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your own ideas in creations of beauty, then here's a little New Moon magic you might try:
Ritual for New Moon in Aries
It's the time for new beginnings; to set your intent for this lunar phase. And, it's a time of action! Use a drum, or energetic recorded music for dancing to raise energy. You'll also need paper and pen, a red candle and holder, something to carve on the candle with, oil to anoint it and also incense, preferably with ingredients of fire symbolism. You'll also need a metal bowl or small cauldron. Begin by writing your goal on the paper. Then carve the red candle with symbols of Mars and of your goal. Anoint it with an oil of the fire element (such as Dragon's Blood, cinnamon, frankincense, clove), light the incense and pass both candle and paper through the smoke, focusing on your goal. Concentrate, focus and then with cauldron or metal bowl ready, catch the edge of paper in flame and hold it for a few seconds, then drop it into the bowl where it can safely burn to ash. Dance or drum to raise energy. At your energy peak, ground it by dropping to kneel with hands and head down on floor or ground, visualizing some of your energy flowing back to Mother Earth, while retaining what you need for yourself. Chant:
By fire’s light, by Spirit bright
By magick three times three
My goal is set, my plan is charged
Success will come to me!
Extinguish the candle and take the ash outdoors to blow away in the wind. Relight the candle daily for a few moments and repeat the above charm to renew your commitment to action until the goal you seek is achieved.
Crescent Moon, 4 Gemini 54, April 9 at 5:22 am EDT
Crescent phase is noted for its challenges that can seem like taking two steps forward, then having to backtrack and try again. This transiting Crescent, though, looks like a time when you may be able to move things forward nicely. Most lunar aspects are harmonious, and there's a Sun square Jupiter on the 10th at 10:11 am EDT.This is a high energy square that often reflects positive enterprise and can be quite positive (unless you are overindulging in something you know you shouldn't).
First Quarter Moon, 23 Cancer 13, April12 at 2:32 pm EDT
The action phase in Cancer through Saturday may reflect this day as one to be busily occupied on the home front. I'd like to think that for me it might be a day when I could rake out the garden area where I'm seeing some nice little crocus and daffodils coming up, if just a little more of our snow might melt before then!
Gibbous Moon, 11 Virgo 51, April 16 at 7:23 am EDT
As this phase builds toward New Moon, matters of Mercury could be in the forefront—talk, persuasion, correspondence, learning, signing. Avoid haste in these things on the 17th. Mercury is about to leave Aries and move into Taurus (5:07 pm EDT), with deeper thinking, potentially quite productive favored with Friday's trines to Pluto adn Saturn.
Full Moon, 0 Scorpio 43, April 20 at 6:25 am EDT
Sun, Saturn and Pluto are in a tight grand trine as the Moon becomes Full and quickly moves into aspect with all three. Moon, when full, opposes Sun, which then positions her in closely applying sextiles to Saturn and Pluto. This forms a configuration called a kite. Grand trines, taken alone, are thought to be a great thing to have, but this often falls into the category of promising more than it delivers, because too much ease can be just that. But the kite can fly--the stress of the opposition can be the spark that make the most of the grand trine energy. With fast-moving Moon providing that impetus, the beneficial timing is short-lived (except for babies born at this Full Moon, who'll have the kite for life). But take advantage of it while you can. You'd best get up early if on Full Moon day—look at that 6:25 am Full Moon time. But the energy is forming on Saturday. Use it! The combination of Saturn and Pluto means hard work, but that is just what is often needed to accomplish what we most want to do. This is the time to stretch and get the job done. This can be a highly productive phase, if you make good use of it.
Ritual for Full Moon in Scorpio
Scorpio, as the natural sign of the House Eight, has to do with whatever we share with others. At this Full Moon, let's celebrate that. If possible, do your celebrating with others—have a group ritual to share with friends, or a more private ritual to share with someone close to you. Include whatever celebratory things appeal to you—balloons, confetti, dinner, music, fireworks, noisemakers, etc. Drink toast to each other, stand up and take bows, congratulate each other. Share what has been fulfilled in your life and how that feels. Then share your goals and dreams, and celebrate them as if already achieved. When you're ready to close, be sure to give thanks to the Goddess and God for their many blessings. These words express the gist of this ritual idea:
By Earth and Sun, my Lady, Lord
By day of greatest light
I celebrate my triumph
Success so sweet and bright
Thank you for your blessings
You've gifted onto me
With greatest praise and honor
I pledge service onto thee.
Disseminating Moon, 19 Sagittarius 43, April 24 at 9:00 am EDT
Mars opposes Jupiter at 9:23 am EDT, and interestingly, I see in my New American Ephemeris that this opposition with Mars in Cancer and Jupiter in Capricorn is squared off almost exactly by Eris in Aries. Eris is our new "dwarf" planet named for the Goddess of Chaos. This conjures all kinds of interesting possibilities for what what a little mischief could do to that opposition. I do NOT suggest over-indulgence of any kind. But with that caveat, I can imagine that creative endeavor or competive activity might be well charged...certainly, it's an energetic aspect. If you keep your head, this phase could be good for business, or for personal enterprise.
Last Quarter Moon, 8 Aquarius 39, April 28 at 10:12 am EDT
Energy begins to wane with Last Quarter phase, and this one may find us "waning" a bit more than usual with Mercury square Neptune and then Moon conjunct Neptune and square Mercury. It kind of makes me want to stretch and yawn to think about it. Maybe it's a good time if life permits, to curl up with a good novel to read. Come to think of it, I will be doing just that during this phase, since I'll be on a plane to Riga. There's nothing like an absorbing novel to ease the discomfort of a long plane flight. If not a novel, Mercury-Neptune combinations can mean creative, imaginative thinking or they could reflect feeling rather foggy. So flow with it. Momentum picks up soon. The first of May looks especially good.
Balsamic Moon, 27 Pisces 13, May 2 at 2:08 am EDT
Notable today is Saturn's direct station. Saturn has been retrograde since mid-December, so matters then that may have seemed dormant lately, may move into the picture again now. Mercury, just into Gemini, squares Saturn (and Jupiter) on the 3rd, so surely whatever it is/was, we'll be talking about it! This is the perfect phase to bring such things to conclusion, or decide to let them go.
Beltane, Sun at 15 Taurus 00, May 4 at 11:03 pm EDT
Click here for my article on the lore of Beltane
The article includes instructions for how to do the Maypole Dance.
Click here for a Personal Beltane ritual
Sadly, I will have to miss the open Beltane that my Circle usually presents, since I will be in Riga, Latvia. I won't be arriving home until New Moon day, so obviously my new column for New Moon in Taurus will not be posted on time. So, I'm including a little on the next New Moon phase in this column:
Taurus New Moon Cycle Begins May 5, 2008
New Moon in Taurus, 16 Aries 44, April 5 at 11:55 pm EDT
Taurus, first sign of the element Earth,is strongly associated with Earth Mother, and it's time for spring flowers. For this New Moon, ideally, you might plant some. As you place each little starter plant, or seed, into Earth, handle it carefully and gratefully, as you name with thanks for a gift you've been given by Nature that enables you to create your life and express yourself. When we stop to think about it (and most of us don't do that often enough), we have a great many blessings, some we were born with and others we've gained as we've grown. Name a plant for each of them. Then stand within Nature with sincere thanks for all you've been given. Resolve to share your gifts in the month ahead, and know that this is an ideal beginning, as well as tone to set, for this New Moon and all it will mean to you.
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