Blessed Ostara

Ra's Day
Galactic 28
Dreamspell - White Galactic Dog (8 Oc)- Kin 190
Mayan Tzolk'in - 13 Akbal (Blue Cosmic Night) - Kin 143
Mayan Ha'ab - 11 Kumku


Well, the plan was to dye eggs and then perform a fertility ritual. However, things did not work out that way. There's always tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'm working on the correspondences for what I hope will be the beginning of a family tradition.

Pagan Blog Project - F is for Four Noble Truths

Sekmet's Day
Galactic 25
Dreamspell - Blue Overtone Hand (5 Manik) - Kin 187
Mayan Tzolk'in - 10 Ahau (Yellow Planetary Sun) - Kin 140
Mayan Ha'ab - 8 Kumku


Disclaimer: Buddhism is not technically a pagan religion. However, if you define pagan religion as a religion not belonging under Christianity, Judaism, or Islam, Buddhism would be included. 

Dharma wheel

The four noble truths are one of the central teachings of Buddhism, no matter what sect or tradition.

1. Suffering exists.
From the time that we are born to the time that we die, we suffer. Sometimes suffering can be beneficial (think of good stress, or eustress). In addition to physical discomfort, we experience emotional discomfort such as not getting what we want, being separated from what we like, and encountering what we dislike.

2. Suffering arises from attachment to desires.
Ever hear of retail therapy? We shop for clothes or shoes because we feel bad or upset about something. When that shirt is no longer new, we are back to feeling empty. Same principle applies to emotional eating (comfort food). Take these analogies and apply them to life in general. Start thinking about why you are upset and what you do to relieve the feeling. We control our own suffering; it is not caused by the devil or original sin.

3. Suffering ceases when attachment to desires ceases.
No need for a savior or ransom sacrifice. Just as we control our suffering, we also control the ending of our suffering. Realizing that we harbor attachments is the first step to letting them go. My son's father and I have not been together since my son was born. Every time I had to call him, I would get so upset. It was always a stressful conversation. Once I started practicing Buddhism, I realized that I was attached to the idea of Baby Daddy being an active part in my son's life. I let this idea go and saw him for who he was and that I could not change him. I can only change myself. Now, conversations are markedly more pleasant for me.

4. Cease attachments to desires by practicing the eight-fold path:

• right view
• right intention
• right speech
• right livelihood
• right effort
• right mindfulness
• right concentration

One does not have to master right view before moving to right intention. Rather, the eight-fold path is to be practice together. Further explanation of the 4th noble truth is a topic for another post.

Monthly meditations via Dreamspell

Isis' Day
Galactic 24
Dreamspell - White Self-Existing World-bridger (4 Cimi) - 186
Mayan Tzolk'in - 9 Cauac (Blue Solar Storm) - Kin 139
Mayan Ha'ab - 7 Kumku


The Maya used different calendar systems. The spiritual one was 260 days (tzolk'in) and the agricultural or solar one was 365 days (ha'ab). Research indicates that the Maya didn't bother with leap days. The Dreamspell calendar system is based on the authentic Mayan calendar systems. I use a modified Dreamspell system in my practice. As I was going through the Star Traveler's 13 Moon Almanac of Synchronicity, I noticed meditations for every 20 days (called uinals, winals, or vinals depending on what website you visit). I could not find any further information on these meditations except what was in the book. A vinal is a 20-day Mayan month in the solar calendar. The remaining 5 days were called wayeb. If you have any background on these meditations, do share. The month's name is followed by the meditation.

1 Pop - The one who knows
2 Wo - Listens in silence
3 Sip - in order to integrate the universe
4 Sotz - based on knowledge
5 Tzek - that reaches the foundations
6 Xul - where with great wisdom a seed is sown
7 Yaxkin - a little ray of the hidden sun
8 Mol - which unifies all the pieces
9 Chen - to enter into the well of the inner wisdom
10 Yax - where the student clears the mind, taking account of what is not yet ripe
11 Sak - dissipating the clouds of doubt, raising oneself up
12 Keh - breaks with habitual caution and reaches the white light
13 Mak - closing the equivocating part and entering a trance
14 Kankin - receives the light of one who knows
15 Muwan - in order to see into darkness
16 Pax - touching a music of the future
17 Kayab - with the song and the rhythm
18 Kumku - located in the correct place where the food of divination is obtained
19 Wayeb - all that is needed to obtain the precious stone

Each line read together is an interesting poem. But what is this precious stone at the end?

Damn you Daylight Saving Time!

My schedule has been seriously off kilter since DST. I've decided that my spiritual practice has no place for DST since it is not a natural occurrence. Just as I am adjusting to the month (moon), I will need to adjust to the day (sun).

Queen's Moon

Ra's day
Galactic 16
Dreamspell - White Solar Mirror (9 Etznab) - Kin 178
Mayan Tzolk'in - 1 Chuen (Blue Magnetic Monkey) - Kin 131
Mayan Ha'ab - 19 Kayab
Full Moon in Leo - Queen's Moon

On the Queen's Moon, we take charge of a situation. It's a day for leadership. If leadership isn't your thing, do something nice for a woman who is in a position of leadership and power in the outside world, and whom you respect. It's a way of showing appreciation for honorable and skilled leaders. - Moon Phase Astrology by Raven Kaldera.

How fitting as March is Women's History Month.

I took a walk tonight under the full moon. It's a mild night and I wished that I lived in the country so I could take my walk nude. I saw a bunny scurry over a neighbor's lawn. Ostara is in less than 2 weeks and I'm excited to work some baby-making magic.

Pagan Blog Project - E is for Eclipse

Sekmet's Day
Galactic 11
Dreamspell - Red Self-Existing Skywalker (4 Ben) - Kin 173
Mayan Tzolk'in - 9 Cimi (White Solar World-bridger) - Kin 126
Mayan Ha'ab - 14 Kayab

In some traditions it is frowned upon to perform magic during eclipses. I totally disagree. I feel that eclipses are a time for increased energies as the Great Triple Goddess is aligned perfectly. If possible, perform your ritual during the exact time of the eclipse. The eclipse will magnify your workings.

Solar eclipses occur when the sun, moon, and earth are in a straight line. A solar eclipse always happens on a New Moon. The next total solar eclipse visible from mainland US will occur 8/21/17. This site has more information. I would be interested if there are any pagan groups meeting in NC or SC to perform ritual. When the sun, earth, and moon are aligned, a lunar eclipse will occur. This always happens on a Full Moon. The next one visible from US will be in 2014.

Although new and full moons happen every month, eclipses do not. This is because the moon's orbit is tilted in  respect to earth's orbit. Eclipses occur when the sun's apparent path intersects the moon's path. The intersection point is called the lunar node. Sorry to get all scientific on you but I think that it's important to understand a little astronomy. The relative rarity of eclipses makes them more special.

Total solar eclipse

Total lunar eclipse

What does your tradition say about eclipses?

Pagan Blog Project - A is for Astrology

Geb's Day
Galactic 6
Dreamspell - Red Cosmic Moon (13 Mulac) - Kin 169
Mayan Tzolk'in - 4 Imix (Red Self-Existing Dragon) - Kin 121
Mayan Ha'ab - 9 Kayab

I can't think of a 2nd D post at the moment so here is another post backtracking to A. Astrology and astronomy were the same thing back in the day. Somehow, they became separated. Today astronomy is the scientific study of the heavenly bodies; astrology is the spiritual study of the same heavenly bodies and how they affect us. Sidereal astrology combines them both.

Tropical vs Sidereal vs Astronomical Astrology
Astrology deals with the zodiac. The signs of the zodiac share their names with constellations. Way back when, the zodiac sign and the constellation of the same name was located in the same place in sky. The sun was at 0 deg Aries the moment of spring equinox Since the earth wobbles as it rotates - think of a spinning top - today's sky is very different. The sun is no longer at 0 deg Aries for the spring equinox. However, most horoscopes in the US are still based on the old sky positions. This is tropical astrology.

The horoscopes in the East are based on the sun's position as it is in today's sky. Sidereal means of the stars. If the path that the sun appears to travel - called the ecliptic - is divided into 12 equal parts, the sun would be at about 5 deg Pisces at the spring equinox. By the way, have you heard that old song Age of Aquarius? The age or time period refers to the sidereal location of the sun. We are currently in the Age of Pisces. Astrologers and astronomers alike disagree on when we will be in the Age of Aquarius but it will occur within the next 100 or so years. There are very few Western sidereal astrologers. I have yet to find a daily sidereal horoscope. Sidereal zodiac signs are about 25 days ahead of tropical zodiac. (See this chart.) I prefer sidereal astrology.

Although the Universe is divine, it is not divided as nice as we humans would like. The earth's orbit is not a perfect circle and the constellations of the zodiac do not fit into 12 even parts. In fact, there is a 13th constellation called Ophiuchus. The zodiac based on the actual placement and size of the constellations is astronomical. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) set the boundaries for the constellations. Virgo is the largest, and Ophiuchus is between Scorpio and Sagittarius.

Astrology is a huge topic. I recommend Astrology for Dummies if you want a basic understanding. Keep in mind this book is based on tropical zodiac. Go to Astrodienst for a free chart.

Using astrology in rituals
There are 8 moon phases and 12 zodiac signs. That's a potential for 96 different esbat rituals! OK, well maybe not completely different but at least you can work on certain things depending on the phase and sign. Each sign is ruled by a planet. In astrology, the sun, moon, and even Pluto are considered planets. To go further, each day and hour are also ruled by planets. If you're obsessive-compulsive like I can be, you can cast a spell when the moon is in the right phase, in the right sign, on the right day, at the right hour. Whew! Don't feel like it is necessary to cast a spell like this. Astrology is supposed to be a helpful tool, not a hindrance. If you find yourself not wanting to make a decision before consulting the stars, then it may be time to take a break.