2011 I greet you with open arms...

an open mind, heart and soul! I have the very best feeling about 2011 the year ahead, I am excited!! It is going to be a year of adventure and personal growth, it is the start of a new 7 year cycle and I am starting it with my eyes open and an eager and inquisitive mind. It is a year for change, growth, positivity..... a year I am eager to begin!

I am thankful for the lessons of 2010 and the many wonderful memories created, I take from these experience and move forward wiser and better for having learnt them no matter how difficult they may have been.

Farewell 2010....... Hello and welcome 2011!!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year xox

Finding my Natal Moon sign and phase...

Trying to find my Natal Moon sign and phase provided me with a lot more information than I was seeking, but it is all very interesting! I have discovered amongst many other interesting facts that my Natal Moon sign is Leo and the Natal Moon phase was waxing gibbous.

Moon sign for 1st May 1982 est is LEO 

Proud, benevolent, generous, creative and jolly. Craves to be noticed and appreciated,

cannot bear to stay in the shadow or be criticized.

In the depths of their souls, these people know they are true nobility, perhaps even royalty or monarchs. They know for certain that they were born different to others and only some outrageous injustice has destined them to live in a small flat instead of a palace. Yet even in these circumstances the Moon in Leo tries hard to create a decent and elegant lifestyle. He or she insists on buying clothes and items which are special in some way, and enjoys throwing a party and having guests at home ? an easy way, perhaps, for them to show their true colours.

Leo Moons are proud of their children, who they naturally assume have remarkable talents that distinguish them from others, and as parents they are happy to spend whatever it takes to discover and develop their kids' talents. They can also be big spenders when it comes to buying clothes, both for themselves and their children. Wearing rags is not for nobles! Moon in Leo individuals often have good taste, especially with clothes and food, and this is frequently the result of their own parents' influence. Even if they don't have any creative talents of their own, which is highly unusual, they are still interested in arts, theatre and fashion, and they undoubtedly have their own distinct opinions about these, and all other subjects.

Playing, celebrating and partying are the best ways for Moon in Leo people to restore their energy after periods of stress. For good self-esteem, every now and again they also need to be viewed, appreciated, and adored.

If they don't have enough love in their life, Moon Leos can have problems with their heart, circulatory system or their general levels of physical energy. Problems with vision are also quite typical. Many Moon Leos tend to have some sort of difficulty in their relationships with their own children, perhaps because they are so eager to spoil them.

Saturday, May 1, 1982

Moon's age (days): 8

Distance (Earth radii): 59.41

Percent Illumination 57.59%

Ecliptic latitude (degrees): 2.59

Ecliptic longitude (degrees): 142.88

1 May 1982

Your date of conception was on or about 8 August 1981 which was a Saturday.

You were born on a Saturday

under the astrological sign Taurus.

Your Life path number is 8.

Your fortune cookie reads:

Love conquers all.

Life Path Compatibility:

You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 8, 11 & 22.

You should get along well with those with the Life Path number 6.

You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 1 & 5.

You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 3, 7 & 9.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2445090.5.

The golden number for 1982 is 7.

The epact number for 1982 is 5.

The year 1982 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 1/25/1982 and ending 2/12/1983.

You were born in the Chinese year of the Dog.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Beaver; your plant is Wild Clover.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Epipy, the third month of the season of Shomu (Harvest).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 8 Iyyar 5742.

Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 9 Iyyar 5742.

The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.8.16.6 which is

12 baktun 18 katun 8 tun 16 uinal 6 kin

The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Saturday, 7 Rajab 1402 (1402-7-7).

The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 11 April 1982.

The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 18 April 1982.

The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 24 February 1982.

The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 30 May 1982.

The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 6 June 1982.

The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Saturday, 18 September 1982.

The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Thursday, 8 April 1982.

The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 23 February 1982.

As of 12/27/2010 12:03:15 AM EST

You are 28 years old.

You are 343 months old.

You are 1,496 weeks old.

You are 10,467 days old.

You are 251,208 hours old.

You are 15,072,483 minutes old.

You are 904,348,995 seconds old.

Celebrities who share your birthday:

Tim McGraw (1967)	Rita Coolidge (1945)	Judy Collins (1939)
Terry Southern (1924)	Jack Paar (1918)	Glenn Ford (1916)
Kate Smith (1909)

Top songs of 1982

I Love Rock `n' Roll by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts	Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder	Centerfold by J. Geils Band
Maneater by Daryl Hall & John Oates	Jack & Diane by John Cougar
Don't You Want Me by Human League	Up Where We Belong by Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band	Hard to Say I'm Sorry by Chicago

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 4.09667318982387 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)

Your lucky day is Friday.

Your lucky number is 6.

Your ruling planet(s) is Venus.

Your lucky dates are 6th, 15th, 24th.

Your opposition sign is Scorpio.

Your opposition number(s) is 9 & 11.

Today is not one of your lucky days!

There are 125 days till your next birthday

on which your cake will have 29 candles.

Those 29 candles produce 29 BTUs,

or 7,308 calories of heat (that's only 7.3080 food Calories!) .

You can boil 3.31 US ounces of water with that many candles.  

In 1982 there were approximately 3.6 million births in the US.

In 1982 the US population was approximately 226,545,805 people, 64.0 persons per square mile.

In 1982 in the US there were 2,495,000 marriages (10.8%) and 1,180,000 divorces (5.1%)

In 1982 in the US there were approximately 1,990,000 deaths (8.8 per 1000)

In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.

In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.

In 1982 the population of Australia was approximately 15,288,891.

In 1982 there were approximately 239,903 births in Australia.

In 1982 in Australia there were approximately 117,274 marriages and 44,088 divorces.

In 1982 in Australia there were approximately 114,771 deaths.

Your birth flower is LILY

Your birthstone is Emerald

The Mystical properties of Emerald

Though not meant to replace traditional medical treatment, Emerald is used for physical and emotional healing.

Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)

Agate, Chrysoprase

Your birth tree is

Poplar, the UncertaintyLooks very decorative, no self-confident behaviour, only courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, artistic nature, good organiser, tends to philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership serious.

and 2 days have passed since Christmas 2010!

There are 11 days till Orthodox Christmas!

The moon's phase on the day you were

born was waxing gibbous. 

Saturn Return

I had a beautiful and deep discussion with my cousin Mel and her partner Amanda on Christmas Day about the life journey I am taking and focusing on in 2011. It all came about when I was compelled to show my cousin the collection of books that I was gifted for Christmas from Mumma. It started a deep and beautiful conversation about the path I have chosen to explore, my feelings and the reasons behind my seeking. My cousin has also been down this path and has explained to me that I have come into and am experiencing Saturn's Return and that I should look into it. Upon googling this I found this article (along with a stage production about a young womans journey with Saturn Return - which I now want to go see!!) and it was amazing to read . So inspiring and comforting yet somehow unsettling to know that this is a natural progression in life and that many people undergo these inner searches at my age..... unfortunately not all will listen and work on their lives at this time and will find themselves having a much harder time of it when they are aged around 55.

Even though your Saturn Return may be disturbing, ultimately it reveals what you truly want and sweeps away the clutter that may have been impeding your progress. Your Saturn Return is a personal spring cleaning. No matter how difficult it seems to let go of inappropriate people and things, the first Saturn Return is the time to do it. For if lessons are not learned, the problems will come knocking again during your second Saturn Return at about age fifty-eight, when you are more set in your ways. Once the conflict is confronted, the tension usually subsides. You feel stronger and more capable of moving ahead.

Saturn Return: "www.shore.net"

Festive Delivery...

My delivery arrived yesterday.... well not really MY delivery but the gift from my mother for Yule or Christmas as it is celebrated in my family.

I opened the package, of course just to ensure that all was well and arrived as it should... hehe and to lay my eyes on my long awaited books!! I am very proud to say that all I did was open the parcel and look to make sure all was there!! But oh was I tempted to open up and flick through each glorious book!!

The beautiful products are from www.moondiary.com.au

I had ordered:

The 2011 Moon Diary

This is the Diary's 18th year and is the original Southern Hemisphere Moon Diary, Researched and handwritten by Shekhinah Morgan and illustrated by Jude Baderle.

I will take photo's when they are rightfully mine to fondle :o)

Moon Rights

Written by Michelle Royce

 Renew ~ your female body, mind and spirit

Reclaim ~ the wisdom and magic of the lunar cycle

Rediscover ~ forgotten secrets and lost connections between your female body and soul

Unleash ~ your inner power, intuitive ability, creative drive and spirituality.

Empower ~ yourself to make positive life choices.

Who doesn't want all of that!!!

The Woman's Quest

Written by Alexander Pope

Unfolding womans' path of power and wisdom.

A 13 session self-guiding course to experience the delicious affirmation and power of being a women!

The Inner Goddess Makeover

Written by Tanishka ~ director & founder of Star of Ishtar

Ancient women's wisdom for girls and women of all ages who wish to fulfill their feminine potential.

And also a beautiful blue Moon Magic bookmark... as I found with all the other books I was reading at once, I need more than just my "Believe" bookmark to hold my place in so many books :o)

So I am thinking that these wonderful illustrations will help take me on my spiritual journey, how very lucky am I to have been -soon to be- gifted all of the above!?!?! Thank you Mumma xo

Looking forward to having so much more to write about here, and to finding and loving myself and mother earth so much more than I do.

Blessed Be )O( ~ Must add that I learnt that from a wonderful lady today whom I happened to meet through totally unrelated circumstances and am very blessed I did xoxo

Tarot reading...

I haven't written on here in so long, quite simply because I haven't given my exploration of Wicca and witchcraft etc the time I would like. I have let some aspects of life steer me away from this journey I would like to be on.
I have had very little experience with Tarot reading, and have self taught myself and rely heavily on the books that I have purchased to interpret the cards. Whilst I don't have natural skill or connections with guiding spirits, I do find that whenever I do a reading for myself it does seem to be very relevant to the questions I ask or for the stage of my life I am in. Is this all just me making the cards relevant to my q's, or could it be that I am guided without knowing in the choosing of my cards, that I simply feel and draw out the cards that will give me the answers I need or want? I have my cards since I was 16 and have used them only when thought of or wanted - quite sporatically, so you can say I only dabble, I have not studied or tried developing skills in this area. But it is something I would like to do.

My husband has recently put forth an application to get work on the other side of the country in the mines, my thoughts have been all a bit or a whirlwind when it comes to whether I would move across there or stay here as the job is fly in, fly out.... so I thought I would look to my cards.

I chose the Bohemian Spread, and the results were:
Card 1: Home and Domestic Matters - X Pentacles
Card 2: Wishes, fears & desires - JUDGEMENT
Card 3: Relationships, friendships & love - Queen of Swords (R)
Card 4: Hoped for Achievements - III Cups (R)
Card 5: Obstacles & Unexpected Assistance - VII Pentacles
Card 6 : Immediate Future & possibilities - Queen of Wands
Card 7: Good Fortune - VII Cups (R) - Good Fortune

Home & Domestic Matters - X of Pentacles:
The card represents a smooth period in home and family life, with an increase in finances which helps to release strains making the family unit happier. One book says that if we are thinking of moving or enlarging the family home we should act and that Travel is also aspected.

Wishes, fears & desires - JUDGEMENT:
This card indicates new life, it also indicates the changing of ideas and values that come with Maturity or the developing of spiritual outlook. The card represents awareness, knowledge and responsibilities. The changes that this card indicates should be positive, leading to an improved lifestyle. All dealings will be positive and could lead to job promotion or success.

Relationships, Friendships & Love - Q of Swords (R):
We are warned against narrow mindedness, ill temper & deceit. The card also links to loss of some kind, either personal or emotional.

Hoped for Achievements - III of Cups (R):
This card represents Achievements & Consolation, a year of Material success. It warns of a friendship ending, and warns of unwanted attention. Suggests watching eating & drinking patterns...

Obstacles & unexpected Assistance - VII of Pentacles:
Progress (perhaps slow) is assured, suggests gain & improvement in circumstances through hard work and effort. May be receiving encouraging news & opportunities to combine business & pleasure should be grasped. Others will be more helpful at this time, we will feel quite satisfied, Money will grow IF looked after. Suggests improved position for a Lady's husband.

Immediate future & possibilities - Q of Wands:
is a person popular in company & a graceful hostess but clever in business with drive & enthusiasm, sometimes a little rash, but sympathetic & understanding. Practicle & clever showing genuine emotion & caring for those around her, her surroundings well balanced & harmonious.
The card also suggests a good business venture will be put to us (by a lady) & that anything with property & security is well favoured.

Good Fortune - VII of Cups (R):
With strong will & determination we are sure to win through in any situation. We will be logical and clear thinking & will find solutions easily. Any confusion will be in the past. Card represents desire, will, determination, project and suggests success when a  accompanied by the III of Cups.

As I said I don't have a natural understanding of the cards or skill in Tarot so I rely heavily on my 3 books to give me insight with what I have laid out. So this is what I have interpreted the above to be.

Missing nature...

I have been feeling very low and flat after returning home from our camping trip and it is only now 4 days after that I feel I know why...

 Whilst camping I felt I was at one with nature and close to the goddess, something that I am trying to have in everyday life. We would awake, walk outside and be amidst it all right up until we would return to our tent in the wee hours of the morning to sleep. In the cool mornings the sun would break through the clouds and I would smile and say a silent thank you for the warmth it provided me and my family as the mornings were very fresh. Throughout the day the sun would grow in heat and we would strip down our layers to singlets and shorts.... and just when you could strip no more and you were feeling too hot, a cool and soothing breeze would whisper through the trees and wrap itself around us. I would close my eyes as the breeze washed over my face covered in beads of perspiration, smile and say a silent thank you.

We were surrounded by beauty & wonder, it lifted my spirits and made me feel calm, relaxed and at ease and seemed to have the same effect on my children, with their normal bickering and sooking left behind. Instead of hearing the winging and arguing and cartoons up loud, we were serenaded by the most beautiful songs of birds and cicadas. Everywhere you looked was beautiful scenery and reasons to be thankful, I felt at peace and had a sense of belonging.

 The nights were spent around the fire and I loved gazing into it, becoming mesmerized by it's beauty and power. Once again I found myself saying thank you for it's warmth in the chilly night & for providing such a beautiful place for our group to commune around each evening.

Every day we had rain, not enough to drown out or ruin our camping, but just enough to wash down our soot covered tents and tarps and cars, or cool us down after a warm day. It was also a time where we would all pitch in together and check all of our tents and tarps to ensure they were doing there jobs and would hold up under more extreme weather conditions. And we were blessed by this beautiful gift...

So it is no wonder that upon returning home, with Hubby and our 1yo falling ill and being couped up inside with the twins back into their bickering and winging I am feeling low and flat. It has made me realise how important it is to connect with Nature no matter where you are or what you are doing and to find a way to be close to the goddess and be thankful for her many gifts.
Blessed be x

A Blog I would like to share...

With permission from MXTODIS123 I wanted to share the following blog from http://reclaimingthedarkgoddess.blogspot.com   Enjoy as I did:

Uzume is the Japanese Goddess of Laughter; She is a Goddess of joy and happiness.  Her name means "Whirling Heavenly Woman", and She has been called the "Daughter of Heaven". Uzume is the embodiment of energy and action; it is She who gives birth to light and to hope.  Bells and dancing are sacred to Her.  Uzume is remembered for the role She played in bringing Amaterasu, the sun goddess, out of Her depression.

According the the legend, Amaterasu, depressed over some bad behaviors of Her brother, Susawana, the storm god, hid Herself in a cave and refused to come out; and with the loss of the Sun,the Earth was covered with darkness and infertility.  The gods and goddesses saw that the world was beginning to wither away and knew it would die without sunlight.  Desperate now, they called on Uzume to lure Amarsata from the darkness.

It didn't take Uzume long to come up with a plan.  The full-figured goddess turned over a large tub and stood upon it; She then began a frenzied sexual dance...Her feet drumming on the tub...and began tearing off Her clothing.  The other gods and goddesses roared and laughed with delight at Her antics and joined in with Her boisterous singing and dancing.  Amaterasu could here the laughter and became curious. She left the cave, and upon seeing the others laughing and having so much fun, She abandoned Her grief and emerged from the cave; thus, sunlight returned to the world.

During times of pain, we often find ourselves resting in the dark recesses of the symbolic cave of depression...and the longer remain there, the harder it is to climb out.  This is when we need to invoke Uzume who teaches us that we can find healing and wisdom in humor.  While you meditate on the goddess of mirth, feel Her feet drumming along with the beating of your heart.  See Her laughing, Her mouth open wide, head thrown back in abandon.  Hear Her voice coming from deep within...for the Azume is already within you...just waiting to inspire your emergence from the cave.   

Fivefold kiss...

Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar
Blessed be thy [womb/phallus], without which we would not be
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty/breast formed in strength
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names.

A slow process....

I am starting to realise that this blog, to begin with, will have entries few and far between. This journey will be long and slow and at 1st may not seem to have much to blog about. Especially considering most of my reading happens once I turn in to bed. But as I read tonight in 'The Intuitive Way', "There is only one journey. Going inside yourself." Rainer Maria Rilke. And to me that journey is worth all the time in the world, every slow and cautious step.

At the moment I am slowly working through 3 books, 'The Intuitive Way', 'Everyday Witch A-Z' & 'The Green Wiccan Herbal'. I have also started following quite a few pagan bloggers, some of who actually teach in their blogs. I could just sit and read these blogs all day if I could.

Some things I have picked up are that I was born on Beltane - May 1st, but this doesn't make me a Beltane baby because that is the name given to those conceived during Beltane. Also this would be in the Northern Hemisphere and I am under the impression that many/some witches work off of a Southern Hemisphere calander. 

So a calander of events / festivals for the Southern Hemisphere, along with an athame and a challice are some of the items I would like to obtain to assist me on my journey. However I have read that the athame is not something you should buy for yourself but be given as a gift or found....... which could make it very difficult. I could of course request the gift from someone like my husband?? But is it really a gift then if I have asked for it? They say if you have to buy your own athame from a store, to buy a plain one that you can decorate and personalize yourself and to of course cleanse and consecrate before use.

So I just did a quick google on the festivals, and here in Australia May 1st would be Samhain & not Beltane.


 Wiccan Festivals according to the Hemisphere

Date           Northern Hemisphere                Southern Hemisphere
October 30th   Samhain                        Beltane
December 21st   Yule (Winter's Solstice)                Midsummer (Summer's Solstice)
February 2nd   Imbolc or Brigantia                Lughnassadh or Lammas
March 21st   Ostara (Spring Equinox)                Mabon (Autumn Equinox)
May 1st   Beltane                        Samhain
June 21st   Midsummer (Summer Solstice)      Yule (Winter Solstice)
August 2nd   Lughnassadh or Lammas                Imbolc or Brigantia
September 21st  Mabon (Autumn Equinox)             Ostara (Spring Equinox)A



A brief summary on Samhain: Is said to be the one night of the year when the veil between the worlds is the thinnest. Some believe that on this night, all those who have died in the previous year pass over to the other side and those are which to be born in the coming year cross to join the living. It is on this night that you say your final farewell to those who had passed in that year and take the time to think back on our ancestors. At Samhain the goddess is honoured in her role as the crone, mourning her loss of her consort at Mabon, but looking forward to the birth at Yule. So Samhain is a time for reflection on the sorrows of our losses but also to celebrate the gifts of the future. This is what I have been given from the 'Everyday Witch A-Z', and I am sure my understanding and connection to this and all the other festivals will deepen as my readings and learnings broaden and continue.

Taking the time.......

I enjoyed looking at and smelling the plants that the girls and I purchased and potted yesterday. The scents are amazing and I am excited thinking about their many uses for the future. I have also enjoyed watching the many different kinds of birds that are starting to frequent our bird seed bell and bird bath in the back yard. I love watching them have a nibble on the seed and then have a flit in the bath bathing their tummy's. There are so many beautiful and amazing things in nature that we overlook on a daily basis, just being too blinded by our hectic lives and too focused on our problems to stop, breathe it all in and say a simple Thank you. This is something I plan to avoid in future, I want to slow down and smell the roses so to speak. So trying to promote more of natures beauty in my own backyard, I soaked some grained bread in water and drizzled it in honey to attract some more birds. I am also looking forward to growing more herbs and vegetables in our back yard, we have the perfect strip for a humble vegie patch.

Book Order arrived today!!

This is the 1st entry for my blog dedicated to my exploration of the world of Wicca. I feel this is something that I have been doing bit by bit through out my life from a very young age, but is now something I would like to immerse myself into. There has always been a subtle pull, but it is now like an urgent tug, something I can't ignore and quite frankly don't wish to. There is a massive hole in my life, my soul, my being one that I feel will be more than filled by giving myself to Wicca, the lifestyle and spirituality. By discovering the mysteries and wonders of wicca I will be discovering a very important part of who I am and who I'm supposed to be, a fulfilled and happier life.
About 2 months ago I borrowed a book from a friend called 'The Book of Shadows - A Modern Women's Journey Into the Wisdom of Witchcraft and the Magic of The Goddess' written by Phyllis Curott. It was a truly wonderful read, one that I thoroughly enjoyed and reignited that spark of desire and curiosity for the world of Witchcraft. I haven't been able to part ways with the book yet and am endeavouring to purchase my own copy - when I find it. So ever since finishing the book it has been on the forefront of my mind.

So today....... my book order from Double Day was delivered: 'Everyday Witch A to Z' by Deborah Blake, 'The Green Wiccan HERBAL' by Silja, 'hedge witch' by Silver Ravenwolf, and also 'The Intuitive Way' by Penney Peirce. These all accompany my previously one and only book on the subject 'Witchcraft a beginner's guide' by Teresa Moorey that I purchased many moons ago when I was about 15 or 16.

After lunch I took the girls to our local nursery and purchased a lavender plant, a jasmine plant, some rosemary and some lemon thyme. I have always had a thing for all of these plants and herbs and many more. Today by flicking through 'The Green Wiccan HERBAL' I have learnt about the many properties for these and it is no wonder I have had a connection to them :o)