300 Former Wild Horses in South Dakota Need Homes as Deadline Looms | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Source: ISPMB/Emergency Adoption Mission

“The ‘Hallelujah Horses’ Need Your Help!”

Volunteers are scrambling to find homes for hundreds of wild horses in South Dakota that were spared a possible trip to the slaughterhouse but are now suffering through a harsh winter.

The horses, some of them blind, were once kept at a troubled South Dakota sanctuary. Now a small group of volunteers from across the country is working 10 hours a day to feed and care for animals, using rented plows to carve paths through 15-foot snowdrifts. In a nearby hotel room, other volunteers are sorting through adoption applications and networking through social media, desperately trying to find homes for the horses before they are forced to leave the property next month.

“We are working to get the whole herd out of the 15-foot snow. Some are blind and are walking out right over the fences. It’s really hard to work with so many horses with so many problems,” said Elaine Nash, director of horse rescue organization Fleet of Angels, who is spearheading the operation. “Every time we get over one hurdle there’s another one waiting for us.”

Some 500 horses have already been placed in sanctuaries and ranches across the country, from Arizona and Oregon to California and Minnesota. But the effort near Lantry, in northern South Dakota, isn’t done.

The remaining 300 wild horses could be more difficult to sell or have adopted, Nash said. Nearly 200 are stallions that need gelding before anyone will want them. Dozens are old and have health problems. Others are blind from what Nash suspects was toxic farm runoff in their drinking pond.

But Nash was grateful for the response so far to the neglected herd. Many of the less desirable horses have already found homes, and Nash is hopeful that most will be out of South Dakota by their deadline.

When Nash first spread the word in October, This Old Horse rescue in Hastings, Minnesota, agreed to take two older mares.

They wound up taking seven stallions, all blind, instead.

“I don’t know how it happened,” joked Nancy Turner, board president of This Old Horse. “Elaine is really good at convincing people.”

Turner said it’s not easy. The horses are wild, after all, and need special handling and transportation. Most have never been inside a barn or trailer.

“But part of it for me is that these aren’t poor needy horses,” Turner said. “They are magnificent. I thought that we could celebrate them rather than see them as poor things that should probably be put down.”

More than 800 horses were impounded in October at the nonprofit International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros after a state veterinarian found they were being neglected and a former ranch employee said they were being starved to death. All but 20 were eventually surrendered by their owner.

By mid-December, a third of the horses had been adopted or sold while the other 550 or so were being held as collateral by county officials seeking reimbursement for the cost of caring for the horses. When it didn’t come, the counties started planning to auction off the rest to recoup the cost, making animal rights groups fear many of the horses would be brought to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico.

Fleet of Angels and other animal rights groups raised the $78,000 still owed to the counties and stopped the auction. They then assumed the costs and responsibility of caring for the horses

The group is now gathering, microchipping, collecting blood samples and trimming the feet of the remaining horses and gelding the stallions. Meanwhile, they still need financial support to feed and care for a herd burning through $1,000 in hay each day.

Nash said horses won’t be euthanized unless they have broken bones or serious conditions — even horses that might be difficult to adopt.

“We know that someone will come forward and give them good homes. People care about these horses and about making this mission a success,” she said.

Note: “200 stallions” was the total number of the stallions out of the total 810. Also, about 95% of the horses look great after receiving $150,000 worth of hay since mid-October.

Source: 300 Former Wild Horses in South Dakota Need Homes as Deadline Looms | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Lunar Eclipse February 2017 ~ Space Dust – Darkstar Astrology

Lunar Eclipse on February 10 2017 at 22º Leo Aspects: Trine Uranus/Eris & Sextile Jupiter. Fixed star: Pherkad in the right foot of the Little Bear

Moon Leo 3 does not sugar-coat for the sake of popularity. In a sign that seems so ego-driven, the maternal energy of the bear is actually more about helping others than themselves. It depends on how evolved the soul is, with other harsh aspects there can be a ruthless drive and tyrannical tendencies. At this time we might have to face traits caused by a difficult childhood, one where we had to fight to be ourselves. Of course this eclipse can work to toughen the soul up too, and by the end of the 3 months more belligerent.

Despite all, even if decisions taken at this time rub people up the wrong way, they are still admired for being courageous choices. As the head of a nation, company or family, this eclipse enables trail blazers who will do whatever it takes to protect those little cubs in their care.

At the mundane level this is the great patriot willing to die for their country. (Country = descendants.) Loyalty is the number one demand at this time, so woe betide traitors. Those who stoop to revenge at this time will suffer greatly, but they won’t care who else they bring down with them. So keep a wide berth from the great sinking bear!!

Three fixed stars found around the eclipse degree: The first is Tania Australis (21º 41′) a red star in the paw of the great mother bear. These stars in Ursa major have a Mars quality according to Ptolemy. “It is said to give a quiet, prudent, suspicious, mistrustful, self-controlled, patient nature, but an uneasy spirit and great anger and revengefulness when roused.” Ras Elased Borealis (21º 26′) is in the lion’s head. The Ebertins say it can give rise to mental illness and depression depending on how it is configured. Since this is an eclipse, there is always a ‘wild card’ element to this energy. We have already seen so many celebrities meltdowns in the media, just expect more from those with 22º Leo in their charts!

Noonan says the Lion’s head stars “are said to indicate those with an appreciation for language and a power of expression, but also those who may be heartless and cruel.” So this star adds a mocking, satirical quality then. The brightest of the stars and closed to the eclipse degree is Pherkad (21º 36′) is found in the Little Bear Ursa Minor. The constellation gives “indifference and improvidence of spirit, and to lead to many troubles.” We can also bear in mind that even though these stars have very rough edges, the ancient navigators looked upon them as guardians and guides since they are close to the poles. Rough diamonds then!

Lunar Eclipse February 2017 ~ Aspects

The Sun is opposite the Moon in a lunar eclipse. This opposition is part of a mystic rectangle aspect pattern which links the eclipse with Jupiter opposite Uranus at 21º/23º Aries/Libra. Lets look at the aspects that make up this rectangle.

Moon trine Uranus brings an abundance of radical and innovative energy to the public. Self-assured rebellion occurs from those who don’t give a fig about conforming to the status quo. The trine brings to fruition personal freedom, revolution and electric genius. At this eclipse the more outlandish people behave, the more popular they become.

Sun sextile Uranus creates brilliant, visionary situations and the courage to break through conventions. This rebelliousness comes from having gone through a period of conformity and orthodoxy. The stability of the past, at least provided a stable anchor from which this Uranian ship can explore. So conversely, it is the very fact that we have had such a safe, stable background in the past that we feel secure enough to take great leaps into the Uranian unknown.

Moon sextile Jupiter. The imagination is expansive and pioneering, inspired by overseas or inner travel. The eclipse energy will still support the roots though, no matter how far afield we might voyage. Those touched by this moon should attract benefactors. Sometimes this comes as a reward from generously nurturing and supporting other artists in the past.

Sun trine Jupiter has strong beliefs, so this aspect of the eclipse probes people to do their duty and support those who they deem worthy enough or not as the case may be. There is a strong sense of justice and a look at how fair some laws are. Reforms in the law could be made at this time. Sun trine Jupiter gives the foresight to spot talent and potential in apprentices. Agents are on the look out for fresh blood at this time.

Jupiter opposite Uranus creates exciting new utopias and visions for the future that can inspire others to follow the path to illumination. Uranus is the great enlightener, so it can be a Kundalini awakening also since with Jupiter spirituality and sex merge. Jupiter and Uranus also both share thunderbolts in common!

Lunar Eclipse Mystical Rectangle

We had a mystical rectangle pattern back at the Gemini Full Moon December 2016 where I likened it to opening a Christmas present. I called it ‘Unveiling’ and pondered wether the packaging was more glamorous than the actual contents. The theme this time is similar with Jupiter opposite Uranus being activated again.

Back then Saturn was opposite the Moon. “The internal pressure caused by the oppositions could lead to a breakdown. If the internal tension is not diffused, substance is lost. Sometimes the bottled-up pressure leads to mental confusion, there is a conversion, a transformation from Saul to Paul. That leads to a wholesale abandonment of what was important before, thus enabling a spiritual rebirth.” [1]

Before Christmas there was a lot of tension waiting to be released. People were sitting on the Gemini fence, flip-flopping from left to right, not knowing if Trump would make it to inauguration. The end of the year does have a certain doomladen “End Times’ vibe. This rectangle is different. It actually has Saturn crowning it and looks like the apex of a roof. This eclipse can be more hopeful.

Lunar Eclipse February 2017 ~ Summary

In order for real change to take place in society, there has to be a concerted effort to organize and get one’s message across in a non-violent fashion. The Lunar eclipse activation of one of the most positive aspects of the year is something to be excited about! It looks like truth and integrity will shine through. Uranus is the new technology which we can use as a way to awaken ourselves and others. The cyber world is a double edged sword and we must always remember to unplug ourselves so that we get good dose of earthing energy too. With this eclipse we see the good side of technology and how we can use it to unchain ourselves from slavery.

Knowledge is power, but unfortunately state-sponsored education works to dumb down the younger generations. These days they are also crippled by debt as soon as they enter their adult lives. In effect, today’s youngsters are enslaved as soon as they leave college whereas their ‘uneducated’ grandparents left school, went to work and could afford to start a family straight away. They matured very early learning through having responsibilities in life. Jupiter is about higher-learning so at this eclipse we look at what ways we can educate ourselves so that we can make better life choices and be truly free and sovereign human beings.

Another point about slavery is that it is also about being a sex slave. Young people are being groomed into sex slavery through internet porn. As mentioned, Jupiter opposite Uranus can symbolize the Kundalini. The internet can be a great awakener, but there are so many rabbit holes you can fall into. It is only a very small percentage of people who follow the priestess snake of wisdom, while others get vectored into the prostitute snake of the lower chakras! However just a small percent is all it takes to move the masses, as long as a critical mass is reached. Looking back at the mystic rectangle, Saturn makes a minor grand trine with the Sun and Jupiter. This this may be where the trickle-down effect starts from. Saturn is actually pretty close to Galactic Center too at 26º Sagittarius, so maybe there is just something in the star dust!

1. Aspect Pattern Astrology. Bruno & Louise Huber. P 163

Source: Lunar Eclipse February 2017 ~ Space Dust – Darkstar Astrology

Jupiter Retrograde February 2017 – Unexpected Luck

Jupiter Retrograde 2017 begins on 6 February 2017 at 23° Libra, and stations direct on 9 June 2017 at 13° Libra. I will talk about each phase of Jupiter retrograde 2017 including when Jupiter enters and leaves the retrograde zone. Before that however, you will find a brief description of what it means to have Jupiter retrograde in the natal chart followed by the general meaning of Jupiter retrograde in transit.

Overall, Jupiter retrograde 2017 is very promising for achieving growth and happiness in a particular area of life that is important to you now. Unexpected good fortune is at hand with work, travel, education or a new relationship. Whatever your hopes for the future may be, this years Jupiter retrograde is an opportunity to make great leaps towards living out your dreams.

If your goals are unrealistic, deceitful or greedy then the Jupiter direct phase from June to September 2017 may result in disappointment and loss. Even if you are traveling on the right path at this stage, you will be reminded how important it is to be happy and content with what you have. Jupiter retrograde 2017 requires introspection and an awareness that inner, spiritual growth is necessary for your hopes and dreams to materialize.

Jupiter Retrograde Meaning

Jupiter retrograde in the natal chart means that there was a problem in achieving goodness of the soul a previous life. This certainly does not indicate a bad soul, but that there will be some lessons or extra effort required this life in order to achieve goodness of the soul, to be genuinely happy and content.

Jupiter retrograde by position and aspect shows the areas of life, or the personality traits and behaviors, which specifically require extra development. The optimum Jupiter nature is broad-minded, happy, comfortable and content. A healthy Jupiter is continually growing and expanding in philosophical and spiritual outlook. The aim is to be charitable, generous, friendly and welcoming to all people, regardless of social status, religion, cultural or ethnic background.

Jupiter retrograde in the chart could show as greed, selfishness, gluttony, extravagance, wastefulness or self-righteousness. Addiction, intolerance, bigotry, ignorance or showing off may be holding you back. Whatever is stunting your personal and spiritual growth is what Jupiter retrograde focuses on. This could well have been an ongoing problem hindering success over many incarnations. Events or relationships will keep reinforcing the problem area this life, especially during Jupiter retrograde phases.

Jupiter retrograde in transit is a regular cycle occurring every 13 months and lasting for about 4 months. Transiting Jupiter retrograde represents a time of philosophical or spiritual introspection and reflection. During the previous months since Jupiter entered the retrograde zone, you will have been dealing with particular issues involving growth and development, happiness and success.

Jupiter retrograde means that whatever area of growth you have been developing is so important, that extra time is needed to take stock and make sure everything in order before you continue. You may be tested to make sure you are ready to receive the good fortune, new romance, or increased wealth you seek.

On the other hand, it could be that a negative Jupiter behavior such as greed or addiction has been getting out of control. In this case, the Jupiter retrograde months will offer a chance to recognize and admit the problem. Things may get so out of control that an intervention or some drastic event must occur in order to shake you out of your complacency or ignorance.

By the time Jupiter stations direct, you should have come to terms with the relevant issues and be prepared for the next phase. In the third and final Jupiter retrograde phase, from the direct station until Jupiter leaves the retrograde zone, positive growth and development lets you bound ahead toward ultimate success and happiness.

Jupiter Retrograde 2017

6 February 2017 Jupiter stations retrograde at 23°08′ Libra

The Jupiter retrograde 2017 chart below clearly shows a right-angled triangle formed by Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. Overall, this is a positive configuration with the two harmonious blue aspects turning the challenges of the red opposition into opportunities for success.

Fixed star Spica 24°04′ Libra greatly increases your chance of success during the Jupiter retrograde phase. Here we have the most fortunate planet on the most fortunate of all fixed stars. This alpha star of the Virgin gives wealth, success, happiness and love. Spica conjunct Jupiter in particular assists in spiritual development and psychic awareness. It offers protection, advancement and the possibility of wealth to even the poorest of people.

Jupiter opposite Uranus greatly increases your need for personal freedom and excitement. You will feel a strong urge to react, or rebel against anything that is stopping you from having fun and doing what you want. A sudden event may release your built up tension and lead to a major change in circumstances. You can find adventure and personal growth through travel, education and new relationships while still maintaining certain core responsibilities in your life.

You can find creative and ingenious ways to relieve the boredom without causing total chaos and disruption. Though technically a challenging transit, the relief from stress and tension can be very satisfying. A change in beliefs or social interaction may be all it takes to act as a circuit breaker. At the deeper level you are seeking a burst of higher awareness, to transcend your daily routine and bring on a spiritual growth spurt.

Jupiter sextile Saturn slows the speed of any change and reduces the shock value. You can rely on sound judgement skills to only chose those opportunities that are right for you. These opportunities may be in your career, through investment or business deals, or in your personal life as major material possessions or relationship choices. Patience, perseverance and a strong work ethic ensure your gains will be enduring and substantial.

Saturn trine Uranus also makes any growth spurts more lasting. It makes the changes in your life run more smoothly. Change will not be as upsetting or erratic as Jupiter opposite Uranus alone would bring. You will remain calm and patient, planning every step methodically. You can find new days of doing old things without rocking the boat. You could take the lead in your career to initiate needed changes and gain respect and recognition from your boss.

Source: Jupiter Retrograde 2017 Unexpected Luck – Astrology King

Drink to Your Health – Long Winter Months Ahead – Good Witches Homestead

During the long, chilly winter months, our bodies need all the help they can get to fight infection.

Colds, viruses, and the flu lurk at the door and a simple handshake can lay one out for weeks. To build up the immune system and stave off bugs that run rampant in winter, try incorporating herbs like rosemary, sage, and lemon balm to your morning tea or coffee. All three of these herbs promote longevity and aid in strengthening the body’s defenses. Add them directly to the basket of your coffee pot for full infusion. Remember to gently crush the herbs in your hands first to release all of their essential oils. If you’re lucky enough to have a coffee grinder, that works even better. Simply add the sprigs or dried leaves to the beans and grind away. Then dress the drink as you normally would.

Don’t forget to consume fresh juices for more immunity-building in the darker months Reach for 100-percent juice varieties of blueberry, orange, pomegranate, and goji, which ward may ward off everything from the common cold to cancer. Juices are also a great option for flavoring teas, coffee, and punch.

For instance, you might add a shot of noni juice to coffee every morning for an antioxidant boost. Noni fruit is derived from trees found across the Polynesian islands and shows promise in fighting fatigue and combating aging.

Drink to Your Health – Ten Best Winter Drinks.

Beat winter’s cold bite and warm up with these cozy brews.

What better way to celebrate the colder, restful months than with a hot beverage?

Whether you’re looking to cozy up to the fire with a mug of herbal tea or entertain guests with spiced cider, there are dozens of recipes to choose from. For those special occasions with family and friends, reach for ancient recipes like mead or glogg to toast the season. You can enhance a bottle of wine with rich, earthy spices like cinnamon, cloves, star anise, or licorice root. For a warm punch that pleases a crowd, mix wine with liquors like brandy, Schnapps, Cointreau, Grand Mariner, or Galliano. Then jazz it up with stevia, fennel, basil, or woodruff. Most of the recipes found here are non-alcoholic, but suggest a liquor if you want to add a little “spirit.” Double the recipes for a larger crowd and keep the brews warm on the stove or in a crockpot. Garnish with pretty herbal flowers like chamomile, lavender, pineapple sage, and mint. Or use edible stir sticks like licorice root, chicory, cinnamon, or rosemary bark.

Peppermint Patty

The Aztecs considered chocolate a food of the gods. Montezuma, the Aztec emperor, purportedly indulged in the drink known as cacahuatl more than 50 times a day. Often, chiles, cinnamon, or anise seeds were added to cut the bitterness of this cocoa-based beverage. It wasn’t until Cortez brought the recipe back to Spain that sugar was included. The addition of peppermint adds a refreshing bite and promotes circulation.

1 tablespoon dried peppermint in a tea ball or cheesecloth

1/3 cup hot water

4 cups {1 quart} milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

Suggested liquor: peppermint Schnapps.

In a medium saucepan, combine peppermint and water. Simmer over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil; stir for two minutes. Remove peppermint bundle. Add sugar and cocoa, stirring constantly, and continue boiling. Remove from heat, add milk, and stir. Serves 5.

Hot Buttered Cider

Originally, apple cider was a fermented alcoholic beverage manufactured across the world in countries like Spain, France, and England. Early American settlers began making the drink almost as soon as they arrived and it was quite popular in most households. In pagan cultures, the apple was a symbol of immortality and used in many love spells. {For a simple love charm, cut an apple in half, remove the seeds, and share it with the one you adore. Then bury the seeds beneath a full moon for a long and prosperous relationship!}

1 gallon of apple cider

6 whole allspice berries

Half of a nutmeg seed

3 cinnamon sticks

8 cloves

4 pats of butter

Chamomile flowers

Suggested liquor: spiced rum

To a large pot, add cider and spices. Simmer for 20 minutes. Strain into a pretty punch bowl and dot with butter. Garnish with chamomile flowers and serve warm. Serves 12.

Warm Mead

Thought to have originated in Ireland, mead dates back to ancient times. Brides and grooms toasted with the drink for a month after their wedding. Traditional mead is an ancient fermented beverage made from honey, water, yeast, and spices. The original process is very complicated; this is a simpler, heated version.

1 bottle Chardonnay

6 sprigs of sweet woodruff, washed and dried

1 vanilla bean

1/4 cup honey

In a medium saucepan, combine wine, woodruff, vanilla, and honey. Gently heat until honey dissolves. Remove woodruff and vanilla and serve in goblets. Serves 4.

Rosemary Coffee

This recipe might seem strange, but if you love rosemary, you’ll enjoy it. And because rosemary stimulates the mind, this caffeinated drink provides a double pick-me-up.

1/4 cup fresh coffee beans or ground coffee

1 sprig rosemary

Water

Grind coffee beans with rosemary sprig and brew. If you don’t have a grinder, chop the sprig first; then add it to the coffee basket before brewing. Serves 10.

Hot Toddy

My Irish grandmother used to make this for me when I wasn’t feeling well. It’s great for colds and sore throats and I make it for my husband and myself when we’re under the weather. The honey is soothing while the lemon detoxifies. Add the whiskey to help you sleep.

1 tea bag of orange pekoe, green, or black tea

1 cup of water

1 teaspoon honey

1 wedge of lemon

Suggested liquor: whiskey

Brew tea in water. Remove tea bag and pour into a mug and add honey and lemon. Serves 1.

Winter’s Nap Tea

This tea has all the makings to send you to dreamland. Lavender soothes and relaxes while valerian and chamomile promote sleepiness.

1 tablespoon loose-leaf chamomile tea

1 tablespoon dried lavender buds

1 tablespoon dried valerian

Water

Add all ingredients to a coffee basket and brew with water. Or heat in a saucepan and strain before serving. Add honey if desired. Serves 6.

After-Dinner Tea

After a big meal, sipping on this tea can help aid digestion and, as a bonus, it tastes great!

1 licorice root grated

1-star anise

1 tablespoon dried orange peel

Small handful anise seeds

Water

Muddle all ingredients together, and place in a tea ball or muslin bag. Gently heat in a medium saucepan filled with water. Remove herbs and spice and pour the liquid into mugs. Serves 2.

Swedish Glogg

A mulled wine that originated in the Scandinavian countries, glogg is enjoyed around the holidays and includes warm spices, nuts, and dried fruit. While many recipes call for a sweet wine like port or even sherry, you may find that the drier varieties better complement these ingredients. You can substitute the brandy for a fruity Schnapps like the peach.

1 whole orange

Handful of cloves

1 bottle dry red wine

1 cup blackberry brandy

6 cinnamon sticks

1 handful raisins

1 handful slivered almonds

Wash the orange and pierce it with the cloves. Add all ingredients to a large pot. Gently simmer until warm. Do not strain. Pour into a crock pot to keep warm. Serve in mugs. Serves 6.

N’Orleans-style Latte

Cafe Du Monde is a coffee and pastry shop located in the French Quarter of New Orleans. They serve pots of chicory-flavored coffee alongside tasty Beignets, fluffy triangle-shaped fried donuts dusted with powdered sugar. Chicory has been used for centuries as a coffee substitute. Is earthy flavor adds a rich, smokey taste to the hot beverage?

1/4 cup coffee beans, or ground coffee

1 chicory root

Milk

stevia powder

Grind coffee beans with chicory root, or grate root and add to the coffee basket. Brew with water. Add milk and stevia to taste. Serves 10.

Morning Power Tonic

There has been much chatter in the news lately regarding “power fruits.” Pomegranate, blueberry, goji, and acai berries are said to do everything from boost immunity to combat chronic illnesses. Packed with antioxidants, vitamins, phytochemicals, and anthocyanins, these fruits are the new wave of healthy eating. But age-old lemon balm here is also known to promote longevity. In A Modern Herbal, author Mrs. M. Grieve claims that John Hussey of Sydenham, who lived to the age of 116, drank lemon balm tea daily for 50 years!

1 cup purified water

2 tablespoons dried lemon balm

1/4 cup cranberry juice

1/4 cup pomegranate juice

1/4 cup blueberry juice

1/4 cup acai juice

1/4 cup goji juice

Add lemon balm to a tea ball and gently simmer in water for 10 minutes. Remove lemon balm and add juices, simmering for 5 more minutes. Enjoy at the start of your day for an energy boost. Serves 2.

Source: Drink to Your Health – Long Winter Months Ahead – Good Witches Homestead

Crystal of the Week: Ammonite – Holistic Experiment

Ammonite is a very powerful earth healing fossil with a spiral shape that symbolizes continual change and evolution. It is often used for activating kundalini energy and life path energies.

Often put in homes to attract health, prosperity, and success; it draws all of the negative energy and releases them as fresh, positive, and loving life force energy. It’s known as a powerful stone that balances the mental energies and brings higher forms of truth to the physical plane.

This stone can help balance the thoughts and internal communications so that they are both healthy and vivacious. It’s also great for helping the user understand the balances inherent to relationships.

Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Purposes

On a physical level, Ammonite lowers blood pressure, increases vitality and stamina, and heals any problems with the ears, lungs, and degenerative disorders. It’s often used for childbirth to give the mother strength and vitality and can balance body heat, any electrolyte imbalance, restores cellular fluids, and regulates the metabolism.

Ammonite is also used to increase life span and eliminates inside the subtle bodies that are not in perfect alignment due to their lineage. It can be used to purify and restructure the body and promotes the absorption of minerals. This stone also helps reduce pain and swellings as well as inflammations, restores mobility and eases cramps, and lubricates the joints.

On an emotional level, it lifts the heaviness that is sometimes felt during depression, it releases negativity and promotes a successful and positive attitude. This stone lends valor to get out of bad situations and helps the user accept permanent changes which positively affects the user’s lifestyle.

This stone is often used to strengthen the user’s will to live and helps appreciate life in order to live it to the fullest. It brings growth, wisdom, and wealth, and provides stability to its user and encourages their survival’s instincts.

On a spiritual level, Ammonite is a grounding stone that focuses on the Base/Root Chakra as well as the Third Eye Chakra. It’s often used to awaken the Kundalini energy and it is loved by Feng Shui practitioners because it has a positive effect on the flow of Chi or energy, helping its user to cleanse and detoxify the body.

It’s often used to draw off all of the negative energies from the surrounding aura and carries the spirit of change and personal growth.

Disclaimer: Crystal of the Week are a spiritual support to healing and are not prescription or healthcare information.

Source: Crystal of the Week: Ammonite – Holistic Experiment

Witches of America | Alex Mar

“Witches are gathering…”

When most people hear the word “witches,” they think of horror films and Halloween, but to the nearly one million Americans who practice Paganism today, witchcraft is a nature worshipping, polytheistic, and very real religion. So Alex Mar discovers when she sets out to film a documentary and finds herself drawn deep into the world of present-day magic.

Witches of America follows Mar on her immersive five-year trip into the occult, charting modern Paganism from its roots in 1950s England to its current American mecca in the San Francisco Bay Area; from a gathering of more than a thousand witches in the Illinois woods to the New Orleans branch of one of the world’s most influential magical societies. Along the way she takes part in dozens of rituals and becomes involved with a wild array of characters: a government employee who founds a California priesthood dedicated to a Celtic goddess of war; American disciples of Aleister Crowley, whose elaborate ceremonies turn the Catholic mass on its head; second-wave feminist Wiccans who practice a radical separatist witchcraft; a growing “mystery cult” whose initiates trace their rites back to a blind shaman in rural Oregon. This sprawling magical community compels Mar to confront what she believes is possible—or hopes might be.

With keen intelligence and wit, Mar illuminates the world of witchcraft while grappling in fresh and unexpected ways with the question underlying every faith: Why do we choose to believe in anything at all? Whether evangelical Christian, Pagan priestess, or atheist, each of us craves a system of meaning to give structure to our lives. Sometimes we just find it in unexpected places.

Source: Witches of America | Alex Mar

UW, BLM to Begin Controversial and Inhumane Wild Horse Movement Study

Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Source: UWYO.edu

“From the destruction of wild horse’s genitals to the installation of dangerous collars the rogue federal agency, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), continues to enlist the aide of America’s institutions of higher learning to be partners in their crimes.” ~ R.T.

“It works on cows, duuuuuhhhh!”

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the University of Wyoming are beginning a study to learn more about wild horse seasonal use and movements in the Adobe Town herd management area (HMA).

The study will begin with a bait-trap gather and radio collaring of up to 30 wild mares during February. No wild horses will be removed during this nonhelicopter gather.

UW scientists Derek Scasta and Jeff Beck, both in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, are heading the research. Jake Hennig, a Ph.D. student in the department, also will participate. They will use the information gleaned from the radio collars to learn more about how wild horses interact with their environment. Specifically, the researchers will study migration patterns and herd movements in the HMA. The BLM says it will use the study results to ensure wild horse herds continue to thrive on healthy rangelands.

The Wyoming Department of Agriculture has provided $120,000 to start the research. The BLM also has contributed funding.

Bait-trapping involves setting up temporary corrals within the HMA to attract wild horses safely into the corral. When a certain number of horses has entered the pen, the gate to the corral is closed. Once the horses are gathered, trained personnel will load and transport selected mares to the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility. After the horses arrive at the facility, staff from the U.S. Geological Survey will place collars with GPS tracking devices on the horses. The horses will then be returned to the HMA.

The 20-30 mares that BLM will select to wear GPS collars will be 5 years old or older. All other wild horses gathered will be immediately released shortly after the selected mares are sorted and held for collaring. All mares will be released at or near the same location where they were gathered. The selected contractors are in the process of identifying trap site locations and will begin the bait-trapping process soon.

Corrals could be set up in stages over a period of days to allow the horses to grow accustomed to the enclosures. About three to five trap sites are required to distribute radio-collared mares throughout the entire HMA. Bait-trapping is an effective method for capturing small numbers of selected horses.

The number of people in the trap area will be limited to key personnel to ensure a successful and safe gather for the horses.

Public viewing opportunities will be limited. Public viewing is always allowed at the wild horse holding facility overlook in Rock Springs, where the mares will be taken to be collared. Public viewing also will be allowed at the release sites of the collared mares. The BLM will keep a list of people who would like to attend the releasing of the collared mares and notify them at least one day before the releases. Media and interested public can view and photograph the mares being released with the GPS collars. To add your name to the list for public viewing, contact BLM Public Affairs Officer Tony Brown at (307) 352-0215.

The BLM’s Rawlins Field Office released the decision record and finding of no significant impact for the Adobe Town HMA Wild Horse Movements and Habitat Selection Research Gather Environmental Assessment Nov. 9, 2016. The decision was to allow enough wild horses to be gathered by bait trapping, so up to 30 selected mares could be outfitted with GPS collars. The BLM will use two separate contractors to conduct the bait-trapping operations.

Click (HERE) to view BLM Press Release

ering contamination from six years ago may have finally been found.

Source: UW, BLM to Begin Controversial and Inhumane Wild Horse Movement Study | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Japan Declare Crisis As Fukushima Reactor Falls Into Ocean

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Sean Adl-Tabatabai in News, US // 18 Comments

Japan declare state of emergency as Fukushima reactor 2 falls into the ocean

Scientists at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan have declared a state of emergency as one of the reactors is on the verge of falling into the ocean.

Lethal levels of radiation have been detected around the site which scientists say stems from a hole caused by melted nuclear fuel.

Rt.com reports:Radiation levels of up to 530 Sieverts per hour were detected inside an inactive Reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex damaged during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami catastrophe, Japanese media reported on Thursday citing the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

A dose of about 8 Sieverts is considered incurable and fatal.

A hole of no less than one square meter in size has also been discovered beneath the reactor’s pressure vessel, TEPCO said. According to researchers, the apparent opening in the metal grating of one of three reactors that had melted down in 2011, is believed to be have been caused by melted nuclear fuel that fell through the vessel.

The iron scaffolding has a melting point of 1500 degrees, TEPCO said, explaining that there is a possibility the fuel debris has fallen onto it and burnt the hole. Such fuel debris have been discovered on equipment at the bottom of the pressure vessel just above the hole, it added.

The latest findings were released after a recent camera probe inside the reactor, TEPCO said. Using a remote-controlled camera fitted on a long pipe, scientists managed to get images of hard-to-reach places where residual nuclear material remained. The substance there is so toxic that even specially-made robots designed to probe the underwater depths beneath the power plant have previously crumbled and shut down.

However, TEPCO still plans to launch further more detailed assessments at the damaged nuclear facility with the help of self-propelled robots.

Earlier this week, hopes for a more efficient cleanup at Fukushima were high, as the plant operator announced a portion of nuclear fuel debris responsible for a lot of the lingering contamination from six years ago may have finally been found.

Source: Japan Declare Crisis As Fukushima Reactor Falls Into Ocean

Massive Child Sex Ring Busted in California — 474 Arrested, 28 Children Saved. MSM Silent

https://twitter.com/LACoSheriff/status/826493643607269376

Click on image to goto tweet.

Massive Child Sex Ring Busted in California — 474 Arrested, 28 Children Saved. MSM Silent
by Matt Agorist, http://thefreethoughtproject.com/
Los Angeles, CA — In a massive statewide operation targeting human traffickers, hundreds of people were arrested and dozens of sexually-exploited children were saved.
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The bust was part of a statewide operation to combat human trafficking, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced Tuesday. According to KTLA, more than 30 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and task forces, as well as the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, participated in the third annual “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild” enforcement operation, according to a sheriff’s news release.
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The operation resulted in 474 arrests including 142 males on solicitation charges, and 36 males for pimping. It is important to note that some of these arrests included people trying to simply pay another willing adult to have sex with them.
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In the Land of the Free, it is against the law to get paid to have sex, unless that sex is filmed, distributed on DVD, and taxed. One of the least talked about systems of oppression in the US is that of persecuting prostitutes.
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When referencing prostitution, it is critical to point out that we are talking about the mutually beneficial exchange of sexual favors for money by two or more consenting adults; not forced human trafficking.
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That being said, however, during the operation, officers rescued 28 children who were being sexually exploited and offered services to 27 adults they said were victims of sex trafficking. These victims were not part of a voluntary process and instead were bought and sold as commodities to sick individuals without their consent.
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As corporate media writes off talk of ‘pizzagate’ as if it’s some tinfoil conspiracy theory that couldn’t possibly happen, this scenario shatters their claims. In fact, Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell says the arrests represent a “very sad commentary on the condition we’re dealing with.”
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“Pretending this issue doesn’t exist only makes us more complicit in it,” newly elected San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott said.
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While it is currently unknown if any of these charges involve high-level government officials or law enforcement, the fact that it existed should not be ignored. Throughout the first and second weeks of December, since the mainstream media first reported that Edgar Maddison Welch, of Salisbury, N.C., fired a shot inside the Comet Ping Pong Pizzaria in Washington, DC, the mainstream media has been declaring the so-called child-sex “Pizzagate” child-sex ring, a false conspiracy theory based on lies.
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Welch was reportedly searching for child-sex slaves inside Comet Ping Pong based on stories he’d read online involving pedophilia and the Washington elite. Ironically, and without any real investigative, Chris Hanson style journalism being conducted, the mainstream media and its pundits have declared all the claims found in the conspiracy theory to be false, lies constructed by “fake news.”
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read more.

end

Source: Massive Child Sex Ring Busted in California — 474 Arrested, 28 Children Saved. MSM Silent « Socio-Economics History Blog

Jefferson Was Correct – The Road Less Traveled

Jefferson’s Final Warnings (He was right)

In his last years – after a lifetime of learning and experience, Jefferson had one thing preeminently on his mind: the principle of decentralized government.

Rather than saying “centralization,” Jefferson used the word “consolidation,” but they mean the same thing. Here’s his core statement on the subject, from his autobiography, written in 1821:

It is not by the consolidation, or concentration, of powers, but by their distribution, that good government is effected.

This statement put Jefferson at odds with the political leaders of his time and raised difficulties for him, as he writes in a letter to Judge William Johnson in 1823:

I have been blamed for saying, that a prevalence of the doctrines of consolidation would one day call for reformation or revolution.

For the following passage – a letter to William Johnson, written in 1822 – Jefferson’s words are set in italics and explanation/commentary in plain text:

They [a political party] rally to the point which they think next best, a consolidated government.

Here he points out that political parties tend to favor centralization, which they certainly have since.

Their aim is now, therefore, to break down the rights reserved by the Constitution to the States as a bulwark against that consolidation.

This party is trying to steal the power of the individual States and centralize it in one city, and they are willing to alter or bypass the Constitution to do so. The fear of which produced the whole of the opposition to the Constitution at its birth….

Here Jefferson is saying the Anti-Federalists were right and that the Constitution could not prevent the theft of liberties by the national government.

I trust…that the friends of the real Constitution and Union will prevail against consolidation, as they have done against monarchism.

Notice his phrase, “the real Constitution.” Already in 1822, he needed to make this distinction, because the Constitution was already being twisted, overridden, and bypassed. Alternately, he may have been referring to the original Articles of Confederation.

In a letter to William T. Barry in 1822, Jefferson writes this:

The foundations are already deeply laid by their [the Supreme Court Justices’] decisions for the annihilation of constitutional State rights, and the removal of every check, every counterpoise to the engulfing power of which themselves are to make a sovereign part.

Jefferson is likely referring to the Marbury v. Madison decision of 1803, a decision that American schoolchildren are taught to revere. Jefferson, however, considered it a disaster, as he explained in the following:

The question whether the judges are invested with exclusive authority to decide on the constitutionality of a law has been heretofore a subject of consideration with me in the exercise of official duties. Certainly there is not a word in the Constitution which has given that power to them more than to the Executive or Legislative branches.

—Thomas Jefferson to W. H. Torrance, 1815. ME 14:303

But the Chief Justice says, ‘There must be an ultimate arbiter somewhere.’ True, there must; but does that prove it is either party? The ultimate arbiter is the people of the Union, assembled by their deputies in convention, at the call of Congress or of two-thirds of the States. Let them decide to which they mean to give an authority claimed by two of their organs. And it has been the peculiar wisdom and felicity of our Constitution, to have provided this peaceable appeal, where that of other nations is at once to force.

—Thomas Jefferson to William Johnson, 1823. ME 15:451

But, you may ask, if the two departments [i.e., federal and state] should claim each the same subject of power, where is the common umpire to decide ultimately between them? In cases of little importance or urgency, the prudence of both parties will keep them aloof from the questionable ground; but if it can neither be avoided nor compromised, a convention of the States must be called to ascribe the doubtful power to that department which they may think best.

—Thomas Jefferson to John Cartwright, 1824. ME 16:47

This member of the Government (the Supreme Court) was at first considered as the most harmless and helpless of all its organs. But it has proved that the power of declaring what the law is, ad libitum (at one’s pleasure), by sapping and mining slyly and without alarm the foundations of the Constitution, can do what open force would not dare to attempt.

—Thomas Jefferson to Edward Livingston, 1825. ME 16:114

Clearly, this action by the early Supreme Court was extremely alarming and vexatious to Jefferson. Though, what he couldn’t foresee was the plethora of Supreme Court decisions extending and expanding the unitary power contributing to the destruction of state rights.

Jefferson continues:

If ever this vast country is brought under a single government, it will be one of the most extensive corruption, indifferent and incapable of a wholesome care over so wide a spread of surface.

Lincoln’s Civil War (which enslaved the states to the national government) brought the states under a single government. Washington DC is the seat of the American Empire, and the individual states are minor players. It was supposed to be the other way around. Unfortunately, most people have no real appreciation for the treason of this action. This is precisely where the precipitous decline of this federation of independent states began. This action was immediately reinforced by the passage of the 14th Amendment (Passed by Congress June 13, 1866. Ratified July 9, 1868), which, among other things, created the heretofore unheard of “United States Citizenship.” It’s instructive to note that this amendment was issued and ratified over a two year period where only a few of the southern states had been readmitted to congress, these re-admissions occurring between 1866 and 1870.

Here is a fragment from Jefferson’s letter to C.W. Gooch in 1826:

…I have little hope that the torrent of consolidation can be withstood….

Finally, a passage from his letter to William B. Giles, in 1825:

I see…with the deepest affliction, the rapid strides with which the federal branch of our government is advancing towards the usurpation of all the rights reserved to the States, and the consolidation in itself of all powers, foreign and domestic; and that too, by constructions which, if legitimate, leave no limits to their power.

(Adapted and expanded from Jefferson’s Final Warnings http://www.freemansperspective.com/author/freemansperspective/)

Source: Jefferson Was Correct – The Road Less Traveled