Tag: Daily Witch Correspondences

May 30 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 May 30

Red Crepuscular Rays from an Eclipse

Image Credit & Copyright: Fefo Bouvier

Explanation: What’s happening behind that island? Things both expected and unexpected. Expected, perhaps, the pictured rays of light — called crepuscular rays — originate from the Sun. Unexpected, though, the Sun was being partially eclipsed by the Moon at the time — late last month. Expected, perhaps, the Sun’s rays are quite bright as they shine through gaps in below-horizon clouds. Unexpected, though, the crepuscular rays are quite red, likely the result an abundance of aerosols in Earth’s atmosphere scattering away much of the blue light. Expected, with hope, a memorable scene featuring both the Moon and the Sun, superposed. Unfortunately, from this location — in Uruguay looking toward Argentina — clouds obscured the eclipse — which wasn’t completely unexpected. However, after packing up to go home, the beauty of bright red crepuscular rays emerged — quite unexpectedly. Oh — and that island on the horizon — it’s really two islands.

May 30 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1431 Hundred Years’ War: 19 year old Joan of Arc is burned at the stake by an English-dominated tribunal in Rouen, France

1539 Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto‘s expedition of 10 ships and 700 men lands in Florida

1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo between US and Mexico comes into force, giving New Mexico, California and parts of Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Colorado to the US in return for $15 million

1868 “Decoration Day”, later called Memorial Day is first observed in Northern US states

1896 Khodynka Tragedy: Stampeding crowd on Khodynka Field, Moscow, during the festivities for coronation of Russian Tsar Nicholas II, results in the deaths of about 1,300 people

1913 Treaty of London signed by the Great Powers, the Ottoman Empire and the victorious Balkan League (Serbia, Greece, Kingdom of Bulgaria, and Montenegro) bringing an end to the First Balkan War

Today’s Historical Events

1035 Boudouin V van Rijsel becomes earl of Flanders

1087 German emperor Henry IV crowns his son Conrad

1100 Burchard becomes bishop of Utrecht

1381 English peasant uprising begins in Essex

1416 Jerome of Prague burned at the stake for heresy by church Council of Constance

1431 Hundred Years’ War: 19 year old Joan of Arc is burned at the stake by an English-dominated tribunal in Rouen, France

1434 The Battle of Lipany (also called the Battle of Česky Brod), ending Taborites influence

1445 Coronation as Margaret of Anjou as Queen Consort of England at Westminster Abbey

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1949 WRTV TV channel 6 in Indianapolis, IN (ABC) begins broadcasting

1955 KMVT TV channel 11 in Twin Falls, ID (CBS/NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting

1978 31st Cannes Film Festival: “The Tree of Wooden Clogs” directed by Ermanno Olmi wins the Palme d’Or

1981 “Nightline” extends from 4 nights to 5 nights a week (Friday)

1987 North American Philips Company unveils compact disc video

1989 Margaret Ray pleads guilty to breaking into David Letterman‘s house

1996 John Tesh’s final day as host of “Entertainment Tonight”

2000 35th Academy of Country Music Awards: Shania Twain, Faith Hill & Tim McGraw win

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1866 Opera “Die Verkaufte Braut” premieres (Prague)

1917 Jazz standard “Dark Town Strutters Ball” by Shelton Brooks recorded by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band

1923 Howard Hanson‘s 1st Symphony “Nordic” premieres

1938 Walter Piston‘s dance work, The Incredible Flutist, written for the Boston Pops Orchestra, which premieres it, Arthur Fiedler conducting

1952 Darius Milhaud‘s “West Point Suite” premieres

1959 “First Impressions” closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 84 performances

1959 “Nervous Set” closes at Henry Miller‘s Theater NYC after 23 performances

1962 Benjamin Britten‘s “War Requiem” incorporating the poems of Wilfred Owen premieres, marking the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1890 First baseman Dave Foutz hits Brooklyn Bridegrooms’ (later Dodgers) first ever home run during doubleheader defeats to Chicago Colts at Washington Park, Brooklyn

1894 Boston Beaneaters baseball second baseman Bobby Lowe first to hit 4 home runs in MLB game in 20-11 win against Cincinnati Reds

1895 English cricket icon W. G. Grace scores 169 for Gloucestershire against Middlesex at Lord’s for his 1,000th first-class run of the season in just 22 days

1896 First car accident occurs; Henry Wells hits a cyclist in NYC

1899 24th Preakness: R Clawson aboard Half Time wins in 1:47

1903 28th Preakness: W Gannon aboard Flocarline wins in 1:44.8

1906 40th Belmont: Lucien Lyne aboard Burgomaster wins in 2:20

1907 41st Belmont Stakes: George Mountain aboard 3 year old stallion Peter Pan wins

Pagan & Magickal Terms and Definitions

Today’s Word is

Altar

From moonlitpriestess.com

Some terms listed on this page may seem like common-sense words; however, they’re defined here as most often used in Wicca, Witchcraft, and general Paganism. Some terms have a different meaning in general society, other religions, and other sub-cultures.

Please keep this in mind when learning the terms as they’re listed here.

Did you come across a term on this site or another Wiccan/Pagan source that you’re unfamiliar with or uncertain of and can’t find it on this page? Please send us a message so we can add it to this page for you!

If you already know what term you’re looking for, you can use Ctrl-F (Windows) or Cmd-F (Mac) to search. Likewise, if you’re using a tablet or smartphone, you may use your browser’s “Find” setting to search this page.

Altar:

a surface, usually flat, that is set aside for magickal workings and/or communing with spirits; sometimes used as a focus for power. Some traditions use multiple altars devoted to specific purposes.

From Spells8.com

Altar –

A sacred space of devotional or ritual work. This space is usually a table, shelf, or corner where offerings are presented to spirits and where one may perform rituals or spell work.

May 29 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 May 29

Video about Simulation TNG50: A Galaxy Cluster Forms

Simulation TNG50: A Galaxy Cluster Forms

Video Credit: IllustrisTNG Project; Visualization: Dylan Nelson (Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics) et al.
Music: Symphony No. 5 (Ludwig van Beethoven), via YouTube Audio Library

Explanation: How do clusters of galaxies form? Since our universe moves too slowly to watch, faster-moving computer simulations are created to help find out. A recent effort is TNG50 from IllustrisTNG, an upgrade of the famous Illustris Simulation. The first part of the featured video tracks cosmic gas (mostly hydrogen) as it evolves into galaxies and galaxy clusters from the early universe to today, with brighter colors marking faster moving gas. As the universe matures, gas falls into gravitational wells, galaxies forms, galaxies spin, galaxies collide and merge, all while black holes form in galaxy centers and expel surrounding gas at high speeds. The second half of the video switches to tracking stars, showing a galaxy cluster coming together complete with tidal tails and stellar streams. The outflow from black holes in TNG50 is surprisingly complex and details are being compared with our real universe. Studying how gas coalesced in the early universe helps humanity better understand how our Earth, Sun, and Solar System originally formed.

May 29 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1453 Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire falls to the Turks under Mehmed II; ends the Byzantine Empire

1592 Battle of Sacheon: Korean navy led by Admiral Yi Sun Shin repels a Japanese fleet – first use of Korean Turtle ship

1660 On his 30th birthday Charles II returns to London from exile in the Netherlands to claim the English throne after the Puritan Commonwealth comes to an end

1851 Sojourner Truth addresses 1st Black Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio

1953 Edmund Hillary (NZ) and Tenzing Norgay (Nepal) are first to reach the summit of Mount Everest as part of a British Expedition

Today’s Historical Events

363 Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Sassanid capital, but is unable to take the city

757 St Paul I begins his reign as Catholic Pope

1138 Anti-Pope Victor IV (Gregorio) submits himself to Pope Innocentius II

1167 Battle of Monte Porzio: Holy Roman army supporting Pope Alexander III is defeated by Christian of Buch and Rainald of Dassel

1176 Battle at Legnano: Lombard League beats Frederick Barbarossa and the Holy Roman Empire

1233 Chinese city of Kaifeng, capital of the Jurchen Jin dynasty, surrenders to the Mongols under General Subedei after a siege of more than a year

1328 French King Philip VI of Valois crowned at the Cathedral in Reims, France

1415 Pope John XXIII [Baldassare Cossa] formally deposed as Pope at the Conference of Constance, Germany, after he had fled the town in disguise

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1942 Bing Crosby records Irving Berlin’s song “White Christmas”, world’s best-selling single (estimated 100 million copies sold)

1942 “Yankee Doodle Dandy”, based on life of George M. Cohan, directed by Michael Curtiz, starring James Cagney and Joan Lesley, premieres in NYC (Academy Awards Best Actor 1943)

1949 Candid Camera, TV comedy show, moves to NBC

1949 1st British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs): “The Best Years of Our Lives” Best Film

1949 2nd British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs): “Hamlet” Best Film

1950 3rd British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs): “Bicycle Thieves” Best Film

1956 WESH TV channel 2 in Daytona Beach-Orlando, FL (NBC) 1st broadcast

1961 “A Raisin in the Sun”, film adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s stage play, starring the Broadway cast including Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, John Fiedler, and Ivan Dixon premieres

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1753 Joseph Haydn’s first opera “Krumme Teufel” (The Limping Devil) premieres in Vienna

1901 Ignacy Jan Paderewski‘s opera “Manru” has its world premiere in Dresden, Germany

1913 Igor Stravinsky‘s avant-garde ballet score “Le Sacre du Printemps” (The Rite of Spring) for the Ballets Russes premieres at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, provoking a riot

1950 The Carter family debut on the Grand Ole Opry with Chet Atkins

1956 Arnold Schoenberg‘s “Modern Psalm” premieres

1960 Everly Brothers single “Cathy’s Clown” hits #1

1962 4th Grammy Awards: Moon River, Peter Nero win

1971 “Court Room” by Clarence Carter hits #61

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1897 31st Belmont: Joe Scherrer aboard Scottish Chieftain wins in 2:23.25

1900 25th Preakness: H Spencer aboard Hindus wins in 1:48.4

1916 NY Giants win 17th consecutive road game

1922 US Supreme Court rules organized baseball is a sport and not a business and thus not subject to antitrust laws

1940 Adolf Kiefer swims world record 100 yards backstroke (58.8 sec)

1948 French Championships Men’s Tennis: Frank Parker wins 1st of 2 straight French titles; beats Jaroslav Drobný 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 8-6

1948 French Championships Women’s Tennis: Belgium-born but representing France, Nelly Landry beats American Shirley Fry 6-2, 0-6, 6-0 for her lone major title

1954 French Championships Men’s Tennis: Tony Trabert beats Art Larsen 6-4, 7-5, 6-1 for first of 2 straight French singles titles

May 28 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 May 28

RCW 86: Historical Supernova Remnant

Image Credit & Copyright: Martin Pugh

Explanation: In 185 AD, Chinese astronomers recorded the appearance of a new star in the Nanmen asterism. That part of the sky is identified with Alpha and Beta Centauri on modern star charts. The new star was visible for months and is thought to be the earliest recorded supernova. This deep image shows emission nebula RCW 86, understood to be the remnant of that stellar explosion. The narrowband data trace gas ionized by the still expanding shock wave. Space-based images indicate an abundance of the element iron and lack of a neutron star or pulsar in the remnant, suggesting that the original supernova was Type Ia. Unlike the core collapse supernova explosion of a massive star, a Type Ia supernova is a thermonuclear detonation on a a white dwarf star that accretes material from a companion in a binary star system. Near the plane of our Milky Way galaxy and larger than a full moon on the sky this supernova remnant is too faint to be seen by eye though. RCW 86 is some 8,000 light-years distant and around 100 light-years across.

May 28 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

585 BC Solar eclipse, as predicted by Greek philosopher Thales, while Lydians at war with the Medes leads to a truce. One of the cardinal dates from which other dates calculated.

1431 Joan of Arc is accused of relapsing into heresy by donning male clothing again, providing justification for her execution

1588 Spanish Armada under the Duke of Medina-Sidonia departs Lisbon to invade England

1830 US President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, a key law leading to the forced removal of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes out of Georgia and surrounding states, setting the stage for the Cherokee Trail of Tears

1936 Alan Turing submits “On Computable Numbers” for publication, in which he set out the theoretical basis for modern computers.

1972 White House “plumbers” first break in at the Democratic National Headquarters and install listening devices at Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C.

Today’s Historical Events

585 BC Solar eclipse, as predicted by Greek philosopher Thales, while Lydians at war with the Medes leads to a truce. One of the cardinal dates from which other dates calculated.

640 Severinus begins his reign as Catholic Pope (elected in 638)

1037 Holy Roman Emperor Conrad II removes “Constitutio the Feudis”

1156 Battle at Brindisi: Norman-Sicillian King William beats Byzantine fleet under John Doukas and Alexios Bryennios

1349 60 Jews murdered in Breslau, Silesia

1358 Daint-Leu at Oise begins French boer uprising

1431 Joan of Arc is accused of relapsing into heresy by donning male clothing again, providing justification for her execution

1521 Pope Leo X signs treaty with Holy Roman Emperor Charles V

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

 

1858 Dion Boucicault‘s play “Foul Play” premieres in London

1951 The Jerry Colonna Show debuts on ABC-TV

1951 Radio programme “Crazy People” (later titled The Goon Show) premieres on the BBC, created by Spike Milligan

1953 Premier of 1st animated 3-D cartoon in Technicolor-“Melody”

1957 WPSD TV channel 6 in Paducah, KY (NBC) begins broadcasting

1960 Frank Loesser’s musical “Greenwillow”, starring Anthony Perkins, closes at Alvin Theater, NYC, after 95 performances

1962 Wide World of Sports with Chris Schenkel premieres on CBS radio

1974 26th Emmy Awards: M*A*S*H, Alan Alda & Mary Tyler Moore win, 1st Daytime Award presentation and “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” wins 5 awards, including Cicely Tyson for Dramatic Performance

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1906 Shields and Cobbs’ musical “His Honor, The Mayor” premieres in NYC

1938 Paul Hindemith‘s opera “Mathis der Maler” premieres in Zurich

1940 Irving Berlin‘s musical “Louisiana Purchase”, satirizing Huey Long’s political power, opens at The Imperial Theatre, NYC; runs for 444 performances

1959 Johnson & Bart’s musical “Lock Up Your Daughters” premieres in London

1964 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 9th String quartet

1966 “Ballad Of Irving”, parody song by Frank Gallop peaks at #34 in US

1966 Dmitri Shostakovich‘s 11th String quartet premieres in Leningrad

1967 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 2nd Violin concert

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1742 1st indoor swimming pool opens (Goodman’s Fields, London)

1875 3rd Preakness: L Hughes aboard Tom Ochiltree wins in 2:43.5

1880 8th Preakness: L Hughes aboard Grenada wins in 2:40.5

1901 26th Preakness: Fred Landry aboard The Parader wins in 1:47.2

1904 29th Preakness: Eugene Hildebrand aboard Bryn Mawr wins in 1:44.2

1912 Jackie Matthews takes 2 cricket hat-tricks same day Australia v South Africa

1927 Hammond scores his 1,000th cricket run of the season after 22 days

1934 Jack Hobbs scores his 197th (or 199th) and last 1st class cricket century at 51 years and 163 days of age [1]

Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence Digest for Friday

Magickal Intentions: Love, Romance, Marriage, Sexual Matters, Physical Beauty, Friendship and Partnerships, Strangers and Heart
Incense: Strawberry, Sandalwood, Rose, Saffron and Vanilla
Planet: Venus
Sign: Libra and Taurus
Angel: Ariel
Colors: Green, Pink, Aqua
Herbs/Plants: Pink Rose, Ivy, Birch, Heather, Clematis, Sage, Violet and Water Lilly Stones: Rose Quartz, Moonstone, Pink Tourmaline, Peridot, Emerald and Jade
Oil: (Venus) Cardamom, Palmrosa, Rose, Yarrow

Friday belongs to Venus, and its energies are warm, sensuous, and fulfilling. Efforts that involve any type of pleasure, comfort, and luxury, as well as the arts, music, or aroma (incense and perfume) works well on this day. As Venus lends its sensuous influences to the energies of this day, use it for any magical work that deals with matters of the heart.

May 27 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 May 27

Titan: Moon over Saturn

Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Space Science Institute

Explanation: Like Earth’s moon, Saturn’s largest moon Titan is locked in synchronous rotation. This mosaic of images recorded by the Cassini spacecraft in May of 2012 shows its anti-Saturn side, the side always facing away from the ringed gas giant. The only moon in the solar system with a dense atmosphere, Titan is the only solar system world besides Earth known to have standing bodies of liquid on its surface and an earthlike cycle of liquid rain and evaporation. Its high altitude layer of atmospheric haze is evident in the Cassini view of the 5,000 kilometer diameter moon over Saturn’s rings and cloud tops. Near center is the dark dune-filled region known as Shangri-La. The Cassini-delivered Huygens probe rests below and left of center, after the most distant landing for a spacecraft from Earth.

May 27 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1679 Habeas Corpus Act passes in England, strengthening a person’s right to challenge unlawful arrest and imprisonment

1703 Saint Petersburg (Leningrad) founded by Russian Tsar Peter the Great

1873 Heinrich Schliemann discovers “Priam’s Treasure” a cache of gold and other objects in Hisarlik (Troy) in Anatolia

1905 Japanese fleet destroys the Russian East Sea fleet in the Battle of Tsushima, the only decisive clash between modern steel battleships in history

1940 British and Allied forces begin the evacuation of Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo) during WWII

1963 Jomo Kenyatta elected 1st Prime Minister of Kenya

1999 The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia indicts Slobodan Milošević and four others for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Kosovo

2006 Earthquake strikes Java, Indonesia at 5:53:58 AM local time (22:53:58 UTC May 26) devastating Bantul and the city of Yogyakarta, killing over 6,600 people

Today’s Historical Events

927 Battle of the Bosnian Highlands: Simeon I of Bulgaria is defeated by King Tomislav of Croatia

1120 Richard III of Capua is anointed as prince two weeks before his untimely death

1199 John crowned King of England after the death of his brother Richard I

1281 Flemish Earl Gwijde Dampierre takes financial responsibility of Brugge

1529 30 Jews of Posing, Hungary, charged with blood ritual, burned at stake

1644 Battle of Shanhai Pass: Li Zicheng’s army defeated by combined Ming and Manchu force

1660 Denmark & Sweden sign The Treaty Of Copenhagen, ends Second Northern War

1679 Habeas Corpus Act passes in England, strengthening a person’s right to challenge unlawful arrest and imprisonment

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1933 Walt Disney’s short film “3 Little Pigs” released (Academy Award Best Animated film 1934)

1949 Martin Canine, cartoon character, spoofs Martin Kane

1955 “The Red Buttons Show”, last airs on NBC-TV

1969 Jerry Lewis Show second run, last airs on NBC-TV

1969 Walt Disney World construction begins at Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida

1971 24th Cannes Film Festival: “The Go-Between” directed by Joseph Losey wins the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film

1977 30th Cannes Film Festival: “Padre Padrone” directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani wins the Palme d’Or

1977 The Sex Pistols release “God Save the Queen”, sparking major controversy and leading to a ban on the song by the BBC

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1796 James S McLean patents his piano

1906 1st outlining of Gustav Mahler’s 6th symphony, in Essen

1950 “Arms & the Girl” closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 134 performances

1957 Toronto’s CHUM-AM, (1050 kHz) becomes Canada’s first radio station to broadcast only top 40 Rock n’ Roll music format

1967 “Sherry!” closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 65 performances

1971 John Lennon records the song “Imagine” at his Ascot Sound home studio at Tittenhurst Park, England

1972 “Applause” closes at Palace Theater NYC after 900 performances

1972 Jimmy Castor Bunch’s “Troglodyte (Cave Man)” hits #6

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1878 Australian cricket fast bowler Fred Spofforth takes 10-20 (6-4 and 4-16) in quick-fire 9 wicket tour match win over the MCC in London

1881 9th Preakness: T Costello aboard Saunterer wins in 2:40.5

1882 10th Preakness: T Costello aboard Vanguard wins in 2:44.5

1902 27th Preakness: L Jackson aboard Old England wins in 1:45.8

1903 37th Belmont: John Bullman aboard Africander wins in 2:21.75

1904 NY Giants first baseman Dan McGann collects MLB record 5 stolen bases in 3-1 win over the Brooklyn Superbas at the Polo Grounds in NYC; record broken in 1991 by Otis Nixon

1905 30th Preakness: W Davis aboard Cairngore wins in 1:45.8

May 26 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 May 26

NGC 4565: Galaxy on Edge

Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Sherick

Explanation: Magnificent spiral galaxy NGC 4565 is viewed edge-on from planet Earth. Also known as the Needle Galaxy for its narrow profile, bright NGC 4565 is a stop on many telescopic tours of the northern sky, in the faint but well-groomed constellation Coma Berenices. This sharp, colorful image reveals the galaxy’s boxy, bulging central core cut by obscuring dust lanes that lace NGC 4565’s thin galactic plane. NGC 4565 itself lies about 40 million light-years distant and spans some 100,000 light-years. Easily spotted with small telescopes, sky enthusiasts consider NGC 4565 to be a prominent celestial masterpiece Messier missed.

May 25 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 May 25

The Lively Center of the Lagoon Nebula

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & Copyright: Mehmet Hakan Özsaraç

Explanation: The center of the Lagoon Nebula is a whirlwind of spectacular star formation. Visible near the image center, at least two long funnel-shaped clouds, each roughly half a light-year long, have been formed by extreme stellar winds and intense energetic starlight. A tremendously bright nearby star, Herschel 36, lights the area. Vast walls of dust hide and redden other hot young stars. As energy from these stars pours into the cool dust and gas, large temperature differences in adjoining regions can be created generating shearing winds which may cause the funnels. This picture, spanning about 10 light years, combines images taken in six colors by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. The Lagoon Nebula, also known as M8, lies about 5000 light years distant toward the constellation of the Archer (Sagittarius).

 

Almost hyperspace: Random APOD Generator

May 25 Today in History and a Pagan Word for Today

Today’s Important Historical Events

1720 The Ship “Le Grand St Antoine” reaches Marseille, bringing Europe’s last major plague outbreak. Kills around 100,000.

1810 In the May Revolution, citizens of Buenos Aires expel the Spanish Viceroy Cisneros during Semana de Mayo

1914 British House of Commons passes the Irish Home Rule Bill

1961 JFK announces US goal of putting a man on the Moon before the end of decade

2020 Video of African American George Floyd‘s arrest and murder while restrained in Minneapolis police custody shows he was pinned to the ground by police officer Derek Chauvin’s knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, ignites widespread condemnation and nationwide protests

2021 US CDC says half of all US adults are now fully vaccinated, with 61% having had their first shot

Today’s Historical Events

1085 Alfonso VI of León and Castile captures the Muslim taifa of Toledo

1241 1st attack on Jewish community of Frankfurt am Main, Germany

1420 Henry the Navigator is appointed governor of the Order of Christ

1521 Edict of Worms outlaws Martin Luther and his followers

1522 Holy Roman Emperor Charles V returns to Spain

1571 Pope Pius V forms The Holy League to fight the Ottomans with other Catholic maritime states including Spain, Venice, Naples and Sicily

1632 Albrecht von Wallenstein recaptures Prague on Saksen

1659 Richard Cromwell resigns as Lord Protector of England, earning the nickname “Tumbledown Dick” as a result of his abrupt fall from power

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1932 Goofy, aka Dippy Dawg, 1st appears in ‘Mickey’s Revue’ by Walt Disney

1943 Agnes Moorehead appears in “Sorry, Wrong Number” on the radio program “Suspense”, her most successful appearance

1953 1st non-commercial educational television station – Houston, Texas

1964 16th Emmy Awards: “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, Dick Van Dyke & Mary Tyler Moore win

1964 Frank Gilroy’s dramatic play “The Subject Was Roses”, starring Jack Albertson and Martin Sheen, opens at Royale Theatre, NYC; runs for 832 performances; wins Pulitzer Prize, and 2 Tony Awards

1966 “Au Hasard Balthazar”, French film directed by Robert Bresson, starring Anne Wiazemsky and François Lafarge, is released

1969 “Midnight Cowboy” directed by John Schlesinger and starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman is released (Academy Awards Best Picture 1970)

1973 26th Cannes Film Festival: “The Hireling” directed by Alan Bridges and “Scarecrow” directed by Jerry Schatzberg jointly awarded the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1878 W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan’s comic opera “H.M.S. Pinafore” premieres in London, their first international success

1887 Gas lamp at Paris Opera catches fire; 200 die

1934 Béla Bartók’s “Cantata Profana – The Nine Enchanted Stags” premieres in London, England, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Wireless Chorus conducted by Aylmer Buesst

1957 “Shinbone Alley” closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 49 performances

1962 Isley Brothers release “Twist & Shout”

1963 “Hot Spot” closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 43 performances

1965 Dave Davies of The Kinks knocked unconscious in an on stage scuffle with drummer Mick Avory at Cardiff’s Capital Theatre

1967 John Lennon takes delivery of his psychedelically painted Rolls Royce

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1868 Australian Aboriginal Cricket tour of England begins v Surrey Gentlemen

1876 4th Preakness: G. Barbee aboard Shirley wins in 2:44.75

1895 20th Preakness: Fred Taral aboard Belmar wins in 1:50.5

1899 33rd Belmont: R. Clawson aboard Jean Beraud wins in 2:23

1900 Retired London fire master Eyre Massey Shaw aged 70 reputedly becomes oldest gold medalist in Olympics for sailing (disputed)

1904 38th Belmont: George Odom aboard Delhi wins in 2:06.6

1906 After 20 straight wins, Boston Pilgrims lose to Chicago White Sox 3-0

1919 Casey Stengel releases a sparrow from under his baseball cap

Pagan & Magickal Terms and Definitions

From moonlitpriestess.com

Some terms listed on this page may seem like common-sense words; however, they’re defined here as most often used in Wicca, Witchcraft, and general Paganism. Some terms have a different meaning in general society, other religions, and other sub-cultures.

Please keep this in mind when learning the terms as they’re listed here.

Did you come across a term on this site or another Wiccan/Pagan source that you’re unfamiliar with or uncertain of and can’t find it on this page? Please send us a message so we can add it to this page for you!

If you already know what term you’re looking for, you can use Ctrl-F (Windows) or Cmd-F (Mac) to search. Likewise, if you’re using a tablet or smartphone, you may use your browser’s “Find” setting to search this page.

Today’s Word is

Alchemy

An art-science hybrid that ultimately led to chemistry; concerned with the transmutation of matter, often involved attempts to convert base metals into gold or create a universal elixir.

May 24 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 May 24

A Deep Sky Behind an Eclipsed Moon

Image Credit & Copyright: Andrei Ionut Dascalu

Explanation: The plan was to capture a picturesque part of the sky that was hosting an unusual guest. The result included a bonus — an additional and unexpected guest. The beautiful background features part of the central band of our Milky Way galaxy on the far left, and the colorful clouds of Rho Ophiuchi in the image center. The unusual guest, a dimmed and reddened Moon on the right, was expected because the image was taken during last week’s total lunar eclipse. The timing had to be right because the Moon — both before and after eclipse — would be so bright it would overwhelm the background. The unexpected guest was the bright meteor across the image center. The fleeting meteor streak was captured on only one of the 10 consecutively-captured deep-field images from La Palma in the Spanish Canary Islands, while the eclipsed Moon image was taken immediately afterwards with the same camera and from the same location. The next total lunar eclipse — also quite expected — will occur in early November.

 

Notable Submissions to APOD: Total Lunar Eclipse of 2022 May

May 24 Today in History and a Pagan Word for Today

Today’s Important Historical Events

1595 Nomenclator of Leiden University Library appears, the first printed catalog of an institutional library

1738 John Wesley is converted, launching the Methodist movement; celebrated annually by Methodists as Aldersgate Day

1844 Samuel Morse taps out “What hath God wrought” in the world’s first telegraph message

1941 German battleship Bismarck sinks the British battle cruiser HMS Hood; 1,416 die, 3 survive

1988 Section 28 passed as law by Parliament in the United Kingdom prohibiting the promotion of homosexuality. Repealed 2001/2004

Today’s Historical Events

1086 Abbott Dauferio/Desiderius becomes Pope Victor III

1153 Malcolm IV becomes King of Scots

1218 The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt

1276 Magnus Ladulås is crowned King of Sweden in Uppsala Cathedral

1300 King Philip IV occupies Flanders, Earl Gwijde captured

1370 Hanzesteden signs peace treaty with Danish king Waldemar IV

1487 Imposter Lambert Simnel ceremony crowned as King Edward VI in Dublin

1595 Nomenclator of Leiden University Library appears, the first printed catalog of an institutional library

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1895 Henry Irving becomes the first actor to receive a knighthood

1963 Barbra Streisand performs “Happy Days Are Here Again” at White House Press Correspondents Dinner, and meets US President John F. Kennedy

1964 The Beatles’ 4th appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show”, features an interview and pre-recorded performance of “You Can’t Do That”

1966 Jerry Herman’s musical “Mame”, starring Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur, opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 1508 performances, wins 3 Tony Awards

1974 “The Dean Martin Show” last airs on NBC-TV

1974 27th Cannes Film Festival: “The Conversation” directed by Francis Ford Coppola wins the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film

1979 32nd Cannes Film Festival: “Apocalypse Now” directed by Francis Ford Coppola and “Die Biechtrommel” directed by Volker Schlondorff jointly awarded the Palme d’Or

1988 Porntip Nakhirunkanok, 19, of Thailand, crowned 37th Miss Universe

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1873 Leo Delibes’ opera “Le Roi l’a Dit” (“The King Has Spoken”) premieres at the Opéra-Comique in Paris

1873 Alexandra Palace opens on Queen Victoria‘s 54th birthday with a grand celebration including concerts, recitals and fireworks

1933 Dmitri Shostakovich‘s Preludes premieres in Moscow

1948 Benjamin Britten‘s “Beggar’s Opera” premieres at Arts Theatre, Cambridge, England

1956 1st Eurovision Song Contest: Lys Assia for Switzerland wins singing “Refrain” in Lugano

1958 “New Girl in Town” closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 432 performances

1968 Mick Jagger & Marianne Faithfull arrested for drug possession in England

1969 Beatles’ “Get Back” single goes #1 and stays #1 for 5 weeks

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1877 5th Preakness: C Holloway aboard Cloverbrook wins in 2:45.5

1879 7th Preakness: L Hughes aboard Harold wins in 2:40.5

1900 34th Belmont: Nash Turner aboard Ildrim wins in 2:21¼

1905 39th Belmont: Eugene Hildebrand aboard Tanya wins in 2:08

1918 Cleveland Indians Stan Coveleski sets club record for most innings pitched (19) as the Indians beat the Yankees 3-2

1926 Paavo Nurmi runs world record 3000 m (8:25.4)

1928 Record 12 future Hall of Famers take the field, as Yanks beat A’s 9-7

1929 Detroit Tigers beats Chicago White Sox, 6-5, in 21 innings

Pagan & Magickal Terms and Definitions

From moonlitpriestess.com

Some terms listed on this page may seem like common-sense words; however, they’re defined here as most often used in Wicca, Witchcraft, and general Paganism. Some terms have a different meaning in general society, other religions, and other sub-cultures.

Please keep this in mind when learning the terms as they’re listed here.

Did you come across a term on this site or another Wiccan/Pagan source that you’re unfamiliar with or uncertain of and can’t find it on this page? Please send us a message so we can add it to this page for you!

If you already know what term you’re looking for, you can use Ctrl-F (Windows) or Cmd-F (Mac) to search. Likewise, if you’re using a tablet or smartphone, you may use your browser’s “Find” setting to search this page.

Today’s Word is

Aisling

a dream vision

May 23 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 May 23

The Once and Future Stars of Andromeda

Image Credit: NASA, NSF, NOAJ, Hubble, Subaru, Mayall, DSS, Spitzer; Processing & Copyright: Robert Gendler & Russell Croman

Explanation: This picture of Andromeda shows not only where stars are now, but where stars will soon be. Of course, the big, beautiful Andromeda Galaxy, M31, is a spiral galaxy — and a mere 2.5 million light-years away. Both space-based and ground-based observatories have been here combined to produce this intriguing composite image of Andromeda, at wavelengths both inside and outside normally visible light. The visible light shows where M31’s stars are now — as highlighted in white and blue hues and imaged by the Hubble, Subaru, and Mayall telescopes. The infrared light shows where M31’s future stars will soon form — as highlighted in orange hues and imaged by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. The infrared light tracks enormous lanes of dust, warmed by stars, sweeping along Andromeda’s spiral arms. This dust is a tracer of the galaxy’s vast interstellar gas — the raw material for future star formation. These new stars will likely form over the next hundred million years, surely well before Andromeda merges with our Milky Way Galaxy in about 5 billion years.

May 23 Today in History and a Pagan Word for Today

Today’s Important Historical Events

1618 Second Defenestration of Prague: Two Catholic Lords Regent and their secretary are thrown out of a window and amazingly are not seriously injured by the 70 foot (21m) fall. Triggers the Thirty Years’ War.

1785 Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals

1813 South American independence leader Simón Bolívar enters Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, and is proclaimed El Libertador (“The Liberator”)

1949 Federal Republic of [West] Germany created out of the American, British and French occupation zones

1958 Mao Zedong starts the “Great Leap Forward” movement in China

1998 The Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a referendum in Northern Ireland with 75% voting yes.

Today’s Historical Events

1040 Battle of Dandanaqan: Tughril‘s Seljuk army defeats Ghaznavid force, near Merv (present-day Turkmenistan), brings about the fall of the Ghaznavid Empire

1059 Henri I crowns his son King Philip I (called the Amorous) of France

1275 King Edward I of England orders cessation of persecution of French Jews

1420 Jews of Syria and Austria expelled

1421 Jews of Austria imprisoned & expelled

1430 Joan of Arc is captured at Compiegne and sold to the English

1493 King Charles VIII & Maximilian I of Austria sign Peace of Senlis

1536 Pope Paul III installs Portuguese inquisition

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1922 Walt Disney incorporates his 1st film company Laugh-O-Gram Films

1953 WHIZ TV channel 18 in Zanesville, OH (NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting

1960 WGTV TV channel 8 in Athens-Atlanta, GA (PBS) begins broadcasting

1960 WRCA radio changes call letters back to WNBC (NYC)

1962 15th Cannes Film Festival: “Keeper of Promises” directed by Anselmo Duarte wins the Palme d’Or

1963 NBC purchases 1963 AFL championship game TV rights for $926,000

1963 16th Cannes Film Festival: “The Leopard” directed by Luchino Visconti wins the Palme d’Or

1969 BBC orders 13 episodes of Monty Python‘s Flying Circus

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1921 Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake’s musical “Shuffle Along” premieres on Broadway at Daly’s 63rd Street Theatre, New York City [1]

1922 Comedic play “Abie’s Irish Rose” premieres at Fulton Theatre, NYC; runs for 2,327 performances (longest run at the time)

1939 Dmitri Shostakovich appointed professor at conservatory of Leningrad

1959 “Party with Comden & Green” closes at John Golden NYC after 44 performances

1960 “Finian’s Rainbow” opens at 46th St Theater NYC for 12 performances

1960 “Got A Girl” by The Four Preps hits #24

1968 Beatles open 2nd Apple Boutique at 161 New Kings Road, London

1969 The Who release rock opera “Tommy”

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1873 1st Preakness Stakes: G. Barbee aboard Survivor wins in 2:43 at Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland

1883 9th Kentucky Derby: William Donohue aboard Leonatus wins in 2:43

1884 12th Preakness: S Fisher aboard Knight of Ellerslie wins in 2:39.5

1901 35th Belmont: H Spencer aboard Commando wins in 2:21

1922 Future World Heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney suffers his only professional defeat in 15-round unanimous points decision against Harry Greb at Madison Square Garden, NY

1926 Chicago Cub’s Hack Wilson is 1st to hit a home run off Wrigley Field scoreboard

1932 Australian cyclist Hubert Opperman sets paced world records 1,384km in 24 hours, and 1,609km (1,000 miles) in 28 hours, 55 minutes, 39 seconds at Melbourne Motordrome

1941 In his 20th World Heavyweight Boxing title defence Joe Louis knocks out Buddy Baer in round 1 at New York’s Madison Square Garden

Pagan & Magickal Terms and Definitions

From moonlitpriestess.com

Some terms listed on this page may seem like common-sense words; however, they’re defined here as most often used in Wicca, Witchcraft, and general Paganism. Some terms have a different meaning in general society, other religions, and other sub-cultures.

Please keep this in mind when learning the terms as they’re listed here.

Did you come across a term on this site or another Wiccan/Pagan source that you’re unfamiliar with or uncertain of and can’t find it on this page? Please send us a message so we can add it to this page for you!

If you already know what term you’re looking for, you can use Ctrl-F (Windows) or Cmd-F (Mac) to search. Likewise, if you’re using a tablet or smartphone, you may use your browser’s “Find” setting to search this page.

Today’s Word is

Acolyte:

a novice; person in training or apprenticeship.

May 22 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 May 22

A Large Tsunami Shock Wave on the Sun

Image Credit: NSO/AURA/NSF and USAF Research Laboratory

Explanation: Tsunamis this large don’t happen on Earth. During 2006, a large solar flare from an Earth-sized sunspot produced a tsunami-type shock wave that was spectacular even for the Sun. Pictured here, the tsunami wave was captured moving out from active region AR 10930 by the Optical Solar Patrol Network (OSPAN) telescope in New Mexico, USA. The resulting shock wave, known technically as a Moreton wave, compressed and heated up gasses including hydrogen in the photosphere of the Sun, causing a momentarily brighter glow. The featured image was taken in a very specific red color emitted exclusively by hydrogen gas. The rampaging tsunami took out some active filaments on the Sun, although many re-established themselves later. The solar tsunami spread at nearly one million kilometers per hour, and circled the entire Sun in a matter of minutes.

May 21 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 May 21

Planetary Nebula Abell 7

Image Credit & Copyright: Donald Waid, Ron Dilulio

Explanation: Very faint planetary nebula Abell 7 is some 1,800 light-years distant, just south of Orion in planet Earth’s skies in the constellation Lepus, The Hare. Surrounded by Milky Way stars and near the line-of-sight to distant background galaxies, its generally simple spherical shape, about 8 light-years in diameter, is outlined in this deep telescopic image. Within its confines are beautiful, more complex details enhanced by the use of narrowband filters. Emission from hydrogen is shown in reddish hues with oxygen emission mapped to green and blue colors, giving Abell 7 a natural appearance that would otherwise be much too faint to be appreciated by eye. A planetary nebula represents a very brief final phase in stellar evolution that our own Sun will experience 5 billion years hence, as the nebula’s central, once sun-like star shrugs off its outer layers. Abell 7 itself is estimated to be 20,000 years old. Its central star is seen here as a fading white dwarf some 10 billion years old.

May 21 Today in History and the Word of the Day

Today’s Important Historical Events

1792 Mount Unzen on Japan’s Shimabara Peninsula, erupts creating a tsunami, killing about 15,000; Japan’s deadliest volcanic eruption

1832 1st US Democratic National Convention held in Baltimore

1871 -July 28] French regular troops attack Commune of Paris; 17,000 die

1927 Aviator Charles Lindbergh, in the Spirit of St Louis, lands in Paris after the first solo air crossing of Atlantic

1932 After flying for 17 hours from Newfoundland, Amelia Earhart lands near Londonderry, Northern Ireland, becoming the 1st transatlantic solo flight by a woman

Today’s Historical Events

878 Syracuse is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily

879 Pope John VIII gives blessings to duke Branimir and to Croatian people, considered to be international recognition of the Croatian state

996 Pope Gregory V crowns his cousin Otto III as Holy Roman Emperor in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome

1040 King Henry III gives Utrecht the Groninger currency

1216 French crown prince Louis enters England, having been invited by barons at war with King John

1260 Hao Jing, envoy of Mongol leader Kublai Khan imprisoned by order of the high Chancellor of China, Jia Sidao at the Song Dynasty court of Emperor Lizong while attempting to negotiate with the Song

1281 Kublai Khan‘s second invasion of Japan begins with an attack on Tsushima Island but meets fierce resistance; his troops are forced to withdraw

1382 Earthquake centered on Dover Straits with estimated magnitude of 6.0 causes widespread damage, including to Canterbury Cathedral

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1908 1st American horror movie silent film “Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde” premieres in Chicago

1922 Rollin Kirby’s “On the Road to Moscow” is the 1st cartoon to receive a Pulitzer Prize

1955 WFRV TV channel 5 in Green Bay, Wisconsin (ABC/NBC) begins broadcasting

1956 WITI TV channel 6 in Milwaukee, WI (CBS/ABC) begins broadcasting

1968 Paul McCartney and girlfriend Jane Asher attend an Andy Williams concert

1968 WEKW TV channel 52 in Keene, NH (PBS) begins broadcasting

1980 “Star Wars Episode V – Empire Strikes Back”, produced by George Lucas opens in cinemas in UK and North America

1981 Kim Seelbrede, (Ohio), crowned 30th Miss USA

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1892 Ruggero Leoncavallo’s opera “I Pagliacci” premieres in Milan

1941 Singer Johan Heesters visits Dachau concentration camp

1955 Harold Arlen and Truman Capote‘ musical “House of Flowers” closes at Alvin Theater, NYC, after 165 performances

1959 “Gypsy” opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 702 performances

1960 Leontyne Price becomes the first African American to sing the lead at Teatro alla Scala in Milan in “Aida”

1966 “Downtown” by Mrs Miller hits #82

1966 “Time for Singing” opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 41 performances

1966 Louie Louie by The Kingsmen reentered the chart & hits #97

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1819 1st bicycles (swift walkers) in US introduced in NYC

1866 1st-class debut of cricketer Fred Grace aged 15 years 159 days at the Magdalen Ground, Oxford

1878 4th Kentucky Derby: Jimmy Carter aboard Day Star wins in 2:37.25

1881 US National Lawn Tennis Association is established in NYC, New York

1886 14th Preakness: S Fisher aboard Bard wins in 2:45

1891 Australian boxer Peter Jackson and future world heavyweight champion Jim Corbett fight a No Contest in 61 rounds at California Athletic Club, San Francisco

1904 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) forms in Paris

1907 32nd Preakness: G Mountain aboard Don Enrique wins in 1:45.4

Today’s Word is

Namby-pamby

Brought to you by wordoftheday.net

Namby-pamby / adjective / nam·by-pam·by

Namby-pamby is the word we use to describe people believed to be lacking in strength or courage. We see someone described as “namby-pamby” as feeble or spineless in response to situations that call for a stronger behavior response.

People often associate the word “namby-pamby” with a male who is behaving in an “effeminate” fashion. Being called a “namby-pamby” is not a compliment. It is a sign that whomever is doing the name-calling lacks respect for the person who is the subject of their verbal attacks.

Etymology

The English word namby-pamby entered language in the mid-1700s around 1745. We derived it from early Ambrose and adopted it into popular use in the mid-18th century. Etymologists say the word was initially used to describe the characteristics of an English writer ridiculed by the public and leading officials of the time. We use namby-pamby as both an adjective and a noun with its original meaning.

In a Sentence

The namby-pamby just stood by and watched while his family was in danger.

The employees all secretly called their boss a namby-pamby behind his back.

Stop acting like such a namby-pamby and step up to the plate!

Synonym

Effeminate, Spineless

Antonym

Backboned, Strong