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"I don't believe in Mercury Retrograde"

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Photo by ZCH: https://www.pexels.com/photo/planet-mercury-in-full-shot-photography-12498795/ I know, people say that a lot...so... Okay firstly, retrograde is a real thing, astronomically.  You can find a more technical, but still accessible, explanation  here .  If you think about cars going around in several lanes of traffic, going the same speed and starting out parallel, eventually the the car in the shortest lane (usually the inside track) will get ahead of the car in the longer lane. It can  appear  then that as the first car passes the second, the second is actually going backwards.  If we think about planets in our solar system, they are all doing the same thing, and sometimes they pass each other. When Earth "passes" a planet during its orbit, that other planet is said to be retrograde.  Looking at them in the sky, the planet appears to move backward.    How often a planet becomes retrograde relative to Earth depends on not only its proximity to the Earth, but also
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Last Moonth of the Year

It's a DOOZY too. Starts off with a solar eclipse, and then full moon around Samhain. It's also our last "moonth" of the year, as if you're following the same version of the wheel of the year that I do, Samhain is the new year, so we'll start the cycle again. I may or may not keep up with the astrology stuff, I may change my tune and emphasize something else.  So as we start, The sun is in Libra, and so is the New Moon on Saturday, October 14. Libra is about partnerships and balance, and yes, justice, but maybe not with a capital J. We can spend a lot of time trying to make sure everyone is treating us JUST RIGHT, but remember as scales balance, they sort of wobble back and forth, one side lower and the other higher. The sun and moon, our outward and inner selves, these are things we often strive to keep in balance, sometimes giving too much, and other times pulling back too far, but always returning to that equilibrium. Whatever house this is in for you m
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Happy Holy Weeks!

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  Photo by Marta Nogueira "It's the most wonderful tiiime of the yeeeear" If I was better at such things, I'd do a whole re-write of that song.  Maybe I will work on it later. We are coming up to Samhain and while, yes, I do have the moon stuff to post, I wanted to take a step back to kind of review what the heck I'm doing this season!  If you're local to me, I would love to see you at the future events! First up was this past Saturday, when I was going to go to  Day of the Dead  put on every year by Latino Arts for Humanity at Greenlawn Cemetery in Columbus.   They have ofrendas , art, music, awesome food, and it's a lovely kick off.  Greenlawn is also where my grandparents are buried, so it gives me a chance to honor them, as I try to make a special effort to do so this time of year. If we have ourselves organized, my spouse and I take a day and travel to various cemeteries where our ancestors' graves are in Ohio.  It's a long day, going down to
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Blessed Autumnal Equinox

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  Day 1:  Offerings to the Fro Ing and Frea, and the corn dolly from my garden.   You can't see it, but the green and yellow candles ARE lit, just super small flames (wick problems).I got Yarrow as an omen. The crystal grid is basically a calendar, with the stone for Haelig (Mabon) on the top (and for the first quarter moon on the inner circle).  The new corn dolly is under the black tulle, kind of. Yay, it's here! As of Saturday (9/23) at 2:50 in the morning Even though my favorite 'slice' of the pie that makes up the Wheel of the Year is now over, officially, I don't dislike autumn.  There's all sorts of secular things I love about this time of year: football, pumpkin spice lattes (don't hate), finishing up the harvest of my garden and cleaning it up for the winter, watching the leaves change color... I swear it's like Mother Earth is putting on her own chunky cardigan. Also I love chunky cardigans. I also love that it's still warm enough to be out
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New Moon in Virgo, heading toward Balance (Libra)

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  Photo by Alina Vilchenko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/food-people-party-winter-15574288/ "Libra-season" starts in the middle of this moonth, but we have to get ready for that with the New Moon in Virgo.   (I really like this photo I got from Pexels, and now I want to start staging my own....) We talked about Virgo last moonth, and so we can still continue on with that.  That detail oriented, planning energy is still here and it's a good thing to do at the new moon anyway (September 14), when we are setting our intentions.  This is especially true now as until a week or so again, we had SEVEN planets in retrograde (everyone BUT Mars).  Venus went direct on September 3, and Mercury goes directly TODAY (September 15) and the rest not for a while. Mercury also rules Virgo, so the fact that I am writing and posting this the day AFTER the New Moon is probably just a coincidence. Anyway... so for this New Moon in Virgo, take extra  care with your plans and make sure Is are d
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Leo to Virgo Moon stuff

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  Photo by Erik Karits: https://www.pexels.com/photo/landscape-nature-water-blue-17590944/ When I searched for free stock photos associated with "Virgo" I got many pictures of damselflies like the above. I have no idea why, but they are beautiful.... And apologies for the less than spiffy title :)  Anyway... So for this "moonth," we are holding on to Leo for JUST a little bit longer.  The New Moon in Leo on August 16. SUPER early in the morning. My phone app said it was today!  The New Moon in Leo focuses on self-expression, creativity, and leadership. As you set your intention for this moon, it may be good to meditate on the right use of your power and personal will.  If you know what house your moon falls in that can help. Mine is in the sixth house ALL month, focusing health and habits, routines, etc. and I am SORELY in need of working on that. First Quarter moon (August 24) has the sun finally moving into Virgo, and square the Moon in Sagittarius. The friction h
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Elembivios, Weodmōnaþ, Blue Corn, The Salmon

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  Photo by James Wheeler: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-wooden-dock-414612/ Blue moon you saw me standing alone Without a dream in my heart Without a love of my own Time to get to the moon names this upcoming "moonth." For the Gauls, we are beginning Elembivios "the many-sided Month,"  That is one translation anyway, there are others.  One that is somewhat relevent  is the "Month of Claiming" associated with the grain harvest.  Our grove has chosen to honor Nantosuelta. Her name translates to "winding river," and those can have many sides?  Her iconography often pairs her with Sucellos, suggesting a link with fertility, and also has ravens.  Personally, I see her in a similar light as the Morrigan, mostly because of the ravens, but there's nothing in the lore; it's just my personal inpsiration.  At our Druid moon rite, we "dancing the flow," of life, of the river, of whatever.  Our grove is also sponsoring a festival during
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