disk. Remember that when viewing the Sun during a partial eclipse, protect your eyes by using a safe solar filter.

Sunday, January 6
Venus appears brilliant in the southeast before dawn. It reached greatest elongation late yesterday evening, when it was 47° west of the Sun, so it stands highest in this morning’s sky. The inner world shines at magnitude –4.6, more than 10 times brighter than the second-brightest planet, Jupiter. Venus rises nearly four hours before the Sun and stands 20° high in the southeast when twilight begins. The planet lies among the background stars of Libra, but it will move into Scorpius this coming week. If you point a telescope at Venus, you’ll see a disk that spans 25″ and appears halflit.

–Astronomy Magazine

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Moon Phase Calendar for January 2

Current Moon Phase: Waning Crescent

Moon currently in the sign of Sagittarius

Current Moon is in Sagittarius:
The greatest need is to always search for something. In order to feel safe you might find that you need to have a goal, mission or philosophy that gives your life meaning. With Moon in Sagittarius you have an optimistic approach to life and you believe that things will get better even if you get into trouble.

Organs influenced by the current Sagittarius Moon Sign:
Organs: Liver, sacrum, thigh bone, tail bone, hip muscles, hip joint, lumbar vertebra, lumbar muscle.

These organs are now more sensitive so provide them with extra care.

Surgical operations:
Surgical operations are recommended during the Waning Moon.
However, avoid surgeries of organs under the influence of the Moon Sign.

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Today is Wednesday, January 2

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

Deity: Woden

Zodiac Sign: Gemini & Virgo

Planet: Mercury

Tree: Ash

Herb: Cinquefoil

Stone: Emerald & Sardonyx

Animal: Raven & Cat

Element: Air

Color: Red & Blue

Number: 6

Rune: Odal(O)

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

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

Goddess of the Month of Freya

—The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

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The Goddess Book of Days for January 2nd

Nativity of Inanna, Sumerian Queen of Heaven and Earth. She is also Demeter, Venus, Cybele, Astarte, Isis, Ishtar, Rhiannon and Aphrodite. In Egypt, the Advent of Isis from Phoenecia, the Isis/ Osiris cycle (Venus/Adonis, Inanna/Tammuz, Cybele/ Attis, Ata Bey/Yoko-Hoo). Earth is at perihelion to the Sun, closest to the Sun of any time in the year.

Goddesses Associated with Wednesday

For Woden: Isis, Demeter, Ceres, Spider Woman, Bona Dea, Oya, Devi-Kali, Hella, Rhiannon, Coatlique, Maman Brigette

—The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein

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~ The Goddess Days of the Moon ~

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The Wicca Book of Days for Wednesday, January 2nd

The birth of the Pagan goddess Inanna has been celebrated annually on this date since ancient times. Inanna is the Sumerian queen of heaven and earth, and a deity who presides over both love and war.

Every year on this date, the Perihelion of the Earth takes place. When this occurs, the planet Earth reaches the point in its orbit closest to the Sun. Many astrologers consider this to be a highly significant event. In ancient Egypt, a religious ceremony known as the Advent of Isis from Phoenecia was performed yearly on this date in honor of the goddess Isis.

–The Wicca Book of Days
Gerina Dunwich

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On Wednesday, January 2, We Celebrate….

Shigoto Hajime (Japan)

BENTEN Themes: Luck; Wealth; Beauty

Symbols: Boats; Dragons; Guitars; Snakes; Saltwater

About Benten: As the Japanese goddess steering the New Year’s Treasure Ship, Benten is a perfect figure to call on for financial improvements this year. She is the only goddess of luck in Japan and is referred to as queen of the seas and patroness of gamblers. Japanese women invoke her to bring beauty and fortune into their lives. Benten is depicted as riding a gold dragon, playing a biwa(guitar), and sending out white snakes with her missives. Her robe bears a jewel that grants wishes.

To Do Today: To welcome Benten’s prosperity into your home, sprinkle a little saltwater on the threshold today. Or, to generate beauty within and without, soak in a bath of Epsom salts while listening to guitar music. The Shigoto Hajime festival honors the beginning of the work week in Japan, where it is believed that good omens for work begin today. If you want to get a peek at how your employment will fare this year, try divination by dice (a traditional gambler’s tool). Hold one die in your hand, ask for Benten to provide a sign, then roll it. The results can be interpreted as follows: (1) a negative omen; (2) feeling torn between two good options; (3) a good omen; (4) financial security; (5) not much material change, but improvements in interoffice relationships; (6) an excellent omen; roll again. If you get two more sixes, Benten’s treasures will be yours!

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

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Wednesday’s Associations

Color: Purple

Planet: Mercury

Metal: Mercury (Quicksilver)

Deities: Odin, Hermes, Lugh

Gemstones: Mercury, Athena

Crystals: Adventurine, Agate

Herbs: Aspen trees, lilies, Lavender, Ferns

Associations: Business, Communication, Loss and Debt, Travel.

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The Witches Almanac for Wednesday, January 2

First Writing Day (Japanese)

Waning Moon

Moon phase: Fourth Quarter

Moon Sign: Scorpio

Moon enters Sagittarius 3:58 am

Incense: Lilac

Color: Brown

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The Witches Magick for Wednesday, January 2

MONEY RITUAL FOR PROSPERITY IN LIFE

This isn’t some “get-rich-quick” spell.

You will need:
Green candle

Bay Leaves

Plain white piece of paper

I usually have some other candles around and sometimes will also use some of the essential oils that I know draw in money. Think of the amount of money that is needed, not what is wanted. Asking for a million dollars is absolutely ridiculous to say the least. Write down the amount that you know you need to help you achieve your goals (paying bills, paying for college, camp fees, whatever) on the plain, white piece of paper. Fold the paper in half three times.

After getting a connection with your goddess, light your green candle. Use your own incantation to ask the
Goddess for her help and guidance to find the money that you need. Place the paper under the candle. Now close your eyes and see money coming to you. Don’t think of how it comes, just see it come. See it appear in your hand or maybe imagine it flying around you like in those money booth games and see yourself snatching it out of the air. While doing this, I burn a bay leaf in the candles flame. Inhale the fragrance emitted by the bay leaf. If you have money-drawing oils, then a few drops on the sides of the candle can be placed as you give thanks to the Goddess for listening to you.

Close as you feel appropriate. Leave it all set up when you finish if you are able and repeat. Start it on the new moon and repeat several times until the full moon. At this point, burn the paper and spread it’s ashes to the wind.

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Witch Tip #140 for January 2

If you find yourself in a situation where you are unable to burn herbs or candles, use essential oils as a substitute.

Witch Tips : The Essential Guide to Contemporary Witchcraft
A. Rayne

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Daily Incantations & Enchantments for January 2

This is to dispel negative attitudes and provide protection from dark influences. Repeat it as needed throughout the day, or if you feel you are coming under attack from a particular person or circumstance.

A white light surrounds me, and all that I see.

I ask for protection and security.

All that is negative I now erase, I have serenity and peace in it’s place.

–The Power of Positive Witchcraft: Daily Incantations & Enchantments: A Spell a Day for 30 Days . Garden Summerland

“Blessed Are The Witches”

Today’s Journal Brought to You By….

All the sales and proceeds from the sales at Magickal Necessities go to the daily operation & expenses of

The WOTC.

Even Witches Have New Year’s Resolutions, Witchy Goals for 2019

Did You Know New Year’s Resolutions Are Pagan?

Wishing All Our Brothers & Sisters In The North, As Well As The South, A Very Beautiful & Blessed Day!

happy new year 2019

“Rede of the Wiccae”

“Being known as the counsel of the Wise Ones:

1. Bide the Wiccan Laws ye must In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
2. Live an’ let live – Fairly take an’ fairly give.
3. Cast the Circle thrice about To keep all evil spirits out.
4. To bind the spell every time – Let the spell be spake in rhyme.
5. Soft of eye an’ light of touch – Speak little, listen much.
6. Deosil go by the waxing Moon – Sing and dance the Wiccan rune.
7. Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane, An’ the Werewolf howls by the dread Wolfsbane.
8. When the Lady’s Moon is new, Kiss thy hand to Her times two.
9. When the Moon rides at Her peak Then your heart’s desire seek.
10. Heed the Northwind’s mighty gale – Lock the door and drop the sail.
11. When the wind comes from the South, Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
12. When the wind blows from the East, Expect the new and set the feast.
13. When the West wind blows o’er thee, Departed spirits restless be.
14. Nine woods in the Cauldron go – Burn them quick an’ burn them slow.
15. Elder be ye Lady’s tree – Burn it not or cursed ye’ll be.
16. When the Wheel begins to turn – Let the Beltane fires burn.
17. When the Wheel has turned a Yule, Light the Log an’ let Pan rule.
18. Heed ye flower bush an’ tree – By the Lady Blessèd Be.
19. Where the rippling waters go Cast a stone an’ truth ye’ll know.
20. When ye have need, Hearken not to others greed.
21. With the fool, no season spend Or be counted as his friend.
22. Merry meet an’ merry part – Bright the cheeks an’ warm the heart.
23. Mind the Threefold Law ye should – Three times bad an’ three times good.
24. When misfortune is now, Wear the Blue Star on thy brow.
25. True in love ever be Unless thy lover’s false to thee.
26. Eight words ye Wiccan Rede fulfill – An’ it harms none, Do what ye will.”

“An’ it harm none, do what ye will.”

These eight words are famously known as the Wiccan Rede, a guideline for fellow Wiccans to live on as they would so long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else. However, this wouldn’t be heard till 1964 when, while attending a witch’s convention, Doreen Valiente spoke these Anglo-Saxon words during a speech about respecting other covens and people in general. These eight words would make their rounds, being repeatedly used in other publications and, at times, without crediting Doreen. As a response to Valiente’s Rede, a Connecticut witch named Lady Gwen Thompson (real name Phyllis Thompson) published a piece in an Ostara 1975 (vol.3, no. 26) volume of Green Egg Magazine named “Wiccan-Pagan Potpourri,” where a 26-lined poem called “Rede of the Wiccae,” (above) made its debut.

–Wicca For Beginners: The Book of Spells and Rituals for Beginners to Learn Everything from A to Z. Witchcraft, Magic, Beliefs, History and Spells
Judith Guise

A Very Happy, Happy Bright & Blessed New Year To One & All!

Tick Tock

I’m writing this in a state of shock,
Watching the clock—tick tock, tick tock,
Advancing, approaching, relentlessly,
A brand new year; Oh, can it be?

The calendar says the same thing, too;
Time races, vanishes for me; Boo hoo!
No, wait! If time flies, I’m having fun!
A year of fun! It’s gone! It’s done!

I now embrace the blur of time,
Because it simply means that I’m
Too busy with pleasure, joy, delight
To mourn the passing days’ swift flight.

So I’m wishing you fast, happy days,
Pleasuring you in myriad ways,
Filled with happiness and cheer,
Oh Happy, Happy Bright New Year!

By Joanna Fuchs

Happy New Years To All Our Brothers & Sisters Down Under! May The Goddess Bless You In This New Year!

Happy New Years
Well, another year has come and gone. Can you believe it? It seems time is starting to fly by. I know time especially flies by when it comes to our internet provider. We have reached our data cap for this month, unfortunately. Which in plain English means if we post anymore, we get charged for every gig we use. In order to prevent our internet bill from going any higher this year, we are forced to take the day off. We apologize for this but we have no control over it. I just checked our bill and right now, we can’t afford to go any further in posting for this month. We went over our data cap a week ago and didn’t stop posting and now we are paying dearly for it. I know you don’t want to hear about our personal problems but we don’t want to be off the internet either.

We are having a meeting today to figure out how we can prevent this from happening. So far it has happened this month and the month of November. We have a message to get out and we want to get that message out without it costing us an arm and a leg. We can go back to one of our posting ideas that we came up with earlier, that was to post on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We could compile everything into one post and just post once a week but I don’t believe that most of you would like that. I know you have come to expect your daily horoscopes, tarot card and runes each and every day. Another option is to ask for sponsors for The WOTC. A few dollars a month would make a ton of difference and perhaps then we could afford to post daily as we normally do. But I sincerely do not like asking you for money or donations, I will leave that up to you. If you would like to become a sponsor of the WOTC, we would deeply appreciate it. If you would like to make a one time donation, we would also appreciate that. We can make a dollar stretch to it squeals.

We do have several sponsors and we deeply appreciate them. These good people have found it in their hearts to donate to us each month. They see that our message and our work is important and we are worthy to contribute too. They also understand that the operations of the WOTC isn’t cheap. They realize that we have a high internet bill to pay, electric bill to keep the computers humming, water, phone and much more. The WOTC is not the only website we run on the internet. We have several that we operate. We are not only active on the internet, we are also active in the community as well. Our mission is simple and to the point. We are determined to dispel all the old myths and stereotypes associated with Witches and Witchcraft. Also to tell the truth and beauty about our religion, Witchcraft. I told you about being attacked on Facebook recently. That proved one thing to me, we still have along way to go and we need your help to continue our message. Even if you are down under, you can still contribute to the WOTC. I am not familiar with the currency down there but I am sure PayPal is. I hate to talk about money on the last day of the year but then again, I hate to take the day off because we have reached our data cap and cannot afford to pay anymore on our internet bill. What I am doing right now will probably cost us an additional $5 or $10. So if you have ever thought about contributing to us, please do so. I can guarantee you, your contribution will be put to very good use.

It is funny looking back when we first started out, we never had these problems. At the very first, I wanted to be the biggest and best Witchcraft site on the internet. I never knew that doing just that would be so costly. We have been on the internet for many, many years. We have a store and all the purchases from the store goes directly to our operation costs. We have several donors a month but we need more. Whether we have to go to posting three days a week or we are lucky enough to get more donors, either way we will continue to do our work and spread our word.

With that I will stop. Now you know the situation, we will be off the internet today due to the data cap. Tomorrow starts a new month and a new year, we will be back then. Hopefully, we will have some new sponsors come on board and we won’t have to worry about this issue anymore. If not, we will go to posting every other day and see how that works out. So my dear brothers & sisters, please be safe tonight. We want to see all your smiling faces right back here tomorrow.

Happy New Year’s Eve,

Love ya,

Lady A

Happy New Year’s Eve Dear Brothers & Sisters of the Craft! May The Goddess Bless You & Yours In The Coming Year!

Final Thought of the Day…..

Your Daily Rune For December 28 is Isa

Isa

“Iss-ah” – Literally: “Ice” – Esoteric: Stasis, Stillness

Rune of concentration of things in a static or frozen state. Rune of stillness and the Ego-Self.

Psi: mental faculties, focus, ego, self-image/self-identity

Energy: stillness, contraction, stasis

Mundane: cold, self-preservation, harsh reality

Divinations: Concentrated self, ego-consciousness, self-control, unity of being; or egomania, dullness, blindness, dissipation, immobility, self-centeredness, lack of change, psychopathy.

Governs:
Development of concentration, will and focus
Halting of unwanted dynamic forces as an act of self-defense (ard against demonic influences)
Basic ego integration within a balanced multiversal system
Power of control and constraint over other wights (entities), emotional outbursts
Focus of the will into single-minded action

Tarot Card of the Day for December 29 is The Hermit

Tarot Card of the Day

The Hermit

December 28, 2018

The challenge of The Hermit card is to be able to recognize a teacher in a humble disguise. This font of mysterious knowledge will not make it easy for the student to acquire his wisdom, as it takes time and long contemplation to fathom what he knows. He often speaks wordlessly, or in ancient and barbaric tongues, communicating with the elements, animals, and nature herself.

While an hourglass was an identifying feature on the earliest Hermit Tarot cards, more modern cards have shifted the metaphor, showing more or less light released from his lantern. In either case, the Hermit card reminds us of the value of time away from the hubbub of civic life, to relax the ego in communion with nature.

The universe is trying to send you a message!

Get A Jump On Tomorrow or Your Horoscopes for those down-under, Saturday, Dec. 29

The Daily Horoscopes for Saturday, December 29th

Claire Petulengro, Astrologer

From The Astrology Room

ARIES (March 21st-April 20th)

Expect to bump into people you have not seen for an age. This is the stars’ way of trying to merge the past and present together. Not to mention the fact that you are ready to make peace and to try to have a more predictable year.

TAURUS (April 21st-May 21st)

There is a really rushed feeling to your chart today which could see you letting down those who had hoped you would put more time and effort into what has been asked of you. Good news from family helps you to look forward to the New Year.

GEMINI (May 22nd-June 21st)

Do you feel like you’re missing something? You’re missing taking your own time in what is quite clearly a very emotional period. Stop and remember what you want the end result to be. It can save you going too far off the beaten path this week.

CANCER (June 22nd-July 23rd)

You may find yourself having to go along with plans you don’t really approve of just to placate a certain close one. Try to do what’s required with a smile on your face, or there is no point in making the effort.

LEO (July 24th-August 23rd)

Try not to be deterred from what you want to do by negative words or comments. Your sign is stronger than that. Besides my friend, you will be the one in a better position when you achieve all that you set out to do.

VIRGO (August 24th-September 23rd)

The need for you to have more concrete plans for your future could see you go out with all guns blazing today. Know how far is too far to go, or you will only end up upsetting those you have just got back on track with. Ring now for sense to prevail.

LIBRA (September 24th-October 23rd)

You may have trouble in completing what’s ahead unless you can gain some support from those who are more experienced than you. New friends have the potential to be so much more if you would take down some of those defences.

SCORPIO (October 24th-November 22nd)

Try not to take what others say today too much to heart, as many of the signs really are talking for the sake of it. Emotions run high tonight and may see you confessing something which changes everything.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23rd-December 21st)

The reason you haven’t been feeling strong enough of late is because you have been taking advice from those whose lives you would never want for your own. Stand back today and take stock of what needs to be done.

CAPRICORN (December 22nd-January 20th)

It is going to be all too easy for you to get simple plans mixed up, so don’t be afraid to confirm and double check all arrangements. It’s sure to make for a much smoother day if you do.

AQUARIUS (January 21st-February 19th)

I know you feel as if your close ones have been distant lately. However, many of the signs are keeping to themselves more this week as they go though a series of changes the stars have initiated for us all personally.

PISCES (February 20th-March 20th)

Try not to say bad things about new faces you meet. Your first impressions are unlikely to be the right ones. If you are willing to give others the benefit of the doubt, then you just might be able to make a change which, this year, has been an impossibility.

To book a private tarot, horoscope or clairvoyant reading with Claire over the telephone, click here.
Phone consultations cost UK£55, US$83 for 20mins, UK£90, US$135 for 40mins.

More details.

Where You Born on Friday, December 28

Happy Birthday, Capricorn!

Work hard and party hard with the zodiac’s ambitious Goat

You might not have a lot of close friends, but the ones you have let into your life are the kinds of people you will always treasure.

If you were born on December 28, you never disappoint! No matter what is asked of you, you come through for your friends, family, and coworkers. You’re an incredibly loyal and dependable person who loves a good challenge! While this makes you a very popular, stand-up human being, it can also be a lot of pressure! Being loyal and reliable are traits you should be proud of and hold on to but remember that it’s okay to say no to favors and requests. Be aware of who your true friends are versus those who may be taking advantage of your helpful hand.

At your best: Dependable, generous, strong
At your worst: Needy, aloof, unaware

More About Capricorn

Tradition is your middle name, Capricorn. And when it comes to birthday celebrations, you’re all about enjoying it in a time honored way. As someone who appreciates everything antique, you might actually be one of the few signs who don’t cringe at the thought of getting older. In fact, it makes you feel more important somehow … as if you are finally morphing into the respected authority figure you strive to be.

Party Responsibly

Even though it’s your birthday, in many ways it’ll still be business as usual for you. You’re one of the most ambitious and responsible signs, and tend to put your professional aspirations above all else. Success is where you aim, and luckily, even though it takes many years and plenty of diligent effort, you typically end up realizing any goal you set for yourself. You are more reserved and cautious than most but that won’t stop you from enjoying your special day. Your approach might be less party animal and more prudent, but that doesn’t mean you don’t know how to have fun. You simply tend to do it on a budget and with a curfew. Hey — there’s a reason why you’re so successful. Knowing your limits is one of them!

If you have one fault it’s that you take life so seriously that occasionally you may fall into fits of melancholy. This is due to the fact that you view life with stark realism, a tendency that leaves little room for imaginings and faith. But at least on your birthday, consider making an exception. When your loved ones light the candles on your cake, go ahead and make a wish. This year, why not even trust that it might come true?

Your Daily Horoscopes for December 28th

Claire Petulengro, Astrologer

From The Astrology Room

ARIES (March 21st-April 20th)

I know it feels as if time is moving too slowly lately. What you don’t see is that your close ones are doing as much as they can to ensure you get what you want. Try to thank those involved. It will help give them the push and reminder that they need.

TAURUS (April 21st-May 21st)

Relationships come under the spotlight and many of your sign will spend their time trying to analyse the very confusing signals you have been given of late. Time spent with those you know well is guaranteed to be the tonic you need.

GEMINI (May 22nd-June 21st)

There is a degree of uncertainty to all you are doing at this time. That’s not a worry to a sign such as you Gemini. Any negativity you receive will only serve to make you more determined.

CANCER (June 22nd-July 23rd)

Try not to create too much of a competitive air between you and your friends today, or you will sour what should and can be a really memorable week. News from far away gives you several reasons to get excited about the year ahead.

LEO (July 24th-August 23rd)

Learn as if you were to live forever. It is how you will turn a possibility into a certain plan. You think you don’t have the respect of those you work for, but today is about to show you otherwise. Work issues from last month can finally be tied up now.

VIRGO (August 24th-September 23rd)

The need for fun is strong in your chart which could see you telling white lies to those you no longer wish to associate with. Know how far is too far to go or you could cast yourself as unreliable to those who are only just getting to know you.

LIBRA (September 24th-October 23rd)

Friends could become so much more for many of your sign and it would be worth your while trying to slow your pace and enjoy each moment you experience. You weren’t sure current situations had staying power, but they do!

SCORPIO (October 24th-November 22nd)

The things you haven’t started are still waiting for you to address them. If you feel you can’t do this alone, then enlist the help of those you love. Your stars tell me they’re more than ready to give you the support you need.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23rd-December 21st)

Are you sure you’re taking care of yourself as well as everyone else Sagittarius? If you think you are worthy of attention, then others will too. Changes to the home will soon be on your mind, and they’re good ones! Ring now for an unusual prediction regarding love.

CAPRICORN (December 22nd-January 20th)

The need to tie up old chapters so you can begin a fresh one is prominent in your chart. This is also a really good week to try to kick bad habits, as you’re likely to succeed if you try now.

AQUARIUS (January 21st-February 19th)

The chance to do new things is strong in your stars. You are ready to admit that a sign such as you needs constant stimulation as well as the realisation that you cannot do a job you don’t feel passionate about.

PISCES (February 20th-March 20th)

Your imagination goes into overdrive and you may even end up accusing your close ones of things they have not and would not do. Know how far is too far to go. Today offers you the chance to find some common ground again. Make sure you take advantage.

RETRIBUTION/BETWEEN LIVES

RETRIBUTION

Along with reincarnation go thoughts of Karma.

Karma is usually thought of as a reward-and-punishment system stretching throughout all lifetimes: if you do evil in one life you will have to pay for it in the next. However, it seems that there is always talk of “karmic debts” and “karmic punishments” but seldom of “karmic rewards”. The Witchcraft view seems to make more sense.

First of all there is a Wiccan belief in retribution within each life. In other words, rather than being rewarded and punished after death, for what you have done in life (the traditional Christian view), Witches believe that you get your rewards and punishments during this lifetime, according to how you live it. Do good and you will get back good. But do evil and evil
will return. More than that, though, it is a three-fold retribution. Do good and you will get back three times the good; do evil and you will receive three times the evil. Obviously there is here no inducement for you to ever harm anyone. Of course it is not a literal threefold return. If you were to punch someone in the eye, it does not mean that you will get punched in the eye yourself three times. No. But, sometime in the future, you may “just happen” to break a leg … something which might be considered three times as bad as being punched in the eye.

In the Witchcraft belief, then, one lifetime’s experiences are not dependent on the previous one’s. For example, if you suffer physical abuse in this life, it does not necessarily mean that you were an abuser in your previous life. It is possible you were, yes. But it is just as possible that you were not but are going to be in the next life. In other words, it is a case of experiencing all things—being both the abuser and the abusee, but one is not necessarily dependent on the other. Several lifetimes could even take place between the one experience and its apparent correlative.

Just because you have chosen a particular lifetime and are to undergo the set experiences does not mean that you can just sit back and say “Everything is preordained. I’m just along for the ride.” The God and the Goddess will make sure that you do get all the particular experiences but your job is to progress; to strive your hardest towards perfection. YOU CREATE YOUR OWN REALITY. Whatever you want, you can achieve. But always remember the Wiccan Rede: “An’ it harm none, do what thou wilt.”

Whenever possible, help those less fortunate than yourself. By “help” I do not mean “interfere”. Help can be given by simply offering advice; by showing compassion; even, sometimes, by actually refusing direct assistance. For, in this latter case, it is sometimes of the greatest help and to the other’s benefit to make them give a little more effort: to make them think for
themselves.

BETWEEN LIVES

The length of time spent between lives may vary, depending on your study of the lessons learned and their integration with previous lessons; also on the necessary preparation for the next “semester”.

While between lives you might also become involved in helping some other spirit here on earth. Just as there is development and advancement in this life, so there is in “the between times”. You may have heard of such things as “Guardian Angels” and “Spirit Guides” and wondered if they really exist. In a sense they do. It means that a spirit is always watching over a less developed spirit here on earth. Since time does not exist in the between-times (it is a human-made concept, for the sake of reference only) then to watch over an earth-bound spirit for its whole earthly lifetime would not actually hinder the watcher’s progress. In fact, it would add to it in the sense of gaining “student-teacher” experience.

Witches always hope that they will be reborn in the next life with those they have known and loved in this one. From psychic experiences, etc., it seems that this is often the case. Many times a couple will stay together throughout a number of lifetimes, in different relationship
roles (e.g. lovers; husband-wife; brother-sister; mother-daughter).

Source

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft

REINCARNATION

Reincarnation is an ancient belief. It is part of many religions (Hinduism and Buddhism, for example) and was even one of the original Christian tenets, until condemned by the Second Council of Constantinople in 553. It is believed that the human spirit, or soul, is a fragment of the divine and eventually it will return to its divine source. But, for its own evolution, it is
necessary that the soul experience all things in life.

It seems the most sensible, most logical, explanation of much that is found in life. Why should one person be born into a rich family and another into poverty? Why should one be born crippled, another fit and strong?…if not because we must all eventually experience all things. Reincarnation seems the most logical explanation of child prodigies. A musical genius, composing concertos at the age of five (as did Mozart), is obviously carrying-over knowledge from one lifetime into the next. This does not usually happen, but it can. In the same way, homosexuality might well be explained through reincarnation: a person male in one lifetime and then female in the next (or vice versa) might have carried over feelings and preferences from one life to the next.

For someone who does not believe in reincarnation, it is difficult to understand the death of a child. What was the point of the child living at all, if only for a few short years? For the reincarnationist it is obvious that the child had learned all that had been set to be learned
in that particular lifetime and so was moving on. A very good simile for this is the grades of a school. You enter school in a low grade and learn the basics. When you have mastered these you graduate, take a short vacation, then come back into a higher grade to learn and
experience more things. So it is in life. In each life you have a certain amount to learn and to experience. When you have done that, you graduate (i.e. you die). To come back into a higher grade you are reborn in a new body. Occasionally remembrance of previous lives, or parts of them, is experienced but more generally you do not remember (it is possible, of course, through such procedures as hypno-regression, to go back to previous lives and bring them once more to the surface). Perhaps one of the most common of occult experiences is that
of deja-vu—the feeling that something has happened before—so often attributed to reincarnation (though by no means is reincarnation the only possible explanation of all cases of deja-vu); the feeling being a brief flash of memory of something that happened in a previous life.

In what form do we return to the earth? Some believe (the Hindus, for example) that it is not necessarily in human form each time. Certain Hindu sects teach that the soul may be reborn as a plant or an animal. However, such beliefs are not generally held in Western civilization. Some say there is a progression from the lowest life-forms to the highest— putting humans at the top. But then who is to say the order? Is a dog higher than a cat, or a cat higher than a dog? Is a centipede higher or lower than an earwig? Does this mean, when every soul has finally passed up the scale and graduated, that in the afterlife there will be no plant, animal or insect life? It seems unlikely. In Witchcraft the belief is that all things have souls. In Saxon Witchcraft, for example, it is believed that a dog will go through many incarnations, but always as a dog; a cat always as a cat; a human always as a human. There is reason for all things to be here … what we term the “balance of Nature”. It seems we certainly have a choice, within our species, of being either male or female, in order to experience and appreciate the different aspects.

One argument often put forward by non-rein-carnationists is “If what you say is true, how
do you explain the fact that the world population is continuously growing?” Of course it is! So is the population of souls/spirits. There are not simply x number of souls who all started their development together. New souls are being introduced all the times. So we have so-called “new souls”—those on their first incarnations—and “old souls”—those who have been through a large number of lives. It is possible that eventually, when the gods decide enough souls
have been introduced, there will be a stabilizing of the population followed later by a decline, as old souls in their final incarnations make their graduations. There is yet another thought that might be considered here … where do these souls originally come from and where do they go after that final graduation? One possibility, of course, is that we not only experience lives here on Earth, but also on other planets and in other reality systems. Who knows? …
perhaps we go through the cycle here having already been through it a dozen times or more on other worlds. There is obviously much food for thought, very little (if any) proof of preferences and great scope for new tenets.

Source

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft

THE POWER WITHIN

There are many people who seem, very obviously, to have some sort of “psychic power” (for want of a better term). They are the sort who know that the telephone is going to ring before it actually does, and who is on the other end of the line before they pick up the receiver. People like Uri Geller are able to demonstrate this power in more dramatic ways, by bending keys and teaspoons without physical contact. Others have “visions” or seem to be able to make things happen. Often these people have a peculiar affinity with animals.

You may not be like this. You may.well feel somewhat envious of such people. Yet you shouldn’t feel that way, for the power that these people have—and it is a very real power—is inherent in all of us. To be sure, that power comes out quite naturally in some, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be brought out in others. The aura (which will be dealt with extensively in a later lesson) is a visible manifestation of this power. Those able to see the aura—and you will become one of these—can see it around everyone; again demonstrating that the power is within everyone. Witches have always had the power and used it. Most of them seem to have it naturally, but not all by any means. For that reason the Witches have their own ways of drawing it out; ways that are especially effective.

In the magazine Everyday Science and Mechanics, for September 1932, appeared the following report:

Human Tissues Produce Deadly Radiations

“Rays emitted from human blood, fingertips, noses and eyes, kill yeast and other micro-organisms, according to Professor Otto Rahn, working at Cornell University. Yeast, such as used in making bread, was killed in five minutes merely by the radiation from the fingertips of one person. When a quartz plate, Vz inch thick, was interposed it took fifteen minutes for the yeast to die. In tests of fingers it was found that the right hand was stronger than the left, even in left-handed persons.”

Professor Rahn continued his experiments and published results in Invisible Radiations Of Organisms (Berlin, 1936). Speaking at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he explained how the “rays” seemed to come out most strongly from the fingertips, the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, the armpits, the sex organs and—in women only—the breasts. Dr. Harold S. Burr, of Yale University, spoke of similar experiments and conclusions when addressing the Third International Cancer Congress.

Witches have always believed in this power coming from the body and have developed ways to increase it, collect it and use it to do what we term magick. Professors Rahn and Burr showed the destructive use of this power, but it can be used equally effectively constructively.

Here is a simple experiment you can try with a friend. Have the friend strip to the waist and sit with his back to you. Now, extend your hand, with the palm down and fingers together, straight out to point at his (or her) back. Keep the tips of the fingers an inch or so away from the surface of the skin. Now slowly move your hand up and down along the line of his spine. Try to keep your arm straight and concentrate your thoughts on sending all your energies out along your arm and into your hand and fingers. You will probably get quite a reaction from your friend as your power makes contact. He might feel a strong tingling sensation, heat, or even what seems like a cool breeze … but he will feel something.

Experiment. Try with the left hand; with the fingers together; at different distances from his back. See if he knows where your hand is. Does he feel it moving up when it is moving up; down when moving down? You will find that the intensity of the power varies dependant upon your physical health and also upon the time of the day and the day of the month. Keep records and note when it is the best time for you to “generate”.

Source:

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft

Introduction to Ogham – 4th. Aicme

Ailm (AHL-m) Silver Fir (Abies spp.)

Ailm (AHL-m) elm * In Ireland Ailm refers to the elm (Ulmus procera) which grows all
over Ireland.

The Silver Fir is known as the Birth Tree. It was the original Christmas tree from central Europe. The needles are burned at childbirth to bless and protect the mother and baby.

Burn Silver Fir for Happiness; Harmony; Peace; Inspiration; and Wisdom.

To a witch, the cones, warn of wet weather and foretells when a dry season approaches. Its
cones respond to the environment by opening with the sun and closing with rain.

It offers a clear perception of the present and the future, its wood is used for shape-shifting
and magic involving change.

Onn (UHN) Furze, or Gorse (Ulex europaeus)

Onn (UHN), furze – Furze, or gorse, is a thorny shrub growing to six feet tall. It grows in heaths, moors, pastures, and open woodlands. It produces bright yellow flowers around the time of the spring equinox, which were very popular in pagan fertility rituals throughout Europe and the British Isles for many centuries. It is not often cultivated in North America, but is a serious weed in central California and some other areas.

Furze is a member of the Pea family (Fabaceae, or Leguminosae)

Furze/Gorse is associated with the Spring Equinox. Furze is a symbol of fertility and has the magickal uses of protection and money. Furze is a good herb to use as a protection against evil. In Wales hedges of the prickly Gorse are used to protect the home against dark fairies, which cannot penetrate the hedge.

Furze indicates a time of life changing events through the acquisition of knowledge.

Úr (OO-r) Heather (Calluna vulgaris)

Ura (OO-rah), heather – Heather is a shrub growing to six feet. It is a major component of
the vegetation type called “heath”, the source of the term “heathen”. It is evergreen, and
produces bell-shaped pinkish flowers in the late summer.

There are a number of other plants called “heath” or “heather” in the genera Erica, Phyllodoce, and Cassiope, relatives of Calluna, and are similar in appearance. Calluna is cultivated in North America with several Erica species from other parts of the world.

Heather is a member of the Heath family (Ericaceae).

A tea made from the leaves of the Heather was used as an aphrodisiac. Heather is sometimes carried as protection against rape and violent crime.

Heather is one of the Fairy flowers, and is said to light the flame of fae passions, and may
open the portals between the fae world and the human realm.

Make an offering of Heather on “Beltane” eve to attract faeries to your garden. It is the Midsummer Tree of the Summer Solstice. When it’s burned with fern, heather will attract rain.

Eadha (EH-yah) Poplar (Populus tremula)

Eadha (EH-yuh), poplar – The aspen grows to 65 feet along rivers. It sprouts from the base
and may form clumps or thickets. The black poplar (Populus nigra L.) reaches 100 feet in
sandy and gravely soil along rivers. The white poplar (Populus Alba L.) is of similar size
and habitat, but is more common in southern Europe. Both species are cultivated in North
America (the “Lombardy poplar” is a form of black poplar). The North American aspen
(P. tremuloides) is very similar to the European aspen. Poplars are members of the Willow
family (Salicaceae).

Poplar is commonly referred to as the talking, whispering and quivering tree. In Irish Gaelic, it is known as “Crann Critheac”, the quivering tree. It is a keeper of language, but it can keep no secrets.

Poplar was used by the ancients to make shields; it is believed to have the power to protect
from death and injury.

Iodhadh (EE-yoh) Yew (Taxus baccata)

Idho (EE-yoh), iodho (EE-woh), yew – The yew is a slow-growing conifer, living as long as
1000 years and reaching 65 feet, they are known for their strength and resistance to the
cold. It is much less common in recent times because of overharvesting (it’s hard, springy
wood was the source of English longbows). The evergreen needles are very broad, and the
seeds are produced in red, berry-like cones. Yew is in the Yew family (Taxaceae).

The Yew is regarded as a natural emblem of everlasting life.

In Irish mythology, the yew is one of the five sacred trees brought from the Otherworld at
the division of the land into five parts. Known as the Tree of Ross, it was said to be the
“offspring of the tree that is in Paradise”, and it brought lasting plenty to Ireland. In the
Brehon Laws, it is named as one of the Seven Chieftain Trees, with heavy penalties for
felling one.

Staves of yew were kept in pagan graveyards in Ireland where they were used for measuring corpses and graves (taking ones measure).

In the bardic schools, poets used staves of yew to help them memorize long incantations. It
is said that the poet “Cesarn” cut (the words) in Ogham into 4 rods of yew. Each was 24′
long and had 8 sides.

In “The Wooing of Etaine”, the beautiful heroine was abducted from her husband, Eochaid, who searched for her for a year and a day to no avail. Finally, he sought the help of his druid, Dallan, who made four rods of yew and inscribed them with Ogham. Through this means he discovered that Etaine was in the sidh of Bri Leith, with the faery king, Midir.

Yew is one of the nine sacred trees for kindling Beltane fires.

Introduction to Ogham – Third Aicme

Introduction to Ogham – Third Aicme

Muin (MUHN) vine (Rubus fruticosa)

Muin (MUHN, like “foot”), blackberry* In Ireland Muin refers to the Bramble or Blackberry shrub, which grows wild along every hedgerow in Ireland it has a prickly spreading vine system and fruits in September a rich fruity wine can be made from the fruits.

The Vine is considered one of the Chieftain trees of the Ogham. Its attributes involve Inner
development. Vine is considered a tree of reincarnation and eternal life due to the spiraling
pattern of its growth. The Blackberry vine is often used in healing and money spells.

Gort (GORT) Ivy (Hedera helix)

Gort (GORT), ivy – Ivy is also a vine, growing to 100 feet long in beech woods and around
human habitations, where it is widely planted as a ground cover. Ivy produces greenish
flowers before Samhain on short, vertical shrubby branches.

The leaves of these flowering branches lack the characteristic lobes of the leaves of the rest
of the plant. Like holly, ivy is evergreen, its dark green leaves striking in the bare forests of
midwinter. Ivy is widely cultivated in North America.

It is a member of the Ginseng family (Araliaceae).

The Greek God of Wine, “Bacchus”, wore a crown of ivy.

Ivy is the plant badge of the Gordons who originated in the lowlands of Scotland. The Greeks and Druid priests gave newlyweds wreaths of ivy to confer a blessing of strength and eternal love. Bards were presented Ivy crowns for their festivals (Eistedfods).

Ivy invokes protection when planted on or near a house. Ivy is equated with fidelity and is
woven into marriage wreaths. It is also used in charms to bind luck, love, and fidelity to your person.

nGéatal (NYEH-dl) Reed (Phragmites australis)

Ngetal (NYEH-tl), reed – The term “reed” is used with great imprecision in North America,
but it is clear that the reed of the Ogham is the common reed (Phragmites australis). This is a giant grass, with stems as high as 12 feet. It grows in marshy areas, where it often forms dense stands.

The vertical stems live only a single year, dying in the autumn and being replaced with new
green shoots in the spring. The dead stems rattle and whisper in late autumn winds.

In North America it is widespread in cooler climates. Common reed is in the Grass family
(Poaceae, or Gramineae).

Reed indicates direct action, and finding direction and meanings for the purpose of your
journey. The Reed is symbolic of music, bagpipes and flutes.

A broken reed is the symbol of all that is untrustworthy, for it shows something that is
rigid and inflexible. Reed is associated with the salmon of wisdom and most waterfowl.
Cut Reeds were used as pens and symbolized wisdom and scholarship.

Straif (STRAHF) Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)

Straif (STRAHF), blackthorn – The blackthorn is a relative of cherries and plums, and is the source of the sloe fruit. The fruit has been used for centuries to make a potent alcohol that was drunk during Pagan rituals in Eastern Europe, and in British Isles.

It is a thorny shrub growing to 12 feet, often forming thickets on south-facing slopes. The
blue-black fruits are edible, but bitter until after the first frost. Blackthorns are seldom
cultivated in North America. They are members of the Rose family (Rosaceae).

Blackthorn is depicted in many fairy tales throughout Europe as a tree of ill omen. A long hard winter is referred to as a Blackthorn Winter.

It is a sacred tree to the Dark, or Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, and represents the Waning and Dark Moons. Blackthorn is known as “the increaser and keeper of dark secrets”.

The tree is linked with warfare, wounding and death, associated with the Scottish Cailleach
– the Crone of Death, and the Irish Morrigan. In Scotland, winter begins when the Cailleach (also the Goddess of winter) strikes the ground with Her Blackthorn staff.

A black rod is a Blackthorn wand with fixed thorns on the end, used to cause harm to others. In British folklore, a witch will use a Blackthorn stang in rituals of cursing. The sharp thorns were reputedly used by English witches to pierce poppets in their curses, called the “pins of slumber”.

In South Devon folklore in England, witches and heretics were burned on Blackthorn pyres. The Devil was said, in medieval times, to prick his follower’s fingers with the thorn of a Blackthorn tree.

The Irish cudgel is called a “bata”, or more popularly, a shillelagh. The shillelagh is usually made from Blackthorn.

In England Witches would carve the Norse rune “Thorn” on a Blackthorn stave for protection.

Blackthorn often topped the Maypole entwined with Hawthorn, and is called “Mother of the Woods”.

Ruis (RWEESH) Elder (Sambucus nigra)

Ruis (RWEESH), elder: The common elder is a shrub growing to 30 feet in damp clearings,
along the edge of woods, and especially near habitations. Elders are grown for their blackish berries, which are used for preserves and wine. The leaf scars have the shape of a crescent moon. Elder branches have broad spongy pith in their centers, much like the marrow of long bones, and an elder branch stripped of its bark is very bone-like. Common elders are seldom seen in cultivation. Elders are in the Honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae).

Elder is sacred to the Celtic White Lady and the Summer Solstice. The Elder is a tree of Venus and is associated with the element of Air.

Early European legends tell of a dryad called Hylde-moer, The Elder Tree Mother, who lives in the Elder tree and watches over it. Should the tree be chopped down and furniture made of the wood, Hylde-moer would follow her property and haunt the owners.

Elder as a Vampire protection is older folklore than the lore about garlic.

It is said in Irish folklore that it is Elder which is used by witches for their magic “hobby
horses” and besoms.

The Elder is also seen in a negative light by the Christian religion, since Judas allegedly hanged himself from an Elder tree and the cross used to crucify Jesus was supposed to be made of Elder.

According to the Rede; Elder is the Lady’s Tree, burn it not or cursed ye be!

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