Moon times, phases and names for June 2015

I am looking forward to the power of the full moon shortly, can you feel the energy increasing? Here are the moon phases for June 2015 for you so that you can plan your month accordingly. Living life within the phases of the moon allows your life to flow with much greater eases. As the moon wanes during the first week in June try to spend the time withdrawing a little, contemplating more and perhaps de cluttering your life a little. At the new moon on the 18th June this is a perfect time to start new projects and as the moon waxes during the second half of June you may find you have more energy so use that energy to push projects forward, connect with friends and family and be creative. 

This moon in June was popularly called the Strawberry Moon or Rose Moon because of the time of the year. This full moon was seen as very spiritual by Buddhists as it was the full moon when Buddha died and received enlightenment. Bright Moon,  Seed Moon and Planting Moon are other popular names. Our ancestors lived their lives a lot more in tune with the moon and we have much to learn from their cultures. 

Here are the full moon times for different time zones:
Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 06:19:02 pm
Central European Summer Time (CEST)
Moon sign: Sagittarius 11° 49'

In other time zones:
WELLINGTON = Wednesday * 3rd June 2015 * 04:19:02 am (NZST)
SYDNEY = Wednesday * 3rd June 2015 * 02:19:02 am (AEST)
TOKYO = Wednesday * 3rd June 2015 * 01:19:02 am (JST)
BEIJING = Wednesday * 3rd June 2015 * 12:19:02 am (CST)
BANGKOK = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 11:19:02 pm (ICT)
DELHI = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 09:49:02 pm (IST)
DUBAI = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 08:19:02 pm (GST)
MOSCOW = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 07:19:02 pm (MSK)
BERLIN = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 06:19:02 pm (CEST)
LAGOS = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 05:19:02 pm (WAT)
LONDON = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 05:19:02 pm (BST)
RIO = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 01:19:02 pm (BRT)
SANTIAGO = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 01:19:02 pm (CLT)
NEW YORK = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 12:19:02 pm (EDT)
MEXICO CITY = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 11:19:02 am (CDT)
CALGARY = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 10:19:02 am (MDT)
LOS ANGELES = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 09:19:02 am (PDT)
ANCHORAGE = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 08:19:02 am (AKDT)
HONOLULU = Tuesday * 2nd June 2015 * 06:19:02 am (HAST)

Beltane Celebrations and Maypole Dancing Glastonbury 2015

So I'm finally sitting down on Sunday afternoon to write a little about Beltane in Glastonbury this year, 2015. We had a lovely day and this year it stayed dry all day! The sun did try to shine on us a little to bring in the glorious start to summer but it was a very brief showing!

Beltane celebrates the start of the summer on the Pagan Wheel of the Year and it is celebrated in great style in Glastonbury with much joy and merriment. This follows ancient traditions, Beltane always was a festival of great joy, a time for honouring all of our Mother Earth's bounty and the love and fertility that is all around us at this time of year. Beltane is not for the shy it is for celebrating love and not being afraid to express that love.

We started the day with a beautiful ceremony in the Chalice Well Gardens. Having driven down just for the day I didn't think I could make it through the day getting up at 2am so we had to forgo the dawn ceremony on top of the Tor which was a shame. The Chalice Well was beautiful as usual and the fire jumping occurred with great gusto this year which was immense fun! I met Tessa and Sosha there, both looking beautiful in this pic. 

Celebrating the love at Beltane

The crowning of the May King and Queen and the entertainment in the Town Square was as usual hugely enjoyable with lots of folk joining in with a song to contribute. We the processed up to the White Spring for the blessing of the May Pole. I chatted to Julie Ann there who makes many of the handmade cloaks being worn today. www.avaloncloaks.co.uk. We then made our way unto Bushey Coombe for the ceremony and Maypole dance.

I hope you enjoy the photos and if you were there please do drop me a line. If any of you are in them and you would rather I take them down then please do say and I will take them down right away.

Beltane blessings to you all,

AstarteAlison

Photographs owned by myself. Please feel free to use them for personal use, any professional use please contact me for prices.

The origins of Maypole and Morris Dancing at Beltane

This week we are looking forward to Beltane on the Pagan Wheel of the Year calendar.

Greenmen and the Maypole Glastonbury Beltane 2014

Beltane really does herald the beginning of spring. I have just this morning noticed that my beautiful Ceanothus in the back garden is showing its first blue buds. The tadpoles are turning into little frogs, the birds are looking after their young and the grass once more needs mowing. Spring is indeed in full swing!

Maypole Dancing Glastonbury 2014

Our ancient ancestors worshipped the earth we walk upon and venerated her for what she gives her, giving thanks at every turn of the wheel and as Pagan's we like to do the same. At Beltane this is a wonderful time to give thanks to our Mother Earth for all she provides for us. There has been a lovely increase in popularity in recent times in local maypole dances and morris dances so I'm sure you could find one near you happening over this Beltane may bank holiday. The may pole was a traditional symbol of fertility and the red and white ribbons symbolised the entwining of male and female energies. Morris dancing has long been popular at Beltane, reference's made

Morris Dancers Glastonbury Tor Beltane 2014

by Shakespeare in 'All's Well that Ends Well' point to Morris Dancing being performed on May 1st. It is believed that the Morris dances have magic weaved into them and can bring about luck and ward off evil. More information about the customs and traditions of Beltane or Beltain can be found here Beltane Traditions

I am particularly looking forward to going down to Glastonbury where there will be much Maypole and Morris dancing to welcome in the Summer. We shall welcome in the dawn with Morris dancing on the top of the Tor followed by a ceremony and Maypole at the Chalice Well followed by another Maypole dance at Bushey Coombe. Do try and get to a celebration if you are able to. If not perhaps you can entwine some ribbons whilst you think of our wonderful Mother Earth and all she provides for us, if you are able to get up and see the sunrise, enjoy the splendour of a new dawn, the wonder of our amazing sun.

Morris Dancers welcome the sun Glastonbury Tor

Beltane blessings to you,

AstarteAlison

As always if you are featured in any of my pics and would like me to take it down then please message me, many thanks, Alison 

The Pagan origins of St Valentines Day

It is Valentine's Day on Saturday and at the moment it feels like the world has gone crazy with red roses and hearts everywhere!

I'm not against most of these celebrations that we have it just feels like every year there is more and more stuff you can buy! As someone selling things to folk though I don't feel I can complain too much about the commercialisaion of these celebratory days that we have!(http://www.astarte-moon.co.uk if you want to check the site out, sorry unashamedly advertising there but girl's got to pay her bills!!)

It is estimated that approximately a billion Valentine's cards will be sent around the globe on February 14th! I wonder how many roses will be sent to accompany them!

http://www.astarte-moon.co.uk

February 14th was originally a Pagan festival of love celebrated in Rome. It was the feast day of Juno, Queen of the Gods and the Patroness of Marriage. This day was followed by the feast of Lupercalia. The feast was named for Lupercus the hunter of Wolves, he has also gone by the name of Pan (Greek), Baal, and Nimrod in other Pagan cultures. The God Baal was known as the Sun god to the ancient Pagans. It is also said that the symbol of the heart was obtained from the Babylonians and that the word for heart was 'bal'. Thus the heart became the symbol for Nimrod or Baal.This could be the origin of the heart we now associate with Valentines Day.

Couples that had been matched together during the feast of Juno would stay together throughout the celebrations of Lupercalia. The match making occurred from the boys pulling the names of the girls they would be with out of a jar. Often these unions despite how they started would prove to be deep and long lasting. 

It was towards the end of the 5th century that the Christian church decided to ensure there were no Pagan overtones to the day and dedicated February 14th to St Valentine.

However you celebrate and whatever you call the day I hope you enjoy some time with your loved ones.

With love light and blessings to you all, AstarteAlison

http://www.astarte-moon.co.uk

Ten Fun Facts You may not know about Imbolc, festival of Brighde

Ten Facts You may not know about Imbolc

So of course you know that Imbolc is celebrated on 2nd February and that is is the festival of the Goddess Brighde, Brigid or Brigit. There seems to be many different spellings of her name around! Imbolc celebrates the beginning of our earth's awakening and the return of the light. So the following are just a few facts about Imbolc that I put together that you may or may not know!

Imbolc derives from the word Oimelc which means lactating sheep, hence the connection to the spring time and fertility.

Imbolc is also said to be translated as 'in the belly'

Brighde is known as the Goddess of fire and Imbolc is strongly related to fire with bonfires being lit throughout the land in ancient times.

Brighde or Bridey dolls and Brigits cross are strong Imbolc symbols

Imbolc is often a good time for spring cleaning and cleansing of ones living space to prepare for the year ahead.

Imbolc was re-named Candlemas and celebrated by Christianity 

Groundhog day is celebrated on Imbolc and it is said it originates from the legend of Brighde's snake emerging from the ground.

Trees representing Imbolc are the Rowan and the Willow.

Other symbols for Imbolc are the snowdrop, the swan, candles and the plough.

Enjoy this wonderful season of our earth's awakening, may the spirit of Brighde bring love and light into your hearts and your homes.

Blessings, Alison

On Combining Christmas and Yule, Winter Solstice

How do you combine Christmas and Yule in your family traditions? Do you celebrate both traditions?

In our family I have only been a Pagan for approximately four years. My teenage daughters therefore in regards to Paganism, how can I put it; 'gently support' what they term their Mum's 'hippy ways'! They love what I do and I know a lot of it is rubbing off on them but they in in no way put them selves in my camp it just wouldn't be cool! Perhaps if I had become a Pagan whilst they were toddlers it might have been different. I look wistfully every year at the mothers and their very young children all dressed up with flowers in

their hair at the maypole in Glastonbury for Beltane!

Christmas is therefore a very big event in our house. Although adults really now my girls adore Christmas and get really excited which I love. I have no problem with celebrating Christian holidays alongside Pagan ones and have not let go of a lot of my Catholic upbringing. I believe in religious tolerance for all religions, every religion has something to offer and we can never say one is better than another. Personally I like to draw from many different religions in my personal beliefs. For me Paganism is about worshipping our Mother Earth not about whose religion is the better one.

My Yule Altar

So to celebrate Yule at the Winter Solstice this year I will be lighting candles and having a private mediation, welcoming the return of the sun. I struggle with the long dark days so will be very glad that our sun is returning to light our earth. For that I give gratitude to our wonderful Mother Earth Gaia. I like to bring the outside into the house at this time of year so have made our mantlepiece into an altar to honour our Mother Earth, the Goddess Gaia. This is following ancient Pagan customs of bringing greenery such as holly ivy and mistletoe into homes for good luck, more on ancient customs can be found here

Our Pagan Christmas tree

Although our Christmas tree is festooned with baubles and memories of holidays past I also like to Paganise it a little with ornaments I have made and pentacle charms. Perhaps you can have a go at making your own pentacle charm to go on your Christmas tree this year? Pentacle charms like the one depicted here are still available in the Astarte Moon Shop  as well. 

Yule Pentacle charm-Astarte-Moon Shop

Blessings of love and light for the return of the sun at Yule to you, AstarteAlison

Launch of new healthy living magazine Harvest 20% discount coupon

I have the thrilling news of the launch of a brand new magazine 'Harvest' This wonderful magazine gives you a seasonal guide to healthy living for a happy life. This beautiful print magazine is packed full of in-depth articles with ideas and inspiration for how you can live better through natural solutions.I have my own contribution in the first issue with the story of my personal Pagan path which I am very excited about!

Modern-day life is hectic and often leaves little room to appreciate the important things in life – the happiness and health of ourselves and our family. We often feel that something is missing in our lives. There is a vast range of alternative solutions out there, claiming to be the one that works, but how do you know where to start?

There is no easy answer to that question but Harvest magazine helps you to find your path through the mine field of alternative therapies and natural remedies to find a happier healthier you, more in touch with yourself and more in touch with nature.

For Astarte-Moon friends I have a very special discount code for you which gives you 20% discount plus 5 mags for the price of 4- bargain for this info packed publication! Just enter the code HARVESTMOON20 at the checkout.

Click on the link below to take you straight to the website:



Issue One is packed with loads of fabulous articles. Of course there is my article which talks about what led me down the Pagan path in the first place, what being a Pagan means to me, and how you can celebrate Paganism in the Autumn. Then there are loads of wonderful pieces of which the following are just the tip of the iceberg. 

• Woodland workout 

Fed up with your local gym? Give nature’s gym a go. We join Oliver Selway in the local woods for a full body workout outdoors.

• Flu fighter 

Don’t let that next cold strike you down. Essential oils to the rescue! Alex Martin explains how to use them effectively to fight off your next cold.

• Garlic goodness 

Much-loved by chefs, but much-maligned for its odour, we rough garlic up a bit and find out why it’s so good for us and how to make some kitchen remedies.

• Plus we’ve got articles on natural deodorants, the paleo diet, exercises from our life coach to unlock true happiness and why playing with your food is a great way to deal with fussy eaters. 

So, give it a try, I promise you won't be disappointed and there is a money back guarantee to make sure you are not! Remember just click on the link above to take you to the website and enter the code to get your discount. You can download a preview of the magazine before buying to checkout some of the articles plus there are lots of great competitions in the blog section of the Harvest website.

Harvest blessings to you, Alison 

November Full Frost Snow Beaver Moon. Which name is your favourite?

On Thursday 6th November we will have the beauty of a wonderful full moon gracing our skies once again.

As we consistently see, a lot of our ancient ancestors named our moons depending on what Mother Nature was doing at that particular time of year. November is unsurprisingly no different. Thus we see names such as Snow Moon and Frost Moon for the cold weather we will experience in November. One descriptive one I like is the Dakotah Sioux Moon when Horns are broken off. This refers to the rutting season of the deer. Their neighbours the Lakota referred to the November full moon as ‘the Moon of the falling leaves’. Meanwhile the Ojibwe name was ‘the freezing moon’ and the Osage called it ‘the Coon breeding Moon’

The time of the November full moon was often a traditional time for trading amongst the traditional native American Indians. It was the traditional time for the friendship festival called ‘Adohuna’. Adohuna was a day for atonement for the Cherokee and ritual fasting was observed on the day itself. It was a time for charity and the needy in all the local area were looked out for.

Other popular names for the November name are Hunter's moon and Beaver Moon. More information can information can be found here

In Japan the Goddess Kami was honoured as the Goddess of the kitchen. She is responsible for the food that comes into our kitchens and its preparation into the food that we eat.

Enjoy the cold crispy days of November, as the last of the Autumn leaves fall we see our mother earth gently settling down into the winter slumber. We can look forward to cozy nights in front of the fire or tucked up in bed with a good book(that’s me!) Look out for our wonderful November Frost Moon in the night sky, perhaps you would like to give her your own personal name?

Below are the full moon times in different time zones around the world.

Moon sign: Taurus 14° 25'

Thursday 6th November 2014 11:22:54 pm(CET)
WELLINGTON = Friday * 7th Nov 2014 * 11:22:54 am (NZDT)
SYDNEY = Friday * 7th November 2014 * 09:22:54 am (AEDT)
TOKYO = Friday * 7th November 2014 * 07:22:54 am (JST)
BEIJING = Friday * 7th November 2014 * 06:22:54 am (CST)
BANGKOK = Friday * 7th November 2014 * 05:22:54 am (ICT)
DELHI = Friday * 7th November 2014 * 03:52:54 am (IST)
MOSCOW = Friday * 7th November 2014 * 02:22:54 am (MSK)
RIYADH = Friday * 7th November 2014 * 01:22:54 am (AST)
BERLIN = Thursday * 6th November 2014 * 11:22:54 pm (CET)
LAGOS = Thursday * 6th November 2014 * 11:22:54 pm (WAT)
LONDON = Thursday * 6th November 2014 * 10:22:54 pm (GMT)
RIO = Thursday * 6th November 2014 * 08:22:54 pm (BRST)
NEW YORK = Thursday * 6th Nov 2014 * 05:22:54 pm (EST)
MEXICO CITY = Thursday * 6th Nov 2014 * 04:22:54 pm (CST)
LOS ANGELES = Thursday * 6th Nov 2014 * 02:22:54 pm (PST)
HONOLULU = Thursday * 6th Nov 2014 * 12:22:54 pm (HAST)

Full November moon blessings to you, AstarteAlison xxx

A Pagan path with Gratitude for all creatures on our Mother Earth, Gaia.

We are not the only creature on this planet with emotions, feelings and a family life.

Isn't this a beautiful picture? Just reminds us of the importance of all the wonderful beings who inhabit our Mother Earth alongside us. We sometimes have to be reminded that we are not the only ones who to whom things such as family and feelings are incredibly important. Following a Pagan path means to me that all creatures are important on this earth we call Gaia and I constantly offer Gratitude for each and every one of them.

Gaias blessings, AstarteAlison

Ten Facts you may not know about Samhain

Ten Facts you may not know about Samhain

It is pronounced Sow-wen.

Samhain comes from the Gaelic ‘Samhuin’ meaning Summer’s end.

Samhain bonfires were traditionally lit in Scotland and were called Samhnagan.

Samhain is the first day of the Celtic New Year.

Other names for Samhain include Shadowfest(Strega) and Martinmas(celtic Scottish)

It is the time on the Wheel of the year when the veil between our world and the spirit world is thought to be at it’s thinnest.

Samhain was traditionally a time for honouring one’s ancestors: often food was left out.

Originally turnips were carved into lanterns, these later became pumpkins in Halloween traditions.

On the Isle of Man Samhain is celebrated as Hop-tu-Naa

Costumes and masks were worn to ward off evil spirits, this custom has been absorbed into Halloween traditions of today.

Much more in depth information about Samhain traditions can be found here: Samhain

Samhain blessings to you, Alison

My photos in Spirit and Destiny Magazine. Article on Spirit Rescue, helping a spirit cross over.

Very excited that my photographs have been published in this month's Spirit and Destiny Magazine! For those of my lovely readers in the US and anywhere else not in the UK this is a lovely magazine brimming with lots of info on all things Spiritual: Pagan, angels, chakra healing, crystal healing, horoscopes, psychic, mediumship, you name it they cover it basically.

Anyway a very good friend of mine Sarah Jewsbury is a very talented Medium who has a column for them and performed a Spirit Rescue. They needed a photographer and she recommended me. Now I am not a professional photographer at all so the whole thing was very nerve wrecking but enjoyable at the same time! I felt very privileged to be a part of this wonderful process and to work with such lovely people. To be featured in the wonderful Spirit and Destiny is a great honour and to see my photographs in print is very exciting! It was a very interesting story about this spirit Catherine who had attached herself to this house and to the client due to the fact that she couldn't move on so Sarah performed the rescue to help her do so, to cross over. She did this with the help of a spirit guide. You can read the whole story in the magazine which is just out now. If you would like to find out more about spirit rescue I'm sure Sarah would be happy to talk to you. 

Bright October blessings to you,

Alison xxx

Mabon Autumn equinox blessings to you, free e-cards to send!

Mabon or the Autumn Equinox will soon be upon us. This is a time when the earth is in perfect balance, day and night are of equal length. Mabon is celebrated on September 21st, in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Southern Hemsiphere it is the time for Oestara, the spring Equinox.  Mabon is the season of the second harvest, a time when apples, cherries, plums and blackberries are seen all around us and it is a wonderful time to give thanks to our Mother Earth for all she has provided for us. I particularly like going blackberry picking, despite the thorns there is something wonderful about just being able to pick plum ripe blackberries straight from the hedgerows and eat them, knowing they are just growing there as nature intended them to be.

Anytime is a time to let loved ones know you are thinking of them however Mabon would be a good moment in time to take a breath to catch up with those loved ones and perhaps drop them a line or two to say hi. I've made these free e-cards so that you can do just that and I shall try and get around to making a few more over the next few days. Simply right click on any of these images and save them to your computer, print out or email to your loved ones.

Mabon or Ostara blessings to you all wherever in the world you are, AstarteAlison

Full Super Moon Harvest September 2014 a cause for Gratitude and why is it Orange?!

Well our moon for September 2014 is currently waxing at 83% of her fullness at the time I write this and I can feel her energy ever building. I haven't been lucky enough to see her on the last few nights as it has been cloudy here in England so I'm hoping for a few clear nights as we reach the nights of her fullness. 

This September moon is the moon closest to the Pagan festival of Mabon. Therefore a lot of the names that have been given over time to this full moon are to do with the harvest that takes place around this time of year. Mabon is the second harvest in the Pagan wheel of the Year, we shall see the last one being the traditional one of Samhain or Halloween. Common names for the September moon therefore included Harvest Moon, Barley Moon and Corn Moon.

It is often thought that this harvest moon is a particularly orange colour, is there any truth or science behind this fact? When we see the moon rising it looks much larger to our eyes as we are seeing it against the background of other objects. Due to the fact that we are looking at the moon through a greater amount of atmospheric particles including pollution the moon will take on an orange or reddish tint. The atmosphere will scatter the blue particles but allow the red component of light to travel direct to our eyes. Thus we see a larger looking red/orange Harvest Moon rising in our skies on the evening of the September Full Moon. 

This September Harvest Moon is of course the third in the trio of Super moons that we will have seen in 2014, therefore it's orange glow will look even more spectacular as it will appear slightly larger.  It will not be as large as the Supermoon that occurred in August. That super moon was the largest of the year because the moon was the closest to us. Supermoon's can appear up to 14% brighter and 30% bigger. Supermoons occur because our moon does not follow a circular path around our earth, it follows an elliptical one. Therefore at its furthest away it is 405,000 km away, this is called an apogee, and at its nearest it is 363,000, this is called a perigree. When the time of the perigree aligns with a full or new moon it is called a super moon. Much more information on why Supermoon's occur and how they might affect us can be found here:What is a Supermoon 

Other names for the September Full Supermoon include Mulberry Moon, Leaf Fall Moon, Kindly Moon and Little Chestnut Moon.

The September Mabon moon is all about achieving balance in our lives. We are nearing the Autumn equinox. Look to any areas of your lives that feel our of kilter right now, what do you need to do to bring that balance back? This is also a time of Gratitude. It is a time when we say thank you to our Mother Earth. She has provided us with a lot over this past year asking for nothing in return, the least we can do is offer her our gratitude. It is up to you how you do this, you may like to get together with family and friends or simply spend some time in nature offering up your silent thanks to the Mother Earth that feeds us and keeps us alive.

Do you have a favourite for the September Mabon Moon? I'm going to go with Blackberry Moon this year as the blackberries are early and there are already so many of them in my garden..delicious!

Full Mabon Supermoon Harvest Moon blessings to you,

AstarteAlison

May the abundance of the divine Goddess be with you and your loved ones today and always. Free inspirational e card

May the abundance of the divine Goddess be with you and your loved ones today and always. AstarteAlison

blessings to you all, please feel free to send this e-card to all those special to you to let them know you are thinking of them. Goddess blessings. 

Perseid Meteor Shower Supermoon August 2014

The Perseid meteor shower is happening now with the peak viewing night on the 12 th August 2014. Meteors from the Perseid shower may be visible right until 22nd August so you will have plenty of time to try and spot a meteor or two. The nearly full moon will present a bit of a problem this year throwing out a lot of light thus hiding a lot of the meteors in her glare but you should still be able to spot some fabulous meteors. In addition this full moon is a supermoon thus her light will shine even more brightly to obscure some of those meteors. The best thing that you can do is get as far away as you can from urban light, lie down on a blanket and enjoy the show, even if you don't see many meteors you can still enjoy being out in the darkness and enjoy the strength and energy emanating from our August supermoon

The perseids are named because they radiate from the Perseus constellation. The best time to observe them is after midnight, if you look into the sky towards the north east at this time hopefully you will see a few. The Perseids produce up to 60 meteors per hour at their peak so you should have a good chance of spotting a few.

In Greek mythology Perseus was the son of Zeus who married Andromeda. It is these two characters plus several others from the mythology that make up the constellation of Perseus. 

Meteor showers have always held a spiritual significance and have been held in awe over time. They were at times thought to be signs of luck or signs that the gods were angry. Not knowing the scientific reasons for why these meteors were occurring you can understand that it was easy to give a spiritual significance to these occurrences. More can be found on this subject here. Spiritual significance meteor showers

This August Perseid meteor shower is bound to be a very spiritual one combined with a wonderful super moon. Be sure to try and take some time for some wonderful super moon/ perseids viewing. Lie back, relax, connect with the wonderful wild elements of nature and feel at one with the universe, there is nothing like that feeling.

Blessings to you, Alison

Free Lammas/Lughnasadh e-cards. Lammas/Lughnassadh greetings to all my friends

Free Lammas/Lughnasadh e-cards. Please feel free to save and send these free Lammas e-cards to friends and family to show them that you are thinking of them this Lughnassad. For more information on this point on the Wheel of the Year see my post lammas traditions

Lammas/Lughnassadh greetings to all my friends, near, far, in person and in my computer! I value you all and wish for you a day filled with love, sunshine and happiness!

Lammas Lughnassadh blessings to you and all you hold dear. May the warmth of the Lammas fires keep you happy and healthy all year long. Sending you warm and sunny blessings.

Lammas Lughnasadh blessings to you. May your home be blessed with the warmth of the Lammas fire and your harvest be bountiful this year and all the years to come.

Lammas Lughnassad Blessings to you, may the warmth of the sun's rays penetrate your heart and continue to bring joy all year long to you and all those you hold dear.

Lammas/ Lughnasadh greetings to you all, may the sun always shine brightly for you. Sunny blessings, AstarteAlison

Lammas greetings to all my friends. Free lughnassadh e-card

Lammas greetings to all my friends. You lift my days and warm my heart. Without you the sun wouldn't look so bright and the days wouldn't feel so warm. So I just wanted to take this opportunity on this happy celebration of summer to say thank-you for being there, at the end of the phone, text, email, letter, tweet!
Happy Lammas, may your day be a sunny one!

Sunny Lammas Lughnassadh blessings to all my friends, both near far, via the internet and wherever you are! Alison xxx

Please feel free to send this free Lammas e-card to all of your friends and family to show them you are thinking of them this Lughnassadh.

Ten Fun Facts you may not know about Lammas Lughnasadh Lughnassad

Ten Fun Facts about Lammas/ Lughnasadh

You may know that Lammas or Lughnasadh falls on 1^st August.  Below are a few facts you may not know about this point on the Pagan Wheel of the Year celebrating the height of summer. Further information about this Pagan festival may be found here: Lammas History and traditions

Lughnasadh, or Lugnasad is named from the Celtic Sun God Lugh. He was believed to be the son of the Sun and the God of Light.

Lammas is thought to take it’s name from loaf-mass, named for the traditional loaves that were baked at this time.

Lammas has an even older name Bron Trograin meaning painful labour, referring to first fruits the earth gives birth to.

To bring good luck at Lughnasadh farmers would let the first loaves go stale and then sprinkle the crumbs over the corners of their barns.

Trial marriages often took place at Lammas called Teltown marriages.

Corn dollies are hung over the fire place to bring good luck to the harvest at the time of Lammas.

Wakes weeks common in many towns in England originated from the Lammas tradition of fifteen days of feasting.

It was customary to give gifts of gloves at Lughnassadh particularly for workers to receive from their employees.

The Talitean games originated at Lughnassad Lammas, echoes of which may be found in the Olympic games and modern football.

Lughnassadh is the first of the three harvest festivals, the other two being Mabon and Samhain

Supermoon times 2014 July August September. Supermoon meditation. What is a Supermoon? How will the Supermoon affect me?

What are the times for the next Supermoon?

I just thought I would do a very quick post as we have woken up to very rainy weather here in England and it looks as though it is set in throughout tomorrow too. So just to remind you that the next Supermoon in August is going to be closer than Saturday's and then we still have one to follow in September. I just thought I would draw up a quick table to remind ourselves of the times of the full super moon for July August and September. 

What is the Supermoon time July 2014 for my time zone?

Enclosed is the Supermoon times for various timezones around the world

I've included some useful links to previous posts I've written for explanations about general Supermoon information. 

Why do Supermoons Occur?

What is a Supermoon?

Can I still enjoy the super moon if it is cloudy?

Remember the moon stays approximately full for about three days so although she reaches fullness about midday tomorrow, Saturday we still have quite a while to enjoy her fullness even if there are cloudy skies on Saturday night. Even if there are cloudy skies and we cannot see her we can still feel the amazing energy. 

How close is the July Super Moon?

Does the Supermoon really look bigger?

Why does the supermoon affect me?

eye4weather.info

How will the supermoon affect me?

The Moon has been shown to affect us in various ways. One study has looked in depth into how the moon affects our sleep. The study was conducted at Basel university in Switzerland and looked at how the full moon affects the quality and quantity of the sleep we get at the time of the full moon. At the time of the Supermoon these effects will be heightened because our moon is nearer to us and therefore if you are affected you will feel these affects to a greater extent. You can read more about the study here How does the Supermoon affect my sleep

Supermoon Water

I have often made some wonderful moon water on fabulous stormy nights. It has been filled with incredible moon energy even though the light of the moon hasn't been able to shine on it, her energy has been all around and has been absorbed by the water. I have used the water made on nights like that for situations that I feel really need that boost of stormy strong energy!

You can find out how to make Supermoon water here moon water

What is a Supermoon?

Supermoon Meditation

So if you can't see the super moon just stand somewhere where you can feel the direction her rays will be coming from, preferably bare footed on the earth.  Imagine her wonderful super moon energy beaming down on you and filling you with that wonderful silvery light. Your feel are rooted deep into the ground and your crown chakra is open to receiving her amazing love. Stand meditating in the darkness of the night for as long as you need to. Remember that feeling and draw upon it as often as you need to at times during the month when you feel under stress or pressure. Remember the feeling of your feet firmly rooted to the ground whilst your spirit soars as high as it wants to. It is a feeling you can always come back to, it is always there when you need it.

July Capricorn Supermoon


Enjoy the amazing super moon energy that is building at the moment. How is it affecting you? Personally I do struggle with it a little, the moon energy always gives me a migraine and that is building at the moment but trying to rise above it!
Supermoon blessings to you, Alison