I know it's the Christian
festival of Easter this month, and for many of us all this means is lots of
yummy chocolate and a nice long weekend off work if we are lucky, but I'm not
here to talk about Easter, I'm here to talk a little bit of Wicca with
you. Wicca is all about nature and
celebrating the natural world, harnessing its power and learning how to deal
with our own lives with the courage and strength expressed through the natural
world. What better time than to
celebrate and mark Earth day which is on Saturday 22 April. This was founded in 1970 and is a day on which
events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental
protection. In fact Earth Day is now
celebrated in more than 193 countries each year! There are so many ways in which each and
every one of us can be more environmentally friendly, simple things like doing
more recycling, re using our plastic bags, not littering, being a bit more
frugal on how many times we flush the loo, not leaving lights on...All these
simple energy saving tips can make a huge difference. To find out what is happening in your area go
to www.earthday.org for full details.
Practical Magic
For me, earth is literally about
gardening which I love. It's something
that many of us never have time for or aren't interested in, and weirdly enough
lots of people initially get into gardening through depression or grief, as it really is a very healing activity. I used to live in Windsor and had never been
interested in gardening whatsoever, I just mowed my lawn when absolutely
necessary and that was that! But one
time when I was going through a difficult period I started planting and
transforming my garden and I found it to be addictive. I loved the feeling of getting my hands caked
in mud and the rawness of the cold earth in-between my fingers. Watching my roses grow and flower each year,
the beautiful intoxicating smell of the 'Ena Harkness' rose is something I am never tired of. There's a strange cyclical comfort in knowing that
even though the flowers die away they will re emerge again, I guess it's the routine
that is so comforting. It makes us feel safe and reassures us that nothing lasts forever, not
good not bad. If you have some ideas
for change in your life, or you have a wish list or a project you want to get
started on, write it down and pop it into a small glass jar or bottle (with the
lid on firmly). Bury it in your garden
as deep as you can, just deep enough for you then to plant some bulbs on top of
it, like lily of the valley or any kind of flower seeds or bulbs that you feel
a particular affinity with. Watch them
grow and simultaneously watch your ideas take root and flourish too. Let me know how you get on!
Crystal of the Month- Black Haematite
This is a very grounding stone,
so if you feel you are away with the fairies and need to reground yourself and
bring yourself back down to earth then this is the stone for you! Strangely enough I can't use this stone
myself as it drains me. How do I know
this? From the very first time I picked
up a piece of Black Haematite I felt incredibly heavy and weighed down and
totally drained. I felt as though all
the life energy was being sucked out of me, so this is how I know it's not a
good crystal for me. That's why when choosing
stones for yourself you really need to see how they feel in your hands and how
they make you feel before you choose to buy.
What is right for one person won't necessarily be right for you. This stone is also used to improve all blood
disorders as it is a type of Iron ore.
As well as this it is said to combat stress and insomnia.
Archangel Michael Card of the Month: Make a Commitment
I like the fact this card has
turned up when we are talking about earth and planting things, literally committing
things to the earth, planting seeds that will grow which metaphorically relates
to ideas too. This card says to
improve this situation you need to fully commit to your desired outcome. So if it's
a relationship then commit to it to take it to the next level, if its
work then fully decide what you want and go for it, be confident and courageous
and above all have your goal in mind and nothing will stop you!
Moody Moon
This month's full moon is on 11th
April at 7.08am in Libra, so it's a time for balance and harmony. This will be particularly good for legal
matters coming to a head, justice will be done, it can also be a time when arguments
and conflicts are resolved harmoniously, so if you're feeling argumentative you
could do worse than pick a fight on this day, as it should result in some
balance!
The new moon is 26th April at
13.16 in Taurus, a lovely solid earth sign.
So a good time for buying new furniture for your home, planting new
seeds, anything to do with the home or security/solid foundations will do well
if started on this day.
On April 22nd there is a Lyrid
Meteor shower. These meteors can
sometimes produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. You can see these best from a dark location after midnight, they will
radiate from the constellation Lyra but can appear anywhere in the sky. Lyra is
a small constellation located in the northern hemisphere and she resembles the
musical instrument the lyre, an antiquated string instrument.
You will also be able to see
Mercury in the evenings (until mid month), and Mars both in the west. Jupiter is visible all night, and in the
mornings you can see Venus and Saturn.
Eat:
asparagus, broccoli, jersey royals, spinach, watercress, lamb, crab,
whitebait.....
Play: You
don't have to be a gardener, just buy yourself some pretty wild flower seeds or
whatever takes your fancy and sprinkle it on some earth outside in your
garden/planter/patio. Watch it grow!
Love:
chocolate!! It is the season for it after all, whether it's dark milk or white,
love it, let your taste buds explode with the velvety smoothness, just don't
eat too much!!
