Blue Moon

The second full moon in a month has just the same color as always. It does not turn blue at all. So why do people call this a blue moon? Can the moon really turn blue? There are several definitions of 'blue moon'.

1. Four hundred years ago, if someone said, "He would argue the moon was blue," it would be understood as, "He'd argue that black is white."

2. Also long ago, 'blue moon' was synonym for 'absurd'. "When the moon turns blue", would be similar to the expression "when pigs fly". It was so absurd that it would never happen.

3. In astronomy, we have a blue moon when certain types of dust and smoke from volcanoes or forest fires absorb red light. When this happens, the moon and the sun get a blue tint. This however is a very rare phenomenon. It happened in 1883 when the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa exploded, in 1927 when a late monsoon in India set up conditions for a blue moon and in 1951 when huge forest fires in Alberta threw smoke particles up into the sky.

4. The phrase "once in a blue moon" means, that an event is fairly infrequent, but not quite regular enough to pinpoint.

5. There are popular songs in which "blue moon" is a symbol of sadness and loneliness.

6. In recent years, the less scientific, but more popular definition of the blue moon has become widespread, namely that it is the second full moon within one month.

This new meaning has mainly become popular through the Trivial Pursuit game in 1986. Ever since this definition has been the most widely used.

So which version is correct?

Officially, the third definition, the astronomical one, is correct. The sixth definition, the two full moons in one month variety, may appeal to many people, but has no roots in folklore. But as this popular definition is now so widely used, it doesn't make sense to ignore it in favour of the astronomical description. When people claim that the 'second full moon' definition is wrong, then they are technically correct. Language is a dynamic medium however. So when enough people use a false expression, it will in time become correct. Therefore, at this moment, it is not more than logical to state that a 'blue moon' is a rare astronomical phenomenon, but also an occurence of two full moons within one month.

This article was based on: "The rising of the bogus blue moon" - Terence Dickinson "Folklore of the 'Blue Moon'" - Philip Hiscock

Making A Besom

Making A Besom

choice's of woods, for your handle.
Ash (protection, prosperity, health)

Birch (protection, binding, purification)
Dogwood (wishes, protection)

Elder (binding, protection, healing)

Oak (protection, health, money, healing)

Pine (healing, protection, binding, money)

If you decide to put a finish on the handle
strip the wood first then let it dry, it may need same

sanding.The next step is gathering the materials
for the "broomstraws" the binding and
any decorative touches you may want too add.
Straw is easily obtained and can be dyed using

herbal color, fairies love straw. Wheat can also be used,
how ever it could shed more than you wish.

Traditional binding for a magical, broom is a
Willow branch. The willow is flexible and easy

to work with. Binding the straw
(Soak your straw, work with it damp)
use a double binding method for this. Before cutting the

straw the length you prefer add two inches to make

up for the binding. Gather the straw with the ends
even and pointing towards the top if the

handle, distributed aroundyour handle, bind the

added two inches with strong twine, fold the

straw down pointing in the right direction and

bindwith the Willow branch.

Personal touches
Make the Besom uniquely your own.Use your

imagination and have fun creating!!

The Moon Is Full Tonight

Cool is the night and worm is my
hart, that I give to thy

The Moon takes me in her arms and carries me
away to the land of the Witches.

This poem’s author is un-known

To Be A Witch

To be a witch, is to love and be loved.
To be a witch is to know everything and to know nothing at all.
To be a witch is to change the world around you and yourself.
To be a witch is to share and give, and to hold hands with the universe.

To be a witch is to honor the Gods, and yourself.
To be a witch is to BE magick, not just perform it.
To be a witch is to be honorable, or be nothing at all.
To be a witch is to be accepting of others who are not.
To be a witch is to know that what you feel is right and good.

To be a witch is to harm none.
To be a witch is to know the ways of old.
To be a witch is to see beyond the barriers.
To be a witch is to follow the moon.
To be a witch is to be one with the Gods.
To be a witch is to study and learn.
To be a witch is to be the teacher and the student.
To be a witch is to acknowledge the truth.
To be a witch is to live with the Earth, not just in it.
To be a witch is to be truly free.