Tracking Canada’s Horse Slaughtering Trade from Alberta to Japan

The practice is legal in Canada, unlike the United States

Walking through the Calgary International Airport, you’ll pass a bronze statue of wild horses running.

Entitled “Breakaway,” the immortalized horses were intended to be a metaphor for Calgary’s spirit and strength.

But there’s another story of horses at the Calgary airport, a story some veterinarians are calling a “huge animal welfare issue.”

For years, animal advocacy groups like the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) have opposed the transport of live draft horses to Japan for slaughter. In Canada, alongside Mexico and parts of Europe, this practice is legal, unlike countries like the US where horse slaughterhouses are banned.

Horse meat is a delicacy in Japan, and places like Kumamoto specialize in fresh dishes like basashi—horse sashimi. Horse oil is also a sought after beauty product in Hokkaido, where it’s used to treat…

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The Grounding Stone: Hematite

Good Witches Homestead

With its iron content, hematite has a strengthening influence on the physical body – especially the blood, body temperature, and circulatory system. Of all the grounding stones, hematite is perhaps the surest – very few people fail to be brought down to a steady, focused state due to its stabilizing influence on the physical body.

Energy: strong, secure, straightforward

Colors: steel gray to iron black, sometimes with red spots

Uses: Hematite is excellent for grounding, enhancing the circulation of bodily fluids, manifesting light and energy, protection, astral projection, strength, and working with the shadow self. Boosts low self-esteem. It is helpful for kidney problems, tissue regeneration, headaches, hysteria, and feelings of vulnerability.

Star Sign: Aries
Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Chakra: Base

Tips For Hematite

Wear hematite to enhance your personal magnetism

Give hematite as a gift to those who need strength to cope with a situation

Place hematite in your…

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Tuatha De Danann

Feel Good ‘Father’s Day’ Sunday: Wild Burro Dads of the Black Mountains

Straight from the Horse's Heart

By Carl Mrozek

“In honor of Dads everywhere, CBS Sunday Morning will feature wild burro jacks shepherding their family bands in the Black Mountains of Arizona, where I filmed them this spring. The nature segment is the last one of this magazine-style program.

Enjoy the burro clip and the wild world around you !”

Click Image to view video

“Also, I would like to include the Mom’s Day video: Mustangs of the Music Mountains featured on on CBS Sunday Morning on Mom’s Day: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/ nature-horses/

for a belated Happy Mom’s Day to all moms !”

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Taking up the Path of the Bard, Part I

The Druid's Garden

Bardic Artistic Expression through Clay, Sand, and Straw (cob)! (This is part of a tree piece I collaborated on at Strawbale Studio in Michigan)

A group of people sharing stories and songs by the fire. A fine pair of leather shoes. A beautiful woven garment. A tale full of twists and mystery. Finely wrought iron doors. An amazing wood carving on a stump. A marble sculpture. A wildly painted mural on a wall. A cob structure with whimsical trees and forms. A song that reaches deep within you when you hear it. A rousing speech. Each of these, and so many others, represent the natural creative expressions of humanity. Taking up the path of the bard is one of three paths in the druid tradition (along with the work of the Ovate and the Druid). Yet, many people aren’t sure how to take up the path of the bard because…

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CHRYSOCOLLA: Peace Crystal

Good Witches Homestead

Chrysocolla is a very beautiful stone with a lot of beneficial energy. Chrysocolla is a stone of peace, increased wisdom, and discretion. It promotes level-headedness, encouraging clarity of thought and a neutral, cool attitude during turbulence. It can be used to decrease nervousness and irritability. Chrysocolla looks like the earth as seen from space.

This, in combination with its Goddess-like qualities, makes this a natural stone to use in meditating for world peace. Hold this very special piece of the earth in your hand, and visualize the peace and calm which emanate from it spreading until it circles the globe. It is known as a healing stone among Native American Indian cultures where it was used for strengthening the body’s resistance and bringing about calm feelings where it is upset.

VIRTUES OF CHRYSOCOLLA:

Tranquility

Serenity

Peace

Subconscious wisdom

Intuition

Patience

Nurturance

Acceptance

Tolerance

Unconditional love

Calmness

Meditation

Honesty

Hope

Intimacy

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Ptaki Mądrości

Call to Action: Wild Horses and Burros Need Your Voice NOW

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Open letter by Grandma Gregg

“There is no time to waste! Please feel free to use the sample letter below and using the form (link below) send your own message to the US House of Representatives, Committee on Appropriations.” ~ Grandma Gregg

https://appropriations.house.gov/contact/contactform.htm

photo by Terry Fitch of Wild Horse Freedom Federation

“Do not allow the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), United States Forest Service (USFS), Farm Bureau and the extraction and mining giants and the domestic livestock grazing associations to pull the wool over your eyes. There are no excess wild horses and burros on their legally designated land. Per the unanimously passed United States 1971 Congressional Wild Horse and Burro Act, the land is to be devoted principally although not exclusively to the wild horses and wild burros’ welfare in keeping with the multiple-use management concept of public lands.

The recent National Academy of Sciences study found…

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Chevron Amethyst Crystals

Good Witches Homestead

Beautiful and powerful Chevron Amethyst crystals come from Brazil. They hold the powerful presence of the Violet Flame and the White Light. These are a perfect gift for those who need to transmute negativity and just do not know how. Just by holding them, the shift occurs. The violet flame is one of the greatest spiritual tools on the planet. It is an aspect of God’s light known as the flame of forgiveness it is an amazing process for the transmutation of negative energies.

The Violet Flame is Spiritual Alchemy in action. Its purpose is to transmute denser feelings, actions, deeds, karma, etc. into a higher vibrational frequency. The violet flame forgives as it frees, consumes as it transmutes, clears the akashic records of past karma and sets you free into a place of holding a higher light. Every day in every way the violet flame flushes out and renews…

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THE POWER OF LITHOMANCY

Good Witches Homestead

Lithomancy is the psychic art known by terms such as “reading stones, divination by stone, divination by gems, divination by crystals, etc.” Lithomancy is similar to reading runes, tarot cards or tea leaves. It involves casting or picking stones to interpret an omen, foretell the future, or to seek insight on a specific subject.

Lithomancy, the casting of stones is an ancient art. This type of divination is usually associated with both Witchcraft & Shamanism, world-wide.

In France, the French word for witch, ” sorcier ” is used for a male witch & ” sociere” is used for a female witch. The witch or sorcier / sorciere is one who practices Sortilege, literally one who casts lots for the purpose of divination. Sortery is when certain objects have been assigned a meaning or characteristic. Tarot cards are a form of sortery. Each card is assigned a title and meaning, like

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