Magickal Month- November 2020

The weather really isn’t breaking that much here in Atlanta. The temps are still in the upper 60s, and I’m waiting for the sweater weather I was promised. The leaves are starting to change, though, and we’re sorely in need of blowing the lawn. The geese have settled in for the next few weeks, and…

Magickal Month- October 2020

October. This is the month that witchy folks crave all year long. Even those who don’t like the ending of Summer still get a little thrill when things start moving towards Samhain and the season of the witch. The nights are getting longer and cooler, and the last of the harvest is coming in. There’s…

Magickal Month- September 2020

Believe it or not, our cherry tomatoes are JUST NOW beginning to ripen. I knew we got them in the ground late, but this seems crazy late for a first harvest. At any rate, they’ll make a welcome addition to our Mabon table. I’ve been seeing hawks and crows everywhere, indications that I need to…

Magickal Month- August 2020

August is here, and we know that the hottest part of the Summer is almost over. If you look around, the bright greens of May and June have turned into a darker, more sun-baked green, and the fields are turning gold. It’s time to celebrate grain, corn, and all those yummy Summer vegetables! We had…

Magickal Month- July 2020

I’m sorry for the lateness of this post. Can you believe that I just forgot? I thought about not posting at all once I remembered, but that’s a separate story. Suffice it to say, it’s July and I’m back on schedule. July was named after Julius Caesar, and it’s the 7th month of the year…

Magickal Month- June 2020

June is the 6th month in the modern calender and is named after the goddess Juno. It’s known as a month of marriage and family get-togethers as well as Gay Pride! There’s just more June in June than in any other month, which is to say that the longest days of the year reside in…

Magickal Month- May 2020

Beltane kicks off this month of fun, frolicking, fertility, and oh yeah, staying at home some more. This is a mixed blessing for a lot of people, as I know a lot of folks are getting things done around the house. It’s nice to know that when we’re able to get out and about again,…

Magickal Month- April 2020

April is upon us, and so is the pollen. Everything is covered with a thin coating of the yellow stuff, and if people weren’t scared enough of the Corona Virus, now we have these terrifying allergies to contend with. Seriously, every sniffle is suspect, even if we’ve had allergies for years. However, the grape hyacinths…

Magickal Month- March 2020

What strikes me about March is first the haze of pinks, browns, and pale greens that spread over the forest as buds begin to open. Then, later in the month, the iridescent green of the new growth as all the leaves burst forth. March is all about moving from the grey and brown of Winter…

Magickal Month- February 2020

February is that held breath between the Winter and Spring where we aren’t quite sure about what it is that we should be doing. We’ve spent the Winter going within, taking stock of our inner worlds, and our plans for the Spring are made. But it isn’t time to put them into practice yet. Fortunately,…

Magickal Month- January 2020

There was a time when I had a lot of trouble at this time of year. I have a little bit of Seasonal Affective Disorder, and it hit me hard. I also had a rough time around my birthday, and spent a good deal of January depressed because of it. As I’ve gotten older, however,…

Magickal Month- December 2019

It’s December, and we have a lot of new birds coming to our feeder. House wrens and chickadees will be wintering here, it seems, and so we’re making sure they have lots of fatty seeds to see them through the cold months. Husbear found a dove wing in our shed, however, where it had been…

Magickal Month- November 2019

November was originally the 9th month of the year, but was changed to the 11th in the Julian calender. (Latin “Novem”= 9) If you follow the Wiccan calender, November 1st is New Year, as Samhain marks the transition between the old and the new. I like New Year in January, however, and so this month…

Magickal Month- October 2019

Welcome to October, now affectionately known as WHY IS IT STILL SO HOT?? Also known as the month of Halloween. I’m drinking my Pumpkin Cream Nitro Cold Brew from Starbucks in leiu of a typical Pumpkin Spice Latte because it’s still in the mid 90s here in Georgia. Anyone who still thinks that global warming…

Magickal Month- September 2019

Is it possible that Autumn is right around the corner? It’s still sweltering hot here in Georgia, and it will stay sweltering hot for at least this month. But every time the weather breaks, even if by a few degrees, it’s a reminder that longer, cooler nights are ahead and it’s time to start wrapping…

Magickal Month- August 2019

In August our attention pivots from the work of tending our ‘crops’ (literal or metaphorical) to beginning the harvest. We’re seeing the rewards of all the work we’ve put in over the Spring and Summer, and it feels amazing. We’re also now on the downside of Summer, and though Autumn is still 6 weeks away,…

Magickal Month- July 2019

July was named after Julius Caesar, as it was his birth month. Previously, it was known as Quintilus because it was the 5th month of the old calendar. It became the 7th month when January and February were added to the beginning of the calendar, and a year became 12 months long. If you didn’t…

Magickal Month- June 2019

June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calenders. It was named after Juno, the Roman mother goddess, wife of Jupiter, analogous to Greek Hera. Summer doesn’t start until the Solstice on the 21st, but it’s SOOOOOO hot here in Georgia. And worse yet, it doesn’t look like there’s any…

Magickal Month- May 2019

May was named after the Roman goddess Maia, a goddess of fertility and abundance. Several cultures marked May with fertility festivals of some sort or another, and our modern Pagan festival of Beltane is no exception. It’s a celebration of fertility, sexuality, flowers, and love. Spring has sprung, and it’s time to celebrate all the…

Magickal Month- April

April is such an exciting month! This time last month, we were seeing the first flowers and signs of new life, but now we’re seeing the real greening of the world. The forests are iridescent green, the azaleas, phlox, red buds, and cherry trees are coming in, and those first signs of life have become…

Magickal Month- March

I’m sorry this month’s post is so late! We’ve had a lot going on around Casa de Ravenson. March is in full swing, and there’s lots to do! March is when everything starts waking back up. The Bradford pear trees, cherry trees, daffodils, and forsythia, and hyacinths have been blooming for about 2 weeks now,…

Magickal Month-February

February is the last bit of cold before the Spring comes, and we’re naturally beginning to think about the growth season ahead. We’re feeling the stirrings of activity as the days are getting longer and sunnier, though there’s still a strong chance of Winter weather. We can’t help but get excited when the snow drops,…

Magickal Month- January 2019

January is kind of a mixed bag, depending on your mindset. For some, the holidays are over, and the long winter stretches ahead of us, bleak and depressing. But for some, this is a month of new possibilities, taking control of our lives after the chaos of the holiday season, and a time to rest,…

Magickal Month- December

December is a month of extremes. There’s the cold and chill outside, and the warmth and comfort of our homes, our families, and our friends. There’s the stress and frustration of holiday shopping, finances, parties, etc., and there are the sweet, happy moments of seasonal joy. It can be incredibly difficult for a lot of…

Magickal Month- November

November was originally the 9th month in the old Roman calendar, but became the 11th month in the updated Julian and Gregorian calendars when January and February were added to the beginning of the year. Here in the Southeastern US, it’s finally getting chilly. We may have a few sunny, warm days here and there,…

Magickal Month- October

October is the 10th month of the year, though it’s named after ‘octo’ meaning 8 in the old Roman calendar. Another one of those, right? It was moved into the 10th place with the establishment of January and February as the first and second months in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It was also known…

Magickal Month- September

September is such an exciting month for those of us who love Autumn. While the season doesn’t actually start until the Equinox on the 22nd (at 9:54pm here in the EDT zone), September still feels like that gateway month. We’ve suffered through the heat of June, July, and August, and we can feel the nights…

Magickal Month- August

August was originally named Sextilis in Latin because it was the sixth month of the Roman year. Now it’s the eighth month, but October (Octo= 8) was already taken. Because… Because… *sigh* Here in Georgia, we’re all pretty grateful to have gotten through July. August tends to be a little drier and less humid than…

Magickal Month- July

July is the 7th month of the year, named after Julius Caesar because it was his birth month. The ‘Dog Days of Summer’ begin in July as well. They’re associated with the star Sirius “The Dog Star”, which is rumored to bring drought, lethargy, madness, and bad luck with its return to the night sky….

Magickal Month- June

June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calenders. It was named after Juno, the Roman mother goddess, wife of Jupiter, analogous to Greek Hera. While Summer doesn’t officially start until June 21st on the Summer solstice, the weather is already fully hot and humid. Here, we’ve had rain for…

Magickal Month- April

There is some debate on the origin of the word April to describe the fourth month of the Julian calendar. There is evidence that supports the etymological connection to the word ‘aperire’ (meaning to open- as in opening the Spring season), and also a connection to Aphrilis (derived from Aphrodite, as her major festivals took…