Diana Paxson
BERKELEY, Calif.– Well-known Pagan elder, leader, and author Diana Paxson was attacked in her home in the Claremont neighborhood in Berkeley California and a shelter-in-place order was issued fr the area.
Paxson and her son Ian were stabbed in the later afternoon/early evening of December 9th in her home. Both received treatment at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. She is asking the community to build an energetic protective space around her and is “grateful for Divine Protection.”
Paxson wrote on Facebook:
First, my son Ian and I are back from the hospital and sore but functional.
As many of you already know, on Friday evening ian and I were both wounded when Byron DeCles, a member of our extended family, broke through the front door, slashing wildly with a small knife. Ian had 8 or 9 cuts, 5 needing sutures, requiring a few sutures. The most dangerous hit his left ear but did not touch the ear drum. I got 2 needing a few sutures, a shallow slice on my neck and one that nicked the left temporal artery, resulting in a remarkable amount of blood on the floor.I am now coming to terms with the fact that although my wounds are shallow, they were in very vulnerable places, and am very grateful for Divine Protection.
Ians shoulder was injured when Byron threw a 2×4 we had been using to brace the door at him. He then ran off. The police put out an alert and there are warrants for his arrest. Also phots from our security camera. While Ian grappled with Byron, I held a wad of paper towels to my head with my left hand I managed to dial 911 with my right. The police came quickly, and I got my first ambulance ride.
Berkeley Police released this photo of Byron Decles on Dec. 8, 2023,
Police are still searching for the suspect identified as Byron Decles, “a 23-year-old man about 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-9 with blond hair. He was wearing a red or brown hoodie, black pants and a black hat and carrying a large black backpack. Police are still searching for Decles, who fled the scene.” He is resumed armed with a “cutting device.” Local police are asking anyone with knowledge of Decles whereabouts to call 911 or (510) 981-5900.
Paxson has served as First Office of the Covenant of the Goddess, Steerswoman of The Troth and is active in the Pagan and Heathen community for decades. She is also a founder of the Society for Creative Anachronism, known in that organization as Countess Diana Listmaker.
TWH will continue reporting updates as soon as possible. TWH wishes Diana and Ian a speedy recovery.
Cherry Hill Seminary is inviting the community to join their Awards Ceremony on Sunday December 17 at 3 PM. For those unfamiliar, Cherry Hill Seminary is a non-profit educational institution that focuses on providing education and training in various aspects of pagan and nature-based spiritualities. It offers degree and certificate programs in subjects such as Pagan ministry, leadership, counseling, and other related fields.
Cherry Hill Seminary was founded in 1997 and has been a pioneer in offering higher education for individuals following pagan, Wiccan, Druidic, and other earth-centered spiritual traditions. The seminary aims to facilitate academic and practical training for those interested in serving their communities as spiritual leaders, counselors, and educators within the context of contemporary pagan and nature-based religions.
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Happening Tonight!
“Grýla at the Keflavík International Airport, December 2018. The inscription on both sides: “Jump to the pot and take a picture.” On the right side is one of the Yule Lads (Kólasveinar).” Photo Credit: Andrii Gladii CCA-SA 4.0]
The Yule Lads are coming!
The Yule Lads, also known as the “Jólasveinar” in Icelandic, are a group of figures from Icelandic folklore. They are the sons of Gryla and Leppaludi, who are mountain-dwelling trolls. The Yule Lads are said to come down from the mountains one by one during the thirteen nights leading up to Christmas, starting on December 12th. Each Yule Lad has his own distinct personality and mischievous behavior.
Here are the 13 Yule Lads and their feast days.
- Sheep-Cote Clod (AKA Stiffy Legs -Stekkjarstaur) – Dec. 12: This peg-legged lad sneaks into sheep pens and sucks the milk out of a family’s ewes.
- Gully Gawk – Dec. 13: Gully Gawk loves milk too, but he steals the foam off of buckets of fresh milk.
- Stubby – Dec. 14: The shortest Yule Lad, Stubby breaks into a family’s kitchen to lick the burned bits of food off of their pots and pans.
- Spoon Licker – Dec. 15: As his name implies, this scrawny lad sneaks into kitchen after dinner is over and licks all of the family’s spoons.
- Pot Licker – Dec.r 16: Pot Licker is more aggressive than his spoon-loving brother. He knocks at the front door, then takes advantage of the household distraction to sneak in and help himself to the pots in the kitchen.
- Bowl Licker – Dec. 17: This lad’s greatest desire is to steal your bowl of food.
- Door Slammer – Dec. 18: He waits until the town is asleep, then runs around slamming doors for fun.
- Skyr Gobbler – Dec. 19: Iceland has its own form of yogurt, which they call skyr. Skyr Gobbler is quite partial to it and enjoys stealing it from others.
- Sausage Swiper – Dec. 20: Also a food-stealing lad, this one will take all your sausage.
- Window Peeper – Dec. 21: He sneaks around at night looking for open windows to gaze into.
- Door Sniffer – Dec. 22: Always in search of bread, Door Sniffer uses his large nose to find it inside homes.
- Meat Hook – Dec. 23: In his search for meat, this lad sends his long hook down chimneys to steal what he wants.
- Candle Beggar – Dec. 24: December is quite dark in Iceland, and this lad makes it worse by stealing precious candles.
Stekkjarstaur is one of the thirteen Yule Lads (jJólasveinar), figures from Icelandic folklore who are said to be the sons of the mountain-dwelling trolls Gryla and Leppaludi. These Yule Lads are known for visiting children on the thirteen nights leading up to Yule. Stekkjarstaur, whose name translates to “Sheep-Cote Clod” in English, is known for his peculiar habit of harassing sheep. Legend has it that he would sneak into the sheep sheds and suckle the ewes’ milk. In some versions of the folklore, he is depicted as having stiff legs, which he compensates for by using a peg leg or a hook. Stekkjarstaur is the first to have a feast night among his troll brethern.
Each Yule Lad has his own distinct characteristics and mischievous activities, often involving pranks, stealing, or bothering people in various ways. Icelandic families traditionally leave shoes on their windowsills during the thirteen nights, and the Yule Lads leave small gifts or rotten potatoes, depending on the behavior of the children throughout the year. The Yule Lads play a significant role in Icelandic Christmas traditions and folklore.
The Yule Lads are part of Icelandic tradition, and their stories are often told to children during the holiday season. In recent times, they have become popular cultural symbols in Iceland and are celebrated in various forms of art, literature, and decorations during the holiday season.
Happening this Weekend!
Circle Sanctuary’s annual Yule Festival
This in-person event will take place at Circle Sanstuary and includes the Wreaths Across America Ceremony with Rev. Selena Fox.
This ceremony is held in Circle’s Green Cemetery in conjunction with National Wreaths Across America Day, where wreath-laying ceremonies are held at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at more than 2,500 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea, and abroad.
Registration for the event is available now. Circle requests that participants bring
- Ritual garb and/or brightly colored clothes, as well as a crown of flowers or greens for your head or bells for your feet, to wear during the main ritual.
- Journal and writing implements
- Offering of small stones, crystals, rocks, flowers for the Stone Circle
- Your own refillable water bottle and coffee cup to use for drinks at meals and other times.
- Drum, rattle, or other rhythm instrument.
- Offering of small crystals, fresh flowers, other items for Fairy Shrine.
- Canned goods to donate to Circle Sanctuary’s annual charity food drive (optional)
Circle Sanctuary also shared a Winter Solstice Guide for the community to enjoy.
“Strengthen bonds with family and friends by visiting and/or exchanging gifts and greetings. Decorate your home with lights, greens, and holiday colors. Bless your home with a Yule wreath on your front door and sprigs of mistletoe inside. If you are part of a group, take up a collection of food and/or clothing at your Yule gathering and give what you collected to a social service agency to distribute to the needy (for example, Circle’s Yuletide Charity Food Drive). Place sunflower seeds outside for wild birds to feast upon. Greet the Sun at dawn on Solstice morning by ringing bells. Do magic for a more peaceful planet.”
Announcements:
Ayu Putri Kenyo Jati of Indonesia, the teen category first-place winner of the 2014 Midwinter Art Contest [via Norse Mythology Blog]
Ten years after the website’s first international art contest and three years since its most recent one, the return of the event features the theme “Gods and Goddesses Gather at Midwinter.”
This year’s guest judge is UK comics artist Lee Carter, best known for his intense and often terrifying work for the British weekly 2000 AD and its monthly sister publication, the Judge Dredd Megazine.
Age categories for the contest are kids (twelve and under), teens (thirteen to nineteen), and adults (twenty and up).
Past winners and runners-up have come from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and all over the United States.
Past judges have included authors (Joanne Harris, Utkarsh Patel), academics (Helga Hlaðgerður Lúthersdóttir, Kendra Wilson), musicians (Joris van Gelre of Heidevolk), artists (Richard Elson, Erik Evensen, Steve Parkhouse, Anker Eli Petersen, Liam Sharp), and Icelandic elf whisperer Ragnhildur Jónsdóttir.
Entry deadline is 11:59 pm (Chicago time) on December 23, 2023 – Details and rules.
Upcoming Gatherings:
The Troth announced this week that Frith Forge 2024, the International Conference of Inclusive Heathenry, will be hosted at the Hotel del Bosque in Costa Rica from April 13th to April 16th. Frith Forge is an international conference among inclusive Heathen organizations, kindreds, and individuals. The broader inclusive pagan communities and interfaith allies are welcome to participate as well. This year the Frith Forge will be the Asociación Ásatrú Yggdrasil.
The Troth wrote that “International Relations and Exchange was founded as a program to facilitate and support international collaboration and education by creating Frith Forge, an international conference for inclusive Heathens. We didn’t just find groups that shared our values, but groups that had already started this work overseas, with long histories of their own, struggles of their own, and problems that we could solve better together than apart. We continue to nurture these lasting alliances and true friendships. We value the chance to participate in such high-quality educational and frithful exchange. This connection helps us all weather the storms together that affect us all.”
More information regarding Latin American Heathenry is available on the Frith Forge YouTube channel:
Positively Noteworthy
Congratulations Pele and Guy! The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens announced the birth of six African Painted Dog puppies. “Born to first-time mother Pele on November 5 and 6, the arrival of the pups is exciting news for wildlife conservationists. The species has seen its population plummet over the last decade from an estimated 11,800 in 2010 to just about 5,000 in the wild in 2022”, the OKZ Zoo said a statement.
Pele and puppies [via OKC Zoo – Facebook]
Pele and her puppies are spending quality time together behind the scenes in their den. Caretakers are able to monitor the pack through video monitoring equipment in the area and have seen the pups nursing regularly, a significant indicator that they are healthy and thriving. Pele, 3, came to the OKC Zoo in October 2021, followed in May 2022 by males Guy and Remy, also 3. Mom and her puppies are doing well spending time together with the pack.
“Every birth at the Oklahoma City Zoo is significant and we’re extremely excited to have our first litter of African painted dog puppies in our Predator Pass Habitat since opening in 2021 and the first at the Zoo since 2016.” said Tyler Boyd, the Zoo’s Curator of Carnivores. “We are currently focused on letting mom continue to bond with the newest additions behind the scenes, along with the rest of the pack—something vital to their success.”
Conservation efforts like OKC Zoo’s are being made to protect African Painted Dogs and their habitats, including anti-poaching measures, habitat preservation, and community education to reduce conflicts between humans and these endangered canids. Wildlife organizations and reserves work towards ensuring the survival of this unique and threatened species.
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Tarot of the Week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: Tarot of Dreams, art by Ciro Marchetti, written by Lee Burston, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Card:Major arcana III (3) – Empress
This week is likely to place an emphasis on nurturing and caring—both for what has been created and is still in the process of becoming a reality. Self-care is also indicated, as nothing else can be properly tended if the tender is exhausted or unwell.
Conversely, the power required to create can also destroy. Decisions made while in an unbalanced state have the potential to undermine goals and objectives.
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