This Week in Astrology

A FULL MOON LUNAR ECLIPSE occurs on Friday, February 10, 2017, at 11:19 PM EST. On Friday night, a Full Moon occurs, when the Sun in Aquarius forms an opposition with the Moon in Leo. The Full Moon is a time of culmination and the promise of fulfillment of that which was started at the New Moon. It is an emotional time – a time of romance, fertilization, and relationships.

This Full Moon is especially potent, as it is a Lunar Eclipse. Lunar eclipses are relationship-oriented. The “crisis” that these eclipses tend to elicit is a crisis of lack – a time when we suddenly recognize a great need or want. The impact of the crisis can act to sever a relationship – it’s possible. But it can also bring two people together with a sudden awareness of a great need for each other. Although Lunar eclipses are more relationship-oriented than Solar eclipses, they are not always about relationships between two people. They can trigger awareness of need in other areas of our lives, such as our relationship to work, to our health and bodies, and so forth. This is a time when matters come to light – things that have been brewing under the surface.

This Lunar Eclipse presses us to look more closely at our needs, lacks, and wants in our lives. The Leo-Aquarius polarity deals with the balance between the personal (Leo) and the impersonal (Aquarius). The energy of Leo is creative self-expression and the boost to the individual ego that we receive through pleasure and romance, while Aquarius rules the group, more impersonal friendships, and objectivity. This Full Moon urges us to strike a balance between romance and friendship, and between expressing ourselves in personal and impersonal ways. The Leo Moon is proud and intensely individual—not content with simply being just one of the team. The Aquarius Sun, while individualistic as well, values independence and the “team.” The Full Moon illuminates this conflict. Some sort of crisis (which can be a crisis of consciousness) or sudden awareness of a lack in our lives provides us with a golden opportunity to explore our emotional needs within the context of the house polarity where the eclipse occurs in our natal charts. Relationships may be challenged, broken, or strengthened dramatically at this time. Our discovery is emotionally charged and dramatic. Epiphanies are likely at this time as we become acutely aware of our lack. This understanding can propel us into positive action.

Eclipses are tied to changing circumstances. However, we are usually the ones to precipitate or to attract changes because our “inner guides” know that we need it. Human beings are progressive by nature, and although we might stay in situations that are making us miserable for longer than we should, deep down inside we know that change is necessary for growth.

With the Moon full and bright in the sky, symbolic “illumination” occurs in our own lives. However, these new feelings and revelations are emotional ones, as emotions burst forth into our consciousness. It’s time to express ourselves and to let things out of our systems. Of course, we might want to exercise some care while doing so, knowing that what is coming out of us is new and not particularly rational as yet. Full Moons are about exposing or illuminating issues that are already there, but that have not yet been dealt with.

When a Full Moon occurs, we can suddenly burst forth with proclamations and outpourings that seem fresh and new, simply because they are not yet rationalized. A Lunar eclipse is a more potent Full Moon, and its effects tend to last longer. The effects of a Lunar eclipse last approximately six months.

Full Moons and Lunar Eclipses bring issues in our lives to fulfillment. Our emotions are heightened, and there is often some sort of drama involved with the house, sign, and any contacted planets activated by the Full Moon. Look at 22-23 degrees of Leo/Aquarius in your own chart. This Lunar Eclipse gives us a cosmic push to make needed changes in our lives. The areas of life activated by the eclipse may see dramatic turns, after which the path is clear to move forward. Note that whatever “happens” at this time is nothing truly new. The issues have been brewing inside of us, and emotions have been building. Something comes to light at the time of the Full Moon, and if we get in touch with our emotions, we can get a better idea of what needs to change, or what needs to go.

Source

Cafe Astrology

10th/11th February 2017: Lunar Eclipse in 23rd degree of Leo

a message from Sarah Varcas

To view more of Sarah’s insight, visit her website, Astro-Awakenings

Then the Change Comes

The Lunar Eclipse occurs at 00:45 GMT on 11th February 2017

If you’ve been wondering what on earth’s going on lately – if life has been too good to be true, too tough to endure or too confusing to warrant taking seriously – this eclipse may just help clarify the cause behind the effect and the part we play in life’s unfolding. Many so far this year, have found themselves facing what they thought was done and dusted: revisiting old thoughts, feelings and memories previously laid to rest, re-engaging with people places and behaviours that meant something ‘way back when’. Others have been propelled into an existence so completely new and unexpected they still can’t quite believe what’s happened. But most are on the middle ground, torn between a seductive past and an unsettlingly unknowable future, wondering whether to simply jump off the cliff of familiarity and see what happens, or retreat from its visceral edge to await clearer guidance on what comes next. Whoever you are and wherever you find yourself right now, take heart. Guidance, encouragement and support is on its way.

There’s a catch though, and one to be embraced without hesitation if we are to reap the plentiful bounty of this eclipse: the guidance, encouragement and support must come from within. There’s no point waiting for someone else to come up with the goods, spout just the words of wisdom we need to hear or present a solution so obvious we can’t understand why we didn’t see it ourselves. The time of looking to others for answers is over. We must each turn within to find them for ourselves. This lunar eclipse reminds us of our inherent power to know the truth, respond from a place of wisdom and act with alchemical intention regardless of all that is happening around us.

The Moon eclipsed in Leo triggers the stark realisation that we simply cannot control all that happens – to ourselves and those we love, to the causes that matter and the things we care about. What seemed like power is exposed as empty striving born of fear and denial: radical avoidance of life’s aching vulnerability. This realisation breaches our defences and shatters of our dreams. It can feel like devastation.

Then the change comes.

Deep within, as we release all we thought we could (and should) be, a spark of truth is ignited. We are not in fact broken, but instead born anew of embodied wisdom. We know the truth and are ripe for the responsibility it bestows upon us. We are on a march, you and I. not outward into battle, but inward into authentic alignment. We have laid siege to our own inner light, our personal source of collective wisdom, our intimate connectedness, for too long. It is time, in fact way overdue, to reclaim our true knowing, even in the midst of the greatest doubt. For we are life living itself and contain all that is needed in each moment.

In the subtley faded light of this eclipse we can see through clear, unblinkered eyes. What we have avoided may rise up before us. The daggers of criticism, hatred and impatience thrust previously at others will return to us, not from without but from within, their drain upon our essence made abundantly clear. This is not an encounter with punishment but with the unavoidable grace of life that ensures energy is always balanced and every action made whole by its consequences. We cannot escape who we are or what we initiate in the world, just as we cannot escape the setting of the sun or night which turns to day. We are what we are, we do what we do, and we are beholden to our creations as they fulfil their own nature. This lunar event reminds us that we are our own destiny, even as life takes us forever by surprise.

It is time to rethink who we are, for there are a million ways to express this infinite spirit. If we’ve become too fixated on a singular expression of our complexity we are in for a rude but timely awakening: we are not who we thought we were, nor is anyone else. It is time to discover aspects of ourselves we never imagined were there. We may have refused to believe we could be so successful, so harsh, so beautiful, so selfish, so true or so false. Whatever has been banished to the periphery of our consciousness returns now for integration.

At this eclipse we can glimpse our true self, brighter than the Sun, deeper than the deepest sea, both light and dark, full and empty, mundane and divine. We have all heard it a thousand times and more: life only happens in the now. Not back then or in some future time but now, in this visceral immediate moment of consciousness, the only place we can ever reside. This lunar eclipse in Leo reminds us that the now is also eternity and history combined: an alchemical blend of past, present and future, distilled into a micro-second of existence in which we have the power to act, choose and become. Choices made when the Sun is eclipsed in Pisces on 26th February will shape our future selves. We can prepare to choose well then by embracing insights arising now, as the flames of ego are doused by the irrepressible waters of life divine.

The Witches Almanac for Thursday, February 9th

St. Maron’s Day (Lebanese)

Waxing Moon

Moon Sign: Cancer

Moon phase: Second Quarter

Moon enters Leo 4: 41 am

Incense: Balsam

Color: Green

On Thursday, February 9th, We Celebrate….

Lemanja Festival (Brazil)
IEMANJA

Themes: Foresight; Divination; Psychic Abilities

Symbols: Water

About Iemanja: In Brazil, Iemanja is considered the ocean’s spirit. Every drop of saltwater bears her imprint and calls us back to Iemanja, our ancient mother and home. As a water elemental, Iemanja gives her followers vision, inspiration, and the ability to flow smoothly through life’s torrential times.

To Do Today: At daybreak on this day, mediums in Brazil begin singing and dancing to summon the spirit of Iemanja, who provides glimpses of the year ahead. Worshipers take offerings carved with wishes to rivers or to the ocean. Here, Iemanja’s spirit accepts the gifts, and the magic of the wish begins. To follow this custom, take any small natural token and toss it in moving water with your wish; the water should be flowing toward you if you wish to bring energy and flowing away from you if you want it to carry away problems.

In keeping with today’s theme, soak in a mild saltwater bath to cleanse away any unwanted energy and heighten your senses. Then try your favorite divination tool. Pray to Iemanja beforehand to bless your efforts. See what messages she has for you, especially on emotionally charged matters (water equates with emotions in metaphysical traditions).

Finally, to honor Iemanja, wear ocean-blue clothing today, carry a blue-toned stone (like lace agate or lapis), put a seashell or coral in your pocket, dance in the rain (if the weather cooperates), or play in your sprinkler. Rediscover the element of water.

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

Today is Thursday, February 9th

Thursday is the day of the planet Jupiter, dedicated to Thunor(Thor), God of thunder and agricultural work. His parallels in various European traditions are Zeus, Taranis, Perun, Perkunas and St. Olaf. The faith of the Northern Tradition holds Thursday sacred, just as Islam reveres Friday, Judaism the Sabbath(calculated from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday), and Christianity, Sunday. This is why almost all adages about Thursday are positive, such as “Thursday’s child has far to go,” “Sneeze on Thursday, something better,” or “Cut nails on Thursday for wealth.” Thursday rules controlled optimism, energetic growth, physical well-being and material success.

Deity: Thor

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn/Pisces/Sagittarius

Planet: Mercury

Tree: Oak

Herb: Henbane

Stone: Turquoise/Bloodstone/Topaz

Animal: Fish/Goat/Aurochs

Element: Fire

Color: Brown/White/Orange

Number: 3

Rune: Thorn

Celtic Tree Month of Luis (Rowan) – (January 21 – February 17)

The Runic Half Month of Elhaz (January 28 – February 11)

Goddess of the Month of Bridhe – (January 22 – February 19th)

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

The Sky This Week for February 9 to 12

A black eye on Jupiter, a meteor shower, and other awesome things to look for in the sky this week.

By Richard Talcott

Thursday, February 9

Jupiter rises around 10:30 p.m. local time and climbs highest in the south nearly 90 minutes before morning twilight commences. The giant world shines at magnitude –2.2 against the backdrop of central Virgo, some 4° north of that constellation’s brightest star, 1st-magnitude Spica. Even a small telescope reveals the planet’s 40″-diameter disk and four bright moons. But this morning, viewers in western North America get a bonus because the gas giant appears to have a “black eye.” It is actually the dark shadow of Ganymede, the solar system’s largest moon, which crosses Jupiter’s north polar region from 2:49 to 5:22 a.m. PST.

Friday, February 10

Full Moon arrives officially at 7:33 p.m. EST, but it looks completely illuminated all night. You can find it rising in the east at sunset and peaking in the south shortly after midnight local time. It dips low in the west by the time morning twilight begins. The Moon spends the night in western Leo, not far from the Lion’s brightest star, 1st-magnitude Regulus. Look carefully this evening and you should notice the distinct dusky shading of a penumbral lunar eclipse over Luna’s northern half. The eclipse peaks at 7:44 p.m. EST, when 99 percent of the Moon lies within our planet’s light outer shadow.

Saturday, February 11

Although asteroid 4 Vesta reached opposition and peak visibility in mid-January, the brightest minor planet of 2017 still shines at magnitude 6.8 and shows up quite easily through binoculars. To find the minor planet, start at magnitude 1.2 Pollux in northern Gemini and then drop 2.4° southwest to magnitude 4.1 Upsilon (u) Geminorum. Vesta lies 0.5° south-southeast of Upsilon this evening.

Sunday, February 12

Mars continues to put on a nice show these February evenings. It appears nearly 30° high in the west-southwest once twilight fades to darkness, though it’s easier to find by looking 6° (about one binocular field) to the upper left of brilliant Venus. The magnitude 1.2 Red Planet currently lies among the background stars of Pisces the Fish. A telescope shows the world’s 5″-diameter disk, but you likely won’t see any surface detail.

Source

Astronomy Magazine

Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Thursday, February 9th

The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 147.79° SSE
Sun Altitude: 32.23°
Sun Distance: 91.720 million mi
Next Equinox: Mar 20, 2017 5:28 am (Vernal)
Sunrise Today: 6:49 am↑ 108° East
Sunset Today: 5:28 pm↑ 253° West

The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 348.85° N
Moon Altitude: -36.22°
Moon Distance: 231728 mi
Next Full Moon: Feb 10, 20176:32 pm
Next New Moon: Feb 26, 20178:58 am
Next Moonrise: Today4:20 pm
Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous
Illumination: 97.7%

Source

timeanddate

As we make ready for the Full Moon
You can feel the Goddess within you
As you light your candle, you can feel her drawn to you
The magick surrounds you and your work begins.
For those who voices have been silenced, be theirs.
Find comfort that your prayers are sent on the wind
Find hope that you have changed a life
Turn to the moon, raise your voice in love to the Goddess
Pray for those who voices can not be heard.

For the birds in our skies
For the fish in the sea
For the animals that roam our forest, plains and deserts
For the animals that live in fear and pain
For our pets who devotion is never ending
For the children who cry themselves to sleep
For the elderly who live in distress
For those who hunger is not a stranger
For those who live in fear
For those whose days are filled with darkness
For those who do not love or peace

We are her children and the voice of those who are unheard
Raise your voice loud and strong
For your power is one with all

—-A Witch’s Prayerbook
JoAnne Spiese

Feb.8th

Mass for Broken Needles

In Japan, the art of needlecraft is held in such high regard that all broken needles are brought to the Buddhist temples on this day and honored along with a variety of sewing objects. In rural areas, the Goddess Wakahiru, who oversees weaving, is honored. It is believed that she will provide and make prosperous ous those she favors.

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 February 8th

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, February 8th

Prešeren Day (Slovenian)

Waxing Moon

Moon phase: Second Quarter

Moon Sign: Cancer

Incense: Lavender

Color: Topaz

Your Magickal 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.

Pagan Calendar

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 February 8

The Butterfly Nebula from Hubble
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble, HLA; Reprocessing & Copyright: Jesús M.Vargas & Maritxu Poyal Explanation: The bright clusters and nebulae of planet Earth’s night sky are often named for flowers or insects. Though its wingspan covers over 3 light-years, NGC 6302 is no exception. With an estimated surface temperature of about 250,000 degrees C, the dying central star of this particular planetary nebula has become exceptionally hot, shining brightly in ultraviolet light but hidden from direct view by a dense torus of dust. This sharp close-up of the dying star’s nebula was recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope and is presented here in reprocessed colors. Cutting across a bright cavity of ionized gas, the dust torus surrounding the central star is near the center of this view, almost edge-on to the line-of-sight. Molecular hydrogen has been detected in the hot star’s dusty cosmic shroud. NGC 6302 lies about 4,000 light-years away in the arachnologically correct constellation of the Scorpion (Scorpius).