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.

June is the sixth month of the current Gregorian calendar and the first month of summer. It is the "door of the year," the gateway to the inner realms. The original name for this month was Junonius. It was named for the Roman goddess Juno, patron of the female sex, and so this month was considered an excellent month for marriages. As Juno Moneta, whose temple was located on the Capitoline hill in Rome, she was guardian of money and wealth. June is sacred to Juno and all gods and goddesses who preside over love, passion, and beauty.

The Irish call June Meitheamh or an t-Ogmios, the young month. The Anglo-Saxon name was Aerra Litha, "before Litha." The Franks called it Brachmanoth, "break month." June is called Fallow by the Asatru.

The first Full Moon of June is called the Hot or Strawberry Moon in parts of America. It is also referred to as the Strong Sun Moon, Lover's Moon, and Rose Moon, and it has been called the Moon of Making Fat and the Moon of Horses, and name similar to one of the names for May’s Moon. It shares the names Mead Moon and Honey Moon with July.

Cancer becomes dominant on June 21st as the sun passes from the constellation of Gemini. Roses are for those born this month. June plays host to many stones claiming to be its birthstone. Of them all, emerald is listed most, followed by agate, chalcedony, turquoise, pearl, cat’s eye, or alexandrite, in that order. Pearl and moss agate are also birthstones of Gemini, and moonstone or pearl is the birthstone of Cancer. Chrysoprase, sapphire, and topaz are also connected to Gemini, while albite, chrysoprase, emerald, green tourmaline, opal, pink tourmaline, and rhodochrosite are associated with Cancer.

Lunar Holy Days

The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Double Fifth Festival, occurs on the fifth day of the fifth moon. It is one of the three most important of the annual Chinese festivals, the other two being the Autumn Moon Festival and Chinese New Year.
Chu Yuan, the divine poet, lived in the third century BCE, serving the King of Chu during the Warring States period. He enjoyed the full confidence and respect of his sovereign at first, but eventually he was falsely discredited by rivals and found himself in disfavor. During that time, he composed his immortal poem, "Encountering Sorrow", an allegorical description of his search for a prince who would listen to good counsel in government. Never able to regain his emperor's favor, on the fifth day of the fifth moon in the year 295 BCE at the age of 37, Chu Yuan held a stone to his chest and leapt into the Milo River in the Hunan Province. Respect for the minister caused the people living in the area to jump into their boats in a vain attempt to find him while other villagers threw rice dumplings in the river to distract dragons and evil spirits lurking in the water. This unsuccessful rescue attempt is a part of what the Dragon Boat Festival commemorates in its annual races. The annual Dragon Boat Festival was at one time a Pagan Summer Solstice ritual designed to appease the dragon gods of the rivers.

According to English folklore, if a baby comes into the world on Whitsunday, he or she is destined to either commit an act of murder or to be murdered unless a chicken was put into the infant's hand and it was made to squeeze the creature to death. A foal born would either win a race or kill a man. Whitsunday is also associated with drowning. Some would not go to sea unless a bride steered the ship, and those who had drowned were thought to return to take new victims. Children often had their heads massaged with salt to prevent their being taken by fairies.

Socrates

corn dances

Domna

Atlantis

Egungun

Bendidia

Vestalia or Vesta Aperit

Mens

Lindisfarne Day

rain today means a wet harvest

rice festival

Famadihana

Vesta

Grace Cook

Salem

Anahita. (See also April 11th)

Fortuna

Matralia

Ruth Montgomery

Witchcraft Act

Zeus

Korean ritual to dispel bad luck

Festival of Mut

Gwyl o Epona

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Humor: One-Wish Genie

A woman was walking along the beach when she stumbled upon a bottle. She picked it up and rubbed it, and lo-and-behold a Genie appeared. Naturally the amazed woman requested her three wishes, but the Genie said, "Nope, sorry three-wish genies are a story-tale myth. I'm a one-wish genie. So...what'll it be?" The woman didn't hesitate. She announced, "I want peace in the Middle East.” Whipping out a map, she said, “I want these countries to stop fighting with each other, and I want all the Arabs to love Jews and Americans and visa versa. It will bring about world peace and harmony." The Genie looked at the map incredulously, and exclaimed, "Lady, be reasonable! These countries have been at war for thousands of years. I'm out of shape after being in a bottle for five hundred years. I'm good but not THAT good! I don't think it can be done. Make another wish and please be reasonable." The woman thought for a minute and said, "Well, I've never been able to find the right man. You know, one that's considerate and fun, likes to cook and helps with the house cleaning, is an excellent lover, gets along with my family, doesn't watch sports all the time, and is faithful. That's what I wish for...a good man." The Genie let out a long sigh, and shook his head. Then he said, "Let me see that damn map again."

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Article : Salt
By Candace

A Short History of Salt

Salt has a long and influential role in world history. From the dawn of civilization, salt has been a key part of economic, religious, social and political development. The Peng-Tzao-Kan-Mu of China is the earliest known treatise on pharmacology (2,700-4,700 BCE), much of which was devoted to a discussion of more than 40 kinds of salt. It included descriptions of two methods of extracting and processing salt that are startlingly similar to methods used today. Although a crucial element in modern industry, the methods of producing salt really haven't changed for centuries.

The human body contains about four ounces of salt. Salt is essential to all living creatures and even many plants. Since the body cannot manufacture it, salt is an "essential" nutrients, and as an electrolyte, we lose it every time we sweat. Without enough salt, muscles won't contract, blood doesn’t circulate, food goes undigested, and the heart ceases beat. For years researchers claimed that salt contributed to high blood pressure, but recent studies have shown that there is little reason to reduce sodium intake in people with normal blood pressure. In fact, one study has indicated it as a possible treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Salt was an important trading commodity carried by explorers and nomads. It was used as an exchange for slaves in ancient Greece, giving rise to the expression "not worth his salt." King Ancus Martius (640 - 616 B.C.) founded the first Roman colony at Ostia because of the salt marshes there, and the Via Salaria (Salt Road) was built to carry salt to the city. Its inclusion in the rations of Roman soldiers, referred to as "salarium argentum," has given rise to the myth that Roman soldiers were paid in salt, and “salarium” is in fact the forerunner of the English word "salary." From the Latin "sal," other words such as "sauce" and "sausage" were also derived.

Chinese folklore credits the Phoenix with the discovery of salt, and salt production has been important in China for two millennia or more. The Chinese emperor Hsia Yu made salt taxes a major source of revenue in 2200 B.C.E. British monarchs imposed salt taxes, and French kings developed a salt monopoly, giving exclusive rights to produce it to a favored few. In the late 1700's, when hogs and cattle began dying in Britain for lack of salt due to the high taxes, angry mobs rioted until Parliament finally abolished the tax. Many feel the monopoly practiced by the French royalty directly contributed to the French Revolution. The new Assembly ended the salt tax in France 1790, making salt affordable. In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi undertook his 200-mile march to the sea in protest of Britain's salt tax and the prohibition against gathering sea salt.

Salt has not only been the focus of commerce, it has been used as the currency itself. In Tibet, Marco Polo saw tiny cakes of salt, pressed with images of the Grand Khan, used as coins. Up until the twentieth century, Ethiopia used salt disks as money, stacks of them kept in the treasury. Salt is still used as money among the nomads of Ethiopia's Danakil Plains. A bride price of salt is customary in Ethiopia, and in Central Africa, salt could be used to buy a bride until the early 1900's. Merchants of 12th-Century Timbuktu valued salt as highly as books and gold, and in the Sudan, where salt is scarce, it was traded for gold.

Salt and Its Uses

Halite, sodium chloride, or salt, crystallizes in a variety of forms: in masses, columns, and cubic crystals, sometimes with concave faces. Its scientific name comes from hals, the Greek word for salt. The melting point of salt is 1,473.4° F, and the boiling point is 2,575° F. On the Moh's Scale, salt has a hardness of 2.5. Its color ranges from colorless to shades of yellow, red, and blue. In California, it occurs in hues of pink and cranberry due to the presence of an algae growing within the mineral. An indigo version can be found in Germany. Halite is typically a delicate mineral, not suitable for wearing. It will dissolve completely in water and degrade in damp weather because it is, after all, common table salt. Seawater contains an average of 2.6% sodium chloride.

Industrial and commercial uses are almost without number. Salt is used to fix and standardize dye batches in the textile industry. It is used as a filler and grinding agent in pigment and dry-detergent processes. Ceramics manufacturers use salt to vitrify the surface of heated clays, and in metal processing and secondary aluminum making, it is used to remove impurities. Rubber manufacturers utilize salt to separate rubber from latex, while soap makers use it to separate soap from water and glycerol. Leather workers use salt to cure, preserve and tan hides. Oil and gas drillers use salt to inhibit fermentation, increase density, and to stabilize the drill. The greatest single use for salt, outside of nutrition, is in the production of chlorine and caustic soda used in papermaking. The caustic soda is used to break down wood fibers, and the chlorine bleaches the pulp.

Salt is the most effective, readily available, economical highway deicer in use today. The lowest temperature at which sodium chloride will melt ice is -6.02° F, but salt works best at temperatures near 32° F. As the temperature falls, it takes more salt and more time to melt ice because a higher concentration of salt is required. More than 40% of the dry salt produced in the United States is used for highway deicing.

Livestock animals do not always receive adequate amounts of sodium and chloride from foraging and feed. They require salt supplements as part of a nutritionally balanced diet to remain healthy and to reach optimal growth and reproduction rates. We usually get enough salt in our own diets from the highly processed foods which are our staple.

Salt in Religion

Salt has long held an important place in religion and culture. It is one of the oldest meat preservatives still in use, something the Egyptians knew well. Priests in charge of the embalming process used a naturally occurring salt compound in the preservation of their dead.

From its use as a preservative, salt has become a religious symbol, representing immutability and incorruptible purity. In many religions, salt is included on the altar to represent purity, and it was mixed into holy water for the same reason. Greek worshippers consecrated salt in their rituals, and the Vestal virgins sprinkled all sacrificial animals with salt and flour. In Hawaii, it was customary to mix salt with iron-rich red clay as an imitation for sacred blood used in purifying rituals.

There are more than 30 references to salt in the Bible. Until Pope Vatican II, a small taste of salt was placed on a baby's lip by a Roman Catholic priest at his or her baptism, while saying, "Receive the salt of wisdom." The Israelites included salt with all offerings, and ancient Jewish temples included a salt chamber. On the Sabbath, Jews still dip their bread in salt as a remembrance of those offerings. Covenants in both the Old and New Testaments were often sealed with salt- the origin of the word "salvation."

Salt was put into a child's mouth at birth and on the breast at death. Sometimes earth as well as salt was laid on a corpse before burial, the earth being an emblem of the corruptibility of the body, and the salt of the incorruptibility of the soul. Not only did the salt prevent the body from swelling but, like fire and earth, the mourners may have seen salt as a protection from evil for the soul of the departed. In Leeds it is still common in many households to place a plate of salt on the stomach of a corpse immediately after death.

Offering bread and salt to visitors is traditional etiquette in many cultures. In Buddhist tradition, salt repels evil spirits. It’s customary to throw salt over your shoulder before entering your house after a funeral to scare off any evil spirits that may be clinging to your back. In 1933, the Dalai Lama was buried sitting up in a bed of salt. Shinto religion also uses salt to purify. Before sumo wrestlers enter the ring for a match, a handful of salt is thrown into the center to drive off malevolent spirits. Today, a gift of salt endures in India as a potent symbol of good luck and a reference to Mahatma Gandhi’s liberation of India.

In southwest America, the Pueblo worship the Salt Mother. Other native tribes had certain restrictions on who was permitted to eat salt. Hopi legend states that the Warrior Twins punished mankind, placing salt deposits far from civilization, so that hard work and bravery was required to harvest it.

Magic, Superstition, and Folklore

Salt has been long considered protective against evil and demons. In folklore, it has provided defense against witches, witchcraft, demons and sprites, and the evil eye. During the Middle Ages, it was a common belief that witches, and the animals they bewitched, could not eat anything salted. Inquisitors were advised by demonologists to protect themselves by wearing an amulet of salt, consecrated on Palm Sunday, and other blessed herbs, pressed into a disk of blessed wax. Carrying a concealed packet of salt is said to ward off the evil eye as well.

A known talisman to ward off evil spirits is a jar of salt and a knife. Native Hawaiian lore had a similar charm using rock salt and a Ti leaf (Dracaena terminalis). Some people put salt and pepper in their left boot for good fortune. To ward off an evil witch, a peasant might throw salt outside the front door or to lean a broom next to it. A passing witch would have to count the grains of salt and the blades of straw on the broom before she could do any harm.

Eighteenth-century Scots believed that brownies lived in the kitchen and came out at night to make mischief. If salt was spilled, it was important to throw it over the left should to bribe the brownies and keep them from causing trouble. It was the left should because the Latin root “sinist,” which became the word sinister, means 'left'. Therefore, the left side was thought to be evil or sinister, and where evil spirits and mischievous sprites would linger.

In Greek Folklore, salt can be used to get rid of an unwanted human presence. Sprinkle salt behind an unwanted guest in your home, and the salt will chase him out. You can also take a small amount of salt, and saying, "Be gone!" three times, place the salt in their shoes. It is customary to sprinkle salt in a new home before you occupy it; the salt will drive any evil out and away from you and your family; and placing salt on thresholds of doorways is said to keep ghosts from entering those rooms.

If milk were taken from a house, it was necessary for the mistress of the house to put a pinch of salt in it to prevent the luck of the house from going with it. Fishermen would not lend any salt out of their boat, for this was considered extremely unlucky. Salt was also scattered about the threshold if a woman were approaching the birth of her child, in order to drive away the fairies. Three things should not be given out from the house for the six weeks following the birth of a child - fire, salt, and bread.

In modern occult circles, salt is said to enhance good will, elevate moods and diminish negativity. It can assist in dispelling feelings of abandonment and incite initiative and independence. Salt can also help the user deal with unforeseen events and allows one to draw on experiences, sometimes from past lives, to deal with today’s problems.

Salt stimulates the acupressure/acupuncture meridians and can be used to preserve them as well. It can be used to treat disorders of the colon and lower intestinal tract. Halite also augments strength during physical activities. It should not be placed on the abdominal area during pregnancy, but can be used in any other area. When an indigo blue inclusion occurs within a halite crystal, it is especially useful for Pisces. Indigo halite encourages psychic powers, mysticism, and intuition. It is useful in treating disorders of the thalamus, thymus, and thyroid. The pink to cranberry form of halite from California is especially good when working with the heart chakra.

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Quote : Chinese Proverb
Dig the well before you are thirsty.

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Craft of the Week : Bath Salts

Easy Recipes

1 c salt
1 c Epsom salt
1 c baking soda

Add a little of the mixture to your tub for a revitalizing bath. For bubbles, just add 1 cup of shampoo. For a nice scent, add oils.

A more complicated recipe…

4 cups Epsom salts
2 cups Sea salt
1 cup non fat powdered milk
1 cup baking soda
2 cups oatmeal ground to a very fine powder in a food processor or coffee grinder-use the old fashioned kind

Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, sieving as you add them. Add your oils gradually, thoroughly mixing each addition through your dry ingredients. This is to ensure that the oils are distributed as evenly as possible.

Fizzing Bath Crystals

1/3 cup baking soda
1/4 cup citric acid crystals
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Mix ingredients and place in an airtight container. Keep salts dry, moisture will cause them to react and fizz. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the salts into warm tub of water. You will have to add your oils to the water instead of directly to this combination.

Here are some oil combinations to try with your bath salts

Sacred Rites (use before spells or ritual work) 10 drops lemon oil 10 drops lavender oil 5 drops cinnamon oil 5 drops jasmine oil 5 drops anise oil	Personal Power (increase personal energy levels) 10 drops your favorite scent 10 drops lemon oil 5 drops peppermint oil 5 drops orange oil
Aura Cleansing (clean negativity from personal energy) 15 drops peppermint oil 10 drops lavender oil 10 drops vanilla extract 5 drops almond extract	Spell Breaker (break spells cast upon you) 10 drops clove oil 10 drops peppermint oil 10 drops lemon oil 10 drops eucalyptus oil
Changes (coping with major life changes) 10 drops lime oil 10 drops lemon oil 10 drops peppermint oil 10 drops almond extract	Dream Recall (enhance dream recall) 10 drops jasmine oil 5 drops lavender oil 5 drops orange oil
Psychic Bath Salt (raise psychic awareness) 3 parts Lemongrass 2 parts Thyme 2 parts Orange Peel 1 part Clove 1 part Cinnamon	Help (when you need assistance) 10 drops peppermint oil 10 drops cinnamon oil 10 drops lemon oil 10 drops vanilla extract 10 drops almond extract
Blessings (helps before connecting to the divine) 20 drops almond extract 10 drops rose oil 5 drops lavender oil 5 drops lemon oil 3 drops cinnamon oil	Protection (physical, mental, spiritual, psychic and emotional protection) 3 parts Rosemary 2 parts Frankincense 1 part Lavender
Healing (speeds the healing process) 3 parts Rosemary 2 parts Lavender 2 parts Rose 1 part Peppermint 1 part Cinnamon (For a cold, add two parts Eucalyptus)	Love (attract love) 1 part Ylang Ylang essential oil 1 part Sweet Orange essential oil 1 part Rose Geranium essential oil

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Humor : Holy Laxatives

Sister Mary Katherine lived in a convent, a block away from Jack's liquor store. One day, in walked Sister Mary K. and said, "Oh, Jack, give me a pint of brandy. "Sister Mary Katherine," exclaimed Jack, "I could never do that! I have never sold alcohol to a nun in my life!" "Oh Jack", she responded, "it's only for the Mother Superior." Her voice dropped, "It helps her constipation, you know." So Jack sold her the brandy. Later that night Jack closed the store and walked home. As he passed the convent who should he see, but Sister Mary Katherine! And she was plastered! She was singing and dancing, whirling around and flapping her arms like a bird, right there on front steps of the convent. A crowd was gathering, and Jack pushed through, crying, "Sister Mary Katherine! For shame!! And you told me this was for the Mother Superior's constipation!" Not missing a beat, she replied, "And so it is. When she sees me, she's gonna sh*t."

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

Aryaman or Aryana is one of the twelve Adityas, sons of Aditi, and the chief of the Pitris, the ancestors of mankind. They are of seven kinds of Pitris, three without form and four with. The incorporeal Pitris are Vairajas, Agnishwattas, and Barishads, while the corporeal ones are Sakalas or Sakalins, Angirasas, Suswadhas, and Somapus.

Aryaman is a minor solar god and in Vedic times, the Vishwadeva (god) of formal hospitality, ruling over patronage, kindness, and favors. Marriage contracts and protection of family inheritance are his responsibility. He is most commonly invoked in conjunction with Varuna and Mitra or with Bhaga. The Milky Way is called Aryamanah panthah, Aryaman’s Path. His attributes include a club, two lotuses and a prayer wheel.

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Quote: Avery Weisman, MD
Morale is self-esteem in action.

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

Betony (Stachys betonica or Betonica officinalis)

Description: Betony is a woodland perennial common to old European gardens, meadows, sunny slopes, and forest paths. It may be listed under Stachys betonica or Betonica officinalis. The hairy, furrowed, quadrangular stem is unbranched or slightly branched and six inches to two feet high. It rises from a thick, woody root. The stalkless leaves are hairy on both sides and appear singly at wide intervals along the stem. The more numerous basal leaves are oblong-cordate, while the upper leaves along the stem are more lanceolate. All the leaves are dotted with glands, containing a bitter, aromatic oil. Two lipped flowers in dense whorls of vivid red-purple spring up from interrupted spikes in June and August. Between each cluster of whorls is a space of bare stem, with two or four oblong leaves, then more flowers. Four smooth, brown, three-cornered nutlets develop from each fertilized flower.

Effects: strong
Planet: Jupiter, Mars, Venus Zodiac: Cancer, Sagittarius
Element: fire
Associated Deities:

Traditions:
Betony is traditionally included in midsummer fires. It is the custom to jump through the flames to purify yourself of all ills and evils for the following year. According to some sources however, it should be harvesting August, without the use of iron, so any betony used in the midsummer fires would have to be nearly a year old.

It was once planted near churches and graveyards due to its power against evil spirits. It was said if two serpents were placed in a ring made of betony, they would fight and kill each other.

During the Middle Ages, lore said it betony was a favorite of wounded animals. They would seek it out and eat it to heal their wounds. It is perhaps for this reason that the fuzzy leaves were used in field dressings of wounds.

Magic:
Placed under the pillow, betony will prevent visions and dreams.
Betony may be added to all purifying and protective mixtures and incenses. It provides protection from evil, negativity, fears, and personal demons. Grow it in garden to protect the home, and scatter near doors and windows to prevent evil spirits and witches from entering.
Carry betony when seeking love, and add it to food to reunite a quarreling couple.
Betony strengthens the body when worn, and is said to cure "elf-sickness," a medieval reference to stroke. Its power over headaches was well known in the past. Gerard credited it with plague prevention.

Known Combinations:
Betony was considered a cure for drunkenness or a preventative. Take it powdered with Colewort (Avens), as much as will fit on a 6-pence, while fasting to cure inebriation, or prevent it by carrying it as a charm.

Medical Indications: Parts Used : flowering herb, leaves
Betony is an anthelmintic, astringent, carminative, diuretic, expectorant, and vulnerary. A poultice from the root is good for external swelling, and a tea may be used on internal swelling. You can also use boiled leaves as a poultice for sprains. The juice is said to heal cuts, external ulcers, and old sores, and it may be use regularly on varicose veins. Place some betony near a toothache to relieve the pain.
Internally, betony has been used for asthma, bronchitis, and heartburn. It stimulates the heart and helps cardiovascular disorders, relaxes muscles, and reduces hyperactivity. An infusion may be used for neuralgia, bladder and kidney problems, spitting blood, and excessive sweating. Gerard recommends a decoction for worms.

Nutrition:
none

Mercantile Uses:
None aside from use as a garden plant.

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Cartoon

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Poem : All That My Soul Possessed,…
Nikolay Zabolotsky (1903-1958)

All that my soul possessed, it seemed that again I had lost it all,
As I lay emptily in the grass, wretchedly sad and bored.
And a flower rose up over me, a body, living, beautiful,
With a grasshopper standing in front, a sort of miniature guard.

And then I opened my book, which was thick and heavily bound,
On the first page was an illustration of a plant.
And dark and dead, stretching from the flower to the book
Was wither the flower’s truth or else the lie shielded within.

And the flower seemed amazed at the sight of its reflection,
As if it tried to comprehend a quite outlandish wisdom;
Its leaves were trembling, stirred by thought to an unaccustomed motion,
Trembling with that effort of will, which cannot be expressed.

The grasshopper raised his horn and nature suddenly awoke,
And the sorrowing creature started to sing a praise of thought.
And then the image of the flower engraved in my old book
Began to move, and to compel my heart to move toward it.

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Quote : Bernard Shaw
There is always danger for those who are afraid of it.

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

Annabergite, hydrated nickel arsenate, forms fine veins of crystal in a delicate apple-green. The characteristic color of nickel-bloom, as miners called it, was often used to find nickel ore. It instills acceptance and balance of the inner self. Nothing is unbelievable, unimaginable, or impossible to someone using annabergite. It assists intuition, imagination, and visualization. Contact with past spiritual teachers and the transference of knowledge is enhanced by annabergite. Alignment with the magnetic energy fields of the earth is also an aspect of this stone.

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Humor : Details

A man walked into a restaurant with an ostrich behind him. As he sat, the waitress came over and asked for his order. The man said, "I'll have a hamburger, fries and a coke," and then turned to the ostrich. "What's yours?" "I'll have the same," said the ostrich. After they ate, the waitress presented them with the bill. "That will be $6.40 please." The man reached into his pocket and pulled out exactly the right change for payment. The next day, the man and the ostrich returned and the man said, "I'll have a hamburger, fries and a coke," and the ostrich said, "I'll have the same." After the meal, the man once again reached into his pocket and paid with exact change. This became the routine for the rest of the week, until late Friday evening, when the two enter again. "The usual?" queried the waitress. "No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato and salad," said the man. "Same for me," said the ostrich. After they had eaten, the waitress returned with the bill, saying, "That will be $12.62." Once again the man pulled exactly the right change from his pocket and placed it on the table. The waitress can't hold back her curiosity any longer. "Excuse me, sir. How do you manage to always come up with the exact change out of your pocket every time?" "Well," says the man, "Several years ago I was cleaning the attic, and I found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I could just put my hand in my pocket, and the right amount of money would always be there." "That's brilliant!" replied the waitress. "Most people would wish for a million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!" "That's right! Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there," said the man. Still curious, the waitress asked, "One other thing sir… What's with the ostrich?" The man replies, "I used my second wish to ask for a chick with long legs."

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

Seeking a Job or losing one is indicative of a promotion or some other beneficial event. Being offered a job however, is a warning to pay closer attention to your responsibilities.

If you dreamt of a Jockey, be on guard against treachery. A gift may come from an unexpected source. Money will come to you easily if you saw a jockey win a race, but if he lost, you will be cheated by friends. A jockey racing at full speed indicates an unexpected proposal. If you saw a jockey thrown from his horse, strangers will call upon you for assistance.

A change for the better is in store if your own Joints ached. If your leg joints hurt, you will be happy.

You will enjoy good humor if you told a Joke, but hearing a funny joke heralds misery due to a disagreement with a friend of a social gaffe. You will make a profit if you told a dirty joke, and hearing children tell jokes means your unhappiness with be consoled. You will be afflicted with some malady if you told a very funny joke.

People will take advantage of you if you saw a Joker, and if you were a joker, light company will bring you no good. It is a suitable time to pursue marriage if a joker was used in a deck of cards, and if it was not used, you may lose money.

If you were Jolly, people are moving to cause you harm. If you were too jolly, you will lose lots of money. Use caution in speculation if you saw others being jolly at some gathering.

Dreaming of a Jonquil is a great sign for your sex life.

A pleasant Journey promises profits, and an unpleasant one is indicative if disappointments. You will overcome your obstacles if you went by horseback, but if you walked, hard work is ahead. Taking a trip by carriage or car means abundance, and a journey by boat indicated accord among friends. A plane trip augurs family quarrels. If the journey was long or the road was rough, you will avoid unpleasantness, but if the weather was stormy, be careful in your affairs. You will soon marry if you went armed, and if it was a sword, you will be married in a month. A change for the better is presaged by relatives on a trip, and if your enemies were traveling, it indicates their failure to due you harm. A journey with children assures you happiness.

A Journeyman is a sign of lost money through useless travel.

Heavy or pendulous Jowls warning of a relative or associate who will try to run roughshod over you.

Joy in a dream means you will receive bad news, unless you were overwhelmed by joy, in which case, expect good health. Good times are ahead if children were joyful. Vindictive joy is an omen that you will be called on to pay for past misdeeds.

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Quote : Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.

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