Winter has finally arrived up here on the mountain. Frost is sparkling on the brown leaves and desiccated greenery of the forest. I love to walk outside under the Moon and experience the crackle of frozen oak leaves and play my flashlight upon shimmering ice. Late at night when I step outside to bid goodnight to the sky and the stars I can often hear deer or moose crunching on the leaf litter around the house.
The pond down the road freezes at night but by day it still melts back enough that the resident waterfowl can take a swim.
The bird feeders are swarming with visitors; the goldfinches are now muted and beige, cardinals, chickadees, titmice, juncos, sparrows and nuthatches come by in a steady stream. Several sizes of woodpeckers frequent the suet tray.
My long haired black cat and the neighbor’s snow white cat both wait hopefully just under the feeder but in weeks not one bird has fallen prey to them.
Everyone around here is looking forward to Solstice on December 21 at about 6 AM. The world will not end on that day but there will be more focus than usual due to all the Mayan calendar end of the world hype. We are going to focus on creating a better future for the planet and all of Her creatures. I hope everyone who reads this will offer up a special prayer for the oceans, land, trees, plants, animals and people on that morning.
Below you will find the latest book, nature, health, archaeology and other news. As usual, ENJOY!
BOOK NEWS
- With the Holly Daze upon us folks are thinking about books for the children. I have two that pair well together.
- The first, Walking The World In Wonder – A Children’s Herbal, is specifically designed for parents and teachers to work with kids to learn about medicinal plants. Its filled with beautiful full color photos to aid in plant identification
- The second is The Secret Medicines Of Your Kitchen which is very colorful and child friendly, featuring home remedies you can make from foods and spices already in the kitchen.
- I just got word that the first novel in the Druid trilogy Priestess of the Forest – A Druid’s Journey, will be back in paper print some time after the new Year (its currently just an e: book). Meanwhile the third book in the trilogy was recently mentioned elsewhere;
- Priestess of the Fire Temple – A Druid’s Tale gets a mention in Elysia Gallo’s blog
*You can order all these books from me and get a signed copy and a personal note*
ANTHROPOLOGY
- Did Christmas originate with the Sami Shamans and their reindeer?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkCS9ePWuLU&feature=share
HEALTH NEWS
- Peru bans all GMO ingredients for 10 years
- Do cell phones cause cancer?
Watch this 1 hr 38 min video: RESONANCE – BEINGS OF FREQUENCY
CELTIC NEWS
PAGAN NEWS
- UK interfaith group refuses to admit Druids
- The Virtual Shrine of the Goddess Brighid
- Documentary about ancient Vedic ritual.
- Related:Soma may be the Amanita muscaria mushroom
- Or simply “knowledge”
ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS
- Crannog uncovered in Ulster
- Turkish megaliths from 12,000 years ago (video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ0ViMVxKZA&feature=youtu.be - Prehistoric drugs
- Iron Age mirrors
- A new theory about hand axes
- Musings on the meaning of Newgrange
- The birth of tartan cloth (hint: not in Scotland)
- Bronze Age Britain – video
- Video: Newgrange – the Dream of Angus Og
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VZdTnmZSwE&feature=player_embedded - Wheel houses of the Hebrides
ARTS NEWS
- A video about An Cailleach (The “Hag”, Old Woman, or Creatrix of the World)
- Robin Williamson on the Tuatha De Dannan
POLITICS/ETHICS (it’s the same thing)
- Did Carl Rove try to steal Ohio for Romney? Tom Hartmann reports.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REn1BnJE3do&feature=b-mv
NATURE NEWS
- Saving a great whale (a very moving video)
May the Winter bring you every blessing of the dreaming dark. May peace truly descend upon all creatures.