Tatagua, the Witch Butterfly of Cuba. It’s said to be the spirit of the indigenous woman Aipiri who was cursed into that form. A beautiful omen of Death or bad luck
This seems like such a morbid subject. And maybe it is. It’s something that’s been on my mind lately. I’m observing the Parentalia. A Roman festival where the gateways of the dead are opened to the living.
When our ancestors are honored with banquets, prayers, and other offerings.
Of Death
Head of the family leading the prayers to the Ancestor shrine and its figurines by Jesus Leon
In the last week of the Parentalia, the Greeks have the Anthesteria (blossoming rites) sacred to Dionysus. Anthesteria has a touch of the chthonic in it. I have been meditating on the dead everyday. On people I have lost. Friends and mentors.
Relatives. Animals that I have loved as children. It’s not all because of the Parentalia or the Anthesteria. It’s also because I have a health scare. I am too obese for my height.
And I am hypertensive now. And pre-diabetic. I gave my mother a good scare today. All I could think of was, if I died today, how will she and my dog be? I’ve been suffering from low blood pressure lately. And I’ve been having these throbbing headaches.
I keep thinking about something my Druid master had been teaching me. I have studied death midwifery as part of my necromancy. I’ve been helping the dead since I first came into my power. Protecting them from predatory spirits. Assisting them with crossovers and also aiding their living families.
After all that, I now realized I should have made a will for myself. And paid a for my own funeral. There was a wise Santero. His wife and him were both masters of magic. And well known in some parts of Miami.
My mom is the nurse that goes to her house to assist the doctor there. She learned this man had paid for his own funeral years in advance. So that by the time he actually died, it would be paid in full. And his family would be okay. He was buried in all honors like King Tut.
Which leads me to other things. To how the ancient Egyptians believed that preparation for the afterlife was so important, you had to dedicate part of your life towards it. So what seems morbid to others is actually preparing for the next life. Necromancy isn’t some morbid fascination with death. It’s the celebration of life and continuing it and even conquering death.
Or at least living with it in a way that doesn’t scare anyone. But now I am thinking I need to set up a living will. I don’t really own much. But I need to make sure my things are taken care of so my family doesn’t have to do it. I need to ensure that my spell books and idols go to someone who would appreciate them.
Preferably someone who wouldn’t abuse them or separate them. Or sell them. They are a family and belong together. Some of them are spirits I made friends with. They need a new friend and caretaker.
Furniture and clothing to go to someone who needs it. And finally, rituals done. Funerary rituals done for me. And a 13 day purification ritual done on my home so that the spirit of death can be chased away. And my family can live in a clean and cleansed home.
In my case I don’t want or need a grave. I want to be burned. Most Cubans I know want that. Most people regard corpses as empty shells that have outlived their use. For necromancers not so much.
We understand they can have all manner of uses. But I don’t want or need someone digging me up (no I haven’t done that). And I don’t want my shell. All I want is for the ashes to be tossed somewhere and that’s that. Not even kept.
I have heard there is an environmentally friendly use for ashes now. It’s a way to contribute to life. No, I am not suicidal. I am worried. Worried that if something happens, I’m just not ready for it.
I mean if I passed away tonight, none of you would know it. I don’t have a contingency plan for it. I realize now that I need to make one. And entrust several people with how to send out the message should it happen. And not just for here.
Old relations that I have fallen out of touch with. To make sure they are aware of me gone. To get a network of people to do special prayers and rituals on my behalf. To ensure I cross over. And of course from different religions because that’s just how I roll.
To reach out to certain women I have loved in my life. Who I didn’t treat the way they deserved. To tell them that I have passed. I have been trying to make amends lately for being such an asshole in the past. But I have been unsuccessful because I lost touch with so many people.
I have been thinking of some ex girlfriends, and realized they really did love me. But I was incapable of truly loving them back. Because I didn’t know how to. My father wasn’t a good role model. Between cheating on my mom and also being an abusive prick who even stalked her.
All of my examples of a “healthy” relationship were patriarchal and sexist shit. Do I even deserve to be loved? I had it before. And I sneered at it. Mocked it. Abandoned it.
Betrayed it.
Which is why I deserved what I got a few years ago. Someone I wanted to marry, left me. She said,
“I can’t be with someone who is so angry with life,”
And she was right. In the end she did us both a favor. For her sanity and mine. I get it now. But back then I didn’t.
I lost everything I worked so hard for in just three days after our breakup. I lost the respect of my peers. I lost my job a few months after this. I lost my will to truly live my life. I lost respect in the eyes of certain relatives who told me, that my reaction was “unmanly”.
That figuratively speaking my manhood was taken away by my ex.
She basically insinuated that I lost some of my worthiness by falling apart. That I should have just let her go and move on. I couldn’t believe this person told me this and thought it was helpful critique. I didn’t know what to say to that. Which is why I didn’t even bother telling any of the male relatives, it probably would have been worse.
I ended up a thousand dollars in debt to the hospital. Turns out heartache in general feels suspiciously like a heart attack. My purpose in life was to help build us a life. I wanted her to have all of her dreams. But me taking the caretaker role was probably sexist to begin with.
Maybe she didn’t want that. Maybe I was being domineering without meaning to be. I don’t know. All I can think is that I lost myself somewhere along the way. And then lost her.
Of Dreams at Night
An aerial view of Takis Shelter in Greece
I keep envisioning my life alone in the future. With animals in an animal sanctuary somewhere off the beaten path. There’s this man on a Greek Island called Takis. He gave up everything to save the dogs of Crete. Guy was a nightclub promoter and he gave it all for them.
And now he has a massive land in the middle of no where with animals he saves. He gets up at dawn and works until 2am everyday. Did I say alone? Never mind. Fuck that shit. Maybe I wouldn’t go that far.
I would get bring many homeless people. And we would have a commune. And the work would be divided between a night shift and a day shift. That way it would work around the clock. We would grow our own food.
Be Vegan so we wouldn’t kill animals. Heck maybe a bunker. Why not? If some idiot presses a button we could at least survive. I’d love to just have a Mount Weather style bunker within a mountain. But I would want it to be like the Dwarf fortress in Lord of the Rings.
Some badassery right there. Maybe invite others and grow a community. Scientists and mystics, hippies and free thinkers, and artists. Librarians with every book you could imagine. These are things I often dream about but have not done.
So much I want to do. But right now I need to focus on keeping my health. And on making special plans in case something were to happen to me. Florida has become too insane even by Florida standards. Now we have road rage shootings.
Now you have to be prepared for all things.
These are just some of my thoughts at night. I lay awake in the early hours of Saturday morning. Afraid to go to sleep in case I not wake up again. The worst part? Not having romantic love. I have familial love.
And the love of my dog and friends. But you need other types of love. Someone to warm your bed at night. To lay next to and tell you everything will be okay. A true partner to adore with all of your heart and soul.
I relish that love that I took for granted once.
How I wish I could have it again. How I wish this loneliness would just die and leave me be. How could I feel so alone in a city filled with 455,075 people? I wish I knew the answer to that.
I promised I would talk about this as soon as I had the chance. And I finally did. So what exactly happened the day I brought the Buddha statue and the Guardian Lions home with me? Something weird. I knew something was off. And in hindsight, I should have listened to my gut.
But I just ignored it as me being paranoid or looking too deeply into something. My friends always say that about me. And they constantly tell me to chill out. But as I tried to perform the cleansings on them, they kept being blocked. I just assumed that they had heavy residual energy from whoever owned them before.
The objects weren’t evil or impure or whatever. But they were Haunted.
So according to my Aunt, she was friends with a wonderful older resident. A few years ago this woman died of natural causes. I think she said it was cancer. Before the woman died, she gifted the Jade Buddha and Guardian Lions to my great aunt. It was as a way of saying thank you for always looking after her.
Now my Great Aunt is a Christian and doesn’t believe. But she didn’t want to disrespect this woman and shun her gift. So instead, she kept it in her home in a place of honor. Kudos for my great aunt! But it looks like the older resident didn’t leave. Apparently that elderly old woman was still watching over my aunt from beyond the grave.
While attempting to cleanse the statues, I discovered her presence within them. I kept trying to force the energy out. But whatever it was, it would not leave. So I realized this wasn’t the standard run of the mill imprint. This woman was living inside of her Buddha and Guardian Lions.
I hadn’t sensed her because she was so dormant, that she might as well not have been in those items. It was only after I took them to my house and started trying to cleanse them that she woke up. She had been protecting my great aunt all this time. But eventually she “fell asleep” so to speak because there was no danger.
I communicated with her soul once I realized there was person in those statues. I explained to her that my great aunt gifted them to me because I study and partially practice Buddhism. And that she believed they would be better off with me. Instead of just being a home decoration. She agreed, but was worried about my aunt.
I told her I could cross her over. And that once in Heaven, she could become a powerful guardian spirit and could return to my Aunt’s house with greater power. And greater ability to aid her. She agreed and I performed a simple crossing over ritual with a candle. She entered the light.
And the next day, I confirmed with Bone Casting that she was well and now watching over my great aunt. Acting as her new spirit guide. All’s well that ends well right?
Blood doesn’t always mean family. Sometimes family is the one you make. Your tribe, your people. Those whom you stand by and who stand by you. Even in death.
There is also an old Spanish Spiritualist saying,
“What my eyes can’t see, my dead see,”
Meaning what I can’t sense, they will. And they will tell me about it. My Christian Great Aunt has a new spirit guide officially added to her guides. Whether she believes that or not. Moving on, I was finally able to cleanse the statues.
And this time the ritual took. I then began blessing them and calling the spirit of the Buddha to enter his image and live there. I also did prayers for the Guardian Lions to enter their own statues. So now I have extra house hold spirits. Extra family to watch over me.
I placed the Buddha and his Lions upon my Buddhist shrine.
And for the elderly woman, I took several stones. I cleansed them. And enlivened them for her and put them on my shrines outside. That way whenever I do religious rituals, I am feeding her spirit along with the spirits and Gods I work for. That way she will never become forgotten or unnamed dead.
And she will grow stronger with each offering. As a reward for her kind heart and generous spirit. And now I keep this Buddha statue and the Guardian Lions. As a way to honor her good deeds.
The God Odin, appears as a Tomte in his incarnation of Oski, the wish fulfiller and giver of gifts. One of many ancient origins for the modern day Santa Klaus.
Santa Klaus is a mystical figure in every way, shape, and form. Like the Grim Reaper, he’s an amalgamation of various spirits and Gods. While the reaper represents death, Santa Klaus represents unbound life even in darkness. But who or what is Santa Klaus? This is a subject that will take many blog posts across many years. But I can start that process now.
Today we are going to explore at least three major influences of Christmas. Namely Odin in his two incarnations as Oski the giver of gifts and leader of the Wild Hunt. The Spirits, and Yule.
Yule is Nordic, not Celtic
Mjölnir, the Hammer of Thor, surrounded by the Jul or Yule Goat on both sides. By Fereshdhe Sehhati
Now I am going to say something that has confused a lot of people. Yule is not and I repeat, not a Celtic holiday. It is purely Norse. The Druids observed four Sabbats. And Yule wasn’t one of them.
Yule is a completely Norse holiday. So why do so many people think it has to do with Celtic culture? Well there’s three reasons for that. One is that there is a celebration of Winter Solstice done by the Druids every year at Stonehenge. And many conflate winter solstice with Yule. Then we have Wicca which is a very new tradition.
Created by Gerald Gardener, Wicca was originally a mix of Brythonic traditions. Then other European traditions were added including those of the Norse. So the four festivals of the Druids, plus Yule was used to create the wheel of the year. That’s where the confusion comes in. I have zero problems with Wicca.
So don’t get it twisted.
The last reason, is that the Norse migrated to other parts of Europe. Many of their mixed descendants practice a hybrid version of their culture. One with the original cultures their indigenous ancestors had, and the Nordic culture of their Nordic ancestors. So there’s a sub group of Nordic Celts. Even in America, a man in a Wiccan coven I was once in, spoke to me of this.
He said that Nords and Celts are like family.
The Shetlands in Scotland, celebrating a Nordic-Celtic holiday called Up Hella Aa or Up Helly Aa in 2001.
The meaning of Yule
Yule shrine showing an image of Yggdrasil the Universal Tree of Life
Now the word Yule has different definitions according to different sources. What keeps getting repeated is that it means “wheel”. And it’s related to the wheel of the year. Others claim that Yule is based on one of Odin’s names. Jólnir, meaning “the Yule one” or “Yuler”.
But that’s a title for him that seems to come from the word Yule. It doesn’t explain what the word actually means. I had to consult a few language dictionaries before I could answer that. The best source I found says it’s a proto Germanic word meaning “joke” or “play”. And that the word jolly comes from this.
So Yule is a time for merriment and play. Which explains why the word Jolly is used so much in Christmas. So if this is true that would more or less mean that his name Jólnir more or less means “the merry one” or “the playful one”. This is just me theorizing. I don’t speak the old Norse language.
So I have no idea if what I believe is true. It just seems like logic to me. If you believe that his name comes from wheel, then it would mean the wheeled one. Which doesn’t make much sense. Of course it’s also a strange name for the leader of the Wild Hunt but oh well.
He’s a warrior God. Maybe hunting evil spirits is fun for him.
Yule Spirits
For people in Norway and Sweden, Yule is a time of the Faeries. Mischievous Faeries like the Yule Lads who go around stealing things. Destroying property. And in some cases eating the flesh of humans. The Yule Lads are said to be the children of the Demon Witch, Gryla.
They go around eating your food. Or stealing your money. And generally causing discord because they have nothing better to do. However, it also had more familial connections. Yule was the time when Norse worshippers believed their dead returned to Earth.
Which is why many people believe winter is the time when the dead return. In fact there is a fascinating tradition in England since the Victorian era where people tell Ghost Stories in Christmas time. A tradition I continue because I love a little Halloween in my Christmas. I believe the dead return in Winter time also. Here’s a great article by Cryptoville on that called The Ghosts of Christmas Past.
Wraiths of the dead returned to Earth
What’s interesting here, is that in modern times the Celtic Samhain is seen as a feast of the dead. And many people who practice Brythonic traditions have incorporated that belief into theirs. Maybe that’s also from Nordic influence. Among the most famous Yule spirits are…….
Santa’s Elves
Oski, the God who grants wishes and gives gifts, an incarnation of Odin, in the form of an Elf or Tomte
The most well known of the Yule Spirits are the Swedish Tomte or “homestead man”. Also called the Nisse in Norway. These are Elves associated with the winter time. Nisse is believed to come from the name of St. Nicholas. But others say it comes from the word niðsi (“dear little relative”).
And these creatures are the reason Santa Klaus looks the way he does. The way he is portrayed in blue, red, or green clothing as well as the cap he wears, is due to Oski’s appearance as an Elf. The Homestead Man or Dear Little Relative is akin to a house elf. Only these faeries only live on farms. Like all household fae, they protect and bless the home owners.
They range from half the size of a man to the size of a child. They have super strength surpassed only by other supernatural creatures. If a farmer treated the Tomte living in their home well, they would be blessed for life. And anyone fool enough to harass or injure a farmer who had a guardian Tomte or Nisse, was in for a surprise. The homestead fae would stop a thief with their superior strength.
Or perhaps hex a nasty neighbor. Or go over to that neigboor’s house and start a haunting.
Don’t fuck with Faeries
The Tomte could become a powerful spirit guide. Even talisman to the person who knew how to work with them. You had to give them proper offerings of porridge with butter, milk, cream, or honey. Or any sweet and sugary substance you could find. And then make your request of them.
They would often sleep with the farm animals to protect them.
But also out of love for them. They would assist the farmer in the chores. And make the crops abundant. Some of the Tomte may be the dead reincarnated as nature entities. This seems to be a trend in a lot of cultures.
Jólnir in the form of a Tomte. This Tomte doll even has one eye just like the All Father himself. From Grimfrost
Eventually, the Tomte were paired with the Yule Goat. This may even have been an animal that was sacrificed in ancient times. But eventually, the Yule Goat was a goat made of straw that was ritually burned at Yule. The origin is that Thor had a chariot pulled by Goats. And Thor is also one of the origins of Santa Klaus.
But we’re focusing on just one origin at a time every year. Later the Tomte became Santa’s helpers. In fact, some traditions have them going from house to house with the Yule Goat. Giving gifts to children instead of Santa himself.
There are also stories of Odin riding his eight legged horse Sleipnir to watch over his people.
The many faces of Odin. Of course we also have Krampus up there
YuleMonth
Yule Being
So I’m going to say something that will throw people into confusion. But it’s the truth. The month for Yule is actually two months long give or take. It starts in mid November. But doesn’t end until the first weeks of January.
If you notice, this is why the Orthodox and a few other people celebrate Christmas in January. That’s why I have “Christmas in January” as the tags in some New Years articles. Some people have a mini Christmas. My own people, Cubans, have the Three Kings Parade in January. It’s a mini Christmas or after Christmas that takes place in the new year.
Los Tres Reyes Mages (The Three Magi Kings) Parade in Miami, Fl. On Calle Ocho (8th Street).
And children believe the Three Pagan Kings will come to their houses baring them gifts.
Later it was changed to December and early January. But if you want to be traditional, the mid week of November is the first week of Yule. At least according to the ancient Germans. And then more or less a week or two weeks into January is Yule Month’s end. That’s what the Venerable Bede, a Saint, English Monk, and Historian said.
He witnessed the rituals himself allegedly. And he wrote about the Matronae on Modrenecht as well. Which lends credence to him being a good source.
Yule Blót
Enter the Hall and Hail the Gods! Yule as it was celebrated in the ancient times
This is a Midwinter festival. Which means people are starving. And they need to keep warm. Many animals including boars and livestock were killed. Their blood was poured into vessels called HlautbolliorBlótbolli.
With twigs, they would sprinkle the blood all over the temple. On the idols of the Gods. And on the pedestals. Even themselves. This is a form of purification known as aspersion.
Then a fire was started in the middle of the temple. And the flames would be used to cook the sacrificed animals and begin the feast. But there were also sacred kettles with the ale being placed over the fires. Then came the toasting. This blót was performed by offering up drinks in the honor of spirits or Gods.
Or even living people. The first toast is for the God Odin so that the King would have victory and great power. The second toast is to the Sea God Njörðr and his son Freyr the God of the weather, fertility, peace, kingship, and pleasure. This is for good harvests and for peace. The next toast is for the King himself, and finally the minni or memorial toast for departed family and friends.
The minimum that Yule lasted was for three nights. However, the holiday would not end until all the food and drink was finished. Which means it could span several nights.
Heitstrenging
Swearing an Oath on a holy pig, from a German article on Yule
Other rituals were followed on Yule. Such as Heitstrenging (oath swearing). This was a social-political and religious practice. Basically, you take a sacrificed animal, or a drink. And you swear on that drink or animal that you will do something.
And it becomes a binding social contract on your honor. If you don’t fulfill it then you had no honor.
Good luck trying to form any alliances in the future. On Yule it was usually done on a Sonargöltr, or “holy pig”. Freyr is known to have had a divine animal known as the sun boar.
As mentioned before, the Shetlands in Scotland have a Nordic-Celtic heritage. They don’t end Yule until the Up Helly Aa festival. It means “Up Holy Day All”. There’s actually many of these festivals happening in different parts of the Shetland’s. But they mostly follow this formula.
Many people carry lit torches. The people known as Guizers are dressed as Vikings. There’s an honorary “Jarl” or Earl who is leader of the event. The group sings the Up Hella Aa song till they get to the place where the replica Norse longship is.
Look at that beauty!
This ends with the ceremonial burning of the Viking Galley. Thus marking the end of Yule for the Shetlands in Scotland. This new year it’s Tuesday, the 31st of January. The lyrics to the Up Hella Aa song are as follows.
Up-Helly-A’ Song
Words by J. J. Haldane Burgess, M.A. Music by Thomas Manson
“From grand old Viking centuries Up-Helly-A’ has come, Then light the torch and form the march, and sound the rolling drum: And wake the mighty memories of heroes that are dumb; The waves are rolling on.
Chorus –
Grand old Vikings ruled upon the ocean vast, Their brave battle-songs still thunder on the blast; Their wild war-cry comes a-ringing from the past; We answer it “A-oi”! Roll their glory down the ages, Sons of warriors and sages, When the fight for Freedom rages, Be bold and strong as they!
Of yore, our firey fathers sped upon the Viking Path; Of yore, their dreaded dragons braved the ocean in its wrath; And we, their sons, are reaping now their glory’s aftermath; The waves are rolling on.
In distant lands, their raven-flag flew like a blazing star; And foreign foemen, trembling, heard their battle-cry afar; And they thundered o’er the quaking earth, those mighty men of war; The waves are rolling on.
On distant seas, their dragon-prows went gleaming outward bound, The storm-clouds were their banners, and their music ocean’s sound; And we, their sons, go sailing still the wide earth round and round; The waves are rolliing on.
No more Thor’s lurid Hammer flames against the northern sky; No more from Odin’s shining halls the dark valkyrior fly; Before the Light the heathen Night went slowly rolling by; The waves are rolling on.
We are the sons of mightly sires, whose souls were staunch and strong; We sweep upon our serried foes, the hosts of Hate and Wrong; The glory of a grander Age has fired our battle-song; The waves are rolling on.
Our galley is the People’s Right, the dragon of the free; The Right that rising in its might, brings tyrants to their knee; The flag that flies above us is the Love of Liberty; The waves are rolling on,”
I personally celebrate Up Hella Aa as the end of Yule. So by now you must be wondering : How the hell am I supposed to incorporate all of this into my practice? I know what you mean. Seriously, should I sacrifice the animals myself or go to the butcher? Can I swear oaths over a holy vegan hamburger instead of a holy pig? And can I burn my ex’s car as a bonfire instead of going to a holy temple?
Well! These questions and more are about to be answered!
How I celebrate Yule
What I do is come as close to the original rituals as possible. But simplified. And in a way that is adapted to urban life. As well as not making a hole in your pocket. Part of magic is symbolism.
Symbols hold great power. We begin with the temple. That’s any sacred space you have. It can be your home. A sacred place in nature.
Or any place you can use. The most important thing here is to have idols of the Gods. If you can’t afford them, then print a massive picture out with the Gods in it. Seriously, you don’t need a wooden or stone idol. All you need is a representation.
Before I could afford actual idols, I used pebbles and other stones that I blessed for the Gods or spirits I worked with. They were easy to carry around. And unless someone knew what they were looking at, no one would have any idea that these were idols. So no insane anti Pagan relatives. No nosy neighbors.
And no enemy practitioners who would curse them or stain them with bad energy against you. That’s why I am against taking pictures of my real idols and places of magic I go to. Instead of a sacrificed animal, I offer up food as a sacrifice. Meat is what the Norse Gods typically like. And they do like blood.
So that I leave to you. You can ask for meat from a butcher and ask for the blood as well. Kept in a bottle which will act as your Hlautbolli or Blótbolli. Then pour libations of blood all over the idols. Or if you are outside, everywhere with a stick and the idols.
I wouldn’t recommend it on yourself though. Blood borne diseases and all. Or, you can do what I do. Use holy water. They drink too, not just eat.
So bless water in their name and asperse with that instead. The type of food you eat is optional. You can try to eat a Norse diet of meat. But if you’re vegan I think it’s more important to dedicate the feast to the Gods. The point here is faith and intention.
The Gods will see if you have good intentions or not. Don’t just offer to them like it’s nothing. Sometimes a simple tea light burned with faith, is more important to the Gods than a thousand fancy Viking feasts done by a wealthy person.
And if you are some asshole trying to gain their favor for money and power and not their love, good luck achieving anything. They will find you unworthy.
And the only things attracted to those feasts will be negative spirits. False beings pretending to be the Gods. Just like when Christian extremists do worship to their Deity. But end up attracting the same demonic entities that they seek to drive away. You can do bonfires, hearth fires, or chimneys, or light many candles.
Beeswax candles. As pure as possible. You can even order special candles dedicated to Norse Gods. You can buy more than one or just light a really big candle. Even a plain candle will do.
A candle from Etsy dedicated to Odin, I can’t find the link now
It doesn’t have to be a fancy one like I mentioned. You can also burn incense to them. Now you can drink Ale or really any kind of alcohol. They love alcoholic drinks in general. But if you don’t like alcohol then use a drink you do like.
I use water and sometimes mead if I can find it.
The important thing here is to dedicate it to them. And to do the special toastings. Now as a left leaning person, I am against the idea of human monarchies. So I don’t toast asking for “victory and power” to any King. Unless it’s one of the divine or semi divine kings of old.
Like Arthur, Solomon, etc..I do toast instead to political leaders I support. I toast to leaders of Black Lives Matter chapters. I toast to Antifa as a whole. I also toast to activists. I do on occasion toast to the power and victory of certain heads of state in countries I support.
Right now I toasted to Odin to give “power and victory” to the President of Peru against the coup regime. I do the second toast exactly as described. Asking for peace and good harvests. When I mention harvests, what I’m really saying is prosperity as a whole. For all.
Well, except my enemies.
The next toast goes to the political leaders I like and support. And the final toasts are the minni or memorial toasts to loved ones lost. Then I also make nightly offerings in the evening to the Nisse or Tomte. I call for their help in daily matters. I use Yule as my “wishing season”.
In which I conjure the Tomte in the name of Oski to appear to grant my wishes. I have a whole ritual personal to me. Which I can’t disclose for the same reason I don’t disclose images of my idols or magic places. Then I continue until Up Hella Aa where I burn an effigy of some sort. If you can you can order an effigy to burn online, do it.
Even something made to look like a Viking ship. Or even a regular boat to burn. Be creative. You can adapt these to be either solitary, or to add friends to come over and have feasts with you. And to work the rituals with you as well.
After all, these were originally celebrations with many people. And of course burning protective candles to keep yourself safe during the Wild Hunt. Which for me in my personal opinion, lasts longer than just the Winter Solstice. I personally believe that in November, Odin and the other Yule Beings are doing the job of keeping us all safe. In fact, keep burning the candles until Up Hella Aa at least.
And use the protective candles to ask Jólnir for his protection. On Up Hella Aa I do one more fire night with candles and a final feast for the Tomte in Odin’s name. And ask Odin as Oski for a great New Year. I try to go all out and give the Norse Gods the largest meaty dinner I can give. I have a stone shrine outside that no one knows is a Pagan shrine.
And I leave all their food there. When people see me they think I am feeding the cats. Which I am doing that also but that’s besides the point. Again, you can make this into a friend or family gathering. You don’t have to do it alone.
But you can if you want to.
Worship of Oski, Oski’s Day
A shrine dedicated to Oski
Before Yule, is Oski’s Day. Most people celebrate December 6th as St. Nicholas Day. But worshippers of the Norse Gods have begun to reclaim it for Odin. In this form, Oski listens to the petitions of people. And grants their wishes either directly or indirectly.
As part of the celebration, people exchange gifts. They also light candles and bake traditional baked goods associated with Yule. In fact there’s a whole array of foods just for Yule called the Julbord. Which is a bunch of Christmas foods and sweets for this time of year. Ale poured in libations to Oski.
And of course prayers, and songs.
The Dark Side of Yule
The Wild Hunt
But not everything during Yule is merry. As mentioned before, winter is a time of the dead and of the Fae. According to A Dictionary of Northern Mythology by Rudolf Simek, this was the time when all manner of spirits were said to be loosed upon the world. This unfortunately also means evil spirits are out and about. Jólnir and his forces would hunt them down in what is popularly known as the Wild Hunt.
And drive them back into the other world. But at least these were just spirits being driven away. The worst supernatural creatures, were the ones who had physical bodies. It was said that during this time, several physical revenants returned as well. And the worst of them was the Draugr.
Draugr
Meaning “again walker.” These entities are members of the dark dead. They can be aggressive if they aren’t resting well. It was said if a person died on certain days like Yule, they would not rest well in the grave. But other reasons a person became a Draugr was if they were murdered or committed suicide.
Or were not given a proper burial. Such as not being buried on holy ground. The worst of them were evil witches and wizards in life. Evil magic users normally come back as something worse in death. And they would arise as these corporeal revenants.
Basically, these are Norse zombies. That’s an over simplification but it’s the easiest way to explain it. They are one of the most powerful revenants though. They are all said to be sorcerers who can control the weather. These are just some of their powers.
They can do a great many things. And they have the power to curse. But despite this, not all Draugr are the same. Not all Draugr are the people who died. Sometimes they’re evil spirits possessing the corpses of the dead.
Other times they really are the person who passed away. But are angry for some reason, leading to their aggression.
Now, the first legends I heard claimed that the Draugr could not be killed by weapons formed by men. That only a hero who was strong enough could wrestle them to the ground and kill them. However, the video above mentions plenty of times when weapons did kill them. When heroes killed them by decapitating them with swords. Then burned the body to ashes.
And separated the ashes into different bodies of water. So either they can be killed by weapons. Or the hero’s can make weapons kill the Draugr. These were the creatures said to be out tonight. And Jólnir was hunting them.
So tonight while you’re out feasting, raise a toast to the All Father and the Norse Gods. And remember to leave offerings for Oski and his Tomte. And ask for many blessings in this new year.
The Mexican version of All Saints and All Souls’ Day! With some indigenous flavor. Even though I’m Cuban and not Mexican. But I celebrate this day with a particular zest as if it was a Yoruba holiday. Other Santeros do as well. It’s mostly based on the Aztec version of the days of the dead.
Miccailhuitontili (Feast of the Little Dead Ones) for dead children. And Miccailhuitl (Feast of the Adult Dead). The original dates were August 9 and August 10. But with the coming of the Colonizing Spanish Empire, trying to forcibly convert the indigenous people, they changed the dates to All Souls and All Saints Day. Which is even funnier because those days were a Christianized version of the Celtic Pagan Samhain.
So Catholics, attempting to convert Pagans from an indigenous non European Pagan background, converted their holiday to a European Pagan background instead. So for me these two days are awesome for celebrating both! I have many images and videos to show you. But first, here’s my son on Halloween!
He was a Cuban Pimp for Halloween
On this day, the traditions of the indigenous peoples, mix with Folk Catholicism and Spiritualism. As well as Spiritism. Tomorow it will be the same.
It’s been a long time since I have done one of these. No time like the present. The Hunter’s Moon is the Moon that follows the Harvest Moon. To strengthen its influence, it’s in the sign of Aries in 16 Degrees. From Pandora Astrology we have this.
Negative influences during the Red October that we’re in. It’s an October that is full of warlike energy. That’s probably why everything is so messed up right now. It also causes extreme arguments and conflict between people. So please mind your mouth and your actions.
But also take advantage of this time to do Shadow Work. That is, working with your dark side. Everyone has a Shadow right? What if I told you that it’s literally a part of your mind and your spirit. The darker part. It’s your passion and ambition.
Your charisma and charismatic part of the soul. And it even contains old memories from past lives. Most people only associate it with anger and negativity. But that’s only how it starts out. Eventually when you have a good relationship with your Shadow Self, they cool down and become wise teachers.
The best way to watch the Hunter’s Moon is from a balcony or roof top. At least in Florida. Because it’s rainy and cloudy here. You’ll need everything advantage can get to see it. Next we have Davina’s Predictions on Red October.
I saved some rain water. Then I placed stones inside of it. A Tiger’s Eye to represent the fiery energy. Moon Stone for the Moon and Water. And Lapis Lazuli for the water as well and the blue of the night.
Waiting for the night to fall to place it on the balcony. I’m also charging it with necromantic rites to the Ancestors. Besides Halloween, we’re in the middle of the Jewish high feast of Sukkot. I have already built an altar and am leaving special offerings there. And the Ushpizin or “guests”, the heavenly dead are commemorated.
For seven days they are given offerings and honor. Finally, here’s a link from Purplerays shared to us by Grannymoon. Oh! And one final thing. This one comes to us from Pandora Astrology.
I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. I view it as propaganda to cover up the genocide of the Native Americans and the theft of their land. But as this Thanksgiving falls on Folklore Thursday, I figured you’d all like some Halloween mixed with the turkey. A vanishing English colony, a mysterious message on a tree, Shamans and shape shifting, and a tragic curse. And the Ghost of the first English woman ever born on the continent.
A ghostly English and American fairytale worthy of the Brothers Grimm.
The Mystery of the Missing Colony at Roanoke is known far and wide. As are the legends of Virginia Dare. Roanoke was the first true English settlement in Turtle Island (America). It was Founded by Sir Walter Raleigh a notoriously brutal colonizer and war criminal. While he committed genocide in Ireland at the behest of Elizabeth, here he used different tactics.
Walter Raleigh, I withheld the “Sir” here on purpose. May he be damned eternally
He decided to “befriend” the indigenous peoples so that he could slowly infiltrate their societies. And learn all that he could about them. Including potential enemies, resources to steal, strengths and weaknesses, and who would be allies of England. This was especially important for when they would stop being friendly and begin forcing submission. Now, Raleigh already has a strange history including a missing head after he died.
But that’s a story for another time. For now we will focus on the strange connection he has to this story. The settlement was on an Island off the coast of North Carolina. It wasn’t supposed to be there at all. It was supposed to be in Chesapeake Bay.
But the Pirate captain they hired to take them, a Portuguese Mercenary*, was in a rush to raid Spanish ships. So he left them stranded on Roanoke Island. Raleigh had previously befriended two indigenous leaders : Manteo and Wanchese. In fact, he took them all the way to England and they met the Queen. And Raleigh managed to get Manteo a Lord Title.
Becoming the only Native who ever received an English title. The Colony was given to the command of Governor John White. There were 115 Colonists under him. Among them was his daughter Eleanor, and her husband, Ananias Dare.
The Baptism of Virginia Dare at Roanoke Colony, image from the State Archives of North Carolina
Virginia was the very first child of English blood born on Turtle Island. But little did they know the dangers they were in. Many of the local tribes despised them. You see years before, another mercenary captain had ordered the whole sale slaughter of many indigenous tribes. Their crime? That one of their chiefs had held the captain’s silver cup in his hand for a moment.
The Captain believed he was trying to steal the cup. So he decided he make an example of them. Just to prove a point. This left the local tribes permanently traumatized. And when Europeans had once again appeared in the form of the Roanoke colony, they decided to show the invaders they weren’t welcome.
As things began to get dangerous, John White knew they needed help. So he left, presumably just for a few months. Returning to England for aid. He told the colonists that if they had to leave for any reason, to carve the name of their new location on a nearby tree. And if they were forced under pressure to leave, to carve a cross underneath the name.
When John White left for England, he had no idea that he would never see the people of Roanoke again. In 1588, the country was bracing for an Invasion from the Spanish armadas. Three years had passed before he and his new crew with their supplies made it back to Roanoke. And when they got there, they were greeted with an eerie silence. The whole colony, all 115 of them had long gone.
John White and the English soldiers find the colony empty, and a single word carved on a near by tree
And near the ruins of the settlement was the word “Croatoan” carved in a nearby tree. The disappearance of Virginia Dare and the Colony as well as the mysterious word has been the subject of fiction. From the Buffyverse where Virginia Dare was a past slayer, to “The Immortal Nicholas Flamel” series where she’s a villain. To her being a demon responsible for the disappearance of the colony in the FreakyLinks tv show. To the Croatoan virus from Supernatural which is a demonic virus that turns people into savage zombie like monsters.
Comic books. And recently on the CW series Legacies, a Demonic Monster that hunts and devours those who keep secrets. Of course all of that is nothing compared to the racist, anti indigenous fiction created later. One of the most famous Apocryphal stories spread is how the colonists died. That Virginia’s mother Eleanor bravely carved the word into a tree as a clue.
While she had her dead husband at her feet and her baby in her arms while savage natives attacked. Except that not one of the Roanoke colonists were killed. Remember, there wasn’t a cross carved under the word. Which means they weren’t forced to leave. There was no conflict.
And despite the English repeating stories of how the whole village was butchered, not one body was found. The village was abandoned with nothing left behind even for raiders. Which means the colonists took the supplies with them. Most of the English assumed local tribes had killed them all. But John White rightly assumed that the word was a misspelling of the word Croatan.
The name of Manteo’s tribe. But even with the possibility that they survived, he choose not to look for them. He and his crew went off to raid ships. And this is where Colonial history falls silent. Many people have said he wanted to find his family but a storm was coming.
Other sources say he also wanted to engage in raiding Spanish ships. Some believe he was more motivated by greed at this point. And since three years had passed since the colony was abandoned, he probably did believe they were dead. Although others claim it was the captain and not John White, who wanted to raid the ships. It depends on who you talk to.
Personally, I’m inclined to believe that there was a storm, he was pressured to leave by the soldiers, and he also thought they were dead. A man isn’t just going to give up on his daughter and granddaughter no matter what. Especially someone who brought an army and supplies even after three years. When anyone else would have assumed they were dead. I can only imagine the anguish he just have felt.
Native History, Legend, and Lore
Chief Manteo
But Native history picks up where colonial history left off. According to the Croatan, Manteo discovered that some of the tribes were planning a raid on the settlement. So he not only warned them, but led them through a tunnel on Roanoke island where canoes were secretly waiting for them on the other side. He brought enough not just for the colonists, but all of their supplies and personal possessions as well. He led them to his tribe the Croatan Nation.
Now we explore Virginia Dare’s childhood. Only she stopped being Virginia Dare. Her Mother was renamed “White Doe”. And Virginia became “Little Fawn”. Little Fawn was beloved by the whole tribe.
And was seen as the embodiment the principles of the First Nation. Not as a colonist or settler. But as a native woman. We do know that the new generation of Croatan not only knew native traditions but European traditions as well. Which means there was an equal exchange of cultures between the groups.
This is purely fictiinal. Croatan Native Women didn’t dress like this. From northcarolinaghosts.com
Upon becoming a woman, she inherited the name White Doe from her mother. She also earned the title of “Beloved Woman” and “Prophet”. She was trained as a Shaman. She grew up with Wanchese’s son who was named after his father. The younger Wanchese loved her, but had never confessed his feelings for her.
Later in Jamestown, some of the other settlers in 1608, reported that they saw survivors from Roanoke.
“Seven English alive…who escaped the slaughter at Roanoke. Fower men, two boys, and one young mayde,”
Except nobody died. The massacre was stopped by Manteo. Many suspect the young woman was White Doe/Virginia Dare herself. There were also tales of gray eyed natives or people with mixed features in those days. But going back to Croatan accounts, White Doe’s magic became so powerful, that she attracted the attention of a male shaman named Chico.
Chico was greedy for her power. He believed that if he could marry her, he could gain her powers for himself. Maybe even sire a child with greater powers still. But White Doe politely said no. This angered Chico greatly.
And he began to plot against her. For if he couldn’t have her power, nobody would. He led White Doe to her birth island at Roanoke. What pretext he used to lead her there isn’t clear. What is said is that he cast a powerful spell on the island.
And that she became a real white doe the moment she stepped foot on the cursed land. Trapped in this form, Chico abandoned her to her fate. When she disappeared, the whole village began to speculate that Chico was behind it somehow. But nothing could be proven.
The Magical Doe of Roanoke Island
Stories from the native hunters along the coast started to spread. They told of a lone white doe on Roanoke island. It was said that when tribal hunters shot arrows at the Doe, it went right through her. Taking no effect. And the animal was supernaturally fast as well.
Wanchese was sure it was his White Doe. It seems her magic remained even after she was cursed to animal form. He figured what Chico had done. So he decided to save his love. And he had the tool to do it.
Wanchese inherited a silver tipped arrow from his father. The arrow was a present that Wanchese Sr. was given by the Queen of England. It was reputed in the tribe to have special powers to break any enchantment. This makes sense because silver is the metal of the fae. And it’s said to have powers over evil spirits and magic.
His plan was to give White Doe a harmless flesh wound. That way the curse would be broken with her life spared. I think you can already tell this tale is going to end badly. The younger Wanchese chased her across the lands and finally cornered her in Kill Devil Hills. And there he fired his arrow.
Only to realize he had pierced her heart. She slowly turned back into a human woman.
She locked eyes with him, breathed her last breath, and died. Then her spirit appeared out of her body in the form of a ghostly white doe which fled into the forrest. Now I have told you this version of the story first. And the reason is because out of all the stories I researched, this one seems to be the most accurate account. It came from one of my paranormal books which I will cite later.
And it is recited orally for generations by the tribe. But for some reason, everyone either scoffs at the story as a silly fairy tale. Or they pervert the Croatan accounts for their own gain. As you’ll see soon by this next part.
Big Business, Bullshit, and Bigotry
As I have mentioned above, there are dozens of distortions to this story. The colonists and their later descendants were for the most part, unruly people. They had a sense of racial superiority about them. And in modern and former times, Virginia Dare was taken as a symbol of white womanhood and racism. She was used by racist white men in the South as a banner to rally white women and men to stop black women from voting.
VDare is a White Supremacist organization created by Peter Brimelow, the former Forbes editor and author. He stole the image of the White Doe for his fascist, anti immigration movement which wants to keep America white. To this end, this militia encourages European immigration in order to “purify” the US.
And she’s also been used in more recent times by racial separatist and Neo Nazi organizations. Invoked for different white supremacist agendas. Currently to protest immigration by non whites and “pc culture”. Her story has been perverted for other people’s agendas for hundreds of years. And one of those agendas was to sell wine.
During prohibition, a new take on Virginia Dare arose. One where the native leader Wanchese was scared of English people. In this myth, he turned against the Roanoke colonists and plotted to kill them all. In this version Manteo is still the one who saves them. But instead of Wanchese’s son, it’s a warrior named “Okisko” who is White Doe’s love.
And rather than a silver tipped arrow, he uses an oyster tipped arrow with a mother-of-pearl lining. The silver arrow remains with Wanchese. But story says that Wanchese was also hunting her. They make him into the stereotypical “evil Indian”. The reason Wanchese has been vilified by colonial sources, is because he broke relations with the English.
He saw the English as dangerous. And that they had ulterior motives for their “friendship,”. Wanchese was a noble warrior and leader of his people. And while he was never a Chief, his words held a lot of weight with them. He tried to warn Manteo about the dangers of being too close to the British Empire.
But sadly he didn’t listen. Wanchese broke his ties with the British. Which made Manteo their one ally. History was rewritten Wanchese as a villain. So back to the revised story, here she was supposedly stalked by both her true love and Wanchese.
Wanchese is portrayed here as a macho man who wanted to kill the white doe to prove he was a skilled hunter.
And Okisko wanted to save his love. They both found her drinking water at a pond and fired. Both hitting her in the heart at the same time. When she becomes human, Wanchese realizes what he did and flees. So here they paint the great leader as a shameless coward as well as a killer.
Okisko buries her.
He took her to the center of the Roanoke ruins and buried her there. And from her fallen body, came the scuppernong. The first of the grapes grown in North Carolina was born. Grapes as red as blood. And this was how they sold the wine in North Carolina.
Sallie Southall Cotten wrote this poem for a wine brand to sell the grapes. This version of the story was made famous from the Poem, “The White Doe or the Legend of Virginia Dare,” it was a campaign to sell wine. And other versions of the story were further distorted. A famous NY Times article actually claimed that a hunter from Virginia shot the white doe with a silver bullet. Causing her death.
But it was all a massive media campaign to sell wine. And there are still people who view it as true to this day.
The ghostly white doe is still spotted to this day. Ever since her death at Kill Devil Hills, she’s been seen. Hunters who go to Roanoke island have seen a pure white female deer. Supernaturally fast, because they all say the same thing. They can only ever get a glimpse of the deer.
As soon as they see it, it’s gone. As in the blink of an eye. Many skeptics have tried debunking claims that this is her spirit roaming the island. Claiming it’s just a rare breed of albino deer. But that has never been proven.
Where are all the albino deers? It’s only ever one deer, a female deer who is spotted. And it’s been spotted since colonial times. Albinos would have to appear once in every generation. Maybe it’s an immortal deer. She only comes out at night.
Even today there are people reporting the mystical white doe. The sightings are regarded as an “urban legend,”. But if that’s the case, then this is the longest running Urban Legend in US History. Or perhaps there is more fact than fiction here. A mystical blend of historical mystery and the Supernatural.
And it only gets weirder. In Manteo, North Carolina they have a play showing the founding and vanishing of the Roanoke Colony. The play has been going on since the 1930’s. In every single play, the actors reported encounters with people dressed in period clothing roaming around backstage. Except these people are not from the cast.
And many have claimed to have seen ghostly apparitions of a young blond maiden they think is Virginia herself. Are these the ghosts of the colonists? Could it be that what happened to Virginia has caused them to remain in limbo? Stuck between realms. Much like White Doe herself, Little Fawn, the Beloved Woman, who even today remains untamed, illusive, and perhaps….unknowable.
*Some accounts claim it was a Spanish captain named Simon Fernando. But given the fact that there were serious tensions occuring between Spain and England I find that doubtful. And his name is often used in accounts that to me are less than trustworthy. The Southern author of the book who listened to the Croatan, says it was a Portuguese mercenary who captained the ship. And he had abandoned them on Roanoke to raid Spanish ships.
This account is more in line with the history. And as stated before, they weren’t supposed to be on Roanoke. A fact that is almost left out of every account. I didn’t even know that. The only thing they do agree on is that the name of the ship was Lion.
But even then, popular sources translate it as Lyon which is French for Lion. If it had been Spanish as they claim, it would have been Leon. The Portuguese name would have been Leão and to non speakers of the language it may have sounded like Lyon. What I discovered is that the author was right : the name of the Captain was Simão Fernandes. Usually translated as Simon Fernandes and eventually in apocryphal accounts as Simon Fernando.
Many historians from the West especially England, try to translate the names of other cultures in English. Juan becomes John and so forth. English museums do this all the time. So mistranslations are bound to occur. So the Pirate captain’s nationality was changed from Portuguese to Spanish.
Probably because the people doing the translating in future generations may not have been able to tell that his name was Portuguese. There are some minor similarities in both languages and the translators may have translated his name so many times that it no longer looked like his name.
Amazon has it for $19, but you can buy it on Thrift Books for $5.29 and that includes the hardcover edition
⬆️ This book had some of the most accurate information. There were a few things that were wrong but mostly correct. Also, the colonial ghosts at the play since the 1930’s comes from this book as well. This author has thoroughly researched the South. And while I don’t always agree with his opinions, he does have good information.
And he has tried to verify as much as possible. Also the report from Jamestown comes from this book.
4) The Sad Fate of White DoeNew York Times (April 22, 1888) (this one mentions the revised stories including that a farmer supposedly killed her with a silver bullet)
Adventures of A Mage In Miami 