The Ancient Whispers Newsletter

Welcome to the Ancient Whispers Newsletter, a multi-cultural newsletter with a little something for everyone of any creed or religion. Here you will find inspiring quotes, irreverent jokes, crafts, and most importantly, historical and/or religious scholarship. Every Wednesday a new edition should appear on this website with reminder emails sent out the night before to those who have opted to join one of the many forums and mailing lists to which I subscribe. If you wish to share this newsletter with others, please keep it intact with the original authors' names on all the articles. Any articles or sections, to which an author or URL is not affixed, were written by Candace (with the exception of the various jokes found herein).

Questions, comments, and topical requests are encouraged and should be posted to the AskCandace open forum at yahoogroups. I'd like to start a help column for the newsletter, so if you'd like to have your problem featured in a newsletter, let me know when you post.

Year 2004 of Chinese Astrology Green Monkey Year
http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2004.htm
One of the most in depth (and fairly simple) explanations of the Chinese astrological calendar that I’ve seen online.

Elements of Personality
http://www.innerself.com/Miscellaneous/elements.htm
Still not sure what your main element(s) is, check out this page to see if one of these descriptions makes it easier.

Order of the White Lion
http://www.orderofthewhitelion.com/theelements@/Elementals/Elementalswelc.html Information on the Elements, Elementals, Dragons, Archangels, and their Kingdoms can be found here.

Nature Spirits ~ Devas ~ Elementals ~ Trees
http://www.crystalinks.com/nature_spirits.html
If you want to know more about elemental spirits, try this site for some great information and nice pictures.

March, named for Mars, was the first month of the Greek and Roman calendar. Mars is god of war but also of fertile soil, equivalent to the Greek Ares and Tiu or Tiwazn an old sky god of Europe. He is also equated with the Celtic Teutates and the Norse Tyr. Mars' original name was Mavors. After Jupiter, he is the chief Roman god, often called Marspater, "Father Mars." He has three aspects, the martial god Gradivus, the rustic god Silvanus, and the patron of the Roman state Quirinus. The wolf and the woodpecker are his sacred animals.

March was called Mi an Mháárta or am Mart in Ireland, the seed time, and Hrethmonath, "Hertha's month," by the Anglo-Saxons, honoring the earth mother Hertha or Nerthus. The Frankish name for March was Lentzinmanoth, "renewal month." The Asatru call it Lenting.

The first Full Moon of this month is called the Worm or Sap Moon. It shares the names Storm Moon with February and Moon of Winds with April. It may also be referred to as the Moon of the Snowbird, the Crow Moon, and Lenting Moon.

Pisces and Aries hold power over March, the Zodiac turning to Aries around March 21st. The flower for those born in March is the daffodil and smaller jonquil. Bloodstone or jasper, or sometimes aquamarine, are the jewels for the month of March. Pisces birthstone is the amethyst, while diamond is the stone for Aries. Albite, amethyst, chrysoprase, fluorite, green tourmaline, labradorite, moonstone, and opal are other stones for Pisces, and Aries also lays claim to amethyst, carnelian, garnet, fire agate, pink tourmaline, and topaz.

Lunar Holy Days

Over several days preceding the Full Moon, the Hindu festival of Holi is held to celebrate the arrival of spring and the destruction of the demon Holika who was burned to death for devouring children.

Aegir

my birthday

Japanese Doll festival/O-Hinamatsuri; Girls Festival/Jomi No Sekku or Munakata-no-kami

Rhyfeddod Lleiaf o Rhiannon/the Lesser Mysteries of Rhiannon

Anthesteria

Church of All Worlds (CAW) formed

Feast of Ra

Isidis Navigum/Ploiaphesia

Japanese Kite festival

Salii

Compitalia

Laurie Cabot

Junonalia

Mother Earth's birthday in China

Siam and Ibo people of Nigeria

first day of Farvardigan/Ten Days of the Dead

Ishtar/Astarte

Jacques de Molay burned at the stake

Herakles/Hercules

Long before our discovery of the elements that now grace our periodic tables, people of the ancient world believed that all life was formed through the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. They also believed in a fifth element, spirit. Without these five elements, life could not exist. They are the very foundations of creation and the basis of life itself. The four elements correspond to the four directions of our physical world, the four quarters of the universe, and the four winds. Water and Earth are female energies, while Fire and Air are male.

If you look at the Elements from another angle, they become the states of matter: solid (earth), liquid (water), gas (air), and plasma (fire). All substances are made up through combinations of these elements. The Earth is the essence of fertility and solidarity, nourishing, binding, and providing form. Air is the essence of intelligence, liberating and stimulating. Fire is the source of active strength and defense, animating and activating, while Water provides emotion and fecundity, making things malleable and flexible. The fifth element or “spirit” is sometimes called Nyu (Druidic) or Akasha (as in the Akashic Records). It is a relatively contemporary concept however.

The Chinese have five elements: Earth, Air, Metal, Water, and Wood. The Japanese have thirteen elements: Celestial, Void, Wind, Spirit, Fire, Earth, River, Ocean, Mountain, Forest, Thunder, Time, and Sound (or Music). For simplicity’s sake, we’ll deal only with the four physical elements of the Western system. The Pentagram, or up-right five-pointed star, is symbolic of the five elements. A reversed Pentagram represents the darker side of the elements. Each has its own good and bad aspects. Most people work well with one or two elements over the others. I have Water, Air, and Earth in fairly equal amounts, but Fire wipes me out completely.

Here are some of the main correspondences of the elements:

The Earth is a symbol of feminine divinity. Though we might naturally assume brown to be its color, green is more often associated with this element, and gold is its metal. For many, it is a symbol of the Goddess, representing both potential and fertility. Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are earth signs. The Earth also corresponds with the North and the season of autumn. Salt, sand, or a pentacle may be used on the altar to represent it. According to Chaos magick, Earth is a symbol of physical matter.

The Earth influences passive attributes like health, luck, calm, comfort, patience, practicality, and thrift, as well as more aggressive qualities like strength, courage, acquisition, and responsibility. At the opposite end of its spectrum of influence, Earth affects things that are cold and dry, boredom, stagnation, destruction, and darkness. The Earth is very much a balancing principle. If you work well with the Earth, you will be able to control feminine qualities, utilize herbal magick, and perform physical healings. The earth allows you to affect prosperity, luxury, gifts, income, change, material things, harmony, and success. It is also used for love and affection, friendship, partnerships, and alliances, beauty, artistic ability, grace, social activity, decorating, and gardening. Architects, artists, beauticians, chiropractors, dancers, designers, engineers, entertainers, and poets would all benefit from Earth magicks.

Air is an emblem of male divinity. Its color is yellow, and the metal is silver. The zodiac signs of Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are air signs. Air holds dominion over the season of spring and the East. On your altar, the wand, incense, and smoke may be used to represent this element. By the Chaos system, Air is a sign of space

Air generally acts on energetic principles such as goals and ambition, advancement and promotion. This element is for success seekers. It affects careers, prosperity and personal finance, fun, fairs, health, crops, children, and volunteer and civic services. Events connected to the law, authority figures, and totem animals are influenced by Air. The element controls buying, selling and other areas of speculation. Air is all about rushing forward to new things, and so it also affects areas of divination, mental alacrity and growth, and creativity. Conversely it also emphasizes things hot and moist, dramatics, waste, and frivolity.

Fire is another active male element. It corresponds to the Sun, Mercury, Mars and the zodiac signs of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. The color for Fire is red. Fire holds dominion over Summer and the South. If you wish to represent fire on your altar, the sword or athame and candles are its symbols. Really any form of illumination is a symbol of Fire. Chaos magicians consider Fire a symbol of energy.

Fire represents vitality, power, strength, courage, and defense. It is an invigorating principle, motivating and passionate, which can be used to influence such matters as partnerships, physical activity and energy, sex, health, luck, justice, success, ambition, personal finances, business deals, buying, and selling. On the other hand, it affiliates to things hot and dry, aggression, combat, confrontation, and war. Fire will aid one in the repair and operation of mechanical things, and the use of guns, tools, and metals. It is an element for hunters and authority figures, sportsmen, police, and soldiers.

Water is an active symbol of the female divine. Like earth, it is a mothering, fertile symbol. The Moon, the planet Jupiter, and the signs of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces are signs of Water. Blue is the color for Water, and its direction is west. It holds sway over the winter and the West. The cup, chalice and cauldron are representations of Water on your altar. According Chaos magicians, Water represents time.

Water is used in active matters of wealth and abundance, opportunity, and joy. It is also passive, like earth can be, influencing tranquility and charity. It affects desire for self-improvement, research, reading and study. Like Air, water is about movement and expansion. It influences philosophy, religion, divination, social matters, and logic. Like Earth, it is balancing. Water controls those things that are cold and moist, gloomy, foreboding, stagnant, or poisonous. Those who have some dealings with foreign interests, broadcasting, publishing, publicity, and legal matters will benefit from Water magick, as will those in search of luck, growth, political power, material wealth, a collage education, and long distance travel. Doctors, guardians, merchants, those engaged in correspondence courses, gamblers, sportsmen, those who work with horses will also benefit from Water.

Elementals

Though elementals by definition inhabit their elements, they are in fact nature spirits that have no definite form or appearance other than those that they choose to adopt. They are forces of nature whose activity can result in violent storms, unpredictable ocean currents, earthquakes, and forest fires. A Fire elemental might appear as a light, a face in a flame, or a warm spot that you suddenly walk through. A Water elemental may be a cold spot. An air elemental could be a sudden breeze or whirlwind in the dust. A smell, taste, or an pebble in your shoe could be evidence of an Earth elemental.

Each element has its own class of elementals, though the terms used for them can cause a certain amount of confusion. For instance, the term for elementals of the Earth -gnomes- has been borrowed in several European languages to refer to small earth-dwelling faeries much like dwarves or kobolds in nature. Salamander is the name for fire elementals. It also refers to small lizard-like amphibians related to frogs. Because they live in decaying logs and have moist skins, they would sometimes crawl unhurt out of a blazing fire. This is how they came to be called Salamanders.

Unlike us, elementals blend into one another both physically and at subtler levels to form collective bodies from what most people would consider inanimate matter. Their numbers and power is the greatest where their elements are the strongest- gnomes in mountains and caverns, undines in the oceans, sylphs in wind and storm, and salamanders in flame, but they are also around us at all times.

Some elementals are said to be deceitful and hateful toward human beings, causing accidents and tragedies. Frequently these entities are used in psychic attacks as “thought forms” by practicioners. When elementals are summoned for some purpose, they attach themselves to the human aura. Unless they are dispatched when their mission is accomplished, they will continue to drain energy from the magician.

The following are some of the correspondences and aspects of Elementals:

Earth
Elementals: Gnomes, Dwarves
Time: Midnight
Symbol: Crystals, stones
Parts of the body: Bones and sex organs
Magick: fertility magic, tree magic, herbal lore, prosperity, rune casting and knot magic

Water
Elementals: Undines, Nymphs, Mer-people
Time: Twilight
Symbol: Cups, cauldrons, any vessel filled with water
Parts of the body: blood and stomach
Magick: scrying, purification, healing, divination and dream magic

Air
Elementals: Sylphs, Zephyrs
Time: Dawn
Symbol: Incense, fan
Parts of the body: chest, lungs and throat
Magick: predicting weather, controlling winds and shapeshifting.

Fire
Elementals: Salamanders, Firedrakes
Time: Noon
Symbol: Candles, flame
Parts of the body: head
Magick: controlling heat, healing, candle magick and Tantra

Six doilies (for each flower)
One 1 1/2 inch photo cut to same diameter size circle.
One 8 inch pen (lollipop or Popsicle stick)
White and green posterboard
Green Floral tape and floral wire
4 inch terra cotta flower pot
Stryrofoam filler for pot
Moss

Cut two 3-inch circles from the white posterboard and set aside. Fold each doily in half, then pleat by 1/2-inch folds to make a fan. Make a doily flower by gluing each of the six fan points onto the centerpoint of one white circle. Arrange them like petals, placing the pleated points at the center of the circle, then cover them with a picture. Wind the green floral tape around the pen. Glue the pen’s end to the back of the doily flower and use the remaining white circle as a backing to conceal the end. Cut two leaf shapes from the green posterboard. Wrap a short length of floral wire with the green floral tape, then sandwich between the leaves with hot glue to make a leaf stem. Repeat for other leaf. Attach your leaves a few inches above the bottom of the pen using the floral tape. Place the styrofoam in your pot and inserting your flower(s). Arrange moss on top of the pot to conceal the styrofoam.

Amathaounta (Amathaunta) is a goddess of the moon and the Aegean Sea. She is also called Ashima, the dove goddess, though the word is said to denote a goat. Some sources name her has an Egyptian goddess, while others place her sphere of influence among the Hittites and Sumerians/Babylonians. According to some Jewish traditions, she is Jehovah’s divorced partner. Some of her worshipers settled Hamath in Syria, while another group settled in Palestine, founding Amathus. The Amathites are mentioned in Genesis and in Chronicles.

Description: Catnip is a perennial of the mint family with a faint mint odor and a bitter taste. It is a European native naturalized to all parts of North America. The erect, branching stem is square and hairy, growing from three to five feet. The leaves are opposite and heart-shaped with serrate, scalloped edges. Gray or whitish hairs cover the underside side of the leaves. Bilabiate, tubular flowers appear in spikes from June to October and range in color from pale pink or violet to white with red or purple spots. The plants will live for several years if kept free of weeds and the seeds can last up to five years before planting.

Effects: gentle
Planet: Venus Zodiac: Libra
Element: water
Associated Deities: Bast, Sekhet

Traditions:
The large leaves were pressed and used as bookmarks in magical texts.
Rats dislike it and will avoid it even if they are hungry.

Magic:
As one might assume by its name, catnip may be used in cat magic.

If you set it, the cats will eat it,
If you Sow it, the cats don’t know it.

Catnip is used in love spells and spells for friendship. Hold it in your hand until warm and then hold another person’s hand. He or she will be your friend forever as long as you keep the leaf in a safe place. It is used in spells for beauty and happiness.

Grow near your home or hang over a door to attract good spirits and luck. Any spell for creativity or to increase fertility in magic or sexuality would benefit from the inclusion of catnip.

Chew to be fierce and vengeful in battle. It will give even the most meek and gentle person courage. A conserve of the young tops is said to be good for nightmares.

Known Combinations:
Catnip may be used in love sachets with Rose petals.

Mixed with dragon's blood, it can be used as an incense to get rid of bad habits.

Medical Indications: Parts Used: herb
Catnip is an anodyne, antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic, and mild sedative. It should always be infused as boiling reduces its effectiveness. Catnip tea is useful for stress and insomnia, being milder in odor and strength than valerian. It also soothes colds, scarlet fever, small pox, diarrhea, digestion, upset stomach, colic, cramps and spasms, flatulence, and acid. Large amounts of tea may act as an emetic when warm. An enema infusion reduces fevers quickly

The leaves can be chewed to ease a toothache. Mashed into a poultice, the leaves will reduce painful swellings.

The juice from leaves stimulates menstruation.

Nutrition:
Catnip is used mainly as a tea, though the French use it as a seasoning herb.

Mercantile Uses:
Bees like catnip.

"Day after day alone on the hill
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still
But nobody wants to know him,
They can see that he's just a fool
And he never gives an answer
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning round
Well on the way, head in a cloud

The man of a thousand voices talking perfectly loud
But nobody ever hears him
Or the sound he appears to make
And he never seems to notice
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning round
And nobody seems to like him
They can tell what he wants to do
And he never shows his feelings
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning round
Oh round, round, round, round, round

And he never listens to them
He knows that they're the fools
They don't like him
The fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning round
Oh round, round, round, round, oh

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Quote : Zen Master Dogen
When your passion and contribution are the same, you have found your purpose. Coming, going, the waterfowl Leaves not a trace, Nor does it need a guide.

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The Power of Stones: Bloedite
For past articles and the bibliography, please go to the
Power of Stones Archive.

No Image Available

Bloedite may form a colorless to gray or blue-green crystal. It preserves the physical and mental bodies while providing guidance and understanding during meditation. This stone provides insight into basic impulses by stimulating perception and intuition.

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Humor : Did you hear about the sword-swallower who was on a diet?
He was on pins and needles for six weeks.

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A Dreamer's Guide : Nobel Prize to Nosegay

For past articles and the bibliography, please go to the
Dreamer's Guide Archive.

Winning the Nobel Prize is a warning against arrogance, but if someone else received it, you will receive happy family news.

Obstacles in business are foretold if you dreamt you were of Noble birth. If you were a nobleman or woman, there will be sickness. Fortune and honor will be yours if your ancestors were noble, but if you were appointed a duchy or earldom, you will live in poverty. If a title was given to a relative however, there will be good news. You will marry a poor person if you dreamt a nobleperson loved you. Having a title through inheritance means possible loss of wealth. There will be little financial gain at work if you associated with any nobles.

Internal disturbances are indicated by Nodding. If you were nodding in church, your spouse will be young. If you are widowed and dreamt of nodding at church, you will marry rich.

Hearing a Noise means people are gossiping about you. Quarrels among your friends are indicated by loud noises. If you heard a loud noise on the street, it augurs defeat. Noisy children are an omen of good news in a letter. If you were awoken by a strange dream noise, there will be a sudden change in your life.

Any kind of Nomination is a augury of disappointment.

Imposing people will pay you a visit if you dreamt of Noodles. Making them indicates infidelity, but buying them denotes pleasures. You will cause damage to your enemies if you ate them, and cooking them means unexpected news.

Dreaming of Noon at noon is a warning to control your appetite. At any other time, it is an omen of illness, possibly pneumonia. If you met at noon with others, you will have success. Soon you will take a trip if you sat down to a noon meal.

A Noose is a sign of obstacles and quarrels. Use moderation if you had a noose, and if you were hanged from one, you will be persecuted. If others were hanged, you will receive a commendation.

Your struggles will end in success if you were in the North. A journey lies ahead of you if you dreamt of some northern place. Traveling northward indicates an inheritance, and birds flying north pertain to some hidden treasure about to be discovered. You will receive plenty of money if your house faced north.

Being in North America indicates some scandal, and traveling to North America presages poor business. If you left North America, you will attend some social event, and being deported means new friends. If you were deported to North America, you will advance within your own position.

Your own Nose is a sign of poverty. If it was beautiful, you have good character and self-confidence, while an ugly nose means you will become rich. The nose of a beautiful woman augurs an increase in your family. Failure is foretold by a small nose, and a large nose is a warning to be careful in speculation. If someone else had a big nose, avoid lending money. Your friends are gossiping if your nose was cut off, and a frozen nose indicates adultery. A curved nose or a friend’s nose is also a sign of infidelity. People will hate you if you had a long nose. Great friendships are presaged if you had no nose at all. Wrong will be done you if your nose was stuffed up, but if you blew it, you will experience a reduction in obligations. Beware treachery if you hurt your nose in any way. The nose of an enemy is a warning of danger from your enemies. If there was hair growing on your nose, you will undertake some huge project, which you will carry by strength of character alone.

A Nosebleed means you will be disillusioned. Take good care of yourself if children had a nosebleed, and you will need financial assistance if a relative had a bloody nose. Someone will give you a gift if a friend had a nosebleed, while the bleeding nose of an enemy may indicate some jail time.

Your happiness is assured if you saw a Nosegay (Bouquet) of flowers. Your hopes will be as short lived as the flowers, if you picked them yourself. You will incur debts if you were given one.

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Quote : James Allen
And herein lies the secret of true power. Learn, by constant practice, how to husband your resources, and concentrate them, at any moment, upon a given point.

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