This has a special meaning for me, as my ancestor married the granddaughter of the last Beloved Woman of the Cherokees. He moved with The Nation to Oklahoma; the Cookson Hills are named for the family. My direct line of ancestry stayed in Tennessee, where we still maintain our farms. Now that you understand where my love of history derives, let’s see what we can discover about Cherokee and Native American folklore, how it differs from European tales and what commonalities they share.
Often, the stories are left incomplete so that the next generation of storytellers can add their narrative, thus continuing the tribal experience. The common thread which tie the themes is the concern with issues regarding the human race. The sacred four directions of North, South, East and West; the Above World and Below World are commonalities. You will find images and tokens in language and nuance which explain…how did we get here?…what is the role of the sun, moon and stars? Oral traditions harken back for centuries which explain destruction and recreation; tricksters and heroes.
All the Southern Tribes granted a Beloved Woman as a woman of great wisdom and power yet the Cherokees were the only tribe to allow the women status as the head of their clans. Generally, the Beloved Woman was a position which was hereditary. Their gifts of dreams, healing and wisdom were believed to be inherited from their female ancestor’s. The Plains Tribes were more apt to give the Beloved Woman title to a woman who had a gift of healing or a special message of prophecy sent in visions and dreams.
The fairy tale love affair of King Henry VIII of England and Anne Boleyn has enchanted many of us for a lifetime. One of the most powerful kings England had ever known, Henry set aside Katherine of Aragon, his Spanish queen, severed ties with the Catholic Church and married Anne for love. This was unheard of in 1500s Europe, when dynasties and family alliances were time-honored European royal traditions.
Why Jasmine: The distinct, sweet, odor induces euphoria in both men and women, and has been used to spark passion for centuries.
Why Rose: We all know women tend to think too much. The sensual fragrance of rose can block anxiety, which can spike when it comes to sex.
Why Vanilla: There is an ancient Mexican legend about a fertility goddess who could not marry the mortal man she loved. Instead of becoming bitter, she transformed herself into the vanilla plant to give happiness and pleasure to all lovers. Its warm scent and taste is welcoming, sexy, and relaxing.
You will need…
-2 teaspoons of dried jasmine flowers
-1 tablespoon of dried rose petals
-Vanilla pod split, or ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
-1-2 cinnamon sticks
Directions
Pour 1 cup of fresh water into a saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of dried jasmine flowers, 1 tablespoon of dried rose petals, a vanilla pod split lengthwise or ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1-2 cinnamon sticks. Give the mixture a stir, then simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Remove from heat and pour through the strainer. Allow to cool, then bottle it. Add sparkling water and serve chilled on a hot day, or pour into mugs and reheat, sipping slowly. You can also drink it freshly made. In the fridge it will keep for a week in a lidded container.
Shared courtesy of everydayroots.com.
The English Christmas pudding tastes remarkably like my great-grandmother’s Jam Cake recipe. She was of English heritage and I’m certain her ancestors used the ingredients they found here to make the dessert, and the name evolved over the centuries. And, if you paid attention in history class you know that Virginia was named for the Tudor Queen, Elizabeth I. Many still see this as a last day to celebrate the holidays. In fact, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night was written to celebrate the end of the Christmas feasting in Tudor England. 
At the first ball in 1870, court fools and jesters made a mess of things while attempting to serve the King Cake on their spears. The girl who found the gold bean chose not to acknowledge her “good” fortune. The following year the Lord of Misrule knew which slice contained the bean. When he saw the young lady receive the slice, he crowned her with a wreath of oak leaves, proclaiming her “Queen of the Ball.” In subsequent years, ladies who found silver beans in their cake became maids of honor.
Traditions live on and this year’s initial Twelfth Night event is being held January 6, 2016 at 7:00pm. This blend of history and fun make New Orleans magical at this time of year. The fog rolls across the French Quarter from the river, with a slight drizzle of rain and mist in the air. The Christmas trees remain until Fat Tuesday, with only the purple, green and gold ornaments. You’ll catch one of the tarot readers locking the doors to Bottom of the Cup on Rue Royale, just like they have been doing since the 1920s. The cobbled streets and alleys are almost devoid of tourists. This is the time of year vampires probably come home to NOLA. Once you see New Orleans in early January, you will understand why Tennessee Williams fell in love with the Crescent City. Get a King Cake and invite some friends over. Here’s a festive drink recipe to get you started, it isn’t purple, gold or green but Chambord is French. This is my favorite. Why wait?
Sexual connotations are hinted at without openly stating the obvious. (Please read Secrets of Transformation, Part I for more insight.) The first Grimm’s Fairy Tales were written for adults, not children.) Character archetypes cannot be avoided. In some ways, it is impossible to create a story without using them yet it is so easy to fall into the trap of relying on these archetypes, even without realizing it. We all know the basic character types: the hero, the damsel in distress, the wicked woman, the evil villain. But what exactly are these archetypes and how are they used? What is the difference between an archetype and a stereotype? Let’s find out how we can achieve balance in a story, transform stereotypical characters into timeless archetypes, and make the story sizzle.
One of the most famous celebrations of the winter solstice today takes place in the ruins of Stonehenge, England. Thousands of druids and pagans gather to chant, dance and sing…hoping to see the sun and the promise of a new beginning. But, as you can see from this picture, Newgrange Ireland is one of the best kept secrets of winter solstice. According to English Shaman Gary Plunkett, “It is magical if the weather is sunny.” Indigenous native religions worldwide believe that the earth is the foundation of all the four elements. According to 
In Scotland, she is also called Beira, the Queen of Winter. She is the hag aspect of the Triple Goddess, and rules the dark days between Samhain and Beltaine.
In Nordic belief this was also the season of fear due to the forces of the dark. Lussi, a female being with evil traits, like a female demon or witch, was said to ride through the air with her followers, called Lussiferda. This could be the myth of the Wild Hunt, called Oskoreia in Scandinavia, and found across parts of Europe.
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