Lady Victoria Eclectic Pagan's blog: "Celestial Events"

This is the time of the Quickening Moon. It still feels a lot like winter. Many parts of the world are still covered in ice and snow. Even here in Central Florida we are having stormy winter weather. But winter will soon be over, and the promise of spring is starting to stir. Animals that will be born in the spring are growing inside their mothers right now. Underground, the seeds and bulbs lying dormant are starting to come to life. This "quickening" is like the first small stirrings of an unborn baby in its mother's womb. Not yet visible to the outside world, but there just the same.

This moon is also called the Storm Moon, as this is typically the stormiest time of the year. But even though winter rages around us, spring is just around the corner. The winter months are a time of looking inward, of rest and rejuvenation. As spring gets closer, we get tired of being cooped up inside and long to be outside in the warmth and the sun. This is a good time for "internal spring cleaning". Let go of past disappointments and failures, of unrealized dreams and plans that never made it past the planning stage. Let them melt away like the snow and sink back into the earth to be absorbed and neutralized.

Now that the past has melted away, look ahead to the upcoming spring. Think about the seeds you want to plant. What do you want to accomplish in the upcoming months? Set your goals and make your plans. These don't need to be full-blown plans - just the spark of an idea is a good place to start. Whatever you can dream, you can accomplish - the only one holding you back is you.

Keep that spark alive; let it take root and grow. This year's harvest will be bountiful!

Correspondences for the Quickening Moon include:

Colors: Purple and blue
Gemstones: Rose quartz, amethyst, jasper
Trees: Rowan, Myrtle
Gods: Brighid, Aphrodite, Juno, Mars
Herbs: Hyssop, sage, myrrh
Element: Fire

Magical workings this month should focus on personal achievements and advancement, new beginnings, and new relationships.