Tag: Solar System

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.

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.

 

Your Magickal Spell for Tuesday, July 3rd – Full Moon Ritual

Full Moon Ritual

Materials:

  • A small globe of crystal or clear glass.

 

Initial Preparation:

The first time you starts this spell and every time you wish to use it for a new special purpose, you have to clear and consecrate the globe of crystal/glass by holding it up to the light of the Full Moon, so that the lunar image is caught therein.

Monthly:

After this has been performed, the globe may be used as a charm to procure the secret wish of the owner.  On the night of each New Moon, hold the sphere in the left palm, by candlelight, gaze upon it, and chant:

Crescent be full and crystal fill: Thus my eye and thus my will: Fiat Voluntus Abdita! Fiat Voluntus Abdita!! Fiat Voluntus Abdita!!!

 

The globe should then be kept in a small bag of leather inscribed with figures of the Moon’s phases, and worn about the neck during those days and nights between the crescent and the full.  While it is not being worn, the globe should be wrapped in a black cloth and hidden away.

Days following the Full Moon

Days following the Full Moon

Day 15 – 17
The full moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise so you can have a brief period when both sun and full moon are in the sky  together, which creates amazing energy. Use these days to initiate sudden or dramatic change, for a surge of power, the consummation of love, for healing,  for prophecy, for all matters concerning women and also motherhood, for conception and for granting small miracles, for artistic and creative success and all  legal matters.
Day 15 is like day 1 of the new moon, good attunement day with the energies of the moon cycle and good for meditation as welll  as channelling wisdom from the Moon Mother or Gabriel, archangel of the moon.

The Waning (or Decreasing) Moon

The Waning (or Decreasing) Moon

The moon decreases from right to left until, finally, the crescent disappears from the left. about two and a half days later  the crescent reappears on the right. Waning moon magick should not be thought of as dark or negative but rather a process of bidding farewell to what is no  longer wanted or helpful.
Use the Waning Moon for:
Removing pain and sickness
Removing obstacles to success and happiness
Lessening negative influences
Reducing the hold of addictions and compulsions
Banishing negative thoughts, grief, guilty, anxiety and destructive anger
Banishing the envy and malice of others
Ending relationships gently

The Disseminating Moon (the Waning or Decreasing Full Moon)

The Disseminating Moon

(The Waning or Decreasing Full Moon)
Day 18 – 21
The full moon is shrinking and rises now in the mid-evening, setting in the middle of the next morning, being visible for much  of the time.
Use the decreasing full moon for protection of home, self and love ones, for banishing bad habits, phobias and fears, for  ending a long-standing destructive or abusive relationship, for relieving acute pain and fighting viruses and for leaving behind the past that holds us back  from happiness.

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.

The Balsamic or Waning Crescent Moon

The Balsamic or Waning Crescent Moon

Days 26 – 28 and day 29 when relevant.
The Balsamic Moon rises before dawn(after the midnight of its day) and sets at mid-afternoon of the following day. She is best  seen in the eastern sky in the dawn and very early morning.
Use the Waning Crescent for quiet sleep if you are an insominiac, for peace of mind if you have been anxious or depressed, for  protection from crime and harm, for the easing of addictions, for saying goodbye fondly and for finding what is lost or has been stolen – also the dark of  the moon for the latter.

The Moon Void of Course

The Moon Void of Course

This is not apparent in the sky, but is a brief time when spells tend to be less effective and, in everyday life, meetings or  projects tend to get stuck and travel plans can go haywire.
The void of course occurs as the moon leasves one astrological sign and travels to another. The moon spends about two and a  half days each month in each zodiac sign. The void of course can last from a few minutes to almost a day.
You can check in any almanac like Old Moore’s or increasingly, horoscope pages in newspapers will alert you to this and the  times. In an almanac it will be marked as v/c or even VOC next to the moon symbol and the time this begins. If you need to do spells at the void of course  time, add extra incense, fresh flowers or herbs to counter the effects.

Waxing Moon/Chant to Seal A Spell During this Phase

Waxing Moon

This phase occurs when the Moon grows from dark to full. In this phase, the Moon provides the proper energy for magickal  efforts requiring growth or enhancement. It is a good time for beginnings, fresh starts and new love and is of benefit in building, businesses, friendships,  partnerships, and financial prosperity. The waxing phase also provides suitable conditions for planting herbs, developing psychism, and increasing physical  health and well-being.
To seal spells performed during the waxing Moon, use this chant or one of your own choosing:
Oh, Maiden Moon, now hear my plea:
Hearken, hearken unto me!
As you grow, my spell enhance–
And power its magick with Your dance.