Top 13 Reasons to become a Witch

13. I live for persecution!
12. I’m a night person at heart.
11. We respect our elders…and alders, and willows and oaks.
10. I just love explaining that a pentagram is NOT evil.
9. We do more after midnight than most people do all day!
8. Being burned at the stake is a great way to roast marshmallows.
7. We can talk to Elvis (and he IS dead).
6. You live, you learn, you die, you forget. Then you comeback…
5. Double the deities, double the fun!
4. We get more holidays.
3. Brooms get great mileage.
2. We were here first!
1. BELTANE!!!

 

Source:
Wiccan Magick

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 5

Massive Stars in NGC 6357
Image Credit & Copyright: CHART32 Team, Processing – Johannes Schedler

 

Explanation: Massive stars lie within NGC 6357, an expansive emission nebula complex some 6,500 light-years away toward the tail of the constellation Scorpius. In fact, positioned near center in this ground-based close-up of NGC 6357, star cluster Pismis 24 includes some of the most massive stars known in the galaxy, stars with nearly 100 times the mass of the Sun. The nebula’s bright central region also contains dusty pillars of molecular gas, likely hiding massive protostars from the prying eyes of optical instruments. Intricate shapes in the nebula are carved as interstellar winds and energetic radiation from the young and newly forming massive stars clear out the natal gas and dust and power the nebular glow. Enhancing the nebula’s cavernous appearance, narrowband image data was included in this composite color image in a Hubble palette scheme. Emission from sulfur, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms is shown in red green and blue hues. The alluring telescopic view spans about 50 light-years at the estimated distance of NGC 6357.

All times in UTC, the time standard commonly used by nations across the world. Translate to your timezone here.

FEBRUARY, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Feb 01 03:28 LAST QUARTER MOON
Feb 01 08:48 Mars 2.7°S of moon
Feb 03 19:05 Saturn 3.5°S of moon
Feb 06 07:32 Venus 4.3°S of moon
Feb 06 16:47 Mercury 3.8°S of moon
Feb 07 01 Mercury at greatest elongation: 25.6°W
Feb 08 14:39 NEW MOON
Feb 10 20:46 Moon at descending node
Feb 11 02:42 Moon at perigee: 364358 km
Feb 13 03 Mercury 4.0° of Venus
Feb 15 07:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Feb 16 07:41 Aldebaran 0.3°S of moon
Feb 21 17 Mercury at aphelion
Feb 22 12:48 Regulus 2.5°N of moon
Feb 22 18:20 FULL MOON
Feb 24 03:58 Jupiter 1.7°N of moon
Feb 24 06:10 Moon at ascending node
Feb 26 19:05 Spica 5.1°S of moon
Feb 27 03:28 Moon at apogee: 405383 km
Feb 28 15 Neptune in conjunction with sun
Feb 29 18:16 Mars 3.6°S of moon

 

Author

Fred Espenak

Moon, Venus, Mercury on February 6

Before dawn on February 6, 2016 … think photo opportunity! The crescent moon and the planets Venus and Mercury convene in the morning sky, just as darkness wanes toward dawn on this Saturday morning. Look in the sunrise direction shortly before sunrise, when the sky is still dark enough to see the stars.

If there’s any cloud or haze on your eastern horizon – or if you’ve got an exceptionally bright city sky – binoculars will come in handy!

Depending on your time zone, Mercury reaches its greatest western (morning) elongation from the sun on February 6 or 7. That means that Mercury, the solar system’s innermost planet, swings to the outer edge of its orbit as seen from Earth.

And it means we can see Mercury pretty well – or very well – in the sky before dawn.

Around the time of greatest elongation, Mercury is as far from the sun as it will be, for this apparition. Right now, this planet – sometimes called the most elusive planet since it always stays near the sun in our sky – is rising at or near its maximum period of time before sunrise.

At mid-northern latitudes right now, Mercury rises approximately 80 minutes before the sun. At temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, Mercury rises nearly two hours before the sun. Click here for recommendations for a sky almanac that can give you the precise rising times for the moon and planets in your sky.

After this, Mercury will start rising closer and closer to the time of sunrise and finally disappear in the sunrise glare, sometime after mid-February. From the Southern Hemisphere, though, you might actually be able to view Mercury in the morning sky until the month’s end.

The five visible planets will adorn the February morning sky until Mercury disappears from view.

And, although the moon will be moving out of the morning sky in a day or two, you can continue to use the dazzling planet Venus to locate nearby Mercury.

The upcoming week is a grand time to spot Mercury near Venus before sunrise, and thus to see all five naked-eye planets in the February morning sky.

Bottom line: The moon has been sweeping past the five planets in the morning sky. On Saturday morning – February 6, 2016 – the moon will be near both Mercury and Venus.

 

Author

Bruce McClure

Article is published on EarthSky

 

The Words of Confucius

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.

Query:

How will our weekend be?

Hmm, think it means “be patient” and wait for the weekend to get here?

Your Daily Influences
February 5, 2016

 

Page of Pentacles
Introversion. A healthy admiration for new ideas and scholarly pursuits. Reflective. Good management and organizational skills. A bearer of good tidings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Othala
Othala represents a solid, immovable home, prosperity and safety. Good fortune based on your heritage and character is yours to enjoy.

 

 

 

The Swastika
Over the next weeks and months this aspect should be one that requires little effort on your part to keep things moving forward. This is one of the few charms that has the same meaning upright or inverted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Ancient Symbols for the Weekend

 

 

The Key

The Key indicates the existence of a powerful tool capable of favorably influencing your future. The Key may be an idea, physical entity, an action, a mentor, or the combination of a number of things. While readily available to you The Key may not be all that obvious. You might have to search for it, and it may take a fair dose of courage and faith to actually use it.

 

 

 

 

The Cat

The Cat represents the need for stealth and the freedom to act without restrictions. Acting stealthily in no way implies the need for underhanded behavior. Instead the suggestion here is to move quietly towards your goals and reach out for them when they are within range. It also denotes a need to free yourself from restrictions imposed by others.

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

Altruism

Altruism denotes the noble act of giving to those in need without the expectation of a return. The act of giving has been seen as one of humankind’s greatest attributes throughout history. It is honored in nearly every culture. To give is a gift to both those who receive and those who give. Giving is usually associated with addressing the material needs of others, but the gift given can take many forms such as wisdom or protection or simply a shoulder to cry on.

As a daily card, Altruism suggests there are those around you in need of things you can give them. It is a time for you to address the needs of another, or others without regard of profit or acknowledgement of your contribution.