Happy Longest Night

[lydamorehouse]

Captain America is taking this week off. I started the week feeling okay, but then I caught a nasty headcold which required much sleeping and no treadmilling. Now I bleed. Thus, Cap will probably not get in a decent work out until sometime after Christmas, as I suspect my gym will be closed for said holiday.

Mason can't WAIT to open his Solstace presents, which magically appeared under the tree last night (thanks to some tireless wrapping by the Solstace fairies.) BTW, the threat, "The Solstace Fairy is watching you!" doesn't hold the same water for Mason as the all-seeing, all-knowing Santa.

I'm thinking about Tate's book. Specifically, I've been reading WEDDING PLANNING FOR DUMMIES as well as thinking about pagan traditions. She and Sebastian are having a December wedding (in honor of Shawn and I, actually. Our anniversary is December 1). I was thinking, though, that I might actually hitch them on Solstace, as it's the longest night of the year -- v. appropriate for a vampire. Plus, since all their "traditional" plans are going to fall through thanks to the curse Sebastian's ex-wife places on Garnet, it'd be a neat last scene to have friends and family keeping vigil with a bonfire for the sun all night long as part of their reception.

Speaking of which, happy longest night of the year.

Comments

[rainbow-goddess.livejournal.com]

Pardon me if I'm missing something completely obvious, but are you referring to Solstice? If there is a celebration you call "Solstace" then forgive me, but I keep reading the word "Solstace" and wanting to replace it with "Solstice." Forgive me if you think I'm being a spelling cop, but I keep seeing that word and wanting to replace it with the correctly spelled word.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

Some pagans use the alternative (and, I believe, older) spelling to distinguish the religious festivals of Solstace (both Winter and Summer festivals) from the astronomical event.

[seanmmurphy.livejournal.com]

Morgan has an accurate point here. The etymology is Middle English, from Old French, from Latin sōlstitium : sōl, sun; see sāwel- in Indo-European roots + -stitium, a stoppage; see stā- in Indo-European roots. (Multiple dictionaries with the same , this one from American Heritage) The Indo European root source word would have been "Sawelstas", at least from the records that are available now--which may or may not be applicable in today's parlance.

Oh, and happy holidays to you, too, Rainbow. Glad you took a moment to wish folks well.

[lydamorehouse]

Plus, I'm a terrible speller. I'm surprised this is the first time someone has written in to complain. (Oh, wait, it's not.) :-)

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

Heh. I'm a pretty good speller, but my typing is atrocious - the qwerty keyboard, having been designed to slow down right-handed typists, really screws with the co-ordination of left-handed typists, especially if they were never actually trained to touchtype, but just picked it up themselves. Like me.

[naomikritzer]

There are several wedding planning books out there that are geared to a Pagan audience, FYI. Most are oriented towards the bride who is Wiccan or Druid but who in most ways wants a very neo-traditionalist American wedding (so she'll jump over a broomstick but she'll still be wearing something old/new/borrowed/blue while she does it, she'll be carrying a bouquet, she'll probably throw the bouquet at the reception....etc.)

I think a Solstice bonfire sounds like an awesome ending.

[magentamn.livejournal.com]

You're welcome to pick my brain about handfasting rituals I've attended/been in/heard of.

Do you know about Mother Berhta, the Yule Hag? Much scarier and more interesting than Santa Claus. She's a coven tradition that has caught on locally, and perhaps further.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

I've designed two handfasting rituals (one of them my own), and attended several more, (as well as designing a wedding ceremony, also my own, though to a different spouse) so if I can help out in any way, let me know.

[xochiquetzl]

Oh, my darling daylight, I missed you so much! *sob* Never leave me again!

[seanmmurphy.livejournal.com]

Happy night, and may your fires kindle anew the cycle for us all.

[starborn-scribe.livejournal.com]

When I saw this link I immediately thought of you. Hope you're feeling better!

DIY Captain America shield (http://www.boingboing.net/2007/12/22/howto-make-a-captain.html)

[jiawen]

I was just about to suggest the same thing. Good thing I checked first!

[lydamorehouse]

Thanks! I have vague memories of my cousin making a shield not unlike that one from the lid of one of those old-fashioned tin garbage cans. We had to do a little hammering, however.

Also, I had to geek out. Someone commented on Boing-Boing that the shield was up for grabs now that Cap was dead. Bucky/Winter Solider actually has it, having stolen the shield from S.H.I.E.L.D. :-)

[yellowsketches.livejournal.com]

erm. yes. hello. me again. Rachels student from the newyears day brunch. Nicole sent me the link to your journal, and im realy, realy bored at work, so I started reading it. Esp since I to am fish obsessed (yay world of fish!)

I just wanted to direct you towards http://offbeatbride.ning.com/ and the accompanying book "Offbeat Bride". Theres a whole lotta handfasting going on on that forum, and a subforum for "witchy brides", as well as any other kind of unusual bride. Some of the girls are pretty traditional...but theres definalty a lot of people who go waaaay off the beaten path to.

Ok, I'll stop with the stalking now and go shred another small rainforest for the corporate machein.