Podcasts about Yule

Day 10 of the Twelve Days of Yule and today's gift might be the most important one yet. ✨Today's free gift is a guide on How to Ask Better Questions! This skill will help you with effing everything.Here's what I've learned in my work at the Sisters Enchanted and in education before that: the people who ask good questions are the ones who make change. They decide faster, trust themselves more, and get better answers. The ones who ask vague, validation-seeking, answer-hunting questions? They stay stuck.This is especially true in tarot. If you're pulling cards and only hearing what you already know or getting readings that feel flat and unhelpful, it's probably the questions, not the cards.In this video, you'll learn:→ Why asking better questions is a life-changing skill→ How this applies to tarot, shadow work, communication, and manifestation→ The problem with vague, validation-seeking questions→ How better questions help you trust yourself more→ Why this freebie ties together ALL the previous gifts in this series→ How to use questions to navigate tricky conversations and heal the witch wound

Our holiday cheer continues, now just next door to the Boy Meets World soundstage, for a rewatch of Home Improvement’s Season 1 Christmas episode, “Yule Better Watch Out!” The gang breaks down the cinematic directing choices that help this episode still hold up, and Will reveals his secret fantasy of stealing Tim Allen’s career. Rider reveals why he hated Home Improvement before it even premiered, but reveals how now, thanks to a well-paced balance of multiple storylines, a Christmas pageant and the always relatable Santa dilemma, he’s a changed man. So come along and grunt with us, when Tool Time becomes Yule Time, on a brand new Pod Meets World! Follow @podmeetsworldshow on Instagram and TikTok!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day 9 of the Twelve Days of Yule and today we're leveling up your tarot practice.

In this episode, we explore the ancient roots of the Winter Solstice, Yule, and Christmas, tracing how humans across time have honored the longest night of the year and the return of the light.We look at Yule traditions in Norse and Germanic cultures, including the symbolism of the Yule log, evergreens, fire, and winter mythologies like the Wild Hunt. We also explore how early Christianity layered the celebration of Christ's birth onto existing Solstice festivals, weaving older solar traditions into new spiritual stories.This episode reflects on darkness as a sacred teacher, winter as a threshold, and the universal human instinct to mark time with ritual, story, and hope. Whether you celebrate Yule, Christmas, the Solstice, or simply the turning of the season, this is an invitation to slow down and honor the quiet miracle of return.

In this seasonal episode, hosts Allison and Mandy explore the deeper meaning of the Winter Solstice, Yule, and the ancient roots beneath modern Christmas. Together, they reflect on this sacred turning point in the Wheel of the Year—a time long honoured as the return of the light after the darkest night.They begin with the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, symbolizing stillness, death and rebirth, and the quiet trust that light always returns—even when growth isn't yet visible.The conversation then moves into Yule, an ancient Pagan celebration rooted in Norse, Germanic, and Celtic traditions. Through symbols like evergreens, fire, the hearth, sacred animals, and communal feasting, Yule represents humanity's ritual response to the turning of the sun.Allison and Mandy also explore how Christmas came to sit at this time of year, explaining how early Christianity layered itself over existing Solstice festivals—preserving many pre-Christian symbols that still live on today.The episode gently reframes our relationship with darkness, reminding listeners that it was once seen as fertile, womb-like, and sacred—not something to fear.Listeners are offered simple, modern ways to honour the season, including candle rituals, ancestral remembrance, time in nature, storytelling, and allowing rest and stillness.The episode closes with a powerful reminder: you don't have to choose between traditions. Solstice, Yule, and Christmas can coexist—and the season belongs to everyone.“The light was never lost. It was only waiting to be remembered.”⸻Contact & OfferingsFor intuitive readings, mentorship, and spiritual support with Allison at The Luminant Soul, reach out at:

You've probably heard the rumor - maybe you've even spread it yourself - Christmas trees are pagan.This is how it usually goes: when the Christians came to Europe, they wanted to convert pagans to Christianity, so they made a conscious choice to take pagan symbols, like a decorated tree for Yule or Saturnalia or Sol Invictus or Hilaria (it changes on who you ask) and said, “This is Christian now and we will call it the Christmas tree!”But none of this is true.In this episode, your host Zohare Jacobi of Jewitches goes through all the holidays the tree is supposedly stolen from - Yule, Saturnalia, Sol Invictus -- and even the Yule Log -- to dig into the origins of this myth and the true origin of the tree.You can find the citations here.You can follow our work on Instagram @jewitches as well as most social medias!

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/editorialtpv El día de hoy hablaremos sobre el capítulo 3 del libro The Oxford Handbook of Christmas, titulado “The Reformation and Early Modern Periods,” por Katrina Jennie-Lou Wheeler. Ver aquí: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-of-christmas-9780198831464?cc=gb&lang=en& Articulo: https://semperreformandaperu.org/2025/12/18/los-protestantes-mataron-la-navidad-reforma-polemica-y-resistencia-popular/  Video: https://youtu.be/v7aU8ln_pTg  PPT: https://semperreformandaperu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/navidad_y_reforma_una_historia_compleja.pdf  La historia popular repite un guion: la Reforma protestante habría “arrasado” la Navidad y el siglo XIX la habría resucitado. Este episodio desmonta ese cliché con evidencia histórica y una pregunta más interesante: ¿qué cambió realmente entre los siglos XVI y XVIII? A partir del capítulo “The Reformation and Early Modern Periods”, exploramos cómo distintos protestantismos reaccionaron de forma desigual ante las fiestas del calendario cristiano, y por qué la “guerra contra la Navidad” fue, en muchos casos, una batalla parcial, regional y difícil de sostener.   Entramos en la lógica puritana: la exigencia de un mandato bíblico explícito para los días festivos, la crítica a la “superstición” y la preocupación por la embriaguez y la inversión social asociadas a los Doce Días. Seguimos el rastro de las prohibiciones—Inglaterra (1647), Escocia y Nueva Inglaterra—y vemos cómo la resistencia popular y los giros políticos limitaron su alcance.   Pero el episodio no se queda en los bans: muestra también la continuidad y la adaptación. Anglicanos defendieron la hospitalidad y la celebración; en territorios luteranos se reorientaron prácticas (del regalo de san Nicolás al Christkindl); y en contextos católicos persistieron y se sofisticaron el belén, el tronco de Yule y la música navideña. Si quieres entender por qué la Navidad moderna es una mezcla de devoción, cultura y política, aquí tienes el mapa histórico.

We've got a Listenerrrrr Storiessss, Double FeatureeeeeJoin us as we enter the Yule season with some

Day 8 of the Twelve Days of Yule and today we're diving into retrogrades. Retro-retro-retrogrades.

Our Arnold love fest continues this week with arguably his last truly great film as the musclebound 80's action star we all know and love - James Cameron's "True Lies." Next time, you're in the van.

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in Iceland. In this episode we ponder the main stories of the year so far, answer reader's questions and explain some of the Yule Lads.Top Stories Of 2025We discuss 2025 top political scandal, top political event, top ecological and geological events, top cultural event, we nominate the "Mess of the Year", the bankruptcy of the year, the rise of right wing politics in Iceland and our favorite tourism related stories of the year. Audience QuestionsWe answer questions from our audience on subjects such as Christmas gifts, the Icelandic language, traditional Christmas dinners, hikes and forestry.Yule Lads ExplainedWe try our best to explain how having 13 Yule lads works in practice, and how there are actually records of a total of 80 different yule lads and ladies from various parts of Iceland. Then we discuss our favorite Yule lad names.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SHOW SUPPORTSupport the Grapevine's reporting by becoming a member of our High Five Club: https://grapevine.is/high-five-club/Or donate to the Grapevine here:https://support.grapevine.isYou can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store:https://shop.grapevine.is------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast.The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine's goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland's most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it's not sponsored content.www.grapevine.is

Selene, Titan and Goddess of the Moon, drives her chariot of horses across the sky and  if the Moon had a physical representation other than the celestial body that it possessed, it was Selene. Explore Selene's evolution in Greek and Roman mythology, focusing on her connection to the Moon and her familial ties with other Titans, Eos, the Dawn, Helios, the Sun, and the primordial Goddess of the Night, Nyx.  Delve into the esoteric wisdom represented in the Moon card in the Major Arcana of the Tarot and current astrological influences coming up with the New Moon in Sagittarius. As we embrace the darkest days of the year and upcoming celebrations of Yule, reflect on Selene and the embodiment of her divine feminine essence. If you are loving this podcast and you feel really motivated or compelled to share, please donate to this podcast: Donate here Connect with the Goddesses:  https://www.goddesswitchwomb.com  Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goddesswitchwomb/  Follow us on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@goddesswitchwomb

Long before Dickens penned A Christmas Carol, our ancestors gathered around midwinter fires to tell tales of spirits and monsters lurking in the darkness. Tonight, we explore why Christmas and ghost stories have been intertwined for thousands of years — then share true accounts that prove the tradition is very much alive. #HolidayHorrorsIN THIS EPISODE: Earlier this month I shared some true reports of people seeing Kris Kringle – or what appeared to be Kris Kringle – in real life. But there are many more of those strange sightings to share! (More Real Santa Sightings) *** Christmas has been celebrated for centuries, and gift-giving has been around in America since well before the Civil War. But how we celebrate and what we give changes depending on the time. We'll take a look at what Christmas was like for American pioneers in the 1800s. (Christmas in The Old West) *** At a Christmas party the revelers heard a horrifying scream from outside. They rushed out to hear the screams were coming from the sky, at least above the rooftops. But how could that be? It was then that they learned Oliver Lerch had disappeared – never to be seen again. (The Christmas Disappearance of Oliver Lerch) *** Nothing says Christmas like a poisonous weed! Well… you explain mistletoe! We'll look at why we're supposed to kiss under this deadly plant during the holidays. (A Kiss Under the Mistletoe) *** A horrible fire breaks out at an Oklahoma school during the holidays of 1924 – and the ghosts of the children still linger at the site. (Ghosts of the Babbs Switch School Christmas Fire) *** You might be celebrating Christmas like a viking and not even realize it. From the holiday ham to the evergreen in your living room, we'll look at how the pagan celebration of Yule influenced modern Christmas traditions. (How To Celebrate Christmas Like a Viking) *** Kids in America anxiously await the arrival of Santa Claus bounding down the chimney with gifts and candy for the good little boys and girls. But that's America. What comes down the chimney of Irish and Scottish kids may not be so jolly, plump, and loving. Some Gaelic children have to watch out for the Bodach. (Beware the Bodach at Christmas) *** It's something we're trying to revive here on Weird Darkness… the lost tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas. (The Lost Tradition of Telling Ghost Stories) *** (Originally aired December 16, 2021)SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…“The Lost Tradition of Christmas Ghost Stories” from Conspiracy Journal: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/36dxj4kt, Sally O'Reilly for Ancient Pages: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2mfh29mk, YourGhostStories.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p93r34c, LiveAbout.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/539cmfv6“The Christmas Disappearance of Oliver Lerch” from AnomalyInfo.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/59t2mysv“How To Celebrate Christmas Like a Viking” by Morgan Dunn for All That's Interesting: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p88mev7“More Real Santa Sightings” by Rob Schwarz for Stranger Dimensions: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yvdt2ww6“Ghosts of the Babbs Switch School Christmas Fire” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/dnmhehha“Beware the Bodach at Christmas” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p85afxx“Christmas in The Old West” by Kathy Weiser for Legends of America: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bddzbyfk“A Kiss Under the Mistletoe” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2jv3u98aVisit our Sponsors & Friends: https://weirddarkness.com/sponsorsJoin the Weird Darkness Syndicate: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateAdvertise in the Weird Darkness podcast or syndicated radio show: https://weirddarkness.com/advertise= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =https://weirddarkness.com/ChristmasGhostStoriesABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#WeirdDarkness #ChristmasGhostStories #TrueScaryStories #HolidayHorror #VictorianGhostStories #ParanormalStories #YuletideHorror #GhostStories #ChristmasTradition #HauntedChristmas

Day 7 of the Twelve Days of Yule and today we're going there. We're talking about AI.

Christmas in Tudor England wasn't just a season of feasting, music and Yule logs… it was also a time when the veil between worlds felt unusually thin. In today's Tudor Christmas Advent episode, I'm stepping into the atmospheric world of real medieval and Tudor Yuletide superstitions - beliefs recorded in late medieval sermons, Tudor writings, and 16th-century accounts. These weren't cosy Victorian myths or later folklore. They were ideas that shaped how people in the 1400s and 1500s experienced Christmas Eve itself, a night of wonder, fear, and expectation. In this video, I'll share three of the strongest and most authentic Christmas superstitions from the period… and trust me, they're haunting, surprising, and very revealing about Tudor beliefs. - Why did people avoid stables at midnight? - What did some fear they might see in a church porch? - And which spectral figure did Shakespeare expect his audience to recognise? Join me for a wonderfully eerie festive journey into Tudor England's winter imagination. If you enjoy this darker corner of Tudor Christmas, please like, subscribe, and click the bell so you don't miss the rest of my Advent series. And in the comments, tell me: Would YOU have been brave enough to test one of these superstitions at midnight? #TudorChristmas #TudorHistory #ChristmasHistory #MedievalFolklore #TudorSuperstitions #HistoryYouTube #TheAnneBoleynFiles #16thCentury #HistoryLovers #YuletideTraditions

It was Christmastime — a season of peace, light, and goodwill — which made the slow unraveling of their minds all the more disturbing.IN THIS EPISODE: Despite being in the middle of the first World War, on Christmas Day, 1914 British and German soldiers sang carols together, exchanged gifts with the enemy combatants, and supposedly even played a soccer game against each other in order to celebrate the holiday. (The Great War's Christmas Truce) *** The case was so mysterious it was even featured on TV's “Unsolved Mysteries” and “America's Most Wanted”: who committed the Christmas murder of Latricia White? And what happened to Lee and Chance Wackerhagen? (An Unsolved Christmas Murder Mystery) *** We're so used to seeing old St. Nick showing up with a big bag of toys for the kiddies – but what if he arrived with another bag full of switches for your parents to use the whole year through if you were on his naughty list? We'll look back at when Santa wasn't purely jolly and jovial, and when he arrived to dole out both presents and punishment! (Santa's Naughty List) *** The Los Feliz murder mansion became the site of a horrifying and sad Christmas tragedy for one California family. (Christmas At The Los Feliz Murder Mansion) *** A haunting holiday mystery took place in England in 1916 when a young bride simply disappeared without a trace. (The Vanishing Christmas Bride) *** A man tries to take on supernatural forces – and ends up as an undead creature who appears as a terrifying Yuletide spirit. (A Living Dead Yule Haunting) *** (Originally aired December 14, 2021)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Show Open00:02:26.354 = A Living Dead Yule Haunting00:13:27.140 = *** The Great War's Christmas Truce00:17:56.944 = Santa's Naughty List00:23:10.274 = The Vanishing Christmas Bride00:27:16.438 = *** Christmas at the Los Feliz Murder Mansion00:41:13.715 = *** An Unsolved Christmas Murder Mystery00:45:45.415 = Have Yourself a Flying Saucer Christmas00:49:55.342 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakSOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…“A Living Dead Yule Haunting” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/39y7ubu5“The Great War's Christmas Truce” by Erin Kelly for All That's Interesting: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ytv6zdy2“Santa's Naughty List” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yc5cszy7“Christmas At The Los Feliz Murder Mansion” by Colleen Conroy for Ranker's Unspeakable Times:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p99t2kw“An Unsolved Christmas Murder Mystery” from Mystery Confidential: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/pzzyfatw“Have Yourself a Flying Saucer Christmas” by Beth Colman for Mental Floss: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ycxv3w49“The Vanishing Christmas Bride” from Strange Company: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3nkcxes4= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =https://weirddarkness.com/LivingDeadYuleHauntingABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#HolidayHorrors #WeirdDarkness #NorseMythology #VikingLegends #ScaryStories #ChristmasHorror #Draugr #CreepyHistory #TrueScaryStories #DarkHistory #HolidayHorror

Join us for a new mini Coffee Break French lesson in between seasons as we dive into one of the most delicious parts of the festive season: the French Christmas Eve dinner!

Day 6 of the Twelve Days of Yule and we're officially halfway through! And today we're talking about something that makes a lot of witchy women squirm: money.

Send us a textBuy Jill's book, Sacred Sound Formulas to Awaken the Modern Mind:  https://jilljardine.com/Book your Astrology Reading for 2026: www.jilljardineastrology.com/shopDarkness isn't the enemy of winter; it's the doorway. We gather with astrologer and intuitive Sarah Adams to trace the winter solstice from its Yule roots to today's lights, trees, and songs, and to learn how to turn the season's longest night into a personal reset. As the sun moves into Capricorn, we dig into Saturn's grounded wisdom: inventory the year, rebuild what matters, and create structures that actually support joy. Along the way, we uncover how Norse and Roman festivals shaped modern holiday traditions, why wassailing started as a rowdy invitation, and how a soft‑edged Santa became an advertising icon.Together we reconnect ritual with meaning. Sarah shares clear, do‑able practices to bring Yule into a modern home: a mindful cleanout where you name what you release; smudging to clear and bless; a simmer pot of orange, clove, and cinnamon; evergreens that honor endurance; and a final candle with a written intention for what you'll grow as the light returns. We revisit the Holly King and Oak King myth to feel the deep pattern of death and rebirth, and we widen the lens to global “festivals of light,” from Hanukkah to Kwanzaa, that keep hope burning when the air is sharp and the ground is hard.If you've felt the season tip toward pressure and purchases, this conversation offers a gentler center. We pair the science of the solstice with the soul of tradition, and we talk about why darkness restores us, how synchronicity can show up in small winter miracles, and what it means to choose a higher vibration when the calendar turns. Light is coming back, minute by minute. Let's meet it with intention, craft, and a little old magic.If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend who loves the season's deeper side, and leave a review telling us your favorite solstice ritual.Support the show

This replay of our Wild Wellness Women's Circle seasonal gathering explores Yule as a sacred turning point—a time when we emerge from darkness, not with pressure or performance, but with reverence, rest, and meaning-making.We honored the season of winter as a time of clarity, healing, and vision. We centered slowness, sovereignty, and sacred reflection instead of rigid resolutions.

On this svelte-yet-festive episode, hosts Ashleigh and Flint give some details about some surprisingly positive news stories, some that you may have missed and some that you absolutely definitely have heard about, including: An update on the NDAA bill in the USA. New protections for intersex people in Victoria, Australia. The Girlguides and the Women's Institute both saying they'd bar trans women, only for a lot of their members to rebel against it. A quick update from the EHRC now that Falkner has finally, finally left.  A triple-threat Loser's Corner, including a particular Scottish nurse... And a visit from Father Transmasc, for a decidedly festive section about the nice list, and the naughty list! References: https://whatthetrans.com/ep146 Thumbail photo credit: Chatham House

Today we are re-releasing one of our favorite episodes...our Christmas Special! Here we talked about some of our favorite (and not so favorite) Christmas songs and movies.Joining us on The Nice List are the Pogues, Bowie and Bing, Weezer, Ella, Jose Feliciano, She & Him, the Kinks, the Vince Guaraldi Trio, John and Yoko, Darlene Love, the Waitresses, Elvis and more!Dim the lights, stoke the fire, egg the nog, and Yule it up with The Mixtape Diaries.  Your heart will grow three sizes this day.Find the playlist for this episode on Spotify. You can also find Mark's Holiday playlist on Apple and Brad's Holiday playlist on Spotify. This episode was originally released on Dec. 15, 2021.Find the main The Mixtape Diaries Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.  If you like what you hear, please share, rate and review us!For mini playlists, follow us on The Mixtape Diaries Substack.Give us a follow on Twitter and Insta or send us an email at themixtapediariespodcast@gmail.com. Credits: Intro — the Februarys, "Does Your Father Know"/ Outro — Cocteau Twins, "Frosty the Snowman."

Hello fabulous Coven. On this super fun episode we are talking more about traditions of Yule and winter solstice, that has been taken over by the christians. We will talk yule logs, santa claus and many more.  As always we thank you for taking time to listen and hang out with us. We appreciate you all sooo much. Please send us your stories ans expieriences. whatwitchesdopodcast@gmail.com please note : we dont own the rights to any of this music. 

In this episode we take a look at the origins of modern day Christmas, the ancient pagan sabbat of Yule.  We look at how different cultures celebrated and talk about how specific things, like the Christmas tree and wreaths were incorporated and the real meanings behind them.  To get in touch with us please visit ⁠⁠⁠intuitivegirlsguide.com.

Day 5 of the Twelve Days of Yule and today we're exploring something I'm incredibly passionate about.

We begin this week stepping into steadier ground. The fire of Sagittarius season is still alive, yet Capricorn energy starts weaving structure through the sparks. The universe is guiding us out of scattered motion. There is a sense of shaping the year's final lessons into something we can carry with purpose into the new cycle.  check out the hexmas sale on www.cardsyb.com 25% off readings with promo code HEXMAS  

In this episode of Sixth Scents, Elizabeth Ashley and Adam Barralet explore evergreen wisdom, ancient customs, and modern aromatic traditions for honouring the darkest point of the year.Elizabeth Ashley is the UK Director for the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) and founder of the Aromatic Mystery School.Adam Barralet is an educator and plant guide known for teaching natural lore through essential oils.In this episode you'll learn:How evergreens became symbols of protection and continuityTraditional Yule practices including the Yule log, birch sweeping, and bringing greenery indoorsJapanese Yuzu bathing traditions and how to adapt them with essential oilsEvergreen energetics: fir, pine, spruce, cedar, and juniperPatchouli as a winter grounding oilSeasonal aromatics for introspection, ritual presence and spiritual awarenessCrown chakra themes during midwinterWinter solstice anointing oils and energetic blendsSeasonal slowing, rest practices, and creating inner space for reflectionFeatured oils and themes include:Patchouli • Siberian Fir • Wintergreen • Cedarwood (Juniperus virginiana) • Neroli • Clary Sage • Lavender • Frankincense • Litsea (Cubeba) • Osmanthus • Blue Lotus • Birch • Yuzu00:00 Embracing the Winter Solstice and Aromatherapy10:09 Traditions and Rituals of Yule20:13 Essential Oils for Reflection and Renewal29:56 Connecting with Nature and SpiritualityTO FIND MY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS, BOOKS, MEDITATIONS, CLASSES, COURSES AND READINGS, SIMPLY CLICK HERE: https://linktr.ee/adambarralet To contact me regarding purchasing essential oils at a VIP rate, extending your essential oil education or you'd like to work with me in sharing these gifts from Mother Earth and her plants to those you care about, please visit: https://goo.gl/forms/Cv96rHPcKya4dhMB2 To purchase essential oils, please visit: https://www.adambarralet.com/holistic-health-with-adam To purchase my latest book exploring the essential oils and chakras, please visit: http://linktr.ee/chakrabalancing CONNECT WITH LIZ HERE: https://linktr.ee/thesecrethealer Stay in the loop for new classes & events: https://aromaticmysteryschool.com/email-capture

Miracle On Route 34: Part 2 Virginia and Santa face extreme danger together. Based on a post by BiscuitHammer, in 3 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Someone attacked Santa with a wicked-looking spiked hand-axe, something out of a sci-fi movie. He batted the weapon aside and clapped his open hands across the man's ears, busting his brain. Before he dropped, Santa grabbed the corpse and swung it around in a wide arc, smashing it into the foes surrounding him and knocking them back. "Shit!" Ginny squealed as one of the targets landed near her. "It's like the fucking Matrix in here!" As he threw the corpse away, he paused very briefly and glanced at her. "Since you happen to be right there, how about a little mood music?" "What?" "I'm just saying some music would be nice if we're going to be doing this," he called. "You're next to the entertainment system, how about putting something on?" "You’re shitting me, right?" she almost complained, wincing as she heard something delicate-sounding and expensive smash behind her amidst the wild brawl. She stared at the multimedia system, flapping her arms in frustration as she tried to focus through the noise. This couldn't be happening. She clutched the sleeves of her plush robe for a moment, trying to concentrate on its soft, fuzzy texture and center herself. She'd almost forgotten the large nerf gun in her hands but ignored it now, fixing her gaze on the mp3 playlist. She pressed a button. "Silent night; Holy night;" Bing crooned through the room. "Not really what I had in mind!" Santa mentioned loudly as he rammed his knee into a man's chin. "Try again!" Ginny bit her lip and pressed the button again, this time rewarded with Gary Glitter singing 'Another Rock And Roll Christmas'. "Still not quite there," he said as he snapmared another foe. "Better, but not quite!" "Well I don't know!" she shouted in exasperation. "What kind of music do you put on while Santa kills things in your living room?" Santa turned sideways and thrust his foot out, kicking an intruder in the chest and sending him sprawling backwards, rolling head over heels until he thumped into the entertainment system, jolting it and skipping the player. "I am a bitch. How do you want me? From behind, or on my knees? I am a slut, please hold me down, I'll be your noise, This shit will fuck you up!" "Perfect!" he declared as he fought, swarmed once again by foes. "Seriously?" Ginny yelled. "Combichrist is Santa's fucking fighting groove?" "I'm trying to figure out why you have it on your playlist," Santa replied. "I don't remember you liking aggrotech!" "Why the hell do you of all people even know what it is?" she shot back, wincing as she watched another body sail into the opposite wall with a sickening crunch before dropping to the floor and leaving a huge, crumbling dent in the stone. 'This Shit Will Fuck You Up!' "I prefer the term 'Hellektro' myself," he added. "And I know all songs, silly. I remember when the Dayglo Abortions wrote that 'Hey Santa!' song back in the '80's, they didn't get presents for” "I didn't ask, why are you answering?" she hissed. "Kill! Kill!" All the while, the pounding rhythms of the music filled the room. "I am a bitch. How do you want me? From behind, or on my knees? I am a slut, please hold me down, I'll be your noise, This shit will fuck you up!" "Well, at least we know why it's on your playlist, anyway!" he mentioned as he broke someone's back over his knee. "Very funny, red man!" Ginny hissed, scowling. She ducked wildly as another assailant flew overhead and landed in the Jacuzzi, his neck slamming against the hard edge with a snap noise and then tilting at a strange angle, his eyes wide and unseeing. "Fucking hell," she muttered. "These guys eat too much red meat!" Santa smashed two heads together before punting a third man in the chest, sending him staggering back until he fell against the entertainment unit, right next to Ginny, his eyes spiraling in his head. She scowled down at him for a moment before smashing the pitcher of nog on his cranium and sending him to the floor. Every single intruder stopped and turned to look at her suddenly, their eyes narrowing and turning very yellow. "Eep;" Ginny said quietly, going pale. They all howled and lunged toward her, even as Santa fought to reach her first. She shrieked in fright. "Darn it, Ginny!" he shouted in what almost sounded like irritation. "I told you not to do anything!" "You said not to use the stupid nerf gun!" she shot back as she dodged wildly and began to run around, evading her pursuers. "I meant don't do anything to get yourself noticed!" he growled as he bulldogged one man's head into the floor. He sprang to his feet and grabbed another man by the back of the head, ramming his face into the stone wall, creating a small crater from which the body slumped only slowly and wetly. "How the hell did they not notice the mostly naked girl in the room?" she yelled, sprinting around the circumference of the room, being chased by yellow-eyed foes. "They're mostly quantum, they don't always perceive real-state things or beings until they're interacted with!" he answered. "They weren't looking for you until you announced yourself!" "Oh, you and your weird physics shit!" she groused, her robe coming more and more undone as she ran. One of her tits was exposed, bouncing annoyingly and the nipple hardening as a cold wind from the endless holes in her walls and windows blew into the room. "Now what?" "Well, since they know you're here, you might as well use the gun," he answered as he tackled a small knot of them who were looking to cut off her avenue of escape. "At least then you can defend yourself if you're careful!" "The fuck am I supposed to do?" she shouted angrily as she clutched the ridiculous, useless gun. "Nerf them to death? Hope I shoot one foam dart down a throat and hope the bastard chokes and dies?" "Didn't you just let me inside all of your orifices?" he pointed out as he spun low, sweeping one foe's feet from under him and then taking him by the ankles to slam him off the floor. "Trust me, Virginia!" "Dammit!" she spat, steeling her nerve, hoping her resolve was harder than her nipple currently was. Taking a deep breath, she stopped running and spun, pointing the gun and pulling the plastic trigger; She yelped in astonishment as coruscating arcs of lightning crackled and lashed out from the muzzle, enveloping several foes, who wailed in glowing agony before disappearing from view. "Jesus H Fucking Tesla!" she exclaimed in amazement as she gaped down at her toy. "Virginia, language!" Santa warned. She rolled her eyes and pointed at another man rushing her, pulling the trigger and watching him explode in a shower of scintillating particles. "This shit will fuck you up!" blared the speakers. The wall splintered next to Ginny and several terrifying creatures barged in, causing her to shriek in fright, they were easily Santa's size, vaguely humanoid but covered in a greyish, segmented carapace, with insectoid heads, evil-looking mandibles and huge claws at the end of four arms. They hissed as the lunged for her. "Fuck fuck fuck!" cried out as she began running. "Fucking hate motherfucking bugs!" She fired wildly behind herself without looking, managing to strike one of the new creatures but only slowing it down. Ginny raced for the stairs, stampeding up them only to find more of the yellow-eyed humanoids waiting for her. "Santa!" she cried out in terror. "Help!" He glanced her way and grimaced at her predicament. "Aw, hell;" With a strength born of the desperation to protect one of his precious children, he surged forward, shoulder-blocking his way through a knot of assailants, springing through the air with astonishing agility, alternately using the wall and railing of the stairs to get to the upper floor, twisting and executing a flying kick that downed a foe about to attack Ginny. "Good thing I wore my enhanced parkour boots tonight, eh?" he muttered as he glared at the foes crowding to get up the stairs or down the hallway at them. "I don't even know what that means." Ginny snapped, backing up warily as the horde coming for them grew in numbers. "If that's some sort of geek speak, then we, are you getting bigger?" "I guess I am," he replied, grimly, glaring at their foes. "I don't expect what I'm saying to make sense, but the other iterations of me, my other selves, they're all coming here, merging with me to help meet the threat." "You're; consolidating?" she asked in disbelief. "That's one way to look at it," he said, his blue eyes flashing. "It's gonna make finishing the Christmas run tight if I get held up here much longer." "Oh, terribly sorry if I'm inconveniencing you, your highness." Ginny said, trying to not sound too snide. He put his body between her and her foes, backing her up against the wall. "They can't come through the wall you're up against, it's the South wall," he said quietly but with a sense of urgency. "You're safe from that angle. You can fire your gun past me or over the rail at the guys down below. Since they're trying to reach you that means they've solidified enough that they can't do crazy things like jump seven meters up to reach you, they'll have to use the stairs." "I thought they were after you." Ginny said hotly. "They were, until you announced yourself with a jug of nog," he pointed out. "Now they want to destroy you to hurt me." "Oh. Sorry." Ginny mumbled somewhat sheepishly. "You can make it up to me later!" he said as he surged forward suddenly, bulling his way through the approaching crowd, clotheslining several at once. Shouts went up and the fight was on again. Santa punched, kicked, elbowed, kneed and wrenched his way through the enemy horde. Ginny swore he was indeed bigger than he had been earlier. His already hard body physique was almost bulging with muscles now, like a California beach bodybuilder. Black blood glistened on his flawless skin as he maimed the attackers. Droplets that hit the carpet sizzled and ate through it, burning the hardwood floor beneath. "No!" Ginny wailed in despair. "Not the hardwood! I loved that feature!" She glared and gritted her teeth as she leaned over the railing and pointed the nerf gun down at the endless crowd on the main floor, pulling the trigger. The crackling arcs of energy enveloped several foes, who wailed and vanished. Same as before, the giant insectoids rarely disappeared but seemed slowed or staggered by the attack. Santa fought his way forward, forcing the attackers back from Ginny. Try as they might, no one got by him, even if it meant that they could strike at him instead. He took their assaults resolutely, using his body as a shield to protect her. Before long, the floor of the hallway was littered with bodies, some barely stirring, others not moving at all. Still, the foes swarmed up the stairs. One of the bug-things swiped at him with its vicious claws and he ducked under the blow before kicking his boot into one of the reverse-jointed legs, snapping it. The bug screeched and tumbled and he leapt onto its back, grabbing hold of one of the large, wet-grey chitinous plates that armored its back and pulled, it tore away with a mushy crack and the beast's keened agony as it shuddered and thrashed. Without pausing, Santa whirled around and slammed the exoskeletal plate across several men's heads, dropping them. Ginny kept firing the nerf tesla gun, wondering what sort of sociopath would invent a deadly weapon that looked like a famous kid's toy. She pushed it from her mind, realizing that she wanted to live and didn't care at the moment about the social mores of the issue. Santa was using the huge chitin plate almost like a shield, driving his foes back with it to the stairs. It finally cracked in half and he punched through the mess, unwilling to give the enemy time to regroup. He spun one man around with a fist across the jaw before grabbing his arms from behind and ramming his knee into the man's back, lifting him off the floor and letting him slam his spine onto the stairs. Without waiting, Santa launched himself through the air, knee raised and smashed it into the face of a man on the stair's corner landing. The foe's head went back through the wall with a loud crunch and he hung there limply, no longer part of the battle. "Ack!" Ginny squawked as the nerf gun sputtered and let out several impotent flashes and then died. "Not now! No no no!" One foe had broken through the cordon and now raced toward her. She yelled loudly and smashed the butt of her nerf gun into his face, staggering him for a moment. She glared at him angrily, waiting for him to fall, but her didn't, so she kicked him in the crotch with her instep. He groaned and sunk to his knees, holding himself. Ginny was practically jumping up and down on top of him by the time he stopped moving. "Stay; the; fuck; down!" she shouted angrily as she turned his ribcage into powder. She failed to notice the one last foe who rushed up behind her. But then Santa was at her side and he delivered a devastating haymaker to the man's thorax. Stunned, the intruder staggered back against the railing. With a growl, Santa grabbed him by the face and ruthlessly bent his back over the railing before leaping over and slamming his elbow across the man's neck as he went down to the main floor. The lifeless form crumpled next to him as he looked around, glaring. No foes remained standing. Aside from the music, all was quiet. "It is safe?" Ginny called from the gallery. "Are the scary guys and bug-thingies all gone?" "No," Santa said warily. "And the next wave is even bigger." "Great!" Ginny complained, tossing the useless nerf gun over the side. "And according to you, there's no one that can help us!" "I didn't say that," he countered, beckoning for her to come down the stairs and be near him for protection. "I just said there was no Easter Bunny." "No Superman either, apparently," she grumbled as she approached him, letting him put a huge arm around her possessively. He was, indeed, bigger than ever. She was practically child-sized next to him now. "So who the hell is there to help us?" "If help's arriving it had better get here soon," he said, taking her to the remains of her big glass bay windows and back door. The wind was howling as snow drove into the living room. What was left of it, anyway. Which was nothing. "It's now or never. Can you see them?" She peered into the darkness outside and a chill ran down her spine, hundreds of red and yellow glowing eyes could be seen in the darkness. And they seemed to be getting closer. "Do; do they see me?" she asked, swallowing nervously. "I'm sure they do," he said, grimacing. "Not going to take a chance and assume they don't. I'll do everything I can to protect you, of course." "Is; is that going to be enough?" She could hear the angry hisses and an evil chanting outside clearly now, getting closer with each moment. It pained Santa that he couldn't lie to her. "I don't know, Virginia." She sighed and smiled weakly. "Well, at least I know there's a Santa Claus now. And he gave me the night of my life before it all ended." He returned the smile, trying to feign a cheerfulness he didn't feel. "I don't;" Ginny faltered, trying to find the words. "I don't suppose that you'd; well; that you'd be willing to kiss me one last time? You know, before the end?" He turned to look down at her, his hands holding her arms with an unreal gentleness and a warmth in his eyes that comforted her even now. "Nothing would make me happier, Virginia." She smiled and closed her eyes. "Merry Christmas, Santa." "Merry Christmas, Virginia;" he said softly as he leaned down to kiss her. Then the night was filled with high-pitched shrieks, a noise that made her eyes snap open. She'd heard noises like that before, once a long time ago in grade school. It sounds like the hissing passage of meteors above, and getting closer. Or what she imagined artillery sounded like when it was incoming, like in all those war movies. Santa's head turned and an almost evil grin crept over his face as he listened. "That's more like it!" he declared, standing tall and pointing at the blackness of the night. "Watch the sky, Virginia;" She looked up and noticed glittering points of light, dozens of them, seeming to get closer. The hissing shriek was indeed their approach and they seemed to be aimed right at them. She felt Santa's hand squeeze on her shoulder, almost in excitement. His blue eyes were blazing ferociously. Finally, what looked like dozens of giant icicles, each larger and longer than a semi, lanced out of the night sky and slammed into the earth around her house, shaking it as they buried their tips in the frozen ground and came to a stop. Several impaled the intruders as they came in, while others kicked up a covering spray of snow as the enemy stopped and looked around in confusion. Then doors or portals opened on the sides of the titan icicles and tall, lithe beings began leaping out of them, wearing weird, form-fitting armor and carrying space-age guns and swords or axes. Their armor and long hair was a riot of colors that was reflected by the snow and ice. Wild, ululating war cries pierced the air. And a savage, bloody battle began on her property. "Who the hell are they?" Ginny almost yelled in astonishment as she watched. They moved with inhuman grace and speed, the ones not wearing helmets revealing long, beautiful facial features that were often frightening because of the wrath they displayed. The helmets were all tall and peaked, showing fearsome designs and glowing eyes. Weird runes pulsed and throbbed with light all over their armor. Guns hissed and shrieked while swords hummed as they slew. "My elves," Santa said, clearly pleased and also eager to fight but not willing to leave her side yet. "They got my call and converged on my position." "Those are elves?" she exclaimed in amazement. "Aren't they cutesy little toy-shop people?" "Cute myth, but no, not these ones," he replied, watching as several elves wearing bone-white armor with feminine features raced past, throwing themselves into a knot of the hulking bugs. They screamed and the masks of their wild-maned helmets gave off vibrations that shook Ginny's teeth in her head as it melted their foes' faces off. "No, a lot of my elves are warriors, meant to help me fight Krampus. They keep Christmas safe with me." "What the hell are they wearing?" she asked in disbelief. How could this weird night get any weirder? Santa sighed. "Truth? They've been spending way too much time playing Warhammer 40k and they; appropriated armor, weapons and tactics from the Eldar faction. They're space elves." "Wow. Gay;" she muttered, shaking her head. "Well, they're certainly earning their keep tonight." He nodded. "Been a long time since Krampus moved against us this hard. Apparently he got bored and was feeling uppity. That or he just forgot what a good thrashing felt like." Ginny watched as three elves, clad in scary black armor and wearing helmets that looked like peaked skulls, marched relentlessly forward, firing little rockets from elaborate launchers they carried in their hands and on suspensor harnesses. The rockets punctured the bugs' chitin shells and exploded inside them, sending shards of exoskeleton and stinking goo in every direction. Ginny squeaked and hid behind Santa as some of the nasty effluence landed right where she'd been standing only a moment before. Beams of super-heated plasma and tiny, shuriken-like projectiles hissed and whizzed by them, the remains of her lovely house now the center of a battleground while the winter storm raged on. Warriors in green armor, carrying weapons that looked like a horrifying hybrid of sword and chainsaw, tore into a knot of foes, slicing them to bloody ribbons. As savage as the battle had been earlier, when it had just been her and Santa, she suddenly appreciated its relative civility. "They need my help," Santa said finally, cracking his knuckles, his expression grim. "We have to finish this off or Christmas won't come on time." "I thought you said there was plenty of time." Ginny protested, frowning up at him. "There was," he admitted. "But in order to defeat Krampus' minions, I summoned every single quantum iteration of myself back to here to help me fight. No one is delivering presents anywhere at the moment. I can't change real-time if I'm here in my entirety." He turned and looked at her. "Hopefully we're keeping them busy enough that they don't worry about you. Stay against the wall and work the music, will you?" "Manning the music station," she said, nodding, focusing on giving herself a task. "Music for Santa and his homicidal elves to kill by. Got it;" She watched as Santa leapt through the shattered remains of her bay doors into the howling storm and crashed into a knot of foes, savaging them. She watched in disbelief for some time, trying to figure out how Santa could kill anyone. I mean, even serial murderers got presents in prison, didn't they? Maybe they didn't, she had no way of knowing and chalked up thinking about this to what could only be described as the weirdest night of her life. She squealed and dodged out of the way as a body came flying through the doors and landed next to her. She scrambled over to the entertainment center and stood in front of it, trying to figure out what the hell she should play. "Okay;" she breathed, trying to focus. "Mass slaughter music; mass slaughter music;" What constituted mass slaughter music? Death metal? Panic At The Disco? Teletubbies music? She had no playlists, so she began cycling through the radio, hoping to find anything that might suffice. Oldies; Christmas music; hip-hop; trance; disco; "Son of a fuck," she muttered. "This is harder than it looks." She finally came across a station playing 'Jailhouse Rock' and decided that was good enough, she was sick of looking. She winced, trying to ignore another splintering crash as a body came through her wall. She hugged herself but then felt her robe. She frowned as she looked down at it, realizing it had been thoroughly shredded in the fight earlier. Those shuriken-thingies had been cutting it real close. Ginny grumbled as she pulled it off and threw it away, standing there completely naked, it hadn't been keeping her warm in its current condition and she was thoroughly beyond giving a shit at this point about who saw her naked. They were all too damn busy tearing one another apart anyway. And that sort of pissed her off. She was buck-naked and no one seemed to care. She'd shaved her cunt for this? "And I thought my night sucked before," she sighed to no one in particular. "Not getting my cunt pounded had been my biggest complaint before this hack!" She never saw the menacing shadow that had slipped up behind her. Santa picked one of his foes up overhead and hurled him into a cluster of foes, bowling them all over. He then punched another man as he tried to run by, knocking him off his feet and into his back. A quick stamp on his solar plexus made sure he stopped moving. The huge man thrust his fist in the air and shouted loudly. "Clear!" he thundered, indicating no other enemies surrounded him. His elves responded in kind, many of them gathering in a tight ring about him, weapons facing out as they sought to protect him. Hundreds of bodies lay strewn across the landscape, some burning from plasma blasts, other shredded and blown apart by rockets or sliced into bloody jerky. The storm seemed to be abating, no longer a blizzard so much as a stiff wind and swirls of snow. "Sire, we detect no enemies in the immediate vicinity," one elf wearing blue armor with a tall, crested helmet announced, striding up and saluting by thumping his gauntleted fist over his heart. "This attack has been defeated." "Maybe," Santa said, looking around warily. "But that doesn't mean anything just yet. We have to secure the area, make sure Virginia is alright and then get back to” "Kringle!" "Damn," he muttered to himself. "I thought this was too easy." He made several complex gestures, sending his elves fanning out in a wide arc as he began trudging forward through the snow, heading toward where the voice had come from out of the night. The winds and squalls of snow continued to die down until there was an almost deafening silence, the moon shining brightly overhead and revealing the sheer carnage of the battle that had been waged, the snow and ice glittered with frozen blood. "Kringle!" snarled the inhuman voice angrily. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" Santa said loudly, scowling. "Don't get your panties in a bunch!" He stopped in a clearing on the other side of the house, glowering at who confronted him, the beast was not as tall as he was, nor as muscular, but horrifying in aspect. The backward-jointed, hairy legs ended in wicked hooves. The skin not covered in coarse black fur was almost as dark and criss-crossed with innumerable scars. The vascular chest was crowned with a strong neck and sitting atop it was a blasphemous head, a demonic goat's visage from which grew four evil, twisting horns. The red eyes blazed like wrathful coals and sharp teeth glistened wetly inside the hateful mouth. Krampus. And in one of his powerful, clawed hands, he held Virginia by the neck, who looked like a rag doll. "Hi, Santa;" she said weakly, looking very apologetic. Santa kept walking forward, clenching his fists. "By all means, Kringle, keep coming forward if you mean to slay the child." Krampus growled, starting to squeeze and causing Ginny to shudder in fear. Santa stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes narrowing. His elves had now cast a tight net around the scene, hemming in Krampus. One circle of warriors faced inward, pointing their weapons at the abomination while another behind them faced out, prepared for any further attacks. Santa didn't move. "Let the girl go, Krampus," he said levelly. "This doesn't concern her." "Oh, I beg to differ," said the beastman in an almost non-chalant tone. "It's always about the children, isn't it?" "Hey!" said Ginny angrily. "I am not a child, jerk! I'm twenty, Gurr!" "Oh, do stop talking, you're such an annoyance." Krampus said, giving her neck another warning squeeze. "Let the adults work this out." "There's nothing to work out, Krampus," Santa growled, his blue eyes flashing. "You'll let the girl go." "I think we both know that's not happening," intoned the vile intruder. "She is my victory over you, and you know it. Revenge is not only a dish best served cold but often. And not often enough for me." "About this cold revenge dish thing," Ginny said, squirming slightly. "Couldn't; couldn't I just find you a nice tin can to chew on instead?" "Shut up, girl!" Krampus said harshly while several elves could be heard to chuckle and even Santa smirked at her jest. "I hold your life in my hands, to dispose of as I please." His foul breath crackled in the cold night air. His touch was uncomfortably warm, almost hot and strangely kept her body from freezing in the winter night. His touch felt evil and her skin crawled in revulsion. His strength was terrifying. "It wasn't enough that I slaved in coal mines for you, giving you carbon lumps to deliver to naughty children," Krampus growled, glaring at Santa. "It wasn't enough that I found the worst of them and brought them to you in the night so you could lecture them." "Hey, nobody asked you or ordered you to do the coal thing, pal," Santa said angrily. "And the whole kidnapping kids thing was your idea. I decided to let you have some creative control and look what happened. When it didn't work out, you decided that beating naughty kids with reeds was the answer. You're damn right that wasn't good enough!" "Silence!" Krampus snarled loudly, stamping one of his clawed hooves and making the ground shake dangerously. "Your kind-hearted foolishness with these puny mortals changed nothing about their behavior! Your failure to recognize their inherent selfishness was why our efforts were doomed!" "These puny mortals?" Santa countered. "You used to be one of them, Pete, remember? You were a well-behaved boy once." "Shut up!" growled Krampus. "Well-behaved, but not good," Santa continued. "You followed the rules and wanted everyone to follow rules. You were a control freak. I brought you north to show you what kindness could do, but you hated the cheer and the happiness and you fled to the coal mines in Greenland, hiding in the dark where the light of Christmas couldn't touch you! And when making kids feel bad with coal didn't bring them into line, you started the whole whipping them with reeds thing. Good job there, Pete!" "I'm warning you, Kringle;" Krampus said dangerously. "Oh, he really gets your goat, doesn't he?" Ginny sneered, causing several elves to laugh loudly. Krampus now snarled furiously and lifted her into the air by her neck, causing her to cry out in pain. Santa watched warily, knowing better than to make a move. "We seem to have an impasse," Krampus said, an evil smile playing over his slavering mouth. "You cannot harm me, because you know I can slay the child, but I cannot as yet slay her because she is my bargaining chip. But my need to hurt you, old man, is so very strong." He lowered Ginny down until her feet were just touching the snow-covered ground. She frowned as she heard a wet slithering sound she could not identify. "And there are other ways to hurt you than slaying the poor dear, aren't there?" Ginny felt something slimy touch her leg and then start to crawl up it, wrapping around her smooth skin. She shuddered and squirmed in horror as she realized exactly what was happening. The snake-like appendage wound up her thigh and then behind her. She gasped as it slid between her ass cheeks and then underneath to her cunt. She felt the blunt head split her lips and then move upward again. "Don't do this, Krampus." Santa said, trying to figure out what to do without hurting Ginny. "And why not?" replied the qliphotic abomination. "Don't you have a present for me? Then I guess I'll have to give myself one." Krampus' organ continued to slither its way around her body, leaving a glistening trail on her skin. She stiffened and moaned as his appendage wrapped around her tits, squeezing them, the head pausing and teasing the nipples. "Hey, asshole, dinner and a movie first!" she spat angrily. Ginny was about to say something else when the large, grayish cockhead snaked up in front of her face and then plunged into her mouth, causing her to gag and go silent. Her eyes widened and she thrashed furiously, but to no avail. He was simply too strong. "Language, young lady." Krampus chided, still staring at Santa. "Hasn't Santa taught you anything?" "This isn't gonna end well for you, Pete." Santa said, his tone dire. "Christmas never does, Kringle," replied the demon, his cock sliding in and out of Ginny's mouth. "I'm just hoping to make the holiday every bit as awful and intolerable for you as it is for me. After all, misery loves company." He brought her body close to his head and his other hand reached over and stroked her cunt lips, which were glistening. He leered at his foe, knowing Santa was helpless to get closer. "Is she good down here?" Krampus said mockingly. "Nice and wet and tight for you? Was she the best one ever, in the endless list of good girls you have fucked?" Santa said nothing, just glaring at Krampus. His knuckles were white as he clenched his fists. "Sharing your toys is the spirit of Christmas, isn't it?" Krampus said evilly, finally pulling his cock out of her mouth. Ginny coughed and sputtered, tendrils of resinous spittle and worse trailing away from her lips. She glared at Krampus but was still immobilized. "Just get this over with and fuck me already, whip-cock," she spat. "You won't be my first egotistical disappointment, trust me." Krampus' eyes blazed red and his tongue sped around her naked form blindingly quickly while he released her from his clawed grip. The tongue wrapped and immobilized her arms, holding them out straight while still encircling her tits. It then snaked around her waist and legs, pinning those as well while his long cock, swaying about like a cobra, came to a stop in front of her swollen cunt lips. The head teased and tapped against the opening, causing her to moan and squirm. "As you wish, child;" The head forced itself through her lips, sliding deep inside her. Ginny cried out in a mixture of shock and indescribable pleasure. She felt the tip of his pointed tongue probe trailing around her nipples. The python-like length of his cock churned inside her cunt. The blinding light behind her eyes finally receded and she lifted her head, looking out into the night, feeling his tongue constricting around her neck. She could dimly see a huge being in red pants and black boots watching nearby, his powerful chest exposed. The startling blue eyes flashed in the darkness of the night. She could tell he wanted to rescue her but didn't dare come closer. She gasped and shuddered as Krampus' cock pushed still deeper inside her. She felt fuller than she had imagined possible, the slithering appendage stretching her wide. The sticky, squelching noises were hardly to be believed. "Ew, gross! Hentai noises!" she thought in revulsion. "Krampus;" Santa warned. His elves all pointed their weapons menacingly but he held up his hand, staying them. "The child is naughty," Krampus said, smiling through pointed teeth. "Very naughty. Such a sordid past." "Hey, back off, she was young and needed the money!" Santa snapped defensively. "That thing with the midget and the donkey was” "You're not helping here!" Ginny shouted, blushing furiously, even as Krampus violated her. "Wicked child," growled the vile demon, shoving his cock in and out of her, the peristaltic actions of its length causing her to writhe and squirm in his grip, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "Shameless. Even though I violate her, she finds a way to be concerned about how you perceive her. I find it; titillating." "Oh, do I make you horny?" she sneered, turning her head to smirk at him. "Couldn't tell, looking at that head of yours." "Silence!" Krampus hissed, spittle flying from his jaws, his eyes flashing angrily. "I hold your life and death in my hands." "How would I know?" she shot back. "Hope you're better with your hands than you are with your cock, Billy G." He plunged his cock deeper still inside her. She went rigid and cried out. "That all you got?" she rasped, trying not to faint as she felt popping inside her hips while he stetched her. "My brother got in deeper than that when we were little!" "Insolent!" Krampus snarled savagely, bouncing her up and down and he fucked her harder than ever, pulling on her arms and legs, stretching her joints til they creaked. She felt a deep, wet heat building inside her and in spite of the horror she consciously felt about the situation, even more dire was her need to cum. She felt her cunt squeezing around his cock. His snake-like tongue probed her ass and wriggled inside, further adding to her desperation. "Intholent bith, you will be punithed!" "What was that?" Santa asked, turning his head slightly and putting his hand to his ear. "I couldn't understand you, it's like you have a lisp or something." "Don't mock meef!" Krampus said angrily, his tongue whipping out of Ginny's ass, causing her to yelp suddenly. "I'll kill her, Kringle!" "Not before I cum, damn you!" Ginny panted, her body flushed and covered in sweat as she twisted and writhed in his grip. "Uh, so close, goddammit!" "Language!" Santa and Krampus both snapped at her. "Aw, c'mon!" she wailed. "You two are total pains in the ass! Do it, Billy! Show me what a bad boy you are!" Krampus glared at her and began fucking her harder than ever. "As you wish, child!" "Krampus!" Santa shouted, reaching out his hand in alarm. "Don't!" Krampus grinned evilly at Santa, his teeth clenching as he drew close to climax. His cock seemed to swell along its length, stretching her wider still. She threw her head back and gritted her teeth, straining as she was overwhelmed by sensation; Santa's fist slammed across Krampus' jaw with a powerful crack. The demonoid's eyes rolled into his head and he crumpled to the ground. Ginny wailed in frustration as his cock pulled out of her and retreated back to his body, like a wet, slimy Stanley tape measure. She collapsed to her hands and knees in the snow, panting and shaking, her eyes wide. Santa raced up and knelt next to her, his eyes shining with concern. "Fuck;" Ginny whispered, gasping for air. "Motherfucker;" She looked up at her rescuer now, her eyes flashing accusingly. "The hell? Couldn't you have let him make me cum first?" Santa paused. "What?" "I was so damn close!" she hissed, standing up and stamping her foot. "I was within half a second of the orgasm of my life and you had to choose that moment to intervene and play the hero! Don't expect a thank you card!" "Uh, Virginia," Santa said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, trying to figure out what to say. "If he had brought you to orgasm, it would have killed you. When Krampus climaxes, his appendage you were so attached to bursts into spikes, basically killing you from the inside while denying you your orgasm." She paused and then deflated. "Holy cobra dildos. What a bastard." Ginny then pointed a finger at her savior. "But you still owe me an orgasm, then, pal. You may have rescued me from certain death, but that doesn't mean I don't need relief." Santa looked really confused. "What, here? Now?" "Damn straight," she said firmly, suddenly remembering she was buck naked in a snow-storm. In spite of the no-doubt freezing weather, her body was still warm and very wet with need. She put her hand down her cunt and felt around for a moment before presenting her sticky palm and fingers to Santa for inspection. "Do I look satisfied to you? You've already fucked me, Screamo the Goat Boy just fucked me, who cares if your freaky gay elves watch us? I need satisfaction now and I already am aware that you can't say no." Santa sighed. "It's gotta be quick, Virginia. I'm really behind, now that I'm completely temporal in one location." "Whatever, just get me to the promised land, man." Ginny replied, shrugging. "Who knows, maybe your entourage might enjoy a show." "Oh, right, about that," Santa said, standing up tall and shouting loudly. "About; Face!" As a single unit, the elves all turned around smartly on their heels, still arranged in a protective ring around their liege and his companion, weapons ready as they scanned the darkness for trouble, their eyes glowing menacingly inside their helmets. Santa strode up to Ginny, towering over her and ignoring the prostrate form of the still-unconscious Krampus, snuffling nearby. She smiled up at him, somehow warmed by his presence, in spite of the icy night she should have frozen to death in already. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. She moaned into his mouth as she felt her already molten core getting even more heated in response to his touch. Tongues tangled and played as he took her ass cheeks in his hands and squeezed them, making her shiver. Ginny's hands fumbled with his large black belt until it fell away and then pulled down his red pants. He pulled her onto his powerful thighs, resting her on them. She hooked her legs behind his waist and began grinding her wet, eager cunt against his hardening cock, which swelled readily. Her head was almost spinning, she was so horny. "Hmm, give it to me, baby," she purred, feeling the head of his cock touch her cunt lips. "Make me cum hard and fast." She sighed loudly as he pulled her close, penetrating and sliding deep inside her. Ginny moaned shamelessly as Santa once again began to pump back and forth inside her. His huge cock stretched her cunt wide, but not in the violent, violating way Krampus did. This felt warm and utterly perfect. She nipped at the skin of his chest while he moved in and out of her. "Yes," Ginny breathed as he began to moved faster, pumping strongly and rhythmically. She could feel her wetness trickling down between her cheeks, her cunt clutching at him hungrily, greedily and unwilling to let go until it was somehow sated. "Oh, God, just what I needed. Yes, fuck me, Santa!" He gripped her tight and thrust into her, picking up his pace just the way she wanted. She was gasping and yelping now and he squeezed her cheeks, one of his fingers poking inside her puckered knot. She clenched her teeth and groaned at the intrusion, murmuring that she loved it. She grew warmer and warmer, her body tingling with an exquisite fire that rippled out from her core. Santa turned her around and set her feet on top of his boots, bending her forward and pulling on her arms. She cried out as he fucked her harder, his hips thumping against her ass cheeks. Her hands clenched wildly, her breath coming in gasps as his overwhelming strength dominated her. "Oh, God!" she panted, beginning to shudder uncontrollably, almost drooling. "Uh, cum in me, dammit! Fucking cum in me!" Santa pulled on her arms even tighter as his thighs slammed into her. Ginny strained, craning her neck, teeth clenched as she tried not to scream, but it was no use, she wailed loudly as he came inside her, filling her once again in a way she could not describe. Her orgasm shook every last atom of her being, transporting her to a world of nothing but pleasure, edged with mint. She buckled, hanging loosely in his arms, exhausted. She'd been fucked hard at least five times tonight and had a dreadful suspicion that this experience would only make her libido even more hyperactive. She sighed as Santa scooped her naked form into his arms and cuddled her against the cold. Ginny purred and traced a fingernail across his broad chest. "Thank you," she said quietly. "Just what the doctor ordered. That quenched the flames, for now." He finally put her down and she looked at the remains of her ruined chateau, which was completely leveled and now on fire. "Poor Oatmeal," she murmured. "Where am I going to live?" She scowled down at the still supine Krampus, anger flaring in her. "It's this jack wagon’s fault. You should totally napalm his face." Santa looked down at her in shock. "Did you just say I should jerk off in Krampus' face?" "Damn right, he'd deserve it too." Ginny announced. "That and shove your sleigh up his ass." "I am not jizzing in Krampus' face." Santa said, clearly repulsed by the suggestion. "Fine, leave a woman to do a man's job," Ginny said testily, striding over to Krampus and putting one leg on either side of his head. She stuck three fingers inside her cunt and managed to tease out considerable amounts of Santa's minty cum, which she smeared all over Krampus' face and into his fur with glee, even giving him a glistening white moustache. "Take that, asshole!" She looked like she might have been done desecrating the unconscious form, but then she paused and squatted over him, peeing on his body and face, the stream steaming in the cold night air. She grinned evilly as she thoroughly baptized him. "Teach you to mess with me." Ginny muttered as she walked back to Santa, nodding. The huge man had a wide smirk on his face and shook his head slowly. "I can't believe you just pissed all over Krampus," he said, hugging her to him. "However, you're going to freeze to death at this rate;" He held out his hand and one of his elves dutifully brought him a large, velvety red cloak, which he wrapped around her. She blushed and smiled gratefully at his consideration, but only until he slid it off her, revealing that she was now wearing some ridiculous 'Hot Christmas Elf' outfit, complete with striped stockings and high heels. She looked like a Yule whore. "Seriously?" she asked, unimpressed. "This is your solution to my naked issues?" He shrugged. "I liked you better naked, but you would freeze quickly." "Whatever," she sighed, looking down and appreciating the considerable lift it gave her cleavage. It was incredibly warm, in spite of how scant it was. "So now what? I still have no damn home, you and Goatse here blew it up with your little barnyard brawl." Santa looked around warily. "That might be the least of your worries. The wind's picking up again, which means that another assault is coming. We need to get out of here." "Sire!" said one of the armored elves, thumping his fist to his breastplate and bowing his head. "We will cover you. You must go while you still have a head-start and the dark one is unconscious." Santa nodded. "Yeah, he's not gonna be happy when he wakes up and he's really gonna want revenge on you, Virginia." She felt her mouth go dry at the notion of another battle and Krampus waking up to even the score. "So; now what?" Santa shrugged. "I'd say it's fairly obvious. I've still got to make my rounds before the night is over and I'm not leaving you here;" She gaped as he put his hands on her shoulders and looked down into her eyes. "Virginia, you're coming with me and you're going to help save Christmas." Chapter 3, Christmas Wishes "How the hell do you drive this thing?" Ginny called in a panic, her eyes wide as she held onto the reigns, twisting them wildly as she tried to steer. Up ahead of her, eight large reindeer squealed and thrashed their heads. The sleigh corkscrewed while it hurtled through the cold night air, the moon shining down on them. "Well, first of all, stop panicking," Santa replied as he stood on the back of the sleigh, atop his huge red sack of toys. He was more or less back to his original size she had become accustomed to, now that he had sent his other 'iterations' of himself out over the globe to deliver presents. "That would be an excellent start." "Easy for you to say," she snapped, scowling back at him for a moment since taking her eyes off her designated path seemed to make no difference to how she was doing at navigating. "You're used to doing this!" "Trust me, between the two of us, you're the one with the easy job right now and I'd be happy to trade," he called back as he ducked wildly. A comically large rocket thundered by, with an evil-looking man strapped to the bottom of it, swinging a weapon wildly to hit Santa. "Try to keep her steady!" "While dodging psychos on rockets, no problem!" she grumbled, trying to ignore the howling wind and roaring projectiles. "Have I mentioned Krampus is a gigantic asshole?" "Repeatedly," Santa answered, watching warily. The sky was threaded with jets of fire as their enemies kept coming about in ponderous, elliptical arcs and heading back towards them, intent on their destruction. They had only just pulled off from the smoldering remains of Ginny's country chateau when the assault began. Krampus was nowhere to be seen, but his minions were clearly determined to avenge him. "Maybe urinating on him wasn't such a good idea. He never did take humiliation well." Ginny squawked in alarm and ducked as a rocket streaked right at her. Santa jumped in the air, doing the splits to avoid the projectile and landing back on top of his present sack. Another tried to pull up alongside them but Santa grabbed the harness the man was wearing and wrenched the rocket off course, sending it speeding into one some distance away. Both rockets (and presumably their pilots) exploded in a violent orgy of noise and flashing lights. "Really hope people just think those are fireworks," Santa muttered as he looked glared balefully at yet another rocket considering approaching. "Fireworks right in the middle of the world's most spastic meteor shower. Sure, they'll buy that;" "Funny part is I can't tell if you're serious," Ginny said loudly. "If they don't believe that narrative, then they've gotta accept that Santa Claus was engaged in an epic air battle over their town with quantum men strapped to rockets." "Truth is often stranger than fiction," Santa agreed, nodding. "Fighting these jerks off is taking too much time!" "Well, don't you have anything in your back of tricks there?" Ginny asked. In spite of the sleigh being open, it seemed to have some weird form of climate control and she'd been getting rather warm. To that end she'd pulled down her top, exposing her tits to cool herself off. The breeze allowed through made her nipples tingle delightfully, but not enough to distract her from driving the sleigh. After all, she often drove ninety minutes to her job wearing a vibrating insert in her panties, so she knew for a fact she could orgasm and still control a vehicle. A wheeled one, at least. She wasn't so sure about a sleigh doing Mach Three at twenty thousand feet. "You mean a weapon?" Santa asked. "In the bag full of toys for kids?" "You gave me a nerf gun out of that bag and it turned out to be some sort of doomsday device, didn't it?" she pointed out. "Scary lightning bolts everywhere. I refuse to believe you don't have some other goodies in there." Santa shrugged and squatted down to look inside the bag, getting narrowly missed by another rocket that shot over his head. The pilot cursed and came around again, aiming directly at the chassis of the sleigh from the side. Ginny's eyes widened in fright as she saw him approach. She jerked the reins to one side and the sleigh tilted ninety degrees, presenting its wide, flat red underside. The rocket slammed into it and exploded. Whatever it was made of or whatever shielding was in place, Ginny only heard the detonation and felt a rumble, but there was no damage aside from that. "Ha!" Santa said, standing tall and holding an electric guitar in the air, its black body gleamed in the moonlight. He put the strap around his neck and took several seconds to tune it, ignoring the aerial mayhem that swirled around him. "The hell are you going to do with that?" Ginny asked, scowling as she looked behind to see what he was up to. "You said to find something, I found something," he said simply as he checked the pickups. "Now let's see what we can do here;" He took the pick in hand and strummed it across the strings, a screeching pulse of sound blared out from the instrument, heading in all directions. It struck several rockets nearby, which exploded brightly. Other were knocked off course, spiraling around crazily as they fought for control. Santa laughed loudly, apparently enjoying himself. "Quit laughing and kill, red man!" Ginny yelled, nonplussed by his amusement. "I want to survive the night and I've had several close calls with death already!" "I'm working on it, Virginia, patience." Santa chided, adjusting the tuners momentarily. "Near-death experiences make you cranky." "No shit, Sherlock," she grumbled as he blasted out another screeching wave of sound. "Do you plan to play anything or just keep shrieking out that one sound?" "As you wish," he said cheerfully, pleased to be doing as she asked. Making her happy was all he cared about. He began playing a heavy metal version of Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyries', the pulsing walls of sound thundering out and striking every foe within hundreds of

Day 4 of the Twelve Days of Yule is here and today's gift is a little pep talk you can hang on your wall. ✨Your free gift: The Born Magic Manifesto, a one-page printable reminder that you were born magic. You never had to prove your worth. You never had to explain yourself. You just need to remember.But we're going one step further. You'll also get prompts to write YOUR OWN manifesto—because you get to decide who you are and what energy you're bringing into 2026.Are you spaghetti and meatballs? Or are you something-something-bolognese-I-can't-pronounce? You get to choose.In this video, you'll learn:→ Why manifestos matter (and why Sara reads them everywhere she goes)→ What the Born Magic Manifesto is and how to use it→ How to write your own personal manifesto with guided prompts→ The difference between reacting to energy and CREATING it→ What Krampus has to say about using your tools intentionally

As the longest night of the year approaches, the witches settle fully into Yule mode with candles lit, trees decorated, and a little seasonal weirdness happily creeping back in. This cozy Solarium episode finds Laylla and Chelle talking Yule preparations, winter self care, and stories of classic Yule cryptids like the Yule Cat, Mari Lwyd, and the ever-watchful Nisse, because of course they do.In the spirit of Yule time giving, Chelle managed to set aside her natural magpie nature to channel Jolly Saint Nick and surprise Laylla with a bag overflowing with gifts sent in by their generous listeners. The witches open mail, read heartfelt letters, and revel in the books, teas, body butters, and beautifully thoughtful surprises that have arrived lately.It's a warm, laughter-filled episode full of gratitude, gentle spookiness, and winter magic. Pour yourself something comforting, get cozy, and join the witches as they honor the turning of the wheel, the generosity of their community, and the strange and wonderful magic that lives in the darkest nights of the year.voyagerlocale - artist Nature Recycled artThe Knarly Knot - Handcrafted Wooden Mugs and MoreMystical Blossoms Gift Shop & Tea Bar Dharma Kelleher Witches of Wiccanburg SeriesGot a question? Send the witches a message here!Support the showWant to send us a letter? Witchy things to review?We have a mailing address!Back on the BroomstickPO Box 106Salem MA 01970Email: backonthebroomstick@gmail.comYoutube FacebookInstagramBack on the Broomstick Website

STOP YELLING! Tonight, we're reviewing the very misunderstood Arnold vehicle "Last Action Hero!" Don't make a movie mistake and remember to reload your damn gun!

Sterling needs to protect a beloved tree from vandals this holiday season. Along the way, he'll connect with Yule, a neighbor he's been near forever but never met, to bring an end to the town's trouble.Thanks for listening!

Tonight we have a Christmas-themed triple feature of public-domain movies as heard from the projection booth: The Star of Bethlehem (1950), Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948), and Scrooge (1935).We'll also be running trailers from three really bad Christmas movies: Die Hard 2, Santa Conquers the Martians, and Santa Claus (1985). Plus one trailer for a really good Christmas movie, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. Rounding things out will be favorite 1980s-ish Christmas commercials and other vintage theater messaging (and a random appliance warehouse ad bc I want it stuck in everyone else's head too).So — The Star of Bethlehem was the only work I was familiar with before beginning this week's episode. It's inclusion is a shout-out to my late father, for his insistence that we make it to the midnight service to hear this story told again and again and again. Miss you, Dad.Religiosity aside, it's an astonishingly beautiful work. I have a computer, and I couldn't dream of producing something this wonderful. If you gave me a time machine to the 1950s, my MacBook, and pitted me against the creative team of Lotte Reiniger and Carl Koch, I would lose every time.Reiniger created articulated paper figures from spare cardboard and other materials, and the team animated them on glass over painted backgrounds. (Preservationists studying her paper figures believe they can tell what she was eating during production, based on what material ended up in the dolls.) One of their rigs also looked like the best bunk bed ever — photo on wiki. Honestly, give me a time machine just so I can hang out with this crew, they seem cool.Rudolph (1948) feels lower-budget by comparison. This is not Rankin/Bass Rudolph, man. It's based on Robert L. May's 1939 story, not the song. And to steal an internet meme: this is Zack Snyder Rudolph. Hard times — you can feel them oozing out of that steely, cold color palette. Which makes sense: World War II had just ended when production began.Going further back in time brings us to our feature film Scrooge (1935). The acting is solid and includes an Ebenezer expert (Seymour Hicks) as the lead. Variety, literally said Hicks could play Ebenezer upside down in its December 11, 1935 issue. And that Hicks played Scrooge for more than a quarter century both onstage and in two films including a silent Scrooge in 1913.As for trailers:Die Hard 2 — which is just Die Hard with the melodrama turned all the way up and relocated to an airport. Also, I'm positive the airplane-eject scene for John McClane was later pilfered by the GoldenEye folks… and it's nowhere near as cool.Santa Conquers the Martians, which I briefly toyed with making the feature; is awful.And Santa Claus (1985)... Last year my family stumbled onto a smart tv Christmas-movie list, and I saw Santa '85 and said, “Hon, I have a movie that will blow your ****** mind. It's like Superman meets Kris Kringle and is still earnest. Everyone is acting out of their brains. It's like Shakespeare. Like if Frank Miller did Shakespeare doing Superman.”And then I hit play like I was firing a heat-seeking photon torpedo at General Chang.Three minutes later, we're watching Santa drown in snow. A few minutes after that: bizarre McDonald's product placement. A scene of people merrily eating Quarter Pounders while, through the window, an unhoused and hungry child stares lustfully at the food consumption. His face framed by the Golden Arches.The movie is bad. But awesome bad. See it for John Lithgow, as an evil toymaker who excels at selling extremely dangerous **** to children. And Dudley Moore is a charming mutinous elf that tries to outdo Santa by creating candy canes that make children float. Definitely see it.And happy holidays, y'all.PS: If you're looking for an uncommon ambience episode with a more modern Scrooge, check out last year's ⁠The Night the Reindeer Died⁠: Christmas Workshop Ambience. "Yule love it."

Day 3 of the Twelve Days of Yule is hereand we're talking about meditation. But not the way you think.

Ellen Evert Hopman shares folklore, recipes, rituals, and crafts to enliven your Yuletide observance. She explores the origins of the Christmas tree and Santa Claus as well as holiday Spirits and Yuletide animals. She explains how to perform Winter Solstice divinations and make traditional foods and drinks such as Elizabethan gingerbread cookies and Wassail. And she looks in depth at the medicinal and magical properties of the many herbs, barks, and berries associated with the Christmas and Yuletide season such as Frankincense and Myrrh, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Hibiscus, Bayberry, and many more. This guide offers practical and magical ways to celebrate and honor the darkest days of the year.

Hello Cryptic Crew, and welcome back to our latest episode! This time its Kelsey's turn to deliver a curious case of a man who had some very prophetic dreams. Chris Robinson (not the one married to Amanda Knox, not to be confused with Canadian icon Christopher Robin either, you're welcome :) He was often accurate at predicting disasters like airplane crashes and received the information through dreams. He even had a working relationship with local police. Theories include other worldly guides giving him advance knowledge, but you be the judge! We like to try and keep our minds open, and don't forget the movie talk, has anyone else seen Tron: Ares lol or ... what are you all watching this season? Part two will be a dive into Telepathy Tests and Controversies too! Stay tuned, it's dropping soon as a Yule treat! Keep it Cryptic! Head to Patreon.com for bonus content monthly and a backlog of hundreds of hours of creepy and cool stories!

We want to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!  This is the last episode of season five.  On this episode we are talking about the haunted Cresent Hotel and how ghost appear during Christmas time.  We are also talking about how Dec. 25 is one of the best nights to talk to a loved one that has passed away because the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest. We have a story about a guy who was vistited by his mom on Christmas.  We are also talking about some of the traditions that take place during the Yule like telling scary stories.  Finally we we have been seeing and hearing some crazy stories of Gargoyle sightings and encounters taking place in Chicago recently. We will be taking a short break to spend time with our family but will be back with season 6 on Jan. 23!"Remember, curiosity did't kill these Two Scaredy Cats!"Support the showThanks for listening and follow us on Instagram and YouTube @twoscaredycatspodcast

Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! ⁠ What do you know about Yule? Maybe a lot. The holiday is widely celebrated in Scandinavian countries, and it's an important part of Wiccan and Pagan tradition. But for many of us, the version that's come down through history is strongly associated with Christmas--and heavily sanitized. When we scratched the surface, however, we found that the origins of Yule were older and darker and weirder than we ever imagined. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Witches In today's episode we journey through December folklore, peeling back the Christian veils to reveal the older stranger magic beneath. This episode begins with with St Lucy's Day. Beneath the saint lies lore entwined with Lilith, Lucifer, witches, trolls and wandering spirits — revealing how this 'festival of light' once belonged to the darkest nights of the year. From there, we descend into the symbolism of the sickle — a tool of harvest, severing and fate. We explore its mythic lineage through Morana, Mokosh, Cronus, Saturn, the Grim Reaper and the Druidic priesthood. You will hear about the magical uses of sickles across Europe, their protective and banishing powers and how you might weave this ancient blade into your own witchcraft practice today. We close with a look at Mothers' Night (Modranicht) — the Anglo-Saxon celebration honouring ancestral mothers, protective spirits and the deep feminine that presides over midwinter. Also includes some simple, meaningful ways to honour this sacred night in your personal craft. Yule playlist mentioned - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX5brL7AUc9UI?si=9976e5a645174dcd Find my new Zine Horn & Sickle along with the witch box here on Etsy - https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheWhiteWitchCompany?ref=seller-platform-mcnav Join us for Snake & Sickle month in The Hedge & Hollow - https://patreon.com/TheHedgeandHollow?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Find me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thewhitewitchpodcast/?hl=en   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Day 2 of the Twelve Days of Yule is here and today's free gift is a good one.

Welcome to Get Up in the Yule: Holiday Music with Cameron DeWhitt and Friends. This year's friends are Penka Jane Culevski and Brian Lindsay of Dear Crow! We recorded this the day after Thanksgiving in their home in Olympia, WA. Tunes in this episode: * James Crase's Christmas Time's A Comin' (0:50) * Gloucestershire Wassail (16:55) * Build Up the Bonfire (Zoe Mulford original) (30:28) * Christmas Eve (44:42) * Taylor Kimble's Breaking Up Christmas (49:27) * BONUS TRACK: Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake Visit Dear Crow's website (https://dearcrowmusic.com/) and follow them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dearcrowmusic/?hl=en) Support Get Up in the Cool on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/getupinthecool) Send Tax Deductible Donations to Get Up in the Cool through Fracture Atlas (https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/get-up-in-the-cool) Sign up at Pitchfork Banjo for my clawhammer instructional series! (https://www.pitchforkbanjo.com/) Schedule a banjo lesson with Cameron (https://www.camerondewhitt.com/banjolessons) Visit Tall Poppy String Band's website (https://www.tallpoppystringband.com/) and follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tallpoppystringband/) follow Sweeten the Third on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sweetenthethird/?hl=en)

Welcome to Day 1 of the Twelve Days of Yule here at The Sisters Enchanted!

Celebrate Episode 200 with Morgan and her kids, as they look back on their family's witchy Christmas and Yule traditions! From chaotic stockings and Santa memories to Yule dinners, DIY gifts, Krampusnacht, advent calendars, and the holiday movies they loved (and hated), this episode is full of cozy nostalgia and a peek into how a pagan family blends magick with modern holiday life. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Yule, or both, you'll get fun ideas, heartfelt stories, and lots of laughs in this special milestone episode. This podcast has always been a passion project, and hitting episode 200 means the world to me. Thank you for listening, sharing, rating, and letting me be part of your witchcraft journey. Here's to the next 200! For this week's Patreon content, Morgan shares her Yule Log cookie recipe.  Join Morgan on her Patreon for exclusive bonus content. Visit https://patreon.com/inkedgoddesscreations for more details.    Consider joining Morgan's Inked Spirit Coven to deepen your magickal practice and connect with a supportive community. For more information, head to https://inkedspirit.com.   For unique witchy supplies and tips, a monthly Witchcraft subscription box, and more, head to https://www.InkedGoddessCreations.com. 

Welcome back to the show, everyone! Today we're getting cozy, festive, and maybe even a little competitive, because we're diving straight into the world of classic Christmas specials. We're talking the timeless ones—Rudolph, Frosty, The Grinch, Charlie Brown, and all the nostalgic favorites that make the season feel like the season. Then, to put your holiday spirit—and your memory—to the test, we've got a Christmas Specials Trivia Quiz loaded with 25 questions ranging from super easy to surprisingly tricky. So whether you're a casual holiday-movie enjoyer or a full-on Christmas-special historian, we've got something for you. Grab some cocoa, settle in, and let's get festive—because today's episode is all about the classics we grew up with and the holiday fun they bring.

Tune in as the Christmas season keeps rolling forward on the podcast! For this second episode of December, Hannah, Rebecca, and Sarah (Can I Spoil Something?) are rejoining 2CC for a dive into Krampus: The Yule Lord, the 2012 holiday horror novel by Brom that takes you on a grisly and festive journey alongside a struggling singer who gets dragged into a mission that the horned folkloric figure Krampus is pursuing to take back Yuletide from Santa Claus. A dirty cop named Dillard and other loathsome men in this book, the choice to connect Krampus to Norse mythology, laughing a ton over Santa's sack, and appreciation for Sinners pop up as a few of the topics that the hosts weave their way through for this episode.TW: death, murder, violence, gun violence, domestic abuse, child neglect and abuse, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, suicide (in the past), animal injury and death, alcohol, drugs, substance abuse, pregnancy (in the past), ableism, racism, homophobia, religious bigotry, and mental illnessSpoilers start at 20:30Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastrHere's how you can learn more about Palestine and IsraelHere's how you can keep up-to-date on this genocideHere's how you can send eSIM cards to Palestinians in order to help them stay connected onlineGood Word:• Rebecca: Attack on Titan• Hannah: Mosaic crochet• Sarah: Studio Ghibli movies, particularly Princess Mononoke, Ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service, The Wind Rises, and Spirited Away• Arthur: A Time Called YouReach out at email2centscritic@yahoo.com if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!Follow Arthur on Twitter, Goodpods, StoryGraph, Letterboxd, and TikTok: @arthur_ant18Follow Arthur on Bluesky: @arthur-ant18Follow the podcast on Twitter: @two_centscriticFollow the podcast on Instagram: @twocentscriticpodFollow Arthur on GoodreadsCheck out 2 Cents Critic Linktree

Yule Logs, Twelfth Night Cakes & the Lord of Misrule. Step into a Tudor Christmas with me! I'm historian Claire Ridgway, and today's Advent episode looks at the real Yuletide customs of Tudor England, from the dramatic arrival of the Yule log to the playful misrule of Twelfth Night. Why did Tudor households bring home an enormous log on Christmas Eve? What role did a humble bean play in choosing the “king” of the festivities? And how did these rituals blend ancient midwinter beliefs with Christmas celebrations? Discover the symbolism, the revelry, and the wonderful strangeness of a Tudor Yuletide, a world of firelight, games, and meaning woven into every tradition. Join me for a journey into the customs that made Christmas magical for the Tudors. If you're enjoying this Advent series, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell — more Tudor Christmas delights are on the way! #TudorChristmas #YuleLogTraditions #TwelfthNight #TudorHistory #LordOfMisrule

Are you honoring both the shadows and the light as the sun begins its return in the winter season? In part four of the Winter Magic series, Tahverlee guides you through powerful rituals and traditions for Yule and the winter solstice. Discover ways to blend family practices with intentional ceremony, including creating Yule logs, simmer pots, and working directly with nature, to celebrate renewal and transformation.This journey isn't just about seasonal rituals; it's about setting the stage for a new year through visualization, self-reflection, and the clearing of old patterns. Practical exercises help you map future desires and explore all possibilities, ensuring you step into the coming year with clarity, courage, and a sense of magical possibility.Cast intentions that work ~ 2026 Intention WheelListen to the entire Winter Magic series:Part One: December Rituals GuidePart Two: Ritual Secrets RevealedPart Three: Create Powerful IntentionsWatch this and all episodes of the Moon Temple Mystery School Podcast on YouTube. Learn more about Tahverlee:Moon Temple Mystery School Contact Tahverlee directly:Tahverlee@MoonTempleSchool.com Follow Tahverlee:InstagramTikTokYouTube Theme Music by Les Konley | Produced by Les KonleySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Festive Drinks That Kept Henry VIII's Court Merry   Step into a warm Tudor hall, sit beside the glowing Yule log, and discover the festive drinks that kept Henry VIII's England merry throughout the cold, dark days of winter. I'm historian and author Claire Ridgway, and for today's instalment of my Tudor Christmas Advent series, we're exploring the wonderful world of Tudor winter warmers, from hippocras to buttered beer, from wassail bowls to honey-rich mead. Before the feasting and celebrations, everyday Tudor life ran on ale, safer than water, weak enough to drink by the pint, and brewed constantly by the women of the household. But Christmas? Christmas called for something special. In this video, discover: - Hippocras — the spiced Tudor mulled wine Henry VIII adored - Lambswool — the frothy wassail drink of roasted apples and warm ale - Mead, Metheglin & Melomel — honey wines sweetened with herbs or fruit - Christmas Ale — brewed stronger for Yuletide feasts - Posset — a creamy, curdled Tudor comfort drink - Buttered Beer — yes, the real Tudor drink (long before Harry Potter!) - Mulled wine & imported sweet wines enjoyed by the wealthy These weren't just beverages — they were hospitality, ritual, community, and the unmistakable flavour of Tudor Christmas. Which Tudor drink would YOU try first? Hippocras? Buttered beer? Lambswool? Let me know in the comments!   Links to my videos on some of these Tudor drinks: Tudor Buttered Beer - https://youtu.be/0HMxpWVzrvc Tudor Hippocras - https://youtu.be/yabiVqlV4pw Lambswool Wassail - https://youtu.be/9GDrnPesC2Y If you enjoy this cosy dive into Tudor festive life, please like, subscribe, and click the bell to follow along with the rest of my Christmas Advent series.

This week at Venture, Pastor Morgan concluded our Journey Through Ephesians series with a powerful and deeply practical message from Ephesians 5–6 on what it means to build a Spirit-filled home. Paul teaches that the truest test of our spiritual maturity isn't found on Sundays, in small groups, or in public — it's found in our homes. Pastor Morgan unpacks how the Gospel should transform our marriages, our parenting, and even our work relationships. A Spirit-filled home is built on:• Mutual submission• Christlike love• Godly order• Every relationship submitted to Jesus From marriage roles to parenting with gentleness, to representing Christ in the workplace, this message challenges us to invite the Holy Spirit into the center of our homes and everyday relationships. If your home feels chaotic, heavy, or dry — there is hope. The same Spirit who fills us in worship can fill our homes with peace, unity, and transformation. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to Venture Church Online00:06 – “Tell us where you're watching from!”00:14 – Christmas vibes + Yule log jokes00:34 – Pastor Morgan begins + series conclusion01:12 – Recap: Armor of God (previous series)01:35 – Christmas season officially begins01:54 – Thanksgiving leftovers mourning02:14 – Hosting 12 people + refreshing the home02:46 – What a “reset” does for a house03:06 – Physical home vs. spiritual home atmosphere03:54 – Losing your holiness at home04:12 – Making Jesus famous at work vs. at home04:39 – Chaos, Legos, Costco flannels & sanctification05:17 – The home as the true test of spiritual maturity06:12 – Review of Ephesians: spiritual blessings, identity07:05 – From mountaintop truths to family relationships07:24 – If the Gospel doesn't change your home…07:48 – Instructions for Spirit-filled households08:03 – Reading Ephesians 5:21–3309:25 – Main point: A Spirit-filled home is built on mutual submission10:08 – Context: Greco-Roman household codes11:08 – How Christianity revolutionized the home11:32 – Centering all relationships on Jesus11:56 – Giving dignity and value to every family member12:23 – Calling those with power to sacrifice the most12:48 – “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ”13:03 – Definition: Voluntarily placing others above yourself13:32 – A Spirit-filled posture says: “Christ is Lord of this home”14:24 – Submission isn't weakness — Jesus modeled it15:20 – The Spirit submits to the Son — equality within submission15:46 – Submission = Christlikeness16:12 – Marriage roles begin with mutual submission16:46 – Wives: honor your husbands (own husbands!)17:11 – Misuse of this text addressed18:18 – Submission is not inferiority, silence, or passivity18:56 – Proverbs 31: strong, wise, capable women19:26 – Honor creates atmosphere for husbands to thrive19:50 – Husbands: love like Christ loved the Church20:13 – Wives submit, husbands sacrifice20:41 – Your wife doesn't need a king — she has one21:20 – Husbands set the tone of the home21:49 – Pilot illustration — calm leadership22:40 – Your marriage preaches a sermon daily23:06 – Spirit-filled parenting begins23:40 – Children: obey and honor your parents24:06 – The promise that comes with obedience24:24 – Teaching youth the value of honor25:09 – Parents: do not provoke your children25:39 – Don't crush your kids with criticism26:13 – “Bring them up” — nurture, don't intimidate26:37 – Parents + pastors = partnership (NextGen vision)27:37 – Children are like wet cement — everything leaves a mark28:08 – Spirit-filled work relationships28:18 – Working as unto the Lord29:04 – Christians should be the most reliable workers29:48 – Your work is worship30:13 – Leaders: use influence to bless, not manipulate30:35 – Business owners leading with Christlike character31:01 – Spirit-filled relationships submit to Christ31:17 – Taking inventory of our own homes31:44 – Is Christ the center of your home?32:01 – What atmosphere greets people in your house?32:50 – The Spirit can transform your home33:13 – Harshness, sarcasm, avoidance — and hope33:42 – Husbands, wives, children, parents, leaders — all worship34:36 – The Spirit who fills you at church can fill your home35:02 – God can heal marriages and restore families35:29 – Response moment: invitation to be Spirit-filled36:14 – Prayer for homes and families36:50 – Corporate closing prayer37:49 – Venture sign-up reminders + Winter Camp38:26 – Subscribe + learn more about Venture Church

We're on a little break, getting our stocking stuffers and Yule logs together, so to tide you over until our next new release, here's an oldie but goodie (with a little remixing - though unfortunately there is no fixing our singing) about the history of ghost stories at Christmas time! Original transcript at: https://digpodcast.org/2017/12/22/christmas-ghost-dickens/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices