Miss Dana December, 2011

I’m so excited! The start of the Christmas season has begun!

Not because I celebrate as a Christian or even celebrate it as a secular holiday. It is because it signals my favorite time on the wheel of the year. Winter.

Just saying “winter” brings to my mind clear, crisp, cold nights standing outside looking at the stars, the darkness falling by late afternoon. The smell of wood burning in fireplaces and snuggling inside surrounded by the quiet of the night. Truly, Silent Night bliss.

Our home prepares for the decorations of the season in November with Thanksgiving. Cleaning and making room for family and guests is step one. Preparing menus for the next several weeks is step two   followed by the trimming of the house with decorations for Winter Solstice.

Our main tree is in the family room.  We have collected and made ornaments that represent the elements as well as suns, moons and stars.  We also look for things that each of the family loves. There are fairies, mountain bikes, birds, ballet dancers, roses, ivy, and frogs and things from our childhood trees, which are now considered “antique”! A star is shining on top and quilt batting is laid underneath as a blanket of snow. A blanket our cats look forward to each year.

I have a tree dedicated to Bridget in my kitchen. Garlands of macaroni as well as miniature pots and pans adorn it. Star anise is hung, as are little cookbooks. A cornhusk doll holding bread in on top and a darling cow sits patiently at the base.

This year I am creating a Pink Bubble tree for our bedroom. A Pink Bubble is a visualization technique where you see the person or situation as perfect and then surrounded by a pink bubble. Release the bubble to float and find the highest good of all concerned.  My tree is a pink feather tree with clear glass balls and garlands of glass balls. It looks like it is covered in bubbles! The larger glass balls can be opened for a slip of paper with a name or situation written on it to be placed inside. I wake each morning and smile as I see this tree. Blessings bubble up and are sent to family and friends

Christmas, Solstice, Winter; all three words remind me of the importance of family, friends and home. It is our need to find the Light in the darkness to bring hope, clarity and warmth.  How beautiful it is to be in harmony with the world at this time. A perfect time to “Pink Bubble” this beautiful planet!

Tags: christmas, winter solstice, yule

• Articles

Administrator December, 2011

Lesser Sabbat – Winter Solstice, circa Dec 21

Other Names:
Jul (“wheel”, Old Norse), Saturnalia(Rome ~December 17 & 18), Yuletide(Teutonic), Midwinter, Fionn’s Day, Alban huan, Christmas (Christian~December 25), Xmas, Festival of Sol, Solar/Secular/Pagan New Year

Animals/Mythical beings:
yule goat (nordic), reindeer stag, squirrels, yule cat, Sacred White Buffalo, Kallikantzaroi-ugly chaos monsters(greek), trolls, phoenix, yule elf, jule gnome, squirrels, wren/robin

Gemstones:

cat’s eye, ruby, diamond, garnet, bloodstone

Incense/Oils:
bayberry, cedar, ginger, cinnamon, pine, rosemary, frankincense, myrrh, nutmeg, wintergreen, saffron

Colors:
gold, silver, red, green, white

Tools,Symbols, & Decorations:
bayberry candles, evergreens, holly, mistletoe, poinsettia,mistletoe, lights, gifts, Yule log, Yule tree. spinning wheels, wreaths, bells, mother & child images

Goddesses:
Great Mother, Befana (strega), Holda (teutonic), Isis(egyptian), Triple Goddess, Mary(christian), Tonazin(mexican), Lucina(roman), St. Lucy (swedish),Bona Dea (roman), Mother Earth, Eve(Hebrew), Ops(roman Holy Mother), the Snow Queen, Hertha (German), Frey (Norse)

Gods:
Sun Child, Saturn(rome), Cronos (Greek), Horus/Ra(egyptian), Jesus(christian-gnostic), Mithras(persian), Balder(Norse), Santa Claus/Odin(teutonic), Holly King, Sol Invicta, Janus(God of Beginnings), Marduk (Babylonian)Old Man Winter

Essence:
honor, rebirth, transformation, light out of darkness, creative inspiration, the mysteries, new life, regeneration, inner renewal, reflection/introspection

Dynamics/Meaning:
death of the Holly (winter) King; reign of the Oak (summer) King), begin the ordeal of the Green Man, death & rebirth of the Sun God; night of greatest lunar imbalance; sun’s rebirth; shortest day of year

Purpose:
honor the Triple Goddess, welcome the Sun Child

Rituals/Magicks:
personal renewal, world peace, honoring family & friends, Festival of light, meditation

Customs:
lights, gift-exchanging, singing, feasting, resolutions, new fires kindled, strengthening family & friend bonds, generosity, yule log, hanging mistletoe, apple wassailing, burning candles, Yule tree decorating; kissing under mistletoe; needfire at dawn vigil; bell ringing/sleigh-bells; father yule

Foods:
nuts, apple, pear, caraway cakes soaked with cider, pork, orange, hibiscus or ginger tea, roasted turkey, nuts, fruitcake, dried fruit, cookies, eggnog, mulled wine

Herbs:
blessed thistle, evergreen, moss, oak, sage, bay, bayberry, cedar, pine, frankincense, ginger, holly, ivy, juniper, mistletoe, myrrh, pinecones, rosemary, chamomile, cinnamon, valarion, yarrow

Element:
earth

Threshold:
dawn

Tags: christmas, sabbat, yule

• Correspondences

R. Wolf Baldassarro December, 2011

The Ghosts beneath the Mistletoe

The days are increasingly shorter, the air chills to the bone, and nature slumbers beneath a blanket of sparkling snow. This is the time of year when we gather with friends and family to talk, share life’s adventures, and relive the year’s memorable moments. If you’re like many folks, you’re also gathered around a television to enjoy classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and Dickens’ immortal A Christmas Carol.

But take a step back and look at these holiday classics through the lens of a seasoned investigator and you’ll begin to see them in an entirely new light. It is, after all, a fairly spooky ghost story wrapped around the morals of giving and sharing.

The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future are similar to the phenomenon of “Anniversary Imprints,” residual hauntings resulting from an emotional, physical, or electrical discharge that “records” an event into the atmosphere of a particular location and which usually manifest around the same time each year.  Such imprints can appear non-conscious and redundant, but since the Spirits were highly interactive with Scrooge, it appears Dickens melded different aspects of the Spiritualist philosophies which were commonplace in the London of his day.

The arrival of Bob Marley on the first anniversary of his death fits the definition of a Revenant. These entities project an appearance of being distressed or misplaced; often a recently departed person who returns very briefly to make contact with loved ones to serve as an act of closure before going on to the afterlife. Perhaps the more appropriate classification for poor Marley is the Guardian, a spirit who returns to warn family members of imminent danger. These entities offer messages or aid during moments of distress to others.

The Ghost of Christmas Future is clearly a Harbinger, a ghost that brings warning of impending events.

Aside from the various spiritual entities throughout the story, some other cornerstones of psychical research play a large role in the adventure. For instance, Scrooge’s journeys are what we refer to as Astral Projection, or Astral Travel. Astral Travel is the theory that a person’s spiritual awareness can temporarily detach itself from the physical body, remaining connected by what is called the “silver cord,” and experience things in other locations, time frames, or dimensional planes; the spiritual body and the physical body are then able to act independently of each other. That is why Scrooge travels through time and space but must return to his bedchamber to await the next spirit- and all within a single night.

But this is all, of course, fiction; so what sort of real-world personal experiences provide similar events? Here are but a few anecdotes that I will share with you.

The Winter Solstice also brings with it a recurring event to residents of Lower Boscaswell (Cornwall). A lady in white holds a red rose in her mouth, then turns and walks into fog. Some say that to see her will bring misfortune.

On Christmas Eve in Kempston (Bedfordshire), England, local legend tells of a child that ran out of Kempston manor to greet his parents who were returning in a horse-drawn coach. He was hit by the horses and died of his injuries. Now, the anniversary of the event is marked by the reoccurring sounds of the tragic incident.

A man’s mother passed away in 1964; that same year he moved from Nova Scotia to Ontario. Christmas Eve, 1971; on the tree, one string of lights, which was supposed to flash, had stopped several days before. According to the witness it was five minutes to midnight when the fireplace suddenly went out, and the string of lights started to flash, and the other lights stopped flashing. He reported the room becoming very chilly when a figure appeared in the recliner- his mother, with a smile on her face. His wife, who had never met her, reported the same thing. It never spoke but at the stroke of midnight the fireplace lit up and the lights on the tree stopped flashing and the others started flashing again. The figure was gone and the lights on the tree never flashed again.

A woman received a call from beyond one Christmas. The phone rang and upon answering it, a familiar voice casually said, “Hello there.” It was her mother’s voice, who had dies three years prior. The line had static noise and it cut in and out.

Lewisham Station, London is the place of a crash in December 1957, caused by fog, that killed ninety people and injured over one hundred. Their cries can be heard on the anniversary of the accident.

So as you take in the many feasts this holiday season and enjoy the company of loved ones, take a moment to reflect on those dear departed and raise a glass in their honor- they just may be celebrating along side you and your kinfolk.

So, dear readers, any experiences of your own you’d like to share?

**I would like to take this moment to thank you all for following along each month as I explore the paranormal. I extend to you- whatever your faith or tradition- a warm blessing for a year well-spent, and a new year well planned. Happy Holidays, best wishes, and see you on New Years Day.

© 2011 R. Wolf Baldassarro/Deep Forest Productions

Tags: christmas, ghost, paranormal, yule

• Articles

Rose Embyrs December, 2010

Yule-Time Log Spell

Long ago, Pagan’s brought a live tree into their homes, then decorated it with symbolic items like bells that would ring when a Spirit was near. Small tasty treats hung on the tree to feed the hungry Spirits. The tree itself was for the wood spirits to keep warm out of the weather during winter. Green and red were the corresponding seasonal colors, and gift giving was embraced by all. Lastly, a pentagram was set atop the tree to represent Spirit, Earth, Water, Fire and Air.

If this ancient ritual sounds familiar, remember, Pagan’s had these traditions centuries before the Christians. Even the Horned God was represented as a stag during Yule, from December 20^th to the 23^rd in the Northern Hemisphere. Below is a traditional Yule spell that will bring good fortune to you and your loved ones.

What you will need:

• Yule log of oak, walnut or pine, but never Elder.
• Slips of paper and a pen for each member who joins you to celebrate.
• Charcoal or white chalk to draw on the Yule log.

Use fire during Yule to leave failure behind you and set new goals. Find a large log-sized piece of oak, pine or walnut. Elder is never to be used. Now draw a large circle with lines emanating from the “sun” to symbolize this Sabbath as the rebirth of the sun God.

During Yule, the longest night of the year, light the Yule log with your family indoors or outdoors. Your family should write their goals, then visualize achieving their goals as they toss each folded paper into the fire while saying:

Mother Goddess hear my Yule-time plea,

I wish to _______________ for all to see

Blessed Be, so mote it be!

When everyone has made their wishes, dampen the Yule log and save a portion of the wood to protect your home until next Yule. You’ll use the wood to light the new Yule log next year.

Tags: christmas, holiday, log, sabbat, yule

• Spells & Rituals

Miss Dana December, 2010

I love Winter Solstice!  It is the quiet moment before the holiday chaos.  The in-breath of stillness and peace brings the meaning of the season inward.

We have created a ritual for our family consisting of  walking a beautiful spiral labrinth.   Each person carries an unlit candle and walks the path to the center where they light their candle and then find a place on the spiral to stand and bring their “light to the world”.

An indoor spiral is created in our living room using stars cut out of white, gold or silver paper. I let the kids trace star cookie cutters onto the paper and then cut out. Glitter glue or other embellishments are sometimes added. Larger stars can be made out of paper plates and then covered in foil.

Lay a simple spiral of stars on the floor. Allow a 2-foot   path to walk on. Once set up, have everyone leave the space except mother. When called or on a musical cue the family enters, youngest to oldest, and walks the path one at a time.  At the center sits mother holding a lit candle.  Upon getting to mother, the child lights a candle and finds a place on the path for it to go and walks out of the spiral. Quietly each one takes their turn.

We use tea lights and votive holders for little ones. Mother lights their candle for them. When the children are older, other candles can be used. I have seen battery operated candles for house windows that could also be used if you had very active children.  I don’t even need to go into the list of safety issues needing to be in place in order to use candles, do I?

Gentle music playing and a story or poem read before and after everyone has walked the path. Then a quiet moment to take in the beauty of the room and the peace of the ceremony. Quietly leave the space with a parent staying behind to blow out candles. It is best not to let your children blow them out. To keep the image in mind is what we are after.

One year my oldest daughter made a very big spiral in our backyard  with strings of Christmas lights. I stood in the center and each person walked the twinkling path holding an apple with a candle in it. After lighting the candles, our family stayed on the path where they wanted their light to shine. It was lovely in the cold, clear night.   The spiral remained in our backyard for the whole season. It was magical to see it out the window at night.

Tags: christmas, solstice, yule

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Ceilteach Moon December, 2010

Salem’s Best Cranberry Relish

Yule is fast approaching and this is one staple condiment you will want to keep in your refrigerator throughout the season. It is simple and will last for at least a month under refrigeration, and taste great on top of your favorite stuffing.

Salem’s Best Cranberry Relish (No Cook)

2 bags washed and stemmed fresh cranberries

1 Large sweet seedless orange (Blood oranges work nicely here as well)

1/2 cup granulated raw sugar

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Prep the cranberries, quarter the orange, run cranberries and whole quartered orange through food processor with a grater blade attached pour contents into a deep bowl, stir in sugar. Place in an air tight storage container and refrigerate for at least 24 hrs in order for flavors to marry, enjoy.

Yule Wreaths

3 Tablespoons butter

3 cups mini marshmallows

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

1/2 teaspoon green food coloring

4 cups crispy rice cereal

Melt butter and marshmallows over low heat, stirring. Remove from heat and add orange extract and food coloring. Stir. Fold in rice crispies. On wax paper, , shape into wreaths. Add red hot candies to decorate. Let cool and enjoy.

Tags: christmas, cranberry, yule

• Recipes

Medicyne_Eagle December, 2010

PAGAN YULE

Once again it is Yule and we still have many Troops deployed in hostile environments. Let us not forget them as we sit around our fires this year, attending festive parties, gorging ourselves incessantly and opening presents from the big jolly man. I will close reverently with this poem, author unknown but it always brings a tear to my eye as I can relate and feel pride with this Soldier.

Twas the night before Christmas,
he lived all alone,
in a one-bedroom home made of plaster and stone.

I had come down the chimney with presents to give
and to see just whom in this house did live.
I looked all about, a strange sight did I see.
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.

No stocking by mantle, just boots filled with sand.
On the wall hung pictures of a far distant land,
with medals and badges, awards of all kinds,
a sober thought came to mind.

For this house was different, it was dark and dreary.
I had found the home of a soldier, once I could see.
The soldier lay sleeping, silent, alone,
curled up on the floor in this one bedroom home.

The face was so gentle, the room in disorder,
not how I pictured a United States soldier.
Was this the hero of whom I’d just read?
Curled up on a poncho, the floor for a bed?

I realized the families that I saw this night,
owed their lives to these soldiers who were willing to fight.
Soon round the world the children would play,
and grownups would celebrate a bright Christmas day.

They enjoyed freedom each month of the year,
because of the soldiers, like the one lying here.
I couldn’t wonder how many lay alone,
on a cold Christmas Eve in a land far from home.

The very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.

The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice,
“Santa don’t cry, this is the life of my choice,
I fight for freedom, I don’t ask for more,
my life is my God, my country, my corps.”

The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep,
I couldn’t control it, and continued to weep.
I kept watch for hours, so silent and still,
and we both shivered from the cold winter’s chill.

I didn’t want to leave on that cold, dark night,
this guardian of honor so willing to fight.
Then the soldier rolled over, whispered with a voice soft and pure,
“Carry on Santa, It’s Christmas day and all is secure.”

One look at my watch and I knew he was right,

“Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!”

Tags: christmas, yule

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Cassandra Sagram December, 2010

Santa Claus

“You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I’m telling you why. Santa Claus is coming to town…”

December, the last and most favored month of the year. Although December usually

associated with cold, winter, ice and snow it’s also associated with one of the most

famous holiday of all. Christmas. Even more popular than Christmas is the figure that

represents Christmas. He’s jolly, big, wears red and white, has a snowy white beard,

glasses and a deep rumbling laugh. He is none other then Santa Claus. Santa Claus is

the one that in the late hours of Christmas Eve and the early hours of Christmas Day

goes around delivering presents to all the little girls and boys in the world. He lives in

the North Pole and his elves work year round in his toy work shop to make presents in

time for Christmas. Who exactly was Santa Claus though and how did he come to represent

the season of giving? The idea of Sata Claus is European in origin. In the Netherlands they

have Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas in Dutch) who comes to the Netherlands from Spain by

way of steamboat two weeks before his birthday which is on December 6th. He and

his  helper Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) would disperse gifts to all of the good Dutch children.

They would go onshore at night and Sinterklaas clad in red, wearing a mitre with a golden

crosire and a long flowing snowy beard, had a list of all the good children to whom he would

leave gifts for. Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet would gather up all the bad children and take

them back to Spain. In Germany, Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas as Santa is better known, is

known by several names. Klaasburr, Sunnercula, Burklaas, Bullerklaas and Rukalas are all

German names for Saint Nichols. In Eastern Gemany he’s also known as Shaggy Goat, Ash Man

and Rider. These names reflect the Norse mythology into which Christianity was blended.

Normally Saint Nicholas comes around the 5th or 6th of December which is around his

birthday, however in more modern times he has been appearing around the 24th and 25th of

December and has been called Father Christmas more often. The French children know him

as Pere Noel which translates to Father Christmas. He travels with a helper named Pere

Fouettard who disciplines the bad children with a spanking while Pere Noel rewards the

good children with gifts. Santa Claus is one of those rare mythological figures that are

actually based on a real person. Saint Nicholas of Myra was born in 271 AD and actually

died on around December 6th in either 342 AD or 343 AD. How he came to be associated with

gift giving is an interesting story. Nicholas was born wealthy yet was a generous person.

After he became a priest, there was a girl in his parrish who’s parents were too poor to give

her a dowry. For her this meant that she would never be married so Nicholas took pity on

her and made up a bundle of money out of his own family money and donated it

anonymously to the young lady by throwing it through her window late one night. As the

story goes, the bundle of money landed in some stockings she had hung by the fireplace to

dry overnight. His acts of kindess like this became regular occurences and he became known

for late night gifting and for granting wishes. From these simple origins have risen a

wonderfully jolly and cheerful figure who’s always keeping an eye on children and coming

up with ways to reward them…or if they’re bad punish them. In America he’s known as Santa

Claus and the good kids get gifts while the bad kids…well sadly they get coal. Happy Holidays

and Blessed Be!!

http://www.souledout.org/christmas/santanicholas/santanicholas.html

http://holidays.kaboose.com/christmas/traditions/st-nicholas/xmas-around-stnicholas.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus

Tags: christmas, mythology, santa claus, yule

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Administrator December, 2010

Lesser Sabbat – Winter Solstice, circa Dec 21 Other Names: Jul (“wheel”, Old Norse), Saturnalia(Rome ~December 17 & 18), Yuletide(Teutonic), Midwinter, Fionn’s Day, Alban huan, Christmas (Christian~December 25), Xmas, Festival of Sol, Solar/Secular/Pagan New Year Animals/Mythical beings: yule goat (nordic), reindeer stag, squirrels, yule cat, Sacred White Buffalo, Kallikantzaroi-ugly chaos monsters(greek), trolls, phoenix, yule elf, jule gnome, squirrels, wren/robin Gemstones: cat’s eye, ruby, diamond, garnet, bloodstone Incense/Oils: bayberry, cedar, ginger, cinnamon, pine, rosemary, frankincense, myrrh, nutmeg, wintergreen, saffron Colors: gold, silver, red, green, white Tools,Symbols, & Decorations: bayberry candles, evergreens, holly, mistletoe, poinsettia,mistletoe, lights, gifts, Yule log, Yule tree. spinning wheels, wreaths, bells, mother & child images Goddesses: Great Mother, Befana (strega), Holda (teutonic), Isis(egyptian), Triple Goddess, Mary(christian), Tonazin(mexican), Lucina(roman), St. Lucy (swedish),Bona Dea (roman), Mother Earth, Eve(Hebrew), Ops(roman Holy Mother), the Snow Queen, Hertha (German), Frey (Norse) Gods: Sun Child, Saturn(rome), Cronos (Greek), Horus/Ra(egyptian), Jesus(christian-gnostic), Mithras(persian), Balder(Norse), Santa Claus/Odin(teutonic), Holly King, Sol Invicta, Janus(God of Beginnings), Marduk (Babylonian)Old Man Winter Essence: honor, rebirth, transformation, light out of darkness, creative inspiration, the mysteries, new life, regeneration, inner renewal, reflection/introspection Dynamics/Meaning: death of the Holly (winter) King; reign of the Oak (summer) King), begin the ordeal of the Green Man, death & rebirth of the Sun God; night of greatest lunar imbalance; sun’s rebirth; shortest day of year Purpose: honor the Triple Goddess, welcome the Sun Child Rituals/Magicks: personal renewal, world peace, honoring family & friends, Festival of light, meditation Customs: lights, gift-exchanging, singing, feasting, resolutions, new fires kindled, strengthening family & friend bonds, generosity, yule log, hanging mistletoe, apple wassailing, burning candles, Yule tree decorating; kissing under mistletoe; needfire at dawn vigil; bell ringing/sleigh-bells; father yule Foods: nuts, apple, pear, caraway cakes soaked with cider, pork, orange, hibiscus or ginger tea, roasted turkey, nuts, fruitcake, dried fruit, cookies, eggnog, mulled wine Herbs: blessed thistle, evergreen, moss, oak, sage, bay, bayberry, cedar, pine, frankincense, ginger, holly, ivy, juniper, mistletoe, myrrh, pinecones, rosemary, chamomile, cinnamon, valarion, yarrow Element: earth Threshold: dawn

Tags: christmas, sabbat, yule

• Correspondences

Rayneschild December, 2010

Tags: blessing, christmas, log, yule

• Spells & Rituals