The Old Church w/ The Purple Door

12/20/2025

🕯️ Mother’s Night 🕯️

Mother’s Night is the sacred night that falls on the eve of Yule, steeped in deep ancestral memory and feminine power. It is the night we honor our Mothers - ancestral spirits, matriarchs, and divine feminine forces who guard lineage, fate, and home. Those who have watched over us and helped us in our times of need. It is a night of stillness, mystery, and reverence, when the veil feels especially thin, and the old wisdom stirs.

Mother’s Night also marks a turning inward. The darkness has reached its peak, and the world pauses in breathless quiet before the return of the light. This is not a night for outward celebration, but for reflection, remembrance, and honoring what has carried us through the long year.

Candles are lit in silence, offerings are made, and prayers are whispered to those who came before, especially the women whose lives, labor, and love shaped the path beneath our feet.

Mother’s Night holds the womb-space of the year. It is the sacred pause between ending and beginning, where intentions are not yet spoken aloud but are gently formed in the heart. Grief, gratitude, and hope are all welcome here. Nothing needs to be fixed or decided. Simply being present is enough.

As the final night before Yule’s rebirth, Mother’s Night reminds us that light is born from darkness, strength is rooted in lineage, and transformation begins in quiet devotion. It is a night to honor where you come from and to trust what is quietly growing within you.

12/19/2025

The Roots Beneath the Snow
The True Ancestry of the Christmas Season

Walk into any big box store right now, and you will see a holiday that feels about 100 years old—invented by Coca-Cola and department stores. Walk into a cathedral, and you will hear a story that is 2,000 years old. But walk into The Old Church with The Purple Door, and we will tell you a story that is older than written history.

We do not celebrate this season just because a calendar tells us to. We celebrate it because the Earth itself demands it. And as we wrote back in the Lore Guild archives: It’s starting to sound a lot like Christmas, without Walmart and Amazon.

1. The Solstice: The Burning Wheel
Long before electric lights, our ancestors understood the terror of the dark. The Winter Solstice (Yule) was the turning point. To honor the returning sun, they didn't just hang plastic wreaths; they built wheels of pine boughs, set them on fire, and rolled them down hills. That is the energy we are channeling. When we light candles in our windows, we are engaging in that same sympathetic magic—calling the Sun back from the dark.

2. The Gift Bringer: The Rider in the Blue Hood
You know the jolly man in the red suit. But his family tree is complicated. Long before St. Nicholas, there was Odin (Jólfaðr). He didn't ride a sleigh; he rode Sleipnir, an eight-legged horse that could cross the sky. He didn't have elves in a workshop; he had the dwarves and spirits of the North ("Odin’s Men") crafting treasures. He didn't have a "Naughty or Nice" list; he had Ravens that flew across the world to whisper the truth of men’s deeds in his ear. Over centuries, the terrifying Wanderer became the benevolent Saint, but the spirit remained: A mysterious figure who connects the human world to the divine.

3. The Yule Log: Rune and Fire
Why do we gather by the fire? In the old ways, the Yule Log wasn't just a piece of wood. It was an Oak log inscribed with runes for good fortune. Oak is the hardest of woods, burning long and hot to "chase the darkness away" and gladden the feast. We burn the old year to fuel the new one.

4. The Synthesis
When the early Church moved the date of the Nativity to December 25th, they were absorbing the Roman festival of Saturnalia and the Northern festival of Yule. But they didn't erase the old ways; they absorbed them. The caroling (masked neighbors singing at doors), the evergreen (eternal life), the feasting—these are the pagan bones beneath the Christian skin.

The Verdict: Why It Matters
We tell this history not to divide, but to deepen. Whether you call it Christmas, Yule, or Solstice, the core truth is the same: We are creatures of the light living in a season of darkness. We gather together, we feast, and we give gifts because that is how we survive the cold—by becoming the warmth for each other.

So when you see the Purple Door this season, know that we are keeping the whole history alive. The Ancient Roots. The Sacred Branches. And the Magic that binds it all together.

Gussy & Grymm High Priestess / Priest The Old Church w/ The Purple Door

FOLKLORE FRIDAY

12/19/2025

Not Charity. Alchemy.
The Truth Behind The The Kilted Santa Project

Two weeks ago, we sent out a signal into the winter night—a call for help. The response was not just a donation; it was a roar. Because of you, we received just under $2,000 in cash donations and a truckload of toys and supplies.

But I want to be clear about what this "project" actually is.

It is not a handout. Handouts are what bureaucracies use to keep people dependent. Handouts are what many non-profits use to push messages about God and doctrine. That is what a System does to keep its people supplicant.

This is a Harvest. We gathered the resources from the community, and now we are sharing the bounty. This is not about charity; it is about survival and celebration. That is what a Tribe does to keep its people whole.

The Triad of Magic
The Kilted Santa Project is not a one-man show. It is a living, breathing organism made of three parts:

The Kilted Santa: The spirit of the season, the wild energy of the gift-bringer.

The Old Church with the Purple Door: The hearth, the sanctuary, the container that holds the space.

The Community (You): The energy source. Every person who wrapped a box, donated a dollar, or dropped off a toy.

When these three come together, we don't just "distribute goods." We weave a web.

The Pagan Value: "Gebo" (The True Gift)
In our tradition, we understand a truth that the modern world has forgotten: A gift demands a relationship. We do not give to "save" people. We give because we are all part of the same fabric. When one thread frays, the whole tapestry weakens. When we strengthen that thread, the whole tapestry holds.

This is Orthopraxy (Right Action) over Orthodoxy (Right Belief). We don't care who you pray to. We care that your children have joy on Yule morning. We care that the "Shadows of Lack" are chased away by the light of generosity.

The Verdict
The government didn't do this. A corporation didn't do this. We did this. We took thousands of dollars in resources and transmuted it into pure magick. That is the power of the Village. That is the power of the Old Ways.

To everyone who helped us pull off this alchemy: Thank you.

Stay Magical. Blessed Be.

(We are still accepting gifts and donations until December 23rd. All gifts will be distributed by our network of Kilted Santas to dozens of families on Christmas Eve.)

Gussy & Grymm High Priestess / Priest The Old Church w/ The Purple Door

12/02/2025

The Old Church is dreaming tonight. 🕯️✨
​At Luminarium Obscura, we don’t just hang decorations; we weave portals. From the roaring fires of the hearth to the falling winter stars, we are transforming the historic glass of The Old Church with the Purple Door into a living holiday experience.
​Gussy and Grymm are just getting started. A new magic is coming to Jackson. 🗝️
​ "

12/02/2025

Did you know Gussy & Grymm are Pagan Clergy for Celebrations Wedding Chapel & Event Center?

Oh my gosh! Didn't Valerie & Richard look amazing for their wedding on Oct. 30th? They were the first couple to pose in the cool antique chairs I recently found. Rev. Grymm performed their ceremony and it was perfect. I'm so grateful you chose Celebrations for your Halloween wedding. Congratulations and best wishes for every happiness!

11/29/2025

It is a most wonderful time of the year. Though we tend to think that every season is a wonderful time of the year. What about you? What is your favorite time of the year?

11/28/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AUYa7VRFb/
Any of you out there that can lend a hand or some supplies, we could really use the help getting this years toys wrapped.

11/20/2025

You are not alone, the world does feel like it is being pulled in a thousand directions. Breath. Close your eyes and breath. There is nothing wrong with taking a moment for yourself and pausing to breathe.

Send a message to learn more

11/18/2025

CONFIDENTIAL: The Winter HQ of the Michigan Tinker Elves

We have a confession to make.

For most of the year, The Old Church with the Purple Door is a place for community, conversation, and connection. But when the frost hits the windows, we officially activate our secondary protocol.

We are the Winter Headquarters for the Michigan Chapter of the Traveling Tinker Elves.

Yes, The Kilted Santa Project is back. And for the second year, the elves have set up shop right here in the sanctuary. Their mission? To make sure that when a child wakes up on Christmas morning, they don't see the "shadows of lack" or the stress of the grown-up world. They see only magic.

But even Tinker Elves need raw materials.

The "Elf Code" of the Purple Door: We have a strict rule at HQ: No Dogma, Just Magic. Every gift that leaves this building is tagged straight from Santa’s Workshop, signed by an Elf. No church labels. No strings attached. Just pure North Pole logic.

🛠️ Mission Objectives (How You Can Help):

1. The "Covert" Drop-Off: We have placed a Donation Box on the Front Porch. You can drop off new, unwrapped toys there 24/7. (If you see a flash of green or hear a giggle from the bushes, don't worry—that’s just site security).

2. The Digital Sleigh (Donate Online): Can't make the trek to the porch? You can still fuel the magic from your phone. We have opened a secure channel where 100% of donations go directly to purchasing gifts and essentials for local families. 👉 Fuel the Workshop here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-spread-christmas-magic-to-local-families?lang=en_US

3. Supply the Workshop: Our Tinker Elves are running low on the essentials to get these gifts ready for delivery. We are seeking:

Wrapping Paper (Fun, bright, loud!)

Tape (The structural integrity of Christmas depends on it!)

Gift Bags

Scissors (We need a few sharp pairs for the permanent toolkit!)

🎄 The Great Assembly (Wrapping Party): Stand by for a transmission regarding the date of our Community Wrapping Party! (See the photos below from last year's operations). We will be calling up all "Honorary Elves"—that means you—to come help us wrap.

Drop a toy in the box. Click the link. Join the guild. Let’s build a Christmas that chases the shadows away.

11/15/2025

We invite you to join us tomorrow for a special event! The Old Church, in collaboration with The Purple Door, will be hosting from noon to 2:00 p.m.

Come enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, pull up a chair, and join the conversation.

Note: The Old Church is a registered Pagan Church in the State of Michigan dedicated to serving the greater Southcentral Michigan Pagan community.

11/14/2025

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Email from The Purple Door Is it destiny? Is it written in a sacred contract somewhere?   The Purple Door eZine We're thrilled to announce that the new issue of The Purple Door Ezine is ready and wait