November Lore

November Lore

The eleventh month of the Gregorian calendar and the third of Autumn's rule. The name is derived from Novem, the Latin word for nine, as November was the ninth month in Rome's oldest calendar. In the Celtic tradition, winter began on November 1 and was the first day of the Celtic year.
It is in November that this anti-holiday of Lauranz takes place.
Selfish Ingratitude Day, the fourth Thursday in November: A day to commemorate gimmie, to hell with you; me, me, me, I don't care about anyone, greed, and such-like sentiments. A day to behave like a real jerk.
Correspondences
Astrological Signs: Scorpio, Sagittarius.
Spirits: Banshees and other beings who carry messages between worlds.
Herbs: Ginger, hops, wormwood, hussop, patchouli, mugwort, nutmeg, star anise.
Colors: Black, white, purple.
Flowers: White lily, dahlia, chrysanthemum.
Scents: Rosemary, dragons blood, lilac, pine, wisteria.
Stones: Topaz, obsidian, onyx, Apache tear.
Trees: Pine, cypress, yew, elder.
Animals: Bat, wolf, sow, dog, snake (although this seems a little illogical as most snakes tend to begin going into winter hibernation around about this time of the year).
Birds: Owls, raven, falcon.
Deities: Astarte, Calleach, Cerridwen, Circe, Cybele, Freyja, Hathor, Hel, Holda, Horned God, Kali, Maman, Nepthys, Sekhmet
November 1
A festival known as Reign of the Old Woman Cailleach is celebrated on this day in honor of the ancient Celtic Crone-Goddess. In Scotland, she was called Calledonia. Robert Graves believes that the Cailleach was another form of the Irish Scathach and the Norse Skadi. Medieval legend turned her into the Black Queen of a western paradise.
Romans honored the harvest-Goddess of fruit trees, orchards, and all fruit bearing plants with a festival called the Pomonia (Feast of Pomona), which marked the end of the growing season.
Many modern witches celebrate the day after Samhain with a feast commemorating fruition, maturity, immortality, and resurrection.
The Day of the Dead is celebrated on this date in Latin America and Spain, with offerings of food to honor the spirits of deceased loved ones.

November 2
All Souls' Day
Feestival of Woden (Odin) as god of the dead; parading the Hodening wild horse and other guising including mummers' plays enacting the mysteries of life, death, and rebirth.
The Christian Church celebrates All Souls' Day as commemoration of departed spirits not elevated to sainthood. It became festival of the Christian Church in 998 C.E., The custom of Soul-Caking, where children go round the village to beg forcakes in return for praying for the souls of the departed was still done in Cheshire up to the 19th century; this was a vestige of the Feast of All Souls when prayers for the dead were said, and, more anciently, of the respect and remembrance of the ancestors. A mumming or souling play still circulates Antrobus, Cheshire, accompanied by a hobby horse. The horse is one of many which curculate several regions of Britain and Ireland during the winter months, a distant reminder of the winter mare aspect of th Callieach.
Folklore dictates that this is considered an unlucky day for weddings. Those who wed on All Soul's Day are sure to be cursed with misfortune, illness, divorce, or an early death.

November 3
1st Saggittarius
The medieval Irish Prophet St. Malachy, the "Irish Nostradamus," is commemorated today.
In Celtic tradition, this is the day for starting new enterprises and the day cattle are taken from the hills to the lowlands for wintertime.
St Gwenfrewi or Winefride (6th century) lived in Treffynon or Holywell in Clwyd where she was courted by prince Caradoc, whom she repulsed, In his rage, he struck off her head and where it fell to the ground, a fountain sprang up. Her uncle, St. Beuno restored her to life and she lived on an abbess to a nunnery at Holywell. It became a place of pilgrimage where people bathed in the waters of the fountain for various cures in the early Middler Ages, and is still visited today.
The final day of the Isia takes place on this day in Egypt. This annual festival celebrates the rebirth of the God Osiris through the sacred and life-giving milk of Isis. This was a time of the receding waters of the Nile floods. This rebirth does not mean reincarnation, but a rising from the dead. After an enactment of the story of Osiris' death at the hands of his brother Set, the people followed the mourning of Isis to her temple. There the drama continued with the combat between Horus and Set. Images of Osiris were made of paste and grain; they were watered until the barley sprouted and then floated down the Nile with candles as part of the planting ceremonies. Sir James Frazier, in The Golden Bough, translates a "Lamentation of Isis" which has the Goddess say that she is Osiris's sister, child of the same mother, and that the God shall never be far from her.
In 1324 on this date, a witch named Dame Alice Kyteler was put to death by fire in the most famous witch trial to take place in Ireland. Nine others were arrested, found guilty, and sentenced to various punishments.
In Celtic tradition, this is the day for starting new enterprises and the day the cattle are taken from the hills to the lowlands for wintertime.

November 4
In England every year on this night (the Eve of Guy Fawkes Day), a Pagan festival celebrated in ancient England honoring the Lord of Death took place every year. Today's bonfires and pranks associated with England's Mischief Night are actually remnants of the old Pagan customs.

November 5
In Shebbear, England, young men gather every year on this date to turn a large red rock called the Devil's Boulder. The centuries old custom of turning the one-ton rock (which was flung into the village square by the Devil himself, according to folklore) conjures up ancient magickal powers and brings peace and prosperity to the village.

November 6
Babylonian celebration of the birth of the Dragon goddess Tiamat.

November 7
A fire festival known as the Night of Hecate was held once a year on this night in ancient Greece to honor the Goddess Hecate. Most of Hecate's worship was performed at a three-way crossroad at night. Food was left there as an offering to her.
The ancient God Lono is honored annually on this day in the Hawaiian Islands, by the Hawaiian Harvest Festival. Also, the Makahiki festival also takes place in Hawaii on this day.
St. Leonard, known for dragon slaying, is commemorated today. He is the guardian spirit of St. Leonard's forest in Sussex, England.

November 8
Haitian farmers make offerings of yams to their family's ancestral spirits and household Gods every year on this day (approximately) in order to insure a bountiful harvest in the next year.
The Kitchen Range Goddess Hettsui No Kami is honored on this day in Japan with the annual Shinto festival called Fuigo Matsuri. This Goddess was important because, through the use of harvested food, she protected and provided for the

November 9
On this date, a traditional wish-magick ritual is performed annually in Thailand on this date. Banana peels and lotus leaves are made into little boats and filled with candles and various offerings to the Gods (such as incense, coins, and gardenia flowers). Secret wishes are made as the "boats" are set adrift on a river, and if the candles keep burning until they are out of view, the wishes are said to come true.

November 10 - Old November Eve
Old November Eve was celebrated on this date in olden times throughout the Scottish countryside. The Goddess Nicnevin as an aspect of Diana was honored with prayers and feasts, and it was believed she rode through the air with her entourage between the night hours of 9 and 10, and made herself visible to mortals on this night.
Famous Hermetic philosopher and alchemist Paracelsus was born in Einsiedeln, Switzerland on approximately this date in 1493 (some sources list his date of birth as December 17, 1493). Paracelsus enjoyed exceptional healing powers and believed in a universal natural magick. Contrary to many writings about him, he was not a sorcerer or a practitioner of ceremonial magick (in fact, he was known to be somewhat skeptical of the so-called Black Arts); nevertheless, he did believe in astrology and often used magickal astrological talismans (inscribed with planetary symbols) in his medical practice. He died a mysterious death in Salzburg in 1541.

November 11
Old November Day
Charliemass, a modern holiday celebrated primarily by chaotes and their ilk on the 11th of November, Charlie Manson's birthday. Infekshun writes: since Charles was the scapegoat for the human race, he also is the reedemer. I don't understand exactly why that is, but it just seems to work that way, at least metaphorically.
Infek has also kindly provided the Zees with the following correspondaces:
Manson=Son of Man= Shiva=Dionysus=Jim Morrison+Charles Martel= Charlmagne= Charlie the Tuna= Charlie Viet Cong= Charlie Chan= Charlie Brown... etc.
The evil Celtic Sidhe faries are appeased and honoured on this day in a festival known as the Lunantshees.
A festival called the Day of the Heroes is celebrated annually on this day by pagans following northern European systems. Nordic deities are honored with prayers and feasts.
The annual feast of Vinalia was observed on this day by the ancient Greeks in honor of the wine-God Bacchus.

November 12
The supreme God of the ancient Roman religion, Jupiter, and the Goddesses Minerva and Juno, were honored with an annual festival on this date called the Epulum Jovis in Capitola.

November 13
The thirteenth day after Samhain was considered a day of darkness, evil, and misfortune in Medieval times. It was believed to be a time when necromancers and sorcerers summoned up evil spirits and demons to assist them in their practice of the black arts.
An old superstition insists that if the thirteenth day after Halloween falls on a Friday, all persons born that day will possess the evil eye.

November 14
An annual Druidic festival known as the Feast of the Musicians, honoring the Celtic Gods of music is celebrated. Songs are sung around an open fire as various offerings are cast into the flames.
Children gather annually on this day in temples throughout India to receive blessings from the Children's Goddesses: Befana, Mayauel, Rumina, and Surabhi.

November 15
A pagan festival called the Feronia takes place annually on this day to honor the ancient Goddess of fire, fertility and woodlands known as Ferona.
A centuries old ritual for good health (Schichi-Go-San) is performed annually on this date in Shinto shrines in Japan. The ceremonies involve children who have reached the ages of three, give, and seven. At the end, the children are given candy blessed and decorated with symbols of good fortune.
In 1280 on this date, German alchemist and ceremonial musician Albertus Magnus died. Legend says he discovered the Philosopher's Stone and also created a supernatural zombie-like servant using natural magick and astrological science.

November 16
On this date (approximately), the annual Festival of Lights is celebrated in India to mark the Hindu New Year. Candles are lit to honor Lakshmi (the Goddess who presides over wealth, prosperity, and sexual pleasures), and homes are decorated with ancient good-fortune ritual designs called kolams.

November 17
The last of three annual festivals of death is observed in certain regions of China on this day (approximately). Paper clothing and money labeled with the names of the dead are burned as offerings to ancestors in the spirit world.
Famous occultist and author Israel Regardie was born on this date in 1907 in England. He belonged to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and was a onetime secretary of Aleister Crowley. He wrote numerous books which continue to be popular among practitioners of the occult arts. Regardie died in 1983.

November 18
The Persian Goddess believed to be the Mother of the Stars, Ardvi, is honored annually on this date with a sacred festival called the Ardvi Sura (The Day of Ardvi). The festival takes place under nighttime stars, and has been celebrated in Southwestern Asia since ancient times.
A modern celebration of the anniversary of the Jonestown massacre is celebrated, for no particular reason, by some chaotes and others of that ilk. In actual fact, of the dead 900+, just over 400 were actually killed by drinking the poisoned Kool-Aid. All the others were found dead scattered in about a 3/4 mile radius of the main camp, most face down, heading away from camp, in the jungle. Almost all (80-90%) of these victims had fresh needle marks at the back of the left shoulder blades. Several died from single, well-placed gunshot wounds. Rumor has it that the Jonestown camp was a large-scale CIA mind control experiment. Jim Jones had worked with the CIA before and during the Jonestown incident. Witnesses soon after the massacre reported seeing large piles of bodies of people that were quite obviously shot.

November 19
Warlock Day. According to ancient belief, the first stranger you meet on this day dressed entirely in black will be a warlock. Take care not to look him directly in the eyes; otherwise, you may become bewitched.

November 20
On this night when the Pleides (a cluster of stars in the constellation of Taurus) becomes visible to the naked eye, native rituals begin in Hawaii to mark the beginning of their harvest season and to honor and give thanks to the ancient God Lono.

November 21
A joyous Mayan festival honoring the God Kukulcan began each year on this date in ancient times. The celebration lasts for several days and nights.
This day is also sacred to the Pagan Gods Chang'O, Damballah, Quetzalcoatl, and Tammuz.

November 22
On this date (approximately), the Sun enters the astrological sign of Sagittarius. Persons born under the sign of the Centaur-Archer are said to be optimistic, enthusiastic, curious, and often outspoken and prone to exaggeration. Sagittarius is a fire sign ruled by the planet Jupiter.

November 23
Ancient feast in honor of the wizard-blacksmith of the Saxon deities.
Saint Clement (the patron of ironworkers) is honored with elaborate rituals on this day in England.
A rice harvest celebration called the Shinjosai Festival for Konohana-Hime is held yearly on this date in Japan. It is dedicated to the granddaughter Goddess of the solar deity Amaterasu.

November 24
The feast of Baba Yaga. On the full moon of November, the supreme crone goddess of old Russia is honored with a feast day. Once honored as an important old goddess, she is now often portrayed as a wicked old witch.
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