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CELTIC TREE MONTH TINNE HOLLY

CELTIC TREE MONTH TINNE HOLLY

“The Celtic Tree Calendar is a calendar with thirteen lunar divisions. Most contemporary Pagans use fixed dates for each ‘month’, rather than following the waxing and waning lunar cycle. If this was done, eventually the calendar would fall out of sync with the Gregorian year, because some calendar years have 12 full moons and others have 13. The modern tree calendar is based on a concept that each letter in the ancient Celtic alphabet corresponded to a tree.”

July 8th through August 4th marks the Celtic Tree Month of Tinne or Holly. “Although the Oak ruled in the previous month, its counterpart, the Holly, takes over in July. This evergreen plant reminds us all year long about the immortality of nature. The Holly moon was called Tinne, pronounced chihnn-uh, by the Celts, who knew the potent Holly was a symbol of masculine energy and firmness. The ancients used the wood of the Holly in the construction of weapons, but also in protective magic. Hang a sprig of Holly in your house to ensure good luck and safety to your family. Wear as a charm, or make Holly Water by soaking leaves overnight in spring water under a full moon — then use the water as a blessing to sprinkle on people or around the house for protection and cleansing.” — Patti Wigington

“The Holly is best in a fight. He battles and defends himself, defeating enemies, those who wish to destroy him, with his spines. The leaves are soft in summer but in winter, when other greenery is scarce and the evergreen Holly is likely to be attacked by browsing animals, the leaves harden, the spines appear and he is safe. The old name for Holly is Holm, preserved in names such as Holmsdale, Surrey, whose motto is ‘Never wonne, we never shall’. With the coming of Christianity, the Holly became the Holy tree, the tree symbolic of the crown of thorns, so representing the fighting of the soul’s battles that eventually unites this life with the one that follows and, runs parallel.”

“The Holly is male, so symbolizing paternity and fatherhood. With the Ivy and the Mistletoe, the Holly has always been regarded as a potent life symbol, both for his year-long foliage and for his winter fruits. Concealed within the verses of the ‘Song of Amergin’, chanted by a chief Bard as he landed on the shores of Ireland, is the line ‘I am a battle-waging spear’ – the wood of the Holly was used in fashioning spear shafts.”

“What should the qualities of such a shaft be as it is hefted and thrown? The essentials are balance in the hand of the user and directness as it leaves the hand. This quality of directed balance shows that you will be enabled by this card’s guidance to find the strongest argument in your spiritual battle, providing the fight is just and not directed towards aggression and acquistiveness. Also, drawing this card will enable you to find the vigour to fight with balance and unity. Coming after the fertile and central Oak month of the Ogham calendar, this card provides and indication of what lies ahead in the second half of the year. This card can also indicate a lack of direction and balance. Without these attributes, you are not yet equipped to succeed in your present conflicts. You need to know more clearly what you are struggling with and how to combat it correctly in order to win through.”

 

Today’s message comes from The Celtic Tree Oracle – A System of Divination by Liz and Colin Murray.

Article originally published on Spiritblogger’s Blog

Moon in Aries

Wiccan Magic

Moon in Aries

We’re motivated by a strong desire to start fresh. A gut instinct to start something new is with us now, as well as the gumption to do so. Our pioneering impulses are strong, and we feel energetic, spontaneous, and enthusiastic. We may also be tactless and impulsive now. Excess energy is best channeled into physical activity.

The Moon in Aries generally favors the following activities: Quick actions that yield immediate results. Undertakings that involve the self and the personality. (Staying power may be lacking). Self-assertion, taking on challenges, beginning short-term projects.

 

Friday’s Witchery

Book of Shadows

Friday’s Witchery

 

On Friday’s Love magick is a perennial popular topic. However, there is more to this topic than meets the eye. There are many enchanting layers here for us to explore on this day of the week. What about creating a loving home, or producing a loving and nurturing ing family? What about keeping your intimate relationships vital and on track? How about promoting happy, healthy, and enduring friendships? See, there is more to be considered than just the “You shall be mine…” type of fictional love spell. Don’t forget that many of the deities associated with Fridays are also parents. So, yes while this is the day to work on romance, sex, and love spells, there is additional magick to be considered here, which makes Fridays a more well-rounded and bigger opportunity for witchery than many folks ever truly realize. The truest, strongest magick always comes from the heart.

Source

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

 

The Energy of Mars

♦ WITCH ♦

The Energy of Mars

Weekday ruled by Mars: Tuesday

Stones:
Bloodstone
Garnet
Carnelian
Pink Tourmaline

Herbs and Plants:
Red Rose
Cock’ comb
Mugwort
Mullien
Nettle
Thistle
Wormwood

Magickal Intention: Courage, physical strength, revenge, military honors, surgery, breaking negative cycles, war, vitality, Assertiveness.

Earth Sky News for June 30: Mapping the threat of small near-Earth asteroids

Mapping the threat of small near-Earth asteroids

By  

65 million years ago, a monster asteroid wiped out 2/3 of all life on Earth, including the dinosaurs. But an astrophysicist explains why it’s the smaller near-Earth objects (NEOs) that pose a greater imminent threat.

earth-from-asteroid

Via Technical University of Munich

Sixty-five million years ago, a 15 kilometer (9 mile) sized asteroid wiped out two-thirds of all life on Earth, including the dinosaurs. But it’s probably not this kind of monster asteroid that we should be worried about. It’s actually the smaller NEOs that pose a greater imminent threat, like the asteroid that struck Earth on June 2 that scientists only saw coming a day in advance.

Internationally renowned astronomers, astrophysicists and space researchers gathered for a conference in Garching near Munich, Germany, from May 14-June 8, 2018, for the to develop new strategies for the improved detection, scientific and commercial exploitation of and defense against NEOs.

Detlef Koschny, head of the Near Earth Objects team at the European Space Agency (ESA) and a lecturer with the Technical University of Munich Chair for Astronautics, explains why scientists are increasing their research focus on smaller NEOs.

Let’s start with a basic question: How is an asteroid different from a meteorite?

Detlef Koschny: Asteroids are objects larger than one meter – for example the object that exploded over Botswana earlier this month. Meteoroids are objects smaller than one meter. If they enter and pass through a planet’s atmosphere, they are called meteorites. Comets are asteroids with large amounts of volatile compounds such as water ice. If they come close to the sun, these compounds vaporize, creating their distinctive tails.

Hollywood disaster films like Armageddon always feature colossal asteroids on a direct collision course with Earth. So why should we be worried about smaller NEOs?

Detlef Koschny: NEOs that might potentially come close to or hit our planet range in size from a few millimeters to about 50 to 60 kilometers (30 to 37 miles) in diameter. We’ve detected the majority of the larger NEOs and computed their trajectories and the statistical risk for collision with Earth 100 years into the future.

We’ve mapped 90 percent of the asteroids that are a kilometer in size or larger. We know precisely where the big ones are and that they won’t pose a threat. In the “mid-size” region, the situation is completely different: We have only detected and mapped less than one percent of NEOs smaller than a kilometer.

If a 100-meter (328 feet) asteroid hit Earth, it would cause significant damage in an area the size of Germany, and even affect the surrounding region. But asteroids of this size don’t strike Earth very often. Maybe every 10,000 years on average.

Going from 100 meters down to 50 meters (164 feet), the statistical frequency of strikes increases to once every 1,000 years. Exactly a century ago in 1908, a 40-meter object struck the Earth over Tunguska, Siberia, destroying an area of forest the size of the Munich metro area.

And then if we go down to asteroid sizes around 20 meters (66 feet) – like the asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013, which ended up injuring 1,500 people – these occur on average once every 10 to 100 years. We will definitely see something like that again in our lifetime.

Nobody saw the Chelyabinsk asteroid coming before it hit. And scientists only spotted the one that hit Botswana a few hours in advance. What is the current state of NEO detection technology?

Detlef Koschny: Right now, there are two main survey programs running on Earth, both funded by our American colleagues. They utilize optical telescopes that cover a large field of view and can continually scan the night sky to detect any objects that are bright enough.

When it comes to detecting larger objects, this strategy works quite well, as these are visible even when they’re still far away from the Earth. But to detect smaller objects down to a size of 20 meters (66 feet) is very difficult. They are not bright enough to be detected until they are at least as close as the Moon.

If you only have two of these telescopes on the planet and it takes each telescope three weeks or so to cover the complete sky, you have to be really lucky that a small asteroid crosses your field of view just when you’re looking in the right direction.

That’s why we are currently developing extremely wide-field telescopes that will have the ability to scan the entire sky in just 48 hours. Additionally, within the ESA Space Situational Awareness (SSA) program, in which I work, we mobilize observatories and astronomers worldwide through the NEO Coordination Centre at the Agency’s European Space Research Institute (ESRIN) facility in Italy.

So what are your recommendations for improving detection and tracking capabilities, and what new detection technologies are being deployed either currently or in the near future?

Detlef Koschny: There’s a system called Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) that just went online in the U.S. It consists of small telescopes which, while they don’t see very faint objects, cover almost the complete night sky once per night. Here in Europe, we are building the Flyeye telescope, with a one-meter effective aperture. It provides us with a big field of view that is more than 100 times the size of the full moon in the night sky. In one night, with one telescope, we can cover about half the sky. The strategy to achieve this was developed by one of our master’s students here at TUM.

Our conclusion as the conference wraps up and one of the recommendations we’ll be making in the post-conference whitepaper: There’s an urgent need for more telescopes that can scan the sky for these NEOs, and a global network of telescopes that are working in concert, so that we can truly cover the smaller size range of asteroids in near-earth orbit. We definitively need to FIND these objects first before we can take any concrete action to defend ourselves against them.

Bottom line: An astrophysicist explains why it’s the smaller near-Earth objects (NEOs) that pose a greater imminent threat.

 

EARTHSKY VOICES

Members of the EarthSky community – including scientists, as well as science and nature writers from across the globe – weigh in on what’s important to them. Photo by Robert Spurlock.

Published on EarthSky

Current Planet Positions: Moon in Aquarius June 29 – July 2

The Moon in Aquarius: Quirky, Humanitarian, Independent

June 29 – July 2, 2018

 

Before we talk specifically about the Moon in Aquarius, let’s first talk about the Moon for a moment. Astrologers consider the Moon a planet, and because it moves so quickly it passes through each of the 12 zodiac signs once every month. Just as the Sun has a placement in our birth chart, so does the Moon. You can use our free Cosmic Profile to reveal what your natal Moon sign is. Once know what your lunar sign is, you can learn about your moon sign traits, your moon sign compatibility, your ture inner nature, and more!

When the Moon is in Aquarius

Regardless of what your sign is, for a couple of days each month we all get drawn into the influence of the Aquarius Moon. This is the time when we’re more inclined to march to the beat of our own drum. Aquarius is anything but cookie-cutter, and this lunation will have us trying to figure out what it is that makes us unique so that we can share it with the world.

Aquarians are social butterflies, making friends and influencing people wherever they go. This isn’t surprising considering Aquarius rules the 11th House of Friendships! When the Moon moves into this gregarious sign, you’ll feel the urge to call your friends, make plans, and get out and interact with those around you.

The Aquarius Moon could also have you feeling a little but more rebellious and spontaneous than usual. You may crave freedom and a distraction from your everyday life. If you’ve been feeling stuck in a rut, this is when you’ll decide to change up your routine or break old habits.

New Moon in Aquarius

New Moons are times of new emotional cycles and planting seeds for whatever we want to come next. The futuristic Aquarius New Moon encourages us to cut our past loose, or at least some of the things that we’re still hung up on. Aquarius is cool and detached, ideal for making a clean break from things that are no longer serving us so that we can boldly step into the next phase of our lives.

Our innovative spirit is off the charts with the New Moon in unconventional Aquarius! When the Sun and Moon team up in this brainy sign, we have a greater ability to expand our perceptions and come up with bright ideas. Aquarius sometimes dreams up concepts so far ahead of its time that they cannot be applied to current circumstances. However, the New Moon helps put us in touch with reality so that we can bring these groundbreaking insights back down to earth.

Full Moon in Aquarius

This Full Moon occurs when the cooperative Aquarius Moon opposes the individualistic Leo Sun. This cosmic coupling allows us see the difference between satisfying ourselves (Leo) and collaborating with others (Aquarius), and helps us understand the relationship between teamwork and individuality. The community-conscious Aquarius Full Moon reminds us that we are part of something larger than ourselves, and that acting on our ideas and ideals will benefit everyone.

You’ll probably wonder where your invitation is because it’s always a party when the Full Moon is in Aquarius! Full Moons spark an increase in activity and energy, and Aquarius is one of the most outgoing signs in the zodiac. You’ll be more apt to let your hair down and have a good time during this fun-loving Full Moon.

If you were born with the Moon in Aquarius

The Moon in Aquarius is an oddity because the Moon is about our gut instincts, our moods, and how we respond to things emotionally. The paradox here is that Aquarius is an Air sign which means it’s more concerned with mental functions than the messiness of human emotion. This doesn’t mean those with their natal Moon in Aquarius don’t have feelings. Rather, their feelings are more conceptual and intellectual.

Lunar Aquarians are incredibly observant people. Their minds are always on alert, constantly trying to figure out why people do the things that they do. This curiosity extends to other areas of life, and they enjoy learning about science, mechanics, and technology. They love to know how things work — you might even find them taking things apart and putting them back together!

Aquarius Moon sign people are natural humanitarians and are often involved in philanthropic causes of some kind. They are egalitarians at heart, and have strong beliefs about the welfare of others and human rights. Don’t let the Water-bearer’s aloof exterior fool you. Lunar Aquarians are passionate about helping others, and simply remain objective in an effort to avoid getting caught up in emotionally turbulent situations.

 

Tarot.com is Part of the Daily Insight Group ©2018

Your Crowley Thoth Tarot Card for June 30 is The Empress

trumpsempress

The Empress



The Empress is “The Earth Mother” of the Tarot. She embodies all that is nurturing, clean and wholesome. Her powers resonate from her drive to create and care for life on a grand scale. She is in tune with Nature’s rhythm and realizes that life’s most pleasurable moments often stem from the simplest things. She is not afraid to enjoy herself–to let loose—to the point of being lavish. Abundance and luxury are important to her. The Empress is completely comfortable with her femininity and her sexuality. She is sensual, earthy, generous, and likes the good life. Still, her driving force is a need to create and nurture, and fulfilling this need overrides everything else.

Your Daily Love Tarot Card for June 30 is Wheel of Fortune

card_150x285-aquatic-astrologydotcom-10

THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE:

Has your love life suffered setbacks lately? Luckily for you, when the Wheel of Fortune shows up, it’s a positive sign. You may feel like things are out of control, but they’re spinning in a positive direction. Look for a breakthrough to change your current situation for the better. Once you accept the fact that you can’t regulate everything, things will get easier.

Your Daily Cosmic Calendar for June 30

June ends with a bang rather than a whimper. The good news concerns a trine from Mercury in Leo to healing-maestro Chiron in Aries (1:11pm), and the moon’s overall enhancement of Aquarius as a zodiacal sign emphasizing the establishment of long-lasting friendships. However, mental and emotional tensions can easily get out of hand as Mercury squares radical-change agent Uranus (6:03am), the moon makes its monthly conjunction with Mars (4:11pm) followed quickly by a dubious, 150-degree tie between the sun and Mars (4:30pm). When the universe overwhelms human souls with a massive dose of martial energy, rash behavior and volatile activities often become the temporary rule rather than the exception. The answer to most of today’s challenges is to reach out to dear ones with kindness and empathy. Gear up for a double-dose of disturbing Venus alignments tomorrow while Juno enters Taurus leading to its formidable merger with Uranus on July 5.

[Note to readers: All times are now calculated for Pacific Daylight Time. Be sure to adjust all times according to your own local time so the alignments noted above will be exact for your location.]

Copyright 2018 Mark Lerner & Great Bear Enterprises, Ltd.

Astrology.com

Your Ancient Symbol Card for June 24 is Wisdom

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

scholarcardmed

Wisdom



A very very few of us are fortunate to be born wise. For most of us our Wisdom evolves, grows as we move through life gathering experience and knowledge. Wisdom denotes your thoughts and feelings derived from the melding of your life experiences with all that you have learned. Our Wisdom can get us through the difficult moments in our lives as well as provide the mental and spiritual tools we need to succeed.

As a daily card, Wisdom indicates a time when you should rely heavily on past experiences and knowledge attained to make important decisions in your life. This is a time where reflection and planning should guide your actions. To act rashly, on impulse at this time may well cost you in the future. Go slow, think things out, weigh all of your options carefully and then proceed.

Your Crowley Thoth Tarot Card for June 24 is Fortune

Your Crowley Thoth Tarot Card for Today

trumpsfortune

Fortune



Fortune represents that aspect of life that is directed by forces and events we may not understand or even be aware of. In short, Fortune deals with chance—those occurrences that manage to alter even the most structured of lives, usurp man’s “best laid plans.” While the effects of Fortune are unpredictable, the outcome is always change; sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Our path through life is never a ride down a perfectly straight highway. Sometimes we may even experience hairpin turns or complete reversals of direction. Fortune is strong reminder that despite our plans, the Universe has its own agenda from which we cannot escape participation