"It's Christmas Eve. It's the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year we are the people that we always hoped we would be." ~ Frank Cross (Scrooged)
December Dates of Interest:
- Dec. 1 - World AIDS Day
- Dec. 3 @ 11:43 pm - New Moon in Scorpio
- Dec. 11 – First Day of Hanukkah* (varies)
- Dec. 13/14 - Geminids Meteor Shower (https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/geminids.html)
- Dec. 17 - Winterfest - A Light in the Darkness
- Dec.18 @ 8:35 pm - Full Cold Moon
- Dec. 21 – Yule/Jul/First Day of Winter/Winter Solstice
- Dec. 24 - Christmas Eve, National Egg Nog Day
- Dec. 25 – Christmas Day
- Dec. 31 - New Year's Eve
Musings from the Desk of...Priestess Laurelinn
~ 'The Journey' Adventure ~
OR
(The day we Almost Landed on a Milk Carton!)
On the morning of November 20th, I met up with Candace and Jim at the Fiesta Casino in Henderson as planned, (well technically it was outside of the property – seeing as I forgot that all the Fiestas are closed until further notice). We weren’t waiting on anyone else from Vegas, so we hit the road about 15 minutes early. It was probably around then that I apparently picked up ‘Murphy’ – who ended up spending most of the day with us.
Issue number 1 became apparent right before we got to the Chloride turn off. GPS estimated about 1.5 hours driving time, however I noticed the time said it was already 11:45! Didn’t make any sense when we left early – of course then I realized I forgot to account for the time change in Arizona.
Luckily, we were the first ones to arrive, (an assumption). We pulled up to the little park in the middle of town and claimed a picnic table. We were still looking for two other friends to join us, so I posted to the event page where we were. Then we sat down to enjoy our lunch.
This leads me to issue number 2.
Even though we were meeting with someone who we hadn’t met in person before – it didn’t occur to me to give her my phone number to call or text should a problem arise – such as arriving in town and can’t seem to find us….sigh, (I apologize again Irma, although from your reply – it seems you made more responsible decisions!). This was a total party foul on my part, and I assure everyone I have learned my lesson!
After lunch we decided to wander through the ghost town while waiting for the last of our little party to arrive. Cyanide Springs is fun to explore – we all give it a ‘thumbs up’ and highly recommend a day trip with the kiddos! While most of the building are facade replicas, there is the Melodramas Playhouse, which is still the original building built by the players who often came to town. Another is one of the first homes ever built in Chloride, which is located next door. There is a nice local man and wife team who will relay all sorts of fun facts about the town to any who want to learn more. Those two buildings are accessible to the public and are full of old photos and memorabilia collected from those who lived there. The rest of the ghost town is more like a movie set, but they make for fun photo ops.
The last of our party, Cassandra, arrived shortly after the tour and we were ready to head out to see the murals. We stopped at the local mini-mart/souvenir shop to see if we could get some directions.
This led to the final issue of the day…
In the store, we were given lots of directions. First they said the road was pretty rough, then another guy told us as long as our cars weren’t low to the ground we’d be fine – he’d seen people go out and back in a mustang. Finally an older guy said to just make sure we kept following the road to the right, because there was an area that branched off to the left, but it was an old mining road that definitely wasn’t passable without a 4x4. In hindsight it wouldn’t surprise me to find out they had a whole routine worked out for out-of-towners.
Anyway, with way too much confidence, I took lead followed by Cassandra, then Jim and Candace. (This is where the soundtrack music would start playing, initially it would be a fun jaunty little tune….)
So we followed the pavement to the end and came to the dirt road; sure enough there was a sign painted on a rock “Murals 1.3 Miles”, and we were off. The first part of the road was bumpy, but I had driven over lots worse up in Cold Creek (this gave me a brief period of over-confidence). Then we came to the fork in the road, and following our directions I lead us down the road to the right (now the music takes on a dark tone). We came to a rise that had some run-off damage, but I drove right over the top and down into the beginning of the road to hell!
I looked back and so far, everyone was still there, assuming (there’s that word again) everyone was good, I kept going. The further I went, the worse the road (I use that word begrudgingly). I kept looking back and the others were still with me, so I kept telling myself, it’s fine. The track circled around and then headed up a steeper incline, full of ruts and large rocks. By the time I managed to get my poor little Soul up that hill, my heart was going a mile a minute and my hands were shaking with all the adrenalin running through me. I looked back again and could see the others had stopped at the bottom. FINALLY, the voice of reason kicked in and said let's get turned around and go back, we’re done.
That’s about the time ‘Murphy’ left, because I actually managed to find an area just big enough to turn around. When I got back to the others, Jim had gotten their car turned around, but Cassandra’s van was having problems.
Out of nowhere, two guys in a truck showed up. They are the heroes of our story, Tom and Doug! To their credit, after hearing our story they were trying very hard to not bust out laughing. They said we went the wrong way – we were supposed to take the road to the left, (I was NOT amused). Tom helped Cassandra turn her van around, then he and Doug showed us the way to the murals.
The other road was rough, but it was definitely nothing like the one we had been on, and all of our vehicles were able to reach our destination. By now my heart had finally returned to its usual rhythm – I checked my tracker later and it showed my heartrate hit as high as if I had been doing extreme cardio!
After all the craziness, we were finally there – and the paintings did not disappoint! The details were amazing; I kept trying to get just the right picture; but as is often the case, the pictures do not do them justice. I think it's because when you are standing before them, you can feel the energy of the Earth – I know Roy Purcell must have felt it too, because she’s reflected in the images he painted.
I was grateful for the day. Grateful no one was hurt (it was really scary for a little while); grateful to have experienced it with good friends; and most of all grateful for having the opportunity to be there and feel the energy of Mother Earth. To witness how an amazing artist had once stood in the same place, feeling that same power and then turned it into the moving images before me. Bright Blessings to you all, and Happy Holidays! ~L
Oh, what a goodly and glorious show! The stately trees have decked themselves with white, And stand transfigured in a robe of light; Wearing for each lost leaf a flake of snow. ~ Richard Wilton 1903
BLESSING OF THE YULETIDE SPIDER
Many years ago, in a small German town, a family was preparing their home for Yule. An evergreen tree had been cut and brought into the living room. The family decorated the tree with pinecones and acorns. A garland was made of berries gathered from the forest. Some snowflakes had been cut from white paper by the children and laid lovingly on the tree. Several small unlit candles were attached to the branches as was the custom at the time.
After the family had gone to bed, the house spider that had been watching from a dark corner of the room, scooted across the ceiling, and dropped down on a silken cord to see the tree. She was so excited by how beautiful and special the tree was, she decided to add something to the tree as well.
The little spider began to weave intricate webs all over the tree that looked like gossamer in the moonlight. As the first rays of sun streamed through the windows the next morning, the delicate webs changed from gray to silver and gold.
This is why we decorate our trees with silver and gold tinsel to this day, and why it is considered very good luck to have a spider on your tree.
"Ebenezer Scrooge, the sins of man are huge! A neverending symphony, of villainy and infamy duplicity, deceit, and subtefuge. And no one's worse, than Ebenezer Scrooge source!" ~ Ghost of Christmas Present
The Legend of Befana
From Priestess Novaembre:
Befana is an Italian figure known as the lady of the Twelfth Night in Rome. She represents goodness, ceremonies, and selflessness. She is either a good fairy, or a hag (a goddess who has become a wise old woman), who can expel evil spirits with noise. She is said to appear on Jan. 5, possibly to witness winter’s darkness passing. She evolved into Saint Befana, an old woman who leaves presents in the stockings of Italian children on the eve of Epiphany or Twelfth Night. Alternate forms are La Strega or La Vecchia. She flies on a broom to the houses and flies down the chimney. The flying broom is the magical function of flight - it is a shamanic journey, and the broom is a magical tool used mostly by women. The world’s earliest shamans were women. The chimney too is a shamanic route to the other world.
Some say her name is from Bastrina, meaning “gifts sacred to the Goddess.” Strina or Strenae, or evergreen branches, were exchanged as gifts around the time of the Winter Solstice to honor the feast day of this Goddess.
Befana brings gifts for the children and always leaves the home tidy, sweeping it with Her broom. She wears a black shawl and carries a bag over her shoulder filled with gifts. She is Mother Earth giving us Her bountiful gifts.
Painting by James Lewicki, from “The Golden Book of Christmas Tales” 1956
“Poor, misguided folks. They miss the whole point. Lots of unhappiness? Maybe so, but doesn't Santa take a little bit of that unhappiness away? Doesn't a smile on Christmas morning scratch out a tear cried on a sadder day? Not much, maybe. But what would happen if we all tried to be like Santa and learned to give, as only he can give - of ourselves, our talents, our love, and our hearts. Maybe if we could all learn Santa's beautiful lesson, maybe there would finally be peace on Earth and goodwill towards men." ~ Narrator -Santa Claus is Coming to Town
December's Lunar Spotlight
New Moon in Sagittarius
The final eclipse for 2021 is a solar eclipse in Sagittarius. This is also the final eclipse for the Gemini-Sagittarius eclipse set, so we're closing the books in some ways or seeing the results of what we've done for the last 1 1/2 years. Given it's ending with a solar eclipse in Sagittarius, instead of a traditional ending, we're coming out of this set focused on the new opportunities that have unlocked thanks to everything that we've done thus far.
Solar eclipses are great for new beginnings and new journeys, and Sagittarius rules opportunity, expansion, and new experiences. We're more optimistic, and we want to embrace the new. We can think bigger and brighter, and our big ideas can bring us new possibilities.
With Sagittarius, this would be a good time for travel or education, 2 things that have really taken a hit in the last 2 years. Hopefully it's positive!
The solar eclipse is sextile (positive aspect, two signs away) transit (moving) Saturn in Aquarius, and this can help us to stay focused, disciplined, and not get too caught up in the new and the good feelings that we don't do anything with it. We can put together long-term plans, gather information needed, and see things through. We're not just focused on now, but a long time to come. Onward!
The eclipse occurs at 12 degrees 22 minutes Sagittarius. The aspects to this eclipse are:
- Conjunction: 7 degrees 22 minutes - 17 degrees 22 minutes Sagittarius
- Semisextile: 10 degrees 22 minutes - 14 degrees 22 minutes Scorpio or Capricorn
- Sextile: 7 degrees 22 minutes - 17 degrees 22 minutes Libra or Aquarius
- Square: 7 degrees 22 minutes - 17 degrees 22 minutes Virgo or PIsces
- Trine: 7 degrees 22 minutes - 17 degrees 22 minutes Aries or Leo
- Quincunx: 10 degrees 22 minutes - 14 degrees 22 minutes Taurus or Cancer
- Opposition: 7 degrees 22 minutes - 17 degrees 22 minutes Gemini
Excerpt from article on: The Dark Pixie Astrology
December Full 'Cold' Moon
Adapted From The Farmer's Almanac: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/december-full-cold-moon-18052
“As the winter solstice approaches the chill in the air deepens, and the frosty grip of winter begins to tighten. Days grow ever shorter, and the nights are at their longest and darkest."
When to see the Full Moon in December 2021:
December’s full Cold Moon rises on Saturday, December 18, 2021! Start looking for the full Moon just before sunset as it begins to peek above the horizon. What makes this full Moon special? It’s most distinctive for its high trajectory across the sky, which results in the full Moon sitting above the horizon for a longer period of time.
Why is it called the Cold Moon?
December’s full Moon is most commonly known as the Cold Moon—a Mohawk name that conveys the frigid conditions of this time of year, when cold weather truly begins to grip us.
Other names that allude to the cold and snow include Drift Clearing Moon (Cree), Frost Exploding Trees Moon (Cree), Moon of the Popping Trees (Oglala), Hoar Frost Moon (Cree), Snow Moon (Haida, Cherokee), and Winter Maker Moon (Western Abenaki).
This full Moon has also been called the Long Night Moon (Mohican), as it rises during the “longest” nights of the year, which are near the December winter solstice. This name is doubly fitting because December’s full Moon shines above the horizon for a longer period of time than most full Moons.
ALTERNATIVE DECEMBER MOON NAMES:
- Drift Clearing Moon (Cree)
- Frost Exploding Trees Moon (Cree)
- Moon of the Popping Trees (Oglala)
- Hoar Frost Moon (Cree)
- Snow Moon (Haida, Cherokee)
- Winter Maker Moon (Western Abenaki)
- Long Night Moon (Mohican)
- Mid-Winter Moon (Lakota and Northern Ojibwe)
- Moon When the Deer Shed Their [Antlers] (Dakota)
- Little Spirit Moon (Anishinaabe)
In Europe, ancient pagans called the December full Moon the “Moon Before Yule,” in honor of the Yuletide festival celebrating the return of the sun heralded by winter solstice.
MOON PHASES FOR DECEMBER 2021 (dates and times are for Las Vegas, NV )
- Super New Moon: December 3, 11:43 P.M.
- First Quarter: December 10, 5:35 P.M.
- Micro Full Moon: December 18, 8:35 P.M.
- Last Quarter: December 26, 6:23 P.M.
MOON FOLKLORE
- If a snowstorm begins when the Moon is young, it will cease at moonrise.
- December changeable and mild, the whole winter will remain a child.
- Thunder in December presages fine weather.
- Frost on the shortest day is said to indicate a severe winter.
- December cold, with snow, brings rye everywhere.
MOON FACTS:
- The Chinese know this Full Moon as Chang’ e Moon, named after a goddess, and a name also applied to the lunar missions conducted by the Chinese.
- The December Full Moon falls in the eleventh month of the Chinese calendar and Kislev in the Hebrew calendar. Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev.
- The December Full Moon occasionally occurs during the Rabi’ al-Thani – the Islamic calendar’s fourth month.
- Some cultures across the world wear suitable celebratory celestial attire in honor of the December Full Moon.
December Full Moon Magic:
Wigington, Patti. "Long Nights Moon." Learn Religions, Aug. 28, 2020
The last moon phase of the year is the Long Nights Moon in December, also called the Cold Moon or Big Winter Moon, depending on where you live. This is often a time of introspection and self discovery, as you evaluate the trials and tribulations that you've endured over the past year. However, this self analysis has a definite benefit — it gives you a chance to re-evaluate where you want to go and who you want to be in the coming twelve months. This is a season of adaptation and change. In many magical traditions, and certainly owing to its proximity to Yule and Christmas, this is also a time of sharing one's blessings with those less fortunate.
Correspondences:
- Colors: White, red, and black are associated with December's full moon, in part due to the darkness of the season
- Gemstones: Obsidian, ruby, and serpentine
- Trees: Pine, holly, and fir are connected to the winter solstice, and also to the full moon this month
- Gods: Minerva, Osiris, Athena, Persephone, and Hades are tied to the darker half of the year and the season of long nights
- Herbs: Ivy, mistletoe, holly and berries, and cinnamon
- Element: Even though this is a season of darkness, with Yule, the winter solstice, comes the return of the light, so this full moon is often connected to the element of fire
As the days get shorter and Yule approaches with the longest night of the year, we force ourselves to get through the darkness, because eventually we will see the sunlight and warmth again. Think about the things in your life that you've had to endure. Sometimes, a part of us must die in order to be reborn. Now is the perfect time for spiritual alchemy — time to evaluate your life, and know that you'll survive the dark times. Get rid of that excess baggage you've been toting around.
If you've already put the darkness behind you, take your good fortune and share it with others. When it's cold outside, open your heart and home to friends and family. Reach out to people who might be suffering from the chill of winter, either spiritually or physically.
Long Nights Moon Magic:
Because this is, for many of us, a fallow time of year, often the magic of December focuses on self-discovery and change. As we evaluate who and what we have become — and wish to be — we allow ourselves to share our blessings with those around us, and spread our good fortune and well wishes.
- Take some time to examine the relationships you've had in your life over the past year — and not just romantic ones. Are you doing everything in your power to maintain healthy, happy connections? If not, what can you do differently?
- If there's something you need to let go of — something that's been dragging you down for the past year — now's the chance to release your baggage. Write your problem on a piece of paper, sit outside under the full moon, and burn the paper, scattering the ashes into the breeze. Alternatively, tear it up and throw it into a moving body of water. Either way, once it's gone, you can start thinking about how to move forward with your life.
- Set up and outdoor altar with seasonal items like holly branches and pine cones, and burn some cinnamon or winter solstice incense. Go outdoors at night with a bowl or cauldron full of water, and do some moonlight scrying. This is particularly helpful if you know you need to make some changes, but aren't sure how to get started.
- Go through all of your old stuff that you don't use anymore. Some people take an approach in which anything that (a) doesn't fit, (b) hasn't been used in six months, or (c) no longer brings you happiness should be eliminated from your life. Clear out the physical clutter, donate it to an organization or individual that will repurpose it, and help someone else out in the process. You may want to include a blessing of donations ritual as well.
As the calendar year draws to a close, this is also a good time to start planning ahead. Think about what changes you're going to want to make in the coming months. You know all those New Year's resolutions you always make? Put some planning and forethought into them this time around, and you'll be far more likely to keep them. Get ready to break your bad habits, and start forming some good ones, to become a new and improved version of yourself in the new year.
Craft Corner...
Click on the button below for a wonderful home craft idea for marking the days up to Winter Solstice! The Creator's blog has very easy to follow directions and photos; her end result was simply wonderful!
"You darkness, that I come from, I love you more than all the fires that fence in the world, for the fire makes a circle of light for everyone, and then no one outside learns of you. But the darkness pulls in everything; shapes and fires, animals and myself, how easily it gathers them!— powers and people— and it is possible a great energy is moving near me. I have faith in nights." - Rainer Maria Rilke, On Darkness
The Kitchen Witch's Cauldron
~ Christmas Crack ~
Make this once and you will understand why it's called Christmas Crack - consider yourself warned!
Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat, Please put a penny in the old man's hat; If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do, If you haven't got a ha'penny, God bless you! —Beggar's rhyme.
YULE / WINTER SOLSTICE
The Longest Night when the Goddess gives birth to the Light and the Sun Returns...
From Priestess Novaembre:
Winter Solstice is the longest night and shortest day of the year. It is the time when the hours of darkness are the greatest, and the hours of light are the least. The world “solstice” means “sun stands still.” The word “Yule” means “wheel” as in the Wheel of the Year.
Mythically it is the longest night when the Goddess gives birth to the light and the sun returns. This is the time of the Maiden’s spiritual birth. Having undergone death and separation from the upper world, she has met with the Crone and learned the mysteries of immortality, manifestation and dissolution. She welcomes the spirit of the child within her, even as she herself is reborn through recognition of her own immortality. There is a shift of energy in the heavens. The sun has been growing weaker, with fewer hours of light each day. Now, the longest night is followed by lengthening days. Yule is the last moment of gestation, the time in the womb that is about to end in birth, the nothingness that becomes the universe. It is the moment of the Goddess’ birth, from herself.
Yule rituals reenact the return of the Goddess and the return of warmth and light. They celebrate the birth of the sun (not son). They are rituals of being born and reborn, of the experience of the nothingness of death that is changed to the experience of Be-ing. This is the total stillness of winter, the furthest descent of the sun before winter cold gives away.
“This is the time of year when we receive new ideas. We dream new dreams. It’s on winter’s dark nights that the seeds of inspiration are born. Right now it’s really important for us to be open to receiving whatever wisdom & gifts the winter’s darkness is preparing to send us. Now we need to rest. We need to really nurture ourselves. We need to be gentle, move slow. We need to let go & see what comes. This is Feminine. This is flow.” ~ Erin Bruce of The Seasonal Soul
December Laughs:
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