Roughly, every two and one-half days, the Moon changes signs. During this time, it makes no direct aspects, and is considered relatively unstable. The low-down is that it is an unfavorable time to make any major decisions, nor to do anything of great importance. The reason being, that anything begun or finished right now will either not work out (at worst), or will simply have to be redone (at best).

Needless to say, do not make important decisions at this time. It’s better to wait until the time after which the Moon firmly enters the next Zodiac sign. For example, when the Moon is Void-of-Course in Pisces, it would be better to wait to start or finish a project once the Moon had completely entered into the next sign of Aries.

Moon Magick: The wise witches out there who happen to know the art of Astrology can vouch for the wisdom of performing rituals when the Moon is favorably aspected. Therefore, it is best to avoid doing serious Magick during a time when the the Moon is VOC, (especially for acquiring things, or situations).

In order to help you plan the best times to start or finish a project, please check out my Moon Void-of-Course Page, which lists the VOC times for the rest of June 2007. I will soon be listing the VOC Moons for the rest of 2007.

June 26, 2007: Today, the Moon is in Scorpio all day, but Void-of-Course. Now is the time to do the following: Get to the bottom of matters; detective work; deal with issues regarding all that is hidden, taboo, secret, or suppressed.

The Moon is void of course from 1:24 PM PDT (4:24 PM EDT) with the Moon’s last aspect before changing signs (a square to Saturn). VOC period ends when the Moon enters Sagittarius at 5:25 AM PDT (8:25 AM EDT) tomorrow.

Positive Energies of the Moon in Scorpio: Provocative, sexual, intense, passionate, transformative, healing, visionary, good for Necromancy and Trance Work, past-life regression.

Negative Energies of the Moon in Scorpio: Jealous, pushy, argumentative, strong-willed, morbid and manipulative.

Special Note for June 26, 2007: Since Venus is quincunx Uranus today, there will be issues regarding impulsive spending, peculiar attractions, fear of commitment, and freedom versus intimacy issues.

For more about Astrology, visit my Astrology Pages, or sign up for Astrology Classes.

I wish you all a magickal Summer Solstice today, June 21st, 2007. I’ve been up since 6:20 am (PDT), unable to sleep — feeling excited and happy as we move into the warm, loving Zodiacal sign of Cancer.

The exact moment of the Summer Solstice will occur at 11:06 am (PDT), and 2:06 pm (EDT). The Solstice will occur with Virgo Rising at 7 Degrees, with the Moon in the 1st House, making wonderful astrological aspects for me personally, for which I’m always thankful to the stars. I’ll post the chart up in the Astrology Section of my Magickal Forum for you all to see.

The Pagan History of the Summer Solstice: This day is also celebrated by Pagans and Witches as “Litha”, which is one of the 4 Greater Sabbaths of good witches everywhere. As some of you may know, the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. After today, the sun will set sooner each day, until Winter Solstice, at which time (Yule), the Sun will be “reborn” again. For more information about the Summer Solstice, please see the links at the end of this post, or contact me personally.

A Magickal Morning: After I awoke, I had some tea with my father, and gathered some items to do a little of what I call, kitchin’ witchin’.

Making Solar Water: I poured a gallon of purified water into a jug, put a stopper on it, and put it outside to gather the rising rays of Sol. According to ancient Wiccan practices, Solar Water made on this particular day possesses incredible magickal force and power which can be used for healing for the rest of the Solar Year.

After that, I went upstairs to the Sun Deck, and ate some Bran, as I took in the sight of Hollywood beneath my feet (literally!) However, the damp morning air made it difficult to stay there for long, so I went back downstairs to my house, saying hello to a honeybee I met along the way.

Feeling inspired, (thanks to the Solar Energy), I wound up taking quite a few pictures of my new house, replete with Faeries, Pixies, Gnomes and flowers. I’ll post them up soon.

Once back inside, I also gathered a collection of all my Solar crystals — various gold, red and clear crystals, such as Pyrite, Citrine, Quartz, Jasper, Tiger’s Eye, and even some Bloodstone. I placed these stones on a large windowsill (facing South, the direction of Fire), and lit some of my special Venus in Cancer incense, next to the crystals basking in the sunlight.

I wound up writing lengthy entries in my Magickal Diary, and wrote two intense poems as well (which I’ll share in the Magickal Forum).

Me and my dad did a bit of Psychic Trance work at the kitchen table, under the powerful influences of the solar aspects. We did some detective work, which I’ll share with you all on a different post. Suffice it to say, that this Solstice is already generating a great deal of positive energy in my life, and I hope that it will have the same effect on all my magickal friends out there.

The Third Pentacle of the Sun: I’m posting this particular Solar talisman to generate positive energy for all my readers. Here’s a bit about this particular Seal of the Sun. The Greater Key of Solomon states that, “The Third Pentacle of the Sun serveth in addition … to acquire Kingdom and Empire, to inflict loss, and to acquire renown and glory, especially through the Name of God, Tetragrammaton, which therein is twelve times contained.”

In an accompanying Editor’s Note, the Name IHVH (Yod-Heh-Vau-Heh), is repeated twelve times; and a versicle somewhat similar to Daniel IV. V:34: ‘My Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and my dominion endureth from age unto age.’

Feel free to print it out, anoint it with some Frankincense (or even Olive Oil), and keep it in your wallet or purse for good fortune. And of course, let me know how it affects you by sharing your story in the Magickal Forum. As always, I hope you all have a mystical, magickal day!

More Links Regarding Litha:

Ways to Celebrate the Summer Solstice: The Voxx Magickal Forum.

Circle of Light: Summer Solstice Ritual.

Netglimse.com: Summer Solstice Celebrations

Cassandra Eason Official Site: Summer Solstice Rituals

Thelemic Summer Solstice Ritual.

“[In the train of Poseidon] the winds and tempest are silent and with tranquil song proceed the Tritones who bear his armour and the rock-like Cete (Sea-Monsters) and the Tyrrhenian herds [seals], and gambol around and blow him, saluting their king.” — Statius, Achilleid 1.55

According to news reports, a 50-ton Bowhead whale was caught and killed last month; however, what makes this story so unusual is the fact that the creature has been estimated to have been between 115 to 130 years old!

It’s bad enough to have lost such a magnificent whale, but to make matters worse it seems the only thing reporters are focusing on is the fact that the whale was discovered with a fragment of a weapon in its neck — one that was manufactured circa 1890!

The 50-ton whale was captured off the Alaskan coast, had apparently been hit with a bomb lance between its neck and shoulder blade, a fragment which was lodged there for over 100 years. It had survived for over a century with the 3-1/2 inch arrow-shaped object buried under its blubber, only to succumb during a similar, final attack last month.

According to John Bockstoce, an adjunct curator at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, no other finding of such an object has ever been as precise in helping discover the actual age of such a whale. Ordinarily, the calculation of a whale’s age is difficult to gauge by studying the level of amino acids in the whale’s eye lenses. Not only that, but it is an extremely rare event to discover a whale which is more than a century old. Still, there have been incidents of capturing whales that have been near 200 years of age.

The Bowhead that was recently killed has been estimated to have been born in approximately 1877, around the time Thomas Edison was busy inventing the phonograph.

Alaska Whaling Laws: The Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission allows the harvesting of up to 255 whales by 10 Alaskan villages for the next five years, so the killing of the whale is considered legal; however, it’s important to note that the Bowhead Whale itself is considered an endangered species, and I feel should have been spared this unnecessary death.

Especially haunting to me is the fact that this whale managed to exist for all this time, no doubt being careful to avoid humans. Still, in the end this ancient creature lost its life, and takes with it a small piece of history.

As a follower of the ancient ways of Nature, I respect all creatures, and although I am a Pagan, I don’t consider myself to be a “tree-hugging hippie”. Still, in this case the age of this whale, as well as the fact that it was on the endangered species list just really saddens me — even though the killing was technically legal, and will go towards feeding the Alaskan Indians.

I suppose the only thing I can do is what I’m doing right now — bringing awareness to another facet of the story, one that is not receiving the attention I feel it deserves. All i can do now is say a blessing for a majestic being that has been sacrificed to feed the needs of Man and his unceasing appetite.

Whales and Mythology: According to ancient Greek Mythology, the Goddess Amphitrite was the ruler of the Keta (aka Cetaceans), which were considered sea monsters.

Additional Links Regarding Whales & Mythology:

Whales in Ancient Greek Mythology

The Goddess Amphitrite

Greek Mythology Gallery

About Bowhead Whales: Wikipedia, Enchanted Learning, ACSON Online

19th Century Whale Captured (News Reports): CNN, Journal Now, The Edmonton Sun.

Tonight is the Full Moon in Sagittarius at 10:12 Degrees. The second Full Moon within the same month is called a Blue Moon, hence the term, “once in a Blue Moon”, as this event happens infrequently.

The Full Moon in Sagittarius is good for anything to do with Astrological 9th House concerns, such as Publishing, Travel, Communication, Higher Learning, Astral Travel, etc.

I hope you all have a great evening. I sure will! I’m going to perform my first Full Moon magickal ritual on the Moon roof at my new home, Tiphereth House.

May Levanel, the Angel of the Moon bless you all.

Magickal Note: I wound up doing my Full Moon ritual in Larchmont with my magickal partner. We stood near the reflection of the Moon in a clear pool of water with the rays coming down.

Whenever I do a Moon Ritual, I always use my Black Scrying Mirror to capture the lunar light, building the charge so I can use the magickal charge in my Scrying work, whenever I want to converse with Spirits, Angels or other spiritual beings.

By the way, tonight’s Full Moon was supposed to be the biggest and brightest of the entire year, as the Moon was quite close to the Earth. Anyway, I’ll post some more info on Scrying Mirrors soon. Feel free to share you experiences from your own Lunar Rituals in the Magickal Forum. I enjoy hearing how you all celebrate the Lunar Phases. Nighty night!

Today is Beltane, one of the Witches’ Sabbaths which marks the last of the three Spring fertility festivals. It is the second Sabbath of the New Year, coming between the Vernal Equinox (Ostara), and the Summer Solstice (Mid-Summer). Beltane is equated with the arrival of Summer since ancient times.

The Sabbath of Beltane (also known as May Eve), is also known in Germany as Walpurgisnacht, (which translates as the “Night of Walpurgis”). In the lore of Witchcraft (before it was renamed “Wicca”), and was often depicted as the night when all the witches and their familiars rode their brooms through the sky.

Interestingly, Beltane happens today on the near-full Moon in Scorpio, which adds just the right amount of spiritual lunar energy to the holiday. Interesting how the Pagans chose the Astrological placement for this holiday, as the Moon in Scorpio relates to Sex, Death and Rebirth. Also, at the time of this holiday, the Sun is in sensual Taurus, which is ruled by Venus the planet ruling love and beauty.

Below are some helpful and interesting links for you to read about the history and practice of Beltane.

I will be celebrating tonight, and will meet all my magickal friends no doubt — out there on the Astral Plane.

Remember that Beltane is a magickal time wherein the veils between the worlds are lifted. Go outside tonight and see if you can see the Green Man, or the lovely Queen of the Fairies, Mab. Enjoy yourselves! Id’ love to hear any of your stories or magickal experiences you have tonight. Blessed Be!

Beltane Fire Society: Unbelievable pictures show how modern Wiccans and Pagans continue to celebrate this ancient holiday — truly amazing!

Myths Associated With Beltane: A great site containing lots of additional links regarding Wicca and Beltane.

A Witch’s View of Beltane: More on the traditions of Beltane written by a Wiccan practitioner.

Celtic Traditions of Beltane: An historical account of the Celtic origins of Beltane written by a male Wiccan.