by Jane Lyle
From the website, The Astrology Room
Thoughts for April:
“The seasonal urge is strong in poets. Milton wrote chiefly in winter. Keats looked for spring to wake him up (as it did in the miraculous months of April and May, 1819). Burns chose autumn. Longfellow liked the month of September. Shelley flourished in the hot months.
Some poets, like Wordsworth, have gone outdoors to work. Others, like Auden, keep to the curtained room. Schiller needed the smell of rotten apples about him to make a poem. Tennyson and Walter de la Mare had to smoke. Auden drinks lots of tea, Spender coffee; Hart Crane drank alcohol. Pope, Byron, and William Morris were creative late at night. And so it goes.”
Helen Bevington, ‘When Found, Make a Verse Of’
April is full of natural creativity. It offers abundant opportunities to pick up something we’ve done, and find new ways to re-do or recreate that project, love affair, attitude, or journey.
During April, Saturn, Mercury, and Pluto turn back. Jupiter is already rewinding in Libra until June, while lovely Venus – one of the many goddesses celebrated in pagan springtime – will be retrograde until mid-month. The Sun enters Taurus, the Bull, on 19th April, favouring a down-to-earth, hands-on approach. It’s time to look back, look within, and tune in to the spirit of spring, 2017.
Monday, 3rd April – Friday, 28th April:
Venus sashays back to the oceans of Pisces
April was, for the Romans, a month that began by celebrating Venus in her role as Venus Verticordia, changer of hearts. This festival, the Veneralia, was a time when Romans asked the goddess for her help with love and marriage. Astrological Venus is strong in Pisces, and many of us will be in tune with those ancient Romans this April.
April 2017’s Venus in fishy Pisces brings a subtle change of atmosphere in the realms of the love goddess. The allure of the past will be very strong – vintage fashion and beauty, classical music, ancient artefacts, and retro designs are all having an enchanting moment. The shimmering glamour of old Hollywood hooks us in again. Older artists, designers, musicians and creative people step into the limelight.
Past discussions about money continue – and can link back to talks and thoughts from late January – early February this year. Nailing down anything now could be tricky – there are pitfalls, or hidden factors lurking. So it’s wise to be cautious, and take things one step at a time.
In love and friendship, we feel an urge to be kinder or more compassionate. In many ways boundaries weaken or dissolve between self and other, past and present, tangible and elusive. There is empathy and bliss. There is also secrecy and potentially, sacrifice – of love, of expectations and dreams, or of time and personal ambition. Venus in Pisces can be in love with clandestine love, or hidden art and money.
Venus in Pisces can symbolise a dream lover, a passionate ghost, a partner who is far away – maybe in hospital, prison, online, or even on a ship at sea. With Venus rewinding, our past connections continue to influence the present with old friends, lovers, and crushes in our thoughts, or back in our lives. All these things are expanded by Jupiter, currently in Venus’ home sign of Libra, while Venus is in one of Jupiter’s traditional home signs, Pisces. There are big love hearts being drawn in the sand.
Romantic reshuffles are especially likely between April 15th – 20th when Venus in idealistic Pisces and Mars in sensuous Taurus connect. For some, it could be sex with an ex. For others, it’s about where a relationship is going, and what each partner wants.
Needless to say, there are a few little flies in the celestial ointment…..
April Venus also aligns with the potent fixed star, Scheat, at 29 Pisces, in the constellation of Pegasus the Winged Horse. This star emphasises mental creativity, ambition, and enthusiasm. Yet it warns against vanity leading to poor decisions.
Scheat is associated with shipping and ocean voyages. In it’s most sinister expression, Scheat signifies downfall – and is therefore associated with accidents, notably airline crashes and shipwrecks.
Saturn is challenging lovely Venus all month long as well. Saturn underlines the past, and what endures in friendships, love, art and music. Saturn represents the need for solidity, restrictions, and boundaries. We can expect many fluctuations and tensions around emotion, love, and finances this month. At best, we appreciate how small is beautiful, and how pleasure doesn’t have to be extravagant to be fulfilling. This looks like a global mood, for Saturn is aligned with the Galactic Centre at 27 Sagittarius this April.
Venus herself is retrograde in Pisces until 15th April, returning to Aries on 28th April. But I don’t expect much to change immediately when she turns direct. It’s still old territory, first crossed in January and February. We move towards something new by mid-May. Until then, what we’ve experienced so far this year offers a feast of food for thought.
Venus travels from 1 degree Aries, back through 29, 28, 27, 26 Pisces, and then forwards again to reach 0 Aries by the end of April.
Sunday 9th April – Wednesday 3rd May:
Mercury retrograde
Mercury reverses in earthy Taurus today. Revising or redoing practical jobs, and checking computer security and financial records all over again might be top of the list during this time – 9th April until the 20th, when Mercury backtracks into Aries, finally turning direct on the 3rd May.
Generally, we should – as always on a Mercury retrograde – be prepared to check everything twice during this whole phase, particularly travel arrangements. And are you quite sure you’ve been understood? Sometimes we need to find various ways of communicating an important point during this phase.
This is a helpful time to reconsider or redo things. During the Taurus phase that tends to mean very slowly…….
But Mercury retrograde is usually a doubtful time to launch a new PR campaign, internet-based business, or anything involving communications, such as unveiling new technology. Things could simply go wrong – technical difficulties for example – or lead to unintended consequences. Delaying signing an important agreement or contract could be a wise move too, if at all possible. What’s agreed now may have to be unpicked and done again later on.
After 20th April, the pace quickens. Mercury, back in active Aries, will be bursting with ideas, things to say, and a mischievous love of chaos. At this point, we have a few days when we can firm up practical details of clever plans and ideas. And when Saturn flows with Mercury, it’s a productive time for research. Digging around in the past works well, for both planets are retrograde and Saturn is the Lord of Time.
And then….
Between the 26th April – 10th May we take a jaunty little walk on the wild side. Mercury aligns with Uranus, and there are electrifying light-bulb moments popping up all over the place. These can be exciting, yet disruptive days. Some jaw-dropping truth telling can shift beliefs and attitudes at this point too. Mercury and Uranus bring sudden, sometimes shocking, news. Rebellion and revolution are a strong theme.
Mercury turns direct on 3rd May, but we’re likely to be dealing with existing issues, or addressing this year’s misunderstandings until 20th May.
Mercury’s next retrograde is 13th August – 5th September.
Tuesday, 11th April:
The Full Moon rises in airy Libra, the Scales, at 21 degrees.
What’s fair? What is justice? What is strategy and what is manipulation?
This full Moon provokes such questions.
Diplomats of the world unite – we’ll be needing you!
The Moon is square Pluto, opposite Uranus, and widely conjunct Jupiter in Libra. These are dynamic aspects, their flavour is familiar, their mission is to encourage breakthroughs and moves towards constructive changes in our world. Easier said than done, of course.
Friday 14th April – Monday 17th April:
During the Easter weekend the Moon travels through humorous Sagittarius, favouring friendship, gatherings, and weekends away. Do check your travel plans though. Mercury is retrograde, so plans tend to go awry due to those annoying events – such as strikes – outside our control.
On Friday, 14th April, The Sun in Aries joins with Uranus – promising some Easter surprises, illuminations, inspirations or upsets. The UK, USA, France and Eire are amongst places that may experience turbulent times (more so than usual) this weekend.
On Sunday and Monday, a flowing trine between the Sun and Saturn settles things down a little, and emphasises our sense of history and tradition.
Venus in indulgent Pisces is simultaneously challenged by austere Saturn. Potentially, this could limit our Easter egg habit, and our weekend spending on frivolities, just a bit. There may be Easter break-ups or endings for some of us.
Saturday, April 22nd – Friday, April 28th:
International Dark Sky Week
“The soul of the newly born baby is marked for life by the pattern of the stars at the moment it comes into the world, unconsciously remembers it, and remains sensitive to the return of configurations of a similar kind.”
– Johannes Kepler, brilliant astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer. ‘Harmony of the World’ (1619)
There was once a time when astronomers were also astrologers. When you see the night sky in all its glory, you see the visible patterns of stars and planets that all astrologers once used to guide them. With ever-increasing light pollution, many of us never see the night sky as it really is, or understand the awe and wonder it once inspired in every human being
Wednesday, 26th April:
April’s New Moon rises in earthy Taurus the Bull, at 6 degrees
Yes, A new Moon in Taurus says why not get down and dirty?
Nature, pleasure, food and frolics are calling you!
Source:
The End of ‘The Love and Light Brigade’ & The Rawness of Re-patterning
INTENSE ENERGY WAVES – The energy extremes are being felt worldwide – many have gone through mini ‘dark nights of the soul’ as they clear their lower energies in short, sharp bursts. Releases which ULTIMATELY LEAD TO GREATER CONNECTION and pass fast, but can be intense while experienced.
DAILY REPETITION – the action ‘key’ ‘to breakthroughs right now is REPETITIVE PRACTICE of anything that feels GOOD, and OPENING to you and your LIFE-FORCE. Keep practising what brings you BALANCE.
FIRE will play out on THE WORLD STAGE IN APRIL – globally and interpersonally. Be mindful of this, internally and externally and maintain your balance as much as possible.
Sensitive beings are experiencing the collective CORE EMOTIONS right now – ANGER and FIRE are strong energies in the collective, and SADNESS/GRIEF are the undercurrents of those energies. These are moving across the planet. If you are feeling them, remember to EXHALE AND RELEASE THE COLLECTIVE ENERGY regularly.
Over-givers will be called to SERIOUSLY CHANGE their behaviors this month – it is time for over-givers and those who identify as nurturers, or ‘Bringers of Love and Light’, to learn about discernment in a DEEP way. April will bring core energy lessons in this area, resulting in you strengthening your energy and life-force, rather than mindlessly giving energy, love and light to sources who cannot receive it, or cannot use it wisely.
HIGHER ENERGIES and celestial guidance is here and stronger than ever – we can learn to access them via our current RE-PATTERNING. This will come through continually directing your behaviors and connection to a frequency of BEING that works for us, more than what we are ‘doing’ at this time.
Let your DESIRE of well being and alignment be the driving force and lead the ‘doing’ in your life (rather than the mind and its habitual patterns). Investigate what you WANT to do, rather than what you think you SHOULD do this month.
The Moon today is in a Waning Gibbous Phase. This is the first phase after the Full Moon occurs. It lasts roughly 7 days with the Moon’s illumination growing smaller each day until the Moon becomes a Last Quarter Moon with a illumination of 50%. The average Moon rise for this phase is between 9am and Midnight depending on the age of the phase. The moon rises later and later each night setting after sunrise in the morning. During this phase the Moon can also be seen in the early morning daylight hours on the western horizon.
April 15th – 16thThe Italian deity Tellus Mater—mother of the earth—was honored on this day. She was a very early fertility deity (later associated with Jupiter) who watched over marriage, the procreation creation of children, and the fruitfulness of the soil. Her festival tival was managed by the pontifices and the Vestal Virgins, at which a pregnant cow was sacrificed to ensure plenty throughout the year. In more modern times, this day is traditionally ditionally devoted to prayer for the continued health of our environment.
Without Thy sunshine and Thy rain,
We would not have the golden grain
Without Thy love we’d not be fed,
We thank thee Lady for our daily bread.
Meeting the animal of strengthThe animal of strength you will meet in this meditation may be the animal you expected – or may not be. You are therefore advised not to have expectations. It is important not to think of a particular animal before beginning the meditation, so that you can be open to all possibilities. If the animal that you imagine to be your animal of strength is indeed your animal of strength during this period of your life, it will appear by itself.
Perform the meditation in a quiet, calm place with quiet and clean energies. Clear your mind of all thoughts. Relax your body. (You can use the Jacobson technique – contracting and relaxing all the muscles from your toes upward, or you can project light onto every organ until you feel totally relaxed.)
Close your eyes. Take two deep, slow breaths. Inhale through your nose and hold your breath as long as you can – without feeling uncomfortable – and exhale through your mouth. Ignore any irrelevant thought that may pop into your mind. Behind your closed eyes, see a white screen. Concentrate on it. You may see some pleasant color or shape beginning to emerge in your mind’s eye. In your thoughts, ask your animal of strength to show itself on the screen. Concentrate hard on your request.
Wait patiently and don’t let any thoughts distract you. Within a certain amount of time, the image of an animal will appear before your eyes. It may advance slowly toward you, or you may see it in a sharp, clear flash. It may reveal itself from behind, the side, or the front. It may even be an animal that you don’t like – don’t let this bother you. Let the image emerge in your mind’s eye.
The moment you see the animal, look at it quietly, and notice what it is doing, if it is performing any actions. Direct your thoughts to picking up messages telepathically from the animal. These could occur as a voice speaking inside you, as other pictures, or as the intuitive knowledge of the animal’s words or messages. As we said before, the message may be in a human language that is familiar to you. Sometimes the animal appears as part of an occurrence or event that is familiar to you. Of course, this situation also bears an individual message.
Concentrate as hard as you can. Notice the colors that surround the animal and then open your eyes slowly. In your heart, thank the universal force for letting you channel with your animal of strength, and write down your experiences and sights in your awareness notebook. You can also draw what you saw. Sometimes it happens that you see more than one animal, or an animal that exists in the real world along with some kind of mythological animal. Similarly, another time, a different animal may appear, bearing a different message.
After the meditation, you should think of the following things: Have you ever dreamed of a particular kind of animal? What happened in that dream? You can ask that animal to appear in your dream at night and channel with it. To this end, you can use crystals for channeling and dreaming. After you have seen the animal in the meditation, ask yourself why that particular animal appeared in front of you.
Day-by-Day Wicca: A complete guide to Wicca from Beliefs and Rituals to Magic and Witchcraft (Astrolog Complete Guides)
Tabatha Jennings
The concept of an animal of strength, or a totem animal, is widespread in many cultures. In the Jewish culture, there are examples of the use of animals as symbols of a personality or behavior type. Some of the pennants of the tribes of Israel bore pictures of the animal that represented the tribe. The most famous is the Lion of Judah. The writings of one of the sages, in which he suggested that it is preferable to be a lion’s tail rather than a fox’s head, describes the way in which our animal of strength is supposed to help us. In the Native American culture, every tribe, clan, and nuclear family had a totem. Today, too, in various organizations and companies, animals are used as symbols that represent the group that participates in a particular type of activity, mainly in the USA (such as the “Lions” organization, “The Generous and Protected Order of the Antelope”, etc.). Sports teams also adopt totem animals, such as the Chicago Bulls.
Christianity adopted two “totem” animals – the lamb, which symbolizes Jesus, and the fish.
As we said, in Judaism, too, every animal represents a particular kind of energy. The fish is a symbol of fertility, the lion is the symbol of power and strength, the deer is a symbol of speed, and so on.
The second type of totem animal is the personal and individual one. These animals are energies, and, according to certain beliefs, spirits that protect and guide us in life. It is interesting that to this day, many parents give their children some kind of fluffy animal – a bear, for instance – to make it easier to fall asleep and help them feel protected. They are not aware of it, generally speaking, but this is also a totem animal.
The signs of the Zodiac also contain animals that attest more than once to the energy that influences the person’s life.
Frequently, we unconsciously identify the totem animal of a particular person. We look at him, and he seems to “remind” us of a certain animal. We also use animal descriptions to describe various people.
Animals hold a place of honor among the shamans. The first task of the future shaman is to learn to travel in other worlds and dimensions and discover his own totem animal, his animal of strength. This knowledge is necessary for starting the young shaman’s protracted learning process.
Personal animals of strength are generally the reflection of the self, and also represent qualities needed in this world, which are often hidden, concealed, and not yet expressed. Sometimes, people feel somewhat disappointed when they discover that their animal of strength is a “small” animal that seems to lack strength, such as a rabbit or a mouse. This error derives from a lack of understanding that the spirit of the animals, or their energies, is neither “small” nor “big” – it is not limited to the boundaries of this world and the physical reality and size of the animal, or to its strength in the physical world. None of those factors is relevant. Whether your animal of strength is “big” or “small,” you will quickly discover that in time of need, it will help you exactly to the extent that you need help.
According to the Native American tradition, the personal totem animal, in contrast to family, clan, or tribal totem animals, may change several times during the person’s lifetime, according to his specific needs. At times when you feel weak, exhausted, and depressed, your totem animal is far away from you, and you have to bring it back or find a new one.
We all have a totem animal – an animal of strength, energy that is represented by a certain animal – that is linked to us and protects us. Many animals of strength serve as our guards and protectors, and exist in other dimensions. Certain animals were with us in previous lives, but they may have had a different physical form. Occasionally, a particular animal of strength of ours may appear in our lives in a different form and establish physical contact with us by coming into the world as a cat, a dog, and so on.
When you go on the journey to discover your animal of strength, it is almost certain that forces, or certain energies (as we said, according to the Native American tradition, those are the spirits of the animal; I personally prefer to define them as the energy of the animal), will introduce themselves as your animal of strength. If you already know and are familiar with your animal of strength, the animal you meet on your journey will bless you and grant you additional power.
According to the Native American tradition, all birds and mammals are positive totem animals. Any positive totem animal can be your animal of strength. However, not only familiar and well-known animals are our animals of strength. Insects and reptiles can serve as transmitters of messages or give us a certain insight that will support us during the rest of our mental and spiritual development. Sometimes, the animal of strength may be an extinct animal (such as the Australian bird, the dodo), a mythological animal (such as the unicorn or Pegasus, the winged horse), or even a centaur (half man and half horse, one of Sagittarius’ symbols).
Sometimes it can be an animal that does not exist in any mythology or in any zoological textbook – a unique animal or an animal from another world.
Day-by-Day Wicca: A complete guide to Wicca from Beliefs and Rituals to Magic and Witchcraft (Astrolog Complete Guides)
Tabatha Jennings
Sunday & The Perfect Corresponding Spell
Finally, it’s Sunday, the official day of rest. Not only do Christians acknowledge this day, but I’m sure many pagans appreciate this day, as well. Everyone needs rest and a lot of people need a good day to worship their creator(whomever or whatever that may be), however they deem fit to do so. With the Sun being the central theme of many ancient rituals, Sunday just seems to fit, in name and theory. Not only is it a good day to worship, it seems good to do more relaxed spells, such as sleep, dream, and rebirth.
Worship – Sunday Pagan Worship
What you will need:
Your voice
Your body
1 bell (optional)
Find a quiet, private area, without distraction. Sit down in a comfortable position. Take a few, slow, deep breaths. Allow your body to become very relaxed. When you have done this, if you brought a bell, ring it seven times. Allow the last ring to resonate throughout your body. If you have something you want to say, to God or The Goddess, now would be a good time to do this. When you are finished, say this prayer or chant:
“I know there is a higher being
than me.
I am not alone.
You are with me,
Day and night.
You’ve rode the lows
And watched the heights.
If angels are real,
I’m sure to have a guardian.
I am so thankful
And so grateful for your hand.
You’ve blessed me.
You’ve fed me.
You’ve quenched my thirst
And even dressed me.
A ‘man, A ‘men, And Blessed Be.”
When you are finished, ring the bell seven more times, to end the ceremony.
A Witch’s Week of Spells and Activities
Helga C. Loueen
Sunday is Ruled by the SunSunday corresponds to the sun, our closest star. This day is full of wonder and all sorts of magical potential for success, wealth, and fame. Sundays are for personal achievements of any kind such as working towards a promotion at your job, seeking fame and wealth, or being acknowledged for a job well done. All of these goals fall under the golden influence of the sun. Some suggestions for Sunday enchantments would include:
Sitting outside at sunrise and calling on the goddess Brigid for illumination and inspiration
Wearing gold jewelry or clothing that is gold or sunshine yellow to pull some color magic into your life
Arranging a few sunflowers in a vase and empowering these “flowers of the sun” for fame and ambition
Gathering up the common marigold flower and scattering it’s petals about to encourage prosperity
Baking up a batch of cinnamon rolls for the family and enchanting them for health and success
Snacking on a solar fruit, the orange, and enjoying the magical boost it brings to your life
The Aspects of CapricornNotes: Perform rituals during bright daylight or the hour of Saturn and during the waxing Moon, with the Full Moon being strongest.
Color: Dark shades
Ruling Planet: Saturn
Stone: Garnet
Flower: Carnation
Description: Rigid, practical, loner, managerial, persistent, opinionated, sarcastic sense of humor, prudent, efficient, miserly, cold, pessimistic, patient, ruthless, ambitious.
The Witches Almanac for Sunday, April 16thWaning Moon
Moon phase: Third Quarter
Moon Sign: Sagittarius
Moon enters Capricorn 7: 05 pm
Incense: Heliotrope
Color: Amber
The Witches Guide to SundayRuler: Sun
Colors: Gold or yellow
Power Hours: Sunrise and sunset.
Key Words: Love, happiness, health, wealth
It is easy to spot the ruler of this day by its name. Sunday is the day of the sun. Community work, volunteer services, exercise, outdoor sports, buying, selling, speculating, meeting people, anything involving groups, running fairs and raffles, growing crops and taking care of all health matters fall under the influence of the Sun. With all this activity and the brightness of the sun, it’s easy to see why the child that is born on the Sabbath day is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.
Michael is the primary angel of Sunday but each hour of this day also has it’s secondary angel. These angels are Michael (first hour), Anael (second hour), Raphael (third hour), Gabril (fourth hour), Cassiel (fifth hour), Sachiel (sixth hour), Samael (seventh hour), Michael (eighth hour), Anael (ninth hour), Raphael (tenth hour), Gabriel (eleventh hour), and Cassiel twelfth hour). Notice some of the angels do double duty this day.
On Sundays, (unless you are invoking a specific angelic energy) the hour of sunrise will be the most powerful time to work, especially if you want to infuse energy into your work. Sunset is the second best time and is favored when you need to calm down a situation. Check the local newspaper, astrological calendar, or almanac to determine your local sunrise.
Sunday – is associated with the Sun
Candle colors – Red, Gold, and Orange
This is a Leo’s power day
Conjuring Work Excellent for Sundays: Power, Health, Success, Personal Finances, Prosperity, Home life, Control, Hotfoot work, Shut your mouth conjure, Sunday is good for all hot work.
—Old Style Conjure Wisdoms, Workings and Remedies
Starr Casas
Ludi (Rome)
POMONA
Themes: Rest, Pleasure; Nature
Symbols: All Flowers; Gardens
About Pomona: A Roman Goddess of orchards and gardens, Pomona is symbolized by al gardening implements. Pomans’s consort was Vertumnus, who likewise presided over gardens. Together, they embody the fruitful earth from which we gather physical and spiritual sustenance. First fruits are traditionally offered to them in gratitude.
To Do Today: Public games in Ancient Rome were dedicated to taking a much-needed rest fromo toil and war. this particular segment of the festival celebrated the beauty of flowers before people returned to the fields and their labors. So, wear a floral- or leafy-print outfit today and visit a greenhouse or an arboretum. Take time out to literally smell the flowers and thank Pomona for the simple pleasure this provides.
Make yourself a Pomona oil to dab on anytime you want to better appreciate nature or cultivate some diversion from your normal routine. Prepare this from the petals of as many different flowers as you can find, gathered early in the day. Steep the petals in warm oil until they turn translucent, then strain. Repeat and add essential oils (fruits ones for Pomona are ideal) to accentuate the aroma and energy you’ve created.
365 Goddess, A Daily Guide to the magic and inspiration to the Goddess
Patricia Telesco
Sunday, April 16Traditionally, Sunday is the first day of the week. It is also known as the Lord’s Day from it original association with the Lord, that is, the Sun God, personified as Helios, Apollo, Ogmios, Mithras, and St. Elia. But in the Northern Tradition, the sun is seen as feminine, personified as the goddess known as Phoebe in East Anglia and Saule in eastern Europe. The sun rules the conscious element of the human being, the ego, the real self, and Sunday is the day on which this conscious power is at its most effective.
Deity: Sol
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Planet: Sun
Tree: Birch
Herb: Snakeroot
Stone: Ruby
Animal: Lion
Element: Fire
Color: Gold
Rune: Sigel
Celtic Tree Month of Saille (Willow) ( April 15 – May 12)
The Runic Half Month of Man(human being) (April 14 – April 28th)
Goddess of the Month of Columbina(March 20 – April 17)
The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick
The Sky This Week for April 16 to 23The Winter Hexagon, the annual Lyrid Meteor Shower, and other amazing things to look for in the sky this week.
By Richard Talcott
Sunday, April 16
For those who like to observe during the quiet predawn hours, Saturn offers a visual treat this week. The ringed planet rises before 1 a.m. local daylight time and climbs some 30° high in the south by the time morning twilight begins. It shines at magnitude 0.3 against the backdrop of northwestern Sagittarius, where it appears nearly stationary relative to the background stars. Take a look at Saturn through binoculars and you’ll also see the open star clusters M21 and M23 as well as the spectacular Lagoon (M8) and Trifid (M20) nebulae less than 4° to its east. When viewed through a telescope, the planet shows a 17″-diameter disk surrounded by a stunning ring system that spans 40″ and tilts 26° to our line of sight. And as a bonus, this morning the waning gibbous Moon appears near Saturn. The two approach each other as morning progresses; the Moon will pass 3° north of the planet at 2 p.m. EDT.
Monday, April 17
Jupiter reached opposition and peak visibility just 10 days ago, and it remains a stunning sight all night. It appears low in the east-southeast during evening twilight and climbs highest in the south around 1 a.m. local daylight time. Shining at magnitude –2.5, the giant planet is the night’s brightest celestial object with the exception of the waning gibbous Moon and Venus, neither of which rises until well past midnight. Jupiter resides among the background stars of Virgo, 8° northwest of that constellation’s brightest star, 1st-magnitude Spica. When viewed through a telescope, the gas giant’s disk spans 44″ and shows incredible detail in its cloud tops.
Tuesday, April 18
One of the spring sky’s finest deep-sky objects, the Beehive star cluster (M44) in the constellation Cancer the Crab, lies high in the southwest after darkness falls. With naked eyes under a dark sky, you should be able to spot this star group as a faint cloud. But the Beehive explodes into dozens of stars through binoculars or a small telescope at low power.
Wednesday, April 19
Last Quarter Moon occurs at 5:57 a.m. EDT. The half-lit orb rises shortly after 2 a.m. local daylight time and climbs highest in the south around 7 a.m. (after sunrise). Earth’s only natural satellite appears against the dim background stars along the border between Sagittarius and Capricornus.
Thursday, April 20
Mars continues to put on a nice show these April evenings. It appears 15° high in the west an hour after sunset and doesn’t dip below the horizon until after 10 p.m. local daylight time. The magnitude 1.6 Red Planet appears among the background stars of Taurus the Bull, just 4° due south of the Pleiades star cluster (M45). Mars and the Pleiades remain within a single binocular field for more than 10 days. Unfortunately, a telescope shows no detail on the planet’s 4″-diameter disk.
Mercury reaches inferior conjunction, passing between the Sun and Earth, at 2 a.m. EDT. The innermost planet will return to view before dawn in mid-May.
Friday, April 21
The Big Dipper’s familiar shape rides high in the northeast on April evenings. The spring sky’s finest binocular double star marks the bend of the Dipper’s handle. Mizar shines at 2nd magnitude, some six times brighter than its 4th-magnitude companion, Alcor. Even though these two are not physically related, they make a fine sight through binoculars. (People with good eyesight often can split the pair without optical aid.) A small telescope reveals Mizar itself as double — and these components do orbit each other.
Saturday, April 22
The annual Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak before dawn. Conditions this year should be nearly ideal. The waning crescent Moon doesn’t rise until after 4 a.m. local daylight time, and even when it does, it sheds little light into the predawn sky. The shower’s radiant — the point in the constellation Lyra the Harp from which the meteors appear to emanate — climbs nearly overhead just before morning twilight starts to break. Under a clear, dark sky, observers can expect to see 15 to 20 meteors per hour.
Sunday, April 23
The waning crescent Moon appears to the right of Venus before dawn. The two approach each other as the morning progresses, and the Moon will pass 5° south of the planet at 2 p.m. EDT.
Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Sunday, April 16thThe Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 97.87° E
Sun Altitude: 27.28°
Sun Distance: 93.294 million mi
Next Solstice: Jun 20, 2017 11:24 pm (Summer)
Sunrise Today: 6:18 am↑ 76° East
Sunset Today: 7:30 pm↑ 284° West
Length of Daylight: 13 hours, 12 minutes
The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 234.19° SW
Moon Altitude: 12.09°
Moon Distance: 251518 mi
Next New Moon: Apr 26, 20177:16 am
Next Full Moon: May 10, 20174:42 pm
Next Moonset: Today9:57 am
Current Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous
Illumination: 76.1%
Like a line drawn in the sand
We set this boundary
To mark where we now stand
With light all around me
A wall of magick power
To keep us safe and sound
From this magick hour
We draw it all around
That which we call ours
We let cross onto our side
That which we deny
Will face a chasm wide
With harm to none at all
With positive intents
We build this sacred wall
A strong protective fence
A strong protective fence
To protect us from evil intent
And actions from this day forth.
So Mote It Be
—Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook: Wonderfully Witchy Blessings, Charms & Spells
Deborah Blake
We would like to welcome you to a short introduction on the Bindrunes. What are the Bindrunes you might ask, simply they are an extension of the Runes themselves. They are a combination of two or more Runes that are used for good health, prosperity,, protection and much more. In this session, you will learn about the proper way of making a Bindrune, the wood to use, the method to making them, and of course, Lady A tells some of her personal experiences with the Runes and the Bindrunes. We are sure this is one episode you will enjoy!
Witches Of The Craft® 
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