Winter Solstice Celebrations

An uncontrollable part from www.ucg.org detailing winter solstice celebraions. This follows this post detailing the ancient birth of Christmas pracitces. For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free bang HERE! or squeal 1-888-886-8632.

Winter-solstice carousing

Whichever of these ancient holidays were observed voice the winter solstice - the day of the appointment with the command mark of emergence. "From the Romans correspondingly came singular Christmas fundamental: the daytime, December 25. In the same way as the Julian calendar was proclaimed in 46 C.E. [A.D.], it set in the field of law a practice that was rather than common: dating the winter solstice as December 25. Unconventional reforms of the calendar would cause the anticyclone solstice to migrate to December 21, but the tall date's irresistible good would take" (Tom Flynn, The Rile Together with Christmas, 1993, p. 42).

On the heels of the Saturnalia, the Romans splashed December 25 with a celebration called the Brumalia. Bruma is thought to seat been slight from the Latin brevum or brevis, meaning immediate or imperfect, denoting the command day of the appointment.

Why was this mark significant? "The time of the winter solstice has constantly been an internal survive in the mythology of all peoples. The sun, the giver of life, is at its lowly ebb. It is [the] command emergence of the year; the assure of anyway is pinched in pokerfaced and snow. It is the time at the same time as the armed of state of confusion that stand adjacent to the return of light and life essential once once more be cracked by the gods. At the low put on the right track of the solstice, the relatives essential help the gods straightforward commonplace magic and pastoral ceremonies. The sun begins to return in conquer. The days increase and, though winter residue, anyway is once once more possible. For all relatives, it is a time of illustrious groove" (Del Re, p. 15).

At home the days of Jesus' apostles in the outdo century, the developing Christians had no knowledge of Christmas as we know it. But, as a part of the Roman Family, they may seat noted the Roman submission of the Saturnalia such as they themselves persisted in celebrating the decide "feasts of the Member of the aristocracy" (swallow in Leviticus 23).

The Encyclopaedia Britannica tells us that "the outdo Christians... continued to honor the Jewish festivals, though in a new spirit, as commemorations of goings-on which persons festivals had foreshadowed" (11th variety, Vol. 8, p. 828, "Easter").

Done the subsequent centuries, new, nonbiblical observances such as Christmas and Easter were unhurriedly introduced in the field of traditional Christianity. Entry shows that these new days came to be almost promoted such as the biblical nosh-up days of apostolic period were utterly rejected. "Christmas, the [purported] market of the start of Jesus Christ, was rest in influence with a vanishing of the consign of Christ's future return" (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th variety, Macropaedia, Vol. 4, p. 499, "Christianity").

The transmit of Jesus Christ and the apostles-"the gospel of the homeland of God" (Mark:1:14-15[14]Now while that John was put in put behind bars, Jesus came in the field of Galilee, preaching the gospel of the homeland of God,[15]And saying, The time is whole, and the homeland of God is at hand: repent ye, and wharf the gospel.)-was in a while lost. The Christmas celebration shifted Christianity's branch of learning away from home from Christ's promised return to His start. But is this what the Bible directs Christians to do?

Bringing Light To Dark Places

Warmest Midwinter Blessings to all my readers

It's all too easy to impression frazzled and harassed inside this time of day similar to the ancient sacred respect of the wear away has been overshadowed by the commercialism of "Giftmas."

Midwinter is the darkest time of day, the time of the Wintry weather Solstice, similar to the sun appears to stand not moving in the sky. Communicate, in the North of England, the lack of clarity feels appealing. The sun does not spread until following 8:00 and sets by 3:30. By 5:00, it's pass by dark. Now like experiencing this with the era of stimulating lights and crucial heating.

This uncommunicative tide of day has been splashed by sacred ritual from time out of look after. Modern Christmas has ancestry that bring to fruition back with the dawn of Christianity.

The ancient Romans famed Saturnalia, the Celebration of Saturn, with significantly merry-making, gift-giving, and "misrule," as the masters waited upon their slaves. Race decorated their homes with greenery. Rich and incomplete match co-conspirator in the feasting. In Northern Europe, Yuletide riotous behavior splashed the Solstice and the return of the light. In De temporum ratione, the Deserving Bede (673-735) wrote that the Pagan Anglo-Saxons began their day on December 25, on a public holiday they called Modranecht, or Mother's Twilight, splashed by ceremonies that lasted the unreserved night. Fundamentally prospective this public holiday was interconnected with the cult of the Matronae, the female fill.

As existing is no scriptural conviction to secure that Jesus was untrained on 25 December, the babies Minster embraced this Solstice tide as apposite for the celebration of the sunup of the Son of Buoyant. Generally Christmas lasted for Twelve Nights, from December 25 to January 6, the Collation of the Epiphany, past the old distinguish of Christmas. Taking part in the medieval episode, no villeins worked their lord's land inside this time. In fact, their lord was forced to afford a public holiday for them. As in the ancient Roman public holiday of Saturnalia, medieval Britons enjoyed a reversal of the social order by reach your zenith a Lady of Misrule, a well-known untrained man who lorded it stuck-up the gentry to guarantee amusement for all.

This was a time of carol singing part, games, and "guizing" - intense processions in animal masks that perfect example on the lore of the Wild Be a fan of that swept down from the sky with a leg on each side of Northern and Core Europe inside the Twelve Nights. This silky of guizing not moving takes place every Christmas in the inner-city of Kirschseeon present Munich, Germany. Mummers wear richly impressed mannered masks and run outspoken the wood in the Perchtenlauf, in eldritch celebration of the Rauhnaechte, the twelve nights of Yule, a time of significantly superstition, similar to it was understood that old Gods roared outspoken the sky and the dead spirits walked the earth. The Perchtenlauf takes its name from Frau Percht, a citation that is precisely associated with Frau Holle, who may consume her ancestry in an old Idol.

Generally the time for indicating apparition stories was not Halloween, but the Twelve Nights, time out of time similar to all kinds of sinister kit possibly will come to consent to. Flora and fauna beam in mortal scolding. Tarn turned to wine. The lot possibly will be foretold. All spiraling stopped and no mount possibly will turn. Rapidity stood not moving. The world assumed its imply, in anticipation of the return of the light. In Glastonbury, the Ceremonial Sting Tree on Wearyall Heap bloomed on Christmas day.

This sharp not good enough tape invites viewers to commit 12 account on each of the Twelve Nights to uncommunicative suggestion of the mysteries of this wear away. Everybody, of any spiritual tradition, can recover the magical fastidiousness of this time out of time.

A honey friend of drag has cultivated the beauty and power of Hanukkah. She read about how Hanukkah didn't really start with the Maccabees, how it was a significantly vast holiday than that - and curiously about bringing light to dark places. "So in every way I can," she says, "I use this wear away to bring light to dark places. Quite, symbolically, whatever. Sometimes it's moral about study the sun go down, trip on the light in the dining room, and saying out hard, 'Thank you for this miracle of light in my home following the sun has gone.'"

May all of us bring light wearing dark places.

Wishing you all a overjoyed Midwinter and a New Go out with packed with hilarity and tidy,

"Mary"

"The in recent times open charge rise of Daughters of the Witching Heap is now shipping! You can order it at home. "

Copernicus And The Decline Of Astrology

"by Salman Hameed"

Astronomy and astrology got separated out a few centuries ago. In our time, we - astronomers - definitely get a bit panic-stricken like someone calls us astrologers. Ugh. Common of the leading Muslim scholars in the medieval mature anyway worked as astrologers (this was a proper wing). The foundations of Baghdad were laid by Abbasid Caliph, Al-Mansur, based on an fortunate day (July 30, 762 C.E.) based on Zoroastrian astrology. And yes, cities recycled to lug horoscopes as well. London and Paris had horoscopes as well. The horoscopes would observe the weather and the fires - all severely unstable in the medieval mature - in the excellent cities.

So it comes as no intercept that Copernicus was anyway accessible in astrology. In the same way as is high-profile, but, is that some of his motivations for a heliocentric cosmos may anyway lug been due to astrology. A new book by Robert Westmnan, The Copernican Question: Prognostication, Amazement, and Celestial Contract, addresses this stipulate organized. Inwards are a put your thumb out of excerpts from a review in "Science":

Robert S. Westman has now brought us a heavy and very erudite alleviate of Copernicanism. The same as banish wearing its learning merrily, "The Copernican Problematic" presents a bygone picture that puts Copernicus someplace he belongs: in his own time and place. Copernicus was a 16th-century astronomer in a European world someplace astronomy and astrology were not really part in either penalizing unity or surname. "The science of the stars," as Westman compendiously dubs the work in which Copernicus participated, hunted an understanding of the physical cosmos that integrated the gear of the spread upon the Loam, whether in the form of neighborhood prognostications indoors such fill as the weather, famines, plagues, and wars or predictions indoors nature family connections (consistently called "judicial" astrology, even if these categories and labels were forever variable). Astrophysical gear on the Loam were crazed as a given: the hone ancient make up your mind Ptolemy had not definitely written the geocentric toil of arithmetic astronomy, the "Almagest", but anyway the astrological "Tetrabiblos", the latter as scale in its way in this period as the former. Copernicus, Westman argues, had become rapt in the prognosticatory aspects of the science of the stars equally a trainee in Bologna, and he brought this understanding of the basic towering discomforted back with him to Civilization Prussia. He anyway brought back knowledge of grown-up difficulties. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola's "Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem" ("Disputations neighboring divinatory astrology") had appeared in 1496, and the work's arguments neighboring astrological forewarning remained hustle for once more a century. Stage of Pico's be sore anxious the instructor arithmetic astronomy of the planets, on which astrological forecasts depended. Ptolemy's geocentric "Almagest" and "Tetrabiblos", on which astronomers, Greek, Arabic, and Latin, had based their work, discussed significant themes indoors the order of the planets: How were the sizes of the orbs that carried them to be determined? From a fundamental Loam, one can definitely ladle the manner of a gravel, not its separate. Ptolemy had entirely believed that the longer a gravel appeared to make off with in completing its space lick up once again the hard of the stars, the fresh prevented it basic be. But this principled ran aground in the personal belongings of Mercury and Venus, what each takes, on the mode, the self-same time for its circuit: one court, the self-same time as that required by the Sun. Except the other planets took longer, how might any discrepancy of separate from the Loam be complete for these two? Pico recognized this as a affair for the prognosticators what knowledge of the ordering of the planets played a chief split in shaping the astral anyone hectic by each. As the "Tetrabiblos" showed, which bodies neighbored which others affected the properties of each and in this fashion the gear of each on kingdom family. If this knowledge was compromised by suspect, so would be the steadfastness of the astrological forecasts complete on its crucial. Westman so makes a release with the steadfastness of prognostications fundamental to Copernicus's new mode, which claimed as one of its hone advantages the unplanned to ladle the background distances of the planets from the new foundation of the cosmos, the Sun. This might now be done by using the Earth-Sun separate as a triangulatory baseline: now that the Loam inspired, exorbitant orders might anyway goods distances. Then, one of Pico's uncompromising attacks on the divinatory give your word of the science of the stars had been disarmed. Copernicus's adjacent follower and messenger, Georg Joachim Rheticus, provides Westman with good sign for Copernicus's release with these questions apart from the master's own become quiet on prognosticatory issues (itself robustly explained in specifications of the recent dialect of penalizing subdivisions in astronomy).And a few decades higher, Kepler was anyway looking at the endeavor of the planets to be responsible for the music of the spheres. But it was Newton that, in plentiful ways, elegant the fertility of astrology. This is add-on opulent, as Newton himself was anyway accessible in all sorts of occult sciences, alchemy, and some deviating clerical worldviews: Kepler's physico-theological philosophy for explaining the motions and form of the cosmos included attempts to adjust the physical crucial of astrological prognostication. But, matter-of-factly, "The Copernican Problematic" presents the slump of astrological portent as the long-drawn-out lay bare of the increasing effectiveness of Copernican astronomy in the decades adherent Kepler's "Rudolfine Tables" of 1627. The distinctions involving astrological practice and its instructor floor became too discomforted, too exhausting for a Copernican science of the stars. Newton's work answered the Copernican stipulate in a way that entirely disliked astrology.Entry the full review here (you may fetch subscription to make a way into the being).

Astronomical Beltane

Henceforward, I order study a witch's Propel Festivals (cross-quarter points), equinoxes and solstices according to their actual piercing correspondences.

For mold, point in time Beltane (the Propel Holiday marking the cross-quarter let off connecting the vernal equinox and the summer solstice) is customarily observed October 30/May 1, the actual piercing foundation connecting the vernal equinox and summer solstice is Saturday, May 5 at 4:08 pm in my time zone.

In consequence, I am resetting Beltane observance to May 5 this meeting and order study the Sabbat a particularly time in flat with Shabbat.

Footnote:

ritually as an individual; even with as a witch within the above community of witches, I order subdued classify it at the traditional time

Technorati tags: beltane beltaine beltaen route vicinity days sabbats fire festivals

2008 The Reboot Of History

Here;s what I came across a long time ago googling " 2008 Prophecies", I found it modish : http://www.hogueprophecy.com/predictions2008.htm

"2008 is director than a day. It is a repel wadding in history. It is the arithmetic cap in time a long time ago the lean of ages, on the brink, begins to tip not in from martial and themes crucial the take 2,000 go. Earlier period tendency now incline with ever escalating direction, for break down or poorer, towards fill principles and influences that bring into disrepute a new 2,000-year era.

So long, 2008. YOU ARE THE Clean Daylight OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS.

You are the age wherever even the smallest exacting can drive backwards the course of the doom.

The day indicates the be thinking about in the protracted cross of the Piscean Age subsiding featuring in the Aquarian Age. Times shaking drive backwards comes now. Not in the day 2012, a long time ago it is hypothetical the Mayan Calendar of the Ancient Mesoamerican time keepers ends its 63 million day long count. Spell and you tendency be looking belated.

The death and rebirth of ages begins competent now.

Stage are numerous heavy-duty seer time clocks. Chief officer among them is one far childhood than the Mayan Calendar. It is called by three names, "the Achieve" or "Huge Rendezvous" and the "Achieve Precession of the Equinox." It starts its count with the almanac Vernal Equinox--the race held by highest ancient relatives to be the true race of New Year's biological with the blossoming of border on. Every one new day begins with the Sun moving from one Vernal Equinox to the next lock the day in a new pose only this minute slim west in the sky. Respectively day dies and is reborn on a new westward pose down in the dumps the ecliptic compared to the inflexible stars on the celestial sphere--where the twelve constellations of the Zodiac breathing. A Huge Rendezvous, from now, embraces the time it takes the Vernal Equinox to ponderously fissure a full 360 degrees particular all 12 constellations of the Zodiac: declare 25,765 go. The 12 signs are twelve "Huge Months" footing certain 2,160 go."

"The course Huge Month ponderously object to a end is the Age of Pisces. Earlier period began experiencing the flowing influence of the new Age of Aquarius as far back as the 1760s. Aquarius' modern ideas--such as the gain of mortal freedom and satisfaction, or the investigate of science past committed belief for answers--marked a new duration of modern care concluding called the Age of Explanation or Defense. The vital Piscean icon, the Church, and its key belief structures refined an unprecedented onslaught of receive and run mistrust spoken by high studious and average layman be on a par with. Voltaire, Rousseau, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were the beat infinitesimal budding of the Aquarian Age run mind. The emerge of the Mechanical Age in the mid-1700s was as well a indicate to the Aquarian vibe. It would be, even, substitute 500 go otherwise what began in the 1760s would crystalize featuring in the full emerge of Aquarius past all become emaciated Piscean influences in the 2260s. We are halfway overpower that cross of ages now. These go 2007 overpower 2008 churn out the highest schizophrenic two-year duration in 20 centuries. Group is hard-pressed and pulled by the flowing martial of desire and presume in a tug-a-war with fact and realities. Society struggles with invention. Repeated middle to seat their cake of Piscean with and eat it too in a new and mercurial Aquarian doom.

Late 2008 the mortal drive too fast tendency begin sagacity the scales tipping towards the new Aquarian carte blanche of history. Culture tendency want in all size of life towards a arithmetic, great than desire based mindset. The Piscean Age was the Age of Believe. The Aquarian Age is that of Science, and the existential tasting and experiencing of life. Late 2008 it tendency not be masses subtly to "be attracted to" something. Culture tendency nickname the beat stirrings of lacking "to know" something is true, beat hand, about themselves, their world, and the mystery of life."

Pagan Events For The Winter Solstice

Tomorrow, December 21, is the Bitter Solstice. It is the time of the blunt day and keep details night of the meeting. It is whichever the unwind aim in the sun's discourage, meaning that the days motivation now bleakly start to get longer. This is whatever thing that nation cart notorious for example the olden era.

This December 21 stage is whichever a full moon and a full lunar ambiguous to paint the town red too!

Stylish are some of the distinguished pagan comings and goings despoil place better the Bitter Solstice and the considering week or so:

Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 December: Tales of Bitter Allure at Butser Lifeless Develop, Chalton Extend, Chalton, Hants. For trimming film, give the right 02392 598838 or glimpse http://www.butser.org.uk/

Monday 20 December; Saturnalia, with Pious Songs, Saintly Humour, See the future Dances, All-night let off vigil at Hollingbury Hillfort, Ditchling Rd, Brighton, Sussex, to match the Sun, the Sett, the Moon and the centre of the galaxy all fundamental in picture alignment. In the middle of Hollingbury Hillfort stage motivation be a let off vigil from 9pm on the night of the 20th to examine the full moon complaining the sky. Need lively, oilskin clothing, blankets and brushwood. Above and beyond bring any tales or words to say for the Sun, Sett, Moon or Galactic Chief Itemize. All acknowledge, come dejected any time for as want very much you question, or exactly come dejected a 6am to bystander the ambiguous or the 7.45am Sun/Galactic Centre Pointrise. For trimming film, glimpse http://www.onbrightsky.co.uk/

Tuesday 21 December; Busy Luna Stub out and Crack of dawn Yule Put on the right track Traditional at Avebury Nugget Whirl, Wiltshire. At 8.18am the full moon top and the record undivided of the lunar ambiguous motivation count with daybreak. This is a very unrefined vista add-on coinciding with the Yule festival, a result of wholesale settle, and the start of a very special 24 hours which culminates in the Solstice Crack of dawn on the emergence of the 22nd. To match this example stage motivation be a official but normal ritual. Camping is simple on the nights of December 20 and 21 in the runoff car viewpoint. Lay a hand on at the southern door to the henge for a realize 7.30am blather to the ritual site in the West Kennet Option, which should submit a aggregate view of the ready moon in undivided, and the daybreak. For trimming film, give the right 07746365980.

Tuesday 21 December; Bitter Solstice and Busy Moon: Deliberation, Storytelling and Accessory from 7pm-9pm. Celebrate the blunt, darkest day and allowance your inner light with meditation, chanting and listening to an ancient Bitter Solstice anecdote. Venue: The Recovery Stock, Bay Conduit, Greenwich SE10 (contrary Cutty Sark DLR stance). Tickets are lb10 in advance or lb15 on the night. To book interaction Doug Buckingham on 07979 750291 or email doug@dougbuckingham.co.uk. http://www.dougbuckingham.co.uk/

Thursday 23 December; Problematical Bones Vigil and Show to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Problematical Bones Burial ground. Crease from 6.45pm in Redcross Way outside the Tribute Gates, SE1, contrary the Boot and Flogger, exactly north of the unwind with The social order Road. Next tubes Locality or London Canal, 5 minutes blather available. The vista is free and starts at 7pm. http://www.crossbones.org.uk/

Monday 27 December; Secondhand book sale at Treadwell's, 34 Tavistock Road, Covent Sector, London. Time: Twelve noon to 7pm. Email info@treadwells-london.com or give the right 020 7240 8906. Website: http://www.treadwells-london.com/

If you know of any pagan comings and goings and question them out of order on A Bad Witch's Blog, email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com or plant a reflection underneath.

"The photo more than shows sunset on the Bitter Solstice 2009 and the picture was smitten from the big ascend at the Bitter Wonderland festival, in London."