Once upon a time, in a small village, lived a witch named Lilith. Lilith was not like the other witches. While most witches were known for their magical prowess and wicked spells, Lilith was known for something quite different. She had a phobia of witches. Yes, you heard it right. A witch who feared witches.
During my week the serious is barred: no business allowed. Drinking and being drunk, noise and games of dice, appointing of kings and feasting of slaves, singing naked, clapping… an occasional ducking of corked faces in icy water – such are the functions over which I preside.
Drinking and being drunk, noise and games of dice, appointing of kings and feasting of slaves, singing naked, clapping an occasional ducking of corked faces in icy water such are the functions over which I preside. While we take our commitment to people and planet seriously, we acknowledge that we still have plenty of work to do, and we welcome all feedback and suggestions from our readers.
A witch who feared witches. Lilith's fear of witches stemmed from a childhood incident. When she was just a young witchling, she had witnessed a coven of witches casting a dark and powerful spell.
Rebirth, hope, worship: The meaning of the winter solstice in human history
Archaeologists have excavated a tomb whose entrance faces the solstice sunrise. We explore how different civilizations have marked the year’s shortest day.
In just a few days, on December 21st, the Earth’s northern pole will be tilted to the furthest point from the sun in its rotation. In the northern hemisphere, the sun’s light will fade into the longest night of the year—stretching for around 15 hours in the middle latitudes (like most of the contiguous U.S., for example).
In modern times, for many people, the solstice means dark evening commutes and all-too-brief days. But over the course of human history, the day marking the shift from shortening days to lengthening ones has carried a wide range of meanings in different cultures.
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We were reminded of how significant the solstice has been—and still is—in human history by a news-making discovery from archaeologists from the University of Jaén and Málaga in Spain. The team recently excavated a tomb in Egypt that proved to be the oldest in recorded history. But more interestingly, the tomb has a chapel oriented directly to the winter solstice sunrise.
Located near the city of Aswan in southern Egypt, the tomb is part of an extensive cemetery from Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, between 2040 and 1782 BC. Many of the other graves in the burial area are aligned to the summer or winter solstice. “The winter solstice was one of the most important moments of the solar cycle in ancient Egypt, announcing the beginning of its rebirth and culminating in the summer solstice.” The archeologists who worked in the tomb wrote. By building tombs this way, they continued, ancient Egyptians “ensured a connection between the architecture of a sacred space and the rhythm of the cosmos.”
Ancient Egypt wasn’t the oldest civilization to place significance in the solstices, though. Archeologists and historians have found even earlier evidence of monuments oriented around the winter solstice sunrise or sunset, including Stonehenge . The winter solstice sunrise would have been framed by stones (that have since fallen) even taller than the ones still standing. The Neolithic culture that built the monument is thought to have held feasts around the winter solstice—a sign of hope that warmer, more abundant months were coming.
Many pagan traditions include gods born on the winter solstice, and the day is celebrated at festivals and ceremonies everywhere from the Dongzhi Festivals in China to rites marking the beginning of the agricultural year in Bolivia. The winter solstice was, and still is, a meaningful day for Indigenous people in the US, who take the day to celebrate the return of the sun and the broader natural world.
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The exact rituals and monuments may be different, but common themes of the significance of the winter solstice emerge over time and between cultures. It’s the last hurrah before winter’s lean, dark, hungry depths, when the community comes together to face down the long days ahead before the next growing season. It’s a celebration of the sun’s rebirth and the year’s rebirth—dawning hope. Even Christmas, always just a few days after the winter solstice, is celebrating an important birth in the Christian faith.
As we step out of our schools, workplaces, homes and into the twilight of the shortest day of the year (at an hour that could probably be called “midafternoon”), we hope you’ll take a moment with us to remember that Egyptian tomb, constructed millennia ago to be illuminated by the solstice sunrise. To take a brief pause, or however long it takes you to think about our place in the cosmos and the long, warm return of what’s to come.
***Adventure.com strives to be a low-emissions publication, and we are working to reduce our carbon emissions where possible. Emissions generated by the movements of our staff and contributors are carbon offset through our parent company, Intrepid. You can visit our sustainability page and read our Contributor Impact Guidelines for more information. While we take our commitment to people and planet seriously, we acknowledge that we still have plenty of work to do, and we welcome all feedback and suggestions from our readers. You can contact us anytime at [email protected] . Please allow up to one week for a response.
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Miyo McGinnMiyo McGinn is a writer, fact-checker, and self-described aspiring ski bum based in Washington. Her bylines can be found at Grist, High Country News, and Outside. She covers US and global news stories for Adventure.com.
Around this time, the Church came up with the idea that Jesus Christ, their savior, was born on December 25th. In the 4th century CE, Christianity had begun to draw heavily upon Roman festival of Saturnalia. Christian leaders succeeded in transposing these festivities on to their new made-up holiday.
The sight of their menacing faces and the malevolent energy that surrounded them had left a lasting imprint on Lilith's psyche. From that day on, she developed a deep-seated fear of her own kind. Living in a village filled with witches made Lilith's phobia a constant challenge. She would avoid any gatherings or meetings where witches were present. She even refused to attend the annual Witch's Ball, a grand event where witches from all over gathered to celebrate their craft. Instead, Lilith would retreat to her humble cottage in the outskirts of the village, seeking solace in her potions and books. Lilith's fear of witches also made her an outcast among her fellow villagers. They found it difficult to understand how a witch could be afraid of her own kind. Some even called her a coward, believing that her fear was a sign of weakness. However, Lilith knew deep down that her fear was not a choice. It was something she had to live with, despite the isolation it brought. One day, as Lilith was brewing a potion to calm her nerves, she heard a knock on her door. Reluctantly, she opened it to find a young witch named Amelia standing before her. Amelia had heard about Lilith's phobia and had tracked her down to seek her help. It seemed that Amelia was suffering from a similar fear and was desperate for a solution. Lilith was taken aback. She had never imagined that someone else could share her fear. Yet, here was Amelia, seeking her guidance. With a newfound sense of purpose, Lilith invited Amelia in and they began to talk about their fears. They realized that by supporting each other, they could face their phobia head-on. Together, Lilith and Amelia started a support group for witches with phobias. The group became a safe haven for witches who were struggling with fears of their own kind. They would meet regularly, share their experiences, and find solace in each other's company. Through their collective strength, they learned to cope with their fears and embrace their unique identities as witches. In time, Lilith's phobia began to lessen. While she still felt a twinge of anxiety around witches, she no longer let it control her. She even managed to attend the Witch's Ball, with Amelia by her side. The villagers, who had once looked down upon Lilith, now admired her for her courage and strength. Lilith's journey from fear to acceptance taught her that sometimes, it takes facing our fears head-on to overcome them. Her phobia of witches may have seemed like a curse, but through it, she found her true purpose. She became a beacon of hope for witches who felt alone in their fears, proving that even the most unlikely of witches can find their place in a world full of magic..
Reviews for "The Curse of the Witch: A Psychological Perspective on Witch Phobia"
- Sarah - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "The witch that had a phobia of witches". The concept sounded interesting, but the execution fell short. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, and the plot felt incredibly predictable. I was hoping for a unique and intriguing story, but instead, I found myself rolling my eyes at the cliche dialogue and obvious plot twists. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and underwhelmed.
- John - 1 star - I couldn't stand "The witch that had a phobia of witches". From the moment I started reading, I felt like I was reading a poorly written fan fiction. The prose was clunky and awkward, and the pacing was all over the place. The main character was supposed to be relatable, but I found her phobia of witches to be more annoying than anything else. The story lacked originality and failed to engage me at any point. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
- Emily - 2 stars - Unfortunately, "The witch that had a phobia of witches" didn't live up to my expectations. The plot seemed promising, but the execution left a lot to be desired. The writing style was distracting, with awkward sentence structures and repetitive phrases. The characters felt flat and lacked development, making it difficult to connect with them. The overall story felt rushed, leaving many loose ends untied. It's a shame because this could have been an interesting concept if it had been executed better.