Tag: Pagan Knowledge
June 20 Today in History
Today’s Important Historical Events
451 Battle of the Catalaunian Plains: Roman and Visigoths forces defeat Attila the Hun in north east France, alting Hun invasion of Roman Gaul (exact date disputed)
1214 The University of Oxford receives its charter
1789 French Revolution: The Third Estate of the French Estates-General swears the Tennis Court Oath at the Palace of Versailles, swearing not to disband until a new constitution is formed
1840 Samuel Morse patents his telegraph
1895 1st female PhD from an American University, earned by Caroline Willard Baldwin (in Science) at Cornell University
2020 Highest-ever temperature recorded in the Arctic circle, 38C (100F) in Verkhoyansk, Siberia
Today’s Historical Events
451 Battle of the Catalaunian Plains: Roman and Visigoths forces defeat Attila the Hun in north east France, alting Hun invasion of Roman Gaul (exact date disputed)
1212 French and Spanish crusaders unite against the Almohaden at Toledo
1214 The University of Oxford receives its charter
1221 Foundation stone laid for Burgos Cathedral in the presence of Ferdinand III of Castile (made a UNESCO World Heritage Site 1984)
1530 German Parliament joins to Augsburg together
1567 Jews are expelled from Brazil by order of regent Don Henrique
1582 Bishop Domingo de Salazar of Manila suppresses the Philippines
1591 Mauritius and Willem van Nassau occupy Devente
Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV
1948 “Toast of the Town” hosted by Ed Sullivan premieres on CBS-TV
1960 12th Emmy Awards: Playhouse 90, Robert Stack & Jane Wyatt win
1970 “Ray Stevens Show” debuts on NBC-TV
1974 “Chinatown“, directed by Roman Polanski starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, is released
1975 “Jaws”, based on the book by Peter Benchley, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Roy Scheider is released
1976 Disney’s River Country opens at Bay Lake (closed 2001)
1980 Musical comedy film “The Blues Brothers”, starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, and featuring appearances by Aretha Franklin; Cab Calloway; and Ray Charles opens in 594 theaters
Today’s Historical Events in Music
1955 “Almost Crazy” opens at Longacre Theater NYC for 16 performances
1963 Beatles form “Beatles Ltd” to handle their income
1969 200,000 attend Newport ’69’, then largest-ever pop concert in Northridge, California. Jimi Hendrix gets $120,000 to appear.
1971 Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: David Bowie headlines; other performs include: Joan Baez, Hawkwind, Melanie, Traffic, Fairport Convention, and Quintessence
1981 Guitarist Gerry Cott quits Boomtown Rats
1986 Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: The Cure, Psychedelic Furs, and Level 42 headline; other performers include: Simply Red, Madness, Ruby Turner, Amazulu, Lloyd Cole, Black Uhuru, The Wailers Band, Loudon Wainwright III, John Martyn, The Housemartins, The Waterboys, The Pogues, Gil Scott-Heron, Robert Cray Band, and Christy Moore
2007 Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, and The Who headline; other performers include The Fratellis, Amy Winehouse, Shirley Bassey, Paul Weller, and Bright Eyes
Today’s Historical Events in Sports
1896 US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Philadelphia CC: Elisabeth Moore beats defending champion Juliette Atkinson 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
1910 US Open Men’s Golf, Philadelphia Cricket Club: Alex Smith of Scotland wins an 18-hole playoff over younger brother Macdonald Smith and John McDermott to win his 2nd Open title
1912 NY Giants lead Bost Braves 14-2 into 9th, Giants win 21-12
1913 3 of 1st 4 Yankees hit-by-pitch en route to a record 6 hit batsman
1914 46th Belmont: Merritt Buxton aboard Luke McLuke wins in 2:20
1919 US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Philadelphia CC: Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman beats Marion Zinderstein 6-1, 6-2 for her 4th US singles title
1920 Yanks win protest of 1-0 White Sox win & game is replayed
1930 British Open Men’s Golf, Royal Liverpool GC: Bobby Jones wins his 3rd Open title, 2 strokes ahead of Leo Diegel and Macdonald Smith on his way to the single-season Grand Slam
Celebrating Litha: Traditions, Herbs, Symbols & More
Pagans who base their practices around western European pre-Christian traditions commonly observe a set of holidays. These are often grouped together as the Wheel of the Year, which is a way of visualizing the progression of seasons and sacred days as a cycle.
Litha is a solar festival that takes place on the longest day of the year — Midsummer.
About Litha
Litha is a name given to the summer solstice. In the northern hemisphere, this takes place around June 21st.
Because of the Earth’s axial tilt, this actually corresponds with the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere, so Pagans in the south typically celebrate Litha around December 21st. This is considered to be the time when the sun and solar deities are at the height of their power.
Origins & History
It’s hard to say when summer solstice celebrations really began. As long as humans have relied on plants and grazing animals for food, they’ve tracked the seasons.
The word “solstice” comes from Latin, and roughly translates to “sun stands still.” The solstice, then, is the point when the sun seems to stand still in the sky. In other words, it’s when the daylight hours are at their longest.
Nobody’s really certain where the name “Litha” comes from, either. One source cites a document called The Reckoning of Time (De temporum ratione) written by Saint Bede in 725 CE.
In it, he recorded a lot of Anglo-Saxon Pagan concepts, and the names of the months were among them. This time of year was allegedly named “Līða,” which translated to “gentle” or “easy to navigate.”
It was so named because this time of year marked the best weather for sailing, since the breezes were steady and not too powerful. June was Ǣrra-Līða, or “the first Litha,” while July was “the second Litha.”
Another source, Greer’s New Encyclopedia of the Occult, cites J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy as the actual origin. In it, the Hobbits’ called midsummer Lithe.
It’s possible that we may never find the true name of this holiday. Many of the cultures that inform modern-day European-based Paganism had strong oral traditions, and placed less emphasis on writing. As a result, the only written records left behind stem largely from invaders and other outside observers.
Traditions
Traditionally, Litha was a time to light bonfires, celebrate marriages, feast, sing, and dance. It’s a time when the weather is at its warmest, and all of the crops are at their most fruitful. This is a celebration of plenty, partnership, and community.
In Wicca, it’s customary to use this time to work solar magic, magic for men’s issues, and rituals for community stability, success, environmental healing, and strengthening relationships.
In ancient Rome, people celebrated Vestalia around midsummer. This was to honor Vesta, a virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family. Under normal circumstances, only her devotees, the Vestal virgins, were allowed into the sacred inner areas of her temples.
During Vestalia, the inner sanctums of her temples would be opened for all women to come make offerings and request her aid and protection.
Folklore
In some forms of Wicca and …
Click here to read the rest of this article
Spell for Today – Simple Employment
Career Spell
Candle Spell for Employment
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Cakes and Ale
From moonlitpriestess.com
Also called Cakes and Wine; a ritual meal generally shared with the Goddess and God within the Circle following ritual in Wiccan practice.
From Spells8.com
Ceremonial food that is served to the participants of a ritual or celebration. Foods may include whatever preferences the participants have.
June 19 Astronomy Picture of the Day is a Game
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 June 19
Use this link to see Game: Super Planet Crash
Game Credit & License: Stefano Meschiari (U. Texas at Austin) & the SAVE/Point Team
Explanation: Can you create a planetary system that lasts for 1000 years? Super Planet Crash, the featured game, allows you to try. To create up to ten planets, just click anywhere near the central star. Planet types can be selected on the left in order of increasing mass: Earth, Super-Earth, Ice giant, Giant planet, Brown dwarf, or Dwarf star. Each planet is gravitationally attracted not only to the central Sun-like star, but to other planets. Points are awarded, with bonus factors applied for increasingly crowded and habitable systems. The game ends after 1000 years or when a planet is gravitationally expelled. Many exoplanetary systems are being discovered in recent years, and Super Planet Crash demonstrates why some remain stable. As you might suspect after playing Super Planet Crash a few times, there is reason to believe that our own Solar System has lost planets during its formation.
June 19 Today in History
Today’s Important Historical Events
1306 The Earl of Pembroke’s army defeats Robert the Bruce‘s Scottish army at the Battle of Methven
1829 Robert Peel introduces the Metropolitan Police Act 1829 into Parliament to establish a unified police force for London, world’s 1st modern police force
1862 Slavery outlawed in US territories
1865 Union General Gordon Granger declares slaves are free in Texas, now the date the end of slavery is celebrated across the US as Juneteenth
1944 World War II: First day of the 2 day Battle of the Philippine Sea, US naval forces defeat Japanese fleet
1991 Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar surrenders to police
Today’s Historical Events
936 Louis IV [Louis of Overseas], crowned King of France
1179 The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Earl Erling Skakke is killed, and the battle changes the tide of the civil war
1205 Pope Innocent III fires Adolf I as archbishop of Cologne
1269 King Louis IX of France decrees all Jews must wear a yellow badge in public or be fined 10 livres of silver
1286 Rabbenu Mir of Rothenbur imprisoned in fortress of Ensisheim
1306 The Earl of Pembroke’s army defeats Robert the Bruce‘s Scottish army at the Battle of Methven
1464 French King Louis XI forms postal service
1502 Emperor Maximilian I and England sign treaty of Antwerp
Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV
1952 “I’ve Got A Secret” debuts on CBS-TV with Garry Moore as host
1953 WCSC TV channel 5 in Charleston, South Carolina (CBS) begins broadcasting
1953 WTPA (now WHTM) TV channel 27 in Harrisburg, PA (ABC) 1st broadcast
1956 Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin end partnership after 10 years, and 16 films
1973 “The Rocky Horror Show” stage production first opens in London written by Richard O’Brian and directed by Jim Sharman and starring Tim Curry
1984 Weird Al Yankovic gives free live performance at Del Mar Fair
1984 1st live TV appearance by Chief Justice Warren Burger (Nightline)
1992 “Batman Returns”, starring Michael Keaton as Batman, Danny DeVito as the Penguin, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman, is released
Today’s Historical Events in Music
1825 Gioachino Rossini‘s “Il viaggio a Reims” premieres
1932 1st concert given in San Francisco’s Stern Grove
1937 Second of two legendary recording sessions by Delta Blues musician Robert Johnson with producer Don Law at the Vitagraph Studios, Dallas, Texas
1960 Loretta Lynn records “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl”
1961 “Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)” by The Coasters peaks at #23
1964 Bob Dylan completes UK tour
1967 Paul McCartney admits on TV that he took LSD
1978 “Best Little Whorehouse…” opens at 46th St NYC for 1577 performances
Today’s Historical Events in Sports
1846 First officially recognised baseball game (played by Cartwright Rules) – NY Nines 23 defeat Knickerbockers 1 at Hoboken, New Jersey
1867 1st Belmont Stakes: Gilbert Gilpatrick aboard Ruthless wins in 3:05
1894 28th Belmont: Willie Simms aboard Henry of Navarre wins in 1:56.5
1897 US National Championship Women’s Tennis: 1895 title holder Juliette Atkinson beats defending champion Elisabeth Moore 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3
1908 British Open Men’s Golf, Prestwick GC: Scotsman James Braid wins his 4th Championship by 8 strokes from Tom Ball
1914 British Open Men’s Golf, Prestwick GC: Harry Vardon of Jersey wins a record 6th Open Championship, 3 strokes ahead of defending champion J.H. Taylor
1922 Paavo Nurmi runs world record 5000m (14:28.2)
1924 Paavo Nurmi runs world record 1500m of 3:52.6; 50 minutes later sets 5,000m WR 14:28.2; also runs WR 3-mile time 14:02.00 within that event in Finnish Olympic trials in Helsinki
Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence Digest for Saturday
Magickal Intentions: Spirit Communications, Meditation, Psychic Attack or Defense, Locating Lost Things and Missing Persons, Building, Life, Doctrine, Protection, Knowledge, Authority, Limitations, Boundaries, Time and Death
Incense: Black Poppy Seed and Myrrh
Planet: Saturn
Sign: Capricorn and Aquarius
Angel: Cassel
Colors: Black, Grey and Indigo
Herbs/Plants: Myrrh, Moss, Hemlock, Wolfsbane, Coltsfoot, Nightshade and Fir
Stones: Jet, Smokey Quartz, Amethyst, Black Onyx, Snowflake Obsidian, Lava, Pumice
Oil: (Saturn) Cypress, Mimosa, Myrrh, Patchouli
Saturn lends its energies to the last day of the week. Because Saturn is the planet of karma, this day is an excellent time for spellwork involving reincarnation, karmic lessons, the Mysteries, wisdom, and long-term projects.
It is also a good time to being efforts that deal with the elderly, death, or the eradication of pests and disease.
June 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 June 18
The Gamma Cygni Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Min Xie, Chen Wu, Yizhou Zhang, and Benchu Tang
Explanation: Supergiant star Gamma Cygni is at the center of the Northern Cross. Near the plane of our Milky Way galaxy, that famous asterism flies high in northern summer night skies in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. Known by the proper name Sadr, Gamma Cygni also lies just below center in this telescopic skyscape, with colors mapped from both broadband and narrowband image data. The field of view spans about 3 degrees (six Full Moons) on the sky and includes emission nebula IC 1318 and open star cluster NGC 6910. Filling the upper part of the frame and shaped like two glowing cosmic wings divided by a long dark dust lane, IC 1318’s popular name is understandably the Butterfly Nebula. Right of Gamma Cygni, are the young, still tightly grouped stars of NGC 6910. The distance to Gamma Cygni is around 560 parsecs or 1,800 light-years. Estimates for IC 1318 and NGC 6910 range from 2,000 to 5,000 light-years.
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Banishing
From moonlitpriestess.com
Removing, pushing away, or expelling something or someone magickally; generally for removing negativity or unwanted spirits.
From Spells8.com
To use magick to rid something or repel something from a person or area.
June 18 Today in History
Today’s Important Historical Events
618 Coronation of the Chinese governor Li Yuan as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the new Emperor of China, initiating three centuries of the Tang Dynasty’s rule over China
1812 War of 1812 begins as US declares war against Britain
1815 Battle of Waterloo; Napoleon and France defeated by British forces under Wellington and Prussian troops under Blucher
1928 American aviator Amelia Earhart becomes the 1st woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, landing at Burry Port, Wales
1940 Winston Churchill‘s “this was their finest hour” speech urging perseverance during Battle of Britain delivered to British House of Commons
Today’s Historical Events
618 Coronation of the Chinese governor Li Yuan as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the new Emperor of China, initiating three centuries of the Tang Dynasty’s rule over China
860 Rus Vikings attack Constantinople
1155 Pope Adrian IV crowns Frederick I Barbarossa Roman-German Emperor
1178 Five monks at Canterbury report something exploding on the moon shortly after sunset (only known observation)
1264 The Parliament of Ireland meets at Castledermot in County Kildare, the first definitively known meeting of this Irish legislature
1316 Peace of Fexhe: prince-bishop Adolf II of Mark and Luikse towns
1538 Treaty of Nice: ends war between Emperor Charles V & King French I
1541 Irish parliament selects Henry VIII of England as King of Ireland
Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV
1940 General Charles de Gaulle makes his first speech on the BBC to the French people, since arriving in London, an appeal to defy Nazi occupiers – regarded as the beginning of French Resistance during WWII
1945 William Joyce (Lord Haw-Haw), fascist politician and Nazi propaganda broadcaster, charged with treason in England
1953 3rd Berlin International Film Festival: “The Wages of Fear” wins Golden Bear (audience vote)
1954 4th Berlin International Film Festival: “Hobson’s Choice” wins Golden Bear (audience vote)
1959 New York City premiere of the film version of Kathryn Hulme’s “The Nun’s Story”
1961 CBS radio cancels Gunsmoke
1961 KBMT TV channel 12 in Beaumont, Texas (ABC) begins broadcasting
1969 “The Wild Bunch”, directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring William Holden and Ernest Borgnine, is released
Today’s Historical Events in Music
1821 Carl Maria von Weber’s opera “Der Freischutz” (“The Marksman”) premieres at Schauspielhaus, Berlin, Germany
1944 Farewell concert of conductor Willem Mengelberg in Paris
1949 “Along Fifth Avenue” closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 180 performances
1955 “3 for Tonight” closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 85 performances
1960 “Destry Rides Again” closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 472 performances
1967 Closing day of the Monterey International Pop Festival, Southern California. First major US appearances of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, and Otis Redding
1977 Sex Pistols johnny rotten & Paul Cook, beaten by a group of rabble-rousers outside of a London pub
1982 Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: Van Morrison and Jackson Browne headline; other performers include: Osibisa, Judie Tzuke, Richie Havens, Aswad, Steel Pulse, Thompson Twins, Climax Blues Band, Talisman, and Incubus
Today’s Historical Events in Sports
1898 US Open Men’s Golf, Myopia Hunt Club: Scotsman Fred Herd easily wins by 7 strokes from countryman Alex Smith; first 72-hole US Open
1898 US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Philadelphia CC: Defending champion Juliette Atkinson beats Marion Jones 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 for her third US singles title
1911 Detroit Tigers trail Chicago White Sox, 13-1 at Bennett Park, Detroit; recover to win, 16-15 for the biggest comeback in Major League Baseball history
1915 US Open Men’s Golf, Baltusrol GC: 4-time US Amateur champion Jerome Travers captures his only Open title, 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Tom McNamara
1936 First bicycle traffic court in America established in Racine, Wisconsin
1938 Future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth is signed as a Brooklyn Dodgers coach for the remainder of the season
1941 In his 18th world heavyweight title defence Joe Louis KOs Billy Conn in 13th round in front of a crowd of 54,487 at the Polo Grounds, NYC
1947 Cincinnati Reds pitcher Ewell Blackwell no-hits Boston Braves, 6-0 at Crosley Field, Cincinnati
Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence Digest for Friday
From Angel Fire
Saturn: binding, protection, neutralization, karma, death, manifestation, structure, reality, the laws of society, limits, obstacles, tests, hard work, endurance, real estates, dentists, bones, teeth, farm workers, separation, stalkers, murderers, criminals in general, civil servants, justice, math, plumbing, wills, debts, financing, joint money matters, discovery, transformation, relations with older people
SATURDAY Ruled by the Roman God of the harvest and planting. New starts and firmly planting your seeds of intention or good focuses on Saturday.
Saturn Rituals: Disciplining ourselves.
Element: Earth
Colour: Black and sometimes purple
Number: 3
June 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 June 17
Good Morning Planets from Chile
Image Credit & Copyright: Elke Schulz (Daniel Verschatse Observatory)
Explanation: On June 15, innermost planet Mercury had wandered about as far from the Sun as it ever gets in planet Earth’s sky. Near the eastern horizon just before sunrise it stands over distant Andes mountain peaks in this predawn snapshot from the valley of Rio Hurtado in Chile. June’s other morning planets are arrayed above it, as all the naked-eye planets of the Solar System stretch in a line along the ecliptic in the single wide-field view. Tilted toward the north, the Solar System’s ecliptic plane arcs steeply through southern hemisphere skies. Northern hemisphere early morning risers will see the lineup of planets along the ecliptic at a shallower angle tilting toward the south. From both hemispheres June’s beautiful morning planetary display finds the visible planets in order of their increasing distance from the Sun.
June 17 Today in History
Today’s Important Historical Events
656 Ali ibn Abu Talib elected the 4th Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate
1579 English navigator Francis Drake lands on the coast of California at Drakes Bay, names it “New Albion” [1]
1631 Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, then spends more than 20 years building her tomb, the Taj Mahal
1789 French Revolution: During the meeting of the Estates-General, the Third Estate proclaims itself the ‘National Assembly’
1837 Charles Goodyear obtains his 1st rubber patent
1856 Republican Party opens its 1st national convention in Philadelphia
Today’s Historical Events
653 St Martin I ends his reign as Catholic Pope
656 Ali ibn Abu Talib elected the 4th Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate
676 Pope Adeodatus II’s (Deusdetit II) reign ends with his death
1091 Floris II de Vette becomes earl of Holland
1119 Charles the Good becomes earl of Flanders
1397 Union of Kalmar established between Denmark, Sweden and Norway
1462 Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II (The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat from Wallachia
1497 Battle of Deptford Bridge – forces under King Henry VII soundly defeat Cornish rebels led by Michael An Gof
Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV
1919 “Barney Google” cartoon strip, by Billy De Beck, premieres
1954 Televised Senate Army McCarthy hearings ends
1967 Barbra Streisand: “A Happening in Central Park” concert performance for audience of 135,000
1968 KQEC TV channel 32 in San Francisco, California (PBS) begins broadcasting
1988 Givens’ Family reports Mike Tyson beats his wife Robin Givens
2017 Bill Cosby trial for aggravated indecent assault declared a mistrial after jurors couldn’t reach a verdict
2018 “The Incredibles 2” sets a box office record for an animated release, earning $180 million its opening weekend
2020 Actor Danny Masterson charged with raping three women
Today’s Historical Events in Music
1951 “Flahooley” closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 40 performances
1957 “So Rare” by Jimmy Dorsey Orch peaks at #2
1961 Billy Barnes’ musical revue “Billy Barnes People”, starting Ken Berry, Dave Ketchum, and Jo Anne Worley, closes at Royale Theater, NYC, after 7 performances
1965 British rock band The Kinks arrive in NYC beginning their 1st US tour
1967 “Somebody To Love” by Jefferson Airplane peaks at #5
1970 Led Zeppelin begin their last European tour
1971 Carole King‘s album “Tapestry” goes to #1 on US album charts and stays there for 15 weeks
1972 “Long Haired Lover From Liverpool” single by Little Jimmy Osmond peaks at #38
Today’s Historical Events in Sports
1880 Providence Grays MLB pitcher John M. Ward throws a perfect game beating the Buffalo Bisons, 5-0; second perfect game in National League in 6 days; next one takes 84 years
1901 US Open Men’s Golf, Myopia Hunt GC: Willie Anderson of Scotland wins first of his 4 Open titles by 1 stroke in an 18-hole playoff with Alex Smith
1906 International Lawn Tennis Challenge, Wimbledon: Laurence Doherty & Reginald Doherty beat Raymond Little & Holcombe Ward 3-6, 11-9, 9-7, 6-1 to give British Isles an unassailable 3-0 lead over US (ends 5-0)
1911 US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Philadelphia CC: Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman beats Florence Sutton 8-10, 6-1, 9-7 for her third straight US singles title
1927 US Open Men’s Golf, Oakmont CC: American-based Scotsman Tommy Armour defeats Harry Cooper by 3 strokes in an 18-hole playoff to win the first of his 3 major titles
1930 Continuing a rich vein of form Australian cricket icon Don Bradman scores 131 in 1st Test v England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
1939 French Championships Men’s Tennis: American collegiate champion Don McNeill beats countryman Bobby Riggs 7-5, 6-0, 6-3
1939 44th Women’s French Championships: Simonne Mathieu beats Jadwiga Jedrzejowska (6-3, 8-6)
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Word is
Balefire
From moonlitpriestess.com
An outdoor ritual fire (or a sacred bonfire); most commonly used for Beltane, Midsummer, and Yule rituals and festivities.
From Spells8.com
An open fire, usually used in a ritual or spell. Balefires are lit during pagan festivals such as the sabbats (witch’s holidays).
June 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 June 16
Strawberry Supermoon from China
Image Credit & Copyright: Jeff Dai (TWAN)
Explanation: There are four Full Supermoons in 2022. Using the definition of a supermoon as a Full Moon near perigee, that is within at least 90% of its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit, the year’s Full Supermoon dates are May 16, June 14, July 13, and August 12. Full Moons near perigee really are the brightest and largest in planet Earth’s sky. But size and brightness differences between Full Moons are relatively small and an actual comparison with other Full Moons is difficult to make by eye alone. Two exposures are blended in this supermoon and sky view from June 14. That Full Moon was also known to northern hemisphere skygazers as the Strawberry moon. The consecutive short and long exposures allow familiar features on the fully sunlit lunar nearside to be seen in the same image as a faint lunar corona and an atmospheric cloudscape. They were captured in skies over Chongqing, China.
June 16 Today in History
Today’s Important Historical Events
1779 Spain declares war on Great Britain in support of France and the USA, starting the Great Siege of Gibraltar which goes on to last 3 years, 7 months and 2 weeks
1858 Abraham Lincoln says “A house divided against itself cannot stand” accepting Illinois Republican Party’s nomination for the Senate
1904 Bloomsday (date of events in James Joyce‘s novel “Ulysses”)
1963 Soviet space mission Vostok 6 is launched with Valentina Tereshkova onboard, who becomes the 1st woman in space
2000 Israel complies with UN Security Council Resolution 425 after 22 years, which calls on Israel to completely withdraw from Lebanon. Israel withdraws from all of Lebanon, except the disputed Sheba Farms
Today’s Historical Events
632 Origin of Persian [Yezdegird] Era
1487 Battle of Stoke, Nottinghamshire: Henry VII beats John de la Pole & Lord Lovell
1567 Mary, Queen of Scots, imprisoned in Lochleven Castle prison, Scotland
1624 Virginia becomes an English crown colony following the bankruptcy of the London Company
1673 Peace of Vossem: French King Louis XIV and Frederik Willem of Brandenburg
1745 British fleet occupies Cape Breton on St Lawrence River
1746 Battle at Piacenza: Austria & Sardinia beat Spanish and French army
1755 British capture Fort Beauséjour, expel Acadians
Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV
1960 “Psycho”, psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, and Vera Miles, opens in New York City
1961 Dave Garroway is fired as host of NBC’s “Today Show”
1966 Rowan & Martin host “The Dean Martin Show” Summer Series, on NBC-TV
1978 Film “Grease” opens, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, based on the 1971 musical
1978 Ringo Starr releases album “Bad Boy”
1980 Musical comedy film “The Blues Brothers”, starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, and directed by John Landis, premieres in Chicago, Illinois
1983 Ringo Starr releases album “Old Wave” album in West Germany; soon after releases follow in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Netherlands, Mexico, and Brazil
Today’s Historical Events in Music
1902 “The Wizard of Oz” musical first opens in Chicago, Illinois
1958 “Flip Top Box” by Dicky Doo & The Don’ts hits #46
961 Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defects to West at Le Bourget Airport in Paris
1967 50,000 attend first day of the Monterey International Pop Festival – beginning of the Summer of Love
1967 The first Montreux Jazz Festival is held in Switzerland, created by Claude Nobs [1]
1977 “Beatlemania” opens on Broadway
1979 Single “Logical Song” by Supertramp peaks at #6
1982 Columbia Records releases “Somewhere in the Stars”, the fourth studio album by Rosanne Cash; produced by husband Rodney Crowell, and featuring her father Johnny Cash on one track
Today’s Historical Events in Sports
1883 1st baseball “Ladies’ Day” (NY Gothams beat Cleveland Spiders 5-2)
1894 US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Philadelphia CC: Helen Hellwig beats defending champion Aline Terry 7-5, 3-6, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3
1899 Victor Trumper‘s 1st Test Cricket century 135* v England, Lord’s
1903 1st Highlander (Yankee) shut-out victory 1-0 over White Sox
1909 Jim Thorpe makes his pro baseball pitching debut for Rocky Mount (ECL) with 4-2 win, this will cause him to forfeit his Olympic gold medals
1917 49th Belmont: James Butwell aboard Hourless wins in 2:17.8
1929 Otto E. Funk, 62, ends marathon walk (NY to SF, 4165 miles in 183 days)
1932 Sutcliffe and Holmes make 555 opening cricket stand for Yorkshire v Essex
Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions
Today’s Words are
Ancestors
and
Ancestor Veneration
From moonlitpriestess.com
Spirits of deceased humans with whom you have strong bonds such as family members, friends, etc. Some traditions recognize only blood-relative ancestors, particularly on the subject of ancestral curses. Others recognize various other ancestors including the Mighty Dead.
AND
Also called “veneration of the dead,” refers to honoring and respecting the deceased. Specific methods of doing so and why differs between cultures, religions, families, etc. (see also Ancestors)
June 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 June 15
In the Heart of the Virgo Cluster
Image Credit & Copyright: Saulius Adomaitis
Explanation: The Virgo Cluster of Galaxies is the closest cluster of galaxies to our Milky Way Galaxy. The Virgo Cluster is so close that it spans more than 5 degrees on the sky – about 10 times the angle made by a full Moon. With its heart lying about 70 million light years distant, the Virgo Cluster is the nearest cluster of galaxies, contains over 2,000 galaxies, and has a noticeable gravitational pull on the galaxies of the Local Group of Galaxies surrounding our Milky Way Galaxy. The cluster contains not only galaxies filled with stars but also gas so hot it glows in X-rays. Motions of galaxies in and around clusters indicate that they contain more dark matter than any visible matter we can see. Pictured here, the heart of the Virgo Cluster includes bright Messier galaxies such as Markarian’s Eyes on the upper left, M86 just to the upper right of center, M84 on the far right, as well as spiral galaxy NGC 4388 at the bottom right.
June 15 Today in History
Today’s Important Historical Events
763 BC Assyrians record a solar eclipse that will be used to fix the chronology of Mesopotamian history
1215 King John signs Magna Carta at Runnymede, near Windsor, England
1775 George Washington appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, the day after Congress establishes the force
1896 Tsunami strikes Shinto festival on beach at Sanriku, Japan; 27,000 are killed, 9,000 injured and 13,000 houses destroyed
1940 World War II: France surrenders to NAZI Germany, German troops occupy Paris
1991 Climactic eruption of the Mount Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines, the second-largest volcanic eruption on Earth of the 20th century
Today’s Historical Events
763 BC Assyrians record a solar eclipse that will be used to fix the chronology of Mesopotamian history
923 Battle of Soissons: King Robert I of France is killed and King Charles the Simple is arrested by the supporters of Duke Rudolph of Burgundy
1094 Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar [El Cid] occupies Valencia on the Moren
1184 Magnus V Erlingsson, King of Norway (1156–1184), dies in the Battle of Fimreite
1215 King John signs Magna Carta at Runnymede, near Windsor, England
1219 King Valdemar brought victory for Denmark
1219 Dannebrog is the flag of Denmark and the oldest national flag in the world. According to legend, it fell from the sky during the Battle of Lyndanisse (now Tallinn) in Estonia, and turned the Danes’ luck
1246 Battle at Leitha: Hungary-Austrian
Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV
1878 World’s first moving pictures caught on camera (used 12 cameras, each taking 1 picture) done to see if all 4 of a horse’s hooves leave the ground
1948 WPIX TV channel 11 in NYC, NY (IND) begins broadcasting
1948 WTNH TV channel 8 in New Haven, CT (ABC) begins broadcasting
1953 WLFI TV channel 18 in Lafayette, IN (CBS) begins broadcasting
1960 “The Apartment” directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine premieres in New York (Academy Awards Best Picture 1961)
1962 WWUP TV channel 10 in Sault Ste Marie, MI (CBS) begins broadcasting
1967 “The Dirty Dozen”, based on E. M. Nathanson’s novel, directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine and Charles Bronson is released in the US
Today’s Historical Events in Music
1957 “Ziegfeld Follies of 1957” closes at Winter Garden NYC after 123 performances
1963 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s musical “The Sound of Music”, closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater, NYC, after 1443 performances
1963 “Sukiyaki” sung by Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto, hits #1
1965 Bob Dylan records single “Like a Rolling Stone” (#1 in Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”)
1968 “How Now, Dow Jones” closes at Lunt Fontanne, NYC, after 220 performances
1968 “I Do! I Do!” closes at 46th St Theater, NYC, after 561 performances
1968 “New Faces of 1965” closes at Booth Theater, NYC, after 52 performances
1968 John Lennon and Yoko Ono plant two acorns for peace, at Coventry Cathedral, Conventry, England
Today’s Historical Events in Sports
1887 NY Giants beat Philadelphia Phillies 29-1
1888 US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Philadelphia Cricket Club: Bertha Townsend beats defending champion Ellen Hansell 6-3, 6-5
1889 US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Philadelphia Cricket Club: Defending champion Bertha Townsend beats Lida Voorhees 7-5, 6-2
1894 Phillies beat Cincinnati Reds, 21-8
1902 Minor League’s most lopsided baseball game: Corsicana 51; Texarkana 3 Justin Clark of Corsicana, Texas minors hits 8 home runs in 1 game
1906 British Open Men’s Golf, Muirfield: Scotsman James Braid successfully defends title by 4 strokes from J.H. Taylor of England; his 3rd Open victory
1909 Representatives from England, Australia and South Africa meet at Lord’s and form the Imperial Cricket Conference.
1912 US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Philadelphia CC: Mary Browne beats Eleonora Sears 6-4, 6-2 for her first of 3 straight US singles titles
You must be logged in to post a comment.