Get Ready For The Season!

Play your favourite carols

and other holiday music!

Decorate!

Decorate everything!

And then add some more!

Send Christmas cards

to everyone you know!

Do your holiday baking!

SHOP! SHOP! SHOP!

Advent of the Sun Altar: Second Week, Second Candle

[Background info about this series of posts found here]

A meditation on the interplay of Darkness and Light in this time of waiting before the Winter Solstice:

We honour the growing Darkness.

We do not fear, avoid or fight it.

Without the dark, there are no dreams,

no healing sleep to refresh us,

no deep growth necessary for life.

We arise with the returning Light.

No matter how deep the descent,

the Light does return.

--paraphrased from Joanna Powell Colbert

You are welcome to join me again next Sunday!

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2025]

Friday Face OFF -- "Self-Portrait"

For today's Friday Face OFF link party

of art featuring faces, hosted by Nicole of

DVArtist, Art, Food, Gardening blog . . .

Our challenge this week?

Do a self-portrait and accompany it

with the photo on which it is based.

So here I am 

swimming with dolphins

on the Mayan Riviera in Mexico!

(20 years ago)

[Direct-to-paper freehand sketch

done in water-soluble ink and gouache]

I wrote about my swim with the dolphins here,

if you want to read an account of it.

* * * * * * * *

And okay, I know you people,

so I do not want to read

any comments about my

"threesome with the dolphins."

Despite the kissing, it was

PURELY PLATONIC!

[Art and photo of art © Debra She Who Seeks, 2025]

Sorry, Hyacinth, It's NSFW As Usual

[RIP Dame Patricia Routledge 1929-2025]

Mid-Week Mirth -- Thanks, MAGA

And speaking of Charlie Kirk --

WTF is THIS improbable bromance with

NYC's new democratic socialist mayor?

It's Noirvember, Shweetheart

Since 2010, NOIRVEMBER has been observed for a full month each November by film lovers to celebrate the film noir genre. If you're not familiar with film noir, this video is a great introduction. And of course, Noirvember also celebrates noir crime fiction as well. While Noir originated in the early-to-mid twentieth century as a distinctly American take on crime stories and movies, these days it has become a global phenomenon -- for example, in the staggeringly popular Nordic Noir genre of contemporary books, movies and TV series.

As a longtime Noir fan myself, I couldn't let another Noirvember pass without a meme post homage!

It feels criminal not to include the third panel

And it goes without saying that Her Royal Highness the Cat is a huge Noir fan too!

Advent of the Sun Altar: First Week, First Candle

Many Christians observe Advent with a wreath and candle-lighting ritual over the course of 5 weeks leading up to the birth of Jesus on Christmas. By way of one example, blogging buddy Willym always marks Advent with special posts on his blog every year.

The pagan equivalent is an Advent of the Sun Altar with a wreath and candle-lighting ritual over the course of 5 weeks leading up to the rebirth of the Sun on the Winter Solstice. For the first time, I'm trying my hand at creating such an altar.

My evergreen wreath and candles are flanked by Sankta Lucia, the Goddess of the Winter Solstice (given to me by my sister in 2019) and a charming Canadian Angel (given to me by blogging buddy Robyn Alana Engel a few years ago). There are 4 candles in the centre of the wreath which will be cumulatively lit one at a time each Sunday night leading up to the Winter Solstice on December 21, when the 5th and final candle will be lit.

This countdown to the Winter Solstice is a meditative and contemplative act. In darkness, the candle(s) are lit, their light celebrated in a way that is meaningful to the celebrant and then extinguished. Time is also taken to experience the full darkness. Both holy light and sacred darkness bring blessings and healing.

Here is the First Candle --

You are welcome to join me again next Sunday!

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2025]