By Kyle Bonallo (instagram)

Transitions between the Wheel (For the four seasons)

This is from my personal practice with observing the wheel of the year and my focus on each transition between the sabbats. I honor the current seasons in between. Each transition has it’s importance to self care and managing the home and garden. I will probably add to this later cause some paragraphs I wrote I feel like are a bit vague. Some of these transitions are not meant to be 100% literal and static but I feel like they are good areas to focus on for that moment in the year.

Yule->Imbolc Resting

During the thick of winter when it’s too cold to do anything and always dark, it’s the perfect moment in the year to rest. The focus is on relaxing, taking extra time to sleep and care for the body especially to not get sick. Winter is also ‘spa’ season because the air is so dry and harsh it’s a good time to soak in hot baths and scrub away dead skin and moisturize with protective lotion. Do not try to make new plans, yet sit home, rest and reflect. 

Imbolc -> Ostara Cleansing

When winter thaws it’s a great time to clean the home and prepare for spring. Personally, I also like to do a body cleanse since I tend to eat a lot of processed (yet delicious ;-;) foods all year round. This also makes up for all the heavy foods I’ve been eating since Summer (all the BBQs) to Winter comfort foods. As I clean the home and get rid of stuff that has accumulated over the year, I clean the body. Also the focus is on cleaning the home as well. Breathing in the same air, especially if its full of dust, is really unhealthy and it’s good as the days are getting a little warmer to open up the windows for a few minutes to allow in fresh air to circulate. This is also the time of year I throw out old furniture, accumulated things and rearrange furniture in the room as well.

Ostara -> Beltane Sowing

Spring is a great time to germinate sprouts along with other seeds and clean the backyard or garden to grow plants. If you like to compost it’s a time to start mixing in the vegetable/fruit/plant scraps with the soil. Spring is also a great time to sow bigger changes in life as well. Something about the warm new season brings an air of flirtatiousness and ‘socialness’ that makes it perfect for making new friends or finding a partner. (Probably because people can finally come out of hibernation). It’s also a fantastic time to work on your image and portfolio and apply for long term jobs that begin in the summer or fall. Spring is the season for new beginnings and putting long term plans into action.

Beltane -> Litha Growing

A tradition I like to do on Beltane is repotting of plants and gardening. Repotting plants is a tradition I try to focus on every year because it’s very easy for house plants to die due to dead soil. Plus it makes the inside of the house super vibrant and lively to have fresh new soil in pots. From this point to summer solstice is the point of growth. Growth in the garden but also growth of personal goals. May and June feel like hectic months where there are so many events and opportunities to advance your work or change your social scene, that if I am not personally progressing, I focus all of my attention on my growth.

Litha -> Lughnasadh Thriving

Its the heat of summer! It’s time to get out and feel the intense hot energy and use its power to focus on goals and networking! Where I am there’s usually an exciting event every week where it’s an opportunity to make more connections and meet more friends but also since its warm and nature is so vibrant it’s time to take some days to relax and get away to enjoy the heat and life of nature. Go to the beach, go hiking, swim in a lake, sleep under the stars. Be active since the efforts will pay off. 

Lughnasadh -> Mabon Reaping

This is the time you earn what you’ve sowed both literally and metaphorically. If you have a garden its the time it will start giving back. If you are an active goer of a farmers market you will notice how beautifully abundant the stands are. If in Spring you’ve sent out tons of job applications, and in Summer got the job you’ve wanted and worked hard, then by now you should start seeing some results. If there are no results being seen it’s a time for reflection and re-strategizing. There is a second chance in this time to start again before the cold and the holiday season bulldozes through.

Mabon -> Samhain Harvesting/Gathering

This is the time to gather and harvest. Usually family tends to gather now since it’s the holiday season. There’s not much other than gathering to be done since family and holidays are bombarding you from all sides. Also there is an abundance of food. This is great to store for the next transition which is

Samhain -> Yule Preparation

This is the moment to prepare for winter. My warddrobe completely changes here, I take up knitting projects that were abandoned last Imbolc, and I store food and herbs for the winter to use. Also making preserves from things in the garden or hand knitting clothes make great presents for the winter holidays. This is also a time to prepare the garden for hibernation. Take in potted plants, harvest the last of the herbs and food (that are not potted). Make sure plants you do not want to die have a place to chill in the house.

Peach

Associations: 

fertility, love, and wisdom

Uses: 

Eating peaches induces love.

Wear a peach pit to keep away evil.

Carry peach wood for longevity.

Use peach pits or dried fruit in amulets and sachets for fertility and love.

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by Kyle Bonallo (instagram)

Merry Meet,

Welcome to my blog. I am going to be posting information that I have collected along the way, as well as reblogging relevant posts, nature photography, and anything else I think fits. I hope some of it helps you along your path.

I was walking the back half of the property close to the creek when I found these. 

Horse Mint

Scientific name: Monarda punctata  Abundance : uncommon What to use: flowers, leaves How: tea, flavoring Where: fields When: summer Nutritional Value: minerals, some vitamin A,B2,C

Horse mint's flower spikes are easy to spot. The calyx beneath the flowers start out green but then change to bright pink/purple then white. Horse mint flowers start out white with dark spots inside their "throats" but then these flowers turn yellowish while the spots remain unchanged. Horse mint leaves are super high in thymol which is a sedative but also very good for calming upset stomachs.  

Everything is growing so nicely.

Fluorite magical uses:  Purple Fluorite is used to activate the Third Eye Chakra. Use Purple Fluorite to connect with spirit. Wonderful when used to focus meditation, and to protect from evil spirits, and bad dreams. Also helps to relieve stress.

Fluorite, Zeunerite

Locality:

Montoso Quarries, Ortieul, Bagnolo Piemonte, Cuneo Province, Piedmont, Italy

Collection and photo Giuseppe Finello

A Beginner's Guide to Astrology Charts

Here is a guide that might be helpful when you are interpreting an astrology chart. My favorite place to get a free chart online is Astro.com: http://www.astro.com/cgi/atxgen.cgi?btyp=apx& . The link I provided will have both a drawing of your chart and a list of all your planets and houses. When you are first learning how to read a chart, you might want to look at the list first. As you learn more, you can start figuring out how to interpret the chart drawing. All you have to do is input your birthdate, time (if you know it) and place of birth and it will provide you with a list of which sign is in each planet, and which sign/planet is in which house.

Here are a list of each planetary alignment and what it means for your personality:

Sun Sign - Your sun sign is the most commonly known astrology sign. When people tell you their sign, or when you read horoscopes in magazines or the newspaper, this is the sign they will probably use. The sun sign changes once a month. Right now the sun is in Cancer but is going into Leo soon. Your sun sign is your Egoic personality. It is how you most want to seem to others, and the image you portray in the world. It is kind of an umbrella to the rest of your personality, meaning it is an overall look at yourself. People who identify strongly with their sun sign often have the same sign in other parts of their chart. If you don’t feel like your sun sign fits you, that sign might not show up at all in your chart.

Moon Sign - Your moon sign is your inner self. It’s how you process emotions, and how you are when you are not concerned with outer appearances. Most children act more like their moon sign than their sun sign, and eventually pick up more qualities of their sun sign as they mature. People’s moon signs are a good way to look into their hidden selves. Unless you know someone really well, or if they are comfortable revealing emotions, you might not see any evidence of their moon sign in their personality. If someone’s sun sign is the same as their moon sign, their inner and outer self will be in harmony. The sign the moon is in changes every 3 or so days, so people born the same month who have the same sun sign might have a different moon sign.

Ascendant/Rising Sign - Rising signs are the sign that is coming up on the horizon at your time of birth. This changes every few hours, so you will need to know your exact birth time to find out your rising sign/ascendant (Rising sign, ascending sign, and ascendant all mean the same thing). The rising sign is how you come off to others. While the sun sign might be the image you wish to show to the world, the rising sign is the image you actually show to the world, particularly upon first appearance. In my studies, your rising sign depicts how the world first sees you, and in turn how you view the world. In esoteric astrology, your rising sign shows you where in a cycle of lifetimes you are - if your rising sign is Aries, you are on the first of a 12-lifetime cycle, and if your rising sign is Pisces you are on the last of this cycle. Some esoteric astrologers believe each lifetime you live cycles through rising signs in order. Your rising sign is also the sign that is in your first house.

Mercury sign - Your Mercury sign describes how you communicate with others. It also describes your learning style, and how you talk and write.

Venus sign - Your Venus sign describes how you pay attention to beauty, and how you are in relationships. I find that Venus signs also to some extent show what kind of people you are attracted to, and what your home and possessions tend to be like.

Mars sign - Your Mars sign depicts your amount of physical activity. Those with their Mars in fire signs and earth signs tend to be more active and athletic. Mars also relates to how you deal with anger and if you have a temper.

Jupiter sign - Jupiter is the planet of luck and outer success. Jupiter is an expansive planet, and so the sign is this part of your chart will show you how outward your success will be and how your luck will manifest in life. For instance, someone with Jupiter in Virgo would likely not be globally famous but would achieve luck and success through working on their own (Virgo is represented by the Hermit). On the opposite end, someone whose Jupiter is in Gemini would probably experience more outward fame or at least find luck when dealing with other people, because Gemini is a more social sign.

Uranus sign - Uranus is the mad scientist of the zodiac. It represents ingenuity, novelty and change. Whatever sign Uranus is in in your birth chart will show you what sort of changes will come up in your life.

Neptune sign - Your Neptune sign will show you what area of your life will be shrouded in illusion. Neptune is a psychic planet, but it also represents a fog of confusion wherever it shows up in your chart. For instance, someone with Neptune in Capricorn would have a difficult time saving money or being practical. Neptune doesn’t change signs very often, and so is considered a generational sign. Everyone born in a 10-15 year span will have the same Neptune sign, and so it represents issues within that generation.

Pluto sign - Pluto is another generational sign. Pluto, as the ruler of the underworld, represents the darker part of our subconscious. It is what we are here to work on, our karmic path. For example, the Pluto in Scorpio generation (1984-1995) showed an increase in Scorpion ideology - passion, resourcefulness and new age and occultism on the rise. We are currently in the age of Pluto in Capricorn, which shows a focus on the economy and money related issues in general.

Midheaven - Your Midheaven, also shown as M.C. on many charts will show what path your life will take in terms of career. It is often quite accurate! To a degree it is a little similar to Jupiter’s role, but tends to have more to do with our place in society and less with luck.

North node - North node relates to karma. It is what you are here to learn karmically, the traits you need to acquire in this lifetime. Unlike Pluto which is more generational karma, your North Node is quite personal.

South node - On the converse, your south node is what you have already mastered karmically.

There are countless other things to learn in astrology but we will get to those in time. Here is a list of each zodiac sign and what key words best represent it to help you interpret the above info. Note: if you have a planet in a sign that the particular sign is ruled in, that planet will be more amplified in your chart. For instance, having your Mars in Aries, when Aries is ruled by Mars, will make that more of a facet of your personality.

Signs and key words

Aries (ruled by Mars) - action, impulses, independence, fire, physical activity, ambition

Taurus (ruled by Venus) - home life, beauty, love, loyalty, stubbornness, sensuality

Gemini (ruled by Mercury) - learning, communication, social, writer, inquisitive, curiousness

Cancer (ruled by the Moon) - family, belonging, compassion, domesticity, mother, intuition

Leo (ruled by the Sun) - pride, happiness, giving, creativity, children, optimism

Virgo (ruled by Mercury) - mystery, perfectionism, intelligence, helpfulness, hard work, shyness

Libra (ruled by Venus) - partnership, fairness, aesthetic beauty, indecisiveness, open-mindedness, likability

Scorpio (ruled by Pluto) - intensity, passion, resourcefulness, occultism, regeneration, choosiness

Sagittarius (ruled by Jupiter) - adventure, restlessness, philosophy, outspokenness, cheerfulness, irresponsibility

Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) - tenacity, conservativeness, discipline, wisdom, realism, money-conscious

Aquarius (ruled by Uranus) - innovation, individualism, eccentricism, idealism, humanitarianism, coolness

Pisces (ruled by Neptune) - psychic ability, sensitivity, empathy, impressionability, tenderness, dreaminess

Elements

Fire - Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Earth - Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Air - Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Water - Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

by Kyle Bonallo (instagram)