f you have ever tasted Biryani (Indian flavored savory rice) or kheer (Indian rice pudding) or the famous Finnish pulla, you would probably identify the aroma of cardamom. The sweet and mystical spice was used by the Greeks and Romans in their perfumes and the ancient Egyptians as mouth fresheners. Even today, Cardamom (green) is one of the most expensive spices. It’s not just native to the South-East Asian belt, it’s increasingly used in Europe as well.

1- Cardamom, ginger, and turmeric belong to the same botanical family Zingiberaceae: cardamom is part of the Zingiberaceae family and is sold in pods, seeds, and powder form. The pods can be split open to expose the aromatic seeds. Both turmeric and ginger are roots, or rhizomes, while cardamom is the seed of the plant. It pairs very well with turmeric and ginger. Turmeric imparts a deep yellow color to curries, ginger…

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From Winter to Spring

How the Ouija Board Got Its Sinister Reputation

By now, most have vague notions of the Ouija board horror narrative, in which demonic spirits communicate with – even possess – kids. Director Mike Flanagan furthers this trope in his new film ‘ Ouija: Origin of Evil .’ Set in 1967, a widow and her daughters earn a living scamming clients seeking to contact dead loved ones. The family business is relatively harmless until the youngest daughter discovers an old Ouija board, attempts to contact her deceased father and instead becomes possessed by evil spirits.

The Ouija Board Didn’t Always Have a Sinister Reputation

In fact, the Ouija board developed out of Spiritualism, a 19th-century movement known for its optimistic views about the future and the afterlife. As Spiritualism’s popularity waned, the Ouija board emerged as a popular parlor game; it was only in the 20th century that the Catholic Church and the horror movie industry rebranded the game as a doorway to the demonic.

Spiritualist Origins

The Spiritualist movement is often said to have begun in Hydesville, New York in 1848 when two sisters, Kate and Maggie Fox, reported hearing a series of mysterious raps in their tiny home. No one could discern where the raps were coming from and they manifested in other houses the sisters visited. With no apparent source, the raps were attributed to spirits and they appeared to respond to the sisters’ questions.

The Fox sisters became overnight celebrities and Spiritualism, a religious movement based on communicating with the dead, was born. Spiritualism spread across the Atlantic and into South America, but its popularity surged in the wake of the Civil War. The bloodiest war in American history had left many grieving families longing for ways to speak with their lost loved ones and many sought comfort from spirit ‘mediums’ – people like the Fox sisters who could allegedly talk to the dead. In 1893 Spiritualism became an official religious denomination and in 1897 The New York Times reported that Spiritualism had eight million followers worldwide.

Spiritualism was equated by some Christians with witchcraft. This 1865 broadsheet, published in the United States, also blamed spiritualism for causing the American Civil War. (Anthon.Eff / Public Domain) — *Spiritualism was equated by some Christians with witchcraft. This 1865 broadsheet, published in the United States, also blamed spiritualism for causing the American Civil War. (Anthon.Eff* */ Public Domain )*

View original article at: Ancient Origins How The Ouija Board Got Its Sinister Reputation

Herb of the Month; Cardamom – The Queen of Spices

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Cardamom is the Queen of Spices and has grown lavishly under the tropical canopy on hillsides in the Ghat Mountains on the Malabar Coast of southern India to be harvested by hand and shipped around the world. The cardamom familiar to India and the western world is called green cardamom and it, along with several other types such as giant cardamom, black cardamom, and bastard cardamom, have been used for cooking, perfumery, incense, and medicine since very early in history.

Ancient Egyptians used it frequently for perfume along with frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, and cassia, and had a recipe for an ointment called “Oil of Lilies” that included the scent from 1000 lilies. It is often mentioned as one of the ingredients of the ancient incense kyphi. Cardamom essential oil is one of the oldest essential oils known in perfumery and in the apothecary. Cardamom is the third most expensive spice after saffron…

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Aromatic Herb for February; Tansy

Good Witches Homestead

Tansy {Tanacetum vulgare}

Tansy is an upright herb with a crown of bright yellow clustering flowers. It is a member of the Asteraceae family and is also known as common tansy, bitter buttons, cow bitter, mugwort, and golden buttons. It grows to a height of three feet and produces pinnate, lance-shaped leaves that are uniformly toothed. Its button-shaped flowers sit atop erect, reddish stems.

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Native to Europe and Asia – and of possible Asian origin – the plant was likely first cultivated as a medicinal herb by the Greeks. In the eighth century, it grew in the herb gardens of Charlemagne and at the Abby of Saint Gall in present-day Switzerland, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At that time, it was used to treat…

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Breathing Techniques for Anxiety [Guide]

ecogreenlove

You have a built-in stress reliever, always free and always available: your breath. Fortunately most of the time you don’t need to think about breathing. With no conscious effort, your body keeps the oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH levels of your blood in balance by varying your breathing rate. However, you have the power to consciously control your breath when you want to, and learning to do so can be an incredible tool for health and wellbeing.

For thousands of years, people have learned to control breathing for health and spiritual reasons. In the Indian yogic tradition, breath control is called pranayama, and it’s practiced to facilitate meditation, enhance physical yoga practices, and change mood. Scientific research affirms pranayama can help people feel better. The practice of Sudarshan Kriya yoga, a series of breathing exercises, has been shown to reduce anxiety, relieve insomnia, and dramatically reduce the symptoms of post-traumatic…

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Home Brewed ‘Love Oil’ for Valentines

Do Beekeeping: Book penned by teen encourages people and communities to take up the craft

CRYSTAL POWER FOR THE NEW MOON IN AQUARIUS: BECOMING

Aquarius New Moon Crystals / krista-mitchell.com

So after months of shifting, releasing, facing things, planning… Isn’t it nice to be emerging into energy that’s all about us BECOMING?

If you’re ready for the good times to roll, then start rolling, because by many accounts this is an auspicious new moon especially for new projects!

Of course, as is always the case with Universal energy, it’s all in how you use it.

Aquarius represents the mind, the greater good, the sum of the parts, the group vs. the individual. It is a sign of humanitarianism, selflessness, and ideals.

As is mirrored by the energy of this new moon, we’re in a place now where, having done the work, we can forge new paths and open up to new ways of being.

The challenge is in grounding all of this mental energy: We need to pursue the plans we’ve made and the ideas we’re having in order for them to happen. And we also need to be mindful of overcoming any fear or resistance that may come up in response to the newness of it all.

I freely admit that, while I have been consciously working towards all of this in my own experience, there’s also a fear popping up of who I will BE in this new paradigm of mine. What will my life be like, what will I be like? It’s unchartered territory which is exciting but also shoves me out of my comfort zone. And my ego really likes my comfort zone.

It’s a very human, unconscious fear of change and of the unknown. But while that fear feels it’s serving to protect me, I know it will only succeed in holding me back and keeping me from feeling happier and more fulfilled.

Does any of this resonate for you?

If so, my Akashic guides have some advice and also a little experiment for you to for this lunar cycle!

Complete article at: Krista Mitchell Crystal Power For The New Moon In Aquarius: Becoming