I was looking for a more recent pic of him. This one is when he first arrived. He has filled out, a fluff bunny and absolutely beautiful if I do say so myself. So how could I say no to this cutie pie?

January Trivia

The Year of the Fire-Rooster 4715 starts on Saturday, January 28th, 2017. The mystic nature of this character is indomitable will and pro-action.

Great emperors emerge from this sign, and they are remembered in history for their achievements.

However, this is an awkward personality for lovers, as they are shy in the personal arena.

Guard against fits of anger, carry a notebook with you all year.

If you are naturally energetic or flamboyant, cultivate self-control as your natural power flowing through your aura will attract good things to you.

1957 was the last year that benefited us with good things and good fortunes.

Good Luck This Year!

The Enchanter’s Almanac: 2016 to 2017 (First Edition)
Murray T. Paschal

Magickal Activity for January 4th, The Day of Sacrifice to the 7 Stars

The Willow Wand

To make the wand: Cut a small branch from a Willow tree. Clean and sand the branch until it is smooth. Use silver paint to inscribe your name in a spiral pattern around the branch.

Use a smudge stick to consecrate your wand. Light the smudge, and pass the wand through its fragrant smoke. This will remove any negative thoughts or vibrations that might have been attached to the branch before you acquired it.

Once the branch has been cleansed you will need to bless it in Callisto’s honor. Place the wand on your altar or on a small table. Hold both of your hands over the wand and speak the following prayer:

Goddess of the moon grant to me,
The Willows power of flexibility.
Through your love I shall be warmed,
And from this moment be transformed.

When you feel the need to be more flexible and accommodating, dating, hold your wand in your power hand and say the above prayer to yourself. Then your wand is ready to do your bidding.

Sacrifice to the 7 Stars

The ancient Greeks set this day aside to honor Callisto, the moon Goddess who was loved by Zeus. Callisto bore Zeus a son, Arcas, and was then changed into a bear either by Zeus, wishing to hide her, or by Hera herself. As a bear she was shot by Artemis in the forest, who then placed her among the stars as the She Bear connected with the Ursa Major constellation.

In Greek Callisto was also called Helice, which means both “that which turns” and “Willow branch”-a reminder that the willow was the sacred tree favored by Helice and Callisto.

Wednesday Is Ruled By Mercury

Wednesdays are wild and wacky days. They are for communication, change, cunning, and the arts. This is a Mercury day, and just its patron god this day is full of contradictions, change, and excitement. Some suggestions for Wednesday enchantments would include:

Pulling a little Wednesday color magic into your life by wearing purples or orange

Carrying a multipurpose agate with you and tapping into its various charms

Working with magical plants such as the fern for protection. This plant will also boost the power of any other magical plants with which it is arranged.

Incorporating lavender into charms and spells for transformation

Using the charming scent of lily of the valley to improve your memory, or working with the aspen tree for communication

Calling on Athena, patron of arts and crafts, for inspiration for a new project

Fanning out a Tarot spell to increase you creativity

Calling on Hermes on a Wednesday night to bring movement and good luck into your life

 

The Witches Correspondences for Wednesday, January 4th

 

Dedicated to the Teutonic god Woden or Odin, an aspect of the “All-Father” god of knowledge wisdom enlightenment and combat, the parallel of Hermes.

Element : Air

Planet: Mercury

Zodiac Sign : Virgo / Gemini

Angel : Raphael

Metal : Mercury

Incense / Perfumes : Jasmine, Lavender, Sweet Pea

Oil: Benzoin, Clary Sage, Eucalytus, Lavender

Color : Red, Orange, Light Blue

Stones : Bloodstone,Garnet, Aventurine, Hematite, Moss Agate and Sodalite

Plants/Herbs : Almond, Anise, Cherry, Clover, Dandelion, Dill, Fern, Hazel, Hyssop, Lavender, Lemongrass, Lilac, Mace, Peppermint, Rosemary, Vervain

Magick to Work: the conscious mind, study, travel, divination, consulting oracles, wisdom, communication ,cleverness, contracts, creativity, information, intellect, memory, erception, science, wisdom, writing

 

The Witches Almanac for Wednesday, January 4th

Wednesday (Mercury): The conscious mind, study, travel, divination, and wisdom.

Kamakura Workers’ Festival (Japanese)

Waxing Moon
The Waxing Moon (from the New Moon to the Full) is the ideal time for magic to draw things toward you.

Moon phase: First Quarter

Moon Sign: Pisces

Pisces: The focus is on dreaming, nostalgia, intuition, and psychic impressions. A good time for spiritual or philanthropic activities.

Moon enters Aries 11: 20 am
Aries: Good for starting things, but lacks staying power. Things occur rapidly, but quickly pass. People tend to be argumentative and assertive

Incense: Lilac

Color: Brown

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Magickal Applications for Wednesday

To the Romans, this day was called Dies Mercurii, or “Mercury’s day” Mercury was a popular character in the Roman pantheon. A messenger of the gods, he presided over commerce, trade, and anything that required skill or dexterity. The Celts also worshiped Mercury and eventually equated him with the Norse god Odin (some spelling variations on this name include Wotan, Wodin, and Wodan). In Norse mythologies, Odin, like Mercury, is associated with poetry and music. Interestingly enough, both Odin and Mercury were regarded as psychopomps, or the leaders of souls, in their individual mythologies.

Odin, one of the main gods in Norse mythology, was constantly seeking wisdom. He traveled the world in disguise as a one-eyed man with a long gray beard, wearing an old, beat-up hat and carrying a staff or a spear (which brings to my mind images of Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings). In the Old English language, this day of Mercury evolved into Wodnes daeg, “Woden’s day,” or Wednesday.

Wednesday carries all of the planetary and magickal energies and associations of the witty and nimble god Mercury himself. Some of these mercurial traits included good communication skills, cleverness, intelligence, creativity, business sense, writing, artistic talent, trickiness, and thievery. And don’t forget all of those wise and enigmatic qualities associated with the Norse god Odin/Wodin, not to mention the goddess Athena’s contributions of music, the arts, handmade crafts, and writing. Wednesdays afford excellent opportunities for seeking wisdom, changing your circumstances, and improving your skills, be they in trade and commerce, music and art, or in communication and writing.

 

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

 

The Witches’ Guide to Wednesday

Wednesday is the fourth day of the week, in the Judeo-Christian calendar between Tuesday and Thursday. The name comes from the Middle English Wednes dei, which is from Old English WÄ“dnes dæg, meaning the day of the Germanic god Woden (Wodan) who was a god of the Anglo-Saxons in England until about the 7th century. WÄ“dnes dæg is like the Old Norse Oðinsdagr (“Odin’s day”), which is an early translation of the Latin dies Mercurii (“Mercury’s day”). Although Mercury (the messenger of the gods) and Woden (the king of the Germanic gods) are not equivalent in most regards, both gods guided the souls of the dead to the underworld.

 

When Sunday is taken as the first of the week, the day in the middle of each week is Wednesday. Arising from this, the German name for Wednesday has been Mittwoch (literally: “mid-week”) since the 10th Century, having displaced the former name: Wodanstag (“Wodan’s day”). The Finnish name is similarly practical: Keskiviikko (literally: “middle of the week”) as is the Icelandic name: Miðvikudagur (“Mid-week day”).

 

According to the Hebrew Bible, Wednesday is the day when the Sun and Moon were created.

 

Wednesday is also in the middle of the common Western 5-day working week that starts on Monday and finishes on Friday.

 

In Romance languages it is derived from the name of the Roman god Mercury: mercredi (French), mercoledì (Italian), miércoles (Spanish), miercuri (Romanian), dimecres (Catalan), dies Mercurii (Latin). Similarly, the Hindi name for Wednesday, Budhvar is derived from the Vedic name for Mercury, Budh. Russian does not use pagan names but instead uses sredá, meaning “middle,” similar to the German Mittwoch. Likewise, Portuguese uses the word quarta-feira, meaning “fourth day.”

 

An English language idiom for Wednesday is “hump day”, a reference to making it through to the middle of the work week as getting “over the hump”. It is also informally referred to as “the peak of the week”.

 

Quakers traditionally refer to Wednesday as “Fourth Day”, eschewing the pagan origin of the name “Wednesday”. Most eastern languages also use a name with this meaning, for much the same reason. Extremely faithful Orthodox Christians observe a vegetarian / fish-only fast on Wednesdays (and Fridays) in some countries such as Greece.

According to the Thai solar calendar, the color associated with Wednesday is green.

Wednesday in Popular Culture
* The nursery rhyme states, “Wednesday’s child is full of woe”. This line was the inspiration for the ‘Wednesday’ character, the daughter, in The Addams Family comic and TV Show. * In the 19th century children’s rhyme Solomon Grundy, Solomon was ‘Married on Wednesday.’ * A song titled “Wednesday’s Song” is on the 2004 album Shadows Collide with People by John Frusciante * Mr. Wednesday is a main character in Neil Gaiman’s novel American Gods. He is the employer of the protagonist Shadow, and is a variation on the god Odin.

Astrological Sign
The astrological sign of the planet Mercury represents Wednesday — Dies Mercurii to the Romans, with similar names in Latin-derived languages, such as the French Mercredi and the Spanish Miércoles. In English, this became “Woden’s Day”, since the Roman god Mercury was identified with Woden in northern Europe.

 

Reference

Pagan Calendar

Pagan Guide to the Days of the Week – Wednesday

The name of Wednesday is derived from Old English Wodnesdaeg, “Woden Day,” named after the Anglo-Saxono chieftan God Woden, counterpart to the Norse God Odin, who is also a powerful seer. The Roman equated him with Mercury, the messenger god. In India, Wednesday is call Budhavara, “Mercury’s Day.” His Greek counterpart was Hermes, a god of transition and boundaries.

The Wicca Book of Days for Wednesday, January 4th

Healing Heartsease

One of the plants that shares it planetary ruler – Saturn_ with January 4th is the wild pansy or heartsease, which as its charming name suggests, has long been said to have the power to ease the pain of a broken heart. The flower esence is considered particularly efficacious in bringing comfort to the lovesick, while herbalists use this soothing plant to treat such skin conditions as eczema and acne. As a cooling expectorant, it can bring relief in case of respiratory congestion, too, and arthritis-sufferers also value heartsease for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Creaky Knees?

According to the ancient system of zodiacal physical correspondences Capricorn governs the knees, which may become prone to arthritis. A heartsease poultice can ease arthritis. A heartsease poultice can ease arthritic pain. Mix the dried herb with hot water to make a paste, sandwich the paste between two pieces of gauze, and then bandage the poultice into place.

Goddesses Associated With Wednesday, The Day of Wodin

Isis, Demeter, Ceres, Spider Woman, Bona Dea, Oya, Devi-Kali, Hella, Rhiannon, Coatlique, Maman Brigette

Source

The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein

The Goddess Book of Days for Wednesday, January 4th

Pueblo Deer Dances (Native American) women’s fertility ceremony for the Deer Mothers, so that they may have many children. (Spider Woman, Changing Woman, Iatiku, Mawu, Juno, Hathor, Freya, Oddudua, Hera, Erzulie, Aida Wedo). In Greece, the Lenaia of Dionysus, God of Fertility and Wine. He is Adonis, Bacchus, Apollo, Pan, Tammuz, Damuzi, Heme, Lugh, Osiris, Chango, and Damballah.

 

The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein

 

Wednesday, January 4th

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 Beth (Birch) – December 24 – January 20

The Runic Half Month of Eoh (yew tree) – December 28 – January 12

Goddess of the Month of Hestia – December 26 – January 22nd

 

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

 

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Today is Wednesday, January 4th, We Celebrate…..

Chilseong-je (Korea)
CALLISTO

Themes: Instinct; Protection; Flexibility

Symbols: A Bear; a Willow Branch; the Constellation Ursa Major

About Callisto: Appearing sometimes as a she-bear guarding her cubs, the Greek goddess Callisto reinspires the natural instincts with which we have lost touch and illustrates the intensity of maternal love. Her other name is Helic, which means “to turn” or “willow branch”; she thus has the power to help with personal transformations. In mythology, Callisto became Ursa Major while pregnant with Zeus’s child. Artemis changed her into a bear, along with her son, who became Ursa Minor.

To Do Today: In Korea, the festival of Chilseong-je begins at midnight with an offering of white rice and water to the seven stars (Ursa Major). This gift ensures Callisto’s assistance when needed throughout the coming months. If you can’t stay up till midnight, just leave the rice and water in a special spot before you go to bed. From her celestial home, Callisto stands ready to protect us in the new year and provide us with adaptability as a coping mechanism. To encourage this, carry a silver or white stone bear, or a piece of dried willow wood. Bless this token, saying,

Callisto, release in me the power
of flexibility.
Where’er I carry this little charm,
keep me ever safe from harm.

If these tokens aren’t handy, you can substitute any white or silver item, or a hand-drawn picture of Ursa Major (the Big Dipper).

 

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

 

The Magick of Wednesday

Communication
Divination
Luck
Safety
Health
Wisdom
Commerce
Business

Planet: Mercury

Color: Purple

Crystals: Aventurine, Agate

The Sky This Week for January 4 to January 8

 

By Richard Talcott

Wednesday, January 4

Earth reaches perihelion, the closest point to the Sun during its year-long orbit, at 9 a.m. EST. The two then lie 91.4 million miles (147.1 million kilometers) apart. It surprises many people to learn that Earth comes closest to the Sun in the dead of winter, but the cold weather in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year arises because the Sun lies low in the sky.

The Sun is in the news more than once today. Although people in the Northern Hemisphere experienced the shortest day of the year two weeks ago (at the winter solstice December 21), the Sun has continued to rise slightly later with each passing day. That trend stops this morning for those at 40° north latitude. Tomorrow’s sunrise will arrive a second or two earlier than today’s. This turnover point depends on latitude. If you live farther north, the switch occurred a few days ago; closer to the equator, the change won’t happen until later this month.

Thursday, January 5

First Quarter Moon arrives at 2:47 p.m. EST. Our satellite rises in the east around noon local time but doesn’t become prominent until the Sun sets around 5 p.m. By 6 p.m., it appears due south and nearly two-thirds of the way to the zenith. The Moon’s half-lit orb then lies among the background stars of southern Pisces.

Friday, January 6

Jupiter dominates the morning sky in early January. The giant planet rises before 1 a.m. local time and climbs nearly halfway to the zenith in the southern sky by the time twilight begins. Jupiter shines brilliantly at magnitude –2.0 and shows a disk that spans 36″ when viewed through a telescope. A small scope also reveals the planet’s four bright moons, though you may have to hunt for one of them this morning. The shadow of volcanically active Io starts to transit Jupiter at 5:24 a.m. EST, and the moon itself begins to cross the planet’s disk at 6:37 a.m.

Saturday, January 7

The variable star Algol in Perseus appears faintest at 12:30 a.m. EST tomorrow morning, when it shines at magnitude 3.4. If you start watching it immediately after darkness falls, you can see it dim from its peak brightness (magnitude 2.1) to minimum and then rise back to maximum all in a single night. This eclipsing binary star runs through a cycle from minimum to maximum and back every 2.87 days, but the drop from peak brightness and subsequent rise lasts only about 10 hours. Algol appears in the eastern sky after sunset and passes nearly overhead around 8 p.m. local time.

The dwarf planet Pluto is in conjunction with the Sun at 2 a.m. EST. The distant world then lies on the far side of the Sun from our perspective and can’t be seen.

Sunday, January 8

Although Mercury passed between the Sun and Earth in late December, it already has returned to view before dawn. This morning, you can find the inner planet 9° above the southeastern horizon 30 minutes before sunrise. Shining at magnitude 0.2, it should show up through the twilight glow. If you don’t see it right away, binoculars will bring it into view. A telescope reveals Mercury’s 8″-diameter disk, which appears one-third illuminated.

Source

Astronomy Magazine