Tonight I was communicating with some off shore Sys Admins that work in my group.  Oct 9th is an important festival in their calendar,  Dasara which commemorates the triumph of good over evil and which honors Mother Durga amongst others in their pantheon.

At the end of doing our business , I sent him the line "Jai Mata Durga" and he responded with "Jai Mata Di.

I regularly speak with these guys who are on the same team with me but who live on the other  side of the planet. They are quite interested that I understand some aspects of their faith, and honor their pantheism. Most of the other American team members know absolutely nothing about their lives and their ways.

 

The Black Moon of August 30, 2008

Nearly everyone has heard the phrase ‘Once In A Blue Moon’, referring to the rare and serendipitous occurrence of two Full Moons in a single month. Far fewer know of the Black Moon. The Black Moon, despite its sinister title, is equally lucky, but more mysterious. The Black Moon is the second New Moon in a single month. Usually about three to four years will pass between either Black or Blue Moons. The wise will make the most of the promise of the special magic the Black and Blue lunations invoke. The Black Moon opens a portal to other dimensions. It’s a time to connect with ghosts, the world of faerie and the planes of the ascended masters. Deep meditations under this cycle can bring guidance and answers on many levels. The intent is to help us all to cope with and understand the current planetary, political , cosmic and economic changes!

The August 30, 2008 Black Moon is at the 7th degree of Virgo, applying to conjoin Saturn and trine Jupiter. Serious issues involving the Earth and security are in the thoughts and hearts of many. Healing, service, animal companions, idealistic standards, communication and precision are the keynotes. The Sabian symbol is “a dance class instruction”, suggesting excellence in skill, cooperation and moving in harmony with others. The fixed star Zosma , a triple star of pale yellow and violet, hovers near a Virgo stellium involving the Sun, Moon and Saturn. The message is to rise above melancholy and altruistically consider the needs of others. Honor the greater good. Zosma does not favor the self serving. Riches and rewards will come to those who help others and are willing to grow.

The carnelian agate (health) and sapphire (peaceful love) are favorable crystals to wear or carry, colors to select for candles and wardrobe include mauve, navy, grey and lime. The aromatherapy fragrances of lavender (cheerful friends) and raspberry (anti stress) are desirable. Connect with Guardian Angel Auriel for blessings and favor.

The influence of the Black Moon stays in force until the next New Moon on September 29, 2008.

 

 The following is the bulk of a posting I made on Dawn Jacksons "Traditional Witchcraft" yahoo list. It was in response to some discussion regarding the co-option and "Dumbing down" of the concept of  Traditional Witchcraft.

 In the early 1970's, at least here in America, there were three women
who publicly identified the Craft Current they followed as Traditional
in the Pagan Press/Zines of that era.

Those three were:
Gwen Thompson in Connecticut
Bonnie Sherlock In Wyoming
Kitty Lessing in Florida

Victor Andersons people, wisely chose to eschew that particular "Name
Game" and have homegrown their own Feri/Faerie brand which is to their
credit.

This can be verified by even a casual investigation of the "Green Egg"
which was the paramount journal in circulation here in the States
during that decade.

Mikes "The Cauldron" was known about but from my experience was not
commonly subscribed to.
Mike: I'd really be interested if you had any figures you could share
on how many American subscriptions you had in a typical year circa
1970 to 1990.


Anyway, in the 1970's the Craft groups who followed the paths as set
out By Gardner and Sanders never EVER used the term Traditional or
Traditionalist. They strictly adhered to the monikers of Gardnerian,
Alexandrian, or the sometimes confusing Al-Gard for those who followed
a mixed lineage.

The self identified Traditionalists made it clear that they were a
different breed of Witch from those groups which derived from Gardners
Wica and Sanders Neo-Classical Paganism and I do not recall a single
objection to the contrary. In fact the American Traditionalists were
happily singled out as "Not Like Us" by the American Gardnerians
Alexandrians and Al-Gards.

The Traditionalists were (and still are) decidedly Old Craft and
Luciferian in both Style and Lore, something that the typical 1970's
era Witches were desperately trying to deny and live down.


Gwen Thompson and Bonnie Sherlock bonded in a vivid and prolific
correspondence relationship, which led to them both sharing their
holdings fairly freely.

Kitty Lessing tended to march to the beat of her own drum, and she
disappeared from the scene well before the onset of the 1980's decade.
(If anyone out there holds a kinship to her, feel free to contact me
off list, I have a few personal letters from her which might be
valuable assets to your archives)


Bonnie Sherlock suffered from type one diabetes and while I do not
recall the exact year of her passing, I'm quite sure it was very early
in the 1980's or in the late 1970's.
I know that there were people she trained, but if they have retained a
continuing presence I am not aware of it. (I can make the same offer
in regard to personal correspondence from Bonnie, along with my
recollections of a single visit to meet her circa 1973)

Somewhere around the mid to late 1980's, after all three of these
Ladys had exited the scene or passed on, the terms "British
Tradtional" started being usurped by The Gardnerian and Alexandrian
groups that had previously shunned it as unclean due to its perceived
diabolical connections. And thus we have the current disparity in
which American Gardnerian and Alexandrian lineage Witches call
themselves "British Traditional" while their kin in the UK do no such
thing.

In recent years I have noticed, much to my dismay, that the term
"Traditional Craft" is becoming similarly co-opted

It has been suggested to me that those who have identified as
Traditionalist since the aegis of publicly acknowledged Witchcraft in
modern America ought to now abandon that term and "move on" to
"Traditional Initiatory Witchcraft" (TIW) to which I boldly reply

BULLSHIT!

My suggestion is that they really ought to roll back to their (one C)
Wica and be happy with it. I recommend abandoning their quest to
hijack every term that seems to be du jour and thus a suitable target
for adoption.

These terms are NOT orphans, they are NOT seeking a new home!


Now all this said, I am well aware that I will probably have bruised
the feelings of many Neo Pagan Wic(c)ans whom I've befriended over the
years and for that I can only say "Deal With It"

 

Feels free to come yell at me or otherwise discuss this issue in the FORUM

 

Double eclipses and a rare Black Moon Stalk the Lion!

Astrology Forecast For August , 2008


(Solar Eclipse in the New Moon 1n Leo on Aug. 1, 2008, 6:13 AM EDT, Lunar eclipse at the Full Moon in Aquarius on August 16 at 5:10 PM EDT, The New Moon on August 30 is a rare Black Moon )

By Rev. Dr. Dikki-Jo Mullen, Astrologer

A Cosmic Promise For A Most Uncommon Time!

“The shadow of the eclipse” is a technical term astrologers use to refer to the volatile time preceding an eclipse. It is a cycle of change bringing a hint of the even greater changes to come. The end of July, 2008, definitely brought an intriguing eclipse shadow. Dr. Edgar Mitchell, former astronaut and one of only a dozen people to walk on the Moon, called a press conference at his Lake Worth, Florida home. A Virgo, born on September 17, 1930, this respected scientist and Navy officer announced that aliens (the outer space type) are definitely among us. Southern California was rocked by a major earthquake. This happened while television shows were being filmed. A genuine courtroom drama was shown on the evening news as judge, defendants and plaintiffs alike rushed for safety and cover from Judge Judy’s Courtroom. Afterward Judge Judy herself advised people to have a plan in the event of future quakes!

A glance at the ephemeris (astrologers’ reference for planetary motion) for August, 2008 brings a gasp of amazement. Cosmic patterns reveal that this month can be a rare pivotal time in the lives of many, indeed in world history itself. Looking back and forth at the two eclipses (on August 1 and August 16) which are followed by a rare Black Moon on August 30, my first instinct is to retreat to my three treasured 19th Century Farmer’s Almanacs for a moment of reflection and meditation to regain perspective and balance.

For August the 1823 “Farmer’s Almanack by Robert Thomas”

Offers a helpful observation:

“On nature’s face there’s many a smile

Which luxury and peace betoken,

It pays the labourer for the toil,

In health and joy and rest unbroken.”

August 1 is Lammastide, the ancient Celtic festival of late summer and early harvest. This year of 2008 brings a total solar eclipse at the Leo New Moon on Lammas. For those who follow the old ways the traditional observances of Lammas can bring a deep spiritual experience. The Solar eclipse conjoins Mercury showing that changing mindsets and mental attitudes, important communication, travel and education can be a focus. The Sabian symbol for the eclipse degree (9 Leo 32’) reads “Early Morning dew”. Eternal refreshment and rejuvenation, the promise of a new day’s dawn, coincide with the promise of a new month. The wise will be alert and stay on top of all that is progressive.

The two week period between August’s eclipses brings the Olympics in China. Prepare for surprise wins and losses among the athletes as well as amazing Olympic celebrations and situations. Anyone with a birthday in August can expect the start of a banner year. For everyone else, take out your horoscope and look at the natal planets in Leo and Aquarius. They are highlighted and will be very active in your life.

The lunar eclipse on August 16 is at 24 degrees Aquarius 21 minutes. It conjoins Neptune which is in mutual reception with Uranus. Both planets rule aliens as well as unusual weather. More evidence of Dr. Mitchell’s claims as well as seismic and storm activity are likely near this date. Creative and spiritual breakthroughs for those involved in the mystic arts, music, film or visual arts can occur. The Sabian symbol is “A watch dog standing guard”. Hold onto and protect that which you treasure, the symbol hints . Integrity, strength and devotion will lead to success.

As August ends Venus and Mercury will join Mars in Libra. Social contacts, teamwork and appreciation of beauty in all forms will be accented. It’s an optimum time to assemble a medicine bag of crystals, for Libra has a special link with gemstones. The Black Moon (the very rare second New Moon in a single month) will be at 7 Virgo 48’, 3:58 pm EDT on August 30. The Black Moon is fey and mysterious, insights can come, there is an awareness of finer perceptions. The Virgo influence encourages breakthroughs in healing.

What Does August Mean To You?

Many years ago I had a fascinating experience at the exploratorium in San Francisco. I found myself standing in front of a small cloud chamber watching a most incredible miniature light show. The Cloud Chamber is a sealed environment containing a supercooled, supersaturated water or alcohol vapour and which detects and makes visible electrically charged particles moving through it.

 Larger Image here:

Looking inside I could see the swirling real time tracks forming and trailing away in full three dimensional goodness. I was struck that if these invisible particles were penetrating the space in front of me then they were also penetrating the space inside of me. Inside my gut, inside my heart, inside my brain. There it was for the eye to see. Cosmic interplay that is older than life, older than consciousness, older than everything we can conceive of. Straight lines and Spirals combining in an orgasmic sigilic frenzy. Are their paths fated ? Is this the order in chaos? Is it an illusion, a clever trick of some power unknown to our comprehension? I don't know but I think it is some kind of clue to things we as Witches pursue. This blog entry came about via the catalyst of a posting in our forum in the "Musings on our Arte - 2008" thread.

 

Due to a schedule that was very densely packed with things to do, places to go and people to see combined with very limited network access I was not able to blog directly during my recent pilgrimage to the Blessed Isles. Since returning I have been navigating the accumulated work load that awaited me along with the obligatory parting gift of a nasty cold picked up in that toxic petri dish called Heathrow. However this seems like as good a time as any to write up my experiences for the blog.

We arrived In London on the morning of the 28^th (Greenwich Time) and picked up our rental vehicle ready to head out and encounter the wonders of the landscape on our way to Wales. The two main items on the agenda were the White Horse of Uffington and the Roman remains in Bath. We would be lead on our quest by the tutelary spirit of the rented Satellite Navigator “Tom Tom”, which was a strange name considering the voice which came forth was decidedly female. Being a devotee of my Magellan unit back home, I quickly found that Tom Tom did not respond readily to the invocations and spells I was already familiar with. It was necessary to delve into the 93 page Grimoire (User Manual) that purported to reveal arcane secrets for the proper prayers and mudras required to get “Tom Tom” to communicate in a comely form. Fortunately the 93 pages were actually only three real pages of instructions printed in 31 different languages. Unfortunately the three real pages of instructions weren't very much help at all. So we lumbered on and managed to elicit directions to Uffington itself, but we were on our own as to how best to get to the horse. This is where experience with being “fairy led” comes in handy, and we managed through a serious of totally coincidental moves to find a car park designed to the bustling traffic of visitors thankfully to find we were the only ones. I guess Friday Morning isn't exactly peak traffic time at the White Horse. It quickly became obvious that the vantage point from the car park was designed to discourage walking out the the chalk figure itself and I allowed my mind to range a bit and became convinced that we should consider driving up the road some more and see what that offered.

 

Two weeks from today I will be winging my way across the Atlantic for a long overdue UK visit. The first week of the trip will be spent in Wales and then down in the south western countryside. This will be  my first visit to the Witchcraft Museum in Boscastle and then we will wind our way back to London stopping in Glastonbury and Cerne Abbas. The dollar is in the tank but a Witch has got to do what a Witch is gonna do. It has been over twelve years since my last "Somerset Fix" and I'm ready to soak up some of the magickal mist that can only be found in Avalon. I also need to replenish my supply of sacred well water.

My excuse for not posting a blog entry in weeks isthat I've been super busy with planning and preparation not to mention trying to get the load of my "Day Job" managed so that I can relax while I'm away. It's no vacation if you have to work three times as hard for a month after you return!

I'll have a laptop with me and hope to be able to post pictures along the way.

Eastward - HO!!!!

Follow this link to the Forum Posting

 

 In recent weeks I have been busy converting some old taped Music to MP3 format. The prime project that I have been working with is a tape I made of my friend Gwydion Pendderwens performance at the Pan Pagan festival of 1980.

The first tape I was trying to convert was apparently a copy I had made of the original and when I found that actual original tape I was surprised to find that it also contained a tape of Gwydion and some unknown associates performing a short piece that seems to have been lost to the record of Gwydions work. That piece is titled "The Rite Of Summer" and was published in booklet form sometime around that summer of 1980. I know I have the booklet (Autographed no less!) somwhere in my paper archives and I will definitly be looking to dig it up soon. But meanwhile I ripped the performace from Cassette to MP3 and it is now up in the MP3 player.

(You must be registered and logged in to access the MP3 player)

The sound quality of the original was very poor, this performance was done outside at a camping ground only a stones throw from a major highway and considering the state of technology at the time it is amazing that it came out as good as it did.

I had to run the MP3 through some severe filtering to suppress the ambient noise - and I'm not a professional sound engineer - so it's the best I could do. But this is a historical audio document that has now surfaced for the first time in over 25 years. I hope you enjoy it.

Follow this link to the Forum Posting

In 1972 Robin Williamson released "Myrrh", his first solo effort after the demise of "The Incredible String band".

One track stands out as a complete departure from anything you have ever heard before or since. Many ballads tell us tales of the Fairys and Fairy abduction, but for the most part they tell their story from the perspective of the Humans involved and it is the Fairys who purloin Human victims. 'The Dancing of the Lord of Weir' turns that script on it's head and tells us the tale of how a local Noble, The Lord of Weir, steals a Fairy Princess away to his castle keep and how her Fay Kin rescue her from bondage.

 Follow the link back to our Forum where I have posted a copy of this fascinating  song and it's Lyrics. You won't be sorry you did. This is a very different kind of Fairy tale.

< Follow this link to the Forum Posting

It's that big Gray button that says "MP3 Player" over on the right hand side. Go ahead - click it!

 Whats that? You don't see it ? Well - You have to be registered!

 Detailed playlist info is in the Forum.

Needless to say - I highly recommend that  you all chase these artists down and beg them to sell you their wares. I did!