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March 15 through March 21, 2021

Happy Spring Equinox (Autumn in the southern hemisphere) and Astrological New Year! The Sun moves into Aries on Saturday, followed by Venus on Sunday, and sets a brand new tone for the remainder of 2021. The week starts out with Mercury moving into spiritual Pisces on Monday, which will turn our thoughts to the mystical, the soulful, and the metaphysical for the next three weeks. This is a wonderful time to advance our meditation and spiritual practices and lean more fully into following our intuition. The Taurus Moon prevails overhead Tuesday through Thursday, enabling us to tackle our physical worlds and restore balance to our health, finances, and work obligations. A Gemini Moon will take us into the new season, as our heads fill with creative ideas and hopes for a bright new future. The Sun's move into Aries on Saturday inspires a fresh start and new beginnings, making this the ideal time to recommit to any New Year resolutions we've let slide and to bolster our commitments to live a more purpose-filled and vibrant life! Let's all take a breather on Sunday as Venus tiptoes into Aries and the Cancer Moon inspires staying in, working on home projects, or simply take a long nap to catch up on our sleep!

Mythology for Every Day of the Week, by Ember Grant

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

We are surrounded by mythical connections every day—the most obvious is in the names of our days of the week. This may not be news to you, but in exploring the details of each name we strengthen our connection to our daily spiritual and magical practices by incorporating aspects of mythology.

To discover the origins, we need to begin in ancient Babylonia, the place where many things started. They're the ones who decided to name heavenly bodies after their deities. They only knew of five celestial bodies at that time, and so chose the sun and moon for the other two names. Later, the Romans took up this similar custom of naming the celestial bodies for deities, followed by the Germanic-speaking people. The Germanic peoples used their deities' names instead and, since English is a Germanic language, we have the origin of our weekday names. This is a somewhat over-simplified explanation, but it's basically what happened.

Let's take a closer look at the characters behind the names in an effort to remind us of the qualities that each day honors. In this way, we keep our connection to these influences and can easily incorporate this energy into our magical lives each day. In addition, for each day there is a brief affirmation intended to celebrate that day's particular energy and a list of magical correspondences for rituals or spells to create a week filled with magic. You can simply wear the colors or stones of the day, eat associated herbs/plants, or take advantage of the day's particular scent using aromatherapy or incense.

These lists are brief and only touch the surface of ways to discover mythology each day. But when we look back at the stories and characters that inspire so much of our lives, we are reminded of our connectedness with all things—all people—and the universe itself.

Sunday: The Sun
Sunday is obviously named for the sun. The life-sustaining sun has, naturally, inspired sun-worship in many societies around the world. As with the moon, many mysteries have been revealed about just what kind of celestial body the sun is, and that there are many stars like it in the universe. Still, that doesn't change the fact that it's essential for our life here on earth. Many deities are associated with the sun, both gods and goddesses alike. In Japan, the sun goddess Amaterasu hides herself, plunging the world into darkness, and must be coaxed back out into the world. And in Maori myth, the demi-god Maui snares the sun to regulate its movement across the sky.

A variety of myths from Native American nations tell stories about animal trickster figures interacting with the sun and moon causing the days or seasons to come into being. In a Zuni myth the sun and moon are contained in boxes but Coyote opens the boxes at the wrong time, causing the season of winter. A Tahltan story tells of Raven bringing light to the world so people could have division between day and night, work and rest.

In Greece and Rome, the god Apollo was associated with the Sun. He's the only deity whose name remained the same in Rome as in Greece. He is associated with prophecy, music, healing, and poetry, and many other things. In addition, Helios was a sun god of the Greeks. No matter which sun deity interests you the most, by its very nature the energy of the sun can't help but be associated with hope and life. </p

Magic using the sun involves success, confidence, new beginnings, power, health, and healing.

Colors: Yellow, gold, orange
Stones: Amber, brass, carnelian, citrine, diamond, gold, sulfur, tiger eye, topaz, zircon Incense/Oils: Benzoin, cinnamon, copal, frankincense, rosemary, sandalwood
Herbs/Plants: Bay, carnation, cashew, cedar, chamomile, cinnamon, juniper, marigold, mistletoe, oak, olive, orange, peony, pineapple, rosemary, rowan, rue, saffron, St. John's Wort, sesame, sunflower, tea, walnut
Affirmation: Seasons come and go, cycles ebb and flow; no matter when, no matter where, the star of life is always there.

Monday: The Moon
Nearly all myths of the world contain some mention of the sun and the moon. Of course, there are cultural differences, but even the most primitive societies recognized the movement of these objects in the sky. Some bestow upon the moon a feminine identity; others give it masculine qualities. A Maasai story from Kenya tells of the sun marrying the moon but they fought, resulting in both of them having a battered appearance. However, the sun became bright to hide his face; the moon, being unashamed, allows people to see her. Many cultures have stories about a rabbit being associated with the moon which, if you look at it with imaginative eyes, you can see. Even though few mysteries about the moon remain, we still can't help feel a sense of awe when we gaze upon it and follow its cycles that seem to mirror our own lives in so many ways.

As with the sun, there are too many moon deities to name. In Greece, the goddess Selene was regarded as a personification of the moon; in Rome she was called Luna. In addition, the Roman goddess Diana (Greek Artemis) was associated with the moon.

Lunar energy is typically associated with life cycles, nurturing, dreams, psychic ability, and magic in general.

Colors: White, silver, gray
Stones: Aquamarine, labradorite, moonstone, pearl, clear quartz, sapphire, selenite, silver
Incense/Oils: Eucalyptus, jasmine, lemon, myrrh, sandalwood
Herbs/Plants: Camellia, camphor, coconut, cotton, cucumber, eucalyptus, gardenia, grape, jasmine, lemon, lemon balm, lettuce, lily, lotus, myrrh, poppy, sandalwood, willow
Affirmation: Changing faces of the moon, dancing with the sun; you follow us, inspire us, watch over everyone.

Tuesday: Tyr; Mars
We get the name Tuesday from Tiw's (Tiu) Day—the Anglo-Saxon name for the Norse god Tyr—a god of war who was equated with the Roman god. Some sources attribute the naming of this planet for the war god because of its reddish color. In Norse myth there aren't a great deal of stories about Tyr. He's most famous for losing one of his hands while binding the great wolf Fenrir. But let's not overlook Mars himself, for which the planet was named. He wasn't exactly a copy of his Greek counterpart Ares. Mars was considered to be less impulsive and more virtuous. In addition, the month of March is named after him (Martius).

When working with the energy of Mars, don't think of it as "war-like" or negative but, instead, view it as courage, strength, facing fear, or standing up for yourself. Channel this energy into your day however it's needed; remind yourself that you have the strength to overcome any obstacle.

Colors: All shades of red
Stones: Bloodstone, flint, garnet, iron, jasper, magnetite, pyrite, rhodonite, ruby
Incense/Oils: Dragon's blood; pine
Herbs/Plants: Allspice, basil, carrot, chili pepper, cumin, garlic, ginger, holly, leek, mustard, onion, pepper, peppermint, pine, radish, reed, shallot, snapdragon, thistle, tobacco, wormwood, yucca
Affirmation: Gods of battle give me courage, strength for anything I need; I am bold and I am brave, in every word and every deed.

Wednesday: Odin; Mercury
Most people are familiar with the Norse god Odin, the All-father, head of the Norse pantheon, god of wisdom, poetry, and war. The Anglo-Saxon name Wodan/Wotan is the origin of Wednesday, or Woden's Day. So, what is the connection between the Roman god Mercury and Odin? Sources vary on this subject. It could be that Odin's association with wisdom is linked with Mercury's later connection with learning; he has been attributed to giving Romans the alphabet. I like to consider their relationship as one based on communication. Mercury is the god of commerce and, like his Greek counterpart Hermes, is a swift-footed messenger who also guides souls to the underworld. Odin is also associated with the dead and has two ravens as companions who fly all over the world and deliver information. In this way, we can see some similarities.

Use the energy of Wednesday for communication and messages, travel, learning, and wisdom.

Colors: Yellow, green
Stones: Agate, aventurine, mica, citrine, opal
Incense/Oils: Lavender, lemongrass, peppermint
Herbs/Plants: Almond, aspen, bean, Brazil nut, caraway, clover, dill, fennel, fern, lavender, lemongrass, lily of the valley, mandrake, marjoram, May Apple, mint, mulberry, parsley, pecan, peppermint, pistachio, pomegranate
Affirmation: Swift and wise, be my guide, in all I show and all I hide.

Thursday: Thor; Jupiter
The Norse god Thor probably needs little introduction—most everyone is familiar with his prowess and his magic hammer. He's a giant-killer and also associated with storms, thunder, and lightning. The Roman god Jupiter was a sky god also associated with thunder and storms. The Old English Dunresdaeg was the day of Thunor, an equivalent to the Norse god Thor. In ancient Rome Jupiter was part of a triad of very important deities that also included Mars and Quirinus (a deified version of Romulus, one of Rome's legendary founders). It may seem like the head of the pantheon like Jupiter (Zeus) would be more comparable with a figure like Odin instead of Thor. But that's not the case here. It reflects just how much prominence a sky god like Thor had in ancient times.

The energy of "Thor's Day" involves change and possibility; movement. In addition, this is a good day for spells to harness good fortune and wealth.

Colors: Shades of blue/violet and deep purple
Stones: Amethyst, lepidolite, pewter, sapphire, tin
Incense/Oils: Star anise
Herbs/Plants: Anise, chestnut, clove, dandelion, fig, honeysuckle, maple, nutmeg, sage, sassafrass
Affirmation: Calm or storm, I stay in form; change and chance, eternal dance.

Friday: Frigg/Freya; Venus
The Norse goddess Frigg (Frigga) is the wife of Odin, associated with love and nurturing—she was also a mother figure. Her name comes from an Indo-European root that means "love," and so she was compared to Venus, Roman goddess of love. Frigg is typically portrayed as a loving wife and mother, but not always. In fact, most love goddesses are not always painted in such a simplistic role. That's because life and relationships are rarely simple. Some sources actually say that Frigg and the Norse goddess Freya were once the same figure. Freya, too, is associated with love. In addition, she is the only female of the Vanir (lesser group of gods) who is named in the epic poetry, and is associated with fertility and magic as well. It is said that she taught seid—a type of divination—to the Aesir (the main group of gods). As with the other Roman gods, Venus has some distinctions from her Greek counterpart Aphrodite. Venus was considered a goddess of fertility and victory in addition to love.

Use the energy of Frigg's day for love, relationships, friendship, fertility, and all types of bonds.

Colors: Blue, pink, green
Stones: Azurite, beryl, chrysocolla, chrysoprase, calcite, celestite, copper, emerald, jade, lapis lazuli, lodestone, malachite, olivine/peridot, sodalite, turquoise, watermelon tourmaline
Incense/Oils: Rose, spearmint, spikenard, vanilla
Herbs/Plants: Apple, apricot, avocado, aster, birch, blackberry, cardamom, catnip, cherry, crocus, daffodil, daisy, elder, foxglove, geranium, heather, hibiscus, hyacinth, iris, lilac, magnolia, mugwort, oats, orchid, pea, peach, pear, persimmon, plum, raspberry, rhubarb, rose, strawberry, thyme, tomato, tulip, vanilla, vervain, violet, willow
Affirmation: Love is all, transform, transcend. Love is all, begin and end.

Saturday: Saturn
There seemed to be no satisfactory god or goddess equivalent for Saturn's Day. In Old Norse, they referred to this day as "washing day." In other parts of Germany this day was called "Sunday eve." Some people associate this day with the Norse trickster figure Loki because Saetere was a possible Slavic name for Loki, but there is less evidence for this. Since Saturn was equated with the Greek Cronus (Kronos), we can look to those qualities for mythological associations. Cronus was associated with time and agriculture. He is our embodiment of "father time" as depicted with sickle in hand for the harvest.

In Greek myth, Cronus was a Titan, and their leader, not one of the Olympian gods. He overthrew his father Oranous (Uranus), castrating him. He threw the genitals into the sea and from this the goddess Aphrodite was born (Venus). This myth illustrates the motif of succession: we are taken over by our offspring just as we take over those before us; although, since this is often not a desired state, there is resistance. Many people fear the ending of their time or the ending of a period of controlling something. Cronus knew his children would replace him, just as he replaced his own father, and he enacted a plot to subdue the next generation by devouring them which, naturally, was unsuccessful. We get the word for time (chronology) from his name. We all know our time is limited, and it can be frightening to consider this.

The energy of Saturn governs domestic concerns (family, duty, loyalty), protection, and binding.

Colors: Black, gray, shades of brown
Stones: Apache tear, hematite, jet, salt, serpentine, obsidian, onyx, black tourmaline
Incense/Oils: Patchouli
Herbs/Plants: Beech, cypress, datura, elm, hemp, ivy, morning glory, mullein, pansy, poplar, yew
Affirmation: Riddles and webs, reason and rhyme, I can navigate this travesty of time.

Bibliography
Cartwright, Mark. "Mars." Ancient History Encyclopedia. ancient.eu Jan 16 2014.
Coolman, Robert. "Keeping Time: Origins of the Days of the Week." Live Science. May 7, 2014. https://www.livescience.com/45432-days-of-the-week.html
Couzens, Reginald. The Stories of the Months and Days. 1923. https://www.sacred-texts.com/time/smd/index.htm
Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. St. Paul: Llewellyn Worldwide. 1999.
Lindow, John. Norse Mythology. New York: Oxford University Press. 2001.
Grant, Ember. The Second Book of Crystal Spells. Woodbury: Llewellyn Worldwide. 2016.
Novara, Jayme and Christina Gant. An Introduction to World Mythology. Revised Second Edition. Des Moines: Kendall Hunt. 2018.
Wasson, Donald. "Mercury." Ancient History Encyclopedia. ancient.eu Nov 6 2018.
___ "Jupiter." Ancient History Encyclopedia. ancient.eu May 6 2014.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2021. All rights reserved.

My husband passed away unexpectedly several months ago. He was only 38 years old, and he died of a sudden heart attack. We have two children, a five-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy. I've had some strange experiences since he died, such as the lights flickering on and off right when I was asking him for a sign. The strangest thing, however, has been the way my son is acting. For example, one day he walked up to me, took my face in his hands, and said, You complete me! Not only is this strange coming from a three-year-old, but this is EXACTLY what my husband used to do and say. He has said and done some other things too. For example, one day I was deep in thought and feeling sad about my husband's passing. In my mind, I kept saying to my husband, Where are you? How could you leave me like this? My son was watching TV nearby, and just as I was thinking this, he suddenly turned around and said, I'm right here, honey. Now my son never calls me honey, but my husband always did. Do you think my husband is trying to communicate with me through our son?

- Robyn

Dreamchaser:

I am truly sorry for the passing of your husband. Death may be fabulous for those who are going through it, but for the folks left holding the proverbial bag, it's a different story. For the record, you are doing GREAT.

Your husband never actually left. He did cross over on the contingency that he could come back anytime he wanted. The angels that were there to greet him and show him the way assured him that he would be able to do that. If he had not been given that assurance, your husband would have remained earthbound. That is how passionately he felt about continuing to look after you all. As a result, he spends large amounts of time around you and the kids.

Your son is still young enough to see and hear beings from the Otherside, including his father. Ask your son if he sees Daddy around or if he talks to Daddy. I'm sure he will tell you that he does!

When he turns around and says those things to you, he is doing what a typical three-year-old child does: He is mimicking what he hears from grown-ups. Your husband is there in spirit, and when he says that phrase, your son turns around and says it too. Your boy is just copying what his daddy is doing. Your husband spends a lot of time with your daughter while she is sleeping. He comes to her in her dreams a lot.

You keep asking your husband to give you signs. If you got any more signs, your house would look like a construction zone! Trust me when I tell you that the flickering lights, the phone ringing, the stuff the kids say, the way animals act, etc. - all of that is your husband showing you that he is still very much around.

He will always be around, but he will not always be as active and as present as he is right now. He wants to make sure that you and the kids are going to be okay. When you start to live more on your own and need him less, he won't reach out to you as often, but he will ALWAYS be there for you if you call out to him. You just have to speak his name or think of him and he will be there.

He can advise you now in the form of your own thoughts. If you need his help, ask him your question and then just let the answer come to you. He will either pop it into your head in the form of something you think you thought, or he will be instrumental in making sure someone comes your way and gives you the answer or the help you need.

I wish you endless unconditional love!

*****

Astrea:

Many times when death is unexpected, the person who dies feels the need to stick around for a while, just to make sure their loved ones are all right and able to carry on. This is exactly what's happening with your son and his dad. The two of them are certainly adept at this sort of communication. This is possible because your family has a strong karmic connection. Be happy for that - it's a gift!

Your son is completely accepting of this connection because he's little and he doesn't know there is supposed to be a gap between us and those who have Crossed Over. Unless you help him keep this gift going, as he gets older it will fade and he'll be just like every other kid. Personally, I think that would be a shame, but some children don't want this sort of experience, and some parents can't accept it.

It seems your little guy is delivering messages from his father word for word, without interpreting or altering them in any way. This is not that unusual with very small children, and if he keeps relaying messages in this manner, he should be able to retain this skill.

While many children can perceive spirits, your son was born with special ability, and if he keeps it up, he will be able to help others connect with their loved ones in Heaven when he gets older.

At some point, you'll have to help him understand that not every spirit that comes through to him is going to be nice, and that he has the power to choose who he will and will not interact with. This isn't something you need to worry about now, however, as small children have great instincts and extra spiritual protection. If something frightens him, he'll let you know it.

Not every family gets a chance to talk this way, but you all have such a special connection - you may even be able to keep it going for a while. This situation is wonderful for you because you now have a direct line to your husband. While your son is young enough to relay messages, make the most of this time by saying everything you wish you could have told your husband before he passed away.

Your family needs to stick together right now - that's why your husband keeps coming through. It may be that he wants to reach you, or you or the children are drawing him near. Whatever the reason, this is happening so that you can heal any guilt, worries or sorrows left from his passing, and he can do the same.

When we're unable to say good-bye to someone we love, it's a divine blessing to get a second chance!

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.