As we have discussed before, when a second Full Moon falls within a calendar month it is referred to as a Blue Moon. We have a Blue moon in March this year and I love this for many reasons. First, we can never have too many opportunities to set plans, and intentions for the future. Since the Chaste Moon is already about beginnings we get to add that energy to our work yet again. In addition, this Full Moon falls on a Saturday. Saturdays are a good day to do work having to do with new beginning and if you missed the first full moon of March then you could choose to do work relating to the Chaste Moon as we discussed in the post related to that moon. However, if you completed your work in making plans, beginnings and preparedness you could choose to do something a little different on this Blue Moon. This would be a great time to let go of a bad habit that you need to be rid of and start a new lifestyle. This could have to do with something personal, with the home or even with a relationship. Saturdays are ruled by Saturn and that energy will provide extra help in being rid of things that just aren’t serving you well in your life and starting fresh. Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/92912089@N02/33361436496/
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For the past month, Cynnamon Charmed has been running a giveaway on Facebook. Followers interested in entering into the drawing were asked to do (3) three things:
Those of you that follow my reviews on Facing North or the website itself, heads up.... March update is in! This month Facing North has added some great new reviews (see list below) including 2 from myself: Flower Essences What They are and How to Use Them and Turbo Metabolism: 8 Weeks to a New You. Turbo Metabolism may not appear to be spiritual related; however, spirituality involves body, mind and spirit. We must take care of ALL of ourselves to be our best spiritual self and this book is all about making our body healthy. It was also this book that began me and my family on our journey into the healthier lifestyle that I blogged about in Feb. Flower Essences is a book I am really glad to add to my library here at Cynnamon Charmed and without giving anything away....go check out the reviews at www.FacingNorth.net
The Naked Witch: An Autobiography White Spirit Animals: Prophets of Change Moon Affirmations Coloring Book I Ching, Plain & Simple: The Only Book You'll Ever Need Secrets of Chinese Divination: A Beginner's Guide to 11 Ancient Oracle Systems Flower Essences What They Are and How to Use Them (Plain & Simple: The Only Book You’ll Ever Need) Turbo Metabolism: 8 Weeks to a New You: Preventing and Reversing Diabetes, Obesity, Heart Disease, and Other Metabolic Diseases by Treating the Causes Teen Spirit Guide to Modern Shamanism: A Beginner's Map Charting an Ancient Path Deeper Into The Underworld: Death, Ancestors & Magical Rites Cynnamon Charmed's favorite Ostara correspondences to help you plan your Ostara ritual. Goddess/God: Artemis, Brigid, Eostre, Athena, Hebe, Frigg, Freya, Pan, Eros, Herbs: daffodil, tulip, lily, lavender, rose hips, tansy, thyme, clover, vervain Stones: Aventurine, Pink Opal, Opal, Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Clear Crystal Quartz, Jasper, Agate Foods: Eggs, Spring mix salads, various nuts, milk , cream, honey, sprouts Scents: Jasmine, Lavender Colors: Pale greens, pinks, purples, yellows and white Animal: rabbit, bird, baby animals When I think about the correspondences for a sabbat I like to think about what we see naturally that time of year. What color are the flowers, the trees, the Earth? What animals do you see? Answering these questions help you to develop your own unique correspondences because you will then relate these things to those seasons. When I look at stones for Ostara, I am paying particular attention to those stones that are the colors of the seasons.....so stones that are pale pinks, pale greens, white, etc. Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/60353733@N00/2364120253/ Ostara is the Spring Equinox. There is a lot of confusion and misunderstandings about its origin but one thing remains the same….it’s about beginnings. It is during this time of year that winter is behind us. The ground had been awoken and new life is beginning to sprout from it. We see baby animals and birds come out and begin looking for food and exploring. The Sun is getting stronger and a glimpse of his warm touch is on our skin. Our days are getting longer and we too yearn to be outdoors, out of hibernation. We have made many plans for the year and we are anxious to get started planting those seeds. Cold crops may be peaking their noses out of our soil, while the warm weather crops are growing slowly within the safety of our window sills. The last frosts have not passed just yet. Mother Nature is still finicky and for every inch forward she occasionally takes two steps back, hesitant on her journey. However, that journey is undoubtedly unfolding and anticipation is building. We take this sabbat to celebrate life, rebirth, fertility and the purity all around us. We remember our mythology and the story of Brigid and her Hare. During a walk one day Brigid finds an injured bird. It was no longer able to fly and she loved the bird and wanted to help it. So, she turned it into a rabbit and gifted it with the ability to lay eggs of every different color. After angering Brigid, she got very upset and she threw the rabbit into the sky making it into a constellation named Lepus. Lepus is able to return to the Earth to gift children with its beautiful eggs only one day of the year. Whatever name we call our Ostara Goddess, we need to be sure to take the time to ask for her blessing. We honor her in her time of fertility and ask for her blessings throughout the year in our home, our crops, and in all other areas of our lives. Cynnamon Charmed offers several products that can help you do just that. Our hollow eggs have holes in the bottom to insert a paper scroll with inscribed wishes and sought blessings, our egg shells can be gotten individually or as part of a complete Ostara kit and used to bless your soil, inside or outside, for a bountiful harvest. Our magickal Ostara wreaths contain powerful herbal blends that draw love, fertility, fortune, luck and abundance within the home while keeping unwanted energy out. Some activities you could participate in with your family includes baking hot cross buns, picking and making a nice salad from handpicked spring greens and flowers, boiling and decorating eggs, or planting seeds. I have always been a big believer when asking for blessings from the Goddesses of nature, to get out there and be present where she is at. Being stuck inside cooking doesn’t give you the same connection as being outdoors where Mother Earth lives. Put your hands on the soil, your feet on the grass, smell the moist air and feel the brisk wind in your hair…… and then you will be connected to your Goddess. Don’t get wrapped up in hosting, cooking and conversation and completely lose sight for the reason of the season. Blessed Ostara! Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stefanorugolo/28652434781/ Cynnamon Charmed has lots of great ritual supplies and decorations for all your Ostara needs! Hollow blown eggs for some Ostara magick, Ostara herbal blends, Ostara Complete Ritual Kits, Magickal Ostara Door Wreaths, Smudge Sprays, Jewelry featuring our own harvested herbs and flowers and much, much more. Click HERE to see our Ostara shop.
Introducing you all to our beautiful eclectus baby Gypsy Rose. This little girl will be taking on many roles here. Our Cynnamon Charmed mascot, and my personal totem and familiar. Gypsy will accompany us on our wildcrafting and our harvesting. She will get to personally (assuming they aren’t toxic to her) inspect all the herbs/flowers/plants for freshness and quality. She will also oversee all the daily Cynnamon Charmed activities.
So just a little background….. I have always been drawn to parrots. Their beauty, wisdom, and their companionship are very attractive. I have a long history with these birds and have always wanted to share my life with a large parrot but never felt that it was a good time. I either was renting my home, or I had small children in the home, etc. Something was always not right at the moment and I was afraid to commit to something without being able foresee all the possibilities within my control. I had pushed the idea out of mind until a very strange moment in meditation a few years ago. She came to me as a spirit animal or a guide in meditation, I bonded with her and she has never left. Strangely, she wasn’t the African Grey parrot that I had always imagined I would get someday, she was an eclectus. Later on, over other meditations I had visions and realizations that she was going to come to me in physical form. Everywhere I went I would see parrots where I didn’t before. I fell in love with this small parrot stone I keep on my altar every day to represent Gypsy. Following my heart, and spiritual guidance I began to look for her. I looked first online at adoption and rescues and then at individuals. Something was just always off. About a year later I found a breeder that happened to be fairly close to me. She isn’t a breeder like some would imagine. She has a retired pair as her own pets that were once zoo parrots and were now retired with her. She allows them to breed only a couple times per year just as they would in nature. When I contacted her she had a little boy available but I knew that wasn’t what I was looking for. So I put myself on a waiting list. That was in Feb. 2017. She was expecting her next babies around October but they were infertile, then again in December and those too were infertile. I was very discouraged. I thought it may be a sign so I meditated on it. I am the LEAST patient person in the world so for me to even wait on this list like I had was huge. I knew her next female baby was my Gypsy Rose and no other one that merely looked like her would do….so I waited. Finally on 1/6/2018 we had one of 2 eggs hatch but still then unsure of the sex. A few weeks later I was notified that she thought they both may be boys this time and wanted to know if I wanted to continue waiting or I wanted a boy…..I waited. A week later I was very surprised to get a notification that one actually was a girl. I have included a slide show of her since birth. She is 2 months old today. In another month or so she will come home with me. We have been prepping all of her supplies, her cage and her playstands. My children say they are slightly jealous because she is spoiled more than they are (yeah right) and she isn’t even home yet. The parrot is a powerful spirit animal that draws its energy from the Sun. Being a Leo, I am wondering if that is what draws me to her. You will even notice a resemblance between her colors and our Cynnamon Charmed logo colors. The representation of the parrot within our lives is also very important. When we think of a parrot we think of their ability to communicate. They can mimic and are very intelligent. Be careful what you say around these birds because it can be repeated. This gives us an opportunity to take pause and think about our words before we say them. What better of a gift to get in so many instances. To hear the parrot speak someone elses words makes the words their own beast and really allows us to reconsider the meaning of words without the context of our relationship to the person. Sometimes looking at communication from different angles provides us with additional, much needed insight into a subject and makes us wiser, more understanding and a better communicator in general with friends and family, and also in business matters. Learning when and how to voice thoughts, feelings, opinions or when it’s just better to stay silent is a life skill that some never learn. In general, birds are the prey of many larger birds and other animals. The parrot shows us how to be confident, beautiful and achieve great heights without the fear of the “bigger” bird. In business, there will always be a larger predator, a bigger competition, but it encourages me to achieve MY goals, and take pride in my own talent. I hope for her to be a reminder of how I should look at the beauty within my own work and value it for its beauty and uniqueness not its ability to dominate others. Above all else, my Gypsy Rose, will put an emphasis on love and on friendship. The relationship with a parrot is a life-long commitment unlike many other animals. You get what you put into it. Don’t be surprised if you see much more of Gypsy in pictures and future shop updates. And if you are fortunate enough to have your own familiar, leave comments below and introduce them to us. Tell us how you met and what they mean to you in your mundane/spiritual life. Everything you need for your Ostara ritual at a value price. This kit contains soap 100% homemade by us, our Ostara Herbal Blend, bag of egg shells from our own spoiled hens, smudge spray made by us with no artificial fragrances added, a white chime and a charcoal disc to burn your herbs on. Our smudges are made using herbs we grow and only the best essential oils. Come check out our product page for detailed information on each product in the kit. All items in this kit are listed individually in our store as well. Shop Now
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Keri Nichol
Founder, Artist, Herbalist, and Writer Archives
August 2018
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