Tag: Daily Witch Correspondences

May 20 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 20

A View from Earth’s Shadow

Image Credit & Copyright: Maxime Oudoux

Explanation: This serene sand and skyscape finds the Dune of Pilat on the coast of France still in Earth’s shadow during the early morning hours of May 16. Extending into space, the planet’s dark umbral shadow covered the Moon on that date. From that location the total phase of a lunar eclipse had begun before moonset. Still in sunlight though, the International Space Station crossed from the western horizon and Earth’s largest artificial moon traced the bright flat arc through the sky over 400 km above. Simply constructed, the well-planned panoramic scene was captured over a 5 minutes in a series of consecutive images.

May 20 Today in History and the Word of the Day

Today’s Important Historical Events

1498 Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrives at Calicut, India becoming the first European to reach India by sea

1609 Shakespeare‘s Sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by publisher Thomas Thorpe

1862 US President Abraham Lincoln signs into law the Homestead Act to provide cheap land for the settlement of the American West (80 million acres by 1900)

1864 Spotsylvania campaign in US Civil War ends after 10,920 killed or injured

1927 At 7:40 AM, Charles Lindbergh takes off from New York to cross the Atlantic for Paris, aboard Spirit of St Louis in the 1st solo nonstop transatlantic flight

1927 Treaty of Jeddah is signed between the United Kingdom and Ibn Saud recognizing the independence of the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd

1990 Hubble Space Telescope sends its 1st photographs from space

Today’s Historical Events

325 First Council of Nicaea – 1st ecumenical council of Christian bishops at Nicaea, Asia Minor

685 Battle of Nechtansmere/Dun Nechtain: Picts led by Brude MacBeli beat Northumbrians led by their king Ecgfrith in Scotland

1217 Second Battle of Lincoln fought near Lincoln, England, resulting in the defeat of Prince Louis of France by William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke

1293 Earthquake strikes Kamakura Japan, 30,000 killed

1293 King Sancho IV of Castile creates the Study of General Schools of Alcalá

1303 Treaty of Paris restores Gascony to the English and arranges marriage of English Prince Edward to French Princess Isabella

1310 Shoes were made for both right & left feet

1347 Rienzo calls Rome for people’s tribunal

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1891 1st public display of Thomas Edison‘s prototype kinetoscope to members of the National Federation of Women’s Club

1895 1st commercial movie performance (153 Broadway, NYC)

1926 Thomas Edison says Americans prefer silent movies over talkies

1960 13th Cannes Film Festival: “The Sweet Life” directed by Federico Fellini wins the Palme d’Or

1966 19th Cannes Film Festival: “A Man and a Woman” directed by Claude Lelouch and “The Birds, the Bees and the Italians” directed by Pietro Germi jointly awarded the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film

1967 BBC bans the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” because of drug references

1970 Beatles’ “Let it Be” movie premieres in UK

1973 25th Emmy Awards: Waltons, All in the Family & Mary Tyler Moore win

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1896 The six ton chandelier of the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris falls on the crowd resulting in the death of one and the injury of many others

1961 Henzes opera “Elegy for Young Lovers,” premieres in Schwetzingen

1972 “Different Times” closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 24 performances

1972 “Hard Job Being God” closes at Edison Theater NYC after 6 performances

1973 “2 Gentlemen of Verona” closes at St James Theater NYC after 613 performances

1979 “I Love My Wife” closes at Barrymore Theater NYC after 864 performances

1979 Elton John is the 1st western pop star to tour USSR

1980 Drummer Peter Criss quits rock band Kiss

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1734 1st Jockey Club forms in South Carolina

1879 5th Kentucky Derby: Charlie Shauer aboard Lord Murphy wins in 2:37

1897 British Open Men’s Golf, Royal Liverpool GC: English amateur Harold Hilton wins 2nd Open title by 1 stroke from Scot James Braid

1900 Second modern Summer Olympics (Games of the II Olympiad) opens in Paris and continues for 5 months

1913 38th Preakness: James Butwell aboard Buskin wins in 1:53.4

1920 Policemen raid the Cubs’ bleachers & arrest 24 fans for gambling

1922 Babe Ruth and Bob Meusel, previously suspended by Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, return to the NY lineup and go hitless

1930 University of California dedicates $1,500 to research on prevention & cure of athlete’s foot

Today’s Word is

Hygge

Brought to you by wordoftheday.net

Hygge / noun/ hyoo·guh

Danish speakers use the word “hygge” to represent a relaxed, laid-back, and comfortable vibe created by enjoying the simpler things in life. We use hygge to represent the feeling invoked by engaging in simple activities that relieve stress and provide opportunities for having pleasing conversations and making genuine connections with others. Hygge relates to comfort, well-being, coziness, and contentment, with a warm atmosphere filled with pleasant people.

In a Sentence

The woman felt an incredible sense of hygge upon entering the sacred temple.

Denmark is famous for spreading the love and hygge for visitors and countrymen.

Doing yoga within a group gives some people a pleasurable sense of hygge.

Etymology

Although we most recognize “hygge” in the Danish language, the word actually entered the language as Norwegian. “Hygge” entered the language carrying the same meaning as ‘well-being.’ Danish adopted the word into their language system around the end of the 18th century. They’ve been using “hygge” to represent contentment, well-being, and the best of Denmark for residents and tourists since the late 1800s.

Synonyms

Comfortable, Comfy

Antonyms

Rude, Hard

Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence Digest for Thursday

From GypsyWolf.weebly.com

Thursday is the fifth day of the week.   In the Norse languages this day is called Torsdag, honoring Thor, the god of strength, fertility, thunder, the protector and defender in war, and son of Odin.  Thor is the counterpart of Zeus (Greek), and Jupiter or Jove (Roman).  Thor, the most beloved of the great gods of northern mythology, is the only god who cannot cross from earth to heaven across the rainbow bridge, for he is so heavy and powerful that the gods fear it will break under his weight.  It was said that whenever his hammer Mjollnir, was thrown, it would produce a thunderbolt and when struck against stone, it would create lightning.

Thursday

Latin: Dies Jovis (“Jove’s Day”), after Jove or Jupiter, the almighty Roman God.
French: jeudi
Italian: giovedi
Spanish: el jueves
German: Donnerstag
Dutch: donderdag

Rules: Expansion, wealth, prosperity, political power, legal matters, spirituality, meditation.
Colors: Purple, Deep Blue
Planet: Jupiter
Metal: Tin, associated with the thunderbolt of Jupiter (Zeus in Greek myth)
Stones: Amethyst, Lepidolite, Sugilite
Herbs: Anise, Cinquefoil, Clove, Honeysuckle, Hyssop, Maple, Nutmeg, Oakmoss, Sage, Sarsaparilla, Sassafras, Star Anise
Zodiac: Sagittarius

May 19 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 19

A Digital Lunar Eclipse

Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Cain

Explanation: Recorded on May 15/16 this sequence of exposures follows the Full Moon during a total lunar eclipse as it arcs above treetops in the clearing skies of central Florida. A frame taken every 5 minutes by a digital camera shows the progression of the eclipse over three hours. The bright lunar disk grows dark and red as it glides through planet Earth’s shadow. In fact, counting the central frames in the sequence measures the roughly 90 minute duration of the total phase of this eclipse. Around 270 BC, the Greek astronomer Aristarchus also measured the duration of total lunar eclipses, but probably without the benefit of digital watches and cameras. Still, using geometry he devised a simple and impressively accurate way to calculate the Moon’s distance in terms of the radius of planet Earth, from the eclipse duration.

May 19 Today in History and the Word of the Day

Today’s Important Historical Events

1536 Anne Boleyn, second wife of English King Henry VIII, is beheaded at the Tower of London on charges of adultery, incest and treason

1643 Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut and New Harbor form the United Colonies of New England

1649 England is declared a Commonwealth by an act of the Rump Parliament making England a republic for the next 11 years

1885 German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck takes possession of Cameroon and Togoland

1898 US Congress passes the Private Mailing Card Act, allowing private publishers and printers to produce postcards, had to be labelled “Private Mailing Cards” until 1901, known as “souvenir cards”

1919 Mustafa Kemal Atatürk lands at Samsun on the Black Sea coast, beginning the Turkish War of Independence

Today’s Historical Events

715 St Gregory II begins his reign as Catholic Pope

1182 The high altar of Paris cathedral Notre Dame is consecrated by Cardinal Henri de Château-Marçay and Maurice de Sully

1506 Christopher Columbus selects his son Diego Columbus as sole heir

1515 George van Saksen-Meissen sells Friesland for 100,000 gold guilders to arch duke Charles

1517 Philip van Bourgondie installed as bishop of Utrecht

1518 Public unveiling of Titian’s masterpiece “Assumption of the Virgin” a painted altarpiece in the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice

1536 Anne Boleyn, second wife of English King Henry VIII, is beheaded at the Tower of London on charges of adultery, incest and treason

1547 Monarch Johan Frederik surrenders to Karel

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1968 20th Emmy Awards: “Get Smart”, “Mission Impossible” & Barbara Bain win

1972 WMAV TV channel 18 in Oxford, MS (PBS) begins broadcasting

1972 25th Cannes Film Festival: “The Working Class Goes to Heaven” directed by Elio Petri and “The Mattei Affair” directed by Francesco Rosi jointly awarded the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film

1975 27th Emmy Awards: “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, Robert Blake & Jean Marsh win

1977 Film “Smokey & the Bandit” starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and Jackie Gleason premieres in NYC

1980 Ringo & Barbara Bach are involved in a car crash

1982 Sophia Loren jailed in Naples, Italy for tax evasion

1983 Weird Al Yankovic gives live performance at Wax Museum in Washington, D.C.

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1886 Camille Saint-Saëns’ 3rd Symphony in C premieres at St. James Hall, London, with the composer conducting

1911 Maurice Ravel‘s opera “L’Heure Espagnole” premieres at the Opéra-Comique, Paris, France

1958 “South Pacific” soundtrack album goes #1 & stays #1 for 31 weeks

1962 “Bravo, Giovanni” opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 76 performances

1962 “John Birch Society” by Chad Mitchell Trio hits #99

1973 “Daisy A Day” by Jud Strunk hits #14

1973 “Smith” opens at Eden Theater, NYC: runs for 17 performances

1976 Columbia Records releases “Turnstiles”, singer-songwriter Billy Joel‘s fourth studio album

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1905 Tom Jenkins beats Frank Gotcha for heavyweight wrestling champ

1909 In his first title defence Jack Johnson fights “Philadelphia” Jack O’Brien to a no decision in 6 rounds in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to retain his world heavyweight crown

1912 AL President Ban Johnson tells Tigers if they continue protest of Ty Cobb‘s suspension, they will be banned from baseball

1923 49th Kentucky Derby: Earl Sande wins aboard Zev for his first Derby success

1928 54th Kentucky Derby: Chick Lang aboard Reigh Count wins in 2:10.4

1929 Cloudburst causes stampede in Yankee Stadium, crushes 2 people to death

1935 NFL adopts an annual college draft to begin in 1936

1941 Germany occupiers in Holland forbid bicycle taxis

Today’s Word is

Merry Andrew

Brought to you by wordoftheday.net

Merry Andrew / noun / mer·ry an·drew

“Merry Andrew” is an archaic definition we use to describe people who behave in a clownish or buffoonish fashion. This early 16th-century noun represents the silly antics or behavior of a person who others consider as being foolish and “jester-like.” Being called a “Merry Andrew” is not a compliment. Someone being called a “Merry Andrew” is being insulted and described as a fool. Merry Andrew is also the name of the 1958 American musical film directed by Michael Kidd and starring famed actor Danny Kaye.

In a Sentence

Look out, here comes that unfunny Merry Andrew from last night’s performance.

A court jester and a Merry Andrew are one and the same.

The king and queen demanded to be entertained by the local Merry Andrew.

Etymology

We saw the first use of Merry Andrew around the late 16th-century in 1670. Etymologists say the term was used to represent people who were kept around because of their entertaining qualities that regularly included them making foolish jokes and public spectacles of themselves.

Synonyms

Comedian, Jester

Antonyms

Wise, Humorless

 

May 18 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 18

A Jewel on the Flower Moon

Image Credit & Copyright: Tomas Slovinsky

Explanation: Cloudy skies plagued some sky watchers on Sunday as May’s Full Flower Moon slipped through Earth’s shadow in a total lunar eclipse. In skies above Chile’s Atacama desert this telephoto snapshot still captured an awesome spectacle though. Seen through thin high cirrus clouds just before totality began, a last sliver of sunlit crescent glistens like a hazy jewel atop the mostly shadowed lunar disk. This full moon was near perigee, the closest point in its elliptical orbit. It passed near the center of Earth’s dark umbral shadow during the 90 minute long total eclipse phase. Faintly suffused with sunlight scattered by the atmosphere, the umbral shadow itself gave the eclipsed moon a reddened appearance and the very dramatic popular moniker of a Blood Moon.

Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence Digest for Wednesday

 

Magickal Intentions: Communication, Divination, Writing, Knowledge, Business Transactions, Debt, Fear, Loss, Travel and Money Matters

Incense: Jasmine, Lavender, Sweet Pea

Planet: Mercury and Chiron (though this is a moon of Pluto)

Sign: Virgo

Angel: Raphael

Colors: Orange, Light Blue, Grey, Yellow and Violet

Herbs/Plants: Fern, Lavender, Hazel, Cherry, Periwinkle

Stones: Aventurine, Bloodstone, Hematite, Moss Agate and Sodalite

Oil: (Mercury) Benzoin, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus, Lavender

This day is governed by Mercury. Wednesday’s vibration adds power to rituals involving inspiration, communications, writers, poets, the written and spoken word, and all matters of study, learning, and teaching. This day also provides a good time to begin efforts involving self-improvement or understanding.

Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence Digest for Tuesday

 

Tuesday (Tiw’s-day)

Planet: Mars

Colors: Red and Autumn Shades

Crystals: Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet, Flint, Rhodonite, Iron and Steel

Aroma: Basil, Ginger, Black Pepper, Mars Oil, Dragon’s blood and patchouli

Herb: Basil

The day of Mars. This day could only ever symbolize the sheer power of the god of war! The ideal spells to be cast on this day are that of force, power war and protection.

Dedicated to the powers of the planet Mars, personified as Ares, Tiwaz, Tiw, and Tyr.

Magical aspects: controlled power, energy, and endurance, passion, sex, courage, aggression, and protection.

This is the proper day of the week to perform spells and rituals involving courage, physical strength, revenge, military honors, surgery, the breaking of negative spells, dynamic energy, matrimony, war, enemies, prison, hunting, politics, contests, protection, victory, and athletics.

May 17 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 17

NGC 1316: After Galaxies Collide

Image Credit & Copyright: Capture: Greg Turgeon; Processing: Kiko Fairbairn

Explanation: Astronomers turn detectives when trying to figure out the cause of startling sights like NGC 1316. Investigations indicate that NGC 1316 is an enormous elliptical galaxy that started, about 100 million years ago, to devour a smaller spiral galaxy neighbor, NGC 1317, just on the upper right. Supporting evidence includes the dark dust lanes characteristic of a spiral galaxy, and faint swirls and shells of stars and gas visible in this wide and deep image. One thing that >remains unexplained is the unusually small globular star clusters, seen as faint dots on the image. Most elliptical galaxies have more and brighter globular clusters than NGC 1316. Yet the observed globulars are too old to have been created by the recent spiral collision. One hypothesis is that these globulars survive from an even earlier galaxy that was subsumed into NGC 1316. Another surprising attribute of NGC 1316, also known as Fornax A, is its giant lobes of gas that glow brightly in radio waves.

May 16 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 16

Milky Way over French Alp Hoodoos

Image Credit & Copyright: Benjamin Barakat

Explanation: Real castles aren’t this old. And the background galaxy is even older. Looking a bit like an alien castle, the pictured rock spires are called hoodoos and are likely millions of years old. Rare, but found around the world, hoodoos form when dense rocks slow the erosion of softer rock underneath. The pictured hoodoos survive in the French Alps and are named Demoiselles Coiffées — which translates to English as “Ladies with Hairdos“. The background galaxy is part of the central disk of our own Milky Way galaxy and contains stars that are typically billions of years old. The photogenic Cygnus sky region — rich in dusty dark clouds and red glowing nebulas — appears just above and behind the hoodoos. The featured image was taken in two stages: the foreground was captured during the evening blue hour, while the background was acquired from the same location later that night.

May 15 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 15

Colors of the Moon

Image Credit & Copyright: Marcella Giulia Pace

Explanation: What color is the Moon? It depends on the night. Outside of the Earth’s atmosphere, the dark Moon, which shines by reflected sunlight, appears a magnificently brown-tinged gray. Viewed from inside the Earth’s atmosphere, though, the moon can appear quite different. The featured image highlights a collection of apparent colors of the full moon documented by one astrophotographer over 10 years from different locations across Italy. A red or yellow colored moon usually indicates a moon seen near the horizon. There, some of the blue light has been scattered away by a long path through the Earth’s atmosphere, sometimes laden with fine dust. A blue-colored moon is more rare and can indicate a moon seen through an atmosphere carrying larger dust particles. What created the purple moon is unclear — it may be a combination of several effects. The last image captures the total lunar eclipse of 2018 July — where the moon, in Earth’s shadow, appeared a faint red — due to light refracted through air around the Earth. Today there is not only another full moon but a total lunar eclipse visible to observers in North and South America — an occurrence that may lead to some unexpected lunar colorings.

May 15 Today in History and the Word of the Day

Today’s Important Historical Events

1252 Pope Innocent IV issues the papal bull ad exstirpanda, which authorizes, but also limits, the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition

1618 German astronomer Johannes Kepler discovers the third of his three planetary laws his “harmonics law”

1869 National Woman Suffrage Association forms in New York, founded by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton

1940 Richard and Maurice McDonald open the 1st McDonald’s restaurant in San Bernardino, California

1951 AT&T becomes the 1st US corporation to have a million stockholders after young car salesman Brady Denton purchases 7 shares worth $1,078

1988 USSR begins withdrawing its 115,000 troops from Afghanistan

Today’s Historical Events

756 Abd-al-Rahman I becomes emir of Cordova, Spain

884 Marinus I ends his reign as Catholic Pope

1004 Henry II the Saint crowned King of Italy

1213 King John of England names Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury

1222 Mongolian leader Genghis Khan meets the leader of the Taoist Dragon Gate sect Chang Chun at his camp in Parwan (Afghanistan)

1248 Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden lays cornerstone for Cologne Cathedral

1252 Pope Innocent IV issues the papal bull ad exstirpanda, which authorizes, but also limits, the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition

1492 Cheese & Bread rebellion: German mercenaries kill 232 residents of Alkmaar, Netherlands

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1928 Mickey Mouse makes his 1st ever appearance in silent film “Plane Crazy”

1954 KGLO (now KIMT) TV channel 3 in Mason City, IA (CBS) 1st broadcast

1955 KPUA (now KGMD) TV channel 9 in Hilo, HI (CBS) begins broadcasting

1958 “Gigi” based on the story by Colette, directed by Vincent Minnelli and starring Leslie Caron and Maurice Chevalier premieres in New York (Best Picture 1959)

1959 12th Cannes Film Festival: “Black Orpheus” directed by Marcel Camus wins the Palme d’Or

1960 KHVO TV channel 13 in Hilo, HI (ABC) begins broadcasting

1960 “L’Avventura”, Italian film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, starring Gabriele Ferzetti, Monica Vitti. premieres at Cannes

1961 “Bonanza” by Al Caiola Orchestra hits #19

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1858 Royal Italian Opera opens in Covent Garden, London

1891 Jules Massenet‘s opera “Grisélidis” premieres in Paris

1914 Henri Rabaud’s opera “Marouf, savetier de Caire” premieres in Paris

1941 Nazi occupiers in Netherlands forbid Jewish music

1960 Dmitri Shostakovich‘s 7th String quartet premieres in Leningrad

1967 Paul McCartney meets his future wife Linda Eastman

1971 “70, Girls, 70” closes at Broadhurst Theater, NYC, after 35 performances

1972 “Hard Job Being God” opens at Edison Theater, NYC; runs for 6 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1862 First baseball enclosure opens at Union Grounds, Brooklyn

1876 2nd Kentucky Derby: Bobby Swim aboard Vagrant wins in 2:38.25

1894 20th Kentucky Derby: Frank Goodale aboard Chant wins in 2:41

1906 NY Giants’ Hooks Wiltse strikes out 4 batters in 1 inning

1912 37th Preakness: Clarnence Turner on Colonel Holloway wins in 1:56.6

1912 Ty Cobb rushes a heckler at a NY Highlander game & is suspended

1918 43rd Preakness: Johnny Loftus aboard War Cloud wins in 1:53.6

1918 Washington Senator Walter Johnson pitches 1-0, 18 inning game

Today’s Word is

Majestic

Brought to you by wordoftheday.net

Majestic / adjective / muh·jeh·stuhk

We use the word “majestic” in the English language to represent people, places, and things that have an elegant or stately quality. “Majestic” is a term that describes otherworldly greatness, grace, style, and outstanding beauty or form. English speakers often use the word “majestic” to describe things related to royalty and regality. Familiar terminology uses the word “majestic” to address royal kings and Queens as his or her “majesty.”

In a Sentence

It surprised them to see the “majestic” looking yacht emerge from the ocean.

The King and Queen of the palace always dress in a “majestic” fashion.

The Taj Mahal is one of the most “majestic” buildings in existence.

Etymology

English-speakers find the first instance of the word “majestic” showing up around the end of the late-15th century. Etymologists say the word “majestic” has Latin origins and first entered language around 1570. The original definition of “majestic” refers to outstanding and out-of-this world characteristics or behavior synonymous with exceptionality, dignity, and grace. “Majestic” still carries the original definition assigned in the 1500s.

Synonym

Classy, Courtly

Antonym

Dowdy, Graceless

May 14 Today in History and the Word of the Day

Today’s Important Historical Events

1787 Delegates gather in Philadelphia to draw up US Constitution

1796 English country doctor Edward Jenner administers his revolutionary cowpox-based vaccine for smallpox, in Berkeley, Gloucestershire

1804 Meriwether Lewis and William Clark‘s expedition commissioned by Thomas Jefferson sets out from St Louis for Pacific Coast

1948 Israel declares independence from British administration

Today’s Historical Events

649 Theodore I ends his reign as Catholic Pope

1027 Robert II of France names his son Henry I as junior King of the Franks

1264 Battle of Lewes, 2nd Barons’ War: Simon de Montfort the younger, Earl of Leicester, defeats English King Henry III

1483 Coronation of Charles VIII of France (“Charles the Affable”)

1509 Battle of Agnadello, French forces under Louis XII defeat the Venetians in Northern Italy

1576 Dutch Council of State replaced by Council of Beroerten

1607 English colonists establish the 1st permanent English settlement in America at Jamestown. Unknown to them they have landed amidst the worst drought in 800 years.

1608 The Protestant Union is founded in Auhausen.

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1897 Oldest continuously operating movie theater in the world, the State Theatre first opens in Washington, Iowa (Guinness World Records)

1938 “The Adventures of Robin Hood”, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland premieres

1948 WBEN (now WIVB) TV channel 4 in Buffalo, NY (CBS) begins broadcasting

1951 Ernie Kovacs Show, TV Variety debut on NBC

1964 17th Cannes Film Festival: “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” directed by Jacques Demy wins the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film

1972 24th Emmy Awards: “All in the Family”, Carrol O’Conner & Jean Stapleton win

1973 French film “Day for Night” written and directed by François Truffaut, starring Jacqueline Bisset and Jean-Pierre Léaud premieres at Cannes (Academy Award Best Foreign Language Film)

1975 Cult feminist film “Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles” written and directed by Chantal Ackerman and starring Delphine Seyrig premieres at Cannes

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1832 Felix Mendelssohn‘s concert overture “Hebrides” premieres in London

1902 Italian tenor Enrico Caruso makes his Covent Garden debut opposite Nellie Melba in Verdi’s opera “Rigoletto” in London

1927 “Ain’t She Sweet?” hits #1 on the singles chart by Ben Bernie

1942 World premiere performance of Aaron Copland‘s “Lincoln Portrait” with: Andre Kostelanetz conducting the Cincinnati Symphony in Cincinnati, Ohio

1946 Paul Hindemith‘s “For Those We Love” premieres

1949 “Love Life” closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 252 performances

1951 Sammy Fain and Yip Harburg’s musical “Flahooley” opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 40 performances

1957 Bob Merrill’s musical “New Girl in Town” opens at 46th St Theater, NYC; runs for 432 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1885 11th Kentucky Derby: Babe Henderson aboard Joe Cotton wins in 2:37.25

1886 12th Kentucky Derby: Paul Duffy aboard Ben Ali wins in 2:36.50

1888 14th Kentucky Derby: George Covington aboard MacBeth II wins in 2:38.00

1890 16th Kentucky Derby: Isaac Murphy aboard Riley wins in 2:45

1906 Flagpole at the White Sox ballpark breaks during pennant-raising

1913 Washington Senator Walter Johnson ends MLB record scoreless streak at 56 innings

1918 Sunday baseball is made legal in Washington, D.C.

1919 44th Preakness: Johnny Loftus aboard Sir Barton wins in 1:53 on way to first Triple Crown

Today’s Word is

Spiffy

Brought to you by wordoftheday.net

 

Spiffy / adjective / ˈspi-fē

“Spiffy” is an adjective we use in the English language to describe a person’s clothing and outer appearance. Someone said to be looking “spiffy” is well-dressed and sharp looking in their appearance. While the word doesn’t always apply to high fashion, when we think of the word “spiffy,” we think of elegant, well-dressed partygoers or business persons who have put on their most stunning outfits.

In a Sentence

The new army recruits were looking very “spiffy” in their uniforms.

The groom was looking spiffy in his tuxedo as he awaited the arrival of his bride.

That is quite a spiffy-looking vehicle you’re driving!

Etymology

Spiffy first entered the English language as an adjective. Etymologists say that “spiffy” was used to describe snappy dressers in the mid-18th century. We first see the word recorded toward the latter end of the 18th century in 1877. Other words derived from “spiffy” include ‘spiffier’ and ‘spifiest.’ All iterations of the word carry the same meaning intending to describe well-dressed people and people wearing high fashion or trending items of their time. “Spiffy” hasn’t changed its definition since its first introduction into the language.

Synonym

Stylish, Chic

Antonym

Unfashionable, Old Fashioned

May 13 Today in History and Introducing the Word of the Day

Today’s Important Historical Events

1787 Arthur Phillip sets sails with 11 ships of criminals to Botany Bay, Australia

1830 Republic of Ecuador is founded, with Juan Jose Flores as president

1934 Great dustbowl storm sweeps across US prairies

1940 Winston Churchill says “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” in his first speech as Prime Minister to British House of Commons

1981 Pope John Paul II is shot and critically wounded by Turkish gunman Mehemet Ali Agca in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City

1989 Approx 2,000 students begin hunger strike in Tiananmen Square, China

Today’s Historical Events

535 St Agapitus I begins his reign as Catholic Pope

609 Pope Boniface I turns the Pantheon in Rome into a Catholic church

641 Eligius (Saint Eloy) becomes bishop of Doornik-Noyon

1106 Henry I of Limburg loses the duchy of Lower Lorraine to Godfrey of Louvain

1110 Crusaders march into Beirut causing a bloodbath

1277 As Vizier Mehmet I of Karaman issues a firman (decree) ordering only the Turkish language to be used, not Arabic or Persian

1364 Peter Coutherel banished from Leuven

1497 Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Italian Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola (urged the expulsion of the Medici’s from Florence)

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1878 Danvers State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts, opens—later serves as inspiration for Arkham Sanitorium in the work of H.P. Lovecraft, which in turn inspired Arkham Asylum of the D.C. Batman universe

1959 Kraft Music Hall with Milton Berle last airs on NBC-TV

1960 WOLE TV channel 12 in Aguadillo, PR

1970 Beatles movie “Let it Be” premieres

1982 Terri Lea Utley, 20 (Arkansas) crowned 31st Miss USA

1985 Laura Elena Martinez-Herring, 21, (Texas), crowned 34th Miss USA

1992 Frank Stallone beats Geraldo Rivera in boxing on Howard Stern Show

1993 Arsenio Hall‘s 1,000th show retrospective seen in Netherlands

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1767 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart‘s first opera “Apollo et Hyacinthus”, written when he was 11 years old, premieres in Salzburg

1848 First performance of Finland’s national anthem “Maamme”, composed by Fredrik Pacius, Swedish words by Johan Ludvig Runeberg

1941 Willy Lewis’ US jazz band performs in Switzerland

1954 “Pajama Game” opens at St James Theater NYC for 1063 performances

1965 The Rolling Stones record “Satisfaction”

1966 The Rolling Stones release “Paint it Black” in the UK

1973 “Cyrano” opens at Palace Theater NYC for 49 performances

1975 “Rodgers & Hart” opens at Helen Hayes Theater NYC for 108 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1887 15th Preakness: William Donohue aboard Dunboyne wins in 2:39.25

1890 18th Preakness: W Martin aboard Montague wins in 2:36.75

1891 17th Kentucky Derby: Isaac Murphy aboard Kingman wins in 2:52.25

1905 World heavyweight boxing champion James J. Jeffries retires undefeated after 7 title defences; returns in 1910 to be beaten by Jack Johnson

1909 First Giro d’Italia takes place in Milan – Italian cyclist Luigi Ganna is the winner

1911 37th Kentucky Derby: George Archibald aboard Meridian wins in 2:05

1916 42nd Kentucky Derby: Johnny Loftus aboard George Smith wins in 2:04

1922 48th Kentucky Derby: Albert Johnson aboard Morvich wins in 2:04.6

Today’s Word is

We use the word frou-frou to describe the sound made by a woman’s clothing. In most cases, the frou-frou sound refers to the sound a ruffling dress makes as a woman is walking. As a noun, we also use frou-frou to describe frilly ornamentation and embellishments added to clothing.

We see a person wearing frou-frou clothing as annoyingly overdressed and unnecessarily flamboyant. Their over-the-top clothing style makes frou-frou dressers the butt of many fashion-related jokes.

In a Sentence

She disturbed the church service by walking in late wearing a frou-frou dress.

Please dress casually. None of that “frou-frou” excess is required for the occasion.

Her ruffled “frou-frou” dress made a loud swooshing sound when she walked by.

Etymology

We see the first use of the word “frou-frou” introduced in the late 18th-century. “Frou-frou” is a French word that came about in a …

Click here to read about the rest of today’s word brought to you by wordoftheday.net

Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence Digest for Friday

 

From GypsyWolf.weebly.com

Friday is the sixth day of the week, but used to be the seventh, the Sabbath of the Jewish lunar calendar.   The name, Friday,  is derived from the Nordic goddess, Frigg, Frigga, Freyja, Freya, or Frija (Germanic), considered to be the mother of all.  She is the Goddess of love and war, fertility and death.   She is the leader of the Valkyries and the Disir (Divine Grandmothers), and creator of Seidr magic.  Her symbols are the cat and the Brisingamen, which is the magic necklace of the rainbow bridge.  Freya’s Roman and Greek counterparts are Venus and Aphrodite, goddesses of love and beauty.
Latin: Dies Veneris, dedicated to Venus, the Roman Goddess of love
French: vendredi
Italian: venerdi
Spanish: viernes
Old High German: frigedag
German: Freitag
Dutch: vrijdag
Rules: Love, fidelity, reconciliation, interchanges, beauty, youth, joy, happiness, pleasure, luck, friendship, compassion, music, the arts.
Colors: Light Blue, Green, Pink, Copper Hues
Planet: Venus
Metal: Copper
Stones: Azurite, Calcite (blue, green & pink), Cat’s Eye, Chrysocolla, Chrysoprase, Coral, Emerald, Jade, Jasper (green), Kunzite, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Olivine, Peridot, Sodalite, Tourmaline (blue, green, pink & watermelon), Turquoise Malachite
Herbs: Apple Blossom, Cardamom, Crocus, Daisy, Geranium (rose), Heather, Hyacinth, Iris, Licorice, Lilac, Magnolia, Myrtle, Orchid, Orris, Plumeria, Rose, Spearmint, Stephanosis, Sweet Pea, Tansy, Thyme, Tonka, Tuberose, Vanilla, Violet, Willow, Ylang Ylang
Zodiac: Libra & Taurus

May 13 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 13

The Milky Way’s Black Hole

Image Credit: X-ray – NASA/CXC/SAO, IR – NASA/HST/STScI; Inset: Radio – Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration

Explanation: There’s a black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Stars are observed to orbit a very massive and compact object there known as Sgr A* (say “sadge-ay-star”). But this just released radio image (inset) from planet Earth’s Event Horizon Telescope is the first direct evidence of the Milky Way’s central black hole. As predicted by Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity, the four million solar mass black hole’s strong gravity is bending light and creating a shadow-like dark central region surrounded by a bright ring-like structure. Supporting observations made by space-based telescopes and ground-based observatories provide a wider view of the galactic center’s dynamic environment and an important context for the Event Horizon Telescope’s black hole image. The main panel image shows the X-ray data from Chandra and infrared data from Hubble. While the main panel is about 7-light years across, the Event Horizon Telescope inset image itself spans a mere 10 light-minutes at the center of our galaxy, some 27,000 light-years away.

May 12 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 12

Young Stars of NGC 346

Image Credit: NASA, ESA – acknowledgement: Antonella Nota (ESA/STScI) et al.,

Explanation: The massive stars of NGC 346 are short lived, but very energetic. The star cluster is embedded in the largest star forming region in the Small Magellanic Cloud, some 210,000 light-years distant. Their winds and radiation sweep out an interstellar cavern in the gas and dust cloud about 200 light-years across, triggering star formation and sculpting the region’s dense inner edge. Cataloged as N66, the star forming region also appears to contain a large population of infant stars. A mere 3 to 5 million years old and not yet burning hydrogen in their cores, the infant stars are strewn about the embedded star cluster. In this false-color Hubble Space Telescope image, visible and near-infrared light are seen as blue and green, while light from atomic hydrogen emission is red.

May 12 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1789 William Wilberforce makes his first major speech on abolition in the UK House of Commons, reasoning the slave trade morally reprehensible and an issue of natural justice

1940 Nazi blitzkrieg and conquest of France begins with the crossing of the Muese River

1943 Axis forces in North Africa surrender

2002 Former US President Jimmy Carter arrives in Cuba for a five-day visit with Fidel Castro becoming first President of the United States, in or out of office, to visit the island since Castro’s 1959 revolution.

2008 Wenchuan earthquake, measuring 7.8 in magnitude occurs in Sichuan, China, killing over 87,000, injuring 374,643 and leaving homeless between 4.8 million and 11 million people

Today’s Historical Events

254 Stephan I succeeds Lucius I as Catholic Pope

919 Duke Henry of Saxony becomes King Henry I of Oostfrankischreich

1057 The Ostromir Gospel, now the oldest surviving Russian manuscript is recorded completed by its scribe Deacon Grigory [1]

1082 Battle at Mailberg: Vratislav II of Bohemia beats Leopold II of Austr

1215 English barons serve ultimatum on King John which eventually leads to the creation and signing of the Magna Carta

1294 Construction of Santa Croce begins in Florence, the largest Franciscan church in the world (consecrated 1442)

1328 Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV and assembly of priests select Pietro Rainalducc as anti-Pope Nicolas V; consecrated in Rome by the Bishop of Venice

1459 Jodhpur, Sun City, founded by Rao Jodhpur in India

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1953 KUHT TV channel 8 (PBS) in Houston, TX, begins broadcasting

1960 Elvis Presley appears on a Frank Sinatra television special; Elvis sings Sinatra’s 1957 Cy Coleman hit “Witchcraft”, and Frank performs Presley’s 1956 classic “Love Me Tender”

1963 Bob Dylan walks out of “The Ed Sullivan Show” over a dispute about his song choice

1967 20th Cannes Film Festival: “Blowup” directed by Michelangelo Antonioni wins the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film

1968 WSKG TV channel 46 (PBS) in Binghamton, NY, begins broadcasting

1970 KTVM TV channel 6 in Butte, MT (NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting

1977 Emmy 4th Daytime Award presentation: “Ryan’s Hope” and “Family Feud” win

1983 Julie Lynne Hayek, (California), crowned 32nd Miss USA

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1832 Gaetano Donizetti’s opera “L’elisir d’amore” premieres in Milan

1894 Ludwig Englander’s musical “Passing Show” premieres in NYC

1926 Dmitri Shostakovich‘s 1st Symphony premieres in Leningrad

1934 “Cocktails For Two” by Duke Ellington hits #1

1936 Ralph Vaughan Williams’ opera “Poisoned Kiss” premieres in London

1938 Arthur Honegger and Paul Claudel’s oratorio “Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher” (Joan of Arc at the Stake) premieres in Basel, Switzerland

1950 Darius Milhaud‘s opera “Bolivar” premieres in Paris

1958 “Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu” by Dicky Doo & The Don’ts hits #40

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1890 First official County Cricket Championship match begins; Yorkshire beats Gloucestershire by 8 wickets at Bristol; James Cranston scores first century (101) in the competition

1909 34th Preakness: Willie Doyle aboard Effendi wins in 1:39.8

1910 Philadelphia Athletics pitcher Charles “Chief” Bender no-hits Cleveland Naps, 4-0

1913 English runner Harry Green runs world record marathon 2:38:16.2 in the Polytechnic Marathon in London, England

1917 42nd Preakness: E Haynes aboard Kalitan wins in 1:54.4

1917 43rd Kentucky Derby: Charles Borel on Omar Khayyam wins in 2:04.6

1919 New York Yankees and Washington Senators play second straight extra inning tie, 4-4 in 15 innings at the Polo Grounds; 0-0 in 12 the previous day

1923 48th Preakness: Benny Marinelli aboard Vigil wins in 1:53.6

May 11 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 11

Astronomers think that in the future the “Cheshire Cat” group will become what is known as a fossil group, a gathering of galaxies that contains one giant elliptical galaxy and other much smaller, fainter ones. Today, researchers know each “eye” galaxy is the brightest member of its own group of galaxies and these two groups are racing toward one another at over 300,000 miles per hour. Data from Chandra (purple), which has been combined with optical data from Hubble, show hot gas that has been heated to millions of degrees, which is evidence that the galaxy groups are slamming into one another. Chandra’s X-ray data also reveal that the left “eye” of the Cheshire Cat group contains an actively feeding supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy.

Gravity’s Grin

Image Credit: X-ray – NASA / CXC / J. Irwin et al. ; Optical – NASA/STScI

Explanation: Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity, published over 100 years ago, predicted the phenomenon of gravitational lensing. And that’s what gives these distant galaxies such a whimsical appearance, seen through the looking glass of X-ray and optical image data from the Chandra and Hubble space telescopes. Nicknamed the Cheshire Cat galaxy group, the group’s two large elliptical galaxies are suggestively framed by arcs. The arcs are optical images of distant background galaxies lensed by the foreground group’s total distribution of gravitational mass. Of course, that gravitational mass is dominated by dark matter. The two large elliptical “eye” galaxies represent the brightest members of their own galaxy groups which are merging. Their relative collisional speed of nearly 1,350 kilometers/second heats gas to millions of degrees producing the X-ray glow shown in purple hues. Curiouser about galaxy group mergers? The Cheshire Cat group grins in the constellation Ursa Major, some 4.6 billion light-years away.

May 11 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

330 Constantinople (Byzantium) becomes the capital of the Roman Empire

1189 Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and 100,000 crusaders depart Regensburg for the Third Crusade

1751 Pennsylvania Hospital founded by Dr. Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin, in Philadelphia

1995 More than 170 countries agree to extend the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty indefinitely and without conditions to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons [1]

2000 India’s population officially reaches 1 billion – Astha Arora named India’s billionth baby

Today’s Historical Events

330 Constantinople (Byzantium) becomes the capital of the Roman Empire

868 “The Diamond Sutra”, the world’s oldest surviving and dated printed book is printed in Chinese and made into a scroll

1068 Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror, is crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey, London

1189 Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and 100,000 crusaders depart Regensburg for the Third Crusade

1310 Fifty-four members of the Knights Templar are burned at the stake in France for being heretics

1421 Jews are expelled from Styria Austria

1502 Christopher Columbus begins 4th & last trip to the “Indies”

1625 Peasants besiege Frankenburg estate in Upper Austria

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1918 44th Kentucky Derby: William Knapp on Exterminator wins in 2:10.8

1929 1st regularly scheduled TV broadcasts (3 nights per week)

1931 “M” Fritz Lang’s first sound film starring Peter Lorre premieres in Berlin

1956 Pinky Lee Show last airs on NBC-TV

1959 Mary Rodgers & Marshall Barer’s musical “Once Upon A Mattress”, starring Carol Burnett and directed by George Abbott, opens at Phoenix Theatre, NYC; runs for 244 performances

1968 Richard Harris releases “MacArthur Park”

1969 British comedy troupe Monty Python forms, made up of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin

1973 Ground-breaking Indian crime film “Zanjeer” directed by Prakash Mehra and starring “The Angry Young Man” Amitabh Bachchan released

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1812 Waltz introduced into English ballrooms. Some observers consider it disgusting and immoral.

1881 Bedřich Smetana’s opera “Libuše” premieres iat the Natonal Theater, in Prague

1956 Elvis Presley‘s 1st entry on UK charts with “Heartbreak Hotel”

1959 “Kookie, Kookie Lend Me Your Comb” by Byrnes & Connie Stevens hits #4

1963 “Puff (The Magic Dragon)” by Peter, Paul & Mary hits #2

1965 “Flora, the Red Menace” opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 87 performances

1967 “Sing, Israel Sing” opens at Brooks Atkinson Theatre NYC for 14 performances

1970 “The Long and Winding Road” becomes Beatles’ last American single release

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1887 13th Kentucky Derby: Isaac Lewis aboard Montrose wins in 2:39.25

1888 16th Preakness: F Littlefield aboard Refund wins in 2:49

1892 18th Kentucky Derby: Lonnie Clayton aboard Azra wins in 2:41½

1893 Henri Desgrange establishes world’s 1st bicycle world record, travelling 35.325 km (21.95 miles) an hour

1897 Washington Senator catcher Charlie Farrell throws out 8 attempted stealers

1900 James J. Jeffries KOs James J Corbett in 23 for heavyweight boxing title

1912 38th Kentucky Derby: Carol H Shilling aboard Worth wins in 2:09.4

1918 44th Kentucky Derby: William Knapp on Exterminator wins in 2:10.8