Autumnal Equinox 2015

Today is the Autumnal Equinox when night and day are exactly at equal length. It is also one of the eight Pagan Sabbats, Mabon.

Mabon is mainly a harvest festival, it is the last harvest before winter comes. In old times it would be a time to start stocking up on fruit, wheat, corn, and grain for the winter months ahead.

This is a time of transformation. The great wheel has turned as we pass into a new season and say goodbye to Summer. The earth is going through a major shift, where darkness will now start to take over light as the nights get longer and days get shorter. Cold will start to take over warmth and death will start to take over life as plants wilt and trees start to lose their leaves, and fields become barren. Wild animals will start to gather food for the winter months and hibernate.

Mabon is a time of thanksgiving. We thank the God and Goddess for all that we have and thank them for the harvest. The sap of trees returns to their roots deep in the earth, changing the green of summer to the fire of autumn, to the flaming reds, oranges, and golds. We are returning to the dark from whence we came.

The Goddess is radiant as Harvest Queen and the God finally dies with his gift of pure love with the cutting of the last grain. He will descend into the underworld, his last day on earth will be Samhain when a gate will open between our world and the underworld. We enjoy the abundance of fruit and vegetables at this time. We should adorn our altars with pumpkins, nuts, corn, wheat, squash, fruits, and other seasonal fair and any falling leaves or acorns we may find to honor the season and to thank the waning Sun for the wealth of harvest bestowed upon us.

Mabon is also a transition for the Triple Goddess as she goes from her mother phase to her crone phase, her final phase from her journey of the year.

The Autumnal Equinox is a time of balance, of both light and dark, it is a time to look within ourselves and balance our thoughts and emotions, and to find balance in our lives. To embrace our dark and our light equally, as one cannot exist without the other. It is when we stop and relax and enjoy the fruits of our personal harvests, whether they be from toiling in our gardens, working at our jobs, raising our families, or just coping with the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

May your Mabon be memorable, and your hearts and spirits be filled to overflowing.

Full written credit goes to Wicca Teachings. Full editing credit goes to Lisa Marino.

Photo credit: Various.

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Lammas

Today is Lammas, also known as Lughnasadh. Lammas is a Pagan festival called a Sabbat. It is a celebration of the first day of harvest. Wheat and corn fields will be glowing a ripe golden colour now and the reaping will begin. Fruit will be ripe and falling from trees and bushes. The word Lammas means Loaf Mas. At this time, plants will begin to wither and drop their seeds that will be reborn in the Spring. The earth is going through a transition where darkness is beginning to take over light, nights will become longer, and days shorter. Death is taking over life and cold is taking over warmth as we head into Autumn.In Celtic times, this day was a celebration of the Sun God Lugh. the word Lughnasadh (pronounced Loonasa) means “praise Lugh”. It was a time of giving thanks to the Sun God for the harvest and giving offerings of bread, corn, and wheat. A bonfire would be built called a Lughfire where the offerings would be thrown into it.

This is also a celebration of the Goddess who after laying with the God at Beltane is now in her Mother Aspect and has given birth to the bounty we see.

Lammas is a time of personal reflection and our own personal harvest of our actions and deeds, events and experiences, gains and losses. A time when we begin the cycle of reflection of that which is our life. At this time we begin to reap what we have sown for all our hard work we have put in throughout the year. Primarily, Lammas is a time of thanksgiving, when we appreciate all we have in our lives and give thanks to the Gods and the earth for their gifts.

On our altar we should put harvest grains and ripe fruit to honor the season as an offering to the Gods. Also add fresh bread, any fallen leaves, and nuts are also traditional.

Lammas is a time of excitement and magic. The natural world is thriving around us, and yet the knowledge that everything will soon die looms in the background. Now It is a good time to rid yourself of all that is old to allow in the new.

Hoof and horn,
Hoof and horn,
All that dies shall be reborn,
Corn and grain,
Corn and grain,
All that falls shall rise again.

Lammas Blessings. May the God and Goddess watch over you.

Written credit goes to Wicca Teachings. 

Blue Moon In Aquarius

Tonight is a Blue Moon. The Blue Moon occurs when there are 2 Full Moons within the same month. The name Blue Moon comes from an ancient word which is “Belewe Moon”, meaning Betrayer Moon. Monthly Moon phases were each given names to prepare for various types of weather and crop rotations, so the extra Full Moon in a month would confuse people, thus giving it the name Betrayer Moon.Tonight’s Full Moon is rising in the constellation of Aquarius. There is so much happening around this Moon in terms of once-in-a-lifetime type chances. It’s as if we are all on the edge of something so big and we have to make the decision to take the path we’ve always taken, or jump into the territory of new possibilities.

This Full Moon in Aquarius is about celebrating our individuality, our little quirks that make us different from everybody else. Let your creativity come out. Do something a little different, dress a little differently, wear your hair a little differently, rebel against the norm. Take a walk on the weird side of life.

Our minds will be clear and uncluttered, we will be able to see things as they really are, we can take off our rose-colored glasses and take a good look at ourselves and the world around us as it is, not how we want it to be. This will also have us asking ourselves if we are happy with where we are and what we’re doing.

As amazing as this Moon will be, and necessary, it’s going to be one that challenges us on every single level. In the build up to this lunar event we may have been feeling restless, or have had an excess of nervous energy. Our pulses may have been racing, and it may have been harder for us to relax or fall asleep at night. Our spirits can sense that we are on the verge of something big, but it’s up to us to initiate change. We are on the threshold of having massive pieces of the puzzle collide.

There may be big changes or upsets in the status quo during the next several weeks. We may find ourselves acting in ways that only a few weeks ago, we never thought possible, but Aquarius is lighting a fire inside of our hearts and daring us to break the boundaries that have held us back for far too long.

While we may feel anxious at all of the possible changes being presented to ourselves, know that the universe won’t bring us anything we aren’t ready for. The truth of it is there is no such thing as the perfect time, so now is as good a time as any.

Everything that we have been going through the past year has been leading up to this Moon. It’s the time of infinite possibilities, of desires bubbling over and manifesting themselves in our lives in ways we never thought possible. No matter what has come in or out of our lives in the past few years, once in a while we are given the chance to have everything we’ve always wanted, we just have to make the choice now to not let it go.

Because certain chances only come around once in a Blue Moon.

Written & photo credit goes to Wicca Teachings.

Full Stag Moon In Capricorn

Tonight is The Full Stag Moon, so-called because young male stags will start to grow their antlers at this time. It is also called the Thunder Moon because of the thunder storms brought on through the hot and humid air.Change or be changed is the message of this Full Moon. Since the Summer Solstice you should have felt a sense of something shifting both within yourself and with the outside world, this is because we have crossed a line. The first half of the year is over it was mid year in June, we have now entered the second half of the year. This a good time to look back over the last 6 months and look at what you have learned, what you have lost and what you have gained. Take lessons from what you have learned good or bad and use them in your future endeavors whether this be in work, relationships or family.

Tonight’s Full Moon is in the constellation of Capricorn, Things could get interesting, to say the least, Keep in mind this is an atmosphere ripe for outbursts that are highly emotional and highly subjective. Emotions could hit extremes of both highs and lows, and everything in between, with quick, inexplicably loony shifts. We may find ourselves in a mood for no reason one minute then happy for no reason the next.

The Capricorn Full Moon will give us strength to work out what we need to work out in our lives, now is the perfect time to look into work or finances. A good saying is ‘The harder I work, the luckier I get’, which is the Capricorn motto. If there are any jobs that you have been putting off do them now, if you want to give up a bad habit use the energy of this Moon to do it. Look into money-making projects, it may be a promotion at work or a project you could start that will bring financial rewards. Many people call this the ‘Money Moon’ because it has the potential to bring you wealth or extra income.

This Full Moon will be about building foundations for the future, to make ourselves feel more secure in our surroundings and financially. We can only be happy when we feel safe and secure in our own homes and environment. Be ambitious, go for what you want or put plans into place to get what you want in the future. Be braver, be bolder. You will have an inner strength now that will pull you through anything that comes up against you.

Capricorn is the zodiac’s hero sign, the noble protector and soldier. Be your own hero, be a soldier, tackle any problems head on, deal with anything that has been bugging your life, get to grips with what is holding you back, break down walls and barriers that are stopping you from moving forward.

Use the energy of this Full Moon to heal your spirit. Soak up the intensified energy of the Earth and let it cleanse you.

Have a Blessed Full Moon and may the Goddess watch over you.

Litha Blessings

Today is the Summer Solstice, also known as Litha. It is the longest day of the year. It won’t get dark until very late into the night, there will be at least 14 hours of daylight. Litha means a stopping or standing still of the sun, and it is one of the 8 Pagan solar holidays throughout the year.This is a day of celebrations, the Goddess is heavily pregnant with the harvest to come, the Sun God, The Oak King is at the height of his power. But this is also a day of sadness because today the Sun God, The Oak King battles with the Lord Of The Dark Sun, The Holly King and the Holly King will win and start to take over the skies. After today the Sun starts to lose its strength, the days will get shorter and the nights longer, as we look to Autumn and Winter. The Oak King (The Lord Of Light) is born on Yule (the Winter Solstice) and he shines so brightly for 6 months of the year, but this weakens him. The Holly King (The Lord Of Darkness) lies in wait until Litha, when the Oak King uses his last ounce of strength to make sure the earth has enough power for the harvest to come. The Oak King (The Lord Of Light) will slowly descend into the underworld, but his journey will not be complete until Samhain (Halloween). That is when the Holly King (The Lord Of Darkness) will take over the skies.

Litha is a time of light, purification, and healing. It’s a time to reflect on the light and dark within each of us and within the world around us. It is a time to appreciate everything we have in our lives and give thanks for it. It’s a time to appreciate nature and all that it gives us.

Pick some flowers and put them on your altar to offer them to the Sun God and the Goddess, and thank them for their sacrifices. Adorn your altar with fruit and anything gold, yellow, or shiny to honor the Sun. Build a bonfire or light a candle. A fire lit on Litha is said to be very powerful and magical.

Write down your hopes & dreams and burn them in the fire. To do this on Litha night will bring you your desire.

This is the height of summer and it is one of the most celebratory days of the year. Enjoy it. Go for long walks, spend time with family and friends, and appreciate the beauty of the Summer and nature. Dance and be merry.

Have a Blessed Summer Solstice.

Written credit goes to Wicca Teachings. I did the content editing. 

Photos credited to Various. 

New Moon In Gemini

Tonight is the New Moon in Gemini. This will be a time of great transition. It is a time to let go of the past and look to the future. Life is moving forward swiftly now, embrace changes and steer them in the direction you want them to go in.The Gemini New Moon is about communication and using your intellect. Be smarter and wiser, look at your life in a new way, think on things, make plans for the future, use the Gemini influence to help you reach a higher understanding and propel you in a direction you want to go. When you come across multiple choices or two choices and are at a crossroads, rather than becoming scattered like leaves blowing in the wind, quiet down and be still, connect with your Spirit and the Divine, and ask for the answer.

This is a dreamy New Moon filled with potentials and promises. The past few months have been challenging for most of us, many of us have had a rude awakening in one form or another, and life may have seemed rather hard of late, but with the New Moon things will start to look up. Enjoy the new energy as the Moon starts it’s waxing phase after tonight and will bring us into a new place of positive and good energy.

This is a good time to go deep within yourself and see things as they really are. Listen to your intuition. Your instincts will never fail you. The logical mind can be deceived. The eyes and ears can be fooled. They see what they want to see. They hear what they want to hear. However, your Inner Being cannot be fooled. Live your life from your authentic self, inside out. Only you know what you really need and what needs to be done. The power is in your hands.

The New Moon in Gemini is a time for calm and peace. The Cosmos is in perfect harmony at this time. This is a brilliant time to make dreams and wishes come true, or just spoil yourself with luxury and enjoy the peace and tranquility. Meditate on any questions you may have and the answers will come to you. Let the winds of change from this air sign blow over you and take you on a journey of discovery. This is the perfect time to start any new projects or learning something new.

Have a blessed New Moon & may the Goddess watch over you.

Written & Photo Credit goes to Wicca Teachings

Full Strawberry Moon In Sagittarius

Tonight is the Full Strawberry Moon, named so because of the abundance of strawberries around this time of year. If you have a lover or a love interest, give them roses as this Moon is also known as the Rose or the Love Moon. It is the perfect time to patch up relationships, get married, or find a new love. It is also known as the Honey Moon because it has a slight amber tint to it, and it is also a time when bees are at their most active. This is where we get the term ‘Honeymoon’ from.

The Moon is in the sign of Sagittarius, which is a sign of truth. Things that were in the dark will now start to come to light, new truths will be revealed. We can look at our lives with more clarity because the veil will be lifted. We must also look within ourselves and find our own inner truths. You may experience some restless nights, and wild/vivid dreams.

Don’t be scared to dream and want for more on this Full Moon. Sagittarius is brave and bold and will give us a boost of courage and ambition. You may feel unstoppable and have a renewed sense of energy. Use that energy to make plans for the future. Be daring and move out of your comfort zone a little, try new things. Only by doing this can we learn and grow.

This Full Moon will have our emotions on high alert, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. We will be feeling a little fragile at the moment, so be kind and gentle with yourself, don’t be too self-critical, try to stay positive and think about all the good in your life rather than the bad. There may be emotional desire to pack up and go off on an adventure or to visit places that bring up sweet memories.

This is the Full Moon just before the Summer Solstice, the height of Summer when earth is full of energy and life. Use these energies to inspire you, be creative, and go out into nature for long walks. See the beauty all around you and embrace all life has to offer. Let the Sagittarius fires cleanse, heal, and energize you.

Have a blessed Full Moon & may the Goddess watch over you.

Full written credit goes to Wicca Teachings. It was edited by me for content issues and clarity.

Photos credited to Various. 

Full Flower Moon In Scorpio

Tonight is the Full Flower Moon, beginning at 11:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time, so named because of all the flowers blooming during this time of year. May’s Full Moon is also known as the Bright Moon because it is very bright and the Corn Planting Moon because this is the time when farmers would plant corn for it to be ready for the harvest.

Like nature at this time, we are blossoming, we are growing day by day with the strength of the Sun. Like solar panels, we are soaking up the Suns energy. The Full Moon is in Scorpio and it shines its light in the darkest places, encouraging us to peer in and see what’s there. Things that were once hidden will show themselves to us, we will be able to see ourselves and others in a whole new light, and look at our lives more clearly. Our psychic abilities and intuition will be at an all time high, so use this time to look to the future and see what it is we truly want and where we want to see ourselves.

Like a snake shedding its skin as a form of renewal, the Full Moon in Scorpio calls to each of us to shed the layers that are ready, thus bringing forth a rebirth, allowing a new skin to emerge. Welcome change, allow the light of awareness to penetrate the dark areas of ignorance, shame, and deep-seated resentment that lies hidden underneath issues. Give yourself permission to heal and move forward in your life, using the potential of the Full Moon to symbolically die in order to be reborn.

With this Full Moon, emotions will be raw, we may find we are feeling a flow of different emotions and a feeling of being pulled in many different directions. Let the waters of Scorpio wash away your emotional pain and cleanse you of negative feelings.

The next two weeks will bring lessons in self-transformation toward a more effective destiny, such as moving on to bigger and better things. Continue to maintain balance as you clean up the residue of what has already fractured in your life. We are now in a new era, and are on the threshold of things beginning to develop a lot more quickly than they have in recent months. While things may still feel somewhat slow, they are about to quicken in a big way.

These are magnificent times! Change and shifts are to be welcomed. Let the energy of this Full Moon help you see where you are emotionally stuck and resistant, and allow yourself to surrender to the gifting that is coming your way.

Have a Blessed Full Moon & may the Goddess watch over you.

Written credit goes to Wicca Teachings, which I edited for development. 

Photo credit goes to Various. 

Beltane Blessings

Beltane Blessings

Beltane is a major Pagan festival called a Sabbat. It is the union of the God and Goddess. The word Beltane means ‘Bright Fire’. It is named after the God Bel and ancient Celtic God. It is a fire festival and it is traditional to build a fire on Beltane night to honor the Sun Gods.

Beltane is also a fertility festival, as it is the height of Spring and the beginning of Summer. Earth’s energy is very strong and potent with new life. Beltane is also the start of the farming calendar.

Fire is believed to have purifying qualities, it cleansed and rejuvenated both the land and the people. The ritual welcoming of the sun and the lighting of the fires was also believed to ensure fertility of the land and the people. Animals were transferred from winter pens to summer pastures, and were driven between the Beltane fires to cleanse them of evil spirits and to bring fertility and a good milk yield.

In Celtic times, it would be traditional to build a big bonfire in the center of the village and have a big feast. Young men and women would dance around the maypole, while many people would marry in a handfasting (wedding). People wishing to find love or conceive would jump over a Belfire for luck in love and fertility.

On Beltane we celebrate the abundance of the earth, it is a happy time when we give thanks for all we have in our lives and look forward to the bright, sunny days ahead. We celebrate the coming together of the God and the Goddess and the gifts they will bestow upon the earth.

May you have a happy and joyous Beltane.

Full written & photo credit goes to Wicca Teachings. I merely edited this. 

New Moon In Taurus

Tonight will be a New Moon in the constellation of Taurus bringing with it a very intense period of new discoveries and new awakenings. We will be able to see what needs to be seen in order to fill in the gaps we have been missing and piece together the puzzle. We will see the world with sharp clarity.

So much of what has been suppressed is coming to the light, this New Moon is about truth and seeing what is really there and not what we want to see. This will be a time of seeing illusions about ourselves, illusions about others, and illusions about our world. All of these will start crumbling away so we can build on what is real and true.

This New Moon is a good time to commit to personal goals that express the positive energies of the sign of the Bull. It’s time to enjoy life’s simple and physical pleasures, savor good food and enjoy activities that bring us in touch with nature and with our bodies. It’s time to stop and smell the roses, and to become more aware of what makes us feel comfortable and secure. With this potent Taurus energy, we have the chance to make important changes in our lives. It’s time to make some solid yet realistic plans, and to set the stage for reaping the rewards from our new beginnings.

This New Moon is ruled by Venus, the Goddess of beauty and love. This is a good time to look at our personal relationships, either with family, a partner, work, or friends. Look at what may need improving and how to make things better. It is also a time to work on our relationship with ourselves, to realize your inner beauty, and pat yourself on the back for all the hard work you do.

The Taurus New Moon is about strengthening our sense of security. It is a time for re-evaluating our relationship with money and possessions and discovering what it is that truly makes us happy and fulfilled. It’s a time for considering new ways of increasing our income or earning power. We should be concentrating on what it is we can do to increase our own feelings of self-worth. We are asked to get in touch with what it is that we truly value and want in our lives, and to part with those things or situations that are not contributing to our feelings of worthiness. This includes identifying those things that give us a false sense of security.

This is a time for getting back to nature and seeing the beauty all around us at the moment, trees are full with foliage, flowers are starting to open up and bloom, fields are lush and green, days are bright and warm, birds are singing. Look at the beauty in our lives and be grateful for all you have. Try to stay positive and steer clear of negativity, look at the good things in your life and look at how to improve the bad things. Taurus gives us strength so now is a good time to get any tough jobs done you have been putting off.Taurus is an earth sign it is steady and reliable and down to earth, it is about self growth and nurturing.

Use this New Moon to grow both materialistically and spiritually. Nature is giving us so many gifts at the moment, don’t be afraid to take them and to dream of bigger and better things, ask for more, do more, be more. Look at what may be holding you back and get rid of it, the New Moon is about new starts, getting rid of the old and bringing in the new.

Have a blessed New Moon & may the Goddess watch over you.

Written & photo credit goes to Wicca Teachings.