Scargle Scroll 08.01.24

Happy New Year and welcome to January 2024! It has been a long time since we at Scargle have been able to put out a Scroll, 2023 was a year of movement and change, but we have missed these monthly catch-ups dearly! In the Chinese year of the Wood Dragon, we are back with a bang! January might not be the month of action, (with us still being in the dark time of the year) but it is its own magical time of sowing the seeds of our goals and intentions for the year ahead. Even as we find ourselves still in the dark time, there is a stirring in the frost-covered earth. We have past the long night; there is the promise of the long bright days to come, we see this in the blooming of gorse, and the golden rays of the winter sun.

And so dear reader, to prepare you for the year ahead, we are back with knowledge, tips, and tricks to make January magical!

The January Season

In the January garden the rich, cold earth is glazed with a bloom of white sparkling frost, glittering in the late sunrise. Containers that had gathered sulky pools of water earlier in the winter have turned magical: distressed and ancient-looking glasses, some of them shattered into jagged shards.

The cold-forced neglect of our gardens is evident everywhere, while we were sheltering from the long dark nights the weeds have taken advantage of us and have slunk slow but unchallenged across the cool earth. Leaves have gathered sullenly around shrubs, like skirts, and in corners of patios, the glorious golds, reds, and ambers of autumn just a memory. All the leaves have turned to sludgy brown by the winter rains. They are well along their path to returning to the earth now: the next stop is rich, loamy compost.

The winter sun, falling in shafts between the deep shadows of the buildings, does not reach nearly high enough in the sky to clear the rooftops. And in those slices of the weak sun a farmer, gardener, or green witch might work, feeling the faint warmth picturing the year’s stems and where they might be led. The dreamy eyes see bare twigs but the mind sees spring blossoms, rain falling on summer leaves, and the ripening of apples in the autumn blushed with crimson.

The garden workers whether they be magical or not, are not the only sign that the year is turning towards the light. Bulb shoots spear up through the earth, new-year green among the world-weary evergreens. Hazel catkins make clean, vertical, green-gold stripes among the tangled growth, taking their chance to spread windblown pollen while the way is clear of leaves. And then, towards the end of the month, like a traveller from another time, there is a single primrose, living up to its name’s likely Latin origin - prima rosa, meaning ‘first rose’.

Plant for January

The dark month of January seems to hold little outward life or growth, yet if you find a protected South facing area you just might find the new vibrant green leaves of hardy nettle poking through the winter soil. Offer your hand for a sting. There is a medicine in the sting, it encourages the release of endorphins, and what a way to zap away some of the winter blues! If the plant is large enough, consider (ethically) harvesting some leaves for your overnight infusion. Remember to ask the plant for her medicine and to offer a gift in return.

Urtica dioica

Nettle

Parts used: New growth leaves and stems. Seeds and roots in the autumn.

Actions:

· Nutrient tonic

· Anti-inflammatory

· Diuretic

· Anti-rheumatic

· Alterative (blood builder)

· Astringent

· Anti-viral

· Circulatory tonic

Specific uses:

· Whole body tonic, high in trace vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, B Vitamins

· Reduce fatigue, improve stamina

· Nourish Kidneys and adrenal glands (diuretic: help with stabilizing blood pressure)

· Nourish immune system

· Nourish the endocrine system: increase metabolism normalise weight

· Create strong, flexible bones, high in calcium, magnesium and vitamin D

· Ease/prevent sore joints (rheumatism, arthritis): diuretic to flush uric acid

· Promote healthy skin, hair

· Increases fertility and high folic acid content.

Applications:

· Leaf: overnight infusion: 4 cups/day as strong vitamin and mineral tonic.

· Fresh leaves steeped in apple cider vinegar or as a honegar.

· Boil fresh spring leaf (potherb) for spring tonic/detoxification (use like spinach in any recipe: soup, lasagne, omelette, pasta)

· Juice with honey (nettles honey) as a hemostat, and bronchial tonifier, for colds, flus, to clear mucous.

· Flagellation: counter-irritation for arthritis brought about by histamines in nettles.

· Seeds: “The seed of nettle stirreth up lust…” Gerarde Johnson (1633)

· Seeds and roots: decoction for hair rinse: dandruff, hair loss

· Nutritive plant food and compost. Good companion plant in the garden.

· Serotonin released with the stinging of nettles (cheer yourself up with a sting!)

More Nettle love:

· A plant of water and earth: feminine energy

· Plant of protection: plant by your house for literal and metaphysical protection

· Plant of adaptability and flexibility: will flourish where it is needed and loved

· Nettle's power is best understood when gathering her fresh leaves. She commands respect so approach her with great care and proper etiquette

· Teaches healthy boundaries

In Ireland, the day before May Day (Bealtaine) was known as Nettlemas Day.

Wear nettles in an amulet to keep away negativity.

For Reflection:

I dare you, allow the nettle to sting you. Invite her to sting you, in fact! How does the sting feel? How do you feel?

“If you gently grasp a nettle, it will sting you for your pains, grasp it tightly like a rod of metal and it soft as silk remains” – Old Irish Country Verse.

A poem to meditate on the beginnings of January 2024

Personal Helicon by Seamus Heaney

For Michael Longley

As a child, they could not keep me from wells

And old pumps with buckets and windlasses.

I loved the dark drop, the trapped sky, the smells

Of waterweed, fungus and dank moss.

One, in a brickyard, with a rotted board top.

I savoured the rich crash when a bucket

Plummeted down at the end of a rope.

So deep you saw no reflection in it.

A shallow one under a dry stone ditch

Fructified like any aquarium.

When you dragged out long roots from the soft mulch

A white face hovered over the bottom.

Others had echoes, gave back your own call

With a clean new music in it. And one

Was scaresome for there, out of ferns and tall

Foxgloves, a rat slapped across my reflection.

Now, to pry into roots, to finger slime,

To stare, big-eyed Narcissus, into some spring

Is beneath all adult dignity. I rhyme

To see myself, to set the darkness echoing.

The Month Ahead For the Naturalist

The Sea

Spring tides are the most extreme tides of the month, with the highest rises and the lowest falls, and they follow a couple of days after the full moon and new moon. These are the times to choose a low tide and go rock-pooling, mud larking or coastal fossil-hunting. Neap tides are the least extreme, with the smallest movement, and they fall in between the spring tides.

Spring tides: 12th-14th and 26th-28th

Neap tides: 4th-6th and 18th-20th

The Sky

The Earth

The Earth reaches perihelion (the closest point to the Sun in its yearly orbit) on the 3rd of January at 03:39 Universal Time, when its distance from the Sun is 0.983306994 AU (147,100,977 km).

For northern-hemisphere observers, the Quadrantid meteor shower reaches maximum on the night of 3rd-4th of January, when the Moon is around Last Quarter, so conditions are reasonably favourable.

It is one of the strongest showers of the year, with rates comparable with Perseids (in August) and the Geminids (in December), however peak activity is very short and easily missed, although the stream usually produces bright fireballs .

The Planets

Mercury comes to western elongation on the 12th of January. Venus is bright (at mag. -4.0), not far from Mercury in the morning sky. Mars (which is mag. 1.3 to 1.4) is in the same area, but lower in the sky. Jupiter (mag. -2.4 to -2.5) is in southern Aries and Saturn (at mag. 1.0) is in Aquarius. Uranus (mag. 1.0) is in Aries and Neptune (very faint at mag. 7.9) is in Pisces.

Quadrans Muralis

The Quadrantid meteor shower perpetuates the name of an obsolete constellation, Quadrans Muralis, the Mural Quadrant. The instrument consisted of a quadrant mounted on a north-south wall, and used for measuring stellar positions. The area now forms part of the constellations of Bootes and Draco.

The Moon

At Last Quarter on the 4th of January the Moon is 2◦ north of Spica in Virgo. It is o.8◦ north of Antares on the 8th of January, and then, a few hours later, passes 5.7◦ south of Venus. It is south of Mercury the next day on the 9th of January, and 4.2◦ south of Mars on the 10th of January. On the 14th of January, the Moon is 2.1◦ south of Saturn, and close (1.0◦ south) to the much fainter Neptune the next day. On the 18th of January, at First Quarter, the Moon is 1.8◦ north of Jupiter and 3.0◦ north of Uranus the following day (the 19th of January). It passes 9.5◦ north of Aldebaran on the 21st of January. By the 24th of January, a day before the Full Moon, it is 1.7◦ south of Pollux. On the 27th of January the Moon passes 3.9◦ north of Regulus.

Moonrise and set

Like the sun, the moon rises roughly in the east and sets roughly in the west. It also rises around 50 minutes later each day.

Full Moon: Rises near sunset, opposite the sun, so in the east as the sun sets in the west.

Last Quarter: Rises around midnight, and is at its highest point as the sun rises.

New Moon: Rises at sunrise, in the same part of the sky as the sun, and so cannot be seen.

First Quarter: Rises near noon, and is at its highest point as the sun sets.

Moon Phases

Last Quarter – 4th of January, 03.30

New Moon – 11th of January, 11.57

First Quarter – 18th of January, 03.53

Full Moon – 25th of January, 17.54

Wolf Moon

Because the howling of wolves is often heard in North America in winter, the Full Moon in January is often known as ‘the Wolf Moon’. The name may originally stem from the Old-World, Anglo-Saxon lunar calendar. Other names for this Full Moon include: Moon after Yule, Old Moon, Ice Moon, and Snow Moon. Among the Algonquin tribes, the name was ‘squochee kesos’, meaning ‘the sun has no strength yet to thaw’.

January Meditations

This midwinter month is perfect for dreaming into the coming year. The darkness invites us back home to ourselves, drawing us inwards, removing the protective layers we have built up over the past year. January exposes us, lays us bare like the oak tree. We are at our most intuitive at this time of year – there is a clarity to January like you’ll find in no other month. All is quiet, all is still. It is time to do our inner work. The busyness of the festive season is behind us; we can take in a deep breath and give out a long sigh, releasing tension in our body and creating spaciousness from which to dive deeply into this transformational month.

Contrary to popular belief, January is not the time for new beginnings – it is time for rest, reflection and imagining. It’s time for contemplation, for daring to believe in our wildest dreams. January is an invitation to consider a new way of being. It gifts us with time to plan and explore possibilities for the coming year. Our dreams and intentions at the beginning of any cycle set the scene for the journey ahead. Remember … energy flows where attention goes. Imagine your 2024 story is as if it were already written.

The lunar cycle can help guide our decisions and actions during the year ahead. This month the new moon will be rising on the 11th in the astrological sign of Capricorn. Echoing the seasonal energies, it heralds the time for forethought and planning. Capricorn encourages us to focus on our purpose and manifest our practical magic. This new moon will help ground our dreams by giving them roots from which to grow productively and efficiently.

As we approach the end of the month, our moon blossoms full on the 25th in the bold and courageous sign of Leo. This is the time to express our truth. However, we’re still doing the inner work and dreaming of our plans for the year ahead, so we can use the illumination of this full moon to strengthen and protect our energy in preparation to stride boldly forth into 2024.

Making a space for January

Choose a space and clear it. If you want to use it for quiet moments and meditation, select a quiet, tucked-away spot, perhaps even a cupboard or a box that you can close. If you want everyone to see it and contribute to it, as they come and go, make it on a hall or kitchen table.

Consider choosing a different table cloth for each month. Make space for a candle, and think about buying some different coloured candles to match the months’ moods. Spend some time at the beginning of the month walking or pottering around in the garden and see what you can come up with.

You might consider writing something down at the beginning of each month – an intention, thought or word for the month ahead – and tucking it under a stone or ornament to look at again at the end of the month. And as we are in January, you could do the same for the whole year ahead.

Your table/altar this month might include:

· Pieces of moss

· Twigs of oak and ash, to compare and learn the differences

· Lichen

· Seed heads

· Feathers

· Stones and pebbles

· Candles in white or blue

Light your candle each morning in January, while the mornings are dark. Take a moment to think about this still, quiet moment in the year, to enjoy the dark and the cold, and the cosiness of your candle glowing in the dark.

Kitchen Witchery: Anti-Anxiety Chamomile Sweet Rolls

Ingredients

Chamomile Milk

· 1 cup of milk

· 3 chamomile tea bags

For the Sweet Rolls

· 1 and 2/3 cups of flour

· 1 cup of Sugar

· ¼ tsp. baking soda

· 1 ½ tsp. baking powder

· ¼ tsp. of salt

· ¾ cups of butter (melted)

· 3 egg whites (at room temperature)

· 1 tbsp. of vanilla extract

· ½ cup of sour cream

· ½ cup chamomile milk

For the icing:

· ¾ cup of powdered sugar

· 1 1bsp chamomile milk

· ¼ tsp. of vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180◦C

2. Prep your mini bunt tin with butter and sugar. The sugar will create a crisp edge on the sweet rolls.

3. Pour your 1 cup of milk into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.

4. Then add your 3 chamomile tea bags into the saucepan and let them steep.

5. While the tea bags are steeping, you can take the time to meditate on the intent (anti-anxiety) of the spell. Just spend some time with it and stir your intent into the milk.

6. Add all your dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix them together .

7. In a separate bowl first add in your melted butter, then your egg whites, and then your sour cream, vanilla extract and chamomile milk.

8. As you pour your chamomile milk into the bowl say: “worry and fear you have no home here” three times.

9. Then whisk together all your wet ingredients.

10. Now pour your wet ingredients mixture into the bowl with the dry and stir continuously.

11. As you stir say : “by each stir my worries blur” three times.

12. Once ready, pour your mixture into your mini bunt tin and pop it into the oven for 18-20 mins.

13. Once they are ready, set the sweet rolls aside to cool.

14. If you have the time, while you are waiting for them to cool, you can spend some time meditating on the intent of your sweet rolls.

15. Once they are fully cool, pop them out and trim off the little dome that they get on the bottom, perhaps save these bits as an offering.

16. Then you can prepare your icing by placing the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and chamomile milk into another bowl, mix well and perhaps add more powdered sugar or milk until you are happy with the consistency.

17. Once you are happy with your happy with your icing, begin to spoon them onto your rolls and say: “with the completion of this spell all is well” three times.

Enjoy these chamomile sweet rolls whenever you are need of some comfort and calmness in your world.

Astrological Conjunctions for January 2024

Welcome to a new month, a new year, and a new epoch! With the sun beginning in Capricorn and ending in Aquarius, January kicks off the monumental, two-decade-long presence of Pluto in Aquarius. As award-winning astrologer Natasha Weber puts it, “January’s astrological climate feels like standing at a crossroads, with one foot in the world of steadfast responsibility and the other itching to dance into carefree revelry. It’s like the cosmos is handing us a mixed playlist, featuring both melancholy ballads and feel-good tracks.”

On the 30th of December, Jupiter went direct, and on the 1st of January, Mercury followed, bringing speed to commerce, communication, and financial markets. “Mercury going direct and gaining momentum in Sagittarius in early January brings a sense of relief. For anyone with contracts waiting to be signed or crucial negotiations pending, this planetary shift is a welcome change. It’s like the cosmos’ green light to move forward with important communications and agreements,” Natasha adds.

The last 2023 retrograde ends at month’s end, when Uranus—the planet of change—goes direct on the 26th of January. From now and until the 30th of March, there will not be retrograde planets in the sky, making January, February, and March some of the most productive months of the entire year!

The most powerful planet in the sky is Mars, which entered its sign of exaltation on the 4th of January. When Mars is in Capricorn, our way to chase our goals adopts a structured, diligent, and strategic approach. Our eyes are on the prize, which is most likely related to career or personal business matters.

Mercury and Venus also enter Capricorn on the 13th of January and the 23rd of January respectively, adding more strength to Mars. “Navigating through January with its strong Capricorn influence feels a bit like gearing up for a marathon. The key is to embrace all things Capricorn, which means diving headfirst into work, organizing your life like a pro, and not shying away from responsibilities. It’s about facing any tasks or problems you’ve been dodging, especially if they’re related to setting healthy boundaries in relationships or finances,” Natasha agrees.

The desire to succeed will be felt deeply by us all, especially between the 14th of January and the 20th of January, which is when the sun will activate Pluto. Consciously or unconsciously, we are aware that we are closing a fifteen-year cycle—and we want to do our very best! “January might feel like having a coach who pushes really hard. So, it’s also important to remember to breathe, keep expectations realistic, and plant our feet firmly on the ground—but not so firmly that moving forward becomes impossible. The trick lies in striking that sweet spot between diligent work and taking care of ourselves,” Natasha suggests.

On Thursday, the 11th of January, we welcome the new moon in Capricorn, one of the best lunar events of the year to set intentions related to career, business, and public visibility. However, anything we begin now can be successful, as Mars will be forming a trine with Jupiter.

According to Natasha, “The new moon in Capricorn is like a stern mentor, reminding us that the party hats need to be shelved for a bit longer. There’s this relentless push to keep working hard, to stay the course. However, the complex involvement of Pluto and Uranus stirs up a cocktail of uncertainty and anticipation that can leave many of us feeling slightly on edge, wondering what twists and turns lie ahead.”

Expect big headlines and news around the 20th of January, which is when the sun and Pluto meet right before entering Aquarius. This is the last time this conjunction will happen, as Pluto will only return to Capricorn from September to mid-November. According to Natasha, “This signifies the culmination of Capricorn’s lessons for humanity. These lessons revolve around the challenges of working in large corporations with minimal benefit for the average person, the excesses of society’s fat cats, the impacts of mega financial institutions and big banks, dominating government rule, divisive international borders, cultural segregation, and major cover-ups. While in Aquarius, we can expect Pluto to expose and dismantle these structures.”

“Power to the people” is the Water-Bearer’s mantra and one that will keep resonating with more and more people worldwide, over the course of the next twenty years. As the old structures continue to crumble, concepts of freedom, revolution, and individuality come to the forefront. The developments we began seeing in AI earlier this year, for example, are just the beginning, and can be and will be both, positive and negative, depending on how we manage them.

“This transit will gradually foster cohesive communities, independent enterprises, and acquiring new information and knowledge, some of which might be initially shocking. Most notably, there will be significant advancements in science and technology, including robotics and artificial intelligence. However, the potential misuse of these technological advancements is a pressing concern. As 2024 progresses, vigilance against emerging threats like deep fakes, voice recognition technology, and escalating cybercrime will be crucial. The bright side of Pluto’s shift into Aquarius is genuinely something to be excited about, particularly in the areas of medical and scientific advancements,” Natasha adds.

The month comes to a close with the 25th of January with the full moon in Leo, which will feel, after so much intensity, like a breather. Perhaps a bit tired of putting so much effort into our career, we will now feel like letting loose and having fun! Both, the sun and moon, will be forming a square with Jupiter, meaning that some of us might get lucky after the enormous effort we have invested towards our goals. Creative work can easily be accomplished now, setting the stage for what we want to create for ourselves in the year ahead.

In a cosmic nutshell, Natasha affirms that “January presents a complex tapestry of energies—a month of balancing the act of diligent work with a dash of fun and a ton of transformation. It’s about finding joy in the journey, even when the path feels a bit rocky. By finding this balance, we can tap into the productivity and efficiency that January lays out before us. It’s about setting the stage in preparation for what promises to be an eventful 2024.”

Environmental Magic: What Witches can do to help the Earth

A new segment of the Scargle Scroll will be an idea each month on how we all can do our part to help the environment. Whether you are a witch, pagan, or spiritual practitioner, environmental and wildlife conservation and protection should be a big part of your practice, as we strive to live in harmony with our world. In the month of January, turn your eyes to the sky, and participate in the RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch! Taking place between the 26th and the 28th of January 2024.

The RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch

Big Garden Bird watch is the world’s largest garden wildlife survey. Every year, hundreds of thousands of nature lovers like you take part, helping to build a picture of how garden birds are faring.

Across the UK, over half a million people took part in Big Garden Bird watch 2023, counting a whopping 9.1 million birds! House Sparrows took the top spot, but counts of these chirpy birds are down by 57% compared to the first Bird watch in 1979. In fact, we’ve lost 38 million birds from UK skies in the last 60 years. With birds facing so many challenges, it’s more important than ever to get involved in the Bird watch. Every bird you do – or don’t – count will give the RSPB a valuable insight into how garden birds are faring.

Magical Dates for January

Tarot Club the 10th of January 2024 7 pm-9 pm Cost £15

In this month's Tarot Club, we are going to take a closer look at the suit of pentacles. Pentacles correspond to the element of Earth, the force that energetically relates to our planet as the source of sustenance, security, and stability. The suit of pentacles represents practical matters, money and resources, the body, and the material world. The perfect suit to explore in January as many of us are striving to keep newly made resolutions.

Full Moon in Leo Ritual Thursday the 25th of January 2024 7 pm Cost £10

Join us for our Full Moon Ritual where we will work within the fiery energy of Leo to aid in our manifestations for the New Year.

BRAND NEW Meditation Monday! Monday the 15th of January 2024 7 pm - 8 pm Cost £10

Due to popular demand, we are delighted to announce Meditation Mondays at Scargle Nargle. Join us for a monthly evening of working on guided meditations and breathwork in sacred space, working to nourish your spiritual growth.

Brighid’s Crosses Night Tuesday the 30th of January 2024 7 pm - 9 pm Cost £15

Join us for our annual Brighid’s Crosses night, a relaxing and thoughtful night of honouring the Goddess Brighid in making a traditional Brighid Cross in preparation for our Imbolg celebration

Imbolg Celebration Sunday the 4th of February 2024 3 pm Cost £10

Join us for our Imbolg Celebration where we will honour the Goddess Brighid in her three aspects Poet, Smith, and Healer as the wheel of the year turns once more. Seasonal refreshments provided.

If you are booking for the Brighid’s Cross evening and would also like to attend the Imbolg Celebration, joint cost is £20

Other Announcements

We are delighted to announce that our resident aromatherapist and Reiki healer Margaret will now be available to offer appointments on Mondays. Click on the link above to book or contact the Scargle Nargle business page on Facebook.

We have been busy behind the scenes at Scargle Nargle and have worked to create a new holistic treatment that will now be available.

Cord Cutting Treatment

A powerful holistic treatment, tailored to cut negative or toxic energetic ties or bonds that you may have to a person, relationship, familial issue, experience, or anything that which no longer serves you. Treatment performed by one of our ordained Priestesses. Cost is £45 allowing 1.15 hour for treatment.

Immuno-stimulating Massage

Are you feeling tired and sluggish after the festive season? Are you struggling with a sickness that you can't shift or low energy? Come to Scargle Nargle for an immuno-stimulating massage by our resident certified aromatherapist and masseuse Margaret. Allow her to craft an Essential oil blend tailored specifically for your needs and to boost the immune system and keep those nasty flus and colds at bay. This treatment is available for full body, half body, head, neck and shoulders, etc. A great way to kickstart the year with a body that is revived and refreshed. Prices are detailed in our updated price list below.

DISCLAIMER: 2023 was a difficult year for local businesses, and here at Scargle have felt the effects of this with rising costs of living, and so going forward we will now be asking for non-refundable, non-transferable deposits for treatments, classes, and workshops to be paid in advance, at the latest 48hours before appointment/class date. We also ask that Rituals be paid for fully in advance at the latest 48 hours before the date. Thank you for your continued support.

We hope you have enjoyed this fifth edition of The Scargle Scroll, and hope that your January is filled with brightness, warmth and magic!

Bright Blessings!

Scargle Scroll 08.01.24

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