Showing posts with label ancient. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ancient. Show all posts

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Amber: A Gemstone’s Meaning and Origins

Amber is formed from the petrified sap of conifer trees (such as pine). Sometimes, we will find fossils of ancient life forms within it, such as insects, leaves and wood bits, or the bones of other small animals. Although amber is classified as a gemstone, it is not actually stone. Amber isn’t a mineral or stone. However, it is still considered a gem, and we can loosely call it a gemstone (even if it’s technically a gem resin). And anyway,  it does make fantastic gems for jewelry and crystal work.

Baltic amber is a very special type of this beautiful gem.  While virtually all other ambers of the world are just as beautiful and fascinating, the Baltic variety differs from the rest in its chemical composition; it has high levels of succinic acid, which has healing properties. In fact, another name for Baltic amber is succinite — so called due to the rich succinic acid contained within each piece.



Along the waters of the Baltic Sea were huge prehistoric subtropical forests. This wasn’t just an innocent group of conifer trees — they were super trees, growing to sizes that could only be possible with an unpopulated planet. Millions of years ago, these botanical giants fell and decomposed, trapping their precious, sweet-smelling honey resins in the newly formed ground where it remained, undisturbed for eons until the Baltic folk claimed the amber for their own. 

Legends within this region claim that amber is great for physical and emotional pain. It promotes comfort and healing, as well as a sense of peace and cleansing. Many churches in Eastern Europe came to incorporate the use of Baltic amber incense as an offering to God. 

Monday, March 1, 2021

The History of Amber: Its Meanings, Legends, and Science

Did you know that amber can be used for healing your soul and body? It’s true. Even cooler: it’s been scientifically proven to heal.

Wise women in villages along the ancient Baltic coastline  would recommend wearing a piece of amber jewelry against your skin near an aching part for relief. We can attribute the peace and comfort of amber to, perhaps, its cosmic mysteries. But there is also a science-based explanation for amber’s medicinal properties.

A beautiful close-up of an amber piece carving to a heart. There are insect fossil pieces inside of it.

 As the resin makes contact with your skin, a chemical reaction occurs and released small amounts of succinic acid into the skin, which helps inflammation and pain. Even teething rings were — and are — made out of amber to soothe babies’ aching gums.

Spirit of amber is hailed as a miracle potion by gemstone shaman, enthusiast, and scientist alike. Studies have indicated that amber does, indeed, contain healthful elements — and best of all, these can be extracted for even more benefits to humankind.

Baltic amber is specifically used to create a potion called “spirit of amber,” used by the local Vedma of the Baltic region, as well as people all over the world! Ancient Baltic people prepared this distillation of succinic acid, found only in their version of this gem, as a pain reliever. Today, spirit of amber is also considered one of the most important biomass platform chemicals. Amber is considered an organic source for some of our most important medicine, tools, and even our food. Its derivatives serve as an ingredient in plastics, solvents, and antibiotics as well.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

The Value of Amber: How Much Is It Worth?

Amber is a gorgeous honey-colored gemstone. While technically a wood resin, amber holds its own with the best and brightest jewels and minerals in the world.



Country artisans have used time-honored techniques to carve and shape this mysterious substance. Families in the artisanal Baltic amber trade pass down secrets from one generation of craftspeople to the next — turning already stunning natural amber into beads, cabochons, and other objects of beauty. However, amber is fragile. Unless stored and maintained properly, small pieces can become brittle or wear down. 

Even the simplest of amber creations can rival the most ethereal gems in value. Clearer amber is worth more, but gemstones that contain well preserved specimens of prehistoric living things can fetch a pretty penny. In some parts of the world, a gram of fine amber is so rare that it can fetch a better price than gold.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Magickal Properties of the Pearl

Pearls are the gemstones of the sea. Not a crystal but can still be used in crystal therapy. There are various myths that tell the story of a pearl's formation; they are said to have been formed by a tear from Venus, the Goddess of love. However, the truth is that a pearl is made grain of sand or other object manages to get inside the shell of a mollusk (oyster, clam, etc.). The foreign object becomes covered with a calcium substance that is secreted by the animal. Over time, it becomes hard and smooth, with a radiant luster. Pearls come in many shades; the most popular are white, but pink, black, yellow, brownish, and other colors also occur in nature. They are found in bodies of water all over the world.

Because of the pearl's shape and luster, as well as its origin, it is considered to be a gemstone of the Moon. Pearls are also said to have aphrodisiacal qualities and boost feminine powers, as well as ability to make the bearer immortal. Legend has it that pearl powders are a key ingredient in elixirs of immortality as they are a talisman of youth and beauty. Pearls are the gem of choice to strengthen the heart, kidneys, and lungs.

Yellow and green pearls are said to bring prosperity and abundance, while brown hued pearls give their bearers intelligence and foresight. White pearls are worn to give strength, female power, and happiness. All pearls are powerful in blocking the evil eye, curses, and negative energies; they are all also instrumental in enhancing psychic abilities.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Prophecies of Nostradamus: Century IV

Century IV

1
That of the remainder of blood unshed:
Venice demands that relief be given:
After having waited a very long time,
City delivered up at the first sound of the horn.
2
Because of death France will take to making a journey,
Fleet by sea, marching over the Pyrenees Mountains,
Spain in trouble, military people marching:
Some of the greatest Ladies carried off to France.
3
From Arras and Bourges many banners of Dusky Ones,
A greater number of Gascons to fight on foot,
Those along the Rhône will bleed the Spanish:
Near the mountain where Sagunto sits.
4
The impotent Prince angry, complaints and quarrels,
Rape and pillage, by cocks and Africans:
Great it is by land, by sea infinite sails,
Italy alone will be chasing Celts.
5
Cross, peace, under one the divine word accomplished,
Spain and Gaul will be united together:
Great disaster near, and combat very bitter:
No heart will be so hardy as not to tremble.
6
By the new clothes after the find is made,
Malicious plot and machination:
First will die he who will prove it,
Color Venetian trap.
7
The minor son of the great and hated Prince,
He will have a great touch of leprosy at the age of twenty:
Of grief his mother will die very sad and emaciated,
And he will die where the loose flesh falls.
8
The great city by prompt and sudden assault
Surprised at night, guards interrupted:
The guards and watches of Saint-Quentin
Slaughtered, guards and the portals broken.
9
The chief of the army in the middle of the crowd
Will be wounded by an arrow shot in the thighs,
When Geneva in tears and distress
Will be betrayed by Lausanne and the Swiss.
10
The young Prince falsely accused
Will plunge the army into trouble and quarrels:
The chief murdered for his support,
Scepter to pacify: then to cure scrofula.
11.
He who will have the government of the great cope
Will be prevailed upon to perform several deeds:
The twelve red one who will come to soil the cloth,
Under murder, murder will come to be perpetrated.
12
The greater army put to flight in disorder,
Scarcely further will it be pursued:
Army reassembled and the legion reduced,
Then it will be chased out completely from the Gauls.
13
News of the greater loss reported,
The report will astonish the army:
Troops united against the revolted:
The double phalanx will abandon the great one.
14
The sudden death of the first personage
Will have caused a change and put another in the sovereignty:
Soon, late come so high and of low age,
Such by land and sea that it will be necessary to fear him.
15
From where they will think to make famine come,
From there will come the surfeit:
The eye of the sea through canine greed
For the one the other will give oil and wheat.
16
The city of liberty made servile:
Made the asylum of profligates and dreamers.
The King changed to them not so violent:
From one hundred become more than a thousand.
17
To change at Beaune, Nuits, Châlon and Dijon,
The duke wishing to improve the Carmelite [nun]
Marching near the river, fish, diver's beak
Will see the tail: the gate will be locked.
18
Some of those most lettered in the celestial facts
Will be condemned by illiterate princes:
Punished by Edict, hunted, like criminals,
And put to death wherever they will be found.
19
Before Rouen the siege laid by the Insubrians,
By land and sea the passages shut up:
By Hainaut and Flanders, by Ghent and those of Liége
Through cloaked gifts they will ravage the shores.
20
Peace and plenty for a long time the place will praise:
Throughout his realm the fleur-de-lis deserted:
Bodies dead by water, land one will bring there,
Vainly awaiting the good fortune to be buried there.
21
The change will be very difficult:
City and province will gain by the change:
Heart high, prudent established, chased out one cunning,
Sea, land, people will change their state.
22
The great army will be chased out,
In one moment it will be needed by the King:
The faith promised from afar will be broken,
He will be seen naked in pitiful disorder.
23
The legion in the marine fleet
Will burn lime, lodestone sulfur and pitch:
The long rest in the secure place:
Port Selyn and Monaco, fire will consume them.
24
Beneath the holy earth of a soul the faint voice heard,
Human flame seen to shine as divine:
It will cause the earth to be stained with the blood of the monks,
And to destroy the holy temples for the impure ones.
25
Lofty bodies endlessly visible to the eye,
Through these reasons they will come to obscure:
Body, forehead included, sense and head invisible,
Diminishing the sacred prayers.
26
The great swarm of bees will arise,
Such that one will not know whence they have come;
By night the ambush, the sentinel under the vines
City delivered by five babblers not naked.
27
Salon, Tarascon, Mausol, the arch of SEX.,
Where the pyramid is still standing:
They will come to deliver the Prince of Annemark,
Redemption reviled in the temple of Artemis.
28
When Venus will be covered by the Sun,
Under the splendor will be a hidden form:
Mercury will have exposed them to the fire,
Through warlike noise it will be insulted.
29
The Sun hidden eclipsed by Mercury
Will be placed only second in the sky:
Of Vulcan Hermes will be made into food,
The Sun will be seen pure, glowing red and golden.
30
Eleven more times the Moon the Sun will not want,
All raised and lowered by degree:
And put so low that one will stitch little gold:
Such that after famine plague, the secret uncovered.
31
The Moon in the full of night over the high mountain,
The new sage with a lone brain sees it:
By his disciples invited to be immortal,
Eyes to the south. Hands in bosoms, bodies in the fire.
32
In the places and times of flesh giving way to fish,
The communal law will be made in opposition:
It will hold strongly the old ones, then removed from the midst,
Loving of Everything in Common put far behind.
33
Jupiter joined more to Venus than to the Moon
Appearing with white fullness:
Venus hidden under the whiteness of Neptune
Struck by Mars through the white stew.
34
The great one of the foreign land led captive,
Chained in gold offered to King Chyren:
He who in Ausonia, Milan will lose the war,
And all his army put to fire and sword.
35
The fire put out the virgins will betray
The greater part of the new band:
Lightning in sword and lance the lone Kings will guard
Etruria and Corsica, by night throat cut.
36
The new sports set up again in Gaul,
After victory in the Insubrian campaign:
Mountains of Hesperia, the great ones tied and trussed up:
Romania and Spain to tremble with fear.
37
The Gaul will come to penetrate the mountains by leaps:
He will occupy the great place of Insubria:
His army to enter to the greatest depth,
Genoa and Monaco will drive back the red fleet.
38
While he will engross the Duke, King and Queen
With the captive Byzantine chief in Samothrace:
Before the assault one will eat the order:
Reverse side metaled will follow the trail of the blood.
39
The Rhodians will demand relief,
Through the neglect of its heirs abandoned.
The Arab empire will reveal its course,
The cause set right again by Hesperia.
40
The fortresses of the besieged shut up,
Through gunpowder sunk into the abyss:
The traitors will all be stowed away alive,
Never did such a pitiful schism happen to the sextons.
41
Female sex captive as a hostage
Will come by night to deceive the guards:
The chief of the army deceived by her language
Will abandon her to the people, it will be pitiful to see.
42
Geneva and Langres through those of Chartres and Dôle
And through Grenoble captive at Montélimar
Seyssel, Lausanne, through fraudulent deceit,
They will betray them for sixty marks of gold.
43
Arms will be heard clashing in the sky:
That very same year the divine ones enemies:
They will want unjustly to discuss the holy laws:
Through lightning and war the complacent one put to death.
44
Two large ones of Mende, of Rodez and Milhau
Cahors, Limoges, Castres bad week
By night the entry, from Bordeaux an insult
Through Périgord at the peal of the bell.
45
Through conflict a King will abandon his realm:
The greatest chief will fail in time of need:
Dead, ruined few will escape it,
All cut up, one will be a witness to it.
46
The fact well defended by excellence,
Guard yourself Tours from your near ruin:
London and Nantes will make a defense through Reims
Not passing further in the time of the drizzle.
47
The savage black one when he will have tried
His bloody hand at fire, sword and drawn bows:
All of his people will be terribly frightened,
Seeing the greatest ones hung by neck and feet.
48
The fertile, spacious Ausonian plain
Will produce so many gadflies and locusts,
The solar brightness will become clouded,
All devoured, great plague to come from them.
49
Before the people blood will be shed,
Only from the high heavens will it come far:
But for a long time of one nothing will be heard,
The spirit of a lone one will come to bear witness against it.
50
Libra will see the Hesperias govern,
Holding the monarchy of heaven and earth:
No one will see the forces of Asia perished,
Only seven hold the hierarchy in order.
51
A Duke eager to follow his enemy
Will enter within impeding the phalanx:
Hurried on foot they will come to pursue so closely
That the day will see a conflict near Ganges.
52
In the besieged city men and woman to the walls,
Enemies outside the chief ready to surrender:
The wind will be strongly against the troops,
They will be driven away through lime, dust and ashes.
53
The fugitives and exiles recalled:
Fathers and sons great garnishing of the deep wells:
The cruel father and his people choked:
His far worse son submerged in the well.
54
Of the name which no Gallic King ever had
Never was there so fearful a thunderbolt,
Italy, Spain and the English trembling,
Very attentive to a woman and foreigners.
55
When the crow on the tower made of brick
For seven hours will continue to scream:
Death foretold, the statue stained with blood,
Tyrant murdered, people praying to their Gods.
56
After the victory of the raving tongue,
The spirit tempered in tranquillity and repose:
Throughout the conflict the bloody victor makes orations,
Roasting the tongue and the flesh and the bones.
57
Ignorant envy upheld before the great King,
He will propose forbidding the writings:
His wife not his wife tempted by another,
Twice two more neither skill nor cries.
58
To swallow the burning Sun in the throat,
The Etruscan land washed by human blood:
The chief pail of water, to lead his son away,
Captive lady conducted into Turkish land.
59
Two beset in burning fervor:
By thirst for two full cups extinguished,
The fort filed, and an old dreamer,
To the Genevans he will show the track from Nira.
60
The seven children left in hostage,
The third will come to slaughter his child:
Because of his son two will be pierced by the point,
Genoa, Florence, he will come to confuse them.
61
The old one mocked and deprived of his place,
By the foreigner who will suborn him:
Hands of his son eaten before his face,
His brother to Chartres, Orléans Rouen will betray.
62
A colonel with ambition plots,
He will seize the greatest army,
Against his Prince false invention,
And he will be discovered under his arbor.
63
The Celtic army against the mountaineers,
Those who will be learned and able in bird-calling:
Peasants will soon work fresh presses,
All hurled on the sword's edge.
64
The transgressor in bourgeois garb,
He will come to try the King with his offense:
Fifteen soldiers for the most part bandits,
Last of life and chief of his fortune.
65
Towards the deserter of the great fortress,
After he will have abandoned his place,
His adversary will exhibit very great prowess,
The Emperor soon dead will be condemned.
66
Under the feigned color of seven shaven heads
Diverse spies will be scattered:
Wells and fountains sprinkled with poisons,
At the fort of Genoa devourers of men.
67
The year that Saturn and Mars are equal fiery,
The air very dry parched long meteor:
Through secret fires a great place blazing from burning heat,
Little rain, warm wind, wars, incursions.
68
The two greatest ones of Asia and of Africa,
From the Rhine and Lower Danube they will be said to have come,
Cries, tears at Malta and the Ligurian side.
69
The exiles will hold the great city,
The citizens dead, murdered and driven out:
Those of Aquileia will promise Parma
To show them the entry through the untracked places.
70
Quite contiguous to the great Pyrenees mountains,
One to direct a great army against the Eagle:
Veins opened, forces exterminated,
As far as Pau will he come to chase the chief.
71
In place of the bride the daughters slaughtered,
Murder with great error no survivor to be:
Within the well vestals inundated,
The bride extinguished by a drink of Aconite.
72
Those of Nîmes through Agen and Lectoure
At Saint-Félix will hold their parliament:
Those of Bazas will come at the unhappy hour
To seize Condom and Marsan promptly.
73
The great nephew by force will test
The treaty made by the pusillanimous heart:
The Duke will try Ferrara and Asti,
When the pantomime will take place in the evening.
74
Those of lake Geneva and of Mâcon:
All assembled against those of Aquitaine:
Many Germans many more Swiss,
They will be routed along with those of the Humane.
75
Ready to fight one will desert,
The chief adversary will obtain the victory:
The rear guard will make a defense,
The faltering ones dead in the white territory.
76
The people of Agen by those of Périgord
Will be vexed, holding as far as the Rhône:
The union of Gascons and Bigorre
To betray the temple, the priest giving his sermon.
77
Selin monarch Italy peaceful,
Realms united by the Christian King of the World:
Dying he will want to lie in Blois soil,
After having chased the pirates from the sea.
78
The great army of the civil struggle,
By night Parma to the foreign one discovered,
Seventy-nine murdered in the town,
The foreigners all put to the sword.
79
Blood Royal flee, Monheurt, Mas, Aiguillon,
The Landes will be filled by Bordelais,
Navarre, Bigorre points and spurs,
Deep in hunger to devour acorns of the cork oak.
80
Near the great river, great ditch, earth drawn out,
In fifteen parts will the water be divided:
The city taken, fire, blood, cries, sad conflict,
And the greatest part involving the coliseum.
81
Promptly will one build a bridge of boats,
To pass the army of the great Belgian Prince:
Poured forth inside and not far from Brussels,
Passed beyond, seven cut up by pike.
82
A throng approaches coming from Slavonia,
The old Destroyer the city will ruin:
He will see his Romania quite desolated,
Then he will not know how to put out the great flame.
83
Combat by night the valiant captain
Conquered will flee few people conquered:
His people stirred up, sedition not in vain,
His own son will hold him besieged.
84
A great one of Auxerre will die very miserable,
Driven out by those who had been under him:
Put in chains, behind a strong cable,
In the year that Mars, Venus and Sun are in conjunction in summer.
85
The white coal will be chased by the black one,
Made prisoner led to the dung cart,
Moor Camel on twisted feet,
Then the younger one will blind the hobby falcon.
86
The year that Saturn will be conjoined in Aquarius
With the Sun, the very powerful King
Will be received and anointed at Reims and Aix,
After conquests he will murder the innocent.
87
A King's son learned in many languages,
Different from his senior in the realm:
His handsome father understood by the greater son,
He will cause his principal adherent to perish.
88
Anthony by name great by the filthy fact
Of Lousiness wasted to his end:
One who will want to be desirous of lead,
Passing the port he will be immersed by the elected one.
89
Thirty of London will conspire secretly
Against their King, the enterprise on the bridge:
He and his satellites will have a distaste for death,
A fair King elected, native of Frisia.
90
The two armies will be unable to unite at the walls,
In that instant Milan and Pavia to tremble:
Hunger, thirst, doubt will come to plague them very strongly
They will not have a single morsel of meat, bread or victuals.
91
For the Gallic Duke compelled to fight in the duel,
The ship of Melilla will not approach Monaco,
Wrongly accused, perpetual prison,
His son will strive to reign before his death.
92
The head of the valiant captain cut off,
It will be thrown before his adversary:
His body hung on the sail-yard of the ship,
Confused it will flee by oars against the wind.
93
A serpent seen near the royal bed,
It will be by the lady at night the dogs will not bark:
Then to be born in France a Prince so royal,
Come from heaven all the Princes will see him.
94
Two great brothers will be chased out of Spain,
The elder conquered under the Pyrenees mountains:
The sea to redden, Rhône, bloody Lake Geneva from Germany,
Narbonne, Béziers contaminated by Agde.
95
The realm left to two they will hold it very briefly,
Three years and seven months passed by they will make war:
The two Vestals will rebel in opposition,
Victor the younger in the land of Brittany.
96
The elder sister of the British Isle
Will be born fifteen years before her brother,
Because of her promise procuring verification,
She will succeed to the kingdom of the balance.
97
The year that Mercury, Mars, Venus in retrogression,
The line of the great Monarch will not fail:
Elected by the Portuguese people near Cadiz,
One who will come to grow very old in peace and reign.
98
Those of Alba will pass into Rome,
By means of Langres the multitude muffled up,
Marquis and Duke will pardon no man,
Fire, blood, smallpox no water the crops to fail.
99
The valiant elder son of the King's daughter,
He will hurl back the Celts very far,
Such that he will cast thunderbolts, so many in such an array
Few and distant, then deep into the Hesperias.
100
From the celestial fire on the Royal edifice,
When the light of Mars will go out,
Seven months great war, people dead through evil
Rouen, Evreux the King will not fail.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Crystal Grid Therapy: Fertility Grid Layout

When you have problems conceiving a child, you can feel powerless over the situation.  Keep the faith, though!  The family that you dream of CAN happen!  One method to try is crystal therapy.  Yes, it's hard to understand if you're not a crystal healing enthusiast, but no matter what, it certainly cannot hurt in your quest for pregnancy.

I've devised a simple crystal grid layout that can work for beginners or novices alike.  But you all know I like to keep things simple. :)   For this layout to become even more powerful, by all means feel free to wear your favorite pearl and/or diamond jewelry when performing this layout.  Both are reputed to be fantastic for women's reproductive health, especially during pregnancy.  I'd also throw in a ruby or two since it promotes healthy childbirth... why not? :)

The grey splotches represent moonstones.  Use four of them; place one against each breast or along the chest area, and place the other two parallel to these in the lower abdomen in the ovarian area.  This is to help you lay the best and most farm-fresh possible eggs for your upcoming pregnancy!  Moonstones are said to posses powers that help the female body cycles align correctly and naturally.  By adding them into this crystal grid layout, you are syncing your body with nature's cycles as well.  If you cannot find moonstones, you can also try gems such as pearls, mother-of-pearl, agate of any type (though I'd go with violet agate or the black and white types first as they have fertility powers)... even seashells from your nearest beach can provide nice energy!

Along your uterine area, lay a red jasper, garnet, or other red stone and make sure that the stone itself is making contact against your skin.  (Below the navel but above the genitals.)  When I first drew this, I made two red stones but then decided to connect them with a third, because I wanted to show multiple stones in this area.  Feel free to use several if you don't have a larger one available.  Even a small pile of different red stones would be great.  The trick here is to use the spiritual color energy of the root chakra and get your body to align with those passionate red fertility vibes!

If you have crystals with points to place beside you parallel with your hips, I'd recommend using them.  If not, feel free to use round tumbled stones.  My preference for you here is rose quartz or amethyst.  Face the pointed parts of your crystals outward.  Concentrate on picking up the ambient fertility energy with the crystal points, and absorbing it into your reproductive system in order to have the strongest and most fertile lady parts ever!

Here's to a happy, healthy pregnancy!







Tuesday, July 23, 2013

The Powers of Aquamarine

Aquamarines are beautiful, valuable, and very powerful!  Named for the blue-green shades of the ocean which are remeniscent of this gem's beautiful hues, the aquamarine is part of the beryl family.  These crystal gemstones are often found near deposits of tungsten and tin ore, and beryls can come in an array of beautiful shades like greens, blues, yellows, and reds.

The words "aqua marina" mean "water of the sea."  The turquoise shade of aquamarines make it a stunning and desireable stone for jewelry; at the turn of the 19th century, it was extremely prized and often paired with silver.  This stone is associated with the month of March and the element of water.

This gem is a wonderful stone for healing all parts of the body, though it is said to be especially effective for the heart, circulatory system, and immune system.  It is also thought to be healing to the eyesight, as gazing upon the stone can produce a soothing and calming effect on the eyes.

It is also healing for emotional issues, too.  Aquamarine is an ideal talisman when used to level one's moods, as well as to help one to open up and share his or her feelings.  Many blue-toned gemstones have had legendary powers to cool and subdue harsh feelings like anger and aggression; this one is no exception, having the power to relax and soothe hurt feelings.  Aquamarine can also enhance psychic visions and mental clarity, as well as to enhance the inner charisma of whomever chooses to wear it.


Thursday, June 6, 2013

Astrological Symbols Chart

It has come to my attention that some people who are visiting the site for astrology information may not yet know what the symbol for their zodiac sign is.  So I've created a quick reference chart for those who are interested. :)




When you think of the sign, Aries, consider the ram.  The symbol for Aries looks just like a ram's head, with its horns.

The sign of Taurus corresponds with the bull.  Its symbol looks like a bull's head, with horns sticking out on each side.

Gemini is known as "the twins," and its astrological symbol represents this too.  The symbol for Gemini looks like the roman numeral 2 (II).

Cancer is often represented as a crab, and the astrological symbol for Cancer can be thought of as a crab inside its shell.  It also looks to some people like the number 69.  See the circles of the 6 and the 9?  I always think of them as the crab's eyes, which are surrounded by a shell.

Leo is the lion, of course!  The symbol for Leo is a small circle with a long, winding tail.  I associate the long tail on this symbol as a lion's tail, and the circle as the lion's mane.

Virgo is usually depicted as a beautiful virgin maiden.  Some schools of thought say that the symbol for Virgo is thought to represent the female sexual organs.  The "loop" at the end is closed, as the female virginity is intact.

Libra's astrological glyph can easily been interpreted as the scales.  The top curved part is where the scales join, and the line below is the balance of the weights.

Scorpio's astrological symbol is an "M" with a pointy tail.  Just as Virgo's symbol appears interpreted as sexual body parts that are closed, the Scorpio glyph is open and ready to strike, which is a good metaphor for Scorpio's passionate lusty nature.

Sagittarius is often represented as a centaur, or a human archer.  As such, the zodiac symbol for Sagittarius is an arrow.

Capricorn has been called "the goat," and you will often see the sign represented as a goat (obviously).  Sometimes, though, the goat has a fish tail -- this may seem a bit confusing to some, as a "mer-goat" isn't really common!  But the tail tends to symbolize Capricorn's mercurial and cool nature.  You can see that the Capricorn symbol is like a fish-tailed goat in profile: the goat's horns on the left, and the fishy tail curving on the right.

Aquarius, the water-bearer, has an easy zodiac symbol to remember.  It is simply two squiggly lines, to represent the waves of the water.

Pisces is "the fish" as is its constellation in the sky, with two fishes bound together with a thread.  Its glyph hard to imagine as two fish, but it does kind of look like two fish tails merged together, one on top of the other.  It can also be interpreted as two fish heads facing one another, with a line joining them.


Friday, May 31, 2013

The Wiccan Rede (Long Version)

The Wiccan Rede is a set of moral, ethical, and spiritual guidelines that has been set into verse for those who practice.  Remember, this spirituality promotes the acts of peace toward all people, and respect for nature and the planet as a whole.  If you're looking for the full version of the Wiccan Rede, you've come to the right place.  Here it is!



Bide the Wiccan laws we must,
In perfect love and perfect trust.
Ye must live and let live,
Fairly take and fairly give.
Cast the circle thrice about,
To keep unwanted spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time,
Let the spell be spoken in rhyme.
Soft of eye and light of touch,
Speak ye little and listen much.
Deosil go by waxing moon, 
Chanting out the Wiccan runes.
Widdershins go by waning moon,
Chanting out the baneful tune.
When the Lady's moon is new, 
Kiss the hand to Her times two.
When the moon is at Her peak, 
Then the heart's desire seek.

Heed the North win's mighty gale;
Lock the door and trim the sail.
When the wind comes frome the South,
Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
When the moor wind blows from the West,
Departed spirits have no rest.
When the wind blows from the East,
Epect the new and set the fest.
Nine woods in the cauldron go,
Burn them quick, and burn them slow.
Elder be the Lady's tree;
Burn it not, or cursed be.

When the Wheel begins to turn,
Let the Beltane fires burn.
When the wheel has turned to Yule,
Light the log and the Horned One rules.
Heed ye flower, bush, and tree;
By the Lady, Blessed Be.
Where the rippling waters go,
Cast a stone, the truth to know.
When ye have and hold a need,
Harken not to other's greed.
With a fool no seasons spend,
Or be counted as his friend.

Merry Meet and Merry Part,
Bright the cheeks, and warm the heart.
Mind the Threefold Law ye should,
Three times bad, and three times good.
When misfortune is enow,
Wear the blue star on thy brow.
True in love ye must e're bee,
Lest thy love is false to thee.
These words the Wiccan Rede fulfill;
And ye harm none, do what ye will.


Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Hail Mary, Full of Grace!

The mother of Jesus has a beautiful prayer that most people know as the "Hail Mary."  It is often recited like this in the Catholic tradition:


Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God,
pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

Mary is a perfect example of the "Mother" archetype: nuturing, loving, and always willing to listen and help her children.  The imagery of Mary holding her baby Jesus has created some of the most touching and beautiful artwork that the world has ever known.

In Catholic school, we sang a song called "Hail Mary, Gentle Woman" which was written by Carey Landry sometime in the 1960s or 1970s.  I always loved it; it perfectly sums up the woman who mothered God's son, both gentle and strong at the same time.


The lyrics are as follows:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women
and blest is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of death. Amen.

Gentle woman, quiet light,
morning star, so strong and bright,
gentle Mother, peaceful dove,
teach us wisdom; teach us love.

You were chosen by the Father;
you were chosen for the Son.
You were chosen from all women
and for woman, shining one.

Blessed are you among women,
blest in turn all women, too.
Blessed they with peaceful spirits.
Blessed they with gentle hearts.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The Beauty & Mystery of Carmen

The name "Carmen" is an ancient and beautiful one.  In Hebrew, it means "garden" or "orchard," and in ancient Latin it is the word for "song."

Carmen is actually an age-old spell or incantation which was often sung by priests in ancient Rome.  It is one of the oldest known prayers in world history.  Some libraries have preserved books containing this old incantation, which is also known as the Carmen Arvale or Carmen Saliare.

The words to the Carmen Arvale are as such:

enos Lases iuvate
enos Lases iuvate
enos Lases iuvate

neve lue rue Marmar sins incurrere in pleoris
neve lue rue Marmar sins incurrere in pleoris
neve lue rue Marmar sins incurrere in pleoris

satur fu, fere Mars, limen sali, sta berber
satur fu, fere Mars, limen sali, sta berber
satur fu, fere Mars, limen sali, sta berber

semunis alterni advocapit conctos
semunis alterni advocapit conctos
semunis alterni advocapit conctos

enos Marmor iuvato
enos Marmor iuvato
enos Marmor iuvato

triumpe triumpe triumpe triumpe triumpe

The traditional interpretation of this chant is that it is a prayer to Mars, the ancient god of war and agriculture.  The incantation also asks for help from the Lares, who are ancient guardians of the home and the fields, as well as the sacred harvesters, "Semones," which were like ancient patron saints.  The chant wards against plague and other natural disasters, asking Mars to be happy and satisfied with the farmers' work, and to help the Semones protect the people as they tend their fields.

Meanwhile, the Carmen Saliare goes like this:

divum  empta cante, divum deo supplicate
cume tonas, Leucesie,    prae tet tremonti
quot ibet etinei de is cum tonarem
cozeulodorieso. omnia vero adpatula coemisse.
ian cusianes duonus ceruses dunus Ianusve
vet pom melios eum recumcarmen Saliare
divum empta cante,    divum deo supplicate
cume tonas, Leucesie,    prae tet tremonti
quot ibet etinei de is cum tonarem
cozeulodorieso. omnia vero adpatula coemisse.
ian cusianes duonus ceruses dunus Ianusve
vet pom melios eum recum

Not all of the words are able to be translated.  However, the words which scholars recognize involve thunder, god Janus and goddess Ceres.  It is thought that this song is a hymn of praise to these gods and their might.

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