Rounding the Year: Taking Stock of my Goals & Wishes

How has the past 6 months gone for you? It seems to have gone quickly for me, and it's been a rollercoaster of good things and unpleasant surprises.

Every January I make a list of ambitions (you can see it here) and a Wheel of the Year vision board, which you can see in the picture above. I try to check how I'm doing regularly. The half-year mark is a good time. 

When it comes to my blogging intentions, I've been on track with what I aimed to do each month, including writing about seasonal folklore, books, crafting, and posting divinations for the world. 

One of my resolutions I've not worked towards yet is "Interview at least 6 pagan authors". So, if you are a pagan author who hasn't been interviewed by me yet but wants to be, let me know. You can email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com. 

The vision board reflects some great social events and a writing opportunity that flowered between Spring Equinox and Beltane. The Greenoaks Gathering was fun and something of an adventure before the Summer Solstice. I hope there'll be more days out and holidays before Lammas, rather than just "coming home", which I wrote on the chart. I wonder if I manifested those things, or if they'd have happened anyway?

The worst unpleasant surprise of the year so far was my cat Tommy dying suddenly. I still miss him. When I look at the vision board, however, I see that dark spiral before Imbolc. I intended it to mean a time for rest and introspection, but not laying my cat to rest. Still, I accept life always has moments of sadness. No one can guarantee they won't happen at any time.

Looking further round my Wheel of the Year vision board I see the time of harvest. I was in my garden yesterday and noticed fruit and berries filling out on the trees and bushes, although some fell prematurely in the recent thunder storm. I hope we don't have too many more of them before summer ends.

How are your plans for the year doing?  Please leave a comment. 

Rounding the Wheel of the Year

My book Pagan Portals - Round the Wheel of the Year offers more ways to acknowledge and celebrate the seasons in ritual, magic, folklore and nature. You can view Rounding the Wheel of the Year on Amazon, find it at esoteric bookshops or via my publisher Moon Books: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/pagan-portals-rounding-wheel-year

(Please note: I earn commission from some links.)

Other previous related posts

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/the-bad-witchs-10-new-year-resolutions.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/magical-craft-my-2026-wheel-of-year.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/12/rounding-year-reflections-on-new-years.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/12/new-year-resolutions-looking-back-at-my.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/01/the-bad-witchs-10-new-year-resolutions.html

Pagan Eye: Predicting A Future Map of the World

I photographed this prophetic view of a transformed Earth at the Secret Maps exhibition at the British Library. It's called A Future Map of the World and was created in the 1990s. The description next to it reads:

"This esoteric map envisages a future Earth transformed by cataclysmic magnetic pole shifts, triggering floods and the re-emergence of legendary lost lands such as Atlantis and Lemuria. Rooted in the author's visionary experiences and New Age beliefs, it exemplifies how speculative cartography can lend visual credibility to unverified ideas. Mimicking the style of scientific maps, such works blur boundaries between fact and fiction, offering alternative interpretations of the world's past and future."

Text on it also predicts the appearance of "the Blue Star", which will appear in the Milky Way and be as bright as the sun. 

I vaguely recall seeing this map in the late 20th century and feeling a little worried despite being skeptical about some of the claims. Luckily those things haven't happened yet, although floods due to global warming might one day make some of the prophesied submerged areas look not too far-fetched. 

Secret Maps is on at the British Library in London until 18th January. You can find out more here: bl.uk/exhibitions/secretmaps

My Pagan Eye posts show photos that I find interesting - seasonal images, pagan sites, events, or just pretty pictures. If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/08/water-dowsing-at-wellcomes-thirst.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/09/pagan-eye-art-comparing-roman-japanese.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/10/pagan-eye-green-man-cards-at.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/11/art-nobut-summat-at-atlantis-bookshop.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/04/pagan-eye-new-green-man-sign-for-anerley.html

Review: Pagan Dreaming by Nimue Brown

I find dreams are inherently fascinating. They can be like free movies created by our own subconscious minds to delight, scare or otherwise entertain us; they can allow us to do things we would never be able to do in real life; they can give us personal insights; offer solutions to problems and help us heal from painful life experiences. Occasionally, just possibly, they might offer portents for the future or even allow us to communicate with those not in the physical world – loved ones who have passed on, other spirits and maybe even deities.

Of course, most of the time dreams are just a replay of stuff that’s happened in our day-to day-lives and sometimes can be downright stressful and unpleasant. But they continue to be not entirely explained by science, psychology, magic or mysticism. A new book called Pagan Dreaming: The Magic of Altered Consciousnessdelves into the secret world of dreams to explore what they do and how we can get the most from them.

Author Nimue Brown says in her introduction: “I will explore the dream as a pragmatic, bodily thing, as a psychological phenomenon and as a spiritual experience... I offer tools here for integrating your dreaming experience into your spiritual practice, and for using dreams to discover yourself as both a physical and a spiritual person.”

Pagan Dreamingis down to earth, sensible and practical. Nimue points out that the first and most important step in dreamwork is to get a good night’s sleep – regularly. She offers advice on how to do that: having a comfortable bed, excluding noise, eating healthily, avoiding alcohol and caffeine and being kind to ourselves when we are suffering from stress and anxiety.

Nimue warns against using dictionaries of dream symbolism, as what happens within dreams is personal to us and we are the best people to work out what they mean. She also underlines that most dreams are just dreams: “Do not let the anxiety dreams convince you that they are portents of the future, such that they feed your fear!”

Much of the book is about how to explore dreams to gain insights into ourselves. For those who are also looking for the numinous, there is advice on how to spot it: “If you are thinking about a divinatory aspect to dreams, it is worth pondering whether you see that as the universe speaking to you directly about important matters, or as portents drawn from the chaos, or as your own wisdom speaking...it’s important to spend time getting to know your dreaming habits before you start reading too much into them.”

Studying one’s dreams, unsurprisingly, involves keeping a dream diary and spending time just after waking to mull over any dreams. Nimue says: “The more attention we pay to our dreams, the more likely we are to remember them. The more we think about our personal symbolism, the more likely we are to keep using the same symbols in dependable ways. It is a bit like inventing a private language for yourself, and the more you invest in this, the more you will tend to get out of it.”

While many books on dreamwork hype the skill of lucid dreaming, Nimue is actually against it. She says: “Western culture is relentless in telling us that the rational mind knows best. Reason and logic are championed while feeling and intuition are held suspect. What could be worse than to be irrational? And yet, we are not wholly rational creatures and will make many of our most important decisions for less than perfectly rational reasons. Dreams are one of the few spaces where the intuitive side of self still gets to exist. I think we shut that down at our peril. Lucid dreaming can be a colonization of the wild dreaming space by the conscious, rational mind and that’s something I am uneasy about.”

However, she does see dreamwork as being an aid to magical or spiritual practice, and offers suggestions for doing visualisations or prayer at the edge of sleep. She says: “Magical dreaming is something that will start to happen for us if we engage with our lives, and with our dreams.” She also discusses techniques to incubate dreams – some taken from descriptions of historic shamanic and bardic practice.

A good summary of Pagan Dreamingcomes at the end: “To work with dreams is not to practice the kind of magic that leads to definite outcomes. It is not spellwork or prayer. This is an act of opening to the unpredictable, seeing what you can get and then trying to make sense of it, or not, as you prefer.”

Publisher Moon Books says on its website: “Mixing the pragmatic and the spiritual, Pagan Dreaming goes far beyond the standard dream dictionary to offer instead a range of ways for making dreaming a meaningful part of your spiritual life. Exploring symbolism, the physical implications of dreaming, dreaming as learning and problem solving it then places the spiritual dimension of dreams in a context that will help readers go beyond x=y interpretations towards something that will enrich and re-wild their lives. The book includes an array of techniques for working consciously with dreams and developing a Pagan spiritual practice around dreaming.”

Pagan Dreaming is insightful, thought-provoking and well written. I would recommend it for anyone looking to explore their dreams. The book is due to reach shops in August 2015 and can be ordered via Amazon.

(Please note I earn commission from some links)

Links and previously related posts
Pagan Dreaming: The Magic of Altered Consciousness
http://www.moon-books.net/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/10/review-druidry-and-ancestors.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/04/review-hay-house-basics-lucid-dreaming.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/12/bluebirds-dreams-and-spirit-animals.html

New Moon and Solar Eclipse on 29 April 2014

Tomorrow, 29 April 2014, there is a new moon and also a solar eclipse.

It will be an annular eclipse rather than a total eclipse - meaning that the sun will look like a ring of fire as the moon passes in front of it. Sadly the solar eclipse won't be visible from the UK. Antarctica will get the best view - where I guess it will mainly be witnessed by penguins - although people in Australia will be able to see much of the eclipse.

For those of a superstitious inclination, eclipses are anticipated as times of great change - often times of upheaval. And at the moment it seems many people I know are going through big changes in their lives, with much uncertainty and fear about what the future holds.

I'm not talking apocalypse predictions - if you've read my blog for any length of time you will know I'm sceptical about prophecies of Armageddon, Ragnarok, comings of Gozer the Destructor or any other end-of-the-world scenario. But we do live in troubling times, with worrying environmental, economic and political problems yet little hope of any easy solutions.

In fact, many feel that some tipping point has been reached. Not the actual end of the world, but certainly an inexorable slide to the end of our comfortable world as we have known it. Some believe that we are rather at the moment when only drastic measures can avert eventual disaster. Perhaps those feelings have at least a bit to do with the eclipse energy we are all experiencing.

If you do decide to embark on drastic measure or action for change - either for something within your own life or for the world as a whole - do so with the good of all in mind. There is a lot to be said for the Wiccan ethics of "Do what you will, but harm none".

The solar eclipse will begin at 3.53am UTC time and 4.53 London time. It will end 8.15am UTC time and 9.15am London time. The new moon is at 7.14am London time. The NeoPagan name for this new moon is the Awakening Moon.

The picture of the annular eclipse in 1999 is the work of Luc Viatour. It is used here under Wikimedia Commons with the requisite credit: Luc Viatour / www.Lucnix. www.lucnix.be

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/07/solar-eclipse-myths-and-meanings.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/05/pagan-eye-solar-eclipse.html
http://pagancalendar.co.uk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_April_29,_2014
http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/list.html
http://www.space.com/25612-ring-of-fire-solar-eclipse-next-week.html

Time for Change: Tuesday's Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse

As well as there being a full moon tonight - reaching its fullest at around 8.45am in London time tomorrow, Saturday 15 April - there is also a total lunar eclipse. It is the first of two total lunar eclipses in 2014 and is the first of a tetrad, meaning four total lunar eclipses in series.

While some fundamentalist Christians are saying that this series of four lunar eclipses - also known as "blood moons" because the celestial body takes on a red hue - heralds the End of Days, I think that's just as unlikely as any other end of the world prediction we've so far survived. If you are interested in reading more about the prophecy though, here's a link to a news story in the Express.

However, if you are into scrying and other types of divination, lunar eclipses are a good time to have a go. The energy of the blood moon can also be used for magical rituals and spells for personal transformation. As Mani Navasothy of Pagan Frontiers says in his book The Eclipse Magic Workbook,"Eclipses offer us unique and sometimes rare opportunities for doing special magical or psychic work that can be lifechanging."

If you want to make a big change in your life, now is a good time to make a start. Today, think about what transformation you really want, whether that is a new job, a change in a relationship, a house move or embarking on a new spiritual path. Then, at the time of the eclipse, write down your intention on a slip of paper as a promise to yourself. Fold the paper up and put it into your wallet or purse to keep with you at all times until the change manifests itself.

Those in eastern Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific, and North and South America will get to view the lunar eclipse fully, while in London we might be able to glimpse a penumbral eclipse at 5.55am, just before dawn.


Links and previous related posts
http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2014-april-15
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_2014_lunar_eclipse
Eclipse Magic Workbook
http://www.eclipsemagic.co.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/02/blood-moon.html
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/469228/Four-blood-moons-Does-alignment-of-Mars-Earth-and-Sun-mean-the-end-of-the-world-is-nigh

Viking News: Ragnarok Predicted for 22 February 2014

Here's a press release worth posting in full, I thought, and one for the diary :)

"The world will end in 100 days": Ragnarok - the Viking Apocalypse - predicted for 22 February 2014

The sound of an ancient horn heard reverberating across the rooftops of York is a portent of doom and the beginning of a countdown to the Norse apocalypse, according to experts in Norse mythology from the JORVIK Viking Centre.

The horn belonged to the Norse god, Heimdallr, who was said to blow the mythical Gjallerhorn to warn that Ragnarok – the Viking apocalypse – will take place in 100 days. Experts are predicting the end of the world will take place on 22 February 2014, coinciding with the grand finale of the 30th JORVIK Viking Festival in the city of York.

“Ragnarok is the ultimate landmark in Viking mythology, when the gods fall and die, so this really is an event that should not be underestimated,” comments Danielle Daglan director of the JORVIK Viking Festival. “In the last couple of years, we’ve had predictions of the Mayan apocalypse, which passed without incident, and numerous other dates where the end of the world has been pencilled in by seers, fortune tellers and visionaries, but the sound of the horn is possibly the best indicator yet that the Viking version of the end of the world really will happen on 22 February next year.”

According to the legends of Ragnarok, the god Odin will be killed by the wolf Fenrir and the other ‘creator’ gods will fall, before the earth is born anew for its human population.

“During the week of the JORVIK Viking Festival, we will be doing everything we can to equip the people of York, and visitors from afar, with the tools to survive the apocalypse, from hunting for the mightiest and strongest warriors to training children in combat skills,” adds Danielle. “Following a study published in 2010* that bearded men are more trustworthy than those without, we’re also looking for fantastic displays of facial hair, so that we can identify those with the potential to take us into the brave new world that is foretold to follow Ragnarok.”

The 30th JORVIK Viking Festival runs from 15 to 23 February 2014 at a number of locations around the city, including Parliament Street, Coppergate and St Helen’s Church. Visitors will even be able to dine like Viking Jarls in a very special night of music entertainment and feasting to mark the impending apocalypse to be held in the stunning setting of York Minster and the adjoining historical St William’s College on Friday 21 February.

More information about all the events in the 2014 JORVIK Viking Festival, including details of where to buy tickets, is now available online at www.jorvik-viking-festival.co.uk. There will also be dedicated social media feeds from @jorvikviking with the hashtag #ragnarok2014 and #JorvikVikingFest, including a daily countdown to the apocalypse, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JorvikVikingFestival

*Journal of Marketing Communications

Astrologer Predicts Royal Baby Will Marry Foriegner

According to a press release I've just received from the office of celebrity astrologer Nicolas Aujula, the royal baby will "enjoy combat and marry a foreigner". To be honest, I suspect that is quite likely considering that many princes in the past have joined the armed forces and married foreign princesses. Here is the rest of the press release:


The official Royal zodiac sign is Cancer!

Leading Astrologer Nicolas Aujula reveals “The new Royal Baby Prince shares the same star-sign as father Prince William and his late grandmother Princess Diana that will help keep the popularity of the Royal family alive”.

Born at St Mary's hospital in Paddington, London at 4.24pm on 22nd July 2013, the monarch in waiting becomes the third in line to the throne. Had he been born 30 minutes later the future King would have been a Leo.

Born with four planets (the Sun, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter) in the sign of Cancer and Scorpio Rising, gives the new arrival a highly watery personality that will easily relate to people through a caring and compassionate nature - the public will simply adore him. Later on this can easily transcend into pursuing charitable efforts, just like his late grandmother Princess Diana.

The Prince will be sentimental, intuitive, family orientated and protective to those he cares about, ensuring a strong nurturing bond between mother and child. Other notable Cancerian public figures include Nelson Mandela, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise and Cheryl Cole.

The Royal Baby would be no stranger to combat and the armed forces could be off interest that he follows in the footsteps off uncle Prince Harry who was part of Army deployments in Afghanistan. At birth Mars, the war planet was conjunct expansive Jupiter that enlarges the traits off any planet it touches - highlighting that the future monarch will exemplify strong Martian solider-like qualities.

The 'Beverly Hills Times' Astrologer further adds: “The prince will display a wilful, adventurous and go-getting spirit that loves the outdoors, sports and adrenaline pumping activities. He'll be fearless and no stranger to fighting for what he believes in, expect to see a head-strong and fiery individual taking centre stage”.

Glimpsing into his future love life, Nicolas Aujula has a revelation “His Venus indicates marriage to a foreigner or someone with a cultural difference that may surprise his family and the public in years to come. Like fellow Cancerian King Edward VIII who abdicated the throne in 1936 when he married American divorcee Wallace Simpson - could there be parallels?”

Recalling a Prophecy about the Queens of England

Watching the news that the new royal baby is due any moment, and speculating that if the child is a girl it might be called Victoria, reminded me of a prophecy I once heard that went something like this:

From the reign of Queen Elizabeth I to the reign of Queen Victoria I, some things will be gained and some things will be lost. From the reign of Victoria I to Elizabeth II, more will be gained than will be lost. From the reign of Elizabeth II to Victoria II more will be lost than will be gained. But the reign of Queen Victoria II will be a golden age in which great things will take place.

However, I can't recall it exactly or where I heard it. Anyone know?

The Dawn of a Happy New Day

I'm very pleased to say, my prediction was wrong. A little while back, I had a nasty dream that something horrible would happen on 15 May. I even blogged about it.

And yesterday was 15 May - a day that started with an early morning storm that shook the trees and blew down a bit more of the fencing in my garden. But, I was delighted to discover, nothing worse than that happened to myself or my family or loved ones.

I checked the UK news and saw that unseasonable snow had fallen in parts of the country and a new thriller by Dan Brown had been published, but that seemed about the worst of it. Hardly the end of the world.

Obviously, I feel slightly embarrassed that I made a prediction that did not materialise - but at the time I said I would rather look foolish than for some disaster to occur that might have been prevented had I not warned anyone.

So, it is a new day today, and a happy one. Later on I'll be checking the news and seeing if there is anything more interesting to blog about. Apart from that, the sun is shining and its back to bad witching business as usual.

Links
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22547769

Inferno: (Robert Langdon Book 4)
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/05/tomorrow-beware-ides-of-may.html

Tomorrow, Beware the Ides of May

About a month ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with a premonition that something bad is going to happen on 15 May.

To go into more detail, I woke up from a dream in which I was on holiday and swimming in an amazing swimming pool, but not enjoying it because I knew it was the last day of my holiday and I also felt apprehensive. I woke up and, while still half asleep, I got a vivid image in my mind of a Facebook events calendar page for 15 May, accompanied by a feeling of dread.

In the morning I told several friends and asked them to take extra care on 15 May, even if they thought I was being silly and didn't believe anyone can have premonitions. One of my friends commented, "Is that the Ides of May?"

Looking it up, I found that May is indeed one of the months in which the Ides is on the 15th. The Ides of March are traditionally thought to be unlucky - being the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated. I very much hope that The Ides of May are not similarly unfortunate for anyone.

I have some mixed feelings about writing about this premonition on my blog. After all, there is a good chance it wasn't a premonition at all - merely a bad dream. That's certainly what most of my friends are reassuring me and I hope they are right. I would much much rather that on May 16 people say, "See, nothing happened",  than I say, "I told you so".

And I certainly don't believe that the future is fixed. Despite the reputation, Friday 13ths are supposedly days in which accidents are less likely to happen than normal - partly because a lot of people take extra care.

So, please do take a little extra care tomorrow. As I have already said, I would rather everyone was safe, and I looked a little foolish, than feel guilty because someone had a nasty accident and I didn't warn them to be more careful.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/01/prophetic-dreams.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ides_of_March
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/friday-13th-lore-luck-and-superstitions.html

Solar Eclipse on 10 May Heralds Time For Growth

There's a solar eclipse taking place from May 9 - 10. It will be an annular solar eclipse - which means that the moon will pass in front of the sun, making it look as though there is a ring of light around the moon. It will not be visible from the UK, but those living in northern Australia should be able to view this amazing sight for just over six minutes.

If you are in the UK and want to do some eclipse magic, then any time from 10.22pm tonight to around 4.30am tomorrow morning (London time) would be perfect even though you won't be able to see the eclipse personally.

According to my Astro Moon Calendar for 2013 (which I was given as a Yule present and is full of great astrological information), the solar eclipse conjuncts both Mercury and Mars. The calendar explains that this could be the start of "a fertile period within which the implementation of novel seed ideas must flourish". In particular it says: "The worlds of banking, agriculture and other growth related activities are the main focus of this new initiative."

But this would also be a good time to start turning any ideas and plans into reality. The Astro Calendar says: "Hopefully, ideals and aspirations of the highest order will inform the changes that are now beginning to be made."

I think we could all do with a time of growth, especially for our finances but also in our gardens and other aspects of our lives. I hope my calendar's predictions are spot-on and any magic you work tonight - or other plans you are making - bring fruitful results!

Links and previous related posts
http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2013-may-10
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_May_10,_2013
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/01/solar-eclipse-god-time-for-change.html
Moon Calendar 2013
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/07/solar-eclipse-myths-and-meanings.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/07/solar-eclipse-easter-island-and-moai.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/11/eclipse-new-moon-and-dark-mirrors.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/05/book-of-magic-eclipse-magic-workbook.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/05/pagan-eye-solar-eclipse.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/11/total-solar-eclipse-at-diwali-for-those.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/11/pagan-witchcraft-and-moon-calendars-for.html

Review: The Astrology of 2012

You'd have to have been living in total isolation - and certainly not reading witches' blogs - not to know that December 21, 2012, is an important date, at least in popular consciousness.

The winter solstice of 2012 marks the end of a period of time in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, which was the calendar used in Central America before the arrival of Europeans.

Many people believe that the ancient Mayans saw 2012 as the end of an age. Some say it will even be the end of the world - as the Earth collides with an asteroid, solar activity wipes out all life on the planet, volcanic eruptions obliterate civilisation or the Earth's magnetic poles switch and cause havoc. However, most scientists say catastrophic events such as these are very unlikely, and mainstream Mayanist scholars say the surviving ancient Mayan accounts of this time don't contain any predictions of doom.

New Age philosophies instead tend to view 2012 as the start of a new era - a time when people will become more spiritually developed and enlightened. Some go as far as to say that the human race will be transformed due to the cosmic events that will take place on the December 21, 2012.

A new book calledThe Astrology of 2012 and How It Affects Youlooks at 2012 and the decades around that date from a western astrological perspective. It looks at the alignments of the planets and how they might affect the human race in general and us as individuals.

Author Marcus Mason points out that our world is definitely changing. We are not only witnessing the effects of global warming and pollution on the environment, we are also seeing social, political and economic changes all over the world. From an astrological point of view, he says we can understand what is going on by looking at the stars.

Ever since the 1960s many astrologers - and New Age philosophers - have been talking about the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. This is meant to be a time when we move away from traditional, rigid and outmoded systems and ways of thinking, and learn to live in greater harmony with each other and with the world we inhabit.

Marcus Mason sees December 21, 2012, as an important pivotal point in that change of consciousness. He says it marks the end of a 25,626-year time cycle, caused by the Earth gradually changing her orientation in space. He describes a significant alignment of planets that occurs on that date, linking the Earth to the Galactic Equator. This indicates that a big shift in perspective is possible, opening people's minds to new possibilities to help find original solutions to intransigent problems.

The book's publisher, Hay House, says on its website: "As we approach the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next, approaching astrology from the perspective of the soul's evolution can help us understand the inner, spiritual purpose behind the events and experiences of our lives. By exploring the sequence of astrological changes as they unfold, this book shows you that we are all being offered the exciting opportunity to change our perceptions, by uniting the intelligence of the mind with that of the heart; understand how we can truly connect with each other and live in harmony; remember how to honour our Mother Earth; and create a new, and infinitely more positive vision for our future."

The Astrology of 2012 also explains how this applies to individuals, based on personal sun signs. This is written in the form of a horoscope for the year to come for each sign of the zodiac. It describes what to expect, and what changes of outlook might be necessary for each of us to get the best out of the year to come - and the new age we are entering into.

As I've mentioned before, I'm always a bit sceptical about prophecies of doom and gloom, but I do believe it is possible to predict trends and influences that are likely to affect the future. I like The Astrology of 2012 because it looks at what might happen on next year's Winter Solstice in the context of significant heavenly events over the past decades and into the future.

Perhaps I'm a bit of an old hippy but, as a child of the 1960s, I grew up in an era that anticipated the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. It is a lovely idea that, in the not-too-distant future, we might actually begin to see evidence of the new consciousness promised in that famous song of the 1960s, Age of Aquarius:

"Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind's true liberation"

But, as much as I'm a sceptic about predictions of apocalypse, I'm also a bit too cynical to believe that, overnight, we will all learn to love each other, bring about world peace and probably save the whale at the same time.

I think The Astrology of 2012 hits the balance about right - seeing next year's midwinter as just one important date in a very long period of change.

Author Marcus Mason has practised and taught astrology for nearly 30 years. You can see his website at http://www.heavenandearth.uk.com/ You can order The Astrology of 2012 and How It Affects Youin paperback from Amazon. The Kindle editionis due out very soon.

Links and previous related posts

http://www.hayhouse.co.uk/

http://www.heavenandearth.uk.com/

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/01/review-future-in-stars.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/06/review-avebury-cosmos.html

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/06/review-planetary-spells-rituals.html

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/11/friday-13-2012-and-age-of-stupid.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon

http://www.elyrics.net/read/0-9/5th-dimension-lyrics/age-of-aquarius-lyrics.html

Review: Fallen Angel Oracle Cards

The Fallen Angel Oracle Cards,just released by Cico Books, is one of the most unusual divination sets I've seen in a long time.

I was sent a preview copy last week, just before it came out, and I've been using it every day since I got it - not only because I was supposed to be reviewing it for A Bad Witch's Blog but also because I'm finding the set fascinating.

The Fallen Angel set isn't like a traditional Tarot deck. It doesn't have the traditional major and minor arcana for a start. Instead, the cards show images of 72 numbered fallen angels - angels who, according to legend, have fallen from grace or been banished from Heaven for various reasons. In some cases, in Christian mythology, their fall was because they refused to bow before Adam and accept him as a superior being, others became Earth-bound because they fell in love with beautiful mortal women and took them as wives. There are also angels who fell to Earth during the war between Lucifer and the other archangels.

The Fallen Angel booklet includes a brief history of the origin of the angels represented in the pack plus instructions on how to lay out the cards as well as the meanings of each of the 72 cards.

Examples include Zepar, an angel who takes the form of a handsome warrior and inspires women to fall passionately in love, often leading to heartbreak; Bileth, a powerful and unruly angel whose appearance signals an impending storm or tumultuous upheaval in human affairs; Foras, an angel that appears as a strong, wise man who can show you how to achieve ambitions through persuasion and quiet, eloquent diplomacy and Shax whose appearance can warn you to protect your wealth.

You might think it rather odd that a pagan like myself would be interested in a deck of divination cards clearly inspired by Christian mythology - but I find mythology from all cultures fascinating. I think one can work with archetypes from any tradition without needing to be a signed up member of the associated religion.

I'd certainly never worked with fallen angels before, and knew little about them before reading the book that came with the Fallen Angel set, but I found the archetypes extremely good for fortune telling. Part of the reason for this is that the meanings given show the risks and dangers inherent in a situation as well as offering help for the way forward.

Many modern oracle sets don't do this - instead giving fluffy messages about happy futures without any "scary" cards. But life is never that easy. There are always potential challenges. A deck that shows this, while also giving advice on overcoming or avoiding problems, is of more practical use than one that pretends everything is going to be lovely.

And, even though the cards don't look like a traditional Tarot deck, you can still use traditional Tarot layouts when reading them - or just choose a card from the deck at random for daily insight.

Nigel Suckling, creator of the Fallen Angel Oracle Cardshas also created the Dragon Tarotby Cico Books and is the author of several books on mythology includingThe Angel Companion,The Book of the Vampire,Werewolvesand Faeries of the Celtic Lands.

About his inspiration for the Fallen Angel cards, Nigel Suckling says on his website: "The angels themselves are drawn from Johann Weyer's famous list of fallen angels in Pseudomonarchia Daemonumdating from the sixteenth century, though based on much earlier sources. Some of them are indeed mischievous trouble-makers, but most are far from being the 'demons' of popular imagination, being more like pagan deities. Their varied characters suit them perfectly for fortune telling in the Tarot manner."

You can read a full interview with Nigel Suckling on A Bad Witch's Blog today, and read about the cards' artwork, by Sarah Perkins, here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/02/preview-fallen-angel-oracle-cards.html.

Links
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/02/preview-fallen-angel-oracle-cards.html
http://www.cicobooks.co.uk/
Fallen Angels Oracle Cards (book & card set)
Dragon Tarot
Book of the Vampire
The Angel Companion
http://www.unicorngarden.com/
Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1563)

Preview: Fallen Angel Oracle Cards

I've just received a preview copy of a boxed divination set called Fallen Angels Oracle Cards- and I love it!

Maybe its because I'm an old goth at heart, but I found the cards' artwork - featuring pictures from London's Nunhead Cemetery - absolutely captivating.

The illustrations are by artist Sarah Perkins, specially commissioned to evoke the dark charm of fallen angels. She has used photographs of the high Victorian gothic tombstones and mausoleums at Nunhead, many of which are now overgrown and in ruins, and added imagery of wild beasts and elemental forces to evoke a sense of mystery, power and unearthly beauty.

Of course the concept of fallen angels is very gothy too. I've never worked with fallen angel archetypes before and I'm interested in finding out how this deck of divination cards works. It certainly seems different from traditional tarot.

I'll be writing a full review of the Fallen Angels Oracle Cardsnext week and, hopefully, also be interviewing angel expert Nigel Suckling, who created the deck and wrote the book that comes with the boxed set.

The Fallen Angels Oracle Cards (book & card set)is published by Cico Books. The images show cards from the set and the front of the box.

Links
Fallen Angels Oracle Cards (book & card set)
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/10/walking-among-londons-dead.html
http://www.unicorngarden.com/
http://www.cicobooks.co.uk/

Birds Divine Messengers & Big Garden Birdwatch

Next weekend, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is running its annual Big Garden Birdwatch.

This is a huge survey of birds that anyone can take part in, designed to help with conservation efforts. All you have to do is register at the Big Garden Birdwatch website at http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/ then, over the weekend of 29-30 January watch the birds in your garden or local park for an hour and submit a form to tell the RSPB what you saw. The RSPB supplies all you need to identify common garden birds and the form to record them on.

A couple of years ago I took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch and used the opportunity to combine it with a bit of ornithomancy - that's fortune telling by divining the meaning of birds.

It was a form of prophecy very popular with Ancient Romans. It is mentioned in Homer's epic the Odyssey, where an eagle appears three times, each time flying to the right, gripping a dead dove in its talons. This augury was interpreted as meaning Odysseus was returning home and would deal with his wife's suitors.

These days, ornithomancy is hardly used at all - in fact, there are very few books easily available on the subject of divination by birds.

However, for Yule I was given one called Birds: Divine Messengers. This isn't about the ancient art of ornithomancy as practiced by the Romans. Instead, it is a lovely book about the folklore, mythology and meaning of birds, together with a personal system devised by author Andrea Wansbury to find the messages birds bring to help us transform our lives for the better.

Birds can appear to us in dreams or images that catch our eye as well as by flying past us or landing in our gardens. In the book, Andrea says that we should pay attention to birds that stand out for one reason or another - perhaps because they keep appearing, behave in a strange way, land very close to us or even tap on our window.

Publisher Findhorn press says: "Birds teach us precious and timeless universal principles, spiritual truths and divine wisdom: the tools and ideals we all need to know and grasp as we embark on our spiritual journeys... They teach us spiritual ideals not only through their unique characteristics, their eggs and their feathers, but also through mythological stories and folklores... Each bird brings its own specific message; this book explains how to recognise when birds are delivering a personal message and the importance of applying this guidance to our lives."

For me, one of the most useful parts of Birds: Divine Messengersis its long appendix listing about 100 birds from all over the world with their meanings. This could be handy for taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch if you want to discover any messages the birds you see might be bringing, as well as taking part in the conservation project survey. Here are a few examples:

Bluetit: resourcefulness
Crow: change
Duck: faith
Gull: searching
House sparrow: consolidation
Jay: opportunity
Pigeon: obedience
Starling: confidence
Thrush: nurturing
Wren: self-worth

I don't necessarily agree with every meaning Andrea ascribes to each bird. For example, she lists the cuckoo as giving the message of "trust" and says: "A cuckoo is saying you need to trust more".

Personally, I don't feel comfortable with that interpretation. To me, a cuckoo is primarily a sign of spring - and according to some legends, it warns of trickery. In other tales it is a symbol of female suffering. The medieval word "cuckold", for a man whose wife has been unfaithful, is derived from the name of the cuckoo. Considering that cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds' nests and the first thing cuckoo chicks do is throw the rest of their foster parents' eggs out of the nest, I would never associate a cuckoo with trust.

Mind you, I can see a use for the book's interpretation:

"No, husband dearest, that cuckoo you can hear singing in the woods doesn't mean I've been shagging your mates. Look, this book says the cuckoo means trust. You can trust me, darling, in all things..."

As with all forms of divination, it is always important to consider what a sign or symbol means to you personally rather than just going by the meanings given in books.

Links and previous related posts:
Birds: Divine Messengers
http://www.findhornpress.com/
http://www.andreawansbury.com/divine.html
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/bird-watching-portents-and-ornithomancy.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/04/herons-bring-message-of-spring.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/12/who-killed-cock-robin.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/11/pagan-eye-city-blackbird.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/01/my-white-pigeon.html
http://symbols.ehibou.com/cuckoo/