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Pagan Christmas: The Plants, Spirits, and Rituals at the Origins of Yuletide
An examination of the sacred botany and the pagan origins and rituals of Christmas • Analyzes the symbolism of the many plants associated with Christmas • Reveals the shamanic rituals that are at the heart of the Christmas celebration The day on which many commemorate the birth of Christ has its origins in pagan rituals that center on tree worship, agriculture, magic, and social exchange. But Christmas is no ordinary folk observance. It is an evolving feast that over the centuries has absorbed elements from cultures all over the world--practices that give plants and plant spirits pride of place. In fact, the symbolic use of plants at Christmas effectively transforms the modern-day living room into a place of shamanic ritual. Christian Rätsch and Claudia Müller-Ebeling show how the ancient meaning of the botanical elements of Christmas provides a unique view of the religion that existed in Europe before the introduction of Christianity. The fir tree was originally revered as the sacred World Tree in northern Europe. When the church was unable to drive the tree cult out of people’s consciousness, it incorporated the fir tree by dedicating it to the Christ child. Father Christmas in his red-and-white suit, who flies through the sky in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, has his mythological roots in the shamanic reindeer-herding tribes of arctic Europe and Siberia. These northern shamans used the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom, which is red and white, to make their soul flights to the other world. Apples, which figure heavily in Christmas baking, are symbols of the sun god Apollo, so they find a natural place at winter solstice celebrations of the return of the sun. In fact, the authors contend that the emphasis of Christmas on green plants and the promise of the return of life in the dead of winter is just an adaptation of the pagan winter solstice celebration. .
Price: $13.98
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Best-Loved Christmas Carols: The Stories Behind Twenty-five Yuletide Favorites
“Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly.” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen ” “Good King Wenceslas ” These are just three of the beautiful, enduring Christmas carols featured in this lavish book and CD set—and every one has become an integral part of the holiday Exquisitely illustrated pages showcase fine art from the world’s great museums and libraries, along with fascinating information on each carol and its lyrics. The audio recordings come from widely renowned musical ensembles, and a superlative introduction provides historical perspective, with background on the origin of carols, the influence of medieval guilds and Mystery plays, and carols from different eras. .
Price: $11.62
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Yuletide Treasure: The Finest Gift/A Blessed Season (Steeple Hill Historical Christmas Anthology)
The Finest Gift by Lauraine SnellingA plain Jane without any suitors, Arley Hoople doesn't dare dream of romance this Christmas So she brings holiday joy to others: repairing her grandmother's nutcracker and commissioning a dollhouse for the girls at the orphanage. Yet one knock at the woodcarver's door unexpectedly brings Arley a gift of her own: love. A Blessed Season by Jillian Hart An abandoned girl asks bounty hunter Rafe Jones to track down her long-lost mother for Christmas. The holiday wish breaks through his hardened heart, and he easily finds Cora Sims in Montana Territory. She's definitely the woman Rafe has been looking for. But is she actually the girl's mother?.
Price: $1.37
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Politically Correct Holiday Stories: For an Enlightened Yuletide Season
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A Gift of Love : Double Exposure / Just Curious / Gabriel's Angel / Yuletide Treasure / Five Golden Rings
A Gift Of Love captures holiday magic as it transports us...to New York City, where a schoolteacher slips an antique gold ring on her finger and travels back in time to a man who desperately needs her love...to a village in Victorian England, where an embittered earl seeks a governess for a lovely, defiant little girl named Noelle...to a starry London night, on which a Christmas pony heralds a gift greater than any king's ransom...to the snow-covered hills of Virginia, where a young widow learns during a holiday trip that miracles really do come in the least expected packages...and to a reclusive tycoon's Newport estate, where a determined young woman sets out to unlock the secrets of a man's heart. Let A Gift Of Love open the door to worlds of passion and adventure, where love -- and miracles -- are always in the air!.
Price: $3.88
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Murder, She Wrote: A Little Yuletide Murder (Murder She Wrote)
It’s beginning to look a lot like murder... Jessica Fletcher is planning to spend a cozy Christmas in Cabot Cove. But when Rory Brent is found shot to death on his farm, there will be no peace on earth until his killer is found. Snooping into the small town’s past for a motive, Jessica is determined to deliver the killer before Christmas. The trouble is, the next sound she hears this silent night may be a scream—her own….
Price: $1.75
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A Christmas Treasury of Yuletide Stories and Poems
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Fingerpicking Yuletide: 16 Songs Arranged for Solo Guitar in Standard Notation and Tab
The arrangements in this book are carefully written for intermediate-level guitarists Each solo combines melody and harmony in one superb fingerpicking arrangement. The book also includes an easy introduction to basic fingerstyle guitar. 16 holiday favorites: Blue Christmas * The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) * Do You Hear What I Hear * Frosty the Snow Man * Happy Holiday * Happy Xmas (War Is Over) * Here Comes Santa Claus * A Holly Jolly Christmas * I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus * I'll Be Home for Christmas * Jingle-Bell Rock * Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! * Merry Christmas, Darling * Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer * Silver Bells * This Christmas..
Price: $5.60
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Yuletide Peril (Yuletide Series, Book 1) (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense #12)
Old House, New Secrets . . .When Janice Reid and her younger sister, Brooke, moved into their ancestral home, threatening letters and ominous phone calls made it obvious they were not welcome in Stanton, West Virginia. But Janice had always dreamed of providing a stable, safe home for Brooke, and she was determined to stay, no matter who wanted them out. For the first time, Lance Gordon, Brooke's principal, was worried about someone outside his small world -- a beautiful woman and her little sister. He was afraid the "pranks" would escalate -- and Janice would get hurt. Lance was determined to discover the source of the trouble, no matter what the cost..
Price: $4.39
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