Category: Daily Posts

Lammas Things to Do #3

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Prepare for the “Games” of the First Harvest Feast.  The Greek Olympics and Roman Heracleia games were held at this time.  What games might you play?  Horseshoes, boche ball, races, swimmng races, croquet, volleyball, badminton, frisbee, baseball, wrestling, spear throwing, arrow shooting, weight tossing ….  Get your equipment and playing court ready, and practice. 

Sky This Week for July 29 to July 31, 2016

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Sky This Week for July 29 to July 31, 2016

This week is all about the planets, the Moon, and the Delta Aquarid meteor shower.
By Richard Talcott

Friday, July 29

The Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower isn’t the only event you’ll want to keep an eye on this morning. As the waning crescent Moon marches eastward relative to the background stars of Taurus, it passes directly in front of the Bull’s luminary. Our satellite occults 1st-magnitude Aldebaran for observers south of a line that runs from southern New Mexico to northern Maine. While viewers north of this line will see the Moon and star just miss each other, those along the line will witness the star skimming Luna’s northern limb. Be sure to set up ahead of time, center the star in your telescope’s field of view, and watch the magnificent show.

Uranus’ eastward motion against the background stars comes to a halt at 10 p.m. EDT. This so-called stationary point marks the beginning of the best period to observe the outer planet. Uranus rises before midnight local daylight time and appears more than halfway to the zenith in the southeastern sky as morning twilight commences. The magnitude 5.8 planet lies in Pisces, 2.7° due north of magnitude 4.8 Mu (m) Piscium. A telescope reveals Uranus’ blue-green disk, which spans 3.6″.

Saturday, July 30

Although Saturn reached its peak nearly two months ago, it remains a lovely sight. You can find the planet nearly due south around 9 p.m. local daylight time. Saturn shines at magnitude 0.3 and appears far brighter than any of the surrounding stars of southwestern Ophiuchus. When viewed through a telescope, the planet measures 18″ across while its dramatic ring system spans 40″ and tilts 26° to our line of sight.

Sunday, July 31

The two inner planets lurk low in the western sky shortly after sunset all week. Your best chance to spot them comes when they lie highest in the twilight this evening. If you scan the western horizon through binoculars 30 minutes after sunset, you should pick up Venus standing just 3° high. It shows up only because in shines so brightly, at magnitude –3.9. Mercury appears 6° above the horizon but will be harder to see because it glows more dimly at magnitude –0.2. And if you have a haze-free sky, you might spot the 1st-magitude star Regulus between the two planets.

 

Reference:

The Astronomy Magazine

Lammas Things to Do #2

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Read about and make a loaf of bread.  Loaves of bread are a traditional part of the First Harvest Feast.  Break bread into four pieces and place at each of the Four Corners altars.   Lammas means “Loaf Mass” in the Welsh language.  Sharing bread is a common feature of a Lammas celebration.  What is the role of baking bread in human culture?  Find a really good bakery in your area. 

Your Daily Sun & Moon Info for Friday, July 29th

Summer Fantasy

Your Daily Sun & Moon Info for Friday, July 29th

The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 100.64° E
Sun Altitude: 44.56°
Sun Distance: 94.375 million mi
Next Equinox: Sep 22, 2016 9:21 AM (Autumnal)
Sunrise Today: 5:57 AM↑ 66° East
Sunset Today: 8:04 PM↑ 294° Northwest
Length of Daylight: 14 hours, 6 minutes

 

The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 208.01° SSW
Moon Altitude: 67.56°
Moon Distance: 230494 mi
Next New Moon: Aug 2, 20163:44 PM
Next Full Moon: Aug 18, 20164:26 AM
Next Moonset: Today4:19 PM
Current Moon Phase: Waning Crescent
Illumination: 21.3%

 

Reference

timeanddate.com

I Should Mention……

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Since Lammas is now so close, we will be providing little hints along the way on how to celebrate and various other things.  Like this one right here…..

 

Collect corn husks, dry and store in shade.  “Corn” was a generic term for cereal crops (i.e., wheat, barley, oats), and New World corn was added after 1520.  Our non-irrigated winter wheat is harvested in June and July where I live.  We can collect wild wheat stalks and seeds, tie, and hang in shade.  Make a corn dolly and keep until the Yule Celebration.  We can pick fruit (apricots, berries, figs and plums) and dry them.  Many kinds for fruit are ripe in late July, so place some of these on your home altar.  Many garden herbs are at their peak and ready for harvesting to make herbal remedies, air fresheners, use in herbal magic, and for decoration.  There are hundreds of good books and websites on the magical, sacramental, and health uses of herbs.

May The Goddess Shine Her Blessings Down On You & Yours This Friday Morn’!

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Song of the Witch

 

Will you be of Wicca, tonight?
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Then come with me to the Circle of Light.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Take up these herbs and brew up a tea.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
And drink it all down; the gods you shall see.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Take up the glass, and look at your face.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Go into yourself and find a new place.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Go to the Woods, and find an Oak tree.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
And cling to it tight, and strong you shall be.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Go to the Mountains and call to the Wind.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
And fly through the Air with the Thoughts that you send.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Fly to the Sun, and touch its bright Flame.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Open your Mind; now choose a new Name.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Go to the Sea, and call to the Moon.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Raise up your arms, then sing out Her tune.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Now join your hands with Those who surround.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Now share the Power that we send around.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

We shall part, but meet again soon.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
To dance, and sing, and Call Down the Moon.
Bend the Will, the Wish you shall find.

 

Author: Selena Fox
Originally published on Pagan Library