Magickal Intentions: Spirit Communications, Meditation, Psychic Attack or Defense, Locating Lost Things and Missing Persons, Building, Life, Doctrine, Protection, Knowledge, Authority, Limitations, Setting Boundaries, Time and Death
Elements: Earth, Fire
Incense: Black Poppy Seed and Myrrh Planet: Saturn Star Signs: Capricorn and Aquarius Angel: Cassiel Power Colors: Black, Grey and Indigo Herbs & Plants: Myrrh, Moss, Hemlock, Wolfsbane, Coltsfoot, Nightshade, Hemp, Comfrey and Fir Sacred Stones: Jet, Smokey Quartz, Amethyst, Black Onyx, Snowflake Obsidian, Lava, Pumice Oil: (Saturn) Cypress, Mimosa, Myrrh, Patchouli
Deities include Cronos, The Fates, Hecate, Loki, Saturn
Saturday is ruled by Saturn. Because Saturn is the planet of karma, this day is an excellent time for spell work involving reincarnation, karmic lessons, the Mysteries, wisdom, and long-term projects. It is also a good time to being efforts that deal with the elderly, death, or the eradication of bad habits.
The Celtic Tree Month of Hazel or Coll, August 5th – September 1st.
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HAZEL LORE
Long ago, hazel trees were prized by the Romans who used the limber twigs to hold up grapevines. These vines were sacred to the Roman god Bacchus and goats who were found feeding on them were sacrificed to Bacchus and roasted on hazel spits. The Romans were also responsible for giving Scotland it’s the Latin name of Caledonia. Hazel trees were plentiful in Scotland and the Romans called it Cal-Dun or Hill of Hazel. Since the medieval times hazel has been held sacred, particularly in Ireland where it is part of a Celtic triad – Apple for beauty; Hazel for wisdom; Oak for strength. These trees were in fact so sacred that cutting one unnecessarily carried the penalty of death. Hazel was often used in funeral pyres and it was also found in the coffins of people of note like chiefs and rulers.
In Irish legend, 9 hazel trees grew around the sacred well of Connla. The trees produce flowers and fruit (nuts0, the nuts fell into the well and were eaten by the salmon, the legend says that the salmon will have the exact number of spots as the number of nuts it has eaten. The salmon became the carrier of all knowledge.
PLANT INFORMATION
This tree is found all over the world ( Europe, North Africa, Asia, Britain, and the US). It can be found growing in damp places, hedgerows, and oak woods. It resembles a large shrub more than a tree although it grows to heights of 12-20 feet. Hazel trees have heart-shaped leaves and produce yellowish catkins (male) along with reddish flowers (female) which can be seen between April and May. There are approximately 15 species of Hazel and they all produce nuts, called hazelnuts, filberts or cobnuts depending on where you live. The nuts are ripe by September and can be eaten right off the tree, The uneaten nuts fall off the tree and will actually germinate if left. The wood from this tree is tough and limber. It is used to make walking sticks, fishing poles, baskets, and hampers. It’s excellent firewood and the charcoal is used for making gunpowder and crayons.
____________________________________ HAZEL IN MAGICK
Hazel is used for divination and dowsing rods are often made from it. This was actually documented by Roman author, and philosopher, Pliny the Elder. The art of dowsing is called rhabdomancy and traditionally a divining rod was cut at night and from the eastern side of the tree. Before the 17th century, these dowsing rods were used not only to find water but treasure, thieves, and murders. An interesting fact is that this form of dowsing is still practiced in the Celtic nation of Cornwall. Cornish legend says that the dowsing rod is guided to water or ore loads by piskies who guard the hazel trees. The nuts can also be used for divination. It is said that if you eat hazelnuts prior to divinatory workings you will gain increased knowledge. You can also use the wood, leaves, and nuts in dark moon rituals.
The nuts were talismans carried for various reasons. People carried them to prevent toothaches. And they were said to help cure snakebites. Along this line St. Patrick used a hazel rod to drive all the snakes from Ireland. In Scandanavia this tree was sacred to the Thunder God, Thor, and was used to protect a person again being struck by lightning.
In Scotland, on Halloween, 2 hazelnuts are given the names of lovers and put into the embers of the fire. If they burn quietly and stay together, the lovers will remain together. But if they crack and move apart they are ill-matched. Hazelnuts are also considered good luck and said to increase fertility. New brides were often given strings of hazelnut as gifts.
Ancient sailors also wore crowns of woven hazel twigs called wishing caps. These caps offered protection against bad storms at sea. The ancient druids believed that if you wore such a crown you could become invisible.
This wood is also good for crafting wands and record of them can be found in ancient Egyptian and Chaldean records. According to Greek myth, Apollo gave a hazel wand to Mercury. With it, Mercury was able to instill good virtues into mankind.
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HAZEL PEOPLE
If you are a hazel person you should pay attention to your own natural rhythm. It is easy for you to be impatient and you should sit back and let thing s happen naturally. You will be much happier. Hazel people are also understanding, moody, honest, and tolerant partners and have excellent ideas of right and wrong.
Choosing Hazel or Hazelnut as a magickal name represents someone who is wise and experienced.
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HAZEL CORRESPONDENCES
Folk Names: Coll, Poets Tree, and Dripping Hazel
Deity Associations: Mercury/ Hermes, Thor, Artemis, Arianrhod, Mannen Mac Lir, Ogma, and Diana.
Ruled by: Mercury and the Sun
Star Signs: Virgo, Libra, Gemini
Sacred Stones: Lapis, Amethyst, Sapphire
Colors: Brown, Dark Blue
Animals: Salmon, Crane
Key Word: Intuition
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Written by CatSister/LBolotin 2010 from the following resources:
The New Book of Magickal names by Phoenix McFarland
Flower and Tree Magic by Richard Webster
Whispers from the Woods by Sandra Kynes
Contraversical.com
Aug 3, 2020 at 8:58 am PST/ 9:58 am MST/ 11;58 am EST (Note: The moon will appear full on BOTH Sunday and Monday night!)
The energy of the August moon is going to cause a bit of a shakeup due to Uranus squaring up with the Sun. This can make us feel a bit wobbly. This energy will help us in a gentle fashion to let go of things that are no longer in our best interest it will provide clarity and help us to find the answers we need. This overall energy will continue to build toward the “Lions Gate” on August 8th which will be a time of supercharged energy.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac calls this moon the Sturgeon Moon because the Native people of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain knew this was the best time to catch these big fish. I have also seen it called the Barley Moon or Corn Moon as this moon is also associated with grain and the rebirth we celebrated at Lughnasadh.
Other names for this moon are Dog’s Day Moon (Colonial American), Harvest Moon (China), Fruit Moon (Cherokee), Women’s Moon (Choctaw), Moon When All Things Ripen (Dakotah), Dispute Moon (Celtic), Lightning Moon (Pagan).
Carry the harvest theme over into your magickal workings for the day. What can you sacrifice (harvest) today that will help to sustain you in the future? Spiritual and physical health are also good areas to work on at this time.
*Check out this article from Well and Good for a little astrology information!
The Upcoming Full Sturgeon Moon in Aquarius Packs Unexpected Intensity—Here’s What it Means for Your Sign
This Greater Sabbat and Cross Qtr day is also known as the Feast of Bread and is a time of transformation. The Sun God Lugh, whose name comes from the word Lughnasadh, is associated with this Sabbat. It is the first of the 3 harvest celebrations and was seen by our ancestors as the beginning of Autumn.
“Once upon a Lammas Night When corn rigs are bonny, Beneath the Moon’s unclouded light, I held awhile to Annie… The time went by with careless heed Between the late and early, With small persuasion, she agreed To see me through the barley… Corn rigs and barley rigs, Corn rigs are bonny! I’ll not forget that happy night Among the rigs with Annie!” – Robert Burns gardendigest.com
Sacred Symbols: Barley (all grains), Bread, Corn, and Corn Dollies, Cornucopias, Gourds, Scythe/Sickle, Sunflowers, Sun Wheels
Sacred Colors: Gold, Yellows, Red, Bronze, Brown, Orange, Green
The Celtic Tree Month of Holly (Tinne) July 8th until August 4th.
HOLLY LORE
Holly has long been associated with death and rebirth in both Pagan and Christian lore and plays an important part of the Winter Solstice. In one Arthurian tale Gawain (representing the Oak King battles with the Green Knight who is armed with a holly club that is the symbol of winter. Both the Holly and the Oak are important during the Summer Solstice. During this time the Sacred White Horse of Oak transforms into the Unicorn of Holly. In ancient Rome, holly was thought to ward against lightning strikes and keep witches away. It was also a popular gift to give friends during the Saturnalia, which was celebrated during the Winter Solstice.
PLANT INFORMATIONHolly is an evergreen shrubby tree, easily recognized by it’s shiny dark green toothed leaves and blood-red berries. This plant is considered POISONOUS and should not be ingested!! Holly was used for the crafting of wheel shafts for chariots and spear shafts as well. The wood of the holly is white and particularly fine-grained and closely resembles ivory. The berries can also be used to make dye.
HOLLY IN MAGICK
Holly can be used for spells rest, sleep, and to ease the passage of death. Holly should also be used when attracting a familiar. It is said that a man who carries a bag of holly leaves and berries will attract women. It is also said that the ancient Druids advised people to take holly boughs into their homes during the cold season as a shelter for the fairies and other little people.
HOLLY PEOPLE Those born during this month are strongly connected to the earth and can have amazing physical strength. Their matter of fact solidness and generous spirit is admired and respected by others. Holly people also tend to be very religious or spiritual in an advanced way, and they are usually the last to see it. They are honest, hardworking, truthful, and pretty tolerant of most situations. They are the person you want on your side during a fight if the cause is just one. They see both sides of an argument and will only take sides if they have to. As a magickal name, Holly is very festive and would be good for a sexy and attractive person. Someone who chooses this name knows they have a temper and can become “prickly” when crossed.
HOLLY CORRESPONDENCES Folk Names for Holly: Tinne (evergreen) Element: Earth Deities: Dana, Nuada, Gaia, Ceres, Persephone, Thor, Indra
Ogham symbol: Tinne
Tree: Holly Colors: Dark Gray Animals: War Horse Key Word: Balance
Written by CatSister/LBolotin 2010 from the following resources:
The New Book of Magickal names by Phoenix McFarland
Flower and Tree Magic by Richard Webster
treetotem.com
Good Morning Beautiful Souls, grab a cup of your favorite morning brew and start things off with “Today’s Inspirations”. I hope you find something here that will make you feel good or help you on your path today.
Blessings, Cat
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‘Tis the middle watch of a summer night–
The earth is dark, but the heavens are bright;
Naught is seen in the vault on high
But the moon, and the stars, and the cloudless sky.
-Joseph Rodman Drake (1795-1820)
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** Mercury Retrograde from June 18- July 12
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July Events & Holidays
July 1 Canada Day
July 4 Independence Day
July 4 Full “Buck Moon” at 9:44 pm PST / 10:44 pm MST
July 5 Full “Buck Moon” at 12:44 am EST
July 8 Celtic Tree Month of Holly begins
July 12 Mercury goes direct
July 20 New Moon at 10:32 am PST/ 11:32 am MST/ 1:32pm EST
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Spirit Library: Navigating With Clarity (a message from Kate Spreckley)
All around us life is shifting and changing paving the way for a new way of living and being. As a result, we are being urged to reassess and review our life and the choices we are faced with at this time.
Similar to the Roman god Mercury, Lugh was known as a god of both skill and the distribution of talent. There are countless inscriptions and statues dedicated to Lugh, and Julius Caesar himself commented on this god’s importance to the Celtic people.
Treehugger: Do Leaves Have Such Different Shapes?
By Christian Cotroneo
There’s one thing about leaves that science has long agreed upon: They only grow so big as available water allows — but not so big that the whole plant overheats.
A few years ago, I started calling myself a swamp witch when a certain mood swept over me. It could only be described as complete and utter disdain for modern society and its expectations.
Elephant Journal: 3 Steps to help us Lose the Lack Mindset & Manifest Abundance.
Many of us carry unhealed trauma like open wounds.
We feed our trauma, keeping it alive in our current reality, via our emotions. These emotions can create energy blocks that cause us to both lose money in our business, and a sense of success in our everyday lives.
Treehugger: 11 Wondrous Facts About Praying Mantises
From extreme camouflage to sexual cannibalism, these pious-looking carnivores are as exquisite as they are fearsome.
Named for their prominent front legs that fold together in a supine gesture suggesting an act of devotion, the praying mantis comes off as serene and soulful.
Tonight, look eastward during the evening hours, and it’s hard to miss the season’s signature star formation, called the Summer Triangle. Its stars – Vega, Deneb and Altair – are the first three to light up the eastern half of sky after sunset, and their bright and sparkling radiance is even visible from light-polluted cities or on a moonlit night.
________________________ Patheos-Pagan: Irish-American Witchcraft: Spiritual Titles, Terms, and Identity
Identity is an often tricky thing and something which shifts and changes during our lives, but paradoxically helps us to define who we are within ourselves and our communities. Across paganism there are a multitude of titles and terms we see applied by people and to people and these labels can both clarify and confuse our understanding of each other.
Pagan Playlist: Fluyendo – with Joshua Wenzl – LIVE by the river in Brasil
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Inner Journey:
You are complete
“Everything you need you already have. You are complete right now, you are a whole, total person, not an apprentice person on the way to someplace else.”
— Wayne Dyer
Close your eyes and imagine that everything you are is enough. You don’t need to be better or different — you’re great just as you are. Can you experience the peace and contentment that owning that perspective brings?
Moving into such total acceptance does not mean that we stop growing. When we can accept who we are now, we open the doors to our own inspiration to do and be even more!
“Wherever you are is always the right place. There is never a need to fix anything, to hitch up the bootstraps of the soul and start at some higher place. Start right where you are.”
— Julia Cameron
higherawareness.com
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A Note from the Universe
Pssst… Hey, gorgeous!
Want to know a secret?
Everything in your life is a symbol.
A reflection. A clue. A reminder.
Of what you understand, and of what you don’t, made manifest.
Look to the beauty for truth. And to what hurts, for its beauty.
Your biggest fan
The Universe
tut.com
_________________________ Today’s Recipe: Upgrade Your Holiday Fruit Salad With This Grilled Watermelon & Pineapple
Summer barbecue tables aren’t complete without a fruit salad, and though we’ve no problem with a classic bowl of chopped fresh fruit—you can do better than that.
__________________________________ Magical Correspondences for Tuesday
Tuesday (masculine)
Magickal Intentions: Courage, Physical Strength, Revenge, Military Honors, Surgery and the Breaking of Negative Spells, Matrimony, War, Enemies, Prison, Vitality and Assertiveness
Element: Fire
Incense: Dragon’s Blood, Patchouli Planet: Mars Star Signs: Aries and Scorpio Angel: Samuel Power Colors: Red and Orange Herbs & Plants: Red Rose, Cock’s Comb, Pine, Daisy, Thyme and Pepper Sacred Stones: Carnelian, Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet and Pink Tourmaline Oil: (Mars) Basil, Coriander, Ginger
Deities include Ares, Lilith, The Morrigan, Tiwaz, Tyr
Tuesday is ruled by Mars. Today’s energies align with all things masculine such as conflict, physical endurance and strength, lust, hunting, sports, and all types of competition. It can also be used for rituals involving surgical procedures or political ventures.
_________________________ Daily Wisdom July 7, 2020
Promises
“An honest man’s word is as good as his bond.”
-Cervantes (1547-1616)
When we make a promise, it is important that we keep it. When we do, then we are being true to the person we made the promise to, and also true to ourselves. Our words carry weight. And our actions have consequences. It we want to be trusted, we must be trustworthy
-Lissa Coffey
coffeytalk.com
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Daily Tarot: The World
Embrace now as a joyful day. At the start, look in the mirror and see the joy that’s already in your eyes. Work with contentment, spend quality time with friends and family, and share your love of life with every stranger you meet. You don’t have to be overbearing and surprise people with your happiness. What you truly feel will shine on its own. The little things may bring you the most joy.
astrology.com
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About Cat’s Morning Bits: These daily posts are reblogged from various email newsletters that I receive each day.
Date& Time: July 4/5 at 9:44 pm PST/ 10:44 pm MST / 12:44 EST July 5
The Farmer’s Almanac calls this moon the Buck Moon because this is the time when bucks grow new antlers. Other names for this full moon are Thunder Moon, Summer Moon (colonial ), Hungry Ghost Moon (china), Ripe Corn Moon (Cherokee), Crane Moon (Choctaw), Moon of Claiming (Celtic), Mead Moon (Medieval English), Rose Moon, Blessing Moon (pagan).
This Full Moon is in Capricorn and we will also have a lunar eclipse to add to the mix. Use the energy to rid yourself of toxic people and situations. It can also help us to find a balance between our lives and work by generating answers and ideas. The Buck Moon is a good time for divination, teamwork, and prosperity magick.
You can a little something extra to your magickal workings by using July’s herbs hyssop, lemon balm, mugwort, catnip, or leaves from ash or oak trees. You can also celebrate this month’s moon by wearing the colors blue-gray, silver or green, and adorning yourself with carnelian, citrine, moonstone, pearls, opals, or a simple white agate.
Good Morning Beautiful Souls, grab a cup of your favorite morning brew and start things off with “Today’s Inspirations”. I hope you find something here that will make you feel good or help you on your path today.
Blessings, Cat
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June Events and Holidays
June 14: Flag Day
June 20: Mid Summer/ Summer Solstice
June 20: New Moon at 11:41 pm PST
June 21: New Moon at 12:41 am MST/ 2:41 am EST
June 21 Father’s Day
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Tell you what I like the best-
‘Long about knee-deep in June,
‘Bout the time strawberries melts;
On the vines.
-James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916)
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Spirit Library: Interlude of Chaos (a message from Kate Spreckley)
Currently the energetic environment is pretty wild and stormy as all levels of our world are being purged, processed and realigned. We are being released from old patterns and limitations with circumstances pushing us to clear karma and break the chains that bind us to the past.
Today’s DIY: Make Your Own Druid’s Staff in 4 Easy Steps – Magical Tools
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ThoughtCo: Best Books for Pagan Kids in 2020
Are you a parent looking for books to read, to or with your children, that share your family’s Pagan-friendly values? A few years ago, there wasn’t a whole lot out there commercially available for kids in Pagan families, although that is certainly changing.
MBG: How To Use Movement To Break Through Repetitive Thoughts, According To Taryn Toomey
Self-care looks a little different these days. In such weird and (sorry to use the word of the hour) unprecedented times, practices that used to be nice to do every once in a while have become essential to do every day.
1. If someone is speaking to you, make sure you write down what he or she is saying immediately upon awakening. Even if what’s being said is cryptic, or seems to make no sense, it is a message from your Higher Self and needs to be heeded. If the message is in fact rather mysterious, look to other symbols in the dream to see what it actually means. If the speaker is male, then the message from your Higher Self is being filtered through your intellect, and if female, through your supportive mind (emotions and intuition).
2. If someone is speaking to you and yet you don’t hear what he or she is saying, then there is some sort of situation in your life that you don’t understand, and which you need to understand. Again, for the actual message, look to other symbols in the dream.
3. If you are the one doing the speaking, this is a dream of contrary. Again, it’s a message from your Higher Self that you need to understand. If you are giving the message to others, the message is designed not only for you, but for those close to you as well. See (1) and (2) above.
4. If you dream that you or someone else is giving a speech, this is a harbinger of increased social and professional status.
astrology.com
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Daily Good: Spell to Be Said Against Hatred
“It is especially in times of uncertainty, in tremulous times of fear and loss, that the curtain rises and the minstrel show resumes — a show of hate that can be as vicious and pointed as the murderous violence human beings are capable of directing at one another, or as ambient and slow-seething as the deadly disregard for the universe of non-human lives with which we share this fragile, irreplaceable planet.[…] How to end the mockery and the minstrel show is what poet Jane Hirshfield — one of the most unboastfully courageous voices of our time, an ordained Buddhist, a more-than-humanitarian: a planetarian — explores in “Spell to Be Said against Hatred,” a miniature masterwork of quiet, surefooted insistence and persistence.” { read more }
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Circe: The Goddess of Sorcery – (Greek Mythology Explained)
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EarthSky News: See Moon, Mars before dawn June 12 and 13
In the predawn/dawn sky these next few mornings – June 12 and 13, 2020 – use the waning moon to find the red planet Mars. Look first for the moon and that nearby brilliant “star” will be the red planet Mars. Unlike a star, which shines by its own light, Mars shines by reflecting the light of the sun. You may note that Mars shines with a steadier light than the twinkling stars.
________________________ Patheos-Pagan: Spellwork For The Overwhelmed
Feeling overwhelmed is a common refrain nowadays. In this endlessly changing world, emotions run amok during the course of a day, and even keeping to a schedule can seem insurmountable sometimes.
“When we feel stuck, going nowhere — even starting to slip backward — we may actually be backing up to get a running start.”
— Dan Millman
To change, we must go through a transition zone. It’s not easy being in transition. Thoughts, beliefs and habits are all in flux. It can create a sense of groundlessness, of being in a void that can be quite uncomfortable.
When we’re in the void, our first impulse will be to revert to old habits because they feel comfortable. Our goal is to hang in there until the change is complete. Knowing that TRANSITIONS ARE PART OF THE CHANGE PROCESS helps us muster the courage to put up with the discomfort, the uneasiness, the void.
Change requires a letting go of what we’ve always known and done to allow in something new. We need to trust ourselves and higher forces to unfold a new reality for us.
“Every positive change – every jump to a higher level of energy and awareness – involves a rite of passage. Each time to ascend to a higher rung on the ladder of personal evolution, we must go through a period of discomfort, of initiation. I have never found an exception.”
— Dan Millman
higherawareness.com
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A Note from the Universe
Report Card Day!
Here’s your Report Card from the “School of Life.”
Compassionate – A+
(gives of self, even when no one’s looking)
Intuitive – A+
(naturally gifted)
Ability to see from others’ perspectives – A+
(practically goes out of body)
Spiritually alert – A+
(aura beginning to glow)
Resilient and adaptable to unexpected change – A+
(like the Energizer Bunny)
Terminally optimistic – A+
(fast rebounder)
Exercises gratitude muscle – A+
(your cup to be refilled x 7)
Good looking – A+
(a real hottie)
Patient and kind to self – hmmmm, A
(could play a little more)
Visualizes every day…
Performs random “acts of faith” in line with dreams…
You’re amazing! Aced the very toughest courses in time and space! Now, since the last two subjects are the easiest, you get to grade yourself!
__________________________________ Magical Correspondences for Friday
Magickal Intentions: Love, Romance, Marriage, Sexual Matters, Physical Beauty, Friendship and Partnerships, Strangers and Heart Incense: Strawberry, Sandalwood, Rose, Saffron and Vanilla Planet: Venus Sign: Libra and Taurus Angel: Ariel Colors: Green, Pink, Aqua Herbs/Plants: Pink Rose, Ivy, Birch, Heather, Clematis, Sage, Violet and Water Lily
Stones: Rose Quartz, Moonstone, Pink Tourmaline, Peridot, Emerald and Jade Oil: (Venus) Cardamom, Palmarosa, Rose, Yarrow Friday belongs to Venus, and its energies are warm, sensuous, and fulfilling. Efforts that involve any type of pleasure, comfort, and luxury, as well as the arts, music, or aroma (incense and perfume), works well on this day. As Venus lends its sensuous influences to the energies of this day, use it for any magical work that deals with matters of the heart.
_________________________ Daily Wisdom June 12, 2020 Feelings
“The thoughts they had were the parents of the actions they did; their feelings were parents of their thoughts.”
-Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)
Why do we do some of the things we do? We had an idea! But where did that idea come from? At some level it came from a feeling, an intuition, an affinity that drew us toward the idea, or that created the idea. When we are in touch with our feelings, we can come up with some great ideas!
-Lissa Coffey
coffeytalk.com
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Daily Tarot: The Sun
You don’t always have this much energy, motivation, and vitality. Make the most of today, do a good job with whatever is normally on your plate, and then tackle something that touches your heart and makes your spirit sing. Be healthy and happy, and encourage everyone around you simply by setting an example. Enjoy every minute and make them all count
astrology.com
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About Cat’s Morning Bits: These daily posts are reblogged from various email newsletters that I receive each day.
Celtic Tree Month of Oak runs from June 10 -July 7.
“Under yonder oaken tree,
Whose branches oft me shaded;
Elves and fairies dance with glee,
When day’s last beam hath faded:
Then while the stars shine brightly…”
(tradional welsh air circa 1870’s)
OAK TREE LORE
Many cultures held the oak tree sacred. The Greeks and Romans viewed this tree as a symbol of power and endurance. They were associated with the Greek deities Artemis, Hecate, Zeus, and Cybele. In Rome, Jupiter and Juno were Lord and Lady of the oak, and each year the celebration of their union was held in an oak grove. The Norse god Thor was also Lord of the oak. In Scandinavia, this tree was called the “thunder tree and people kept oak branches in their homes to protect against lightning strikes. Germanic tribes and Anglo-Saxon people also honored the oak as did many Native American tribes.
The ancient Celts also held the oak sacred. To the ancient Druids, the oak was the most sacred tree in the grove. It was a powerful symbol of the wheel of the year and called the king of the forest. Groves of oak trees were considered sacred ground and to damage, an oak tree carried a penalty of death. Part of the reason that this tree was given such respect was due to the trees size, life span and it’s production of an important staple food……….acorns. The acorn is claimed to be man’s first food. Acorns are tasty and plentiful and can be eaten as they are or ground into flour. When needed they can also be fed to hogs and other animals.
The word “door” comes from the Celtic word for oak, “Duir”. Oak doors are still popular today because they are solid and long-lasting. It is also part of the bardic alphabet, Ogham. The Druids also found help for their divination and meditation rites in these groves. From the wind in the oak leaves and the birds that lived in the trees, they were said to gain great insight and be given messages from the gods. Oak groves were gathering places, where the Druids would teach students, draw strength and hold meetings, rites, and gatherings. It is also the personification of the Celtic Tree of Life as it appeared to live in lower, middle and upper worlds simultaneously. The oak tree was associated with the thunder god Taranis due to its ability to attract lightning.
OAK IN HEALING
In ancient healing practices, the oak also had its uses. Antiseptic was made from the acorns, while juice from the leave could be applied to a wound for the same purpose. A decoction from the inner bark eased a sore throat, while one from the outer bark would reduce fever. The bark itself also produces “tannin” which is important in the tanning of leather.
OAK TREE IN MAGICK In ritual and magick oak can be used for protection, stability, strength, and success. It has long been the custom to carry a piece of lightning struck oak for protection. This custom is still in use in the British Isles today. Acorns are traditionally carried for fertility and should be gathered at night for this purpose. An acorn should be planted during the dark of the Moon to bring money, and if you catch a falling oak leaf you will be free of illness all winter. Purification can be performed by burning oak leaves and oak galls or serpents eggs are powerful talismans. Since we are coming up on Litha, it is good to point out that oak logs were traditionally burned on this Sabbat.
OAK PEOPLE
People who are born during this Tree Month are generally self-motivated and determined. They also carry responsibility well. They are born leaders and know how to handle a crisis. They also tend to be a bit on the serious side but are cheerful and optimistic none the less.
For a man looking for a strong magickal name Oak is a good choice. It symbolizes strength, fertility, and majesty.
OAK CORRESPONDENCES Folk Names: Jobe’s Nuts, Tanner’s Bark and Juglans Element: Fire Deities: All Thunder Gods (Zeus, Thor, Taranis), Lugh, the Dagda, Hecate, Herne, Rhea, Cybele, Artemis, Jupiter, Juno, Dagda, Hercules, Llyr
Ogham Symbol: Duir Colors: Dark Brown and Black Animals: Lion, Salamander, Horse (white) Keyword: Protection
Written by CatSister/LBolotin 2010 from the following resources:
The New Book of Magickal names by Phoenix McFarland
Flower and Tree Magic by Richard Webster
treetotem.com
The Celtic Tree Month of Hawthorn, May 13th to June 9th.
The Tree
The origin of the word Hawthorn comes from the Anglo-Saxon “Haegthorn” which means hedge thorn. This tree grows to the size of a large shrub, it is because of this that it is popular as a hedge plant in England. It has dense branches that grow in twists and turns which makes it almost impenetrable. It also grows some pretty nasty thorns. The wood is similar to apple and burns hot. The new growth on a hawthorn is reddish and in May it sports white flowers and later in the season red berries both of which have medicinal properties. This tree has a very long life span and has been known to reach 250 yr old. The hawthorn was often called the May Tree because its fragrant white flowers bloomed in May just in time for Beltane. These flowers were used for decorating maypoles and homes for the holiday. (this custom must have come later because as you will see this tree is a good guy/bad guy tree). The flowers were also used for weddings by the Greeks and Romans who considered them lucky. On the other end of the scale, the Europeans said the hawthorn was unlucky and associated with witches. As I said good tree/ bad tree ( pretty flowers but nasty thorns) and the Irish Brehon word for this tree means “harm”.
In Healing
In healing, the flowers, leaves, and berries are used. A tonic made from the berries is said to help water retention in diabetics. The leaves and flowers can be made into a tea that helps anxiety, poor circulation, asthma, arthritis, loss of voice, and rheumatism. In Myth & Magic
In ancient times hawthorn had a double reputation. The Greeks and Romans considered them lucky while the Europeans said the hawthorn was unlucky and associated with witches. In time the flowers were used for decorating maypoles and homes for the Beltane. One interesting superstition is that the month of May is considered to be unlucky for weddings and is said to be the main reason that June weddings are so popular.
The flowers were used by the Greeks and Romans who considered them lucky at weddings. In mythology, the hawthorn plays a roll in the romantic Welsh tale of Kulhwch and Olwen. It embodies the protector of Olwens virginity, a giant called Yspaddaden. The giant is slain as the spring flowers (hawthorn) open which symbolizes summer defeating winter and the turning of the seasons. In other lore, the erotic scent of the hawthorn blossoms is said to enhance fertility and promote chastity. The ancient Turks called it “the scent of woman” and was considered an erotic symbol.
As a protective plant hawthorn was used to protect the home from lightning and negative entities and the ancient Romans believed that children were protected from evil spells if it was placed in their cradle. it could grant wishes and could be found guarding sacred wells and crossroads.
Hawthorn has long been considered a witches tree and is part of the sacred triad of oak, ash, and thorn (the three realms/ maiden, mother, crone). It is also a favorite of fairies which makes it very unlucky to cut one down or harm it in any way.
To dream of pink hawthorn flowers means happiness, but if they are white it means money. If you dream of the tree itself it means harmony among friends. As a magical name, Hawthorn is perfect for witches of either sex.
Hawthorn People
Hawthorn people are full of great ideas and tend to be multi-talented innovators. These people may also be performers in an artistic format, much like the Bards of old. They also make shrewd business people and have little patience with folks who do not take their work seriously. They can also be very protective of family and anyone they consider family.
Correspondences
Magical Properties: fertility(both male and female), protection (the thorns), prosperity, binding and cleansing, fishing magic, chastity, and fairy magic. Also Known as May Bush, Whitethorn, Bread, and Cheese Tree, Mayflower, Tree of Chastity, Gaxels
Compiled and written by Cat from the following sources:
the crystal forest
controversical.com
dutchie.org
The New Book of Magical Names, Phoenix McFarland
Cunninghams Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Scott Cunningham
Flower and Tree Magic, Richard Webster
Tree Totem.com
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