Summer Harvest Reading

Happy Summer! The end of July and beginning of August typically mark the celebration of the Celtic pagan holiday Lughnasadh, which coincides with the first harvest of summer. In European pagan tradition, during this time of year the Sun was slightly weakening from its height at the Summer Solstice, and crops were continuing to yield, especially wheat. Lughnasadh is often marked by celebrating the first wheat harvest, which later leads into the second harvest at the Autumn Equinox.

Since our lives can run in cycles in relation to the natural ones around us, I’m offering a Summer Harvest Reading that covers topics that may be coming up for you at this time. This reading uses a combination of tarot cards and mediumship channeling, and covers the following questions:

1. Where is there bounty in your life — which crops are growing

2. Where is there not bounty in your life — which crops didn’t grow 

3. Where in your life do you need to rest — either let the field lay fallow or give up on a crop

4. A message from your spirit guides or ancestors — advice for the coming months 

This reading is 45 minutes long and can be done over Zoom, Skype, phone, or sent to you in a detailed email. It costs $90, which can be paid through either Venmo or PayPal. To book a Summer Harvest Reading, email kajoralovely@gmail.com. 

At this time of year, crops are providing their yield for the year, and people would begin taking note of what would serve them for the following months and seasons. In parts of northern Europe, nothing grows in the wintertime, and so whatever grew during the summer and early fall months would provide all the food they would eat for the coming year. 

People would also pay attention to the crops that did well, and the crops that didn’t do well. A poor harvest could mean not surviving the winter, or having to make a few crops last a really long time. Crops would also need to be rotated, letting a piece of farmland stand empty for an entire season to help the soil regain the nutrients it gave to the plants. With all of these things considered, people would then determine how and what they would want to plant for the following year so they could have the best harvest possible. 

The summer harvest season and Lughnasadh also coincide with Leo season, which runs from approximately July 22 to August 22. Leo is ruled by the Sun, the center of our galaxy, and the lion, which is often considered a leader in the animal kingdom.

Since this is a time of year when crops bear fruit, the days are long and nights are short, the Sun shines brightly and feeds all living things to help them thrive and grow, this is often considered a time for expansion and gratitude. However, with current floods, droughts, climate disasters, plagues, political division and so on, it can feel like there are barriers to gratitude, taking the time to bask in the Sun’s warmth, or appreciate what is going right in the world.

Leos, and lions in particular, are often misunderstood. As a Leo myself, I know we’re often considered loud, bossy, attention-seeking, dramatic, and think everything is about us. Honestly, I won’t argue with any of that because it can be true. But as leaders and entertainers, there’s often a desire to make sure others are cared for, that their needs are considered and taken care of, and to make sure that the pride (the ones in a Leo’s inner circle) is also safe and protected. Or, as I joke sometimes, we want to make sure everyone is happy and content so they’ll continue to love us and give us attention.

But when it’s Leo season, these feelings don’t apply only to Leos. Regardless of your astrological sign, we can all feel the influence of each astrological season, whether we like it or not. So if you’re feeling the weight of the world, the problems or feelings of others, or like there are so many problems you can’t solve, it’s important to keep some perspective at this time and remember that not every problem is yours to solve, and they cannot be solved all at once. It’s physically impossible, not to mention that no one is expecting you to. It’s okay if you figure it out one step at a time, or learn valuable lessons by making mistakes or failing.

During this time it’s more important to see where your strengths lie and find comfort in things you’ve learned or what you have gotten right. As we leave summer in the next couple months, that’s the time to prune back the things you don’t want to take with you into the autumn and winter. This is the time to notice what’s growing abundantly in your life, and consider what you want to do with it. What is valuable to you, and what no longer needs your attention?

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Summer Solstice Reading

Blessed Summer Solstice! The weather here in Long Beach has been gloomy, yet we in the Northern Hemisphere find ourselves at the longest day and shortest night of the year. Traditionally, the Summer Solstice celebrates the strength and abundance of the Sun, which helps grow our crops, brings light onto our planet, nurtures our bodies, and keeps us warm. The Sun has been worshipped for more centuries than we know because it sustains all life, and during the summer we reap the benefits of it with the harvest, and the celebrations that come with food.

However, we also find ourselves in the middle of Retrograde season. Mercury goes direct tomorrow, but Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto are in their annual Retrograde cycle, and Neptune joins them on Friday. When planets are Retrograde, it means that from our position on Earth these planets appear to be moving backward, which some astrologers view as a time of heightened illusions, when things are not all quite what they seem. We are also coming out of eclipse season, which can feel like the earth is moving beneath our feet while changes keep happening in our lives.

Summer Solstice Reading

In the wake of eclipse season, I've noticed that there are many things also being healed and changed for the better. To help you gain insight during this time, I'm offering a Summer Solstice Reading that covers these questions:

• What things in your life are being healed at this time?

• What are you meant to know about the changes going on in your life?

• A channeled message just for you

This reading is 30 minutes long and costs $70, which can be paid through either Venmo or PayPal. To book a reading, simply email kajoralovely@gmail.com. These readings can be done over Zoom, Skype, phone, or sent to you in a detailed email.

If you'd like to book a reading with your own questions, you can email me to book a session at kajoralovely@gmail.com.

I hope you all are doing well and wish you a wonderful Summer Solstice! May these days of sunlight bring you warmth and joy throughout the year.

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Commonly Asked Questions About Distance Sessions

In light of the recent Coronavirus pandemic, it’s important for you to know that you have options for booking distance sessions—both readings and healings—not only now, but all the time. 

Below are answers to questions you may have about how distance sessions work, the benefits of booking a distance session, rates, and contact information for Kajora Lovely. 

Are Distance Sessions the Same as In-Person Sessions?

Yes. In every reading or Reiki session, I connect to the client through energy, and energy has the ability to go beyond space and time. 

This is something I learned while studying Reiki—we were taught how to heal not only someone else in the present, but even how to heal things from the past or in the future. The idea is that you can send energy anywhere, and this is true for readings as well. 

How Do Phone Medium & Tarot Readings Work? 

At the beginning of every reading, whether it’s in-person or not, I say the person’s full name three times in my head and call in their spirit team. This spirit team includes your spirit guides, angels, ancestors, deities, higher self, higher power, and anyone else who wants to work with you for your highest good and greatest benefit. This creates a connection between you -- the person I am working with -- and me. Then, I proceed with the reading. 

If the reading takes place over the phone, I’ll then ask you questions you have. And we proceed just as we would in person. The same goes for readings through Skype. All readings are $2 per minute, and beforehand you and I discuss your budget or objectives. If you want to stay under a specific dollar amount, the reading will be set to a certain time limit. If you are open to the length of the reading, I’ll either text the amount after the call or send a payment request through Venmo. 

How Do Email Medium & Tarot Readings Work?

Email readings are a bit different. For these, I’ll have the client send me their questions in advance. This also depends on your budget, and if you want to stick to a certain dollar amount, I’ll let you know what amount of time it will take. Otherwise, I’ll answer all of your questions in a reading and send you the dollar amount afterward so that you can pay through Venmo. 

The reading will arrive in its own email, which makes it easier to find in your inbox so you can refer to it as often as you like. In this, your email includes your questions, the cards that came up, any channeled messages that came through, and my reading based on the cards. If anything else comes up, such as the names of deities, songs, advice, or books, all of those details are included in the email as well. 

How Do Distance Reiki Sessions Work? 

For Reiki sessions, these first require at least a brief consultation on what you would like from a healing session. This can include help releasing something, healing an energetic pattern, or being open to whatever comes up. Each client is welcome to share parts of their mental, physical, and emotional history if they feel comfortable—this is entirely up to you. 

What are the Benefits of Distance Sessions? 

Time Flexibility 

The main benefit of a distance session is that you can ask for one at any time, and don’t have to worry about transportation, timing, or work around your schedule to get the session you want. For example, if you’re at work and there’s a major announcement, whether it’s about a group project or corporate merger, and you would like to gain some clarity, you can send me an email with your questions and wait for it to come to your inbox. 

The same goes for Reiki healings. While it can be very relaxing to get a session in person, you can also book a healing session that takes place so it better suits your schedule. This could mean you receive a healing while you’re asleep, while you’re taking a relaxing bath, going for a hike, or even meditating at home with music you love. The greatest benefit is that if you’re at home, which means you can relax and do as you please afterward, and not need to ground and then worry about transportation. 

Distance sessions are also best for clients who live in countries other than the U.S. or are located in very different time zones. Healing sessions can be coordinated within a time frame to best suit the client if you would like to either relax or sleep during the healing session. 

Referencing information from past readings and healings 

The benefit of email readings is that they can remain in your inbox or on your devices for as long as you want. This means you can refer to them days, weeks, months, or even years later. This can be helpful if you’re asking about situations that may not have come to pass yet, or if things have changed in such a way that a particular message from a reading makes sense later. 

In-person sessions can be great, but they can also cover a lot of ground very quickly, and it can be difficult to remember every single message that came up. Since most of these messages are channeled, I often do not remember readings afterward because I didn’t come up with the advice, it came from the spirits who wanted to help you at the time. 

The same goes for distance Reiki sessions. After a healing, I can send an email with descriptions of what I saw, what came up, along with any advice or guidance that came through during the session. It can be helpful to have this as a reference for future sessions, or for keeping any of that guidance in mind. 

Have time to think about the questions you want to ask 

Before each email reading, I ask each client what questions they would like to have answered. Sometimes a person will choose a specific tarot reading I’m offering, which is often a set list of questions with a predetermined price. But you can also craft your own detailed questions about things you would like to know. This can include questions with yes or no answers, or more in-depth questions about a situation. If you’re not sure what you want to ask, I usually consult with the person beforehand to get a sense of what they would like to know, then work with them to craft the questions that are just right for them. 

How Much Do Distance Sessions Cost? 

All sessions, whether they are readings or healing sessions, are $2 per minute. So this means 15 minutes is $30, 45 minutes is $90, and 60 minutes is $120. The minimum time for sessions is 15 minutes. 

How Can I Pay for a Distance Session? 

Through either PayPal or Venmo. Venmo works well for U.S. citizens, and PayPal is available for international clients. 

Can I Do Both a Reading and a Healing? 

Absolutely. I recommend getting a reading before the healing session, since messages may come up beforehand that clarify or clear up something. These can be scheduled at different times. 

What If I Would Just Like to Ask You Some Questions?

Basic questions about my services can be asked through email at any time. If you would like to ask more in-depth questions about protection salt, spirituality, faith, witchcraft, tarot cards, Reiki healing, or anything else beyond the span of five minutes, these are available for the same rate as a reading or healing session. 

How Can I Book  A Session? 

The easiest way is to email me at Kajora Lovely at gmail dot com. In your email, include what type of session you would like to book. 

• If you’d like to book a Reiki healing, indicate how long you would like the session to be, if there’s a specific time you have in mind, and if you would like to chat through email or over the phone beforehand.

• If you’d like to book a reading, indicate how long of a reading you would like or include your questions, include your budget or time limit, and indicate if you would like an email, Skype or phone reading. If you would like an email reading but aren’t sure exactly which questions you would like to ask, you can include the general idea of what you’d like to know so we can create some definite questions together. 

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Contact Kajora Lovely

Changes Ahead Tarot Reading

When it’s clear there are changes coming ahead, things can feel uncertain and destabilizing. We’re about to experience a conjunction of the planets Saturn and Pluto on January 12, 2020. When two planets are conjunct, it means that they are at the exact same degree in the same sign, and work together.

Often when these two planets come together it can bring sweeping changes. The most recent dates of the Saturn and Pluto Conjunction are:

November 7, 1982 in Libra

August 10, 1947 in Leo

October 5, 1914 in Cancer

In 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, kicking off the start of World War One and leading to the collapse of three of the world’s largest empires (Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian). By 1947, every monarchy in Europe collapsed or changed somehow, World War Two ended, and new countries of Israel, India, and East and West Pakistan were formed, bringing with them a great deal of conflict.

The conjunction on January 12 will be in Capricorn, which rules over structure, the Father, rules, discipline, and hard work. No one really knows what will change in the coming years, and typically this influence lasts far beyond the day it happens.

Changes Ahead Tarot Reading

To help you prepare for what’s next, I’m offering a Changes Ahead Tarot Reading that answers the following questions:

• How can you best prepare for what’s ahead?

• A strength or ability of yours that’s important to use at this time

• How can you use this change to bring about the opportunities you want in your life?

• What’s something your guides want you to know at this time?

This reading is $95, and can be sent to you in a detailed email so that you can reference it easily, and can be prepaid to @Kajora-Lovely on Venmo. Simply email kajoralovely@gmail.com to book your reading!

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7 Ways to Celebrate the Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice takes place on December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and June 21 in the Southern Hemisphere every year. It marks the longest night and shortest day of the year, the time when the sun reaches its lowest point before it begins to gain strength again. This time of year marks the beginning of winter, the beginning of the darkest and leanest time of the year. In the U.S., most of the traditions we celebrate this time of year are an amalgam of practices from across Western Europe, including Saturnalia and Yule. 

For our pagan ancestors, survival was based on agriculture, and in Europe, there wasn’t much to be done around the Winter Solstice. All the crops had been harvested, and it was a time for staying in and turning inward. Most of the traditions around the Winter Solstice are a reaction to this time, and include celebration, worship of the sun, and reflection. 

Here are some modern-day ideas for celebrating the Winter Solstice that incorporate ancient influences and traditions. 

1. Have a Winter Feast 

Having a feast is a common tradition for the Winter Solstice festivals. Every year, the ancient Romans celebrated the Winter Solstice with the Saturnalia festival, which started as a day and was later elongated to an entire week. It was celebrated every year on December 25 in the Julian Calendar, and consisted of a raucous party that resembled modern-day Mardi Gras. The celebration honored the Roman god Saturn, who ruled over agriculture. It was believed that before the intervention and rise of Zeus, Saturn ruled over a golden age that saw eternal summers, bountiful crops, and no suffering. Throughout the year, bonds were tied tightly around the feet of Saturn’s statue in his temple; at Saturnalia these bonds were loosened. The Celtic celebrations of Yule were a bit similar, and often special liquors, spiced foods, and other dishes were set aside for celebrating the Winter Solstice. 

For your own celebration, you can incorporate whatever foods you like, whether they are seasonal, specific to the area you live in, or just your favorites. With this meal, you can thank everything that has brought this food to your table, whether that’s the deities of agriculture, the people who farmed and picked it, the people who raised and culled the livestock, the ones who transported the food, the individuals who packaged it, and even the people who delivered it to you. In this day and age we’re very detached from the process of how our food grows and comes to us, but you can use this as an opportunity to thank those who worked hard to make sure you have enough to eat. 

You can also incorporate foods that are sacred to this time of year, some of which are mentioned below under Herbs and Essential Oils. Foods that represent the sun are common for this time of year, including spices and oranges. Apples are seen as year-round emblems of the sun, and you could include them in a dish as emblematic of the sun’s energy and vitality. 

2. Get a Tarot Reading 

The Winter Solstice marks the beginning of winter, a time for introspection, as well as the beginning of Capricorn season, a time for action and planning. Capricorn season helps us to use diligence, planning, and a strong work ethic to survive the harshest season. You can use the lessons and insight you gain during this time to help you plan for whatever you want in the coming year. 

For some additional insight, you can book Kajora Lovely’s Winter Solstice Tarot Reading, in which I’ll use tarot cards and mediumship to answer the following questions for you: 

• What issue remains unresolved or still needs to be addressed? 

• What’s a message of hope for you for the coming year ahead?

• What’s something your ancestors or spirit guides want you to know regarding your future?

This tarot reading is $50, and your custom reading can be emailed straight to your inbox. Simply email Kajora Lovely at kajoralovely@gmail.com, and you can prepay on Venmo to @Kajora-Lovely.

3. Have a Hygge Day 

The Danish word hygge (pronounced hue-ga) is a noun that translates to: a quality “of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.” In Scandinavian countries, winters are long, cold, and dark, and as a result, hygge became a common practice. After a day of sledding, snowshoeing, or even working in an office, the idea is to get comfy in your favorite sweater and warm socks, and enjoy being. 

This can include cozying up in front of a fire, watching your favorite show under a warm blanket, having some friends over for a meal, and otherwise enjoying being warm, fed, happy, and comfortable. A lot of discussions about hygge center around lighting candles and eating cinnamon rolls, but the idea is to whatever feels right for you. There are plenty of books written on this topic, and a great New York Times article that flushes out the details, but it’s really all about the foods you like, the clothes that make you feel comfortable, and the people you love. 

In many ways, this has become a benchmark of most Christmas movies, however cheesy it might sound: spending time with the people you love. Of course, hygge isn’t limited to the holiday season, it’s practiced year round, but it’s especially helpful and nourishing during the winter months. 

4. Make Your Own Protection Salt

Either on the Winter Solstice, or between then and the New Year, is a great time to use protection salt around your home. You can learn all about how to make them here, and you can place them in front of your doorways or windows. If you live in a house, I suggest placing them outside every doorway that anyone can enter through, even a garage. If you live in an apartment, you can place them inside every doorway, and even every window if you like. 

Protection Salt can be used to keep anything unwanted out of your home—living or spirit. When you’re making the salts, you can call in the spirits you work with who you believe offer the most protection, and ask them to look after you, your home, and any loved ones who live with you or come to visit. This salt can be replaced as you think it necessary, usually once a month or so, depending on how many people or spirits are visiting your home. 

5. Tell Ghost Stories 

When A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was published in 1843, telling ghost stories at Christmas time was a common practice. It’s believed this hearkens back to an older, probably pagan tradition, which makes sense—this is the darkest time of year, a time better than any for the veil between the living and the dead to be at its thinnest. In many ways, A Christmas Carol sums up the lessons of ghost stories, combining the lessons of the past, present, and future to help us make better decisions for the new year ahead. 

For your own Winter Solstice tradition, you can read or watch the many iterations of A Christmas Carol, or read some of your favorite ghost stories. If you’re looking for holiday-themed spooky tales, there are some books of Victorian ghost stories you can find online. Another option is to do some ancestor work, and connect to those in your bloodline who have come before you to see if they offer any insight or guidance into the coming year. Either way, this time of year is perfect for gaining insight into yourself and your life, and using that to help you move forward in a way that’s for your greatest benefit. 

6. Burn an Ode to the Sun  

At the Roman Saturnalia celebration every year, it was common for the Romans to give one another candles as presents. Candles, and all aspects of fire, represent the Sun, which we all need in order to survive. It not only provides nourishment for the plants and animals that feed us, but its nutrients feed us—both mentally and physically. Regardless of how much time you spend in the sun, you can always burn something as a way of honoring the sun’s power and ability to help everything on this planet grow. 

Yule Logs are common this time of year, and come from pagan Scandinavian traditions. An ideal Yule Log comes from a thick, hearty piece of wood, and is lit using a piece of the previous year’s Yule Log. Once it’s completely burned, it’s believed that you can scatter the ashes around your home for protection and good luck over the coming year. You can also burn a single candle or candles in a way that feels right for you. As part of the process, you can also thank the individuals and spirits that look over you and work for your highest good, asking them to continue to do so in the coming year. 

7. Use Herbs & Essential Oils for Winter Solstice 

Whether it’s in a sugar scrub, bath salts, or even some of your favorite dishes, you can incorporate the herbs and essential oils that correspond to the Winter Solstice (although I wouldn’t recommend eating essential oils). According to The Hearth Witch’s Compendium: Magical and Natural Living for Every Day by Anna Franklin, these are the plants that correspond to the Winter Solstice:

Apple - Ash - Aspen - Bayberry - Blackthorn - Calendula - Cinnamon - Cypress - Fern - Silver Fir - Frankincense - Holly - Hop - Ivy - Juniper - Mistletoe - Nutmeg - Oak - Violet - Water Lily - Yew

To make your own bath salts, start with about two cups of Epsom Salts, and add your oils or plants from there. You can place the herbs in a muslin bag separately, and have them steep in your bathwater just as you would tea, or you can add them to the salt and let them float in your bathwater—it’s up to you. For a sugar scrub, start with one cup of sugar and three tablespoons of melted coconut oil or your choice of oil. Add small amounts of the herbs or oils you want to use, smelling as you go, until you reach a combination you like, then store in an airtight container and use within a couple weeks.  

Whichever practices you choose to incorporate this year for the Winter Solstice, please keep in mind there is no right or wrong way to do anything. My only suggestion is to do what feels right for you. And whether you practice alone, with some friends or your coven, or force a few loved ones to join you, it honestly doesn’t matter. All that’s important is your intention, and what you choose to do with it. Have a Blessed Winter Solstice!

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December 2019 Planetary Forecast

Jupiter in Capricorn: Some History & a Tarot Reading

Jupiter in Capricorn: Tarot Reading and History

On December 2, 2019, the planet of Jupiter moves into the astrological sign of Capricorn until December 19, 2020. Jupiter is the planet of expansion, adventure, higher learning, and travel, while Capricorn is about structure, discipline, work, and The Father. These two make for an interesting pair, and we’re all likely to feel this influence in one way or another. 

Jupiter in Capricorn Tarot Reading 

During this transit, I’m offering a Jupiter in Capricorn Tarot Reading that’s meant to help you gain some insight into the lessons of this period. This reading can be particularly helpful if you are a Sagittarius or Capricorn (or are influenced by those placements in your chart), or are concerned about issues related to education, travel, work, career, and money. 

In this reading, I will use a combination of tarot cards and channeled messages to answer the following questions for you: 

• What’s an overall theme or lesson for you during this transit? 

• What’s something you’re meant to avoid? Why? 

• What’s something you’re meant to keep in mind? Why? 

• Something your spirit guides want you to know during this time,

This tarot reading is $90, and can be sent to you in a detailed email so that you can refer to it as often as you like. Readings can be prepaid to @Kajora-Lovely on Venmo. To book, simply email kajoralovely@gmail.com. 

If you’re curious about how Jupiter in Capricorn will affect everyone, check out the video below:

Recent History of Jupiter in Capricorn 

Since it takes Jupiter about one year to travel through a single astrological sign, its influences are felt about once every 12 years. Jupiter is some distance from Earth, which means that its influences are not felt as much as planets like Mercury or Venus, but it can still have an impact. The three recent times Jupiter was in Capricorn was in 2008, 1996, and 1984. 

One way to assess what’s ahead is to look at the past. It’s not an exact foretelling of what’s to come, and as you will see, events can vary widely. The last time Jupiter was in Capricorn in 2008, the United States experienced a stock market crash that reverberated around the world. However, in 1996, another Jupiter in Capricorn year, the U.S. stock market rose dramatically, and it was an excellent year for the economy. 

I invite you to take a look at the data and see what patterns stand out to you. Experiences are subjective, and we all are influenced by and respond to situations differently. While compiling this research, a few things stood out to me: 

Advances in technology. Almost every year something was introduced that would change the way we experience technology at home, whether it’s with personal computers, CDs, or BluRay disks. Each year there were also advances made in space exploration. 

Long-term influences. In 1996 both Fox News Channel and MSNBC were launched, along with Oprah’s Book Club. Prince’s album Purple Rain came out in 1984, and in 1996 Jay-Z, Spice Girls, and the Backstreet Boys all dropped their debut albums. These things directly influence and inform our lives today. 

Terrorism and Natural Disasters. Both of these events happened in all three years around the world. I’ve included this information not to disturb you, but rather to inform your approach to the next year ahead. This is not to say you shouldn’t leave the house or should always be afraid—in fact, I would say the opposite. Live your life and enjoy it to the fullest. 

Abrupt changes can come at any time, and while we can keep things in mind, we can’t prepare for everything. It reminds me of a quote I’ve often heard my mother repeat—trust in Allah but tie the camel’s leg. This means to trust that you will be looked after, but still tie the leg of your camel so it doesn’t run off while you’re making camp for the night. 

Last but not least: the Olympic Games. It’s such a funny thing, but each year mentioned saw a different Olympic Games event. The 1984 and 1996 Olympics were held in the U.S., in Los Angeles and Atlanta, respectively. In 2020 the Summer Olympic Games will be held in Tokyo, Japan. 

Here’s a closer look at some of the events from each of the recent years Jupiter was in Capricorn: 

Tuesday, December 18, 2007 - Monday, January 5, 2009 

Science & Technology 

• Switzerland unveiled and turned on their Large Hadron Collider to test particle physics theories 

• The Tata Group in India reveal the Tata Nano, their ultra-cheap car, for the price of Rs 100,000 or US$2,500. 

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives their approval to sell and market foods from cloned animals and their offspring. 

• The U.S. Federal Communications Commission led Auction 73, an auction of licenses for the electromagnetic spectrum to operate the 700 MHz radio frequency in the U.S. Verizon Wireless won the largest amount. 

• The shuttle Endeavor went on a 16-day mission to the International Space Space Station. 

• Europe’s science laboratory Columbus docked onto the International Space Station.

• Apple releases its new ultra-thin MacBook Air. 

• BluRay begins to show gains over HD DVD because of its superior digital quality.

• Honda begins selling the FCX Clarity, its zero-emission fuel-cell powered car. 

Finance 

• Cyprus and Malta switch their currency to the Euro 

• Bank of America purchased Countrywide Financial, a mortgage lender 

• The price of food grows worldwide in 2007 and into 2008, leading to food shortages around the world. Food riots broke out in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Senegal, Mauritania, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Morocco, Mexico, Yemen, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Pakistan. At least one case of cannibalism in Russia is reported. 

• On July 11 a barrel of crude oil reached the price of $147.27 a barrel. 

• On September 6 mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were placed under government supervision after reporting significant losses. 

• September 15 global financial services firm Lehman Brothers files for bankruptcy, becoming the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history. That day the Dow Jones dropped 504.48 points. 

• On September 29 the Dow Jones fell 777.68 points after steadily decreasing throughout the year. That day the price of crude oil dropped to $95 a barrel.

• After some deliberation that took its toll on the market, U.S. Congress approved the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. This Act purchased toxic assets from banks with the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program. 

• It’s estimated that 2.6 million jobs were lost in the U.S. in 2008. 

• General Motors reported that it lost $30.9 billion in 2008, and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2009. 

Pop Culture & Entertainment

• Starting in November 2007, film and television writers go on strike for three months with the goal of increasing funding for the writers. 

• In February the Drudge Report leaked that Prince Harry was stationed in Afghanistan as part of his posting with the British Army. A media blackout had been agreed upon previously to prevent him from becoming a Taliban target, but once the news was released he returned home. 

• After featuring many skits with Tina Fey portraying Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, Saturday Night Live scores its highest ratings in years. 

• Singer Britney Spears has publicized mental health issues and is hospitalized. 

• Actor Heath Ledger was found dead after an apparent drug overdose. 

• Sex and the City the movie comes out and earns $55.7 million its opening weekend. 

• Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert died of a heart at age 58. 

• Top movies of 2008: The Dark Knight, WALL-E, Slumdog Millionaire, Iron Man, Gran Torino, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, In Bruges, The Wrestler 

• Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, Ellen DeGeneres, Michelle Pfeiffer, Viggo Mortenson, and Christiane Amanpour all turned 50. 

Government 

• Following the election in Kenya of President Mwai Kibaki on December 27, 2007, a political, economic, and humanitarian crisis erupted. Ethnic violence erupted, targeting different Kenyan tribes, until an agreement was reached with the assistance of former UN leader Kofi Annan on February 28, 2008. It’s estimated between 800 and 1,500 people died and between 180,000 to 600,000 were displaced. 

• Also on December 27, 2007, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in Rawalpindi. Elections for her successor were postponed until September 2008, and there was political unrest following her death. 

• In January 2008 the Sri Lankan government decided to end their six-year ceasefire agreement with the militarized separatist group the Tamil Tigers. The Tamil Tigers were ultimately defeated in May 2009, bringing to an end a civil war that began in 1983.  

• Barack Obama is elected as President of the United States. Leading up to the election, posters saying “HOPE” were created by artist Shepard Fairey, and he was mentioned in Three 6 Mafia’s song “Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body).” Barack Obama became the first Black president in U.S. history. 

• General elections in Paraguay were won by opposition party Patriotic Alliance for Change. 

• Dmitry Medvedev was elected as President of Russia. 

• The Australian government issued a formal apology for the Stolen Generation of Aboriginal children who had been forcefully taken from their parents from the 1910s to the 1970s. 

• Fidel Castro steps down as the President of Cuba. His brother is elected to replace him. 

• After filling the position of Governor of Illinois left open by Barack Obama, Rod Blagojevich was arrested for corruption and eventually sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Disasters & Events 

• The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season was incredibly damaging, killing over 1,000 people and causing about $50 billion in damage. One was Hurricane Dolly (similar to the one in 1996), which moved from Texas to Mexico to Guatemala, where 21 people died. Hurricane Ike was one of the most destructive, which is blamed for the deaths of 194 people, 74 of those in Haiti, which had been badly hit by three previous storms. 

• On November 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terrorist group, attacked multiple locations in Mumbai, India. The attacks lasted for four days, and six different locations were targeted. More than 170 people died, and over 300 people were wounded. 

• The U.S. orders more than 15 missile strikes against militants suspected of hiding out in the Waziristan region of Pakistan. 

• The U.S. launches a heat-seeking missile to destroy a two year-old satellite it claimed was in danger of leaking toxic gas as part of Operation Burnt Frost. This drew criticism from Russia and China, who claimed the U.S. was testing an anti-satellite weapon as Russia was drafting a treaty ban on space weapons, which China was backing. 

• From August 7 to 12 Russia and Georgia went to war, which Georgia lost. Around 300 soldiers were killed, and nearly 200,000 Georgians were displaced. 

• From April 27 to May 3 Cyclone Nargis struck the Irrawaddy region of Myanmar. It’s believed the government did not accurately report the number of people affected, but it’s estimated more than 130,000 were killed and 55,000 people were missing. The cyclone caused about $10 billion in damage.

• On May 12 an 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit the area near Chengdu in China, killing more than 87,000 people. Over 370,000 people were injured, and about 18,000 were reported missing. It caused about $150 billion in damage. 

• A man opens fire at Northern Illinois University, killing 5 people and injuring about 17 before killing himself. 

• There was a 5.2 earthquake near Market Rasen in the UK. One person was injured. 

• A dump truck filled with explosives detonated in front of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. More than 50 people died and over 200 were injured.  

Tuesday, January 2, 1996 - Tuesday, January 21, 1997 

Technology & Science

• Pokemon was introduced (so were Tamagotchis)

• The first successful animal cloning took place with Dolly the Sheep 

• Nintendo 64 is released 

• The Mars Global Surveyor was launched on November 7, and took pictures to map the surface of Mars 

• DVDs were launched in Japan 

Entertainment & News

• Fox News Channel made its debut 

• MSNBC made its debut 

• Major League Soccer began as a sport in the U.S. 

• Top movies of the year: Independence Day, Mission: Impossible, Jerry Maguire, The Rock, The Birdcage, A Time to Kill, The English Patient, Star Trek: First Contact

• The Daily Show launches with host Craig Kilborn 

• The album Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morisette was the best selling album of the year 

• Jay-Z, Spice Girls, and Backstreet Boys all released their debut albums 

• Tupac Shakur was killed after a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada

• EBay was launched 

• Tickle Me Elmo came out in stores 

• Oprah’s Book Club started 

• Prince Charles and Princess Diana get divorced after separating in 1992

• The U.S. stock market grows at a fast pace

Government 

• Bill Clinton was re-elected as president 

• Taiwan held its first presidential election

• The U.S. eased its sanctions against Cuba 

• The UN adopts the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which would ban all nuclear explosions by both civilians and the military. It is still not in force. It has been signed by China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, and the U.S. but none ratified it, and it still has not been signed by India, Pakistan, and North Korea.

• Kofi Annan was appointed as the head of the United Nations. In his time there were scandals, but also reform and focus on human rights worldwide. 

Crime, Violence & Terrorism 

• A pipe bomb is detonated at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, killing 1, injuring 111, and one later died of a heart attack. 

• A man opened fire on a classroom of 5 to 6 year-olds in the Dunblane Massacre in Scotland, killing 16 and a teacher before turning the gun on himself. 

• Between 1995 and 1996, 145 Black churches were set on fire across the country. As a result, Congress passed the Church Arson Protection Act and Bill Clinton created the National Church Arson Task Force. 

Disasters & Events 

• About 10 tropical storms and cyclones entered the Bay of Bengal, eventually landing in India and Bangladesh, ultimately killing over 2,000 people and causing $1.2 billion in damage.

• One of these storms is a cyclone that hits Andhra Pradesh, India, killing over 1,000 people. The storm destroyed crops and farmland and killed millions of cattle and chickens. 

• The British Health Secretary announced to the House of Commons that Mad Cow Disease is likely to blame for illness in 10 people, marking the first time the British government acknowledge its ability to transfer from animals to people. Britain kills 4.5 million cattle, and both the EU and Japan stop importing meat from the UK. 

• Supertanker the MV Sea Empress ran aground in Wales, dumping 73,000 tons of crude oil into the ocean. 

• TWA Flight 800 caught into flames and crashed off of Long Island, New York shortly after takeoff. All 230 people aboard died, and after an investigation, no foul play was found as the source of the crash. 

• An epidemic of meningitis broke out in Nigeria from January to June. There were over 100,00 recorded cases and more than 11,000 people died. 

• Hurricane Dolly makes landfall in Mexico in August, causing flooding across Mexico. About 35,000 people were displaced and farmlands were destroyed. 

• An IED was detonated in a Paris subway, killing 2 people. This followed a series of bombings in 1995 that killed 8 people and injured 157, which were led by the Armed Islamic Group as part of bringing the Algerian Civil War to France. 

• The IRA detonated a truck bomb in the London Docklands, killing 2 people, injuring over 100 people, and causing £150 million in damage. 

•  On June 25 the Khobar Towers in Khobar, Saudi Arabia were bombed, and later Hezbollah was accused of the attack. The Khobar Towers were housing U.S. Air Force personnel, of whom 19 were killed, along with a local Saudi person. Nearly 500 people of various nationalities were wounded. 

• From late January to mid February, several floods hit the Willamette Valley in Oregon, reaching the Cascade Mountains. About 8 people died, 3,000 people were displaced, and the damage reached $500 million. 

• Mass shooter Martin Bryant killed 35 people and injures another 23 in Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia. 

• After the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah ended in 1993, a series of ongoing attacks between both parties ensued. On April 11, 1996, Israel carries out air strikes against Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon. At least 5 people were killed and several wounded. 

• A few days later on April 16, Israel Defense Forces fired artillery shells at United Nations compound in Qana, Lebanon. More than 106 people were killed and over 100 were injured, giving it the name Qana Massacre. 

• Gunmen open fire on Greek tourists in Cairo, Egypt, killing 17 people and injuring 15 people. 

• In Lima, Peru, members of the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement stormed a party at the home of the Japanese ambassador to Peru, taking hundreds of people hostage. Many of them were high-ranking diplomats, business executives, government and military officials, and were held hostage for 126 days. 

The Olympic Games 

• The Summer Games were held in Atlanta, Georgia. A pipe bomb is detonated, killing 1 and injuring 111. It was the first time since 1924 that the Winter & Summer games were held in different years. 

Thursday, January 19, 1984 - Wednesday, February 6, 1985

Science & Technology 

• The Internet's Domain Name System is created

• Sony and Philips introduce commercial CD Players

• Sony makes the first 3 1/2" computer disk

• First untethered space walk takes place using jet packs 

• Apple Macintosh computer is advertised in an Orwellian-inspired Super Bowl commercial directed by Ridley Scott. The computer is released for purchase at $2,500. 

• French immunologist discovers AIDS virus 

• Tetris is launched as a computer game 

• FCC changes regulations, allowing for hour-long infomercials 

• The space shuttle Discovery takes its maiden flight 

• The first successful solo transatlantic flight takes place in a helium balloon 

• Genetic fingerprinting and DNA profiling is developed 

Social 

• With the coverage of the McMartin Trial, Satanic Panic becomes a concern. 

• Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is born to Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

Crime, Violence & Terrorism 

• The CIA station chief in Beirut, Lebanon was kidnapped by Hezbollah and tortured for over a year until his death. 

• The Beauty Queen Killer was captured by police in New Hampshire after killing 8 and raping 12 women across multiple U.S. states. 

• Crack Cocaine was introduced 

• A man in San Ysidro, California opened fire in a McDonald’s, killing 21 and wounding 19 people. 

• A man known as the Subway Vigilante shoots and wounds 4 young Black men on the subway in New York City 

• An IRA bomb goes off in the Grand Hotel in Brighton, England, meant to kill Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The five people who died were connected to the Conservative Party, and 31 people were injured. 

• On Father’s Day in a suburb outside Sydney, Australia, a gang fight breaks out. Now known as the Milperra Massacre, 7 people died and 28 were injured. This event led to gun law changes in the Australian state of New South Wales. 

• While monitoring a protest, London Police Officer Yvonne Fletcher is fatally shot by machine gun fire from inside the Libyan Embassy. 

• Tensions between Libya and Britain increase, and the British took 4 Libyans as hostages. Libya answered by taking 4 British nationals hostage. The hostages returned home by January 7, 1985.

• Sikh separatists took over the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, using the sacred site as an armory and headquarters. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who had Sikhs as her personal bodyguards, ordered for the military to remove the separatists in Operation Blue Star. The conflict was worse than anticipated, with 83 deaths and 297 injuries within the Army and 497 civilian casualties. Indira Gandhi was murdered by 2 of her guards five months later.

• After the assassination of the Prime Minister, Anti-Sikh riots broke out in New Delhi and across India. It’s estimated that nearly 3,000 Sikhs were murdered in Delhi and over 3,000 nationwide. 

Government 

• A year-long coal miner’s strike in Britain begins in March. 

• Muammar Gaddafi of Libya and French President François Mitterand both agree to withdraw their troops from the country of Chad. 

• King Hassan II of Morocco and Muammar Gaddafi sign the Oujda Treaty to establish “a union of states” between the two neighboring countries. It was canceled by the King two years later. 

• Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by two of her Sikh guards following the raid on the Golden Temple. 

• Ronald Reagan is re-elected as U.S. President. 

• Geraldine Ferraro became the first U.S. woman to run on a major party’s presidential ticket as the VP for Walter Mondale. 

• Following its official independence from Britain on January 1, Brunei joins the United Nations as an independent country. 

• The UK and China agree in December that Hong Kong will transfer to Chinese power in 1997.

 Entertainment 

• Ghostbusters is released and grosses more than half a billion dollars. 

• Beverly Hills Cop comes out, making Eddie Murphy a star. 

• Alex Trebek became the host of Jeopardy! 

• Sixteen Candles came out, the first of many successful John Hughes films. 

• Footloose comes out, and the soundtrack is even more successful than the film. 

• While filming a Pepsi commercial, Michael Jackson’s hair caught on fire, leaving scars on his scalp, face, and body. Later many would speculate that this incident began his overuse of painkillers that eventually led to his death. 

• “Where’s the Beef?” commercial by Wendy’s debuts 

• Prince’s album Purple Rain is released. 

• The first MTV Video Music Awards aired. 

• Penthouse published unauthorized nude photos of Vanessa Williams, the first Black winner of the Miss America pageant. In response to the photos, the pageant strips Williams of her crown, but later apologies. The additional publicity benefits her. 

• Marvin Gaye intervened in a fight between his parents, and his father shot him at point-blank range, killing him.

• “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” is recorded and released to raise awareness of the ongoing famine in Ethiopia. 

Olympic Games 

• The Summer Olympic Games take place in Los Angeles. Athletes from Russia and other nations boycott as a response to the U.S. boycott of the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980. New events were introduced, such as the women’s marathon, synchronized swimming, and rhythmic gymnastics. 

• The Winter Olympic Games were held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. This marked the first time the Olympic Games were held in a socialist state and Slavic-speaking country. It was also the only time to date that the Olympic Games were held in a Muslim-majority city.

Disasters & Events 

• At this point, Ethiopia was in the midst of a famine that lasted from 1983 to 1985, which led to the deaths of 1.2 million people. About 400,000 people became refugees and 2.5 million people were displaced. Some claim government policies began the famine, which was worsened by a drought. 

• Two super typhoons, 16 typhoons, and 27 tropical storms all hit nations in the Western Pacific. The Philippines were significantly affected, among other countries, such as Russia, South Korea, and Vietnam. Nearly 3,000 people were killed, and the damage was around $1 billion, much of it houses and farmland. 

• A series of explosions at a petroleum storage facility in San Juan, Mexico killed between 500 and 600 people, and between 5,000 and 7,000 people were injured with burns. 

• A Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India leaked a highly lethal gas that stayed low to the ground. Reports vary, but the Indian government states about 15,000 people have died as a result over the years. Over 600,000 people were exposed to the gas, and some state the toxic material is still buried underground. 

To gain some insight on what the year of Jupiter in Capricorn could look like for you, email kajoralovely@gmail.com to book your Jupiter in Capricorn Tarot Reading.

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Lughnasadh: History & Traditions of the First Harvest Festival

Lughnasadh, also known as Lughnasa, means “the marriage of Lugh.” It is also known as Lammas, which means “loaf mass.” A Northern European and Celtic tradition, today it is celebrated on August 1, when the first grain is cut for the oncoming winter and the first harvest is celebrated. 

According to Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes, “Once upon a time, Lughnasa was a four week festival: the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August, roughly corresponding to when the sun is in Leo, the astrological sign that belongs to the sun and epitomizes its power. In modern Irish Gaelic, the month of August is Lunasa. However, the modern Wiccan sabbat of Lughnasa is almost always devoted solely to the eve of July 31st leading into Lughnasa day on August 1st.”

In The Hearth Witch’s Compendium: Magical and Natural Living for Every Day by Anna Franklin, it states: “Lughnasa is named for the pan-Celtic god Lugh, who is said to have founded annual funeral games on this date to commemorate Tailtu, his foster mother. The festival is also called Lammas, from the Anglo-Saxon hlaef-mass (meaning “loaf mass”), and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 921 CE mentions it as ‘the feast of first fruits.’” 

Franklin continues: “Lughnasa is a harvest festival, marking the end of the period of summer growth and the beginning of the autumn harvest. Lughnasa celebrates the fruition of the year’s work with the weaning of calves and lambs, the ripening of corn, and the first apples, pears, bilberries, blackberries, and grapes. An old custom was to pick the first apples and make them into a drink called Lammas Wool.” 

While doing research on Lughnasadh, I found that different sources seem to disagree about the origins of the holiday, whether it is based on funeral games or a wedding. Nonetheless, it is a celebration of the deity Lugh, who was once widely celebrated throughout Europe. To learn more, keep reading reading below about the pan-Celtic god Lugh.

First Harvest Festival

Pagan spiritual traditions followed their daily lives, and we see this with the Celtic Wheel of the Year holidays that mark the solstices, equinoxes, and events about every six weeks in between. As farmers, their connection to the land would be a strong one, and crop yield influenced your chances of the surviving the winter. 

Lughnasadh marks the first culling of the grain, which in many ways is a controversial food today, but in the past it acted as a filler, especially if there were not enough animal protein and vegetables to solely eat during the winter. 

This holiday is followed by the celebration of the god Mabon on the Autumn Equinox, which is known as the second harvest festival of the year. By this time, most of the food that could last the winter has been stored, and people are preparing for fall and winter to settle in.

Therefore Lughnasadh is a time to enjoy the fruits of the summer, the Sun, and the bounty that comes with the warmer months of the year. You can celebrate Lughnasadh by eating seasonal fruit and vegetables, baking your favorite bread, having a party with your friends and loved ones, or by enjoying the sun (while practicing sun safety, of course). 

It can be a time to ask your spirit guides and deities for help with abundance in your life. You can also ask for abundance for others as well, especially if you want to help those whose lives continue to be affected by a bad harvest or famine. 

For more ideas and information, check out Kajora Lovely’s Lughnasadh board on Pinterest.

Lughnasadh Correspondences

The colors for Lughnasadh are yellow and green, symbolizing the sun and plants at this time of year. 

According to The Hearth Witch’s Compendium: Magical and Natural Living for Every Day by Anna Franklin, these are the plants and essential oils for Lughnasadh: 

Alder - Apple - Basil - Benzoin - Borage - Chicory - Daisy - Fennel - Fenugreek - Frankincense - Gorse - Honeysuckle - Ivy - Marshmallow - Mugwort - Nasturtium - Oak - Pine - Poppy - Sunflower - Vine - Woad

The most commonly eaten foods during this time also include grains of any kind, bread, grapes, and wine.

Lughnasadh Tarot Reading 

Lughnasadh is about celebrating the harvest, seeing what you’ve grown in the last few months and cultivating what will sustain you for the winter ahead. This tarot reading helps you do that in your personal life, and answers the following questions: 

• What is an accomplishment you’ve had this year? 

• What is a new tool or lesson you’re meant to keep using in the future? 

• Something you’re meant to keep in mind during this time

This reading can be done over Zoom, Skype, phone, or sent to you in a detailed email. It is $70, which can be paid over Venmo or PayPal. To book your reading, email Kajora Lovely at kajoralovely@gmail.com. 

Engraving of Lugh that was discovered in Paris in 1867 and is preserved at the Carnavalet museum.

About the God Lugh

Lugh is a Celtic god who was once worshipped across Western Europe and the British Isles. Other names for him are Lug, Luc, Master of All Skills, and The Shining One. In Wales he is known as Lleu Llaw Gyffes, which means Bright One of Skillful Hand, and in other parts of Europe he was known as Lugos, or Raven. 

He is the lord of the sun, light, victory, craftsmanship, and war. Lugh’s favored people are physicians, soldiers, warriors, artists, artisans, crafts people, and poets. He’s considered a master poet, warrior, sorcerer, metalworker, cupbearer, physician, harper, and builder. 

Lugh is known for using spears in battle, writing poetry, and playing the harp. His planet is the Sun, his plant is red corn cockles, his bird is the raven, and his animals are the lion and horse. 

According to Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes, “At least fourteen European cities are named for Lugh including Laon, Leyden, Loudon, and Lyon. Lyon’s old name was Lugdunum, meaning “Lugh’s Fort.” That city is believed to have been his cult center. Its coins bore the images of ravens, which may be a reference to Lugh. Carlisle in England, the former Lugubalium, is also named in Lugh’s honor. Some theorize that Lugh’s name is reflected in an older name for Paris: Lutetia. The Romans identified Lugh with Mercury. Many European churches dedicated to Michael the Archangel are believed to have been built over sites once dedicated to Lugh. Post-Christianity many of Lugh’s sacred functions were reassigned to saints like Patrick and Luke.” 

This explains why in the STARZ original series American Gods based on the Neil Gaiman novel of the same name, there’s a scene where the character Lugh drunkenly yells at a statue of St. Patrick in New Orleans. 

As a deity, Lugh is divided between two groups: his father’s people, the Tuatha Dé Danaan and his mother’s people, the Fomorians. He chooses his father’s side in a battle against his mother’s side. As Illes states in Encyclopedia of Spirits, “the myth may be interpreted as indicating the beginnings of patriarchy in Ireland.” 

The Fomorians 

Also known as Fomoire in Old Irish and Fomhóraigh, there are only pieces of information about the Fomorians. Interestingly, Illes does not include further information about the Fomorians in Encyclopedia of Spirits, although many mythological blogs do write more on this subject. 

This piece goes into greater detail about the myths and legends related to the Fomorians, but as with most pagan traditions, very little is known. This occurs with much older faiths for multiple reasons. Often the people who worshipped pagan deities did not have a written language, and capturing the power of words in symbols was considered a sacred act and only done by those of a certain spiritual rank, such as druids, shamans, priests and priestesses, or other spiritual leaders. 

What is known about many faiths is through the eyes of those who conquered them. For example, most of what we know about Celtic faiths is from the Romans, who did have a written language. Often the original sacred sites, shrines, and objects were destroyed or replaced by the people and faiths that conquered them. As time passes, objects and places turn into ruins, and history is forgotten, especially as the local populations change faiths. 

The scattered information that exists about the Fomorians states that they were related to the sea, sometimes considered sea creatures or monsters. They were associated with ships and seafaring, which some interpret to mean that the Fomorians could have been Nordic people. The Fomorians also may have been very tall.  

Some depictions state that they had one leg or one eye, and were large, hideous creatures. They’re seen as resembling chaos, disorder, evil, night, wild nature, and likely were hunter-gatherers. They were the rivals and sometimes spouses of the Tuatha Dé Danaan, who likely conquered and colonized the Fomorians. 

Disputes between the two lead us to the story of Lugh, who chose to align himself with the Tuatha Dé Danaan, his father’s people. 

The Tuatha Dé Danaan

Based in Ireland, the Tuatha Dé Danaan means “Children of Danu.” They are depicted in Lebor Gabála Érenn, known in English as The Book of Invasions or The Book of Conquests, which is about the mythic invasions of Ireland, and was written in the 11th century.  

Compared to the Fomorians, the Tuatha Dé Danaan were seen as representing order, farming, good, light, and the attributes of those who brought in order amidst the chaos. They were later conquered and displaced by the Gaels. 

In Encyclopedia of Spirits, Illes states that “When the Gaels successfully invaded Ireland, their predecessors, the divine Tuatha Dé Danaan were literally driven underground. They established their own parallel realms beneath the Earth. Fairy mounds are their portals. The Dagda, among the leaders of the Tuatha Dé Danaan assigned each member of the Tuatha Dé residence in a sidhe or mound. The Tuatha Dé Danaan became known as the Sidhe.”

Some other well known members of the Tuatha Dé Danaan are Angus mac Og, the Dagda, Boann, Blathnat, Aine, Airmid, Dian Cecht, Manannan, Becuma, and Ogma.

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Abundance Tarot Reading

Are there any mindsets blocking your relationship with financial abundance and money? Sometimes we have issues from our past, mindsets about money, stereotypes we’re not aware of, or other influences that can block our abundance.

If you’d like to bring more money into your life, The Abundance Tarot Reading is meant to help you begin to work on your own relationship with finances and abundance by looking at blockages.

This tarot reading answers the following questions for you:

1. Current relationship with abundance

2. Something blocking abundance

3. Something that can change your perspective about abundance

4. The outcome

This reading can be done over the phone, via Skype, or sent in an email so you can refer to it afterward. It is $90 and can be prepaid to Kajora-Lovely on Venmo. To book, email kajoralovely@gmail.com.

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Do you want to know why there are blockages in your love life? So often in readings people ask when they're going to meet someone new, and often the answer is about working on themselves. This tarot reading helps give you some insight!

This tarot reading answers the following questions for you:

What’s blocking love?

What’s something you need to change?

How can this help you moving forward?

This reading can be done over the phone or sent to you in an email. It’s $70, which can be prepaid to @Kajora-Lovely on Venmo. Email kajoralovely@gmail.com to book!

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Beltane Tarot Reading

Blessed Beltane, witches!

In a nutshell, Beltane takes place on May 1st and celebrates the lusciousness of spring, particularly passion, sensuality, fertility, sex, abundance, fire, love, romance, and (I would say) the general pleasures of life. To learn more about this pagan holiday, check out my blog post All About Beltane.

Is it any surprise this holiday takes place during Taurus season? I think not. Taurus is ruled by Venus, the planet of love, and likes to feel good and be surrounded by beautiful things. As an Earth element, there’s a desire to connect with plants, nature, and our base desires.

You might be feeling this influences in your life right now. Spring fever means love is in the air, and Taurus season may make you feel a certain kind of way—like it’s time to bring a new life into the world, whether it’s an actual human child or some type of project.

Beltane Tarot Reading

For this tarot reading, I’m changing up the format a little bit.

Send me (Kajora Lovely) three questions you have about love, romance, fertility, creative projects, sex (or anything else that’s on your mind) and I’ll answer them in a tarot card reading! This reading is $70, and can be prepaid through Venmo to Kajora-Lovely.

If you need some help coming up with questions, feel free to reach out! We can have a little consultation first. Coming up with questions for a tarot reading can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be, and I can help you hone your thoughts to get the answers you want.

To book a tarot reading or to learn more, email at kajoralovely@gmail.com.

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How the Full Moon in Libra Can Help You in Love

The Pink Full Moon in Libra takes place this Friday, and it will be a powerful time for making changes in our personal lives when it comes to love.

The name Pink Full Moon comes from Native American tradition and relates to the color of blooming flowers that can be seen this time of year. The astrological sign of Libra rules over love, relationships, and harmony.

The combination of these energies makes this a great time to release anything in your life that no longer serves you, practice some self care mixed with self love, and use this shift to implement new changes in your life.

The Full Moon in Libra

In the early hours of Friday morning, April 19th, there will be a Full Pink Moon in Libra. The following day, Saturday April 20th, Taurus season begins.

Both Libra and Taurus are ruled by Venus, the planet of love. These combined elements make it a powerful time to become clear about what you want when it comes to relationships in your life. Full Moons are a culmination of energy, which makes them a potent time to release what hasn’t served you in the past so you can move forward unhindered.

This Moon phase coincides with the New Moon in Libra on September 28th, and the changes you make during this Full Moon could come full circle by that time.

So what kinds of changes can you make?

The phrase for Libra is “I Balance,” and it also rules over relationships, harmony, cooperation, and peace. This provides an opportunity to bring balance to every type of relationship in your life—romantic, platonic, business, and your relationship with yourself.

There are three things you can do during this Full Moon in Libra: release what is no longer serving you, take a self love bath, and use this energy to make changes in the month to come. If you have any Full Moon rituals in your practice, you can incorporate these in if you like.

The Full Moon takes place in the early hours of Friday morning, so you can actually do these activities on either Thursday or Friday night—it just depends what’s more convenient for you.

I’m also offering a Full Moon in Libra Tarot Reading (see below) if you need help in any of these areas.

Full Moon Release

Full Moons are a powerful time to release anything you no longer want in your life, and with this one in particular, you can release everything from partnerships you don’t want to take forward with you into the future.

To help you release anything you don’t want anymore, make a list. You can start this list now and add to it as different things come up over the next couple days.

The sign of Libra is the element of Air, which rules over our thoughts. Under this influence we can stew and be self-critical, especially if we feel we’re not feeling confident in terms of love.

Instead, I encourage you to utilize Libra’s  influence to your advantage in making the changes you want. If you think about what you do and don’t like in the relationships you currently have in your life and those in the past, write down the elements you could do without!

For example: patterns from your family members you don’t want to repeat, betrayals from friends or loved ones you want to leave behind, any resentment you may have to an ex or someone who mistreated you, or feelings of doubt, jealousy, anger, codependency, that you’ve had in your relationships.

Write down everything and anything you want to release. Your statements can be broad, such as “I release any all blockages in my life when it comes to love.” Or you can write that you’re releasing a specific person and all of your connections to them.

Here are some ideas of things to release:

Fear - Negative body image - Jealousy - Resentment - Anger - Anxiety - Worry - Self-Criticism - Insecurity - Feeling Unworthy of Love - Feeling out of Balance - Self-Doubt - Old Relationships - Old Relationship Patterns - Unhealthy Family Patterns - Loneliness - Abuse - Lack of Feeling Empowered

If anything else comes to mind as something you want to let go of, by all means, write it down so you can let it go.

Once you’ve completed your list, burn it in a safe place. This could be in a fireplace, over a fire pit, or in a flameproof bowl. Once it’s completely burned and the ashes have cooled, you can flush the ashes down the toilet or dump in the trash and take out the trash. (If you do the latter, be sure the ashes have completely cooled!)

Afterward, you can cleanse your space if you like, such as burning palo santo, sprinkling Florida Water, or spraying Holy Water. Ask the divine spirits you work with (such as your higher power, angels, or deities) to give you loving, healing energy to fill the spaces within you where you released.

Self Love Bath

After letting go of what you don’t want to take forward with you, give yourself some much needed self love. I’m saying much needed because the vast majority of us are not very kind to ourselves.

But never forget: the relationship you have with yourself is the longest relationship you will have in your life. Therefore, it’s the most important.

Check out my full list of love-related plants and essential oils in the blog post All Things Love, but here are a few to get you started:

Essential Oils

Chamomile - Cinnamon - Clove - Jasmine - Juniper - Lavender - Lemon - Sweet Orange - Patchouli - Ylang-Ylang

Plants

Almond - Basil - Calendula - Cardamom - Comfrey - Copal - Coriander - Dragon’s Blood - Frangipani - Geranium - Hibiscus - Honeysuckle - Jasmine - Lemon Verbena - Magnolia - Marjoram - Marshmallow - Rose - Rosemary - Violet

Whatever herbs you choose, I recommend grinding them (I use a mortar and pestle or a small coffee grinder) and chop them. The idea is to get these to be as small as possible so they don’t clog up the drain in your bathtub.
Combine the plants of your choice with about 2 cups of either Epsom Salt or Himalayan Salt (especially if you have diabetes), either in a jar or a bowl. If you’re using essential oils, you can add them either to the salts and stir, or pour in the salt and then drop the oils into the bathwater.

When you’re drawing the bath, you can place crystals such as Rose Quartz or Clear Quartz in the tub to charge the water. Once you’re ready, take out the crystals and stir in the bath salts until they’re dissolved.

If you want to get witchy with it, place your hands over the water, and set an intention. You can ask the spirits you work with (such as your spirit guides, ancestors, deities, and higher power) for help when it comes to self love. You can be specific or vague, focusing on something in particular you want to change or asking for general overall help in the self love department. Do what feels comfortable for you!

When you’re in the water, stay for at least 15 minutes. You can meditate, relax, or do some self love exercises. For example, you can place your hands over your heart and say affirmations like “I acknowledge my flaws, I acknowledge my strengths, and I accept them equally. I love myself wholly and completely.” If anything else comes to mind and feels right, say it either out loud or in your mind.  

Some traditions do not believe in actually washing yourself in a spiritual bath, however I live in Southern California, which only recently came out of a drought, so I’m big on conserving water. Washing yourself is a form of self care and cleansing, so you can also imagine scrubbing away emotional grime, negative thoughts, whatever you feel could be attached to you that you don’t want to carry on your body anymore.

If there are other routines you enjoy when taking a bath, feel free to add those in. Light candles. Play music that helps you relax. This bath is all about you, so do what you can to make it a treat for yourself.

Going Forward

On Saturday April 20th, Taurus season begins. The sign of Taurus is an Earth element, and rules over wealth, stability, persistence, and determination. The phrase for Taurus is “I Have.”

Now that you’ve released energies that no longer served you and you have a renewed connection with yourself from the self love bath, what do you have that you didn’t have before?

How do you feel different? How do you feel the same? You can reflect, write, or meditate on these questions. If you and a friend do some of these activities at the same time, get together and discuss what you’re feeling.

Both Libra and Taurus are ruled by Venus, the planet of love. The changes you make during this Full Moon can be carried out and executed during Taurus season. Taurus enjoys feeling good, both at home and in the body, and looking good. You may want to treat yourself in little ways during this astrological season.

There will be a New Moon in Taurus on Saturday May 4th, and at this time you can determine what you want to manifest in your life. Similar to releases, you can start this list now and add to it over time.

Once you’ve released the things that held you back and have gotten used to that new energy, it’s easier to figure out where you want to go moving forward.

Tarot Reading

If you’re struggling in any or all of these areas, you can also book the Full Moon in Libra Tarot Reading with Kajora Lovely!

This tarot card reading answers the following questions for you:

• Where are you experiencing blockages when it comes to love?

• What needs to be released?

• How can you love yourself more?

• How can you make positive changes to bring more love into your life?

This reading is $45, and can be prepaid to Kajora-Lovely on Venmo. The reading can be done in person, over the phone, through Skype, or sent in detail in an email. To book your reading, email kajoralovely@gmail.com.

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Need Some Good News Tarot Reading

Do you need to hear some good news right now? Between tax season, Mercury retrograde, and everything else that’s been going on, you’re probably ready to hear some good news right now.

I’m currently offering a Need Some Good News Tarot Reading to help you get just that. In each tarot card reading, I call in the angels & divine spirits working with you to find answers that can help you the most.

This tarot reading provides answers to the following:

Where you can make a change in your life for the better

Something good coming your way

This reading is $40 and can be done in-person, over the phone, through Skype, or sent in detail in an email. It can be prepaid in advance to @Kajora-Lovely on Venmo. To book your reading, simply email kajoralovely@gmail.com.

Need Some Good News Tarot Reading with The Wild Unknown Tarot Deck

New Moon in Aries Tarot Reading

There’s a New Moon in Aries on April 5th, signifying the Moon’s growing strength as it moves into its waxing phase.

This is a significant moon phase because New Moons signify a new beginning. They’re a time to manifest what we want to build, develop, and grow in our lives. As the moon’s strength grows, we can implement the things we want in our lives.

The astrological sign of Aries is all about pursuing, implementing, and creating new things, so these two elements compounded together increase the potency of new beginnings. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, which fits in with this sign’s desire to do, to be, to create, to move things forward. In the human body it’s represented by the head, the thinking and planning that goes into conquering.

Aries is, after all, ruled by the planet Mars, and also relates to war. While this can mean outright conflict, it can also be translated as the things you want to pursue and conquer in life—the places you want to go, the things you want to do, the people you want to find yourself around.

If you need some help harnessing Aries energy and the theme of beginnings with the New Moon in Aries, I’m offering a tarot reading for $40.

The New Moon in Aries Tarot Reading answers the following questions:

What new worlds will you be conquering in the future?

What’s something you should pursue moving forward?

Something new coming into your life over the next six months

Tarot readings can be conducted in person, over the phone, through Skype, or sent in detail in an email. This reading is $70 and can be prepaid to @Kajora-Lovely on Venmo. To book your reading, email Kajora Lovely at kajoralovely@gmail.com.

To learn about more Kajora Lovely’s tarot readings, check out:

April Tarot Readings For Each Astrological Sign

All Things Love: Rituals, Oils & Crystals

The Hanged Man Tarot Reading

Spring Tarot Reading for Ostara

Blessed Ostara! Each year, this holiday takes place on the Vernal Equinox (when the hours of day and night are at an even balance) and marks the official beginning of spring. You can learn more about Ostara by checking out my full blog post here.

Each season, and the changes that come with it, mark what’s going on inside of us. When the equinoxes arrive, it marks a change in the relationship of day and night, usually marking the dramatic increase of one over the other: at the Vernal Equinox the sun is gaining strength and the days will be soon be longer, at the Autumnal Equinox the sun is losing strength and the nights will soon be longer.

In the spring and summer months we, like the plants, are emerging, growing, and blooming, and pushing more of our energy into the external world. During the autumn and winter months, we’re more inclined to turn our focus inward, to stay inside at home more often, and be more selective about where we direct our energy. This can be felt in various ways depending on how much you feel the seasons in your part of the world.

Right now we are moving into the emergence of life—new beginnings, fresh energy, changes, and blossoming. Just like the flowers, we too can bloom.

I’m currently offering a Spring Tarot Reading that answers the following questions:

What in your life needs nourishing?

What in your life needs to be released?

Where are you ready to let yourself bloom?

This tarot reading is $70, and can be done in person, via email, over Skype, or over the phone, and can be prepaid to @Kajora-Lovely on Venmo. To book, email kajoralovely@gmail.com.

Blessed Ostara!

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Vernal Equinox: Finding A Balance

Around March 21st of each year, we experience the Vernal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the first day of spring, and it’s significant because it marks the end of one zodiac cycle and the beginning of another by finishing out Pisces season and starting Aries season.

The Equinoxes mark the time of year when the hours of sunlight and nighttime are equal. At this time of year, the days are getting longer and the sun is getting stronger. It’s no coincidence that the Vernal Equinox marks the pagan holiday of Ostara, the precursor to Easter, celebrating the return of new life, crops growing, flowers blooming, fertility, and the general excitement that comes with a new spring season and knowing the temperatures will be warming up again. It’s also the time of Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

When we experience equal amounts of daylight and nighttime, there’s an opportunity for us to find a balance in our internal and external worlds.

Balance and the Tarot

In the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the two cards I associate with balance are Justice and Temperance.

Justice also represents the astrological sign of Libra, and with it symbolizes external balance. Lady Justice in the card can also represent a trial or legal process, but more often than not, in my readings it often comes up as a need for an external balance in life. This relates to how you interact with other people, your daily schedule, the foods you’re eating, the people you come into contact with, your home life, and so on.

The Temperance card represents the astrological sign of Sagittarius and the need for an internal emotional balance. This often refers to your day-to-day feelings, meshing two seemingly opposing concepts in such a way that it works for you, giving back to yourself as you need it, and finding the balance inside yourself that keeps you operating at a frequency where you feel comfortable.

Naturally, these are ongoing themes that pop up at different points in our lives. Sometimes these cards appear together, but it can vary. If someone has a stable home life, good job, and is more less happy with their social life, but has issues they’re not dealing with or is telling themselves something they know is not helpful, then there’s a need for an internal balance. If another person is checking in with themselves, taking care of their own emotional needs, yet hates their job or fights with someone they’re living with, there’s a need for an external balance.

However, what is true without is often true within. If there’s something off balance in your external life, chances are there’s something that needs attention internally.

Balancing Masculine & Feminine

The other spectrum of balance is between the aspects of divine feminine and divine masculine. Regardless of our gender affiliation, we all have some aspects of both within us, and in truth, we need both to keep an even keel within ourselves.

These aspects also relate to the concepts of Yin and Yang.

Yin energy refers to the feminine aspect, the Moon, Water, Earth, the color black, being receptive, emotional, passive, soft, unconventional, mystical, dreamy, intuitive, abstract, and receiving.

Yang energy refers to the masculine aspect, the Sun, Fire, Air, the color white, logic, faith, mathematical, traditional, hard, active, structural, analytical, and pursuing.

Personally, I believe that as we collectively explore the concept of gender, this can lead us to a better understanding of how we understand ourselves in an internal and external way. In my experience, people do not fit in completely with one aspect or another—they are often a combination of Yin and Yang.

Finding a balance around the Vernal Equinox can also mean looking at any of those aspects that seem to be nagging at you.

Reiki and Balance

Reiki is a Japanese healing originally inspired by The Buddha. The practitioner (such as myself) channels healing energy through their body to the person they’re working on.

In Reiki there is a way to balance each of the chakras or promote balance in any part of the body that needs it. Chakras are different energetic points throughout the body that relate to feelings of stability, creativity, empowerment, emotions, communication, insight, and the divine connection.

These aspects of the body often operate exactly as they should with the right amount of energy and momentum, or they can either be going too slow or too fast. For example, if your root chakra is weak, you might feel imbalanced, unsafe, and insecure in your daily life. If your throat chakra is going too fast, you might be sharing more than you want and feel like you’re experiencing word vomit. In these cases, bringing a balance can help because the intention is to bring the chakra to the appropriate energetic speed for you.

Finding a Balance Healing & Tarot Reading

The whole month of March offers a great time to do some work with yourself and see where you need or want to find a balance in your life. It’s a good time to sit with yourself in nature or do some journaling and self-reflection.

If you’re not sure where to start, I’m currently offering a tarot reading and Reiki healing. You can choose one or the other, or you’re welcome to do both. These can be done as distance sessions, with the reading and consultation done over the phone or via Skype, or in person in Long Beach, California.

Balance Reiki Healing

This Reiki healing focuses on bringing balance to the body. There is a symbol that brings balance wherever it is applied, and this can be done on all of your chakras and areas around the body that need it. During the session I will focus on what needs some balancing, and work on anything else that pops up during the session. There will be a consultation before and after. For distance sessions, these can be done while you’re meditating or relaxing at home. If your schedule doesn’t allow for it, it can also be done while you’re working or while you’re asleep. The session is 20 minutes and costs $50, and can be prepaid to @Kajora-Lovely on Venmo. If you’re interested, email me at kajoralovely@gmail.com, and we can work out the details for timing and work with your schedule.

Balance Tarot Reading

The Balance Tarot Reading can help you learn where to start in finding a balance for your life. It answers the following questions:

What area of your life needs to be balanced?

How can this balance benefit you?

What’s the first step you should take?

This tarot reading can be conducted in-person, over the phone, over Skype, or through email. It costs $70 and can be prepaid through Venmo to @Kajora-Lovely. To book, simply email kajoralovely@gmail.com.

Doing Both the Healing & Reading

If you would like to do both, they can both be done either in-person or distance. For distance readings and healings, these can be done over the phone, through Skype, or over email. I can email you the tarot reading, and we can email before and after the Reiki session—it’s up to you. If you would like to do both, it’s $120, which can be prepaid through Venmo to @Kajora-Lovely.

Additional Guidance

If you want to get some more information about what’s going on this month, check out my video below about the general energy for March and watch the tarot reading for your sign for the month of March.

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