Friday 28 January 2011

Stanton Drew Stone Circles

STANTON DREW STONE CIRCLES

(Please note : the sites of these stone circles, although in the care of English Heritage, lie on private land.


You are welcome to visit them during daylight hours on payment of an entrance fee of £1.00 (please leave the money in the honesty box at gate from the car park). However, please do not take dogs with you, do not leave litter, and respect the country code.)

Stanton Drew lies off the beaten track and it is perhaps for this reason that its remarkable prehistoric stone circles have not received the same level of interest and exploration as their more famous relatives at Avebury and Stonehenge. This obscurity, and the lack of modern intrusions into their surroundings, has protected the solitude and character of these sites. Very little is known about them. The great stones (or megaliths), and the patterns they make in the landscape, remain mysterious; no excavations are recorded, nor have any modern surveys been made - that is, until very recently. This note provides you with a very brief background to the site and of the results of this new research.

The megalithic sites
There are three stone circles at Stanton Drew: the Great Circle being one of the largest in the country. The other two, to the south-west and north-east respectively are smaller. Both the great Circle and the north-east circle were approached from the north-east by short `avenues' of standing stones. Most of the stones have fallen, although a few still remain upright. In the garden of the village pub is a group of three large stones called The Cove, and to the north, across the river Chew, is the site of a standing stone called Hautville's Quoit. Their proximity to each other, and alignments between some of them, indicate that these sites are related as a single complex, and it is a fair assumption that Stanton Drew was once a place of primary significance during the later Stone Age.

History and folklore

The circles are thought to have been originally noted by the famous antiquarian John Aubrey in 1664, and the first plan of them was published by William Stukeley in 1776. Although several other observers have written about them, they remain very much as first recorded over three hundred years ago. In the absence of many facts about the sites, the stones have attracted a considerable tradition of folklore. The most persistent tale is that the stones represent the members of a wedding party and its musicians, lured by the Devil to celebrate on the Sabbath and thus becoming petrified in their revels.

Stone circles such as those here are known to date broadly to the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age (approx 3000-2000 BC), and many examples are known, mostly from western and northern Britain. In southern England the stone circles and avenues at Avebury and Stonehenge testify to a long and complex history within a landscape dense in other evidence of prehistoric activity. The circles are believed to have played an important part in contemporary social and religious life, and there is evidence that some were aligned with major events of the solar and lunar calendar. They are difficult subjects to tackle archaeologically, though, and their interpretation is the subject of much discussion, a debate much enlivened by the interests and theories of the `New Age'.

Apart from the certainty that the stone settings at Stanton Drew share an affinity with ritual complexes such as Avebury, there is little material evidence to take this interpretation further. Contemporary prehistoric sites seem to be rare in the vicinity although they probably await discovery. In order to try and lift this veil of ignorance a little, and also to help improve the day-to-day management and presentation of the circles, English Heritage have recently initiated geophysical research at the site.

Archaeology and recent survey
Geophysical survey is a method of examining an archaeological site without having to dig it up. Several techniques can be used, but the one that has so far proved most effective at Stanton Drew is magnetometry. This relies on the fact that all soil is slightly magnetic and that this magnetism is concentrated and enhanced in many types of archaeological feature. Measurements made with a portable magnetometer, carried across the site at regularly spaced intervals, allows a picture of the local magnetic field to be built up. Magnetic `anomalies' are revealed in the subsequent computer plots as patterns which indicate the presence of buried features such as pits, ditches and hearths.

The Ancient Monuments Laboratory of English Heritage has carried out a magnetometer survey of the large field which contains the Great Circle and the north-east circle. The results have been astonishing and have, at a stroke, demonstrated that the megalithic remains at Stanton Drew are but the ruin of a much more elaborate and important site than had previously been dreamed of. Lying under the pasture within the Great Circle are the remains of a highly elaborate pattern of buried pits. They are arranged in nine rings concentric with the stone circle at the centre of which are further pits. The rings of pits vary in diameter, from about 23m to 95m. Although the magnetic signal is extremely weak, and it is difficult to make out individual features, it appears that the pits are about a metre or more in diameter and are spaced about a metre apart on the outer circle.


Just as remarkable is the discovery that the Great Circle is itself contained within a very large buried enclosure ditch (approximately 135m outer diameter). This is about 7m wide and has a broad gap or entrance facing to the north-east. Such enclosures, or henges, are a well known feature of later Neolithic Britain and are assumed to be the foci of ritual activity. Several henges enclose stone circles, and rings of pits are also a feature of some of them. Sites which bear the closest similarity to the patterns emerging at Stanton Drew include Woodhenge, near Stonehenge, and the Sanctuary, near Avebury. At these and other sites, the pits are known to have held timber uprights although it is not clear whether these were part of roofed or open structures. It seems probable that at least some of the pit circles at Stanton Drew once held massive posts. The circles are the largest and most numerous yet recorded at any site and surely indicate the investment of immense effort and enterprise in the service of prehistoric beliefs as yet only dimly perceived.

The magnetic survey also covered the area of the north-east stone circle and found at its centre a quadrilateral of four pits aligned with the opposing pairs of the 8 stones that comprise the circle. Here again is evidence of hidden elaboration: perhaps these are ritual pits, or they might be the holes of stones that have since been removed. 

These results are thus very remarkable and will thrust Stanton Drew well into the limelight of research as scholars come to terms with the details and their implications. Although no excavation at the site is foreseen at present, further survey work is planned which will aim to explore other parts of the site (the south-western circle, for instance) and will try and refine details of the main henge complex.



The Legend

The Wedding guests gathered in a field below Dundry Hill. It was Saturday evening, and a great fire had been lit, for the Wedding was over and the revels had begun. A Harper played in the field and so they danced into the night. As the time approached midnight the Harper reminded the dancing guests that it would soon be Sunday. The guests were very merry. They called for the Harper to continue, saying, "We shall dance till dawn, though we should have to call the Devil himself to play for us".

The Harper declined their request. He packed away his instrument and started to leave, treading his way quietly through the already damp grass of the field. As he moved away he heard the faint sound of piping behind him. He looked back. In the light of the fire saw the shadowy figure of a Piper moving to join the company. They welcomed him with open arms and so the dance went on. The Harper hurried on his way.

The Piper played and the people danced on into the night. Faster and faster the Piper played and the peopled danced whether they would or no. They cried and shrieked and cursed for the Piper to cease but he played on...The Piper laughed in the cold light of dawn. He raised his pipe again to his lips and played a haunting melody. The dammed souls of the wedding guests gathered close around and followed him into the mists of the netherworld.

The Harper returned to the field later on Sunday morning. In his haste to leave he had left behind his hat and now he thought to retrieve it. He found his hat easily; it had been placed jauntily on the top of one of the many stones that now stood in the field. The Harper counted the stones and though he could not be sure there seemed to be about forty six. "How odd," thought the Harper, "There were about that many wedding guests…". He ran from the field and never went near the place again.

Tansy
x


Sources:
English Heritage
Twistedtree.org

Sunday 23 January 2011

Who are you?

Are you really who you want to be?

Is the person that you project to others who you really want them to see you as?

Hmmmm...I am by nature a strong character, an organised control freak, and used to being alpha female.  Or at least I used to be.

Throughout the past 42 years of my life I have had many 'hats' or 'masks' depending on what company I was with or where I was - a schoolgirl in the 80's, a Young Farmer, a smart PA, a bride (twice), a mother, a rock chick drummer, a witch - just a few of the facets of my character.

I have worked very hard over the past couple of years with my shadow side.  I now know my faults, I know the parts of my character that I don't like.  Those parts of me that I shudder about when I look back at events in my life - things I have said or done that I am not proud of.

I have always been in control and organised.  My working life has always been secretarial and then for the past 20 years as a personal assistant.  So I need to be organised.

Until I got pregnant nearly 11 years ago...I think that was the point when my organised life started to shake a bit.  You can't generally plan when you give birth (unless you are rich and famous!).  I didn't like not being able to put the date in my diary.  I planned as much as I could, even when the contractions started.  Hubby came home to find me sitting with reams of paper where I had been writing down timings of all the contractions!  Then 18 hours of labour, gas & air, injections, becoming dehydrated and being put on a drip, being borderline blood transfusion and finally having to go into emergency surgery for a C section - this was not organised!!   Because of all the problems with the first birth, my second child was a planned C section - far more civilised!

And of course once babies and then children came into our lives all hope of ever being the super organised, smart, power career girl went a bit out of the window.

And as the years have gone on, I am still a personal assistant but I now work from home.  I no longer need to wear a smart suit or high heels.  I conduct all the organising for my boss from the comfort of my own home, and it works for me.  It took me some time to get used to working from home, the lack of routine and too many distractions.  But it means I can do the school runs, cook nice meals and run the house.  And of course meet my pals for cake!

My personality has changed, due in part to the shadow work, but also I believe due to the change in lifestyle.  I no longer have to deal with working in an office and all the office politics.  I have different priorities in life - children do that to you.  

And I have my spiritual path which I didn't really have in place until about 12 years ago.

Having a wonderfully patient husband who understands exactly how to deal with me helps too!

So am I the person I want to be?  Not quite, but I am working on it!

Tansy
x

Wednesday 19 January 2011

The Phoenix

Today I have felt compelled to write about the phoenix, it is not something that I have ever really been drawn too, but I am hoping that as I write the meaning will become clear to me.

It represents our mortality, the very foundation of our being. A Phoenix represents the never-ending cycle of life; our own and of the universe itself. It is life, death and rebirth.

In ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology, it is associated with the Sun Gods Apollo and Ra. The Greeks it seems adopted the phoenix from the Egyptians, first using the term for the bird, bennu and then adapting their word for the colour crimson and the name of a city Phoenicia into the name phoenix for the bird. According to the Greeks, the bird lived in Arabia, near a cool well.

Every morning at dawn, the Sun God stopped his chariot to listen to the bird sing a beautiful song while it bathed in the water spilled from the well. Unexplained why, only one phoenix existed at any one time. When the bird feels its death is near, every 500 to 1,461 years, it builds a nest of aromatic wood and sets it on fire. The bird then is then consumed by the flames. A new phoenix springs forth from the fire ashes. It embalms the ashes of its predecessor in an egg of myrrh and flies with it to Heliopolis, "city of the sun," where the egg is deposited on the altar of the sun god. In Egypt, it was usually depicted as a heron, but in the classic literature as a peacock or an eagle.

Both the Egyptians and the Greeks believed that this fabulous bird lived in Heliopolis, The City of the Sun, and that at the end of its very long life - 500 to 1500 years, the phoenix, is said to build a nest of cinnamon sticks, and light them on fire; consequently, both the nest and the bird burn to ashes.

A new baby phoenix rises from these ashes, and embalms and stores the ashes of the old phoenix in an egg of myrrh. This egg is then deposited in the city of Heliopolis. The phoenix can also regenerate parts of its body when wounded, further continuing the properties of regeneration and rebirth. The Egyptians closely associated the phoenix with fire and the sun, and he was often seen with the sun god Ra.

Ovid tells the story of the Phoenix as follows: "Most beings spring from other individuals; but there is a certain kind which reproduces itself. The Assyrians call it the Phoenix. It does not live on fruit or flowers, but on frankincense and odoriferous gums. When it has lived five hundred years, it builds itself a nest in the branches of an oak, or on the top of a palm tree. In this it collects cinnamon, and spikenard, and myrrh, and of these materials builds a pile on which it deposits itself, and dying, breathes out its last breath amidst odors. From the body of the parent bird, a young Phoenix issues forth, destined to live as along a life as its predecessor. When this has grown up and gained sufficient strength, it lifts its nest from the tree (its own cradle and its parent's sepulchre), and carries it to the city of Heliopolis in Egypt, and deposits it in the temple of the Sun." Such is the account given by the poet.

The only thing scholars seem to agree on is, as Socrates once said, we know only that we know nothing when it comes right down to it. In every version of the legend, the bird is immortal.

Immortality is a central concept of all mythology, to the most ancient times. The Phoenix is the most enigmatic legend of all.

So maybe I feel a connection to the phoenix because Spring is not too far around the corner, and in spring the Earth is re-born just as the phoenix is.

Tansy
x

Tuesday 18 January 2011

AMAZING soap

Now those of you that know me, are familiar with my love of all the Lush products.  But, times are a little tough for everyone at the moment and Lush, whilst lovely is quite expensive. 

Then, I spy one of my lovely witchy sisters makes her own soaps, scrubs and bath butters. 

MELUSINE SOAP

A bit about them from their website:

Situated in rural Somerset, England, we find inspiration from the surrounding countryside, nature, folklore and even local produce such as honey, when designing new soaps.
Our aim is to manufacture affordable but luxurious soap, which is also gentle enough to be used in the bath or shower by people with the most sensitive of skin.
We only use top quality vegetable glycerine bases and other lovely additions such as Shea butter and apricot kernel oil.  We prefer to use fragrance oils because we love the wide range of choices available and we want to pass on this scope to the customer.  All ingredients we use are sourced within the UK, are vegetarian friendly and have not been tested on animals.

I received my first order today and I can tell you I am extremely impressed.  Not only do they all look beautiful, they smell delicious.  In fact the chocolate orange bath butter actually does smell good enough to eat!

Melusine has a website here Melusine Soap website

and a facebook page here Melusine Soap facebook page


I urge you to take a look, not only to purchase gorgeous natural products but also to support our cottage industries!

Tansy
x

Damh the Bard & Cerri Lee


I have written about Damh the Bard before, but just wanted to share with you that I went to a gig of his last night and it was wonderful, he had everyone in the pub singing along before the end of the first song and most of us crying after listening to his new song. (A huge thank you to my lovely husband that accompanied me to the gig even though it 'wasn't really his kind of thing' - he did think Damh was an excellent showman though and very entertaining!).

I have met Damh and his lady Cerri on a couple of occasions previously - they are such warm, lovely, friendly people.

Damh has a new CD out called 'As Nature Intended' the description on the back of the album reads:

"when I record my studio albums it feels like I am painting a picture, with each new instrument adding a vital colour to the overall sound.  However, when I play live it's just me and the guitar, raw, with that glorious interaction with other human beings.  Together we can go wherever we place, to Suumerisle, to Caer Arianrhod, to speak with Merlin, anything is possible"

I also want to mention his good lady Cerri, she does the most amazing artwork - check out the CD cover on Damh's The Crow Man and As Nature Intended, she also makes the most beautiful clay figures.  I was lucky enough to receive just a little piece of her work for Yule, the most gorgeous little goddess figure. She also does a fab range of pagan design t shirts and bags.

For a list of Damh's gigs and his CD's Pagan Music Website

Cerri's website is http://www.cerrilee.com/

To  purchase Damh's CDs or Cerris arts take a look at Bardic Arts store

If you haven't heard any of Damh's music or seen any of Cerri's art yet - GO AND DO IT NOW!!

Tansy
x

Monday 17 January 2011

Rosehips - magickal & medicinal

Rosehips are the fruit of the rose bush. If the rose's blossoms are left on the plant and allowed to drop their petals, they will form a seed pod that is known as the rose hips.

I collected a good stash of rosehips from my garden yesterday, so what to do with them?

Magickal uses:

Associated with the planet Venus and the element of water, rosehips are a wonderful botanical to use for love and peace. Try adding some whole rosehips to magical pot pourri to create a peaceful, calm atmosphere. Use rosehips in a ritual bath for work concerning love, soulmates and companionship. Crush and add to incense, add to sachets and charm bags or string on a necklace as part of a love attracting ritual.

For cleansing before a ritual, or to wash away stress after a hard day, fill a tub with warm water. Add some crushed rose hips tied up in a piece of cheesecloth to your bath water. Also add some rose petals or a few drops of rose oil. Sink into the tub and relax. Meditate and visualize all of your stress and negativity being washed away into the water. Unstop the drain and imagine your stress and negativity going down the drain with the water.

For a spell to draw love into your life, set up your altar and cast a circle. Light a pink candle while meditating on attracting a compatible romantic partner. Send energy out into the universe to draw a proper mate to yourself, rather than visualizing anyone in particular. String rose hips with a needle and thread to make a necklace out of them. Place the necklace on your pentacle and charge them with your intent. Wear or carry your necklace with you when you go out.

Share a rose hip tea sweetened with honey with your significant other at the beginning of a romantic evening.

Place rose hips around the home to bring back harmony and peace if there has been a great deal of disharmony or upheaval. Consecrate and charge the rose hips to radiate with loving, calming energies that will fill your space. Tuck them in cabinets and closets, under pillows, and on window sills and door frames.

Give a boost to any healing sachets or infusions with rose hips. Add them to your tea for a sore throat or upset stomach. Soak a cloth in a tea of rose hips, wring it out and place it on your head for a headache, over your back for a backache, or on any bruise or sore spot. When your feet ache from standing, soak them in a basin filled with warm rose hip tea.

When honouring the goddess Venus in ritual, place a bowl of rose hips on your altar.

Medicinal uses:
 Rose hip vinegar is good for colds, sore throats and a lovely salad dressing!
Slit the skins of the hips with a knife and put 20 or 30 rose hips in a jar and cover with apple cider vinegar. Leave on a sunny window sill for about a month, then strain and bottle.

Rose hip syrup is good for colds, sore throats and a source of vitamin C.
Score the rose hips with a knife then layer then in a jar with enough sugar to fill up all the gaps. Leave on a sunny window sill for a couple of months or until the sugar has drawn the juice from the hips and liquefied. Strain off the liquid, bottle and store in the fridge. Take a teaspoonful or two daily to prevent colds.

Tansy
x


Sources:
Hedgerow medicine by Julie Bruton-Seal & Matthew Seal
ehow.com

Thursday 13 January 2011

Hair Power

I have quite long hair (at the moment!) and today I am wearing it in two top knots. 

As I was putting my hair up this morning I thought about the power of hair and how much it affects the way a person looks and feels...time for research (oh no you cry!!). 

Over the years I have had most hair styles ranging from very short through to very long, straight, curly, every colour you can imagine and even a very funky 'Flock of Seagulls' cut in the 80's.

Human hair is a simple thing made of keratin and dead skin cells. Its function is to prevent heat loss from a person’s head, yet it also causes women to weep, men to buy sports cars and people to spend billions each year on its upkeep.    

Throughout history, humans have used their hair to represent their class, indicate religious faith and upset their parents. Pop stars change their hair to represent each comeback, while apparently Donald Trump represents his wealth with a comb-over made from 40 kt gold. Samson used his hair to store his power, while Rapunzel used her hair to sneak the prince into her tower.

When the 2007 Cosco Busan oil spill occurred in the San Francisco Bay, a group of eco-friendly volunteers used mats of human hair to clean the beach. Hair absorbs oil from the water, working as a natural sponge.

After the oil is collected, oyster mushrooms are added to the mat. They absorb the oil and convert the environmental threat into nontoxic compost. Environmentalists would like these hair mats carried on oil tankers, so in case of a disaster the mats can be thrown in to start working immediately.

Finding hair in your food can ruin a meal. But, what if your food was made of hair -- or at least your condiment? The Internet Journal of Toxicology reported that the Chinese company Hongshuai Soy Sauce marketed their product as “using the latest bioengineering technology.” Priced lower than the competitors’ soy sauces, Hongshuai became popular on the shelves of Chinese stores. However, an investigation by journalists found the company didn’t use amino acids derived from soy and wheat, but amino acids derived from human hair swept off of barber's floors - ewwwwwww!

Peter the Great is cited as one of the greatest rulers from the 17th century, and he was a great friend to Russia. However, he was no friend to the beard. The emperor wanted Russia to become westernized, so he required all of his courtiers, state officials and the military to adopt western fashions and to shave their beards. This decree spread through the country until the only Russians exempted were peasants and priests. If a man refused to shave, he had to pay an annual beard tax of 100 rubles. Henry the VIII imposed a similar tax in England during part of his reign. However, as a fickle king who beheaded wives he no longer liked, he later grew a beard himself and ended the English beard tax.

During the Victorian era, women often wore jewelry made from the hair of deceased loved ones. Since there were no photos of dear old grandma, her gray hairs paid homage. While it started as just a way to remember, hair art blossomed and become popular fashion. This may have been the most morbid fashion since Amazonians wore shrunken heads around their necks. To this day, there are a number of websites selling antique hair art and they will even fashion a new piece from a dead shih tzu’s hair.

Ancient Egyptians of all classes wore wigs. Wigs disguised deformities, guarded against lice, and made the hair look thicker, which was considered attractive. The Ancient Egyptian nobility also favoured very elaborate hairstyles. Wigs made hairstyling easier. High-quality wigs were made from human hair and could be afforded only by the rich. Less expensive wigs, which were available to the middle classes, were made from a mix of human hair and vegetable fibres.The cheapest wigs were made from vegetable fibres only. Wigs were meticulously cared for with emollients and oils, and with scented petals and chips of fragrant wood, such as cinnamon.

In seventeenth-century China, hair distinguished one cultural group from another. The majority of Chinese people were from a group called the Han. Traditionally, the Han Chinese wore their hair long and bound up on top of their heads. They believed that hair absorbed and stored spiritual power. Cutting the hair was considered a mutilation of the body. It was thought the hair protected the brain and that if it was shaved off the scalp would be exposed to the air causing illness.

The Yoruba sometimes refer to Homo sapiens as Eda, Omo Adáríhurun (Humanity, the species that grows hair mainly on the head), partly because the human body is not covered with hair like that of the lower animals, and partly because the hair that grows on the lower part of the abdomen is usually covered by dress. As such, only the hair on the human head and face is noticeable. The hair on the head (irun Orí) is often likened to a grove that must be well maintained to hallow the sanctuary that the physical head constitutes for the Ori Inu, the inner head. This is why Yoruba women have traditionally regarded hairdressing as a mark of honor to the inner head. It is believed that taking good care of one's hair is an indirect way of currying favor with one's Ori Inu. Thus, the Yoruba have created a wide range of hairstyles that not only reflect the primacy of the head but also communicate taste, status, occupation, and power, both temporal and spiritual.

Tansy
x


Sources:
askmen.com
pittrivers museum
tribalarts.com


Wednesday 12 January 2011

Cailleach and Bride

My patron Goddess is The Cailleach, I work with her all the time, she is with me always. But...according to legend and myth her reign is Samhain to Imbolc. So what do I do between Imbolc and Samhain? I know she is always with me whatever, and I have heard lots of stories of her transforming into the goddess Bride (or Brigid) in Spring.  This troubled me because I have never felt a connection to Bride.   Time for some research!  My findings led me to the conclusion (well the one that works for me) in that I have felt no connection to Bride because she and the Cailleach are not one and the same, but adversaries - well that explains a lot of my feelings!  This view is of course my opinion and may not be the same view of others ;-)

Cailleach and Bride:
At least one tradition views Bride and the Cailleach as being one and the same, with the Cailleach drinking from the Well of Youth at the beginning of each spring, whereby she is transformed into the youthful Bride. However most traditions in Scotland have them firmly pitted against each other as two differing personalities. Just like the sovereignty goddesses of Irish literature, who appeared as old hags or transformed themselves into beautiful young maidens upon being recognised by kings, the Cailleach has obvious transformative abilities.


In spite of losing her reign at spring, the Cailleach does not give up her struggle to regain control easily. As Bride is said to go around with her wand causing vegetation to grow and flourish, the Cailleach is also said to go around blasting it with her own wand, until she is finally overcome.


This lore is encapsulated in perhaps the best known tale dealing with this legend, in Mackenzie's The Coming of Angus and Bride. Here, the Cailleach holds Bride captive because she is jealous of her beauty and because her son Angus is in love with the maiden. The Cailleach tells Bride to wash her cloak until it is white and so Bride labouriously does as she is bid, day after day without making any progress. The cloak remains as brown as ever until Father Winter appears and helps her out. Overjoyed, Bride returns to the Cailleach with the white cloak, and some snowdrops that Father Winter also gave her. Enraged by the sight of the flowers – clear evidence that the Cailleach's power was waning, she goes out with her magic hammer and causes frosts and storms all over the land.


Meanwhile, Angus dreams of the beautiful Bride and sees her terrible plight at the hands of the Cailleach. He sets out to rescue her, and in order to do so borrows three days from August, when the weather is calm and warm, to ensure a safe passage to where Bride is being kept. Searching high and low, and suffering great peril at the hands of the Cailleach who knew what he was about, Angus was finally united with his love on the first day of spring – Bride's Day. They married, and the Cailleach grew even more outraged and sent her hags to wage war against him and the brief respite from the harsh weather was marred once again by cold and frost as a result of the Cailleach borrowing three days from winter in her campaign against the forces of spring. Angus, however, determined to rule with his queen as King of Summer, fought back and eventually the hag was defeated. The Cailleach fled, and sitting on top of a mountain she wept and mourned for her loss.


It was on that day that Bride dipped her fair white hands in the high rivers and lochs which still retained ice. When she did so, the Ice Hag fell into a deep sleep from which she could not awake until summer and autumn were over and past.


Cailleach Bheur is said to reside at Ben Nevis, and ushers in the winter at Samhain by washing her cloak in the Corryvreckan (Coire Bhreacain - “the Cauldron of the Plaid” - a whirlpool found between the islands of Jura and Mull, which has a fearsome reputation of being unnavigable) – because no loch was big enough for it. Three days before she takes up her winter reign, three of her servants stir up the water to make it ready for her. The Cailleach then washes her cloak until it is white” (i.e. Covered in snow), and brings the cold, ice, snow, storms and is also said to cause the rivers to overflow throughout the winter.

There is a wonderful version of the story told here:
Bride & Angus told by David Campbell


Tansy
x


Sources:
http://www.tairis.co.uk/
tairis.co.uk

Tuesday 11 January 2011

Alternative Cold Remedies


I have a miserable cold and a sore throat, time to research some alternative remedies:

What's in the cupboard that can make you feel better? What will help you get over your cold quickly? There are many natural remedies that can help, some you already have at home. Try some of the following.

Ginger is a great warming herb to enjoy during winter. It warms you up by getting your circulation moving. Ginger tea can help to break fevers and remove mucus build up in sinuses, throat and lungs. Grate about 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger root, pour 2 cups of boiling water over, cover and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Drink a cup of this warm delicious tea every 2 hours.

A good old fashioned home made chicken and vegetable soup can be a great comfort when suffering from a cold or flu. It is warming and full of vital nutrients to help get over sickness.

Include in your soup plenty of vegetables that are high in Beta-carotene such as carrots, sweet potatoes, turnip greens and spinach. Adding herbs and spices can help bring relief and loosen up mucus. A pinch of Cayenne pepper in your soup can help to fight off some of the aches and pains as well as helping to reduce the fever. Maintain a healthy diet, especially at this time. Avoid sugary and fatty foods; concentrate on nutritious fruit and vegetables, soups, and oats.

Lemons are well known for their healing properties, especially when it comes to colds and flus. Hot honey and lemon drinks are popular. This delicious drink can be made with hot water, adding honey and lemon to taste. However, for more effect try straight lemon juice, warmed with honey. Don't drink it straight down; swish it around in your mouth first. Other common additions to this lemon drink are garlic, ginger and or brandy.

Honey is an age-old remedy for so many different things. When it comes to colds, it can be used as a cough reliever and it has some anti-biotic properties. A teaspoon of honey on its own can be beneficial, or a cough mixture can be made up. Chop up 4-6 cloves of garlic and place them in a jar of honey. After a few weeks the garlic can be removed, leaving a great mix for coughs and sore throats. Garlic is a very effective tool against colds. It is a strong antimicrobial and antiviral agent. Include garlic in your soups and cooking when ever possible.

Soothing teas for coughs and sore throats can be made out of herbs found commonly in your herb garden or spice rack. Sage and Marjoram have antiseptic qualities, while Thyme is antimicrobial. These herbs could be mixed together or taken separately. Take 1-2 teaspoons of the herbs in a cup of boiling water; allow steeping for 30 minutes. Drink warm. This tea is good for soothing coughs, sore throats and tonsils, while also killing germs. (Add these herbs to your soup.)

When cold or flu hits, the most important advice that anyone can follow is to rest. At this time you need to get extra sleep. The immune system functions at its best while we are sleeping. Allow your body the time and opportunity to fight back. Don't rush back into a full schedule as soon as you start to feel better. Take it slowly for a few days, get some early nights, to really allow your body to recuperate. Giving yourself the time to fully recover will help prevent a recurrence.

Drink plenty of liquid, water and herbal teas. When the mucous membranes become dehydrated, they are more hospitable to viruses. A high liquid intake will help repel the virus and also help to flush out the system. Juices and sugary drinks should be avoided. A high sugar intake decreases the ability of the white blood cells to kill bacteria.

At the first sign of a cold, start treating it at once. The sooner you start to treat a cold, the less severe it is likely to become. A cold should only last a couple of days, if you are no better after aweek, seek advice from your health practitioner.

When you are recovering from illness, it is a good time to change your toothbrush. Your toothbrush can harbour the germs you havejust been fighting off; changing it now can prevent reinfection.

Tansy
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(source healthandgoodness.com)

Thursday 6 January 2011

My Sacred Space

 What do I think of as my sacred space?

Well I think there are several answers to that question:

When I think of the places in the world that I have visited, and I have visted a few of what are generally termed as 'sacred places' such as Avebury, Stonehenge and Glastonbury the place that gives me that kind of special 'I have come home' type feeling is Cornwall, especially Tintagel.

For me, standing on top of the castle ruins at Tintagel is magical.   The waves all around you, the sounds of the seagulls, the wonderful feeling of calm and peace that I get, truly wonderful.  It is my spiritual connection.

And then there is the sacred space that I go to when I meditate.   This image comes to me from a real place that I visited a lot when I was a child.  It is this place that I visit in my mind when I need to calm and centre, to balance, to connect with my totem guides.  A beautiful field, with a river and narrow boats.  So this is a very sacred space to me too.

And then my regular, real sacred space.   My home.  It doesn't matter where I have been, visiting, holidays, outings - when I come home and open my front door, that is when I am greeted by the love of my home.  The sacred space that I have created with my family.  A house that I love and that loves us.  A truly sacred, safe, comforting, magickal place.

Tansy
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Tuesday 4 January 2011

A New Calendar Year...


I am not a big fan of January, never have been. I think because Christmas as a child was so wonderful, and I have held that feeling even as I have gotten older.

I have spent the last two weeks or so with hubby, children and family - it has been lovely.

Then comes January, the festivities are all over, no one has any money, the weather is usually cold and wet. Hubby went back to work today and the children go back to school tomorrow.

I usually get the grumps at this time of the year. However today is a New Moon, the Wolf New Moon in fact.

The New Moon is a wonderful time to make new beginnings of all types. It is especially good for getting rid of bad habits. Habitual ways of thinking that are harmful and negative can also be abandoned at this time. It is also a good time to start something creative. New projects at work can also be launched.

So I am picking myself up out of the doldrums today and working on new projects, new plans and new ways of thinking.

I am looking forward to seeing what 2011 has in store, 2010 wasn't bad, I learnt a lot and progressed a lot so hopefully this year will be good too. The whole of 2011 stretches out in front of me - so many possibilities...


Tansy
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