Moons & Musings

Hello all! Today is our long awaited Día de los Muertos post!   Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead , is actually a multi-day festival celebrated in Mexico with the amount of days differing depending on family and local traditions. The main celebration is traditionally held on the 1st of November with emphasis on familial gatherings and honouring those that have passed on. It does coincide with the Christian time of Allhallowtide  Days of the Dead Here are some dates and their meanings: - November 1st.  Starting at midnight, Día de los Angelitos, Day of Little Angels, is to celebrate children who have passed  - November 2nd.  At midnight,  the focus shifts from children to adults with Día de los Difuntos. At noon, the focus shifts again to Día de los Muertos  - October 27th.  The souls of dearly departed pets come to visit  - October 31st . This day is specifically seen for great grandparents and great great grandparents  ...

Hello all! Midian (the feline pictured above) has a very interesting question, one that I have pondered myself, and that is: why do cats have 9 lives? Well Midfield, there are probably several answers this question, which we will explore here... Do cats actually have 9 lives? Unfortunately, no. Our feline friends (including you Middle-Earth) only have one life and not everyone believes that cats supposedly have 9 lives but most believe that cats do have more than one life. For example, in parts of Spain , the number of feline lives is 7 and parts of Turkish and Arabic legends reveal that the number of lives is actually 6. Why do people say that cats have 9 lives if they don't? In all honesty Middleton, I don't know but, the saying has been around for a long time, Shakespeare even used the phrase in Romeo and Juliet. There is also an old English proverb, "A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays." The...

  🖼️Credit - La Llorona by Leo D'Amico Hello all!! It's been a very long time since we've posted anything besides a Moon so, we're coming back with our Mythological Creature Series! So far in this series, we have covered: -  Vampire -  Goblin -  Wendigo -  Gargoyle Today, we are covering something different as the subject of this post is more Folklore than  mythological creature, but, we feel that "Creatures" like this should be included in the series.  There is a chance that you may have heard of this but if you haven't, caution is advised... DISCLAIMER: THE CONTENT OF THIS POST MAY BE DISTRESSING OR TRIGGERING. CONTAINS MENTION OF DROWNING AND CHILD DEATH. Today's Mythological Creature is La Llorona!! La Llorona (pronounced lah yo roh na ) is a Southwestern Hispanic American folk tale, dating from the time of the Conquistadors, though there is some speculation that she could have origins from the Aztec empire. La Llorona itself means The Weeping Wom...

  Hi Guys, Looking at the names of various days of the year at the moment, as we have just had Hallowe'en, or All Hallow's Eve. The 1st November, yesterday, was All Saint's Day, or All Hallow's Day, and today, the 2nd November is All Soul's Day. These are, of course, Christian and Catholic celebrations, mainly recognised in the Western regions. All Saint's Day This was a day set aside to honour those who have been martyred and Canonised in the Christain church, whether they are known or unknown. It is observed by both Western and Eastern churches with Western churches celebrating on the 1st of November and Eastern churches celebrating on the Sunday after Pentecost (the 7th Sunday after Easter.) All Saint's is also called: - All Hallows' Day - Hallowmas - Feast of All Saints - Feast of All Hallows - Solemnity of All Saints  There is some debate as to whether this day was seemingly hijacked by the Christain faith to replace Samhain, although Professor R...

  Hi Guys, Continuing with our Hallowe'en themed posts, and carrying on from the Flora Friday's Mandrake post, I have decided to look at a concoction referred to as Witches Brew. Also known as: Witches' flying ointment Green ointment Magic Slave Lycanthropic Salve Hexensalbe (German)  translates as Witches Salve Flugsalbe (German) Translates as flying salve Unguentum sabbati (Latin)  translates as Sabbath Unguent unguentum pharelis (Latin)  translation unsure  unguentum populi (Latin) translates as   poplar unguent unguenta somnifera (Latin)  translates as sleeping unguent Ingredients are said to vary between those who documented its use in the Late Middle-ages, but are said to include: The fat of a babe from its grave Meal of fine wheat Smallage (a type of celery) Cinque-foil Wolf's bane (Aconite - toxic) Mandrake   - toxic Belladonna - toxic Hemlock - toxic Jimson Weed (Devil's Snare - toxic) Black Henbane - toxic Henbane Be...

  Hi Guys, So, moving on to our final of the elements this week with Spirit. Although not considered a classical element, as the other four are (mainly because it is not physical), it is in this series as it is used in Magickal works. Also sometimes referred to as Akasha, Aether or quintessence (Latin for the fifth element). It is represented by The Fool card in Tarot. Its planet is the Sun. It is linked to the colours:  white,  silver,  gold,  purple and  violet. Altar items include: Feathers,  Photos of ancestors,  Deity representations,  Pictures of Angels,  Pentacle, Prayer bundles Animals: It is very difficult to find animals associated directly with Spirit, as there are Spirit Animals, which is a different thing. I have compiled a small list here of animals associated  with spiritual  workings and why: Cat - Believed to travel between this world and the spirit realm (especially black ones) Crow - Believed to carry and d...

Hi guys, So, fire week, and what is more linked with fire than the infamous witch trials? Yes, I know there was more than burning that occurred to punish these poor people, but that's what sticks out for me.  Yes, I have shoehorned this into this week's posts, but it has been written for a while. So, I went down a rabbit hole. I was looking up a reference in the Bible for another post, and ended up on Witch trials! As you do. So, a little background. To be totally Cornish about it... What 'appened woz....... I was going to start yet another series on mythological creatures like vampires, witches, mermaids, unicorns, you get the idea. Thought I'd start with witches, so wanted to find out when they were first mentioned, or when the word was coined, and plunged headfirst into the rabbit hole. Naturally, ended up at the trials, all of them! And the Malleus Maleficarum...... So, I think that this alone will be another series, giving you a little information here, then going ...

  Hi Guys! We have covered the Elements in a previous post -  Elements , but I have chosen to go a little deeper into each one, and add a fifth to the mix!  bringing together as many aspects of the craft as we can. From Altar items -  Elements , to deities via superstitions and representations. Today I am following on from the wells we visited yesterday with water (in case you couldn't tell from the pic - courtesy of Cat!) General Water is considered a feminine energy, and relates to aspects of the Goddess and the Moon. Water is considered to be purifying, we often take ceremonial baths to cleanse before a ritual, and let's not forget the Judeo/Christian ritual of baptism, using Holy or blessed water. Associated with the colour blue Relates to the cardinal compass point of West (if I get these wrong, please shout, it is one thing I can NEVER remember!!) Associated with the Tarot suit of Cups Associated with purification, cleansing and emotions Dowsing for water is co...

  Hi guys, Continuing our altar items series today with the chalice. The pic above is the one that is on our altar, and this was gifted to us by the lovely Sarah as part of a set of three, when she officiated at our handfasting in 2020. I never had a dedicated altar until Joe and I got together. I'd prefer to have little groupings of things all over the house. Did that make my entire house an altar...? Your chalice can literally be anything that holds liquid, and it can be made from any non-toxic material. Before we were gifted the one above, mine was a red wine glass with a tree stencilled on it, which I do still own, even though the tree is long gone! Christianity  In Christian, and other traditions that use the Bible as scripture, it is a blessed and Holy item that is used to hold 'the blood of Christ', it is usually quite ornate, and very possibly silver. There is usually a white cloth that accompanies it. It is used in the Eucharist, or Communion. The chalice is repres...

Hello all!! Today's post is about Eid ul-Adha!! Eid ul-Adha is an Islamic festival and the bigger of the 2 major festivals (the other being Eid al-Fitr) and commemorates Ibrahim's (Abraham) willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) in obedience to Allah's command. Eid ul-Adha doesn't have a fixed date in our Gregorian calendar and changes approximately 11 days each year. Other names include: - Greater Eid - عيدالأضحى - ʿĪd al-ʾAḍḥā - Holiday of Sacrifice - عیدقربان - Eid al-Adha  Origins One of Ibrahim's trials to prove his obedience to Allah, was to kill his son Ismail. In the Qur'an, Ibrahim told Ismail that he kept dreaming of slaughtering him and Ismail told him to do as he had been ordered. During the preparation for this, Shataan tried to dissuade the family from obeying Allah but he was driven away by Ibrahim throwing pebbles.  Allah acknowledged Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice what was dear to him and honoured both of them. The...

Hello all!! Today's post is about Eid al-Fitr!! Eid al-Fitr is an Islamic festival observed by Muslims that marks the end of Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr doesn't have a fixed date in our Gregorian calendar and changes every year, depending on when Ramadan starts in our calendar. Celebrations will start tonight but the official date of the festival for this year is tomorrow (May 3rd). Other names include: - عيد الفطر - Īd al-Fitr - Holiday of Breaking the Fast - Lesser Eid - Eid - Sweet Eid - Sugar Feast - Eid-Ul-Fitr Origins It is believed that Eid al-Fitr was started by the Prophet Muhammad (Praise Be Upon Him)  when he arrived in Medina after migrating from Mecca. It is also a celebration of thanks to Allah for the Qur'an, which was revealed towards the end of Ramadan and to mark the end of a successful month of fasting. Customs Some of the customs of Eid al-Fitr include: - Eid prayers - Giving gifts - Charity work - Eid cuisine - Gatherings If any of the information ...

Hello all,! Today's post is about Passover!! Passover is a major Jewish festival that celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Passover happens yearly but doesn't have a fixed date in our Gregorian calendar, this year, Passover started on the 15th of April and ends today. Other names include: - Pesach - חַג הַפֶּסַח - The Feast of Unleavened Bread Origins The exodus of the Israelites took place on the 15th day of Nisan in the first month of Spring (Aviv). In the Book of Exodus, God told Moses to tell the Israelites to paint lamb's blood above their doors so that the Angel of Death would pass over them and they would be unaffected by the 10th plague. It was after this plague the the Pharaoh ordered the Israelites to leave and let Moses bless them in the name of God.  Customs The customs of Passover include: - Passover Seder - The feast that marks the beginning of Passover - Telling and discussing the story of Passover - Eating Matza - Not having any le...

Hello all!! Today's post is about the Thai New Year!! Songkran (เทศกาลสงกรานต์) is official national holiday for the New Year and coincides with the rising of the sign Aries ♈ in the astrological charts. It is an annual festival that takes place on the 13th of April and ends on the 15th of April, depending on the days, e.g if the 13th falls on a Saturday, the celebrations will go from the 12th to the 16th. Other names include: - Songkran Festival - Maha Songkran Origins The word Songkran is actually derived from the Sanskrit word saṅkrānti (संक्रान्ति) which means to move  or movement . According to the Buddhist scripture of Wat Pho, Songkran originated from the death of Kapila Brahma (a god). This is a condensed version of the story: Once there was a wealthy man and his neighbour, a drunk. The drunkard had a habit of belittling the childless rich man, while he himself had 2 sons. Tired of this ridicule, the rich man beseeched the Sun and Moon gods for a son. This did...

Hello all!! There are 2 things happening tomorrow so I have to cover one today and that is Rama Navami!! Rama Navami (राम नवमी in Hindi) is a Hindu Spring festival celebrating the birthday of Rama , who is the seventh avatar of  Vishnu . It is an annual festival but does not have a fixed date. It always happens in the first month of the Hindu calendar which translates to March or April in our Gregorian calendar. Other names include: - Ram Navami - Sri Rama Navami  Origins It is said that Vishnu descend to Earth as Lord Ram (his avatar/7th incarnation) when Lord Ram (full name: Marayada Purshottam Ram ) was born to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausayla of Ayodhya at noon on the 9th day of the Chaitra month in 5114 BC. Lord Ram is not only mentioned in Hindu texts, he is also mentioned in Buddhist and Jain scriptures. Customs The customs of Rama NavamiNavami include: - Puja /Worship ritual - A Fast (Vrata) - Rāmāyana (Sanskrit: रामायणम् , IAST: Rāmāyaṇam) Katha recitat...

Hello all!! Today's post is about Ramadan!! Ramadan takes place in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is celebrated by Muslims. It happens yearly but has no fixed date as the start and end date depend on when the crescent moon happens as Ramadan is observed from one crescent moon to the next. Said Moon also dictates its length, which is usually 29 - 30 days. Other names and spellings include: - Ramazani (Albanian) - Ramazan (Azerbaijani) - রমজান  (Bengali - Rômzan / Rômjan) - रमज़ान  (Hindi - Ramzān) - ڕەمەزان  (Kurdish - Remezan) - رمضان  ( Persian - Ramazān) - روژه  (Pashto - Rozha) - رمضان / ਰਮਜ਼ਾਨ  (Punjabi - Ramzān) - Rabadaan/Rabmadaan  (Somali) - Ramazan  (Turkish) - رمضان  (Urdu - Ramzān) - Remezan  (Zazaki) - Ramathan - Ramadhan Origins In 610 AD, it is believed that God came to the Prophet Muhammad (Praise Be Upon Him) and presented him with the Qur'an during the month of Ramadan and, as such, Ramadan is th...

Hello all!! Today's post is a combined St Patrick's Day and Full Moon post!! Apologies for no post yesterday, I have some sort of stomach bug but I'm determined to post today because I haven't missed a Moon yet!! St Patrick's Day is a festival that originates from Ireland as St Patrick is the patron Saint of Ireland. St Patrick's Day is an annual festival held on the 17th of March as it is believed that St Patrick died on the 17th of March. Other names include: - St Paddy's Day - The Feast of St Patrick - The Day of the Festival of Patrick - Lá Fhéile Pádraig Origins Despite being born in the 5th century AD, St Patrick's Day wasn't made an official Christian feast day until the 17th century. St Patrick was born into a Roman British family where his father and grandfather worked for the Christian church. He was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken back to Ireland at age 16. It was here that he found God and escaped back to Britain to becom...

Hello all!! Today's post is about St Piran's Day!! Today marks the celebration of St Piran, who is the patron Saint of Cornwall and Tin Miners. This is an annual festival and always occurs on the 5th of March and is also called The Feast of St Piran and in the Cornish language: Gool Peran .  Origins St Piran's Day started out as a Tin Miner's holiday and was observed mostly by Miners from Breage and Germoe until about 1764. Despite being the patron Saint of Cornwall, St Piran Is actually Irish !! He was thrown into the sea with a stone around his neck and ended up in Cornwall. The week leading up to St Piran's Day was called Perrantide  and most celebrations began during this time and the day after St Piran's Day was called Mazey Day and this term is still used in Penzance. The festival's popularity waned but it was revived in the late 19th century.  Customs Unfortunately, records of original customs are few and far between but the general conse...

Hello all!! Today's post is about Maha Shivaratri!! Maha Shivaratri or Har-ratri in Kashmir Shaivism is an annual festival that celebrates the Hindu God, Lord Shiva. It doesn't have a fixed date so the date of celebration changes from year to year but it is typically held on the night before a New Moon . It is a festival for overcoming darkness and ignorance within yourself and the world.  Origins This festival has been celebrating for a very long time and it has mentions in several medieval Shaiva texts. There are also several legends about the origins of this festival and what it represents. One legend states that Maha Shivaratri is the night on which Lord Shiva performs a heavenly dance of creation, preservation and destruction.  Another legend is that Maha Shivaratri is actually the night that Shiva married Parvati .  A third legend states that by annually offering icons (like a Lingam ) to Lord Shiva, you can move forward from past sins, if you have any,...

Hello all!! Today we're going to take a look at the history of Valentine's Day!! Valentine's Day is Christian festival that celebrates the martyr of St Valentine or one or two of them. It's is a fixed festivalfestival that is celebrated on one of three dates, depending on which church you belong to: - 14th February (Western orthodox church) - 6th July (Eastern orthodox church) - 30th July (Eastern orthodox church) It is also known as: - St Valentine's Day - The Feast of St Valentine Origins Now here's where it gets complicated, there's more than one St Valentine! The main Valentine that is celebrated is St Valentine of Rome . This Valentine was imprisoned and persecuted be the Roman Empire in the 3rd Century AD. The legends around this Valentine have changed over the centuries with early editions stating that while imprisoned, he restored eyesight to a jailer's blind daughter. Later accounts add a "love" theme to this by saying that...

Hello all!! Today's post will be about Waitangi Day! Waitangi Day ( Te Rā o Waitangi  in Māori) is the national day of New Zealand that commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. This day is celebrated on the 6th of February every year, unless the 6th falls on a weekend, then it is celebrated on the following Monday. There are some controversies attached to this day as some parts of the treaty haven't been fully upheld over the years, which has negatively impacted the Māori people.  Origins The Treaty of Waitangi ( Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Māori) was signed on the 6th of February in 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and around 500 Māori Chiefs. The Treaty has both English and Māori version in existence, however, not all of the Treaty could be fully translated into Māori as the Māori didn't have words in their own language to correspond with some of our own. It was this inability to fully translate which has lead to misunderstandings and the ...