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Today, Blue Tara comes as the Sweet Mother of Peace, offering clarity, calm, and the power to rise above confusion and difficulty. Like the lotus that grows from muddied waters, I too am unfolding from challenges, finding strength in what has been heavy or unclear. Her presence reminds me that healing and a peaceful future are already drawing near.

Tara manifests in many forms. She can be gentle and comforting like the moon, or fierce and protective like a storm. Her endless adaptability is a mirror of the Divine Mother’s resourcefulness: she appears wherever guidance, protection, or reassurance is needed. I am invited to release the limits I place on what spiritual energy can do and to trust that her help is always available.

She loves me as her one child, freeing me to receive fully without guilt. In this love, I am reminded that the ego’s stories of rivalry, comparison, and fear are illusions. All souls are cherished equally, and my growth, healing, and awakening ripple outward, benefiting the collective. I do not need to dim my light or slow my progress for anyone else; my path is sacred, and it contributes to the whole.

Blue Tara teaches the art of spaciousness. To receive her grace, I create room in my heart and mind, letting go of clinging, worry, and distress. I do not ignore my thoughts or feelings — I offer them reassurance, then allow myself to expand beyond them. This practice of trusting again and again strengthens my ability to drop from my head into my heart and invite grace to flow for all beings.

Her coiled, intentional hair reminds me of gentle guidance and order. Where life feels chaotic or beyond my control, she shows me how to approach each step with patience, care, and love. Peace replaces turmoil, and authenticity is nurtured. I have every right to feel hopeful, secure, and joyful as my destiny unfolds in alignment with her vision.

Where in my life do I need to create space to receive grace and guidance?

How can I practice trusting again when doubt or fear arises?

In what ways can I embody Tara’s calm, protection, and patience in my daily life?

Where do I still feel caught in ego-based comparisons, and how can I remember that I am fully loved and supported?

How does it feel to know that my growth, healing, and awakening benefit all beings?

Affirmation: “I am held in Blue Tara’s peace, guided in her care, and open to grace. My heart, my healing, and my light serve all beings.”

Invocation Ritual: Blue Tara

Prayer: Tara, Samsaratarini, she who leads us beyond suffering, may your love, wisdom, and grace manifest fully and completely through my heart for the spiritual benefit of all beings. I offer all my concerns to you now, with complete confidence in your swiftness, practicality, resourcefulness, and creative healing genius. With an open and trusting heart, I invite you to manifest as you wish within me and my life. Jai Ma Tare! Jai Ma!

Place your hands in prayer before your heart. Then form the lotus mudra: Base of palms, thumbs, and little fingers touching. Fan the remaining fingers outward, forming a bowl or lotus shape. Imagine this lotus being filled with divine nectar pouring in from Tara’s heart. Feel the sweetness, the clarity, the expansive calm filling your being.

Mantra: Om Tare Soham (Ohm tar-eay so-hum). Repeat slowly, feeling Tara’s presence grow within your heart, expanding outward in all directions, through all dimensions,for the spiritual benefit of all beings.

Closing: When you are ready, place your hands in prayer and bow your head. Take a moment to rest in the stillness and the grace that now flows through you. You have completed this healing.

The Virgo New Moon arrives like a gentle guide, inviting you to refine, restore, and weave order from chaos.

It is a time of renewal through simplicity — releasing clutter, healing the body, and aligning your daily rhythms with sacred intention. Virgo, the wise healer and Earth priestess, calls us to tend to the small details that shape our bigger path. This moon whispers: “What you do each day becomes your destiny. Begin anew with care, devotion, and clarity.”
Expect grounded insights, a longing for fresh routines, and an urge to bring sacredness into the ordinary. This is a time to set intentions that are practical yet magical — seeds of healing that will grow with your steady devotion.

The best time to do this ritual is within 48 hours of the Virgo New Moon – Saturday 23 August, 6:06pm (NZ time)

You Will Need
A candle (green, white, or natural beeswax)
A piece of natural string, cord, or thread
A bowl of fresh water + sprig of rosemary or lavender
Journal and pen
Optional crystals: Moss Agate, Amethyst, Clear Quartz, Amazonite, Carnelian
A quiet space where you can focus
Optional extras: incense or herbal smoke, soothing tea, soft music, grounding snack for after

Create Your Sacred Space
Cleanse your energy and room with rosemary, smoke, or simply your breath and intention. Place your tools around you: candle with string, bowl of water with herb, crystals, and journal. Light the candle. Take a few slow breaths, letting your body soften. Feel yourself arriving fully in this moment.

Say aloud or whisper:
I call upon the Virgo New Moon.
May this be a space of healing, clarity, and devotion.
May my path be refined with grace,
and my daily life aligned with sacred order.

Guided Virgo Meditation | The Garden Within
Close your eyes. Imagine stepping into a peaceful herbal garden beneath the dark sky of the New Moon. The air is fragrant with rosemary and lavender. You feel safe here.
Ahead, a stone bench waits. You sit and set down your worries, watching them dissolve into the earth. A gentle figure appears — perhaps Demeter, Astraea, or Virgo herself. She offers you a glowing seed and says: “Plant this within, and tend it daily.” Place the seed at your heart. Feel it glowing, alive, ready to grow with your care. Breathe it in. This is your new beginning.

Candle + String Ritual | Weaving Devotion
Hold the candle and the string. As you wrap the string slowly around the base of the candle, name aloud the habits, practices, or healing patterns you want to weave into your life. Speak them with care, as if stitching them into your future. Light the candle. Place your written intention beneath it, if you wish. Let it burn for a few minutes while you focus on your devotion. Then gently snuff it out. This candle becomes your ongoing practice: relight it each day until the string is gone, weaving Virgo’s steady rhythm into your life.
Fire safety note: never leave your candle unattended.

Journaling Reflection
With the candle beside you, write freely on these prompts:
Where in my daily life could I bring more order, flow, or care?
Which habits or routines are draining me, and which ones could nourish me?
How can I bring sacredness into small, ordinary actions?
What does healing look like for me this season?

Virgo Moon Water Blessing
Take your bowl of water with rosemary or lavender. Whisper your intentions for clarity, balance, and healing into it. Leave it under the New Moon overnight. In the morning, use the water to: Anoint your hands before beginning your day. Touch your heart for healing. Cleanse a tool or space you use often. Let this be a daily blessing of Virgo’s grounded light.

Collective Care Offering
Virgo reminds us that true devotion extends outward. As you set your intention, dedicate a portion of it to the wellbeing of others — loved ones, community, or the Earth itself. This weaves your healing into a greater tapestry of service.

Final Blessing
I honour the healer and the guardian within me.
I release what clutters my path.
I weave my days with care and devotion.
I rise with clarity, with balance, with steady light.
I am ready.

Aftercare
Drink tea or water to ground
Stretch gently or walk barefoot on the earth
Journal one word to carry forward from this ritual
Keep your candle on your altar as a reminder of your devotion
Rest — Virgo’s medicine works quietly through small, steady steps

The Moon has always been a guiding light for witches — a constant dance partner in the sky, pulling on the tides, our emotions, and the subtle rhythms of the earth. Each phase carries its own personality and magic, and by working in harmony with her cycles, we weave our craft into nature’s own pattern.

New Moon – The Dark Womb of Possibility
When the Moon disappears into darkness, she invites us to do the same — to turn inward, reflect, and plant the seeds of our desires. This is a time for intention-setting, quiet magic, and dream weaving.
Magical Focus: Beginnings, intention-setting, shadow work, rest.
Ritual Ideas: Create a vision board, craft a charm for new opportunities, cleanse your tools.
Affirmation: “In the stillness, I plant seeds of infinite possibility.”

Waxing Crescent – The Spark of Momentum
A sliver of light returns, like the first whisper of hope. The Waxing Crescent is a time to feed your intentions — take small, deliberate steps towards what you planted at the New Moon.
Magical Focus: Building energy, attraction, growth.
Ritual Ideas: Charge crystals, start a creative project, wear symbols that represent your goals.
Affirmation: “I nourish my dreams and watch them grow.”

First Quarter – Crossing the Threshold
The Moon is now half-lit, and this phase is about decision-making and forward motion. Obstacles may appear — not to stop you, but to help you sharpen your will.
Magical Focus: Action, determination, problem-solving.
Ritual Ideas: Perform spells for strength, meditate on resilience, work with protective herbs.
Affirmation: “I meet challenges with courage and conviction.”

Waxing Gibbous – Refining the Vision
The Moon swells with light, and so should your energy. This is the perfect time to adjust, polish, and perfect your intentions.
Magical Focus: Refinement, attraction, expansion.
Ritual Ideas: Offer thanks to your guides, fine-tune spells, amplify energy with chanting or drumming.
Affirmation: “I trust the process as my vision takes shape.”

Full Moon – The Witch’s Lantern
In her fullness, the Moon spills magic over everything she touches. Spells cast now are potent, divination is clear, and energy is high.
Magical Focus: Completion, manifestation, psychic work, celebration.
Ritual Ideas: Hold a moonlit ritual, charge water under her glow, work with goddess energy.
Affirmation: “I am radiant, powerful, and whole.”

Waning Gibbous – The Grateful Release
The Moon begins to shrink, but her magic is still strong. This is the time for sharing wisdom, harvesting lessons, and beginning the gentle release of what no longer serves you.
Magical Focus: Gratitude, sharing, transition.
Ritual Ideas: Write thank-you letters, teach someone a magical skill, bless your home.
Affirmation: “I honour what I have gained and prepare to let go.”

Last Quarter – Clearing the Path
Half the Moon is in shadow again. This is the phase for cutting ties, breaking habits, and clearing space.
Magical Focus: Banishing, cleansing, release.
Ritual Ideas: Burn old papers, take a salt bath, smudge your space with cleansing herbs.
Affirmation: “I release all that no longer supports my highest good.”

Waning Crescent – Rest and Renewal
The Moon returns to darkness, drawing us into deep rest. This is the time to retreat, heal, and gather your strength before the cycle begins anew.
Magical Focus: Surrender, rest, spiritual preparation.
Ritual Ideas: Sleep more, meditate, journal dreams, spend quiet time in nature.
Affirmation: “I rest in the embrace of the Great Mother, ready to be reborn.”

Recommended Books for Moon Magic
Moonology by Yasmin Boland – A practical guide to working with the moon’s energy.
Wawata Moon Dreaming by Hina, the Maori moon by Hinemoa Elder - This book leads you through a full cycle of the moon, to consider 30 aspects of life.
The Moon Book by Sarah Faith Gottesdiener – A deep, mystical dive into lunar magic.
Moon Spells by Diane Ahlquist – Easy-to-follow rituals for each phase.

Starting a Moon Circle
Gathering with others to honour the Moon can amplify your magic. Here’s how to begin:
Choose Your Phase – Many witches meet on the New or Full Moon.
Set the Tone – Decide on a theme, such as intention-setting, releasing, or divination.
Create Sacred Space – Cast a circle, cleanse with incense, or simply light candles.
Share the Magic –  A reading, offering, creativty, or small spell.
Close with Gratitude – Thank the Moon, your guides, and each other.

Tarot and Oracle Decks for Lunar Work
The Moonchild Tarot – Dreamy, intuitive, and lunar-themed.
The Wild Unknown Tarot – Deeply symbolic for shadow and illumination work.
Moonology Messages Oracle – Help you tap into the Moon's ancient and modern lunar wisdom.
Queen of the Moon Oracle – Focused on the moon’s cycles and their magical energies.
Moon Magic Mini Deck - Tap into the magic of the lunar cycle.

Moon Goddeses
5 of the most well-known moon goddesses across different cultures:
Selene (Greek) – The personification of the moon itself, riding her silver chariot across the night sky.
Artemis / Diana (Greek / Roman) – Huntress and protector, goddess of wild places, women, and the waxing moon.
Hecate (Greek) – Goddess of magic, crossroads, and the liminal dark moon phase.
Chang’e (Chinese) – The graceful moon goddess who lives in the Moon Palace with her jade rabbit.
Ix Chel (Mayan) – Goddess of the moon, weaving, fertility, and healing.

Working with the Moon is about attuning yourself to the ebb and flow of natural cycles. She teaches us that everything moves in phases — beginnings, growth, fullness, release, and rest. By aligning your magic with her rhythm, your spells and intentions are supported by one of the oldest, most powerful forces in nature. When we follow her path, we remember that we too are cyclical beings — always changing, always renewing, and always connected to something far greater than ourselves.

I have been so slack in my garden over the past few years that pretty much everything I had established has gone. Over the past week I have been slowly planning my herb garden’s return and wanted to share it with you — partly to keep myself accountable, but mostly to share the magic and motivation.

JUNE – JULY (Winter)

Rest, plan, and prepare beds with compost and mulch.
Propagate lavender, rosemary, and sage from cuttings.

Magical focus: Reflection, cleansing, and dreaming — preparing for the cycle to begin again.

AUGUST – SEPTEMBER (Late Winter → Early Spring)

Sow indoors or in sheltered spots:
Basil (start in pots inside, plant out after frosts)
Chamomile (German)
Calendula
Parsley
Lemon Balm
Sage
Thyme
Lavender (from cuttings or seedlings)
Yarrow (start in trays)
Mugwort (from seed or root division)

Magical focus: Plant seeds for new beginnings, set intentions for the season, and bless your garden under the waxing moon.

OCTOBER – NOVEMBER (Mid–Late Spring)

Plant out frost-tender herbs and direct sow:
Basil (now safe outdoors)
Mint (best planted in pots to contain it)
Rosemary (plant young plants into warm soil)
Chamomile (direct sow)
Calendula (direct sow)
Lemon Balm
Thyme
Parsley
Yarrow (transplant seedlings)
Mugwort

Magical focus: Growth, abundance, protection. Perfect time for crafting garden charms and faery offerings.

DECEMBER – FEBRUARY (Summer)

Maintenance and harvesting:
Keep herbs well-watered (especially basil and parsley).
Deadhead calendula and chamomile for more blooms.
Harvest rosemary, sage, and thyme in the morning after dew dries.
Collect and dry lavender for spell jars, sachets, and incense.

Magical focus: Full moon herb harvests for maximum potency. Use the height of summer energy for protection and prosperity workings.

MARCH – MAY (Autumn)

Sow parsley for winter harvest.
Plant perennial herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage.
Cut back summer annuals and collect seeds.
Divide yarrow and mint.

Magical focus: Gratitude rituals, preservation magic (drying, infusing oils, storing for the dark months).

Herb List

Perennials and Hardy Herbs (Plant any time except mid-winter; best in spring or autumn)

Rosemary – Protection, purification, memory. Sun-loving, drought-tolerant.
Lavender – Peace, love, purification. Well-drained soil, full sun.
Sage (Garden) – Wisdom, cleansing, longevity. Sun and dry conditions.
Thyme – Courage, faery magic, protection. Low-growing, sun-loving.
Lemon Balm – Joy, love, healing. Part shade to sun, can spread.
Mint (Peppermint or Spearmint) – Prosperity, healing, energy clearing. Keep in pots.
Oregano – Joy, strength, protection. Sun-loving, drought-tolerant.
Chives – Protection, luck, friendship. Hardy, sun to part shade.
Yarrow – Courage, psychic work, protection. Spreads easily.
Mugwort – Divination, dreams, protection. Contain as it can be invasive.

Annuals and Tender Herbs (Plant in spring after frost)

Basil (Sweet) – Love, abundance, protection. Loves warmth, hates cold.
Holy Basil / Tulsi – Spiritual clarity, purification, protection. Warm-loving.
Coriander (Cilantro) – Love, protection, healing. Cool-season annual.
Dill – Protection, luck, banishing. Likes sun, light soil.
Fennel – Courage, longevity, protection. Tall, sun-loving.
Chamomile (German) – Luck, peace, purification. Sun, self-seeds.
Calendula – Healing, joy, protection. Hardy, blooms for months.
Borage – Courage, joy, psychic power. Edible blue flowers, attracts bees.
Anise Hyssop – Protection, psychic clarity, love. Sun, attracts pollinators.
Lemon Verbena – Purification, love, cleansing. Frost tender, protect in winter.

Medicinal and Magical Allies (Perennial or biennial; some frost tender)

Comfrey – Healing, protection, grounding. Good planted around trees.
Echinacea (Coneflower) – Healing, psychic power, protection. Sun-loving perennial.
Valerian – Sleep, peace, dreamwork. Tall, likes damp soil.
Angelica – Protection, exorcism, blessing. Moist soil, part shade.
Hyssop – Purification, protection, blessing. Sun-loving.
Feverfew – Protection, healing, banishing negativity. Sun to part shade.
St John’s Wort – Protection, happiness, solar magic. Prefers sun.
Wormwood – Banishing, psychic power, protection. Sun, poor soil.
Tarragon – Success, courage, protection. Sun and warmth.
Lovage – Love, psychic power, protection. Tall perennial, rich soil.

Moon Phase Gardening & Magic Activities

New Moon: Begin fresh — sow seeds and start cuttings. Infuse your planting with clear intentions for what you wish to grow in your life.
Waxing Moon: Encourage expansion — transplant seedlings, feed your plants, and focus on nurturing leafy herbs. This is the time to build strength, both in your garden and in your magical workings.
Full Moon: Gather in abundance — harvest herbs at their peak for the strongest magical potency. Dry or prepare them for spells, teas, and charms. Offer gratitude to the earth for her gifts.
Waning Moon: Release and clear — prune back old growth, remove weeds, and banish invasive plants. Work magic for release, cleansing, and protection while the moon’s light diminishes.

Extra Witchy Planting Tips

Containers for control: Mint, lemon balm, yarrow, mugwort, and wormwood can spread aggressively — keep them in pots.
Comfrey is best planted around trees. It can also take over your garden beds as it has one of mine.
Garden altar: Even a small stone or statue can infuse your garden with intention.
Magical bed themes: Dedicate beds to Protection, Love and Joy, Dreamwork, or Healing, planting herbs with aligned correspondences together.
Moon water: Water new seedlings with moon-blessed water during a waxing moon to encourage growth and magical potency.
Plant companions: Some herbs protect each other (for example, basil near tomatoes, rosemary near carrots).
Drying rack: Create a dedicated space to air-dry herbs for year-round use.
Crystal grids: Bury small quartz points at bed corners to energise plant growth.
Four-element layout: Assign herbs to Earth, Air, Fire, and Water sections for balance.
Pollinator and pest control: Plant borage, thyme, echinacea for bees; tansy or rue to deter pests.
Harvest notes: Some herbs are best dried (rosemary, sage, lavender), others used fresh (basil, coriander, parsley).

I see the NZ Herb Federation is having their herb conference in Tauranga in November, which I am thinking of heading up to. I really enjoyed the last one I went to. They also have (or had) a massive seed bank you can tap into and a certificate programme, “Herbs and their uses” for distance learning and consists of twelve modules.

Here’s to a lush, magical, and well-loved herb garden — one that feeds your kitchen, your craft, and your soul.

 
The Cave card appeared for me today, bringing the message of Incubation. It’s a reminder that retreat is not weakness—it’s sacred work. The cave offers a safe, steady refuge where the one rests in quiet reflection, aware of the world but not compelled to act right now.

In the stillness of the cave, we reconnect with ourselves, tend to old wounds, and clarify our plans. This is where deep healing happens—where we can prepare to step back into the world changed, renewed, and ready.

I’ve noticed the Four of Swords surfacing again and again in readings lately. This is no coincidence. 2025 carries the vibration of a Number 9 Hermit Year and the Snake energy in Chinese astrology. Together, they invite deep contemplation, release, and self-discovery. Many of us are working through old trauma, reinforcing our boundaries, and strengthening our sense of protection.

This card wants me to share something important: it’s okay to hibernate. It’s okay to pull back, to be insular, to focus on building the inner self before stepping into the outer world.

Because here’s the thing—next year’s energy is going to be explosive in the best way. Opportunities will come thick and fast. We’ll look back and wonder how we moved from the deep, quiet healing of this year into the wild, fast-flowing momentum of the next. The shift will be massive.

So for now—rest. Retreat. Rebuild. Your cave is not a hiding place—it’s the forge where your future self is being shaped.

Self-reflection prompts:

1. Where in my life am I being called to pause instead of push forward?
2. What old wounds or patterns am I ready to tend to in this quiet space?
3. How can I strengthen my boundaries while still staying open-hearted?
4. What dreams or plans am I incubating that will emerge next year?
5. How can I make my “cave time” more nourishing for my mind, body, and spirit?

Affirmation:
My stillness is not stagnation—it is the sacred space where my true self grows strong.

The Cave invites you to embrace your season of stillness. This is not the time for outward action but for deep inner repair, boundary setting, and quiet preparation. The work you do in your “cave” now will shape who you become when next year’s wave of opportunities arrives. Trust the timing—your retreat is part of the transformation.

Propylaia the One Before the Gate - Guardian. 

This morning, my card pull brought me face to face with Propylaia, the One Before the Gate — the guardian who stands watch at the threshold. Propylaia is a symbol of vigilance, of boundary-setting, of holding space between what’s safe and what lies beyond.

Guardianship is a sacred role. It asks us to protect what we love, to create clear edges where energy can flow freely but harmful forces are held back. Healthy protection is steady, strong, and serves life. It’s the watchful heart that stands firm, knowing when to say yes and when to say no.

But sometimes, that line between protection and paranoia becomes blurred. What starts as guarding can twist into fear-driven walls, built so high they block out the very light we need. Paranoia is born when trust has been shaken — by trauma, betrayal, or isolation. It is the watchtower that grows taller and taller, windows narrowing until the outside world feels unreachable.

How do we know when we’ve crossed that line? When the world shrinks. When we assume harm before kindness. When trust feels impossible, even with those who have earned it. When relaxation feels risky, and control becomes a heavy anchor dragging us under.

If you find yourself here, pause. Ground yourself in the present moment. Test your thoughts gently against reality. Let the voice of someone you trust echo in your silence. Remember, protection is meant to serve life — not imprison it.

Ritual can be a powerful tool here. Light a candle and name your fears aloud. Write them down and release them in flame or water. Take small steps toward loosening control.

If someone you love is caught in paranoia, meet them with presence, not pressure. Acknowledge their feelings without adding weight. Keep your connection open, and let your calm steadiness be the quiet support they need. Sometimes the greatest gift is guiding them toward help beyond what you can offer.

Propylaia invites us to reflect: Do our boundaries breathe, letting life in? Are we shielding ourselves or hiding? Is our vigilance paired with trust, or ruled by fear?

Affirmation:
I stand at my gate with steady heart and clear eyes.
My boundaries protect what is sacred and allow life to flow freely.
I release fear that no longer serves me.
I trust myself to know when to guard and when to open.
With courage and grace, I welcome light and love in.

The greatest act of guardianship may not be building higher walls, but recognising when to open the gate and step through — leaving fear behind. Protection is sacred. But when fear builds walls too high, we lose sight of the sky. Does your gate open to life, or does it shut it out? True guardianship knows when to stand watch — and when to let the light in.