If it seems as though the Sword of Damocles is hanging by a slender thread over your head, you are not alone. The past 48 hours have added up to a barrage of cosmic fire that has been intimidating even the strongest and most steely characters incarnate now in human form. Adding to the potential misery index are Juno forming a frictional, 45-degree tie with the red planet Mars (1:53AM PDT) and Ceres making an abrasive, 135-degree connection with Saturn (2:29AM PDT). Be gentle in affairs of the heart and listen sensitively to the needs of elders, shut-ins and parental figures. Once you make it through these two challenging aspects, the psychic atmosphere reveals some clearing where you can make headway as the Moon forms a supportive, 60-degree link with Mercury (6:47AM PDT) while the Moon also makes its monthly union with Venus in Gemini (7:31AM PDT). Of these two alignments, the Moon conjunction with Venus is definitely the award-winning rendezvous. You can utilize it to add entries to your social calendar, explore new art forms, and improve your love life. Since the next group of sky patterns – including the highly potent station and shift into direct motion by Juno in Scorpio at 3:58AM PDT tomorrow – will not arrive until Monday, there is no reason why you can’t reinforce this morning’s Moon-Venus alliance and give it extra power to change your life for the good.
New Moon Report For July 14 – Mercury Retrograde
New Moon Report
By Jeff Jawer
Mercury Retrograde
Saturday, July 14
The backward shift of Mercury is associated with technical problems, mixed-up messages and inaccurate information. But we can use the next three weeks to reconnect with people from the past and to resurrect creative concepts. Listening more attentively and communicating more precisely will prevent minor errors before they become major problems.
Astronomy Picture of the Day – In the Shadow of Saturn’s Rings
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.
2012 July 3
In the Shadow of Saturn’s Rings
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute/J. Major
Explanation: Humanity’s robot orbiting Saturn has recorded yet another amazing view. That robot, of course, is the spacecraft Cassini, while the new amazing view includes a bright moon, thin rings, oddly broken clouds, and warped shadows. Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, appears above as a featureless tan as it is continually shrouded in thick clouds. The rings of Saturn are seen as a thin line because they are so flat and imaged nearly edge on. Details of Saturn’s rings are therefore best visible in the dark ring shadows seen across the giant planet’s cloud tops. Since the ring particles orbit in the same plane as Titan, they appear to skewer the foreground moon. In the upper hemisphere of Saturn, the clouds show many details, including dips in long bright bands indicating disturbances in a high altitude jet stream. Recent precise measurements of how much Titan flexes as it orbits Saturn hint that vast oceans of water might exist deep underground.
New Moon Report for July 3rd – Mars In Libra
New Moon Report
By Jeff Jawer
Mars In Libra
Tuesday, July 3, 5:33 am PDT, 8:33 am EDT
Assertive Mars has been busy managing details since its entry into efficient Virgo last November. Its move into sociable Libra opens up new opportunities for personal and business alliances, making this a favorable time to launch a product or seek a job. Passive aggression is the shadow of this transit because anger can hidden behind insincere smiles. Mending fences and making compromises are fine as long as inner truth isn’t sacrificed to maintain appearances.
Current Moon Phase for July 3rd – Full Moon
Full Moon
100% of Full
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.
The Waning Moon Half Moon or Last Quarter Moon
The Waning Moon Half Moon or Last Quarter Moon
Days 22 – 25
This moon rises about midnight and sets around midday the next day. She is visible for the whole time she is in the sky.
Use for protection while travelling, especially at night, from fears that wake us in the night, from phantoms and nightmares, for reducing major debts, for concerns about older people, for mending quarrels and for avoiding intrusion of privacy, for peaceful divorce and for relieving stress.
Day 23 is an important time for healing and day 25 for all women’s petitions and needs.
Venus Direct in Gemini
Venus Direct in Gemini
Jeff Jawer on the topics of blogsSweet Venus, the planet of love, pleasure, art, beauty and self-worth, has been
backpedaling in non-committal (or is it multi-committal) Gemini since May 15, and it finally turns forward on June 27.
backpedaling in non-committal (or is it multi-committal) Gemini since May 15, and it finally turns forward on June 27.We may have been spinning our wheels in relationships during this period, as finding traction to put a current alliance on track or to find a new one is often difficult during Venus Retrograde. The slipperiness of this cycle was greased even more in the adaptable sign of the Twins. Making serious choices in matters of the heart has been a confusing process.
Venus also relates to attraction, including money, making this another area of complexity since mid-May. Expenses and income may fluctuate wildly or, for those in more stable financial situations, attitudes about material resources may have been shifting from hope to doubt and back to hope again. One’s sense of self-worth, another Venusian subject, was probably also on a ferris wheel of ups and downs for the past six weeks or so.
There is a purpose, though, to retrograde periods. They provide a second chance to address matters that require further consideration. Experiencing a wide gamut of thoughts and feelings about relationships and resources may not appear to settle these questions at first, but it can broaden the range of inquiry, leading to better educated decisions later. Sometimes circling a serious issue several times is what it takes to see the whole picture before we’re able to make a meaningful choice.
Sociable Venus will be skittering along in Gemini — which is great for flirting — until August 6, when she enters cuddly, caring and self-protective Cancer. Until then, though, it’s worthwhile to taste various flavors of fun, explore entertaining ideas and start playing with diverse approaches to love. While these may still feel more like meanderings than meaningful activities, we’re expanding the number of ways in which pleasure and partnership can satisfying, even temporarily, our needs.
Choice is a particularly important subject now because philosophical Jupiter entered Gemini last month and will reside in this bubbly sign for a year. Usually, truth-seeking Jupiter prefers one overarching belief system or philosophy to answer life’s biggest questions. But now that it’s in the butterfly sign of the Twins, the road to wisdom is likely to branch off in numerous directions.
The downside of this is mealy-mouthed politicians and coy corporate shills, whose truths vary from moment to moment as suits their needs. Yet while we may mock them for the superficiality, it is a similar lightness that will help us discover new aspects of ourselves and ways to find love and purpose.
The Proper Timing for Magick
Author: Taliesin McKnight
Timing is one of the most important things to consider when doing magick. Astrology can be likened to a great cosmic clock. It reflects the cycles and rhythms of nature. The proper alignment of the stars, the sun, the moon, and the planets should all be taken into consideration. Does this sound complex? I assure you it is not as complicated as it may sound. In fact, this may reduced to two things: the days of the week and the cycles of the moon.
The seven planets rule the seven days of the week. The names even derive from the planets in many different languages. In English these come from the names of the Norse planetary deities. Sunday is the day of the Sun; Monday is the day of the moon; Tuesday is the day of Tue (Mars) ; Wednesday is the day of Wodan (Mercury) ; Thursday is the day of Thor (Jupiter) ; Friday is the day of Freya (Venus) ; and Saturday is the day of Saturn. Therefore, for maximum astrological benefit, a love spell should be done on Friday, the day of Venus (planet ruling love) . In the same way, magick involving education may be done on Wednesday, which is ruled by Mercury. The planetary correspondences are as follows:
The Sun rules Sunday and is good for Success, luck, spirituality, knowledge, and healing. The moon rules on Mondays. This is a good time to do spells for intuition, dreams, astral travel, and communication with spirits. Mars rules on Tuesdays. It is a good time for effective magick involving battle, conflicts, protection, strength, overcoming adversity, and binding.
Mercury is the planet presiding over Wednesdays. This is a time for rituals for education, knowledge, divination, communication, and healing. Thursday is the day of Jupiter, and governs success, prosperity, luck, and leadership. Venus dominated on Fridays and can bring love, romance, heal relationships, and grant new friends. Saturday is governed by the baleful influence of Saturn. This planet grants protection, destruction, binding, curses, purification, and overcoming weakness.
In addition to the seven days of the week, the seven planets also rule the hours in the day. There are several different methods to calculating the planetary hours. One of these involves following the hours from sunrise to sunrise; another divides the hours between sunrise and sunset and divides them into 12 sections and the same is done for the period between sunsets. To avoid all the math and difficulty, a very simple and effective system omits this and simply uses the 24 hours from midnight to midnight. This has worked wonderfully for me and I see no reason to list the other methods. If you would like to examine other methods for calculating planetary hours, that information is readily available online or in other books on magick. For simplicity, just know that the planet for the day also rules the hour at 6 am, 1 pm, and 8 pm.
Now, to illustrate this, let us take an example. If you wanted to do a love spell, it would be a good idea to do this on Friday (the day of Venus) at 8 pm (the hour of Venus) . This acts as a magickal doorway in which the proper astrological conditions are right. In this way the magus moves with the cycles and the rhythms of nature. If one were to bind (or restrict) someone from causing harm to others, Saturday at 6 am would be a good time. The days and hours should be at least partially memorized. The easiest way to do this is to simply memorize which planets rule each day and to simply remember that the planet for that day also rules at 6 am, 1 pm, and 8 pm. In this way, it will not be necessary to look this up every time one wishes to do a spell!
The phases of the moon also have an important impact on the effectiveness of magick. The waxing (growing) phase and the full moon are good from creative magick and bringing things into your life; the waning (decreasing) phase and the new moon are used for destructive spells and getting rid of things in your life. This is the most stressed point in ritual timing in the Wiccan tradition.
The concept of moving with the phases of the moon is very ancient and is found in many different cultures. This can be seen as a more important element in timing than anything else. It is much better to go with the phases of the moon on the wrong day than to do it on the right day of the week and the wrong lunar phase. This aspect of magickal timing should not be over-looked. The full and new moons are peaks of the creative and destructive cycles. The mid-way points (the half moons during increase and decrease) are also times of great magickal power.
The last aspect of ritual timing is the moon sign. The moon passes through the 12 signs of the zodiac, remaining in each sign only for a few days. This is not as important a consideration as the other 2 timing concerns. Nonetheless, this can lend power to rituals and spells. When the moon is in an Earth sign (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn) are good for financial concerns; when the sign is in an Air sign (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius) are ideal for education and spells consistent with the characteristics of the element of Air. When the sign is in a Water sign (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) it is a great time for spells that are connected to the Element of water and to emotions, artistry, and relationships; While the moon is in a Fire sign (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) it is a good time to do rituals of a fiery nature.
The individual characteristics of the sign (rather than just the element) should also be considered. This is not a very important aspect to magickal timing, so don’t stress too much over it. As I said before, though, utilizing this can only help and never hinder!
There are other lesser aspects to astrological timing. These would include the weather and the current Sun sign. The reason Sun signs are rarely considered is not so much that it is a weak influence, but rather that it is not practical to wait months just to do a spell, when it will probably no longer even be needed or be too late. This could also be a great aid if followed.
Weather is an issue as well. Storms are usually great for magick because it is a time of great elemental power. Furthermore, if one is doing a ritual involving the Sun, this should be done during the day and when it is sunny. One would assume this would go without saying. On the contrary, however, many people fail to recognize this simple concept. After all, it is only common sense. Thus, weather and the Sun sign can lend a lot of extra power to spells, if you would only harness that power with the use of correct ritual timing.
Now that this has all been laid down and explained, let us take another example to make sure these concepts are well understood. Let us say that someone is looking for a new job and decides to do some magick to help the job search. The moon should be waxing (this is for bringing things into your life) and the spell may be done on a Thursday (the day of Jupiter) at 1 pm (the hour of Jupiter) on a cloudy day because Jupiter is a sky god. The moon should also be in the sign of Capricorn. This would be an extremely good time for such a spell. The conditions are perfect.
Does timing have to be followed? Of course not! In the preceding example, the job is probably needed immediately. It would be foolish to wait for the right conditions during such an emergency. Do spells whenever they are needed. However, WHEN IT IS CONVENIENT, the astrological conditions should be considered. If a spell can wait for the perfect conditions, then great. If they spell can wait a few days for the right day ruled by the proper planet, that is good too. But if the spell can’t wait that long, then do it now. The spell can be repeated when the stars, sun, and moon are aligned right if needed. The spell will still work. The point is lending extra power to your spells. That’s it.
Following the cycles and rhythms of nature is also another way of aligning oneself with the universe. In the ancient Mystery Traditions, from which magick derives, Man was seen as a reflection of the cosmos. One is moving in accordance with the universe. We are moving with the tides of nature. Can magick be done against these cycles and still be effective? Sure. But it is like swimming against a current. Why not “ride with the tide”? It may even carry you a ways if you would only let go and let the currents of the Great Mother take you. Thus, in magick we try to follow the ways of Nature. Magick is merely using Her ways.
Remember, that which separates the initiate from the vulgar is simply that the occultist is aware of the laws of the universe and uses them to his or her advantage while others do not use this power that lies in their hands.
Calendar of the Moon for June 5
4 Huath/Thargelion
Arianrhod’s Day
Color: Silver
Elements: Air and water
Altar: Upon a white and silver cloth lay several silver moons, in order from new crescent to full to old moon, four white candles, and incense of myrrh.
Offerings: Clean something white.
Daily Meal: Cool white food.
Invocation to Arianrhod
Silver Wheel that spins in the sky,
Keeper of the Spiral Tower,
Keeper of deep mysteries,
Unforgiving moon that stares down
Upon our hapless dreams,
Lover of the ocean and its spirits,
Lover of the sky and its spirits,
Lady of the night horizon,
The point where starry sky touches starry sea,
We call you forth upon this day
To ask for your blessing on us,
As you blessed your son Llew Llaw Gyffes.
And even as that blessing was not easy
In forthcoming, we know that you will not
Give out your benedictions at our will.
So this we say, Lady: We have worked,
And willed, and created a dream
And made it reality, and here we stand together,
And if that is not worth something to the world,
Then nothing is. Arm us well, Lady of the Silver Wheel,
With weapons sharp and keen,
Tongue and mind of steel that yet yields
To the spear of Truth that strikes.
Bless each name that we have taken,
As you gave your son his name,
And bless us with divine inspiration
That we might bring more beauty
To the world and all its beings.
Chant:
Light up the night
Light up the night
Bring your dreams into the circle
Dragons of the Zodiac: Gemini
Dragons of the Zodiac: Gemini
Notes: Perform during bright noon or the hour of Mercury, and during the waxing Moon, with the Full Moon being strongest.
Color: Multicolors
Ruling Planet: Mercury
Stone: Agate
Flower: Lily of valley
Description: Versatile, fickle, curious, high strung, a flirt, changeable, anxious, petty, superficial, communicative.
Chant:
Mental Quickness, versatile ways,
These I ask to fill my days.
Communication skills so strong,
Dragon, show me right from wrong.
Dragon, show me right from wrong.
Dancing with Dragons
D. J. Conway
D. J. Conway
The Witchcraft Chronicles 
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