DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

  Chocolate is one of the few foods known to man about which people are actually passionate.  We're talking about a wild, burning compassion; one that continues to grow with each delicious bite. For some of us, chocolate s considered to be a necessity of life.    Eating chocolate feels good.  Some physicians claim that chocolate has something to do with the hormonal imbalance that happens within the body from time to time.  Psychiatrists go so far as to say that chocolate could be a substitute for sex ( especially after you've been married for a while!), particularly when sex isn't available or just not very good (like I said before, after you've been married for a while!!!).  There are lots of theories as to why we want or need chocolate, none of which are proven but all of which are interesting to explore.  Particularly, if that exploration involved more chocolate.    Most people believe that the Aztec Indians should be credited for ...

   There is a point in some people's lives that it becomes obvious that there's something in the world besides the physical, everyday world that we all experience.  This is almost always in the form of first-hand experience, and the experiences range from touching, good experiences, to terrifying, almost dangerous ones.    For those that are plagued, not blessed, by paranormal entities, it's stressful and frightening, and people almost always look for ways to make it stop.  Unfortunately, when people look for ways to make the bad things go away, they only hurt themselves most of the time.  This is because of scam artists who promise that all problems will cease if a large sum of money is handed over to them, but all that happens is that those people are left with less in their pockets and left to live off of and things that still go booo! and aaarrrr! in the night.    If people don't go the route of lining the pockets of snake oil salesmen,...

   In Irish folklore, the Banshees are known as the ancestral spirits of the Fairy world.  Their history extends way back into the dim and mysterious past.    Banshees are among the oldest Fairy folk of Ireland, associated as strongly as shamrocks and potatoes.  Banshees, also known as Bean-Sidhe, were appointed to forewarn members of Irish families of impending death.  Her prescence alone brings no harm or evil, but to hear a Banshee in the act of keening is to have witnessed the announcement of the death of a loved one.  The Banshee's wail pierces the night and its notes rise and fall like waves over the countryside.    It is said that Banshees never appear to the one who is to die but to their loved ones.  In times gone by she was seen washing human heads, limbs or bloody clothing until the water was dyed with blood.  Over the centuries this image changed.  The Banshee now paces the land, wringing her hands and cryi...

   Christmas time is a time of opening our hearts to everyone.  A holiday season of awe, spectacle and wonder.  Speaking of wonder, there is much surrounding Christmas, that many of us are not aware of.  Hold on to your sense of humor and remember, Christmas is a time for celebration and fun. Years ago in England, pigs throughout the country would run and hide, or seek refuge in churches, a few weeks before Christmas.  The traditional Xmas day feast, in jolly ole England, was the head of a pig.  Butcher shops, throughout the country always made sure they had plenty of pigs heads on hand, to meat the demand. In England, more than half the canine population of this pet loving country, has a gift tucked under the Christmas tree for fido. Ross Perot (he once ran for president and was an owner of an electronics conglomerate) tried to fly over 20 tons of medical supplies and gifts to POW's in North Vietnam for Christmas. Friday and Saturday, before Chr...

   Under the watchful gaze of crumbling saints and baby-faced cherubs, you hurry down a path lined with mausoleums.  Eventually, you pass crops of headstones casting long, narrow shadows in the moonlight.  Each engraved with the epitaph of the dead person's life.  You run past sunken graves and dying flowers, hoping that the sound you hear is just the wind and you're trying to shake the feeling that something is following close behind you.    Maybe you've never taken a  midnight stroll through your local cemetery.  But if you have ever set foot in one, you've likely felt a hint of fear and uneasiness that is their legacy.  Maybe you were attending a funeral of someone dear and close to you, touring graveyards or simply fleeing things that go bump in the night.    Whatever your reason for strolling among the tombstones, you probably felt something noteworthy about the experience-something different from all the other spaces a...

Ireland -An Owl that enters the house must be killed at once, for if it flies away it will take the luck of the house with it. Israel -In Hebrew lore the Owl represents blindness and desolation and is unclean. Jamaica -To ward off the Owl's bad luck, cry "Salt and pepper for your mammy". Japan -Among the Ainu people the Eagle Owl is revered as a messenger of the gods or a divine ancestor.  They would drink a toast to the Eagle Owl before a hunting expedition.  The Screech Owl warns against danger.  Though they think the Barn Owl and Horned Owl are demonic. Latvia -When Christian soldiers entered his temple, the local pagan god flew away as an Owl. Luxembourg -Owls spy treasures, steal them and hoard them. Madagascar -Owls join witches to dance on the graves of the dead. Malawi -The Owl carries messages for witches. Mexico -The Owl makes the cold North wind whilst the gentle South wind is made by the butterfly.  The Little Owl was called "messenger of the lo...

   The owl has attracted the fascination and awe of many cults and cultures, down through the ages and many different and contradictory beliefs have survived to the present day.  Many associations link the owl with witchcraft, medicine, the weather, birth and even death; thus, many superstitions and fears about the owl remain.  In the past it was thought to have been wise yet foolish, feared but venerated and despised whilst being admired.     The owl is a nocturnal, predatory bird distinguished by a large flat face, eyes surrounded by stiff, feathered disks, a short, hooked beak, feathered legs with sharp talons, and soft plumage which facilitates soundless flight.  Its large eyes are encased in a capsule of bone called the "sclerotic ring" which directs the eyes forward allowing restricted movement.  To enable a sideways look, the owl must turn its entire head.  Its neck, being relatively long and flexible, allows the head to r...