The new premises of Mrs Darley's Herbal shop in Bewdley Museum Worcestershire is now open for business. A range of herbal tisanes, exquisite teas from around the world, tea ware, natural facial & body care, remedies, mood enhancers, incense & Pagan gifts are all available. Or visit the on-line shop at www.arcanus.co.uk/shop.php
Three of the Mrs Darley series of books are now available on Kindle - Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers/Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries/ Mrs Darley's Healing Wisdom.
Spring Blessings to all.

The Sap Moon

The new Sap Moon is born - a moon of hope, a moon of reassurance, a moon of promise, for this was the moon that whispered to the ancients that it was time to prepare for a new cycle of planting and ploughing with the birth of the seed moon next month.
On a personal note, it is very much the moon of hope, for the 6th 'Mrs Darley' book has just been sent to my ever supportive publisher and the new 'Mrs Darley's Herbal' shop in Bewdley Museum opens for business this coming Saturday.
May the March winds breathe new life into all your ventures.

The Blessings of the Maiden

The Maiden returns, Imbolc is upon us and life begins to spring forth.

Failte leat a Bhrid (Welcome Bridget)

Welcome Bride, Lady of Wisdom.
Welcome Bride, Lady of Healing.
Welcome Bride, Lady of Prophecy.
Welcome Bride, Lady of Light.
Welcome Bride, Lady of plenty.
Welcome Bride, Lady of Poets.
Failte leat a Bhrid!

From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

The New Year has just ushered in the new Wolf Moon, the moon which was to the Celts a symbol of lean times before the beginning of spring. This blog has also suffered from lean times due to a myriad of reasons, but like the wolf, who is in reality a sociable and interactive creature, posts are now returning.
The 6th 'Mrs Darley' book is almost complete - 'Mrs Darley's Herbal', my little shop in Bewdley museum Worcestershire is due to re-open at the end of February, although the on-line version can always be  visited at www.arcanus.co.uk/shop.php and there are lots of workshops and talks available from February which are due to go onto the website next week.
May I take this opportunity of wishing everyone a blessed 2014.

The Seed Moon

In a few minutes the dark moon will be behind us and the new Seed Moon will be born. This was the moon the Celts waited for as it marked a time of movement, of increase and of the sewing of the crops.
Many people seem to have had their own personal battles to face through this long hard winter, be they to do with health, jobs, or finance and most people are now looking forward to bringing a little warmth into their lives both literally and symbolically.
I hope that the new seed moon brings a certain lightness to both your lives and your spirit.
Read more 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

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'

A Time of Balance

The first quarter of the Sap Moon is present in our skies this evening & with the arrival of the Spring Equinox tomorrow at 11.01, this is a time when we are reminded of the importance of balance in our lives. This isn't merely work v play, or indulgence v diet, but is one of shadow v light. We all possess a darker side to our true selves and yet the shadow is something which the majority of us like to keep hidden for fear of others not liking us and yet, it is one that we should all acknowledge even if only to ourselves, for, in the words of Mrs Darley:
'Everything upon this earth has an opposite, a shadow side. Everything of beauty has a thread of ugliness, everything that enchants has the power to possess and everything that shines also knows the dark.' (Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries)
Wishing you all Equinox Blessings

The Arrival of the Sap Moon

At last the Sap Moon is due to enter our skies t 19.51 tomorrow (11th March). This is the Moon that the Celts would have been waiting for it heralded better times to come. It foretold that the winter was almost at an end and the way almost clear for the spring. With the threat of snow today however, we might have to wait a while before a little sesonal warmth is felt!
This Moon was so called because the sap was in deed rising and that with the 'Seed Moon' in April the planting time could begin.
Read more - 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

May the Sap Moon bring warmth and sunshine into your lives.

Full Birch Moon & Penumbral eclipse

Tomorrow the moon is fat in the sign of Gemini and although we may misplace objects of importance, it is an auspicious time fore travel, buying, selling, learning and communication.
This full moon however sees a penumbral eclipse, ie a partial eclipse, where the top half of the moon will be obscured. If the skies are clear we should be able to see it as it will rise eclipsed at 4pm, but will have cleared around 5pm.
The word 'eclipse' derives from the Greek 'ekleipsis' meaning 'abandonment', for the ancients felt abandoned when the moon and the sun behaved in a strange way and would perform many strange rituals in order to 'bring it back'. The Masai tribes of Africa threw sand in the airwhilst the north American Injdians rattled pots and pans .
Eclipses have always been feared throughout history and in Shakspeare's Richard 11 we are told:
The pale-fac'd moon looks bloody on the earth,
And lean-look'd prphetswhisperfearful change..
These signs forerun the death orfall of kings'
Mrs Darley however looked upon the eclipse as a time when personal transformation and forward movement are experienced, as outlined in our lunar eclipse celebrations at the moonstone in 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries.'
May this partial eclipse and its changes bring you more in line with your true self.

The Birch Moon

The new crescent moon should be visible either tonight or tomorrow and this moon was known as the Birch Moon to our Celtic ancestors.
This was the moon under which the development of sacred inner awareness was practised as it was thought to hold a promise of things to come. The Celts attributed protective qualities to the birch tree and it was therefore treasured throughout the dark months of winter.
The moon moves into the sign of Sagittarius today, which is indicated for all legal matters, education and ethics.
As I write the Moon is passing in front of Mercury which is visible with a motorised telescope from the UK, but due to cloud cover will not be seen by many.
Read more:  'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

The November Heavens

The heavens offer us a real treat this month beginning with a total solar eclispe on the 13th, albeit, it will only be visible from Northern Australia & the South Pacific, but nevertheless the winds of change will be felt around the world, especially as it occurs in the sign of Scorpio, the sign of death, rebirth & dramatic change.
On the 14 the moon passes in front of Mercury between 9.30 & 10.12am, but will only be visible with a motorised telescope, due to it being daylight.
The 17 & 18th bring us the Leonids meteor shower, one of the best of the year with up to 40 meteors per hour.
The 28 produces a penumbral lunar eclipse as only the top half of the moon will be covered but it will be visible from the UK at 16.00 and will last just under an hour.
Here's to clear skies.

Sacred Samhain

Tonight the veil is thin. Tonight we remember those who have gone before. Tonight the Goddess takes on a duel aspect, on the one hand She is the expectant mother who will give birth at the next festival of the Winter Solstice and on the other She is the Dark Mother - the Wise Woman. This is the Crone who asks us to journey within to explore our shadow selves and to give that aspect as much reverence as the sunnier side of our nature which is more often the aspect we portray to the world.
It matters not which face of the Goddess turns to face us, Her other aspects are always there and just because they may not be visible to the naked eye does not mean they fail to exist.

'In the marriage bed
Your Goddess lies,
Her youthful eyes
Still shine behind an ageing veil......'

From 'The Mermaid' - Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers

The Priciples of Hermetics

The Principles of Hermetics are complex to understand & even harder to incorporate within our daily and magical lives.
Hermetics tell us that this world and indeed everything that is throughout time and space is a creation within the mind of 'The All' (God, The Divine, Goddess, The Light - call it what you will). Man also creates mentally, thus everything that we see on the earth plane other than that which is part of nature, began with a thought in the mind of man.
The newly released Mrs Darley book, 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Paths to Magick', investigates the seven Hermetic Principles in detail.

For thousands of years witchcraft and sorcery had formed an accepted part of man's culture. The earth's elements, the chanting of charms and the power of natural forces were used by many  ancient cultures to weave spells and to enhance or hinder the flow of life.
With the firm establishment of the Roman Church throughout Europe however a new meaning was given to the words 'witchcraft & sorcery' and it was this new definition which led to hundreds of years of persecution and misconception.
This new definition began to associate witchcraft with the devil, whose job it was to bring down the Christian church and so it was that the witch hunts began, leading to one of the most horrendous and degrading eras of religious persecution.
'It fastened on European juisprudence for nearly three centuries the duty of combating the devil and saving mankind from his clutches.....it served as justification for pitiless persecution'  (Hansen)

The brutal history of the persecutions are explored in great detail in the latest Mrs darley book - 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Paths to Magick'

Golden October

October is a month of contrasts, beautifully warm days with a dusting of frost to begin and end. The month begins with green leaves and ends with the forest floor covered in a blanket of gold. Christmas goods may be in the shops but for those who follow the seasonal wheel, the most important event in the Pagan calendar happens this month- that of Samhain. Here the end of the old and the beginning of the new is celebrated and those who have gone before are honoured and remembered as remnants of their wisdom are recalled in the flames of the Samhain fire.
In the heavens this month we have a treasure trove of meteor showers, beginning with the Draconids on the 8th and 9th in the North West after midnight. It is a sparse shower however with around 10 meteors per hour. On the 21 and 22 the Orinoids shower us with around 20 meteors per hour of yellow and green fireballs and is best viewed in the east after midnight. On the 29 Uranus is at its closest approach to earth and can be seen all night due south.
For more information on the festivals Read 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers', visit 'Mrs Darley's Herbal' shop in Bewdley Museum, Worcestershire, or visit www.arcanus.co.uk for courses and workshops.

Mrs Darley's Pagan Paths to Magick

The new Mrs Darley book is now out and finds the enigmatic Mrs Darley leading the author further along her magickal path as she reveals some of the secrets that underpin the workings of Divine Magick.

The word 'magick' evokes an air of mystery, wonder & excitement, but can it really be as simple as waving a wand and chating a spell? In truth the practice of magick is far more complex than we might imagine, requiring the practitioner to be both disciplined and dedicated.

The book also investigates why the word 'witch' still holds such negative connotations and provides a stark account of the barbaric witch hunts of Europe, Britain & Salem.

'How many screams have splintered the darkness?
How many nails have clawed at the stone?
How many lives have longed to be taken?
Free from the racking, the blood and the bone?'

From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Paths to Magick'

Mrs Darley's Pagan Paths to Magick

The new 'Mrs Darley' book is due out on 12 September, entitled 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Paths to Magick' and continues to follow my magickal journey which leads me to not only discover the truth behind the witch hunts, but also to understand what makes magick really work.
Mrs Darley intimated that anyone can light a candle, burn some incense and chant a spell, but it is through having an understanding of the Hermetic Principles, which the book explores in detail, that we can begin to understand the principles that underpin real magick.
In this book we see amidst the wisdom, a certain vulnerability in Mrs Darley which brought home to me the realisation that to master even a fraction of what these principles mean and to attempt to incorporate them into our daily and magickal lives is a task which even the most experienced occultist sometimes struggles with.

Having strength of Character

This year has not been without its challenges and it certainly appears that way for many with whom I've come into contact. Perhaps it is due to the fact that there is a rise in consciousness and that we are being pushed to increase our spiritual awareness.
After a particularly stressful day earlier this week, I sat quietly around midnight and contemplated my plight whilst running my hand through the Rune stones. After a while I drew 'Perth' reversed which told me that worrying about what once was and feeling anxious about what might be, meant that I was actually depriving myself of the true present - the only time in which I could make changes. I also began to appreciate that  each challenge is a test of character and that without such happenings we would never grow and therefore be unable to experience our true selves - shadow side and all.

Holy wells and springs

Watery places have always held a certain amount of fascination, especially natural springs and wells and, over thousands of years, have become sacred places of pilgrimage and sacrifice where the Gods who dwell beneath the depths ultimately decide the fate of man.

Both Bronze and Iron Age man saw water as having supernatural powers, whilst its mysterious depths were gateways to the underworld. As such, many offerings were made to appease the Gods as evidenced by archaeological finds of jewellery, plaques, coins and both human and animal remains. No doubt these places were the origin of today's wishing wells!

Discover more about these strange watery places in 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

Saturnalia

The Roman festival of Saturnalia fell on the 17th December and was a time when shops and schools closed, gambling was allowed in the public domain and gifts of candles were exchanged as symbols of light.

Groups of male friends would draw lots to see who would be crowned 'king' and this person was then in charge of wild party games - this was definitely a time of misrule and lasted between 2-7 days after the religious ceremony on the 17th. No doubt we can reinstate this ancient festival as an excuse to begin the seasonal festivities early!

Read more in 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'