Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Burdock – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Burdock – Arctium lappa, A. minus, A. tomentosum

Parts used: root, leaf

Traditional uses: Root used in washes for boils and skin complaints. Leaf infusion used to tone stomach. Leaf poultice used for tumors and swellings and to reduce inflammation. Blood purifier, alterative, diuretic, and diaphoretic.

“Alterative, diuretic and diaphoretic. One of the best blood purifiers. In all skin diseases, it is a certain remedy and has effected a cure in many cases of eczema, either taken alone or combined with other remedies, such as Yellow Dock and Sarsaparilla.” ~Grieve MH

Used in formula for chills – “A gentleman in Cyclone, Missouri, tells me that his family made a ‘chill remedy’ that was in great demand; the exact formula was kept secret, he says, but the main ingredient was crushed burdock seeds.” ~Randolph OMF 107

“Burdock roots…boiled were given for chills.” ~Parler FBA II 1747

Beads worn as protection from witchcraft – “A basket maker at Eureka Springs, Arkansas, told me that children are best protected against witches by wearing a neck-lace of dried burdock roots, cut into small pieces and strung like beads.” ~Randolph OMF 291

Boiled in compound drank for colds – “There used to be a plant called burdock. They’d dig that up and get the root and soak it in whiskey. Then they’d take that and put other ingredients such as nutmeg and butter and ginger in it. You’d drink that hot and go to bed of a night it’d suck that cold out.” ~Carter and Krause HRIO

Medicine for the blood of young folks – “From the weed Burdock (Arctium minus) you make a medicine for the blood of young folks. You boil the weed down and give the youngin’ a dose of 1 tablespoon before meals.” ~Parler FBA II 1357

Burdock, Witch Hazel, and Dogwood as a spring tonic – “Mix burdock roots, witch hazel bark, dogwood bark and take 1 teaspoonful before breakfast in the spring. This is called a spring tonic.” ~Parler FBA II 1369

Root chewed to purify blood – “To purify the blood chew the roots of the burdock plant.” ~Parler FBA II 1516

Root water used for boils – “To cure boils and sores that children have use Burdock roots…that have been soaked in water and drink the water.” ~Parler FBA II 1564

Roots worn against nosebleed – “A necklace of burdock roots…used to be worn to prevent nosebleeding.” ~Parler FBA III 2786

Wild cherry and burdock used for rheumatism – “Wild Cherry bark and Burdock root…boiled and mixed with whiskey is good for rheumatism.” ~Parler FBA III 2974

Carter, Kay & Bonnie Krause Home Remedies of the Illinois Ozarks (HRIO)

Grieve, Margaret A Modern Herbal (MH)

Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany (NAE)

Parler, Mary Celestia Folk Beliefs from Arkansas (FBA)

Randolph, Vance Ozark Magic and Folklore (OMF)

Source: Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Burdock – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Peony – Good Witches Homestead

Source: Peony – Good Witches Homestead

COMMON NAME: peony
GENUS: Paeonia
SPECIES, HYBRIDS, CULTIVARS:
P. lactiflora {Chinese peony}-many hybrids; single or double. P. suffruticosa {TREE PEONY}-shrub; does not die back in winter.
FAMILY: Ranunculaceae
BLOOMS: late spring
TYPE: perennial
DESCRIPTION: Peony greets spring with offerings of very large, beautiful blossoms in pinks, white, and shades of red. The foliage is neat and attractive, and the plants create an appealing, low {2 1/2 to 3 foot} shrub during the summer months. Peony flowers are full and measure 4 to 6 inches across.
CULTIVATION: Probably one of the greatest attributes of peonies is their longevity. Some peony plants are reported to be more than 100 years old. Once established, peonies should not be transplanted. The plants are tolerant of a wide range of soils but will perform best in neutral or slightly alkaline soils that are light, fertile, and rich in organic matter. Peony roots should be planted so that the eyes are exactly 1 1/2 inches below the soil level. Mix in generous amounts of humus or peat moss before planting. In northern areas, plant in full sun. In hot southern climates, provide a bit of shade.

Called the blessed herb, peonies have been used for centuries for their magical and medicinal properties. Among the powers that peony was thought to possess are the ability to protect shepherds and their flocks; to ward off storms, demons, and nightmares; and to preserve the harvest from danger. Peony is the Greek symbol of healing and the Japanese symbol for a happy marriage and virility. It is the Japanese floral emblem for the month of June.
The Chinese have grown this flower for over 2,000 years. The name for it there is Sho-yo, which means “the beautiful,” and it is considered the flower of prosperity. One Chinese emperor called peonies roses of spring, and a single specimen sold for as much as 100 ounces of gold. According to the Chinese calendar, the tree peony is the floral symbol for March.
The medicinal powers of the plant are legendary. It was named for Paeon, physician to the Greek gods, and a student of Asclepius, {god of medicine and healing}. Leto, goddess of fertility, told Paeon about a magical root growing on Mount Olympus that would soothe the pain of a woman in childbirth. When Paeon went to get this root, Asclepius became jealous and angry and threatened to kill his pupil. Leto begged help from Zeus, who saved Paeon from the wrath of his teacher by changing him into the peony flower.
Perhaps because of this legend, peony seeds have been given to pregnant women for centuries. It was also thought that the roots, held over a person’s head or around the neck, would cure insanity. Other medicinal uses included the prevention of epileptic convulsions and soothing the gums o teething infants. Pliny, a Roman statesman, said that peonies are the “oldest of plants, and are an important medicine that cures twenty ills.”
Superstition warns us, however, that the plant is protected by woodpeckers. If you try to gather peony for medicinal purposes while a woodpecker is in sight, your patient might die.
The magical powers of peonies were thought to be even stronger than the medicinal ones. Mothers in rural areas hung strings of peony seeds around an infant’s neck as a protection against the “Evil Eye.” The seeds, particularly if soaked in rain water, were worn as an amulet for protection against witchcraft and the devil. The plant’s reputation for supernatural powers was enhanced by its phosphorescent qualities-some plants actually glow in the dark. For the most potent magical powers, seeds and roots were gathered in the dead of night.
The first peonies, considered important healing herbs, were brought to England by the Roman legions in 1200. They have been cherished in England since then, first for their medicinal value, and then for their unparalleled beauty. Peonies have been in the United States since early colonial days. For the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876, peony was used to symbolize the American spirit, ambition, and determination to adapt and thrive.
The only country ever named for a flower was Paeonia, located in what is now northern Greece. It was a legitimate country complete with a government, army, and imperial ring, but it was conquered during the Persian Wars.
Peony is the state flower of Indiana.

The language of peony is shame, for it was thought to be the hiding place of a dishonorable nymph.

From the Land Down Under: “China Wants Our Donkeys Dead or Alive!” | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

OpEd by Andrea Jenkins – Donkeys of Australia

Over the past few months I have read many articles about donkeys. There was one article I read a couple of weeks ago though that really hit a nerve.

The article included a stunning picture of a donkey, gazing out from his paddock. The barb wire that cut across in front of him indicated that he stood just behind a fence. It led me to imagine a stranger stopping road side with camera in hand, readying the exposure for the autumn sunlight and the yellow daisies. He waits, aware that the donkey has his ears pricked and stands attentive to this new energy invading his home. Curious, this gentle, wise creature meanders over to say hello. The stranger shoots and then is gone, taking a moment in time with him to use as he wishes.

I don’t know this donkey personally. Perhaps he is your donkey? Or someone you know? I imagine other photos he stands in, cuddled by the grandkids, lazing in the sun, a beloved family member that sits in frames on the mantelpiece for the world to see.

I’d love to own this donkey, yet I’m happy I don’t. I don’t think I could bare it. The stranger has not taken this particular photo to show how cherished and adored this donkey is. Mortified, I read the caption: good enough to export.

Yes, sadly, this donkey has become the latest face for donkey export to China. He is pitted next to the words of Barnaby Joyce as a creature with a price tag, an economic commodity, an edible product worthy of export. The nerve it struck was raw. It rocked me to my core. How can we be asked to look at this magnificent creature and see it as a dead product being shovelled into the mouths of those that search for a miracle elixir for eternal youth and vitality?

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. Like I said, I’ve read many articles about donkeys over the past few months. In fact, I’ve read, watched, spoken on the phone and data analysed the horrors the ‘insatiable’ appetite for Ejiao brings crashing to our shores.

It’s been extremely challenging for me to witness the creature I love more than anything get decimated in such a brutal way, but I feel I must walk with them through this struggle as they have walked with us through constant struggles throughout time. I must stand with them now and help their voices be heard. It is with their characteristic traits of love, compassion and humility that I proceed to further my education and, hopefully, the education of others, with regard to the issues facing Australian donkeys.

I am sure many of you have read the horrors that are linked with the donkey skin trade. I’m sure you have read that what is, essentially, donkey poaching, has become a regular occurrence in some parts of Africa. I’m sure you have read about the exorbitant prices donkeys are now selling for and the fact that those living in rural villages can no longer afford to replace their donkeys, leaving them without a means to collect their water or send their children to school. I’m sure you’ve heard of the donkey slaughter houses, the string of animal welfare concerns and the shocking statistics that draw many to believe our beloved donkeys are vanishing from this world. I am not sure, however, that you have been able to find much information on the current Australian situation and what it means for Australian donkeys.

So here I am, writing this article for you. It is my aim in writing that I am able to summarise what I have learned, to date, on Ejiao and how this skin trade is expected to affect our Australian donkeys . I am by no means claiming to be an expert on the matter. I am simply one girl who uses Google and the telephone and has been willing to dive into the hay stack, so to speak, and try and find some answers. This brings me to the second aim in writing this article. It is also a desperate cry for help. It is my wish that we may come up with a structure for research and action together as we venture forward with, and for, our beloved donkeys. What I write now details the journey Ejiao has taken me on so far.

When I first heard whispers that China wanted our donkeys, I wrapped myself in the safety net I, and many others, naively believed we had. It seemed that we did not have the numbers of donkeys required to make the idea of donkey export viable. That teamed with the vast and unforgiving landmass the donkeys inhabited seemed to make the cost too much for a return that was far too small. It still seemed that culling was the preferred method of eradication.

Yet, as time passed, donkey populations in China—and globally—started to dwindle, demand for Ejiao skyrocketed, pressure on global markets to supply the increase in demand grew exponentially and the viability of exporting donkeys to China suddenly changed as the price tag kept rising. Pressured with ongoing enquiries the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Resources (NTDPIR) compiled a report into the potential of donkey farming in the Northern Territory (September 2016).

Again, even though the report ultimately found that donkey farming was viable, either as a stand- alone venture or complimentary to the cattle industry, I thought we had a safety net. The safety net seemed to be that there was no Tier 2 processing facility and no operational export protocols to China. Reading that the capital outlay required for such a facility would be somewhere between the $50-$100 million mark and knowing there were no operational protocols for export to China made it sound, again, that the donkeys were to stay on Australian shores.

Yet, as I researched further and talked to more people on the phone I began to understand the saying ‘where there’s a will there’s a way’ really does apply to the situation here. Everywhere I turned looking for the next piece of the puzzle I got offered a piece that didn’t fit. I found that when I stopped allowing myself to get distracted by the technical jargon of protocols I, instead, found a big picture with most of the puzzle already in place. Like I say, I am only one girl and I am fully aware that I have more research to go, yet this is how I have come to see the big picture so far.

China wants our donkeys. The Australian agribusiness sector wants to expand export opportunities and make as much money as possible. Station owners want the feral donkeys gone. Farmers want ways to diversify their stock to get them through tough times. Multi-species abattoirs are being built with heavy Chinese investment. Chinese investment in Australian agribusiness is seen as desirable. Trial kills of donkeys are currently happening. More wild donkeys are already being rounded up. The Coalition Government has recently signed a Joint Statement with China to hugely expand market access for Australia’s red meat and live animal export industries to China. Barnaby Joyce is publicly announcing that Australia will be providing edible donkey skins to China and pushing it as a big, new market. Tariffs on hides and skins exported to China are being eliminated between 1st January 2017 and 1st of January 2022. The price of wild donkeys being rounded up and sold has already drastically increased.

So what does this all mean? Yes, China will be getting our donkeys. There may be a few little things to sort out in terms of protocols but it is happening. No one is standing in the way and stopping things from progressing forward. Most of the information I have read indicates that wild donkeys will be rounded up and breed as livestock for the Ejiao trade. Edible donkey skins will be exported to China. Some of the donkey meat will be sold within Australia as pet meat. Some of the meat will be sold internationally for human consumption. It also seems that, as the export market to China opens up under these new trade agreements, donkeys could potentially be live exported to China as well.

Even as I write that last sentence, my heart breaks a new. Not only will I be living in a country that potentially has no wild donkeys left. Not only will I be living in a country with fields of donkeys tagged and fattened ready for the slaughterhouse truck. I will also be living in a country that makes the conscious choice to send sensitive, emotional, smart, alive creatures on a ship, destined for a place of unfathomable animal cruelty. Do you think you can live in the country I describe? Unfortunately, this is what we are facing.

Of course there are obvious animal welfare concerns as are always evident with creatures subjected to the tortures of live export, yet there are more subtle and insidious concerns at play too. One thing I am concerned about is that wild donkeys are to be rounded up and sold as breeding stock. Will the breeding jennies have any much needed maintenance and care? Will their hooves be trimmed? Will their health be attended to? An ongoing animal welfare issue with the Ejiao trade is the lack of donkey healthcare as it is only the skin that is deemed valuable making money spent on overall health a waste of finances.

Another concern is the distances donkeys will be transported to abattoirs. The multispecies abattoir being built in Charleville will apparently be transporting donkeys from the Northern Territory and perhaps even South Australia. Will these donkeys be given the required rests, food and water? How tightly will they be packed in? If rounded up from the wild and trucked, how are foals and pregnant jennies going to be cared for? How will they be treated as they are rounded up, trucked and, ultimately, slaughtered? As ‘pests’ donkeys are not given the same protective rights as other animals in Australia. I will admit that I don’t know how far their protective rights are striped due to their classification as pests yet it is important to ensure that their welfare is adhered to at all stages of transport and processing.

Yet another concern I have is how will this big, new market be regulated? Can anyone start farming donkeys? How is the government going to monitor who is involved in this trade and how this trade is carried out on a day-to-day basis? As the avenues for export open up, there needs to be regulation on this trade, right from the small, hobby farms to the largest stations in the country, along with any wild stock that are mustered and sent straight to slaughter. Many of the people who are going to be involved are experienced in the needs of cattle and are not educated when it comes to donkeys. It is my desire that, for those joining this industry, they are required to gain further donkey specific education.

Now I write about my biggest concern: that our wild donkeys will become extinct and we will either be left with donkeys stuck in a horrific cycle of breeding and slaughter or with no donkeys left at all. This concern comes from a couple of factors. One factor is that no one knows how many donkeys we have to start with. There has been no accurate headcount of donkeys in Australia ever. Yet those, like Barnaby Joyce, who are pushing donkey skins as the next big industry, claim on a very public platform that Australia has millions of wild donkeys. This is simply not the case. The NTDPIR has a far more realistic estimate of the number of wild donkeys, stating that they believe there are roughly 50 thousand donkeys in the Northern Territory—although this figure is thought to be about ten years old and is not considered reliable. If we don’t know how many donkeys we have in the first place, how can we know if this trade, and the way it is to be carried out, will be sustainable?

Another factor is that, with the current Ejiao demand, upwards of 4 million donkeys are already believed to be slaughtered each year and the global donkey population literally cannot keep up. This is being reported with the dwindling of numbers in different parts of the world. It is believed donkey populations in China have halved, Mexican donkeys are considered endangered and some are predicting that, if things don’t change, the African donkey could be extinct in as little as five years If indeed our donkey population is somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 our donkeys could be wiped out be Ejiao demand in a matter of weeks. Even if farming does occur in the near future, stock numbers will need to be built up and stabilised. This will take time as donkeys have a long gestation period and do not breed well in stressful situations. If export opens up as we expect it could under these new trade agreements and wild donkeys are sent straight to multi-species abattoirs for processing it might not be long before they are all gone.

In conclusion, I would like to ask that we unite in action going forward. I know it might seem too big an issue to tackle or too graphic an issue to engage with. This does not have to be the case. No action towards this cause will be wasted. Everything counts. I know signing petitions may seem pointless but they are not. One petition to help Australian donkeys, that has over 5,000 signatures, has been mentioned in a news articles that details Barnaby Joyce and his new donkey skin trade desires. It is important that we continue to make our voices heard.

Another suggestion for action is to research a small part of the situation here and report it back to the various donkey societies, or to the facebook page I have created. An area for research might be to keep an eye on how many donkeys are being rounded up, record prices of donkeys at auctions and who is buying, figuring out if the abattoirs near you are exporting donkeys, monitor the news for further information etc. If you are happy to engage with media you could look for news reporters and TV hosts that are willing to run a section on Ejiao (in a respectful manner). You could apply pressure on different organisations to get an accurate population count so that we have more reliable information on the sustainability of the skin trade. You could help change the classification of donkeys as ‘pests’ so they are granted more protective rights.

There are so many ways you can help. Even if it means simply sharing your own donkeys with the wider public more and more in an effort to alter common misconceptions associated with donkeys, perpetrated by the Australian media. It is important that more people come to realise how smart, sensitive and loving these creatures are. The more that people connect with the donkeys, the more of a movement we will be able to create to support them through this crisis.

I thank you so much for taking the time to read the article I have put together and I hope it is has been informative. Below, I have added links to information I have collected and the points that have been touched on through this article. I have also attached the ‘Under the Skin’ campaign by the Donkey Sanctuary UK. If you would like to stay updated on the Ejiao trade, please sign up. Lastly, I would like to say feel free to follow my new Facebook page ‘Donkeys of Australia’. I have set it up with the aim of creating an information hub. Thank you once again for reading and I look forward to working with you to ensure a bright and sustainable future for our donkeys.

Links:

Under the Skin https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/under-the-skin

Donkeys of Australia https://www.facebook.com/Donkeys-of-Australia-1088323071303237/

Petitions:

https://www.change.org/p/australian-donkeys-face-being-bludgeoned-to-death-with- sledgehammers-if-live-exported-to-china

https://www.change.org/p/adam-giles-please-don-t-allow-china-to-export-our-australian-wild- donkeys

Barnaby Joyce http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/other-industries/barnaby-joyce-eyes- potential-new-market-exporting-donkey-skins-to-china/news- story/0d2b690a54e020368b939192d97f5526

New Trade Agreements http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/03/24/donkey-meat-beef- agriculture-australia-china-trade-wider-ever

New Trade Agreements http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2017/03/24/china-talks- trade–prosperity-with-turnbull.html

Donkey Farming Report https://dpir.nt.gov.au/primary-industry/agricultural-developments/donkey- farming

Multi-Species Abattoir Charleville http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-08/charleville-processing- plant-set-to-open-2017/8004938

AACo Abatoir becomes multi-species abattoir http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-11/aaco- darwin-abattoir-buffalo-slaughter/8012144

Application to export to China under new trade agreements http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04- 07/aust-agricultural-company-applies-access-china-beef-market/8417796

Old article indicating the tone of the media when commenting on donkeys-

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/queensland-to-become-the-ass-end-of-australia- 20090621-csw6.html

AusTrade-Information on Tariffs http://dfat.gov.au/trade/agreements/chafta/fact- sheets/Pages/chafta-opening-new-opportunities-for-australian-products-in-china.aspx

Source: From the Land Down Under: “China Wants Our Donkeys Dead or Alive!” | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Snow White and the Huntsman – secretsoftheserpent

By gserpent

Source: Snow White and the Huntsman – secretsoftheserpent

Snow White and the Huntsman is a spin-off the Brothers Grimm ‘Snow White’. What most people don’t know is that the Brothers Grimm got this story from Egypt. The original story was based on astronomy, Snow White being the moon and the seven dwarves being the seven known planets following the moon in the sky. The creators of this movie knew this and they put a sly little part in the movie to show the original meaning. It also was a slight jab at science.

Like all good movies the characters in this story are aspects of yourself. This movie was covertly showing true history, but what I really like about it is that it’s a story of ‘waking up’ for the feminine. Most movies are showing you the masculine and its wake up process, but this one flips roles. The reason why they have an evil Queen and Snow White being all things good and pure is because they represent Nature. Nature is the sacred feminine. She can be pure and beautiful, but also very destructive. Two expressions of a single reality, Yin Yang. These are summed up into two paths that you can take:
Ascetic- suppression of natural, control or want to be controlled, filter everything.
or
Ecstatic- Open up, learn to cooperate with nature, constructing, expanding.

Right at the very beginning the creators of this movie are showing who their allegiances are with, but also are showing it is a story of the sacred feminine. The rose is a symbol of Goddess worship and has to do with the Goddess Rosemerth. The red rose is symbolizing the red crown of Lower Egypt. Those that know their history know the Lancastrians took the red rose as their symbol because they were of the Lower Egyptian bloodline. The red crown of Lower Egypt. The Yorkists took the white rose as their symbol for the white crown of Upper Egypt. The English Civil War was called the War of the Roses for this reason. That is all that this opening scene is doing. The western world is Egypt and the Upper and Lower crowns are still fighting each other.

Snow White’s mother dies while she is young. The people love Snow White for her strong and defiant heart. Her father’s name is King Magnus. If I had any doubts about the creators of this movie being in the know, they just vanished. If you have read my His Royal Jesus post, you know this is the real name of the biblical Jesus. He was from the bloodline of Lower Egypt. King Magnus is tricked into a battle where he finds Ravenna. He falls in love with her beauty and makes her is Queen. In the Brothers Grimm stories of the princess’, the wicked step mother and sisters symbolize the sister religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They are jealous of the princess in the stories because the princess represents Mary or Mary Magellan. Ravenna is symbolizing all three religions. In God(s) I showed you that all three of these religions are secretly worshipping Thoth, the moon-god of Egypt. The Raven is the symbol of the Moon. Her killing Magnus is symbolizing the killing of the true history of the biblical Jesus, real name King Magnus.

Snow White’s father being killed is the chaos needed to begin the wake up process. Her being put in prison is symbolizing the self-made prison of your mind. Can you be alone with your thoughts? Your mind will create problems, you have to overcome. Self love and self forgiveness is the key to going forward. When Snow White escapes she gets on a white horse and makes it to the Dark Forest. Horses usually always represent the goddess and forests are the underworld. The Queen hires Eric the Huntsman to go after Snow White. The Huntsman is the sacred masculine. His wife died and he is lost without her. The masculine is lost without the sacred feminine. That is why this world is so screwed up! Everyone is in the masculine and the sacred feminine is nowhere to be found. What we think of as feminine in the world is a messed up version of what the masculine thinks it should be. This world is in is all negative aspects of the masculine. We think the masculine is some sports fanatic that makes a ton of money or some idiot that goes and kills animals for fun. This ‘look at me world’ is sickening! How can it be anything else when this world is built on lies and no man is willing or able to stand up to them?

Snow White and the Huntsman make it through the Dark Forest by working together. As they are exiting the forest they encounter a giant Troll. Trolls are things in your subconscious that need to be dealt with(see Troll). The Huntsman tells Snow White to run and he tries to fight the Troll off. He gets his ass kicked. Snow White steps in and calms the Troll. The Troll seems to give up and walks off. The Huntsman tells Snow White “ I thought I told you to run”. Snow White replies “If I did you would be dead”. This is symbolizing that you have to deal with your Trolls. Anything in your past that makes you feel bad or something you haven’t forgiven yourself for. Again, self-love and self forgiveness is the key. Don’t feed the Trolls. Get rid of the Trolls.

Snow White and the Huntsman make their way to a village of all women who have disfigured themselves, so the Queen will find them useless. The Queen needing the beauty of young women is symbolizing that these patriarch religions need women to keep the lie going. In the past they burned women for not converting, today they shame them. This village is symbolizing the women that have ‘woken up’. Patriarch religions can’t claim their minds, so they have no use for them. Right on cue, the Queens thugs attack.

Snow White and the Huntsman escape and they meet a group of 8 dwarfs. I found this very witty. As I said, the original Snow White is an astronomical tale. The seven dwarfs were the seven known planets following the moon in the sky. The ancients knew about the planets. We did not discover them, we rediscovered them. Once we rediscovered Pluto there were 8 planets following the moon. The extra dwarf sacrifices himself to save Snow White. This is symbolizing Pluto losing it’s planet status. I know I’m right on this because the dwarf’s name was Gus. Right after science dropped Pluto as a planet, a show called Psych came out with a character named Gus who would say to people “Have you heard about Pluto? That’s messed up right”. This was a slight slam on science dropping Pluto as a Planet.

Snow White sees some faeries and she follows them. They eventually lead her to Cernunnos. Cernunnos represents untamed nature. He is the male protector or the sacred masculine of the Goddess. He bows to Snow White(the sacred feminine) showing what I have been saying all along. The sacred feminine is the key! She is the Alpha and Omega! In come the Queen’s thugs again and they shoot Cernunnos causing him to disappear. This is showing that the patriarch religions have no respect for nature or the Goddess for that matter. At this time William, Snow White’s friend from childhood, reveals himself and helps defeat the Queen’s thugs. Now Snow White has two men that represent the sacred masculine. Queen Ravenna disguises herself as William and gives Snow White a poison apple. She takes a bite and falls into a deep sleep making everyone think she is dead. Apples always represent knowledge and a poisoned apples represent false knowledge. That is just what religion gives you, false knowledge. It has put the masses and the sacred feminine to sleep for more than 2,000 years.

William thinking she was dead kisses her then they take her to Duke Hammond’s castle. Here the Huntsman regrets not saving her and kisses her too. I think they did this because of the dual symbolism of astronomy and consciousness. The astronomy is the sun and moon in an eclipse and the consciousness is the working together of the sacred masculine with the sacred feminine. She wakes up, representing her ‘awakening’ or rebirth. She rally’s the Dukes army and they set out to attack Queen Ravenna’s castle. They infiltrate the castle and Snow White confronts Ravenna. Through out the story they keep saying that Snow White is the only one that can kill Queen Ravenna. This is the same as the Lord of the Rings with the Witch-king of Angmar. No man could kill him, but a woman(sacred feminine) could(see The Rings). These are symbolizing it takes the sacred feminine to kill patriarch religions. Snow White gets over powered by Ravenna. Ravenna is about to kill her and take her heart, but Snow White uses a move the Huntsman taught her to kill Ravenna. With Ravenna defeated, the kingdom returns to peace and harmony as Snow White is crowned Queen. You will find peace and harmony when you have the sacred feminine in your life and this world will find peace and harmony when the unadulterated sacred feminine returns. Just like it was in the Golden Age thousands of years ago.

Queen of Sheba – secretsoftheserpent

By gserpent

Source: Queen of Sheba – secretsoftheserpent

The tale of the Queen of Sheba has been embellished by several groups of people or religions that try to claim her as their own Queen. It is not enough to just reject the lie. Everyone has to make up their own version of the lie to get in on the money train. The Queen of Sheba was the title for several ladies in history, but not one of them is outside of Egypt. I’m going to show you who the Queen of Sheba was and why there were other ladies with this title.

If you have read my Patriarch Pharaohs post, you already know who the Queen of Sheba was. In this post I will go into more detail and give a few surprises. Again all the credit to finding Queen of Sheba goes to Ralph Ellis. This post will use his research with some of my own interpretations. We can’t talk about the Queen of Sheba without mentioning King David or King Solomon. King David and King Solomon were identified as Lower Egyptian Pharaohs. King David was Pharaoh Psusennes and King Solomon was Pharaoh Sheshonq(See Patriarch Pharaohs).

King David’s official title was Pa-seba-khen-nuit and it means “My Star Appears or Shines in His City”. King David is known for the Star of David, but what was this star? Researchers will tell you it is the morning star and had to do with the rising of Venus or the sun. Jesus was said to be of the line of David and he has a star in his story too. What is up with all the stars? Just like Pharaohs in Egypt had several names, so did the royal females. The Pharaoh had to have a wife from the bloodline in order to rule. Just like the Pharaohs were considered gods on earth, all royal ladies were considered a version of Isis. Isis was the Queen of the Heavens or Queen of the Stars. The royal wives were considered God’s wife and when they had a son that would become ruler, they were considered God’s mother. In somewhat the same manner, when a daughter was born of the bloodline, one of her titles was Bathsheba. Bathsheba means ‘daughter of Sheba’ or ‘daughter of the star’. When she became Queen she was known as ‘Queen of the Stars’ or ‘Queen of Sheba’. The Star of Isis is the Star of David.

Why would all these ladies be considered to be a star? The lower Egyptians were considered the watchers of the Pyramids. This didn’t mean they literally watched the pyramids themselves. It was astronomical. They watched the stars or heavens from them. That is what the platform on the top of the Great Pyramid was for. What the patriarchs don’t want you to know is that it was a priestess who did the observing. Whether is was the actual Queen or a priestess that represented her, it is hard to tell. I think that on really important occasions it was the Queen herself and maybe on lesser important events it was a priestess representing her. Another title the Queen had been was ‘Mother of the Breasts’. The breasts were the Great Pyramid and the Second Pyramid. The Pyramids were the breasts of Isis. The Pyramids were seen to cause the flooding of the Nile and it brought them nourishment. Sheba or Seba in Egyptian had four different meanings: star, oath,seven and door. Every seven days the BathSheba or a priestess would open the door to the Great Pyramid then goto the top. This ceremony was called the Shabbath or Sabbath. Why is a Queen or priestess on top of the Great Pyramid leading the ceremony? Because the sacred feminine is the capstone to the Universal Temple. Even though King David and King Solomon are heroes to the patriarchs, they did these ceremonies. They also built temples to several gods. A priestess or Queen of the Stars on top of the Pyramid is why people put a star on top of a Christmas tree. The tree is the Great Pyramid. It used to have a lighted walkway that spiraled all the way to the top. Just like Christmas tree lights. The star the wise men were following at Jesus’ birth was Mary. She was Egyptian, so she was a Queen of the Stars or a Queen of Sheba.

In Patriarch Pharaohs I showed you the famous Queen of Sheba was the daughter of King David. Her real name was Maakhah Tamar. King David raped this daughter and got her pregnant, so he married her. Her mother must have been too old to have anymore children or maybe something happened to where she couldn’t have anymore kids. The texts only say she became a widow. This is usually what happens when the Queen gets to old to have kids and the Pharaoh takes on another wife of the bloodline, usually one of his daughters. Maakhah Tamar went from Bathsheba(daughter) to Queen of Sheba, just like the legends and texts say. She had a boy and they named him Sheshoq or Solomon. Fourteen years later King David was on his death-bed. They brought a prostitute in named Abishag to try to screw him out of his death, literally. Abishag means ‘to ravish my father’. This is where the term ‘to shag someone’ comes from. They brought another daughter or maybe a son in to do this. Maybe it was Maakhah Tamar herself, the texts are vague. When it was obvious that sex wasn’t going to work, Maakhah Tamar brings Solomon in to King David and pleads for him to make Solomon Pharaoh of Egypt. David agrees and calls for the priests. The priests and family make him King Solomon at age 14. They bring Naamah in from Upper Egypt to be his bloodline Queen. At this time Maakhah Tamar goes back to Upper Egypt to rule at the age of 32 or 33.

This is where the legends of the Queen of Sheba begin. It is said that she was the Queen of the South and she was a dark or dusky maiden. Upper Egypt is south of Lower Egypt. She was coming from Thebes and going to Tanis. So she was the Queen of the South. Being dark or dusky is the same as calling Mary the black Madonna. It is code for the black or dark lands of Egypt. It had to do with the Nile flooding and making the land black or dark(fertile soil) after it receded. Saying that she came from Ethiopia is because of the Kebra Negast. When this book was found the patriarch George had to bring it in line with the Bible. Couldn’t let this book give away all the lies of the last 1300 years. So he made everything that had to do with Upper Egypt into Ethiopia. Ethiopia was a province of Egypt, so he was being loose with the truth. In this manner she was the Queen of Ethiopia.

By now you understand that Maakhah Tamar is the Queen of Sheba. In the legends she wanted to meet this wise king and bring him gifts. It had been seven years since she had seen her son. He was given the crown at 14 and she went back to Thebes. She had heard how well he was doing and wanted to go see for herself. I have a little trouble excepting this because in the Egyptian texts it says that all the gold, silver and spices she was bringing was to pay tribute, so he wouldn’t attack Upper Egypt. I don’t doubt she wanted to see her son, but she wasn’t bringing all the treasures just because he was wise. He wanted to rule all of Egypt and she was in charge of the south. She brought all the treasures to calm him down and seal the deal by marrying him and having sexual relations with him. And people wonder where incest came from. She had a son from this encounter and named him Menelek. Once he was old enough he wanted to go see his father. While he was there he decides to steal the Ark of the Covenant. I showed in the Ark of the Covenant post what the Ark actually was. All Pharaohs had one and Menelek had a right to be the next Pharaoh. Problem was that Solomon had sons all over the place. Menelek stole it and took it back to Upper Egypt to show everyone he was the rightful heir to the throne.

Mainstream archeologist will say that the Queen of Sheba came from Saba in modern Yemen. They have it wrong. It is the other way around. The story of Jeremiah in the bible is how the people got to Saba. Nebuchadnezzar invaded Israel and Judaea in 597 BCE. A group of people left Judea and headed toward modern Yemen to a town they called Marib. Marib means wisdom of Maakhah. It was not named Saba till much later. Jeremiah was blaming this group of people for the fall of Jerusalem. They worshipped the Queen of Heaven, Maakhah Tamar or Isis. All are the same. When they got to Yemen they built the Marib damn, so they could grow their spices and became very rich. Spices in these ancients texts usually refers to hemp or marijuana. They got rich off of the left-handed cigarette. This group of people had the Tanakh with them. The Tanakh was an ancient book that Joseph Flavius couldn’t get his hands on because it had left Jerusalem with these Sheba worshippers. About 630 CE the Marib damn breaks and this group of goddess worshippers head back to Jerusalem. They are met by Mohammed and his thugs. He kills all of them and takes the Tanakh. He uses it to write the Koran. Mohammed, real name Lothar Schmalfus, was a pope reject. All he wanted was revenge on Christianity. He took the Tanakh and filled it with hate to get people to fight for him. This is why there is historical truth in the Koran. Other than that it is a book of hate to get people to fight a war. Make no mistake, I am not taking up for Christianity. As far as I am concerned, this planet would be better off if all religions were thrown off of it.

The rulers of this world make sure the masses stay in ignorance, superstition and fear. All this history was hidden and lost. Very few people know the true history of this world. That is why I started this blog. If people can be shown the truth, ignorance goes away and hopefully superstitions will follow. Getting rid of fear is up to you. Realize the power that you have as an individual. I have found that knowledge is power. Ignorance is the darkness of chaos and knowledge is the light of the Cosmos.

A Tour Of The Charleston Capitol Market – A Gorgeous Farmers Market Like No Other! – Good Witches Homestead

The beauty, activity and sheer size of the Charleston Capitol Market are simply stunning. Take a tour of this West Virginia showplace.

Source: A Tour Of The Charleston Capitol Market – A Gorgeous Farmers Market Like No Other! – Good Witches Homestead

Connection as the Core Spiritual Philosophy in the Druid Tradition | The Druid’s Garden

It seems that religions/spiritual paths have a set of core orientations or philosophies that form the underlying foundation upon which the religion/practice rests. This core philosophy is like the seed from which the entire “tree” of the religion grows–the tree might branch in different directions, but all of those branches eventually lead back to that single seed. For example, in many forms of Christianity, we might see that core seed as salvation; this seed forms the bulk of Christian thought, belief, and action. In some forms of Buddhist thought, the seed is freedom from suffering. These underlying “seeds” or philosophies makes that particular path unique, form the foundation of what is considered right thought and right action on that path, give the path purpose, and that offers particular gifts to its practitioners or to the broader world. And most importantly, this seed drives a number of underlying morals, values, and assumptions that practitioners of that path hold.

Druidry is many things to many people, and the joke is that if you ask five different druids about what druidry is, you’ll likely get seven different answers. As scattered and diverse as the modern druid movement seems to be–I believe, we too, have a core philosophy (with at least three expressions of that philosophy), and I’m going to explore this underlying “seed” of our tradition in today’s post.

Sources of Inspiration

The flow of awen for this post comes from a few places, and I want to acknowledge those first. Part of my insight comes from being in a leadership role in a major druid order in the US. I serve as the Archdruid of Water in the Ancient Order of Druids in America, and in that role, I interact with a lot of different kinds of druids at multiple points along their paths. I interact with people when they find druidry for the first time–what they are seeking, what they hope to find, and later, I see them as they move through our curriculum deepen their own understanding and interaction and the insights they have. I get to read their exams at the end of their time working through parts of our curriculum–so I’m hearing of the experiences of many on the druid path who have taken up this spiritual practice in a serious way. Additionally, part of my inspiration is personal – it comes from my experience in working through the complete curriculum in two druid orders, the AODA (1st, 2nd, and 3rd degrees) and the OBOD (bardic, ovate, and druid curricula) and coming to deep understandings over decade of time about that work. Finally, I have attended and been part of a lot of gatherings, online groups, and various initiatives, so I interact with lots of druids frequently. This is a synthesis of what I’ve read and conversed with others, and what I’ve generally understood over a period of time. But there is also another piece here– I’m also considering the overall trajectory of the druid tradition itself–not what we are, or were, but where we are heading and what potential exists for druidry in the future.

Therefore, this post is my take on the “seed” of our tradition, the underlying or core philosophy that drives much of druid practice. You might disagree with me, or want to add or subtract from this list–please do so and share in the comments what your own thoughts might look like.

On the Druid Revival

To understand the underlying core philosophy of druidry, we first need to delve back into the history of the druid revival and then move into the present day.

It is no coincidence that the very roots of the druid revival came about at the same time that industrialization rose in the British Isles. Farmers and peasants who had lived, sustained, and tended the land for countless generations were driven from their homes to work in factories (see, for example the “Highland Clearances” and “Enclosure Acts” in Scotland). During this time, the rise in machine-based worldviews, that is, that humans are machines (and cam work like machines, act like machines), and that nature is just another machine, became dominant (we see the outcome of this thinking everywhere today, particularly, in industrialized agriculture).

Our spiritual ancestors watched this scene unfolding: the land stripped of her resources for industrialization and progress, the growing emphasis on produced goods over communities, the rampant pollution and exploitation industrlization was creating, the relegating of humans, animals, and the land to that of a machine. It was during this period of time that our spiritual ancestors reached deep–and creatively–into their own history to return to an earlier time where humans and nature were connected. The druid revival movement, then, sought to reconnect with nature throug ancient roots in a time where society was heading in the opposite direction. I believe it is the same reason that people today are so drawn to the druid tradition–there is “something” missing for them and it is that connection to nature.

Now, a lot of the early druid revival works and authors have been discredited for creating “ancient” texts, drawing upon “found” materials that they had created, I find these attempts to discredit them problematic because they do not understand the context. These early attempts at bringing back the ancient druid traditions had a lot to do with people’s response to living in an age that was quickly stripping the lands of their resources and filling the skies and rivers with pollution. The important thing here is that druid revival tradition that we practice today was a spiritual response that emerged during the very beginnings of this current age of industrialization, and, therefore, offers us much wisdom as we are living with the outcomes and consequences of this same movement.

Industrialization, with so much promise at the time, much harm not only to our living earth, but to the pre-industrial communities and customs of the common people (a topic I picked up in some depth in my last series of posts on “Slowing down the Druid Way”). It is unsurprising, then, at the persistence and growth of the modern druid tradition in these times. For over 300 years, the ancient druids have offered our tradition sources of inspiration and reconnection. It is in this perpetual seeking of reconnection that we can see how druidry is, in some ways, a very human response to the larger wheels of industrialization that have been thrust upon most of us in the Western world.

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Source: Connection as the Core Spiritual Philosophy in the Druid Tradition | The Druid’s Garden

The Easter Bunny’s “Horse Cousin” – WARHorses

The Easter Bunny’s “Horse Cousin”

They look like BIG bunnies but we can attest that they are pure genus equus – meet the Poitou donkey.

Poitou donkeys originated in southern France, developed from donkeys imported from ancient Rome. They are the largest donkey breed historically used as breeding stock to produce working mules. Their coats are dark brown and black, they have white underbelly, nose and rings around their eyes. They have large features – heads, leg joints and ears. Some ears are so large that their weight causes they to flop sideways. The Poitou’s most distinctive feature is their matted coat, hanging cords of soft hair called a “cadanette”.

Poitou donkeys became status symbols of the wealthy during the middle ages – the shaggier the coat, the more highly valued the animal. By the 18^th century the breed’s characteristics were well defined and a studbook was established. As many as 15,000 were sold annually. By the next century mechanization (and war) obliterated the breed. By 1977 only 44 donkeys survived and the mortality rate for foals was nearly 30%. Public and private breeders joined forces to save the Poitou. The studbook, abandoned for nearly a century was reestablished and split between pure and part breds. By 2005 there were 450 registered purebreds.

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy lists the Poitou as Critical, a category for breeds with less than 2,000 animals worldwide. Science has certainly impacted efforts to save the breed. In 2001 Australian scientists implanted a Poitou embryo in a Standardbred mare resulting in a healthy birth. More recently, establishment of a sperm bank coupled with improved means for artificial insemination using the frozen semen has helped conservation efforts on a global scale.

Source: The Easter Bunny’s “Horse Cousin” – WARHorses

The Holy Grail – secretsoftheserpent

By gserpent

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The Holy Grail was basically started by the Arthurian legends. The legends were coded with heretical information about the blood line of the biblical Jesus. That is why medieval writers came up with an alternative for the Holy Grail. San greal means “Holy Grail” and sang real means “royal blood”. I’m going to give you the true meaning of the Holy Grail and it was around way before Christianity or any other patriarch religion.

Different traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, stone or bloodline. I have shown you that the biblical Jesus was royalty and he had several children, but I also showed you that he did not die on the cross(see His Royal Jesus). The legends saying that Joseph of Arimathea used this cup to catch the blood of christ is code. Joseph of Arimathea is Josephus Flavius and he is the one the devised Christianity and the bible. The code is showing who wrote the bible(see Ralph Ellis’ work). These legends have grown men running around looking for a physical cup. The number one way I know the cup legend is not real is that Da Vinci left the cup out of his Last Supper painting. Da Vinci knew it wasn’t a cup, but he did know the true history. That is why Mary Magdalen is in his painting. The other clue he left was the V shape of empty space between Jesus and Mary Magdalen.

When the Holy Grail is referred to as a bowl it is vessel or womb. It is not only referring to Mary Magdalen’s womb caring the blood line of Jesus, but also to the boat that carried her to France. The legends say the boat was without oars or mast. This means there are no men on the boat. The oval-shaped boats were always considered female, while the forces that make them move and steer were considered masculine. This is why all cars, boats and planes are known as she. But were back to the heretical bloodline of Christianity and that is not the original meaning.

When stones are referred to in the legends of the Holy Grail, they are referring to stones that fell from the sky. Most of all the religions have their own sacred stone. The Shetiya stone, the sacred stone at Mecca, the Omphalos stone, the Lingam stone and the Benben stone to name a few. All of them were meteorites and probably were magnetic. Why would all these religions have sacred stones that fell from the sky? As I showed in Lemurian Magic, meteorites fell from the sky as a result of the destruction of Tiamat. These stones could be sacred because they are a remembrance of the history of this world or they could see them as a piece of the actual remains of Tiamat. Most researchers will say they saw the meteorites as a piece of the sun, but Tiamat was known as the second sun.

The original meaning of the Holy Grail has to do with the sacred feminine. The ancient symbol for the sacred feminine was always a V shape or a chalice. This is why Da Vinci put the V shape in his last supper painting. The legends of the Holy Grail usually say that it has miraculous powers that provide happiness, eternal youth or sustenance in infinite abundance. That is just what happens when you find the sacred feminine. You don’t search outside of yourself for happiness, you feel young and you have an abundance of love, forgiveness and energy . The sacred feminine is the key to the underworld(see Goddess Maat). You communicate with the sacred feminine subconsciously. The sacred feminine is your higher self. No matter what these patriarch religions have told you, spirit is feminine. The ancients knew man(and woman) came from the Goddess and would return to her. They even buried people in the fetal position. Nature is the living subconscious and the living sacred feminine.

To see how to really connect with your subconscious or the sacred feminine, see my Magic post. Be warned, you have to be ready to be seen. Seen by yourself. Are you ready to be alone with yourself? Are you ready to monitor your thoughts? The true meaning of baptism was symbolizing the soul falling into the amniotic fluid, then the person being born and taking your first breath as a child of the Goddess. This world does anything and everything to whip you into the masculine to lose that connection. The masculine human has thrown out the feminine. All humans are in masculine. This causes people to fear the feminine because they don’t understand it. When a person reconnects with the Goddess(sacred feminine), the ego or masculine becomes and agent for her. They find their authentic self. They start to see the lies of this world, which there are many, and they don’t fall for them anymore. They become an individual and take their first breath again. They are no longer the autumn leaf that can’t hold on, They are the tree of life. To the ancients a holy person was a whole person. The Holy Grail is the sacred feminine.

“The human child is born into the very lap of nature, his nurturing mother, and he accepts her fostering ministrations gratuitously. His relation to her is instinctive and spontaneous, and most intimate. But when with maturity and the emergence of intellect and reflection, the matter of maintaining his salutary relation to his benignant mother becomes an obligation demanding the exercise of a phase of his genius which is little known to average humanity and is developed only by the highest culture of his psycho-spiritual capability. It was never enough simply that he dwelt with nature as a chick under her wings, that he partook of her lavish gifts for his sustenance, that he accommodated himself harmoniously to her requirements, or even that he received her bounty with gratitude and delight. For the ultimate exaltation of his being from his cradling in her lap there is demanded a refinement of his aesthetic and intellectual faculties that is beyond the attainment of common humanity and has been rarely achieved by exceptionally evolved souls”.- Alvin Boyd Kuhn

Source: The Holy Grail – secretsoftheserpent

Magic of the Night ~ Spirit Owl – Good Witches Homestead

Source: Magic of the Night ~ Spirit Owl – Good Witches Homestead

The Owl is, of course, a very real and material raptor which comes in many sizes and shapes. However, the owl is also an extremely powerful totem animal surrounded by myth and lore and this makes the Spirit Owl’s feathers useful for magical cores. The spirit-owl comes in dreams and visions offering her aid and wisdom. Her haunting call, “who, who?” asks the deep question of one’s identity. Who are you? Silent hunter of the night, the owl has been depicted as the messenger of wizards and witches, and a form favored by aerial shapeshifters.

In Welsh myth, the owl is linked to Bloduwedd, the maiden made of flowers who was created by Gwydion to marry his nephew Lleu. She later betrayed her husband with a lover and for that was punished by being turned into an owl. In this story, the owl is chosen perhaps for its predatory nature to indicate that Bloduwedd, far from being the idealized flower-maiden her male creators intended (gentle and beautiful), she had a mind of her own and the heart of a raptor. Druid justice seeks not to “punish” so much as to recognize the true nature — at least in this case! Owls are still called bloduwedd in Welsh.
Used as a magical core, the feather of the spirit owl shines with a misty gray light, faintly blue like starlight on snow. Its powers are for wisdom, cunning, and stealth, for the owl is the companion and emblem of the Hellenic Goddess Athena, wise leader of Attic Greece and patroness of cunning Odysseus. The owl spirit lends great powers of secrecy — both for keeping secrets and unlocking things that are hidden. It is well-suited to magic of forests and animals, and to magic of the night.