Tag: Astronomy

Astronomy Picture of the Day for Sept. 20 – Origin of Gold

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.

On the Origin of Gold
Image Credit: Dana Berry, NASA

 

Explanation: Where did the gold in your jewelry originate? No one is completely sure. The relative average abundance in our Solar System appears higher than can be made in the early universe, in stars, and even in typical supernova explosions. Some astronomers have recently suggested that neutron-rich heavy elements such as gold might be most easily made in rare neutron-rich explosions such as the collision of neutron stars. Pictured above is an artist’s illustration depicting two neutron stars spiraling in toward each other, just before they collide. Since neutron star collisions are also suggested as the origin of short duration gamma-ray bursts, it is possible that you already own a souvenir from one of the most powerful explosions in the universe.

New Moon Report for September 18th – Mars in Leo

Mars in Leo

Sunday, September 18, 6:51 pm PDT, 9:51 pm EDT

Fiery Mars feels at home in Leo where creativity, confidence and charisma abound. Yet these positive attributes may come at a price. Excessive pride or conceit can turn every act into a performance where spontaneity is inhibited by hunger for approval. Innocently enjoying self-expression with art, romance, fun and games balances the ego’s constant need for attention.

Lady A’s Spell of the Day for Sept. 16th – Spell To Bind Someone Dangerous

               SPELL TO BIND SOMEONE DANGEROUS
               
  
Best performed on Saturday (Saturn’s Day),
To bind a criminal / one who intends to do harm,
To bring someone to justice

Collect your materials, including a poppet you made to represent the person in
question.
Cast a circle.
Light a black candle and burn myrrh incense.
Sprinkle the poppet with salt water, saying
 
Blessed be, thou creature made of art.
By art made, by art changed.
Thou art not clothe (or wax, whatever)
But flesh and blood
I name thee ___________ (person being bound)
Thou art s/he, between the worlds, in all the worlds,
So mote it be
        
Hold the poppet and imagine it enmeshed in silver net, binding the person in
question.
Tie the poppet up firmly with red ribbon, binding all parts of it that could
possibly do harm.
Charge it, saying,
 
By air and earth,
By water and fire,
So be you bound,
As I desire.
By three and nine,
Your power I bind.
By moon and sun,
My will be done.
Sky and sea
Keep harm from me.
Cord go round,
Power be bound,
Light revealed,
Now be sealed.
        
Release the powers and open the circle.
Bury the poppet at the time of the waning moon, far from your home, under a
heavy rock.
Go home and have some juice and do grounding. And clearing meditation.

Full Moon Holy Water

Full Moon Holy Water

Pink-self love and friendship
Red-passionate love
Green-money
Blue-healing
Purple-increase of psychic abilities

Fill a glass of water and place a stone in it to charge it with what you want to bring to you. Ask the blessings of the Earth and Goddess and then drink a bit to cleanse you inside. The remainder of the water can be kept tightly corked to use in spells and recipes anytime you need the extra power of the Full Moon!

The Full Moon

 

The Full Moon

By GrannyMoon

 

When the Moon is completely illuminated in the sky and looks like a sphere, she represents the Goddess in her Mother aspect, as Isis, Inanna, Demeter, just to name a few. The Full Moon is when a witch may feel the most powerful. Traditionally the time of the month when witches gather, it’s a good time for casting spells outwardly and for celebrating all the gifts and glory of the Goddess. Sing and dance in praise of the Ancient Mother Goddess under the Full Moon.

Try conjuring now, for artistic endeavors; beauty, health, and fitness; change and decisions; children; competition; dreams; families; health and healing; knowledge; legal undertakings; love and romance; money; motivation; protection; self-improvement.

A Full Moon increases perception and is an ideal time to prepare and use potions that increase the psychic abilities. A time when spells and plans come to fruition. Take a moment to breathe deeply and slowly. The Goddess is within each of us. Listen to your Inner Wisdom and walk a path that nourishes your spirit.

A witch’s kitchen should never be without a lunar calendar showing the phases of the moon. Once you understand her monthly cycle of growth, fruition, and decline, you can use the moon’s phase in your own spiritual practice and spellwork.

Earth Science Photo for September 13th

Perspective of the Moon from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres

September 13, 2011

2 Moons 2
Photographer: Mario Freitas
Summary Author: Mario Freitas; Jim Foster

As a consequence of our planet being ball-shaped, observers in the Southern Hemisphere see celestial bodies and constellations upside-down when compared to how they appear in the Northern Hemisphere. The two photos above, depicting the waxing gibbous Moon rising over the eastern horizon, were taken 28 hours apart, using the same camera, before and after an international flight from Curitiba, Brazil to Paris, France. Although the lunar disk displays almost the same phase and the same elevation in both pictures, it seems to have tumbled in the sky. This of course is due to the change in the observer’s horizontal plane. Note the inclination of the Moon’s terminator, with reference to the wires and trees in the first picture, and the vertical chimneys in the second.

The lunar phase is a result of the relative locations of the Moon, Earth and Sun and doesn’t depend on where on the Earth’s surface you’re looking. But how the Moon is oriented in the sky depends on the latitude (and hemisphere) of the observer. However, the size of the Moon, regardless of phase, is the same as viewed everywhere on Earth. Photos taken on July 9/10, 2011.

Photo details: Both photos – Camera Maker: Panasonic; Camera Model: DMC-LX5; Focal Length: 19.2mm (35mm equivalent: 171mm); Aperture: f/4.0; Exposure Time: 0.0080 s (1/125); ISO equiv: 80; Exposure Bias: none; Metering Mode: Matrix; Exposure: shutter priority (semi-auto); White Balance: Auto; Flash Fired: No (enforced); Orientation: Normal; Color Space: sRGB.

Astronomy Picture of the Day

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.

2011 September 13

Great Orion Nebulae
Image Credit & Copyright: Jesús Vargas (Astrogades) & Maritxu Poyal (Maritxu) 

Explanation: The Great Nebula in Orion, also known as M42, is one of the most famous nebulas in the sky. The star forming region’s glowing gas clouds and hot young stars are on the right in this sharp and colorful image that includes the smaller nebula M43 near center and dusty, bluish reflection nebulae NGC 1977 and friends on the left. Located at the edge of an otherwise invisible giant molecular cloud complex, these eye-catching nebulae represent only a small fraction of this galactic neighborhood’s wealth of interstellar material. Within the well-studied stellar nursery, astronomers have also identified what appear to be numerous infant planetary systems. The gorgeous skyscape spans nearly two degrees or about 45 light-years at the Orion Nebula’s estimated distance of 1,500 light-years.

New Moon Report for Sept. 12 – Full Moon in Pisces

Full Moon in Pisces

Monday, September 12, 2:27 am PDT, 5:27 am EDT

The sensitive and idealistic Pisces Full Moon’s opposition to the Sun in practical and particular Virgo is an encounter between feelings and facts. We may be emotionally overwhelmed by obligations or insecurities if the workload is too great or standards are ridiculously high. This lunation increases the potential for creative inspiration, spiritual breakthroughs and moments of awareness that allow us to leap over petty problems. A broader understanding of our higher purpose and acting with more compassion could make this a watershed event.

A Fertility Spell

To help with fertility problems or release alot of anxiety due to menstral problems

Items you will need

  • 1 Hens Egg
  • Paint or Permanent Pens (any colors)
  • Paper Knife
  • Almond or Olive Oil
  • Coconut Shell
  • Tiny Straw Basket
  • Moon water if needed

* When the crescent moon is in the sky, take a hen’s egg and paint or colour it with permanent marker pens and decorate it with Mother Goddess symbols, such as spirals, butterflies, bees and birds.

* Place it on the window ledge of your bedroom and leave it there until the night of the full moon.

* On this night, prick the egg gently with a silver pin or paper knife.

* The next day, early in the morning, sprinkle it with a few drops of almond or pure olive oil for added fertility.

* Place the egg in one half of a coconut shell (the coconut is the most potent fertility fruit) or a tiny straw basket, and set your little boat sailing on a river or the outgoing tide. If you cannot sail it, bury your egg and coconut shell beneath a willow or alder tree and water the soil with Moon water (water that has been collected when the full moon shines on it).

* Make love whenever you wish during the month, but if possible on the night of the full moon.

This spell will not overcome gynaecological problems, but can relieve anxiety and stress, which seem to block fertility.

Attracting Extra Money

This is a representational spell since the money in your pocket is representative of a greater fortune. Use this only at the time of a New Moon and make sure you are in the open air. It is said that the spell is negated if the Moon is seen through glass.

Items you will need

  • YOU WILL NEED
  • Loose change

The Spell:

  • Gaze at the Moon.
  • Turn your money over in your pocket.
  • As you do so, repeat the following three times:

Goddess of Light and Love, I pray

Bring fortune unto me this day.

  • You will know that it has worked when you -find extra money in your pocket or your -purse or come across money unexpectedly.

In previous times the Moon was recognized as much-as the Sun as being the bringer of good luck. This-spell acknowledges that and allows you to make use-of her power. It is said to ensure that you have at-least enough for bed and board until the next New-Moon.

Astronomy Picture of the Day for Sept. 9th

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.

2011 September 9

Comet Garradd and the Coat Hanger
Image Credit & Copyright: Rogelio Bernal Andreo

Explanation: Sweeping through planet Earth’s night sky, last weekend Comet Garradd (C/2009 P1) visited this lovely star field along the Milky Way in the constellation Vulpecula. Suggestively oriented, the colorful skyscape features stars in the asterism known as the Coat Hanger with the comet’s tail pointing toward the southeast. Also known as Al Sufi’s Cluster, the Coat Hanger itself is likely just a chance alignment and not a cluster of related stars. But compact open star cluster NGC 6802 does grace the field of view just right of the Coat Hanger, near the edge of the frame. Below naked eye visibility but approaching 7th magnitude in brightness, Comet Garradd has been a good target for binoculars and small telescopes. Still, bright moonlit skies this week will make the comet harder to spot.

Current Moon Phase: Waxing Half Moon

Moon Phases: Waxing Half Moon

First Quarter Moon (waxing/90-135 degrees)

by Jan Spiller

Emotions begin to stir coupled with recognizing that the new beginnings you are making must also increase personal security to be worthwhile over the long haul. This is a time when it’s appropriate to get in touch with your gut instincts and begin to guide your life more deliberately, with an awareness of using your “6th sense” as well as your enthusiasm. Obstacles may emerge that require you to reevaluate how to better integrate yourself into your immediate environment.

Your Daily Number for Sept. 3rd: 1

You may have a tendency to be a bit hard-headed and stubborn today; caution yourself against engaging in domestic squabbles. You have all the self confidence you need at your disposal. Much to your delight, others won’t hesitate to show you their support.

Fast Facts

About the Number 1

Theme: Masculine, Creative, Independent, Aggressive
Astro Association: Mercury
Tarot Association: Magician

A Moonlit Swim

A Moonlit Swim

 

Imagine yourself by a wide river gently flowing through a forest. It is night and a full moon rises above the trees. You strip off your clothes and swim out into the middle of the river. You float on your back there, looking up at the bright moon, tremendously at peace in this moonlit watery world. The stresses of life are deep in their caves, unable to bear the softness of the moonlight.

New Moon Report for Aug. 30: Jupiter Retrograde

Jupiter Retrograde

Tuesday, August 30

The backward turn of visionary Jupiter opens a four-month window of opportunity for reviewing and revising belief systems and long-range plans. Answers come from within during this philosophical planet’s reversal period, giving more credibility to gut instincts. Patience is especially important when tackling major projects as making hasty decisions doesn’t work well with gigantic Jupiter’s presence in stabilizing Taurus.

 

Arcana

Arcana

The following ingredients are needed:

jar
2 black candles
piece of person hair nail ect..
flame

casts a dark shadow in place of your enemy’s shadow carful to remove spell youmust keep the shadow in place of yours until a full moon cycle

At a new moon take the jar with piece of person in it light the hair on fire in the jar while chanting by the heavens my enemy’s shadow fades replaced by black shadow of arcana

Full Moon Chant

Full Moon

 
The Moon’s energy is most intense when She reaches abundant fullness. Any magickal effort, especially difficult ones, can benefit greatly from the potency of this phase. Use the full Moon to amplify magickal intent and to give spellworkings additional power.
 
To seal spells performed during the full Moon, use this chant or one of your own choosing:
 
Abundant Mother, Moon so bright
Hear my plea upon this night.
Your fertile power lend this spell;
Make it potent, strong and well.

Waning Moon Chant

Waning Moon 

 
The shrinkage of the Moon from full to dark is called the waning phase, and it offers an energy suitable for recession, peaceful separation or elimination. Use the waning Moon to end undesirable eating patterns, break bad habits or to remove yourself from dysfunctional partnerships or stressful situations. Its energies favor any magickal effort requiring decrease or removal.
 
To seal spells performed during the waning Moon, use this chant or one of your own choosing:
 
Oh Aging One of grace, now hear:
With your guidance, this spell steer.
Remove all blocks and hesitation,
And take it to its destination.

Waxing Moon Chant

Waxing Moon

 
This phase occurs when the Moon grows from dark to full. In this phase, the Moon provides the proper energy for magickal efforts requiring growth or enhancement. It is a good time for beginnings, fresh starts and new love and is of benefit in building, businesses, friendships, partnerships, and financial prosperity. The waxing phase also provides suitable conditions for planting herbs, developing psychism, and increasing physical health and well-being.
 
To seal spells performed during the waxing Moon, use this chant or one of your own choosing:
 
Oh, Maiden Moon, now hear my plea:
Hearken, hearken unto me!
As you grow, my spell enhance–
And power its magick with Your dance.

Dark Moon Chant

Dark Moon Chant 

 
Some practitioners use this phase as a period of rest. They find it useful for regeneration, relaxation, and gathering for the creative phase of the waxing Moon.
 
Others prefer to use it for meditation, psychic power enhancement, or for delving into past life memories to help them better understand current difficulties. Dark Moon energy also lends itself to divination and maters where truth is an issue.
 
To seal spells performed during the dark Moon, use this chant or one of your own choosing:
 
I call on You, Oh Crone so wise–
One Who rules the darkest skies.
Come and be my treasured Guest,
And aid me on this magickal quest.