Tag: Sun

Wishing You A Super Sun Shiny Sunday, dear ones!

Good Afternoon Images, Pictures, Comments
Hey, it’s hard thinking of new greetings each day, lol! I hope you are having a fantastic Sunday. I feel so good today there ought to be a law against it. The glorious Sun is shining, brightly. It looks so warm outside. I watched the Weather Broadcast this morning. The weatherman said it was going to be up in the 60’s and you better get out there and enjoy the day. Well dumb butt, believed him, I always wear shorts around the house. So I figured if it is supposed to be that warm, I would run out in them. I opened the door, not to bad. My big mistake was shutting the door. Good grief! The wind is blowing a gale and I think the wind chill is 10 degrees out there. It’s my own fault, I should know by now, never, ever trust the local weather people.

So I hope your morning is nice and warm. Remember if it looks warm outside, stick your toe out first. Well with that helpful tip, how about we get on with more important matters.

Have a Very Blessed Day!

 

Affirmation of the Day for Sun. January 29th

“I do not seek perfection – only to do the best that I  an. If others do better. I will admire them without envy while trying to do better myself.”

 

Thought of the Day for Sun. January 29th

The Flight of Icarus

According to Greek mythology, Icarus was a young man who tried to escape from a labyrinth wearing a pair of waxen wings made by his father Daedalus. However, despite his father’s warning. Icarus flew too close to the sun, his wings melted and he fell to the Earth. Hold this story in your mind to remind yourself of the need to balance idealism and aspiration with a realistic awareness of human limitation.

Calendar of the Moon for Jan. 28th

Calendar of the Moon

Rowan Tree Moon

Color: Orange-red
Element: Fire
Altar: Upon a cloth of orange-red set a row of red candles, Brigid’s cross, and a bell.
Offerings: Votive candles. Quicken a newborn idea into birth.
Daily Meal: Hot drinks with every meal. Keep food warm.

Luis/Gamelion Invocation

Call: Now is the quickening of the year.
Response: Now is the time of the first movement.
Call: Now the child stirs in the womb.
Response: Now the seed stirs in the earth.
Call: Now the plains flood and our fire is threatened.
Response: Now the cold water drowns our spark.
Call: Now is the time of the hard struggle.
Response: Now is the month of desperation.
Call: Now is the time of desperation to live.
Response: Now is the time of desperation to be born.
Call: We turn in our sleep as the earth turns.
Response: We dream with the sleeping earth.
Call: Each of our dreams is a lit candle in the dark.
Response: Each of our dreams is a single point of hope.
Call: They shine faint and alone in the night of struggle.
Response: They are alone as we are alone.
Call: Yet we are not alone in our dreams.
Response: We are not alone!
Call: We will keep our fires burning.
Response: We will burn against the night!
Call: We will warm our dreams with the force of life.
Response: We will not die alone in the cold!
Call: We will ward off all evil.
Response: Only good shall pass our gates.
Call: We will care for each other.
Response: We will never cease to care!
Call: We will survive the winter.
Response: We will survive!
(Repeat last two lines twice more.)

Chant:
Protect the flame that warms your dreams
And dreams shall never die.

Calendar of the Sun for Jan. 28th

Calendar of the Sun
28 Wolfmonath

Day of Rules: Eunomia’s Day

Color: Black
Element: Air
Altar: Upon a black cloth light a single white candle, and lay upon it a copy of the Principles, a book of the House rules, and various implements of measuring.
Offering: Discuss the Rules.
Daily Meal: Any food that is wholly correct.

Invocation to Eunomia

Hail, Eunomia, Keeper of Rules,
Hora of the Upraised Hand!
We gather here to praise you,
Even though you seem most stern and forbidding,
For without Rules there are no boundaries,
No accountability, no way to stop the ravages
Of another’s passions. Though we value those passions,
We must also value their limits,
For all things must be kept in balance.
These Rules are not merely the chains that bind us,
They are the ropes that hold us up,
Keeping us from falling into confusion.
We honor your gifts, Lady of Rules,
You who are not afraid to stop
What is not honorable behavior,
You who will not stand by
In the face of deeds of shame.

Call: Hail Eunomia, Keeper of Rules!
Response: Hail Eunomia, Keeper of Rules!

Call: Speak the Rule of Iduna, Lady of the Nectar of Immortality!
Response: I will maintain purity of body.
Call: For the body is the sacred temple given to us that we may experience life,
And to harm it is to disrespect the Will
Of those who bestowed it upon you.

Call: Speak the Rule of Hestia, Keeper of the Hearth!
Response: I will maintain simplicity in my possessions.
Call: For waste leaves empty mouths and empty hands,
And greed has a cold heart and no soul.

Call: Speak the Rule of Agni, Fire and Truth!
Response: I will strive for clarity of words.
Call: For words are weapons of great power,
And should not be used in ways that deliberately confuse,
Or add to the blindness in the world;
Rather they should open eyes and minds.

Call: Speak the Rule of Gaea, the Earth beneath our feet!
Response: I will strive to live sustainably on the Earth.
Call: For She is our Mother, and She gives us all that we need,
And to harm her is to destroy our own future.

Call: Speak the Rule of Artemis, Virgin Huntress implacable, of the purest intent!
Response: I will place no commitment of the heart above my commitment to my path.
Call: For we are placed here in this world to learn and to do what we must,
And a promise once made must be kept.

Call: Speak the Rule of Ogoun, hunter and smith, leopard-god without mercy!
Response: I will commit only to honorable work.
Call: For work that aids what is wrong
Is tainted with wrongness in itself,
And we will not be part of that wrongness.

Call: Speak the Rule of Athena, clear-eyed virgin warrior, Lady of Strategy!
Response: I will maintain clarity in all relationships.
Call: For Love too must have its rules, and honesty,
And there must be distance between each,
That the Spirit may lay between us and join us.

Call: Speak now the Rule of Parvati, Dancer and Mother, Sacred Whore!
Response: I will strive for purity in my sexuality.
Call: For the power of the Root Chakra is not to be defiled
By the soul’s shame and the heart’s despair;
The tides of the body are sacred, and are the libation of that Temple.

Call: Speak now the Rule of Odhinn, All-Father and Magician, who speaks to his own!
Response: I will sustain clarity of faith.
Call: For faith is what bears us up when all else falls,
And before the altars of the Gods we are all mortal.

Call: Speak now the rule of Prometheus, Titan who defies the King’s corruption!
Response: I will submit humbly to honorable authority.
Call: For although there must be leaders, lest we lose our way,
Leadership is not given, but is earned by right behavior,
And must be held to a higher standard.

Call: Speak now the Rule of Brigid, Eternal Flame of the Abbey!
Response: I will maintain loyalty to the endurance of my Order.
Call: For we will not survive unless we survive together,
And though we are all lights, only a great flame will warm us.

Call: Speak now the Rule of Shiva, Lord of the Cremation Ground, Destroyer of Illusions!
Response: I will strive always for mindfulness and clarity of soul.
Call: For this discipline is great above all others.

Call: Hail Eunomia, Keeper of Rules,
Hora of the Upraised Hand!
Response: Hail Eunomia!

Cosmic Calendar for Saturday, Jan. 28th

If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen. This is another one of those old proverbs that connects to today’s Moon in fiery Aries – along with tempestuous energy-fields associated with the Sun moving into a frictional, 135-degree connection to Mars (4:06AM PST) just prior to Venus forming an abrasive, 45-degree link to giant Jupiter (4:38AM PST) and Mercury squaring sometimes hazy and chaotic Neptune (7:01AM PST). While golden opportunities outweighed nebulous situations yesterday, today is kind of the reverse. In addition to the fuzz balls mentioned just above, we also have to contend with the likes of Mars in contra-parallel formation with Ceres (11:22AM PST), Mercury making a caustic, 45-degree tie to Vesta (7:55PM PST) and squaring Jupiter (8:09PM PST) while Jupiter is also in a perturbing, 45-degree tie to Vesta (8:56PM PST). Signing papers, making long-term commitments, and dealing with legal matters are completely taboo right now. The key to moving through today relatively unscathed is to be fast on your feet and to tap into intuitive flashes guiding you upward and onward – courtesy of a supportive, 60-degree rapport from Mercury in Aquarius to Uranus in Aries (10:27AM PST). New ideas in science, metaphysics and kindred fields can help you leapfrog over erstwhile competitors. Get back on target with high-tech and computer-oriented enterprises. Overnight inspirations have a good feel to them as the Moon parallels Jupiter (exactly at 12:23AM PST tomorrow). Energize the power of positive thinking as Saturday night morphs into Sunday morning.

Lunar Almanac for Saturday, January 28th

Witchy Comments=  

Lunar Almanac for Saturday, January 28th
Waxing, Crescent Moon Age: 5 ¾ days.
Ascending Node is at 11° Sagittarius.
Moon in 17th degree of the Sign Aries, the Ram;
also in 17th deg. of the Constellation Pisces, the Fishes.
Moonrise: 9:39 morn. Midheaven: 4:18 eve. Moonset: 11:10 eve.

 

GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast

~Magickal Graphics~

Calendar of the Moon for Friday, Jan. 27th

Calendar of the Moon

Rowan Tree Moon

Color: Orange-red
Element: Fire
Altar: Upon a cloth of orange-red set a row of red candles, Brigid’s cross, and a bell.
Offerings: Votive candles. Quicken a newborn idea into birth.
Daily Meal: Hot drinks with every meal. Keep food warm.

Luis/Gamelion Invocation

Call: Now is the quickening of the year.
Response: Now is the time of the first movement.
Call: Now the child stirs in the womb.
Response: Now the seed stirs in the earth.
Call: Now the plains flood and our fire is threatened.
Response: Now the cold water drowns our spark.
Call: Now is the time of the hard struggle.
Response: Now is the month of desperation.
Call: Now is the time of desperation to live.
Response: Now is the time of desperation to be born.
Call: We turn in our sleep as the earth turns.
Response: We dream with the sleeping earth.
Call: Each of our dreams is a lit candle in the dark.
Response: Each of our dreams is a single point of hope.
Call: They shine faint and alone in the night of struggle.
Response: They are alone as we are alone.
Call: Yet we are not alone in our dreams.
Response: We are not alone!
Call: We will keep our fires burning.
Response: We will burn against the night!
Call: We will warm our dreams with the force of life.
Response: We will not die alone in the cold!
Call: We will ward off all evil.
Response: Only good shall pass our gates.
Call: We will care for each other.
Response: We will never cease to care!
Call: We will survive the winter.
Response: We will survive!
(Repeat last two lines twice more.)

Chant:
Protect the flame that warms your dreams
And dreams shall never die.

Cosmic Calendar for January 26th

You encounter another one of those fairly rare quiescent days – from the standpoint of the universe – when only a few alignments grace the stage of Planet Earth. As the Moon continues its monthly transit in Pisces, it unites with Venus (5:13AM PST) and then Vesta (7:41AM PST). This is a major boost for increasing the value of your assets, prized possessions and investments. You may also want to talk to soul-sisters who may be good and trusted advisers across the board. Surprises and shocks to the system are more likely to occur around the time when the Moon first parallels Uranus (11:25AM PST) and then makes a contra-parallel to Uranus just 12 minutes later (11:37AM PST). Consider experimenting with a digital or video camera today. Photography, film and video work, as well as improvisation in art, music and dance can go well under the monthly Pisces Moon dispensation. Intense or hostile vibes may be on the rise tonight as the Moon opposes Mars (8:54PM PST) – beginning a void lunar cycle that lasts until 10:29AM PST tomorrow when the Moon enters Aries. Fighting with a loved one this evening is a no-no. Find common ground and surround yourself with plenty of serenity to ride out the overnight psychic storm.

The Simple Facts About Imbolc

The Simple Facts About Imbolc
 
Candlemas: Imbolic (Celtic), Imbollgc Brigantia (Caledonii), Lupercus (Strega) Candlemas involves celebrations of banishing the winter and welcoming the spring.
 
Light a candle in each room of the house or turn on all the ligts for a moment or two to welcome back the Sun. Imbolc is a celebration of the end of winter and the return of the light.
 
At the time of Candlemas, the newborn Sun God is seen as a small child nursing from his Mother.
 
At this phase of the cycle, winter is swept away and new beginnings are nurtured. Some Wiccan groups favor this time of year for initiations into the Craft. It is traditional at Candlemas to light every lamp in the house for a few minutes in honor of the Sun’s rebirth.
 
The Goddess becomes the “Maiden” again as the wheel turns toward Spring. It is a celebration of the coming Spring and the new life it represents

Imbolc and Grain Dollies

Grain Dollies can be made many different ways, and need not take on human shape unless you desire. They are made of wheat or sheaves of other grains such as straw, corn or barley. The sheaves are formed into some semblance of a “dolly” by folding, tucking and tying here and there. They can then be “dressed” in white cotton or satin and lace to represent the bride. You may even choose to create a “bed” (from a basket usually) for your grain dolly, commonly called a “Bride’s Bed”. There are many Pagan books available on how to create Candle Wheels, Grain Dollies, and Sun Wheels. Imbolc is also represented by burrowing animals, and the bride. Some other altar decorations may include a besom (Witch’s broom) to symbolize the sweeping out of the old, a sprig of evergreen, or a small Goddess statue representing Her in the Maiden aspect.

THE FEAST OF LIGHT

THE FEAST OF LIGHT
(By: Titania Morgay)

If Candlemas day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight.
If Candlemas day clouds and rain,
Winter is gone, and will not come again.
– E. Holden

The time has come to call and welcome the forces of light!

Candlemas or Imbolc is the mid point of the dark half of the year. We
welcome the rebirth and awakening of the Earth, the earliest beginnings of
Spring.

Through Pagan lore, we learn that the Sun God, who is now a young boy, is
beginning to feel his growing powers through the renewing energies of the
Sun, represented in the lengthening in the daylight hours. The Goddess is
awakening from her slumber and rest after giving birth to the
God/Child at Yule. She is represented in the Maiden aspect of the triple
Goddess. The awakening of the Goddess/Earth, causes germination of seeds and
development of buds on the trees, as the powers of the Sun begin to warm and
renew the earth. A celebration of fertility.

Traditionally, Imbolc is a time to prepare for the goals one wishes to
accomplish in the coming months, and to clarify and redefine our personal
projects which were begun at Yule. the fires of Imbolc represent our
personal illumination and inspiration, a celebration of ideas yet to be
born. Imbolc has also become a time for new initiations into covens,
self-dedication, and renewal of our bows. It is also a time for purification
of oneself.

The colors for Imbolc are lavender, white and pink. Herbs include
Heliotrope, Carnation, Poppy, Basil and Violet. Stones used for this
celebration may include Amethyst for peace of mind or jet for
heightened intuition and inner sight.

Offerings of cakes and wine may be presented to the Lord and Lady, to seek
their assistance in helping to ignite your creative fires and energy.

May the fires of Imbolc burn brightly within all of you throughout the
coming year!

Cosmic Calendar for January 25th

Strange forces are very much on the prowl in the early going today as the Moon makes its monthly union with Neptune in Aquarius (12:34AM PST) – simultaneously launching a short void lunar cycle that lasts until 1:12AM PST when the Moon enters Piscean waters. Watch your dreams for clues about the future and don’t be surprised if maternal archetypes are present in your soul-wanderings since the Moon is also parallel to Ceres (1:10AM PST). Healing forces are making a comeback since the Moon forms its monthly conjunction with Chiron in Pisces (7:14AM PST) while the lunar orb is also parallel to Chiron (8:57AM PST). This double emphasis on Chiron reminds you to meditate for clarity and peace of mind. Learn more about advances in the field of alternative medicine. Be more of a bridge-builder between your multi-faceted personality and spirit realms. Pisces Moon gives you an opportunity to lend a helping hand to the truly disenfranchised and abandoned. Tough it out this evening when Venus forms a frictional, 135-degree tie to Saturn (7:04PM PST). This aspect can bring the big chill into affairs of the heart on a temporary basis. Dance away the blues as the Moon in the last sign of the zodiac can give you a dose of happy feet.

Calendar of the Moon for January 25th

Calendar of the Moon

Rowan Tree Moon

Color: Orange-red
Element: Fire
Altar: Upon a cloth of orange-red set a row of red candles, Brigid’s cross, and a bell.
Offerings: Votive candles. Quicken a newborn idea into birth.
Daily Meal: Hot drinks with every meal. Keep food warm.

Luis/Gamelion Invocation

Call: Now is the quickening of the year.
Response: Now is the time of the first movement.
Call: Now the child stirs in the womb.
Response: Now the seed stirs in the earth.
Call: Now the plains flood and our fire is threatened.
Response: Now the cold water drowns our spark.
Call: Now is the time of the hard struggle.
Response: Now is the month of desperation.
Call: Now is the time of desperation to live.
Response: Now is the time of desperation to be born.
Call: We turn in our sleep as the earth turns.
Response: We dream with the sleeping earth.
Call: Each of our dreams is a lit candle in the dark.
Response: Each of our dreams is a single point of hope.
Call: They shine faint and alone in the night of struggle.
Response: They are alone as we are alone.
Call: Yet we are not alone in our dreams.
Response: We are not alone!
Call: We will keep our fires burning.
Response: We will burn against the night!
Call: We will warm our dreams with the force of life.
Response: We will not die alone in the cold!
Call: We will ward off all evil.
Response: Only good shall pass our gates.
Call: We will care for each other.
Response: We will never cease to care!
Call: We will survive the winter.
Response: We will survive!
(Repeat last two lines twice more.)

Chant:
Protect the flame that warms your dreams
And dreams shall never die.

Calendar of the Sun for January 25th

Calendar of the Sun

25 Wolfmonath

Sementivae Feria: Seed Blessing

Colors: Green and brown
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon cloth of green and brown set all the seeds for the next year, with the seeds saved from last year’s garden in bowls in the center.
Offerings: Give seeds to poor farmers and gardeners.
Daily Meal: Vegan.

Sementivae Feria Invocation

Hear us, Ceres, Mother of the Grain,
You whose breath stirs the seed in the ground,
Though Earth sleeps now in her bed of stone,
We ask for her blessing on these seeds
Which will soon be sowed.
These are our hopes, our dreams,
Our aspirations, all promise and possibilities,
Waiting dry and dormant to be awoken.
Though we will not wake them today,
Soon the time will approach when they shall
Come into the embrace of the warm soil
And blossom into manifestation.
Bless our seeds, Great Ceres,
Mother of the Corn, Spark of the Plowed Earth,
Bless their promise, and ours as well.

(All cry, “Hail Ceres!” Then all surround the seeds and hold their hands over them, and together sing Ohm and Ah in harmonies, to carry Ceres’ blessing. The seeds are then placed in a special basket shaped like a cradle, and covered with a cloth, and sung to.)

Chant: Carry our wishes
Carry our hoping
Carry our blessing
Till you be awoken

Lunar Almanac for Wednesday, January 25th

Moon & Witch Comments & Graphics

Lunar Almanac for Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Waxing, New Moon Age: 2 ¾ days.
Ascending Node is at 11° Sagittarius.
Moon in 10th degree of the Sign Pisces, the Fishes;
also in 13th deg. of the Constellation Aquarius, the Water-Bearer.
Moonrise: 8:16 morn. Midheaven: 2:10 eve. Moonset: 8:14 eve.

 

~Magickal Graphics~

Cosmic Calendar for Tuesday, January 24th

It may be difficult to get your bearings on the first day after Mars has turned retrograde. The fact is that Mars isn’t truly retrograding at all; it is virtually motionless and on the verge of reversing direction. The great reality is that when any celestial body is retrograde, it is moving in counterpoint to the motion of the Sun and Moon – which, from our vantage point, always appear to be moving forward in the zodiac. Therefore, Mars becomes somewhat of a maverick, outlaw, rebel or rabble-rouser when viewed from the solar, lunar and earthly perspectives now that it is no longer direct in motion. Thus, acting in an unruly fashion and calling undue attention to yourself are out-of-bounds – unless you are deliberately looking for trouble. Intensity and shock waves are still on center stage because the Sun parallels distant Pluto (1:22AM PST) while Ceres unites with Uranus in Aries (3:08AM PST). The unknown may temporarily be in the catbird seat and circumstances beyond your control are running the show. Hope that you can somehow be an expert problem-solver and strategist when the Moon in Aquarius unites with Pallas (2:03PM PST). Strive for a loving and peaceful interaction with a significant other this evening during the Moon-Venus parallel (8:31PM PST).

Calendar of the Sun for Jan. 24th

Calendar of the Sun
24 Wolfmonath

Paganalia: Celebration of the Country Farmer

Color: Green
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon a cloth of green set agricultural tools, and perhaps a small model farm of paper.
Offering: Give aid to a farmer.
Daily Meal: Food from a small local organic farm.

Paganalia Invocation to Gaea

The mother of us all,
The oldest of all,
Hard, splendid as rock
Whatever there is that is of the land
It is she who nourishes it
It is the Earth that I sing.
(All cry out: “Hail Gaea, Mother beneath our feet!”)
Hear now the words of Gaea:
Without me
No seed grows
No milk flows
No honey in the hive
Without my touch
No sweet exchange of breath between plant and animal
No safe nest from which to try your fledgling span
No one to miss you when you go
Without the part of you that is me
No working the earth
No food in the belly
No caring hand to help another.
(All cry out: “Hail Gaea, Mother who gives us all!”)
Remember that those who work the earth
With their own hands are closest to me.
Lie upon me when the spring comes
And give thanks that you were born here.
(All cry out: “Hail Gaea, we give thanks to you!”)

Chant:
Mother I feel you under my feet
Mother I hear your heartbeat

Calendar of the Moon for Jan. 23rd

Calendar of the Moon
23 Luis/Gamelion

Day of Boannan

Color: White
Element: Water
Altar: On a white cloth set a blue bowl filled with water and small polished stones.
Offerings: Small paper boats set afloat on a river.
Daily Meal: River fish.

Invocation to Boannan

Lady of the River
Wash us clean in your rippling waves.
Lady of the Onward Flow
Carry us into our future
And safely home to our lives.
Lady of the Fishes
Nourish and provide for us.
Lady who lay with the Oak Tree
And bore him the newborn Sun,
River mother, mountain mother,
Lady of clear springs and cold water
Wherein lies sacred talking fishes,
Lady whose cool hands stroke us
And whose blood flows cold
Out to the unforgiving sea,
With each sip of water we take
We will remember your name.

Chant:
River go on, river go on forever
River run through my heart

(Let one who has been chosen to do the work of the ritual bring the bowl of water to each person in turn, and let them drink from it, and then pour the rest out as a libation to Boannan.)

Calendar of the Sun for Jan. 23rd

Calendar of the Sun

Bruma

Colors: White and brown
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon a bare table lay a large pot shaped like a human figure, reclining, filled with earth. All should enter bearing two white cloths, one on each arm.
Offerings: Silence and meditation.
Daily Meal: Vegetarian

Bruma Invocation

Earth, you lie sleeping in silence,
And we can do nothing but wait.
We have breathed upon your first seeds,
We have sung your first green shoots
Up from the bare brown soil,
We have watered you with tears and sweat
And fed you with the remains of our meals,
We have cut down your bounty and saved it,
Yet this is not the time for seeds, or green,
But simply the long cold wait in the dark
Until the light waxes and the time comes again.
You are silent, and will not speak to us,
No matter how we cry out.
You are dormant, and will not sing to us,
No matter how we raise our voices,
For all things come in their own time,
And this is not the time for movement.
So we will sit with you, Earth,
We will watch over you as you sleep
And take part in your dreams
In silence, and wait for your awakening.

Chant:
Earth dreaming
Silent seeming
Winter’s vigil
We will wait for you.

(After the chant has been sung five times, all come forth to the altar. Each lays one white cloth gently over the pot, saying, “Blessed be the Earth in the time of winter.” Then each sits on the floor and places the other white cloth over their heads, and meditates on all that is sleeping and cannot be awoken. Silence in the House until Akte.)