Category: Daily Posts

Friday, August 26th

Gothic Fantasy

Friday, August 26th

 

Friday is the day of Venus. It takes it name from Frigg, the Goddess of love and transformation. She rules the spiritual side of a person that manifests in the physical. Because of this, Friday is often thought of as dangerously unpredictable. This is expressed in an old East Anglian adage:

Friday’s day will have its trick
The fairest or foulest day of the week.

Deity: Frigg

Zodiac Sign: Taurus/Libra

Planet: Venus

Tree: Apple

Herb: Vervain

Stone: Sapphire/Chrsolite

Animal: Bull/Serpent

Element: Earth

Color: Yellow/Violet

Number: 7

Rune: Peorth(P)

Celtic Tree Month of Coll (Hazel) – August 4 – September 1

The Runic Half Month of As (August 13 – August 28)

Goddess of the Month of Hesperis – August 9 – September 5

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

The Sky This Week for August 26 to August 28

Gothic Fantasy

The Sky This Week for August 26 to August 28

 

Planets, Pallas, and the Big Dipper will all make wonderful viewing this week

By Richard Talcott

 

Friday, August 26

• Distant Neptune reaches opposition and peak visibility one week from today, but the view now is essentially the same. The ice giant planet rises during evening twilight and climbs nearly halfway to the zenith in the southern sky by 1:30 a.m. local daylight time. The magnitude 7.8 planet lies in Aquarius, 1.1° southwest of 4th-magnitude Lambda (l) Aquarii. You’ll need binoculars to spy Neptune and a telescope to see its blue-gray disk, which spans 2.4″.

Saturday, August 27

• Venus and Jupiter lie closer to each other today than at any time since May 2000. At their tightest, just 4.2′ separate them. Unfortunately, this happens in late afternoon from North America. By twilight, the two worlds have pulled slightly apart — 5.5′ from the East Coast and 12.1′ from the West Coast. Still, that’s close enough that many people will see the two merge into one. Binoculars will provide spectacular views, clearly splitting the pair and revealing Mercury 5° to their lower left and just above the horizon. Most telescope-eyepiece combinations will show Venus and Jupiter in the same field, with Jupiter spanning 31″ and Venus 11″.

Sunday, August 28

• Evenings this week are great times to explore the constellation Sagittarius the Archer. This star group lies due south and at peak altitude around 9 p.m. local daylight time, just as the last vestiges of twilight fade away. The brightest stars within the constellation form the shape of a teapot — a distinctive asterism once you’ve found it. The central regions of the Milky Way pass through Sagittarius, so it’s always worth exploring the area through binoculars or a telescope.

 

Source

Astronomy Magazine

 

Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Friday, August 26th

Gothic Fantasy

Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Friday, August 26th

The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 111.70° ESE
Sun Altitude: 41.25°
Sun Distance: 93.926 million mi
Next Equinox: Sep 22, 2016 9:21 AM (Autumnal)
Sunrise Today: 6:21 AM↑ 77° East
Sunset Today: 7:31 PM↑ 283° West
Length of Daylight: 13 hours, 10 minutes

The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 240.03° WSW
Moon Altitude: 58.36°
Moon Distance: 232611 mi
Next New Moon: Sep 1, 20164:03 AM
Next Full Moon: Sep 16, 20162:05 PM
Next Moonset: Today3:13 PM
Current Moon Phase: Waning Crescent
Illumination: 33.7%

Source

timeanddate.com

Thank The Goddess It Is Finally Friday! May You & Yours Have A Very Blessed Day!

Gothic Fantasy

Bright Blessings

 

Earth Mother
Giver of life
Strengthen me during my life-long strife.
Teach me Your ways of perfect love,
peace, and wisdom true.
Spawn from my purest heart
These words to You
May this prayer help me to better
myself in word and deed,
To a higher plane I shall succeed.
Beautiful Light of Goodness Fair
Lore of old we both do share
A Witch’s brew, I drink to You
My love for You, by day, by night
In thought and in sight
Will my soul learn
the meaning of this life again.

—Author Unknown
Originally published on Pagan Library

Astronomy Picture of the Day – Closest Star has Potentially Habitable Planet

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 August 25

Closest Star has Potentially Habitable Planet
Image Credit & License: Y. Beletsky (LCO), ESO, Pale Red Dot Team

Explanation: The star closest to the Sun has a planet similar to the Earth. As announced yesterday, recent observations confirmed that this planet not only exists but inhabits a zone where its surface temperature could allow liquid water, a key ingredient for life on Earth. It is not yet known if this planet, Proxima b, has any life. Even if not, its potential ability to sustain liquid water might make it a good first hop for humanity’s future trips out into the Milky Way Galaxy. Although the planet’s parent star, Proxima Centauri, is cooler and redder than our Sun, one of the other two stars in the Alpha Centauri star system is very similar to our Sun. The featured image shows the sky location of Proxima Centauri in southern skies behind the telescope that made many of the discovery observations: ESO’s 3.6-meter telescope in La Silla, Chile. The discovered planet orbits close in — so close one year there takes only 11 days on Earth. The planet was discovered by theESO’s Pale Red Dot collaboration. Although seemingly unlikely, if Proxima b does have intelligent life, at 4.25 light years distance it is close enough to Earth for two-way communication.

Earth Sky News for August 25th: Constellation Cepheus looks like a house

Constellation Cepheus looks like a house

By

Tonight, see if you can find the constellation Cepheus, which represents a King. This constellation is faint, but its distinctive shape makes it easy to locate if you look in the north on August and September evenings.

At nightfall Cepheus appears to the upper right of Polaris, the North Star. Then this constellation rotates around Polaris in a counter-clockwise direction during the night. It swings high over Polaris after midnight, and then sweeps to the left side of Polaris around dawn.

Cepheus resembles the stick house we all drew as children – and that children today still draw – with a square for the base and a triangle for the roof. In the case of Cepheus, the tip of the roof (a star known as Gamma Cephei, or Errai) points generally northward.

In the sky, “northward” always means “toward the sky’s north pole,” or toward Polaris. Thus the roof of the house in Cepheus is pointing mostly north, even though – as darkness falls – that means it’s pointing sideways and downward.

In Greek mythology, Cepheus represents a King of Ethiopia. To find Cepheus, you might want to locate a more prominent constellation, Cassiopeia the Queen.

 

DEBORAH BYRD

Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and EarthSky.org in 1994. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. 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.

Originally published on EarthSky

Your Charm for August 25th is The Caduceus

Your Charm for Today

Today’s Meaning:
You will find you have within you the ability to resolve all conflicts and disagreements with regard to this aspect. You will find an eloquence you did not realize before.

General Description:
The staff of Mercury was given to him by Apollo in exchange for the lyre. The rod was endowed with the remarkable power of deciding all quarrels and bestowing wonderful eloquence upon its possessor. Mercury proved this when he saw two serpents fighting. Placing the rod between them and using his eloquence he reconciled the serpents, who then embraced each other, and becoming attached to the rod formed the caduceus. The pine cone is credited with health giving power, and the wings symbolize speed and the flight of thoughts between friends. This ancient talisman was supposed to be a charm fo prosperity, rendering its possessor healthy, wealthy and wise.

Your Witches Rune for August 25th is The Wave

Daily Witches Rune

The Wave

Meaning: This rune symbolizes your friends and family and their influence upon you. Its meaning is usually derived from the other stones closest to it. This rune is also associated with travel. A journey abroad is indicated especially if the Sun rune is nearby, but a journey for someone close to you if the Moon stone is closest. If it is near to the Rings it foretells a holiday or long distance relationship.

Your Ancient Symbol Card for August 25th is The Journey

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

The Journey



While physical travel may be involved, The Journey represents an individual’s spiritual trek from one point to another. The Journey is represented by a sailboat gliding across an open sea. Like those traversing the ocean The Journey requires that we move off the firm ground of our present state and strike out for a new destination. The trip itself may well be full of adventure and challenges. There may be times when we lose sight of where we came from and possibly not even know where we’re going. Storms may crop up without warning. Diversions may slow our progress to our destination down. While it’s good to have an idea of where you want to go, it’s equally important to remember that often it’s the getting there and not the destination that is the most rewarding. To take such a spiritual voyage takes courage and conviction that direction in which your are moving is right for you.

As a daily card, The Journey indicates a time in which you are likely to derive insight and spiritual growth by moving off your everyday path. Although the time span is short, this movement may have a profound and enduring effect on your life. Indeed you may be on the verge of experiencing a revelation, or enjoying a period of self actualization. Be open to new paths and you may well end up with some very positive changes in your life.

Shuffling The Minchiate Tarot Deck, Your Daily Influences for August 25th

 Your Influences for Thursday, August 25th

 

Tarot Influence

The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man always represents trials, tribulations and constant struggle. Your path may be a difficult one. However, The Hanged Man does endure to become spiritually wise—possibly prophetic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Astrological Influence

Pisces

Pisces brings intelligence and perception to the forefront. This may be a time to rely more on serendipity than cold, hard facts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Element Influence

Water

Water is the card of hidden truths and emotions. It also calms and soothes and is basic to life. The Water card may denote a period of discovery, fulfillment through learning and the unraveling of mysteries

Your Crowley Thoth Tarot Card for Aug. 25th is The Sun

Your Crowley Thoth Tarot Card for Today

The Sun



Only The Universe card of the Crowley Tarot can match the blessings that come with The Sun. While it certainly doesn’t promise a life’s path without some bumps in the road, The Sun indicates all will be well. The Sun is our Cosmic Nurturer. Life flourishes under its radiant beams. It provides the illumination to find Truths and lights one’s path so they do not get lost. To stand in the rays of The Sun is to shine. To absorb its energy promotes growth, exceptional physical and mental health, and good fortune. The Sun is empowering, elevating and fills those who bask in it with confidence and sense of self-worth.