Category: Articles

July 4 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1776 US Congress proclaims the Declaration of Independence and independence from Great Britain

1785 James Hutton, geologist, publicly reads an abstract of his theory of uniformitarianism for the first time at the meeting of the Royal Society of Edinburgh

1803 The Louisiana Purchase is announced to the American people by President Thomas Jefferson

1838 Huskar Colliery Mining Disaster in Silkstone England: mining pit floods drown 26 children, leads to 1842 ‘Mines and Collieries Act’ bans women and children working underground

1934 Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard patents the chain-reaction design for the atomic bomb

2017 North Korea tests first successful intercontinental ballistic missile into Sea of Japan

Today’s Historical Events

836 Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples

993 Saint Ulrich of Augsburg is canonized.

1054 Brightest known supernova SN 1054 (creates the Crab Nebula) 1st reported by Chinese astronomers

1120 Jordan II of Capua is anointed as prince after his infant nephew’s death

1187 Battle of Hittin (Tiberias): Saladin defeats Reinoud of Châtillon

1301 Battle at Breukelen: Holland vs Lichtenberg

1359 Francesco II Ordelaffi of Forlì surrenders to the Papal commander Gil de Albornoz.

1415 Angelo Correr renounces his claim to the Papacy as Pope Gregory XII

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1954 WMSL (WYUR, now WAFF) TV channel 48 in Huntsville, AL (ABC) begins

1961 Walt Disney is one of the two main speakers on the Independence Day in The Rebuild Hills at Skørping in Denmark

1962 KIKU (now KHNL) TV channel 13 in Honolulu, HI (IND) 1st broadcast

1970 Casey Kasem‘s “American Top 40” debuts on LA radio

1989 14 year old actress Drew Barrymore, attempts suicide

1991 24th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at Pan Pacific Hotel

1996 29th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at San Diego Convention Center

2014 Rolf Harris is sentenced to 5 years and 9 months for indecently assaulting female minors

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1831 “America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee)” is 1st sung in Boston

1964 Beachboys’ “I Get Around” reaches #1

1966 Beatles attacked in the Philippines after (unintentionally) insulting Imelda Marcos

1969 140,000 attend Atlanta Pop Festival featuring Led Zep and Janis Joplin

1977 Nigel Harrison replaces Gary Valentine as bassist of Blondie

1986 Farm Aid II benefit concert held in Manor, Texas; performers include Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Waylon Jennings, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Nicolette Larson, Los Lobos, and Steve Earle

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1890 Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Lena Rice becomes the only Irish female to win at Wimbledon beating May Jacks 6-4, 6-1

1891 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Wilfred Baddeley wins first of 3 Wimbledon singles championships; beats Joshua Pim 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, 6-0

1892 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Defending champion Wilfred Baddeley beats Joshua Pim 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2

1904 International Lawn Tennis Challenge, Wimbledon: Laurence Doherty & Reggie Doherty beat Paul de Borman & William le Maire de Warzée 6-0, 6-1, 6-3 to give British Isles an unassailable 3-0 lead over Belgium (ends 5-0)

1905 Baseball Hall of Fame pitchers Rube Waddell (A’s) and Cy Young (Boston) matchup in 20-inning classic; Philadelphia win, 4-2

1906 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Laurence Doherty beats Frank Riseley 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 for his 5th straight Wimbledon singles title

1907 Canadian world heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Burns KOs Bill Squires of Australia in round 1 in Colma, California, his 6th title defence

1907 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Australian Norman Brookes becomes the first non-Englishman and left-hander to win Wimbledon beating Arthur Gore 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

The Star-Spangled Banner Song’s History

“The Star-Spangled Banner” is the national anthem of the United States. By the time the song officially became the country’s anthem in 1931, it had been one of America’s most popular patriotic tunes for more than a century. The anthem’s history began the morning of September 14, 1814, when an attorney and amateur poet named Francis Scott Key watched U.S. soldiers—who were under bombardment from British naval forces during the War of 1812—raise a large American flag over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland.

CONTENTS

Background: War of 1812

Francis Scott Key

Who Wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner”?

From Drinking Song to American Anthem

Key’s Complicated Legacy

Growing Popularity of “The Star-Spangled Banner”

History of the National Anthem at Sporting Events

Sources

Click on the hyperlinks to learn more about the United States of America’s national anthem

Have a Fun and Safe 4th of July

I am very early today to make cold side dishes for our cook out with family and friends. The regular for today will ho up as normal. The posts for the 5th will be up tomorrow morning.

I hope your day is as enjoyable as mine will be. Remember to keep yourself, children, and pets safe around fireworks and other hot things. If you are throwing horseshoes please keep the area around you free from all humans and animals.

Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions

Today’s Word is

Ceremonial Magick

From moonlitpriestess.com

Typically less religious and more philosophical and intellectual in nature; often focused on Western Mystery traditions; characterized by emphasis on prescribed sets of rituals, formulaic words, tools, symbols, etc. May be referred to as “high magick” which was a classist term used to differentiate the ceremonial magick of the elite classes from the folk magick of peasants.

July 3 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

324 Battle of Adrianople: Roman Emperor Constantine I defeats his co-emperor Licinius, who flees to Byzantium

1187 Battle of Horns of Hattin: Saladin, Sultan of Egypt and Syria, destroys Jerusalem’s crusader army

1863 Battle of Gettysburg, largest battle ever fought on the American continent, ends in a major victory for the Union during the US Civil War

1884 Dow Jones publishes its 1st stock index, the Dow Jones Transportation Average

1996 UK House of Commons announces that the Stone of Scone, aka the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation of Scottish (and subsequently English and British monarchs), will be returned to Scotland after 700 years in Westminster Abbey

Today’s Historical Events

324 Battle of Adrianople: Roman Emperor Constantine I defeats his co-emperor Licinius, who flees to Byzantium

987 Hugh Capet (Hugh the Great) crowned King of the Franks

987 Hugh Capet, elected by the nobility and crowned as King of France

1090 Battle at Hagenoorde: German emperor beats earl Egbert II

1187 Battle of Horns of Hattin: Saladin, Sultan of Egypt and Syria, destroys Jerusalem’s crusader army

1250 Louis IX of France is captured by Baibars’ Mamluk army at the Battle of Fariskur while he is in Egypt conducting the Seventh Crusade; he later has to ransom himself

1428 Treaty of Delft between Jacoba of Bavaria & Philip the Good of Burgundy

1608 Samuel de Champlain founds city of Quebec

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1928 John Logie Baird demonstrates the first colour television transmission in London

1937 Del Mar Turf Club, with crooner Bing Crosby as president and actor Pat O’Brien as a club officer, opens for racing

1944 “Double Indemnity” film noir directed by Billy Wilder and starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck is released in Baltimore, Maryland

1958 “Andy Williams Show” premieres on ABC (later on CBS & NBC)

1985 CBS announces a 21% stock buy-back to thwart Ted Turner‘s takeover

1985 Tinker Bell’s first nightly flight at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida

1985 “Back to the Future” directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd is released

1989 Movie “Batman” set record of quickest $100 million (10 days)

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1954 Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green’s musical “Wonderful Town”, starring Rosalind Russell, closes at Winter Garden Theater, NYC, after 559 performances, and 5 Tony Award wins

1969 Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, Rhode Island opens, 78, 000 attend over 4 days; performers include: George Benson; Blood, Swet, and Tears; Jeff Beck; James Brown; Bill Evans; Sun Ra; Mothers of Invention; Dave Brubeck; Miles Davis; Stephane Grapelli; and Sly & The Family Stone

1970 Atlanta International Pop Festival opens, 200,000 attend over 3 days; performers include Allman Brothers; Grand Funk Railroad, Jimi Hendrix Experience; Richie Havens; Cat Mother & the All-Night Newsboys; B.B. King; Mott the Hoople; and John Sebastian

1976 Brian Wilson performs with the Beach Boys after his 12 year stage absence, at Anaheim Stadium in California

1982 Riot at building site of Stopera concert hall in Amsterdam causes Ÿ1 million in damages

2006 British singer-songwriter Lily Allen releases her debut single “Smile”

2007 “Just Got Started Lovin’ You” single released by James Otto (Billboard Song of the Year 2008)

2018 Cardi B becomes first female rapper to get two number one US Billboard hits, with “I Like It” with Bad Bunny and J Balvin

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1900 Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Blanche Bingley-Hillyard beats rival and fellow Briton Charlotte Cooper 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

1900 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: R.F. Doherty beats Sydney Smith 6-8, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 for his 4th consecutive Wimbledon singles title

1901 Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Charlotte Cooper Sterry beats Blanche Bingley-Hillyard 6-2 6-2, her 4th of 5 Wimbledon singles titles

1905 American boxer Marvin Hart scores a 12th round KO of Jack Root in Reno, Nevada for the vacant world heavyweight title

1909 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Arthur Gore beats Josiah Ritchie 6-8, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 for back-to-back titles

1912 NY Giants pitcher Rube Marquard ties Tim Keefe‘s 1888 MLB record 19 game win-streak with 2-1 win v Brooklyn Dodgers; has 21 with 2 end-of-season in 1911

1913 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: New Zealander Anthony Wilding wins 4th straight Wimbledon title beating American Maurice McLoughlin 8-6, 6-3, 10-8

The Sun Is Being Weird. It Could Be Because We’re Looking at It All Wrong

Something weird is going on with the Sun.

So far, almost every day in 2022 it has erupted in flares and coronal mass ejections, some of which were the most powerful eruptions our star is capable of.

By itself, an erupting Sun is not weird. It erupts regularly as it goes through periods of high and low activity, in cycles that last roughly 11 years.

The current activity is significantly higher than the official NASA and NOAA predictions for the current solar cycle, and solar activity has consistently exceeded predictions as far back as September 2020. But a solar scientist will tell you that even this isn’t all that weird.

“We can’t reliably predict solar cycles,” solar astrophysicist Michael Wheatland of the University of Sydney, Australia told ScienceAlert.

“We don’t completely understand the solar dynamo, which generates the magnetic fields seen at the surface as sunspots, and which produce flares. This is one of the outstanding problems in astrophysics; the inaccuracy in the prediction is unsurprising.”

Unsurprising, sure. But what if that very lack of surprise – that we expect to be bad at predicting solar cycles – means we need to completely rethink how we do it? What if we’re basing our predictions on the wrong metric?

From 11 to 22 years

Solar cycles have a huge impact on the Solar System but …

To read the rest of this article please click here

Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions

Today’s Word is

Warding

From moonlitpriestess.com

Creating barriers and protective measures on a magickal or spiritual level. Methods differ between traditions and magickal practitioners.

July 2 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

626 Incident at Xuanwu Gate: in fear of assassination, Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival brothers Li Yuanji and Li Jiancheng

1776 Continental Congress resolves “these United Colonies are and of right ought to be Free and Independent States”

1823 Bahia Independence Day: the end of Portuguese rule in Brazil, with the final defeat of the Portuguese crown loyalists in the province of Bahia

1964 US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act into law

1990 1,426 pilgrims trampled to death after a panic in a tunnel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Today’s Historical Events

311 St Miltiades begins his reign as Catholic Pope

626 Incident at Xuanwu Gate: in fear of assassination, Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival brothers Li Yuanji and Li Jiancheng

706 Remains of Chinese Emperor Gaozong, his wife Empress Wu Zetian and family members interred in Qianling Mausoleum by Emperor Zhongzong, outside Chang’an on Mount Liangshan

963 The imperial army proclaims Nicephorus Phocas to be Emperor of the Romans on the plains outside Cappadocian Caesarea

1140 Hartbert becomes bishop of Utrecht

1214 Battle of La Roche-aux-Moines (Angers), part of King John of England’s attempt to reclaim Normandy from France

1266 Treaty of Perth: Norway recognises Scottish sovereignty over the Hebrides and the Isle of Man

1298 Battle on Hasenbuhl (Gollheim) between German kings Adolf and Albrecht I

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1928 The Jenkins Television Corporation (owned by Charles Jenkins) goes on air with W3XK, the first television broadcasting station in the USA

1941 Noël Coward‘s “Blithe Spirit” premieres in London

1949 “Red Barber’s Clubhouse” sports show premieres on CBS (later NBC) TV

1951 “Bob & Ray show” premieres on NBC radio

1955 “Lawrence Welk Show” premieres on ABC

1958 Musical drama Film “King Creole” starring Elvis Presley based on a novel by Harold Robbins premieres

1972 American pole vaulter Bob Seagren breaks world record for the 4th and final time with 5.63m in Eugene, Oregon

1980 Comedy film “Airplane!” written and directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and starring Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty premieres

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1900 Jean Sibelius‘ “Finlandia” premieres in Helsinki

1949 “High Button Shoes” closes at Century Theater NYC after 727 performances

1955 “7th Heaven” closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 44 performances

1955 “Almost Crazy” closes at Longacre Theater NYC after 16 performances

1956 Elvis Presley records “Hound Dog” and “Don’t Be Cruel”

1960 “Once Upon a Mattress” closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 460 performances

1964 Cilla Black records Lennon/McCartney song “It’s For You”, Paul McCartney plays piano

1969 American guitarist Leslie West and producer, bassist Felix Pappalardi form rock group Mountain

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1902 Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Muriel Robb wins her only major title with a 7-5, 6-1 defeat of fellow Briton Charlotte Cooper

1903 National League MLB batting champion Ed Delahanty, disappears after being removed intoxicated from a train by force; found dead at bottom of Niagara Falls 2 weeks later

1903 Pitcher Jack Doscher, debuts for the Chicago Cubs, the first son of a major leaguer to play MLB, father Herm 1882-92

1906 Yanks win by forfeit for the 1st time

1907 US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Philadelphia CC: Evelyn Sears beats fellow American Carrie Neely 6-3, 6-2 for her lone major singles title

1909 Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Dora Boothby earns her only Wimbledon title with a 6-4, 4-6, 8-6 win over Agnes Morton

1911 Detroit Tigers legend Ty Cobb hits in his 40th straight game in 14-6 rout of Cleveland. Streak ends next game

1921 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Bill Tilden beats South African Brian Norton 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-0, 7-5 for the third of 10 Grand Slam singles titles

Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions

Today’s Word is

Ankh

From moonlitpriestess.com

An ancient Egyptian symbol resembling a cross with a loop at the top. It symbolizes life and cosmic knowledge. Most Egyptian Gods and Goddess are shown carrying one. Also known as the crux ansata, the Ankh is used in modern craft for fertility and health.

July 1 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1689 Matsuo Basho, zen poet, leaves for 150 days journey on Honshu, Japan

1858 The joint reading of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace‘s papers on evolution to the Linnean Society

1863 Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Lee’s northward advance halted

1867 The Dominion of Canada is formed, comprising the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario & Quebec, with John A. Macdonald serving as the first Prime Minister

1916 First day of the Battle of the Somme: the British Army suffers its worst day, losing 19,240 men (WWI)

1921 The Communist Party of China is founded and Chen Duxiu elected its leader

1941 Bulova Watch Co pays $9 for 1st ever network TV commercial

1997 United Kingdom returns Hong Kong and the New Territories to the People’s Republic of China

Today’s Historical Events

69 Batavian nobleman Gaius Julius Civilis proclaimed emperor of Syria

69 Roman General Vespasian is first proclaimed Emperor by troops in Egypt, during year of the four emperors

70 Roman General Titus and his forces set up battering rams to assault the walls of Jerusalem

251 The Battle of Abrittus in the Balkans won by the Goths against the Romans. Roman Emperors Decius and Herennius Etruscus are killed

649 Pope Martinus I elected to succeed Theodore I

1097 1st Crusaders defeat Sultan Kilidj Arslan of Nicea

1200 In China, sunglasses are invented

1233 Earl Otto II van Gelre grants Arnhem state justice

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1941 WCBW (now WCBS) TV channel 2 in NY, NY (CBS) begins broadcasting

1941 WNBT TV (W2XBS, Now WNBC) channel 4 in NYC (NBC) begins broadcasting

1949 WBRC TV channel 6 in Birmingham, AL (ABC) begins broadcasting

1949 WCCO TV channel 4 in Minneapolis-St Paul, MN (CBS) begins broadcasting

1950 WHBF TV channel 4 in Rock Island, IL (CBS) begins broadcasting

1952 English architect Michael Ventris says he has solved one of the 20th century’s greatest linguistic riddles, by deciphering Linear B in BBC interview. Is an ancient form of Greek on clay tablets from Minoan palace of Knossos. [1]

1953 KLAS TV channel 8 in Las Vegas, NV (CBS) begins broadcasting

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1933 Strauss & von Hofmannsthal’s opera “Arabella,” premieres at the Semperoper Opera House in Dresden, Germany

1950 Maxwell Anderson and Kurt Weill’s “Lost in the Stars”, based on Alan Paton‘s novel “Cry the Beloved Country”, closes at Music Box Theater, NYC, after 281 performances

1960 Benjamin Britten‘s cantate “Carmen Baseliense” premieres in Basel

1963 The Beatles record “She Loves You” and “I’ll Get You”

1967 “Funny Girl” closes at Winter Garden Theater, NYC, after 1348 performances

1967 The Beatles’ album “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” goes #1 in the United States, where it would stay for 15 weeks

1968 John Lennon‘s 1st full art exhibition (You Are Here) opens at Robert Fraser Gallery in London

1969 John Lennon and Yoko Ono are admitted to hospital after he crashes his car near Durness in the Scottish Highlands

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1859 1st intercollegiate baseball game, Amherst beats Williams 66-32 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts

1893 San Francisco Bay City Club opens 1st US bicycle race track, made of wood

1901 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Arthur Gore beats defending 4-time champion R.F. Doherty 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 for his 1st of 3 Wimbledon singles titles

1903 Tour de France: Inaugural race begins in Montgeron, a south-eastern suburb of Paris

1904 III Summer (Modern) Olympic Games open in St Louis, the first held in the United States

1904 Willie Anderson becomes the first 2-time Western Open golf champion, beating fellow Scot Alex Smith by 4 strokes at Michigan’s Kent CC

1910 Chicago’s White Sox Park (later Comiskey Park) opens – St Louis Browns beat White Sox, 2-0

1916 Pittsburgh shortstop Honus Wagner, at 42 and 4 months, connects at Cincinnati to become the oldest to hit an inside-the-park HR; Pirates beat Reds, 2-1

Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions

Today’s Word is

Angels

From moonlitpriestess.com

Divine beings known throughout many religions and cultures spanning to as far back as known recorded history. Generally known for their roles as messengers, protectors, and spiritual guides.

June 30 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1520 Spanish conquistadors are expelled from Tenochtitlan following an Aztec revolt against their rule under Hernán Cortés during “La Noche Triste” (the Night of Sadness). Many soldiers drown in the escape, and Aztec emperor Moctezuma II dies in the struggle

1860 Famous debate on Charles Darwin‘s theory of evolution held at the Oxford University Museum and dominated by arguments between Thomas Henry Huxley and Bishop Samuel Wilberforce

1905 In Russia, the “Potemkin” arrives at Odessa, where sailors take the bodies of dead crewman ashore; sailors join civilians in revolutionary actions of the ‘1905 Revolution’

1908 A giant fireball, most likely caused by the air burst of a large meteoroid or comet flattens 80 million trees near the Stony Tunguska River in Yeniseysk Governorate, Russia, in the largest impact event in recorded history

1934 “Night of Long Knives” – Adolf Hitler stages a bloody purge of the Nazi party

1938 Superman 1st appears in DC Comics’ Action Comics Series issue #1

1992 South African ANC President Nelson Mandela meets with UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali at Dakar

1997 British lease on the New Territories in Hong Kong, established by the Second Convention of Peking, expires

Today’s Historical Events

296 St Marcellinus begins his reign as Catholic Pope

350 Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the usurper Magnentius, in Rome

833 Louis crowned King of Austria

949 Otto I the Great gives away bishopric of Utrecht “foreestrecht”

1294 Jews are expelled from Berne, Switzerland

1371 Arnold II of Horne chosen bishop of Utrecht

1377 Foundation stone laid for Ulm Minster, in Ulm, Germany. Will not be completed until 1890, when it becomes the tallest church in the world.

1397 Denmark, Norway and Sweden sign Union of Kalmar under Queen Margaretha

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1925 Charles Jenkins is granted the U.S. patent for Transmitting Pictures over Wireless (early television)

1940 “Brenda Starr, Reporter”, 1st cartoon strip by a woman, Dale [Dalia] Messick, begins as a comic-book supplement to Chicago’s Sunday Tribune

1951 “Victor Borge Show” last airs on NBC-TV

1952 “Guiding Light” soap opera moves from radio to TV

1955 “Johnny Carson Show” debuts on CBS-TV

1973 “Burns & Schreiber Comedy Hour” TV Variety; debut on ABC

1979 johnny rotten and Joan Collins appear together on BBC TV’s “Juke Box Jury”

1982 “Lena Horne: Lady, Music” closes at Nederlander NYC after 333 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1956 “Pipe Dream” closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 245 performances

1956 “Shangri-La” closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 21 performances

1958 “No Chemise, Please” by Gerry Grenahan peaks at #24

1966 The Beatles land in Tokyo for a concert tour

1977 Marvel Comics publish “Kiss book” tributing rock group Kiss

1979 “Got To Go Disco” closes at Minskoff Theater NYC after 8 performances

1979 “Good Times” single released by Chic (Billboard Song of the Year 1979)

1985 Revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical “The King & I” closes at Broadway Theater, NYC, after 191 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1897 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: R.F. Doherty beats Harold Mahony 6-4 6-4 6-3 for the first of 4 titles

1899 Spin bowler Jack Hearne takes England cricket’s first Test hat-trick vs Australia in drawn 3rd Test at Headingley; dismisses champion middle order trio Clem Hill, Syd Gregory and Monty Noble

1902 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Laurence Doherty wins his first Wimbledon singles title beating defending champion Arthur Gore 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0

1903 Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Dorothea Chambers beats Ethel Larcombe 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, the first of 7 titles

1903 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Laurence Doherty beats Frank Riseley 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 for his second consecutive title

1908 At 41 years, 3 months future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young becomes oldest player to record a third career no-hitter as Boston Red Sox beat NY Highlanders, 8-0

1908 Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Charlotte Cooper Sterry wins her 5th and final Wimbledon title with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Agnes Morton

1908 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Arthur Gore takes his 2nd of 3 Wimbledon titles beating Herbert Roper-Barrett 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4

Let’s Talk Witch – 13 Meditations for a Short Attention Span

Ultimately, meditation has only one rule: you must turn communication within yourself. For most people, this means not communicating with others during meditative time. Even if you can only cut off the world for fifteen seconds, do it— outside input is NOT meditation. While the meditation may come in stolen moments, it is a cumulative skill, and even those tiny meditations make you better at it.

There are, ultimately, many reasons why traditional deep meditation might not work. People with jobs and families just don’t have much time to meditate. Others suffer from ADHD or other neurological dysfunctions, and between corporate life and traditional schooling, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of the “more, better, faster” mentality.

For people in these situations who want to use meditation to break out of them, small present-moment techniques work best. You may not be able to step entirely out of the flow of life, but you can take a single moment and make it yours. A moment as tiny as pushing the off button on your computer monitor to savor a sip of coffee can count as an act of meditation.

The following thirteen techniques are indeed meditation methods; each one can, with practice, train your brain to reach a meditative state. For beginners, it’s more important that you know how to get to that state than it is that you stay in it for any particular amount of time.

Count to two, and repeat. Seriously, that’s it. You don’t need to count slowly. Count at the natural speed of your own mind. Do so without timing it to your breath for as long as you can stand it. It’s about directing your attention and giving your mind something to do at a time when it might fight you with excessive boredom or stress signals. You may also try counting to 100 at any natural speed. This is a popular and effective technique in anger management, too.

Find your achy body parts and breathe into them. Identify an area that has tension and picture every breath you inhale entering through your pores where the ache is, and each exhalation as the pain leaving. If your attention shifts, move on to a different spot on your body, or stop— you’ve worked your attention as far as it can go for the time being.

Pick an image and see how long you can hold it in your mind. For example, you could choose a tarot card and continue to picture it as you go about other business. At the end of the day, you can stop to evaluate what you learned. You may receive insights into the card, object, or person that you can write about.

Walk. The simple act of walking alone is a type of meditation. You are not communicating with others, but you are paying attention to the world around you. To advance the walking meditation, walk and count. You can count the steps to a tree ahead of you on the path. Count how many steps to your car from your doorway. Count how many steps to the coffee maker from your desk. It keeps you focused entirely on what you are doing— and that is in itself a meditative state.

Stack or line up some items, and then deliberately scatter them. The act of clearing space and positioning items like pencils, paperclips, or shoes, is actually a meditative practice. You can find yourself engaged with making things line up just right, and just as Buddhist monks scatter their sand mandalas when finished, you scatter your tidy stacks in an exercise of nonattachment/ enjoying mild chaos. You will still need to sweep up. Playful meditation has as much value as serious meditation— perhaps even more, as it can stimulate creativity in ways that gigantic revelations rarely can.

Close your eyes and listen to all ambient noise. Meditation does not require you to ignore everyone and everything around you— it requires you to focus your attention on specific things without engaging with them. Rather than trying to shut out the noises of traffic, chatty neighbors, or the children, close your eyes and simply listen as though they are static or other low-meaning noise.

Name objects in front of you. You can do this anywhere— at work, during a long car ride, even at home. Look at one object, and say its name to yourself: “book,” “wall art,” “carpet,” and so on. Simply name every item immediately before you.

Keep a small bottle of a favorite fragrance on hand. Sniff every so often— this alters your mood, and brings your attention fully to one thing in your environment. Clary sage and lemongrass are both wonderful fragrances for meditative clarity.

Use your sense of touch. Comparing the textures of your clothing can give you a brief meditative timeout. Run your hands over your legs and over your abdomen. Notice the differences in how the fabric of different pieces of clothing feels.

Try stretching your hands. Touch each one of your fingers to the thumb on the same hand. Press down with each connection. In some cases, it may take some practice stretching your fingers.

Visualize as many colors as you can in one sitting. This pulls together the right and left hemispheres of your brain and is a key skill for most chakra work. Notice which colors you dwell on, and which you have trouble picturing.

Tell yourself a story. If you are alone, speak that story aloud. It can be about something as simple as a chicken crossing the road, or involve monks and dragons. The point is to engage yourself on your own power, not with the input of a book or television. Do not write these stories down— they are for you in your moment. They need not be long— two or three sentences, maybe even just one sentence.

Practice the slow version of what dancers call spotting. Turn your head and focus on one point of the wall. Stay there for two to three seconds, then look up and focus on the ceiling for two to three seconds. Then focus on another spot on the wall, then the carpet, etc. This is all about directing attention and only takes seconds to practice.

Source:
13 Meditations for a Short Attention Span
Author: Diana Rajchel
Llewellyn’s 2014 Magical Almanac: Practical Magic for Everyday Living

Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions

Today’s Word is

Godspouse

From moonlitpriestess.com

Term generally found in Heathen communities; individuals possessing strong, deep, and intimate relationship with the deities they work with. Unlike similar concepts, such as Christian nuns, godspouses aren’t necessarily romantically or sexually celibate. The subject of godspouses is controversial and sometimes rejected even in the Heathen communities in which the practice is found.

June 29 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1613 Shakespeare‘s Globe Theatre in London, burns down during a performance of “Henry VIII”

1900 The Imperial Chinese Court issues what is essentially a declaration of war against foreigners in China blaming them for hostilities and giving license to the Boxers for even greater ferocity

1964 Civil Rights Act of 1964 passes after an 83-day filibuster in the US Senate

1966 Vietnam War: US planes bomb the North Vietnamese capital Hanoi and the port city of Haiphong for the first time

1994 US reopens Guantanamo Naval Base to process refugees

Today’s Historical Events

512 A solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland

922 Kingdom of the West Franks crowns Robert I as King of West Francia, after deposing Charles the Simple (Charles III)

1072 Former Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes blinded by rivals and exiled

1149 Raymond of Antioch is defeated and killed at the Battle of Inab by Nur ad-Din.

1194 Sverre is crowned King of Norway

1312 Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII crowned

1377 French raid at Rye, England

1428 Jacoba of Bavaria signs cease fire with Philip the Good

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1936 George M. Cohan is the first artist to be presented with a US Congressional Gold Medal, by Franklin D. Roosevelt (for raising war morale)

1940 Batman Comics, mobsters rubbed out a circus highwire team known as the Flying Graysons, leaving their son Dick (Robin) an orphan

1953 XETV TV channel 6 in Tijuana-San Diego, CA (IND) begins broadcasting

1964 1st draft of Star Trek’s pilot “Cage” released

1966 KBSC (now KVEA) TV channel 52 in Corona-Los Angeles, CA begins

1988 Emmy 15th Daytime Award presentation – Susan Lucci loses for 9th time

1989 Emmy 16th Daytime Award presentation – Susan Lucci loses for 10th time

1990 Marla Maples father sues National Enquirer for $12M

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1888 First (known) recording of classical music made, Handel’s “Israel in Egypt” on wax cylinder

1946 “Are You with It?” closes at Century Theater NYC after 264 performances

1946 “Billion Dollar Baby” closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 219 performances

1963 “Little Me” closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC after 257 performances

1963 Beatles’ 1st song “From Me to You” hits UK charts

1967 Keith Richards is sentenced to 1 year in jail on drugs charge

1968 “Tip-Toe Thru’ The Tulips With Me” by Tiny Tim peaks at #17

1971 Rolling Stones Mick Jagger & Keith Richards sentenced on drug offense

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1895 US National Championship Women’s Tennis: Juliette Atkinson beats defending champion Helen Hellwig 6-4, 6-2, 6-1

1897 Chicago Colts establish MLB record for most runs scored in a game by one team as they maul Louisville Colonels, 36 – 7 at the West Side Grounds, Chicago

1901 US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Philadelphia CC: Elisabeth Moore beats defending champion Myrtle McAteer 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 for her second of 4 US singles titles

1903 US Open Men’s Golf, Baltusrol GC: Willie Anderson of Scotland first to win the Open twice; beats countryman David Brown by 2 strokes in an 18-hole playoff

1906 US Open Men’s Golf, Onwentsia GC: Scotsman Alex Smith wins first of his 2 Open titles, 7 strokes ahead of runner-up and younger brother Willie Smith

1910 Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: In an all-British final, Dorothea Chambers beats Dora Boothby 6-2, 6-2 for her 4th of 7 Wimbledon singles titles

1933 Italian boxer Primo Carnera KOs American defending champion Jack Sharkey in round 6 at Madison Square Garden, NYC to become third European to win the lineal world heavyweight title

1934 British Open Men’s Golf, Royal St. George’s GC: Henry Cotton of England wins wire-to-wire by 5 shots from South African Sid Brews

June New Moon 2022 Insider – Anne Ribley

New creation timelines are being called forth. Super-charge intentions with a New Moon Ritual.
Currently, a powerful cycle of growth forward is forging a new future. The 7 easy steps to spiritual practice of the Manifesting New Moon Ritual can create the clarity connection to manifest your clear intentions and hold space for the world needs from each of us at this time.
Put pen to paper, antenna to God/Source,/Creation. Set the intentions with your “write it right” list/letter. Allow yourself to name it and claim it. Open yourself to the support ready to step forth in ways beyond what is known at this time.
June Manifesting New Moon Focus:
1. SETTING NEW CREATIONS INTO LIFE
Powerful new creational energy is being activated to catalyze new creations, ways of being. What’s your energizing word that represents your focus and frequency for the new creations calling your life currently?
2. DEEPER DESIRE LINES
The power of the current time is causing a dropping into the deeper desire lines that have been rising to the surface. Listening in. Leaning in. Loving them to be heard, healed, and honored.
What are the deep desire lines in your life ready to be lifted to the surface for love and attention to come more online and alive?
3. GROW GRACEFUL GROUND…

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The June 2022 new moon will bring intense, overwhelming emotions

Let’s get emotional!

A new moon in Cancer will put you in your feels beginning June 28, 2022. New moons open a door to you that had been previously locked, encouraging you to venture forth into new territory.

New moons also offer new beginnings and a chance to look at things from a different perspective, depending on where they fall in the sky. Cancer is a Cardinal Water sign, which means that we are encouraged to assess our emotional stability and security, as well as the foundation our lives stand upon.

We can initiate new emotional journeys now as we also reflect on where we have been and how our ancestors led us to be where we now stand. New moons occur usually once a month and are always tied to fresh starts, new cycles and unique journeys. Depending on where they fall for your Rising and Sun signs, you’ll see an opportunity to seize the day and create actions that will ultimately culminate within the coming year ahead.

Read how your zodiac sign will be affected here and for more information on the new moon, check out the information after the horoscopes. Follow me for daily insight or read 2022 predictions for your zodiac sign or your 2022 love life and relationship horoscopes now!

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Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions

Today’s Word is

Covenstead

From moonlitpriestess.com

An area of power or energy where a coven meets.

From Spells8.com

A meeting space for witches to gather as a Coven.

June 28 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1389 Ottomans defeat Serbian army in the bloody Battle of Kosovo, opening the way for the Ottoman conquest of Southeastern Europe

1519 King Carlos I elected Holy Roman Catholic Emperor Charles V

1838 Coronation of Queen Victoria in Westminster Abbey, London

1919 Treaty of Versailles, ending WWI and establishing the League of Nations, is signed in France

2021 Tigray Defense Forces retake Tigray’s regional capital of Mekelle in Ethiopia’s Tigray War. The Ethiopian government declares a unilateral ceasefire to save face but neither side sticks to it. [1]

Today’s Historical Events

683 Leo II ends his reign as Catholic Pope

767 St Paul I ends his reign as Catholic Pope

1098 Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul

1119 Battle of Sarmada – Emir Ilghazi defeats French Crusaders

1245 1st Council of Lyon (13th ecumenical council) opens

1389 Ottomans defeat Serbian army in the bloody Battle of Kosovo, opening the way for the Ottoman conquest of Southeastern Europe

1461 Edward IV crowned king of England

1485 Gent/Brugge/Ieper recognize Maximilian of Austria as regent of Netherlands

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1951 “Amos ‘n’ Andy” premieres on CBS TV

1984 17th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at Hotel San Diego

1990 Emmy 17th Daytime Award presentation – Susan Lucci loses for 11th time

1992 Ra Lewis’ dramatic play “Chinese Coffee”, starring Al Pacino, opens at the Circle in Square Theater, NYC; runs for 18 performances

1993 NCRV shows last “Cheers” in Netherlands

1996 “Nutty Professor” starring Eddie Murphy opens in theaters in the USA

2003 “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”, directed by Gore Verbinski, starring Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, premieres at Disneyland

2017 “Spider-man: Homecoming” directed by Jon Watts starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton and Robert Downey Jr. premieres in Los Angeles

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1846 Saxophone is patented by Antoine-Joseph “Adolfe” Sax

1928 Louis Armstrong makes 78 recording of “West End Blues”

1947 “Temptation” (Tim-Tayshun) by Red Ingle with Jo Stafford hits #1

1950 “Michael Todd’s Peep Show” opens at Winter Garden NYC for 278 performances

1967 George Harrison is fined £6 for speeding

1973 Black Sports Hall of Fame forms: Paul Robeson, Elgin Baylor, Jesse Owens, Jim Brown, Wilma Rudolph, Joe Louis and Althea Gibson elected

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1887 Phillies most lopsided shut-out beating Indianapolis 24-0

1892 Phillies tie club record of 16 straight victories

1897 Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: England’s Blanche Bingley-Hillyard wins her 4th title beating Charlotte Cooper 5-7, 7-5, 6-2

1904 Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Reigning champion Dorothea Chambers beats Charlotte Cooper 6-0, 6-3

1907 Nationals steal a record 13 bases off catcher Branch Rickey

1919 Boston Red Sox Carl Mays pitches a complete doubleheader against NY Yankees, winning 1st game, 2-0, losing 2nd game, 4-1 (Polo Grounds, NYC)

1923 Dodgers lost 7-0 lead, as Phillies score 8 in bottom of 9th

1924 Test cricket umpire debut for Frank Chester, v South Africa at Lord’s

Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions

Today’s Word is

Coven

From moonlitpriestess.com

A group of Witches; can be all male, all female, or a mix of both. The traditional number of coven members is 13, however, the exact number of members and the purposes of the coven typically differ between traditions. Differentiated from other Witch group types in that covens function as a sort of family unit for the purpose of magickal practice and/or worship with structured set of rules, traditions, training, and hierarchy. Within Wicca, coven entry is by initiation only and following required training (usually up to a year and a day in length) into the particular coven’s tradition.

From Spells8.com

A group of witches is called a Coven. A witch’s magickal family may be considered their coven if they have formed a group to perform magick alongside each other.

If you are interested in joining an online coven, please write to High Priestess Lady Beltane at ladybeltane@aol.com for more information. Please put COVEN in the subject line.