The Witch’s Broom
Recently, my great niece asked me why witches fly on brooms. Since I didn’t know the answer, I did my usual thing that included a deep dive into the folklore behind the witch’s broom. And this is what I found: Not much.
A Halloween of Dislodged Souls
Halloween is a “liminal time” when ghouls and ghosts roam the earth. But one of the scariest monsters appears in the sky, in the form of a murder of crows…also known as the Sluagh na marbh.
A Ghostly Tale for Halloween
The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving, is still one of my favorite all-time ghost stories. It’s perfect for Halloween!
A Brief History of Mardi Gras
Today is Mardi Gras – one of the more unusual and fun winter holidays that comes with its own cake. 🙂
A Cailleach for Halloween
Happy Halloween! And here’s a tale about Celtic witches that’s sure to help you get in the scary, candy-eating mood.
Longfellow’s Haunted Houses
It’s almost Halloween so it’s time for a spooky poem. And one of my favorites is Haunted Houses by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
It’s that time of year again! It’s time for some of my favorite books with “fall feels”, including The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
Blackberries Rule the Day… Until They Crumble.
September is flying by much faster than I’d prefer. But that also means it’s time to prepare for Michaelmas by collecting the last of the blackberries.
The Tears of St. Lawrence
Tonight is the last night of the Perseid Meteor shower and the spectacular cosmic display often called the Tears of St. Lawrence.
Photo courtesy of © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro
A Feast for Music
November isn’t just a month to give thanks for our blessings, it’s also offers us a day set aside to celebrate Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music and musicians. Saint Cecilia, a Roman noblewoman who lived in Rome during the 3rd century, was one of the earliest Christian martyrs.
A Letter of Thanksgiving
Edward Winslow was not the most popular of the Mayflower’s passengers. In fact, his life in the Plymouth Colony ended because the rest of the passengers betrayed him. He wasn’t a politician, he wasn’t rich, and he had no ulterior motives when in the summer of 1620 he decided to head to the New World.
A Time for Martinmas
Once upon a time, the world used a different calendar called the Julian calendar During this time, Samhain aka Halloween occurred on November 11 instead of October 31. November 11 is still known as Martinmas.