Gemini Moon. Sounds of Spring.

Air sign Gemini is associated with communication among other things, so the voice and music are part of its realm. Yesterday's first delight was being awakened by thunder as the last of the night's rain storms passed through soon after dawn. The second delight was watching the storm move off quickly followed by a bright sunny day to explore the new blossoms opening everywhere. These are 'Awake and Sing' kind of days, as Gemini moon or sun days so often are.

A song sparrow spent a full glorious minute in the birdbath filled to the perfect level by the morning rain, hardly believing its luck, though always checking to see if any danger lurked while bobbing up and down in ruffled frolic. Followed by a big puffed up shake and a strong trill to its mate - this is bird bliss.

A friend who was helping me with garden chores later in the day discovered a nest of bunnies in a clump of woodrush, hidden by dead leaves and rabbit fur neatly piled in and around their hole. She carefully pulled the protection away to take a peek, and one bunny got the hiccups bouncing up and down probably thinking we were delivering a meal. Quickly we put the leaves back and found a wire crate to cover the area so the dogs wouldn't bother them but with big enough openings for mama to get through.. Now and then we can see the leaves move with baby bunny hops underneath.

Luzula sylvatica marginata

Gemini is also known by its symbol of twins. Communication needs two. One to speak and one to listen. The Age of Gemini occurred 6 millennia ago and is the period when human writing first developed along with an expansion in consciousness. Awake and sing, indeed.

Jonquil 'February Gold'

Capricorn Moon with Pluto. Last Quarter.

After a tough week back in the embrace of winter cold rain, wind and 

seemingly everyone with sniffles, today is like a benediction on the real 

end of winter. The sun is shining and no coats are needed. Everything is 

stretching out into the warmth with a kind of resolve to move on away from 

the shock of regression so late into spring. We move slowly, carefully but 

steadily onward with the resumption of the clean-up.

One of my most favorite chores in early spring is cutting back last year’s hellebore 

leaves, now finished with their protection of the new buds. I wait to do this when the 

flowers are opening, both because of those late nasty cold spells, but also because 

I love getting up close to the flowers for a good look at their level. Called the Christmas 

rose for it’s flowering during the Capricorn Sun time following winter solstice, few of ours 

actually bloom until March or April but then there is no stopping them. Each year they 

grow in breadth and strength and carry Capricorn toughness and determination in every 

cell of their being. The bees love them, slowing down to inspect them diligently with respect.

   Heronswood Yellow Strain #2

                           Kingston Cardinal

Virgo Moon. Busy as a Bee.

Virgo days, like these last two, are busy and full of details, fortunately backed with a lot of energy, usually, to do the many tasks at hand. A growing, waxing, Virgo moon heading toward full in spring adds to the momentum trifold. Even if it snows again this week, there is no stopping that momentum now!

About noon, as I headed over toward the area of the garden I intended to clean up, our dog, Percy, was acting strangely, as though seeing something that wasn’t there. Then I heard it, too. The HUM. As I turned the corner to where the winter heaths were in full bloom in full sun, there they were - a hundred newly awakened honey bees frenetically blazing from flower to flower as fast as they could go. SO fast that they couldn’t be seen or photographed as much more than a blur. Time was of the essence as the sun wouldn't be on the heaths very much longer and there was still chill in the air. And the heaths were at their peak of freshly opened, just at the same time as the arrival of the bees for this somewhat late first feeding of the new year. Phew…we are all so ready for spring.

Our honey bees rule our house, for they were living here in a corner of the attic before our family bought the house nearly 50 years ago. They don’t bother us and we don’t bother them. I learned many years ago that they need food immediately when they emerge in late winter or early spring, so I planted the heaths near their hives. In winter some of the heaths get beaten up by the winds, but these are well protected by hedges and thrive better than any others I have grown.  They are Erica carnea ‘Rosalie’ and if she likes where she is, Rosalie will spread happily over a large area making a great many bees and people happy. 

And there is nothing quite like a big HUM after the silence of a long winter.