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.

In May get a weed-hook, a crotch [fork], and a glove,
And weed out such weeds as the corn do not love.

May is named for Maia Majestas, the Roman goddess of spring who encourages crops to grow. She is the chief goddess of the Seven Sisters or Pleiades. She can be equated with the Irish Queen Medb or Celtic Meave. Hawthorm, her sacred plant, blossoms during this month. Artemis, Diana, Faunus, Flora, and Pan also have dominion over this month.

The Anglo-Saxons called this month Thrimilcmonath, "thrice-milk month." In England, May was also called Sproutkale. Winnemanoth, "joy month," was the Frankish name, and the Asatru name is Merrymoon. The Irish call May Bealtaine or an Ceitean, the first weather of summer. The two weeks before Bealtaine is ceitean earrach, spring May-time, and the two weeks after Bealtaine is ceitean samhradh, summer May-time. Bealtaine, also associated the God Bel, means 'the fires of Bel'.

The first Full Moon of May is called the Flower Moon. It shares the names Planting Moon, Hare Moon, Pink Moon, and Green Grass Moon with April. The May moon is also the Bright Moon, Dryad Moon, the Moon When the Pony Sheds, the Frogs Return Moon, and Sproutkale.

The sun passes from Taurus to Gemini around May 21st. Those born in May have the lilly of the valley for their birth flower. The stone for the month of May, and for Taurus, is the emerald, though agate, chalcedony, and carnelian are sometimes mentioned for May instead, while Gemini lays claim to agate, particularly moss agate, and pearl. Aquamarine, lapis lazuli, kunzite, rose quartz, and sapphire are associated with Taurus, and chrysoprase, sapphire, and topaz are connected to Gemini.

Lunar Holy Days

In the Buddhist tradition, the first Full Moon is celebrated in honor of the enlightenment of Buddha.

The seventh Thursday after Easter is the Russian spring festival called Semik.

Thargelia

The Furry Dance

Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky

Lemuria

The Akhet Eye

marriage of Shiva to Meenakshi

Tin Hau

Neith goes forth

Lemuria

the Puritans banned Christmas

The Eisheilige

Lunantishees

Guatemalan Rain Ceremony

"Saint" Pancras

Belgium Cat Parade

Aranya Shashti

Lemuria.

“Saint" Servatius

Fatima

"Saint" Bonifatius

Festival of the Midnight Sun

Widow Robinson of Kidderminster

Panegyric of Isis

"Saint" Cold Sophie

The Argei Rites

Maiae inuict

festivals of Hathor and Bast and the great feast of the Southern heavens

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Humor: Should you really trust those disembodied voices?

An explorer in the deepest Amazon suddenly found himself surrounded by a group of natives in full body paint and bristling with spears. Upon surveying his situation, he quietly said to himself, "I'm screwed." A ray of light lanced from the sky, and a voice boomed out: "No you are NOT screwed. Pick up that stone in front of you and bash in the head of the chief." So the explorer picked up the stone and proceeded to bash in the head of the chief. Afterward, he stood breathing heavily above the lifeless body, surrounded by one hundred native warriors with a look of shock on their faces. The voice boomed out again: "Okay... NOW you're screwed!"

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Article : Mendhi
From http://www.faerielandbodyart.com/html/mendhi.html

Mendhi is the traditional form of hand painting in India, North Africa and the middle East, in which the hands, feet and other parts of the body are painted with a mud paste made from the henna plant (LawsoniaInermis). The mud is traced onto the body in delicate patterns and left on to dry. The mud dyes the skin underneath lasting between 1 to 4 weeks

Henna has been known not only for its cosmetic use but also for its medicinal qualities. Henna has been believed to effectively treat certain types of cancer, muscle contractions, fungal infections, headaches, and general antiseptic purposes. Aside from dying the skin, henna is also used to dye the hair

Mendhi is used as part of the celebration in cultural ceremonies such as weddings and Islamic holidays of Eid. August is a holy month in India. The people fast and the women and girls do Mendhi paintings on one another. The designs can take many hours to complete. The painting is a form of meditation for the person doing it. Mendhi is applied for the major celebrations such as the Hindu new yearDiwale, as well as before weddings. Traditionally only women wear Mendhi but at some very auspicious occasions young boys are permitted to wear it. Mendhi designs are considered good luck. The belief is that the designs bring good luck and the longer the designs last, the longer the luck will last.

In early Egypt Mendhi was used to stain the toes and fingers of the Pharohsproir to mummification. The use of Mendhi was taken to India by the Moghuls in the 12th century A.D. The Mendhi designs mirror the designs found in textiles, carpets, and carvings

Arabic patterns are traditionally large, floral patterns placed on the hands and feet where the Indian patterns are traditionally fine line floral and paisley patterns covering entire hands and feet. The Sudanese traditionally used large, bold floral patterns with geometric angles, usually created in black.

The Henna powder (which can be purchased in a local Indian store) is mixed with a water and lemon juice {Citric acid helps the dye take to the skin }. It is best to boil the water, then add the lemon juice and then mix the powder in....this mixture should be left to sit at least 2 hours.

The mixture should be a paste thick enough to remain where it is put and not dribble all over the place. The mixture can be applied in a number of ways. By far the easiest and cleanest way is to put it in a tube with a thin tip, however the henna mixture may be put in any thing from which it can be squeezed in a thin line. Traditionally the henna mixture was left in a bowl and put on the skin using either a finger for less intricate patters or a thin piece of wood for more detailed designs. Traditionally designs are drawn on the hands and feet, but mendhidesgins can be drawn anywhere on the body.

After the design is traced onto the skin and has been allowed to dry (20 min. or so) a mixture of water, lemon juice, and sugar is dabbed onto the design. The citric acid helps the dye absorb into the skin and the sugar coats the mud from flakings off. The dried henna should be left on the skin for at least two hours. After the dried mud begins to flake off it will leave behind a design ranging in color from yellow to orange to dark red. You should avoid washing the area for up to 12 hours. The design can last from one to four weeks depending on how long the mud was left on initially and how often the area is washed. During the first week the design can range in color from dark orange to dark brown . Not only does the color difference rely on how long the mud was left on but also the natural color of the skin. Lighter skin tends to appear more orange than brown. As the design begins to fade the color will gradually lighten.

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Quote : Blaise Pascal
We must learn our limits. We are all something, but none of us are everything.

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Craft of the Week : Mendhi

Henna tattooing, also called Medhi in India, is a temporary form of tattooing. It is often used in religious rites and body decorations. In India, the new bride is decorated with the body paintings and is exempt from housework until they fade.

For the Magickal community, henna art can be directly tailored to the rite and the individual. This can be used to augment healing rites where the design might be painted directly on the area meant to be healed, or to remove a bad habit, a healing spell could be cast to make the habit fade with the henna tattoo. Basic Henna Recipe

• 1/8 c powdered henna
• 1/8 c very hot water (not boiling)
• 4-6 drops amber oil or other fragrant but not irritating essential oil (clove oil can help darken the design but some are sensitive)

Mix the henna, water, and oil until you have a paste the consistency of icing. Set it aside for a least one hour, stirring occasionally. On cold days, wait slightly longer until an orangish liquid appears against the dark green paste. Place the henna in a baggie.

Before using the henna, first cleanse the skin and then rub it with oil. (Use Henna oil if you can find it or a small amount of room temperature coconut or virgin olive oil if you cannot.)

Snip a small hole in the corner of the baggie and slowly squeeze the henna out on the skin in the design that you have chosen, making sure that the paste stays in contact with the skin with no bridging or gaps.

Let the pattern dry thoroughly, then dab a mixture of one part lemon juice, one part sugar, and one part water over the design. Let dry again, and then repeat the dabbing process. Ideally the design should be wrapped with gauze bandages and left for twenty-four hours. The longer the henna paste is in contact with the skin, the darker the design will be. Old henna loses its potency.

Mendhi and Henna Resource and symbol sites
http://www.hennamehndi.com/magicsymbols.htm
http://reverndbunny.sphosting.com/howmix.htm (especially for more detailed mixing instruction dos and don’ts for the paste)
http://www.naturalexpressions.org/paperstencils.html
http://www.mehndiskinart.com
http://www.hennahante.com

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Humor : Later
If God wanted me to see the sun rise, God would have scheduled it later in the day!

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Who's Who in World Mythology : Armaiti
For past articles and the bibliography, please go to the
Who's Who Archive.

Armaiti (Armaita, Aramaiti) is one of the seven Immortal Holy Ones, the attendants of Ahura Mazda or Orhmazd. Her name, according to Sayana, means “the Earth,” and it may originally have been Ara Mater, “Mother Earth,” making her an early mother goddess before absorption into the Zoroastrian religion. She acts not only as a genius of the earth, but spirit of piety, truth, wisdom, goodness, and modesty, and is identified as the daughter of Ahura Mazda.

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Quote: Harvey Firestone
You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself.

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

Beet (Beta maritima, Beta vulgaris var crassa, var cruenta, var cicla, var macrorrhiza)

Folk Names: Garden Beet; Beta maritima: Sea Beet; Beta vulgaris crassa: Beetroot, Sugar Beet, White Beet; Beta vulgaris cruenta: Foliage Beet, Victoria Beet; Beta vulgaris cicla: Spinach Beet, Swiss Chard; Beta vulgaris macrorrhiza: Mangel-wurzel (Mangold)

Description: All beets are derived from Beta maritima, the sea beet, a wild beet which grows along the coasts of Europe, north Africa, and Asia. This natural beet enjoys muddy coastal marshes. It grows approximately two feet tall with large, fleshy, glossy leaves. It has an angular stem and numerous leafy spikes of green flowers. Garden-variety beets are perennial vegetables native to southern Europe. They prefer light, sandy loams.

Effects: gentle
Planet: Saturn
Element: Earth
Associated Deities:

Traditions:
The juice has been used as ink in love magic. It is also an inexpensive blood substitute in spells calling for this ingredient.
The garden beet, cultivated from ancient times, was much appreciated by the ancients. It was offered on silver to Apollo in his temple.

Magic:
It is said that if a man and woman share the same beet, they will fall in love.

Known Combinations:
none noted

Medical Indications: Parts Used:
source of carbohydrates, iron, chloride; tops source of potassium, magnesium, calcium, B2, A

Nutrition:
The root of Beta vulgaris crassa is grown for its use as a vegetable and for sugar, while Beta vulgaris cicla is grown solely for it leaves. The leaves are very similar to spinach whether boiled or in salad. The leaves of Beta vulgaris crassa are used as spinach or put in soups. Its root is not as physically appealing as that of the red beet, though it is now used entirely as a source of beet sugar.

Mercantile Uses:
In addition to being a food crop, Beta vulgaris crassa is also grown for decoration. The leaves and root of Beta vulgaris macrorrhiza are harvested exclusively for cattle feed, being too coarse for human consumption.

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Cartoon

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Poem : How to Catch Unicorns
William Rose Benét (b. 1886)

Its cloven hoofprint on the sand
Will lead you—where?
Into a phantasmagoric land—
Beware!

There all the bright streams run up-hill.
The birds on every tree are still.
But from stocks and stones, clear voices come
That should be dumb.

If you have taken along a net,
A noose, a prod,
You'll be waiting in the forest yet...
Nid—nod!

In a virgin's lap the beast slept sound,
They say ... but I—
I think (Is anyone around?)
That's lust a lie!

If you have taken a musketoon
To flinders 'twill flash 'neath the wizard moon.
So I should take browned batter-cake,
Hot-buttered inside, like foam to flake.

And I should take an easy heart
And a whimsical face,
And a tied-up lunch of sandwich and tart,
And spread a cloth in the open chase.
And then I should pretend to snore...

And I'd hear a snort and I'd hear a roar,
The wind of a mane and a tail, and four
Wild hoofs prancing the forest-floor.

And I'd open my eyes on a flashing horn—
And see the Unicorn!

Paladins fierce and virgins sweet...
But he's never had anything to eat!
Knights have tramped in their iron-mong'ry...
But nobody thought—that's all!—he's hungry!

ADDENDUM
Really hungry! Good Lord deliver us,
The Unicorn is not carnivorous!

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Quote : Margot Asquith
Haunted from my early youth by the transitoriness and pathos of life, I was aware that it is not enough to say, "I am doing no harm." I ought to be testing myself daily, and asking myself what I am really achieving.

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

Andesine is a type of feldspar which crystallizes in granular and volcanic rock with a average content of silica. It ranges in color from white to yellow. Andesine is only a minor constituent in most granites and syenites, but it is the dominant feldspar in certain igneous rocks called, andesites.

Activities involving the transfer of information, ideas, emotion, experience, or energy are enhanced through andesine. Chaotic, disruptive, and disorganized energy is discouraged by this stone. It stabilizes and produces order within mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual frameworks, but also allows impartial and detached reasoning in situations where it is necessary to view a problem objectively.

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Humor : Reasonable Doubt

A defendant was on trial for murder in Oklahoma. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no corpse. In the defense's closing statement, the lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick: 'Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you all,' the lawyer said as he looked at his watch. 'Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this courtroom.' He looked toward the courtroom door. The jurors, somewhat stunned, all looked on eagerly. A minute passed. Nothing happened. Finally the lawyer said, 'Actually, I made up the previous statement. But you all looked on with anticipation. I therefore put it to you that there is reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed, and insist that you return a verdict of not guilty.' The jury, clearly confused, retired to deliberate. A few minutes later, the jury returned and pronounced a verdict of guilty. 'But how?' inquired the lawyer. 'You must have had some doubt; I saw all of you stare at the door.' The jury foreman replied, 'We looked, all right. But your client didn't.'

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

Integration is a sign of triumph over your enemies.

You will have aid where you need it most if you dreamt of Interceding for someone.

If you engaged in and enjoyed sexual Intercourse, you can expect an easy and pleasant adjustment to circumstances. If you saw others having sex, interpret the dream based on your reaction.

Paying Interest is a warning to curb your spending, while receiving it is a forecast of important changes. If you were overcharged in interest, someone may die.

Using or acting as an Interpreter is an augury of money problems.

Difficulties in love are foretold by a dream of being Interrupted.

Your own Intestines are a symbol of physical strain; get more rest. If you experienced severe pain, see your doctor as soon as possible. If the intestines belonged to someone else, you are entering a period of worry over some friend or relative. Animal intestines however may be interpreted as an impressive improvement in your lifestyle.

A friend will disappoint you if you dreamt of being Intolerant, but if others were intolerant, an unexpected and expensive gift or inheritance is in your future.

Intoxication denotes a cultivation of illicit pleasures.

Intrigue is a warning that your personal affairs will be the subject of gossip because you have entrusted the wrong person with your secrets.

Loss of life and general misfortune are foretold by an Inundation covering cities or countryside with dark, seething waters. If you saw people swept away, you will have bereavement and despair. Clear water after a flood denotes profit and ease after a seemingly hopeless struggle.

Your success will be delayed if you were Invalid. A friend or relative may come to you for help, if you saw a physically handicapped person or people.

Your dearest wish or hope will be achieved if you saw some new Invention or met an inventor.

Changes to the good in business are foretold by preparations to take Inventory, and taking inventory indicates abundance.

Invisibility augurs swift and unexpected changes for the better.

Written Invitations are an omen of boredom and depression, but a verbal request for your presence is a forecast of social activities. If you invited someone to visit you, some unpleasant event is near.

Invulnerability is a warning to avoid physical risks for a while.

Iodine indicates troubles of your own creation.

Taking or giving Ipecac is a sign of sudden release from worry.

Contentment and prosperity are presaged by Irises.

Iron in any form is a symbol of slow but steady advancement towards your ultimate goal, though old or rusty iron signifies poverty and disappointment. If you were weighted down by iron, confusion and material losses will trouble you. If you struck at something with iron, you will behave selfishly and cruelly toward those who depend upon you. You will use unjust means to accumulate wealth if you were an iron manufacturer, and selling it foretells doubtful success and ignoble friends. Red hot iron signifies misapplied energies.

Ironing is an omen of release from some heavy burden, possibly through unexpected profit or an increased income. Illness or jealousy will disturb your peace if you burned your hands, and burning the clothes means some rival will cause you much displeasure. A cold iron is a sign of cool affections from someone loved.

Being a castaway on some Island is considered an obstacle dream, your ability to overcome these obstacles indicated by your ability to get off the island. Visiting or living on an island points to a new and exciting experience. A barren island means a forfeiture of happiness and money through overindulgence, but a lush island is a promise of travel, wealth, and honor.

If you had an Itch, you will be harshly used, but you will defend yourself by incriminating others.

Ivory is a favorable omen for all that concerns you, the larger the pieces, the better. If you owned a piece of ivory, you will have literary ability, and giving it as a gift means you will never seriously want for money. You have one true and trustworthy friend if you bought it, but selling it is a warning of misery.

Ivy growing outside is a symbol of faithful friends, and indoors, it is a sign of personal happiness. Growing up around a tree is foretells health and strength. Withered ivy is an omen of broken engagements and sadness.

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Quote : Henri Bergson
To exist is to change; to change is to mature; to mature is to create oneself endlessly.

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