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Almanac of the Ancients:
December 2006
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by Triple Moon Goddess |
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Welcome to my first almanac ! I am delighted to be here to join all of you on our metaphysical quest. I have always believed that the best practitioners of the metaphysical were those who really understood the workings of the Universe, and who understand and study. Traditions, ceremonies, rituals, seasons, planets, all affect us in some way or other. It is my goal to let you know what went on during the month in ancient times, and what is still celebrated today. I will let you know when certain astrological events occur, such as full moon, Mercury retrogrades, and unusual alignments. All to help you have more information for your metaphysical quest, whatever it may be.
It is always fun to adapt an aspect of a certain festival or ritual to your day. Have fun thinking of a way to honor the ancients in your own way during the month.
Hopefully there is a little something here for everyone. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or comments ! Now, on to the month of December !
December is the final month in our Georgian calender, however it was the tenth month to the Ancient Romans. Their word for “ten” was “decem”, hence the name December for our first winter month. The birth stones for this month are turquoise, and now blue zircon. The traditional flowers of the month are holly, mistletoe , and poinsettia. I could write a whole article on poinsettias. They are not in fact poisonous, however eating the leaves does cause vomiting and other unpleasant reactions ! The plant is mostly cultivated in Mexico and parts of South America. The legend of the plant states that a poor child was looking for a Christmas gift to bring to the local church. He was told by an old man that any gift was good enough for God, he could bring anything he wished to the church. The child picked some weeds from the side of the road, and brought them into the local church. On Christmas day they bloomed into a beautiful red display , and the parishioners considered it a miracle !
December shares the astrological signs of the Archer Sagittarius and the Goat, Capricorn. It is a month sacred to many ancient gods and goddesses. They are Attis, Dionysus, Frey, Freya, Kriss Kringle, Lucina, Woden and the Wiccan Horned God. Kris Kringle is an actual Pagan god of the Yule, it is not a twentieth century name as some may suspect. The name came from Pagans in Germany and has become part of the Christmas mainstream.
The month of December hosts the winter solstice which is very important to Pagans and Wiccans around the world. It is one of the four lesser sabbats. This year it occurs on December 22 at less than 1 minute into the day (22 seconds to be precise). A solstice is when the sun is either the closest or farthest from the earth at the equator. It will be a spring solstice in the northern hemisphere at the same time it is a winter solstice in the southern hemisphere. Winter solstice marks the longest night of the year. After the solstice, the days become longer.
The month begins with a waxing moon in Aries that moves into Taurus at 8:26PM, eastern time.
This day is said to be a good day for divination to find out the name of your future husband by casting and reading onion shoots ! I have never tried it myself, but I guess it is worth a shot ! The full moon occurs on the fourth at 7:25PM. As the moon grows stronger, we do affirmations, prayers and spells to make an aspect of our lives stronger. As the moon wanes, we do the same fo r those things we want to lessen or weaken( such as illness, debt, wanting an ex to leave us alone).
December is full of days that have attachments to the ancients or the mataphysical. There are saints, witches, gods and goddess galore in December. The first starts with St. Eligius. He is remembered on December 1, and is the patron saint of metalworkers. He was born Near Limoges and made a beautiful throne for Clotaire II. He founded several monasteries, and converted many to Christianity.
December 2 is a day when a tree is honored in India. It is considered the world’s most sacred tree, and it is said that the Buddah was sitting under this tree when he achieved enlightenment. It is said that the Bodhi tree was planted in 282 BC in Bodh Gaya , India.
I have many sources giving different dates for the Bona Dea. From December first to the fourth. The Bona Dea translates to “good goddess”, and is the goddess of fertility, healing and women. This was a huge celebration in ancient Rome, however it was only celebrated by women. Her secret rites were also only attended by women, and even though her temple was on the Aventine Hill, it is said that the rites were performed in a home of a wealthy citizen. When her rites were performed all male associations must be removed from the home.
Chango or Shango is a Yoruban god of thunder who is also celebrated at this time. He is said to be the most popular Orisha He is also worshiped in Haiti by those who practice Voodun. His number is Six but for some reason his day is mentioned at the fourth of December.
Poseidon, the god of the sea and horses, was also celebrated in December. His festival was called the Poseidea. He was considered more important than Zeus, and a caretaker of the Oracle at Delphi. The Romans worshiped him only as a horse god, unlike the Greeks who were more likely to associate him with the sea.
Dec 3- St. Francis Xavier’s Day-He was co-founder of the Jesuits, and said to have converted more people to Christianity than anyone other than St. Paul. He was born in Spain and studied at the University in Paris.
St. Barbara’s Day-She was said to be locked in a tower by her father, refusing all suitors and converting to Christianity. He handed her over to be tortured, and as he did he was struck by lightning.
Dec 6 is the birthday of Dion Fortune who was a well known author and considered a “witch” although she would not use that tile. She died in 1946 and is well regarded by Wiccans and Pagans around the world.
St. Nicholas’ Day- A Bishop of Myra who somehow became associated with Santa Claus.
Dec 7 is a day when Demeter was said to come back and wander the world looking for Persephone (her stolen daughter). Her sadness is said to bring on the dark winter months. Demeter is an agricultural goddess, she is also a goddess of marriage, life and death.
Burning the Devil Day (Guatemala)-I see it noted in many places, but no more information is given!
Dec 8- Japanese Shinto temples celebrate Amaterasu, a sun goddess. She is a mythical ancestor of the Imperial House of Japan. It is said that she hid in a cave, from Susano (the storm god), and brought the sun with her into the cave. When she emerged from the cave, she brought sun and light back into the world.
Feast of the Immaculate Conception-Mary being one who was not born with original sindid not actually become part of church dogma until 1854.The date was decided on by being nine months before Mary’s birthday.
This same day was sacred in ancient Egypt to Neith, also known as Net or Nit. She is considered an earth goddess, a war goddess, and goddess of the loom!
December 9 honors Tonantzin in Mexico. She is the healing virgin goddess. Her day is called the Annual Festival of the Mother of Health. She is also said to be a lunar goddess. Women and female deities are often associated with the moon.
Early December also includes an ancient Inuit celebration that lasts five days. It ends on the full moon each year. The hunters honor all the souls of the animals that they hunted during the year. This celebration has remained unchanged for hundreds of years.
Dec 12- Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe-On this day in 1531, Juan Diego was walking in his village in Mexico when he heard wings, birds and music overhead. He looked up to a lady who spoke to him in his Aztec language and told him to give a message to the bisop to build a temple to her in Mexico City and that she was Maria, the Mother of God.
St. Lucy’s Eve- In Austria, Witches believe this is a day of great power for them. It is said that those who wait up until midnight will see Lucy’s light shining . In Italy she helps Santa Claus distribute gifts. In Sweden young ladies go through the countrside delivering baked goods in her name.
The Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after Dec 13 are ember days when prayers are said for the clergy.
Dec 14- In 1503, Michel de Nostradamus was born in Saint Remyde Provence, France. He was a psychic, astrologer, and mathematician. His first publication of his predictions was published in 1555, and is still read today. He died on July 1, 1566.
Dec 15- Navidades is a religious festival celebrated in Puerto Rico to honor the Yule child. The celebration lasts until January 6. In Mexico around the same time a Yule child is celebrated in a festival called Posadas, it runs from Dec 16 to the 24.There are re-enactments of the birth of Jesus performed by children.
Dec 16- Chanukah-The Jewish Festival of Lights. Each night a new candle is lit on a menorah to commemorate the rebuilding of the temple. The little bit of oil left in the temple lasted for nine nights.
Halcyon Days- The seven days prior to the winter solstice, and seven days that follow. They are said to be a time of peace and tranquility. The halcyon is a bird that is said to have landed on rough seas and calmed the waters, it is considered to be a mythical creature and not a real bird of the ancients.
Saturnalia- A midwinter festival of the ancient Romans. Saturn was a sun god and a corn god. The festival lasted from the 17th to the 24th of December and included feasting, gift giving, candles, torches, games and revelry. Part of this festival was Opalia, a feast dedicated to Ops, a harvest and abundance goddess. She was the consort of Saturn, and was honored simply by touching the grouns while saying her name.
Epona-Celtic goddess of horses is honored on this day.
Hertha-The Norse goddess of domesticity is honored at the solstice each year, mostly in Germany.
Pongol is the Hindu winter solstice celebration. The Hindu goddess Sankrant is honored at this time.
Dec 23- Laurentia is an ancient Roman event that celebrated the recovery of light from the darkness.
We all know about Santa and Christmas Eve, the Finnish however believe that the ghosts of your departed loved ones return on this night (sounds like A Christmas Carol). Families will light white candles on the graves of the departed loved ones.
Folklore says that if a marriage proposal is accepted on Christmas Eve, then the marriage will be a happy one.
Christmas Day- We all know the Christian take on Christmas, but there is much more to it! The Romans celebrated Christmas before it was “Christmas” and called it the Birthday of the Invincible Sun. We all know how the Christians tried to incorporate other belief systems in to the church by “adapting” their holidays. This is an example of that practice.
The Emporer Aurelian made this day a public holiday in AD 272, it was to worship the sun gods, and consisted mainly of the lighting of bonfires.
The Germans believed that on Christmas day a Yule Witch named Lutzelfrau would fly on her broom through the air and would cause problems for those who did not give her gifts.. There was another German Yuletime witch named Perchta. The children would go from door to door (like Halloween) and beg for gifts to give to the witch.
Dec 26- Yuletide begins and lasts until Jan 6.
The Junkanoo festival is celebrated on this day in The Bahamas. Old gods are honored, and there is costumed dancing and singing in the streets.
Kwanzaa- A festival created in 1966 for African Americans to focus on their heritage during the holiday season.
Dec 27- The birthday of Freya the Norse god of fertility , love and beauty.
Dec 28- In parts of China a peace festival is held for spiritual renewal and to bless the world.
Those who belong to the Taoist temples write their members name on slips of paper. Then the slips are put into a paper horse and burned, the Taoists believe that the smoke brings the names to the heavens.
Holy Innocents Day-Today all of the Christian boys that were killed by Herod are remembered as martyrs.
Dec 29- Day of the Nymphs-A day to honor Andromeda, Ariadne, and Artimis.
Dec 30- Birthday of Rasputin. A Russian monk, mystic, occultist and magician. He was killed by Prince Yusupov, who had to try VERY hard to kill him. Rasputin it is said told of his own death.
Dec 31- New Year’s Eve-The noise making that goes on was part of an old Pagan customer to scare away the evil spirits and keep them out of the new year!
Yemaya-Olokun, the Mother of the Sea, is honored on New Year's Eve in Brazil. Her celebrations take place on the beaches, mostly around Rio. There is dancing, fireworks and much merrymaking!
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Triple Moon Goddess,
Psychic Tarot Consultant
& Author
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Triple Moon Goddess has been psychic all her life, receiving her first deck of cards, 36 years ago, at age ten.
As a Psychic, she is currently reading on KEEN, Kasamba, and in person, most recently, in Evansville, IN.
In addition to a BA in psychology from Montclair State in NJ., She has studied Mediumship with Denise Ilwaine, and currently studing Reiki.
She is a student who "plays Tai Chi", and enjoys playing with energy.
Triple Moon Goddess also teaches monthly metaphysical classes at the Bead Angel, in Evansville, covering different topics each month. She has also taught Tarot classes and psychic development classes; led "ghost hunts", and "seances".
She has attended many metaphysical classes, both in person and correspondance (before the internet!). She also teaches quilting!
As an avid reader, she loves to pass on everything she can to others.
She was the editor on "C.R.U.M.B.S.," a New Age self help book., and currently writing a book on tarotand readings.
She is the mother of two children, one of which is autistic, and teaches her a great deal about viewing the world through different eyes.
Email:
triplemoongoddessgina
@hotmail.com
Web:
www.Keen.com/
Triplemoongoddess
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