Witchy Wednesday — Full Moon in Virgo

 

A full moon in Virgo will occur tomorrow, Thursday, March 1.  (March 1 at 8:51 pm EST (New York), and 5:51 pm PDT (Los Angeles) March 2 at 12:51 am UT London)

According to numerologists, this is a very special full moon. It is an opening to the  11:11 Portal. How do they figure this?  Well, first of all, 2018 is an ’11’ year. This is because when we add the numbers we get 11.  2+0+1+8 =11. Also, this full moon will occur  at 11 degrees of Virgo, giving us a double 11.

Eleven is considered a sacred number in Hermetic arts. Eleven is the portal. See how it looks like a door with two pillars? 1    1   🙂

I always say eleven is the elf number, it sounds like “Elfin” . If you start seeing a lot of elevens, rest assured the elves are watching.

Even Nigel Tufnel from Spinal Tap knew that eleven was special! 🙂

 

When a lot of elevens start showing up in astrology and numerology it is a clue for us that the season is ripe to begin new things. We can go forward with confidence. New enterprises will work out if we act out of love.

This moon also happens to be the third consecutive Full Moon at 11 degrees.  We had one in January and also in February. Three is also a sacred and magical number. (You may remember, in fairy tales they grant 3 wishes, 3rd time is a charm, count to three, Ready Set, Go, etc!) Three is a number of power and opportunity. In Tarot, three is the Empress which symbolizes power, fertility and abundance.

Virgo is an Earth sign, known for purity, kindness and empathy as well as health care and pragmatism. Now is a good time to connect with mother earth, and take care of our bodies, focusing also on the mind and spirit connection.  Virgo is a meticulous, detail oriented sign which tends to give special attention to the HERE and NOW. For this reason, we are encouraged to  be spontaneous and live in the present moment.

Many numerologists are advising: “LIVE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT AND YOU WILL FULFILL YOUR GREATEST POTENTIAL.”

Virgo is ruled by Mercury, which is the planet of communication. Now is also a good time to communicate however you see fit, whether it be through writing, conversation, technology, social media, etc.  It is a good time to catch up with old friends, have heart to heart talks and spend time with loved ones.

We can use our craft to manifest things through spells of  spontaneity.  Sometimes it is good to act out of impulse rather than customs or traditions. So witches, mix up your spells, try new ideas, follow your heart. The Universal 11 says we can’t go wrong!

My advice?

Here is world-renowned Numerologist Tanya Garbielle to give some great insights into this full moon. Hope you like it!

 

 

 

 

My Bloody Valentines: Romulus, Valentinus and Al Capone

Valentine’s Day is not all hearts and flowers and Fanny Mae.  But you probably already knew that.  The origins and subsequent ‘celebrations’ of St. Valentine’s Day have lent themselves to some pretty gory stuff. How did romance and sentimentality get intertwined in it? Well…

“The course of true love never did run smooth.”   — William Shakespeare

Grab some chocolates and read on to discover some origins of this strange but beloved holiday.

All Roads Lead To Rome

The ancient Romans had a holy day called Lupercalia, traditionally celebrated on February 15.  This was the original feast upon which St. Valentine’s Day is  based.  Shakespeare’s famous play ‘Julius Caesar’ actually begins on Lupercalia. Soldiers  Flavius and Marullus  need to set up extra security, due to masses of reveling people:

FLAVIUS:  Hence! home, you idle creatures get you home: 
Is this a holiday?…

 MARULLUS:  You know it is the feast of Lupercal.

The real trouble, of course, will come a month later, at the Ides of March with the murder of Caesar. But Lupercal serves as foreshadowing.  Trouble in the streets, bloodshed inevitable.

What exactly was the feast of Lupercal?  There are, reportedly, a few different origins. Part of the celebration was in tribute to the goddess Juno, the patron of marriage and fertility.

Activities involved a lottery in which young girls’ names were written on slips of paper and thrown into jars to be picked out by the boys. The chooser and chosen would then be partnered for the duration of the  Lupercalia festival. If you liked  your partner, great. But if not, you were stuck.

The celebrations then continued in honor of  Faunus or Pan, the god of shepherds.  He  represented fertility and the beginnings of spring. It was also a dedication to Lupa, the she-wolf. Legend has it that Lupa acted as a pseudo mom to the infant orphans, Romulus and Remus, suckling them from birth.  Romulus and Remus grew up to be bad asses and also were the founders of Rome.  Hence, the feast day was called Lupercalia, or ‘Wolf Festival’.

Lupercalia was a wild and reckless time.

The festival rites were conducted by an organization called Luperci — the ‘brothers of the wolf’. They were the high priests of Pan. The festival began with the sacrifice of two male goats and a dog. Next, two young priests were led to the altar, to be anointed on their foreheads with the sacrificial blood, which was wiped off the bloody knife with wool soaked in milk.  (Interestingly, sheep and milk play an important role in the feast of Imbolc.)

Next – the fun part! The Luperci guys cut throngs from the skins of the animals. Interestingly, the goat throngs were called ‘februa’ — hence our month “February”. They then ran through the streets dressed only in goat skins and chased women, trying to hit them with the februa.

It may not have been as violent as it seems.  Girls and young women would willingly line up to be touched by the februa which had magical powers and was thought to ensure fertility. The practice was therefore popular among women who were trying to get pregnant.

Shakespeare’s play has a reference to this belief as well.   Caesar instructs Marc Antony to touch his wife Calpurnia with the throng:

CAESAR (to Calpurnia):  Stand you directly in Antonius’ way,
When he doth run his course. Antonius!

ANTONY:  Caesar, my lord?

CAESAR:  Forget not, in your speed, Antonius,
To touch Calpurnia; for our elders say,
The barren touched in this holy chase,
Shake off their sterile curse.

My Bloody Valentinus

How did the rowdy feast of Lupercalia become Saint Valentine’s Day?

The real Saint Valentine  — aka Valentinus — was a conscientious 3rd century bishop.

During the reign of Claudius II, the Roman empire was on a decline due to oppression from the Gauls, Slavs, and other forces attempting to overthrow Rome. Claudius needed all the power he could get for his armies, and felt that married men could  not possibly be good warriors.  So he made marriage illegal.  Valentinus, an advocate for human rights, would have none of this! Valentinus took it upon himself to perform secret marriages in opposition to the emperor’s laws.  He was eventually arrested and sentenced to death.

But it wasn’t that simple.  As fate would have it – Valentinus fell in love with the jailer’s daughter during his confinement.  Before his death, Valentinus  is said to have asked for a quill and paper. He wrote a farewell letter to his sweetheart from the jail and signed ‘From Your Valentine’. The expression stuck! 🙂

Linked together, the traditions all seem suspiciously similar. A lottery of valentines, the deliberate pairing of men and women, a celebration of fertility, a connection of death and love.

Valentinus was executed as a Christian martyr on February 14, 270 AD.  The figure of Saint Valentine was eased in as Christianity spread through the Roman Empire. Around 500 AD, Pope Gelasius officially declared February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day, ending the Lupercalia celebration for good.

The Birds and the Bees

During the age of chivalry and courtly love, the St. Valentine’s tradition began to take on a more romantic meaning. In the Middle Ages, Valentine began to be celebrated as a heroic and romantic figure amongst people in England and France.

Remember Geoffrey Chaucer? We all get a dose of him in high school and he is often called the ‘Father of the English language’.  But he did more than write the Canterbury Tales.  UCLA medieval scholar Henry Ansgar Kelly, author of  Chaucer and the Cult of Saint Valentine, credits  Chaucer as the one who first linked St. Valentine’s Day with romance.

In medieval France and England it was believed that birds mated on February 14. Hence, Chaucer used the image of birds as the symbol of lovers in poems dedicated to the day. In Chaucer’s The Parliament of Fowls, the royal engagement, the mating season of birds, and St. Valentine’s Day are related:

“For this was on St. Valentine’s Day, When every fowl cometh there to choose his mate.”

Gangsta Love

In Chicago we have our own version of the day of love, commemorated by the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.  On this day in 1929, famous gangster Al ‘Scarface’ Capone staged a shoot out against his rival and fellow bootlegger, George ‘Bugs’ Moran. It was an ingenius plan.

Slick Al Capone had his men pose as police officers, complete with uniforms and billy clubs. They then infiltrated a garage on Chicago’s north side which was a base of Moran’s operations. In the name of the law, they lined Moran’s men against the wall, pulled their tommy-guns and aimed. What resulted was the bloodiest annihilation in gangster history.

It is still a bit of a mystery as to why Capone chose Valentine’s Day to stage his greatest hit. Or perhaps it was very deliberate.

Astonishingly, the weasely Al Capone was never convicted of the murders. Later, however, he was captured and sent to the then maximum-security prison of Alcatraz. His crime?  Income tax evasion!

On this Valentine’s Day, count your blessings and share the love!

Happy Birthday Elizabeth of York

 

Elizabeth of York (known to some as the White Princess) was technically the very first queen of the infamous Tudor dynasty.  She was born on this day, February 11, 1466, and, ironically, also died on this day, February 11, 1503.

Young Elizabeth had a lot going for her.  Besides the royal bloodline, she was, by all accounts, beautiful, intelligent, kind, empathetic and well mannered.

She was the oldest daughter of King Edward of York and his wife Elizabeth Woodville. Elizabeth’s father had come to power after many hard fought battles with his cousins the Lancasters. Edward’s reign issued in a period of peace and prosperity. When he died unexpectedly in 1483, a new game of thrones would ensue, complete with evil plots and bloody battles as the Lancasters and Yorks once again strove for power.

Elizabeth was only seventeen when her father died. Her younger brother Edward, just thirteen, then became king. However, their Uncle Richard (Richard III) exercised his power as Lord Protector of the Realm and had Edward and his younger brother Richard (second heir) put away in the Tower of London for “safe keeping”.  What happened to the two York princes remains a mystery to this day.  Neither boy was ever heard from again. It is commonly thought that Richard had them murdered.

In 1674, workmen at the Tower discovered a box containing two small skeletons. Those are thought to be the bones of the princes.

Richard then took the throne for himself. He did not keep it for long. Henry Tudor, a Welshman from a royal but illegitimate bloodline, also had kingly ambitions. He waged war. Richard III was defeated and lost his life at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

Henry Tudor then became King Henry VII.  He knew it would be prudent to unite his house with York and asked for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage. Young Elizabeth then found herself in the rather awkward position of being a York heir, yet pulled into the Lancaster-Tudor stronghold, most likely against her own will.

The marriage, however, proved to be a happy one.

Elizabeth gave birth to eight children. The most notorious of these was of course King Henry VIII. He continued the dynasty and also fathered a rather strong tempered little girl, also named Elizabeth, who would  never marry, but would come to rule England for almost fifty years.

You guessed it! Bess the Virgin Queen was Elizabeth’s granddaughter.

Elizabeth of York was a hands-on mother, unusual at the time for women of her status. She insisted upon having much domestic time with her children and often brought them to her palace at Eltham.  Although she left behind a great legacy, Elizabeth of York only lived to be thirty seven years old. She died of an infection on Feb. 11, 1503, just days after giving birth to her last daughter Katherine. The baby died too.

In 2012, the Vaux Passional, an illuminated manuscript that was once the property of Henry VII, was rediscovered in the National Library of Wales. This manuscript gives us insight into the strong bonds between Elizabeth and her family.  It depicts Elizabeth’s death, with a saddened Henry VII in mourning garments. In the background, an 11-year-old King Henry VIII’s red head is shown weeping into the sheets of his mother’s empty bed. His two sisters wear black mourning veils.

Fun Facts:

• After her father’s death, teenage Elizabeth went to live with her Uncle Richard.  It is rumored they developed a romantic relationship, and Richard planned to marry her. Richard himself denied this, and sent his niece away after the death of his wife, perhaps to end further rumors.

• She loved music and dancing — a trait that was perhaps passed on to her granddaughter Queen Elizabeth I.
• She was extremely fond of greyhound dogs and kept several of them at her residence in Eltham Palace.

• Elizabeth’s grandmother, Jaquetta of Luxembourg, was rumored to have been a witch — a bloodline which was passed down to her daughter Elizabeth Woodville and hence Elizabeth of York. The women are said to have used their witchy powers to keep their various dynasties afloat.

• She is thought to be the queen in the poem “Song of Sixpence”. The rhyme goes: “The king was in his counting house, counting out his money; The queen was in the parlour, eating bread and honey.” In real life, Henry VII was shrewd with money and Elizabeth was preoccupied with domestic work, meals and children, so maybe it is true.
• Pre-raphaelite artist Valentine Cameron Prinsep even painted this 1860 depiction of Elizabeth as “the queen in the parlour”!

• Her flower symbol became a red and white rose. Red represented  the House of Lancaster and white represented the House of York.  This, the Tudor rose, is still a floral symbol of England.

• Remember the knaves painting roses from white to red in Alice in Wonderland? You guessed it! This was  not just some silly whim of author Lewis Carroll,  but actually based upon the rival Houses of Lancaster and York.  (“Off with their heads” was not far behind.)

Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

 

 

 

Six Word Story (Snowstorm)

 

Tending to shovels

 

dreaming of angels.

 

 

 

 

 

Honoring Imbolc

 

The celebration of Imbolc is always a bit of a puzzle.   Here in the Midwest, at the beginning of February we are still in winter’s deep freeze, with plenty more snow on the way.

And yet. There has to be some hope of spring.  Enter Imbolc, the cross quarter fire festival that should help motivate us. This festival is often underplayed and really shouldn’t be. We all need a pick me up from winter doldrums. And besides, it is also a help to anyone suffering from post-Christmas depression 🙂

What It Is

The word ‘Imbolc’ (pronounced ‘immolk’ – silent b) literally means ‘Ewe’s milk’.  It also can mean ‘In the belly’.  Thus Imbolc traditionally marks the lambing season, the laying of seed, pregnancies (both physical and metaphysical) and new beginnings.

Imbolc is like a breath of fresh air, the very first stirrings of spring that help get us through the leftover dark days.  Imbolc marks the midway point between Yule and Ostara, a cross-quarter Sabbat.  It is celebrated on February 1^st and 2^nd. 

The goddess of Imbolc is Brighde (pronounced ‘Breed’. Also called Brigid or Bride.)  She is a fire goddess of spring and fertility.  The goddess Brighde was apparently so well loved that the Christians adopted her as Saint Bridget.  Bridget of Kildare is a patron saint of Ireland.  Her feast day is  (you guessed it!)  Feb. 1.   Bridget is, interestingly, also the patron saint of milk maids, dairy farmers and midwives.

The goddess Brighde rules in unison with the winter crone Cailleach.  (Pronounced  ‘Kay-lek’.)  Cailleach (also called The Blue Hag) rules from Samhain till Beltane.  Brighde and Cailleach are thought to be opposite representations of the same entity.  February 2^nd is sort of a stand off – Cailleach is still in power for winter, but Brighde is making her presence known through tiny stirrings, underground bulbs, sap inside trees and pregnant ewes.

Legend has it that on February 2^nd Cailleach takes a walk through the forest at sunrise.

If Cailleach wants to prolong the winter, she will make a bright sunny day – a teaser of sorts – to remind people that, while she may allow a bit of sun, she is still in control of winter darkness. Thus we are granted one day of reprieve, but watch out – cold days will follow.   Alternately, Cailleach may choose to  make February 2nd gray and sunless.  This (confusingly!) means she will send an early spring.

Cailleach’s method serves to remind us, nothing is as it appears to be. In fact, things are often the opposite of what they seem.

Groundhogs, Candles and Farmers

This story might sound familiar.  You may recall the ground hog.  Punxsutawney Phil. Yeah him!

If he sees his shadow on the morning of February 2nd,  indicating a sunny day, we are in for six more weeks of winter.  If he does not see his shadow, spring will come early.

The Christian feast of Candlemas also is celebrated on February 2nd.  Candlemas commemorates the day Jesus was brought into the temple for presentation and purification, according to Jewish tradition.  Some people believe this was the church’s version of Imbolc, Jesus being the Light of the world, and candles representing that light.

Interestingly, farmers seemed to have had their own ideas about the Cailleach/ ground hog prediction:

“If Candlemas day be sunny and bright, winter will have another flight; if Candlemas day be cloudy with rain, winter is gone and won’t come again.”

 — Farmer’s Proverb

Anyone who lives in the Midwestern United States knows that no matter WHAT happens on February 2^nd,  we are in for six more weeks of winter.  Maybe more.  Forget Cailleach and Punxsutawney Phil.  Winter is long, snow-covered, devastating and cold.  Period. Nonetheless, we can celebrate Imbolc to help us perk up.

Celebrating

What can we do to honor Imbolc?

Imbolc is a festival of light, and candles should  be included in any altar. White candles are great, as they signify purity.  Some other traditional symbols of Imbolc are:  white feathers, the  swan and snowdrop flowers.

Traditional colors are white, blue and lavender.  For stone circles, use milky quartz, moonstone, lapis, turquoise and amethyst.  Amethyst is the birth stone of February, great for maintaining inner strength and developing intuition.

Imbolc is also a great time to plant an indoor herb garden. Basil, dill and lavender can be started inside in bio-degradable planters.  Later, after the last frost, the planters can be moved outside to begin your spring garden.

On February 2^nd  take a walk in nature.  Notice the emerging greenery, even though most of it will be hidden.  Pay homage to Cailleach and Brighde.  Set intentions for personal goals and growth as the new year continues to unfold.

Oh yeah, and you can always watch ‘Groundhog Day.’  In this thought provoking movie, Bill Muray gets stuck in a time warp, reliving the same day over and over.

 

Not only is this movie hilariously funny, but it helps us realize – it’s never too late to change, to begin again, or even to start the day over.  Until we get it right 🙂

Happy Imbolc!