Dalai Lama to retire from political life
The Dalai Lama has announced he will retire from political life within days.
In a speech posted on the internet and delivered in the northern Indian hilltown of Dharamasala, the veteran Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader said that he would ask the Tibetan parliament in exile to make the necessary constitutional changes to relieve him of his “formal authority” as head of the Tibetan community outside China.
ECHINACEA
Botanical Name: Echinacea Augustifolia
Folk Names: Black Sampson, Coneflower, Rudbeckia
Echinacea is a Perennial plant from the the daisy family, Asteraceae. Native to North America, it grows to a height of 2-3 feet.
It was widely used by the Plains Indians for its medicinal qualities as a treatment for symptoms caused by the common cold. In the 1930s it became popular in both Europe and America as a herbal medicine.
“Black Death” a treat for medieval history buffs
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - You can’t quarrel with that title, “Black Death.” The film is black all right, pitch black, and death is everywhere.
The story is set in 1348, after all, when the plague began to sweep through Europe, decimating its populace by as much as half and spreading panic to every corner. Yet what a strange land for a horror filmmaker to pitch camp in since he has little to add when horror is a fact of everyday life.
Witchcraft casts its spell over a growing community in Thanet
ALTHOUGH they were almost hunted to extinction during the Middle Ages there is a growing community of witches in Thanet.
Three covens, with up to 13 witches in each one, regularly meet either behind closed doors or outside at night.
Witch and Doyle’s Psychic Emporium owner Robert Doyle, 35, dabbles in what were once considered the dark arts. He said: “I have taken part in different rituals. In one, we welcome the four elements – earth, air, fire and water. Sometimes we meet in people’s homes and sometimes on the beach.”
An interview by Raymond Buckland by Bernadette Montana
It is with great pleasure that I post this interview today! Raymond Buckland has always been a huge influence on me, and is someone who has helped to shape our wiccan community today. Read full story from sacredmistsblog.com
Merlin Stone Memorial Sept. 24th
On April 10th, Z Budapest has called for a global remembrance of Merlin Stone. Here’s what Z posted to her Facebook account:
17th century witch chronicles published online
LONDON — A 350-year-old notebook which documents the trials of women convicted of witchcraft in England during the 17th century has been published online.
The notebook written by Nehemiah Wallington, an English Puritan, recounts the fate of women accused of having relationships with the devil at a time when England was embroiled in a bitter civil war.
The document reveals the details of a witchcraft trial held in Chelmsford in July 1645, when more than a hundred suspected witches were serving time in Essex and Suffolk according to his account.
Happy Friday everyone! I hope you enjoy today’s recipe.
Penne with Spicy Sauce
Ingredients:
1 package penne pasta
1 can (28 ounces) Italian-style tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan
Preparation:
Cook and drain pasta as directed.
While pasta is cooking, place tomatoes with juice in food processor or blender. Cover until coarsely chopped and set aside.
‘Witch’ killings described in book
A 350-year-old notebook which describes the execution of innocent women in East Anglia for consorting with the devil has been published online.
Puritan writer Nehemiah Wallington wrote passages on his attitudes to life, religion, the civil war as well as the witchcraft trials of the period.
By 1654 Wallington had catalogued 50 notebooks, of which only seven are known to have survived. Four are in the British Library, one in the Guildhall Library, one in the Folger Library in Washington DC, and one at Tatton Park in Cheshire.
DATURA
Botanical Name: Datura Stranmonium
Folk Names: Devil’s Apple, Devil’s cucumber, Devil’s Trumpet, Ghost Flower, Jimsonweed, Love-Will, Mad Apple, Madherb, Manicon, Moonflower, Stinkweed, Sorcerer’s Herb, Thornapple, Toloache, Witche’s Thimble, Yerba del Diablo (Spanish herb of the Devil)
Datura is an annual herb from the Solanaceae (nightshade) family. It is believed to be native to Asia or South America, origins are unknown. It grows to a height of 2-4 feet, reaching a diameter of 4-6 feet.
Everyone has an event that changes their perception of the world. Be it a death in the family, war or an older sister chasing bullies with a broom, everyone goes through this process.
I had two, and oddly enough, they both had to do with my mother. That never happens to anyone else, right?
The first started off simply enough. I was in the car with my mum; I pulled out a book and began to read. I was about seven years old and I had just discovered my love of reading. I read anything with the voraciousness of a starving line backer. Shakespeare, Blume, King, pretty much anything not nailed down. The book I was reading that day was “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” The simple, innocent Christian allegory was fabulous, until my overly zealous Roman Catholic, Latin service mum saw the title, THE TITLE, and threw it out of the car window. She then proceeded to run over it, not ,once but twice, with the car. She then looked at me, with mildly validated eyes and said, “That will drive the devil out of it.”