Traveldoc

long has paled that sunny sky

echoes fade and memories die

This is “Kindled” by Laura K. Cannon, which is part of her portfolio that can be found here: http://navate.com/2wk6im1sartc92iwza7il07bxq2mk5

Sabbats: Yule | Winter Solstice

From this day forward, the days would become longer.

Yule is deeply rooted in the cycle of the year, it is the seed time of year, the longest night and the shortest day, where the Goddess once again becomes the Great Mother and gives birth to the new Sun King. In a poetic sense it is on this the longest night of the winter, ‘the dark night of our souls’, that there springs the new spark of hope, the Sacred Fire, the Light of the World.

Yule is the celebration of hope, returning light and life. At the Winter Solstice, we acknowledge that the darkness is defeated by the light once more and that the days will grow longer each day from here. Wassail (pronounced “waes hael”) is traditionally prepared and shared around Yule as a means invoke the sun, and bring us cheer as we face winter’s cold darkness.

The earliest versions of Wassail was a warmed mead into which roasted crab apples were dropped and burst. This drink was called ‘lambswool’ and was drunk on Lammas day. Later, the drink evolved to become a mulled cider made with sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, topped with slices of toast as sops and drunk from a large communal bowl called the ‘wassailing bowl’. 

Many of our best known “holiday” spices (cinnamon, orange, nutmeg, ginger, allspice) all have solar and fire associations. Drinks such as Wassail, not only heat you up physically but also bring you into resonance with the newly returning solar energies of the Winter Solstice. 

This recipe can be prepared in either a crockpot (lowest setting) or in a stockpot on the stovetop (med-low heat). 

Ingredients:

2 quarts apple cider

2 cups orange or cranberry juice

2 cups spiced rum

1 tablespoon allspice

2 cinnamon sticks, crushed

1 small orange, sliced into 4-5 rings

1 tablespoon whole cloves

1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

1 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

Honey (optional)

Turn your heat source on high and pour in the juices. Stir in allspice, then add the cinnamon sticks (We crushed them with a rolling pin). Slice the orange into rings and stud the peel with the whole cloves. 

Cover the pot cook on high for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 

Turn heat to low and allow to simmer for 3 more hours or until the liquid starts to foam. The orange slices and cinnamon will have settled to the bottom. Sweeten with honey to taste. Add rum 5-10 mins before serving. Serve warm.

Slime mold was grown on an agar gel plate shaped like America and food sources were placed where America’s large cities are. 

The result? A possible look at how to best build public transportation. 

Using slime molds as a calculator.

my prof in the margins: excellent analysis!

me: 

Twilight in Zermatt | mindz.eye