Sunday, 1 November 2026

 

“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.”


“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.”


“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.”


November. The noons are more laconic and the sunsets sterner  

November always seems to be the Norway of the year.


“Fallen leaves lying on the grass in the November sun bring more happiness than the daffodils.”


“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.”



“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.”



“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.”




 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 eyesI can see a love restrainedBut darlin' when I hold youDon't you know I feel the same?
Nothin' lasts foreverAnd we both know hearts can changeAnd it's hard to hold a candleIn the cold November rain
We've been through this such a long long timeJust tryin' to kill the pain, ooh yeahLove is always coming, love is always goingNo one's really sure who's lettin' go todayWalking away
If we could take the time to lay it on the lineI could rest my head just knowin' that you were mineAll mineSo if you want to love me then darlin' don't refrainOr 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 ownOoh, don't you know you need some time all alone
I know it's hard to keep an open heartWhen even friends seem out to harm youBut if you could heal a broken heartWouldn't time be out to charm you?Oh, oh, oh
Sometimes I need some time on my ownSometimes I need some time all aloneOoh, everybody needs some time on their ownOoh, don't you know you need some time all alone
And when your fears subsideAnd shadows still remain, oh yeahI know that you can love me when there's no one left to blameSo 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 somebodyYou're not the only oneYou'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.

say November say

 

“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.”


“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.”


“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.”


November. The noons are more laconic and the sunsets sterner  

November always seems to be the Norway of the year.


“Fallen leaves lying on the grass in the November sun bring more happiness than the daffodils.”


“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.”



“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.”



“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 

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




Saturday, 31 October 2026

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)






Friday, 30 October 2026

 

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.


Thursday, 29 October 2026

 

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?


Wednesday, 28 October 2026

 Good and bad 

are but names 

very readily transferable 

to that or this



Monday, 26 October 2026

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.

Sunday, 25 October 2026

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.





Saturday, 24 October 2026

 

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.