I just spent the day watching the fourth season of Lost and I still have no idea what’s going on… but despite all the dangers of the island and all the crazy people living there… I wouldn’t mind living there myself. I mean, the island is breathtaking.
Some theories… might the island be Atlantis or Mu? Eden? An alien spaceship? A time machine from the future? A sentient life form from outer space or a life form of terrestrial origin…. Some kind of sentient form of The Gaia Principle anyone? (I favor this last explanation.) I’d love a better look at those “hieroglyphics” I saw on the column where the lantern was hanging when Ben moved the island.
Anyway, I just finished, so this isn’t much of an entry. lol
December 31st
Sekhmet is honored today.
This day is also holy to the Greco-Roman goddess Hecate.
In Scotland, New Year’s Eve is called Hogmanay, Hogmannay, Hogmarmay, Hogmena, Hagmena, or Hogg-night. It honors the solar god Hogmagog. As Gogmagog, he is the chalk figure carved into the earth at Wandlebury near Cambridge. Divided into two giants, Gog and Magog, he is the spiritual guardian of London. The original name of the Scottish New Year was Hagmenai, “Moon of the Hag.” It honored the goddess of winter who mourned her lost mate.
Hogmanay is also called ‘Cake-day’ for the gift of an oatmeal cake, or its equivalent, which is expected by children on this day. It is still the custom in parts of Scotland to ‘trick-or-treat’ from door to door, asking in rude rhymes for cakes or money. In the lowlands or Scotland, these Yule-cakes are also called Nur-cakes. Nour means birth, and therefore, Nur-cakes are birthcakes heralding in the New Year. Also from this word, comes the word Norn, as the Norns were appointers of all destinies at birth, and Nor refers to a ‘child.’
Bonfires are lit, blazing tar barrels are rolled down hills, and fiery torches are tossed about. Hogmanays, smoking sticks, are used to ward off evil spirits. Traditional treats are bannocks, oarsmen, shortbread, black buns, and ankersocks (gingerbread-rye cakes).
At the moment the New Year arrives, doors and windows are opened to let out the old year. In Wales, this is done to drive out the Cwn Annwn, the black dogs of the underworld who pass through at that time.
Divination of the future was common on New Year’s Eve, especially, forecasting weather conditions for following year. Almost anything which occurred on New Year’s Eve or Day might be indicative of the future, and the nearer to the midnight hour, the more significant was the event.
The Fair Folk are quite active at this time. All along the Pyrenean range, supernatural power is attributed to the fairies called Hados (Spanish) and Fees (French). Offerings are left of thick milk and white bread. If they are not satisfied, wolves will devour the flocks. According to Welsh mythology, the Spirit of the Van is a sort of fairy, haunting the Van Pools in the mountains of Carmarthen on New Year’s Eve. She is dressed in white with a golden girdle. Her long hair is also golden, and she sits in a golden boat with a golden oar.
During the Hestiad in honor of Hestia or Vesta, the house is blessed. The Pentacle is made in the four corners of each room, and Ivy is hung on the outer doors to protect the house against evil through the coming year.
In Japan, straw clad young men called Namahage descend to the villages of the Oga Peninsula. They represent spirits attempting to drive out misfortune and ensure a good harvest. They storm from house to house seeking naughty children, single women, and lazy young brides. The householders appease them with sake and give them gifts off money and rice cakes.
Comments (17)
Yes… but are any of us going to remember this tomorrow?
You didn’t just waste your day did you? 
@Broom_Service - lol nope… my boss gave me off today, not really out the goodness of her heart, more to save on payroll than anything… but I needed the extra day off. I have off tomorrow too.
@harmony0stars - Woohoo! Days off are good. So, they’re back to cutting your hours already? That could suck. I hope that this economy improves quicker than I have a feeling that it’s going to.
My son lives in Vegas and The Venetian Hotel & Casino laid off 400 employees… on Christmas Eve. I think that is so messed up.
@Broom_Service - That IS messed up! Why are people so evil? I mean, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that if you run a business, then you are responsible to the people who work for you. With as much as corporations lord it over us mere peasants, there really should be some adoption of the “sovereign” responsibility they used to practice in medieval times. Seriously. We live in a time where everyone is a peasant/serf/slave, but they don’t use “those” words and supposedly we’re all free… free to be fired without notice and pretty much turned out to starve. There’s no security at all in working for anyone, and no one in a position of power is willing to take responsibility for their actions.
@harmony0stars - Ever since Reagan the economy has been slipping downhill. He signed in the At Will employment stuff and made way for Big Business to bend us all over the table. There is no such thing as job security anymore. Deregulation was the biggest joke put upon the US citizens and it’s costing us dearly. I’m not sure that this ever was the country that we learned about in school.
@Broom_Service - I know what you mean. Reagan was the first president I was aware of as a kid, and I literally thought the world was going to end. He’s the reason I spent most of my time reading books on medicinal herbs, nature, and survival instead of worrying about my school work. I really thought he was going to blow up the world (Bush Sr. even more so).
People like us really need to take back the “American dream.” Not the dream where everyone can make it rich, but the one where everyone is created equal with the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
I feel so/so about Lost. I’ve seen all the episodes on DVD; mostly I keep watching because of the cliffhanger endings, but I’m not sure I’m going to watch this season. I’m annoyed that the people who went off the island are going back now. Uhg.
@Broom_Service - Amen, sistah.
@harmony0stars - I’m up for it. Are you ready to be sent away for a while for being bad girls?
@heidenkind - Thank you. My work here is done. *steps down from her soap box*
@Broom_Service - psh… exile me. Please! lol Sometimes I think that I reincarnate mainly to be a rabble rouser. Of course, that’s usually what gets me killed in almost all my previous lives. Oh well. It’s for a good cause.
@harmony0stars - At least you know one of your purposes in life.
@Broom_Service - eh… my purpose is to get murdered for my beliefs. Lovely. lol
@harmony0stars - Maybe you keep working on it in hopes of being able to make a positive difference? That would be a wonderful life to live, beyond the bad and into the grand. I think the main goal is to survive the bad.
@Broom_Service - I’d like to say that being martyred made people sit up and pay attention, but I really don’t know what happened after I died, so there’s no way of knowing how much of an impact I had. Hopefully I do better in this lifetime.
@harmony0stars - Yes. May you see it to the proper conclusion this time. I’d like to find out about my past lives. I just don’t know how to go about it. I was probably someone’s meal…
@Broom_Service - Well, I wouldn’t want you to recall them the way I did… through a traumatic experience very similar to how I died in one of my past lives. Better to go to a hypnotist, I think, and run the risk of him/her being a fraud who just tells you what to believe about your past lives. The best I can offer is, pay attention to your dreams and if you get one that seems too “real” or like a memory, meditate on it to see if any more details pop up.
@harmony0stars - I’m sorry that you had to go through that experience. I thank you very much for the advice. I appreciate it a lot.
it’s been a while since i watched lost. i use to love watching it. i beleive i stopped in the middle of season 3. i’d have to rewatch everything though to catch myself back up. which i might do one day.