Happy Samhain 2019

Samhain is a druid holiday respecting the dead. It is when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest and the dead and fairies roam our world. The ancient ritual for Samhain was to light bonfires and dress in costumes to ward off the ghosts.

In today's world, Holloween was created based on this druid holiday. But for those who are still practicing druids, witches, and pagans it is time to lit your bonfires and candles, to leave and extra plate at the dinner table or food and water on your altar for the dead.

In closing, I wish you a joyous Samhain and leave you with a poem I wrote for this night.

Samhain

Light your bonfires

Strike your candles
                                  Place your water and food                                 

Pictures of the deceased,

In the light of the full moon,

In the blackness of night

As the waters still

And the trees bow

A murder swarms the skies

landing on rooftops,

The veil between worlds thin--

They await the dead,

In the moonlight
In shadows of trees
Under the wing and eyes
Of the Crow and Owl,
They come to your call
Upon this Hallow night.

@Wayne Adam

May your bonfires glow and your candles burn bright on this scared night.

Litha 2019

We've come to the gateway of Litha or Alban Hefin (Sumner Solstice) where the Holly King begins
his waxing reign into the dark of winter after defeating the Oak King who retreats into exile till the Winter Solstice.  Hence, on this celebration of "The Light of Summer," we engage in the ancient rituals of colorful and joyous festivals, women wearing wreaths of flowers and men oak leaves.

Collecting magical herbs of fern, rue, rosemary, St.Johns Wort, Mallows, foxglove, elderflowers, vervain, and yarrow are used for amulets to ward off evil and are hung in doorways for protection. Bonfires light the night sky, people dance and sing or jump through flames for good fortune, and animals are paraded around the fires to ask for protection and a good harvest.

The Solstice is associated with  Fire which symbolizes, light, transformation, and energy. Fire is the element of strength and
 protection, it leads us to the purification of  Nature and our Self.

Litha is also one of the Three Spirit Nights of the year upon which the  veil between wolds appears
thin allowing ghosts and faeries to roam among us.

This day honors the sun in all its glory, bask in its warm light and enjoy the beauty of nature on this longest day. Celebrate with song and dance, lite bonfires for good fortune and protection.

May your Litha be bright and blessed,

Wayne the Bard

Welcome the Winter Solstice 2018

The Winter Solstice comes upon us and we gather in celebrations, Alban Arthan (Celtic), Juul (Norse), Koliada (Slavic), and Yule (Germanic). Each in their own way reaching out to nature to turn the darkness to light, as we hail the return of the sun. We also share and reflect on the stories and myths of Yule, such as Nickolas, Yule goat, and the Yule log.
In Druid tradition, the Alban Arthan represents  the battle between the Oak King, or Divine Child (God of waxing Light) and the Holly King, or Dark Lord(God of waning Light), in which the Oak King wins and rules until he is defeated by the Holly King at the time of the summer solstice.

Furthermore, the cauldron of Dagda, symbolizing the promise that nature will bear fruit and care for all living beings on Earth, and Brighid, the bearer of the flame of inspiration, that penetrates the mind and soul, like the Sun that gives rebirth to the light and penetrates the darkest time of the year, reign upon the winter solstice.

Yule decorations are that of mistletoe, holly and evergreens which are displayed upon houses symbolizing that new life will return in the spring. Rituals are performed with candles to symbolize the birth of the new Sun. This is also a time of celebration, feasting, and rejoicing in the promise of a new Sun and the coming of Summer.


May the Solstice bring light to your path and your Yule be merry,

Wayne the Bard

The Patsy

Winter is upon us and there is nothing like settling down with a good book with a cup of coffee, tea, a drink and perhaps, a snack. May I suggest checking out my mystery/suspense novella--The Patsy. Available on Amazon/Kindle.

Litha 2018

We've come to the gateway of Litha or Alban Hefin (Sumner Solstice) where the Holly King begins his waxing reign into the dark of winter after defeating the Oak King who retreats into exile till the Winter Solstice.  Hence, on this celebration of "The Light of Summer," we engage in the ancient rituals of colorful and joyous festivals, women wearing wreaths of flowers and men oak leaves.

Collecting magical herbs of fern, rue, rosemary, St.Johns Wort, Mallows, foxglove, elderflowers, vervain, and yarrow are used for amulets to ward off evil and are hung in doorways for protection. Bonfires light the night sky, where people dance and sing or jump through flames for good fortune, and animals are paraded around the fires to ask for protection and a good harvest.

The Solstice is associated with  Fire which symbolizes, light, transformation, and energy. Fire is the element of strength and protection, it leads us to the purification of  Nature and our Self.

Litha is also one of the Three Spirit Nights of the year upon which the  veil between wolds appears
thin allowing ghosts and faeries to roam among us.

This day honors the sun in all its glory, bask in its warm light and enjoy the beauty of nature on this longest day. Celebrate with song and dance, lite bonfires for good fortune and protection.

May your Litha be bright and blessed,

Wayne the Bard

Renaissance 2018 Role of the Hearld

Don't miss my new article on Heralds in the latest edition of Renaissance Magazine. 
Here is an excerpt for your enjoyment:

" Throughout the Middle Ages Heralds (Heraldry) was a visual constant. From its military roots via symbols, banners, and pendants, it developed alongside Europe’s permeating medieval society. Every facet of medieval society, royalty to clergy to trades bore a herald designating rank, status, family, and profession.

            Origins and the Military

           The exact origins of Heralds are unknown, emerging around the time of the Crusades (12th century).  One of the earliest heralds was Bayeux Tapestry depicting the victory of William I, Duke of Normandy at the Battle of Hasting in 1066. Hence, its military beginnings started with symbols and colors embossed upon shields and progressed with the development of shields and armor, which were used to designate knights’ armies in battle and tournaments.

            Heraldic evolution included:

            Decorative swirling shapes on shields (C. 1066)

            First, wearing a loose-fitting surcoat worn over the hauberk with the knights own distinctive device, the first beginnings of heraldry (C. 1180)

            Increased use of plate armor for protection; smaller shield and the surcoat were reduced to a short, tight-fitting tunic called a jupon, which still displayed the knight’s coat-of-arms (C. 1360)..."

May May your days be bright and your path clear.

2018 Renaissance Love and Romance

Huzzah! Huzzah! Renaissance Magazine's edition of Love and Romance is at your local bookstore, and while your thumbing through the pages, look for my article, A Matter of Courtly Love, about the real  Ulrich von Lichtenstein (who is nothing like Keith Ledger's character in the movie, A Knights Tale).  Hence, I have included an excerpt for your enjoyment.

On the matter of courtly love, one the most obsessive affairs and excessively extravagant exploits were those of one of the middle ages most colorful characters-- Ulrich von Lichtenstein.

Born in Styria, Ulrich was a celebrated poet and jousting fanatic. Later in life, he lived a distinguished life as a lord, knight, and diplomat in his native Styria.

In 1255, Ulrich wrote his autobiography, Frauendienst-Lady’s Service. Written as a narrative poem it tells of his adventures attributed to his love for ladies;

“I’ll give my body, all my mind

and life itself to womankind
and serve them all the best I can.
And when I grow to be a man
I’ll always be their loyal thane:
though I succeed or serve in vain
I’ll not despair and never part
from them,” thus spoke my childish heart...

Whoever spoke of women’s praise
I followed, just to hear each phrase,
for it would make my heart so light
and fill me with true delight.
I heard from many a learned tongue
their excellence and honor sung;
they praised one here and praised one there,
they praised the ladies everywhere.”

May you have a blessed day,

Wayne the Bard

Hail the Winter Solstice

The winter solstice (December 21 and 22nd) is the shortest day of the year and the celebration of Alban Arthan/ Yule, which symbolize the renewal of light through the dark winter.

Alban Arthan is Welsh meaning *Light of Winter," or a poetic meaning, "Light of Arthur." It is a celebration of the return of the Divine Child, the Mabon, and the rebirth of the golden solstice Sun that will bring back the warmth, light, and life to the Earth again. This celebration is signified by the Yule log. Traditionally, logs are burned in a central fireplace, and the log must come from one's own land or be a gift, but not bought. It is ignited with a remaining piece of last year's Yule log, thus passing Light from one year to another. The log is burned slowly for 12 days in the fireplace before being extinguished and its ashes are stowed away til springtime then mixed with seeds and spread over the fields symbolizing the power of the Sun.

In Druid tradition, the Alban Arthan represents  the battle between the Oak King, or Divine Child (God of waxing Light) and the Holly King, or Dark Lord(God of waning Light), in which the Oak King wins and rules until he is defeated by the Holly King at the time of the summer solstice. Furthermore, the cauldron of Dagda, symbolizing the promise that nature will bear fruit and care for all living beings on Earth, and Brighid, the bearer of the flame of inspiration, that penetrates the mind and soul, like the Sun that gives rebirth to the light and penetrates the darkest time of the year, reign upon the winter solstice.

Yule decorations are that of mistletoe, holly and evergreens which are displayed upon houses symbolizing that new life will return in the spring. Rituals are performed with candles to symbolize the birth of the new Sun. This is also a time of celebration, feasting, and rejoicing in the promise of a new Sun and the coming of Summer.

To All Warm Blessings,

Wayne the Bard

Litha 2017

We hail to Midsummer, the Summer Solstice, also known as Litha or Alban Hefin. Where the sun reaches its zenith creating the longest day. A worship of the sun and all of its glory before the days become shorter on their journey toward the Winter Solstice.

Litha is a day of sun worship and the Sun God who's element is Fire, displayed in all its radiant colors of red, yellow, orange and gold. It's ruled by the Holly King who re-battles and slays his twin, the Oak King, and it's a time of celebrating the power of the sun and riches of the earth.

Litha should be enjoyed in the basking sun. A festival with nature and homage to life in general. No matter how you celebrate Litha, take the time to feel the power of the sun, its energy and the positive light it emits.Remember to pick your herbs today and create a bonfire or two.

Blessed Litha to All

Accolades

Every writer strives for perfection. A chance to be recognized for his/her work that they have toiled, rewritten, nit picked, edited, and sometimes stressed over.  Every writer is different in the way they handle both praise and rejection, and it doesn't make a difference whether  they are a novice or seasoned writer, so I can only speak for myself.

Recently, I submitted a short story on Hubpages, Elves-Faerys-Dwarves,Trolls,and the Thunder-Gods
I was later advised by the editorial team that my story has been elevated to one of Hubpages vertical sites, the Letter Pile, which only contains the best article, stories, etc. Of course, I was ecstatic and immediately spread the word in email and social media. I admit that I like to see my work in print (hard copy or digital) I get a feeling of accomplishment and happiness You would think after being a published writer that it would not be a big deal and I am sure for some it may not. But for me it's one of reasons that keeps me writing for with recognition come the comments of the readers which is the life blood of any writer. Knowing that you touched an emotion or reaction in somebody through your writing is in many ways beyond words.

So to those who read my story for the first time. I thank you and please comment in both the Letter Pile comment section and on this blog.

Enjoy the read.