ASTARA the ancient Goddess of Easter - by Vijaya Schartz

The 8th century British writer Bede, mentions that the name for Easter is derived from a Pagan spring festival of the goddess ASTARA. Revered by the Babylonians, Sumerians, Persians, this goddess derived from ASTRA and OSTARA the Greek goddess of spring and fertility. The name means STAR and she is sometimes referred to as the Star Goddess.

She is said to be the last Pagan goddess to leave Earth, bound for the stars, during the Bronze Age, and was worshiped throughout the civilized world of that time, even in Asia (under the name of Kali). Ancient Alien theorists will tell you that she must have been an alien visitor, who remained on Earth to teach the populations of the time, then flew back to the heavens.

The familiar Easter bunny and the multicolored eggs (both symbols of fertility) come not from the Christian or the Jewish Passover traditions, but straight from the Pagan festival of ASTARA.  Since this was a spring festival, around the same time as the Jewish Passover that marked the resurrection of Christ, the early Church made both events coincide, and blended the traditions.

In other words, if you cannot prevent the Pagans from celebrating their festivals, join them and call it a Christian holiday. This technique worked well for early Christian rulers, and helped impose Christianity in many Pagan societies.

Even the last supper and the modern communion was a tradition from ancient Egypt, where the priests and priestesses symbolically partook of the body of Osiris during religious rituals.

Now that we have forgotten the origins of our festivals, we take for granted that Christian or Jewish holidays include only Christian and Jewish traditions, but the deeper roots of these traditions go far back into our ancient past. It seems that religions evolve, but somehow, the traditions remain. 

Learn more about ancient traditions by reading THE CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE, a Medieval series based on authentic Celtic legends. Find these books on my Amazon page HERE.

Vijaya Schartz

Swords, Blasters, Romance with a Kick

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

Free book - free contest - Curse of the Lost Isle by Vijaya Schartz

Don't miss free today in kindle, for the very last time, the first three novels of the CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE series in one download at: http://amzn.com/B0091HX7EE



Curse of the Lost Isle series: 5-stars
Special Edition - Princess of Bretagne, Pagan Queen, and Seducing Sigefroi



Book 4, LADY OF LUXEMBOURG, is in the last editing stages and will be out this month. I'm very excited about it. ENTER MY CONTEST TO WIN LADY OF LUXEMBOURG as soon as it is published at:

http://www.vijayaschartz.com/contest.html

This series received many 5-star reviews from professionals and was called edgy, bloody, unique, and fast-paced, with battle scenes, love scenes, gorgeous flawed heroes and strong, immortal, but also flawed heroines.

Now I have to clear my desk from all the research papers, books and pictures on the foundation of Luxembourg, and move on to something else. But I'm not sad, because this series has many more books to come, and I'll be back writing it very soon. Book 5 in this exciting series, set in Forez (between the Rhone and Loire rivers) in the eleventh century, is tentatively titled CHATELAINE OF FOREZ, but this is only a working title. That book should be released at the end of this year.

For the next three months, I'll be writing a sci-fi romance novella in the BOREALIS universe for another publisher (Desert Breeze) with whom I only publish sci-fi romance.

In the meantime, you can find all my eBooks and paperbacks at all major online retailers:

AMAZON  -  B&N  -  KOBO  -  APPLE  -  SONY  -  SMASHWORDS  -  and many more.

HAPPY READING

Vijaya Schartz

Romance with a Kick

You can find out more about Vijaya Schartz and her books at:

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

On Twitter: @vijayaschartz

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Where the Heck is Luxembourg - by Vijaya Schartz

Everyone knows the principal countries of western Europe. Over the centuries they wore many names. Now they are Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands. But one of the very famous countries to emerge from the tenth century was a small piece of land now known as Luxembourg. But where the heck is it?

Its geographic borders varied greatly over the centuries. The rulers of Luxembourg also owned kingdoms in central Europe. The sons and daughters of Luxembourg went on to become emperors, empresses, queens, kings, and princesses of Europe and beyond. Today, it’s a small triangle of fertile lands adjacent to Belgium, France, and Germany.



Luxembourg first castle - tenth century



Until my Hero, Sigefroi of Ardennes, Son of the House of Lorraine, purchased in 963 a small Roman fort at the top of a rocky needle, the name didn’t even exist. In the four hundred years after that, Luxembourg became one of the most influential countries in Europe. First the domain of a Count, then a Duke, it is known today as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and is steeped in old aristocratic traditions.

So you understand that it was a labor of love to gather all the facts to make the story of Sigefroi, the very first Count of Luxembourg, and his legendary consort, Melusine the Fae, as accurate and exciting as possible. It’s a story about forbidden love, intolerance, and immortal Pagans struggling to survive despite the new order of Christendom. It reflects the spirit of early medieval Europe, just out of the barbarian and Viking invasions, building the first fortified castles and organizing a feudal society.



Sigefroi's tower remains standing today



But my stories are about human emotion, always. It’s a story about love, human weaknesses, faith, and betrayal. It’s a story of hope for a society coming out of the dark ages. It’s the mystery of old legends, immortals living among us, affecting the course of history.

The Curse of the Lost Isle's first two novels are set in ancient Scotland in the ninth century. Book Three Seducing Sigefroi, and Book Four, Lady of Luxembourg (coming soon), are set in Luxembourg in the second half of the tenth century. The Special edition includes the first three novels in the series for a very attractive price.

Find these novels in Amazon kindle HERE

Soon available in other formats wherever eBooks are sold.

Hope you enjoy the novels.

Vijaya Schartz

Swords, Castles, Romance with a Kick

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

What the devil is an ondine? - by Vijaya Schartz

Ondines, mermaids, sirens, silkies, they were called different names in different parts of the medieval world. Well, MELUSINE, the heroine of Seducing Sigefroi and LADY OF LUXEMBOURG (to be released in late fall), becomes and ondine (a water creature, a serpent from the waist down) on the first Wednesday of each month. It's the result of a curse, and there is a good reason for it. As an immortal, she abused her powers in childhood and caused unforgivable distress to her mortal father. She worships the ancient Goddess and is descended from a line of angels predating Christianity.

This story is based upon authentic legends, and ondines, like mermaids are part of the French medieval landscape. They appear in legends of Scandinavia, Germany, and eastern Europe as well as all over France. They were known in Greek mythology. They still resonate in today's readers. They are mostly female, and many preyed on mortals.

The people of the time, and the clergy in particular did believe in these supernatural creatures and condemned them as evil. But Melusine, although she is an immortal and a shapeshifter, follows the righteous path and seeks redemption. If, however, the Church ever suspects what she really is, she will burn at the stake.

Don't miss the CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE SERIES, and the perils of Melusine, an ondine trying to fit in medieval noble society.

Happy Reading

Vijaya Schartz

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

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