The Balance of the Signs & the Elements for Sunday, August 14th

LEO STRONG
Self-confident, generous, warm-hearted, powerful leader, dramatic. Can be overly proud, vain, extravagant, arrogant.
VIRGO STRONG
Meticulous, discriminating, pure, practical, health conscious, hard working. Can be hyper-critical, petty and perfectionistic.
SAGITTARIUS STRONG
Inspiring, broad vision, enthusiastic, goal seeking, truthful, adventurous. Can be reckless, unrestrained, tactless.
CAPRICORN STRONG
Disciplined, responsible, reliable, industrious, conscientious, practical, achieving. Can be pessimistic, overly conventional, rigid, materialistic, callous.

BALANCE OF ELEMENTS

FIRE STRONG
Fire is enthusiastic, dynamic, and spontaneous, but lacks reflection. We are more courageous and adventurous now, with a tendency to act before thinking. There is little concern about what happened in the past. We are competitive and possibly impatient or bored easily.
EARTH STRONG
We are especially in touch with the physical world. We consider what we’ve learned and experienced in the past in order to make the most of the present. We can be cautious, practical, and possibly unimaginative. We are deliberate and can pace ourselves well. We need hands-on experience and are not impressed with theory as much as we are with results. Routines are tolerable and comforting.
AIR WEAK
We may have a difficult time being objective or detached. We may not be especially communicative.
WATER WEAK
There may be some insensitivity or lack of empathy now. We may be out of touch with what we’re feeling or with our emotional needs. We may be tougher than usual now, and more inclined to follow mental or practical considerations than we are to listen to our intuition.

BALANCE OF MODES

MUTABLE STRONG
We are flexible, adaptable, willing, open to change, and possibly flighty or nervous.

Astrology of Today – August 14, 2016

• The Moon is in Sagittarius until 12:11 AM.
• The Moon is void until 12:11 AM (since 1:36 PM yesterday).
• The Moon is in Capricorn from 12:11 AM forward.
• The Moon is waxing and in its First Quarter phase until 2:12 PM, after which the Moon is in its Waxing Gibbous phase.
• A First Quarter Moon occurred on the 10th, and a Full Moon will occur on the 18th.
• Mars is direct and in its post-retrograde shadow until August 22nd.

Home & Hearth Magick for Sunday, August 14th

On Sunday, work for success, healing and blessings.

Planetary Influence: The Sun

Household Symbols: A rooster, a sun, gold jewelry

Colors: Yellow and gold

Kitchen Spices: Cinnamon and orange peels

Source

Cottage Witchery
Natural Magick for Hearth and Home
Author: Ellen Dugan

August 13, 14 and 15

Festival of Diana

This was a great day of celebration for Diana, the Roman Goddess of wild nature. She was invoked to avert storms that could possibly ruin the crops or hinder the harvest. Her festival took place at her temple, said to have been founded by King Servius Tullius, whose mother had reputedly been a slave. After its establishment, the temple became an asylum for runaway slaves, and this day a holiday for all slaves of both sexes.

Diana, who was originally identified with the Greek Artemis, was regarded as a Goddess of hunting and of the Moon. She was considered to be a protector of women, particularly in childbirth. One of her sanctuaries was Lake Nemi, where her priest was an escaped slave who had to kill his predecessor in single combat to take office and then guard his station against all would-be successors.

Under Christianity, Diana became the Goddess of the Witches, whom the 10th-century Cannon Espiscopi condemned for believing that they could ride with the Goddess at night. Associated with the constellation Ursa Major, Diana’s legend is still alive in Tuscany, where she is held as the original supreme Goddess and mother of Lucifer of Aradia. Diana’s day is Monday; her colors are silver, white and crystal; gems include clear quartz, moonstone, and pearl. Her magickal weapons are the bow and arrow, and all dogs are sacred to her.

Sunday Is Ruled By The Sun

Sunday corresponds to the sun, our closest star. This day is full of wonder and all sorts of magical potential for success, wealth, and fame. Sundays are for personal achievements of any kind such as working towards a promotion at your job, seeking fame and wealth, or being acknowledged for a job well done. All of these goals fall under the golden influence of the sun. Some suggestions for Sunday enchantments would include:

Sitting outside at sunrise and calling on the goddess Brigid for illumination and inspiration

Wearing gold jewelry or clothing that is gold or sunshine yellow to pull some color magic into your life

Arranging a few sunflowers in a vase and empowering these “flowers of the sun” for fame and ambition

Gathering up the common marigold flower and scattering it’s petals about to encourage prosperity

Baking up a batch of cinnamon rolls for the family and enchanting them for health and success

Snacking on a solar fruit, the orange, and enjoying the magical boost it brings to your life

The Witches Almanac for Sunday, August 14th

Sunday (Sun): Healing, spirituality, success, strength, and protection.

Festival of Sassari

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

Moon Phase: Second Quarter

Moon Sign: Sagittarius
Sagittarius: Encourages flights of imagination and confidence. This is an adventurous, philosophical, and athletic Moon sign. Favors expansion and growth.

Moon enters Capricorn 12:11 am
Capricorn: Develops strong structure. Focus on traditions, responsibilities, and obligations. A good time to set boundaries and rules.

Incense: Eucalyptus

Color: Gold

Sunday’s Witchery

Those ambitious, successful spells and charms will be heightened by working on the day of the week that has the planetary influence of the sun. So light those sunny candles, wear some luminous colors, and break out the gold jewelry! Bake up some cinnamon rolls or low-fat cinnamon muffins for an enchanting family breakfast. Take an orange with you to eat at lunch today. Try using a little magickal aromatherapy and burn some cinnamon-scented incense to encourage success and wealth today. Make the talisman to keep your solar magick with you. Sprinkle some dried marigold petals around your house-or across the threshold-to pull triumph and protection toward you and your family.

Get outside and tip up your face to the sun. Take a walk outside, and soak up some sunshine! Acknowledge the power of Sunna or Helios as they blaze across the sky and bring courage and motivation into your life. Sit outside at sunrise on a Sunday morning and bask in its warm, rosy-golden glow Acknowledge Brigid as the inner, creative spark of imagination and inspiration. She can help these gifts burn brightly within your own soul. Use your imagination and create your own brand of witchery and magick. Here comes the sun, and it’s your turn to shine!

Source

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

The Witches Magickal Sunday

Ruler: Sun

Colors: Gold or yellow

Power Hours: Sunrise and sunset.

Key Words: Love, happiness, health, wealth

It is easy to spot the ruler of this day by its name. Sunday is the day of the sun. Community work, volunteer services, exercise, outdoor sports, buying, selling, speculating, meeting people, anything involving groups, running fairs and raffles, growing crops and taking care of all health matters fall under the influence of the Sun. With all this activity and the brightness of the sun, it’s easy to see why the child that is born on the Sabbath day is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

Michael is the primary angel of Sunday but each hour of this day also has it’s secondary angel. These angels are Michael (first hour), Anael (second hour), Raphael (third hour), Gabril (fourth hour), Cassiel (fifth hour), Sachiel (sixth hour), Samael (seventh hour), Michael (eighth hour), Anael (ninth hour), Raphael (tenth hour), Gabriel (eleventh hour), and Cassiel twelfth hour). Notice some of the angels do double duty this day.

On Sundays, (unless you are invoking a specific angelic energy) the hour of sunrise will be the most powerful time to work, especially if you want to infuse energy into your work. Sunset is the second best time and is favored when you need to calm down a situation. Check the local newspaper, astrological calendar, or almanac to determine your local sunrise.

Source

Gypsy Magic

On Sunday, August 14th, We Celebrate…..

Obon (Japan)
INARI

Themes: Death; Kinship; Ghosts; Fertility; Love

Symbols: Fox; Rice; Red

About Inari: Among the Japanese, Inari is invoked to bring a long life, blood-red being her sacred hue. In death, she guides and protects faithful spirits. Portrayed as a vixen, Inari also has strong correlations with love, an emotion that survives even the grave. Rice is a common offering for Inari, as it is a crop to which she brings fertility.

To Do Today: The Obon is a festival for the dead in Japan, where people hold family reunions and religious rituals to honor their departed ancestors and dance to comfort the spirits. These observances are fairly easy to duplicate. Gather with friends or family, and include rice cakes and fruit as part of your menu planning. Leave out an extra platter of food both for the spirits of the departed and to please Inari.

To increase Inari’s love in any relationship, or to draw a lover to you, make this charm: Find a red-colored stone (agate is a good choice), or any red-colored piece of clothing. Put this under the light of a full moon to charge it with emotional fulfillment. Then bless the item, saying,

Inari be, ever with me.
By this stone [cloth] of red, let love be fed.
When at [on] my side, let love there abide.

Put the stone in your pocket (so it’s at your side) and carry it when meeting with that special someone.

Source

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

The Goddess Book of Days for August 14th

The fourteenth day of the Moon/month dedicated to Selene, Ishtar, the Lady, Gos and Drvaspa the Cow. The Full Moon is also Hina, Ata Bey, Erzulie, Oshun, Aida Wedo, Semele, Surabhi, Chalchiuhtlique, Tonantzin, Hathor, Luna, Hera, Anahit, Lato, Rhea, Anaitis, Anath, Saoka, Ana Mah, Kwan Yin and Cybele.

Source

The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein

The Pagan Book of Days for Sunday, August 14th

Lights of Isis/St. Clare/William Blake

Ancient Egyptian festival of the Lights of Isis, later became the Christian day of St. Clare. Today is also the anniversary of the death of visionary artist and poet William Blake.

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

Sunday, August 14

Traditionally, Sunday is the first day of the week. It is also known as the Lord’s Day from it original association with the Lord, that is, the Sun God, personified as Helios, Apollo, Ogmios, Mithras, and St. Elia. But in the Northern Tradition, the sun is seen as feminine, personified as the goddess known as Phoebe in East Anglia and Saule in eastern Europe. The sun rules the conscious element of the human being, the ego, the real self, and Sunday is the day on which this conscious power is at its most effective.

Deity: Sol

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Planet: Sun

Tree: Birch

Herb: Snakeroot

Stone: Ruby

Animal: Lion

Element: Fire

Color: Gold

Rune: Sigel

Celtic Tree Month of Coll (Hazel) – August 4 – September 1

The Runic Half Month of As (August 13 – August 28)

Goddess of the Month of Hesperis – August 9 – September 5

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

Spellcrafting for Sunday

 Health
 Abundance
 Leadership
 Strength
 Ambition
 Individuality
 Authority
 Hope
 Joy
 Happiness
 Creativity

Source

A Spell Crafter’s Compendium
Terri Paajanen

The Sky This Week for August 14 to August 21

The Perseids may slowly fade, but there’s still plenty to see out there this week, including an important Sirius sighting.

By Richard Talcott

Sunday, August 14

• Brilliant Jupiter remains a beacon in the western sky after sunset, but its days of prominence are numbered. It currently appears 10° high a half-hour after sunset and dips below the horizon during late twilight. The giant planet shines at magnitude –1.7 against the backdrop of western Virgo. At this low altitude, Jupiter won’t show much detail through a telescope — don’t expect to see more than a slightly flattened disk measuring 31″ across the equator.

Monday, August 15

• A second bright planet lurks low in the western evening twilight this week. Venus appears only about half as high as Jupiter, however, so you’ll need an unobstructed horizon to spot it. Fortunately, the inner planet glows brilliantly at magnitude –3.8 and will show up clearly under good atmospheric conditions. A telescope reveals an almost fully illuminated disk that spans 10″.

Tuesday, August 16

• Mercury reaches greatest elongation today, when it stands 27° east of the Sun. For observers at mid-northern latitudes, however, the innermost planet hangs low in the west after sunset. From 40° north latitude, it stands 5° high 30 minutes after the Sun goes down. You can find the magnitude 0.2 world through binoculars some 4° (about half a binocular field) below Jupiter. Be sure to keep an eye on Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter during the next two weeks as the triangle they form grows tighter.

Wednesday, August 17

• Full Moon officially arrives at 5:27 a.m. EDT tomorrow morning, but it looks completely illuminated throughout the night. It appears low in the east as the Sun sets and reaches its peak in the south around 1 a.m. local daylight time. Luna resides among the dim background stars of northeastern Capricornus. As a curiosity only, the Full Moon crosses the northern edge of Earth’s penumbral shadow. Just 2 percent of our satellite dips into this subtle shadow, however, and observers won’t be able to detect any dimming.

Thursday, August 18

• Although Saturn reached its peak in early June, it remains conspicuous on August evenings. You can find the planet in the south-southwest around 9 p.m. local daylight time, when it forms the vertex of a pretty triangle that includes Mars and Antares. Saturn shines at magnitude 0.4, intermediate in brightness between the Red Planet and the ruddy star. When viewed through a telescope, Saturn measures 17″ across while its dramatic ring system spans 39″ and tilts 26° to our line of sight.

Friday, August 19

• Distant Neptune reaches opposition and peak visibility two weeks from today, but the view now is essentially the same. The ice giant planet rises around 8:30 p.m. local daylight time and climbs nearly halfway to the zenith in the southern sky by 2 a.m. The magnitude 7.8 planet lies in Aquarius, 1° southwest of 4th-magnitude Lambda (l) Aquarii. You’ll need binoculars to spy Neptune and a telescope to see its blue-gray disk, which spans 2.4″.

Saturday, August 20

• Asteroid 2 Pallas reaches opposition and peak visibility today. The second-biggest object orbiting between Mars and Jupiter glows at magnitude 9.2, bright enough to show up through almost any telescope. You can find it on the border between Pegasus and Equuleus, 4° due west of 2nd-magnitude Enif (Epsilon [e] Pegasi), the star that marks the nose of Pegasus the Winged Horse. The lovely globular star cluster M15 lies 2.5° north and a touch east of Pallas. The three objects lie about halfway to the zenith in the southeastern sky after darkness falls.

Sunday, August 21

• Look toward the south-southwest during evening twilight and you can’t miss Mars. The Red Planet shines brightly at magnitude –0.4 and remains visible until it dips below the horizon around midnight local daylight time. Mars resides on the border between Scorpius and Ophiuchus, crossing from the former to the latter constellation today. When viewed through a telescope, Mars’ orange-red disk spans 11″ and shows several subtle dark markings.

Source

Astronomy Magazine

Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Sunday, August 14th

The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 113.91° ESE
Sun Altitude: 49.05°
Sun Distance: 94.149 million mi
Next Equinox: Sep 22, 2016 9:21 AM (Autumnal)
Sunrise Today: 6:11 AM↑ 71° East
Sunset Today: 7:47 PM↑ 288° West
Length of Daylight: 13 hours, 35 minutes

The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 29.34° NNE
Moon Altitude: -69.53°
Moon Distance: 243397 mi
Next Full Moon: Aug 18, 20164:26 AM
Next New Moon: Sep 1, 20164:03 AM
Next Moonrise: Today4:58 PM
Current Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous
Illumination: 84.5%

Source

timeanddate.com

Mother

And so from Gaia,
Was born man,
From soil and stone,
And earth and sand

From her gentle,
Womb,
We all became one,
Forever connected,
Never undone

Each thing having energy,
Individually owned and
possessed,
Strengthened by one another,
All we are blessed.

Blessed Be: A Collection of Witchcraft Poetry
Chastity Skye