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METEOR SHOWER ALERT: The next meteor shower is the Perseids on August 12, 2008. After the first-quarter moon sets, around 2 a.m., meteors should be more easily visible until dawn. You may see dozens of meteors per hour.
Serious meteor hunters will begin their watch early, on Monday evening, August 11th, around 9 pm when Perseus first rises in the northeast.
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SUPPORT OLYMPIC TEAM DARFUR
We salute our Athletes competing in the Olympic Games, especially TEAM DARFUR.
Tracy Mattes', a gold Olympic athlete, has been denied a visa to China because of his support of Team Darfur. Read more about Mattes
"A campaign leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, Team Darfur aims to educate the global public through the unique voice of elite athletes. Team Darfur brings together the world's Olympic and professional athletes to put international pressure not only on Sudan, but also on those countries that support the policy of inaction in the face of this dire humanitarian crisis.
"China's government holds enormous leverage over Sudan. They purchase two thirds of Sudan's oil, and they sell Sudan the weapons that are used by the Janjaweed to carry out their attacks. If the Chinese government really wanted to, they could end the genocide. Their economic relationship with Sudan is just that powerful. Team Darfur is tremendously excited about the upcoming summer Olympics in Beijing. However, it has become clear to us that China's lack of action with regard to Darfur is not in line with its professed motto of "One World, One Dream."
"Since last year, Team Darfur has been working to put pressure on China in the lead-up to the Olympics. And it has been working! China has responded by appointing a diplomatic envoy to Darfur, sending engineers to the region, and making vocal statements about their commitment to helping the victims of the conflict. We commend them for all of this. But it is not enough!"
See the list of Team Darfur Atletes
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SOLAR ECLIPSE: On Friday, August 1st, the Moon will pass directly in front of the Sun producing a total solar eclipse. The narrow path of totality stretches from arctic Canada through Greenland, Siberia, and Mongolia, and comes to an end in China, where millions of people will witness the event. Even more people will see the partial eclipse, visible from almost all of Europe, the Middle East, India, Asia and a corner of North America. The action begins at approximately 09:20 UT (5:20 am EDT) when the Moon's shadow first hits Earth in northern Canada and begins its rapid sweep toward China.
Visit http://spaceweather.com for photos, webcasts, timetables and full coverage of the eclipse.
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Lughnasadh - Lammas
Lughnasadh(pronounced loo-na-sa), is one of the four main festivals of the medieval Irish calendar. August 1st is Lammas Day (loaf-mass day), the festival of the first wheat harvest of the year. On this day it was customary to bring to church a loaf made from the new crop. In many parts of England, tenants were bound to present freshly harvested wheat to their landlords on or before the first day of August. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, where it is referred to regularly, it is called "the feast of first fruits".
In Wicca, it is the first of the three autumn harvest fests, the others are Mabon and Samhain, along the Wheel of the Year.
The festival of Lammas (comes from "loaf mass"), celebrated Aug 1st, marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall. It commemorates the sacrifice and death of the Wiccan Corn God, celebrating the cycle of death, nurturing the people, and rebirth, The corn is considered an aspect of the Sun God, symbolizing Lugh. Some Wiccans mark the holiday by baking a figure of the god in bread, and then symbolically sacrificing and eating it. It is prophesied that, as long as the custom shall be maintained, there will be corn and milk in every house, peace and fine weather for the feast.
At Lammas, a couple could decide to continue the Year and a day handfasting arrangement if it pleased them, or to stand back to back and walk away from one another, thus bringing their Tailltean marriage to a formal close.
People in the Southern Hemisphere that celebrate Lammas do so February 1, to reflect the 6 month offset of seasons on the other side of the planet.
See our Hidden Pentagram Wheel of the Year Pendant
Visit CyberMoon Emporium for all your WitchCraft-Supplies
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Leprechaun Potatoes Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
* 4 large baking potatoes, baked (see Note)
* 1/2 cup butter (1 cube), room temperature
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
* 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* Dash of ground nutmeg
* 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
* 2 tablespoons sour cream
* 1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
TO PREPARE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice cooled potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out flesh.
In a large bowl, combine potato pulp, butter, salt, sugar, chives, dill,
garlic powder, nutmeg, cooked spinach and sour cream. Mix together thoroughly.
Fill potato skins with mixture and place in a baking dish. Bake uncovered at
350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan
cheese. Return to oven and broil at 500 degrees for approximately 3 minutes, or
until tops are golden brown.
NOTE: Potatoes can be baked in the microwave to save time.
SERVES: 6 - 8
Daily Recipe
Visit CyberMoon Emporium for all your WitchCraft-Supplies
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WITCHES STONES: AMBER
Amber is a fossilized tree resin. It was formed over millions of years. The amber originated from the now extinct Hymenaea tree in an ancient rain forest. The tree sap (or resin) became buried and over time, fossilized. Animals, plants, and insects became entrapped and entombed in this resin, providing a unique and detailed snapshot of life millions of years ago. Tiny pieces of time frozen forever. Your stone may hold an insect or botanical inclusions consist of leaves and parts of leaves, flower petals, flower stamen, seeds, twigs, flower buds or flowers, etc, from past ages. from thousands of years ago. Add the power of the insect and the amber to your life!
See our AMBER
Visit CyberMoon Emporium for all your WitchCraft-Supplies
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~ Andalusite (Faery Cross) ~
This is a very hard to obtain rare, ANDALUSITE (Faery Cross) Polished Crystal. It is a glorious multi color(also called poor mans alexanderite). In the center is a CROSS that is a natural part of its crystalline structure and a symbol of PROTECTION and Balance. Unique from any other gem! It is used as a powerful protection stone and stimulates self enhancement, self realization and memory! In channeling it is used to magnify past lives. A remarkable stone crystal we are very happy about offering. A most important stone for practitioners.
See more CRYSTALS
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Dutch house cat adopts rejected red panda
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - A zookeeper's house cat has adopted a baby red panda abandoned by its mother and is nursing the cub along with her own kittens, the Artis zoo said Wednesday.
The panda's mother rejected her two cubs after they were born on June 30.
"She left them there, lying in the cold," said zoo spokesman Bart Kret.
The zoo initially kept the cubs in an incubator. But a keeper's tabby cat had just given birth to four kittens, and let the two panda cubs join the crowd.
Read more
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LODESTONES
Lodestones are natural magnets & for many centuries have been used to charge spell items, primarily to attract things to the one using them -- good luck, healing, etc. Often two lodestones are carried: one to repel bad luck & one to attract good. Also used in charm bags.
See our LODESTONES
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KEEP YOUR KITTY SAFE - HOUSEHOLD POISONS
Many items that are common in households are TOXIC poisons to cats. Some of thse items are:
*Chocolate
*Chewing Gum
*Mouse/rat poisons
Read more about how to protect your kitty.
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SOLSTICE CELEBRATIONS: No, this mountain in the Austrian Alps is not spewing lava. It's a summer solstice celebration.
Zoom in and zoom in again to see what's really happening.
"This is a traditional solstice celebration in our part of Europe," explains photographer Thorsten Boeckel. "More than 8000 fires light up these 200-meter figures in the steep mountain walls from an altitude of 1200m to 2900m. What an unique sight from a 2000m perch on the opposite side of the valley."
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More Girls Condemned
In addition to China and the Arabian countries, India's parents are aborting female babies or simply neglecting them so that they die.
"The number of girls born and surviving in India has hit an all time low compared to boys, ActionAid says.
A report by the UK charity says increasing numbers of female foetuses were being aborted and baby girls deliberately neglected and left to die.
In one site in the Punjab state, there are just 300 girls to every 1,000 boys among higher caste families, it says.
ActionAid says India faces a "bleak" future if it does not end its practice of cultural preference for boys."
Read the news story.
We have not proclaimed the sacred feminine enough so that our sisters will live.
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English Crop Circle's Mysterious Pattern Solved
Another crop circle has appeared in the English countryside — and this one's clearly been made by someone, or something, that understands math.
At first glance, the strange ratcheted pattern, radiating out clockwise, doesn't look like much — modern art, perhaps.
But an electrical engineer from North Carolina — described by the London newspapers as a "retired astrophysicist" — figured out that it was an abstract representation of pi, the number at the center of Euclidean geometry. Read more
See our Crop Circle Pendants
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Just when you thought the myths about unicorns were just myths...
Read about the real live unicorn.
See our unicorn pendants.
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Did you ever wonder what Jesus did during the years the Bible doesn't cover? Hollywood is making a movie called "Aquarian Gospel," a $20m movie, which portrays Jesus as a holy man and teacher inspired by a myriad of eastern religions in India. The Aquarian Gospel takes its name from a century-old book that examined Christianity's eastern roots and is in its 53rd reprint.
Read more about the movie.
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The Charge of the Goddess
Now listen to the words of the Great Mother,
who was of old also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride, and by many other names. At her altars, the youth of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice.
Whenever ye have need of any thing,
once in the month,
and better it be when the moon is full,
then shall ye assemble in some secret place, and adore the spirit of me,
who am Queen of all witches.
There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery,
yet have not won its deepest secrets;
to these will I teach things that are as yet unknown.
And ye shall be free from slavery;
and as a sign that ye be really free,
ye shall be naked in your rites;
and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise.
For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit,
and mine also is joy on earth;
for my law is love unto all beings.
Keep pure your highest ideal;
strive ever towards it, let naught stop you or turn you aside;
for mine is the secret door which opens upon the land of youth,
and mine is the cup of wine of life,
and the cauldron of Cerridwen,
which is the Holy Grail of immortality.
I am the gracious Goddess,
who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.
Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal;
and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom,
and reunion with those who have gone before.
Nor do I demand sacrifice;
for behold, I am the Mother of all living,
and my love is poured out upon the earth.
Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess;
she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven,
whose body encircles the universe.
I who am the beauty
of the green earth and the white moon upon
the mysteries of the waters,
I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me.
For I am the soul of nature
that gives life to the universe.
From me all things proceed and unto me
they must return.
Let My worship be in the
heart that rejoices, for behold,
all acts of love and pleasure
are My rituals.
Let there be beauty and strength,
power and compassion,
honor and humility,
mirth and reverence within you.
And you who seek to know me,
know that the seeking and yearning
will avail you not,
unless you know the Mystery:
for if that which you seek,
you find not within yourself,
you will never find it without.
For behold,
I have been with you from the beginning,
and I am that which is attained
at the end of desire.
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The Celtic Triquetra Knot
Charmed Symbol
The ancient Celtic Triple Goddess symbol, the Triquetra knot represents the threefold nature of the Goddess as virgin, mother and crone. It also symbolizes life, death, and rebirth and the three forces of nature: earth, air, and water.
In Christian symbolism, the Triquetra represents the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the unbroken circle represents Eternity. The interwoven nature of the symbol is for the indivisibility and equality of the Holy Trinity. Symbolizing that the Holy Spirit is three beings of power, honor, and glory but is indivisibly one God.
Visit our CHARMED SHOPPE
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The 13 Wiccan Principles
The following set of thirteen principles was
adopted by the Council of American Witches, in April, 1974.
1: We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.
2: We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
3: We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called supernatural, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
4: We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity ~as masculine and feminine~ and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive to each other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.
5: We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological, worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. ~and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
6: We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
7: We see religion, magick, and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it ~a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft~ The Wiccan Way.
8: Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch, but neither does heredity itself, not the collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature.
9: We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.
10: Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way", and have sought to deny freedom to others and to surpress other ways of religious practice and belief.
11: As American {Or World-Wide!} Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.
12: We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as Satan or the Devil, as defined by the Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the sufferings of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.
13: We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.
See our Books about WICCA
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