Sunday, December 19, 2010

Full Moon, Eclipse, Solstice... Oh My

Tuesday, December 21st is to be an eventful twenty-four hours, astrologically speaking. It all begins shortly after midnight EST with the commencement of a full lunar eclipse. Unlike the last few, this lunar eclipse will, cloud-cover permitting, be entirely visible from all of North America and Central America. The eclipse will peak with the moment of the Full Cold Moon in Gemini at 3:14am so rest up and make sure you have plenty of hot cocoa on hand. The moon will enter Cancer soon after at 4:22am. Meanwhile, the sun will enter Capricorn at 6:38pm and the winter solstice will also take place at the same moment. The last time a lunar eclipse took place on the same day as the winter solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere) was in 1638, the same year Louis XIV of France was born.

With so much going on, what to celebrate? The full moon in Gemini is all about communication and Cancer right on its heels encourages us to enjoy the closeness of the ones we love and appreciate the security of the home. So does the winter solstice! With all that love going around what's not to celebrate? And if you're wondering about Capricorn, it may seem like an uptight sign, but there's nothing Capricorn loves more than curling up by a warm fire on a cold evening with a steaming hot cup of something yummy.

So gather your friends, build a fire, enjoy the eclipse. This is a time for giving and sharing and for loving. If you're in the mood for magic, consider spells to encourage understanding, harmony and communication within your household and among your family and friends. There won't be a better time for another few hundred years.

Yule blessings everyone. I hope the season is full of love and joy for all.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

So Many Babies

All of a sudden it seems like everyone is having babies and I'm called upon to attand more showers than I've ever experienced. I've even got a new neice on the way, which is particularly exciting since my kids, now teenagers, were the only grandkids up till now. I may be more excited about being an auntie than I was about being a mother. But its also sort of awkward because it's been about 10 years since I've interacted with a baby in any way besides performing the occasional naming ritual. I imagine it's much like riding a bike. Anyway, in the spirit of celebration of my impending auntie-ness I would like to share some of my infant blessing ritual and my child naming ceremony, both of which I have written for friends in my Circle whose babies are not babies anymore!

As far as baby gifts go On the Day You Were Born: Book and Musical CD is my favorite. But if you're looking for something more practical. Judging from the number of dog carrying purses my sister has in her wardrobe, I a fashionable diaper bag like this JJ Cole Mode Diaper Tote Bag, Cocoa Tree and because the one thing I remember the most about being pregnant is the itchy belly, I'll toss in Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Balm. I'll probably be writing more about babies as my impending auntie status progresses.

If you are expecting a new baby, you may want to check out the Pagan Name Database.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

New Moon in Sagittarius

The moon will be in Sagittarius from Saturday, December 4th at 12:59pm EST to Monday, December 6th at 4:46pm. The new moon begins the first lunar day on Sunday, December 5th at 12:36pm EST.

This weekend I invite you to try my Get Noticed at Work Spell. It's the perfect time for it. If you are a student, this is also a great time to get to work sending out those college applications or just work on your final papers.

When the new moon is in Sagittarius, the sun is also in Sagittarius and that means Sagittarians all around are celebrating birthdays. If you're helping a Sagittarian celebrate his or her birthday, consider treating them to a night... or a whole weekend... at the casino. If you can't swing that, take them to a comedy club. Also consider slipping a scratch off lottery ticket or two into your Sagittarian's birthday card. If you want to give your Sagittarian something to unwrap, consider a desk globe or a book or video about travel. A Primate's Memoir is a fun book your Sagittarian might appreciate about a primatologist who goes to Africa to study baboons, loses his funding and spends most of the rest of his trip wandering Africa and studying the people instead.