Hawthorn

Botanical Name: Crataegus Oxyacantha

Folk Names: Ban-Sangli, Bread and Cheese Tree, Gazels, Hagthorn, Halves, Haw, Hazels, Hedgethorn, Huath, Ladie’ Meat, May, Mayblossom, May Bush, Mayflower, Quick, Thorn, Tree of Chastity.

© Copyright David Hawgood and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Hawthorn is a member of Rosaceae family. A spiny tree or shrub, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America, It may reach a height of 30 feet.

Archeology:

The lost city where the Olympics began may have been destroyed by tsunamis Alasdair Wilkins — The Olympic Games first began in the ancient Greek city-state of Olympia. For all its fame, the city suffered a mysterious fate, destroyed by an unknown natural disaster. Now it looks like tsunamis were the culprit…despite being 30 kilometers inland.

The origins of the ancient Olympics are shrouded in mystery, but the generally accepted date for the first Olympiad is 776 BCE, and the games endured for an incredible 1,170 years before the Emperor Theodosius I suppressed them in 394 CE because they were too reminiscent of paganism. The city remained inhabited for another 150 or so years, but by around 551 CE Olympia lay in ruins, and it wouldn’t be until 1829 that it would be rediscovered and excavations could begin. Read full story from io9.com

Malva Tea

Malva, or Althea sylvestris, has light-pink to purple flowers. Overseas it is commonly referred to as “mallow.” In the United States, It is commonly known as “Malva”. Young leaves of Malva are harvested in the spring, and its blossoms are gathered in the summer and early fall. Both plant parts can be used to make many teas, the preparations made with flowers are more commonly found in the U.S. The word “Malva” is derived from malakos, which in Greek means “soothing”; not surprisingly, Malva tea is often given as a gargle to reduce throat inflammations. Drinking the tea also helps calm stomach and intestinal irritation. Warm compresses can draw toxins from pimples, abscesses and other skin inflammation while cool tea compresses can help to relive superficial burns. The active components of Malva are mucilage (which is a viscous substance), tannins and Malvin, a red pigment.

Birch

Botanical Name: Betula Pendula

The silver birch was  regarded as a symbol of spring - a tree of life and fertility. Folklore has honored it as a protector against demons, and the trees leaves, bark and sap have long been used to fight illness such as bladder infections, kidney stones, eczema and rheumatism.

Plant Facts: A member of the Betulaceae, or birch, family. It grows to a height of 100 feet and is recognized by its grayish-white, peeling bark and dark cracks at the base. The bark and leaves have an organic, bitter taste and act as an astringent.

Arts & Entertainment:

Vodun: African Voodoo exhibition - picture preview Vodun: African Voodoo is an exhibition of the amazing private collection of Voodoo art collated by African and tribal art expert Jacques Kerchache.

Kerchache, a key cultural adviser to Jacques Chirac, was instrumental in introducing African and tribal art to the Louvre in 2000.

The success of the Louvre’s new galleries led to Kerchache’s biggest achievement - the creation of the Musée du Quai Branly in 2006, France’s first major institution devoted to indigenous art, cultures and civilizations from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Read full story from independent.co.uk

Citrus Shrimp

Prep time: 36 minutes
Cooking time: 7 to 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Partner: Herbed Vegetable Medley

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces fettuccine

• 6 tablespoons butter, divided

• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined (about 25 to 28 shrimp)

• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest

Headlines:

100,000 to get Jason Pitzl-Waters on the Daily Show In an effort to support religious equality and equal voice, we are trying to get Jason Pitzl-Waters a spot on the Daily Show to address recent attacks on minority religions. Media responds to numbers, if we show that enough people are actively interested in seeing Jason on the Daily Show then it is likely he will get on! Spread the word and let’s make it happen!

The Intuition & Basic Ethics of the Tarot

Lesson 2: Intuitive Tarot Certification Course

All I can say is, WOW! So much useful and interesting information in this course. I learned about 2 very influential men, Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell.

Just a brief overview:

Carl Jung was a Swiss psychologist and founder of Analytical psychology, also called Jungian psychology. Originally he had no plans of studying psychology as it was frowned upon at the time. He later read that psychoses are personality diseases, which was of great interest to him. Jung had many childhood memories that left life long impressions, and realized this is what he was searching for. He was convinced as a boy he had 2 personalities; 1. A typical schoolboy living in the era of the time, 2. A dignified, authoritative and influential man from the past.

Indian Grilled Chicken

Prep time: 21 minutes
marinating time 12 hours
grilling time 16 minutes Servings: 6
Partner: Rice & Pasta Pilaf

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon water

• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

• 1 cup plain yogurt

• 1/4 cup lime juice

• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon each cardamom, ginger, cumin and black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 (3-pound) chicken

• Lime wedges, optional for garnish

Preparation:

• Combine water and dry mustard in a medium bowl and mix well. Stir in yogurt, lime juice, garlic, salt, cardamom, ginger, cumin, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Pour yogurt mixture in a large resealable plastic bag.

Art’s and Entertainment:

“THE WICKER TREE” grows in the U.S. Fango has learned that writer/director Robin Hardy’s THE WICKER TREE—the British helmer’s semi-sequel to his 1973 classic THE WICKER MAN—has been picked up for distribution in North America and the UK, as early as this fall. The film’s international sales agent, High Point Media Group, will screen THE WICKER TREE at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival on May 14 and 16. Read full story from fangoria.com