The Hitchhiker's Guide to Mercury Retrograde (and Other Planets)

 As you probably already know - like it or not, the dreaded Mercury entered retrograde motion in Libra on the 27th September to transit through it until the 18th October.

By now the famous effects of "Mercury Retrograde" are so recognised and entered into common language, that even those who are not fond of Astrology use it as an excuse when something goes wrong.

Precisely, in recent days, we have had evidence of the "harmful" influence of this astrological aspect: the servers of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp have been short-circuited for hours on a global scale. The most sceptical of you will ask: what does Mercury have to do with a technical problem in social media? We are here to explain it to you.

Mercury takes its name from the Roman God patron of commerce, travel, eloquence, transformation and speed (just to name a few). The planet, therefore, governs everything related to communication, the exchange of information and goods. In its direct motion, its energy propels us positively towards the expansion in our way of relating to those around us and solving problems.

In a retrograde way, the energies move in the opposite direction - that is towards the inside, thus making interactions with the outside world and, consequently, communication problematic.

Do you see the link now, between the technical problems on social media (the quintessential tool of modern communication) and the stars?

What little is talked about is that not only Mercury can be found in this particular motion but also the other planets of the Solar System, and - for every retrograde aspect - there is a lesson to be learned and not just a fatalistic justification for the own bad luck.

Like all the movements and cycles of this universe, we can channel their energies in the most suitable way. The fundamental rule is to study them, get to know them and get in tune with them - like all the laws of the cosmos.

First of all, what does “retrograde motion” mean?

According to Western Astrology, the observation of the planets in the celestial vault takes place in a geocentric way - we observe their movements from planet Earth; the celestial bodies in their diurnal motion seem to rotate from West to East.

This motion sometimes seems to stop and proceed in the opposite way along their elliptical, moving from East to West, (obviously this is an optical illusion, due to the rotation of the Earth around its axis and the movements of the planets around the Sun.)

When they proceed in reverse for a limited period of time, it is called "retrograde motion".

As well explained by this map, there are several phases in the apparent motion of a planet:

• Directed Motion: the “natural” motion of the planet, according to which energies move according to their natural flow.

• Cone of Shadow / Pre-Shadow: the point where the planet begins to slow down, thus also braking the flow of energy, up to the stationing point.

• Retrograde Motion: the phase in which the celestial body seems to proceed in the opposite direction, making the energies connected to a particular planet flow in the contrary direction. In the case of Mercury, a planet linked to communication, it is a propitious period for introspection, for communication with one's self. On the other hand, it is not a suitable period for external communication.

• Cone of Shadow / Post-Shadow: the phase in which the planet returns to move in direct motion, but with a still slowed speed. The influences of retrograde motion may still be felt.

• Directed Motion: we return again to the natural mode of transit, with the consequent return of the energies towards their usual course.

All planets observable from Earth go through phases of retrograde motion - more or less long, depending on where they are located in the Solar System.

The farther the planet is from the Sun, the longer the period of apparent retrograde motion and the more frequently it occurs: Mars, for example, has a period of retrograde motion which lasts 72 days and occurs approximately every 25 months to coincide with its opposition; while Saturn enters it every 13 months in a retrograde motion lasting 138 days.

How do the planets behave in their motions and what to expect?

Here is a brief guide, for a quick reference:

• Mercury ☿: As explained above, this planet governs the way we communicate, think and reason. In retrograde motion, it can create some confusion in traffic, communications or with technology. As mentioned, this is a propitious time to communicate inward and do introspection, rather than projecting outward.

• Venus ♀: it regulates everything related to our way of loving, our concept of beauty and the value we give to ourselves. In retrograde motion, it forces us to evaluate people or situations that we thought were long superseded or our current relationships. It is a good time to ask yourself how much a relationship is worth, to try to remedy something, to clarify something that prevents us from expressing ourselves as we would like with our closest loved ones.

• Mars ♂: it regulates our sexuality, our way of acting, fighting and confronting others. In retrograde motion, its action can be very abrupt and create conflicts, with outbursts of anger and nervousness; the energies of retrograde Mars are to be channelled by developing resilience, patience and activating healthy processes of competition to improve oneself.

• Jupiter ♃: it regulates our luck, destiny and our spiritual and philosophical research; being sometimes considered a generational planet, its effects are experienced more collectively than personally. In retrograde motion it can question our values ​​and encourage us to see things from a different point of view, it can bring us opportunities that, if caught, will bear fruit when it returns to direct motion.

• Saturn ♄: the planet of reasoning, rules, structure and time. In direct motion it acts to eliminate what is wrong in our life; when it is retrograde it leads us to be even more reflective and makes us aware of the changes it is bringing in our existence. It is the ideal time to enhance, rework and develop our current situation and see reality clearly.

• Uranus ♅: the planet of changes, always comes into our life in a very stormy way. When it is retrograde, the revolutionary forces of Uranus stand by, preparing to spring back into the world in the next direct motion. It is an opportunity to plan and develop a plan to be manifested once the natural order of things has been restored. Uranus will then be the celestial agent that will allow us to realise it at the right time.

• Neptune ♆: the planet that rules the dream world, our subconscious, spirituality and every creative expression. Even in direct motion, it acts in a subtle and submerged way; in its retrograde motion these effects will be particularly exaggerated - making it difficult for us to recognise reality from deception, making us lose our bearings. If these are the effects on the material world, in the spiritual world we can connect with our intuition, dreams, creativity and psychic abilities with greater ease.

• Pluto ♇ the planet that governs the process of "death and rebirth", eliminating what we do not need in our path and making us lift our heads with renewed energy. In retrograde motion, it creates space for reflection: we can use these energies to contemplate what brings inner dissatisfaction, and then gradually (but radically) eliminate old problems and old, harmful habits.

As mentioned above, this is really a very schematic guide, as there would be many things to say - but fear not! Like with every lunation and on the occasion of every important astrological event, we will give you the information you need to make the most of the energies in circulation. However, we invite you to do your research and, above all, to channel the energies and live them on your skin.

There are no bogeys in the Universe, if we know the laws that govern it in depth in order to safely navigate the dense waters of the Cosmos. I leave you with an illuminating quote, to remind you that - with the necessary knowledge - we are the masters of our destiny.

"Astra Inclinant, non necessitant." - St. Thomas Aquinas

(The stars incline us, they do not bind us)

♃Ludna

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Fonti:

https://eratostene.vialattea.net/wpe/

http://astronomicon.co/it/

The Great Conjunction - The Wind of Change

 The year 2020 can certainly be defined as interesting, to put it mildly: it began with a severe conjunction between Saturn and Pluto, with wildfires fuelled by climate change, and then continued with a global pandemic, social revolts and drastic political changes.

The year ends with with another very important and talked-about astronomical and astrological phenomenon: the conjunction in Aquarius between Jupiter and Saturn.

In fact, the two giants of the Solar System will dance together, as not seen for 800 years, forming a beautiful Christmas Star on our horizon.

In reality, this astrological aspect occurs every 20 years, but it is since the Middle Ages (precisely since1226) that we do not see them as close and as powerful as in these days. What makes this conjunction particularly special are the sign in which it occurs and also the date itself, the 21st December - the Solstice; adding an extra boost to this planetary alignment.

Let's see them together.

As we have already seen, Saturn is the strict master of the zodiac: he governs discipline, responsibility and karmic laws. He is the one who is responsible for the structures that govern our society.

On the other hand, Jupiter regulates everything related to philosophy, spiritual research and the thirst for knowledge; he pushes us to affirm our ethical and moral values. He too is a master, like Saturn, in reality he is a much more benevolent figure than the latter - in fact Jupiter is also associated with destiny and luck, as the growth dictated by this planet is a prosperous and generous development. 

The two Time Lords unite under the same astrological element about every 200 years, in fact since 1802 we have seen all conjunctions under Earth signs - up to the last one in Taurus in 2000, at the gates of the new millennium.

The focus of these two planets, so different and so co-dependent on each other, has been directed towards earthly aspects, bringing with them undoubted economic prosperity, accumulation of goods and wealth but also the exploitation of natural resources, colonial expansions and materialism.

Not surprisingly, in the nineteenth century we were at the heart of the Industrial Revolution, a great change that would then change the way of life on the planet - both for humans and not. It began the spasmodic search for new colonial territories, the era of coal followed by the ubiquitous oil, the birth of Capitalism and its consequent unbridled consumerism until we find ourselves having to deal with an imminent climate crisis with catastrophic potential.

But now the register changes, bringing a burst of fresh air (literally) in a year that perhaps can be considered the worthy conclusion of an era: until 2159, in fact, these two planets will dance in the element in the Air. A planetary encounter that could lead us to the discovery of new inventions (landing on Mars, anyone?), changes in our way of communicating and thinking.

While with the previous Pluto-Saturn conjunction, we exposed our weaknesses in order to test the backbones of our structure, now is the time to sow the seeds for a new society. Jupiter prompts us to open our minds, letting Saturn make our thoughts tangible for a lasting plan.

We now enter the house of Aquarius, one of Saturn's natural domiciles.

Futuristic, revolutionary and linked to the community, it is time to ask ourselves: what do we want to leave behind, to enter the future with open arms?

The signs are already there, for those who can read the laws of the cosmos.

Until we return to see the sacredness of the universe that surrounds us, we will be stuck in a karmic loop: racism, homophobia, misogyny, ableism, capitalism, deforestation, animal exploitation… Consequences such as climate change and the pandemic are only the tip of the iceberg.

More and more people are returning to their origins, abandoning patriarchal religions and embracing an inclusive spirituality. The sprout of change is growing healthy and strong: the number of individuals who are taking an interest in the environment is growing, adopting a sustainable lifestyle, zero waste and a vegetable diet, embracing important causes such as battles for LGBT + people, POC and people with disabilities, others are renouncing the colonization imposed by the West to return to walk the path of their ancestors, repudiating a system imposed with blood… This return to contact with the Earth, to empathy, to respect it is the hope in healing deep generational wounds, which damage humanity and the planet.

And on this day, where the Sun shines again after the long darkness, this change is even more symbolic and important - yet another powerful esoteric message on the threshold of a new era.

The Age of Aquarius is coming, whether you are ready or not.

♃Ludna

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Love Thyself - Crisis of Faith, Self Care and Ramblings of a Lesser Witch

2020 was a year that deprived us of many things: those who lost their jobs, those who lost someone dear, those who lost their freedom. We knew from the beginning that it would not be a year like any other, given the astrological picture that has accompanied us in recent months.

And we are not yet at the end of this mad rush! In December another important planetary conjunction awaits us: on December 21st Saturn and Jupiter will unite under the progressive sign of Aquarius, bringing further shocks to the current global situation. We also remind you that the 21st December will mark also the Winter Solstice (or Summer Solstice, depending on where you are), another very important date from an esoteric and energetic point of view.

If you have been bored so far between climate change, pandemics, riots, social justice and international political crises; fasten your seat belts well because we are flying one more time.

Yet, despite all this fervour on both the subtle and the mundane planes, not all of us felt electrified by this energy boost - for better or for worse.

I myself, despite having tried to inspire souls to take a position in a year so unique in its terrible singularity, I have often found myself helpless in the face of all this, losing my feisty attitude.

My altar, although it is still decorated for every sabbat, has been waiting patiently to be used for months - apart from sporadic magical work.

And that's okay.

Why am I telling you this?

Because, like probably many of you, I felt guilty for my negligence. Inadequate. Weak. Not worthy of the practice.

There are heavy energies all around: the Earth suffers, humanity suffers.

So many of us have found themselves dealing with anxiety and depression at best.

This feeling is further amplified by the omnipresent and oppressive media presence of pagan influencers, pass me the term: instagram, pinterest and tiktok (or "witch-tok", if you are part of the community) are studded with #aesthetic photos, always on the hunt of the perfect chromatic combination and the most captivating font.

Like everything, spirituality has become the object of pride and consumerist accumulation of trendy witchy items, bought from famous e-shops.

We must remind ourselves that not all that glitters is gold: the web is a flashy showcase, but it is not a window to the real world.

Just as we cannot compete with the influencers, queens of Photoshop, in the same way ostentatious spirituality is probably not a mirror of a person's personal practice.

A jumble of magical tools nicely arranged in a #witchaesthetic photo doesn't suddenly make us enlightened gurus.

We must learn to accept it and, above all, to accept ourselves.

You cannot expect to be able to practice on the subtle level if you are not healthy on the material level, both from a physical and mental point of view.

Does this make us witches worse than others?

Absolutely not.

Each of us is a different person, with a unique story behind them, with different problems and situations. We cannot in the least compare ourselves to another person, as each of us is unique in the world - and fortunately, because diversity is what makes us wonderfully human!

The main thing is to get to know yourself and know your limits, on every level.

It seems like a cliché, but the first step to love ourselves is acceptance.

This does not mean, of course, giving up on continuously improving (we’re living this life to learn a lesson, after all) but I also invite you to love yourself and not be a slave to such a competitive world. Especially in a historical moment like this, where we are all inclined to jump to the throat of others for the most futile reasons.

What other things can we do next, then, to help us feel better about ourselves?

☽ Disconnect from the media! It is important to stay up to date on what's going on in the world, but if you are feeling low and have anxiety problems, surely the last thing you need is more negative news, over which we have no control, and the usual biased debate between users. As explained above, they increase competition anxiety and a sense of inadequacy if we don't feel fit to practice as we would like.

☽ Another thing probably trivial but worth mentioning: connect with Nature. In general, our society has detached itself from the sacredness of Mother Earth in the name of the god of capitalism - causing deep generational wounds. The one and only underlying cause of racism, climate change, any pandemics and so on: the lack of empathy that connects us to the thin energetic web of the cosmos.

And if you live in a populous city, don't despair: Gaia can be found everywhere, even in the smallest corners of a metropolis. You don't need to be in an impenetrable forest to connect to Earth.

**Click here to learn how to reconnect with Nature**

**Click here to learn about Genius Loci**

☽ Furthermore, we are going through a very delicate period: Samhain (or Beltaine) is approaching and the veil that separates our world from other dimensions, is thinning more and more. This year, in particular, will be even more challenging than usual given today's climate.

It is natural that the energies in circulation are heavy and not particularly positive, so an energetic cleaning is recommended - in order to lighten the environment around you.

**Click here for some useful tips on how to cleanse your house from negative energies** 

☽ A method that can help us get back into the magical perspective is to fix a routine, without too many complicated rituals: just light an incense in the morning, as a small thanks, or a moment of meditation in the evening.

The third eye is an organ like any other, the more we train it, the easier it will be to practice. I, for example, am a creature of habit who only works with a list in front of my face and having a magical routine helps me a lot in staying anchored to the practice.

☽ If you feel like it, this is a great time to start doing Shadow Work. While it is natural to want to return to light and carefree, one must take note of one's dark side: darkness is part of us, as much as it is our bright side. Don't try to hide it under the rug, hug it.

☽ Seek professional help, in case you feel the need. These tips are designed to help you but do not substitute medical help or therapy you are following in the slightest.

This feel-good society has taught us that only light, goodness, life and love are positive and
useful, completely ignoring that grey area that sooner or later will catch up with us. 

In fact, in this modern age, we no longer know how to manage emotions that are considered "negative" such as anger, sadness, grief, etc. And when there are times when we feel down, we don't know how to react.

So, why do Shadow Work? This practice helps us to identify our weaknesses and the skeletons hidden in the closet, through a real inner journey. And what better time of the year than during the descent into darkness?

And therefore, during our journey towards the darkest part of the year, I hope that the advice above has been useful to you and I wish you a peaceful - however complex - descent into womb of Mother Earth. Have courage, embrace it: make it your ally to improve yourself.

♃Ludna

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Zeitgeist - Remember your Power

Zeitgeist ‹tsaɪt.ɡaɪst›, noun [ S ] German [Comp. of Zeit "time" and Geist "spirit"]. - Expression coined in the context of German romantic-idealistic philosophy between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and translated into English "spirit of the age", which is used to indicate the ideal, cultural, spiritual climate that is considered characteristic of an era.

This post will not be poetic and embellished with refined words, it will be naked and raw.

This tumultuous period we are experiencing and this recent lunar eclipse in Sagittarius, coinciding with a sun in Gemini, are throwing petrol on my feisty Aquarian nature.

The stars had already predicted it, this will not be a simple year.

And they will not be the only astrological aspects to consider: we have just passed the full moon, the Solstice is approaching and also June will be dotted with six retrograde planets.

We are already seeing the fruits of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto, which are uncovering Pandora's box: we are questioning our personal values, our way of communicating, the society in which we live and its laws. The well-loved Mercury in Cancer (bringing hidden wounds to the surface) and Neptune in Pisces will also join the party (showing us the naked and raw reality, stripping it of the veil of illusion). Sound familiar?

I'm not going to look into it more in depth, because there would be a lot to discuss and there are already numerous articles about it - written by people who are much more competent in this regard. I conclude by saying that the sky is favourable to us, in a historical moment like this.

Those who practice esotericism and walk its path know that nothing is random: everything happens for a specific reason, in the great divine plan. But I also firmly believe in free will and that we can be the architects of our fate: the astrological picture is propitious, but revolutions cannot happen without the spark that makes them explode in wildfires.

And this is where I appeal to you, because believe it or not witchcraft is also political.

But it is not a question of choosing between right or left, it is a question of following the centuries-old path of the oppressed and persecuted and defending their rights.

Some of you have said that we are not our ancestors, if we live in a racist world it is not our fault. When we decide to call ourselves witches, we take responsibility for accepting the weight of our ancestors, for better or for worse. It is up to us to remedy the mistakes of our people.

Because we may not be racist ourselves, personally, but the society in which we live is: a system based on the blood of oppressed peoples and stolen lands. And if we do nothing to change it, we are accomplices of those who commit injustices every day - because silence is as serious as violence. Remember there is a substantial difference between not being racist and being anti-racist.

Nobody is born a racist, we become racist thanks to an obsolete Eurocentric vision.

It all goes back to the disconnection we have with our planet, there is no respect for life - this disconnection is the same that pushed us to oppress other peoples, destroy entire ecosystems and put life itself in chains.

So what can we do?

If you can go out into the streets to demonstrate, perfect: do it, physically support the cause. If you can also help on the subtle plane, even better.

Activism has many forms, including magic, since the dawn of time: from court wizards to the witches of the New Forest, who made a banishing spell on the Nazis during the Second World War. Certainly other factors have played their part including the extraordinary stubbornness of the English people and the determination of the Royal Air Force, see it as you wish but Hitler never set foot in the United Kingdom.

We are going through an asphyxiating period, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the heaviness of the energies in circulation: too much suffering, anger and death (I also remind you of the recent pandemic, still ongoing). For those who are particularly empathetic, it can be very difficult to fight physically or on the esoteric plane.

But don't worry, there are many other things that can be done to contribute: spread information, donate your time or your money if you can and especially we can use this time to educate others and ourselves.

They are all useful and necessary aspects, rivers that flow into the same sea; one does not exclude the other and are equally important.

We leave here underneath one of the many links where you can find out how to help:

https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Do not underestimate your power: secular empires have fallen because someone has had enough of them one day. The colossus of the Third Reich did not expect to have to fight a fierce resistance from people who were fed up, in addition to the enemy army.

Humanity is capable of terrible things, we know it well, but also of extraordinary achievements.

But Rome did not fall in one day, for this reason I want this awareness to go far beyond the hashtag on Instagram. Don't forget this fight, once the waters calm down; unfortunately we tend to have short memories: we were all feminists at the time of the #metoo, we all demonstrated during the pride month, we all became environmentalists when we talked about climate change, we all praised the beauty of nature and human solidarity during the covid . Now who's talking about these? Have we forgotten already? Yet everything is still there, nothing has disappeared.

The key word is resilience.

We must insist until a society is created that guarantees full rights to all its citizens, regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity and physical characteristics, where NO ONE is disadvantaged and where diversity is celebrated as enrichment, not seen as a reason for shame.

It is up to us to change these world views as witches and humans.

♃Ludna

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Waldeinsamkeit - Thoughts on Genius Loci and Covid

The Moon Rising as The Milky Way Sets - © Chad Powell Photography 2019

Those who also know me in my private life, know that I am a tireless traveller: my unstoppable desire for wanderlust, always pushes me in search of new places, intense colours, exotic dishes to savour and dive into cultures far from mine.

Probably I inherited a little the curiosity that characterises me from my father, who travelled in his time far and wide on the continent armed with a camera, an old and broken-down car and a sleeping bag during the glorious 70s, a little might be thanks to my Aquarius placements; as soon as I was old enough to travel, I found myself on a plane to explore horizons other than the usual Veronese sky I was used to.

After travelling most of my dear Europe, so familiar yet so multifaceted at the same time, I decided to change continent. I then hopped to Thailand, Cambodia, India until my recent trip to the United States of America.

2020 not only marked a new decade, a new era for everyone - both numerologically and astrologically: 2020 was to be my year for travel too. My partner and I had planned Morocco, Norway, Madagascar and probably South America at the end of last year.

And instead, here we are. Like the rest of humanity, we find ourselves forced into our small island. Literally, since our house is located in a strip of land off the English Channel.
When the pandemic started, our reaction was of dismay and uncertainty, not knowing what we were dealing with. Until resignation and acceptance, a process I believe can be shared with the rest of humanity.

As we have mentioned in several articles, nothing happens by chance: this virus is a reminder for us to make us understand we are living the wrong lifestyle, both spiritually and not. Fruit of a consumerist way of life, reckless and not in line with the laws of Mother Earth, it forced us to stop and reconsider our actions. It will then be up to us to decide whether we want to learn from this lesson or whether we want to persevere on our journey, then paying the consequences again in the near future.

Having said that, what lesson can I have learned - personally?

In recent years I admit that I felt confused, I may have gone through perhaps what is called a crisis of faith: while my esoteric knowledge grew exponentially in a theoretical way, my sensitivity to the world of the occult that led me to approach it in the first place, it was getting thinner and thinner. I could read voluminous tomes on how to connect with spirits, but I no longer felt that shiver at the base of the spine that made me excited during my first, rudimentary rituals.

Why?

The answer is very simple, and it has been under my nose all this time. But I was too focused on everything else to realise it: a busy working life, a social life to be maintained both in reality and in the social media sphere and various frivolities filled my time but took away the focus from the essential. I was so used to getting on a plane, to get out of the routine, to convince myself to look for beauty elsewhere - completely forgetting to really appreciate the land in which I live.

Twilight at Mount Bay -
© Chad Powell Photography 2019

That same land that offered me comfort and wonder when I moved to England: away from 
smartphones, social media, work and commitments. I didn't know anyone, I didn't have a job, I didn't have a smartphone and I limited my online presence to sporadic access in front of an old laptop. 
My only company, during my long hours of solitude, were my thoughts and the beauty of nature around me: the impervious cliffs, the intoxicating scent of foxglove, the green open spaces kissed by the sun, the shady woods ... That amazement which then became apathy and habit, like covid.

During this forced break, not being able to get away to chase that traveller's thrill and nauseated by the toxicity of the media, I learned again to appreciate the beauty that surrounds me and to enjoy the company of Mother Earth. Far from human beings full of resentment, frustration and ignorance.

I am isolating myself, I am detoxifying, I am finally aligning myself with the rhythms of the spirits around me. This was the lesson I was taught: I forgot to honour the sacred land on which I live, consequently moving away from its power and losing my vision as a Witch. Yet the answer has always been there, under my nose. But sometimes we need to go against a wall, to realise what we are doing incorrectly.

That's why I no longer felt like a powerful, aware Witch: the more I studied, the more stupidly I walked away from Gaia.

Waldeinsamkeit is a German word, made up of wald-woods and einsamkeit-solitude. It is a word that contains the feeling of wandering in solitude in the forest, in symbiosis with nature. A word that does not have a translation into another language outside of German, but a mood certainly known to many of us.

As I mentioned in my very first posts, my first rituals all took place in the woods. A wonderful forest, located at the gates of Verona and at the foot of the Alps, where nature made sure that I found my calling.

The feeling of being a parallel dimension, where everything remains suspended in fragments of time, is indescribable. The smell of the undergrowth, the lapping of the waters, the lazy buzzing of a bee. It is here, where the sunlight barely filters through the leaves of the trees, that the Gods walk among us.

Where I currently reside, I am fortunate to have an ancient forest near my home. Parkhurst Forest covers 500 hectares with oaks, conifers and thick undergrowth; one of the last strongholds of the red squirrel - now extinct in most of the country, supplanted by the grey squirrel.

This forest, sometimes obscure, healed me in one of the darkest moments of my life: on a rainy day, I decided to follow one of the less travelled paths and go into the green meanders of the forest. I was the only person in the woods that day, and I stripped myself of all the pain and ghosts that tormented me. I found myself dancing in the rain, singing and feeling free as never before in my whole life.

And here I am, after years, once again to retrace these forgotten paths to pay homage to the ancient spirits who welcomed and healed me - calling me after all these years, while I was groping in the dark looking for answers. It is funny how nothing is casual in esotericism, in one way or another we always get where we need to go.
Nothing will ever give me the same feeling of tranquillity, peace and inclusion as walking in nature - not even getting on a plane in search of divine illumination on the banks of the Ganges.

This I feel like telling you, in the light of my quarantine reflections: study, travel, learn as much as you can, broaden your horizons. But never forget to relate to your land, you don't have to go to the top of a mountain. Even the city park of your country is full of microcosms and spirits, just connect to it. If you take care of the earth, the earth will take care of you.

Both in our small ways and in the grand scheme of things.

Being disconnected, believing ourselves to be gods on Earth and trampling and mistreating our ecosystems have led us to today's situation: deforestation, intensive breeding, unbridled industry are the causes of climate change, covid and suffering that we are living as a planet and humanity. It all comes together to be distant from Gaia, let's start again from small things to build a world that lives up to everyone's rights.

♃Ludna

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The Year of the Witch.

January 2020: Australia is on fire fuelled by the denial of climate change, such as Russia and the Amazon forest, while the situation is becoming increasingly tense between the West and the Middle East once again; the dawn of a new decade, a new era in this newborn millennium. On the 12th January, moreover, the cosmic meetup between Saturn and Pluto under the sign of Capricorn enters the picture, giving a further shock to this global precarious situation.

What should we expect from this astrological picture?

The conjunction of these two planets occurs roughly once every 30 years, normally bringing drastic changes: in 1914 we saw the outbreak of the WWI, in 1947 we were under the Iron Curtain of the Cold War, while in 1982 we witnessed a global economic crisis , the war between Iran and Iraq and the invasion of the Soviet Union into Afghanistan.

From an astrological point of view, Saturn regulates everything that is connected to time and reality as we perceive it in the material world, reflection and learning but also the law of cause and effect. Pluto, on the other hand, is the lord of the underworld and agent of karma par excellence: it regulates our deepest desires, death (physical or symbolic), our personal power and the lessons that we must face in this earthly life on the occasion of our rebirth.

The meeting between these two forces, our Saturnian foundations and the incessant Plutonian destruction, will test the very structure of our existence.
As we can deduce from the examples mentioned above, we must prepare for turmoil, thorny political situations, general pessimism and anxiety: we could witness the inexorable expansion of the crack in the wall, up to a possible collapse of the building.

From a personal point of view, we will fear of not having control over our life, making us anxious and insecure. We will need to focus on our inner strength and determination, but learning to accept our limits too.

However not all evil comes to harm: if the foundations are solid, the structure will endure. In fact, this is the key to reading the Saturn-Pluto conjunction: the elimination of the superfluous, what doesn’t last through the passage of time; stripping the pillars naked and crushing them under the karmic press to test their resistance.

And it is precisely in this stormy sea that we have to drop anchor, explore our abysses and re-emerge from the innermost depths of our ego. Be the storm that shakes the oceans of time, be the maelstrom that overthrows the status quo. This is our time to act, 2020 is the year of the Witch.

We are not simply and helplessly witnessing the destruction of the raging elements. We are the axis mundi, we are those who whisper to the forces of Nature, the same mother who calls us in her presence to defend her from denial, indifference and the cruelty of her ungrateful children.
Let us take advantage of the wind of change to act as agents of chaos: in this land that is on fire, we rise like phoenixes from the ashes of the past.
Because it is not only a matter of the deconstruction of the international political situation, and our mundane life; it is a real call to arms even on the subtle plane.
Connect with Nature, connect with yourself, join forces with others who, like you, are rising, send positive energies to heal the planet and fight tooth and nail for it.

But do not think of Mother Earth as a defenseless and dying creature: life always finds its way. This planet has lived and survived for millennia - with or without us. The global emergency we are experiencing is nothing but the bill to pay for our greed and ineptitude. What we can do is recognising our role in this play, join Gaia to stop this abomination and create a new era of awareness.

The Age of Aquarius is bringing a new spiritual awakening: more and more people are abandoning imposed religions to walk the path of their ancestors, breaking the chains of a toxic patriarchy and claiming the sacredness of their land. Let us take advantage of this ominous sky to embrace this destructive force and use it to found a better and respectful society.


If you wish to continue this reading, we invite you to check also the following:


- Environmentalism
- Magical Ethics 

♃Ludna

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The Chimera

What is the oldest art we know? Painting? Writing? Singing?

It is sorcery, which accompanies us from the dawn of time; when the first man began to stand erect, connected to primordial nature. Before polluting himself and the world with wars, technology, politics.

Witchcraft is a wolf, which has followed us on our journey.
A hound walking in our shadow, watchful,lethal and vigilant.

I often hear critics about characters such as Aleister Crowley or Gerald Gardner because what they said is "not good", "is old-fashioned". Characters who, for better or for worse, overturned the status quo of tradition. These occultists are children of their time, during which that was the kind of sorcery that was needed.


I smile when I hear the pagan fundamentalists pointing their finger, when one does not follow to the letter a tradition as ancient as humanity itself. How can we pretend to judge, if we blindly accept dogmas imposed by others?

Magic is a chimera, changing shape and evolving with us.

Witchcraft is an instrument, and as such it must be used to obtain what we need.

Why making animal sacrifices in a Europe that can survive without the meat industry? Why faithfully following centuries-old traditions, of people once circumscribed in isolated territories?

The question that must be asked is always: "Why do you do this? What can I do better?".
These are the questions that our ancestors asked themselves, the questions that led them to discover the movement of the planets, electricity, penicillin and all those great inventions that have revolutionised the world. By simply wondering why things, going against tradition.

Sorcery is revolution.

Witchcraft does not look to the past, it looks to the future.
It is important to know who we are and where we come from, but we must look ahead: time flows, and us with it. And if we continue to walk backwards, we will end up with the nose straight against a wall!

Let us be revolutionary! Let us ask ourselves the why of things! Let us improve them, if we can.

But not with littleness and lightness, as we have often been taught by the New Age disciplines. But in depth. Breaking the rotting roots and growing new cuttings - strong and proud, pointing towards the stars.

Do not worry about being labeled as crazy, as heretics. The witch is a liminal, solitary being.

The ultimate limit of witchcraft is not to bend an unrequited love or a lottery win to one's pleasure. The ultimate limit of sorcery is to guard the key to the dimensional door, which unites the multiverse.

It is there, in the middle of the axis mundi where the dimensions collide and merge into the very fabric of cosmost, we reach the climax during the sabbath. The only limit is the lack of knowledge, the only thirst that drives us to improve ourselves and the world around us.

♃Ludna

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