Author: A Solitary Pagan
Things To Do at Beltane, Make some Hawthorn Brandy
You will need a bottle of brandy and at least one cup of hawthorn flowers, plus a little sugar to taste. Mix the ingredients together and leave them away from direct light, for at least two weeks. Shake occasionally. Strain, bottle and enjoy. Hawthorn is renowned as a tonic for the heart.
Things To Do at Beltane, Dress a tree
This is the perfect time to go out and celebrate a tree. Especially a hawthorn, rowan or birch – but the tree spirit will welcome your attention whichever kind of tree it is. Sit with it, talk to it, dance around it (maypole), and honor the tree and its fertility. Hang ribbons from its branches, each ribbon represents a wish or prayer.
Trees of Beltane Birch
Birch is considered, by many to be a feminine tree. The Deities related to Birch are mainly that of love and the Goddess of fertility. The Birch is among one of the first trees to show its leaf in Springtime Eostre/Ostara, the Celtic goddess of Spring was celebrated in festivities and dancing around and through the birch tree between the Sp...
Trees of Beltane, Rowan
A Rowan tree is one for protection and healing. Branches of Rowan have been placed as protection over the doorways of homes and barns at Beltane to protect from increased Faery activity as they woke from their winter slumber. As well as this Sprigs of Rowan were worn for protection Rowan berri...
The Core Concepts of Astrology
Even if you are already well versed in Astrology, I encourage you to read this chapter carefully as there are specific nuances and perspectives that relate to its use in Magick that are not part of standard instruction in the principles of Astrology. In fact, some of the standard model of Astrology that is used for mundane purposes is somewhat out of alignment with its use in Magick. For those tha...
Astrology The planets
The following paragraphs are starting points to contemplate what the Planets represent. In fact, an entire book could be written on any of the Planets, and indeed, such books are common in the literature of Astrology. In addition to categorizing the Planets as the Elder Planets and the modern Planets, we can also categorize them by which level of the Self they most readily impact. The Sun, Moon, M...
The Aspects
The Aspects in a chart show how the Planets are interacting with each other. Traditionally, some Aspects are referred to as harmonious and some as inharmonious, although you shouldn’t equate those terms with good and bad. Some modern astrologers will refer to Aspects as being either supportive or challenging. Context and choice are everything, and sometimes help isn’t helpful and a challenge is a ...
How Astrology Is a Sacred Science
The scientific method can be thought of as the set of techniques for the investigation of phenomena, the acquisition of knowledge, the creation and testing of theories, the sharing of those results, and ongoing reexamination of all of these things using a rigorous protocol. Science is based on empirical and measurable evidence (as defined by the capabilities of its time period) and has at its core...
