Category: Daily Posts

Gemstone of the Day for May 17th is Emerald

Gemstone of the Day

  Emerald


                                          (Color: deep green, can have slightly yellowish or bluish tones)


Hardness: 7.5 – 8.0                     
Specific Gravity: hexagonal; 6/m2/m2/m                     
Chemistry: Be3Al2(SiO3)6                     
Class: cyclosilicates                  
Crystallography: hexagonal; 6/m2/m2/m
Cleavage: poor basal cleavage is seldom visible on {0001}              
Fracture: conchoidal producing smooth brilliant surfaces   
Streak: White                          
Luster: vitreous
Birthstone for the month of May

The name emerald is thought to be of the Ancient Greek word “smaragdos” meaning “green stone” which was originally applied to a variety of green colored minerals.

Healing: It is good for the eyes and eyesight, it cures snakebites, encourages and preserves chastity, cures dysentery, prevents epilepsy, promotes cleverness, courage, eloquence, honesty, prosperity. Also used in the treatment of the spine, lungs and heart. Astrological signs of emerald are Taurus, Gemini and Aries. Vibrates to the number 4.

Workings: Emerald is a symbol of immortality. It is used as a talisman to protect against physical danger and evil. It is also used for divination. Emerald is also known as the “stone of successful love”. Its element is Earth and it is ruled by the planet Venus. Its energy is receptive. The Greeks associated this stone with the Goddess Venus.

Chakra Applications: It is used to activate and stimulate the Heart chakra.

Foot Notes: Emerald is the green variety of the mineral beryl. Emerald’s precious green color is caused by small amounts of chromium and enhanced by traces of iron. Emerald occurs most often in mica schist’s of metamorphic-hydrothermal origin wherein the schist’s and other associated host rocks formed by chemical interaction between granite rocks or pegmatites and the enclosing basic (silica-deficient) rocks. Best field indicators are its color, form, hardness and specific gravity.

Source

Author: Crick

Herb of the Day for May 17th is Flax

Herb of the Day

Flax


                                                                         (Linum usitatissimum)



Mecicinal Uses: Flax is used as an aid to achieving cardiovascular health, to help in menopause, and as a mild laxative. The seed and the seed oil are being studied as a possible cure for cancer. The oil helps slow the kidney disease that accompanies lupus.      
                                                                                                                                       
The ground seed mixed with boiling water to make a thick mush is used for poultices. Any herb, such as smartweed, elm bark, hops, mullein, or any other herbs recommended, can be added. Use as a poultice on old sores, boils, inflammations, skin ulcers, wounds, and tumors. Poultices should be changed at least every 2 hours; have a new, hot poultice ready to apply before the old one is removed.                                                                                                  

Also used for female disorders, colon problems. Promotes strong nails, bones, and teeth and healthy skin. A decoction of the seeds can be used for coughs, catarrh, chronic bronchitis, asthma, pleurisy, fever, dropsy, leprosy, pimples, age spots, burns, scalds, gout, inflammation, cystitis, lung and chest problems, and digestive, gastritis, dyspepsia, diarrhea, and urinary disorders. To eliminate gallstones, take 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp. linseed oil and lie down on your left side for a half hour. The gallstones will pass into the intestines and be eliminated from there. Eating the seeds intact is useful for chronic constipation. The seeds swell up in the intestines, encouraging elimination by increasing the volume of fecal matter. For emollient uses and for rheumatic complaints, apply a linseed poultice. The oil was a folk remedy used for pleurisy and pneumonia.                                                                                             

The seed has been used for ages as a medicine. Take 1 tsp. of the whole seed mixed with water, orange juice, vegetable juice, etc., to provide a gentle lubricant laxative. Or use this mixture as an enema.                                       

To remove foreign bodies from the eye: place a grain of whole flaxseed under the lower lid, close the lids. The seed becomes surrounded by a thick, adherent mucilage, which entraps the foreign body, and soon carries it out from the angle of the eye.

Magickal uses: Flax is used to attract money and wealth, and is used in healing spells and rituals. When performinghealing rituals, sprinkle the altar with flax seeds and include in healing mixtures.

Properties: Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tussive, demulcent, emollient, laxative, mucilaginous, pectoral, purgative, tonic. Contains Glycosides, gum, linamarin, linoleic acid, linolenic acids, mucilage, oleic acid, protein, saturated acids, tannins, and wax, vitamins A, B, D, E, minerals and amino acids.

Growth: Flax grows in a wide range through North America. Flax is a delicate annual plant 8-22 inches high; the slender, wiry, glabrous, single, leafy, stem has few branches and bears alternate, sessile, simple, entire, lanceolate to oblong, linear, leaves. The numerous leaves are stalk less, alternate, linear with three parallel nerves. Each branch has one or two, delicate, blue or violet-blue, five-petaled, funnel-shaped, slightly overlapping petals (1/2-3/4 inches across), flowers from June to August. The fruit is an 8- to 10-seeded capsule; the seeds are smooth, flattened, shiny, oval beaked, and light brown. Widely cultivated in the United States (mostly the northwestern states), Canada, and Europe but also found wild along roadsides, railroad lines, old fields, and in waste places. Native to Europe.
Author: Crick

Deity of the Day for May 17th is Eos, The Dawn Goddess

Deity of the Day

Eos

The Dawn Goddess

 

Areas of Influence: Eos, Goddess of the dawn in ancient Greece was one of the Titans.

Every morning she awoke and used her rosy fingers to open the gates of heaven. This enabled her brother Helios (the sun God) to ride his chariot across the sky. She also brought forth the hope of a new day.

The dew was said to be her tears.

This female deity is most noted for her insatiable appetite for young men. Her desire is said to have been the result of a curse, placed upon her by Aphrodite, when she discovered her affair with Ares. She also kidnapped four lovers: Cephalus, Clitus, Ganymede and Tithonus. The later was a Trojan prince whom she begged Zeus to grant immortality. What she forgot to ask for was eternal youth. Eventually he shriveled up with old age and she turned him into a grasshopper.

Her love for Orion was unrequited.

Origins and Genealogy: She was daughter of the Titans Theia and Hyperion. She had two close siblings Helios (the sun) and Selene (the moon).

With Aeolus the keeper of the winds, she bore four sons these became the winds of the cardinal directions.

Strengths: Passion.

Weaknesses: Insatiable desire.

Roman Equivalent: Aurora.

 Symbolism

Depicted in art with rosy fingers, wearing a saffron robe and a tiara or diadem.

In pictures of Eos she is usually shown winged or riding a winged golden chariot. Follow this link and discover a variety of artist representations of the Goddess including a winged almost angelic looking one by artist Evelyn De Morgan.

Sacred Plant: Saffron.

Roman Equivalent: Aurora.

Goddess Archetype

The Femme Fatale:

This Archetype represents the seductress or enchantress who manipulates men for sex, status or money. The complete lack of emotional envolvement with their victim, results in the symbolic killing or getting rid of her lover when he has served his purpose.

On the more positive side rejection by the male can result in the opening her heart.

Eos fits this Archetype with her relentless pursuit of young men. She displayed these tendencies even before Aphrodite’s curse. This pattern of behaviour appears to be a family trait as her sister Selene also has numerous lovers.

 

How To Work With This Archetype

The Femme Fatale:

The Femme Fatale reminds you to be honest and look at why you are staying in a relationship? Is it the money, the house and status etc or are you emotionally connected to your lover.

If on the other hand you are looking for a new partner ask yourself how importantly you rank his earnings potential and status in your list of desirable qualities.

 

Source

Goddess-guide.com

EarthSky News for May 17th: Bright moon close to Spica on May 17

Bright moon close to Spica on May 17

onight and tomorrow night – May 17 and 18, 2016 – as darkness falls, look for the bright waxing gibbous moon to shine close to Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo the Maiden. The green line on the chart at top depicts the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the sphere of stars. To put it another way, the ecliptic marks the sun’s path throughout the year.

And the ecliptic marks the central line of the Zodiac in our sky – sometimes called the Pathway of Animals for the constellations that lie along its path. The constellations of the Zodiac make up the narrow band of the starry sky through which the sun, moon and planets all travel. Practiced stargazers often refer to Spica because it’s a bright star of the Zodiac.

The sun, moon and planets move along the Zodiac, and the star Spica lies within the Zodiac. Thus the moon passes Spica every month, and planets routinely appear near Spica in predictable cycles as well. That’s also true for other Zodiac stars, such as Antares or Regulus.

For example, two years ago – in May, 2014 – the planet Mars shone quite close to Spica on the sky’s dome. At present – May, 2016 – brilliant Mars is found in front of another zodiacal constellation, Scorpius, shining fairly close to another bright Zodiac star: Antares. The planets Mars and Saturn form a noticeable triangle with Antares. Look for the threesome in the southeast at nightfall or early evening, as shown on the chart below.

On these May and June 2016 evenings, note the other very brilliant starlike point of light much higher up in the sky as soon as darkness falls: Jupiter.

In 2016, Jupiter shines fairly close to the bright Zodiac star Regulus, brightest light in the constellation Leo the Lion and sometimes called the Lion’s Heart.

The moon passes close to the Zodiac stars Regulus, Spica and Antares once a month, and the planets pass by these zodiacal stars in predictable cycles. At present, Jupiter is seen in the vicinity of Regulus, while Mars and Jupiter shine the neighborhood of Antares.

So the ecliptic on the above sky chart, and on many of our sky charts, highlights the sun’s annual path through the constellations of the Zodiac. Of course, the supposed movement of the sun in front of the backdrop stars is really an illusion, which fooled many (but not all) ancient astronomers. We now understand that the sun’s apparent motion along the ecliptic is really caused by our planet Earth’s own movement in orbit around the sun.

Practiced stargazers use the ecliptic – or the larger Zodiac of stars surrounding it – to find the planets, and you can, too. Tonight, try using key Zodiac stars such as Regulus, Spica and Antares to follow the graceful arc of the ecliptic on the sky’s dome.

By the way, the moon moves much more rapidly than the planets do through the constellations of the Zodiac. In fact, the moon will pair up with Mars in several more days, on or near May 20.

Dates of sun’s entry into each constellation of the Zodiac

Bottom line: As darkness falls on May 17 and 18, 2016, look for the bright waxing gibbous moon to shine close to Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo the Maiden.

 

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 May 17, 2016

Your Daily Influences
May 17, 2016 

 

Three of Pentacles Reversed
Gain is not realized and skills are not mastered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uruz
Uruz is the Rune of harmony, order and inner strength. Often it marks endings and beginnings of periods in our lives. Uruz also symbolizes your ability to tackle new challenges by confronting them with the powers that lie within you. Opportunities probably abound for you right now.

 

 

 

Sagittarius the Archer
This aspect of your life will be strongly influenced by a person who is optimistic, freedom-loving, jovial, good-humored, honest, straightforward, intellectual and philosophical.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

Your Charm for Tuesday, May 17th is The Abraxas

Your Charm for Today

Today’s Meaning:
A powerful force will rule you within aspect for the duration of a year. You will be given few choices to make as most will be made for you. This force is benign in nature and the end result will be positive.

General Description:
Abraxas stones were commonly worn and highly esteemed in the Roman Empire about the time when Christianity was becoming established there. Much importance was attached to the word Abraxas in the Greek notation making up the number 365, signifying 365 heavens, occupied by the 365 gods, who according to the Gnostic religion, formed the earth and ruled its destiny. The Abraxas, the curious divide Jeo, of Jehovah of the Gnostics, has a fowl’s head, signifying watchfulness and foresight; the shield, wisdom; whip, authority; two serpents, mystery, eternity, vitality. These rings were worn as talismans for protection against physical ills.

Your Ancient Symbol Card for May 17th is Solitude

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

Solitude



Solitude is represented by a single person standing at the end of a boardwalk staring out at a vast, empty panorama. They are truly alone, but may not feel loneliness. They are at a place in their life where the need to withdraw from the our secular world is strong, because their focus should be on their inner self, their morality, and their dreams. The view before them is empty, but it is a canvas on which they may paint their future–a future restricted only by the size of their imagination and courage. For them Solitude is a choice. They chose to take the walkway that distances them from the rest of us. It is also a choice that can be undone. Just as they chose to take a path that leads them away from us, they may choose to turn around and come back at anytime.

As a daily card, Solitude suggest a period in which you need to distance yourself from those around you and explore your inner-self, what is driving your day to day life and decide if you are really on the life path that is best for you. This is a time to revitalize your spirit, and draw your dreams for the future.

Today’s Witches Rune for Tuesday, May 17th is The Star

f5680-star

f5680-starToday’s Witches Rune

The Star

Meaning: In many cultures, the Star is a symbol of hope, dreams and destiny, and in the Witches Runes this symbol has a similar connotation. When the Star rune appears, it’s green light for you to go after what you want.

Note that the Star does not say you’ll get everything you want without any work. No. This symbol is a not about easy success, but about having faith in what you are doing – and doing it. In fact, the goals suggested by the Star are usually the highest and most significant ones – the ones that are hardest to get. It does not matter what the dream is, but its significance in your life. This symbol also represents ideals, and they can be both individual and collective ones.

In a more down-to-earth way, the Star is related to revolutions, changes, risks, speculation and all things motivated by faith and ideals. It can represent a sudden spark on inspiration, a windfall, a sudden rise to fame or a promotion. Though the sudden changes brought by the Star are usually positive, they are also fast: you can get back to point zero as quickly as you rose. So don’t be afraid to jump forward when the opportunity arises.

The Star urges you to take the risk, to have hope and to trust. After the staleness of Crossroads, the Universe finally begins to move again. If you believe in Higher Powers, this symbol shows that They are guiding you in this moment. The Star is a very positive rune, but in a more negative context it can represent revolution for revolution’s sake and the constant idealization of people and situations. It can also stand for excessive individualism when going after a dream.

In relationship readings, this rune represents hope and an idealistic kind of love. Usually the people involved in the relationship have high expectations about the other. They easily put their partner on a pedestal, only to feel frustrated when reality strikes. The Star can also represent unrequited love, or the love for someone who is unattainable. On the other hand, this rune tells you to not give up love entirely – keep looking, because someone is coming.

 

Additional Information About Today’s Witches Rune courtesy of Your Spiritual Journey Australia

 

Your Crowley Thoth Tarot Card for May 17th is The Hermit

Your Crowley Thoth Tarot Card for Today

The Hermit



The Hermit denotes a need to have some space between you and everyday hustle and bustle of our busy world. The Hermit needs to retreat. Indeed, happiness for The Hermit requires seclusion, freedom from material wants, and time for intense introspection. The answers The Hermit needs cannot be found in our physical world. The truths he seeks are internal, spiritual, and the distraction of a well developed social life can only impede his quest for his personal truths. Still, although not anything remotely resembling extroversion, The Hermit does sometimes need to share time with others; so he can learn or teach, guide and be guided. The Hermit’s time spent amongst people depletes his energy rapidly. To avoid an overload he has to retreat from social settings quickly.

Your Tarot Card for Tuesday, May 17th is Four of Cups

 

 

 

 

Tarot Card of the Day

Four of Cups

May 17th, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The suit often named Cups is also referred to as Chalices or Hearts. It represents the emotional and psychic aspects of life — fantasy, imagination, feelings, love.

A Four in this suit refers to a restless time, where a person may have become dissatisfied with life, and emotionally uncomfortable. Feeling stagnated, longing for change, the heart ponders its options … as it should.

 

Part of the Daily Insight Group