Hard working, capable, and mostly disciplined, you are a person who values that which you have built. Feeling safe and secure are major drives for you, and there is little you want more than to bring harmony into your relationships and environment around you. Your need for communication and mental stimulation is strong, and you are at your best when you are one-on-one. You are somewhat fearful of change, and your life often feels fated. Your attention to detail is outstanding, and you can be a perfectionist. You need a partner who is mentally stimulating, youthful in spirit, interested and interesting. Famous people born today: Tommy Lasorda, Joan Jett, Scott Baio, Bonnie Hunt, Andrea Bocelli, Tatiana Maslany.
A relationship can be pleasantly surprising or open today, dear Aries, or you could simply be especially open to new experiences and attracting opportunities to you through this positive attitude. You have more courage to do something different, creative, and unique. Letting go of unhealthy expectations of others comes easily today, and you may be feeling fresh and free as a result. For some, a surprise attraction may be part of your day; or a partner could bring a pleasant surprise into your life. People are attracted to your unique and progressive qualities. Some of you could be interested in trying on a new style or other update to your appearance, and others may be discovering new ways to express your more playful and creative side.
Taurus
Taurus
This is a strong day for emotional breakthroughs or happy energy that opens you up on an emotional level, dear Taurus. Family relations can be improved, particularly with an open attitude. As well, there can be creative problem solving in your domestic world. Emotional blocks free up. There can be a pleasant memory or connection made with someone, a sudden attraction, and unusual or progressive tastes and ideas. Getting rid of clutter in your home can be especially helpful for improving your outlook, as you can feel lighter and freer. Of course, this can also play out on an emotional level – letting go of emotional or spiritual “clutter” can help you move forward and embrace new opportunities rather than cling to things you no longer need.
Gemini
Gemini
There is a pleasing need for change today, dear Gemini, and even small change can improve your outlook. You are attracting, and attracted to, different people and experiences. This is a day for feeling freer and for getting over recent emotional hurdles. The desire for something new can stimulate you to push boundaries in a gentle, pleasant way, especially with friends or in your communications. This can lead to nice opportunities. With Venus and Uranus in harmonious aspect, we are slightly detached emotionally, and this makes it easier to forget problems temporarily and can also build courage to try different things. There could be opportunities to reconnect with old friends or classmates, and possibly neighbors for some of you.
Cancer
Cancer
An open and progressive attitude towards your practical affairs, including money and career, brings rewards today, dear Cancer. You could be updating technology or methods in order to improve your life today, and you’re certainly attracted to new or different products and solutions to problems. Thinking in terms of change, growth, and progress makes the most sense, and you may in fact feel a little more courageous about trying new methods and perhaps leaving outmoded ones behind. Social contacts may lead to new business ideas, and shopping for some of you could turn up something fun and inspired. There can be surprise elements involved with work or reputation matters that are quite pleasant. Less baggage may lead to more confidence today, so think in terms of what might be better off left behind.
Leo
Leo
Venus in your sign is in harmony with Uranus today, dear Leo, and this can stimulate a freer, more breezy attitude or outlook that attracts others to you. You’re especially charming now as you ease your way around, although you are also a little noncommittal at the moment. This is one of the easier days for naturally expressing affection since Venus’ retrograde, which occurred mostly in your sign. You seem less weighed down or burdened. This is a time for improvising and enjoying yourself as you do. Loosen up, let things flow along, and embrace new experiences and small changes. Your desires can be unusual and different today, leading you along new paths.
Virgo
Virgo
While you’re still a little withdrawn these days, dear Virgo, there is strong energy today for making connections. However, much is going on under the covers now, and it’s a great time for discovering new feelings, desires, and needs. Today is good for freeing yourself from negative thinking or from attachments that no longer serve you well. Your attitude towards taboo or private matters tends to be lighter. You can be feeling very open, spirited, and in the mood to give of yourself now, even if it is in private or even anonymous ways. Your awareness of the more hidden elements of any given situation is strong today, but you are less sensitive or private about these things so that they are easier for you to acknowledge, and possibly even to share. For some of you, there may be a release from an old obligation that makes you feel a little lighter.
Libra
Libra
The desire for change can propel you forward today, dear Libra. You are looking forward and willing to leave something you no longer need behind in order to welcome new energy into your life. Liberation is possible in some small yet meaningful way with your ruler, Venus, in harmony with Uranus. You, a partner, or a friend are bringing elements of surprise into relationships now. The major key to enjoying this energy is to drop unhealthy expectations and to accept others as they are. Teaming up can bring rewards. New interactions can be exciting and even slightly unnerving but in a good way, and new life can be breathed into current connections.
Scorpio
Scorpio
Today brings especially fresh energy into your life, dear Scorpio. You are looking for company with people who don’t burden you with expectations with detached Uranus connecting with Venus, your partnership ruler. There is good energy with you today for stimulating conversations and social pleasure, but also for professional and personal networking. The general atmosphere is friendly and progressive, as well as a little detached. For best results today, be open to new ideas, approaches, and methods. This is especially so for work, health, and daily routines, but can also help your close relationships. You are more interested in making creative changes and applying new ideas than climbing the ladder, which ends up turning heads anyway.
Sagittarius
Sagittarius
Your friendships assume more importance in your life now, dear Sagittarius, and today you’re bringing something new to the table. Relationships are easier, lighter, or less burdened today, and you can feel quite inspired by others now. Your tastes are a little exotic now. Opening up adds to enjoyment, and creativity can blossom. Unexpected pleasures and enjoyment can be part of your day. A change of pace is in order, and can lead to positive new experiences. It’s quite natural to let go of recent frustrations and pressures, and to move forward. Your personal appeal is enhanced today.
Capricorn
Capricorn
There can be pleasant changes on the home front, or a sudden desire to change up your immediate environment today, dear Capricorn, as you’re in need of a refreshing change of pace. Energy is light and free, and you could be inspired to let go of negative thinking or relating patterns. There can be a feeling of emotional liberation, release, or relief. There can be a discovery about a relationship or an emotional breakthrough, and for some, a new way of relating that opens up your mind and heart. A relationship can reach a new level of intimacy, or you could understand your own inner workings better.
Aquarius
Aquarius
When it comes to your personal relationships, dear Aquarius, you are now focusing on the future and your vision is much broader. Today is strong for thinking outside the box, projects revolving around technology or New Age topics, and for teaming or partnering up. There can be pleasant surprises in your conversations or in your news feed. Your unique style and way of thinking are appreciated right now, and you thoroughly enjoy the forward-looking, open energy around you. There can be a new understanding or awareness about a person or your own needs, and this has a calming, happy effect on you. Be open to new ways of thinking, relating, and connecting.
Pisces
Pisces
The chance to feel a little lighter or freer emerges today, dear Pisces, perhaps through a new method or opening, or a burden that leaves you. Relating to one another is easier minus the loaded expectations, and an open mind leaves a chance that a new and improved approach can enter it. You can come up with clever ideas on the job or revolving around practical affairs, such as money-making ideas. Letting go of fear can open up creativity and improve your health. There can be excitement about a new work project or health and wellness program today, and a sense that your life will improve as a result.
The Balance of the Signs & the Elements for Tuesday, Sept. 22nd
LEO STRONG
Self-confident, generous, warm-hearted, powerful leader, dramatic. Can be overly proud, vain, extravagant, arrogant.
VIRGO STRONG
Meticulous, discriminating, pure, practical, health conscious, hard working. Can be hyper-critical, petty and perfectionistic.
CAPRICORN STRONG
Disciplined, responsible, reliable, industrious, conscientious, practical, achieving. Can be pessimistic, overly conventional, rigid, materialistic, callous.
BALANCE OF ELEMENTS
EARTH STRONG
We are especially in touch with the physical world. We consider what we’ve learned and experienced in the past in order to make the most of the present. We can be cautious, practical, and possibly unimaginative. We are deliberate and can pace ourselves well. We need hands-on experience and are not impressed with theory as much as we are with results. Routines are tolerable and comforting.
AIR WEAK
We may have a difficult time being objective or detached. We may not be especially communicative.
WATER WEAK
There may be some insensitivity or lack of empathy now. We may be out of touch with what we’re feeling or with our emotional needs. We may be tougher than usual now, and more inclined to follow mental or practical considerations than we are to listen to our intuition.
This is a day for opening up to new ways of approaching our lives, and especially our relationships and resources.
The Moon is in Capricorn all day (until Wednesday, September 23rd, at 1:51 PM).
The Moon is waxing and in its First Quarter phase.
A First Quarter Moon occurred yesterday, and a Full Moon /Lunar Eclipse will occur on the 27th.
Venus turned direct on September 6th and is in its post-retrograde shadow until October 9th.
Mercury is retrograde (Mercury is retrograde from September 17-October 9 in Libra).
The Sun will enter Libra tomorrow.
We are in a rather intense and powerful transformational time, as you well know. A week ago we had a partial eclipse, although the Power of it was anything but “partial.” Next week is both the Equinox and another eclipse. Suffice it to say that there is no rest period in between. This is a time where many who talk about ascending and those who are acting on being New will separate.
Do not avoid or run from any experience. Look deeper and see the message it has for you. Follow it to conclusion. This will raise the hackles of any separate ego that is left within you. There may be a lot of ego kicking and screaming. Take a few moments; if you find yourself rebelling, defending, reacting, denying, running from, resisting, or angrily opposing; and go within and hold your separate ego and tell him/her how loved he/she is. This will help your separate ego become your ascended ego; the expresser of your perfect and Divine Soul. When the separate ego becomes the ascended ego, you will find you no longer fight what wants to be born. It is only when we resist and fight that we are torn between two worlds. This eclipse cycle, along with the Equinox, will most definitely highlight where you are in conflict: Soul vs ego. For those who have become One with Soul and ego, the Love you experience is powerful and it is becoming more so.
As we move forward into even more powerful energies, realize that all you experience is only for your evolution and do drop the duality of good and bad. With the many Earth movements, don’t rush in to save, for Gaia is transforming too and all is in Divine Order. She does not need saving and neither do you. She and you have the Power to rise in Greatness. Yes, it will/is be different, yet that doesn’t mean it’s good or bad; it is just different. The New may not look like your preconceived ideas either. Let go of any expectations and ideas of how things should look based on what you’ve been told. As you focus on yourself, your consciousness will create your New World. So let go of any complaining, hoping and wishing; remember that what you focus on, you manifest. If you focus on “ain’t it awful,” you create more of that. If you see the Beauty in all events, regardless of how the world describes it, you create Beauty in your New Life. This eclipse season will enhance this focus; whatever it is. The energy is neutral. It is we who get to decide how to use it.
Perceive any chaos (chaos is a judgment call) as evolution. If necessary, change your perceptions and become an observer in life; attached to nothing or no-one. This non-attachment and non-judgment is all a part of your continual Awakening. It is neither good nor bad; it simply is. Allow things to flow through you. You needn’t know why, when, how, where or who. All is simply helping you to awake more, so that you are acutely aware of who you are and how you are evolving. In Transformation, first is the destruction of the old and then it builds anew. Think of the Butterfly. It dissolves in the cocoon. Its DNA changes completely and a new form is created. The Butterfly is not a caterpillar with wings; it completely dissolves and then builds an entirely new and different form. Out of the ashes emerges the Phoenix. We are the Phoenix and so is Gaia. There is nothing to fear and all to accept. (Fascinating; I just got a new piece of information for me. I AM no longer the being I thought I was in previous lifetimes; I only carry that essence. I AM a completely New being. This was just illustrated to me by two paintings a dear friend painted of me. Thank you, Robin.)
If you go through a rather intense destruction, you might slip back into forgetfulness and duality. Old patterns and thinking may resurface. Aha! This is perfect; you then get to see what is still operating within! You can release it and replace it with how you want to feel (a Soul Essence). You can then be in Gratitude for that intense experience.
So, as many things dissolve in your life and around you, don’t sink into “ain’t it awful” and “how can I fix this?”, because this keeps the old in place. Rather, see all as a profound blessing of evolution and a higher Awakening. A wonderful reminder is in the book The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. Our hero arrives at his place of business to find it burning to the ground. He simply walks away and knows it is time for something new. To be that aware is the potential we all have, especially now.
Those who have been doing their work all along, find this time to be exquisite! Those who have delayed making the changes they’ve needed to make but haven’t, may find this time extremely difficult. Only you know who you are. Those who are experiencing exquisite times will experience more; those who are clinging to the way things have always been may get the wind knocked out of them. For those who are ready, you are poised for a huge shift forward. There will be more downloads and not just during sleep. Time is speeding up. Well actually, there is no time, for we are in a timeless phase (and it will remain to be timeless) and so it seems that “time” speeds up. Stay grounded. This is vitally important. Clear your chakras daily. Meditate in your body, so that you bring the high multidimensional Light into you; and you don’t float elsewhere. Ascension happens in your body right here and right now. You can sun gaze and practice Earthing. Doing Ceremony also helps you stay grounded. And you can perceive the 3rd Dimension chores as grounding tools; like paying bills, doing dishes and laundry, shopping and other things that call for your attention. In this way, you are not rebelling against 3D, but are allowing it to work for and with you. Ignoring 3D responsibilities only adds stress to you and this isn’t a time for stress; it’s a time to stay alert to everything. Stress puts you to sleep.
If you perceive an obstacle, perhaps change your perception to Opportunity; what is it then showing you? Are you feeling sorry for yourself? Then release victim energy. Remember that life doesn’t happen to you; you create absolutely everything and it is all a gift of Awareness.
Be O.K. with where you are. This requires Patience and Trust. Take a step when and if you are guided. There is no such thing as being stuck; that’s an old illusion. When you honor where you are, you may see that there is still something you need to learn and complete or you are completely aligned and in Peace with your current situation…feel into it. There is no pushing or controlling in the New. Things will unfold according to your consciousness. If you don’t like your life, go within and see what needs to shift and then take a step when and if you are guided. Take your time, for things shift as you do. If you feel light, you will feel lighter as we move through this eclipse phase; if you feel heavy, look beneath the surface to see if you’re holding onto a particular belief or pattern. If you feel confused, be still and have Patience, for Clarity will come. If you feel stressed, identify your stressor and let it go.
Once you are complete with your Purification, be mindful of the many blessings and so-called miracles in your life. (What we call miracles are becoming commonplace.) Watch for new opportunities and new directions or expansion in what you are already doing. If you become invisible to others who haven’t awakened, that is to be expected; they simply can’t see you. You may hear voices; real voices; not within voices (you will always hear those). Just notice. Watch for feathers that end up where you wouldn’t expect them to be. Be thankful for everything and more will come your way. Be aware that you are guided constantly. Your Guidance may not come in human words, for Guidance comes to you as Awareness of even the little things. This is a time of deeper living. Surface and reactive living is of the old. Pay attention to your Intuition, for it is strong now and becoming stronger and it is your guide. Don’t be afraid to let go of jobs, places or people that you no longer resonate with. Stay steady and grounded. In this way, you don’t miss a thing.
When you stay grounded, you stabilize the energies. They integrate within you, upgrading cells, DNA and all your bodies and chakras. Within the flux of energies, one wonders how to keep focused. One of your opportunities is to stay focused on the New while all may be swirling around you. You can place both hands on your Heart and say, “I AM aligned with Soul now.” You needn’t be thrown to and fro by the wildly fluctuating energies. Be the eye of the storm. Remember that you have the Power to be in whatever state of being you choose. And know that you can be as busy as you want or as still as you want. It’s all up to you. Break through to new expressions of being. Know what gifts you have within you and practice/use them. When you immerse yourself in your gifts, a great sense of Peace and well-being washes over you. If you struggle, you are not in touch with your gifts, for being in the Light of your Soul, there is only Love.
Feel everything. If something doesn’t feel aligned, then make a change. Know that as you shift, your world shifts. Let go of anything with which you no longer resonate. This includes labels by which you define yourself, gifts others have known you by and anything you have done or do. Try on new things if you’re not sure of what direction to go in. You see, your purpose is in flux as well.
May your days be blessed with Bliss and Ease, for that is the way of the New.
The Moon today is in a Waxing Gibbous phase. This phase is when the moon is more than 50% illuminated but not yet a Full Moon. The phase lasts round 7 days with the moon becoming more illuminated each day until the Full Moon. During a Waxing Gibbous the moon will rise in the east in mid-afternoon and will be high in the eastern sky at sunset. The moon is then visible though most of the night sky setting a few hour before sunrise. The word Gibbous first appeared in the 14th century and has it’s roots in the Latin word “gibbous” meaning humpbacked
Phase Details for – Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Phase: Waxing Gibbous
Illumination: 62%
Moon Age: 8.51 days
Moon Angle: 0.52
Moon Distance: 379,418.81 km
Sun Angle: 0.53
Sun Distance: 150,139,522.72 km
“The Wheel rolls more, and Autumn returns.
Cooler the rain; the Sun lower burns.
The coloring leaves presage the Year:
All things move into harvest’s sphere.
I vow to savor fruits first picked;
nor into grief shall I be tricked.
I vow to offer what once I spurned,
and face the Turning reassured.
– Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Beltane to Mabon
Spend some part of the day in meditation on the meaning of the seasons and the ritual. Before the ritual have a bath in salt water to purify the body and as the water drains out of the bath, imagine all your negativity leaving with it. Dress in clean clothes or your robes.
You should have a candle placed in your cauldron.
Cast your circle.
Call the God and Goddess.
Call the Quarters.
Light the candle in the cauldron and then meditate on the season.
Next say:
The season turns and light and darkness stand once more in balance, but now the dark is gaining.
The time of light and growth is over. The leaves whither on the trees and the birds prepare to fly away for the winter. The grass stands brown in the meadows and the flowers are faded. The bountiful Harvest Mother becomes the Crone who cuts down the Corn King in his prime. He is laid in his tomb, but will return to us when the wheel of the year spins around. His dark tomb shall become the womb from which he is reborn; an eternal riddle. So it is with us all. We are and grow with the light, but there comes a time when the Goddess calls us home.
Hold up your glass of wine and say;
Let the wine be blessed which is the blood of the Earth pressed smooth (drink).
Take up the cakes and say;
Let the cakes be blessed in the name of the God, our Lord. Without his sacrifice we would not eat (eat).
Thank and release the God and Goddess.
Thank and release the Quarters.
Release the circle.
RavenandCrone
An Online Shop for Pagan Supplies and Crystals
I think it is always interesting to hear people’s thoughts on deity. Depending on your point of view, your thoughts on deity can be quite varies. I once read a quote that said “If you ask 10 Wiccans about their religion you will get 15 different answers”, I have found this to be very true. Just as we all are individuals and very different, so are our views. There are monotheistic Wiccans, who believe in a supreme being; and consider the Goddess and God the feminine and masculine aspect of a single deity. And there are duo theistic Wiccans, who worship the God and Goddess as separate beings. Then there are polytheistic Wiccans, who recognize the existence of many Gods and Goddess.
There are some that take the stance that all gods are one god. The One is the all encompassing unity of all things which exist; the divine creator of all life and existence. The One is infinite to a point that the human mind simply cannot comprehend its vastness. The One goes by many names and many faces, but is essentially the same Supreme Being; called by whatever name.
Along those same lines, some believe that there is one Supreme Being, but because there is much difficulty in relating to it, they link with that force through their deities. And in accordance with the principles of nature, the Supreme Being is personified into two beings; the Goddess and the God. There is a balance in nature, so it is natural that their also be the same balance in deity. They believe that every deity that receives worship exists within the God and Goddess; and that the different pantheons of deities are simply aspects of the two.
When envisioning the Goddess and God, may Wiccans see them as well-known deities from ancient religions. Many of these deities, with their corresponding histories, rites and mythic information, furnish the concept of deity for Wiccans. Some feel comfortable associating such names and forms with the Goddess and God, feeling that they can’t possibly revere nameless divine beings. Others find a lack of names and costume a comforting lack of limitations. They have been given so many names they have been called the Nameless Ones. In appearance they look exactly as we wish them to, for they’re all the deities that ever were.
Sometimes a particular deity or even a small group of deities will make themselves known to an individual or even a group. Sometimes they will make themselves known through dreams, divinatory tools or in other ways in our daily life. Other times they find themselves pulled towards a particular deity, and give them preference over the other deities.
To know your deity you must make contact with them. Talk to them and be sure to listen to their answers. Talk to others about them, and look for the deity’s signature in everything around you. If you watch carefully you will see them in all things around you. As you begin to tune into their voices, you will realize that they were speaking to you all along; you just didn’t stop and notice.
The Magical Circle Newsletter: Mabon
Collen Criswell
“The Wheel turns on – ’tis Mabon-tide.
Dawn and dusk abreast now ride
darkness, brightness, calm and storms.
The hand that holds the scythe transforms.
I vow this wisdom shall be my own:
poise will let my power be known.
From balance the Wheel now turns toward the deep.
Through Winter, by vow and faith, I’ll keep.”
Ashleen O’Gaea,Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Beltane to Mabon
This is the Autumn Equinox (also known as Mabon, Foghar, Alban Elfed, Harvest Home, 2nd Harvest, Fruit Harvest, Wine Harvest), when day and night, light and day are equal. It is the feast at the height of the harvest, when nearly all has been gathered in. This would have been a time of markets, festivals, processions and general gaiety. It is also known as a feast of the healer and the feast of the release of prisoners, for this is the time of year for setting aside old disputes, grudges and quarrels. Like the Spring Equinox it is a time of balance, a time to discard unwanted habits and traits and to take on new.
The Fall Equinox is our harvest celebration. Twin to the Spring Equinox, it’s a time, again, of balance between dark and light. But now we are moving from light into darkness, from warmth into cold. We gather in the harvest of summer and prepare for the winter ahead.
Everything in nature is constant giving to and receiving from everything else. The oxygen we breathe in is exhaled by the trees, and they take in the carbon dioxide we breathe out. Bees sip nectar from the flowers and in return carry their pollen to other blossoms so that the plants can make seeds. Nothing exists separately from the whole.
When we receive a gift, we give thanks. Sooner or later, we tr to give something back to the person who gave it to us – or perhaps pass the gift onto someone else. That’s part of keeping the balance. At this time of year when we are gathering in the gifts of the Goddess, the fruit, nuts, grain, and vegetables that are ripe, we also try to give something back, to make offerings and express our thanks. The Fall Equinox is our Thanksgiving. In fact, the Thanksgiving that we celebrate in the United States came from the old European Harvest Home, the special customs and rituals done when the last sheaf of grain was gathered in.
In ancient Greece, the Fall Equinox was the time when the mysteries of Demeter and Persephone were celebrated.
Mabon was not an actual ancient Pagan festival in date or name. In fact, there is actually very little evidence it was ever celebrated. In fact, Mabon came into practice in the 1970′ s. Adian Kelly is said to have created this holiday as part of a religious study project. The term Litha is also attributed to Kelly. The use of the term Mabon is more prevalent in American than in Britain.
The Magical Circle Newsletter: Mabon
Collen Criswell
“Mea’n Fo’mhair honors The Green Man, God of the Forest, by offerings of wines, ciders and herbs. The Goddess is commemorated as she passes from Mother to Crone. Mabon is an occasion of the Mysteries and to honor deities and the spirit world. Finery is worn in shades of red, maroon, violet, orange, gold, brown, yellow, russet and indigo. Jewelry is made with yellow topaz and agate, carnelian, sapphire, amethyst and sapphire, crystals. The feast includes breads, nuts, acorns, grains, corn, beans, squash, root vegetables, some seasoned with sage, dried fruits, pomegranates, grapes and apples spiced with cinnamon and cloves, ale, wine and cider. It’s a gathering of family as people ready for Samhain and a time to finish old business for a phase of reflection, rest and relaxation. Activities include scattering offerings in harvested fields, making wine, gathering dried herbs, plants, seeds and pods, walking in the woods and adorning graves with leaves, acorns, and pine cones to honor those who have gone on. Spellwork is for protection, harmony, prosperity, balance, security, and self-confidence. The animals of Mabon are dogs, wolves, stags, salmon, goats and raptors, especially eagles and owls, and black birds.”
– Mabon, Pagan Fire Festival by Jill Stefko
Tuesday is a Mars day, and just like the god of war, this is the time to tap into magicks to call for strength and courage. This day of the week is for rebels and warriors. If you are facing a challenge of any kind, need a boost to your courage, or want to enhance your passions, Tuesday is the day of the week for you. Some suggestions for Tuesday enchantments would include:
*Wearing the fiery colors associated with this day: scarlet, red, black, and orange. Don some of the more daring and bewitching colors of your wardrobe on Tuesdays and turn a few heads
*Carrying a bloodstone in your pocket or wearing garnet-studded jewelry to reinforce your convictions
*Working with protective and fire-associated plants such as the snapdragon, thistle, and holly to boost your shields and bravery
*Burning spicy-scented energy-enhancing candles to add a little magical aromatherapy to your home
*Cooking up a hearty meal featuring carrots, peppers, and garlic (all Mars foods and spices) to empower yourself for victory and success
“To the Celts, Avalon is the mysterious place for the land of the dead and literally means the “land of apples”. Thus this is a holiday for celebrating the bounty of the harvest and the desire for the living to be reunited with their deceased loved ones. The holiday is also named for the Welsh God Mabon. Mabon means the “great son”. He was the son of Mordred, kidnapped at the age of 3 and later rescued by King Arthur. His life represents the innocence of youth, the strength of survival and the growing wisdom of the elderly. Perhaps it is this view of the cycle of life that brings Mabon to his most popular role, the King of the Other world and the God of Darkness. His myths overlap with other Gods such as the Welsh God Gwyn Ap Nuad, which means “white son of darkness”. He is seen as the God of war and death, the patron God of fallen warriors. Once again this is a representation or connection to the Land of Avalon. The Purpose of Mabon as a holiday- Mabon represents the time of honoring the dead, visiting burial sites, giving thankfulness for the end of the harvest season and the bounty it provides. These are the themes of closing, letting go and remembering. For the year, the harvest and for those who were lost to land of Avalon during the year. Although many view the Harvest season as a celebration of life, it is also a celebration of death. The bounty you gather from your garden provides nourishment for you, family and friends. But it is also the death of those plants and vegetables which have been harvested from that garden. Thus Mabon is a celebration of the cycle of life.”
The Witches Correspondences for Tuesday, September 21
Tuesday (Tiw’s-day)
Planet: Mars
Colors: Red and Autumn Shades
Crystals: Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet, Flint, Rhodonite, Iron and Steel
Aroma: Basil, Ginger, Black Pepper, Mars Oil, Dragon’s blood and patchouli
Herb: Basil
The day of Mars. This day could only ever symbolize the sheer power of the god of war! The ideal spells to be cast on this day are that of force, power war and protection.
Dedicated to the powers of the planet Mars, personified as Ares, Tiwaz, Tiw, and Tyr.
Magical aspects: controlled power, energy, and endurance, passion, sex, courage, aggression, and protection.
This is the proper day of the week to perform spells and rituals involving courage, physical strength, revenge, military honors, surgery, the breaking of negative spells, dynamic energy, matrimony, war, enemies, prison, hunting, politics, contests, protection, victory, and athletics.
“At Harvest Home, the sun enters Libra, the astrological sign traditionally represented by balanced scales, and this is appropriate given the fragile balance in which the whole cosmos is poised on this day. Occurring at a point in the year when day and night are again equal in length, Harvest Home represents a time of balance and equilibrium in the natural cycle (as does the vernal equinox), but the thoughts which move us now are not the thoughts which captivated us in Spring. At the time of the vernal equinox, our thoughts turned from winter toward the lengthening hours of sunlight, the greening fields and gardens, and the new life bursting forth everywhere. Now with the harvest completed, the crops gathered in, and the nights becoming longer, we pause to enjoy the warm slanted sunlight of these golden autumn days, to give thanks for summer’s bounty and to prepare ourselves mentally for the coming winter. The gods associated with Harvest Home are harvest (particularly the grape harvest) or vegetation gods such as Dionysus and Bacchus, gods in their maturity like Thor, Mabon, Thoth and Hermes, and nature spirits like John Barleycorn. The goddesses of this time are also mature deities associated with abundance, harvest, home and hearth, and they include Demeter, Ceres, Hestia, Modron, Morgan, the Muses and Persephone.”
Tuesday (Mars): Passion, sex, courage, aggression, and protection.
Mabon • Fall Equinox
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: Second Quarter
Moon Sign: Capricorn Capricorn: Develops strong structure. Focus on traditions, responsibilities, and obligations. A good time to set boundaries and rules.
“Perhaps the best known of all the harvest mythologies is the story of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter was a goddess of grain and of the harvest in ancient Greece. Her daughter, Persephone, caught the eye of Hades, god of the underworld. When Hades abducted Persephone and took her back to the underworld, Demeter’s grief caused the crops on earth to die and go dormant. By the time she finally recovered her daughter, Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, and so was doomed to spend six months of the year in the underworld. These six months are the time when the earth dies, beginning at the time of the autumn equinox. The Sumerian goddess Inanna is the incarnation of fertility and abundance. Inanna descended into the underworld where her sister, Ereshkigal, ruled. Erishkigal decreed that Inanna could only enter her world in the traditional ways — stripping herself of her clothing and earthly posessions. By the time Inanna got there, Erishkigal had unleashed a series of plagues upon her sister, killing Inanna. While Inanna was visiting the underworld, the earth ceased to grow and produce. A vizier restored Inanna to life, and sent her back to earth. As she journeyed home, the earth was restored to its former glory.”
– Mabon History
“In late September, the sun crosses the celestial equator and there is a day where the length of the day and night are approximately equal. These days are called equinoxes, from the Latin meaning “equal night.” The autumnal equinox marks one of the lesser Sabbats, called Mabon, occurring around September twenty-second or twenty-third. Astrologically, this is when the sun moves into Libra. This holiday is the second harvest festival, falling during or at the end of the European grain harvest. It also known as the wine harvest, and often marks the beginning of hunting season. In one old Craft tradition, the fall equinox was named “the Night of the Hunter” and farmers would slaughter livestock too weak to survive the winter on this night. Druids know this celebration as “Mea’n Fo’mhair” and honor the Green Man, God of the Forest, and his trees with poured offerings of ciders and wine. Norse pagans celebrate this time as Winter Finding, a time period that runs from the Sabbat until October 15th. This night is known as Winter’s Night and is the Norse New Year. The Wiccan New Year is also approaching at October’s end. It is known the ancient Mayans observed this date as well. At the pyramid at Cihickén Itzá, seven triangles of light fall on the pyramid’s staircase on this date only. In Japan, there is a six-day celebration around the equinox. This holiday is to honor Higan-e, the “other shore” and is based on six “perfections”: giving, observance of the precepts, perseverance, effort, meditation and wisdom. By this time of the year, the days are visibly waning, the temperatures begin to cool and it is time to start preparing for winter. Many people like to refresh their altar(s) for this time, adding elements in autumn colors (orange, brown, gold, dark reds, rust) like acorns, pine cones, leaves, dried plants and herbs, apples, pomegranates, ivy and horns of plenty.”
Concept of Deity
The Witches Correspondences for Tuesday, September 21
The Witches Almanac for Tuesday, September 22nd
Demeter and Persephone
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