Whirlwinds

This has always been a fascination of mine: whirlwinds. Once I encountered a visible whirlwind (dust devil) that appeared in a quiet street as I was on my way to school. Then I watched it cross the road to meet me, and I stopped to let it pass and it touched me. I felt a little bit giddy but so pleasantly cool on that hot Summer afternoon. 

A few years ago I had this whimsical dream of a white tornado that didn't do any harm, but lift up flowers and leaves, and there was an aroma of perfume. I recently came across a video of a tornado being followed by a drone. It's very interesting and sort of reminds me of that dream. I wanted to share it here: 

Storm Valkyrie 🌹

Bleeding mushrooms

Mushroom season is still a way off. There is a species found across Europe called the Bloody Milkcaps, or Rovellons in Spain. It's proper scientific name is Lactarius sanguifluus. It's a mushroom that is edible and strange in behaviour for it looks as if it's bleeding. While picking the mushrooms in forests is quite normal, it's believed that picking these mushrooms found near industrial complexes and roads is not a good idea, as the soil will be contaminated, producing toxic mushrooms full of heavy metals.  

There is Hydnellum peckii mushroom, mostly called other nicknames "Devil's tooth," "Strawberries and cream" and "Bleeding tooth". This bizarre looking fungus appears as if it's bleeding heavily. These are not actually bleeding, as they grow bright ruby red nodules. While not poisonous, they're not edible either because of their unpleasant taste. They don't look very appetising if I'm to be perfectly honest.

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Roses are sacred to Goddess Freya

Valkyries in Norse mythology provide mead, a warm spiced alcoholic drink with a heavy flavour. Often made with honey, the special mead provided in Valhalla by the night maidens comes from the sacred milk of a divine goat called Heidrun. She eats the vegetation growing from the tree Læraðr. 

More incredible trees in Norse myth includes Yggdrasil, the gigantic cosmic tree that holds nine worlds, Glasir the red foliage leaf tree standing outside of the entrance to the Halls of Valhalla, Barnstokkr the blossom tree in the centre of the halls, Mimameidr is the home of the divine bird Vidopnir, and Hoddmimisholt the secure tree that shields the surviving humans from Ragnarok. 

The first ever humans in Norse legends is Ask and Embla, were first made from trees. It took the three gods, brothers Odin, Vili and Ve, a time of perfecting their humans. One piece of wood was shaped like a man, and the other shaped like a woman. Odin breathed life into each, while his brothers gave them senses and blood. 

The queen of the Valkyries is goddess Freya and her sacred flower is a rose. 

Freya, Goddess of gold, inspire me today.

Teach me to walk through my day 

with pride in my own being,

with confidence, with power.

(prayer segment by Kira R)

Check the Sigrdrifumal of the Poetic Edda. https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/2093070

Storm Valkyrie 🌹