The year ahead - dates for your calendar in paganism

Many pagans seem to be under the incorrect idea that all pagan festivals are fixed to one specific date of the year. This is not the case. The solar festivals (both equinoxes and solstices) move every year. Some days they are on the 20th, the 21st or the 22nd of the corresponding month. This is because there are very slight changes in the Earth's orbit around the Sun. The majority of pagans simply celebrate on the 21st of the month but this is not always the actual date of the solstice or equinox.

For instance, this year, the dates are as follows:
Spring Equinox - 20th March
Summer Solstice - 20th June
Autumn Equinox - 22nd September
Winter Solstice - 21st December

The agricultural festivals are not as fixed as many imagine either - these are dates for actual agricultural events as well. The only exception is Hallowe'en, or Samhain. This is a fixed date as it is the date the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. But the others can alter slightly. For instance, Imbolc, usually celebrated on the 1st or 2nd February can be earlier or later, depending when the first snowdrops appear and the first signs of life begin to show. Equally, this is the same of Lammas, the wheat harvest, can be earlier or, more commonly, later.

Personally, I tend to feel that Beltain is more like Hallowe'en. It feels more stationary, less mutable. This would make sense, given that these dates are the reverse in the Southern Hemisphere.

So when Imbolc comes around and you haven't spotted any snowdrops pushing up through the ground, hold off celebrating a few days until they appear. Likewise, if the first harvest hasn't happened in the countryside near you, wait a few days. If you can't tell re Lammas, then go ahead and celebrate around the 1s August but it is always better to feel more attuned to the seasons, and to the energies of the sun.

Special Full Moon on Mondaysm, witchcraft, spells

This Monday (the 9th of January), is the full moon. A full moon falling on a Monday is especially fortuitous for magic/spells/divination and any psychic workings. Monday is the day of the week represented in planetary magic as the Moon and a full moon is where the power reaches its peak, so it is one of the most powerful times for working with this type of energy (the only times when it is more powerful is when it falls on a blue moon and on Halloween).

So all those witchy types out there get your spellcasting to the ready, this is the best time to do this.

Finally, a wee note re New Year resolutions. The reason so many of these fail is that they should be done around Imbolc rather than at the very start of the year. Imbolc is all about new beginnings and January is the clearing time, a time of ridding certain things. If you want to get rid of negative thought-patterns or negative eating habits, then now is a good time but if you want to begin a new health regime/fitness programme etc, it is best to do this at Imbolc.

BB

Yuletide and New Year blessings one and all!

I hope everyone had a lovely Yule/Xmas and is looking forward to the New Year as we pass from 2011 to the much anticipated (and in some cases dreaded) 2012.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Hogmanay and lights a candle to the goddess and the god, or at least toasts them 

I am a subscriber to Quest magazine, a wonderful little quarterly on the ‘Magical Heritage of the West’ and a bargain at £2.50 an issue (if you are interested, write to QUEST, BCM S C L Quest, London WC1N 3XX – yup, no email).

I do get annoyed though, when this old idea is perpetuated – that of our ancestors being idiots. I know the people writing and speaking of this do not mean it this way but that is what their idea clearly hints at. The folks of old prayed for the return of the sun. That is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard. They were observers, they made Stonehenge and Callanish, built the pyramids of Egypt and Mexico, carved the stones in Petra and built the terracotta army but they didn’t know the sun would return?!?! Utter guff.

What people should be writing is that they prayed for a good year, weather that would benefit the harvest, enough sun for crops to grow but not so strong that they would be without water, for illnesses to be minor and preferably not to touch their family, and for their livestock to remain healthy. These would have been their fears, not whether the sun would return – credit them with the intelligence they surely had!

Anyway, rant over, I do hope you all have a wonderful time and that 2012 is a fine, fun and fulfilling year (without the whole end of the world thingy).

Blessings xxx

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scoltand about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback:

The Island of the Mist is book 2

The Stone in the Sword is book 1

The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats:

The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

Winter Solstice 2011

Winter Solstice rapidly approaches and is late this year, the 22nd of December. Many people don’t realise that this is not a fixed date, such as Halloween, but a date dependant on astronomical movements. Winter Solstice falls on either the 20th, 21st or 22nd of December according to the shortest day of the year, and more importantly, the longest night.
After this day, light begins to return to the northern hemisphere. The longest night is very important, as witnessed by Newgrange and Stonehenge, both of which were built to align with this event. This was a time of secrets revealed, celebration and observance.
I often wonder how many people, like me, celebrate both Yule and Christmas. This is habit when you grow up in a house where you are raised as Christian and your family continue to be Christian. It meant gifts waited until the 25th.
This year, I am at home with my husband and cats and we are doing the same, mostly out of habit but also because it would be strange not.
Yule was a time of ham and burning the Yule log, of decorating the home with holly and mistletoe, a time of home, hearth and family. I would imagine it would be easy to incorporate a vegetarian nut loaf in here for those who don’t eat meat, a sort of Yule log in itself.
In Scotland, temperatures are rapidly falling and I imagine that much of the northern hemisphere is experiencing the same, many to greater degrees. Staying warm is very important, as is looking out for elderly neighbours and making sure they are ok – many die from hypothermia at this time of year.
Blessings to you and yours.

The Month of the Owl in the Native American Tradition

From the 23rd of November to the 21st of December, we are in the month of the owl, according to the Native American Tradition.

Many shamans and those who follow the Native American Tradition will know this is the month of objectivity with a view to communication and understanding. The emotions during this month are warm and the personality is that of the adventurer, the warm-hearted, independent and jovial individual.

This is the winter month of the longest nights and shortest days, of good things happening on a Thursday. A similar energy for this month would be a Jupiter energy and Sagittarius in W astrology.

Versatility and adaptability are essential for survival and conscientiousness is necessary at this time. We must also be aware of being tactless, impetuous and restless. This is a month to avoid excess, greed and exaggeration (which can be hard at Yule/Xmas).

When working with symbols etc, gold is the colour, mistletoe the plant and black obsidian the mineral. The animal is the owl, but grizzly bear will also protect.
It is also a good time for observation – of yourself as well as others/nature.

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scoltand about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback:

The Island of the Mist is book 2

The Stone in the Sword is book 1

The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats:

The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

The Celtic Tree Month of Elder – 25th Nov to 23rd Dec

The Celtic Tree Month is now Elder and this is a wonderful month for creativity. This is the month of Venus and green is the colour, malachite the stone. The element of this Celtic month is air. When speaking of deity, we are looking at the crone phase, and Elder represents the Crone.

It was believed that if someone cut up an elder the tree spirit or dryad would follow the wood and haunt the people.

Given that the Elder Tree Month incorporates the winter solstice, this is a great tree to focus on for working with Sun God or Goddess work.

Elder is said to be a tree of healing, of visions/divination/prophecy and cleansing. It can be used for Faery magic, spiritual works, offerings, love work, protection, prosperity and exorcisms. Elder is very helpful when dealing with natural magic and even has folklore links of warding off vampires!!

Many magical tools are made from Elder, such as wands and brooms.

Al in all, this is a very helpful and magical tree, with deep roots in folklore (pun intended).

A simple way to start, if you don’t have access to an Elder tree, is to look at the image of the tree I have here and meditate on it, or meditate on the word to gain depths on its meaning and how you can work with it/bring it into your life.

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scoltand about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback:

The Island of the Mist is book 2

The Stone in the Sword is book 1

The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats:

The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

Full Moons and November

I was looking up what the moon in November is called, as I remember from childhood that it does have a name like Harvest Moon and Hunter's Moon but I just could not remember it. There are many sites out there that mention names but these are recent inventions, such as Dark Moon - you just have to have seen the moon a couple of nights ago to know this is a ridiculous name for this month. With dark skies, this moon is especially bright.

While I am aware that much knowledge has been lost over several centuries, making up names that have no relevance is not the answer. We need to observe nature before we decide what we should be calling certain objects.

So for me, I would think Bright Moon a far better, more relevant name but that is just my opinion.

Have a wonderful Autumn's end. Get out while its stil warm enough to and enjoy all the vibrant colours before they disappear.
Blessings :D