Kynes - Star Magic: The Wisdom of the Constellations for Pagans & Wiccans

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

Star Magic: The Wisdom of the Constellations for Pagans & Wiccans 2015 by Sandra Kynes.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the form of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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First e-book edition 2015

E-book ISBN: 9780738744391

Cover design by Lisa Novak

Cover Illustration: Erika Steiskal

Interior illustrations by Gavin Dayton Duffy and the Llewellyn Art Department

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Llewellyn Publications does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business arrangements between our authors and the public.

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Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

2143 Wooddale Drive

Woodbury, MN 55125

www.llewellyn.com

Manufactured in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to stargazer Lyle Koehnlein,

my son and special star.

Contents

: Astronomy and Astrology

: Getting Started Stargazing

: Engaging Star Energy for Magic and Ritual

The Spring Quarter of March, April, May

: The Summer Quarter of June, July, August

: The Autumn Quarter of September, October, November

: The Winter Quarter of December, January, February

: The Southern HemisphereSummary

: Finding Your Latitude

: The Stars and Color Magic

: The Fixed Stars of Medieval Magic

: Meteor Showers

: Complete List of Constellations

Introduction

Have you ever wished upon a star, reached for the tars, or thanked your lucky stars? Those twinkling lights in the dark heavens have mystified and bedazzled people since time immemorial, and they still fascinate us today. Although the stars may seem remote, their familiar patterns have provided comfort and guidance when the world was lit only by firelight. Many ancient people observed the night sky and documented the constellations in one form or another; some through myth and others using complex mathematics. People of the past used the stars to reckon time, navigate the seas, and coordinate the planting and harvesting of crops. Even today, in our well-lit techno world, the stars remain a source of wonder, drawing enormous attention whenever a spacecraft sends images home to Earth.

I have fond childhood memories of summer nights lying in the grass, looking at the sky, and trying to fathom the distances. My father was a Boy Scout Scoutmaster and loved spending time outside teaching young people about the wonders of nature. Of course, that included my sister and me. On nights of meteor showers, he would point out the areas of the sky to watch. I would secretly cross my fingers and hope to see a shooting star upon which to wish. The enthusiasm that I inherited from my father was passed on to my son. During his childhood, he and I spent many Saturdays uptown at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The dinosaur room always topped our agenda, but the day wouldnt be complete without visiting the Hayden Planetarium where we both marveled at the spectacle even though it was only a show. My sons interest continues to this day, and as a professional photographer he takes every opportunity to capture the stars.

The most well-known and impressive testament to ancient peoples observations of the sky is Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain in England. Not only does it speak of the importance in marking celestial events, but also the cumulative knowledge necessary to embark on such a project. However, while the ancients were quite familiar with the patterns in the night sky, we, sadly, are not. We are drawn by the glamour of the moon as we celebrate its shining fullness with our esbats. And although we may follow the turning wheel of the zodiac, how many of us can identify these constellations when we look up at the night sky?

Beyond recognizing the Big or Little Dippers and maybe Orions Belt, what star patterns do most of us know? Perhaps part of the problem is that few of us experience the true darkness of night as our ancestors did. Their world wasnt as bright as ours with its artificial light 24-7. Light itself is a form of pollution that takes away the dark cover of night and diminishes or obscures the twinkling grandeur above. As a result, the most inspiring sight to behold in the night sky is the moon. While Earths satellite is enchanting, we unfortunately miss almost everything else, or when we do see the stars we may not know what we are looking at. Because of this, we are missing out on some very powerful magic.

The idea of using constellations for magic and ritual isnt new. Medieval texts included details about stars and how to determine the optimal time to draw their influence into talismans as well as other uses. A small remnant of this remains in our use of birthstone jewelry. If we believe that the constellations of the zodiac hold a great deal of power and influence, then why not the others? While each of the zodiac signs have their time on the solar stage of day, have you wondered what goes on opposite them in the night sky? When Pisces and Aries are casting their birth influences as backdrops to the sun, Libra and Virgo are bringing balance and welcoming spring during the night. In addition, just as a cloudy night does not block the energy of a full moon, so too does the power of stars reach us even if we cannot see them.

The stars have always had a profound influence on us. Many of the goddesses we acknowledge, worship, and honor today have been known as star goddesses. Known by many names in numerous cultures, Astarte was ultimately known as the Queen of Heaven. Ishtars symbol was the eight-pointed star, and Inanna was known as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Legends of the Egyptian goddess Nut, who is depicted as the span of heaven arching over her earth husband Geb, predate sacred texts. Isis, first-born daughter of Nut and Geb, became the mistress of the cosmos when her parents retired to heaven. The Romans depicted Vesta as a star goddess whose pure flame was a beacon in the darkness of the night sky.