Christmas Eve, 2011
Dear Readers,
We here in the Avalonia office would like to wish you a Jolly Yule celebration, with much happiness, joy and bountiful blessings to one and all!
We have a very busy and exciting 2012 ahead of us, and look forward to pushing out the boundaries of the known and unkown that little further every month. Our forthcoming titles include THOTH by Lesley Jackson (history of the Egyptian God of Wisdom); Memento Mori edited by Kim Huggens (anthology); Anahita by Payam Nabarz (anthology) and The Complete Grimoire of Pope Honorius by David Rankine & Paul Harry Barron.
We have just released Donald Tyson’s fantastic collection of historical short stories featuring Dr John Dee and his assistant Edward Kelley as occult detectives. The Ravener & Others is now available on Amazon as well as directly from our website and is a wonderful read for anyone who loves occult fiction, not to mention those who are passionate about the angel magic of Dr John Dee. We are are giving away a copy to one lucky winner this Christmas Eve - for details see our facebook page or email us with “Ravener Giveway” in the subject line to be entered.
For our readers who are interested in the folklore of Merry England, you might be interested in knowing that today marks the day that many believe Robin Hood finally died back in 1247. It is also a night which has, like All Hallows’ eve and May Eve been linked to faeries, as well as love magic. Likewise there are numerous customs which are linked, not surprisingly to the Winter Hag – especially the Christmas Old Wife or the Cailleach Noillaich. In some parts of the Highlands of Scotland a log in the shape of an old woman would first be burned in a solemn ceremony, before the festivities could begin. Similar festivals survived in Cornwall and other parts of Britain, a symbolic offering to the Hag of Winter – or maybe a symbolic burning of Winter with the fire representing the returning light.
We wish you a very blessed holidays, wherever you are and however you celebrate the returning light,
Best wishes
Sorita d’Este, David Rankine & the Avalonia Team.
www.avaloniabooks.co.uk
