November

Blutmonath                                                                   nEwember

November is the eleventh month of the year. The month kept its original name from the Latin novem meaning “nine” which marked it the ninth month of the year in the Roman calendar. November was named during a time when the calendar year began with March, which is why its name no longer corresponds with its placement in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. November’s birth flower is the mums. The birthstone is the topaz and the citrine which symbolizes friendship. The zodiac signs are Scorpio (until November 21) and Sagittarius (November 22 onwards).

It is the Blood month, a slaughtering time. We honor our Gods and Goddesses of the hunt (it is deer hunting season in many parts of the country). We thank them for a successful hunting season with a blot and also honor those who hunt to support the family. This is a great time for telling tales handed down through the family.

Isaz is the name of the i-rune i, meaning ice, lack of motion, blockage.  Ice can provide a helpful bridge over dark water, or be a dangerous and treacherous trap.  Moon d, freedom and passion.  Not a true Ancient Norse Rune but one I use for practice from other runic alphabets.  Its prominence in the sky and its regular cycle of phases have, since ancient times, made the Moon an important cultural influence on language, calendars, art and mythology.  Algiz is the name conventionally given to the z or x-rune x for elk, protection.  This rune often also represents peace and interestingly, today’s 'Peace sign' is the Algiz rune, encircled.  

The Eleventh Hall is about your friendships and relationship with groups of people. This time also rules organizations, friends, alliances, fraternities, memberships, money from employer, finances of employer, stock exchanges. It is also about your hopes, wishes and dreams. Other keywords include: friends and social acquaintances, groups and organizations and their activities, the New Group of World Servers.

1 Hela's Day

Food, drink, and music given to the Dead.  She has a chapter in my new book, "Your Divine Friends", in Lulu Publishing.  Hela was the Germanic Goddess of the two underworlds: Helheim and Niflheim.  Hela welcomes all those who do not die gloriously in battle but of accidents, sickness or of old age, and are hence unworthy of the higher abodes of the Gods.  Hela's realm in itself isn't bad, with older sources make it rather pleasant, and indeed a close reflection of the idealized God-house seen in descriptions of Valhalla.  Autumn and Winter are her seasons.

She is often a misunderstood Goddess as many Goddesses of the Underworld are. Hela was not some form of death deity, who had specifically been created to rule over the Land of the Dead, nor did she gain her decaying appearance when she became the ruler of that realm.  She had simply been born with the bones on the left side of her body exposed.  It had not been created purposely, nor had it been done out of contempt, or as a means of punishment.  It simply happened.  When Odin brought Hela to Asgard, its inhabitants found themselves extremely uncomfortable because of her appearance.  They were weak when they should have been strong, and they were extremely insensitive to Hela’s feelings; so much so, that they made her feel alone and ostracized.

It was for that reason that Odin gave her Helheim, to be her own and for her to rule over.  By Odin giving her Helheim, Hela finally found a place where she could feel comfortable, just being herself; a place where no one would see her as anything other then what she truly was. 

                              To Hela of Death,

                              may I honor the beloved

                              ancestors and go

                              peacefully to join them.

3 Wane Moon

This is a time to break bad habits or bad addictions, to end bad relationships. House cleanse using sage smudge stick or clear home energy using Moon water.

                              Moon of finest silver wane,

                              take with you bad luck and bane,

                              remove me from sadness and pain.

                              As you fade into the night,

                              bring new hope back in sight.

11 New Moon m

This is a time of new beginnings and new undertakings. At this new Moon, plant a seed for the universe to tend.  Set your vision upon the stars.

                              Hail Dark Lord of the Crossroads,

                              of wisdom hard-won,

                              grant me Thy blessing, purify my heart,

                              and teach me the truth of my soul;

                              show me that death is but the gateway to life.

                              Blessed Be.

11 Veterans Day

In the USA, Veterans Day annually falls on November 11. This day is the anniversary of the signing of the armistice, which ended the World War I hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany in 1918. Veterans are thanked for their services to the United States on Veterans Day.

Veterans Day is intended to honor and thank all military personnel who served the United States in all wars, particularly living veterans. It is marked by parades and church services and in many places the American flag is hung at half mast. A period of silence lasting two minutes may be held at 11am. Some schools are closed on Veterans Day, while others do not close, but choose to mark the occasion with special assemblies or other activities.

The holiday is often celebrated by having a ravioli meal.  This tradition dates back to the ending days of World War I when President Woodrow Wilson, aware that the returning soldiers would be longing for home cooked meals, invited 2,000 soldiers to the White House and helped his staff chefs cook them ravioli, which had just become a mainstay in mainstream American kitchens due to commercial canning. In his Armistice Day address to Congress, Wilson was sensitive to the psychological toll of the lean War years: "Hunger," he remarked, "breeds madness."

13 Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th is believed to be a day of bad luck. Some people believe that the number 13 and black cats, which are associated with Friday 13, are symbols of femininity. Friday the 13th has been commercialized by Hollywood movies such as American cult horror film “Friday the 13th” and its sequels. An image of a hockey mask is often associated with the film.

15 America Recycles

America Recycles Day is observed on November 15, 2015. America Recycles Day (ARD) is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and buy recycled products. Thousands of events are held across the U.S. to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and to encourage Americans to sign personal pledges to recycle and buy products made from recycled materials.

29 Wax Moon G

Each phase of the Moon brings with it a special energy for that cycle.  Understanding these energies help you to connect with and use those energies in rituals, meditations and your daily life.

                              Ancient wise one, wayfarer of the night.

                              Take all that has to end, all that

                              must disappear and die with you,

                              into the darkness.  I welcome your

                              peace, I welcome the stillness.

                              As you disappear into the dawn, so

                              I choose to go within.

                              Blessed be.

20 Elli's Day

In Norse mythology, Elli is a personification of old age who, in the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning, defeats God Thor in a wrestling match.  She is the embodiment of the crone and the wisdom and strength of the elderly.  She has a chapter in my new book, "Your Divine Friends", in Lulu Publishing.   

This serves as a valuable lesson not to underestimate old people.  We often think of the elderly as unfit, forgetful and out of touch with modern times, but they have a wealth of knowledge and can often give good advice.  They are also not necessarily as helpless as we imagine.  There is a good story online of this point.  It was about a shoplifter who had been apprehended.  The manager shouted "Stop! Thief!", as the criminal ran to the door with something he had stolen.  The shoplifter tried to barge past an old lady without thinking.  But it turned out the pensioner had a belt in Judo.  She grabbed the thief's arm, twisted it and in an instant he was on the floor.

                              Thou wilt support us, both when little and even to gray hairs. 

                              When our strength is of Thee, it is strength; but, when our own, it

                              is feebleness.  We return unto Thee that from their weariness our

                              soul may rise towards Thee, leaning on the thing which Thou has

                              created, and passing on to Thyself, who hast wonderfully made

                              them; for with Thee is refreshment and true strength.

23 Weyland Smith Day

Today honors the great craftsman as well as those artists and artisans around us. Wayland the Smith, Wayland also spelled Weland, in Scandinavian, German, and Anglo-Saxon legend, a smith of outstanding skill. He was, according to some legends, a lord of the elves. His story is told in the Völundarkvida, one of the poems in the 13th-century Icelandic Elder, or Poetic Edda, and, with variations, in the mid-13th-century Icelandic prose Thidriks saga.

25 Full Snow Moon M

The rise of the Snow Moon signals the wane of warmth and sunlight, and heralds the coming of the dark months of the year.  Mother Earth yawns and stretches.  She's tired from all the planting, growing and harvesting, and prepares to take a long and well-deserved nap.  As she settles in, all of nature follows suit. Snow covers her with flakes, providing an blanket that keeps her snug in her bed and shields her from the harsh cold of winter. Snow lessens the loss of water by dormant plants. Plan a ritual to ask the old ones for help in planning your future.  Think about what you wish to achieve.

                              From a distance

                              clothed in soft white light,

                              he graces the sky,

                              he rules my night,

                              my heart unlocked.

                              He holds the key

                              together bound eternally,

                              he pulls profound tides,

                              it inspires the ebb and flow

                              of my desires, my life and

                              the sea he does cares:

                              with hope, with love.

                              So may it be.

26 Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks to God, friends and family.  Currently, in Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October and in the United States, it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

Erntedankfest ("harvest festival of thanks") is the German equivalent of Thanksgiving. It is primarily a religious holiday held during the first Sunday in October, but its celebration coincides with the closing day of Oktoberfest, the world-famous Bavarian beer festival.  

No matter when you give thanks, take time in Autumn to do it.  Honor the Divines.  Take the opportunity to recharge your spiritual batteries.  Align yourself with the Earth's shifting energies.  Say 'Thank You'.