In the Northern Hemisphere, December 21st marks the Winter Solstice and the dark night of the soul.
Traditionally the Winter Solstice has been a time to honor darkness and to journey deep within to reflect, restore and nourish from the inside out.
Every living being on this planet is a reflection of dark and light. As beautiful as a rose is when it’s in full bloom, it too still needs to die and wither away into the darkness in order to be reborn. Just like the petals float away and the bud closes for the winter in order to regenerate, we too follow a similar process.
Nature is always providing us clues as to the cosmic energy around us and where Mother Earth is directing her attention. By following the rhythms and cycles of the Goddess Mother Earth, we too can bring harmony and equilibrium to our own state of being …
Composed of deep green Chalcedony and small dots of Red Jasper, Bloodstone is used to purify and detoxify the body, increase energy and strength, remove blockages, and create a smooth and constant energy flow throughout the body. It’s said that it can help bring love into a difficult situation and help ground any negative energy that surrounds the issue.
This stone can be used to enhance the function of the mind, bringing clarity and understanding to subjects that are unfamiliar to the user. It can help enhance our intuition by stimulating our dreams and can enhance creativity as well as help combat fatigue, irritability, and confusion.
Used as a talisman of good health and long life, it can help cleanse any negative energy as well as purify the blood, detoxify the liver, kidney, and spleen. It’s a wonderful stone that benefits all of the organs and regulates the blood flow.
Often given to children as a talisman against bullies or physical or emotional threats and give them strength when adjusting to new circumstances. It’s used as a good luck charm for athletes, sport competition, or matches. […]
Asojano is the Orisha of the epidemics that hover over the lands. Asojano also know as Babaluaye or Acronica brings diseases, infections of the skin and other sicknesses whether terminal or non terminal onto humankind. Asojano is said to be a man that walks around on his crutches with abscess and other skin disorders on his body. He wasn’t like that before legends say but that is how he is now. Asojano was entrusted by Olofi after his punishment to inflict these epidemics onto the earth. He is said to be one of Olofi’s wrath and through his actions we suffer.
He is also the Orisha of discrimination. Due to his sickness and the epidemics he has conflicted on him, many people outcast him and did not want anything to do with him. They would throw water at him when he would try to approach them, which is an offense to Asojano in now days. He is also seen as a beggar. That’s what he disguises himself as to test and see how the heart of man is. When you fail that test, Asojano usually brings epidemics and sickness to your life. Whether it is directly to you or the closest person or thing to you. He is the epidemics that happen to the world in an instant. The people that are inflicted with these epidemics are said no to be victims, but are now his messengers to show the world that he does exist and to have respect for Olofi and him.
Arnica; poisonous in large amounts which can cause serve gastroenteritis, fever, nausea, dizziness, abnormal pulse rate, diarrhea, skin reactions, and internal bleedingof the digestive tract.
Azalea; poisonous and causes nausea, vomiting, depression, difficulties breathing, coma, and it is rarely lethal.
Balm of Gilead; can cause skin irritation, serve stomach upset, and pregnant/breastfeeding woman should avoid.
Belladonna; very deadly poisonous causes blurred vision, staggering, loss of balance, dry mouth and throat, headache, rash, constipation, confusion, hallucination, and convulsions. Careful when handling because it can be adsorbed through skin.
Bleeding Heart; may be poisonous in large amountswhich cause convulsion and other nervous symptoms.
Blue Flag; nausea, vomiting, irritation of the mouth, throat, digestive tract, skin, headaches, watery eyes.
Bryony; all parts of are poisonous and can cause death, lethal if consumed.
Buttercup; irritant juices may severely damage the digestive system.
Calamus; toxic in large dosages and causes hallucinations, nausea, and vomiting.
Calabar Bean; extremely toxic which can cause excessive sweating and saliva, reduced pupil size, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, irregular heartbeat, blood pressure changes, confusion, seizures, coma, muscle weakness, paralysis, serve breathing problems, and death.
Camphor; serve allergic reaction which include rashes, hives, itching, difficulties breathing, tightness in chest, swelling of the mouth, eyes, face, lips, or tongue.
Castor Oil Plant; poisonous and causes burning sensation in mouth and throat, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea. In the next several days dehydration, drop in blood pressure, and decrease in urine. Unless treated death can be within 3-5 days.
Celandine; nausea, dizziness, fatigue, fever, and liver damage.
Christmas Rose; causes burning of the mouth, eyes, throat, oral ulceration, gastroenteritis, and vomiting blood.
Cowbane; poisonous and can attack the central nervous system which can induce seizures.
Daffodil; can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and can be but usually not fatal.
Daphne; poisonous, causes burns to the mouth and the digestive tract then followed by a coma. Can be fatal.
Dog’s Mercury; poisoning will appear in the next few hours which includes vomiting, pain, gastric and kidney inflammation, sometimes inflammation of the jaw and cheeks, and drowsiness.
Elderberry; poisonous and causes nausea and digestive upset.
Elephant Ear; all parts are poisonous and causes irritation of the mouth and tongue, can be fatal.
Ergot; can be fatal and can also cause nausea, vomiting, muscle pain or weakness, numbness, itching, vision problems, convulsion, confusion, spams, and unconsciousness.
Gelsemium; extremely poisonous even in small amounts very toxic and can cause headaches, vision problems, difficulties swallowing, dizziness, muscle problems, seizures, breathing problems, and slowing of the heart.
Golden Chain; serve poisoning which causes excitement, staggering, convulsions, and coma. This can be lethal.
Foxglove; large amounts can cause irregular heartbeat, digest upset, mental confusion, and can be fatal.
Hellebore; likely unsafe if ingested or applied to skin which can cause irritation of the mouth and throat lining and also slow down the heartbeat. Large dosages cause vomiting, diarrhea, difficulties swallowing, nerve problems, blindness, convulsions, paralysis, difficulties breathing and death.
Hemlock; stomach pains, vomiting, and progressive paralysis of the central nervous system.
Henbane; cause dilated pupils, hallucinations, increased heart rate, convulsions, vomiting, hypertension, and ataxia.
Holly; berries can be deadly and the leaves can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach and intestinal problems.
Honeysuckle; can cause allergic reactions which include rashes.
Horse balm; gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, dizziness, and painful urination.
Hyacinth; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and can be fatal.
Ilex; serve allergic reactions which include rash, hives, itching, difficulties breathing, redness, burning, swelling of the mouth, eyes, face, lips, or tongue.
Iris; serve digest upset.
Ivy; poisonous, causes stomach pains, labored breathing, and possible coma.
Jewelweed; dangerous when consumed in large amounts.
Jerusalem Cherry; nausea and vomiting and occasionally fatal especially to children
Jimsonweed; do not inhale or consume, can cause many toxic effects like dry mouth, extreme thirst, vision problem, nausea, vomiting, constipation, fast heart rate, hallucinations, high temperatures, seizures, confusion, loss of conciseness, breathing problems, and death.
Laburnum; intense sleepiness, vomiting, excitement, staggering, convulsive movements, frothing at the mouth, unequally dilated pupils, coma and death.
Larkspur; digestive upset, nervous excitement, depression, and can be fatal.
Laurel; poisoning produces anorexia, profuse salivation, depression, uncoordination, vomiting, watering of the eyes, difficulties breathing, weakness, cardiac distress, convulsion, coma, and eventually death.
Lily of the Valley; irregular heartbeat and pulse accompanied by digest upset and mental confusion.
Lobelia; potentially toxic which can cause vomiting, it also can interfere with medication.
Jack-In-The-Pulpit; produces allergic reactions and causes skin, mouth, throat irritation, swelling, burning, difficulties breathing, and stomach upset.
Kava Kava; can cause liver problems, nausea, rapid heartbeat, vomiting, drowsiness, numbness around mouth, hallucinations, kidney effects, shortness of breath, and disorientation.
Mandrake; poisonous which can cause blurred vision, dryness of the mouth, difficulties urinating, headaches, vomiting, rapid heart rate, and hallucinations.
Mayapple; diarrhea and serve digestive upset.
Mistletoe; poisonous and causes gastrointestinal discomfort, diarrhea, weak/slow pulse, seizures, and it is rarely lethal to humans.
Morning Glory; toxic and causes diarrhea, gastrointestinal upset, disorientation, ataxia, anorexia, and hallucinations.
Mugwort; use in a well ventilated area and with the right dosage, too much can be lethal.
Nightshade; fatal and intense digestive disturbance and nervous symptoms.
Oak; poisonous in large amounts and gradually affects the kidneys.
Oleander; extremely poisonous can cause heart effects, serve digest upset and even death.
Pennyroyal; can cause serve liver and kidney damage and also stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, burning of the throat, fever, confusion, restlessness, dizziness, high blood pressure, abortions, and brain damage.
Periwinkle; contains poisonous chemicals and should no be ingested can cause nausea, vomiting, hearing loss, hair loss, dizziness, bleeding, nerve problems, seizures, liver damage, low blood sugar, and even death.
Pleurisy Root; can cause serve heart problems, nausea, vomiting, and skin rashes.
Poinsettia; skin rashes, serve eye irritation, and irritation or burns to the mouth, throat, stomach, and intestinal lining.
Pokeweed; all parts are poisonous and when handling use gloves because some chemicals can pass through skin and affect the blood and it also causes nausea, vomiting, cramping, stomach pain, diarrhea, low blood pressure, difficulty controlling urine, and thirst.
Rhubarb; fatal and large amounts can cause convulsions, coma, and a rapid death.
Snakeroot; can be fatal, cause nausea and vomiting.
Spurge; unsafe and has chemicals that cause cancer, other effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, burning of the mouth, dilated pupils, dizziness, painful bowel movements, near unconsciousness, irregular heartbeat, rashes, reddening, itching, burning, and blisters.
St John’s Wort; can be poisonous and cause fatigue, dizziness, confusion, and dry mouth.
Skullcap; pregnant women should not use it can cause a miscarriage
Thorn Apple; abnormal thirst, distorted sight, delirium, incoherence and can be fatal.
Uva Ursi; can cause skin discoloration, headaches, tinnitus, dizziness, muscle twitching, tremors, convulsion, seizures, nausea, vomiting, irritation to the skin and eyes.
Wahoo; poisonous and potentially deadly, symptoms include serve upset stomach, bloody diarrhea, fever, shortness of breath, unconsciousness, spams and coma.
Wisteria; mild to serve digestive upset, many children have been poisoned by this plant.
Wolfsbane; also know as Aconite, disables nerves, lowers blood pressure, and can stop the heart. Avoid skin contact.
Wormwood; can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, insomnia, restlessness, vertigo, and seizures.
Yellow Jasmine; poisonous and cause nausea and vomiting.
Yew; fatal, death is usually sudden without any warning symptoms.
In a time before time had been named, when life danced as a dazzling rainbow upon the mystical Earth, magick lived inside each earthen creature. Some, the big ones, were having a harder time seeing the magick now, than in the past. They were starting to forget that magick is all around you, if only you believed.
Alicia was a small and tiny earthen spirit with sparkling blue eyes and a pinched up nose; even in the fairy world, where all things are small, she was the smallest of them all.
Gathering the Mistletoe On the Sixth day after the new moon A procession of village folk. Gathered to seek a special boon Underneath the ancient oak. They spied a clump of mistletoe High in the oaken canopy The berries gave a milky glow Against bare limbs of the winter tree. A white robed Druid climbed the boughs With his golden sickle blade A green circlet of ivy ‘round his brow His long dark hair caught up in a braid.
Extending his body along a stout limb He could just reach the holy plant Anxiously below they waited for him And began their sacred chant. Uil-ioc! Draoidh-lus! Sùgh an Daraich! Stretched beneath the gnarled wood A sheet of white linen was spread For the herb to touch the ground would Be an ominous omen of dread. Deftly the Druid cut the stem And the herb fell upon the sheet A cheer rose from within the glen And the deed was declared complete. A white bull was sacrificed that night And a midwinter feast was held for all The herb was preserved for a holy rite A gift from the venerable Druids of Gaul.
“The horses impounded from the ISPMB was scheduled for December 20, 2016, at the Faith Livestock Auction in Faith, South Dakota. That sale has been postponed.
The name for the festival of the Winter Solstice in Druidry is Alban Arthan, which means ‘The Light of Arthur’. Some Druid Orders believe this means the Light of the hero King Arthur Pendragon who is symbolically reborn as the Sun Child (The Mabon) at the time of the Solstice. Others see the Light belonging to the star constellation known as the Great Bear (or the Plough) – Arthur, or Art, being Gaelic for Bear. This constellation shines out in the sky and can symbolize the rebirth of the Sun. At this point, the Sun is at its southernmost point almost disappearing beyond the horizon, and the days are at their shortest. This was a time of dread for the ancient peoples as they saw the days getting shorter and shorter. A great ritual was needed to revert the course of the sun. This was probably calculated by the great circles of stone and burial grounds which are aligned to this festival, such as Newgrange in Co. Meath, Eire. Sure enough, the next day the Sun began to move higher into the sky, showing that it had been reborn.
This time of year is very cold and bleak, which is why so many celebrations are needed to help people get through the Winter months. It is significant that many civilizations welcomed their Solar Gods at the time of greatest darkness – including Mithras (the bull-headed Warrior God), the Egyptian God Horus.
In this darkest time of the year, we celebrate the return of the Divine Child, the Mabon, the rebirth of the golden solstice Sun, who will bring warmth, light, and life back to Earth again. The Wheel of the Year revolves beyond death and towards the new light and new life.
In the Druidic tradition, the name of this festival is “Alban Arthan”, Welsh for “Light of Winter”. According to an older and more poetic interpretation, the name is “Alban Arthuan”, meaning “Light of Arthur”. In this poetical image, Arthur is symbolized by the Sun. The Sun dies and is reborn, just as the mythical Arthur is sleeping deep inside a mountain and will wake up again when the people needs his help.
Alban Arthan, the Winter Solstice, takes place every year on the 21st or 22nd of December (Northern Hemisphere).
While Samhain is strongly connected with insular Celtic culture, Alban Arthan is a universal festival, which has been (and still is) celebrated by many peoples and long before the coming of the Celts. The Winter Solstice is probably (together with the Summer Solstice) the oldest seasonal festival of humankind.
We know today that the Sun will return because the course of the Sun and the other planets in our system have been scientifically explored. Our ancestors did not take the return of the Sun for granted, and in addition, they were suffering much more under the hardships of severe winter weather than we do today. For an agricultural society, whose survival depended mostly on crops, the return of the Sun was not just a matter of casual celebration, it was rather a matter of life or death.
What Stonehenge is for Alban Hefin, Newgrange is for Alban Arthan. Newgrange (Brú na Bhoinne) is a mighty Neolithic passage tomb and temple structure in the valley of the Boyne River in Ireland. Its age is presently estimated at approximately 5200 years, making Newgrange older than the Pyramids of Gizeh and Stonehenge. Newgrange is aligned towards the sunrise of the winter solstice. When the Sun reaches a certain angle, the light shines through a special window (the famous “roof box”) along a 17 meters/57 feet long passage and at the end of the passage falls onto a big stone, which bears the carving of a three-fold spiral. The event lasts for about 15 minutes, during which the light is wandering across the floor of the passage and the stone at its end as if it wanted to tell a story.
This alignment has been esoterically interpreted as the insertion of a ray of light by the Sun God into the womb of Mother Earth, to bring about the creation of new life in spring.
Other monuments aligned to the winter solstice are to be found in Knowth and Loughcrew (also in the Boyne Valley, Ireland), Maes Howe (Orkney, Scotland), and the so-called Seven-Mile-Cursus in Dorset, England. The winter solstice can also be watched through specific stone formations of Stonehenge, although this is not the main alignment of this monument.
What were the celebrations of the winter solstice in pre-Christian times, is nowadays mostly known as Christmas. The difference may not be that big as it appears from the first look. In Catholic tradition, Jesus Christ is “the Light of the World” and it is no coincidence that Jesus is born at the time of the winter solstice. It has been said that the birth of Christ, which is not dated in the Bible, was originally celebrated in spring. It has later been moved towards the winter solstice, partly because the early church was unable to stop the winter solstice celebrations and wanted to give them at least a Christian motto, partly also because it seemed fit to place the birth of the light into the time of greatest darkness.
One of the main features of a traditional winter solstice celebration in Northern European countries is the Yule log. A log or a big piece of wood is burned in the central fireplace. According to tradition it must come from one’s own land or be a gift, and it must not be purchased. It is traditionally ignited with the remaining piece of last year’s Yule log. This way, the light is passed on from one year to another. The Yule log is to burn slowly for 12 days in the fireplace before it is extinguished. The ashes are stowed away and in springtime mixed with seeds and brought out in the fields. Thus, the power of the Sun, symbolized in the Yule log, is distributed over the land. The rest of the wood is kept until next year to ignite the new log.
The house is decorated with evergreen branches. The green reminds us of the promise that nature will be green again in springtime and life will return to our lands. In the Irish tradition, a house decorated with greeneries is expected to offer a place of rest to nature spirits fleeing from cold and darkness.
Another tradition says that there is a perpetual battle between the Oak King, the God of the waxing light, or the Divine Child, and the Holly king, the God of the waning light, or the Dark Lord. Each year at the winter solstice, the Oak King wins the battle and rules, until he is defeated by the Holly King at the time of the summer solstice.
In the folk customs and traditions of Bavaria, the time around Christmas sees some of the most important and festive celebrations of the year. Bavaria’s traditions are still defined by the fact that it was an agricultural country over many centuries.
Along the Alps, there are so-called “Percht runnings”, enactments of the misdeeds of malevolent spirits. Often wildly masked young men run up and down the streets and “kidnap” people who don’t hide or run away in time or give them mock beatings with willow sticks. This is probably a remainder of the Germanic “rough nights” and Odin’s Wild Hunt, but one could also think of a local interpretation of the Cailleach.
Numerous customs involving the use of incense have survived. Traditionally, there are three occasions to “smoke out” the house: Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and the evening before Epiphany, which marks the last day of the Christmas celebrations. On these occasions, all people living in a house walk ritually from room to room and burn incense and certain herbs, while the head of the household speaks prayers. On farms, stables and animals are included in the round. Sometimes consecrated water is sprinkled in the rooms. The use of fire and water hints at a purification ritual.
Around this time of the year, there is generally a liberal use of lights and candles. I often notice that people don’t just put candles up because it is dark. It seems to be somehow culturally ingrained to do so, and I guess that these customs are remains of light rituals reaching back further than we might imagine.
Almost gone are the wassailing customs, where the head of the farm would bless the fruit trees and pour them a libation of wine. This should induce the tree to bear rich fruit in summer. There was and still is much baking going on, especially of Christmas cookies. Sometimes they still come in traditional shapes, especially Sun shapes.
Christmas in Bavaria is celebrated on Christmas Eve, December 24th, after fall of dark. This may well be a surviving Celtic relic. We know that in ancient Celtic understanding the day started with the sunset, not the sunrise.
The deities of Alban Arthan are the Dagda and Brighid. Brighid is the bearer of the flame of inspiration, which penetrates the darkness of mind and soul, just as the light of the reborn Sun penetrates the darkest time of the year. The cauldron of the Dagda is a symbol of the promise, that nature will bear fruit once again and care for all beings living on Earth
The plants of Alban Arthan are in the first place mistletoe and holly but in a wider sense all evergreen plants, e.g. spruce, fir, pine etc. The green of the plants is pleasant to the eye and symbolizes the promise of renewal and new growth.
The central and essential thought of Alban Arthan is renewal. We let the past behind us and greet the new. The world is undergoing constant change and we must change and adjust, too, in order to be able to survive. Change is inevitable. The German poet Heinrich Heine said: “Nothing is so permanent as change”. In this knowledge, humankind celebrates festivals since times unknown, giving people the opportunity to let go of the old and to embrace the new things which life would certainly hold in store.
Alban Arthan is also a good occasion to think about the meaning of the Sun. In spite of all modern technology and the possibility to bring a bright light to a room with the turn of a switch, we are still dependant of the Sun. The Sun is indicating the times of the day and of the year to us. It is vital for the growth of all plants and for the existence of all living beings. It decides over warmth or cold. Everything on Earth and in the whole “solar system” literally is revolving around the Sun!
In spite of the importance of the Sun, I honor the Sun not as a deity, but as a manifestation of the Divine Principle which stands behind it.
Characters: Jeremiah Parks, Ray Kowalski, Javier Esposito, Eric ‘Blade’ Brooks, Lady Heather, Evelyn Callahan, Benton Fraser, Ray Vecchio, Peter Parker, Alexandra Eames, Robert Goren, Tallikut Clan members, Sylum Clan members, Original Characters
Rating: PG-13
Summary: When Jeremiah Parks decided to live a Libertine lifestyle, he never expected he would become the victim of a psychotic Vampire. Over the years he creates havens for those who walk a different path.
Paths I Walk 
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