by Molly Owen | Sep 3, 2013 | Blog, Ruth A. Casie
While you’re preparing for your Labor Day BBQ today, getting the backyard in order for your family and friends, and cheering that it’s time for the kids to go back to school, let’s not forget what the day is all about. It’s a day set aside to pay tribute to the achievements and contributions of the average America worker.
The movement to establish Labor Day began in 1882. There is some confusion whether the idea originated with Matthew Maquire, a machinist, and secretary of the Central Labor Union (CLU) in New York, or Peter J. McGuire, secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and co-founder of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) after experiencing the annual labor festival in Toronto, Canada. Regardless of who initiated the idea it was the CLU who adopted the idea and established a committee to organize the celebration on September 5, 1882 in New York City.
The first Monday in September was chosen because it is the mid-point between Independence Day and Thanksgiving. The day became popular with unions and local governments long before it was adopted by Congress and signed into law by President Grover Cleveland in 1894. While the President did not advocate unions, recent events that had required him to send in troops to put down a union railway strike. He took this opportunity to gather some political capital.
Over the years, Labor Day has encompassed not only the factory worker but government works, educators, and other workers. For some it’s the end of summer vacation, wearing white, and back into the school routine. Parades and street parties have given way to great sales at the mall and backyard BBQs. Cheers for the last day of summer.
How will you celebrate this Labor Day?
by Molly Owen | Aug 3, 2013 | Blog, Ruth A. Casie
Spells and spellcasting. The very first spell I clearly remember is salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo. Put them together and what do you get? Cinderella! A magic coach, horses, a footman, glass slippers and a beautiful ball gown and let’s not forget the handsome prince.
What makes the fairy-godmother’s words a spell? A spell is much like a prayer said with a great deal of intent, focus, and will that gives words (or nonsense ones) new meanings. Deborah Blake, an authority on Wiccans, explains that taking a shower can be a magical event. Your intent or goal is to wash away the stress of the day. You focus on the water pouring down on you and visualize your stress being washed away. Your will is to apply energy to the task. Along with the words she uses to increase the impact of the magick “Water, water, wash away all the stress of the day,” your shower becomes magickal.
So, is Cinderella’s fairy-godmother invoking magick? Her fairy-godmother cast her spell speaking an incantation to create a specific outcome. She clearly imagined what she wanted. She intended the magic coach, horse, etc. to all appear. She was keening focused on the results. And through sheer will she used all the energy at her disposal to make it happen.
What is a spell? Spells are written or spoken words together with set actions sometimes using objects, all with the intent to bring about specific results. The words are the important thing. The actions and objects are used to help the spellcaster concentrate and amplify their request. They use what they feel works well for them candles, herbs, oils, gems and other things. Color, phases of the moon and the day of the week may also play an important part of the spell.
Are there any rules for using magick? Deborah Blake, in her book, The Goddess is in the Details by Llewellyn Publications, July 2009, lays out the seven beliefs at the heart of being a witch.
- Harm none. The Wiccan Rede says, “An it harm none, do as ye will.” While this sounds simple, whatever you do make certain you harm no one. That includes yourself and anyone else. She pointed out quite clearly that downstream affects are really unknown. This rule is a guideline and a reminder that the intent should always be to do good.
- Do not interfere with free will. Everyone is responsible for their own actions and should not interfere with the actions of others. Not every witch (other regular person for that matter) seems to believe in this.
- What you put out (into the universe) is what you get back. The Law of Return. I believe very strongly in this rule and I’m not a witch. I call it paying it forward. I truly believe that if you give of yourself will come back to you threefold.
- As above, so below: Words have power. Witches believe that words have power. It is the reason why spells are said out loud—to announce your intention to the universe. They also believe symbols can be used to heighten the effects of words and can stand for objects or ideas. Sometimes they use candles, stones, water, wine, or anything that will help connect them to the object or idea. As above, so below means they not only have the power to effect change through symbolism and their connection with the universe, but they must also be careful with their words and thoughts. Ms. Blake gave a great example. If words have power, and you get back what you put out, think what would happen when you say, “I hate you.”
- Magick is real and witches can use it to bring about positive change. With combination of their belief that they can bring about positive change and the power of words and symbols, they use intent and focus to alter their world.
- We are part of nature. All Pagans have one thing in common—they respect nature and believe they are a part of it, not above it. While traditional religions view humans as superior, Pagans see themselves as guardians. Witches worship the mother earth, the nature goddess. They follow the cycle of the seasons and strive to connect to nature and stay close to their primordial gods.
- The divine is in everything, including us. Pagans believe in the old gods and goddesses and that there is an element of the divine in everything. This is at the heart of what it means to be a witch. This connection to the universe and to the divine gives witches both power and responsibility. It connects them to every other living being.
So, let me leave you with this. Find a comfortable place to sit where you won’t be disturbed. Light a white candle, take a sip of red wine, hold the book your reading, and say:
The winds are still,
as the words unfold.
Strong is the will,
as the story is told.
Peace fills the room,
and carries you away.
Imagination in bloom,
the rest of the day.
Now sit back, open your book and enjoy the adventure. Happy Reading!
by Molly Owen | Jul 3, 2013 | Blog, Ruth A. Casie
This is a long post. Please, get a cup of coffee or glass of wine (personally I would get the wine) and enjoy. I was reading Katherine Longshore’s blog post, 10 Reasons Why I Love British History and found myself in agreement. With her kind permission, I’ve used her post as a framework and added my comments. Before we go on to the post I’d like to congratulate Katherine. Her book Tarnished released mid-June to rave reviews.
I started to look for videos and pictures to study the 10 items she mentioned. I’ll share them with you just get something to drink and relax. This is a long post.
Here are Katherine’s reasons:
10. Blackadder. History and quirky, irreverent British humor all rolled up into a sneering anti-hero, written by some of the funniest writers working today (Richard Curtis of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Rowan Atkinson, Ben Elton) and Britain’s best comedic actors (Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, and the fabulous Tony Robinson of Time Team). I have a cunning plan to write a book starring Elizabeth I, just so I can have her say, “Who’s Queen?”
Blackadder is one, if not the best British comedy shows ever produced. It’s a “historical sitcom”, taking place during the Middle Ages, Elizabethan England, the early 19th century, and the 1st World War. It ran on BBC TV from 1983 until 1989.
BBC production, Horrible History is also wonderful. Horrible Histories is a British children’s television series based on the Terry Deary book series of the same name. The first series was thirteen episodes long, and was broadcast from April 16 to July 9, 2009 on CBBC on BBC One.
9. Errol Flynn. I know he’s Australian. But my first introduction to history was through Robin Hood and Captain Blood and for years I expected history to be populated by handsome rogues.
I can clearly remember Robin Hood, Captain Blood, Prisoner of Zendar, Scaramouche. Ah, the swashbuckler. I love every thrust and parry, every stolen kiss, evil villain. The actors, while US matinee idols in their day, were not necessarily US born. This video is a great overview of the swashbuckler. Sit back and enjoy.
8. Castles. Crenellated walls, stone towers, clammy dungeons. From motte and bailey structures of Norman England to the pretty, showy palaces of the Tudors. I especially love the ruins—like Corfe Castle, destroyed by Parliament during the English Civil War. There’s real history in those walls, my friends.
Castles hold a special magic for me. I associate them with knights and chivalry, the code of honor and of course saving damsels in distress. I had never seen a real castle until I traveled overseas for business. I was not disappointed. Hampton Court, Versailles, and Eilean Donan were all wonderful. I, however, live in outside of New York City. We don’t have any castles. We do have The Cloisters.
7. British television costume dramas. Pride and Prejudice, Downton Abbey, Vanity Fair, Call the Midwife…I could go on and on and on. But that will have to be a blog post of its own.
I have to agree with Katherine. The British are the master of the costume drama. I loved the dramas of the later periods too, like Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, another British drama.
6. Archaeology. After seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark as a kid, I wanted to be an archaeologist (but ended up studying cultural anthropology instead). I totally dig Time Team. And the recent discovery of Richard III’s bones in a Leicester car park? Made. My. Year.
Not too long after King Richard’s bones were found archaeologists unearthed the grave of a young couple holding hands and looking at each other. My active imagination started plotting a story before I finished the article.
5. Costumes. I spent part of my college career studying costume design for the theater. I love those flat Renaissance bodices, 1920’s dropped-waist dresses, the elegant lines of Edwardian fashions (think Mary in Downton Abbey), Marie Antoinette’s hair, Joan of Arc’s armor…
Yes, yes, I totally agree but wait! The Renaissance bodices on book covers aren’t flat! They’re very well… er… rounded, if they’re on at all.
4. Shakespeare. Richard III is my favorite history play, though old Will put a lot of fiction into his historical fiction.
I like Shakespeare’s sonnets.
3. Murder and mayhem. Why does this entice us so? The Gunpowder Plot. The execution of Anne Boleyn and all of the men accused of treason with her. The Blitz. I think it’s because in the midst of all the violence and injustice, we see who we really are and what side we’d take.
Nothing can match murder and mayhem in a costume drama like Game of Thrones.
2. Romance. Not necessarily in the Romeo and Juliet, boy-meets-girl sense, though I love that, too. But in the chivalry of King Arthur, the beauty and humanism of the Renaissance, the way Windsor Castle looks from the far end of the Great Park. Blake’s vision of romance.
The code of chivalry has defined romance for hundreds of years. It is only within the last 75 years that romance has found a new path. I, for one, prefer the romance of the past.
1. Characters. Kings and queens and commoners. Matilda, Henry V, Francis Drake, T. E. Lawrence, Emmeline Pankhurst, Oliver Cromwell, and, of course, Anne Boleyn. Fascinating people who lived in fascinating times. I love to find the story in history, and story is all about the characters.
Hear, hear! You are so right. The story is all about the characters handling situations, overcoming their fears and, in a happily ever after story, gaining their goal. History is about the real people who inspire the fiction we write.
by Molly Owen | Jun 3, 2013 | Blog, Ruth A. Casie
Stories are an important part of our society and culture. We find stories in the books we read, movies we watch, painting we study, music we listen to, even in the news of the day and the liturgy of our religion. You can see its impact on the people in every culture whether being listened to or told and even re-told. Storytellers have shaped our society and our ways of thinking. Their stories are used to entertain, teach, and pass on knowledge and wisdom. Stories define our values, desires, dreams, as well as our prejudices and hatreds.
No one knows when story telling began. All we know is that it is an ancient well respected art and played an important part is society. We can only guess what promoted the first story. Perhaps a hunter came back from the hunt and told of his heroic deeds or was it to explain why he came back from the hunt empty handed? Did a mother try to calm a child’s fears or doubts? Did a Shaman or tribal leader tell of an important event? The storyteller held an important position in these early societies. They were typically the priest, judge or ruler. People found their stories interesting and listened to them. Storytelling days were considered important.
Before man learned to write, he had to rely on his memory to learn anything. For this he had to be a good listener. With the importance of the story established, the listeners paid close attention. These stories were not only told amongst themselves but, when people traveled they shared their stories with others in faraway lands when they traveled. And when they returned home, they brought back exciting new stories of exotic places and people.
The oldest surviving story is believed to be the epic tale of Gilgamesh. This story tells of the deeds of the famous Sumerian king. The earliest known record of storytelling was found in the Egypt. Cheops’ scribes recorded the stories told by Cheops’ sons who told their father stories to entertain him.
There are all kinds of stories myths, legends, fairy tales, trickster stories, fables, ghost tales, hero stories, and epic adventures, and that over time these stories were told, and retold. Passed down from one generation to the next, these stories reflect the wisdom and knowledge of early people. Stories were often used to explain the supernatural or unexplainable, confusing events and disasters. It was common for people to believe in the stories of gods that bound them to a common heritage and belief.
Most historians and psychologists believe that storytelling is one of the many things that define and bind our humanity. Humans are perhaps the only animals that create and tell stories. Here’s video that explains it all.
http://youtu.be/SPxgz9aBFMw
by Molly Owen | May 3, 2013 | Blog, Ruth A. Casie
Burial practices differ by region, by culture, and by religious beliefs. Some Vikings were buried in their boat. Important Egyptians were buried with their possessions. Hindus cremate their dead.
Last week I read an article that brought tears to my eyes. During an excavation in a Romanian monastery’s courtyard, archaeologists found a shocking burial. They estimated the burial to date back to about 1450-1455. The surprise was the burial’s occupant. A young couple were buried holding hands. The archaeologists think that the couple was buried facing each other.
The man had a badly broken hip which they think may have caused his death but the woman had no indications of any injury and wore a brass ring. That left the team to speculate that she died of a heart attack or, what they prefer, a broken heart.
Other burial practices include:
The Zoroastrians, an ancient tribe in Iran, believe that their dead should not pollute the earth. Each town has a Tower of Silence where they put their dead to face the elements and animals. When only the bones are left, they collect them and dissolve them in lye. As a note, the Zoroastrians are believed to be the oldest religion, a precursor to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
The Australian tribes placed their dead in trees. Like the Zoroastrians, they give the dead to the weather and animals.
The Tibetan’s Sky Burial also left their dead to the weather and animals, specifically vultures. They encouraged the birds with food offerings in hopes that they birds would carry the dead off.
Prior to the plague, Europeans buried their dead in bogs. Over the years there has been much speculation about sacrifices and burial.
Sati, burning the widow, is an outlawed Hindu custom.
Italian Couple 6,000 Years Old
But the thought of loving couple buried together is something I never thought about. I thought the burial in Romania was an oddity. It seems there are others. A similar couple was found in Italy in 2007. There authorities said the remains were 6,000 years old. This couple was found with their arms and legs intertwined.
What a wonderful basis for a romance!
by Molly Owen | Apr 3, 2013 | Blog, Ruth A. Casie
I’ve been getting messages about my upcoming high school reunion. Are you scratching your head? What does my high school reunion have to do with Desi? I am proud to say I went to Erasmus Hall High School, in Brooklyn. So, who was Desiderius Erasmus and why name a school for him?
Born Gerard Gerards, October 27, 1466 in Holland. Gerards was known as Erasmus of Rotterdam, or simply Erasmus. He was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher and theologian. He was the most famous and influential humanist of the Northern Renaissance, a man of great talent and industriousness who rose from obscure beginnings to become the leading intellectual figure of the early sixteenth century. He was courted by rulers and prelates who wanted to enhance their own reputations by associating with the greatest scholar of the age. (more…)
