APRIL CALENDAR

 

The Egyptian Cat Goddess, Bastet’s festivals at Bubastis, Egypt are held in April and May where feasting and merriment are enjoyed along with dancing, singing and much wine drinking. 

Tomb sweeping Day, Chinese Day of Ancestor Remembrance falls fifteen days after the Spring Equinox in China.

1st     Aprils Fools Day. Veneralia Festival dedicated to Roman Goddess, Venus, Fortuna and Concordia. Corn planting Festival, Iroquois.

2nd     Battle of Flowers, French.Hans Christian Anderson born, 1805. National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, USA.
3rd      Celebration of the return of Persephone, the Greek Goddess of the Underworld and         healing from the Underworld. The Pony Express in America started today in 1860 as the first rider left from St Joseph Missouri.

4th      Start of the Megalesia, sacred to the Roman Mother Cybele. 1949, twelve nations signed the treaty creating NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.In 1968 Civil Rights Leader, Martin Luther King was shot and killed in Memphis Tennessee, USA.

5th       Sacred to Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion in China. Lady Luck Day, dedicated to Fortuna the Roman Goddess of good fortune and luck.
6^th        Ching-Ming, Chinese All Souls Day. In 1896 and after 1,500 years the first Olympics were held in Athens, Greece. National Beer Day, UK.

7th       World Health Day. Church of All Worlds established 1962.

8th     William Alexander Aynton initiated into the Golden dawn, 1896. The celebration of Buddha’s birthday. (563-483 BC.)

9th       The Hocktide Festival in England, honouring the Saxon women who repelled Danish invaders in AD 1002. Mordrons Day, Celtic. Lumeria Day, Festival honouring the Spirits of dead family members who wander the earth. 1865, the Civil War ended after over 500,000 American deaths. General Robert E. Lee surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant.

10th   Dedicated to Bau, the Babylonian Sumerian Mother Goddess. Megalesia ends. In 1633, bananas that had never seen before in England went on sale in a shop.
11th   National Pet Day. Festival of Anahit, the Armenian Moon Goddess. Feast of San Leo, Mexican. The burning of Major Weir, alleged Scottish sorcerer, 1670.
12th     Cerealia begins - Roman. The American Civil War began 1861.

13th    Start decorating for Samhain. (Southern Hemisphere)  Familiars Day, although every day should be Familiars day! Festival of Water, Buddhist.
14th    Celtic Tree month of Alder ends. Sommarblot, Norse Summer Festival. Celtic Tree month of Willow begins. In 1865 John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln at Ford’s theatre in Washington DC, USA.

15th    The Titanic ship sank in 1912.

16th     Birthday of Margot Adler, born 1946, author of Drawing down the Moon.
18th   Thargelia, Greek festival of Purification for Apollo and Artemis.
19th   Cerealia ends - Roman. Balinese Woman’s Celebration.
20th      Yaqui Pageant - Native American. Egg Rolling Day – British. Bram Stoker, the author of Count Dracula dies in 1912 in London, UK.
21st   Palala Festival honouring Pales, the Roman Goddess of the Flocks, cleansing the

sheep and the shepherd. Parilia Festival honouring Roma, Goddess of Rome.
22nd   Earth Day. A day to work with Earth elementals and nature spirits.
23rd    The Vinalia Festival dedicated to Venus the Roman Goddess of the Vineyard, and Jupiter the Supreme God. Edward III founds the Order of the Garter in 1350 which is later linked to the Order of          Witchcraft by Anthropologist Margaret Murray. William Shakespeare dies in 1616. He was also born in April in the year 1564 although the actual day is disputed.

25th     Anzac Day, Australia and New Zealand. In 1915 during World War I, over 70,000 Australian, NZ and British troops meet fierce resistance as they land on Gallipoli. Cuckoo Day – English.
28th    Floralia begins, Roman. Celtic celebration of God, Lludd.

29th      Birthday of Ed Fitch, born 1937, Wiccan author and High Priest of the Gardnerian Wiccan Tradition. In 1884 Oxford University, UK agrees to let female students sit examinations however they are not allowed to be awarded degrees

30th   Samhain Eve/Halloween, Southern Hemisphere. May Day Eve, Northern Hemisphere. Walpurgis Night, Germany. Taliesin Nights, Merlin’s Night, Celtic celebration of the High Priests of Magick. Alex Sanders, English occultist dies 1988.

 

MOON PHASES

2nd - LAST QUARTER MOON. Time to clear out anything that hasn´t worked or isn´t needed. Rising at midnight and setting at noon, this Moon is 90-45 degrees behind the Sun. Time to clear out anything that hasn’t worked or isn’t working.

9th - NEW MOON. Start new projects. A time to plan and prepare especially if it is so cold outdoors and one just wants to curl up in front of the fire or heater. Think about what has been and what you would like to change and do in your future. New job, moving house, new relationship or perhaps a new life is coming into the family be it kith, kin, fur or fin. An ideal time to write up notes, fill in your book of shadows, journals and herbal grimoires as we work under the phase of the moon.

Super New Moon also the New Moon in Pisces.

16th - FIRST QUARTER MOON. Rising at Noon and setting at Midnight, the Moon is 90-135 degrees ahead of the Sun. Light and dark are in equal balance. Consolidate and give form to projects. Be creative and deal with any challenges that may arise.

24th - FULL MOON. The Earth is between the Sun and Moon. The Moon, rising at sunset and setting at dawn, is 180-135 degrees behind the Sun. The Full Moon is the time to celebrate the complete.

 

THE BLOOD MOON

The Moon and moon cycle is known by various names depending on cultures, religions, village or Coven. These names also coincide with the eight Sabbats of the Witch. The lunar moon closest to Samhain was known as the ‘Blood Moon.’ This moon symbolized the sacrifice and slaughter of the beasts that enabled our ancestors and still to this day to ensure food for the family throughout the long winter months. Many cattle were also slaughtered because it was too hard trying to keep them alive over winter as cattle would need shelter and extra feeding from the crops gathered. A poor crop would result in animals starving to death so to avoid that, they would be culled and thus the family would have food to help them through. This is going back to the times when there were no benefits and government assistance, shops were not frequented and supermarkets were not even a word in the near future. People lived in a village or on a farm and may never venture outside it. If their crops were poor, then they may not survive except with the help of other villagers and farmers to help them through.

This was also the time that farmers of both yesterday and today gathered the remaining fruits, vegetables and herbs that were left in the fields and stored them away for the months ahead of them, along with the previous harvests from summer through to now. Anything left in the fields would soon return to the earth and be taken by the harvest spirits who watched over the crops. And if you look closely you will see that the Blood Moon usually has a red tinge to it.

 

APOGEE AND PERIGEE  From timeanddate.com The Moon's orbit around Earth is not a perfect circle, but elliptical, with one side closer to Earth than the other. As a result, the distance between the Moon and Earth varies throughout the month and the year. On average, the distance is about 382,900 kilometers (238,000 miles). The point on the Moon's orbit closest to Earth is called the Perigee and the point farthest away is the Apogee. 

Apogee (Furthest away from the Earth) 20th

Perigee (Closest to the Earth) - 8th

Super New Moon Eclipse     8th

 

THE APRIL STAR SIGNS 

ARIES  March 21st – April 20th. Symbol – The Ram, Element – Fire, Planet – Mars, Quality – Cardinal, Personal Creed- I am, Positive/Masculine Sign. Assertive, courageous and ruled by the God of War, Aries will take on who or whatever ever comes his way.

Some of the Aries are Johann Sebastian Bach, Marlon Brando, Jackie Chan, Charlie Chaplin, Jeremy Clarkson, Robert Downey Jr, Guy Fawkes, James Franco, Aretha Franklin, Vincent Van Gogh, Jane Goodall, Hugh Hefner, Adolf Hitler, Harry Houdini, Charlie Hunnam, Thomas Jefferson, Elton John, Heath Ledger, Ewan McGregor, Steve McQueen, Eddie Murphy, Gary Oldman, Debbie Reynolds, Doris Day, Emma Thompson, Leonardo da Vinci, Emma Watson and Resse Witherspoon.

TAURUS April 21st - May 21st. Symbol – The Bull, Element – Earth, Planet – Venus, Quality – Fixed, Personal Creed- I have, Negative/Feminine sign. An ancient symbol of strength and fertility within nature, Taureans are known as being loving and gentle.

Some of the Taurean people. Hank Azaria, Glen Campbell, John Cena, Giancarlo Esposito, Ella Fitzgerald, Kevin James, Dwayne Johnson, Casey Kasem, Jet Li, Lee Majors, James McAvoy, Jack Nicholson, Queen Elizabeth II, Roy Orbinson, Iggy Pop, Shirley MacLaine, Willy Nelson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Shirley Temple, Uma Thurman, William Shakespeare, Barbra Streisand, Channing Tatum, Leonardo da Vinci, Renee Zellweger.

 

 

CELTIC LUNAR TREE

The Celtic Tree calendar is based on thirteen lunar divisions. Each division has a sacred tree assigned to it that were said to have been chosen by ancient Druids. The trees rich in history and folk lore have many magickal energies associated to them. Please note that the Celtic Tree calendar was written from the Northern Hemisphere.