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| Aquarius 2001 edition
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About Aquarius
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Inga's Celebration Calendar The New Moon is January 24th - The Moon and Sun are conjunct in the sky. The moon is dark and gradually increases to a crescent. This is the time to begin a ritual involving a new project, to ask for new vision. January 24th is the Chinese New Year - This is the year of the Snake. Tradition dictates that all doors and windows are opened and fireworks are ignited on the stroke of midnight in order to drive away the old year and welcome the new. Don't sweep the house on New Year's Day or you may sweep out your luck. Likewise, don't wash your hair. Nothing is to be lent on this day, or you will be lending to others all year. Red is the traditional color to wear on this day. To learn more, visit China the Beautiful. February 2nd is the IEM Get Together and Metaphysical Support Group February 2nd is Groundhog Day, Imbolc or Candlemas If Candlemas day be fair and bright, Per Canadian and American tradition, the groundhog, or woodchuck, comes out of his hole after winter hibernation to look for his shadow. If he sees it, there will be six more weeks of bad weather. If he cannot see his shadow because of clouds, Spring is coming. He is supposed to go back into hibernation if more winter is ahead and stay above ground if Spring is near. Unfortunately, statistical evidence does not support this tradition. Did you see the movie "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray? (We highly recommend it!) Well, click here for Punxutawney Phil's official website. Imbolc in Celtic is also Candlemas in English. It is another Festival of Lights when candles are lit in order to represent the increasing warmth of the Sun. This is what is called sympathetic magic - the belief that increasing the amount of light and warmth surrounding us will increase the amount of warmth and light in the world. Traditionally, all Christmas decorations are to be removed by Candlemas. This Holy Day is believed to have originated in Ireland to honor the Goddess Brigid. Corn, wheat or barley left over from last Autumn's harvest are used in the associated rituals in order to show our faith that Spring will come again. This is one of the nights when Spirits are said to be abroad. According to tradition, they can be met at a crossroads and made to answer questions. To learn more about Paganism, visit Ashlynn's Grove. The Full Moon is February 8th - The Moon and Sun are opposite each other in the sky. The Moon reflects all of the Sun's light. This is the time to perform rituals for protection, clarity of vision and consecration. February 14th is Valentine's Day - This is another instance of the Christian church adding a new overlay of meaning to an existing holiday. The 14th of February was Rome's feast of Juno, Goddess of Marriage and the Queen of the Gods. This was the day when marriages and betrothals were performed. The 15th of February was the Roman holiday of Lupercalia. Lupercal refers to the cave in which the she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, the future founders of Rome. It was at the Lupercalia in 44 BC when Mark Antony, dressed as a reveler, approached Julius Caesar with the Laurel wreath of kingship. Julius Caesar rejected the offer at that time. During the reign of Claudius II, a series of unpopular military campaigns were underway. "Claudius the Cruel" was having difficulty finding motivated soldiers and blamed this on his fellow Roman's love of home and married life. So, he outlawed marriage. Saints Valentine & Marius went about the communities marrying couples in secret and were apprehended and martyred as a result. Saint Valentine became the patron saint of those who love under duress. During Pluto's era of gangsters, St. Valentine's Day marks Capone's massacre of his rival Moran's gang. McGurn, in charge of the hit on Moran, lured the gang into a bootleggers warehouse to make a buy. Then his own men, dressed in stolen police uniforms and trench coats, gunned them down. Moran arrived late and was not killed. There wasn't enough evidence against Capone to make a case. Click here to learn more about Al Capone at The Crime Library. |
Stone of the Sign - Malachite
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Book Review Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Working too hard? Depressed? Feel like there isn't enough magic in your life? Here is the cure! Spend a weekend with Harry Potter. Harry lives in a closet under the stairs of his aunt and uncle's home. They remind him every day that he is unwanted and he dreams of belonging somewhere. Then a letter arrives by owl inviting him to attend Hogwart's School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. Harry enters a new world of friends, power and possibilities. His new skills and those of his friends, Ron & Hermione, are constantly put to solving mysteries and passing tests. I remember hearing about Harry Potter several times but hadn't been interested in reading the books. Finally, at my mom's insistence, I read the first one. Well, it was wonderful! Every time I expected the author to drop a subplot or change a character or lose the suspense...she carried right on! I bought all four books on CD (read by actor Jim Dale) for Scott for Christmas and we have had a great time listening to them all. This book has won all kinds of awards and has been a bestseller on several lists but don't let that turn you off! It is great fantasy. Interestingly, it has been banned in a lot of American school districts. This series of books, by J.K. Rowling, carries on the tradition of J.R.R.Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Piers Anthony and David Eddings. The author spoofs families, school and magic while telling an impeccable fantasy story. Aquarius is all about shaking off those winter doldrums. So, go ahead... indulge! Click here for the Internet School Library Media Center's J.K. Rowling Teacher's Resource File. It features some great links! Visit Jim Dale's website to learn more about this amazing actor. Click here to learn more about purchasing this book from Amazon.com. |
Frequently Asked Questions What is a Book of Shadows? Inga: The BOS or Book of Shadows is a traditional term for a magical diary. This is where you write what happens in your meditation or guided imagery sessions. You should also take notes on any rituals you perform so you know what worked for you. I generally note the date, phase of the moon or what astrological sign the moon was in and any other significant phenomenon such as day of the week or weather (if it seems unusual in any way.) If I used a particular type of incense or a certain color candle or clothing for the journey, I will note that too. Here is an example from my BOS: Monday, 4/5/99; Moon in Sag.; Place: Group Health Burien Medical Center (small exam room) Guided meditation with Dr. Horn guiding Scott and me simultaneously.... I found myself in a forest clearing. There was an almost circular lawn surrounded by trees. I was instructed to look for my guide. I looked around for an animal but didn't see any. Then, suddenly, a large, heavily built, white horse burst into the glade. Simultaneously, I felt hands resting on my shoulders. When I turned to see who it was, I saw a very beautiful young man. He had curly blonde hair & Roman style armor. I was instructed to ask him his name and he seemed "playful" as he indicated to me that I already knew it. I asked if he was Michael and he nodded yes. I spent a few minutes just basking in their attention and then was instructed to ask any questions I may have. I asked how to move between the realms easier. The horse nudged me and I was out of body across the room looking at Scott, Dr. Horn and me. Then we were instructed to come back to the room. So I said goodbye and came back to normal consciousness. Comments: Monday is ruled by the Moon so it was a natural day to be doing this kind of work. Also, I learned that Moon in Sagittarius is a good time for an expansive, very clear experience. I realized later when reviewing it that I had totally missed the huge angel wings Michael has so I put that in as an addendum. Sometimes, I find that I learn as much from the documenting as I learned from the journey itself. I can't emphasize how important I think journaling our spiritual experiences is. The writing expands our comprehension of those experiences. Best of all, our BOS entries can be incredibly validating and uplifting when we are feeling like mere "muggles"! Everyone talks about keeping a journal and in reality, few of us do. Yes, it is work and it can be really rewarding. Journaling also indicates a course of action for further study, rituals, astral travel, etc. Scott's correlating entry from his BOS: I am directed to go to my special place. I find myself transported to a crossroads of trails, creeks and a river in the forest. It's a place I have visited physically during a vision quest. I am then directed to ask my spirit guide to appear. After a short time, a small wolf comes loping up along the river toward me. He sits next to me & I pet him. I feel a very strong bond to him. I am instructed to ask him for guidance. My wolf gives me a quizzical look. I get the clear impression that he is here to teach me how to be calm, strong, grounded. I also get the strong idea that I must look within for answers. No big surprise there! Dr. Horn asks what my wolf's name is and the wolf just gives me the look again! I laugh and tell Dr. Horn that my wolf doesn't have a pronounceable name in English. He is, after all, a wolf! I then hear the instruction to come back to the room. I hug my wolf goodbye and return to normal consciousness. |
Letters from our readers We think of this newsletter as a community forum. You, our friends and clients, are welcome to participate. We celebrate diversity and we'll print whatever you send in be it Wiccan, Christian, Pagan, New Age, etc., as long as it reflects Love. You may choose a one-time holiday to write about or have a regular column. We'll give you space and a byline! Please send in your own book reviews, ideas for rituals, ideas about stones, your journal excerpts, your experiences and most of all, ask us questions. We love answering questions! "DEMOCRACY" is two wolves and a lamb voting on lunch. "LIBERTY" is a well-armed lamb denying enforcement of the vote. From the Advocates for Self-Government website. |
The Monthly IEM Get Together We've always wondered what would happen if we got the friends we've made through Inga's Earth Magic (IEM) into a room together. Why? Because every one of us has a unique gift to offer to the world. And if we get enough of us in one place at the same time, something magical is bound to occur.
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 The Duncan Domain Inga's mom, Stephanie, spent the Christmas holiday with us and she brought with her a marvelous treat: the "Harry Potter" books on cassette tape. If you are unfamiliar with them, it's the story of a boy born to a wizard and a witch. Upon their deaths from battling with a powerful, dark wizard, Harry ends up spending his childhood with his mother's non-magical sister's family. Non-magical people are referred to by the magical community as "muggles" which is used to label anyone who goes to great lengths to avoid the use of magic. Harry's Aunt and Uncle frown severely on all things magical and do their best to quash any magical leanings on Harry's part, to no avail. On his eleventh birthday, a letter arrives from Hogwart's School of Wizardry and Witchcraft stating that he's been admitted thus starting his formal education in the magical arts and his mysterious heritage. Inga and I are now on the third book of the series and we can't wait each evening after work to gather in the living room and be read to about Harry's magical adventures. The whole bit about "muggles" really has me thinking about how we really do go to such great lengths to avoid magic, instead relying on logic and science. I find this very odd since regardless of culture, we all share ancient myths of magic and miracles. I can only speculate why certain human cultures turned away from magic. Magic to me is the act of co-creation, the combining of shared intentions and energies to create something greater than the sum of the inputs. When this act of co-creation is grounded in the frequency of Light and Love, we get miracles. If that is indeed what magic is, why would we turn away from that? Well, I do know from experience that co-creation is messy, requires a lot of discipline and constant enlightened collaboration with other entities. It looks like we Europeans, during the Middle Ages, decided on a seemingly simpler course of action of carving out a "living" for our families by taking a reductionist approach to the complexities of life. Sure, it got the job done but it certainly has not been grounded in Light and Love. Because of that lack of grounding, what we've created in this modern age is clearly not sustainable environmentally or economically. Just look at the exorbitant expense that is incurred by having to clean up all the industrial waste that is made. It gives me hope when I see signs of big corporations figuring out that it is far cheaper and smarter to do things wisely and pro-actively. Bill Ford, the great grandson of Henry Ford and chairman of the Ford Motor Company, is spending billions to clean-up and revolutionize one of Ford's manufacturing plants in Michigan. The design calls for creating a "living roof" on all the buildings, a carpet of plants that will absorb carbon emissions and rainfall and lower the interior building temperatures. (Could this be an example of human and elemental co-creation?) If it really works, Ford is going to convert all of their 140 plants in 26 countries and make the design available to everyone at no charge. To learn more, read Revolution at the Rouge - Can Ford profit by going green? by Paul A. Eisenstein.
The other day, a friend that I work with was exploring with me how to we can cause harmonious and sustainable change in our work environment. We recognized how difficult it is to break free of the status quo in order to see what is possible. We're all pretty good at imagining a different reality but getting into action based on a sustainable model is where the real magic, and challenge, lies. We began to explore the concept of balancing and combining the energies from the three realms and we labeled them as follows: Etheric, the realm of light and love; Astral, the realm of the imagination and Physical, the realm of action. I admit this is pretty heady stuff for the work environment but the challenges we are facing at work essentially demand a highly creative and sustainable approach. So how do we start this process? He and I do know from experience that personal and shared Intention is the key to making this Alignment possible. And whether you are a Christian that prays or a Wiccan performing magical rituals, you may see common ground here. Here are some more signs of co-creation, based on Light and Love, that I'm seeing around me:
The choice is up to us: do we create with Love or something less than Love? Do we create independently or do we join with others and bravely explore what is really possible? What will we co-create when we lay our fears aside, follow our hearts, use the power of logic wisely, work harmoniously with the Elementals and the energies of the heavens while letting Divine Love guide our efforts? It's the only thing that truly excites me anymore and while it is not an easy path to follow, I feel truly alive and joyous when I walk it. -- Scott Bruce Duncan */:-) |
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Inga Duncan Thornell |
The rise of the constellation Aquarius indicates the beginning of the planting/harvest cycle coinciding as it did with the annual flooding of the Nile in ancient Egypt. This association with Spring is borne out in our time by our celebration of Groundhog Day. Aquarius is a time of awakening from the hibernation of Capricorn; a time when we look around us to see how we can bring our lives into better alignment with the future goals of humanity. Aquarius is an Air sign and therefore has yang or masculine energy.
Malachite is an opaque stone colored light and dark green in a swirled or sometimes spotted pattern. It correlates with Aquarius. Aquarius can elevate us above personal interest to impersonal ideal. Wear malachite to foster change, to shock your friends, to break out of ruts, to write an idealistic and futuristic novel or manifesto. Wear malachite while protecting the downtrodden or championing the cause of individual freedom.
I, for one, feel that we've given the ungrounded logic and science route a thorough test run and I'm ready to try something different and better. I've been preparing my whole life for this and people keep showing up in my life that are willing to help me explore what is possible. I reunited with such a person the other night. We both feel that we shared a lifetime back in the 1800s where I, as a Scottish American officer in the Union Army, and he, as an Apache, teamed up to look for a way to merge the European culture of science and logic with the Native American Shamanistic culture. In this lifetime, he calls it combining the Cross with the Spiral, the Spiral being a representation of the mystical journey we are all on. So what are we going to do this time to achieve this? We don't know yet but I suspect it will be a fascinating adventure.
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