Author: ladyoftheabyss

The Witches Correspondences for Friday, February 5th

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FRIDAY CORRESPONDENCES

Venus/Water/East/West/South/Dawn/Female/Libra/Taurus

Magickal Intentions: Love, Romance, Marriage, Sexual Matters, Physical Beauty, Friendship and Partnerships, Strangers, Heart

Color: aqua, blue, light blue, brown, green, pale green, magenta, peach, pink, rose, white, all pastels

Number: 5, 6

Metal: copper

Charm: green or white garments, scepter

Stone: alexandrite, amethyst, coral, diamond, emerald, jade, jet, black moonstone, peridot, smoky quartz, tiger’s-eye, pink tourmaline

Animal: camel, dove, elephant, goat, horse, pigeon, sparrow

Plant: apple, birch, cherry, clematis, clove, coriander, heather, hemlock, hibiscus, ivy, lotus, moss, myrtle, oats, pepperwort, peppermint, pinecone, quince, raspberry, rose, pink rose, red rose, rose hips, saffron, sage, savin, stephanotis, strawberry, thyme, vanilla, verbena, violet, water lily, yarrow, and all flowers

Incense: ambergris, camphor, mace, musk, myrrh, rose, saffron, sage, sandalwood, sweetgrass, vanilla, violet, all floral scents

Goddess: Aphrodite, Asherah, Baalith, Brigid, Erzulie, Freya (Passionate Queen), Frigg, Gefion, Harbor (Beautiful One), Hestia, Inanna, Ishtar (Lady of Passion and Desire), Lakshmi, Lilith, Mokosh, Nehalennia, Nerthus, Ostara, Pombagira, Sarasvati, Shakti, Shekinah, Sirtur, Al Uzza, Venus (Queen of Pleasure), Vesta

God: Allah, Bacchus, Bes, Cupid, the Dagda, Dionysus, El, Eros (God of Love), Freyr, Frit Ailek, Shukra

Evocation: Agrat Bat Mahalat, Anael, Hagiel, Mokosba, Rasbid, Sachiel, Uriel, Velas

Courtesy of Moonlight Musings

The Magick of the Fourth Quarter

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The Magick of the Fourth Quarter

(From the waning half moon until the dark of the moon.) This is the dark time of the moon. You may find that your psychic talents take a little vacation during the dark phases of the moon, or, on the other hand, they may come roaring to life with an all-out bombardment on your senses. Personally, I have found that abilities such as empathy and psychometry are more pronounced at this time. Why, you may wonder? Well, I have found that this type of psychic ability forces you to look within and to be still as the information comes to you— what better time than in the waning moon, when your powers are focused internally? Magickally, now is the occasion to tackle serious issues, such as extreme protection magick, bindings, or banishings, and keeping away criminals, prowlers, or stalkers. Casting your spells in the final days of the moon’s cycle (when the moon is not visible at all) will increase the force behind your banishing and protective magick. This phase of the moon is often linked to the darker aspects of the Goddess, when she is a spiritual warrior; again, Hecate is a good one to work with in this phase, but you can also call on Sekhmet, the Morrigan, or even Kali, if you are really feeling brave.

 

–Ellen Dugan, Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal & Practical Magick

The Witches Almanac for Friday, February 5th

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The Witches Almanac for Friday, February 5th

Friday (Venus): Love, friendship, reconciliation, and beauty.

Festival de la Alcaldesa (Italian)

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: Fourth Quarter

Moon Sign: Capricorn
Capricorn: Develops strong structure. Focus on traditions, responsibilities, and obligations. A good time to set boundaries and rules.

Incense: Violet

Color: Purple

Deities Associated With Friday – Aphrodite, Greek Goddess of Love

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Deities Associated With Friday – Aphrodite, Greek Goddess of Love

Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and sexuality. According to legend, she was born fully formed from the white sea form that arose when the god Uranus was castrated. She came ashore on the island of Cyprus, and later was married off by Zeus to Hephaistos, the deformed craftsman of Olympus. Despite being married to Hephaistos, Aphrodite took her job as a goddess of sexuality seriously, and had a multitude of lovers, but one of her favorites was the warrior god Ares.

At one point, Helios, the sun god, caught Ares and Aphrodite romping around, and told Hephaistos what he had seen. Hephaistos caught the two of them in a net, and invited all the other gods and goddesses to laugh at their shame… but they had none whatsoever. In fact, Aphrodite and Ares had a good laugh about the whole thing, and didn’t particularly care what anyone thought. In the end, Ares ended up paying Hephaistos a fine for his inconvenience, and the whole matter was dropped.

At one point, Aphrodite had a fling with Adonis, the young hunter god. He was killed by a wild boar one day, and some tales indicate that the boar might have been a jealous Ares in disguise.

Aphrodite had several sons, including Priapus, Eros, and Hermaphroditus.

In many myths and legends, Aphrodite is portrayed as self-absorbed and cranky. It would seem that like many of the other Greek gods, she spent a lot of time meddling in the affairs of mortals, mostly for her own amusement. She was instrumental in the cause of the Trojan War; Aphrodite offered Helen of Sparta to Paris, the prince of Troy, and then when he saw Helen for the first time, Aphrodite made sure he was inflamed with lust, thus leading to Helen’s abduction and a decade of war.

A festival was held regularly to honor Aphrodite, appropriately called the Aphrodisia. At her temple in Corinth, revelers often paid tribute to Aphrodite by having rambunctious sex with her priestesses. The temple was later destroyed by the Romans, and not rebuilt, but fertility rites appear to have continued in the area.

In addition to her association with the sea and shells, Aphrodite is connected with dolphins and swans, apples and pomegranates, and roses.

 

Author

Patti Wigington, Paganism/Wicca Expert
Article published on & owned by About.com

Friday’s Witchery

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Friday’s Witchery

Love magick is a perennial popular topic. However, there is more to this topic than meets the eye. There are many enchanting layers here for us to explore on this day of the week. What about creating a loving home, or producing a loving and nurturing family? What about keeping your intimate relationships vital and on track? How about promoting happy, healthy, and enduring friendships? See, there is more to be considered than just the “You shall be mine…” type of fictional love spell.

Don’t forget that many of the deities associated with Fridays are also parents. So, yes, while this is the day to work on romance, sex, and love spells, there is additional magick to be considered here, which makes Fridays a more well-rounded and bigger opportunity for witchery than many folks ever truly realize. The truest, strongest magick always comes from the heart.

–Ellen Dugan, Book of Witchery – Spells, Charms & Correspondences For Every Day of the Week

Friday

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Friday

Friday is dedicated to the planet Venus, personified as the Roman goddess of love. The Nordic goddess Freya, the patroness of women of power, gave her name to this day. In Norse mythology, she presides over the Valkyries, the winged goddesses who bring fallen heroes to Valhalla, the realm of the gods. Renowned for her beauty, Freya is often called “the Fair One.” Any spells or charms relating to matters of the heart are appropriate for this day, as well as divination for inspiration in the arts. The influence of Venus is strong on Fridays and makes this day suitable for issues dealing with love, comfort, and the fulfillment of desire.

–Judy Ann Olsen, A Witch’s Grimoire: Create Your Own Book of Shadows

Friday’s Conjuring

Fantasy
Friday’s Conjuring

Friday – is associated with Venus

Candle colors – Green, Red, Blue, White, Purple

Focus spellwork on: Love, Marriage, Money, Attraction, Luck, Healing, Prosperity, Change, Road Opening work, Bring Peace, Relationships, Power and Success

 

—Starr Casas, Old Style Conjure Wisdoms, Workings and Remedies

TGIF! Thank The Goddess It Is Finally Friday! Wishing You A Very Blessed Day & A Very Beautiful Weekend To Come!

Elfe

The Maiden Awakes

The Earth stirs from her winter slumber
Snowdrops peep through the snow-crusted soil
Autumn’s harvest left her tired
So all winter she has slept, resting after her toil
And now it is time for her to emerge
To waken again in the growing light
To coax out the crocuses, and daffy-down-dillies
To stretch to the sun after such a long night
And though the wind in the trees is still blowing
And the rains clouds have not yet gone
We know that the Maiden is awake
And spring won’t be far along

—Arietta Bryant, Ramblings & Rhymes

The Witches Magick for Thursday, February 4th – Get Rid of Negative Energy Binding

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Get Rid of Negative Energy Binding

This spell is used to get rid of negative energy directed at you from someone else. This spell stops another’s negative energy from causing you harm.

Items you will need:
Any small cloth doll you can find. Unstitch the head until you are ready to begin the spell.
A needle and black thread
A personal item from the person you want to bind. Anything of theirs will work. It can be a strand of their hair, something they have wrote on, etc.
Some Black ribbon
A Black candle
A fireproof container
A sterilized needle
A piece of paper and pen

The Spell:
Form a circle of protection in your mind.

First light the black candle

Think hard on the person you are binding, place the personal object of theirs inside the head of the doll and sew it shut. Tie the black ribbon around the doll’s head.

Now whisper these words:

” With harm to none, my will be done
I hereby bind you (say the name of the person)
Your words and thoughts cannot harm me
Nothing you can do will harm me”

Continue speaking these words until you feel energy and power surging through you. Once this happens concentrate on that person being completely helpless to harm or abuse you while you are speaking the words above.

Now sign your name on the piece of paper to bind this spell.

Now prick one of your fingers with the sterilized needle and let a small drop of blood drop onto your signature.

Now fold the paper, light it on fire and drop it into the Fireproof Container).

Concentrate on the flames as the paper completely burns.

Now go and bury the doll as far away from your home as possible.
Douglas Hensley, A Book Of Magic Spells And Hexes

Greenhouse Charm

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Greenhouse Charm

Here is a little greenhouse charm that you can say to yourself while you get a dose of plant magick and greenery. Just shut your eyes, soak up the warmth and those delicious, earthy smells, and repeat the charm quietly.

All around me now, new plant life does happily grow
My spirits are lifted despite the cold and the snow.
Green is the magickal color of life and hope
Refresh me and remove any reason to mope!
By the powers of the moon, stars, and shining sun
As I will, so shall it be, an’ let it harm none.

Feel free to walk around and indulge yourself for a while in the greenhouse. See if you can find a simple houseplant to take home and care for. Once you return home, sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of your day.

 
Ellen Dugan, Seasons of Witchery: Celebrating the Sabbats with the Garden Witch

Greenhouse Therapy

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Greenhouse Therapy

No winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn. Hal Borland It’s easy to get down in the dumps by the end of winter. You think you are doing so great and then, before you know it, you have the wintertime blues. There is a condition that happens to folks who do not get enough sunlight in the winter months. It’s called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). There are treatments for this, and one of them is light therapy.

I know: I battle with this every year, especially in late winter. The popular theory on this is because I am part plant. I mope when it’s cold and gloomy out and I can’t get outside to take my walks or work in the gardens. The winter holidays keep me busy, and it does not kick in until mid-February. That’s when I start watching for gardening magazines and scowling out through the windows and complaining about the snow, ice, and cold, wishing for spring.

The best cure I have ever found? Well, if it’s not too cold, then I bundle up and take a brisk walk outside. Or if it’s snowing, then I cowboy up, dig out the cars, and then shovel the snow off the sidewalk and driveway— anything to move and to get outdoors.

Should I really feel blue and it’s very nasty and bitter cold, then I go to the local nursery greenhouses and walk around inside of them for a half hour and simply enjoy the green. Oh, that yummy warmth inside— the rich, earthy smell of the potting soil, the moisture and the humidity, and that blast of green— it all really helps me. After all, green is the color of hope and of life.

So on nasty, frigid days, if I’m really missing the light and the warmth and the color green and my gardens, I quietly walk around inside of a local greenhouse. It cheers me up the minute I hit the doorway. I walk around and soak up the warmth and vibrations of all those plants that are rushing to grow. I close my eyes, breathe deep, and pull in that garden smell. I let the bright green color of the foliage fill me up with power and cheer. And it works like a charm!

Now, before someone accuses me of vamping the plants, relax. I’m soaking up atmosphere— the scents, the sounds, the colors— not the life force of the plants themselves. Sheesh. Write about psi-vamps once and everyone starts pointing fingers.

Anyway, you can safely soak up the smells, the light, and the sounds in a lush greenhouse. Try it for yourself. The worst that could happen is you’ll end up scooping out the best new varieties of plants for your garden or taking home a couple of houseplants. Besides, I’m sure the greenhouse staff would be devastated to sell you something during their slow season.

If you want to give something back to the greenhouse, then buy some plants from them while you are there or in the spring— that’s what I always do. As the greenhouses have cheered me up during the winter, I repay them by supporting the greenhouse with my business and by also planting the flowers, herbs, and shrubs and caring for them for the rest of the plant’s life cycle. It works for me. Try it for yourself the next time you are down in the dumps with the wintertime blues.

 
Ellen Dugan, Seasons of Witchery: Celebrating the Sabbats with the Garden Witch

A Little Humor for Your Day – “Prayers Around the Zodiac”

Prayers Around The Zodiac

  • ARIES Dear God, please give me patience… and could you do it right now?
  • TAURUS Dear God, help me accept change, but not too quick.
  • GEMINI Dear God! Who is God? Where is God? Why is God?
  • CANCER Dear God!!!
  • LEO Yes?
  • VIRGO Dear God, please make us perfect and don’t mess it up like You did the last time.
  • LIBRA Dear God, please help me to be decisive, but on the other hand, what do you think is best?
  • SCORPIO Our Father, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, even though the b*****ds don’t deserve it!
  • SAGITTARIUS Dear Lord, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times, help me stop exaggerating.
  • CAPRICORN Dear God! I’d like to ask you to help me, but I learned a long time ago not to rely on anyone else!
  • AQUARIUS Dear God, I know I like change, but this chaos is ridiculous!!
  • PISCES Dear Lord, as long as I’m going to drink this fifth of Scotch tonight, please use the stimulation for Thy glory.

 

Author Unknown

Article published on Pagan Library.com

Astronomy Picture of the Day – Dwarf Planet Ceres

Astronomy Picture of the Day

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.

2016 February 4

Dwarf Planet Ceres
Image Credit & License: NASA, JPL-Caltech, UCLA, MPS,DLR,IDA – Composition: Justin Cowart

 

Explanation: Dwarf planet Ceres is the largest object in the Solar System’s main asteroid belt, with a diameter of about 950 kilometers (590 miles). Ceres is seen here in approximately true color, based on image data from the Dawn spacecraft recorded on May 4, 2015. On that date, Dawn’s orbit stood 13,642 kilometers above the surface of the small world. Two of Ceres’ famous mysterious bright spots at Oxo crater and Haulani crater are near center and center right of this view. Casting a telltale shadow at the bottom is Ceres’ cone-shaped, lonely mountain Ahuna Mons. Presently some 385 kilometers above the Cerean surface, the ion-propelled Dawn spacecraft is now returning images from its closest mapping orbit.

Earth Sky News for February 4th: Moon, Venus, Mercury next few mornings

Moon, Venus, Mercury next few mornings

Before dawn tomorrow – February 5, 2016 – and for the next few mornings, a wondrous scene awaits you in the morning sky. The waning crescent moon and planet Venus beam close together before sunrise. Since the moon and Venus rank as the second-brightest and third-brightest celestial bodies, respectively, after the sun, you should have little trouble catching them at morning dawn.

Mercury is also visible near the moon, closer to the sunrise than the moon and Venus.

And of course, that’s not all. There are five planets visible before dawn now. The moon has been passing each one in turn. Now it’s Venus and Mercury’s turn.

It might be a challenge to catch Mercury beneath the moon and Venus before sunrise these next few mornings. Although Mercury is plenty bright, shining on par with the sky’s brightest stars, this planet’s luster is somewhat tarnished by the emerging morning twilight.

Try using the moon and Venus to locate Mercury near the horizon, starting around 80 to 70 minutes before sunrise. (Start your Mercury search even sooner, if you live in the Southern Hemisphere.) The lit side of the waning crescent moon moon will point, more or less, in the direction of Mercury. If you still can’t see Mercury, it might be because there’s haze or fog on your horizon. In that case, binoculars will come in handy.

The opportunity to see all five visible planets in the same sky together will last for about another two weeks. Get up 90 minutes (or more) before sunrise to see the planets Saturn, Mars and Jupiter to the west of Venus. Then look for Mercury beneath Venus as darkness gives way to dawn.

See 5 naked-eye planets at once!

The five visible planets will adorn the February morning sky until around February 20. In their order of brilliance, the morning planets are Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn and Mars. In their order going from east (sunrise direction) to west (sunset direction), they are Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter.

Bottom line: Look for the waning crescent moon near the planet Venus on the mornings of February 5, 6 and 7, 2016. Then look for Mercury below Venus and near the horizon as darkness starts to give way to dawn. This post contains info about all five planets visible now before dawn.

 

Author

Bruce McClure

Bruce McClure

Bruce McClure is the chief writer for the popular EarthSky Tonight pages. Since joining EarthSky in 2004, he has written thousands of astronomy articles, enjoyed here by millions. He also writes, gives planetarium shows and hosts a wide assortment of public astronomy programs in and around his home in upstate New York. If you ask an astronomy question on our site, it’s likely to be Bruce that answers it. His love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, and he has sailed the North Atlantic, earning his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. Bruce is also a sundial aficionado. He says his number one passion – besides his wife Alice – is stargazing.

Article published on EarthSky

Your Daily Influences for February 4

Your Daily Influences
February 4, 2016 

 

Justice Reversed
The upsidedown Justice represents injustice, inequality and a lack of mercy or understanding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uruz
Uruz reversed may represent a time of discord in your life and a disassociation from your inner strengths. You may be in a rut—absent of goals or challenges. The power to change this lies within you. While opportunities may seem to be nonexistent, they are there and waiting for you to find them.

 

 

 

The Eye Agate
The eye represents your will to be loved. The strength of your will controls this aspect. You have neglected needed emotions of love in your life. You cannot expect to be loved if you do not show it.

 

 

Your Daily Influences represent events and challenges the current day will present for you. They may represent opportunities you should be ready to seize. Or they may forewarn you of problems you may be able to avoid or lessen. Generally it is best to use them as tips to help you manage your day and nothing more.