SEPTEMBER CALENDAR

1^st- Celtic Tree month of Hazel ends. Death of Doreen Valiente, Witch, author and poet 1999. Thargalia, Mediterranean Feast of first Fruits.

2^nd -Celtic Tree month of Vine begins. Grapevine Festival in honour of the Greek Fertility Goddess, Ariadne and Dionysus, the God of Wine.

4^th-Changing Woman, honoured by the Apache.

6^th – Origination of Gaia theory by Oberon Zell, 1970.

7^th – Theosophical Society founded by H.P Blavatsky, Henry Steele Olcott and others, 1875. Healers Day.

9^th - Horned Dance, English. Else Pfraum a baker from Koppern, Germany sentenced to death for witchcraft, 1603.

10^th –Birthday of Karl Llewellyn Weschcke. President of Llewellyn worldwide. Egyptian Day of Queens.

11^th – Day of Queens, dedicated to the Egyptian Goddess Hatshepsut, Nefertiti and Cleopatra. Birthday of Silver Ravenwolf, aka Jenine E.Trayer born 1956, Wiccan author.

13^th- Phillip IV of France draws up the order for the arrest of the Knights Templars 1306. The Ceremony of Lighting the Fire, dedicated to Nepthys, the Egyptian Goddess of Darkness. Banquet of Venus, Roman.

14^th - Agrippa Von Nettesheim born, 1486. Egyptian Feast of Lights. Holy Rood Day.

15^th - Birthday of the Moon, Chinese. Acorn Festival, Native American.

16^th – Death of Giles Cory in Salem Massachusetts, 1692.

17^th - Bewitched debuts on ABC-TV 1964. Day sacred to Greek Corn Goddess, Demeter. Hildegard of Bingen’s Day.

19^th - Fast of Thoth.

20^th-Birthday of Quetzalcoatl, Aztec Sun God.

21^st - Death of Eleanor Bone, “Matriarch of British Witchcraft” 2001. Birth of the Greek Goddess of War, Athena. Celebration to honour Raudthestrong (Raud the Strong) a Norse Seior priest and seafaring warrior who resisted conversion of Christianity in the late 10 century.

23^rd-Start of the greater Eleusinian Mysteries. Dedicated to Demeter the Greek Corn Goddess.

24^th-Death and rebirth of Osiris, Egyptian Fertility God.

25^th-Sacred to Inuit Sea Goddess Sedna. Pyanopsia Festival sacred to Helios, the Greek Sun God and the Horae, Goddesses of the Seasons.

26^th – Leo Martello, Wiccan priest and gay rights activist was initiated into a Sicilian Coven at the age of 21.

27^th – Raymond Buckland, Witch and author dies in 2017.

29^th-Celtic Tree month of Vine ends. Michaelmas. Festival of Nemesis, Greek Goddess of Fate.

30^th-Celtic Tree month of Ivy begins. Medetrinalia, festival for Roman Goddess of Medicine.

MOON PHASES

THE SEED MOON

The full moon is known as the Seed Moon and quite rightly so. It is when ploughing and planting took place and the plans made from the winter months now put into practice. It is also the pregnant stage of Eostre and the new growth that is appearing throughout the land. Some Witches also refer to this moon as the Chaste Moon. Chaste is a word meaning pure and with the season of spring, this is a time of new beginnings, birth, initiations and blessings. A time to sow the seeds of intention, including within the garden. 

Seed Moon Blessing

On the night of the full Seed Moon, take three seeds from three different seed plants such as dill, fennel, poppy, caraway, sunflower, flax or other and place these nine seeds in total into a round of white fabric. The seeds will represent new growth and birth while the round, white fabric symbolises the full moon. Secure the seeds in the cloth with a white thread. Now take the sachet outside and whilst holding it before you, bow to the Moon thrice. Offer the sachet to her and say the following:

‘Gracious Goddess of the Moon, we hold these seeds before you a token of our plight, and ask that you will bless them, upon this Seed Moons night.’

Bury the sachet in the ground and under the Seed Moons lunar rays to encourage new birth in your garden and for favorable crops ahead. However you will need to help here, the Goddess of the Seed Moon has much to do and cannot dig and tend your gardens for you!

Just a note, if the weather has changed and clouds are afoot, continue to do your blessings as although you may not be able to see the moon, she is certainly still there.

Tuesday 7th - 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. I like to utilise this time to design and plan future workshops, courses and herbal formulae’s, I tend to be a bit like the bear and try to hibernate once winter comes, and do the work that has been waiting for my attention so as winter calls I take heed. 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 Oak moon.

Tuesday 14th - 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.

Tuesday 21st - 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.

Wednesday 29th - 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 needed.

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) - Monday 27th

Perigee (Closest to the earth) - Saturday 11th

THE SEPTEMBER STAR SIGNS

VIRGO - August 24^th – September 22^nd. Symbol – The Virgin, Element – Earth, Planet – Mercury, Quality – Mutable, Personal Creed - I analyze, Negative/Feminine Sign.

Virgoans are the craftsmen of the Zodiac, forever trying to better our planet with their earthy natures.

LIBRA - September 23rd – October 23^rd. Symbol – The Scales, Element – Air, Planet – Venus, Quality – Cardinal, Personal Creed- I balance, Positive/Masculine Sign. The Scales of justice that weighed the souls of the dead against a feather. Balance and harmony for all.

Some Famous Librans - Augustus, Issac Bonewits, Aleister Crowley, Arnold Crowther, Selena Fox, Mickey Rooney, Paul Simon, Julio Igesias, Michael Douglas, George Gershwin, Olivia Newton-John, Ed Sullivan, Peter Finch, Brigitte Bardot, Jerry Lee Lewis, Truman Capote, Groucho Marx, Walter Matthau, Chubby Checker, Charlton Heston, Bob Geldolf, Susan Sarandon, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Sigourney Weaver, John Lennon, Eleanor Roosevelt, Dwight D Eisenhower, Roger Moore, Oscar Wilde, Evel Knievel, Rita Hayworth, Bela Lugosi.

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.