Quickening Moon

The February full moon is tomorrow. Snow Moon, Ice Moon, Hunger Moon; many of its names recall that winter is still upon us. But it's been two weeks since we passed the halfway mark to the next solar event of the year, the spring equinox; and the shift can already be felt. The Front Range has seen a very mild winter thus far, with occasionally dumps of snow but many, many sunny and warm days. February in particular has been very warm. Denver set a new high for the date last week - 73!

http://yourtake.9news.com/media/18442654

It has other names that hint at the coming spring: Rowan Moon, Wild Moon, and the one that caught my eye today, Quickening Moon.

The Earth certainly is quickening. My tulips are beginning to poke above ground. I wish I could be happy about that, but as we all know, winter is not over, and it will certainly snow and turn cold again before spring really settles in to stay. So while it gave me a thrill to see them emerging, it also makes me sad, because they're rather frail, and another hard freeze will mean yet another year with no blooms.

This time of year is about beginnings. An intention planted now that will grow and thrive as spring arrives, and our energy increases along with the lengthening of the days and the warming of the Earth.

Full Moon Spell:

On a slip of paper, jot down, in simple terms, what you want. You can also do this on a bay leaf, with a single word.
Light a candle in the color corresponding to your need.
Consider your desire, really think about what it is you want, what steps you will need to take to get there, and visualize it manifested.
Burn the paper and bury the ashes in your garden, if you have one.

The Hierophant

5: The Hierophant


He is the High Priest, counterpart to the High Priestess; known also as the Pope, the Shaman. In the Vikings tarot this card is Odin, accompanied by his ravens Huginn (Thought) and Munnin (Memory). He is Gandalf the White, Chiron the Centaur.

He sits before the pillars to the temple, his hand raised in benediction. In his left hand he holds the triple cross; upon his head he wears the triple crown. The number three is sacred, representing the divine and the order of things: maiden, mother, crone; father, son, holy spirit; past, present, future; beginning, middle, end.

Hierophantes originates from the Greek roots hieros, sacred, and phainein, to reveal or show; the Hierophant is the one who reveals the sacred mysteries and passes this knowledge on. At his feet lay the keys to the mysteries, which he both guards and reveals. Before him kneel two acolytes, ready to receive his blessing as they become initiates into the order. One is dressed in the red roses of passion; the other, the white lilies of purity. Their heads are shaved in a display of their dedication.

The Hierophant is the highest authority, formal rigid structure, organized hierarchy. He offers blessings and reveals the sacred knowledge to those who would devote themselves to it.

Respect for the Natural World

I read a pretty horrifying story today. It makes me want to both cry and rage, because it is such a tragic, shameful thing that is the direct result of stupidity and arrogance.

This baby dolphin was pulled from the sea by some folks on a beach in Argentina. They passed it around taking selfies with it until it died of dehydration and overheating. Then they just left it there on the beach like so much garbage.

I have no words for how much this disgusts me. Well, I guess I'll try to find a few.

The utter thoughtlessness and lack of respect shown for this living creature for no better purpose than amusement fills me with rage. I don't want to hear "well we kill cows and chickens," that's a completely different subject. These oblivious people pulled this helpless creature out of its environment and killed it for nothing more than a picture. And having killed it, in their selfish ignorance, they simply left it there.

I can only assume there is no remorse, no sense that maybe this was a wrong and stupid thing to do, no sadness that they killed this baby for the most superficial, arrogant, self-absorbed reason imaginable - the selfie. What utterly self-centered assholes we are, to disregard the life of another creature in order to take a fucking picture of ourselves.

Sorry for the language, I guess. But, on the other hand, no. I'm not sorry. I curse a lot when I'm angry. And I'm as pissed off right now as I've been in a long time.

The Emperor

4: The Emperor



A kingly figure sits upon a throne flanked with ram's heads, his long white beard denoting his age and experience. In his right hand he holds the ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life; in his left, an orb, signifying the world over which he rules. His red cape and armored boots suggest he is prepared for war, though his countenance is calm.

Where the Empress is Mother, the Emperor is Father. He represents authority, stability, structure, order. He is a leader and signifies dominance and strength. He is unafraid of conflict and will not hesitate to assert his power.

This is the fourth card of the Major Arcana. Four is the number of Jupiter, the ruler of the gods. The Emperor is thus also connected with status and recognition. He may indicate a person of this type, or one seeking it himself.

The Empress

Continuing tarot study.

3: The Empress

Where the High Priestess is the Maiden, the Empress is the Mother. She is Demeter, Freyja, Venus. She is the child of Heaven and Earth. Upon her head is a crown of twelve six-pointed stars; in her hand, the scepter of the ruler, topped by the feminine symbol of the orb, Her white robes are decorated with ripe fruits. She sits on a throne of plush cushions before a field of recently-harvested wheat. Behind her flows a steady waterfall. Her shield, bearing the symbol of Venus, rests at her side.

The Empress is the Mother. She is fertility and abundance, and even now may be pregnant under her robes. Under her guidance, all things are fruitful and multiply.

She signifies the feminine principles - beauty, sensuality, nurturing, fertility. She represents creative expression of the senses. She urges the birth of new life, new ideas, new ways of thinking She encourages our connection with the Earth.

I find the Empress in creative endeavors. In cooking, baking and canning - trying new combinations, exploring different flavors. In gardening, preparing the soil and tending the growing plants. But I think her spirit comes through best after I have done those things, and shared the fruits of my labors with my friends and family.

The High Priestess

2: The High Priestess


She sits placidly between the pillars of the Temple of Solomon, Boaz and Jerochim. She wears simple blue robes, the book of wisdom (TORA) resting in her lap, half concealed, half revealed. Upon her head she wears the crown of Isis, queen mother of the Egyptian goddesses and mistress of magic, while the crescent moon of the subconscious lies at her feet. The equal-armed solar cross is displayed prominently on her chest. Behind her, the temple veil conceals the mysteries of the temple within. Its pattern bears a pattern of pomegranates, symbol of Persephone, who ate four pomegranate seeds and was bound to spend four months in Hades every year as a result.

The High Priestess rules over the mysteries of the subconscious. She expresses the need to trust your intuition, to look for meaning in your dreams, to understand and respect your instincts. She represents the notion that some things aren't taught or learned, but can only be found by looking within.

A brief history of Valentine's Day

Come back with me to ancient Rome, and the festivals that honored Juno - wife of the great Jupiter, possibly better known to you by their Greek names, Zeus and Hera.

Juno is the goddess of childbirth and marriage. February is a month of endings and beginnings, of the quickening of imminent spring and the falling away of winter, of the time when the land begins to warm and animals begin their search for a mate. (Must keep in mind that this is in the Italian climate, for those of us northern-dwellers who are well aware winter has not yet lost its grip.) Tradition has it that the feast of Juno Februara, held on February 14, had single women place their names into boxes where they were drawn by a man, and the couple would spend the day together.

Lupercalia, a fertility festival, was held from February 13-15, and is fairly bizarre even by Roman standards. Its purpose was to cleanse the city of evil spirits and promote fertility. It was in honor of the Lupa, the she-wolf that suckled the twins Romulus and Remus who are the legendary founders of Rome. It was celebrated near the Cave of the Lupercal on the Palatine hill, where the city was founded. The rite itself, described by Plutarch, is one of those scenes that makes me want to time-travel to the ancient world:

Lupercalia, of which many write that it was anciently celebrated by shepherds, and has also some connection with the Arcadian Lycaea. [Note: Arcadia is a region in central Greece; 'lykos' is Greek for 'wolf.'] At this time many of the noble youths and of the magistrates run up and down through the city naked, for sport and laughter striking those they meet with shaggy thongs. And many women of rank also purposely get in their way, and like children at school present their hands to be struck, believing that the pregnant will thus be helped in delivery, and the barren to pregnancy.

So, ladies, today while you're smelling your roses - the news has just informed me that this day is a multi-billion-dollar industry what with flowers, chocolate and gifts - think of a simpler time, where well-bred boys ran naked through the streets and you hoped to be struck with fertility by the flayed skin of a sacrificed goat. 

Of course the modern holiday gets its name from St Valentine, who may or may not have existed, but the story goes like this: in the Middle Ages, a priest named Valentine was secretly marrying young men who didn't want to go to war - married men were at that time exempt from the 'draft' if they were married - and when the lords discovered what he was doing, had him thrown into prison. While awaiting his inevitable beheading for treason, he reportedly fell in love with a servant girl, with whom he exchanged anonymous notes - the reason we give anonymous Valentine's cards today.

Love is a magical thing. It both inspires us and fills us with despair; it has been a driving force behind human actions since the beginning of our species. When I was a little girl, my mother gave me this piece of wisdom: love is not an emotion, it is an action. It requires us to do, not just to feel. As the song goes, love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night. To change our way of caring about ourselves. 

May you have a day full of love, and feel inspired to tell those you love that you care. As for me, I have a date - a first date - and I am daring to be excited. Because love is all about possibility.