and open to Her Wisdom."
3rd Day of the 12th Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Persephone
Lunar Tree Cycle of Ngetal/Reed
12th Day of the Celtic Tree
Month of Ngetal/Reed
4th Day of the Cycle of Shamash
- Days of the Witch Gods
Moon Phase: waxing New Moon
Moon rises: 9:44AM EST
Moon sets: 7:04PM EST
Moon in the Mutable Fire
Sign of Sagittarius
Blodeuwedd's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: Service to
the universe
Sun in Scorpio
Sunrise: 6:57AM EST
Sunset: 5:10PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "What
are you homesick for?"
Samhain (Calan Gaeaf) Quarter
of the Year
November 8th, 2010
This is Moon Day - the Day of Remembering and Feeling - Impression Day. There are minor magickal energies for spells/rites regarding the issues of the feminine, maternal, and domestic issues.
Bridges
It used to be said that Witches could not cross running water, and bridges were built with a cross in the construction, sometimes literally, as ornamentation, to prevent them using the bridge to pass. It was thought that should Witches attempt to use such a bridge then they would be forced to turn back when they reached the center. It is probably for this reason that it used to be a superstition that to turn back halfway across a bridge was to court disaster.
In some places it is thought to be unlucky to say goodbye to a friend on a bridge as it meant you would never see one another again. It is also considered unlucky to be under a railway bridge when a train passes overhead. However many times children like to underneath when a train passes overhead to hear the thunderous noise. In Wales it was considered to court misfortunate to talk while passing under a bridge. This might be related to the belief that it was bad luck to disturb the spirits which lived underground. If you cross a bridge over running water you should throw a coin into the waters to appease the spirits which dwell underneath. It use to be said that you should not cross a bridge if a part of it was obscured by a fog or mist, in such a way that you could not see all the way across. To do so could result in you ending up, not on the other side, but in the otherworld.
[From: Kate West's "The Real Witches' Year"]
The Reed Harvest
When due to wind and frost the dry canes have lost all their leaves, the reed is ready to be harvested. Frost is indeed a big help for the harvest: Once the damp soil or the water are frozen, the reed areas are easily accessible on foot or with the harvester.
In the past the reed was harvested using sickles or scythes, a method that can still be found today. A skilled reed cutter can harvest and tie between 15 and 20 bundles per hour.
Nowadays, however, harvesting machines are the common choice. The mowing machine allows to cut the reed in rows and can be operated by just two people.
In larger marshland or lake areas also Saiga harvesters with balloon tyres are being employed to reap the reed stalks. These amphibious vehicles have the advantage of preserving the soil and the subterranean part of the reed – the rhizome – by reducing the pressure applied on them.
After cutting the reed, the stalks are gathered into bundles of 1.2 m length. Shaking and combing them out cleans them from the residues of leaves and plants as well as from too short stalks. By butting the bundles on the ground the stalks become flush with each other, so that they can be tied together to bundles of 60 cm diameter with help of a band and an iron ring.
Then the reed bundles are left outdoors, piled up in pyramids. This form allows the rain to run off and helps the wind to dry the reed and to carry away the remaining leaves.
When the harvest is over, the individual reed bundles are packed to packages of 50 or 100 and made ready for transport.
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