January Newsletter 2009

[wicked_faery]

January

"Every doorway has two sides, this way and that,

One facing the crowds, and the other the Lares:

And like your doorkeeper seated at the threshold,

Who watches who goes and out and who goes in,

So I the doorkeeper of the heavenly court,

Look towards both east and west at once.

You see Hecate’s faces turned in three directions,

To guard the crossroads branching several ways:

And I, lest I lose time twisting my neck around,

Am free to look both ways without moving.’

So he spoke, and promised by a look,

That he’d not begrudge it if I asked for more.

I gained courage and thanked the god fearlessly,

And spoke these few words, gazing at the ground:

‘Tell me why the new-year begins with cold,

When it would be better started in the spring?

Then all’s in flower, then time renews its youth,

And the new buds swell on the fertile vines:

The trees are covered in newly formed leaves,

And grass springs from the surface of the soil:

Birds delight the warm air with their melodies,

And the herds frisk and gambol in the fields.

Then the sun’s sweet, and brings the swallow, unseen,

To build her clay nest under the highest roof beam.

Then the land’s cultivated, renewed by the plough.

That time rightly should have been called New Year.’

I said all this, questioning: he answered briefly

And swiftly, casting his words in twin verses:

‘Midwinter’s the first of the new sun, last of the old:

Phoebus and the year have the same inception.’

Then I asked why the first day wasn’t free

Of litigation. ‘Know the cause,’ said Janus,

‘I assigned the nascent time to business affairs,

Lest by its omen the whole year should be idle.

For that reason everyone merely toys with their skills,

And does no more than give witness to their work.’"

-Ovid, Fasti

 

[wicked_faery]

History of a Name

January is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. It is, on average, the coolest month of the year within most of the Northern Hemisphere and the warmest month of the year within most of the Southern Hemisphere, characterizing the onset of the Winter and Summer in both hemispheres respectively.

January is named for Janus, the god of the doorway; the name has its beginnings in Roman mythology, coming from the Latin word for door. January in Roman thinking was the closing of one door that leads to the opening of a new door. That is why in some cultures on New years at midnight people will open all the doors to their house and close then shortly afterwards. this is to let the old year out and the new one in.  

[wicked_faery]

Holidays & Events

New Year's Day – January 1
Handsel Monday in Scotland and northern England – First Monday
Coptic Christmas – January 7
Goddesses of Midwivdry- Another day that honors Hecate
Plough Sunday in Scotland and northern England – Sunday after January 6
Coming-of-Age Day (成人の日 Seijin no hi) in Japan – Second Monday
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the United States – Third Monday
Australia Day in Australia – January 26
Republic Day in India – January 26
Makara Sankranthi (Festival of Harvest) in India – January 15
Auckland Anniversary in Auckland, New Zealand – Monday closest to January 29
January 31st Feast of Hecate  

[wicked_faery]

Symbols

January's birthstone is the garnet.

Its birth flower is the carnation or snowdrop.

The Chinese floral emblem of January is the plum blossom.

The Japanese floral emblem of January is the camellia.

 

[wicked_faery]

New Years Day

"Happy New Year!" That greeting will be said and heard for at least the first couple of weeks as a new year gets under way. But the day celebrated as New Year's Day in modern America was not always January 1.

ANCIENT NEW YEARS
The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring).

The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.

The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.

The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.

In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.

THE CHURCH'S VIEW OF NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS
Although in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the new year, the early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the early church began having its own religious observances concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Year's Day was no different. New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision by some denominations.

During the Middle Ages, the Church remained opposed to celebrating New Years. January 1 has been celebrated as a holiday by Western nations for only about the past 400 years.

NEW YEAR TRADITIONS
Other traditions of the season include the making of New Year's resolutions. That tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians. Popular modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking. The early Babylonian's most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.

The Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to 1886. In that year, members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers. It celebrated the ripening of the orange crop in California.

Although the Rose Bowl football game was first played as a part of the Tournament of Roses in 1902, it was replaced by Roman chariot races the following year. In 1916, the football game returned as the sports centerpiece of the festival.

The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth.

Although the early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the Church to reevaluate its position. The Church finally allowed its members to celebrate the new year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus.

The use of an image of a baby with a New Years banner as a symbolic representation of the new year was brought to early America by the Germans. They had used the effigy since the fourteenth century.

FOR LUCK IN THE NEW YEAR
Traditionally, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night after the ringing in of a new year. It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to be a tall dark-haired man.

Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune.

Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.  

[wicked_faery]

Chinese New Year & Zodiac

Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the Lunar New Year, especially by people outside China. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year's Eve is known as "Year-pass Eve".

Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction.

The Chinese Zodiac is a 12 year cycle. Each year of the 12 year cycle is named after one of the original 12 animals. Each animal has a different personality and different characteristics. The animal is believed to be the main factor in each person's life that gives them their traits, success, and happiness in their lifetime.

The Chinese zodiac refers to a pure calendrical cycle; there are no equivalent constellations like those of the occidental zodiac. In imperial times there were astrologers who watched the sky for heavenly omens that would predict the future of the state, but this was a quite different practice of divination from the popular present-day methods.

Years, Animals, and the Five Elements

The Rat portrayed in the Zodiac Fountain in AlmatyPersons born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "year of the Rat," while also bearing the following elemental sign:

31 January 1900 – 18 February 1901: Metal Rat
18 February 1912 – 5 February 1913: Water Rat
5 February 1924 – 24 January 1925: Wood Rat
24 January 1936 – 10 February 1937: Fire Rat
10 February 1948 – 28 January 1949: Earth Rat
28 January 1960 – 14 February 1961: Metal Rat
15 February 1972 – 2 February 1973: Water Rat
2 February 1984 – 19 February 1985: Wood Rat
19 February 1996 – 6 February 1997: Fire Rat
7 February 2008 – 25 January 2009: Earth Rat
2020 – 2021: Metal Rat

People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "year of the Ox," while also bearing the following elemental sign:

19 February 1901 - 7 February 1902: Metal Ox
6 February 1913 - 25 January 1914: Water Ox
25 January 1925 - 12 February 1926: Wood Ox
11 February 1937 - 30 January 1938: Fire Ox
29 January 1949 - 16 February 1950: Earth Ox
15 February 1961 - 4 February 1962: Metal Ox
3 February 1973 - 22 January 1974: Water Ox
20 February 1985 - 8 February 1986: Wood Ox
7 February 1997 - 28 January 1998: Fire Ox
26 January 2009 - 14 February 2010: Earth Ox
2021 - 2022: Metal Ox
2033 - 2034: Water Ox

People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "Year Of The Tiger," while also bearing the following elemental sign:

8 February 1902 - 28 January 1903: Water Tiger
26 January 1914 - 13 February 1915: Wood Tiger
13 February 1926 - 1 February 1927: Fire Tiger
31 January 1938 - 18 February 1939: Earth Tiger
17 February 1950 - 5 February 1951: Metal Tiger
5 February 1962 - 24 January 1963: Water Tiger
23 January 1974 - 10 February 1975: Wood Tiger
9 February 1986 - 28 January 1987: Fire Tiger
28 January 1998 - 15 February 1999: Earth Tiger
15 February 2010 - 3 February 2011: Metal Tiger

Persons born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "year of the Rabbit," while also bearing the following elemental sign:

29 January 1903 - 15 February 1904: Water Rabbit
14 February 1915 - 2 February 1916: Wood Rabbit
2 February 1927 - 22 January 1928: Fire Rabbit
19 February 1939 - 7 February 1940: Earth Rabbit
6 February 1951 - 26 January 1952: Metal Rabbit
25 January 1963 - 12 February 1964: Water Rabbit
11 February 1975 - 30 January 1976: Wood Rabbit
29 January 1987 - 16 February 1988: Fire Rabbit
16 February 1999 - 4 February 2000: Earth Rabbit
3 February 2011 - 22 January 2012: Metal Rabbit
2023 - 2024: Water Rabbit
2035 - 2036: Wood Rabbit
2047 - 2048: Fire Rabbit

Persons born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "year of the Dragon," while also bearing the following elemental sign:

16 February 1904 - 3 February 1905: Wood Dragon
3 February 1916 - 22 January 1917: Fire Dragon
23 January 1928 - 9 February 1929: Earth Dragon
8 February 1940 - 26 January 1941: Metal Dragon
27 January 1952 - 13 February 1953: Water Dragon
13 February 1964 - 1 February 1965: Wood Dragon
31 January 1976 - 17 February 1977: Fire Dragon
17 February 1988 - 5 February 1989: Earth Dragon
5 February 2000 - 23 January 2001: Metal Dragon
2012 - 2013: Water Dragon
2024 - 2025: Wood Dragon

Persons born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "year of the Snake," while also bearing the following elemental sign:

4 February 1905 - 24 January 1906: Wood Snake
23 January 1917 - 10 February 1918: Fire Snake
10 February 1929 - 29 January 1930: Earth Snake
27 January 1941 - 14 February 1942: Metal Snake
14 February 1953 - 2 February 1954: Water Snake
2 February 1965 - 20 January 1966: Wood Snake
18 February 1977 - 6 February 1978: Fire Snake
6 February 1989 - 26 January 1990: Earth Snake
24 January 2001 - 11 February 2002: Metal Snake
10 February 2013 - 30 January 2014: Water Snake
2025 - 2026: Wood Snake
2037 - 2038: Fire Snake

Persons born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "year of the Horse," while also bearing the following elemental sign:

25 January 1906 - 12 February 1907: Fire Horse
11 February 1918 - 31 January 1919: Earth Horse
30 January 1930 - 16 February 1931: Metal Horse
15 February 1942 - 4 February 1943: Water Horse
3 February 1954 - 16 February 1955: Wood Horse
21 January 1966 - 8 February 1967: Fire Horse
7 February 1978 - 27 January 1979: Earth Horse
27 January 1990 - 14 February 1991: Metal Horse
12 February 2002 - 31 January 2003: Water Horse
2014 - 2015: Wood Horse
2026 - 2027: Fire Horse

Persons born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "year of the Ram", characteristics of the Ram are tempered by one of the five Chinese elements overlaying a 5-year cycle of characteristics on the original 12-year cycle.

13 February 1907 - 1 February 1908: Fire Sheep
1 February 1919 - 19 February 1920: Earth Sheep
17 February 1931 - 5 February 1932: Metal Sheep
5 February 1943 - 24 January 1944: Water Sheep
24 January 1955 - 11 February 1956: Wood Sheep
9 February 1967 - 29 January 1968: Fire Sheep
28 January 1979 - 15 February 1980: Earth Sheep
15 February 1991 - 3 February 1992: Metal Sheep
1 February 2003 - 21 January 2004: Water Sheep
2015 - 2016: Wood Sheep
2027 - 2028: Fire Sheep

Persons born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the Year of the Monkey, while also bearing the following elemental sign:

2 February 1908 - 21 January 1909: Earth Monkey
20 February 1920 - 7 February 1921: Metal Monkey
6 February 1932 - 25 January 1933: Water Monkey
25 January 1944 - 12 February 1945: Wood Monkey
12 February 1956 - 30 January 1957: Fire Monkey
30 January 1968 - 16 February 1969: Earth Monkey
16 February 1980 - 4 February 1981: Metal Monkey
4 February 1992 - 22 January 1993: Water Monkey
22 January 2004 - 8 February 2005: Wood Monkey
2016 - 2017: Fire Monkey
2028 - 2029: Earth Monkey

Persons born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "year of the Rooster," while also bearing the following elemental sign:

22 January 1909 - 9 February 1910: Earth Rooster
8 February 1921 - 27 January 1922: Metal Rooster
26 January 1933 - 13 February 1934: Water Rooster
13 February 1945 - 1 February 1946: Wood Rooster
31 January 1957 - 17 February 1958: Fire Rooster
17 February 1969 - 5 February 1970: Earth Rooster
5 February 1981 - 24 January 1982: Metal Rooster
23 January 1993 - 5 January 1994: Water Rooster
9 February 2005 - 28 January 2006: Wood Rooster
2017 - 2018: Fire Rooster
2029 - 2030: Earth Rooster

Persons born within these date ranges for the zodiacal Dog bear the following elemental sign:

10 February 1910 - 29 January 1911: Metal Dog
28 January 1922 - 15 February 1923: Water Dog
14 February 1934 - 2 February 1935: Wood Dog
2 February 1946 - 21 January 1947: Fire Dog
17 February 1958 - 7 February 1959: Earth Dog
6 February 1970 - 26 January 1971: Metal Dog
25 January 1982 - 12 February 1983: Water Dog
6 January 1994 - 30 January 1995: Wood Dog
29 January 2006 - 17 February 2007: Fire Dog
2018 - 2019: Earth Dog
2030 - 2031: Metal Dog

Persons born within these date ranges, of the lunar calendar, can be said to have been born in the "year of the Pig," while also bearing the following elemental sign:

30 January 1911 - 17 February 1912: Metal Pig
16 February 1923 - 4 February 1924: Water Pig
4 February 1935 - 23 January 1936: Wood Pig
22 January 1947 - 9 February 1948: Fire Pig
8 February 1959 - 27 January 1960: Earth Pig
27 January 1971 - 14 February 1972: Metal Pig
13 February 1983 - 1 February 1984: Water Pig
31 January 1995 - 18 February 1996: Wood Pig
18 February 2007 - 6 February 2008: Fire Pig
5 February 2019 - 24 January 2020: Earth Pig
2031 - 2032: Metal Pig
2043 - 2044: Water Pig  

[Neamhain Riona]

Recipe of the month

Pork and Saurkraut

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 (4 pound) pork loin roast
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups sauerkraut with liquid

DIRECTIONS
Cut pork loin, if necessary, to fit in the slow cooker. Season with caraway seeds, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauerkraut over the roast.
Cook on High for 1 hour, then cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours. Internal temperature of the roast should be at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).


It is said that pork and saurkraut is lucky to eat on new years day.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Owners Notes

I am changing the name of the guild come january 1st. I am also getting rid of some members that have been with us for long, but say they don't have time to post ( but they are on aim 24/7.)

Please after the new year, I will be asking you to find good interested and posting members. We need a few more to bring our post count up and to keep this guild moving.

I have and will be updating more of the forums. So please check them out in the next week. If you have anything to add. Please do so. POST POST POST POST! I have never told any of you not to post your own topics. So get off your asses and post!