The Moon and the Nightspirit was formed in 2003 by Ágnes Tóth and Mihály Szabó in Hungary. Beauty is not only found in their songs, but in the illustrations that Ágnes, the multi-instrumentalist, paints in her albums, showing the fantasy of creatures of the traditional legends of Hungarian folklore. This all fits perfectly in the lyrics that the guitarist, Mihály, composes.

They have already been compared with several bands like: Ataraxia (good!) And Chandeen.

Their first album, Of Dreams Forgotten and Fables Untold (2005), is mostly sung in English, except for two songs in Hungarian, Égi Táltos and Holdanyánk.

     But the second album, Regõ Rejtem (2007), is totally sung in Hungarian.

     They gained prominence in the pagan folk scene after sharing stage with Corvus Corax, Korpiklaani, Blackmore's Night and Faun. (great bands!)

      In 2009 they returned with their third album, Ösforras, also all in Hungarian. An offering to the sleeping gods of ancient forests.

      Now in 2011, they released their fourth album, Mohalepte. I've heard little of it yet, but I can tell it's as good as the others. Ágnes continues with her mermaid voice and Mihály enchanting with the sound of strings.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful band. And let yourself be enchanted by the sweet voice of a beautiful creature named Ágnes.

Good Morning Sweeties! 

Mondays are awesome!

 This weekend I finally had some time and finished all of the changes I said I would be making on the previous post. Will make a Guest Blogging page too!

      I have some artsy projects on my mind, but will update you on that when I hopefully start working on them ;)

Geez! Sometimes it gets hard enough to make time for all the things on my daily goals list, I need to work on my time-management skills!

Now lets get into it!

       Being today December 21st, 2015 and the day of the Winter Solstice and the start of a very special time of the yearly life cycle, I wanted to take the time to just search and learn a little more about it!
       Knowing the Wheel of Time phases and how it can help us understand the influence of the Gods and Mother Earth in our spiritual path is something every Pagan should make an effort!
       

YULE (Winter Solstice)

Also called: Yule, Yuletide, Jul, Saturnalia, Christmas, solar/secular New Year;

Dates: Around December 21;

Colors: Red, green, white;

Tools/Symbols: Mistletoe, evergreen wreath, lights, gifts, holly, Yule log, Yule tree;

Energy: Regeneration & renewal;

Goddesses: Great Mother, Isis, Mary, Tonazin, Lucina, Bona Dea;

Gods: Sun Child, Horus, Jesus, Mithras, Santa/Odin, Saturn, Holly King;

Rituals: Personal renewal, world peace, honoring family & friends;

Customs: Wreaths, lights, gift-giving, singing, feasting, resolutions.

      December may be marked by Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, but for pagans it’s the time to celebrate Yule. The holiday marks the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (Sunday, Dec. 21, this year) and celebrates the rebirth of the sun and beginning of winter. It is one of the oldest winter celebrations known.

      The celebration of the Winter Solstice, as often as not referred to as Yule, is common to almost every culture. For this reason, although the Christian Church has long since adopted it as the birth date of Jesus, it has retained more of the ancient Pagan tradition then any other holiday or festival. In early times, December 25th (the date now recognized as Christmas) was commemorated as the Birth of the Sun God.

Christmas is an adaptation of the Pagan Winter solstice or Yule.

Whatever Jesus was, he was definitely not born in December.

      Yule is deeply rooted in the cycle of the year, it is the seed time of year, the longest night and the shortest day, where the Goddess once again becomes the Great Mother and gives birth to the new Sun King. In a poetic sense it is on this the longest night of the winter, 'the dark night of our souls', that there springs the new spark of hope, the Sacred Fire, the Light of the World, the Coel Coeth.

       For all it's inputs and influences, Yule is still an important time of the year to pagans around the world. In the most direct terms it is still a festival that honors the cycle of nature and the Wheel of the Year. It is not just about the rebirth of the God figure in pagan lore.

       For Celtic pagans, Yule is the time when the Sun God Lugh is reborn in human form to rejoin his beloved wife Eriu. She is described as a hag, who transformed into a beautiful Goddess by the marriage and personifies the land of Ireland in her every feature and character. She becomes known in legend as the "Sovereignty of Ireland". Yule is also the celebration of the cycle of life through Eriu and all her incarnations as the Maiden, Mother and Crone Goddess.

Thank you so much for reading!

Hope you have a blessed Yule!  

Hugs and Kisses!

Reny

References/Sources:
1. www.circlesanctuary.org/index.php/celebrating-the-seasons/celebrating-the-seasons
2. www.ibtimes.com/winter-solstice-2014-3-things-know-about-pagan-yule-celebrations-1763756
3. www.cyberwitch.com/Wychwood/Temple/yule.htm

4. www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/the_wheel_of_the_year/yule_-_winter_solstice.asp

In the island I live in there is a legend about the origin of two lakes that were formed at the crater of a sleeping volcano. It is called The "Lagoa das Sete Cidades" (The Seven Cities's lake).

 The legend says there was once a blue eyed princess, and the princess hated being inside the castle walls feeling like a caged bird...

So she would run and dance everyday in the meadows and woods. She just loved the green, the birds's songs, the sea in the horizon...

One day she met a humble green-eyed Sheppard boy, and they talked all evening and even found out they had many common interests.

And so they would meet and talk everyday and eventually they fell on love.

But the princess destiny had been decided many years ago, for she was promised to a prince of another kingdom, in arranged marriage.

And as her father, the king, found out she had been seeing a Sheppard boy he immediately and totally forbid  her of ever again talking to him, because he was just a Sheppard from a poor family.

But he granted them one last date, so they could say goodbye, forever.

So they met one last time, they hugged and they cried. 

And they cried so much their tears formed puddles, and as they cried the puddles later turned into two lakes.

One of these, the blue lake, had it's color due to the princess blue eyes.

The other one had it's color from the Sheppard's green eyes.

And now they are forever side by side ...

If you would like to one day get to know this wonderful making of nature you must visit "São Miguel" island, In the Azores Archipelago, Portugal.

I hope you enjoyed reading!

Hugs and kisses,

Reny 

Hey there Everyone!

I've been playing for over a year now, and loving it!
Now trying to get some songs to make covers about, but I still have so much to learn! :)

Without dimo or something else covering the hole next to the blowing hole (Called Mo Kong) you can't play your Dizi.

I put the Dimo in this video for tutorial purposes only, because I usually play using just some translucent tape on the MoKong, as I prefer to play western sounding music.

It's usually used EJIAO, a glue made of donkey-hide to fix the Dimo to the Mo Kong.

Both the glue and the membrane can be bought online :)

I read online you could use Garlic and other donkey-friendly alternatives! ;)

It works and keeps vampires away!

AND HERE'S THE VIDEO!

(Or watch it on youtube here)

Please subscribe to stay up-to-date on my latest video uploads!

Hugs and kisses,

Reny