Tag: Earth

Today’s Tarot Card for October 7th is Triumph

Triumph

This Tarot Deck: Lovers Path

General Meaning: What has traditionally been known as the World card points to the presiding intelligence, called “Sophia,” or Wisdom, which upholds life on this and all worlds. A more precise title for this card might be “the Soul of the World,” also applicable as a symbol of personal empowerment and freedom. In most Tarot decks it is a female figure that has become our standard World image. She originates in Hebrew, Gnostic and Alchemical lore, and stands between heaven and earth as the Cosmic Mother of Souls, the Wife of God and our protector from the karmic forces we have set loose upon the Earth in our immaturity and ignorance.

Where the Empress energy secures and fertilizes our terrestrial lives, the goddess of The World invites us into cosmic citizenship — once we come to realize our soul’s potential for it. Just as the Chariot stands for success in achieving a separate Self, and Temperance represents achievement of mental and moral health, the World card announces the awakening of the soul’s Immortal Being, accomplished without the necessity of dying.

This card, like the Sun, is reputed to have no negative meaning no matter where or how it appears. If the Hermetic axiom is “Know Thyself”, this image represents what becomes known when the true nature of Self is followed to creative freedom and its ultimate realization.

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – October 5

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – October 5

“The dances are prayers.”

–Pop Chalee, TAOS PUEBLO

When we dance to the drum we pray to the Creator and attract the heartbeat of the earth. We never dance without reason; every dance has a purpose. We dance for rain; we dance for healing; we dance for seasons; we dance for joy; we dance for our children; we dance for the people; we dance for courage. The drum plays to the beat of the heart, to the beat of the Earth. The drum connects us to the Earth while we dance our prayers.

Oh, Great One, let my dance and prayer be heard by You.

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Put The Book Down!

Put The Book Down!

Author: Siantia

I quarrel about the meaning of the term ‘Wicca’ or ‘Pagan’. I argue over the rules and structures of the various ‘Wiccan paths’. I label myself with the correct label for my position in the craft and demand others do the same. I adhere to set structures and rituals and judge those that do not. I look to occult figures to gather my instructions on how to worship my Goddess and God. I rely on another human being to give me permission to have a spiritual identity. Does this sound like you? If you have ticked any of the ‘boxes’ above then I urge you to read this article. But I’m warning you – there are no labels here for you. No man/woman to tell you the rules of your religion and no words given to you to describe what you are.

How many books on Wicca/Witchcraft/Paganism and any others of a similar nature do you own?

How many of these books have rituals for you to follow, incantations for you to recite and sabbats for you to adhere to?

How many people do you know that say you MUST be in a coven, or you MUST do that or you HAVE TO think this way?

How often, when engaging in a Wiccan/Magickal discussion or argument have you opened your most prestigious Wiccan book to read the answer and then quoted it and sat back happily knowing you must have won the argument because you used the words of an occult icon?

Quarrels about rules and words feature so strongly in Wicca/Witchcraft, everyone has their own opinion and everyone seems to have their biography of Gerald Gardner or Alex Sanders at the ready to use if the argument gets tough. But I ask you – where is your Goddess and God when you are debating this and arguing about that and proclaiming you know more than this person about that subject?

How many times do you put your book down, step away from the laws of your coven, stop listening to the ‘more experienced’ Witch and look inside your heart to talk to your Mother and Father? What do you think they would tell you about all these rules, paths and words?

“Quarrelling about words only serves to ruin those who listen to them” is one of my favorite quotes, and one I read often when I find myself almost getting involved in an argument. There is no piece of information so grand that you need to quarrel and argue over it. There is no right so right that has not come directly from The Goddess and God. I urge people to put their books down and to talk to the source that can give them all the knowledge they’re looking for. It starts by looking inside yourself and not at your favorite author; once you have looked inside yourself you find the Goddess and the God were there all along.

When you next meet someone that refers to him/herself using certain labels, or when you next are involved in a conversation about the rules of a Wiccan ritual ask the goddess and the god to show you the truth of these man-made creations. Listen and feel what you receive. What do you think your Goddess and God would say to the people arguing over the exact meaning of the term Wiccan? What do you think they would say to the couple trying to win the argument about the importance of initiation? Do you think our loving Mother and Father would see the relevance or importance of any of this?

When you feel afraid that something you are doing is not correct, who are you afraid of? The person who wrote the book you are following? The high priestess of the coven you have just joined? Or the judgmental ‘experienced’ witches you socialize with? Out of all the people you are afraid will judge you if you are not adhering to the label you have been given (or have given yourself) do you think any of them have the authority or power to say anything? Do you believe a man or a woman has more knowledge about The Goddess and The God than the Goddess and The God themselves? And do you believe that anyone but yourself can find the right answer to your problems?

Put the book down, and while you’re at it socialize with less rigid people. We are our own masters, because all of us are children of our Mother and Father. No matter what words you read in books, no matter what ‘high’ priest/ess tells you – no being knows more than The Goddess and God. It is to them you should talk, not to ‘man’.

Religion can be a beautiful life choice that makes your incarnation more colorful and interesting; a way of life that inspires you and makes you feel fulfilled as a human experiencing the Earth, knowing deep inside that it is a creation of man and that simple love of your creators will always triumph. Is this you? Or have you become so consumed with your chosen label, so consumed with the words and their meanings that you have forgotten the simplicity of the universe? What is it they say we have here? Ah yes – free will.

Perhaps you feel your religion and structure, fine details and correct interpretation of words are still important to you? Perhaps you feel that the Goddess and God are with you on that, and they wouldn’t like you to throw away labels and boxes? Then, debate away. Open your forum and join with everyone else that wants words to be important. Words have power after all!

I will go and sit beside the Goddess and The God and we shall watch you in your hall of right and wrong. When you are ready…put the book down, and see what the Goddess and God has to discuss with you.

Merry Meet to all the masters of themselves.

 

Footnotes:
*This article is intended for thought provoking and not direct insult. The opinions expressed are my own and so of course are not being imposed or ordered onto anyone else. Live and let live after all.

NASA Image of the Day for Oct. 15th – Trigger-Happy Star Formation

Trigger-Happy Star Formation

This composite image, created using data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope, shows the molecular cloud Cepheus B, located in our galaxy about 2,400 light years from the Earth. A molecular cloud is a region containing cool interstellar gas and dust left over from the formation of the galaxy and mostly contains molecular hydrogen. The Spitzer data, in red, green and blue shows the molecular cloud (in the bottom part of the image) plus young stars in and around Cepheus B, and the Chandra data in violet shows the young stars in the field.

The Chandra observations allowed the astronomers to pick out young stars within and near Cepheus B, identified by their strong X-ray emission. The Spitzer data showed whether the young stars have a so-called “protoplanetary” disk around them. Such disks only exist in very young systems where planets are still forming, so their presence is an indication of the age of a star system.

These data provide an excellent opportunity to test a model for how stars form. The new study suggests that star formation in Cepheus B is mainly triggered by radiation from one bright, massive star (HD 217086) outside the molecular cloud. According to the particular model of triggered star formation that was tested — called the radiation- driven implosion (RDI) model — radiation from this massive star drives a compression wave into the cloud triggering star formation in the interior, while evaporating the cloud’s outer layers.

Different types of triggered star formation have been observed in other environments. For example, the formation of our solar system was thought to have been triggered by a supernova explosion, In the star-forming region W5, a “collect-and-collapse” mechanism is thought to apply, where shock fronts generated by massive stars sweep up material as they progress outwards. Eventually the accumulated gas becomes dense enough to collapse and form hundreds of stars. The RDI mechanism is also thought to be responsible for the formation of dozens of stars in W5. The main cause of star formation that does not involve triggering is where a cloud of gas cools, gravity gets the upper hand, and the cloud falls in on itself.

Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/PSU/K. Getman et al.; IRL NASA/JPL-Caltech/CfA/J. Wang et al.

Today’s Tarot Card for October 5th is The Moon

The Moon

This Tarot Deck: Royal Thai

General Meaning: What has traditionally been known as the Moon card refers to a deep state of sensitivity and imaginative impressionability, developed within a womb of deep relaxation. Here we dream and go into trance, have visions and receive insights, wash in and out with the psychic tides, and experience deep mystical and/or terrifying realities beyond our ordinary senses. The full moon and/or eclipse cycle charted by the Magi (as in some of the earliest Moon card images) exemplify this as a mechanism that Nature uses to expand consciousness.

The variants of the courtly lovers (representing skillful use of the sex force) or the man sleeping it off under the tree (use of drugs to alter consciousness) are also traditional avenues for tapping this primal force. Human interest in higher states propels us to the frontiers of consciousness, where we cannot always control what happens. The Moon card represents the ultimate test of a soul’s integrity, where the membrane between self and the Unknown is removed, and the drop of individuality reenters the Ocean of Being. What transpires next is between a soul and its Maker.

NASA Image of the Day for Oct. 4th – Ring Holds a Delicate Flower

Ring Holds a Delicate Flower

NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope finds a delicate flower in the Ring Nebula, as shown in this image. The outer shell of this planetary nebula looks surprisingly similar to the delicate petals of a camellia blossom. (A planetary nebula is a shell of material ejected from a dying star.) Located about 2,000 light years from Earth in the constellation Lyra, the Ring Nebula is also known as Messier Object 57 and NGC 6720. It is one of the best examples of a planetary nebula and a favorite target of amateur astronomers.

The “ring” is a thick cylinder of glowing gas and dust around the doomed star. As the star begins to run out of fuel, its core becomes smaller and hotter, boiling off its outer layers. Spitzer’s infrared array camera detected this material expelled from the withering star. Previous images of the Ring Nebula taken by visible-light telescopes usually showed just the inner glowing loop of gas around the star. The outer regions are especially prominent in this new image because Spitzer sees the infrared light from hydrogen molecules. The molecules emit the infrared light that they have absorbed ultraviolet radiation from the star or have been heated by the wind from the star.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA

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!

A Spell to Attract Money

You will need:
light green candle
yellow rose
grapes

The scent of poppy, honeysuckle, or almond (to rub into the candle)

Cast your circle and meditate on why you need to attract money to yourself. Light the candle. Raise energy, then say aloud: “I draw in the flow of prosperity to connect with me on this evening. I call in Fire, Earth, Air, and Water to manifest abundance around me. I affirm I am open to all forms of prosperity, and that it comes to me easily and readily. I ask that I be guided to use this gift within the greater good. So be it, and so it is.” Blow out the candle and eat at least one grape.

The Broom Closet

The Broom Closet
By Ezevia Rose

My friends have brooms
I have one too
They sweep with theirs
I do too

My friends have knives
I have one too
They use it to cut
I do too

My friends have goblets
I have one too
They drink their wine
I do too

My friends have tables
I have one too
They gather round
As I do too

Now they wonder what makes me different?
If they only knew!

My broom’s a besom
My knife an athame
My goblet a chalice
My table an altar

I use them for ritual
I use them each day
I pray to Goddess
Every day

Now you know I am a Witch
They do not
Can they accept it?
Sometimes I fear not

I wish they would
Let me sweep my own way
And say prayers the Matriarch way
The Earth could be happy
And we could be too
This Samhain Night
I pray for them too

By Ezevia Rose

About the Author: Ezevia Rose, 51 is a wife of 28 years, mother of a son 24 and daughter 26 and a grandmother of a 7 1/2 year old, who she says is the spark of her life as are her children. She is also a teacher of young children and owns her own school,(23 years in business and growing) which, she says is not only her livelihood but her life. She is also a singer and an artist, with a B.A. degree in Elem. Ed and Art Ed., she loves animals, reading and gardening, and says musical instruments and books are her vices.

Astronomy Picture of the Day for Sept. 28th – Violent Sunspot

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 28

Violent Sunspot Group AR 1302 Unleashes a Flare
Image Credit: jp-Brahic

 

 Explanation: One of the most active sunspot groups in years is currently crossing the Sun. AR 1302 first came around the Sun’s edge last week and is so large it can be seen without a telescope. Coronal Mass Ejections from AR 1302 have already caused strong geomagnetic storms including notable aurora activity around both of Earth’s poles. Pictured above, plasma was left magnetically hanging above the Sun’s surface after AR 1302 emitted an X-class solar flare last Thursday. Earth is illustrated in the inset for a size comparison. Although another X-class flare was emitted on Saturday, no flares from AR 1302 have been aimed directly at the Earth, as yet. The AR 1302 sunspot group will continue to evolve but likely remain visible on the Sun for the next week.

Crystal of the Day for Sept. 27 is Apache Gold

Apache Gold

Chemical Composition: FeS2
Apache Gold may be used to stimulate digestion and to work up an appetite. Next to that this stone makes sure that stomach and intestines are in good working order and also that nutrients, vitamins and minerals are assimilated by the body. Apache Gold may also be used to dispel diseases of the ear. In magic Apache Gold is used in ceremonial magic and shamanistic travel. In meditation Apache Gold is a grounding stone. Apache Gold is also called Pyrite Agate.

Earth Science Photo of the Day for Sept. 27th

Cloud Fingers Over Tracy, California

September 27, 2011

Fingerclouds (3)
 
Photographer: Isolde Irene
Summary Author: Isolde Irene; Jim Foster
 
 
On the photo above, finger-like altocumulus clouds are seen stretching across an azure blue sky. These billow clouds (undulatus) formed in atmospheric waves. They’re oriented more or less perpendicular to the wind direction. Slots between the clouds appear where the wave dips (trough). The air temperature in the wave crest (where the wave climbs) is slightly cooler than in the trough, so atmospheric water vapor more readily condenses here. Cloud droplets evaporate; however, where the wave moves the cloud into the trough. Photo taken in the late afternoon of July 31, 2011, from Tracy, California.

Photo details: Olympus E-5 camera; f/11; 1/1000 sec. exposure; ISO 200; 14 mm focal length.

NASA Image of the Day for September 23rd

Earth’s Moon

 

Photographed by the Expedition 28 crew aboard the International Space Station, this image shows the moon, the Earth’s only natural satellite, at center with the limb of Earth near the bottom transitioning into the orange-colored troposphere, the lowest and most dense portion of the Earth’s atmosphere. The troposphere ends abruptly at the tropopause, which appears in the image as the sharp boundary between the orange- and blue-colored atmosphere. The silvery-blue noctilucent clouds extend far above the Earth’s troposphere.

Image Credit: NASA

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 23

September’s Aurora
Image Credit & Copyright: Yuichi Takasaka / TWAN / www.blue-moon.ca 

 

Explanation: September’s equinox arrives today at 0905 UT. As the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south, spring begins in the southern hemisphere and autumn in the north. And though the seasonal connection is still puzzling, both spring and autumn bring an increase in geomagnetic storms. So as northern nights grow longer, the equinox also heralds the arrival of a good season for viewing aurora. Recorded earlier this month, these curtains of September’s shimmering green light sprawl across a gorgeous night skyscape. In the foreground lies Hidden Lake Territorial Park near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Calm water reflects the aurora, with bright star trails peering through the mesmerizing sky glow. Of course, shining at altitudes of 100 kilometers or so, planet Earth’s auroras are visible from space.

THE HORNED ONE; THE HARVEST KING

THE HORNED ONE; THE HARVEST KING

The God speaks:

     I am the radiant King of the Heavens, flooding the Earth with
warmth and encouraging the hidden seed of creation to burst forth into
manifestation. I lift My shining spear to light the lives of all beings
and daily pour forth My gold upon the Earth, putting to flight the
powers of darkness.

     I am the master of the beasts wild and free. I run with the swift
stag and soar as a sacred falcon against the simmering sky. The ancient
woods and wild places emanate My powers and the birds of the air sing
of My sanctity.

     I am also the last harvest, offering up My grain and fruits
beneath the sickle of time so that all may be nourished. For without
planting there can be no harvest; without winter no spring.

     Worship Me as the thousand-named Sun of creation, the spirit of
the horned stag in the wild, the endless harvest. See in the yearly
cycle of festivals My birth, death and rebirth – and know that such is
the destiny of all creation.

I am the spark of life, the radiant Sun, the giver of peace and rest,
and I send My rays of blessing to warm the hearts and strengthen the
minds of all.

MABON (circa September 21)

MABON (circa September 21)

 

Decorate the altar with acorns, oak sprigs, pine and cypress cones, ears of

corn, wheat stalks and other fruits and nuts. Also place there a small rustic

basket filled with dried leaves of various colors and kinds.

Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle of Stones.

Recite the Blessing Chant.

Invoke the Goddess and God.

Stand before the altar, holding aloft the basket of leaves, and slowly scatter

them so that they cascade to the ground within the circle. Say such words as

these:

 

Leaves fall,

the days grow cold.

The Goddess pulls Her mantle of the Earth around Her as You,

O Great Sun God,

sail toward the West to the lands of

Eternal Enchantment.,

wrapped in the coolness of night.

Fruits ripen,

seeds drop,

the hours of day and night are balanced.

Chill winds blow in from the North wailing laments.

In this seeming extinction of nature’s power,

O Blessed Goddess,

I know that life continues.

For spring is impossible without the second harvest,

as surely as life is impossible without death.

Blessings upon You,

O Fallen God,

as You journey into the lands of winter

and into the Goddess’ loving arms.

Place the basket down and say:

 

O Gracious Goddess of all fertility,

I have sown and reaped the fruits of my actions, good and bane.

Grant me the courage to plant seeds of joy and love in the coming year,

banishing misery and hate.

Teach me the secrets of wise existence upon this planet,

O Luminous One of the Night!

 

Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.

Celebrate the Simple Feast.

The circle is released.

The Element of Fire – Symbols and Associations

The Element of Fire

Symbols and Associations
 
 
Fire has the qualities of heat and dryness and associations with blood, deliberate movement and passion. In astrology, Fire rules the Zodiac signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. People born under the Fire signs are charming, active, fund, mischievous and easily excitable, and they change emotional states rapidly. They love change, bright colors, and stimulating environments. Fire signs are the leaders and the cheerleaders of the Zodiac. They provide us with much needed inspiration, motivation, and creative energy. Their attention spans are short, but they generally accomplish twice as much as everyone else in half the time. They sometimes shortcut directions because they’re impatient, which can cause problems for their fellow co-workers. They tend to make snap decisions based on gut-level intuitions.
 
Fire people are extremely passionate, jealous and forceful. They live life to the fullest and have powerful emotions. Everything about them is intense, and if nothing is happening, they will create something, even if it means trouble. They will do almost anything to avoid boredom. Their minds are always active. They are generally quick to anger and quick too forget about it. They also tend to get readily involved but lack the staying power of the other Elements. They are full of zest, are usually brilliant, and live for the moment.
 
Fire leaps upward and can help carry spells into the clouds and beyond. After all, the Sun and the stars are fire in the sky. The Sun is a God symbol in many pagan religions. Fire ideas can often be very distant and innovative from the ideas of this Earth. Although fire consumes, it also creates new life. Forest fires remove the old and nourish the new. Some plants even wait for the fire to release their seeds. Of all the Elements, Fire captures our attention the most. Fire lives on and above the Earth, so it connects us closely to the God force. Fire is consuming and captivating it creates the new and removes the old.

Burning Bright – The Element of Fire

Burning Bright

The Element of Fire
 
 
In the Wiccan tradition, Fire is the Element of the South and is usually represented on an altar by a candle or a wand. Fire can light a Fourth of July sparkler in celebration or burn a city to the ground. A highly volatile and powerful Element, Fire is treated with the utmost respect by Natural Practitioners. Ritual bonfires are a staple in almost all nature-based religions. Candles can light our way, send a wish to the Goddess, and focus our attention during a spell. In Nature, Fire can be related to volcanoes, comets and, well, forest fires.

The Element of Fire

The Element of Fire

Symbols and Associations
 
 
Fire has the qualities of heat and dryness and associations with blood, deliberate movement and passion. In astrology, Fire rules the Zodiac signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. People born under the Fire signs are charming, active, fund, mischievous and easily excitable, and they change emotional states rapidly. They love change, bright colors, and stimulating environments. Fire signs are the leaders and the cheerleaders of the Zodiac. They provide us with much needed inspiration, motivation, and creative energy. Their attention spans are short, but they generally accomplish twice as much as everyone else in half the time. They sometimes shortcut directions because they’re impatient, which can cause problems for their fellow co-workers. They tend to make snap decisions based on gut-level intuitions.
 
Fire people are extremely passionate, jealous and forceful. They live life to the fullest and have powerful emotions. Everything about them is intense, and if nothing is happening, they will create something, even if it means trouble. They will do almost anything to avoid boredom. Their minds are always active. They are generally quick to anger and quick too forget about it. They also tend to get readily involved but lack the staying power of the other Elements. They are full of zest, are usually brilliant, and live for the moment.
 
Fire leaps upward and can help carry spells into the clouds and beyond. After all, the Sun and the stars are fire in the sky. The Sun is a God symbol in many pagan religions. Fire ideas can often be very distant and innovative from the ideas of this Earth. Although fire consumes, it also creates new life. Forest fires remove the old and nourish the new. Some plants even wait for the fire to release their seeds. Of all the Elements, Fire captures our attention the most. Fire lives on and above the Earth, so it connects us closely to the God force. Fire is consuming and captivating it creates the new and removes the old.