Origins: Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras, French for “Fat Tuesday,” refers to the day before Ash Wednesday, marking the start of Lent in the Christian calendar—a 40-day period of fasting, penance, and reflection leading up to Easter. The name comes from the tradition of indulging in rich, fatty foods (especially meat) one last time before the Lenten restrictions begin.

The celebration is part of the broader pre-Lenten festival known as Carnival (from Latin “carne vale,” meaning “farewell to meat”), observed in many Catholic cultures worldwide.

Ancient and Pagan Roots

The origins of Mardi Gras and Carnival-like festivities trace back thousands of years to ancient pagan traditions. These included Roman festivals celebrating spring, fertility, and renewal, such as:

•  Saturnalia — a winter festival honoring Saturn (god of agriculture), featuring feasting, gift-giving, role reversals, and revelry.

•  Lupercalia — a mid-February fertility rite involving purification, feasting, and chaotic celebrations.

These events featured excess, masquerading, parades, and indulgence to welcome seasonal change. When Christianity spread across the Roman Empire, church leaders often incorporated popular local customs rather than fully suppressing them. The raucous pre-Lenten indulgence evolved as a way to “use up” forbidden foods and enjoy one final period of excess before the austerity of Lent.

While some historians debate direct pagan continuity (suggesting it may partly stem from medieval Christian extensions of Christmas festivities or simply practical food-consumption customs), the link to ancient fertility and spring rites is widely accepted as an influence.

Medieval and European Development

By the Middle Ages, pre-Lenten celebrations had become established in Europe, particularly in Catholic regions:

•  In France, Italy (e.g., Venice), and other areas, masked balls, street festivities, and feasting were common.

•  The tradition passed through Rome and Venice in the 17th–18th centuries and was influenced by the French House of Bourbons.

Arrival in North America and the United States

Mardi Gras arrived in what is now the United States via French explorers and settlers:

•  In 1699, French-Canadian explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville (along with his brother Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville) landed near the mouth of the Mississippi River on the eve of Mardi Gras. They named the spot Pointe du Mardi Gras (“Mardi Gras Point”).

•  The first organized Mardi Gras celebration in what became the U.S. occurred in 1703 in Mobile, Alabama (then the capital of French Louisiana), predating New Orleans.

•  New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Bienville. By the 1730s, Mardi Gras was celebrated there with masked balls and street festivities, though large parades developed later.

•  The modern American-style Mardi Gras—with elaborate parades, krewes (social organizations), floats, and throws—emerged in the mid-19th century. The Mistick Krewe of Comus (formed in 1857) introduced themed parades and formalized many traditions still seen today.

Over time, New Orleans’ celebrations incorporated multicultural influences, including French, Spanish, African, Caribbean, and Native American elements, making it the most famous Mardi Gras in the world. However, the holiday’s roots are much older and broader than any single city or country.

Today, Mardi Gras remains a vibrant blend of religious observance, cultural tradition, and festive excess in places like New Orleans, Mobile, Rio de Janeiro (Carnival), Venice, and beyond.

Origins: Pancake Day

 Origins:Pancake Day

Shrove Tuesday, also widely known as Pancake Day (or Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday in other cultures), is the day before Ash Wednesday, marking the final day before the start of Lent in Western Christianity.

Its origins are rooted in early Christian practices:

•  The name “Shrove Tuesday” derives from the Old English word “shrive” (or “shrīfan”), meaning to hear someone’s confession of sins, assign penance, and grant absolution (being “shriven”). This reflects the medieval custom where Christians would confess their sins on this day—or during the preceding period known as Shrovetide—to spiritually prepare for the penitential season of Lent. Historical evidence of this practice dates back to around 1000 AD, as seen in writings like Ælfric of Eynsham’s “Ecclesiastical Institutes,” which urged people to confess before Lent.

•  The tradition ties closely to Lent, the 40-day period of fasting and abstinence leading up to Easter (commemorating Jesus’ fasting in the desert). Strict Lenten rules—especially from around the 6th–7th centuries under figures like Pope Gregory the Great—involved abstaining from meat, dairy, eggs, and other rich foods. To avoid waste, people consumed these perishable items (eggs, milk, butter, fat) on the final day before the fast began, leading to rich meals. Pancakes became a popular way to use up these ingredients, giving rise to the association with pancakes in English-speaking countries.

While the core religious practice of confession and preparation for Lent emerged in the early medieval period (with roots in earlier Christian fasting customs), some elements like feasting before a fast may echo pre-Christian traditions (e.g., spring festivals or Roman Saturnalia), though the Christian framework dominated by the Middle Ages.

Over time, Shrove Tuesday evolved into a more festive occasion in many places, with customs like:

•  Ringing the “shriving bell” (later called the “Pancake Bell”) to call people to confession.

•  Pancake races (famously in Olney, Buckinghamshire, with a legendary origin story from 1445 involving a woman rushing to church mid-pancake-making).

•  Other traditions like mob football games, skipping, or feasting in various regions.

Today, while the religious aspect (confession and preparation) remains for many Christians (especially Roman Catholics and Anglicans), it’s often celebrated more secularly through pancakes and community events. The date varies annually, falling 47 days before Easter Sunday. In 2026, it falls on February 17.

The Fire Horse is here to fire you up!

 The Fire Horse

Use the energy to empower, inspire and motivate yourself 

The turning of the lunar wheel brings us once more to the threshold of renewal. On the 17th of February in the year 2026 of the Gregorian count, the celestial gate swings wide, and the Year of the Fire Horse gallops forth from the mists of the cosmos.

In the ancient rhythm of the twelve earthly branches and five heavenly stems, the Horse—seventh guardian of the zodiac—carries the yang fire of midsummer within its hooves. This is no ordinary steed. 

The Fire Horse is the Red Mare of legend, mane ablaze like phoenix plumage, tail sweeping sparks across the night sky. Where the Wood Horse of decades past moved with the patient surge of growing forests, and the Metal Horse struck with the cold precision of forged blades, the Fire Horse of 2026 burns with uncontainable vitality. It is the flame that leaps without asking permission, the heartbeat that races ahead of thought, the sudden illumination that arrives before dawn has finished dreaming.

Imagine the moment: lanterns suspended like captive moons along narrow hutong lanes and glittering metropolises alike. 

Crimson paper couplets unfurl on doorframes, their ink still wet with intention—福倒了 (fú dào le), fortune arrives upside-down; 馬到成功 (mǎ dào chénggōng), the horse arrives and success follows. Firecrackers erupt in staccato thunder, not merely to frighten Nian the devourer, but to salute the incoming blaze, to crack open the old year’s chrysalis so the new may emerge wings singed and glorious.

Yet fire is never only warmth. It is appetite and transfiguration. 

The Horse, already the most untamed of the zodiac’s wanderers—restless, free-spirited, allergic to bridles—now drinks deeply from the cinnabar well of Bing Fire. Expect sudden gallops: migrations of the heart, careers ignited overnight, passions that consume old certainties like dry grass. 

The timid may feel scorched; the courageous will ride the thermals. Relationships blaze brighter or burn away what no longer serves. Ideas that have smoldered for years burst into wildfire creativity. 

The year whispers (and sometimes roars): move, or be moved.

In temples and homes, altars glow with offerings of tangerines whose skins hold imprisoned sun, pomelos swollen with golden promise, and incense curling upward like dragon breath. 

Families gather beneath the gaze of ancestral portraits, sharing steaming jiaozi whose pleats lock in prosperity, laughing as children chase red envelopes that flutter like startled doves. The reunion dinner stretches long into the night, a living bridge between generations, while outside the city exhales smoke and light, stitching itself anew.

Mystically speaking, 2026 is a year when the veil between worlds thins—not through stillness, but through velocity. 

The Fire Horse teaches that enlightenment need not arrive seated in meditation; sometimes it thunders across the plain, kicking up embers that lodge in the soul. It asks us to trust momentum, to leap without seeing the far bank, to remember that every great transformation begins with something running toward the unknown at full stride. 

So when the first firework blooms scarlet against the midnight sky, when the lion dancers weave and roar through streets pulsing with drums, pause. Feel the heat on your face. Hear the hoofbeats echoing in your own blood. The Fire Horse has arrived—not to carry you gently, but to set the world galloping toward whatever dawn awaits.

May your mane stream with sparks, may your path blaze clear, and may fortune chase you across the burning fields of this vivid, untamed year.

Happy Chinese New Year!!

Deck of the week: Demon of the Day by Travis McHenry

 Deck of the week

Demon of the Day
By Travis McHenry

First Published: 2024

Demon of the Day by Travis McHenry is a mini oracle card deck (published by Rockpool Publishing in April 2024) focused on themes from Goetic demonology and occult traditions.

It’s a 40-card deck that draws from the Goetic demons—the group of 72 infernal spirits described in the Ars Goetia (part of the Lesser Key of Solomon grimoire). These demons are traditionally said to have assisted King Solomon in building his temple in ancient times, according to legend.

The deck functions as an oracle for daily guidance, divination, or spiritual insight. Each card features:

•  A message or wisdom channeled from one of these demons.

•  The demon’s sigil (a unique magical symbol) on the back or card, using Kabbalistic magic to connect the user directly to the spirit.

•  Artwork and design intended to reveal hidden truths, confront shadow aspects of the self, and help overcome personal weaknesses or challenges.

The concept encourages users to draw one card daily (hence “Demon of the Day”) for infernal inspiration, shadow work, or assistance in areas where the demons’ traditional powers (like knowledge, influence, or revelation) apply—presented in a positive, self-empowering light rather than purely malevolent.

It’s part of a series of mini card decks by McHenry, including a companion “Angel of the Day” deck for contrasting light-based 

The Demon of the Day deck has received positive reviews since its release with users praising its insightful messages, and high-quality production in a compact, portable size.

If you’re interested in occult divination tools blending Goetic lore with practical daily use, this fits right in alongside other shadow-oriented or demon-focused oracles. It’s available from retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and specialty occult shops.

 The sigils on the back of each card use Kabbalistic magic to connect you directly with a Goetic demon. 

 

Shuffle the deck while thinking of a question or problem you are facing, then draw a card and let the wisdom of the servant demon assist you. The message might answer your question or provide a suggestion that will help you move forward.

Try drawing a card after waking up each morning to fill your entire day with fiery, infernal energy. These cards may also be used as a companion to the Occult Tarot to provide added clarification during readings.

About the creator 

One of the foremost occultists of the modern era, Travis McHenry has written books on the history of the tarot and a memoir about his ten-year research study into paranormal phenomena. 

He has produced nearly a dozen tarot and oracle decks, such as the Occult Tarot, Angel Tarot, Hieronymus Bosch Tarot, and others through his work with publishers like Rockpool and his own Bloodstone Studios.

A native of rural Pennsylvania, Travis grew up surrounded by the folklore of the Appalachian Mountains, which shaped his desire to uncover and share the historical truths hidden behind mythological stories.

He began studying the dark arts in the late 1990s when he stumbled upon a secretive coven of witches who subsequently befriended him and allowed him to publish the first written history of their magical tradition. Travis has been a student of many religions, including Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism and the Greek Pantheon, and was an ordained deacon in the Baptist Church. This diverse spiritual background has given him a unique insight into harnessing the divine energies found in cultural groups around the world. His formal education in anthropology helps balance his spiritual training with a scientific mindset.

From 2001 to 2008 Travis served as an intelligence specialist in the United States navy, using his powers of analysis and research to track terrorist groups and determine the military capabilities of foreign countries. After leaving the military, Travis entered the corporate world as a recruiter for the largest telephone psychic company in the world. As the most successful psychic recruiter in the industry, he pioneered a concrete process for discovering and authenticating individuals with intuitive powers that is still used to this day.

https://www.rockpoolpublishing.com/travis-mchenry

Bastet: How a goddess ensured she would never be forgotten

 Bastet:The Goddess that made sure she would never be forgotten 

Bastet in the ancient Egyptian pantheon is a fascinating story. When the ancient Egyptians were losing their faith and interest in the old gods and goddesses, they all feared that in time they would be forgotten; lost in the Egyptian sands of time. Sekhmet ( check out our article on her) did not want to be forgotten and responded to the other deities dismissive attitude towards her and mortals by evolving into a figure that would defy time and her image as a cat is very much an integral part of world culture.  Cats are everywhere and loved by millions. How’s that for immortality!!?

Bastet (originally Bast), one of ancient Egypt’s most beloved deities, was worshipped from at least the Second Dynasty (c. 2890–2686 BCE) until the Greco-Roman period. Her cult centered on Bubastis (Per-Bast) in the Nile Delta, which flourished especially during the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1070–664 BCE) and Late Period.

Early depictions showed her as a fierce lioness or lioness-headed woman, embodying solar power as an “Eye of Ra.” She defended the sun god against chaos (notably the serpent Apep) and protected the pharaoh, sharing traits with warrior goddesses like Sekhmet.

From the New Kingdom onward, and particularly after c. 1000 BCE, Bastet’s image softened. She became a domestic cat or cat-headed woman, symbolizing nurturing qualities. She presided over home protection, fertility, childbirth, motherhood, joy, music, dance, and pleasure—often shown holding a sistrum and aegis, with kittens at her feet.

This transformation reflected cultural shifts: Sekhmet retained the destructive aspect, while Bastet embodied gentle guardianship. Domestic cats, vital for pest control, were sacred to her; harming one was a serious crime, and many were mummified as votive offerings. Vast cat cemeteries near Bubastis attest to her popularity.

Her family ties placed her as daughter of Ra, sister of Sekhmet, wife of Ptah, and mother of lion-god Mihos

Herodotus (5th century BCE) described Bubastis’s grand temple and its joyous annual festival, drawing massive crowds for music, dancing, feasting, and revelry—celebrating Bastet’s domains of fertility and delight.

Bastet’s enduring appeal highlights ancient Egyptians’ reverence for cats as symbols of subtle strength, domestic harmony, and protective grace. Her legacy bridges fierce solar warrior and affectionate household guardian, leaving a lasting icon of femininity and feline mystique in Egyptian religious history.

Over centuries, Bastet’s iconography and character gradually softened, shifting from lioness to domestic cat or cat-headed woman. This transformation reflected cultural and practical changes:

  In the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1650 BCE), subtle shifts began as cats (descended from African wildcats) gained domestic importance for controlling vermin and protecting grain stores.

By the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BCE), depictions increasingly favored the gentler feline form, though lioness traits persisted in some contexts.

The major change solidified during the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1070–664 BCE), particularly under the 22nd Dynasty (c. 945–715 BCE), when Bubastis rose as a political and religious center. Bastet became predominantly a cat goddess, symbolizing nurturing protection, fertility, motherhood, joy, music, dance, and home harmony.

This differentiation from Sekhmet was key: as Sekhmet retained the fierce, destructive solar-eye role, Bastet embodied the benevolent counterpart—gentle guardianship, pleasure, and domestic well-being. The addition of the feminine suffix “-et” (making “Bastet”) in later texts emphasised her femininity and milder nature.

The rise of domestic cats paralleled this shift; cats became sacred embodiments of Bastet, mummified in vast numbers as votive offerings. By the Late Period (c. 664–332 BCE) and Ptolemaic era, she was almost exclusively shown as a cat-headed woman holding a sistrum (for joy and music) and an aegis, often with kittens, highlighting her protective yet affectionate role.

Bastet’s evolution mirrored ancient Egyptian society’s growing appreciation for subtle strength, family life, and the everyday utility of cats, transforming a warrior lioness into one of the most beloved symbols of grace, femininity, and gentle protection in their pantheon.

The festival of Bastet (also known as the Festival of Bubastis) was one of ancient Egypt’s most joyous and popular celebrations, held annually at her cult center in Bubastis (modern Tell Basta) in the Nile Delta. It honored the cat goddess Bastet, embodying themes of joy, fertility, music, protection, and uninhibited revelry—contrasting with more somber Egyptian rites.

The journey to the festival was reportedly grand . Boats carried large groups singing, clapping, playing flutes and rattles (sistrums), and dancing. As boats passed towns, women (often central to the rituals) shouted playful insults or “abuse” at locals, danced, and sometimes stood to expose themselves—symbolising fertility, freedom from social norms, and honoring the goddess’s domains of pleasure and women’s liberation during the event. This behavior continued along the riverbanks.

Upon reaching Bubastis, the celebration peaked with grand sacrifices, feasting, and heavy wine consumption—more than the rest of the year combined. Music, dancing, and merriment filled the air, with the temple (praised by Herodotus as visually stunning, island-like, surrounded by tree-shaded canals from the Nile) as the focal point.

The festival likely tied to seasonal events: originally linked to the New Year and Nile inundation (around the heliacal rising of Sirius, shifting over centuries from June–August in earlier periods), it aligned with renewal, fertility, and harvest themes. Some sources note it as the “Great Bastet Festival,” possibly celebrated once or twice yearly, with connections to Hathor-like “Beautiful Festival of Drunkenness” rituals emphasizing intoxication to please goddesses. This exuberant event reflected Bastet’s evolution into a goddess of domestic harmony and delight, drawing Egyptians for communal joy, divine favor, and escape from daily constraints. It remains a vivid testament to her enduring popularity.

So, next time you see a cat; especially a black cat, remember that they have not forgotten that they were once worshipped and you are in the presence of an eternal goddess.