Waxing New Moon Energy

As our new moon begins to wax the world is your oyster.Enjoy the increasing energy our earth is giving you right now, start each day smiling!

Each new moon we have brings with it an air of hope I find, there is something about our Mother Earth at this time of the month that is like no other. We are now in the time of the Waxing Crescent moon, a time of incredible energy and growth. Somehow the grass verges look greener, the sky looks brighter, nature is vibrant with hope and we are too. Embrace the feeling and use this energy to pour into whatever projects you have on the go right now. Wake each day with a smile on your face and a determination that today is going to be a good one.

Enjoy the spring like feeling, Waxing moon blessings to you all, AstarteAlison

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.

Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways.Sarah Ban Breathach.

Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last.  The spring rains will come again.  Sarah Ban Breathnach.

Very uplifting words from the wonderful Sarah Ban Breathnach. She is the author of the book 'Simple Abundunce', helping you to always look on the bright side. Ironically after writing that book Sarah Ban Brethnach underwent a lot more hardship herself and faced financial ruin at the age of 61 after a lot of very poor business decisions. She writes about it in her book 'Peace and Plenty', and shows us that there is always a way out of the darkness however dark that path might look at the time. Just because yesterday was a bad day it does not mean that tomorrow will be.

Abundant blessings in all areas of your life, AstarteAlison

Imbolc Blessings to you, sending gratitude to Gaia

Imbolc blessings to you and all you hold dear. The earth is struggling to awaken although much of our planet is still in the grips of winter, we hold onto the idea that spring is around the corner. Snowdrops fight their way out of the cold still earth, reminding us that there is hope in the stillness.

We also send our Lammas love to all those in the Southern hemisphere, giving thanks for the harvest that our Mother Earth brings us at this time.

Wherever you are send out thoughts of gratitude today to our wonderful Mother Earth Gaia for all she provides for us at these times of the turning of the wheel and every day of our lives to sustain us, remember each and every living creature in your prayers, they are all part of this wonderful world we are lucky to be a part of.

Imbolc and Lammas blessings, Alison ☽✪☾

As we look to the New Year, Hold on to what is good. Inspirational New Year Quote 2015

As we look to the New Year, Hold on to what is good, Let go of what is bad. It really is that simple. Mandy Hale.

New Year Blessings to you all, hope that 2015 brings you a year full of health and happiness. This is wonderful advice from Mandy Hale. The New Year is a good time for looking at what we do and don't need in our lives. I'm not one for a big new year's resolution list but it can be a good time to just take a bit of time to reassess and look at what is working and what is not. Make a few changes, make a new years resolution list if that is what works for you but only if you know it is a realistic one that you can stick to. Keep the good and let go of the bad and look forward to a wonderful 2015 full of bliss and all that you deserve.

Much love and rainbow hugs, Alison xxxx ☽✪☾

"You are emerging from the cocoon of your former self. Marianne Williamson Positive Inspirational Quote

"You are emerging from the cocoon of your former self. There are no limits to the extent of the transformation that's possible for you" Marianne Williamson

This is a wonderful and truly inspiring quote by the fabulous Marianne Williamson. She teaches us that it is always possible to change, change is within us and it is never too late to do so, we just need the courage to take those initial steps towards transformation, to shrug off the chains that may be holding us back and move forward towards our dreams. Whatever the terminology we use, the Lightening Process, NLP, mindfulness, all of these are designed to bring about the change from within but first we need to want to change. Are you ready for change, are you ready to take that first step?


Marianne Williamson is also author of the book 

The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for a Radically New Life [Paperback]

Marianne Williamson. 
In this lovely book Marianne talks about change and how we should embrace it. Our lives should be flexible and we are encouraged to find our own path that is truly right for us.

 "Marianne Williamson delves deeply into the rule of change and transition in our lives in this inspirational book, reflecting on the paradoxes that inevitably pervade our experience as she helps us find our way. Williamson examines the paradox of what we gather on the path of life, as our most difficult times sometimes bring about the most wisdom. She then investigates our inherent resistance to change and our recklessness around it. Finally, she focuses at length on the paradox of existence – being firmly rooted yet flexible in our lives.

Providing seven practical principles to support us through the transitions and changes we experience in life, Williamson ensures that whatever change you are facing – whether it's a relationship ending, the loss of a loved one or embarking on a new career path – you can learn to stop resisting the change itself and move into the future gracefully. The Gift of Change also examines the roles of openness and letting go, grieving and forgiveness, and love and fear. Marianne Williamson delivers hope and healing as she brings us to a place where we can truly live in the freedom of love." Amazon.co.uk

So let your light shine, you are brilliant and amazing and others around you will appreciate that light and allow their own light to shine.

Click on the link below to take you forward to find out more about the Gift of Change from Marianne.

Bright blessings of transformation to you, Alison

Happy World Animal Day! A dog wags it's tail with it's heart!

Happy World Animal Day!

A dog wags it's tail with it's heart!

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

Rescuing one dog may not change the world but it will change that dog's world forever. Another Gratitude lesson from our canine friends.

Rescuing one dog may not change the world but it will change that dog's world forever. Our pet's truly show us the meaning of Gratitude and sometimes it is humbling to see how grateful they are for our presence in their lives. They do not ask for much yet are so grateful for what we give them and are so happy to see us, we have a lot to learn from this.

This beautiful dog is Wendy, a rescued street dog from Serbia that my my Mum brought over. The flowers around her neck were because she was in Glastonbury celebrating Beltane! A million miles away from that existence she endured for so long, she is still so very grateful for every day I'm quite sure. The picture below shows her at the shelter in Serbia before she was brought over to England. Gratitude blessings to you all, Alison

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. 

Supermoon Saturday 12th July 2014. Why does a super moon occur and how will it affect me?

The first super full moon for 2014 happens on Saturday 12^th July 2014.

What is a Supermoon?

These ‘supermoons’ were originally termed Perigree moons until they were given the catchier title of Supermoon by astrologer Richard Nolle, he  defined a supermoon as:

“… a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit.”

A supermoon may make the moon appear up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than usual.

Due to the given Richard Nolle definition we have approximately 4-6 supermoons on average in any given year, this includes full and new moons. In 2014 we will have three full super full moons occurring on July 12^th, August 10^th and September 9^th.

More information on the super moons we had last year can be found here together with some useful diagrams: supermoons 2013 explanations

Why do Supermoons Occur?

www.quantumphoenix.com

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 supermoon.

How close is the July Super Moon?

Our closest Supermoon this year will be the supermoon in August 2014. On that date the moon is 356,896 kilometres away from our earth. The supermoon on July 12^th 2014 will be 358,285 km away from us.

Demonstration of super moon from NASA

Does the Supermoon really look bigger?

The good thing about having the supermoon during the summer months is that it appears low on the horizon. This means that with the trees and buildings as reference it actually looks bigger to our eyes. The moon is the same size on the horizon as it is in the sky it just looks bigger to us when it is on the horizon so it really does look like a supermoon! We will have therefore three really super summer moons to enjoy this year therefore, make sure you see them rising, our beautiful super moon rises shortly after sunset.

Why does the supermoon affect me?

We don't really know why the full moon affects some people. However one explanation may be to do with the way the moon affects the water on our planet. All full moons bring higher-than-usual tides, and perigee full moons bring the highest (and lowest) tides of all. These are called Perigean Spring Tides.  Similarly these supermoons have an increased affect on the cells in our bodies. At the full moon all water on our planet is pulled towards the moon. Therefore if the moon is closer there is a greater pull and the affects will be felt more strongly. You may feel the usual affects of the full moon are accentuated during the time of the supermoon therefore. The full moon affects different people in different ways and thus the same applies to the supermoon. 

How will the supermoon affect me?

You may find you are more restless than usual or you may have more energy. We may often experience much more turbulent emotions than we are used to and it is important to recognize that when we are decision making.

If you are able to then try and plan ahead as to how you may use any excess energy you may have and plan your supermoon nights! Prepare for the increased emotion and use it as an opportunity for growth, however do not make any rash decisions that you may later regret. It is important to recognize in yourself any emotional changes that may be due to the effect that the moon is having on you that may be making you not act like your normal self!

Perhaps meditate on where your life is now, where your priorities lie and where you would like them to be heading. Channel this wonderful energy into growing your life, do not be fearful of the energy but use it to your advantage, the world is your oyster and this supermoon could be your key to unlocking as yet untapped potential.

July Capricorn Supermoon

This July supermoon is in Capricorn. This particular sign tells us to pay attention to balancing our own needs. We should look at what is needed in areas of our lives such as home, work and children and see what should be done to address any areas that might be out of kilter. Demands that are put upon us might need to be changed slightly so that we can accommodate more pressing issues. Prioritising issues is key right now, you are only one person and you cannot be stretched to breaking point! One of the names given to the full moon for July is the Buck Moon which is a perfect symbol for the Capricorn Moon. Other names for the July supermoon are Hay Moon and Blessing Moon. Check out the post on July moon names for further info! July Moon Names. I like Blessing Moon. This Super Moon is closest to the Pagan feast of Lammas or Lughnassad which is a particular time for giving gratitude and blessings. I send out blessings to you all! More information on Lammas may be found here  Lammas History and Traditions

So get ready for the three supermoons in a row July August September 2014. Buckle your seat belts it is sure to be a bumpy roller coaster of a ride but enjoy that roller coaster, raise your hands in the air and embrace that wonderful energy! Lean into the corners and scream if you need to but above all enjoy it and send out joy and love into the universe.

Supermoon blessings to you, Alison

Our pets often teach us the wonder of unconditional love. Gratitude pets quote.

Our pets often teach us the wonder of unconditional love. Often our best friends in the whole world our cats, dogs, fish, guinea pigs, and rabbits give us so much love and so much to give gratitude for. They are there at the end of a hard day to just listen and be there for us, always happy to see us. Do you have a pet who is special in your life?

This is my daughter and her cat Izzi, we have two cats at the moment and have had two dogs who are now over the rainbow bridge, all have filled our lives with wonder and have given us so much to feel grateful for. Blessings, Alison xxx

Full moon July 2014. Blessing Moon. Hay moon

Our Moon is full this month on the 12th July.  For the full list of times for the full moon in your particular time zone please see the post I wrote a couple of days ago. Here in England we seem to be having a few dry days so hopefully that will make for some good full moon viewing!

As usual I have written a few words about the full moon names. I will try not to repeat my previous posts!  Most to the names follow what is happening in the weather at this time of year. The native american names for the full moon are often the most descriptive giving us an idea of what was happening in their lives at the time of the July full moon. 

Here is a list of the Native American full moon names for the various tribes:
Abenaki –Grass Cutter Moon
Algonquin –Squash Are Ripe Moon
Cherokee –Ripe Corn Moon
Choctaw –Little Harvest Moon, Crane Moon
Comanche –Hot Moon
Cree –Moon When Ducks Begin to Molt
Dakota Sioux –Moon of the Middle Summer
Haida –Salmon Moon
Hopi –Moon of the Homedance
Kalapuya –Camas Ripe (the bulb of the camas lily was a staple food to the Kalapuya)
Lakota –Moon When The Chokecherries Are Black
Mohawk –Time of Much Ripening
Ponca –Middle of Summer Moon
Potawatomi –Moon of the Young Corn
Shoshone –Summer Moon http://paradelle.wordpress.com

You can see from this list how important a crop corn was to the Native American tribes. This was also seen in other cultures, although now we have a variety of other crops available to us. Colonists to  America called the full moon in July the Corn Tassel Moon. 

The full moon in July is the closest moon to the Pagan feast of Lammas or Lughnasadh. This marks the festival of the first harvest. Lammas or Lughnasadh (Loo-nahs-ah) falls on the 1st August. It is a cross-quarter holiday festival which lies between the Summer Solstice (Litha) and the Autumnal Equinox (Mabon).  Traditionally it was a time for giving thanks for all that our Mother Earth, Gaia has provided; with a particular focus for the grain that has been grown that would sustain people during the long cold winter months. When you look upon the full moon therefore try and offer gratitude for all that our mother earth has provided for us. Lammas or Lughnasadh is also seen as a fertility festival as the earth is ripe with her fertility at this time of year, this is an excellent time for attracting luck and fertility in all areas of your life. Why not have a go at writing your own blessing to read out, either aloud or just to yourself at the time of the full moon? If you would like to share I would love to hear from you.

Full blessing moon love to you, AstarteAlison xxx  

New Moon Affirmation for June 2014

We have a beautiful new moon today, full of promise, new beginnings and expectations. Enjoy the wonderful new energy that is around at the moment. Here is a lovely new moon affirmation for you to enjoy.

This is a new month, I am a new me, I welcome the road ahead. 

Embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of you this month and use the energy of our waxing moon to help you push ahead with any new projects that you start this new moon.

New moon blessings to you, Alison xxx

Full Moon in May, gravitational pull and migraine trigger?

So who got a good view of our May flower full moon last night? I was driving back from the cinema with a friend when we spotted her above the trees. It was a clear night with just a handful of clouds slowly meandering their way over her surface, providing a beautiful vista and demonstrating her powerful glory perfectly. I had a wonderful day full of energy yesterday, how does the moon affect the way that you feel?

Today I still feel that energy and want to get lots done but am being slowed down by the migraine that I often get at the time of the full moon. We know that the tides are higher at the full moon. This is because of the gravitational pull that our Moon has. Tides are affected by both the sun and the moon and although the moon is much smaller than the sun, its proximity to us gives it greater 'pulling power'. When the sun and moon line are in alignment as during a new moon or full moon the moon has a greater effect on the tides and thus they are higher. The moon doesn't just affect the oceans however, although these are most noticeable as they are such a large body of water. This effect happens to all the water on our planet. This is why gardening by the moon is important as the water in the soil will move towards the surface. The water in the cells in our bodies is affected too. Now this is just a theory of mine but I believe that the full moon affects migraines. We see that the full moon affects the behaviour of both people and animals and one of the theories behind this is because of the affect the moon has on the water in the cells of our bodies. I believe that this in turn leads to the full moon being a migraine trigger in certain people. 

Sometime when my head hurts a little less I intend to do a bit more research into this. For now I found this:
"During the early part of the nineteenth century the Swedish chemist Jons Jakob Berzelius laid the groundwork for modern chemistry. He devised Latin symbols for the elements and combined the atomic weights with a chart of electrical charges. His book Larebok I Keon [Foundation of Chemistry] was translated into all European languages, and was largely responsible for the spread of basic chemical knowledge. From the age of 23, he was tortured by migraine headaches, which he believed followed the cycles of the moon. In earlier life, they were irregular, but now they came twice a month, on the days of the new and full moon."http://www.earthpulse.com

Obviously migraine triggers are very complicated and if you do suffer from migraines you will know that there is often not just one trigger. However it is interesting to note that the full moon may be one of the contributing triggers towards a migraine. A little sad I find that such a wonderful occurrence can lead to such pain but I guess it is all part of the cycle of life!

Full moon blessings to you, Alison xxx

You are a unique and beautiful soul. Positive inspirational quote

Me and you have got something amazing in common: we are both unique and that's a wonderful thing.

We are all unique souls and are all special to this world we live upon. Never doubt your importance in life for we all have a unique roll to play and are here for a reason. You are amazing, celebrate that fact and never forget it!

Glen Gannon puts it in more beautiful words than I could ever come up with!

You are more beautiful than any mirror could show you, more loved than you could ever imagine, more respected than you realise, more precious than gold, and your soul is as endless as infinity and all of life's mysteries dwell in your imagination. You are as unique as your fingerprint.

Beautiful blessings to you, Alison

Happy December, warm Yule blessings to you xxx

Happy December to you, hope this month brings you all that you wish for.
Blessings, Alison xxx

You carry Mother Earth within you. She is not just outside of you. Positive Inspirational quote from Thich Nhat Hahn

You carry Mother Earth within you. She is not just outside of you. Mother Earth is not just your environment. Thich Nhat Hahn

I love all that Thich Nhat Hahn has to say. This is so true we need to carry Mother Earth in our hearts and love and respect her for she gives of herself so willingly asking nothing in return. It is a selfless unconditional love and we should love her back equally. Everyday I try and silently offer my Gratitude for all that our Mother Earth, Gaia gives us. She is truly within us.

Gaia blessings, Alison *´¯`•.¸¸.☽◯☾ *´¯`•.¸¸.

Moon phases for November 2013

Oh dear I'm a bit late with this but better late than never!  Here are the moon phases for November 2013 for you.

We are currently in the waxing phase of the moon with a full moon occurring on Sunday 17th November. Now is the time to be working on any projects that you want to complete. This is a fabulous time to make sure you are on top of your Yule preparations. Personally I like to get all my Christmas/Yule shopping out of the way as I can't bear the December crowds in the shops! If you are stuck for present ideas why not visit my shop http://www.astarte-moon.co.uk/shop/, there are lots of unique and hand crafted items at great prices. Or there are lots of wonderful products for sale at the natural Magick shop such as these fabulous room sprays http://naturalmagickshop.com

Our Next Full Moon is Sunday * 17th November 2013 * 04:15:42 pm
Central European Time (CET)
Moon sign: Taurus 25° 26'

In other time zones:
WELLINGTON = Monday * 18th Nov 2013 * 04:15:42 am (NZDT)
SYDNEY = Monday * 18th November 2013 * 02:15:42 am (AEDT)
TOKYO = Monday * 18th November 2013 * 12:15:42 am (JST)
BEIJING = Sunday * 17th November 2013 * 11:15:42 pm (CST)
BANGKOK = Sunday * 17th November 2013 * 10:15:42 pm (ICT)
DELHI = Sunday * 17th November 2013 * 08:45:42 pm (IST)
MOSCOW = Sunday * 17th November 2013 * 07:15:42 pm (MSK)
RIYADH = Sunday * 17th November 2013 * 06:15:42 pm (AST)
BERLIN = Sunday * 17th November 2013 * 04:15:42 pm (CET)
LONDON = Sunday * 17th November 2013 * 03:15:42 pm (GMT)
RIO = Sunday * 17th November 2013 * 01:15:42 pm (BRST)
NEW YORK = Sunday * 17th November 2013 * 10:15:42 am (EST)
MEXICO CITY = Sunday * 17th Nov 2013 * 09:15:42 am (CST)
LOS ANGELES = Sunday * 17th Nov 2013 * 07:15:42 am (PST)
HONOLULU = Sunday * 17th Nov 2013 * 05:15:42 am (HAST)
http://www.fullmoon.info/en/fullmoon-calendar.html

Moon blessings to you all for a fabulous November xxx

Books, daffodils and tress. A quote on gratitude and the wonders of nature.

Books, daffodils and trees. How wonderful is life! We have much to be grateful for.

Try and take some time this month to spend a little time with nature. A walk around your local park, or sitting beneath an ancient tree are wonderful ways to ground yourself. Even spending five minutes each day just standing barefoot is a fabulous way to connect with the earth and ground yourself.  Let nature's strength and love course through your veins, re-vitalising you and filling you with serenity and hope. For my cousins on the Southern Hemisphere, happy arrival of spring to you. I am very grateful for all that nature provides for us and very much looking forward to the arrival of spring with its beautiful bulbs and blossom on the trees. In the meantime I am going to offer gratitude for the autumn and winter and all their magickal delights. As the wheel turns there are always so many wonderful things to be grateful for.  Our Mother Earth, Gaia is truly an amazing place, giving us her unconditional love. 

Blessings to you all, Alison