A Christmas Story

I'm taking a break from the absurd amount of cooking that I do for a holiday that I enjoy through the eyes of my beloved to post a link to a free story. For those of you who have read Don Kilcoyn's first book "The Law is My Shepherd," this story takes place sometime before those events (although they do not involve the same people). For those of you who haven't purchased Don's book, here is a chance to download and read (for free!), or read online one of his stories.

http://donkilcoyne.com/Don/Secret_Files.html

The Wide Men: A Christmas Story


Yes, it is a Christmas Story.

Disagreement?

Among Pagans, Heathens and Magicians? Really?

It seems that there has been some debate as to the date of the Solstice and as to whether it happened concurrently with the Full Moon/Eclipse. The Full Moon and eclipse were easy (if the sky was clear), all you had to do was look up. It is the timing of the Solstice that is in disagreement. The actual time that the Sun moves into Capricorn is 6:38pm on the night of December 21st. That is the moment of the Solstice. So there was a full day of daylight between the time of the Full Moon and the time of the Solstice. But what of the celebration, or vigil, or watch, or ritual or...? That is usually during the "longest night" as we await the return of the Sun. Rather than simply saying "well they both happened on December 21" which is how is has been reported in the popular press, how many have checked the daylight and dark hours? I did. Pallas Renatus did. Guess what? We ended up with different answers. Go figure. (and the last time I checked, the Naval site was down, maybe it crashed due to so many checking the timing?) PR did his "longest night" work last night. I shall observe it tonight.

Last night was Full Moon and eclipse work. While I very much liked the direction and suggestion that Patrick Dunn had for Full Moon/Eclipse magic, I approached it from a different angle. Rather than working FOR freedom and economic increase for our society, I worked to limit and then reverse the movements and tides that are limiting those freedoms and the economics of our nation and society. It just seemed a more appropriate method for the already full, but shrouded Moon.

Tonight will be Vigil and Return of the Sun. The hearth has been cleaned and a new fire laid. The candles are ready to be lit. Yummy "sun" foods have been prepared (although tomorrows breakfast bread is still rising). The offerings are ready. And, although it is completely non-traditional anywhere, I will be drinking peach schnapps. Nothing says to me "warmth and sun and summer will return" more than that. And, at the moment of sunrise, I will toast the Sun with my Sun tincture.

Odd Enough To Be Worthy Of Mentioning.

I am not a monotheist; I know (note: not believe, know) multitudes, of Deities, Devas, Wights and Kami. Overwhelmingly, to the point of exclusively, those that I know are Female. (another note: to those who have argued with me in the past over the gender of deity-the use of language influences reality as much as the other way around, but don't argue with me about it, find an expert in linguistics to discuss it with you.) When I first dedicated the circle, while it was dedicated to the Goddesses whom had made themselves known to me, I did acknowledge the Gods. I just didn't invite Them in. It didn't, and doesn't seem to be a problem, my psychic, spiritual and magical worlds are mostly female.

Every year, between the Cross-Quarters commonly known as Samhain and Imbolc (what can I say? I'm not Celtic, and I don't celebrate them as Samhain and Imbolc.) I do a lot of deep trance work. I get confirmation on how well (or not) I've done my work and my projects in the previous year. I get hints or assignments or messages regarding the coming year. I meet and interact with Others, Elsewhere. This year, there has been a boy, or maybe a Boy, I don't know yet. Night by night, he is growing up and growing older, and yet I know him to be the same "person." I've met him in different surroundings, from inner-city urban to a rather swanky country estate, as well as some places not easily described. In November, he was a street kid, trickster-ish and while not malevolent, definitely possessing an edge. I don't come across him every night, but each time I do, he is a little older and a bit more polished. Tonight, a week before the Solstice, he was named heir to the king. It will be most interesting to see who he is the night after the Solstice, and what he will want of me. (As of yet, nothing.)

I am fully aware that these are archetypes that I am dealing with, not yet Individuals. But I am finding it fascinating, that after all this time, the male gendered portion of the Otherworlds is making itself known to me.

Yesterday, after a business meeting, I was called "machiavellian" in my behavior. Since I had been acting in good faith, at first my feelings were hurt.

And then I started thinking:

This guy has given me a big clue to his thought processes. I could use this.

The Final Planetary Tincture

I really did finish this project!










This funny looking thing is a picture of the salts from my sun tincture. I'm afraid I didn't do the best job photographing the plate-there is a deep green tablecloth under the clear plate and salts. But just imagine...



My notes read: regularly shaped crystals, oval to rectangle, spread evenly over the entire surface of the plate. The color is nearly clear, with the faintest orange tinge. The "during the process" notes state that I dissolved and reformed the crystals three times. Each time I added the distilled water, the resultant liquid turned nearly black. I would then wash the plate in yet more distilled water, filter the menstruum and pour it back into the plate for the crystals to form. Each time, the crystals would be nearly clear. Why did I then re-dissolve them? I don't really know, other than I felt that I ought to. And then finally, I didn't feel that need.



The tincture, in a glass of water is red/orange/gold, with a scent that is (so says my notes) Awakening! Refreshing! But the effect of drinking it was like drinking the rising winter sun. I didn't notice much of anything when taking the tincture earlier in the Fall. But now that it is cold and dark and winter approaches? There is a definite sense of slowly increasing warmth and brightness after I've taken it. It will be most interesting to see if this continues into the Spring.



In terms of both effect, and taste, this is my second favorite of the planetary tinctures; my favorite is still Mars/Tuesday/Ginger. Despite my exclamation points, the Sun tincture is far less aggressive and "in your face" than the Mars. I want it, and enjoy it, but do not get the same sense of "I need this" that I get when taking the Mars tincture. Which brings up another interesting point, in terms of elemental attributes, they are both fire. While this series was planned as a planetary one and the ingredients were chosen by their planetary attributes, it appears that the effects on me are elemental. Which, in a way, does make a great deal of sense, as it is through the elements that we experience those things outside of ourselves. Which would also explain why these two tinctures appeal to me so much more than the ones relating to the other elements, I've felt for some time that I could use just a bit more elemental fire in my personal mix. These tinctures could be my favorites simply because I need what they contain more than I need what is contained in the others.

This project took me far longer than I thought it would (especially the write-ups. Mea Culpa). I've learned quite abit about myself, listening to, and paying attention to the personalities involved in my projects, and the grains of salt I must add to some of my learning experiences with humans. I will probably do something similar in the future. Just not right away.

To recap, these are the tinctures:

Sun-Orange

Moon-Camphor

Mars-Ginger

Mercury-Oregano

Jupiter-Lemon Balm

Venus-Rose

Saturn-Comfrey

(for whatever reason, Google spell check doesn't like "comfrey," it would prefer "comfier?")