Pacific North Witches

Handmade traditional witchcraft and fine vintage jewelry, by Ember and Zander. Visit our shop at pnwitches.com

[pacificnorthwitches]

Io Saturnalia, witches and pagans! According to the poet Catullus, this is "the best of days."

Saturnalia is all about enjoyment, merrymaking, giving gag gifts to friends, roleplaying/reversing societal roles, and offering a symbolic sacrifice to Saturn (Greek counterpart: Kronos/Cronus) in honor of freedom and liberation. Some Romans observed this celebration as a restoration of the Golden Age.

This is a time to reverse conventional roles, especially those of power imbalances such as slaves and masters, or men and women. In Ancient Rome it was one of the few, if only, occasions which allowed and encouraged slaves to enjoy feasts before or with their masters. Some sources claim that the masters served their slaves their nightly feasts. Slaves were also allowed free speech without punishment.

Another role reversal was the donning of colorful, festive clothing during the daytime, which was typically considered to be in poor taste compared to the daily standard of plain togas as daywear.

Public drunkenness, and even gambling - which was generally prohibited or at least frowned upon - were allowed and acceptable.

What will you all be doing during this celebratory week? Do you have any plans for ritual offerings or acts of liberation and defiance? We'd love to hear from you in reblogs!

Io Saturnalia, and Happy Holidays from #pacificnorthwitches !

[pacificnorthwitches]

Good morning, witches. The full moon in Taurus peaked today, Nov 12, at 5:34am PST (1:34pm GMT). As the calendar year is winding down to a close, this full moon helps us tap into our feminine energies and to come home to our true nature. Since Taurus is the fixed earth sign, we must allow ourselves to accept the earth's calling for us to embrace the sensory world around us. With the veil being thin during this season, we are opening access to the bridge between life and death. Remind yourself to fully be in the present moment.

We are currently experiencing a transit of Mercury passing directly across the sun. The sun is essentially magnifying the qualities of Mercury, especially communication and commerce. This event will not occur again until Nov 13, 2032. And since Mercury is currently retrograde in Scorpio, another fixed sign, we are more easily able to connect with that which has been hidden beneath the surface. This is an effective time to focus your intentions and open yourself to sympathy to resolve any issues you are experiencing. Meditate on gratitude for the blessings and privileges in your life, and also on why your soul chose to incarnate in this body at this time.

As a final note, we would like to thank our dear followers for staying with us during our recent and unexpected hiatus. I, Ember, have been especially struggling with my disabilities. But the cosmos has finally brought me to a place of contentment and control of my illnesses. We are immensely grateful for all of your support!

For more astrology and witchcraft insights, please follow us here at @pacificnorthwitches. If you would like to support us, you may do so by making a purchase in our shop (see our site link in our bio) or order directly from our Facebook page.

[pacificnorthwitches]

The full moon is in Aquarius, and it peaked at 5:29 PDT this morning. This full moon encourages us to be our unique selves regardless of public opinion. It is a time for us to expand the horizons of our thought patterns and world views. We must choose our thoughts carefully as we create our own reality. Utilizing compassion in response to negative thoughts and experiences will help soften these effects. With Uranus in retrograde, we will be forced to assess the root or core of our patterns, and remove any barriers that may be holding us back. Tonight's moon opposes Venus, causing discomfort, which we must handle with gentle and pragmatic understanding. Fellowship with our peers will help us all to grow during this phase. Will you be performing any rituals or magickal workings tonight? We'd love to hear about what you will be up to!

Follow us at @pacificnorthwitches for more posts regarding astrology, magick, and the metaphysical properties of herbs, stones, and metals.

[pacificnorthwitches]

This weekend is a celebration of the goddess Artemis, or Diana. She is the goddess of the hunt, a protector of women and girls, and the twin sister of Apollo. She is commonly depicted with a bow and arrow and accompanied by a stag or hunting dog. A typical offering is a cake shaped like a stag, made from dough, honey, and sesame seeds. In ancient times her devotees would sacrifice a goat in her honor. Do you have any plans for a ritual or offering to Artemis? We'd love to hear about it!

Follow us at @pacificnorthwitches for more informational posts regarding pagan observances, astrology, and the metaphysical properties of herbs, stones, and metals.

Also check out our shop at www.pnwitches.com for unique spell jars and enchanted fine vintage jewelry!

[pacificnorthwitches]

The new moon will peak in Leo tonight at 8:12pm PDT. This will shift us into Leo's powerful Sun energy, enabling us to be our true selves with feelings of pride and contentment, while also encouraging others to do the same. At this time we will put more value into individualism and self-expression. It is vital that we support each other and share our unique gifts with the world. As with every new moon, it is time to release what no longer serves your best interest. This new moon trines Chiron which brings awareness to our wounds and blockages, allowing us to heal, particularly in our relationship to the divine masculine, as represented by the sun and the element of fire. What will you be releasing during this moon phase? How will you heal your wounds to move forward and embody your true self?

Follow us at @pacificnorthwitches for more insight on astrology and the metaphysics of crystals, herbs, and metals.

[pacificnorthwitches]

Today's featured stone is obsidian, a naturally occurring glass that originates from cooled lava. It has potent powers of divination, grounding, peace, and protection. Obsidian has a projective energy and is associated with the planet Saturn and the element of fire. Flat, smooth obsidian surfaces make perfect scrying mirrors - excellent tools for divination. It is also known as flint when used as a knife blade or arrowhead. Hold obsidian in your hands or wear it as jewelry to keep you grounded. It can be used in countless ways during rituals or spellwork for protection. Since its energy is projective, it tends to be a more offensive or aggressive protective stone. How have you used obsidian in your practice? We'd love to hear from you!

Follow us @pacificnorthwitches for more spellcrafting tips featuring stones, herbs, and metals!

[pacificnorthwitches]

Today's featured stone is green agate. It has a receptive energy and is associated with the planet Mercury and the element of earth. Its powers include courage, healing, longevity, and strength. It can also be used for love and protection spells, and to enhance the vitality of your garden. Green agate can be worn or carried specifically to protect the health of your eyes. It is notably effective for protecting against stumbling and falling. Charge a green agate and bury it in your garden to improve the health and longevity of your plants. Have you used green agate for any of your workings? We'd love to hear about your experience!

Follow us to learn more about the metaphysical properties of stones and herbs!

[pacificnorthwitches]

We'd like to give a special shoutout to @gandalfsmagick555 for all the likes and reblogs! Thank you so much for your support! If you are interested in purchasing any of our products at www.pnwitches.com then send us a message for a special discount!

[pacificnorthwitches]

Today's featured herb is the onion. Onions are associated with the planet Mars and element of fire. Its magickal correspondences include prophetic dreams, exorcism or banishment, healing, and protection. It can also be used in money spells. A white onion can be placed in a window to guard your home, and the plant's flowers can be dried and used as a protective amulet. It is effective in healing rituals that involve rubbing an onion on the person's body while visualizing and manifesting drawing the disease or injury out of the body. If placed under your pillow it can induce prophetic dreams. There are so many ways to implement onions into your magickal workings. We'd love to hear about your experience and ideas! Follow us for more spellcrafting tips and metaphysical properties!

[pacificnorthwitches]

July 23 is celebrated as the Feast of Sobekneferu, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh and goddess known as the Crocodile Queen. She was such a powerful sorcerer that she was feared by the priests and assassinated, and they refused to carry out the proper embalming rituals to preserve her for the afterlife. She has been exalted as a goddess and legend says that she will return in the flesh at the rising of her dog star (Sirius) to avenge herself and retake her dominion over Egypt. She has been portrayed as the character Queen Kara in the 1980 film, "The Awakening."

Information sourced from The Luciferian Society.

[pacificnorthwitches]

Today's featured herb is nutmeg. Its magickal correspondences are fidelity, health, luck, and money. It is associated with the element of fire and the planet Jupiter. You can carry nutmeg as a lucky charm and to ward off health issues. It is commonly used in prosperity rituals and, when ground, can be sprinkled onto a green candle for this purpose. Have you done any spellwork involving nutmeg? Tell us about your experience!

[pacificnorthwitches]

Introducing our latest product, the "El Dorado" spell jar. Available now at www.pnwitches.com - link in bio! This spell jar will assist you on your travels by providing protection while attracting beauty, luck, abundance, and friendship. Features red jasper, turquoise, genuine gold, and a gold plated coin. Sealed with wax and charged under the full moon.

[pacificnorthwitches]

Tuesday, July 16, the full moon in Capricorn will peak at 2:38pm PDT. This moon also brings us a partial lunar eclipse which will be visible primarily from the southern hemisphere. The aspects of Jupiter and Pluto insist that old structures must now change. This is a time for us to face our true selves and deal with consequences effectively. Karmic lessons will resurface to bring us closure and clear the way ahead. There is a powerful lesson to not sacrifice what is true to ourselves in order to appease authorities or others around us. Venus is teaching us to embrace peace and security at this time. Do you have any rituals planned for this full moon and partial lunar eclipse? Tell us about it in the comments!

[pacificnorthwitches]

Today's featured herb is garlic. Its magickal uses include exorcism, healing, lust, and protection. Garlic is also useful to protect your belongings from thieves. It is associated with the goddess of witchcraft, Hekate, and can be left at a crossroads as an offering to her. Garlic was worn to protect from the plague, and even today can be used to absorb diseases from a person's body. Its protective ability is extremely powerful; sailors carry it on board to protect the ship from wreckage, and Roman soldiers ate it to give them courage for battle. You can place it in your home, ideally over your door, to ward against thieves. When eaten, garlic can induce lust. How do you use garlic in your practice? We'd love to hear about it in the comments!

[pacificnorthwitches]

Today is the birthday of legendary physicist Nikola Tesla. He dabbled in the occult, and had many shamanic experiences in his lifetime. Beginning in his adolescence, he would go into a trance-like state and was contacted by otherworldly entities. Between these visions he experienced mysterious illnesses, including acute overstimulation, which caused him severe discomfort when exposed to bright colors, loud noises, etc. He also suffered from what appeared to be a draining of his life force, which his doctors were unable to explain. In his final vision, he saw that the entire universe obeyed the law of octaves, and after this vision he developed a powerful inner eye, with the ability to visualize conceptual machines down to the finest molecular details. Tesla was certainly a genius, but few people are aware that he was also a mystic, or a seer.

[pacificnorthwitches]

Yesterday, July 7th, Mercury went retrograde. At this moment, there are four other planets in retrograde: Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto. To add to this chaos, we had the Solar Eclipse on July 2nd, and will soon have a Lunar Eclipse on July 16th. What this means is that we can expect to face some uncomfortable truths during this period. This is a time to reflect, both on your self and on the actions of others in your life. The second eclipse of this month will teach us to let go of that which no longer serves us. So what can we do to make this time easier on us?

Have patience, especially with yourself. Take time to think before speaking or acting.

Don't take things personally. Try to keep your emotions under control and don't react to the irritability of others.

Take a step back to survey your life and surroundings. Jupiter retrograde brings us wisdom, growth, and expansion. Search inside yourself for the answers you seek.

Expect to experience outdated lessons and reality checks, thanks to Saturn retrograde. Ask yourself if the choices you've made and actions you've taken are aligned with your life's mission. Reflect on these ideas, and wait until Saturn goes direct (September 18th) to make necessary adjustments.

Neptune retrograde gently removes the veils of dreams and illusions, putting us face to face with harsh reality. Use this to your advantage by searching for deeper meanings beneath your superficial ego, and get in touch with your sense of self. You may feel lost during this time. It is important that you hold yourself accountable for your actions and be gentle with yourself. Creative projects can help you get through this.

Embrace your shadow self - your innermost aspects of your being that you tend to avoid or deny on a typical basis. Pluto is pushing us inward to find and remove any blockages we may have that are hindering our spiritual growth. Seek closure, open up to someone (even yourself) about your darkest secrets, do healing work, and perhaps go to therapy for professional help. Do whatever it takes to integrate your shadow so that you can be whole, and free to continue on your journey of personal growth.

[pacificnorthwitches]

Today's featured herb is the pink/red peppercorn. Its magickal properties include fidelity, love, protection, and purification. You can use it in spellwork to keep your lover faithful, and to keep others from attempting to lure your lover to infidelity. It has been used in Mexico for many healing rituals, such as brushing a sick person with a branch from the pepper tree to absorb the illness, and then burying it. The leaves of the tree can be added to a bath for purification, and the berries or peppercorns can be carried for protection. Have you used red peppercorn in your magickal workings? We'd love to hear about your experience!