War and Remembrance — Let’s Dwell on the Past for a Spell

| November 4, 2017

In lofty halls, forked tongues entwine the words of conflict, At once invoking the name of War whilst insisting the Soldiery Stand upon the field for reasons otherwise. That a Soldier exists as the bloody finality of his Nation’s tolerance is forgotten. ~ Take the Fight to the Enemy ~ In a world at war, […]

Dark Sentiments Season 8: Day 31: That’s All Folks

| October 31, 2017

And so, another October, and another season of Dark Sentiments finds us here on the night whereon the veil between the corporeal and spirit worlds is at its thinnest, and Mrs. LFM and I celebrate the ninth anniversary of our marriage. Why Hallowe’en? Because when you’re getting married and a lot of the more important […]

Dark Sentiments Season 8 — Day 30: Severance

| October 30, 2017

Vincent Van Gogh was born 30 March 1853 and died 29 July 1890 in a French inn, two days after receiving a gun shot wound to the abdomen that he confessed on his death bed was self-inflicted. His intention has long been held to have been suicide, however in October of 2011, a 960 page […]

Dark Sentiments Season 8 — Day 29: Erzsébet Bathory Revisited

| October 29, 2017

“The sagas tell two tales of Freydís – one that marks her as brave and admirable, the other much less so. But the sagas were written centuries after the events they describe, and as we know from reading incarnations of The Bible, influential literature can be depended upon to contain a healthy dose of axe […]

Dark Sentiments Season 8 — Day 28: A Little Folklore Seasoned with Vincent Price

| October 28, 2017

Folklore comes from the same place as Human spirituality in that it springs from a need to understand the forces of the Universe by putting their obvious influences into some sort of context. On a human level, it is also crafted to convey time tested lessons of conduct to each succeeding generation. In this effort […]

Dark Sentiments Season 8 — Day 27: Of Monsters and Guardians

| October 27, 2017

In face of the objection that fairy tales will frighten children, C. S. Lewis made some observations that I find particularly applicable to Fathercraft as I understand and practice it. The first was, “Since it is so likely that they will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic […]

Dark Sentiments Season 8 — Day 24: How Wings Are Attached to the Backs of Angels

| October 24, 2017

Tonight’s Dark Sentiment is an eleven minute short animated film courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada which, notwithstanding its government connection, offers much wondrous grist for our mill. The subject matter for you to enjoy with your after dark tipple tonight meshes so well with what’s already been said here this season, and […]

Dark Sentiments Season 8 — Day 23: Of Cycles and Rhythms

| October 23, 2017

“As a Husband, a Father, a Teacher, a Student, a Friend, a Comrade, a Man — as one who strives to be a complete specimen of that animal called Human — I understand that in all things, cycles prevail. “To be a complete Human is to embrace the spectrum of Life from end to end, […]

Dark Sentiments Season 8: Day 21: The Trial of Peter Mailman for the Murder of his Wife

| October 21, 2017

“During my attendance at the trial of Peter Mailman, — listening day after day to the horrible details of the murder as they were brought out by the different witnesses; and holding frequent intercourse with the prisoner in his cell, I was led to contemplate very fully and seriously the crime of murder. Nothing is […]

Dark Sentiments Season 8 — Day 20: Sebastian’s Voodoo

| October 20, 2017

“The warrior’s tale is no happy thing. It is bitter as bile and dark as death. But it is also a grand and glorious thing. For even in its full naked truth, it is the story of perseverance in the face of every agony and betrayal. It is the tale of how we live and […]