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.

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.

Hypatia

Marduk

deadline for planting onions

Stewart Edward White

Sekhmet initiates the End of the World

Diotima

The Ghanaian New Year

Verturius Mamurius

Rhea, River sprites and nymphs

offerings to Ra, Asar, Horus, Osiris, Horus, Ptah, Sokar and Atum

Anna Perenna

Libera or Liberalia

Feat of Horus and His Companions

Trefuilnid Treochair

Libera or Liberalia

Higan festival

Edgar Cayce

Sheilah na Gig, Sheelah’s Day

Akitu

Micra Panathenaea/Quintania or Quinquatrus

Eyvind Kinnrifi

Elizabethan statute against witchcraft 1563

The Vernal Equinox

last day of Farvardigan

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Humor: Board Meeting

After a long, dry sermon, a minister announced that he wished to meet with the church board following the close of the service. However, the first man to arrive was a total stranger. "You misunderstood my announcement. This is a meeting of the board," said the minister.

"I know," said the man, "but if there is anyone here more bored than I am, I'd like to meet him."
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Article : Ostara
From https://www.angelfire.com/de/poetry/Holy_Days/Ostara.html

The vernal equinox, the world is poised on the brink, suspended between the cold months and the new warmth of the growing season. The world is coming alive with green shoots and animals seeking mates. Ostara is one of the Lesser Sabbats, usually celebrated anywhere from March 19th to 21st. Some celebrated on the fixed date of March 25 (Lady Day), while others celebrate on the next full moon (a time of increased births). While the equinox is a solar holiday, Eostre is a lunar goddess. This may be viewed as symbolic of the goddess (the moon) and the god (the sun) coming together in completion. Other names by which this Sabbat may be known are Oestara, Esther, Eostre's Day, the Rite of Eostre or Rites of Spring, Alban Eilir, Festival of the Trees, and the Bacchanalia. The Christian holiday of Easter is determined as the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Vernal Equinox.

According to the Venerable Bede (673-735), the Anglo-Saxons called the fourth month "Esturmonath" for the goddess Eostra. Her festival became the celebration of Christ's resurrection when Anglo-Saxon and German peoples were converted to Christianity. While English and German Christians still attach the name of Eostra to their most sacred holiday (Easter or Ostern), other European languages base the name on the Hebrew word "pasah," to pass over, reflecting the Christian holiday's Biblical connection with the Jewish Passover.

All cultures living in temperate climates celebrate the coming of spring with rituals and festivals. This was one of the most important of spring festivals among pre-Christian Germanic tribes, dedicated to the goddess Ostara, a goddess associated with the "east" and thus "dawn" and "morning light." Ostara is a time to celebrate the renewal and rebirth of Nature herself, and the coming Summer. Light and darkness are in balance, as are masculine and feminine energy, yin and yang. Ostara is a fertility festival celebrating the rebirth of the God and the awakening of life from the Earth. Some Wiccan traditions worship the Green Goddess and the Lord of the Greenwood.

The Spring-cleaning tradition derived from the old witches who engaged in a cleansing each spring followed by setting up a hedge of protection. All motions involving scrubbing of stains or hand rubbing the floors should be done "clockwise." This custom aids in filling the home with good energy for growth. Another Spring tradition for ancient pagans and magicians was to dig a small trench around the outer perimeter of their home. At each quarter they would bury an egg. A modern practitioner might also add iron, old rusty nails, metal keys, old razor blades, pins and needles or witch bottles filled with the above items to diffuse magical attacks and spiritual negativity. (If you are unable to dig a perimeter, you can improvise by placing iron keys above your door, and pentacles and sigils drawn on pewter or parchment paper under your carpet or floorboards.

As a time of cleansing and renewal, Ostara is an excellent time to begin some new project. It is an excellent month for prosperity rituals or rituals that have anything to do with growth. Spells for improving communications, fertility, and abundance are especially strong at this time. Some Pagan customs include ringing bells and lighting new fires at dawn for cures, renewed life, and protection of the crops. A common belief in nineteenth century Germany touted the curative properties of water drawn early on Easter morning. One nearly universal craft is decorating hard-boiled eggs.

Eggs have long been a symbol of rebirth. They have been found among the grave goods of Anglo-Saxons, within the tombs of the Egyptians, and were placed on the fresh graves of the deceased Greeks. In ancient time, eggs were gathered for use in the creation of talismans and ritually eaten. The gathering of different colored eggs from the nests of a variety of birds has given rise to two traditions still observed today, the Easter egg hunt and coloring eggs in imitation of the various pastel colors of wild birds. Some believed that humankind was inspired by watching birds weave nests to begin weaving the first baskets. This is perhaps the origin of the association between colored Easter eggs and Easter baskets.

The custom of coloring eggs seems to be limited to the Germanic countries, Slavic countries, and America. In Scotland and Ireland, the custom is virtually unknown. Each spring in Germany, bakery windows are filled with elaborately painted eggs. Eggs are also hung from flowering branches to make "egg trees." Easter is celebrated in Germany more enthusiastically than it is anywhere else in the world with decorations up a good month before the festival. There are parties, egg hunts, and other celebrations weeks in advance of Easter itself.

In many places, it is traditional to keep Easter eggs or shells all year to ward the family and cattle against harm. They are also used specifically as a charm against hail and lightning. For this reason, great care and thought goes into the creation of egg decorations, egg-trees, boiled and decorated eggs for eating, and hare cakes.

Eostre is a goddess of the moon, an ancient measurer of time. The lunar month of 28 days gives us thirteen periods in 364 days, equivalent to the solar year. The hare, though viewed as a symbol of fertility, is also a symbol of the moon. Ixchel, the Mayan Goddess of the moon, midwifery and weaving, has a rabbit totem. Mexican panels of 600-900 AD show her giving birth to and suckling a rabbit, and another shows the rabbit representing phases of the moon.

The Egyptians called the hare Un, which means open, to open, and the opener. The month of April, the first month of the spring season, comes from the Latin “to open.” Un also means period of time. The hare as "opener" symbolizes the New Year at Easter, and fertility and the beginning of new life within the young. Since the hare can sleep with its eyes open, the Romans equated it with vigilance and believed that rabbits watched over everything. According to one story, Buddha placed the rabbit in the moon after it voluntarily gave itself as food for one of Buddha's hungry friends. In another, a rabbit jumped into a fire to feed a hungry Indra and out of gratitude, Indra placed the rabbit in the moon. Rabbits were significant totem animals however and eating them was prohibited in Britain and Egypt. A Scottish superstition suggested that eating rabbit was equivalent to eating one's grandmother.

In Asian myth, rabbits and the moon are virtually identical. The Rabbit in the Moon sweeps its surface clean with bound horsetails according to Japanese stories. The rabbit pounds rice into flour, making mochi which means both rice flour and full moon. The Sanskrit word, cacadharas also means both moon, and "that which carries the hare."

Rabbits also represent immortality and vitality. Pliny the Elder stated that rabbit meat enhanced one's beauty and radiance for a week afterwards, and Chinese myth believed rabbit meat was essential for vitality. According to Chinese myth, the rabbit is a symbol of longevity. Its fur turns white at age 100 and blue at 500. In Eastern Asian myth, rabbits created an elixir of immortality. The Algonquin trickster rabbit, Manabozho, is thought to embody all life-giving energy.

In Greece, live rabbits were popular love gifts, indicating sexual intentions. European wedded couples in the Middle Ages exchanged rabbit-shaped rings. Rabbit's popularity as a sex charm or fertility totem is related to its' natural cycle. A rabbit's gestation period is approximately one month, and it tends to be the first animal to give birth in the springtime, continuing to have litters of kits during the year. In Asian folklore, a rabbit may become pregnant simply by staring at a full moon, licking a male rabbit's fur under a full moon, or running across a moon-lit water's surface.

Ostara Associations

Symbols of Ostara: eggs, New Moon, the hare, butterflies cocoons.

Element: air

Traditional Foods: leafy green vegetables, dairy foods, nuts and seeds (such as pumpkin, sunflower, sesame seeds, and pine), flower dishes (such as carnations cupcakes or nasturtium blossoms stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese, chopped nuts, chives and watercress), sprouts, eggs (hard-boiled, egg salad, or any way you like them), honey cakes, biscuits, ham, the first fruits of the season, spiced wine, fish

Herbs and Flowers: daffodil, jonquils, crocus, Easter lilies, hyacinths, honeysuckle, woodruff, violet, gorse, olive, peony, iris, Irish moss, narcissus, snowdrops, ginger and all spring flowers

Incense: Floral scents of any type, jasmine, rose, strawberry, African violet, sage, violets, orange peel, lotus, magnolia, ginger, frankincense, myrrh, dragon's blood, cinnamon, nutmeg, aloes wood, benzoin, musk

Colors: yellow, pink, green, all pastels, light blue

Sacred Gemstone: jasper, rose quartz, aquamarine, amethyst, and moonstone, fluorite

Animals and mythical beasts: hares (rabbits), snakes, unicorns, merfolk, Pegasus

Goddesses: all virgin goddesses, moon goddesses, goddesses of love, mother goddesses, androgynous deities, fertility goddesses; Eostre, Rheda (Teutonic), Ma-Ku (Chinese), Lady of the Lake, Blodeuwedd (Welsh-Cornish), Aphrodite/Venus, Persephone/Proserpine, Cybele, Gaia, Hera, Minerva/Athena (Roman/Greek), Isis (Egyptian), Coatlicue (Aztec), Ishtar (Babylonian)

Gods: all gods of love, moon gods, gods of song and dance, sun gods, fertility gods; Adonis, Pan (Greek/Roman), Cerrunnos, the Green Man, the Stag King, Robin of the Woods, the Green Man, The Dagda, The Great Horned God, Lord of the Greenwood (English), Ovis (Roman Etruscan), Dylan (Welsh), Odin (Norse), Thoth, Osiris (Egyptian), Attis (Persian), Mithras (Greco Persian).

Altar decorations: hard-boiled eggs colored and painted with magical symbols, wildflowers, a small potted plant, rabbit decorations

Special Activities: Decorate or dye hard-boiled eggs. Plant seeds or start a magical herb garden. Take a long walk in nature. All forms of herb work (magical, medicinal, cosmetic, culinary and artistic) are practiced now. Go to a field and randomly collect wildflowers or buy some from a florist, taking one or two of those that appeal to you. Bring them home and divine their magical meanings by the use of books, your own intuition, a pendulum, or by other means. The flowers you’ve chosen reveal your inner thoughts and emotions.

Quote : Oscar Wilde
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.

Craft of the Week : How to make Pysanky
You should visit http://www.learnpysanky.com/ for more information, instructional pictures, hints and tricks, symbols and colors, and many other resources.

Eggs (White, large to extra large chicken eggs are generally used, however goose and duck eggs are also common along with the occasional ostrich egg. They must be raw, and at room temperature. Check the surface of the shell for any bumps or imperfections Bumps are difficult to draw around. Hold the egg to the light; if you see any hairline cracks, don’t use it.)
White vinegar (This is used to clean the egg. Use about half a cup of water to one teaspoon of vinegar. Vinegar will strengthen some dyes when they start to fade, with the exception of Orange and Pink. Just add a teaspoon to the dye if your eggs are coming out a little pale, and it will revitalize them.)
Dyes (There are 6 basic colors: Yellow, Orange, Light Blue, Light Green, Scarlet, and Black. Those are the colors you would need to complete the eggs. Other colours that are available for the more serious egg artist are Gold, Purple, Turquoise, Royal Blue, Brick, Dark Red, Cherry, Pink, Brown, and Dark Green. Be sure to purchase Ukrainian Easter Egg dyes, not just the regular food dyes, for eggs that you can buy at Easter time in craft stores. This art requires special dyes, and if you don't use the right ones, the eggs will not turn out as well as you might have liked. These chemical dyes are noticeably more vibrant than regular food dyes. If in doubt, ask the sales person!)
Orange dye wash (This is nothing more than an extra orange dye. You generally use this before dipping the egg in the orange dye because orange frequently loses its brightness due to diluting from blues and greens. If you dip it in the wash first, it will lose its colour over time, but your orange dye won't. It might take a little more time dyeing the egg orange twice, but it will make your eggs look that much better in the long run.)
Newspaper (This is to lay out over your work area.)
Kistka stylus (This is the instrument with which you apply the beeswax to the egg. It consists of a wooden dowel for the handle, with a brass funnel secured to the handle with copper wire. You heat the funnel in the flame of the candle, and scoop the wax out with the funnel end. Then you heat it again, so the wax melts. The wax will flow out of the small end of the funnel, and this is how the design is applied. If it should become clogged up, the wax no longer flows easily, scoop up some candle wax, and melt it. Tap the wax out on the newspapers. When you can see through the funnel, its clean. You can also buy a fine wire to run through the funnel, which should fix the clog.)
Beeswax (This is used to block the dye on the egg. You use the kistka to apply the wax, and wherever the wax is, the dye won't go. This is how we layer the different colours on the egg. Beeswax is used instead of candle wax because candle wax is not nearly as effective a blocker of dye.)
Tissues, and lots of them! (These are used to blot the kistka on, to dab the eggs dry when they come out of the dye, and to wipe the wax off the eggs when completed.)
Candles (These are used to melt the wax in the kistka, and afterwards, to melt the wax off of the egg. Use short ones, so you won't strain your arm reaching so high all the time.)
Spoons (These are to dip the eggs into each of the dyes. Tablespoons are generally used because they're larger.)
Pencil, a light one (This is used to draw guidelines on the egg before any wax is applied, cutting down on mistakes. If you are concerned about the pencil marks being left behind, you might want to try a "non-repro blue" pencil, available at most art shops and most business supply stores. It stays on well without smudging, and comes off easily in the final stages of cleaning off the wax.)
Cotton swabs (These can be used to apply a touch of dye, when there is only a little of a particular colour needed in the design. Swab a little dye in the area where you want the colour to be, cover the parts that you want with wax, and the rest will be covered up when you dip it in the next dye.)
Elastic bands* (The thick kind that mail carriers use. These can help you draw lines straighter on your eggs, by using the edge of the band to guide you.)
Drying rack* (This consists of a flat board, with short nails pounded into it in tripod formation. This is where you rest the eggs when they are drying after being shellacked, or they are drying up after being drained. Its best to use finishing nails for this project, because the nail heads will leave less of a mark on the varnish from where the egg has to rest on the nail heads.)
Egg blower * (A device to empty eggs, it can be purchased fairly cheaply. It consists of a large black bulb, with a small hole at the end, at which is a sharp spike of metal, which is used to gently drill holes at the top and bottom of the egg. It usually comes with a thin metal rod to insert through the hole to break the yolk inside, to make it easier to empty it. Then you reinsert the metal spike and squeeze the bulb; this causes the egg insides to come out the other hole. This must be done slowly and carefully, or you may break your egg which is quite a disappointment, after all the work you've put into it!! After it’s emptied, you should rinse it out well with water.)
Syringe * (Another device to empty eggs. It can be purchased fairly cheaply, at agricultural supply stores. Be sure to buy one with a very fine needle. You stick the needle or a pin in gently at the top and bottom of the egg. Then stick a thin piece of wire down into the egg to break up the yolk. At this point, you can stick the needle in, and suck the contents of the egg out. This should be done slowly. Be sure to rinse out the egg once its emptied, with water.)
Varnish * (You may wish to apply gloss to your eggs when they are completed, and the wax removed. You can use clear gloss varnish, varathane, or shellac. Be sure to test it on a little area first: some varnishes cause the colour to run. You will know almost instantly whether this is the case.)
Bleach * (This is only used for certain eggs that you want to have a final colour of white. You wash the egg in a 1 cup water/2 tablespoons bleach solution until the shell turns white. Then you wash it in cool water until it stops feeling slippery.)

Preparations
(1) Cover your work area with old newspapers. Have your cooled dyes in jars on the work area. Set your room-temperature eggs on a soft layer of tissues. Fold a couple of tissues over in the middle to make a soft "pillow.”
(2) Clean your egg with a mixture of diluted vinegar. Dab the egg with a tissue dipped in the vinegar solution, or dip the egg in a shallow bowl half-filled with the vinegar solution. Dab the egg dry. Never rub.

Applying the design
(1) Proceed to draw the basic design on the egg lightly with the pencil. In the beginning, you may wish to use an elastic band around the egg to aid in drawing the lines straight. If you make a mistake with the pencil, do NOT use the eraser on it. Remember, the pencil lines, if drawn on lightly, will not show up in the final design, so mistakes are OK.
(2) Heat the head of the kistka in the flame of the candle for 20-30 seconds. Then scoop a little beeswax into the funnel of the kistka. Reheat the kistka in the flame until the wax is melted. If you leave the kistka in the flame too long, it might catch on fire. Don't worry, they are very easy to blow out!
(3) Especially in the beginning, you should test the wax flow from the kistka on the newspaper before writing any wax lines on the egg. Occasionally, from over-filling, the kistka will let out a large blob of wax. If this should happen on the egg, there is nothing you can do. The wax bonds instantly to the eggshell; even if you try to scrape the wax off, the blob will still appear in your final design. Don't feel badly if this happens - even the most experienced egg artist has the occasional blob in their designs. If at all possible, try to incorporate it into the design. If you can't, remember: any art made by humans is going to have mistakes in it - that's what makes each egg truly unique.
(4) Apply wax to the egg. Everywhere there are lines in the design, apply wax. Remember that the pencil lines are just guides, and you won't be covering all of them with wax. Do the design on both sides of the egg. Use a fine kistka for fine lines, and a heavy kistka for filling in large sections. The dye will not go anywhere you apply wax. You don't need to re-apply wax every time you dip it in a dye; just apply the new lines for the colour. After applying the wax for a color, double check your egg to make sure you didn't miss any lines. Once you have checked, dip it in the next dye. Leave the eggs in about 15 minutes, or until it is the desired brightness. Remove the eggs with the spoon, and dab dry with tissues. For regular eggs, the dye sequence is from light to dark. For bleached eggs, the sequence can go either way, because the egg's final color is white.

Finishing up
(1) When you have finished applying wax to the design, dip the egg in the final color. Wait 15-20 minutes, then remove the egg from the dye, dab it dry, and let it sit a few minutes.
(1a) If you are doing a BLEACHED egg, you must follow these steps! Otherwise, you can move ahead to the "Fun part" in part 3. Put the egg in the bleach solution (1 cup of water to 2 tablespoons bleach). Once the eggshell has turned white, gently rinse the egg under cool running water. Stop when the egg no longer feels slippery. Dab dry. Let it sit at least 1/2 hour.
(2) Now comes the really fun part. Take the egg, and hold it near the side of the flame. DO NOT hold the egg over the flame, because carbon will collect on the shell, and darken the design. Wait until the wax looks wet (only a few seconds, usually) and wipe the wax off with a clean tissue. Try to always use a fresh side of the tissue (or a new tissue) for each wipe, or else you'll just be rubbing wax all over the egg, and it will take a lot longer to finish your egg.
(3) For bleached eggs, you may find that the wax doesn't come off as easily as for a regular egg. In this case, you may wish to use a little lighter fluid--pour a small amount onto a tissue, and rub the shell very gently. Be sure to dispose of the tissues properly! And don't let kids use the lighter fluid!
(4) You may wish to apply a glossy finish to the egg once completed. You may use clear gloss varnish, varathane, or shellac. Apply a very thin layer of varnish with your fingers and set on the drying rack to dry. However, you may wish to test the gloss on a small surface of the egg first, to see if it makes the colors run.
(5) At this point, you may decide whether to leave the egg intact, or drain the insides. You can buy an egg-blowing device or a syringe to drain the egg. Follow the instructions for emptying that come with the egg blower. If you do empty it, you should set the egg on the drying rack to let it fully drain. Once that's completed, you can put a little dab of white glue in the holes. Stick the tip of a pin in the glue, then apply the glue to the hole. Before doing so, however, you should make a decision about how you will display your egg; filling in the holes may cause complications with this. * Optional

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Humor : Out with a Bang

A tough old cowboy told his grandson that the secret to long life was sprinkling a little gunpowder on his oatmeal every morning.

The grandson did this religiously and, sure enough, lived to the ripe old age of 93. When he died, he left behind 14 children, 28 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren and a 15-foot hole in the wall of the crematorium.
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Who's Who in World Mythology : Apo
For past articles and the bibliography, please go to the
Who's Who Archive.

In Zoroastrian mythology, Apo is a Yazata, a nature spirit. He is the spirit of sweet (fresh) waters.

The Incas also have a god by the name of Apo. The Inca Apo is the spirit of an Andean mountain.

Quote : Chuang Tzu
I dreamed I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of following my fancies (as a butterfly), and was unconscious of my individuality as a man. Suddenly, I awakened; and there I lay, myself again. I do not know whether I was then dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming that it is a man.

The Magi's Garden: Banyan
For past featured foliage and the bibliography, please go to the
The Magi's Garden Archive.

Banyan (Ficus bengalensis)

Folk Names: Arched Fig, Banian, Barh, Indian Fig Tree, Indian God Tree, The Many-Footed Banyan, Strangler Fig, Vada Tree, Zeyton Maskhout

Description: The Banyan is a tropical evergreen of the fig family. The banyan is native to India, growing to a height of one hundred or so feet. It begins its life as an epiphyte. Seeds dropped by birds sprout and take up residence in other trees. Gathering nourishment and water from the air, eventually the lateral branches send roots down to the ground. These support, then enlarge into trunks, and develop new branches. In time, the banyan kills the host tree by strangling it.
Young specimens can be kept in a green house, but they will remain bushy and never fruit. Like most members of the fig family, aerial roots grow down from the spreading branches. These will first absorb moisture from the air until they reach the ground to become new roots and supportive trunks still attached to main plant. A mature banyan canopy may cover an area more than 1,000 feet in diameter. The stems below the canopy form a kind of columned room. Its original trunk may decay, leaving the younger ones to support the tree. The eight-inch long, leathery leaves are ovate and dark green with light green veins. The leaf stalks and young branches are downy. The banyan produces red, round fruits.

Effects: strong
Planet: Jupiter
Element: air
Associated Deities: Maui

Traditions:
The banyan is revered by Hindus and planted near temples. It is connected with worship of the demi-god trickster Maui in Hawaiian and Polynesian religions.
Three thousand years before Pliny described it to the Roman Empire this mighty shade tree struck awe in the Aryan nomads sweeping across Asia. Called "The Many-Footed" after the aerial roots pouring from its trunk to form a small forest, the canopy of a single banyan tree has been known to extend two thousand feet. The Aryan priests linked the banyan's vitality to a flow of light or to a liquid immortality overflowing onto the earth from the goblets of the gods themselves. Their chiefs drank ritually of its sap, believing it could increase their virility and ensure their hold upon conquered lands.

Magic:
It is said to sit under or even look at tree brings luck. Marriages performed under the tree bring happiness. The Banyan trees in ancient Arabia served as places for holding council and negotiating treaties. This same tree is revered as a tree of justice among many cultures.

Known Combinations:
none noted

Medical Indications: Parts Used: Latex, bark, fruits, leaves, roots and root bark, buds, bark, aerial roots.
The tannins and flavonoids relieve capillary bleeding. The latex has antibacterial effects, excellent for minor cuts and skin diseases like scabies, and the bark is tonic, astringent, and cooling. Young buds and milky juice are also astringent.

Nutrition:
The fruit is considered a famine food, not good to eat unless you have nothing else.

Mercantile Uses:
Its sap is a white and sticky latex. This is used to prepare birdlime, which hunters use in capturing birds. The porous wood also makes excellent tooth brushes. In the past, the straight roots were used to make tent poles.

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Cartoon

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Poem : Though I am Young
Ben Jonson (1572-1637)

Though I am young and cannot tell
Either what Death or Love is well,
Yet I have heard they both bear darts,
And both do aim at human hearts.
And then again, I have been told
Love wounds with heat, as Death with cold;
So that I fear they do but bring
Extremes to touch, and mean one thing.

As in a ruin we call it
One thing to be blown up or fall;
Or to our end like way may have
By a flash of lightning or a wave;
So Love’s inflamed shaft or brand
May kill as soon as Death’s cold hand;
Except Love’s fires the virtue have
To fright the frost out of the grave.

Quote : Confucius
Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon or star.

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

Almandine is an iron aluminum variety of garnet, forming dodecahedron or trapezohedra shapes. Magnesium can substitute for the iron and become more like pyrope, the magnesium aluminum garnet. The color may be deep red, violet-red, or brownish black. It is the most common of the garnets and is usually found in garnet schists (a type of metamorphic rock composed mostly of mica).

Almandine is ideal for meditation, inspiring contemplation, peace, and time for solitude. Charitable acts are also encouraged through almandine. Love and physical vitality are encouraged. Those who are studying astronomy, astrology, and mathematics may find almandine especially useful.

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Humor : The Moon

Scientists have shown that the moon is moving away at a tiny, although measurable distance from the earth every year. If you do the math, you can calculate that 85 million years ago the moon was orbiting the earth at a distance of about 35 feet. This would explain the death of the dinosaurs... the tallest ones, anyway.
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A Dreamer's Guide : Hiccough to Hives

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Dreamer's Guide Archive.

If you dream of Hiccoughing, you will travel soon, but sorrow and loneliness will be yours if your relatives were hiccoughing. You will be separated from your friends if others were hiccoughing.

Hard work with little joy is augured by Hickory wood, but nuts are a sign of success.

Profit and permanent employment are indicated by an animal Hide.

You will soon receive bad news if you were Hiding, and beware of deception if you saw your relatives hiding. Anyone else hiding is a warning to avoid rivals. If you hid an object, you are embarrassed by your circumstances, but if you found something that was hidden, you will have unexpected pleasures.

Wavering judgment in some vital matter will cause you distress and loss of money after a dream of Hieroglyphics. If you were able to read them, you will have success in overcoming some evil.

Quarrels will end happily if you found yourself in High School, and teaching in one means innocence will bring you happiness. Modesty is foretold by children attending high school, and happiness is augured if they graduated.

High Tide indicates a favorable progression in your affairs.

A busy Highway is an obstacle dream, indicating an increase in your present difficulties. If you managed to cross it, things will get better, but only after they have gotten worse.

A Highwayman means abundance, big joy is foretold if one robbed you. If someone else was robbed by a highwayman however, you will have misfortune in your love affairs. If you were wounded by one, you will be deprived of money, and if you were killed, you will lose an inheritance. You may be separated from your family or property if a highwayman beat you, while simply being frightened by one may indicate a kidnapping.

Good fortune is presaged by climbing Hills, the easier it was, the better the omen, but reaching the top means you will have to fight against jealousy. If you had a hard time climbing a hill, you will face sorrow. You will have easy earnings if there were several hills. Seeing others climbing a hill means you have one true friend, and climbing a hill with relatives indicates financial gains.

A rusty Hinge is a sign of difficulties between family members and in your personal affairs. A squeaky hinge means you will have to battle some gossip.

A Hippopotamus in its native habitat is a symbol of a dangerous rival or hostile competitor. If it was in captivity or a zoo, you are entering a period of frustration or boredom which it will take real initiative to escape.

Pleasant work and good news is augured by a dream of your own Hips, but the hips of others may be a sign you are being deceived. The hips of children foretell a long life, while the hips of your enemy indicate triumph over them. If you saw the hips of your wife, you will be rich, but the hips of your husband are a sign your spouse may be cheating on you. Good health is foretold by strong hips. You will have money if your hips were very large, but broken hips indicate loss of money. If you broke your hips, there may be sickness and the possible loss of a child, while having your hips operated on is a sign of misplaced confidence in your mate.

If someone Hissed, you will be irritated beyond endurance by the rude treatment you receive from some new acquaintance. Hearing or seeing a snake his is a warning that you will have to control your impulsive actions or your temper to avoid losing the respect of someone close.

Honors will be yours after a dream of your own past History, but if you consulted a book of ancient history, your fortune is at the expense of others. Don’t believe the lies being told by others if you looked through a modern book of history. You will have security in business if you were a history teacher.

You present situation will only get worse if you Hit someone, and the death of a friend is foretold if you were hit. Your personal relationships will change if you were hit by a criminal, and your personal situation will improve if it was a friend that hit you. Fortune in business is augured if a relative hit you, and you will take a long trip if you hit a relative. Being hit by a wild person indicates the love of one you desire will be yours. Shame will fall upon you if people were hitting each other.

Develop your self-reliance if you dreamt of Hitchhiking, but if you picked up a hitchhiker, beware of financial embarrassment and guard your credit.

Dangerous undertakings are foretold by a Hive empty of both honey and bees, while good times are indicated by a hive full of honey and activity. An enemy is seeking your ruin if you took honey from a hive.

A child suffering from Hives means you will be overly concerned by the condition of some favored friend. If your own child was afflicted, it will be docile and have good health.

Quote : Carl Schurz
Ideals are like stars. We never reach them but, like the mariners on the sea, we chart our course by them.

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