Current Moon Phase for August 31 – Last Quarter

Last Quarter Moon

(waning/30% illumination)

The time of reaping is at hand. There is a feeling of completion infused into the atmosphere during the Last Quarter Moon. The opportunity opens to recognize how far you’ve come in various parts of your life. This is not a good time for new beginnings, but rather a reflective period suited to evaluating how you have been using your time and what has been accomplished. Issues of authority may arise. This Moon phase supports taking responsibility for actively tying up the loose ends of projects that are already underway.

The Witches Almanac for Saturday, August 31st

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The Witches Almanac for Saturday, August 31st

Saturday (Saturn):  Longevity, exorcism, endings, home and houses.

Unto These Hills Pageant (Cherokee)

 

Waning Moon

The Waning Moon is a time for study, meditation and little magickal work (except magic designed to banish harmful energies).

Moon Phase:  Fourth Quarter

Moon Sign: Cancer

Cancer: Stimulates emotional rapport between people. Pinpoints need, supports growth and nurturance. Tends to domestic concerns.

Incense:  Patchouli

Color: Blue

Calendar of the Moon for August 30th

Calendar of the Moon

Dark Moon Night

Color: Black
Element: Air
Altar: Upon a black cloth set a single black candle, incense, an iron sickle laid to mimic the direction of the waning moon, a cup of water, a lock of silver hair, and a white bone.
Offerings: Bones. Stones. Menstrual blood. Give something up.
Daily Meal: Soup of some sort, cooked in a cauldron, eaten in silence.

Dark Moon Invocation

At this time, in the dark of the moon,
When the Silver Lady ages
To an old woman in the dark,
Haunting crossroads, working magic,
Stirring her cauldron
Of poison that heals,
Grandmother Moon of sorcery
And wisdom, who sees all
And reveals little to our searching eyes.
Moon of Death, Moon of mystery,
Moon of silence who hides her face,
Let us learn silence from your averted gaze
Let us learn patience from your aging face
Let us feel for the dark places within us
And find our way down your path in the darkness
Which is utter and complete
But not impenetrable.
As darkness wraps us,
So silence heals us.
As darkness finds us,
So silence guides us.
As darkness speaks,
So silence falls.

(The candle is blown out, and all leave in silence. From the beginning of this rite at Hesperis until the dawn, silence will rule in the house. Talking must be done only in whispers, and between no more than two people, and only for that which is necessary. Long meditation is encouraged, and all work must be done quietly if possible. The evening meal should be eaten by candlelight, and only candles may light the house, except for the sake of certain important work.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Current Moon Phase for Aug. 30th – Last Quarter

Last Quarter Moon

(waning/36% illumination)

The time of reaping is at hand. There is a feeling of completion infused into the atmosphere during the Last Quarter Moon. The opportunity opens to recognize how far you’ve come in various parts of your life. This is not a good time for new beginnings, but rather a reflective period suited to evaluating how you have been using your time and what has been accomplished. Issues of authority may arise. This Moon phase supports taking responsibility for actively tying up the loose ends of projects that are already underway.

Current Moon Phase for Aug. 28th is Last Quarter Moon

Last Quarter Moon

(waning/76% illumination)

The time of reaping is at hand. There is a feeling of completion infused into the atmosphere during the Last Quarter Moon. The opportunity opens to recognize how far you’ve come in various parts of your life. This is not a good time for new beginnings, but rather a reflective period suited to evaluating how you have been using your time and what has been accomplished. Issues of authority may arise. This Moon phase supports taking responsibility for actively tying up the loose ends of projects that are already underway.

Moon in Gemini (Aug 27, 2013 to Aug 30, 2013)

Moon in Gemini

Aug 27, 2013 to Aug 30, 2013

Feeling restless? The Moon says, “You’re a butterfly. A kite on a windy day. Soar, spin, let your thoughts roam. Start a couple new books. Visit friends. Enjoy the incredible lightness of being.” And just try to stop yourself from gossiping! That’s Hermes at work, the god behind this Gemini Moon: stirring up curiosity and light-hearted tricks, delighting in stories and finding the world of people endlessly fascinating. Hermes is the messenger, if you ask a question, be alert for the answer. Listen, and it will come. Given Gemini’s caprice, don’t be surprised if the weather suddenly shifts. Take advantage of the mutable atmosphere. Change your mind about something. See several sides of an issue you’ve been stuck on. If your shoulders are tense, consider dropping a few responsibilities. Then make a peace offering to your lungs and jittery nerves. Take slow, deep breaths while falling asleep. Imagine bad habits falling away.

Current Moon Phase for Aug. 28th – Last Quarter

Last Quarter Moon

(waning/48% illumination)

The time of reaping is at hand. There is a feeling of completion infused into the atmosphere during the Last Quarter Moon. The opportunity opens to recognize how far you’ve come in various parts of your life. This is not a good time for new beginnings, but rather a reflective period suited to evaluating how you have been using your time and what has been accomplished. Issues of authority may arise. This Moon phase supports taking responsibility for actively tying up the loose ends of projects that are already underway.

The Witches Almanac for Wednesday, August 28th

Gypsy Comments & Graphics 

The Witches Almanac for Wednesday, August 28th

Wednesday (Mercury): The conscious mind, study, travel, divination and wisdom.

St. Augustine’s Day

Waning Moon

The Waning Moon is a time for study, meditation, and little magickal work (except magick designed to banish harmful energies).

Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter 5:35 am

Moon Sign: Gemini

Gemini:  Things begun now are easily changed by outside influences. Time for shortcuts, communication, games, and fun.

Incense:  Bay Laurel

Color: Brown

Current Moon Phase for Aug. 26: Waning Gibbous

Gibbous Moon

(waning /60% illumination)

This is a tremendous time of transmutation. All of the prior elements are coming together for a final burst of creative output. You have seen a clear view of your own needs and the posture of significant others. Now the accumulation of that input is leading to a deep, core change within you. In this phase, you will naturally be inclined to seek higher guidance so that you can emerge from this transformation successfully. The Disseminting Moon favors sharing what you have learned (and are learning) with others.

Today's Tarot Card for Aug. 26 is The Moon

The Moon

Monday, Aug 26th, 2013

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

The Care and Feeding of a Magickal Broom

THE CARE AND FEEDING OF A MAGICKAL BROOM

When you first get your broom, always greet it by rubbing your hand over the
entire staff of the broom. Learn the body of your broom, inspect it’s divets and
curves. Use anointing oil to open and activate your broom. A good oil is made
from rosemary, thyme, myrrh and lavender in base oil. Make this oil by the full
moon and then open your broom on the first day of the new moon.

When getting a new broom, it’s always good to talk with it awhile. I usually
carry mine along with me in my car, and I sleep with it by my bed. Talk with
your broom, it’s amazing how much these magickal tools have to say to us and how lonely they become when cast to the side. When shopping for a new broom, always put out your intention on the day after the new moon, burn pink and white candles, and ask for the right broom to be shown to you. My preference is a
broom made with natural corn, or harvested brambles. I like to find a natural
handle for the broom. Elm, birch, ash, oak, sassafras, those are all really good
magickal woods to use as broom handles. If you are lucky to live in a natural
area, you can make your own from the Divine Goddess Garden. If you are a
city dweller, local shops sometimes carry natural brooms that are hand-tied.
Usually they are found at local gift shops or craft fairs. Also go to the local
Antique mall. Sometimes you’ll find an interesting retired broom that would like
to be put back into service. Nothing is worse then to have a wise old broom and
not have it in use.

After your broom has been chosen and spoken to, then start using it to call in
your circle. I point the broom in the direction that I’m casting and use this to
focalize the energy.

Once the circle is cast, then I lay the broom across the east to guard the
entrance until my magickal work is done. I also sprinkle salt in the east over
the broom to strengthen the seal, especially if I find myself doing some intense
spell casting.

Once I’m done with casting my magickal work, I thank my broom and lift it from
east and dismiss the quarters. A broom can also be used to cast a circle in a
hurry, much the same way a staff can be used. If I know I need immediate
protection, I point my broom to east and cast a circle with my broom pointed to
the earth, moving in a clockwise direction. This really works if you are in a
hurry and need to have some sacred space like NOW.

I also oil my broom handle with my anointing oil 4 times a year during each turn
of the wheel. This helps recharge the broom and helps you reconnect with it. It
likes to be stroked and caressed. Your broom is a sensuous creature and like to
be part of the Divine Feminine.

Today's Tarot Card for August 25 is The Sun

The Sun

Sunday, Aug 25th, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

What has traditionally been known as the Sun card is about the self — who you are and how you cultivate your personality and character. The earth revolves around the sun to make up one year of a person’s life, a fact we celebrate on our birthday.

The Sun card could also be titled “Back to Eden.” The Sun’s radiance is where one’s original nature or unconditioned Being can be encountered in health and safety. The limitations of time and space are stripped away; the soul is refreshed and temporarily protected from the chaos outside the garden walls.

Under the light of the Sun, Life reclaims its primordial goodness, truth and beauty. If one person is shown on this card, it is usually signifying a human incarnation of the Divine. When two humans are shown, the image is portraying a resolution of the tension between opposites at all levels. It’s as if this card is saying “You can do no wrong — it’s all to the good!”

Current Moon Phase for Aug. 25 – Gibbous Moon

Gibbous Moon

(waning /66% illumination)

This is a tremendous time of transmutation. All of the prior elements are coming together for a final burst of creative output. You have seen a clear view of your own needs and the posture of significant others. Now the accumulation of that input is leading to a deep, core change within you. In this phase, you will naturally be inclined to seek higher guidance so that you can emerge from this transformation successfully. The Disseminting Moon favors sharing what you have learned (and are learning) with others.

Current Moon Phase for August 23 – Full Moon

Full Moon

(waning/80% illumination)

A veil of self-absorption is lifted and suddenly you gain access to an unbiased view of others. This is a rare moment when you can see yourself objectively and become aware of whether or not what you want in your heart is actually beginning to manifest in your life. Traditionally, the Full Moon phase stirs emotion, and this is because when you “see” what is happening, you may become upset if you’re experiencing the “same ole, same ole” — rather than the things you would like. If the Full Moon phase is a disappointment, on the next New Moon it’s time to take creative action in the direction of your dreams.

Current Moon Phase for Aug. 22 – Full Moon

Full Moon

(waning/86% illumination)

A veil of self-absorption is lifted and suddenly you gain access to an unbiased view of others. This is a rare moment when you can see yourself objectively and become aware of whether or not what you want in your heart is actually beginning to manifest in your life. Traditionally, the Full Moon phase stirs emotion, and this is because when you “see” what is happening, you may become upset if you’re experiencing the “same ole, same ole” — rather than the things you would like. If the Full Moon phase is a disappointment, on the next New Moon it’s time to take creative action in the direction of your dreams.

Current Moon Phase for August 21: Full Moon

Full Moon

(waning/94% illumination)

A veil of self-absorption is lifted and suddenly you gain access to an unbiased view of others. This is a rare moment when you can see yourself objectively and become aware of whether or not what you want in your heart is actually beginning to manifest in your life. Traditionally, the Full Moon phase stirs emotion, and this is because when you “see” what is happening, you may become upset if you’re experiencing the “same ole, same ole” — rather than the things you would like. If the Full Moon phase is a disappointment, on the next New Moon it’s time to take creative action in the direction of your dreams.

Happy & Blessed Tuesday to all my dear family & friends!

How’s everyone doing today? I hope fine. Our morning around here has been busy, busy, busy. I don’t think I have mentioned it but I have changed neurologist. He had me on a fistful of pills. The pills weren’t doing me any good any more. So I told him and he ordered some pain patches. Well he got a wild hair up his butt about something. I never got the pain patches. The woman that I know at his office finally told me what was going on. He was getting rid of some of his older patients and I happened to be one. He could have come right out and told me but he didn’t. I was upset and then again I wasn’t. The medicine wasn’t doing me any good so it was time to move on.

I found a new doctor. He founded the Pain Management Center in Paducah. I got lucky and I actually got the founder and head pain specialist. The first thing he said was, “My God, he has you on way to much medicine.” “You could start your own pharmacy down on the corner.” I laughed and agreed with him because it is the truth. Anyway he has started pulling me off some of the medicine. Also he has ordered some tests (which are later this month). And plus, he has order aqua therapy for me. That was suppose to happen today. Boy, I was looking forward to it too. But instead, they measured my flexibility, ha what flexibility! When she was finished she told me I was stiff as a board. Like I didn’t already know that. But she was super nice. I get to go back later this month and then hopefully get in the pool. I was scared to death to first go to this Center, now I love it. If I had known all this I would have been there sooner.

Since the morning was so screwed up and it is so late, I decided to work on our Pinterest account. We haven’t been over there in a while. You have to pin something occasionally to keep your account active. So we will be cutting it close this time. But we are going to be working over there. If you haven’t seen our Pinterest page, come on over. I love it. I think you will too.  The account is in my name because they didn’t think “Witches Of The Craft” was a real name :S . It’s a real live group and organization why can’t it be a real name then? I said the heck with it, I didn’t want to argue that day. I just used my name instead. But it is the WOTC Pinterest site. There is a button at the side up top so there is no excuse for you not to visit, ya’ hear now, lol!

One more thing before I go, tonight get out and look at the moon. It is suppose to be a blue moon tonight. The reason being (according to our weather man) is because this is the 3rd Full Moon during this Summer. So the 3rd Full Moon during a Summer like this is a Blue Moon. Of course, I don’t know why I am relying on the weather people around here. They have to look out the window to see if it is raining, no lie!

Anyway I have wrote you a book to read. You know where we are in case you need us. We will see you tomorrow bright and early, hmm!

Luv & Hugs,

Lady A

Current Mooon Phase for August 19th – Waxing Gibbous

Gibbous Moon

(waxing/98% llumination)

Distractions from the outside begin pressing into your world. Analysis is favored, reevaluating all the various factors you are dealing with. It’s a time to process information and effectively integrate your aims with the people in your immediate environment. This is a good time for organizing things. This Moon phase is suited for synthesis: coming up with a practical plan for getting from point A to point B. Adjustment is required.

The Witches Spell for Aug. 19th – Spell To banish Anger

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Spell To Banish Anger

 

Items You Will Need:

One onion

Black Candle

Cleanse an onion in fresh water, consecrate by you for your purpose. During a waxing moon, preferably on a Monday (unless you need to do it sooner) otherwise, Monday for the moon’s emotions.

Take the onion and light your candle. You can carve any protective symbols you wish on the onion to personalize it, or leave it as it is. Remember the onion represents you.

As you sit in the light of the candle, peel the onion, layer by layer, knowing that with each layer you peel, you remove on more layer of pain you hold within yourself, one more layer of hate, anger, rancor or greed.

After you have completed your task, and your onion is completely peeled away, place the remains in a white bowl on your windowsill, in the kitchen, recognizing that the moon’s power will remove the negativity around you, (even if the light of the moon is not visible, it’s the energy and thought that is important).

Once you have finished the spell, take a shower, or bath to cleanse and purify and complete your work. Know you are cleansed.

The Witches Almanac for Monday, August 19th


Gothic Comments

The Witches Almanac for Monday, August 19th

Monday (Moon): Peace, sleep, healing, compassion, friends, psychic awareness, purification, and fertility.

Rustic Vinalia (Roman)

Waxing Moon

The Waxing Moon is the ideal time for magick to draw things toward you.

Moon Phase: Second Quarter

Moon Sign: Capricorn

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

Moon enters Aquarius 12:07 am

Aquarius: Rebellious energy. Time to break habits and make abrupt changes. Personal freedom and individuality is the focus.

Incense: Lily

Color: Lavender