Dod Yn Ôl Adra

Medb (Maeve) Queen of Connacht

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 03:49:27 GMT

medb (maeve) queen of connacht2001.jpg
Originally uploaded by jimfitzpix

Maeve has really really been "working" with me atm ... dare I say, initiating me. I have been getting uncomfortably close to her prickliness, but also have realised her generosity. She epitomizes the Feminine to me, the kind of feminine that I am emerging into, and so for that, although she was portrayed negatively in the Tain by the Irish Christian Monks, I can still sense her as the power of Desire, Sovereignty and Inspiration.

Things I have begun to associate with her: the Sheela-na-Gig, nettles, blackberries, purple and red, needles, menstruation, mead, altered consciousness, riding, battle zeal .... the list is evolving.

May I also recommend the book "Celtic Queen Maeve and Addiction: an Archetypal Perspective". It was difficult to get into at first, seeming too psychologically heavy, but really it is an amazing book, discussing how Maeve, as both real entity and mythic archetype, represents both the binding pattern of addiction and the liberating pattern of acknowledgment and the soul's sovereignty. What was most interesting for me was how similar my experiences with PTSD and her clients' stories of addiction were.

The picture posted with this was done by James Fitzpatrick, and is the best Maeve artpiece out there that I know of.

Jenn's Ginger Biscuits

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:57:50 GMT

A new recipe I made the other day, and all on my todd! As in, this recipe is original with me and Dafydd and the family strongly approve, to the point that when I made 4 dozen, they were gone within 3 days between 4 of us. And Dafydd has been particularly raving, which is amusing as he is usually the one to be the pickiest, hardest one to please when it comes to food! So as it was such a hit, I thought I'd post the recipe here for anyone else to try.

Makes roughly 4 dozen, although less if you make them bigger

You will need:

8 oz soft butter
8 oz caster sugar
2 big tablespoons golden syrup
1 egg
1 lb self raising (all purpose) flour
2 heaped teaspoons ground ginger
1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 ish teaspoon almond essence

To make it:

1. Cream the sugar and butter, making sure there are no lumps of butter left. It should be light and fluffy. Add the golden syrup and mix well. A little water (only a very teensy bit) is ok to clean off the spoon too.

2. Add one beaten egg with the almond essence and fold until light and well-mixed in.

3. Add cinnamon and ginger into the flour and then add dry ingredients to the wet, slowly mixing in more and more. Make sure all is combined, leaving no bit too wet or too dry. It should be a sort of sticky crumbly (but not too crumbly) dough.

4. Bake in pressed balls on trays in an oven. Because I use an AGA with regular temperatures, I don't know the rough temperature you should use. But obviously, bake until golden or brown. It took mine about 10-15 minutes.

If you want, lightly sprinkle with cinnamon on top before baking for an extra kick. These are sooo lovely with a hot cup of tea, and they are slightly chewy but slightly crisp, and not overly hard or overly soft. The texture is just like ginger snaps too .... yum.

a Vision of Snowdonia

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:41:59 GMT

I am sat in a cosy wooden carriage with plush maroon seats and big clean windows, on the Welsh Highland Railway .... which runs through the heart of Snowdonia, right at the feet of the great mountain itself. This is the place I get to see every time I work ... the place I live ... the place I get my food and air and water from ... the place that fills me with endless inspiration. Let me describe the view for you now.

Outside is the stunning valley below Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). The grass at the bottom is green like wild mint, lush velvet, verdant with rain, and the whole place is a scattering of huge rocks and boulders peeping their heads above their grassy beds -- the sense is of a rugged wild place, still full of beauty and goodness.

To my right is a tall ridge and behind it are the two long mountain ridges that hold like a treasure, Dyffryn Nantlle (where I live), the valley of Lleu's Stream. Lleu is the Welsh version of Lugh, an Irish Sun-Beam God (very simplified) and great Feat-doer. To y left, rises Snowdon, not a single bit of snow on his uplifted face. Snowdon had been the home of a giant, but no more. Arthur slew him in the early years and now, the tallest mountain of England and Wales is called "Yr Wyddfa"--which means--place of the monument, place of the burial monument. To me, I think it means that Snowdon is a great burial chamber like Newgrange, only 100 times ... no 1000 times bigger because it belongs to the remains of a giant, the giant glacier that formed this entire Snowdonia area.

The sun now gleams in a blue-and-white sky, and the purple foxglove and yellow buttercups are out in full array for this Midsummer season. The trees passing by are so fragrant, so heady, so full of the richness of life and that fecund aroma that makes me want to make love up on the old cairns on the mountainside surrounded by gorse and heather, by crows, red kites and hawks spying down on us. THIS is a good day in Wales, the kind that makes you glad to be alive.

Yesterday on the other hand was all ice and gale and bitter cold that made the whole house shiver and creak. But that is the Celtic Isles for you ... abit like a woman ... moody, magical and majestic like a Queen.

Thor's Own Movie!

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 22:44:55 GMT

Apparently, they are making an Icelandic movie about Thor's Adventures from the old sagas ... how cool is that! Animated (hmm) but still sounds cool.

Also got this link from an acquaintance, which I thought was particularly fascinating as there has been some discussion going on in the Welsh academic community about an Arabic connection to Wales (and here ... it's in Scandinavia):

New research refutes myth of pure Scandinavian race:
http://healthsciences.ku.dk/newslist/scandinavia/ A team of forensic scientists at the University of Copenhagen has studied human remains found in two ancient Danish burial grounds dating back to the iron age, and discovered a man who appears to be of arabian origin. The findings suggest that human beings were as genetically diverse 2000 years ago as they are today and indicate greater mobility among iron age populations than was previously thought. The findings also suggest that people in the Danish iron age did not live and die in small, isolated villages but, on the contrary, were in constant contact with the wider world.

Midsummer Selkie Meditation

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 03:01:50 GMT

You can find an audio of this done by yours truly here on http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1010 .. singing and everything! It's only about 7 minutes long and really, I am quite proud of it. It's one of many little tidbits I am doing for our ritual on Saturday. To actually read the meditation ...

Midsummer, the height of the year, the fullness of all the worlds--

World of Sky, laden with heavy rain, a great wash of blue, grey and golden;
World of Earth, fecund and wild, abundant with promise, pleasure and peace;
World of Sea, overflowing tides that surge into our lives, carrying the depths of wisdom to our shores.

Turn your thoughts to our shores. Feel the elements as they converge together into one place, one time, this place, this time.

Imagine you are going for a swim. You are sleek. You are like ripples in the waves. You are perfectly at home in the tides and ever-changing waters. You belong to the sea for you are part of the People of the Sea.

These People have been called the Selkies, seals of special quality. Shape-shifters. Swift on sea, shy on land. And it is on Midsummer they come ashore, on the Seventh Wave of the Seventh Tide in the Seventh Hour, seeking for themselves someone .... someone to bless.

They are People of Blessing, these People of the Sea. And it is on Midsummer they come to sing ... they come to sing a song of enchantment, a song of beauty, a song to bring longing, a song to bring love. These things are their blessings, the blessing of enchantment, the blessing of beauty, the blessing of longing, and the blessing of love.

This Midsummer .... Are you willing to be blessed? ...... Are you willing to bless in return? ...... What is blessing you now?

And now, turn your face to the sun, this Solstice Sun, and listen from your heart, to the Joy of the Seal-Woman, singing her joy for you:

(singing): Ionn da, Ionn do, Ionn da od-ar da. Hi-o-dan dao. Hi-o-dan dao. Hi-o-dan dao od-ar da. Ionn da, Ionn do,Ionn da od-ar da.

Blessings, Bendithion, to you, to the Seal-Folk, to the Seas and the Shores, to the Soul that is in Everything that speaks from the depths of a Deep Knowing, a True Knowing. Deep peace upon you. Deep joy upon you. Deep love, deep knowing upon you. Blessings of the Midsummer Solstice. May you always be willing to bless and to be blessed.

Gollum Cat

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:00:36 GMT

more cat pictures

words are not enough

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:02:20 GMT

I have noticed a gradual change in how I express my response to beauty, wonder and prayer. For many many years, I have used writing as the almost sole externalization of these feelings, but in the last year or so, I have begun to dance more. It's almost as if words are no longer enough, sometimes not even appropriate, and the only thing I can do is dance.

The way the air moves with me, parting and invisibly swirling ... the warmth that rises from my centre out to my fingertips, toes and head ... the sense of motion all around me ... the sense of gracefulness, lightness, freeness or the sense of strength, power, heaviness .... music of the blood pounding in my eardrums, in my veins ... closing my eyes and opening up to the experience ... hearing my voice when i feel sudden outpourings of emotion ... the wild carried-away rush of dizziness ... the seductive goddess ... the sweet river of beauty all around me ... the anger or love, joy or pain coming out in physical motions ... the sensation that I am giving an offering of love to life, to myself, to the spirits ... the complete and utter aloneness yet union with all things.

I am describing this now with words ... but really, none of the words express how I feel when I dance.

Gweddi (A Prayer)

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:28:34 GMT

I wrote this tonight .... it came to me while studying for my exam tomorrow and it felt very appropriate, all things considered. It made me cry a little bit for some reason, and I think I feel very emotional in regards to my exams because for the last two years I have been working towards them and now I am finally doing them. Doing them is like a gateway into another period of my life ... into my BA ... into other plans and goals.
It also feels like coming home. My prayer has been to all that is Wales, Cymru, fy mam i, to the spirits of this place, to those who live on in my blood. I feel very strong and gentle and ready for tomorrow.

We stand here today                                         Sefwn yma heddiw,
arms open to the world;                                  breichiau yn agor i'r byd;
We stand in intense longing,                          Sefwn mewn hiraeth,
fingers open to the ravens.                              bysedd yn agor i'r brain.

They walk over the brest of the wave,             Cerddant dros bron y don,
those people from the soul, and                     y bobl o'r enaid, ac
They walk above the deep,                               Cerddant dros ben y dwfn,
those tribes from the mind of the world.        y tylwyth o'r bryd byd.

They read our hopes,                                        Darllenant ein gobeithion,
tales flying in the embers.                                chwedlau yn ehedeg efo'r marwor.

They sing our tales,                                           Canant ein chwedlau,
hopes climbing to the stars.                            gobeithion yn dringad i'r ser.

I cry to them,                                                        Llefainaf iddyn,
I call to them,                                                       Galwaf iddyn,

The Old Folk,                                                       Yr Hen Dylwyth,
The Sea Folk,                                                      Y Tylwyth Mor,
The Oak and Thunder Folk                               Y Tylwyth Taran a Derwen,
The Other Folk in the Otherworld,                    Y Tylwyth Arall yn Annwfn,
The Bright Folk,                                                   Y Tylwyth Teg,
The Dark Folk,                                                     Y Tylwyth Tywyll,
The Star Folk, and                                               Y Tylwyth Serennog o'r Tir-na-nog
The Spirit Folk.                                                     Y Tylwyth Ysbryd.

Remember us                                                     Cofiwch ni
in the long stretch of your memories.              yn yr amser hir o'ch cofion.

They stand here                                               Sefant yma heddiw
and know our worlds are one.                          a gwyddant ein bydoedd yr un.
May our blessings be your blessings,            Ein bendithion bydd eich bendithion,
And our burdens be your burdens.                  Ein beichiau bydd eich beichiau.

This is our love. This is our pact.                     Mewn cariad ac mewn cytundeb,
So be it in the sky, land and sea.                     Dan y nefoedd, y ddaer, y dwr.

syniad da!

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:15:10 GMT

One of my friends had a brilliant idea, one that I won't quite utilize in the same way as he does. M. has started his own blog in Welsh / yn yr iaith Gymraeg! (goes off into a stream of Welsh in her head...) I think posting my journals in Welsh would be a great way to practice, stretch and keep up my use of the language over the summer, BUT the only problem is that I don't really have that many friends who would understand me. Of course I have loads upon loads of them in Wales, but how many of them can I share myself with like I do on here? I dunno. At least most of you are pagans and not devout chapal-going Methodists (stereotypical of me, I know! .. but really).

So from time to time, maybe I will do a Welsh post, to ease my conscience and feel good about myself, lol. And perhaps ... who knows ... maybe one of my friends now or in future will speak Welsh and being able to comment on my posts! Gobeithio!

Oh btw, if you want my friend's ENGLISH blog, which is quite entertaining and enlightening to read any day of the week (except Mondays when you might be feeling a bit sensitie). Enjoy that! And if you are a "druid" or "pagan", you will either love or hate M. In my case, I love him. ;)

Studying the Mabinogi

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:56:56 GMT

I'm happy to finally "officially" announce that my latest project is now chugging away happily on the server: "The Mabinogi Study Group" for whoever wishes to read along and discuss the Mabinogi, at whatever level you desire (basic, academic, deep, etc). The forums are to be the main meat, so to speak, but there are only a few members at this stage.

This is all so exciting because I've not found any other website dedicated to doing something like this. I know a couple different groups in the pagan community and in the academic world who discuss it from time to time, but my new website is something (I hope--correct me if I'm wrong) entirely new!

If I have piqued your interest, you might want to look at the About Us page to give you an idea of what I have in mind ... and of course, if you like or feel inspired, feel free to join the forums.

Also, I have set up a small part of the forums especially for welsh speakers / siaradwyr Cymraeg to talk about the Mabinogi.

Geirfa Gymraeg i'r Arholiad

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:58:23 GMT

This post is solely for my own use, as a memory device (believe it or not) but below is a vocab list I'm studying for my mock oral exam tomorrow (which is like 30 minutes or more long, sugar!)

hanesyddol -- historical
llenyddiaeth -- literature
awgrym -- hint, suggestion
cymeradwyaeth -- recommendation
amlygiad -- revelation
rheolaidd -- regular
cyflwynwyr -- presenters
cynhyrchiad -- production
cyfryngau -- media
haeddu -- to deserve, merit
clod -- credit, laud, fame
addysgiadol -- educational
ardderchowgrwydd -- excellency
eglurder -- clarity
llywodraeth -- government
cyfrifoldeb -- responsibility
newid hinsawdd -- climate change
hanfodol -- essential
arferion -- habits
camdriniaeth -- mistreatment
cymdeithas prynwr -- consumer society
tymhorol -- seasonal
elw -- profit
farchnad ffermwr -- farmer's market
uwchfarchnad -- supermarket
ailgylchu -- to recycle
ail-ddefnyddio -- to reuse
yn wastraffus -- wasteful
masnach deg -- fair trade
yn gyfoethog -- wealthy
leihau -- to decrease
allyriannau carbon-- carbon emission
beunyddiol -- daily
trydanol -- electric
cenedlaethol -- national
cyflyru -- to condition, indoctrinate
dychanol -- satirical
hawliau -- rights
amrywiol -- diverse
yr ŵyl gerddorol -- the music festival
yn rhyfedd -- strange, odd, quaint
dynol -- mankind
etifeddiaeth -- heritage
uchelgeisiol -- ambitious
gweithgareddau -- activities
cynnyrch -- to produce

Facebook Cymraeg

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:04:34 GMT

O wow, mae'n ffantastig iawn! Dw i jyst wrth fy modd ar hyn o bryd achos mod i'n ffindio rhwybeth ar y Facebook i gyfeithu'r safle yn Gymraeg, ac dw i'n falch o'r gymuned ar-lein sy'n gweithio mor galed i wneud hwn. Os ti'n defnyddio'r Facebook, ac hefyd, ti isio dysgu Cymraeg, wel--dyna'chi. Hwn ydy'r peth i chi!

Dos o'ma i'r safle; wedyn i'r "Account" a mynd ymlaen i "Language" tan ti'n gweld rhwybeth am "Translating". Defnyddia hwn yma i gael rhaglen sy'n newid dy tudalen yn Gymraeg.

http://www.facebook.com/translations/?auth_token=7f9722d3d45c8e0808f995be03f5eb04&installed=1#/translations/

Oh wow, it's so fantastic. I am just over the moon at the moment because I found something on Facebook to translate the site in Welsh, and I am proud of the online community who are working so hard to do this. If you use Facebook and also if yo want to learn Welsh, well, there you are! This is the thing for you!

Go from here to the site; then to "Account" and carry on to "Language" until you see something about "Translating". Use this to get an application that changes your page in Welsh.

Greek Interest

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:25:13 GMT

I am becoming really interested in Greek paganism and the stories/mythology too. I had never had an interest in "Classical" stuff but for the last two years (ever since I moved to Wales, would you believe it), and it has crept up on me out of "nowhere". And for some bizarre reason, I have been finding Greek things (from Greece) in charity shops all over the UK for the last two years too. Dafydd says that I must actually "draw" these things to me, because it is ridiculous to the point of me having to exercise some self control. Our dining room at Drybones has turned into a Grecian theme and that was not my intent originally at all. Then after that, books about Greece, Greek language, Greek food, Greek music and dance have been practically falling off the shelf at me ... and then, in the end my favorite Eurovision song was the Greek one. I think I have been a bit thick for it to *suddenly* dawn on me today, after nearly 2 years, that perhaps I ought to explore this a bit more.

Welsh Jewels

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:17:20 GMT

... No, not precious stones but historical treasures! I found this site by accident today and what a happy coincidence it was too! I thought any of you folk out there might enjoy "Gathering the Jewels" which seems to be getting quite a good archive behind them.

http://www.gtj.org.uk/

Russia Got It

Sat, 24 May 2008 23:26:09 GMT

Ok ok, so Russia won the Eurovision ... but I must admit I am not surprised. You see, it's getting ridiculous all the little Children of Russia who vote for her, the former Soviet Union block like Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania, Bosnia, Belarus, Latvia, Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Rep, Slovenia and Serbia, Hungary etc etc. All the Russian babies pay lip service so that the Eurovision becomes no longer a musical contest (heck, it's always been political unfortunately) BUT not even EUROPEAN! It's more a favourites-game in the former USSR countries. Out of the 43 contestants, I believe at least TWENTY of them are "Slavic" or Balkan, so it seems we are coming to an age when Europe is no longer dominated by the big four of Germany, France, Spain and the UK. In fact, the UK has been so unpopular lately :(

What this means for Europa and her future is a good question. There is certainly a shift in focus to the east. I am also sad that Greece or Turkey or Finland didn't win as I liked them the best, but that's ok. I have a few friends in Russia and I know they are celebrating now!!! Congratulations!

As for myself, I now feel rather tired and am looking forward to seeing next year just what kind of performance Russia can put on, eh?

Once You Knew

Wed, 21 May 2008 11:22:52 GMT

It's 3:23 in the morning
and I'm awake
because my great great grandchildren
won't let me sleep
my great great grandchildren
ask me in dreams
what did you do while the planet was plundered?
what did you do while the earth was unraveling?

surely you did something
when the seasons started failing?

as the mammals, reptiles, birds were all dying?

did you fill the streets with protest
when democracy was stolen?

what did you do
once
you
knew?. . .

By Drew Dellinger; "Hieroglyphic Stairway"

Wild Flower Pollen

Sun, 18 May 2008 12:52:13 GMT

This stuff is amazing! Have a look here.

Pollen contains six times as much protein, by weight, as beefsteak. This makes it ideal for vegetarians, anyone on a dietary regime and especially anyone recovering from illness. It has an abundance of vitamins A, C, D, E, B1, B2, B5 and B12, as well as many minerals including Calcium, Iron, and Potassium. Surprisingly, Pollen is an excellent natural source of carbohydrate and has some antibiotic properties. It has been shown to be effective against some strains of Salmonella. One or two teaspoons per day sprinkled on cereals or salads can result in an increase in vitality and an enhanced immune system. Pollen is the perfect energy boost for athletes and is the best of all the Apitherapy foods.

How they collect it is another question!

Making Your Own Face Creams

Sun, 18 May 2008 12:37:35 GMT

I thought I would post my recipe and variations on face creams here, for the enjoyment of any of my friends (though I'm sure the women especially), and also to show you actually how easy it can be. Home-made face creams are, like so many other things, much better than store-purchased because they are all-natural, made to fit your personal needs and a way of consciously treating yourself well. The only problem you might run into is finding all the ingredients unless you have a good local health-food store, or general pagany-shop that sells things like essential oils (although the quality is not always that good).

What you'll need:

1. Beeswax--this acts as a natural preservative for the cream, instead of all that icky stuff in store-bought ones. Beeswax also is a natural antibiotic for the skin (aka helps prevent acne and skin conditions) and also protects from sun/wind burn.
2. Oil--this is the part where you need to figure out which one is best for your skin. Avocado oil is good for dry, sensitive or "mature" skin. Sunflower is a good all-rounder. Sesame is good in summer creams because it is a natural sun-block. Grapeseed oil is wonderful for oily skins. Almond oil is probably one of the best to start with though because it's a general complexion improver. It also compliments many of the other ingredients scent-wise. Almond oil is also very easy to find in most grocery or health food shops.

Those two are the basic ingredients. The rest of these are just ways to enhance the creams, or make them for more specific purposes.

3. Flower-water--although not necessary, I like adding flower-water to it, like rose-water which adds just a bit more of a hint of richness and complexity to the cream. Rose-water can be purchased, but I make my own.
4. Essential Oils--in place of flower-water, you can also use essential oils, as per Aromatherapy. One or two drops does the trick. Lavender, marigold or sweet marjoram are each gentle, especially good for women's hormones and very soothing to skin and nerves.
5. Cocoa Butter--I have never used this in my creams finding it unnecessary because I use enough beeswax. Many use this as the basis for their skin creams though and is quite heavy in my opinion. Perhaps best for night-creams, although I don't do anything like that, haha.
6. Grapefruit seed extract--another natural preservative and anti-biotic.

The Basic Face Cream:

1. First prepare your work space. This is essential. Make sure you have clean containers in which to store the cream (which will be hot, so it needs to be something like glass which must be warmed first so as not to shatter it). There are some really good quality plastic containers out there too of sturdy plastic that doesn't melt. I prefer glass though, at this time anyway. If you use glass you MUST keep it in a dark place though. The fridge is a good place to keep it :)--besides cold cream is niiiiice.

2. Mix base oil together with whatever else you wish to add (rosewater, sweet marjoram essential oil, whatever). Set this aside and close to hand.

3. Heat beeswax until melted on a steady heat source like a Rayburn or Aga (which work best). If you must use heated rings or gas, put the pan inside another pan with water in it, like you do when you melt chocolate, so as to prevent the beeswax from scorching. Icky.

4. Remove from heat and put in a blender (or where-ever else you are going to mix in the oils) and gently add oils to beeswax. Mix very well (either by hand or by an electric blender ... this is also what helps create the creamy part of the cream!)

5. When thoroughly mixed, as soon as possible, pour cream into containers before it sets. Allow to cool with lids off and make sure you label including date made and ingredients.

Any questions, just ask me. :) I will try to post some more recipes in future as they arise!

Which Goddess lurks in your soul?

Thu, 15 May 2008 23:42:11 GMT

Which Goddess lurks in your soul?

Hecate

You hold more power in your little finger than most do in their entire being! Hecate is perhaps the most selective of all deities who inhabit the souls of mortals. Being the goddess of the crossroads, Cosmic Knowledge, and of course witches and magic she can’t be bothered by residing in the souls of the mundane. She often chooses those who practice the craft of the old ways and those who harbor deep mystical secrets that must be kept close. Your soul is old, perhaps having been present at the birth of the cosmos in some form or another. Your ability to comprehend the necessity of death and it’s beauty have awakened a connection to the underworld, where Hecate has been known to reign and you relish this otherworldly bond. Darkness suits you well, as many of the best secrets of the cosmos can be found there.

Click Here to Take This Quiz

Quizzes and Personality Tests

Phylogenetics

Thu, 15 May 2008 23:26:14 GMT

This is a new word for me, although the subject matter is nothing new. I have always been interested (since I was first learning to write at age 3 actually) in where words and languages come from, and how they are all related to one another in a historical context (ie, loan words, migrations, trade influence, tribal singularities, connection between land and language, oral traditions, etc). But this is something that attempts to address the same issues, with the help of a different system. Thus, welcome to the world of Phylogenetics.

I am hardly one to discuss the subject itself, as I don't really understand the process except that like we can trace genetics and do genetic testing, the same methods (whatever they are) can be applied to linguistics and used to approximate not only the relationship between languages with one another but also a often decent guesstimate at when the particular languages split off from the parent languages. So in other words, we are looking at family trees, but the family members are languages!

In particular for me, is my interest in how the Celtic languages split off--and what were the languages of "Britain" before the Celts arrived. This is a rather flammable topic in my past experience. I have seen professors, researchers, linguists go to great lengths to slag one another's theories off, and to me, half the time it is just bloody semantics (which is why I don't think I'll ever make it in the academic world, although I can certainly try).

All I know is that from my pitiful experience, it appears to me that there is a similarity between Irish culture/language and Indian/Hindu culture/language. Probably none at all, and I have been told off for that feeling before, but that is something I DO NOT LIKE about the academic world. It often does not give place to intuition. Mind, I suppose it couldn't operate like that, or else we'd have all sorts of crazy folk about.

Another observation has been in my very poor knowledge of Arabic in comparison with Welsh. And although I have been told off for this theory too, apparently I'm not as dumb as I seem (haha) because a professor of Celtic Studies at Oxford University told me there was some validity to the thought, and that he has actually seen/heard it mentioned by a few others, although it has not been explored to any great extent at all to validify or nullify the possibilities there-in.

Anyway. The list of languages that interest me:

Welsh, Scots Gaelic, Ulster Scots, Irish Gaelic, Norn (from Orkney), Breton, Basque, French, Norse, Finnish, German, Russian, Siberian (whatever that is, hah), Turkish, Arabic, Greek, Anglo-Saxon, Quenya. I imagine the list could go on.

What sparked all this off anyway was a friend in class today handing me a paper he'd found on the subject. It is also available on-line if you have any care to look, and the focus IS on Indo-European languages, with special note on the Celtic branch. How convenient.

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/100/15/9079

flower power

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:40:11 GMT

Themes in Tolkien's Works

Thu, 15 May 2008 01:23:22 GMT

Although we could probably fill pages upon pages of "themes" and ideas, I thought Tolkien said it best himself in a letter to Milton Waldman (1951):

Quote:

"Anyway all this stuff [*It is, I suppose, fundamentally concerned with the problem of the relation of Art (and Sub-creation) and Primary Reality.] is mainly concerned with Fall, Mortality and the Machine. With Fall inevitably, and that motive occurs in several modes. With Mortality, especially as it affects art and the creative (or as I should say, sub-creative) desire which seems to have no biological function, and to be apart from the satisfactions of plain ordinary biological life, with which, in our world, it is indeed usually at strife. This desire is at once wedded to a passionate love of the real primary world, and hence filled with the sense of mortality, and yet unsatisfied by it. It has various opportunities of 'Fall'. It may become possessive, clinging to the things made as its own, the sub-creator wishes to be the Lord and God of his private creation. He will rebel against the laws of the Creator--especially against mortality. Both of these (alone or together) will lead to the desire for Power, for making the will more quickly effective,--and so to the Machine (or Magic). By the last I intend all use of external plans or devices (apparatus) instead of developments of the inherent inner powers or talents or even the use of these talents with the corrupted motive of dominating: bulldozing the real world, or coercing other wills. The Machine is our more obvious modern form though more closely related to Magic than is usually recognised."

1. Mortality

"With Mortality, especially as it affects art and the creative (or as I should say, sub-creative) desire which seems to have no biological function, and to be apart from the satisfactions of plain ordinary biological life, with which, in our world, it is indeed usually at strife. This desire is at once wedded to a passionate love of the real primary world, and hence filled with the sense of mortality, and yet unsatisfied by it."

This instantly gave me the image of the Painter at work, totally in love with the natural world by his devotion to portraying it, yet at the same time this causes him to neglect his family and friends, even himself or perhaps even his full-time work (as Tolkien said, "it is indeed usually at strife"--although I'm not sure this is what he meant) and instead is driven to higher places of his Imagination, and perhaps is driven even harder by an acknowledgment that his death will come eventually ("hence filled with the sense of mortality") and he must "finish" as much as he can, but as a result finds it difficult to focus on anything else ("and yet unsatisfied by it").

I think I've pretty much described the Artist Archetype there, lol, which you find in history, books, etc.

There is also often a struggle in Artists who wish to create their art as something Eternal that will last long after they are dead, and in some cases, as a continuation of themselves. I'm not sure whether Tolkien thought or noticed this (I know quite a few Classical and even famous English poets mention this in their works) but I sometimes wonder if he would have approved of such sentiments. I am not so sure he would have ... he was staunchly of the thought that mortality is God's gift to us, and as he says above:

2. Fall

Quote

"He will rebel against the laws of the Creator--especially against mortality."

In other words, the Artist is turned into the Magician, seeking ways outside the natural laws to extend life .... a bit like Mary Shelly's Frankenstein.

3. the Machine

I think it's interesting that Tolkien relates Machinery with Magic. For me, who has been involved in Pagan-craft for 3 or 4 years (not long, I suppose) this was at first a paradox. But I think I know what he means now.

People often use Magic in hopes to go against the Laws of Nature. And many as well use it as a tool of Power to get what they want or change someone else's will. Love spells are a very good example of this, in my mind. It is a terribly fine line. For me, I quickly saw the error of this from the beginning, and was drawn more towards the Shamanic image of someone who reclaims and maintains Ancestral or Personal history, stories and lore through trance and experience ... and uses this knowledge to heal, to protect and to enlighten (lol, I am sure that is a rather romantic image, but I am talking about the archetype, not the actual ancient practitioners!) .... instead of the Magician who can change time and physics. That's when I started saying I practiced "Wild Magick" .... the kind of magic that is in tune with the natural order of things, that doesn't seek to change the natural order but to align with it and bring it about. I think Tolkien would have liked that idea .... to me, it is a similar kind of function as the Valar and Maiar, even the Elves to an extent, possessed.

But it has taken me 3 or 4 years to finally be able to explain it like that.

I wish, I wish with all my might--

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:16:04 GMT

... that I could buy these books tonight! ... really; here's my latest book list which is getting far too long and we're not even half way to Christmas! Not in any particular order either.

1. The Tao of Equus: A Woman's Journey of Healing and Transformation Through the Way of the Horse, by Linda Kohanov
2. Celtic Prayers from Iona, by Philip Newell
3. Celtic Queen Maeve and Addiction: An Archetypal Perspective (Jung on the Hudson Book Series), by Sylvia Brinton Perera
4. Celtic Knots for Beaded Jewellery, by Susan Milladot
5. The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries, by W.Y. Evans-Wentz
6. Fire in the Head: Shamanism and the Celtic Spirit, by Tom Cowan
7. The Warrior's Princess, by Barbara Erskine
8. The Leaping Hare, by George Ewart Evans
10. Wake Rites: The Ancient Irish Rituals of "Finnegans Wake", by George Cinclair Gibson
11. From Scythia to Camelot: Radical Reassessment of the Legends of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table and the Holy Grail, by C.Scott Littleton and Linda A. Malcor
12. Bees: Nine Lectures on the Nature of Bees, by Rudolf Steiner
13. After the Ice: A Global Human History 20,000 - 5000 BC, by Steven Mithen
14. The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art, by J.David Lewis-Williams

Apitherapy Guidelines

Wed, 14 May 2008 23:42:48 GMT

Copied from the Beelief website, I thought this was a good guideline for me or anyone else interested in Apitherapy; a great deal of it is common sense and if you are involved in any other alternative therapies, the same principles apply:

After a tenacious study of a couple thousand apitherapy related pages, and after a sizeable clinical experience (over 7, 000 patients treated) we found 24 such guidelines.

Here they are:

The diagnostic should be a "holistic" one: classical (allopathic) but also energetic (as in Acupuncture), structural (Ayurveda), informational (Homeopathy) etc.
Before starting apitherapy, one must "clean" the body with different "detoxifying" methods: special diets, fasting, colon cleansing if necessary.
The fresh, "organic" bee products have usually better effects than the "industrial" processed ones; over-heat, excessive filtration and refining are detrimental.
Select attentively the bee products according with their origin, composition and pharmacological properties.
The quality and methods of storage are most important for good efficiency.
Apply with flexibility the producer's (manufacturer's) recommendations.
Always test for allergies before you start the treatment.
Gradually increase the doses of bee products.
Use several "vehicles" in order to better reach the affected area: liquids (tea, water, juices); creams/ointments; inhalations; suppositories, injections etc.
Several methods of administration are better than only one.
The dose of each bee product must be established with accuracy according to the age, weight, general/local condition of each patient, time of application etc.
"SIMILLIA SIMILLIBUM CURANTUR": small doses can be used to treat bee product allergies (as in pollen, bee venom, honey allergies).
The time of treatments should be in harmony with different (bio)rhythms; these rhythms vary with the patient, the disease, the season, the hour of the day etc.
Apitherapy is not a "panacea" and should be applied in harmony with other natural healing methods like Phytotherapy, Aromotherapy, Acupuncture, Organic diet, Ayurveda etc.
"PRIMUM NON NOCERE"! Do not experiment on your patient! Use only safe methods and high quality products!
It is very important to improve the blood flow through other methods like Massage, Acupressure, Gymnastics, Taiji Quan, Qigong, Hatha Yoga etc.
Good sleep and relaxation enhances the effect of bee products.
Good environment (clean, ordered, non-polluted) and a "positive-thinking" family/friends group are also beneficial.
INDIVIDUALISE your treatment! Each patient is Unique and must receive a Unique treatment!

Because of their composition, ALL bee products have more or less beneficial effects, on ALL patients.
Apitherapy is not a "blitz" method! Perseverance and patience is necessary, especially in chronic diseases.
Educate your patients before, during and after treatments; make them true bee lovers and protectors! Each patient must become, in time, his own apitherapist.
A good apitherapist must know the bee colony's life in detail; he must be also at least a good "amateur" beekeeper.
Continuous study, good exchange of information with other specialists from several "Apitherapy related countries", regular use of Internet can help in finding the best medical strategy for each person.

Apitherapy

Wed, 14 May 2008 22:29:35 GMT

Now this is something I have been "interested" and "involved" in for some time actually, but didn't know there was a name for it. I was quite excited when I read about the Beelief Apitherapies in West Wales, because for the first time I realized that I could use my interests in bee-keeping and using bee products for a therapeutic use. Duh.

Well, I already do that for myself, mostly for skin care and beauty-type products. Home-made honey cremes and hair conditioners work wonders on my dry and sensitive skin. Honey itself is an amazingly healing food-stuff, and when I went through my "so ill I couldn't eat" time two years ago, honey was what got me through it. Also I use royal jelly and honey for its anti-bacterial properties because I am very susceptible to sinusitis, bronchitis and that sort of thing. This past winter, after a regular course of aromatherapy and also using honey in my diet and echinacea immune support drops, I didn't get either! Which was so amazing for me. :) And then there's making my own beeswax polish and rolling my own beeswax candles. I love it all. Not including the pride and joy of bee-keeping (although we don't have our own hive yet at Drybones; Dafydd's birth father was at one time the Bee Inspector for all of N. Wales though and still has loads).

There is a side of Apitherapy though that I don't know much about, and probably ought to look into--bee venom therapy. The idea intrigues me and disturbs me at the same time, but as I found acupuncture very helpful in the past, I can see the logic and indeed the use behind it. Actually, apparently very traditional Chinese acupuncturists dip the ends of their needles in bee venom. There is melittin in bee venom though, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and I have read that bee venom therapy is used mostly to treat problems with "-itis" on the end like arthritis, bursitis, sinusitis, etc.

The single greatest blessing and greatest problem about Apitherapy is that in the UK there doesn't seem to be any governing body that can guide or give their stamp of approval to practitioners. So it is difficult to tell the quacks from the perfectly good therapists. BUT with something like Apitherapy, you can't go too far wrong at least. Honey won't kill anyone. Bee venom stuff--well, not sure. Doubt it though. It's not like with Herbalism where you have to make sure the practitioner isn't giving you Deadly Nightshade!!! lol