Fortune represents that aspect of life that is directed by forces and events we may not understand or even be aware of. In short, Fortune deals with chance—those occurrences that manage to alter even the most structured of lives, usurp man’s “best laid plans.” While the effects of Fortune are unpredictable, the outcome is always change; sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Our path through life is never a ride down a perfectly straight highway. Sometimes we may even experience hairpin turns or complete reversals of direction. Fortune is strong reminder that despite our plans, the Universe has its own agenda from which we cannot escape participation.
The Sun Rune, denotes power and strength. That which you want may be attained. Sowilo also denotes mental clarity and added warmth to your relationships.
Additional information about Today’s Rune, Sowilo
sowulo : sun
Phonetic equivalent: s
DIVINATORY MEANINGS: success, positive energy, increase, power, activity, fertility, health
ANALYSIS: The sun is held sacred by almost every religion in the world. Its light and warmth symbolize life and growth and all that is good. Norse cosmology describes the sun being driven around the heavens in a chariot and chased by a great wolf, which will devour at Ragnarok. Throughout IndoEuropean Paganism, the sun has frequently been associated with the horse, often described as being carted around the sky by a horse. Both are symbolic of life and fertility, and are usually considered ‘masculine’ in polarity, although in Norse myth the chariot is driven by a girl. The swastika or sun wheel is a constant motif in rock carvings dating Neolithic times, and occurs throughout Europe and Asia. The sun rune itself is a variation on this symbol, and represents motion and energy.
Sowilo marks the end of the second aett, and like wunjo represents success and glory. However, unlike the rest and relaxation of Valhalla, the sun is very much an active symbol. We have reached the end of the aett successfully, and the conclusion is a positive one, but in this case we are fully aware of the changing and transient nature of the universe. We can see the wolf at heels, and we know that we must move on. Here, though, the journeyer may pause briefly in the warmth and light of the sun, absorbing and applying its energy to the work ahead. This time we won’t need to be blasted out of our safe position, but will rather choose to leave it in order to continue on the journey.
Strength denotes an inner power, mastery of will and development of inner might. Through mastering one’s emotions and learning from both success and failure the person Strength represents has reached a place where they are influential without applying physical force, able to weather the roughest of storms, and not likely to abandon the less fortunate. Strength also denotes a large capacity for forgiveness and compassion. Strength is not as much about winning as it is about achieving balance, overcoming hardship, and using well crafted persuasion to gain allies.
Good energy is available for detaching yourself a little today, dear Aries, and perhaps letting your mind wander – things that can help you to detox and let go of accumulated stress. A helpful conversation, invitation, or piece of news may be part of the picture. You are likely to come up with some new spins on old problems, as your thinking is fresh right now. Flashes of insight can be experienced. Today is strong for connecting with friends; but it’s not ideal energy for practical matters, as important details are likely to be missed or ignored. This can be a dreamy, creative time.
Taurus
Taurus
This can be a strong day for letting go of resentments, dear Taurus, and detaching yourself from life just enough to get to a more positive perspective on it. Take extra time for relaxing activities. Listen to your gut instincts when approaching decisions, particularly those related to career, life direction, or public relations. You can come up with great ideas or you might solve a long-standing problem. You are more able to assess matters with some level of detachment, and practical activities tend to fare well now as a result.
Gemini
Gemini
Your mind is investigative today, dear Gemini, and although this may not be the most productive of days, you can come to interesting insights. Important discoveries may be made now. You are putting everything into perspective rather than compartmentalizing. Instead of simply shooting the breeze, you are more inclined to discuss broader philosophies now. You seem to have your finger on the pulse of future trends, and this enables you to come up with inventive and timely solutions to problems and ideas for future projects. Friendships are stimulating and lively. Networking can lead to useful and/or pleasant discoveries. You may need to make changes on the fly, but you’re especially adaptable, and others appreciate that quality.
Cancer
Cancer
You are more intuitive these days, dear Cancer, and today is an especially strong time for opening up conversations that may not typically take place, as you are very rational about tricky or sensitive topics right now. Career matters can benefit today with a little bit of research. The discovery of a new way to approach a nagging problem can be exciting. There can be some listlessness experienced today, however, and emotional problems can impact physical energy tremendously, up or down. However, focused on forward-moving matters can keep you in good spirits.
Leo
Leo
Interactions with people close to you can be very lively and stimulating today, dear Leo. Sharing an intellectual problem to solve with someone can be rewarding. This directs energy towards a constructive puzzle to work through, rather than unproductive conversations and situations. While you may not be digging deep today, there can be a pleasing level of emotional detachment experienced that allows for open and honest conversations, and this is wonderfully useful from time to time. This is unlikely to be a very productive time in a strict sense, but it’s a good day for detoxing and letting go of tension.
Virgo
Virgo
This can be a strong time for both intellectual and emotional breakthroughs, dear Virgo. Mercury, your ruler, is in harmony with Uranus in your investigative eighth house, and this can be a time for important or helpful discoveries. New methods, health discoveries, or solutions to work problems can be in the offing now. Your thinking is ahead of your time, and you have the chance to breathe new life into old routines and projects, so take advantage. You are in better shape if you let tensions go and ease off on pressure to meet goals. With some mental and emotional freedom, your mind can take you to interesting places.
Libra
Libra
This can be a nice time for coming to an agreement or an exciting new plan/idea with someone, dear Libra. A conversation can solve a lot of problems as minds open to possibilities. There is a potential for a highly stimulating conversation with a loved one or love interest. You are especially open-minded and can approach normally taboo topics, or the opposite – dull topics – with a lively spin today that attracts others to you. Allow yourself some freeform thinking now. Your bigger-thinking skills are strengthened so that you may be thinking about the long term and the overview. Petty problems may be seen as tiny hiccups in a much bigger plan, and with this perspective, you’re in great shape. The Moon is in your sign all day, but is also void much of the day, indicating a need to take things easy rather than begin all-new projects.
Scorpio
Scorpio
The Moon in your privacy sector all day signals an emotional need for more time to yourself so that you can recharge, dear Scorpio. Getting extra time to think and muse is especially helpful with a Mercury-Uranus aspect occurring now that stimulates creative, progressive thinking. There’s great energy for letting go and moving forward. You can talk through almost anything now, and you can be very persuasive. Being especially open and forthcoming with family can be rewarding. Your thinking is forward-looking and positive, and you can approach domestic matters and routines or work in a new way. You might hear or discover news about a health issue, possibly an alternative approach, that benefits you now and in the future.
Sagittarius
Sagittarius
People are attracted to your unique perspective today, dear Sagittarius, as well as your personal convictions. Strive to be as open to a new idea as possible right now, as you have something to learn from a friend, sibling, or partner now. On the flip side, you’re also in great shape for providing some guidance to others. People may be hanging on your words. There is a strong ability to express yourself in positive and even inspiring ways now. Open and honest conversations with others, particularly a partner, lover, or child, can be in focus today.
Capricorn
Capricorn
Today’s energies are strong for money and practical matters, dear Capricorn. Family matters are also in good form, and progressive ideas about how to make yourself feel more secure (or comfortable) can be easy to come by. Your ideas can be marketable today. Your thinking is creative, particularly along practical, financial, and business lines. Conversations with family members can be productive. Focus on the broader goals rather than the details now, as the energies of the day don’t especially favor pesky little details, which can be saved for a later date. You can talk a friend or family member through a difficult stretch right now with inventive solutions. The atmosphere is open and honest.
Aquarius
Aquarius
Your ruler, Uranus, influences our thinking and communications today, dear Aquarius, with a harmonious aspect between Uranus and Mercury. Mercury happens to be in your sign, so this can be considered an extra boost – a very strong time for communications. You are especially charming and your your intelligence is marked and obvious to others. Using the power of words to attract what you want or to further your interests works best for you now. There could be good news coming in, or a matter that has been stuck moves forward. Personal appeal is powerful.
Pisces
Pisces
Our minds are more tuned into progressive ideas today, dear Pisces. There is light, creative energy to the day, and while you may not be especially productive, you can come up with great ideas or insights. This can be a powerful day for letting go of outdated or dysfunctional behaviors and attitudes, and identifying and holding on to elements of your past that truly work for you. You may reconcile with a family member, or grow a close relationship now. You can be privy to some interesting news or revelations today. At the very least, you’ll hear about something previously hidden and this helps jump-start your own thinking processes.
Ahead of your time in your thinking, always, you have an unusual perspective on life. You are highly intelligent and can easily take the lead in any sort of project you undertake. Others instinctively trust you, and you demand honesty from others. However, you are also a forgiving soul at the end of the day–always aware that imperfection not only is a reality, it’s beautiful in your eyes. You rarely feel understood, however, even though you strive to understand others as best as you can.
Famous people born today: George Harrison, Tea Leoni, Enrico Caruso, Rashida Jones, Sean Astin.
You can be very relationship-focused today, dear Aries, and others are paying you special attention. You’re not content simply to hang out with people at the moment – you’re more inclined to want to be active and get things done with someone in your corner. A Venus-Mars parallel aspect can enliven your romantic or social connections and can also boost your personal magnetism. It can be stimulating and rather straightforward to come to a nice you-me balance in your relationships.
Taurus
Taurus
There can be a pleasing focus on putting your affairs into order today, dear Taurus, or for beautifying and organizing your work environment. It’s a good day to connect with others in general, but particularly to make nice with customers, co-workers, and/or bosses. This is a strong day for career thinking or method breakthroughs. You are especially noticed for your dynamism and strength today, and might meet someone special while going about your work or health activities.
Gemini
Gemini
You can feel especially hopeful and motivated today, dear Gemini. There is good energy for playful activities, creative charm, and romantic connections. You seem to get along with everyone right now, from all walks of life, and romantically speaking, you’re in great form. The ability to successfully combine grace and assertion helps you out today, and adds to your persuasiveness. Promotional or publishing activities can be in good shape now.
Cancer
Cancer
The Moon in your home and family sector all day points to some need for familiarity and comfort, dear Cancer. Even so, there are pleasing levels of excitement and activity associated with your personal or domestic life. You want to get things done, and won’t tolerate things being out of whack. This is a time for intimate excitement as well, and perhaps some positive movement in your financial affairs. Coming to a good balance between work and down time seems almost easy today.
Leo
Leo
This can be an exciting day for learning of all kinds, dear Leo, communicating with increased charm and punch, and making stimulating connections. There can be lively interactions today. You’re also putting things together on a mental level in creative ways, and could get to a wonderful new insight or a new level of understanding in your studies or research. This is a good time to sell your ideas to others, to present your case in some manner, and to work on projects with great vigor and passion.
Virgo
Virgo
There is a strong focus on money, possessions, and business matters today, dear Virgo, but for many, this may simply be about wanting to feel comfortable and secure. It’s a good day for thinking breakthroughs on work projects and methods, as well as new ideas about money. This can be a very resourceful time when you make the most of what you have. While you can probably make some interesting purchases now, there can be a little impulsiveness or a larger appetite for things in general today.
Libra
Libra
You can be admired for your dynamism and straightforward approach today, dear Libra, and you have more persuasive power than usual. Emotionally speaking, you are in no mood to deal with mundane affairs – you need some excitement and freedom of movement. Personal magnetism is strong today, and interactions can be animated. There is a desire for harmony and willingness to take real steps to get to a position of mutual benefit, making negotiations very successful now.
Scorpio
Scorpio
You have a tendency to stay in the background today, dear Scorpio, and quite willingly at that. It definitely doesn’t take away from your personal appeal – in fact, it may add to it. There can be a lot going on behind the scenes, in your mind, and under the surface of things. For some, there can be a private meeting or affair, a fun secret, and excitement in your personal life. There can be especially creative, dynamic ideas about handling the home or personal life as well.
Sagittarius
Sagittarius
This can be a fun and animated day in your social or romantic life, dear Sagittarius. Today, you can be excited about plans, and news can come through that you’ve been waiting for. Group activities and cooperative efforts can be in focus and especially useful or dynamic. Communications can range from pleasant to inspiring. There is charm in your presentation, and personal magnetism, particularly amongst friends and over your networks. You may be taking the lead and succeeding at it.
Capricorn
Capricorn
This can be an especially creative day on practical levels, dear Capricorn, with money, money-making ideas, business, career projects, and reputation matters. You are magnetic, particularly in your work or in a public capacity, and some of you may even meet someone special or a romantic interest through your business activities. You may be taking the lead or managing in especially charming, successful ways today. Some of you could find a great buy.
Aquarius
Aquarius
You have a stronger desire for pleasure and excitement today, dear Aquarius, and you can be in great shape on the level of communications, mental interests, and making connections. There may be a breakthrough in your studies or a new level of understanding reached with someone important to you. You are projecting both strength and warmth, and people are taking note! It’s a good day for magnetic attraction. Starting something with high profile appeal is favored now.
Pisces
Pisces
This is not the best time to follow an exacting schedule, dear Pisces, as very creative energy is with you now and you may tap into it more easily if allowed some free time and space. Passions from deep within are stimulated today, and for some, an unusual attraction or desire can emerge, possibly even from a dream, or a private longing can take strong hold. This can be a good time to take action on a financial matter for some. You are looking for harmony in your relationships, and willing to go to great lengths to achieve it.
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.
Phase Details for – Thursday, February 25, 2016
Phase: Waning Gibbous
Illumination: 93%
Moon Age: 17.26 days
Moon Angle: 0.49
Moon Distance: 404,751.07 km
Sun Angle: 0.54
Sun Distance: 148,092,240.34 km
Ruled by the planet Jupiter and dedicated to Thor, god of thunder and agricultural work. His parallels in various European Traditions include Zeus, Taranis, Perun, and Perkunas. Magical aspects: controlled optimism, energetic growth, physical well-being, material success, expansion, money/wealth, prosperity, leadership, and generosity.
Thursday is the day of Jupiter, the largest of the planets and said to be the most powerful. Spellcasters would be wise to use this day for attempting wealth, success and prosperity spells. Thursday is also associated (in Greek mythology) to Thor – Thor’s day – and some even say that Jupiter and Thor are one in the same. Both are strong and powerful, yet wise and just.
Try a small prayer to Jupiter before commencing any ritual on Thursday as a sign of respect.
This is the proper day of the week to perform spells and rituals involving luck, happiness, health, legal matters, male fertility, treasure, wealth, honour, riches, clothing, money, desires, business, group pursuits, joy, laughter, and expansion.
Thursday (Jupiter): Expansion, money, prosperity, and generosity.
Saint Walburga’s Day (German)
Waning Moon The Waning Moon (from the Full Moon to the New) is a time for study, meditation, and little magical work (except magic designed to banish harmful energies).
Moon phase: Third Quarter
Moon Sign: Libra Libra: Favors cooperation, social activities, beautification of surroundings, balance, and partnership.
The name is derived from Old English Þūnresdæg and Middle English Thuresday (with loss of -n-, first in northern dialects, from influence of Old Norse Þorsdagr) meaning “Thor’s Day”. Thunor, Donar (German, Donnerstag) and Thor are derived from the name of the Germanic god of thunder, Thunraz, equivalent to Jupiter in the interpretatio romana.
In most Romance languages, the day is named after the Roman god Jupiter, who was the god of sky and thunder. In Latin, the day was known as Iovis Dies, “Jupiter’s Day”. In Latin, the genitive or possessive case of Jupiter was Iovis/Jovis and thus in most Romance languages it became the word for Thursday: Italian giovedì, Spanish jueves, French jeudi, Sardinian jòvia, Catalan dijous, and Romanian joi. This is also reflected in the p-Celtic Welsh dydd Iau.
The astrological and astronomical sign of the planet Jupiter (♃Jupiter) is sometimes used to represent Thursday.
Since the Roman god Jupiter was identified with Thunor (Norse Thor in northern Europe), most Germanic languages name the day after this god: Torsdag in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, Hósdagur/Tórsdagur in Faroese, Donnerstag in German or Donderdag in Dutch. Finnish and Northern Sami, both non-Germanic (Uralic) languages, uses the borrowing “Torstai” and “Duorastat”. In the extinct Polabian Slavic language, it was perundan, Perun being the Slavic equivalent of Thor.
There are a number of modern names imitating the naming of Thursday after an equivalent of “Jupiter” in local tradition. In most of the languages of India, the word for Thursday is Guruvar – var meaning day and guru being the style for Bṛhaspati, guru to the gods and regent of the planet Jupiter. In Thai, the word is Wan Pharuehatsabodi – referring to the Hindu deity Bṛhaspati, also associated with Jupiter. En was an old Illyrian deity and in his honor in the Albanian language Thursday is called “Enjte”.[5] In the Nahuatl language, Thursday is Tezcatlipotōnal (Nahuatl pronunciation: [teskat͡ɬipoˈtoːnaɬ]) meaning “day of Tezcatlipoca”.
Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 157.85° SSE
Sun Altitude: 41.80°
Sun Distance: 92.010 million mi
Next Equinox: Mar 19, 2016 11:30 PM (Vernal)
Sunrise Today: 6:26 AM↑ 101° East
Sunset Today: 5:40 PM↑ 259° West
Length of Day: 11 hours, 13 minutes
Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 297.32° WNW
Moon Altitude: -35.58°
Moon Distance: 251286 mi
Next New Moon: Mar 8, 20167:54 PM
Next Full Moon: Mar 23, 20167:00 AM
Next Moonrise: Today8:33 PM
Current Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous
Illumination: 92.2%
Who is the Goddess?
Who is she to me?
All the women I love,
My Mother, Me!
All of us Goddesses,
Goddesses all!
She comes to us all
We must only call In childhood laughter
In children’s games
She is the one with a thousand names.
Isis, Astarte, Demeter, and more,
She is Gaia, the earth’s very core
She sings in the breeze
And the leaves on the trees
She is the keeper of birds and bees
The Goddess is part of us all you see
She’s in everybody, I feel her in me!
Real quick, sorry we are running late but our power has been out and just came back on. So hang with us we are going to fly as fast as our ISP will let us. Got to run….
1. You’ve candle wax in between the keys on your keyboard.
2. You cast your circles in Photoshop or CorelDraw.
3. Your altar is done in 3D.
4. Your favourite book is Zen and the Art of CGI Programming.
5. You firmly believe in Virtual Memory.
6. You begin focusing by typing in < CENTER >.
7. Your entire BOS is on disks.
8. You are aware of disturbances on the net.
9. You can become one with the computer. It is a living thing.
10. As a Windows user, you have had in depth conversations with CyberLoki.
11. You paint pentacles on the tops of all your CD’s to offer them extra protection.
12. You use ICQ as an oracle.
13. Gods and Goddesses send you emails in your dreams.
14. You hold weekly rituals on IRC.
15. You inscribe magickal runes and symbols on your computer monitor with your finger. This is especially powerful when your monitor is dusty.
16. Numerology is interpretted differently by each techno witch and relates to how much email you receive in one day.
17. You channel energy from your mouse and outwards, towards the arrow on your screen.
18. Divination by computer hum.
19. Releasement rituals entail writing lengthy rants to email discussion lists. You are purified of negativity when you receive forgiveness for doing so.
20. Beauty spells involve scanning in pictures of yourself and altering them to the way you want to look.
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Explanation: Can you identify a familiar area in the northeast USA just from nighttime lights? It might be possible because many major cities are visible, including (right to left) New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond andNorfolk — Boston of the USA’s Northeast megalopolis is not pictured. The featured image was taken in 2012 from the International Space Station. In the foreground are two Russian cargo ships with prominent solar panels. This Northeast megalopolis of the USA contains almost 20 percent of the people of the USA but only about 2 percent of the land area. Also known also as the Northeast Corridor and part of the Eastern Seaboard, about 10 percent of the world’s largest companies are headquartered here. The near continuity of the lights seem to add credence to the 1960s-era prediction that the entire stretch is evolving into one continuous city.
Moonless evenings in February, March and April present the best time of year to see zodiacal light in the Northern Hemisphere evening sky. Meanwhile, from the Southern Hemisphere, the zodiacal light is best seen before dawn during these months of the year. The light appears when the evening twilight has left the sky (about 80 to 120 minutes after sunset). It looks like a hazy pyramid of light in the west after true darkness falls.
This light can be noticeable and easy to see from latitudes like those in the southern U.S. I’ve seen it many times from the latitude of southern Texas, sometimes while driving a lonely highway far from city lights, up to one hour or so after evening dusk leaves the sky. In that case, the zodiacal light can resemble the lights of a city or town just over the horizon.
Skywatchers in the northern U.S. or Canada sometimes say wistfully that they’ve never seen the zodiacal light. But on February 6, 2013 – on our Facebook page – we received the beautiful photo above from Jim Peacock in northern Wisconsin. He captured the zodiacal light over Lake Superior. Sometimes the camera will pick up faint objects that the eye can’t see. But Jim said this northern Wisconsin zodiacal light was visible to the eye. He said:
Yes, it was very visible to the eye … it reached high above the horizon. Was so cool to see over Lake Superior.
You definitely do need a dark sky location to see the zodiacal light, someplace where city lights aren’t obscuring the natural lights in the sky. Remember, the zodiacal light is a pyramid-shaped glow in the west after dark. It’s even “milkier” in appearance than the starlit trail of the summer Milky Way. It’s most visible after dusk at this time of year because (as seen from the Northern Hemisphere) theecliptic – or path of the sun, moon, and planets – stands nearly straight up with respect to the horizon after the sun sets in February and March
The zodiacal light can be seen for up to an hour after dusk. Unlike twilight dusk, though, there’s no rosy color to the zodiacal light. The reddish skies at dusk and dawn are caused by Earth’s atmosphere, and the zodiacal light originates far outside our atmosphere. When you see the zodiacal light, you are looking edgewise into the plane of our own solar system. The zodiacal light is actually sunlight reflecting off dust particles that move in the same plane as Earth and the other planets orbiting our sun.
Remember, if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, your late winter/early spring months (August, September, October) are the best time for you to see the zodiacal light in the evening. Right now (February, March, April), you should be looking for the zodiacal light before dawn.
Bottom line: From the Northern Hemisphere, on a moonless night, try to find the elusive zodiacal light. It looks like a hazy pyramid of light extending up from the place where the sun went down. Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere now, the zodiacal light is best before dawn.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded the website EarthSky.org in 1994. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website and blogs frequently about astrophysics, the night sky and other topics related to Earth, space and the human world. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. “Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers,” she says.
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