The Magickal Day of Wednesday

Freya Norse Goddess~Pro ChallengeThe Magickal Day of Wednesday

 

Wednesday is named for Woden himself, although the Romans called it dies Mercurii. This is a day associated with the color purple, the planet Mercury, and the metal quicksilver – which is also called mercury. See a pattern here?

When it comes to deities… yes, Mercury! However, there are a few other gods associated with Wednesday, including Odin and Hermes, Athena, and Lugh. Gemstones like adventurine and agate come in handy as well, as do plants such as aspen trees, lilies, lavender and even ferns.

Business and job-related issues, communication, loss and debt, traveling, and journeys are all tied in to Wednesday. This is a good day to do a working to open up lines of communication – especially if your own actions are preventing you from being an effective speaker or listener. Go someplace new or return to an old favorite stomping ground, step up your game, and settle up your accounts.

Author

Patti Wigington, Paganism/Wicca Expert
Article originally published on About.com

 

On Wednesday, March 22, We Celebrate….

BastetOn Wednesday, March 22, We Celebrate….

Vernal Equinox (Various Locations)
Butterfly Maiden

Themes: Rebirth; beauty; fertility; balance; freedom; nature

Symbols: Butterflies; seedlings; rainwater; Spring flowers

About Butterfly Maiden: In Hopi tradition, the Butterfly Maiden is a kachina (spirit) who rules the springtime and the earth’s fertility. Butterfly Maiden flutters in our life today to reconnect us with nature and to help us rediscover that graceful butterly within each of us–the one that effortlessly rises above problems, making the world its flower.

To Do Today: In magical traditions, the equinox celebrates the sun’s journey back to predominance in the sky and the return of fertility to the earth. It is a joyous fire festival when the elements are in balance, giving us the opportunity to likewise balance our lives. If anything has held you back from real spiritual growth, now is the time to banish it and move on. Visualize yourself as the caterpillar who become a butterfly, then let the Butterfly Maiden give you wings with which to overcome anything!

 

 

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

Today is Wednesday, March 22nd

goddess of love

Today is Wednesday, March 22nd

Wednesday is the day of the Teutonic deity known as Wodin or Odin, an aspect of the Allfather, god of knowledge, wisdom, enlightenment and combat, the parallel of Hermes, the planet Mercury.

Deity: Woden

Zodiac Sign: Gemini & Virgo

Planet: Mercury

Tree: Ash

Herb: Cinquefoil

Stone: Emerald & Sardonyx

Animal: Raven & Cat

Element: Air

Color: Red & Blue

Number: 6

Rune: Odal(O)

 
Celtic Tree Month of Fearn (Alder) (March 18 – April 14)

The Runic Half Month of Beorc (March 14 – March 29)

Goddess of the Month of Columbina(March 20 – April 17)

 

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

 

Celestial Happenings for Wednesday, March 22

Greek goddessCelestial Happenings for Wednesday, March 22

 

The Moon is in Capricorn until 10:28 PM, after which the Moon is in Aquarius.
The Moon is void from 9:19 AM to 10:28 PM.
The Moon is waning and in its Last Quarter phase.
The Last Quarter Moon occurred on the 20th, and the New Moon will occur on March 27th.
Venus is retrograde (Venus is retrograde from March 4-April 15).

 

In the night sky:
Winter Circle
Spring has already sprung, but a great pattern of stars named for winter still dominates the western evening sky. The Winter Circle includes some of the most prominent stars of all, including Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.

 

Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Wednesday, March 22nd

 DHG-APHRODITE . . b y Piedad5007

Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Wednesday, March 22nd

The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 122.64° ESE
Sun Altitude: 36.70°
Sun Distance: 92.637 million mi
Next Solstice: Jun 20, 2017 11:24 pm (Summer)
Sunrise Today: 6:54 am↑ 88° East
Sunset Today: 7:08 pm↑ 272° West
Length of Daylight: 12 hours, 13 minutes

 

The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 207.09° SSW
Moon Altitude: 29.48°
Moon Distance: 245573 mi
Next New Moon: Mar 27, 20179:57 pm
Next Full Moon: Apr 11, 20171:08 am
Next Moonset: Today1:45 pm
Current Moon Phase: Waning Crescent
Illumination: 31.4%

 

Source

timeeanddate.com

 

Wishing Everyone a Very Happy & Enjoyable Hump Day! May The Goddess Bless You & Yours!

۩ คtђєภคSpring’s Glorious Awakening

 

Alas, Brigid has awakened Ostara, Spring’s Maiden Goddess

Finally Gaia has lifted her white blanket of
beauty that has been covering the earth
during Winter’s long night with her
dark cold and has finally delivered us into
the light of Spring’s first glorious morning

Spring’s first glorious morning
that is the start of this season’s begin

For we have witnessed many dark moons that have past
since this first Vernal lunar night of Spring’s
dawning sight

For on the first vernal morning of this season she is
putting joy’s warmth back into our wintry cold
hearts and happiness’ heat back into our winter
chilled spirits

For this first vernal morning fully awakens our bodies
to her Spring sensations

Her Spring sensations that today we will all fully revel
in as she livens us up with her wondrous seasonal
gifts of her life’s warmth and love’s growth

Her love’s growth that calls us one and all
to rise to hear her vernal call

To rise to hear her voice that’s filled so sweetly
with Spring’s first greet

Spring’s first greet that will pull us fully from
our soul’s cave that have been in her Winter’s
womb for months and are now ready to be rebirthed
back out onto Spring’s eternal bed of vernal’s
fertile love warmth

For Winter’s darkness is at last behind us
and Spring’s lightness is finally upon us
Upon us with today’s glorious awakening of Spring

Spring’s glorious awakening

So awake that everywhere we look

All is coming alive

SO ALIVE

So alive with her fertile
with her green
with her color
with her love

So alive with her fertile green color love

Her green color of lush green grass beneath our feet

Where, when we look carefully, we will see her new
spurts of green that have burst thru Gaia’s
many layers

Her grass that has become full again for us to
roll around on

Full again to hold us in a glorious green embrace

Full again, so that when we lay on her, we will feel
safe in her green embryonic womb of pure simple love

Her green womb of pure simple love that the flowers
stand upon

The flowers that are gifts from Flora, Gaia’s guardian
of these most beautiful vernal offerings that She
most generously shares with us

Oh my…

Look, her crocuses have already crept out to tell us that
Spring is about to become

Listen, they are speaking to us in nature’s silent whispers
that greet us on this first day of Spring

Wait, soon there will be flowers aplenty blowing to and fro
in Spring’s cool warm breezes

Soon there will be many more magnificent flowers
that will bloom out

That will bloom out to…
kiss our souls with their lingering lips
whisper sweet aphrodisiacal nothings into our ears
fill our souls with nature’s kisses of soft color bliss

Such as the daffodils that are blooming out to greet us
this day with their touches of yellow
and…

The magnolia buds that are opening with the help
of the sun’s warm affection that will soon
wholly greet us with the beauty of their full
smiling faces

Oh Flora, when Your flowers bloom out so, they make our
hearts sing with joy, our spirits soar with happiness
and imbue our minds with color aliveness

Color aliveness that springs up from her fresh mud

Her fresh mud that connects us back to Mother Earth,
deep into the center of her hearth

Her hearth where we can feel our souls being rooted back
into her warmth

Her warmth that will thaw out our soul’s icy layers of
illusion that have been built up by by Winter’s
freezing cold

Icy layers of cold’s illusion that will melt one by one
and return our minds back to the openness of the first
Spring that had sprung when time begun

The first Spring breezes that cause our soul
to stir within…

Her warm breezes that blow so refreshingly thru us
in our mid-morning walk

Her soft breezes that cool our warm minds

Her cool breezes that blow gently at night
and awaken our skin with delight

Her cool soft warm breezes that we become afloat in
as we glide thru their celestial sensations with
ethereal elation

Her cool breezes that waft thru the between of
her tree’s green branches

Where the little birds set out on the edges of to
chirp vernal hymns of joy that fill this season
so beautifully

Where the little birds sing for the coming of Spring’s
new dawn

The coming of Spring’s new dawn that awakens us to her
season’s begin with a sea of melodic songs sung by
the birds of thee

While up above the singing birds of thee

The sun embraces us with loving arms

Embraces us inside with Spring’s feeling of
lightness that is deep within us

But alas, we must remember that even in this season,
the sun will disappear for bits at a time to give
way to vernal showers that bring to us divine
Spring flowers

So habibi, please try to shine down on us with your
warm face to brighten us up on most of Spring’s days

As our souls do shrink when you hide away from us even for
a day, for even a day without you seems like an eternity

An eternity where, oh sun, we begin to think that you hide
behind Spring’s curtain of clouds so as to build up in
us the feeling of anticipation and true appreciation
for the gift of warmth that you bestow upon us

Then finally when your last evening sky dawns over us that
is imbued with the hue of your colors horizon of an
unusual shade of almost midnight blue

We will thank you for infusing us with Spring’s
energy of new

That is felt with our hearts that are true

Hearts that are true on the last night
of Spring for you

—–Savannah Skye, Author
Originally published on Pagan Library

 

Delving Into Divination – Tea Leaf Reading

In the Craft, there are many forms of divination. You have Palm Reading, Tarot Card Readings, Rune Readings, Scrying and the list goes on and on. Since our Elemental Witch Series will be concluding today, we decided to delve right into divination. The first form of divination is Tea Leaf Reading, yes, you heard right, Tea Leaf Divination. Did you know after you get through drinking that tasty cup of tea that those little leaves at the bottom could hold a very special meaning for you? They can answer looming questions and predict your future? Imagine all of that for just the cost of a cup of tea, how could you go wrong?

 

In this episode:

History of Tea Leaf Reading

Brewing the Perfect Cup

Symbolism of those little leaves left in the bottom of your cup.

 

Enjoy!

 

THE WOTC PODCAST

Featured Spell of the Day for March 21 – An Ink Wash Spell

Spell of the Day for Tuesday, March 21

An Ink Wash Spell

 

The main purpose of this spell is to cancel out harm caused by another individual. The spell is to be casted by the person who was the original victim of the spellcasted.

 

Items you will need:

One black candle 6 to 8 inches long

Matches

One bottle of purple water based ink

One fountain pen

One sheet of office paper

One bowl of water

One small glass tumbler

 

The only chant that is in this spell is as follows:

“All that is valuable, I keep

All that is harmful, I discard.”

 

Enjoy!

 

THE WOTC PODCAST

A Special Edition of Divination for Tuesday, March 21

Welcome to a special edition of Tuesday’s Divination. As you know, we normally do not put out a Divination podcast during the weekdays but unfortunately instead of computer problems, we had people problems today. No one could get their act together. So Lady A bravely took the mic and went to the air. We offer to you our usual divination, runes, tarot, horoscope and much, much more. Lady A has some very interesting tidbits she adds to the mix and what we thought was going to be a horrible day turns into a very beautiful one. We hope you enjoy today’s edition along with Lady A tales and hints.

 

The WOTC Podcast

How To Hold an Ostara Ritual for Solitaries


Ostara Comments

How To Hold an Ostara Ritual for Solitaries

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide

 

Ostara is a time of balance. It is a time of equal parts light and dark. At Mabon, we have this same balance, but the light is leaving us. Today, six months later, it is returning. Spring has arrived, and with it comes hope and warmth. Deep within the cold earth, seeds are beginning to sprout. In the damp fields, the livestock are preparing to give birth. In the forest, under a canopy of newly sprouted leaves, the animals of the wild ready their dens for the arrival of their young. Spring is here.

Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Varied
Here’s How:

For this ritual, you’ll want to decorate your altar with symbols of the season. Think about all the colors you see in nature at this time of year — bright daffodils, crocuses, plump tulips, green shoots — and incorporate them into your altar. This is also a time of fertility in the natural world — the egg is the perfect representation of this aspect of the season. Symbols of young animals such as lambs, chicks, and calves are also great altar adornments for Ostara.

In addition, you’ll need the following:
Three candles — one yellow, one green, and one purple
A bowl of milk
A small bowl of honey or sugar
Perform this ritual outside if at all possible, in the early morning as the sun rises. It’s spring, so it may be a bit chilly, but it’s a good time to reconnect with the earth. If your tradition normally requires you to cast a circle, do so now.

Begin by taking a moment to focus on the air around you. Inhale deeply, and see if you can smell the change in the seasons. Depending on where you live, the air may have an earthy aroma, or a rainy one, or even smell like green grass. Sense the shift in energy as the Wheel of the Year has turned. Light the green candle, to symbolize the blossoming earth. As you light it, say:

The Wheel of the Year turns once more,
and the vernal equinox arrives.
Light and dark are equal,
and the soil begins to change.
The earth awakes from its slumber,
and new life springs forth once more.

Next, light the yellow candle, representing the sun. As you do so, say:The sun draws ever closer to us,
greeting the earth with its welcoming rays.
Light and dark are equal,
and the sky fills with light and warmth.
The sun warms the land beneath our feet,
and gives life to all in its path.

Finally, light the purple candle. This one represents the Divine in our lives — whether you call it a god or a goddess, whether you identify it by name or simply as a universal life force, this is the candle which stands for all the things we do not know, all those things we cannot understand, but that are the sacred in our daily lives. As you light this candle, focus on the Divine around and within you. Say:

Spring has come! For this, we are thankful!
The Divine is present all around,
in the cool fall of a rain storm,
in the tiny buds of a flower,
in the down of a newborn chick,
in the fertile fields waiting to be planted,
in the sky above us,
and in the earth below us.
We thank the universe* for all it has to offer us,
and are so blessed to be alive on this day.
Welcome, life! Welcome, light! Welcome, spring!

Take a moment and meditate on the three flames before you and what they symbolize. Consider your own place within these three things — the earth, the sun, and the Divine. How do you fit into the grand scheme of things? How do you find balance between light and dark in your own life?Finally, blend the milk and honey together, mixing gently. Pour it onto the ground around your altar space as an offering to the earth**. As you do, you may wish to say something like:

I make this offering to the earth,
As thanks for the many blessings I have received,
And those I shall some day receive.

Once you have made your offering, stand for a minute facing your altar. Feel the cool earth beneath your feet, and the sun on your face. Take in every sensation of this moment, and know that you are in a perfect place of balance between light and dark, winter and summer, warmth and cold — a time of polarity and harmony.When you are ready, end the ritual.
Tips:
* Instead of “the Universe”, feel free to insert the name of your patron deity or the gods of your tradition here.
** If you’re doing this rite indoors, take your bowl of milk and honey and pour it in your garden, or around your yard.

What You Need

Three candles – yellow, green and purple
A bowl of milk
A small bowl of honey or sugar
Seasonal decorations for your altar

 

Ostara Ritual (Eostre): A Ritual for Children


Ostara Comments

Ostara Ritual (Eostre): A Ritual for Children

Performed at Pantheacon 2009

 

Cast circle as usual, emphasizing the growth of new life in the spring and what each element brings to this process:

East: (the wind that spreads the seeds)
South: (the heat of the sun that helps them grow)
West: (the water which feeds them)
North: (the earth from which they spring)

Call Persephone/Kore, Demeter, and Hekate as the Three Aspects of the Goddess

Call the Green Man, the Spirit of Growth [both these invocations can be noisy and fun, with lots of hand-clapping, shakers, and noisemakers of all kinds]

Introduction to the myth:
“Ostara is the celebration of Balance. The days and nights are of equal length but the Sun God is gaining more power over the darkness of Winter. This Sabbat is named after the Teutonic goddess Eostre, whose name is probably yet another variant of Ishtar, Astarte and Aset or Isis. This Sabbat overlaps many other observances at this time of year, such as Easter — a Christian celebration. In celebration of the return of Spring, many people have told stories of the return of the maiden Goddess to earth after the long cold winter. Here is the version which was told in ancient Greece.”

[Gather the children together to sit at the feet of Hekate as she tells the story]

The myth of Demeter & Kore

[personae: Demeter, Kore, Hades, Hekate, Helios, Zeus, Hermes (act out as Hekate sits and reads the story to the children)
props: flowers, a pomegranate (if possible) or other fruit. Cloak for Hades to hide Kore under]

The maiden Kore, daughter of Demeter, was gathering flowers when she suddenly noticed a flower of striking beauty. She ran to pick the flower, but as she bent down the earth opened and Hades appeared. He seized her and dragged her down into the depths of the earth. [Kore gathers flowers; Hades grabs her, covers her with cloak; she drops her flower; both run off to side and Kore remains hidden under cloak with Hades facing away from action]

Kore’s mother, Demeter, heard her daughter’s despairing cry for help, and for nine days looked all over the world. Finally, on Hekate’s advice, she went to see Helios, the sun, who saw the abduction from his chariot in the heavens. Helios told Demeter that the flower was planted by Zeus, so that she might become his brother Hades’ “flowering bride.”[Demeter looks everywhere, goes to Hekate, who points to Helios. Helios picks up flower and hands it to Demeter, who weeps]

In her grief Demeter left Olympus and took refuge among the cities of men. As she withdrew, so the earth dried up and withered, the sap of growth departed and the land lay dying. The gods, seeing that without crops the entire human race would perish and there would be no one to worship them, came to Demeter to entreat her to come out and restore the earth. But she would not permit the earth to bear fruit again until she saw her daughter. [Demeter sits with head in hands; other gods come to her, but she shakes head “no”]

Finally Zeus commanded Hermes to descend into the underworld and tell Hades that he must return Kore, who since her arrival in the underworld had taken the name Persephone, to her mother. Before returning, Persephone, yielding to Hades’ temptation, ate a few pomegranate seeds. Having tasted the fruit, Persephone must henceforth spend a third of each year with him, but when she comes back to earth at springtime, she and her mother are so happy that all the flowers bloom again.
[Zeus points Hermes to Hades, who turns around and unveils Persephone. Hades hands Persephone a fruit, and she takes a bite. Hermes takes Persephone by the hand and leads her to Demeter, who stands and embraces her. All gods gather together and show flowers, handing them to children]

All sing “The Lady’s Bransle”:

For she will bring the buds in the spring
And laugh among the flowers,
In summer’s heat her kisses are sweet,
She sings in leafy bowers;
She cuts the cane and gathers the grain
When fruits of fall surround her;
Her bones grow old in wintry cold,
She wraps her cloak around her.
But she will bring the buds in the spring…

[about three times through should be sufficient–perhaps do this as a circle dance. at very least get the kids to clapping]

The Egg-Hunt: Take a [real] hardboiled egg, show it to the kids and say: “During the winter, the world is all cold and icy.”
Crack the shell, saying “but in the spring, the ice cracks.”
Peel the shell and dispose of it in a bowl, then take off bits of the white for the kids to eat (if they want), saying: “and the snow melts.”
Then show them the yolk and say “And the sun returns! …and that’s why we hunt for eggs!”

[Egg hunt follows]

Cakes and wine (cake and milk) and general feasting to follow.

Devoke and farewells.

 

General Preparations


Ostara Comments

General Preparations

Ostara, Vernal Equinox, Spring, Rebirth, Easter, March 21st

 

1. I begin to read and research the subject of Spring Celebrations starting in early February. I am fond of Goddess lore and rituals, Neopagan topics, and Daoism, so you might see something about those topics in my seasonal celebrations webpages.

2. Spring cleaning indoors is a common preparatory activity during this time of the year. Completing some of the chores listed on your garden chores list for February and March is also a good idea. Make reasonable adjustments for inclement weather.

3. Starting seeds indoors in February is a good task. All potted plants should be put into the ground and watered as planned. Removing any dead trees, branches or shrubs should be continued as weather permits.

4. Clean your indoor altar. Dust all ritual and art objects. Put out offerings. Use your “Prayer Books.”

Foods for an Ostara Feast


Ostara Comments

Foods for an Ostara Feast

Easter cupcakesThese aren’t traditional so much as intuitive, but they work, and seem to please her.

-Deviled Eggs, especially if you can create a sun motif, or garnish with greens

-Vegetable Quiche

-Custard

-Angel Food Cake

-Carrot Cake

-Cooked Carrots

-Cooked greens, or fresh in a salad

-Fiddlehead ferns in lemon sauce

-Edible spring flowers, if you can find them – especially violets

-Lamb

-Rabbit Stew

-Cookies shaped like baby animals or flowers

-Small fried fish

 

Ostara Oil & Incense


Ostara Comments

Ostara Oil & Incense

Ostara Oil

Put in soap or annoint candles
5 drops lavender
5 drops jasmine
5 drops patchouli
5 drops rose

Add a lavender bud and small lapis lazuli, rose, and clear quartz crystals. This has the gently smell of spring beginning to blossom. Very lovely!

Ostara Incense

Recipe by Scott Cunningham
2 parts Frankincense
1 part Benzoin
1 part Dragon’s Blood
1/2 part Nutmeg
1/2 part Violet flowers (or a few drops Violet oil)
1/2 part Orange peel
1/2 part Rose petals

Burn during Wiccan rituals on Ostara, or to welcome the spring and refresh your life.

(The above recipe for “Ostara Incense” is directly quoted from Scott Cunningham’s book: “The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews”, page 83, Llewellyn Publications, 1992.)

Astronomy Picture of the Day – The Aurora Tree

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2017 March 20

The Aurora Tree
Image Credit & Copyright: Alyn Wallace Photography

 

Explanation: Yes, but can your tree do this? Pictured is a visual coincidence between the dark branches of a nearby tree and bright glow of a distant aurora. The beauty of the aurora — combined with how it seemed to mimic a tree right nearby — mesmerized the photographer to such a degree that he momentarily forgot to take pictures. When viewed at the right angle, it seemed that this tree had aurora for leaves! Fortunately, before the aurora morphed into a different overall shape, he came to his senses and capture the awe-inspiring momentary coincidence. Typically triggered by solar explosions, aurora are caused by high energy electrons impacting the Earth’s atmosphere around 150 kilometers up. The unusual Earth-sky collaboration was witnessed earlier this month in Iceland.

March equinox! Happy spring or fall

March equinox! Happy spring or fall

 

Published on EarthSky