It's a long flight from here to the Moon for just a wee Crow!

The moon will be in her fullness on the 5th of March at approximately 1:05 p.m. est.  This moon will be of interest for a few reasons.  

1.  She will be at her furthest point from earth of the year.  The Crow Moon will be about 30,000 miles farther away from earth, than say the Super Moon which will next occur on September 28 of this year.  Scientist call this moon the Micro Moon or Mini Moon.  In this state the moon tends to exert less of a gravitational pull than in its closer state.  The spiritual result offers a chance to pull latent emotional baggage from the closet of your psyche, open it, and process through it piece by piece.  

2.  While different cultures have different names for this full moon, I like the Crow Moon, this full moon is in Virgo and ruled by Venus and Saturn.   The Sun at this time is in the star of Archernar, a very happy and strong position in the tail of the great mother Bear, or "the rivers end".  This will be a perfect time to recognizer the completion of goals and to set your intentions for the next three months.

Therefore as is always  the case in our beautiful universe, balance will ultimately be had, though we may feel a bit OOB for a moment.  Be mindful that being in this heavenly locale, in the Mars Nature, can heighten some emotions and tempers.  No dire warning just be mindful.  Count to ten before responding to a sticky situation and if you can stop yourself skip chiming in regarding volatile issues on social media. 

In the past this would be when young folks would begin training and learning about the stars and the connection between the earth (crops, food and resource gathering), Air (the gods, goddesses and ancestral magic), Fire (the Stars, the Sun and fatherly influences), and Water (emotions, magic, maternal aspects).  This now sometimes is refereed to as “A year and a day” training.

My recommendations during this time are:

• This is the perfect time to re set your altars, or begin a new altar schedule.  The intent set during this phase will continue to magnify over the coming months and the altars will vibrate more noticibly and work done on these holy spaces will appear to magnify   

• If you have been contemplating reaching out to an old friend or revisiting a hobby or interest from the past, now is the time to do this.  Those true connections in your life are timeless, and any issues causing the lull in the friendship or constant involvement are washed away during this time.  So pick up the phone and call your old BFF

• Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are moving toward the spring season, it would behoove us to do our own spiritual spring cleaning.  Do you have a book or books you picked up you have been meaning to read, if so now is the time.  Any magical tools or jewelry, this would be a good time to cleanse them and place them under the rays of the moon.  

As always if you have any questions Text, Call or Message me! 

To my Year and a Day folks, the riddle is in the content of this post, See you soon! 

Blessed Lammas

Lammas day (Lughnasadh) is one of the four main festivals of the year, The BIG four include: Imbolc at the beginning of February, Beltane on the first of May, Lughnasadh or Lammas in August and Samhain in November. Lughnasadh marked the beginning of the harvest season, the ripening of first fruits, and was traditionally a time of community gatherings, market festivals, horse races and reunions with distant family and friends.  With those who are of Celtic descent, in rural america, Lammas was one of the primary holidays of the traditional year.  It was the time when families and communities would begin to earnestly prepare for the winter months.  It is believed that this is the time of the year that many of the kingdoms in the “other realms”, transition power.  It is said that this is the time to make your petitions known to the spirits of the woods, for they are more generous on Lammas.  

Traditionally it has been seen as the time when the Oak King (Oak representing strength, growth orientation and determination) relinquishes power to the Holly King who will rule from Aug 02 until Yule on December 21. The first half of the year is recognized as a time of growth and forward momentum, motivated by the ritual of Suspension on Dec. 21. But on Aug 02 the male energy changes and symbolically the Holly King (Holly being a parasitic plant grows and is maintained with the strength of its host, in this case the momentum gathered in the first half of the year motivated by your suspension, sacrifice and inclusion) takes over. Now is the time to allow yourself to relax and go with the flow. Allow all your hard work of the beginning of the year to move you forward, enjoy the harvest. The challenge for most of us is to get off the push wheel and get into the cart allowing the momentum to carry us through the rest of the year.

In more modern and urban world, it is still important to honor the old traditions as truth is truth and the only thing that changes are the seasons.  So if you would like to honor and recognize this very old spoke in the wheel of the year, here are some ideas.  

1.  Reset your altar to recognize and honor the God Lugh, granter of success and mover between worlds.  You may do this for a temporary time changing it back after the holiday is over.  

2.  To your ability, climb a mountain or a hill.  This has several reasons, one of the primary ones is the symbolism of your climb during the year and the reaping of the benefits of your hard work.  When you do so take time to sit and listen, look and take in the vibrations of the moment.  Leave the locations exactly as you found it, when you get home write about your experience in your shadows or mirrors.

3.  Make or buy a grain product, like a gingerbread man, corn bread or cookie, shape into the form of a person.  Offer to the gods and goddesses, then consume the food.  Envision any and all things in your life that no longer serve your better good being processed through the universe and going on to places that better serve them as well 

4.  Drink, as you are able, a small glass of red wine and as you do envision all good things coming to your, all your hopes dreams and the results of your hard working coming to pass.  Offer thanks to the universe for its infinite good.  

5.  If you have it, place mugwort on your door.  This serves as a protection, a blessing and an offering.  

6.  At the end of the day light a white candle, and burn sandalwood incense.  While you do this spend time sending positive energy and thoughts to those who need it.  Take the focus away from yourself and shine the universal spotlight on those who are in need.  
7.  Make a wicker man and symbolically offer any of the obstacles you have endured during the past year to the universe.  My tradition does not burn the effigy, we bury it.  Some traditions use beltane as the time to do this and that is perfectly fine.  

Remember, it is the intent of your spiritual work that matters.  If your tradition does not call for any of these things either amend them or do them anyway, stepping outside your spiritual box can be empowering and freeing.  

May you and yours be blessed during this time of the harvest, may you be surrounded by protective spirits and may your journey be easy.  

Blessed Lammas 

Altars, Spiritual Giants and the Cookie Monster

One of the primary aspects of my spiritual life is and always has been Altar Magick.  As a young child in the south it was very common to see “good christian folks” practicing this form of spirituality.  Sometimes they were aware of the ancient influences of the wise on their lovely mantels and center pieces, sometimes they were not, they kept an altar simply because their parents did.  Those who acclimated to the church and overall community were often complimented for their craftsmanship and decorating style, those who were not as “palatable” i.e. think the midwife or root worker of the burning times,  were often given sideways glances, yet few if any dared question or berate them.  

 I vividly remember one particular neighbor when I was a child whom I loved to visit.  Ms. Burkes, she was a widowed woman with two bad kids!  I always thought her sons were funny yet one was always in trouble and one was a mama’s boy like myself.  I would go to her house as soon as I could on Sunday’s.  Not only did she give me cookies, which in itself was enough, but she also had a beautiful mantle in a small room off of the living room.  It was always exciting to me to go see how she changed the mantle, at that time I had no understanding how she deemed it time to change, but she just did.  On her mantle there were a few staple items; a white candle and black candle located on each end of the mantle,  a pretty wooden star that sat in the middle and the cloth over the mantle would change with the seasons.  

Over the course of the year many items would appear, then as quickly be removed from the magickal surface.  She would often have articles torn, not cut, from the local paper placed about.  Those may have been obituaries, birth announcements or just an article about the local quarterback.  Ms. Burkes was very specific about where they were placed and that they remain there.  Often she would have ribbons, glitter and brightly colored pieces of painted wood chips that, to my eyes,  appeared to be scattered about, but in fact were meticulously placed. 

I would spend hours sitting  looking at that mantle.  As I grew older and my own spiritual life began to take shape, my gaze began to watch for entities or beings to enter and exit the mantle, more than just enjoying the pretty candles and trinkets.  My view of her as a kind, helpless old woman changed as I saw her as a powerful catalyst for good.  As I am writing this I think how much I would give just for a few of those items now.  The magick Ms. Burkes worked, in my mind still is working.  

My time with her ended when my family moved a few miles away.  Looking back on those times, I wish I had told her of my fondness for her, my respect for her.  I can still see her arthritic hands and feel them patting me on the top of the head.   One of my last times with her she called me over to her at the small kitchen table and took my fat little face in those worn hands and looked directly into my eyes and said, “Andrew, don’t let anyone tell you how to live your life, you will walk in the unusual ways of your god”.  While it was not understandable to my ten year old mind, my 48 year old memory feels the love and the prophetic wisdom in the old crones words. 

About a year ago I went back to my hometown with my partner to show him some of the locales that held my memories. I was sure the little house would be long gone but felt the need to connect energetically with it.  Driving through my old neighborhood I was shocked at how small everything was, the houses so old and the trees seemingly worn down.  As we rounded the corner there was Ms. Burkes house.  It was exactly how I remember it, yet it was surrounded by items, it would perhaps remind one of a scene from hoarders.  

Knowing that Ms. Burkes would be long gone, we pulled to the side of the street as I sat and drank in the scene.  As we were about to pull off, I noticed an older man standing around the back of the house looking at us, as our eyes met I knew immediately it was Ray, Ms. Burkes eldest, “good” son.  It has been about 35 years since I have seen him, but for an instant it was as if I were walking over to his house on a Saturday morning to visit his mom, as our eyes met he looked down.  He never looked back up, he just stood there.  

As an adult I value and honor Altar work.  I have seen time and again how it can focus intent and magnify magick.  At any given time I will have up to three altars going, and they change as the needs change, as the wheel of the year turns and as my mood dictates.  I also encourage anyone to keep an altar, if only an ancestral altar.  One word of advice, please be versed on what you are doing and how the items placed are symbols of power.  A misplaced item will not bring locust down upon you, however there are time tested ways to get the most of altar work.  

I have no idea if Ray has incorporated Altar work into his own spirituality, I like to think he has.  I can however speak to the influence that old crone had on a chubby faced, nosey little cookie monster so many years ago. Each time I work Altar magick for a friend or client I stand proudly on the shoulders of those who came before, I stand confidently upon the shoulders of Giants and for this I am thankful.  Every time I set a new altar for myself I do so under the watchful eye of those spiritual giants who came before me and some who are yet to incarnate.  I never take this for granted and am humbled by their assistance.  

If you have any questions about altar work or would like to arrange an appointment contact me.  I am delighted to help you with a basic altar or one that is specific to an issue or desire.  

Many blessings and all good things your way. 

Andrew