#pacificnorthwitches

[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Expect to experience outdated lessons and reality checks, thanks to Saturn retrograde.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 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]

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]

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]

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 stone is red jasper. It is useful for work involving beauty, healing, and protection. Red jasper has a projective energy associated with fire and the planet Mars. It can be carried to protect the wearer from poison and fevers, and can be used in healing spells. Red jasper is effective for defensive magick because it reflects negative energy back to the sender. When worn it can promote beauty and grace. Have you used red jasper in your craft or daily life? Tell us about it!

[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]

Tonight is the full moon at 26 degrees Sagittarius. This is a time of initiation, expansion, and adaptation. This moon is aligned with the galactic center and will open gateways from the higher, spiritual realm to our 3D physical realm. It will bring us a powerful opportunity to manifest our dreams and achieve higher understanding. Saturn is teaching us what we need to accept or release from our past, while Neptune trine the North Node in Cancer is teaching us to be in tune with our emotions. Take time to meditate, and remember to stay grounded. Try not to let your emotions consume you. This full moon is very powerful and transformative. Take advantage of these celestial energies to gain a deeper understanding of your higher truth. Will you be performing any rituals, spells, or meditations tonight?