Spring skies

Everyone is waiting for the spring to arrive and with the dawning of April comes renewed hope that temperatures will slowly begin to rise. We do however need clear skies, (which often means lower night time temperatures) before we can see the spectacular heavenly sights which are on offer.
The new Seed Moon arrives in our skies on 11th at 10.35BST. Look out for the moon and Jupiter being close together on the 14th whilst on the 19th just before sunrise low on the horizon Uranus & Mercury are visible. On the 22nd we pass through the Lyrids meteor show, producing luminous trails of dust which can be seen for several seconds. Visible in the NE after midnight.
On the 25th the full moon rises at 20.11BST and will be partially eclipsed, but be quick as it will only remain eclipsed for about 12 minutes. At this point Saturn will be sitting just above the moon, but the best day to see Saturn fully illuminated is on the 28th.
What celestial gifts to look forward to! Read more 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

December skies

December brings the year to a close and provides us with heavenly excitement.

The 10th offers us a lunar eclipse which is visible throughout Europe, East Africa, Asia, Austrailia, the Pacific and North America. The moon rises at 15.51 GMT and will appear above the eastern horizon already fully eclipsed as a dull red orb, but you will be able to watch the shadow of the earth uncovering it if the afternoon is clear.

The 13 and 14th bring the Geminids meteor shower, which many consider to be the best one as they can produce up to 60 multicoloured meteors per hour. Best viewing is in the east after midnight.

The 22nd is the Winter Solstice at 5.30am GMT. This is the shortest day of the year, the first day of winter and a celebration of the return of the sun. May the season bring many blessings.

The Most Powerful Time of the Year

Tomorrow (15 June: 21.13GMT), heralds the full moon, just a week away from the summer solstice when the sun is at full power. In addition, the moon is in Sagittarius a powerful fire sign and, as though this wasn't sufficient enough, there is also a lunar eclipse.

The moon will rise eclipsed at 21.13. By 22.34 it will be half over and will finish at 23.45. It will be visible over Europe, Africa, , Asia and Australia.

This time of year is traditionally used to make powerful magic regarding abundance in every sphere of life. With the Sagittarian element legal matters, education, travel, faith and philosophy are all highlighted for favourable outcomes.

The eclipse, from the Greek, 'eklepsis' meaning abandonment, due to tribal people feeling abandoned by the moon as it turned bloodied in the sky, brings changes on many levels, but weave your magic and influence those changed to work in your favour.

Eclipse Changes

What a potentially exciting month June promises to be! The New Moon came into being at 22.15 GMT last night which coincided with a partial solar eclipse and although the eclipse wasn't visible from the UK, its effects are still felt across the world.

Eclipses and solar ones in particular, always herald change and this time that change is going to be particularly noticable for those born under an air sign, namely; Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. The good news is, that as the eclipse forms a harmonious aspect to Saturn, which sits within the sign of Libra at the moment, then hopefully these changes will be positive ones for all concerned.

Other events this month which give us great topics of blog conversation include the full moon which also heralds a lunar eclipse and is visible from the UK, the summer solstice and the mid summer fires on the south west peninsular of Cornwall.

Enjoy the sun as He moves towards the height of his power in the northern hemisphere.

Winter Solstice at Newgrange

Next week heralds an exciting time, for the solstice, the full moon and a lunar eclipse all converge on the 21st, the day which heralds the return of the sun.

For the Irish Celts, the winter solstice was held in high esteem as evidenced by the magnificent burial tomb at Newgrange in the Boyne Valley in County Meath, a monument which predates both the pyramids and Stonehenge and which took 40 years to build.

For approximately 5 days around the winter solstice, the rising sun shines through a roof box positioned above the entrance to the tomb and penetrates the depths of the triple chambered tomb. This beautifully crafted burial chamber stands as a testament to the high esteem in which the ancestors were held, by the Neolithic people of Ireland.

Newgrange is well worth a visit however, if you intend to go specifically at the winter solstice, do take note that over 25000 people usually put their names down to be one of the 25 lucky people to watch the sunrise!

From 'Mrs Darleys Pagan Whispers'