The Witches Magickal Journal for Saturday, June 23

Today Is Saturday, June 23

Saturday is dedicated to the shadowy Anglo-Saxon God Saetere or Seater, equivalent to the God Saturn. It is a day also associated with the Norns, the Norse equivalent of Three Fates, and the trickster God Loki. It is connected generally with apprehension, austerity, caution, and excessive self-limitation.

Deity: Saetere

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Planet: Saturn

Tree: Alder

Herb: Daffodil

Stone: Amethyst

Animal: Eagle

Element: Earth

Color: Dark Blue

Number: 4

Rune: Dag(D)

 

The Celtic Tree Month of Duir (Oak) (June 10 – July 7)

 

Runic Half Month of Dag ( June 14 – June 28)

 

Goddess of the Month of Rosea (June 13 – July 10)

 

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

The Pagan Book of Days for Saturday, June 23

St. John’s Eve

St. Joohn’s Eve was a traditional time of meditation, awaiting the northermost sunrise.

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

The Goddess Book of Days for Saturday, June 23

 

The midsummer fires in Europe, in Ireland midsummer, dedicated to the faery Goddess Aine (Ana, Anu, Danu, Don, An, Agnes, Yngona, Vesta). Celtic day of Cuchulaine, the Green Man (Adonis, Attis, Tammuz, Damuzi, Pan, Heme, Cernunnos, Apollo, Legba, Elegua, Osiris, Damballah, Ra, Lugh, Quetzalcoatl, and Mithra).

Source

The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein

Goddesses Associated with Saturdays

Ops, Rhea, Tellus Mater, Gaia, Eartha, Ge, Tonantzin, Ashera, Anath, the Shekinah, the Matronit, Mary, Gula, Herodias, Oddudua, Demeter

Source

The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein

On Saturday, June 23rd, We Celebrate…..

Rousalii (Romania)
THE ROUSALII

Themes: Humor, protection, weather, fertility, fairies, growth

Symbols: Water, linen, green robes

About the Rousalii: A group of ill-treated women in life, these goddesses often create mischief when they interact with humans, especially those with nasty dispositions. They do, however, have a good side. The Rousalii know the dances that make plants and people grow and thrive, and sometimes they will teach them in humans. In literature, the Rousalii sometimes appear as water fairies, begging linen from passersby, which they use to make green robes for fertility rites.

To Do Today: In Romania, people would tell you that it is best to stay home today and leave the Rousalii offerings of bread and salt to avert their impish ways. If it’s windy, definitely stay home; this means the ladies are in a foul mood. To protect yourself, place wormwood under your pillow, pull the covers over your head, and stay put!

On a less drastic level, wear someting green to keep them happy and try this spell to encourage the Rousallii’s growth or maturity in any area of your life: Take a little piece of linen and dance with it in your hand, moving clockwise and saying:

The dance of life, the dance of power,
Rousalii, join me this magic hour!

To_________________bring growth and maturity; by
your-power this spell is freed!

Fill in the blank with your intention. Tuck the swatch of cloth on your person, or close to the area that represents your goal.

Source

365 Goddess: A Daily Guide To the Magic and Inspiration of the goddess
Patricia Telesco

Saturday: Even the God needs to relax

 

Here we come to the only day of the English week which brings a Roman god to our heavenly party. The word Saturday is derived from Saturn, the god of harvest and agriculture. Buying all the food in supermarkets, we can hardly imagine how important this guy was for our distant ancestors.

In Latin, the word for Saturday is Sambata Dies, meaning the Day of Sabbath (sábado in Spanish, sabato in Italian, samedi in French). Sabbath is a Hebrew word for the Day of Rest. It was the last day of the all-in-one-week creation run. A day when the God finally had some relax, lying in the Garden of Eden and curiously waiting for what happens next.

Saturday’s Conjuring

Saturday – is associated with Saturn

Candle colors – Black, Grey, and White

Spellwork for the Day: Binding, Obstacles, Justice, Reversal, Uncrossing, Crossing, Cut and Clear work

—Old Style Conjure Wisdoms, Workings and Remedies
Starr Casas

Ritual Influences for Saturday, June 23

 

Planet: Saturn

Perfumes: Hyacinth, Pansy

Incense: Peperwort, Assodilious, Black Poppy Seeds, Henbane, Lodestone, Myrrh

Wood: Oak

Color: Black

Influences: Duties, Respondibilities, Finding Families, Works of Magic, Buildings, Meditation, Life, Doctrines.

Reference

A Book of Pagan Rituals
Herman Slater

The Magickal Day of Saturday

 

It’s the end of the week for many of us, so Saturday – named for the god Saturn – is a good time to wrap things up. Associated with the colors black and dark purple, and the metal lead, this day is also connected to the goddess Hecate. Gemstones like Apache tear, obsidian, and hematite are all connected to Saturday’s magic, as are plants such as thyme, mullein, and the cypress tree.

When it comes to magical workings, focus on agriculture and creativity, fortune and hope, protection and banishment of negativity. Put up a barrier to keep the unwelcome out, eliminate the things that make you miserable, and wash your hands of anything other than your hopes, dreams and goals.

Author

Patti Wigington
Published on ThoughtCo

The Witches Guide to Saturdays

 

Saturday is a day filled with opportunities to clean up and clear out. So if you are wondering why Hecate is assigned to this day, take another look at what she symbolizes and the magick that is associated with her. That should answer the question.

Hecate was the oldest form of the Greek Triple Goddess, as she presided over heaven, the underworld, and earth. Crossroads where three roads met were especially sacred to Hecate, earning her the title of Hekate of the Three Ways. It’s interesting to note that even after the worship of other goddesses waned, ancient people still worshiped Hecate as the Queen of the Underworld and the Guardian of the Three-Way Crossroad. It was also believed that if you left her an offering of food there, she would grant you her favors. As Hecate Trivia, her triple images were often displayed at these crossroads, where she was petitioned on the full moon for positive magick and on the dark of the moon for cursing and dark magick.

While this last bit of information sounds a little ominous, keep in mind that Hecate/Hekate was known by many titles and is a shapeshifter. Her appearance could and did change often. As a dark moon goddess, her faces are many. To some she may appear as a old crone, hunched over a smoking cauldron and draped in a midnight cape. To others she may appear as a dark beautiful, mysterious, and mature woman wearing a shimmering crown. To some she may be perceived as a maiden priestess. She was called the “most lovely one,” the Great Goddess of Nature, and the Queen of the World of Spirits. This dark goddess knows her way around the earth and the underworld. All the powers of nature, life, and death are at her command.

Source

Book of Witchery, Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week
Ellen Dugan

Saturday’s Witchery

 

Saturday is a day filled with opportunities to clean up and clear out. So if you are wondering why Hecate is assigned to this day, take another look at what she symbolizes and the magick that is associated with her. That should answer the question.

Hecate was the oldest form of the Greek Triple Goddess, as she presided over heaven, the underworld, and earth. Crossroads where three roads met were especially sacred to Hecate, earning her the title of Hekate of the Three Ways. It’s interesting to note that even after the worship of other goddesses waned, ancient people still worshiped Hecate as the Queen of the Underworld and the Guardian of the Three-Way Crossroad. It was also believed that if you left her an offering of food there, she would grant you her favors. As Hecate Trivia, her triple images were often displayed at these crossroads, where she was petitioned on the full moon for positive magick and on the dark of the moon for cursing and dark magick.

While this last bit of information sounds a little ominous, keep in mind that Hecate/Hekate was known by many titles and is a shapeshifter. Her appearance could and did change often. As a dark moon goddess, her faces are many. To some she may appear as a old crone, hunched over a smoking cauldron and draped in a midnight cape. To others she may appear as a dark beautiful, mysterious, and mature woman wearing a shimmering crown. To some she may be perceived as a maiden priestess. She was called the “most lovely one,” the Great Goddess of Nature, and the Queen of the World of Spirits. This dark goddess knows her way around the earth and the underworld. All the powers of nature, life, and death are at her command.

Source

Book of Witchery
Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week
Ellen Dugan

The Witches Almanac for Saturday, June 23

St. John’s Eve

Waxing Moon

 

Moon phase: Second Quarter

 

Moon Sign: Scorpio

 

Incense: Sage

 

Color: Indigo

 

Correspondences for Saturday, June 23rd

 

Magickal Intentions: Spirit Communications, Meditation, Psychic Attack or Defense, Locating Lost Things and Missing Persons, Building, Life, Doctrine, Protection, Knowledge, Authority, Limitations, Boundaries, Time and Death

Incense: Black Poppy Seed and Myrrh

Planet: Saturn

Sign: Capricorn and Aquarius

Angel: Cassiel

Colors: Black, Grey and Indigo

Herbs/Plants: Myrrh, Moss, Hemlock, Wolfs bane, Coltsfoot, Nightshade and Fir

Stones: Jet, Smokey Quartz, Amethyst, Black Onyx, Snowflake Obsidian, Lava, Pumice

Oil: (Saturn) Cypress, Mimosa, Myrrh, Patchouli

 

Saturn lends its energies to the last day of the week. Because Saturn is the planet of karma, this day is an excellent time for spell work involving reincarnation, karmic lessons, the Mysteries, wisdom, and long-term projects. It is also a good time to being efforts that deal with the elderly, death, or the eradication of pests and disease.

Saturday Is Ruled By Saturn

 

This day of the week got it’s name from the god of karma and time, Saturn. This day is obviously associated with the planet Saturn and is our last day of the week. Traditionally Saturdays are great days for protection, banishing a negative situation, and generally a good time to clean up any magical messes that you have been ignoring. Some suggestions for Saturday enchantments would include:

Wearing the colors of the day, black and deep purple. Here’s your perfect excuse to be dramatic and witchy. Empower these dramatic pieces of your wardrobe for protection and strength.

Burning black candles to absorb negativity and burning purple ones to increase your magical wisdom and boost your spirituality

Adding a touch of garden witchery to your Saturday spells by working with the pansy (in black or purple of course), the morning glory flowering vine, or the cypress tree.

Carrying an obsidian, hematite, or jet tumbled stone in your pocket to reinforce your personal protection and to ward off bad vibes and sour feelings. You can also add these crystals to a candle spell on a Saturday night to really increase the punch of your spellcasting.

Cleaning your house and cleansing it while you are at it. Tap into those obstacle-removing vibes and the positive, concluding energies.

Closing up the final day of the bewitching week with a bang by calling on Hecate for protection and guidance.

The Energy of Saturn

SATURN: THE PLANET OF KARMA

Saturn doesn’t make things easy. That’s the role of the taskmaster of the zodiac. Saturn commands us to get to work and to work hard. Discipline and responsibility are important to this planet, yet if we’re eager to conquer the world, that’s okay, too.

Much like Father Time, Saturn implores us to look at the clock (its glyph, after all, is the sickle of Chronos, the God of Time). Is there time for everything we want to do, or are there limits? Those limitations are important to Saturn, and we must learn to manage them. Restrictions are the province of this planet, as is any form of discipline or delay.

In keeping with the passage of time, Saturn governs old age along with the lessons it teaches us. Learning life’s lessons is key to this planet, in keeping with its role as teacher. The majesty of older age also brings with it a certain sense of tradition, conventionality (our learned patterns of behavior) and wisdom, and Saturn is mindful of these characteristics. This planet applauds our perseverance and the fact that we’ve withstood the test of time (yes, time comes up once again). This senior status further brings with it a measure of authority, and Saturn lords over that as well.

Structure, order and the way in which we conduct our affairs are all ruled by this ringed planet. Contraction and the reining in of assets are also important here. Lastly, Saturn, again in its role as teacher, concerns itself with karma and the lessons which past experiences might bring.

It takes Saturn 28-30 years to complete its orbit of the zodiac. It is masculine energy and rules both Capricorn and Aquarius, and the Tenth and Eleventh Houses.

Reference

Astrology.com

Custom Made Magick for Saturday

 

Protection, removing negativity, justice and balance have been the theme today. As we have just seen you can indeed a perform a binding and not cross the ethical line. Bindings are a more ethical route than cursing someone. But are there other options? Why, of course. I know of some Witches who, when they see a criminal’s face on television or read about them in the paper, mentally pain a white X over a criminal’s face while they say the phrase “I neutralize that person” with intention. This neutralizes the power and harm that the stranger causes.

If there is someone that you personally know who is causing you or your family harm, it is possible to use a photograph of the destructive person. Simply wrap white ribbon around their photo to symbolize you binding them up as you say, “I neutralize any physical or emotional harm that you are causing.”

But if you feel magickal bindings are the way to go, then perhaps your best course of action is to remove all emotion from yourself and the spell when you perform the binding. Just as I stated before, justice—like magick—is a neutral force. For lack of a better term, be businesslike. Wild swings of emotion only make for an uncontrollable magickal energy. Therefore, your best bet is to be neutral. If there was ever a time to be calm and in control, this is it. If you are not sure that you can pull off being neutral, then I suggest that you leave magick alone. It is essential to be in control. How much karma drama are you willing to pull into your life?

Source

Book of Witchery Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week
Ellen Dugan

The Witches Magick for June 23rd: Gaia Healing Spell

To send out positive “healing” vibrations to the planet, perform this spell during an eclipse or when the Moon is in a waxing phase. Arrange seashells on a secluded beach to form a magic circle at least five feet in diameter. (If you do not have access to a beach, you may perform this spell in a forest or secluded garden using stones, branches and/or flowers to form the circle.) Kneel in the center of the circle, facing the ocean.

Light a blue candle and a stick of incense and place them before you. Raise your arms high with palms up in the traditional Witch’s prayer position, and recite the following chant:

With smoke and flame This spell’s begun.
O Goddess of the stars,
Moon and the Sun,
Let the healing power begin.
Let the Earth be whole again.
The earth is my Mother
And I am Her child.
The Earth is my lover
Free and wild.
Heal on the outside; Heal within,
Land and sea, fire and wind.
With love sincere I chant this prayer
To make mankind begin to care.
Let every sister and every brother
Heal the wounds of the Great Earth Mother.
Let the healing power begin,
Let the Earth be whole again.
Heal on the outside; Heal within,
Land and sea, fire and wind
SO MOTE IT BE!

Celebrating Legends, Folklore & Spirituality 365 Day A Year for June 23 and 24

June 23 and 24

St. John’s Eve and St. John’s Day

 

The feast of St. John the Baptist is unusual because it celebrates ebrates his death rather than his birth. St. John has been called the saint of the Summer Solstice, in that his feast has long been associated with that of Midsummer. The superstitious still believe St. John’s Eve to be one of the most uncanny and dangerous nights of the year, when all manner of fairies, ghosts, and evil spirits are aboard.

St. John’s Day has long been considered the best time to discover one’s true love. Generally, the magickal practices that take place on this day are in the form of divination. For example, if you pare an apple round and round without a break in the peeling and then throw the peel over your left shoulder, it will form the initial of your future husband or wife. Place a glass of water directly under the sun’s rays, and leave it for one hour. During this time you must sit silently next to the glass. When the time is up, add the white of an egg to the water in the glass. It will spell out the name or occupation of the spouse-to-be.

Did You Know…..

Some of the most beautiful weather and abundantly lush nature in the United States can be seen in the month of June. Getting outside will help you stay in balance during the busy month, and quick meals filled with seasonal fruits and vegetables are not just healthy, they keep you in tune with the energy of the Earth and reinforce your magical energy reserves. When you find yourself on-the-go, try to eat locally grown, seasonal produce. Strawberries are at their peak and adorn many altars.

Verbena (or Vervain) is a treasured herb for our current season, and the flowering tops are often worn or used to decorate altars and doors. When the weather is nice, many Witches pull the cauldrons outside to the bonfires to work potions with the Midsummer herb harvest, or to use for the symbolic Great Rite with the sword or spear. Because of the warm, beckoning nights, many rituals may be optionally skyclad.

For this month, natural rose absolute is the perfect fragrance for personal use, anointing candles and altar tools, or as an offering on the altar. A true rose oil is neither feminine nor masculine and can be worn by any gender or by non-binary persons. Rose embodies the number five, is both protective and drawing; combining attraction with strength.

Source

The Practical Witch’s Almanac 2018: Thirteen Months of Magic
Gladheart, Friday; Jensen, R..

The Witches Astronomy Journal for Saturday, June 23

~*~Soul Sister~*~

It is like looking into a mirror.
Our souls seem as one;
Split long ago,
But now reunited alas!
Our power combined
Is untamable and raw.
Our balance of light and dark
Is utterly perfect.
The world is ours to conquer,
And we are coming with a vengeance!
Beware to all to stand in our way!
For we are unstoppable!

 

—By The Light Of The Crystal Moon: A Book of Pagan Poetry and Short Stories
Elizabeth Gardiepy

 

Custom Planetary Positions
June 23, 2018
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun: 01 Cancer 41
Moon: 04 Scorpio 52
Mercury: 20 Cancer 06
Venus: 10 Leo 45
Mars: 09 Aquarius 08
Jupiter: 13 Scorpio 48 Rx
Saturn: 06 Capricorn 11 Rx
Uranus: 01 Taurus 44
Neptune: 16 Pisces 29 Rx
Pluto: 20 Capricorn 29 Rx

True Lunar Node: 06 Leo 27 Rx
Mean Lunar Node: 07 Leo 44 Rx

Chiron: 02 Aries 22
Ceres: 27 Leo 58
Pallas: 19 Cancer 10
Juno: 26 Aries 18
Vesta: 27 Sagittarius 41 Rx

Eris: 24 Aries 02

About the Planets

 

The planets in astrology represent the actors in life’s drama. The planets symbolize the forces which make things happen, interpreted in whatever context is appropriate. On a global scale, the planets represent forces of nature which cause weather, for example, and other natural phenomena. In social or cultural terms, they represent people, institutions, and organizations playing on the national or the world stage; or, more psychologically, they represent forces working within the collective consciousness of a group, a nation, or the world at large. For an individual, the planets represent the various functions of consciousness through which that person interacts with the world around him or her.

In every case, the key element of the planets is action: the planets represent the forces that make things happen. Planetary motions, therefore, trace out the unfolding course of action in any situation. As the planets touch sensitive points in a horoscope, and as they interact with one another through the angles they form, we see the ebb and the flow of the plot of life.

Remaining stricly on an individual level of interpretation for the time being, we can think of the planets as functions of consciousness — as the distinct modes of activity through which an individual consciousness interacts with its environment on all levels: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Each function operates in a particular manner and serves a particular purpose within the consciousness as a whole. Sometimes the various functions work in harmony with one another, while at other times they clash and pull the person in several directions at once. Although the underlying psychology of a human consciousness is extremely complex, the planetary motions enable us to see clearly the various forces at work and their interactions with one another.

The planetary motions are most often referred to an individual natal horoscope for interpretation. The ways in which these “transiting” planetary motions interact with the individual horoscope bring the abstract concepts behind the planetary symbols to a focus upon and within a specific individual. They depict the complex interactions among the various forces and functions in and around the person on all levels: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. They show, in short, what is happening to that person, as well as how he or she is responding.

Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Saturday, June 23

The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 49.60° NE
Sun Altitude: -10.59°
Sun Distance: 94.475 million mi
Next Equinox: Sep 22, 2018 8:54 pm (Autumnal)
Sunrise Today: 5:35 am↑ 59° Northeast
Sunset Today: 8:17 pm↑ 301° Northwest
Length of Daylight: 14 hours, 42 minutes

The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 274.72° W
Moon Altitude: -22.28°
Moon Distance: 243563 mi
Next Full Moon: Jun 27, 201811:53 pm
Next New Moon: Jul 12, 20189:47 pm
Next Moonrise: Today4:12 pm
Current Moon Phase:Waxing Gibbous
Illumination: 79.2%

Source

timeanddate.com

Astrology of Today – Saturday, June 23, 2018

The Moon is in Scorpio.
The Moon is waxing and in its First Quarter phase.
The First Quarter Moon occurred on the 20th, and the Full Moon will occur on the 27th.
Mars is in its pre-retrograde shadow (Mars will retrograde from June 26th to August 27th).

The Sun is in Cancer; Mercury is in Cancer; Venus is in Leo; Mars is in Aquarius.

 

The Sun is in Cancer from June 21-July 22. We are self-protective and insular under this influence. Our attention turns to our nest–our families, homes, and anything that makes us feel “at home”, safe, and secure. Nurturing and taking care of our loved ones and our pet projects come into focus. Emotions run deep. We are more susceptible to the ups and downs of the Moon while the Sun is in Cancer.

Mercury is in Cancer from June 12-29. When Mercury is in Cancer, we move from the desire for quantity to the need for quality in terms of the information we are attracted to. We think, speak, and take in information on a deeper, more instinctive level now. We have less interest in what is universal, and more interest in what affects us personally and what affects the people around us. Our thoughts are colored by our emotions, so it is more challenging to be objective.

Venus is in Leo from June 13-July 9. Love is magnificent and grand. We take pride in love, and we are generous with our money as well. This is a warmhearted, teasing, expressive, proud, and extravagant placement for Venus. Love is a bit of a game–a game that is perpetual, as Venus in Leo is forever stuck in the romance stage of a relationship. We feed on attention, acknowledgment, validation, and adoration. Venus in Leo loves to be adored, pampered, and admired. Pride and passion are hallmarks of this cycle. We have a strong ego investment in our love lives during this period. The negative expression of this placement is overstating our feelings simply for the effect, as well as extravagance.

Mars is in Aquarius from May 16-August 12 and September 10-November 15. Dynamic yet erratic energy levels, achieving our goals through hit or miss tactics, and impersonal expression of anger are characteristics of Mars in Aquarius. We are team players–cooperative and less concerned about personal power. We are attracted to unconventional methods and tend to approach problems from an intellectual, detached perspective.

Moon in Scorpio

Intensity is what the Moon in Scorpio is all about. Whether it’s passion, elation, sorrow, or desire, emotions are felt on a deeply personal level. We are motivated by the desire to get to the bottom of things, and we instinctively read between the lines. Superficiality won’t work for us now. The Moon in Scorpio urges us to uncover our own power, and it’s an excellent time to rid ourselves of old fears and limiting habits. It can be an intimate and passionate time. Avoid manipulative tactics, brooding, and suspicion.

The Moon in Scorpio generally favors the following activities: Taxes, accounting, intimacy issues, psychological examinations, research, self-examination, getting rid of old things.

A Look At Your Planets And Stars for Saturday, June 23

Mercury opposes Pluto this morning, and we might either feel a compulsive need to talk and question or to withhold information. There can be an insistence on knowing the truth or on exposing falsehoods. We might also feel pressure to come to a decision. There may be some paranoid thoughts or extreme suspicion under this influence. We can be dealing with issues of power and competition, and there can be a feeling that external circumstances are undermining our sense of personal power. In the process, we may be able to get in touch with our motivations. Outside forces can remind us of our need to take better charge of our lives, but shortcuts to gaining control will not work out for us. This influence can bring a tricky or buried issue to a head.

The Sun’s square to Chiron today can pull up insecurities and areas of vulnerability, possibly disruptively. We could too easily follow others’ leads due to self-doubt, to please them, or out of fear of asserting our desires. Alternatively, we might go to great lengths to prove ourselves or assert our individuality, when a better approach would be to recognize our feelings of vulnerability that may be stirred by people or circumstances.

The Moon spends the day in the sign of Scorpio, and we tend to want to read between the lines, for better or for worse! The Scorpio Moon is a perceptive and probing influence.

The sky this week for June 23 to July 1

Mercury, Mars, Venus, Uranus — a slew of brilliant planets will grace the sky this week.
By Richard Talcott

Saturday, June 23

The waxing gibbous Moon passes near Jupiter tonight. From North America, the two were closest this afternoon (when they were below the horizon), though they remain within 5° of each other after darkness falls. Despite Luna’s brilliance dominating the scene, you should have little trouble picking out the magnitude –2.4 planet to its lower right. The best time to observe Jupiter through a telescope is when the Moon doesn’t lie so close. This week, the gas giant spans 42″ and displays a wealth of detail in its cloud tops.

Sunday, June 24

Observers of the outer solar system get their first good views of Uranus before dawn in late June. The best time to look for it is shortly before twilight begins around 3:30 a.m. local daylight time. Uranus then lies 15° above the eastern horizon among the background stars of southwestern Aries the Ram. This morning, use binoculars to find the magnitude 5.9 planet 4° northeast of the 4th-magnitude star Omicron (ο) Piscium. A telescope reveals Uranus’ blue-green disk, which spans 3.5″.

Monday, June 25

Skygazers can catch a peek of Mercury in this week’s early evening sky. The innermost planet stands 9° high in the west-northwest a half-hour after sunset tonight, and it will gain another degree of altitude by the weekend. Although Mercury glows brightly this evening, at magnitude –0.4, you might need binoculars to spot it initially against the twilight glow. Binoculars also should reveal the 1st-magnitude star Pollux, which stands 5° north of the planet tonight. Through a telescope, Mercury shows a disk that spans 6.1″ and appears 70 percent lit.

Tuesday, June 26

Look high in the northwest after darkness falls, and you’ll be greeted by the familiar sight of the Big Dipper. The Dipper is the most conspicuous asterism — a recognizable pattern of stars that doesn’t form a complete constellation shape — in the entire sky. It forms the body and tail of Ursa Major the Great Bear. Use the Pointers, the two stars at the end of the Dipper’s bowl, to find Polaris, which lies due north for everyone north of the equator. Polaris marks the end of the Little Dipper’s handle. On June evenings, the relatively faint stars of this dipper arc directly above Polaris.

Wednesday, June 27

Saturn lies opposite the Sun in our sky today, reaching its peak visibility for 2018. The ringed world appears low in the southeast as darkness falls and climbs higher as the evening wears on. It stands about one-third of the way to the zenith in the southern sky around 1 a.m. local daylight time. If you need help finding Saturn, tonight’s Full Moon points the way. Our satellite lies within 2° of the planet all night. (The Moon is officially Full at 12:53 a.m. EDT tomorrow morning.) Saturn shines at magnitude 0.0 and stands out well on any other night this week when the Moon isn’t so close. Both objects lie among the background stars of northern Sagittarius. When viewed through a telescope this week, the planet shows an 18″-diameter disk surrounded by a dramatic ring system that spans 42″ and tilts 26° to our line of sight.

Thursday, June 28

Mars remains a stunning sight all week. The Red Planet reaches its stationary point today, which means that its eastward motion relative to the background stars of Capricornus comes to a halt and it begins moving westward. Mars rises around 11 p.m. local daylight time and climbs highest in the south just before morning twilight commences. The planet shines at magnitude –2.1, making the third-brightest point of light in the night sky after Venus and Jupiter. If you point a telescope toward Mars, you’ll see its 21″-diameter disk and perhaps some subtle surface features — though many of these likely will be obscured by the planet’s major ongoing dust storm.

Friday, June 29

Venus dominates the western sky after sunset. The dazzling object shines at magnitude –4.1 among the background stars of western Leo, having crossed the border from Cancer earlier in the day. The planet appears 15° high an hour after sundown and sets around 11 p.m. local daylight time. When viewed through a telescope, Venus appears 16″ across and 70 percent lit.

The Moon reaches apogee, the farthest point in its orbit around Earth, at 10:43 p.m. EDT. It then lies 252,315 miles (406,061 kilometers) from Earth’s center.

Saturday, June 30

The waning gibbous Moon rises in the east-southeast just as the last vestiges of twilight fade away. About 15 minutes later, ruddy Mars joins our satellite. The two stand about 5° apart as they cross the sky tonight.

For people who live near 30° north latitude, today marks the latest sunset of the year. Although Earth’s summer solstice and the Northern Hemisphere’s longest day occurred more than a week ago (on the 21st), latest sunset happens several days after and earliest sunrise several days before. The specific dates depend on your latitude, however — latest sunset at 40° north took place June 27. In general, latest sunset occurs closer to the solstice the farther north you live.

Sunday, July 1

Now that the Moon is exiting the evening sky, this is a good opportunity for binocular users to track down one of summer’s finest open star clusters. NGC 6231 lies in the tail of Scorpius the Scorpion, just 0.5° north of the double star Zeta (ζ) Scorpii (which is another fine binocular sight). NGC 6231 shines at magnitude 2.6 and packs more than 100 stars into a region about half the width of the Full Moon. This part of Scorpius lies nearly due south after darkness falls, though it doesn’t climb high from mid-northern latitudes.

Source

The Astronomy Magazine

In the Sky This Month

The planets seem especially busy this month, highlighting both morning and evening skies. Venus reigns as the Evening Star, and points out some interesting sights in Gemini and Cancer during the month. Saturn puts in its best showing of the year, with Jupiter just past its best. And Mars climbs inexorably across the sky, toward its best appearance next month.

June 23: Moon and Jupiter
Brilliant Jupiter stands to the lower right of the Moon as night falls. Although it looks like a bright star, it’s actually the largest planet in the solar system. It is about 11 times Earth’s diameter and more than 300 times Earth’s mass.

June 24: Saturn at Opposition
The planet Saturn is low in the southeast as night falls, and looks like a bright star. Its luster is dimmed by the gibbous Moon, far to Saturn’s upper right. Even so, Saturn outshines all but a few other objects in the night sky, so it’s hard to miss.

June 25: Moon and Antares
Antares, one of the brightest stars in the night sky, is not far to the lower right of the almost-full Moon at nightfall. Antares is near the middle of the curved body of Scorpius, which is in the south-southeast.

June 26: Delphinus
Delphinus, the dolphin, glides through the Milky Way on summer evenings. Tonight it rises not long after sunset and arcs high overhead. Look for it below the Summer Triangle, which is well up in the east a couple of hours after darkness falls.

June 27: More Saturn at Opposition
Saturn lines up opposite the Sun today, so it rises at sunset and is in view all night. A planet is closest to Earth at opposition, so it shines brightest for the year. Tonight, Saturn will stick close to the Moon.

June 28: Colorful Arcturus
Arcturus, the leading light of Bootes, the herdsman, stands high in the south as twilight turns to darkness. It is the brightest true star in the sky during the evening hours, so it’s hard to miss. It shines yellow-orange.

June 29: Moon and Mars
The planet Mars is growing brighter by the day. It’s in good view in the southeast by midnight, and looks like a bright orange star. Tonight, it stands to the lower left of the Moon.

Source

StarDate

Your Daily Cosmic Calendar for Saturday, June 23

Old secrets and mysteries can be revealed during the annual Mercury opposition to Pluto from Cancer to Capricorn (2:28am). Studies in psychology and metaphysics are highlighted during this profound polarity. Strengthen your optimistic mind-set during the monthly moon conjunction with Jupiter in Scorpio (2:12pm). Tweak a solar square to Chiron (2:40pm) away from feeling the pain of psychic wounds and in the direction of learning more about sensible holistic healing techniques. The fourth significant grand triangle of June provides a feast for your imagination and intellect this evening and into the morning hours tomorrow as the moon trines Neptune in Pisces (7:24pm) and continues to form a second trine to Mercury in Cancer (7:01am on Sunday).

[Note to readers: All times are now calculated for Pacific Daylight Time. Be sure to adjust all times according to your own local time so the alignments noted above will be exact for your location.]

Copyright 2018 Mark Lerner & Great Bear Enterprises, Ltd.
Astrology.com

The Witches Current Moon Phase for Saturday, June 23

Tomorow the Moon will be 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 its roots in the Latin word “gibbosus” meaning humpbacked.

PHASE DETAILS FOR – SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2018
Phase: Waxing Gibbous
Illumination: 80%
Moon Age: 10.41 days
Moon Angle: 0.51
Moon Distance: 388,547.45 km
Sun Angle: 0.52
Sun Distance: 152,055,164.64 km

Source

MoonGiant.com

Waxing Gibbous Moon Phase

What is a waxing gibbous moon? The waxing gibbous moon, is defined to occur when the Moon appears to be more than one-half but not fully illuminated by direct sunlight. Because the fraction of the Moon’s disk that is illuminated is increasing, we consider the Moon to be “waxing.” Each new lunar cycle is measured beginning at each new moon and the waxing crescent moon occurs when the Moon is more than one-quarter but less than one-half of the way around the sky (i.e., along its orbit) from new moon.

Waxing Gibbous Moon Dates / Next Waxing Gibbous Moon

When is the next waxing gibbous moon? A waxing gibbous moon is seen one to two weeks after a new moon. The average calendrical month, which is 1/12 of a year, is about 30.44 days, while the Moon’s phase (synodic) cycle repeats on average every 29.53 days. Therefore the timing of the Moon’s phases shifts by an average of almost one day for each successive month.

Waxing Gibbous Moon and The Moon Phases

The waxing gibbous moon happens when the moon is between a 45 and 90 degree angle with respect to the Earth and Sun. So we are seeing more than half of the moon illuminated and less than half in shadow. The word gibbous refers to phases where the moon is more than half illuminated. “Waxing” essentially means growing or increasing in illumination. Each evening, as the moon’s orbital motion carries it towards the Earth-sun line, we see more of the moon’s day side.

Each lunar cycle begins with a new moon. As the Moon moves eastward away from the Sun in the sky, we see a bit more of the sunlit side of the Moon each night. We call this waxing. After the new moon, the sunlit portion is increasing, but less than half illuminated, so it is a waxing crescent moon. When half of the Moon’s disc is illuminated, we call it the first quarter moon. As the sunlit portion continues to increase, now more than half illuminated, it becomes waxing gibbous moon. When the Moon reaches maximum illumination, a full moon, the Moon has completed one half of the lunar month.

During the second half of the lunar month, the Moon grows thinner each night. We call this waning. The waning gibbous moon phase occurs first, followed by the last quarter moon when half of the Moon’s disc is illuminated. Next is the waning crescent moon, which wanes until the illumination is completely gone; a new moon.

Source

FULLMOONPHASES

Facts About The Moon

There are many interesting facts about the moon. Some of these moon facts include its age, gravity, orbital period, circumference, declination and its distance to earth. The Moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth, and the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System. The Moon is the only celestial body other than Earth on which humans have set foot. While the Soviet Union’s Luna programme was the first to reach the Moon with unmanned spacecraft in 1959, the United States’ NASA Apollo program achieved the only manned missions to date, beginning with the first manned lunar orbiting mission by Apollo 8 in 1968, and six manned lunar landings between 1969 and 1972, with the first being Apollo 11. See the table below for some of the most commonly searched facts about the moon.

Basic Moon Information
Moon Topic Moon Fact
Name The Moon
Age of the Moon 4.527 billion years
Moon’s Distance to Earth 238,900 miles (384,400 km)
Traveling by Car 130 Days
Traveling by Rocket 13 Hours
Traveling by Light 1.52 Seconds
Gravity of the Moon 1.624 m/s²
Orbital Period of the Moon 27 days
Circumference of the Moon 6,784 miles (10,917 km)
Declination of the Moon 28° 0.000′
Mass of the Moon 73,490,000,000,000,000 million kg
Shape of the Moon Egg-Shaped
Family of the Moon Our solar system
Satellite Status Only satellite of Earth
Active Relationships of the Moon Orbits around Earth
Mean Synodic Period of the Moon 29.530588861 days
Mean Orbital Velocity of the Moon 1.023 km/sec

Source

FULLMOONPHASES

About June’s Strawberry Moon

 

The wild strawberries that start to ripen during early summer gave name to the Full Moon in June. Other names are Rose Moon, Hot Moon, and Mead Moon.

Paddleboarders below the strawberry moon at Barceloneta beach, Barcelona, Spain.

When are the Full Moons this year?

In ancient times, it was common to track the changing seasons by following the lunar month rather than the solar year, which the 12 months in our modern calendar are based on.

For millennia, people across Europe, as well as Native American tribes, named the months after features they associated with the Northern Hemisphere seasons, and many of these names are very similar or identical.

Full Moon Names
Today, we use many of these ancient month names as Full Moon names. A common explanation is that Colonial Americans adopted many of the Native American names and incorporated them into the modern calendar.

However, it seems that it is a combination of Native American, Anglo-Saxon, and Germanic month names which gave birth to the names commonly used for the Full Moon today.

Some years have 13 Full Moons, which makes one of them a Blue Moon, as it doesn’t quite fit in with the traditional Full Moon naming system. However, this is not the only definition of a Blue Moon.

Wild Strawberries
June’s Full Moon is named after the wild strawberries that start to ripen during this month. According to some sources, a European name for this early summer month was Rose Moon, and another was Hot Moon, for the beginning of the summer heat. Other sources quote Mead Moon as the Anglo-Saxon name because this was the time for mowing the meads, or meadows.

There are several different kinds of wild strawberries. The native North American type is the Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), also known as Mountain strawberry or Common strawberry. It grows naturally in the United States, including Alaska, and Canada. It has also been exported; one popular variety, which was imported to Great Britain in the early 1900s, is called Little Scarlet.

It was an accidental cross of Fragaria virginiana and the South American Fragaria chiloensis, also know as Sand or Beach strawberry, with larger fruit, which resulted in the modern strawberry grown commercially and in gardens, the Fragaria ananassa.

Europe has its own native wild strawberry; the Alpine strawberry (Fragaria vesca), also called European strawberry, Woodland strawberry, or fraisier des bois.

New Species in Oregon
In 2012, a new wild strawberry species was discovered in the high peaks of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains at elevations of about 3000 to 5000 feet (900 to 1500 meters). The species is endemic to the Western Cascades, and Dr. Kim Hummer who discovered it named the species Fragaria cascadensis. It differs from other strawberry species both in the structure of the leaves and the fruit surface. It also has 10 sets of chromosomes, unlike other wild and commercial strawberries which have 8 sets of chromosomes.

Close to Summer Solstice
Around every 20 years, the Strawberry Moon coincides with the summer solstice, which is either on June 20, 21, or 22.

Source

timeanddate.come

June 2018 Horoscope: Retrograde Slowdown

 

By Maria DeSimone

 

While your mind might feel as though it’s in a fog as you step into June, it’ll soon turn into sharp clarity and sparkling communication. As Mercury and Neptune square off on June 6, take time to immerse yourself in imaginative pursuits rather than left-brained thinking. Once a New Moon in Gemini hits on June 13, it’ll be time to initiate any new communications-related endeavors. This is when you’ll have an edge in negotiating terms on contracts and other agreements, making important decisions, or even starting that new book you’ve always wanted to write. With Mercury at a sextile to Uranus on the same day, you’ll find your ideas and conversations taking unusual and positive turns.

Venus moves into Leo on June 13 where she’ll remain through July 9. Romance, pleasure, and joy rule the day when Venus is in Leo, so you can anticipate plenty of fun times with your sweetheart over the next few weeks. If you’re single, you can easily meet someone new at a party or other fun event such as a concert, BBQ, or even while you’re at the beach. Leo is connected to the Sun, which means any outdoor activity can become a possible meeting ground for new love.

You might start to feel as though everything is dragging as the month progresses. In fact, it will feel nearly impossible to get your most important projects off the ground. Mars, the planet of action and motivation, will go retrograde from June 26-August 27. Most of this retrograde will occur in the visionary sign of Aquarius. As a result, your actions connected to scientific, technological, and even humanitarian or political endeavors might feel stifled. If you find yourself at an impasse with a social group you are a part of or with a friend, try not to engage in petty arguments or give into angry feelings that you internalize — it’s just not worth it. Instead, use this phase as an opportunity to re-strategize your approach to handling one of the above-mentioned matters.

A Full Moon in ambitious Capricorn on June 28 might lead to a fulfilling outcome professionally where you find yourself being noted for an achievement. Another possibility is that you’ll be keenly aware of how much effort you need to put into achieving your goals. There might also be a stark realization that, no matter how much you would like it to be otherwise, the only way to get ahead now is to play by the rules.

 

Tarot.com is Part of the Daily Insight Group ©2018

 

If You Were Born Today, June 22:

You are an unusual, charming, and determined person. You have a bit of a perfectionist in you, and while you can be enormously sensitive, you are also so focused that you rarely give up on something (or someone, in some cases). You are dedicated, gentle yet strong, possess an unusual intelligence that might be defined as emotional intelligence, and you can be very stubborn in the pursuit of your goals. You are also very security-minded. Famous people born today: Meryl Streep, Kris Kristofferson, Cyndi Lauper, Tracy Pollan, Lindsay Wagner, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Katherine Dunham.

Your Birthday Year Forecast:

With the Sun and Moon in harmony in your Solar Return chart, the year ahead should be satisfying and balanced overall. You are in comfortable demand and personally popular, and you are able to achieve a decent balance between work and play; personal and professional life. For the most part, you are on top of your game this year, and positive connections with others can be made fairly easily. With the ability to handle your emotions successfully, there is less stress on both your mind and body. Your self-confidence and positive attitude will reward you!

You no longer have Saturn opposing your Sun this year, and you can feel especially freer and more spontaneous than you did last year.  You have Uranus transiting in harmony to your Sun until April 2019, and exciting (not jarring) changes and new interests are likely. It’s easier than usual to express your unique individuality, and if this involves changing careers or jobs, a new love affair, or an entirely new hobby, it’s something that takes you forward into unexplored territory. You are more willing to adapt to new circumstances, ideas, and unfamiliar situations this year. It’s a good time to join organizations and groups and to attend meetings or social events. You are able to find creative solutions to problems now. Flexibility is the key to success under this influence.

Your affections are strongly stimulated this birthday year, and you are more acutely aware of your powers of attraction. You can enjoy an increase in personal magnetism, but be wary of competitiveness or tension in existing love relationships, as your passions are ignited in general, whether they’re feelings of love or anger! Incompatibilities are emphasized in relationships this year, and this can be stimulating on the one hand, and tense on the other. Watch also for impulse buys during this period.

This is a year for seeking out — and finding — mental inspiration. You may have opportunities to travel, and matters related to publishing, teaching, and writing should go especially well. You may find that you have the right information at the right time this year. You could also have big ideas and plans. The desire to expand your mind is strong, and this is a good year to take up studies or to further your education. With greater receptivity to new ideas and perspectives, you are more likely to attract positive energies into your life.

Your imagination is stirred this year. You are inspired and could even inspire others with your words. Some of your hunches could be prophetic. You are thinking more creatively, and express yourself with more sensitivity, compassion, and warmth.

You might often get frustrated if results of your actions are not instant, but it’s best to cultivate some patience when it comes to realizing your goals. As well, if you are not getting the results you crave, consider that you might be aiming too high or too wide.

If there are health issues this year, look for blockages or constrictions since Saturn is involved with the Node.

Some relationships go through healing processes this year. Ups and downs may lead to new commitments. You’ll have a chance to heal old wounds with regards to love this year. You’re also bound to find new ways of making money.

As well, with Venus also conjunct the Moon’s North Node, you are very likely to attract loving relationships and/or new warm social contacts into your life. Your popularity increases and efforts to smooth over challenges in partnerships can be rewarding. This is an excellent influence for negotiations, unions, and business partnerships. Although some relationships can struggle, you also seem to be drawing helpful people (or a special person) into your life.

Idealistic and humanitarian goals or impulses surface this year. Making connections with others from different backgrounds may figure strongly. Widening your mind through unusual or different experiences can be part of the picture. You more easily make personal sacrifices for what you believe to be the greater good this year.

Your personality is sparkling this year, which is sure to attract new circumstances and people into your life. This is an excellent year for learning, sharing, and conversing. You’re motivated regarding your personal interests and projects, and life can be especially interesting and even eye-opening this year. You’re doing more opening up. Some relationships may be feisty or complicated and there can be a significant break in your social life, but improvements are strong. You attract helpful, admiring people into your life.

2018 is a Number Three year for you. Ruled by Jupiter. This is a year of sociability. It is a friendly time when you find it natural and easy to enjoy life and other people. The focus is on personal freedom, reaching out to others, making new friends, and exploration. You are more enthusiastic and ready for adventure than you are in other years. It’s likely to be a rather lighthearted year when opportunities for “play” time are greater than usual. It’s also a favorable year for expressing your creativity. Advice – reach out and connect but avoid scattering your energies.

2019 will be a Number Four year for you. Ruled by Uranus. This is a year of work and development. It’s “nose to the grindstone” time. It’s a time to pay special attention to practical matters, and it’s not a time to be lazy or especially gregarious. Sometimes, it can be a year that feels hard, monotonous and routine, and/or lonely. Positive new relationships are often not formed in a Four personal year. However, it can be a wonderful year for building, development, and laying a solid foundation for future successes. Advice – get yourself organized, work to build your resources, keep busy.

 

CafeAstrology

Your 2018 Horoscope: Mid-Year Check-In

Your 2018 horoscope reveals what’s waiting for you this year

By Maria DeSimone

 

Without a doubt, 2018 will be a year to get down to business. A series of planetary switch-ups allows for notable support in practical matters. You’ll build foundations in your life by trusting your instincts. You’ll also seek out an innovative approach to your finances — all with great potential for success.

 

Tarot.com is Part of the Daily Insight Group ©2018

Your 2018 Love Horoscope: Mid-Year Check-In

 

By Maria DeSimone

 

Expansive opportunities to forge genuine relationships were available to all back in 2017, thanks to Jupiter moving through the partnership-oriented sign of Libra. As 2018 begins, there will be an extraordinary occasion to create remarkable depth and intimacy in any romantic connection you might have made. Jupiter will move through Scorpio until November 8, 2018, supporting the desire to delve into everything that terrifies and excites you about intimacy.

With Venus turning retrograde in Scorpio from October 5-31, and then retrograde in Libra until November 16, you’ll also have an opportunity to practice facing the skeletons in your love life … or the debris that keeps you from enjoying genuine love and commitment with someone. Lessons connected to learning how to share resources with your lover, both emotional and physical, are strong this year. You also have the chance to overcome trust issues, fear of betrayal, and any sexual hang-ups that are blocking your ability to enjoy making love.

Two eclipses in playful, romantic Leo round out the year’s possibilities for pleasure in matters of the heart. A Lunar Eclipse on January 31 and a Solar Eclipse on August 11 can bring you an affair to remember … or the love of a lifetime.

 

Tarot.com is Part of the Daily Insight Group ©2018

 

Solstice Renewal

 

The Witches Digest for Friday, June 22

THE WITCHES’ REDE OF CHIVALRY

 

Insofar as The Craft Of The Wise is the most ancient and most honourable creed of humankind, it behoves all who would be witches to act in ways that give respect to the Old Gods and Goddesses, to their brothers and sisters of The Craft, and to themselves

Chivalry is a high code of honour, which is of most ancient Pagan origin and must be lived by all who follow the Old Ways.

Know well that thoughts and intent put forth will wax strong on many planes of existence and return, bringing into creation that which has been sent forth. For this reason the adept must exercise discipline over his or her thoughts. Remember, ” as you sow, so shall you harvest”

It is only by preparing our minds to be as Gods that we may one day unite with the Godhead.

“This above all … to thine own self be true…”

A witch’s word must have the validity of a signed and witnessed document. It is only by developing such mental discipline that great power may be controlled and directed

It is well to refrain from speaking ill of others for not all truths of the matter may be known

Pass not unverified words about another. For the most part hearsay is a thing of falsehoods

Be honest with others. Have them know that honesty is likewise expected of them

The fury of the moment plays havoc with the truth. Strive always to keep your head

Harm not another. Think always of the consequences of your actions

Dignity, a gracious manner, and a good humour are much to be admired

As a witch you wield much power. Therefore exercise much discretion in its use

Courage and honour endure forever.

Offer friendship only to those worthy of it. To associate with younger souls will only pull you down

Those who follow the mysteries must be above reproach in the eyes of the world

Keep pride in thyself. Seek perfection in body and in mind

 

Today Is Friday, June 22

 

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)

 

The Celtic Tree Month of Duir (Oak) (June 10 – July 7)

 

Runic Half Month of Dag ( June 14 – June 28)

 

Goddess of the Month of Rosea (June 13 – July 10)

 

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

 

On Friday, June 22, We Honor The 12 Olympians Gods & Goddesses

The 12 Olympians – Mount Olympus

 

The 12 Olympians achieved their supremacy over the older primeval gods when they were victorious in the Battle of the Titans. According to mythology and the legend in the Greek Creation Myth the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece consisted of three major groups and generations:

The Olympians

During the Battle of the Titans the older gods were believed to have been based on Mount Othrys and the rebellious new gods were based on Mount Olympus – hence their title of the Olympians. Mount Othrys and Mount Olympus are two actual mountains that exist in Greece. The people of ancient times believed the story that the gods lived above the mountains that were protected by golden clouds. The Ancient Greeks could easily believe that their gods and goddesses lived in golden palaces, far out of the reach of men, and hidden from their sight by the protection of the clouds in the secluded domain of Mount Olympus.

The Names of the 12 Olympians

There were twelve major gods and goddesses who resided in the magnificent palaces on Mount Olympus, referred to as the 12 Olympian gods or simply the 12 Olympians.

Gods on Mount Olympus

According to Greek mythology the 12 Olympians used to meet together in their grand council hall which was presided over by Zeus, who was the king of the gods and his wife, Hera, who was the queen of the gods. The ancient Greeks believed that the Olympians were a family, and just like mortal families, there jealousies, quarrels and arguments between the gods and goddesses. The names of the principle Olympians were:

Zeus
Hera
Athena
Aphrodite
Apollo
Ares
Poseidon
Demeter
Artemis
Hephaestus
Hermes
Hestia or Dionysus

There is some confusion in this list as the god Dionysus is sometimes replaced by the goddess Hestia. Hades, also known as Pluto, was not usually included among the 12 Olympians because his realm was the underworld.

The 12 Olympians and their symbols and attributes

The following image depicts an ancient bas-relief of the 12 Olympians accompanied by various symbols and the attributes associated with each of the major Greek gods and goddesses. In ancient Greek art the sculptures, vases, mosaics and paintings of the 12 Olympians were often depicted with images representing their symbols. The symbols of the 12 Olympians enabled the ancient Greeks to easily recognise and identify the names of their gods and goddesses.

Twelve Olympians

Hestia, the goddess of the hearth who is depicted with the symbol of the scepter associated with rulers

Hermes, the messenger of the gods, is depicted with the symbol of the cap and the caduceus (a staff that was entwined by snakes)

Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, is illustrated with the symbol of the veil that represented femininity

Ares, the god of war, is depicted with his symbols of the helmet and spear

Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, is shown with the symbol of the scepter and wheat sheaf

Hephaestus, the god of fire and metal-working, is depicted with the scepter

Hera, the queen of the gods holds a scepter

Poseidon, the god of the sea, is depicted with the symbol of the trident

Athena, the goddess of wisdom is shown with the symbols of the owl and helmet

Zeus, the king of the gods, is illustrated with the symbols of the thunderbolt and scepter

Artemis, the goddess of the hunt is shown holding the bow and quiver

Apollo the god of the sun and music, is depicted with the lyre

 

Mythical Facts about the 12 Olympians

Discover interesting information and fun facts about the 12 Olympian gods and goddesses. The fun facts about the 12 Olympians for provides a list detailing fascinating information to increase your knowledge about the 12 Olympians and their roles in Greek Mythology.

12 Olympians Fact 1: Zeus was the king of the gods and responsible for justice, law and order. Zeus had the power to hurl his thunderbolts which had the power to shatter mountains. He was a notorious womaniser.

12 Olympians Fact 2: Poseidon the god of the sea had power over the sea, tempests, storms and earthquakes. In mythology he was described as greedy, bad-tempered, moody and vengeful

12 Olympians Fact 3: Hera, the wife of the unfaithful Zeus, was suspicious, cruel, jealous and vengeful

12 Olympians Fact 4: Ares was described as fierce, merciless, moody and argumentative. Ares was unpopular with the Olympians

12 Olympians Fact 5: Apollo was young, handsome with golden hair. He had the power to bring the sun and well-being to humans and rode his golden chariot pulling the sun across the sky.

12 Olympians Fact 6: Artemis remained unmarried. She was independent, loved sports and hunting

12 Olympians Fact 7: Hephaestus was the master craftsman of the gods and created the weapons and palaces of the 12 Olympians. He had the power to make amazing mechanical robots, such as the giant Talos.

12 Olympians Fact 8: Demeter, the goddess of fertility, agriculture, nature and the seasons. She is depicted with a torch that represents the pair of flaming torches she carried in her search for her daughter, Persephone

12 Olympians Fact 9: Hermes was the messenger of the 12 Olympians and the god of travel, commerce, luck, gambling and thieves.

12 Olympians Fact 10: Dionysus was the god of wine, celebrations and merry-making. His thyrsos was a magic staff that could turn a rock into water and the water into wine

12 Olympians Fact 11: Aphrodite was described as passionate, weak, all smiles but little substance. She possessed a magic girdle, called a Cestus, that had the power of inspiring love.

12 Olympians Fact 12: Athena the goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare was depicted as tall, slim, wearing armor and carrying weapons

12 Olympians Fact 13: Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and the home. Every town of Greece had a fire sacred to Hestia (Vesta) that was always kept burning.

Source

Greek Mythology
By Linda Alchin

 

Some Interesting Facts About the Ancient Gods

 

Their powers were legendary and seemingly limitless. But how did the ancient Greeks perceive the Ancient Gods? What were the Ancient Gods like?

The Ancient Gods lived forever – they were vulnerable, they could be wounded but they could not be killed
They lived in beautiful golden palaces, golden chariots drawn by fabulous creatures.
They had mechanical servants similar to robots but who could talk and think
They had fabulous weapons such as the thunderbolts hurled by Zeus
They could control the weather
They had the magical power of transformation – the gods and goddesses could transform themselves into animals or inanimate objects. They also had the power to transform others in terrible monsters or objects such as trees
Their blood was a bright unearthly fluid called Ichor that had the power of producing new life
The Immortal gods were perceived as resembling mortals, but they were superior in every way
They were more beautiful
They were taller
They were stronger
They had superior mental capabilities
The Immortal gods married and had families
The Immortal gods needed food, drink and sleep to nourish their bodies
The Immortal gods wore the same styles of clothes to mortals but were made of finer materials
The Immortal gods used similar styles of weapons as humans
The Immortal gods had the same emotions as mortals and displayed feelings of love, gratitude, jealousy, hate and revenge
In Ancient Greek mythology the Immortal gods and deities visited humans. fell in love and their children were called ‘demigods’ or ‘Heroes’ who were famous for their courage and great strength.

Source

Greek Mythology
By Linda Alchin

 

Friday: The day of beauty

Frigg was the Norse goddess of beauty, love, household, fertility and motherhood. She was Odin’s wife. She wonderfully balances out the dreadfulness of all the masculine gods sitting around our week table.

Derived from Latin Dies Veneris, Friday is viernes in Spanish, vendredi in French and venerdi in Italian. The day belongs to Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty, love and fertility.

 

Friday’s Conjuring

 

Friday – is associated with Venus

 

Candle colors – Green, Red, Blue, White, Purple

 

Spellwork for the Day: Love, Marriage, Money, Attraction, Luck, Healing, Prosperity, Change, Road Opening work, Bring Peace, Relationships, Power and Success

 

—Old Style Conjure Wisdoms, Workings and Remedies, Starr Casas

Friday’s Magick

Magickal Intent:
Lust
Romance
Happiness
Travel
Friends
Beauty
Sexuality
Harmony
Growth

Planet: Venus

Colors: Pink, Aqua, Seafoam

Crystals: Coral, Emerald, Rose Quartz

Friday–The Day of Freya

 

In the stories of the gods and goddesses of the Angles and Saxons we find two goddesses, Frigga, the wife of Odin and queen of the gods, and Freya, the Goddess of Love. Some people think that Friday was named after Frigga, and others that it was Freya’s day. Since very similar stories are told of each of them, it is quite probable that they were really the same person. The Roman name for the day was Dies Veneris, the day of Venus, who, it will be remembered, was the Goddess of Love, and so corresponded to Freya. The modern French name is taken from the Latin and is vendredi.

Frigga was the Goddess of the Clouds, and, when she was not with her husband Odin, spent her time in spinning clouds. Her spinning-wheel was studded with jewels, and at night could be seen in the sky as the constellation to which the Romans gave the name of Orion’s Belt, as we have seen in the story of Orion.

Frigga was also the Goddess of Spring, and as such was known as Eastre, whom we have already mentioned as giving us the word Easter.

Freya, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, like the Venus of the Romans, received a great welcome when she came to the home of the gods, and was given a special kingdom called Folk Meadow, where was a vast hall known as the Hall of Many Seats. Here she received half of those slain in battle, the other half being entertained by Odin, as we have seen.

Freya is depicted as having blue eyes and golden hair, and often as wearing a robe of feathers, which enabled her to fly through the air like a bird.

The goddess is said to have married Odur, who was probably Odin under another name. Odur once had occasion to leave Freya and travel over the world, and the goddess was broken-hearted at his departure. Her tears fell among the rocks and were changed to gold, while some which fell into the sea were transformed into amber. All nature mourned with her: the trees shed their leaves, the grass withered, and the flowers drooped their heads. At last Freya in her distress set out to find her husband, and, passing through many lands, where her golden tears were afterwards found, came to the sunny south, and there overtook the wandering Odur. As the lovers returned, the fields and the flowers rejoiced with them. The frost and snow fled before them, and the earth became green again as they passed.

“And Freya next came nigh, with golden tears;
The loveliest Goddess she in Heaven, by all
Most honour’d after Frea, Odin’s wife.
Her long ago the wandering Odur took
To mate, but left her to roam distant lands;
Since then she seeks him, and weeps tears of gold.”
MATTHEW ARNOLD–Balder Dead.

This story, of course, reminds us of Ceres and Persephone, and is only another fanciful explanation of summer and winter.

Freya was the proud possessor of a dazzling necklace of gold, which had been made by the dwarfs, and which she wore night and day. On one occasion only did she lend the necklace, when Thor, disguised as Freya, went to the land of the giants to recover his hammer, which had been stolen by the Giant Thrym. Loki, by borrowing Freya’s robe of feathers and flying over the country of the giants, had discovered the thief, but had also found that Thrym would only return the hammer on condition that Freya would become his wife. When Freya heard of the giant’s presumption, she became greatly enraged, and vowed that she would never leave her beloved Odur and go to live in that dreary and desolate land of cold. Heimdall, the guardian of the bridge Bifrost, then suggested that Thor should go to Thrym disguised as Freya, in company with Loki disguised as Freya’s attendant. The gods at last allowed themselves to be persuaded, and Thor, having borrowed Freya’s clothes and necklace and wearing a thick veil, set out with Loki, who was dressed as a handmaiden. On reaching the giant’s palace, they were welcomed by Thrym, who was delighted at the success of his plan, and who led them to the banqueting hall, where a great feast was held. At the end of the feast, Thrym ordered the famous hammer to be brought in, and he himself laid it in his bride’s lap as a marriage gift. Thor’s hand immediately closed over the hammer, and in a few moments Thrym and all the guests invited to the wedding feast lay dead.

Freya was greatly relieved to have her necklace returned in safety, but the evil Loki, attracted by its wonderful beauty, determined to steal it. One night the god, by changing himself into a fly, succeeded in entering Freya’s palace. He then resumed his own shape, and, creeping stealthily to Freya’s bed, gently removed the necklace from the goddess’s neck. The watchful Heimdall, however, had heard Loki’s footsteps, and, looking in the direction of the Folk Meadow, became a witness of the theft. He at once set off in pursuit of Loki, and, overtaking him, drew his sword and was about to kill the thief, when Loki changed himself into a flame. Heimdall immediately changed himself into a cloud, and sent down a shower of rain to put out the fire. Loki then took the form of a bear, and opened his mouth to catch the water. Heimdall also took the form of a bear and attacked Loki, who, finding that he was being overpowered, changed himself yet again, into a seal. Heimdall followed suit, and fought again with Loki, and at length compelled him to give up the necklace, which was returned to Freya.

On another occasion Freya was sought by one of the giants, and it was only by the cunning of Loki and by an act of bad faith on the part of the gods that she was saved. The gods, ever anxious lest the giants should invade Asgard, decided to build a stronghold which would prove impregnable. They received an offer from a stranger, who was willing to undertake the work in return for the sun, the moon, and the goddess Freya. By Loki’s advice they accepted the offer on condition that he should complete the work in one winter, aided only by his horse. To the surprise of the gods the stranger agreed to these conditions, and with the help of his horse, which could haul the heaviest stone, set to work. The gods, who at first felt sure that their conditions had made the task impossible, were alarmed to find as time went on that the stranger was working so quickly that it seemed certain that he would be able to keep his promise. The gods on their side had no intention whatever of keeping their promise, since they could not possibly part with the sun and the moon and the Goddess of Love, and they angrily pointed out to Loki that since it was he who had got them into this difficulty, he must find some way out of it. Loki replied that the gods need have no fear, for with his usual cunning he had thought of a plan whereby the stranger might be made to forfeit his reward. On the last day, when only one stone remained to be dragged into position, Loki changed himself into a horse, and, trotting out from the forest, neighed loudly to attract the attention of the stranger’s horse. Tired of his continual labour and longing for freedom and rest, the horse broke free from its load and galloped after Loki. The stranger, after pursuing it vainly through the forest, at last made his way to Asgard, and, full of anger at the trick which had been played upon him, took on his real shape, for he was a frost-giant, and was about to attack the gods when Thor hurled his hammer at him and killed him.

Frey, the god mentioned in the story of Loki and Sif’s golden hair, was Freya’s brother. He was the God of the Fields, and sacrifices were made to him for the crops. In the early spring his wooden image was driven in a chariot through the countryside, in order that he might bless the fields and bring a fruitful harvest: Frey, as we have seen, became the possessor of a ship which could travel over land and sea, and though large enough to contain all the gods, yet could be folded up like a cloth, and he also possessed a boar with golden bristles. The god often rode on this boar, which was swifter than a horse, and was no doubt a symbol of the sun, which ripened the crops. We find the same idea of sunshine in Frey’s flashing sword, which fought of its own accord as soon as it was drawn from its sheath.

The month of the Angles and Saxons which begins just before our Christmas was sacred to both Frey and Thor, and it was customary at that time, as we have already mentioned, to bind a huge wooden wheel with straw, and, setting fire to it, to roll it down a hill. The wheel was a symbol of the sun, which at that time began to chase away the winter. At this time, too, was held a great feast to all the gods, and the chief meat eaten was a boar’s head, in honour of Frey. The missionaries who first brought Christianity to the Northmen, finding this feast was of great importance and was celebrated by all the people, did not try to do away with it. Instead, they changed it from a heathen to a Christian festival by putting Christ in the place of the Norse gods, and calling it the Feast or Mass of Christ. A similar change was made, it will be remembered, in the case of the Easter festival, held in honour of Eastre or Frigga, the wife of Odin.

 

A Little Witchery for Your Friday

 

Love magick is a perennial popular topic. However, there is more to this topic than meets the eye. There are many enchanting layers here for us to explore on this day of the week. What about creating a loving home, or producing a loving and nurturing family? What about keeping your intimate relationships vital and on track? How about promoting happy, healthy, and enduring friendships? See, there is more to be considered than just the “You shall be mine…” type of fictional love spell.

Don’t forget that many of the deities associated with Fridays are also parents. So, yes, while this is the day to work on romance, sex, and love spells, there is additional magick to be considered here, which makes Fridays a more well-rounded and bigger opportunity for witchery than many folks ever truly realize. The truest, strongest magick always comes from the heart.

Source

Book of Witchery – Spells, Charms & Correspondences For Every Day of the Week
Ellen Dugan

 

The Witches Guide to Friday

 

Ruler: Freya, Venus

Colors: Emerald green or pink

Power Hours: Sunrise and the 8th, 16th, and 24th hours following.

Key Words: Love, money, health

It is easy to spot the ruler of this day by its name. In the word Friday, we see the roots of the name of the Norse goddess Freya, a goddess of love and fertility, and the most beautiful and propitious of the goddesses thus the verse “Friday’s child is loving and giving.”

In Spanish this day of the week is called Viernes and is derived from the goddess Venus. Matters of love, human interaction, the fluidity of communication, sewing and the creation of artistic garments, household improvement, shopping, and party planning all fall under the aspects of Friday and its ruling planet, Venus.

Friday’s angels are Ariel/Uriel, Rachiel, and Sachiel. Rachiel also concerns himself with human sexuality and is a presiding spirit of the planet Venus.

On Fridays, the hour of sunrise and every eight hours after that are also ruled by Venus, and that makes these times of the day doubly blessed. These four hours are the strongest four hours for conducting ritual.

Check the local newspaper, astrological calendar, or almanac to determine your local sunrise.

Source

Gypsy Magic

The Witches Almanac for Friday, June 22

Teachers’ Day (El Salvadoran)

Waxing Moon

 

Moon phase: Second Quarter

 

Moon Sign: Libra

 

Moon enters Scorpio 3: 11 pm

 

Incense: Alder

 

Color: Rose

Witches Correspondences for Friday, June 22

 

The day of Venus, Friday takes its name from Frigga, the Goddess of Love and Transformation. She rules the spiritual aspects of people as they manifest on the physical. because of this, Friday is sometimes thought of as unpredictable.

Element : Water / Earth

Planet: Venus

Zodiac Sign : Taurus / Libra

Angel : Ariel

Metal : Tin

Incense / Perfumes : Strawberry, Sandalwood, Rose, Saffron and Vanilla

Oils : Cardamom, Palmrosa, Rose, Yarrow

Color : Green, Aqua, Rose

Stones : Emerald, Rose Quartz, Moonstone, Pink Tourmaline, Peridot, Jade

Plants/Herbs : Apple, Balm of Gilead, Bergamot, Birch, Catnip, Clematis, Damiana, Dragons Blood, Geranium, Heather, Hibiscus, Ivy, Magnolia, Mugwort, Plumeria, Rose, Rose Geranium, Sage, Strawberry, Vanilla, Vervain, Violet, Water Lilly

Magick to Work: love, friendship, beauty, sensuality, arts, attraction, healing, peace, harmony, artistic ability, creativity generally, reconciliation, beauty, female sexuality, luxury, music, pleasure, scent, sensuality, social affairs

Magickal Applications for Friday

 

Friday is named after the Norse goddesses of love, Freya and Frigga. There seems to be some debate as to whom the day is actually named after, so I thought I would share a little information so you can decide for yourself.

In Latin, this day is known as Dies Veneris, “Venus’s day.” In Greek, it’s Hermera Aphrodites, which translates to the “day of Aphrodite.” In Old English, this day is called Frige- daeg, or “Freya’s day.” This day has the Germanic title of Frije-dagaz, which, once again, could be Freya’s day or Frigga’s day.

Both Freya and Frigga were Norse goddesses of love and were the Teutonic equivalent of the Greco-Roman Venus/Aphrodite. However, Freya was one of the Vanir—the gods of fertility who supervised the land and sea—and she was the leader of the Valkyries. Frigga, Odin’s wife, was the goddess of the heavens and of married love. She was one of the Aesir—the gods associated with battle, magick and the sky. Freya and Frigga could be looked upon as different aspects of the same goddess. They both were called on to assist in childbirth and then in naming of the new baby. Frigga represented the faithful wife and loving mother, while Freya, who really captured the hearts and imagination of the Norse people, was the passionate mistress and lover.

Fridays classically are days for love, fertility, romance, and beauty magick, as well as working for happiness, harmony in the home, and friendship. So let’s take a look at some of the mythology involved with this loving, voluptuous, passionate, and luxurious day of the week, and see where it leads us.

Source

Book of Witchery – Spells, Charms & Correspondences For Every Day of the Week
Ellen Dugan

 

Friday and the Perfect Corresponding Spell

 

For many, Friday is the last work day of the week. It’s considered the fifth day of the work week and, also, the “cut loose” day. By Friday night, people are out having a party. That makes Friday the perfect day for lust, banish, fast-grant, and find spells. This day is so powerful (energy wise). That’s why whatever you do on this day will, usually, have a strong effect. If you want things out of your life, the darkness and power, associated with this day, bring the energy you need for that. If you need strong, immediate results, this is your day, as well.

 

MONEY DRAWING SPELL

In addition to your white altar candle and quarter candles you will need a green candle for this rite. Do it on the night of the full moon just as you usually do. Gather into the circle articles made of silver (such as pentagrams and coins). Use St. John the Conqueror incense. Call upon the Lady and the Lords of the quarters and cast your circle just as you always do. As you light the green candle (after you’ve lit the others) say this:

 

Lady of Night Your praises I sing,
Into my hands gold and silver now bring.
comfort and coins now come unto me
The Moon passes o’er and poverty flees!

 

Just before you close the circle drip a little green wax onto a penny and hold it up while the wax cools. Say this:

 

“Bring unto me that which is rightfully mine, oh Lady of the Night.”

 

Meditate on your magical goal.

 

Let’s Talk Witch: The Opening of the Elements

 

For fulfillment of your wish or change of a situation in your favor, use that element of nature which most suitable for achievement of a specific goal. Here is the general list of the elements and situations in which their power can be useful for you.

The Water — happiness, confidence, peace, reconciliation, patience, spirituality, peace of mind, rest, satisfaction, fidelity, prediction, intuition and flexibility of thinking, skill to make a compromises, charm, emotionality, marriage, strengthening of love unions and friendly relations, harmony in a house, partnership, reflection of mental attacks, healing, cleaning from negative powers, elimination of bad spells and pernicious habits.

The Earth — money, success, prosperity, growth, benefit, surplus, fertility, employment, action, behavior, any business, medical practice, healing and restoration, carnal love, sexual power, reliability, stability, architecture, fashion, history and agriculture, protection against brute power influences, keeping secrecies.

The Fire — physical strength, strong emotions, sex, passion, hatred, anger, fearlessness, courage, defense and attack, ability to influence on people, ambition, sports, competition, rivalry, career, professional success, conflicts, disagreements, enmity, struggle and victory, elimination of gossip and lie, recovery of health, physical protection.

The Air — intellect, idea, eloquence, intuitive thinking, wisdom, memory, training, learning, dexterity, cunning, analytical skills, creativity, hobbies, various sciences and all kinds of art, confidence, communications, contacts, travels, independence, generosity, liberation, prediction and clairvoyance.

For example, if you want to have the more passion and sex with your lover you must choose energy of the fire element. If you need reconciliation, choose the water element.

Difficulties for money — use power of the Earth. When creative forces are necessary for you, derive them from contact with the air element.

First, make ritual of perception of the element energy. Imagine that your body and mind are amalgamating with the necessary element of nature. Concentrate all your power in the palms. Hold the hands in front of you, palm to palm, and imagine that power issues from them, that a luminous sphere forms between your palms. Color of the sphere is corresponding to power of the element with which you work: the Earth — green, the Air — yellow, the Fire — red, the Water — dark blue.

When the sphere has amounted to the necessary capacity and the size, direct this bunch of power in the imaginary direction of your goal. If fulfillment of your wish depends on only your personal skills and abilities, direct the sphere inside yourself. Repeat this ritual each day until then the goal will be achieved.

 

Household Magick for Friday, June 22

 

Use Friday to cast for love, luxury, pleasure, and entertainment.

Planetary Influence: Venus

Household Symbols: A seashell, a fountain, fresh flowers, your wedding ring or wedding photo, red or pink paper hearts, apples and cherries.

Colors: Pink and aqua green

Kitchen Spices: Thyme and sugar

 

Celebrating Legends, Folklore & Spirituality 365 Days a Year 20, 21, and 22 June: Midsummer Eve/Summer Solstice

20, 21, and 22 June

Midsummer Eve/Summer Solstice

 

The Summer Solstice is celebrated between June 20 and June 22-the longest day and shortest night of the year. The festival of Midsummer venerates the potential of the life-sustaining powers of fire and water, forces that were vital to our ancestors’ survival. It was believed that fire would help keep the sun alive and that the blessing of waterwells would continue their flow to nurture the parched earth. Without sun and water, there would be no crops and all would perish.

One of the most popular customs that grew out of the early fertility rites was that of jumping or leaping over Midsummer bonfires. The idea being, the higher one jumped, the higher the crops would grow.

Another symbol that was popularized at this time was the wheel. The turning of the wheel represented the turning or progression of the seasons. Wheels were decorated with brightly colored ribbons and fresh flowers. Lighted candles were placed on them, and then they were set afloat on the lakes and rivers.

Midsummer Eve and Midsummer Night are genuinely thought to be particularly uncanny times. It was reasoned that certain plants were endowed with magickal properties on this night, that, if gathered before sunrise, could be used for protection against all evil spirits and forces.

With the sun at its zenith, Midsummer was, and still is, a time for marriages, family celebrations, and coming-of-age parties.

Symbolically, Midsummer is the time to nurture those goals you made at the beginning of the year as you reflect on the progress you have made toward bringing them into fruition.

Fridays Things To Do for The Witch

 

Fridays are days of loving enchantments and passionate emotions.

See how many ways you could add a little loving enchantment into your life and the lives of your loved ones. If you wish to explore the topic of love and romance witchery even further, then check out my book How to Enchant a Man: Spells to Bewitch, Bedazzle &Beguile. If cat magick has tickled your fancy, then for further study read my book The Enchanted Cat: Feline Fascinations, Spells &Magick.

In the meantime, try sharing red berries with your partner some enchanted evening. Work that meditation, and see what other mysteries Freya has to teach you. Wear a Venus planetary color and call on the Goddess for a little inner sparkle. Burn some floral incense, light up some rosy candles, and set a romantic mood. Try wearing a little copper jewelry, and see how it affects you and your Friday magick. Get those potpourri and philter recipes going, and see what you can conjure up.

Advancing your magickal skills takes drive, ambition, and passion. Work with Eros to discover just how much enthusiasm, inspiration, and drive he can bring into your days, for the imagination is a place where dreams flourish and ideas come to fruition.

Call on these fertile and romantic powers, and create your own unique spells and charms. Just think of all the magickal information that you can now add to your repertoire of witchery. Lastly, remember this: when you combine imagination and a loving heart with magick, you’ll succeed every time.

Source

Book of Witchery – Spells, Charms & Correspondences For Every Day of the Week
Ellen Dugan

 

The Witches Astronomy Journal for Friday, June 22

The Witch Remembers Her Last Incarnation

I Remember, O Fire,
How thy flames once’ enkindled my flesh,
Among writing Witches caught close in the flame,
Now tortured for having beheld what secret.

But to those who saw What We Had Seen
Yea, The Fire Was Vaught.

Ah, well I Remember the buildings ablaze
With the light that our bodies had lit.
And we smiled, to behold the flames wind about us.

The faithful, among the faithless and blind
To the chanting of prayers
In the frenzy of flame
We sang Hosannas to Thee, Our Gods,
Midst the strength giving fire,
Pledged our Love to Thee from the Pyre.

–Author Unknown
Originally Published on Pagan Library

Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Friday, June 22

The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 44.04° NE
Sun Altitude: -15.02°
Sun Distance: 94.470 million mi
Next Equinox: Sep 22, 2018 8:54 pm (Autumnal)
Sunrise Today: 5:35 am↑ 59° Northeast
Sunset Today: 8:17 pm↑ 301° Northwest
Length of Daylight: 14 hours, 42 minutes

 

The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 280.83° W
Moon Altitude: -22.54°
Moon Distance: 240853 mi
Next Full Moon: Jun 27, 201811:53 pm
Next New Moon: Jul 12, 20189:47 pm
Next Moonrise: Today3:12 pm
Current Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous
Illumination:70.1%

Reference

timeanddate.com

Astrology of Today – Friday, June 22

The Moon is in Libra until 3:10 PM, after which the Moon is in Scorpio.
The Moon is void until 3:10 PM (since yesterday at 9:33 PM).
The Moon is waxing and in its First Quarter phase.
The First Quarter Moon occurred on the 20th, and the Full Moon will occur on the 27th.
Mars is in its pre-retrograde shadow (Mars will retrograde from June 26th to August 27th).

 

WHY VOID MOONS ARE COOL

I’m on a mission to change the way folks think about the Void of Course Moon. Because Void Moons are cool.

Full disclosure. I was banned from talking about Void Moons by a popular horoscope publisher for which I wrote. Not once, but twice.

The reasoning: folks who follow horoscopes aren’t sophisticated enough to understand what a Void Moon is. Ergo, best to ignore it.

Now that I’m the managing editor of Astrology Hub, I say we talk about them. Because I believe you’ll understand just fine.

And, by the time I’m done, maybe you’ll realize how they can help you. And then you’ll love them too.

Our Magical Moon
So let’s start at the beginning. Back in 200 BCE or so when the Hellenistic Greeks were inventing “horoscopic” astrology, planets, signs and houses didn’t mean exactly the same things that modern astrologers are familiar with today.

The planets were Gods. Or at least, they were avatars of the gods. According philosophers such as Plato (remember him, the fellow who wrote The Republic?), it was the planets’ job to spin out Time. They set the meter and rhythm for the dance that creates Nature in all its forms.

Of these seven “Celestial Governors” (the Greeks of course could only see seven — the Sun, Moon and the five visible planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn), it was the Moon that was seen as the most Earth-like. In fact the entire natural world was also called the “sub-Lunar realm.”

Consequently, one of the Moon’s jobs was to serve as emissary for all the other planets. Since she produced no light of her own, she helped the other planets carry their light down to the physical plane. In so doing, heavenly will was made manifest. (Truly, the mistress of magic she was!)

When those early Greek astrology innovators envisioned a system of 12 houses, each of the seven planets took their “joy” in one of them. The Moon’s Joy was the Third house — which became known as the “House of the Moon Goddess.”

(And here you probably thought that the Third House was the house of messages and messengers because of Mercury (or Gemini). Nope. It’s because it’s the Moon’s Joy. If you’re eager to delve deeper into the planetary joys, I suggest Chris Brennan’s recent scholarly paper on the subject.)

What’s a Void of Course?
There’s a reason for all this backstory. It’s to help you understand what a Void Moon actually represents.

So, let’s imagine the Moon performing her duties, pouring the planetary rays down to the Earth. She makes a trip around the solar Zodiac every 27 -1/4 days (called a sidereal month). That means approximately every 2- 1/3 days she enters a new Zodiac sign.

Along her trek across a sign, Luna aligns with some of the other planets. Astrologers call these aspects, which derives from a Latin word that means “to see” or “to behold.” The aspects they believed most aligned with the perfectly mathematical symmetries of the divine mind are conjunctions, sextiles, squares, trines and oppositions; we call these Ptolemaic aspects.

Once the Moon has made the last Ptolemaic aspect to a visible planet within a Zodiac sign, she’s called “Void of Course.” She’s traveling along with an empty mail bag, so to speak, with no other heavenly missives to deliver — until she enters the next sign that is.

So, the Moon turns Void of Course once every 2-1/4 days. Void periods of a few minutes to a few hours are not uncommon. Void Moons of a half-day or more are rare. The longest Void Moon I’ve ever seen was almost 48 hours — we may only see a few of those a decade.

Why You Should Care
Void of Course Moons (that’s VC for short) are marked on astrological calendars for a reason.

If you have a magical bone in your body, you’ll want to pay attention.

Since the planets’ light is what gives Divine “Oomphiness” to creation, a Void Moon is akin to a celestial lacuna. A trough between the waves on the cosmic ocean.

In a sense, Void Moons are like the Moon’s equivalent of a retrograde. Of course, the Moon can’t actually retrograde. (It would be a very bad day for all earthlings if it did.) But it carries a similar tone — one of Nature’s built-in times for reflection and consideration.

By now I hope you can see where I’m going with this…

Traditionally speaking, Void Moon’s are a lousy time to make magic. That’s because your undertaking won’t get the usual energetic boost from the Moon’s translated planetary light. Workings tend to fizzle before coming to fruition. They just run out of gas.

By modern analogy, that means Void Moons aren’t the optimal time for starting a new project. A new relationship. A new anything really.

However, Void Moons are an excellent opportunity to do some Deep Work. Without the typical frenetic planetary buzz, things are just a little quieter. You can spend hours working on one of your existing projects with fewer distractions.

Void Moons are also amazing times to commune with the deeper forces of the psyche. Energies turn inward toward the movements of soul and spirit. We meditate. Float. Or just sleep and rejuvenate.

See, what did I tell you? Void Moons are cool.

How to Find Void of Course Moon Times
I mark all the really long Void Moons on my own calendar. I know my phone will ring less, and my inbox won’t fill up quite so fast. Therefore, I can more easily slip away and get some amazingly productive work done on projects that require my undivided attention.

I bet you want to know when the next Void of Course Moon times are for yourself…

As I mentioned, most Astrological calendars will have them listed — including the Astrology Hub Planning Calendar. (Sign up for the Astrology Hub email newsletter, and it’s yours free.)

If you don’t have a calendar easily accessible, just Google “Void of Course Moon Tables” for the month or year you need. There will always be several websites with tables available.

And, yes, there’s an app for this, too. Several in fact. Search for “Void of Course Moon app” and see what strikes your fancy. (Or, if folks leave a comment below, maybe I’ll write a post on my favorite Moon smartphone apps.)

So, have I changed your mind? See I told you — Void Moons are cool.

Reference:

Donna Woodwell, Author
Published on Astrology Hub

Moon in Libra

Creating order is the focus, not necessarily through tidying or organizing as was the case while the Moon was in Virgo, but rather through pleasing interactions with others and aesthetics in our environment. We tend to solve problems through diplomacy, and we are more able to put aside our own emotions in order to achieve the peace we crave. The tendency now is to avoid direct confrontations. Decisions do not come easily. Seeing both sides to any given situation is the main reason for hesitation. Fear of losing others’ approval is another.

The Moon in Libra generally favors the following activities: Relationship and partnership issues, activities involving teamwork and cooperation, activities that involve self-examination, activities related to beauty.

A Look At Your Planets And Stars for Friday, June 22

The Moon continues its transit of Libra until 3:11 PM EDT, after which the Moon moves through Scorpio. With the Moon in Libra, we tend to weigh all our options, while under the influence of the Scorpio Moon, we’re more deliberate and decided.

We move towards a sextile between the Sun and Uranus, exact early tomorrow, which encourages us to focus on making improvements and progress today. We’re embracing new and unfamiliar circumstances, ideas, and situations, and seeking out creative solutions to problems. Flexibility is the key to success under this creative, adaptive, and innovative influence.

Even so, we’re also heading towards a Mercury-Pluto opposition, and there can be some mental agitation and a tendency to seek out uncomfortable truths at all costs. However, if we can harness this investigative energy in positive ways, we can develop strategies to get to the bottom of a matter.

The Moon is void until it enters Scorpio today at 3:11 PM EDT.

The sky this week for June 22 to 24

Saturn approaches peak visibility, Neptune reverses course, and the Summer Triangle dominates the night sky this week.
By Richard Talcott

Friday, June 22

Mars rises shortly after 11 p.m. local daylight time and climbs nearly 30° high in the south by the time morning twilight starts to paint the sky. Although it is still more than a month away from its late July opposition, the Red Planet appears noticeably brighter than it did just a week ago. Shining at magnitude –1.9, it is the third-brightest point of light in the night sky after Venus and Jupiter. If you point a telescope toward Mars this morning, you’ll see its 19″-diameter disk and perhaps some subtle surface features — though many of these may be obscured by the planet’s major ongoing dust storm.

Saturday, June 23

The waxing gibbous Moon passes near Jupiter tonight. From North America, the two were closest this afternoon (when they were below the horizon), though they remain within 5° of each other after darkness falls. Despite Luna’s brilliance dominating the scene, you should have little trouble picking out the magnitude –2.4 planet to its lower right. The best time to observe Jupiter through a telescope is when the Moon doesn’t lie so close. This week, the gas giant spans 42″ and displays a wealth of detail in its cloud tops.

Sunday, June 24

The conspicuous Summer Triangle asterism dominates the eastern sky in late evening. Vega, the triangle’s brightest member, shines at magnitude 0.0 and stands highest of the three stars. To its lower left lies Deneb; at magnitude 1.3, it’s the faintest of the trio. Magnitude 0.8 Altair completes the bright asterism. Despite its name, the Summer Triangle appears prominent from late spring until winter begins.

Reference

The Astronomy Magazine

In the Sky This Month

The planets seem especially busy this month, highlighting both morning and evening skies. Venus reigns as the Evening Star, and points out some interesting sights in Gemini and Cancer during the month. Saturn puts in its best showing of the year, with Jupiter just past its best. And Mars climbs inexorably across the sky, toward its best appearance next month.

June 22: Moon and Companions
The Moon and two bright lights form a wide, flat triangle tonight. The bright planet Jupiter is to the lower left of the Moon at nightfall, with Spica, the brightest star of Virgo, about the same distance to the lower right of the Moon.

June 23: Moon and Jupiter
Brilliant Jupiter stands to the lower right of the Moon as night falls. Although it looks like a bright star, it’s actually the largest planet in the solar system. It is about 11 times Earth’s diameter and more than 300 times Earth’s mass.

June 24: Saturn at Opposition
The planet Saturn is low in the southeast as night falls, and looks like a bright star. Its luster is dimmed by the gibbous Moon, far to Saturn’s upper right. Even so, Saturn outshines all but a few other objects in the night sky, so it’s hard to miss.

June 25: Moon and Antares
Antares, one of the brightest stars in the night sky, is not far to the lower right of the almost-full Moon at nightfall. Antares is near the middle of the curved body of Scorpius, which is in the south-southeast.

June 26: Delphinus
Delphinus, the dolphin, glides through the Milky Way on summer evenings. Tonight it rises not long after sunset and arcs high overhead. Look for it below the Summer Triangle, which is well up in the east a couple of hours after darkness falls.

June 27: More Saturn at Opposition
Saturn lines up opposite the Sun today, so it rises at sunset and is in view all night. A planet is closest to Earth at opposition, so it shines brightest for the year. Tonight, Saturn will stick close to the Moon.

June 28: Colorful Arcturus
Arcturus, the leading light of Bootes, the herdsman, stands high in the south as twilight turns to darkness. It is the brightest true star in the sky during the evening hours, so it’s hard to miss. It shines yellow-orange.

Reference

StarDate

Your Daily Cosmic Calendar for June 22

With the lunar orb in Libra continuing a void cycle until the moon enters Scorpio (12:12pm), revelations about solving major problems can occur around the time of a significant Mercury-Pallas conjunction at 19 degrees of Cancer (2:32am). Use strategic thinking to look back at your ancestral heritage and past events with an eye for uncovering long-buried truths. In addition, subjects that inspire women are particularly energized as Ceres in Leo and Vesta in Sagittarius form a harmonious trine (10:54am). Once the moon is transiting through the highly psychic eighth sign of the zodiac, learn more about the secret teachings of ancient cultures and civilizations. Don your Sherlock Holmes disguise as detective skills are reinforced during a trine between the moon and the sun in Cancer (2:51pm). Don’t be surprised if ingenious ideas flourish in your thought process this evening as the sun makes a supportive, 60-degree alliance to lightning-like prognosticator Uranus (10:59pm).

[Note to readers: All times are now calculated for Pacific Daylight Time. Be sure to adjust all times according to your own local time so the alignments noted above will be exact for your location.]

 

Copyright 2018 Mark Lerner & Great Bear Enterprises, Ltd.
Astrology.com

 

The Witches Current Moon Phase for Friday, June 22

Waxing Gibbous
80%

Tomorow the Moon will be 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 its roots in the Latin word “gibbosus” meaning humpbacked.

PHASE DETAILS FOR – FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018
Phase: Waxing Gibbous
Illumination: 71%
Moon Age: 9.44 days
Moon Angle: 0.52
Moon Distance: 383,814.90 km
Sun Angle: 0.52
Sun Distance: 152,046,879.19 km

Reference:

MoonGiant.com

About The Waxing Gibbous Moon

 

This intermediate Moon phase starts after the First Quarter Moon and lasts until the Full Moon.

50.1% to 99.9% Illuminated

Just after the First Quarter Moon, when we can see exactly half of the face of the Moon illuminated, the intermediate phase called Waxing Gibbous Moon starts.

Waxing means that it is getting bigger. Gibbous refers to the shape, which is less than the full circle of a Full Moon, but larger than the semicircle shape of the Moon at Third Quarter.

With some exceptions, the Waxing Gibbous Moon rises during the day, after noon. It is usually visible in the evening and sets after midnight.

During this period, the lit up portion of the Moon increases from 50.1% to 99.9%.

Technically, this phase lasts until the moment of Full Moon. However, it can be difficult to differentiate the last stage of a Waxing Gibbous Moon from a Full Moon when as much as 98% to 99% of the Moon’s surface is illuminated.

Sun Lights Up the Moon
The Moon does not radiate its own light, but the Moon’s surface reflects the Sun’s rays. Half of the Moon’s surface is always illuminated by direct sunlight, except during lunar eclipses when Earth casts its shadow on the Moon. Just how much of that light we can see from Earth varies every day, and we refer to this as a Moon phase.

Primary and Intermediate Moon Phases
In Western culture, we divide the lunar month into 4 primary and 4 intermediate Moon phases.

The Moon phases start with the invisible New Moon. The first visible Moon phase is the thin sliver of a Waxing Crescent Moon. Around a week later, half of the Moon’s surface is illuminated at First Quarter Moon.

The illuminated part continues to grow into a Waxing Gibbous Moon, until 14 to 15 days into the cycle, we see the entire face of the Moon lit up at Full Moon.

The illuminated part then gradually shrinks into a Waning Gibbous Moon, and when it reaches Third Quarter, the opposite half from the First Quarter is illuminated. From there, it fades into a Waning Crescent Moon. Finally, the Moon disappears completely from view into another New Moon phase, only to reemerge and repeat this cycle over and over.

Same Phase Looks Different
Moon phases are the same all over the world. The same percentage and area of the Moon are illuminated no matter where on Earth you are. However, the Moon is rotated in different ways depending on the time, the date, your location, and the Moon’s position in the sky. Therefore, the illuminated part of a Waxing Gibbous Moon can appear on the left, the right, the top, or the bottom.

The line–or curve–dividing the illuminated and dark parts of the Moon is called the terminator. The terminator of a Waxing Gibbous Moon can be on the right side, the left, the top, or the bottom.

Source

timeanddate.com

Planetary Positions for the Rest of 2018

 

Jun 21, 2018 6:07 AM Sun enters Cancer
Jul 22, 2018 5:00 PM Sun enters Leo
Aug 23, 2018 12:08 AM Sun enters Virgo
Sep 22, 2018 9:54 PM Sun enters Libra
Oct 23, 2018 7:22 AM Sun enters Scorpio
*** Daylight Saving Time ends ***
Nov 22, 2018 4:01 AM Sun enters Sagittarius
Dec 21, 2018 5:23 PM Sun enters Capricorn

 

 

Oh, how true it is,

I AM HOME!

Blessed Be To Our Almighty Mother & Divine Goddess,

Love you,

Lady A

 

Good morning, my sweets! Yes, it is really me, Lady A. Been a while, huh? I can tell you right now, I haven’t been having a ton of fun either. But we won’t go into that right now. We won’t be with you on this wonderful & blessed Summer Solstice this year. We are currently on our way back to Western Kentucky. We have been up in Eastern Kentucky for a day or two. I wanted to visit some family up there. I also wanted to take a spiritual break, get my head back on straight (you know hospitals mess with your head?) and talk to a few Elder witches up there. We had a good time and enjoyed the visit. We will be back later on this afternoon. Tomorrow, we are going to rest up, maybe! Then Friday, we will be back in full force and I am not planning on anymore hospital visits for a while. I am going to start eating a bushel of apples a day. You know an apple a day keeps the doctor away (keep your brooms crossed, lol!).

 

I also want to thank everyone for your prayers, your energy, your love, and your donations. I really can never, ever thank you enough for everything you have done for me. Like I have always said you are the best family a witch could ever want. From the bottom of heart, thank you and my love for you is so deep and boy did I miss the hell out of you. It is good to be back amongst family and what a family it is.

 

Now for our gift to you…..We have opened the store back up. Magickal Necessities is now up and running again. Unfortunately it had to be rebuilt because I had the cost charged to one of my credit cards and when I was in the hospital it was sort of declined. It seems you don’t make payments on those things that tends to happen. Joseph has worked his fingers to the bone. Jacob brought a laptop to the hospital and when I felt like it I worked on it off line and then they uploaded it to the store. This new store will carry only merchandise and products made in the U. S. A.  We have tons of new items. It is amazing how fast the new comes in and out the old goes. But it is our gift to you this Solstice Day. We worked hard to get it ready to open it this day. Opening a store on such a wonderful day as today means only success can come. Now back to the merchandise, the prices are reasonable, top quality. We are also carrying several items that you won’t find on other stores on the net. So please, since this is the longest day, take a moment to check it out.  If you thumb through the pages and don’t see what you want, let us know, we will get it for you.

 

We are getting ready to leave up here now. We will be resting up tomorrow (maybe) and we will see you Friday. I promise you that. I have been gone way too long that is for sure. Remember one thing, I thought of each of you every day I was out. I missed you and most of all I love each and everyone of you.

 

May Our Almighty Goddess Bless You On This Glorious Litha,

Love ya, my sweets,

Lady A

 

You’ve shopped the rest, now shop the best….

Visit the new Magickal Necessities today!

My Father, My Friend

 

For my father, my friend,
This to me you have always been.
Through the good times and the bad,
Your understanding I have had.
A gentle man at heart,
This sets you apart,
From the others I’ve seen,
You mean so much to me.
The laughter we have shared,
Cannot be compared.
The tears I have shed,
As you lovingly nodded your head.
You have always been there,
With a smile and a hug,
A precious gift from our Goddess up above.
The times that I have been down and sad,
Your silly ways could always make me glad.
You gave me strength to carry on,
Even when all hope seemed to be gone.
The lessons in life that I have learned,
Are from your genuine love and concern.
With deep appreciation for all you have done.
You, Dad,
Are our number one.
With all our love,

Happy Father’s Day !

 

Peggy Stewart, Author

Website: familyfriendpoems