What are the Mercury Retrograde dates for 2016?:
⦁ January 5 – January 25, 2016 First in ⦁ air Aquarius, then in earth sign Capricorn
⦁ April 28 – May 22, 2016 in earth sign Taurus
⦁ August 30 – September 22, 2016 in ⦁ earth sign Virgo
⦁ December 19 2016 – January 8, 2017 in earth Capricorn, back into ⦁ fire sign Sagittarius
What is Mercury Retrograde?:
This happens three to four times per year, when the planet Mercury slows down, and appears to stop (station) and move backward (retrograde). It’s an optical illusion, since there is forward movement, like speeding by a slow-moving train — as it recedes, it appears to go backward.
I saw this on a road trip, driving alongside a moving train going slower than my little white Subaru — it really does play tricks with your mind!
While delays and misunderstandings do seem to happen, I’ve noticed a magical trend — that people and ideas return, for integration, resolution and more.
Mercury Madness?:
Mercury is the messenger, and in this time, the delivery is warped or the message gets lost en route. Some people find that their computers go on the fritz or phone lines go down. If you’re at all jittery about it, go ahead and back up your important files.
There can be delays, so give yourself plenty of time to get places. What happens in those down times? Mercury retro is known to be a time of ‘fated’ events — who will you meet?
What will be revealed?
A Time-Out:
Mercury retrograde gives us time to catch up with ourselves, and reflect. Something from the past returns in a different form. People, ideas or buried insights that are keys to moving forward, float to the surface.
Often it’s felt as a slowed down, contemplative time, and depending on the sign, a chance to go over old ground again, to claim what you missed the first time.
Err on Side of Caution:
There’s a long-held belief that it’s best to avoid making set plans during the Mercury Retrograde. This means holding off on signing contracts, and forming partnerships and alliances.
What gets put in writing at this time may turn out to need serious revising after Mercury goes direct. But since tying up loose ends is the domain of retrograde, this type of finalization might fly.
Can you repeat that?:
In our relationships, sometimes we gloss over things that pushed buttons at the time, but which we let slide. What seemed not worth the trouble may reveal itself as a major issue in need of our attention. The Mercury retrograde is a time for review, when the underlying patterns come to light.
Back to the Drawing Board:
Some dreams and goals get lost in the hectic rushing around of daily life. The Mercury Retrograde period can be a rich time of reflection on those longings.
This makes it a time for the soul to ponder its destiny. You might look over old journals, review your creative work, muse on serendipities of the past that have pointed you toward your spirit’s calling. It can make the retrograde period a time of solidifying a sense of your personal story and where you’re headed.
What does it mean in each different sign?:
The Mercury retrograde is shaped by the sign through which it is cast. For example, a Mercury retrograde in Cancer turns the mind toward things like family, home and the invisible emotional bonds that connect us.
On the other hand, a Mercury retrograde in Aquarius gives it a different spin, with a review of group dynamics, the larger human community, all from a detached perspective.
Making the Most of Mercury Retrograde:
A major cause of stress at Mercury retrograde is frustration from mishaps, things breaking down, computers going black. But if we know it’s cycle, this makes it feel less terminal. If things go pear-shaped, see what’s there to see. Take a break from the usual routine.
Just observe and see what happens, and be open to the past returning for review. If it’s coming back, there’s likely something more to learn or release from it. This can be a good (and productive) time, in its own way.<
Author: Molly Hall
Article published on & owned by About.com
There are some lighter energies in the air as we head into mid-January. It’s always helpful to know such trends so you can take advantage of them. While we’re still in the wild ride of ups-and-downs experienced in 2015 and the Mercury Retrograde continues until January 25, other energetic factors can help boost your mood and your productivity. In this article I describe how to take advantage of this.
Sometimes when a year begins with a Mercury Retrograde and its inherent delays, there’s a tendency to get bogged down in details and forget the big picture. If this has happened to you, or you are simply not your typical new year joyful self, read on.
Right now you are likely to feel a mix of feelings, stimulated by our conflicting energies. In one moment you may feel buoyant and hopeful, the next moment doubting yourself or doubting your goals are achievable. Relax – this dichotomy is the micro level of things. Remember – big picture.
As a divine changemaker, your wise self is indeed enthusiastic about being here now. That part of you is hopeful about life, the world, and your ability to be a powerful change maker.
It knows that indeed boundless positive potentials are available, with even more opening to you as you take the next steps. This part of you trusts there is a divine plan, and it keeps you active in the orchestration of that plan by showing you the next appropriate steps and helping you to take them in divine timing.
Right now is a perfect time to experiment with ideas you have been contemplating. You have an abundance of help now to refine those ideas and to rework them into something very fruitful. Consider a key idea now and invite your inner wisdom to reveal tweaks you could make, including perhaps connections to other things you had overlooked. Invite a knowing of individuals or groups who can be instrumental to your success with this idea. They be known to you now, or brand new.
Remember – other people and groups of people can be key factors in how you experience 2016. No matter how independent you are, others matter in your outcomes. It’s more than the people, of course, it’s how you relate to the people.
What unfolds in your life in 2016 depends in large part on your interactions with others. Consider, then, how you can improve your social skills and your self-confidence reaching out to others in a meaningful way. Start at home with housemates or regular visitors. Look at how you communicate with these people – can you ask for what you need and are you comfortable setting boundaries to say “no”? Are you in touch with what you feel, when you feel it – helping you to appropriately express yourself to others?
To prepare for your best 2016, here’s another tip involving the outside world. Even if you don’t watch the news, you pick up on the craziness right now. Fear is the driving factor. Do what you can on a daily basis to view the weirdness in a neutral way. Refuse to get caught up in the hysteria, the panic, and the non-stop talk of what to worry about next.
Unless you can become neutral, you cannot be a sane voice in the crowd. Without neutrality, you can’t be the effective change maker you are destined to be.
Seek to know all sides of things, and to have compassion for both sides too. One-sided compassion is not true compassion.
When we sit in more positive energy moments, use those times to re-energize and re-commit. Doing so is aligned with how nature works – in cycles, one paving the way for the next in an artful way.
Last week I spoke about the importance of commitment in 2016. Have you thought about what you are committed to? Have you considered, too, how committed you are to yourself? What I mean here is how invested you are in taking actions to fulfill your larger purposes here on Earth. How committed are you to giving yourself the tools and support you need to be all that you can be?
Trust that you deserve to be committed to yourself and also to goals that are larger than you. You will be happier when you make and act on such commitments. That is what will give you positive energy juice, and fuel your next steps. That is what will take you out of the mundane and into the quantum realms of infinite possibilities. It is where you can shine and be happy about your life. This is not an external happiness – it’s very deep and authentic, related to your core. Only you can create it – are you ready?
The Moon today is in a Waxing Crescent Phase. A Waxing Crescent is the first Phase after the New Moon and is a great time to see the features of the moon’s surface. During this phase the Moon can be seen in the western sky after the sun dips below the horizon at sunset. The moon is close to the sun in the sky and mostly dark except for the right edge of the moon which becomes brighter as the days get closer to the next phase which is a First Quarter with a 50% illumination.
January 14th
Midvintersblot or Midwinter’s offering, often called Tiugunde Day in Old English, was sacred to Tiu, the ancient Teutonic chief God and ruler of the year. The festival falls 20 days after Yule and is when the runic half-month of Peorth commences.
This day was christianized as Saint Hilary’s day (for Hilary of Poitiers), the patron of backward children, who was invoked against snake bites. This time is traditionally the coldest point of the year and marks the time when marriages were once again permitted after the Christmas season.
Thursday (Thor’s day)
Planet: Jupiter
Colors: Purple, Deep Blue
Crystals: Amethyst, Lepidolite, Sugilite, Tin
Aroma: Melissa, Clove, Oakmoss, Jupiter Oil, Cinnamon, Musk, Nutmeg, and Sage
Herb: Cinquefoil
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
The Moon sets the emotional tone as it transits through the Zodiac signs. It changes signs every 2 1/2 days. You can work with this rhythm to “go with the flow” of the Moon. You can use it to know the general feeling tone to expect.
If you’re following the Moon, see if you don’t sense the mood change from dreamy and diffuse Pisces to fired up Aries. It brings emotional vitality and the drive to act on feelings.
The Moon in Aries speeds up instinctual reactions, and might put us in an edgy, punchy mood. We’re restless to start something! It’s a good time for firsts that mean facing your fears. That butterflies in the stomach feeling let’s you know you’ve shoved off from your own comfort zone.
There’s a spark of momentum that is like the thrust of Spring, or the lusty look in a young lover’s eye. It fosters the desire to keep things simple, and do more than you talk about doing. If you’re one that sits a lot, this is a great time to move the gams or take a challenging martial arts class. Doing something out of the ordinary, that has a physical component, is very satisfying under an Aries Moon.
This can be an emotionally cathartic few days. Instead of sidling up to a problem, you can attack it head on. If you’ve been bottling up righteous anger, this Moon gives you the courage to let the truth fly. It brings out the “fight” in everybody. Getting into it with others is always risky, but it provokes change, and sometimes for the better.
It’s a great time to have an opening for an art show, a business, or to sell your house.
It supports you if you’ve got to be dynamic, for a job interview or on a date. You can go ahead and start that project or try to sell your idea to others. Quick short activities are favored, rather than doing any tedious footwork. You can encourage a friend, work on self-promotion materials, or throw a party.
There’s urgency with this Moon that can lead to impulsive acts. You might do some soul searching on what you’d do if you could do anything. Aries is an invincible energy that has an innocent belief that anything is possible. When the Moon is in Aries, it’s a good time to dream big, and soul search for your passions.
Source:
Author: Molly Hall
Article published on & owned by About.com
Thursday (Jupiter): Expansion, money, prosperity, and generosity.
Waxing Moon
The Waxing Moon (from the New Moon to the Full) is the ideal time for magic to draw things toward you.
Moon phase: First Quarter
Moon Sign: Pisces
Pisces: The focus is on dreaming, nostalgia, intuition, and psychic impressions. A good time for spiritual or philanthropic activities.
Moon enters Aries 9: 48 pm
Aries: Good for starting things, but lacks staying power. Things occur rapidly, but quickly pass. People tend to be argumentative and assertive.
Incense: Balsam
Color: Green
Try wearing some honeysuckle-scented perfume to encourage prosperity. Bewitch someone by wearing deep royal blue or brighten up a dreary day by wearing lucky, prosperity-drawing green. Brew up a pot of mint tea to help increase your cash flow. Try adding a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon to an unscented candle to encourage some fast cash. Bake up a loaf of wheat bread for the family, and celebrate abundance and be thankful for all that you have.
Conjure up a witchy craft and create a philter or two for your magickal needs. Work with the deities and the magickal plants corresponding with Thursday.
How did the energies of the plants of Jupiter enhance your magick? What did you learn by working with Juno, Jove, or Zeus? The truth is that by adding these new techniques and information into your spellcasting repertoire, you will indeed advance your skills, thereby moving up in the ranks to become a more adept magickal practitioner
Just by believing in yourself and working toward creating abundance, health, and prosperity, you have already begun to transform your outlook on life. Put your game face on; think positively. Work with Thor for perseverance and courage, and apply those qualities to your own prosperity spells and healing witchery. Break out the tarot cards; How could you incorporate that symbolism into other spells of your own design?
Use your imagination, check Thursday’s correspondence list, and see what other bewitching things you can conjure up for prosperity magick all by yourself. Call on the gods and goddess of Thursday and bring some positive change, abundance, health, and prosperity into your life!
—Ellen Dugan, Book of Witchery: Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week
Today is the day for prosperity work of all kinds. It can also be used for healing work, whether that is a physical healing of an illness or an emotional healing. Also remember that you have to follow up your healing work and prosperity magick and physical action.
I can’t tell you the number of times I have met new witches who complain to me that their prosperity spell or “I need a better job” spell did not work as they expected. They’ll ramble on and on about how much time and money they spent working their magick….but, alas, they had no glorious manifestation of wealth or fabulous job that suddenly dropped out of the sky and landed in their laps.
Then, when I gently ask them, “Did you enchant your resume or application when you filled it out? Did you do a little confidence-boosting spellwork when you went to apply for the job or went to the interview?” typically they give me a blank, confused stare.
Nine times out of ten, their response is, “You mean I have to go out and actually look for the job too?” Um, yes, my dear, you certainly do. Magick follows the path of least resistance, which means it’s going to manifest along the simplest, quickest route. Get out there and hit the pavement. See what you can find. Times are tough and competition for good jobs is fierce, so you need whatever edge you can get. For folks like us, we’re going to get the edge by using our magick and our spellcraft.
Thursdays have such a rich source of magick for us to draw upon that, honestly, the sky is the limit. This is the day associated with the gods of the sky and heavens, after all. Get to know these deities and add their wisdom and magick into your days
––Ellen Dugan, Book of Witchery: Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week
Jupiter’s (Thor’s) day
⦁ Middle English – thursday or thuresday
⦁ Old Norse– thorsdagr – Thor’s day
⦁ Old English– thunresdæg – Thunder’s day
⦁ Latin – dies Jovis – “Day of Jupiter”
⦁ Ancient Greek – hemera Dios – “day of Zeus”
The name is derived from Old English 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 interpretation romance.
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 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”. In the Nahuatl language, Thursday is Tezcatlipotōnal meaning “day of Tezcatlipoca”.
Thursday – is associated with Jupiter
Candle colors – Green, Purple, Orange, or Blue
Spellcrafting for the Day: Business, Gambling, Power, Material Wealth, Luck, Road Opening
—Starr Casas, Old Style Conjure Wisdoms, Workings and Remedies
Pour a circle of salt and take you cat inside of it. Take some olive oil and draw a circle on the cat’s head then speak these words:
“All powers that be, I ask
That you keep (say the name
of your cat) at home
And safe from his/ her
mischief
And all desire to roam
Give him/ her complete
contentment
Known to his breed
And see that he/ she is happy
where they will be.
Draw a circle of salt on the ground and bring your dog into it.
Speak these words in a chant:
Guardians of mine
protect this home
In your place as is right
Stands one of your own
Please defend this house
And all creatures within
Mine and your sacred beast
Is our true loyal friend.
Keep him/ her from harm
As he/ she guards all
loves
And watch over him/her
From below and above.
—Douglas Hensley, (A Book Of Magic Spells And Hexes)
1. Daily prayer at sunrise and sunset, or upon waking and before bed.
2. A new and personally chosen amulet purchased from a healer and charged with the energy of a sacred place, which is worn as needed or daily until death; by British custom only to be burried by a loyal friend, family member, or coven member.
3. Eyeball symbols and protective charms hidden in seams and sewn into clothing, drapes, and bedding and drawn on windows, doors, and beds to protect the mind, body, and spirit.
Esthamarelda McNevin
Llewellyn’s 2016 Witches’ Companion: An Almanac for Contemporary Living (Llewellyns Witches Companion)
1. Gifting cursed or hexed nazar beads or luck charms.
2. Spitting over the palm or between fingers in the direction of an enemy or directly upon their shadow, evoking a dark cloud over them.
3. A prolonged glance or moment of forced eye contact in which a look of deep hate or harmful intent is expressed.
4. Windows of one’s car or home being vandalized.
5. Judgments, faults, or failures whispered beneath the breath while the victim is present (this affects the unconscious mind).
6. Crossing out the eyes of an enemy from all images or photos encountered.
Esthamarelda McNevin
Llewellyn’s 2016 Witches’ Companion: An Almanac for Contemporary Living (Llewellyns Witches Companion)
1. A sudden and unexplainable fear of activities that once gave you great joy.
2. Nausea, lightheadedness, or weakened endurance when engaged in magic.
3. An overwhelming sense of anger or doom without reason or origin.
4. Hairs frequently standing on end (a sort of astral defense).
5. Feeling drawn into passive-aggressive or subtextual modes of communication.
6. Observing protracted looks or forced eye contact from overly responsive acquaintances.
Esthamarelda McNevin
Llewellyn’s 2016 Witches’ Companion: An Almanac for Contemporary Living (Llewellyns Witches Companion)
Ruby jewelry, blue and green nazar beads, hand of Fatima charms, hemsa (or hamsa) charms, hand of Miriam charms, jutti shoe charms, Brigid’s cross charms, pentacle charms, blue jewelry, braided sweetgrass jewelry, Uli nana pono beads, Cabalistic Cross charms, Christian Cross charms, Seven African Powers charms, needle or sword charms.
Esthamarelda McNevin
Llewellyn’s 2016 Witches’ Companion: An Almanac for Contemporary Living (Llewellyns Witches Companion)
Have you ever unknowingly had an enemy who intended to do you actual personal harm? Do you know someone who is bitter and magickal enough to twist the tides of fate into a tsunami of circumstances set abruptly against you? Has your self-esteem ever been obliterated under an unrelenting downpour of public scrutiny, while all those little hairs on the back of your neck stood witness like so many Druids on a beach? Perhaps you, too, have come under the deadly gaze of the evil eye.
This curse is employed when someone aspires to erode another person’s confidence or sense of worth intentionally, by projecting emotions such as jealousy, envy, and greed. This hex gives our own fear and paranoia the opportunity to dig in deep and take hold of our psyche through passive-aggressive manipulation and sympathetic magic. If left helpless against the evil eye, we begin to believe in our worst fate, unintentionally empowering and manifesting the curse with our own judgments.
Dispel from your mind that image of an embittered Sicilian Mafioso launching a spittle of condemnation from beneath a floral taffeta halo of hate. After all, it’s the ones we trust implicitly who most favor curses like the evil eye. These are people we often don’t suspect, or those we think are incapable of subversive betrayal. Those who cast the evil eye are not the ones we see coming, but the people who get close, learn our weaknesses, and use this knowledge to exploit us for their personal gain.
Such use of this “covetous gaze” indicates that the hexer not only wants what you have— be it physical wealth, emotional happiness, or esoteric gifts— but also wants you not to have it. If you have been victim to this phenomenon, which numerous cultures recognize and combat, take comfort in knowing that you are not alone. Predatory sympathetic magic like the evil eye is one of the oldest and most primal curses on the books. The Greek Magical Papyri is evidence enough of how favored this hex truly was in the ancient world. Our surviving recipes from the Greek Hellenistic period document a primordial penchant for sacrificial spells and rare animal talismans, evocative proof of Paganism’s deep-rooted models of mystical survivalism, which drove countless devotees to extreme Gnostic acts for the sake of self-protection.
Long before the Wiccan Rede gave us the “An it harm none…” mandate, our ancient Pagan ancestors were prone to hexing the piss ’n’ vinegar out of each other, because they saw magic as just another aspect of daily social survival. In fact, the evil eye has such a long history of use that it’s credited with inspiring protective artwork, amulets, tonics, ethereal cures, and alchemical remedies, a great many of which have survived since antiquity. Counter and reverse techniques have crossed cultures and continents under the guise of liberal folk bohemia or simply as gypsy luck, and are still very much in use today. If nothing else, the antidotes for the evil eye act as a form of psychological relief. While problem-solving such a magical battle of wills, the victim often chooses to withdraw into solitary meditation or pursue the hexer’s own weak surrender, as a countermeasure against the curse. The evil eye exists, and it is viewed across the world as a vehicle of prejudice and hate. Many esoteric traditions believe that we must guard ourselves daily against attack or we risk falling prey to the energies afoot.
Primal sympathetic magic makes sense in a lot of biological ways, especially when we consider that mating and professional competition among our social groups often expose our instinctually reactive emotions. The sociological studies of academics like Carl Jung relate these emotional outbursts to our deeply rooted psychological struggle between acceptance and intolerance as social mammals. Our darker, more primal and survivalistic emotions constantly challenge our rational civic goodness, tempting our impulse to respond to situations of public distress with fight-or-flight instincts of survivalism. Like all curses, the evil eye is a social and psychological weapon employed by an aggressor to trigger a fear response in the target.
When acquaintances plot our failure, a deep loss of hope and an increase in personal shame are constant stepping stones on the descending path of spiritual deprivation. This is because curses like the evil eye will sustain the hexer’s subtle predatory advantage as they sabotage happiness, innocence, and good luck from the lives of others. Those who have cast the curse find the results addictive, and those who have endured this type of hex know all too well that atrracting the primal disdain of another human is no laughable superstition. Eyeballs involved or not, we are a territorial and superstitious species of instinctively driven emotional beings, sometimes willing to trust or hate others irrationally and to our own disadvantage.
Too many people suffer the emotional effects of common antisocial behaviors like bullying, taunting, and public displays of rejection. Let’s face it: the evil eye is everywhere, and we all instinctively know how to use it. One does not have to sit down and cast a spell in order to cast the evil eye. Moreover, we are all sitting ducks; as social mammals, we really just want to be liked and accepted for who we are. As a global society, public opinion matters more to us now than it ever has, which is why getting “the evils” from someone can be so off-putting.
Why is this primordial hex so powerful? Whether we like it or not, our feeling of social acceptance is a determinate factor in the vast majority of our lifestyle decisions; this is especially the case with choices concerning appearance, marriage, and career, as well as drug or alcohol use. We may feel socially valued and praised when we look and act like our colleagues, friends, or families. We may feel a sense of comfort in following long-held models of human social conformity. This means that when we are truly hexed with dark, antisocial magic like the evil eye, it is often accompanied by unethical slander, hidden jokes at our expense, or various other forms of social humiliation. This type of black magic is a pressing social issue in our modern communities because, like so many of us, the evil eye has gone digital.
No app, trash bin, or delete button can erase harsh social judgments once we have received them; it’s up to us to problem-solve, take an objective perspective, and process social disagreements. We must defend ourselves mentally and spiritually against negative action directed at us, especially when it becomes clear that no resolution is feasible. Even blocking the individual from our contact information may not stop truly malicious social behaviors. The people who use negative psychological magic rely on the emotional responses we experience when we feel targeted, embarrassed, or shamed by others in public: this is what the original evil-eye hex accomplishes best.
Esthamarelda McNevin
Llewellyn’s 2016 Witches’ Companion: An Almanac for Contemporary Living (Llewellyns Witches Companion)
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