From Dinosaurs to Aliens found by the Russian Military. No, this isn’t a conspiracy video. These are things that have either been confirmed to have been found (the dinosaur). Or were all alleged to have been found. Either way I thought I would share this.
Enjoy!
– M
St. George’s Eve is here yet again. The time of the dead.
And of the dark spirits. Demons roam the skies and land. And wicked things are everywhere. Satanists practice their rites to Satan and Lilith on this night. And the Fallen rise once more to plague those of the mortal world.
As soon as the sun set today, the wicked creatures came out to play. Some legends say that you see Will-O’-the-wisps at night and the pathways. And that these are souls of the dead that guard treasures they buried before they died. So that if you see these fiery spirits, you must mark on a map where you saw them. So that you can take the treasures.
Yes this is a dark night indeed. Don’t think for a moment that you’re safe in this modern world. You aren’t.
They slip between the cars as you travel at night. Or maybe they’ll enter the cars with you and give you a good fright. Not even police or taxis are safe. Phantom riders are known to hitchhike. Even the police aren’t immune from such mischief.
The Fell Spirits are out and about. Dancing on the tombs of the dead. Waiting to see whom they should strike.
Beware, for the Black Mass shall be tonight. And soon the dead warlocks shall arise. Don’t be caught out when they party though. They don’t like being spied on. Just ask Tam O’ Shanter.
Enjoy your parties this Saturday night. Just be wary of those who appear on the roads……
Cheers,
– M
So today I want to talk to you all about an another amazing blogger. She dedicates herself to the lore of England. To the Fae. To Arthur. And actually even to Goddesses.
So it’s not all about England either. Her latest post on Aphrodite April is amazing. So here I am showing you her best posts. Please follow her!
The Blodeuwedd and Guinevere Connection
Flower Brides, May Queens, High Queens: Archetypes in Analysis
~ All Hail the White Rose and Enchantress of Avalon ~
– M
CORCORAN, Calif. — It is no secret to locals that the heart of California’s Central Valley was once the largest body of fresh water west of the Mississippi River, dammed and drained into an empire of farms by the mid-20th century.
Still, even longtime residents have been staggered this year by the brute swiftness with which Tulare Lake has resurfaced: In less than three weeks, a parched expanse of 30 square miles has been transformed by furious storms into a vast and rising sea.
The lake’s rebirth has become a slow-motion disaster for farmers and residents in Kings County, home to 152,000 residents and a $2 billion agricultural industry that sends cotton, tomatoes, safflower, pistachios, milk and more around the planet. The wider and deeper Tulare Lake gets, the greater the risk that entire harvests will be lost, homes will be submerged and businesses will go under.
Read the rest at the Seattle Times
I have to say this, I hate dams. I don’t trust them. And I would never intentionally live in an area that used to be under water. That’s just courting disaster. This solidifies my position on that.
Pictures from the article
– M
Many of you know that among the many traditions I practice, is an esoteric or occult form of Christianity and Judaism. From a Judeo-Christian perspective, this is the time for magic with Rabbi Yeshua Ben Yosef (Jesus Son of Joseph). Because of the miracle of the Fish, it was later taken as an early Christian symbol for his people.
In modern Astrology, the new moon is seen as a time of beginnings. In ancient astrology however, it’s a time of the dead. And often considered a time of bad luck. For the Romans, the Nones or New Moon was so unlucky, it didn’t even have a God presiding over it. Which meant it was devoid of power.
One would see two different perspectives here. One is the idea of miracles repeating. In modern astrology, Wiccans and other groups perform wishing rituals in which they burn papers with wishes and desires on them using magical candles. The request is sent to the universe. And in theory, the universe obliges you.
It’s a little more complicated than that, but that’s for another time.
So the miracle of the replicating fish makes a lot of sense here. In a sense you are replicating your desires and reeling them in with a net. But more important than that is enlightenment. The idea that Yeshua and his followers would become “fishers of men” and that rather than kill them, like fish, the men caught in his net would live forever. This isn’t me trying to convert you.
I’m speaking strictly of Christo-Pagan mysticism. Yeshua’s movement started out as a mystery religion. Where members were eventually sworn to secrecy. And they taught great magics. Including the ability to command the spirits.
To exorcise entities. To heal among other things. Sometimes just by speaking it into existence. But modern Christians follow the bloody dogma of the council of Nicea. The false doctrines of the Emperor Constantine I of Rome.
And with these false doctrines, the religion was demystified. Most of the love, hope, and the wonder this faith once taught, is gone. Like a chalice of fine wine that has been drained.
Meditate with the stars. And allow your miracles to grow.
Not just financial miracles. Everyone prays for more money. But not everyone stops to ask why do we pray for more money. And the answer to that question, is that we’re addicted to it. We live in a world where in most of the planet, you don’t have access to clean drinking water without money.
And thus this is also a time for us to see if we can make our dreams come true without money. Or if we do need it, how to replicate it. But not to become engulfed in selfishness. And not to be slaves of it. And that is probably the most important part of this lesson to learn.
How not to become enslaved by a material force.
Instead how to use the spirit to work with the material. Because material doesn’t have to be “evil” like many religions teach. I can hear my Gnostic Christian brethren screaming “blasphemy!” but it’s true. Just because something is dense or physical, does not innately make it bad. What’s bad is how it’s used.
But this is also a time of the dead. And it coincides not only with the Roman Parentalia, but also the Greek Anthesteria. Both being times to honor the dead. So the New Moon is a perfect and auspicious time for necromancers and those who work with the ancestors. In fact it magnifies those influences.
Also, Yeshua is a very chthonic God. After all he died and rose from the dead. And was a great necromancer of his time.
Baraka, Asherah, and the Gods of Ancient Palestine
Now more to the point, there is type of energy in Hebrew magic called berakhah. Sometimes written as barak, baraka, bracha, brokho, brokhe. It can be translated as blessing or benediction. One person, a Judeo Christian mystic told me it’s also used sometimes for the word “lightning“. As the energy appears almost electrical sometimes.
It is a blessing or gift we all have which comes from the Elohim (the powerful ones). The ancient Hebrew Gods. Before Monotheism took hold over Judaism. There were many types of Elohim. In fact it’s believed by many that the Greek God Adonis was originally the Hebrew God Adon.
Each of the Elohim were children of Adonai (the Lord) and his wife and sister Asherah. God the Mother, the Mother Goddess. Asherah once had her idol right next to the ark of the covenant. It was a wooden pole dressed like a palm tree, which was sacred to her. Eventually the fanatical sect that worshiped only Adonai, cut down her pole.
And they destroyed imagery associated with the other Elohim. The Bible rewrote this horrific genocide and persecution as “righteousness” and “the will of Adonai”. In my work about Ghosts in Judeo-Christian religion I talk about how King Saul banned witches across Palestine. Despite the fact that witchcraft was a fixture in the Jewish faith. Even under his rule.
And the Witch of Endor was frightened of him being in her house. She believed he would kill her where he stood. Even though he came to her for answers when Adonai would no longer speak to him. It’s interesting here because the Bible acknowledges that her powers are real. And she actually did summon the Prophet Samuel’s Ghost.
It’s even more interesting because it’s mentioned that
“He inquired of Adonai, but Adonai did not answer him by dreams, or Urim, or prophets”.
– 1 Samuel 28:6
Urim is the casting of lots by the way. It was popular in the Middle East back then. These were considered acceptable ways to work with God. But when a Pagan does it to talk to their God/Goddess it’s “evil”. It isn’t the only time this happens by the way.
There are many cases of Jewish witches and wizards across the Bible. Including the prophets and priests of Israel who performed all sorts of ceremonial high magic.
Baraka is a divine power granted to worshippers of these Gods. Like the awen granted by the Irish Tuatha de Dannan. The ashe given by the Orishas of Nigeria. The ekat by the Netjer and Netjeru of Egypt, these are all powers. Some have the Baraka that grants prophesy.
Others material wealth. Still others healing. It all depends on the person and what they desire both in this and the other world. Now there are many Gods in this pantheon to work with. But for the sake of this article, I am specifically going to mention two :
Baal (Lord) Hammon, the God of fertility and renewer of all energy. And Dagon, originally a Sumerian God of fertility and fish. But as a Jewish mystic once told me,
“Many of the Gods in Hebrew Polytheism, originally came from the Sumerians,”
He also explained that holy symbols came from them too. The Star of David for instance. And even the Seal of the Prophets in Islam, were based on Sumerian symbols. Even the Hindus have much from the Sumerians. So as with many ancient religions of the Middle East, they are often our forefathers and foremothers.
Fertility Gods, particularly those who renew life and energy are perfect for prosperity Magic. And Lord Dagon also bring
How to work with Baraka
Judeo-Christian witches and polytheists have a radically different perspective of the following text.
“Thou shalt not worship other Gods before me,” – Shemot (Exodus) chapter 20, verse 3.
If you read the Bible, you’ll know that Adonai asks for a lot of different offerings during the whole day. But he requires offerings at the very beginning of the day. And then a final offering at the end of the day as well. Now what does that sound like? A Gatekeeper! In the Greek religion it’s Hestia. In Santeria it’s Elegua.
In Vodou it’s Papa Legba. And some Occult Catholics view St. Peter as the Gatekeeper of the Christian religion. Chosen by Jesus because of the text where Jesus grants him the key to Heaven. And of course Protestant style magic users view Yeshua himself as the Gatekeeper for God. In my case I choose either Adonai or Yeshua.
Or sometimes Simeon son of Yonah (Simon son of Jonah). The original Hebrew name for Peter, before Yeshua gave him a new name after his initiation into his Mysteries. Or I choose Chokmah (Wisdom) the daughter of Adonai and Asherah. Also known as Sophia in Gnostic Christianity. Regardless, many who use traditional Hebrew magic give a first offering to Adonai.
In his name of El-Elyon (El Most High). Which is the origin of “God the most high” in English. The first offering can be anything. Something that comes from your heart. I use a special blend of incenses based on the Ketoret (Incense of the Temple) in the Bible.
This is a combination of frankincense, galbanum (a plant found in Iran), and most importantly, opobalsamum (a rare type of amber from a myrrh tree). In fact this is a high grade extract of light myrrh. And it’s believed by many sources to be the origin of the ingredient “Stacte” from the Ketoret. Now others have other beliefs about what constitutes the temple incense. But regardless this is a simplified version of it.
I buy it from Etsy.
Pray over it when you get the incense. And let the spirit of Adonai and Asherah flow into it. You can use an oil burner for this. Then walk around the house and purify it in the name of El-Elyon. This acts as both a purification and also an extension of the offering.
For Lord Hammon
For Baal Hammon I give him grain, a golden scented candle to symbolize his Kingship, honey, and fruits associated with male fertility. Such as mango. And anything that represents renewal of life. Save the candle for last, for this acts as the ‘ignition’ for the ritual to activate. Then pray,
“Oh Baal (Lord) of the land, sustainer of the crops, renewer of life, King of the lands, Hammon King of the Gods with power bestowed on you by the Great GOD and GODDESS, please bestow prosperity to me. In the form of…”
(Specify exactly what you want. If you have Bible paper, legal tender paper, or even bay leaves or brown paper bag, write your petition and burn it in the Golden Candle. Make sure you have a fire proof dish to burn the petition in).
When you finish say,
“Thank you O Baal for listening to my petition, I ask that if for whatever reason you not grant me what I ask, that you grant me the equivalent or something better, in the name of El Almighty, Amen,”
For Lord Dagon
A smoked fish, grain, sea iconography. Anything to do with the sea including shells. Or even symbols of fish or underwater creatures. Ironically (or perhaps not ironically at all) the Judeo-Christian fish symbol is perfect for him. It can even double as a representation of Rabbi Yeshua.
A scented blue candle that reminds you of the ocean. Prayer,
“Dagon, God who brings prosperity from the waves of the sea, hidden treasures on the ocean floor are yours to give and to take at your command, O divine master, bringer of fish, on this Pisces new moon, I ask you to magnify the power of prosperity and to bring unto me….”
(Make your petition, and as before, wait until the end to burn the candle).
“Father of the Sea, bringer of Prosperity, I end this work begging your guidance and any advice you have on how to acquire what I ask. If for whatever reason you not grant me what I ask for, then I ask for the equivalent or something better, Amen“
Then, give a final offering to El-Elyon. What I use for the final offering is a blessed candle. Shabbat candles, which are environmentally friendly and can be used for any ceremony. This seals the ritual. I leave the offerings on the table for three days.
Then I take Baal Hammon’s offerings to bury them on the land closest to my door to bring in blessings. But Dagon’s offerings go to any body of water. And of course I take a bottle of honey and pour a first libation for El-Elyon to send the offerings to these two Elohim. And then pour a second libation to him when I finish.
The empty candle jars I can recycle for future rituals to those Gods. Or maybe use them for talismans. I could even decorate them. Or simply dispose of them. I dispose of the wax at the areas where I bury the offerings.
This is a prosperity ritual I like to do with both these Gods. However, for some, a ritual to the Elohim might be better if it is with female Elohim. It depends on the ritual caster. And what type of prosperity you seek. I chose Fertility Gods because they can make money and other requests “fertile”.
Allowing them to replicate. Which is perfect for this time. For you, it may have to be someone else. I would look up the list of Bet-ilim and see which one is the one you are looking to work with. Though ultimately I would still pray and work with Dagon if only because this new moon is ruled by Pisces.
So now that I have written all about my particular point of view and Christo Pagan practices, I am going to add some astrological links as well.
The New Moon in Pisces in February
Feralia, February’s Roman Equivalent of Irish Samhain
Folklore Fairy Queen: Goddesses and the Fairy Queen Archetype
Learning to Love Astrology: A Poem
Happy New Moon Everyone…..
– M
APOTROPAICS: THE ROUGH GUIDE #1: TAPER BURN MARKS For the last 25 years archaeologists have been recording historic taper burn marks on Medieval …
INCENDIARY BEHAVIOUR
I found this fascinating. And it actually gives us an idea of how to do Apotropaic magic without anyone figuring out what it actually is. It would be hard for anyone to discover it as being magic in the modern day. Really good investigative article on the subject.
From the same blog
History Society Finds: Concealed Shoes, two Witch Bottles & a ‘Witch’s Nail’ from Charing, Kent.
There’s all manner of rituals and magic for protection and cleansing in the New Year. There’s some amazing things in tradition that one should consider adding to their practice. My witch sister (as in my actual sister) has been practicing magic here with me. Preparing for the New Year’s as well. These traditions come from different groups.
So let’s take a look at some of the stuff to do.
Flowering or Blooming Cleansing
Also known as a Growth Cleansing or a New Year’s Bath, this is a bath with flowers. It opens up the spiritual channels in a person’s body. This is to allow them to release negative or unnecessary energy. While also allowing good energy to enter. The following is a formula we use in Spanish folk magic.
One prescribed by mediums for the new year.
Ingredients :
Note* ingredients must be natural and freshly harvested
1) 5 Sunflower petals
2) 5 Red rose petals
3) 5 White rose petals
4) 5 Pink rose petals
5) 1 Rue branch
6) 5 Jasmine branches
7) 2 yellow candles
8) 2 Rosemary branches
9) 5 Daisy petals
Instructions :
To start doing the bath, heat six liters of water in a pot or saucepan. You’ll have to leave the water heating about 10-20 minutes. Until it starts to boil. Once bubbles begin to appear in the water it means that it has reached the ideal temperature. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully put all the materials in the water.
Once this is done, place the pot back to heat. But this time you only raise the temperature a bit and stir the materials. After another 15 minutes, put the pot to cool. When the water cools put it in the bathtub with the other ingredients. If that water is not enough to bathe, you can put a little more water without any problem.
Essentially the water you prepared, will bless and charge the regular water.
Once everything is ready, light the two yellow candles and take a bathe. Imagine yourself illuminated by the energies of the flowers. Allow the souls of those flowers to enter you. All things are alive. And when you bathe in flowers, the souls of those beings enter you.
So this isn’t just a normal cleansing. It’s a soul cleansing. It washes through you and over you by using pure souls. Those of the flowers themselves. That’s how this works.
Embrace them. Feel the negative energy disintegrate inside you. And then be flushed out naturally from your energy pathways. Allow the calm, nourishing, energy to enter your pathways. Feeding them.
Renewing them. Once you finish the bath, dry with a white towel. This is because white is a color associated with purity. If you have a special color that empowers you, you can use that instead. Then do a regular shower.
And scrub with soap as you normally would.
As my Druid Master recently told me : in our tradition, any form of washing with water is a cleansing. And this is true in more ways than one. In Jewish mysticism, it’s said that water loves bad or impure things. It was made that way by God to absorb the impurity out of things and people. That’s why most cleansings use water as a basic ingredient.
How my sister does it
My sister uses the same traditional flowering formula as described above. The only difference is that she uses Christian Magic to empower it further. In conjunction with the new moon prior to the new year. She also used my balcony shrine which is filled with various plants and astrological idols to empower it. She also adds a few secret ingredients to make hers stronger.
She also added some power to it from a portable altar she brought with her.
But because they are a secret taught to her by her teacher, I can’t reveal that. What I will say is that she combines it with Catholic Masses. She does a mini mass in the bathroom with a specific Gregorian chant playing on her phone. The combination of the potion with the holy music adds to the power of the cleansing. She uses special rites associated with the Catholic Church.
As well as the new moon, and Saints to empower the water. New moons are good for new beginnings.
How I do it
I do it also not only with Christian Magic but with Santero magic as well. I appeal to Ossian the Orisha of nature and plants, Aroni his faithful servant, and Inle the Orisha of Medicine. I do special Santeria prayers with them. And I charge the potion on my balcony shrine as well. It’s a shrine to both nature and the astrological signs and celestial bodies.
I ask for them to charge it with their powers over night. And once I do this, I leave the potion in a plastic container for the night and allow them to fill it with their Ashe (divine grace). It’s pronounced Ahhh-sheh. Sometimes it’s spelled Ache by Cubans. Which confuses the hell out of English speakers.
I also add Cascarilla and some secret ingredients to the brew like my sister does. Though mine are different. Once charged, I wait until New Year’s Day to bathe. Like literally a few minutes after midnight. Then I try to dress in light colors.
I have a specific color I use to be empowered.
Santeria Cleansings & New Year’s Traditions
These are cleansings taught to me by my Godmother in Santeria. The traditions here I also learned from my Babalawo. First up is the feeding of the Earth.
Feeding the Earth : The Story of the Jorojoro
This one was taught to me by my Babalawo Warning! Do not do this ritual. Only a Babalawo or high priest of Orula can do this. I am just outlining the basic ritual and the origin. Doing this the wrong way can actually kill you. This isn’t a joke.
You’ve been warned.
According to our sacred texts, it’s said that when the daughter of God ile Oguere reincarnated, she became the planet Earth. Orula the God of Divination and Magic told her she needed to do a special cleansing called an Ebo. This is sort of like a karmic cleansing to change your fate. She did not. As a result, her children (humans) abuse and hurt her.
The Ebo would have prevented that.
A few years later after humanity had populated the Earth, the Orishas (Gods) had invented death itself. This was to prevent overpopulation. They assigned Iku to be the Orisha of Death. And everyone hated Iku. They all wanted to live forever.
What was worse is that back then when people died, their bodies just lay around. Burying a body hadn’t become a custom yet. Imagine seeing your loved one’s body just laying on the ground. And it looks as if it’s still them. Just sleeping.
It must have been terrifying.
One day ile Oguere and Iku were spending time together. She complained that her human children abused her. And he complained that her children hated him for doing his job. So she had an idea. She made a pact with Iku.
“If you kill as many of my children as you can, I will absorb their bodies into my body,”
The problem was, it was going to be difficult for him to do it on his own. So he said,
“My wife Arun (disease) will have to do this work with us. She must be given power over everyone equally. The rich and the poor, the young and old, kings and their vassals, the wise and prideful, thieves and honest people. Everyone equally,”
She thought about it, and finally said,
“I accept, however I demand that all people grant me tribute of whatever food they eat. And if anyone does not do this, you will be in charge of collecting their debts,”
From that day forward, Iku sends natural disasters and all manner of unnatural death to fall on humans. And in exchange, ile Oguere will suck down human bodies into her own body. When this happened, human bodies began to decompose. Because the Earth began to call them home. Now since then, many rituals to appease the Earth have been made.
As well as many rituals to ward off Iku. And some ceremonies like this one, do both. The Jorojoro is a hole, representing the mouth of the Earth. Usually, a group of Yoruba practitioners led by a Babalawo go into a barren land. They open the Jorojoro, and perform a ritual which has many prayers and components.
But part of it is a technique called Sarayeye. Basically, this is cleansing your body or a place with a ritually charged object. This can be an idol. Food. Or even the body part of an animal like feathers.
In this case, everyone carries a plate full of food and perform Sarayeye with that food. The cleansing absorbs all the bad energy. Bad luck, death, disease, curses, obstacles in the New Year etc…then one by one, the food is dumped into the JoroJoro to feed the Earth. The Jorojoro has to be deep so that it can absorb all of the food. Then, the ritual is closed, by sealing the Jorojoro shut.
The Earth Mother will be appeased and she will give you powerful blessings. At the same time she is draining all the osorbos or bad energy away from you. Including Iku or death. This is done every new year by Babalawos. The ritual is expensive but well worth it.
But I must warn you that only a Babalawo has the authority to perform this ritual. If anyone tells you they can do it without being a Babalawo, run away. Because doing it incorrectly angers ile Oguere. And it results in death. This is because the Earth is hungry.
And the worst thing you can do, is to leave the hole open. She will devour the energy of the person who didn’t perform the ritual the right way. Pull their soul down into death.
Cleansing with the Goddesses at the Beach
This cleansing was taught to me by my Godmother in Santeria. Oshun and Yemaya are the Goddesses who symbolize cleansing and prosperity the most. Inle does too. But a lot of people leave Inle out. What you do is take a bottle of melao or sugar cane syrup to the beach.
And once there, you pour some in your hair. And the rest into the water. Obviously you have to be in the water when you are doing this. This is an offering to Yemaya, the Goddess of the Seas and Oceans. Really all water everywhere belongs to her.
She is the Mother of the Earth in our tradition. Because without water, no planet can survive. Now, when you do this, it’s an even more powerful cleansing than the flowering ritual mentioned above. Yemaya can open your roads to greatness and bestow blessing so powerful than no force or enemy can stop you. It may take a while with the flowering bath to disintegrate the bad energy.
As well as renew your strength. But this cleansing with the beach is faster. It’s also more powerful because this is a loci specific ritual. A ritual that uses the power of a location to help you.
A variation of this ritual, uses a honey comb or honey. Personally, I prefer to use a honey comb. You can buy those in the supermarket. It’s like a bar of soap made out of honey. You can scrub yourself with it.
Like you are talking a bath at the beach.
They’re usually in square plastic containers like this. Though if you can’t find honey combs, just rub regular honey on yourself. Then pour the rest in your hair. Like the offerings of the sugar cane syrup. Oshun is the one you call with this cleansing.
And you are asking her to pull all the impure energy out of you. All bad luck, everything out of your energy field. Then, you toss the honey comb into the water as far as you can. That will be the offering for Oshun. But I would recommend you bring a change a clothes with you.
Bring shorts or a bikini to enter the water. Because regular clothing in sea water smells like a rotten animal. Better to remove the wet clothing and change back into your normal clothes afterwards. Bring a bag with you for your wet clothing to seal it up until you can wash it. Likewise you can do something with Inle as well.
She is the Doctor of the Orishas. And has great power to heal. What I normally use for her are vines and leaves which symbolize healing. I ask the Earth to charge it with great power. Then when I go to the Ocean, I ask Inle to drain all that is bad from me, to the vines.
And all the good energy from the earth and water to enter me. Then I toss the vines into the water far away from me. And that will be Inle’s offering.
Egg Cleansing with Elegua
We have already discussed the powers of the Sarayeye technique. And how ritually charged objects can be used in cleansings. This is such a cleansing. My Godmother taught me this one too. The one and only ingredient here is an egg.
If you want you can bless the egg to make it stronger. That’s up to you. On the first Monday of the new year, in the morning, rub an egg from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet. And pray to Elegua. Ask him to take all the bad energy out of you from the old year.
You will wait until you feel lighter. As if everything that was on and in you will be devoured by that egg. Eggs are living objects. They have living organisms inside them. So they are the best things to use for a sacrifice.
Once everything has been pulled from you, you throw it backwards so that it will break. Do not look behind you. Because if you do, whatever negativity you had removed, will return to you. And worse than before. Now you cannot eat eggs for seven days.
Because if you eat the same food you cleansed yourself with, it will also return the negativity to you. Seven days is the cut off point. After the egg fast the day after the seventh day, you will be able to eat them again. You can wash the egg with holy water to give it an added charge. Or anoint it with a holy oil or powder.
If you can’t do this in the morning then do it at night or the afternoon. The point is doing it while it is still Monday. Elegua is the God of the Crossroads in Yoruba religion. He opens all roads and brings success in all things. No ritual or prayer can be done without giving the first and last offerings to him.
He is the Lord of the New Year and Old Year and will open and close all doors. Doing this ritual with Elegua will be sure to remove all obstacles. He is the divine child God and Prince of our religion.
Throwing Water out the front door, the Window, or the Balcony on New Year’s Day
In Latin America and Spain, people throw out a bucket of water at the very moment of midnight of New Year’s Day. Others like the people of Uruguay, do it from December 31st. The water absorbs the old energy of the old Year. So when you cast out the water from your home, you are casting out the old year. Santeros have our own variant of the ritual.
My Godmother puts Cascarilla into the bucket so that the positive energies of the new year can be invited in. Some use a bucket of Catholic holy water.
Puerto Rican women of the older generations also did the same thing. But they would follow that up by burning church incense inside the house to bring blessings. They’d be doing this and praying deep into the early hours of the night. And to ward off evil. I burn Gold Rain incense that I dedicate to the laughing Buddha to bring in money.
New Year’s in the Ozarks
The Christian Magicians in the Ozarks in Arkansas have similar beliefs. They believe in sending out the old year. And bringing in the new year. But instead of using a bucket of holy water, they open their windows. Just a crack, not open all the way.
The old year slips out through the same small opening. And at the same time the new year slips in. There are other beliefs concerning the New Year’s in the Ozarks. Namely that a visit from strangers isn’t very good. But especially not from a woman.
Why that is, has never been explained, at least not to me. Only that your year is supposed to be crap if a woman is your first New Year’s visitor. That actually happened to me once. And it wasn’t just any woman, it was an extremely neurotic neighbor. One that drove her family crazy.
Like literally every once in a while there were cops or some other trouble in that apartment. She visited us to wish us happy new year just as I was about to throw the water out the front door. I actually debated tossing the water at her.
“Maybe if I throw the water at her crazy ass it’ll exorcise the bad year or cancel it out,”
I didn’t. And man did I regret that decision. Because it really was a shitty fucking year. I don’t know if it was the power of suggestion or not. But at least that time it was right.
I know in the Ozarks it usually is right. On New Year’s Day they tend to stay home. Almost in lockdown pattern. Until the next day. They also seem to have a taboo against taking something out of their home.
They seem to believe removing anything from their houses on New Year’s Day will bring poverty. For a visitor to be allowed in, that person has to bring something inside with them. Even if it’s a twig. This symbolizes prosperity. Now with me it’s the opposite.
I throw shit out as quickly as possible. I like my energy uncluttered. But every place has its own set of rules. All of this information comes from a Folklorist known as Vance Randolph. His research on the Christian faith healers and magic users of the Ozarks is considered Gospel.
Even by the faith healers themselves. He did everything he could to properly catalog, analyze, and preserve Ozark culture. Especially the magical and mystical aspects of their folk religion. He’s in essence, the Eliphas Levi of Ozark and folklore and folk magic. His second wife was a premier folklorist named Mary Celestia Parler.
And together they created the Arkansas Folklore Society. Unfortunately the society which was started in 1950, ended in 1960. But any books or papers you can get from them are good. For they are necessary if you really want to understand the culture and faith of these amazing mountain people. I became fascinated by Ozark magic and folk religion years ago.
I thought this entry would be incomplete without mentioning them.
Chalking of the Doors : Blessing your home for the whole year with Baby Jesus and the Three Kings
It was once believed by Christian denominations from Europe, that Satan temporarily losses his powers. Every year around the time of New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Some believe it’s on Christmas Day. Still, it’s important to perform special wardings and blessings. The most common blessing during this time is the Catholic Epiphany blessing.
In fact, practitioners of Hoodoo also perform this blessing themselves. While traditional Catholics only allow a Priest or the head of the family to do it. Anyone who practices the root can do this. When a Priest does this, they do it as a representation of Christ. This is commonly referred to as in persona Christi (in the person of Christ).
This is a fascinating concept. It essentially means that the Priest is making themselves empty of their personal nature. And they ritually “become” Christ. They allow themselves to be filled with his authority. Like a form of divine possession almost.
In Christianity, divine possession doesn’t always mean that a spirit takes you over. Sometimes it refers to inspiration. Gaining prophetic visions and such. In this case it’s the actual authority of Christ being transferred to the Priest temporarily. When this happens, any blessing performed by the Priest, is the same as if Jesus himself were doing it.
Traditionally, a Priest does this. But the father of the family can also do it. I find that kind of sexist because the head of the family could be a woman. So really any head of the family can do it. As long as they are baptized.
Because then they are, they’re included in the “universal priesthood” (belief that all Christians are priests of Christ). In addition to this, practitioners of both Voodoo and Hoodoo can also perform this ritual. In fact this was an old tradition for many years. I was going to write about this. However, there are some amazing articles I found that I decided were better than anything I could write.
* How to make Epiphany Water, the special holy water blessed for this occasion
* The Ingredients for the Epiphany Ceremony & Instructions on how to do it
* A Simpler version of the instructions for the Epiphany Ceremony (but the simple version is only if you are already familiar with the ritual, which includes having a baby Jesus image enthroned in a manger to be part of the ceremony).
* An Explanation for the Epiphany Blessing
Central to this are three themes :
* Worship of Jesus in his child form (Divine Child) a theme you can find in many religions
* Worshipping him through a household ceremony as if the house was his house
* Calling on the Three Pagan Kings to aid in the warding and blessing of the home for the whole year until next year by chalking the door.
Then
* Blessing the home with Epiphany Water and special prayers.
Again this is me dumbing down the ritual for you. The actual ritual is a ceremony the whole family just participate in. And you are giving cultus to the Christ child by using an image of him. Now, the Catholic Church explains that the formula for blessing the house is Latin. And that the initials mean, Christus mansionem benedicat – (Christ bless this house).
However, these are also the initials of the Three Kings. Casper, Melchior, and Balthazar. And as I said, this is an old tradition done even by Rootworkers in the old days. Granted when we do it, it’s normally just the initials C.M.B., the plus signs are crosses and the numbers are the year the blessing is taking place in. For instance, the formula for this new year will be 2023 so the formula will be,
20+C+M+B+23
Rootworkers also believe that this chalk blessing offerings protection against witchcraft. It calls on the power of Christ and the three kings to block any malevolent influence. Be it magic or evil spirits.
How I do it
I do follow this formula almost identically to the way it’s performed by the church. I find that the chalking formula they use is better than just writing CMB. However, I don’t just write what is there. I add some things to the blessed incantation. For one, there was a Fourth Mage King known as Artaban.
He followed Jesus all his life. There are stories of heroic deeds and even people whose lives he saved along the way. But he never did catch up to Jesus. Finally he died almost at the same time Christ was crucified. And Christ himself crossed him over.
Saying that in everything he did, including saving the lives of the innocent, it was as if he had done those things for him. And There was also a Roman Witch the Magi Kings were friends with. We don’t know her true name. But she is known as La Befana in Italy. So over there it’s a Christmas Witch and not Santa Klaus who delivers gifts.
She was to join them to see Jesus as a child. However, she said she couldn’t because she was too old to make the journey. Later she regretted it. And tried to catch up to them, but it was already too late. So the sack of gifts she intended for the Child Christ, was instead given to the needy children of Rome.
So my formula is :
20+C+M+B+A+LB+23
To invoke all of their protections.
Other Traditions
There are a bunch of other New Years traditions to mention but they are all too numerous to write about here. So instead I brought you links and pictures from Atlas Obscura.
Traditions from Around the World
Making Lemon Pig Effigies for Good Luck
Scarfing Down Green Grapes in New Years For Goodluck
Walking in a Dark Forrest & Facing Frightening Beings to know the Future
CarolCooks2…New Years Eve 2022…Traditions around the World…
Witchcraft for the New Year
New Year’s Eve Mojos & Superstitions by the Alchemist
New Year’s Eve Spell: Out with the old, in with the new by the Witch
9 Superstitions that are Actual Magical Knowledge (and are true) by the Alchemist
How to Cast a New Year’s Protection Spell by
Author Emma Kyteler
Take care everyone,
– M
You know, most of the time I hate my state. Because of all the crooked ultra right wing politicians. The racists and Trumpists. The crooked mayors screwing over people in frauds against those of us who live here. The predatory insurance companies that charge insane rates and won’t do their jobs whenever a hurricane comes here.
But every once in a while I remember the parts of it I love. Like a small army of militant dungeon masters wanting to spank everyone on the city council. Lol, this time I can say with pride that I love Florida. And all the crazy people who live here.
I can already hear Ron DeSantis flipping a shit over this right now lol. Then again, given how many sex scandals politicians have in the US (especially Republicans) she probably has some new clients now. I can definitely see half the conservatives in the state calling her now for secret sessions.
Her name is Mistress Krave and apparently this is also the name of her club, Krave
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
“Are there any districts that have a dungeon?”
Don’t play coy with us. We all know damn well that most of the politicians in Florida are into the Kink scene. And it’s usually one of those loudmouth Republicans preaching about family values. I’m sure she’ll be getting calls from DeSantis soon.
“You’ve been a bad boy Ronny, sending those poor immigrants to other states and abandoning them, fucking Florida up it’s asshole, well here, now you’re about to find out what being fucked in the Ass is really like!”
Takes out butt plug*
“Yes Mistress please more!”
Ron DeSantis 2024, because he’s a switch
And meanwhile we have John from the Young Turks on YouTube. Who has some interesting ideas about community funded dungeons. Shit…let the sexual revolution begin baby,
Enjoy,
– M
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
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 meaning of Yule
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Yule Month
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.
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
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 Hlautbolli or Blótbolli.
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
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.
So this was done in his honor. Later the animal was sacrificed and eaten.
Up Hella Aa or Up Helly Aa : The end of Yule in the Scottish Shetlands
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Merry Yule,
– M
This is an updated article. Including this sonar image of the sunken stern.
Here’s the article from Ancient Origins.
Cheers everyone!
– M
Adventures of A Mage In Miami 