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Neptune goes Retrograde in Pisces at 3 degrees , June 3, 2012 6:57 pm EDT Neptune can be very confusing at times, regardless of the Sign it sits. Conflict and Chaos can be obvious. However, when Neptune goes retrograde, it seems like the fog lifts and we can think more clearly of situations at hand. We can see and understand our immediate circumstances. As a Planet of Clairvoyance in Pisces, we begin to see the Light more clearly. Our instincts become more tuned in. Lifting the fog when retrograde, increases this energy. Enjoy the mystical senses of retrograde Neptune in Pisces. Go with your gut instincts!! ? Eclipsed Full Moon…

History of Litha (MidSummer) Also known as Summer Solstice, Litha, Alban Hefin, Sun Blessing, Gathering Day, Feill-Sheathain, Whit Sunday, Whitsuntide, Vestalia, Thing-tide, St. John’s Day In addition to the four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year, there are four lesser holidays as well: the two solstices, and the two equinoxes. In folklore, these are referred to as the four ‘quarter-days’ of the year, and modern Witches call them the four ‘Lesser Sabbats’, or the four ‘Low Holidays’. The Summer Solstice is one of them. Litha is usually celebrated on June 21st, but varies somewhat from the 20th to the 23rd, dependant upon the Earth’s rotation around the Sun. According…

Waverly Hills        A haunting is often brought on by trauma and what place sees more trauma than a hospital?  During the early 1900’s there was an outbreak of the very contagious, tuberculosis, also known as “white death”.  With no cure available at the time, the disease would claim entire families.  One of the highest death rates was in Louisville, Kentucky.  In 1910 a hospital was built on a hill in Jefferson County with hopes of combating the disease.  The hospital quickly became overcrowded, and in 1924 a new structure was started.  Two years later in 1926, Waverly Hills Sanatorium was opened.       Though considered very advanced for its…

Adventures with Oregon Grape Root Last March I was lucky enough to participate in a local two day medicinal plant class which included a day long hike through some lushly forested private land. We spent much of the day learning to identify wild edible and medicinal plants with a special activity planned by our guide: harvesting Oregon Grape root for tincture.   Oregon Grape root (Mahonia spp) grows abundantly here in the Pacific Northwest and can be found not only in forests, but in urban neighborhoods, as well, where it is often used for landscaping. The two most common varieties seen here are Mahonia nervosa or dull Oregon Grape, a…

Respect   Ah, June! Summer at last. The height of energy pulses through everything. Summer Solstice and Father’s Day show up on our calendars. How does our value of Respect fit in with, at the very least, these two occasions?   Let’s look at how respect shows up in our daily lives. It definitely seems to me that respect is an old fashioned notion when I watch the news or just go out into my community. Good grief, were these people raised in a barn? I can hear my grandmother say this very phrase.   Perhaps. As a parent, I hear kids talk back to their parents with no repercussions.…

Child of the Sun     In the Northern Hemisphere, the temperature is rising.  As the days become warmer, many of us begin to revert to the practices of the ancients.  We once again become sun-worshippers.  We lather pleasant smelling lotions on our skins and offer ourselves up to the Sun God.  We bask in His glory and offer Him outrageous acts of worship (waterskiing, anyone?).  As our skin begins to darken, we come to resemble desert peoples so, I offer one of the desert’s greatest Sun Gods, Horus. Background and History The history of Horus, the Great Falcon, is jumbled to say the least.  The name we call him…

Yarrow: For Health, Love and Wisdom To bring to me my true loves’ name To heal my wounds and ease my pain For courage and protection spells Divining rights at ancient wells For all this favor I beseech, Tis’ yarrow’s powers that I seek   Yarrow, a perennial herb, has lovely fernlike foliage containing soft wisps of hair- type follicles. It flowers from mid-summer to autumn, displaying clusters of white, yellow, lilac or deep burgundy petals resembling tiny daisies. A prolific plant, yarrow has the ability to spread underground shoots as well as seed itself, often leaving some gardeners to consider it a weed. If one is willing to spend…

Growing Up   What do we want to be when we grow up?   That is a very loaded question.  First, it assumes that any of us want to grow up, and, frankly, I have not met a lot of Pagans that think growing up in the traditional sense is a good thing.  Having rules, being serious, acting deliberately, and losing your sense of wonder at the world are all generally accepted parts of what it means to “grow up” in our society.  Unfortunately they are pretty much diametrically opposed to the polytheistic, fun-loving, world-embracing, and spontaneous Pagan movement.  Second, its worth commenting on the individual pieces of the sentence. …

Well it is that time of year again, the gardens have been plowed, seeds have been sown and are now poking through the ground; and while all this is happening insects are finding themselves a smorgasbord of tender little goodies to feast upon. That being said, in order to deter these little creatures and keep our food safe I have found a few holistic pest remedies I would like to share that really work and do not put our families, pet’s or gardens at risk… Garlic Oil Spray 15 cloves of minced garlic 2 tsp. mineral oil 2 2/3 C. water 1t. liquid dish soap Soak garlic in mineral oil…

A Celtic Midsummer with the Druids Entering the second month of the summer season, it is slowly becoming apparent that nature is now  in full swing. The sun is rising early to greet the world; the birds are singing their daily Acapella and the earth is blooming in the sun’s warm rays, providing a luscious and fertile landscape that is always a wonder to behold at this time of year. For the Celts, too, this was a time of great celebration. The health, prosperity and fertility that were called upon in previous rites and sabbats would have started to exhibit its arrival by now. The pastoral culture would give thanks…