The Blood Moon

October's new moon should now be visible in our skies just before sunset. This was the Celtic Blood Moon and was the time when the maternal qualities of the Goddess were honoured, including the gift of life itself. The Celts believed that the spirit of a person dwelt within the blood and as the harsh times approached, the Gods were called upon to strengthen the blood of the tribe.
This Blood Moon is in the sign of Libra - time for artistic activities, justice, partnerships, emotional balance, love, and diplomacy. May the Blood Moon strengthen your resolve and bring you peace of mind.
Read more 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

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'

The Wine Moon

Today ushers in the Wine Moon and this was the time in Celtic society where prophecy and communion with the Gods became a priority. In order to accomplish this task, they drunk copious amounts of wine, which had been fermented under summer skies, in order to go deep within and access the other world.
In our modern society we are still capable of consuming copious amounts of wine, yet often use its effects in order to forget what lies deep within, rather than to access it, and perhaps that is why our society is often full of disappointment and unrest - for the very thing we seek is that which we fail to bring into the light.

 

Read more 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

September Skies

This month is somewhat quieter across the heavens although Jupiter, Mars and Venus are all visible at certain points.
The planetary positions however promise sexual tension and jealousy before the new moon on the 16th, followed by a time of power, of driving things forward and of seizing the moment. For those who do take advantage of this exciting time, this could be a life changing.
Just before my Mum died, in a rare monment of clarity, she told me to 'take a risk' and never have those words been more appropriate than on the 22nd, when the autumn equinox coincides with the first quarter waxing moon. Be brave, take a chance and the results might just be priceless.
For more information on the Moon and Her effects or the turning of the seasopal wheel read 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries' & 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'.

The Blue Moon

Yesterday saw the rare and beautiful Blue Moon grace our skies, although for the most part, the skies were overcast. Tonight however promises to be clear and as the full moon effects are felt for a night either side of the full moon date, this is the ideal time to dance, sing, feast and cast your magic beneath.
Mrs Darley told a fascinating yet an alarming tale concerning the Blue Moon and warned us about following any compulsion we may suddenly have of being drawn to visit a particular outdoor place, just incase we became bewitched by the pipes of Pan and then spent the rest of our lives attempting to recapture the high we had experienced by hearing them.

Enjoy this special event and give a word of thanks to the Blue Moon in all her glory