New Moon - Beith/Birch Lunar Cycle - The First Lunar Cycle of the Lunar Year

"I'm one with the Goddess
and open to Her Wisdom."

1st Day of the 1st Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Persephone
Lunar Tree Cycle of Beith/Birch
1st Day of the Celtic Tree
Month of Beith/Birch
Moon Phase: New Moon - 1:06PM EST
Moon rises: 7:28AM EST
Moon sets: 5:10PM EST
Moon in Sagittarius v/c 6:35AM EST
Moon enters the Cardinal Earth Sign
of Capricorn at 8:47PM EST
Blodeuwed's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The gifts of mortality
Sun in Capricorn
Sunrise: 7:41AM EST
Sunset: 4:58PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "Which
of your family do you most appreciate?"
Samhain (Calan Gaeaf) Quarter
of the Year
December 24th, 2011

New Moon - The age of moon is 0 - 1 days and the moon is 0 - 45 degrees directly ahead of the sun; rises at dawn and sets at sunset. Magick should be performed between dawn and sunset. A new moon's power is embryonic, you can be assured that the power of any spell cast at this time goes on. Working with sun Goddesses such as Sekhmet, Vesta, and Heartha or the God Ra will increase power. Work for self improvement, gardening, careers, and/or romance. Astrologically the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction. Because the Sun's light overpowers the nearby Moon in the day, and the Moon is on the other side of the Earth with the Sun at night, it is not visible in the sky at all. The New Moon is like a SEED planted in the earth. We cannot see Her but She is ready to grow, full of promise and energy for the journey. Keywords for the New phase are: beginning, birth, emergence, projection and clarity. It is the time in a cycle that you are stimulated to take a new action. During this phase the new cycle is being seeded by your vision, inner and outer. Engage in physical activity. Spend time alone. VISUALIZE your goals for the 29.6-day cycle ahead. For those who were born in a New Moon phase - they are impulsive, passionate, and intuitive. They are risk takers and pioneers.

Moon in Capricorn - The Moon in Capricorn inspires our ambitions for good or ill, we just have to be gentle on our souls if we're not there yet. Lead and manage, but do not manipulate or control. Time to: build, dig, organize, exercise discipline, work on foundations, make practical progress on a dream. Moon in Capricorn brings planning magick and takes your ideas, giving them form and hope. We can tap into the inner wisewoman - ask how form, ritual, organization or tradition can serve. This transit concerns leadership issues, security, responsibilities, the need to be recognized, desire to create environments, time to take care of business, deal with alternative healing for your body and intensification of your powers of concentration.
    After Sagittarius' expansiveness, now we feel contraction and time to pay attention to our needs for security, duties. obligations, drives and ambitions. It's good for setting and achieving goals, 'going for it' materially; as now we feel persistent and ambitious. Energy is slowed down. Be careful to avoid insensitivity to others and stay out of negative and pessimistic mind sets that will only drag you down. Take this moon transit to deal with your material plane, especially if you have neglected it too long. Do non-traditional healing as Capricorn is the sign of the medicine womon. Moon in Capricorn is the best time to work magick for organization, ambition, recognition, career and political matters. Healing rituals for the knees, bones, teeth, and skin are also done at this time. Those born under a Capricorn moon sign have a strong work ethic, competence  and leadership capacity, but may need to learn how to love themselves holding still.

Saturn's Day - the Day of Manifestation, and Structure, Assessment and Responsibility - Foundation Day....

Beith/Birch - Beith symbolizes opportunity and new beginnings. The power of the dark is waning and the first signs of spring and emerging, symbolising new energies and ideas. There is no struggle here, just a natural rising of newness that can only be blocked by those who adhere to old patterns. Let the past go and renew your faith in your path, understanding that if you follow the natural order changes proves easy to embrace. Opportunities exist for you to bring movement into areas of your life that have been barren or stagnant which in turn will create new understandings and insights. Be patient, walk in the light and the fruits of your of your labors will be realized.

   The first leaves on the birch tree herald the rebirth of creation and the dawn of spring.Where man has raped the land and then left it abandoned and barren, birch will come carried by the four winds to bring back harmony and balance. It has a deep and long relationship with humans giving its sap for sweetness, wine and vinegar, its bark for writing and containers and its oil for tanning hides. Birch wood has provided cradles, boats, and roofs protecting and transporting humans for millennial.
   It cares not where it grows and indeed favours places were other trees find it hard to establish. Then it sheds its twigs and leaves season after season until the ground is fertile and ready for its brothers and sisters to join it. Just as it cleanses and rejuvenates the land, Birch does the same for humans offering medicine for kidney and urinary problems, rheumatism, gout, fevers and skin disorders. The old year was cleansed from houses using a birch broom and 'evil spirits' were cleansed from law breakers using a birch rod in the ritual of 'birching.' Likewise it is used to cleanse any place where spiritual work is to take place.
    Birch with their bark removed were favoured for Yule logs to bring its bright new energy into the darkest time of the year and the Beltane fertility dances were often performed  around a birch maypole. Birch's strong links with fertility are reinforced by its corresponding bird, the pheasant, which itself symbolizes fertility and the Mother Goddess.
[From: The Celtic Oracle by Peter Pracownik and Andy Baggott]