MMM: Phil’s Birthday Mess 9/14/14

(Editor’s note: We are playing a little catch up with our play lists. Our apologies for the delays.) Sunday, 14 September 2014 was Phil’s birthday. As such he got to pick all the music for the show.  Twenty-six of Phil’s favorites, from new age to Pagan rock, found their way onto the final play list. With almost six  hours worth of music to pick from, there was a lot that got chopped to fit into a two hour show. Tough choices, but a lot of fun was had by all.

  1. Wytches’ Chant ’98 – Inkubus Sukkubus – Away with the Fairies   
  2. Invocation – Luminous World Orchestra – Moments from the Life Stories of Strangers
  3. Calligraphy – Laura Sullivan – The Gathering II
  4. Andean Blues – Ciro Hurtado – Ayahausca Dreams
  5. Frolik – Matthew Schoening – Narrow Path
  6. New Normal – Adam Andrews – Road to Ambo
  7. Once Around – Ray Spiegel Ensemble – Moksha
  8. Demeter’s Daughter – Anne Lister – Spreading Rings
  9. Persephone – Mama Gina – Goddess Kiss’d
  10. I Am Isis – Celia – sampler 2
  11. Prayer for Isis – Omnia – Sine Missione
  12. Witches Tree – Cernunnos Rising – Urban Druid
  13. The Mummer’s Dance – Loreena McKennitt – The Mummer’s Dance through Ireland
  14. Ravens in the Library – SJ Tucker – Mischief
  15. Oak & Ash & Thorn – Kiva – A Call to Beauty
  16. Herne the Hunter – Pandora Celtica – On Thin Ice
  17. Waiting for John Barleycorn – Murphey’s Midnight Rounders – Swede Hollow
  18. Don’t go Drinking with Hobbits – Marc Gunn – Don’t Go Drinking with Hobbits.
  19. Do Virgins Taste Better Medley – Brobdingabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyznagian Bards – A Faire to Remember
  20. Tail of a Star – Colette O’Connor & Deb Anderson – (unreleased single)
  21. My Karma Broke Down – Three Weird Sisters – Hair of the Frog
  22. Talk Like A Pirate Day – Tom Smith – They Say I Have Talent
  23. Ladies in the SCA – Joe Bethancourt & Leslie Fish
  24. Jabberwocky – Isaac Bonewits  – Avalon is Rising
  25. Jabberwocky – Omnia – Wolf Love
  26. Dagda’s Club – Isaac Bonewits  – Avalon is Rising

#22 was selected because 19 September is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Following just days after Phil’s birthday, he has an affinity for pirates. Who doesn’t??  #20 was selected for two reasons, a great song and Deb Anderson is the Goddess Mother of both Murphy’s Magic Mess and Lavender Hill on KZUM. She is the host of The Wimmins Show. Each track has a reason for it being on his favorites list, perhaps in a future posting he will explain each choice – or you can ask in comments.

PMP: Avoiding the Holiday Rush

ImageTo start out the month of December, RevKess and KaliSara talked about ways to celebrate the Winter Holidays without getting trampled in the holiday rush. Covering everything from shopping to family gatherings to creating family traditions, the show was filled with fun and information. Visit the BTR page for Pagan-Musings and listen to this episode and other shows from the Pagan-Musings Podcast Channel.

Music Play List:

  1. Damh the Bard – The Sons and Daughters of Robin Hood – Antlered Crown and Standing Stone
  2. Spiral Dance – Solstice Evergreen – The Quickening
  3. Bone Poets Orchestra – Solstice Call – Atheist Anthems
  4. Emerald Rose – Santa Claus is Pagan Too
  5. Marc Gunn – Celtic Christmas Elf Conscription
  6. Marc Gunn – Christmas in Scotland

leaf and bark candlesAs we move through the Winter Holidays there is a lot of pressure for everyone to do more. Before the influx of consumerism that is Western Civilization, people would take this time of year to regroup, to reflect and to prepare.

During the show, the hosts spoke about how they are going to attempt to avoid some of the holiday madness when it comes to shopping. KaliSara mentioned browsing around on Etsy and doing other online shopping. RevKess talked about starting the holiday gift shopping as early as the December before. Both mentioned the idea of regifting.

They also spent some time talking about how some people feel that when it comes to the big holiday dinner that they have to do it all themselves and if it doesn’t turn out perfect it was a failure. This simply is not true. First, you do not have to make every single dish your self. Second, accidents happen and sometimes they make the dinner that much better.

RevKess’s family likes to do a potluck dinner for most holidays. This enables the host(s) to focus on their guests. By providing the main dish, or some central dish to the meal, the host(s) have more time to prepare their home and make things as enjoyable as possible. This also allows the guests to bring a dish or more that they feel is important to their holiday celebration. Not to mention assures that there will be at least one dish they will enjoy.

It has been some time since his family has all gotten together for a holiday feast. Being one of seven children and each of his siblings having children (and many of them grandchildren already), a full family gathering can be a logistic nightmare. But it is something that he is looking forward to doing sometime in the future.

MysteriesOfHeaven

This is also one of the times out of the year where many Pagans take a little time to ponder and reflect on what they have accomplished in the past year. The Dark of the Year begins around Samhain and continues through (at least) Yule. Those who follow the Celtic calendar have already celebrated the New Year and those who follow the secular Western calendar are preparing to do so at the end of the month. During these two months many people look back over the year and what they have done. It is a time to analyze the events and things that they have in their lives to see what has served them and what has held them back. It is time to begin laying the ground work for the coming year.

In this time of family and celebration it is also a time for us to look to our past and to our future. What have we accomplished that has lifted us forward? What have we done that has held us back? What people and things have come into our lives that bring us joy and enlightenment? What people and things have come to us that do us nothing but harm? These are questions that we must ask ourselves from time to time. During the Dark of the Year seems just as good a time as any.

At Pagan-Musings Podcast Channel we have much to be thankful for every week. Not the least of which are our sponsors. Please visit these Pagan businesses and artists online and see why we are so proud to have them as part of our family.

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