Well, it's been a relaxing ten days of doing very little, with low stress . . . unless you count the loud and occasionally bickering relatives, the relatives who can't hear well and thus talk even louder, the racial slurs due to outmoded family tendencies, the continual griping about money (or lack thereof), the silly movies and the New Years' champagne. All things considered, it's been a decent family holiday. I doubt Snape could say his would be much happier -- what's a family holiday without at least one unsavoury uncle and quite a bit of griping?
On January 1st at 6:24p.m., we were blessed with a beautiful full "supermoon" or moon in perigee, the first of two this month! Supermoons are simply full moons that come closer to Earth in the lunar orbit than at any other lunar cycle stage, and thus look bigger and may have greater influence on tides or other lunar factors. This one was in the sign of Cancer and thus carried the energy of homemaking, mothering, self-nurturing . . . and all the fears associated with that sign as well.
These, combined with current Sun-in-Capricorn values and fears such as work and income, meant it was a perfect time to focus on those already very prevalent areas of my life and where they can be improved. Where's my income coming from? What would I rather be doing for work that's more in line with my heart? How can I tend and nurture my home situation and, more importantly, how can I discover and honor the energy of Home that already lives in my heart, mind and soul, regardless of where I am? This last point I feel ties in nicely with the Saturn-Severus message I received in a recent ritual: That your golden place of eternal home and power -- in my case, represented as a perfect, exquisite and welcoming alchemy lab -- is found within.
Cancer when out-of-balance is a sign I hate dealing with in other people, but Cancer in balance can feel comforting; one of my good friends is this sign in a more balanced state. And I am something of a "nester" type, so I see this month as a great opportunity to combine work on both home and finance -- both my current home, despite knowing I won't be there forever, as a means of bringing confort and productivity in my life, and finances so that securing a future nest in this damned city becomes all the easier!
I made a simple, spur-of-the-moment potion to focus on this energy. After all, the best way to bring a passion, hobby, or change into your life is to make it habit, second-nature. Which means to just . . . do it. Make a potion. Don't waffle, hold back, worry about perfectionism, and so on. Just make one, then make another, and another, until a brew or potistry session is not a random fluke, but daily life. Pretty much like being a witch in general.
Again, it's not like I had some massive apothecary at my disposal at Dad's house, and I didn't feel like raiding his spices. I did nick a bag of decaf Mango Ceylon tea to make a drinkable base for the potion. For the rest, I picked a couple of herbs on our walk in the park(!), added them and some other stuff to water, then walked out under the full moon to charge the water. Finally, I added the charged potion to the tea, then drank it up.
This is what my friend Spider calls one of those "purely impractical" potions, i.e. not medicinal, but which is still fun to make. And who knows? On the magical level of intention, such a potion may be doing important, albeit subtle, work on the mind and soul. If there is one thing of which Severus approves, it is subtlety.
Supermoon in Cancer Brew
Water
1 tiny twig Yew*
3 leaves Yarrow
1 piece Butter Quartzite or white/yellow quartzite
1 scallop shell
Place hot water in a small glass or flask. Add ingredients (Yew for rebirth and transformation, Yarrow for health, strength and clear boundaries, quartzite for power, inspiration and heart-glow, scallop shell to infuse with Cancer sign and lunar/tidal energy). Carry out under full moon light and potentize with intention. Let steep while making a cup of tea. Add to tea and drink with intention, and/or drink brew by itself.
*Yew tree is poisonous. Don't let the needles (no more than a dozen, a tiny twig) steep for more than a couple minutes, and don't eat them.
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