ALmost done

All I really need to add is something about the growing resentment and independence in the split pack.

From today's work:
The town council walked down the courthouse stairs to meet the leader of the wildpack, Barbarossa, he remembered from other settlements. It was Barbarossa's territory here, everything in the Salina-Wichita-Topeka triangle. He'd seen the pack a few times, and never failed to be intrigued. Dylan knew the wildpacks were mostly gay and bisexual men, thrown out of settlements or unable to adjust to honest work. He looked at the sidewalk, well aware he was not keeping his eyes to himself and being very good. He wanted to be among men who wouldn't hate him for being himself. But he couldn't live like that. He couldn't even ride a motorcyle. Still, he looked back at Barbarossa, storing up fantasy fodder for the night when it would be just him in the dark.

Barbarossa was ridiculously tall, at least six-four or five, towering over everyone. The thick-soled boots added another couple inches, making him about the size of Darth Vader. If he'd been muscular, he would have loomed and intimidated. Instead, he was thin and lethal looking. A mask of black and gold leather spirals hugged his face, covering it. The mask made Dylan want to touch it, to see what lay under it. Even if the guy looked like the Phantom of the Opera, he'd still be hot, just from his sheer presence.

He walked like he owned the square, like the whole town was his. He seemed to give the leaders their proper respect, but when he turned to his men, he was in charge once more.

Yuletide Youtube

Yuletide Youtube

Pic of the day: Solstice sunrise at Stonehenge


Yule sachets:

Bay
Cloves
Juniper berries
Orange peel, grated
Orris root
Peppermint
Pine
Rosemary
Squares of your favorite holiday fabric
Colorful ribbon
Cinnamon sticks
Small bells

Mix the herbs together in a bowl. Blend varying proportions of each until you've got the scent you want -- here's a hint: start small!

Use a spoon to place the blended herbs into the center of a square of fabric. Pull the corners up and tie with the ribbon. Tie a cinnamon stick and a couple of bells in place as well. Use a second piece of ribbon to create a loop so you can hang the sachet if you like.

Timesaver tip: you can buy small tulle bags in holiday colors and spoon the herb blend into them. Pull the drawstring closed and tie shut, then hang up on your tree, or give them to a friend.

Gladig Jul!

The days grow shorter as the Sun stays abed later and retires earlier every day. The dark Holly King sends cold blasts from the north, reveling in the darkness of Mother Night. And we shiver and count our pennies, and assess our stores to last through until summer, when there is food again.

In the midst of this comes Yule. On the Winter Solstice, the night is the longest it will be, and the day is less than eight hours long. But on this night, Mother gives birth to the new Sun, who will grow in strength and power and warm us once again. Many pagans will watch, all the long night through, to see the sun rise on the Solstice.

In technical terms, the Solstice occurs when the Sun reaches its southernmost declension of 23.5 degrees. That means the Earth’s axis is tilted exactly 23.5 degrees away from the Sun. He roams in the Tropic of Capricorn and leaves those of us up north to shiver. This year, it happens at 11:12(GMT) on December 21, which is 06:12 in New York City.

Yule is one of the eight great Sabbats on the pagan Wheel of the Year. Sabbats occur on the Solstices, the Equinoxes and on four Cross-Quarter days in-between. Some traditions believe the year ends on Samhain (Nov 1) and the new one does not begin until Yule. Many traditions celebrate it, usually in the same ways, with somewhat different myths attached to it.

Hellenic Reconstructionists often celebrate the Roman Saturnalia, or Sol Invictus. The former honors Saturn, the latter is the birth of the Unconquerable Sun. This was a time of feasting and revelry, with gifts given and a special market, along with conventional temple sacrifices and rituals. One of the features that is unique to this celebration is the role-reversal, where slaves would be allowed to gamble, to eat with and celebrate with their masters. This later found its way into the Feast of Fools/Lord of Misrule customs.

Yule itself comes from the Norse and Germanic peoples. Many of the customs associated with this time of year are from here. The feasting was a way to celebrate the returning light. The trees were decorated with tokens to ensure a good harvest, and in some towns they still go out and wake the orchards on Yule. As it became unsafe to do this openly, the decorated trees moved inside. Ornaments became cookies in place of cider soaked bread, or strings of berries instead of little boats holding bits of holy day meals. Evergreens symbolized hope of returning spring, and their boughs were also used in wreathes. Many would weave these on modranect, Mother’s Night, which corresponds to Christmas Eve. They would be made and imbued with wishes and blessings and protection for the families. Mother’s Night was marked into the 19th century, with the mother or grandmother of the house watching the night through and committing the children to the protection of Mother Mary. The Yule log, burned for the twelve nights of the holiday, is also from these parts, where it would be decorated with holly and inscribed with protective runes.

Celts celebrated Mean Geimredh, Mid-Winter. They welcome the rebirth of the Sun on this day when the Year-Wheel stops turning for an instant. It is a time of reflection, of looking backward at the year past, and forward to the new year. The Oak and Holly Kings, nature gods who fight for dominance at the Solstices may be honored as well. The Oak King wins the fight at Yule, and reigns for six months, causing the days to grow longer and the plants to grow. Their rituals are heavily influenced by Norse and Germanic rituals, from the many invasions, but from them, we get the Holly and Mistletoe. This was the time of year when Druid priests harvested it, to be used in medicine and ritual and fertility rites all year long. Holly was used to decorate doors and windows and keep out the evil spirits thought to walk abroad more during the cold winter nights.

So feast and light candles against the darkness. Welcome the returning light and take hope from the green that soon, all will be green again.

This is a repost from Reviews by Jessewave, originally published in 2010. Solstice times have been adjusted.

It's the Big Yule give away!

Happy Yule, one and all. You've sat through the sermon. Now it's time for presents!

Here's how we do this.

1) Comments are screened. This means your information will be seen by no-one but me.

2) Go to my website: http://www.brooksandsparrow.com and pick out a book you want
Zombiality, Dragons Composed, Dreams of Steam 1 & 2, and Clockwork Spells are not available in ebook.

3) Leave a comment HERE with the title and your email. I need both or I can't send your ebook. Again, comments are screened. Only I see this information.

4) Enjoy!

(optional) 5) leave a rating and/or review at Amazon.com or Goodreads to boost the book a little.

My tweets

• Thu, 14:51: Yuletide Youtube… http://t.co/MwFYuFRn
• Thu, 15:32: One freebie and two reminders… http://t.co/YCXwbfUr
• Thu, 16:50: I wrote 533 words in 16 minutes with Write or Die! http://t.co/ExMVnTSF
• Fri, 04:08: ALmost done… http://t.co/5sA4lOLD
• Fri, 08:23: Yuletide Youtube… http://t.co/HNuyqK9L
• Fri, 08:28: Gladig Jul!… http://t.co/I0X2Vlsz
• Fri, 08:33: It's the Big Yule give away!… http://t.co/zITWJn6K
• Fri, 08:48: Tis the Season for giving! And you can get one of my ebooks free. Today only. Any book you want. from short... http://t.co/zJO5iBxN

Free Steampunk!

For those of you disappointed that I only have paperback copies of Dreams of Steam 2, here's your shot to get a free copy of it for the Kindle. HURRY!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KSS310/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk

Just a reminder

The Big Yule Give-Away runs through tomorrow. It closes on the morning of Dec 23.
http://valarltd.livejournal.com/1705172.html

Books will be sent out when I am alert.