Month: November 2008

  • Workaday blues

    Well, tomorrow's the last day of class, and I'm the last student, unless someone decides to show back up. I would love not to go tomorrow night, so hopefully it will end early. I have to be up for work by 5 on Tuesday, which doesn't give me a lot of time for sleep tomorrow night. Add to that the fact that when I get out of work at 3, I have to go stand in line to vote (and who knows how long that will take)... I am not looking forward to the next two days. You will probably not hear from me again until Wednesday at the earliest, so enjoy the latest entry in my webnovel and hopefully the best man for the job will be elected Tuesday. Otherwise, I may have to decide which country I'd rather live in before I'm thrown out for being a godless heathen by the itty bitty republican moral committee.

    Pagans! We need to get out there and vote so the Religious Right can stop blaming us for every ill that befalls America.

    Of course, I have extreme doubts about my vote being worth much considering my bigoted neighbors. That's what I hate about the electoral college. My vote isn't counted, not really. Whatever the majority vote for my district is, that's what's counted. I don't think that's fair... that I'm a fair and open minded person living in a thoroughly republican and racist area.

    Ah well. Hopefully things will change for the better after the election.


    Tattoo
    the webnovel so far...


    Chapter 1: Blood is Thicker

    Chapter 1.1 in which Glory is not mindful of the store
    Chapter 1.2 in which Glory is made to do something she would really rather not
    Chapter 1.3 in which Glory thinks she might be sick
    Chapter 1.4 in which Aaron makes a mistake
    Chapter 1.5 in which Glory is made to see the error of her ways
    Chapter 1.6 in which the circle remains unbroken

    Chapter 2: A Farewell to Arms

    Chapter 2.1 in which Aaron makes another mistake
    Chapter 2.2 in which Glory reflects on her path
    Chapter 2.3 in which we learn Aaron is not really a nice boy
    Chapter 2.4 in which Glory speculates on the holiness of salt
    Chapter 2.5 in which Glory learns of the necessity for upper body strength, but makes do with  what she has
    Chapter 2.6 in which Aaron tries to make amends, but is still pretty much an ass

    Chapter 3: Small Sacrifices

    Chapter 3.1 in which Glory is spat on, twice
    Chapter 3.2 in which a cop is threatened
    Chapter 3.3 in which someone is crying
    Chapter 3.4  in which there's more to the moon than meets the eye
    Chapter 3.5  in which Glory comes face to face with an loony environmentalist
    Chapter 3.6 in which Glory gets turned around
    Chapter 3.7 in which Glory is threatened

    Chapter 4: The Shape of Things to Come

    Chapter 4.1 in which a doctor makes his rounds
    Chapter 4.2 in which Glory is asked some awkward questions
    Chapter 4.3 in which Glory adopts a pet

    Chapter 4.4 in which Glory gets a surprise, but decides she should not have been surprised at all
    Chapter 4.5 in which Glory explains why there are no debts where duty is concerned
    Chapter 4.6 in which a shapeshifter is an enemy to no man

    Chapter 4.7 in which Glory defends Toby's right to make a phone call
    Chapter 4.8 in which the nose knows

  • November

    November takes its name as the ninth month of the Roman calendar. As the first month of the winter quarter, November was the first month of the new year according to Celtic traditions, Samhain (La Samhna - Irish) being the first day of the new year. The goddess Cailleach had guardianship of this month.

    November was called Blotmonath, the month of sacrifice, by the Anglo-Saxons, while the Franks called it Herbistmanoth, " harvest month." Fogmoon is the Asatru name. It was called Samhain or an t-Samhainn, summer's end by the Irish, the month of the festival of Samhain.

    The full moon of November is called Beaver Moon. It has been called the Mourning or Frosty Moon, and it may also be referred to as the Moon When Deer Shed Antlers, the Fog Moon, or the Moon of Storms, a name it shares with February and March. Some call it the Dark Moon or Mad Moon.

    Scorpio gives way to Sagittarius around November 22nd. Scorpios and other folk born to this month have the Chrysanthemum for their birth flower. November children have topaz for their stone, though pearl is mentioned on some lists. Other stones associated with Scorpio are albite, aquamarine, emerald,
    garnet, green tourmaline, malachite, moonstone, obsidian, and ruby. The birthstone of Sagittarius is turquoise or lapis lazuli. Amethyst, azurite, labradorite, pink tourmaline, ruby, sodalite, and topaz are also linked to Sagittarius.





    November 1st

    This is the fifth day of the Isia -the Zetesis and Heuresis. On the two
    days following October 31st, the portions of Osiris were found,
    reconstituted, and resurrected.




    The Day of the Banshees is a modern Celtic holiday. Apples,
    representing the otherworld, rebirth, eternal life, and the crone, may
    be placed on graves.




    Hela and the dragon Fafnir are honored by the Asatru.




    The Aquarian Tabernacle Church was established the USA in 1979 and in Canada in 1993.




    To the Celts, this is La Samhna, Samhain Day; Second of the Three Days
    of Samhain; Feile na Marbh, Samhain, All-Hallowtide, and the Feast of
    the Dead. Also called Mile na Marbh and Fide Moingfhinne (snow
    goddess). Unharvested fruit now belong to the puca and faerie who roam
    abroad. From the first to the third, the door is open to our world and the
    other realms. In ancient Ireland, a new fire was kindled every year on
    Hallowe'en on the Eve of Samhain, and from this sacred flame all the
    fires in Ireland were kindled. The
    Assemblies at Tara took place on Samain. Tea and Tephi were Milesian
    princesses who founded Tara, the ancient religious and political center
    of Ireland.



    November 2nd

    This is the sixth day of the Isia -the Zetesis and Heuresis. The 17th day of Koiak is a Festival of Hathor.




    This is the last day of Samhain. Before being taken over by the
    Christian Church, All Souls' Day was a festival dedicated to Odin as
    god of the dead. The parade of the Hodening wild horse, mummers plays
    enacting the mysteries of life, death, and rebirth, and the consumption
    of ceremonial soulcakes were all part of the celebrations. In parts of
    England, children would go "souling" from house to house, asking for
    soul cakes which are traditionally left out for the dead. In Sicily,
    children would leave their shoes outside the windows in the hope that
    the souls of their ancestors would fill them with candy and toys.




    November 3rd

    This is the last day of the Isia -the Zetesis and Heuresis. Called the
    Hilaria, it is the commemoration of the Heuresis (Finding of Osiris). A
    sacred performance reenacted the events of Osiris's resurrection.
    Worshipers went down to the sea at night. The keepers of the robes and
    the priests brought out a hallowed chest containing a small golden
    casket. Into this, they poured some clean water, and a great yell came
    from the group that Osiris had been found. Then some fertile soil was
    mixed with water along with spices and expensive incenses to form a
    crescent-moon shaped figure.




    St. Malachy, the "Irish Nostradomus," was a medieval prophet honored today.




    According to Gaelic tradition, this was the start of the New Year and the best day to start new projects.




    The Inuit celebrate this day with a tug-of-war competition. One team,
    the ducks, are those born in the summer, and the other team, the
    ptarmigans, are those born in the winter. The outcome of the game
    foretells the weather. Winter will be mild if the ducks win and harsh
    if the ptarmigans do. The struggle is also said to represent the
    struggle between light and dark.




    The Taurids meteor shower occurs on or around this date. It is associated with the comet Encke.





    November 5th

    Guy Fawkes Night was celebrated by burning an effigy of a human being,
    representing evil spirits, grudges, and grievances of the past year.
    Guy Fawkes plotted to blow up the House of Lords in 1605. The
    celebration of his death merged with Halloween celebrations in England.



    November 6th

    In Babylon, this was the birthday of Tiamat.




    The Raising the Djed Pillar is remembered on the 21st day of Koiak. The
    Tet or Djed Pillar was one of the most significant symbols of the
    Egyptian religion, symbolizing the idea of stability and duration. It
    was regarded as the backbone of Osiris, and later as a representation
    of Osiris himself. The Djed pillar was also used as an amulet and
    hieroglyphic representing resurrection.




    November 8th

    This is the third Day of the Opening of the Mundus Cereris. The Roman
    festival of Mania honored the Manes, spirits of the underworld.




    Gwynn ap Nudd, lord of the faerie kingdom and the underworld, allowed
    access to his kingdom today through his holy mountain, Glastonbury Tor.





    The Japanese Fuigo Matsuri (the Feast of Bellows) is held in honor of
    the Goddess of the Kitchen stove, Hettsui no Kami. Fires are lit also
    in honor of Inari and other deities in the courts of Shinto temples.