JULY 2017 NEWSLETTER Thank you for subscribing to Inner Circle Sanctuary's newsletter. Included is information about the month of July, links to our upcoming events sponsored by ICS, and how you can become a member. WELCOME TO INNER CIRCLE SANCTUARY'S JULY NEWSLETTER The highest and brightest day of the sun has passed, but we are in store for hotter weather because of the phenomenon called “The Lag of Seasons.” Like a pot of water put over a high flame, it still takes time for the water to reach its boiling point, as it will take the earth to feel the effects of the Midsummer sun. It’s the same reason why January and February are colder than December when Midwinter occurs. Here, in Las Vegas, for the past few weeks, our temperatures have already surpassed our historical highs for this time of year. Read the EPA report on how climate change will affect Las Vegas in the future. If you live in the USA, there is an EPA report for each state. Type "climate change epa + your state name” to see it. Some states put out there own reports which you might want to peruse as well. QUINTILIS The name of the month of July was changed from it’s original Quintilus via the Roman senate in 44BC to honor Julius Caesar after his brutal and untimely death. Similarily, the month of Sextilis was changed to honor Augustus, hence the name for the month of August. For those that know a little Latin, the terms Quintilis and Sextilis actually mean Five and Six, respectively. The Roman calendar, before Julius Caesar, only had ten months with the sixty days of winter, where there was no work in the fields, unaccounted for. The year began in March (Martius, "named after Mars, the Roman god of war, who was also regarded as a guardian of agriculture” and ended in December (decem, meaning ten). This original calendar was “determined by the cycles of the moon and the seasons of the agricultural year.” We get the name “calendar” from ‘kalends’: the first of the month which occurred on the New Moon. The ‘ides’, or mid-month, were the full moons. Read more about how our modern calendar came into being. http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/calendar/romancalendar.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_calendar http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-roman.html https://www.livescience.com/45650-calendar-history.html The Romans also gave us the names of the days of the week and anyone who has any romance language experience can see this. The names of the week are based on the Sun, Moon and the names of the five planets known to the Romans. While Saturday, Sunday, and Monday made it through to today’s modern English, the Anglo-Saxons replaced the other four with the names of their gods. dies is believed to be derived from the Latin “from the Gods” “Tuesday comes from Tiu, or Tiw, the Anglo-Saxon name for Tyr, the Norse god of war. Tyr was one of the sons of Odin, or Woden, the supreme deity after whom Wednesday was named. Similarly, Thursday originates from Thor's-day, named in honor of Thor, the god of thunder. Friday was derived from Frigg's-day, Frigg, the wife of Odin, representing love and beauty, in Norse mythology.” ~ Encyclopedia Britannica JULY LORE July third begins the “Dog Days of Summer” that last until August 11. At this time, the sun shares the same space as Sirius, the Dog Star. Legend says the Dog Star conspired with the sun to make the days hotter. Others believed the hot weather caused dogs to go mad. If the first of July be rainy weather, It will rain, more of less, for four weeks together. - John Ray, English Proverbs Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots and gillyflowers. - Sara Coleridge, Pretty Lessons in Verse If ant hills are high in July, Winter will be snowy. JULY BIRTHSTONES RUBY Red has always been the color of fiery emotion, deep passion and fury. As a gemstone, the semi-transparent nature of this red, faceted stone seems to glow with an internal fire. Many cultures saw this stone as a“Stone of Kings”, in Sanskrit, it is known as Ratnaraj, “King of precious stones”. The Hindus believed that fine rubies offered to Krishna would ensure the givers rebirth as emperors and as such bring them peace, power, wealth and protection. The soldiers of the Burmese armies would install these stones in their flesh, granting them invincibility in battle. In the more modern day, the red fluorescence power of the ruby helped build the first working laser in 1960. Rubies are fine stones when used for work relating to passion and desire, as well as used in or worn for protection working. ONYX Long thought to be a stone that brought sadness and depression, mined in China, the workers would not “willingly touch or own this gem for fear of bad dreams, misfortune, and loss of energy”. Traditional Onyx is black in color with multi colored bands, usually of red, brown, orange and white. The bands are straight in true onyx, and can be easily confused with Agate. Onyx has long been used in jewelry; Romans used these in seals and in Victorian England, mostly used in cameos. The stone was prized for its subtle, somber nature and basic black beauty. The negativity surrounding the stone is mainly in the user’s mind and can be used handily for protection and where negativity has been directed at you. If you are fair to the advances of unwanted adoration or sexual advances, noted Wiccan Scott Cunningham, describes onyx as useful for temporarily dampening the sex drive or containing energy of any kind. JULY FLOWERS WATER LILY When you see a water lily, it’s hard not to conjure a dainty nymph dancing upon the water. Water Lily’s Latin classification is Nymphaeaceae (nim-fuh-see) inspired by the nymphs of mythology. Whether painted by Monet or serving as the national flower of Bangladesh (white) or Sri Lanka (blue), water lilies have represented rebirth, optimism, love, life, & creation. Throughout history and in several cultures, the Water Lily symbolizes many different things from healing to transmutation to passion to chastity. In magic, find the meaning you resonate with and utilize appropriately. LARKSPUR Larkspur has been memorialized in Greek myth as a memorial flower, as sky steps from heaven in Native American mythology, and as a patient bunny in Christian legend. For witches, larkspur is seen as a great protective ingredient for any spell regarding ‘Heroes’ like police, firemen, and soldiers or to honor them. Larkspur is said to protect against both corporeal (insects, pest invaders, etc) and non-corporeal beings (ghosts, malevolent spirits, etc.) when planted near the home or worn. JULY ZODIAC SIGNS Many of you will recognize some or all of these traits in the Cancers & Leos that come in and out of your lives. Some will have more of the positive traits and others will have more of the negative. If they are recognized, and if the person is willing, these tendencies can be changed. These prescriptions are not set in stone. And because of that, they are also, not an excuse for being a jerk. ~Atheona CANCER If you know someone born in July before the 22, their zodiac sign is Cancer, the crab. Traits for Cancer include: tenacity and/or stubbornness emotional and/or moody sympathetic and compassionate and/or hypersensitive persuasive and/or manipulative friendly, outgoing, and talkative and/or gossipy or uncommunicative Cancers are caretakers with great nurturing abilities who love and are loyal to their close friends and family. However, they don’t often reveal much of themselves. LEO If you know someone born in July on the 23rd or after, their zodiac sign is Leo, the Lion. Traits for Leos include: Confidence and/or arrogance ambitious and/or self-centered humorous and/or dramatic focused and/or inflexible competitive and/or a sore loser Leos are natural born leaders and love being the ‘king of the jungle’. However, if the accolades from being top boss suddenly dry up or turn, the disappointed roar of the Leo can be heard across the entire jungle. UPCOMING EVENTS WITH INNER CIRCLE SANCTUARY Pagan Bread Making Demonstration &Tasting with ICS Saturday, July 15 at 6 PM - 9 PM Posts you may have missed from the event invite on Facebook: The Magic of Bagels The Tradition of Bread & Salt The Bread Man at Lammas Mark 'Going' or 'Interested' to get updates from the Facebook event invite
BLOG POSTS FROM INNER CIRCLE SANCTUARY YOU MAY HAVE MISSED Midsummer 2017 Newsletter Your Holy Day (Birthday) 3 Reasons To Have A Community Booth At Pagan Pride Day 7 Reasons To Be A Vendor at Pagan Pride Daniel's Magical Name How To Become a Member of Inner Circle Sanctuary Send us a message and we'll send you a few questions to start. Then, we'll make arrangements for a full interview, possibly two. Once the interview has been completed and discussed among the elders and you are accepted, your start date will be in a couple of weeks. http://www.innercirclesanctuary.com/1st-degree-classes.html If it has been a while since you've had classes with us, please contact us and we can assess where to go from there. http://www.innercirclesanctuary.com/2nd-degree-classes.html If you would like to attend a sabbat event, please send an inquiry and we will pair you with a current member to be your sponsor. Message us on Facebook Message us via Email Stay Tuned for Inner Circle Sanctuary's Lughnasadh & August Newsletter! ARTICLE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM:
Lord Rand Lady Gwendolyn SOURCES http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/calendar/romancalendar.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_calendar http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-roman.html https://www.livescience.com/45650-calendar-history.html http://www.livius.org/sources/content/plutarch/plutarchs-caesar/caesars-calendar-reform/ http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/time5.htm https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/climate-change-nv.pdf http://www.gia.edu http://www.americangemsociety.com http://www.witchipedia.com/herb:larkspur http://www.flowermeaning.com/larkspur-flower-meaning/ http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-does-a-water-lily-symbolize.html http://wiccanbeauty.com/water-lily-a-beautiful-magical-water-flower-you-can-enjoy-as-a-fragrance-oil/ http://tesswhitehurst.com/the-magical-and-metaphysical-properties-of-flowers/ http://www.sacredwicca.com/language-of-flowers http://www.witchipedia.com/herb:water-lily#toc5 http://www.gemsociety.com http://www.jewelsforme.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Cunningham ‘The Crystal Bible: A definitive Guide to Crystals’ by Judy Hall Larkspur, Cunningham, Scott, Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Llewellyn Publications, Second Edition, 1984, 2016, page 152 PHOTOS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphinium#/media/File:Delph_1.jpg http://www.yokota.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/941960/dog-days-of-summer/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/luigi_and_linda/5007629773 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tyr-brakteaten_fr%C3%A5n_Naglum,_Trollh%C3%A4ttan_(SHM_1164)_tecknad.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Del_av_hj%C3%A4lm_vendel_vendeltid_m%C3%B6jligen_oden.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thor,_siddende,_st%C3%B8ttet_til_sin_hammer.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frigga_in_Myths_of_Northern_Lands_by_H_A_Guerber.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hot_August_Dog_In_Pool.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Natural_History_Museum_-_Corundum_(white_marble_with_ruby),_Burma.jpg http://viola.bz/ancient-arts-of-glyptics/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae#/media/File:Victoria_cruziana_flower.jpg https://www.horoscopedates.com/zodiac-signs/cancer/ https://www.horoscopedates.com/zodiac-signs/leo/ WELCOME TO INNER CIRCLE SANCTUARY'S JUNE NEWSLETTER As we say goodbye to the month of May, the month named for the Goddess Maia, the time of the fullness of Spring in the northern hemisphere, we begin to enter the season of Summer. The days have been getting warmer and warmer and the nights shorter and shorter. June delivers itself to us tomorrow and brings with it the month of the Sun. For us, as Wiccans, it is the God’s month, dominated by the advent of the Summer Solstice holiday. However, the God and Goddess go hand in hand, so while June may be a month long celebration of the Sun, it is named for Juno, the goddess of marriage and wife to Rome’s supreme deity, Jupiter. The Romans, along with honoring Juno, also celebrated the festival of Vestalia (June 7-15), where “married women could, for one day only, enter the temples of the vestal virgins. There, they would be allowed to make offerings to Vesta, the goddess of hearth and home.” Juno is often depicted wearing a crown, carrying a scepter, and accompanied by a peacock. Her husband Jupiter had fallen for a young woman named Io and to hide her from Hera, he transformed her into a cow. Hera captured Io and set her servant, Argus, to keep an eye on her. The task would be easy for Argus because he had a hundred eyes, which only a few were shut at one time. Unfortunately, Ju[iter sought out Mercury to help retrieve Io from the giant. After many long, winsome tales and lulling the giant to sleep, Mercury beheaded the giant. Juno was saddened by the loss of her servant so she gathered up his one hundred eyes and scattered them over the tail of her favorite bird, the peacock. June’s birthstones are pearl, alexandrite and moonstone. Pearls Pearls were believed to be the tears of mythical creatures like the mermaid and nymphs; the treasures of dragons; and tears from the moon herself. Highly associated with the moon, pearls are considered feminine associated with nurturing, healing, happiness, innocence, honesty and integrity. They can be used in magic for relationships and commitments or can be worn to heighten intuition and imagination. Alexandrite By the magic of science, Alexandrite is a color changing gem. In daylight it is a bluish-mossy green color and under lamplight it flashes a warm raspberry color. Alexandrite is believed to help bring a sense of calm and a peaceful state of mind to the wearer. It can attract joy, prosperity, good luck for gamblers, and boosts creativity and magnetism. Moonstone Ancient Romans considered the moonstone to be the solidified light of the moon herself. Wear to attune yourself to the natural rhythms of the moon, to attract true love, to enhance fertility, to settle disagreements in a relationship, and to arouse passions. Moonstone is also said to bring wonderful dreams at night. June’s flowers are rose and honeysuckle. Rose Roses have been in gardens for over 5000 years. It is said that the foam that dripped from the freshly born Aphrodite as she emerged from the sea turned into white roses and when she mourned over the body of Adonis, her tears turned the white roses red. Roses are highly prized for all love magic. Roses bring peace, love, and are empowering to the spirit. Honeysuckle Since ancient time honeysuckle has been burned for prosperity within the home. It is also used in love magic and to induce dreams of love and passion. With its ability to cling to walls, honeysuckle is also known as ‘love bind’ and is symbolic of devotion. If you know someone born in the month of June, their zodiac sign is either Gemini or Cancer. Gemini If someone is born before June 20th, their zodiac sign is Gemini. Traits for the Gemini are adventurous, have a love of variety, are charming, sociable, and quick-witted although, on occasion they can be talkative or bitingly sarcastic. Gemini’s are very independent yet can sometime throw caution to the wind. They are intelligent, adaptable, and confident yet can be unemotional, devious, and tend to take their own path. Cancer If someone is born on or after June 21, they are a Cancer. Traits for Cancers include loving, loyal, and intuitive yet can be overemotional, clingy, and overly sensitive. They are self-motivated, natural leaders, and practical yet can side on controlling, bossy, or pessimistic. Cancers love helping others although can have a hard time trusting others. They love feeling secure but can tend to overreach on occasion. Cancers really enjoy the people they care about but aren’t fond of change. Join Inner Circle Sanctuary for an |
Inner Circle SanctuaryInner Circle Sanctuary is a school for traditional style Wicca and holds eight sabbat festivals every year. Categories
All
Archives
December 2024
|
Inner Circle Sanctuary
An Eclectic Traditionalist Oath-bound, Initiatory Wiccan Coven |
|