Celtic Tree Month of Ash Begins (tomorrow)

In the Norse eddas, Yggdrasil, the world tree, was an Ash. The spear of Odin was made from the branch of this tree, which is also known by the Celtic name Nion, pronounced knee-un. This is one of three trees sacred to the Druids (Ash, Oak and Thorn), and this is a good month to do magic that focuses on the inner self.

Associated with ocean rituals, magical potency, prophetic dreams and spiritual journeys, the Ash can be used for making magical (and mundane) tools -- these are said to be more productive than tools made from other wood. If you place Ash berries in a cradle, it protects the child from being taken away as a changeling by mischievous Fae.

Octobers Blood Moon

"Although all Esbats are a sacred time, there are a few full moons out of the year that are especially important. One of these is the October moon, sometimes referred to as the Harvest Moon (which actually takes place in September) but most accurately the Blood Moon. Different traditions and cultures have a variety of names for each moon but the Blood Moon refers to the final harvest: not in fact, an agricultural harvest, but that of the last meat of the year before winter returns. Appropriate, of course, as Samhain is the final harvest festival."

Full moon -- Blood Moon at 7:38 pm -- 

In October, we see the Blood Moon travel through the sky. This moon is also called the Shedding Moon or the Falling Leaf Moon. Coming right before Samhain, it's a time when the nights are crisp and clear, and you can sense a change in the energy around you.



Correspondences:Colors: Dark blue, black, purples

Gemstones: Obsidian, amethyst, tourmaline

Trees: Apples and yew

Gods: Herne, Apollo, Cernuous, Mercury

Herbs: Apple blossom, pennyroyal, mint family, catnip, Sweet Annie

Element: Air

Also Known As: Shedding Moon, Falling Leaf Moon

This is the time when the veil between our world and the spirit world are at its thinnest. Use this time for spiritual growth -- if there's a deceased ancestor you wish to contact, this is a great month to do it. Hold a séance, work on your divination, and pay attention to messages you get in your dreams.

-The Crafty Witch

Full Moon Magic

* Full Moon Magic *

It takes about 14 days of growing bigger for the moon to grow or wax completely full -- that night you will see the Full Moon rise as a perfect circular disk. This is the Light of the Moon, and it is reserved for light works and dedications to benevolent lunar deities. It is used for celebrations and prayers for peace.

                      The Full Moon
                      rises almost exactly at sunset
                      and sets almost exactly at the next sunrise.

From fourteen to seventeen-and-a-half days after the new moon. Prime time for rituals for prophecy, protection, divination. Any working that needs extra power, such as help finding a new job or healing for serious conditions, can be done now. Also, love, knowledge, legal undertakings, money and dreams.

-The Crafty Witch