Important Calendar Dates Summary:
February 1 (Feabhra 1)—Imbolc
March (Marta)—Ostara Day (Vernal Equinox) is the day after March 19th
May 6 (Bealtaine 6)—Bealtaine
June (Meitheamh)—Litha Day (Estival Solstice (summer)) is the day after June 20th
August 1 (Lunasa 1)—Lammas
September (Mean Fomhair)—First/Last Mabon Days (Autumnal Equinox) is the two days after September 21st
November 7 (Samhain 7)—Samhain
December (Nollaig)—Yule (Hibernal Solstice (winter)) is the day after December 20th
Currency
1 crown (large round gold coin) = 36 groats = 144 pence
1 half-crown (large round gold coin with a centre hole) = 18 groats = 72 pence
1 mark (small gold coin) = 9 groats = 36 pence
1 groat (silver rectangular coin) = 4 pence
1 tuppence (a small silver coin or large copper coin) = 2 pence
1 pence (copper coin) = 1 pence
1 half-pence (copper coin with a centre hole) = 1/2 pence
1 farthing (small rectangular copper coin) = 1/4 pence
Coins are measured by known weights under the Turgany Weights and Measures Act. For example, a full crown must weigh one royal ounce (28 gramme). A half-crown weighs a half ounce (14 gramme). And a mark weighs a quarter ounce (7 gramme) which means it is heavier than a Canadian quarter (25 cent piece) but sized about the same. A groat weighs the same as a mark (but is larger), and a tuppence weighs half that of a groat (hence if it is made of copper it will be larger). Typically, wealthy merchants will carry coin scales to verify that they are not being cheated with counterfeit coins. The habit of biting a gold coin was to prove that it was indeed gold—which is soft—and not some impostor.
Seven Tenets of Morality
1. Strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
2. The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
3. One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.
4. The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To wilfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo your own.
5. Beliefs should conform to our best scientific understanding of the world. We should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit our beliefs.
6. People are fallible. If we make a mistake, we should do our best to rectify it and resolve any harm that may have been caused.
7. Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.
About the Author
DONALD D. ALLAN is a Canadian author of fantasy and science fiction and a retired senior Royal Canadian Navy officer.
He is the GOLD medal winner of the Dan Poynter's Global eBook Awards 2016 for the category Fantasy/Other Worlds for his debut novel Duilleog, the first novel in his New Druids series. The second novel, Craobh, won the BRONZE medal in the same category in 2017.
Donald lives with his wife Marilyn, son James, daughter Katherine, and dog Woody, in Ottawa, Canada.
Connect with Donald D. Allan:
BLOG: http://donalddallan.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/donalddallan TWITTER: https://twitter.com/donalddallan/
EMAIL: [email protected]
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