Happy Lughnasadh
Many Thanks and Bright Blessings to Gwyllm Llwydd for this post!
Category: Wheel of the Year
A Joyous Summer Solstice to All!
I will be at the Summer in Words Writers Conference in Cannon Beach this weekend. Lots of great workshops and I get to read the first five pages of my second manuscript to a bunch of writers. How scary and exciting is that?!
The Major Arcana and The Hero’s Journey: Wheel of Fortune, Part III
The Wheel of Fortune’s number is 10 which puts it as close to the center of the major arcana cards as you can get, assuming The Fool, 0, is at the beginning, so it signifies a turning point or balance point. The number 10 is also the beginning of the next series of digits after 0-9 (The Fool through The Hermit), so it can be seen as the beginning of a new cycle. This cycle can be either “better” or “worse” than the one before it, but it is always a step up in complexity and challenge. Jupiter is the planet assigned to the Wheel of Fortune. As the largest planet in the solar system, it is the planet of expansion, which is what the Wheel does—it expands not only our outlook, but our options. Astrologers also call it the Greater Benefic, or bringer of good fortune, with Venus, The Empress, being the Lesser Benefic. Kaph, or Kaf, is its Hebrew letter. Its symbol is… Read More »
Happy Beltane!
If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, Don’t be alarmed now. It’s just a spring-clean for the May Queen. Robert Plant Stairway to Heaven Beltane, the celebration of the union of the God and Goddess which brings fertility and abundance to the land, was probably celebrated in the British Isles in some form centuries before Christ was even a twinkle in God’s eye. I doubt that it was a coincidence that the wedding of the future king and queen of Britain was scheduled for this weekend.
Happy Spring Equinox!
It’s time to do some spring-cleaning And enjoy the flowers and sunshine.
The Groundhog and His Hierophants
I came upon this picture and an article streamed by National Geographic and couldn’t resist. The men in the top hats are Punxsutawney Phil’s Inner Circle. Every February 2nd, as soon as the sun is up far enough to cast a shadow, they proceed to Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and yank Phil out of his hollow stump. If he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. I knew all this, but I didn’t know that, according to this article, these men speak with Phil and get his official prognostication, which they then deliver to the waiting multitude. In case you missed it, this year they said that he said there would be an early spring.
Winter Solstice
This year, Winter Solstice, December 21st, comes with a bonus—a full moon and an exceptional lunar eclipse, visible on the night of the 20th on the west coast, because full moon occurs at 12:13AM on the 21st. Since a full moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise, a full moon on Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, shines over us for a very long time. Almost 16 hours in Portland, Oregon. </Most of our Winter Solstice or Yule traditions come from Scandinavia and Germany. Even the name, Yule, is ancient Scandinavian for “the festival at Winter Solstice”. This year I attended a Scandinavian Yule ritual at a friend’s house that was totally new to me—the sacrifice of the Yule Goat. It seems that Thor, the mightiest of the Norse gods, rides through the worlds in a chariot pulled by two goats, tanngrisnir (teeth barer) and tanngnjostr (teeth grinder). He periodically kills them and serves their delicious, nourishing meat to his guests. The… Read More »
Happy Samhain!
The veil between the worlds is thin this time of year and spirits walk. This evening or tomorrow evening would be an excellent time to have a Dumb Supper and visit with your ancestors. Set up an altar on your kitchen or dining room table and decorate it with your favorite Samhain/Halloween stuff – gourds, marigolds, tiny pumpkins, skulls, orange and black candles, etc. If someone you love passed away last year, put their picture on the altar with a few of their favorite things. Put out pictures of your other ancestors too if you like. Cook a wonderful dinner and set an extra place at the table. Cast a circle and invite your ancestors to join you for dinner. Serve up the food and make sure you are extra generous with that extra place setting. Relax and enjoy your meal in total silence so you can hear what your ancestors have to say to you. Some years our dining room is full to bursting… Read More »
The 2010 Northwest Fall Equinox Festival
We returned yesterday from our annual attitude adjustment and rejuvenation weekend at the Northwest Fall Equinox Festival, presented by The Nine Houses of Gaia. Yes, I know it’s not Fall Equinox yet, but they often move it forward because of both campground availability and the fact that no one wants to go camping in the rain. This year it was held at a Girl Scout camp in the eastern foothills of the Oregon Coast Range. The theme was gratitude for the things we harvested in abundance this year. One thing the magical communities of this area have in abundance is talent, and they are willing to share it. There was a Healing Temple, a Meditation Temple, a Tantric Temple, and a Divination temple. My husband spent an afternoon in deep trance in the midst of an array of healing crystals and I gave tarot readings and did lots of networking and catching up on my friend’s lives. Some of them we only see at this… Read More »