Janus, January and No Resolutions for Me in 2014!
*My apologies for the late post. Family and holiday craziness has kept me from my computer. This post is a slight alteration of a post I made for Here Be Magic.* January is named for the Roman god Janus (said yon-us). My introdution to Janus came from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when the evil Ethan...
It’s the Most Wonderble Time of the Year
Wonderful + horrible =  wonderble. Yule is wonderful because I get to see my sister, who lives out of state. Yule is horrible because <deep breath> the fragile routine I’m working hard to build gets chunked out the window while additional responsibilities are piled on and hundreds of extra decisions must get made–like presents; I...
In 2013 Jax Gives Thanks for…
This has been a rough year. But I think it’s important in times of strife to remember that life still has plenty of good things in it, too. So this year, despite me being a grumpy princess, I will give thanks for… TheScott. I can’t imagine life without you, my dear. You are a blessing,...
Jax’s Equinox Resolutions, 2013 Edition
Ah, Autumn–my favorite time of year. As the weather turns cooler (or at least not-so-blisteringly-hot) and the breeze blows chill, it reminds me to clear the slate, make peace with the past and let go. At this time of year at what some Heathens call Winter Finding* , I have a tradition of creating resolutions...
‘Tis the Season: Celebrating Yule
Thanksgiving is over, so I can legitimately put on the holiday music, pull out the garlands and set a date for getting a tree. (This weekend. Because why wait?) Yule (Jul) is the most important holiday of the Heathen calendar. It’s multi-day celebration that can last up to twelve days (“On the first day of...
Winter Nights and the Elf Blot
One of the big challenges of a reconstructed faith is taking a religion that varied through several centuries and creating a single system out of the mix. The faith of the Teutonic peoples was practiced for hundreds of years from Germany to Iceland and almost everywhere in between. It’s no surprise the tribes of first...
Yule 2011 – A Look Inside a Heathen Holiday
For those unfamiliar with what a Yule celebration looks like in a Heathen household (well half-Heathen anyway, TheScott being of the Catholic persuasion), GG and I decided to share with you what we did this year. Due to all the December festivities, TheScott and I hosted a (very) late Yule celebration this year. Growing up...
Blessings for Modranicht: The Meaning of Love
In a letter to the citizens of Corinth, the early Christian evangelist Paul said that love is patient and kind, and is not envious, nor boastful, nor proud. It’s a beautiful message beautifully worded, and like many people, I have always found it uplifting. I was an adult, however, before I realized what I perceived...
Pagan Strong: A Response to My Governor’s New Ad
I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Pagan, but you don’t need to dance naked in the moonlight every 28 days* to know there’s something wrong in this country when the Pagan in my household is the one dragging the Christian out to buy a tree and sing carols around it. And with the...
Autumnal Equinox Resolutions
I hope you and yours had a lovely equinox! Last autumnal equinox, what we Heathens call Winter Finding, I wrote about letting go of the old to make room for the new, and I thought I’d hold myself accountable by letting you know how I did. Last year I said I’d let go of… …the...
Freyfaxi or Hlæfæst and Honoring Freyr
The month of August has a Heathen holiday called either Freyfaxi, Hlæfmæsse [say laugh-mass but stick an ‘h’ on the beginning: hlaf-mass; it means loaf-mass], or Hlæfæst [say hlaf-fast; it means loaf-feast] which celebrates the beginning of the harvest... In Heathenry, we dedicate this holiday to Freyr, one of the highest gods of the North...
Walpurgis Night – The Other Beltane
Walpurgisnacht (Walburga’s Night / Walpurgis Night) is a popular Germanic holiday celebrated at the same time as Beltane... Now famous for the bonfires that light the hills of Sweden, the champagne toasts in Finland, and the pranks of southern Germany it has been known as both a witch’s holiday and the feast day of a...
