Since we are sinking deeper into the Christmas season, I wanted to compile links to miscellaneous Yuletide things that I have found interesting or useful over the past several years. Included are YouTube playlists, books, podcasts, and more.
Note that although the present blog is dedicated to esotericism in the broadest possible sense—it is an occult blog—matters treated in the linked materials may be more-or-less exoteric in their respective cultural contexts. For contemporary U.S. Americans, the likes of Krampus may have dark and even counter-cultural connotations, and result in a frisson of the strange and the eerie; though, Krampus has become more mainstream.
Your mileage may vary, as the saying goes. But I suspect that any of these things could be interesting those looking to plumb the depths of the season in various ways.
Note that although the present blog is dedicated to esotericism in the broadest possible sense—it is an occult blog—matters treated in the linked materials may be more-or-less exoteric in their respective cultural contexts. For contemporary U.S. Americans, the likes of Krampus may have dark and even counter-cultural connotations, and result in a frisson of the strange and the eerie; though, Krampus has become more mainstream.
Your mileage may vary, as the saying goes. But I suspect that any of these things could be interesting those looking to plumb the depths of the season in various ways.
Media Type: YouTube series
A couple years back, a certain Benito Cereno produced a 12-part YouTube series covering huge swaths of Christmas lore and practices. His style is humorous and the approach encyclopedic. Cereno takes us from Russia to the North American lands of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Occasionally, his cats make their presence known.
Media Type: Popular Book
This is a book by Los Angeles resident, Al Ridenour. This book manages to pack a great deal of text with coffee table book-quality (and sized) pictures. Krampus appears in the title and has a prominent place in the book, but really, Ridenour covers many traditions from across Europe and even North America, like Cereno. The book is popular in style while being thoroughly researched—amid elaborations of textual evidence, he relates his ethnographic wanderings in the Alpine countries.
Media Type: Podcast
Ridenour also has a podcast. The episodes are highly produced with a comedic frame narrative. The show features a couple different co-hosts. According to the podcast's standard description, it covers the "intersections of folklore and horror," and is thus pretty broad in scope. There are a good number of episodes dealing with Christmas, however.
Ridenour also has a podcast. The episodes are highly produced with a comedic frame narrative. The show features a couple different co-hosts. According to the podcast's standard description, it covers the "intersections of folklore and horror," and is thus pretty broad in scope. There are a good number of episodes dealing with Christmas, however.
Media Type: Podcast and Tumblr Account
The Weird Christmas is podcast that started from the host's Tumblr presentation of vintage Christmas cards; the Tumblr account grew out of his own Christmas card collection. As I write, I am realizing how interrelated all of this is. Both Cereno and Ridenour have been guests. Some of the same ground is covered, but the flavor is unique. Yearly, Weird Christmas hosts a flash-fiction contest, which results in some entertaining tales.
5. The Old Magic of Christmas: Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year
Media Type: Popular Book
Media Type: Popular Book
The author is Linda Raedisch. She has been a guest on Weird Christmas, and one therefore starts to get the impression here of a vast, Christmas underground. Raedisch's book covers some of the same ground as the resources above, however, this one is geared more toward occult or neopagan practitioners. The chapters elaborate lore and traditional practices under various thematic headings. But each chapter also contains instructions of some concrete practice. The book is not focused on magical rituals, but could easily be adapted to such. Rather, this collection contains recipes, crafts, and the like. I prepared her Befana Star cookies and they turned out to be the best cookies I ever made. I also made the paper plate Elvish Window Ornament described in the book, which was a lot of fun.
Well, that's five things. I meant to type up a quick list and found this to be rather involved. So, let's just plan to continue soon.
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