We suffer more 

in Imagination 

than we do 

in Reality 

 Fallen leaves 

lying on the grass in the November sun 

bring more happiness 

than the daffodils

 November always seems to be 

the Norway of the year

November

 

November is the eleventh and penultimate month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars, 

the last of four months to have a length of 30 days 

and the fifth and last of five months to have a length of fewer than 31 days.

 November was the ninth month of the calendar of Romulus c. 750 BC.

 November retained its name (from the Latin novem meaning "nine") when January and February were added to the Roman calendar.

The Western zodiac signs for November are Scorpio (October 23 – November 21) and Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)

November's birthstone is the topaz (particularly, yellow) which symbolizes friendship and the citrine.

 Its birth flower is the chrysanthemum

In the Imperial period, the deity who often represents November in Roman art is Isis. The festival of Isis, which began October 28, continued through November 3. The Isia is first recorded on the menologia rustica, which date to the reign of either Caligula (36–39 AD) or Claudius (41–54).

Blodmonath was the Anglo-Saxon month of November. It means 'blood month' or 'month of sacrifice'. During the festival of Blodmonath, people made offerings to the gods by sacrificing their animals.

 

This is the month of nuts and nutty thoughts 

that November whose name sounds so bleak and cheerless 

perhaps its harvest of thought 

is worth more than all the other crops of the year

November Rain - Song by Guns N' Roses

 

When I look into your eyes
I can see a love restrained
But darlin' when I hold you
Don't you know I feel the same?

Nothin' lasts forever
And we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle
In the cold November rain

We've been through this such a long long time
Just tryin' to kill the pain, ooh yeah
Love is always coming, love is always going
No one's really sure who's lettin' go today
Walking away

If we could take the time to lay it on the line
I could rest my head just knowin' that you were mine
All mine
So if you want to love me then darlin' don't refrain
Or I'll just end up walkin' in the cold November rain

Do you need some time on your own?
Do you need some time all alone?
Ooh, everybody needs some time on their own
Ooh, don't you know you need some time all alone

I know it's hard to keep an open heart
When even friends seem out to harm you
But if you could heal a broken heart
Wouldn't time be out to charm you?
Oh, oh, oh

Sometimes I need some time on my own
Sometimes I need some time all alone
Ooh, everybody needs some time on their own
Ooh, don't you know you need some time all alone

And when your fears subside
And shadows still remain, oh yeah
I know that you can love me when there's no one left to blame
So never mind the darkness, we still can find a way
'Cause nothin' lasts forever, even cold November rain

Don't ya think that you need somebody?
Don't ya think that you need someone?
Everybody needs somebody
You're not the only one
You're not the only one

 

The thinnest yellow light of November 

is more warming and exhilarating 

than any wine they tell of 

The mite which November contributes 

becomes equal in value 

to the bounty of July

 

Peering from some high window, 

at the gold of November sunset 

and feeling that if day has to become night, 

this is a beautiful way

November

 

November

  

November

The Centaur, Sagittarius, am I, 
Born of Ixion's and the cloud's embrace; 
With sounding hoofs across the earth I fly, 
A steed Thessalian with a human face.
 
Sharp winds the arrows are with which I chase 
The leaves, half dead already with affright; 
I shroud myself in gloom; and to the race 
Of mortals bring nor comfort nor delight.
 

 

November 

The noons are more laconic 

and the sunsets sterner  

 November is chill, frosted mornings 

with a silver sun rising behind the trees,

 red cardinals at the feeders, 

and squirrels running scallops along the tops of the gray stone walls

 

In November you begin to know how long the winter will be

November is auspicious in so many parts of the country: 

the rice harvest is already in, 

the weather starts to cool, 

and the festive glow which precedes Christmas 

has began to brighten the landscape

 

 

We mourn the blossoms of May because they are to whither;

 but we know that May is one day to have its revenge upon November, by the revolution of that solemn circle which never stops 

— which teaches us in our height of hope, ever to be sober, and in our depth of desolation, never to despair

 

October is its sunset sky; 

November the later twilight

Witches of Halloween

 

Words and Pictures The Witches of Halloween

Words and Pictures The Witches of Halloween

Words and Pictures The Witches of Halloween 1

Happy Samhain

 

Samhain is observed from sunset on October 31st to sunset on November 1st. 

It is the celebration that is the origin of Halloween. 

Samhain was first observed by Celtic Pagans. 

Samhain marked the Celtic New Year, the end of summer, and the end of the harvest season

October 31 became known as All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, and contained much of the traditional pagan practices before being adopted in 19th-century America through Irish immigrants bringing their traditions across the ocean

For the Celts, who lived during the Iron Age in what is now Ireland, Scotland, the U.K. and other parts of Northern Europe, Samhain (meaning literally, in modern Irish, “summer's end”) marked the end of summer and kicked off the Celtic new year

According to the later Dindsenchas and the Annals of the Four Masters—which were written by Christian monks—Samhain in ancient Ireland was associated with a god or idol called Crom Cruach.

Samhain, also known as the origin of Halloween, was a powerful and special demon of Hell and was one of the 66 Seals. He could only rise when summoned by two powerful witches through three blood sacrifices over three days, with the last sacrifice day on the final harvest, Halloween.

If we define it as a celebration of the pre-Christianization or kind of the Mexican Day of the Dead or the Irish Samhain, the Viking did have that kind of celebration. The Vikings themselves had the celebrations called the Blóts

In addition to being a time to honor family members, friends and pets who have passed away, Samhain is the final harvest holiday and marks the end—and therefore beginning—of a new cycle on the Wheel. Most Wiccans believe in reincarnation and view death as simply another stage of life.

The name Halloween comes from a Scottish shortening of All Hallows' Eve 

In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor saints. Soon after, All Saints Day came to incorporate some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before All Saints Day was known as All Hallows Eve, and later, Halloween.

Many Christians believe that participating in Halloween is a form of involvement in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness, which is forbidden in Scripture: Ephesians 5:7-15. Don't participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord

On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future.

Samhain was known in Ireland as the “Lord of Darkness”. The Druid religion was practiced by ancient Celtic tribes that populated Ireland and parts of Europe. This religion worshipped Samhain, the Lord of Darkness. Some writings also speak of Samhain as the “Lord of the Dead”

All Hallows Eve eventually became Halloween. “Although All Saints Day is actually on November 1, the Celts began their festivals at sunset, so the holiday began on the evening before (Oct. 31)

 

Until pretty recently, doctors would slap a newborn on the back immediately after birth. It's not that they wanted to make the baby cry. They needed the baby to cry. It meant the baby could breathe on her own. Thankfully, we don't do that anymore. But we still hold our own breath until we hear that cry.  And it doesn't matter if you're the baby's doctor or mother. It's the most beautiful sound in the world. The first time, anyway. The first minute in a baby's life is the most terrifying. In that minute, a million tiny air sacks have to perfectly open and fill with air.  It's a pretty traumatizing way of entering the real world. In that minute, your whole world stops. It's as if time stands still. And if I'm being honest, that minute is pure hell. But fortunately, most of the time, crying starts, the baby's okay, and the rest of us in the room can finally breathe again.

 

You know how the tightrope guy at the circus wants everyone to believe his act is an art,

 but deep down you can see that he's really just hoping he makes it all the way across?

 Good and bad 

are but names 

very readily transferable 

to that or this

Poe

 

October 

Vassago: Ulalume

Vassago: Ulalume

November 

Vassago: Lenore

Vassago: Lenore - Edgar Allan Poe

December 

Vassago: The Raven 

Vassago: "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

Vassago: Annabel Lee

Vassago: Annabel Lee - Edgar Allan Poe

Vassago: The Tell-Tale Heart - Edgar Allan Poe

Vassago: "Ligeia" short story by Edgar Allan Poe

Vassago: The Haunted Palace

Vassago: The City In The Sea

Vassago: To One in Paradise - Poe

Vassago: The Lake

Vassago: "Morella" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe.

Vassago: "Eleonora" - short story by Edgar Allan Poe

Vassago: "Berenice" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe,

October Hunter’s Moon

 

Hunter's Moon - Monday, October 26, 2026

 The full Hunter's Moon in October 2026 peaks on Monday, October 26, 2026, at 4:12 a.m. BST

The Hunter's Moon is also a reminder of the changing seasons and the inexorable march of time. As the autumn leaves fall and winter approaches, the full moon serves as a symbol of nature's rhythm and the importance of preparation for the colder months ahead.

October's Hunter's Moon was given its name because it was at this time when tribes gathered meat for the long winter ahead. June's Strawberry moon received its name because many strawberries were commonly harvested at that month.

After the September harvest moon comes the October Hunter's moon, in the preferred month to hunt summer-fattened deer and fox unable to hide in bare fields. 

Like the harvest moon, the hunter's moon is also particularly bright and long in the sky, giving hunters the opportunity to stalk prey at night.

It gets its name from Farmer's Almanac, which states that it's hunting season when the leaves fall and the deer are fat. Hunters can clearly see the animals that have come out to glean because the harvesters have already reaped the fields. Other names for it include Blood Moon, Dying Grass Moon, and Travel Moon.

The Hunter's Moon is a potent period for magical and spiritual activities. Its significance lies in the amplified energies from the thinning veil between the physical and spiritual worlds, making it a powerful time for crafting or charging magical tools like wands, athames, or pentacles.

In European traditions, the Hunter's Moon has also been associated with hunting, feasting, and festivities. The full moon often played a role in the timing of various activities, from sowing seeds to butchering livestock. Many cultures took advantage of the bright moonlight for communal gatherings and fun

Any Moon near the horizon will appear bigger because the horizon provides more size perspective. It's called the Moon Illusion. When you look at a full moon near the horizon, it often looks more red or orange because the light rays have to travel further into the atmosphere before they get to you

Because the approach of winter signaled the possibility of going hungry in pre-Industrial times, the Hunter's Moon was generally accorded with special honor, historically serving as an important feast day in both northern Europe and among many Native American tribes.

The Hunter's Moon is also a reminder of the changing seasons and the inexorable march of time. As the autumn leaves fall and winter approaches, the full moon serves as a symbol of nature's rhythm and the importance of preparation for the colder months ahead.

The "harvest moon" (also known as the "barley moon" or "full corn moon") is the full moon nearest to the autumnal equinox (22 or 23 September), occurring anytime within two weeks before or after that date. The "hunter's moon" is the full moon following it. The names are recorded from the early 18th century.

The Hunter's Moon can sometimes appear red or orange in color, due to the way that sunlight is scattered by the Earth's atmosphere. This is especially common when the moon is low in the sky, such as during sunrise and sunset.

Some Native American tribes call the moon the "Travel Moon," or the "Dying Grass Moon." The Hunter's Moon is associated with the final harvest and was a signal to begin preparing for winter. It is an excellent time to focus your magic on psychic abilities, transformation, cleansing, protection, and banishment

This moon marked a crucial time for hunters to store up meat before winter. The Hunter's Moon also was considered a feast day for Native Americans and many Western Europeans.

in life, time limits aren't clear.

 

 It can be hard to gauge whether it's better to hurry up or take things slow. 

We don't always know how much time we have before the clock runs out on opportunity.

 Often, we can't even be sure if our time's passed.

 All we can do is cease the present.

 

The idea that the brain can convince the body that a fake treatment is the real thing is called the placebo effect. 

The brain anticipates an outcome and then communicates it to the body. 

And the body responds as if a medication were given when all that was given was a sugar pill. 

Studies have found that under the right circumstances, a placebo can have up to a 72% cure rate, making it just as effective as certain medications. 

So, the lie becomes the truth.

 It has been proven that what you believe can sometimes determine the state of your health. 

So it goes to follow that it can also sometimes determine the state of your life. 

And what you believe can change on a dime. 

What you believe is right, 

what you believe is wrong, 

what you believe you want, 

what you believe you need,

 what you believe you are capable of doing,

 what you believe is a sign, 

what you believe the sign means, 

what you believe you deserve. 

So, if you want to change your life, change your mind. 

And try not to wait too long.

 Sometimes, we have to work extremely hard to achieve focus and perspective, 

everything suddenly becomes all clear.

 You can see your path. 

You see your life. 

You see your purpose and why you are here. 

But just because you see it, 

it doesn't mean you'll live up to it.

 Throughout history, traumatic experiences have caused physiological responses long after the events themselves have passed. 

Racing heart, pupil dilation, nightmares, panic attacks. 

Mesopotamian soldiers depicted these symptoms on cuneiform tablets over 3,000 years ago.

 Yet, post-traumatic stress disorder wasn't introduced as a diagnosable mental health condition until 1980. 

It's a lesson we learn - just because we don't have the words, doesn't mean the symptoms aren't real. 

Traumatic events are turning points. There's a before and an after. 

Sometimes, it's hard to remember who you were before. And it's even harder to figure out who you are after. 

But if you look for your people and hold them close, you will find your way again.

 For decades, if we wanted to see inside the brain, we had to inject air into the patient's spinal column. 

It was painful. It was described as torture. 

Then in 1971, a British engineer changed everything when he performed the first CT scan.

 And for the first time, we could see what was happening inside the brain. 

It was painless, convenient, and an absolute game-changer. 

But just because we could now see inside a person's brain, doesn't mean we know what it's thinking. 

 

When you encounter a new beginning, there's no announcement on a loudspeaker. 

Blink and you could miss it. 

Or worse, ignore it. 

New beginnings can be scary.

 But they can also be deeply fulfilling. 

So let go, and dive in.

 

 On average, 

 per minute, a 60-second period, 

our hearts beat 70 times 

we blink between 10 and 15 times, 

swallow once, 

and take up to 20 breaths. 

 Battle. Fight. Win. Lose. 

These are the words we use 

We use militarized language that implies it's a fair fight. 

But when it comes to life and death, what does winning really look like? 

Is a person a loser for dying when the outcome isn't really in their control? 

There’s just as much value in trying again as there is in letting go.

 Letting go of suffering, regret, pain, fear. 

Instead of saying someone we love is battling, beating, fighting, winning or losing, why don't we just tell the truth? 

We get sick. We take our medicine. 

Some of us live, some die.

 On average, our hearts beat 70 times per minute. 

In the same 60-second period, we blink between 10 and 15 times, swallow once, and take up to 20 breaths. 

Our hearts beat. Our lungs breathe. Our bodies keep us alive. 

And most of us barely notice. We just take it all for granted. 

So much of the world operates without us ever thinking about it. We expect it to work out in our favor. And most of the time it does. We worry about the future and think about the past. 

And we so often miss what's right in front of us. 

We take what's good and easy and working for granted. Until it's no longer good and easy and working for us. 

It's normal, but we can do better because there are tiny, beautiful gifts we're given every day.

 And it's up to us to appreciate them to the fullest while we can.