Happy Winter Solstice

 

And merry Yule from us!

Storm Valkyrie 🎄🎄🎄

Magic fairy knot

Some of the most detailed knots are magical and ritualistic. The Celtic knot is one such main group of knot work magic systems. There are others too, including the Pixie knot and their associated with matted hair and disappearances, reappearances and bridle stirrups for riding. 

The fairy knots have been used in magic since ancient times. Even during the witch trials, in 1588 Alison Pierson was tried as a witch for using knot magic to heal a bishop of St Andrews. Then another woman named Jonet Morrison was executed for using knot magic to cure a sick baby, even though she cured the baby, she was still punished and died in 1662. Some have used the knot magical system for selfish reasons though. In the same year 1662, Isobel Gowdie was tried for witchcraft for being part of a coven that used magical knots to steal cows milk. 

Where did they get their knowledge from? According to Janet Trall, she learned about knot magic from fairies. She cured a sick man named Robert Soutar by using the knotted magical system. She let him go through a "hesp of yarn, and afterwards cut it in nine parts, and buried it in three lords' lands." Thomas Geace was a doctor who also used yarn to heal sick people and afterwards he burnt the thread. Many more people up and down the country have used knotted objects to cure the sick, and passing the illness to cats who became sick and died, while human patients were cured. Some of these knots were made with green woodbine. 

More info about this in the book A Darker Side of Faery by John Kruse.

Storm Valkyrie    

Holly, December flower

The flowers associated with December is the holly, including the blossoms, thorny leaves and the berries. Another name for the holly flower is Ilex aquifolium. The flowering period is during Spring when branches of holly twigs explode in tiny green and white flowers. They can resemble clumps of snow at a distance, and then by late in the year the red holly berries appear looking like rubies. They are mostly used as decorations during Yule and Christmas. 

Holly is evergreen. They can be found in many parts of the world, growing in different climates. They're mostly successful in temperate and subtropical places. 

While these plants look very pretty, they're not safe to eat. Consuming them will cause sickness and can be fatal for pets. The leaves and berries are poisonous. Certain exotic species of holly, the Yerba mate and the Ilex guayusa, Kuding and Yaupon, have had their leaves used to make tea. Berries have been distilled to make brandy, the eau de vie.

In ancient times, holly was believed to ward off evil spirits. Some say the holly protects from evil and people placed it around their homes. Also holly indoors was believed to protect fairies and make them kind to householders. Druids believed that holly symbolise immortality because it stayed green throughout the year, and holly was associated with eternal life. In Celtic myth, the Holly King appeared during half of the year from Midsummer to Midwinter. Christians believe that holly symbolises Christ. Witches believe holly is the perfect plant to make magic wands. Unmarried women placed nine holly leaves under their pillows to dream about their future husbands. Holly is associated with thunder gods, including Thor and Taranis, as the leaves are small lightning conductors, which is why people also kept holly. 

Storm Valkyrie     

We are earth, air, fire and water

 The four elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, have powerful meanings and they can come in many forms, colours and sounds. What is mostly Earth is green, with forests, meadows, trees, flowers, rocks, crystals and mountains. What is associated with Air is white, aura, atmosphere, rainbows, aurora borealis, music, gravity, magnetic fields, oxygen and wind. What is associated with Fire is red and yellow, light, warmth, flames, magma, volcanoes, lava flows, stars and the sun. What is associated with Water is blue and the ocean, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, rain, sleet, snow and ice.

Human elements of earth, air, fire and water can be associated with the presence. All of these four elements are contained within the human body, and some of it makes up our features. For instance, water is found in our bodies, I will go a bit boring and mention numbers. There's about 95% water in our brain, 90% water in our lungs, 64% water in our skin, 76% water in our muscles, 83% water in our blood and 22% water in our bones. Humans can produce salt water in the form of tears. That was a lot about the elements of water. 

With regards to the other three elements, earth includes the skeleton and bones, teeth and minerals within. Rocks can naturally grow inside the human body within the kidneys, gall bladder and tonsils. Human hair is like plants, flowers and trees. Human hair and plants grow depending on environment and health. Hair and plants have a lot in common. Both hair and plants have layers made of amino acids and also much need feeding and caring for. 

Air itself in the human body is most certainly to do with the lungs. This is how we breathe. There is also voices and sounds we make using vocal cords, even non speech such as whistling. Breathing, which is part of being alive, travels through tunnels or respiratory system. Much like sound organs. While also on the subject of air itself, there can also be gas caused in the digestive system made of nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. 

Is fire in the human body? Yes, including blood, warmth and digestion. Also it's believed the senses, emotions, feelings, the brain and thoughts are associated with fire. In Chinese medicine, the small intestine and heart are two bodily organs associated with fire. More as there is electricity within the human body with forms of static. Most of all, a living person is an element of fire as they show fiery colour on infra red cameras. A deceased body or a paranormal spirit (ghost) appears cold. 

Storm Valkyrie 

The Magic Porridge Pot

 

The Magic Porridge Pot is a children's fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. In German it's called "Der süße Brei", which means "Sweet Porridge". 

The tale is about a single mother living with her daughter in poverty, and one day the daughter met a kind elderly woman who wanted to offer help. She gave her a pot and told her it made porridge from nowhere, but would continue cooking until it was told to stop. The exact words to tell the pot are "cook, little pot, cook" and then "stop, little pot."

This simple pot was able to make nice tasty porridge and then no more appeared once it was told to stop. The girl and her mother were not about to die of hunger and so the girl was often telling the porridge to make more. Then the girl went out and her mother was at home, feeling like eating porridge. She told the pot to make some porridge and she forgot the exact words to tell it to stop. Porridge kept appearing, and then it covered the whole kitchen and spread outside in the street. Soon, the porridge covered the houses. Nobody knew how to properly stop it. 

The little girl returned home and found the entire village covered in porridge. She said "Stop, little pot!" and it worked. The entire villagers had to eat all of the porridge and never went hungry.

Storm Valkyrie

Chrysanthemum, November flower

The actual flowers of November is both a chrysanthemum and also a peony. It's described as the birth flower of November, the chrysanthemum is also called chrysanths and mums. The name comes from the ancient Greek words "chrysos" and "anthemom" to mean golden flower. Of the flower family Asteraceae, native to Asia and eastern Europe. These flowers are associated with autumn and they tend to bloom during the season.

Chrysanthemums have so many various different species today including Chrysanthemum Arisanense, the subarctic Chrysanthemum Integrifolium and the Bonsai Chrysanthemum, with more other hybrids. 

The Chrysanthemum has been used in food including tea and wine. Parts of the flower and leaves are edible and turned into vegetables for cooked meals. They can be used to clean polluted air of indoor spaces. In the New World chrysanthemums flowers are positive symbols while in Europe and Asia these flowers are associated with mourning, graves and death. These flowers have been favourite subjects for poetry with their decorations giving spicy and sugary fragrance.  

Storm Valkyrie  

Fairy tales and mental health

 It's believed that depression is connected to monsters. For centuries, people associate scary supernatural creatures with sickness, plague, and mental illness. They can come in the form of evil beings that target healthy people and strike them down with some infection or other, or driving them to despair and suicide. Among the nasty monsters that cause grief includes ogre, demons, vampires, werewolves, zombies, and many others. These are personification of human misery and suffering. It's also believed that these are characterised in myths, legends and folklore stories and fairy tales.

The Three Little Pigs are terrorised by a wolf that threatens to destroy the safety of their homes. This reflects the vulnerability of people targeted by violent intruders and burglars. The wolf may symbolise the villain and is monstrous in the way he behaves towards the small innocent pigs, who come across as frightened children almost. It's said break-ins and victims for example may suffer because of it and leads them to have feelings of agoraphobia.

Rumpelstiltskin is a goblin like creature that offers help to the young girl who seems to be in a difficult place. Her life is at stake, as the king wanted her to fulfil an impossible job but if she didn't, she would be executed. She was afraid of what would happen if she didn't produce gold from ordinary straw, so here comes the little goblin named Rumpelstiltskin who seems to be kind at first. Once she has been helped by the supernatural entity, the king decides to spare her life and marry her. When she's had her child, Rumpelstiltskin demands payment for the help he gave her by taking her child. She refuses and then a whole lot more trouble follows. This story may be about blackmail and also bullying, and it's obvious that Rumpelstiltskin symbolises the controlling manipulative source of trouble. However the story overlooked the cruelty of the king. Almost like a piece from a soap opera script, where villains transform into friends and friends turn into villains. 

As for teenage depression and body dysmorphia, stories like Cinderella and Snow White. In Cinderella, the wicked stepmother and the two wicked stepsisters force Cinderella into doing horrible chores with no nice rewards. Cinderella is constantly punished and even denied decent clothes and dresses. She becomes lonely and depressed. In Snow White, the evil queen is vain and obsessed that she is the fairest of all in the land. While these two stories are about looking beautiful, the villains are humans while the supernatural beings are friends. Sometimes the fairies, dwarfs, gnomes and angels step in to help. 

Written by Storm Valkyrie.

If you like this subject on monsters and mental health, about the subject with a bigger exploration into this so visit Medium and read the article "Monsters and Demons As Symbolic of Struggles/Fear" by Emma Wilson Smith. 

Storm Valkyrie

It's now November

This is a time when the lights go on as it is much darker, and celebrating the dead, spirits and cold soil bringing spirits. The Wild Hunt charges across the night skies soon, and so be prepared. If you hear any distant sounds of thunder, it is really the Wild Hunt. 

If you see the eerie strange flickering lights in the sky, it might be the aurora or it's the spectral Wild Hunt. They often come with sounds that are loud and chilling. It is wise to go indoors on such nights during this time of year until a while after the New Year, as Winter passes in the beginning of a Gregorian calendar of January. Between November and Late December, stay indoors and keep yourselves safe. The cold itself, not just the Wild Hunt, is also a danger during the Winter months. 

As the season is still Hallows Day, Day of the Dead and Remembrance, wearing red flowers, eating skull cakes and lighting lanterns, either praying, singing or making quiet words, gathering like this keeps away the dangers of the Wild Hunt and the frost. The vulnerable and the busy will be given blessings and then join in a spirit of community, compassion, union and love. 

The cold and the predators will be kept away from the door.

Storm Valkyrie

Trees, leaves and Samhain

The spirits of the Autumn become clearer as nights are longer and darker. 

The sun is turning this time of year so that in the northern hemisphere it becomes darker. This means Autumn soil will be softer and ready for fresh new seeds and planting, as ripe vegetables are pulled out ready to eat, and the weather turns wetter, crispy with frost and cooler. Functioning as the earth, land, sky and wildlife creatures adapt to the change of season, Autumn leaves get dense and moist, some leaves drift along the rain streams, rivers and the ground. Trees can observe that whatever happens in life, over many years, for trees live longer than humans. 

The past, present and future, told in many stories that evolve in time. Halloween, Hallows Eve, All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, Samhain, and many names, end of October and beginning of November, from the lowering of the veil, celebration of spirits, magic and unknown, to the remembering of the dead, especially family and war dead. The parades, parties and cheerful celebrations is a sign that glorious nature gives to humans. Bury the old leaves as rain falls, mist and frost rises, longer nights and use the food from the trees and ground to give life.  

Storm Valkyrie 

Marigold, October flower

These vibrant flowers in the shape of miniature pumpkins come in fiery colours of red, orange, yellow and golden. Of the family group Asteraceae, the actual genus name is Tagetes. Flowers of the New World, valued by the Aztecs for their appearance and culinary usefulness. Edible and with plenty of herbal qualities. Distributed throughout the world, some hybrids made in Europe. There's a native marigold in Europe such as the pot marigold and French marigold. However a certain type of Marigold flower is toxic, although these flowers can give an allergic reaction to humans. Marigolds are not safe for dogs to consume. Marigolds are not related to "marsh marigold leaves" (an entirely different species) which are very toxic to humans and animals. 

Another October birth month flower is the cosmos plant, appearing in late Summer, early Autumn and looking like golden jewel star blooms. They belong to the Sunflower family. Both marigolds and cosmos flowers are native to the Americas, and have accidentally grown here and there. Introduced into South Africa it's golden Autumn petals show in the countryside. You can also find cosmos flowers of white, yellow and orange. In various reds including light pink, burgundy and crimson. Cosmos flowers are edible and safe, for salads and medicine.  

Storm Valkyrie

Prehistory topic

 

The topic of dinosaurs has always fascinated me, but I've never mentioned them on this blog before. I've been eager to post one of many videos from Studio, who made many species of dinosaur vocals that they believe was more realistic. Wearing headphones and with bass switched on, can be very scary listening to it. It gives a much more accurate sound that includes vibration and chills down the spine. My favourite dinosaur sounds include the Triceratops (roaring and bellowing), Tyrannosaurus rex (thunderous rattle and then a harsh low frequency growl) and Quetzalcoatlus (rapid shrieks).

Delve into the audio songs of the dinosaurs here at Youtube by channel Studio Dinosaur vocalisation study Cretaceous era     

Storm Valkyrie

Gentle crystals

 

There are many stones and crystals that help settle the mind, calm the mood and relax emotions. These are Amethyst, Tourmaline, Citrine, Quartz, Selenite, Amazonite, Moonstone and Lapis Lazuli. They can be worn as a jewel gem, carried in your pocket, placed under your pillow so that you can sleep on it, and put around the rooms. Each crystal has it's own way of creating harmony and gentleness. 

Tourmaline is also named the "peace stone" as it takes away all negative feelings and heavy dark emotions. It can cure the mind, body and soul of anger, misery, jealousy, envy, spite and malice. It cleanses the entire individual and sweeps those bad moods. It enhances feelings of complete calm.

Amethyst, a gentle purple coloured stone with magical qualities, mostly healing and calming and also cleansing. This lovely fruit looking Amethyst creates positive feelings, just by looking at it's pretty features. The shade of violet helps to calm nervousness, and make happy feelings take over.

Quartz, like a healer can focus it's energy on the mind, and leave one feeling so relaxed. It's a bringer of high levels of energy, attracting the power of the stars and rainbows, waking up nearby rocks and helping to stir their dormant energies. A mood making wish charm and a clear source of spiritual help. 

Citrine is called "stone of the mind" as it dwells on a person's feelings, thoughts, dreams, moods and subconsciousness. It can restore and generate light peace within. Able to settle an angry mind full of irrational thoughts, helping to focus the mind on positive and gentle traits and goals. 

Amazonite is the rock that brings about harmony, peace, clarity and much more. It draws attention to positive energy and heals the individual. It can make someone be more sharp of mind, getting rid of any dull mind fog by helping to understand things clearly. It's helpful about the body and used as vibration healing.

Selenite is a stone that is named after the Greek moon goddess Selene. Also this lunar crystal assists for feeling more peaceful and calm. This stone can turn emotions to becoming settled, soothed and restful. It's pale energy helps with remembering dreams and concentrate on meditation. It can also be used to help someone with visualisation, homework and memory. 

Lapis Lazuli is often used for lots of activities from better judgement, focusing on details and learning quickly. People use this stone to help improve their social selves, to better communication skills in forming friendships and boosting confidence. It may help to stimulate a clear path of intelligence of the mind, with inner strength and confidence with calm and peace of mind.

Moonstone is known as to be the gem of tranquility. A stone to settle differences and make peace with others, to mend broken tense situations and calm unsettled moods. It helps with love also, and may bring fresh qualities of self that are peaceful and very settled. Lovers favour this stone as it enhances feelings, while channelling calm structured inner feelings with healthy properties for mind, body and spirit. 

Storm Valkyrie     

Hyena

Hyena people are often described as sly tricksters who are not trustworthy. These are often scavengers and they can work in groups, laughing at someone less fortunate. They laugh at those in pain. It is because sometimes they cause the suffering of other people. Hyena type people are regarded as foe and not ideal to be around. In traditional folklore hyena animals are considered dangerous in a magical way as they're believed to be shapeshifters and witches. Hyena animals are capable of taking down full grown adult lions. 

Hyenas are feliform animals, carnivorous and scavenger more than hunter. In the wild they can live up to 25 human years. They're fast runners and can run at a speed of up to 65km/h. Their natural home is grasslands and deserts in wild terrain in Africa. They're found in savannah and the regions are also filled with other hidden dangers like snakes. There are many species of hyena, but the largest and most common is the spotted hyena. 

They often hunt in packs. They can also kill with their powerful jaws and razor sharp teeth, crunching through bone. Hyenas can kill many beasts ranging from Cape buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, young rhino, jackals, foxes, hare, porcupines, snake, lizards, birds and insects. Their prey varies from large to small. They can also kill large dogs, such as rottweilers. Now while hyenas can pack upon a lion and overthrow it, lions regard hyenas as their prey. 

Getting back to what I mentioned earlier on this entry, humans that are like hyenas share only negative traits and they can be harmful. One powerful giant dominant hyena may have the advantage to kill a few lions, especially if they're alone, elderly and frail. But a pride of lions and a single adult lion can easily kill a lone hyena.

Storm Valkyrie     

Death

 

There is a festering problem that keeps biting and gnawing like rats. It won't leave alone. This problem has rabies and is infected, diseased and dangerous. Some people say it is like cancer. Others think it's mould and a toxic fungus. Pollution, decay and all that is wrong because of the state that allowed itself to be that way. Imagine it as a form of doll and something you throw out, but it ends up back into your home, propped up on the sofa. You throw it out again but it always comes back. So it's like the issue some people have with demonic dolls, or with stalkers and with a recurring disease. It's evil, a parasite and absolutely hates you. 

The best way to get rid, is to cut it out surgically, or remove it completely. But what if it's a possessed doll? Locking it up in a cage might do the trick. Burning it won't really help. It needs an exorcism. 

Think of Alien in science fiction films. Think of the White Walkers in "Game of Thrones." Think of the Wicked Witch in "Wizard of Oz". Think of all the parasitic villains that bring death. This is the problem and it's there, so we can only hope now that it's removed and goes away.

Storm Valkyrie

Cleansing

 

This is a very different post to what I normally say here. I wanted to describe the concept of cleansing and sweeping away negativity, rubbish, dust, decay, rubbish, anything tainted, bad and full of germs.

It's often accepted among spiritual and folk beliefs that unhygienic places full of dirt, grime and murky dish water attracts evil spirits. The dirtier and rotten the place is, the more haunted it becomes. Some believe that this is why old damp mouldy buildings are very haunted with entities that are scary. Graveyards, while many modern sites are kept clear and beautiful, others have gone wild, shrunken and forgotten about. 

Besides the ghosts, people who leave around dirty places attract negativity. It's always important to wash it, clean, groom and wipe away the bad. This is why many go through a phase of spring cleaning. It is to declutter and make space for peace of mind. There are many cleansing rituals among Pagans and witches. 

For house cleaning, not just removing actual stuff away but also keeping a clear energy for all of the rooms. Cleaning the house is one thing but don't forget to clean the energy too. Some like to use incense and use herbs, scented cones and candles, joss sticks, perfumes, potpourri and essential oils. Others prefer to use just water. There are other methods to use crystals and stones.

Links and info:    

House cleansing ritual at Patheos page.

For more help on house cleansing visit Witch Casket blog page. 

Storm Valkyrie  

Aster, September flower

September is often associated with asters and morning glory flowers, because these are the birth flowers of those born in September. I will mainly focus on aster here, as it's much more widespread across Europe and steeped in long folklore traditions going back to the Middle Ages and long before. 

Aster is brightly coloured, often purple or pink, sometimes yellow, blue, red and white. All of them have shiny yellow centres and they attract wildlife including butterflies and honey bees. They belong to the daisy family of Asteraceae. Its name comes from ancient Greek to mean "star". These flowers do look like shiny stars with multi petals, and can resemble little heavenly sparkles on the grass. There are many types of asters, hundreds in fact, and the species includes the alpine aster, beach-sand aster, sea aster, mountain aster, wild aster and so much more. 

In ancient Greece, it was believed that the burnt leaves of aster flowers warded off evil spirits, and kept away snakes from entering the home. The goddess Astraea, known also as the "starry maid", shed tears that became aster flowers. She also represented purity, innocence and justice, winged and shining. For this reason maybe that the aster flower symbolises purity, love, innocence and fairness. In Norse mythology, asters are associated with the god Frey and goddess Freyja. These are the Vanir deities, who are gods of fertility, foresight, wisdom and magic.

Aster flowers have been used in medicine for a long time to treat epilepsy and asthma. Some types of aster are edible and has been used in salads and tea. 

Storm Valkyrie   

Volcanic plume

 

We have a really active volcano in Iceland, churning out plumes and flames for several months now. Near Grindavik is the region that was hot, where a volcano has been erupting. It especially moved again a dew days ago. Sending out invisible clouds of sulphur dioxide that travelled down south across the British Isles, France and Germany. It is like the raging fire giants with Surtr and his dazzling beautiful wife Sinmara with her red and glowing features.

Sulphur dioxide or SO2 is harmful and always avoid going out during such a cloud. The effects can cause itching sore eyes, coughing, wheezing, vomiting, stomach pains, headaches, fatigue and visual problems. It can be quite dangerous to people with asthma and heart problems. Most vulnerable are the elderly, babies and children. Those who inhale too much SO2 would have side effects and become ill with symptoms of bronchitis, cancer, respiratory problems and infection.  

For further visuals of the volcano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaIn65HFFk8  

More details at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMn_o4cW5_Q

Storm Valkyrie

Smashing eggs

 

There is an old childhood friend who recently brought something interesting to my attention. She said that when she was a kid, her mum made her toasted soldiers with a boiled egg for breakfast, and then her mum told her to smash up the empty egg shell after eating to stop witches causing trouble in the house. So she asked everyone else if they too had a similar belief, and on Facebook a vast number of people shared that they had similar. They also grew up being told to smash egg shells to stop witches. Apparently witches used those egg shells to store their magic inside. My friend has always been an eccentric character, and we went to school together. Just like her, she's now living in a gorgeous Victorian gothic house with her husband and kids. So we were all exchanging the stories with the egg smashing ritual. It turns out is very common especially in the South.

I learned that this egg smashing thing is a very old tradition that comes from fishing communities. People believed crushing empty eggshells after a meal would prevent witches using them to sail off and sink fishing boats. This was what sailors have been doing, empty egg smashing for centuries! The tradition goes right back to the Roman Empire. I added my discovery to the Fb chat and her post got smashed. My friend's lively sweet natured discussion of egg smashing was gone, replaced with a mean warning from Facebook telling her off for breaking their rules. This seems unfair when it was only a friendly discussion of childhood rituals. Perhaps when it became deeper about folklore and witchcraft maybe it scared the whiskey brigade. 

Besides, coincidence or not, the same day I went out later and found a smashed egg on the footpath. No, honestly everyone, I didn't do it.  Then the following day, there were two more smashed eggs on the same place. Someone did this to be messy, a prank, or a mischievous goblin at it again!

Storm Valkyrie

Overview of the past week

 There is the birth of a tropical storm. They've given it a name, Ernesto, which is Spanish for "earnest" and also it means "serious." It can be regarded as an aggressive being, which would be symbolised with a dinosaur, dragon or even a Kaiju, any form destructive large creature that looks terrible. 

In a time with the Summer heatwave and the phase of a waxing crescent, there is also the Perseid Meteor shower events. The stars have been active too as both Jupiter and Mars appear at view within the House of Taurus. Jupiter is the god of thunder as well as the king of the Heavens, and Mars is the god of war. All in all a big major influence, so there should be a time of masculine anger. This doesn't last but we can expect them to be around between the 9th and 18th August. 

On July 29th 2024 was a massive solar flare that was recorded. It was a strong type with code R3. For more details and graphics on this visit NOAA link page.

Storm Valkyrie

Poppy, August flower

The poppy and the gladiolus are celebrated flowers of August. Both flowers are the birth flowers of those born in the month of August. It's often twos and I've been focusing on one, although I give a little info on the secondary flower. Gladiolus is also called a "star lily" and very much a Summer garden flower. They come in tall vibrant colours and is really a subtropical and Mediterranean plant. Poppies are native grown flowers to many countries north and south. 

Poppies can grow all over fields, meadows, glens, even on edges of houses, cracks in pavement, sides of roads and wasteland sites. These little blooms are a pleasant sight to see in rough areas. They can grow in urban areas naturally, even at industrial complexes and on rough terrain. 

Mostly associated with the colour red, poppies can come in a lot of vibrant Summer colours from orange, yellow, pink, even blue. Poppies are of the family Papaveroideae that consists of many varieties of poppies. They can appear from Spring and throughout Summer, even growing until Autumn. Poppy seeds are rich in energy such as calcium, and helps give a course of protein. Poppies are used in cooking and medicine. Also a certain type of exotic poppy is a source of bread seed or opium, which is an illegal class A drug. While all poppies have a small amount of narcotics, the opium poppy is the troublemaker in the flower family.

Historically there's been a lot of aggro and war over this poppy. The two violent Opium Wars during the 19th century is an example. Lets go far back in time to ancient Greece. Hippocrates the "father of medicine" (460 BCE) found the opium poppy as a treatment of many diseases, especially in women although he wasn't in favour of using it for recreational drug habits. Alexander the Great spread opium around India and Persia. Opium poppies were not really known during the Dark Ages although Medieval Europeans who sailed to China stumbled upon opium users. Opium appeared in Europe in the 1500's, at the time of Reformation. 

After this, opium was used in medicines and as a lifestyle drug! So much so that it influenced many poets, writers, artists, thinkers, ect. Even children's fiction such as "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll and "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L Frank Baum have surrealism defined by opium poppies. 

Storm Valkyrie

The equator

 

The invisible barrier that divides the world's equator is emphasised: It is passing through various lands and seas, touching places on the map such as Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, regions of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Indonesia, Maldives and Kiribati. These are the most tropical places in the world, as the Andes mountain range is found on the Equator, and this includes the highest volcano Cotopaxi plus many islands full of beautiful fantasy world like flora and fauna. There is also the Brazilian rainforest and the vast complex Amazon river. The biodiverse country of Colombia has the most amazing heavily rich bird populations in the world. More massive rainforests and rich minerals are found in the equator including the Congo, but Uganda "the Pearl of Africa" has an extremely complex natural water system with it's incredible wildlife, and highest hill living mammals such as gorillas. It has fertile soil, savannah, with tons of large animals including lions and elephants. Also in the equator are massive landscapes, such as the enormous desert lake in Kenya, which is not drinkable as it's heavily salted. Somalia is called "Land of the Moon" as it's full of gold and gemstones. Indonesia has many islands with chains of active volcanoes. 

These equator countries are paradise with endless summers, but they experience hot and rain. Despite the sheer magic and beauty of these equator lands, people living in them include some of the poorest in the world. People living on the equator seen to suffer ill health from mainly tropical diseases, while plants and wild animals thrive. One of the problems people from the equator have to face is RA (Rheumatoid arthritis), which has occurred in the young. Other problems such as asthma tend to happen to more people living on the equator. However, it's not always so because various isolated tribes and traditional communities living in the tropical equator regions are in harmony with nature, untouched by modern interferences. People from the Amazon rainforest have healthy hearts thanks to their diet of high fibre and carbs. 

Other lines on the world include the Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle. It is suggested that the Equator line is actually Jormungandr "The World Serpent" from Norse mythology. There is an interesting article about Jormungandr Epiclootshop.com Jormungandr: The Midgard Serpent    

Storm Valkyrie

Lions

 

The lion is the king of the jungle as it appears, even though they don't actually live in the jungle. Lions are from grassland plains, but the saying about lions being in jungles is reference to the animal kingdom as a whole. All animals of the wilderness and it's symbolised with jungles. 

Amazingly these magnificent powerful animals can survive in very dry hostile deserts because they can locate water and find ways to drink. They often obtain fluids from their prey and also they can tap into fruits such as melons. Lions are nocturnal creatures with amazing abilities to see in the dark. It's why they hunt at night. They don't just hunt at night either. They also like hunting during storms. This is because they rely on the storms to cover them so that their prey don't know about them being there. Storms with lightning and loud thunder, and howling sandstorm winds, can hide the sounds of lions and distract prey from being alert. Also female lions (called lionesses) are the main hunters. Male lions stay guarding the territory. 

A group of lions are called a pride. It's known that male lions have fantastic long hair called manes which is considered their crowning glory. However, some male lions have short manes depending on the species and climate they live in. A hotter climate has lion males with shorter hair. Lions are the only species of feline (cat family) that roars together as a group. They and even their young join in a chorus of lion roars. This can be heard for several miles. Roaring is a sign of dominance within their own territory. Also unlike other cat species, lions can live in groups that can be as many as up to 30 lions. 

There were lions living in Europe and even in the British Isles once upon a time. In France a prehistoric lion skull was discovered and it was found in Montmaurin, Haute-Garron. Now it's in the Muséum de Toulouse. The very first prehistoric lion fossil was found in Southern Germany. There were, in human recorded memory, lions existing still in places such as South Europe and across the Balkans, but faded away during the 2nd century BCE, with some species of lion being found further eastwards into Russia until the 10th century CE, with a trail extending southwards towards Armenia and Türkiye. 

Lions tend to be very lazy and can sleep all day! 

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Earth empaths

The sense of in tune with nature is a very natural way of being, although a lot of people don't feel like it. We live in an age of technology and modern advances has cut us off from the natural world. However, some people are sensitive and may have very different feelings and intuitions than everyone else around them. They think they're different. 

This means they have a connection to the natural world, including animals, plants, weather, the sea, sun, moon, and even geological changes. Some might feel as if they're a part of the Earth and that they feel wholesome, and strongly bonded with nature. A person may respond to the weather, physically and also mentally. If there is an earthquake, some may be aware of it before it happens.

These feelings are known and very real. Someone who feels this way are called an "Earth empath". An article written by Judith Orloff M.D. describes the wonders of being an earth empath, what it means and how to understand it. I shall share a quote from the material:

"Earth empaths may have premonitions about natural disasters or feel them intensely in their bodies as they are occurring." 

Link for full article at Your Tango "7 signs of an Earth Empath" by Judith Orloff.

(More at "The Empaths Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People" book by Judith Orloff M.D.). 

Another article written by Dr Anna Yusim on Earth Empaths "Nurturing Our Bond with Nature: The Rise of the Earth Empaths".

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Larkspur, July flower

The larkspur is a pretty flower associated with July and looks like a colourful display that attracts wildlife. Tall stems with a multitude of stamens and flowers growing around and upwards, towards the sun and clouds. These look like soft little towers of the garden. Larkspur's true name Delphinium, and they come from the Ranunculaceae family that also includes buttercups and clematis. 

There are many species and hybrids of larkspur/delphinium, such as the Pine Forest Larkspur, Siberian Larkspur, Basalt Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Colorado Larkspur, Scarlet Larkspur, Spiked Larkspur, Swamp Larkspur and many others.  

While pollinators, these flowers are not edible to humans or other animals. They're poisonous and can cause severe pain if eaten, even death. Avoid eating these beautiful flowers. Despite the poison, a small amount of larkspur has been used to make blue ink. They've also been used as an insect repellent and to cure head lice. 

The larkspur is associated with youth, childhood memories, new beginnings, happiness, the summer, dancing and even water, such as waves and the movement of the tides. It's said that it's reminded of dolphins, and of swaying in the breeze. The flowers are called Delphinium and it comes from ancient Greek word Delphic that means "dolphin." In Greek legend, the mother of deceased Achilles wanted to give her son's armour to the best warrior, and it was during the Trojan War. The armour was awarded to Ulysses, which disappointed the warrior Ajax who committed suicide by falling onto his sword. A blue delphinium flower grew from the blood where he died. The petals of the delphinium have tiny symbols that look like Greek letters spelling "AI", the sound of grief and mourning.

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Midsummer 2024

 This is a different post about Midsummer, or the Summer Solstice. I was planning to send only a Happy Midsummer entry with a nice picture and even info on plants and sun cakes, but I've changed my mind. I'm burning with anger. Stonehenge has been in the centre of things, and it's been reported that someone vandalised these ancient megaliths. I don't care about what they say and what their reasons are for doing this. It's a desecration of a sacred site. Stonehenge is part of heritage and was constructed before the Great Pyramids of Egypt. It was targeted by fools. 

It's also with sadness that society has become so decayed that this sort of stuff is going on, and it's simply allowed, and they're making a lot of damage and harm. It's not the first time Neolithic sacred landmarks have been under attack. I don't know what the local druids make of this. 

In the world, sickness and evil. Attacks on heritage sites such as the Chemin de Montauban and Hill of Tara, Stone of Destiny, and many more is like a destabilising the columns and pillars of civilisation. 

It's similar to the legend of the Dharma bull in Vedic texts, who had four legs representing a golden age, but lost a leg in a period of discord. Later another time of destruction made the bull lose another leg. And then another. Less legs was more chaos and immorality in the world. When the bull was left with only one leg, that period of time became known as yuga (Kali), and also the iron age. The vandalism is one thing, but it represent all that is happening and going wrong. 

But the concept of time is a circle. And with that, I will say let the Golden Age return. Enjoy Midsummer and the Summer Solstice. Keep positive and have love.

A page on the Kaliyuga at Medium: https://medium.com/@exoticindiaa/kaliyuga-the-age-of-darkness-and-its-significance-30aa4d68c0c2

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Stellar twins

 There are many parallels with life, from a spiritual view to a realistic. I don't actually mean twin siblings but a spirit double. Even twins have their own spirit doubles. These doubles can be our astral selves, our inner selves and our shadow selves. The moon that we're familiar with has a secondary unknown aspect, which is the dark side of the moon. The sun even has a soul twin, which is significant as well as powerful and can be regarded as the "unseen" in many circles. Each of us have a double self, the esoteric and the external. The inner and outer, shadow and light, physical and astral. The concept appears a lot in philosophy and psychology.  

Regards to the sun itself, in mythology, it appears just as strong and blinding in reflections. It's believed that our own star had a physical twin named Nemesis. In Greek mythology, Nemesis is the goddess of revenge. Many have considered calling this Nemesis "evil" because it was believed to throw stones at the Earth every 26 million years, and might've caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. While many don't accept this idea, some scientists believe each star is born with a twin. Observations were made looking at the Perseus Cloud, described as a "stellar nursery" by New Atlas, discussing how research was made. It seemed that watching the young stars showed they were binary systems, and this may be how stars are born. Nemesis was never there, according to many who don't accept the idea, while believers think Nemesis has just wandered off in the Milky Way.

In mythology, Apollo the god of the sun had a twin sister, Artemis, goddess of the moon. Apollo and Artemis are Olympians, although there are the older gods, including the personification of the sun and moon, who are Helios and his sister Selene. It's just as well that we're under the House of Gemini at present, that stands for the Twins. That would be, your inner and outer selves.

More reading:

New Atlas articleNew Atlas article on "evil twin" Nemesis. 

Books by Claude Lecouteux: "Witches, Werewolves and Fairies: Shapeshifters and Astral Doubles in the Middle Ages." 

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Rose, June flower

 

While June is the time when flowers appear in their brilliance and colours, it's a month associated with the rose. People born in June have two birth flowers, the rose mainly and then the honeysuckle. While the honeysuckle is also a pretty sweet scented edible flower that brings in butterflies and bees, climbs walls and decorates gardens, it protects against evil spirits according to folklore. Honeysuckle is the secondary June flower, and rose is the first.

There's many types of roses, and the first recorded rose to appear was during the Late Eocene period. Most modern roses are hybrids for gardens, produced for perfumes and hedges. Early cultivation goes back to 500 BCE around the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East and in China. These roses haven't just been ornaments but also as a food and medicine plant. Roses contain vitamin C. 

Symbolising love, roses are also sacred to Goddess Aphrodite. Also the origin of roses in Greek mythology comes from Chloris the goddess of flowers. She transformed a dead nymph into a rose, making the most beautiful and sweet smelling flower. 

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Fatigue

 

While Summer and it's warmth, flowers and sunshine is a wonderful season to enjoy, it can cause fatigue. This is called heat exhaustion, which is very worrying to have. This can weaken and cause dehydration, tiredness, misery, headaches and even slowness. This can also cause sweating, nausea, vomiting and rapid pulse. If untreated this can become worse, especially when exposed to more heat, and can turn into dangerous heat stroke symptoms. 

Summer fatigue and heat exhaustion can be dealt with by loosening tight clothes and drinking plenty of water, avoiding caffeine and alcohol. Avoid fizzy drinks that are sugary that leaves someone feeling parched. Some other types of fatigue are not always caused by the warm weather. There is chronic fatigue and many more associated with various exhaustions and even an undiagnosed illness.

To help this, one needs to make more energy. One of the most natural ways of healing is to get hydrated by drinking fluids and getting plenty of sleep. Eat fresh food such as fruit such as peaches, watermelon, salad and raw spinach. Herbs for fatigue can eaten or made as tea: Sage, mugwort, peppermint, rosemary, basil, ginseng, lemon balm, St. John's wort and skullcap. 

Nigon Wyrta Galdor (The Nine Herbs Charm):

"Remember Mugwort, what you made know

what you arranged at Regen meld.

You were called Una, the oldest of herbs,

you have power against three and against thirty

you have power against poison and against infection,

you have power against the loathsome foe roving through the land."

(The rest of the Nine Herbs Charm can be read at The Creative Cottage page "Learn the history of the nine herbs charm" visit the link).

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Walking and pain

 While Spring is a perfect time for exploring and hiking, it comes with issues. More than just hay fever, it can hinder ones need to go for a nice walk, because of pain such as plantar fasciitis, the name of foot pain. Too much walking in hard shoes will make the foot sore at the heels. There might also be other symptoms and risks, not just walking but the pressure on feet and being overweight. It's best to see a doctor and one may have serious problems later on with it. There are intense treatments like surgeries for plantar fasciitis but those are extreme cases. There are traditional healing methods for that too, such as lavender oil, massage and ice. Herbs can also help this like eating ginger, turmeric root, cumin, mint and horsetail plant. In folklore and fairy tales, feet is much used as a story plot, especially with Cinderella who wears glass slippers that should be painful with every walk, but also her stepsisters who amputate their feet as a means of flirting and tricking the prince. In Greek myths and legends is Achilles' Heel about a strong hero whose most vulnerable part of his body are his feet, while in Norse myths the goddess Skadi had somewhat of a foot fetish as she worked out a puzzle. So next time you consider going for a stroll, or even planning on a hiking trip, make sure you look after your feet and wear comfortable footwear.

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Magic skies

 The year 2024 has been full of interesting natural phenomena and rare events. There was the solar eclipse in April, visible to many countries around the world. There is the Aurora Borealis visible over much of the United Kingdom in this May. This coincides with the celebrations of Spring, and also the season of Beltane and/or Walpurgis Night. We expect more too.

There are going to be visible displays of the Eta Aquariids, noctilucent clouds, Perseid, Orionids, the visiting Seven Sisters or Pleiades, Hessdalen lights, Longdendale lights, Naga Fireballs, a Supermoon and the Geminids meteor shower. They can be observed annually and sometimes these are understood to happen that they're predicted such as the moon and eclipses. Some of them are still a mystery to science even though they're given a decent rational explanation. Attributed to folklore and the paranormal, it's always going to be a wonderful thing to look at. 

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Hawthorn, May flower

 

Hawthorn is also called the May Flower. It's regarded as the birth flower of May born children, along with Lily of the Valley, of which I decided are two very special flowers for May. While Lily of the Valley is often symbolised with innocence, purity, gentleness and even sadness, it's tougher counterpart is the hawthorn, steeped in ancient magic and folklore, with Pagan celebrations of Beltane using hawthorn flowers. According to early Celtic traditions, hawthorns can be used to protect against spirits, help longevity and are used as love herbs. Hawthorn sticks were used by witches to make wands. 

Hawthorn trees are also called Fairy Trees, as these trees are sacred and magical. Leaves are believed to taste like bread and cheese, or "Bara caws" as this is Welsh folklore. The Scottish poet named Thomas the Rhymer said he had encountered the Fairy Queen under a hawthorn tree, where a cuckoo was singing, so he followed and entered another world, briefly visiting a mysterious place, until he returned and was shocked to find out several years had passed!

Hawthorn was used as a natural healing medicine for thousands of years. The ancient Romans used hawthorn to treat heart conditions and inflammations. Hawthorn has been used for blood circulation and relieve pain, stress and help headaches. Hawthorn is edible and made in cooking to create jams and teas. Hawthorn isn't poisonous to dogs and cats either.   

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Walpurgis night

 With the approach of May there is a celebration across Europe that is often associated with the first day of May, around about then. It's got huge popularity in countries like Germany, where they celebrate this time. It's called Walpurgis Night, named for the festival of Saint Walpurga. This stems from a holy woman from England who was born during the Dark Ages in the year 710, who grew up in the Kingdom of Wessex. Her name varies from Walpurga, Wealdburg, Valborg and Valpurga. A daughter of the famous Richard the Pilgrim, she set out to heal and cure people suffering diseases like whooping cough. She helped to fight against the menace of rabies and other pests, while also travelling to the continent and visited Germany, using her knowledge to protect the villagers against witchcraft. Her reputation grew, and she was loved by many people who continued to remember her after her death. Walpurga was made into a saint and her feast day coincides with the May Day celebrations. 

In many countries peoples celebrate Walpurgis Night, but in Germany especially it's also a time of witch festivals. It's also called "Witches Night" where witches meet up on the mountain and dance to the change of seasons, at Brocken in the Harz Mountains. Many have observed the witches night celebration as being enchanting and a magical yet spooky experience. There's a lot of similarities of Witches Night and with Halloween. Its when the veils are lowered, as the time of Spring/Autumn equinoxes. While the Germans celebrate the coming of May with witches, the idea is pre-Christian Pagan in origin, as this coincides with the time of Beltane. The English celebrate the arrival of May with cowslips, fairies and the May Queen, with fetes and maypole dances. Witches Night in Germany is a very exciting holiday. It even has a Springtime version of "trick or treating" style pranks that includes going out in costumes, setting off fireworks, hanging decorations of plants and fire dancing. So have a wonderful Walpurgis Night!    

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St George's Day

 

While living in the age of technology and space exploration using advanced rockets, we are also still fascinated by the mythical age of legends. Soon it is England's St. George's day and this also happens on the 23rd April, which is to be during a full moon this year. Other significant events on the 23rd April was the construction of the temple of goddess Venus on the Capitoline Hill, the defeat of Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf, the St. George's Night Uprising in Estonia, creation of the Order of the Garter, King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned, and not to mention the anniversary of St George's death, also the deaths of Joan of Arc and playwrite William Shakespeare. The celebration of St. George also occurs in other countries including Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Portugal, Lebanon, Syria, Romania, Catalonia, Aragon, Rio de Janeiro and Alcoy. 

St. George's Day in Hungary is believed to happen during witch's sabbaths, so terrified people did what they could to protect themselves and their homes from sinister magical forces. This includes burning incense, gathering sticks and twigs from willow trees and birch trees to place around windows. They even protected their stables and livestock this way. In Germany there is the "George's Ride" tradition on 23rd April around churches. In Bavaria and Buttenheim, there's parades of people dressed up on brightly coloured horses and decorated wagons.   

According to spookier themed April 23rd is a time when it's not safe to go out at night on the eve of that St. George's Day. This is because vampires are believed to manifest their powers, and also witches and other supernatural creatures are mostly active. This was found in Bram Stoker's "Dracula" where evil happens on the night. April 23rd also happens to be World Book Day. 

As for St. George himself, he is always imagined as being a knight in shining armour, who people believe might've been English who really killed a fire breathing dragon to rescue a maiden. He was actually a Roman soldier, who was executed for being a Christian and not taking part in Pagan rituals. The man was turned into a martyr and later became canonized to sainthood, while the dragon represents the forces of evil, such as the devil, and/or the might of a pre-Christian pagan Rome. The dragon symbol was used by Roman legions on standards in the first century. Today the image of George and the dragon is also knotted and tied with ancient dragon stories of dragon slayers.

After all this lesson, enjoy the holiday and have fun.   

Storm Valkyrie 💚🐉

The solar eclipse

 

Yesterday was the solar eclipse, as viewed in the northern hemisphere. Today we understand why it happens, but before it was an event that frightened people. In many religions, the solar eclipse was regarded as a bad omen. It was considered to be a horrific time of the sun itself being devoured by wolves and dragons. It made people in ancient times believe the gods were angry with humans and an eclipse of the sun meant darkness and famine. 

Now people regard the solar eclipse with fascination and excitement. A lot of modern Pagans view the solar eclipse as a time of spiritual growth, cleansing, deeper understandings about the astronomical event and it's significance to the Earth, rebirth and communication. When the sun aligns with the moon, it appears as though the sun has turned dark. This remarkable event is both powerful and spiritual. Groups hold sun eclipse celebrations, blots, parties and sacred rites. It's a time when Pagans practice healing and magic. 

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Daisy, April flower

 

The flower of April is a daisy. These are wild flowers associated with innocence and love. There Latin name is Bellis perennis, which means "pretty" and "everlasting". Daisies belong to the Asteraceae family, previously named the Compositae. Daisy relatives are a variety of plants such as the edible lettuce, sunflowers, dandelions, asters, goldenrod, thistle and chamomile. Even daisy family members are spices including sage, tarragon, artichoke and chicory. Daisies contain a lot of vitamin C.

Daisies are edible and can be eaten both raw, cooked, brewed in tea, in salads, and as a cake decoration. Traditionally daisies are used as a healing herb. It was used to cure bleeding, bronchitis, aches and pains. This flower was added as medicine to cure stiff joints and pain suffered by gardeners, farmers and peasants. Daisies were used to treat wounds and cuts. Extract from daisies are used in medicine therapies for people with cancer. 

The daisy flower is sacred to Freya, the Norse goddess of love and beauty. Used as a fertility symbol, daisies are associated with childbirth, motherhood and Spring. In Greek mythology, daisies grew wherever the goddess Persephone walked. Daisies are also connected to many goddesses including Ostara, Venus and Aphrodite. In Roman mythology, a beautiful nymph named Belides created daisies by first trying to flee the affections of a god, and so she changed herself into a daisy. 

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Ostara

It's the time of the Spring equinox (19th-22nd March), named Ostara. It is the month when winter gives way to the new season and more flowers return, and many animals come out of their hibernation periods. The Spring equinox is also named the Vernal Equinox, which occurs in the Northern Hemisphere. 

I always observed that the beginning of the month of March is cold and dark, but late in March it's light and warm. Some celebrate in many different ways depending on their religion and customs.

Here is a page from Learn Religions website about egg magic and folklore.

The time of Easter is near. The Germanic goddess Eostre is a pre-Christian Pagan deity who was celebrated in ancient times. 

Many flowery blessings all!

Storm Valkyrie

Wake sleepyhead

 

There is something of Lord of the Rings vibe in the air. 

Brynhild is a favourite Valkyrie of the All Father god Odin. One day she offended him and as punishment, she was put under a spell. She entered a deep long sleep surrounded by a ring of magic flames. This is very similar to the fairy story of the Sleeping Princess. 

A lion that sleeps is a motif for the stars of Leo and also represents a punishment. As lions are symbols of power and strength, to have them sleeping is not positive, but a sign that the lion is dormant and vulnerable.

The prince and dragon slayer hero is the one destined to wake Brynhild/Sleeping Princess. So who really is He? A warrior archetype of the hero. He undoes the curse and frees Her from eternal sleep. 

 Aol wvza pz uva hivba huap-dhy, iba hivba bukvpun aol jluabyplz vm johpuz

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Dragon bones

Dragons tend to represent sheer power and ultimate strength, but they're seen as duel forces and connected to the earth's magnetic field. In the Western world, dragons have always been regarded as fearsome and dangerous, even destructive with their fiery breaths and monstrous forms, looking like giant serpentine reptiles most of them winged, or like fantastically huge creatures on both land and sea. They terrorise villages, consume livestock and are also a menace. Stories of knights and other brave heroes have gone out to slay these dragons, many died trying to succeed while a few are victorious. However, in the Eastern world, dragons are entirely different and they're respected, even idolised because they're respected for their strength, abilities and beauty. They're protectors and guardians, as well as divine beings among the elements such as Tianlong the celestial dragon. Dragons of the East are believed to pull chariots of the gods across the sky. 

So there is the medicine of dragons, called Os Draconis, or "Long gu". It's believed that the bones of dragons or Long gu will bring healing and calm, balance and cleansing. Dragon bones or Long gu is full of rich calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate. Calcium carbonate is a mineral, of which humans need if they're immune system is low. It helps to relieve heartburn, stomach upsets and acid indigestion. Calcium phosphate or tricalcium phosphate is mineral formula that boosts healthy growth in humans. Dragon bones are also able to calm dizziness, control fevers, sweating, high blood pressure, easing the heart and mind. 

While traditional Chinese medicines use dragon bones, it's also said that it shouldn't be mixed with fish, for it will counteract with gypsum or Shi goa. Dragon bones are grounded and crushed, that can be eaten with herbs. Some dragon bones are found sold on the market in different types. Those include Local (tu), Powder (fen), White (bai), Flower or variegated (hua). So what exactly are dragons bones? The answer is fossils of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals.

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