Ritual Preparations: Fasting

Fasting is an important part of some Pagan rituals and ceremonies.. Here is a quick briefing on fasting.

 

Pagan Holidays

Pagan Holidays Samhain - October 31st – This is the beginning and the end.  It is where we stand momentarily still on the Wheel of life, waiting for its course to start again.  The Sun God has died and given life again to himself within the Earth Mother.  It is the time when the veil between the worlds is the thinnest and we learn from those that have passed to the other side that every ending is also a new beginning. Yule - December 22nd (Winter Solstice) – This is the longest night of the year when darkness reigns supreme and yet there is the promise of the light returning.  The Great Mother has given birth again to the Sun God and He will bring hope and the promise of a strong and fruitful summer. Imbolc – February 2nd - Also known as Brigid or Candlemas, this is the time of growing light and new beginnings.  New seeds and plans for the future are planted and we will watch them grow throughout the year.  The new light brings inspiration.  This is a good time to write poetry. Eoster – March 21st (Spring Equinox) – Spring returns to us and the seeds begin to sprout.  The cold shackles of winter are broken and the Sun God, who was an infant at Imbolc, is now a child.  Light and Dark are in balance and a new harmony is felt in the fresh rain and the sweet smells of nature. Beltane - May 1st - May day brings desire.  The Maiden of Spring and the growing young Sun God meet in the fields and perform the dance of life.  Great bon-fires are built to celebrate the warmth and the strength of the sun. Litha – June 22nd (Summer Solstice) – Again the sun stands still, this time at His height.  The days are longest but are waning now.  The Sun King begins His journey towards death and rebirth while the seed which is Himself begins to grow in the Earth Mother. Lughnasadh - July 31st - The eventual passing of the Sun God will bring our seeds to fruition yet they can not be harvested yet.  We sacrifice the light to bring new life.  Wheat, grain and a cornbread God figure decorate our altars.  Mother Goddess will soon again become the Reaper. Mabon - September 21st (Autumnal Equinox) – Again, day and night are equal and the darkness grows.  This is the time of harvest to store up for the coming winter.  The Sun God moves off into the west and we follow him into the darkness and even though the shadow of death is upon us, we give thanks for the harvest we have reaped and the fruition of our seeds.

 

Lunar Moon Cycles 2009

January Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 1 1 2 3 2 5 6 7 8 9 10 3 12 13 14 15 16 17 4 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 5 27 28 29 30 31	February Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 5 1 6 3 4 5 6 7 8 7 10 11 12 13 14 15 8 17 18 19 20 21 22 9 23 24 26 27 28	March Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 9 1 10 2 3 5 6 7 8 11 9 10 12 13 14 15 12 16 17 19 20 21 22 13 23 24 25 27 28 29 14 30 31	April Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 14 1 3 4 5 15 6 7 8 10 11 12 16 13 14 15 16 18 19 17 20 21 22 23 24 26 18 27 28 29 30	May Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 18 2 3 19 4 5 6 7 8 10 20 11 12 13 14 15 16 21 18 19 20 21 22 23 22 25 26 27 28 29 30	June Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 23 1 2 3 4 5 6 24 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 26 23 24 25 26 27 28 27 30
July Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 27 1 2 3 4 5 28 6 8 9 10 11 12 29 13 14 16 17 18 19 30 20 21 23 24 25 26 31 27 29 30 31	August Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 31 1 2 32 3 4 5 7 8 9 33 10 11 12 14 15 16 34 17 18 19 21 22 23 35 24 25 26 28 29 30 36 31	September Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 36 1 2 3 5 6 37 7 8 9 10 11 13 38 14 15 16 17 19 20 39 21 22 23 24 25 27 40 28 29 30	October Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 40 1 2 3 41 5 6 7 8 9 10 42 12 13 14 15 16 17 43 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 44 27 28 29 30 31	November Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 44 1 45 3 4 5 6 7 8 46 10 11 12 13 14 15 47 17 18 19 20 21 22 48 23 25 26 27 28 29 49 30	December Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 49 1 3 4 5 6 50 7 8 10 11 12 13 51 14 15 17 18 19 20 52 21 22 23 25 26 27 53 28 29 30

 

Chinese Zodiac – OX 2009

2009 Chinese Zodiacs for Year of Ox Using Your Birth Year

This is Chinese Five Element Horoscope for 2009 using your birthday and birth time. It’s important to review what is our standing point in the previous year before predicting the coming year of Ox.

 

Chinese Astrology Zodiac

28 Chinese Constellations (asterisms)
Chinese Name	Pinyin	Quadrant	#	Approx. Western constellation
	jiao	EastGreen Dragon	1	Spica
	kang		2	Virgo
	di		3	Libra
	fang		4
	xin		5	Antares
	wei		6	Scorpius
	ji		7	Sagittrius
	dou	NorthBlack Totoise	8
	niu		9	Capricorn
	nu		10	Aquarius
	xu		11
	wei		12	Aquarius/ Pegasus
	shi		13	Pegasus
	bi		14
	kui	WestWhite Tiger	15	Andromeda
	lou		16	Aries
	wei		17
	mao		18	Pleiades
	bi		19	Taurus
	zi		20	Orion
	shen		21
	jing	SouthRed Bird	22	Gemini
	gui		23	Cancer
	liu		24	Hydra
	xing		25	Alphard
	zhang		26	Crater
	yi		27	Corvus
	zhen		28

 

Year of the Ox: 2009 is the Year of Ji Chou.

Chinese New Year

2009 is the Year of the Ox,
which is also known by its formal name of Ji Chou.

 

Tegan & Sara

walking with the ghost

LISTEN

VIDEO

No matter which way you go
No matter which way you stay
You’re out of my mind,
Out of my mind
Out of my mind,
Out of my mind

I was walking with the ghost
I said please, please don’t insist
I was walking with the ghost
I said please, please don’t insist

No matter which way you go
No matter which way you stay
You’re out of my mind,
Out of my mind
Out of my mind,
Out of my mind

I was walking with the ghost
I said please, please don’t insist
I was walking with the ghost
I said please, please don’t insist

No matter which way you go
No matter which way you stay
you’re out of my mind,
Out of my mind
Out of my mind,
Out of my mind
Out of my mind,
Out of my mind

I was walking with the ghost
I was walking with the ghost
Out of my mind(I say please),
Out of my mind
out of my mind(I say please),
Out of my mind

You’re out of my mind, out of my mind
Out of my mind, out of my mind
Out of my mind, out of my mind
Out of my mind, out of my mind

I was walking with the ghost
I was walking with the ghost
I was walking with the ghost
I was walking with the ghost
I was walking with the ghost

 

Dark Witch

 

The Harvest Festival

The Harvest Festival

Harvest festivals originated with the ancients, who made sacrificial offerings to the gods on an appointed day each autumn to show their gratitude for a successful harvest and sustenance for another year. The ensuing feast, part ritual and part seasonal blow-out, usually culminated in a communal banquet with music, dancing, and harvest decor.

Traditionally, harvest festivals were held on or about the arrival of the “harvest moon,” the full moon occurring closest to the autumnal equinox in what is now the month of September. Samhain, the Celtic harvest festival thought to be the forerunner of Halloween, was an exception to that rule, taking place instead on what the Celts regarded as the last day of summer, October 31.

 

Hallow’s Eve Fun